Snape smirked, "I assure you Miss. Granger, I checked. We would not want you hexed, would we?"

Hermione gaped at him for a long moment before she decided to leave. "Well, thanks… I guess." She was opening the door when she realized that last sentence wasn't exactly respectful. Though she hadn't worried about that during this conversation had she? "Good-night sir."

"Good night Miss. Granger."

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Chapter 5-A Second Chance

The next night a very tired, very somber Hermione made her way down the path to the gates of Hogwarts under Harry's invisibility cloak. It was twelve-thirty in the morning and she felt like she had only slept two seconds. Her vision was fuzzy with fatigue and her mind was on low key. She was now terrified of what was to come, sneaking around with a bunch of Death Eaters, she had the notes tucked close to her chest, as if they could protect her.

Once outside the gates she sighed and apparated to Knockturn alley. She searched until she found the Bleeding Ghost and stepped in. She almost backed out in fear. The place was swarming with Death Eaters, one seemed to be glancing at the clock far too often then his eyes drifted to the door and Hermione felt as if who ever it was could see her.

Biting back a shudder she waited in an out-of-the-way corner as more followers came in. When the clock read one the whole crowd started filtering to the back of the tavern, the crowded into a small room and Hermione couldn't see how she was going to fit in there undetected but she tried. She noticed one of the Death Eaters closest to her was gangly and his robes didn't fit to well. She curled her lips in a silent hiss.

Suddenly a strange string of words made there way to her ears, words chanting some kind of spell. As soon as the words faded out everyone in the room felt a tug in there chest and stomach. Hermione put her hand on the wall behind her to keep from falling over in dizziness. When the feeling stopped the door opened up at the opposite end of the room.

"I'm never gonna get used to that." A Death Eater near her mumbled. Hermione had to stop herself from agreeing.

She followed the followers out of the door, her heart pounding. Would Voldemort be here tonight? Would he be able to tell she was there? Did he find out who was sending her the notes and torturing him in front of the rest for humiliation? She hoped no to all of the above.

They were walking up a grassy hill to a massive castle-looking building. It was foggy but relatively bright out. Hermione nearly scoffed. Brightness was not something she would have associated with this situation. They continued walking until they reached the tall double doors. Another spell was muttered and they opened to admit the crowd. Hermione swallowed. If the outside didn't reflect the black clad crowd the inside certainly did. It was gloomy and grave and dusty. You could barely see the inside but just by how the crowd was making its way through it you could tell it was empty. The only place lit was a grimly decorated chair raised above the rest of the floor. Voldemort's chair.

And there he was. Voldemort, walking up to his chair to the respectful silence of the Death Eaters. He sat down and flicked his wrist carelessly up wards the lights brightened slightly and he called the Death Eaters forward one by one to see what useful things had done, if they hadn't or he didn't like what heard he crucioed them. There were only four names Hermione cared about. Bellatrix Lestrange, Severus Snape, Lucius Malfoy, and Ronald Weasley. To Hermione's sick pleasure Ron was crucioed, how does it feel asshole? To her relief Snape was left alone, but she was pissed Bellatrix and Malfoy got off with what they had.

There was a long discussion afterward of needed information in which Hermione figured she should have paid attention but decided that was what Snape was there for so she didn't give any of it much thought. She was snapped back to reality when people started leaving, in a panic she sought out Ron who was staying put. There were two other Death Eaters who were hanging around and about nine or ten went up the stairs to the upper floors. Everybody else was quickly gone though.

This was her chance. She pulled out her wand and aimed it at the person she knew was Ron. "Crucio!" He was doubled in pain, then writhing on the floor before the other two did something.

"Avada-" but that voice was stopped by another yelling the same spell. Hermione almost expected to drop dead but she didn't. She looked at the Death Eater still standing, his wand was raised over the other dead one. It was her Death Eater! She almost started forward before she heard crucio shouted from a far corner. She fell screaming in agony.

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The Death Eater turned avadad the new comer. He ran towards Hermione then heard footsteps coming from above. Shit. Her screaming had alerted them. He lifted her up into his arms as quickly and as carefully as he could. He waited until the footsteps were right outside the door before he apparated away.

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Back at the hide out Remus, Moody, and a few other Order members had appeared and were attacking the few other Death Eaters there. They couldn't find their Order member who they had felt being tortured but they were stunned at the two already dead Death Eaters. And then there was Ron, lying unconscious on the floor. They took him away. But who had been there? Who had been tortured? They didn't have any answers.

They were determined to find out who it was and rescue that person.