Apples and Snakes

Freedom and Independence

Malfoy Manor was dead silent.

Good, I thought as I slung my backpack over my shoulders and grabbed my wand. It's go time.

I opened the door and the guards turned.

"Stupefy! Stupefy!" I murmured quickly, and the two fell over. I started down the hallway, to the guards who hadn't acknowledged my open door, for their backs were to me.

"Ventrus Trio!" All of them were blown away, slammed against walls and such. I started running as fast as possible down the stairs as they got to their feet.

"Don't let her escape!" I heard a voice say. A door from up there was open.

Oh crap. The other apprentice.

I flung open the door, where the other Death Eaters were now drawing their wands. I ran straight for the garden, hoping the hedges would protect me from the Stunning Spells they were aiming at me.

"Don't let her escape!"

"We've got an apprentice making a run for it!"

"Someone get the Dark Lord!"

I ignored all of this in a burst of adrenaline, as I reached the iron gate. I started climbing rapidly, flattening against the iron bars whenever a curse was aimed at me. They made my hair blow wildly, and brushed past my skin. I was about halfway to the top when I took out my wand and started fighting back.

"Stupefy! Stupefy!" I kept aiming for where I thought the last spells had come from. I then placed my wand in my pocket and continued up.

"Releashio!" The spell hit me straight in the back, and my hands burned, and I fell onto the cracked marble walkways.

"Ow," I muttered as I got to my feet. I drew my wand and turned to see Ky advancing.

"Stupefy!" I ducked and rolled.

"Flipendo!" He rolled back.

"Ignis!" The fireball flew at my shoulder. I immediately stopped, dropped and rolled. The fire was out, but my shoulder was burnt pretty badly. I still raised my wand.

"Ventus Duo." A wind, not quite as strong as the one as I'd used in the hallway, blew over Ky. I put my wand up, and scaled the fence again, not stopping for anything until I suddenly felt someone grab my ankle.

I looked down to see that it was Ky.

"I'm sorry about this," I muttered before kicking my ankle hard enough against the gate that it forced him to fall and let go. I didn't look down to see if he'd survived. I kept climbing, flipped over the top, and fell on my side. I scrambled to my feet and started running through the woods.

Outside of the Manor, they could now track me using the Trace, so I was pretty much helpless. I kept running through the woods as they yelled spells at me. It wasn't until had been a good long while since the last curses that I finally sat down behind a hollow log.

I'd done it, I'd escaped Malfoy Manor!

I opened the magical book. "Where is the closest town?"

The map showed me Dorset— a day's hike away. I pulled out of my backpack a bit of cloth and used it to bandage my shoulder before falling asleep.

The next day was glorious. I was on my own, surrounded by nature. I briefly stopped at a lake, and saw my reflection. I looked older— had my birthday passed?

It was all I'd learned and done.

I felt different, too. I could never be the bratty teenager I was anymore.

I was someone else now.

Anyway, it wasn't until late that I made it to Dorset and summoned the Knight Bus. I don't remember much, I just remember how tired I was.

But when I came home— I'll never forget that.

I'll never forget how Harry embraced me, how he said he was sorry. Then Mum had to ruin everything, just by standing in the doorway with the words that no teenager wants to hear.

"We need to talk."