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Didn't take long before I got taken away by the Snatchers. Apparently, the person who's been pretending to be Alastor Moody this whole time is someone called as Bartemius Crouch Junior. The name really doesn't ring the bell. All I know his family has something to do with the Ministry. And that's all I need to know. To think after all this time, the real Alastor Moody never showed up in Hogwarts. It was Bartemius all along. He just tried to get on our good side to get Harry to the Dark Lord. I feel so stupid. I get dragged by Bartemius in front of these big, black gates that leads into this huge manor. No idea where we are, but this isn't good. Maybe it's the all adrenaline in me, but I don't feel constantly afraid. Only the times if I happen to accidentally make an eye contact with my father, that's when I feel panic raising inside me. If he even really is my father. So I have tried to avoid looking at him as best as I can. Not that I would care, but I can not help but wonder, where my mother is? Thought she would also be here.
As soon as we get inside, we walk up the stairs and just when I get to the top, Bartemius pushes me to go forward:"Keep moving, luv.". Right away, the people inside this large room that has a big fireplace in one corner and long, black table in another, they all turn around to see us. Right away I recognize some of them. Lucius Malfoy, the werewolf-man and the woman whose name I cannot remember. What is all this? Even Draco is here. He rather looks more timid than the others. The woman in all black looks at us and scoffs:"Where's the boy?". "Just be glad I didn't come back with empty hands." Bartemius hisses as gives the final push on my back, forcing me to take a step in front of all of the Death Eaters. The push was too sudden and strong, I fall on my knees onto the dark wooden floors. Ouch... The woman looks at me up and down, unimpressed:"Ah, Snape's little plaything, is it?". Plaything?
Before any of us can open our mouth, one of the Snatchers steps forward:"Let's not forget who actually caught her. I'd like to have the reward as quickly as possible, so me and my boys could be on our way.". All of sudden, the woman turns to this man and without a warning, she uses her wand to cast the whip spell, which sends an actual whip to strangle the man. "Do you really think we would pay for catching her instead of the Choisen One?! HUH?!" her voice echoes around the big room. My eyes widens out of pure shock how she just went from zero to hundred like that. The man holds onto the whip and tries desperately gasp some air. The look on Lucius's and Bartemius's won't even budge - except my father's, who seems to be more like turned on by the sight. Sick bastard. Rest of the Snatchers don't know what to do at this point, they are too afraid to get the same destiny as their friend here. An evil laugh fills the room as the woman sees how the Snatcher's face starts to turn blue. I can't watch this, so I turn my head away.
She then finally releases him and starts shouting:"GO! GET OUT OF HERE, YOU MAGGOTS!". Immediately, they all leave the manor that instant. My head follows as they run past me. What's going to happen now?! "Bellatrix Lestrange... You really are, a woman with surprises." my father approaches her with sparkles in his eyes. Ah! Bellatrix, that what it was! We all watch as Harold comes to her, puts his hand behind her neck and pulls her into passionate kiss. WHAT?! They both really are going at it, like teenagers. Bartemius is the first one who rolls his eyes, like this is something they do all the time. Lucius however is the one to raise his voice:"Enough with that disgraceful behavior in my own house!!". My eyes goes to him. So we are in his house. The house would need more feminine touch, but who am I to say...
Then, my eyes shifts from him to Draco, who seems to be on edge. He's keeping his gaze down like he's too afraid to make any eye contact with any of us. Last time I saw him was back at the Astronomy Tower. Now that I look at him, it seems that he hasn't slept or eat well these past weeks. And no wonder. Harold and Bellatrix finally pulls away from their French kissing and share this unpleasant looking smirk. Urgh... I have now pretty much joined with my capture to roll eyes with him. Harold then looks at me while tracing his hand down onto Bellatrix's waist:"Oh, don't look at me like that, pumpkin.". My gaze hardens to look straight at him and I dare to open my mouth:"Eloise won't be happy.". He burst out laughing with Bellatrix, both bending their backs backwards. What's so funny about that? My mother would kill him if she finds out. After all, they both were toxically jealous towards each other, even they did keep cheating on one another. Harold breaths out after settling down the laughter:"Oh, (Y/N)... Guess I should have told you earlier; I'm a widow now.". Both of my eyebrows raise and eyes widens for a moment. What?
Harold begin to speak with calm manner as he slowly walks towards me:"Your mother, she didn't handle the Dementors as well as I did. Overtime she became weak, you see... And after there was the massive escape from Azkaban, I couldn't have any loose ends. So, I did what I had to.". My heart sinks as I wait what he means by that. He's now standing right in front of me, so he comes down on the same eye level with me and whispers:"I ended that whore's life just the way Muggles used to do the Witches.". It became clear that as soon as the prisoners started running when the big break happened, Eloise asked Harold's help. She was so weak she couldn't run, nor scream for help. Harold couldn't stand this inconvenience, so he ended up grabbing behind her head and forced her whole face under the water that surrounds the prison. Didn't take long before she wasn't moving anymore, and Harold continued the escape without her.
After he got out clear, away from the Dementors, he was quick to find Bellatrix and rest of the Death Eaters. However, for some reason he's still not included to be part of them. So, he has been part of the Snatchers - for now. He... Killed her. As chilling this all is, there's nothing going inside my head right now. I don't know if I'm supposed to feel sadness or anger. Neither am I happy or glad by this. I... I don't know what I'm feeling. Bartemius then hisses:"Enough with the chit-chat. Can we finally focus what's important in here?! I got no all day.". "You can not rush the Dark Lord!" Bellatrix snaps at him. Soon, all four of them - Bellatrix, Harold, Bartemius and Lucius start shouting and yelling at each other what they should be doing right now. As they are yelling on top of each other, Draco and I make an eye contact. Even he's quick to turn his gaze away, I could just tell his eyes were telling me he's sorry. About all of this. Draco...
