A/N: Wow! It's been awhile. I apologize for the long stretch of nothingness. I've spent the last year researching and writing my thesis and there has been little time for anything else. But…I am happy to report that is done and I now have this amazing thing called `free time'! Fear not, this story is finished! There are two chapters after this one and they will be all be posted before the end of next week. It took two years, but I completed it! Hope you enjoy. The bad guy is revealed in this chapter, no one had figured it out, but I don't think I gave too many clues away that would have helped. So…please, reacquaint yourself with the story and I hope you haven't forgotten me.
Dark, foul smells and the dank oppressiveness of dark magics was the first thing to register with Hermione. She didn't try to open her eyes immediately, the left side of her face felt heavy and wet, she was sure that was where she had been hit. The last thing she remembered was trying to wake Ron and then sensing the presence of someone else too late. Time meant nothing right then, she had no idea how long she had been out or where she was. She could tell she had been tied to a chair, most likely with conjured ropes.
Hermione heard labored breathing to her right and hoped it was Ron. She tried not to move, in case she wasn't alone, the longer her captor thought her still unconscious the more time she had to get her bearings.
The space felt small, and very cramped. The dark magics she was feeling made her believe they were being kept in that terrible cellar she had stumbled over. She was chilled, and the back of her robes felt wet. Very, very slowly she opened her eyes far enough that she could peer through her lashes. The cellar was dark, the overhead door had been shut and there were no candles in the room, the only light came from a small ground level window in the back of the cellar. Once her eyes adjusted she could just make out the shape of the person she assumed to be Ron about four feet to her right. His head was slumped forward, and his arms seemed to have been tied behind him. Other than the sound of his breathing, there were no other noises until she heard a shuffling sound above her head. Their captor was still in the building.
Hermione had no idea where her wand was. She was nowhere near as proficient at wandless magic as Harry was but she was still capable of performing it. Not wanting to risk alerting their attacker she decided to try and get free before attempting to wake Ron. She concentrated hard on the ropes binding her, hoping she could sever them. The pounding in her head grew stronger, concentrating was difficult and only made the pain worse. After several tries she felt them starting to give and with one last effort the ropes became loose around her wrists. Just as she was about to jump up and run to Ron's side the trap door to the cellar suddenly opened up and she was unable to avoid a sudden movement to shut her eyes against the glare.
A low panic began to fill her head. Ron was still not awake and without her wand there wasn't much she would be able to do defensively. She managed to keep her arms behind her and held on to the ropes, hoping their attacker wouldn't notice they were no longer tied, the element of surprise was the only thing she had.
"Well, well, well. Dr. Granger, so nice of you to join us." A snide and evil voice rang out from above. A figure dropped down into the cellar and when he stood all she could see was a profile, the back light coming from the main floor not allowing her to see his face.
"I see your partner here is still being rude. Doesn't he know it's not nice to nap when you're a guest?" and with a sudden vicious movement landed a sharp kick to Ron's mid section. A dull groan was all that came from him and Hermione was now more concerned than ever. "Maybe someone should teach him a lesson." Two more kicks hit him in the same spot, the last one made the chair he was in topple on its side with him still in it.
"NO! Stop!!" Hermione screamed, torn between keeping her freedom a secret and going to Ron.
"Would you rather I give you this same treatment Dr.?" the voice said, turning towards her.
Hermione could feel tears threatening but held them at bay, not wanting this monster to know how he was affecting her. "Well, what's the difference really? Beat up a poor defenseless woman, or beat up someone who's already unconscious and can't fight back, you're still just a coward." The words came out before she could stop herself and she knew that taunting was probably not the best idea, but she had been trained by Moody and had spent a lot of time in the field with Harry and Ron, sometimes the sarcasm slipped out.
Faster than she expected a fist flew out of the darkness and the sting of her now split lip confirmed that goading him wasn't a good idea. Ron groaned again from the floor and Hermione felt a warmth of anger wash through her. She spit a mouthful of blood in front of her, secretly hoping she managed to hit the attacker's shoes. "Like I said. Coward."
The fist crashed down again and her vision dimmed for a moment this time. Blood flowed freely down her chin now and she thought she felt a loose tooth, `Damn, her parents were not going to be pleased about that'.
"You seem to be forgetting who exactly is in control here Dr. Granger, and it isn't you." He snarled and then finally stepped to where she could see him face.
It was the shopkeeper's son.
The recognition must have been evident on her face. "Ahh, she knows me. I should be so honored."
"Why are you doing this?" she asked, she had no clue how the boy was involved. She had assumed that the mother was the one behind anything here.
"You should know. It's your fault this has happened. It's your fault those people died. And it will be your fault when your friend here is dead as well."
Hermione's blood ran cold as he spoke. She knew she had never met him before, she had never even been in this country before the seminar, she had no idea how he could be blaming her for his actions.
"How is this my fault?" she asked, trying to keep her voice even and knowing that the longer he talked the better chance she had of Harry finding them or her getting them out of this mess alive.
"You started all of this, six years ago. Your actions have led you to this very moment Dr. Granger." He was practically spitting out his words now, each one punctuated with loathing and it was all directed at her.
"I'm sorry, but I don't know what you're talking about. Six years ago I was in England."
"So was I Dr. Granger, so was I. But I had to leave England because of you. Because you thought you could do whatever you wanted, because you thought you had all the power. Well, who has the power now?" he raised his wand and before Hermione could reply she was being hit with the cruciatus curse.
She had been hit by this curse before, but it didn't make it hurt any less. She gritted her teeth and tried not to make any sound, but an uncontrolled moan did escape. Her arms had locked behind her as her muscles tensed, the only good thing she could think to take from this.
It felt like it had been hours when he finally let the curse go and she slumped forward heavily in her seat, her head hanging low.
