Chapter 5
Luna: Mistress Black
"The Mistress is expecting you and within an hour I shall introduce you to her ladyship." Spouted Ms. Herst.
Ms. Herst was by no means an attractive woman; in fact she was quite the opposite. She had limp brown hair, sagging breasts, masculine hands, yellowed teeth, and thousands of wrinkles. Luna was certain the woman was part troll and was actually about to ask, but they had arrived at their destination.
"This ladies is to be your home for the next few months. A few of you might elevate in ranking a bit, hence earning better lodgings, but from the looks of you that won't be happening anytime soon." Ms. Herst said, her voice gruff and unappealing the girl's ears. She gestured towards a large door, all the girls' eyes following the movement of her powdered hand. They all stood stalk still, unsure whether Ms. Herst wanted them to proceed into the room.
"Well, don't just stand there like a bunch of ninnies, get yourselves inside." She growled. "Honestly when someone decided Ravenclaws were intelligent they must have had their head up their arse." Some of the girls squeaked in surprise as they all trampled into the room.
Luna gazed upon the chamber before her. The various beds were set up in a style reminiscent of the hospital wing at Hogwarts, except they were bunk beds. Curtains were placed around each set of beds, obviously to give some semblance of privacy. The big difference between the hospital wing and this room was the finery. The floor was covered in expensive carpet and long cashmere drapes hung in front of the windows. The beds were queen size and had silk sheets. Trunks sat upon each of the lower beds and upon closer inspection they were monogrammed. The upper bunks where less richly furnished, but looked comfortable nonetheless. Obviously, they had not been brought to Castle Black for sentencing.
"Now, get settled in and clean yourselves up. I'll call back for you in an hour, then you'll be meeting her Ladyship." Said Ms. Herst before she trounced out of the room.
Luna looked down the long isle of beds. In front of each bed was a house elf, all female, dressed in maid regalia, looking proud of a job well done. Luna spotted Froufrou; she was towards the back of the expansive room, her head bobbing around looking for her mistress. Luna giggled at the creature's silly behavior and walked towards her. There was no reason to keep Froufrou in suspense.
Froufrou soon spotted her mistress and the effect still amazed Luna. The darling elf's eyes grew wide and light up as she clasped her small hands in front of her heart. "Miss Luna, Miss Luna I has made everything ready for yous. I made the bed and put away all your belongings." Froufrou exclaimed, excitement dripping from each word that cross her lips. Luna smiled.
"Frou Frou, do you know anything about trolls?" Luna asked.
"Trolls Miss?" said Frou frou. Luna nodded.
"I don't knows much about trolls, miss Luna. Theys be nasty creatures, big and smelly." Frou frou said.
"Hmmm, Ms.Herst must be a troll. She fits the description and is rather large for a witch." Luna reasoned.
"Oh, Miss Luna you mustn't speak so! You will be in trouble if you be heard." Froufrou fretted.
Whatever Luna was about to respond was cut off by Padma Patil. "Luna, do you know why were here?"
"Hmmm, they'll probably be auctioning us off to gargoyles." Luna replied. She did not know why they were there, but she did believe it involved an auction of sorts.
"Luna, this is serious! We are Death Eater captives and now is not the time for your odd ball antics." Padma said, her voice stern.
"I was being perfectly serious. They are treating us very well for prisoners, like how they treat animals before auction. We are all being dressed up and pampered, why else would they be nice unless they planned to use us?" Luna felt like being lucid for once. Did she believe in all that they Quibbler preached, absolutely, but she also knew that they rest of the world did not agree. She preferred her beyond magical world of snorkacks and what not, but once in a great while she wanted to be taken seriously. This was one such occasion.
"I know you all think I'm a loon because I believe in the Quibbler stories, but that doesn't mean I can't see what's happening around me." Luna said, looking Padma straight in the eyes. "Now, are you going to introduce me to your house elf or are you going to just gape at me all day long?" Luna asked, gesturing to the petite elf clutch the bottom of Padma's gown.
"Oh, yes. This is Belle, Belle this is Luna Lovegood, she's a friend." Belle scuttled forward slowly, curtseying politely. Afterward Luna introduced Froufrou and they sent the house elves off together. Watching the two elves' retreating forms for but a moment Padma turned to Luna.
"I here mistress Black is a terrible woman. I fear that our amiable treatment is coming to a close." Padma whispered. She looked about the room after speaking, frantic eyes darting to every dark corner. "I hear she cuts out your tongue if what you say displeases her and shaves you bald if you do not wear your hair properly."
"Hmm, well, we'll just have to wait and see won't we. She could be a descendent of Medusa; she had a hair of snakes and could turn people to stone with her eyes." Luna mused.
"Honestly, Luna, Medusa is an old witches tale." Padma said.
"No, mountaineers in Gimbli Peaks found some of her victims, all turned to stone."
Padma sighed and mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like `I'm not going to argue with a loon.'
"I counted the girls today, there are twenty of us altogether." Padma said.
"Twenty one:" Luna replied.
"I counted ten times, Luna, there are twenty."
"Ginny, she was captured too."
"I don't see her."
"She's not in this room but she is somewhere in the castle. Draco Malfoy was very adamant about sending her here."
"Malfoy? He's here?" Padma exclaimed, completely amazed.
"Yes, he was in charge of the movement of prisoners after the sack of Hogwarts." Luna explained.
Padma stared at Luna in amazement as she attempted to grasp the idea of a former classmate being apart of their capture.
"I guess I shouldn't be surprised, his father is Lucius Malfoy after all.
"Enough chit chat ladies. "Belted out Ms. Herst, her guttural voice startling all and scaring a large percentage of the younger girls. "Line up ye ninnies!"
All the girls scampered quickly to form a line in front of Ms. Herst. Padma and Luna were at the back of the line, their house elves clinging to their robes. Ms. Herst opened the doors and the all filed our, whispers and gossip tickling every dainty ear.
"Mistress Black is actually He who must not be named's Bride."
"She's actually the legendary Morgan LeFay returned from the dead."
"I hear she's the most beautiful woman on the Earth."
Luna listened to the chatter of the younger girls; she didn't think any of these assumptions were right. Luna wholly believed Morgan le Fay was still roaming the planet, but she highly doubted she would stoop to become an underling of Voldemorts.
"Here we are." Exclaimed Ms. Herst. Two very tall oak doors greeted Luna, they towered over ten feet tall. "Now, mind your manners. Always say yes Madame and no Madame." She instructed.
Luna's breath caught in her throat as the doors opened wide to reveal the illustrious Mistress Black.
A/N:
Wow, this took so long , but I have had many delays (school, computer crashes, and an art history test) On the Brightside I have big plans for this fic and have already started on chapter 6. I Know this wasn't the most interesting of chapters but it is necessary-yes I know you're all damning expostion. This weekend I have a paper to write so I don't know how much time I'll have to write, but I will try to get something down.
Here's a bone for Chapter 6:
The silver eyes bore into her and she couldn't help the feeling of uneasiness that washed over her. She had been assured safety, but she still had a tingling of fear. Ginny gulped down some air and took a deep breath
Read and review my pretties.
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