Unofficial Portkey Archive

Chapter Thirty-Five

THE SNAKE IN THE STRONGHOLD

"I really don't see how we're going to find this trapdoor if it's been disillusioned," Ron hissed, swearing loudly as he stubbed his toe on another tree branch. He grumbled, "There has to be another way to do this."

"There isn't one that I know of," Hermione snapped. She was in a testy mood, Harry knew, because they had been searching for the door now for almost twenty minutes now without any success. She stopped and tilted her head down, one hand shading her eyes and the other on her hip. "You're too close to the line of trees, anyway. Come back over here. When I said on the lake, I meant on the lake."

Harry sighed. Ron, at least, had been in good spirits when they left the castle, but as soon as they had gotten to the lakeshore and out from underneath the invisibility cloak, the bickering had begun. "It's not going to help anything if the two of you are at each other's throats," he said diplomatically, "and it's certainly not what we need right now. Can't you two call a truce, at least for awhile?"

His eyes, though ill adjusted to the dark, saw Ron trudge back, towards them and away from the forest's edge. Ron patted Hermione's back in a friendly manner as he passed her, lumbering over to Harry's side and standing shoulder-to-shoulder with his other best friend. He, too, seemed to be squinting in the darkness. Finally, he sighed and withdrew his wand from his pants pocket. Pulling up a corner of his shirt from where it was tucked in his pants, he stuck the wand underneath the fabric and muttered, "Lumos." When he realized that the other two were staring at him, he just sighed.

"Ron," Hermione whispered, "all of Hagrid's lights are still on! Didn't we agree not to use any light of our own so that he wouldn't see?"

"Well, it didn't seem that we were getting too far without any," Ron retorted. "Look, we have to find that door. If one of you can find a better way to do it, then I'll cast nox and... Dammit! I didn't mean put that out just then. Lumos!"

Hermione looked first at him, then at Harry, and dissolved into giggles at once. The heavy air between the three friends broken at last, Harry did what he could to push her harsh words of earlier to the back of his mind, drawing his own wand. Like Ron, he covered the tip of it with his shirt to keep the light it scattered to a minimum. It was still such a noticeable improvement that he couldn't help but think there was no way they wouldn't find the trapdoor now.

But after another twenty minutes of searching, they weren't any farther than they had been before lighting up their wands. Harry and Ron were so discouraged that they had taken to blasting disillusionment charms every few feet, but to no avail. Hermione was so frustrated that she looked to be on the verge of tears. Finally, she said miserably, "Maybe it wasn't meant to be."

Harry, even as he reminded himself how much her declaration in the prefect bathroom had hurt, hated the dispirited look she currently wore. "Hey, don't just give up," he said quietly, touching her shoulder. "We aren't."

"But I'm obviously wrong about something," said Hermione, sounding rather distressed at this possibility. Ron walked over to her, squeezing her other shoulder.

"Why don't you sit down over there for a second?" he suggested, gesturing vaguely with one hand. "Harry and I'll keep looking, and I know we'll find it yet."

Hermione nodded, and although tears were still threatening to stain her cheeks, she did as she was told and plopped down on the slightly damp grass. She crossed her legs Indian-style, dropped her elbows to her knees, rested her chin on her hands, and a few seconds later screamed. Harry and Ron, startled, glanced over to where she had been sitting, but she wasn't there anymore.

Not bothering to keep the light to the minimum, Harry pulled his wand unceremoniously out from under his shirt, practically charging forward. Where Hermione had been sitting, there was now an earthen hole, a grass-and-dirt covered door dangling down into it. He shook his wand until the amount of light it dispelled was the greatest possible. Hermione was at the bottom of the shaft, looking a little worse for the wear.

"Hermione!" he called down, probably a little more frantically than necessary. Almost at once he noticed the ladder that was attached to one side of the hollow, and he started down it as quickly as he could, which wasn't that quickly at all considering he was trying to look back at her and hold on to his wand all at the same time. "Are you okay?"

"I-I think that I found the trapdoor," said Hermione shakily. She did not stand, which worried him.

"But are you okay?" Harry said. He was nearly to the floor now, so he hopped off the ladder despite the fact that there were several more rungs to it.

"I-I think I've-" Hermione started, but she didn't finish. "Would you help me up?"

Harry didn't need to be told twice. He had already pocketed his wand and stooped to her level, so all he had to do was steady her and help her off the floor. "Okay?" he asked, his arms still around her as they straightened.

"Yeah, are you all right, Hermione?" asked Ron, who had just hopped off the ladder in the same way Harry had. He stood there for a second, regarding his two best friends as he rubbed his hands together to get the dirt off of them, before telling Harry, "I shut the trapdoor on my way down-that okay?"

Harry nodded, but his attention was still on Hermione. Again, he asked, "Are you okay?"

"Just fine," said Hermione, though her hands did not move from where they were gripping Harry's left shoulder, one on top of the other, even when he dropped his arms from around her waist.

"You sure?" Harry said, glancing back to Ron, who shrugged.

"Positive," said Hermione, but when she smiled at him and stepped forward, her leg collapsed beneath her and left her wincing on the ground once more. Gritting her teeth and placing her hand on her foot, she admitted. "Well, maybe with the exception of this ankle." She cringed. "And my knee is a little sore as well."

"One's broken, the other's probably sprained," said Harry, trying to keep the anger out his voice. He bent down to help her again and almost immediately felt that anger leave him. She was in pain, that much was obvious, and it was impossible for him to say mad at her for any length of time. "See," he said softly, wrapping his arms around her waist and lifting her up again, "this is why I didn't want you coming along."

"I'll be fine," said Hermione reassuringly, and for a moment, as their eyes locked, Harry was able to forget what she had-or rather hadn't-said to him earlier. He bit his lip. "Let's just... get on with it, shall we? I think I can manage on my own."

"I don't think so," said Harry, shaking his head. "I don't think it's a good idea for you to continue on that at all. You need to see Madam Pomfrey, not crawl through a maze of tunnels right now. Come on, let's get you out here."

"Harry," said Hermione forcefully, "we need to go down there."

"You can't manage it," said Harry. "It can wait."

Hermione didn't say anything, but she did cast a pleading look towards Ron. He cleared his throat. "Er, Harry, I hate to say it, but I'm starting to feel it to. It's creepy down here, yes, but I think we're doing the right thing."

There. For a second, Harry stood in stunned silence at Ron's declaration, and he felt it too. Something about this place was drawing them in; there was urgency even as they stood there. Finally, he swallowed hard and nodded. "I agree, but I think you need to stay here, Hermione. Ron and I can go check things out and report back to you."

"Please don't leave me here alone," said Hermione quietly, staring into his eyes still. "I want to go, too."

"You stay with her-" Harry started, but he was suddenly unable to continue. A pain burst forth in his forehead, and he forgot that he was supporting Hermione, and he reached up to his old scar. When the pain subsided, he was vaguely aware that he was the one lying on the cold dirt floor. Hermione had fallen against him, but Ron had already snatched her up. Hermione looked terrified and rather seemed to want to escape Ron's grasp and go to Harry.

"Are you all right?" Hermione asked shrilly when he began to massage his temple. She was still squirming about in Ron's arms, so much so that Ron sighed and gently lowered her down to the ground so that she would be on Harry's level. Harry, who had already managed to prop himself up, was nearly knocked flat when she hugged him.

"Hey, I'm fine," said Harry, though in reality his head was throbbing and he wasn't quite sure if standing was such a good idea. "Are you?"

"Why are you asking me?" Hermione said, her cheeks reddening as she let go of him.

"Because I think I dragged you down with me," said Harry with a sigh. He managed to lift himself off the ground; this time, he was the one brushing his hands and clothing free of dirt.

Hermione shifted into what had to be a more comfortable position. She looked up at him but did not seem to expect him to help her up again. "Ron caught me."

And the three friends just looked at each other. Finally, Ron broke the silence, not with words but with several sneezes. He smiled sheepishly and seemed to realize, like it had many times before, that the obligation of speaking first had fallen to him.

"What just happened, Harry?" he asked.

"I don't know," said Harry, his hand still over his forehead, pushing his unruly hair out of the way. Finally, he let his hand drop. "My scar hurt, that's all."

"Never a good sign," said Ron, letting out a low whistle. Hermione did no such thing, but a small frown came to her face.

"Harry, bend down for a second, will you?" she asked quietly. He did as he was told, and Hermione did something that surprised him. She reached up and touched his scar lightly. He hadn't expected it sting when she did, and he jerked his head away quickly.

