Disclaimer: 6th book comes out Friday at midnight...Guess who didn't write it?

:yawns: I am so tired. My parents made me get up at noon today. ERG. Anyway...thanks for all the reviews, you guys all rock. Particularly insanemarionette, for making me laugh with that comment. Yeah, but I'm too lazy to change anything. I'm trying to finish up the last few chapters (it's almost over! Ican't believeit!)before I go on vacation sometime next week, so...I'm working on it. BTW, um...if there are any totally random comments inserted in this chapter, I'm dreadfully sorry. My brother decided to put little comments on every other sentece, and I'm not sure I got them all out...

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Chapter Eight - Ritual Killing

Harry landed on his feet in a dark and dingy looking cell. Well, this new portkey certainly wasn't as painful as the old ones, he decided. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and looked around the room. It was awfully shabby, with only a beat up looking chair, a tilted table, a single light hanging from the ceiling, and a bed in the corner with someone curled up on it.

"Hermione!" Harry hissed, poking the sleeping girl in the side. Her eyes flew open instantly, like she hadn't really been sleeping at all.

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed, then immediately put a hand over her mouth. "What are you doing her?" she asked through her fingers.

"I'm here to rescue you. I'm guessing you don't have your wand?"

Hermione shook her head bitterly.

"Alright then." He snuck over to the door, peering out through the slotted window. "Eh? They only have one guard."

"That's sort of insulting," Hermione frowned, as Harry pointed his wand at the lock and muttered,

"Alohomora." The door swung open creakily. The guard looked up, not quite sure what was happening, and was on the floor stunned before he even saw the door fully open.

"Good one, Harry!" Hermione whispered, patting his shoulder. "I think the others are in cells somewhere around here."

"Do you know what was going to happen to you?" Harry asked her quietly, tiptoeing to each door and looking through it in turn.

"Yes. We were going to be sacrificed for a curse. Voldemort gave us all the gritty details."

"You saw Voldemort?" Harry growled, turning to face her.

Hermione nodded. "Yeah. I hate him."

"Me too," Harry agreed. "But just hating him isn't going to do any good. We need to — Hey, there's someone in here. Do you know if that's Danielle Fudge?" He moved aside and let Hermione peer through.

"Danielle?" she called softly. The girl, quiet looking and her short hair in scuffed up pigtails, looked up from the patch of floor she had been staring at. She had a sort of blank expression on her face, and she didn't make any sort of noise to show she had recognized them. "Don't worry, we're here for you. One second."

Harry unlocked this cell door too. Hermione motioned for the Ravenclaw to be quiet and follow them. She obeyed silently.

Harry? someone muttered in Harry's head. Harry whipped around, wand out, before realizing who it was.

Draco! What cell are you in? he inquired.

I think it's the one at the far end of the hall, Draco replied. Harry moved to it quickly. What are you doing here?

Saving your sorry ass, Harry said, opening the cell door. Draco was standing in the center, a cocky look on his face.

"Took your good old time," he teased.

Harry grinned. "Come on. We still need to get out of here." He and Draco crept out of the cell, running into Hermione and Danielle. Harry paused, making sure no one else was there. "You guys ready?" They all nodded. "I think we just need to all touch this," he told them, taking the silver orb out of his pocket. The other three each put a finger on it, concentrated, and they were gone in a flash of light.

oooOOooo

"Okay, this sure as hell isn't Hogwarts," Draco stated. "Unless Hogwarts has taken a sudden interest in the dark occult side of magic."

The four had appeared in a large, open antechamber. It was very dark, and unpleasant feeling, and definitely not in Hogwarts.

"My, what a spectacle you all look like," a particularly snakelike voice said to them from out of the darkness. Harry glanced at his friends in the faint candlelight. They did look awfully unimpressive, Draco, Hermione, and Danielle all in their nightclothes. He took a moment to absorb the fact that Draco had fallen asleep in only boxers and a tank top, but he shook his head angrily. Now was not the time for that. He glared at the darkness.

"Voldemort?" he shouted back.

Harry could almost feel Voldemort smirking at him through the darkness. "How clever," the voice replied. "Why don't we light up this dismal place?" There was a hushed rustle, and lamps all around the room were lit. A chandelier burst into flames above them, glowing eerily.

The sides of the hall were lined with Death Eaters, all in dark robes and masks, standing in rank soundlessly. The candles flickered, sending skittish shadows across the walls. In front of the Hogwarts students there was a risen sort of platform, lined with candles and gold. It looked horribly like an altar. Hermione shivered. The Ravenclaw's eyes were devoid of all emotion.

"Well well well. Brave little Potter thought it was wise to come rescue you all by himself," Voldemort chuckled, though there was no real warmth in the laugh. "How cute." He was silent for a moment. "But I'm afraid there was no point. It was only a matter of meddling with that charming little portkey you had from afar. We will proceed as planned. And you, Potter, get to pick who gets sacrificed first. There's no specific order in the books." He smiled coldly. "Pettigrew."

A short, hooded figure came up beside the evil lord. Harry's blood was boiling. After all these years, they still hadn't been able to kill the petty rat. He gritted his teeth. Pettigrew handed something long and shining to Voldemort. Harry, being the only one who had his wand, held it out threateningly.

