Update (29 Nov 2004): Sorry if I'm a little slow this time. Lots of work aside from writing! I'm still writing the next chapter. Please allow up to 2 days from now for me to finish the next chapter (it's 6400 words in counting and my preferred average is 9000 words per chapter).
Author's note: Thanks to PottersPrincess, Arun, SEK19005 and LadyBlazey for the reviews! I appreciate your comments and views about the last chapter. Did I say I'll update on Wednesday? (grin).
On with show again!
Chapter 17
The Fortress of Shadows
"I d-don't believe it!!!" Harry roared at Seymour who was standing beside Hermione, patting her shoulder like a master commending a deserving servant. Hermione looked up at him, smiling, and then gazed back at Harry threateningly. The gigantic black dogs kept on staring at Harry as if they were hoping they'd be given the signal to start feasting on him.
Harry refused to accept that Hermione could ever betray him as Seymour had claimed. It was totally preposterous! She was the girl he had made as his best friend, the girl he had trusted on for many years, the girl who made the world a happy place for him to live in - the girl who he had offered his heart just recently. Amid the absurdity of it, she was now undeniably standing there at a small distance from him, pointing her wand, and wearing a look that showed she would curse him immediately if he made a sudden move. It could amount to one thing: she regarded him like an enemy now. Harry's eyes now were drenching in tears - he was extremely hurt with what Hermione had done against him.
"Hermione, please tell me it isn't so, please!!!" he pleaded her. Unfortunately she didn't care to respond.
Seymour laughed. "Yes, I'm afraid it is so, Harry," he said, looking fondly at Hermione. "Isn't it, my dear?"
Hermione nodded. "It's true, Harry," she said without any slight hint of remorse. "It's true I helped Henry and all of the Death Eaters in Hogwarts to capture you."
"No!!!!" Harry yelled. "It's impossible!!!"
Seymour laughed again. "Yes, it is possible. She has proven herself to be an important asset for our mission to hand you back to the Dark Lord. The proof is staring at you right now and yet you're still not convinced, are you?" He then looked at Hermione again and said, "Tell him, my dear. Tell him everything I'm sure will hurt him so. Tell him everything that will make him believe you betrayed him."
Hermione looked at Harry and turned even more serious. "I gave them vital information about your activities, Harry," she said. "I told them what you thought about everything that went on at Hogwarts. I told them about what we saw Russelpunk doing back at the Quiddtich stadium and what we suspected of him. My information helped the Death Eaters to think of a better plan to get you out of the protection of Hogwarts - I was the one who casted the spell on the Snitch the day after to lure you away from the school, Harry."
Harry dropped his jaw a notch and stared at her disbelievingly. But Harry then remembered she had rescued him with Ron and fought off those Death Eaters. She almost got herself killed with the process. It didn't make any sense.
"Go on, tell him," Seymour encouraged her even more. "Tell him more about what you did…"
Hermione nodded, still looking at Harry with her wand pointed at him. "I was the one who told the Death Eaters about the Order and who their members were. It helped them go after the people I named and made them look like they were fugitives."
Harry shook his head incredulously again. This was too bad to be true. He observed Hermione talking in a slightly monotone voice, but for the most time she seemed to be talking in her normal way.
"I helped build Henry up for you and Ron," Hermione went on. "I helped him convince you to trust on him. I played along with him to gain your confidence - I asked him to roll up his sleeve to prove to you that he didn't have the Dark Mark."
"But I didn't see it…" Harry told her. "His arm was clear!"
"Yes, because he covered it first with a false skin…we made sure it was concealed when I was going to ask about it…"
For added effect, Seymour extended his arm and rolled up his sleeve. His real arm was actually hairy and coarse - the Dark Mark was clearly embedded on his skin. Harry narrowed his eyes on him.
Hermione talked further. "I told Henry our theories about Russelpunk's murder and how we suspected Whipple. I shared to them Ron's hypothesis about why Whipple killed Russelpunk, and because of it Henry gave us his own view about the murder in the lavatory exactly what Ron said to give more validity to it.
"I am and always was in on the plan for what brought you here today, Harry. It's fortunate that you picked the right path for the trap and I didn't have to steer you here myself. That's right, Harry, I helped them with everything…"
"After all these years, how could you just betray me like this?!?" Harry growled. She didn't flinch on his question. Harry glowered at her even more.
The conversation was momentarily interrupted when Burton approached Seymour and he told him, "Boss, the portal will show up any minute. What shall we do with the Dogs?"
"Order them to return to the kennels," Seymour replied with confidence. "They have done well."
Burton was taken aback by his order. "But is it wise to do that before going to the Portal, Boss? Perhaps it's better to relieve them only after we…"
"Don't contradict me, Peter!" Seymour shouted. "Do as I say!"
Burton nodded hesitantly and faced the giant dogs, which were rooted on their spot. With a flick of the wand, they all vanished gradually, leaving only Harry, Hermione, and the small group of Death Eaters alone.
Harry didn't know why Seymour made that hasty decision. Free from the added threat of the dogs, Harry scanned the immediate area to try to find a way to escape. Hermione read the look in his eyes and muttered, "Lartigo!" Harry was subjected to a painful spell of electrical shock made by the buzzing rope from her wand. His knees fell to the ground as he shook in pain, and he slumped on the snow almost out of breath.
"Good work, Hermione!" Seymour lauded her. "You're proving yourself to be an increasingly valuable asset as time goes by. Having the brightest witch of your age sure has its big advantages, even though you're just a Mudblood."
Hermione didn't protest being called a `Mudblood' in any way. This wasn't like her at all, Harry thought.
Seymour then looked at Harry next. "You see, Harry? She now doesn't hesitate hurting you with all kinds of curses in the book - she now serves the Dark Lord!"
