Chapter 8 Bellatrix
Ginny watched silently as Bellatrix Lestrange paced the room back and forth, waiting for the bell. The woman muttered angrily under her breath. Bellatrix threw an angry glare at Ginny, defiantly she glared back. With a snort, Bellatrix looked away. Ginny quietly sighed, reminding herself to stay calm. In an attempt to escape her logical thoughts, Ginny examined their surroundings.
The room they were in was beautiful. If Ginny wasn’t so worried for Harry’s and her safety, she might have enjoyed the room. It had very large tall windows decorated by giant red curtains etched with gold trimming. Over each window was fancy tooling. The floor beneath them was made of smooth white marble with black mixed in here and there. Tiles were set so that it made a pattern that was very unusual. There was something very familiar to the pattern, but Ginny could not place it. Tables with candlesticks stood in between the four large windows. The door that Bellatrix had dragged her though was also as elegant as everything else in the room. Intricate carvings adorned the door. It was a tall door made of dark wood, Ginny didn’t know what type of wood but, she did know that it was a gorgeous color. The door knob was half golden and half old fashioned glass.
The only thing that stood out about the whole room was the large black coffin, lined with gold that sat in the middle of the room. Ginny eyed it warily, hoping that nothing terrible waited within the confines for Harry. A cough from Bellatrix brought Ginny’s mind from the horrible coffin.
She looked at Bellatrix wondering what was in store for herself. Ginny lightly touched her left arm and it throbbed with intense pain. Death loomed at the back of her mind; she pushed it away hoping that Harry had followed her here. Ginny had no idea why Bellatrix had lured Harry and herself to this place. She knew that Bellatrix could have used either Hermione or Ron for bait.
“What are they doing?” Bellatrix angrily spat looking at the door as if she was expecting it to open. Ginny looked at the woman as she said those words. Bellatrix glared back, “Idiot child, don’t look at me like that!”
“Why are you doing this to me?” Ginny threw back her confidence growing slightly at the sight of Bellatrix’s frustration.
“Isn’t obvious, I want Potter!” Bellatrix smiled evilly, as she tightening her grip on the wand.
“You’re a liar,” Ginny accused. “There’s more to it than just that!”
Bellatrix anger flared, Ginny had pushed her too far. Looking around for a weapon of any sort, Ginny’s eyes landed on one of the candlesticks. Bellatrix lunged at Ginny, who fled across the room and snatched the candlestick off the table with her right hand stained with dried blood. Bellatrix looked at her with a mischievous smile pasted across her face.
“Remember last time?” Bellatrix said, but the words seemed to hold an intensity that frightened Ginny. Looking down at her left arm, Ginny noticed how it hung limply beside her. She tightened her grip on the candlestick glaring at Bellatrix wanted revenge.
“I guess you haven’t forgotten. I can break the other one if necessary,” Bellatrix threatened. Ginny dropped the candlestick. “That’s right. Come here child.” The acidic words dripping with hate.
Ginny looked at the woman with fear. She had tried everything to escape from Bellatrix. Before they entered the strange pyramid, Ginny had held onto the doorway with her right hand. The door had shut unexpectedly with Ginny’s fingers still clasped to side. Bellatrix had to perform a spell to make the door open again. Ginny’s hand was returned to her soaked with blood. Bellatrix had then irately jerked Ginny into the pyramid. It was at that point that Ginny ripped off her necklace in hope that Harry would find it and not give up his search.
The next escape attempt happened within the strange paradise world. Bellatrix was again waiting for the bell. Ginny was standing on the right side of her. When the bell rang, Ginny snatched the wand from Bellatrix’s hand. Ginny held the wand with her left hand and pointed at Bellatrix’s neck. As Ginny opened her mouth, ready with a spell, Bellatrix viciously grabbed Ginny’s arm and twisted it. Ginny could still hear the hollow cracking sound and feel the keen pain that shot through her arm. She had dropped the wand as the intense wave of pain hit her. Bellatrix retrieved her wand and smiled revengefully at Ginny and then snatched her other arm dragging Ginny along again.
So it was with apprehension that Ginny approached Bellatrix. Ginny examined the evil woman as she took a step near. She feared disobeying Bellatrix, but was also frightened by the prospects of following the woman’s commands. Bellatrix watched Ginny as she stopped three feet away.
“I will kill you next time you try to escape!” Bellatrix threatened. Those words echoed in Ginny’s mind. Something occurred to her.
“Why don’t you? I’m not very important. If you only want to kill Harry, why bring me into?” Ginny demanded defiantly. Bellatrix looked furious. “You can’t kill me, you need me for something more than bait, what is it you want from me?” Ginny shouted angrily. She was mad that this was happening. Mad that she was being used as bait. Mad about being ruthlessly abused. Mad that she couldn’t do anything to save herself. Ginny was shaking with anger.
What happened next was so fast that Ginny could do nothing to protect herself. Bellatrix pointed her wand at Ginny and shouted, “Crucio!”
Ginny felt the worst sensation, that she had ever felt surge through her body. It was as if her whole body was on fire, with every nerve writhing with pain. Ginny could hear screaming, but she didn’t care, she wanted the pain to stop. Her arms and legs were tense with acute pain. It was pain worse than she had ever felt in her life that was gushing through her body. Someone was sinisterly laughing. Time seemed to drag and the pain seemed unbearable. Ginny was sure she would curl up and die at any moment.
The pain deadened but her body was still convulsing. Ginny found herself on the floor, the screaming had stopped, but the sinister laugh still filled her ears. Her body was weak as though she had been sick for days. Ginny wiped the tears off her face that she didn’t even realize she had cried. Her head was pounding, her eyes burning, her broken arm smarting, and her nerves still screaming out with pain. A voice filled her ears.
“I will use that curse again,” Bellatrix emphasizing the word “will”. Ginny closed her eyes as the voice continued. “I wouldn’t mind seeing you into insanity, like the Longbottoms.”
Ginny rubbed her head. Images of Neville’s parents raced through her mind. Ginny pushed them away like the thoughts of death. She had to be strong and brave, giving up meant death. Ginny knew now how far she could push Bellatrix, but she also knew a little more. She knew that Harry wasn’t alone. Ginny hoped it was Hermione or Ron. Another thing she noticed was every time she had brought up Harry and herself, Bellatrix became furious. Ginny knew that Bellatrix’s plan included them both, but why and for what, that was the biggest problem. With all her strength, Ginny pushed herself up from the floor and stood to meet Bellatrix.
“You’re not as weak as I thought you were,” Bellatrix told her viciously and then added, “But next time I won’t make that mistake. I’ll make sure your pain last longer.”
Ginny opened her mouth ready to fill Bellatrix’s ears with word that had spilt from her brothers’ mouth. At that moment a bell rang. Ginny had heard that bell ring so many times. Never saw it, but heard it. She figured that it was a signal to Bellatrix that Harry was coming.
Bellatrix grabbed her right arm and pulled her to the door. With a flick of her wand the door opened and she jerked Ginny through the door. Ginny looked back hoping that she might get a glimpse of Harry, but the door slammed shut leaving her in darkness with Bellatrix.