Fire. There is fire all around. The bright red and orange flames are licking away at the building as if it was made of paper. The smoke and ashes are penetrating the atmosphere here. I have never seen fire like this, not even the room of requirement, with Crabbe's fiendfyre. This fire is monstrous, distracting, and downright lethal.
I look around, and immediately regret it. Everywhere there is smoke and flames. People are thrashing, pushing, sobbing, yelling for their loved ones. I see flames eating away at a once handsome building layer by layer, making sure no trace will be left of it's existence. My eyes water. I have to get away, but I can't. This is the reality I have to face. After all, I am the one who is responsible for this.
My mark had been itching like hell since four in the morning. I never figured out what it was. I tried blocking it out, shutting out the reality, ignoring the pains and stings from the dark mark. I knew something would go wrong. Now I wish I had never ignored it.
I wanted to tell Granger as soon the meeting finished, but I was a bloody coward. I thought she'd never believe me. Say its false alarm or that I was seeking attention. But I should have done it, I should have told her. Maybe if I had this building could have been saved. The muggles could have been saved. If I had then maybe we could have put stop to all of this. But I didn't, and I killed them all. It is my side, after all, who did this.
No human being should suffer such a brutal death. There are moans of pain behind me, people are asking if I have seen their loved ones or knew them or if I am going to save them, but I just shake my head.
Pop after pop can be heard. The Order members are moving frantically, trying to help people. At last only Ron Weasley, Bill, Charlie, Lovegood, Theo, and I are left.
Thanks to Lovegood, who had enough sense to hand a polyjuice potion to Theo and I as soon as Granger apparrated, I am unrecognizable. I have brown hair and brown eyes, while Theo has dirty blond hair and green eyes.
Our identies are protected, but I don't need this. Not when there are people jumping from the roof.
Muggle fireman are doing their best, but I know this fire is cannot be defeated.
Its fiendfyre.
Just like Voldemort, it can't be put out. I feel so sorry for those who are trapped in there. It's some of the most dark magic there is. I just barely escaped it a few months ago, but I don't think there is any escaping this one.
Behind me Ron Weasley is yelling at us to find the exits. I check the exits, but all of them are either blocked or vanished.
Just as I am about yell that there are no exits, I see a hole. It is without exception a perfect Bambarda Maxima spell. And only one person could do this as perfect as this.
Granger.
She's inside helping those muggles.
The hole is big enough to squeeze one person at a time, so after the Weasleys and Lovegood crawl in, Theo and I go in.
And by Merlin, this place looks like it's made of fire. Every machine, and every piece of furniture has been eaten away by flames. The flames are oozing out of here and there, burning and scarring people for life.
I have to find a quick way to avoid flames. There is a muggle ventilation system, and the flames haven't touched those pipes yet, so I make a quick gesture to get inside the pipes.
We are all crawling now. Each window is giving us view of the bodies burned. The crumbled. The injured. At one point there is a couple of people who are literally trying to jump out of the window, but are too heavily injured to do so.
Lovegood and Ron Weasley immediately ran over to help them with a promise to Bill that they would meet again, alive.
Boom! I think the top floor's just blown up.
In another room some women and children have caught fire and are rolling on the floor. Charlie and Bill leave Theo and I to help them. Now all I have to do is find that stupid bushy-haired witch. I start to move forward, but as I start to do so I see my old friend Blaise Zabini, apparently too injured and wounded to move now.
Did he take part in this? Was he forced? Should I help him or not? Behind me theo pleads to let him go and help him.
"No."
"Please Draco look at him. He's hurt. He's our friend. Just let me help him."
"No Theo. He will try to kill you or you will get killed. I am not letting you go."
"Draco he is our friend! Please just let me go— I promise I will apparate as soon I tend to him."
"Theo. Shut up and no, ok? I won't let you, so you can keep asking. The answer will still be the same."
"For Merlin's sake, Draco! Look at him! He's dying now! I know it's selfish to think of saving him and letting muggles die, but Draco, just let me help him we can't leave him like this."
I sigh. There is no reasoning with him now, and time was ticking.
"Ok— but you get out of here as soon as you get him safe, Theo. Do you understand? Don't look for me, just take him and run."
"Okay, Draco."
With that Theo left. I was on my own now, and the iron was practically melting now and heating up the space.
I have to find granger. Now.
Pretty soon, in the far left corner, a broom cupboard appears to be undamaged, but sprays of glass blow here and there. I look closely and I notice a woman not much older than me, but very pregnant, is hanging up by magic just like miss charity bubbrage in my manor.
A shriek echoes, and I hurdle down the hallway to look.
Bushy hair. It's Granger.
My joy and relief I feel when I find her turns into fear immediately, because Granger is lying on the floor, bloody, messy, cornered.
And a figure is crouched in front of her with a wand at her neck.
My father is going to kill Hermione Granger.
A/N: I've finally published chapter 11! Yay! And I've gotten a beta, too — AlwaysSlytherin.
Please review! Questions, comments, advice — anything!