"What?!?" Harry exclaimed hoarsely, spitting snow out of his mouth, and looking up at Seymour from the ground as he struggled to fight severe pain throughout his body to stand back up. "Muggle-borns can't serve Voldemort - they're dead before he'll even find them useful. You know, that, Hermione! Don't you? Don't you?"
She didn't answer him, of course.
"Perhaps you weren't listening to the Dark Lord the last time you were together," Seymour said. "He said he'll make the Muggles and Muggleborns slaves to his reign of terror. Hermione, here, is one of the first ever to have the honor. Yes, Harry, I was there looking down on you in the fortress as you struggled to fight to remove your guilt about causing her supposed death. Isn't it amazing we were mere feet from each other and you didn't know at all? Ah, the joys of being a masked Death Eater!"
Most of the Death Eaters around laughed in agreement.
"We later learned she turned out alive after all," Seymour said. "She was then the one other choice for recruitment to help us abduct you. But alas, things went wrong with our plans initially. You foiled our attempt to enlist the help of your other friend Ron back in his family's house. Remember the little scuffle you had with our people that night?"
Harry thought about it. The memories of that dangerous night, the incident back in the Burrow when Death Eaters had attacked them, came flooding back in his mind. Harry knew for a fact that the Death Eaters were after Ron that night at the Burrow. Dumbledore had mentioned that Voldemort might have tried to hurt the people closest to him. He had saved Ron from whatever the Death Eaters wanted to do with him then (he thought they were going to kill him), and Hermione…
Harry's heart sank. He looked at Hermione while he thought about it even more deeply. Harry did prevent the Death Eaters from reaching Ron during their last night in the Burrow, but it was possible the Death Eaters had gotten to her first back at the Granger household before they had thought of evacuating her! They might have done something horrific to her then and Harry felt tremendous regret that he failed to protect her that night.
"What did you monsters do to her that night?!?" Harry yelled furiously, glaring at Seymour.
Seymour cackled with glee. "I see you figured it out. We went into her room, woke her up, and gave her a little present from the Dark Lord."
"What are you talking about?" he breathed.
"Unfortunately, it's a well kept secret, the very thing we gave to her," Seymour sighed, mocking disappointment. "Only the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters know of it and you don't need to know - not even if you're sure to die in the hands of the Dark Lord after this. But it's safe for me to say it causes us to control the minds of our victims freely and they will obey everything we tell them to do. I'll just leave you guessing right there."
"You did the Imperius Curse on her!!!" Harry shouted.
Seymour shook his head, laughing. He was fully enjoying the act of tormenting Harry. "That would be difficult to do, keeping her under the influence of the curse constantly with the danger of losing control of her out of our sight, so rest assured we didn't use the Imperius Curse on her. Besides, it might be obsolete now. We have a weapon that's more effective than the Imperius Curse. She did put up a good fight at first, but she was no match for us and succumbed to the power of the serum…"
"The serum?" Harry repeated. Seymour suddenly looked furious with himself for letting that slip out of him. "You gave her a serum! How?"
Burton had joined in the conversation. "We injected here with it, huh, didn't we boss?" he said, guffawing hysterically.
"Shut up, you fool!" Seymour barked at him. Burton flinched, and fell back in silence. "That's not true!"
But for Harry it made some sense. He remembered Hermione grimacing in pain as she stretched her arm when they talked through the fireplace by floo powder. It might have been caused by the serum injected through there. Harry didn't know why he ignored that sign - he should have taken a look at it.
"Enough of this worthless talking!" Seymour shouted, looking red in the face. "He knows too much already! Where's the bloody portal??? It's bloody late!"
Harry ignored what Seymour had said and took another look at Hermione. With Seymour's slip of the tongue Harry now knew she wasn't acting in her own accord. At first he was relieved what he thought about her earlier wasn't entirely true - that she had helped the Death Eaters do all these things against him willingly. Then his feeling of relief was quickly replaced with sadness when he thought about what Hermione might have gone through that night in her house. The very thought that gave him the worst feeling was that he never knew about what happened to Hermione - she was in trouble all the time and he didn't do anything at all to help her. It was like being struck by a burglar at night who took his time to steal everything you had while you were sleeping. They stole Hermione from him, from Ron, and from everybody who loved her. They successfully had kept their possession of her in total secret.
Harry now felt intense fury against Seymour and his gang growing from deep inside him that he would erupt at any moment. Seymour said it himself in front of his face - they had invaded Hermione's home, went into her room while she was sleeping, and injected her with a serum that allowed them to order her around as they pleased. What they did was totally unforgivable. They were going to pay for hurting her. He didn't think of anything else but to kill Seymour with his bare hands. Harry didn't notice it but he had walked a step closer to Seymour - he didn't feel himself shaking and his teeth gritted as he stared on at him. Because of his anger he didn't know his hands were already extended to reach Seymour's neck to break it.
"Immobulus!!!" Hermione bellowed, after she saw Harry starting to lunge at Seymour. Harry stopped dead on his tracks, his body went rigid from the neck down, and he lost his balance, making him fall on to the snow.
Seymour cackled with laughter. "Thank you, Hermione. That'll tell Harry that we're not playing games," he said. "He knows too much already, but luckily his memory will die with him. The portal will be upon us soon. For the meantime, we need to secure our prisoner for the wonderful trip ahead. You have the honor, my dear…"
Hermione conjured some ropes to bind Harry around his torso. She went over to him, knelt down beside him, and lifted his chin with a finger to look up at her. "Make a brave face, Harry," she said. "You wouldn't want to look like a scared puppy in front of Lord Voldemort…"
"Hermione, please…let me go…" he implored her. "You're under his spell - you can fight it!"
"You can't do anything about it anymore, Harry," Seymour said impatiently, hearing what Harry told Hermione. "The serum is permanent - there's no way back for Hermione but to serve the Dark Lord. There's no turning back once you have it running along in your veins."
"That's a lie!" Harry spat at Seymour, and it only made the Death Eater laugh again.
