𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐖𝐀𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 - 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐟𝐨𝐲 (𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝟐)

24 - Face to Face Encounters

I turned the doorknob open carefully. "Lumos," we all exclaimed, lighting our wands. We walked inside to see racks of hundreds of prophecies and artifacts. We walked inside silently, our wands ready in hand. We heard rumbling behind us. "Hurry up, come on we've got to find him," I whispered. Harry counted each row to find Sirius. "95. He should be here," Harry stood. "Harry, it's got your name on it," Neville said, staring at one of the prophecies that sat on the shelf. We all gathered around him.

Harry picked it up, rolling it in his palm. "The one with the power to vanquish The Dark Lord approaches," a voice from inside the crystal hissed. "The Dark Lord shall mark him as his equal but he shall have power The Dark Lord knows none of," it continued speaking. We all stood in awe. "For neither can live while the other survives."

"Harry!" Hermione yelled. Our heads turned to see a masked death eater standing in front of us. My ring began to glow lightly, my heartbeat picking up it's pace. He stepped towards us, out of the darkness, a golden mask covering his identity. "Where's Sirius?" Harry asked, as we held our wands at him. "You should be able to tell the difference between dreams," he spoke, pulling out his wand, "and reality," he spoke, revealing himself from his mask.

My throat hitched. It was Draco's father. Ginny looked over at me, my face pale as a ghost. "You saw only what The Dark Lord wanted you to see," he continued. What was his name again? Draco had told me, but I couldn't quite remember. "Now hand me the prophecy," "Do anything to us I'll break it," Harry stammered. An evil laugh cackled behind him. One that haunted my memory, my childhood. One I could remember, nearly imitate in my head.

"He knows how to play!" she approached us, walking slowly. "Itty, bitty, baby, Potter." she sputtered, her dark curls swarming around her bony jawline, dark lace cloaks that went down to the floor. I tried to keep myself composed. 'I don't know her, I don't know her,' I repeated to myself in my mind. My ring was glowing rapidly at this point. "Bellatrix LeStrange," Neville breathed. "Neville Longbottom is it? How's Mum and Dad?" she smirked. "Better now that they're about to be avenged," he pointed his wand towards her, an evil giggle emerging from her throat.

"Now, everybody, let's just calm down, shall we?" Lucius said. That was his name, Lucius Malfoy, I remembered. Neville lowered his wand. "All we want is that prophecy," he said. "Why did Voldemort need me to come and get this?" Harry asked. "You dare speak his name?" Bellatrix whispered. "YOU FILTHY HALF BLOOD," she screamed in his face. I winced, holding back tears as strongly as I could. She wouldn't see me cry. She couldn't recognize me; I had to keep it that way.

"That's alright, he's just a curious lad aren't you?" Lucius exclaimed quietly. His voice was strangely soothing, almost calming. It made me feel uneasy. "Prophecies can only be retrieved by whom they are made," he explained, his eyes the same soft gray as Draco's. Suddenly I felt a pang of homesickness in my stomach. We were now surrounded on all sides by death eaters.

"Haven't you always wanted to know the reason for the connection between you and The Dark Lord?" Lucius stepped forward, holding out his hand. "Why he was unable to kill you, when you were just an infant?" he cooed, motioning for Harry to hand it over. "Don't you want to know the secret as to why you have that scar?" he continued. Harry stood in silence, shifting his weight between his feet. "All you have to do, is give it to me," Lucius nodded. "I can show you everything."

"I've waited fourteen years," Harry said. No way in hell would he give it to him, right? Harry couldn't be that selfish. "I guess I can wait a little longer. NOW!" he yelled. "Stupefy!" we all said, the death eaters apparating away into different portions of the room. We ran swiftly as a group through the dark hallways, Lucius appearing in front of us. We backed away, splitting up into groups. But I didn't have a group. I was alone.

Glass shattered from different sections of the halls as we ran in different directions. Suddenly, Bellatrix was in front of me. "And what might your name be, young lady?" she smiled. "That's none of your damn business," I growled, as we shot spells at one another, my ring practically on fire on my finger. I felt awfully for Draco, he probably thought I was dead.

I needed something more powerful, something my mother created. I ducked behind a shelf as she evilly shot another spell at me. Tears pricked my eyes; I'd be lying to say I wasn't terrified.

"Sufficio!" I screamed as loud as I could, standing in front of her. Her throat began to close, and I ran as fast as possible, knowing I only had seconds to get away before my spell would wear off. We all met each other again in the center, Bellatrix chasing after me. We stood in silence as the death eaters surrounded us again. "I've heard that one before!" Bellatrix cackled at me. "You're Elena Bellegreen's daughter," she poked her wand under my chin. The death eaters went up in gasps as they realized who I was. "Sorry love, your secrets out," she cackled at me. "Let's take her back to-" "Reducto!" Ginny yelled at the top of her lungs, sending the death eaters flying in multiple directions.

My chest felt tight. I'd just put the whole group in danger. "We've got to run," Harry grabbed my hand, and we all sprinted back to the door, prophecies falling from the shelves, shattering behind us as we jumped through the exit, falling fifty feet down into empty nothingness.