Chapter 15

Revelations

Hermione slowly opened her eyes and realised she was lying on a cold, hard damp floor. Her head was throbbing and when she placed her hand on the spot where it hurt the most she felt blood: her blood. She couldn't remember what had happened. Evi and herself where enjoying their night in and already downed one bottle each and were lining up the DVDs they wanted to watch. There was a knock on the door, which Hermione assumed was Snape, and that was all she could remember.

She sat up and looked around. Where was she? She was in a dark, damp room made of solid rock. There was a wooden table standing to one side with a single lit candle on it. The light from the candle was not much and the far side of the room was still in shadow. There were shackles hanging from the walls and the place simply terrified Hermione. She heard a groan from the other side of the room. She could see a figure lying on the floor started to move around. Hermione noticed the bight colours skinny-tee and ran over.

"Evi?" Hermione said.

"Now that's going to leave a mark," Evi said turning over to lie on her back. "If I'm not mistaken, but I don't think were in Kansas anymore," Evi said looking around the room.

"No we're not. It appears to be a dungeon," Hermione explained.

"No shit Einstein," Evi said clutching her chest.

"I can't see a way out either," Hermione told her.

"I wouldn't expect there to be. But you need to get out of here."

"We both do," Hermione corrected her.

"Yes, but I can't move. I have at least two broken ribs and a concussion," she informed Hermione.

"But I don't know what to do?" Hermione cried with tears coming down her face. Evi passed out again.

"Evi? Please wake up! I need to know what to do," Hermione pleaded, but it was no good, Evi was out for the count.

Hermione started to sob. She was trapped in a dungeon with a badly injured friend and no-way out. This was not a good week. She pulled herself together. "We are never going to get out of here unless I do something," she told herself. She decided to explore the rest f the dark room. She licked up the candle and walked over to the dark corner. As she approached, she noticed another figure lying on the floor. Hermione ran over to the person hoping they would know something, like who was doing this? Where were they? She turned them and over and Hermione looked in horror as it was Megan Jones, the girl that had gone missing. She was pale and her eyes were open. Hermione carefully checked for a pulse. She was dead. Hermione closed her eyes and shed a few more tears.

"We're never getting out of here," she cried.

"You're right about that," Hermione heard a familiar voice say. She spun around to see Lucius Malfoy standing behind her. Hermione just sat there on the cold wet floor, not moving, and completely terrified.

"Expecting someone else?" he questioned by her shocked expression. He looked over at Evi. "Still out I take it. Oh well, that gives me more time to 'play' with you," he said walking towards the table to place the candle he had brought in with him on it.

"It was you all along?" Hermione said trying to stall him until she could think of a way to get out.

"Who else could pull off a plan so ingenious as that," he smiled.

"You kidnapped all those pupils," she said.

"Oh yes, that was me," he continued to smile.

"How did you do it?"

"The three off the train were easy. Stupid idiots simply followed me off the train willingly. I told them they had been specially chosen to finish the trip in style."

"That's why you chose first years. They wouldn't know it wasn't normal," Hermione figuring out his plan.

"Quite brilliant," he praised himself.

"I suppose you used some sort of Immobulus curse to stop the train temporarily," he nodded his head slightly. "And the rest?"

"If it was easy for Sirius Black to get in, it was even easier for me. First years seemed the easiest target. They assumed I was a teacher and, again, followed me willingly."

"Then what happened with Angeline?" Hermione said. "She knew who you were. You screwed up."

"On the contrary, I think it was executed quite well." His face lighted up at the memory and truly frightened Hermione more than anything else. He was the personification of evil.

"She made it easy for me. She was alone, downstairs and even though she struggled it wasn't hard to overpower her. I loved the sound her neck made when I snapped it." Hermione shuddered. "I hope to repeat the sensation with one of you two. Speaking of which," he said walking towards Hermione. He grabbed her by the hair and dragged her to the middle of the room. She was kicking and screaming hoping someone would come. Anyone.

"Screaming will do you no good here. There's no-one here but us," he laughed.

"HELP!" Hermione screamed at the top of lungs. Lucius suddenly let go of her and flew across the room clutching his side.

