Chapter 14 - Confrontations
Amycus Carrow stood on a hill overlooking Hogsmeade and watched as the students alighted from the train and began the slow trek up towards the castle. He had placed himself under a Disillusionment charm and was quite confident that his presence would go unnoticed. His master had given him explicit instructions; he was to observe the arrival of the students and once satisfied that things were going according to plan, he was to Apparate to the other group of Death Eaters - the group who had been tasked with capturing the Ministry. Lucius Malfoy was leading that group and the Dark Lord had been most insistent that the attacks happen simultaneously and had stressed to Amycus and Lucius the importance of getting the timing just right. He had also hinted darkly at the consequences of failure - something Amycus did not need reminding of.
So far things appeared to be going as planned. The line of students snaked towards the castle gates without anyone seeming to suspect the trap. He had noticed that there were fewer students than what he remembered from his own school days, but he discarded that as a minor detail. He watched as the bushy haired girl at the head of the line led the students past the castle doors and was finally satisfied that everything was going according to plan. After one last glance at the school he Apparated with a loud crack.
Had he lingered a mere twelve seconds longer, Amycus would have seen all hell break loose.
***********
Hermione kept her head down as she led the snaking train of 'students' from the station to the school. It took all of her self control to stop herself from shaking and she was acutely aware that Ron, too, was struggling to maintain his composure. As she neared the castle gates, she thought she saw one or two people lingering in the shadows; people she knew to be servants of Lord Voldemort.
She had activated the fake Galleon almost immediately after stepping off the train in Hogsmeade and as she had done so she had sent a silent prayer that Harry was still alive to receive the message. The time for action was now here and she could only hope and trust that they would have the resources to accomplish the mission.
She approached the steps that led to the great wooden doors that had guarded this castle for more than a millennium. Glancing around, she was now certain that a large number of people were watching her every move. She found it disconcerting to be the focus of so much unwanted attention, but knew that the success of the mission depended on her acting as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening.
Glancing briefly behind her, she noticed that the real students - the members of the DA who had agreed to come with her - were still in touch and still with her. This elicited a smile; whatever happened now, at least she would not be alone.
Taking one last deep breath, she crossed the threshold of the castle gates, not quite knowing what to expect. Aware that she was now in the hands of the enemy she suppressed a shudder and carried forward, her head held high. She stopped for a moment, turning to face those coming up behind as if checking their progress; an action she had seen previous Head Girls perform over the past six years. She counted heads as they past, but had only got up to fourteen when she noticed a commotion further down the line.
'HE'S NOT A STUDENT! IT'S A TRAP! AURORS! THE AURORS ARE HERE!' came the sudden cry, and to her horror, Hermione saw the first brilliant streaks of red and green light collide with the packed mass that formed the queue waiting to gain entry into the castle.
What had gone wrong? she screamed inwardly. She reached for her wand and made to dash back outside but suddenly she and her companions found themselves totally surrounded by a group of at least twenty five Death Eaters, all of whom had their wands levelled at her and her companions.
'Don't even think about it, Dearie.'
Hermione turned to the voice in bitterness. The all too familiar voice; the voice that had tormented Harry in the Ministry and had cast the curse that had killed Sirius.
Bella.
'All of you drop your wands,' demanded Bella. No one moved for a moment. 'I said drop your wands!' she screamed, and this time she fired a blasting curse over their heads; a curse that jolted them all into action. Slowly - one by one - they dropped their wands. It was clear to all of them that they were in a hopeless situation - resistance would have been futile.
'Get those doors shut!' ordered Bella to one of the Death Eaters near the doors.
'But we still have people outside!' one of them objected.
'That doesn't matter'! screeched Bella. We have what we need, you fools, and the Dark Lord will not want Aurors within the castle. Now close the doors!' she demanded.
