I
Voldemort won.
Words echoed in her ears, making her spin. Spinning between the truth and lie, having no correct answer. She should have gone mad a long time ago.
But she didn't and now she was paying her price for being sane.
"Get up," a cold voice surrounded her, she knew this voice better than her own. He was holding a small kerosene lamp, which was giving a dim light only. "Move."
Her knees were weak, she hadn't walked for almost a week. Her first try was a failure; she fell and cut herself painfully. But nobody cared if she harmed herself.
The only word she heard was, "Faster" . Her second attempt was much better, she was at least able to hold herself up. But with her first move, she collapsed.
"You are so useless, Granger."
Hermione was picked up from the floor by Lucius Malfoy in two neat movements. He had no mercy for her or anyone from the Light side.
"I have no idea why we didn't kill you." His words held venom, he didn't even try to hide it. "But apparently you are more important than anyone initially thought."
She wanted to say something, but her lips had been sealed many moons ago. She lost track of how much time had passed since she was thrown into the dungeons.
When light appeared in the corridor, she blinked a couple of times. Malfoy was pushing her and she was trying to keep balance.
Unfortunately, her legs were weak when she wasn't supported and she fell down.
Malfoy was annoyed and tired of her already, so he kicked her in the shin and she howled like a wounded animal.
"You are more than worthless and I am wasting my time with you." She saw his face, his infuriated eyes and his twisted lips. "Potter is dead. Weasley is dead. The Order has no leader. You are done. The Order of the Phoenix is done, dead and buried. No ashes remain. No hope to retrieve mercy, to receive mercy. "
Her eyes were petrified, blurry, terror-stricken. She was breathing heavily, gasping, fighting with the words she heard a moment ago.
Harry is dead. Ron is dead.
She was shaking like a leaf, but no one would care. Malfoy was looking at her with disgust.
"You make me sick." He spit the words out, before he stood up. "Move, before I kill you."
"Tsk-tsk." Another voice popped in the end of the corridor. "Why so harsh, Lucius?"
Severus Snape appeared in front of her face. He was as disgusted as Malfoy.
"Look at her, Severus. She looks bloody awful. I needed to touch her, and I feel filthy now."
Snape took her face into his hand and squeezed. Hermione moved uneasy, but his grip was like steel.
"You heard the news, haven't you?" His voice was even worse than Malfoy's. So many memories she had with him, most of them she wanted to wash away.
His ultimate betrayal.
"Are you happy, Mudblood?" He let go of her face, but he kept his eyes on her. "Look, Lucius. See the flame? It means she is not dead yet."
Hermione was struggling to hide her emotions, as she knew she would be punished eventually.
"She is not. We cannot kill her, Severus, may I remind you gently?" Malfoy laughed, but his eyes were piercing his hostage.
"Certainly." Snape got up and he turned to Lucius. "Why did you even bother to take her out of the dungeons?"
Malfoy chuckled and shrugged. "I was asked to imprison her in Malfoy Manor. Surprisingly, her mind is healthy."
Snape smirked and added, "So you will be breaking her."
"Perhaps." Malfoy took his wand out of pocket. "Dolohov is back from mission and he will not resist the opportunity to have a chat with Granger."
Hermione shivered, she knew what kind of chat she could expect.
"And no one will come to rescue her. So the risk is low."
She wanted to protest, but of course that would be way too stupid. So she was just looking at those two with blank eyes.
Harry is dead. Ron is dead.
"Let's meet later in Manor, Lucius. I have some business to do here."
Lucius nodded and Snape passed them, his robe rustled next to Hermione's ear.
She didn't know what she could expect in Manor.
"Get up, you useless wench, before I lose my patience."
Hermione bit her teeth and ignoring the pain going through her whole body, she stood up.
"Follow me."
The dungeons were dark, only some torches were lit. She saw a lot of prisoners there, but wasn't able to deduce who was placed where.
"Forget it, Granger," Malfoy stopped, when he noticed she was looking. "Don't even try to be disobedient," He looked at her and she froze. "I will not have any mercy."
His voice was far more vicious than she could imagine.
"I don't even intend to have any mercy," he paused as the last words were spat out. "Not for you."
Malfoy wasn't joking, she knew that.
"Move," he drawled out in a low voice. "Let's make you comfortable in your new home."
Hermione saw the door at the end of the corridor, they were heading to them. Unexpectedly, she heard a scream, a bloodcurdling scream. Howl that was piercing ears, spine-chilling, inhuman.
But she knew what the voice belonged to.
Luna is alive.
Malfoy realized, she knew. He took a wand from his pocket and...
And then everything went black.
She regained consciousness and recognized a different cell. It was a bit bigger, but the rest remained the same. Same stone construction, dank and slimpy, no windows. The smell of damp and moldy filled her nostrils, making her choke.
No padding, no straw. Just bare stone floor, cold and unfriendly.
Hermione signed.
Harry is dead. Ron is dead.
Luna is alive.
She is alive.
She had no idea who else could survive, if anyone. She had no idea why they kept her alive.
Why was she held as hostage?
She had so many unanswered questions, millions of thoughts ran through her mind.
At the other end, what was the point of asking?
Her fate was in Voldemort's hands. Hermione wasn't sure if she would ever regain her freedom. And what freedom meant in this new world, where the Light side no longer existed.
She had no idea.
For her only one world existed now - abyss.