Title: Tangled up in Darkness
Author: Tzippi Meshugah
Summery: War changes people, in ways we never would have known. Old rivalries are put behind us as we forge new alliances. War is upon us now and Hogwarts is changing. Students that were light are going dark, arch enemies are joining together and becoming friends. Unimaginable sacrifices will be made and it all comes down to the final battle to determine who will be victorious and what the consequences of that victory will be. We are tangled up in darkness and we must escape before the light flickers out for good. Narrated by Millicent Bulstrode.
Tangled up in Darkness
Chapter4
A rank stench wafted through the dimly lit passage way. Dumbledore wrinkled his nose slightly as he glided briskly through the stone corridor. He stopped abruptly as he came to a stone wall, seemingly blocking his path. Slipping his worn wand out of his pocket, he began to tap out a pattern on the wall. The bricks liquidated leaving him room to step through an archway. As soon as he stepped through, they immediately regained the appearance of a caving-in wall. The room that Dumbledore had entered differed drastically from the musky stone passage. It was a well lit room, carpeted with luxuriant black carpet. The wall he stood facing was decorated with the old version of the Hogwarts shield with the ever faithful motto underneath it. The other walls were white, each one containing two doorways. Each led to a different one of the founder's chambers.
In the center of the room stood a round antique table, rumored to date back to the time of King Arthur and Merlin. Twelve wizards and witches sat around it, waiting for him to arrive. They were the inner circle of the Order of the Phoenix. A select group of the most trusted members of the Order. There was at least one representative from each section of the Order, to help keep track of the goings on.
Dumbledore eased himself down into the chair engraved with a Phoenix, formerly belonging to none other than Godric Gryffindor himself. The other members sat in anticipation, searching Dumbledore's grim expression for the reassuring twinkle in his eye that would show that all hope had not been lost. He cleared his throat, seeming for the first time at a loss for words.
"How is the house unity project going?" The portly wizard that had escorted Hermione to and from my house asked. His voice edged with hope.
"As the muggles say that is the million pound question, Damien. The three of them arrived alive and happy, so I'm assuming that's a good sign" Dumbledore said lightly. "But as for what direction it will take once school is back in full swing, I cannot say. Right now there is no silver lining on this cloud we seem to be stranded upon. House tension will be at its strongest with the seventh years. Some of them will be initiated into Voldemort's ranks, if they have not been already. Betrayal will be everywhere and we have to do our best to keep it in check." He added, the gentleness gone from his voice.
The other teachers exchanged nervous looks; Dumbledore's uncertainty was a bit unnerving. Even if he was confident that they all would die gory painful deaths they would feel better, because at least that was something concrete to build a plan on.
"Are there any actions being taken to promote house unity between the rest of the houses?" Minerva McGonagall asked nervously, fingering a wisp of silver hair that escaped her tight bun.
"Our head boy and girl, Ernie Macmillan and Lisa Turpin are working with me to plan inter house events." He said solemnly.
"Macmillan and Turpin, but do you really think that's wise sir, with all due respect, much as I despise her house, there is no denying that Hermione Granger would be much more suited for the job, as would that Slytherin bloke Zabini, " Severus Snape drawled.
"Hermione Granger was believed to be dead and we could hardly tell the prefects that she was head girl if we needed her to stay undercover. She will prove much more useful working with me behind the scenes, as well as Blaise Zabini who being a Slytherin is hated by most of the school and would not be a widely accepted Head Boy." Dumbledore pointed out. "Now, are there any more concerns that need to be brought to attention?"
"I am working on contacting the Vampires, though they are dark creatures, there is rumored to be a race of them that was excommunicated for preaching against Dark Lord Grindelwald, and since then has grown to be rather large." Amelia Bones piped up.
"Very good Minister, well, if that is all, this meeting is adjourned." He said getting up from his chair. After all the members of the Inner circle had filed out of the archway, Dumbledore approached the emblem on the wall across from his seat.
"Well Godric, are you ready to tell me who will have access to that valuable information in the library your chambers?"
The translucent form of a young man appeared in front of him. "No, but I will notify you when I'm ready to disclose that information." He said winking, his loud voice ringing off the walls in the antechamber.
