Blind

Chapter Nine

"Why are we bothering with this? We need to find Bellatrix!" Draco cried, thrusting a bottle of potion into an old wizard's hands. "Drink that," he snapped.

Harry secretly agreed with Draco, but he wasn't going to give Malfoy the satisfaction of being right. "We should finish this first," he protested.

Draco took one of the empty bottles back from the patients and slammed it on the ground. "No! I can't stay around here anymore! I cannot let them kill off some Malfoy who can't even defend herself!"

Harry could not hide his look of surprise to hear Draco say such a selfless thing, and Draco caught it. His face turned dark red. "You think that loyalty doesn't extend to the students of Slytherin, that we couldn't possibly comprehend the idea of fighting for someone other than ourselves. Well, you're wrong, Potter. I know you're not used to hearing that, but get used to it. You are wrong."

And with that, Draco left the room at a hurried trot.

Harry watched Draco's retreating back in amazement. He had never heard Draco say something so selfless and he was taken aback. I never thought that about Slytherin, he thought defensively. In fact, I know they're rather loyal to Lord Voldemort, he bitterly added.

Draco clutched his wand tightly. Of course, he had no clue where Bellatrix might have gone, and he wasn't certain where he should go. For all he knew, Bellatrix could be anywhere but St. Mungo's. Suddenly her words came back to him. Don't you worry about Mummy Malfoy. They're taking excellent care of her at St. Mungo's, you know.

"She knows!" Draco exclaimed to no one in particular. "She knows more than she's letting on! I wouldn't doubt that she's involved in all this!"

He sped through corridor after corridor, searching for any hint of Bellatrix's presence in the building. After he felt he had skirted through the whole hospital, he was just about to blast away part of the wall in frustration, but he was stopped by a small sound.

I must be going completely nutters, Draco thought, straining his ears for the sound. But he wasn't. He could hear a crying noise; it was a baby!

"Dreda!" Draco said excitedly. He carefully set off toward the sound. The louder it got, the closer he knew he was.

Draco was led into a narrow, dark corridor. How on earth did I miss this one? he wondered. He followed the sound to the door at the farthest end of the corridor. The baby was behind that door. Draco stood back from the door, pointed his wand at it, and blasted the door from its hinges. He burst into the room, steadily pointing his wand.

Blasting the door had caused a large swell of dust to fill the room, and as it cleared, two figures pointing wands at his chest became apparent. Both were wearing black robes and their faces were masked and hooded. However, Draco could tell that the smaller one was a woman, and the other one was a man.

"Where's my sister?" Draco growled.

The woman brought her wand down cautiously and turned to her partner. "You know, this might just turn out to be a better deal than we bargained for. Not only could we lure them here with the baby, but now we have their heir's life at stake. Why I didn't think of this before, I'll never know!"

Draco could recognize that cold voice anywhere. It was Bellatrix Lestrange. Obviously, she was in some plot against his parents. "You won't get away with this, you know! I won't let you!"

Bellatrix shrieked happily. "Ah, you hear him? He's going to take on the two of us, the little sheltered baby boy he is. I would like to see that, I really would, neffy-poo."

Draco raised his wand, but he wasn't quick enough. The man standing next to Bellatrix had disarmed Draco and had thrown him against the wall. Bellatrix strode over, picked up Draco's wand, and jabbed Draco in the throat with it. Clutching his throat in pain, Draco watched in horror as she loomed over him, the only part of her visible her flashing grey eyes.

"You were a fool to come here and think you could fight us alone," she sneered.

"He's not fighting you alone," a stern voice said from the doorway. Draco whipped his head up at the sound of that glorious voice and stared at the newest person to enter the room. Though she was clothed in the same black robes, hood and mask as Bellatrix and this man, Draco could recognize that voice and that figure anywhere.

"Back away, Bellatrix," Narcissa Malfoy's voice came warningly from beneath the hood. "Accio wand!"

Draco's wand flew from Bellatrix's grasp into his mother's hand. "Back away," she repeated, advancing on her sister and holding out Draco's wand so he could take it.

Bellatrix raised her wand, but was carefully stepping away from her approaching sister. Draco scrambled across the room on his hands and knees. He hurried into the darkest corner of the room where his sister was lying on the dirty hardwood floor, screaming at the tops of her lungs. He scooped her into his lap in order to hush her. He then looked up at his mother. Even though she was completely covered, he could tell she was furious, but she had yet to cast anything.