Hermione's heart sank in her chest as she watched two Death Eaters slowly swing shut the giant wooden doors that guarded the entrance to the castle. The last thing she saw before the light was blocked out was the sight of a huddled mass desperately trying to fend off attacks from all sides. Finally the doors boomed shut and the two Death Eaters slid the great beam into place to bar them. To Hermione, the noise made as it was rammed into place was like a death knell sounding for them all.
***********
Rufus Scrimgeour glanced around as his Auror force neared the castle gates. So far, so good. He watched as the first group of real students - led by Hermione and Ron - climbed the low stairs and began to enter the castle. This was the moment he had waited years for; the moment he finally had Lord Voldemort in his sights.
He chanced one last look around to be sure everyone was ready. It was difficult - nearly impossible - for him to figure out who was who in the line as a result of the disguises. His eyes scanned the multitude and just as he was about to turn away satisfied, he noticed something amiss.
No! Sweet Merlin, no. You foolish boy! You have doomed us all. He watched appalled as one of the 'students' about ten yards behind him slowly began to change form. At first, the young man did not notice what was going on, but Stephen Tweed soon realised that something was amiss when he noticed the appalled looks he was receiving from his colleagues. He held up his hands in front of his face; his eyes widening in horror as he watched them change from those of a fourth year Ravenclaw boy back into their original form. He knew, with a growing sense of despair, the rest of him would be changing too. He stood frozen to the spot, still staring at his hands, and did not even move when the Auror behind bumped into the back of him.
'HE'S NOT A STUDENT! IT'S A TRAP! AURORS! THE AURORS ARE HERE!'
Stephen Tweed was the first to die that day; struck by a jet of green light that was fired from the cover of the low wall that ran in front of the school. For the briefest of moments Rufus felt a sudden surge of sorrow course through him as he watched the young man die. Sorrow for the young man himself, and sorrow for all of those who were about to die. This feeling passed in a fraction of a second, for his instincts kicked in immediately and he moved to take charge.
'TAKE COVER!' he shouted at the top of his voice, before diving down behind one of the statues that littered the grounds. He glanced up as James thumped down beside him, his face twisted in disgust at their having been discovered.
'There isn't enough cover, Rufus! We're sitting ducks out here. We must fall back.' He ducked his head as a green streak blasted a fragment of stone just inches from his face. 'We can't sustain this!'
Rufus knew this to be true. Surveying the scene before him he watched as a large group of his Aurors who had not found cover were cut to pieces. They stood in a huddled mass, no protection in sight and died in their droves as curse after curse struck home. They tried to fire back but it was futile; the enemy were unseen and firing from cover. It was slaughter.
He did not know who they were, these dying men and women; but this made it no easier to bear. In fact; the sight of what seemed to be children being slaughtered in front of his eyes almost made him physically sick. That he knew these men and women to be Aurors did not make this any easier. He glanced towards the castle doors and noticed without surprise that they had been swung shut. He had to act.
'FALL BACK!' he shouted. 'FOR THE LOVE OF MERLIN, FALL BACK! IF YOU HAVE NO COVER, RUN! RUN DAMNIT! RUN!'
He watched as the group finally broke ranks and dashed for safety, one or two falling to curses as the made their bid to escape. He closed his eyes and sank to the ground. They had lost over twenty people in less than two minutes.
The firing lessened as the Aurors who had been exposed finally got clear and escaped to safety. All that remained in the school grounds were about forty Aurors who had managed to find some cover. Those not slain had managed to run out of the range of the enemy. After a few moments the firing virtually petered out all together, but this did not mean the end of the torture. Instead, the Death Eaters who had produced such a devastating field of fire began to taunt those remaining in order to provoke them into a futile attack.
'NOBODY MOVE!' he shouted. 'REMAIN IN COVER UNTIL YOU RECEIVE ORDERS!' He turned to James, seeking his opinion.
'This is a lousy position, Rufus. It's a killing ground out there. If we move from cover we will be cut to pieces,' said James, who had taken a few moments to size up the situation. For all his experience, James knew that things looked hopeless. Damage limitation seemed to be the main objective now.
