"Fuck!"
So many things happened at once that it was altogether a bit of a blur. Ron pulled the Deluminator out of his pocket and Hermione shot a spell at Harry. It was too dark to see and quiet and all I could hear was my heart beating incredibly loudly.
Hands encircled me, but I didn't know where they were coming from. They thrust into my pockets and took away my wand, and I couldn't help but make a noise at how rough they were as they dragged me out of the tent.
"Be quiet, girl," a rough, male voice said in my ear. I remained still on the ground, hoping that we would be okay. My heart beat so hard in my chest I could feel it in my ears. I couldn't see how we would be able to get out of here, but I was confident in them. If anyone could get us out of here, it was Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
In the darkness I could make out Ron and Hermione across from me. I could see them dragging Harry out of the tent and setting him down roughly behind me.
"What happened to you, ugly?" a voice asked.
Harry didn't answer, and I heard him get kicked in the stomach. It was a terrible sound. "Leave him alone!" I screamed.
The man got closer to me and I felt a finger trail down my bare shoulder. "I do so love a screamer," he said, then fastened my hands together. I could hear Harry sigh angrily next to me.
I almost threw up. I wanted to run but I knew that it would only put me in a worse position. Plus I could not leave them. I didn't dare to think about what might happen tonight, but no matter what, I would remain loyal to my friends.
"Don't worry about your girlfriend; I'll take plenty good care of her." He threw Harry on the ground; face first, next to me. "I said, what happened to you?"
"I've been stung." Harry said.
"I'd say so," he said. "You done in there?"
A few more Snatchers came out of the tent and stared at us. I could feel tears running down my face but tried to remain emotionally unattached. This was all too much for me. I had always told Harry I was prepared for the danger that I knew accompanied him out here. But now that I was actually facing it, it was a lot scarier. Who knew what would happen out here? Would I still be alive this time tomorrow? What would happen to us from here? Would Harry get killed? Would they rape me? Or Hermione?
"You lot look about 'ogwarts age..."
"We left," Ron said.
"Left, 'ave you? And you decided to go camping? And, just for a laugh, decided you'd use the Dark Lord's name?"
"It was an accident..." he said.
"Who we got here?" a gloating voice snarled. "What's your name?"
"Dudley," Harry said. "Vernon Dudley."
"Check the list, Scabior," the second voice said. The one who was interested in me was named Scabior. I didn't know the second voice but he was large and I had a feeling he was not completely human.
"What about you, ginger?"
"Stan Shunpike," he said.
"Like 'ell you are," Scabior said. "We know Stan Shunpike, he's put a bit of work out way."
I heard the awful sound of Ron getting kicked. "I'd Bardy... Bardy Weadley" I could hear that his mouth was full of blood. This wasn't fair. We had been out here for months and this was how it was all going to end. We didn't even have the dignity to fight it out.
"A Weasley?" rasped the second voice. "So you're not a Mudblood but a blood traitor. And lastly, your beautiful little friends..."
"The one on the left's mine," Scabior said. He was referring to me and it just made the tears come down harder. I pulled my knees up to my chest and just laid my head on them. I was so afraid.
"Easy," the second voice said. "Who are you?" he asked, kicking in Hermione's direction.
"Penelope Clearwater," Hermione said. I tried to hear what sort of emotions she had in her voice but she sounded pretty neutral. I wondered how she wasn't as
"Blood status?"
"Half blood."
"Easy enough to check," he said. "And you?"
"There's no Vernon Dudley on 'ere, Greyback," Scabior said. So the other man was Greyback, and I had been right. He was a werewolf. Immediately I looked up and saw the moon was a waning crescent. We did not have to worry... much.
"Very interesting," Greyback said. They turned their attention away from me, which was good because I did not know what to say. I didn't know who I should be.
"So you aren't wanted then, Vernon? Or are you on that list under a different name? What House were you in?"
"Slytherin," Harry said automatically.
Scabior let out a very small, sarcastic laugh. "Funny how they all think we want to 'ear that... but none of 'em can tell us where the common room is."
"In the dungeons," Harry said. "You enter through the wall and it's full of skulls and stuff and under the lake... so the light it all green."
There was a bit of a stunned silence. Even though I was sitting, I couldn't breathe very well and was starting to feel a little dizzy...
