Whispers

Fifteen

"Expelliarmus!" Alecto Carrow disarmed Calliope as she shot a stunning spell at the emerging Death Eaters.

Bellatrix was the last to emerge, her face full of glee. "There she is 'ickle banshee!" Bellatrix spotted Calliope, "Silencio!"

Calliope's voice left her, and without her wand she was defenceless. The death waters would capture her and force her to tell Voldemort the answer to the question he had asked so many times before. This time she did have an answer, and she didn't want to give it.

Calliope darted across the room away from Fred, Ginny and Lupin. She couldn't let Fred be in danger too. If they had him they could force her to tell them anything. If it was just her, she wouldn't say a word. In her haste to put space between herself and Fred, Calliope ran headlong into George, pushing him out of the way of a killing curse, which instead hit the opposite wall, leaving a crater of missing rubble.

Bellatrix laughed and caught Calliope by her hair, beginning to drag her down the stairs in this way.

"No Callie!" Calliope heard Fred shouting, "Stupefy! Stupefy!" Both spells missed, rickashading off of the windows and bouncing along the corridor behind Calliope and Bellatrix and preventing anyone following them.

Calliope continued to try to escape. She kicked and Bellatrix's legs and clawed at her arm. Bellatrix ripped out handfuls of hair, and instead opted to drag her by the ear.

"Stop struggling halfbreed," Bellatrix gave her a harsher tug, causing Calliope to tumble down the next flight of stairs. Bellatrix skipped down after her and Calliope scrambled to her feet and set off sprinting away. She hurtled through a tapestry and began running up the hidden staircase behind it two at a time. Bellatrix pushed aside the tapestry behind her, "Crucio!" Bellatrix screeched.

Calliope tumbled back down the stairs, in too much pain to have any control over her limbs. It felt as though her blood was boiling, a thousand nails her twisting around inside of her. And then as quickly as it had come, it was gone.

Calliope opened her eyes to see Bellatrix's face just a few inches from her own. "Imperio," Bellatrix said gleefully. In her groggy state, with the whispers loud in her head and the ghost of pain still tingling through her body, Calliope didn't even have time to register the word before the whole world faded away and she was floating.

********

Fred charged down the stairs with Lupin and George hot on his heels. With the stunning spells blocking the way, the three were forced to take a longer route. They arrived in the entrance hall and gazed out over the grounds.

Hagrid's Hut was ablaze, and they could see the flash of spells that meant duelling was occurring.

Fred's steps quickened as he sprinted across the grass towards Hagrid's Hut, where the darkened silhouettes of people could be seen. The bond had gone numb, which led Fred to believe that Calliope was unconscious, but he knew that this was where she was.

As he neared he could put names to the figures.

Harry stood there with his wand pointed at Snape, who stood beside Malfoy. Bellatrix was shrieking with laughter as shot fire towards Hagrid's Hut. The Carrows were watching with glee on their faces. Fang's booming barks could be heard from inside the Hut, and Fred could only assume that Hagrid was attempting to save his dog.

The last figure was standing a little bit back from the others, with a dazed expression on her face.

"Callie!" Fred sprinted towards her. She didn't even notice him, staring ahead at the flickering flames.

"Oh look!" Bellatrix turned to look at them, "it's the ginger one too, what do you think banshee should we take him as well?"

Calliope said nothing, but her eyes moved to look at Fred for the first time. They looked confused and Fred felt a spike in the bond. It hit him that she was under the imperious curse, but that she was fighting it. Bellatrix seemed to grow bored, and she shot stunning spells at Lupin and George carelessly.

"You're boring me ginger," said Bellatrix, "you would bore the Dark Lord too."

"Leave him! Let's go, Bella!" Snape snapped. He shot a spell at Fred, binding his legs together.

Like an overgrown bat, Snape strode towards the boundary wall.

"Fight back!" Harry screamed at him, shooting a spell at Snape, which he easily blocked, "fight back you coward!"

Malfoy followed Snape, and so did Bellatrix reluctantly. She waved her wand and Calliope followed her. Bellatrix's spell was too strong for even Calliope to fight against. Fred was forced to watch as Calliope walked away from him. And there was nothing that he could do. 

Fun Fact:
Back when Calliope was Calliope Emer instead of Calliope Doge, she was going to be a year younger than the Marauders and she was going to be bonded to Sirius. I quickly changed this as it made more sense for her to be bonded to Fred.