"Evi!" Hermione screamed with joy.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"I'm OK."

"You'll pay for that bitch!" Lucius said regrouping. Evi stood in front of Hermione protecting her.

"Leave her alone, Lucius," she walked up to him. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size you coward." And Lucius punched her and she fell to the ground.

"Evi!" Hermione screamed.

"It's OK, Hermione. I've met girls who can hit harder than that," Evi quipped. Lucius kicked her hard in the stomach sending her rolling across the floor.

"Is that better?" Lucius said enraged.

"Getting there," Evi answered trying to stand up. Hermione didn't understand what Evi was up to. Why was she provoking Lucius? Then it dawned on her; the same reason she talked to him – to stall him.

After he had sent her across the room for the fifth time, he was prevented in doing so again by the appearance of a bodyguard type at the door.

"Boss? Mr Trimble is waiting for you," he told Lucius.

"Thank you Goyle. I'm afraid our little exercise session will have to wait for a moment. But don't worry, I'll be back," he said turning back to Evi and Hermione.

"Is that a promise?" Evi quipped.

"It's a guarantee," he retorted. With that he walked out of the door and closed the door behind him. They both heard a key being turned indicating the door was now locked.

"Who does he think he is? Terminator?" Evi quipped.

"Evi?" Hermione said finally able to turn her attention to her friend without the fear of Lucius. "Are you alright?"

"Just peachy, thanks," she said spitting out some blood. "You know, I liked my life before I came to Hogwarts. I would go clubbing every other night, pick up some cute guy and get completely hammered. There was some studying at Uni, but it was fun. I came here and it's nothing but work, stress and being kidnapped," Evi said pulling herself up to lean against the wall.

"I'm really hoping you have a plan," Hermione admitted.

"At this moment in time, my plan relies on Lucius having a heart attack while leaving the door open," Evi said disheartened.

"We need our wands," Hermione said.

"Or his," Evi said as a plan popped into her head. "Did you see it in his pocket?" Evi said. Hermione nodded. Evi then went on to explain her little plan to Hermione and just managed to explain it all before Lucius came back in.

"Sorry about that," he apologised.

"Don't worry, we weren't going anywhere," Evi said dragging herself off the floor. But this time she didn't even have chance to fully straighten up before Lucius pulled out his wand and aimed it at her.

"Expelliarmus!" Lucius shouted and a flash of green light came from his wand, hitting Evi directly in the chest and crushing her against the back wall. She fell to the floor with a thud and screamed in pain.

"Evi!" Hermione shouted as she tried to make her way over but she didn't get much chance.

"Expelliarmus!" Lucius shouted again but this time at Hermione. However, the spell hit Hermione and had no effect at all on her. She stood still looking at a confused Lucius who didn't understand.

"What trickery is this?" he asked.

"No trickery," Hermione said, although she was also unsure why it had not worked. Just then, something caught Lucius' eyes and he walked over to Hermione who was trying to step backwards until she reached the wall, closed her eyes as he stood towering above her. She felt his cold fingers around her neck and felt him pull something. It was the necklace Harry had given her.

"Give that Back!" she shouted boldly.

"This stops me doing spells and charms against you," he told her and he threw it to one side. He tried another spell on her hit her and felt like someone had punched her hard in the ribs, making it hard to breathe.

"Why?" she asked when her got her breathe back. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because," Evi said coming back around, "with another death Hogwarts would have to close," she said without really moving.

"Well done," Lucius applauded. "Yes, when the school discovers that there has been more deaths, the ministry will have no chose but to close the school permanently."

"Well, you screwed up. No-one knows we're here. For all they know, we could have gone on a night on the town," Hermione said desperately trying to find a flaw in his plan.

"On the contrary, I made sure someone, or something saw you being taken by a cloaked figure."

"Dobby," Evi sighed. "Dobby saw us."

"He will report that you were taken," Lucius explained.

"And what makes you so sure that he won't tell someone that it was you?" Hermione said continuing to challenge him.

"Because that house elf fears me more than anything, so he would never tell," he happily told her.

