Harry Potter, Dark Lord of Wizarding Britain
British magicals were an arrogant bunch, believing that any magical creature that wasn't a witch or wizard was below notice. Thus, they ignored them. Veela, vampires, giants, goblins, even their 'dutiful' house elves were below them, which offered Harry a prime opportunity to gain their support.
When Harry had taken over magical Britain, house elves had been an integral part. Most wizards disregarded their abilities, but not Harry, he knew house elves were perfect for spying and kidnapping. Wizards didn't even ward their houses to keep non-family elves out. So, when he freed Dobby and earned his trust, he studied extensively on how the bond between wizard and elf worked. It wasn't a complex bond, but the knowledge had been hidden away, deep within the Ministry archives. So, Harry stole that as well.
By the end of a yearlong study, Harry had his solution. A ward over Potter Manor's entry door and floo connection. A simple ward that would sever the connection between master and elf, giving Dobby the chance to meet with the wizard's elves and convince them to come to his side. It was truly a brilliant scheme and thus, by the time Harry had been killed, he had amassed a small army of ~250 elves that were loyal to him. The elves had even set up their own command groupings, each electing an elf to work directly with Harry to get their targets or orders while allowing the elves more freedom in their actions...
As the first followers arrived, they began taking seats at the cafeteria style tables. Looking at Harry who silently ate at the head table. Some had thought to approach Harry, ask him how he survived, how he had returned... But many decided it was best to wait...
After about 20 minutes, it seemed all the elves had returned and those wizards that had not joined them likely didn't want to return to the fold... Something that would be rectified sooner than later.
"Thank you all for coming," Harry began, his voice carrying authority over the elves and wizards that had joined him at Potter Manor, "I am humbled by your continued loyalty... Each of you did not have to return to my side, but I am honored that you did." They all exchanged respectful nods, noticing that seemingly all those who supported Harry had returned.
Harry continued as he raised his goblet, "Let us raise a toast to those elves who supported us to the end. Kreacher and others who supported us in the last war and support us in spirit still today." The gathered elves raised their goblets, taking a sip in honor of their fallen comrades. Many of the wizards seemed offended that Harry had not mentioned their sacrifices, especially those with family who had been tossed through the veil.
"I wanted to share with you where I have been these last ten years. I am sure each of you have heard the stories of my death, but I can assure you that those rumors were greatly exaggerated." Harry chuckled, gaining a laugh from some as well, "Fate interceded on my behalf, once again preventing my untimely demise. I was transported to, according to Lady Daphne, a different planet. One that is not unlike our own, but a thousand years behind the muggles. Knights, castles and the like dominate the landscapes."
"We discovered that the Veil of Death that scares so many is actually a magical transport device that connects England to that world, allowing us to travel between the worlds at will. I want to inform you with great joy that our brothers and sisters who were pushed through the veil did not die but joined me in Westeros." Harry intoned while the elves' eyes went wide with shock and the magicals began celebrating while others seemed to burst into tears.
"We have built a new Hogwarts and created a place for us to live without those who sought to destroy us... But I wanted to share in our newfound kingdom with those who may still be trapped in this place. I wanted to ask you and your families to join us." Harry asked, looking around the room, "I am sure you have suffered without us here and I wanted to return you to the fold."
Harry ended his speech and let the magicals talk amongst themselves before he began again, "You may go and return as soon as you have spoken to your families."
It seemed to turn deathly silent until Draco Malloy stood from his seat and began to clap. Slowly at first, almost mockingly, until others joined in. The applause turned into a roar and Harry smiled in thanks. When the applause finally died down, Draco called out, "Lord Potter, tell me: Are there other wizards in this 'New World'?"
"Besides us, some underpowered fire magicians and sorry excuses for wizards. Nothing that can compare to our magic."
"We will be protected then? No more hiding from the muggle governments?"
"We are the government in my lands."
Draco nodded and knelt to one knee, "House Malfoy will join you." Soon others followed, leading to the entire hall now bowing to their leader. Harry accepted it for a moment before motioning them to rise.
"Then gather your families and possessions and come back here. Take your time if needed, I have other business to attend to before we leave..." Harry commanded, "Draco, stay for a moment."
Soon Harry was left in the dimly lit room with only Draco, "It is a pleasure to see you again, Harry."
Harry smirked, "Likewise, Draco. But I need your help with something. Something vital to me..." Harry leaned down and began whispering in his ear causing Draco's eyes to widen as Harry slipped him a glass bottle.
"What will you be doing?"
"I have some chaos to sow..."
