Summer Writing Series Challenge (July 21)
Challenge: [Musical Week] Angst
Title: Phantoms of War: Act I, Scene III
Word Count: 1,069
"Hermione!" A voice cried in the distance that sounded much like that of the young man she'd fallen in love with.
"Harry, I'm right here..." She said sleepily, reaching out to the blurry figure that was standing at the lakes edge.
He turned around, his face passive as if he were wearing a mask. He reached out his hand and slowly caressed her cheek and she instinctively pressed her face into his touch. "You are my angel of hope, Hermione," The blur said lovingly.
Hermione still felt groggy and she clasped her hands over his. "Your hands are so cold, Harry," she whispered. "Where are we?"
"Someplace private where we can be bothered no longer," he replied quietly. "I have brought you, to the seat of sweet victory's throne, to that place where all must pay homage to darkness," the blur said seductively. "You have come here, for one purpose and one alone... Since the moment I first saw his look, he needed you with him, to help him to win... But now you're my servant, my servant."
Hermione looked at him curiously, "What are you talking about?"
The figure she thought was Harry spun about in a flourish and looked to the setting sun. "Night time sharpens, heightens each sensation... Darkness stirs and wakes imagination..." He waved his arms with his wand in his hand as he seemed to chant the words reverently. "Silently her senses abandon their defenses... Slowly, gently night unfurls its splendor..."
Hermione stood quietly, having no control over her actions, while he continued in his methodical, mesmerizing wand motions. She felt herself become lightheaded and all her cares began to fade away.
"Grasp it, sense it - tremulous and tender..." He continued to incant as Hermione reached for the elusive darkness that filled the cavern, a bright shaft of light from the setting sun struck her face and she squinted into it, smiling slightly as her attention turned towards the retreating disc. "Turn your face away from the garish light of day, turn your thoughts away from cold unfeeling light... and listen to the music of the night..." His voice continued to reverberate in her head and she quickly recoiled back into the shadows.
"Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams! Purge your thoughts of the life you knew before!" His voice came to a crescendo in her head as pictures of Harry receiving the Dementor's kiss filled her head, or of him falling to the killing curse. "Close your eyes, let your spirit start to soar! And you'll live as you've never lived before...
"Slowly, deftly, darkness shall surround you... Feel it, hear it, closing in around you... Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind, in this darkness which you know you cannot fight - the darkness of the music of the night..." He began circling her as she reached to him lovingly, caressing his mask as mist from the lake began to obscure their forms. "Let your mind start a journey to a strange, new world! Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before! Let your soul take you into service to me... Only then can you belong to me..."
Hermione smiled at the man in front of her, his wand floating of its own accord, a yellowish light pouring from it that swiftly dissolved in the mist. She felt lightheaded and dizzy then began to sink to the floor as she started to lose consciousness.
"Floating, falling, sweet intoxication! Touch me, trust me, savor each sensation! Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in to the power of this magic I recite, become mine, my agent of the night..." She felt his hands caress her face gently. Hermione looked to the faceless mask above her and smiled dreamily. "You alone can make my will take flight, help me win the war against the light..."
She hooked the mask with her fingers as her eyes began to droop and slid it off her love's face to reveal cold, white flesh. Her heart screamed, but something caused her to caress his wrinkled skin as if he were the most fragile china. His black hair cascaded over his forehead as she swept it aside before he kissed tenderly.
"Fear has turned to love, you'll learn to see, to find the power that will help me win... That loathsome Potter will burn in hell for eternity while I sit upon my throne..." He whispered seductively. "Hermione, sleep... You will act as my servant and help me defeat Harry Potter..."
Hermione did as commanded, a smile of contentment on her lips as she drifted off to a slumber filled with dark thoughts of death and despair, of Voldemort standing victoriously over the broken body of Harry Potter with her wrapped in the victor's arms receiving her rewards for loyal service. "Forget until the time is right, my sweet angel... Quick! We must return before those two foolish friends of yours will be missing you..." Her lord's voice whispered to her from somewhere beyond the ether of her subconscious mind's curtain. Hermione felt herself being lifted from the cold, hard stone and she wrapped her arms lovingly around the man who cradled her in his.
"Hermione, Hermione wake up..." She heard Harry's voice as he shook her gently. Hermione's eyes slowly fluttered open.
"Harry?" She said quietly as her eyes adjusted to the stabbing pain of the light, she covered them gingerly and looked around the library. "Did I fall asleep?"
"You've been missing all night," Harry said worriedly as he helped her sit up. "I returned to walk you to dinner and you were gone. Then this morning, I found you back here. What happened?"
She felt a shiver run down her spine when she looked into his eyes, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and she almost sneered at him.
"Hermione?" He asked bewildered as her face relaxed.
"I had a dream," she said quietly, averting her gaze from her best friend, "and my head feels like someone fired off one of Fred's fireworks in it..."
He helped her to her feet and she swayed momentarily. "What was it about?" Harry asked quietly.
"I-I remember there was mist..." She began as the memory became increasingly hazy. "Swirling mist upon a vast, glassy lake... Yellow lights were all around and in the mist there was a man..."