Evi realised that she was not getting out of here alive and was staring at the floor beside her when something shiny caught her eye in the candlelight. She carefully reached for it, trying desperately not to move her already broken ribs. It was a silver chain with a Celtic cross on the end. She instantly recognised it.

"This is my dad's," she said out loud, although she didn't really mean to.

"That stupid cross if his, yes."

"That means he was here," Evi said suddenly realising something. "It was you!" she shouted and got up with a sudden burst of energy.

"Yes, he was here until he escaped," Lucius informed her.

"He had seven broken ribs and severe internal bleeding when I saw him."

"Seven? I was sure I had broken all of them," Lucius said sounding disappointed.

"You son of a bitch. Why him?" Evi said furious.

"I found out he was betraying the Dark Lord and he had to be punished."

"So it's all about Voldermort then?" Evi said.

"You are a very brave young woman for speaking his name."

"I don't fear him, unlike you. You wanted Voldermort's good opinion and getting Hogwarts closed and eradicating a deserter would have him think very highly of you," Evi said getting his plan.

"I will be rewarded for my loyalty. Unlike your father."

"He is more of a man than you will ever be," Evi told him. Lucius seemed to have had enough and raised his wand to Evi's face.

Snape and the boys had made their way from the car and were sneaking around the grounds. They were hidden in the bushes and checking out the ground crew. Lucius had his house well guarded. Several heavily built guys patrolling the grounds.

"This is not going to be easy." Ron commented. Snape shot an annoyed look at him. "Sorry, I'm just saying."

"We can't just go barging in there. We need a plan," Snape said turning his head away from Ron and back to through the bushes and the guards.

"You have one?" Harry asked,

"Actually I do," Snape said still peering though the bushes. "But I can't ask you to do this, it's too dangerous."

"I've met Tom four times, trust me Lucius Malfoy does not scare me," Harry said determined to go and save his girlfriend.

"OK, but you have to do exactly what I tell you," and Snape explained his plan to them.

Lucius stood there with his wand almost touching Evi's nose, but he still did not cast a spell.

"What's wrong Lucius? Cat got your tongue?" Evi teased.

"You'll get what you deserve soon enough," Lucius said lowering his wand.

"Why wait? Make the death toll three and get Hogwarts closed. Or are you too chicken?" Evi pushed. Lucius did not say anything but kept smiling at them.

Hermione, who had been watching this from the other side of the room, suddenly realised why he was waiting.

"It's a trap," she spoke up. "That's why he took us instead of killing is there in the school where we could be easily found. We're bait," Hermione said as the horror of Lucius' plan dawned on her.

"I thought it was too easy to stall you. We are not stalling you: you're stalling yourself," Evi said.

"You're waiting for people to come for us," Hermione said.

"Dad!" Evi cried.

"Harry!" Hermione cried at the same time.

"They won't fall for it. They're cleverer than that. They'll bring back up," Evi reassured herself.

"Will they? Are will they be too concerned about the most precious woman in their lives and just come barging in without help?" Lucius questioned. Hermione saw tears run down Evi's face. Her father and Harry were on the way here, straight into a trap.

"That mean's your father is at Hogwarts?" Hermione said.

"You haven't told anyone?" Lucius laughed.

"Yeah, Hermione," Evi said still crying.

"But who?" Hermione asked confused.

"Who do you think Hermione? The one person I talk to at Hogwarts other than the students," Evi told her agitated.

"Snape is your father?" Hermione said completely shocked.

"Oh yes," Lucius butted in. "Severus is Evelyn's father."

Suddenly it all made sense to Hermione. It explained how Snape and Evi knew each other and were so close. Being here also explained Snape's late arrival at the start of school and the disappearance of the students. But the spine chilling thought was that this evil plan had actually worked and Harry and Snape had no idea what they were walking into. Evi had put her father's necklace on and seemed calm on the surface now the tears had stopped flowing down her face, but Hermione could tell she was terrified. Not for herself though, for her father.

