CHAPTER 16

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING ROSEMERTA OPEN THIS BLOODY BARRIER! HERMIONE IS OUTSIDE!" James shouted desperately. He could feel his heart thumping erratically out of fear knowing that Hermione is outside with those bloody murderers. She could die! Why did she step out of this barrier? Why? and how the hell did she managed to do that?

"S-sorry boys… but I can't." Madam Rosemerta said sadly while looking at them regretfully as if she was trying to make them understand her decision. But how could they understand it? How could he understand that everyone here is choosing to sacrifice Hermione's life for their own safety?

"CAN'T OR WON'T!" James shouted again, but this time his face is showing great anger. Great anger for their cowardness especially as everyones seemed to just want to remain silent instead of saying something…instead of saying anything for Hermione. For Merlin sake, some of this students are Gryffindors! Where is their so called courage!

"James calm down." Remus said to his friend only to be ignored. He understand that he cannot blame his friend because he too felt rage out of this what could they do? For the first time he felt so useless.

"Darn it! If you will not remove this barrier, then I will!" James said determinedly ignoring everyone and begin casting any spells that could break the barrier only to fail at his every attempt.

"There's no use boy. This barrier is very strong and only witches and wizards with a very powerful magic can break it.

"IF HERMIONE CAN DO IT THEN WHY CAN'T I!"

"Because it's obvious that she is a very powerful witch." Rosemerta said.

"Hermione can barely produce a proper patronus! If you will not lower this barrier SHE MIGHT DIE OUT THERE!"

"Clearly you do not know her well." Rosemerta said with disbelief written all over her face while looking outside.

"What the hell a-"

"James look!"

Sirius said urgently making him stop talking and when he look where Sirius is pointing him he can't help but widen his eyes on what he saw. Hermione is fighting like a pro…she is fighting as if she is born as a fighter…but that is impossible…he knows her..she can't even bare to cast a proper spell without failing several times. Then how can this be possible?

"Dark magic!" Remus exclaimed making the 3 Marauders looks at him only to find him looking at Hermione with wide eyes.

"What are you talking about Moony?" Sirius asked.

"She is casting very dark magic!"

James wanted to say something, but he couldn't. His sole focus was for Hermione whom casted each spell with such ease… "Hermione." He can't help but gasped her name.

Hermione POV

As she made her way out of the pub, she immediately casted a dark spell that cut the airway of the first death she saw. She doesn't care if she is using a dark magic because her past taught her to always fight death eaters with the same brutality that they used on their victims. And now while fighting she can't help but feel a deep satisfaction upon seeing the death eater's blood marring the snow. She will fight them, and she will not hold back.
She will make them pay! All of them! She will make sure that they will regret fighting her!

They want dark magic then she will give them what they want! She will make them see her Dark magic so dark that they will never forget for as long as they live! If they live!

With much ease she silently cast a very dark spell knocking out two deatheaters at the same time. She desperately wants to kill them, but knows that she is already risking so much by just fighting them.

It had been so long since she last felt this kind of magic. Her power freely flowing through her veins to her wand making her spells more powerful than before.

She managed to avoid a cutting spell without looking.

"W-who are you?" One of the deatheater that she manage to knock down ask her.

She smiled at him sadistically before pointing her wand at him. "I am your worst nightmare." She said before casting a spell that will forever give him nightmares of his worst fear.

NOONE'S POV

"This is impossible!" Sirius gasped unable to believe what's happening in front of them.
"She is fighting like an expert auror or even better." Peter commented almost disbelievingly.

"It seems that she's been holding her magic back all this time. She purposely acted weak… but by just looking at her now it's obvious she is anything but weak."

"We are in huge trouble for everything we did to her." Sirius can't help to comment.

James remained silent, his only focus on Hermione. He cannot believe what is happening. How could he? The Hermione he knows is someone who has difficulty in casting even a simple spell and yet the Hermione that he is watching now is like a born warrior fighting fiercely as if she is someone who has been doing this since… forever.

HERMIONE'S POV

One, two, three, four…and then she finally lost count on how many deatheaters she managed to knocked down and yet it seems that they just don't stop appearing.

"Bloody purebloods!" She hissed with hatred after casting another cutting spell.

"Well! Well! Well! What do we have here! A little meddlesome little girl!"

Hermione's blood boils from rage as she recognized that loathsome voice, though she has yet to see the face.

MARAUDER'S POV

"S***!"Sirius hissed when he saw who arrived.

"That's your crazy cousin right!" James hissed too.

