Chapter one – Cornered
Darkness ensnared her; the cold wind clutching its sharp claws around her bare throat and cheeks… And they were surrounding her, their black cloaks and white masks circling like predators round cornered prey.
"Stay away!" She cried backing herself into a small alleyway where her back hit roughly against the stony wall. There was no escape.
Harsh laugher erupted, and a woman who shrieked far louder and higher than the rest of her clan stepped forward.
"You're not in a position to threaten us ikkle girly." Bellatrix said menacingly taking another step closer.
"I don't care how many there are of you. I'm not afraid."
Every nerve in her body was aching but her voice did not falter, it was clear and steady, and if this was the end of Hermione Granger, she was ready to duel one last time.
She raised her wand a little higher and the cold eyes of Bellatrix stared back with a fraction of fear. Seven on one seemed an impossible statistic but there was no point trying to run any longer, this was the moment for battle.
Several of the Death Eaters stirred with anticipation, their eager eyes barely visible behind their masks. A slow second past, Bellatrix stood calculating, to her right a Death Eater's wrist twitched; his wand spurting several red sparks ready for its master's call.
It was now or never Hermione thought, she could possibly take out three maybe four if she was quick…
"Stupefy!" Hermione yelled ducking as a red light shot dangerously close to her face. She looked up just in time to see her spell hit one of them, and they flew backwards knocking two others to the ground.
She fired another this time hitting a stumpy looking wizard who was catapulted into the air high above the duel, though she wasn't quick enough as a hex hit her firmly in the chest knocking her breathless. Hermione collapsed to the ground, her head spinning and vision blurred.
Just one more, she thought, one more before it's over...
She gasped for air but it was no use, she cast a non verbal spell that caught one Death Eater by surprise; he fell to his knees screaming in agony as several pustules erupted on his face, each one squirting yellow puss which seemed to burn painfully on his skin.
Without meaning to, a small smile crept upon Hermione's face... Serves him right, she thought.
Bellatrix who seemed to have dodged the duel suddenly leapt forward, her wand aimed directly at Hermione's heart.
"Protego!" Hermione shouted hoarsely, but it was too late, a sharp pain executed over her body and she was knocked back into the wall.
Her head felt heavy and broken and there was the bitter metallic taste of blood swimming in her mouth. Flashes of a memory came streaming back… She was on the run, but they had cornered her. No where to go but fight to the death…
Or so she had thought.
Hermione opened her eyes to a circular room made of broken bricks and stone. The place looked almost identical to the dungeons at Hogwarts; a jolt of pain exploded in her stomach, no she was not there; it had been a long time since the peace at Hogwarts had protected her.
Her eyes adjusted to the light, or lack of; there was only a small strip of light coming from a large wooden door that was barely ajar. If she was not bound hand and feet to chains she would have ran for it, but wherever she was, she knew it wasn't going to be a good place.
It was then when she heard the sounds of people talking – they were close, their voices muffled behind the thick stony wall in front of her.
"- She put up a fight my Lord. Amycus was injured pretty badly, we're unsure if the scarring will ever heal."
A harsh gasp caught in her throat. No… Surely, he couldn't be here…
"Amycus is a fool if he can't even defend himself against an eighteen year old girl, but no matter, she is here now and my plans are about to take order."
"Do you wish for me to wake her up my Lord?"
"The Mudblood is already awake. Bring her to me Rodolphus."
Hermione quickly thrust her hands into her robes but of course, they had not left her with her wand.
A loud explosion filled the circular room and barely five feet away from her the wall had blasted apart, Hermione covered her face as stone and brick pelted her from above and there in the middle of the opening stood Rodolphus looking malicious and slightly amused.
He marched over and dragged Hermione across the rough floor, where her legs were gashed open by the sharp pieces of rock now lying on the ground. He pulled her over the threshold and into another circular room, one that had several candles suspending in the air like the Great Hall once had, and long green tapestries covering the walls. Hermione was thrown into the middle of the room and was instantly reminded of the coliseum in Rome; a gladiator waiting his inevitable end.