"I really am going to enjoy killing the both of you. Especially you, Miss Granger, you has the ordasity to blackmail my son." Evi looked at Hermione for an explanation. "Oh yes, Little Miss Perfect has been making a fool out of my son, including making him dance with you at that stupid ball, in front of everyone!" he ranted. Hermione couldn't believe Draco had told his father about it. She assumed that he would be too embarrassed, and the reason she could blackmail him was because he didn't want his father finding out.

"I can't believe he told!" Hermione blurted out.

"Hermione!" Evi said. She couldn't believe her ears. Her friend capable of blackmail.

"Oh yes, Draco was very forthcoming with information especially after I fixed his favourite drink with an special ingredient," Lucius told them.

"Veritaserum. You would drug your own son? Mind you I would expect worse than that from you," Evi said in disbelief. There was a knock at the door, and Lucius seemed more than annoyed at being disturbed.

"Are they here?" he asked Goyle.

"No Boss, but you have an unexpected guest who insists on seeing you." Hermione couldn't help but notice the similarities between Lucius and Goyle and Draco and Goyle. Lucius seemed annoyed that, not only were Harry and Snape not here yet, but he was being torn away from his 'interrogation' of his witnesses. He reluctantly pulled himself away and closed the door, but did not lock it. Evi and Hermione were in such a bad way, they could not walk to the door let alone escape through it.

"I would never of guessed that Snape was your father," Hermione said changing the subject. "Why the different names?"

"He was a death eater, if Voldermort found out about me, he may have killed me. So dad whisked me away to live with his muggle sister. I grew up with them, although I knew he was my dad, I just had to accept that I couldn't live him yet. I saw him all time though, but he still had to be careful. I'm the biggest kept secret. Dumbledore doesn't even know."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I know he suspected things, like the school now, but he doesn't know for sure. To make sure that I would always remain safe, no-one was to know."

"Then how does Lucius know?"

"Crispin. Draco's older brother. When we were dating, I told him. I trusted him, but Lucius must have used Veritaserum on him and found out. He wouldn't know who I was exactly. He would have known my name was Evi, but shortly before Crispin died, he warned me to go into hiding. So I did. It wasn't until he used the stuff on Draco that Lucius put two and two together and figured out that I was out of hiding and back at Hogwarts. It was only a matter of time before someone found out anyways."

"So why Dementia?"

"My dad's wicked sense of humour. Dementia: means nuts, wacko, three fries short of a happy meal. My dad must have known I would be as crazy as him when I grew up," Evi laughed and then winced in pain.

"So what do we do now? Our plan won't work now. He has his wand in his hand. I mean we could try wrestling him to the ground..." Hermione turned to Evi who was giving her a sceptical look. "OK, bad idea, but at least I'm trying."

"I was trying, until I realised that was his plan too," Evi quipped.

"Snape and Harry aren't going to come here without back up are they?" Hermione asked. Evi remained silent. "Are they?" Hermione repeated.

"I hate that he's right. My dad has a habit of act now, engage brain later. Lucius knows it would work because that's how he ended up here the first time."

"I thought you didn't know where he was?" Hermione said.

"True, but he told me why he was late. He was captured, tied up and tortured. Before he left he said he had a lead on some death eaters and was going to investigate. After I told him to be careful, he told me he was going to be fine, he knew how to handle himself. Lucius and dad have been friends for a long time. He would have known that dad would challenge them without a plan."

"And brought him here," Hermione added. Evi silently agreed with Hermione.

"Let's just hope that someone had the intelligence to come up with a plan before they barge in," Evi said concerned

They both sat quietly for a moment. Then they heard the handle on the move. More tears came to their eyes at the thought of another round with Lucius. Neither was strong enough to last another beating. Evi cuddled Hermione in her arms trying to comfort her. But the person who walked through the door was not Lucius. It was Snape.

Never in her life had Hermione been so glad to see Snape.

"Dad!" Evi screamed and Snape ran towards her and threw his arms around her. Hermione behind him and coming towards her were Ron and Harry.

"Harry!" and they embraced.

"Are you alright?" Snape asked, surveying Evi's and Hermione's injuries.

"We're fine, but you've got to go it's a..." Evi started to say but was stopped by the sound of the metal door slamming closed and locked.

"...trap."