Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine
Rating: R….so watch out...joking
(A/N): I am so sorry that this chapter is so late…I have been really busy and it took me a long time to write this, I had to figure out how the story is going to go…but now I know so I hope that I can post the chapters quicker now…thanks so much for being patient I LOVE YOU ALL. And PLEASE REVIEW!
Thank Me No Thankings, Nor Proud Me No Prouds
Chapter 6
"GO YOU FOOLS…FIND HER AND BRING HER BACK TO ME."
Voldemort sent out his death eaters, and they began to make their way towards Hogwarts as well as search the country side for the dagger. A dagger that held more power and will then the many death eaters searching for it.
The dagger was old. It had been in Voldemort's hand when his muggle father still called him Tom. It was with this dagger that Voldemort had keep his most precious secrets, secret. It was this dagger, this small sharp inanimate object that was the key to both Voldemort's raise and growth as well as his fall. But in truth as you might have guessed this object was anything but unimportant and to the evil wizard. For if this commanding dagger were to fall into the hands of the light, Voldemort would fall weak and defenseless into the hands of Harry Potter.
Hermione had been allowed to leave the hospital on account that she was not truly hurt and the fact that Madam Pomfery could stand her constant insisting of her healthy-ness no more.
Hermione was now in her own large red and gold bedroom. Being head girl she was allowed to have her own room separate from the other 7th year girls in Griffindor tower. Her room was a semi circle, it had smooth wooden curved wall with a door placed in the center. But her bed was the main point in the room. It stood on the only wall that was not curved but straight and tall, draped in dark red tapestries. Her bed, and all of the furniture in her room was carved from dark oak and had very intricate markings. The wood paneled floor was always warm, the covers of her bed were always fresh and welcoming, her fire always burning , filling the room with warmth and a small glow, but for the first time ever her room in Hogwarts was not comforting.
She wrapped a thin blanket around her tired body and walked to sit on the small window sill in between the two doors leading to her bathroom and the Prefects/ Head's meeting room. Both her room and the head boy's had doors that led to the Heads meeting room. Both prefects and the two Heads could use the common room at will, and the head boy tended to use the room to his advantage more then anyone. Hermione was often forced out of the Griffindor common room when it was to loud to only be plagued with his presence in the head's room.
She was scared and her thoughts were harassed by Victor Krum. Usually she was able to find comfort and joy out of her and Krum's relationship because she loved his ability to open to her and his willingness to listen to her. But she had neither of them to comfort her now, seeing as she had been wrong on both accounts. The fact that she was supposed to be a defender of the light and was considering becoming an auror was now looking quite doubtful as she was not even able to see past the lies of her boyfriend.
Her body was tired but her mind was unsettled. She pulled on a pair of jeans and a small pull over dark blue windbreaker. She silently moved towards the door connecting her room to the Heads meeting room as to make sure not to disturb anyone in the Griffindor common room. She prayed that the head boy was not in the their room, she wanted to get out of the castle without seeing anyone and seeing him would be the worst situation possible. Running into Harry or Ron would only result in them joining her but running into Draco Malfoy, who was an evil, arrogant , selfish, bastard who cared only for his own skin, would make her explode, something she was trying very hard not to do.
The head's room was empty and she was able to make it out the front doors safely. She began to walk around the lake and slowly across the grounds. Her mind was filled with and inner battle over grievance or vengeance, her heart didn't want to cry, didn't want to think about Krum. He had betrayed her in a way that she should have seen coming. How could she have not known that he was evil, that he supported the death of innocent people, and that he himself was trying to become a death eater and murderer. And that was all he was to her. An evil bastard willing to go no end to be a mere slave, he was a murderer and she hated him for it
Her brain was churning through her problems as she walked through the Hogwarts grounds. Her feet caring her for her eyes were unfocused and unconcerned with where they led her. The moon was bright casting a low glow on the ground. She walked through the grounds and the wind tugged at the sleeve of her light jacket. She suddenly stopped walking as she realized were her feet had taken her. She was standing at the front gates leading out of Hogwarts and into Hogsmead .
She placed her hands on the large wrought-iron bars and bushed lightly, they did not moved for her. She wanted them to. She wanted to see it , she wanted to be there, if only to turn around and then head back to her room. She just need to be there again, maybe it was for her closure.
Harry lay motionless in his four poster , his breathing was slowly becoming more labored as sweat began to drip down his four head.
