I do not own the Harry Potter series or any of its characters. They belong to J.K Rowling.

The Rothern Legacy

Chapter 35 – Curses and Found

Hermione walked cautiously through the Forbidden Forest with her wand tightly gripped in her right hand. Her dark brown eyes roamed between the trees, searching for any sign of her missing girlfriend. Her heart beat pounded in her ears as she remained vigilant for anything out of the ordinary. Every single sound set her on edge. A twig snapped to her left and immediately her wand was pointed in that direction with a stunning spell on the tip of her tongue. Luckily, the moment she recognised who was approaching her she lowered her wand and threw them an exasperated look.

"Jesus Fleur I nearly hexed you" she sighed as she watched the French champion walk towards her with her own wand grasped loosely in her left hand. The blonde frowned at the bushy brunette as she came to a halt beside her.

"Really 'Ermione I 'ad 'oped you would know better zan to run off on your own and leave your friends to worry about you. We 'ave already lost Rachel and we do not need you vanishing to" scolded the older teen. Hermione merely glared at Fleur before continuing to walk through the trees.

"Everyone is searching for 'er 'Ermione but what would Rachel say if she knew you had run off on your own to look for 'er?" asked Fleur as she walked a few yards behind the intelligent Gryffindor. Though personally Fleur was beginning to doubt the brilliance of Hermione Granger at this point, it was incredibly foolish of her to search through the Forbidden Forest on her own when someone dangerous was in the area. Fleur sighed as she continued to follow the brunette through the trees.

"I understand zat you are worried about 'er..." Hermione glanced at Fleur over her shoulder and the look on her face merely confirmed what Fleur already knew.

"...let me 'elp you look for 'er" pleaded Fleur as she appeared next to Hermione. The brunette nodded her head and offered Fleur and small smile before focusing ahead of her.

"Dumbledore's convinced that Rachel and whoever took her are still within Hogwarts grounds. Magical barriers exist to prevent people apparating out of the grounds and into the grounds so they must be here but the question is where. The only logical option as to where they could be would be the forest since Hogwarts is too crowded and they would be easily spotted" Fleur had to agree with the brunette's logic.

"I just want to find her Fleur" the French Veela glanced at Hermione from the corner of her eye.

"We will find 'er 'Ermione" assured Fleur confidently. The two witches walked deeper into the forest, unaware of dark grey eyes watching them from a distance.

"For four years I have been hunted like an animal because of you..." Rachel grunted as another cut formed a long her side as he flicked his wand as he spoke.

"...the Aurors have been searching for me. The moment you described me to them I had to go into hiding..." Another flick and another jet of blood.

"...my life was ruined and then I find out that my mission was incomplete and that you had survived. For years I have waited for the right moment to get to you..." Another cut, except this one was deeper than the others.

"I almost had you last year but your precious Gryffindor chums had to interfere and I was weak...oh so weak from a lack of blood..." Coldridge pulled Rachel up by the collar of her shirt so he could look her in the eye. The man was deranged and looked at her with madness in his eyes.

"I became this thing after an Auror attack on my temporary home. A friend of the Dark Lord blessed me with the gift of immortality only if I promised to serve. I only accepted because it would give me the chance to complete my mission" Blood stained his cold, pale fingers before he released his hold on her. Rachel collapsed into a bloodied heap on the grass.

"Coldridge" stated a masculine voice urgently.

"Not now Crouch I am busy" sneered the vampire as he dropped Rachel's wand onto the ground and retrieved his own from within his cloak.

"I want it to be my wand that ends the girl who made my life a misery" he muttered to himself as he ran his fingers over the dark wood.

"Coldridge we need to leave now. People are coming. You will have your chance later" his silver eyes widened in disbelief as he turned to look at his accomplice.

"Are you sure?" he asked. Upon receiving a nod he hissed in displeasure as he turned back to the barely conscious teen.

"I want her to suffer before her life comes to an end Crouch. I know just the spell..." he muttered before pointing his wand at the raven haired teen.

"Membra Laesa!" he stated with an intricate hand gesture. Rachel's eyes widened and her mouth opened in a silent scream as a horrific pressure formed over her organs. Blood trickled down the side of her mouth as she struggled to breathe. The pain was excruciating.

"What did you do?" asked Crouch as Coldridge turned away from the pain stricken teen and walk past him.

"The spell damages the person's organs Crouch. She'll be dead within two hours but she'll suffer the agony of having her body ripped apart by the spell" stated the vampire before he pulled his hood over his head.

"Don't you have work to do on the Potter boy Crouch?"

The two girls travelled silently through the trees, listening and watching. Fleur stopped in her tracks at the sound of faint voices in the distance. Hermione, after a few more steps, turned and looked at Fleur curiously.

