Okay here's chapter 10 and I cant believe I'm already up to 10. I thought this story was gonna be like 4 chapters. I was wroooong! There'll probably still be a lot more to go after this so don't worry! Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers! You guys rock and you have no clue how much the reviews mean to me. They keep me going! I'll stop blubbering now and I'll let you read. Have fun! Much luv, Sara

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Step by step Ron grew more and more frightened. Not frightened for himself, but for Hermione. He didn't know what happened to her, and part of him didn't want to know what terrible things the death eaters probably did to her. Shoving the thoughts out of his head, he continued walking. His footsteps echoed loudly off the cold walls, and he found himself at the foot of stairs.

'These stairs don't look familiar' Ron thought. His mother had actually never let them wander around the whole house before. What better time than now? He stepped up and he found that the staircase was a spiral that seemed to go on forever. Before he knew it, he began running and the spirals seemed to be getting smaller and he could faintly see a landing above him. Swallowing up some of his courage, he continued to the very top. It was awkward as he reached the top and found that he was in an attic. But why was an attic so far away from everything? He found boxes everywhere, and he sorted through them for a minute. All that was in there were old school books that must have belonged to Sirius, and some old baby clothes and sorts. It was nothing that greatly interested Ron, but then he saw a box in the corner labeled, "Photos." Abandoning his search for Hermione without realizing it, he peered inside the box and felt his jaw drop. There were hundreds of scattered and random pictures of what Harry, Ron, and Hermione knew as the 4 maurdaurs and Lily. What Harry would kill to see this.. He sat down to look at the pictures. There were pictures of Harry's parents on their wedding. His mother was so pretty, and Harry really was the spitting image of his dad. Except for the eyes. Lily's eyes. After scattering through more pictures. He found a picture of himself, Harry, and Hermione. They were all laughing together and seemed unaware that the photo was being taken. Turning the photo over, there was a message.

Snuffles,

Thought you would like to see Harry when nightmares don't haunt his sleep. This was taken at the end of the second task. You see how much his friends mean to him. Looks familiar doesn't it? Prongs would be proud. Be careful Snuffles.

Fondly,

Dumbledore

Ron grinned and tucked the photo into his pocket and as he stood up, he dusted off his robes and looked around, figuring there was nothing they were hiding in there. As he turned to go, he heard something knock over. He looked back and noticed that he missed a box, and he went to go move it so he could see it. But there he saw a door. A very small door that blended in almost perfectly with the floor because of the dust. Taking his wand out again, he opened the door. Fear began to set in again. Then realizing he had left Hermione in danger for probably another half hour at least, he felt like he was going to be sick with fright and guilt.

Shoving open the tiny door, he toppled to the ground outside and was met with a ferocious wind. He coughed and stood up quickly keeping a tight grip on his wand. The wind was so strong that he felt if he made one wrong move it would whip him right off his feet. Looking around, he realized he was on a very large balcony and as he looked up to the sky, it didn't seem like the clouds were as far away as they should be. Running to the edge of the balcony, he saw that they were VERY high up, and you could definitely not see this part of the house from the outside. The trees below were so small he could hardly see them. 'Enchanted' Ron thought coolly. He turned around to find Bellatrix Lestrange sneering at him. His heart leapt out of his chest and his breathing stopped.

"Well finally." She said not a hint of pity in her voice. She looked like he remembered from their brief meeting. Ron tried to swallow, but then found that he couldn't. The icy wind seemed to have stopped roaring and all he could see was Bellatrix giving him the most disgusted stare.

"What do you want from me?!" Ron shouted wondering where he found his voice.

"What do you think Weasel?" He pretended to play dumb, and he did so by raising his eyebrows thoughtfully. "Potter you filthy mudblood lover," She spat.

Ron wanted to go and knock her to the ground, but he resisted, because if there was one death eater, there was going to be more. That's when it hit him -

"Where is Hermione?"

"Ahh the filthy little mudblood bitch? Oh yes Weasley, she was crying for you. Poor thing. " She added unconvincingly.

Trying to be brave he took one more step towards her and said in an even louder voice, "What have you done to her? Show me where she is!!!" He could hardly control himself and he felt himself getting quite hysterical.

She grinned at him and snapped her fingers. A very small and bald man then apparated with about 3 others around him and the one in the very back was Knot, a fairly large man and he was holding a limp Hermione whose head hung pitifully her curls whipping all around her face from the wind, and her hands tied behind her back. He was more or less dragging her, but since she was so small it was easier for him to hold one fat arm around her tiny waist and the other clasping her hands together. Still holding her around her waist, he dug his hands into her curls and thrusted her head up so he could clearly see her face. Her eyes were closed and he could tell that she had been stunned and her cheek was bleeding freely along with a cut lip. He could see straight lines of blood scattered across her white blouse. She also donned a pair of jeans that were ripped at the knees forming a sort of Capri pants. She had no shoes and socks on.

Bellatrix walked over and squeezed Hermione's face as if she were speaking to Ron and made her say in a high pitched fake voice, "Say bye-bye Ron."

***

Miles and miles away, Harry Potter felt himself being shaken awake. He was sweating and was extremely uncomfortable.

"Harry!!! Harry!" A voice was screaming. Yet it seemed so far away.

Harry sat up faster than ever thought possible and knocked foreheads with... Ginny Weasley?

"Ginny?! What are you doing here?!" Harry said.

"You think I don't know when you three are up to something?" Ginny asked grinning.