Rufus nodded his agreement, his mind furiously working for a solution to their current predicament. He was finding it nearly impossible though, as one thought was screaming at him from inside his head.
He had let Harry down. He and his friends were on their own now.
***********
Harry took a deep breath as he prepared to leave the sanctuary of the Room of Requirement. He had been alerted that the time to act had finally arrived by the burning sensation in his pocket from the fake Galleon given to him by Hermione. He had quickly stood, gathered his things and proceeded to the exit. Now he struggled to compose himself for what lay ahead.
Checking the Marauder's Map, he noticed that the coast was clear. He slid the door open silently and slipped through the gap into the seventh floor corridor. Glancing first left and then to his right, he slowly began to make his way towards the Great Hall. It was then that he noticed something odd on the map.
Malfoy.
Draco Malfoy was skulking in the bowels of the castle and Harry was intensely curious as to why this should be so. He noticed that every other Death Eater was either in the Great Hall with their master or standing near the front doors of the school. Why would Malfoy be hiding on his own? Deciding he had enough time to find out, Harry cautiously made his way to where he knew the Slytherin common room was situated.
Walking through the castle on the alert for enemies was a disconcerting experience for Harry. Whilst not everything that had happened to him at this school had been easy, he had always felt secure within the castle walls. Not now though. He knew that the majority of people now within these halls were mortal enemies of his and he once again thanked his stars that he had possession of this map. His task would have been made so much harder had he lacked such a priceless tool.
Finally arriving at the bottom of the school, Harry crept along the corridor. He could see from the map that Malfoy was around the next corner. He paused for a moment, considering his options. How best to approach this? he wondered.
Edging his way to the corner of the corridor, he glanced round and saw to his surprise that Malfoy was standing with his head in his hands and was muttering to himself. Harry decided that now was the perfect time to act.
'Let's have your wand where I can see it, ferret!' said Harry, in a sudden, loud voice.
Malfoy nearly jumped out of his skin. He actually leaped into the air about a foot before turning to face the voice. The voice that he knew all too well; the voice he never thought to hear again.
'Potter?' The incredulity was plain in Malfoy's voice. He looked as if he had seen a ghost; but then, Harry reflected with grim amusement; he was seeing a ghost. Harry Potter was dead, after all.
'Yes, it's Potter. And I will not ask you again. Let's have your wand where I can see it!' Harry pointed his own wand directly at Malfoy, his intentions clear. Wide eyed and evidently in a state of shock, Draco slowly held his wand out before tossing it to the floor. Harry carefully bent down and picked it up.
'But I watched you die,' said Draco, remembering his role in the attack on the Shrieking Shack.
'Not quite,' replied Harry, with a twisted smile. 'I guess I must be harder to kill than you thought, Draco. Now, what should I do with you? You did betray the school after all. Dumbledore died because of you.' There was real menace in Harry's voice as he said this and Draco Malfoy sensed his murderous mood.
'But Snape told me he was dying anyway!' said Draco, desperation in his voice. 'He told me that the headmaster had asked him to kill him! I'm on your side now!'
This stopped Harry cold. How could Malfoy possibly known the truth unless Snape had told him? What game was Snivellus playing now? He realised that he would have to be very careful here. He tightened his grip on his wand.
'When did he tell you that?'
'A couple of weeks ago. He asked me to help him. I know he is working against the Dark Lord.'
Harry was left reeling at this revelation and took a moment to frame a response.
'What did he ask you to do?'
'I can't tell you. Snape said he would kill me if I told anyone.' Draco particularly stressed the last word, making it clear to Harry that he would not reveal the information, even to him. Harry knew that he now had a decision to make. Malfoy had been high on his list of people that he had sworn revenge upon and now he had him at his mercy. But then, Snape too had been on that list and he still marvelled at how that had all played out. It was clear that Malfoy was telling the truth; he could not possibly have known about Snape's true allegiance unless their former Professor had told him. So where did that leave them now?