"What is it?" she asked quietly. Fleur closed her eyes so she could block out unnecessary distractions and focus in on the voices as they grew louder. The moment she was certain that she didn't recognise the voices she grabbed onto Hermione's hand and pushed her index finger to her own mouth, signalling for Hermione to remain silent. She dragged the young teen towards a suitable hiding place behind a fallen oak tree where they hid.

Gripping their wands tightly in their hands they waited anxiously as the voices grew louder. Fleur glanced over the trunk to see who was approaching. She was annoyed by the fact the two men were wearing black cloaks with their hoods up so she couldn't memorise their faces so she listened in on their conversation.

"Do you think anyone will find her?" asked the smaller of the two and Fleur could swear that her heart stopped in her chest. Oh Merlin please tell her they hadn't...

"Doesn't matter if they do...by the time anyone comes across her the spell would've done enough damage to kill her off. She already has a weak heart from the last time we met" answered the taller one. Fleur lowered herself down and looked at Hermione fearfully. The brunette looked up at her with tears in her eyes. She had heard everything. Fleur glanced up once again from their hiding place to check it was safe. The two men were far enough away for the two girls to move without being caught.

"It iz zafe" assured Fleur and the two girls sprinted off in the direction the men had come from with heavy, fearful hearts. It felt like hours of running to the two girls before they finally came across the horrible scene they had been dreading. Rachel was lying limply on her back in a small opening, covered in blood and appearing lifeless.

Hermione's sprint slowed to a stunned walk while Fleur sprinted past her and dropped to her knees next to Rachel. She wasn't...she couldn't be...

" 'Ermione she's alive!" cried out Fleur as her hands hovered over Rachel's body. The sight of Rachel's left arm alone caused alarm to course through the French woman's heart. Thinking quickly Fleur pulled off her thick, blue woollen school jumper and tore it into strips before wrapping the fabric around Rachel's arm. The young Rothern released a pained moan which attracted Hermione's attention as she came to kneel opposite Fleur.

"It's alright. Everything's going to be alright now" whispered Hermione as tears threatened to fall from her brown eyes. Rachel coughed weakly and more blood escaped from her mouth only to trickle down the side of her face. Once the coughing fit subsided her breathing returned to it slow pace, struggled pace.

As Hermione pulled Rachel's head into her lap and began to whisper in her ear to try and keep her awake Fleur came across other injuries inflicted onto the young teen which made her frown as she wrapped them in the remains of her jumper. The injuries weren't adding up. Though severe and life threatening these injuries wouldn't cause one to cough up blood. Pulling herself away from her musings the only thing she needed to focus now on was keeping Rachel alive not pondering her injuries.

"We need to signal for 'elp" stated Fleur as she grabbed onto her wand and got to her feet. Pointing her wand up into the sky she muttered a spell and a red tinted flare shot up into the dull grey sky before exploding.

"I just 'ope zat one of ze Professor's see it" she whispered to herself before kneeling back next to Rachel. Fleur watched in despair as Rachel struggled to breathe, the teen didn't deserve to suffer like this, in such a painful way. A few seconds past before at least four cracks resounded throughout the forest and out of nowhere appeared Dumbledore who led Snape, McGonagall and Pomphrey towards the three girls.

"Miss Delacour? Miss Granger what are you two doing here?" McGonagall's Scottish voice demanded though she failed to receive an answer once the professors discovered Rachel's injured condition.

"Severus. Poppy get Miss Rothern to the infirmary immediately" commanded Dumbledore as he came to stand next to Hermione. The elderly Professor looked down at Hermione and placed a wrinkled hand on her shoulder as Snape and Pomphrey approached.

"You need to let her go so we can help her" whispered Dumbledore. Hermione nodded slowly before lowering Rachel's head back onto the ground. Within moments the Professors apparated away with Rachel leaving an empty space between Hermione and Fleur.

"She will be alright 'Ermione" whispered Fleur encouragingly as she looked at the distraught teen in concern. Dumbledore frowned sadly down at the bushy haired Gryffindor, there was something else to Rachel's injuries that he couldn't put his finger on and it angered him that one of his students had been attacked so easily on Hogwarts grounds.

"Minerva could you please escort Miss Granger and Miss Delacour back to my office please. I would like to search the forest some more for any clues as to Miss Rothern's assailant" requested Dumbledore. The Scottish Head of Gryffindor house nodded and approached the two girls.

"Please follow me girls" she stated though she looked on sadly as Fleur helped Hermione up. She was more than aware of Hermione's connection with Rachel Rothern which only made the scene she had apparated into all the more heart breaking. But she had to be strong now for the young Gryffindor looked on the verge of an emotional breakdown.

And there we go - please review and I'm very sorry about the wait.