How It All Goes Down
Malfoy Manor
- Escape is impossible. The best Hermione can do is put a jinx on Harry to render him unrecognizable before the Snatchers come and pull them out.
- Harry can barely see what's going on; he's lost his glasses in the scuffle. He recognizes one of their captors by his voice, though – Fenrir Greyback, an evil werewolf who's a kind of low-grade Death Eater.
- Harry, Ron, and Hermione all lie about their names, and are bundled in with some other prisoners, who turn out to be Dean Thomas and Griphook the goblin.
- Harry lies and says that he's a Slytherin and the son of a Ministry official – and for a hopeful moment, it seems like it might work.
- However, when the bad guys are raiding the tent, the discover a few things – um, like Gryffindor's sword. And they realize from a picture in the Daily Prophet that Hermione isn't Penelope Clearwater, as she claimed to be, but is Hermione Granger, known to be Harry's companion. They then deduce that they've also caught Harry.
- Greyback decides to take the captives to Malfoy Manor, which Voldemort is using as a base. Being a non-human, Greyback isn't given the privilege of the Dark Mark, the tattoo that acts as a kind of telepathic communication device that real Death Eaters are given.
- Harry simultaneously succumbs to terrible pain in his scar; he sees a vision of a dark tower, and a sleeping, emaciated figure…
- The captors and captives Disapparate, and find themselves at the gates of Malfoy Manor.
- Harry's vision continues. The figure awakens, and mockingly smiles at Voldemort, claiming that this journey was pointless – he never had what Voldemort is looking for (the Elder Wand?).
- Back at Malfoy Manor, Narcissa, Draco, and Lucius all examine Harry, trying to figure out if he's actually Harry Potter underneath his swollen, jinxed face.
- Draco's parents are eager for him to confirm that the captives are Ron, Hermione, and Harry. Draco, however, won't commit to a firm answer. He's reluctant, and actually seems like he doesn't want to take part in all of this – can it be that part of him doesn't want to betray Harry and his friends? Is there actually a shred of decency in Draco Malfoy?
- Bellatrix Lestrange, Narcissa's sister, bursts in, and is about to summon Voldemort. Lucius, who's trying to get back into Voldemort's good graces, challenges her for the right to summon their Lord.
- However, when Lucius is about to call Voldemort, Bellatrix notices something very bad – she sees that they have Gryffindor's sword, which she was pretty darn sure was locked away in her Gringott's vault. She can't understand how they got it, and knows that if Voldemort finds it there, they'll all be in deep, deep trouble.
- The prisoners are thrown into the cellar, except for Hermione, who Bellatrix keeps around for questioning.
- Ron totally flips out, but Harry manages to keep his cool. In the cellar, they find some familiar faces – Luna and Mr. Ollivander. Ron releases some light from the Deluminator, and Luna unties all of the new arrivals.
- From above, they can hear the terrible sounds of Bellatrix torturing Hermione, trying to get her to reveal how they got the sword. They even overhear her using the unspeakably horrible Cruciatus Curse.
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- Harry, desperate, feels around in Hagrid's moleskin pouch, looking for something to use – the shard of magic mirror he'd put in there back in the day falls out, and he catches a glimpse of a blue eye – Dumbledore's. Harry, frustrated, yells at the mirror, telling it their location and demanding help. The eye blinks and disappears. What the what?
- Hermione tells Bellatrix that the sword is a copy; Lucius tells Draco to come down and get the goblin for confirmation (since the original sword is goblin-made, Griphook should be able to tell – as we know from his story earlier, he has already distinguished that the sword in Bellatrix's vault is the fake).
- Harry hurriedly tells Griphook that he has to agree that it's a fake. Draco drags Griphook upstairs for questioning before he can respond.
- As Draco leaves, Ron releases the light from the Deluminator again, revealing Dobby the house-elf, who's just Apparated into the cellar.
- Harry doesn't waste any time being confused. He tells Dobby to take Dean, Luna, and the ailing Mr. Ollivander to Bill and Fleur's house, Shell Cottage, then come back.
- Dean and Luna are reluctant to leave, but Harry forces them to, saying that they'll meet up at Bill and Fleur's.
- The sound of Dobby Apparating reaches the Malfoys upstairs. They send Wormtail – the former Peter Pettigrew, James and Lily Potter's betrayer – down to check on the prisoners.
- Ron and Harry make a quick plan to tackle Wormtail and take him down.
- Wormtail opens the door and, as planned, Harry and Ron pin him. His magical silver hand (a gift from Voldemort in Book 4, Goblet of Fire) starts to strangle Harry.
- As it squeezes, though, Harry reminds Wormtail that he once saved his life. Wormtail hesitates for a moment and Harry breaks away. Ron takes his wand, and the tables are turned.Before anything else can happen, though, Wormtail's silver hand moves of its own accord – apparently, any gift from Voldemort can't be trusted. Having betrayed Voldemort by letting Harry go, Wormtail's magical Voldy-hand turns upon its owner and strangles him before Ron and Harry's horrified eyes.
- Harry and Ron creep upstairs, armed with Wormtail's wand. They spy Bellatrix, intently watching Griphook, who's examining the sword. He confirms Hermione's lie, telling them that it's a forgery.
- Phew – everyone's relieved, from Bellatrix to the unseen Harry and Ron.
- Bellatrix touches her finger to the Dark Mark on her forearm, summoning Voldemort. Right – nearly forgot about that.
- Harry's scar sears with pain, and again he sees what Voldemort sees: the old man taunts him, saying that the wand will never be his, and Voldemort shoots a Killing Curse at him.
- Bellatrix tells Greyback that he can have Hermione as a reward; this is too much for Ron, who bursts in the room and disarms Bellatrix. Harry catches her wand as it flies through the air, and manages to Stun Lucius.
- However, Bellatrix makes a quick recovery and holds a knife to Hermione's throat, saying that she'll kill the girl if Harry and Ron don't put down their wands. They do.
- Harry can feel Voldemort approaching. Time is short. Bellatrix sends Draco to pick up the dropped wands.
- However, as all of this is about to happen, a creaking noise comes from above – the huge crystal chandelier that lights the room trembles and falls, unfortunately right on top of Hermione and Griphook, who's still clutching the important sword.
- Ron pulls Hermione out, and Harry seizes the moment, picking up Draco's, Bellatrix's, and Wormtail's wands, and Stunning Greyback with all three.
- Bellatrix and Narcissa are distracted by Dobby's appearance in the doorway. We remember that Dobby used to be the Malfoy family house-elf, before he was liberated by Harry in Book 2, Chamber of Secrets. Bellatrix and Narcissa berate Dobby, but he Disarms Narcissa, and stands up to his former mistresses.
- Harry's almost overwhelmed by pain from his scar – Voldemort is almost there – but he manages to pull Griphook and the sword from the wreckage of the chandelier, grab Dobby's hand, and Disapparate. As they spin away, he sees a flash of silver as Bellatrix throws her knife…
- They arrive at some place that Harry hopes is Bill and Fleur's cottage on the seaside. Harry lets go of Dobby and gently sets the injured Griphook down.
- Harry has never been to Shell Cottage, and asks Dobby if they're at the right place. No response. Harry looks at his old friend, and sees that Bellatrix's knife found its mark – in Dobby's chest.
- The little elf sways and falls into Harry's arms. He screams for help, regardless of who's there.
- Dobby dies in Harry's arms. The brave elf's last words are his beloved hero's name: Harry Potter.