A/N: Hello guys, welcome to the 2nd chapter of "Dark is all that's left!".

Please pardon me for sporadic updates, I'm basically preparing for interviews, and so its really difficult to concentrate on the fic. Although, I'll make a solemn vow to finish this fic as soon as I can, and not abandon it unless the Veil claims my soul.

Disclaimer: If I owned HP universe, I'd be posting twitter updates about my characters. Unfortunately, it's JK Rowling's to own and for me to write non-profit fanfics about it.

Chapter Warnings: Graphic Torture and strong language. Reader discretion advised.

When the Light Burns away, Dark is all that's left!

20th June 1996

8 months later, the cell doors next to Hermione's creaked open, the aurors shoved in a regal man with platinum blond hair covered in prison garb and prison runes. Lucius couldn't really comprehend how his life came to this stage, a wealthy pureblood Lord being treated like dirt. There was really one answer, who was responsible for his fall from the Dark Lord's good graces, Harry James Potter, the bane of his existence. If it wasn't for him and his bunch of misfits, the prophecy would have reached his Lord. He might have thought, with them sidelining their precious little Mudblood, there'd be no one to guide and help Potter, but the old Albus many-freaking-names Dumbledore still held lot of influence. Speaking of the mudblood, the Light really must be out of their minds if they thought she's capable of murder, let alone murder and torture of that lunatic's daughter none-the-less. Ah well, one less nuisance for the Dark Lord to handle.

The air turned colder as he was brought out of his musings, as a raspy feminine howl pierced his ears. His own body started trembling with fear and torturous memories coming to his fore, as he turned his Occlumency to the max, however, dementors effects are really not much for occlumency shields. He curled up to a fetal position as he wished it to stop. It didn't really make it easy with the excruciatingly loud and blood-curdling howls from the cell next to his own.

Once the dementor guards passed by, his body started to relax after a while. After all, there's no chocolate in Azkaban to help ease dementor after-effects. He could hear the mutterings of the prisoner next door, and it didn't really take much to realize that it was the same Mudblood Granger, he was thinking about. What happened to her, the last Lucius could remember of her, was the day of the trial, 9th October 1995, he saw her vicious and apathetic like a caged animal. She really couldn't have been sane this long with the dementors around. There wasn't anything to lose, as he was sentenced to life-imprisonment, though he knew for certain, the Dark Lord will free him, when He considers him punished enough. The only worrying thought was for his only heir and wife. He wished the Dark Lord wouldn't punish them for his transgressions.

With nothing to lose, he tried to have a conversation with the witch next door. Mudblood or not, it's important to have someone to converse with, to keep oneself sane.

"Miss Granger, is it?" asked the platinum blonde, with an air of superiority. "Who is it? Come to gloat, have you?" replied a raspy voice, torn due to the rough living conditions and all the 8 months of torture at the hands of dementors.

"I'm surprised you don't remember me Miss Granger, however, it might be the cause of your unfortunate birth. And unfortunate as it is, I'm in the cell next to you, if you can comprehend that!"

"MALFOY! Ha! I'm not insane, nor have I lost my mind. I won't until I burn your world!" replied the witch in a dry raspy voice. "So, come to give me company have you! Your Dark Lord left you to the wolves, is it!"

"Good luck with that you mudblood, although, it's a pleasure to tell you, your precious boyfriend has left you for a ginger head blood-traitor. The Dark Lord will free me when he sees fit, as for you, whom do you have!"

"I'll fucking KILL her and her entire brood! You and your Dark Lord just keep planning, I'll show what I can do. I will destroy everything that comes in my way, I'll have my vengeance, one way or another!"

"SHUT UP! you filthy creature!", interrupted the on-duty Auror sending an overpowered stinging hex at the witch inside "God, why do I get to babysit these insane twits." The said witch just screamed until exhaustion as her scars dripped blood. Her own self-inflicted wounds and the volcanic stone floor never really let them heal completely.

14th July 1997

A year later, spending almost 2 years trapped inside the dreary prison, things had become better since Fudge had been ousted, partially because dementors fled to the Dark Lord's side. Now the prison being guarded by 1 Warden and 10 junior level Aurors. The food was still shit, and the aurors had their regular dose of fun occasionally heckling one of the prisoners. It was a particularly stormy night and one of the boats ferrying between the mainland and Azkaban had taken shelter at the island dock, though no one dared stay out in such weather. All of a sudden, few pops saw 13 people in Death-Eater robes and mask on the island. Amidst the roaring thunder and pouring storm, the death eaters attacked the prison and easily killed and immobilized the guards. The cell doors were blasted off for all the captured Death Eaters. Lucius, Dolohov, Crabbe, Lestrange brothers and six other Death Eaters rushed to their comrades, and left taking port-keys to the safety of the Dark Lord's lair. None really noticed the walls to Malfoy's adjacent cell had been destroyed enough to push open the cell.

She pushed open the doors with what residual strength she had, and almost sneaked outside, till one of the junior Auror came to consciousness. "Halt!" warned the Auror as he pointed his wand at the witch, "Put your hands behind your head and kneel!" Hermione complied as she groggily knelt on the hard stone. The Auror naive enough to not cast an incarcerous, moved towards Hermione, as he looked around the destroyed prison gates. As he reached her proximity, Hermione bashed his wand arm with the sharp rock she held concealed behind. As the Auror lost his wand, Hermione lunged at him to pin him to the ground. Before he could react, she bashed his head with the rock again with all her strength. An almost feral look crossed her crazed eyes, the sight of blood awakening something primal inside her. "Oh yes! Now I know how it feels to hold a life at ransom. You shouldn't have bothered! But no worries, I'll end your misery!" spoke Hermione for the first time since weeks. She grabbed his wand lying nearby. "You know, I made a vow the day of my trial. It's not nice to leave it unfulfilled!" mused the witch as she leaned near the injured Auror's body, who was screaming with pain and begging mercy from the crazed witch. "Be Proud Auror, you'll be the first at my attempt to fulfill it, and your savior would be last!" she finished the last part with a sneer worthy of Malfoys, then casting a saccharine sweet smile, that appeared hauntingly eerie on her scarred face. "Good-bye! INCENDIO!", she watched with manic glee as the fire engulfed the young Auror, as he begged for mercy, help and death. Only after the Auror's scream stopped did she leave the prison gates and towards the mainland, on the abandoned boat she found at the docks.

It was indeed a cold day in Hell, as the fire found a new master in the living world, and a promise of souls innocent and guilty alike.