A/N Yay, even more reviews! Great!
Chapter 8 Flying without Wings
The day for the quidditch mach was drawing closer and closer. Hermione hadn't seen Malfoy for a few days, well, except for meals and classes.
The Saturday before the match, Hermione got up early, even by her standards. Since it was the weekend, she didn't have to wear her robes.
Thank God, thought Hermione, they're starting to get a little stuffy!
She opened her closet and had a quick look outside before she chose what to wear. It was a mild day, not to hot, not to cold. She took out a pair of dark blue hipster jeans and lighter blue polo neck. She put them on and brushed her hair. She walked into the Gryffindor common room, tying it up in a messy bun.
Nobody was awake yet. Typical.
She left and strolled into the hall. There were a few people up. Not many though. It was a Saturday and we're talking about teenagers here. Up early on a Saturday, hardly!
She sat down and grabbed herself a bowl of corn flakes. Yum, her favourite.
For a half empty hall, it's boiling! She thought. Maybe it was a bad idea to wear the polo neck.
She finished her cereal and went outside. It was much cooler out here. She looked over at the quidditch pitch and noticed someone there. She walked over and sat on one of the middle stands. She watched the person, zooming here and whizzing there.
That looks like fun, she thought wistfully. She hadn't been on a broom since Madame Hooch's flying lessons in first year. She never had a reason to after. She had asked Harry to bring her flying once, but he was to busy with, you got it, quidditch. Hermione was so busy thinking to herself that she didn't realise that the person on the broom was coming towards her.
"Hey, Granger! What are you staring at?" he yelled.
Hermione looked up with a jerk and looked straight into the face of…Malfoy. He was holding something in his hand, the snitch. She this is where he's been these past few days, practising quidditch! Should have guessed, she thought.
"I said, what are you staring at?" repeated Malfoy.
"I was just thinking to myself, you just happened to be in my line of sight when I started daydreaming." She said, not wanting him to know the real reason.
"So," said Malfoy with a sly grin, "It's got nothing to do with the fact that you haven't been on a broom since first year has it?"
"How do you-" Hermione was cut off by Malfoys' laughter.
"It's not that hard to figure out. I have never seen you on a broom since Madame Hootchs' lessons, and you're not allowed to fly outside school."
"Well," she stammered, "Maybe I don't want to go on a broom. They're frightfully dangerous if you think about it. I mean, they go so fast and…what are you doing?!"
Malfoy was pulling Hermione onto the broom. He sat her in front of him and flew up over the pitch.
"Draco Malfoy, put me down right this instant!!!" she yelled, holding onto the broom handle so hard that she thought it would snap.
"Okay," said Malfoy in his trademark drawl, "You said it."
The hands that had previously been wrapped around her waist slithered away. Hermione was left to hold on for herself. She was slipping off the edge. Any minute she was going to fall off. She closed her eyes and began to weep. She hated Malfoy for doing this to her. Hated him!
"Now, I told you you'd pay, didn't I Granger?" he said to her.
"Please Malfoy, don't let me fall." She said through her tears. "I'm sorry for walking into you. Really."
Hermione heard Malfoy draw in a breath. He had been going higher and faster since he first flew off with her. She was getting quite breathless.
She felt herself slipping away; she was passing out. She felt herself fall; heard Malfoy yell her name. She fell for what seemed like an eternity, then, suddenly, she was being held. The wind blew through her hair. The last thing she heard before she passed out was Malfoy.
"I'd never hurt you…The forcica (for-si-ka) spell."
Hermione sunk into the darkness that was calling to her.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Are you sure Mr. Malfoy? The forcica spell involves a lot of time and skill. Only a fair few wizards and witches can make it a powerful as you say it was." Said Dumbledore.
"I'm sure Professor. I didn't want to do it but I did. I knew I was doing it but… it was like I was in a shell and I couldn't break out. I heard myself talking to her, but I wasn't saying it." Replied Malfoy, trying desperately to make him believe what he was being told.
