The War | The Sister Book #4 | Harry Potter Fanfiction

Chapter Thirty

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Bellatrix pulls Clara by her hair. She throws her on the ground, and I watch Clara stumble, hitting her face on the stone floor. I step back, words of protest caught in my throat but I can't speak. I can't.

Blood starts to trickle from her nose. Bellatrix digs her hand into Clara's shoulder and yanks her onto her side, and I see the fear in Clara's eyes. Terror. I haven't seen that look in years.

Bellatrix doesn't say a word.

The silence is broken by a shattering scream that rips through Clara's body. She arches her back and writhes, stiff, her desperate cries echoing through the hall. Bellatrix leans over, twisting her wand as if it were a knife embedded in Clara's stomach. Clara lets out a guttural, inhuman cry.

Bellatrix crouches over her, animalistically, cackling as she watches her grow lifeless. I look away, feeling tears prick at my eyes.

My Clara.

I want to save her, I want to pull her up and hold her until she can breathe normally again. She screams, and I close my eyes, shuddering as Bellatrix starts interrogating her and a quiet, broken whisper answers. My feet are glued to the floor and though I am shaking I feel like I will never be able to move again.

"I didn't take anything!"

She's crying now.

A new, fresh cry splits the air and when I turn back I see Bellatrix leaning over her arm. I watch Clara's small, fragile frame shudder and squirm, and when Bellatrix pulls back I see the dark, bloodied letters bit into Clara's arm, the word liar.

Bellatrix wipes the blood from her mouth.

I don't take my eyes off her, even when Bellatrix summons the goblin from the cellar and starts threatening him with a dagger, I can't peel my eyes away from her.

I've never seen her this broken before.

xxx

I don't know when I stopped screaming.

I don't have the energy to anymore. I lie on my back, palms facing upwards, caught between one breath and the next. The same pain consumes me and I writhe, a guttural scream clawing at my throat.

It sears up through my arm, burning under my skin, slicing through every inch of me. My eyes fall open, but I see nothing. I see darkness, silvery shapes, and I feel so heavy. I feel a tear slip down my cheek, and voices begin to echo around me. I am sinking into the stone floor.

Help! Help! I'm falling! Can't you see that I'm falling?

But my plea comes out as a raspy croak, and I feel myself slip further.

xxx

I look up as Bellatrix slices along the Goblin cheekbone,

"Consider yourself lucky, Goblin," She spits, turning to face Clara. She sighs, sneering at her as she walks over, examining her wand, and I reach slowly for my own. I won't let her die. "The same can't be said for this one-"

"Expelliarmus!"

From the corner of my eye, I see three figures appear. I jump, raising my wand with the hand that isn't holding Clara's book and cloak, and stepping back in line with my mother as Bellatrix's wand flies from her hand to Harry's. As my father steps forward Hermione stuns him, sending him flying backwards.

Ron throws a curse at me and I block it, finding my footing and attempting to stun him, opnly tp be blocked in return. Between the flashes of white light I don't notice it, until I hear a weak cry from behind me-

"Stop!"

I turn, seeing Bellatrix, gripping Clara firmly, pressing a dagger to her throat. I held my ground, every inch of me wanting to curse her. I see that Clara is whimpering, barely keeping herself upright, the dagger digging into her throat.

"Drop your wands," Bellatrix commands in a low voice. No one moves, "I said drop 'em!"

I hear a clattering sound, but I fear the moment I tear my eyes from Clara I'll lose her.

"Pick them up Draco, now," Hisses Bellatrix, and I blink, turning and scrambling to pick them up and return my gaze to Clara.

"Well well well, look what we have here," Bellatrix murmurs, grinning, "It's Harry Potter. He's all bright and shiny and new again, just in time for the Dark Lord," Clara sobs quietly, "Call him."

I step backwards, but I feel my father step up behind me. I won't. I can't. I try to ignore their pressing stares, their glaring eyes. I won't call him. Finally, my father steps forward. He raises his hand, eyeing Harry, he pulls up his sleeve.

I hear a high pitched screeching. I frown, my eyes flicker upwards to the Chandelier.

There, atop the ornate metal sculpture, sits a small, familiar looking house elf. He is unscrewing the fitting that hangs directly above Bellatrix.

Just as it falls, Bellatrix leaps backwards, throwing Clara forwards, filling the air with a loud screech and the sound of smashing glass, I manage to step forward and catch Clara, pulling her into me, pretending as though I'm holding her to keep her trapped. She shivers into me as I wrap and arm gently around her throat and firmly around her waist. She's safe here.

Harry and the others congregate around the house elf, grabbing onto him, to escape. I can't let go of Clara, and she doesn't struggle, having no energy left to do so. Harry stares, desperately at me as the house elf and Bellatrix argue. I realise my hand that is pressing into Clara's side is holding their wands.

"Stupid elf! You could've killed me!"

I stumble, as though Clara is struggling, slightly closer to the group.

"Clara, I need you to leap forward, to Harry, please-" I whisper, but she shakes her head,

"I can't-"

"Please-"

My mother attempts to curse the elf but he disarms her. It's Dobby. I almost laugh, recognising him.

"How dare you disarm a witch! How dare you disobey your masters!" Bellatrix yells, her voice cracking,

Harry glares at me, and I give him a helpless look. If I let go of her, she'll fall.

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

Harry lunges at me, and I stumble towards him, and somehow he manages to take hold of her arm before they dissaparate.

The ground falls from underneath me and I stagger to the side as I land on cold, damp sand. I look around wildly, dropping the wands, my eyes adjusting to the cold morning light. I see her on the beach a few metres from me, and I pull her up, her eyes open, flaling wildly, until they find mine. Her hands cup my face and she sobs,

"Draco-"

"Clara I have to go."

"Please stay please I-"

"If I stay he'll kill my parents-"

"Draco," She croaks helplessly, holding me firmly, the wind whipping her hair around violently, the sun illuminating her tear-stained face,

I shake my head, "I can't."

I kiss her gently, lovingly, pushing the book and her cloak into her chest, and step away, watching her stumble forward. My eyes meet Harry's and he nods weakly at me from where he kneels, holding the elf's lifeless body. Clara is begging from her knees, croaking, sobbing, and as an immeasurable pain mounts in my chest, I step back and close my eyes.

I land back in a cold hall, a numb fear building inside me for what is to follow, and a sob caught in my throat as the sound of her loud, desperate cries echo through me again and again, like waves crashing against rocks.