Chapter 62
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
AN1: Thank you for the support please review.
June 3rd 1995
It has been a little while since the Third task begin and ever since it started Fred, George, and Neville have been sitting with the map across all three of their laps while they watch it, watching for signs of anything odd.
"Okay that's odd." George comments.
"What do you mean?" Neville asks curious.
"See Moody standing right over there?" George asks the other two, pointing to him.
"Yeah." Neville and Fred answer.
"Look on the map." George says and Neville and Fred look.
"Barty Crouch." Neville reads, "That can't be right." Neville says surprised.
"Have you ever known the map to lie?" George asks.
"No."
"Guys, Mione, Harry and Cedric just disappeared." Fred says, worry in his voice, and Neville and George quickly look to see that Fred is right.
"Let's go." Neville says and the three of them go running down the stands.
"SIRIUS, REMUS." George calls once they are closer.
"What's wrong?" Remus asks once the three boys are close enough, and not just Sirius and Remus walk over but Albus.
"Harry, Mione and Cedric have disappeared from the map and where Moody is supposed to be the map is saying Crouch." Fred explains.
"What?" Sirius asks worried as he takes the map from the boys and has a look, "They're right, and the map never lies." Sirius reveals and as he does Snape and Fudge walk over.
"What's going on Albus?" Fudge asks.
"We're trying to work figure that out." Albus reveals as he pulls his wand and walks over to the man who he's spent so long believing is one of his oldest friends but who he now knows isn't, Snape, Sirius and Remus right behind, all three of them pulling their wands too, it being the first time all year that they are in agreement "Who are you?" Albus asks pointing his wand directly at the man's heart.
"The one he's going to praise above all others. The Dark Lord will be back soon and I'll be rewarded." The man says and Albus just stuns him without saying a word, as he does Snape quickly searches him finding a vile which he takes out a sniffs, "Polyjuice potion."
"Saw that one coming." Sirius says worriedly.
"Albus I must insist you tell me what is going on." Fudge says as he walks over, Fred, George and Neville right behind while the other staff members, except for Minerva who has walked over to the group, attempt to keep the students in their seats.
"What's going on Cornelius is that we may have only minutes to prevent Lord Voldemort from returning." Albus reveal.
"Don't be daft! That's impossible." Fudge says, clearly not wanting to believe.
"That's where Harry, Hermione and Cedric are, aren't they? With him." Remus says, his voice full of pain.
"I believe so." Albus answers, but then, before anyone can ask anymore questions Harry appears on the ground in front of Sirius, clearly having travelled by Portkey.
"HARRY." Sirius and Remus yell as they, and Neville, Fred and George, runs forward.
"Remus, Sirius." Harry says, as he opens his eyes, looking shocked to see him, "I need to get back! Mione put this on me, how do I get back! I can't leave her alone, not there, not with them. They killed Cedric!" Harry says, tears coming to his eyes, as he forces himself to his feet, not even being able to feel the pain in his leg.
"Harry, I need you to slow down. I need you to tell me everything." Albus says, trying to keep his voice calm, but those who know him well can hear the concern.
Hearing Harry's words Remus and Sirius feel themselves filling with dreed and they both feel that nothing other than finding their daughter matters.
"The cup was a portkey. Mione, Cedric and I grabbed it together and we were all transported." Harry explains, "It took us somewhere far away." Harry explains, "At first we weren't sure what happened so we just pulled our wands. Cedric was the one who figured out the cup was a portkey. We looked around and realized that we had to go, but before we could we heard footsteps." Harry explains, needing to take a breath to breath, "The figure that was approaching us had something in his arms, it was tiny but made my scar hurt more than ever before." Harry says, causing everyone who knows what that means to become more worried, "Mione ran to me, and I heard a high, cold voice that said, kill the spare, and Mione pulled me down to the ground, behind one of the graves as Cedric was killed." Harry says, tears rolling down his face, "I was in so much pain, but the next thing I know Mione is telling me to tell Remus and Sirius that she loves them and putting her locket around my neck, she must have activated the emergency portkey." Harry realizes.
"She did." Sirius confirms, not being able to think of anything other the panic he is feeling for his daughter.
"Do you remember anything else?" Albus ask.