"Have it your way, then." Seymour looked around, his smile vanishing. He seemed to have lost interest enjoying the initial triumph of finally having Harry ready for Voldemort. He instead looked increasingly apprehensive.
"The portal's taking so bloody long!" Seymour said, walking a few steps toward the direction of Hogsmeade and gazed at the visible structures peeking out of the forest. "I shouldn't have relieved the dogs yet…"
"See, I told you, Boss," Burton started, but Seymour lunged at him in sudden fury. He became wild and choked Burton with his bare hands. Some Death Eaters intervened and broke them away.
"How dare you challenge me in front of everyone, Burton!" he shrieked, shaking violently. "You shut up! You shut up! Make Potter stand up while we wait for the portal! Don't you let him go this time!"
Shaking out of fear, Burton obeyed Seymour's order, strode towards Harry, and lifted him to make him stand upright. Then they waited. Harry attempted to talk Hermione out of her spell again, but Burton punched Harry's stomach, venting his own anger at him. Harry wheezed out of breath and fell down on his knees on the snow. "No talking, Potter," Burton growled.
A little later a strong wind blew and the trees swayed - Seymour's eyes went wide with relief. Harry surmised this was what they were waiting for. Sure enough a red-violet anomaly in midair appeared at the center of the clearing and it hovered down toward the ground. Soon it turned into a shimmering watery portal. Harry could see an image at the center of it - that of a gloomy grey interior of an old castle. He breathed. It was most likely a part of Xanthius, ready to receive him at the other side. It was only more than a month that he was in it. He was lucky that time he had escaped it with Ron and Ginny with Hermione's help. It was completely ironic that it was now Hermione who'd bring him back to the fortress again.
"Wait till it turns misty white and it'll be safe for us to cross," Seymour reminded everybody. While they waited still, they heard a twang echoing around the forest. Harry thought it was part of the portal reaching its most potent point, but suddenly the Death Eaters around him muttered words in panic. Just a few yards away from the group, Seymour had slumped on the ground and he looked dead. Unfortunately for Harry, he saw him breathing.
It took a few seconds for everyone to make out what was probably happening. One of the Death Eaters had crashed next on the snow like Seymour.
"Take cover!" one of the Death Eaters shouted and they scattered. Someone or something was attacking them from the forest. But who?
A couple more Death Eaters dropped out of action, the rest exchanged curses against the unknown attacker. Burton and Hermione didn't leave Harry though they got ready to fight off the assailant if ever they were the ones left. Another Death Eater fell - they were vulnerable at the center of the clearing while they were being hit from the safety of the trees.
Seymour jolted out to his senses, still laying chest down on the snow, and looked around for Burton. "The Portal is ready! Get in with Potter and the Mudblood and leave us!"
Harry would have wanted to kick Burton's groin to escape as the Death Eater handled him again to push him towards the portal but Hermione's charm still made his muscles stiff. Hermione followed right behind them. The commotion went on wildly while they approached the waiting portal. Harry looked back as he was dragged nearer to it and he could see only one active Death Eater desperately fighting off their unseen enemy. He had been hit at last and there was no one standing left. Harry saw movement out of the trees, and he could recognize the person who was running towards them with his wand out. It was Horace Whipple and it looked like he was trying to prevent Harry from crossing the portal…just a few seconds later Ron and the Weasley twins had emerged out of the trees.
"Hurry up!" Burton yelled, literally throwing Harry inside the portal. Unlike portkeys with all its tugging and pulling, the trip to the other side didn't feel uncomfortable at all for Harry. Shortly he was in a dank room populated by more Death Eaters. He fell down on the damp floor stiffly and painfully. The awaiting Death Eaters held him; ignoring his howls of pain, they dragged him a few feet on the floor away from the portal and settling him at a far corner. Hermione had followed in next; Burton came in a couple of seconds later looking extremely alarmed.
"Cut the portal! Cut the portal!" Burton shouted. Harry saw Whipple and Ron through it. They were still at the other side of the gateway, sprinting towards them in an apparent bid to get in before it disappeared. Unfortunately they had not. Harry's view of the snowy grounds near Hogsmeade had vanished - the portal had closed. Harry felt disappointed and, strangely, relieved that Ron hadn't made it to run after for him. If Ron had succeeded in reaching the portal, he would have been in so much trouble like him and he didn't want that to happen.
Harry looked around the room, squinting as his eyes adjusted to the sudden change of light. He knew he was definitely back in Xanthius. He had been in this room before, he thought. It was the room just at the end of the prison cell wing. Harry had the bad feeling if Voldemort didn't want to murder him at once this was probably the only place he'd be in for the rest of his life to rot.
"What happened?" Lucius Malfoy said as he entered the room. Harry snapped his gaze towards the white haired father of his Hogwarts enemy, Draco. It wasn't at all surprising to know he was here since Harry knew he was a Death Eater, but the most striking fact was that he didn't wear his mask on. It was the first real confirmation for Harry that Lucius was indeed a Death Eater.
"I warned Seymour not to release the dogs when Potter was not secured yet, sir, but he refused to heed me," Burton replied nervously at him.
"That arrogant imbecile!" Lucius roared. "He almost bungled the plan again, that stupid fool! Where is he now?"
"Someone attacked us while we waited for the portal - he was the first to go down. Out of a dozen Death Eaters back there, I'm the only one who managed to escape with Potter and the Mudblood."
"Serves him right," Lucius grunted. He looked around the room. His eyes found Hermione who was standing at an opposite corner of Harry, staring ahead blankly.
"Ah, so this is Seymour's little slave," he said, smiling. "You did an excellent job, Granger, I heard. Without your help, we wouldn't have gone this far. Too bad you're a Mudblood." The Death Eaters laughed. He approached her slowly.
