Prologue - Cruciatus , poena quod a matris diligo
(Torture, pain and a mothers love)
Hermione's screams echoed throughout the dungeon.
The sound was so heart-breaking that every single one of the prisoners below had tears in their eyes as they stood powerless.
"We've got to do something!" growled Harry.
"There's nothing we can do, Harry" said Luna, her usual dreamy voice sounding flat and empty.
There was a loud 'pop' from the back of the dungeon.
"Harry Potter, sir! So good it is to see you! Dobby is here to save Harry Potter and his friends!"
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"Please, just let me die" she whispered. "Please, no more".
Silent tears rolled down Hermione's face. She had learnt to stop screaming. The unadulterated joy in Bellatrix Lestrange's face every time she screamed was pure evil and even her fellow death eaters turned their heads as Bella laughed with glee at the young witch's agony.
Severus Snape however did not look away. He desperately wanted to, she was a child for Merlin's sake! He stood in the corner of the ballroom in Malfoy Manor and kept his expression as impassive as he could. He silently pleaded with the Hogwarts protégé to remain strong. Bellatrix's Cruciatus curses were legendary. Her victims would beg for death, those who did survive (like the Longbottom's) were mere shells, their minds shattered.
One by one the death eaters left the ballroom on some pretext or another until only Hermione, Bellatrix and Snape remained.
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"We can't just leave her here, Dobby!" hissed Ron. "She's family!".
"Dobby will return to save Mr Wheezy's family" said Dobby earnestly.
With another loud 'pop', the dungeon was empty.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Bella" drawled Snape, "I do not think the girl can tell you anymore, we are wasting time".
"Oh, come on, Severus" wailed Bellatrix, licking her lips lavishly. "I want to play!".
Snape took a deep breath and gave the death eater his most disparaging stare.
"You think the Dark Lord wants to wait while you 'play'? You show him no respect, Bella!"
Bellatrix had the decency to look suitably admonished.
"Severus, you know I will do anything for my Lord!".
"Then leave the girl and let us away!".
It took all of Severus' will to remain in character. In his time as Voldemort's right-hand man and Dumbledore's spy, the ex-potions master had seen more than his fair share of torture, pain and even death. Somehow though, the torture of young Miss Granger chilled him right to the bone.
The next few moments seemed to happen in slow motion.
His admonishment of Bellatrix Lestrange had meant to ensure that Miss Granger would be left, hopefully to be rescued by Potter and Co. once the Manor was empty.
Severus never expected what happened next...
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"Severus is right" whispered Bellatrix, menacingly, her cold lips almost touching Hermione's ear. "I have no use for you now, you filthy mudblood".
She stepped back and raised her wand high above her head.
Hermione looked at her ex-potions master, her eyes wide in a silent plea.
Severus looked at Bellatrix and in that moment everything changed.
As an accomplished legilimens he was used to reading situations and reacting in a heartbeat. He was used to making split second decisions under pressure and in the last seven years he had never once put his cover in jeopardy, not even that night on the astronomy tower...
He threw himself at Hermione at the exact moment Bellatrix fired the killing curse. He reached out and just managed to grab onto the young witch's arm.
"Avada Kedavra!".
Everything went black.