A/N: Where'd Gilthas go? Where'd Gilthas go? There she is! Wow. I haven't updated in ages and for some reason, people suddenly started reviewing me! Why? I don't know. So then I was like, well, why not? So, thanks to random and completely unexpected reviews, here's the next chapter!

''''

Chapter Eleven: Questions Answered

Hermione rose slowly to her feet, her whole body shaking. "I don't have to make that kind of choice."

Anne raised her eyebrows. "I don't see how you have the choice. Either you leave and kill Remus, or you stay and kill Ron. Hard choice, but I suppose you're used to killing people."

"This is ridiculous," Hermione said, more strongly than she felt. "You're not Anne. Anne died years ago and she was not a resentful person. You're Malfoy's puppet. He's talking through your image."

"That would be easier, wouldn't it?" Anne said with a slight smile. "But it's not true. I believe at some point your friend explained to you that this talisman you're trapped in helped bring his precious godfather back from the dead. It seems to have a way with people--dead ones, that is."

"This talisman we're in," Hermione said, still aware of Ron's labored breathing behind her. "What can it do, exactly?"

Anne laughed. "What can you do? This is more than just a talisman, my friend. This is a piece of a human soul." She grinned viciously at the appalled look on Hermione's face. "Told you it had a way with the dead. And speaking of which..." Anne turned to Ron. Suddenly he started twitching convulsively again. "Last chance, Granger."

Something was wrong with Anne. Something that Hermione couldn't quite place. Then it clicked. "Granger? You've never called me 'Granger' in your life...or death," Hermione said. "That's enough of this charade. Game's over. You're not Anne. Who are you?"

Anne smiled, a horrible smile that made a shiver run up Hermione's spine but she repressed it. "Who are you?" She repeated.

Anne's face started to melt. Hermione gasped in alarm and took a step back, tripped over Ron's motionless body and fell to the floor. She grabbed Ron's wrist and pulled him away from the gruesome sight.

Slowly Anne was changing shape until she became indistinguishable as a human being. Then slowly another figure took her place, one that was sickeningly familiar.

Hermione looked into the face of the last person she expected to see. Then again, she thought sourly. Maybe I should have expected it all along.

Draco Malfoy smirked. "You're surprised to see me. That's expected. After all, this isn't my mind. It's Remus's. You're trying to get through the trap. Why on earth should I be here?"

"You created the trap," Hermione said. "I suspected it. It's not too surprising, only the part about the intelligence needed."

Draco smirked. "Once again you put your impressive intellect to the test and once again, as it should justifiably happen to Mudbloods, you've ended up short. I didn't make this trap, Granger. I am this trap."

Hermione hadn't a clue what that meant, but wasn't about to give an inch to this pompous jerk. He'd cost her too much. "I don't care who made this trap and I don't care what this trap is. I've beaten it. You're required to let me past."

Draco tilted his head back and laughed. "Is that what you think? You think I toss a few bad memories at you and then bow down and surrender? They called you the brightest witch of the age, Granger. You don't seem to be living up to your name." Suddenly his eyes became cold. "Pain doesn't come in one kind, Granger. It's not always emotional. You're friend Harry taught me that."

Suddenly Hermione was being pierced with tiny needles, all over her body. The needles sank deeper and deeper, growing larger as they went, piercing her heart and lungs. She felt blood spilling out of her mouth, flowing down her arms through the exposed wounds. Through the agony, she heard Malfoy's soft voice, sounding colder, more collected than she had ever heard it.

"Pain, Granger, is relative. Your pain, after all, means nothing to me. Why is it, then, that you seem to feel such agony over the loss of that stupid girl? You can't feel her pain. I could stab her through the eye and you would not feel the blinding agony that she experiences, the horror of knowing that without the proper medical treatment, she'll be blind forever. And yet you pretend to know. You feel sorry for her pain. Why?"

The needles were jerked out and the wounds healed. The ache and pain remained, but it was less now with the source redrawn. Hermione lifted herself to her knees, unsure of when she had hit the ground.