"Harry, it's bleeding," said Hermione softly. She held up her fingers, which, sure enough, had a faint smear of blood on them. "I-I thought it looked raw."

"It feels raw," Harry muttered, keeping his hand over his forehead without. His heart was beating much faster than he thought it should, but he wasn't about to say anything of the sort to his two friends. "Well," he said diplomatically, "we had better get going."

Ron and Hermione just stared at him.

"You mean to tell me," said Ron incredulously, "that you're not even fazed that your scar is bleeding?"

"It's a little disheartening, yes, but I figure it's a sign that we better get a move on," said Harry briskly. "You ready?" he repeated, bending over and looping an arm around Hermione's back, his other hand resting on her hip.

"Or it's a sign that this entire thing is a big mistake," said Hermione quietly. It was the first time all evening that she had shown doubt in what they were doing, and it in fact frightened Harry more than his bleeding scar, had.

"I thought there was something for us to do here," said Harry kindly.

"I think that there is," Hermione responded, "but that doesn't mean it couldn't be a big mistake."

Ron uncomfortably shifted his weight from one foot to the other in the background, and Harry knew at once he was ill at ease watching the two of them at the moment. He decided not to say what he had intended to, saying instead, "What's got you down all of a sudden?"

"The realization that this is the real deal," said Hermione quietly. "That one of us could get hurt."

"You already did," Harry pointed out.

"I don't care about me," said Hermione. "I care about you and Ron."

"Well, I care about you and Ron, too," said Harry, managing the greatest smile that he could. "And I say that neither of you is going to get hurt, at least not anymore than you already are." He looked at her pointedly. "Come on. I think we need to get going."

Harry kept a firm arm around Hermione as they moved forward, fully expecting either her or Ron to say something, but no response came. He really didn't know what he was waiting for or even what he was moving towards, but with each step they took, he felt the sense of dread in the pit of his stomach grow. He was having trouble remembering what they had come here for and even more trouble considering what they would find. He thought he remembered something about finding answers, but he couldn't remember asking any questions. He was so lost in thought that he found his movement through the chambers and passages and chutes nearly mechanical.

"Careful," he said as he and Ron helped Hermione over a particularly steep drop-off not more than fifty paces from where they had started.

"You can't keep walking on that," he had said a few minutes later when she stepped too hard on her injured ankle, which reminded the trio of the existence of splint charms. Ron had cast one-he remembered the incantation from the incident in the Shrieking Shack all those years before and hadn't needed Hermione to give it to him. She still needed Harry's help then, but not nearly as much as before.

"Slow down," he had called when Ron had gotten rather far ahead of them.

"What are your thoughts about levitation?" he had asked when they came to a ladder of at least a hundred rungs. Much to his surprise, Hermione had shrugged, and he had been able to put aside even the deepest of his thoughts then, seeing as he did not want to drop her.

That's where they were now: Harry, lowering Hermione the final few feet to the ground; Hermione, her eyes closed in understandable nerves; Ron, trying his hardest not to laugh from where he was standing, which was several paces behind Harry. When she was safely back on the ground, Ron burst out laughing, which only caused the other two to scowl.

"What was funny about that?" they demanded at the same time. Ron just shook his head, muttered something under his breath, and started walking again.

"Lumos," said Harry, recasting the spell. He held his wand out in front of him only to see Ron disappear around the next bend in the passageway. "Wait up, will you!"

"I'm not more than twenty paces ahead of you!" Ron called back. "It's not like you're going to lose me!"

"We're not, Harry," Hermione pointed out. She had seemed a little out of it until that moment, looking slightly dazed following Harry's feet of levitation. He grabbed her arm anyway. "I'm not sure if that's the spell to use for human levitation."

At once, Harry's brow furrowed. "What do you use? Did I hurt you? I didn't mean to! Are you going to be all right? Is there something I can do for you?"

"It's `mobilicorpus,' you didn't hurt me, I'm fine already, so there's nothing you need to do." Hermione raised an eyebrow. "You wouldn't have been able to levitate me using the other anyway, not without practicing you wouldn't, so if you had I would have surely been injured. Does that answer all your questions?"

"Yes, actually, it does," said Harry, matching her arched eyebrow. He gave her a second, as it seemed she was trying to catch her breath, then asked if she was ready. He began to put an around her when she said yes, but she scooted away from him.

"I want to see if I'm at least capable of managing on my own," said Hermione quickly, and Harry probably would have let her try if it had not been for the shakiness of even her first two steps. He strode forward easily and offered her a steadying hand. That was all she really needed.

"Are you coming or not?" By this time, Ron had obviously grown tired of waiting for them and had trudged back around the corner. He waved his wand around a bit before catching them in its glow, and Harry realized for the first time how similar the passage they were walking in was to the Hogwarts castle. It was so similar, in fact, that Harry suspected it might actually be an original part of it. "How much longer do we have to go, Hermione?"

"I think we're getting close," said Hermione, and she extended an arm behind her to point to the ladder. "I remember him levitating me down that particular chute. He put me in a full body bind first and let me fall the last several feet."

Harry and Ron exchanged uneasy looks in what light they had. It was so dark in these chambers that their glowing wands barely seemed to penetrate it. They went first around the bend Ron had called from, then around another, and another, and another. There wasn't more than one way to go through the intricate passageways, but Harry still felt rather like he was trying to find his way through a maze and probably not making a very good go of it.

Harry became so lost in thought once more that he would have walked off a drop-off had Ron not grabbed him by the back of his shirt and hauled him back. He muttered a quick, embarrassed apology as he slid carefully down from one level to the next. Ron helped Hermione over, and once Harry had her in his arms, Ron scrambled down as well. Harry could tell, even in the few seconds that Hermione was in his arms, that her breathing had become short and ragged. They couldn't have been far from the dungeons she had mentioned or she wouldn't have been so nervous. He stepped forward.

All at once, the short corridor before them was illuminated and Harry's scar began to ache again. He tried to ignore the blinding pain in his forehead as to not worry his friends, but it was so much that he couldn't help but stumble. He probably would have fallen if it hadn't been for Ron grabbing his arm and yanking him up.

"Scar?" asked Ron, and Harry was finally able to nod as the pain subsided. "I guess that the light wasn't the only thing triggered by your movement."

Those intense moments of pain had actually made Harry forget the sudden appearance of light in the hall. He blinked several times. Up and down the corridor, on either wall, there were a tremendous number of sconces, each one now burning bright. Harry's heart sank: something about his movement had caused them to light, and he couldn't see how that was a good sign. He stepped closer to one of the sconces to inspect it, and his heart sank even further. It wasn't any ordinary candleholder; it was carved in the shape of a snake. Harry was so worried about what the sudden radiance meant that he almost did not see Hermione begin limping determinedly forward in the direction of the door. He caught her wrist.

"Is this it?" Harry asked quietly. "Are the rooms the only things that lie beyond?"

Hermione nodded slowly. "Let's go," she said, but then she hesitated. From her side she withdrew a thin piece of wood Harry was very familiar with-her wand. He wasn't sure what she meant with it until she forced into his palm, closed his fingers around it, and whispered, "Just in case."

Harry pocketed the wand, swallowing heavily. He might need it if they found Krum in one of the rooms beyond and certainly if they found Voldemort. He felt hot and cold and sick all at once when he made note of that possibility.

Ron moved faster than Harry could with Hermione and reached the door first. It looked heavy, made of dark wood that surprisingly wasn't rotting, edged and detailed in some kind of magical metal. Ron held it open for them, but even so, Harry noticed that the handle was also a forged snake.

Like the hallway before it, this room also illuminated as they stepped in. Hermione had been right about the appearance of this dungeon-there was little difference between it and the Chamber of Secrets. Harry swallowed hard when something on the floor began to move, immediately putting his wand to it. There was a walkway through the center of the room, and on either side of it, animated stone snakes slithered. Harry found Hermione shifting every near him.

The trio crossed the room quickly, and though his experience in the Chamber of Secrets had been more than enough for one lifetime, Harry was quick to shuffle through the second door with Hermione and into the second room. Again, the sconces and chandeliers and floating candles in the room were quick to illuminate, which only served to give the trio a better look at the colossal snake statues on either side of the third door. Through the third door they went, through the third brightened room. Harry, who had held his breath as they entered each of the first three rooms, found himself relaxing slightly with each empty room despite the increased presence of carved snakes and other sinister Slytherin-like touches. They entered the fourth room, which was as bright at the others and fortunately just as clear.