"It's possible Professor," said a new voice. "The forcica spell searches the mind of the person it is going to use. When it has found something it can use, it forces the mind back, taking its' place. It can only do this for about ten minutes. All it is supposed to do is control the person. It did that, to Mr. Malfoy. What has happened to Miss Granger is quite different. She has been put under a comatose spell. It basically puts the person into a coma. She won't gain consciousness again until she is ready or, when she breaks the spell."
"How…how long will that take?" asked Malfoy in a small voice.
"It can take anything from an hour, to…years. I'm sorry I can't do anything more Professor."
Miss Clarke, now Professor Clarke, turned and walked out…but not before Malfoy noticed her…smile.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
It was dark, cold and dark. She couldn't see, hear. She didn't know where she was. She tried to move but couldn't. It was as if thick black ropes were holding her down, tied around her arms, waist, and legs. She tried to scream, but nothing came out. She tried over and over again, screaming as fast as she could draw breath. She fought against the ropes, against the silence.
She stopped suddenly. She could hear something. She strained against her capture, listening with all of her might. She heard…laughter, cold and cruel. It was coming closer and closer and closer. Soon it was on top of her. She tried again to scream, to fight her way out of the binding ropes, but she couldn't. She couldn't breath, couldn't move. She was smothering. She could hear another sound, other than the mad laughter. It was a beating sound. Thump thump, thump thump. It was her heart beating, straining against that witch was holding her down. It was going faster and faster, louder and louder. Then it began to slow down, to become quiet. It stopped.
All was quiet. Then the laughter was back. The evil, insane laugher, going on and on, never stopping…never going away…
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"What's wrong with her!? Why is she screaming? Help her!!" yelled Malfoy. Professor Dumbledore waved his wand in the air. Snapes' face appeared, floating in mid-air.
"Professor, we need you here, NOW!" yelled Dumbledore.
Hermione was still screaming, jerking back and forth. She should have fallen off the bed by now, but it was as if something was holding her, stopping her from moving to much.
Snape appeared beside her. Malfoy didn't care how he got there. He only cared about Hermione.
"Oh no…" said Snape in a small voice.
"What is it Professor?" asked Malfoy, scared by the look on Snapes face.
"Professor Dumbledore, Miss Granger has been cursed. It's," he faltered, "it's the ritzcom curse."
"Oh my," said Dumbledore quietly. "Can you…?"
"It's only been attempted once. They failed." Said Snape, looking down at Hermione. "But I won't." he said defiantly.
"Professor, what's wrong with her. Proff. Clarke said that-"
"Draco, please" interjected Snape. "Miss Granger is slowly getting worse. If I don't cast the counter-curse now, we'll lose her."
Malfoy said no more. He stood back and watched as Snape passed his wand over Hermiones' body. He was mumbling something, over and over. He reached her head and stopped there. He was chanting more strongly now, with more force. He was sweating all over. Malfoy watched Snapes' wand. The tip was glowing white, but what caught his attention was the…dark mist that was being drawn from Hermione into the wand. It was the blackest of black. It looked solid from the corner of his eye, but when he looked at it full on, it was mist again.
Hermione was still screaming…then suddenly, she stopped. She just lay there, not moving at all.
"Dumbledore, spark her…quickly, she's going!" yelled Snape.
Dumbledore pointed his wand at Hermiones' chest and said something under his breath. A beam of white-hot light flew from the wand and into Hermiones' chest. Snape was still drawing the darkness from her. All was quite for a moment, then the screaming began. It was the most evil thing Malfoy had ever heard. It went on and on.
"Expeloros" yelled Snape.
The laughter stopped. The dark mist vanished into the wand. Hermione stopped screaming.
Snape stepped back and took a deep breath.
"It's gone." He said simply.
Malfoy walked over to Hermione. He stopped beside her and reached down to touch her hand. She felt cold, cold as death.
"I don't think it worked" said Malfoy, trying, but failing to hold back his tears. "She's dead."
A/N Told you this chapter was going to be long, well, long for me anyway! Sorry about the cliff-hanger. Well, not really!! Just wanted to add a little…spice! Please review! Tell me what you think. Thanks to DD for helping me out. She came up with the word forcica. Sorry if they don't sound real. If anyone can think of more good spell word, I'm all ears, or should I say eyes….
