Chapter 3: A Hallowed Encounter
4:10 AM - Forbidden Forest, Hogwarts
'Why is it always so bloody cold here,' I thought, flicking my wand dismissively around me, instantly being blanketed by billowing waves of comforting warmth.
30 minutes, we have been waiting in this cursed forest, and yet there is no sign of the boy. Why the Dark Lord chooses to wait, I wouldn't know. I just hope that Draco is alright. Poor boy getting caught up in our mistakes.
'I hope Severus hasn't failed us.' I thought worryingly, as memories of the unbreakable vow he had made came to the forefront of my mind.
Lucius and I want nothing more than for him to live and survive this pointless war, yet he constantly tries his hardest to prove himself to the Dark Lord.
'Just like his old man.'
Suddenly, the sound of twigs snapping echoed throughout the clearing; My wand already at hand, flicked through air with a curse beginning to form at its tip, instantly joined by others with a collective whoosh. I took up a duelling stance as nervous energy rolling off my tensed up frame, occlumency shields at full blast in an attempt to centre myself.
But it was all for naught as I looked up to see Yaxley and Dolohov returning from their patrol around the forest.
I released the breath of air I realised I had held in, relishing the cold air that entered my chest, finding comfort in the odd synergy it had with the warming charm on me, and gradually relaxed my body and occlumency shields.
'Relax...relax.' I thought, watching Dolohov approach the Dark Lord, kneeling in front of him.
"Any sign of the boy?" the Dark Lord asked, as his serpentine eyes expectedly looked down at Dolohov.
"No sign of him, my lord." he replied anxiously, tensing his body as if in anticipation of their Lords' cruciatus curse.
Suddenly, the hair on the nape of my neck stood up on end as the Dark Lord expression did not change. His red eyes seemed to burn in firelight, as he longingly ran his fingers across the wand in his hand.
"I thought he would come," he said, in his high leaping voice "I expected him to come." he reaffirmed. "I was, it seems... mistaken." he said disappointingly, turning around and making his way towards us.
Just before he could make his way over, the sound of twigs snapping rang throughout the clearing a second time. My head wiped around so fast, the sudden action threatening to break my neck, body tensing in anticipation, as I waved my wand, instinctively firing off multiple charms in rapid succession, attempting to discern the location of what was approaching.
Magic radiated from it in waves, washing over the clearing, looking, scouring, searching for anything with any intention of hiding from my sight. It continued to travel around the clearing, harmlessly swirling around those I believed to be allies, searching under every nook and cranny, washing over the gargantuan trees surrounding it, when it returned a ping as a person suddenly appeared from under an invisibility cloak in the centre of the clearing. 'Odd, why didn't my spell not detect the invisibility cloak.'
"You weren't," shouted the person who I now recognised to be Potter towards the Dark Lord, just as I saw him dropping a glinting stone, grimacing in pain after doing so. Looking closely at his face, he seemed to be running on his last legs, eyes gaunt and hollow looking, yet a spark so powerful ignited in his eyes the moment he locked eyes with the Dark Lord.
"NO! NO! HARRY, WHAT'RE YEH...?" a voice suddenly bellowed, howling with barely concealed horror. I looked towards its source: Hagrid, bound and trussed to a nearby tree. His massive body shook the branches overhead as he struggled, desperate.
"Quiet," shouted Rowle, his wand outstretched and hurling an overpowered silencing charm in his direction, the rush of magic causing a tingle to run down my spine.
I cut off the magic powering the revealing charm, content at the negligible drain on my core coming to halt, as bright green eyes locked with the Dark Lords baleful red, invisibility cloak pooling at their feet.
"Harry Potter, the boy-who-lived... come to die," breathed the Dark Lord softly, eyes alight with child-like curiosity, as is if in wonder as to what would happen if he proceeded.
He raised his wand and pointed it towards the boy, excitement tangible in the air, and shouted in undisguised glee.
"𝘈𝘷𝘢𝘥𝘢 𝘒𝘦𝘥𝘢𝘷𝘳𝘢."
Shock and awe coloured my face as a bolt, so thick and overpowered with magic, was ejected from his wand, burning through the air with a thunderous crackle, bathing the clearing in a blinding shade of green, my own magic coming to the surface to shield me from the overpowering magic it radiated, as it instantly flew towards the boy...
