(One Year Ago)
Sunday, December 25th 1994
Hermione sighed in frustration. She had tried countless hair and makeup tutorials, braids and buns and smokey eyes and winged eyeliner and everything in between.
This had been hours ago, but Hermione hadn't made any progress. She kept messing up her makeup with her shaky hands, and her hairstyles never stayed in place.
It didn't feel right, having a Yule Ball when things were going so wrong. Professor Dumbledore had come to inspect the Chamber Of Secrets with a group of Aurors, but they couldn't open it, even if Harry was speaking Parseltongue to it.
Poor Harry was going insane. He was clutching his hurting scar every two seconds and he kept looking up at the castle walls, hearing the voices that haunted his nightmares.
Ginny walked away from the group of giggling, gossiping girls, over to Hermione. She had her hair up already and was doing the finishing touches on her makeup.
"Come on, 'Mione, it's Christmas!"
"Sure doesn't feel like it." She sighed.
"Well, there's a Ball waiting for us, and you are going to have fun and stop worrying for once in your life."
With that, Ginny sat down and got started with Hermione's makeup.
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The Slytherin girls were all in the dormitories, talking and laughing. Lilac had been hiding in a bathroom, getting ready by herself.
She had a smokey eye look with tints of teal, making her bright blue eyes looks magnificent. She showed off her light spray of freckles and put on some light pink lipstick. Her hair was in ringlets, in a half-up half-down bun, held up by tiny little teal berets and complete with some glitter spray she had found next to the sink. Her bangs hung over her forehead, dangerously close to her eyes.
She gave herself a girly moment and spun around in her dress. It was sleeveless, black and sparkly at the top and then teal to the bottom, which reached just above her knee. Her black high heels made clicking noises on the bathroom tiles.
Lilac couldn't wait.
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"Come on, 'Mione!" Exclaimed an annoyed Ginny. "We're going to be late."
Hermione looked at herself one more time in the mirror. Her makeup was flawless, thanks to Ginny. Her hair was mostly up, and her dress fit her perfectly. It was a soft blue and reached the floor, making her feel like the princess she had always wanted to be.
The two girls stepped into the hall and time stood still. There was Harry, arm in arm with Cho Chang. Hermione felt Ginny stiffen beside her. Every few seconds Harry would rub his head, which would seem normal to anyone else, but Hermione knew that it was because of his scar.
She saw Fleur Delacour with a date that she didn't know, and Cedric Diggory standing alone, tapping his foot, as if waiting for someone.
Ron gave her a little smile, walking over. Behind him was Malfoy and Pansy. Malfoy was staring at her with his mouth a little ajar, probably thinking of some insult to throw at her, but Hermione didn't care; she smirked and winked at him to prove it to him. She took Ron's hand with a smile.
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Draco stared at her. He realized that he was staring, but he couldn't stop.
She looked stunning.
Hermione Granger looked stunning. Hermione Granger took his breath away. Hermione Granger looked stunning.
Draco watched as Weasel-Be walked up to her. He looked ridiculous. That was insane - Granger looked like she was pulled right out of a storybook, and Weasel-Be looked like he was pulled right out of the circus. It didn't make sense.
When Draco finally managed to pull his eyes off of Granger, he noticed another figure coming behind her. Lilac.
Lilac never talked to Draco about her makeup, or her clothes, or anything of the sort. She looked gorgeous. Draco looked around, wondering who could be the mystery date that she had been talking about.
A flash of brown hair passed him, and he saw the back of a figure approaching Lilac. Lilac broke out into a smile and hugged the wizard. She saw Draco, and gave him a little wave from behind the boy's back.
The two turned around, and Draco saw a glowing Lilac and a beaming Cedric Diggory.
At first, Draco felt a little wary - Cedric was older, and older guys didn't always have the best intentions. However, he was the Triwizard Champion, the best Hogwarts had to offer. He was kind, loyal and hardworking, and had a reputation of good grades. If anyone deserved to go to the Yule Ball with his best friend, it was Cedric.