"Thank you Godric." He said turning and exiting the chamber grinning. He knew who the people Godric was referring to were and hoped that they would be able to get along long enough to get work done together.
Draco glanced nervously at the dark mark branded on his arm, it was glowing green and burning him painfully. He had been summoned. Nervously he tugged on the sleeve of his robes. He had not thought it very wise to become a death eater while still attending Hogwarts; however his father in one of his infrequent letters from his high security prison insisted that the Dark Lord had his reasons. Because he was eager to avenge his father's death, he had joined the ranks of the death eaters. Tonight he was going to find out the reasons.
"Enter," Hissed a cold voice which sent shivers down Draco's spine. Gulping Draco stepped through the stone doorway into a dim torch lit chamber and bowed deeply. The stones on the wall flickered eerily in the torchlight. A faint dripping like one would expect to hear in a dilapidated cave echoed quietly in the otherwise silent room sending shivers up and down Draco's spine. Voldemort stood with his back to the door, but his own teachings told Draco that The Dark Lord was fully aware of what was taking place behind him.
"Take a ssseat" He said without turning around, confirming Draco's suspicion. Draco scanned the room; the only chair in site was a slab of stone with chains drilled into it. The cuffs snapped open and closed as if laughing at him. Nervously, Draco trudged toward the chair, trying to hide the fear from his eyes.
"They won't bind you unless I command them too, which I will only do if your force me." Voldemort turned to look at Draco, his red slit eyes unblinkingly settled on Draco's face and the hint of a smile played around his lips. Rather than disobey the Dark Lord, Draco scurried into the chair.
"I am now going to take you into my confidence, if word of this leaves the room, except to the appropriate ears you will suffer mercilessly for it." He said, his long gray fingers gliding across his wand. "You are being assigned to an important mission, one that I will be very furious if it were to fail, so you best make sure it doesn't. Seeing as Dumbledore rejected all the Death Eaters that put themselves forward for the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Snape is now there alone. I fear however the Dumbledore is beginning to suspect him, because he has not been able to report anything worthwhile for months. I need you to bring back any information regarding Dumbledore, the Inner Circle of the Order of the Phoenix, and Harry Potter that you can get your hands on." Voldemort's eyes narrowed as the last name slipped off his tongue. "I know you are not close with Potter, this might involve choosing and inside source who is close to him. Choose wisely. If you are successful, you will be rewarded greatly, if you fail, you may have to pay with your own life."
Draco swallowed nervously again, but nodded all the same. Refusing a task from the Dark Lord meant inevitable death.
"Only your father knows about this mission. It will remain strictly confidential to offer you as much protection as I can give. If others were to be caught and questioned they would not be able to betray you. Now go, and tell your father I'm working on a way to break him out. I know his incoming mail is read, but I have a spy in with the back up guard they will employ to surround him." Voldemort laughed manically.
Draco leapt down from the chair and after bowing once again to Voldemort he scampered out of the room. He had a train to catch to Hogwarts the next morning, and a mission to fulfill.
Sun should not be allowed at 6 in the morning, Hermione decided, as she tried to find a comfortable place in her bed. It was no use; she was up for the day. Why had she volunteered to sleep in the bed nearest to the window in first year? Sighing, she sat up; she might as well be the first one to claim the shower.
One long shower, three hair elastics, and two cups of coffee later, Hermione sat uneasily in the great hall, twirling her thick curly ponytail around her finger. From what she could tell, it was already beginning to frizz into its normal bushy mess, so much for good first impressions. All thoughts of making a good impression immediately flew out of her head as she saw Harry and Ron being propelled toward the table by Dean Thomas. The three stopped dead in their tracks as the saw who was sitting at the table in her normal seat.
"Am I dreaming?" She heard Ron ask.
"If you are, I'm having the same dream" Dean answered releasing Ron and Harry so that he could rub his eyes.
"Pinch me," Came Harry's husky voice, slightly hoarse from the impact of the shock. Dean absent mindedly leaned over and pinched him. "Ow!" He cried a few seconds later, apparently startled.
"We're not dreaming." Ron concluded based on his friend's reaction, and began to walk rapidly to the Gryffindor table.
"Morning" Hermione said remotely to them. It was her normal morning greeting.
"You're alive," Harry breathed.
