Author's Note:
'This is a contest entry for the Dracolov challenge! If you would like to enter you must e-mail Dracolov, her e-mail is in her profile. The last day to enter is 12/1/04. Please R & R (read and review) and thank you for reading my story.
Disclaimer:
I don't own any of the orginial Harry Potter character because I am not that creative...but I wish i was...I only own the plot and my characters.
chapter 10: The Ultimate Betrayal
"What are you doing here?" Harry whispered as though no one could see her standing there.
"Now I understand that this is a shock for you but really, Harry, can you not figure it out?" she replied coldly.
"But why, Ginny?" he shook his head as though it was all a dream.
"Let's just say that I was made an offer that I couldn't refuse. Nothing was the same after my first year and with all the losses suffered at the hands of Voldemort, I changed my prospective on what was best for the magical world." she explained devoid of any emotion.
"True but this is because of hate but for the survival of our kind and our way of life. Sure they're entertaining but it's time to take back what was ours in the beginning." she went on as though it was an undisputable fact.
"Your family wouldn't approve of this. Arthur adores muggles."
"They're coming around now that they understand how it all works. When the Priory first approached me, I admit that I was leery but after they explained all about the male and female balance it made sense." Ginny sat in front of him in anticipation of his next move.
"I can't let you do this. What about Hermione and all the other muggleborns?" he asked honestly confused by her actions.
"Well she has proved to be an obstacle, I have to admit. I was hoping that she would be the perfect distraction for Draco while I finalized the arrangements but then Flint had to step into the mix and messed things up. Oh well, I didn't want to have involve you either but Tara complicated that too." she hummed.
"Does Ron know what you're up to?" Harry tried to change tactics with her.
"Of course. Seems he's still a little miffed about the whole Hermione bit. Didn't catch that now did you?" she teased him.
"What's gotten into your family?" he shook his head violently feeling like the world crashing around him. This couldn't possibly be happening, not Ginny of all people.
"The world is changing Harry and sadly, you'll not be there to see the rebirth of the new world power. The power of the man and woman united in infinite power. But I do have a surprise for you first though." she hinted proudly.
"Like this wasn't enough?" he jested defiantly.
"Oh no, this one takes the cake my former crush." With that she turned and all Harry could see was her emerald cape billowing out behind her. Something was still missing in this equation, he thought to himself, but what and how would he figure it out. Where's Hermione when he needs her? Ah yes, with Draco thanks to Harry artful skills of banter with friends.
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"Ron, what the hell are you doing here?" Hermione gasped while her mind was churning with all the possiblities as to why he would be here of all places.
"Lending a helping hand to a friend." he replied eagerly.
"But she was just about to tell us who was behind all...wait, how did you know where to find me?" the light bulb was blazing but she refused to acknowledge what everyone else in the room was already assuming.
"What makes you think that you're the friend?" he laughed at the silent joke.
"But...why?"
"I'm not the one to ask but soon you'll met the one who is." Interesting, Draco considered the possiblities. Then Tara began to stir and as her eyes focused on Ron she gasped and tried to duck behind a chair in fear.
"Stupify" he yelled and she fell rigid once again to the floor. "Wouldn't want the guest of honor making a hasty exit, G... I mean, my friend wouldn't be pleased."
He had stopped himself but the damage was done, the picture was getting clearer for him but he knew by the dumbfounded look on Hermione's face that she wasn't absorbing it all. What he was having trouble with was the why himself.
"Hermione, take my hand and I'll grab Tara." Draco whispered to her while Ron was beginning to lecture her on the new order of things.
"But.."
"No buts...we have to go..." Draco corrected her quickly as time was running out.
"I want to go home." Hermione confessed on the brink of tears as the weight of the situation began to come to her. She grabbed his hand and before Ron caught sight of what they were doing, Draco apparated the three of them to a darkened room hoping to bye a little time.
"Enervate." Draco muttered to Tara who began to come around.
"Everyone intact? All limbs attached and ready to go?" Draco asked impatiently as the present situation was a dire one to say the least.
"What was he doing there?" Tara asked dazed.
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.
"He wasn't the one." she announced.
"The one?" Hermione repeated.
"Oh come on, haven't you figured it out yet?" Draco chastized her.
"What?" Hermione sighed as it was all getting too far out of hand.
"Ginny and Ron." Draco chimed in.
"No, something's wrong. They wouldn't do this, there has to be a spell or something." Hermione started to speculated but Draco stopped her short.
"Don't be daft, who else could pull it off so close to the head Weasley?" he inquired but she wasn't buying into it no matter what they said.
"No, there's something that we're missing and I'm not going to give up until I know what it is." she stated firmly and stomped her foot down. So be it, the other two thought but they were both convinced that she would have to accept it sooner or later.
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In all honesty, Harry was preparing himself for everyone from Malfoy to Dumbledore to be his surprise but his thoughts continually reverted back to Hermione and how much danger she could be in at this point. Ginny never really explained why she would do such evil but he should have realized what was happening to Ron. How long was this in the planning and how far had things truly gone? Was there anything worth saving now or anyone who could?
