Kate Chase – I was going to have it that Hermione didn't participate, but that would have been really out of character for her so I decided that she should. That also kind of works out because it makes readers worry for Hermione's baby, and what will happen with the Vampires if she has a miscarriage. I agree with you about the quadrigod or tetragod. To be honest, I never even thought of it that was, but you are correct and if I need to use it again, I will. Thanks for reviewing, I hope you like this chapter.
GilbertArthurandLukas39 – Thanks for the review. To be honest I completely forgot that Hermione had Katoptris, so thanks for reminding me. Yes, Jason will get his coin because I completely agree with you that he wouldn't be right without it. You guessed correctly about Madam Delacour. I have actually thought of having Jason and Ginny making out and someone walks in on them, but I also like George Weasley's response of 'morning,' when he sees Harry and Ginny making out in the Deathly Hallows film (I can't remember if it's in the book or not) so I might use that at some point. I hope you like this chapter. Please read and review.
Are You With Us?
Luke:
It was still exceptionally dark and gloomy. I could hear Annabeth's pitiful sniffles in the corner as she was being comforted by Percy, but I wanted nothing more than to go over there and comfort her myself. Unfortunately, I didn't think I'd be very welcomed over there and so I stayed where I was, alone.
I felt really tired, like I could sleep for days. I knew what it was. This cell had obviously had dozens of enchantments placed upon it, and those enchantments were sucking away our magic. It couldn't get rid of it, but it could prevent us performing magic whilst we were inside. That must have been the reason why they didn't bother taking our wands away from us.
I didn't even notice that someone was sitting beside me until they began to speak. As it was, I didn't even turn to look at her but instead kept my eyes resolutely on the dripping wall as I listened to Thalia's words.
"I know you love Hermione. I see in the way you look at her, like she's the only thing that matters to you. When she died you looked like you were about to break, you looked so miserable, so alone, that even though I wanted to, I couldn't hate you. Yes, you were the reason she died, but she's back now and I know that you'd never let anything harm her."
Finally I turned to look at my companion, whose eyes were boring into my own. I didn't speak for a long time, but eventually I murmured, "Yeah, I do." It wasn't much but it seemed to be what she was expecting.
"I feel really bad that I have to tell you this, but I do. I should."
"What are you talking about?" I snapped, my patience wearing thin. "Spit it out, Thalia."
"Hermione cheated on you."
I stopped breathing. "What?" I hated how breathless I sounded, how pain-filled my words were. I looked into her eyes once more and saw the unshed tears in them. She had never been that great an actor so she was definitely not lying now. She truly believed that she was telling me the truth.
"Hermione…"
"I heard," I interrupted sharply, unwilling to hear it any more. "How do you know?"
I should have sounded angrier; I should have felt angrier. But I didn't. And I knew why. It was because Hermione had taken me back even after all I had done to her. Even though I was the reason she died, she still gave me a second chance. I wasn't sure why she did, but the fact of the matter was that she did. I still have to think about what I had just been told, but I knew that before I jumped to conclusions, I would listen to what she had to say.
Thalia's voice broke me out of my revere. "I heard her talking about it with Ginny Weasley. I think she wanted to tell you but was debating how, and then she didn't have the time because it wasn't a long time before we were taken here.
I nodded, feeling numb, but grateful. "Thanks Thalia, but I guess I should say the same sort of things to you."
"What do you mean? You're not in love with me. You're in love with Hermione."
"That's not what I meant," I was eager to get my point across as I was very much in love with Hermione. "I see the way Ron Weasley looks at you. He's in love with you."
"I dunno," she replied, for once sounding unsure of herself, not at all like the Thalia I was used to. "I mean, for a long time I thought there was something there, especially at the fight at Camp Half-blood, but he hasn't spoken to me very much recently and I think the spark may have gone…at least on his part."
"What do you mean?" I asked, repeating her earlier words.
"I mean that I still feel very strongly about him. It may not be love but it's definitely heading that way, and I just don't want to get hurt."
"You won't," I assured her, a half-smile on my face, "I don't think he would want to hurt you. And even if he does, I'll be there."
"So will we," said another, feminine voice from behind us, and Annabeth and Percy took seats in front of us. Annabeth had tale-tale marks on her face, the fruits of her cries, but it all seemed to be dried up now, and although there was still a catch in her throat from her sadness, I could also tell that she was trying to put on a brave face. Percy, on the other hand, looked exceptionally calm and collected. His face was devoid of any expression.
"We haven't completely forgiven you, mind you," Annabeth continued, a small smile on her face, "But I think we can, given time."
I nodded at the three of them but before I could reply, there was a knock on the bars of our large cell and the bolt was drawn back. I unconsciously shifted my hand to my pocket, where my wand resided, as my name was called.
"Don't bother using your wand," Annabeth murmured as I stood, "You can't use any magic in here."
"I know," I snapped back, angry that I had forgotten that bit of information, and my face was angry as I stormed to the door, allowing myself to be dragged unceremoniously out and up into the bright lights of Malfoy Manor.