That was when Hermione slipped away from Harry on an unsteady leg that made him cringe with its every wobbly footfall. He stopped dead in his tracks when she left the path and its edging of slithering stone snakes, causing Ron to run into him. Ron swore loudly, but even then Harry barely noticed anything. He was quite relieved when Hermione finally reached the wall.

"Here's where the other victims were," said Hermione, her fingers brushing lightly across one spot. "I-I can't remember where all of them where, but J-john was right here, and D-dennis was right here and-" she returned to the center of the room "-and he healed my broken leg here. I-I-"

Instead of finishing her thought, she limped determinedly forward and through the next door, leaving the boys no choice but to follow her. She went through the next door, and the next, and another after that. If Harry had gotten the numbers right as she told her story, then there would be one more door after this, one more room after that. His heart was positively racing now, so afraid was he to encounter whatever might be beyond that door. He was actually several paces behind Hermione, and as her hand took hold of that last door handle, he wished very much to be right with her. This door creaked slowly open, and Hermione walked through its frame. Harry followed her, holding his breath.

But the room was empty-devoid of people, devoid of stone snakes, devoid of all that had made him so nervous in the first place. Harry was so relieved that a grin broke out across his face, and Ron let out a low whistle, declaring, "Things just got a whole lot better."

Hermione was not so quick to celebrate, but when she grinned, her smile was wider than either of the boys. However, when she hobbled into the middle of the room, that smile vanished, and Harry's disappeared with it at once. Quietly, she said, "He tried to hurt me here."

"That does it," Harry whispered to Ron. "I don't care if she... well, I don't care about what she said earlier. I'm not letting her do this to herself." He cleared his throat. "Her-" He whipped his head around, stopping before he could even get her name out, because he hadn't expected to feel any resistance when he tried to step forward. Sure enough, Ron was holding him back by a handful of his shirt. The redhead arched an eyebrow, which only prompted Harry to grumble, "You're not supposed to be the sensible one."

Ron just smiled, folding his arms across his chest. "Hey Herms, all right?"

Hermione turned slowly around, and slowly, slowly, her face broke into another grin. "We didn't have anything to worry about," she said slowly. "We didn't have anything to worry about!"

And moving faster than Harry thought possible with an untended broken ankle, Hermione hugged Ron and then threw her arms around Harry. "We didn't have anything to worry about," she whispered happily. Harry could not help but smile, and even Ron, behind them, seemed to approve. She pulled out of his embrace but kept her hands on his upper arms "Earlier-Harry-what I meant to say was-" she laughed nervously, glancing down. Then she smiled and looked back up, her cheeks faintly pink. "I-I think I'm in-"

But the stones of the wall behind them had begun to move. The made the most horrible scratching noise and the turned and slid and shifted into an archway around a magnificent door. The stones stopped, the door opened, but what lay beyond in the shadows remained concealed. From them came the sound of horrible, heavy footsteps as they approached, and-

"Hermy-own-ninny, I am very disappointed in you. How could you and your dim-vitted friends forget about this door?"

Viktor Krum stepped out of the shadows, his nose still hooked, his shoulders still hunched, his eyebrows still thick and bushy. "Vell," he said, "if it isn't Potter, Veasley, and my own Hermy-own-ninny. For you, I haff been votching." The corners of his lips curled upward in a smirk as his gazed settled on each of the boys in turn. Hermione had turned in Harry's arms, and he quickly shoved her behind him. Still, Krum stepped forward, extending his arm towards her. "For you, I haff been vaiting."

* * *

For the next few seconds, Harry's senses felt as though they were on overload, and he made his first mistake immediately. When the jet of light burst first forth from Krum's wand tip and magically sealed the door behind him, Harry drew his own wand. Krum took care of that immediately. "Expelliarmus!" he shouted, and the force of the spell was so tremendous that it disarmed both Harry and Ron at once, and, in Ron's case, propelled his body forcefully backward as his wand rocketed forward. The thud that resounded upon Ron's impact rang true in Harry's ears for several moments, as did the cracking of what could only be one of his friend's bones.

Ron picked himself up off the floor but wore an expression so pained with effort that Harry wished his friend had stayed down. A few seconds later, he knew that Ron should have. With a hoarse chuckle, Krum stepped forward and shot ropes around each of the boys' wrists, magical twine that would not break. That was another sound Harry would not forget-it swished through the air like a gentle breeze, but then it made a horrible snapping sound as it wound painfully tight around his wrists, digging into his flesh. Within seconds, he felt something wet and warm on his hands, and he knew that the cords were just tight enough to draw blood. It startled Harry, but it wasn't a great concern for long because he was hit suddenly with another burst of light from Krum's wand, and this one brought him to his knees and bound him to the floor.

Harry gritted his teeth, not wanting Krum to know how much the ropes were hurting or how uncomfortable it was to kneel as he was. He glanced first back to Hermione, sure that his relief was visible when he saw that she was still free to move-she had backed all the way up to the wall and was glancing from him to Ron with a look of sheer horror on her face. Harry glanced over at Ron as her arms darted in that direction again. Ron was certainly the palest Harry had seen him in a long time, but his teeth were gritted much like Harry's own, and he seemed just as determined to give Krum the least satisfaction possible. It was only then that Krum seemed to notice the boys' attitudes, and again he raised his wand.

"Stop! They're not going anywhere; why do you have to hurt them?"

Harry's head whipped around in amazement. Hermione was trembling, her hands clenched in fists and pressed firmly against the wall behind her, yet she had still managed to stand up for them. His amazement didn't last long, however, and he wished almost at once that she had not said anything. Krum's eyes narrowed at her words; he did not look happy.

"Hermy-own-ninny, do you not think that is vot I vant?" said Krum thickly. "You alvays vere very idealistic."

But Hermione stood her ground. "What have they ever done to you?" she demanded. "Nothing! So you don't want them to get away, all right. I understand that, but there's no need for added roughness!"

"Do not try and reason," said Krum sourly. "You are speaking of things you haff not understanding of." He raised his wand, and Harry found himself looking towards his shoulder, unable to bear the thought of Hermione getting hurt. However, instead of hexing her, Krum lowered his wand again, and extended his arm. The corners of his mouth began to turn upwards once more as his finger curled in and out, gesturing her to come to him. "Hermy-own-ninny, be a good girl and come here."

Harry could practically feel her stiffen against the wall behind him. Silently, he urged her not step forward, and she seemed to be getting the message. Krum's eyes flashed.

"Hermy-own-ninny," he said again, "come here."

Again, she did not make a move to come forward. Krum had looked displeased when she initially did not respond to his command, but when he had to repeat himself, his face fell into unmistakable fury.

"You vill come here, Hermy-own-ninny," he said, but she still did not come. Krum stamped his foot. "You vill come here this instant, Hermy-own-ninny, you vill come here, or-" another smirk suddenly spread across his features "-or I vill haff to kill Potter over there."

"No!"

Krum and Hermione looked at once to Harry, and if he were to crane his neck in Ron's direction, Harry was fairly certain his best friend would be looking his way as well. "Don't do it, Hermione," said Harry in a low voice, never taking his eyes off Krum. "He'll hurt you, and I don't want that."

"I vill be happy to hurt you instead, Potter," said Krum, pulling his wand back out and pointing it in his direction. "I vill-"

"You are not going to hurt him," said Hermione as forcefully as she could manage, which was only so much considering how terrified she was at the given moment. She limped forward slowly.

"Hermione, please don't-"

"I am not going to let him do anything else to you," said Hermione sharply as she passed Harry, not looking at him. She shook her head and muttered, "Honestly!" before stopping a few feet in front of Viktor, and even though Harry knew she was absolutely terrified, she said bravely, "Is this what you wanted?"

Krum smiled wickedly. "Not quite," he said, and he advanced on her so quickly that she screamed, but only for a few seconds because he effectively silenced her, bending down and pressing his lips roughly to hers, kicking at her injured leg. That, in combination with the desperate attempt she was making to get away from him, caused her to lose her balance, which put her at even more disadvantage-Krum caught her, but he took it as an opportunity to slide one of his hands up her leg and beneath her skirt. Harry knew what he was doing to her, and as sick as it made him, it also made him angry. He struggled against the magic binding him to the floor until his knees were bleeding through his pants, until sweat dripped down his forehead, until Krum finally pulled away from Hermione and shoved her to the ground.

