Hey, people! Chapter 3 is up (obviously). Please stick through to the end of the chapter even though at one point it isn't very nice. It's now rated R for those people out there who find rape kind of disturbing. It isn't graphic and it doesn't get very far at all. Also, it gets taken care of, so please don't get angry. Thanks!
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything associated with it.
*****
Counterpart
Chapter 3-Release
By KZerina
Harry ran his finger down his side. He could feel and count each and every rib. Starving himself was taking its toll. He'd given up wandless magic since his body wasn't allowing him to concentrate. He usually sat curled in a ball on his bunk, trying to ignore the pains of his empty stomach. He wanted to be back at Hogwarts where he could be with his friends, not worrying about being poisoned except by Professor Snape in Potions class.
Harry cringed and stared blankly at the floor. His eyes snapped up when he felt feathers beat against his ear. A tiny owl had flown through the tiny window in an adjacent cell and was now flying around Harry's cell like a maniac. It was Pig, but why was he there?
Harry reached up and snatched the owl out of the air. He trilled a tiny hoot-shriek and relaxed, recognizing Harry. He picked the letter off of Pig's leg.
"This probably isn't mine. My friends, even Ron, would not be so tactless as to send Pig, the very unintelligent owl, with a message for me, the prisoner."
Harry poked the letter through the bars to his guard who studied it stonily before taking it and temporarily leaving Harry without a guard. In this time, Harry settled Pig on his knee and pulled out a note he'd received from Hermione a week or so ago, just before he'd been abducted. He was just going to send it to Hermione with Pig, but then decided to send it with a message.
Harry slipped his hand under his mattress and pricked his finger on one of the broken metal springs, making it bleed. He wrote on the outside of the folded letter "DBL. H.P." and signed it with a lightning bolt. Using the string used for the message sent with Pig, Harry tied his hint to Pig's leg.
"Take that to Hermione, not Ron or whoever sent that letter. Hermione only. Got it?"
The owl hooted, and Harry released him. He zipped out the window. Harry clasped his finger to his Quidditch robes where the blood wouldn't show against the red. He curled up again and breathed deeply. He closed his eyes and….
BLAM!!
Harry jumped and spun to lie on his back, propped up on his elbows.
"You left him alone!" Voldemort screamed as he stormed into the brig. "You're lucky he's weakening himself by not eating!"
Voldemort paced the room, causing Harry's scar to burn worse and worse. Voldemort was being impatient for something. When it was brought, Harry found that it was a box containing a vial of red liquid, probably a potion of some sort. Voldemort swirled it around a bit before placing the vial back into the padded box.
"Thank you."
The hooded man who had brought the potion bowed, and a few long strands of white hair fell from the hood.
"Where's that owl, Harry?"
"I let him go, and he flew away. He's too hyperactive and never sticks around for an answer. It's a concept that he just can't seem to grasp."
"Damn owl! Why did he use that one? Lucius!"
The cloaked man came forward.
"Take this and send it with one of your owls. Make sure it goes to the informant, not your son."
"Yes, my Lord."
Lucius took the box and Apparated out.
"Next time, Harry, don't let the owl leave."
Harry didn't respond. He merely glared at Voldemort indignantly and curled back up into his ball, hoping Pig would remember the proper recipient.
*****
Hermione lay on her bed, her Arithmancy book open on her pillow. She was again, for the hundredth time in the past two weeks, trying to study. The professors seemed concerned, or in Snape's case, confused that she wasn't answering as much in class, or not doing as well on tests as she usually did. In the background of her thoughts she heard her dorm mates talking about an owl and the window, finally deciding to let it in and see where it went.
Suddenly, Hermione's nose was forced into this binding of her book by something thwacking her in the back of the head. Apparently it was an owl of which they were speaking, and apparently, it was for her.
