"Skirmish: cont'd"
Rubbing her thumb over the scarring on her palm, that pain felt almost irrelevant to what the girl on the floor had just experienced.
Bellatrix was now interrogating a goblin who undoubtedly had worked at Gringotts before being snatched but she could hardly hear what she was saying. Circi's ears were ringing, her face stained with tears, and she had the overwhelming feeling of wanting to go home. And, as much as she told herself that this was home. She couldn't bear it much longer. Hugging her knees, she pressed her forehead against them and shut her eyes, beginning to count in her head.
Narcissa had moved now, standing by the staircase and Circi wondered if she was the one to have retrieved the goblin. Draco was near her, clearly trying to keep himself together and not look at Hermione. But Lucius stuck by Circi, his cane in hand as he observed everything that was happening. His composure sent a chill down her spine and she had to look away.
She forced herself to look up when spells started being cast. Ron had disarmed Bellatrix and, when she had just grasped that a duel was about to commence, Harry had stupefied Lucius before he could draw the wand he'd replaced in his cane.
Circi couldn't help but yell in surprise when the spell hit him and he was soon airborne and landing in the background with a thud.
She was tempted to go to him but the duel that commenced between Draco, Narcissa, Ron and Harry caught her attention. And then Bellatrix called for them to stop. The room was silent when everyone noticed the knife at Hermione's throat, completely under Bellatrix's mercy.
There was a certain hopelessness in seeing Hermione of all people looking so weak and helpless. It made Circi wonder how she could have ever hoped to stand up to these people.
"Drop your wands!" Bellatrix ordered. "I said drop them," she repeated when the boys hesitated, to which they obeyed immediately. As Draco gathered the wands from the floor, Bellatrix dragged Hermione closer to them, observing as the stinging jinx faded from Harry's face. "Well, well, well, look what we have here." Hermione gasped when the knife shifted against her throat. "It's Harry Potter, all bright, shiny and new again. Just in time for the Dark Lord. Call him." Bellatrix smiled as everyone looked at Draco. "Call him!" Lucius, looking particularly dishelvelved and limping, took note of Draco's hesitation and stepped forward.
He looked down his nose at Harry and unrolled his sleeve, revealing the dark mark, and held his hand out.
Just then, a small tinkling sound interrupted them, followed by a squeak and a creak. Everyone looked up to see a house elf wearing fur-lined boots and a pillow-case dress clinging to the chain of the chandelier hanging directly above Bellatrix and unscrewing the bolt that kept it elevated.
For a moment, everyone watched and listened and, then, the chandelier fell. A great wrought-iron chandelier with glass embellishments descended towards Bellatrix, who pushed Hermione forwards as she yelled and stumbled backwards.
As the chandelier smashed, Circi couldn't help her scream as she curled further into the chair, clinging to her wand as if she could think straight enough to use it.
Draco fell into the chair on the other side of the fireplace, his face contorted in fear as he looked at the chandelier, only to whimper as he fought with Harry to keep the wands in his hand. He lost the tussle and watched Harry go in defeat, his face crumbling like a toddler on the verge of a breakdown. Lucius tried to summon Voldemort again but was stupefied and sent flying again.
"Stupid elf," Bellatrix yelled, having now regained her composure and advancing on them with her wand, "you could have killed me!"
"Dobby never meant to kill!" The elf called, and Circi vaguely recognised him from her earlier years. Yes, he was the elf that had left them in her first year, she remembered her father's fury after being tricked into offering him clothes. "Dobby only meant to maim or seriously injure."
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Circi | 2
Hayran KurguChoosing between mother and father had never been on Circini's mind, but when the truth threatens to spill over she is torn between not only family, but good and evil. ~ SEQUEL TO SERENITY ~ HARRY POTTER ~ SECOND WIZARDING WAR ~ OCxOC CONT...