a rose by any other name

chapter forty-three ❃ mud-blood

It had been weeks, and nothing had happened yet... Draco and I were constantly on edge just waiting to have to leave everything behind, possibly for the last time. Every Death Eater out there was looking for Harry Potter, but he just could not be found, I hoped they didn't, I hoped he would just turn up one day and end it all.

I dreaded to think what state Hogwarts was in and worried about Cedric every day, we couldn't risk sending letters into the castle in case Voldemort thought we were trying to betray him. Every day that we spent in the manor just got gloomier and gloomier, Draco was upset about his wand because he's mothers wasn't as powerful and just wasn't quite the same which I understood. The wand did choose the wizard after all.

Nothing had happened for days but all of a sudden Draco and I heard Bellatrix laughing loudly downstairs, I knew for a fact that there were prisoners here, Draco and I were too scared to leave his room but we often tried to listen in on their conversations and I think I overheard that Olivander was here. My heart wrenched as I was reminded of the first time I'd met him and how excited he had been for me after finding my wand even when my parents left me, I wanted to save him but I wouldn't even know where to look, The Manor was so big and there were hundreds of rooms.

Draco and I crept downstairs and Narcissa was at the bottom, "Ah, we need you two for a second, I was just coming to get you." She said and led us into one of the living rooms. Draco and I gasped when we were met with Ron, Hermione and what looked like Harry, but his face was all messed up. "Ah Parisa... Draco, come here dears." Bellatrix said and we hesitantly walked towards her, I looked over and Ron and Hermione who looked terrified and I felt guilty... they were friends with Cedric – they shouldn't be here. "My friends here say they've got Harry Potter. Seeing as he's an old school chum of yours, I thought you two could confirm the fact for us." She said and Draco and I looked at each other, "I-I can't be sure." I said and Bellatrix frowned looking to Draco, "What's wrong with his face?" he asked, and she glared at Hermione. "She cast a stinging-jinx on him." I frowned, that was smart of Hermione, well she was supposed to be the brightest which of her age, so I suppose it actually made sense.

Harry's eyes danced between Draco and I's faces, but we didn't say anything, we both knew it was Harry, Ron and Hermione were here so who else would it be? But if we told them that it was him, they would call Voldemort and he would kill Harry... there would be no chance for us to ever be free. Hundreds of people would die, and Voldemort would be in charge, and it would all be Draco and I's fault.

All of a sudden, Bellatrix gasped as she noticed one of the snatchers holding a sword. The Sword of Gryffindor. "Where did you get that?" she screeched, and I winced still looking at Harry as I clutched Draco's hand. "Found it in her bag when we searched them, reckon it's mine now." The snatcher answered and immediately Bellatrix cast a spell on him to make him drop the sword. She shoved Harry towards Ron and ordered Narcissa to take them to the dungeons with the rest of the prisoners. How many were there?

Bellatrix pinned Hermione up against the wall, "I need to have a little conversation with this one. Girl to Girl." She shouted in Hermione's face but somehow Hermione didn't even flinch. Bellatrix threw Hermione on the floor and climbed on top of her as Draco and I moved to stand with his mother, clutching onto each other for dear life. "That sword is supposed to be in my vault at Gringotts. How did you get it?" she sneered in Hermione's face who I noticed was now crying. My heart broke as she started to sob. "How did you and your friends take it from my vault?" Bellatrix shouted and Hermione spluttered "I didn't take anything, please." She sobbed, "I didn't take anything." I looked over at Draco who looked uncomfortable and a tear rolled down his cheek as Hermione started screaming. I wiped it away and looked over at Bellatrix who was now holding her wand against Hermione's arm, she was carving something into her flesh. I didn't need to guess what.