Chapter 1

The long, murky corridor seemed endless like the sharp pain of a freshly cut wound. The night seemed darker than others, and the icy stonewalls guided her throughout the castle. She sped around the corner away from the moonlit rays that exposed her bouncing brown curls and redden eyes, incessantly glancing behind her and wiping away the tears that poured down her cheeks. Her robes were torn, and dirt covered her entire body. Scratches tore through the side of her face, and she could feel the warm blood against her chilled skin. Turning down an isolated third-floor corridor, she hid behind the statue of the one-eyed witch.

As she tried taming her irregular heavy breathing, a shadowed creature stopped short in front of the statue. She could feel her heart pounding nervously as she backed in deeper until she felt her back hit against the wall, and prayed he wouldn't hear her. Clenching her wand, she stared menacingly at the blackened beast, and considered the possibilities of curses she could produce upon him. The darkened fiend began to slowly slink out of site as she caught her breath that puffed out in tiny vapours in front of her. Slowly peering passed the statue, she squinted to see through the thick blackness of night. Since her eyes failed her, she trusted her sense of sound to assure her no one lingered around. When she felt it was safe, she crept silently back to the seventh floor.

Making her way as quickly as possible back to Gryffindor Tower, Hermione Granger searched frightfully all around her for anything to jump out in the dead of night. The shadows of the stoned figures and knights' armour only heightened her fear. It seemed as if their eyes were set upon her, and to her dismay, she couldn't distinguish between what was real and what was her imagination.

She brought her watch up to her face that revealed it was far from sunrise. Looking back behind her once more, she debated whether to shed some light on her pathway. I'm not quite there yet, she thought. I don't need anything distracted towards me now. Hermione turned down one last corridor, relieved to see the Grand Staircase in sight. But suddenly, a sinister voice echoed silently in the shadows behind her.

"Hello, Granger," the voice coolly greeted. Her body froze in place as she tightened her grip around her wand. Hermione felt a tear trickle down her face as he continued to speak. "Tried to slip away, did you? Thought you could fool me?"

Hermione stood in place, not looking back at him.

"Look at me when I'm speaking to you!" he shouted. "Imperio!" A sudden jolt streamed throughout her body, and she felt it being forcefully turned around. Hermione stared down at the floor, forbidding her eyes to look straight at him. "I said look at me!" he repeated, and she felt her head jerk up. Even though he was hidden within the shadows, his icy grey eyes glowed, and she found herself staring in a daze into them.

She clenched her teeth in pain while he commanded, "Come here."

Hermione tried prying herself from the grip of the spell, but her body obediently followed his orders. She couldn't scream for help; no one knew where she was. If only she would have listened to Ron, and headed back to the common room, she wouldn't be within the clutches of this horrible person.

Her feet quickly stomped across the stone floor in a beeline towards him until she was so close to his face she could feel the heat of his breath. She continued to stare into his eyes—eyes she knew very well, but hoped to never get this close to. His face showed clearly now. With his slicked back blonde hair, alarming grey eyes, and devious smile, she knew it could only be one person. Draco Malfoy.

"I've waited so patiently for this night, Granger," he informed. He grabbed her wrist tightly, and dragged her down to the dungeons. "I had to hold off until the perfect time when you were alone, and away from Potter and Weasley. It was quite difficult though. You were always around them, hiding between those two. You knew I was watching you…and yet, you still didn't inform your precious friends. How very foolish of you…"

When they reached the back of the eerie dungeons, there stood Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, Pansy Parkinson, and Theodore Nott, along with a few other Slytherins with smug expressions on their faces. Hermione felt the curse lift from her body, and she immediately began pulling away from Malfoy.

"Let go!" she screamed. "Depulsio!"

A flash of gold secreted from her wand, and threw Malfoy against the wall. She scrambled to leave, but Malfoy quickly stood, and shouted, "Locomotor Mortis!"

Hermione felt her legs lock together, and she instantly fell to the floor. Sniggers exploded from the others, and Malfoy satisfyingly grinned at them and then down at her. She felt her hands heat up in piercing pain from the fall, and attempted to crawl away, but Malfoy shouted, "Accio!"

Hermione hurled backwards, and flew straight towards Malfoy, who grinningly took one step to the side. Her back smashed violently against the wall, and her body fell helplessly to the floor. Her head ached, and she felt her feeble mind begin to slip out of consciousness.

"Granger, you've got to realize that you cannot escape. No one knows where you are…and no one will!" he bellowed. A few more snickers broke out from the Slytherins.

She brought her thoughts together and screamed, "HELP!"

"Nectoris!"

Her mouth was instantly bounded, and tears began flowing down her cheeks again. The Slytherins all joined together in an eruption of laughter. Hermione frantically looked around at them who enjoying the pain Malfoy brought upon her. Malfoy's laughs sharply ended, and Hermione feared the next words that came from his mouth.

"This is for you, father," he contributed gravely. "Avada Kedavra!"

A bright green light shot out of his wand, blinding the sight of the room, and a shrill laugh echoed off the walls of the vacant dungeon.