I have thought about it and I think that I'm just going to leave the riddle from the last chappie out of the story. I like what I've come up with a lot better.
Disclaimer: It doesn't belong to me, just the plot and new characters. So don't even ask!
Catherine watched in silence as Severus went out onto the balcony, staring out onto the grounds of Hogwarts. The sun was rising and grounds sparkled with dew on the grass. Climbing out of the bed, she walked out of the doors and wrapped her arms around his waist. Resting her chin on his shoulder, she watched him for a moment.
"Severus?" He glanced at her.
"What?"
"Have you ever thought about, well, you know…" She let go of him and leaned on the balcony railing. He frowned.
"I try not to," he told her. "You?" She continued to look out over the Forbidden Forest, arms around her waist.
"How do you forget?" she whispered. "How do you put such a past behind you when you are reminded of it everyday because of the outcome that is my daughter, Severus? I…" She turned to him. He turned and entered his room again, sitting down on the edge of the bed, playing idly with the rumpled sheets. She came over and squatted in front of him, touching his cheek.
"How do you…Do you remember?" He stared at her scornfully.
"How does one not remember, Catherine?" he snapped. The look she gave him was one of utmost disdain for the man that sat on the bed.
"I don't believe I came all the way from hiding to be treated like that, Severus."
"That's right. You came to be treated as you were last night." She must have gotten extremely red because her dark skin showed signs of pink in the cheeks. She stood up, grabbing her robe and putting it on.
"That's not how you were acting last night either, Severus, so keep your comments for a later time." He only smiled wanly and got off the bed, approaching her. She backed up into the wall and squeaked as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her precariously close. She stared up into his eyes, all thought of escape gone.
"Well, than let us find something else to say about last night, shall we." His lips crushed hers as he pulled her back towards the bed, Catherine only too keen to follow.
Hermione stumbled into the common room at exactly six o'clock in the morning, looking a mess. Her clothes were rumpled, her hair everywhere but her eyes sparkling. She, however, was not prepared for what faced her.
"Mind telling us where you've been, Hermione?" Hermione nearly jumped out of her skin as she turned to the couch where Harry and Ron were sitting, both looking like they had sucked on lemons. She smiled warily.
"Hi, Harry, Ron," she tried weakly. "Um, I'm kind of tired, so I think I'll-"
"Sit down and tell us where the bloody hell you were all night," Ron growled. She frowned but nevertheless sat down in the chair by the fireplace. For a while, nobody spoke.
"Hermione…" Harry began testily after a few minutes. She glanced at both boys and sighed.
"Look, I really-"
"Don't want to talk about it?" Ron finished for her, looking livid. "Well too bad. Spit it." She glared at him.
"Fine!" she said angrily, standing up. "If you want to know where I've been, than fine! I've been in the Astronomy Tower with Draco Malfoy!" Horror paled Ron's face. "That's right, Ronald! "I've come back from a long night up in the Astronomy Tower with the ferret! And you know what we did? We kissed and then spent a lot of time just talking! Unlike you, where I can barely get a word sideways before it's Quidditch, Snape, Potions, or BLOODY QUIDDITCH! Ugh, Ronald get that look off your face! It's most unbecoming of you."
"DRACO MALFOY!" Ron exploded. "You KISSED Draco bloody MALFOY!" Harry sat down, any anger he had towards Hermione's disappearance vanishing, taken over with a sudden fit of hysterical laughter. Hermione's face melted into a small smile as her cheeks began to burn. She knew fully well why Harry was laughing. Ron, however, was at a loss as to why his best mate suddenly found that the girl he liked, (possibly more than liked), kissing the guy he hated, (more than hated, I can assure you), positively hilarious.
"How can you bloody laugh?" Ron yelled at him, as Harry grew red in the face from laughing.
"I hahahah I hahaha I just love hahahahahaha oh screw it HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" His laughing was making Hermione grow redder and Ron irate. Ron turned on Hermione.
"What in the world are you doing with DRACO MALFOY?" he roared at her. She glared at him.
"What I do with Draco is absolutely none of your business, Ronald," she told him. "I can date who I want without your permission. I like him and he likes me. That's all that matters! And if you can't deal with that, than tough!"
"The ferret? What do you see in him! He's a lying, cheating, son of a Death Eater, Hermione!"
"Just because he's the son of a Death Eater doesn't mean he is one, Ronald!"
"That's what you know."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Tell her Harry." Hermione turned to the raven head, who had suddenly gotten over his laughing fit. Harry now looked grave and kind of guilty for laughing.
"What's he talking about Harry?" she asked him, her voice barely above a whisper. Harry shifted in his seat then finally stood.
"Ron and I were heading to detention last night and we walked in on Snape and Malfoy in the Potions Room."
"So?" she said. He looked at her, seriousness shining in his green eyes.