"Quite so, as is plainly obvious." Hermione spooned some porridge into her mouth, though she was not particularly hungry. From across the hall I shot her a quick smile which she returned before regaining her blank pompous expression.
"But the paper said you were dead!" protested Ron.
"And if we believed everything we read, Ronald, then Harry would be an attention seeking loon, and Dumbledore would be an old coot off his rocker." Hermione pointed out, still maintaining her distant tone of voice. "Though the latter is questionable," She added.
"Why did you let us believe you were dead? You had us in a right state all summer!" Ron said, his voice rising, anger and hurt beginning to replace the shock in his eyes.
"This is not the best place to discuss the matter Ronald."
"Fine, but don't think I'm letting you off the hook that easily!"
"The thought never even crossed my mind," She said simply, swinging her book bag over her shoulder and walking out of the great hall, not meeting anybody's gaze.
"That seemed to go well." Blaise said quietly to her out of the corner of his mouth as he walked to class, a fair distance from her.
"For now," She mumbled. "I'm going to have hell to pay later, I wish I didn't have to push it off, all day he's going to brood and tonight when I get a chance to tell him he's going to be nearing an explosion," She shot back in the same manner. I came up behind her and touched her shoulder comfortingly before joining Blaise on the other side of the deserted hall.
"After you escape the interrogation, meet us in the Muggle literature section of the library." I whispered as we turned into the potions room and took our respected seats in the back row, across the room from each other. A few moments later Hermione was joined by Harry who made a big scene of taking his supplies noisily out of his bag while ignoring Hermione's attempts at polite conversation. Ron must have gotten to him. She shrugged and turned back to writing on her roll of parchment. Students began filing in, followed by Snape and our first class of seventh year began.
Hermione closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, hoping in vain that she would be able to keep her cool. She had put everything that had happened prior to her arrival in Venice in the back of her mind. Many years of hiding her true feelings had given her the ability to numb herself to pain and depression and release it to herself in small doses. This, however, was much more painful than the other misery she had managed to ignore and even the slightest recollection of it would shatter the barrier and bring it to mind in a far more agonizing manner. Nervously, she pushed open the door of her dorm room and headed downstairs. Students lay haphazardly on couches and chairs, only Ron and Harry sat uptight staring at the stairs waiting for her arrival.
She walked briskly over to a chair and took a seat. The common room seemed to fall quiet and all eyes fell on her. For what seemed like ages nobody spoke, finally Hermione spoke up.
"It would be much appreciated if everyone was toevacuate the common room for a few moments." She said, addressing the students who were watching the building tension in the staring contest she seemed to be having with Harry and Ron. For a few moments, nobody moved.
"Please?" She added. Suddenly as if that word had been enought to trigger a reaction,the students reluctantly began to exit the room.
"Why didn't you tell us you were still alive?" Ron asked, his voice quivering slightly with hurt.
"I was being hunted by Voldemort if I was to be caught I would surely be killed." She calmly explained.
"But we wouldn't have ratted you out!" Ron protested.
"There are spies in the order, if you were not convincingly sad they would suspect something."
"So where were you all summer?" Harry asked calmly.
"In Venice, at Millicent Bulstrode's house," She answered truthfully, they were going to find out eventually it might as well be now. Ron's eyes began to flash with anger, Hermione half expected to see smoke coming out of his ears.
"You were at a Slytherin's house!" Ron said, jumping to his feet, spatting out Slytherin like it was a dirty word. "Your enemy knew you were alive, but you didn't have the courtesy to let your friends know?"
"Enemies, as in plural Ron, Blaise Zabini lives across the street from her, and they are no longer my enemies. Once you get past the crest on their robes they are no different from me." She said sharply.
"But we are your friends, we have been for ages!" He cried his voice reaching a note of hysteria. Hermione's eye narrowed and her calm demeanor began to evaporate. She tried to compress it, push it back into herself like she had been trained to do, but it exploded in her face, a reckless rage burning all those around it.
"Some friends!" She cried angrily. "Last year when I needed you, you were too busy for me! I became a walking talking encyclopedia to you and nothing more. You didn't care for my opinion, and you didn't care what I felt. And then, when other people tried to talk to me, you scared them away because you were afraid that I would replace you."
"That's not true Hermione." Harry said his voice cracking.