That was all it took-Harry felt his anger explode first within him and then radiate off him, and in one smooth motion, Krum was lifted off his feet and flung at least halfway across the room, hitting the floor on his side with a rather satisfying thud. He was slow to rise, and Harry's spirits would have been quick to soar if it hadn't been for Hermione's ragged breathing and half-released sobs. He opened his mouth to say something but found that the sudden burst of magic had taken more out of him than he had thought, so he was relieved when Ron's voice called out tentatively, "Hermione?"

Hermione was doing her best to sit up. She would not look at either of them as she answered. "I'm all right," she mumbled, and that was when Harry began hating himself for not insisting she stay behind with Ron. Sure, he would have had to face Krum alone, but it would have been better than her having to endure that. His stomach began to knot up with the realization it would probably happen again if they did not do something, and he didn't see that happening, at least not anytime soon. Harry swallowed hard just as Krum rose to his full height.

"Potter," he growled, advancing on him. "Cr-"

Harry closed his eyes, ready to endure whatever Unforgivable Krum chose to throw at him, but no pain came. He finally dared open his eyes. Krum was obviously waiting for him to. With a sick smile, he quickly whirled around and aimed his wand at Hermione. "Crucio!"

Certain all the color had drained from his face, Harry whipped his head to the side. He couldn't bear to see Hermione's convulsions, not when he could still hear her screams of anguish. The possibility that Krum was using the `improved' form of the Cruciatus Curse Voldemort had mentioned to Hermione crossed his mind, but Harry did his best to force the thought aside. No sooner had he done that, Krum shouted again, "Crucio!"

This time, of course, it was for him. Harry vaguely recalled that it had been almost exactly a year since he endured the curse for the first time, after the Triwizard Tournament, but it wasn't a thought that lasted for long. His bones were burning within him, his limbs were being ripped from his body, his organs were being crushed. If only Krum had just killed him, if only, if only, if only...

Finally the pain subsided, and Harry found himself sprawled out backward on the floor, his arms flopped out at his sides. It was one of the most uncomfortable positions he had ever found himself in, considering that his lower legs were still bound magically to the floor. Very slowly, he pulled himself up so that he was kneeling again.

Hermione was curled up in a ball a few feet away from him, not moving but not screaming either. Her breathing was highly irregular, he could tell that much from looking at her. He glanced over at Ron. The redhead had obviously had to endure the Cruciatus Curse as well; he had been flung forward onto the stone floor, and when he picked himself up, his chin was bleeding profusely.

Harry glanced down. His pants were now quite covered with blood, hopefully just from his raw, bleeding knees. He knew he had been withering in pain at the onset of the curse, and it only made since that it had got smeared. Taking a deep breath, he looked forward.

If it were possible, Krum looked angry as well as pleased, probably angry with them and probably pleased with himself. Harry figured he had gotten a good deal of satisfaction from watching them suffer and was determined not to give him anymore, so he did his best just to stare forward. Of course, Krum seemed to realize what the Gryffindor was doing at once and strode over, grabbing Harry's chin and more or less yanking at his head.

"Vot do you think you are doing, Potter?" Krum demanded. He smirked. "I know vot you are doing. I know you think you disappoint me when you act brave. You know why I know? Because she knows you, she knows you vell, and she knew right avay vot you vould try to do." Krum wrenched Harry's face off in one direction so that he would get a good glimpse of Hermione's still body. "I get vot she is thinking. You know vot she is thinking right now? She is afraid I am going to kill you. Trust me, Potter, if my master did not want so badly to kill you himself, then I vould kill you. As it is..." Krum shook his head savagely and shoved Harry's head in the other direction.

As Krum walked over to Hermione, Harry really wished his hands weren't bound. They were starting to feel sticky, for one thing, and for another, Krum's knocking his head in one direction and then the other had hurt his neck more than he thought it would. Still, his concern for Hermione was much greater, as she had not yet picked herself up. Harry glanced uneasily at Ron, whose mouth was set in a thin line and eyes were trained on Hermione as well. Krum paused as he walked by her.

"Get up," he demanded, and he kicked her, which caused her to shift slightly out of his way. Harry hated to admit it, but he was at least glad she had stirred. He watched as she slowly lifted herself from the floor, her face streaked with tears. Oddly, one of the first things he noticed was how her right sleeve had gotten shoved up on her arm and how the exposed skin had scratches all down it, probably from when she was under the Cruciatus Curse. He managed to catch her eye, managing a small smile for her. Hermione didn't smile back, but a rather relieved look spread across her features.

Krum, looking disgusted at how long it was taking her, kicked her again. "Mudblood filth," he muttered, drawing his wand again. He said the incantation for a third time, and Hermione's wrists were soon bound as the boys were. Krum started to say something that sounded rather like the incantation that bound them to the floor, but stopped. He glared at them accusingly, conjured up a chair, sat down, and began tapping his wand lightly to the palm of his other hand. "Vell, I truly expected more of you, but I cannot say I am not pleased. So villingly you came down here-so foolishly." His eyes, which had been gazing from Ron, to Harry, to Hermione, in turn, focused on Hermione.

"My master and I thought you vould haff to be lured down here, even after the dementors blundered in Hogsmeade and took your powers. Ve knew, of course, that if ve could only get you to come to us, you vould get the boys to come to us in turn," said Krum smugly. "Of course, I am getting ahead of myself. I am sure that ven my master asked me to detail your many mistakes, he vanted me to tell you how this evening came to be. He asked me to start from the beginning." He rose slowly from his chair and walked over towards Hermione, lifting her chin as he had Harry's. "Hermy-own-ninny, ven do you think it all began?"

"I-I don't know," said Hermione quietly, her eyes downcast, and Krum immediately tilted her head further so that she would have to look at him. Miserably, she guessed, "This summer? I-In Bulgaria?"

"This summer in Bulgaria?" Krum raised an eyebrow and let go of her face. "Pathetic," he muttered again. "Vot about last year? How do you account for that, Hermy-own-ninny? A vorld-famous Quidditch star still in school? Vhy vould I go back to Durmstrang ven I had that kind of favor?"

"I-I asked you that... y-you said that you wanted an education."

Krum did not seem to remember telling her this because a look of confusion spread across his features. It was so quick and so slight that Harry thought at first that he was seeing things, but he knew it was also possible that Krum just recovered quickly. Either way, he wasn't about to say anything.

"An education?" said Krum. "You are mistaken, my Hermy-own-ninny, I said nothing of the sort. Do guess again."

"T-to compete in the Triwizard Tournament?"

Again, Krum shook his head. "You are not as smart as they say, Hermy-own-ninny," he said, his eyes flashing. "I came to school not for an education or for the Triwizard Tournament, but to do my master's bidding. You do know who my master is, do you not?"

"V-Voldemort," Hermione stammered.

Again, Krum's eyes flashed, and Harry winced as he picked himself up out of his chair and walked back over to her. This time, he kneeled before her, so that they were practically eye-to-eye. "Vot did you say?"

"I-I said, `Voldemort,'" said Hermione, tears shining in her eyes. Meanwhile, fury had awakened in Krum's.

"You do not speak my master's name, you filthy Mudblood!" Krum hissed, and he spat at her as he stood. "You vill refer to him as the Dark Lord, for that is who he is to you!" He grabbed her arm and pulled her up, but then he looked at her for a long time as if he wasn't sure what to do with her. "Filth," he said, and he threw her back to the ground. He did not return to his chair, however, and instead began pacing. "I vill tell you of your imprudence now, and I vill not ask you to contribute any longer. You obviously haff not the mind for it.

"It started much before last summer, or even last year," Krum began harshly. "I vent to Durmstrang vith the ambition of my family. My family vos very ambitious, yes, but also very naïve. I did not suffer from that weakness. My ambition, even then, vos for power, and at Durmstrang I found someone villing to teach me of the true vays of the vorld and of the greatest Dark wizard that ever lived.

"That someone vos Karkaroff. He vos all I could have asked for in a mentor, at first. He seemed so villing to help me and in turn help my lord, but as the years passed I saw it vos not so. I learned of his betrayal and became aware of his ambitions-he vanted to be more powerful than Voldemort himself. That vos one and one half years before I first came to Hogwarts. I realized that to serve my master as he deserved to be served I could not follow Karkaroff and his ideals any longer. In refusing his vant of power, I found the strength to abandon my family and seek the master I had not met.