"Expelliarmus!" Narcissa cried, sending her sister into the wall in a shower of green sparks. She rounded on Bellatrix's partner, but he was one step ahead of her. He brought his wand through the air and muttered, "Expelliarmus!"

Narcissa flew into the wall, her head hitting it with a nasty cracking sound. The man now had her wand in his possession. Draco made to stand up but Narcissa was shaking her head violently at him as she clumsily got to her feet.

The man came over and yanked the hood and mask from Narcissa's head. He drew back his fist and connected it with the side of her face. Narcissa stumbled back into the wall, putting a hand up to her cheek.

Draco pushed himself up. This was going too far; it didn't matter what Narcissa did or said, she needed his help. Bellatrix was too quick, though. Turning sharply, she pointed her wand at Draco and thin ropes flew out of the tip to bind him. Draco plopped back on the ground, and losing hold of Dreda, she tumbled into his lap and started crying once again.

The sound of her daughter must have given Narcissa some more courage and strength. She pounced on the man, wrapping her arm around his neck and obviously trying to squeeze the air from it. Gasping for breath, the man violently thrashed about, finally bending over, his head almost touching the ground. He successfully bucked Narcissa off his back and she was thrown on her back, staring at the ceiling as she winced in pain.

The man and Bellatrix were closing in on her. Narcissa sat up and attempted to scurry away, though she looked rather dazed. Bellatrix kicked out her leg and it connected with Narcissa's side with a loud "Crack!" Draco desperately tried to pull out of his binding, but it was impossible. He watched in horror as his mother slumped back to the ground. She tried to pull herself back up, but it seemed useless as she collapsed again.

"Ha ha!" Bellatrix shrieked triumphantly. She was now circling her younger sister's body. She raised her wand, but the man's raspy voice stopped her from using it.

"No, let me do the honors," he murmured dangerously. He pointed his wand at Narcissa, who looked up at him almost fearfully, but she swallowed it and glared at him. "Crucio," he snarled.

Draco desperately wrenched at his ropes as he watched his mother curl up on the ground. Her face was screwed up in a look of pure agony and her face was bright red. She's trying not to scream, Draco thought admiringly. She doesn't want to give them the satisfaction of seeing her in pain or sensing any weakness.

Narcissa's face turned from bright red to purple and then suddenly to chalk white. She was finally whimpering. Soon, she was moaning.

"Stop! Stop now!" Draco cried panickly, though he didn't believe it would help anything.

Bellatrix turned to him, raised her wand, and with a swish of it conjured a gag so that Draco could not say anything more. She then flicked her wrist and ropes wrapped around Dreda's tiny body and a gag formed over her mouth. She then turned back to Narcissa, watching the scene as if it were some amusing spectacle.

Narcissa was still writhing, gasping, and suddenly, she let out one little scream, leading to another louder one. She was giving up; she didn't have anything left that would help her fight them off.

Draco Malfoy had always been considered an insensitive, arrogant git of a boy, and perhaps it was true. But what would people say if they could see him now, now that he could feel tears welling up in his eyes? Would they think of him as the same person? As much as he wanted to fight the tears, it was impossible.

They're going to kill my mother and there's nothing I can do but sit here and watch it, he thought mournfully, the words resounding dully through his fogged brain. They're going to kill my mum.

************

"Oh, Harry, thank goodness I've found you!" Hermione cried, bursting into the room Harry was now in, administering medicine to the people in it. "Why, Harry, where's Draco?"

"He left to look for his little sister," Harry replied. He glared up at Hermione's patronizing stare. "And don't go telling me I should have stopped him, because I tried to."

Hermione bit her lip but nodded. "Well, it could be worse. He's much safer here than we are. After all, if he's after Bellatrix, he'll have assistance shortly because his mum was going after her, too. Anyway, Harry, we need to get out of here and quickly!" She started pulling on his arm.

Harry looked at her in surprise. "I thought you wanted to help these people."

"I do, I really do, but I'm more concerned about your safety," Hermione said softly. She squatted next to him and moved closer. "I found Lucius Malfoy, he's alive, and he and the other Death Eaters are rampaging through this hospital, going on a killing spree," she muttered below her breath.

"We can't just go and leave these people subject to that! Ron and his family are here!"

"Ron! Oh my God, I had completely forgotten about him!" Hermione exclaimed, her hand clapping her mouth in shock. "Oh, I'm completely awful! Of course you're right! We have to save the Weasleys!"

