The Last Gryffindor (Sirius Black)

Chapter XVIII: Something Dead In Each of Us

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Something was dead in each of us,
And what was dead was Hope.
-OSCAR WILDE

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Lia didn't end up talking with Remus, after all.

Though Voldemort expressed his complete trust in her, she felt intrusive eyes watching wherever she went. It was an eerie feeling, like a prickling on the back of her neck from a spider that just wasn't there, so attempting to contact Remus was just a little too risky to do in good conscience.

Not that she had time to, anyway. Voldemort finally deemed it necessary for her to go on a "hunting trip," whatever that was supposed to mean, though, knowing him, it couldn't be anything good.

As Lia pulled on long, ebony robes in preparation to leave, she let her mind drift back to Hogwarts, where her friends were most likely tucking themselves into bed after a long day of lessons at that very moment. That's where she would have been, too, a year ago, but now things were different. She would have returned to Hogwarts to finish her seventh year as Head Girl, get perfect scores on all her NEWT's, and finally join the Ministry, like virtually everyone in her family before me. At the very least, she could claim to have taken the path less traveled by. No one else in her family would have been stupid enough to join the ranks of the greatest evil of their time.

Unfortunately, Regulus returned to Hogwarts, as did Severus, Alecto, Barty, and Amycus. Should Lia have been glad that they were out of the way? It was nice having friendly(-ish) faces hanging around this snake den.

As she entered the Malfoy's dining room, Lia noted Lucius Malfoy at the long, center table twirling a rich amber liquid in an expensive, crystal wine glass, his wife seated a few seats away staring at her hands. Across the expansive room, almost hidden entirely in shadow, Rodolphus Lesrange leaned mutely against the wall.

"We're waiting for Bella to arrive, then we shall leave" Lucius informed Lia, curtly, not even bothering to look up from his drink. "She's late."

The words barely left his mouth before the doors flew open, slamming against the respective walls, and Bellatrix strutted in.

"What are we waiting for?" she demanded, her ever present, somewhat manic, grin spread wide across her face.

"You, as a matter of fact," Lucius replied curtly, striding to my side.

Without further ado or forewarning, Lucius pulled Lia's arm into a vice-like grip in one second, and in the next they were miles away from Malfoy Manor.

Trying her best to sound disinterested, she queried, "What are we doing here?"

"Watch and learn," Lucius articulated, smoothly stepping forward and drawing his wand from deep within his robes.

He pointed the tip towards the group four muggle men loitering on the abandoned street corner and Lia was forced to watch in abject horror as, one by one, they shot into the air. Frantically looking back at the others to see if they were going to put a stop to it, she realised for the first time that they had their wands aimed each at a different muggle, amused smiles playing across their faces.

"Too bad there isn't a fifth for you to play with," Bellatrix cackled, bouncing her target wildly through the air, revealing in his screams. "Maybe Cissy will be willing to share hers."