A/N: Hello fellow readers! So, it has been a VERY long time since I have written/updated a fanfiction. I think, however, now that I'm free of the hormone and drama-filled part of my life I call my high school days I have a better handle on my writing style and my ideas. There will be a lot of flashbacks in the first two chapters, but it'll pick up from there. I am really excited about this story, so I hope you enjoy it because I would like to continue to write it.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of Harry Potter or its characters.
Title: Dark Shadows of Night
Chapter 1: The Catalyst of the Order's Assassin
The sound of moans pierced the silence of the night, but no one heard. There was no one around save for the guards standing watch on various parts of the land. None of these guards rushed to the place where the moans originated from. No. These were moans emitted from a women captured in the throes of deeply immense passion. Her lover matched every buck she made, each movement ranging from agonizingly slow to powerful and fast.
He teased her, sucked and licked her neck enrapturing her in moments of pure and utter bliss. She loved the feel of a man on top of her, encompassing her very being. She grabbed the sheets on her bed teetering dangerously close to her apex. Her head jerked backwards, eyes opening at the familiar sensation just before her climax. And in that second her eyes widened and her heart beat a thousand miles as she spotted the shadow of a person standing behind her lover right before a flash of light appeared and his head was cut cleanly off his body, eyes still shut in the heat of the moment.
A shrill scream pierced the night's air.
The assassin made no noise using the shadows as her guidance. Merlin, that woman can scream. With a quick wipe clean the sword found its home in its hilt, a nonverbal spell shortening it to the length of a knife. She could hear the guards yelling, panicking after hearing the unexpected octave of their lord's nightly companion. They were caught off guard. Good. That's how she wanted it. Seeing the approaching wall which separated Yaxley's manor from the outside world, she steeled herself before utilizing her magic to flip over the wall unnoticed, the sounds of the yelling guards disappearing into the quickly fading distance.
Lord Yaxley.
She did not consider him a lord, nor did a multitude of people who knew him, but she supposed it was his way of trying to make himself feel more powerful than he really was. Only his guards and his little sexual adventures referred to him as such, but no matter. Yaxley crossed the line once and for all. She knew he was the Dark Lord's inside eye and ear into the Ministry and used the Imperius on various department heads to infiltrate all the major departments in the Ministry of Magic.
Before she arrived, her team had been watching Yaxley for months gathering proof of his allegiance to the dark side. His completed infiltration would have caused an even bigger disadvantage to her side, a fact she would dare not let happen. He was there that day her world changed- him and two other known death eaters. It was finally time for her to act and act she did. A member of the top secret elite assassin team created by the Order of the Phoenix, Hermione Granger made sure he paid just like he made her parents pay.
Flashback
The end of sixth year ended on one of the worst notes in all her years at Hogwarts. The first battle of Hogwarts dangerously shook the general student and faculty body. Their headmaster was dead. The Golden Trio could hardly be seen walking around without a glazed look on their faces, dark rings surrounding their eyes from a lack of sleep. Everyone, minus the Slytherins, shared in their depressive states. The memorial held for their dearest late headmaster was attended by every student and many alumni of Hogwarts. Aurors guarding the school silently prayed in their heart for the fallen soldier. The light suffered a huge loss.
When it was time to board the train home the trio stared at the looming building in the distance. Dark, ominous clouds seemed to gravitate toward the castle as though in mourning of the loss of a great wizard and mentor. Breaking eye contact, Hermione placed a hand on Harry and Ron's arm to gain their attention to the compartments being filled with students. They managed to secure a solitary compartment to which she locked and silenced, a curtain materializing to block out its occupancy. The tell tale jerk of the train signaled the start of their trip, away from the place they called their secondary home, a place full of heavy memories, good and bad.
Harry hardly talked to anyone let alone Ron or Hermione. They knew he needed time to figure things out but they made it a point to watch him out of the corner of their eyes just in case the stress finally pushed him over the edge. Most of the ride was silent save for the whooshing sound of air as the train cut through the countryside.
Hermione thought over the year, especially on the events that occurred not too long ago. There was no point in pretending it didn't happen. Ignorance made a person weak. She had to face the facts. Dumbledore was dead. His killer, Snape, escaped. And Draco Malfoy was nowhere to be found. What did this mean? Who would be the leader of the Order of the Phoenix? Was there still a chance of them winning?
Stop that, Hermione chided herself. They will win. In any given war, each side will suffer setbacks, but what really made the winners was finding the strength and intelligence to pick up the pieces and continue with as much fervor as before. The attack on Hogwarts, she knew, would be one of many to come, but how many more will suffer? Was there anything that could be done to prevent it from happening? She couldn't stand it if she kept losing people she loved. It was with those thoughts she lulled herself to sleep.
"Hermione. Hermione," a hand shook her shoulder. She jerked awake, eyes aware and surveying her environment. She focused on the mop of jet black hair in front of her. Harry. He gave her a ghost of a smile, the closest thing to a genuine smile since the death of their headmaster. "We're here." She nodded, prodding the sleeping redhead next to her awake. Before they stepped out of the compartment, however, Harry swiftly turned around.
