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Chapter 31



We're Doomed





"This backpack has been getting a good workout this holiday," remarked Neville, as he and Harry finished packing some clothes for their weekend at The Burrow.



"Good thing you stored it in the bottom of your trunk, 'just in case'," replied Harry. "You never know when you might need to transport a house elf, an owl and the odd suitcase or two."



"Right," laughed Neville. "Your typical packing list. So, is that it?" He fastened the lid and picked up his jacket and wand.



"Yeah, let's get downstairs," said Harry, swinging the backpack over his shoulder. "This is going to be fun."



X # X # X



Arriving in the kitchen, they found Anna showing Winky some old pictures of her Mom and Dad. Daisy, their house elf was in the background, waving shyly.



"I is remembering when Daisy was killed, Miss. And Toby. We's hearing all about it. Dobby was house elf for the Malfoys and he was telling me, also. Terrible bad wizard, that Malfoy."



"Indeed. Well, he's in Azkaban for the time being, Winky, so the less said about him the better." Anna spotted the two boys entering the kitchen. "Ah, here you are. I found these pictures when you and I were going through that box the other day, Harry. Just sharing with Winky. So, are you two ready?"



"Yes, we're packed and ready to go," answered Harry. Neville nodded.



Anna walked over to the fireplace at the back of the kitchen. She pulled the huge old pot hook, with the decorative copper cauldron hanging from it, out of the way. Reaching up, she lifted down a small crock from the mantel and popped off the lid.



"Are you sure you don't mind us going to The Burrow, Aunt Anna?" Neville asked, as he took a handful of Floo Powder.



"No! As a matter of fact, Winky and I are going to be taking all of the decorations down, denuding the tree and then sorting and storing all of that mess back into the attic. So, sad to say, I'll probably not even have time to miss you."



"Oh, nice!" Harry rolled his eyes. "If that's how it is, then I say let's go." He took a fist full of Floo Powder and stepped into the fireplace to stand next to Neville.



"Right. Ready? See you, Aunt Anna." Neville waved.



"See you Monday afternoon, Anna," added Harry, smiling.



"My love to everyone."



Anna stood back as the boys threw down the Floo Powder and called out together, "The Burrow!"



With a great puff of green smoke, they were gone.



X # X # X



It had been five days since Narcissa had come to see him on New Year's Day. Lucius lay on his cot and stared at the ceiling, vaguely aware of the wind howling outside the thick walls of Azkaban. It was late, past midnight and the guard had just passed, making his inspection walk down the row of cells. His foot steps were just fading away when Lucius became aware of another sound, scratching, tapping. He sat up and looked around the cell.



"Ah, Wormtail, you've come at last."



The rat was sitting up on his haunches, looking up at him, then, turning, Wormtail grabbed the leather thong lying next to him and began pulling a small leather pouch under the lower bars of the cell door.



Lucius watched as Wormtail sat up and tugged the pouch open with his teeth and front paws. He stuck his nose into the pouch and pulled out a silver ring, in the shape of a snake, which he spat on the floor. He looked up at Lucius and then at the ring.



Silently, Lucius stood and walked the two steps to the cell door and picking up the ring, inspected it.



"Is it a Portkey?"



Wormtail shook his head no.



"I didn't think so, that would be too easy, but impossible, especially with all of the extra security spells that have been place on Azkaban for our 'benefit'. So, what does it do?"



Wormtail tilted his head.



"Very well,' Lucius said as he put the ring on his finger. He stood there for a moment, and then began pacing the cell. Suddenly, he stopped, swayed and putting out a hand, leaned on the wall.



"What is this? What's happening?"



Wormtail sat up, observing him carefully. His gaze slowly tracked lower and lower as Lucius shrank down, down, down, until he was less than two inches tall. Lucius looked around, startled, and then he put back his head and laughed. Walking over to Wormtail, he looked up at the now 'giant' rat.



"Now what?"



Wormtail lowered himself onto the floor and Lucius climbed up onto his back. Taking the leather throng again in his teeth, the rat proceeded to the next cell, Lucius Malfoy riding along astride him, thoroughly enjoying himself.



X # X # X



It only took a total of ten minutes for all of the Death Eaters to transform into the miniature versions of themselves. Wormtail tugged open the pouch and held the edge up with his silver paw, pointing with the other paw, indicating they should get into the pouch. With much pushing and muttering, the Death Eaters managed to squeeze in.



Tugging the pouch tightly closed with his teeth, Wormtail proceeded to run down the hallway, dragging it, none too gently, behind him. He climbed through an air duct, ran along two more passageways and down a drainage pipe, to finally emerge near the terrace at the front gate to Azkaban, where visitors both Apperated and Dis-apperated, or used a Portkey to come and go.



Dragging the pouch over to the side of the terrace, he shoved it, roughly, into a black boot that was lying under a bench. Crawling in himself, he curled up to ward off some of the cold, and waited. Within minutes, the boot glowed with a strange blue hue. With a soft pop the boot and its human contents were Portkeyed away.



X # X # X



"The weekend went too fast," Neville observed, as Mrs. Weasley served more scramble eggs to the group of teenagers gathered around her kitchen table.



"We got some good practice time in with our slingshots," noted Hermione, ever mindful of their homework assignments. "Anna will be pleased, I think."



"Does everyone have enough to eat?" Molly asked, checking around the table.



"Yes, Mrs. Weasley." "Plenty thanks." "Um, hum." "Stop fussing, Mum."



"Is Luna coming over to say good bye?"



"She said she would, as soon as she saw her Dad off to work," answered Neville.



Just then they heard footsteps outside the kitchen door.



"That's probably her now," speculated Ginny as the doorknob turned.



But it was Arthur Weasley who came through the door.