"Ven I found him, and Vormtail, I knew I had found myself. I vanted to dedicate my life to him right then and there, but my master is a noble man and did not let me. He told me that he vould have more use for me if I remained as I was, a Durmstrang student. He asked me to keep an eye on Karkaroff for him, and I promised him I vould. I returned, then, to my home and to my family." Krum's expression suddenly changed. "They refused me." His eyes suddenly became cold and stormy; his hands clenched into fists at his sides. He stopped pacing.

"It made it much harder to carry out my master's vill, but I did as he pleased just the same. For one full turn of the wheel, I vos the perfect Durmstrang student, determined to show everyone vot all I could be. I pretended to discard my earlier vays to return to Karkaroff's favor. Until late in the school year, it seemed to be vorking.

"But too vell had my master taught Karkaroff about trust. Just a veek before the summer term ended, he accused me of using illegal magic the summer before and convinced the school governors to expel me. It vos the vorst day of my life, for I felt that I had betrayed my master. I had been corresponding with him regularly, but when I sought him again I could not find him. I had failed him, and in the circle of people I had come to know through him, I heard rumors of an old and most faithful servant's return.

"Although I vos pleased to hear of his assistance and this devotion to our cause, I vos also crushed, for I vos no longer certain vhether or not I vos in our lord's favor. Our original plan vos to haff me come to Hogwarts, and so that I managed. That vos the beginning." Krum smirked.

"I began my vork at once. I entered my name into the Goblet of Fire. When your name came out of the Goblet, Potter, I knew that I vos not the only servant of the Dark Lord there. I tried to seek him out, and ven I could not, I tried to think of vot my master vould vant me to do. I decided he vould vant me to votch you, Potter, and I vos right. I saw that you hung out so often with Veasley over there-" Krum gestured to Ron, who made a very disgusted kind of noise "-and then saw Veasley vith his sister Ginny. I took up vith her at once. She vos quite easy to string along."

At this, Ron made another disgusted noise. Krum whirled around, his wand out at once. "I allowed the first one to slide, and I will allow this one to slide as vell," he said in a low voice, "but if you make another sound, then I vill haff no choice but to silence you."

Krum pocketed his wand, smiling all the while. "Ginny vos more naïve than I expected her to be. I had heard vhispers in the past of a plot that unfolded before my time of service. Apparently she had been fooled by an enchanted diary two years before." Krum stepped forward, this time in Ron's direction, and Harry's eyes followed him. "She adored me, and thus she fell again as she had before. She told me all vot she knew of your good friend Potter.

"But I soon found that I had erred slightly. Ginny vos lonely, and she vanted more than a friend. I vos running out of time, and I vanted someone closer to Potter. I vanted someone that could possibly deliver him to me, not someone to deliver her hopeless crush on him to me. Vot I needed vos you, Hermy-own-ninny." Krum's hands were behind his back now, and he quickly turned on his heels and started towards her. "That, of course, vos much harder than it vould seem."

"Why?"

Harry's eyes flew from Krum to Hermione, and had he whipped his head around to glance at Ron, he would have seen his friend's eyes do the same thing. Hermione was staring determinedly up at Krum. He scowled, taking his wand back out and jabbing it towards her. He seemed to be daring her to speak. "Vot did you say?"

"I asked you why it was harder than it would seem," said Hermione bravely. "Was it because I would never, not in a million years, turn on Harry? Was it because Ginny was too close for comfort? Or was it because Viktor was already trying to get my attention?"

Harry suddenly had his doubts about his friend's sanity, as he hadn't a clue why she was referring to Krum in the third person. He glanced at Krum. Much to his surprise, the older boy had pulled his wand back and folded his arms across his chest and was smiling as he had been most of the time since they'd stumbled through.

"Is that so?" he murmured. "Or should I say, is that vot you think? Why do you refer to me as such?"

"I wasn't referring to you," said Hermione shortly. "I was referring to Viktor. I don't know who you are; you've never given us your name."

Harry took a moment to glance over at Ron, who looked as confused as he felt. He wanted to say something, but he hadn't a clue what to say, so he just sat there, resigned, waiting for Krum's response. Slowly, Krum did as he had earlier, lifting Hermione's chin.

"Vot makes you think I am not Viktor?" he said softly.

"Y-your story," Hermione stammered, but she seemed to be picking up in confidence. "It's purposely ambiguous. You want us to think you're Viktor, yet you've never said anything definite to prove that you are." She took a deep breath. "Your hand," she said next. "There's no scar on it. I noticed when you grabbed my chin the first time and then pulled your hand away. Viktor accidentally bit himself during the Second Task, or at least cut his hand on his teeth. Madam Pomfrey patched it up, but because it was a wound not inflicted by magic, she could not heal it completely. It left a thin, white line."

"That is all very circumstantial evidence, Hermy-own-ninny," Krum murmured.

"No, but your wand isn't," said Hermione. "Viktor's wand was a Gregorovitch creation, and Gregorovitch doesn't produce wands anymore like Mr. Ollivander does. On the rare occasion that he does create one, it is not intended for someone's use but rather made for it. You don't get rid of a Gregorovitch wand. They cannot be snapped, and if you do lose one, it can only be replaced by another Gregorovitch wand." Slowly, she concluded, "I know that's an Ollivander's wand because I remember him telling me five years ago that the exact wand you hold was too sinister for me."

For a long time, no one said a word. Then, suddenly, Krum began to laugh. He stepped back from Hermione and clapped his hands together. "Maybe you are as smart as they say, Hermy-own-ninny." His smirk had returned, and he spread his hands wide as he regarded Harry and Ron. "It does not make any difference to me if you know or not, and I am in fact pleased that you noticed, for it has been quite a long time since I have been known by my true name. You see, I am, as you said, not Viktor. I am Vihar, his twin brother."

And Vihar Krum-if he was indeed who he said he was-threw his head back and laughed, a deep and echoing cackle that resounded from the stone walls on their every side, and he looked as mad as the insane fire burning in his eyes. His wand pointing towards the two boys, he began to beckon Hermione forward, again calling her to his side.

* * *

Harry, who for the last half an hour had been more scared than he had ever been before in his life, was now perhaps more confused than ever before as well. Again and again, he turned the Death Eater's words over in his head, wondering what implications they would have if true. How could Viktor Krum have a twin brother? It just didn't seem possible. Harry cocked his head to the right as he heard someone snort.

"Ridiculous," said Ron savagely. "Impossible. Do you really expect us to believe you?"

"Haff I given reason for you not to?" said Krum, smirking. His arm dropped, his wand returned to his pocket. His hands clasped together behind his back, he began to pace.

Ron's mouth was set in a grim line, but he had an oddly determined look to him despite the situation. As if to prove a point, he tore his hands against the bounds that held them behind his back. Harry could see a fresh trail of blood start down his friend's hands them even with the distance that lie between them.

"Other than worshipping the Dark Lord?" said Ron, his tone biting. "Other than raping Hermione? Other than holding us against our will? All that stuff aside, no, you haven't given us a reason not to trust you."

Harry grimaced. Had his head not been spinning over who the Death Eater had claimed to be not more than a minute before, he would have interrupted Ron. Lashing out at the older boy couldn't have been a good idea, he reasoned, and Harry expected to see Krum pull out his wand at any moment. Needless to say, he was startled when Krum began to laugh.

"You are funny, Veasley," said Krum. "Maybe I vill haff to reconsider vot I said earlier about not liking you…" The Death Eater paused, then- "Or not. Crucio!"

In the time they had spent in the dungeon room, Harry had come to suspect there were many different strains of the Cruciatus Curse, some worse than others. The strain Krum currently held Ron under had to be one of the worse. For more than a minute, the redhead flopped and trembled on the dungeon floor in such a violent manner Harry felt himself looking away. Hermione, still standing in the middle of the room, had silent tears streaming down her face. For another long minute after Krum removed the curse, Ron did not move.

"Come on," Harry found himself muttering. Having looked away, he had not been prepared for the amount of blood that greeted him when he glanced back at Ron. "Come on, please let it not be that bad…"

Finally, Ron struggled to his feet. He was no longer bound to the floor, which made Harry's stomach turn only when he realized that it was through the tortures of the Cruciatus Curse that his friend had been freed. Ron's pants were smeared thick with blood, and when he went to wipe at a gash on his face, he only managed to smear more across his cheek. For a brief second he caught Harry's eye. Amazingly, he looked as stalwart as ever.

