"There's nothing here, Draco," Harry said.
"I know, but I saw a Deatheater grab the Portkey earlier on."
"Do you think it might have been a trap?"
"Maybe. But if it were, then why isn't anybody here to welcome us?"
Harry was about to answer when someone answered that question for him.
"Very well. A warm welcome you shall get," hissed someone.
"Voldemort." Harry muttered under his breath while Draco looked around frantically to find the source of the voice.
"No need to search. I'm right here," hissed Voldemort.
Draco and Harry looked ahead and the mist cleared.
Voldemort stood before them, but he wasn't alone. On his right was Wormtail and Lucius Malfoy. On his left was…
"Hermione?" Both Harry and Draco exclaimed as pure shock took over their bodies.
Over All Too FastIt was Hermione all right – no doubt whatsoever about it. Draco didn't know how to react. It would have sounded ridiculous to anyone else watching. And these same people would be the ones waving their imaginary pom-poms in the air, saying, "kill him, you baboon! What are you waiting for? Sunrise?"
But all Draco did was stare. And stare. And stare. It was that kind of feeling one got when one has found a little trinket that had been lost for so long. Yet it was something that was never forgotten by the owner. Draco felt something like that, and even more. He looked at Hermione and even though it was her hair, her body, her hands, her feet, somehow it wasn't her. Hermione never had those blank eyes.
"Hermione?" he started to move towards her, with one arm outstretched, as if wanting to feel her, just to confirm that it really was her and that she wasn't just one of the many illusions he has had all these years. Ever since she was gone, he had always felt her presence around and had sometimes seen her around too. But every time he reached out, she disappeared like fog and all he could grab hold of was thin air.
There was no response from Hermione. "Hermione?" he tried again, as he inched closer and closer towards his loved one.
Harry was the first out of everyone to snap out of it. He knew something was wrong. He too had stared at Hermione with pure shock registered on his face when she had first appeared. Yet now, his eyes darted back and forth, between Hermione, Voldemort and his other minions. Something was wrong. Terribly wrong, he thought. Voldemort was smiling that creepy smile, as if he had everything under control, and Harry knew that if he didn't snap Draco out of it, all of them would be in grave danger. Even Hermione.
So he took out his wand in a swift movement and grabbed hold of Draco.
"Snap out of it, Draco! Something's not right!"
Draco was still in a trance. He seemed to have heard Harry calling out to him and he felt someone pull him back, but to him, at that very moment, Hermione was all that mattered. So he fought back.
Harry felt the resistance and pulled even harder. "Draco! Stop it!" he urged. Yet Draco ignored Harry once more.
"My, my, fighting amongst each other, aren't we? I'd never thought I'd live to see that sight."
Harry stared angrily at Voldemort, who was gloating as he watched the scene develop in front of his eyes. He knew this would do the trick. After all these years of waiting and training of that Mudblood, he would finally have his day of glory. He would finally kill Harry Potter with his own bare hands. And of course, who could forget the ungrateful son of Lucius Malfoy – Draco Malfoy. Voldemort had wanted to wring the neck of Draco ever since Draco fought back against him, refusing to be one of Voldermort's loyal Deatheaters. Look what it has gotten you into, Draco, Voldemort thought, with a slight tinge of regret. Yet the regret wasn't directed at Draco. It was a regret that the both of them – Hermione and Draco – could have been great Deatheaters together.
But right now, looking over to his left, looking at the girl he had trained well, and looking at the blank and estranged look in her eyes, he knew that he had done well and had gotten the better end of the deal. He knew that Draco would die today. In the hands of his beloved servant – Hermione Granger.
Harry's grip on Draco tightened. He didn't want to let go – he couldn't put Draco's life in danger like that.
But suddenly, he felt Draco prying his fingers off. Not to shake him off, nor to oppose him, but Draco's slow gesture and the calm look in his grey eyes seemed to tell him that he had snapped out of it. For once in his life, Harry was grateful for Voldermort's creepy voice. It had prevented Draco from going crazy.
Harry let go and Draco looked at Hermione once more. My sweet Hermione, he thought, now with a clearer mind, what have they done to you?
Then he felt anger. And hate. How dare they do such a thing to you? How dare they take the love of my life away from me just like that?
He gave Voldermort a smouldering look. One that said 'you're going to die here. Right here and right now'. Voldermort was a little surprised by the look in Draco's eyes but as usual, he kept all his emotions under a perfect little mask.
"What is it, lover boy?"
"You better say your prayers. Before I kill you with my bare hands."
"How frightened you have made me."
"You better be."
"Why? What's the matter? Is this about little Hermione? The love of your life?" Voldermort sneered and grabbed Hermione by the chin, forcing her to look at Draco. But she seemed to have no feelings – she seemed to stare right through Draco, and this made his heart tear, until he told himself firmly that the woman he was staring at was just a shell. The real Hermione he loved was locked up somewhere, waiting to be released.
"Don't. Touch. Her."
"Why, is that a threat?"
"No." Draco pointed his wand at Voldermort. "It's a promise."
Voldermort sneered and pushed Hermione in front of him, making her a shield.
"Kill me, then."
Draco's grip on his wand wavered. His first thought was to grab Hermione and get out of that place.
"You coward. You always needed someone around, didn't you? Just to make yourself safe."
Voldermort cackled. "Say whatever you want, Malfoy. I wouldn't budge. And when is it going to get through to that thick head of yours that your girlfriend here –" he pulled Hermione's hair forcefully, yanking her head up – "is with me now. She'll never do anything on her own, unless I say so."
Draco was furious. How dare he touch her like that? He was about to say something when Harry intervened.
"Stop it, Voldermort. When's all this going to stop?"
"When I've finally killed you with my bare hands."
Harry laughed. "And when'll that be, Voldermort? When is it going to get through to that thick head of YOURS that YOU will never be able to kill ME."
"I mean, look at you," Harry continued, hoping against hope that his plan would work, "Draco's right. You need your minions to do all that work for you? Where have you been hiding ALL THIS WHILE, Voldermort? I've been waiting for you for so many years! And when you finally show up, you show up with so many other people. That's who you really are, Voldermort. A coward. And don't even bother denying it."
Voldermort seethed with anger. "You have made me the way I am. I was to be king. To rule the world with my own hands. And then the famous POTTER came." He spat the name out with a vengeance. "You were such a sweet baby then, do you remember? So young and innocent. Then you almost killed me with my own spell!"
Harry laughed once more, just to make Voldermort riled up so that his plan could be executed. "That only means one thing. That you're WEAK. You're BEYOND WEAK, Voldermort. You're sickening to the eyes. I can't stand looking at you anymore. Look at you! You're holding a GIRL hostage. And you're supposed to be king? To rule the world with your own hands? Face it. You'll never be able to do so. It's best to just die in peace, and leave everyone alone."
Voldermort was beyond angry at that moment. In fact, anger clouded his vision so much that he didn't realize that Harry and Draco had passed a look between them – one that was known only to the two of them. He also didn't realize that all the other aurors had them surrounded. His other minions were so absorbed in the verbal fight between their master and Harry Potter that they too were shocked when they finally realized that they weren't alone.
Before Voldermort could react, Harry shouted out "Now!" and it all happened too fast.
Draco darted over to Hermione and grabbed hold of her and suddenly streaks of light decorated the skies.
It was over all too fast.
A/N: so how was it? I know the fighting scene sounds a bit lame-o… but I admit, I'm terrible at portraying this scenes. So instead of making the description long and awful, I've decided to shorten n quicken the pain for all of us. Haha well.. read and review, ya? Thx guys! )