"Who are you?" she ground out
"I am Revenge. I am Payback. I am Vengeance and Retribution. I am that which you should fear Dr. Granger. I will be the one that shows you your actions have consequences."
The maniacal gleam in his eyes made her shudder and she allowed her head to hang again and tried to take in as much of the cellar as she could without being obvious. The room was mostly bare although she thought she could see the legs of a table behind him, other than the chairs her and Ron were tied to the room was empty.
Suddenly a hand reached out and snatched a handful of hair atop her head and jerked up painfully. She couldn't help but let out a surprised gasp. "Look at me Dr. Granger! You at least owe me that."
With her head bent back at an awkward angle she had no choice but to look into the face of her captor, the sneer on his face struck her as familiar although she couldn't place it.
"My mother was crushed you know. She had no family left, no money, she had no choices. You took her life away! You made her into the person she became and she made me into the person I became. You had a hand in my creation Dr. Granger. Aren't you proud?" he shoved hard as he released her and she felt her chair rock violently, it was only by luck that she didn't end up on the floor like Ron.
Hermione racked her brain trying to think of what he could be talking about, but she was coming up empty. She knew she had to keep him talking. In a flash, she remembered the boy's name.
"Tony…it's Tony right?" she asked tentatively
"Ahhh, she remembers." He responded sarcastically. "I was named after my father Dr. Granger. Does that help?"
"I'm sorry, I don't know anyone named Tony." She hoped this was some sort of bizarre mix up they had gotten involved in.
"No, you wouldn't remember would you. Too busy doing what every you wanted." He growled, now beginning to pace the short width of the cellar.
Hermione decided a new tactic was needed to distract him. "Where's your mother Tony? She wouldn't want you to do this."
Before she even finished her sentence, he began to laugh and it sent chills right down her spine. He leaned in close to her, as if he were about to tell her a secret. "She's the one who made me do this. She's been training me to do this for the past six years."
Hermione swallowed audibly. She could hear Ron beginning to stir but didn't dare look in his direction. "What do you mean she's been training you?"
"Exactly what it sounds like. She's been planning this since it happened, since you ruined everything!" the pacing became more frantic now
"Where is your mother Tony? Is she a part of this?" Hermione was almost afraid to ask, not knowing what reaction it might provoke in him.
"My mother became weak. She didn't want to play by the rules anymore, the rules she made! She didn't want me to finish what I started. But I always finish, I'm a good boy and I do as I am told. And for the past six years all I have been told is that I would make you pay for what you did to my father!" he was shouting at the end and she shrank back into her chair as far as she could.
"Where is your mother Tony?" Hermione asked again, terrified at what he might say.
"Mum's not here anymore. She had to go." He jerked his head to the wall behind Hermione and she was afraid to look.
"No, go on, see what happened to dear `ol mum." He encouraged, pointing again.
Hermione kept her eyes fixed ahead, refusing to look.
He stalked the short distance towards her and jerked her head to the wall. "Look!! Look at what happens to traitors!"
There, just like Max Donnegan was the shopkeeper. Tacked to the wall, arms and legs spread wide, eyes permanently fixed open with a look of complete shock and fear forever frozen on her face.
Hermione groaned and tried to turn her head back, but he held it fast. "Look! Take a good look at her, your friend is next!"
"NO! Leave him alone you bastard!" she struggled harder and finally wrenched her head free from his grip. Hermione was now panting furiously, the fear creeping in from all sides and threatening to take over.
"I don't know you! I don't know your father or your mother! This is a mistake!" Hermione was desperate now, she didn't know how they would get out of this, and if he was psychotic enough to kill his own mother she knew he wouldn't hesitate to kill her and Ron too.
"It's no mistake!" he spat "For someone of your proclaimed intelligence I'm surprised at you."
Ron chose that moment to regain consciousness. Hermione heard his breathing change and the sounds of him struggling against his restraints.
"'Mione!" Ron gasped out, his ribs were on fire and breathing and speaking were painful
Tony spun on his heel and focused his attention on Ron "Well, well, well. You've decided to join us." He reached down and righted the chair with no consideration of Ron's injuries.
Ron's stomach rolled as the burning in his ribs flared and he struggled to stay aware. His eyes cut frantically around looking for Hermione and he let out an audible sound of relief when he saw she was alive, although injured. `Where the hell is Harry?' he thought. This worried him more than anything, he didn't know how long they had been there, but surely Harry would have known something was wrong with them by now, unless Caige had done something to him.
"All right Mione?" he asked, purposely ignoring the man in front of him
"Never better Ron" she replied, with the cheekiest grin she could muster.
"Enough!!" Tony roared "I was just explaining to Dr. Granger here how she is responsible for everything that has happened, including your death."
"I'm not dead yet you sick bastard" he ground out "and Hermione has never met you before, how can she be responsible for anything?"
"Oh she is, I assure you." And he smiled that twisted smile again before turning back to Hermione.
"Now that you are both awake, I believe it's only polite that I introduce myself properly, my mother did teach me manners after all." He made a gesture towards the wall behind them and on instinct Ron turned to look, immediately wishing he hadn't.
"Bloody hell!" Ron exclaimed and turned his head away "You killed your own mother! What kind of monster are you?"
"Ron!" Hermione exclaimed sharply.
"She was weak! She wanted to stop, said it had gone too far, but I would not allow that. I will have revenge for my father's death!" He knelt down before Hermione and she saw Ron try to lunge towards her to no avail.
Leaning in, so close that she could feel his breath on her cheek, she shrank back as far as she could but he continued to follow.
In a whisper so soft she could barely hear it over the sound of her pounding heart, he said "My name is Antonin Dolohov Jr., Dr. Granger. I believe you knew my father."
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