Meanwhile, Pansy was tugging on his arm, talking to her friends. Every time that Draco tried to distance himself from her, she just clutched his arm tighter. He thought about the question that Lilac had asked him about who he'd rather go to the Yule Ball with, between Pansy and Granger. He looked over at Pansy's dress, a shiny green dress made of an unknown material that made her look like a cross between a disco ball and a rainbow. He looked back at Granger, whose clips were glittering in the light.
Granger. He would pick Granger in an instant.
He scowled to himself. He couldn't be thinking like that - it was an insult to Pansy and to his own family.
McGonagall called out and everyone starting piling into the ballroom.
Draco found himself in a crowd of sweaty bodies, but he was next to Lilac for a second.
"Diggory?" He asked with a smirk.
Lilac couldn't stop smiling. "He was going to go with Cho Chang, but she backed out at the last minute."
"So you were second choice?" Growled Draco, his smile disappearing.
"No, it's not like that. We started talking a day or two before he asked her."
Draco didn't seem convinced, but wished Lilac good luck anyways and went on with the nagging brat tugging on his sleeve.
The annoying thing - well, one of the annoying things - about Pansy was that she stuck to Draco like glue, but wouldn't be twelve inches away from her group of friends, dragging Draco everywhere she went.
Draco looked around. Everything was so beautifully decorated, and if Draco ignored the high-pitched squealing next to him, he could almost hear the faint, soft sound of music.
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Hermione watched the Triwizard Champions line up in the middle of the room. A traditional song started to fill her ears, and she watched Harry grin ear-to-ear as he danced with Cho Chang. She had never been happier for her best friend.
She felt a warm hand press against hers. Her cheeks went red in an instant as she looked at Ron, who had tentatively taken her hand.
Out of the corner of her eye, Hermione could see Karkaroff waltz onto the dance floor with Professor McGonagall (Dumbledore would have gone with her, but he was away at the Ministry), Viktor Krum go with his date from Beauxbatons and Cedric Diggory with Lilac Hansel. Ron looked just about terrified to go out there, but Hermione lightly pulled his hand.
In an instant, they were on the dance floor with dozens and dozens of other couples.
She looked up at Ron. Her stomach was doing flips as he leaned in to her, and then their lips met.
Hermione felt like her body was frozen, like she couldn't move, like she didn't have to, like the world was frozen. A second later, Ron's lips were gone, and she was wondering how things could possibly get any better.
With a loud, distant bang and a blood curling scream, the moment was over, and the most horrific night of their lives so far had just begun.
A loud yell came from the middle of the ballroom. Hermione looked over and saw her best friend crash to the ground, clutching his scar. Seconds later, huge streams of black smoke swirled around the room, dropping Death Eaters at every corner.
Hermione grabbed her wand from a pocket inside her dress - she never went anywhere without it - but before she could use it, she heard someone shriek.
"SHUT YOUR EYES!"
There was a huge bang and the sound of rubble crashing. A wall to the far side of the room collapsed, and a dozen huge snakes flooded into the room.
Basilisks.
Hermione shielded her eyes, even if she didn't really have to. The smoke from the Death Eaters was a thick black wall, and she couldn't see anything. Ron was nowhere to be found. She stood up, but just as she did, an arm gripped her and she was sent flying.
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Draco looked at the scene wide eyed. He thought back to all of the secret meetings between Mad-Eye Moody, Professor Snape, Karkaroff and his father.
Were they insane? They could kill Purebloods, each other or themselves.
Before he could process what was going on, there were hundreds of masked, cloaked witches and wizards around the room.
A group stood in the middle. There were several he didn't recognize, and then, in the very centre, was his aunt Bellatrix, his uncle Rodolphus, and Barty Crouch Jr. What shocked him, however, was what they was holding.
Or, rather, who they were holding.