Voldemort was pacing the length of a long wood table in the middle of a stone room. Wormtail was cowering on a small stool to the left of the large cushioned chair Voldemort was now passing. Wormtail's hands were red from there continuous and nervous habit of ringing them together. He was cowering in fear as his lord stopped his pacing as turned to face a large hooded figure in front of him.
"I need you to find my dagger Malfoy, If it were to fall into the wrong hands then we would lose the advantage we have waited so long for and that is just inches from my grasp. If you do not find my dagger then I'm sure that the result of such a failure will be most displeasing and unpleasant to bear."
Lucius kneeled down on one knee in front of Voldemort, "I swear to it my Lord, I will not fail you, I will also bring the mudblood to you ."
"For the sake of your men, Malfoy I hope so."
The older blonde exited with a small pop. Voldemort turned and again began to pace, his hands were pitched with red from the tight grip with which he held his wand. "I must have my dagger Wormtail, do you understand what its absence will do?"
"Yes my lord," Wormtail quivered back.
"NO YOU DON'T, YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND, YOU DO NOT HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE TO KNOW! Do not lie to me Wormtail, because if it is not back to me…then you must hope that it does not fall into the hands of Potter." Voldemort's face was inches from Wormtail's and the sweat running down his face was a pleasing sight for Voldemort. The weaker man's fear allowed Voldemort to regain his former malice. " But as a plus we will then have Potter's filthy mudblood to bait him with. For as I fully know, he is the hero and will not hesitate to save Hermione Granger from my wrath."
The laugh that next emanated from Voldemort's lips was shrill and course, it was the laugh that he used after killing. The laugh he used when killing Harry's family , the laugh that woke Harry from his dream.
Harry believed the dream- knowing it was real. Some how unknown to Harry the Voldemort with out his dagger was not the Voldemort that Harry knew- the lack of such an object had blinded Voldemort of Harry's presence through a dream. Harry could feel it, he knew it. There were secrets that the dagger held, secrets regarding the Lord's strength- secrets that he craved to know.
Professor Snape apperated into the three broomsticks and quickly ran to the large walk in fireplace to floo into Hogwarts. He was tickled in the burning green flames till he landed in the headmaster's office with a large "boom".
"Albus. I must interrupt." Snape slowly walked out of the fireplace and stood in front of both the deputy headmistress and Albus Dumbeldore. They both looked up at Snape with quizzical yet curious looks. Now that Snape had their full attention he continued, "Its Granger, they' re after her again, he sent out every death eater to look for her- "
"What?" McGonagoll let out a small gasp and held her breath as she turned her head to look at Dumbeldore, she was rendered speechless.
"Continue please Severus,"
Snape was calm as he told both Professors the proceedings of his latest meeting, "He thinks that she has his dagger. It is strange to see him lose his face in front of so many death eaters, but once he noticed that it was not on Krum's body he…for lack of better word…panicked." Snape's voice was laced slightly in shock but his eyes did not betray his disbelief .
"Minerva will you please bring us Ms. Granger so we may inquire about the dagger and her impending safety." She made her way to the door leading down the moving stairs of the head master's office when he called her back, " will you also make sure as to bring both Mr. Weasley and Harry back with you?"
She turned again to exit but was unable to grasp the door as it was shoved open.
"SHE'S GONE! PROFESSOR HE'S TAKEN HER.I DON'T KNOW HOW BUT VOLDEMORT HAS TAKEN HER AND IS GOING TO USE HER TO BAIT ME!"
"Harry will you please calm yourself and tell me again what you are screaming about?"
"NO I WILL NOT BE CALM!" Harry walked up and slammed his fists on Dumbeldore' s desk. His face was white, his muscles tensed, and his eyes were no longer an excited emerald green but instead the green of his eyes were lit by flames. He was glaring at Dumbeldore with such fierce intensity that his whole body was shaking. But his voice was forceful and emotional. It did not quiver or shake, but was surprisingly calmed. He was not shouting but talking in a tone that was so strong that you wished he were.
"HE HAS HERMIONE, PROFESSOR," Harry stressed the word professor. The death eaters had Hermione and he was being told to remain calm.
"Harry where is Hermione?" Dumbeldore was again asking questions that he knew were not necessary. He was calm, a chilling calm that makes one uncomfortable. His eyes were bright blue but they no longer shone with joy, but with anticipation and anger. " Tell me what you know Harry."
"I dreamt it, he was talking to Wormtail and Lucius," Harry paused, calming himself even more, trying to recall the events of the dream he had just had.
