a n c h o r

t w e l v e

Alexandra sat quietly in the corner of the cellar, reminiscing about the moment she first became friends with the trio. At this point she accepted that she may never see them again, but she still smiled when thinking about all the times they shared together.

Meanwhile, the trio was in a panic as they were suddenly surrounded by snatchers. Thinking quickly, Hermione had put a stinging jinx on Harry's face in order to keep him from being recognized. It worked, but the situation still ended up falling in Harry's favor. They were still suspicious, especially since they recognized Hermione from the Prophet, and opted to bring the trio to the Manor rather than the Ministry.

Harry let out a deep breath, satisfied that his plan worked. Hermione and Ron, however, were not as thrilled. They were not aware of Harry's plan, but Harry knew they worked better under pressure. The plan was risky, but so was keeping Alexandra and Luna trapped in the Manor. Alexandra risked her life for them, and it was time to return the favor.

Narcissa, looking disdainful yet feeling relieved, let the group in at the gate. The trio entered the home, and was greeted by exactly who they needed to see.

"Draco, come here," Narcissa ordered. Draco appeared, stopping in front of his classmates. His breath caught in his throat, and he began to panic. This is a moment Draco expected, but never prepared for.

"What's wrong with his face?" Draco asked quietly.

"Well, Draco?" Lucius asked, pushing Draco closer to Harry. "Is it him?"

"I can't be sure," he lied, knowing very well Harry was right in front of him despite his distorted appearance. He didn't know exactly why he lied, but he knew the reason was bigger than Alexandra's safety alone. Deep down, he knew Harry is the only person who could defeat Voldemort once and for all. With Voldemort gone, he would finally be free from his pain and suffering. He would finally be happy.

"The girl. Get the girl," Lucius panicked, craving the redemption he would receive if he successfully handed Harry Potter over to the Dark Lord.

"Lucius-" Narcissa protested.

"Get her!" He yelled. Harry noticed the fear fill Draco's eyes, and knew exactly what girl his father had been referring to. When they all saw her, however, they almost didn't recognize her.

Draco turned back to Harry, the two making eye contact for the first time.

"Please," Draco whispered almost incoherently. Harry nodded, assuring him she would be safe soon.

Alexandra looked at Hermione and Ron, letting out a shaky breath holding both relief and fear. She was pushed forward, stopping next to Draco as she stood in front of Harry.

"Is this Harry Potter?" Draco asked her, not able to look her in the eyes. Alexandra began to cry, her entire body shaking as she became filled with fear.

"Answer him!" Lucius yelled, causing her to flinch.

"I don't know," she cried, hoping she was making the right decision to lie.

"Are you sure," Lucius pestered, walking up to he girl and grabbing ahold of her arms.

"Father-" Draco protested, but he was ignored.

"Is it Harry Potter?"

"I swear, I don't know," she lied again.

"What about- what about these two?" He asked desperately, turning her towards Hermione and Ron. "Is this the Granger girl? And the Weasley?"

Hermione lightly nodded to Alexandra, telling her it was alright to tell the truth. If she lied, she would surely get caught. Not only were their faces unaffected, but Alexandra was known to affiliate with them both. Nobody would believe her if she said she didn't recognize them.

"Yes," Alexandra cried, throwing her hands over her mouth and sobbing.

"Good girl," Lucius said, calming down and handing the girl back to his son. "Take her-"

"What is this?" Bellatrix asked, entering the room. Draco's grip on Alexandra tightened protectively, but it caused her to flinch in pain.

"Potter! Harry Potter and his friends! We've got them!" Lucius yelled triumphantly.

"Potter?" Bellatrix asked skeptically. "Are you sure?"

Lucius stood behind Harry, using his hand to pull back his hair and reveal a very faint scar. Immediately, Bellatrix pulled up her sleeve and attempted to summon Voldemort before Lucius stopped her. They began bickering over who had the authority to summon their master, and Draco used this as a moment to talk to Alexandra.

"I'm so sorry," he told her, noticing how much worse things have gotten for her while he's been at Hogwarts. "I'm going to do everything I can to get you out of here. All of you."

"Stop!" Bellatrix yelled, silencing the room. Everybody turned to where she was looking, noticing the Sword of Gryffindor hanging from a snatcher's hand. "What is that?"

"A sword. Found it on the girl. Reckon it's mine, now," a snatcher explained, suddenly becoming encased in a red light as he was stunned. The remainder of the snatchers were disarmed, falling where they stood.

"Draco, darling," Bellatrix smiled. "Hand the girl to your dear mother and take this scum outside. I'll deal with them later."

Draco nodded, handing Alexandra to Narcissa and proceeding to drag the unconscious and stunned snatchers out to the yard.

"Bring the boys to the cellar. Leave the girls," Bellatrix ordered, sending Fenrir Greyback to do her deed.

"No!" Ron protested, struggling to escape his restraints. "Take me! Keep me!"

His yelling was interrupted by Bellatrix striking him across the face. Alexandra winced as the sound echoed around her. Bellatrix made sure no harm would be done to Ron or Harry until Voldemort arrived, but it didn't seem like she had the same plan for Hermione. Narcissa felt Alexandra begin to shake in her grip, and attempted to send her into the cellar as well.

"Send the girl with them. She's of no use to you," Narcissa ordered, making Bellatrix laugh.

"Oh, Cissy, you know that isn't true," Bellatrix told her sister, slowly approaching her and Alexandra. She looked at Alexandra, picking up her chin so they made eye contact. "She's very useful, indeed."