The Art of Love
Summary: Sometimes all you need is a little love. H/Hr.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its affiliated characters. That all belongs to J.K. Rowling.
Author's Note: Thank you to everyone for reading! I hope you enjoy this chapter. I'm really pleased with where this story is heading, and I hope you are enjoying it. There will be more reference to more mature topics in almost every chapter from here on out, just a forewarning.
This is just to clarify a question I was asked after the last chapter was posted. This story is purposely alluding to the way J.K. Rowling wrote The Deathly Hallows because I believe her ending to this series to be absolutely genius. I'm not trying to copy her ideas, I am creating a story inspired with the ideas she had that tell the same basic story. The difference between my story and her story, other than the subtle plot changes, is that her story was told to describe Harry's journey, and mine is intended to tell the story of Harry and Hermione and how the love they have for one another makes what Harry did in J.K. Rowling's story possible. It's a love story, one that talks about the idea that love can conquer all. I know that hasn't been made evident thus far, but the story is about half way done, and that idea will become much more obvious. I hope this clarifies any confusions. Thanks, again!
Chapter 11: A Deal with the Devil
The last thing Harry and Hermione remembered was the feeling of being hit on the back of the head. They both woke up groggily with the moonlight still shining in their eyes, although they weren't sure of what time it was. Their hands and feet were still bound and their mouths were still gagged and they were laying on opposite ends of what appeared to be some sort of underground cave. Harry wiggled in his restraints, hoping to somehow free himself. He gave up after a few minutes and laid there, postulating what his next move should be. He tensed up slightly as a creak was heard coming from behind him, as if a really old door had just been opened. He closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep, hoping Hermione was doing the same. Footsteps shuffled around him and he held his breath for a moment. He knew goblins were notorious for doing inhumane things when they were either hungry or angry, and he wasn't sure why they had taken him and Hermione in the first place. He bit his tongue to stop from grunting when he felt a foot dig into his back in a kick, and then clenched his jaw as the same goblin grabbed his hair and pulled him up.
"Get the girl, Kamorx." the one holding Harry growled, and Harry clenched his jaw as Hermione suppressed a yell when her hair was pulled.
"This one's got thick locks!" Kamorx said, almost sounding delighted. The one holding Harry snickered and then tightened his grip on Harry's hair.
"Take her over here." Harry couldn't move his head to see what Kamorx was doing, but he could feel Hermione moving towards him and being pushed into his side by the goblin. Their hands were tied behind their backs, but both of them tried to grab hold of the other. The goblins reached down and tore off the gags, and both Harry and Hermione gasped as oxygen became easier to access. Neither of them spoke, instead they looked at the goblins waiting to see what would happen. Kamorx looked to the other goblin, who from the looks of things seemed to be the one in charge.
"Well, well, well…" the leader began, "Harry Potter."
"Who are you?" Harry questioned. The goblin scowled.
"I am Rebdak." he replied rather casually. This concerned Hermione, who knew from experience captors don't normally give out personal information so easily.
"What do you want?" she asked, trying to analyze the situation further. Rebdak smiled.
"That will come. Kamrox," the other goblin was on high alert and practically jumped at the sound of his name. "Go tell the others to bring in food for our guests." As he left Harry shared a quick glance with Hermione.
"What do you want?" Harry asked, this time with more force than Hermione had before. Rebdak frowned and looked toward the mouth of the cave. Moonlight shone through and illuminated the ground, but the rest of the 'outside' looked more like a dark tunnel that led to another cave. He seemed to be contemplating something before looking back the duo and giving them a sly smile.
"Why don't we talk later? I hear Kamrox coming back. I imagine you both are hungry. Eat what you'd like." With that he walked toward the creaking door and left. Kamrox immediately followed in, but he didn't say anything. Instead he left two plates of molded bread and butter by their feet and walked out. Harry stared at it for a moment, his appetite severely decreased. He also shook his head at the realization that even if the goblins had given them a steak dinner their hands were still bound and wouldn't have been able to eat it anyway. Hermione groaned.
"What were goblins doing in a forest to begin with?" she muttered, shifting her weight around to put less pressure on her leg, which had fallen asleep. Harry looked at her and noticed the blood that trickled down her head for the first time.
"You alright? What happened?" he asked, concern growing in his voice. She shrugged and gave him a small smile.
"It's nothing, Harry. Its probably from when they knocked us out. Honestly, I'm thankful its only a little blood. It could be much worse." Harry frowned.
"I don't like it." he muttered. "I don't like what's going on. They have out wands, and they know who we are, which tells me they plan on keeping us here." Hermione nodded slowly and looked around the room. Her eyes were drawn to a sharp rock that rested in the corner opposite of where they were sitting, and she began to devise a plan of attack.
"Harry," she whispered. "Look." He saw it the moment she pointed at it and realized their only hope of escaping began with getting a hold of the rock and cutting their restraints.
"Let's move." he said and tried to worm his way over to the rock. He didn't get very far before the door opened and another goblin came into the room.
"What do you think you're doing?" it growled.
"You didn't untie our hands. I was just trying to get to the food." Harry replied. The goblin grumbled and shook his head.
"Well, go on then." it hissed, and then took a seat facing the door. It appeared to be taking it post to take watch. Harry looked to Hermione, and she nodded her head in understanding. They both knew they wouldn't be able to get to the rock with the goblin in the room. Hermione mouthed something to Harry, but he couldn't quite make it out and shook his head. She closed her eyes and laid her head on her shoulder as if she were asleep, and then cocked her head toward the goblin. Harry understood. They needed to get the goblin to fall asleep. Hermione shuffled ideas around in her mind. Without their wands, it would be difficult to perform any lasting spells. She supposed she could try using nonverbal spells, but she hadn't practiced them and she wasn't very good. She also knew they stood no chance unless they were able to get free and get their wands. Closing her eyes she focused on the goblin, mustering all her energy and might as she began to think the incantation. Sleptuma Motorica. Harry watched as the goblin toppled over, snoring quietly. He looked at Hermione, who appeared to be doing the same. Non-verbal spells, if you aren't practiced in them, drain your energy and leave you feeling so fatigued you can do nothing but sleep after. Hermione knew this, and so did Harry. He also wasn't sure how long her spell would keep the goblin under, and so he immediately began to etch toward the rock. He reached it eventually and positioned his body around it so the rope was on the outer edge of the rock. He began to sway his arms, working against the clock to cut free the restraints on his hands. Every few strokes he would slip and the rock would graze his arm, and after a few times Harry could tell there was blood being spilled. He looked to Hermione for a split second, still sound asleep, and then to the goblin. He too looked dead to the world, and this gave Harry the motivation to move a little faster with the rope. After all, the sooner he was free, the more time he and Hermione would have to escape. With a jolt in his stomach he felt the ropes tear apart, and he immediately rubbed his wrists for a second to relieve the burns that had formed. He stopped after a few seconds and tore off the rope around his ankles. He then ran to Hermione and freed her, and then tried to shake her awake.
