Chapter 38
"Afraid"
Hermione drew in a sharp breath. How could he be here? Why was he here? Suddenly, she suspected that he was the reason Dumbledore had left so urgently. She twirled her ring around her finger madly, uneasily.
Suddenly, twenty or more Death Eaters, all in masks and decked out in dark, billowing cloaks, rushed in, hitting several students with stupefying spells. Professor McGonnagal tried to stun one of the Death Eaters, but was stunned herself. Harry kicked over a table, motioning for several students to get behind it. Hermione ducked under the stage through a trap door on the side, telling students to quietly and quickly get in.
The Death Eaters stood in the middle of the hall, all laughing madly.
"Oh, ickle Hogwarts having a bally-wally?" cackled a woman Death Eater.
Harry had no doubt that it was Bellatrix. He peeked from behind the table, watching the Death Eaters. They were stupefy students and staff, laughing madly and acting as if they were children in a candy shop. Harry was about to duck out and do some special auror moves, when the person he wished not to see strutted in. Dark hair crowned the head of the Dark Lord, his eyes blazing red in the dimly lit room. His pale face, though handsome, was somehow contorted with rage, happiness, and his old self, the snake. His robes flowed around him as he walked up to his Death Eaters. A smirk crossed his pale lips. His snake, Nargini, followed in behind him.
Hermione watched through cracks on in the small trap door as he strolled in. She could feel her heart flutter. She longed to run up to him, to throw her arms around him, to kiss him, but seeing how much he changed over the past months alone, which felt like years to her, she was afraid to do so. She felt nausea sweep over her. Her breathing quickened and her heart pounded furiously against her chest.
"Ah, good old Hogwarts," said Voldemort. "It's so nice to be here again, especially on Magic Day."
His Death Eaters got down and bowed before their Lord. Voldemort smirked, seeing the horrified looks on many students faces. Nargini hissed at many.
"Patients, Nargini, patients. I'll find someone to suit your taste buds soon," said Voldemort.
Harry peeked out again from behind the table, his scar, after years of immense training, only throbbed a bit. He waited patiently for a moment, a moment to attack. He knew that the countless, innocent lives of the students were riding on him.
"Dumbledore isn't here to save you," said Voldemort, turning around and looking at all the students. "He's gone away, believing he was needed for something very important. Now, I will get that old fool and hit him where it hurts most."
Harry watched as the Death Eaters got up and started torturing students. Harry took his chance, shot up, and stunned a Death Eater. Harry was kicked in the side, his wand skidding under a nearby table. Two Death Eaters grabbed Harry roughly, holding him up. Voldemort walked up to him.
"Well, well, Harry Potter. I'm quite surprised to see you here," he said.
Harry's eye blazed with rage. Hermione watched them both, holing her breath, her hand on the door.
"You only sent Dumbledore away because you were too afraid to face him," spat Harry.
Vodlemort punched Harry. A thin line of blood escaped Harry's mouth. His jaw felt broken.
"What lies you speak, Potter. I only sent that fool away so that when he returned, his precious Hogwarts would be destroyed and so would he, too distraught to carry on to destroy me," said Voldemort. "My Death Eaters are itching to kill."
A murmur of agreement filtered through the Death Eaters. Harry saw Wormtail, hiding nearby, his eye twitching.
"Now, I think we'll start the killings by killing you," said Voldemort.
Voldemort raised his wand. He aimed it at Harry's heart. Harry closed his eyes, thinking he would soon be with his parents.
"Avada..."
There was a sudden banging of wood. A figure quickly emerged out from under the stage.
"Accio wand!" it shouted quickly.
Before Voldemort knew what was happening, he felt his wand slip out of his fingers. His eyes blazed like fire. He swung around and turned toward the shadowy figure clutching his wand. He motioned for his Death Eaters, all walking toward the figure, to stop.
"Well, well, someone comes to Potter's aid. Not man enough to show your face?" he said silkily.
Hermione clutched Tom's wand and hers in one hand. She could see his scarlet eyes glowing, his attention turned toward her. She decided that if it were now that she died, she would go out now, as a woman, not as a coward.
Voldemort watched as the figure stepped into the dimmed lights in the hall. The light traveled from the bottom of red wine dress, up to hips, up to the neck, then the face. She stood there, holding two wands, her face, full of fear, yet determination. Loose curls hung in her face. She gazed back at him with an unclear expression.
They stood there for a while, starring at each other. The only sound that rang in the hall was a few sobs now and then. Neither of the two knew what to think. Voldemort stepped up to her, gazing at her like she was a shiny object. It had been a while since he last saw her. He had changed so much since she last saw him, that was, Christmas.