'In about two minutes, Malfoy, the Ministry is going to attack this school. We know that Voldemort is here - we have known all along. You had better be telling the truth, for if you have lied to me, Voldemort will be the least of your worries.' Harry noticed with satisfaction that Malfoy winced when hearing Voldemort's name. He was about to continue when his train of thought was disturbed by muffled sounds of confusion that could be heard above their heads.
'What was that?' asked Draco.
Harry didn't know for sure, but had a good idea. With a feeling of dread rising in his throat, he pulled out the map, praying that he was wrong. Glancing at the names near the front doors, he saw with horror that almost the entire DA were surrounded by Death Eaters and were being led towards the Great Hall. He noticed that the front doors had been shut and that there was no sign of any Ministry personnel. They had been discovered.
'Listen to me,' began Harry, grabbing Malfoy by the collar. His voice was low, but nonetheless it carried the authority of God Almighty at that moment. 'Whatever it is you have to do, go and do it now. Right now. Stop skulking in corners and be a man for once in your life, Draco.' He released his grip and handed back the wand to the astonished Malfoy, who fumbled with it for a moment. 'If Snape has asked you to do something then it will be important. And so help me, Draco, if you fail us in this I will kill you myself. Now go!' Harry knew he would not be able to kill Malfoy, but right now that didn't matter. Malfoy did not know this.
Harry watched as Malfoy scuttled off towards the Great Hall. He closed his eyes and steeled himself to look at the map again. Please God, may I be wrong.
He looked down at the parchment and saw that his worst fears were confirmed. Tom Riddle stood by the headmaster's chair. Directly in front of him on the map were two names.
Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.
With a curse Harry headed off in Malfoy's wake, his heart hammering in his chest.
I'm on my way, love. Hold tight.
***********
Rufus Scrimgeour ducked as another stray curse struck the statue he was crouched behind and dusted off the stone residue that had fallen on top of him. He was desperately searching for inspiration; he knew that the fate of the entire magical world rested on the next few hours and any decisions he made now would have serious repercussions for them all. He was acutely aware, however, that a decision had to be made - even the wrong decision would be better than no decision right now. If he did not come up with something then he would be forever cursed as the Minister who froze when fate demanded he act.
He was completely at a loss at the moment though. Turning to his oldest friend, he saw the look of despair in his eyes.
'Any ideas, James?'
Surprisingly, James Walsh smiled. 'Not at the moment, Rufus. I was hoping you would have come up with something by now.'
Rufus smiled grimly in return. The two of them had been in many sticky situations over the years, but he couldn't think of any worse than where they found themselves now. Tentatively lifting his head, he scanned the situation in front of him. They had to somehow get in behind their assailants, but for the life of him, he could not work out how. Normally, he would have Apparated to a position in the rear of his attackers, but the wards surrounding the Castle prevented him from doing so.
And then it hit him. The answer was so obvious that he grimaced at his own stupidity.
'Sukey!' he yelled, surprising James.
In an instant, the little house elf appeared next to her master. Rufus immediately grabbed her and pulled her down behind the statue, although it occurred to him that she was probably the smallest target in the whole school at the moment.
'Sukey,' he began, urgently. 'Do you have any friends amongst the Hogwarts house elves?'
Sukey nodded; her eyes like saucers as she took in what was going on all around her.
'Good,' continued Rufus. 'Do you think you could go and fetch some of them please? I have a little job for them.'
Sukey nodded once again before disappearing with a crack. A few moments later she returned, accompanied by two of the Hogwarts House Elves.
'Thank you, Sukey,' said Rufus, gravely. 'Might I have the pleasure of your names?' he asked the two elves.
'My name is Dobby, sir. I is a free elf, but I works in the castle.'
Rufus nodded, recognising the name. Harry had spoken of this little elf before. Good. He turned to the other, older elf.
'My name is Kreacher, sir. I work at the school at the request of my master.'
'And who is your master?'
'Harry Potter, sir. That is why I am here; Sukey knows who my master is.'
Perfect, thought Rufus. Sukey could not have done any better.
