Chapter Six: The Darkest Hour
By: kpsebo
A/N: A warning to you: I am adjusting the rating to "mature" as from this point on, the battles get a little more violent and graphic then any that have occurred so far in this story. I feel it drawing to a close, and I'm getting chills just thinking about what the ending is going to be like! And this is NOT the last chapter ). And as always, I do not appreciate flames. If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. Please R/R -- I love all nice reviews!
Disclaimer: Once again, I do not own Harry Potter. I am using the characters created by Joanne Rowling for pure fun.
Harry
Harry, Ron and Hermione made a run for it, only to be cornered by Bellatrix and Lucius. Now they were trapped, with the Death Eaters on one side, and the Inferi on the other. What an escape!
Harry faced Bellatrix and Lucius, hot anger bubbling up inside of him. Bellatrix was smiling at him, a large bruise forming on her cheek, where Harry guessed that his hex had hit her. He smiled a very sarcastic smile back at her, and her smile faded.
"Well, well, well," she scoffed at him, "Looky at what we've got here."
"I wonder," replied Harry. She glared at him.
"Calm, Bella. Not yet." Lucius said to her, and shot her a warning glance. Harry realized that her wand was raised, and he saw it fall limply to her side. He heard the Inferi groan from behind them, and Hermione uttered a soft whimper.
"Are we taking them to the Dark Lord?" Bellatrix asked Lucius, but he merely looked at her.
"Was that what he asked?"
"Well, yes, but – "
"Then is that what we're going to do?"
Bellatrix sighed, and almost whispered, "Yes."
Harry had to suppress a grin. Bellatrix was nuts, and obviously Lucius wasn't very fond of her. Then a thought came to Harry's head – Isn't he supposed to be in Azkaban?
"Aren't you – you supposed to be in…in A-Azkaban?" Hermione asked, beating Harry to it. Her voice was shaking, and Harry wasn't sure if it was out of fear or anger. Lucius looked disgusted that she talked to her, and ignored her.
"She asked you a question, Malfoy," Harry snapped at him. Lucius looked like he was going to kill him, but sighed.
"Draco was kind enough to free me from that dreadful place," He replied. He waved his wand, and the Inferi fell limply to the ground, like the dead bodies they were. What a stupid move.
Harry wasn't the only one who saw the window of opportunity, and immediately, Hermione and him took off towards the exit that the inferi were blocking. Ron was startled by their sudden movement, but began running after them. Lucius hollered at Bellatrix, and Harry was sure that they weren't far behind. Flashes of light kept hitting the walls beside them, and shards of rock were flying at them. They took off up the stairs, nearly tripping on the unevenness of them, and sprinted into the daylight.
They were in the center of the field Harry remembered being transported to, just before he was knocked unconscious. The trio ran as fast as they could across the field, until Harry stopped dead in his tracks, and Hermione almost ran into him once again.
"Voldemort."
The figure threw back his head and laughed. Hermione grabbed Harry's arm, but he ripped it out of her grasp, and reached for his wand. "Are you going to kill me, Harry Potter," Voldemort whispered at him, menacingly. Harry's hand shook, but he managed to keep his wand steady.
"Let us go." He stammered, almost at a whisper. Voldemort just laughed again.
"You think," he whispered, "That after seventeen years of hunting you, that I would just let you go? You're stupider then I thought."
"The prophecy is between you and me, Voldemort. What do you need them for?" Harry pointed at Hermione and Ron.
"To see you suffer, of course."
"Don't you think I've suffered enough?"
"No. Not even close to enough, Potter. You've got hours of suffering left."
"Then, lets do it. But let them go."
"Harry – we're not leaving you!" Came Hermione's weak voice from behind him. He turned to her.
"Oh, yes you are."
"Harry – We're behind you until the end. We're not leaving." Ron said it this time, and Harry looked at both of them in shock.
"If you guys die because of this, I'll never be able to forgive myself!"
"That's our choice to make." Hermione came closer to him. "Harry, I want to die for you. I will die for you, if it comes down to that. You can't make us leave, and that's final. We're staying."
Harry felt tears coming to his eyes, but fought hard to hold them back.
"Sorry to break up this love scene," Voldemort said, "but I believe I have some business to take care of."
Harry turned back to Voldemort, and raised his wand again. "You wont win."
Voldemort merely smiled. "CRUCIO!"
Harry braced himself for the spell to hit, but it was Hermione's screams that filled the air. She was on the ground twitching, and Ron looked furious. He bellowed something, and a flash of orange light issued from his wand. Voldemort was sent flying backwards, and Hermione lay panting on the ground. Bellatrix shrieked something at Ron, and then he too was on the ground screaming and twitching.
"CRUCIO!" Harry heard Hermione scream, and Bellatrix fell on the ground screaming as well. Lucius pointed his wand at Hermione, but Harry was too quick for him.