"How did you get here?" Harry asked suspiciously, there was teasing in his voice.

"Come on Potter. I could see you three flying off. And I followed right away. Don't worry nobody else saw." Ginny added looking at the horrorstruck Harry. "I used my broom, but its outta shape, and it started to break down halfway through, so I ran the rest of the way." (A/N: Unrealistic I know, but I didn't have any other ideas k? k.) Ginny finished without a hint of worry or anything. She smiled at him as she finished.

"Wow," Harry grinned back and then realized, he needed to tell someone about the dream.

"Oh my God. Ginny! Oh shit Ginny! Bella - or someone! I don't know! Someone's got Hermione! We've got to go save her! Where's Ron?" Harry yelled becoming frantic.

"Whoa! Calm down Harry! What's going on?" Ginny asked confused as se searched his face with her eyes.

"Someone has got Hermione at 12 Grimmauld Place!"

"H-How do you know?" Ginny asked, tears springing to her eyes.

Shit. She was going to find out anyways...

"Ginny listen to me. I've been having visions. Dreams. I don't know. But I can tell when Vold - You Know Who, is angry and happy and everything. And he was happy because he was watching Hermione being tortured." Harry said. It felt like poison was being poured out of him.

Ginny sucked in a deep breath and said, "Ron isn't here. I think he went to go find Hermione."

Harry stared at her and said, "Well what are we waiting for?"

Ginny swallowed and shook her head. "I'm scared Harry."

He held out his hand and pulled her to her feet and said, "Do you love your brother?"

Ginny's eyes filled with tears and she nodded.

"Then lets go."

"How are we going to get there anyways?!" Ginny asked.

"Buckbeak," Harry said simply.

"Buckbeak?" Ginny said almost excitedly.

They bowed to him and for the second time in 24 hours, Harry climbed on Buckbeak and Ginny jumped on right behind him. She gripped him tightly around the middle, and Harry nudged Buckbeak with his heels and they flew off into the sky.

"How do we even know where we're going Harry?!" Ginny shouted over the wind.

"Buckbeak'll know! He's lived there the longest!"

Trying hard to trust Harry with all her might, she held tighter and prayed that Ron and Hermione are okay.

***

"Oh God." Ron whimpered as he looked at Hermione. He felt his gums start to ache from his grinding teeth.

Knot let out a laugh and he shoved Hermione to the ground. She fell flat on her stomach, her hands still clamped behind her back by a thick rope. Ron moved to go to her, and he felt a wand at the back of his neck the moment he took a step forward.

"Don't even think about it Weasley."

Ron turned and stared into the face of Wormtail.

"You don't have the guts to hurt me." Ron said angrily.

"No? Well Weasley, the Dark Lord has been most gracious and taught me how to fight properly instead of blubbering like the idiot I was and never will be again." Wormtail snapped at him.

"You'll always be a coward Peter. I'll never forget the Peter who sat crying like a baby in the Shrieking Shack begging your best friends for mercy." Ron glared back into his face.

Wormtail seemed to be lost for words. All words except one. "CRUCIO!"

Ron barley had time to think as the unforgivable curse hit him. It was pain. Pain beyond his wildest dreams. He refused to scream or even cry, so he shut his eyes tight, so tight, and clenched his fists together as his body shook violently. It was over after 2 seconds that felt like an eternity.

"That hurt didn't it?" Wormtail said with fake pity.

Ron looked up with bloodshot eyes and turned to look at Hermione. She was still laying on the ground. He reached a hand out to her and the death eaters erupted into laughter.

"No use keeping her stunned anymore. Let's see her beg and plea. It shall bring Potter closer, and that's exactly what we need." Bellatrix said with joy and evil in her voice.

Ron closed his eyes as he heard a voice say 'Ennervate.' He heard Hermione's cough and a strangled cry of, "Where am I? Where's - OH GOD RON!"

Hearing her footsteps run towards him he opened his eyes to see her rushing towards him as more death eaters apparated and they became closed in. She fell to her knees and touched his cheek smiling through her incoming tears. "Ron?" Her voice was angelic.

"Mione'. I had no idea if you - if you were - were." He couldn't bring himself to say dead.

Suddenly it seemed as if everything had disappeared. She was getting closer, and he could feel her breath on his face. It sent shivers all over his body, but as soon as she was hardly an inch away, she was jerked back with such a great amount of force that she cried out. Ron sat up in a flash and felt someone grab him from behind. He didn't care who it was or what they were going to do to him, all he knew he had to do was to get Hermione out of there. He struggled and kicked his feet and watched as Hermione did the same. She began to whimper and he felt like he wanted to cry.

"Someone just kill them!!" yelled a death eater.

"NO FOOL! We need them for Potter." Said the death eater holding Hermione which was Wormtail. "Then we can dispose of them." He whispered those words close to Hermione but still so Ron could hear them.

"No!!! You can't do this and you won't ever get Harry! Just let us go! We can't do anything for you!" Hermione cried out.

"CRUCIO!" Yelled out a new voice.

A high pitched, cold, voice. The voice belonged to someone who was hardly a man. Someone with cold pitiless red eyes.

***

I got shivers writing this chapter and its getting scary and exciting. I think now we all know who that last voice belonged to. If not, well people you gotta read the books all over again. ; ) And don't worry, this is still a R/HR fic so they WILL have their fluffy moment. Anyways, I dunno if I'll get a chapter out again before Christmas, but definitely soon after. Have a merry Christmas and happy Hanukkah! Much luv Sara