Now, Dobby, Kreacher,' began Rufus, 'you are both aware that the Dark Lord has seized control of the school?'
Both elves nodded.
'What you may not be aware of is that Harry Potter is also in the school, along with his friends.' Four eyes widened at this statement. Rufus ploughed on. 'I need to get into the school to help Harry, but as you can see, the way is barred at the minute. Do you think you can help me? I need someone to get in behind those who are attacking us and take care of them. Do you think you can do that for me?'
'Dobby will be proud to help Harry Potter, sir. Leave this to Dobby.'
Rufus turned to Kreacher, who remained silent for a long moment.
'Kreacher's master is in danger,' he finally said. 'It is the duty of a good house elf to help his master when in need. Kreacher will do as asked,' the old elf added, with surprising dignity.
'Thank you,' said Rufus. 'Thank you both. Just be careful. I want you to give us five minutes to prepare and then I want you to act. We will take them from both sides at once. Understood?'
'Yes, sir,' chorused the elves, before disappearing with a crack.
Rufus turned to James who was regarding him with a raised eyebrow.
'I guess that's why they made you my boss. I would never have thought of that,' he said to Rufus with a rueful shake of his head.
***********
Hermione knew she was in deep trouble; in fact, they were all in deep trouble. Only fourteen people had made it into the school before everything had started to go wrong and when she glanced around she realised that none of the Auror force had made it.
They were being herded along the corridor towards the Great Hall like sheep; although it occurred to her that 'lambs to the slaughter' might be a more apt description at the minute. They were completely surrounded by Death Eaters and were now also unarmed. Bella had collected their wands and had handed them to a young Death Eater she did not recognise. They were now in a canvas sack, clutched tightly in the man's right hand. She had initially considered fighting her way out of the trap but she had quickly taken in the situation and had realised immediately that any resistance would have been futile.
Bella was positively leering at them and it was taking all her self control not to reply to the bitch as she was aware of the consequences of doing so. Bella was trying to elicit a reaction from them and she was pleased to see that no one was rising to the bait. That was the least of their worries at the minute though; she knew that they would soon be brought before Voldemort himself.
Harry, where are you? she thought to herself. She tried to remain calm despite the fear; remain calm so that she would be in a position to act when Harry made his move. He would have to make his move soon, wouldn't he? If not, then they were all doomed, she realised.
So it had all come down to Harry - once again. She had been right when she had described him as their Trump card a few days ago. He was now the only card they had left to play. She noticed that they now approached the great double doors that guarded the Great Hall and watched dispassionately as they swung open to allow them entry. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and willed herself to be strong, whatever happened. She chanced one last glance at Ron who - amazingly - smiled at her. He reached for her hand and gave it a soft squeeze, and in that simple gesture he managed to convey everything their friendship meant to him. She surprised herself by smiling at him in return before turning to face what lay ahead.
Even though she knew that he would be there, Hermione still found herself coming to a stop when her eyes alighted on Lord Voldemort. Neville - who had been walking right behind her - actually bumped into the back of her such was the suddenness of her halt. Already afraid, Hermione now felt her legs turn to jelly as she looked upon the cruel visage of Tom Riddle. She felt like a rabbit in the headlights; a mouse in a cat's claws. There was no escape from this man, she realised, and the length of her life could now be measured in minutes; not years.
Strangely, the acceptance of this fact gave her renewed strength. If it was to end here then she would do it on her terms. She would show these monsters how a Muggle born died! Casting her eyes imperiously around the Great Hall, she noticed a number of Death Eaters dotted around the room and for the briefest of moments her eyes alighted on Snape, who stood near his master, his face impassive, giving nothing away. She spotted McGonagall and the other teachers in the corner, each of them white faced at the current predicament of their students. She felt a sudden rush of despair as she noticed Nagini skulking near her master and it took all of her willpower not to look back at Snape at that moment. The snake was supposed to have been destroyed by now. Finally, she looked up at Lord Voldemort again and the defiance flashed in her eyes as she continued to walk down the length of the Great Hall, her companions in her wake. The doors closed silently behind them.