All of the terrified students were holding each other against the wall, except for about a half dozen people who were laying down here and there, unmoving. Draco didn't want to look at them, in fear that it could be a friend whom he would never see again.
"Ron! Hermione!" A voice yelled. Draco spotted none other than Harry Potter running from the group of witches and wizards.
Idiot.
A couple of his friends, including Neville Longbottom and the Weaslette tried following him, but Goyle's father threw a spell at them and they ran into what seemed to be an invisible wall.
Outside of the wall were several Death Eaters, Potter and Diggory, and three students being held; Granger, Weasel-Be and Lilac.
Lilac.
Lilac?!
Draco got up from the wall and pounded his fists on the invisible wall as hard as he could.
"Stupefy!" Yelled a voice. It was Cedric.
Peter Pettigrew fell to the ground. Rodolphus gripped Lilac's hair with one hand, making her berets fall out, and used his other hand to point his wand at Cedric.
"Avada Kedavra!"
"No!" Shrieked Harry and Lilac simultaneously.
Cedric fell to the ground. His wand clattered to the ground and even from that far away, Draco could spot his dull, lifeless eyes. The Basilisks slithered around the room.
"Imperio," Said Peter Pettigrew as he got back up and steadied himself.
Harry groaned as he was suddenly under Pettigrew's control.
The Weasley girl and a few other Gryffindors threw short-lived and pathetic spells at the wall. Other students were sobbing over the loss of their friend, and Granger, Weasel-Be and Lilac were trying not to break down in the arms of their captors.
Macnair and Goyle Sr. slid over a huge cauldron, and Pettigrew walked towards it with his wand lifted.
"Bone of the father, unknowingly given," A bone was dropped into the cauldron, and shivers ran down Draco's spine. "You will renew your son!"
Harry yelled in pain.
"H-Harry!" Stuttered Granger, struggling against Bellatrix's grasp.
"Flesh of the servant, willingly sacrificed, you will revive your master."
Many students gasped, and one even hurled, at the sight of Pettigrew slicing off his own hand into the pot.
Draco couldn't get his eyes off of Granger or Lilac. Minutes ago, neither of them could stop smiling, and they had both looked flawless. Now, they were both hysterical. Granger's dress was ripped and Lilac's hair was everywhere. Both of their faces were caked in a mix of blood and tears, and it made Draco sick.
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Hermione watched Peter Pettigrew take a step towards Harry, who was still under the Imperious curse.
"You get away from him!" Yelled Ron. Barty Crouch Jr jabbed his wand onto Ron's throat.
Silent tears fell freely from Hermione's eyes. Her best friend was being tortured, her date was being held captive and she was being clutched by one of the most terrifying criminals of all time. Bellatrix's nails dug into Hermione's wrist and she was yanking on her hair, making Hermione's eyes water even more.
"Blood of the enemy, forcibly taken, you will resurrect your foe." Pettigrew took a knife to Harry's arm and cut off a few layers of flesh, ignoring Hermione and Ron's cries of protest. Hermione could hear Ginny's screams from the other side of the room.
Harry tried not to show signs of weakness, but he was clearly in pain.
"Harry!" Hermione yelled again, just to be clutched by Bellatrix.
"Shut up, you disgusting Mudblood." She sneered in her ear.
Pettigrew dropped a small figure into the cauldron. Another figure rose above it, so pale it was almost blue, so cold it resonated shivers, and so terrifying it would scar everyone in the room for years, maybe their entire lives.
Lord Voldemort.
Macnair handed him a ghostly black cloak, and Voldemort whispered things in a language unknown to anyone else. The snakes started to slither towards the students against the wall, who all turned away to avoid certain death.
Voldemort turned to his followers, thanking them for all of their services to him. He turned to Ron.
"Pureblood." He stated, his wand drawing patterns on Ron's hand. "Such a shame, to spill such blood. You associate with, not only Mudbloods, but Harry Potter as well, I presume?"
Ron sucked in air through his teeth.