XxX
Hermione:
"Everything okay?" Ginny asked as me and Jase entered once more.
"Everything's brilliant," I replied back, grinning widely.
I felt like I was flying. Jase didn't blame me for getting pregnant – even though I didn't actually remember it – and he had even promised to be there for me. He didn't call me irresponsible or any of those things. I didn't know why I thought he would, he didn't seem like that sort of guy, but you never know, and to him I was still his little sister even though he was only a year older.
Thinking about family had me gasping as my head shot up to stare at Jase.
"What?" he asked, looking slightly nervous, "What is it, Mione?"
"Mum…Dad…Michael…Savanna…Will…"
"What about them?"
"Jase, we're in the middle of a war. They could be in danger."
"Hey guys," my brother yelled to the room at large. At once everyone quieted down so that we could be heard. "Hermione and I have some business to attend to. We'll be back in an hour at most."
Before anyone could protest, he grabbed my arm and we were running full speed towards the gate at the end of the school grounds, which was now closed. Jase took a running jump and began to scale it. Rolling my eyes I produced my wand from my pocket and flicked it sharply. With hinges protesting loudly, the gate swung open, my brother still dangling from somewhere near the top.
"We are Wizards for a reason, oh brother of mine," I said dramatically, waiting for him to join me and once he had, latching onto his arm and apparating both of us to our house.
To my utter relief, there was my family, sitting at the table and eating dinner, laughing merrily. Will was the first to see us and he let out an excited squeal as he jumped down.
"Minee, minee, you back."
"Hey Will," I laughed, picking him up and swinging him around, listening to his laughter.
I turned my attention to the rest of my family, grinning slightly. Mum, Dad and Michael were all beaming but looking slightly confused and worried, but Savanna was staring at my stomach and I knew in that instant that she knew I was pregnant.
"Jase, you tell them why you were suddenly raced out of here while I talk to our dear sister."
Jase gave me a quick smile before I was practically dragged out of the dining room and into the living room next to it. Mum joined us moments later, her eyes also fixated on my stomach.
"Oh my," was all she said as she sat on the sofa, face pale.
"Mum?" I asked, scared of her reaction.
"I think you should explain."
So I did. I told them everything that I knew, which, admittedly, was not a lot, but they seemed to accept it.
"I think you're a bit young," Mum said after a long pause, "But as long as you plan to keep the baby, there is nothing we can do about it, and we will always be here for you."
"Yes we will," said a voice from the doorway and we turned to see the four male members of our family staring at us, or, more correctly, my stomach. It was Dad who had spoken and I let out a small squeal, flinging myself into his arms before I remembered something.
"Why are you here?" I turned to my twenty-year-old sister and twenty-two year old brother.
"We come here for dinner ever Sunday," Savanna explained, "Before we go back to University. At the moment, however, we're on holiday and as we have nowhere to stay, we are sleeping here."
"Good," Jase said, please, "That will make it so much easier to do what we need to do."
I nodded, holding my wand, which I had placed away, in my hand and beginning to do complicated squiggles. I heard Jase explaining everything to our family before I was done and, with one last flourish, I turned back to face them.
"I'm so sorry, but we really do need to go."
"Of course you do," Mum murmured, "Just promise me that you'll be careful."
"We will," I promised as Jase grabbed my arm and dissaparated. I sighed weakly, sagging on his arm, as we returned. We made our silent way inside the castle, wondering why it was so quiet. But what we saw made our jaws drop in surprise and horror.
XxX
Luke:
I didn't recognize the Death Eater that had been sent to collect me. It was obviously the Death Eater who'd displeased the Dark Lord recently, as he was stuck with the worst job.
I didn't dwell further on that, however, as I was soon dragged into a large, empty room. I frowned in confusion as my captor left me alone.
Suddenly I felt pain worse than I'd ever felt before. I felt like my insides were being ripped out and displayed in front of my face. White-hot needles were piercing my flesh and flames were licking at my face.
As sudden as it had come, it was gone, leaving me panting on the ground.
"Hello, Luke," said a snake-like voice that I had never wanted to hear again but it seemed like that wish hadn't been met.
I glared up at Lord Voldemort as he stood above me, a sadistic smirk on his lips. I didn't say anything in response to his teasing, which seemed to incense him even more.
"Crucio."
His voice was deathly quiet and hateful. He practically spat the word at me, his once-handsome face twisting into a cruel, expressionless mask but his eyes spoke it all. His eyes spoke of loathing and pain yet to come, of death and destruction that he would bring, and of the burning of hope to all on Harry Potter's side, as I was now.
The needles were back, piercing my skin, making an inhuman gargling noise emit from my mouth. I refused to scream so the gargle was the best he was going to get from me.
Once more the pain was gone and I peered blearily up at him, only just holding onto consciousness.
"I have a proposition for you," The Dark Lord said calmly, as though he tortured people every day. On second thoughts, he did torture people every day.
I didn't reply but this time no curse was thrown my way as he didn't seem to expect an answer. He continued speaking.
