Beneath Her Skin

Chapter Twenty

Death Eater's surrounded them, wands lit and pointed at their hearts.

"To me, Potter." Lucius Malfoy held his hand out for the orb. "To me."

"Where's Sirius?"

Laughter rang throughout the ranks of the Death Eaters, it chilled Alastriona to the bone.
"The Dark Lord always knows!" A female voice called out. 

Lucius smiled stiffly, eyes on Harry. "Always. Now, give me the prophecy, Potter."

Harry gripped the orb tighter. "I want to know where Sirius is!"

The woman from before mocked him mercilessly.

Harry shook his head. "You've got him, he's here. I know he is."

Alastriona tuned out the woman's mocking and turned to see the Death Eater's to her left creeping closer, her heart pounded and she swallowed the lump in her throat.
She was here.
Madrona was here. In this room.
Alastriona's head whipped around, her eyes searched the Death Eater's ranks. 

"Go on, then." Harry said and raised his wand. Alastriona and the others followed suit. 

"Hand over the prophecy and no one need get hurt." Malfoy's promise was empty. 

"Yeah, right!" Harry scoffed, "I give you this— prophecy, is it? And you'll just let us skip off home, will you?"

The manic witch stepped forward, "Accio Proph—"

"Protego!"

Fear fluttered through Alastriona, there was only one other female witch to break out of Azkaban, she recognised her, finally. Bellatrix Lestrange. 

"Oh, he knows how to play, little bit blabby Potter. Very well, then—"

"I told you, no!" Lucius yelled at her. "If you smash it!"

Bellatrix stepped forward, revealing herself to them all. "You need more persuasion? Very well— take the smallest one, let him watch while we torture the little girl. I'll do it."
Alastriona felt the others close in around her. 

"You'll have to smash this if you want to attack any of us. I don't think your boss will be too pleased if you come back without it, will he?" Harry countered quickly. Bellatrix didn't make another move. "So, what kind of prophecy are we talking about anyway?"

Bellatrix's yellowed smile faded from her face. "What kind of prophecy? You jest, Harry Potter."

"Nope, not jesting, how come Voldemort wants it?"

The Death Eaters hissed.
"You dare speak his name?" Bellatrix hissed lowly. 

Harry straightened his spine. "Yeah, yeah, I've got no problem saying Vol—"

"Shut your mouth!" The witch yelled. "You dare speak his name with your unworthy lips, you dare besmirch it with your half-blood's tongue, you dare—"

"Did you knows he's a half-blood too? Voldemort? Yeah, his mother was a witch but his dad was a Muggle— or has he been telling you lot he's pureblood?"

"STUPEF—"

"No!"

Lucius deflected Bellatrix's spell, it bounced into a shelf and glass orbs dropped to the ground, shattering.
Lucius yelled at Bellatrix and the other Death Eaters, ordering them not to attack. 

Alastriona whimpered as the others pressed closer into her.
Neville leaned down and whispered in her ear, "When Harry gives the signal smash shelves, as many as you can."