For the first half hour since Barty had left for business, Hermione waited in her room. She was slightly afraid that he would suddenly return and find her somewhere lurking around in his house. But she couldn't help herself. He had forbidden her to enter rooms that were locked. So she wanted to know which rooms that were. She wouldn't enter them, she would only look around. He had not said a word about not wandering around in the house. So Hermione left her bedroom and walked to the other end of the corridor, to see what was there. She found several doors, but they only seemed to be unimportant broom closets or storage rooms. Another room appeared to be a deserted bedroom, maybe it had belonged to Barty's parents. It was certainly large enough for two persons.

The door next to the deserted bedroom was locked. So Hermione knew that she wasn't supposed to open it to see what was behind it. She wasn't supposed to be curious, but she couldn't help it. She was very curious. The next room was locked as well. Hermione gathered that one of the rooms must be Barty's bedroom. He probably slept on the same floor as Hermione.

Hermione half expected another staircase, leading to an attic or something, but she couldn't find it. The manor only had one floor. There was a staircase leading to the ground floor, though. Down the stairs, Hermione found the most amazing room of the whole house. It was a pretty large library, filled with all sorts of books. She read some of the titles, and she even took some of the book off the shelves to take them with her to her room. When she wanted to leave, she bumped into Winky.

"Mistress should not steal books from master," Winky told Hermione with a small voice. "Mistress should ask master first."

"Of course I will ask him. When he returns. I am not stealing anything, I am just borrowing," Hermione said with a kind smile.

"Master Barty will not like it. Master Barty has told mistress not to touch anything," Winky sputtered.

"Oh, come on, Winky. I am bored."

"Master will be angry," Winky said, now clearly trembling.

The poor elf was really afraid for a possible punishment, at least, that was what Hermione thought. So she put the books back down on the shelves, which made the house-elf very happy.

"Thank you, mistress, you is a good person," Winky said relieved.

Winky escorted Hermione back to the first floor, and when they passed the closed doors again, Hermione couldn't help herself. She wanted to know.

"What is behind these doors, Winky?"

"Mistress should not interfere with master Barty's business!" Winky said shocked.

"I know, I wasn't going to. I just want to know what rooms they are."

"It is young master's bedroom, and his study. Winky is not allowed to show mistress those rooms!"

"Please? He won't have to know. I have already put back the books. Please?" Hermione asked.

"Master has told Winky not to let mistress in rooms that are locked!"

Now Hermione saw that Winky was truly indignant. She took out her hairclip again and started to force the lock open. She had had some practise back at Malfoy Manor, and luckily enough, Barty has not thought about deadlocking the doors with magic. So she was able to open it like a muggle would.

"What is mistress doing?" Winky asked nervously.

"I was not allowed to enter locked rooms," Hermione grinned. "It is not locked anymore."

Without waiting for Winky's protests, she opened the door and entered the study. Winky followed her, trying to drag her away, and Hermione felt slightly sorry for the elf. She also knew that Winky could easily apparate Hermione out of the room. But apparently the elf was not going to use magic on people, maybe she had learned that it was an insult to use magic on a witch or wizard.

"Please… mistress should go back to her room," Winky begged.

Hermione ignored the elf, she was just too curious. She felt that the house-elf was terrified, but she didn't help the poor elf. She would only look around and then she would leave again. No one would ever know she had been there, apart from Winky.

"You will not tell him about this, will you?" Hermione asked, turning around to face the elf.

"Winky is loyal elf! Winky does not lie to master!"

"You won't have to lie. You just don't mention it," Hermione said.

Hermione walked further into the room, ignoring the protesting elf. The room appeared to be quite normal, until her eye fell on a small cauldron with a boiling yellow substance in it. And Hermione was good enough in potions to recognize the substance. It was Felix Felicis. Liquid Luck. If Barty was making that for Voldemort or other Death Eaters, then the Order would have a big problem. Luckily, it was a very difficult potion to brew, and it would take at least six months to finish it. And by the look of it, the potion was only two months old.

She looked around to see what else was lying on the table. Her eye fell on a jar with bat spleens, which was not an ingredient for the Liquid Luck. It was mostly used as one of the head ingredients in a Swelling Solution. But it did give Hermione an idea. She would not allow Voldemort to have a potion such as the Liquid Luck. It would be too dangerous to risk that. And one error in the potion could have some disastrous consequences. It was an extremely difficult potion… Barty could easily make a mistake. Like accidently dropping one bat spleen in the cauldron.

Hermione opened the jar and she took out one bat spleen. She knew that it wouldn't do much to the colour, so there was a chance that Barty would never find out that the potion was manipulated. Unless he was an advanced potioneer. But she had to try. She had the chance to make a difference right now, and she might not get a second chance. So she let the spleen fall into the cauldron, and the potion made a strange hissing sound. But both the colour and the smell stayed the same.

"What is mistress doing?" Winky asked nervously.