Harry watched as Voldemort walked up to Hermione. He had never seen the Dark Lord look at someone with such passion. Voldemort grabbed Hermione clutching her arms near the shoulders, throwing her head back, her very loose bun shaking loose, fine curls blooming out.
Hermione could feel the heat of his body against hers. She starred up into those burning eyes, seeing a faint glimmer of emerald green in them. She felt so afraid of him, knowing his strong embrace could crush her like a hammer to a piece of chalk. He suddenly smiled. He furiously kissed her, feeling what might bruise her lips. She tried to scream, but couldn't. His hold on her arms was hurting her. She lifted her leg up quickly, hitting him in between the legs, the slapped him hard in the face, her hand mark showing red against his pale, cool skin. He quickly let go of her, smiling, seeming as if it didn't faze him a bit.
"What, I thought you used to liked it when I kissed you," he said, sneering.
Hermione's eye blazed.
"You're right, I used," she spat.
Tom starred at her, his face expressionless.
"What's the matter? I'm not good enough for you?" he hissed.
Hermione didn't answer.
"Well?" Tom hissed.
Hermione's eyes fogged up. Why was he acting this way? Never in her life had he treated her like this, never. Oh, how he had change, how the thick blood of evil corrupted him.
"Answer me!" Tom hissed, slapping Hermione hard, knocking her to the floor, the Death Eaters laughing.
Hermione fell to the floor, her and Toms' wand landing beside her, the side of her face stinging. She hoisted herself up on her knees, her hair dangling around her face. She looked up at Tom, no Voldemort. He hovered over her.
"My wand," he said, extending his hand out.
Hermione picked his wand up and held it up.
"You want it?" she hissed. "Go fetch!"
She threw his wand across the room. It hit the wall with a clunk sound and rolled under a table. Vodlemort glared at her.
"Bitch! Filthy bitch!" he spat, jerking her up by her arms.
He snapped his fingers.
"Lucius, Avery, take Potter away, I'll deal with him later."
The two Death Eaters holding Harry took him away, Harry kicking and cussing. Harry gave Hermione one final, sad, worried look before he was gone from sight. She turned her gaze back to Voldemort.
"As for you, my sweet," he said silky, "I have other plans."
"Afraid"
Hermione drew in a sharp breath. How could he be here? Why was he here? Suddenly, she suspected that he was the reason Dumbledore had left so urgently. She twirled her ring around her finger madly, uneasily.
Suddenly, twenty or more Death Eaters, all in masks and decked out in dark, billowing cloaks, rushed in, hitting several students with stupefying spells. Professor McGonnagal tried to stun one of the Death Eaters, but was stunned herself. Harry kicked over a table, motioning for several students to get behind it. Hermione ducked under the stage through a trap door on the side, telling students to quietly and quickly get in.
The Death Eaters stood in the middle of the hall, all laughing madly.
"Oh, ickle Hogwarts having a bally-wally?" cackled a woman Death Eater.
Harry had no doubt that it was Bellatrix. He peeked from behind the table, watching the Death Eaters. They were stupefy students and staff, laughing madly and acting as if they were children in a candy shop. Harry was about to duck out and do some special auror moves, when the person he wished not to see strutted in. Dark hair crowned the head of the Dark Lord, his eyes blazing red in the dimly lit room. His pale face, though handsome, was somehow contorted with rage, happiness, and his old self, the snake. His robes flowed around him as he walked up to his Death Eaters. A smirk crossed his pale lips. His snake, Nargini, followed in behind him.
Hermione watched through cracks on in the small trap door as he strolled in. She could feel her heart flutter. She longed to run up to him, to throw her arms around him, to kiss him, but seeing how much he changed over the past months alone, which felt like years to her, she was afraid to do so. She felt nausea sweep over her. Her breathing quickened and her heart pounded furiously against her chest.
"Ah, good old Hogwarts," said Voldemort. "It's so nice to be here again, especially on Magic Day."
His Death Eaters got down and bowed before their Lord. Voldemort smirked, seeing the horrified looks on many students faces. Nargini hissed at many.
"Patients, Nargini, patients. I'll find someone to suit your taste buds soon," said Voldemort.
Harry peeked out again from behind the table, his scar, after years of immense training, only throbbed a bit. He waited patiently for a moment, a moment to attack. He knew that the countless, innocent lives of the students were riding on him.
"Dumbledore isn't here to save you," said Voldemort, turning around and looking at all the students. "He's gone away, believing he was needed for something very important. Now, I will get that old fool and hit him where it hurts most."
