In His Shadow (A Harry Potter Fan Fiction)

Chapter 54- A Mission

Chapter 54

When I first woke up, it was pitch black. Before I could even call out someone’s name, a bottle was forced against my lips and a thick liquid travelled down my throat. Within seconds I fell unconscious again.

I drifted in and out of a peaceful sleep for who knows how long. Sometimes when I woke up, I could hear a high-pitched cackling. Most of the time, I just heard whispers and something that sounded like the hissing of a snake. In the brief moments when I was awake, I couldn’t remember anything. The only picture I had in my mind was a face. The face of a boy with ginger hair and a cheeky smile. Every time the face filled my mind, I felt a warmth spread through my body. This warmth was the only thing that gave me hope.

*                    *                    *

My eyes fluttered open, and I flinched. The little light that there was in the room felt blinding. I tried to raise my hand to cover my face, but I realised with a sudden jolt that my hands and feet were tied down.

I tried opening my eyes all the way now, and I took in the dim, damp room I was in. The only light in the room was coming from a few candles and… lit wands. My heart stopped.

I wasn’t alone in the room.

A woman beside me said in a mock sympathetic voice,

“Did you have a good sleep?”

I tried to turn to look at her, but I couldn’t move enough. I whispered,

“Where am I?”

The woman cackled,

“Do you really think I’m going to give away the details of our location? I’m not that stupid.”

I gulped,

“Where is everyone else? I was running-”

A cold, harsh voice interrupted me as if I had not been speaking at all,

“We must take her to him now, Bellatrix.”

I gasped at her name. Bellatrix Lestrange. She was a Death Eater.

She stepped forwards to where I could see her. I stared at her for a moment, shocked. I’d never thought I’d actually see her in real life.

She began to undo the ropes around my wrists and ankles. The moment they were loose, I jumped down onto the floor and winced. My whole body ached from being tied up. How long had I been asleep?

Bellatrix grabbed onto my hair and pulled me along, pointing her wand at my head. A whimper escaped my lips and she laughed.

We walked into another room which was lighter and had a few more people. One particular person at the end of the room caught my attention more than anyone else. I recognised him from my dreams and stories I’d heard about him.

Lord Voldemort.

He saw me and stepped forwards with a smile. I tried to pull away from Bellatrix but she pulled tighter on my hair.

I tried to think about how I’d got here. What had happened before I’d become unconscious?

My thoughts were interrupted as Lord Voldemort took a deep breath,

“Ah. Ava Potter. I’ve been waiting for this moment for a very long time.”

I squirmed in Bellatrix’s grip,

“Are you going to kill me?”

He stared at me in silence for a moment, and then began to laugh. The Death Eaters around the room laughed with him. He shook his head,

“Why on earth would I kill you? I have no reason for that.”

I spat at him,

“You had no reason to kill my parents.”

Anger flared in his eyes for a second,

“Let’s not dwell on the past, Ava.”

I glared at him,

“How did I get here?”

Voldemort smiled again,

“With a bit of assistance from Draco Malfoy.”

A couple of the Death Eaters jeered and shoved someone forwards. Draco stared at me with no expression, but I could see his bottom lip shaking. He was terrified, just like me.

Voldemort sighed,

“You see, Ava, when I first heard about you finally being found after all these years, I sent Draco on a little mission. Only a small one really, to see if he was trustworthy. I said to him: ‘Bring Ava Potter to me. Bring her to me with the right mindset and ambition.’ I know he’s done the first part of the job. But have you got the right mindset? I believe he’d tried all sorts to make you see the truth. Leglimency was the best thing he tried. Manipulating your dreams. What better way to make you realise what you’re destined to be?”

I stopped squirming and stared at him,

“The dream about my future- that wasn’t true?”

He shrugged,

“It wasn’t a real memory, if that’s what you mean. But if you think about it, the prophecy has come true. You just haven’t realised it yet.”

I shook my head,

“What do you want with me?”

Voldemort’s smile widened,

“I’d like to give you a mission of your own. Draco himself will have another one this year. When his mission is done, you must complete yours. Only then can you complete your mission.”

I took a deep breath,

“I won’t do anything for you. I don’t trust you.”

Bellatrix dug the tip of her wand into my neck and I cried out in pain. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Draco step towards me, but a man with long blonde hair pulled him back.

Voldemort shook his head,

“Ava, you need to trust me. This is a very important thing that I’m about to ask you to do. It will benefit the wizards and witches of today very much.”

I glared at him,

“What is it?”

He clasped his hands together,

“I want you to bring Harry Potter to me. I want you to bring him to me so I can kill him.”