" Hermione, honey…" he said as he shook her a little more. " "Mione, wake up." He shook her even harder. "Hermione!" he kept his voice at a whisper, afraid if he spoke too loudly the goblin would wake up. Hermione, however, wasn't budging, and so he bent down and kissed her as passionately as he possibly could. That got her attention.
"Harry, " she mumbled and sat up. "You're free."
"Yeah, so are you. Come on, we don't have much time." He helped her to her feet and the two looked at the goblin for a moment.
"We can't just walk out there and leave. We need our wands, and we can't be seen - or we'll have to fight." Hermione whispered.
"I know…" he said, looking around to figure out their next move. "Brilliant job on the non-verbal spell, love." He said, flashing Hermione a brilliant smile.
"Thanks," she said, smiling just as wide. "I'm exhausted, though. We have to move quickly. I'm afraid my knees may give out." Harry nodded and walked toward the mouth of the cave.
"What do you s'pose is through there?" He asked, and Hermione shook her head.
"I don't know. We don't have much choice but to find out, do we?" Harry nodded.
"First things first. We need our wands. Should we try summoning them?" Hermione nodded.
"Alright. But we have to open the door a little. They won't be able to fly through walls." Harry moved toward the creaking door, and for a moment he turned back to Hermione. When she gave him the go ahead he placed a hand on the doorknob and opened it. Even though it was only a smidge, it still made the same annoyingly loud creaking sound it had been making all day. Both of them cringed at the sound, and held their breath as they waited to see if the goblin in the room would awaken, or if Rebdak or Kamorx would come into the room. After a minute it appeared nothing was going to happen, and Harry and Hermione grabbed hands.
"Accio wand." They chimed in unison, and in a split second their wands were in their hands, ready to be used.
"That was almost too easy." Hermione said. Harry grabbed her hand.
"We can't worry about that now. C'mon." Alert, the duo took of through the mouth of the cave.
"Lumos!" Hermione shouted, and Harry soon followed suit. Even with two wands producing light the dark corridor through the mouth of the cave was hard to maneuver. The moonlight that had shone through was from the cracks in the ceiling, which helped the duo see a little bit more. They kept running, held together by their hands, with their wands stretched out for another few meters. They turned a corner and tried to keep going when a horde of goblins came running their way.
"Immobulus!" Hermione cried, hitting a few and causing them to sort of float in place. Harry stunned a few others and threw them into the wall with such force they were knocked unconscious. He zipped around a saw three more running toward him.
"Bombarda!" As he said it part of the ceiling directly above the goblins fell, in turn crushing them and providing more light in the corridor. Hermione screamed, afraid the cobblestones might have crushed Harry too, but she soon found he was alright. The goblins were all either dead or unconscious, and they stood there for a moment before they grabbed hands again and started to run away. They only got a few more feet before Hermione slipped on a puddle of water. She cried out in pain, and Harry fell on top of her.
"Come on, honey." He urged, and tried to help her back up. The slip had caused her to sprain her ankle, and even a little bit of pressure made Hermione go limp.
"I can't." she whimpered, exhaustion starting to get the best of her as well.
"Yes, you can. You're Hermione Granger. You helped defeat a troll at age eleven, you figured out there was a basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets. Because of you we were able to save Sirius and Buckbeak during Third Year. You never gave up during the Triwizard Tournament, and you were almost killed during our trip the Department of Mysteries in fifth. Since then you have been the most vital element in the horcrux hunt - none of it would be possible without you, 'Mione. You can do anything. You've shown me you can. Now, come on. Its just a little farther and I promise you can sleep." she looked at him with saddened eyes and nodded. "Reparo." He said and pointed to her ankle. She cringed as the feeling of a thousand needles stabbing her at once ran up her leg, but shook it off and stood up quickly.
"Let's go." she said.
"Not. So. Fast." a begrudging voice said behind them.
"Deprimo!" Harry yelled. "Stupefy!" However, Rebdak, the voice who called out to Harry and Hermione, appeared to wearing some sort of armor that repelled the spells Harry cast his way. From the corner of her eye, Hermione saw something glisten on the floor by her feet. She bent down as Harry was trying to hex Rebdak and found a sword edged between two rocks.
"Strange," she muttered and picked it up. The blade read two words that made Hermione's heart leap to her throat. Godric Gryffindor. She looked back up and saw that Harry was still trying to hit Rebdak with a spell, and Rebdak was still blocking them with his armor.
"Oh, this should NOT be this hard!" Hermione cried, utterly fed up with the whole situation. She raised the sword and flung it at Rebdak, tearing open his armor. Both Harry and Rebdak gawked at Hermione, wondering where in the hell she managed to find a sword.
"Where… Where did you get that?" Rebdak asked in a half whisper. Hermione frowned and pointed the sword at him again.
"That's not your concern." Rebdak scowled.
"Oh, but it is." He began. "That sword is goblin made. I would know it anywhere. That is not yours to take!" Harry looked at the sword. He too would recognize it anywhere.
"Actually, that sword belongs to me." He said, reaching over to take it from Hermione. "It was left to me by Dumbledore." Hermione reached over and clasped his hand for a moment. Harry never spoke about Dumbledore, and the rare occasions when he did always left him slightly on edge for a while. The goblin scoffed.
"The sword of Godric Gryffindor… " Rebdak began, " was made by goblins. With goblins it shall stay." He whistled, and suddenly a new swarm of goblins came and attacked Harry and Hermione. They managed to fight off most, but exhaustion seemed to hit Hermione will full force. Her binding spell missed the goblins and ricocheted off the wall, almost hitting her and Harry. He grabbed her hand and squeezed, hoping to give her some energy. She shook her head to focus back on the task at hand, and in a sweeping movement she cast an incendious charm. Fire poured from her wand and surrounded the goblins. Suddenly they were in a panic, running around trying to escape the flames moving towards them. Harry grabbed Hermione and they ran down the corridor as far as it would take them. They could see a small light peeking through a few rocks and Harry, knowing Hermione was tired, blasted them all away. With an exit right before them, Harry and Hermione ran out of the cave and found themselves on the edge of a waterfall.