Hermione looked wildly around and then took an armful of bottles and pushed them into one of the patients hands. "There you are. Could you please run from room to room and administer one drop to each patient? Thanks! Come on, Harry!" She pulled him up and sprinted from the room, Harry closely at her heels.

Hermione and Harry ran from room to room, hopefully throwing aside the doors to find a large redhaired family. After bursting into about ten different rooms, they opened the door that led into the Weasleys' room.

The whole family was crammed into the tiny room, but they didn't seem to mind. In fact, when Harry and Hermione walked in, they were seated in a small circle, a plate of sandwiches in front of them. They looked as if they were having a rather pleasant little meal.

"Ron! Mrs. Weasley! Everyone, it's us! It's Harry and Hermione!" Harry said happily. He carefully tipped the potion bottle to Ron's mouth. "Just take a sip of this, yes, that's it!"

Ron stared up at him blinkingly, but then his face broke into a large, familiar grin. "I-I can see!" he said increduously.

"Here, help us hand this out to your family," Hermione instructed, handing him a bottle. In no time at all, all the Weasleys were up and about, all of them able to see once again.

Mrs. Weasley wrapped Hermione and Harry into a large hug. "Oh, you two are so smart! Thank you!"

Hermione patted Mrs. Weasley on the arm. "Perhaps you best get back to the Burrow, though, take a bit of a rest. I'm sure it hasn't been easy living here."

Mrs. Weasley smiled warmly at her. "And you two will join us, will you?"

Hermione glanced at Harry. "We actually have more work that needs to be done here, Mrs. Weasley, but then we'll be more than happy to," Harry said quickly.

"Well, all right then. Come on, Fred, George, Ginny, Ron. Let's go make a large dinner for these two."

Ron did not follow his mother and siblings from the room. He looked curiously at Hermione and Harry. "How'd you do it?" he asked in awe. "How'd you get that potion? And what's the other work you have to do?"

Harry opened his mouth to respond, but Hermione suddenly hit herself in the head with the palm of her hand. "We need to find Draco, Harry! Oh, how could I not think of this earlier?"

"Did you just call Malfoy 'Draco'?" Ron asked. "Are you mad? What's going on here?"

"Don't you see, Harry? We shouldn't have left him to face Bellatrix alone! Obviously she'll have help, I'm sure, and he can't do it by himself!"

"I thought his mum was off to help him," Harry replied.

"Yes, but do use some reason! She had a baby two days ago without the aid of any potions or medicines of any sort. She's also been beaten up terribly. Her body is in no condition to be fighting. We need to find him, though I suppose it'll be difficult with all the Death Eaters running around. Maybe it's too dangerous." Hermione bit her lip in thought.

"I think I'm missing something here," Ron said slowly, looking to Harry for an explanation. Harry just shrugged.

"I have to go!" Hermione said.

"Go where?" a voice said from behind them. They spun around to face Arthur Weasley, who was looking at the suspiciously. "Did I overhear you say something about the Death Eaters?" When they didn't respond, his eyes widened in alert. "You say they're here?"

"Yes. They're after Ministry officials," Hermione confessed. She looked fearfully up at Mr. Weasley. "You must leave this place, you know! You're in danger!"

"I'll hear of no such thing. You three need to leave, and I'll stay here," Mr. Weasley said, quickly withdrawing his wand.

"No, there's too much that needs to be done!" Hermione protested.

"Yeah, we're going to fight, too!" Harry insisted.

Mr. Weasley shook his head. "No! Get out of here!" he hissed.

"A bit panicky, aren't we, Arthur?" a drawling voice said. Mr. Weasley spun around to face the hooded and masked visage of Lucius Malfoy. Several more hooded wizards were behind him.

Lucius waved his wand. "Stupefy," he said almost lazily. Mr. Weasley fell to the floor before he could defend himself. Lucius then looked over at Harry. "Ah, how fortunate we are. It's Potter."

Harry reached for his wand, but once again, Lucius was too quick and he had bound Harry tightly and taken his wand away. His fellow Death Eaters had done the same with Hermione and Ron and the unconscious Mr. Weasley.

Lucius suddenly clutched his left forearm and for a moment was hunched in pain. Suddenly, he stood straight up and turned to the others. "The Dark Lord is beckoning us. Leave old man Weasley here. I daresay the Dark Lord would like to have a visit from Potter and his friends, though."

A large hand grasped Harry's upper arm, but Lucius shook his head. "No, Goyle, Potter's mine. Take the girl."

