After the Great War, many of us tried to run.
We didn't get far; they took us to 'port hope-less' as it's now known as. Harry is still there, a prisoner, kept under the control of the dark lord. Ron's somewhere, he's still running, he promised me he'd get me out of here, give me something to live for again, but he's gone. There is nothing to live for.
My name is Hermione Granger, and I am a slave.
The bell chimed, so I headed up the long staircase to my mistresses room, I knocked 3 times, and slowly walked in. I kept my head to down.
"Look up, girl!" She said I obeyed; she nodded signaling me to speak.
"You called, Narcissi, What can I do to serve you?" I said and curtsied, as the rules stated I should do.
"You can make sure the house elves give me my breakfast by 8:00 next time!" She slapped me but this was to be expected." I didn't get it until 8:15 this morning!" She said, sitting down in the green, and silver arm chair.
"I'm terribly sorry, Narcissi, Who shall I lock up tonight, how many hours?" I asked, having to sound happy, as the rules stated, I actually hated when I had to lock one of the poor things up, when just a few years ago I had been fighting to free them.
"Lock up, Lily for 4 hours." She said, stating that was the end of the matter.
I nodded, smiling that sickly smile that had slowly replaced my old one, in the new world.
She said a quick goodbye, and I quickly rushed out the door closing it silently.
I've heard that mistress wasn't always like this, but she had turned this way, after the Great War, they said it was because her husband had died.
To be honest I wouldn't have been that sorry, from what I understood he wasn't very nice. I shook my head, it wasn't a slaves place to understand anything, and we had to do what we were told, by our owners, nothing else. I still remembered when I was brought here.
I was woken by Mrs Gordon, she was looking after the lost people, and she had taken all the ones she thought could be used. She was going to sell us, as slaves, as sex slaves sometimes.
I was just a simple slave; I had been there a few months, the rules of slavery being drilled into me:
Not to talk until told to
Not to be noticed until called
Not to eat until told to
To do what was told, even the bad things
To follow master, even if you hate him
You where owned by someone else, you did not make your own choices
Do not think about escaping, it will get you killed
Do not understand anything, except your duties
Do your work, even in the worst conditions
If you are beaten, it's your own fault
Clean up your own wounds, after you've done your duties
If you are a witch, do not try to do any spells, or your wand is taken permanently
Your wand is to clean and heal, nothing else
Do not be smart or witty
Take punishment happily, you deserve it
You will never be released, unless you die
There is no escape, ever
Endless lists of rules, drilled into you until you could say them in your sleep.
Then they put on the chains, the chain snakes around your wrist, there's a spike that goes under your skin, its embedded there, it hurts permanently, until you almost forget girsl don't get that though, they have just the electronic thing, which is always on, sapping you all the time.
I got the spike, it will make me go unconscious, if I use a spell, that doesn't heal or help me with my duties then I get knocked out. Some masters reprogram it, so you have a defensive spell, to defend your selves if your house is under attack.
I was woken by Mrs. Gordon shaking me; I silently woke, as I was taught.
"You have been picked, pack your things." I nodded and began packing my slave clothes in my small rucksack.
I ate some bread quickly and left a note for Millie, (My muggle roommate)
Dearest Millie,
I've been picked; pray I'm not hurt too badly.
Obey the rules and you'll live. I hope to find you on hope day, if it ever comes.
Hermione
Hope day was what the slaves had come up with, a day which we could be freed; I'd given up on it long ago.
I was blindfolded, and driven to the new house.
I was taken out, blind fold off.
My training kicked in then, Head down, arms by side.
I knocked 3 times ( as to be heard but not annoying) and waited.
The door was opened but I did not look up, I couldn't until told.
'Well if it isn't Granger!"Said the voice I didn't ever want to hear again.
I looked up and there stood Draco Malfoy, a smirk on his face.
Miss Gordon came up behind me.
"Ah, you must be Mr. Malfoy, This is Hermoine, She's new to the slave world, she became one after the Great War, she was once at Hogwarts, and she knows all the cleaning spells." She blabbed on and on, as we went into the house into the living room, she sat down; I stayed standing, as was the rule.
She kept on talking saying things like 'she's great at being silent, I hardly hear her!' Like I wasn't even there, but I was used to this, it was the normal now.
