The Disgraced of the House of Black - A Multi-Character Fanfiction - Part One

191. Facing the Music

Pain beyond pain coursed through Amara's body as she looked at Bellatrix, who was still cackling like a maniac. Amara screamed again, raising her wand and shooting spell after spell at her. The laugh didn't quite die from Bellatrix's face as she gave Amara one look before breaking into a run, sprinting out of the room. Anger forced Amara to her feet. Black, hot anger forced her through hallway after hallway, up the lift, and finally into the lobby. Bellatrix was running, but she wouldn't let her escape, she couldn't let her escape. Bellatrix came to a stop, turning to look at her just as another sound caught Amara's attention.

Harry had followed them, the same black, corruptive rage searing through him that was going through Amara. He scrambled to a stop just as Amara did, panting slightly. Amara turned, looking at him incredulously.

"GO, HARRY!" she shouted.

She opened her mouth to say more, but before she could, she let out a small, guttural gasp. She swayed slightly, staring at Harry with her eyes slightly wide before she opened her mouth again as though to speak. Harry watched, horrified as blood poured from her mouth, streaming down her chin as she began to choke, her teeth soaked in the dark liquid as more and more fell across her lips, down her chin, and to the floor. She fell to her knees, staring at him with the same horror-stricken, wide-eyed look as before, desperately choking as more and more blood filled her lungs, her hands clawing at her throat desperately. Harry couldn't breathe as, a moment later, she fell to the ground, a knife sticking out of her back, her face unchanged from that terrible expression Harry wanted to forget forever. Blood quickly seeped through her clothes before it began pouring from her wound and to the ground, creating a puddle larger than Harry would have believed possible.

Bellatrix was panting slightly, a manic grin on her lips as she stared at what she had done. Harry wasn't allowed a moment to grieve, however, as Bellatrix quickly shot a spell at him.

Diving behind the fountain, he cried, "STUPEFY!"

"Protego!" Bellatrix cried.

Harry's spell instantly bounced back at him, forcing him to dive farther behind the statue.

"Potter, I am going to give you one chance," Bellatrix shouted, slightly breathless. "Give me the prophecy - roll it out toward me now - and I may spare your life!"

"Well, you're going to have to kill me, because it's gone!" Harry shouted back. As he felt his scar surge with pain and anger that was not his own, he added, "AND HE KNOWS! Your dear old mate Voldemort knows it's gone! He's not going to be happy with you, is he?"

"What? What do you mean?" Bellatrix cried, sounding for the first time like she might be even a little afraid.

"The prophecy smashed when I was trying to get Neville up the steps! What do you think Voldemort'll say about that, then?" Harry shouted, spurred by the pain continuing to roar in his head.

"LIAR!" Bellatrix shrieked. "YOU'VE GOT IT, POTTER, AND YOU WILL GIVE IT TO ME - accio prophecy! ACCIO PROPHECY!"

Harry laughed. It was crazed and almost manic. His mind had stopped. He was in survival mode. He wasn't processing anything anymore.

"Nothing there!" Harry shouted. "Nothing to summon! It smashed and nobody heard what it said, tell your boss that-"

"NO!" Bellatrix shrieked. "It isn't true, you're lying - MASTER, I TRIED, I TRIED - DO NOT PUNISH ME!"

"Don't waste your breath!" Harry yelled, screwing up his eyes against the pain in his scar. "He can't hear you from here!"

"Can't I, Potter?" a cool, quiet voice said.

Harry's eyes burst open. Standing right before him, bold as brass, stood Voldemort himself with his wand pointed directly at him. Pale, snakelike, scarlet eyes...everything was the same as it had been last June.

.

"Althea, Althea!" Remus cried, shaking her desperately.

She was unconscious. Remus quickly felt for a pulse, letting out a relieved breath as he felt it beating, perhaps a little slower than it should, but still at a steady pace.

"Id she all dight?" Neville asked, climbing the stairs with difficulty and trying to speak despite his severely swollen lip.

Remus nodded, releasing a shuttering breath. He did not let go of her as Neville sat down on her other side, looking paler than normal. He quickly blinked away tears as all that had happened crashed over him. Sirius...dead. He was actually gone. It felt like a stab to the chest. And Eliana. The thought of having to tell her that the only family she has left is gone.

Shakily, Remus asked, "Neville, can you take Althea to the circular room where Hermione and the others are?"

Neville nodded. Remus let go of her with difficulty before turning to look at the bound unmasked Death Eaters. Bellatrix, Ellis, and Lyra were missing, but everyone else had been caught. Dumbledore had disappeared somewhere, but Remus wasn't sure where. His head hurt. Everything was a blur to him now. He wanted to sleep, to forget all of this, but he knew he couldn't. He had to somehow tell Eliana Sirius was dead and make sure his daughter was still-

No, she would survive. She would be all right. Althea would be fine. She'll be fine. She'll be fine. She'll be fine. She'll be fine. She'll be fine. She'll be fine. She'll be fine.

"SHE'LL BE FINE!" he shouted suddenly, pressing his hands into his forehead.

Releasing a shuttering breath, he jumped to his feet, rushing after where he had sent Neville. He couldn't be away from her, not right now.