Chapter 8: Fear Me
"What was that?" asked Fred as he looked around the stairwell, hoping in vain to see who or what had laughed.
"Like I know," said George.
"Who cares? What happened to Ron?" yelped Hermione.
"Ron's gone?" asked Harry.
"Yes thank you for noticing, Mr. Observant." She growled.
"He couldn't have gone far. After all, where else could he be except down there?" Fred said, motioning toward the bottom of the steps.
"I suppose so," Hermione reluctantly agreed and they started going down the steps again.
As they went down, the walls seemed to get lighter. Pretty soon, it was bright as day. But, as soon as they reached the landing the gang wished they couldn't see. Along the walls were paintings and old photographs of people. Dead People, people in pain, being tortured, and screaming. All of the paintings were horribly grotesque. The paintings all moved slowly and painfully.
A picture of someone, whose head had just been chopped off, blinked up at them, with an almost childlike curiosity. The ones who were being tortured started to scream. It was a horrific sound, full of pain and agony.
Everyone clamped their hands over their ears and ran out of the room. "What a horrible room!" exclaimed Hermione, "and we still haven't found Ron."
"Let's just keep going. If we stop, I have a feeling I'll panic." Said Fred.
"Good idea," panted Hermione as she looked around in the new room.
This room was as different from the other as night is from day. The walls were painted a baby blue; white daisies bordered the top of the wall. A one-person bed leaned against the wall. The bed was made out of dark oak, and had a lovely white silk cover on it. A table sat in the center of the room with a book, lying next to a pink pen. The only visibly disturbing thing about the entire room, besides the fact that it looked totally out of place among all of the torture in the mansion, was a fluffy, brown teddy bear sitting on the bed with a dagger stabbed through it's chest.
Fred looked around with a vague expression on his face. "I'm guessing this is a girl's room?"
"An insane girl." Added George, while glancing at the bear, a slight shudder rippling through his body.
Hermione glanced at the bear with distaste. Then wandered over to the table where the book lay. She flipped the cover open and stared blankly at the pages. Looks like a journal. Everyone else wandered over to Hermione and peered over her shoulder as she read some entries.
Aug. 3rd Today was simply horrid! I was forced to hang out with a boy by the name of Crabbe. He is tall and bulky and that's the only thing he has going for him. His brain, I'm sure, is the size of a peanut without the delicious inside. His is dry and boring. The guy can only seem to speak one-syllable words at a time. Thank God for Dad who decided to send me out on a mission early.
Aug. 16th A death eater meeting was held tonight. I got to watch this time. No one knows who I am, though. Is it possible that anyone else knows what it is to be considered a nobody, vermin? Ha! If only they knew, then they wouldn't yell at me when I walk by, but bow with the respect one would give a queen.
Aug. 18th I was sent out to assassinate Troi De Vanderveld. Seems he has been feeding information to the Ministry. Poor bastard. His assassination was indeed one of the easiest I've had in a long time! All I had to do was plead my way into his wife's home, kill her; then have dear Troi come home, see his wife's dead body then kill him! No trouble, no problems, no Ministry. Their house burns to the ground as we speak.
Aug. 21st New assignment, so glad Daddy dearest trusts me with it. Seems I must befriend Potter and his friends. Get close, and then kill him. After I complete this task, Dad will bring the truth of my birth out to the world! I can practically taste the glory!
Sept. 1st. Boarding the train in minutes.
This was the last entry in the journal. As Hermione closed the book, Harry grimaced. "She leads an interesting life. Shame it doesn't say who her father is."
"Oh, Harry! Don't be dense! Obviously her father is Voldemort!"
"Well, well. So you are a bit smarter than I first gave you credit for. Well done." Spoke a new voice, decidedly female. Fred turned slowly and stood face to face with none other than Ryly.
"Ryly."
"Hermione. I'm glad you have managed to find my room. No small feat, again, I offer congratulations." She then began walking around the room, glancing at each of them briefly. "So sorry it had to end this way. If you hadn't been around all the time, this job would have been quick and clean. Kill Potter, leave you around to grieve, I go home happy."
"Where's Ron?" interrupted George his brotherly concern finally showing through.
"Ron? Oh.him. I wouldn't worry, he's in a safe place."
"I think our definition of 'safe' is completely different." George stated, crossing his arms.
"I tire of listening to your voice, Weasley. Silencio!" she waved her wand and George's mouth clamped shut with a 'Snap.'
"If you're all so worried about Ron, I wouldn't' worry any longer. You're all to meet him soon." With this she waved her wand and the scene faded like water running down a watercolor. Unlike the colors, though, the scene was replaced once again with stone.
The room was covered in slime and there, in the center of the room, was Ron. Ron was lying unconscious among the center of a huge spider web.
"Ron!" Hermione screamed.
"Mione, shut up!" retorted Harry as he eyed to rather large black blob that everyone else had not noticed.
Everyone turned as one, like some bad horror movie, and stared. "Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but I really must be going. Oh, and have fun with Lukipela." Smirked Ryly, and she vanished.
