DARK TIMES
Rating: PG for dark subject matter.
A/N: I'll only post the next chapter if I get some positive reviews. This is my second HP fic, and the content is serious.
Disclaimer: If you recognize 'em, I don't own 'em.


Hermione practically flew down the stairs towards the Entrance Hall. She'd slept late, and Harry and Ron - as well as almost everyone else in the school - were probably half way through breakfast by now.

She turned toward the Great Hall when she reached the foot of the stairs. When she heard footsteps behind her, she took no notice. Likely another student who'd slept late.

"Well, well, well. Just the Mudblood I've been looking for." Or maybe not.

'Just keep walking', she told herself.

"Look at me when I speak to you, bitch." Then Malfoy muttered something. The next thing Hermione knew, she'd spun around to face him.

"That's better." His wand was pointed directly at her. Before she could react..."Crucio!"

Fire streamed throughout her body. Every bone felt like it was being broken into tiny pieces. Her lungs felt ready to burst from the pain of providing enough air for her screams.


Harry stopped eating. "Ron, what's that noise?"

Ron listened for a moment, then shrugged. He couldn't hear very well over the usual chatter in the Great Hall. "Probably someone got a Howler and ran into the Entrance Hall before opening it."

"No. There don't seem to be any words..." Harry listened for another moment, then suddenly jumped up.

"Harry, what is it?"

"That's not a Howler, Ron. Hermione's in trouble." Leaving Ron dazed and bewildered behind him, Harry began sprinting towards the doors.

Ron stared for a moment, and then shook himself to attention. If Hermione was in trouble, Dumbledore had to be told. He started for the head table, where Dumbledore was already standing up, having noticed Harry's rush to leave.

The screams were beginning to stop. Harry desperately prayed this was because someone had come to Hermione's aid, but he feared that wasn't the case. The last yard to the doors of the Great hall seemed a mile. He put on more speed.


After bursting through the doors, Harry came to a sudden halt and stared at the horrible scene before him.

Hermione writhed on the floor. She kept trying to curl into the fetal position, but was in too much pain to do so. Her mouth was open, but she had no strength left to scream. Harry saw tears streaming down her face.

He had to stop this. Slowly, he raised his eyes from the girl on the floor to her attacker. Malfoy was smirking. He moved his wand ever so slightly, towards Hermione's head, then grinned as she tried to protect herself.

Harry was boiling with rage. He reached for his wand. Unfortunately, he hadn't noticed Crabbe and Goyle standing nearby.

"Expelliarmus!" Funny. Harry hadn't thought those idiots could've learned the spell, but his wand was now clenched in Goyle's fist.

All right. If he couldn't stop Malfoy with his wand, he'd do it with his fists. But Crabbe seemed to read his mind. He crossed the room in a few strides and restrained Harry in a bone-crushing bear hug.

"Nice work boys. Goyle, come here."

Malfoy didn't take his eyes off Hermione as Goyle walked over.

"Goyle, do the honors of finishing this Mudblood off, please. I'd do it myself, but where's the fun if she doesn't feel anything as she dies? Oh, and use Potter's wand."

Harry felt like throwing up. Malfoy was grinning wickedly. He tried, but he couldn't budge in Crabbe's grip. He could only watch with a sickening sense of dread as Goyle raised the wand.

Had Harry been able to move, he would have been frozen. He stopped struggling as Goyle opened his mouth and uttered…


A/N: That's where I'm stopping. If you don't like it, too bad. You'll have to wait for Ch 2.