Right, staring at Hermione through her heavily lidded eyes,

“But surely,” she said quietly, “this is the Mudblood girl? This is Grander?”

“Yes, yes, it’s Granger!” cried Lucius, “And beside her, we think, Potter! Potter

and his friends, caught at last!”

“Potter?” shrieked Bellatrix, and she backed away, the better to take in Harry.

“Are you sure? Well then, the Dark Lord must be informed at once!”

She dragged back her left sleeve: Harry saw the Dark Mark burned into the flesh

of her arm, and knew that she was about to touch it, to summon her beloved master–

“I was about to call him!” said Lucius, and his hand actually closed upon

Bellatrix’s wrist, preventing her from touching the Mark. “I shall summon him, Bella.

Potter has been brought to my house, and it is therefore upon my authority –“

“Your authority!” she sneered, attempting to wrench her hand from his grasp.

“You lost your authority when you lost your wand, Lucius! How dare you! Take your

hands off me!”

“This is nothing to do with you, you did not capture the boy –“

“Begging your pardon, Mr. Malfoy,” interjected Greyback, “but it’s us that caught

Potter, and it’s us that’ll be claiming the gold –“

“Gold!” laughed Bellatrix, still attempting to throw off her brother-in-law, her

free hand groping in her pocket for her wand. “Take your gold, filthy scavenger, what do

I want with gold? I seek only the honor of his – of –“

She stopped struggling, her dark eyes fixed upon something Harry could not see.

Jubilant at her capitulation, Lucius threw her hand from him and ripped up his own sleeve

–

“STOP!” shrieked Bellatrix, “Do not touch it, we shall all perish if the Dark Lord

comes now!”

Lucius froze, his index finger hovering over his own Mark. Bellatrix strode out of

Harry’s limited line of vision.

“What is that?” he heard her say.

“Sword,” grunted an out-of-sight Snatcher.

“Give it to me.”

“It’s not yours, missus, it’s mine, I reckon I found it.”

There was a bang and a flash of red light; Harry knew that the Snatcher had been

Stunned. There was a roar of anger from his fellows: Scabior drew his wand.

“What d’you think you’re playing at, woman?”

“Stupefy!” she screamed, ”Stupefy!”

They were no match for her, even thought there were four of them against one of

her: She was a witch, as Harry knew, with prodigious skill and no conscience. They fell

Where they stood, all except Greyback, who had been forced into a kneeling position, his

Arms outstretched. Out of the corners of his eyes Harry saw Bellatrix bearing down upon

The werewolf, the sword of Gryffindor gripped tightly in her hand, her face waxen.

“Where did you get this sword?” she whispered to Greyback as she pulled his

Wand out of his unresisting grip.

“How dare you?” he snarled, his mouth the only thing that could move as he was

forced to gaze up at her. He bared his pointed teeth. “Release me, woman!”

“Where did you find this sword?” she repeated, brandishing it in his face, “Snape

sent it to my vault in Gringotts!”

“It was in their tent,” rasped Greyback. “Release me, I say!”

She waved her wand, and the werewolf sprang to his feet, but appeared too wary

Date: 2015-12-11; view: 683