"Arthur! Did you forget something, dear?" Molly smiled at her husband, but then, seeing the serious look on his face, her hand went to her throat. "Arthur, what is it...what's happened?"



"The Death Eaters have escaped from Azkaban. All of them."



"WHAT!" "Oh, no." "All of them?" "Bloody hell." "When did this happen, Arthur?"



"Sometime after midnight, last night."



"How?"



"No one knows for sure. There's no evidence of spells being performed in their cells, but it's still being looked into. All hell's broken loose at the Ministry, but I popped home to alert you. It hasn't been released to the public, yet. They're afraid of panicking people."



"Too bloody right, they will."



"Does Albus know?"



"Mad-eye is contacting him."



"What do we do, Dad?"



"Nothing, Ron. We don't know what's going to happen next, but there's no use rushing around in circles. I'll get back to the office and let you know of any developments."



Giving Molly a hug and kiss, he waved goodbye and walked out the door.



X # X # X



"We've got to get back to Anna's," said Harry, turning to Neville, who nodded agreement. They stood and headed up the stairs to Ron's bedroom to get their things packed. Ginny and Hermione looked at each other and followed them. Ron walked over to Molly, who was standing at the door, staring out the window, with tears in her eyes.



"It'll be alright, Mum."



"Oh, Ron...no, it won't. I'm so afraid...for all of us."



Ron put his arm around her shoulder as Molly sniffed into her handkerchief. Just then, Luna came up the walk, smiled and waved, but as she drew closer, her smile faded when she saw Molly's red eyes and Ron's frown. Coming in the door she cocked her head at Ron.



"The Death Eaters escaped from Azkaban last night," he informed her, grimly.



"Oh. What are we going to do?"



"Nothing. At least until we hear from Dad or Dumbledore."



"Where is everyone?"



"Harry and Neville are packing. Ginny and Hermione are upstairs somewhere."



"Come on, let's go make plans."



"Oh, no! You will do as you're told. We're waiting to hear what's happening. There'll be no running off like last year. I won't have it!" Molly put her hands on her hips. "Don't even think about going and doing anything on your own!"



"We're not that stupid, Mum. Last year was, well, it just happened."



"Totally different set of circumstances, Mrs. Weasley," Luna reminded her.



"We just need to talk about what we can do when we get back to school, that's all. It's ok, Mum, really," said Ron, hugging her.



"Oh. Right. I'm sorry...I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. Why don't you go see if Harry and Neville need any help with their packing; make sure they don't forget anything."



X # X # X



Ron and Luna ran up the stairs to find the others crowded into Ron's bedroom. Luna walked straight to Neville and hugged him. To his own surprise, he wrapped his arms around her and held her tight for a minute. Harry was sitting on the bed with his arm around Ginny, who looked very pale. Hermione rose from her seat on the end of the bed and put her arm around Ron's waist as he draped an arm over her shoulder.



"Well, it's started, hasn't it?" Ginny said, barely above a whisper.



"No, not yet," Luna replied, looking over at her. "They're in no shape to go straight out, attacking people. They've been in prison for over six months."



"But without having the Dementors as guards," noted Ron.



"True, but now they have Voldemort's wrath to face, for what happened last June at the Ministry. He hasn't had a chance to vent his anger about their failure to get the Prophesy. I'd hate to have to try and explain that to him." Hermione shook her head. "They were better off in Azkaban; at least safer."



"Harry, have you had any, you know, flashes, from Voldemort? Is he mad or happy?" Ron asked.



"No, nothing. Ever since he realized we were connected, he's blocked his emotions from me. Sorry, no help there."



"What can we do? Anything?" Ginny asked.



"Just get back to Hogwarts and get on with it. Anna's doing all she can to get us ready. We just have to do our bit and learn everything we can, as fast as we can." Harry looked around at his friends.



"Practice, practice, practice."



X # X # X



"Bella, let go of me!" Narcissa raged at her sister, as Lucius' screams of pain echoed down the hall. "I have to do something. He's killing Lucius!"



"If that was our Master's will, he'd be dead already. /Stop/, Narcissa! There's nothing you can do! You'll only make it worse for Lucius if you dare to interfere!" Bella's grip on Narcissa arms didn't lessen.



"I can't just stand here!"



"You must/! I did, when he was punishing Rudolphus. We /all know the price for failing our Master."



Narcissa stopped struggling and turning to face her sister, pulled Bella's hands off of her arms.



"That's where we differ, dear sister of mine. I was watching and you were enjoying it; listening to your husband's pain and suffering."



"Yes, I admit it. It thrills me in some deep way. Even when he was punishing me last June, I accepted the pain...I'm actually beginning to enjoy it."



Narcissa turned away from Bella.



"But why must he punish them now, for something that happened last year?"



Another scream rent the air and Narcissa covered her ears. Bella grabbed her wrists and wrenched them away.



"Why did he bring me here, Bella? To torture me, having to listen like this? I did what he asked of me. I didn't fail him, so why is he making me listen to this?"



"You still don't understand, do you? Our Master couldn't care less about you/; you're here as a treat, for /Lucius/, after our master finishes with him. A /reward for renewing his allegiance to our Master."



"/What/?"



"Know/ this, Narcissa. Lucius will /not want your sympathy or tears. He knew he had to pay for his failure. It will make him stronger. He will serve our Master more willingly and with better results from now on. But don't let him, don't let any of them, see your weakness. It will reflect on Lucius. He won't like it and you know what he's like if he's not happy."



"Happy, mad, upset, bored, whatever, he's always the same; a bastard/. I /hate him."



"Liar."



Narcissa looked at her sister and then hung her head. Bella turned and walked out of the room, leaving her standing alone. Narcissa slowly sank to the floor, tears running down her cheeks.



"What's happened to us, Lucius?" Another scream broke the silence. "We're doomed," she whispered.