Sugar : Fred Weasley

66: Escape of Malfoy Manor

[victoria's pov]

April 12th, 1998

The dungeon of Malfoy Manor was oppressive, a dark and dreary space where the cold stone walls seemed to close in around us. I sat with Luna Lovegood quietly. We hadn't spoken for a while, as she thought silence was a better comfort. The air was thick with tension, each of us lost in our own thoughts as we waited in silence.

My watch ticked steadily in the quiet. It was the only thing that offered any semblance of normalcy amidst the fear and uncertainty. Each tick seemed to mock our helplessness, reminding me of how slowly time was passing.

Luna, who had been sitting cross-legged on the floor, suddenly perked up. "I think I hear footsteps," she whispered. Her voice was a mix of curiosity and apprehension.

Before we could react, the heavy door to our cell was wrenched open, and Harry and Ron were roughly thrown inside. They landed hard on the stone floor, and Harry quickly scrambled to his feet, his eyes darting around the cell before settling on us.

"Victoria!" he exclaimed, relief flooding his voice. "Are you all right?"

I rushed to his side, trying to mask the anxiety that had been gnawing at me. "I'm- I'm fine... where's Hermione?"

"She's upstairs, and Bellatrix kept her."

There was a scream that echoed against the walls. Ron rattled the cage, desperate to get out. Hermione's suffering was unbearable to think about, and we couldn't let it continue.

Ron's face contorted with anger and worry. "We've got to get her out of there. We can't let her suffer like this."

Griphook, who had been quietly observing, stood up with a look of grim determination. "There's a way out of here, but it won't be easy. We need to act quickly before they realise we're gone."

Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed through the corridor, and the door to our cell was flung open again.

As if on cue, a small figure appeared in the cell—Dobby the house-elf. His eyes were wide with a mix of relief and urgency. "Dobby is here to help!" he squeaked. "Dobby will free you!"

Harry and Ron sprang into action, their wands already in hand. "Dobby, can you get us out of here?" Harry asked, hope evident in his voice.

Dobby nodded vigorously. "Yes, yes! Dobby will do it!"

With a snap of his fingers, he took Luna and everyone else away as the three of us hid against the wall. Peter Pettigrew was stunned and fell as Harry took his wand.

We stood, our muscles stiff from hours of confinement, and began to move towards the staircase. The sounds of chaos above were growing louder—spells clashing and people shouting.

We reached the staircase leading to the upper floors, and the noise was deafening. The room where Bellatrix had been torturing Hermione was in sight, and we could hear her strained cries.

Harry and Ron led the way, their wands ready. "We have to get to Hermione and get out of here," Harry said, his voice resolute. As we approached the doorway, Bellatrix was facing us, her wand raised. "You think you can just walk out of here?" she hissed. "You're all going to pay for this!"

Dobby's small form bristled with anger, and he faced Bellatrix with fierce determination. "Dobby will not let you harm them!" he declared.

In a second, the chandelier fell, crashing where Bellatrix once stood.

Dobby cast a spell at Bellatrix, knocking her off balance. The room erupted into chaos as Harry and Ron began casting their own spells. Bellatrix retaliated with curses, her wand moving with expert precision.

In the midst of the battle, I spotted Mattheo, emerging from the shadows. His eyes locked onto me, and he advanced with a predatory grace. My heart pounded as he approached, his wand pointed menacingly.

"Victoria," Mattheo said, his voice low and cold. "You know this won't redeem you for what you've done. You're just like us."

"What is he talking about?" Harry demanded, overhearing.

I drew my wand, ready to defend myself. "We're nothing alike, Mattheo," I said, my voice steady despite the fear I felt.

Mattheo advanced, his spells quick and petrifying. I ducked and dodged, my wand flashing as I countered his attacks. The battle was fierce, each spell exchanged with increasing intensity.

In the midst of our fight, I saw an opening. Mattheo's concentration wavered for a moment, and I seized the opportunity. With a swift movement, I disarmed him, sending his wand skittering across the floor, disappearing into the shadows. He glared at me, his eyes filled with anger and surprise.

He ran over to it, but Hermione was quick to stun him. He fell, being chained by her spell as he stumbled.

"Don't think this is over," Mattheo spat, his voice full of venom. "I'll see you soon."

Turning away, I glanced at the others, who were still battling Bellatrix and her allies. My eyes fell on Draco Malfoy, who was petrified as he looked around with an overwhelmed expression. Harry had confiscated their wands.

The fighting continued, with spells flying in every direction. The chaos was overwhelming, but we had to stay focused. We needed to get out of here.

Just then, Dobby appeared beside us, looking worn but determined. "Dobby has to help more," he said, his voice strained. "Dobby will get you all out."

"Thank you, Dobby," Harry said, his voice filled with gratitude.

"You again!" Bellatrix screeched. "How dare you defy your masters!"

Dobby's face turned stern. "Dobby has no master. Dobby is a free elf!"

With another snap of his fingers, Dobby began to apparate us out of the manor. The sensation was disorienting, and I could feel the world spinning around me. I tried to focus on our destination, praying that we would make it out safely.

As we appeared in a dimly lit clearing, I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. We were outside the manor, but the danger wasn't over yet. We had to keep moving.

We landed on wet sand, the sky was bright. We were scattered along Shell Cottage as I saw the sun for the first time in four months... the sun, it was beautiful. It was warm and freeing as its wrath tingled against my skin. I almost cried with a huff as I sat up from the sand, looking around to see if everyone was alright.

Suddenly, I heard a sharp, pained cry from afar. I turned to see Dobby, clutching at his chest, a look of shock on his face. Bellatrix had thrown a knife just before we disapparated, and it had struck Dobby.

"No!" I shouted, my heart sinking as I saw Dobby fall to the ground. The pain and desperation in his eyes were heartbreaking.

Harry was holding him as I stood there, frozen as my breath slowed. Harry's tears fell as Luna stood nearby. I barely knew Dobby, only remembering him assisting Harry now and then throughout the years when we were in trouble with Umbridge...

But that was years ago, when what mattered the most seemed to be vastly smaller. Now everything was tragically the weight of gold.

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