Serpent in the Lion's Den

30. Clarence Bywater

Topper materialised in the north drawing room again, this time holding the hand of a brunette witch with bushy hair and hazel eyes. Ron's eyes grew wide as he recognised the witch at his feet and began shouting at Bellatrix before the witch grew tired and muttered "Silencio."

Lucius flicked his wand and removed Bellatrix's spell from Hermione who began to scream in pain as the effects of the 'crucio' had been suspended and not allowed to leave her body. Everyone in the room was staring at Hermione as the curse seeped from her body, Ron still shouting silent curses at everyone as hot tears burned his eyes. Harry however, who had received Draco's abstract message, was watching him and noticed how Draco seemed to be in just as much pain watching Hermione as she was in herself. He cast his eyes over to Narcissa, just in time to see her mumble 'Legilimens' and carefully flick the tip of her wand in Hermione's direction. Bellatrix's howl of laughter broke Harry's train of thought,

"Draco! Come over here!"

"And why would I do that, Auntie Dearest?" Draco spat through gritted teeth, having to tear his eyes from Hermione to look at his Aunt.

"We need to be certain this is him before we call The Dark Lord." Bellatrix hissed and beckoned him forward again. Draco rolled his eyes and strolled over to in front of Harry, pretending to search his face before looking him dead in the eyes.

"I think you've been tricked Auntie; this isn't Potter. His face is too squashed and bloated, he reminds me of a Hufflepuff in the year below me at school, names Clarence... Bywater." Draco said, hoping that the name sounded somewhat believable. As he stepped backwards away from Potter, he noticed Harry's eyes widen slightly in confusion. Harry wondered whether Draco truly didn't recognise him, but in that case, he wouldn't bother making a fake name and a Hufflepuff of all the Houses. But Harry also knew that Draco Malfoy was a lot smarter than that and the deliberate use of a house a Slytherin didn't publicly admit to being friends with made his story that much believable.

Bellatrix didn't attempt to hide her frustration at Draco's news. She cast a glance at Lucius and then down to Hermione, a dark smile forming alongside a dark plan.

"TOPPER! Take our two male guests down to the dungeon, I need a chat with this one alone" she knelt down to where Hermione was on the floor and trailed her wand down the witch's face. "Girl to girl!"

XXX

An hour later and Hermione's screams were still echoing the walls of the cellar-turned-dungeon and Ron had resorted to holding his hands over his ears and rocking in a corner. Harry sat with Luna and Griphook, who they'd discovered to also have been kept down there, talking quietly to the mirror he kept within his sock as Luna flitted between talking to the wizard and rubbing a comforting hand on Ron's back.

During one of the silent phases Harry thought he heard a small 'pop' of apparition and wondered whether the Malfoy's house-elf was back. He turned to the entrance of the cellar until a voice came from his left.

"Harry Potter is needing Dobby sir?"

"Dobby!" Harry exclaimed and reached out to hug the small house-elf who had been a large part of his life since his second year at Hogwarts, "what are you doing here Dobby? And you can apparate in and out of this cellar?"

Dobby looked confused, as though Harry had asked a rather stupid question, although he would never say such a thing.

"Of course, sir, Dobby is a free elf sir. Dobby can apparate anywhere and Dobby is here to help Harry Potter. Dobby will always be here to help Harry Potter." The house-elf smiled up at Harry and held out both hands, bandage free.

"Where does sir need to go?"

XXX

"I will not ask again mudblood. How did you get INTO MY VAULT!" Bellatrix screamed as Hermione's screams dwindled from the last cruciatus curse. She'd used fifteen on her so far and each time Hermione's cries had grown louder but her answer stayed the same.

"I didn't take anything from your vault! We didn't take anything I promise" she cried, her body still shaking from the last round of torture. Her body barely had time to stop writhing before Bellatrix shot another curse at her.

Narcissa's hand had been plastered to Draco's arm, acting as a barrier for the past forty-five minutes. The wizard felt sick and held down a retch every-time Bellatrix pointed her wand at Hermione. He had gone to rush forward after the second time Bellatrix had cursed the witch, pretending to argue they should leave her for The Dark Lord, but one look at Hermione and her small shake of her head made him realise that he would blow their cover. So, like a coward, he stayed put, his hand reaching for his wand each time the witch writhed in pain.

After another two rounds of torture leading to nothing, Bellatrix decided to try a new tactic and pinned the witch to the floor, having to practically straddle Hermione as she lashed out despite the pain. Bellatrix leant down and whispered in the witch's ear,

"Listen mudblood, this is how this is going towork. If you don't answer my question, you get another letter until I'mfinished." She hissed to Hermione, who didn't understand the witch's threatuntil she felt the witch's wand tip dig into her arm and fresh screams rippedfrom her lungs.