Love In Translation

Chapter 9. MARCO

Harry was awakened by the abrupt opening of his cell door and the heavy steps of his jailer. He sat up as best as he could; his wrists and ankles were tied with magical ropes.

He stared at the hooded Death Eater who had just placed a little bowl with dry bread and a glass of water on the floor and had already turned to leave the cell.

"Why haven't you killed me yet? Tell me. It's because you need me alive, isn't it?" Harry shouted angrily, but the Death Eater didn't answer; instead, he left, but not before magically sealing the door behind him.

Harry kicked the bowl and the glass, which overturned onto the floor. Then he looked around him for the thousandth time. His cell was dark and dusty; there were several alcoves dug in the stony walls and a strong smell of mold and decomposition. He was sure that it was an ancient cemetery or a catacomb.

If someone had seen him at that moment, they wouldn't have recognized him. Harry was really thin, with an unkempt beard and an emaciated face, which was marked by several deep cuts on his forehead and lips. His black hair was messier than ever, and his shirt and trousers were torn in more than one spot. The only thing that had not changed was the strength and determination that poured out from his shining green eyes.

"Aaaah!" His scar always burned, but at that moment, the pain was sharper than usual. He leaned against the wall and tried to think.

Several days have passed by now, and they still keep me here...but I already know what those bastards have in mind to do! he thought, resigned. They need me alive until a more proper time...but sooner or later, they're going to kill me. Then he closed his eyes, and the faces of Ron and Hermione appeared in his inner sight.

I'm not afraid of death, but I'd like to see my best friends one last time...Hermione, where are you now?

Oddly, his heart was telling him that he was going to meet her again soon.

***O***

The sun was already up in the sky, and it made the ancient palaces and the wet canals shine with its warm and cheering rays. If anyone had looked at us at that moment, they would have thought that we were just three tourists sitting at a café table with no other worry in mind except arranging our sightseeing day. Unfortunately, our minds and our hearts were busy on a completely different matter.

At least, my mind and heart were. I was deeply concerned about Harry's situation, and the anguish and disappointment over what had just happened was killing me. Now that Voldemort and his Death Eaters knew that Angy and I were on Harry's tracks, I was sure that the chances of finding him still alive were less than before.

Marco was our last hope. I'd have done anything to get at least a clue from him, maybe a sentence heard by mistake or a word said by a Death Eater; any little detail could have been of vital importance to us.

I was staring gloomily at Marco while he was voraciously ending his fifth croissant in the last five minutes. I knew that he wasn't aware of all our problems.

I sighed deeply and turned to Angy, who was sitting on my side with her arms crossed, staring at Marco with deep scorn and disgust.

I remained astonished by her behavior because I'd always thought that Aurors had the task of protecting the innocents, without distinguishing between wizards or muggles, but it seemed that she especially hated muggles.

"Have you stuffed your stomach enough, muggle?" Angy asked with an annoying, superior attitude, and I frowned at her.

"Angy! I really don't understand why you're treating him this way! He hasn't done anything bad to you." But Angy just by rolled her eyes and turned away.

"She's right! I haven't done anything to you. We just met!" he said. "Can you give me the sugar bowl, please?" Marco asked abruptly while sipping his third cappuccino.

"Sure," I replied, and passed him the sugar. Then I decided that it was about time to start with questions.

"Marco, are you ready to recall something about last night?" I asked politely.

"Do you want to know something in particular?" he asked, biting the croissant he gripped tightly in his right hand and sipping his cappuccino from the cup in his left hand.

"Anything. A sentence, a word, even a feeling would be of vital importance to us. We must find this dearest friend of ours, and you're our last hope." I spoke with sincerity, trying to help him understand the severity of the situation.

"Is he your boyfriend?" Marco asked, staring at me deeply in the eyes.

"No! He's just my best friend! And he's risking his life at the moment; that's why we have to find him as soon as possible."

"Then, he's her boyfriend?" Marco asked again, indicating Angy with a tilt of his head, but she just frowned at him.

"Yes, that's right. He's her boyfriend, but that isn't important right now!" I replied, starting to get irritated.

"It's important to me. And what's your friend's name?" Marco asked, even more curious.

"His name is Harry Potter. Does that remind you of anything at all?" I was starting to lose my temper.

"Let's see...Harry Potter, you said?" he asked, massaging his chin. "Nope. I'm sorry, but I've never heard that name in my whole life," he replied simply after a few seconds of silence, and then he started sipping his cappuccino again.

"See? I told you! He's just a stupid muggle! We'll never manage to find out anything using your way. It's better if we use my way!" Angy shouted angrily, and took her wand out from under the table.

I saw a terrified look in Marco's eyes and immediately tried to get her to put the wand away, looking around me warily.

"Are you crazy? Do you want someone to see us?" I asked, deeply alarmed.

"I don't care. If this stupid muggle doesn't want to talk, then I'm going to use bad manners." Angy was furious.

"All right, all right, I'll tell you what I know! But please, put away that...that thing." Marco was really horrified. Angy looked at me, satisfied, and put away her wand.

"Do you remember something now?" I asked.