Ron was pacing in the background. His eyes almost black with both fear and hate. He would stop pacing ever so often and open his mouth as though he wished to speak but he would then close it shake his head and again pace the room behind Harry and his three professors.
Harry took a deep breath as he began to retell his story to the listening room. "Pettigrew and Lucius were there. Voldemort ordered Malfoy to bring him back the dagger that Krum had and also to bring him….to give him….Herm…Hermione." Harry's voice was now soft and almost a whisper, "Voldemort is going to use her as… bait…to get me." Harry fell silent his energy now spent as he slummed down in a chair in front of Dumbeldore.
"Where is she now Harry?" Dumbeldore was again calm and spoke in the same manor as he had before.
Harry sat silent, elbows on his knees, his head now resting in his hands , his breath slow and labored.
"Don't know Professor," Ron finally spoke. He walked slowly forward as he talked, till he too was slumped in a large chair in front of his headmaster. "We went to her room looking for her…but…she was not there, her room was empty….except for her wand, it was still there."
And then there was silence.
Dumbeldore, Harry, and Ron went to Grimald place in order to set the alert that Hermione was missing. McGonagoll stayed with the school and Snape went off to search for her as a death eater.
'Where does Voldemort think he'll find Granger? Hogwarts is safe and she is anything but stupid. ' Draco was standing next to the older Malfoy as they ordered other death eaters in the search for Potter's mudblood, all the while thinking of the trauma that his men would do upon her.
Death eaters were desperate to find Hermione. If they were to fail in capturing her, then most likely their lives would be fore fit.
But it was the dagger that really puzzled Draco. Why would such an inanimate object spark such flames in Voldemort that were usually only reserved for mudbloods and Potter. Why did this dagger matter so much, what was so powerful about it that would force Voldemort to send his death eaters out to take said object from a girl that he knew was presently untouchable.
As a pop resounded around the street that Draco, his father and the death eaters under them were searching Severus Snape apperated. With a curt nod at Lucius and the death eaters that bowed their heads at his presence he turned to Draco, "Where do we stand Malfoy?"
"Nowhere we wish to Sir."
"She's no longer safe… so many of us looking for her."
"She does need to be found, how many of us are looking for her?"
"They have all been alerted, but we have had no such luck in locating Potter's girl."
"Pity." (A/N: that conversation is a double entendra…but what is the real meaning? HA no one will ever know!)
Hermione pushed again, willing the gate to open. As if it had hear her inner pleas the gate silently swung open. She began to walk the familiar path towards the Hogsmead gardens.
They were lit by the stars above as well as the small glowing bulbs that hovered above the flowers.
She walked through the gardens that she had earlier that day. The path seemed surprisingly quick considering the slope of the path that led to the gardens. She found herself in front of the large oak which she had earlier ran to. There lying on the ground next to the base of the tree was a shinning silver dagger. It's three emeralds winked at her daring her to pick it up. Daring her to help it return to its owner.
She bent down and let her fingers graze over the handle and trace the emeralds embedded in its carved handle. With every shimmer of the dagger Hermione felt that it was really speaking. She gripped the dagger firmly and her small hand engulfed the handle. As she picked it up she was surprised at its overwhelming weight. The dagger must have weighed nearly 10 pounds. But it glistened and shone in the night and Hermione was taken by its beauty. Underneath her fingers that silver which should have been frozen from the chilling night was surprisingly warm. In fact the dagger was almost to hot to hold.
The amount of heat that it was radiating caused Hermione to close her hands surrounding it to tighten. She could feel it's power. She could hear it calling to her. And holding it in her hands made her feel power that she never thought was attainable. She had been warned about powerful object that seemed to have a mind of their own and no visible mind. But the mind that this dagger had was more then powerful. It was controlling and it had needs and desires.
At that moment it needed to return to the powerful grasp of it's master. The dagger was the definition of manipulation using Hermione to get back to the man that possessed the most power was all it cared for. And that was what it wanted…to be back in the hands of power.
Only two men possessed enough power to control such an object, but that was the dagger's weakness, it could not tell the difference between the two men. It was true that they were filled with the same power but they had many differences as well. Differences that the dagger could not distinguish. It could only weigh one's power weather the power was good or evil it did not know, only it's quantity.
The dagger knew that Hermione was connected to the man who held so much concealed power, it knew that she could take it to him. It knew that she could take it to Voldemort.
