Darkest of Wishes
Chapter 10
Circle of Hell
Hermione sat in Potions with a blank expression on her face. Graham had been her partner for today and had not stopped talking since class had started. Hermione felt the on comings of a headache.
"You will now add the dried Billywig stings." Professor Snape's voice echoed off the walls as he made sure that everyone was doing what they were told. "Just a pinch will do."
Hermione hurriedly reached over and grabbed the bag, before Graham could mess up the perfect potion. She reached in and grabbed a few of the stings, making sure not to poke herself.
"Halverstram!"
Hermione watched as Snape hurried to the back of the class. Obviously someone had not done what he had asked. She was glad, for once, that she was in Slytherin, and was considered a favorite. Even if she did do something wrong, she wouldn't get in trouble.
"I said Billywig! Are you trying to make something other than the Disturbed Draught?"
"Er... no sir?" Halverstram shrugged. Hermione noticed the badge on his robes; he was one of the Ravenclaw prefects.
"Next time you will pay attention," Snape sneered at the boy and emptied his cauldron with a quick swish of his wand. "If I catch you wasting my ingredients again..."
"Yes, sir."
"Five points from Ravenclaw."
Hermione found that quite unfair for just adding the wrong ingredients, but she said nothing. She turned her attention to the potion turning a bright red before her... then it dulled and bubbled into a blackish-blue concoction.
"Now, if you will pay close attention," Snape began, shooting a look at poor Halverstram. "The Disturbed Draught will need to settle over the Christmas holiday. I expect that when you all return you will have written a 12-inch report on the uses of the Disturbed Draught and why it is so highly dangerous."
x x x x x
Hermione had been thinking about Christmas holiday. She had recieved a letter from Mother Delilah the previous day explaining when she would be arriving to collect her. Hermione had thought to invite Graham, but she realized that not only would that really annoy Mother Delilah, but that it would not look normal. So, Hermione had asked Pansy Parkinson over for the holidays. Pansy had accepted, almost too quickly, but at least Hermione knew that things looked normal.
"So, when is your mum coming?"
"She said that she didn't want to have to be stuck in a crowd, so she's coming a bit later." Hermione mumbled as she started on her Potions assignment. The Slytherin common room was a little noisy and Hermione was having a hard time blocking out all of the noise. She thought that since it was right after lunch that people wouldn't be so loud.
"Are you starting that already? We have all of Christmas break!" Pansy stated as she looked on Hermione's parchment.
"I have nothing better to do," Hermione stated flatly. "Besides, I find the Disturbed Draught to be a highly interesting potion."
"What does it do?" Pansy seemed more interested now. "Is it deadly?"
"Not normally, only if you add dragon's blood, then it can be," Hermione huffed. "It's used to create a dream-like state that is most disturbing to the taker, hence its name. Usually the effects don't last very long, but if given regularly, the poor person who is under the effects of the Disturbed Draught can go off into a state of unconsciousness. It is said that it is like sleeping with continuous nightmares."
"What about the deadly part?" Pansy's eyes flickered menacingly. Hermione figured that Pansy didn't think that Potions could actually be more than just mixing and brewing. "What if you do add dragon's blood?"
"Well, dragon's blood is really hard to obtain, but it makes the effects permanent and slowly eats away at the persons life force. I think I read that a Bohemian priest died after Grindelwald poisoned him with the Disturbed Draught laced with dragon's blood. It's like being tortured in your sleep, then finally the body just can't take anymore."
"How... repulsive," Pansy breathed. "I wonder if Snape will make us take a bit."
"Probably," Hermione continued writing, "Of course, it won't be a large dose. Just enough to see a disturbing image, I'm sure."
There was a pause and then Pansy decided that she wanted to go ahead and start packing. Hermione nodded, continuing with her work. And, just as she was beginning the history of the potion, Hermione remembered that she hadn't actually finished her detention. She decided to go and ask Snape, since he probably wasn't too busy at the moment, and since her next class didn't start for another hour.
x x x x x
"We finished your detention, Miss Granger," Snape said. He was eyeing her suspiciously. "Unless you want to serve more?"
"Er... no, sir." Hermione muttered. She was sure that she had had at least one more night of detention. "Thank you, sir."
Just as Hermione turned around, she felt her entire left arm go numb from an extreme pain. She gasped and heard Snape behind her breathing deeply.
"Now?" he asked, through gritted teeth. "What could possibly..."
Hermione felt the Dark Mark burning and took in a deep breath to calm her nerves. She had only just got over the last meeting and now she was being called to go to another one.
"Let me take you to Slytherin's statue. I'll write a pass for your next class... what is it?"
"Divination," Hermione muttered.
"All right." Snape murmured as he scribbled something down on a piece of parchment. He then tapped the paper with his wand and it floated up in the air and then zoomed out of the room.
x x x x x
Snape had taken her to the statue of Salazar Slytherin and then told her that he and Lupin would be there shortly. He didn't say anything else, but Hermione figured that he was trying to hurry so that he could tell Professor Dumbledore.
Hermione did what she had done last time, except this time, she didn't have Draco to give her directions. She figured that it would be in the same spot as it was last time. When Hermione was out of Hogwarts boundaries and near Hogsmeade, she Apparated to one of the dodgier ends of Knockturn Alley.
The old sign still swung from its hinges at the front of the old building. The Bastion looked even more downtrodden that it had before, but Hermione remembered that it was not in her best interest to go through the front door anyway.As she reached the back entrance, she could hear murmuring coming from inside. She hurried inside and noticed many Death Eaters pulling their hoods over their faces. Hermione flipped her hood over her own head and then hurried forward. Then her heart sunk, she didn't remember exactly where in the circle her place was. As she walked forward a hand touched her shoulder and she turned quickly, coming face to face with Bellatrix Lestrange. Hermione was glad that she had put the hood over her eyes, because she was sure that she would have given herself away with a look of pure loathing.