"Hermione, there was something on his left forearm." Hermione paled.
"It could have been anything, Harry…"
"It was the Dark Mark, Hermione," Harry said quietly. Hermione's eyes seemed to shift off of the boys as she fell into a seat. "They didn't see us," he continued. "We left the room quickly after we saw it and didn't go back in until after Malfoy had left." Hermione was shaking now. Harry walked over, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't touch me!" she screamed at him, pulling away and standing up. "He's not a Death Eater, Harry, Ron! He told me…he told me he loves me…no, no you're wrong. You saw wrong!"
"Hermione," Ron said, his voice softening.
"NO!" she screamed, tears flowing down her face. "I refuse to believe it!" She then turned and was about to leave the common room when…
ATTENTION ALL STUDENTS! ATTENTION ALL STUDENTS!
Groans were heard from upstairs as several students appeared at the top of the stairs. Others just stayed in bed, half listening.
ATTENTION! ALL QUIDDITCH GAMES ARE HEREBY CANCELLED. ALL HOGSMEDE TRIPS ARE HEREBY CANCELLED. ALL OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES ARE CANCELLED. UNDER ABSOLUTELY NO CIRCUMSTANCES ARE STUDENTS TO LEAVE THE CASTLE. ANY STUDENT CAUGHT LEAVING THE CASTLE WILL BE PUNISHED. ALL STUDENTS WILL BE ESCORTED TO CLASSES BY A TEACHER AND WILL NOT LEAVE DURING CLASSES UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. ALL STUDENTS WILL BE GO BACK TO THEIR COMMON ROOMS IMMEDIATELY AFTER DINNER AND WILL NOT LEAVE THEIR COMMON ROOMS UNTIL A TEACHER IS THEIR TO ESCORT YOU. IF, FOR SOME REASON, A STUDENT NEEDS TO LEAVE DURING A CLASS, YOU WILL BE TAKEN TO YOUR DESTINATION VIA FLU POWDER. ALL DETENTIONS ARE HEREBY CANCELLED, BUT PUNISHMENTS WILL BE ADMINISTERED DURING CLASSES. ALL NEW RULES HAVE BEEN PUT INTO EFFECT BY HEADMASTER DUMBLEDORE AND ARE UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES TO BE DISOBEYED. THIS MESSAGE WILL BE REPEATED IN AN HOUR.
The trio stared at each other than Harry looked out the window, noticing for the first time that the sun had been blocked out by an unbelievable darkness.
McGonagall came by at seven o'clock after the message had been stated again. Gryffindors had crowded the common room, all of them anxious to know the reason for the new rules and for the terrifying darkness that flooded the grounds outside. Silence claimed them as McGonagall raised her hands.
"First, these new rules are put in for the safety of the students. Nothing more will be said on the subject."
"What about outside?" Ginny called out. McGonagall pursed her lips.
"Dumbledore has asked me to tell you the truth about what has happened," she said. She sighed. "I ask you not to panic when I tell you that this darkness has been caused by the presence of Lord Voldemort, who we now believe we are in the company of." A loud silence filled the room. Hermione stared at McGonagall.
"But Professor," she started slowly, choosing her words carefully, "If V-Voldemort was really here, than wouldn't Ha…" She trailed off, not wanting to finish the sentence in front of everybody.
"Ah, but Ms. Granger you ask the person," came another voice. All heads turned to see Snape standing in the portrait hole, Catherine standing behind him. Catherine stepped around him and made her way through the crowd of students to where a gaping Harry stood. She leaned down and stared at him. Reaching up, she moved aside his bangs and touched the lightning shaped scar that was his trademark. Snape watched this with something close to revulsion in his eyes.
"I'm sure Mister Potter can answer the question for you," he spat. Harry, coming out of his revere, pulled away from Catherine, who turned around to face Snape.
"Severus!" she snapped. He merely threw her a disgusted look and left the common room. She turned back to Harry.
"She'll come back, Harry," she murmured. Harry's eyes widened with a mixture of anger and fear. "Oh yes, she'll come back. But she won't be alone."
Abigail walked through the darkness, her father next to her.
"What happened?" she whispered. His eyes narrowed.
"I assume you're talking about…"
"My mother," she snapped at him, stopping and facing him. "What happened that day?" The red eyes gleamed with sick satisfaction.
"I was wondering when you were going to get to that."
Catherine pulled herself through the window and brushed herself off. Looking around, she spotted who she was looking for.
"Severus," she said softly. The man whirled around, shock in his dark eyes. She ignored the grotesque mark on his left forearm.
"It's certainly been awhile," she murmured. He immediately had her up against the wall, her arms pinned above her. He watched as her eyes shone with pain and even a little bit of hate.
"What are you doing here, Catherine?" he growled, his face close to hers. She tilted her head up in defiance.