When Hermione picked her head back up, the tiny owl landed on her book and stuck out its leg. Hermione knitted her eyebrows in confusion at Pig's calmness. He was usually so hyperactive. The owl bounced on one leg urging her to take the letter. She did, and he began zooming around the heads of the girls, making them duck.
"Open the window," Hermione ordered. "Pig OUT!!!"
The owl, startled, rocketed out the window. The girls closed it before he could come back. Then, they began muttering amongst themselves that maybe Harry hadn't sent her a love letter. Maybe the boys were trying to makeup and get the trio back together. Hermione ignored them.
She opened the letter and saw that it was the one she'd given Harry a couple weeks ago. Near the center of the page, something had bled through. She flipped the sheet over and read it.
"DBL. H.P.? And a strange line? What's this mean?" she mumbled to herself, confused.
It had to be from Harry since he'd received it and didn't even show it to Ron, she didn't think. That meant that he was alive, and the funny line was probably a lightning bolt, his signature for the note. It was written in blood. She could tell by the color and the fact that he probably didn't have a quill and ink. Hermione shivered at the thought that he was injured, but the print was so fine for having been taken from an injury and daubed on the paper. Maybe he'd cut himself and written it, and he wasn't injured. It was a comforting thought, but she was still worried.
The "DBL" wasn't an acronym for something since the period was at the end rather than after each letter. Hermione wasn't sure how to put it together so she said the letters to herself many times, over and over and over. Eventually, they slurred together and created a word.
"Double!" she exclaimed, unintentionally aloud.
"What?"
"Never mind," Hermione told them quickly as she stored her book in her trunk. "I didn't mean to say it out loud."
She sat back on the bed and suddenly she felt very tired. She decided that she'd show Professor Dumbledore in the morning since it was only confirming their suspicions that it was a clone, especially if the "H.P." was his initials. She grabbed her pajamas and went into the bathroom to change, still holding the note tightly in her hand. She went back, climbed into bed, holding the note to her, and fell asleep.
A bounce on her stomach woke her. She waved her hand out over herself where she had felt it, and there she found something living with big ears.
"Dobby did not mean to scare."
"Dobby? What are you doing here?"
"Dobby needs to talk. Harry Potter acting strange. Harry Potter mean to Dobby."
"Well that's not surprising."
"But Harry Potter is never mean to Dobby. Dobby thinks there is something wrong with Harry Potter. Dobby wants to fix it, but Dobby cannot do it by himself. Dobby needs help."
"And you're coming to me for it. Well, let's go to Dumbledore. He said I could go to him at anytime, so I hope he really meant anytime. Come on, Dobby."
She quietly slipped on some decent clothes in which to visit the headmaster and told Dobby to meet her in the office. Putting the note from Harry in a pocket, she slipped out of the dormitory silently and out of the common room.
She was walking through the halls when she heard a kind of hissing behind her. She turned around and a scruffy-looking, sandy colored cat was arching its back at her. Mrs. Norris caught her, and Filch was sure to be right behind his four-footed fiend.
"Well, well, well. What did you find, my sweet?"
Filch turned the corner and sighted Hermione.
"Ah! One of Potter's group. Come!"
"Sir, I was just heading up to the headmaster's office. He said I could go anytime. Please, sir."
Filch growled at her but had a contemplating look on his face.
"We'll see if you were really going to see the headmaster."
He grabbed Hermione's arm roughly and dragged her all the way to the gargoyle where he said the password and shoved her onto the staircase. He banged on the door, and it opened gently.
"Hello, Argus, how may I help you?"
"This," Filch said, pushing Hermione towards Dumbledore, "was walking about the halls. It claimed it was coming to see you. I thought I'd confirm that it was doing so."
"First of all, Argus, Miss Granger is a young woman, and I wish you would treat her as such. Second, she is allowed and was doing just that, since I was expecting her."
Filch looked appalled. It didn't seem like he was able to move. He only stood there, still as a statue, open mouthed and staring at Professor Dumbledore as though he were crazy.