"Better close up the exit." Hermione said and Harry put all the rocks back in order.
"I'm sorry, 'Mione, but we're going to have to keep moving."
"I know. I can do it." she declared. " We should probably leave the forest." she said.
"Or immediately cast concealment charms when we reach a new destination." Harry said with a small apologetic grin.
"It's alright, Harry." Hermione soothed. "I wasn't expecting an ambush. I got caught up in the moment too. Neither of us were thinking straight."
"Yeah, well…Lately, whenever I have a second to myself I tend not to think straight." Harry admitted.
"Oh?" Hermione asked, moving closer to Harry. "And what do you mean by that, exactly?" Her voice had gotten lower, more sultry. Harry smiled.
"A certain witch has gotten the best of me, to put it politely." He murmured, causing the hairs on Hermione's arms to stand up straight. He leaned in to kiss her when she pulled away smiling.
"Ah-ah-ah!" she teased. "Like you said, we've got to keep moving." As she said the word 'moving' she wiggled her bottom just slightly, which made Harry's eyes grow slightly wider. He gulped and nodded.
"You. Are. So. Not. Fair." he breathed. She smiled and grabbed his hand. The duo apparated away to a different forest about two hundred miles from the one they were just in. It was a forest Hermione's parents had taken her as a child, and it held many fond memories for her. When they arrived the pair immediately cast the necessary spells and protective charms to shield themselves from anyone who might come looking for them, and set up camp.
The tent was a nice change from the dreary cave. Hermione had cast a heating spell on its interior, so they were plenty warm enough. They were sitting in the living room, Hermione resting her head on Harry's lap, finally able to sleep. He was wide awake, however, alternating between thinking about how peaceful and beautiful Hermione was and trying to take pieces of information to use from their recent activities. He also knew the second one would be something that should be done with Hermione, for she always knew just what to say when he was confused - and he was definitely confused. So, he settled himself against the couch and looked down at his sleeping girlfriend, admiring her features. He smiled and she licked her lips and then left the tip of her tongue in between her lips and leaned down to kiss her. She stirred at this and opened her eyes a bit, smiling when she saw him.
"Hi," she said. Her voice was drowsy and crackling, but Harry only smiled.
"I didn't mean to wake you up. Go back to sleep, you need it." Hermione shook her head.
"No, its okay. I wanna talk to you." Harry cocked his head to the side and gently ran his fingers through her hair.
"You sure, love? You can sleep if you'd like." Hermione smiled.
"That feels nice." she moaned. Harry raised his eyebrows a bit and continued to massage her head with his fingers. "Harry?" she asked.
"Hm?" he replied, still massaging her head.
"Why do you think the sword came to me?" Harry shrugged.
"Dumbledore told me once that sword presents itself to a true Gryffindor in their time of need. Maybe it knew we needed it." Hermione pursed her lips at this thought.
"But why didn't it come to us before?" Harry chuckled.
"I thought you of all people would have some sort of answer to that." She glared at him, and he immediately wiped his grin off of his face. "Sorry," he added. "I don't know, honey. Maybe we didn't need it as badly." Hermione nodded a little and shifted her weight, trying to sit up. Harry stopped her.
"Don't." he said. "I like having you lay in my lap. It makes me feel like I'm being of assistance." Hermione laughed.
"That's silly, Harry. You're always of assistance." He pressed a little harder with his fingers, and noticed small goose bumps rising on Hermione's body. "Oh." she whispered. Harry smiled.
"I still never got to properly celebrate, y'know. Those dumb goblins interrupted." Hermione smiled.
"I know." That's all she was able to say before Harry had placed her down on the couch and laid his body on top of hers. He kissed her for a long while, his tongue dancing with her and his mouth smiling, still running his fingers through her hair. Hermione gasped slightly as she felt something from his lower abdomen firm against her thigh, and Harry stopped for a moment, looking embarrassed.
"I'm sorry-" he said. "I can't control it…I just-"
"Shhh." Hermione said, her voice husky. Harry didn't realize how arousing Hermione found his growing problem to be, and she suddenly took control of the whole situation, positioning herself on top of him and giving him a thorough snogging. She reached down and tore off his sweater, and he reached up to take off hers. His eyes lingered on her breasts, which were still contained in her bra, and she smiled.
"Go ahead." With that it was gone, and the 17 year old boy inside Harry exploded. He reached up to get a feel and became so turned on he couldn't even control it.
"God, you're beautiful!" He cried. Hermione felt the same way. She had never seen anything as attractive and incredible as Harry's body, and both of them decided to please one another. They both knew they weren't anywhere near ready to actually engage in intercourse, but neither of them could pretend the other wasn't making them think certain thoughts, and they saw nothing wrong with satisfying these thoughts. Hermione let Harry go first, aiding him the best way she could. After his turn it was hers, and he assisted the best he could as well. Once they were both satisfied they laid there, still shirtless, looking up at the top of the tent panting.
"See?" Hermione gasped. "I told you…You're always of assistance." Harry smiled.
"We've never done that before, 'Mione." he said. She flashed him a brilliant smile.
"I know. But we will from now on. Often." That caused Harry to groan and kiss her.
"Thank you." he said. "Is that an okay thing to say?" she laughed and hugged him.
"I don't see why not." He kissed her again before folding his arms over her torso and pulling her close to him.
"I need to tell you something." he said. Hermione looked up at him.
"What?" she asked. He sighed.
"Its just…You are the single greatest thing in my life, Hermione. Without you… I don't think I would have the strength to keep this going, nor the skills. You always know what to do, you keep me sane. You are my best friend, the love of my life, my air and water. You drive me to be a better person every day, and I would do anything for you. You know that right?" she stared at him, too moved to even know where to begin speaking. "I love you so much."
"I love you too." she replied, her voice weak. " Harry, I…I don't even know what to say. I love you so much, so so much. I always have, and I always will. I will never abandon you or doubt you or -"
"I know," Harry said, beaming. He pulled her close to him and she ran her fingers up and down his chest. Both of them had their eyes closed, trying to push what they knew had just happened from their minds. Now that his male urge were gone, Harry was finding it much harder to forgot about it - even with Hermione shirtless in his arms. A few minutes passed, both of them silent, when he suddenly had an epiphany. When he gasped he caused Hermione to look up at him, and she sat up to see what was going on.
