This is the last torture chapter, I promise. It is also slightly less disturbing than the last one.
Harry Potter winced as he left the dream world to the real one with someone kicking him in the stomach. He looked around for a minute, confused. He could not see anything. His confusion lasted for a few seconds until everything that had happened came back to him in a rush. He swore under his breath the mental pain easily outweighing the physical. Arthur and Molly, the people he thought of as his substitute parents, were dead. His mind just could not come to grips with it. His thoughts raged on and on. He could barely focus. Someone hit him on the side of the head, but he did not respond. Pain flashed through his body, roughly bringing him back to some sense of sanity.
"Well, Potter, it seems you have managed to lose your sight. However, that will not stop the pain, I can assure you. I know you were trying to kill yourself, but there was no way I would let that happen. I am not quite through with you yet. You cost me my victory, and for that you will be paying for a long time yet. Oh, I will kill you, but not for a long, long time." Voldemort's voice came from somewhere above him.
"Drop dead, snake face! You are such a coward!" Harry said as loudly as he could. Instantly the pain hit him again, and it was a long time before it left.
Meanwhile…
Back at Hogwarts, Hermione was asleep. She tossed and turned and could not get the restful sleep she really needed. Suddenly, she was somewhere else. It was not a dream, or at least it did not seem like one. It was too clear, and her senses seemed to be working perfectly. She could smell blood and saw that it was everywhere. A tall, black robed figure stood at the side, wand pointed with green light coming out of it. She stepped around to see what the wand was pointed at. There was Harry! He was covered in blood. She could tell it was recent because he had aged just as she had. She could not see him clearly, but she somehow knew that it was him. She tried to walk over to him, but the scene began to fade away. She yelled at him, but soon the room was gone, and she was lying awake on her bed.
The next morning, she raced over to the flat that Ron shared with his wife and kids. She pounded on the door, demanding to be let in. Inside, she saw Ginny and her new husband, Neville. All of those gathered looked worried. She looked inquisitively at Ginny.
"Mum and Dad have gone missing. No one knows where they are," Ginny said.
"What! Where did they go?"
"Someone broke into the burrow and captured them. The dark mark was over it," Ron cut in.
"Why are you here?" Neville asked.
"Harry's alive!" She exclaimed, "We have to go rescue him."
"Alive! Wow, poor Harry." Neville whispered.
"I know. That is why we must get him now!"
"Hermione," Ron said, "that is crazy talk. How will we find him? How could we rescue him?"
"I don't know, but I have to try. Ron, there is something I never told you, something I never told anyone. I have been in love with Harry since fifth year. I never let him know, and now it might be too late. I cannot bear the thought of him suffering. He gave his life to save the entire wizarding world. The least we can do is to give ours to save him."
"Wow, Hermione. Usually it is us coming up with the crazy schemes, and you talking sense into us. I guess you are right. It is the least we can do. Let's do it. Just the five of us, though. We should not get anyone else involved. Let's just sneak around, see what we can find out. If we find something, then we will go for it. I say we should check Knockturn Alley first. However, we need to be in disguise so that no one will recognize us." Ron replied.
"Thanks Ron! You are brilliant at strategies. We really need you."
Ron grinned at her. The five of them all sat and began to plan.
Three weeks later, they entered Knockturn Alley. They all were disguised and wore black hooded robes that completely covered them. They walked down the alley, trying to look inconspicuous. They walked up to a dimly lit restaurant and were just about to step in. Suddenly, they were grabbed from behind. They felt a pop as those who held them apperated somewhere. They found themselves in a room decorated in Slytherin colors that only had very dim lighting.
"What is with Slytherins and bad lighting? You'd think that they would end up so bruised from walking into things that they could never conquer anything," Ron whispered to his companions. Luna snorted at his joke like she did for all of his. She was the only one who seemed to truly get his humor.
"Welcome to hell," a cold cruel voice said from the doorway, "or, at least, that is what Mr. Potter calls it." Voldemort was standing in the doorway, smirking at his new prey. "I see that you five were trying to rescue Harry. Of course, I knew this. I heard Potter muttering Granger's name in his sleep and figured they were close. I sent you the dream so that you would try to find him. I have decided that I am tired of playing with Harry and so it is time to kill him. However, first I want him to hear the screams of his closest friends as I kill him. Pity he destroyed his eyes so that he cannot see it as well, but I guess we cannot have everything."
Hermione gasped at hearing that Harry said her name then moaned. The thought of what Harry must have been through made her ill. The others were almost as shocked. Wormtail grabbed them and dragged them down the hall as Voldemort followed. As they were shoved into a small cell, a body in the corner looked up. It was Harry!
Hermione ran over to him and knelt at his side. Harry leaned against her. Somehow, he knew who she was. He shuddered and reached out to touch her. They held each other, somehow comforting the other.
"Well, well, well. Seems that Miss Granger means more to you than you let on, Potter. You did not tell me you were in love. This is going to be so much fun." Voldemort pointed his wand at Hermione and put her under the crutacious. She fell beside Harry, shaking and shrieking in pain. Voldemort held her under it for half an hour. Then he turned to the others, and put them under it each in turn. When that was finished, he turned back to Hermione and Harry. "Well, I think it is time to finish this. Granger first, I think. Let's see, how will we kill her? Very slowly, I believe."
Voldemort pointed his wand at her. As he did, something in Harry snapped. He would not let Hermione die. He would do anything for her, anything. As he looked at her, something happened. Something connected between them. Harry could feel her thoughts and her power. He now knew what he had to do. He reached in and focused her power through him, adding it to his own. As Voldemort muttered the spell, Harry spun at him. Red and gold light spun off his fingers towards Voldemort. As the light hit him, he shattered as if made of glass. Then, it was over. The spell was still coming. Without thinking, Harry jumped in front of it, pushing Hermione out of the way. He fell backwards, hit the ground, and let the darkness claim him.