I told you the Eighth Chapter was soon to come:D I meant to upload this earlier, but there was an itsy problem with the site so I wasn't able to. But at least you've got your fic.
HAIL MAG, THE CONSTANT UPDATER!
Don't have much to say for this chapter, except:
Mezzo Papaya: Your reviews really make me laugh! Say, what would have happened if you really did say that aloud?
Skadesake: A love-hate relationship? Haha! hugs you back and takes the cake Running after Ron with a shotgun? That's painful…
excuse my lack of replies to reviews, but I'm just eager to update! i'll promise to reply all of your reviews sometime!
sometime..
Disclaimer! (This is getting irritating):
IT'S JK'S, OK?
Happy Reading :)
…
"Oh my god! Harry!" Hermione cried as she bent down to help her friend. He coughed and bits of grass flew from his mouth.
"'Mione!" he choked. Viktor bent down and muttered a spell, and Harry was able to breathe easily.
"I – I –"
"What is it, Harry! Why are you like this!" Hermione demanded, her eyes streaming with tears.
But Harry had passed out.
"Enner- Ennervate!"
Harry sputtered, but he was breathing sharp, short breaths as if it was almost agonizing.
"Ve better take him to St. Mungo's." Viktor said, rising.
"No… Let's take him back to my house."
Viktor nodded and hoisted Harry on top of his back. In a swirl of cloaks, Viktor and Hermione had Disapparated and appeared in Hermione's living room.
"Bring him to my room!"
Harry wheezed again. Hermione looked him over, trembling immensely. There were several cuts and scars on his face, neck and arms. His maroon turtleneck shirt had been ripped in several places and his pants had a great deal of cloth ripped out too. There was dried blood on his hands. Who could have done such a thing?
Viktor carried Harry to her bedroom and they lay him on the bed.
"I could heal some of his scars, but that's the most I can do." Hermione took out her wand, muttered a few spells, and most of the cuts had gone, his turtleneck shirt was fixed, and the blood was washed off his hands.
"Vot cood have happened?" Viktor asked, shaking his head. Harry was still inhaling and exhaling deeply on Hermione's bed. He looked bedraggled, even after Hermione had fixed him.
"I've got terrible news!" Harry breathed, barely audible. Hermione bent down.
"What is it, Harry? And what happened to you!"
"I was attacked on the way here…"
"Was it by Death Eaters, Harry!"
"Y-Yes… A mass breakout, Hermione…"
"What!" Hermione could not believe her ears.
Harry could barely speak the next few words. Strained breaths escaped from his cracked lips. Hermione rolled up his shirt and as she had expected, there were red swollen patches on Harry's chest.
"He's fractured a few ribs…"
"Viktor, could you help me get a green bottle and some cotton wool from the cabinet in my bathroom?"
Viktor left. Hermione conjured a basin of water and a cloth and started dabbing at Harry's face frantically.
"You need all the rest you can, Harry. They're brutal… A few took on you at once, didn't they?"
Harry nodded feebly, before letting his head fall slowly to his side and closed his eyes. He breathed slowly and painfully.
Viktor returned with the bottle, and Hermione poured out the contents onto the cotton and placed it on Harry's throbbing spots. He gasped in pain.
"It's alright, Harry. It'll help you recover faster."
Harry moaned in pain as Hermione placed another piece of cotton wool on another spot.
"It looks painful." Viktor commented.
"It always hurts when you touch a sensitive area, especially when it's fractured."
She put the finishing touches before standing up.
"He'll be better when he awakes. Till then, I'll put a Disapparation Jinx on this room, so no one can attempt to exit or enter."
"Then vot if he needs help?"
"I'll know."
The both of them left, closing the door behind them.
Crookshanks suddenly appeared out of nowhere and rubbed his head against Viktor's legs.
"Krookshangs!" he called out as he patted the part-Kneazle who purred contentedly. "You still have him!"
"Oh yes. He's a bit jumpier now, though – Must be due to age."
They walked down the stairs and sat on the couch, waiting.
"You don't look so good." Viktor said to Hermione, whose face was a paper white. She did not reply.
"What happened? Why is Harry like this?" she mumbled softly to herself.
"Do you need a drink? I can get one from your kitchen…"
"Don't bother."
"Right."
"Too many things are happening right now…" Hermione buried her pale face in her trembling hands.
"A mass breakout. It iz not the first time, right? I once heard about this Bellatrix breaking out before…"
Hermione did not move.
"I thought the Ministry vos supposed to have tight security all over London, now this iz starting to give me second thoughts…"
"There's nothing wrong with the Aurors, Viktor." Hermione whispered, her voice as shaky as her hands.
"I did not say there vos anything wrong vith them – "
But Hermione was not listening. She stood up and glared down at Viktor.
"If you're going to blame this on Harry's or Ron's terrible work, I'd like to see you try."
"But Hermi –"
"Shut up! My life is crazy, alright! The lives of my friends and loved ones are in jeopardy every day, and it's all thanks to this stupid reptilian bastard who won't leave them alone!"
Viktor was speechless.
"And you! All you can do is complain! You're not doing anything, are you!"
"Hermione!" Viktor had stood up and seized her arm, but Hermione wrenched it away.
"Listen to me!"
"I've listened already! I've listened too much! You're all talk, Viktor. I don't want to hear what you have to say anymore! All my friends are dying. I can't let this happen!"
She stepped back as Viktor took a step forward.
"Don't come too close to me, Viktor. I can't afford to lose someone else who's close to me."
"I –"
"AARRRRGGHHHH! LEAVE ME ALONE!"
Viktor and Hermione's heads whirled to the direction of the shouts.
"STOP! WHY!"
Hermione sprinted upwards the stairs. Viktor followed suit.