"Harry, what-" She was interrupted by a strong pull of arms, Ron smashed behind her. Releasing a breath she didn't know she was holding, her body relaxed some before she and Ron reciprocated the hug their best friend so desperately needed. They leaned in foreheads touching, a moment of silence as the sound of their schoolmates shuffling filled the background. They seemed to draw strength from each other as they grasped the other tightly, not wanting to let go. Harry's eyes screwed shut. He tensed before his shoulders dropped and his emerald green eyes opened. They looked at their distraught friend. Hermione placed her hand on his cheek, gently caressing the slight stubble she was accustomed to feeling on her dark haired friend. Ron placed a hand on her shoulder and the other on Harry's.
"Thank you." It was quiet, but they heard it. Hermione felt a pang in her heart hearing how lost Harry sounded. It was as though he were close to giving up. But she wouldn't let him. No, they were the Golden Trio for a reason. They fought Death Eaters and Voldemort himself, an experience many aurors and members of the Order of the Phoenix had yet to face. They did not give up.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered, "We'll get through this, Harry. I promise." Feeling Ron's head nodding behind her, Hermione kissed Harry's cheek. "Ready?" She offered her hand as she grabbed onto Ron's, the question holding a deeper meaning. Harry gazed into her hazelnut eyes before nodding and grabbing hold of hers. They exited the train hand in hand.
They were greeted by the warm reception of the Wesley family; the twins, Molly, and Arthur coming up to greet them all. Ginny had already left the train before them and waited knowingly beside her family. "Welcome back!" Molly Weasley, in her motherly way, greeted them each with a warm hug. "You poor darlings, you must be drained! Oh, no matter! There's plenty of food ready for you at home! Hermione, are you coming with us, dear?"
Hermione smiled apologetically at the loving woman in front of her. "Unfortunately not today, Mrs. Weasley. I'll be going home for a week or two before seeing you all again. I haven't seen my parents in a long time and I hope to see them soon in case something happens in the future." Mrs. Weasley smiled sadly at Hermione's implications of the future. She looked at the haggard state of her children. Yes, she considered Harry and Hermione one of her own. So young, and yet faced with so much grief and misery. They held the fate of the world on their shoulders, Harry especially, and there was nothing she could do to lessen their burden.
"I understand." She placed a hand on Hermione's arm. "Make sure to owl us when you're home and when you're ready to come, okay? "
"I will." With a nod, Hermione bid farewell to each member of the Weasley family present and to Harry. She clung to Harry wishing she could somehow transfer some of his pain and anguish to herself. She loved her friends with all her might and it pained her to see Harry so forlorn. She took a deep breath in. "Take care of yourself, you hear me, Potter?" The use of his last name and the strength in which she delivered her message made the boy in her arms jerk up in surprise. A small smile found its way onto his face.
"I will, Granger." Smirking playfully, she kissed Harry and Ron on the cheek, the latter growing a bit pink in the cheeks.
"See you soon, then. I won't forget to owl when I get in. Have a safe trip back to the Burrow!" She waved to them as they separated. When they were out of her eyesight, she looked around the station trying to find her ride. To her surprise, she saw one of her parent's employees standing next to her father's car.
"Angela, what are you doing here?" Hermione asked as she walked up to the car, luggage in tow. The blonde woman smiled at her in recognition.
"Your parents are tied up with a dental surgery, so they asked me to bring you home." Nodding in acceptance, Hermione loaded her trunk in the car and sat quietly as she watched the houses pass by. Upon reaching her street, she noticed dark gray smoke emitting from her block. Eyebrows knotting together in confusion, the closer they got the more she realized that the smoke was not emitting from just any house. A feeling of dread and utter shock filled her as the car stopped in the middle of the road in direct view of her house, huge red tongues of fire digesting her childhood home. She gasped, looking at Angela before a scream bubbled from her mouth.
At that moment Angela's face and body melted off into the sneering form of Rudolphus Lestrange. Jerking her door open, Hermione fell backwards onto the gravel of the road. His face twisted in horrible delight at the sight of her scrambling on the floor away from him. Her heart beat fast, her breath coming in short pants. No one was out there.
A shriek of laughter broke Hermione out of her surprise as she was diverted back to her burning house. Her parents! Where were her parents? She stumbled away from Rudolphus who had begun to leer at her. She pulled out her wand only to be faced with his. He started to close in, cornering her, the destination her house. His larger stature took advantage of catching her off guard.
"The muggles are burning! Burn like the filth you are! Burn! Burn! Burn!" Bellatrix's twisted shrill voice filled Hermione's ear before ending in a demented laugh. Upon reaching the front lawn, Hermione could hear the screams of two people; male and female. Her parents! Through the window, she could make out Bellatrix dancing as though she were performing some sort of ritual dance. Her defense still up, she assessed her situation. She had to get them out. Merlin only knows how long they were in there and how much longer they had. Where were the aurors?!
Walking sideways so that she could see her house and Rudolphus, she tightened her grip on her wand. "Impedimenta!"