"You may go, Argus."
The caretaker snapped out of his trance and put on a disgruntled and angry face. The cat seemed to have picked this up and was hissing and spitting at Hermione as Filch carried her away.
Dumbledore ushered Hermione into his office and closed the door behind him.
"Dobby, here, has informed me that you were on your way. He also informed me of what happened to him and why he was here and you on your way."
Dobby was sitting in a chair. He had on neon pink trousers, the maroon jumper Ron gave him, the black sock with which Harry had freed him, and one of the yellow ones Harry had given him for Christmas, plus his tea cozy hat.
"Is there anything else you wish to be presented?"
"This, sir." Hermione held out hr hand with Harry's note and showed it to the headmaster. "It's from Harry. It proves there are two. 'DBL' is double and his initials, followed by a lightning bolt signature."
"Where'd he get the paper and ink? I'm sure they didn't give it to him."
"It's a note I gave him two weeks ago, and the ink is blood. I'm not sure if he used and injury that they gave him, or if it's self inflicted just so he could write this."
Dumbledore examined it carefully without opening it before handing it back to her with a look of concern on his face.
"I've been working on a way to get him out," Dumbledore said after a short silence. "I was going to send only Fawkes, but on second thought, it would be a better plan if Dobby went with him. I have created a portkey out of one of Dobby's eagerly donated socks. I am sending them when we are done with this conference."
"That's great, sir. Thank you."
"You are quite welcome, and you also might wish to speak with Professor McGonagall and thank her. She helped me formulate this plan."
"I'll do that, sir. Now can we send Dobby and Fawkes? I'd like to get Harry back as soon as we can."
Dumbledore smiled. "Of course. Dobby, Fawkes." He nodded to them. Fawkes disappeared in a puff of smoke and Dobby with a whip crack.
They reappeared outside the window near Harry's cell. They peered inside the small building. Harry was curled up on his bunk, seemingly asleep as was his guard who was definitely sleeping. His snores were his tell.
Dobby put his finger to his mouth and looked at Fawkes who bowed his head in understanding. Both disappeared again and reappeared inside, Dobby by Harry, Fawkes by the guard, in case he woke up.
Dobby placed his hand over Harry's mouth to keep him from making any loud noises and accidentally alerting the facility. Harry started awake and almost threw Dobby across the cell.
"Harry Potter mustn't throw Dobby, sir," the house-elf whispered. "Dobby is here to take Harry Potter home."
"Sorry, Dobby. You startled me."
Harry glanced at his sleeping guard and saw Fawkes who bowed his head in greeting. Harry smiled. He knew he was going to be fine.
"Harry Potter must take Dobby's hand, sir. Dobby will get Harry Potter out of this place."
Harry grabbed Dobby's hand, and Dobby transported them just outside of where they had been. The guard had awoken and was now screaming for back up since Fawkes was feigning jabs at the guard with his beak. Harry stifled laughs as he watched the scene unfold in front of him.
More Death Eaters came crashing into the room, followed by Voldemort. The Death Eaters began shooting curses at Fawkes who merely dodged them with a simple flap of his wings.
"Master, we can't hit it. Can you?"
"No fool, that is the phoenix from which the core of my wand came!"
"Harry Potter must use this portkey sock to get back to Hogwarts. Harry Potter must say You-Know-Who's name for it to work."
"A portkey. Why did it have to be a portkey?"
"Are you sure you can't hit it, Master?"
"I am sure!" Voldemort rolled his slit-pupiled eyes. "I'm surrounded by idiots!"
"I could have told you that," said Harry from outside.
Voldemort's head snapped up at the sound of Harry's voice. Harry lifted a hand in a sarcastic wave with a smirk.
"Voldemort," Harry whispered to the black sock in his hand. He heard Fawkes whistle mockingly as the portkey pulled at his navel, and he disappeared.