He felt a sudden and undeniable urge to kick himself for he had already lost all hope. Then he understood the actual power of the so called Golden Trio, it was strength in numbers and now he was alone. Harry never heard the approaching footsteps, as he was too consumed by his own thoughts, and was startled by the sound of Ginny's low rumbled just before him.
"Wake up, my sweet, your surprise has arrived." Harry raised his head but the sight before yeilded no answers.
"Hullo Harry. Not surprised to see me, I see." Ron greeted him jovially.
"No." he replied curtly.
"I don't supposed that you recognized my friend here do you?"
"No."
"Let me introduce you. Harry, this is Parisa. Parisa, the Harry Potter." Ron motioned between the two as he shuffled her next to where Harry was chained up. Much to Harry's shock, Ron then proceeded to chain her up by his side.
"If she's a friend, why chain her up too? Or do you hold her in the same regard as me?" Harry questioned.
"Because I'm not really Parisa, Harry...it's me..." she started to explain but was stopped by Ginny.
"Now, now...can't let you ruin the game." Ginny boasted. "Silencio, that should help with future outbursts. We're going to play a little game. Answer the questions right and you'll die quickly. Answer the questions wrong and well...Ron will have some fun."
"I already told you everything that I know." Harry sighed in frustration believing that this was a ploy.
"About Tara, yes but about Hermione, I don't think so."
"You know everything about her that I do."
"But you do know more than you're letting on about Draco don't you?" Ginny offered.
"No more than your father."
"Ron went to get them but Draco, Hermione and Tara apparated out of his reach. Where would they have gone?" Ginny asked.
"They could have went anywhere. You know as well as I do how many places Malfoy has available to him. Wait, why are you calling him Draco?"
"I ask the questions here not you. Crucio.." she aimed her wand at him. "Again I ask, where would they go?"
Panting from the exertion, Harry drawled back. "Did you check her house?"
"Not there. Where else?"
"The Manor?"
"Sold it."
"Malfoy's house or apartment or anything that he could have rented?"
"No...wait, I've got it." she rejoiced and pivoted to leave.
"Wait, where are they?" Harry gasped. He had intended to stall not help her.
"And ruin the anticipation? I think not." she laughed as she sauntered away. At that point, Harry turned his attention back to the woman beside him and the riddle that she posed.
"Who are you?" he whispered as she stared pleadingly back at him with huge doe-like eyes. Somewhere in the fartherest reaches of his stomach, there was a hint of familiarity only to be broken by the crack of a whip.....
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"What happened to Sapphire?" Hermione finally asked after realizing that she wasn't with them.
"She was too far away and I had to get us out of there." Draco started to explain but Hermione cut him off briskly.
"You left her? How could you leave her behind? They're probably torturing her or killing her right now, you know that right?" she screamed erradictly.
"I had to do what was necessary to save us and the key to the story. We have to figure out what's going on and stop them but we'd be dead, instead of just one girl, if I hadn't done it. Is that what you'd preferred happened?" Draco snapped back at her harsher than he'd originally intended.
"You're a cruel and heartless bastard." she seethed in anger and fear alike.
"No, I'm practical and I have a job to do. Would care to join us or you're free to leave anytime." His bore straight through her as she realized that she didn't have a choice in the matter and sat back down to take in her surrounding.
"Where are we?" Tara asked at last.
"What neither of you recognize it?" Draco snorted. By the confused looked on each of their faces, he took that as a no before it occurred to him that neither of them probably ever had a reason to come here.
"Are we in a dungeon?" Hermione asked.
"Not just any dungeon. The safest dungeon there is if your on the light side that is." He announced proudly.
"What the hell are you babbling about now?" Tara asked crossly.
"Hogwarts?" Hermione gazed up at him hopefully.
"None other." He was absolutely beaming at the genius of it.
"But what about the no apparating wards?" the girls asked almost simultaneously.
"You can ask Dumbledore about that yourselves." He told them as he looked for the door to get them out of the room.
"How did you know this was here?" Hermione was trying to grasp the concept of Draco knowing something about Hogwarts that she didn't but was failing to find the logic.
"Dumbledore told me."
"But why?" she pressed further.
"Ask him." he dismissed her inquiry.
"Why would you think of it?" she tried another tactic.
"Because you need proof and here is where you will get it."
"Proof of what?"
"Proof of who is behind this." he answered coyly.
"Just spit it out, I know you want to." she pushed harder.
"Ask Dumbledore." he turned to stare her down as the door gave way. "I'm not going to explain it again."
With that he turned back around, headed out of the room and down the hallway to find Dumbledore. This nightmare had to end soon or he would loose his mind especially now that she had reverted back to her old ways. Truthfully, he hadn't wanted to leave behind the other girl but there was no other way. It's like wizards chess, he reasoned with himself, you have to sacrifice some to win the game. The King and Queen were the important ones and that didn't change anytime or anywhere. Hold on, where did that one come from? Someplace that he didn't have time to go to right now, that was for sure.
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"So did she tell them?" the fiery red head barked at her older sibling.
"No, I was able to stun her before she said anything but..." he braced himself for the tirade to come.
