A/N: It seems like months since I last updated and it probably is. I am going through a transition in life one that takes much thinking and time. In a few days I will be leaving India and heading for the states (USA) for my college education at Stanford in California. It's due to this transition that I have not been able to update that often.
To all my faithful reviewers, your support and encouragement takes me forward, Thank You once again.
Sarah Black: Thank you for that excellent and complimentary review, I deeply appreciate it.
Beavarius: Yes! Finally clear and straight sex, none of the mad stuff! Yes I liked the libido comment too!
Gothica Anne Riddle: You gave me quite a fright there initially, and yes I have reviewed!
Spirit of Rain: Edge of your seat, I hope you didn't fall off! Just kidding, I'm quite sorry I haven't updated in a quite but crazy stuff had been happening.
AgiVega: Me too Agi, sorry I couldn't submit this one for reviewing by you!
Princess Kattera: I intend to simplify things a bit, but they will always remain complex, (hopefully ;) )
Araina: The ending is a little strange, but its quite explainable!
Coell: Will give! : )
Omega: Glad to have you back! Yes it is, but this chapter should clear it all up!
Sara Minks: Wow! Sarah! Thank you for so many reviews at one go! Yes it's a little dark, and no I've not gone through any thing that makes me think so (a part from a little Acne some time back). All the Weasleys are not evil, the others are still there…
august wynd: I am sure this chapter will be quite interesting… ;)
Unknown Location
Hermione had cried until the tears would no longer come. She was emotionally drained at Harry's deceit and betrayal.
Darkness surrounded her and she could only feel around to observe the cage that held her.
Suddenly, a blinding flash went through the room as torches on the wall lit up. She was in some sort of throne room, hanging from the center of the ceiling.
She was dangling at least ten meters from the hard rock ground below.
The door burst open and a single figure in black was followed in by a group of four death eater escorts. The figure in black looked up at her.
She expected to see the horrific face of Voldemort as described to her by Harry, but instead she saw a face composed of shadowy wind.
A smile crossed the lips of the figure. A gesture of the hand later the death eaters left closing the door behind them
'Good morning Hermione Granger' said Mordante in a pleasant morphed voice.
Hermione was at first too scared to reply, but she gradually built up her courage.
'Who are you?' she asked trembling
'The one you and your friends have sought to find all year, I am the Heir of Lord Voldemort, you can address me as Lord Mordante' he said in a simple monotone.
'What have you done with Ron!' she exclaimed realizing that he too had been taken.
'Young Master Weasley is secure in another part of this castle. We wouldn't want collective planning now would we' he said in an admonishing tone which sounded more comforting than vexing.
Hermione slowly began to relax; this was not the barbaric monster she had envisaged but a civilized monster, one that could be reasoned with, at least to a certain extent.
'Why have you kidnapped us?' she ventured.
'That my dear is a question best left unanswered, undoubtedly in your heart you know why' said Mordante as he sat down on the throne.
'What to do you intend to do with us?' she asked trying a different approach.
'To be quite frank I have quite not decided yet, my father would want to kill you he would gain much satisfaction of it, but I don't believe in quick deaths' he replied 'Oh and in case you think of escaping…'
Crucio…
The curse hit her when she was most unprepared. The pain that rushed through her forced her on to her knees screaming. The bars rattled as her body in its fits and jerks hammered against the borders of her entrapment. The ten seconds that it lasted for seemed an eternity to her.
'That was ten seconds, imagine a time greater' said Mordante
Hermione however could not imagine.
The lake at Hogwarts
Harry Potter awoke out of his shocked exhausted sleep. It was however good for him, as his mind cleared and he began to think.
Memory which had been temporarily abandoned due to shock returned to him and he was able to play back the sequence in his mind.
'I was drugged' he finally came to the conclusion.
His thoughts stopped in their tracks when he remembered Hermione.
'No!' he exclaimed realizing what he had done. He had to find her and explain, this was not of his choosing or consent. She was reasonable; she would understand he tried to convince himself.
What about Ginny?
The though plagued his mind. Either she had be coerced as he himself had been or had orchestrated the entire thing. He preferred to believe and dwell on the former.
Hermione would however need proof, she would not want it perhaps, but her scientific mind would be satisfied only with an absolution of innocence.
He would have to report the incident, it could not be hidden. A raving maniac was in roaming through Hogwarts. Whom to tell? Who would be discreet and able to give sound advice?
