Arphrax sat on a stool muttering and humming to herself as she tore apart a worn piece of fabric. Her head shot up and she smiled a toothy grin. "They are coming! Of course they are coming they come every year. Like moths to the flame." She began humming again and tearing the fabric apart more furiously. In a sing song voice she said, "The mouse will follow the cat, the lizard will follow the mouse. The mouse and the raven will chase away the snake and it shall be no more. But if it were not for the Lizard then the poor little mouse would have never have tried to chase away the snake and it should also get due credit." She looked very pleased with herself and tossed the last scrap of cloth behind her head. She looked down at her hands seeming rather confused and then stood up abruptly. "It is time for me to leave now." She said with clear conviction. She ambled around and gathered her shabby cape and gnarled walking stick and left through a side door into the weak morning still cackling and humming. Truly a crone if there ever was one.
..................................................................
Draco wanted to question it. He wanted to know how her bonds had come off in the night but he did not want to jinx it. So he said to her after it had sunk in, "Thats a great start Hermione! Now where do we go from here?" She looked at him in surprise and then started laughing again until she got silent hiccups. Draco then went over and picked up the oatmeal bowl with his mouth which she happily accepted. She had not felt this good since the dance back at Hogwarts. After gulping down half of the food she handed the bowl back to Draco. While he was eating she concentrated and watched with glee as the ropes around her middle and ankles began to glow and wear down.
Draco watched in surprise and a clump of food fell out of his mouth and back into the bowl. When the bonds fell off Hermione tried to step forward but her legs here too cramped and all she did was fall over. He stood up and rushed over to her and before he could ask if she was all right she just smiled up at him with a dirt streaked face. She lifted her arm and grabbed onto his shoulder and stumbled over to the cot. Tears shone in her eyes and she through her arms around him. He was stunned. How was it that she could do the magic that she was? Hermione reached around his back and began to dissolve the rope around his wrists. He flexed his hands and then hugged her tightly. "I just cant believe it! Can you do the same to my ankle?" She nodded her head and put her hands over the chain connecting him to the bed. It was as like it was made of tin foil and the chain tore in half. Jumping up he danced around the room laughing but then stopped abruptly. "We need to get the door open. At least then we would have a fighting chance, but the magic may be too strong."
Hermione crouched deep in thought before she smiled and walked over to the heavy old wooden door and with some strength pulled the pins out of the hinges. The door almost knocked her over with its weight but Draco hoped up and caught it. "What will we do with this now smarty pants?" He laughed.
She gestured with her hand for him to follow her as she hobbled to look out of the door way. Blank stone walls ran as far as she could see on either side. "Thats strange..." Draco whispered, "There were doors all along each side last time I was here. See I told you...nothing is what it seems down here."
Hermiones fingers groped for his and held on tight as she picked a direction and began to creep down the hallway with him, her eyes wide for any signs of danger. His heart was beating painfully, but it was not from fear. Draco was elated, if in the very least because there was the possibility that what was to happen in a few hours would not happen. That there was the small chance they would be caught again and their deaths would be possibly quick if not painless. Hermiones mind was clear, her only real thought was escape and her DADA training was sharp in her mind.
They came quietly upon a corner after a short walk and peeking cautiously around saw one of the large men who took them to and from Lucious everyday, snoring in a chair down a hallway lit with torches. Hermione turned to him with a devious look in her eyes and held up a finger to her lips for silence. He tried to hold her back but she slipped out of his grasp and crept closer to the sleeping minion. With a decisive flicking of her wrists the torch above his sleeping head came down hard. He barely moved but for a look of pain flashing across his face as he was knocked unconscious. She giggled silently in triumph and walked to put the torch back in place. She skipped back and grabbed his hand as he laughed.
They wandered through the maze of hallways, heart beat shuddering at every unknown sound. It felt good to be walking around and Draco reveled in this tiny freedom and defiance. It was nearing mid day from what they could tell from out of the small windows that they passed. For the last while they had been passing Draco's shoes between the two of them, because the floor was cold and damp and hard on the feet. Draco was getting tired and they seemed to have gone around in the same circle about six times to his count. Discouraged he slumped down on the floor much to Hermione's annoyance. She tried to yank him up to standing but he pushed her off with more force then he intended but Draco did not apologize. He looked in the opposite direction and said gruffly, "We only have a few more hours left before they notice that we're gone." She snapped her fingers impatiently and pointed in the other direction down the hall.