"Um, she put something in my pocket!" Harry realizes and he starts to search, and he finds a wand, but the second he does he knows something isn't right, "Mione's wand… which means she has mine." Harry realizes.
"Which means even if she gets the chance she won't be able to defend herself." George says, sounding panicked.
"No, she can. Mione and I can use each other's wands perfectly, we always have." Harry reveals, surprising Fudge, Fred and Snape.
"We need to find her. Harry is there anything you can remember about where you were?" Remus asks, his voice urgent.
"It was a graveyard and one of the graves belongs to Tom Riddle." Harry says, looking at Albus.
"Voldemort's father." Sirius and Remus say together.
"I know exactly where that is." Albus tells everyone.
"Good. Let's go." Remus says, wanting to get to his daughter as soon as possible.
"I'm coming." Harry says.
"NO." All the adults say.
"Stay with Neville, Fred and George." Sirius says, "You're hurt and it would be better for both you and Hermione if you stayed." Sirius says, "Please Harry." Sirius says, there being some begging in his voice.
"Fine." Harry says reluctantly and he limps over to Neville, Fred and George, where Neville pulls him into a hug as soon as possible.
"Minerva, Severus, I want you to keep that man secured." Albus says, referring to the person who has been pretending to be Moody, "Find out who he is and what he's done."
"Yes Albus." The pair respond.
"Also get everyone back to their dormitories." Albus instructs and suddenly Severus lets out a gasp.
"It's burning, it's back." He tells Albus, knowing that he will know exactly what that means.
"Then we must move, now." Albus says, picking up the rock from the ground and placing it in the middle of the circle, "Portus." He says to it.
"Albus! You cannot just create an unauthorized Portkey." Fudge scolds.
"I would say considering the circumstances it is warranted." Albus tells him, "This Portkey will lead us to just outside where I believe Hermione, Voldemort and by now his Death Eaters are, allowing us to approach with caution. Will you be joining Sirius, Remus and myself, Minister?"
"Totally impossible, there is no way he can be back!" Fudge objects.
"Then you have nothing to be afraid of by coming." Sirius says, and it became clear form the look on Fudge's face that he isn't going to back down from a challenge like that, "How long Albus?"
"On the count of three."
Not far away from the rock and group of Wizards Fred, George, Neville and Harry are standing. As he stares at the rock Fred realizes that the rock will take him to where Hermione is, it will allow him to see whether she is okay, and before he can even stop himself Fred goes running towards it.
"FRED." George yells after his brother and not having a choice he goes running too, both brothers getting to the portkey in time to get transported with Albus, Fudge, Remus and Sirius by a tug behind their navels.
After Hermione watches Harry go Hermione runs and she isn't at all surprised when seconds later she is hit with a spell that causes her to scream as she withers on the ground in pain.
As she twists on the ground the short man comes over to her and rags Hermione to the marble headstone that Harry noticed Tom Riddle's name on.
Once Hermione is against the headstone the cloaked man conjures cords around Hermione, tying her from neck to ankle to the headstone, not being able to give up without a fight Hermione attempts to fight back and the man hits her, with a hand that is missing a finger.
"YOU." Hermione says, sounding furious as she realizes that it is Wormtail, but he doesn't respond, he just checks to make sure that the knots are tight and Hermione realizes that she is heled so tight that she cannot move an inch.
"YOU BASTARD." Hermione says angrily and as she does Wormtail pulls a strip of black material from inside his cloak and stuffs it into Hermione's mouth before he hurries away.
Even though she can't move or talk Hermione knows that she has to look around so that she knows what to do if she gets the chance. Looking around Hermione sees Cedric's body lying about twenty feet away and somewhere beyond him the Triwizard Cup is glinting in the starlight and near Cedric's feet Hermione sees a wand near Cedric's feet and in the light she realizes that that it's not hers like she was expecting but Harry's.
At the foot of the grave the bundle of robes, which Hermione has a sinking feeling about what is inside is stirring and making nose at her feet. Also near her feet is a gigantic snake that is slithering through the grass, circling the headstone where she is tide.
As she hears a wheezy breath Hermione looks and sees Wormatail pushing a stone cauldron, that seems to be full of water, towards the foot of the grave, the cauldron is so large that Hermione is sure that a fully grown person could sit in it.