Hermione's gaze latched onto Malfoy and Draco's cold eyes bored into hers. "Who are you?" Hermione said, trying and failing to keep a snarl out of her voice.

"I'm Draco Malfoy," said Malfoy with a smirk. "Who do I look like?"

"You're not Draco Malfoy," said Hermione. The it clicked. "At least not the one from this dimension."

Malfoy's lip curled. "Knew you had the ability to put two and two together. No. I am not from this dimension. Just so we can clear up this nonsense, I am also not all of myself. I'm just a piece, but a very important piece."

"Which piece?" Hermione asked, keeping her voice level.

Malfoy smirked. "I'd have thought you'd figured that out by now Granger. I'm the ruthless piece." His smile grew at the look on her face. "Ah. You begin to see just what I'm willing to do."

"So you transplanted a piece of yourself into this talisman," Hermione said. "What happened to the rest of you?"

Malfoy shrugged. "I'm pretty sure your friend killed me. Dramatic fight and whatnot. Still, it's hard to win a fight with your most important piece missing. You have use your brain more than your brawn in battles against him. That's why I'm here. I knew I couldn't win face to face so I made this in order to stab him in the back. That's just about the only way to kill a killer."

"He's not a killer," Hermione said angrily, forgetting her fear as she rose to her friend's defense.

Malfoy blinked at her outburst, then tilted his head back and laughed. "Never in my life did I dream of hearing those words coming from you, Granger! He pointed his wand at you, said the words, and you died right there! Not a killer?"

The world flickered around them and suddenly they were in a clearing in the middle of a forest. Harry was on the ground, Voldemort stood ready. Hermione saw herself tied up at the side. Harry pushed himself to his feet. The Hermione watching looked away. She didn't need to be seeing this.

"I see you already know about that," said Malfoy. Hermione heard Voldemort's voice say, "Imperio!"

"Here comes my favorite part," said Malfoy, still watching. "Oh! Here's where you try to reach him." From the scene came Hermione's own voice, pleading with Harry to remember who he was. The next second Harry yelled that terrible word and the clearing filled with green light. A scream pierced the clearing, only to be abruptly cut short. The scene faded.

"That not enough for you?" Malfoy asked. "He killed my father, you know. Beat him to death."

"He didn't!" Hermione said before she could stop herself.

Malfoy shook his head. "Looks like there's not a lot you really know about this person you claim as a friend. Still, enough is enough. What's the Muggle phrase? Oh yes. Today is a good day to die."

Hermione would have laughed, but she couldn't bring herself to. Malfoy was looking at her calmly. "What would you prefer? Quick and painless? Or, my personal favorite, long and excruciating?"

"You can't kill me," Hermione said calmly. The memory of Harry had brought a new memory, one of Harry picking up the talisman, burning the vines, and coming up unscathed.

"Can't I?" Malfoy asked, smirking again. "Kill the brain and the body dies."

"You can't kill my brain," Hermione said. "Because I refuse to let myself die. If I don't think I'm dying, if I don't think that I feel pain...I don't. I learned that from a friend."

Malfoy's eyes hardened. "The same friend that killed you? The same friend that deserted you as soon as the memories got too much for him? That's a traitor, Granger, not a friend. He betrayed you once and he's done it again."

"I defy you," Hermione said, pulling herself to her full height. "You have no power over me and you will let me pass."

"I won't," Malfoy mocked. "I don't have to."

"If you won't let me," Hermione said. "Then I will give myself permission. I will pass you now. You're power over me has ended. You can't touch me." Hermione didn't know how or why, but she knew at that moment that she could beat anything Malfoy threw at her. It's all mental.

It seemed so clear now. She had spent so much time in the mind of herself and others and the answers had been in front of her all along. The cleverest witch of the age. She had never liked that title. It put a lot of pressure on her. She had never felt she deserved it.

"Don't be ridiculous, Hermione," Malfoy said. "There's no need to kill yourself for a whim. The mind dies more easily than the body."

