Dislcaimer: Don't own it
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Chapter Ten: The Rescue
Albus Dumbledore was leading the way to the ballroom when he felt someone reach out and grab his cloak. He looked around to find out which order member had done it, and was puzzled by the fact nobody was within that close proximity of him. He shrugged it off and started walking only to feel it again. This time, instead of nobody being around, a very real Harry Potter stood behind him.
"Harry! What are you doing here!" Albus quietly exclaimed.
"I came to see Hope, and help get her away from here, only to realize that I wasn't needed."
"My boy, I don't know what you are talking about, but you didn't need to be here tonight. Try to stay around me, and do not wander off. Can you at least follow those directions?"
"Yes sir, but I'm telling you, Hope is perfectly happy with her new life, her new boyfriend, and her new master. Just leave her and don't risk the lives of any of these people for a stupid girl."
Albus was shocked to say the least. "Harry, you were the one who was begging, no ordering, us to do something to find her last week. What could have changed that?"
"She told me that she would take good enjoyment in watching Voldemort kill me tonight."
"We'll see how much was true, my boy. For now, we need to get inside before we are attacked out here."
Harry followed Dumbledore inside and didn't attempt to hide his disgust when he saw Snape, Malfoy, and Hope all gathered together at a table. He kept following even as Dumbledore went in that direction.
They had almost made it to the table when a cold, familiar voice made them stop. "How nice of you boys to join our festivities tonight. It's the most perfect Halloween present I could have ever received."
Whatever Dumbledore replied, Harry was unable to hear because he had to dodge a bright colored curse aimed in his direction. When he regained his bearings, he noticed that Dumbledore and Voldemort were dueling.
Harry backed up again to avoid a curse and ran smack into another person. With an "oomph," the person landed on the floor, causing Harry to turn around and look into the startled midnight eyes of Hope.
Immediately, Harry noticed the cuts and pallor of her. He asked what was wrong before he thought of it.
"Oh this? My punishment for dancing with you instead of Draco," she said, not even moving to stand up.
"I'm sorry. Though if you'd have left with me, it never would have happened," Harry replied bitingly, causing Hope to flinch.
"No, you would've been killed, and I would've been rewarded. At least now you're alive," Hope said.
Harry opened his mouth to retort, but was interrupted by Snape. "Hope, what in Merlin's name are you doing on the floor.? I told you to find Dumbledore and get out of here. And where is Draco? He was supposed to stay with you."
"Draco got intercepted by his delightful father. He pushed me back this way and I was forced to look for a wizard I have never seen, only to be run into by Harry. Now don't yell at me and get me the hell off this floor, Severus."
Snape actually looked shocked before pulling Hope to her feet. Harry glared at her before moving so the other two had a clear sight of the duel occurring between Voldemort and Dumbledore.
Snape started cursing under his breath. He knew his position was already blown because he had helped another Order member out of a tight spot with a death eater.
Hope saw the two men battling and decided she was ready to leave. Moving away from Snape she stepped in between the two wizards and yelled. They looked at her, Dumbledore surprised, and Voldemort pleased.
"Young Hope. How nice of you to join us. Why don't you tell all these nice wizards that they are wasting their time? You are already my wonderful follower."
"I'd rather eat a rat than follow you," she said before doing something that surprised everyone. She walked right up to Voldemort and spat in his face.
"You traitor! I've given you everything. Yet you repay me like this? I've been nice enough to you, when you are no better than those filthy mudbloods!" Voldemort screamed before making a complicated movement with his wand.
Hope was hit in the stomach with the glowing blue light. She doubled over in pain and landed on the floor from the unknown curse. Voldemort made another movement and another light hit her, but the pain didn't stop.
He knelt down next to the girl, and whispered so nobody could hear. "When you come to your senses, come to me and I'll remove the curse. It's set so it won't kill you, but there's no potion known to fix it. Your precious godfather is pointless and in about ten seconds, any sound will make you feel like your head will burst, any touch will make you feel like your skin is on fire. I am the only one who knows the reverse. Choose soon."
Voldemort apparated away with a pop, causing Severus to snap back into attention and rush to the girl now sitting up on the floor with unshed tears in her eyes. She looked at him and the look on her face was enough to know that everything Voldemort had just said was true. Hope closed her eyes as she felt a shiver run down body and heard a muttered curse before everything around her went black.
Severus picked up his goddaughter after knocking her out with a curse and carried her to an empty room. They had to wait for the wards to be completely taken down before they could activate the portkey. The portkey, unknown to anyone except Severus and Albus, was wrapped around Hope's wrist in the camouflage of a corsage.
Everyone waited patiently until about a half hour later when Draco was thrown roughly in the room by an auror muttering about kids causing trouble by trying to be a hero. Draco shook his head until he caught sight of Hope and then rushed over. He looked at Severus, demanding to know what happened, but the look on his face told him everything.
"How long does she have?" Draco asked quietly.
"She'll live. The Dark Lord used the newer version. It won't kill her, it'll have pauses in between each stage. Longer between each one, but each one will also get more and more painful. He never told any of us, including your father, the reversal, so we are stuck until I can get into my lab and start brewing a potion."
Draco nodded, relieved yet horrified at the same time. He knew that curse, and how it worked. It makes the senses work more than they are supposed to. Touch is harmful, even if just a feather against the skin. Sounds are amplified to where they make your head want to burst from the noise.
Draco was about to ask more question when Harry burst out. "Are you all bloody mad? That girl is evil, and she deserves everything she got. She told me she'd enjoy watching me die, and here you all are, trying to figure out a way to save her from the pain she's going to suffer."
"You are the one who's bloody mad Potter!" Draco bellowed. "She was acting. She was saving your life because if she would have left with you then you would have been dead. Is that what you want? Apparently not, since you're complaining about her threatening to enjoy you dying, so shut up!"
Harry opened his mouth to retort but at the exact moment the door opened and a tired looking Tonks declared that the wards were down and everyone was leaving.
Snape nodded and motioned Draco over to him before speaking. "Potter, you will return with the headmaster. Draco, touch the corsage you gave Hope. It will take both of you to the hospital wing. Make sure Madam Pomfrey knows she was held under the Cruciatus curse for an extended period of time and has not yet been treated. I will be down there as soon as I can. KEEP HER UNCONSCIOUS! If I can curse my own goddaughter, you can curse her as well. Understand?"
Draco nodded and took the corsage right before Snape said the password and activated it. Albus left next with Harry. Severus quickly walked up to Hope's room and opened the drawer beside her bed. He pulled out the black notebook with endless pages he'd given Hope a couple months ago, and apparated to Hogwarts with a loud pop.
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A/N: The idea for the corsage being the portkey was Nita's, so I thank her for that!
If you reviewed, thanks.
Kayla