Disclaimer: Harry Potter and related characters and settings belong to J. K. Rowling. The Lord of the Rings and related mythology belong to the heirs of J. R. R. Tolkien.
A/N Sindarin title. 'Edraith' means escape. 'Gador' means prison. Hence, the title of this chapter is 'Escape from prison'. Kinda straight forward, isn't it?
Chapter 19: Edraith en Gador
Hermione dragged Crabbe and Goyle's unconscious forms into her cell, tied them up with some cords just to be safe, gagged them, and promptly locked them up in her former cell.
'Piece of cake if I say so myself,' she thought. 'I suppose I was lucky Malfoy didn't have my hair examined when they brought me here. Otherwise, they might've discovered my shrunken wand attached right behind my right ear.' She gave her wand a quick twirl. 'As well as some other equipment I'll be in need of.'
After a quick look around the area to make sure there was no one else in sight, Hermione reached behind her right ear and pulled out what looked like a tiny, miniature silver napkin. Rubbing the napkin with her fingers, there was a poof and the napkin was replaced with a full, silvery, invisibility cloak. 'I wonder if Harry's even realized he's missing his invisibility cloak,' she wondered as she slipped the cloak on, disappearing from view, 'probably not. I should apologize to him later for borrowing it without permission.'
As Hermione made her way down the tower as silently as she could, she reflected over her plan. When Fred and George had mentioned there being prisoners in Azkaban back in Hogsmeade, she had started thinking about the possibility of breaking all those prisoners out of Azkaban if there ever was an opportunity presented to her. She hadn't counted on the opportunity to present itself so fast however when the Nazgul had showed up in the village. Though she had wished to share her plan with Harry, the Nazgul attack was simply too much of a golden opportunity to miss out on and she had uncharacteristically acted on impulse and allowed herself to be captured. 'Harry must really have been an influence on me,' she thought dryly.
The invisibility cloak did wonders hiding the light from her wand in her left hand as well as the glimmering dagger that was Sting in her right hand. She quickly made her way down the tower into the main section of the dungeons. The sight that greeted her reminded her of her trip to San Francisco with her parents when she was 7 years old and they had seen Alcatraz prison. Hundreds of cells all lined up in rows along three stories facing each other. Only it was a lot more damp, dark, and gloomy than the infamous American jail. Hermione had once seen a map of Azkaban in the Hogwarts library and was rather confident she had remembered enough details of it to make her way around. Of course, she simply had to hope the corridors didn't move around like they did at Hogwarts.
More pressing to Hermione were the Dementors that were gliding along the ledges in front of the cells. She was still quite a distance from them but already she could feel their depressing effects on her. As if that weren't bad enough, Sting's glowing indicated another threat in addition to the Dementors: Orcs. Hermione could possibly conjure a patronus to ward off the Dementors but Orcs would be another matter all together. Of course, they couldn't see her and some wand work could even prevent them from smelling her but it still meant she would have to dispatch Orcs with Sting, something she was not looking forward to do.
Luckily, there were only three Orcs around, all on the bottom floor while the Dementors floated around the higher levels. Making her way to the bottom floor, Hermione carefully made her way behind the first Orc. Then, at the right moment, slit the Orc's throat with Sting, a silencing charm blocking out the bloodcurdling scream. Hermione felt like throwing up as she hid the Orc's mutilated corpse but managed to hold herself together. She repeated the procedure twice more, getting rid of the Orcs without the Dementors even realizing what was going on.
Hermione took a few moments to compose herself as well as fight down the bile that was rising in her throat. 'Get yourself together, Hermione Jane Granger,' she thought as she panted for a moment. 'You still have the more important task at hand.'
Trying to think up a happy thought, Hermione said, "Expecto Patronum." A mere wisp of slivery haze materialized at the tip of her wand before fading away. She thought about Harry and seeing him again and said a bit more forcefully, "Expecto Paronum!"
This time, the silvery form of an otter clearly materialized from her wand. Though it was rather blurred and not quite corporeal, the otter was still enough to drive away the few Dementors that were present as it ran around the various levels.
