Old Goyle's fleshy body slumped completely into the sofa. He looked utterly lost. He no longer knew what to do and had no ideas at all.
Perhaps betraying the Malfoy family was the biggest decision he'd ever made. Or rather, he'd hardly made any decisions in his life.
Hadn't the Malfoys always done the thinking for the Goyles?
"Look at you, you idiot!" Lucius glared at Old Goyle, clearly furious. "Do something for me!"
"Okay." Old Goyle nodded out of habit.
"Get the Crabbe family out of the prison and take them away from here. Go find Anton. Right now, only Anton can offer you protection." As Lucius began speaking, green flames from the Floo Powder once again filled the fireplace, making his words seem distant and indistinct.
It was a Malfoy family method for preventing their messages from being intercepted. Old Goyle knew that.
Lucius had always been especially cautious.
Old Goyle looked at Lucius uneasily. "I-if I... I mean... if I take the Crabbe family to Anton... can I... can I come back?"
"Heh." Lucius glared at him, as if he couldn't believe how hopeless he was. "You'll be executed if you come back, you idiot!"
"Oh." Old Goyle nodded helplessly.
The flames in the fireplace gradually died down. With their final flicker, Lucius's words drifted lightly out of the fireplace, yet landed heavily on Old Goyle's heart.
"Stop harboring any illusions about the Dark Lord, you idiot. Remember, you have no way back!"
"I know you can do it. Getting a few people out of the Magical Congress's prison won't be hard for you. Don't let me down..."
The flames vanished completely, and darkness returned to the Chamber.
Old Goyle was left alone, sitting silently on the sofa, curled up helplessly into a ball.
He had no