Our Broken Youth《Neville Longbottom》

Year 7: January 20th, 1998

*Hi everyone! This story is an idea I've had for a while, and I've just now decided to write it. It's my side project at the moment. I will try to update at least once a week, usually on Friday or Saturday, but it may be a bit hard at times because some of my clinicals are on Fridays. The majority of this book is flashback, going between the past and Essy's present capture.*

Song -

Autumn Leaves by Ed Sheeran: Close your eyes before the sleep, and you're miles away, and yesterday you were here with me. Another tear, another cry, another place for us to die.

Darkness crept up on me, thin light beams fading from the singular barred window in the small prison cell. A freeing chill blanketed the room and made me shiver as I huddled in the corner, begging for a night of uninterrupted sleep. I doubted that would be the case, however. They usually came at night. I wasn't sure why, and it was unfortunate for me because I was already lacking the energy and strength to keep myself awake.

And sure enough, the high pitched laugh of an extremely cruel witch echoed through the cellar. A shiver ran down my spine, but I steadied myself in preparation of the nights interrogation. I ran my fingers through my hair, just like he used to do. My eyes welled up with tears, thinking about him, but I fought them back as two people came marching down the stairs.

"Peaky boo," Bellatrix laughed, "little Essy, it's time for you to tell us where you friends are." The singsong nature of her voice made me nervous, but I swallowed my fear and kept quiet. I had told them a thousand times, I didn't know where anyone was. The Death Eaters had made sure of that.

"Let's get this over with, Lestrange," Augustus Rookwood, her father, said. I noticed how exhausted he looked. His usual round and bright features were sunken in. His eyes were so shadowed that I couldn't see the deep brown color that I unfortunately shared with him. His lips were chapped and he hadn't shaved in a couple days, salt and pepper scruff covering his sallow cheeks. Wildly unkempt curly hair covered his scalp in a patchwork of light brown and grey, the latter beginning to take over his entire head. He wore black robes that were tattered in one too many places. I felt disgusted that I was related to him, and felt even worse when I thought about how many features I shared with the man.

"Now, now Gussy. Where's the fun in rushing things," Bellatrix tisked. She was looking better - more insane - but better, as if this war was rejuvenating her. If anyone would be strengthened by a horrific war, I was sure it would be Bellatrix Lestrange. There was nothing specific about her that looked better, her pale skin just looked a bit smoother and her wild hair had been tamed ever so slightly.

"Lestrange I'm tired and we've been at this for months," Augustus stated, rubbing his face. "Wouldn't she have told us something if she knew it?"

"She's your daughter, Gussy," Lestrange shot back. It seemed as though the two of them had completely forgotten about me sitting right in front of them, and I was very thankful for that. "You of all people should know how well the Rookwoods hold up to torture. I'm sure she knows where those grimy children are hiding."

"I don't," I shouted, my anger getting the best of me. "I swear to God I don't know where any of them are. You guys took me away before I ever got the chance to find out!"

"Ah, the girl can talk. And all this time we thought the only thing you could do was scream," Bellatrix shrieks, opening the barred door to my cell with overwhelming racket. She walked in and grabbed a handful of my hair, dragging me out of the room as I kicked and screamed. It was the same routine nearly every night, but I never got used to the pain that came with the strength of Bellatrix's grip.

She lifted me up onto a chair and roughly tied my hands behind my back. She cast some silent spell and I felt my body stiffen against the chair, keeping me in place. I had gotten used to that feeling, but it never failed to make me nervous that I was no longer in control of my own body. I hated that more than anything else.

Augustus pulled up a chair and sat in front of me. He rubbed the back of his head and sighed, pulling out his wand. That was new, it was usually Bellatrix with the wand in hand. She always loved using her favorite unforgivable curse on me. This was highly unusual, and I didn't like it one bit. I tried to retract, but I was stuck. As if I was going to trust the man that betrayed my mother and put me up for adoption seventeen years ago.

"We're going to try something a bit different tonight, alright Esmerelda," he said. I stared down at my knees to stop myself from trying to fight free of this body bind jinx.

"You don't have the right to call me that," I hissed. Good, I could still talk. At least I had that, although I wasn't sure how it would do me any good. Augustus laughed and stared at his wand, running his calloused fingers over the rough and slightly damaged wood.

"I was the one that named you that, after my grandmother. I have every right to call you by your full name instead of some stupid nickname those muggles made up for you," he spit. "Now, what we're going to be doing is something called Legilimency. It's where I will cast a spell and go through your thoughts. It should speed this process along greatly."

"Get on with it, Augustus," Bellatrix yelled, swinging her wand wildly at me.

"Now who's rushing things," Augustus sniped. He readied himself, raising his wand and staring straight into my eyes.

It hurt me, to even have to look at him. It made me feel sick. To think that this man, this Death Eater, is the one responsible for my birth made anger rush through me. I hated him. I hated all of this. And I absolutely, unequivocally, was not going to allow him to search through my memories unrestrained. No, I was not going to allow that to happen at all. Not now, not ever.

I was going to show this murderous coward just what kind of a life I had with the people that he so deeply despised. I would show him that my life was incredible until he came into it. Until he stole me away from the people I loved the most. He ripped me from the man I loved and the family that had formed around me and put me into a cell, and I was going to make sure he paid for it. Because if I was going to suffer any more, then I was going to take him with me.

"...It may not be pleasant for you, but I doubt that's something you're unfamiliar with," Augustus stated. I hadn't realized that he had been talking this whole time. Bellatrix laughed from a distance. She had sat down on the bottom stair at some point during my inattention.

No matter, I was still thinking about the first memory I wanted to embark upon. I stared back into the eyes of the last living biological link to my family history. I didn't want any special memory, just one that began things. I wanted a memory that would start his realization that my connection with muggles and blood traitors and every other person in between had made my life richer than his ever was. And I knew just which one to think of.

"Are you ready," he asked politely, as if to ease the burden that this spell would bring to me. I simply nod back, concentrating too hard on the memory at hand to say anything to him. It wouldn't have mattered any way, it's not like he cared for my consent to the invasion of my privacy.

"I wonder if she'll hold up," Bellatrix pondered, the tip of her wand picking at her teeth. "I wonder if you will."

Augustus said nothing back to her. He didn't even acknowledge she had said anything. But the words rang clear in the back of my head. I wonder if he will be able to handle this, too. Without warning, he raises his wand and steadies his hand.

"Legilimens!"

*I hope you guys liked it! If you did, please don't forget to vote for my story by clicking on that little button with the star on it! Thank you so much for reading and expect an update within a week!*