"Yes, yes. Let's see...I was quietly walking in the street when two strange hooded guys came out from a dark alley and started to punch me furiously. Then they put me inside a large sack, and I lost consciousness. When I woke up, I found myself in a wet and dark cellar with my hands tied up, then I heard these people talking in a nearby room, but I didn't understand anything they were saying."

Marco was rushing to get to the important part of his tale while Angy and I were listening carefully to him.

"The only thing I managed to understand was that they were going to take someone to their headquarters. And they called it...The Lions' Hollow. And then they came to me, and I lost consciousness again. I just remember that I woke up in your hotel room, and that's all." As soon as Marco had ended his tale, he stared at us, really worried, probably hoping he had managed to give us some useful information. But Angy and I looked at each other hopelessly.

"We are at square one again," Angy said, deeply disappointed.

"Not at all. If we manage to find the Lions' Hollow...Maybe it's a place here in Italy, maybe it's a town, or a monument. Why don't we ask around?" I said stubbornly, but Angy suddenly got furious.

"What do you want me to do? Let's see. You want me to go in the middle of the street and ask all the muggles I meet? You are ridiculous!" Her attitude was really starting to get on my nerves. I turned to the waiter who was serving the nearby table.

"I'm sorry. May I ask you something?" I said kindly, and he nodded.

"We'd like to visit a place, but we don't know how to find it. Its called the Lions' Hollow. Do you have any idea?"

The waiter thought for a moment. "It seems to be the name of a circus, or maybe a zoo. Anyway, the most famous one that comes to my mind is the Colosseum in Rome. Yes, it could be that one!"

"Thank you very much." I thanked him, and he left. Then I turned to Angy triumphantly.

"See? Easy, isn't it?"

"And if it isn't the Colosseum in Rome? Then we'll be back at the beginning again!" she objected, trying to disguise her surprise.

"And if on the contrary, it is really the Colosseum? At least now we have a clue to follow!" I insisted, and both of us started frowning at each other.

"Please calm down, girls. If you want to go to Rome, then you'd better hurry up. There should be a train leaving in about two hours." Marco cut us off, and we both turned to him.

"This isn't any of your business, I think!" Angy frowned at him, but he didn't seem bothered about that.

"Listen to me. I have a proposal. Why don't you let me come with you? I could help you."

"I really don't understand how you could help us!" Angy was still glaring at him with scorn.

"Well, first of all, since I speak Italian and English, I could be your translator. And I have many friends spread throughout Italy, and you could be needing ''muggle' help, to use your word." Marco was really eager to join us, and after all, it wasn't a bad idea in my opinion.

"I just told you that we don't need any..."

"Please! Let me come with you. There is nothing keeping me in Venice. I have nobody waiting for me here. Please." I was deeply touched by Marco's words, and I immediately made up my mind.

"Angy, why don't we let him join us. Marco is right; we might need his help. I agree with him!"

"No way!" Angy shouted at me.

"OK then. Tell me a good reason why we shouldn't bring him with us!" I said stubbornly, crossing my arms.

"He simply can't come with us; he's a muggle!"

"But we are traveling in muggle territory, and it's for this reason that his help could be important to us!"

"It'll be too dangerous for him, and he's not able to protect himself against the Death Eaters, and he could be an obstacle for us."

"Who isn't able to protect himself? I'm accustomed to living out in the streets. I don't fear anything! Test me, and you'll see." Marco seemed ready to face anything to leave Venice with us.

"I promise you that he's not going to be an obstacle for us. I'm going to always be with him, and in case of attack, I'll protect him. Please?" I implored her.

Angy stared from me to Marco in turn and finally sighed and gave up. "All right then, you win! But if something happens, don't tell me that I didn't warn you."

"Oh, thank you, Angy. You are great!" I happily jumped on my chair, while Marco looked really satisfied.

"Hermione, remember to send another owl to Dumbledore. I want him to know exactly where we are going," Angy hurriedly added.

"Sure! Now we're going to go back to the hotel, get all our belongings, and send an urgent owl to Dumbledore." I was really satisfied about how things were turning out for us. We were again on Harry's tracks, and we were going to count on the help of a third companion.

Thinking about it later, I was glad that I had insisted that Marco join us.

***O***

The Dark Lord was seated in a huge black leather armchair and was watching the fire in the fireplace, absorbed in his thoughts.

"My Lord!" The voice of a Death Eater cut him off abruptly, and he turned to face the wizard who had dared to interrupt him.

"I am sorry, my Lord. I have some news for you." The Death Eater spoke with a trembling voice, keeping his head down.

"Speak!" The Dark Lord ordered in an icy voice.

"The Mudblood...She is traveling to our headquarters. They'll arrive in a few hours."

"How did she discover where we were?" His voice was calm, and it didn't betray his disappointment.

"It was that muggle. He overheard us while he was our prisoner," the Death Eater answered, worried.

"Has the mudblood already informed Dumbledore?" the Dark Lord asked.

"Yes. She sent him another urgent owl," his servant hurriedly replied.

"Well, I don't think we need the mudblood anymore. You must prevent her from reaching our headquarters, using every method you know."

"Yes, my Lord," the Death Eater answered, and left the grim room.

The Dark Lord gave a terrifying and vengeful laugh.

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"teasingly"?

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Shouldn't this have been the first thing he thought of if he lives in Italy and it's the Colosseum, which is really famous?