As the thing inside the bundle of robes starts to stir more persistently Wormtail busies himself at the bottom of the cauldron with his wand. Seconds later the liquid in the cauldron starts to heat and Hermione starts to rack her brain to try and figure out what potion it could be, but she comes up blank.
Suddenly Hermione hears the high, cold voice once more.
"Hurry."
The voice says as the whole surface of the water is alight with sparks, looking like it is encrusted with diamonds.
"It's ready Master." Wormtail says.
"Now…" The cold voice says and Wormtail pulls opens the robes on the ground, revealing what is inside them and Hermione can't help but let out a yell, a yell that is blocked by the material in her mouth. It was though Wormtail had flipped over a stone and revealed something ugly, slimy, and blind, but worse, a hundred times worse. The thing Wormtail had been carrying has the shape of a crouched human child, except that Hermione has never seen anything less like a child. It was hairless and scaly-looking, a dark, raw, reddish black. Its arms and legs were thin and feeble and its face, no child alive has a face like that, flat and snakelike, with gleaming red eyes. The thing seems almost helpless but Hermione is pretty sure that it is the furthest thing from that.
The thing raises it's thin arms, puts them around Wormtail's neck Wormtail lifts it. As he does so his hood falls back and Hermione sees the look of revulsion of Wormtail's face.
As Wormtail lowers the creature to the rim of the cauldron Hermione sees it's face illuminated in the sparks of the surface. Then, Wormtail lowers the creature into the cauldron and after a hiss it vanishes below the surface, seconds later Hermione hears it hit the bottom with a soft thud.
"Let it drown." Hermione thinks, "Please, let it drown." She thinks and as she does Wormtail starts to speak, sounding terrified,
"Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you will renew your son!" Wormtail says as and as he does the grave at Hermione's feet cracks. Horrified, Hermione watches as a fine trickle of dust rises into the air at Wormtails command and falls softly into the cauldron. The Diamond surface of the water breaks and hisses, sending sparks in all directions and then it turns a vivid, poisonous-looking blue.
As it does Wormtail starts to whimper as he pulls a long, thin, shining silver dagger from inside his cloak, his voice breaks into a petrified sobs.
"Flesh, of the servant, willingly given, you will revive your master." Wormatil says as he stretches his right hand out in front of him, as she realizes what is coming Hermione quickly closes her eyes, but Wormtail's scream and the sickening splash seem just as bad as watching.
After hearing the splash Hermione opens her eyes and sees that the potion has turned a burning red. Even though Hermione can tell that Wormtail is in agony he still makes his way over to her. Causing Hermione to attempt to fight, something which is impossible with how tight she is tide, as Wormtail speaks once more,
"Blood of the enemy, forcibly taken you will resurrect your foe."
Even though she knows it's useless Hermione continues to attempts to fight, to get free, but there is no use as Hermione feels the blade of the silver knife penetrate the crook of her right arm and blood sweeps down the sleeve of her torn robes. Wormtail, still panting with pain, rumbled in his pocket for a glass vial and holds it to Hermione's cut so that a dribble of blood falls into it.
From her place tide to the grave Hermione watches as Wormtail pours it inside and the liquid within instently turns a blinding white. As it is clear that his job is now done Wormtail, drops to his knees besides the culdron and then slumps sideways as he lays on the ground, cradling the bleeding stump of his arm, gasping and sobbing.
"Let it have drowned." Hermione thinks, "Let it have gone wrong." She thinks as the cauldron simmers and sends sparks in every direction.
Suddenly the sparks admitting from the cauldron are extinguished and instead a surge of white steam bellows thickly from the cauldron, instead, obliteration everything in front of Hermione so that she can't see Wormtail, or Cedric, or anything but vapor hanging in the air.
"Please let it have gone wrong." Hermione thinks to herself, but then, through the mist in front of her Hermione sees, with an icy surge of terror the dark outline of a man, tall and skeletally thin, rising from inside the cauldron.
"Robe me." The high cold voice says and Wormtail does just that and then a thin man steps out from the cauldron, staring at Hermione and Hermione stairs back at a face whiter than a skull, with wide livid scarlet eyes and a nose that is a flat as a snakes, with slits for nostrails, causing Hermione to realize one thing, Lord Voldemort has risen again.