Lucius Malfoy firmly gripped Harry's arms and with a great heave, proceeded to drag Harry into the hallway. Harry struggled against the binding ropes but he was too tightly tied to succeed in such an endeavor.

Lucius led the Death Eaters down a staircase into the dark basement of the old hospital. One of his hands released Harry's arms. "Lumos," he muttered. The tip of his wand lit and illuminated a tall, thin shadowy figure. The figure stepped closer and Harry recognized the features of that face, a face he could not easily forget. The skull-like appearance it took. The slits for nostrils. The angry red eyes. It was Lord Voldemort.

"You are late," Voldemort sneered. "You did not come immediately."

"My lord, forgive us," Lucius said quickly, bowing low before his master. "But you will see why we could not come at first. We could not Disapparate, but I am certain you will not be disappointed." He threw Harry onto the floor in front of Voldemort. Hermione and Ron suddenly landed on the ground on either side of him.

The Death Eaters quickly formed a circle as Voldemort approached nearer. He looked down at Harry and his friends. "Ah, could this night not go any better? I'm always ready for a little meeting with Mr. Potter. And he's brought some friends. How delightful." Voldemort's cold voice was echoing off the stone walls along with the laughter of the Death Eaters.

Voldemort looked around his circle of Death Eaters. "What is this? We are missing some!" he said angrily. "I called everyone here and yet some have chosen not to show up!"

"My lord, please, I notice that Bellatrix Lestrange is not among us," Lucius said smugly.

"I very well know that. Rodolphus, where is your wife?" Voldemort snapped.

"My lord, she is here, somewhere," Rodolphus Lestrange muttered.

"This is the moment I've waited nearly eighteen years for and I desire that all Death Eaters are here for it! GO FIND THEM NOW!"

"Yes, my lord, yes," the Death Eaters mumbled grudgingly.

"Peter, guard these three. Make certain they don't escape. I will return shortly," Voldemort commanded. A short, thick man with balding blond hair stepped forward. In the dim glow of the Death Eaters' wands, Harry could see the menacing glint of his silver hand.

The Death Eaters slowly filtered from the room and Voldemort disappeared from sight. Harry could feel Hermione shaking next to him. Suddenly, she blurted out, "Lucius! Lucius Malfoy! Wait!"

Lucius sharply turned around. "What?" he snapped.

Hermione took a deep breath. "Please, Lucius, you can't keep us here! We have to be let free!"

Lucius laughed coldly. "And I thought you were supposed to be number one in your class, Miss Granger. Do you really think I'd do that?"

"You don't understand me. It's Narcissa and Draco. They need our help!"

Lucius looked at her scrutinizingly. "What do you know of my wife and son?" His eyes pierced through Hermione's determined brown ones. "Narcissa wouldn't let me kill you earlier. Why is that?"

"Because I took care of her," Hermione responded.

Lucius reached out and violently shook Hermione. "You are the reason she is bruised and scraped? I will kill you for that! You hear me, I WILL KILL YOU!"

"Th-that's not my fault," Hermione said shakily as he pushed her back. "I tried my hardest to protect her. I helped her. Just listen to me, please! Draco went after Bellatrix alone. When Narcissa found out about that, she hurried after him. I don't know what Bellatrix will do to Draco, but Narcissa is going after her sister. However, Narcissa is in no condition to be fighting anyone, let alone a powerful witch like Bellatrix. If we don't get to her to help her, she could die!"

"My wife is a strong woman," Lucius said, though now his eyes looked rather worried.

"She is, I know that," Hermione said quickly. "But she can't do this alone. We have to find her!"

Lucius slowly peeled off his hood and mask. He looked over to Peter Pettigrew who was watching him curiously, obviously wondering what he was going to do. Lucius then took out his wand, pointed it at Peter and shouted, "Obliviate!" Peter fell the the ground, his eyes looking strangely unfocused.

"That was a strong curse," Lucius said. "He won't remember a thing we said. It will be quite amusing to watch him get punished for something he can't even remember." Lucius untied Hermione and then they untied Harry and Ron. "You realize this won't prevent me from killing you later?" Lucius sneered .

"We can discuss this later," Hermione said firmly. "We need to get to Narcissa and Draco now."

Lucius burst through doorway with Hermione close on his heels. Harry and Ron looked at each other. "Hermione's gone completely nutters and now it's rubbing off on Lucius," Ron said quietly.

"Yes, but as always, Hermione has her point. She's rather set on this and who are we to deny her of it?" Harry asked, pushing Ron towards the door. "Come on!"