But as was mentioned before the dagger had the weakness of not being able to decipher the different forms in which power can exist. Voldemort was evil. Enough was known and it was fact. His power was overwhelming, it was pure, vengeful , and rash. It was used to spread darkness over the world. But it had a match.
Harry Potter was good. Enough was known and it was fact. His power was overwhelming, it was pure, vengeful, and rash. It was used to save the world. And he was Voldemort's match.
Harry Potter's powers were of the same measurable quantity as the dark lord's. They had different motives but they same strength. A strength that the dagger could sense, not knowing fully who it was sensing.
After being thrown to the ground under a tree the dagger sat, waited for his master's powers to call for him, to find him. And a man filled with power did in fact find him. Harry Potter found Hermione, and in doing so revealed his tremendous power, which the dagger could not resist.
The dagger basked in awe of Harry's power, it mistook Harry's vengeful goodness for Voldemort's vengeful darkness. When only being able to sense one's power, it could be seen as a common mistake.
So while lying in Hermione Granger's hands the dagger made a decision. Stick to this girl's hand and she will take it to it's master. It wanted to get to get back to him, it wanted Voldemort, but it was unknowingly trying to get Harry Potter.
While still holding the dagger Hermione made her way through the beautiful flowers that shimmered with a knowing innocence. Her body shook slightly from the cold weather. When she finally stopped walking she found herself standing in the same place that Krum had stood just hours before.
She felt his presence as she stood in the dark garden thinking of him. Thinking of what he had tried to do. Thinking of what he might have done . Thinking of her hate for him.
It was silent in the garden…dead silent. Hermione whipped around feeling someone's squinted eyes on her.
"STPIFY!" If she had pulled her body back any later she would have been lying on the ground at the feet of a large hooded man dressed in black.
"She's quick this one aign't she?" They all laughed.
"Pretty too…if it weren't for her mucked up blood" She stood still concentrating on each of the men that slowly crept from the shadows and bushes around her. The men keep moving in till there were at least 9 of them surrounding her.
One man to her left spoke, he had gotten so close that she could feel his sticky breath in the back of her neck. "Look what she's got there, in her hand?"
"My my, I believe that we are about to kill to birds with one stone so to speak." the man now talking walked closer to her and placed on hand on her flushed cheek, "Our lord said bring in her body…do any of you chaps recall if he specified the condition in which her body was to be brought in?"
They all laughed again and the chilling horror of where she was and what was about to happened to her hit Hermione hard in the side of the head as the back of a death eaters hand crashed against her cheek. This man too was laughing.
Hermione held in her breath knowing that her scream would only lead to more pain. With all of the strength that she could focus on she threw her right hand forwards forcing the dagger to bite into the death eaters sides and pierce his ribs.
The man fell to the ground holding his side, "Fucking mudblood." Another death eater walked to his side and helped to support his weight, "restrain her!" he ordered.
On this man's command Hermione was thrown to the ground as she was hit with curses. She found her self on the ground with her hands and legs tied behind her back. Her lip was cut from her fall and her cheek was already starting to bruise from the first man's slap.
The men circled around her. They kept their hoods up around their faces but she could feel their smirking faces as they smiled and sized her up.
"Give me the dagger and you won't die." It was not a question but a statement that was ordered. The man was the tallest of the nine. His shoulders were the broadest. Through his cloak Hermione could tell that his eyes were green. The same color as Harry's. But this man's eyes were not at all like Harry's. This man's were cold and glazed over by a need for things unattainable by him. He had the green eyes of a slave.
Hermione let out a small laugh of disgust. Her eyes were filled with fear but her face was filled with hate. She spit on the shoes of the green eyed man.
In actuality she should not have done that , for the curses that resulted were of a unforgiving nature.
"I see that this little girl has more problems then her soiled blood." The man was smaller then the rest but as he moved towards Hermione' s bound body, she felt fear raise up inside of her . "Crucio." His voice was not plagued with any form of emotion as he spoke the unforgivable words, and caused unforgivable pain.
Hermione' s body writhed on the damp ground beneath her. She had never felt pain more horrible then what she was forced to with stand now. Her nerves were on fire and she felt every bone in her body bend and twist in sharp and jagged movements. Her eyes brimmed with tears that she refused to let fall. She bit down on her lip to keep from screaming. These were the men she hated and she was not going to give them the satisfaction of her cries.
She could feel the blood of her lip dipping down her chin and filling her mouth. But she would not give in. She could feel the boiling of her blood but she would not give in. And she could not quench the lava that flowed through her veins, but she refused to shut her eyes, so she stared into the laughing faces of the men torturing her.