"I was expecting both you and Harry." Voldemort comments as he was going to use both Harry and Hemrione's blood to return as Lily's protection technically runs through both of them since Harry went to live with the Luipn-Black's, "but I guess you'll do for now." Voldemort says, "He'll join you in death soon." He says as he starts to inspect his new body, taking no notice of Wormtail who is lying, twitching and bleeding on the ground.
After inspecting his body Voldemort slips one of his unnaturally long-fingers into a pocket of his robes and pulls out a wand, that he caresses like he has other parts of his body. Rising the wand Voldemort points it at Wormtail who is lifted of the ground and thrown against the headstone where Hermione is tide, after hitting it Wormtail falls to the foot of it and lays them, crumples up and crying.
Turning his eyes on Hermione Voldemort lets out a high, cold, mirthless laugh.
"My lord." Wormtail chokes, "My lord, you promised, you did promise." He says.
"Hold out your arm." Voldemort says lazily.
"Oh Master, thank you, Master." Wormtail say as he extends the bleeding stump towards Voldemort, but he just laughs again.
"The other arm, Wormtail."
"Master, please, please." Wormtail says but Voldemort just bends down and pulls out Wormtail's left arm and forces the sleeve up past his elbow and as he does Hermione says something upon the skin there, the Dark Mark, the image that was at the world cup. Examining it carefully Voldemort ignores Wormtail's uncontrollable weeping.
"It's back." Voldemort says softly, "They will have noticed it, and now, we shall see, now we shall know." Voldemort says before he presses one of his long, white forefingers to the brand on Wormtail's arm, causing him to let out another wine as the mark goes jet black.
With a look of cruel satisfaction Voldemort straightens up and looks around the dark graveyard.
"How many will be brave enough to return when they feel it?" He whispers, his gleaming red eyes fixed upon the stars, "And how many will be foolish enough to stay away?" he asks as he begins to pace back and forth before Hermione and Wormtail, his eyes sweeping the graveyard all the while. After a minute or so, he looks down at Hermione again, a cruel smile twisting his snakelike face..
"You stand, Hermione Lupin-Black, upon the remains of my late father." Voldemort hisses softy, "A muggle and a fool, very much like your dear godmother." Volemort tells Hermione, "But they both had their uses, did they not?" Your godmother died to defend your friend Harry as a child, an action which gives you protection too, and I killed my father, and see how useful he has proven himself, in death." Voldemort says before laughing and continuing to place.
Even though she is terrified Hermione continues to try and fight the ropes, but they are too tight to be able to move. Working it out in her head Hermione is sure that Harry would be back with her parents by now, something which causes her relief, but at the same time Hermione doesn't want to think about the possibility that her parents could come for her as she knows what that would mean.
"You see that house upon the hillside, Lupin-Black? My father lived there. My mother, a witch who lived here in the village, fell in love with him. But he abandoned her when she told him what she was. He didn't like magic, my father. He left her and returned to his Muggle parents before I was even born Lupin-Black, and she died giving birth to me, leaving me to be raised in a Muggle orphanage, but I vowed to find him. I revenged myself upon him, that fool who gave me the name… Tom Riddle." Voldemort says, as his red eyes dart from grave to grave, "Listen to me, reliving family history." Voldemort says, "Why, I am growing quiet sentimental, but look, Hermione! My true family returns…" Voldemort says as the air suddenly becomes full of swishing cloaks. Between graves, behind the yew tree, in every shadowy space, wizards are Apparating, all of whom are wearing hoods and masked, making Hermione become sure that it will take a miracle for Hermione to get out of this graveyard alive.
Not long after leaving Hogwarts Fred, George, Sirius, Remus, Albus and Fudge land after traveling by Portkey.
"What were you boys thinking?" Remus asks, the second he gets his baring's, turning to Fred and George.
"I was thinking that Hermione is in serious danger, who knows what's happening to her, and I couldn't just sit safety at school." Fred explains, a look of determination on his face.
"And I wasn't going to let my brother come alone." George explains.
"You won't go back, will you?" Sirius asks, seeing the determine looks and being able to guess what they mean.
"No." Fred and George say together.
"Do exactly what you are told." Albus says, his voice stern, "We are about five minutes away from the house belonging to Voldemort's father and grandparents, which sound exactly like where Harry said he was taken." Albus reveals.
"Five minutes? Couldn't you get us closer?" Remus asks, panic in his voice.
