~*Chapter Eleven*~ - Torture
Those eyes…even the dim light of the room nor the dreadful things that they had done to him, could dampen the gleam in Harry's vibrant emerald eyes. He smiled weakly and forced himself to sit up, although he was leaning heavily against the wall for support.
"Harry," Ron said quickly, knowing bitterly that those bastards had tormented him within an inch of his life, then stopped, leaving him alone in this room with a spell keeping him alive. It was a wretched existence, both he and Hermione knew, and they also knew that they too, would soon experience the terrors of those horrendous torture methods. Both ran across the low room towards him, not wanting to waste any time before the Death Eaters came by. Ron got there first and fell roughly to his knees, tearing his robes a bit, and gently pulled Harry into an embrace, closing his eyes tightly and letting out a shuddered sigh. He felt a slight smear of warm blood against his palms as he pulled Harry into his embrace; it was almost the only warmth that radiated from his bruised body. It was then that Ron felt the pent up tears well up in his eyes, all the fear, dread, shock, and stress coming forth in a steady stream of silent weeping. He felt Harry, weak as he was, pull his face from his shoulder and again saw himself looking into those calm, loving green eyes.
"I thought I had lost you…" Ron said, his voice soft and barely audible. He felt soft fingertips wipe a few tears away from his freckled cheeks, and he couldn't help but manage a smile in spite of their predicament.
"I wondered whether or not I would see either of you again…but why did you take it upon yourself to do this? You knew that the Death Eaters were after you…and I'm sure you told Hermione…so why did you risk your lives for me?"
"Because," Ron began, catching Harry's hand, "They took the one thing that I would miss the most…"
Harry smiled gently at Ron's allusion to the Second Task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament; that seemed like such a distant time ago now. How ironic it had been that the task had been to save the one thing or person that he would miss the most, and it had been Ron.
"Ron, Harry," Hermione said suddenly, catching their attention. 'I hear footsteps from outside the door." She looked worried and angry as she stood in front of the two lovers. Ron fixed his blue eyes with a glare as the door swung open, flooding the room with magical light, and in breezed two figures, Draco and Percy. Hermione could see that Percy still held their wands in his robes' pocket, taunting them as he walked. Draco was merely smiling wickedly in their direction, and laughed.
"I'm touched, Weasley; even faithful in the face of death. I shall indeed enjoy killing Potter in front of your eyes; it will please both me and our master greatly watching both of you suffer to the end."
"You evil; you vile, wretched-!" Hermione cried out suddenly, but was unable to finish due to anger. She stepped forward a bit towards Draco and Percy. However, she was stopped as Draco raised his wand to her with a knowing smile and chuckled.
"I wouldn't take another step, Mudblood," Draco replied, the tip of his wand beginning to glow a slight green. "My master does not disagree to killing when provoked if necessary." He smirked; his wand still pointed at her, and Hermione felt her disgust rise when she felt Draco's eyes upon her. She directed her eyes to his and saw that he indeed was casting his eyes all about her, taking in her slender, feminine form with more than just a passing interest. "Hmm…perhaps I had been wrong about you before; although still a Mudblood…hmm…" Draco's smile widened; Hermione could read the lust in his eyes quite easily, and spat in his eye, causing him to recoil in slight disgust and surprise.
"Why you little-"
"Draco," Percy interjected suddenly, his voice even. He placed a knowledgeable hand upon his compatriot's shoulder and shook his head. "Our Master might not find it satisfactory to have one of his beloved Death Eaters seen in the same bed with one who has defeated him before…he might consider it treason."
Draco looked over to Percy quickly with a firm look, but nodded after a few moments in agreement.
"You're right; I'm not even here for her…I'm here for more important prey." Without another word, Draco extended his right hand and pointed directly to Ron. Ron jerked weirdly and was wrenched from Harry's grasp by a powerful and invisible hand, and was brought before the blond and his brother.
