Chapter 30
"Continuous change is comfortable change. The past is then the guide to the future."
-Charles Handy (1932 - )
When Hermione looked at him, her mouth dropped because Voldemort's appearance was changing. His skin wasn't so waxy and grey, it was now pale and now he has black hair. He actually looked like an adult except the fact that his dark eyes were still there.
"Why are you staring me?" he asked.
"Tom." She gasped, "You're back."
"Excuse me?" Voldemort answered.
"Your face….your hair…." She gasped, "You look so different."
Voldemort raised an eyebrow at her. What did she mean about his face and his hair? He hasn't had his black hair in years, but the way she was looking at him made him feel different. The Dark Lord looked at the mirror behind him and his eyes widen. Hermione was right! He was changing!
"What is happening to me?" he thought.
He turned to face a smiling teenager witch. Voldemort ran towards her and pulled her body towards his, his rough hands touching her shoulders.
"What have you done to me!" he yelled.
"What are you talking about? I didn't do this." Hermione answered a little frightened.
"Yes you did!" he roared at her, "Because of you, I feel like I want to be close to you, touch you. And because of you, I turned back into my younger self."
"What the bloody hell are you talking about?" Hermione yelled as she got out of his grasp. "I didn't put some love potion in your drink to turn you back to…human."
"Well, you must of done something to turn me back into someone I don't want to turn back into." He said.
"No I didn't" Hermione yelled.
"Yes, you did." Voldemort yelled back.
"No I didn't."
"Yes, you did."
"No, I didn't."
"Yes, you did."
"No I didn't. STOP!" Hermione yelled even louder, "I didn't put in any potion in your juice or use my wand because remember you took my wand. So, the truth is that you still have good in you and this time, you can't shut it out."
After Hermione was done talking, Voldemort was staring at her with an evil look waiting to something back, something horrible but couldn't think of anything. He didn't want Tom Riddle to come back.
"You're not going to let it go, are you?" she asked.
"No."
"In that case….I hopes you enjoy disappointment."
They both scowled at each other in silence. Hermione was the first to speak, trying to keep herself focused. She was in danger of being distracted by his livid, glorious face. It was like trying to stare down at a destroying angel.
"Why do I even bother?" Hermione asked frigidly.
Voldemort paused, and for a brief moment his stunning face was unexpectedly vulnerable. "I don't know." He whispered. And then he turned his back on her and walked away.
Hermione was so angry; it took her a few minutes until she could move. Hermione returned to the room and sat down at her bed. Hermione was glad that Voldemort was turning good because that would probably mean the war would end with no more killing but then again she was angry, because she was stuck in this mansion with perverted Death Eaters and one confusing master.
Suddenly, Voldemort bolted inside the room and roughly grasped Hermione's arm and dragged her out of the room.
"Where are you taking me?" Hermione asked struggling from his grasp.
He didn't answer her but stopped walking in front of a metal door. He opened it and threw Hermione inside, her head landing onto the floor. She got up and stared at Voldemort's stunning face, but behind him was Death Eaters….a lot of Death Eaters.
"Still think, I can't imagined you getting tortured in pain?" he asked.
Back at Hogwarts…
Professor Snape entered the headmaster's office, inside was Harry. Both heads turn to face the Potions professor.
"Severus is there a problem?" asked Ablus.
Severus nodded, "It's about Miss. Granger and Voldemort, sir. Voldemort's appearance is changing back into a human adult."
"Isn't that great news?" asked Harry.
"Not to the Dark Lord." Snape answered, "He will do anything again to turn back into what he was."
"What seems to be problem with Miss. Granger?" asked the headmaster.
Snape sighed, "He's threatened to kill her if she doesn't tell where our quarters are."
"Crucio!"
Hermione's screams echoed off the walls in the dungeon. Different Death Eaters were hitting Hermione each turn they got and Hermione was now on the ground, panting and gasping for air. Suddenly, a Death Eater was holding onto Hermione's hair and was holding a short silver knife to Hermione's throat.
"Now tell us where your little friends are now or you want us to keep hurting you?" said the Death Eater.
Hermione didn't say anything but hit the Death Eater with her elbow and grabbed his hand and flipped him over landing on his back hard. The other Death Eaters were throwing spells at her but Hermione managed to block them using her firepowers. Abruptly, the same Death Eater who had the knife in his hand threw it at Hermione's shoulders.
Hermione scream in agony as she ripped the small blade from her skin. She felt the warm wetness of her blood come out and she dropped the knife on the ground. Before any other Death Eaters could hit her with another Crucio cure, Voldemort ordered them to stop and leave the dungeon.
Without saying anything yet, the Dark Lord lit the candles in the dungeon using his wand. His stunning face turned to Hermione, who was on knees on the ground, holding her wound making the pain and blood to stop. He could till that she was trying not to cry because she was biting her lip pretty hard.
"Let me see that wound." He said walking towards you.
However, Hermione pushed away from his touch.
"Stay away from me." Hermione panted still hurting from the Crucio curse.
Voldemort grunted as he moved Hermione's chin to stare at his face. He could see fury in her hazel eyes. Before, he could even remove Hermione's hand from her shoulder, she spit at his face. The Dark Lord grunted in disgust as he slapped Hermione in face, who flew down onto the ground roughly, smashing her head against the floor.
"How dare you do that to me!" he yelled whipping the spit off his face.
Hermione snorted as she got back up and went to step around him.
Voldemort's hand shot out and gripped Hermione's upper arm like a vice. "Who said you could walk away from me? As your superior I give you orders on what to do and when."
Hermione flung his had off of her and stared up at him coldly, the fire burning in her ready to explode. "Get off of me, Riddle, you stupid low-life bastard! I don't take orders from you. I don't give a damn about your high and mighty Slytherin rules. Just leave me alone!"
She started walking away from him again when he yelled after her, "Don't go yelling at me, Granger! Keep up with that, not only will you lose the werewolf but everyone in Hogwarts."
Voldemort smirked in triumph as Hermione froze, her body beginning to tremble with hatred. He had touched a nerve and he was proud of it.
"You went too far this time, Voldemort," he heard her whisper.
"What are you going to do?" he taunted, "Spit at me some more?"
Hermione turned to face Voldemort, her hazel eyes blazing with a fury never seen before. Her body began to take on an odd red glow. Before he could even open his mouth again, Hermione let out a scream of rage and the torches lining the walls burst. Using her right hand, Hermione circled it as the fire from the torches circled around the Dark Lord making him stumbled backwards.
He suddenly felt like he was stuck in a boiling pot and couldn't breathe because of the heat. Soon, Hermione's form was changing into a phoenix. Hermione soon realized what she was doing and her hand dropped to her side making the fire around the Dark lord stop.
Hermione fell down onto the ground on her knees gasping for air. Hermione lifted her head up, her face as white as a ghost and dripping with sweat, looking Voldemort straight in the eye, who stared back in fright. He pulled himself up slowly.
"Leave my friends alone," she said quietly pushing herself up, "Or else you will face the wrath of the phoenix in me."
Voldemort ran away from Hermione as fast as he could. Hermione slumped against a wall and fell to the floor again, tears and sobs overtaken her body.
"Someone helps me," she whispered, "I can't control it anymore."