"Are you calling me a liar, Harry? You know it's true and I know it's true. You were bored of me, but you didn't even bother to get to know the real me, just the know it all exterior. You only became 'friends' with me because you saved me from the troll in first year and then I sweet- talked you out of trouble. You didn't become friends with me because of my qualities, just my homework answers. And now you have the gall to say that you were my friends! Blaise and Millicent are more my friends than you will ever be!"
"Hermione, stop, please! You're over reacting!" Ron cried in frustration.
"I'm over reacting, if I recall correctly you were the one who put his own concerns over that of the magical world. You cared more that I didn't tell you I was alive than you did that had I told you I could have died for real. I thought you would be happy to see me. Apparently I was wrong."
"At least I was more of a friend to you than Millicent Bulstrode who was in the Inquisitorial Squad, and who put you in a headlock!"
"Millicent and Blaise got to know me for who I really was, despite the fact that she hated me before this summer and we were in rival houses. You on the other hand kept me isolated from meeting other students so that I could supply you with answers to your homework! They are at least sympathetic to the fact that I lost two parents unlike some people I know!"
"Well if you're such good chums, why don't you just head on over and meet them and get out of my sight!" Ron yelled his eyes flashing. Harry tugged on his robes trying to calm him down. Hermione turned on her heel and headed for the portrait hole.
"Hermione, wait!" Ginny called.
"I did my waiting, all last year I waited and now I'm sick of waiting. If you want me I'll be with my real friends." She spat and fled from the room. As soon as she was a safe distance from the common room she began to sob. Blindly she stumbled into the library and managed to navigate the Muggle literature room where Blaise and I stood waiting. She collapsed on the floor in a heap, sobbing uncontrollably. Her sobs were heart wrenching, and before I knew it, tears were flowing down my own face. Blaise had pulled her small frame into his lap and he sat calmly stroking her hair. I joined them on the floor.
For a while all that could be heard were her sobs. Finally she quieted. "I've needed to do that the whole summer. I pushed all the pain out of the way, I tried to ignore it and it worked. I felt nothing because of them. I cried because I knew it was healthy, not because I felt anything. But now it has all surfaced and the pain is fresh and it's consuming me. I can't take it." She said meekly, her voice quaking.
"Shhhh, don't talk like that" Blaise said soothingly enveloping her in a hug. She snuggled closer against his warm body.
"What happened up there?" I asked.
"They were angry that you knew I was alive and not them. I then lost it and everything, all the hatred I have for them for the way they neglected me last year, the hate I have for Voldemort killing my parents, just exploded out of me and I lectured them for how they treated me in comparison to you. Luckily I managed not to break down in front of them." She said, her normal confidence beginning to return to her voice.
"Do you want to hear our suggestions for temptingly agonizing ways to kill them in their sleep?" Blaise offered.
"Sure," She said eagerly. I felt a wave of pity wash over me. Hermione had lost her parents and now her friends. All she had was us.
"We should take her and introduce her to the others" I said interrupting Blaise.
"Now?" She asked nervously.
"Well, maybe not now, we should warn them first, but tomorrow." An awkward silence followed my proposal and I immediately regretted suggesting it.
"How did you know about the Muggle book section?" She asked randomly breaking the awkward silence, her eyes hungrily scanning the room we were in which was filled from ceiling to floor with Muggle works of fiction and non fiction.
"Muggles are the brightest writers ever, they have no magic and yet they manage to weave intriguing spellbinding stories from their imagination. Wizard authors don't even compare," I said, Blaise nodded in agreement. Groaning, I got up from the floor, and straightened my robes. "I don't know about you, but I'm getting rather uncomfortable on this floor. I'll see you tomorrow, Hermione" I said walking out of the door. Hermione got off of Blaise's lap and straitened her robes.
"Thank you guys for everything" She whispered.
"No problem, that's what friends are for." Blaise said getting to his feet as well.The three of us headed out of the library and turned in out separate directions.
As the portrait slammed behind Hermione, Harry Ron and Ginny sat staring idly at it for a moment.
"Nice going Ron!" Harry said sharply.
"You treated her just as badly as I did" Ron protested grudgingly.
"I can't believe the two of you!" Ginny cried incredulously glaring at Ron and Harry.
