The Importance of Being Different

Anne tried to move her hands, but they were tied together, she didn’t where she was, but it felt as if she was tied to a chair. She tried to open her eyes and saw three men.

One of them was wearing a pair of muggle trousers and a white shirt, he had taken off his tie and suit jacket. He was leaning against the wall casually smirking at her. He was tall and lanky and short dark hair. He looked like one of the Slytherin boys in Anne’s year so this must be Nott.

One of the other men was standing right next to her menacingly breathing down her neck, his wand pointing right at her ready to cast a curse if she even tried to move. He was a large man and had unkempt dark brown hair with a long beard. Sirius had told her about him, he was the one who had placed the imperius curse on ministry workers during the first war, this was Mulciber.

That only left the one that was standing in front of the door. He had sandy brown hair and a young-looking face; he didn’t look much older than about twenty, but his eyes were much older. He was looking at Anne curiously as he guarded the doorway. That meant that this must be Rowle.

Anne looked around desperately for an escape, but the room was windowless, the only way in or out was through the door that Rowle was guarding

“So,” drawled Nott, “we meet at last Miss Potter.”

“Oh sorry, Mrs Scamander now isn’t it? I must congratulate you, how is wedded life?”

“Enough formalities Nott,” growled Mulciber.

Anne tried undoing the ropes that were tying her to the chair using wandless magic, but it didn’t work.

“You looking for this dear?” asked Nott pulling her wand out of his pocket, “I’m afraid those ropes have been enchanted to only come undone by a wand.”

It seemed that out of the three, Nott was in charge.

“So I suppose you’re wondering why you’re here,” he continued playing with her wand, “kidnapping the saviour of the Wizarding World, one of the famous Potter twins might seem like a foolish move to make, draw even more attention to us.”

“They’re going to catch us eventually, every Auror in the country is looking for us, but before they find us we just want to know one thing.”

“How do you do it?” he asked leaning back against the wall still toying with her wand.

“You got a silencing charm on you or something girl?” asked Mulciber.

Anne shook her head frantically.

“Oh I forgot, Anne here is a freak in more than way, but it’s not her nervous break downs I’m interested in, what I want to know is how you learnt to it. The wandless magic, which according to what the dark lord told me, you’ve been able to do since you were eleven. Did you learn it, was it that old fool Dumbledore, the blood traitor Sirius Black, or was it the werewolf?”

Anne shook her head again.

“Well give us some answers!” shouted Mulciber, “or are you deaf as well as dumb?”

“Leave her,” mouthed Rowle, but nobody saw him apart from Anne.

“Well if you won’t give us the answers by choice, clearly you need a bit of encouragement,” said Nott.

He nodded at Mulciber who already had his wand pointed straight at Anne.

“Imperio,” called Mulciber.

“Just answer the question,” said a soft voice.

“No,” she thought.

“Just answer the question,” said the voice a little more urgently.

“No.”

“Answer the question,” said the voice threateningly.

Anne just continued to stare into space.

“Maybe she was just born that way,” shrugged Nott.

“Now for the fun bit,” said Nott with light in his eyes, “you are going to die tonight Anne, but we are going to have some fun first.”

Nott walked over and pointed his wand at her threateningly.

“She’s just a kid,” muttered Rowle who was still standing by the door.

“She’s old enough to be married,” pointed out Nott.

“And old enough to kill the Dark Lord,” agreed Mulciber.

Rowle bit his lip slightly but didn’t move a muscle, just stayed guarding the door.

“Crucio,” called Nott a smile on his face.

A shot of pain burst right through her body.

“Crucio,” said Muliciber, taking his turn at the little game.

Anne started to scream as the pain shot through her. She was going to die tonight.

“Crucio,” laughed Nott.

Anne screamed in pain as she was tortured for the third time. She tried to open up the connection between her and Harry that had always worked before when one of them was in danger.

“Crucio,” said Mulicber.

Where the hell are you Harry? I need you!

“Crucio!” they said casting it at the same time this time.

Anne started to writhe in pain still tied to her chair.

“For Merlin’s sake!” said Rowle running over and pointing his wand at Nott.

“Will you just leave her already, clearly she doesn’t know the answer, she’s scared stiff.”

“You’re weak Rowle,” said Nott lazily as he disarmed Rowle, “you always have been.”

“Your father would have been so disappointed in you,” muttered Nott shaking his head.

“Avada Kedavra,” drawled Nott pointing his wand at Rowle.

Rowle looked shocked for a moment before he collapsed onto the floor as the flash of green light hit him in the chest.

“Now,” said Nott dusting off his shirt, “where were we?”

He pointed his wand back at Anne’s neck and they both prepared to cast the torture curse again when Anne heard a scuffling in the corridor.

Mulicber moved away from Anne to find the source of the noise, but Nott kept his wand on her at and didn’t rake his eyes off Anne for one second.

The door burst open to reveal half a dozen Aurors including Harry and Ron. Harry was standing in the doorway and his eyes were full of rage.