Hermione wasn't listening to him at this point. There was a way out of there, she knew. The door out was only too obvious, it seemed to pulse at her back. It seemed to reason that the way in was a door as well, but on the other side...behind Malfoy. There. She could feel it pulsating too, but it was faint. Malfoy was blocking her way to it.

"Move out of the way, Malfoy," Hermione said calmly.

"I don't have to. You can't make me," Malfoy taunted. "You still have no idea what you're up against."

Anger rose in Hermione at his arrogant pose, his drawling voice, and his taunting words. "You selfish little twit," Hermione snapped. "You've never in your life cared for anyone but yourself. Do you ever think about what you're doing, or do you just drift from event to event and take credit for it? You're rude, your cowardly, your selfish, and you will move."

Malfoy's smirk had slipped. "Granger-" he began, but Hermione cut him off.

"Now, Malfoy. I don't have time to listen to your pathetic excuse at words. I don't have time."

"Have something doubtlessly noble and selfless to do, have you?" Malfoy said. "Typical, Grang-"

Hermione's wand was in her hand. She had summoned it there with a thought. "Stupefy!" She yelled. The spell hit Malfoy in the chest with such speed that Malfoy didn't have time to summon a defensive thought. He fell to the ground, stunned. Hermione's wand vanished and she walked calmly toward the door, opened it, and stepped inside.

Thunder crashed. The room she had stepped in was one buried deep in her memory and try as she could, she couldn't place it.

"It's the Shrieking Shack," said a voice behind her. She spun around, her wand appearing in her hand with a thought. She sighed wanted to sigh in relief at who she saw, but had been fooled too many times to be fooled again.

"Learning, are we?" Harry asked. "Well in this instance, it doesn't matter. I was waiting for you to beat Malfoy. I figured you could do without my help." Harry sighed. "Looks like Remus's isn't doing so well, however. Kinda wish I'd stayed out."

"How did you get in here? If you're the real Harry, you've already left."

Harry sighed. "When you passed through, a whole opened in the trap. I slipped in right behind you. Had nothing better to do, really."

"My God," said an annoyed voice behind them. "You would think that the cleverest witch in her age would be quicker about getting through a primitive trap." Ron's eyes landed on Harry and he smirked slightly. "Scared you out, I suppose."

Harry scowled.

"No matter," said Ron. Hermione knew he was the guide, the one that was supposed to lead her through the trap. "We're here now. Unscathed, however? Or physically scarred?"

Hermione glared at him. "Aren't you supposed to be my guide? Where were you the whole time?"

Ron snorted derisively. "Hate to break it to you, Hermione, but I have better things to do than help you through such a shallow trap. I'm on a time limit, you know. Speaking of which..." Ron's eyes landed on something behind Hermione. "Let's continue, shall we?"

Hermione turned. Remus stood on the stairs, looking at Hermione, Harry, and Ron in suspicion. "Who are you?"

"Remus!" Hermione said and hurried over to him. He took a step back.

"Who are you?" he repeated. He was in perfect health. Hermione didn't know what she expected to find, but it wasn't that. He looked better than she'd ever seen him, thought still slightly old.

"It's me, Hermione," Hermione said. "I did a spell to go into your mind to ask you what had hit you. This," she beckoned at Ron, "is my guide. It's not really Ron, you see. I don't know what he is, but he's certainly rude about it. This is the Harry from the other dimension. The guide brought him here, not sure why."

"Because you didn't have the power to complete the spell yourself," Harry said with a sigh. "He dragged me in so I could help."

"What are you talking about?" Hermione said, frowning. "I got past the trap alone, no thanks to you."

Harry's eyes narrowed. "We are doing the spell now. Getting past the trap was rather like...performing the spell. Now you're actually in the spell. Trust me, this is the part that takes the power."

"You might want to hurry up the conversation," Ron said pointedly to Hermione. "Harry's taking on the weight here and believe me, he can't last forever."

