The twins waited quietly on the side whilst Hermione told Ron exactly what happened the night that she was taken by Lucius. Ron was aghast. Hermione and Snape was the last thing that he could imagine.
'Maybe Hermione had been under a curse,' he thought to himself. He soon dismissed the thought. It had happened and now Harry was in trouble.
Hermione explained where she thought the hideout might be, but she was still quite confused. Ron who could not bear to look at her sad eyes allowed his eyes to wander when he noticed her hand. Suddenly he got an idea.
"Come on, I have plan," he said suddenly with a grin.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Can you pick up anything?" Dumbledore asked. Merlin nodded. He had found Harry, Snape and Hermione together but sensed trouble.
"We need to hurry, it is about to happen. If Voldemort has Hermione on his side we are doomed, and young Harry dead," Merlin responded with glowing eyes.
* * * * * * * * * *
Harry walked slowly back to the main chamber with his wand being used by Lucius. The room had cleared of fumes, and the clean up process had begun. Voldemort returned seemingly unaffected by what had happened. The moment he laid eyes on the boy, Harry's scar started to burn painfully and his head felt it had been hit with a blunt object. Fighting against grabbing his scar, Harry continued to try pull away from his captor and finally was released from Lucius grip onto the ground. He looked around to see it was now Snape sitting bound in the chair, looking disgusted and in Harry's opinion nervous. Harry realized what a huge mistake he had made.
"So now all has been revealed and you have brought me the Potter boy," Voldemort said his eyes flickering over Snape and Harry before focusing on Malfoy. Harry was slightly startled at the coldness of Voldemort's voice. It seemed that more hatred had consumed Voldemort over the last year. The power in the room left the air full of electricity just waiting to strike. Harry tried to get up from the ground but Malfoy pushed him down with his the heel of his charred boot.
"Harry Potter this time you will not escape because I now have something that you have love dearly, funny that we end it this way, just like I killed your parents,"
Voldemort snapped his fingers and Wormtail hurried to his side.
"Bring me the girl!" he demanded. Wormtail gulped hard and started to stutter something about her not being there.
Harry laughed out aloud when he realised Voldemort did not know that Hermione had escaped. He suddenly felt the whole room start to tremble as Voldemort's rage came to the surface. But what happened next, Harry was not expecting.
"Tie up the boy alongside his Hogwart's teacher and place one on my left and one on my right," he snarled. "When the girl returns she will have to choose between her lover, her friend or me!" he snarled, making Harry quiver.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
It was very late by the time that Hogwart's students reached the alleyway with the bat marking on the wall. Ron's ring had led them right to the spot. The only problem was they did not know how to get in. Hermione's face was slightly panic-stricken.
"Ron, I can't go in there," she said her voice trembling. Ron looked stumped at what to do next. The twins however where already making plans. They choose a dark corner for Ron and Hermione to remain out of sight, whilst they stood in the open with their gadgets and inventions all around. Nearly forty minutes later when Hermione had shrunk on the floor and Ron was leaning wearily against the wall, they caught sight of two cloaked wizards heading their way. Fred and George approached them under the pretence of selling them their goods. It was not long before the men where chatting easily with the twins amused by what they had to offer. Of course Fred and George had had a lot of practice on the Gryffindor House when it came to selling to even the most uninterested customer. Ron sighed wearily but Hermione remained vigilant and edgy in fact she was finding it hard to sit still.
"Hermione, would you stop it, you are going to be seen," Ron said in an undertone voice. She gave him a fierce look but seeing his innocent face she softened immediately. She knew he only meant well.
"I cant help it Ron, if I go back in there, I don't know if I will be able to fight him," It had been a couple of years since Ron had heard Hermione speak like this.
She seemed so vulnerable and unsure of herself. Ron took her hand and held it for a while; it seemed to settle them both. The twin's potential buyers turned to go, and quite audibly said the password and disappeared through the door. George came hurrying over.
"I cannot believe that it was so easy, come on let's hurry," he said with a grin. Ron helped Hermione to her feet. Quietly they approached the door.
"What is the plan, surely we cannot go in as ourselves," Ron stuttered. The twins looked at each other and started turning out their pockets looking for something particular. Eventually Fred pulled a potion from his pocket. It was in a glass bottle glimmering green and corked with a silver cap.
"What's that?' asked Hermione curiously. Twins eyes sparkled mysteriously
"Well remember when we had the Twizard Tournament and we tried to age ourselves? Well we made up a fresh batch of ageing potion, thought it might come in handy," George said pulling the cap of watching the essence rise from the bottle.
"It looks like it has," added Fred. Each took a sip and instantly the twins look like they were thirties, Ron and Hermione in their late twenties. The twins then added fake moustaches, handing Ron one that look like the hair was going up his nose. For Hermione, they gave her a wig of black hair. The moment she put it on it seemed to transform her face. Her skin went slightly olive, her eyes bright green, and her lips mauve. Even she could not deny that she felt safe hidden behind her disguise.
"Let's get this over with!" Ron spat trying to get a stray hair out his mouth.
George lifted his wand.
"Riddlikulas pronto!" and the door appeared.