"Don't you dare lay a hand on her!" Harry yelled. Lucius returned his gaze at him, and he was very pleased at the sight of Harry helplessly immobile down on the floor at the other corner.
"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't give you my immediate attention, Potter," he sneered. "Nevertheless, I welcome you back again to my Master's dark abode. Oh, about your friend, don't you worry. I'd never imagine smearing my sterile hands with the filth of this Mudblood, but I don't deny she was a very important asset on our mission to bring you back to Xanthius for the Dark Lord. Unfortunately for us we had no choice by to settle for her when our primary choice was Arthur Weasley's youngest son. It was against our principles using Hermione Granger, but we had to make extreme sacrifices and that is to rely on the services of a Mudblood like her. I'm sure the Dark Lord won't approve of it, but he will be happy he'll have you again just the same."
Lucius laughed heartily and walked nearer to his Death Eaters. "I'm so happy our mission is over, my faithful people," he went on, "we have no reason to fear the wrath of the Dark Lord anymore. The aborted attempt at the Quidditch game seemed to be the death of the operation at first, but thanks to my never-say-die attitude, we have pulled through and succeeded. Let us rejoice!"
The Death Eaters cheered loudly and clapped their hands in self applause.
"What amazes me so, Potter," Lucius said, turning back to Harry, "is that this Mudblood had helped the Death Eaters in Hogwarts all along to ensure you're recaptured and you still show loyalty towards her - was she your best friend before?"
"Yes, and she'll always be, Malfoy!" Harry answered angrily. "I know she'd been injected with some sort of serum to be controlled by your Death Eaters - she doesn't know what she's doing!"
"How did you know about that?" Lucius said at Harry, frowning.
"Your - faithful servant - Seymour had the slip of the tongue - so did Burton here! They told me what they did to Hermione…"
Lucius roared in anger and turned towards Burton. "Is this true, Burton?!?" he yelled.
Burton dropped the smile on his face and shook his head fearfully, and denied what Harry had told him. "No, sir, never have I told him anything about the serum - it was Master Seymour, sir!"
"You bloody incompetent fools! No one outside our circle must know about the serum!!! Did Seymour die at the other side?"
"I-I'm afraid he'd been arrested by Whipple along with our other people…sir. He was totally defenseless when I left him," Burton whimpered.
Lucius kicked him on his stomach in fury, sending him gasping for air on the floor. Lucius then went into a mad tantrum (the Death Eaters around him all cowered in fear). "Do you realize what'll happen when the Dark Lord will know about this?!?" he roared. "I want you to swear, all of you, not to even mention to him the secret may be out, is that understood? Is that understood?"
All the Death Eaters in the room nodded their head quickly, mumbling incoherently under their masks.
"I'll tell Voldemort when I see him," Harry said mischievously, making the room fall into silence.
After flinching upon hearing his own master's name, Lucius snapped back, "Don't you dare, Potter! Or I'll kill the Mudblood in a heartbeat!"
Harry's smirk flickered. It was Lucius' turn to simper again.
"I can still see your weakness now," Lucius pressed on. "You care - you still care for this Mudblood, don't you?"
"We're as good as dead anyway, Malfoy," Harry answered to try to throw off the subject though deep inside him he didn't want this to happen to Hermione. She didn't deserve to die in the hands of their enemies.
"Don't fret, you'll have your chance soon enough. The Dark Lord will make sure of it this time. He has something hideous in store for you." Lucius laughed and turned to his Death Eaters. "He doesn't want what happened the last time to happen again - he won't offer you alternatives any more but death. Then he will decide on what to do your Mudblood friend."
He glanced at Hermione sadly again - she was standing there like a robot with no real inkling of what was going on around her. Harry was scared to think of what might happen to her in the hands of Voldemort and his Death Eaters after he'd die as Lucius had promised. He must try to give her the chance to escape before he's gone, he thought. But how? They were both alone now, surrounded by their murderous enemies. Someone coming to rescue them looked impossible now. Nobody knew the location of Xanthius at all.
"Throw Potter into a cell whilst we wait for the Dark Lord to return to Xanthius," Lucius ordered one of his Death Eaters.
The Death Eater obeyed as he was told, grabbed Harry by the arms, dragged him through an open cell, and slammed the door. "What shall we do with the Mudblood, sir?" he asked.
Lucius moved over to the front of Hermione and looked at her. "Stand guard for Harry Potter, my dear," he told her, smirking. "Curse him if he tries to escape, understood, Mudblood?"
"By your command," she replied. Lucius and Death Eaters were taking in pleasure calling her by the name "Mudblood" as they pleased.
"Come, we have more work to do," a satisfied Lucius said to his Death Eaters. Before he went out with everybody, he walked back in front of Harry's cell door to look at him again. Harry was now lying on his side at the dirt floor, breathing heavily, but staring back at Lucius determinedly. "We'll be back for you very soon, Potter. For the meantime, I leave you both alone. Don't try to talk her out of her spell - you'd spend a hundred lifetimes just doing it and all your efforts won't give a dent on the effects of the serum. "
Harry spat at him, hitting him on his face. Lucius looked furious at first when he wiped Harry's spit from his face and pulled out his wand to curse him. Harry didn't flinch, and they both stared at each other hotly for a moment. Lucius, however, decided not to pursue it, turned on his heel, and slammed the door of the dungeon behind him.
Harry was now alone with Hermione. His locomotor function, which was earlier impeded by the Hermione's Immobulus Curse, was now slowly going back to normal as the curse's effects started to disappear, although it was still painful for him to move his whole body. He fought the stinging sensation of moving his stiff muscles just to do a simple thing as to try to sit up and rest his back against the wall. For the longest time, he succeeded but he swore he wouldn't try to move again until the curse's effect was fully gone. Panting and grimacing in pain, he turned his head slowly to look at Hermione. He could see her standing statuesquely in front of his cell door at the opposite wall. For an hour he stared at her silently (Hermione didn't seem to get tired of standing still for a long time).
