The Littlest Malfoy Lost

Ch. 5 Unknown

The rest of the week went by slowly most of the parties I attended were the same, she would introduce me to people and then I'd locate Draco and we would dance and talk. Draco and I had grown closer over the break, it was nice to have a genuine friend when I had returned from the Yule break. Umbridge and I had also gotten close over the break and I started to see her as a mother figure for me since I didn't have one. She always checked on me and helped me when I needed it. It was nice, pretending I had a mother for a few minutes.

Classes were dull as always the only thing that happened was Umbridge became the headmaster after she had figured out what Harry was doing in Dumbledore's name. To be honest Harry was dumb for naming his club after Dumbledore. The minister was already scared of Dumbledore without 'Dumbledore's Army'. I was one of few students who benefited from the change of authority figure. Umbridge didn't really enforce rules on me like she did the Gryffindors. Umbridge has even taken to giving me private lessons so I could try some spells unlike the rest of the students. I shouldn't have agreed but everyone had basically taken to teaching each other ignoring me completely so I learned from Umbridge.

"Isabelle," Harry yelled to me causing me to face him. I looked at him tensely knowing he most likely wanted me to do something for him. We hadn't spoken since our fight before break and now he was approaching me. "I need your help." I sighed as I looking into his eyes. I hadn't spoken to Harry since our argument and wasn't pleased that the first words out of his mouth were a request.

"What can I do for you Mr. Potter?" I questioned only deciding to help him because of Molly. Molly while she wasn't anywhere close to family I felt I owed her for taking me in without hesitation.

"I need to leave so I need you to distract Umbridge," Harry said as my blue eyes widened at his ridiculous request. I just turned 12 and he wants me to get in the middle of whatever problem he was having! Not only was I young but I had told him a few weeks ago I wouldn't trick Umbridge any more and yet here he was asking me to, again! I was annoyed but pushed the feeling aside as I opened my mouth to respond when Harry added another statement. "I promise it's important. People are in danger."

"Who exactly is in danger?" I demanded. I may be willing to help but I'm not going to blindly assist him with everything.

"My godfather is being tortured because of me," he said with panic in his eyes. My eyes softened before I spoke again.

"Fine but you owe me," I snapped before heading off toward Umbridge's office without another glance at Harry. Guilt welled up in my stomach growing with each step I took towards Umbridge's office. I took a breath before knocking on her door. As I waited for her to open the door the guilt weighed on me. She was nice to me when other teachers looked at me like dirt. She even gave me harder assignments when she saw how bored I was. The door opened and Umbridge smiled when she saw it was me.

"Isabelle," she said motioning me inside. I gave her a sweet smile as I entered her office.

"Professor," I said stepping further into her office. "I was wondering if you would like to go for a walk with me by Black Lake?"

"Sure," she smiled at me. I turned exiting her office as Umbridge followed me out of the office. We had almost made it out of the hallway when she noticed Harry heading into her office. She stiffened as I sighed.

Harry was an idiot. He couldn't wait five minutes for us to be outside the castle before entering the office. Anger was the only emotion I felt coming from the Professor and that only made me feel worse about what I had done. She marched into her office as I followed slowly behind her. I knew that she wouldn't let me leave anyway so I decided to make it easier and stay with her. She had the inquisitor squad at her office within five minutes and had captured Harry and his friends. She didn't bother grabbing me knowing I wouldn't run, I felt too guilty to run. "You were going to find Dumbledore weren't you?!" Her voice was cold and filled with a fiery protectiveness.

"No," Harry said before she held up her wand pointing it at Harry. I stared at her unsure what she was going to do to Harry. My body coiled up ready for what was to come. She was unpredictable when it came to how she dealt with students, Harry in particular. As a professor she shouldn't ever use magic against a student but I had a feeling she was going to. I braced myself for the magic as she glared at Harry.

"The Cruciatus Curse should make you speak," she said aiming at Harry. My eyes widened as I looked at the Professor I had come to admire. Fear pulsed through me as images of the orphanage flashed in my mind. She muttered the curse as I placed myself between her wand and Harry. I hadn't hesitated protecting Harry even knowing the agony I was about to endure. Pain ripped across my body as the spell crashed into my tiny body causing me to collapse onto the floor. I held back a scream as everyone's eyes widened at the sight of my convulsing form. My tiny 12 year old body burned with indescribable agony. Spots floated across my vision as my back arched trying to escape the pain, the pain that was inescapable.

"Albus, should we be doing this? She isn't in danger?" Snape asked Dumbledore while both of them stood in a nursery. Dumbledore looked down at the crib without remorse as he responded to Professor Snape's question.

"She's too strong to be left with the Malfoys. She needs to be raised with Muggles," Dumbledore said grabbing the baby out of the crib without a hint of regret in his blue eyes.

"Where will you take her?" Snape asked. The Professor even though he seemed heartless and cruel he had a heart and wanted the child to go somewhere where she would be well taken care of. The child deserved that much.

"She will go to Wool's orphanage," Dumbledore said simply as if that wasn't a horrible place for a child especially one with magical abilities.

"You know how that orphanage is run and still you want her there?!" Snape questioned in shock. Dumbledore nodded looking at the small child with disgust before leaving the nursery with the baby in his arms.

The curse finally stopped making the image fade from my head. I breathed heavily shocked at what I had seen and still felt the remnants of the curse on my skin. I got up slowly as Umbridge eyed me with concern in her eyes. She hadn't meant to hit me with the curse. I tried to look okay despite the echoes of pain I felt from the curse. Eventually Umbridge returned to the task at hand not giving me a glance as she talked with Harry and his friends. I sat on a chair weakly as Hermione told Umbridge a lie before leading her out of the office. I remained in the office still trying to catch my breath and calm my aching nerves. The inquisitor squad stood inside the room watching those of us who remained in the room. Draco's eyes drifted over to me every few moments with concern as I continued to recover from Umbridge's Cruciatus curse. Within ten minutes Harry had returned to the office alone. The inquisitor squad didn't try to stop us as we walked out of the office with Harry. (A/N: I know that isn't how it went but I decided to change it.)

"Isabelle, I need you to come with us," Harry said as I stood before Harry with confusion in my blue eyes.  I had been hit by an unforgivable curse and should go to the medical wing and instead he was asking me to go with them somewhere. I tried to ignore the lingering pain as I stood before Harry.

"Where?" It wasn't the question I wanted to asked but was equally important. I didn't understand why he would ask a first year to go with him. On top of being a first year he just watched me get hit with a powerful curse and yet he wanted me with him rather than the hospital wing. Harry took a deep breath before answering the question. I could see the fear but also the bravery in his eyes as he opened his mouth to reply.

"The ministry of magic to rescue Sirius."