II

"What was that?" Lucious's drawling voice barked. "Did you hear that? What was that noise from the cellar?"

I exchanged glances with Harry, worried. Whoever was coming down we would have to do away with them. The thought made me shudder. "Draco-no, call Wormtail! Make him go and check!"

I heard footsteps from overhead approaching. I tried to swallow but to no use. Who knew my Quidditch nerves would follow me into a battle for a life. But then a sense of determination from before flooding through me, this was for Hermione. I felt all of the pent up anger and nearly fell over, there was so much.

"We're going to have to try to tackle him," Harry whispered to me. I nodded. "Leave the lights on," He added as I fumbled in my pocket for the Deluminator. We went on opposite sides of the wall, tensing ourselves.

"S-Stand back!" Wormtail's nervous voice called out. "Stand away from the door. I am coming in."

Wormtail opened the door and gazed into the cellar, which, from his eyes would look completely empty. I leapt at him without thinking about what I would do. I grabbed his wand arm and forced it upward. I heard a pop. Harry's hand went to Wormtail's mouth. He struggled.

"What is it Wormtail?" Lucious asked from above.

Harry and I exchanged nervous glances before nodding. "Nothing!" I called, making my voice high pitched. "All fine!"

It was then that I realized Wormtail was strangling Harry. How on Earth had I missed that before? "You're going to kill me?" Harry asked weakly, attempting to pull off the metal fingers. "After I saved your life, you owe me Wormtail!"

Surprisingly it looked as if Wormtail had eased his grip, then his hand flung to his throat. He started crying silently, clearly surprised. He fell to the floor.

"And we'll have that!" I added, snatching his wand. It was a little too small for me but I knew it would work out better than no wand at all.

Wormtail's eyes dilated and his hand redoubled it's strength, choking him now. "No!" Harry said. He didn't even stop before attempting to pull the hand off of Wormtail's throat. I did nothing to help. He deserved it, so did everyone else upstairs. They all deserved to burn in hell, or rot in Azkaban.

But then something came over me. I knew Hermione wouldn't want me to be a killer. She wouldn't want me to sink to the level of the Death Eaters unless I had no other choice, but now I knew we had other choices. "No," I said too. I released him and attempted with Harry to pull the crushing metal fingers from his throat but to no victory. He was turning blue.

"Relashio!" I cried, pointing Wormtail's wand at his silver hand, but nothing happened. He dropped to his knees and Hermione gave a terrible scream overhead. Wormtail twitched once more before falling over.

I looked at Harry and we gathered outselves before running up the stairs. Cautiously and slowly we crept around and looked through a door. Bellatrix was looking down at Griphook. "Is it the true sword?" She asked. I saw Hermione at her feet. She wasn't moving. Agony crashed down at me, I should've known this was how it would end but I didn't see it coming. I was fueled with enough rage to kill everyone in there, despite our other chance. Hermione didn't deserve to die.

"No," Griphook said, "It's a fake."

"Are you sure?" Bellatrix asked, "Quite sure?" She looked tense.

"Yes," Griphook said.

Belatrix looked ten times better and she sighed with relief.

"Good," She said. Then she flicked her wrist and a deep cut ran through the goblin's face. He dropped to the floor, screaming. She kicked him across the room. "And now" She said in a triumphant voice, "We call the Dark Lord!" She pushed up her sleeve and touched her forefinger to the Dark Mark.

Harry was having a fit beside me but he remained quiet. He was wrapped up in thoughts, looking panicked.

Bellatrix spoke again, "And I think we can dispose of the Mudblood. Greyback, take her if you want her."

That did it. I didn't know whether she was alive or dead, or whether I was going to live or die but I charged out of the room. "NOOOOOOOOO!" I screamed as I ran into the room.

Bellatrix looked at me, shocked. She turned her wand to me but I was ready, "Expelliarmus!" I shouted, pointing Wormtails' wand at Bellatrix. Her wand flew through the air and Harry, suddenly beside me, caught it. All the Malfoys and Greyback scrambled.

"Stupefy!" Harry screamed, causing Lucious to fall onto the hearth. I saw jets of light fly everywhere. I saw Harry fall to the floor and I wasn't sure if he had been cursed or not.

"STOP OR SHE DIES!" Bellatrix cried. Bellatrix was holding Hermione. That meant she wasn't dead, Hermione was alive. She had a knife held at Hermione's throat. "Drop you wands," She said in a deadly whisper. "Drop them, or we'll see exactly how filthy her blood is."

I stopped in mid-step, going rigid. I saw Harry straighten up. Bellatrix knew how to play, she knew exactly what would make us stop. "I stop drop them!" She screamed, the blade pressed into Hermione's throat. Outraged I saw blood start trickling down her neck.

"All right," Harry said hastily, dropping Bellatrix's wand. I sighed and did the same.

"Good," She laughed, "Draco, pick them up! The Dark Lord is coming, Harry Potter! Your death approaches!"

Harry clutched his scar again. It looked like I was the only one able to do anything at the moment but I had no idea what to do. "Now Cissy, I think we ought to tie these little heroes up again, while Greyback takes care of Miss Mudblood." She Bellatrix said softly. "I am sure the Dark Lord will not begrudge you the girl Greyback, after what you have done tonight," She glanced at me and smiled at my expression of outrage.

Then I heard an odd noise, like a grinding sort of noise, and looked up. The crystal chandelier trembled and suddenly, with a creak and several jingles, it fell. Bellatrix and Hermione were right under it. Bellatri dove out of the way, dropping Hermione. The chandelier hit the floor with a bang, directly on Hermione and Griphook. Panic enveloped me. Draco was clutching his face, which was covered in blood.

I ran forward, not caring what happened as long as Hermione was. I heard a fight break out behind me but all I cared about was saving Hermione. I heard Harry shout a Stunning Spell and heard someone crash onto the ground. I glanced up to see Narcissa dragging Draco away from the mess.

"Dobby!" Narcissa screamed. Everyone in the room froze. "You! You dropped the chandelier?"

Dobby pointed at Narcissa, clearly frightened. He pointed at her. "You must not hurt Harry Potter!" he squeaked.

"Kill him, Cissy!" Bellatrix shrieked. I heard a crack and Narcissa's wand flew into the darkness. "You dirty little money!" Bellatrix screamed. "How dare you take a witches wand, how dare you defy your masters?"

"Dobby has no master!" squealed the elf. I hurriedly dug through the mess and found Hermione. She had a bruise on her face and I was briefly reminded of when Fred and George's telescope punched her in the face, giving her a black eye. "Dobby is a free elf and Dobby has come to save Harry Potter and his friends."

"Ron, catch-" Harry tossed me a wand, which I caught. I saw it was Peter Pettigrew's. "And GO!" He yelled the last word. He grabbed Griphook, who was holding the sword, and turned to apparate. I clutched Hermione's cold hand and turned myself, but not before seeing Bellatrix throw something. I saw it pierce Dobby's chest but I vanished the next instant.

I hit the cold earth of the patio of Shell Cottage, glad to be safe at last…

A/N That was fun! I might re-write through Hermione's point of view or at least continue this so if you liked it keep an eye out for Ron and Hermione's unwritten talk…