Harry couldn't imagine what hell Hermione might be going through all the time. She was doing everything what the Death Eaters ordered her against her will - she might be crying out from inside right now to break out of her bondage. Harry finally wept for her. Here he was, sitting down on the floor for more than hour fighting the severe physical pain he suffered constantly, not having any real clue on how to help Hermione.
He fought off the next wave of tears. Maybe, just maybe, he could talk to her and his words and her heart will do the listening, he thought. Maybe if he tried hard enough it'll break the spell for her. Lucius had told him that he'd just be wasting time talking her out of the serum's spell, but Harry hoped he was only lying to discourage him from attempting to do so. He knew he couldn't permit himself not to try at all. He had to. He could talk on to her forever and die in the process. It didn't matter to him now. He just had to.
"Hermione," he said softly, slow tears streaming down on his face. "I know you're listening…deep inside I know you're there. I…I don't blame you one bit for bringing me here - not at all. I'm very sorry if I never knew they had you already. I-I'm very sorry if I wasn't there to defend from the Death Eaters in your house that night. Perhaps if I should've insisted more with you to stay with us at the Burrow this wouldn't've happened. I should've read the signs and I could've asked for help from somebody…" Harry paused. He only had started to talk to her, but it hurt him intensely watching Hermione staring on blankly ahead, ignoring him like a stranger that it was hard to keep talking. But he knew he had to die trying. He owed it to her.
Harry sighed and tried to start all over again. "Remember the time when you entered our compartment in the train in our first year?" he said, staring at the ceiling above him. "That was probably the best thing that ever happened in my life: I met you. Of course, I was eleven then and I thought girls were annoying," he laughed softly, wiping his tears, "but I can't deny after many years we've been together - and all the things we went through together - that…that I was blessed for having you as my very good friend and companion. I can't imagine what my life would've become without you.
"I could never forget the feeling I had during the time you got petrified by that basilisk…the time you fell at the lake because of the Dementors…the time you looked as if you were drowning under the lake…the time the Oarling almost possessed you…remember that? The time I thought I lost you forever with the Dragon that turned out to be Norbert…the time you had the accident in class…the time you had the mysterious fever…each time you fell over when you lost part of your memory. My feeling was always the same; I dreaded every one of them - you were hurting each time. I couldn't stand to see you suffering - It just rips my heart out. I always wanted you to be happy, to feel no pain at all." Harry gazed at her again.
"Right now, while you're standing there, I know you're hurting deep inside - even if you might not be aware of it, you're in a lot of pain. If you can hear me, Hermione - I know you can hear me…please fight the spell. You must resist it! I know you're strong. Listen, if…I mean, when you break free of it, I want you to escape. Voldemort will not spare your life. You hear me? Forget about me - it's more important if you'd stay alive than me…Voldemort will not go out of his way to seek you out unlike me. He won't care for what will happen to you. What he only wants is me, so escape if you can when you break free. You will break free, I know it. I…I have to tell you this before I'd pass away…please hear me…please hear me with your heart…I love you. I really do! I know you love me, too…you didn't tell me but I know you do. Your eyes showed it back in Hogsmeade…" Harry closed his eyes again and new tears ran down his face. It hurt him deep inside so much to reflect on Hermione back in Hogsmeade holding both his hands and looking very happy in front of him after he asked her to be his girlfriend. It was one, if not the most wonderful moment of his life robbed again by Voldemort and his henchmen. Now she wasn't totally to herself, being ordered around by very evil people. A new wave of fury coursed from him.
He opened his eyes again to see Hermione blurrily through his unwiped tears, moving inches closer towards her as he could. "Please fight the spell!" He growled. "Fight the spell so may escape and live on…"
"Harry," Hermione spoke at last, and Harry's heart skipped a beat. He stood up and limped towards the cell door, grasping the bars while he looked happily at Hermione, heartened by his apparent progress. He actually didn't know where his speech was going, but it might have done something very positive that Hermione had spoken. She now might be already breaking off the surface, and Harry felt he needed to keep talking to her and he hoped by doing so she'll really regain herself this time. With just a little help from him, maybe he could finally succeed.
"You're doing great, Hermione," he said encouragingly. "Fight the spell - you can do it! Think of all the people who love you - especially me, cheering you on…we want you back…be strong! Be…"
"Harry," she repeated, still standing like a statue.
"Yes?"
Hermione gazed at him, turning her head towards him like a living doll. "Shut up and go to sleep," she told him dispassionately.
Harry was taken aback by Hermione's uncaring statement and he scowled. Lucius might have been telling him the truth, but he couldn't think about it further. He howled in intense pain as his scar on his forehead burned fiercely. He slid down the bars of his cell door towards the floor. He hanged on to the cross bars while the pain lingered on for more than a minute, and he strangely felt very pleased with something at once.
When the pain began to ebb away and he could think again, Harry had understood what this might have meant. Voldemort was already in Xanthius, and the Dark Lord had learned just now that he, Harry, was already here for him. It was only a matter of time when he'd meet him face to face again.
It took a few more minutes when Harry heard the main door to the prison cells open, and several Death Eaters strode towards him. Harry stood up from his spot. The effects of Hermione's curse were already gone, and he could freely move all his muscles without resistance and pain.
"The Dark Lord demands your presence now, Potter," one of them said. Harry just looked at him in silence.
His cell door swung open; the Death Eaters didn't bind him this time, they just secured him by pointing their wands at him.
"Bring the Mudblood along for the meeting," said the Death Eater to the other closest to him.
Harry was led forward, constantly being prodded by the Death Eater's wand tip. He glanced towards Hermione, and he saw that she walked casually just a few feet behind him. Harry's eyebrows furrowed. He didn't want to know what will happen to her if Voldemort killed him first, and he didn't want her to be murdered by him either. Harry wasn't worried for himself but for Hermione now. He could run and bring her along if he wanted to, but he knew it was stupid to do so for now - she was still possessed by the Death Eaters and she'd only stop him on his tracks. Only, if only she regained total control of herself maybe there was a chance to save her.
