It'd taken him a few weeks to get ahold of himself, but it seemed like years. Voldemort would be unstoppable, no defense.. no defense.. no defense.. GAH! Those two words echoed over and over in his head. Hermione had always been there, and this time she couldn't help. Couldn't bring him back. It wasn't her fault, and he knew that.
He didn't blame it on her, either. He blamed it on Voldemort. It was a constant rush of adrenaline at the back of his mind, that it was all Voldemort's fault. He would kill the Dark Lord! He would! At least, that was what he told himself, to console that tornado in the back of his mind in those long, lonely hours in his dark house. He never bothered to turn the lights on. They hurt his eyes.
He didn't know if that self in the back of his mind that told him to KILL KILL KILL VOLDEMORT was a demon, or an angel. It could have been both. He let his mind drift again, back to Hermione. He knew he should talk to her, she was smart. She knew how he can help kill Voldemort. But he liked it at home. He liked the dark.
And Harry.. his mind still hadn't completely wrapped itself around the idea yet. He had that tornado in the back of his mind, that demon-angel, but he wasn't raged. He didn't throw lamps out of windows on unsuspecting Muggles, like some of the others had. Like Neville had, before killing himself. That was another thing he couldn't wrap his mind around.
He got up again, pacing. It was the middle of the day, and the windows were open. Light shone onto the wooden floors. Light. It had come in slowly, creeping under the curtains. He walked briskly over to the window and pulled the blinds shut. Light was bad. It wasn't really his eyes that were hurting, though that was what he thought it was. Every time a light hit his eyes, he remembered the flash. That flash of light he couldn't stop. The flash that killed Harry. That was what the light reminded him of. But he didn't realize it until the psychiatrist did.
Later, it was dark out. Safe to go outside. His red hair had grown long, so it covered his eyes, at least partly. He didn't mind. It blocked out the moon, and those muggle car's headlights. He knew where they would be. He knew where he could find them.
He put his hand on his wand for what little comfort it could give. It was Harry's, Cho had found it and given it to him. It scared him that this wand was so similar to his enemy's, but.. everything scared him.
He gripped his wand tightly, his fingernails digging into his skin, almost making it bleed. But he didn't care. That house. The Riddle house. They were using it again, he could tell. He could sense the evil in it. He walked slowly up the path in front, then opened the door.
He heard a familiar voice. A girl screaming. Hermione? Had they got her? He narrowed his eyes, knowing he'd kill them if they had. He ran toward the screaming. An unknown man had tied Hermione to a chair, and had his wand pointed at her. He was saying different unforgivable curses, and Hermione had her eyes shut in pain, a trickle of blood running down her lip from where she was biting it.
Ron pointed his wand at the man and muttered "Avada Kedavra," but the man had seen him. The man ducked, hit the floor, and rolled toward the chair, an expression of fear on his face. Ron's eyes widened when his expression changed: that face. It was familiar.
"Seamus, what the fuck did you do?" Ron screamed. He glared at me. Seamus looked over and realized his wand was on the ground, about five feet away from him. Ron was too close for him to run. He'd fight. He jumped on his former friend, and held him down by his chest.
"I'll kill you now.." There was a knife on his belt, a swiss army knife. He had taken it off a muggle he killed. He got the blade out and put it at Ron's neck.
Ron's vision blurred. Hermione was standing behind him, she must have gotten herself untied from the chair. She was holding it above her head, a mad glint in her eyes. Seamus didn't see her. He put the blade down on Ron's neck, letting a thin trickle of blood flow. But Hermione brought the chair down on his back before he could cut more. The blade flew out of his hand and onto the floor. Hermione ran for Seamus' wand.
"Don't go after him, Ron.." Hermione's voice echoed in Ron's head.
"I have to. I have to avenge Harry, Hermione, can't you understand that?"
"No, I can't. Not if you'll get yourself killed doing it."
"I LOVED HIM, HERMIONE, CAN'T YOU SEE THAT? CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAND THAT? I'LL KILL VOLDEMORT, AND ANY DEATH EATER THAT GETS IN MY WAY! I'LL KILL THEM ALL!" Ron screamed, then stormed out of the room.