“Stupefy!” called the Aurors pointing at Mulciber not wanting to hurt Anne.

Mulciber fell over onto the floor.

“Get away from my sister!” Harry seethed through gritted teeth.

Harry walked over to Nott with his wand drawn along with Ron and Kingsley.

Nott was a clever man; he knew when he was beaten.

He put his wand away and held his hands up slightly as if in surrender, he was smirking at Harry the whole time though.

Kingsley checked Muliber and Nott and found Anne’s wand in Nott’s pocket, which he handed back to Harry.

The Aurors took away the three deatheaters including Rowle’s body.

“You ok Annie?” asked Harry as he undid the ropes tying her to the chair.

“Hmm,” she muttered, only half aware of what was going on around her. She had been kidnapped, tortured and had a boy hardly older than she was murdered in front of her.

Harry put both his and Anne’s wand in his robe pocket and disapparted back to Calleg Lywn.

It was dawn and a very tired Irwin in a dressing gown was sat on the stone wall outside the house.

“Annie!” he yelled in relief running over to her as Anne and Harry appeared.

“I’ve been so worried I didn’t know where you were,” he sobbed as he pulled her in for a hug.

“We should get her inside,” said Harry tonelessly.

“Right of course,” muttered Irwin shepherding Anne inside and up to their room.

He pulled her dressing gown out of the wardrobe and wrapped her up in it warmly, before sitting her down on the bed.

Anne just stared blankly into space not responding to either Irwin or Harry.

“I need to go tell Livi that she’s ok,” said Irwin.

Harry merely nodded and sat down on the bed next to his sister.

“It’s ok Sis,” said Harry gently, “I found you, the connection worked.”

“Livi’s gone back to sleep,” said Irwin as he came back in and tucked her into bed.

“Kingsley told me to bring this,” said Harry pulling a potion bottle out of his pocket.

“Thanks Harry,” said Irwin as he measured out a spoonful of Draught of Living Peace for Anne.

“I want you to take this alright?” he asked gently.

Anne didn’t respond to him, but he persuaded her to take the potion.

“That’s my girl,” said Irwin gently, “now get some sleep.”

Anne still didn’t say anything, but she did settle further under the covers and closed her eyes.

Irwin tucked her in a bit further under her covers.

“We need to talk,” said Harry.

Irwin looked up and for the first time noticed that Harry was glaring at him.

Irwin shrugged and followed Harry out of the room. They went downstairs to the sitting room and only then did Harry explode.

“What the hell did you think you were doing!” screamed Harry.

“I’m sorry what?” asked Irwin confused.

“You had one job Irwin, that was to keep her safe!” Harry ranted pacing back and forth.

“How is this my fault?” asked Irwin outraged.

“You knew there were deatheaters that were looking for,” said Harry pointing his finger at him, “the Prophet printed only this morning where you were all living, and you let her go out on her own?”

“Look I’m sorry Harry but I can’t watch Annie twenty-four seven, nobody can, she likes to be alone, you know that.”

“Oh yeah I know that, and do you remember what happened the last time she wondered off?” shouted Harry.

Irwin just stared at him, he had never seen Harry so angry.

“She was kidnapped.”

“And the time she wondered off on her own before that?” asked Harry.

Harry didn’t even wait for an answer this time.

“She was kidnapped by Bellatrix Lestrange and she nearly went insane!”

“I know Harry,” muttered Irwin, “I was there too.”

“Then why,” said Harry enunciating each word, “did you let out of your sight?”

“I’m sorry Harry,” he muttered.

“Sorry!” Harry screamed.

“Daddy?” said a small voice from the over by the staircase.

Harry took a deep breath and flopped onto the sofa.

“Yes sweetheart?” said Irwin going over to pick up Olivia.

“Why is Uncle Harry so angry?”

“He was just worried about Mummy, but Mummy’s fine, though isn’t she?” asked Irwin looking directly at Harry.

“Yeah, she’s fine Livi,” nodded Harry, “she’s just tired.”

“Mummy’s calling for you,” said Olivia trying to pull Irwin upstairs.

“Look Irwin mate, I’m sorry I lost it,” said Harry putting his hands in his robe pockets, “I’ll try and get Anne a few days off work.”

“Thanks Harry,” said Irwin giving Harry a hug before heading upstairs with Olivia.

“Is everything alright Master Irwin?” asked Kreacher, “Mistress Anne is calling you.”

“Everything’s fine Kreacher, could you look after Livi for me though.”

Irwin left Olivia with Kreacher and headed through to his room where Anne was calling for him.

“I’m right here Annie,” said Irwin gently.

“I heard shouting,” she sobbed.

“That was just Harry, he was fuming at me for letting you go out alone.”

“I was so scared Irwin,” she sobbed into his chest as he sat down.

“I know darling,” said Irwin stroking her hair, “I was scared too.”

“It’s ok now though,” he said kissing her on top of the forehead, “those were the last of the Deatheaters, nobody’s going to hurt you like that ever again.”