The path they took was familiar for Harry as they walked further. He could still remember vividly the hallway they were in now when he, Ron, and Ginny were forced forward once before. This was the exact path towards Voldemort's throne room. Harry straightened himself upright. He refused to look frail even for once in front of Voldemort. He made it a point to face him with dignity until death. He didn't want him to enjoy too much seeing him helplessly resigned to his fate. Soon, they were facing the large oak doors leading to the throne room, and it opened.
The last time Harry saw this room was only a couple of months ago, and it was full of debris of the stone ceiling that fell to the floor, which the former Hogwarts Headboy and aspiring Death Eater Jack Chadron had caused to give Harry, Ron, and Ginny the chance to escape from Voldemort. Now, it was golden new.
At the end of the large hall that was Voldemort's throne platform was the Dark Lord himself. He stood in front of a dozen hooded figures bowed down low the floor, facing him. Several other Death Eaters also stood in a straight line at both sides of his throne. There were other people in the room, too - about more than ten of them, mostly women. Harry didn't know who they were but they didn't look like Death Eaters and they stood motionless at an angle facing the throne.
As Harry was led nearer to the throne platform, Voldemort roared and killed one of the Death Eaters bowed down at his feet with a Killing Curse. Harry didn't know why he did that, but Voldemort looked very angry with something. The eleven remaining Death Eaters shook and inched their way farther from him out of fear of being next.
"That will be the fate of the servant who fails me!" he growled. "All of you have let the important prisoners escape!!! Because of your stupidity I'm left with only a meager supply of the serum! Go down to the dungeons to recapture them, or you suffer the same fate as your worthless colleague!"
"B-But, my Lord," said one of the Death Eaters, "Several of my men have died trying to break through the dungeons! The prisoners have turned themselves into guerrillas, and they're quite effective!"
Bright green light made by Voldemort flashed towards him, snuffing out his life in an instant. The ten Death Eaters who were left alive broke down on the floor and wailed in trepidation.
Harry didn't know what they were up to, but from what he had heard, they had prisoners who had managed to escape and where holding out somewhere in the dungeons.
"Die trying, or you die in the hands of your Dark Lord!" Voldemort shouted. "I demand that you'll show me success within three hours, or else! Cassius Wallace, assign more Death Eaters to help these fools!"
He waved his wand to the side door, and the Death Eaters scurried off towards it like wet kittens. Wallace herded them and led the way to the door. However, he looked particularly interested of Harry and Hermione - he snatched glances at them as he stepped out of the throne room with the Death Eaters.
Voldemort then turned his attention to Harry just as he went near enough of him.
"Welcome back, Harry Potter," he sneered. "I haven't seen you in two months but I'm glad you dropped by in this special day of mine."
Lucius laughed, and was followed by the rest of the Death Eaters present in the throne room.
"Thank you, my servants. That was indeed funny. As I was saying, Harry, you're just in time for what will become a very glorious event in the history of wizardry. Do you want to know what it is?"
Harry didn't say anything, and stared at Voldemort determinedly with gritted teeth.
"Very well, as I see you - pleading - to know what I'm referring to, take a look behind you…it is time to announce to the whole wizard world the return of Lord Voldemort." Voldemort pointed his wand at Harry and forced him to turn around.
"Witness the terror that is Xanthius and Lord Voldemort, Harry!" he proclaimed.
At the center of the throne room appeared a window showing a snowy and pristine Scottish landscape. Soon, however, the sky around it gradually blackened - dark clouds with streaks of lightning enveloped the white sky rendering the landscape with a terrifying and gloomy hue. On top of the horizon emerged a large structure from the ground up, quaking the ground around it, and Harry felt the tremor under his feet.
Harry recognized the structure in the window as the Xanthius. He could never mistake the tallest tower that was the most prominent feature of the fortress. He had seen it before, and he had even been on top of it before. As soon as the fortress had settled on top of a high mountain, the view in the window shifted next to panic stricken wizards and witches - Harry didn't know who these people were, but they could see Xanthius from where they were. The wizards and witches were screaming and pointing towards what Harry knew was the fortress. They were running away, trying to make more distance from it but that act probably never made any difference. Voldemort had made known his existence for all to see. Xanthius, the Dark Fortress, has started to cast its long shadow on the wizard world.
The next view was of Hogwarts at the foreground and with Xanthius at a distance. There was activity on the grounds of the school, Harry had noticed. All the students and teachers were back from Hogsmeade and have gone out of the castle to take a look of the Dark Fortress far away in the horizon. It was a symbolic view of what was to come: a preview of the new War. Voldemort's Death Eaters cheered.
"Everywhere in Britain can see the dark clouds of Xanthius however far a place it may be," Voldemort said with pleasure. "They now know that I have returned. I have come back to power! I have gathered all my forces - the dark forces in the wizard world. The vampires, the giants, the imps, the Oarlings, Werewolves and all the creatures you can think of. They have pledged support to my dream of wizard world domination! Anyone who resists will die. Anyone who fights Lord Voldemort will breathe their last. Tremble, all of you, in the wizard world. Shudder under the might of Lord Voldemort!"
Voldemort's laugh echoed around the throne room, and possibly it had emanated throughout the wizard world.
Lucius moved forward. "Shall we now begin your reign of terror, my Lord?"
"Without further adieu, Lucius," he replied. "All Death Eaters will now have no fear of prosecution from the puny Ministry of Magic, let it be known. Power is now in our hands. The Ministry of Magic shall now be the ones who'll cower in fear - they shall now be the ones who'll hide from us!"
"Marvelous, my Lord," Lucius laughed and began sending off some Death Eaters to begin operations. "Our men will be overjoyed. Do you wish to supervise our first terror attacks?"