"You okay?" she asked. Harry's eyes were wide, and he ran to the pile of books Hermione forever had stacked in the living room. He shuffled through one until he found the page he wanted and then read every word - making sure he was correct. Hermione pulled her robe over her body and walked towards him, sitting down next to him and peering over the page he was reading.
"I knew it." he muttered, a smile forming on his face.
"Harry what-"
"The sword!" he exclaimed, and Hermione looked at him with a blank expression.
"What about it?" Harry smiled even wider.
"Think about it… I used the sword of Godric Gryffindor to kill the basilisk during second year. I stabbed it through its mouth." He looked at her, waiting for her to figure out what he was trying to tell her. She clasped her hands over her mouth in surprise, and Harry laughed in excitement.
"You don't suppose the basilisk venom could still be on the blade do you?" Harry nodded.
"Yeah… I think it could." He was beyond the state of beaming. His mouth looked like it was about to rip open and fall of his face. Hermione smiled too and reached around her neck for the horcrux.
"Thank Merlin I placed a protective charm of this thing when we first got it. The goblins had no idea we had it." Harry smiled.
"Brilliant." he said and Hermione smiled even wider.
They were standing above the horcrux with the sword in Harry's hand. As they looked down on it, it felt weird to know it could all be over at any moment - that one more horcrux would be forgotten and only three more would have to be destroyed. Harry took Hermione's hand and then handed her the sword.
"Would you like to do the honors?" he asked. She violently shook her head.
"No, no. I don't think I would have the strength. That thing will test whoever tries to destroy it."
"Hey," Harry soothed. "Whatever happens when this blade touches that horcrux won't matter because it isn't real. I know the book says a horcrux will test you; try and pin-point your darkest fear. But you will have me right by your side. I won't leave you, I promise." Hermione nodded.
"Alright." she took hold of the sword and looked down at the locket. It glistened in the sunlight. For a moment she closed her eyes and braced herself, before she lifted the sword up above her head and then pierced it into the middle of the locket. A high pitched scream blanketed itself around the duo, and Hermione watched in horror as an image of Harry's mangled body soared above her.
"You didn't save me, Hermione.' His voice echoed, his dark eyes burying themselves in hers. She screamed and tried to stab the locket again, but the image of Harry swooped down and stood in front of her. The real Harry shouted and grabbed Hermione's hand, trying to tell her he was standing right beside her, and this holographic image was only a ruse. She tore her eyes away from the bloody remains of her boyfriend to look into his real emerald eyes. A rush of adrenaline pulsed through her and she set her head back on straight. It was high time this horcrux was destroyed. She stabbed the locket three more times, pressure building in her arms from the dark magic until the screaming stopped, the mangled version of Harry screamed and disappeared, and the heaviness left Hermione's arms. All that was left was dead silence and a blackened version of the locket they had carried for so long burned into the grass. Harry stared at it for a moment, and then cried in rejoice. Hermione joined in, planting a big kiss on Harry's mouth and then hugging him. She then trembled in his arms for a moment, and Harry placed a gentle hand on her hair to sooth her.
"Hey, hey…" he whispered. "You okay?" She whimpered.
"That was so scary. I'm sorry." she said, her body still shaking. Harry hugged her even tighter and kissed her forehead.
"I will never leave you." he said. "I'm right here." she smiled and nodded in his chest. For the first time in a very long time, they felt like they were making progress.
The joy they felt when the locket was destroyed was short lived. The very next day both Harry and Hermione realized that they no longer had a horcrux in their possession, nor did they know where any other ones were. They knew there was no book in existence that would be able to tell them the location of Tom Riddle's broken soul, and so they spent the day trying to come up with ways to discover the horcruxes. Around night fall both of them had had enough and decided sleep was the only thing they could really do. Since their relationship had reached a new level, they decided to sleep in the same bed. It was a nice form of comfort for the both of them, and Hermione settled herself on Harry's chest and he wrapped his right arm around her waist, holding her close to him. They fell asleep within a few minutes.
Harry could feel his scar begin to burn while he slept. In his mind he saw visions of a golden cup, and he saw the sword of Gryffindor placed beneath it. His scar began to feel scorching hot as he saw Voldemort's face cringe in pain, as if part of him had died. He screamed in his sleep as the cup fell and rolled to Voldemort's feet. The closer it got to him, the more pain Harry began to feel. When Voldemort bent down to pick up the cup Harry's heart was racing more than it ever had in his life, and his scar was so painful he was crying in his sleep. Hermione was, of course, awake by now and was trying to hold Harry the best she could, but he was fighting against the pain in his scar and was tossing and turning quite a bit. She knew he was having a nightmare, and she bent down to kiss his forehead and whisper soothing words. In that moment Harry caught a glimpse of the cup. It was pure gold with a badger engraved on its side. As he looked at it, fire began to fight its way through his blood stream and then his scar began to pulse. He screamed with agony and shot up in bed, sweat dripping down his neck. He was panting, and Hermione was right there to help him.
"Harry, shhh." she soothed as he panted, sweat still falling off of his face. He pushed the blanket away from him and got out of bed. He was shaky and stumbling around, and Hermione watched in horror as he collapsed onto the floor. His right hand flew to his scar but he didn't scream, instead he rubbed it slightly and then rubbed his eyes. Hermione came up behind him and put a tender hand on his shoulder. "What happened?" "I…I think I found another horcrux." He whispered. Hermione's eyes grew wide.
"Okay… How do you, um.. How-" Harry looked at her.
"I could feel it. In my dream, there was a cup. I've never seen it before, but when it got near Voldemort he… He felt connected to it. I felt connected to it. My scar burned whenever he was near it. 'Mione, that cup is a horcrux. I know it is." Hermione took a deep breath and nodded.
"Okay. Okay, that makes sense. Tell me about the dream. We might be able to figure out whose cup it is, where its located, all that." Harry rubbed his hands together and stood up, thinking pacing might help him remember everything.
"I was an observer, and I saw the cup on a shelf… And… Oh, my God." He said, and he ran to the bedroom. Hermione followed, and saw Harry standing with the sword of Gryffindor. "This was there. Beneath the cup. And then the cup fell, and it was by Voldemort's feet. He picked it up and… and that's when I knew it was a horcrux. He was almost afraid to let it out of his sight. I could feel him tremble as he touched it. And then I was able to look at the cup for the first time. It was pure gold, and there was a badger engraved on its side. Then I woke up. What does that say?" Hermione was one step ahead of him. She ran to the bookshelf and flipped through the pages of Hogwarts a History.