"What we need is a wand or another room to haul up in." He let out a weary sigh. "They will catch up with us, I know it." When he said this Hermione kicked him none to kindly in the shines. He yelped in suprise and jumped up and yelled at her. "What was that for Granger? Is it that you know that I am right? I am sorry to say cupcake but I can't get us out of here. I wish I could. I wish that we had some way out, but miracles dont happen. Not in this place. We need to hide, the Hogwarts people have not found us yet but the longer we can stay alive the better. We just need to find a room...Hey are you even listening to me Granger?"
Hermione had been staring blankly down the hall since the middle of his small tirade but try as he might Draco could see nothing at where she was looking. "What are you looking at Mudblood?" He snapped his fingers in her face and she turned to him in frustration. She made some strange gestures and pointed at the end of the hallway. Draco wondering if she had lost it when she leaned down to draw in the mud on the floor. Before he could read what she had drawn out they heard a noise like heavy footfalls behind them and Hermione grabbed his arm and yanked him into a ran down the hallway.
She lead him down the hallways like she was following something and it was in that moment that he knew. He would put his trust in her, he would follow her and let her lead him where ever it took them. She had far more conviction as she turned seemingly random corners then he had ever felt. "Okay Hermione, where are you taking us?" She ignored him and kept going now at a slower pace as the foot falls that had been behind them disappeared completely.
Hermione had no idea why Draco could not see Crookshanks turning corners in front of them but as her cat had appeared sitting calmly in front of them as soon as Draco had uttered, "I wish we had someway out..." She was not about to let this go. It may very well be a trap but she felt no ill from the cat and she trusted this instinct. After a good half hour Crookshanks disappeared around a corner and was gone. Dejected but hopeful she slowed down to a stop in the center of the long hallway. They had been steadily progressing up hill and it had become exceedingly less damp. The torches had changed from basic wood and wrought iron to more detailed sconces with glassed encasing. Draco had noticed this but it was not until she stopped walking that Hermione had. She looked around with surprise evident on her face and Draco just nodded to her. They took a small break, neither having had exerted this much energy in over a week.
"You are quiet something there." He mumbled, "I am sorry about the name calling." She smiled and pointed to herself and mouthed the word "Mudblood." Then pointed at his chest and mouthed the word, "Pureblood," and shrugged her shoulders. He caught this because he was watching her carefully. Hermione hopped up from sitting on the stone floor and twitched when she thought she saw Crookshanks tail dissapear around a corner like he was stalking prey. Hermione helped Draco to standing and held her finger up to her lips to tell him not to make a sound. He followed and as they got closer to the corner they heard a very familiar voice talking to a house elf.
"Now listen very carefully to me Grout, I want you to move her only just before our revels tonight. I want the traitor to watch her die before he is killed. I want his mother to see what her son has become but if plans change...I think that the holding cell at our winter house shall be sufficient to hold her until further notice. You will get my word when I want her to come and if you do not then take her there. That is all"
Shuffles and grand whimpering apologizes could be heard before a loud sucking of air which made their ears pop. Hermione glanced at Draco's hard face and then peaked around the corner. She watched Lucious play with his shinning silver dagger for a few seconds before she made up her mind. She turned and gave a shocked Draco a quick kiss on the cheek and before he could stop her walked straight into the hall. Lucious stood still for a few seconds not making a move when she accioed both his wand and dagger. A gasp of surprise came from Lucious as she used the dagger to cut his wand in half. Draco stepped behind her and asked, "What did you do that for? We could have had a wand!"
"Draco!" Lucios yelled. "How did you get...? " He frowned with a grunt, his eyes going back and forth between them searching. "No matter, I will kill you both now." He lunged but bounced slightly comically off an invisible barrier that Hermione had erected as soon as she had gotten his wand. He felt up the barrier and then stepped back. "They will come for you, regardless of the fight you hellions put up they will get you and they will destroy you both and all the rest." He began pacing like a caged tiger.
"You have no where to run now Draco, it will all be over soon. Your resistance is futile. You don't even have a wand, your stupid Mudblood broke it." He stopped pacing and stared hard at Draco. "You were never good enough to be my son you piece of filth." Lucious was mad and not thinking clearly. If he had been he might have noticed that Hermione did not need a wand, but in rage he did not even blink an eye about it. He turned and with a small swish of his cape walked away. Draco stepped forward through the barrier bracing himself and walked slowly up behind his father, grabbed his shoulder and went to punch him as Lucious's cane came down with a sharp rap at his ribs. You could see the disjointed loathing in his stone grey eyes. He began to hit his son on the floor with a ferocity. Draco could see Hermione crying out to him and he swiped out at his fathers feet with his leg and watched as his father fell and kept falling out of sight. The room spun slightly before Hermione rushed to his side. Lifting him up gently, they walked over to look down the stairs where Lucious lay, his leg distorted at a weird angle. Weakly he lifted up his hand and beckoned, croaking out, "Draco..." From the top of the stairs he looked blankly down at the man whom he had thought that world of and said what he needed to. "You were wrong, You were never good enough to be my father." A look a rage smeared across his face and stayed there as Lucious stopped breathing. Draco turned to her and said in a small voice, "I never meant to, but its over now isn't it?" She nodded sympathetically and supported him as they limped away. He leaned down with her support and picked up his fathers snake cane and when Hermione saw Mrs. Norris walk back and forth impatiently ahead of them she did not falter in step, merely gestured in that direction the Draco and helped him walk down the hall.
