Chapter 124: 7-3
I found an earring that seemed to have been kicked and swept to the edge. Fortunately, shaded by the flowerpot of a long-closed café, it lay there quietly asserting its presence without being picked up by any Muggle.
"This... is Maria's earring, isn't it? I know it. She was wearing it at the Yule Ball, wasn't she?"
Hermione stared blankly at the earring in Draco's hand. Draco, too, was gazing at the tiny jewel with a grim expression.
In other words—something had happened here to cause the earring to come off. Had a threat approached that close to her face?
"There doesn't seem to be anything else around."
Ron reported after looking around the area. Hermione looked up at Harry, unable to hide the anxiety on her face.
"Harry. Isn't there anything else you can tell? From what you saw—of Maria?"
"I don't know... I feel like it was a manor somewhere. It wasn't in that room—the one lined with glass prophecies—not in the Department of Mysteries."
They were at a standstill. Everyone was growing frustrated, and by now, no one doubted that the absolute worst was closing in on Maria.
Draco only knew that this year's final battle would take place in the Department of Mysteries. If they headed there now and missed Maria, it would all be for nothing. It would be a catastrophic failure.
He absolutely had to go, but—what about Harry and the others?
"—I'll kill her!"
Suddenly, a dangerous roar echoed through the deserted alley. It was Harry. He was clutching his forehead with both hands as if trying to gouge out his scar, hunching over and trembling with rage.
"Harry?"
"I'll kill her... I'll kill her...! Bellatrix Lestrange—!"
A boy suddenly gasped. It was Neville Longbottom.
"Harry, you don't mean—is Maria being tortured?"
Neville was pale, yet his eyes were also filled with a tragic, fierce anger.
"He's there too... just watching... him—Lucius Malfoy."
At Harry's words, Draco clenched the earring tightly and mounted a Thestral. He coldly declared to the children, who were rolling their eyes in confusion, unable to keep up with the sudden turn of events:
"Let's go. —Maria is in the Department of Mysteries."
If his father was there—then that's where she was.
"—Gah!"
"Hello? Ickle baby Potter? What a shame you didn't get a more elegant awakening."
My vision violently swayed from the impact to my stomach. It seemed the formidable beauty had graciously given me a physical wake-up call rather than using Rennervate. How kind of her.
"Bella... t... rix...!"
"Now, do you know where we are? Hmm? It's the graveyard for that cute little baby brother of yours who's on his way."
She grabbed my hair and wrenched my head as far as it would go. Glass spheres containing tens of thousands of words came into view. —The Department of Mysteries.
"I've been given permission to play with you—just enough to keep you alive—until your brother shows up with his stupid face. Now, then, let's see what kind of pretty screams you can make for me."
I opened my eyes wide and spat blood-mixed saliva at Bellatrix’s approaching face. The pale red stained her gaunt, pallid cheek. Bellatrix touched her own cheek, staring in sheer disbelief.
"...Hah, makes for decent makeup, doesn't it? Brings you a bit closer to the former glory of the Noble House of Black, wouldn't you say?"
"—!"
Smack! Another slap, I'd lost count of how many. Her grown-out nails tore through my cheek like a werewolf's claws. Next came a fist. I was punched. Over and over. Again and again. She was trying to shatter my cheekbones. My brain rattled inside my skull.
"On me—! This—this—! Mudblood—filthy Mudblood—how dare you!"
"Bellatrix."
The beating stopped. I peered at the two of them through the gaps in my completely disheveled bangs, which now hung like a curtain. Lucius Malfoy had grabbed Bellatrix’s arm. The back of Bellatrix's hand was wet with my blood. My nosebleed was showing no signs of stopping, and my mouth was entirely filled with the metallic taste of blood. My vision was blurry. My wrists, still bound, were chafed raw from the friction, and every joint in my body ached. It felt like my face was burning all over.
"Any more and she will die. The opponent is a child. They die surprisingly easily."
"Oh, is that right? Let her die. She should just die. I am the only one who needs to aid the Dark Lord. I alone will serve by his side and support him. I will remain in His Lordship's heart. There is no need to find any value in a little girl like this!"
"Are you disobeying the Dark Lord's orders? Bellatrix."
"—!"
I saw it. The Dark Marks carved into both of their arms were glowing ominously.
"—Let go of me. Don't touch your sister-in-law so casually."
"My apologies, sister-in-law."
Bellatrix brought her face close to mine again. She violently yanked my bangs upward. I could hear the sound of hair being ripped out by the roots.
"You have truly—despicable eyes."
The tip of Bellatrix's wand was tracing the edge of my eye.
"Perhaps I should gouge them out. I wonder what kind of reaction my dear cousin would have if only your eyeballs were returned to him. The eyes of his suddenly deceased master—James Potter's eyes."
"......!"
The wand tip threatened to push into my eye socket. It was going to pierce through.
