The Dark Side (A Harry Potter Fanfiction)

Chapter 26: Snatchers

        It was six o'clock in the morning, and I heard banging downstairs. Occasionally someone yelling. I ignored it for a while, it wasn't that out of place, then I realized, my father wasn't even here. I got up, very curious to see what was downstairs, but then I heard a girl screaming. Not a woman, a girl. I threw my door open and bolted downstairs. Lucius, Narcissa, Bellatrix, and Draco stood in the foyer. Bellatrix was crouched by a girl who I presumed was the person screaming. I recognized her as Hermione Granger. She screamed more and my eardrums rang. Narcissa had seen me, and she shook her head. I knit my brow in confusion and started stepping down the stairs. She shook her head again and put a finger to her lips. I took a step back. She flicked her hand and mouthed 'please'. I heeded her warning and quietly went back to my room. Hermione screamed over and over, and I had to plug my ears before I went mad. Finally, the screaming stopped, and I could rest again. I was fidgeting with everything, I needed to go down there. Then it all fell silent. Something had gone wrong.
          "How could I have been so stupid?" I distinctly heard Bellatrix shout. "Wormtail!" She screeched. No answer. "WORMTAIL! Get out here! NOW!" Still nothing. I heard her black heels click on the wooden floor as she went to find him. That behaviour was most unusual for Wormtail, he obeyed everyone he feared. I heard footsteps coming up the stairs. I had left the door open slightly. Draco pushed it open and immediately fell into my arms.
          "Potter was here," he spoke above a whisper, his voice shaking. "They wanted me to identify him, but... I couldn't. Granger and Weasley were there too. I just... I couldn't..."
          "I understand, Draco. It's fine."
          "The only reason I got away with it was because Granger had put some hex on him to deform his face. If he was here..." He was talking about my father. I already knew he didn't need to finish the sentence. I let him calm down a bit before I asked him anything else.
         "How did they get away?"
          "Our old house-elf, Dobby  Apparated them out or something, but I think Aunt Bellatrix's throwing knife went with them."
          "Was Granger OK?" he looked at me.
          "Yeah, they got her out too. She was in rough shape, though. I don't know what Aunt Bellatrix did, but she could barely stand."
          "So everyone's fine?"
          "Yeah. Well, Wormtail isn't going to be," I nodded. Peter Pettigrew had been through worse. I sat down on my bed beside him. "He had so much hatred in his eyes..." He said quietly. "Like I was going to hand him over to The Dark Lord myself. Like I was The Dark Lord!" he threw his hands up in exasperation. I put a hand on his shoulder.
          "He doesn't understand. Hell, we barely do," I gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "We're going to be alright," he nodded, but I could see he didn't believe me. I kissed him and it warmed my body right up, I had no idea I was that cold. We let go, and our foreheads touched as we looked into each other's eyes. His were blue like a crystal, something so much more entertaining than my own dark brown ones. He smelled slightly like soap and boy. We sat there, practically just staring at each other. It's like we could talk to each other through our eyes.
          "Look at the sunrise," I whispered. We both turned out heads to look through the window. Past the forest, you could see a mountain, and the sky was a seemingly impossible combination of colours. I had woken up many times just to watch it. I leaned my head on his shoulder and heard him exhale deeply. After I felt I had seen it all, I closed my eyes. I actually wouldn't have fallen asleep if it wasn't for the Dark Mark. It burned like it was going to catch fire. I put my right hand over it as if it would stop the pain. Draco was experiencing the same thing. "I guess he's back."
          "I guess so," we reluctantly left the room and headed downstairs. Apparently we weren't coming fast enough, and the scar burned again, much fiercer this time. "I wonder if something happened?"
          "No, he's probably just being impatient," he nodded. We walked into the Drawing Room with Nott. He was one of my father's original supporters and had a grey ponytail and golden teeth. I don't think anyone came in their Death Eater attire since the meeting was on such short notice.
          He was sitting at the head of the table, his eyes blazing. Draco was across from me and I saw him tense up. My father was surveying the table, waiting for his followers to arrive. After some time every single Death Eater was sitting at the table, but one seat was empty. It was my mother's. A small lump formed in my throat.
          "Now that we are all here, I would like to know the real story of what happened while I was away. Bellatrix told me Harry Potter was here, and I was not properly informed," Bellatrix seemed to flinch at his icy gaze.
          "We were going to, My Lord, but we ran into some...difficulties."
          "Difficulties?"
          "The boy got away," she blurted and winced as if expecting to be cursed. When she realized she was still alive, she continued. "Narcissa's old house-elf Apparated them out and they stunned Wormtail."
          "He got away?" he hissed. "With a house-elf? Unscathed?"
          "No, no My Lord!" Bellatrix was mortified. "I do believe my throwing dagger went with them as well. And! And the girl was very weak, I tortured the Mudblood until she told me what else she and her little rats stole from my vault at Gringotts. They were not unscathed, My Lord."
          "Very well, I will let you know I am very disappointed in you," Bellatrix sunk back into her chair with a pouty face, not unlike a child's. "My own mission did not go as planned. It seemed we were given a false lead, or an outdated one," I thought I saw his eyes waver to Snape. "I was unable to find the information I needed, but I found something I did not intend to find. I have finally obtained a wand that will defeat Harry Potter."