Harry and Ron sat in two chairs facing Professor Snape's desk looking glum. They had gone into the forest and gotten out with out so much as a hint to what may have a happened to Hermione. It wasn't until they were almost back to the Gryfindor dormitory that Snape caught them wandering around.
"I don't know what you were thinking! Especially since Ms. Granger has already been captured in that forest," Snape practically growled at them, "Foolish, that was extremely foolish of you. 25 points from Gryfindor. You may go."
Harry stood up and quickly hurried out the door followed by Ron.
"At least it was only 25," Ron said as they made their way back to dormitory once again. Harry nodded in agreement but stayed silent.
"What if she's dead Ron?" Harry asked quietly.
Now Ron remained silent. They both knew that the most likely thing was, was that she was dead. What else did Voldemort have to do with people other than kill them?
The Portrait of the Fat Lady loomed up in front of them and Harry mumbled the password. The Fat Lady swung open slowly then closed behind them as they climbed in.
"We can't give up hope," Ron said finally just before they both climbed back into bed.
"At least we know that most of the ministry and the Order of the Phoenix are looking for her," Harry said trying to be cheerful.
"And everyone else that's disappeared," Ron mumbled.
"Disappeared. There's been deaths, but many more disappearances," Harry mused.
Ron remained silent as they both pondered this carefully they fell asleep.
***
That morning in the great hall was a tense one. The daily prophet had arrived carrying the news that they had located a great cavern underneath the ground. They hadn't actually been in it but had only discovered the opening using some type of magic being sent through the ground. They were planning on bombing it open that afternoon this day. Many teams of Aurors were to stand by and be ready as well as trained hit-wizards and members of the ministry. No one could concentrate in any classes so they called school off for one day, but banned everyone from going outside at all.
Harry and Ron sat by the window in the Gryfindor common room waiting for Hedwing to come back after writing to the Order of the Phoenix.
Finally in the late afternoon the snowy white owl swooped in flying over to Harry and Ron and dropping a letter in Harry's lap.
Grinning Harry took it and ripped it open, it read:
Dear Harry and Ron,
We thought you'd write wanting to know the details. Well what the Daily Prophet is saying is pretty much true. Actually the moment we finish this letter we taking a port key to the site, and no you can't come. Not yet that is. We'll write again by tomorrow morning and tell you what we find. Be patient and don't do anything foolish.
Love,
Remus, Dad or Arthur, Mom or Molly, Moody, Tonks, and everyone else who are busy and don't have time to sign their name.
"That really told us a lot," Ron said glum again. Harry nodded agreeing.
"At least we can look forward to tomorrow morning," Harry said, "I seriously doubt I'll get a wink of sleep."
"I wonder if Hermione's there," Ron said softly, "I hope they find her, rescue her."
Harry nodded again then said, "Let's go eat dinner and then go to bed, the sooner we sleep the sooner morning comes."
***
Hermione made to take step forward but Draco immediately pulled her back and whispered fiercely, "Don't let them see us."
Hermione nodded realizing her mistake and took a few more steps back into the shadows, but then a death eater in the crowd turned and looked up at them.
"Did it see us?" Hermione asked. Draco shrugged his eyes wide with worry. For at least fifteen minutes all was silent and they started to relax until they heard footsteps in the tunnel and then voices.
"I'm sure I saw them, prisoners, their state of clothing gave them away," the voice said.
"Damn," Draco said softly.
"That spell?" Hermione asked, but Draco shook his head, "It'd kill us, doing it again so soon."
"Run," Hermione whispered tensing up.
"No, wait," Draco said pressing himself against the wall, "Its dark enough they may not see us, and they will hear our footsteps if we run."
A moment later the death eaters came dimly into view and looked straight at them.
"Now we run," Draco said pushing Hermione ahead and running behind her. Their efforts were futile though and moments later they were laying on the ground stunned. The death eaters quickly bound their hands and gagged them, then took the stunning spell of and dragged them to their feet.
Hermione tried to scream through her gag but all that came out was too soft for anyone to hear, not that there was anyone to rescue them anyway. They were going to kill her this time, she was sure. After being forced through downward going tunnels the emerged in the same cavern they had looked out over before. One death eater went forward clearing the way and Hermione and Draco were led through the crowd. The large prisoner cage loomed up in front of them growing ever larger as they walked closer. Finally they reached and the death eater did and spell making the heavy iron door swing open. Hermione and Draco were shoved in, gagged and tied, then the door slammed behind them. Someone, Draco wasn't sure who took off the gag and untied their hands then helped them to their feet. Draco finally looked at the person, but did not recognize the person. They were dirty and shabby like everyone else, smelling of blood, sweat, and urine. The person gave a slight smile then leaned back against the bars of the cage.
Following the person's gaze Draco looked at the Dark Lord standing high up among his followers, his amplified voice ringing through out the cavern. Draco was only able to make out a few words, but that alone told him that for some reason they were killing all the prisoners for their blood to accomplish some dark and evil spell.
Draco felt the strongest purist hatred he'd ever felt rise up in him for the Dark Lord standing nearly 500 yards away. How dare he go and kill whomever he wanted, take whoever's blood he wanted, ruin thousands, millions, of people's lives. How could he get away with it. Draco suddenly stood up and hollered at the top of his lungs the first words that sprang to his lips, that the Dark Lord was crap and his followers would go to hell to rot forever.
Immediately the death eaters around the cage turned to look at him, but the Dark Lord did not even stop talking or even glance at him. He swore loudly at them suggesting their mothers had done something very unlikely with a donkey.
Apparently he had made them angry for one of them raised its wand and mumbled something and pointed his wand at Draco.
A beam of red let shot from the wand hitting Draco squarely in the stomach. He gasped, his hand going to the place where the beam had hit, then collapsed to the ground. Hermione fell to her knees next to him, her face white. It felt as though he had been speared all the way through with a sword, but when he took his hand away there was no blood, they wouldn't kill him would they? They needed his blood. Draco smiled wrly then yelled boldy, "Ha, you won't hurt me, you need my blood!"
The death eater laughed cruelly at Draco's remark then just as suddenly as the pain had come, it stopped.
"Draco?" Hermione asked softly.
"Don't worry," he said, "They won't hurt us, at least not yet."
Then suddenly the ground began to shake. The Dark Lord stopped speaking and looked upwards. In the roof of the cavern a small crack appeared and then grew wider. Moments later large chunks of earth began falling and the roar of the shaking became deafening. Death eaters screams rang through out the cavern as the boulders hit them, crushing them underneath. Panicking Draco made for the door of the cage and tried to pry it open to no luck. Hermione grabbed his head and they both sat down on the floor of the cage holding each other tight. The earthquake, or whatever it was, would with out a doubt kill them, but at least it would take out Voldemort's army while it was it at it.
A/N: Another cliffhanger. Heh heh heh. You've probably guessed what the earth quake is, and if you haven't you'll have to wait for the next chapter to figure out! *Cackles evily*. Also, I'm going to India for two months or so, so the next chapter isn't going to be up for a while. They have internet there, but its very slow, so nothing but checking email and stuff. I can't do long dedications because we still have lots of packing to do, I'm squeezing this time in to upload this chapter. I'd like to dedicate this chapter to:
moonhowler
Miyukisetsu
duochang97
shannon
Skyler
Draco Sommeil
Spaced Out Space Cadet
Marrisa03
Caitlin
Mara