Noyade | Rabastan Lestrange [2] ✔︎

36 | WAITING

When the night slowly started to fall in over Hogwarts, Louis still hadn't returned or sent word about Jack. The air had started to grow colder, as the light disappeared, and now Phoenix' breath hung in puffs in the air. She was shivering in her winter cloak, unable to feel her fingers and toes, since she had been sitting in the cold for hours. She had missed several classes, but she couldn't even bear the thought of attending without the knowledge that Jack was alright.

When she finally returned to the Common Room way past curfew, Phoenix was shivering, however, she didn't feel the cold. Ever since Louis had told her that the Dark Lord had Jack she had been feeling numb. She had expected that he'd be relieved to know that their fellow Death Eaters had found his brother, just like she was. Despite Bella's doings she didn't doubt that she was still fighting for the right side. The fear of Muggles sat too deep in her bones to fully be able to think otherwise. But what if they had found out about Jack's previous marriage and had found him unworthy of being one of them? Phoenix shuttered at the thought. No, Louis would talk sense into them. If he was good at one thing it was talking people into things.

The other girls from her dorm were already sleeping when she finally slipped under the sheets of her four poster bed and closed her eyes. But sleep just wouldn't come. She tossed from side to side, tried to concentrate on her breathing in order to calm herself. Nothing.

Finally she opened the top drawer of her nightstand and pulled out the parchment on Nephilim and her wand. Glancing at the other girls, she muttered, "Lumos."

A small white light appeared at the tip of her wand, enabling her to read the chapter once again. She still wasn't sure if she fully believed it, but she couldn't help the curiosity. This time, however, she paused at one of the listed powers. According to the book it was possible to shift her mind to another person's mind and see through their eyes. Phoenix swallowed. Maybe she could find Jack and help Louis free him. Sure, there were risks, but it was definitely worth it. She couldn't dare to watch as someone she held close to her heart came to harm once again.

"I can do this," she breathed.

Only half a year ago she would have done everything to remove Jack from her life, to make sure she wouldn't have to marry a man she barely knew. But both of them had wanted to make it work, to be live their life in harmony. They had put effort into getting to know each other and somehow Phoenix really couldn't picture life without him anymore. She didn't want to marry him in particular, but she' rather married him than a stranger. And most of all, she wanted to know that he was well. The idea of him being harmed in any way made her stomach turn and she quickly closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Good as her intentions were, there was zero instructions on how to work the spell. There was nothing but a list of things that she would eventually be able to do. Phoenix swore under her breath.

For a few moments she simply stared at the ceiling before she got up and made her way to the bathroom. Her hopes that splashing some cold water on her face would help her calm down were proved wrong, however, and she took to sitting down on the cold floor. Although it didn't calm her, the cold was something to focus on as it slowly crept through her legs into her upper body. It was like the sensation was slowing down her heartbeat and she closed her eyes, focusing on the imaginary light that was her powers.

May my predecessors guide me, she thought, letting herself fall into the golden light.

She felt the warmth of her powers fight the cold of the floor, but nothing happened. To be honest, she didn't even know what to look for. Maybe pictures flashing up in her mind? Falling into a dream like the time she had met Will in his next life? She tried to conjure up an image, anything that told her how Jack was. But there was nothing.

Eventually she opened her eyes.

However, she wasn't met with the known features of the dorm's bathroom. Rather she was in a dark room, only torches offering some illumination. She blinked, turning cautiously on her heel. In that very moment a switch seemed to be flipped in her ears and she jumped at the sound of chains rattling. Phoenix completely neglected the inspection of her surroundings, which seemed to be a plain cellar with a few cages near one wall, and turned towards the sound. Her breath got caught in her throat and she didn't even have to keep herself from screaming out.

There he was.

Jack's arms were chained above his head, which was hanging low between his shoulders. Those rattling chains seemed to be the only thing keeping him on his feet. Strands of his brown hair were glued to his forehead by a substance, which Phoenix assumed to be blood as soon as she noticed the dark bruises on his cheek, chest and torso. She sucked in a breath of air. Why, by Merlin's beard, would his own people ever do this to him?

It was only when a figure stepped out of the shadows, and Jack gurgled and spit blood onto the floor that Phoenix realised they weren't alone.

A slow, snarly voice asked, "Where's their headquarters?"

"Aren't you getting tired of asking the same bloody question over and over again?" Jack huffed, which made the tall, bald man, who had turned his back towards where Phoenix was standing, pull his wand out of the top of his walking stick. However, he didn't point it at the younger man, who exclaimed, "I'd rather die than tell you morons."

Phoenix was in awe of him. He stood there, covered in evidence of previous torture, but he still held onto his beliefs. In that very moment he appeared to her the probably most honourable man she had ever met.

"Why would you protect that scum? They're nothing but filthy beasts," his interrogator inquired, stepping closer towards Jack.

"Don't you dare call them beasts," Jack yelled, pulling on his chains. He somehow reminded Phoenix of a picture of a dragon in a dragon sanctuary, which they had once studied in Care of Magical Creatures. Like the dragon he was all chained up, but he still hadn't lost his will to fight. Seeing him like this made Phoenix' chest tighten. She had to do something.

But her feet just wouldn't move, no matter how hard she willed them to do so.

"The fair folk have more humanity than you'll ever have," Jack spat.

"Fool." The man in a black cloak pointed his wand at Jack and screamed, "Crucio!"

Her fiancée's name escaped Phoenix' mouth before the spell even hit him. As though the brunette man had heard her, he turned his head in her direction, but it was jerked back as soon as the spell hit him. She could see perfectly how he wanted to deny his torturer the satisfaction of screaming out in pain, but eventually he gave in to the urge.

That was when an excruciating pain ran through Phoenix' body and made her scream out as well. It was like she stood on fire or even worse.

Within one instant her vision went all dark.