Ch 6 Demented
Hermione had two weeks of training before they actually practiced the spells on people. Hermione did extremely well on every single spell that they told her to do except one. She could not bring herself to complete the killing curse. That meeting started like any other only this time it was someone she knew that she tortured.
The other Deatheaters in training stood talking while Lucius went to bring in the family they would be disposing of that night. Hermione was talking to Professor Deimos when she first caught sight of Kingsley Shacklebolt and undoubtedly his family.
"Hermione I believe you know this man. Why don't we give you the honors?" Lucius said as he shoved the man at her feet. Kingsley looked up with a face full of sorrow.
"How did this happen Hermione? How could you betray us?" He asked in defeat.
"I didn't betray anyone, you all betrayed me" Hermione said before she kicked him. "Crucio!" she said and he withered and shrieked on the floor. Hermione continued this for about five minutes. She was kind enough to give him a few seconds in between each lift of the spell. When she got board with that spell she cast her favorite. "Phobos" the fear inducement spell. A black cloud erupted around his head and soon he began to scream again clawing at his face and head leaving bloody marks. Hermione smiled and turned to her teachers.
"What would happen if we stuck him in a room with other men under the same curse?" she asked a truly demented look in her eyes.
"I have no clue Miss Granger. Would you like to find out?" asked Bella the demented look mirroring Hermione's. She nodded suddenly eager. Hermione removed the curse from Kingsley and they levitated him to another part of the dungeons where they locked him in a cell with five other men. The men upon seeing Hermione and her company began to scream. Hermione approached the cell and whispered enticingly to them.
"Shhh. I'm going to free you from this" she said and they all quieted. Hermione was beginning to develop her trusting ability and she had these morons believing her. She turned around and smiled at her companions.
"Ready Miss Granger?" Lucius asked.
"I've never been more ready" she said. Then she turned around and cast the first curse. "Let the games begin" she said quietly as she watched the progress of the screaming men. It was like watching a movie after a few moments they began to attack each other.
"they're tearing each other apart" she heard Malfoy whisper in disbelief.
"Precisely"
"lets step this up a notch shall we?" Professor Deimos said and suddenly a pack of wolves appeared in the cell. Hermione stepped back a few paces as blood began to spray out. The metallic smell of it was everywhere. Hermione jumped back and crashed into someone when a long stream of blood almost landed on her. The person she crashed into steadied her but did not remove his hands from her hips. Hermione assumed it was Lucius and she didn't bother to turn around. Indeed she was quite fascinated with the death that was occurring right before her eyes. It gave her a sense of power knowing this was her doing. Finally after about a half hour the only movement in the cell was that of the carnivorous wolves. Hermione turned to the man who had not let her go only to discover it was Professor Deimos. She stepped away from him without a word and followed Malfoy who had just exited the room. They returned to the practice room and Hermione entered a conversation with Bella who was excitedly recalling the scene to the sick looking students.
"Hermione that was the most brilliant idea that I have ever had the pleasure of witnessing." she said excitedly.
"I agree. That truly is my favorite curse. Its so unpredictable and everyone reacts differently as you seen" Hermione said her eyes alight.
"You know Hermione you and me are sort of alike. In our tastes for death anyways. I like to watch them die slowly and torturously and you have just proved that you like the same method. My favorite curse however is the Cruciatus" Bella said.
"Well Miss Granger our fun isn't over for the evening yet." said Professor Deimos. Hermione looked at him her face blank as she willed him to get away from her. To her amazement he did and Lucius approached instead.
"Well Miss Granger we still have to dispose of Kingsley's family" He said and he led her to the center of the training room where four children and their mother sat sobbing.
"Please spare my children Please" the woman begged. Hermione was disgusted with the woman.
"Why don't we spare you and you watch them die instead?" Hermione asked the woman in a voice full of malice.
"No please they are children how could you be so heartless. They have done nothing to deserve this. Please spare them! Please!" the woman sobbed staring at Hermione.
"I'm am a child too and no one spared me" Hermione said a burning starting in her chest.
"Remove her from her children. Lets let her watch them die" Bella said. So they did. They pulled the mother kicking and screaming away from her children and tied her so she could watch them die.
"You first Draco" said Lucius. Malfoy was a grayish color and looked like he would rather not even touch the child. Lucius pulled one of the older children apart from the rest and let him fall at Malfoy's feet. Malfoy took a deep breath and closed his eyes as he spit out that fatal curse. The screams of the woman were deafening, but she was silenced with a spell. As they pulled the next child away from the rest.
"How about you Miss Parkinson?" Lucius said. Pansy stepped forward and quickly ended the life, she looked like she was about to cry. Blaise killed the third child and they left the fourth to Hermione. They dropped the little girl at her feet. She was maybe about three at most. She wasn't crying like her siblings but instead she stared around in confused fear. Her eyes big and innocent stared up at Hermione. She raised her wand and had it trained on the little girl. The blood was pounding in Hermione's ears as she tried to recall the spell that she had to use. Her mind was blank she couldn't remember what she had to do all that filled her mind was that innocent tear stained face and those big uncomprehending eyes.
"I… I can't do it" Hermione said her body trembling.
"What do you mean Miss Granger" asked Bella back to cold formalities "You have just killed six men why would you have trouble killing a little girl?"
"be… because she's a baby… I can't" Hermione said as she walked away from the little girl. Hermione's refusal to kill the child caused confusion. Hermione just went to the corner of the room and stuck her face in it.
"What is it Miss Granger why can't you do it?" came the voice of Professor Deimos.
"I don't know. My mind went blank when I looked into those eyes. She was so innocent. I felt like I was taking away the future in removing her life. I mean what if she's the one who finds a cure for cancer or invents something great?" Hermione said in a small voice.
"That is how the old Hermione Granger thinks. You are now a part of the dark. Perhaps you just need a new frame of thinking. When you kill you are not supposed to be thinking of the future but if that's what goes through your head think of it this way. What if she will be the death of you or perhaps the death of one of your children. Do not think of her in a positive light but in a negative light. As of now she is the enemy. Her and her family work for the light and if they had found out about you they would bring you down without hesitation and you have to do the same. The good thing is, with children, Deatheaters never torture them but just give them instant death. It is indeed painful to oneself to see a child suffer in a similar way to the way you have suffered" He said and Hermione broke down. She fell into his arms and cried. He had defiantly hit the nail on the head.
They adjourned training early and Malfoy apparated a weak Hermione back to Hogwarts. Professor Deimos told Hermione to go and see him the next afternoon and he would help her change her thinking