Sodalis

Chapter 25

He knew his godfather would probably wring his neck but Draco felt that liquid luck was truly the best accessory to the completely barmy plan they had come up with to trick his psychotic aunt. An ironic chuckle escaped him as he remembered how his mother had promptly taken a dose of the same potion when he had told her what it was. He refocused as he heard the creak of the door and the floorboards as someone entered the cabin.

"Ickle little Draco has finally come to his senses?" Bellatrix sauntered into the room. Before Draco could respond she hit him with a curse, "Crucio!"

It didn't feel nearly as bad as it had from his past experiences. When he was finally released from the clutches of the spell, his aunt grabbed him by the hair and pulled him into a kneeling position, "If Cissy wasn't my sister I would kill her for taking you away from your father and the Dark Lord! But look at you, finally growing into your family jewels and coming to me."

"Yes, Aunt Bella. I didn't want to go but my mum was insistent! You have to tell the Dark Lord that I'm still loyal to him. I have information he needs. They trust me now, they say things they shouldn't around me. Foolish righteous Gryffindors!" Draco responds, trying to embody the darkness he had seen so many others emulate. He is immediately relieved when his aunt doesn't suspect him of duplicity.

"What information Draco? I'll be the one to decide if it's important enough to bring to our Lord. Wouldn't want to waste his time, now would we, nephew dearest." Bellatrix releases his hair and shoves him away, a sickening smile on her face. She had her crooked and claw-like wand pointed between his brows.

"T-they are looking for these objects. Dumbledore seems to think it's the key to defeating the Dark Lord. I don't know how many but they are sure there's some Hufflepuff cup or something," He stuttered out, sticking to the script his godfather had come up with.

"What did you say? A cup?" His aunt was never good at keeping her emotions in check and Draco immediately knew that they would get the confirmation they needed. She cackled insanely and screeched, "Ha! Yes, the Dark Lord has entrusted ME with something so important. Those mudblood loving fools will never be able to take it from me!"

"Aunt Bella...you know about the cup?" Draco asked, urging her to reveal more information. He was nervous but he knew that his godfather and mother were close by if anything went wrong. "Do you know what it is?"

"Of course I know what it is!" She snapped back defensively. That was the only tell he needed to know that she didn't. "Do you? Have they found out?"

"A horcrux," Before Draco could continue Bella gasped in shock. But once she fully processed the information she cackled with glee, practically vibrating.

"HE entrusted me with a part of him! He entrusted me because he knew that Snape was never to be trusted! I was right! I've been right all along and the Dark Lord has rewarded me by giving me a piece of him to protect!" Draco couldn't hide the disgust he felt at his aunt's unbridled glee. But he schooled himself and continued his mission.

"Where are you keeping it? You have to make sure that no one can get to it! You don't have it with you do you?" Draco countered knowing that insinuating that Bellatrix would make such a stupid decision would cause her to spout out more than she should. Bellatrix rounded on him, bringing her wand back up to his chin.

"You think I would be so stupid! It's in my vault at Gringotts bank ready for whenever the Dark Lord commands. Soon it will be joined with the diadem...that now that I have you, I can have you retrieve it for me," The dark witch cupped his cheek and Draco fought his instinctive reaction to flinch away from her touch. "You can go to the Come-and-Go Room for me. I saw it there last year. I wanted it for myself back then but now I know I was just drawn to the piece of the Dark Lord inside it. You must go back and get it for me, Draco!"