When the curse was finally lifted she felt as if she would never be able to move again.
"I see that you are a hard one to crack." Again all of the men's eyes were on her, and again all of the men were laughing at her stubbornness, a trait that most likely would kill her more slowly.
The man whom Hermione had stabbed with the dagger spoke again, with anger and hate laced so deeply in his voice that upon hearing it directed at her made Hermione's trembling worse. "Give me the dagger, mudblood!" Again it was an order that she would refuse to scum to.
Hermione's answer was a smirk that even Malfoy himself would be proud of. Her eyes were a lit with pain and fear but she would deny these men for all that she could.
" Just take it from her!" A man to her left stepped forward, and as he neared her she felt her hand tighten around the hot silver handle of the dagger. It was her only comfort, her only weapon, her only hope. As he neared her she again felt her energy focus in her arm and with all of the strength that she could muster she threw the dagger at him . But it did not fly.
The dagger stayed in her hand, it refused to part with her palm. She wanted it to hit the other man, she needed it to defend her. But the dagger had only its own goals to carry out. It merely wanted to get back to its owner, and its only way to get there was to stick to this girl and she will take it to the hands of his master. Stick to this girl and it's selfish needs will be fulfilled.
"A binding charm?" They all laughed again, "silly girl." The man bent down and placed his wand at the base of Hermione's wrist, "I do not care if it will not leave your hand, I can have your hand as well."
"Wait Flint"
"Yes?"
"I am enjoying the great and rare pleasure it is to find sure a strong mudblood at one's feet. Besides I believe that she has a lot more fire left in her, what do you say about we put a little more of that fire out?"
"Aw, yes, do forgive me gentlemen, I was hasty, shall we not play a while longer?"
All of the men laughed around her. Their faces shone with joy. A joy that was so cruel nothing but laughter could answer it.
The death eaters were being courteous towards on another. They took turns in their merciless game that consisted of braking Hermione Granger. On man would throw a curse and the others would complement them on the skill. Then the next man would throw a curse and he to would be met with laughter and slow claps.
It was until Hermione lay on the ground cut, bruised, and broken that the men thought it time they took her to face her real fears, Voldemort.
Draco raced through the thick tress of the forest. His mind was racing but only one thought was playing over and over in his head. "Where is Granger?"
Draco stopped to look around him. He had been running for almost half an hour, searching the forests for her. "If I were Granger and I was stupid enough to leave Hogwarts alone, where would I go?" Draco leaned up against a tree to support his heaving body.
He was fit and muscular. He had shaggy blonde hair that fell into his eyes and down his neck. His shoulders were broad and he stood at a tall 6 foot even. He ran a steady hand through his sweaty hair, he had to find her. Thinking of what could happened if he didn't was not an option, he had to find her. Merlin help him, his father curse him, he needed to save her.
The gardens. Draco's eyes flew open and his heart began to beat rapidly again as through he were still running. Of course he had been so bloody blind. He just hoped that he was again not too late.
With a loud crack he apperated behind the tree that earlier that day he had stood and watched Hermione. And now here he was again concealed behind the same tree watching her again fall victim to one of his men.
" Hold her down. Hold her down" Hermione was still fighting, even if it was only slightly and if it was doing her no good, she was still fighting. The men were holding down her bleeding shoulders as they pinned her right arm to the ground. They were planning on cutting off her hand, enabling them to give the desired dagger to Voldemort in person.
With out another seconds hesitation, Draco tore off his death eaters robes and flipped them inside out to reveal a Griffindor cloak. As the green eyed death eater lowered his wand down onto Hermione's arm Draco dove out from behind the tree and threw his body over Hermione. The death eater's shredding curse , instead of separating the dagger from Hermione, ended up coming into contact with the skin of Draco's shoulder.
He winced at the sudden pain but , wrapped his arms around Hermione's limp form and apperated.
(AN): again I'm sorry that it took so long to post, I'm now on break and I don't think that I'm going anywhere really exciting so I hope to update a lot…if you have any questions about the chapter or so on, then do not hesitate to ask me, I would like to know what you think…guess what? …..REVIEW TIME YHEY!
P.S. thanks Gen I love you, you are always going to be the ice princess with the hot man on the ZAMBINI in my mind…..so damn are you lucky
P.P.S. sorry Sam I'm trying to fit you in but it's going to take some time