"I came to tell you that I'm leaving." A flicker of something flitted across his eyes, but it was soon gone.
"Why would I want to know that you're leaving?" he spat. "Why do I care?"
"Because you-"
"Stupefy!" Catherine squeaked as Snape fell unconscious to the floor. Several men came in, two of them grabbing a struggling Catherine. Lucius Malfoy stepped through the doors and smiled.
"So, this is the girl that has the most pure blood in the world," he said, touching her face. She snarled at him and lunged out, only to be dragged back by the two wizards who had hold of her. Lucius' grin became wider.
"Take her to the Cell," he told them.
"But Lucius, isn't that where-"
"I didn't ask you to, I commanded you to!" Lucius yelled. "Take her to the Cell NOW!" Both Death Eaters nodded and dragged the struggling girl out of the door. Down the hall they pulled her, ignoring her screams of rage. Down through the manor, they finally halted at one of the dungeon doors. With a shaking hand, one of them knocked timidly on the door.
"What do you want?" hissed a voice from the other side of the door.
"A gift, Master," said the Death Eater. "Lucius Malfoy sends a great gift. A girl of the purest blood, to honor the Master, my lord."
"Ah, well let us see whether Lucius sends as mighty a gift as you say. Send it in." The girl let out a scream as they stripped her of her clothes. The other Death Eater pointed his wand at the door.
"Alohamora Exites Voldesi!" Catherine watched in terrified silence as the door creaked open. The two Death Eaters nodded to each other and with a heave, the sent Catherine flying through the door. As the door slammed closed, the two wizards walked away, ignoring the bloodcurdling screams that came from behind the locked door.
Abby shivered as a smile appeared on her father's face.
"Did I disturb you?" he asked. She turned away from him and continued around the lake. "Of course, I'm sure the screams your mother made were nothing compared to the screams Potter got out of you." Abby froze, horror creeping into her eyes.
"Oh yes, I know about that, Abigail," the creature laughed. "Tell me, did he give you more pleasure than you've ever felt? How loud did you scream before he grew tired and just screwed your brains out?" She disappeared and reappeared in a flash right before him, anger shining in her eyes.
"Stop," she growled, shaking with controlled rage. He smirked.
"Why? Was it not as great as you thought it would be? Did you offend Mr. Potter because you are of such better blood that he could not put his best effort into sticking you through?"
"Shut up!" she yelled.
"Maybe you should go up there and say you're sorry for being so bad and ask him for a redo."
"SHUT UP! SHUT UP!"
"Oh, be quiet girl!" he snapped. "They already know we're out here somewhere, don't give them a reason to know exactly where." She turned away from him, tears of hate glistening in her eyes. He smiled and put an arm around her shoulder, drawing her into an embrace.
"Do not worry, my daughter," he said. "There will be a time where Potter will be begging on his knees that he had not let you off of that couch."
"SHUT UP! SHUT UP!"
The Great Hall froze as the screams of the enraged Heir reached their ears. Harry had hold of the Gryffindor table and was squeezing so hard that his knuckles had gone chalk white. Hermione touched his shoulder.
"Harry?" she asked fearfully. He glanced at her and sighed, letting go of the table.
"She's out there," he grumbled. "And he's with her."
"I still can't believe that he's out there and you haven't felt him," Ron said.
"I've explained it to you already, Ron. She's protecting his presence. She doesn't bother my scar, so if she protects him from me, He can't bother my scar." Harry than drove the knife deep into the table and got up to leave. But, when the Great Hall doors swung open, he dropped his school bag, all intentions of leaving forgotten.
Abby stared levelly at the gaping eyes that stared back at her. Her eyes settled on the teachers' table and she gasped.
"Mum," she whispered. Then her gaze shifted to the Gryffindor table and her eyes hardened, turning green and red.
"Harry," she stated loudly. Harry, however, was already striding forward. He stopped several meters away from her, his wand out.
"What the hell do you want?" he snarled.
"Can I talk to you?"
"No. I don't talk to traitors."
"Traitor? Excuse me, Harry, but I am not a traitor!"
"Uh-huh. So what did you tell Voldemort? Oh, excuse me, what did you tell dear old dad about me?" Her eyes flashed dangerously.
"Don't you talk like that to me, Potter," she spat. "And what I told him is no concern of yours."
"I think it is, seeing as you decide whether I live or die."
"I think you decided that well enough the other night, thank you."
"I don't know why you came up here, Abby. You're not getting anything out of me."
"I came back up here to say that I'm sorry."
"You think that you saying sorry will justify what you did?"
"Why can't you understand? I told you what happened…"
"You were lying to me about what happened. Nothing you've ever said has been true, and you know it!"
"Why won't you trust me?"
"How can you put your trust in someone who wouldn't put their trust in anyone else before?"
"Because this person has changed her ways."
