The Love of a Thornbush

Wolves - Chapter Twelve

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"Mudbloods!"

Bellatrix let out a high pitched, unsettling cackle that pierced the hearts of the assembled posse.

Most stood in rags. Some were bloodied, with busted lips and black eyes. The rest, men and women in dark robes with silent, brooding expressions. The ragged prisoners cowered, surrounded by deatheaters that prowled like wolves around the sheep.

The dark witch Bellatrix Black stood at the head of the crowd, a malicious leering grin on her sharp face. The woods were dark, full of the sound of crickets and the padding of wild animals.

"You filthy, muddy cretins have been brought here~" she twirled her wand, leering forward with a twisted giggle "~to be tried for your crimes against the Purity of the Wizarding World"

I watched from her side, feeling the eyes of both beggars and killers on me. The deatheaters had angry, evil gazes focussed on us, but the eyes of the prisoners bothered me more.

Their gazes were terrified, overflowing with tears and sniffling noses. A pasty, redheaded man tried to stand tall whilst a young boy hid shaking alone in the crowd. The youngest child I could see was probably around 12 years old. My stomach turned at the sight of children with bloodied noses, some were on the ground limp with exhaustion.

"Bring him!"

At her command, a duo in robes descended upon the gathered prisoners. There were screams and wails as children were torn from their parents, brothers and sisters ripped away at a whim. The flock attempted to flee but the deatheaters pressed in closer to keep them encircled.

Grabbed under the arms and carted out, the redheaded man struggled and fought at the two hooded figures dragging him to the front of the crowd. Bellatrix cackled over the yells with malicious glee.

"Yes! Good, good- bring him here!"

The hooded figures forced the redhead onto his knees, I heard him grunt at the pain as he sent a glaring look up to the dominating witch.

Bellatrix sneered, a look of disgust on her face "Feel grateful, bloodtraitor" she bared him a toothy, vicious smile "being at my feet is a privilege"

"Tell me, Weasley-" a ghostly pale hand reached out from a robe and yanked his head back, showing his freckles and blue eyes in the torchlight "-how dim-witted do you have to be to come within a mile of my manor?"

I watched silently as the deatheaters laughed, and the redhead's pale skin flushed with humiliation.

"I-"

"You what? SPEAK UP BOY!"

The Weasley seethed as a wand was pressed to his throat. His gaze flickered towards me, and we made eye contact.

Memories flashed of my life before. Laughter in the Dining Hall, Communal Dorms, Dumbledore's annual speech boring us all to death.

I expected to see fear in his eyes, maybe even recognition. Instead, all I saw was pity.

He looked at me as if I was a beaten dog, chained up in someones garden. I suppose in some ways I was.

Stood at her side, cowering like some sort of pet. All I felt was humiliation as this former friend stared right through me. It seemed, however, that Bellatrix had gotten her answer.

The dark witch, wand clenched in a terrifying grip, launched herself towards me like a frenzied wild cat. She grasped me by the face and displayed me shaking to the crowd.

"This? Is this why you're here?!"

She dragged me closer, so that I was nearly face to face with the Weasley.

"You've come to steal her away, have you?!" One of the deatheaters holding Ron kicked him in the back, sending him sprawling across the dirt "ANSWER ME!!"

He groaned, facedown in the mud. Bellatrix slammed her boot into the side of his head and I heard a sickening crack at the hit, I couldn't bear to look as she continued her assault.

The deatheaters holding him had backed away, allowing their superior the space she needed for her vicious attack. I was thrown aside, landing hazardingly on the ground and scraping the palms of my hands on the tiny stones.

I watched as the Dark Witch unleashed her intense, psychotic rage. It was terrifying to watch. Her mad hisses and screeches were like that of an insane hawk harassing a mouse or some other rodent.

Most of what she screamed was unintelligible, but I heard possessive phrases amongst the garble. Before I could make out anymore I was grasped under the arms and pulled to my feet by someone behind me, the older woman had yelled an order to one of her followers.

"Take her! Take her back!"

I was dragged away from the scene, I struggled but I didn't even know why. Maybe it was because of the terror of the event, or the unfamiliar person currently dragging me away from the one familiar person I'd seen in the past few months.

For my efforts, a clenched fist hit down on the top of my head. It was a hard, solid thump that rattled my skull. I was concious for a few moments before a hand was placed over my mouth and I fell into a deep darkness.

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A.n thanks for reading x