Breaking Free (Book 3 of the Lost Potter Series)

Company at the Manor

It was shortly after the start of the school year when Voldemort's place of operations shifted to include Malfoy manor as one of its many locations. And with this shift came more prisoners to be housed within the cellar/dungeons alongside Olivia.

The first person to join her was a man by the name of Florian Fortesque. Olivia never knew his name, however, since every time he was placed into the cellar he had just been released from a torture session by Lord Voldemort or one of his followers, so he was in no mood for conversation. Olivia, still being drugged up without her consent, didn't attempt to initiate any. He only lasted around twenty days before he was dragged off, never to be seen by anyone again.

A few days after Florian had been taken away, another prisoner was moved into the underground space. Olivia faintly recognised his voice in the back of her mind, but she struggled to place him before he introduced himself. Well, it took him a while to introduce himself properly, as they had initially fastened a cloth bag over his head for the journey and neglected to take it off.

"Hello?" Olivia had said tentatively towards the man, "Do you know what day it is?"

"What?" The man was soft-spoken but obviously shaken.

"Do you know what day it is? I'm trying to make sure my tally marks are accurate. If I've got this right, it should be around October 2nd, meaning I only have nine months until my Draco comes back!"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you any date, Miss," The man said, seemingly becoming calmer, "I can't even tell you what season it is or where I am right now."

"Oh, well, I think it's autumn. And you're in the cellars of Malfoy Manor—" Olivia was about to explain to him that no real Malfoy was living in Malfoy manor at the moment, since her favoured Draco was away at school and his accursed father was... well, Olivia didn't want to think about him or where he was.

Nevertheless, she was interrupted by some another Death Eater barging downstairs and unchaining the man to drag him back upstairs. Olivia tried asking this unknown man the date as well, but he just grunted at her and went back to his task.

The man was brought in again without the bag much later. His white hair was wild and stuck about every which way, though his face was battered and not quite as lively as it should be.

"Hello again. Did you find out what day it was?" Olivia tried again, her torn up nails throbbing from her scratching at everything within her reach.

The man launched into a coughing fit before answering, "I'm afraid not, Ms. Gaunt. Ever so sorry."

Olivia didn't even notice that he had used her old name over the disappointment that flooded her senses. Immediately, she began to cry.

"He really has you bewitched, hasn't he?" The man said in a joking manner, though the humour couldn't manage to make it on to his expression.

Olivia's mood turned raging instantly, "Are you accusing him of wrongdoing? Draco is perfect and he could never curse anyone!"

Olivander held up his hands in mock surrender, muttering under his breath, "Bewitched indeed..."

"Just who do you think you are anyway?" Olivia snapped at him, though her anger was fleeting to make way for more sadness.

"Garrick Ollivander. I'm the one who sold you your wand, though I don't believe you remember me at this moment in time."

He was right, of course. Olivia couldn't remember a lot of things to do with before her current situation at the moment, though she would dream about happier and sadder times she'd had previously. Her memory just became more and more foggy in her waking hours as the days went on. She remained silent as she strained to even remember her wand.