𝑆𝐴𝑉𝐼𝑁𝐺 𝐷𝑅𝐴𝐶𝑂 𝑀𝐴𝐿𝐹𝑂𝑌

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟒𝟎 - 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫

╭────── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ──────╮

𝐃

The later you return home, the fewer questions there are, the less pretentiously civilized fights you have with your mother, the fewer shouts are being heard in the dead of night by Bellatrix.

But then once in a while, when you think you have gotten away with the most elaborate rouse in the universe, when you have just slipped under their noses after dining with their prodigal sister, someone will wake you up in what seems like a moment after you close your eyes and you will feel caught in the act.

"Wake up."

It was not indeed a moment after I had closed my eyes because some morning light was creeping in from the black drapes. My mother was in her nightgown and straight from her bed and this alone scared me.

"Wake up!"

She didn't sound mad which let me at ease for one split second. Then again, if she didn't wake me up to scold me about my late-night arrival yesterday, that meant something was wrong.

"Get dressed."

She was already picking a suit for me, then leaving it on my bed, which gave me a few seconds to rise. I had fallen asleep in yesterday's clothing

"What is it?"

"We just got word back from the Ministry. They approved a private meeting with your father."

The fortunes we had spent in bribery since summer had started to seem empty and useless. Although we had friends everywhere, Azkaban was one of the most impenetrable places and our ace was hidden in that exact impenetrable place.

"Now?"

"They send the letter at the last minute hoping we won't be able to make it. We have to hurry."

The unimportant events that took place from then on until we reached the Ministry seemed blurred and distorted. I had had only a few hours of sleep and had been dizzied by the fast evolution of incidents. We travelled via Floo Network and entered the empty Entrance Hall within what seemed minutes. It was all in our favour. No press, no journalists. It was Christmas Eve after all, and everything was moving slowly. I hadn't even checked the time, but I suspected it was early.

An Auror eyed us judgmentally, commented on the fact that we indeed arrived and escorted us to the right department. It was easy to get lost as to where you were in that Ministry but it felt like we were deep beneath the earth, somewhere in the dungeons. My ears were ringing; my fingers were a bit swollen.

"You made it..." said another Auror. He was the one who took our wands.

They put us in many waiting rooms, through many damp corridors, as if they were trying to bore us and make us leave. Mother was telling me that this is when they were bringing him from Azkaban. I imagine it must be a nasty business to get people in and out of there safely. But I think it was both.

"Follow me."

The Auror told us to follow her down steep stairs until there were no more walls around us but the bare minerals of a cave. Stalactites were sticking out of the ground and ceiling, brown and beige, glittering wet when the light by the Auror's wand hit them. As we were walking down the slippery stairs, some feeling of weakness hit me, one that resided in my hands. Soon the Auror's light began to flicker. I'd heard about those caves. The minerals sucked the powers from all wands and limited a wizard's abilities to the minimum. The light from the Auror's wand was soon eliminated and replaced by torches that stood right and left along the corridor that was now laid out before us.