Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

The sound of Hermione's breathing was echoing off the walls of the cold stone room, and she just knew she was about to blow the entire operation. Tell yourself the truth, Hermione. Come on. She knew she had to bloody calm down before she ignited a frenzy of faeries by passing out and pulling Harry's cloak off all of them. Logically, there was no way her breathing was escaping the fabric, but the huffing was so loud in her ears that she could hardly concentrate.

Feeling Hermione's fear, Draco reached for her hand. He needed hers as much as she needed his anyway. Apparently, the heroic bravery he felt while steeling himself for this mission was sucked right out of him the second he actually had to go through with it.

The four of them stood in the mausoleum's entry, fitting under the cloak together because of an engorgement charm Harry couldn't believe he'd never used, trying to silently determine which door to breach. They had fully expected to be thrust into battle upon opening the main entrance, so being able to remain hidden until they had their bearings was an advantage they had never dreamed of having. They now had time to creep out about the fact that they were breathing the dank air of rotting bones, before having to experience the terror of Death Faeries and a raving Millicent Bulstrode. The only glaring negative about the unfolding scenario was that choosing the wrong tomb would alert Millicent to their presence and give her the chance to have the faeries devour Narcissa before anyone could so much as scream.

The room was shaped like an octagon, with seven thick oak doors aside from the limestone one in front, and each presumably led to the crypt of a dark wizard's clan. Stone walls were blackened in places with the filth of age, and the air seemed to be alive with the evil deeds of those in repose. A graphic mural of torture and death clung to the ceiling, an afterlife of mouths wide open in tormented screams and bodies writhing in agony.

Despite the flickering red sconces between each doorway, no room showed any signs of occupancy---that is, of the living variety. Only the subtle movement of more candle flames could be seen under each door, and Hermione had a fleeting thought about how lucky they were not to have to light their wands.

After about five minutes of stillness, Draco felt Harry jerk to attention next to him. He turned his head slightly to meet the emerald green eyes which then glanced to the third door from the right. Draco squeezed Hermione's hand so she would see where they were looking, and at first, Draco could not figure what Harry had seen. When Ginny's eyes seemed to catch on, he felt a bit foolish, until finally he saw it-a slight shimmer which didn't perfectly match the motion of a candle's flame. This was it. He turned to Hermione again, and she nodded.

It was time to bury their fears and carry out their plans. They began to edge toward the sinister threshold. Harry reached under the cloak to touch the iron door handle, praying to anything out there that Millicent did not notice the door slowly opening. As soon as the gap was wide enough, he peeked into the room, immediately thankful that his eyes were the first to greet the sight. No way Draco could see this and remain silent.

To start, the tiny room was made entirely of limestone, ornately carved with coiled or slithering serpents whose eyes roamed with perverted life. Cubicles had been carved into the walls, each containing skeletons which had presumably been stripped clean of flesh by the Death Faeries presiding over the Death Eaters' cemetery. The candles along the walls were trapped in the mouths of sconces in shapes of various beasts, and in each ceiling corner, a bejeweled silver dragon guarded all.

Most disturbing, however, was a figure sitting cross-legged on the curved bench in the center of the room, giggling maniacally under her breath and rocking back and forth. Even from behind, Millicent's bedraggled appearance was sickening, her gray dress in tatters and smudged with filth, her black hair matted and standing on end in some places. She was focused on the ceiling, where Narcissa Malfoy indeed floated on a bed of Death Faeries, who now, resembled more of a swarm of evil than a mere sheen of white. Their individual faces were visible, black pointed teeth poised to devour the fresh kill, eyes wide with fiendish anticipation.

When Harry turned his stricken face toward his comrades, Draco widened his eyes questioningly. Harry knew there was no shielding Malfoy from this, so he readied himself to disarm Millicent from behind. At least this part would be much simpler than anticipated.

"Expelliarmus!" Harry shouted, forcing Millicent's wand into the wall with a crack. She jumped from her seat and turned into a crouch, eyes deranged with fear. She whipped her head from side to side, trying to locate the enemy which had entered her lair.

"Where are you, you fuck?" Her voice echoed in the empty space, and she began to cackle wildly. "Come on then. Too much of a pussy to finish me off?"