"You shall be my next victim, Weasley. You won't be yourself for a while, I'm afraid!" Draco laughed terribly, and he quickly raised his wand again, pointing it at Ron's eyes. "Jugis Vigilo," he said, and grinned wickedly. Behind him, Ron could hear Hermione gasp a bit. "That little spell will keep you awake for this…you won't be able to fall into blessed unconsciousness during this." Now, Draco pointed his wand a bit higher, and pressed it coolly against Ron's temple, just below his hairline. "Memor Macero…" Draco whispered wickedly, watching as the spell occurred and Ron's brilliant azure eyes went dull and wide, as though full of fear and horrible images.
"NO!" Hermione cried; she was now kneeling next to Harry. "That's inhuman! How could you perform such a dreadful mental torture on him? It could destroy his mind! Percy!" She began to plead to the stern Minister, trying to get him to urge Draco to relent. "Percy, he's your brother!!! Your own flesh and blood! Doesn't that mean anything to you?"
Percy turned to her solemnly, his glasses gleaming from the dancing firelight. "I have no family but the Death Eaters. They are my family now." And with that, he turned back to face Ron, who was soundlessly screaming, his eyes wide in terror at the unseen images that were laid out before his face.
"We'll leave him to you two now. The curse should wear off in a few hours…if it doesn't completely destroy his mind beforehand." Draco let another bone chilling laugh, and he breezed out of the door, Percy stepping out behind him with a superior swish of his black cloak, the wands clicking against each other mockingly. The door slammed shut, and the three were left alone again. Ron was standing on the ground, his back facing them, and his head was bowed, and his hands were on his face. His breathing was getting heavier, and a soft sound escaped from his throat, one of suppressed terror.
"Ron…?" came Harry's voice, unsure. He wrinkled his brow in concern as he pulled himself to his feet. Every muscle in his body screamed at him from fatigue and pained disagreement, but he ignored them and stood, leaning against the wall slightly as he tried to regain his balance. He saw Ron begin to tremble, gently at first, and slowly more violently.
"Get…get away...stay away from me…"
"Ron!" Hermione screamed at him, but her cry fell upon deaf ears. She turned to face Harry and came to his side, helping him balance himself.
"What's happened to him, Hermione?" Harry asked, looking into her shadowed eyes seriously. She bit her lip. "Mental torture…of the worst kind. It's cast to destroy the victim's mind; just as a Dementor's Kiss is bestowed to destroy one's soul. I know there is a counterspell, but I only ran across the words a few times…"
"You've got to remember them, Hermione! Try!" Harry urged, panic beginning to show through his glimmering jade eyes.
"I've been trying!"
The otherwise silent room suddenly erupted with noise as a terrible, truly terrified scream of pain and torment echoed about the room. Both looked to Ron suddenly and gasped, for he was running forward towards a large, shattered mirror. He raised a hand and pummeled the fogged mirror with his fist, sending shards of glass across the floor and slicing against the skin on his arms.
"No!" Hermione cried, but Harry was quicker. With all the strength he might muster, he sprang forward and ran haphazardly towards Ron, who was lifting a large shard of glass and was raising it above his arm. He was shouting something indecipherable in horror, his wide eyes dull as though he were blind. Harry leapt towards him and fell headlong against him, causing Ron to drop the shard and send it careening across the grimy floor as they fell to the floor, knocking the wind of both of them. Harry put his hands against Ron's bleeding arms, wincing as he felt the blood run across his hands, and pinned Ron to the floor, turning back to Hermione.
"Quick! Think of the counterspell! I can't hold him back for long!" He turned back to lay his green eyes upon his horrified lover, who, in his jinxed mind, saw not Harry, but a vicious winged demon of the Abyss that was above him, its clawed, hellish hands ripping into his bloodstained arms. "Hermione!!! Hurry!!" Harry cried again, still facing his tormented lover. "Ron, Ron, it's me!"
