Harry glanced about the darkened, deserted grounds.
"This is it! This is the place!" Of course he recognised it, he saw it in
his sleep often enough.
Ron still had not lost his steely gaze or his unswerving dtermination. His cold stare fell upon the mansion behind them. "That must be it." he turned to the car. "Wait here," he commanded. "We won't be long."
As they made their way noiselessly up to the house, Harry realised that there was no hesitation on Ron's part whatsoever. He seemed to have no fear. It struck him just how deep his feelings for Hermione had run. Of course, he understood completely. He grasped Ginny's hand tightly as he considered for a moment what he would do had it been Ginny that had been taken.
In those last few moments before their confrontation, Harry mentally saluted Ron for his strength, and for one fleeting second wondered just what the pair of them had been doing in the common room, all alone.
------------------------------------------
Hermione felt her agony subside somewhat. It was as if a tormentor had subsided, sat down to rest. Suddenly, the black abyss she had been tumbling through vanished. The room around her slowly came into focus. She saw the Dementor standing with its back to her and the highly trained logical section of her brain immediately told her that the Dementor had been the tormentor.
She moved her head slowly, painfully to the other side of the room, where she could hear voices. Had she been able, she would have let out an audible gasp at the sight that awaited her.
Three Dementors were standing around someone. Someone she knew. Her eyes widened. It was Professor Snape. He was being held down by the Dementors, and one of them was lowering its hood. With a surge of horror she realised what was about to happen.
Then her eyes fell upon a third figure, standing looking at the Dementors with a pronounced expression of glee writed all over his unearthly face. Hermione instantly knew who this person was. She also knew that she had to do something. She had to help, she had to escape. But how? It was hopeless.
"Hermione, quick, think of something happy." She heard Harry's voice from the depths of her memory. A picture flashed into her head. It was Harry, fending off Dementors to save her and himself. She remebered the spell. She just had to think of something happy.
"You've never been happy. You're worthless." The tormenting voice came back to her again, but it was much fainter, as if a great distance away. Suddenly a new voice entered her mind. After a moment she recognised it.
"R-Rn-Ron?" she whispered.
"I love you 'Mione." Suddenly she remembered. It was the last thing she could remember before waking up in this place. She had been with Ron. She remembered the unabated joy of hearing him say he loved her, the giddy thrill of their escapades in the dormitory, the quiet contentment of falling asleep beside him. The memory filled her with a fleeting moment of happiness. It was now or never. She grasped the wand that Voldemort had been too cocky to take from her and took a deep breath.
------------------------------------------
"Oh no! Harry, Ron they're doing something to Professor Snape1" Ginny's whisper was filled with horror. Harry and Ron hurried as quietly as they could up the remaining stairs.
"Dementors." Harry's expression was grim. He turned to Ron and Ginny. "Remember that spell I told you about in third year?"
The two of them nodded, both of them agreeing silently with Harry that there was no other course of action.
"It's the only chance we've got." Ron's voice softened a little. He was already allowing cherished memories to flood into his conscious mind.
Ginny took Harry's hand, a terrified and yet determined look in her eyes. Even now Harry thought how beautiful she was, her face set, her head high. He returned his mind to the task at hand.
Each member of the trio filled their mind with memories of the love they held so dearly. As one they raised their wands to the door left agar.
Ron still had not lost his steely gaze or his unswerving dtermination. His cold stare fell upon the mansion behind them. "That must be it." he turned to the car. "Wait here," he commanded. "We won't be long."
As they made their way noiselessly up to the house, Harry realised that there was no hesitation on Ron's part whatsoever. He seemed to have no fear. It struck him just how deep his feelings for Hermione had run. Of course, he understood completely. He grasped Ginny's hand tightly as he considered for a moment what he would do had it been Ginny that had been taken.
In those last few moments before their confrontation, Harry mentally saluted Ron for his strength, and for one fleeting second wondered just what the pair of them had been doing in the common room, all alone.
------------------------------------------
Hermione felt her agony subside somewhat. It was as if a tormentor had subsided, sat down to rest. Suddenly, the black abyss she had been tumbling through vanished. The room around her slowly came into focus. She saw the Dementor standing with its back to her and the highly trained logical section of her brain immediately told her that the Dementor had been the tormentor.
She moved her head slowly, painfully to the other side of the room, where she could hear voices. Had she been able, she would have let out an audible gasp at the sight that awaited her.
Three Dementors were standing around someone. Someone she knew. Her eyes widened. It was Professor Snape. He was being held down by the Dementors, and one of them was lowering its hood. With a surge of horror she realised what was about to happen.
Then her eyes fell upon a third figure, standing looking at the Dementors with a pronounced expression of glee writed all over his unearthly face. Hermione instantly knew who this person was. She also knew that she had to do something. She had to help, she had to escape. But how? It was hopeless.
"Hermione, quick, think of something happy." She heard Harry's voice from the depths of her memory. A picture flashed into her head. It was Harry, fending off Dementors to save her and himself. She remebered the spell. She just had to think of something happy.
"You've never been happy. You're worthless." The tormenting voice came back to her again, but it was much fainter, as if a great distance away. Suddenly a new voice entered her mind. After a moment she recognised it.
"R-Rn-Ron?" she whispered.
"I love you 'Mione." Suddenly she remembered. It was the last thing she could remember before waking up in this place. She had been with Ron. She remembered the unabated joy of hearing him say he loved her, the giddy thrill of their escapades in the dormitory, the quiet contentment of falling asleep beside him. The memory filled her with a fleeting moment of happiness. It was now or never. She grasped the wand that Voldemort had been too cocky to take from her and took a deep breath.
------------------------------------------
"Oh no! Harry, Ron they're doing something to Professor Snape1" Ginny's whisper was filled with horror. Harry and Ron hurried as quietly as they could up the remaining stairs.
"Dementors." Harry's expression was grim. He turned to Ron and Ginny. "Remember that spell I told you about in third year?"
The two of them nodded, both of them agreeing silently with Harry that there was no other course of action.
"It's the only chance we've got." Ron's voice softened a little. He was already allowing cherished memories to flood into his conscious mind.
Ginny took Harry's hand, a terrified and yet determined look in her eyes. Even now Harry thought how beautiful she was, her face set, her head high. He returned his mind to the task at hand.
Each member of the trio filled their mind with memories of the love they held so dearly. As one they raised their wands to the door left agar.