The Stars Aligned

Chapter 30

TW: graphic violence :/

November 1, 1996

"What do we do with her, Miss Lestrange?" The rasping voice shot through my consciousness.

Warily, I tore my eyes open slowly, only to be met with more darkness, a faint light filtering through the blackcloth covering my face. My head immediately began pounding, and I clenched my teeth to keep from gasping out loud in pain. I paused for a moment, feeling where my limbs were. My arms and legs were tied away from me, keeping me in a starfish position. The ground was hard against my back, and the faint creaking led me to believe it was an old wooden floor.

"Draco can't know she's here, he must focus on his mission from the Dark Lord," Bellatrix hissed, a voice that had haunted my dreams since the fight at the Ministry. "Foolish girl, to lose an analyzed prophecy and leave it flitting about the streets of Hogsmeade. But we need to find out what she did to my little nephew to change the war and do some damage control." I almost gasped aloud. That day the parchment had been swept away out the window... she had found it. Bellatrix released a low laugh, void of amusement. "The Dark Lord will unleash his wrath if he discovers there are unknown variables in play, which is why I must find them out and eliminate them."

"How do we figure out how she manipulated him, Miss?" The gruff voice asked.

"Whatever means of torture it takes. I left a list on the counter of some particularly effective, newly-created spells that have gotten captives talking in my experience."

"Excellent." Excitement coated his deep voice, and panic bubbled within me. What is he going to do to me? "I will be paid handsomely, correct?"

"Yes, yes, when you get answers out of her there will be twenty thousand galleons transferred straight from my vault." I heard the clicking of high heeled boots. "I do not care how long it takes, do you hear me? Just get the information."

"Why don't you use Legilimency?"

"I tried," Bellatrix growled, disdain thick in her tone. "It's a steel cage. Even unconscious, I can't penetrate her mind." Pride shot through me at this, and my mind brought me a memory from December last year to correlate with it:

"What book is that?"

"It explains the most complex and effective Occlumency methods," Draco said.

"You're a skilled Occlumens, right?"

"Yeah, I've been practicing since I was a kid. I just..." He hesitated. "I don't want anyone invading my thoughts."

I nodded, and his eyes widened. He shut the book and placed it in my lap. "You should learn it."

"Really?"

"Definitely. With your photographic memory, it'll be a lot faster for you. You can never be too careful."

"Alright, but only because it'd be embarrassing to see how close of friends we are."

"Ha ha, so funny, Granger."

Every night since then, after writing in my diary I would lie in bed and build the steel fortress in my mind until it was impenetrable. No one except for me could access any of my memories.

"Then torture should get her talking," the low voice remarked.

Sobs threatened to burst from my chest, but I shoved them down desperately. A popping sound let me know that Bellatrix had Apparated away.

"Should we wake her now?" A different scraping voice asked.

I shut my eyes and evened my breathing right before the cloth was yanked off of my face, my curls frizzing against my cheeks. A sharp sting burst across my cheek and I gasped, my eyes bulging open. We were in a small wooden cabin, with nothing but a table in the corner and a tub in the center of the room. My dress was crumpled on the floor, so I was left exposed in my bra and underwear. A lean man with black eyes and long, slick black hair was crouching before me, with heavy stubble across his jaw. "Time to talk, bitch." He slapped me again, my ears ringing.

I clamped my mouth shut, prepared to endure the worst. Draco had always protected me, and it was my turn to do the same. I would never tell them the truth, the truth that Draco and I both knew but had left unspoken between us: while he was a Death Eater, it was crystal clear that his allegiance lay with me and the Order. And that naked truth would give the both of us a death sentence.

"I'm looking forward to this spell," A portly man with cropped sandy hair said, hungrily dragging his eyes across the parchment. He looked up at me, his eyes ocean blue. "We get to peel each layer of your skin, and a counter spell reverses the damage so we can do it all over again."

I whimpered, unable to wrap my head around how much pain that would be. The thin man grinned maliciously. "Another spell I'm particularly excited for is liquid fire." I flinched, and he cocked his head, bringing his fingers to my cheek and pinching so hard I felt blood bud. "We immerse you in salt water, and it will feel like fire. It's not, of course, but it'll mimic the exact burning sensation of fire slipping over your skin." He raised his brow, bringing his bloody fingers to his lips, sucking. "Which one should we start with?"

"Let's peel her skin first, please, please, Ryle!" The blonde exclaimed, licking his grey lips.

I blinked, and suddenly it felt as if someone was taking a knife down my entire body, peeling a layer of skin like someone would carelessly peel a potato. Agonizing. Screams shattered through my throat, my back arching towards the rotted ceiling, my vision blurring with tears. I writhed on the floor, and when I faced my right side for a second, my charm bracelet warmed against my skin. Draco. I cried out at the thought of him. I screwed my eyes shut, gasping. Air, I need air, I can't breathe—

The pain dulled slightly, and I felt rolls of my skin curling at my wrists and ankles. The mere sensation of it caused another cry to burst out of me.

The slender man, Ryle, hovered over me, pure glee etched across his features. "Let's make this easy, brat. You tell us what little scheme you concocted to change the war, and you won't have to go through any more pain and we get paid deliciously. It's a win for everyone."

I lifted my trembling chin, shaking my head once. He sighed, clicking his tongue. "Do another layer, Ren."

The round man, Ren, raised his wand. I held my breath, trying to prepare, but the pain struck me just as hard as the first time.

Nothing prepared me for that amount of complete agony. I thought it would get better, that I would get used to it. But it crashed into me with the same force the third, fourth, tenth, twentieth, fiftieth time.

I would never be the same.