Hermione stood a few feet behind, frantically trying to think of the words for the counterspell. So many terms wafted through her head as she heard Ron's screams and Harry's shouts, but none seemed right. Suddenly, her nimble mind became clear, and she quickly put a hand out, being without a wand.
"I don't know how well this will work without a wand, but-" she took a breath, "Subueino Somnio!"
Her voice echoed throughout, although still undermined by the ghastly shrieks of insanity that ran rampant throughout the room. But unexpectedly, the shouts ceased, and all became quiet again save for Ron's still labored breathing.
"Did it work, Harry? Is he…is he alright?" Hermione said, hurrying up to the two. Harry kept his body against Ron's just in case he was not healed, but he looked up into her concerned eyes with uncertainty.
"I'm not sure, Hermione…" Harry then turned his eyes back to Ron, who was still unmoving. He looked as though he was nothing more than a mindless automaton; his mind gone from the devastating effects of the wicked curse. "Ron…are you still there?"
His blue eyes blinked, and they suddenly seemed less clouded; more alert. He took a long breath and exhaled, the sweat still evident on his forehead. He said nothing for a long time, simply staring up into Harry's worried eyes in silence, as though his mouth didn't work anymore. His vision was clearing; no longer was a terrible Abysmal Hellspawn pinning him down in a death grip, but now there was the blurry image of Harry coming into focus. It was a calming vision.
"Harry…it-was terrible…hellish creatures…at every turn…they were crawling on my skin, tearing at my very being. I thought I might go insane…and then a demon, most vile of all, leapt from the fires and attacked me, gripping my arms as his claws dug into my skin…then I heard a voice shout and…"
"Hermione knew the countercurse…thank God she reads her books…" Harry said thankfully, then looked back to Hermione, who was kneeling and smiled at him, her brown eyes full of relief. "Otherwise…" Harry didn't finish his sentence, and let out a long pent up breath. Ron winced suddenly, the pain in his bleeding arms suddenly becoming a harsh reality. He cursed loudly as Harry helped him sit up, then groaned, the aftereffects of the terrible mental torture still washing over him. But he did not let this show; he had much more important things to dwell on at the moment.
"I hope that I'm wrong when I say this," Hermione began again, looking suddenly unsure, "But I think the Memormetuo Curse is a curse that can only ebb…and not be banished unless the wizard who cast it is killed, captured, or stops it himself…I can't do anything permanent, especially without my wand-"
"That's right, Granger," came a voice from the doorway. All three turned their heads to see Percy, alone this time, dissolving from the door with an unsympathetic expression on his handsome features. "But my master cannot allow you to try and aid my," he paused for a moment, casting a glance at Ron, bloody and glaring on the floor, "My brother, with your pathetic countercurses." There was an obvious note of disdain in his voice as he spoke the word, 'brother'. "So Lord Voldemort commanded that you be taken to a separate room and…dealt with accordingly." He outstretched his hand and mentally commanded Hermione to come to him, which she did, being unable to break the more powerful, more experienced wizard's control.
"Don't let Ron get loose again! Be careful-" and Hermione and Percy were gone.
After they vanished, Harry slumped beside Ron against the wall and looked at him. He could see him visibly shaking, most likely not from fear, but from the renewed advent of his demons.
"Ron?"
"H-Harry…don't let them get me…please…save me from them…they've come back, and there's more!" Ron's voice, which had begun at a soft, trembling tone, was slowly gaining volume and more tremor with each syllable. "Harry!!" His eyes had glazed over again, and that same look, one of pure horror and desperation, formed on his boyish face. Harry grabbed him by his unmarred shoulders and held him fast before the demons overtook him once more and help him tight in an embrace, fighting to keep at least part of Ron's mind with him.
"I love you, Ron, just listen to my voice! Just listen to my voice…I'll protect you…"
~*Chapter Twelve Coming Soon!*~
