Heirs of darkness

Masks of deciet

Aurora Black was abruptly awakened by the sound of footsteps in her bedroom. Disoriented, she rubbed her eyes and saw Draco and Theo standing by her bed, their faces pale with worry. It was early morning, and the first rays of light were just beginning to peek through the heavy drapes.

"Aurora, wake up!" Draco hissed, his voice trembling. "The Snatchers caught Potter, Weasley, and Granger. They're downstairs, and Bellatrix wants to know what to do."

Aurora sat up quickly, her mind racing. "What do you mean they caught them?" she demanded.

"They brought them here," Theo explained, trying to keep his voice steady. "Bellatrix is trying to verify if it's really them, but you know how she is... It's bad, Aurora. We need a plan."

Just then, they heard Hermione's muffled cries from downstairs, and Aurora felt a surge of urgency. She had to act fast.

"Stay here," she ordered, jumping out of bed. She knew of a secret way into the cellar from her room something she had discovered while exploring Malfoy Manor. Without another word, she slipped through a hidden door in the wall, descending a narrow staircase that led directly to the cellar.

As she reached the bottom, Aurora saw Harry and Ron, bound and battered, their faces grim. She quickly signaled for them to remain silent and handed them a spare key she had kept hidden.

"You need to listen to me carefully," Aurora whispered urgently. "When they bring you up to check if Harry is really Harry, I'll identify you. When they bring you back down here, that's when you escape. Got it?"

Ron's eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Why should we trust you, Black? You're one of them. How do we know you're not leading us into a trap?"

Harry's gaze was equally doubtful. "We've had enough of false allies. If this is some kind of trick, we're done for."

Aurora bit back her frustration, understanding their mistrust. "I'm not asking you to trust me, but do you really have another choice? If you stay here, you'll be dead before the day is out. This is your only shot."

Ron and Harry exchanged a tense look. Harry seemed to waver, but then he nodded slowly. "Fine. But if anything goes wrong—"

"It won't," Aurora interrupted, though her heart pounded with the weight of what she was promising. "Just follow the plan."

Ron remained tense, but eventually, he gave a reluctant nod. "Alright. But if anything happens to Hermione, we're coming back for you."

Aurora swallowed hard, forcing herself to stay focused. "She'll be okay. I'll make sure of it."

She left the cellar, her mind already racing with the details of her plan. Back in her bedroom, Draco and Theo were anxiously waiting.

"We're going downstairs now," Aurora said calmly. "Follow my lead, and don't question anything I do. Understand?"

They nodded, and the three of them made their way down to the main hall. As they entered, they were greeted by the sight of Bellatrix Lestrange standing over an unconscious Hermione, a twisted smile on her face.

"What do we have here?" Aurora asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

Bellatrix turned to them, her eyes gleaming with manic excitement. "The Snatchers caught the Golden Trio! We've got Potter and Weasley in the cellar, and this little Mudblood was carrying Godric Gryffindor's sword, which is supposed to be in my vault at Gringotts! I was just... questioning her."

Aurora forced herself to remain calm. "We don't have time for this, Bellatrix. The Dark Lord will want to know if it's really Potter. Go fetch Weasley and Potter; I'll verify them myself."

Bellatrix's grin widened as she nodded to Wormtail, who scurried off to retrieve Harry and Ron. Aurora felt Theo and Draco tense beside her, but she kept her expression impassive.

When Harry and Ron were brought before her, Aurora stepped forward, examining Harry's face closely. "It's him," she said, loud enough for everyone to hear. "We should call the Dark Lord immediately."

Bellatrix and Wormtail exchanged a triumphant look before dragging Harry and Ron back to the cellar.

Moments later, Voldemort arrived, his presence chilling the very air in the room. He looked around, his eyes landing on Aurora with a mixture of suspicion and curiosity. "Where are they?" he asked in a cold, hissing voice.

Wormtail rushed forward, trembling. "My Lord, they're in the cellar. Bellatrix and I personally brought them down now.I'll get them," he assured, his voice quivering with fear.

But when Wormtail returned, his face was ashen. "They... They're not there, my Lord. They're gone!"

Voldemort's fury was palpable, and he turned on Bellatrix and Wormtail, his red eyes blazing with anger. "You fools!" he hissed, his voice dripping with venom.

Bellatrix dropped to her knees, tears streaming down her face as she begged for forgiveness, but Voldemort was relentless. With a flick of his wand, he unleashed the Cruciatus Curse on them both, their screams echoing through the manor as they writhed in agony.

Aurora watched, her heart pounding, but she forced herself to remain calm. She had to see this through. When Voldemort finally lifted the curse, he turned to Aurora, his expression dark. "Dispose of the Mudblood," he ordered coldly.

Aurora nodded, her mind already formulating her next move. "My Lord, if it pleases you... I'd like to keep her as a slave. She could be useful."

Voldemort seemed to consider this for a moment before nodding. "Very well," he said, his voice dripping with disdain. "Do with her as you wish."

As Voldemort turned to leave, Aurora approached Hermione, who was beginning to stir.

Aurora let out a mocking laugh, her voice dripping with bitterness. "You always had to be the best, didn't you, Granger? Never missed a chance to show me up. But look at you now. The mighty Hermione Granger, reduced to this." She turned her head to the other Death Eaters. "At Hogwarts, she made sure I knew my place-like I was beneath her, too stupid to even acknowledge."

Aurora grabbed Hermione by the hair, lifting her to her feet. She could feel the eyes of the other Death Eaters on her, watching every move. Voldemort gave Aurora a final nod before disappearing into the shadows, leaving them alone.

Aurora dragged Hermione to a cell, far from where the others were held. Once they were out of earshot, Aurora released her grip, and Hermione fell to the floor, gasping for breath.

"I'm the one who helped your friends escape," Aurora whispered urgently, crouching down beside her. "Listen to me carefully. If you try to escape now, it will look suspicious. No other Death Eater will harm you while you're here, and sooner or later, you'll be out of this place."

Hermione looked at her, eyes wide with shock and confusion. "Why are you doing this?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"Because I have to," Aurora replied, her voice firm. "But to make it believable, I have to make them think I'm torturing you. I'm sorry for what I'm about to do, but it's the only way."

Before Hermione could protest, Aurora raised her wand, whispering an incantation that caused Hermione to feel as though her entire body was being cut open, though there were no physical wounds. Hermione's screams filled the air, a haunting sound that echoed through the stone walls of the manor.

Aurora's heart ached as she watched her old friend suffer, but she knew it was the only way to keep her safe. As the screams continued, Aurora closed her eyes, wishing for the nightmare to end.