The other Marauders could only nod their heads having the same thought as their two friends. What can they say? Bellatrix is known as one of Voldemort's most loyal followers and also known to do everything to please her master by killing her victims with so much brutality. In short Sirius' cousin is a bloody crazy bat.

HERMIONE'S POV

With a great amount of forced calmness and her poker face in place, Hermione slowly turned to face Bellatrix only to see her standing near her with a very sadistic smile that only promised pain and lack of mercy as she twirled her wand.

"Bellatrix!" She hissed darkly

"So the little girl knows of me." Bellatrix said tauntingly

She matched Bellatrix's sadistic smile with her own version. "Who would not heard of Voldemort's whore!"

Instantly Bellatrix's smile vanished. "YOU DARE TO SAY MY LORD'S NAME!"

Hermione smirks at her obvious anger. "Your Lord, not mine." She said boredly

"YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS LITTLE GIRL!" Bellatrix screeches.

Outraged Bellatrix threw a spell at Hermione. She managed to avoided it easily, but not before casting a child's spell that made Bellatrix lost her balance earning her a vicious growl from the crazy deatheater.

Good! She wanted her mad, mad enough so that Bellatrix would lose her concentration. She decided to only cast child's spells after child's spell to defeat her friends Murderer! She wanted to humiliate her.

MARAUDER'S POV

"She is taunting Bellatrix!" Sirius said in disbelief for Hermione's so called bravery or stupidity.

"Bellatrix will have her head." Peter said worriedly.

"Hermione." James whispered again. If something happened to Hermione he will kill Bellatrix…he will do it even it means saying hello to Azkaban.

HERMIONE'S POV

She continued to cast the same spells repeatedly making Bellatrix lose her footing for several times. And kept to the same pattern each time Bellatrix casted a dark spell frustrating the dark witch as she easily avoided each attempt.

"Oops! You missed your target." She taunted after managing to avoid another deathly spell.

"I WILL KILL YOU PAINFULLY!"

She laughed "As if you can." She smiled sweetly after casting a spell to one deatheater on her back.

"WHO ARE YOU!"

Again she smiled sweetly at Bellatrix. "I will be your master's killer."

"YOU WILL PAY!"

"Make me." She challenged but she can't help but frowns when she saw the anger in Bellatrix face changed into a sadistic smile.

"I will, look behind you Little Girl."

MARAUDERS' POV

"That crazy S***!"Sirius shouted when he realized what his cousin is planning.

"Hermione will not fell for this trick!" Remus said confidently but something inside of him is telling him the exact opposite.

"Will she not?" Peter said seemingly having the same thought.

James can only punched the barrier in frustration.

HERMIONE'S POV

She knows that her back to her opponent, only to see two seemingly first year crying while two deateaters are holding them tightly.

"Now how about we start playing again, little girl?" Bellatrix said tauntingly and Hermione could only glare at her. She is so sick of their dirty games!

"Put down your lovely wand little girl." Bellatrix said as is if she is just ordering to a small kid.

Darn her conscience! It would be easy to just cast the killing curse and Bellatrix would be dead, but if she did that then two innocent kids will surely die! She already had a lot on her conscience, she didn't need any added baggage to add in her daily nightmare. She put down her wand and before she could blink she just found herself knocked against the wall as Bellatrix casted a powerful spell into her.

She heard a loud crash when her body collided with the wall and she would be very surprised if there weren't any broken bones.

"Did that hurt little girl!" Bellatrix said tainted gleefully with a full blown sadistic smile.

Although it hurt, she didn't showed it. Instead she just gently wiped the blood from the corner of her lips. "For being Voldemort's whore you're quite a lousy witch." She said with a sickly sweet smile. She would never give them the satisfaction of seeing her hurting.

"CRUCIO!"

Hermione fell down on her knees immediately while enduring the cruciatus curse; but though the pain was visible on her face, she never make any sounds. She refused to yell or endured this pain in her own time and she can endure it in this time.

For the second time, Hermione found herself being thrown around; this time colliding the barrier of Madam's Rosemerta's Pub. But it would seem that it was not yet the end for Bellatrix's cruelty because immediately after she landed on the hard floor she received another cruciatus curse.

"SCREAM LITTLE GIRL! SCREAM!"

MARAUDER'S POV

James could no longer take it! Though Hermione is not screaming or voicing her pain, but it is written all over her face on how much she is hurting.
"DARN IT! LOWER THIS BARRIER!"He demanded while glaring at Madam Rosemerta only for him to received another apologetic look from her.