"HARRY!" she called, and he was right behind her. He peered over her shoulder and saw what she had realized. On the page there was a picture of something that looked an awful lot like the cup in his dream. "Does this look like the cup in your dream?" she asked. Harry nodded.
"It belonged to Helga Hufflepuff." he realized. Hermione gasped.
"Of course!" she exclaimed, and Harry bent down to her and waited for her to continue. "Harry, do you s'pose Voldemort could have chosen an artifact that belonged to each of the founder's of Hogwarts? I mean… Salazar Slytherin's locket, Helga Hufflepuff's cup, Godric Gryffindor's ring? I bet you one of the remaining horcruxes belonged to Rowena Ravenclaw." Harry shot Hermione a grin and then kissed her.
"Brilliant. You are always so brilliant." She smiled and kissed him again. They stopped for a moment and Harry sighed. "Why was the sword with the cup?" he pondered. Hermione pursed her lips and shook her head.
"I… I have no idea. Maybe it was your subconscious's way of telling you it was a horcrux. Y'know… Placing the object that could possibly destroy it right by its side." Harry nodded. This made sense, but he still felt uneasy about the whole thing. All he knew at this point was that this cup was most likely a horcrux, and he and Hermione had to get their hands on it. He stood up and began to pace again, trying to think of anything else that could help them find the cup. And then it struck him. In his dream, behind Voldemort, there stood rows of desk lamps with marble pillars on every side. It looked so familiar, and Harry felt his heart leap to his throat when the realization struck him.
"Gringotts." he cried. Hermione looked at him
"What?" she asked.
"My dream… It took place in Gringotts. I remember." Hermione stood up now.
"Okay, but what does that mean? Is the cup in a vault?" Harry frowned. It made sense for Voldemort to have placed the cup in a vault of some sort, but he also knew the marble pillars and rows of lamps were in the lobby, and the cup was rolling through the lobby.
"I dunno." He admitted. Hermione spoke up.
"I have an idea. All we need is to get into the bank. I think if you close your eyes and focus hard enough, you might start to feel a connection to the horcrux, wherever it is. You were able to figure out the cup was a horcrux just from your connection, right?" Harry nodded and then scoffed.
"Yeah, yeah okay. If we get into Gringotts I might be able to get around the goblins and find the cup. Except that I have NO IDEA where to start looking once I'm inside." He sighed in frustration and collapsed onto the couch. Hermione frowned and sat down next to him.
"Honestly, Harry. Sometimes you can be really thick. I'm just offering an idea." She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the couch, and Harry shook his head.
"Sorry." He sputtered. Hermione took a deep breath before she uncrossed her arms and faced her boyfriend.
"I know its hard. I know the thought of going into Gringotts is terrifying, especially under the circumstances, but we have to try." Harry smiled.
"Wow. I never thought I'd see the day when you were the one trying to convince me to do a risky plan." Hermione smiled.
"Its funny how a little life-threatening adventure changes you, isn't it?" she burst into laughter when she saw Harry's face fall for a moment, and then he began to laugh too. They sat there for a moment, laughing and forgetting about all of the havoc to be raised in the near future, until Harry had what appeared to be a stroke of genius.
"That's it!" he exclaimed and rose to his feet. He jumped around the tent for a moment, trying to figure out how his idea would completely play out and work. Hermione watched him, wondering what the hell he was thinking about. After a few minutes he had figured out the basics, at least well enough to present the plan to Hermione.
" Harry, what are you so excited about?" she asked. He looked at her and then grabbed her hand.
"This might sound crazy, but it just might work. " he began. "I think we should go back to the goblins and offer a trade. We can lead them to believe if they help us break into Gringotts we'll let them have the sword of Gryffindor." Hermione gasped.
"H-Harry…" she began. " I don't know. I mean, getting a goblin to assist us would be a good idea, they know those vaults and hallways better than anyone. However, there was a reason those goblins took us in the first place. There was something they wanted either from us or because of us, and I don't think running back to their lair would be the best idea." Harry squeezed her hands a little harder.
"Honey," he urged, " Listen. I know you're always thinking on an analytical level and I know you always put things into perspective, but I honestly think we have nothing to lose. We can always escape if things start to get out of hand." Hermione scoffed and shook her head in disbelief.
"Harry, just because we've been able to get out of every awful situation we've ever been through by the skin of our neck before doesn't mean we will always get away! In fact, I'd say our time is more than overdue. I'm actually surprised we haven't gotten caught yet!" Harry laughed.
"A wise girl once told me that we always have to try. No matter what the circumstances may be, we always have to try." Hermione gave him a timid look.
"I… I don't know about this, Harry." he smiled and leaned into her. He kissed her gently, and she melted as she felt his tongue glide over hers. "Okay." she squeaked. "We can try." He kissed her again and then wrapped his arms around her waist. She found hers messing with his raven hair, and then she was on the ground, Harry towering over her and kissing her all over. She found herself gasping in moments, and then held Harry's hand on her breast. He playfully gave her a squeeze, and then allowed himself to enjoy her body and all it had to offer. She found herself enjoying the male anatomy more than ever thought she could before in her life, and the two of them re-enacted the events from earlier. They fell asleep moments after, still cuddling and holding onto one another.
They awoke with the sunrise the following morning. Hermione was still topless, as was Harry, and he marveled over how great her bare skin felt between his arms. He kissed her naked shoulders and then moved on to her neck, and she moaned and smiled in pleasure.
"Good morning." he whispered, and she chuckled.
"Hi," she replied. He kissed her cheek and settled his chin on the same shoulder he had kissed, and then squeezed her a little closer.
"You're beautiful when you sleep, you know that?" she rolled her eyes.
"You're incredibly cheesy, you know that?" He laughed and kissed her. "Thank you." she added and he nodded. They kissed a little more, before Hermione pulled herself out of Harry's arms and wrapped a blanket around her chest. He felt his breath catch in his throat as he took the image in, and then he got up and stood behind her.
"You're also incredibly sexy, and its not fair." he breathed in her ear. Goose-bumps began to rise on her body and she turned around and faced him.
"We really should begin to focus on meeting with the goblins." she whispered, and he smiled seductively.
"We will." he said, and before she knew what was happening the blanket was gone, and they were once again engaging in something they never knew could be so enjoyable. Hermione cried out in approval as Harry found ways to turn her on beyond belief, and he wasn't afraid to experiment with ways to pleasure her. An hour or so passed before they both knew they couldn't be naive teenagers anymore, and as soon as they got dressed they began to come up with a plan for the goblins.