"EXPELLIARMUS!" Lucius's wand came flying from his hand, and Harry caught it. More death eaters were now running out of the Dungeons, and started to surround Harry, Ron and Hermione. Bellatrix was still screaming on the ground, and Hermione had a look on her face that Harry had never seen before. Boy, was she ever mad!
Harry disarmed as many death eaters as he could, but it was no use. Voldemort fired a spell at him, and all the wands went back to their owners. A death eater approached him, and grabbed his arm.
"Hello, Potter," came the dry-sounding voice from behind the hood. The figure grabbed Harry, and lifted him off the ground, choking him. He lowered the hood, and Harry saw that it was Greyhound. Greyhound opened his mouth, prepared to bite him, but Harry was too quick.
He pointed his wand at Greyhound's face, and bellowed "SECTUMSEMPRA!"
Blood flew out of invisible cuts on Greyhound's face and eyes, and completely covered Harry. The werewolf collapsed on the ground, blood still spurting everywhere. Harry felt sick to his stomach as Greyhound coughed a deep cough, and Harry could hear blood gargling at the back of his throat. He looked at Harry in the eye, and fell limp. Harry stared in horror. He had just killed someone! Bellatrix's screams suddenly stopped, and Harry turned to see Hermione staring at him in shock. Harry heard Bellatrix mutter Avada, and Harry looked at Hermione, wide-eyed and scared. "Hermione! Look – "
Too late. A green flash of light went straight for Hermione, but it missed her completely, and hit Ron in the arm. Ron's eyes opened wide in pain, and he fell onto his knees on the ground. Hermione shrieked, and fired a jinx at Bellatrix, who was laughing hysterically. She went flying backwards, and fell unconscious on the ground. Hermione ran over to Ron, who was still on his knees, the effects of the curse coursing through his body slowly. "Ron no…" Hermione pleaded, "Don't leave me…not now…"
"Hermione…" Ron choked, and she started crying again. Harry started to make his way over to his fallen friend, but he was blasted off his feet. Voldemort was advancing on him, wand raised and furious.
"I've waited far too long for this, Harry," He whispered, in a snakelike voice, "And now, It is your time."
"No…"
"AVADA – "
"EXPELLIARMUS!" A voice bellowed. Harry whirled around to see where the voice came from, and saw Remus Lupin pointing his wand at Voldemort. Voldemort looked furious.
"Don't just stand there, you Idiots!" He screamed at the Death Eaters, "Attack him!" other members of the Order began appearing all around them – Molly, Arthur, McGonnagol, Tonks, Charlie, Bill and Fleur were some of them – and the battle began to rage around them. Harry ducked to avoid the blasts of spells, trying to make his way over to Ron, who still looked alive. Hermione was holding him weeping, and Ron was talking to her reassuringly. Harry was stopped by a shorter death-eater, and his eyes met with icy blue ones.
"Malfoy."
"Hello, Potter," he scoffed, "Fancy meeting you here! SECTUMSEMPRA!"
Harry felt like his skin was being ripped open, and he saw his own blood spurt out of his chest. He fell to the ground, weakened, and Malfoy was laughing. The last thing Harry saw was Malfoy being knocked off his feet by a purple jet of light coming from the direction of Hermione, and then everything went black.
Hermione
Amidst all the fighting, Hermione held her dying boyfriend in her arms, and wept. She had just knocked Malfoy unconscious after he attacked Harry, and was sure that he was alright.
"Ron … please, don't leave me," She sobbed. Ron smiled at her weakly, and lifted his hand and placed it on her cheek. She raised her hand and put it on top of his.
"Hermione … " He whispered weakly. Hermione felt even more tears coming, and they fell on her boyfriend's chest like raindrops.
"Ron…don't speak…save your strength. It'll be okay – we'll save you!"
"No…It's too late for me, Hermione…It's my time to go."
"No! Ron…you can't leave me now…not here…not like this. I…I love you."
"I l-love you too, Hermione…leave me now. Go h-help Harry. He needs you…there….there is no hope for me…"
"No! Don't talk like that! You're going to live, Ron! You're not going to die!"
"Hermione…Go. Leave me. Know that I always have, and always will…love you."
"NO! Ron…please," Hermione sobbed, "don't leave me!"
"Goodbye, Hermione, I know you'll be strong." Hermione leaned down and kissed him. He kissed her back, his hand still on her cheek. She then felt him stop kissing her back, and let out one last sigh. His hand fell limply from her cheek, and his eyes fluttered shut.
"Ron? RON! NO! Please! Don't leave me!" Hermione screamed. The shouts of curses and jinxes were so loud that they almost drowned her out. She started sobbing again, and tried to shake her boyfriend awake, in complete disbelief. She then felt hot anger swell up inside her, and she rose slowly. She turned over and found Bellatrix just regaining consciousness, and started to walk over to her. Bellatrix saw her coming, and started cackling again, and smiled and waved at Hermione.
Hermione raised her wand. This bitch is going to pay, she thought to herself, as she was standing inches away from Bellatrix. Oh, how she's going to pay.
A/N: Wow…brought tears to my eyes as I was writing it. Hope you liked it!