Hermione felt like jumping for joy. 'I can't wait to tell Harry that I was able to conjure a patronus powerful enough to drive away Dementors!' she thought. Of course now was not the time to speculate such things: the Dementors would be back soon in greater numbers looking for whomever it was whom had released the patronus on them. She had a mission at hand.
Hermione made her way to the first cell and peered inside. What she saw made her heart break. Inside was a small boy, dirty, ragged, thin, and frightened beyond his wits by the Dementors, no more than 7 years old. Getting curious Hermione looked into another cell to find that its occupant was an even younger girl. More quick looks confirmed her suspicion: just about all of the prisoners held by the Dark Powers were young children.
Anger boiled in the bottom of Hermione's gut. She knew perfectly well why only children were kept prisoner; adults, even muggles, were more likely to revolt. Children would be easier to control as slaves, and easier to brainwash. Most likely these were mostly muggle children who had been residing in the various villages near Durmstrang and Beauxbatons, and most likely occasionally a muggleborn, whom had probably seen their parents murdered before their eyes when their villages were attacked. There were then carted off to Azkaban into the care of the Dementors to have their wills broken, their lives over before they had truly even begun. 'Well not if I have any say in this!' thought Hermione.
Hermione entered the first cell, opening the door with the always useful "Alohomora." The little boy, realizing that someone had entered the cell scampered away in fear but stopped when he realized that it was a young woman who entered: not one of those mean men in masks and robes, not one of those hooded ghost thingies, and certainly not those smelly, ugly, black monsters.
The boy slowly crawled over to Hermione and timidly asked in a small voice, "Mama?"
Hermione kneeled down to the boy's level, trying in vain to hold back her tears. "I'm so sorry," she whispered as she affectionately caressed the boy's face. "I'm not your mother. I am so helpless to the ways in which you really need help. But the least I can do is get you out of here." She tapped her wand on a brick and whispered, "Portus!" She placed the portkey in the boy's hand he was instantly whisked away.
These repeated several more times as Hermione managed to create enough portkeys for the few children whom had survived to be removed from the fortress dungeon. What was truly difficult for Hermione to accept was that while there had initially been at least a hundred held prisoners only about 22 of them were still alive when Hermione found them.
Finally, all of the still living children were gone and Hermione was about to create a portkey for herself for escape when she suddenly discovered another occupied cell. Looking into it, Hermione was surprised to find that its occupant was none other than...
"Percy?"
Percy Weasely was barely recognizable under his haggard appearance. His red hair was long, dirty, and matted. His robes were in complete tatters. He was missing his glasses and eyes held a glazed look. He was sitting in the middle of his cell, not really comprehending anything but simply muttering over and over, "Too much power... too much ambition... never any good... should've known... should've known..."
"Percy Weasley, get yourself together," said Hermione as she entered the cell. "It's me, Hermione."
"Hermione... knew a Hermione... was right... she was always right... they were always right... always right... was wrong... I was wrong... was wrong..." muttered Percy, not actually comprehending that Hermione was now in front of him.
"I need to get you out of here," said Hermione. She created another portkey. "Madame Pomfrey can take better care of you than I ever could." She shoved the portkey into Percy's hand. Without a second glance, Percy was whisked away like the children.
Unfortunately, there was someone in the cell neighboring Percy's cell that did recognize Hermione's voice. With a deep rumbling sound the voice cried out, "HERMY!"
Hermione did a double take, her face turning deathly pale. "Grawp?" she whispered. Suddenly a giant sized hand crashed through the wall, throwing rubble everywhere as it made a grab for Hermione. Not being able to help herself, Hermione screamed.
* * *
"There it is!" exclaimed Harry as Buckbeak swooped down from above the clouds. They were closing in on the massive fortress situated on an island in the middle of the sea. It was a dark fortress of black stone, with high rising turrets and towers over the main dungeons. Its architecture reminded Harry somewhat of a skull, only one of ancient ages. "Azkaban," muttered Harry. "How I wish I would never have to see it."
Buckbeak flew in closer only to be suddenly blown away by an invisible force. Harry had to grip hard to stay seated on Buckbeak. "What?" he exclaimed. "That must be the ward that prevents Numenoreans such as myself from breaking in," he said to himself. 'Well, in that case..."
