PRECIOUS STONES
Chapter 13- Defending Mozart
DISCLAIMER- Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling and Warner Brothers not me!
AN- I know it's been an awfully long time but I beg for forgiveness with exams and finishing school I've had no time to write I haven't had any room in my head for anything other than formulas, poetical devices, historical fact etc! Now that all of that is gradually filtering out I am FINALLY able to start finishing yes for alas we are nearly at an end finishing this story. And with any luck starting on the sequel pretty soon!!! After all I have three gloriously unfilled weeks ahead of me!
Thanks for the reviews I received for the last chapter; they really encouraged me even if I couldn't write more straight away!
I hope you're all still reading this and if you are thanks for putting up with my infrequent updates and rambling messages! Not to mention my frequent mistakes.
AN2- Dedicated to Elfin Princess Prue for sticking with me on this one for a start and helping me out sooooo much, not to mention exam encouragement! (Blatant plug- go read her fic, The Voice Within it's amazing!)
He He enjoy:
Hermione's head had been working overtime since Diamond had left. He'd said that there was a ministry representative taking care of the school since Malfoy had been taken away
Escape had seemed impossible but now all she'd have to do would be to alert this Ministry Representative to the fact that she was there.
When the boys came as usual to escort her to the bathroom Hermione was subservient and docile, pretending to be weaker than she was and not bombarding them with questions. She stumbled a few times, just for effect.
Inside the small cramped bathroom her resolve nearly failed her. Her weakness wasn't all feigned and her legs shook as she stood listening at the door waiting for the right moment. A sensible, calm part of her reasoned that her plan was foolhardy and that it was only the rising fever that led her to attempt such madness, but a stronger part of her the desperate recklessness that had overcome her since listening to Diamond forced her not to give up.
She hadn't been a Gryffindor for no reason.
She's taking her time. On boy said to the other.
She didn't look to good.Diamond said to expect that.Yeah but
Hermione took her chance, screaming she threw herself onto the floor and did her best to look as if she had just collapsed. This produced the desired effect- within moments the boys were inside- and looking anxious.
She's collapsed, One said to the other.
What do we do?Take her to Diamond.I don't knowLook Mark I don't like it either but what choice do we have?I still don't know.
Hermione bit her lip, ignoring a sharp pain in her elbow form a knock on her way down she, jumped up surprising the two boys for long enough for her to bolt out of the bathroom and rush headlong into the dimly lit passage they had just come out down.
Despite her failing strength she ran, taking the only other turn than the one that led back to her prison room.
She could hear their voices pursuing her but continued running blindly, head pounding and the pain in her elbow growing. Her legs didn't feel as though they belonged to her anymore and her breathing was laboured.
She blinked ahead blindly looking for a way out, someone to help as her pursuers drew closer, shouting at her things her exhausted mind couldn't take in. she couldn't go much further
Her legs buckled beneath her and everything went black as her body gave up.
Ron arrived on the frozen grounds of Moonstone Heights once again to find the tall manor building eerily quiet.
Suspicion and dread grew in his mind as he crunched forward through the snow, no plan in his head, all of his intensive FA training gone out of the window- he had disobeyed orders by going there so the normal rules no longer seemed to apply.
Trying to calm himself, and clear his mind into thinking properly- thinking in the way he had been trained to think.
His DA cloak- usually green- had gone white blending him in with his surroundings and he drew the hood up to conceal his bright red hair as well. Ron had faith in the magical camouflage properties of his cloak and knew that, were anyone to look down across the snow covered lawn they wouldn't see him or his shadow.
Soft greyish light filtered out from large windows near the front of the building, and Ron had to skirt around on high garden wall to avoid them. He could vaguely hear voices but couldn't get close enough to make out words without being seen.
There was a gate in the wall, which using an old spell, a favourite of Hermione's, he easily opened.
The gate creaked open to reveal a small, kitchen garden, the neat lines of plants were covered in frost and a bird bath near the centre was frozen over. Ron could barely see where the garden entered and building began for there were no lights on at the back of the manor and what little moon there was had been obscured by the high garden wall.