...only to see the Dark Lord flung back like a rag-doll when it hit Potter.
A sudden cacophony of gasps rang throughout the clearing, as we all witnessed the Dark Lord fall, frozen in apparent shock, faces twisted in a knowing grimace of what was to come.
"My Lord... my Lord," Bella whispered lovingly, as if speaking to a lover. 'What ever you see in that deranged psychopath, Bella, I will always fail to see.' I thought, with revulsion shredding through my stomach.
"That will do," he replied, getting to his feet, albeit in a decrepit manner.
"My Lord, let me-," began Bella, eyes clouded with worry, as she offered her hand to the Dark Lord. "- I do not require assistance," he interrupted, eyes blazing with tightly coiled rage. He turned towards the boy, who after being struck by the killing curse, lay on floor, still, and frozen in time.
My heart couldn't help but ache at the sight of him, so young and full of life moments ago, yet sacrificing it all in a heart beat for those he cared for. I couldn't help but picture for a moment, of what life would have been like if the Dark Lord had never returned, what life would have been like for Draco, only to be interrupted from my musings by a tap on my shoulder: Lucius.
"Wipe that expression off your face Narcissa, lest you bring upon yourself the wrath of our Lord." he reminded, worry etched on his face momentarily, but instantly hidden expertly behind his trademark cold expression.
"The boy... is he dead?" the Dark Lord coldly asked no one. It was completely silent in the clearing, with the deafening chirping of crickets and other assortments of beast sounding in the background.
Suddenly, the Dark Lord turned his head sharply, eyes fixated on me, and raised his wand, "You,"
Immediately, my heart constricted in my chest as I instantly became tunnel visioned, intently focused on the tip of the wand pointed at me, pupils narrowed into pinpricks. Cold sweat drenched my back, blood rushing in my ears, as all I could do was hope, hope that the Dark Lord was merciful enough to let me see my Draco again.
With a sharp jab and a loud bang, the Dark Lord sent his spell careening towards me, a shade of bright white and slimy coils of magic, painfully stinging the area around my gut.
'Stinging jinx,' I thought in relief, albeit with a shriek of pain at how painful it felt. He then gestured towards the boy and said to me. "Examine him. Tell me whether he's dead."
"Yes my Lord," I replied meekly, hurriedly making my way towards him. Heart thumping and in my mouth, I knelt down to check for any signs of life with doubt, remembering what had occurred moments before. 'But he survived it once before hasn't he.'
Reaching for his face, I pulled back his eyelids, bracing for what I was to discover, only to see pupils dark as the abyss looking back at me, which then abruptly turned back to their usual green colour. My eyes faltered for a moment, not quit believing what they were witnessing. 'He's alive? And what was that with his eyes? His pupils turned a different shade for a second there.'
I then schooled my shock, and placed my hand under his shirt to reach for his heart. 'He has a pulse!' Quickly bringing myself closer to his ears, I thought to ask how he had managed to survive again, when the well-being of my son, my Draco, worried me, dousing my curiosity in cold water.
"Is Draco still alive? Is he in the castle?" I whispered to him, hoping, wishing, praying that he was still ok, and for Potter to give me the answer I wanted to hear.
The boy suddenly went still and his eyes snapped towards me, peering into my eyes with such an intensity, I felt as if he was looking into my soul, judging, deciding whether to answer my question or not.
His magic, now that I focused on it, felt like an inexhaustible well, a mountain so dense, so tightly coiled around his being, that I began to feel suffocated just by being near him. Yet, for a moment, that overbearing feeling turned into a comforting hug, caressing my own magic, warming my soul in a way that made me feel nothing could ever go wrong if I was near it. 'What happened to him?' Potters' magic never gave me this feeling before.
I had to prevent myself from taking a step back. Seconds pass and a barely concealed smirk lights up on his face. Waiting with bated breath, it seemed like centuries passed, when in fact only seconds went by before the boy gave me a small nod.
Relief radiated through me, calming me, and I thought of what to do know. Should I tell the truth and betray the boy or should I betray the Dark Lord and lie. Focus again on feeling Potters' magic, I knew for certain what my decision would be.
Clearing my thoughts and occluding my mind as best as I could, I stood up and turned towards the Dark Lord.
"The boy is dead!"
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