Leaving Hermione's parents in Mathis' care, she and Harry returned to Hogwarts the next morning. The portkey that Dumbledore had owled them took them directly to their own common room so that they could keep up the illusion that they had never left. The pair grabbed a fresh pair of clothes and headed for their first class.
Both of them were distracted, but they remained on guard in case Cassandra tried something else. They made it to lunch without incident, but Harry could feel that the end was approaching.
When they separated for their afternoon classes, Harry took Hermione aside and asked her to be careful. She squeezed his hand and nodded her head. It was extremely difficult for Harry to let her go, but he had to trust that she could look after herself. He almost wanted something to happen so that his nerves would finally be satisfied.
An entire week passed by and not one thing happened. Harry had visited Dumbledore and explained the incident at Hermione's house to him in every detail. He was now enroot to the Great Hall to meet Ron and Hermione for dinner.
As he came around the corner, a blunt object struck him in the side of the temple. Harry collapsed to his knees, and he struggled to focus his vision and see his attacker. However, the same object struck him a second time, and he collapsed to the ground.
Draco Malfoy emerged from the shadows with smirk on his face.
"Potter may be good at magic, but even he won't wake from this for a while."
Cassandra came out of her hiding place as well, and a sick smile was on her face.
"Nicely done, Malfoy, now use the special rope to tie him up; it's time that my plan became reality."
"Where's Harry?" Hermione asked worriedly. It was almost halfway through dinner, and her fiancé was nowhere in site.
"Relax Herm, he's probably just running late," Ron stated.
"I don't know. With everything that's happened lately, I'm just nervous."
"It's perfectly understandable, girl," Lavender added.
At that moment, a barn owl came through the rafter windows and swooped down over the Gryffindor table. He dropped a letter into Hermione's hands, and the young woman looked rather confused. She unrolled the parchment and saw that it was a note from Harry.
"What's that?"
"It's from, Harry, he's asking me to meet him out by the lake at midnight; he has a special surprise for me."
"Sounds like that man of yours is planning a romantic evening for you two," Lavender chuckled.
"I'm not so sure; this seems a little strange to me."
"Oh, come on, Hermione, he feels bad about all the stuff that's been going on, and he wants to make it up to you…or should I say…make out?"
"Lavender!" she gasped and blushed furiously.
"Just kidding."
"Maybe we should come with you?" Ron chuckled.
"Ronald Weasley," Lavender gawked and elbowed her boyfriend in the ribs.
"Jeez, I didn't really mean it," he groaned.
"No, actually I think it might be a good idea; this might be a trick of some sort," Hermione explained.
"That could be; sure, we'll tag along."
Harry woke up with one of the worst headaches in history. His eyes slowly focused, and he took in his surroundings. It smelled dusky and damp, and he figured that he must in one of the dungeons. He was lying on a bed, and he quickly noticed two things. One, his hands and feet were tied to the bedposts, and two, he was stripped down to his pants.
"What in bloody hell is going on here?" he demanded.
"Ah, so you're finally awake," a familiar voice cooed.
Cassandra came into the light, and Harry's eyes widened at what she was wearing. It was a black, silk nightie that was almost completely transparent, and he could see almost all of her body.
"Cassandra, let me go right now!"
"I'm sorry, but I can't do that. Also Harry, don't even think about trying to use magic on the robes; they've been enchanted to where magic can't be used to untie them. So, now you're my slave."
"What do you want?"
"I'm so glad you asked," she replied - her voice dripping with seduction.
Cassandra sashayed over to the bed and proceeded to straddle his hips. She sat down right on top of his groin and wiggled her hips suggestively. Harry merely looked at her in disgust.
"What I want, Harry…is you. I want to show you what you've been missing by involving yourself with that pathetic excuse for a girl. I will fulfill all your fantasies, Harry, and then some."
"Sorry, but I'm already taken. I've already met the woman of all my fantasies; there's nothing that you can do for me," he spat at her.
Cassandra smiled coolly.
"Oh really…then tell me…does she have such a beautiful set of these…" and she pressed her breasts directly into Harry's face.
