Breakthrough

Sam opened the hole to the third top-security cell. It was nearly done, though his motivation for making these perfectly had dwindled to nothing. But what choice did he have? Dawson could at any time start checking if he actually did what he said he did. This one was supposed to be done already. 

He threw down the ladder. Just a last check-up before he could install the tube in this one too. He started working, ignoring all the strange sounds one heard when underground. This time it almost sounded like voices, but that was impossible. It was only for a moment, then it was just scratching. Had he disturbed some animal? Were there even any animals on this island? He made the hole for the tube. The bright morning sunlight blinded him for a moment. The scratching sound became louder.

The women had actually not become a problem at all. As soon as they heard that they were in jail for breaking the Statutes of Secrecy, they were terrified. No one had questioned how long they would have to stay there or where they were exactly. Though that would probably come later. 

Suddenly, a rumbling noise came from the other side of the cell. It sounded like the wall was about to collapse. As Sam turned around, he saw a terrible sight. A man with hair that was originally blonde but now full of dirt and sweat, with a dirty beard and haggard, grey eyes stood where there moments before had just been dirt. That was Scorpius Malfoy! Had he dug himself out of the other cell? Why hadn't he thought about that possibility? Though it was a useless endeavour unless one of the cells happened to be open. Which this one currently was. 

As these thoughts ran through Sam's head, Scorpius realised what he saw. Rage ran through him, and he raised his wand. Before Sam even had time to consider raising his own wand, he was tied up. Unable to keep his balance, Sam fell backwards towards the wall. Where had Malfoy gotten a wand? Why hadn't he used it before now? Sam wanted to ask this, but Malfoy had gagged him, much like he himself had looked when he arrived here. Sam closed his eyes, hoping Malfoy wouldn't kill him.

***

Scorpius was not at all sure that they would ever get anywhere with this digging. But it seemed to give the others hope, so they kept at it. What else could they do?

Then he felt the breeze. It was even stronger than the first time, when they had found the cell Ginny had been thrown into. And he thought he saw light, brighter than the dim light of the cells. Could it really be a way to the outside?

James felt it too. He started talking, but Scorpius told him to be quiet. There was no way of knowing what would be on the other side of the wall. It was pure luck that Dawson hadn't heard them when he tossed Ginny into the second cell.

What he saw when he finally broke through the last parts of the dirt was not at all what he expected. It was indeed another cell, but this one was filled with sunlight. And in the middle of all that sunlight was Sam Crickey. He hadn't even noticed them yet, but then he turned around. Scorpius was very satisfied at the look of utter shock and horror on his face as he tied him up and gagged him. Let him know what it felt like! 

"Wait, who is that?" Ginny asked as she also stepped out into the open cell. 

"Dawson's assistant. He's the one who built these cells. He's the one who kept us down here on his orders." Scorpius didn't even notice the darkness in his voice as he said this. He looked up at the hole in the ceiling. There was a ladder up to it. Finally!

As he started moving towards the ladder though, Ginny stopped him. 

"Wait. We don't know what's up there. Remove his gag, let's hear if he can tell us."

"I'm not interested in anything he has to say," Scorpius said. "And I don't intend to give him a chance to shout a warning to others." 

Ginny saw that there was no use arguing with him right now. She turned to Sam instead. 

"Are you alone on this island?" she asked. Sam shook his head. 

"Are there other guards?" He nodded. 

"Will they see us if we come out?" Nod.

"Is Dawson here?" James asked. Sam shook his head.

"I can handle whoever is up there," Scorpius said. "You do what you want, but I'm not staying down here a moment longer."

Up the ladder, a quick look around. There was no one else in sight. The island wasn't very big. He saw the large house that Sam had stayed in and a few other buildings on the other side. Those looked like cell barracks. Was that for guards, or other prisoners? Probably the latter.

A woman came out from the main house. She didn't even see him before Scorpius had Stunned her. Was that it? Only two people on guard? Dawson apparently didn't have that many accomplices. He went into the guardhouse. No communication devices, nothing helpful at all. There had been no boats on the dock. How could he get away from here?

***

Ginny sighed as Scorpius jumped up the ladder. She could understand his desire to get out of this hole, but there was no need to be so hasty. James had started searching the young man's pockets. He triumphantly took out his wand. 

"Remove the gag, please," she asked again. James shrugged but did it.

"What's your name?" Ginny asked the young man as she lifted him up to a more comfortable position. She noticed that the bonds were quite tight, but she wasn't ready to remove them just yet.

"I'm Sam. Sam Crickey," the man said. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for any of this to happen. Dawson tricked me. I didn't know, please believe me."

"Didn't know? How can you say you didn't know! We've been down here for days, weeks in Scorpius' case. You clearly know about that!" James said angrily. Sam shuddered. 

"I didn't know what he was going to do. I thought I worked for the Ministry. When he came with Malfoy, I was told it was a test. I should have realised it wasn't a test when he was so tied up. I was stupid. But he threatened to put my brother in Azkaban, in top-security with Death Eaters! I couldn't let that happen!" 

"And why didn't you let us out as soon as Dawson was gone?" James asked, still hostile. 

"Marietta would see it! She would have told Dawson." 

"We could have overpowered her. You could have taken out one person, couldn't you? You're just trying to make excuses, so we won't kill you." James said disgustedly. Sam looked terrified at that thought, but he didn't protest.

"No one is going to kill anyone," Ginny said firmly. "Either way, let's get out of here. James, help me with him."

"Leave him," James said. "He deserves it." And with that, he was away up the ladder as well. Ginny sighed. Without a wand of her own, there really was no way for her to drag Sam up that ladder by herself. 

"I'll come back later," she said as she followed the two men up the ladder. Sam didn't seem very reassured. 

***

Scorpius wondered frantically how they were going to get away from this island. No boat, and nothing to build a boat with. Would they have to wait until the next time Dawson came and checked on things? Who knew how long that would take?

He made sure to tie up the person he had Stunned earlier. No need to take any chances. He searched and searched for something, anything to use to send a message. Would he have to make a large fire? Was that safe? He had already tried sending a Patronus message, but he couldn't concentrate enough. He also hadn't found a razor. There was food up here at least and better than the stuff that came down the tube. They wouldn't starve any time soon. Anything was better than being down that hole, but he wanted to get back to England. To his family. He hoped they didn't believe he was dead. Rose would be so sad. So would Albus. They must still be looking for him. They wouldn't be fooled by some random body looking like him, would they? If nothing else, they were probably still looking for James and Ginny. Unless they had found bodies for all three of them. How long had they been down there anyway? Would Dawson have had time to find three bodies that looked like the three of them?

Then he saw it. The boat. The same boat that he had come to this island on. Dawson was coming. He would see that they had escaped. Scorpius needed to find the best place to wait for him. He would not let whoever was behind this fool him again. He shouted for James and Ginny to hide. He would deal with Dawson, or whoever it was, himself.