Chapter 21

As Hermione was crying next to Harry's bloodied body Ron had crossed his arms and was standing over his family and friend. But nobody was paying the brooding red-head any attention and instead they were all watching Hermione lay over Harry crying.

Even Remus, who had been left behind was sitting next to Harry to make sure he would be okay. But with all the blood that was now starting to dry on Harry's skin it was hard to tell where some of the cuts started, and where they ended. So Remus moved closer to Harry's face and began licking away the blood.

"Remus, wha…" Hermione started to ask as she watched but suddenly realized what the older werewolf was doing and looking around tore off a piece of her tattered and dirty dress. Hermione walked over to Remus's water bucket and dumped some into a large bowl that was normally used to hold food and brought it over to sit by Harry.

"Hermione, dear let me help you" said Mrs. Weasley and she ran over to one of her blankets and tore off several makeshift rags before returning to Harry. She handed one to anyone who had their hand out and began washing away the blood from Harry's body.

After a couple of hours, they had finished cleaning Harry's wound and as they watched him from different corners of the now large cell they saw that Harry was beginning to wake up. But Hermione who hadn't left his side quickly moved over to his head and watched as his emerald green eyes fluttered open.

But Ron, who sat at the farthest corner away from Harry, rolled his eyes at Hermione and thought 'it doesn't make any sense....but soon I will finally be free of this retched place'. But nobody noticed because they were all staring at Harry and Hermione; for Harry had just jerked into an upright position causing the chains that bound him to rattle.

But Harry slowly relaxed and looked around him then down at his scarring body, before he turned his gaze to Hermione.

"Hermione, w-what happened" Harry managed to wheeze out and Hermione's eyes filled with tears and she threw her arms around his neck and began to cry. This startled Harry and he slowly put his arms around her giving her the first true skin to skin hug that they had shared in over a year.

After a moment when Hermione finally calmed down she pulled away and Harry smiled then he looked from Hermione to the Weasley's and back again. But finally Mrs. Weasley understood and said "OH, okay come on everyone lets leave them be" and she and the others stood up and walked away leaving Hermione and Harry some what alone.

Harry looked around at the now single, very large cell before he turned to Hermione and asked "What going on….why are we all together" and Hermione just gave Harry a watery smile before answering him.

"I-I really don't know why Harry…just after Voldemort left he never changed it back into one cell…and Harry? Voldemort has given the order for you to not- to not have food or water for 10 days."

Harry just sighed before saying "Don't worry Hermione I have gone longer than that without anything…it won't be too hard." But Hermione's eyes began to fill with tears once more before Harry looked at her and asked "Hermione, what's wrong…its okay."

Hermione shook her head and quietly said "Harry, we-we need to get out of here…you are calling him 'master', he is trying to force you to kill your best friends, and even though you are resisting now…how much longer will you be able to, and then do something incredibly stupid? We have to find a way out."

This time it was Harry's turn to look away but he just kept his head down before saying, "Don't you think I have tried? Do you think I like being here, stuck in a cage? Being starved? Being punished for doing the right thing? Hermione you just don't get it, no matter what I do he always will find me and bring me back. Always."

Hermione just stood up and looked down at Harry who looked back at her confused. "Harry you can choose to be a slave and a prisoner, or you can fight back. You can try to escape, and now you wouldn't have to do it by yourself, we all want to get out of here, we all would help." And she walked over to the other side of the room and huddled next to the Weasley's.

Harry just stared after her when Remus came and lay down next to Harry and put his large brown/grey head on Harry's lap. Harry looked down at the older wolf before whispering in a voice that only Remus could hear and said.

"I would love to be able to escape this place. But if I do what he tells me to, I know I will be safe and fed. But if we try to escape and fail then we all of our lives would be in jeopardy, so why risk it? But- but I think that I am also scared to leave this place and once again face the real world, our world. I would no longer be loved by many but feared by all…"

It was then that Remus lifted his head and looked at Harry who just muttered "sorry" before continuing on.

"But Remus you have been like this for a lot longer than I have. This is stupid to be even talking about; just I don't think I even want to leave to be completely honest. But for now what I think I need is some sleep." So Remus stood up and walked over to one of the thin mattresses and blankets and pulled it over to Harry who smiled and said "thanks" before Remus started to walk away.

Harry lay down on the mattress causing the chains that held him to rattle quietly and threw the blanket over his thin, bare chest before he saw Remus walking away. "Wait Remus…can…can you lay with me?" Harry asked the wolf who turned around to look at the boy and finally sighed before walking back over to Harry.

When Remus was standing next to Harry he looked around trying to find a place to lay when Harry moved forward slightly giving him plenty of room to lay behind him. So Remus lay on his stomach and crawled behind Harry who sighed. As Remus lay there listening he heard Harry breathing slow before it came in a deep, and steady rhythm that told Remus his cub had fallen asleep.

So the older wolf lifted his head and looked across the room to see that everyone was asleep except 2 figures who were staring unblinkingly at the wolves. One was Hermione who was just watching Harry for any sign of movement and when the boy did move she was give a little jump before settling back down to watching. Remus just smiled inwardly at the show of affection the girl had for his cub before he felt a pair of eyes boring into him.

He looked around at the group and saw nobody there was watching him before movement off to the left of him caught his eye and he turned and growled at the intruder. Remus lay his head over top of Harry's sleeping form, still growling at the form in the shadows before he stopped when he realized it was Tonks. Then Remus immediately hid his head and Tonks once again began to approach.

The now brown haired woman approached the 2 wolves before she sat down next to them and waited for Remus to lift his head. And when he didn't Tonks reached over and began to stoke the hair along his neck. Remus enjoyed the feeling of hands moving through the dark brown fur, and started to lift his head to look at the one person he had missed the most.