They hobbled along like an old couple, one would never know their age from a glance as they went. The only sound their shuffling feet and the clink of the cane. Draco was still in shock, but a functioning one. He was not dwelling on escape more so on small memories of when he was small and his Father would bring him small trinkets after he had come back from a business trip and put him on his lap to tell him about this and that. How he knew his son would be strong and rule with great power some day. Even though he was young and Voldemort was considered gone his father still spouted the way of the true pureblood. It had all been so pointless. It was now that he thought on his mother, whom he believed had merely gone along with Lucious and his views. She was captive and hidden but still alive. This brought him great relief in the back of his mind.
Hermione felt he needed space to think so she concentrated on following Mrs. Norris who kept a much slower pace then Crockshanks. The sun was waining, and the windows had gotten larger and much clearer to look out of. Through one Hermione could see a garden so she thought that they must be out of the dungeon and into the house. She was beggining to get weary but trudged on and stopped when she lost the cat. Draco looked confused at her and she shrugged her shoulders. Her gaze goes to a large statue in an alcove which looks like an old glorified relative of Draco's standing on a pile of house elf skulls.
She was slightly appalled but then she sees Mrs. Norris push her nose against an eye socket of a skull and then disappear behind the darkness of the alcove. Hermione moves forward and Draco finally asks, "What is it?" She copies the cat and jumps slightly when a hidden door behind the statue moves. "I really wish you could tell me how you are doing this all." He says quietly as he follows her down the pitch black hallway. They felt along the walls for a short while and froze when the door behind them bluntly closed. Draco could see faintly a small light a short distance away and they gravitated towards that.
Looking through they could see a dark old room with green magic lighting. There were no doors, windows or fireplaces. All there was was an familiar black thorn thrown, a tall magic green light that cast eerie shadows around the room and a bald headed figure sitting silently as if meditating. They watched him blankly, in stunned fear. Here was the bane of their existence. It was this one single man that had caused so much pain in so many lives.
The only sound came from the room was a slight buzz from the magic light and the sickening sound of an animal eating raw meat. Draco located the noise coming from Voldemorts snake who was eating a large hunk of meat in the corner. They watched this scene for a few long minutes before there is a loud crack and Greyback apparated into the room. He rushed forward like a beaten dog who still wants to please its master and knelled respectfully.
Voldemort did not open his eyes, merely flicked his hand and Fenrir stood back up. "So you have all the arrangements ready for tomorrow morning?"
Greyback nodded sharply and said, "We have the extermination rooms all prepared, it should take about twenty hours to round up, kill and dispose of the bodies of the children."
Voldemorts face gave a tiny smile. "Good."
Greybacks nose twitched at the smell of Nagini's meat and Voldemort flicked his wrist and a table with a large platter of raw meat appeared. Greyback barely nodded his thanks before jumping in.
Hermione felt her stomach turn, in part because that may have been her he was eating and because she was so hungry right now that she would have been happy to eat some raw meat.
"Any word on Potter's where abouts?" Greyback paused between bits to say, "No and it seems the spy that you sent to find him has not reported back in a day."
At this Voldemort's eyes snapped open and he turned to look at Nagini, his eyes flashing in rage. "We need him back here then. If Snape cannot preform his job properly then we will have to send someone else."
He pulled back the sleeve of his black cloak and touched the ornate dark mark on his arm. Whispering hisses were all that the two hidden companions could decipher before there was a rush of black ash and Snape uncurled to stand tall. "Yes, my Lord? I was just following up on a lead."
Voldemort stood up and spat out. "You are supposed to report everyday. We need that boy found and killed. All of my plans will be ruined if we cannot find and destroy him."
He settled down again and then said slightly wearily. "Now you said you had a lead. Give me your report."
"It was a very delicate lead and I fear disappearing so suddenly in the middle of the interrogation may have cause them to forget. I do deeply apologise for not reporting in and I will make do with what I have."
Voldemort sat blank faced and waited.
