A/N: I hope you are enjoying this so far! I know I'm not that great of a writer but I had to write this idea of mine! Please read and review!
Hanging on by a Thread
Ron and Hermione walked at a fast pace to Professor Dumbledore's, the Headmaster of Hogwarts, office and immediately said the password, hot chocolate. As they were going to knock on Dumbeldore's door, he said 'come in'. Not being very surprised by this as Dumbledore was the most powerful wizard in the world, they walked in to his office. When they walked in, they saw all the members of the Order, people who rallied against Voldemort, and immediately knew that Harry was in trouble. Hermione didn't have to say anything to confirm her fear after all she wasn't one of the brightest witches for nothing, but she spoke her anyways.
Hermione began to shake and whispered, "I'm guessing you know Harry's not at the castle then."
"Unfortunately yes, Miss Granger, Professor Snape just informed us that Harry has been captured." Dumbledore replied, his usual sparkle in his eye gone. Ron could have sworn he saw Professor Dumbledore getting a little teary eyed over it. This was suppose to be Harry's safest place, but Harry was not here and not the least bit safe.
"Professor, you have to get him back! They'll kill him, what if he's already dead? Oh my gosh, no, no Harry's not dead. Please tell me he is not dead Professor!" Hermione was starting to go weak in the knees, her worst nightmare coming true in her head. Luckily Ron was there and guided her into a chair. Professor McGonagall, head of Gryffindor House, came over to Hermione and started to soothe her. Professor McGonagall looked a little worse for wear for a woman who was known for her strict appearance. Everyone knew she was quite fond of Harry even if she did have to hide it most of the time.
"No, Hermione. Harry is alive," Hermione looked up at this, "…for now. Severus informed me that Voldemort has some plan to keep Harry alive for a little while, but what they plan to do to him in the meantime is something we intend to stop as soon we come up with a way to get him out of there safely."
"How long does intend to keep him alive?" Someone voiced before Hermione could. It was Mrs. Weasley, Ron's mom who was the closest thing Harry ever had to a mother.
Dumbledore looked at Mrs. Weasley and said, "I'm not sure Molly, but I have a feeling that Voldemort will enjoy Harry's pain more than just killing him. Although Harry may be going to what can be described as going through Hell and back right now. We are going to try and have Harry out of there in four days max." Dumbledore stopped and became silent for a moment then said, "Hermione and Ron, it's late I think you should head back to bed. We will inform you if anything important happens."
Hermione jumped up from her chair and screamed, "No! I can't sleep when I know Harry is going through Hell! I want to help, I need to be here. I need to help."
"Ms. Granger, I know you are upset, but it will all be alright. You know Harry would want you to get some rest." Professor McGonagall replied soothingly.
She looked to Ron for help, but she saw none. She glanced back at Dumbledore and new there was no hope.
This seemed to convince Hermione she wasn't going to get her way, so she turned and walked out. Ron just sighed knowing this wasn't going to be easy until Harry was back. He knew Hermione l-loved Harry as much as he hated to admit it and that she was going to be a wreck until he was alright. He slowly followed Hermione making sure to keep enough distance from her so she couldn't go off on him. When Hermione was upset, she got angry. An angry Hermione could be worse than facing a Death Eater at times especially when it involved a certain green eyed, raven haired boy named Harry Potter.
When Ron made it back to the Gryffindor tower, he watched Hermione walk up to the boy's dormitory in a zombie like state. He wrinkled his brow in question and followed her. He walked in his dormitory and saw Hermione.
Hermione was sitting on one of the many beds in the room. She sat crying silently, her shoulders shaking slightly. Ron walked in and sat on his bed. He looked at her and felt just as torn, but he had to be strong for her and Harry.
"It'll be okay Hermione. It always is." Ron said.
Hermione looked up and Ron gave her a small smile. What else did he have to offer in the middle of the night?
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The smell of death was everywhere. Just looking around the place would make one shiver with fear. It was a dark, dank dungeon. Blood spots could be found everywhere. Chains were on the floor with blood stains on them as well, showing signs that someone had at one time occupied them. In the corner of the dark room a boy was lying. The Death Eater wouldn't have known he was alive had it not been for the slow rise and fall of his chest. Looking at the helpless boy brought a smile to the twisted man's face. Without wasting any more time, Malfoy walked up to the boy and kicked him hard in the stomach.
"Wake up you poor excuse for a wizard." Harry slowly opened his eyes to reveal brilliant emerald eyes. Eyes that at one time held a sparkle in them, but that light they used to hold was gone. He had cuts and bruises covering his body. His once black robes with the Gryffindor crests were all torn and ragged. The dungeon he was staying in was freezing cold as it was the middle of winter. His will to live, to be strong helped him make it this far, but his love had kept him alive. No one would have known that Harry had only been here for a day, Lucius Malfoy made sure of that. Harry Potter slowly raised his head. Malfoy seemed to be enjoying his pain.