Dumbledore of course was the obvious choice in the matter, but Harry was reluctant to seek his help. The situation posed an embarrassing array of questions which he would be very unable to answer in all the details.
The answer hit him in a flash. Sirius…
Harry in a hurried step walked back towards the castle.
Unknown Location
Hermione took quite a while to recover. Mordante however sat patiently.
'Why?' she croaked seeking an explanation for the cruelty.
'To remind you of the consequences of your future actions will weigh heavy on all, especially you' he said simply 'Also of note is the same treatment for your love sick companion Ron Weasley should you be less than cooperative'
Mordante had played the friendship card well; it is one thing to endure torment but to thrust it on a friend; that was a different matter.
'You have your point' said Hermione courage and feeling slowly returning through her body. She would never forget the pain of the Crucio curse.
'How is your boyfriend these days?' Mordante casually inquired.
The second blow was under the belt and an emotional one. Hermione's heart stopped as if seized by a crushing fist. Her mouth opened for immediate reply; no words came out.
'Speechless, I presume?' Mordante said with raised eyebrows 'Oh! How forgetful of me! He was found a new slut to fulfill his physical needs. You were it seems to slow and too conservative for the lustful loving Harry Potter'
The only two things that kept Hermione form hurling a string of abuses at Mordante were the shock of the degree of his knowledge and the seemingly truth in the matter.
'Speechless' he mocked her again 'Mr. Weasley however was not so, his torture has not been in vain. I would have used the serum but Crucio is so much more exciting'
A tear trickled down Hermione's face. Her spirit had been broken. It had taken only a few hours, hours which seemed like years, but she had finally been broken. The physical, emotional and physiological assault on her senses had crippled her.
In another time they would have been comforts and comforters, but her mind spiraling down the dark path of depression could not find debate against the points made. Words turned to truth, truth turned suspicions and fears right, and together they became the reality of Hermione's life.
She was a prisoner in a glorified bird cage, hung up as a trophy, betrayed by her closest significant, stung with the physical pain of Crucio and moved to tears by its use on her friend and at the mercy of a master villain bent on destruction.
Mordante interrupted her spiral; he could not have her go on into a depressive state, not just yet.
'What do you believe in?' he asked gently.
'The victory of the light' she whispered, her voice echoing through the empty halls.
'What is light? But a reflection of the dark laterally inverted in the mirror of relativity' Mordante said.
'A reflection nonetheless' she automatically countered.
'Yes, but they are the same just on opposite ends' said Mordante
'But, the dark is evil' said Hermione.
'Does that make much of a difference?' said Mordante.
'Yes' said Hermione
'Then Harry Potter is on our side' Mordante said triumphantly
'No!' said Hermione a reflex more than a statement
'What he did to you was not evil?' said Mordante
To this Hermione had no answer, her once clear mind was slowly getting confused. She could not reason what Harry Potter had done.
'But he fights you!' exclaimed Hermione
'That he does, but why do you?' he asked
'I love the light, its kind and gentle' she sighed
'And the dark isn't?' Mordante asked back
'The dark isn't' said Hermione
'And we have no respect for life?' added Mordante
'No, none of you have, you kill for pleasure' said Hermione
'Do you like bacon?' he asked casually
'Yes' replied Hermione before she could think the reason for the question
'You would kill animals and beings for taste and enjoyment, to increase the pleasure of your palate, a vegetarian alternative ignore, and you say we have no respect for life' Mordante calmly shot back
Hermione did not expect this approach, Mordante had attacked the very basics of their lifestyles and, and was correct.
'Cows, pigs, chicken, duck, sheep and hundreds of other animals are slaughtered merciless by all, for pleasure… don't even leave babies in eggs alone… life is slaughtered for pleasure… life which could not defend itself…. Killed, maimed… mothers and children tortured for their meat…' said Mordante as if disgusted.
'What would you have us eat?' said Hermione trying to reverse the barrage.
'Eat plants, the lowest of life forms considered by humanity; you can suffice your taste and appetite with them. You kill for pleasure Hermione Granger' said Mordante
'I don't, others kill, I just eat' said the stricken Hermione.
'I just eat! It's your demand that creates the problem, your want that is killing them, you kill them every time your fork pierces the flesh' said Mordante
'I'm sorry' she said, tears accumulating around her eyes.