He knows that they won't lower the barrier judging by their looks, but he refused to give up so easily. So he tried to Cast another spell in hopes to destroy the barrier but his efforts were for not, it didn't even shake in the slightest. Still he doesn't give up and continues to try on his own when his friends joined him but nothing helps.
Due to his increasing frustration he punches the barrier so hard he almost bleeds. "DARN IT! OPEN THIS GOD DAMN BARRIER!"

"Oh Merlin!"

James immediately stops when he heard the horror in Peter's voice but his own eyes widen when he saw what is Bellatrix doing to Hermione.

HERMIONE POV

"You're tough little girl. Let's see just how tough you truly are!"

The moment Bellatrix cut open her sleeve she immediately realized what the psycho witch is planning. She wanted so badly to move, to fight back, but just a single look at the two terrified first years made her pause. She would never risk the life of an innocent…she cannot, and will not. Instead she resigns to just look up at the sky marred by the dark mark waiting for the excruciating pain that is sure to come. Darn it! She really hates dark mark! It is very painful to see.

"Now, I will definitely make sure that you feel pain and scream little girl!"

Hermione bit her lip to prevent her screams from falling through her lips as Bellatrix started to carve something in her arm. And Merlin! It hurt, it hurt like hell! The pain made breathing difficult, she felt another cruciatus curse hit her while Bellatrix continues branding her arm and before she knew it she was screaming bloody murder. She tried to contain it, oh did she try, but she failed, the pain blinding her and all she could wish for was to just make it stop. Make the pain stop.

"SCREAM YOU FILTHY MUDBLOOD! SCREAM!" Bellatrix Said laughing maniacally.

MARAUDER'S POV

"Merlin! I think I'm gonna be sick." Sirius whispered weakly watching the scene with fearful eyes and judging by the quite atmosphere in the pub he was not the only one who felt that way.

"Make her stop!" Peter whimpered not able to bear watching the scene before him anymore

James lost it, he could no longer think. Hermione's screams overwhelmed him. He felt as if any minute now he would burst; every second that passed, that he heard her screams made him slip farther from reality. He kept on punching the barrier uncaring of his already bleeding hand.

To his utter disbelief he found Malfoy doing the same thing. It seemed that Hermione's spell had already weakened enough for Malfoy to be able to break free.

James stopped to glare at his arch nemesis but was surprised to see desperation in Malfoy's face.

LUCIUS POV

He cannot move but he can still hear everything clearly. And when the spell weakens he knows that something is wrong with his daughter and when saw what is happening he wants to kill Bellatrix right away.

He tried to break the barrier but he couldn't, it so painful to admit it but he is not yet that powerful to break this barrier and not powerful enough to protect Hermione. But he wants to help his daughter! And while punching the barrier he can't help but think of Hermione's words to him before.

"Time will come that the world will hurt me and you cannot do anything with that but watch."

When he heard her words he promised himself that he will prove her wrong. That he will protect her even it means his own death but now…He wants to die while hearing her scream. He wants to die while watching her being torture! She doesn't deserve any of this!

"BELLATRIX!" He screamed with so much rage. He will kill her! He will in a very painful way that she will wish her DEATH!

BELLATRIX POV

Oh she loves this girl's scream…she loves the sounds that she is producing. It gives her unexplainable satisfaction but when she heard Lucius her smiles widen especially when she saw the anger in his eyes while trying to kill her in his glare.

So this is the girl that made this blood traitor turn his back on their Lord. After she finished carving the word "WEAK" in the little girl's arm she grabbed the little girl's hair tightly and made her look at Lucius.

"Look at that Little Girl, your knight and shining armor is here but he is too weak to save you!"

When the girl just looked at her boredly she can feel again her rage burning inside her. How dare this girl! Bellatrix slapped Hermione and looked at Lucius challengingly."So this is the girl, Malfoy! This is the girl that made you and your father change your side!"

"I WILL KILL YOU!" Lucius promised.

"Not before I kill your princess." She smiled tauntingly at him then look at the girl with a sadistic smile."You are no fun at all!" She pushed the girl roughly. "Bring here that two kids" She commanded to her fellow deatheaters who obeyed her immediately. Just like what she did to Hermione she pushed the two kids unto Hermione.

"This will serve you Lucius a lesson to never betray us!"

She pointed her wand at the two kids who is crying uncontrollably. "Sectumsempra!"

HERMIONE POV

The moment that Bellatrix open her mount and say the spell she recognized immediately Snape's spell and if the two kids receive it they will die instantly. So before Bellatrix could finish her spell she immediately forced her remaining energy and move to cover the two kids.