"Harry, I'm telling you. We can't just walk back in there! We need to sneak in, use strategy, methods, trick them into listening to us." Hermione cried out, placing her head in her hands after an hour of bantering was finally getting on her nerves. Harry sighed.
"Alright. Okay." he admitted. "You're right. As always." She bit her lip to keep from screaming. Her patience was running thin. She couldn't understand how Harry could be so ignorant. She knew he was anxious to find all of the horcruxes, but his lack of logical thinking terrified her. Deciding it was better to push forward rather than dwell on the frustration she was feeling, Hermione reached over and placed her hands on Harry's. He looked up and she felt her heart skip a beat when she saw a single tear fall out of his eye.
"What's wrong, honey?" she asked. He shook his head.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't be taking out my frustration on you." he admitted. She shook her head now, and squeezed his hands.
"Harry, we're both frustrated. We're both a little scared. If we don't let it out once in a while it'll beat us, and we can't let that happen." she said, and she could feel him begin to relax.
"Thank you." he whispered, and then he kissed her. She pulled him into a hug, trying to comfort him. In that moment both of them knew they couldn't try and beat around the bush anymore, and for the next hour they made a plan of attack for the goblins, and then they apparated away under the invisibility cloak.
The confined space they were trapped in opened up immediately, and they found themselves on the top of the mountain overlooking the goblin's cave. Hermione grabbed Harry's hand and the two began to walk down the mountain side, both afraid to make a wrong step or breath too loudly. Goblins, especially so close to their hideout, were probably all over the forest. She felt her breath catch as she almost ran into two of them making their return from gathering food of some sort, and she and Harry shared a knowing glance. They both decided to follow the goblins into the cave, which would both assure that they would get in without any trouble and possibly lead them to a swarm of goblins (which, it just so happened, worked perfectly with Hermione's plan.) The goblins grunted and groaned with each step they took, and Hermione and Harry kept their distance the best they could. After a little while they approached a shack-like door in the side of the mountain and they goblins tapped a secret code to open it. The goblins stepped in instantly, and Harry and Hermione shuffled behind to make sure they got in without being noticed. The door squeaked shut behind them, and Harry and Hermione followed the two goblins down a dimly lit hall that led to a bigger room. It was reminiscent of what a dining hall would be in a mansion back in the Middle Ages. There were torches nailed to the wall, the crest of the goblin race was hanging above a fireplace carved out of the mountain. The ground was covered in old, cracked stone, and Harry watched as the goblins interacted with each other. He marveled over the cultural habit's the goblins exhibited for each other - the way shoving other goblins around was a sign of friendship, or the way they would spit on the food of other goblins who had made them angry. It was then that he noticed the goblins were engaging in some sort of festival, a party of some sort. Some were dancing in the corner, most were eating. Hermione squeezed his hand to indicate to him she had realized the exact same thing, and both of them knew this was the perfect opportunity to execute their plan. A group of goblins began to make their way towards Harry and Hermione, and she cast a confounds charm on all of them. They waltzed back to the corner with the dancing, dazed and confused, and Hermione knew it was only a matter of moments before the other goblins realized they were there, and from the corner of her eye she could see Rebdak grabbing a plate of food. She got Harry's attention, and he too took notice of where Rebdak was. Now was the moment to put their plan into action. With a swift movement they tore off the invisibility cloak and cast stunning and freezing charms on any goblin who tried to come near them. Hermione managed to keep a steady watch on Rebdak, who was sitting calmly in the back of the room. Harry caught hold of a group of goblins and tied them together with a conjured rope, and Hermione cast sleeping spells on two other clumps. They both screamed in surprise as one goblin climbed on Hermione's back, attempting to choke her. Harry pulled him off of her with a magnet charm and he flew towards the nearest metal in the room, which just so happened to be the goblin crest. There were only a few more groups of goblins left, and Harry and Hermione were feeling confident they could take all of them.
"DEPULSO!" Harry shouted, and two goblins flew outside the room. They got up immediately and tried to get back inside, but there was an invisible wall keeping them out. Hermione gasped as a group of ten or so ran against the wall and prepared a sort of parkoure attack.
"Expulso!" she cried as they were about to attack, and the wall they were standing by crushed down on top of them. The goblins that had been banished out of the room ran to the newly formed opening and tried to get in but found themselves to still be locked out. Harry was dodging swords and daggers the goblins had managed to pull from a secret stock within the walls of the room, either blasting them away or simply ducking. Hermione pulled out the sword of Gryffindor and fought against the goblins with the swords, while Harry disarmed them with expelliarmus. Empty handed, the goblins began to run but were quickly pushed back and knocked unconscious with a spell cast by Harry. Hermione quickly turned around and kicked a couple of goblins trying to crawl up her leg, and then she stunned them. In that moment, every goblin was either dead, knocked unconscious, or locked out of the room, and both Harry and Hermione found themselves searching the room for Rebdak, but he was nowhere to be found.
"Great," Harry muttered, and Hermione grabbed his hand.
"C'mon," she urged, "Look." Harry saw what she was pointing at and immediately knew where Rebdak had gone. In the wall by the fireplace there was a small crack just barely big enough for one goblin to squeeze through, and while his "minions" were doing all the dirty work Rebdak had managed to escape through it. Hermione blasted away the rest of the wall and the duo took off through the narrow hallway.
"Lumos Maxima." Harry said, and Hermione soon followed. Suddenly the hallway was lit for almost a mile ahead, but it was so tight Harry and Hermione had to file in behind one another. Harry reached out and grabbed her hand, and they both realized the moment they made skin contact the lights on both of their wands grew brighter. She smiled at this, because it was yet another reminder of the love the two of them had for one another. The continued down the hallway for a while before they reached a dead end.
"No sign of him." Hermione said. Harry looked around the hallway again, trying to find another hidden door or compartment Rebdak could have gone into.
"Hey!" he shouted, and Hermione immediately pulled him back.
"What're you doing?" she snapped, but he shook his head as if to say 'Not now dear, I'm trying to save the world.' He returned to what he was doing, slowly walking down the hallway again.
"Rebdak!" Harry shouted again, "We know you are in here. Come out and we won't hurt you." There was a moment of silence before Hermione felt something grab her arm. She shouted in surprise before she realized it was Rebdak, and he had a small dagger aimed at her stomach.
"Shhh, pathetic girl." He muttered, but Harry had already seen him.
"Let her go. Now." He demanded, holding his wand out steadily ready for use. Rebdak snickered.