"Hey- Look at this Scabior!"
A dark figure came bustling toward them and I saw a glint of silver. They had found the sword.
"Ve-e-ry nice," Scabior said. Every time I heard his voice my skin began to crawl. I was so afraid of him. I hated being vulnerable like this."Looks goblin made... Where did you get something like this?"
"'ang on a minute! Look at this! The Prophet!"
Next to me I felt Harry twist away and gasp in pain. Who was hurting him? I couldn't see.
"'ermione Granger, the Mudblood who is known to be traveling with 'arry Potter!"
"You know what, little girly? This picture looks a hell of a lot like you."
I definitely couldn't breathe. We had been found out, completely. Now we were definitely going to die.
"It isn't!" Hermione said, losing her previous calmness. "It's not me, I swear!"
"Known to be traveling with Harry Potter," Greyback repeated.
A silence fell over the group and I could hear Hermione trembling. She was just as afraid as I was.
"Well, this changes things, doesn't it?" Greyback whispered. He crouched down near Harry and looked at his forehead. "What's that on your forehead, Vernon?"
"Don't touch it!" Harry yelled.
"I thought you wore glasses, Potter?" Greyback breathed.
"I found some in the tent! Wait-" one of the Snatchers grabbed the glasses and shoved them on Harry's face.
"We've caught Potter!" Scabior laughed. "I'll definitely get my prize now!"
I knew he meant me and my stomach dropped. Everything about this day was terrible. Tears began to stream down my face again, and I couldn't stop it. If this was my last day, I would be so disappointed.
They threw us together and tied us up with two prisoners they had already acquired. Ron and Hermione seemed to know one of them and they were talking, but I wasn't paying attention. I was able to block everything out.
Harry's and my backs were facing each other. I rested my head on his shoulder, trying to seek a little comfort from him. I knew as soon as they got us wherever we were going, they would separate us and he would be killed. But for now I could feel his chest rise and fall. He was alive and so close.
"I love you," I whispered quietly.
I wasn't sure if he didn't hear me or if he was in too much pain- from a source I was not sure of, to respond. I knew our captors were talking but I zoned them out, not caring. I wasn't going to spend this time listening to them.
They gathered us and Disapparated us. I kept my head on Harry's shoulder but closed my eyes. Defeat flooded into my body. There was no way to get out of this and we were going to die. Voldemort would win. If my Dad was still alive he would probably find out what had happened to me and he would be disappointed. But that was okay, I tried to convince myself. I had remained loyal to my friends.
We fell on the ground on the other side of the Apparition and it hurt. I started shaking in fear. Harry was making weird noises, like he was possessed. I was worried, but knew I would probably see him killed before me in a few minutes. That I moved my head and locked eyes with Ron. The look in his eyes did not make me feel any better. He was scared.
It was almost funny, the situation. We had survived so much together, yet it had taken so little to destroy us. I wished I had some sort of poison on me, as I was completely helpless. I did not like hat I was no longer in any control. Seeing the true fear in Ron's eyes made me realize how truly dire our situation was.
"How do we get in, Greyback?" Scabior asked, shaking the gate.
An originless voice commanded "State your purpose!"
"We've got Potter! We've captured Harry Potter!"
I wanted to be sick. Scabior took me by the hair and dragged me up, which dragged the people I was linked to up. He pulled us along, towards the big house I knew belonged to the Malfoy's.
"What is this?" a cold voice asked.
"We're here to see He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named!" Greyback rasped.
"Who are you?"
"You know me! Fenrir Greyback! We've caught Potter!"
I felt us shift around as they made Harry face the door.
"I know 'e's swollen, ma'am, but it's 'im!" Scabior said. "If you look right there, you'll see 'is scar. And this 'ere, see this girl? The Mudblood who's been traveling around with 'im, ma'am. No doubt it's 'im, we've got 'is wand too! 'Ere-"
"Bring them in," she said. "My son Draco is home for Easter holidays. If that is truly Potter, he will know."
We were dragged along a cold, stone corridor, though Scabior never took his hand off me. We were brought into an exceptionally bright and cold room. It was sort of like being in a hospital. I looked up and saw a huge crystal chandelier, but looked away because it hurt my eyes.
