Sorry it took me so long (again).. But here you go, another chapter :)
Hiding in the empty classroom on the fifth flour, Hermione was going through her options. But not one option seemed to be a good choice. She could make Harry and Ron run away, they could try to escape, but as Barty has told her, there was no way out for them. Even secret passages would be guarded by Death Eaters. The only way out would be the same way they got in, which Hermione suspected to be in the Room of Requirements. She was not stupid. That room was the only room she knew about that was not to be found on any map of Hogwarts. The only possible secret passage would be there. The only problem was, Barty wasn't stupid either. The Room of Requirements would be the first place he would destroy, killing everyone in his way. So if she would let Ron and Harry run, her friends hiding in the Room of Requirements would get hurt, and Harry and Ron might get caught too. And she would receive a painful torture herself, if not death. The only rational option seemed to be to lead Harry and Ron back to Barty's office without being seen by anyone. She trusted Barty in his promise to let Ron live. At least Ron would stay alive that way. And maybe she could even persuade him to not hand over Harry to his master. Barty was insanely loyal to his master, she knew that like no other, but it was worth the try. It was a strange thought, but Barty seemed to be her only hope in the whole situation. There was no way she could warn someone from the Order. Barty would notice immediately when she would lead Harry and Ron to McGonagall's office. He was tracking her, he knew exactly where she was. And one toe out of line, and he would come for her.
All she could do was wait. And hope that Ron and Harry wouldn't come for her. If they stayed away, if they would stay hidden, then at least she wouldn't be to blame. She wouldn't have to feel guilty. But then again, maybe Barty would actually rip the place apart, maybe more of her friends would die. Maybe he would kill Ron too in his frustration.
She started crying silently. There was no easy way out of this. She was just a pawn, powerless in the game. Suddenly she jumped up when she heard quick footsteps approaching and a door slamming close. She rubbed away the tears from her eyes to see clearly. They were actually there. They had come for her.
"Ron, Harry," she whispered, trying to stop herself from crying again, now out of joy and relief. "It's been so long!"
She ran towards them, embracing the two guys both at the same time.
"We don't have much time," she said, still quietly, afraid that someone would hear them.
"Hermione," Ron said, grabbing both her arms. "What happened? Did you escape? We saw you were being locked up by Crouch. What did he do to you? Did he hurt you? Are you alright?"
"Ssssh," she hissed. "We need to be quiet. Death Eaters are looking for you. I'm fine, Ron, I'm fine. How are you?"
"We destroyed two other Horcruxes," Harry smiled at her. "We suspect that there must be one of the house of Ravenclaw as well. We need to find it h-"
"Shut up, Harry, shut up," Hermione shushed him. "They can hear us. I-"
She swallowed her words, debating if she should tell them.
"What? What's wrong?" Ron asked.
"He can hear us. Barty. Crouch. The Death Eater who has kept me locked up all that time. He is tracking me. He can hear every word we say. He wants me to bring you to him," Hermione said quietly.
"What?!" Harry said a bit too loudly. "Then we need to hurry! We need to escape, if we are quick…"
"No, Harry, he knows where we are. He can apparate. He will be here within a second. He will torture us, and you will both be killed. If I return without you, he will destroy the entire Room of Requirements, including the people inside. We- I- I have made a deal with him," Hermione confessed.
"Is he influencing you?" Harry asked. "Are you under the Imperius Curse?"
"No, I'm not. Let me explain. He wants you, Harry. He wants to bring you to the Dark Lord. But he will not torture you, and he will not kill Ron. That is the deal I have made. If other Death Eaters find you, Ron will definitely get killed. There is no way out of this, Harry, there isn't!" she started crying again. "I don't want either of you to die!"
"Shh, it's alright. You are not to blame for this. It is our fault that we have come to Hogwarts. At least you are safe," Harry said. "Lead us to Crouch."
Hermione looked up and she saw that both Harry and Ron had drawn their wands and they nodded at her. It was a dangerous plan, trying to attack Barty. He would probably already expect them to be armed. But Hermione couldn't warn them now. She just had to make sure she would get back before the tracking spell wore off.
"Come on," Hermione said. "Follow me closely and stay quiet."
The closer they came to the office, the more nervous she became. She had only just gotten her friends back, and she was risking to lose them again within a couple of minutes. If Harry and Ron would succeed in overpowering Barty, then they would be able to escape. They could use the fireplace. But surely Barty wouldn't be so stupid that he wouldn't expect them to try and curse him. He would be prepared. He would unarm them before they could even raise their wands.
When they finally reached the door without being seen by anyone else, Hermione was sweating and shaking heavily. She was so afraid. She trusted Barty enough to know that he wouldn't hurt Harry and Ron, but if he got his way, then Harry would die eventually. He had almost killed him before in their fourth year if it wasn't for Dumbledore. Why would he spare him this time?
Hermione knocked on the door, but she didn't get any response. He couldn't be out. Why was he ignoring them? She knocked again. When there was still no response, she pushed open the door herself, the two guys following her with raised wands. But as soon as they were inside, she heard a noise behind her and the sound of two wands falling on the floor. When Hermione turned around, she saw Barty standing behind Ron and Harry, who were now wandless, his own wand pressed against Ron's neck.
"Why would you need your wands in here, boys?" he asked while shutting the door behind him. "I am not planning on hurting you. Sit down."