"Traitor!" Voldemort yelled in a voice that chilled to the core.
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Voldemort slowly stepped over to Lilac.
No, no, no... Thought Draco, squeezing his eyes shut. He didn't want to see this.
"And you, my dear," Voldemort continued. "Halfblood. Hansel, am I correct?"
"My filthy sister's goddaughter!" Shrieked Bellatrix.
"Your family, joined and mixing several bloods, rendering them useless." He spat in her face, and Draco wanted to scream.
However, he didn't do anything. He stood against the wall, shivering, waiting for it all to end.
"Mudblood." Said Voldemort simply, drawing his wand on Granger's jawline. "Why are you crying, dear?"
A loud smack echoed in the hall, and Draco looked up. Voldemort had slapped Granger in the face.
"Get away from her!" Yelled Potter desperately. "Get away from her right now!"
Voldemort took a handful of Granger's hair and dragged her down to where Potter was, on the floor.
"Oh, Harry Potter. I almost forgot about you. We're going to duel, and you're going to die. Do you understand me? We're going to rematch that night thirteen years ago. That night that you were protected thanks to your filthy Mudblood mother. Well, Harry Potter, tonight, she's not here, now is she?"
"You're really thick, aren't you?" Growled Potter. "The Aurors will be here any minute now."
"You will be dead long before then." Smiled Voldemort wickedly. "Refuse to duel, and watch your classmates die, one by one. After these three, I have nearly two dozen basilisks that will attack as soon the invisible charm is dropped."
Potter glanced at the rest of his friends and teachers who were behind the invisible wall.
"Get up, fool, and bow. Bow so we can duel!"
Hesitantly, Potter stood up, and he bowed. He looked into Granger's terrified, glossy eyes. He looked up at his best friend, struggling against the grip of the Death Eater that held him.
They were all going to die. Draco was sure of it.
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There was a huge ray of light, and a loud voice bellowed:
"PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!"
Dumbledore.
Shots were fired left and right, and black smoke rose from the ground again. Hermione felt herself being dropped to the ground after someone shot a spell at Bellatrix.
"Are you alright?!" Exclaimed a young woman with flaming pink hair.
Hermione nodded and got back up. She had to get to Ron and Harry.
"Harry! Ronald!" She screamed through the noise. A life without them was not one that she wanted to live.
"Harry! Harry! Ron!"
"Hermione!" A body collided with Hermione, sending both of them to the ground.
"Hermione!" Yelled Harry again, pulling her into a tight hug.
"Ron," Exclaimed Hermione, ignoring her stinging and aching body. "Where's Ron?!"
"I thought he was with you!"
There was the sound of a psychotic laugh. The two looked up just in time to see Bellatrix Lestrange and Lord Voldemort disappear into smoke.
"NO!"
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For Draco, all hell had broken loose. The protective invisible wall was gone, and he, along with countless other students, were trying to protect themselves from the angry snakes, all while avoiding their eyes.
Draco pushed himself against a wall. One of the beasts was raging towards him. He struggled to grasp his wand, but the basilisk was only a few feet away.
At the last second, the basilisk erupted into flames. It collided with another one, burning them both to death.
By now, all of the Aurors, staff and students were firing shots at the beasts. The Death Eaters were gone.
Draco pushed through the crowd to the centre of the room. Two bodies were entangled together, shaking with sobs, covered in each other's blood. Potter and Granger were both hysterical.
"Granger!" Draco yelled, kneeling down.
Granger looked up. She was too weak to fight back, too weak to throw another insult at Draco.
"Where is she? Where's Lilac?"
Granger cried even harder.
"Answer me!"
"They - they're gone." She sobbed. "They took them. They're gone. They disappeared. Bellatrix and Voldemort. And - and they - they brought them."
"You're not making sense -"
"Shut your git mouth, Malfoy!" Shouted Potter in rage and tears. "The Death Eaters took them. The Death Eaters took Lilac. The Death Eaters took Ron. And I didn't do anything."