"Not without risking Voldemort realising we were coming." Albus explains.
"There will be nothing there, Dumbledore, you'll see." Fudge says, looking like he desperately wants to believe that.
"We have to move, quickly." Albus says and the group of six start to walk, quiet quickly, following Albus.
"She's holding on right, the feeling I'm feeling I'm not just imagining it, right?" Sirius asks Remus in a whisper, wanting to believe that as it means his little girl is okay.
"No, I'm feeling it to." Remus responds.
After a couple of minutes of the six men walking in complete silence a scream, full of pain and terror cuts through the darkness.
"Mione." Sirius and Remus both say, both sounding terrified, as they try and rush forward, but Albus pushes them back.
"You can't just run in there that will put Hermione in even more danger, Voldemort and all his Death Eaters who aren't in Azkaban will be there." Albus tells the two terrified fathers. "We need a plan."
"Hurry up and tell us your plan Albus, because I'm not waiting a second longer to go after my daughter." Remus tells him, and quite quickly, as he completely believes Remus is speaking for both himself and Sirius, Albus begins to explain in his plane.
Completely alone, tide to a grave with no idea that people are coming for her, Hermione is writhing in pain, having spent the last few minutes listening to Voldemort speak, to both her and his Death Eaters, saying things that Hermione find rather odd, and that she knows she has to tell Albus if she ever gets the chance.
Through her pain Hermione hears a voice, a voice that she forces herself to listen to, and as she does she hears Voldemort speak,
"Now untie her, Wormtail, and give her back her wand."
As soon as Voldemort speaks Wormtail approaches Hermione who realises that she is going to have to be able to stand to get through what's to come, Hermione focusses all her energy on the techniques she taught herself to filter on the fall moon, and forces the pain to the back of her mind; managing to find hr feet just as Wormtail gets to her. Rising his sliver hand Wormtail removes the wad of material from her mouth before rising his silver hand once more and with one swipe he cuts through the bonds tying Hermione to the gravestone. For a split second Hermione considers running, but as her injured leg shakes and the Death Eaters close ranks, filling the gaps where the missing death Eaters should be, Hermione realises that she wouldn't get very far so she just stands her ground.
Once Hermione is free Wormtail walks over to where Cedric is lying and returns with Harry's wand, which he thrusts into Hermione's hand without looking at her. As he does Hermione becomes more thankful than she ever thought possible that she and Harry can use each other's wands perfectly as it means she could do something, what she isn't sure of.
"You have been taught how to duel Hermione Lupin Black?" Voldemort asks softly and as he does Hermione can't help but to remember back to the duelling club second year, where the only spell she learnt was Expelliarmus. While she doesn't doubt that it would be a good thing to separate Voldemort from Her wand Hermione also knows that even if she does there are at least thirty death eaters around, all of whom probably won't hesitate to kill her, so it might not do her much good.
"We bow to each other. Hermione." Voldemort says, bending a little, but keeping his snakelike face upturned to Hermione, "Come, the niceties must be observed. Your filthy parents and Dumbledore would want you to show manners. Bow to death, Hermione." Voldemort says, causing the other Death Eaters to laugh, hearing that Hermione thinks of her parents and Albus, as she knows what she is going to do, and that's not bow. Either way is going to kill her, she knows that, but she also knows that she isn't going to let him play with her first as her parents and Albus wouldn't give him the satisfaction, and she's not going to either.
"I said, bow." Voldemort says, raising his wand and Hermione feels her spine curve as though a huge invisible hand is bending her ruthlessly forward, and the Death Eaters laugh harder than ever.
"Very good." Voldemort says softly, and as he rises his wand the pressure bearing down upon Hermione lifts too, "And now you face me like a Black, straight-back and proud." Voldemort says, and Hermione feels anger rise inside her again, "And now, we duel." Voldemort says rising his wand, and before Hermione can do anything to defend herself, before she can even move she has once more been hit by the Cruciatus Curse.
Even though Hermione has been hit with this curse before, more than once the pain is even more intense than before, it is all consuming, so much so that she has no idea where she is. Feeling like white hot knives are piercing every inch of her skin, and like her head is surely going to burst with pain as she screams louder than she's ever screamed in her life.
