The Marauders: Year Four

The Rescue

The Rescue

Ned Veigler pressed his wand into Frank Longbottom's back roughly, shoving him along the path, his eyes narrowed as he sneered. "Move," he snapped, "Dawdling won't buy you any time; I may just get sick of waiting and bite yer precious little neck myself." He pushed Frank - hard - and Frank tripped forward onto his knees, his balance thrown off by having had his hands tied behind his back by the incarcerous charm. Frank let out a shout as he hit the ground and Veigler grabbed his harshly by his elbow, yanking him back to his feet, "GET UP, YOU FILTHY BLOOD TRAITOR!"

A giant looked up from where he was tearing the flesh from a small cow he had stolen from a field and barbequed over the fire, the whole leg of the beast sticking out from his mouth as he chewed, staring at the scene unfolding as Veigler pushed Frank along. "What're you staring at, you dimwitted half-breed?" Veigler snarled and the giant quickly turned away, shoving the rest of the leg into his mouth with one of his thick fingers.

They got a few feet away from where the giant was and Veigler whispered, "I didn't push you too hard, did I?"

Frank shook his head, "Barely felt it. I threw myself down."

"Very convincing!" Veigler said and he patted Frank's shoulder.

They reached the clearing and there was the stone walls and the hovering dementors and Frank stared up at them, shivering. Veigler paused and took a deep breath and raised his wand... and a large white wolf fell from the wand and ran ahead of them. At the sight of it, the dementors cleared a path, rushing to get away, repelled by the wolf's glow. Frank stared at it with wide eyes, "A corporeal patronus. Wow," he murmured.

"I have very few truly happy memories," Ned Veigler said lowly, "But the ones I have are strong and mean more to me than anything else." A part of Ned wanted to tell Frank that it was him saying that he'd learned duelling from Veigler's class that had powered that particular patronus, but the words stuck in his throat, and he kept them to himself. Instead, he grabbed onto Frank roughly as their charade called for and shove him through the clearing in the dementors as the patronus wolf faded away and the dementors closed ranks behind them.

He pushed his way in the front door of the house, and shoved Frank through the kitchen and into the parlor unannounced. Six pairs of eyes turned to focus on Ned Veigler as he pushed Frank to the floor at the foot of Fenrir Greyback. Frank whimpered as he lay there on the floor, face down and curled into a ball, squeezing tears from his eyes. "Please don't hurt me, please no," he whispered.

Fenrir's eyes moved to Frank Longbottom's form... then up to Ned Veigler's face. "The prodigal returns," he murmured, sitting up as though to say this just got interesting, and he looked down at Frank again.

"I've come to rejoin the pack, my Alpha," Ned Veigler replied, kneeling to the wood floor before Fenrir, "And, to show my sincerity, I've brought a gift for you; my catch from the full moon."

Fenrir turned Frank over onto his back roughly and leaned closer... Frank struggled against the bonds that held his wrists, tears streaming across his cheeks, "Please!" he begged, "Please, don't hurt me!"

Fenrir breathed deeply, licking his teeth lewdly as he sat back upright, "My, you do smell fresh, don't you?" he murmured.

The shiver that ran down Frank's spine was not an act.

Druella breathed, "Bite him, my Love, draw his blood, have your fill!"

Fenrir closed his eyes in ecstasy, thinking about how good it would feel to sink his sharp teeth into the boy's neck, to rip the flesh and drink the blood as it poured from his veins... but no, he needed to save the thirst he felt right now for Remus Lupin. This boy would make a good snack, sure, but first he needed to serve the life of Remus Lupin up to show the Dark Lord that he, unlike Orion Black, completed his jobs.