She saw the shocked in Lucius face when she received that painful spell and she wish she can wipe his tears but she can't because her body is already numbing out pain. And for the first time she saw James screaming her name while watching the scene with horror. She doesn't know why…but she wants to comfort him…to tell him that everything will be alright. But how?

She can feel her bloods flowing could feel the different cut in her body and she knows that with this kind of damage any minute from now her journey might ended. And she ask herself is if she is ready to end her fight?

"You really are an idiot!" Bellatrix said tauntingly but she ignored her instead she slowly let the two kids go and smiled at them reassuringly. They are still young and no one has the right to take that away from them. Her battle might ended today but she will make sure that this two kids will still continue their journey.

"D-don't w-worry I'll protect y-you two no m-matter what." She slowly stands and face the deatheaters. Now that the kids are in her side she can fight them now without holding.

"What will you do little girl." Bellatrix taunted while twirling Hermione's wand.

Hermione's face darken. "Give me my wand back." She demanded with a steady expression in her face, keeping the pain to herself even though her bleeding body says otherwise.

"Or what little girl?" Bellatrix laugh. "You cannot fight me. You are nothing but a weak mudblood and without a wand you are surely nothing."

Hermione could feel her own rage building everytime Bellatrix twirl her wand. How dare this crazy bitch hold her wand!"I will kill you if don't give my wand back!" She said in a very calm but deadly voice.

"Let's see about that! Sec-" Bellatrix eyes widen so does the other deatheaters when suddenly a fire erupted in Hermione's hands…not just an ordinary fire but a black fire and she knows right away the meaning of that. "Y-you're a-"

"I told you I will be your worst nightmare." Hermione could feel her own magic taking control her own body but she no longer care. She knows that if she continues she will surely die but if she don't this kids will die with her. So with all her remaining energy she summons a very powerful fire and throws it to the deatheaters.

BELLATRIX'S POV

She knows a powerful magic when she saw one and when that girl created a black fire out of nothing Bellatrix knows that they are in huge trouble. She is not a bookworm but she loves reading anything related to power and she once been interested to the legend of IGNIS MASTERS. They are powerful witches and wizards belonging to the purest pureblood in the wizardry world. They can master all elements especially fire and they also believe to be able to control Dragons, but their clan suddenly vanished in the history making everyone forget them as times pass by.

Merlin! She even thought that it was just fascinating legend but here now is the girl in front of them proving that the IGNIS MASTER is not just a legend and if her knowledge is true this little girl's fire can kill them instantly because no spell can extinguish that fire.

When the girl throw them fire she immediately grab two deatheater and made them as her shield but despite of that she can't help but scream when she felt the fire that still manage to touched her.

She watched in horror how her fellow deatheters scream while on fire and she knows that its time to retreat.

"THIS WILL NOT BE THE LAST TIME LITTLE GIRL. NEXT TIME I WILL KILL YOU!" She said with rage before vanishing.

HERMIONE POV

Hearing the screaming deatheater after receiving her fire is like listening to her favorite music…but they will not die…Her fire is not strong enough to kill them but it will leave scar to them, a scar that will forever reminded them of this because no spell can heal those scars.

She once discover this ability of her when she and Harry were on the run from danger but it almost cause her own life that's why Harry made her promise to never use it again. She doesn't know what kind of power she possessed but in this kind of situation she rather died fighting done doing nothing.

If she has a choice she will kill Bellatrix but her body can no longer stand it. Slowly when she felt the orders aura's approaching she let her body fell at the ground and just look at the sky that still bear the dark mark.

She raise her wand and pointed it to the her last energy she casted"Expecto Patronum." And on the tip of her wand a very bright light produced and out of this light a shape of phoenix appeared and that phoenix fly towards the dark mark and destroying it immediately.

"Hermione!"

She heard several footsteps coming on her way until she saw Lucius almost hovering on her. She tried to smile to ease the fear in his face but all she managed is a cough of blood.

"I will bring you to the St. Mungo..okay."

She can hear the huge worries in his voice. "It's so dark L-Lucius, I-I cannot see a-anything." She said very weakly. It feels like fighting darkness.

"Everything will be fine just stay with me okay. J-just stay with me…I p-promise I-I will never a-allow anyone again to hurt you."

She wanted to answer but she no longer has strength to do that. She just closed her eyes in let Lucius do whatever he wants. But before the darkness finally claimed her she heard that voice calling her name making her want to open her eyes but the darkness is winning.

"H-Harry." She whimpers before darkness finally claimed her.

TBC