As Time Ticks Away
Chapter Three
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She had spent all night reading the book. She had never even heard of it before and was unsure of whether or not the Weasley's knew they owned such a book. Unfortunately, Hermione hadn't found the particular spell yet, but she was only halfway through the book when the sun began to rise. She closed the book and headed quietly up the stairs to the room she was sharing with Ginny and slid into her bed.
Her mind kept racing, wanting to read more, but she knew that everyone would be up soon. Mrs. Weasley was an early riser and once she was up she started cooking. The smell of the food was the alarm clock for the whole Burrow.
It wasn't long until Hermione was at the breakfast table with everyone else. Mrs. Weasley had just sat down signaling the start of the meal. Hermione found that her appetite was nonexistent but she pushed her food around the plate to make it appear as if she was eating.
"What are everyone's plans for today?" Mrs. Weasley asked overenthusiastically. Everyone look around at each other, wondering who was going to answer first. "I was thinking we go and get your school books," Mrs. Weasley responded when no one answered fast enough.
"That's a great idea mom," Fred responded.
"Bloody brilliant. We'd be lost without you," George chimed in sarcastically. Molly laughed it off, it was just her sons being who they were and she wouldn't have it any other way. There was no further discussion on the subject, it was already settled.
After breakfast, everyone prepared to make the trip to Diagon Alley. Hermione couldn't keep her mind off the book hidden under her pillow. All she wanted to do was read further into it, she had found some pretty interesting, yet deadly, spells. Still, she carried on as if it was a normal day and she wasn't hiding anything. As far as she was concerned, she had nothing to tell as of yet so why worry anyone?
Once she and everyone else were dressed they headed to the fireplace and traveled to their destination. After dusting themselves off, Mrs. Weasley handed each of them their lists, minus Fred and George of course, and told them to find their books and meet back within the hour.
"We should go look around together since we have the same classes," Ron said to Harry and Hermione. Harry nodded but Hermione had another idea.
"I'm actually in a few different ones. I'm going to go find those books and meet up with you after. Is that alright?" Hermione asked.
"Of course," Harry responded. "We'll pick up extras for you. Just meet up with us when you're done."
With that Hermione kissed Ron on the cheek and shot around the corner of the bookstore; she was a girl on a mission. She knew the bookstore like the back of her hand. She headed towards the dark arts section and looked for the book that she had recently found at the Burrow. Hermione pulled out a book that looked similar and read the title. After realizing it wasn't the same book she began to put it back, but something caught her attention.
Hidden behind this book the book Hermione had been looking for. "Why is this behind here?" She thought to herself as she picked it up carefully and opened to the page she left off on. While skimming the next few pages, Hermione began to feel twinges of pain shooting throughout her body. Ignoring them, she continued to read. That's when she saw a heading that took her mind off of the pain that began to steadily grow, "An Alternative to the Killing Curse: Make the Enemy Suffer."
Thoughts flooded Hermione's mind, her imagination went wild. Directly under the title were two more words, "Eternus Nex." She knew what these words meant. In Latin they translated into "everlasting death," but those words didn't describe any of what she was feeling. She decided not to judge too hastily, she had yet to read the description.
While death is already everlasting and irreversible, the curse "Eternus Nex" elongates the period in which death occurs. While the curses' effects are similar to the Cruciatus Curse, there are several differences. Unlike the Cruciatus Curse, this curse does not need to be reapplied. Instead of an unbearable twinge, pain will slowly seep through the victim's body, steadily increasing over longer periods of time. The pain will eventually take control over the body, causing the victim's body and soul to break down, leading to the demise of said victim.
Hermione was stunned. The effects of the spell mirrored what she had been going through. Immediately, her instincts told her to run to Ron and Harry and tell them what was going on, but something drew her back to the book and she continued to read.
This curse not only tortures physically but mentally as well. The person affected has only so long to live. If they choose to mention their experiences to someone else then their life expectancy drops even further, in addition to the pain becoming more unbearable. There is still no cure for the everlasting death curse, making this is the truest form of torture of all.
The book fell to the floor but Hermione didn't notice; the weight from her hands was now gone but the weight on her shoulders became extensive. She was now alone. No matter how much she wanted to seek help she couldn't. Her battle had only begun.
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A/N: Sorry this update took forever y'all. I got a new job and it is consuming my life. But I promise I am still working on this story! Please review and I hope you all enjoy!