"Harry…"
"LEAVE MY FRIENDS ALONE! STOP THIS!"
Hermione burst through the door to see Harry writhing and squirming on her bed, as if he was put under the Cruciatus Curse. It was a nightmare.
"AARRRRRGGGHHHHH!"
"Harry!" Hermione ran over to Harry, shaking him. Harry's eyes flew open. His breath seemed to explode out of his mouth as he gave a loud gasp and shuddered.
"'Mione!" he cried.
"I'm here! Harry, are you alright?"
"Bellatrix, Malfoy! Dolohov! Rookwood! Macnair! Avery! Nott! The rest from the fight at the Department of Mysteries!"
"What about them, Harry? Were they the ones who escaped?" Hermione asked frantically. Harry's energy seemed to return to him as he sat up and nodded.
"It can't be…"
"It didn't happen recently, Hermione! It was a month ago!"
"What do you mean! Why didn't you notice?"
It seemed too painful for Harry to say.
"Polyjuice Potion, Hermione…"
"Oh my god… Just – just – like what Barty Crouch -? Who did they use to take their place! Why weren't there extra precautions taken, Harry!"
"Ask Scrimgeour!" Harry barked. He stood up and ran a hand through his unruly hair forcibly. "Aurors, Hermione! They took dozens in their place!"
"And guess, who was one of the Aurors! SEAMUS, Hermione!"
Hermione dug her nails into her cheek, her face as white as paper.
"No…"
"Yes! Seamus! Bellatrix was the one who escaped and made him take his place! Followed by Malfoy! And the rest… They escaped shortly after…
"THAT BITCH!" Harry screamed. Hermione looked at Viktor, who looked as stricken as she was.
"They took so many damn Aurors!" Harry roared, sat back down onto the bed and slapped his hands onto his face.
"How did you know this?" Viktor asked, speaking for the first time ever since Harry arrived. Harry looked up.
"Less than half an hour ago," he said slowly, taking deep breaths. "I was on patrol. I found Seamus in Bellatrix's cell. He was in pain. There was an open wound on his chest. I opened his cell door and tried to help him. He was dying. He told me that a month ago, he was patrolling himself when he found Bellatrix lying in her cell, on the verge of dying. He opened her cell and tried to call for help when he felt a blow on his head and blacked out. When he awoke, he found that everything was back to normal except that he was locked in Bellatrix's cell, and he was wearing her clothes!"
Hermione shook her head in disbelief.
"He's been trying to fight the Imperius Curse she put on him ever since, but was never able to until he injured himself… And before he could finish, he – he was gone…"
Harry's eyes stung and tears seeped from under his closed eyelids.
"What about the other Death Eaters, Harry!"
"They were all replaced by Aurors. Four others, including Seamus are dead.. We've got the others in St. Mungo's now."
"Thank God there are survivors… How did they manage to break from the Imperius Curse?"
"I got the rest of the Aurors to come with droughts that would remove the effects if they were using Polyjuice Potion. All of them were in disguise, and when they were back to themselves, they were all in a lot of pain. We used counter jinxes to remove the Imperius Curse. Four of them attacked me in the process…"
Viktor stood up suddenly. Hermione and Harry stared at him.
"You have a slight chance, then." He declared. Harry's eyes narrowed.
"What the hell are you talking about! Everyone's dead, we can't find the bloody Death Eaters, you'll have to be a dolt not to know -"
"Vot I meant was that Death Eaters, as merciless as they are vill not simply knock a wizard off a building and make off vithout you, Harry."
"And..?"
"If they haven't taken you, there's a high chance that they've taken Ron avay to try to suck valuable information out of him."
"What!" Hermione repeated for the umpteenth time.
"Harry, I remember you mentioned that vhen you passed out a week ago and woke up again, you couldn't find anyone, not even Ron's body?"
Harry shook his head.
"Then I am right. Ron may very vell still be alive."
…
"That's…" Harry started, staring wide-eyed at Viktor.
"Not bullshit, if that's vot you are thinking. I have far better things to do than come up with rubbish theories."
"But how can you be sure…?"
"It iz the most logical reason."
Hermione closed her eyes. It did seem to make the most sense. Why else would Ron's body be gone? It couldn't possibly have dematerialized, could it?
"And how are we supposed to find them?"
"It'll be a matter of time before they'll come for you, Harry."
Harry did not seem to have an answer for this.
"I am not asking you to vait, but there iz not much for you to do at this point of time."
"R-right."
There was a pregnant pause.
"I'll uh report back at the Ministry, then." Harry said. He nodded at Hermione and Viktor before turning on the spot. Nothing happened.
"Ah wait I forgot! I put a Disapparation Jinx on the room!" Hermione blurted out. "I think you'll have to do it outside…"
"Right."
And Harry opened the door, closed it behind him, and there was a faint pop that announced his departure.
Hermione shuffled a little in her place on the edge of the bed. Viktor was standing at the other end, with his hands in his pockets. Nobody said anything for a while.
"Her-myonee," Viktor said, breaking the awkward silence.
"Before, you mentioned that you didn't vont me to come near you…"
Hermione froze, dreading the moment.
"You said that the reason vos because you vere afraid of losing someone else close to you…"
Viktor moved towards her and knelt down in front of her, looking into her eyes.
"Am I considered… close to you?"
Whoop! Eighth chapter! I realized that cliff hangers are inevitable. You can never stop this crap, never!
I have to start concentrating more on the couple…
AND I LIED! I MADE A DRACO/HERMIONE FIC (instead of the lily & james one i promised)! HO HO HO, PLEASE READ IT IF YOU CAN, IT'S TITLED Simple & Clean. It's the newest addition to my family of fanfics.
(See that purple button on the bottom left side of the screen? Click on it :)