Lucy Riddle and the Boy Who Lived

Attack at Malfoy Manor

Chapter Thirty-Six

Draco Malfoy was staring at the disheveled appearance of Hermione Granger. He had heard she was here in the dungeon. Umbridge wasn't as quiet as she had probably hoped.

His heart broke into two looking at Hermione. He noticed the blood pouring out of her arm. The word was as clear as day. Draco gritted his teeth. Anger was seething through his veins.

He shoved the key into the keyhole. Once the door was open, he reached in for Hermione's hand. She took it and was lifted into his arms. Lucy trailed behind them, having constant vigilance.

She mumbled, "I'm glad I got my wand back — it's going to prove its worth now."

Once they reached the top step, Draco helped Hermione to her feet.

"I'm going to let you guys do your thing. I'll try to make sure the Dark Lord doesn't come here."

And he was gone.

"Come on," Hermione's frail voice muttered. "Let's save the boys."

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The two girls crept around the house. There was nothing useful there. Ron and Harry were silent. That was enough evidence to show that they weren't being tortured, though it didn't last long.

Harry hissed. Umbridge had taken a knife and stabbed it through his leg. Blood stained the floor and his pants. Bloody hell, he thought, bloodstains don't come out!

Ron whistled a quiet tune, trying to calm his nerves. Harry and Ron were tied up in uncomfortable wooden chairs. Bellatrix, Rodolphus, Dolohov, and Greyback were silent and still, though Fenrir Greyback was licking his lips, almost tasting the boys' blood on his tongue. His teeth was on show in the shape of a smile — or as much of a smile he can manage.

"When can I rip them apart?" Greyback snarled. "I'm going to need a treat after listening to you yap every second of every day."

"Just shut up," Umbridge hissed. "You're going to get your treat soon, just be patient."

Lucy leapt down from the second floor, landing right on top of Umbridge. She pointed her wand at the troll, never leaving eye contact. The wand touched the woman's scrawny throat, making her gag a bit.

Umbridge opened her mouth, but as she tried to talk, she couldn't. Lucy was already a step ahead of her and had already casted a Silencing charm on her. She wasn't going to take any chances now. Lucy felt a rush of excitement pulse through her body.

"Expelliarmus!"

Umbridge wand popped out of her hand. Lucy snatched it. There was no way for her to do any magic, and Fenrir Greyback was busy with a fuming Hermione Granger who had already tied him up with a single word. She was now busy healing Harry's injury.

"Give me the locket, and we can all leave here safe and sound," Lucy said.

Umbridge smiled cruelly. "Never.

"But just you wait. I'll get out of here. I always do, don't I? I know you saw me as I sneaked away from the other Death-Eaters that day when you lot 'saved Sirius.'" Umbridge laughed. "Don't you get it? You're going to let me live, like the hero you are, and I will always come back into your life to torture your family. You know who your family members are, right? Your father — the Dark Lord. Bellatrix, Rodolphus, and Dolohov — the Death-Eater's greatest fighters!

"When you feel someone's eyes on you, that will be me. I will always be behind you, and when you're off your guard, I will come out of the shadows. I will never let you leave my sight. You're never going to be safe. You're going to panic. You're going to get paranoid. You're going to go mad because of me.

"And you think that's what I want? Yes, that is my goal. That is the reason why I live. The only way to torture a person is not by inflicting pain on them.

"No, no, getting your enemy all worked up and paranoid will do all the work for you. You're going to think everyone's trying to hurt you. You will lock yourself in your room or house and never leave. Eventually, everyone will die, one by one, around you as you stay cooped up in your sanctuary. How does that sound, eh? Like paradise, yeah?"

Umbridge laughed at Lucy's pathetic face. She loved the way Lucy was squirming. The way her face hardened. Umbridge loved pain and panic; it made her feel — dare she say it — happy.

"You're never going to hurt my family, ever again," Lucy whispered. She was thinking, Umbridge could tell. Her lips were pouted, and her eyes weren't concentrated on her enemy.

"Oh?" Umbrage challenged. "And why is that?"

Lucy stuck the wand even deeper onto her throat. Umbridge's smile dropped. Her windpipe was lacking air. She tried to suck in some oxygen before asphyxiation could do Lucy's simple job.

Lucy's grip tightened on her wooden stick. Umbridge never thought she'd hear the words leave the little girl's lips. Her face was frozen on shock.

"Avada Kedavra."

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"Oh, honey!"

Bellatrix pulled Lucy into her arms. Rodolphus and Dolohov joined in on the group hug, tightening their grip on each passing second. Lucy didn't move. Her arms swayed at her sides, squeezing onto the Horcrux that had tainted her entity.

Hermione, Ron, and Harry stared at the poor girl with pity. What she did unnerved them. They'd never thought that she was capable of a spell that her father used almost everyday to get what he wanted.

But they refused to believe she was anything like Voldemort. Lucy Donavon was nothing like him — she was kind, caring; who else would've saved them if she wasn't there? — and they all had the same goal: defeat Voldemort.

Lucy just continued staring into oblivion. Her mouth was agape letting oxygen passed through her teeth. Her family was still huddled around her. They knew the side affects of murder. Being a Death-Eater meant you'd have to have a little blood stained on your fingertips, but that didn't mean you were cold-hearted.

"Lucy," Dolohov spoke. "You had to do it. There's nothing wrong with being part of a death you couldn't control. If you'd let Umbridge live, then everyone — including you — would've been in grave danger. She would have brought the Dark Lord to you four."

Rodolphus squeezed Lucy's still body before he let her go. "We need to help the Order now that we know what the Dark Lord is planning. War will start, and blood will be shed. Don't worry about what's right or wrong — now, it's either you die, or you kill."

"By the way," Dolohov shouted over his shoulders as he made his way over to Umbridge, "I promise to try and communicate with you all when we find some more information. I'm not bloody going to let Bellatrix write anymore letters with me signed as your grandmother, Lucy.

"But, anyway, I trust you all to do what is right."

Dolohov and Rodolphus lifted Umbridge's dead body out of Malfoy Manor. Bellatrix gave a kiss to all four of the teenagers. "Don't get hurt, any of you, okay? I want you all to come back to my house when this is over — alive. Or I might just go down to hell personally and kill you all there." She winked, hoping to bring up their spirits.

Hermione and Ron tried to give her a small smile while Harry nodded. Lucy gave her mum a tight hug.

"Please come back safely."

"Don't I always?"