"I have all the time in the world now, Lucius," Voldemort said confidently. "I will let you know when I'll participate. You have done extremely well, and you will be rewarded for it. For the meantime, I have unfinished business to take care of. Stay with me, Lucius."
Harry turned around to face Voldemort again, knowing it was he who he was referring to.
"Isn't it wonderful, Harry," Voldemort said, "that the last thing you'll ever remember before you die would be the beginning of the fall of your allies and the rise of Lord Voldemort?"
"If you want to kill me, get it over with Voldemort!" Harry shouted. "You don't want me - escaping - again, do you?"
Voldemort laughed. "I don't see how you can, Harry. Escaping from me is impossible now. I don't see you have any more hope for that, but it's very nice to know you're still wishing to live longer after today. It makes it even more fun for us to see you fight for your life than being merely resigned to your fate. I'll make sure you won't survive this day. This calls for a celebration. Meanwhile, let's have some entertainment - where's the Mudblood who helped brought Potter to us? Ah…"
Lucius beckoned Hermione to stand in front of Voldemort. She walked to the center and bowed in front of him.
"I despise Mudbloods," Voldemort said, "but with our secret weapon they do prove to be useful as slaves. That is until they prove their usefulness to me and after that they will die. Look around at your left, Harry…"
Harry gazed to his left where a few witches and wizards were standing stiffly.
"They're Mudbloods, too, like your pretty friend here. What's her name?"
Sensing that Harry didn't want to answer Voldemort, Lucius said, "Her name is Hermione Granger - said to be the brightest witch in Potter's class, and perhaps of her age, my Lord."
"Thank you, Lucius," Voldemort acknowledged. He then shook his head in disappointment. "What a pity it is. For in the history of wizardry because of what the three other founding fathers of Hogwarts' did - their ill-conceived policy of teaching magic to Mudbloods made Purebloods lesser beings and looking lousy with what was supposed to be inherently theirs. Purebloods must regain their rightful place in the magical arts, which was trampled on by a horde of Mudbloods. I promise everyone I will build up a wizard world free of their dominance. I will seek and destroy every Mudblood and Half Bloods in our society and lift all the Purebloods up. But for now, I will use the Mudbloods. Yes, I will use them - the best of the Mudblood lot, and they will work for me to purge their own kind until their skins are rubbed raw. Then they will die!"
The room rang with hysterical laughter from the Death Eaters.
"These, Harry," Voldemort said, pointing at the witches and wizards on the side, "are among the best of the Mudblood crop. Since you will die in a little while, It won't matter to tell you they have been injected with my serum that will obey my every command - even if I order them to kill themselves they will do it for me at once. As we speak, my scientists are working day in and day out reproducing the serum. In a month I will have enough and even more to spare to inject everyone with the serum. Even the spells and curses they have not learned, they will be able to cast it.
"There is no cure for it. It's even better than the Imperius Curse! Once it runs in their veins, it's permanent. The only thing they will wish for is death. Would you like to see a demonstration?"
Harry stared at Voldemort.
"Hermione," Voldemort said, "do the Cruciatus curse on your friend, Harry Potter."
Hermione whipped around without question, pointed her wand at Harry, and bellowed, "Crucio!"
Harry screamed in extreme pain with Hermione's curse and he fell down on the floor in an instant.
"Longer! Longer!" Voldemort laughed. "Show him that you obey only to your Dark Lord!"
Harry didn't know how long he could take it. His scream echoed throughout the throne room amid the laughter of the Death Eaters.
"Laugh along with us, Hermione!" Voldemort told her, and she obeyed. The sound of Hermione's laughter was even more torturous for Harry than the curse itself. Hermione would never enjoy seeing him in great pain, not even doing it on him.
"That's enough for now," Voldemort said after a moment when Harry was almost on the brink of death, and the pain stopped. Harry breathed heavily while he was still slumped on the cold stone floor, barely recovering from the effects of the Cruciatus Curse.
"See, Harry?" Voldemort said. "See what our serum can do? We can rule the wizard world without even muttering a single spell - but I know that will be boring for us. We'll sometimes do our work ourselves. We do miss torturing anyone if we just leave all the work to our slaves. Which, I think, I now have the appetite for a good round of cursing. The Dark Lord does need to have fun once in a while."
Lucius laughed at Voldemort's words knowingly. He walked towards Harry, knelt down on one knee beside him, and forced Harry's head to watch what was about to happen.
Voldemort stepped down from his dais and said, "Now let's see how the best and brightest Mudblood in Hogwarts could fare against Lord Voldemort, the Pureblood.
"Vox Domini!" Voldemort muttered, making sure Hermione could hear it.
"Yes, Mister Seymour, I…" Hermione said at first but paused when her view of the world had abruptly changed. She looked confused while she looked around her. She saw Harry on the floor whose head was being held by Lucius. Her eyes went round at the sight of it along with the row of Death Eaters at the flanks and her breathing became choppy. "Harry…what's happening? Ugh…"
Hermione didn't understand why she couldn't control her body anymore. It seemed it was turning around slowly on its own, even when she tried to counteract it. Soon she saw the most ghastly face she had ever seen, her getting big, round and fearful at the sight of it. She didn't know who it was she was looking at first, but she quickly remembered Harry describe the same face she was seeing now at one point in time. Harry had told her then the face of Voldemort. Realizing that it was the Dark Lord in front of her, she screamed.
"Hello, Hermione. Isn't it sweet to see the face of your master for the first time?" Voldemort sneered at her.
"Y-you're Voldermort!" she said, her breathing irregular.
The Death Eaters flinched upon hearing their master's name, and Voldemort narrowed his eyes on Hermione.