Tonks just smiled down at the Remus who placed his large head in her lap and closed his eyes. Tonks continued to run her hands through his hair and started to run it down his back before she gasped and whispered, "My God, Remus y-you're so thin" and Remus stood up and walked out from behind Harry to stand in front of her. But Tonks just stared at him confused and Remus rolled his eyes before he reached out and gently took the sleeve of her shirt and began pulling her towards the opposite corner so they could talk.

And once they had left the corner Hermione watched Harry as he began to shiver from the cold, and with a sigh she carefully stood up and walked over and lay down behind him where moments ago Remus lay. She lifted her arms and wrapped them around Harry who almost immediately stopped shivering. And within moments she too had fallen asleep.

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The next morning everyone in the enlarged cell woke with a start when a crash as loud as a bomb went off and they all sat up from where they lay. Outside the cell was 2 death eaters, one was carrying what looked like raw meat and chicken, while the other had a tray with 11 glasses of water and 11 pieces of bread and one block of cheese.

Everyone stood up and with a wave of one of the death eaters wand the food appeared inside the cell to which everyone but Hermione rushed over to the food. Harry looked around and when he realized that she was behind him he turned to Hermione and said in a raspy voice "Go, go get some breakfast. God knows you need it."

But Hermione didn't move, instead she said "I-I just don't think it's fair. We are allowed to eat while you sit here, you didn't do anything wrong….instead you did what was right and now you are being punished."

Harry just smiled at her and said "Hermione, you have been here with me for a while. You know he could have done a lot worse, now please go eat."

Hermione finally gave in and walked over to the tray which now had 1 piece of bread, 1 glass of water, and a little cheese before quickly eating it. As Harry watched this, the wolf inside him tore at its fleshy prison wanting to eat but Harry just forced the wolf down and looked around. Everyone had finished eating he saw except Ron who was watching Harry with a strange look playing across his features.

Harry watched him and when he stood up, the bread still in his hands and started towards him, Harry used the chains holding him and immediately stood up so as to be eye level with his once-best-friend.

But when Ron finally reached Harry, the raven haired boy tensed for he thought the red-head would surely strike him but Ron just stuck out the one piece of bread he had and said "Take it."

"NO" cried the others but Ron held up a hand which silenced them before he said "take…it" to Harry once more. But Harry just backed up still looking at the bread and said "no". But this angered Ron and he raised his other hand and slapped Harry across the face causing Harry to look into Ron's clear blue eyes.

"Take it" Ron said once more and when Harry refused again Ron kneed Harry in the stomach causing him to fall to the ground and get tangled in the chains. "Ron, why are you…." Harry started to ask but before he could finish his sentence Ron had torn a piece of bread off and threw it into his mouth causing the wolf to go wild. And without thinking Harry grabbed the rest of the bread and quickly ate it in 2 bites.

Ron stood up and smiled down at Harry and said "good" before he walked away to sit with the others. But when he finally sat back down everyone rushed to Ron's side and started to whisper to him asking him 'why he did such a thing'. But all Harry knew was that he wasn't allowed to eat, he didn't know that if anyone gave him anything they would be killed so their comments to Ron confused him greatly.

But Harry's confusion was soon cleared when the door at the end of the hall opened with a loud 'bang' and everyone turned to look down the hall as best as he could. Harry just untangled himself from his chains before he stood up with his head down.

And within seconds a large group of people marched into the cell and Voldemort's high voice cut through the air like a knife. "Bring be the boy" and in a wisp of smoke Harry's bonds disappeared and 2 pair of hands gripped Harry shoulders and forced him forward.

The 2 death eaters forced Harry to stand in front of Voldemort and a cold white hand shot forward and forced Harry chin up to look straight into the blood red eyes. "Were you given anything to eat Wolf?" Voldemort asked and Harry looked around and saw Hermione staring at him then give a small shake of her head and Harry immediately said "no" in a quiet voice.

"Crucio" cried Voldemort and pain coursed through Harry's whole form and he let out a loud scream and his form went limp but the 2 death eaters kept him standing. In seconds Voldemort lifted the curse and Harry stood panting when Voldemort asked "were you given anything to eat Wolf" once more but this time Harry hung his head and muttered "yes."

"Who gave you the food Wolf" Voldemort asked Harry but before he could answer Ron, who had been standing in the corner walked out and said "I did."

So Voldemort's attention shifted from Harry to Ron and with a motion of his fingers 2 more death eaters brought Ron to stand in front of Voldemort.

"You do realize the consequences of your actions do you not, blood traitor" Voldemort asked Ron and Harry just looked from Voldemort to Ron and back again. It was then that Harry realized what it was Voldemort was talking about and he struggled to get free which caused the 2 men holding him to hold onto him more tightly.

"No Ron" Harry said but the red-head ignored him and said "Yes, I do know the consequences, and will take them head on."

"Very well" Voldemort said and he turned to the others and said "Anyone who even moves one step forward will get the same 'punishment'. But just to be safe…." And Voldemort motioned with his hand and the remaining death eaters went forward and restrained the others, while forcing them to watch.

"If you want to say anything, say it now" Voldemort said and Ron just smiled before and turned to the struggling Harry who cried out "NO RON DON'T." But Ron just ignored him and said "The only thing is that I am truly sorry about this to my family, and to this monster. I am just glad I no longer am forced to be in the same presence of this monster, this murderer."

This made Harry quickly stop struggling and watched as Voldemort cried out a spell and a flash of unnaturally green light shot from the end of his wand and hit Ron squarely in the chest.

"RON" cried several voices in the dungeons but the youngest boy in the Weasley family was dead before they could even finish saying his name.