Little Bird

Chapter Fifty-Nine

Draco

            I first realized something was wrong when I glanced out the kitchen window and saw Dolohov Apparate onto our front porch, his complexion pale as parchment as he blinked nervous sweat out of his eyes.

            I didn't know something was really wrong until my Dark Mark suddenly burned in such a sharp, smoldering pain that I hissed and reached for it blindly with my right hand.

            I'd been hurrying towards the parlor when it happened, because I could hear Dolohov shouting for Lucius as he burst through the front door on the other side. I clutched my left forearm and stumbled to the end of the hallway, throwing open the parlor door to see Dolohov standing next to my father as he spoke rapidly in a shaky voice.

            "—bad, Malfoy, he's somewhere in the school and the Dark Lord wants—"

            "What?" I interrupted hotly, still wincing at the fading burn from my Dark Mark as I hurriedly crossed the parlor towards them. "Who's at the school?"

            But Lucius ignored me completely, keeping his gaze fixed on Dolohov as he asked in a rushed voice, "Why is the Dark Lord calling us? Where are we supposed to go?"

            "I dunno," Dolohov stammered, reaching desperately through his robes as though he needed to find his wand just to comfort himself. "That's why I came here. Pius says that we've got until midnight."

            "Got until midnight for what?" I snapped, angry that the two of them were acting like I wasn't even in the room. "What's happening?"

            There were three more cracks from outside the front door before Lucius or Dolohov could respond. Just as my mother finally hurried into the parlor behind me, Yaxley burst inside with his wand gripped tightly in his hand, two other Death Eaters that I only recognized from the meetings close behind. The entire parlor was suddenly filled with hurried talking and the occasional loud shout, and Yaxley yelled to Lucius over the noise, "We haven't got much time, Malfoy, he wants us at Hogwarts in time for—"

            "Hogwarts?" No one was even looking my way anymore, the room full of confusion and shouts as the Death Eaters struggled just to figure out what was happening. My head spun as I turned to see where my mother was, because it was clear I wasn't going to get any sort of response out of Lucius. Was the Dark Lord at Hogwarts right now? Who could he possibly be looking for there?

            I had just spotted Narcissa beside Dolohov near the parlor door, and I was starting towards them when, out of the corner of my eye, I caught a flash of blonde hair outside through the thin glass of the window. The parlor had been too noisy for anyone to hear the crack of an Apparation, but there was definitely someone outside—and my feet were already starting for the door, because I knew who it was.

            Now I knew something was very, very wrong.

            I was hurrying through the other Death Eaters towards the parlor door, their loud voices nearly rising to panic around me. Yaxley was standing directly in front of the door as he spoke in rapid succession with another Death Eater, and I when I moved to push past him, he didn't budge and instead turned to me. His voice was low and accusing as he asked nastily, "Where do you think you're going, boy?"

            "Get out of my way," I spat angrily, my hard exterior revealing itself as I sneered up at him. When his jaw dropped and he started to snap something in return, I shoved my way past and purposely knocked my shoulder into his. I still hadn't forgotten what he'd said to Eve the first time she attended a meeting with the Dark Lord nearly a year ago. "I said, get out of my way."