"How dare you speak my name, Mudblood!" he roared, sending Hermione back a step. "I am Lord Voldemort, and my name brings dread to everyone! This Mudblood shows arrogance in front of me by not showing fear in saying my name. You, Mudblood, will be taught the fear of Lord Voldemort. You will now duel with me. Bow to me…"
Voldemort forced Hermione into a bow, which she couldn't resist.
Before Voldemort could release his control on her, Harry yelled, "Hermione, look out!"
Voldemort pounced. "Crucio!"
Hermione shrieked in intense agony. It was pain that she had never experienced before in her life. It was pain for her that she wished she were dead. Harry screamed along with her, making Lucius laugh at their torment. Hermione dropped her wand and soon she fell along with it on the floor. Voldemort cut the curse in less than fifteen seconds but it was enough to leave her breathing excruciatingly as she slumped on the floor, still suffering the lingering effects of curse. The Death Eaters laughed along with Voldemort.
"Stand up, my dear," Voldemort said to her. "You can be quicker than me."
Hermione groaned in pain. She didn't want to face Voldemort further in fear of experiencing the awful Cruciatus Curse again, but she knew she had no choice but to fight Voldemort and she had no other way out. Grunting, she lifted herself up with her hands on the floor and crawled on all fours towards her wand. Grasping it, she stood up shakily and focused on him, fighting the soreness of her joints and muscles. Wand shaking, she pointed it to Voldemort. "Expel…"
"Repulso!" Voldemort muttered before she could say the last syllable of her spell. A jet of red light whooshed out of Voldemort's wand and hit her squarely on the chest, sending her backwards and back down on to the floor.
"Stop it! Stop it!" Harry yelled, but his pleas were only answered by more laughter. He shook off Lucius' grip and gazed at Hermione, who looked spent already. Their eyes met, but she didn't say anything at all. Hermione's breathing was choppy and uneven. She was shaking; even though she had only suffered two curses from Voldemort, the look on her face drew signs of inevitable defeat. Harry knew they were no match against Voldemort even if he and Hermione joined forces to fight him. There were tears now streaming down on her cheeks, but yet she looked determined to fight on, refusing to give up so easily.
She managed to stand up again this time, but Voldemort didn't give her any more chance to posture. "Expelliarmus!" Voldemort bellowed, and Hermione was stripped of her wand. Hermione stood defenseless; Voldemort walked closer towards her casually and gave her another round of the Cruciatus Curse. This spell lasted for almost a minute that Hermione was screaming her voice hoarse. Harry cried out for her, but he could do nothing to help her.
"Pathetic performance from the so-called brightest witch," Voldemort sneered as he let go of the curse. "Is this what Hogwarts has to offer? This proves Mudbloods don't deserve to study magic."
Lucius enjoyed hearing Voldemort's last comment.
Voldemort left Hermione sprawled on the cold floor to catch her almost non-existent breathing, and walking back to his platform. She wasn't moving at all due to intense pain she agonized with that almost rendered her immobile.
A few Death Eaters moved to force her to stand up, but Voldemort stopped them. "Leave her to savor the soothing effects of my curse," he said. "She will return to our ranks later - after we watch Harry Potter die under Nagini. Harry Potter has lived long enough in my presence."
Harry was lifted up on his feet, dragged to the center of the throne room, and left alone there. Death Eaters then surrounded him in a wide rectangular pattern with Voldemort joining them and positioning himself in the head of the rectangle. He looked around for Hermione. She was still down on the floor, just behind the wall of Death Eaters. She made every effort to lift her head up to look back at Harry; her face showed real sadness and worry for him. Her mouth moved, muttering his name - she slowly extended her hand towards him, even though the distance between them made it impossible for her to reach him.
"Hermione…" Harry said softly under his breath and he sadly reached his hand for her in midair - one of the Death Eaters forced Harry's hand down with magic.
"I have had enough of your exploits, Harry Potter," he said. "I have lost interest in your death in my own hands. I have prepared a better way for you to die. After this, I shall announce to the wizard world that the Boy Who Lived is dead and is being digested in the stomach of my faithful pet, Nagini. The last symbol of the wizard world of Lord Voldemort's defeat will cease to exist."
Knowing what he was in for this time, Harry frantically looked for a way out and backed up a bit but quite a few Death Eaters controlled his footing and made him walk back to the center. The floor beneath him opened quickly in half like a trapdoor, and he fell more than twenty feet down to the underground below. If the ground wasn't soft and a little soggy he would've broken his legs. He stood back up with difficulty due to the muddy ground on which he stood and he looked up at the Death Eaters looking back down at him. Then he heard hissing behind him. He turned around slowly, and there was Nagini crawling out of his hole from the wall, his sharp fangs glinting menacingly in the gloomy pit.
The Death Eaters laughed heartily again, enjoying the spectacle down at the pit. Harry backed up further while Nagini advanced slowly towards him. The snake hissed once more and got ready to pounce on his delicious prey. Harry glanced around to look for somewhere to escape, but only saw four dirt walls and nothing to hide in. There was nothing to use for cover and to fight the giant snake. Without his wand, Harry was defenseless. His endurance was the only thing that stood between him and inevitable death.
-o0o-
Chapter 18 coming soon.
Author's notes: Sorry for giving you another cliffhanger, if you call it that. But I have to end the chapter here because we'd be having a 15,000-word chapter if I wrote on. (grin). There's still a lot to write after the last word of this chapter and would be a problem to find a good place to stop for the next chapter. So please bear with me, and yeah, you can call me "evil". (laughing like Voldemort).
I know! I gave Harry and Hermione too much suffering in this chapter. Sometimes when I wrote this chapter, I felt real bad for my favorite heroes. Anyway it's how the story goes…(shrug).
As always, thanks for reading this story. I hope you, uhm…enjoyed it. Please kindly leave comments and views of this chapter by leaving a review. Criticism is welcome, too. Thanks in advance!
You may want to check on top of this chapter from time to time. I'll leave a message when I think I'll post the next chapter.
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