"Yeah, well I don't think the devil' daughter can sprout wings and a halo. You'll always stay in the deepest parts of hell. Why? Because demons never want to change their ways."
"Well, well Potter. We are learning quite well, aren't we?" Harry let out a cry of pain and dropped to his knees, hands over his scar, which was now glowing green and bleeding. Hermione and Ron ran up and dropped down beside him. Hermione held her hand over his as both she and Ron stared in horror at what came in through the Great Hall doors.
The scarlet red eyes stared menacingly out from under the hood, almost seeming to smile at the boy who was kneeling on the floor, gritting his teeth in pain.
"Hello, Mr. Potter," came the high-pitched voice from the hood of the cloak. "I can't say that it's a pleasure for you to see me again." Students screamed in realization of who it was and scrambled to get as far away from the creature as possible. Abby watched Harry; no emotion in her now bloodied eyes. The creature walked past his daughter and stopped in front of the raven-haired boy. Hermione and Ron were shaking but did not leave. Harry took hold of the floor letting the blood seep out of the scar.
"Get back," he grated to them through clenched teeth, trying to cry out in pain. They're not apart of this, he thought. This isn't their fight. They did not argue and hurried back to where the other students stood. The creature smiled evilly.
"Defending your friends, how Gryffindor of you, Potter," it hissed. "It disgusts me." He kneeled down and smirked. "I think I will enjoy watching you die in front of the Hogwarts students." He reached out and pressed his hand heavily against Harry's scar. Harry screamed as the creature took hold of the boy's face with its long, spidery fingers. Shoving him back, the creature stood and watched as Harry lay on the ground, clutching his scar as blood gushed from it.
"Get up Potter and face me," hissed the creature. "I said get up! Crucio!"
Harry screamed again, writhing on the ground as unbelievable pain coursed through his body. The creature lifted its wand and the curse was lifted. It circled the boy, shaking its head.
"I expected a better opponent," it said, stopping and stooping down. "But I will settle with what I have." He pressed his hand against the bleeding scar, basking in the screams it caused.
Hermione and Ginny were crying uncontrollably as they and the other students watched inhorrified silence as the creature dragged Harry across the Hall by the face, throwing him to the ground. By now, the loss of blood had made Harry extremely pale and he was left gasping for air as the creature pointed his wand at him again.
"CRUCIO!" Harry's screams filled the Hall. The creature moved to the other side of the Hall and lifted the curse.
"For the last time, Potter, get up!" Harry didn't move from the floor. "Stand Potter!" the creature roared, pointing his wand at the boy. Harry felt a force take hold of him and before he knew it, he was standing painfully on his feet.
"Now bow!" the creature snarled. Harry was forced into a bow and watched as blood splattered to the ground. He wondered how on earth he still had any left. Gasping, he straightened out, facing the vile creature across from him.
"Now, Potter, we will duel," the creature said. "And this time, I will not let you live! Avada Kadavra!"
"Wingardium Leviosa!" Harry gasped out, and a table rose up off the ground. The Killing curse ran right into it, blowing it to bits. "Crucio!" he spat out. The creature doubled over as the curse hit it but soon threw it off.
"Come Potter! Not even your father was that bad at keeping a curse!" Hate sprang into the Gryffindor's eyes.
"Avada Kadavra!" Harry hissed and a silent jet of green hissed from the end of his wand and hurtled towards the creature, but the creature moved out of the way just in time and the curse harmlessly hit the walls.
"Better Potter." The creature smirked and flicked his wand. Harry's wand sped out of his hand and into the spidery hand of his enemy. "But not good enough." Silence filled the Great Hall as Harry backed up into the wall, his eyes on the creature.
"Now, Mr. Potter," it smiled. "You will die. Avada Kadavra!"
"NO!"
A blur. A green jet. A gasp. Silence.
Harry stared in horror at what he held in his hands. Her body fell limp against his chest. Harry was shaking as he sank to his knees and laid her body on the ground. Lifeless.
A single tear fell from the eyes of the Gryffindor. Then rage took him. Pure, awful, uncontrolled rage.
A/n: I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SORRY for not updating! I can't believe it! I haven't updated since October and it's December! December! Oh, please accept my apologies! I gave you a pretty good update, though! Thanks to:
Hermionegranger2007: You saved this story! I'm totally serious! If you hadn't reviewed, I would have just trashed it or left it there unfinished. Thank you SOOOOOOOOOOOOO much for reviewing! You are the only person who has actually read everything that I've put on Fanfiction, not counting my Songfic. Thanks!
Bri: I'm glad you liked it so much! Don't worry! The story isn't over yet!
IceColdShiva: I can't believe I kept you waiting so long! Here's the update! Sorry about the delay!
Chrisgocountyjr (): Thanks soooooooooooooooooooooooo much for reviewing! It means a lot, especially for this story!