Hermione looked at Harry. He looked the same.

"Trust me," Harry said, annoyed. "This is taking my power. You just can't tell yet." Suddenly he winced. "Talk."

"Remus," Hermione said. "I need you to tell me exactly what happened."

Remus nodded. "What can it hurt. If you're a Death Eater, you probably know anyway."

"Trust me, they're not," Ron said. "We're in your mind, remember? You see us how we are."

"You look like Ron to me," Remus said, his eyes narrowing.

Ron smirked. "Yeah, don't worry about that. I'm above you."

Harry smiled slightly. Hermione noticed sweat breaking out on his forehead. "Remus."

"Right," Remus said, focusing his attention back on Ron and Hermione. "Do you know yet what the talisman is?"

"A piece of Malfoy," Hermione said quickly. "Malfoy from this Harry's dimension."

"Right," Remus said.

Harry's eyes narrowed. "I killed him," he said simply. "Last year. Took a bullet, too. I'm pretty darn sure he's dead and rotting."

"He made the talisman before that, though," Hermione said. "You used it to get Sirius out of the veil. I'm still not sure how. If it was the ruthless piece of him, it should have attacked you."

Remus shook his head. "The talisman may have a piece of Malfoy in it, and while it can think for itself, it can't disobey an order from its master." He paused. "This is hypothetical, by the way, based on something of the like I've read about before and my personal observations. There's no guarantee it's entirely accurate."

"What book?" said Hermione eagerly.

"Doesn't matter," Harry said pointedly. He was definitely sweating now and rather pale, although you couldn't tell by the expression on his face.

"My guess," Remus said hurriedly. "Is that Malfoy told it to open the veil, but he didn't say for whom."

"I'm just doing my job when I say this," Ron said, with a look that said he wasn't really paying attention. "But couldn't you talk about this after Remus is awake?"

Harry looked at him sharply. "Your job as Hermione's guide?" Ron just smirked.

"He's right," Hermione said. "Tell me exactly what hit you."

Remus sighed. "It was a cross between an immobilizing and stunning. I have no idea how Malfoy thought of it, but the effect was basically to stun my outside and immobilize my inside. My body is barely moving," he said. My heart is laboring just to beat, Hermione. I need released of this."

"Do I just remove the stunner?" Hermione asked. "Would that work?"

Remus shook his head. "The two spells fused. Each protects the other. It's quite ingenious, really."

"Thank you," Harry said with a slight smile.

"What?" Hermione asked, whirling on him.

"I-" Harry stopped with a gasp, clutching his heart. He fell to one knee, his face contorted with pain. "I invented it," he managed.

"Then how do we get it off?" Hermione asked, going over to him but unsure what she could do to help. He turned to Ron. "Could he use some of my power? It's my spell, after all."

Ron shook his head. "The power comes from one source."

"You have to tell me how to get it off," Hermione said.

"You don't have time," Ron interjected. "Tell them where you are, in the physical world."

"I'm fine!" Harry said, managing to snap through gritted teeth. "I'll get out on my own!"

"Who do you think you're talking to?" Ron said with raised eyebrows. "I say you won't."

"We can help," Hermione said hurriedly. "Where are you?"

Harry looked completely torn. He closed his eyes against the pain and managed to say, "Malfoy mansion."

Hermione gasped. "Why are you there?"

Harry fell to the ground with a very un-Harry-like yell and sat there shivering. "Why is he-" Hermione started to ask Ron, but he had vanished. The world around her was starting to flicker.

"Harry, stick with me a minute more," Hermione said. "What was Ron? He said, 'who do you think you're talking to?' What did me mean?"

"He's fate, Hermione," Harry said. He looked pale and sickly. "He's fate."

The world around them vanished.

'''''

A/N: I don't like this chapter very much, just because I wanted to get Hermione out and wasn't sure how. So anyway, here's my next chapter. Bet you never thought you'd see that, eh? Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go write chapter 12. This story is almost over, by the way. I'll be finishing it up soon. I had this other idea...