Chapter 8 Flying without Wings
The day for the quidditch mach was drawing closer and closer. Hermione hadn't seen Malfoy for a few days, well, except for meals and classes.
The Saturday before the match, Hermione got up early, even by her standards. Since it was the weekend, she didn't have to wear her robes.
Thank God, thought Hermione, they're starting to get a little stuffy!
She opened her closet and had a quick look outside before she chose what to wear. It was a mild day, not to hot, not to cold. She took out a pair of dark blue hipster jeans and lighter blue polo neck. She put them on and brushed her hair. She walked into the Gryffindor common room, tying it up in a messy bun.
Nobody was awake yet. Typical.
She left and strolled into the hall. There were a few people up. Not many though. It was a Saturday and we're talking about teenagers here. Up early on a Saturday, hardly!
She sat down and grabbed herself a bowl of corn flakes. Yum, her favourite.
For a half empty hall, it's boiling! She thought. Maybe it was a bad idea to wear the polo neck.
She finished her cereal and went outside. It was much cooler out here. She looked over at the quidditch pitch and noticed someone there. She walked over and sat on one of the middle stands. She watched the person, zooming here and whizzing there.
That looks like fun, she thought wistfully. She hadn't been on a broom since Madame Hooch's flying lessons in first year. She never had a reason to after. She had asked Harry to bring her flying once, but he was to busy with, you got it, quidditch. Hermione was so busy thinking to herself that she didn't realise that the person on the broom was coming towards her.
"Hey, Granger! What are you staring at?" he yelled.
Hermione looked up with a jerk and looked straight into the face of…Malfoy. He was holding something in his hand, the snitch. She this is where he's been these past few days, practising quidditch! Should have guessed, she thought.
"I said, what are you staring at?" repeated Malfoy.
"I was just thinking to myself, you just happened to be in my line of sight when I started daydreaming." She said, not wanting him to know the real reason.
"So," said Malfoy with a sly grin, "It's got nothing to do with the fact that you haven't been on a broom since first year has it?"
"How do you-" Hermione was cut off by Malfoys' laughter.
"It's not that hard to figure out. I have never seen you on a broom since Madame Hootchs' lessons, and you're not allowed to fly outside school."
"Well," she stammered, "Maybe I don't want to go on a broom. They're frightfully dangerous if you think about it. I mean, they go so fast and…what are you doing?!"
Malfoy was pulling Hermione onto the broom. He sat her in front of him and flew up over the pitch.
"Draco Malfoy, put me down right this instant!!!" she yelled, holding onto the broom handle so hard that she thought it would snap.
"Okay," said Malfoy in his trademark drawl, "You said it."
The hands that had previously been wrapped around her waist slithered away. Hermione was left to hold on for herself. She was slipping off the edge. Any minute she was going to fall off. She closed her eyes and began to weep. She hated Malfoy for doing this to her. Hated him!
"Now, I told you you'd pay, didn't I Granger?" he said to her.
"Please Malfoy, don't let me fall." She said through her tears. "I'm sorry for walking into you. Really."
Hermione heard Malfoy draw in a breath. He had been going higher and faster since he first flew off with her. She was getting quite breathless.
She felt herself slipping away; she was passing out. She felt herself fall; heard Malfoy yell her name. She fell for what seemed like an eternity, then, suddenly, she was being held. The wind blew through her hair. The last thing she heard before she passed out was Malfoy.
"I'd never hurt you…The forcica (for-si-ka) spell."
Hermione sunk into the darkness that was calling to her.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Are you sure Mr. Malfoy? The forcica spell involves a lot of time and skill. Only a fair few wizards and witches can make it a powerful as you say it was." Said Dumbledore.
"I'm sure Professor. I didn't want to do it but I did. I knew I was doing it but… it was like I was in a shell and I couldn't break out. I heard myself talking to her, but I wasn't saying it." Replied Malfoy, trying desperately to make him believe what he was being told.