She noticed Lord Voldemort smile as they approached him and he remained smiling when they were finally ordered to halt before him. It was not a smile of joy, or even of mirth, she decided. Rather it was with a cruel leer of satisfaction that the Dark Lord cast his lidless eyes over those who had dared to defy him. He sat on the Headmaster's chair like an Emperor of old; his robes draped across his arm regally, his fingers drumming the arm of the chair. He was master of all he surveyed and he knew this was so. He took a long moment to regard each of them in turn; his gaze penetrating deep, almost as if he was reading their very souls. He maintained eye contact with each in turn until her companions could stand it no more and lowered their heads to avoid his gaze. Finally he turned to Hermione.
She was determined not to break. She held her head high and her gaze was steady as she looked directly back into the eyes of the devil that sat before her. She had to fight to control the twitching in her leg; to contain the bile that rose in her throat and it took all of her willpower not to break eye contact. In that moment, despite the terror she felt, Hermione Granger epitomised the spirit of everyone who had dared to defy the Dark Lord. It was a silent battle of wills that was being played out and after another few moments it was - amazingly - Lord Voldemort who broke eye contact.
He laughed. A humourless, twisted sound that sent shivers down Hermione's spine.
'So,' he began, addressing all of them, 'finally I have Potter's companions before me. I have waited patiently for this moment and my patience has been rewarded. Did you really think you could surprise Lord Voldemort? This castle is now sealed to all but those I deem worthy. My enemies outside are doomed to defeat. I control this castle now.' He paused for a moment before continuing. 'You may die today when I am through with you; and yet, not all need die. Lord Voldemort can be merciful to those who show repentance. However, some of you most certainly will die here today.' He had turned his gaze on Hermione and Ron as he said this and both were left in no doubt as to whom he was referring to.
Hermione licked her lips, saying nothing for the moment. Every precious second counted right now and she thought it best to let him talk.
'You two have defied me long enough,' continued the Dark Lord. 'You - along with Potter - have caused me great inconvenience. I do not tolerate such disobedience. Your deaths shall make me stronger than ever.'
'What? Are you planning on making some more Horcruxes then, Tom?' asked Ron with contempt. 'You'll have a bit of work to do to replace the five we destroyed. There can't be much left of your soul to split.'
Lord Voldemort was enraged by these words. He lifted his wand but was distracted by the sudden whispering from his followers in the room. Of course, thought Hermione, his Death Eaters would not have known about the Horcruxes. Perhaps she could use this.
'You mean none of you knew?' she asked the room at large. 'You didn't know your master was a coward?' She turned back to Voldemort 'You fear death, don't you, Tom?' her voice dripped with scorn as she uttered his name.
It was the final straw for Lord Voldemort. With a roar of rage, he stood and raised his wand. 'Crucio!' he screamed and shot the curse directly at her.
Hermione had never experienced pain like it. Every nerve in her body screamed at her as the agony coursed through her system. She tried not to give him the satisfaction of crying out but her resistance lasted only seconds as she let out the screams that testified to her agony. Beside her, Ron looked on in horror at his friend as she clawed at the floor in torment.
'No!' he shouted. 'No, you bastard! Can't take the truth, Tom? You are a bloody coward, picking on a schoolgirl. Makes you feel big, does it?'
Voldemort immediately turned his attention to Ron and shifted his curse on to him. Soon he too was experiencing the same agony. Hermione struggled onto her knees as she watched Ron writhe on the ground. Her limbs were trembling and her vision was blurred.
'No!' she managed to croak. 'Stop! Please stop! What is it you want from us?'
Voldemort eventually did stop at these words. He regarded Hermione for a long moment before sitting down in the headmaster's chair again. He smoothed his robes before speaking, regaining his composure. 'What do I want from you?' he finally said. 'I want your deaths, mudblood. But before you die, I want to know everything you can tell me of my Horcruxes. You have a choice, both of you. Tell me what I want to know and I will make your deaths quick. Disappoint me and you will feel my wrath once again.'