Rudolphus blocked the spell while sneering at her. "Not very smart are you, mudblood? Could've-" He may have been ready to deflect any spell she would've used, but what he wasn't prepared for was the swift roundhouse kick to the face she delivered. His head snapped to the side from the force of her strike and he promptly fell to the floor with a thud. Hearing him groan on the floor she ran inside the house knowing she only had a small amount of time before he got back on his feet. Wand held in front of her and covering her nose and mouth with her sleeve she kicked open the door to avoid burning her hand. Her eyes widened in horror, the roar of the fire deafening her ears.
"Mum! Dad!" Placed on a stage of fire in the burning living room were two wooden poles. Tied to the poles were her parents, their screams increasing as the fire began to continue its assault up their bodies. This image brought on a sense of déjà vu as she paralleled the pictures she saw in her History of Magic textbook on the Salem Witch trials with the scene in front of her. The only difference was that the witches who were accused had spells that turned the fire into something as harmless as a tickle. This in front of her was the complete opposite. Her eyes flashed and she pointed her wand at Bellatrix who, surprised at the door bursting open, wickedly threw a smug smirk.
"Welcome, mudblood, to the death of your parents." Bellatrix screeched in delight resuming her dancing around the room blasting spells to increase the flames and destroy all of Hermione's precious memories.
"Stupe-" A hard kick to her ribs made Hermione lose her breath and keel to the side, thankfully nowhere near any flames.
"HERMIONE!" She heard her parents yell in between their groans and gurgled cries. A hand grabbed a fistful of hair as it lifted her up to face her new attacker. Yaxley. Her eyes narrowed having remembered him at the Department of Mysteries the year before. She lashed out, throwing punches, kicks, even going as far as trying to bite his arm, but to no avail.
He sneered at her. "Filthy mudblood," he spat and threw her into a piano bench, head hitting against the hard wood of the legs. Get up! Get up, Mione. Fight! Mum! Dad! She coughed. It was so hard to breath!
Shaking her head, she yelled, "Avis!" Immediately a flock of birds flew at Yaxley and started attacking his head. In the back of her mind, she hoped the birds would be careful not to catch fire. Being granted this distraction, she pulled herself up. She watched as Bellatrix began to dance toward her and with perfect timing, Hermione lunged herself at the crazed Death Eater. Caught by surprise, Bellatrix landed on her back, the side of her head landing on a flame of fire. She screamed and jerked away from the fire, grabbing the side of her face.
Hermione, who took this momentary distraction managed to yell out the water spell until a "Petrificus Totalus!" made her freeze in place. NO! Her mind yelled.
"You. Filthy. Little. Mudblood," Bellatrix spat out each word, her hands still covering her burned skin. Rudolphus, who cast the spell on Hermione, joined his wife who began to circle her. His wand pointed menacingly at her. Seconds later Yaxley joined them. "You ruined my perfect face!" In her anger, Bellatrix slapped Hermione. Her face jerked to the side and stayed in its sideways position.
She looked at the crazed Death Eater with fear, her nostrils filling with the smoke and her ears listening to the screaming of her parents. Bellatrix grabbed a hold of her chin and forced her face forward, nails cutting so deep in her skin tiny rivers of blood began to flow. Bellatrix leaned in. "You're lucky we're under orders of the Dark Lord, you little piece of filth. You would be burning up there with your parents right now if we weren't." Hermione's eyes flicked toward her parents whose necks were now consumed in the fire. A deep feeling of nausea and dread filled her. Her insides churned and she couldn't do a thing about it. "No, matter, we'll just make you watch them burn in hell for creating an abomination like you." Hermione's heart dropped as Bellatrix let go of her chin and pointed her wand at her parents. "This was more fun than I thought it was. Aguamenti!"
The stream of water, controlled to shoot only a small stream of water, slowed down the process of the fire. Her eyes widened. No! You can't do that! Stop! In her pain, Bellatrix managed to grin maniacally as she drew the pain and deaths of the Grangers on longer. She reveled in their screams.
Hermione's eyes teared as she made eye contact with both of her burning parents. She wished she could call to them, but she was still under the spell. "Her- Hermione. Mione, dear-" Her eyes flashed as she heard her mother call to her. The flames had started its ascent up their faces. "We love you, darling."
They gave her an encouraging smile, despite the horrifying pain of being burned alive. It was a simple statement yet it held a lot of meaning. Be careful. Be strong. Don't lose hope yet. Mama! Papa! Her mind screamed as the last of the flames engulfed her parents completely. Her eyes widened, tears falling as a more rapid pace. Her breath hitched from the thick smoke of burning flesh and from her tears.
Still under the body-bind curse, she could not defend herself when Yaxley, Bellatrix, and Rudolphus simultaneously raised their wands at her. "Crucio!" The sounds of her screams filled the burning house.
Their laughter was the last thing Hermione saw as she crumpled to the floor in a heap, darkness falling upon her.
End of flashback
Hermione shook her head roughly to get rid of those memories, the distinct smell of burning flesh threatening to emerge from memory. Her eyes hardened as she continued the run to her apparition point. She was almost there.
A/N: Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!