Harry pulled out the phial he had found in Moria. He looked out to the stars and quickly saw the planet Venus. At least, the world of science and to a lesser extent, the magical side of astronomy told him it was the planet Venus; a different part of him told him it was something else. It told him that it was the light of the Silmaril Beren had cut from Morgoth's crown. The Silmaril held aloft the ship Vingilot of Earendil the Mariner as he trekked through the Heavens.
"Aiya Earendil elenion ancalima" he cried out: "Hail Earendil, brightest of stars."
As if in answer, a single shaft of light shone down from the star right into the phial. The phial grew as bright as the sun and for a moment Harry was blinded by the light's intensity. He felt rather than saw the field around Azkaban disappear with the light and was satisfied. His eyes were just about readjusting when he was startled by an explosion coming from the dungeon.
"Good Lord!" he whispered.
* * *
Hermione screamed as she ran as far as she could, virtually all of her rational thinking leaving her as she tried to avoid the giant hands closing in on her. Grawp had broken out of his cell and was crashing through the corridors, throwing rubble and debris everywhere in his path. He must've knocked over several lamps for a fire seemed to be spreading from behind the giant.
'Oh God! Oh God! Oh God!' thought Hermione as she raced ahead of the giant. The commotion had alerted the remaining Orcs but they were being flung aside as Grawp continued his pursuit after Hermione.
"HERMY! HERMY! HEMY!" he shouted.
Eventually, Hermione made her way up one of the towers and was surprised to find herself outside on a balcony. All around her, Azkaban fortress was starting to blaze in flames. There, she tried to calm down. 'Think rationally, think rationally,' Hermione thought to herself. 'Just some rational thinking should get you out of this predicament.' She unfortunately didn't have much time to calm down as Grawp burst through the floor of the tower.
"Hermy!" he shouted. Hermione was suddenly aware that Grawp's exposed head and right arm were covered in blood and bruises.
"Grawp?" she said.
Hermione suddenly gasped when she heard a familiar voice yell over the roar of the flames: "Hermione!"
"Harry?" exclaimed Hermione. "Harry! I'm over here!"
"Hermione!" shouted Harry as he swooped down toward the tower. "Buckbeak, get in closer!" Buckbeak tried to come in closer as Harry reached out to Hermione. "Hermione, grab my hand," he said with an encouraging smile.
Hermione tried to reach out toward Harry. However, at that moment another explosion rocked the dungeon, blowing Buckbeak away.
"Harry!" screamed Hermione, completely terrified.
Buckbeak had meanwhile been knocked unconscious by the unconscious by the explosion and was going down in a freefall. "Buckbeak! Wake up!" yelled Harry. The ground was getting closer and closer.
"Buckbeak!" yelled Harry, right into the Hippogriff's ear. Hat did the trick as Buckbeak instantly woke and zoomed out of his dive just before they hit the ground.
Hermione's brief moment of relaxation came to an end when she realized that Grawp's giant hands were suddenly around her. She screamed as the fingers held her securely but was surprised when Grawp placed his physical body over hers, protecting her from falling debris.
"Grawp?" she whispered.
The giant smiled at her and to her complete surprise, lifted her up gently and placed her on the wall of the balcony where she could reach Harry easier.
"Grawp..." she whispered again. Suddenly, the giant's face twisted into agony as the floor underneath him gave way. "No!" screamed Hermione, safe on her wall as Grawp crashed downwards carrying rubble with him to his undeniable doom.
It was that moment that Buckbeak swooped back to what was left of the tower. "Hermione!" yelled Harry.
"Harry!" said Hermione. Taking her timing, she promptly jumped off the tower and straight into Harry's waiting arms as Buckbeak swooped right underneath her. The hippogriff rose into the moonlit night, carrying his two passengers as behind them, the dreaded fortress prison of Azkaban burned.
To be continued...
A/N Ah, I rushed to get this chapter out given that I'm about to head to sea for 6 weeks without a port visit. Kinda depressing now that I think about it. Oh well, hopefully it will give me the time to write up more chapters. Then again, I am rather busy. Oh well, enjoy this one. Oh, and for records sake, the Elvish Harry spoke is taken directly from LotR, the words Frodo used to light up the phial of Galadriel.