Victor wasn't in the stands with the rest of the spectators.
He'd been looking for Draco since morning and hadn't seen him once, which was starting to worry him.
Where the hell did Draco disappear to?
He checked the Slytherin common room again, then the dormitory — no sign of him. The Third Task had already begun, and Victor knew he didn't have much time to keep searching blindly.
Should I go beat those two idiots until they remember something?
He headed toward the stands and soon spotted Crabbe and Goyle among the Slytherins.
"Where's Draco?" Victor asked.
Crabbe shook his head. "Haven't seen him."
Goyle nodded. "Not since breakfast."
Victor frowned. "You two were with him this morning."
"Yeah," Crabbe said. "He went back toward the common room."
"After that?"
Both boys shook their heads.
Victor stared at them another second, then turned away. "Useless."
He hurried back to the Slytherin dormitory. The moment he stepped in, something on Draco's bed caught his eye — a piece of parchment left on the blanket.
Victor picked it up and unfolded it.
If you want your brother alive, come to the Forbidden Forest near Hagrid's hut alone. If you bring anyone, your brother dies.
He read it again. His expression hardened. His hand slowly closed around the parchment, crushing it into a tight ball.
"Fuckers."
His pupils narrowed into thin vertical slits.
Whoever had done this clearly knew exactly how to get Victor's attention.
He left the castle without wasting another minute.
He knew the Third Task was already underway, and he knew exactly what was supposed to happen before the night was over, but none of that mattered while Draco was missing.
Whatever waited for Harry inside the maze could wait. His brother came first.
He crossed the grounds toward the Forbidden Forest as dark clouds gathered overhead.
The light was fading by the time he reached the trees, the forest gone nearly silent. Victor stepped between the trunks with his wand ready, following the note's directions until he reached a small clearing.
Someone was sitting on a fallen tree.
Victor stopped.
Moody.
Draco lay unconscious on the ground beside him, Moody's wand pointed directly at the boy's neck.
Victor's expression hardened as his eyes moved from Draco to the man holding him. "You piece of shit," he said through clenched teeth.
"You actually kidnapped my brother."
Moody gave him a crooked smile, his magical eye spinning in its socket before settling on Victor.
"Careful, boy. I don't think you've quite understood your situation. Your brother's alive because I've decided he should be, and that can change very quickly."
Victor's eyes stayed fixed on Draco. "Let him go."
"That isn't how this works," Moody said. "You came here because you were worried about the little Malfoy. That's exactly what I wanted."
Victor slowly raised his wand. Moody pressed his own wand tighter against Draco's neck.
"Don't. One wrong move and your brother gets a curse before you finish the spell."
Victor lowered his wand slightly, eyes never leaving Moody. "You picked the wrong person to threaten."
Moody's grin widened. "Did I? From where I'm sitting, I'd say I picked exactly the right person. And since you aren't asking any stupid questions, I assume you've already worked out that something isn't right."
His eyes narrowed. Before Victor could answer, Moody raised his wand.
"But before that. Crucio."
The curse struck Victor square in the chest. Pain tore through his body so suddenly his legs gave out beneath him. He hit the ground hard, his wand slipping from his fingers as the curse burned through every nerve.
"Ahhh!"
Moody walked toward him without hurrying, watching him writhe on the ground. "You little brat. You have no idea how much trouble you've caused."
He kicked Victor across the face, sending him rolling onto his side. Victor tried to push himself up, but Moody stepped forward and snatched his wand off the ground.
"You were supposed to be nothing more than another spoiled brat," Moody said, turning the wand over in his hand. "Instead, you've spent the entire year sticking your nose into things that don't concern you."
He snapped it in half. The crack was loud in the quiet clearing.
Victor stared at the broken pieces, breathing heavy.
Moody smiled. "That should make things easier." He raised his wand again. "Crucio."
The second curse hit before Victor could recover. His body convulsed as the pain returned, worse than before, and Moody watched without a trace of mercy.
"You've been very fortunate so far," Moody went on, his voice turning colder. "But tonight, that fortune runs out."
Victor's body finally went still. The repeated Cruciatus curses had drained what little strength he had left, and his eyes slowly closed as consciousness slipped away.
Moody lowered his wand and looked down at him, breathing steady as he watched Victor lie motionless on the ground.
"Hmph. I still don't understand why the Dark Lord is so concerned about this one measly brat," Moody muttered. "He's not special."
His magical eye rotated toward the unconscious boy while his normal eye stayed fixed on him.
As far as Moody was concerned, Victor was just another troublesome kid who'd somehow attracted Voldemort's attention. But since the Dark Lord wanted him, he had no choice but to deliver him.
*****
A/N : 🔥 On Patreon🔥
⚡ A 15-chapter early access is available for those who want to read ahead ⚡
👉 patreon.com/JakeA30