"I am going back to my room," Hermione said airily, and she left the study quickly. "Would you please lock the door again, Winky?"

"What has mistress done to master's cauldron?" Winky asked suspiciously, but she did lock the door of the study behind her before running after Hermione.

"Nothing. How late does he return, do you think?" Hermione asked.

"Any minute from now, Miss," Winky replied.

"Good. Then I can ask him for those books."

Hermione went to her own bedroom and Winky left her on her own. Hermione smiled in herself, she had really done a great job. She had ruined a potion that could have been a dangerous weapon in the hands of the wrong people. But why would Barty be brewing it? Why didn't Voldemort ask Snape to do it? He was the potions expert, after all. She was fairly convinced that it was Voldemort who wanted that potion. Barty wouldn't make such a complex potion for himself.

Winky had been right about the time of arrival of Barty. Hermione suspected Barty to have gathered new ingredients for his Felix potion, since she hadn't been able to find any ingredients that were right for the potion. Hermione now chuckled in herself. His work would all be in vain.

But her smile didn't last for long. She suddenly heard the sounds of breaking glass and an angry yell coming from a couple of rooms further. He knew what she had done. Hermione tried not to panic, the first thing she thought about was Winky. Winky could protect her with her magic. She ran down the stairs to the living room, where she found the house-elf.

"Please, please, Winky, Barty is very angry and I need you to protect me. Can you do that?" Hermione asked quietly.

Winky looked at her as if she were an alien.

"What has mistress done then?" she asked confused with widened eyes.

"That does not matter. Please help me, please, he is coming downstairs!" Hermione urged, panic taking over.

"Winky cannot go against master's orders! Winky is loyal elf!" Winky said determined.

"Please…" Hermione repeated desperately.

"GRANGER!"

The door to the living room slammed open and a furious Barty came marching into the room, towards Hermione. He was livid. His tongue flicked out of his mouth like he always did when he was angry, but now he looked really deranged. Hermione quickly tried to move away from him, but she soon found herself pressed against the wall. Barty bared his teeth and he breathed heavily. Then he raised his wand, and Hermione knew he was going to torture her mercilessly.

"CRUCIO!" he roared, hitting her with the curse with his anger.

It seemed to be going on for ages, the pain wouldn't stop. Hermione found that she couldn't breathe anymore, she was certain that she was going to die. She almost hoped that she was going to die. If only the pain would stop. She couldn't take it. After minutes, what had felt like hours for Hermione, Barty lifted the cursed and he grabbed Hermione by her throat, forcing her numb body to stand up.

"P-please… Stop!" Hermione croaked.

"I haven't even started," Barty growled. "Two months delay. Two months. I know what you have done…"

"I haven't done anything!" Hermione tried.

"LIAR!" Barty thundered, striking her hard across the face. "You were the only one here. And Winky would never do such a thing."

"I- I am sorry," Hermione whimpered. "P-please…"

"I thought you were such a brave little Gryffindor? Are you begging for mercy already?"

"I've told you! I am sorry!" Hermione tried again.

"Not as sorry as you will be," Barty hissed. "Crucio."

The pain returned, even more intense than the first time. She was screaming, crying, yelling, begging for him to stop. But he wouldn't stop. He only stopped when Hermione had almost lost her consciousness. She wanted to die. She didn't want this to go on.

"Master Barty… Winky thinks you is to stop," Winky said softly, but she cowered back immediately when she saw her master's furious eyes.

"Don't tell me what to do, elf. You are my servant. You will be punished too, don't you worry," Barty hissed.

"No!" Hermione defended Winky. "She had no part in this! She is innocent!"

"She didn't stop you, did she?!" Barty yelled enraged.

"Master Barty! You is hurting mistress!" Winky whimpered.

"DO NOT CALL HER THAT! I AM YOUR MASTER!" Barty roared, now lifting the elf up and throwing her across the room. Then he advanced on Winky again. "If you ever dare calling her that again, you will be presented clothes."

"No! Please, master Barty! Not clothes!"

But Barty wasn't listening anymore. He had his attention directed at the almost lifeless body of Hermione again.

"Filthy Mudblood… Trying to make me angry, eh? That is never a good idea…"

When he raised his wand again, Winky sprinted over to where Hermione was lying, and she grabbed her arm quickly and she apparated her back to her room. They both could hear Barty's fury continuing downstairs, and Winky looked truly terrified.

"Winky will take her punishment for bringing mistr- Miss Granger back to her room without master's permission," Winky whispered.

The house-elf had probably saved Hermione from being tortured into insanity. She smiled at the creature.

"Thank you, Winky, for saving me," Hermione said, truly grateful.

Winky bowed, and then she apparated back to the living room. Hermione put her hands on her ears. She did not want to know what was going on downstairs. She also did not want to know what Barty was going to do to her when he was done with Winky. He would not leave her alone. She was sure about that.