"Butt out Ginny, this has nothing to do with you." Ron snapped.
"It has everything to do with me!" She replied.
"Just stay out of it Gin," Ron said turning to go up to his room. "How I behaved is none of your concern, and I'm not in the mood for a lecture from my little sister."
"I'm not trying to lecture you! I'm trying to tell you to apologize, Hermione didn't deserve that treatment!"
"Just go away Ginny!" Ron called from halfway up the stairs. A few seconds later the slam of the fat lady's portrait announced that she had.
Ginny ran, blinded by her tears. She did not normally react like this; her brother's outbursts were common. But this was like the straw that broke the camel's back. She was sick and tired of being pushed around. It hurt her that she was so insignificant. Her feet led her unsuspectingly to the astronomy tower. Panting she flung herself into a seat and screamed a loud piercing scream that filled the heaves. She screamed until she had no energy left and she collapsed in a lump on the floor.
Something silver glinted in the faint light. She reached out for it and found a bloody razor blade. Some other student must have been attempting suicide. She started to throw the razor away, but stopped suddenly. The dried blood on the razor seemed to call to her. With a quick scourgify she cleaned it off and looked at it. Her eyes reflected in it, stormy blue with a passionate glint in them. She held it to her arm. The blade called to her, inviting her to slit her wrist, just to see the blood flow from it. An invisible force pushed her hand down and she made a gentle cut in her arm. The red blood flowed out over her pale skin contrasting greatly with it. The blood sparkled in the light and gave her an odd satisfaction. Watching unflinching as her blood poured out of her wound gave her a powerful feeling, one which she had not felt in quite a while, tucking the razor blade into he pocket she headed back to her dorm to dress the gash. A surge of adrenaline rushed through her; she had not felt this powerful in a while. The power of determining her own fate was now in her hands, whether it is to be life or death was up to her and the little blade that currently resides in her pocket.
The next night Hermione stood nervously shifting from one foot to the other in the lowest coldest part of the dungeons. I shot her a reassuring glance and knocked on a stone wall.
"Baddock, please don't, like, say you forgot the password already!" A high pitched girlish voice called, growing louder as it grew nearer. The stone wall opened suddenly as if it was on hinges. "Millie? You with the memory and figure of an elephant have forgotten the password? Oh -my -gosh! Wait till I tell the others!" She squealed excitedly.
"Relax Tracy, I know the password, however if you want to keep it away from Gryffindor ears I won't say it here." I reassured her ignoring the insult that she had thrown in.
Tracy Davis raised a perfectly plucked dirty blond eyebrow as she peered out of the doorway. "Well, well, if it isn't Hermione Granger. What brings your high and mighty self, like, all the way over here to the dungeons of, like, doom?" She asked in an American drawl. I had a strong urge to slap her, I never slapped people, but seeing a red handprint on her perfect skin would be rather rewarding right about now. I despised that accent she had picked up over her summer vacation two years ago. However it would not be wise for a Slytherin to be caught harming another. It was clearly stated in the book of official unwritten Slytherin guidelines that such an act was considered treason, so I gritted my teeth and smiled forcedly.
"Actually Tracy, she's a friend of ours, Hermione, this is Tracy Davis." Blaise said seeing that I was in no state to be talking. I managed a nod of agreement as her eyebrow shot up farther as if inquiring its truth value from me.
"Like, wow Blaise, you're going to have a ton of, like, explaining to do. Draco is not going to be happy." Tracy said flipping her long silky dirty blond hair over her shoulder.
"He's not in charge." Mumbled Blaise looking suddenly apprehensive. I steered Hermione who was slowly backing away into the common room. The wall sealed itself behind us leaving only the lush green of the Slytherin common room stretching out to all sides. Thick green carpeting covered the stone floor, keeping out much of the cold in the winter. The walls were shades of light green swirling together around the room. Directly in front of us was the warm green fire flickered invitingly its warmth radiating and filling the room with a homey feeling.
"Wow!" She breathed drinking in the beautiful view.
"You like?" Tracy asked her, patting the couch as a gesture of invitation to sit down.
"It's beautiful! I've always loved green, this reminds me of my room back at home, before… you know" She said, her voice cracking slightly, but she managed to keep her emotions in check.
