Lestrange's Daughter

Part Nineteen: The Newspapers

Narcissa brought me back to my room that night. She kissed me goodnight and left again, leaving me in my warm bed. I had nightmares about the screams.

Voldemort had said he deserved such hard punishment, to be a example for others who wanted to break the rules. Still, it wouldn't leave me alone.

The next morning I woke up and searched through the closet for clothes. I only had black clothes, for some reason. Probably my mother, I think. My mother, it nearly shocked me with what ease I thought about Bellatrix Lestrange like that. But yeah, maybe it was so easy because she is my mother.

I grab a black dress and a pair of polka dotted tights. On the cloathes hanger hangs a necklace by the dress. I put it on and watch myself in the mirror. Great, now just some boots. I close the first closet and walk to a shoerack. There I grab long leather boots which nearly reached my knees.

Then I walk down to the dinning room. Only Narcissa and Draco were there. "Where is everyone," I ask them. "They are all on a mission. Sit down dear and eat something," Narcissa says with a kind smile.

I sit down opposite Draco and next to her. While I eat my cereal with fruit and yogurt, Narcissa eats her toast and reads the Daily Prophet. She suddenly drops the toast and stares with wide open eyes and open mouth at the newspaper.

"Mother, is something wrong," Draco asks, surprised by his mothers sudden behaviour. Narcissa shoves the newspapers to me and I see the headlines. "HERMIONE GRANGER DISAPPEARED, TAKEN BY DEATH EATERS", it says with a moving photo of me, staring up at myself with a serious look.

"Read further," Narcissa whispers with a pale face, paler then she already was. "Last day, Hermione Granger had been kidnapped by fans of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. That is what Mr Warren from the Safety Ward of the Ministry of Magic said. He was the one entrusted with the task to keep Miss Granger safe. Yesterday, a Death Eater infiltrated the Safety Ward and took Miss Granger to the Entrance Hall. Everyone watched him Dis-Apparating with young Miss Granger. Why would a Death Eater need a Muggle-Born? Where is Miss Granger now? Why was she even at the Safety Ward? Could the Ministry have prevented this from happening? Turn to page 4 and 5 to read more about her disappearing, the problems at the Ministry of Magic and our suspicions why the Death Eaters wanted Miss Granger. Everyone who has information about her place of being has the duty to inform the Ministry. The tipgiver will be rewarded with 2000 Galleons."

"Wow, they really want you back, don't they," Draco sighs. "I guess they do," I say to them. I throw the newspapers to him so he could read it himself. Narcissa nips quietly from her tea and sighs deeply.

"I was already afraid they would set up a witchhunt for you," she says, "I already told it to Lucius, that they will immediately start searching. Stupid, just stupid to think we could just.. take you from the Ministry under their nose without them searching for you." 

After the dinner I went outside with Draco. We both practiced Quidditch until I got bored and decided to make already some homework outside. Draco later joined me because of the big pile of homework he had.

It was nice weather outside, the snow had even disappeared. But Draco is Draco so suddenly, after a couple of hours of working on our homework, we both gave up because we couldn't concentrate with the jokes Draco kept making.

I played with the black Lestrange ring a bit. "I guess I am a real part of your family now Malfoy," I mumble to him. "I guess that too, Lestrange," Draco replies with a grin.