Chapter 21

Voldemort raised his wand, and said one word. The entire shield fell, and the Death Eaters moved in for the kill.

When the shield collapsed Hermione realized how grave their situation was. She had thought they would have a chance with the shield, but without it, she wasn't sure they had very long.

"Everyone in one area!" she said, pulling Draco back until they were almost all against the wall.

"Great," Draco said sarcastically, "Now we're trapped!"

"Shut-up!" she hissed. "We couldn't run, and you know it, so help me plan something!"

"What should we do, Master?" Lucius asked eagerly, as if he wanted to kill his son again. "What should we do?"

"Kill them all," came the cold reply. "Except Potter. I want to destroy little Harry."

They were closer now, and Hermione took a deep breath.

"I'm going to try something," she muttered. "Get Harry in the back, so he won't get killed first!"

She shoved Harry behind them and took another deep breath.

"What are you doing?" Draco murmured, eyeing the Death Eaters with apprehension.

"There isn't really time to explain!" she said.

"I guess not," he said. "But wait-"

She had already muttered the spell, her wand pointed at her ring. Suddenly another shield sprung up, this time it was red.

"Wow," Harry said. "That's a nice shade of pink." Hermione allowed herself to smile, especially when the Death Eaters could not penetrate it.

"So, this gives us time to discover how we're going to do this…" Harry said under his breath. "How long will this damn shield last?"

"It's fueled by something other than magic," Hermione replied coolly, clutching her wand tightly. "I have no idea. Harry you'd better begin talking."

After Harry had finished explaining his plan quietly, they turned back to the Death Eaters, who were still trying to get through the shield.

"You damn idiots!" Voldemort snapped. "She's using herself to fuel the shield!" All the Death Eaters fixed their eyes on Hermione.

"I didn't know that was possible!" Lucius hissed.

"Anything is possible, you cretin," Voldemort said, hitting Lucius across the face. Red blood dripped down the handsome man's face, and onto his cloak. "But since she is within the shield, we cannot directly attack her. There are other ways of making her release this spell which I assume the brat invented herself…."

"How?" Bella whispered, her mannerism entirely subservient and worshipping of Voldemort.

"Summoning my friend," Voldemort said with a smile.

Suddenly Hades appeared, his handsome face wearing a rather displeased expression.

"What is it you want, Tom?" Hades asked, his apparent anger overflowing and spilling across the floor.

"I need you to make this girl release her spell," Voldemort said, pointing to Hermione. Hades turned to look, and nearly dropped his scepter.

"Hermione?" Hades said in disbelief. "My good Tom, this girl is my most loyal and faithful servant. She is in my service for her life, and I cannot do her harm."

"I'm not asking her to do harm," Tom said sweetly. "Just make her release the spell."

Hades cast him a look that can only be described as disgusted. "Don't think me a fool, Riddle. I am a God, after all."

"You know that I will repay you," Voldemort said, slightly annoyed that he was having to ask the God's help. Hades nodded, and flicked his hand.

Hermione cried out and the shield disappeared.

"My Lord have you abandoned me!" she screamed as Hades turned to leave. He looked back at her, and it seemed he smiled.

"My dear lady, I shall never abandon you," he said. With that, he vanished in a tower of blue flames.

"Very comforting, very comforting, Hermione," Ron said, his fear making his voice squeak. "I wasn't expecting to meet the Devil quite yet, but I guess we'll be seeing him in a few minutes."

"No, you idiot," Harry snapped. "A God says he won't abandon you, you believe it!"

"Sorry," Ron muttered.

"No time to argue," Draco said, watching the Death Eaters. "We've got more pressing matters on our hands!"

"Yeah!" Hermione muttered. "We've got trouble!"

"Accio Wand!" Harry shouted, pointing at Voldemort. It flew from his grasp and into Harry's hand. Voldemort furiously took Lucius and screamed,

"Accio Wand!" The wand flew back to his hand and he opened him mouth to curse.

"IMPEDIMENTIA!" Draco yelled, pointing it at Lucius, who went flying backward, and hitting a bed. He slumped to the floor, and everything erupted.

"IMMOBILIS!" Bellatrix screamed pointing at Hermione. Hermione froze in spot, her curse stopped in her mouth. Harry muttered the counter jinx, and yelled a curse that sent Bellatrix reeling. Somehow Rodolphus' hood had been thrown back, his handsome face radiated calmly in the fray.

"STUPEFY! STUPEFY!" Harry screamed, pointing at the nearest Death Eater. Ron was struggling with his wand, as it refused to do as he wished. Hermione muttered the counter curse.

"IMPEDIMENTIA!" Ron screamed at a red light hit Voldemort square in the chest. The Dark Lord flew a few feet backward, and then struggled to his feet. "Hey, it works now!" Ron said gleefully, and cursed another Death Eater.

"I don't know how much longer we can do this," Draco yelled to Hermione over the din. "We can't hold up much longer."

"You have that much right," Voldemort laughed, standing, wiping the deep red blood from his pale brow. "You have that much right, boy."
A deep silence settled over everyone, and no one moved. It was if they were too afraid to do anything.

"You may kill us," Ron said defiantly. "But death is only another step into a larger picture!"

"That is what you think, you stupid sentimental boy," Lucius hissed. "Beyond Death there is nothing!"

"You know better than that!" Hermione shrieked. "Your own son came back from the dead, so there must be something beyond. Believe what you will, there is something beyond. What, I can't completely comprehend."

"Of course you can't, you stupid little girl," Voldemort hissed. "How could you understand Necromancy?"

"I may not understand," Hermione said, her fury making her shake. "But I have respect for it, unlike you. You destroy everything you touch, you monster!"

"That is so," he snarled. "But I am descended from Salazar Slytherin, and I have the power to make you grovel in submission!"

"You can make my body grovel," Hermione hissed. "But you cannot make me follow you like a sick dog, like these putrid excuses for human beings that lick your shoes!"

"You bitch!" Lucius snapped, lunging. Voldemort whipped out with lightening fast reflexes and Lucius collapsed on the ground whimpering and twitching.

"How cute, my darling little protégé," Voldemort whispered evilly. "You, like Potter, could have been powerful allies. We will meet again in Death, won't we? But, now, you and the rest of your miserable friends must die."

A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed... and you know you want to do it again...:) Please...

To absolute power: Shattered eyes is referring to the fact that most people have more than one color in their eyes, such as blue and green, or in my case brown and green, and when you look at some people's irises, it looks like shattered glass. I always thought that was what Draco's eyes would look like. :)