Out of the Shadows (A Harry Potter Fan Fiction)

Chapter 10- Crucio (Ava)

Chapter 10 (Ava)

I had lost all concept of time due to the lack of light in the cell, and hours felt like days as I lay curled up on the cold, damp floor.

Draco didn't bring my food down for me again- I instead got a Death Eater who liked to watch me eat and laugh at my pathetic weakness. I had tried to sleep as much as I could, but I no longer felt tired- not when I was barely moving for the whole day. I could still hear screams coming from upstairs, and every time the screams ended I felt a shiver run down my spine and my blood turn cold.

I wondered where my wand was being kept, or if they had disposed of it all together. I had grown so used to keeping it on me at all times that I felt vulnerable without it. I had no way of protecting myself.

The wooden door at the top of the stairs opened wide, and a bright beam of light shone down into my cell like a spotlight. I shrunk away from the light and tried to listen to the footsteps to see who it was. They seemed too fast to be the usual Death Eater who gave me food, and it was only when I heard a familiar cackle that I realised who it was.

The door of the cell was thrown open, and Bellatrix dance into the light.

"Enjoying your stay here? You were a bit feisty to begin with, but you seem to have quietened down a bit." She snickered.

"I'm not a fan of cold, dark places," I muttered darkly.

"Excellent! You'll be making a trip out of the cell today, just to have a few words with me and some of the others of the Dark Lord's followers. Don't bother fighting when I try and drag you up those stairs." She giggled, grabbing onto my arm with her sharp nails and pulling me across the floor. I quickly pulled myself up onto my feet with what little energy I had and tripped up the stairs after Bellatrix as she laughed to herself.

The light of the room above my cell felt almost blinding compared to the usual dark room that I had been staying in, and I had to blink several times before my eyes finally adjusted on a group of three or four Death Eaters standing in a circle around me. Bellatrix threw me to the floor, and I scrambled up quickly, trying to see who was in the room with me. I didn't recognise any of three of them, but Draco's mother caught my attention. She had aged a lot in the past year, and her face was twisted in hatred as she looked at me. I looked away from her quickly, and turned to face Bellatrix with a new-found confidence.

And then she turned over her shoulder, "Draco, dearie! Are you coming in?"

I felt a shuffle of footsteps and gulped anxiously when I spotted his pale face appear by the door. I felt hatred rise up in my chest but I tried to control it. I didn't want any of these Death Eaters to be able to read my emotions.

Draco stood between his mother and aunt, and didn't look at me at all. I was surprised- I had half-expected him to look at me with the same expression as his mother.

"We have a few questions for you, Ava." Bellatrix spoke quietly, a smile on her face exposing her yellow teeth, "You can make things easy and just answer them straight away, no fuss. How does that sound?"

When I didn't respond, she stepped forwards, "Where is Harry Potter?"

"I don't know," The answer was out of my mouth before I even had time to think. Bellatrix's smile vanished.

"You don't need to lie to us. You can trust us."

To my surprise, I laughed, "Trust you? You're Death Eaters. You're on the other side in this war."

"Our sides are closer than you think, sweetie," Bellatrix hissed, "So tell me- where is your brother?"

"I told you," I shook my head, "I don't know. And even if I did, I wouldn't tell you."