I had been shown to my somewhat shabby room. And told my duties, they had given me 2 defensive spells, Expelliamus and stuplify. All the other spells that would help my duties were allowed to.
I came out of my daydream after I finished eating my meal for the day.
Draco was currently in the upstairs bathroom, doing something he's not supposed to I'm sure.
He didn't bother giving me the time of day anymore, since he got Lavender. I had known her once, before. But she was now his girlfriend.
She sneered down at me, like she knew I didn't want to be here. The Malfoy family has changed, they are higher up, but they don't really care. They have visitors every Saturday and Sunday, they stay for afternoon tea, some of the men stay for drinks with Draco.
I knocked 3 times on the elves room, A quick knock back said I could come in, this was the knocks that let them know I was coming with bad news.
I walked in and found the head elf.
"Julie? Can you find Lucy for me?" I asked nervously, I didn't want to have to do this but, it was my duty, I had to.
She nodded and brought down a nervous looking house elf, I hadn't seen Lucy in awhile.
She followed be to the cupboard, I showed her where the water pipe was, then locked the door, I set the timer for 4 hours, it would automatically unlock then, just as I had put the spell on it, it didn't count as a spell I was allowed, but I explained that If I needed to get more water in the bucket, I would need it.
It made the cupboard bigger, when the door was locked, so the house elves had enough room to lie down, I still hadn't stopped fighting for them.,
Life was the same routine every day,
-Wake up,
-clean each and every room, which took about 2 hours,
- Then help the house elves make lunch,
-Clean the owner's rooms,
-Serve dinner
- Then at 7:37(No other time allowed) I was to turn down Narcissi's bed
-then at 8:52(again this exact time, nothing else) I was to turn down Draco's bed
-then I was to make tea and biscuits for Narcissi. Serve them to her quickly
- Then when Draco got home, if he was Alone offer him whiskey, If Lavender was staying for the night offer them coco.
-Then I had run him a bath, the temperature exactly 38
.-Then I was to retire to my room.
During this time I didn't do much. I either read, Alice in wonderland, the only book I had, or went down to the house elves kitchen, to sit with the other slaves around the flames. There where 3 of us, one to cook, one to clean(me), and one to help Narcissi.
Tonight I decided to read my book. I soon fell into a dreamless sleep. I didn't dream of anything anymore, just black and red.
Red- Blood, which usually spilled everyday
Black- For the color, I'm sure my heart was turning, due to the bleakness of my life.
I was woken my an alarm blaring, I groaned, this alarm meant we were having our duties reviewed, one of us would be punished tonight, maybe me, I hadn't been neglecting my duties, but if no one has then they pick one at random.
I pulled on my torn cardigan, then dragged myself outside, I knew they had found a fault in my duties immediately, because as soon as I came out Draco smirked at me. Lavender hadn't stayed that night.
We stood in a line, the three of us. We held hands, over the time we'd been here we had become like sisters, help each other anyway we could.
They pointed at Katie and she came forward. They became the ceremony
"Katie, You cook all our meals with the house elves help. The meals are ok, you can go back, Its not you, tonight anyway." He said, I knew it wouldn't of been her, Next they called up Hayley, they said basically the same thing about her.
"Hermione." I stepped forward, biting my lip nervously, I knew the punishment would hurt, but I was used to pain.
"Hermione, You have been stupid, you gave lavender a look she didn't like yesterday." He said he mentioned for me to lie down on the ground, I nodded, I didn't mean to give her a look, but master was always right.
I slowly lied down on the floor, He took of my cardigan, and ripped the dress down the back.
He raised the whip and slapped it down on my back, I bit my lip to stop it myself screaming.
He raised it again, and again.
He stopped after 7 whips, by that time I was screaming.
When he was done, he walked back in to the house, leaving me lying in the dirt, and my own blood. Katie ran over to help me, she helped me up, and she and Hayley dragged me back to the slave courters.
" Hermione! You are relieved of your duties tomorrow, my son went too far." Narcissi shouted after me, I was very grateful to her for that. I couldn't have done anything tomorrow.
Healing charms needed time to work, the most powerful one I knew needed at least 24 hours.
When I got to my room I grabbed my wand, and started healing the wounds.