"What is this?" a low drawl asked. I felt Harry tense up behind me, and he was quiet. It was as if it was the first time he noticed we were here.
"They say they have Potter. Draco, come here."
Draco Malfoy seemed exceptionally tall and looming as he stood over us and stared. Scabior turned us so Harry faced Draco.
"Well?"
"I can't be sure..." Draco said. I did not blame him for not recognizing Harry right away. His face was distorted, for one thing. I was sure we all looked different from when we had started. Harry's hair was twice as long as he usually kept it, even though I had cut it at some point. He was unshaven. I hadn't cut my hair in almost a year, and it was in a scraggly braid. Ron needed a shave, and Hermione's hair was even crazier than usual. We were in rough shape, only shadows of our former selves.
"Look closely! Come closer!" Draco's father said. He sounded so excited and it made shivers run up my spine. I tried to focus on taking deep breaths, but it wasn't very easy.
"I don't know," Draco said after a long while. He turned away from us all and walked toward the fireplace, where his mother stood.
"We must be certain, Lucius. If we call him here for nothing… Remember what he did to—"
"What about the girls then, eh?" Greyback growled from behind me.
"Yes- yes, that's the Mudblood we saw in Madam Malkin's with Potter that time! Isn't that right, Draco? It's Granger!"
"I… maybe… yeah…."
A door creaked open, and someone else walked in to the room. "What is this? What has happened, Cissy?"
Everyone was silent as Bellatrix Lestrange observed what was going on. She walked around us slowly."But surely, this is the Mudblood girl? This is Granger!"
"Yes, yes it is!" Lucius cried. "And beside her, we think Potter! Potter and his friends are captured at last!"
"Potter?" she shrieked. "Are you sure? We must inform the Dark Lord at once!"
Hermione was next to me, and I tried to catch her eye. She didn't seem to want to look at me.
"I beg your pardon, Mr. Malfoy," Greyback interjected, "but it's us that caught Potter, and it's us that will be claiming the reward—"
"Gold!" Bellatrix barked. "Take your gold, filthy scavenger. What do I want with gold? I want only honor."
"I was also hoping for…" he gestured to me.
"Who is that?" she asked, walking towards me. When no one answered her question, she kicked me. "Who are you, girl?"
"Katherine Hammond," I said quietly, a little winded from being kicked.
"Daughter of the Blood Traitor ministry official?"
I just nodded while staring at the ground.
"We'll see about that, Greyback. The Dark Lord is rather against the spilling of pure blood. Perhaps you could have the Mudblood, though."
He protested, but I was feeling too sick to my stomach to listen.
"Where did you find my sword?" Bellatrix screamed to one of the Snatchers who had captured us.
"It was in their tent!" they replied. I heard her Stupefy them, and take back the sword.
"Snape sent it to my vault in Gringotts…" she said, sounding very distressed."If this is indeed Potter, he must not be harmed. The Dark Lord wishes to dispose of Potter himself… the prisoners must be placed in the cellar, while I think what to do!"
"But, Bella, this is not your house to give orders in—"
"You have no idea of the danger we are in!" she shrieked.
"Take them to the cellar, Greyback. All except… except for the Mudblood."
"Take me! You can have me!" Ron shouted from my other side. He was silenced by a low to the face from Bellatrix. I just kept my eyes shut and my head down.
"If she dies under questioning, I'll take you next. Blood traitor isn't that far up from Mudblood, at least as far as I'm concerned. Take them downstairs, Greyback, and make sure they are secure. Do nothing more with them yet."
Bellatrix cut Hermione from the rest of us, and dragged her away by her hair. Then, Greyback dragged us towards the cellar door, never letting go of me. I craned my next to get a last glance of my best friend, but Ron's head was in the way. I clenched my jaw and turned away.
Getting down the stairs while still tied to Ron and Harry was definitely a feat. There was darkness everywhere, and we didn't know what was at the bottom of the staircase. I could feel Ron shaking next to me.
When we reached the bottom, there was a thick wooden door. Greyback tapped on it with his wand, then it unlocked. He used the same knife that Bellatrix had used on Hermione to cut me away from Ron and Harry.
"You're coming with me."
Author's Note: Sorry for the long pause, everyone! Just adjusting to college life :) Thanks to potter-reading-coastie for betaing this. I will update sooner! Promise!