"Nice," said Ron, his words slightly garbled. He spit out a mouthful of blood and saliva and wiped his hands on his pants. "Nice, but I still want to know why you expect us to believe that you're just his twin. Convenient, isn't it, Viktor? I'm not sure what you're playing at with this twin bit, but you better believe that I bloody well don't buy it. If you think that by being the twin you'll later be able to convince Hermione or Ginny or some other poor girl that you're just some dashing, hook-nosed, hunch-backed-"

"Ron, please! You're going to get yourself killed."

Again, Harry's attention was with Hermione. She sounded so desperate, watching their friend rather than their captor. Ron took a few short, ragged breaths but stopped his ranting. Hermione sighed in relief, but Harry only felt a little better-now, he was worried about her safety.

Krum chuckled. "No, no," said the Death Eater. "I vill not kill the veasel, for my master has another plan for him." The corners of his mouth turned upwards in yet another sinister smirk, and he took several steps in Ron's direction. "Though I find it curious, that you, Veasley, haff trouble believing I am Viktor's twin ven the Mudblood seems sold on the idea and Potter at least is not protesting."

"Why's that?" said Ron challengingly.

"Your brothers," said Krum simply.

Harry immediately found himself recalling a certain photograph that had run in The Daily Prophet nearly three years before, one featuring all six Weasley brothers plus Ginny and the Weasley parents. The twins had been standing front and center, decked from head to toe in traditional Egyptian garb. "Six times more often for wizard and witches than Muggles," Harry found himself muttering, recalling the day they had reviewed wizarding traditions and culture in History of Magic.

"Indeed," said Krum, smirking. "Do you believe me now, Weasley?"

Ron didn't answer. He clamped his mouth shut, staring resolutely forward. Krum gave him a second before narrowing his eyes to slits and shooting yet another set of magical bounds in Ron's direction. As the redhead bore the pain of the cutting twine, the Death Eater knocked him off his feet with a second binding charm. The boys were both back on the floor, and Harry found his own hands bleeding again as he resumed his struggles.

"Now vere vos I?" Krum asked, holding his wand in one hand and tapping its tip against the palm of the other. "Ah, yes. Hermy-own-ninny?"

"Yes?" said Hermione timidly, and Krum began to head towards her once again. She began to back away from him, but a rough patch on the stone in combination with her injuries caused her to stumble.

"Get over here," Krum growled, obviously annoyed by her fall. He conjured himself a chair, and after sitting down, he began to make a horrible clucking sound with his tongue, and as Hermione struggled to her feet, Harry wanted-and meant-to call out to her again but found himself unable. Hermione shot him a quick glance. She was biting her lip.

When Hermione stepped within arm's reach of Krum, it was with a cruel laugh that he snatched her to him. She seemed caught off-guard, and her weight fell heavily on her injured leg. Her yelp of pain intermingled with her cry of surprise, and that exclamation fell to Krum's laughter. As he began to idly twist locks of her hair into curls around his finger, Harry had to close his eyes. It did not help his nerves one bit when Krum began to whisper to Hermione in Bulgarian, saying things none of them could understand, a wicked smile on his lips all the while.

"So beautiful," said Krum at last. "So much more beautiful if you veren't already Potter's Mudblood whore." He pushed her away from him, but as soon as Hermione stepped back, he shook his head. "No, no," he murmured. "You vill kneel beside me, so that I may keep on you an eye."

As Hermione lowered herself to the cold dungeon floor, she cast Harry such a look of terror that he couldn't help but resume his contention with his restraints. He had vowed earlier to give Krum as little satisfaction as possible, but that look had broken his resolve. It no longer mattered how Krum felt, only that he not have the chance to hurt Hermione again. Harry's stomach turned just thinking about what Krum had proven himself capable of.

"There vill be no escape from those bonds, Potter," said Krum, looking up as he cupped Hermione's chin in his hand. "Unless," he cackled, "you haff at your disposal your vand, and though I am certain it is not vithin your reach, I shall take it now-Accio!"

Harry wasn't sure which he hated worse-the feeling of having been disarmed or the sizzling sound his wand made as it whizzed towards Krum. The long, thin piece of wood was smoking, and Harry was at least relieved when Krum released it immediately from his hand as though it was too hot to touch. The Death Eater narrowed his eyes as he wiped his one hand on his robes and shoved away Hermione's head with the other.

"Ve vill continue!" Krum shouted sulkily. He stood up suddenly and with such force that his chair tipped over backwards and clanged to the floor. With several long strides, he reached Harry, and then he did something that struck Harry as unusual, though not for long. Krum pressed two fingers up against the lightning bolt scar on Harry's forehead.

At once, Harry's eyes rolled back in his head. His body broke into convulsions. Hermione let out a piercing scream, and Ron's indignant cry broke through the silencing charm, but Harry heard none of it. Krum spoke to him as well, but his mind registered instead the cries and shouts and pleas of dozens.

Like he had in nighttime visions before, Harry found himself witnessing the destruction of a Muggle village, bands of Death Eaters having their way with the unsuspecting townspeople. Homes burned as the Dark Mark glowed in the sky above, and Harry found his own body felt as though it too was on fire. As the last eerie shriek resounded in his head, he found himself saying, "I shall come in the hour. Have patience!" in a voice so unlike his own that it sounded far more eerie than the screaming that had just stopped.

Harry's eyes sprung open; he was falling forward. With a loud crack that split his chin, he hit the stone floor facedown. His scar hurt, and with it his entire body ached. He finally managed to pick himself up, noticing at once the way in which Krum's arm was still extended-the fingers he had held against Harry's scar were smeared with blood. Hermione looked horrified, Ron looked furious, and Harry suddenly understood what Krum had done. His heart began to race-Voldemort had just spoken through him.

Again, Harry's stomach turned, and his head began to hurt not of pain but of thinking. What did that mean for them, if Voldemort was coming? Harry did his best not to dwell on the possibility, but only for the sake of maintaining a calm exterior as not to scare his friends-anymore than they already were, of course.

Wearing an unusually satisfied sort of smirk, Krum returned to his chair. Harry expected him to say something in the form of a taunt, but no such words ensued. In fact, when Krum began to talk again, he acted as though nothing had happened since his revelation of not being Viktor. He said, "Yes, I am dear Viktor's twin brother. So tired am I of being him, but you three vill be the only ones to know of my charade. That is my lord's vill."

With a rough jerk, Krum's hand shot very suddenly forward, cupped Hermione's chin, and forced her to lie on his knee. He began stroking her hair again-very softly, Harry could tell, which only furthered his anger. Krum continued to speak to Hermione in his native tongue, this time punctuating it with inaudible whispers in English that were equally infuriating.

"In my youth, I yearned to haff vot Viktor had-his talent, his luck, and later his fame. I yearned to be Viktor. That, I found out later, vos my lord's purpose in haffing me at hand at Hogwarts. I spent all of last year reestablishing my knowledge of my own brother, for long years had passed since I had his favor, let alone his friendship. I soon knew his every move.

"I votched him kiss you after the Yule Ball, Hermy-own-ninny. I heard him ask you to our home after the Second Task, heard him shed tears for me after the Third. Stupid, stupid. He knew vot I vos." Krum's eyes flashed.

"At first I saw covering my brother's activities as a cover for my own, but then my lord came again to form. He recalled me-oh yes, he did-and personally he gave me me his mark. He helped me see that becoming Viktor vos the next logical step, that his name would give us access to vot people and places ve needed most. Imagine-a twin, not a Polyjuice double, for that had been tried… and, ultimately, had failed."

"So, bearing my lord's mark, I became my brother. It was the night you arrived, Hermy-own-ninny. Storming, vosn't it, my pet?" Slowly, Krum grasped Hermione's chin again and turned her head, forcing her to look at him. Harry watched her bite her lip. She said nothing. "I asked you a question, my pet. Von't you answer me?"

"It was storming," Hermione reaffirmed after several moments' pause, her voice soft and scared.

"And ven you vere walking into the house vith my brother, you fell."

"And when I was walking into the house with Viktor I fell," Hermione recited quietly.

"And ven he saw how vet and muddy you vere, he sent you upstairs to change."

"And when he saw how wet and muddy I was, he sent me upstairs to change."

Krum was now grinning broadly. "You catch on so quickly, my pet," he purred. He pushed her away as suddenly as ever and stood. Had it not been for the cocky smile on his face, Harry would have been confused, but his expression had given him away. Harry felt stupid for not having recognized it before, but more than that, he felt enraged. Control. Of course this was all about control.

