Ron let out a gasp that sounded almost painful.

Hermione felt like somebody had just poured boiling hot water over her head.

"Harry!" Ron shouted again, but couldn't seem to get much more out.

Harry was still looking expectantly at Voldemort, waiting for an answer.

"Harry, Harry," Voldemort said in a mocking voice. "Don't you want to entertain your friends for longer?"

"Not particularly," Harry replied and flashed a smile.

Ron just didn't seem to get Harry's concept. "Harry? Why would you want to kill us? We're your friends!"

"Not anymore, Weasley," Malfoy spoke at last and walked to Harry's side. "Not since Harry joined our side."

He grinned at Harry who returned it. Anybody who didn't know them would think they were best friends!

Hermione stood, rooted in her spot. She couldn't think, she couldn't do anything. All that she could think was that Malfoy had called Harry Potter by his first name.

"What's wrong, Granger?" Malfoy said. His teeth glinted in the dark as he smirked at her. "You look so disappointed! I told you Harry was alive and he is! Come over here and say hello."

The three people standing before her laughed together.

"That isn't Harry," Hermione whispered.

"Sure it is," Malfoy said.

"Last time I checked, I was Harry anyway," Harry said mockingly.

"What's wrong with you?" Ron shouted, his voice high pitched and shaky. "Are you under the Imperious curse or something?"

"No, Ron," Hermione answered slowly. She knew by the look of Harry's face.

"Then what's wrong with him?" Ron shouted wildly, turning to Hermione.

"He's turned to the dark side," Hermione told Ron numbly then turned back to Harry with a disgusted look. Truth be told, she was afraid to keep her eyes off him.

Harry just laughed jovially. "See? I always said Hermione was smart."

"Not smart enough to get yourself out of this though, are you Granger?" Malfoy smirked, an agonising amount of amusement always in voice.

Voldemort had seemed amused all along but now he seemed bored. "Yes, Harry. You may kill Ron Weasley. Perhaps we should hold onto the girl. After what I've heard, she may be useful. After all the Unpure are going to be extinct soon enough. They will be hard to find."

"Well, you can always look in the mirror," Hermione spat.

"Don't you dare talk to me like that," Voldemort said and held out his wand. "Crucio."

Hermione fell to the ground in pain. Panic filled her and she couldn't cope with the agony that was enveloping her. She barely noticed Ron sobbing at her side.

She did notice Harry laughing with Malfoy though.

Voldemort lifted the curse.

"Well," Hermione said to Harry, once she'd got her breath back. "The Sorting Hat did want to put you in Slytherin."

"Yes," Harry said and held out his own wand. "I wonder why. Crucio."

Hermione fell to the ground again and this pain lasted even longer than the last.

Once again, once the pain was over, Hermione got up off the ground and brushed herself off in a disgusted way.

"Oh, yes," Harry said again in his pleasant voice. "I can kill Ron now."

This was exactly at the point where Hermione wished she had remembered her wand. She had just rushed out stupidly after Malfoy because she had wanted to see Harry. Stupid, she scolded herself, just stupid.

"STOP!" A voice commanded suddenly.

But then everyone's eyes were pulled towards the approaching figure.

"Why, if it isn't Albus Dumbledore?" Voldemort said with a smile etched across his ugly features.

And there stood Dumbledore, holding out his wand, ready to fight.

Maybe, Hermione thought, I might just get out of this alive.

Casting a glance at Voldemort's deadly smile, doubt filled her.

Maybe.

.