Hermione nodded, panting as she struggled to her feet. She knew that she had to buy time; that most precious of commodities. Her life was forfeit now - she knew that - but she would not sell it cheaply. She would give Harry and the others every chance before she died.
'What is it you want to know?' She kept her head down as she asked this, her eyes averted. She saw Ron start to rise in order to challenge Voldemort once again and she placed her hand on his shoulder to stop him. Looking into his eyes she tried to convey the message that he must calm down; he must become subservient. It was their only chance. Ron gazed back and seemed to understand her unspoken plea. He nodded to her before getting to his feet and facing Voldemort once more; but this time he too adopted a more deferential pose.
Voldemort watched the scene with a degree of satisfaction. He knew that he had broken these two and that they would now co-operate. He glanced around at his servants who were whispering to themselves. He grimaced. He had not wanted the existence of his Horcruxes to become public knowledge, but it was too late now. He briefly considered killing all those he could not trust with the information, but realised with dark amusement that he would be left with only three followers if he went down that road. He considered his next question.
'Who else helped you to destroy my Horcruxes?' he asked.
Hermione knew she had to be extremely careful here. This man was the greatest Legilimens the world had ever seen and she did not have the Occlumency skills to lie to him. She would have to speak the truth to him; or at least a version of the truth. It all depended on what she was asked, and with this first question, he had given her a gift.
'No one else. Dumbledore started the process and Harry continued after the headmaster died. He told us everything in case anything happened to him, but no one else has been involved in their destruction.' This was all true, she reasoned. No one else had helped them to destroy the Horcruxes. Find them? Yes. But not destroy them.
Voldemort sensed the truth of her words and seemed satisfied. 'How did Dumbledore discover my secret?' he asked.
'I don't know for sure, but I think he first became suspicious when we discovered your diary five years ago. I believe Dumbledore wondered at the hold the spirit in the diary managed to gain over Ginny Weasley. I'm not certain, but I think that's what put him onto you.'
Voldemort nodded almost absent-mindedly, as if he was discussing the weather with the girl before him. I knew it would be the diary! Lucius would pay for this mistake, he would see to that. The destruction of his Horcruxes had crippled him, but not destroyed him. He still had one left and soon he would supplement that one with some more. The deaths of the two fools in front of him would now be symbolic; he would show those in the know what happened to anyone who tried to challenge him. He sighed. There really wasn't anything else he needed to know. His secret was no longer secure. His servants now knew of the steps he had taken to avoid death, but there was nothing he could do about that now.
Hermione sensed the change in mood in the man sitting before her. She knew that her time was finally up and decided that she would not give this man the satisfaction of showing fear. She waited for him to continue, her heart thumping in her chest as if understanding her predicament and desperate to escape.
Voldemort slowly rose from his chair and regarded Ron and Hermione one last time. He saw them stand straight of back, heads lifted in defiance. He would soon change that. The mudblood first, I think.
'Crucio!' he said as he casually flicked his wand at Hermione. In an instant, she was screaming on the ground once again, silently praying for her ordeal to be over. Her only regret was that she never got to see Harry before she died, and the thought of him brought tears to her eyes.
'Fool!'said Lord Voldemort, with contempt. He lowered his wand, desiring now to inflict torture of a different sort. 'How could you ever think that you could possibly defeat me? One who has explored magic beyond the realms of your imagination? Did you think that love would be enough to save you, girl?' He swept his arm around the room. 'Where is your champion? Who will stand up for you in your final hour?' He was leering as he tormented her, his voice mocking as he approached her. 'Who will be you white knight, mudblood?' he hissed, bending over her so that his face was just inches from hers as she struggled onto her knees.
Before Hermione could respond, the attention of everyone was suddenly diverted as the great doors swung open with a crash that echoed throughout the room.
'I guess that would be me,' said Harry as he strode into the hall, his eyes blazing in fury.