Draco squeezed Hermione's hand and nodded at Harry and Ginny. It was time. All at once, they threw off the cloak and shoved the door the rest of the way open with a roar. Just as Hermione was yelling "Incarcerous!" however, the room began to quake, sending all of them off balance. Millicent leaped onto the bench with glee, obviously expecting a grand show indeed. Her screeches of laughter were only overpowered by another metallic screeching, and Hermione noticed the source first. "The snakes!" she shouted in horror, steadying herself for attack. The serpents were slithering off the walls with alarming speed, surrounding them, straightening for their kill. Hermione, Draco, Ginny, and Harry naturally rotated so they were back to back, facing outward in a circle.

For the next several minutes, the only sounds which could be heard were shouts of "Ustulo!" or "Stupefy!" peppered with Millicent's sadistic laughter and the hissing of angry snakes. In the end, though, every last stone serpent was shattered on the floor, and Millicent was left whipping her head around and trying to hide her outrage. She was disarmed and surrounded, and she could not activate the Death Faeries without her wand.

"You fucking bitch!" Draco's infuriated scream echoed around the room. "Get my mum the fuck down before I peel the skin off your body and pour salt into your flesh."

"I could always count on you to take the bait," Millicent laughed. "No wonder you were the Dark Lord's favorite plaything. All pissed off, are we?"

"Adrado!" Draco began to peel back the skin from Millicent's upper arm, causing her to scream, eyes going wide with terror. "You thought I was bluffing? You have my fucking mother, you deranged cunt!"

Millicent merely looked back at him and smiled, trying to hide her fear. "You can peel me like an orange, Draco, but you can't save her. My summons cannot be reversed unless I do it myself with my own wand. Once Death Faeries have tasted someone's blood, their instincts cannot be countered until they have been satiated. The first thing I did after the summons was whet their appetites with a few drops of blood from the noble house of Black. Why else would they stay here so long?"

"Why are you doing this?" shouted Hermione angrily.

"Wouldn't you like to know, you filthy-blooded whore?" She turned back to Draco. "Why am I not surprised you are allied with the Mudblood?"

"Mil, what the fuck happened to you? Do you even know you've killed your best friend's father? Merlin!"

Millicent's eyes flashed dangerously. "Best friend?! That spoiled little bitch deserved what she got! Her slithering father, off scot free, while mine is rotting in Azkaban! And you, you rotten traitor! Living the high life because your daddy claimed your innocence! Do you have any idea where I've had to live the last two years? Out of the lot of us, I seem to be the only one to escape prison and have nothing left."

"What are you talking about, Mil? Why aren't you living at home?"

"You see?! You were married to Pansy, and you don't even know what happened to me! Do you not recall that my father owned a third of Brothers and Brooms?"

Harry and Ginny exchanged an intense look. They did know, but they didn't realize Millicent had been left alone.

"Remember the little consequence of his giving all he owned to filthy blood traitors?! Your precious Shacklebolt left me on the street outside my gates with nothing! Nothing!"

"But why punish your friends? Why not make Shacklebolt pay for this?" asked Harry.

Millicent took time to glare at him before answering, willing him to realize what a blithering fool he was. "Because, Potter, I expected as much from fucking Shacklebolt. My best friend and her husband, however, completely forgot I existed. Never even looked for me!"

"Why this? Why not just ask us for help? I would have done anything for you, even if Pansy didn't."

"That's just the point, though, isn't it, Draco? I shouldn't have had to ask." She hesitated for effect. "No matter now. All of my true friends are waiting in Gringott's under your name, and you are about to sign your fortune over to me."

"Go fuck yourself! You already said I can't save my mum without arming a lunatic. Why the fuck would I give a damn thing to you? "Incarcerous!"

As the thin golden cords wove around her, Millicent just laughed. "You can take me away, Draco, but you still can't save her, you know. Until they have her blood, they will never leave."

"I have a better idea."

Draco glanced at Hermione, already having decided what he would have to do. He obviously couldn't allow Millicent to be trusted with her wand. Far too many ways for her to regain the upper hand, and he would never forgive himself if Hermione were hurt. Perhaps he could use the Imperius Curse, but then he would end up in Azkaban, breaking Hermione's heart and leaving his mother alone. There was simply no other way. If the Death Faeries wanted Narcissa Malfoy's blood, they would get it. As he looked into Hermione's eyes for the last time, he pleaded silently for her to understand.

Pointing his wand toward his heart, he shouted, "Avada Kedavra!"