Hermione was walking down the final corridor to Gryffindor Tower. She didn't have to wake the Fat Lady since she had random insomnia that night. Hermione gave the password and entered, planning to go up to bed right away and expecting to see her Harry in the morning.
She walked towards the spiral staircase, and just as she had gotten not more than a meter away, the clone stepped out of the shadows as though he had been part of them, blocking her path.
"What do you want?" she asked menacingly.
The clone only smirked evilly in reply. He walked forward, backing Hermione into a wall. He raised Harry's wand and held it to her throat. Hermione swallowed hard, watching down nervously. Her breathing and heart rate suddenly jumped to an alarming pace.
"Silencio!"
Hermione felt her throat tighten up. She tried to make a sound, but couldn't. She glared up into the clone's stolen green eyes. There was a malicious glint in them, and Hermione was flooded with fear. What was he going to do to her? It obviously wasn't good because she wasn't able to scream or make any kind of sound.
The clone grabbed her arm roughly and dragged her to a couch where he flung her down on her back. She would have screamed, but the Silencing Charm restrained her voice. He straddled her hips and leaned forward to whisper in her face.
"This'll hurt a little, but that won't matter since you're going to be dead when I'm through with you."
Hermione swallowed in place of a whimper. He was going to rape and kill her. Her hear and breathing picked up even more out of fear, though the clone seemed amused with her struggles.
He removed her outer robe, restraining her while she swung her hands at him. He unbuttoned her blouse since she hadn't bothered with her uniform jumper when she visited the headmaster. The clone slipped it off, revealing her breasts in their plain white bra.
Hermione shut her eyes as tight as she could. She felt tears begin to form, and the clone clicked his tongue disapprovingly at her.
"Crying isn't going to save you," he mocked.
She clenched her jaw, waiting for him to continue, but he left it at that as he nibbled at her ear and lips.
"You know why I'm doing this don't you?" the clone cooed in her ear. "You got a little too close to my secrets for comfort, so I have to dispose of you before the whole world knows that the famous Harry Potter is missing."
Hermione thrashed her head around, splashing her bushy hair into the clone's face. In response, the clone kissed and licked her neck to which she cringed. The tears began to roll down her cheeks as she gasped for air.
The clone slowly moved his lips down her neck to her collarbone and close to her breasts. She felt like dying right there. She wanted to get it over with, but the clone kept drawing it out as much as possible.
She was beginning to give up entirely when an obviously irritated voice spoke with forceful words, pausing between each one.
"Get. Off. Now."
*****
So, interesting, no? Who could be the "irritated voice," I wonder? Anyone who cares to take a guess feel free! I'll be interested to see if anyone guesses wrong. I think it's pretty obvious, but maybe it's just me.
Thank you to my reviewers! Yay!
Notes to my reviewers:
Harry and Hermione's Daughter: Glad you continue to like the story. And thanks for staying with me!
Julie Jewelrannah: Glad you liked!
Coconut-ice agent h/h: Actually, I'm used to randomness, and I followed that pretty well. Glad you like the story before and I hope you liked this.
JediHermione: I took your comments into account and I made Dumbledore and McGonagall work without Hermione's knowledge. Hope that fixed that problem. As for Ron, he's being a prat and horribly oblivious. Though it's not entirely his fault either. He did take an Obliviate; otherwise he'd be there too. Thanks to you as well for sticking with me!
Moonlight: Ron is where I said he was in the previous note, but no he's not in danger. He isn't close to what the clone is keeping under wraps. If I was allowing the rampage to continue longer than I am, yes he would be in BIG trouble, but I'm not. Also, you're welcome. I'll e-mail anyone who has an e-mail.
So, I'm sorry about the cliffhanger. I know not very many people appreciate them, but I'll try not to keep you there for very long.
I, again, ask for constructive criticism if you have any. Flames will be used to burn the books I have been forced to read and didn't like, meaning most of the books I have had to read for school.
Thanks,
KZerina ^..^