"The thing I like about ancient rituals, Potter," Voldemort was saying, eyeing the sword in his hand appreciatively, "is that they're, well, so old-fashioned. No meddling with wands and powerful spells. Just good old swords and incantations. Anyone can read this rite. You just need the courage to."

"It's not courage, it's cowardice," Harry spat. "You don't have the balls to face us evenly."

"Potter, please don't do anything that would make him even more mad," Draco hissed under his breath. "We're in enough trouble as it is."

Harry, meanwhile, was rapidly scanning the chamber for any sign of the Order. Shouldn't they have been there by now? Dumbledore hadn't honestly given him the only new portkey they had? His heart was racing aggravatedly. This wasn't supposed to have happened. Was that why there was such lax security around the cells?

"But, there is a time limit on this sort of spell, so if you wouldn't mind, Potter, picking who will be offered first?" Voldemort asked impatiently.

"No one's going to die!" Harry growled, clenching his wand tighter. "If you or your Death Eaters come any closer — "

"Yes, yes, enough of your 'heroics'. I'll just pick myself. After I've taken a peek at your mind, of course," Voldemort grinned, eyes gleaming with irrationality.

Harry cringed as he felt Voldemort start to probe his mind, picking through the memories with hardly any difficulty. He tried to block him, to throw him out, but nothing seemed to be working. Give it up, boy, his unforgiving voice sounded in his head. Ah, what's this? Both Harry's and Draco's eyes widened as Voldemort found the connection between them, and smiled sinisterly.

"Perfect," he said, and motioned to the shrine with the sharpened sword. "Bring Malfoy to the sacrificial table. He'll do us the honor of commencing the ritual." Hermione's hands went up to her mouth and Danielle glared furiously at the surrounding crowd.

"No!" Harry shouted, whipping around to protect Draco, but the Slytherin was already trying to fight off the Death Eaters who had surround them so quickly with his fists. Two of the Death Eaters took Harry's wand and held him and the girls back as two more dragged Draco, screaming and kicking, up to the pulpit.

"Damn!" one of the Death Eaters swore suddenly, drawing his hand back from the cursing blonde. "He bloody bit me!" The other one snarled, like a angry dog, and croaked something under his breath. Draco went rigid as cords tied him forcefully to the dais. He continued cussing.

Harry laughed despite himself. It was a sort of uneasy, subdued laugh. There was nothing he could do. They were all going to die. Draco first, then the two girls, and once the ritual was complete, Voldemort would probably show off whatever new powers he got by killing Harry. No one was stopping him this time.

What the hell is your problem, Potter! Draco screamed in his head. You better do something, because I do not want to become wizarding shish-kabob!

I, I can't do anything, Harry replied hopelessly.

Of course you can! Do you think Dumbledore would have let you come rescue us if you weren't up to it! He's not that senile just yet.

For heaven's sake, get moving! Draco yelped, seeing Voldemort move swiftly across the room and towards him and the altar. Do you really want Voldemort to get all powerful? I don't think so.

Voldemort was now right in front of the altar, sword raised menacingly. He was chanting something that Harry couldn't quiet hear, but sounded old and dangerous nonetheless.

DO SOMETHING! Kick the Death Eater holding you in the groin, grab your wand, and keep that sword away from me! Harry, I don't want to die, Draco pleaded. Honestly.

I'm not doubting you, Harry grinned suddenly, and swung his leg backward with as much force as he could muster. The man let out a cry, releasing Harry and recoiling in pain. Harry skillfully ducked down and scooped up his wand and the Death Eater's, tossing the latter to Hermione, who jabbed her captive in the chest and stunned him, taking his wand as well.

Voldemort, sensing the turmoil, speeded up with his chanting. Harry made a run for the sacrificial table, meaning to just tackle Voldemort and pummel his face in. Hermione and Danielle followed, defending him as well as they could with the stolen wands. The Death Eaters that had been standing guard around the hall moved in swiftly.

"Harry!" Hermione shrieked as the hoards of Death Eaters closed in around them; spells were whizzing by inches from their heads. Harry didn't appear to have heard her. The tip of Voldemort's weapon was mere centimeters away from Draco's chest; Draco had his eyes clenched shut painfully. Without thinking, Harry hurled himself at Voldemort, pushing away the sword with his bare hand. The blade cut into it, but not much. Voldemort let out an outraged screech as he fell, turning and taking a swipe at Harry instead. The sword plunged into his arm, and Harry felt a shock sweep through his body. He heard Draco shout somewhere behind him as if he had been the one to get stabbed.

Pulling the blade out of his arm and pushing aside the thoughts of finishing Voldemort off now, Harry ignored the pain and abruptly turned on his heel. Right now he just needed to get them out of here. Hermione and Danielle had been backed against the altar table, and Danielle had successfully untied Draco's bonds while Hermione had repelled the attackers. But now they were completely surrounded, Voldemort getting back to his feet angrily.

Harry fumbled hastily around his person for the silver portkey, but it was nowhere to be found. For a few helpless seconds he stood still, dazed, until someone thrust the sphere right under his nose. He didn't register why, he just took it and grabbed the others, vanishing in a crackle of color.

TBC...

I suck at actiony battle scenes. Heck, I suck at everything. Reviews go in little box that pops up when you click the button, please.