The Sugar Quills
Ship: Harry Potter/Hermione Granger | Chapter Words: 1207 | Last Update: 6 Jan 06 | Rating: PG
After School has ended and a lot of the students have joined the Order of the Phoenix, Harry is led to Voldemort
by mistake and trapped. Harry's friends have to do strange things to get him back.
Chapter 4: Lights, Openings, Voldemort and Endurance
Lights shone from every direction onto Hermione's face, it was brighter here, wherever she was, than it had been on the stage, her eyes began to sting with the intense light she was forced to shut them causing a falling feeling to overcome her.
Opening her eye's quickly to stop the feeling Hermione found herself standing the middle of an empty room, so empty there where no visible walls, just white space, it was far too confusing so she closed her eyes again. This time when she opened them she had a whole new sight to take in.
Voldemort was standing right in front of her, so close she could feel the heat from his face on her own, she would have backed away but she thought this would show signs of weakness so she stood her ground staring him in the face with determination.
'Endurance is a very good skill to learn, do you have it?' he asked but Hermione didn't answer. 'Have you ever been given a pain so unbearable that you wished you were dead right there and then?' again Hermione didn't answer. Voldemort moved from his place and started walking around her, she now had the chance to look at her surroundings, she was stood not in the middle of a room or surrounded by white space, but in the middle of an open field, green grass flowing in the wind at her feet and for as far as the eye could see. 'WORMTAIL' Voldemort's voice was sudden and loud in her right ear causing her to jump.
'Yes master' the mouse of a man said approaching from Hermione's left and stepping into her line of vision.
'Give Miss Granger the chain' Voldemort instructed. Hermione expected to be brought a large silver metal chain that would be tied around her and secured to something, although, she had no idea what. She was shocked when instead of disappearing and reappearing with chain, Wormtail dug a hand into his robe pocket and pulled out a small gold chain, it was only about 8 cm in length and was decorated with small lightning bolts, and at each end was a stud earring. Wormtail held it out to her and she took it.
'What would I want this for?' Hermione asked looking around to where Voldemort had moved.
'There are many types of endurance Miss Granger; can you think what pain I could inflict on you with this?' Hermione didn't answer again; she was extremely worried about this conversation and tried her hardest not to let it show on her face.
'Master' Wormtail said as Hermione held out the chain to give it back.
'You've accepted the chain Granger, now you have to keep it.' Voldemort said, not looking around, he already know what she had done.
'I don't want it, and I can't use it!' She whispered still holding out the chain to Wormtail.
'Shame, drop it if you don't want it. BUT...' Voldemort stopped and looked at Hermione, she still had hold of the chain, she had been on the verge of letting it go. '... Be warned, if you drop it...' he crept up behind her and started to whisper into her ear so that only she could hear his words. '...both you and Harry Potter will die' Hermione instinctively tightened her grip on the chain.
'What do you want with me?' Hermione asked more calmly than she felt, this was scarier than waiting backstage to start the show.
'You have to wear it, simple as that, wear it all day for as long as it needs, it will vanish when its don't what it needs.' Voldemort said slowly and casually walking around to face Hermione who dropped her head to look at the chain again, she kept her head down for a few moments before raising her head to look determinably at Voldemort.
'Where's Harry' Voldemort's face twisted into a deviant smile.
'You are in no position to demand that information'.
'I'm in the perfect position to request it, I'd rather kill us both than bend to your command.' The smile on Voldemort's face vanished, he took two steps to close the gap between him and Hermione and put his own face up close to hers before whispering.
'You're treading thin ice girl, you wouldn't kill him because if you did, I would....'
'Be back where you were before Harry almost killed you' Hermione finished not bothering to lower her voice. 'Which puts you in quite a predicament because back where you were was losing?' Voldemort raised his left arm quickly and brought it down across Hermione's face, knocking her to the ground and leaving a thin cut across her right cheek where his wand had struck her. As she reached up to touch the pained skin the cut began to bleed. She showed no sign that this bothered her more, instead, with the chain still in hand, Hermione climbed back to her feet and back to face Voldemort. 'Where is Harry?'.
'Bring the boy' Voldemort ordered quietly still with his face close to Hermione's.
'Master?' Wormtail's voice quivered with fear as he questioned his master's orders.
'BRING THE BOY' Voldemort yelled still not turning to look at him and failing to make Hermione jump.
Wormtail returned moments later from seemingly nowhere, with Harry.
'You've seen he's fine, now wear the chain' Voldemort demanded from his position next to Hermione with his back to her.
'Now who's being demanding?' Hermione shot before locking eyes with Harry, but she only had a moment to do this. Voldemort's temper had run thin, and Hermione seemed to have stepped over the line. He turned suddenly closed the gap and wrapped his hands around her neck.
'I've had enough of playing games with you' Hermione gasped for air but didn't give into the fear that was staining to take over her body 'You agree to wear it, or I force it on you, so which will it be?'.
'Never' Hermione whispered taking as deep a breath as she possibly could. Voldemort let go of her and indicated to Wormtail, who let go of the struggling Harry, within seconds Voldemort and Wormtail had switched place and Wormtail suddenly pinned Hermione to ground, raised his wand pointing it at the top of Hermione's ear and was about to say his spell when Harry interjected.
'YOU OWE ME!' he yelled from his spot only meters away causing Wormtail to shut his mouth and eyes. 'You owe me' he whispered 'I saved your life, you owe me, let her go!'
'WHAT?' Voldemort roared glaring at Wormtail who cowered away from Hermione and crawled on all fours to his master's feet where he received a swift kick. 'Do your task Wormtail' Voldemort Ordered.
'But master, I can't, I owe the boy, he has as...' Wormtail was cut off by Voldemort wrapping his hands around his neck and starting to strangle him, Harry took this opportunity, moved quickly away from Voldemort, pulled Hermione to her feet and dragged her away from the two men running as fast as he possibly could. They could hear Voldemort's angry yells and cursing from a distance but within minutes they were out of sight, but didn't stop.
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