"What are you going to do, Potter? Stun me, like you did my friends? They'll wake up eventually. And so will I." Harry frowned.
"Perhaps. But I was planning something a little more trivial in your case, Rebdak. Let Hermione go." Rebdak sneered and pulled Hermione closer to him. She didn't say anything; she wanted to see where Harry was going with this. As Rebdak pulled Hermione closer to his body, Harry saw blood begin to spill from her arm where Rebdak's dagger was slowly cutting her skin, and she clenched her jaw to stop from crying out. Harry began to feel worry and anger build inside of him, and he knew the only way to get Rebdak to listen to him and be willing to cooperate was to do something he vowed never to do. Thinking of what Rebdak might do to Hermione if this continued to fuel his anger, Harry, for the first time in his life, used one of the three unforgivable curses.
"Crucio." he shouted, and a burst of light flew and hit Rebdak. He called out in pain and fell to the ground, thus releasing Hermione. He continued to scream and cry in pain as Harry's curse penetrated his body. Hermione ran towards Harry.
"Stop it!" She cried, and Harry listened to her. He put his arm down, breaking the line between him and Rebdak, who laid on the ground motionless. After a few minutes, he slowly began to laugh.
"I under-estimated you, Potter." the goblin shakily admitted. "Perhaps you are more like He Who Must Not Be Named than you realize." Harry raised his wand again, but Hermione placed a hand on his arm, stopping him.
"Harry-" she began, but he ignored her.
"Why did you kidnap us before?" he questioned. Rebdak remained silent, and the hairs on Harry's arms began to rise. "Answer me, or I swear I will do it again." Hermione gave him a look of shock. Her heart began to pound against her ribcage. Harry would never have used the Cruciatus Curse on a living creature. Her eyes darted back and forth between her boyfriend and the goblin, and she could feel the tension in the room grow. Rebdak painfully tried to sit up, but his body still felt as if it were made of jell-o, and so he laid back down.
"There is a reward out for you, Harry Potter." Rebdak began. " We goblins need it. Our race is dwindling to catastrophically low numbers, and this reward would ensure our survival from this war, once He Who Must Not Be Named defeats you." Harry could feel his blood begin to boil. Hermione held on tighter to Harry's arm to keep him from lunging at the goblin.
"What does the reward entail, exactly?" she asked, knowing Harry was too livid to speak.
"Whoever turns Harry Potter into He Who Must Not Be Named is to be given a sort of free pass in the war. In other words, their life is spared. Their life, and their family's life." Hermione sighed.
"I have no intention of allowing you to turn me into Voldemort, Rebdak. Sorry, but I have other things on my to-do list." Harry scowled, but Rebdak merely laughed.
"I'm not exactly asking for your permission, Harry Potter." he said.
"What makes you think Harry will lose?" Hermione asked now, trying to get to the subject they really came to ask about. Rebdak sat up now, finally feeling a little back to normal.
"I was around for the First War, I know the things He Who Must Not Be Named can accomplish. This…boy, is merely lucky. And I know, because I've seen it before, that when it comes time for him to fight, Harry Potter will lose. A boy of seventeen cannot possibly survive against the darkest and yet most powerful wizard the world has ever seen." Rebdak remarked, a grave tone coating his voice. He looked at Harry almost apologetically, and Harry began to realize he could begin to work towards the horcrux discussion. He put down his wand and sighed.
"Rebdak, you may have been around to see all the horrific things Voldemort-" Rebdak winced at the name, "did before, but I can tell you there has been at least one incident every year for the past seven years in which he has tried to kill me, and I have been able to stop him every time. And I believe with every fiber of my being that I have what it takes to defeat him. I have to believe that, and I have figured out the key to getting there." Harry said, walking towards Rebdak and kneeling beside him. The goblin tensed up as he approached but did not object, and Harry continued. "I need your help." He said, and Rebdak looked at him with wide eyes.
"And why, Harry Potter, would I help you?" he asked. Harry pursed his lips for a moment before he continued.
"Because I can tell that you're just as scared for your family and friends as I am, and you would be willing to do whatever you could to help protect them." he said, and Rebdak scoffed once again.
"I am not afraid." He defied proudly, and Harry smiled.
"Alright, then. Even if you aren't afraid you have nothing to lose by helping me, do you?" Rebdak looked at Hermione, and then back at Harry.
"What would I help you do, exactly?" he asked. Hermione picked up from here, and Harry waited to see what the outcome would be.
"We need to break into Gringotts bank and retrieve an item Voldemort placed in there. It holds something he could use to win the war, and we need to find it and destroy it. The only problem is we don't know where in Gringotts it is, and like you said there is a reward out for Harry's capture, so every witch and wizard and creature roaming Diagon Alley would jump at the chance to get their hands on him. We need a goblin, someone who knows the ropes and tricks of Gringotts to help us. It's the only way to find what we need and be one step closer to beating Volde-" Hermione stopped as Rebdak's face began to grimace again. "Of beating He Who Must Not Be Named." she finished. Rebdak smiled.
"What is the object?" he asked.
"A cup." Harry answered. Rebdak looked surprise.
"And how exactly would a cup help you defeat Voldemort? You can't exactly poison his wine now, can you?" he mocked, but neither Harry nor Hermione laughed.
"We can't tell you, but I promise you it will." Hermione said. Rebdak sat there for a moment, completely still. He then looked at Harry and flashed his yellow fangs his direction.
"What's in it for me?" He finally asked. Goblins were extremely selfish creatures, and Harry and Hermione both knew the value of pulling a good bargaining ship when dealing with them. They looked at each other for a moment before Hermione reached into her infamous, never-ending purse and pulled out the sword of Gryffindor.
"If you help us, and we successfully get a hold of the cup," Hermione said, "You can have this back." Rebdak stared at the sword lustfully, his mouth beginning to open and his eyes glazing over. He snapped out of it after a moment and grinned.
"Alright," he said. "I will help you." Harry and Hermione repressed smiling the best they could and simply nodded.
"Thank you." Harry said.
"We should start making plans and figuring out what we're going to do." Hermione chimed, but Rebdak helped up a creepy hand and silenced her.
"I'll make all the arrangements necessary." He purred. "You two should get some rest. We'll leave first thing in the morning." Hermione opened her mouth to protest, but Harry shook his head.
"Alright, we will. Thank you, Rebdak." he said. Rebdak smiled almost half-heartedly. His body had completely gotten all of its feeling back and he stood up. He then led the couple to a small room hidden in the walls of the hallway and wished them sweet dreams before he disappeared into the darkness.