He could feel the softness of her skin, but not one spark ignited inside him. Both his heart and his body knew whom they belonged with. Cassandra nuzzled her breasts into his face and giggled.
"How's that? What do you think of these?"
When she sat back up, she was surprised to see Harry glaring at her with a sarcastic grin.
"Hmmph, to be perfectly honest…" his voice lowered to evil whisper, "…Hermione's are much better."
"You bastard!" and she smacked him across the face.
"Try all you like, Cassandra, but you're not going to make me forget about Hermione. She is a part of me, and I am a part of her. You won't get any reaction out of me - not while Hermione owns my heart."
"I beg to differ, Harry, no man can resist me," Cassandra said confidently.
For the next few hours, she tried various tactics to make Harry want her. She would rub her body up against him and rub his crotch to try and get a rise out of him. But nothing effected him. Her measures eventually became drastic, and she squatted directly onto his face. Harry's found his face buried between her thighs, and he could smell the musk coming from her. Cassandra was aroused, but she couldn't make him want her. All Harry had to do was close his eyes and imagine Hermione's face, and it gave him the strength needed to hold out.
Hermione arrived at the lake just before midnight. Ron and Lavender were about fifty feet behind her. She was looking around trying to find Harry, but she couldn't see him anywhere.
"Harry, where are you?" she called.
"Sorry Mudblood, but he's a bit indisposed at the moment," a voice laughed.
Hermione snapped around to see Draco Malfoy leaning up against a tree.
"What in bloody hell is going on here, Malfoy, and don't lie to me!"
Hermione's hand instinctively reached for her wand, and Malfoy merely grinned.
"Just wanted to isolate you from 'hero boy'. You and I have an old score to settle, you prissy bitch."
"What have you done with Harry?"
"Oh, I haven't done anything, but right about now, I'd say Cassandra's doing quite a few things to him," he nearly cackled.
Hermione's face contorted in anger, and her eyes narrowed coldly.
"Where is he?" she hissed and drew her wand.
"Tsk…tsk…tsk…still a hothead aren't you, Mudblood? Well then, why don't you do something about it? Let's see what all those books have taught you."
Malfoy drew out his wand, and Ron and Lavender came running up.
"What's going on here?" Ron demanded.
"Stay out of this, Ron, this is my fight," Hermione ordered.
"Aren't you a tad confident?" Malfoy laughed.
"I know what I can do, greasehead; the question is, do you?"
Malfoy cast a wind spell, and Hermione crouched and rolled away before it hit her. She counterattacked with an exploding spell that knocked Malfoy back several feet. Lifting his wand, he directed it towards the lake, and a giant wall of water came spiraling out. It swerved up in an arc and came crashing down onto Hermione.
"There…how's that! You can't learn that from a book."
"I know that," Hermione replied, and Malfoy's jaw dropped.
As the water cleared away, the young woman was standing inside a magical shield completely unharmed.
"Hmmph, so you know a few things, but it still won't help you."
Before Hermione could realize his plan, Malfoy cast a lightning spell, and the water under her feet served as a conductor. Hermione screamed as pain shot through her body.
"You see, Mudblood, you're no match for me."
Hermione gritted her teeth and shut out the pain; she would not lose to the likes of him. Concentrating her power in her wand, she raised her hand and spoke.
"Disperse!"
The lightning disappeared, and the water ran into the ground. Hermione collapsed to one knee breathing hard. Her robes were charred quite badly, and her body ached horribly.
"Impressive, but it still won't be enough to save you!"
"I've heard enough of your lip, Malfoy."
Hermione stood back up and tucked her wand into her robes. She extended her hands and drew onto the confidence that Harry had given her.
"Are you giving up already?"
"Not on your life!" She extended her right hand and readied herself.
"Pyros!"
A pillar of fire exploded below Malfoy, and he jumped out of the way just in time, but Hermione had been counting on that. As he moved, she extended her left hand.
"Tornados!"
The spell struck the young man head on, and he was thrown a good fifty feet in the air. He slammed into a large, oak tree and lost consciousness.
"Petrificas Totales!" Hermione ordered just to make sure he stayed there.
