Chapter Ten: The Ultimate End

How could this happen? I followed in my fathers footsteps, unable to resist. The battle was going on around me, but I could do nothing to help. We left the castle and walked the grounds. I could barely see through the tears in my eyes. As we kept walking, I saw the entrance to the Forbidden Forest. Not long after I saw the shadows of people in the distance and as we got closer there were a few familar faces. A very pissed looking Nicolai, who was glaring in my direction, stood in front of me. Quickly his face went back to normal as my father got closer, so he was afraid of someone.

Colm was looking at me frightened, shaking his head as if he warned me. His look said, 'look what you've gotten yourself into now'. Bellatrix Lestrange wore a proud smirk when our eyes met, clearly she remembered me from last year's event. Other Death Eaters stood around as my father turned to look at me. "The mission was a success I believe?" he said to all of them.

"Yes indeed," Bellatrix said with a dark laugh. "Ah, here they come!" I turned to look over my shoulder as two figures arrived. I felt like I was hit by the Hogwarts Express when their faces came into the light. 

Snape. My favorite professor, the professor I trusted all these years and looked up to. The one all my friends believed to be a terrible person, but I always saw him as good. As he looked at me, I saw a flash of shock in his eyes but he quickly looked away without a care in the world. 

Then there was Draco. That one hurt most. Draco was with the Death Eaters. Harry was right. So many thoughts blurred through my mind. He was lucky I couldn't move on my own free will, because I would have stunned him right then. My eyes locked on his grey ones as he looked frightened. Mine turned into a dark glare. I had never felt more anger towards a person in my entire life. I trusted him. He led me on all along. He was a Death Eater. My eyes moved away, not even having the ability to look at him anymore. "Well then we must go," my father said looking to the crowd. "As you can see, we have a new guest." He motioned to me.

"But we're missing one," a Death Eater spoke up looking around.

"Ah yes," my father said. "He's dead. I saw him laying in the hallway and gave him a nudge, but he wasn't breathing. Now we must go." My father couldn't care less about the death of one of his own. Quickly he gripped onto my wrist and I felt the awful feeling of apparating. 

I was no longer at Hogwarts, I wondered what my friends would think when I was no where to be found. I hit the cold stone floor as my father let go of my wrist and walked away. We were gathered in a fancy hall. The floor was marble and the furniture looked extremely expensive. It was clear to me where we were, Mafloy Manor. Looking around I spotted the Malfoy family crest hanging on the wall. Looking up, my father was pointing his wand at me as he broke the imperius curse. I leapt up from the floor and backed against the wall. 

Everyone was arriving at the same time and all looked over at me with mixed reactions. Snape was cold faced and showing no emotion. Bellatrix looked like she was ready for excitement and torture. Draco and Colm both looked rather frightened actually. "What do you want with me?" I muttered horrified. Why couldn't he have just left me at Hogwarts.

"You have a lot of information, being friends with Potter," he added with a dark laugh. "How disgraceful. A child of mine friends with him." Bellatrix and a few others joined him with a laugh. 

"Lock her in the dungeon for now," he motioned over to one of the older, scary, looking Death Eaters. He was clever. He knew that if he had Colm or Draco do it, it would be possible they would help me. Although I'm not sure about Draco anymore. I lost all of my trust in him. "I have questions for her in the morning, for now, I have more to attend too." With one last dark glance, he turned and apparated away.

The basement was as horrible as I imagined. The Malfoy's had an actual prison cell down there. The emotions I was feeling were driving me absolutely insane, I was scared, upset, and more than anything I was pissed. If only I knew what I know now a few months ago. I would never forgive Draco for this. I felt horrible, Harry was right all along about Snape and Draco, and no one believed him. I should have listened to Harry.

Time passed. Who knew what time it was. There wasn't a window in sight. I felt like I had been laying here for hours. After a long period of silence, I heard footsteps, yet I didn't move. As they got closer, I heard someone at the bars but I didn't care enough to look up. "Caoimhe," whispered Draco. "It's me." More than before, I didn't care to look. Did he think he could make it up to me somehow? "Look, I understand why you're a little mad at me-"

"A little?" I snapped turning over and sitting up. His eyes widened as he told me to quiet down. I stood up and walked over to the bars. "A little? You complete arse, I'll never forgive you for this!" I said and watched his face fall. "How could you have done this? For all I know it was you giving my father information all year about me! You cursed Katie Bell and poisoned the drink for Dumblrdore. Harry was right all year about you."

"You don't understand I-I had to," Draco whispered back.

"No Draco there's always a choice, as tough as it may be you could have found a way around it." 

"Here I brought you food," Draco added pushing a plate under the bars. I pushed it back.

"I lost my appetite," I said darkly while turning around.

"If you just let me explain," Draco said.

"I don't want to listen," I said upset about everything. I liked Draco. Key word 'liked' as in past tense. I really used to liked him and was keeping it a secret from my friends. It hurt to know how wrong I was about him all of this time. Draco kept trying to talk to me, but I wouldn't respond. 

