A Simply Horrible Summer
Chapter two: An unlikely place
Hermione saw her parents. And blood, so much blood. They were hanging from the ceiling fan, slowly spinning in a circle. She could hardly recognize them. She would have thought they were complete strangers if not for her mother's curly blonde hair and her father's thick mass of brown curls. Their faces were shredded by what looked like claws and chunks were bitten out of their stomachs. Hermione stood there for a moment just taking in the sight and the smell of it all. Then she couldn't take it anymore and threw up right there. She was down on her hands and knees on the bloodied carpet until nothing was left of her stomach. She dry heaved until she noticed a presence in the room. An alive presence.
She stood up and picked up her wand. Her eyes passed over the corpses of her parents and examined the rest of the room. The furniture was all tipped over. There were many places for the murderer or murderers to hide in the room. She knew she shouldn't stand in the doorway anymore. She knew she had to get Harry and Ron and alert the order. She knew this was done by Death Eaters. But she didn't move. She was too stunned by the immense gore to move.
Suddenly she saw a movement by the over turned bed. Fenrir Grayback emerged from his hiding place, face and hand dripping in blood. Still she stood, her feet frozen to the spot while her brain screamed RUN! RUN! His yellow eyes turned toward her while he licked his hands and mouth. He advanced slowly, taking his time to track her down through the mess. She was wide eyed and her breath was shaking terribly. He was right in front of her now. She could smell his putrid stench. He reeked of death and blood. He smiled a horrible, blood stained smile, his sharpened teeth still dangling with bits of human flesh.
"Witches taste a lot better than muggle filth. Especially a virgin like you." Grayback's raspy voice said, pouring hot, sickly air over her with each word. She wanted to vomit again, but knew she would be unable to. "I'm supposed to take you to the Dark Lord. Lucky he wants you as bait, mudblood, or you would be in worse shape than your parents. I like to play with my food when it can fight back."
Hermione shivered. She could do nothing for herself now. If she ran he would catch her right away and possibly be mauled, but if she just stood there she would definitely be kidnapped.
"Don't even think about running, mudblood. You'll come out the worse for wear, and the Dark Lord will still have you in his clutches. Now, be a good little witch and cooperate." He grabbed her arm so painfully she gasped and dissapperated on the spot.
They forest where they turned up was gloomy and dark. Fenrir threw her from him to the ground and looked around.
"Oh goody, we're almost there," he grumbled. He tied her up with his wand and led her immobilized body through the forest. Hermione soon became dizzy with the lack of oxygen and passed out. All too soon she was awakened by Grayback.
"Wake up, wench, and look at your new home." The castle was as dark and gloomy as the surrounding forest. The mere presence off all this evil made her want to kill herself. She would undoubtedly do that anyway.
Grayback led her in through huge iron doors. He personally escorted her to the dungeon, where he picked the most uncomfortable, dank cell for her. Once she was safely locked in, the ropes receded off her body and back into Grayback's wand.
"I'm sure the Dark Lord will be down sometime in the next week to see you. If you're not on your best behavior he'll assign someone to torture you until you wish you were dead, and count on me to be the first in line." He laughed manically as he walked out of the dungeons.
Hermione still stared wide-eyed in front of her. Everything was happening way too fast. Wasn't this supposed to be a fabulous day? Were the birds really singing just this morning? Could it really only be midday, when she'd had enough horror already to last a lifetime? Wasn't Ron confessing his love for her only this morning? All of these questions bounced around in her head until she couldn't think strait anymore and her eyelids had become too heavy to lift.
What must have been hours later, Hermione awoke. The dungeon was still as dim as ever, but Hermione could see the outline of a tall man walking toward her. She knew by the sudden gust of icy wind whom it was. She glared at him as he came closer, though she was sure he wouldn't be able to see her frown.
"There is no reason to look at me so coldly," her visitor said. Apparently she was wrong about his eyesight. "You are, after all, a guest in my wonderful home. I would hope that you would treat your host with respect. Apparently, mudbloods don't have very good manners. We might have to teach you a lesson." She hadn't even spoken and already there was a strike against her. Three strikes and she's out.
"I came down to ask you a few questions." He conjured a chair with his wand and sat down. "I believe you know where to find Harry Potter?" She stared at him blankly, trying to shut down her mind to him. "You are supposed to answer a question when it is given to you." Strike two. "I only need to know how to get to him. I believe there is a secret password at the Weasley house?" Her eyes widened. "Ah, now I just need to know what your particular password is. You can tell me now, or we can torture it out of you. Either way I'm sure I'll get what I want." He looked sharply at her. "Will you give me what I want, Hermione Granger?"
"Never," her voice croaked out, wishing she could reach him so she could kill him with her bare hands.
"Now you will force me to do something I won't regret at all. You will need to be taught a lesson in obeying your elders. I will be sure to schedule something extra special just for you. Don't get too comfy in there, your surprise will be coming soon." And with those nasty words, Voldemort left the dungeon chambers.