Petrified (Fred Weasley Love Story)

Chapter 5 - Rockwell

Chapter 5

The dungeons were dark and smelled of old sweat and smoke. The torches that lined the rough stonewall only emitted a very dull light.

Signor had told me to stay behind him and to stay silent while down here and when he signalled, to stay out of sight of the man in the cell.

Signor's hand moved, indicating for me to stay back and approached a cell. I could hear shifting and bed springs squeaking as I hung back in the shadows. A shadowed faced appeared between the bars and I'd have gasped if I weren't trying so hard to be quiet.

The man was filthy, with dirt smearing his face, his clothes tattered and ruined and his hair dishevelled and in severe need of a wash.

"Silly, silly questions you ask. He spoke to me," Rockwell replied. His hands slid up the bars and rest just beside his face as he leant his cheeks against them, trying the press his face further through the bars. "He whispered in my head that Bryan Dermille needed to die."

The daily prophet hadn't been able to name the victim in the newspaper, so hearing this name was a shock to me. Bryan Dermille was the leader of the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad. He was a serious name of the ministry.

"Or it was your own insane mind that was whispering in your head" Signor supplied.

Rockwell slammed his hands on the bars and yelled "IT WAS NOT. IT WAS THE DARK LORD."

"I think I've seen enough" Signor sighed, moving to leave but Rockwell spoke up before he could.

"You have or the girl has?" Rockwell questioned, a serious malevolent tone in his voice. Signor paused and looked back at the man.

"What girl?"

"The one standing right there in the shadows, out of sight," he said quietly. And then whispered something that shook my bones. "Charlotte."

Suddenly Signor whipped around, stuck his arms in the bars and slammed Rockwell's face against them. "How did you know her name!?" he yelled Rockwell, a quite fury getting louder and louder with every second Rockwell didn't answer.

Rockwell stared angrily at Signor, but had a strained smile on his lips, grinning like a madman.

"The Dark Lord is inside my head," he said so quietly that I had to strain to hear him. I took a step forward and finally his eyes settled on me. "He whispers things to me, Charlotte. Whispers about his plans, whispers about the ministry, whispers about the destruction to come, whispers about you."

"Enough!" Signor bellowed, reached around to grab Rockwell but Rockwell had the opportunity to grab him as well as he was so close. Rockwell grabbed the back of Signors' head and smashed his face against the bars.

Signor staggered and lost his balance, falling to the floor with a loud thud. He groaned in pain and tried to pull himself off the floor. I rushed to his side and pulled him away from the bars so Rockwell couldn't do any more damage.

A jingle sounded from the cell and I looked up to see Rockwell had a set of keys dangling from his hand. He smiled maliciously and was already opening the lock on the cell door. Signor was up, but leaning heavily against the wall. He turned to me and yelled, "Run! Go straight to the elevator and hit the red emergency button. GO NOW!"

And I didn't hesitate. I sprinted up the stairs as fast as I could, taking two at a time and hoping to God I didn't trip. I heard groans and scuffling from downstairs, but I didn't stop.