"Other side, dear," Bella pulled Hermione towards the other side. "There you are."
"Thank you," Hermione whispered as she was placed in her position. She didn't know what else to say.
Hermione waited for about five minutes in silence as the rest of the Death Eaters slowly appeared. She cleared her thoughts and decided that she would indeed listen this time. She did not want to have another episode like last time. The meeting started and Hermione watched as Voldemort stood in the middle of the circle.
"I have called thisss emergency meeting for one purpossse." His red eyes gleamed with hatred. "Sssomething hasss displeasssed me."
There was a long pause and Hermione chanced a quick glance up to see Voldemort passing in front of each Death Eater. When he moved in front of her, Hermione thought that he was probably going to yank her up by her throat and kill her straight away. But he didn't. He continued to move around the circle.
A soft hissing sound followed him, it was Nagini, his pet snake. He hissed something to the snake and she slithered outside of the circle.
"I have been informed that there are... spiesss within our ranksss." He paused again, his voice growing more venemous by the second. "Thisss isss highly disssrupting to my plansss. And, I feel that I should bring it up in front of all of my Death Eatersss..."
Again, he paused, and stopped in front of one of the Death Eaters. Hermione noticed that the robed figure was shaking.
"You," Voldemort hissed at the Death Eater, "you have betrayed me."
The figure fell to its knees and began to kiss Voldemort's robes. "No, master! I haven't!"
Hermione realized that the voice belonged to a male. In fact, the voice sounded rather familiar.
"Yesss... you have. I should have known that you were too cowardly to join usss." Voldemort turned away from the man.
"No!" The man screamed again. "No, master, it wasn't me!"
Hermione watched as Voldemort hissed to Nagini, and the snake bared her fangs and attacked the man. Hermione controlled her instinct to turn around and run.
"It wasssn't you?" Voldemort descended upon the now bleeding man. "Who, then? WHO?"
"I... I..." Nagini bit down again, causing more high-pitched screams to echo off the walls. Hermione noticed that everyone in the circle seemed to want to run, as well.
"SSSPEAK!"
Nagini bit down again as the man tried desperately to find the words. His body flailed about, trying to get the snake off of him, and Hermione caught sight of the man's face as his hood fell.
It was Igor Karkaroff.
"Master!" Karkaroff pleaded. "Please! Be merciful!"
Voldemort slowly stood up, kicking Karkaroff's bloody hand away from him. "You are a traitor. Filthy, worthless ssscum upon our highly prized desiresss." He then turned around to face the rest of the Death Eaters. "Karkaroff hasss given the Order sssome information that I deemed him worthy of keeping to himssself. He hasss not only betrayed me, but all of you. He deservesss nothing more than death."
Voldemort then turned to Nagini and hissed one last time. Hermione could have sworn on her life that the snake looked like she smiled. Then with a great hiss she attacked Karkaroff and his dying screams were heard.
Voldemort waited until Karkaroff was dead, then he continued. "Now that that hasss been taken care of. I do have one more thing that I would like to tell you all. I have reassson to believe that there may be more traitorsss among us. Do not hesssitate in killing them on the spot." He paused again and turned to look at Nagini feasting on Karkaroff's body. Hermione thought that she saw a smile play across his snake-like face. "Also, any Order membersss. If they reveal themselvesss... kill them asss well."
Voldemort stepped over Karkaroff's body. He turned back towards the circle and nodded his head, "You are all dismissed." Then he Disapparated.
Hermione watched as many of the Death Eaters also Disapparated. She pulled her hood off and stared at the dead body of Karkaroff. She then took in a deep breath and realized that she now had to go back to school.
x x x x x
"If I find any traitor, I'm going to kill him," Draco muttered to Hermione. They were in a corner of the common room, so that nobody could hear them. "I mean, to think of it! Betraying the Dark Lord? Out of their mind, they are."
"Yeah," Hermione said. She really wasn't trying to think along the lines of being a traitor to 'the Dark Lord.' Especially since she was one.
"I really hope I get an Order member though," Draco continued. "Can you imagine how the Dark Lord would honor me?"
"Hmm," Hermione mumbled as she stared at the fire across the room.
"Are you okay?" Draco asked. "You look... worried."Hermione came out of her trance.
"I'm fine. I just... it's hard to imagine that anyone would want to betray... Him."
"Some are stupid enough to do it," Draco gave a small laugh. "So, you are going to your mother's house for Christmas, aren't you?"
Hermione forced a smile. He sure could change the subject on a dime. "Yes, and I invited Pansy. Mother likes her."
"Don't see why," Draco muttered. "She's a complete cow."
"Yes, well," Hermione tried not to giggle. She actually agreed with him. "Mother seems to think that she's not all bad."
"We'll show her, won't we?" Draco winked at Hermione.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "We?"
"Yes, you didn't think that mother and I weren't coming over to celebrate, did you?"
x x x chapter end x x x
Author's Notes: Sorry this chapter took a while. I'm not at home at the moment. Not using my own computer can really slow me down…
Hope everyone enjoyed HBP! I know I did. And, I meant to get this chapter up before HBP, but I didn't get the chance. And, now that I have brought up HBP, for those of you who have read it… there are a lot of similar things that happened in HBP and what is happening in DoW. I didn't plan that (obviously) and there are a lot of things that surprised me about HBP, because of how DoW is A LOT like HBP in certain ways. I don't think you'll be spoiled, because I didn't see it coming when I started this. So don't think that you'll be spoiled. But, yes, there are similarities, but also now, with the release of HBP, this is definitely considered an AU/AR. So, there you are! I'm only using Books 1-5 to write this story… so you won't be spoiled. : - )