After her spell was complete, she fell to her knees in exhaustion.
"Hermione!" her two friends gasped and ran up to her.
"That was incredible; she kicked Malfoy's butt!" Ron said happily.
"Are you all right?" Lavender asked, noting how raggedly her robes looked.
"I think so; I'm just glad that it's over."
"Who said it was over, Mudblood?"
Hermione's head snapped up; it couldn't be Draco Malfoy. Her eyes widened, and a chill ran down her spine.
"Show yourself," Ron demanded as he stepped in front of Hermione.
"Shut your mouth, Weasley, before I cut your tongue out!"
The man emerged into the moonlight, and his white hair glistened slightly.
"Lucius Malfoy," Ron growled.
"I'm quite impressed that such a weak girl could have defeated my son, but now, I will rectify that defeat. Stand up, girl, you will face me now!" and his drew out his wand.
"Hold it, pal, she just finished a duel; she's in no shape to fight again," Lavender interrupted.
"I'm not here to trifle with the likes of you…" and he flung the blonde off to the side.
"Lavender!" Ron gasped and ran to her side. She didn't seem to be harmed, but he wasn't taking any chances.
Hermione slowly got to her feet, and she took out her wand again.
"So be it, I will fight to protect my friends."
"Then let us begin."
"Damn you, Harry, why don't you respond?" Cassandra growled and slapped him for the tenth time. She'd tried everything in her arsenal, and he still wasn't aroused.
"I told you, Cassandra, you can't make me betray Hermione; I love her too much!"
"You pathetic idiot; men have killed to be in your position. You have no idea what I could do for you."
"I don't need it; I already have the woman I want."
"You won't have her for much longer."
"What are you talking about?" Harry demanded.
"Oh nothing, just that I sent her a little note at dinnertime. She thought that she was going to meet you by the lake, but she's in for a surprise. The Malfoys wanted to settle their score with your frizzy-haired bookworm so I obliged their request."
"You bitch, if they harm one hair on her head…I'll rip them and you apart with my bare hands!"
"Oh be quiet, you can't do anything in your current position, and your magic is of no use to you. Just accept it, she is going to die!" Cassandra laughed sadistically.
Harry was ready to explode with anger, but how was he going to get out of here. It was then that he felt something primal ignite inside him. Someone was threatening the one he loved and his soulmate; they would surely die. Something snapped inside him, and Harry felt every muscle in his body contract.
"What are you trying to do?" Cassandra asked, while seeing him tense.
Harry turned his eyes on her, and she backed away in shock. Those weren't normal eyes; they looked almost animal-like.
A few moments later, a mighty roar was unleashed in that dungeon, and it echoed through all of Hogwarts.
Hermione was slowly losing her ground in her battle with Lucius Malfoy. She'd managed to avoid his first few attacks, but they held such great power that it had drained most of her remaining strength. She was on the defensive, and Malfoy was pressing his advantage.
From inside the dungeons, a creature raced up the stairwells. It ran through the corridors at lightning speed and headed for the main gates.
"You've put up quite a fight, Mudblood, I commend you for your training," Lucius snickered as he flung Hermione back onto the ground. Her face was smudged with dirt, and blood was trailing from her bottom lip.
"You haven't won anything yet," she fired back.
"Hmmph, you and Potter have embarrassed my family for the last time; now, you will pay for it with you life!"
Lucius raised his wand, and Hermione closed her eyes waiting for the spell to come.
"RRRROOOOOOWWWWWRRRRRRR!!!"
Another mighty roar sounded, and it made even Lucius Malfoy tremble with fear. He looked around for the source of it, but he couldn't see anything. Hermione had heard it as well and clutched her wand in case it was a new enemy.
All of a sudden, something leapt over the top of her and landed between her and Malfoy. The older man's eyes widened in shock and partial horror at what stood in front of him. It bared it fangs and growled menacingly. Its mane bristled, and it readied itself for a battle. Hermione was stunned at what was standing in front of her.
It was…it was…a lion.
Author's Notes: All right, how about that for an action chapter. Don't worry, cause the party is just starting; it's gonna get even uglier.