"It's possible Professor," said a new voice. "The forcica spell searches the mind of the person it is going to use. When it has found something it can use, it forces the mind back, taking its' place. It can only do this for about ten minutes. All it is supposed to do is control the person. It did that, to Mr. Malfoy. What has happened to Miss Granger is quite different. She has been put under a comatose spell. It basically puts the person into a coma. She won't gain consciousness again until she is ready or, when she breaks the spell."
"How…how long will that take?" asked Malfoy in a small voice.
"It can take anything from an hour, to…years. I'm sorry I can't do anything more Professor."
Miss Clarke, now Professor Clarke, turned and walked out…but not before Malfoy noticed her…smile.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
It was dark, cold and dark. She couldn't see, hear. She didn't know where she was. She tried to move but couldn't. It was as if thick black ropes were holding her down, tied around her arms, waist, and legs. She tried to scream, but nothing came out. She tried over and over again, screaming as fast as she could draw breath. She fought against the ropes, against the silence.
She stopped suddenly. She could hear something. She strained against her capture, listening with all of her might. She heard…laughter, cold and cruel. It was coming closer and closer and closer. Soon it was on top of her. She tried again to scream, to fight her way out of the binding ropes, but she couldn't. She couldn't breath, couldn't move. She was smothering. She could hear another sound, other than the mad laughter. It was a beating sound. Thump thump, thump thump. It was her heart beating, straining against that witch was holding her down. It was going faster and faster, louder and louder. Then it began to slow down, to become quiet. It stopped.
All was quiet. Then the laughter was back. The evil, insane laugher, going on and on, never stopping…never going away…
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"What's wrong with her!? Why is she screaming? Help her!!" yelled Malfoy. Professor Dumbledore waved his wand in the air. Snapes' face appeared, floating in mid-air.
"Professor, we need you here, NOW!" yelled Dumbledore.
Hermione was still screaming, jerking back and forth. She should have fallen off the bed by now, but it was as if something was holding her, stopping her from moving to much.
Snape appeared beside her. Malfoy didn't care how he got there. He only cared about Hermione.
"Oh no…" said Snape in a small voice.
"What is it Professor?" asked Malfoy, scared by the look on Snapes face.
"Professor Dumbledore, Miss Granger has been cursed. It's," he faltered, "it's the ritzcom curse."
"Oh my," said Dumbledore quietly. "Can you…?"
"It's only been attempted once. They failed." Said Snape, looking down at Hermione. "But I won't." he said defiantly.
"Professor, what's wrong with her. Proff. Clarke said that-"
"Draco, please" interjected Snape. "Miss Granger is slowly getting worse. If I don't cast the counter-curse now, we'll lose her."
Malfoy said no more. He stood back and watched as Snape passed his wand over Hermiones' body. He was mumbling something, over and over. He reached her head and stopped there. He was chanting more strongly now, with more force. He was sweating all over. Malfoy watched Snapes' wand. The tip was glowing white, but what caught his attention was the…dark mist that was being drawn from Hermione into the wand. It was the blackest of black. It looked solid from the corner of his eye, but when he looked at it full on, it was mist again.
Hermione was still screaming…then suddenly, she stopped. She just lay there, not moving at all.
"Dumbledore, spark her…quickly, she's going!" yelled Snape.
Dumbledore pointed his wand at Hermiones' chest and said something under his breath. A beam of white-hot light flew from the wand and into Hermiones' chest. Snape was still drawing the darkness from her. All was quite for a moment, then the screaming began. It was the most evil thing Malfoy had ever heard. It went on and on.
"Expeloros" yelled Snape.
The laughter stopped. The dark mist vanished into the wand. Hermione stopped screaming.
Snape stepped back and took a deep breath.
"It's gone." He said simply.
Malfoy walked over to Hermione. He stopped beside her and reached down to touch her hand. She felt cold, cold as death.
"I don't think it worked" said Malfoy, trying, but failing to hold back his tears. "She's dead."
A/N Told you this chapter was going to be long, well, long for me anyway! Sorry about the cliff-hanger. Well, not really!! Just wanted to add a little…spice! Please review! Tell me what you think. Thanks to DD for helping me out. She came up with the word forcica. Sorry if they don't sound real. If anyone can think of more good spell word, I'm all ears, or should I say eyes….