Disclaimer: I make no profit from writing or posting this, and none of the characters from the Harry Potter books belong to me.
Hermione spent the rest of that day looking out of the imaginary window that Voldemort had created for her. It wasn't the most interesting sight and she knew that it was completely imaginary, but it was easier to look at a make-believe world instead of the prison walls of her room.
What was he planning to do to her? He said that he would use her as bait, both Harry and the rest of the Order of Phoenix new that if one of them was captured, it was not worth it to try and rescue them. She was probably left for the dead, which meant she'd have to escape by herself.
Hermione started to turn around, but bumped into something…or someone.
"Allo Miss! Me name is Corte, and Master sent me to help you get ready to go downstairs!"
It was a house elf. Hermione did not know what to do with it. A conscious twang went through her mind, mentally refusing to accept the help from the defenseless, overworked house elf.
"Hello Corte," Hermione said calmly. "Would you like to help me escape from here? I could get you a better place to work, where they would pay you."
The house elf stared at her, aghast that she would even mention pay. He yelled out something along the lines of "Corte loves Master!" before vanishing. Hermione sank down to the floor in despair before she saw what the house elf had left behind. Corte had left her some blue dress robes. With further observation, she noticed that they looked almost exactly like the ones she had worn to the Yule Ball in fourth year. What was going on?
Hermione did not want to wear clothes that were given to her by Voldemort, but her clothes were beginning to stink from being in the dungeons, and there were several rips in them that were continually getting larger. She decided to bathe before getting into the clean clothes. The bathroom was not very different than the one she had at Hogwarts. Her gut began to lurch. What had happened to Hogwarts once everyone had abandoned it?
Hermione changed into the dress robes and walked toward the door. If she was supposed to go 'downstairs', somebody would have to take her. If no one was on the other side of the door, waiting to let her out, then she would probably just refuse to go if someone came to get her. One could only build up enough courage to face a group of Death Eaters, defenseless, once. She wasn't a coward, but she disliked being tortured when she could not do anything about it.
After knocking on the door several times, Hermione got frustrated and tried to open it. It was unlocked, and Draco Malfoy was standing on the other side of the door, smirking.
"Welcome back to Hogwarts, mudblood."
Hermione cringed as she realized that the Death Eaters had taken over Hogwarts, but scanned Malfoy over, noticing that his wand was sticking out of his back pocket. Trying not to look at the wand for to long or punch Malfoy's smirk off of his face, Hermione followed him.
Hogwarts was built as a fortress, and it was almost impossible to attack once somebody was controlling it. If she ever got the chance, she would have to figure out how Voldemort and the Death Eaters managed to take over. Hermione cringed again. They had taken over Hogwarts the first time everything had gone around, but the second time they had just come across an empty castle.
"You almost look acceptable in those dress robes, Granger."
Hermione stepped closer to him. "Do you think?"
Draco stopped and reached for her. Taking her chance, Hermione lunged toward Draco, knocking him down, and stole his wand. Hermione ran towards the other side of the hallway, which she now recognized as the transfiguration corridor. If she could reach the secret passageway which led to three floors above, she would be able to escape.
"You little Bitch," Draco said from behind her.
Sending a few curses back behind her, Hermione ran toward the painting of the evil wizard Egret being stabbed by a unicorn. Not the most pleasant of sights, but after saying the password softly, she was allowed to climb the hidden staircase.
Taking no chances, Hermione changed the password to the staircase from the inside and then rushed up the stairs, wondering what her plan was. Each classroom that contained a fireplace had a jar of floo powder on the mantle. The divination classroom would be easiest to get to without running into trouble.
Once exiting the hidden passageway, Hermione looked both ways before turning left towards the divination tower. This part of the castle was thankfully deserted. Unless Draco knew where the staircase she took went, she would probably have a good ten minutes before having to worry. Well, worry more excessively than she already was.
Hermione ran up the stairs to the divination classroom, but once at the top of the stairs, hissed at the stupidity of rope ladders. She would have to use Draco's wand, which might limit her time even more. It was easy to put a tracking device on a wand.
"Accio rope ladder."
The trap door opened and the rope ladder went tumbling down. Hermione climbed up and, once in the room, pulled everything back up and locked the door leading out.
"What is ickle Granger doing here? Doesn't she know not to hang around with Death Eaters?"
It was Peeves.
"Peeves, if you yell out or tell anyone where I am, I swear that I will get the Bloody Baron to curse you into oblivion," Hermione hissed through her teeth.
"Ha! He's right out gleeful that Moldy Voldy is here. If they're searching for you, Mister Baron will finally be on my side once I hand you over."
"You evil malicious…" Hermione stopped. She needed to get out of here, and time was running out. Sprinting towards the fireplace and avoiding the crystal balls that Peeves was throwing at her, Hermione reached for the first jar she came to.
"Damn. Tea Leaves." Hermione threw the jar down and went to the next.
After three tries she found the floo powder. Hermione stopped a tea pot in midair, and went to start the fire with the wand. Once lit, she threw a handful of floo powder into the fire and stepped in.
"Number twelve," Hermione coughed from the fumes before she kept going.
Someone tackled her out of the fireplace before she could finish. Looking up, she saw Voldemort and five masked Death Eaters. Draco Malfoy had been the one who attacked her.
"I had no idea," Voldemort said as he walked towards her, "that you would be this resourceful Miss Granger."
Hermione glared death at him as Draco took his wand back.
"Crucio."
Hey again! I actually managed to write another chapter. I'm afraid that I won't be able to update in a while due to the fact that I'm going to Scotland for three weeks, but don't worry, I'll print out this chapter and work on it in my notebook. Thank you Balsam and Silver Tears 11 for reviewing the laster chapter. Ya'll are great!