The Story of Sheila Riddle (Harry Potter Fanfic)

Chapter 26

A blood-curdling scream sent chills running through Sheila's body. She froze, her hand on the doorknob. It had come from just the other side of the door, where the drawing room lay. She'd heard nothing as she had come into Malfoy Manor. Only now did the sound reach her ears. It was unmistakable. Someone was in pain. A lot of pain. 

She'd been gone for only a short while and already the residents were in mayhem?

She flung open the door and her eyes immediately found the dark figure of Bellatrix leaning over a woebegone figure on the floor. Barty and the Malfoys were all watching her quietly. 

"Bella!" Sheila snapped, causing all eyes to turn to her, "You're turning the Manor into a house of horrors! What do you think you're doing? Who is that? What happened?"

"A band of Snatchers came to the house while you were gone," Narcissa replied, sounding somewhat breathless.

"They had Potter and his friends," Barty finished.

"What?" Sheila said quickly, "Potter? Really? But where is he?"

"In the cellar," Lucius answered, looking a little upset.

Sheila's gaze returned to the figure on the floor. Hermione Granger. And carved into her arm, was the word 'Mudblood'. Sheila felt a pang of pity for her.

"Has the Dark Lord been summoned?" 

"Only just," Bella replied, getting to her feet. She turned to the others, gesturing to Hermione. "I'm done with this one. Might as well get rid of her." She smirked cruelly. "That'll be one less Mudblood..."

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

The cry rang through the room. Everyone turned toward the sound. None other than Harry Potter himself had entered the room, accompanied by his redheaded companion, Ron Weasley, who had been the source of the noise.

"Expelliarmus!"

Bella's wand flew from her hand. They were armed! What was going on?

"Stupefy!"

Lucius keeled over backward. Everyone's wands were out in a flash, trained on Potter and Weasley. Jets of light illuminated the room as they fired spells back and forth. 

"Stop or she dies!"

Bella was supporting the limp Hermione while holding a knife to her throat. Harry and his companion both froze, staring in horror. 

"Drop your wands!" Bella shrieked, "Now!"

There was a silence, interrupted by a peculiar grinding noise. All of them looked upward in time to see the crystal chandelier above Bella tremble ominously. Then it began to fall. Bella screamed and, dropping Hermione, threw herself aside. The chandelier crashed to the floor, sending shards of crystal flying in all directions. Ron ran forward to help his friend; Sheila pointed her wand at him.

"Stupefy!" Potter yelled.

Barty suddenly leaped in front of her. The spell hit him instead and he hit the floor.

"Barty! Sectumsempra!"

Potter yelled in pain as Sheila's spell grazed his side. Bellatrix had jumped to her feet again, brandishing her silver knife. Narcissa stood with her wand pointed at the doorway.

"Dobby!" she screamed, "You dropped the chandelier?"

Bellatrix and Sheila both turned and saw the Malfoy's former house-elf standing in the door.

"You must not harm Harry Potter," he squeaked.

"Kill him, Cissy!" Bella hissed.

Immediately, there was a loud crack and both Cissy's and Sheila's wands flew from their hands and landed on the other side of the room. 

"How dare you take a witch's wand! How dare you defy your masters!" Bella screeched.

"Dobby has no master!" squealed the elf, "Dobby is a free elf, and Dobby has come to save Harry Potter and his friends!"

"Go!" Potter shouted.

Ron caught up a still unconscious Hermione and joined hands with his friend as he leaped toward the house-elf.

"No!" Sheila screamed as they started to Disapparate.

Bella flung her knife at them and Sheila concentrated all her power on it, willing it to reach it's mark.

Then with a flash, Potter and his friends were gone.