"So Mudblood, we meet at last."
The cruel voice of Lord Voldemort spoke with clarity, not completely full of hate or anger, but strangely polite, which worried Hermione even more. She didn't look up, but held onto her ripped clothing trying to hide her bare skin from view from the Death Eaters who stood silently in the shadows.
"Do not flatter yourself." Voldemort whispered menacingly.
The room burst into laughter, though as quickly as it began it stopped. Voldemort did not laugh, and Hermione wondered if this was the reason the Death Eaters ceased their laughing; the Dark Lord seemed to keep his puppets on a tight lead.
"It's rude not to look at people when they speak to you."
Hermione knew this was a request rather than a statement. She slowly lifted her head and stared into the most feared wizard of all time, his eyes blood red and psychotic, his pale skin like bone.
"You wonder why you are not dead Miss Granger? I shall answer you. You will agree that whatever Harry Potter's plans are, they hold a great significance to me. For a long time now we have been tracking you and the Orders whereabouts-."
"I will never betray my friends!" Hermione yelled before she could stop herself.
Red eyes burned into her own, sending a pain so real across her body she felt as thought death would take her. It was like being on fire, and at the same time being thrown into icy water, as sharp knifes cut into her body from all directions sparing no mercy.
"Never interrupt me you silly little girl." He said.
The pain was gone but a numb feeling stayed, as though her body was bracing itself for the next attack. To her left stood the Death Eaters, this time quiet but unable to keep their eager smiling faces at bay, they were like vultures watching a lion devour its prey slow and painfully. She bit hard on her tongue to stop from future interruptions and waited for him to speak again.
"As I was saying we have been tracking the Orders whereabouts since the death of its leader three months previous. Alas I regret to say we have not found a trace of the boy in question, nor of his trusty side-kick, but news traveled quickly that you were in the area Mudblood. Now we must ask ourselves what an eighteen year old is doing outside her precious school and what mission she has been given."
Through hatred eyes Hermione stared, her body shook with anger as she tried desperately to clear her mind, leave any trace of her mission in locked doors stored somewhere safe in her mind.
"This is your time to speak Mudblood." He spoke again, a hint of annoyance betraying him.
Hermione did not speak; she bit harder on her tongue forcing any sign of weakness out of her, and then slowly shook her head.
It seemed Voldemort had been waiting for this. "Bellatrix" he cried out, and from the line of Death Eaters she came, her eyes wide and a crazed look upon her face as though he was giving her a treat.
Hermione braced herself -
"Crucio!" Bellatrix screamed, and as she did so Hermione fell to the floor, her own scream filling the room. It was pain at its cruelest, Hermione twisted and turned but it did not cease. After what feel like a lifetime it was gone, and the Death Eaters soft guffaws filled the air once more.
"This is your last chance Mudblood."
Hermione rolled on the floor for several moments, her body still twitching from the pain that had subsided moments before. She hit her fists on the ground and let out a low growl of defiance. She could never betray them…
"Very well. Macnair."
Another body shot out of the line and Macnair's wand was already raised and pointing at Hermione. She braced herself for more pain, but none came. Instead it felt as though a snake had slithered into her skull, breaking through barriers and memories, digging deeper for some treasured secret.
She closed her eyes and ignored the meek chuckles around her, she had to force him out of her memories, if Macnair accessed anything important the Order's plans would be useless and she would be dead.
Get out... You're not welcome here… Get out, Get out you filthy slimy git!
At last after ten minutes Macnair was defeated.
"I can't do it My Lord, she is resisting too much." Macnair panted.
"Pathetic excuse for a Death Eater!" Voldemort spat his eyes flaring more dangerously than before. "There is only one thing for it."
"Name it My Lord." Macnair said meekly, worried his master would punish him for failing.
"Fetch Severus."