"Bellatrix."
"Of course—it's merely a joke."
The wand retreated. My entire body was trembling. A joke? —No, her eyes were dead serious. If it weren't for their misconception that I was a 'Seer', she definitely would have gouged them out. Finding pleasure in torture—she was a sickening woman.
"Even so, Lucius? You seem awfully protective of this little girl, don't you?"
"We must not let her die. Nor can we let her be driven to madness. The prophecy is not a farce."
"Ah, yes, of course... You can't let your precious little Master Draco see his beloved girlfriend in such a completely ruined state, can you?"
It was a blatant provocation. The expression on Lucius's face as he received it was—utterly blank.
"That has nothing to do with it. I am only keeping him alive because he is my heir."
"I suppose so. If it were me, I would have killed such a shameless disgrace with my own two hands. That is what true parental love is. You should just hurry up and make another child with Cissy, and dispose of that one."
I ground my teeth at the conversation happening above my head. The blood pooling heavily in my mouth was lukewarm.
—I shouldn't lose my temper. In this situation, talking back is suicide. I know that. Even the biggest fool would know that. Even a mountain troll would understand. And yet—just like when Hermione was insulted as a 'Mudblood', or when Ron was mocked as a penniless beggar—a boiling rage, turning into magma, leaped right past my throat.
"Draco is not someone who deserves to die."
Two piercing gazes locked onto me.
"He is worth—infinitely more than the likes of you!"
Bellatrix's foot sank hard into my stomach. Crack. A sickening sound. The sound of breaking bone.
"Guh—A-Aaaaagh!"
My head was stomped into the floor. A pool of blood had formed beneath me. It was mixed with vomit. I no longer even knew where on my body I was bleeding from.
"These Potters are insolent to the bitter end. If it weren't for the Dark Lord's orders—I would have gouged out your eyes, sliced off your nose, cut off your ears, ripped out your fingernails, and made you beg for mercy through every conceivable pain. What a pity. Oh, or perhaps I should grant you true despair as a woman? Should I strip you naked and throw you into a pack of males starving for a female?"
"Agh, ah, guh, cough!"
Thud. Thud. I was trampled. With her full body weight behind it. With hatred. With twisted pleasure.
"Bellatrix... how many times must I tell you?"
"I know, I know. Ugh, how absolutely revolting. I'm going to look outside for a bit. The stupid Potter baby might be arriving soon."
Finally, the sole of her shoe left me. I didn't even know if I still retained my original human shape. I was barely clinging to life.
"Tch... now my shoes are filthy!"
"Guh—!!"
Delivering one final, full-force kick to my broken ribs, Bellatrix vanished down the corridor. Surrounded by prophecies, only Lucius and I were left.
"...Do you have a death wish? If you hadn't provoked her, you wouldn't have been battered this severely. —Episkey."
He flatly applied a token healing charm. I finally regained just enough strength to move my mouth.
"......Is that... alright...?"
"The orders are that you must not die."
There was no emotion in Lucius's eyes or voice. —But I know.
"Next time, stay quiet. That woman inherently does not know the meaning of holding back. You know the fate of the Longbottoms, don't you? Do not cause me unnecessary trouble."
I know.
"Why couldn't you just keep your mouth shut?"
You.
"Hey, listen—"
"You didn't want to—speak ill of Draco any more than that, did you?"
"—"
For the first time, Lucius looked at me with an emotional gaze.
"You—love your family."
Even if it means intentionally pushing them away—even if it means telling the exact opposite of the truth—you are willing to become the villain in order to 'protect' them.
Truly—you two are so alike, like father, like son.
"...If it weren't for my orders, I wouldn't care in the slightest if you died."
"I know."
I nodded. Ironically, my life was being protected by a single order from Voldemort.
"However—"
Lucius slid a knife into the ropes binding my wrists.
"Eh—"
"You were carrying this knife."
"Huh?"
"I did not notice it. Bellatrix did not notice it either. Seizing an opening, you deftly slipped out of your restraints. Then, you slipped past the obstacle that is me, and escaped."
"—"
The rope on one hand was cut. My hands were free.
"The one holding your wand is Dolohov. And the one holding the Invisibility Cloak—by pure coincidence—is me. Due to your sticky fingers, you stole the Invisibility Cloak from me while making your escape."
"It's originally mine."
"And then—you turned invisible and ran away."
I met his gaze, his eyes looking so much like Draco's. There were no words.
"...I won't say thank you."
"Why would you need to? After all, you escaped from me."
I managed a smile somehow. Just moving my cheeks a little made my face sting with burning pain. My face must look so awful it would make Frankenstein pale in comparison.
"—And then, to the foolish Lucius who let his hostage escape, Maria threw these parting words. —Draco loves you very much."
"—"
Without waiting to see Lucius's feigned cold eyes widen in surprise, I threw the Invisibility Cloak over myself and sprinted away.
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