Not wanting to risk lighting his wand and alerting possible enemies inside, Ron felt his way all the wall until he came to the building, from here he moved silently against it until he came to what he guessed was a kitchen door.
A simple spell told Ron all of the guards and magical watches that had been set on the door. Powerful but simple- ones the alohomora charm would be useless against but no math for some of the more powerful entry spells Ron had learnt in his FA training.
He whispered, instantly the magical guards fell without setting off any alarms and Ron was able to use alohomora on the ordinary lock that was still in tact.
He found himself in an extensive kitchen- newly washed pots and pans had been left out to dry and Ron could smell the lingering aromas of whatever stew that had been made earlier in the evening.
He was stopping to let his eyes adjust to the lack of light in the room when he hard voices coming in his direction. Thinking quickly he dived under a work bench and froze as the voices drew closer.
Gawd' these are heavy.I know. Don't know who he thinks he is having us cart these around all over the place.
A thudding noise on the other side of kitchen followed and Ron was aware of something being put down roughly.
I don't see how that ministry guy doesn't suspect something.Why should he, he thinks Master Draco was behind it all.
The speakers were male and young. Ron would have placed them in their late teens. Probably sixteen- like all the victims.
What's he planning now?I dunno. I think he's gone mad.I thought he was going to kill us when she nearly got away.
Ron's heart thudded painfully against his rib bones. Nearly got away Were they talking about Hermione?
I dunno why he doesn't just kill her and get it over with.I don't like all this killing. Diamond never said it was going to be like this.Diamond never said a lot of things.
Diamond!! From his hiding place Ron frowned in confusion. Diamond had turned out to be Draco hadn't he? Then he remembered Hermione's hesitancy to accept this and realised they had been tricked. Diamond was someone else all together.
Why does he want to be starting making all these potions now anyway? It's nearly 9 o'clock. Couldn't it wait till morning?I don't know
There was pause.
I heard him saying something to Tiff' about the illness being at the right stage- I think he's trying to brew an illness. Ron heard one boy say in a low voice.
Silence followed this, a silence in which Ron reached for the silver necklace he had put in one of the hidden pockets in his cloak and felt his insides go cold with dread. They'd forced Hermione back into her illness.
Come on, we still have three of these to shift. One voice said and Ron heard them leaving.
As their footsteps faded Ron's brain stepped up a gear. Ducking out from his hiding place Ron trailed behind them, as silently as his tall body allowed him to.
They led him upstairs, into what looked like a potions classroom- there was a lamp burning in this room and Ron could see their faces, they were only boys.
He hated doing it, but what else could he do?
Stupefy! Stupefy!
The two boys fell to the ground stunned. That got them out of the way.
The next thing Hermione was aware of was soft music crackling through what sounded like an old muggle gramophone. For a moment she was back at home, with her parents.
However the tune was unfamiliar and images of her fruitless flight came flooded into her head. Slowly, resignedly she opened her eyes.
Diamond towered above her, humming along to the music as the blonde youth thumbed through a heavy, dusty old book.
He said seeing her and smiling for the entire world like someone who'd simply come to visit a friend in hospital.
Hermione pushed herself up slowly, feeling dizzy as she did so, and found that she'd been placed on a low couch in a wide stone room with no hangings or furnishings.
Well, well, well, The boy said, his crystalline eyes mocking, You very nearly slipped through my fingers.
Hermione didn't answer it took all of her energy to keep upright in a sitting position.
Do you like the music? He asked, closing the book with a loud thump.
When she didn't answer again he continued, One of Moonstone's students composed it,
Garnet I believe. Pity he had to die, he showed such promise.Why you Hermione spat but cut off coughing.
Yes, well of course Garnet idolised Mozart but although I do admit I find his music entertaining he was just a muggle after all.
Hermione glared at him, unable to do anymore and felt despair as childhood memories flooded though, Mozart was her mother's favourite composer and had she had the energy she would have defended his genius to the end.
Yes, well, He said with a satisfied nod, It won't be long now. Soon you'll not have to worry about anything anymore. In fact I've just sent the boys down with some cauldrons. You see Miss Granger; from you I can take the illness and brew it. Before long the whole ministry will have sampled my talents at potion making.