"Vulnera Sanentur" I muttered, pointing the want at my wounds. They started to heal, slowly and painfully, but soon I was left with some small scars and dried blood, but I was still in great pain, The malfoys had a special whip, the pain would still be there for 24 hours, even after the wound had been healed.
" Tergeo." I muttered, clearing the dried blood up.
I quickly got to work, sewing up my dress.
I sewed until my eyes grew heavy, then I lay down carefully on my bed and fell asleep, until the morning.
I woke at 8:00, which is the latest I've ever slept. I went to the house elves kitchen and borrowed some more thread, I stitched up the hole in the dress, then cleaned it of in the main wash rooms. They would be angry if they saw the blood in the dress, they hated being reminded, they said they didn't want to be cruel.
Before I came here, I thought I was worth something, that I would become something more.
I used to love reading, now I hated being reminded of what I once had. My parents died in the great war, Harry's tortured everyday. Ron's fighting to free us. When did I become someone who gave up? When did I stop fighting for the weak. I was now the weakest one here. The bell chimed and I looked up, I wasn't supposed to be working today but if the bell chimed you went, no questions asked.
I walked up the long corridor and knocked 3 times, then I slowly opened the door.
" Good, hermoine! Come in quickly, and shut the door!" Said Narcissi, her hair was out of place, her clothes wrinkled. Something was terribly, terribly wrong.
" What's happened?" I asked as she put a lock charm on the door.
" The house is under attack, your bracelets been turned off, defend your self and the maids, please." She said, her voice high-pitched, I nodded.
" You can apparate, can't you?" she asked I nodded, with the bracelet off I could.
"Yes! I'll go warn the others, they will be in the servant's courters, and thank you m'am for giving us this chance." I saw her nod, then I felt the familair tugging sensation.I saw suddendly in the servant courters, slightly dizzy from not appareting in such a long time.
Katie and Hayley screamed as I appeared.
" Girls! Get weapons, the house is under attack, my bracelet is switched off, I will defend you as best I can." I said, they were both muggles.
" House elves!" 12 House elves immediately appeared before me. " Do you have anymore of that fudge, that went wrong?" They nodded. " Well we are using it as ammo!" I said, the other slaves smiled.
I hadn't given up fighting yet.
The men had entered the main house, Narcissi and Draco where hiding in the basement, we where preparing ammo.
I had episkey'd everyone, we were all ready.
The lock charm i'd put on the door was wearing off, they where breaking through.
" Expecto patronum." I muttered as the door broke down. My otter streamed out my wand, and headed straight for the attackers.
"Expelliarmus." I said knocking the first attacker over.
" 1,2,3. GO!" I yelled, the house elves and the slaves started throught the rock hard fudge at them, to an outside it would have looked funny, but to us, we were fighting for freedom.
We fought with them for hours, me firing all the spells I knew at them. My otter was protecting Hayley with me protecting Katie.
We lost Hayley, my otter faded when I got hurt, so she was unprotected. We lost Lucy the house elf.
Two of my friends died that day.
The Bell chimed, our attackers lay dead at our feet, along with Hayley and Lucy. The remaining of us went down to the basement, the sight was quite something.
Narcissi was pointing her wand at us, I send my otter down to show we weren't the enemy, Draco was crying like a baby, including a teddy bear. I nearly burst out laughing. But I was a slave, we are not permitted to laugh.
" Mistress, the house is sercure." I said then curtisied.
And she laughed.
" My child, you have done brilliant, and for that I am greatful, as thanks for your help. I releash you. And you Katie, you are freed." She said, standing up proudly. Draco promptly fainted.
I smiled, my real smile.
" Thank you." I said, I held out my wrist, and she took it off, the spike came out too, I healed it, but I would always have the scar. She removed Katie's whose I healed as well, she had some nasty burn marks.
" You two may have one of my horses each, I want to thank you two for helping me in the past years, and I'm sorry for the loss of the other girl, I can't remember her name." She nodded at us, and we left the house, with black cloaks and red blood on our dresses.
Katie left to find her family who were in hiding somewhere.
I speed of to port hope-less, to find Harry and help him. For my hope day had come and I thought it was time I visited my old friend, Voldemort would not torture my best friend any longer.
I did it, this has 2,812 words, my longest ever, I hope you like it!XXXXXX
Please review.