"I vaited for Viktor to carry her things to the guest bedroom. All day I had vaited to make my move, sneaking into the house ven my family left for the train station. I stunned my parents ven Viktor headed upstairs vith Hermy-own-ninny's last bag. I put them under the Imperius Curse… I vould not do avay vith them just then.

"I crept up the staircase behind Viktor and reached your room just in time to see him kiss you politely. He tried nothing, which surprised but did not disturb me." Krum continued to smile broadly, murmuring quickly, "What a pretty little thing you vere." With a deep sigh, he continued. "At last you closed the door so you could shower before dinner, leaving Viktor all alone. I stunned him as vell; then, I had Father Floo him to my lord. My lord vanted to interrogate him before sending him to his death.

"I vent back upstairs ven I vos certain Viktor had gone. You had just gotten out of the shower, Hermy-own-ninny, and vere vearing an old bathrobe as you dried your hair. Krum closed his eyes; Harry did not like the smile that played upon his lips. "Don't you see, Hermy-own-ninny, that you vere my temptation, my prize? You vere my one failing, Hermy-own-ninny, my only failing. I could not give you to my lord, for I vanted you for myself. For one veek, I did my job only half-heartedly-I slipped you lies about my haffing one more year to go in school. I asked you to tell me about Harry, but I did not demand compliance."

Krum's breathing had become quite labored; he sat back down. "I haff received punishment from my lord, for I saw soon after the error of my vays. He demanded it not, for my actions benefited him still; rather, I asked for it. I needed to be taught a lesson, for that night, the last of the first veek, I lost all control because I vanted so badly to control you. Again, you had just showered. Again, I had dissolved the door to votch you. You vere so beautiful that I could not contain myself. I forgot that you vere in doubt of my stories. I forgot you vere not enjoying yourself. I even forgot about vot mark I bore. I had to haff you."

Harry hardly realized Krum was moving until he had again pressed Hermione against the wall. His hands closed roughly around her wrists, holding them hard and fast to the wall, extended above her head. He pressed himself to her struggling form, bringing his head down to kiss her sloppily. One of his hands released her right wrist only to snake up her skirt. She screamed, pleading with him to stop only to be forced into another violent kiss. Her sweater ripped, she screamed, her skirt, she screamed, and-

The burst of ensuing light and noise was so great that Harry found himself temporarily blinded, and he was having trouble hearing as well. His entire body trembled, and he felt what bonds that held him give. He was overwhelmed by a feeling indescribable, knowing only that the magic now spreading through the room was in part his. He still could not see through the dazzling light, and energy surrounded him.

Some of the magic was his own-he knew because it felt so natural. The rest of it could only be Ron's-he knew because there was no other way to account for the foreign but familiar way in which it touched him. Harry struggled to his feet as he released one last wave of free magic, and a second later felt Hermione at his side. He reached for her blindly, still unable to see, but he could hear her sobs. He wrapped a loose arm around her and let her cry against his shirt. A hand falling on his shoulder told him that Ron was near as well, his breathing still frightfully uneven. The light cleared, but no one spoke.

Krum had been thrown across the room and into the wall. He had not been knocked out, but his fingers were stroking the back of his head gingerly, in a fashion that matched his dazed expression. Knowing that he would be unlikely to stir and retaliate for several minutes, Harry focused on the small, shaky form clinging to his side. "Hermione," he said, peering down at her and tightening his hold on her at the same time. She flinched visibly, and stiffened, and Harry felt guilty at once. He relaxed his grasp, and she seemed to relax with it.

"Sorry," she croaked, looking up at him through tear-filled eyes. Harry kissed her hair lightly.

"Don't be," said Ron briskly. Harry felt his friend's hand leave his shoulder, and Ron began to walk to where they had come in. "We have to get out of here."

Harry gave Hermione a last gentle squeeze before striding towards Ron. His breath had caught in his throat, and he exhaled slowly when he found himself confronted by a thick stone wall. "That wasn't there when we came in," he said dryly.

"Dammit," Ron swore, pounding a fist against it. "Do you remember him closing this?"

"No," said Harry, frustrated. He glanced at Hermione, who shook her head. She had wrapped her arms around herself, hanging back from the boys. Harry looked at Ron before focusing on her again. "So how are we going to get out of here?"

When Hermione did not respond, it was Ron this time that glanced in Harry's direction. "Herms, that's your department. Know a spell, a charm-anything?"

"No," said Hermione. She looked up, tears shining still in her eyes. "I have nothing. Nothing at all. Oh, God, I'm so sorry."

"Don't be," said Harry, just as the tears began to run down Hermione's cheeks. He looked over at Ron, cocking his head in Krum's direction. The Death Eater hadn't yet stirred. "Watch him," Harry ordered, and when Ron nodded, he turned back to Hermione. He put his hands on her upper arms. "Shh," he said soothingly. "Shh, it's okay. We don't expect you to have something right away. Think on it for a second, and I know you'll come up with the right incantation."

"It's not that," said Hermione miserably. "S-s-so insistent. If o-only I hadn't been s-so…"

It only took Harry a few seconds to piece together what she meant. "Hermione, we all agreed to come down here. If you insist on blaming someone, you're going to have to blame Ron and me as well," he said softly.

Hermione's eyes locked with his. "You didn't want to come down here."

"No, I didn't want you to come down here," said Harry gently. "Remember? I didn't want you to get hurt." He kissed the top of her head, deciding to ignore whatever it was that had come to pass earlier. "I was going to come down here anyway, check things out without you-that's me, completely ignorant in regards to my own well-being."

"You're ignorant in regards to a lot of things, mate," Ron contributed generously, "but I don't suppose it's the time or place for that. Hermione-how's that leg of yours?"

"I'm fine," said Hermione hastily, wiping away the last of her tears, "but look at the two of you! You're bruised, and bleeding, and Ron, isn't your arm broken, and Harry, what did he do to you earlier-"

"Hermione," Ron cut in. "I wanted to see if you were good to walk over here. I wanted to see if you could get a little closer, figure out where the door went."

"Oooh," said Hermione shakily, managing a small smile. Harry's hand on her back, he guided her to where Ron stood. She placed her palms against the wall, running them lightly in all directions. Anxiously, she glanced back at the boys. "But you're okay? You are okay? Oh, and Harry, your… and Ron-"

"Hey," said Harry quickly, cutting her off just as her tone grew frantic. "Hey, don't worry about me, at least. I'm no worse for wear. Ron?"

"Me neither, said Ron darkly, glancing over at where Krum's form still lie. The Death Eater groaned, shifting but not standing. Dropping his voice, Ron continued, "But I'd like to put him a little worse. I could kill him for what he just tried with you."

Hermione paled. "Th-thank you," she said softly. "You know, for getting him off me." She bit her lip, tracing a particular groove in the wall for a second time. Her eyes shut for a brief second. "It's…"

"It's?" Ron prompted as Krum groaned again.

"I think it's an advanced form of the Fermiat Charm," said Hermione hesitantly. "That's why we didn't see Krum dissolve the door and restore the wall. It's possible to activate a Fermiat Charm with the mind."

"So how do we deactivate it?" Harry asked. Hermione bit her lip.

"Well… we can deactivate it, right?" said Ron, suddenly breaking away from his friends. He seemed to be scanning the ground for something, probably for Harry's wand or to see if Krum might have dropped his. When Hermione didn't answer, Ron gestured vaguely, frowning. "We can't?"

"Only the person that cast it, generally speaking," said Hermione wearily. "What are we going to do?"

"What we always do," said Harry, quietly, his eyes downcast. "We keep our chins up, we take it, and we hope for the best. There's nothing else to it."

"Well when you put it like that-" but Ron stopped, unable to crack a joke. `We should have told Anna where we were going."

"Yes, we should have," said Hermione, "but it's-" her eyes suddenly grew wide "-Ron, look out!"

But Ron hadn't time to glance over his shoulder, let alone turn around, before Krum was on top of him, practically howling. He knocked Ron over, and, with a shriek from Hermione, began pummeling him, knocking his fist into the redhead's jaw and then grasping his shoulders in an attempt to crack Ron's head against the stone floor. For a second, Harry stood there, stunned, unable to figure out why they hadn't seen Krum approach, unable to comprehend why he had resorted to a Muggle method of fighting. For a second, Harry stood there, unmoving, watching Ron first slug Krum and then flip him over.

Harry recalled vaguely being told once by one of the other Weasley boys that Ron could hold his own in a fight, and then he got a move on. He darted past the two, writhing around on the ground as they were, and began to scan the ground for his wand, having just remembered how Krum had dropped it. He felt around frantically for it, and when he did not see it, Ron's groan of pain did not help to encourage him.

