Name: Chamber of Destinies
Author: Sweet-calmness
Genre: Romance/Action/Angst
Disclaimer: I own the plot, nothing more.
Chapter 9
A cold metallic slapped her on the next morning, waking her up from her momentary escape in fantasy. Sharp needles pushed themselves into her legs and she felt as if she had just been through hell.
Oh wait, this is hell.
Peter Pettigrew and Lucius Malfoy have taken turns in the torture. Lucius enjoyed using the 2 forbidden curses, where curiously enough, Peter prefers more of a muggle method. Hermione has seen many new torture gadgets dating back to the 18th century. Had it not been her current situations, she would relish the opportunity of looking at them, and writing a few ten or twenty page of parchments.
Peter grabbed her by her hair and proceeded to drag her to the metal bars. A chain was hooked to both her wrists and her ankles, ensuring that she doesn't escape in anyway.
It's not like she's able to escape. As far as she can sense (which by birth, is pretty far), the location which she was in are heavily guarded by deatheaters and dark magic. Even with her powers, she would not be able to escape in the state that she is in now.
'So, are you ready to join the Dark Lord, or do you need more convincing?' The rat that is Peter Pettigrew said, his spit flying unceremoniously at Hermione's face.
'I will join you-'
He smiled, his face never quiet reaching that harmless look.
'-when you become beautiful.'
The next thing she knew, wooden clips were wounded on her hands, and then tightened around her bones. A crack from her hand sounded within the dungeon, reverberating, bouncing off the walls and into Hermione's mind.
Her eyes grew wide from surprise, and the now ice blue pupils dilated.
Her hand fell to her side when Pettigrew loosened the strings to her attachment. They were stained red, blood flowing freely onto the concrete floor, its coldness unforgiving to all those that resided there.
Something pulled at her neck. Her Everlasting necklace, as well as the Bemoir was clutched in Pettigrew's skin-peeled fingers. Hermione had to fight the urge to bite his fingers off.
He flicked the red button on the side. Nothing happened.
Nothing that he noticed, anyway. He threw the Bemoir aside, and Hermione quickly scrambled to retrieve it. Just as her hands grabbed the necklace, she was pulled back to face the animagus.
'Do you give in?'
She made a fake smile and closed her eyes.
Perhaps pain was a means of escape.
Perhaps pain will make her stronger.
He kicked her repetitively on her stomach, each time harder then the one before. Each time she winced, he made a squeak of laughter.
'Do-you-give-in-yet!' He enunciated, kicking her in between every word. Hermione's body curled up in a tiny ball, in an effort to keep her body out of harm. Her hair was pulled, flinging her head up once again, and the woods that bind her fingers tightened. Her head was continually smashed on the concrete, and the nauseous feeling finally came over her.
It was the only satisfaction in days, when Pettigrew squeaked in disgust as she heaved onto him.
But it got him very very angry.
'WHY YOU-'
And then something cold ran through her ribs. She couldn't feel pain, but she saw something sharp poking through her lower abdomen. Blood, but not from her fingers, seeped through.
Her body felt foreign to her.
She could not move.
She could not breathe.
Pettigrew stopped coming since then on. Lord Voldemort was not pleased with the treatment that Hermione received, and he was punished.
Hermione knew no such thing. Her stab wound was healed, although that was the only thing that was cured, and it had left a horrible, unrecoverable scar. She remained at the cell, drinking the water offered but not touching the food. Most of the time, she just lay on her side, seeking warmth from her ruined clothing. The occasional dead mice have fur that was rather comforting too.
She wondered what Harry would say if he sees her like this. Whether he'd care, or simply walk away. Maybe he would quickly run to her, apologizing and reassuring her that everything was just a dream.
It's just a dream.
'Miss. Granger! Miss Granger! Hermione!' Someone called out.
She opened one blurry eye. A shape that rather resembled Professor Snape towered before her.
'Professor?'
She was finally going crazy.
But then, why is that Professor shaking her, and why is he not disappearing in a puff of smoke like every other imaginary figure in her dreams.
Her eyes are fully open now. In front of her, was indeed, Professor Snape. Although he looked incredibly frantic, for the first time she saw an emotion in his eyes that tune close the thankfulness.
'Hermione, what are you- oh now is not the time to ask! You've got to get out of here! I'll create a divergent, whilst you escape. Go out of the cell, turn right and keep on running. Don't stop, ever. Keep on running. You're in the forbidden forest, so if you keep going, it will definitely lead you to the border of the school.'
'Prof-'her voice rasped out. It ended in a rough cough.
'Just go!'
With all her strength, Hermione haled herself of the ground and out of the four sided wall. She ran without looking back, but heard the screams of forbidden curses coarse from behind her.
There were little to no trouble. The few deatheaters were easy to defeat, but the dark magic were the challenges. Several instances occurred when Hermione almost lost her life, had it not been her good reflexes.
Her footsteps took her to the entrance of her prison palace. As Professor Snape instructed, she kept on running. Her eyes darted left and right, afraid that someone would suddenly surprise her.
Trees blurred pass, its non-existent arms reaching out to her. Hermione shrieked, accidentally tripping on a dead branch. Soft snow covered her fall, although the sharp shards of ice stung her eyes and her wounds.
Why do I feel so numb?
Why do I feel so lost?
Why do I feel so alone?
In front of her stood the river of the giant squid, the frozen water glistening under the sky like glass. Over that, lay Hogwarts, in its ever brilliance.
Is that home?
Unconscious, she walked over to the lake, the crack in the ice escaping her line of sight as her eyes roamed across the magnificent castle.
It didn't feel nostalgic in the least.
Something cracked beneath her. The only thing she knew was that she was incredibly cold.
'Hermione!'
'Hermione!'
'HERMIONE!'
And indescribable warmth finally enclosed around her. She caught sight of a wisp of black hair, and the blue eyes of Professor Finch.
Hermione woke up in a rush of shudders and migraines. For a moment, she thought that she was back at the prison, but the incredibly white interior reminded her so much of somewhere else.
The hospital wing.
So many times that she, Harry and Ron had been here. So many times, together.
But never again.
Tears leaked down her pale cheeks, her past pain forgotten. A soft knock at the door made her turn her head, rushing to brush the tear drops off her face.
It was Professor Finch.
He strode in with a type of confidence that reminded Hermione of someone she used to know. She just can't quite put her finger on it.
'Hello Hermione.'
His voice was crisp, soft. What shocked her most was how he spoke her name – without the disgust and pure displeasure usually emitted by those around her. Her sapphires orbs ran over him again, curiosity and suspicion evident.
'Sir.' She replied curtly.
But something was wrong. Something was different.
No sooner did the word "sir" left her mouth, did the DADA professor run forward and caught her in a mid-embrace. She felt something change, and the magic twirled around the older man before she could say anything.
Professor Finch was no longer here.
Standing in his place was…
A/N Guesses for the identity of Professor Finch. grins grins grins
About the update - no comment…lol…ok…I know I lied. I said I would update, but then I totally forgot. At least this is an update right? I was cleaning my files and I saw this chapter, just lying there. And then the thought "CRAP" came over me as I realized that I didn't upload the new chapter. So sorry…
So I'm not going to make any promises of when the next chapter comes out. Just cross your fingers, review a lot. Bug me bug me bug me until I get fed up. :P