"So, like, Granger, or should I say Hermione, from the looks of things I'll like, be seeing quite a bit of you, what brought about this, like, change of heart?" Tracy drawled. Goodness only knows how badly I wanted to slap her.
"It's a long story, but to make things simple, I met Blaise and Millicent this summer and they showed me that Slytherins were not as bad as people made them out to be, and seeing as the sorting hat almost put me here I figured it was high time I met the people who were almost my house mates." By this time the entire Slytherin seventh year was crowded around her as well as many students from other years.
"And you accepted this dung she's feeding you?" Draco Malfoy asked me, his cold sneer spread across his face.
"Yes actually," I answered staring into his eyes unblinkingly.
"This is Golden Girl Granger, she's probably got some sort of evil plot up her sleeve I can't believe you let seven years of defense just fall at her plea. You're despicable Bulstrode." He spat angrily. I kept my cool though.
"I did not just let my defense fall, Malfoy, she spent the entire summer at my house and after careful observation we determined that she meant no harm and was sincere. Besides, if she were to have a plot up her sleeve that would be a very Slytherin type thing to do, thus supporting what she just said." I pointed out. Draco opened his mouth as if to respond, but shut it again at a loss for what to say.
"Don't think that just because they accepted you so readily the rest of us will be just as easy to convince Granger. You are still are our enemy, even if we will accept your presence here." Draco scoffed before exiting the common room. Crabb and Goyle blindly followed him, knocking a first year out of the way as they walked past. Pansy obediently followed her boy friend after letting out a small "Humph!" of dissatisfaction.
"Well, you've met Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy and Tracy, that leaves Theo and Daphne." Blaise said breaking the awkward silence that settled over the room following Draco's departure.
"Nice to meet you, I suppose." Theodore Nott, a tall gangly boy with watery eyes said sticking out his bony pale hand.
"You can't shake hands with a clenched fist," Daphne said, immediately closing her hand into a fist.
"Fair enough I suppose." Hermione said. Speaking up for the first time since Draco had come down.
"She means she won't trust you yet, you still have to prove yourself."
"Somehow I understood her, oddly enough. You really are a remarkably genius person, Daphne."
"Genius means little more than the faculty of perceiving in an un-habitual way." She replied tucking a strand of thick black hair behind her ears nervously fighting down blush that was threatening to creep up her face and shatter her Slytherin mask. Quickly she got to her feet and with a sweep of her cloak, left the common room.
"So," Blaise said nervously, "What did you think?"
"It will take time for them to accept me, but I will admit that not all of them are as evil and shallow as I originally imagined, no matter what side they're on." Hermione said slowly.
"Yay!" Blaise said throwing his arms around her short stature. A bewildered expression crossed her face. Quickly he regained his composure blushing bright red.
"That was weird and out of character, you don't normally show emotion any more than your cold hearted mask even within the confinement of the common room." I said giving him a quizzical look.
"I got a bit excited and lost my mind for a moment there. Now, can we please go down to dinner?" He begged trying in vain to change the subject. I dropped it for the time being, but he knew he was not getting off the hook this easily.
a/n- Another Chapter finished (duh) and it's over 5,000 words. I really should have split it, but oh well.
Thank you to my faithful reviewer chaste-aeon, I've baked you a cake to show my appreciation. I don't mind you correcting my grammar at all, as soon as I post this chapter, I'll fix those mistakes. Feel free to keep correcting. I'd love to comment more on your review, which I did before deleting it, because it gave too much away and I like keeping you in suspense grins wickedly. The song I took those lines from is called Down by Something Corporate. I use their songs because they're the only emo band I listen to and it puts me in a better frame of mind for this story.
And thank you to Fantasy Loremaster, my second reviewer! I think I've died and gone to heaven, I have two reviews for a chapter! Pinches herself, nope still here. Wow. I've baked you a cake too. I'm glad you like the story.
If you notice, there are no lyrics at the beginning of this story. Fanfiction has updated its rules and they now forbid passing off song lyrics as your own. While I am not even in the slightest trying to pass them off as my own, I've had two stories of mine banned because of that and I fear this one is next. That is why this one is so late, because when they ban stories they suspend your account. I'm very angry about this, because I was not informed that the rules had changed nor was I warned that my story was breaking a new rule, they just banned me. Storms off to write next chapter