Harry watched as the Death Eaters got up and started torturing students. Harry took his chance, shot up, and stunned a Death Eater. Harry was kicked in the side, his wand skidding under a nearby table. Two Death Eaters grabbed Harry roughly, holding him up. Voldemort walked up to him.
"Well, well, Harry Potter. I'm quite surprised to see you here," he said.
Harry's eye blazed with rage. Hermione watched them both, holing her breath, her hand on the door.
"You only sent Dumbledore away because you were too afraid to face him," spat Harry.
Vodlemort punched Harry. A thin line of blood escaped Harry's mouth. His jaw felt broken.
"What lies you speak, Potter. I only sent that fool away so that when he returned, his precious Hogwarts would be destroyed and so would he, too distraught to carry on to destroy me," said Voldemort. "My Death Eaters are itching to kill."
A murmur of agreement filtered through the Death Eaters. Harry saw Wormtail, hiding nearby, his eye twitching.
"Now, I think we'll start the killings by killing you," said Voldemort.
Voldemort raised his wand. He aimed it at Harry's heart. Harry closed his eyes, thinking he would soon be with his parents.
"Avada..."
There was a sudden banging of wood. A figure quickly emerged out from under the stage.
"Accio wand!" it shouted quickly.
Before Voldemort knew what was happening, he felt his wand slip out of his fingers. His eyes blazed like fire. He swung around and turned toward the shadowy figure clutching his wand. He motioned for his Death Eaters, all walking toward the figure, to stop.
"Well, well, someone comes to Potter's aid. Not man enough to show your face?" he said silkily.
Hermione clutched Tom's wand and hers in one hand. She could see his scarlet eyes glowing, his attention turned toward her. She decided that if it were now that she died, she would go out now, as a woman, not as a coward.
Voldemort watched as the figure stepped into the dimmed lights in the hall. The light traveled from the bottom of red wine dress, up to hips, up to the neck, then the face. She stood there, holding two wands, her face, full of fear, yet determination. Loose curls hung in her face. She gazed back at him with an unclear expression.
They stood there for a while, starring at each other. The only sound that rang in the hall was a few sobs now and then. Neither of the two knew what to think. Voldemort stepped up to her, gazing at her like she was a shiny object. It had been a while since he last saw her. He had changed so much since she last saw him, that was, Christmas.
Harry watched as Voldemort walked up to Hermione. He had never seen the Dark Lord look at someone with such passion. Voldemort grabbed Hermione clutching her arms near the shoulders, throwing her head back, her very loose bun shaking loose, fine curls blooming out.
Hermione could feel the heat of his body against hers. She starred up into those burning eyes, seeing a faint glimmer of emerald green in them. She felt so afraid of him, knowing his strong embrace could crush her like a hammer to a piece of chalk. He suddenly smiled. He furiously kissed her, feeling what might bruise her lips. She tried to scream, but couldn't. His hold on her arms was hurting her. She lifted her leg up quickly, hitting him in between the legs, the slapped him hard in the face, her hand mark showing red against his pale, cool skin. He quickly let go of her, smiling, seeming as if it didn't faze him a bit.
"What, I thought you used to liked it when I kissed you," he said, sneering.
Hermione's eye blazed.
"You're right, I used," she spat.
Tom starred at her, his face expressionless.
"What's the matter? I'm not good enough for you?" he hissed.
Hermione didn't answer.
"Well?" Tom hissed.
Hermione's eyes fogged up. Why was he acting this way? Never in her life had he treated her like this, never. Oh, how he had change, how the thick blood of evil corrupted him.
"Answer me!" Tom hissed, slapping Hermione hard, knocking her to the floor, the Death Eaters laughing.
Hermione fell to the floor, her and Toms' wand landing beside her, the side of her face stinging. She hoisted herself up on her knees, her hair dangling around her face. She looked up at Tom, no Voldemort. He hovered over her.
"My wand," he said, extending his hand out.
Hermione picked his wand up and held it up.
"You want it?" she hissed. "Go fetch!"
She threw his wand across the room. It hit the wall with a clunk sound and rolled under a table. Vodlemort glared at her.
"Bitch! Filthy bitch!" he spat, jerking her up by her arms.
He snapped his fingers.
"Lucius, Avery, take Potter away, I'll deal with him later."
The two Death Eaters holding Harry took him away, Harry kicking and cussing. Harry gave Hermione one final, sad, worried look before he was gone from sight. She turned her gaze back to Voldemort.
"As for you, my sweet," he said silky, "I have other plans."