'No need to be, just understand the light and the dark are the same, just differ in some ways' elaborated Mordante
'The light and the dark are the same….' Repeated Hermione
Mordante smiled, the brainwashing was going quite well.
The fields of Hogwarts
Emily Watson ran threw the green surroundings of the castle. The fear of the unprotected area kept her from going too far away. The threat which had brought Quidditch to a grinding halt still lurked.
A smile was on her face and giggle on her lips. Mathew another third year had asked her to be his girlfriend, in front of everyone.
Everyone was he Gryffindor third year group.
Suddenly she tripped and fell to the ground. Joints hurting slightly she got up checking her self for bruises. Luckily they were none she could see.
She turned around to find the offending object that had caused her such dramatic pause. Her mouth opened to form a scream, the sound following moments after as she observed the body of a girl lying face down on the green grass.
The scream had its effects and the group of third year girls who were following her discreetly behind rushed forth to her aid.
'It's a girl!' finally said a shocked third year
'What should we do?' asked another
'Get Professor McGonagall!' exclaimed one as she and another girl ran towards the castle.
A few moments later Professor McGonagall rushed to the scene, the two girls straining behind.
'What happened?' she asked the present crowd
'Professor, we didn't want to touch her incase something went wrong' whimpered a girl.
Professor McGonagall sucked in her breath at the site that lay before her. The red flowing hair gave slight indication of who it was. The inexperience of the surrounding girls was obvious and nothing could be done. Hopefully it was not too late…
McGonagall quickly went into action, summoning a stretcher she glided her way to the hospital wing.
It was only in mid-way that she thought to glance and the student's face. The peaceful smile of Ginny Weasley stared back at her. Rattled for several reasons McGonagall picked up the pace.
The hallways of Hogwarts
Harry had no idea where Sirius Black roamed normally. Their meetings had been infrequent and multi-local. But luck smiled upon Harry Potter as he ran into the man, or better put the dog in front of Dumbledore's office.
The dog promptly singled Harry to follow him. The duo unheeded by the surrounding student population headed into a secluded part of the castle.
'Harry!' said Sirius always glad to see his godson. 'I hope you have finished my homework!'
It was then Sirius saw Harry's depressed and serious face.
'I was joking!' he quickly added
Before he could do anything further, Harry burst into tears. Sirius tried his best to comfort him and the story came spilling out.
After the contents and the details had been done with in the emotional and dramatical manor that suited the situation, Sirius Black began to think.
'Harry, I agree you were drugged' said Sirius 'And I would have never believed otherwise, but others will need proof, proof which we must provide'
Harry was calm, calmer than he had been in a long while. He had gone into a dissociative state, where he could be there as an observer rather than an actor, the greatest acts of self escapisms.
Numbly he nodded a yes.
'I can only suggest a theory, someone was controlling Ginny either through a curse or potion, and on that person's command she drugged you' said Sirius rubbing his hands 'The important part right now is to find where is Ginny'
Hospital Wing
'Madame Pomfrey!' shouted Prof. McGonagall as she rushed the limp Ginny into the hospital wing. She had hadn't given first aid due to the cold nature of Ginny's eyes.
They suggested deep torment and pain, possibly a poison, something McGonagall could not deal with.
Madame Pomfrey rushed in 'Goodness!' she said as she immediately transferred the patient to a bed.
She began immediately applying a series of healing spells designed to be broad spectrum, curing as many diseases and ailments as possible even when not present.
The side effects were brutal, but Ginny was far gone and this seemed the last resort.
'She has no pulse!' exclaimed McGonagall
Madame Pomfrey gritted her teeth, she was not going to loose her. She pointed her wand at Ginny's heart sending a pulse of energy, shocking it to work.
Several attempts later a gasp indicated response and the healing spells were started again.
'She's going to make it' said Madame Pomfrey triumphantly the blue area around Ginny's cheeks began to dissipate 'She's out of danger for now'
'What happened to her?' McGonagall asked the obvious question.
'Minvera, where have you seen this before?' asked Madame Pomfrey quietly the answer coming to her in a flash.
'It can't be!' exclaimed an open mouthed McGonagall
'It is' said Madame Pomfrey as she began the conjuring of the cold towels
A/N: Yes, the answers should be obvious and therefore I expect some of them in reviews…!