Slowly, the creature started to stir.
"What was that?" asked Fred as he looked around the stairwell, hoping in vain to see who or what had laughed.
"Like I know," said George.
"Who cares? What happened to Ron?" yelped Hermione.
"Ron's gone?" asked Harry.
"Yes thank you for noticing, Mr. Observant." She growled.
"He couldn't have gone far. After all, where else could he be except down there?" Fred said, motioning toward the bottom of the steps.
"I suppose so," Hermione reluctantly agreed and they started going down the steps again.
As they went down, the walls seemed to get lighter. Pretty soon, it was bright as day. But, as soon as they reached the landing the gang wished they couldn't see. Along the walls were paintings and old photographs of people. Dead People, people in pain, being tortured, and screaming. All of the paintings were horribly grotesque. The paintings all moved slowly and painfully.
A picture of someone, whose head had just been chopped off, blinked up at them, with an almost childlike curiosity. The ones who were being tortured started to scream. It was a horrific sound, full of pain and agony.
Everyone clamped their hands over their ears and ran out of the room. "What a horrible room!" exclaimed Hermione, "and we still haven't found Ron."
"Let's just keep going. If we stop, I have a feeling I'll panic." Said Fred.
"Good idea," panted Hermione as she looked around in the new room.
This room was as different from the other as night is from day. The walls were painted a baby blue; white daisies bordered the top of the wall. A one-person bed leaned against the wall. The bed was made out of dark oak, and had a lovely white silk cover on it. A table sat in the center of the room with a book, lying next to a pink pen. The only visibly disturbing thing about the entire room, besides the fact that it looked totally out of place among all of the torture in the mansion, was a fluffy, brown teddy bear sitting on the bed with a dagger stabbed through it's chest.
Fred looked around with a vague expression on his face. "I'm guessing this is a girl's room?"
"An insane girl." Added George, while glancing at the bear, a slight shudder rippling through his body.
Hermione glanced at the bear with distaste. Then wandered over to the table where the book lay. She flipped the cover open and stared blankly at the pages. Looks like a journal. Everyone else wandered over to Hermione and peered over her shoulder as she read some entries.
Aug. 3rd Today was simply horrid! I was forced to hang out with a boy by the name of Crabbe. He is tall and bulky and that's the only thing he has going for him. His brain, I'm sure, is the size of a peanut without the delicious inside. His is dry and boring. The guy can only seem to speak one-syllable words at a time. Thank God for Dad who decided to send me out on a mission early.
Aug. 16th A death eater meeting was held tonight. I got to watch this time. No one knows who I am, though. Is it possible that anyone else knows what it is to be considered a nobody, vermin? Ha! If only they knew, then they wouldn't yell at me when I walk by, but bow with the respect one would give a queen.
Aug. 18th I was sent out to assassinate Troi De Vanderveld. Seems he has been feeding information to the Ministry. Poor bastard. His assassination was indeed one of the easiest I've had in a long time! All I had to do was plead my way into his wife's home, kill her; then have dear Troi come home, see his wife's dead body then kill him! No trouble, no problems, no Ministry. Their house burns to the ground as we speak.
Aug. 21st New assignment, so glad Daddy dearest trusts me with it. Seems I must befriend Potter and his friends. Get close, and then kill him. After I complete this task, Dad will bring the truth of my birth out to the world! I can practically taste the glory!
Sept. 1st. Boarding the train in minutes.
This was the last entry in the journal. As Hermione closed the book, Harry grimaced. "She leads an interesting life. Shame it doesn't say who her father is."
"Oh, Harry! Don't be dense! Obviously her father is Voldemort!"
"Well, well. So you are a bit smarter than I first gave you credit for. Well done." Spoke a new voice, decidedly female. Fred turned slowly and stood face to face with none other than Ryly.
"Ryly."
"Hermione. I'm glad you have managed to find my room. No small feat, again, I offer congratulations." She then began walking around the room, glancing at each of them briefly. "So sorry it had to end this way. If you hadn't been around all the time, this job would have been quick and clean. Kill Potter, leave you around to grieve, I go home happy."
"Where's Ron?" interrupted George his brotherly concern finally showing through.
"Ron? Oh.him. I wouldn't worry, he's in a safe place."
"I think our definition of 'safe' is completely different." George stated, crossing his arms.
"I tire of listening to your voice, Weasley. Silencio!" she waved her wand and George's mouth clamped shut with a 'Snap.'
"If you're all so worried about Ron, I wouldn't' worry any longer. You're all to meet him soon." With this she waved her wand and the scene faded like water running down a watercolor. Unlike the colors, though, the scene was replaced once again with stone.
The room was covered in slime and there, in the center of the room, was Ron. Ron was lying unconscious among the center of a huge spider web.
"Ron!" Hermione screamed.
"Mione, shut up!" retorted Harry as he eyed to rather large black blob that everyone else had not noticed.
Everyone turned as one, like some bad horror movie, and stared. "Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but I really must be going. Oh, and have fun with Lukipela." Smirked Ryly, and she vanished.
Slowly, the creature started to stir.