::::::-------------
Chapter Twelve: Ambush
::::::-------------
Day came, lighting happy students sleeping in dorms. Six Slytherins woke before the Sun. Their names were Draco Malfoy, Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, Theodore Nott, Millicent Bulstrode and Pansy Parkinson. Their mission was simple: get Granger. Catch her alone and at unawares, bring her into the Forest and torment her for a while. Knowing of the plot, Draco's father had sent Veritaserum to get her worst fear.
*****
Harry woke early. Entering the Common Room, he met Hermione descending from the girls' dorms. "Shall we?" he asked happily. Hermione took his arm in reply. Instead of breakfasting with the rest of the school, they put some food in napkins and went for a walk along the lake. They had done that once before, when he and Ron had fallen out.
Eventually they reached the spot where Harry had produced a great Patronus in third year, near Hagrid's hut. As they began to reminisce about that night, a booming voice echoed across the lawn. "Oi, 'Arry!" It was Hagrid.
"Just be a minute," he said to Hermione, and jogged off to his biggest friend.
"'Arry," he said, "tell me this: are you and 'Ermione going out?"
"What would give you that idea?" asked Harry.
"I dunno - you just looked like a couple. I thought you'd 'ave 'ad Ron with you."
"Right," Harry grinned.
"So - are you?" asked Hagrid.
"Yeah, I guess," called Harry, returning to Hermione. But she wasn't there. "Hermione?"
A faint, "Harry, help!" drifted from the Forbidden Forest. Without a thought for what might require help, Harry tore across the lawn and plunged straight into the forest. He followed a rough track made by heavy feet minutes earlier. Briars and branches slashed Harry's face and arms. He took no notice.
"Hermione!" he yelled. Red sparks were visible a few hundred metres away. A loud cry of, 'Expelliarmus!' stopped the sparks. Forgetting the trail, Harry ran straight in the direction of the last sparks.
*****
In a clearing, Hermione lay bound. Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle and Nott stood in front of her. Behind them, two Slytherin girls stood looking apprehensive.
"Imperio!" cried Malfoy. "Go on, then - do whatever you want with her."
"Make her take the Veritaserum," hissed the weedy Nott boy. "Then we can find out what she would hate having done to her, and do it."
"Excellent idea," said Malfoy. He took out a small vial of clear liquid and forced it into Hermione's mouth. "Drink it," he said. When the vial was empty, Malfoy pulled it out and smashed it against a tree.
"Right," began Malfoy. "Do we all swear that, no matter what her fear is, we'll do it to her?" A chorus of affirmatives followed.
"What is your worst fear?" asked Nott.
"That Lord Voldemort will return," was Hermione's calm reply.
"Who do you fancy?" asked Pansy Parkinson.
"Shut up, Pansy!" cried Malfoy.
"Harry Potter," said Hermione. Pansy laughed.
"What is the one thing you fear happening yourself?" asked Malfoy.
"Getting killed," she said.
"Don't, Draco!" Pansy cried. "She's a filthy Mudblood and all, but she doesn't deserve that."
"We swore," breathed Malfoy.
"Who should do it?" asked Millicent.
"All together," suggested Nott. "That way we won't know who killed her."
"Knock her about a bit first," said Millicent.
"Expelliarmus!" cried everyone except Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle. Hermione was lifted and slammed against the tree trunk.
"Furnunculus!" grunted Crabbe. Boils erupted on her face.
"Densaugeo!" mumbled Goyle. Hermione's teeth began to grow.
"Crucio!" said Nott. Hermione writhed in pain.
"Finite Incantatem!" called Malfoy. "On the count of three. One - two -"
Harry burst out of the trees. "No!" he screamed. Malfoy groaned.
Chapter Twelve: Ambush
::::::-------------
Day came, lighting happy students sleeping in dorms. Six Slytherins woke before the Sun. Their names were Draco Malfoy, Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, Theodore Nott, Millicent Bulstrode and Pansy Parkinson. Their mission was simple: get Granger. Catch her alone and at unawares, bring her into the Forest and torment her for a while. Knowing of the plot, Draco's father had sent Veritaserum to get her worst fear.
*****
Harry woke early. Entering the Common Room, he met Hermione descending from the girls' dorms. "Shall we?" he asked happily. Hermione took his arm in reply. Instead of breakfasting with the rest of the school, they put some food in napkins and went for a walk along the lake. They had done that once before, when he and Ron had fallen out.
Eventually they reached the spot where Harry had produced a great Patronus in third year, near Hagrid's hut. As they began to reminisce about that night, a booming voice echoed across the lawn. "Oi, 'Arry!" It was Hagrid.
"Just be a minute," he said to Hermione, and jogged off to his biggest friend.
"'Arry," he said, "tell me this: are you and 'Ermione going out?"
"What would give you that idea?" asked Harry.
"I dunno - you just looked like a couple. I thought you'd 'ave 'ad Ron with you."
"Right," Harry grinned.
"So - are you?" asked Hagrid.
"Yeah, I guess," called Harry, returning to Hermione. But she wasn't there. "Hermione?"
A faint, "Harry, help!" drifted from the Forbidden Forest. Without a thought for what might require help, Harry tore across the lawn and plunged straight into the forest. He followed a rough track made by heavy feet minutes earlier. Briars and branches slashed Harry's face and arms. He took no notice.
"Hermione!" he yelled. Red sparks were visible a few hundred metres away. A loud cry of, 'Expelliarmus!' stopped the sparks. Forgetting the trail, Harry ran straight in the direction of the last sparks.
*****
In a clearing, Hermione lay bound. Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle and Nott stood in front of her. Behind them, two Slytherin girls stood looking apprehensive.
"Imperio!" cried Malfoy. "Go on, then - do whatever you want with her."
"Make her take the Veritaserum," hissed the weedy Nott boy. "Then we can find out what she would hate having done to her, and do it."
"Excellent idea," said Malfoy. He took out a small vial of clear liquid and forced it into Hermione's mouth. "Drink it," he said. When the vial was empty, Malfoy pulled it out and smashed it against a tree.
"Right," began Malfoy. "Do we all swear that, no matter what her fear is, we'll do it to her?" A chorus of affirmatives followed.
"What is your worst fear?" asked Nott.
"That Lord Voldemort will return," was Hermione's calm reply.
"Who do you fancy?" asked Pansy Parkinson.
"Shut up, Pansy!" cried Malfoy.
"Harry Potter," said Hermione. Pansy laughed.
"What is the one thing you fear happening yourself?" asked Malfoy.
"Getting killed," she said.
"Don't, Draco!" Pansy cried. "She's a filthy Mudblood and all, but she doesn't deserve that."
"We swore," breathed Malfoy.
"Who should do it?" asked Millicent.
"All together," suggested Nott. "That way we won't know who killed her."
"Knock her about a bit first," said Millicent.
"Expelliarmus!" cried everyone except Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle. Hermione was lifted and slammed against the tree trunk.
"Furnunculus!" grunted Crabbe. Boils erupted on her face.
"Densaugeo!" mumbled Goyle. Hermione's teeth began to grow.
"Crucio!" said Nott. Hermione writhed in pain.
"Finite Incantatem!" called Malfoy. "On the count of three. One - two -"
Harry burst out of the trees. "No!" he screamed. Malfoy groaned.