"But what?" she seethed.
"While I was trying to grab Hermione, the other girl saw the spell and then got away." Ron answered before cowering away from her.
"What other girl?"
"Dad's secretary, Sapphire." he sighed heavily wondering why she didn't know that.
"What was she doing there? Where were you?" Ginny fumed.
"How the bloody hell am I suppose to know that?" he shot back defensively.
"How did you get to them?" she asked trying to rationalize the new development.
"I honed in on Hermione and apparated to her location."
"Where was that?"
"An apartment of some kind. Why?" he replied uneasy.
"It must have been her apartment. But where would she have gone?" She was talking to herself to work through the puzzle.
"What difference does it make? She's not with them so who cares?" he pressed innocently.
"Because she knows the truth now, if she tells anyone then all this was for nothing you git." she explained while glaring at him arrogantly. Watching the wheels turn in his head was like waiting for water in boil, she thought wearily. "We have to find her before she can tell anyone what she saw."
"But how?"
"I'm going to Dad's office and see what I can find in her desk." she decided quickly and began to put on her robes.
"What do I do?" he blurted out, regretfully.
"Say here, I think you've done quite enough." Upon seeing the hurt expression that he wore, she tried to ease his concerns. "Catch up with your friend, I'm sure bored in there by himself."
"But she's with him."
"And she isn't talking, remember?" Ginny exhaled loudly growing tired of the battle of wits with the unarmed brother.
"Ohhhh, I get it" Finally he gets it, she realized through shakes of her head. He has to be adopted, she laughed to herself.
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Tara stood in the background watching the scene unfold with a smirk of her own. This is going to be far too easy, she mused, they'll never even see it coming. She had caught on quickly to the fact that Malfoy was proud of himself for coming her because he thought it was the safest place at the moment but how wrong he was, so to speak. Hanging back purposely to observe them but avoid the appearance of interfering, she waited for he opportunity to sneak away to send a message to her boss. She'd loved her previous assignments but this was much better and just may be key to her freedom.
"How can you be so arrogant, you could be wrong. You don't know them the way that I do." Hermione had begun to plead with him now more from fear of the possibility than a need for him to hear her.
"I'm not discussing this anymore, Granger. Plead your case to Dumbledore as I know what I saw and heard." Drace spat defiantly.
"If you do this then you're as guilty as them for jumping to conclusions." she spoke a little quickly she realize as he spun to face her.
"I know what I saw. Who ever saw the Dark mark on me?"
"We all heard you everyday talking about mudbloods and purebloods, what we were to assume?"
"Did I ever speak alligence to Voldemort?"
"No."
"Did I ever speak of becoming a Deatheater?"
"No but..."
"But what?" he hissed while standing just inches from her now.
"It wasn't a far leap." she stepped closer to him in a show of strength and resolve.
Draco pulled out his wand and pointed it directly at her before lowering his voice threateningly. "I could kill you right now. Defend me now, Granger. Tell me how I mean you no harm."
"You wouldn't dare." she challenged him.
"Why wouldn't I?"
"Because I'm not your enemy, I'm the only friend you have now." she replied just staring straight through the empty threat.
"Are you sure about that?"
"Not a doubt." He lowered his wand under weight of her stare that showed she knew the truth that sulked below his facade.
"Then accept the truth of what you saw and not what you feel. Feelings are for the weak and will lead you astray." he warned before attempting to turn around but was stopped by her final words.
"If I did that then I never would have gotten to know you." she whispered feebly.
Perfect, Tara laughed silently, she cares for him and that's weakened them both. This situation was panning out to be far more rewarding than she could have ever hoped. All she needed now was to send word to the powers that be with her location. Where is Snape when she needs him? Looking around for a way out, she was shot back to reality by the sight of a large gargoyle opening up to reveal a staircase and the bickering pair disappearing up them. Should she follow or find a way out now?
author's note:
Sorry that this has taken so long to update but I've been sick in addition to the search for my friend's mother and an ice storm that hit my area and caused my computer to crash. For those who are interested, we still have not found my friend's mother and all leads have been exhausted. She has officially been missing for a month now and I'm afraid that my fears have turned out to be true that we may never find her or ever know what really happened to her. I thank everyone for the thoughts and prayers as my friend and I have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of well wishes by virtual strangers.
On to happier notes, welcome to new reader Mother Zephyr. Continued thanks to loyal readers slyswn28, darktwistedpoet, Blood-Red-Pen-Tip, Mr. Big Bad and Harrena Potter.
I would also like to thank hellakat for further review as to what you believe that I need to work on. I appreciate the criticism and will continue to take it under advisement.
Mr. Big Bad...I hope you like the conversation better in this now that I understand what you are looking for and thank you for the compliment on how hard it is to find fault. I understand what you purpose is and will continue to work on the flow of the conversations.
Harrena....I'm sorry for the delay in update...but that should get more frequent now.
slyswn28...Ron is involved as you can see but more will be revealed in time as to what twists are in store for all the characters.
And finally...thanks to Dracolov for sponsoring the contest....thanks to anyone who else who is reading and please remember to review......I love reading them all good or bad.