With that Hermione's resolve failed and she slumped back down onto the couch, icy tears welling up in her eyes. She turned her face away from him so that he wouldn't see her tears but nothing could stop them coming.
And humming Moonlight Sonata in her head only made them come thicker and faster.
From a simple mapping spell Ron could tell that some smaller rooms were occupied on the top floor, where Ron knew from his visit to arrest Malfoy was where the bedrooms where. A larger room on the first floor seemed more likely, the only other room occupied.
Ron wished his spell was advanced enough to tell how many people were in each room but he didn't risk any more complicated magic for fear of being detected. Always keep the element of surprise, an important rule drummed into him from the day he began FA training.
He crept up the wide marble staircase which had seemed a lot less sinister in the daylight. Now, as Ron skulked up it in the shadows the highly polished surface glittered maliciously as if stained with blood. Remembering the scene at the Investigative Auror Headquarters with Azurite's murder, he shivered. He'd never forget the blood not even in the work that he did. That had been on a staircase just like the one he was currently climbing.
Reaching the landing, Ron could see a pale orange light flickering from beneath a doorway, and a soft unfamiliar music drifted to his ears. It was a strangely calm piece of music contrasting the turmoil he felt.
Without warning, the door creaked open and Ron was forced to act sooner than he'd expected.
It was over in a matter of moments He yelled, but the spell just bounced off the tall figure ahead of him, and Ron had to duck to prevent it hitting him instead.
He bellowed,
Still the spells bounced off the figure, who let out a high pitched evil laugh and for one terrible instant Ron thought he was facing Voldemort.
Then the face came into focus and he saw a different terror, for the first time Ron laid eyes on Diamond's pale blonde hair and diamond like eyes, and the mouth that was perpetually twisted into a sneering smile.
Here for Miss Granger? He asked.
Ron didn't say anything, his mind was frozen, his usually quick brain refused to come up with any plans. Never before had he seen anyone able to simply let spells bounce off him and all he could think of was Hermione.
Bewildered Ron couldn't get his body to move as Diamond raised a wand over his head.
Ron shut his eyes and prepared for the worst
CRASH!
Something happened and the tall boy feel forward a surprised expression on his even face Ron, his mind waking up suddenly caught him as he fell.
He dropped the boy a rushed forward, there looking as though she were about to collapse stood Hermione, a big heavy book in her head, bushy curls falling haphazardly around her pale confused face He said hoarsely, gathering her into his arms gratefully.
Mozart Ron, She whispered her voice cracking, He insulted Mozart.Just a muggle Mozarthe was going to take over the ministry making them all illand oh Ron? Ron asked looking down at her ashen face and wide haunted brown eyes.
I'm ill, will it never go away? She asked desperately.
Oh Hermione you know it will, He said holding her closer and sounding more certain than he felt she was just so fragile.
Ron let her cry into his robes, smoothing her curls with his free hand and feeling his legs wobble just from having her so close.
Ron didn't know how long they stood there, but it wasn't long before Harry arrived with a back up FA squad and a medi-witch prized Hermione from his hold.
She'll be all right, Harry assured him, coming to stand by Ron who was watching the witch take Hermione away on a stretcher.
She was so weak Ron said shaking his head.
Neville and Ginny are waiting back at headquarters they know what to do. Harry said soothingly.
You don't understand, Ron groaned.
I froze Harry! Ron admitted bitterly, I froze and I couldn't save herBut DiamondKnocked out by a book Harry! Ron whispered fiercely, A book in Hermione's hands Harry! She saved me in the end!It turned out ok though didn't it? Harry asked tentatively.
But I couldn't save her, Ron said.
Look Ron, we all freeze from time to time, we can't always saveWhy Harry, why can I save countless faceless victims in the face of danger but not the woman I love?
AN- Ta DA! Another chapter finished finally! Does the weird title make any sense or not? I found it hard to write an action/adventure type of chapter did it work? Please review and tell meonce more I apologize for the wait!