"Come on Potter! Is that all you've got? The famous Harry Potter can't save himself, much less the wizarding world!" Malfoy just started letting out a shrill, mocking laugh. Harry could feel his anger start to boil. Harry started to raise himself up, but Malfoy noticed this. He pointed his wand at Harry and let out a cold 'Crucio Powup!'! Voldemort wanted to try out the new and much more painful Crucio curse. Voldemort's new and improed curse obviously had the intended effects. He watched and laughed even harder at Harry's pain and piercing screams that echoed throughout the dungeon. "Savior of the wizarding world?!? HA!" Malfoy was laughing so hard his stomach was starting to hurt while letting the curse continue on all the while enjoying Harry's pain. "This is what you get Potter for hanging out with that good for nothing , undeserving Weasley, who calls himself a pureblood and that horribly smelling, Mudblood slut!" Malfoy let the curse go as he was laughing far too hard. If Harry's anger was close to boiling a minute before, it was on fire now!
How dare he insult someone like Ron and Hermione! Malfoy didn't even compare to them!
Harry fought through the pain and raised himself up to face Malfoy and replied in a cold voice that sounded nothing like his own, "Now Lucius, I think we both know that I'm the better person. I'm not the one attacking someone without a wand that is three times my age. You may mock my friends and my life, but we all know that I'm the real man here. You, you are just a coward who is unworthy of calling himself Voldemort's faithful servant. You wish you could be half as loyal as Ron and your brains don't even begin to compare to Hermione's!"
Malfoy's laughing quickly ceased. How dare that brat of a kid call him that? Malfoy walked over to a wall with many different torturing tools. He pulled out this whip-like rope for the wall. At the end of the whip was a claw. Malfoy grinned his rich, millionaire grin and walked over to Harry.
Harry's beautiful, emerald eyes widened in pain before Malfoy even rared back to strike.
Malfoy just smiled brighter than ever. He rared back the whip and swung it forward. Harry dropped to the floor, so the claw wouldn't get his face. What was once clothes on his back was gone. He felt the nails of some evil claw connect with his back and go up towards his neck as tears poured from his eyes in pain. He just thought of all his loved ones: Remus, Dumbledore, Mrs. Weasley, Ginny, Ron, and….Hermione. Harry closed his eyes and gritted his teeth in pain, but let his heart dwell on Hermione. Oh Hermione how much I need you right now. Harry screamed and screamed as Malfoy laughed as he dug the claw into his back countless times until Harry passed out from the pain.
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Hermione shot up from bed. She had sweat dripping down her face. What she had just seen couldn't have been real. It made her want to puke! She dreamed, no had a nightmare, of what Harry was going through. Lucius Malfoy was using some kind of claw to torture Harry! Her Harry! She could have sworn she heard what sounded like Harry's voice, echoing something about needing her! This was by far her worst nightmare yet. There was no way she was going to sleep after that so she jumped up and and headed in the bathroom for a warm shower.
Meanwhile in Dumbledore's office, the Order members were still planning how to get Harry back. Harry had been there for a day now, and Snape wasn't allowed to see Harry so who knew what shape he was in. So far they planned to finish planning the rescue mission today, getting everything and everyone in place on Tuesday, and have Harry back at Hogwarts on Wednesday.
Hermione went on about her day not really focusing on anything. Her mind and heart was somewhere else with someone else although she would never admit to anyone, much less to herself, that she was in love with Harry. News traveled fast, and everyone was now giving her looks of sympathy knowing her love for Harry, even if she was too smart for her own good to know it. She had snapped at people who looked at her like that all day. Hermione hated people's pity especially when she wasn't the one who needed it right now. She could only imagine what Harry was going through…
Harry faintly heard footsteps knowing it must play time again. He wondered how long he had been in this cold dungeon. He wondered how much longer he had to be there, but those thoughts left him as he felt some people lifting him up. They took him and hung him by chains so he was sort of dangling in midair. Malfoy pulled out a knife, and Harry knew that the knife was just another one of Malfoy's new toys. How he wished someone was here to help him. He saw carvings on the knife and knew before Malfoy said anything this knife was full of magic…dangerous magic at that.
Lucius Malfoy walked up to Harry and said, "Well Harry, I have a new toy. It's a Meshe knife, very ancient magic is stored in here. I wonder how the Wizarding world's hero can cope with it? You want to find out Goyle?" Evidently there were other Death Eaters in there because he heard several grunt like laughs coming from the other side of the dungeon. Lucius Malfoy opened what was left of Harry's shirt and started carving into his flesh. He felt his warm blood flowing down as he started to drift off to unconsciousness.