"The person whom I was interrogating is very close to Potter. They are one of his very best friends. A young man by the name of Ron Weasley. His father is in the ministry, but I was lucky enough to catch him sneaking around Knockturn alley." Hermione had tensed up and grabbed Draco's arm painfully. He could only think what devious means that the feared potions master had taken on the poor boy. He had loathed Potter and his friends since the very first, he only hoped for Hermione's sake at least that he had fared better then them.
"I was about two hours into our pleasant little discussion when he started mentioning something called The Order of the Phoenix." Snape looked slightly confused and Voldemort hissed and leaned far forward in his chair. "What did he say precisely? Tell me everything he said." Hermione gulped but was slightly confused, Ron could not know more then her. She was almost sure that there was nothing besides names of the members that he could have given away. That could be dangerous but he could not reveal their plans or where Grimmauld Place was.
Snape sniffed as if this was distasteful to speak of and then continued. "He was saying something about a new spell that they had developed. A tracking spell that they had just created that could be placed on anyone to find them."
Voldemort barked out a contorted laugh, "If we could use that then we could not only find Potter but all the filth bloods. There would be no one who could ever hide from us. I want you to find out how to use this spell and report back immediately."
Snape raised an eyebrow and said, "I could go back but the boy already told me how and I tested it out."
Voldemort positively rythed with evil glee. "Well did it work? Can we use it?"
Snape looked bored and glanced at his watch. "The test should finish in roughly seven seconds time."
Hermione unconsciously began counting in her head. Seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. Her heart skipped a beat, but nothing happened.
Voldemort began to lunge out of his chair angrily when a small noise broke the silence. It started out very muffled and was like someone was simply turning the volume up on an heated conversation. It took a few moments before Hermione recognized the voice and grasped Draco's arm painfully tight because of a dispensing of blue smoke there stood Harry and Dumbledore facing each other and in the middle of Harry's last sentence of "..and I will do anything to find them...", he turned and regarded the room with a look of slight surprise but then shook it off and jumped into dueling stance, while Voldemort laughed and clapped.
"Severus! That was a very welcomed trick. Now I don't need to wait for anyone else to take care of these troubles, I can do it myself." Nagini lifted her head, tongue flickering out and then slinked over to lay at her masters feet.
Dumbledore swung to face Voldemort slowly, his eyes taking in the whole room and lingered on the tapestry for more then a few seconds, but it could have been their imagination. He placed a wizened on Harry's shoulder and he looked even more determined. It happened in almost the blink of an eye, Harry and Dumbledore both fired off a shot at Voldemort who grunted then laughed. "You think that is enough? I am the one to defeat that spell, you should know that by now Potter." Greyback was watching this unfold with a hungry look in his eyes even though he had just finished off a large plate of flesh. They both fired off another killing curse and Voldemort merely flicked his wand and Dumbledore was knocked backwards but quickly stood again. This time Hermione and Draco watched as three shots were fired at Voldemort who's face changed from laughing to a grimace. Snape still stood there looking bored, and Voldemort cast a vicious green spell at him but he evaded it. "Traitor!" He spat with grand loathing. Greyback took this opportunity to leave with a pop.
It was then that Draco stood up, he had an idea that might buy them some more time but it would mean giving away their position. He smiled a sad smile put a soft hand on Hermiones back and before she could do anything swiftly ran out of their hiding space with his fathers cane with a bellow. Voldemort looked taken aback and then smiled as Draco raced towards him. "Destroy me with wood and metal? I Think not."Draco watched as Harry took a step back. He did not have his guard up as Draco swung aggressively at Naginis head. He had enough force to crush the large snakes skull. Voldemort grabbed his chest as if if hurt and that was when he was hit with five killing curses at once. Hermione had stepped out of the hiding place, and there was an ethereal air rustling her hair and clothes as if her body could not contain the magic inside.
She had fired off not one but two killing curses one from each hand. It was at that moment that Dumbledore, Harry and Snape all chose to fire off another round of killing curses that rang through the air with a feeling of finality. He was knocked back by the force and began to convulse and shutter. Green light began to sift away from his body and black smoke that seem to suck the light out of the air began to flow into his eyes, mouth and nose and that's when he began to scream. It was so loud that everyone covered their ears, and then there was an explosion of white light.
Draco was thrown backwards into Hermione and when she awoke hazily she saw Harry standing over her looking nauseated. She knew he was talking to her but she could not hear him. She managed to say, "Harry we are okay now...please get everyone else...follow Mrs. Norris...and Draco's mum..." She faded out again as Harry shouted her name frantically. Snape stepped forward and said, "Harry you are not done yet she cast the Othello spell on you you must go find the others, I will take these two back to the school. We can spare no time." He looked directly into his eyes and Harry seem to draw strength from his conviction and rushed away with Dumbledore.
Snape levitated their bodies and was gone with a whirlwind of dust.