Harry and Hermione laid on the cold concrete and stared at the ceiling for a few minutes. They were both feeling the weight of what had just taken place, and Hermione was worried sick over the idea that they had not discussed a plan would not be discussing a plan, and Harry had been feeling weird ever since he used the Cruciatus curse. He looked at Hermione and tapped her on the shoulder.
"Hm?" she asked, snapping out if her worry-fest. Harry sighed.
"I feel… I feel weird, 'Mione." he admitted. She knew why he was speaking this way, and she sat up and looked at him.
"You did what you had to do to prove your intentions and get where you needed to go. It worked, too." she said, but Harry still looked uncertain.
"That's not who I am. I'm not that wizard. I made a promise to myself after the Department of Mysteries that I would never use those words. I remember how I felt after Sirius died, and I tried using them but I couldn't muster the strength to use it right." Hermione placed a hand on his. "What if he's right? What if I am becoming more like Voldemort?" Hermione gasped.
"Harry James Potter," she whispered lovingly, " you are nothing like him. You have proved that so many times. Rebdak has no idea what he's talking about. He doesn't know you like I do, so listen to me. You are the greatest person I've ever met, and you are the complete opposite of everything Voldemort is and stands for. You are kind, loyal, loving, genuine, and above all…Pure. Don't you ever think for a moment you aren't." Harry sighed.
"Thank you." he whispered. "Its just…Before, in fifth year, I wasn't able to successfully cruciate. But tonight, when I saw that blade dig in to your skin I became so angry I couldn't even think straight, and I wanted nothing more than to save you. I was able to it today, 'Mione… And that scares me, because it could mean I am in fact becoming more like him." Hermione shook her head.
"Harry, honey… No. I think I know why you could torture Rebdak and not Bellatrix." Harry waited with fear in his eyes. "When you tried to curse Bellatrix, you were doing it out of revenge. You had already lost Sirius, and you felt your world begin to crash down around you. Your grief is what led you to try and attack her, but you knew it wouldn't bring him back and you felt empty. Tonight, with Rebdak, I was still alive, and you used the curse as a way to protect me, not avenge me. I think that's the biggest difference. Both times you acted out of love, but they were for different reasons. I'm a firm believer that grief blinds you and makes you forget who you truly are, where the urge to survive makes you see things clearer." Harry kissed her. The guilt and stress he was feeling began to lift away from him.
"Thank you." he whispered, and she smiled.
"Of course, love." Harry could sense her worry just as well as she could sense his and grabbed hold of her hands.
"If Rebdak tries to double cross us tomorrow we'll make him pay for it." He said. Hermione let out a shaky laugh.
"I'd just like to know what his ideas are. I don't like the idea of going into battle blindfolded." Harry nodded.
"I completely understand. But we've come this far, all we can do is sit and wait. Its going to be okay." He said, and she nodded.
"I hope so."
Rebdak and Kamorx sat by the fire in the big room the party was in before. They had cleared out the dead and sent the wounded to go tend to themselves, and the ones unconscious were sent to bed as they woke up. Rebdak had just finished telling Kamrox the request given to him by Harry and Hermione, and Kamrox sat there dumbfounded.
"For goblin-sake, say something." Rebdak snapped. Kamrox coughed a little bit before he spoke.
"I…um…Do you trust them?" Rebdak sneered and laughed.
"No." he answered. "I don't believe they have any intention of giving us the sword back. And I don't understand how a cup could help them defeat He Who Must Not Be Named. Part of me fears it is all a trap, a way to get back at me for kidnapping them. I know Harry Potter does not have what it takes to defeat him. He is too strong." Kamrox gulped.
"What are you going to do?" he squeaked. Rebdak frowned.
"Something I should have done a long time ago."
Silence surrounded Hermione as she rested her head on Harry's chest. Sleep was becoming more and more unlikely as the night dragged on. Only about ten minutes prior Harry finally drifted off, but she was wide awake. The fear she had regarding the events about to come was eating at her, and she couldn't help but think of the worst possible outcomes. Harry being captured or killed, Gringotts collapsing down on top of them, Rebdak somehow betraying them - these and more were playing like a silent film in her brain. She was pulled back to reality at the sound of footsteps coming down the hallway. Thinking it was Rebdak she closed her eyes in case he decided to enter the room, but the footsteps kept on going. She opened her eyes again and sat very still, her heart beginning to pound a little bit faster. Suddenly, three bodies draped in black cloaks appeared as if conjured from dust. Hermione immediately pulled out her wand .
"Expelliarmus!" she shouted, but the Death Eaters managed to block each spell. They did not try to attack, and Hermione realized this was not an ambush, but a kidnapping.
"Harry Potter's asleep." One cooed. "And the other is acting like her usual self." This caused a small roar of laughter to erupt, and Hermione took a deep breath.
"SECTUMSEMPTA!" Harry shouted, evidentally waiting for the opportune moment. It hit one of the Death Eathers square in the chest and he fell back, his hood flying off to reveal his face: Gregory Goyle's father, Patrick. He began to bleed excessively, and one Death Eater ran to him and began to use the counter curse. Evidentially Snape had warned his fellow colleagues that Harry Potter knew this spell, and had taught them how to fix it. The other Death Eater were trying to remain calm, but things were slowly unraveling. He grabbed a hold of Hermione, and as Harry tried to hex him he used a counter curse and pushed Harry to his feet. Hermione tried to scream but the Death Eater covered her mouth, and Harry was about to get up and fight when the Death Eater tending to Goyle grabbed hold of him and held him down. In that moment the door opened and Rebdak entered. The one holding Harry smiled.
"Thank you, goblin. We will tell the Dark Lord of your services." Rebdak nodded, and Harry felt his blood begin to pulse faster through his veins. He tried to lunge at the goblin but the Death Eater's grip was too tight. "There's no escaping now, Potter." he said. Hermione saw one of the other Death Eaters pick up her bag and pocket it, and she took a mental note to somehow get it back. Her eyes were distracted, however, when she saw Rebdak outstretch his hands and the sword appear in them. He smiled at Harry.
"Like I said, this sword is goblin-made, and with goblins it shall stay." He laughed as the Death Eaters began to apparate away, and Harry and Hermione knew things were much worse than they had previously suspected.
Author's Note: Okay! Some quick things. The spell Hermione used when she was trying to mentally put the goblin to sleep is made up because I couldn't find one that had already been written to do that. Thanks! -M.