Then, after what feels like forever, it stops and as she knows that she doesn't have time to rest Hermione rolls over and scrambles to her feet, shaking as uncontrollably as Wormtail had done when his hand was cut off. Not being in complete control Hermione staggers sideways, into the wall of Watching Death Eaters, but they just push her away, back towards Voldemort.
"A little break.' Voldemort says, the slit-like nostrils dilating with excitement, "A little pause… that hurt, didn't it Hermione? You don't want me to do that again, do you?"
Even though Hermione knows that it a question she doesn't answer, because she knows, she knows that she is going to die, just like Cedric, just like her Uncle James and Aunt Lily, those pitiless red eyes are telling her so, she is going to die, and there is nothing she can do about it, but despite this she knows that she isn't going to play along. She isn't going to obey Voldemort, she isn't going to beg, she's going to die, but she's going to do it on her terms.
"I asked you whether you want me to do that again," Voldemort says, once more speaking softy, "Answer me! Imperio." Voldemort says and the second he does Hermione feels, once more, the sensation that her mind has been wiped of all thought… Ah, it is bliss, not to think, it is as though she is floating, dreaming, just answer no, say no, just answer no…
I will not, said a stronger voice, in the back of her head, I won't answer, just answer no,
I won't do it, I won't say…
Just answer no…
"I WON'T." Hermione yells, words bursting from Hermione's mouth as they echo through the graveyard, and just like that the dream state is lifted suddenly, as though Cold water has been thrown over him, back rushed the aches that the Cruciatus Curse has left all over her body, back rushed the realization of where she is and what she is facing.
"You won't?" Voldemort says, quietly, and the Death Eaters stop laughing.
"You won't say no? Hermione, obedience is a virtue I need to teach you before you die. Perhaps another little dose of pain?" Voldemort asks raing her wand.
This time Hermione is ready, and she just flings herself sideways onto the ground, and rolling behind the marble headstone of Voldemort's father, being pretty sure that she is tapping into her werewolf inherited reflexes, but she doesn't have time to dwell on that.
"We're not playing hide-and-seek, Hermione." Voldemort's soft, cold voice, says, drawing nearer as the Death Eaters laugh, "You cannot hide from me. Does this mean you are tired of our duel? Does this mean that you would prefer to finish it now, Hermione? Come out, Hermione, come out and play, then, it will be quick, it might even be painless, I would not know, I have never died."
Hearing that Hermione finds it very odd and she knows that it is something else Albus should know, but she also knows that chances are she won't get to tell him, the end has come there is no hope, no help, but just as she thinks that Hermione hears something, and it takes a second for her to believe ti,
"Mione, Hermione, we're coming." Hermione hears her Papa's voice say, just as loud as if he was standing by her, though she knows that he has to be pretty far away, "Your Dad, Albus, Fred, George, and I are coming for you, just hold on Sweetie. We'll be there soon. Please just keep fighting."
"I will Papa." Hermione mutters to herself, feeling stronger than she has ever felt before.
As he hears her Papa's voice, and Voldemort draw nearer Hermione knows that she cannot just give up, she has to defend herself, even if it is impossible, she just has to hold out long enough for her parents, friends and Albus to arrive.
So, before Voldemort can stick his snakelike face around the headstone Hermione is hiding behind she stands up, she grips Harry's wand tightly in her hand, thrusts it around in front of her and throws herself around the headstone, facing Voldemort.
Unsurprisingly Voldemort is ready for her and just as Hermione shots "EXPELLIARMUS!" Voldemort cries, "AVADA KEDAVRA!"
As they both yell a jet of green light issues from Voldemorts wand just as a jet of red light blasts from Harry's that Hermione is using, meeting in the middle. Suddenly Harry's wand vibrates as though an electric charge were surging through it and Hermione's hand seizes up around it, making it so Hermione couldn't realise it if she wanted to, a narrow beam of light connected the two wands, neither red nor green, but bright, deep gold.
Following the beam with an astonished gaze Hermione sees Voldemort's long white fingers too were gripping a wand that is shaking and vibrating.
"DO NOTHING." Voldemort yells, "She is mine." He tells his Death Eaters, but as he becomes so focused on what is going on he doesn't see his Death Eaters starting to disapparate as Remus, Sirius, Albus, Fudge, Fred and George arrive in the Graveyard.
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