"I will give you minimal punishment for your betrayal if you join my forces once more. You're a powerful Demigod, Luke, and you will soon become a good Wizard. You just need the right amount of training."
I knew exactly what his idea of 'minimal punishment' was. He would torture you until you were barely breathing and then send you to the dungeons for a week with hardly any food and water so that you learnt your lesson. There was no way that I was going to work for a heartless murderer who could never love anyone. There was no way I was going to let Hermione hate me again. It would kill me.
So I gave him the only answer I could.
"No."
My voice was so decisive, so passion-filled, that he was momentarily speechless, but once he had regained speech, I was once again subject to a horror-filled torture session. I closed my eyes in order to think of anything but that, and glassy brown orbs entered my mind.
Hermione.
The one person who could keep me sane, the one person who didn't judge me, the one person I loved with my whole heart, even if she didn't feel the same way.
With her eyes firmly in my mind, I finally succumbed to the oppressive darkness that had been threatening to drown me.
XxX
Hermione:
Hogwarts had been ruined. Pillars were overturned and rubble fell in large clumps from the roof. It didn't seem like the whole of Voldemort's forces were here, but a fair few were, and I could hear sadistic laughing that could come from none other than Bellatrix Lestrange.
"Where is it coming from?" Jase asked, glancing around as the sound of battle raged around us but we could see none of it.
"The Astronomy Tower," I murmured, beginning to race up the stairs.
That was where they would go first so that they could send the Dark Mark up into the sky from the highest point in the castle. The fact that it wasn't there yet meant that they hadn't been here long.
I ran ahead of my brother as I made my way to the corridor leading to the Astronomy Tower. This was where the majority of the fighting was taking place but I ignored it all and, also ignoring Jase's yells for me to stop, I made my way up the twisting stairs.
I stayed hidden as I took in the scene in front of me.
Bellatrix Lestrange, looking utterly deranged, was standing in front of Albus Dumbledore, cackling her head off. I half expected a black cat to come slinking out of the darkness, but none came, and I turned my attention to Antonin Dolohov and Alecto and Amycus Carrow, who were behind Draco's deranged Aunt.
I pointed my wand at the brother and sister first, knocking them unconscious and tying them together with conjured ropes. It was only as I also knock Dolohov out that Bellatrix realised that someone other than Dumbledore was in the tower room.
I didn't make myself visible but was instead staring at my Headmaster in shock.
He wasn't the strong Dumbledore I knew. This Dumbledore seemed weak and pain-filled, and he was muttering things under his breath. Nonsense things. In his hand dangled a locket with a serpent on the front.
"Come out, come out," Bellatrix taunted, breaking me from my thoughts. "Come out little schoolie."
"Stupefy," I suddenly jumped out of my hiding place, catching the lunatic by surprise. He eyes widened comically as she fell right off the edge of the tower, falling to her death.
My mouth dropped open. I had inadvertently just killed someone.
The door to the tower flew open and Order members and students alike filed in.
Suddenly my head was tiled backwards, my wand dropping to the floor as another one was shoved under my chin.
"Come any closer and she dies," Dolohov snarled, jabbing me in the throat to accentuate his point.
I just rolled my eyes. Did he seriously think he was scary? I didn't have any doubts that he would kill me if given half a chance, but I wasn't going to give him that chance.
Quickly, before he could guess my plan, I had stepped hard on his foot. As he briefly let go and cursed, I whirled around, punching him hard in the face. He fell down, unconscious, and was soon taken away by two Aurors.
I turned back to my audience, seeing that Snape had given Dumbledore some sort of potion that made him seem normal once more.
"Thank you, Miss Granger," Dumbledore said, nodding at me.
"No problem, Professor."
"Where's Lestrange?" Harry asked, turning everyone's attention to him. As Scrimgeour – the Minister for Magic – was about to order some of his Aurors to search for her, I replied, "She's dead."
"What?"
"I stupefied her and she fell off the edge of the Tower. It was an accident, I swear…"
"We wouldn't blame you, Miss Granger," Scrimgeour replied, giving me a half-grin as I felt relieved.
"We should send the students home," Professor McGonagall said as we made our way into the grounds, where everyone else was.
"I agree that we should send anyone too young to fight and who doesn't want to fight away, but if all of us go home it shows them that they've won. It shows Voldemort that he does fear us, and I'm not about to let him frighten me into submission. I'm staying, and I'm going to fight. In the words of Roosevelt 'the only thing we have to fear is fear itself,'" I told her, raising my arms out to the sides as if I was about to give her a hug. I walked backwards as everyone watched me.
"I agree," said a quiet voice and, to my surprise, Neville joined me, giving me a high-five before standing slightly behind me.
"So do I."
Slowly all of the seventh years and most of the sixth years moved over to me, standing behind me.
"So, are you with us?" I asked.
"Yeah," McGonagall replied after a long pause, "We are."
"Oh, and one last thing," Draco asked, frowning slightly out of confusion, "Who's Roosevelt?"
I laughed gleefully, "I doubt that matters much."