"Harry, it rolled to the other side of the chair... hurry, while Krum hasn't got his wand!"

Harry hadn't time enough to do any more than glance in Hermione's direction, but he made that glance count. He stumbled, but his fingers had little trouble after that, curling solidly around the familiar piece of wood. Blood pounded in his ears, and he said the first thing that came to mind. He cried, "Leviosa!"

At once, Krum floated up into the air and away from Ron. He was still howling and yammering like a wounded animal even as he drifted way up towards the ceiling, and when Ron managed to snatch his own wand from Krum's back pocket, the Death Eater began to swear in both his tongues. Ron used the wall behind him for leverage and scrambled to his feet but wasn't up for spell casting. Rather, the redhead's first priority seemed to be spitting out all what blood was in his mouth, and Harry couldn't blame him. Because the room suddenly seemed to be nothing but noise, he hollered his thanks.

"Impressive, Ron!" Harry shouted, but his thoughts were elsewhere. He hadn't had any trouble levitating Hermione earlier, but his arm was shaking now with the effort of keeping Krum afloat. Harry held him for as long as he could but finally had to let Krum fall. He plummeted the few feet with such speed that one would have thought the fall was much longer, yowling with pain as he hit the floor just where he had originally lain. There was a sickening crack as Krum's shoulder, the first thing to hit, shattered.

It was, perhaps, the single worst timed thing that happened that night. Had Harry only known how close he had just delivered Krum to his fallen wand, he would have had mind to drop him later or even sooner. "Potter!" Krum gurgled, but as the Death Eater rolled over onto his back, he made an exclamation from deep inside his throat. There was some hurried fumbling on his part, then-

"Stupefy!"

Harry, who was trying to regain feeling in his arm as well as figure out why levitating Krum had tired him so, did not see how had cast the Stunner. He had not seen Krum repossess his wand, and for all he knew, the garbled voice saying the incantation was Ron's.

But when Hermione shrieked again, Harry knew this wasn't the case. He looked up just in time to see Ron crumple against the adjacent wall. Finally thinking like he was in a duel-and, rightly, he might as well have been-Harry raised his own wand to disarm Krum, but by then it was too late. Krum had already bellowed "Expelliarmus!" and, a second later, caught Harry's wand. For a moment, the Death Eater looked as though he was on the verge of collapse, but just as quickly he regained his strength. With another awful holler, he charged forward, effectively pinning Harry to the wall, his wand at Harry's neck.

And Krum spat, his blood and spit just adding to the grime on Harry's shirt. For a second, he just stared calculatingly into the younger boy's eyes. Harry gulped. Gone was Krum's earlier smirk, replaced with a thin, hard line. His eyes had even lost their earlier tease and taunt. As Krum jabbed his wand into the flesh of his neck, Harry couldn't help but wonder if perhaps even that was better than the cold menacing stare that replaced it. Krum might have looked cruel earlier, but he had somehow maintained a human quality to him. That was gone. He had to him a malicious look that Harry had seen before only once-on Voldemort himself. Again, Krum spat, this time in Harry's face. When he began to blink behind his glasses, Krum drove his wand further into Harry's throat.

"Potter, did Hermy-own-ninny tell you vot happened that night?" Krum growled. He cast a glance over his shoulder in her direction, which gave Harry a chance to do so as well. She had slid down onto the floor next to Ron and taken his limp hand, and he could tell she was doing her best not to look at them. Krum turned slowly back to Harry. "Vell, Potter?"

"She told me," said Harry darkly.

"So you know, then, just how close ve came that night?" Krum asked.

Harry glanced uncertainly at Hermione. "I reckon so," he said at last.

Krum repeated what exclamation he made earlier, a loud sound that came from deep within his throat. His dark eyes remained as cold and heartless as ever. "And did she tell you that?"

Harry didn't really know what the Death Eater was getting at. Instead of answering directly, it was all he could do to maintain what he had already said. "She told me what happened, all right?"

"All right?" Krum echoed. "All right?" His eyes flashed. "Does this mean it is all right to remind you of vot happened that night?"

A response was at the tip of Harry's tongue, but he wasn't given any chance to respond. No sooner had Krum finished his question had he jabbed his wand again so hard and suddenly into Harry's throat that it gagged the younger boy. He coughed and sputtered long after Krum withdrew it, his eyes opening and for several seconds locking with Krum's. Suddenly, the Death Eater cried savagely, pulling Harry away from the wall and then shoving him brutally back into it, which disoriented him for several more seconds. When the pain subsided, Krum had such a cruel look to him that Harry gulped.

"I'll tell you vot happened," Krum growled. "I'll tell you vot the Mudblood whore vos afraid to say. I vill not try to soften the blow, as I know she did, I vill not lie. I von't tell you stories about her having her vand and throwing third-year jinxes at me because that is not how it happened. I did not valk in there and begin kissing her; I burst in there and began ripping off her bathrobe. Sick of asking her, I vos ready to force her to give me more..."

And suddenly Krum's wand was no longer at Harry's throat. Krum pocketed it but did not let Harry go, balling his fists up and grabbing handfuls of Harry's shirt. He lifted the younger boy several inches off the ground only to shove him back into the wall as he had done before. Hissing, Krum leaned in close, his words fast and hurried.

"H-how her skin tore ven I raked my fingers over it," he breathed, "how it bruised as I held her. So smooth and pale and perfect it vos ven her robe first came off, how and blood-smeared and discolored it vos ven she got away. She screamed at first, and I began to touch her everywhere, everywhere-" Krum lowered his voice even further "-everywhere. You vill die tonight, Potter, and you vill die vith the knowledge that even if you had lived, you vould not have gotten to experience Hermy-own-ninny the vay I did. It vould not have mattered, Potter, because votever you vould see vould not be as beautiful as vot I saw, for what scars she bears I gave to her. It vould not have mattered, Potter, because votever you vould do vith her I vould have done already done with her. She might have been yours for a short while, but even then she vould haff been mine."

Krum jerked his head away from Harry, still not smirking as he had earlier. He glanced at Hermione, who was still crying and trying to revive Ron, while fishing his wand out of his pocket once more. The thin piece of wood back at Harry's neck, he had one more thing to whisper. "Control, Potter. That night I began to control her. She got avay from me that night, but not before I marked her as my own. I do not know where she went that night because I did not yet understand what we shared. But I learned, and from then on, she doubted not my vords. She thought me a horrible person, yes, but never a liar. I influenced her until came the day to take her again, and that night I joined us in a vay you shall never be able to deny. I have controlled her ever since, and at last that control has finally-"

The Death Eater stopped abruptly and stared at Harry for a long time. Krum spit in Harry's face one last time, and suddenly, his hands were on Harry's arm, on his shoulder, on his back, roughly shoving him in Hermione's direction. Krum's dark eyes narrowed, bringing together his bushy eyebrows, and he barked, "Get over there!"

Harry did as he was told, walking slowly but cautiously to where Hermione sat and Ron lie. Krum did not seem to think the younger boy was following his directions and followed closely behind him, several times jabbing his wand into Harry's back. When they were only a few paces away from the trio's other two members, Krum yanked at Harry's shoulder again and shoved him into the opposite corner.

"Stay over there," Krum growled. He glared at Harry for a few more seconds before walking back to Ron and Hermione. Harry could hear his girlfriend-assuming she still was, of course-trembling as Krum extending his wand. "Ennervate!"

Ron came out of it sputtering, his fingers moving gingerly to the back of his head. Harry and Hermione exchanged a confused look, one that she would shake more quickly than he would. Biting her lip, she focused on Ron, grabbing his shoulders and helping him into a sitting position. Krum had returned to his chair and was idly spinning his wand.

"Now," the Death Eater purred, "can ve behave ourselves, or do I haff to-" he aimed his wand "-make you?" None of them spoke. "That is vot I like to hear. Ve vill continue, for the hour grows late and my master draws near."

Krum then stood, dissolving his chair with a wave of his hand. Harry noticed his lack of wand use at once-the fact that Krum was capable of wandless magic did not bode well for them. The Death Eater moved several paces before waving his hand again. He conjured almost a dozen candles, lighting them with yet another wave. The room actually darkened-the light from before seemed to have consolidated, then redistributed itself. A fourth wave, and a fifth. A great big sweeping gesture. The room chilled tremendously.

"Silencio."

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