Chapter 4

        The group was in the small boat sailing towards Azkaban… but a few miles off so they could go around and land at its back.

The sailing was long and the journey was quiet. Everyone was wearing a dark big cloak like the Death Eaters and had a vial of the potion Alexander had made. That would really spook Hermione so as bad as it would be Harry secretly hoped she was unconscious.

They arrived a few hours later and they all drank their vial. It was actually quite tasty… not gross like most potions. It made a fake Dark Mark on their forearms. They all slipped in noticing 4 or 5 guards at the entrance and about 5 others up the way. Harry knew he could use his new move on them if he had to so he could save his secret for later… for the Lestranges.

Drake, Alexander, and Falcore slipped off to the Lestranges room and Ron, Harry and Ginny waited in the shadows listening to the yelling.

"You worthless mudblood bitch! Spill it! What is the other's secret? Oh… feigning unconsciousness again... Useless Mudblood! Filth! I can't believe they let trash like you in the Wizarding World." The voice of Mr. Lestrange boomed  from Hermione's cell.

"Then why let your half-and-half master in…" Hermione says weakly.

"Talking back?! Now you've done it you bitch." Mrs. Lestrange's voice rings out and then and pain filled howl from Hermione.

Ginny and Harry almost had to stun Ron to keep him back.

"They would do what they did whether Hermione talked back or not… Hermione just made it worse. You'll make it even more horrible than that was… and trust me… what just happened should never happen even to the Lestranges that's how awful it is, Ron." Harry whispers in Ron's ear causing Ron to stop struggling and just stare most likely trying to imagine it… too bad even his worst thoughts… don't think about that Harry.

Hermione convulsed with pain… she hated this place… if they didn't save her tonight she'd likely not live to see the next sunrise... Hermione thankfully passed out in the middle of this one.

The Lestranges finally went to their room where they yelled out as Drake, Alexander, and Falcore surprised them with stunning spells.

Harry, Ron, and Ginny took their cue and walked into Hermione's cell…

Drake shouted 'Stupefy' the minute the Lestranges walked through the door. He knew the noise the wife made after her husband fell would alert the ten guards. He was very glad when Alexander and Falcore turned to her and stunned her. They then bound and gagged them for good measure.

"Hermione…" Ron cried when he saw her.

Hermione laid unconscious tied to a bed (if you could call it that) of sticks, not weak sticks more like thick branches... It was raised up like a normal bed but on sticks. It had a frame like normal but it too was sticks. The middle was the bad part just rough branches under her evenly spaced apart which probably ate into her skin. Her legs were open and tied up to the bottom of the frame. Her arms were behind her spread out like a rectangle and tied to the top of the frame.

Hermione was totally nude… not even a scrap of cloth on her. Her ankles and wrists were totally black and blue with bruising from constantly being tied up. There were big bruises on her face and legs. There were bruises all over but especially her face, her breasts/chest, and between/on her legs.

"GET HER FREE THOSE GUARDS ARE COMING!" Ginny yells.

Harry flinched at the site of Hermione in person as, even though he'd seen it all in the dreams, he never realized how bad it would actually be.

"Hermione…" Harry says. "It's the messenger get up. Come on… up now."

Hermione groans. "Harry? Is that you… for real? You're really here?" Hermione smiles then flinches in pain.

"We brought you a robe." Harry says as Ron finishes untying her and Hermione blushes. "Nothing to be ashamed of Hermione. I've… well… unfortunately (no offense just I'd rather not have) seen it in those accursed visions and well Ron is your boyfriend right?"

"Yeah ok… Ron help me get this on… too achy…" Hermione says.

"Sure 'Mione." Ron says his eyes watering again.

"I never thought I'd hear that again… never thought I'd get to hear you call me 'Mione again." Hermione says crying.

"Shh. It's ok. We got to get out. Can you walk… do you need to be carried...?" Ron asks.

"Use Mobilicorpus." Hermione says passing out again and Ron uses the spell.

"Ok… Everyone behind me." Harry says as Alexander, Drake, and Falcore join them. "Don't think I have a bighead just do it."

They do and they walk down the hall running into the guards.

"Freeze!" Harry yells and everyone stops. The guards don't listen and are about to strike when Harry holds his arms out in front of him open handed fingers apart and at shoulder height and length. He concentrates hard and lightning seems to surge around his body like an aura. He concentrates that force on his arms which makes them appear like two thick bolts of lightning. He lets out an almighty yell and the lightning surges forward spreading from his fingertips, which he had pointed at the guards, until it filled the wide corridor and the left all of the guards fried on the floor.

"Ok you can get in front of me now." Harry says swaying and falling to the floor unconscious.

"Did it work?" Harry asks as he wakes up in the Hospital Wing a day later and sees Ron.

"Yeah… your lightning did the trick Harry." Ron says smiling. "You can't do it too often though it totally drained you."

"What happened to the Lestranges?" Harry asked. "I didn't get to tell them my secret."

"Don't worry I told them mine." Ron says with a smirk. "Put Hermione in the boat and went back…"

"So they are dead like the guards?" Harry asks.

"Yes. Voldemort won't like that." Ron says.

"Who cares?" Harry says laying back down and resting.

Hermione woke up expecting to be dead or getting prepared for torture but she felt a normal bed under her and clothes on her and she remembered being rescued the night before. She was really weak and extremely sore all over… but she was happier than she had been in days. Especially since the face she woke up to was Ron's and not Mr. Lestrange calling her useless and any slur you could think of.

"You're awake." Ron says to Hermione.

"I guess so." Hermione says tiredly.

"You can sleep some more if you'd like… no classes for a week in honor of your coming back." Ron says.

Hermione groans about that. "I was looking forward to getting back into a schoolwork routine." Hermione just lies back and falls asleep.