He pushed Ron away from him, towards one of the chairs near the fireplace. When Ron hesitantly did as he was asked, Harry followed him and sat down as well. Barty looked rather pleased with himself.
"Finally," he smiled. "Finally. Thank you for this, darling."
"What did you call her?" Ron growled, not bothering to hide his jealousy.
Barty rested his cold stare on Ron for a couple of seconds which made the entire room feel colder.
"I called her darling. And I think even someone as stupid as you can guess why," he answered dryly.
"What, do you love her?" Ron snorted. "You?"
But that was a wrong thing to say. The Death Eater did not like to be mocked, and he certainly wouldn't let Ron get away with talking to him like that without making sure he knew his place. Within a second, Barty was in front of Ron and he bowed down to talk close to his ear.
"It took me some time to get used to her, but she is the most amusing company," he hissed with as much hate in his voice as he could muster. "She is mine now, for as long as the Dark Lord will allow it, and if I only see you looking at her in a way I don't like, you'll regret it. I never particularly liked you, boy, so you should thank me on your bare knees if you get out of here alive."
"You already made a deal. You already promised to let me go," Ron scoffed. "And you will let me leave with Harry and Hermione."
Barty raised to his full height again, and he raised one eyebrow.
"Do you honestly think I won't change my mind? You either behave, or you will die. Your choice."
"Barty…" Hermione started, grabbing his arm. "Please, let them live, please, I'll do anything."
"Do you still love him?" he growled instead of responding to her request.
When she didn't answer, he shrugged his arm out of her grasp.
"Well? Do you?" he asked again, now with an even more dangerous edge to his tone. "ANSWER ME!"
"I- I- wh- what do you want to hear?"
"The truth."
"He's my friend. Of course I love him.
"Smart girl," he grinned. "But you know that is not what I meant."
"Y-you can't kill him. You p-promised…"
"Prove to me that you're mine and mine alone and I'll spare his life."
"And what about Harry?"
He narrowed his eyes when she asked him that, and her heart started to race. He had been clear about Harry, they had made a deal.
"I won't let him go. You know that."
"Please, please let him leave here, take someone else, force them to drink a Polyjuice Potion, I don't care. Just don't give him to the Dark Lord," Hermione whimpered.
"The Dark Lord? Merlin, Hermione, he really messed with your head, didn't he?" Ron said, glaring at Barty.
That was when Barty drew his wand and aimed it at the red-haired young man. His face looked absolutely manic, and his tongue flicked for a moment.
"Wasn't I clear enough?" Barty growled, pressing the wand against Ron's throat.
"Barty! Stop!" Hermione shouted alarmed.
"He's had enough warnings," Barty rasped. "Cr-"
"STOP!" Harry now shouted. "I will come with you to face Voldemort, but you will let my friends go unharmed. Ron and Hermione."
Barty scoffed at that.
"Hermione wants to stay with me, don't you?" he said to Hermione. When she didn't reply immediately, he grabbed her arm and whispered in her ear so that the other two couldn't hear him. "It's you or them. If you choose to leave me, all of your friends will die. If you choose to stay, I can guarantee your safety and that of your friends. As soon as the Dark Lord wins, no one would even dare to think about touching you."
"I don't want Harry to die," she whispered.
"You'll get over it. Sometimes sacrifices need to be made. We will turn the boy in, and everything will be over, the war will be over. We'll become powerful. I'll help you survive this, if you stop crossing my way right now."
His words became a little more harsh and threatening at the end, but Hermione believed him. She wanted nothing more than to stop the war. And she didn't have much of a choice here. She could either help Barty and turn her friend in, or she could try and fight the Death Eater and get herself killed together with Ron and Harry. Even though it seemed like Barty was showing her some affection, he would not let anything get between him and his master. He could still easily kill all three of them, including her friends who had been in the resistance. If they wouldn't join the dark side, they would all be killed as well. Maybe, if she just did what she was asked now, she could save the rest. Barty would keep the rest of her friends at Hogwarts alive. There was no reason for Voldemort to attack the castle himself, making Barty the best chance at offering her friends protection.
"I'll stay. And I won't stand in your way," Hermione answered, feeling a lump in her throat.
"What?! Are you serious?" Ron yelled. "Tell me you are joking!"
Hermione shook her head.
"I am serious. I am only trying to save as many people as possible."
"You disgust me," Ron growled. "Honestly, Hermione, I don't know you anymore. You might as well become a Death Eater yourself. You probably even slept with that piece of scum."
"Ron!" Hermione said shocked, knowing what would happen next.
But before she could stop it, Barty had already backhanded Ron, who was now lying on the floor, blood flowing from his lip.
"You are making it very hard for me to keep you alive. You should be happy that Hermione is choosing my side, you know? You would have been dead already if she chose to walk away. You would have been tortured and dead, and your friends who are currently hiding away in that secret room on the seventh floor. Now… the next time you open your bloody mouth, make sure you think twice before talking, or that entire seventh floor might get wiped out. And I'll make you watch, don't you worry," Barty said coldly before returning his attention back to Potter. "I don't want any funny tricks here. You'll come with me, and you'll do it quietly. Or else your ginger and all the others won't survive it. Understood?"
Harry only nodded. Hermione admired him for his strength, he was always prepared to throw his own life in danger in order to save the many. And that was what he was doing now. He knew he would die, and he didn't even fight it.
"Come on then, grab my arm, all of you," Barty ordered.
Well, looks like Harry is going to die. Or is he?