"I'll leave you to your thoughts then," Draco added. I noticed a tone of sadness in his voice as he walked away. If I ever found a way to forgive Draco, it would take time. I couldn't even comprehend what he had gotten himself into.

The next morning I was brutally awaken by Nicolai. He practically lifted me off the ground and onto my feet. I glared at him but said nothing as he gripped my upper arm tightly. His eyes were dark with hate as he smirked. "Time for questions," he said pulling me out of the cell. I trailed behind him, knowing there was no way for me to get away.

When I got to the end of the steps, I noticed a chair in the middle of the floor with a few Death Eaters standing around. Draco was there but I didn't look at him. When I was shoved in the seat, I tried standing up but I couldn't, it was as if I was glued to the seat. I rolled my eyes, it  was enchanted. The doors opened and in stepped my father with Bellatrix. "Time for questions," he said getting right to the point. He looked at me with a fake smile. "This was never how I imagined our first meeting, but you have information that I need and I need it now. We can catch up on all the years and the birthdays that I missed another time." Bellatrix deviously smiled from behind him. I rolled my eyes, looking away. I hardly believed he even cared.

Colm walked into the room, giving me a warning look as he stood by Nicolai. "Now," my father continued. "I'll get straight to the point. What does Potter know?" he asked. I didn't respond. I sat there silent as they all stared at me. "What does Potter know?" he repeated threateningly. Silence again.

"Answer him you filthy blood traitor!" Bellatrix shouted lifting up her wand, but I didn't flinch. I wasn't going to answer. I would never turn on Harry. Thankfully, Harry was so busy that he didn't tell me much about what he was up too, so I truly had nothing to give even if they used veritiserum on me.

"I have no idea," I answered back with a shrug. 

"Liar!" Bellatrix added again.

"I don't think he really trusted me much," I lied while looking at my father. I knew Harry trusted me, but he never got around to telling me to much information because he was always off with Dumbledore. I never bothered asking questions. I figured the little I knew the better. "Being who my father is." I glared, motioning over towards Lorcan who smirked. 

"Aye but Potter ought have told you something?" my father added. "Or his friends, Weasleys and that muggle born. Something must have slipped."

"Nothing ever did. They were careful." 

"Of course she's lying!" Bellatrix yelled, causing everyone in the room to take a step back. "She was there with them last year at the Ministry. Of course she knows whats going on. Tell us what you know!" I didn't answer.

"What was Harry doing with Dumbledore?" my father added, darker this time.

"I told you I don't know!" I added glaring back. "He wouldn't tell me anything important. Why don't you ask Harry or Dumbledore?" I responded looking away. Bellatrix's face brightened up in a smile.

"Ah but the old man is dead," she added looking at me. I turned to look at her.

"You're lying," I said shaking my head. "I won't fall for it." Laughter filled the room, all but Colm and Draco were not laughing. There was no way...Dumbledore couldn't be dead? He was the greatest wizard of all time. The Dark Lord couldn't even kill him at the ministry, they were bluffing.

"She doesn't know," one of them muttered through their laughter.

"When Draco here couldn't do it himself," Bellatrix began as the laughter stopped. "Your dear Professor Snape finished it himself." My head shot over towards Draco, who looked down ashamed. Draco was going to kill Dumbledore? My heart beat faster. Not only had he been lying to me all year, but he had been trying assisinate our headmaster?

I couldn't wrap my head around the fact that Dumbledore was dead. He had been our leader all year round, the one that Voldemort feared. Now who was left? "Now tell us what you know!" Lorcan commanded louder this time.

"Nothing," I muttered darkly trying to keep tears from falling over Dumbledore. "I have nothing to tell you." Bellatrix looked over at him and he nodded. She quickly turned to me and raised her wand.

"Crucio!" she yelled and I was hit with immense pain. It was an unberable feeling, especially coming from Bellatrix Lestrange. It felt a thousand times worse than it did when it was Nicolai. My body ached in agony as I screamed, finally it stopped but the pain lingered.

"Are you going to tell us now?" my father continued with a smirk.

"I have nothing to tell you," I replied louder not looking up. The little things I did know, I would never tell. I would never betray my friends like that. Bellatrix used the cruciatus curse on me again, and then again, and then a fourth time after they realized I wasn't speaking. Just as she was about to do a fifth time, someone told her to stop.

"Stop it Bella, she's had enough," came the voice of Narcissa Malfoy. Bellatrix glared over at her sister. Draco and I looked at one another, he looked completely horrified as he stared over at me. I looked away. "Give it a break, eventually the girl will come around." 

"Yes in time she will," Lorcan said. "As the consequences will get far more severe. I've been tracking a few of your friends," he added glaring over at me. "They better stay hidden to the best of their ability this summer, or you better start talking." He nodded once at Bellatrix as the two left the room, and I was taken back to the cellar.