I got this feeling he's my only hope at this point. But how am I going to..- All of sudden, Bellatrix grabs me by the hair and yanks me to look at her:"Now tell us, what is your and your friends 'brilliant' plan regarding the boy?!". I frown:"The boy? What boy?". "Don't play coy with me. Harry Potter! Where is he now?!". Before I can say anything, Bartemius answers:"They went to the Burrow. If we'll send..-", "There are not there anymore." I interrupt him. Both of them look down to me while I keep my gaze in the distance. "Don't speak crap at me, I know where they went. I was there the whole time!" Bartemius hisses. Bellatrix yanks me by the hair and I let out a sharp inhale:"Ash..-!". Can feel her nails digging in almost thru my scalp. Then, I look up to him as best as I can thru the pain:"No. We left to tell 'you'; if we're going to get ambushed, we are going to go elsewhere.". It is a lie, but they don't haveto know that. I need to buy more time to Harry and the others.
As the others looks somewhat disappointed in Bartemius, he ends up scoffing:"She's lying.". Bellatrix then takes the lead:"Where they're heading?". I'm not saying anything, so she pulls me forwards and throws me to the floor. I let out a quiet groan when my body thuds to the floor. Bigger discomfort creeps on Draco as he's watching this happening. Lucius is still watching with no emotion on his face. "If you're not going to speak what's on your mind, I guess we need to call someone to read it out for us." she smiles. "He's not fully healed yet." Lucius reminds. Bellatrix's head snaps right at the owner of the house annoyed, but then... An evil smirk appears on her face as she looks down to me, twirling her wand in her hands:"Well then... Then we shall have our own little interrogation session.". Harold's grin grows wider. My eyes widens and heart quickens as it hit me what they are going to do with me. No.
Bellatrix stares at me:"I'm being nice here, dear, so I'm first going to ask you one more time; where are they?". I just glare back at her, showing that I'm not afraid of her - nor anyone in this room. Even I am. Soon enough, she raise her wand and spells out the most horrific spell I've ever felt before:"Crucio.". Immediately, the incredible pain goes thru me and I began to scream my lungs out while laying on the floor:"HAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!". The feeling of white-hot knives piercing every inch of the skin, head going to burst with incredible pain. Draco feels the urge to cover his ears, but won't do it so he won't come across as weak. So he keeps digging his nails inside his fists. Bellatrix laughs as she keeps the wand steady. Sometimes she eases the pain and orders me to tell the truth where Harry and the others are, but because I won't cooperate, she continues to torture me. The memories from my past starts coming flashing by. Back when I was just a little girl... How I used to beg thru the pain for my parents to stop. But now, the pain is so intense, I can't even form any real words.
As the torture continues, even the look on Lucius's face falls down just a tiny bit. Almost as if he's second guessing. "Think that's enough for now, Lestrange. Don't want her to bleed out all over my fine floors." Lucius finally says with very calm manner. Then, the pain vanishes and I let out a long exhale while laying on the floor on my back. I could faint any second now. My whole body starts to shake and tears runs down my cheeks. All that pain and the memories combine is really getting to me. While I'm hyperventilating, Bartemius comes closer to Draco and places my wand onto the table that is right next to him. Draco's eyes visits on the wand, but quickly goes back to the main event. Harold is the one who approaches me:"Are you going to be a good girl and speak to this lovely lady over here, and tell us where they went? Hm?".
Over the tears, I stare right back him. He's just smirking down on me from the above. Too weak to say anything, so with shaky hand, I show him the middle finger. Quickly that wipes the smirk off his face. This is the first time I've dared to do anything like this to him - or anyone that matter. "Family problems, I reckon?" Bellatrix teases. "SHUT UP!" Harold snaps at her over his shoulder. He then turns to me and grabs me by the collar with both hands:"Now - you little whore's brat, SPEAK.". Now that he has brought his face close enough, I spit right on his face. Immediately he tosses me back to the floor and wipes his face. It raises hilarity around the room. All the Death Eaters laughs like hyenas. Except Draco and Lucius. If there is any way in this world to hurt this man... It'll be embarrass him in front of the Death Eaters.
Bartemius chuckles as he tries to settle down his evil laugh:"Seems you forgot one important figure about your 'daughter', (Y/L). She's a Hufflepuff. She won't care what you'll do to her - too loyal to her friends, you see.". Harold looks over his shoulder again, confused what he means by that. I'm too weak to get up from the floor, so I just lay there on my left side and watch as they talk. Bartemius then walks towards me while glancing over his shoulder to shout:"Wormtail. Bring them over here.". Wormtail? So he's in this too. Didn't even see him when we walked in, but there he was, standing in a corner. Wormtail goes somewhere out of our sight. Soon, the Death Eaters starts speaking to each other. Can't really tell what they are saying, I'm still trying to recover from the pain that I felt just few seconds ago.
Just when I'm about to raise myself to sit, Bartemius puts the tip of his shoe against my shoulder to push me back to the floor. "Tsk, tsk... Don't be too eager, luv." he smirks. "...ck you." I let under my breath while glaring up to him. Even my voice was too weak for him to hear, he could still tell what I said. Then, Wormtail comes back. While laying there on my back, I can hear he didn't come back alone. No. One pair of footsteps more entered the room with us. Great, more people... But then, I hear familiar squeaking noise and my eyes shoots up wide open. Don't tell me..-! Immediately I roll myself around to see if my guessing got right. And it sure did. My heart drops. It's Tonks, holding Ted in her arms - and Sniffy, who's trapped into a cage that Wormtail is holding. No..!