Harry Potter, Dark Lord of Wizarding Britain
Harry gripped his wand tightly as he focused on the image of Apparation point just inside Diagon Alley in his mind. He apparated and materialized in front of the brick wall that signaled the entrance into Wizarding Britain. He tapped the password he surprisingly had not forgotten, causing the brick to allow him entry...
Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward and smelled the magic in the air. It was deep. Nothing like anywhere in Westeros. He glanced to his right and spotted the red robes of two Aurors sitting eating dinner. The one that was facing him glanced over for a split second before returning to their conversation. Thus, Harry began walking down the street. He had only taken four steps when the Auror suddenly shifted his gaze back to him and nudged his partner to look. When Harry saw the light bulb turned on in the second officer's eyes, he whipped out his wand and shot a bombarda spell at the table, plastering the two Aurors into the wall.
Harry smirked as he continued walking down the street, casting spells and curses into any shop who he knew had not supported him during his reign. Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes took a mighty blow as Harry passed on his way down the alley towards Gringotts, their shop exploding with an astonishing amount of fire and secondary explosions. The bookstore... Ollivanders... Finally, he reached the marble doors of Gringotts just as the first Aurors responded...
Four red robed individuals appeared near the first shop he had destroyed, "There he is!" One of the Aurors called out, pointing towards Harry who was the only person not fleeing. Harry was just staring impassively at them as they began running up the alley.
As they got closer, one called for them to stop, "Wait! Wait! Wait! That's the Dark Lord!" The two Aurors in front slid to a stop causing the two behind to crash into them, forcing all but one to the ground.
"What do we do?" A woman Auror asked the group as they all jumped back to their feet while Harry just waited...
"Call for reinforcements?" Another said.
"He is just... Waiting for us..." All four looked at Harry who was still waiting, his wand at his side.
One of them, the Sergeant or Senior Auror or whatever their leader was, suddenly commanded, "No, we attack now. We can't let him escape. Lord Potter must be put down once and for all."
The three other Aurors exchanged uneasy glances but drew their wands as commanded. Harry remained eerily calm, his green eyes flickering yellow, causing one Auror to gasp. Then, with a sudden burst of speed, Harry raised his wand, and a torrent of spells and curses erupted from it.
The Aurors, as much as they appeared to be rookies to Harry, quickly spread out to avoid the barrage of dark magic, casting protective charms and conjuring barriers to shield themselves. Spells of all kinds flew back and forth between the lone Dark Lord and the Wizarding police, turning Diagon Alley into a chaotic battleground.
Harry, while being rusty in wand combat, easily countered curses and sent his own spells back. He seemed to be toying with the Aurors, causing several to believe he was stalling. Stalling for what though?
The leader of the Aurors, determined to take down the Dark Lord, shouted orders, "Keep him distracted! Hit him with everything you've got!" The Aurors began coordinating their spells, something Harry was mildly impressed by but not worried. Not poorly trained idiots like he had fought in the beginning...
Amidst the chaos, Harry's eyes narrowed as he focused on one of the rookie Aurors, a young man who, to be honest, looked terrified. With a swift flick of his wand, Harry sent a series of rapid-fire curses at the rookie while also sending some towards the others to keep their heads down.
The rookie that Harry had focused on showed impressive magical ability, managing to shield against several of Harry's spells. However, Harry wasn't one to play fair. He knew most of the Aurors trained for spell combat. Focusing on telling the difference between an unforgivable curse being cast at you and just a normal curse. However, they rarely practiced against transfigurations. They were taxing on your magic and spells could generally achieve the same outcome. So, Harry did the only logical thing and conjured forty arrows and banished them into the Auror.
The other Aurors shouted in alarm, their attention momentarily diverted from their assault on Harry. The Auror struggled to stand for a moment, his body now riddled with arrows, but he eventually fell backwards, spitting up blood. One of his comrades, the young witch who had spoken earlier, rushed to his aid, attempting to vanish the arrows and use healing spells to save him.
The leader of the Aurors, however, shouted, "Leave him! Focus on Potter!" His voice cutting through the chaos, commanding her attention back to the Dark Lord.
Harry, seized the opportunity, swiftly targeting the woman Auror who was kneeling behind some debris. With a flick of his wand, Harry unleashed a barrage of explosion curses and well as banishing the debris into her. Soon enough, she and the injured Auror were both buried under rubble, likely dead.
The leader of the Aurors, now realizing the dire situation they were in, shouted, "Fall back! We need reinforcements!" The two Aurors were forced to retreat, disapparating away down the Alley, out of Harry's spell range, leaving behind the fallen and the destruction caused by their battle.
Harry laughed at their weak attempt before forcing the Gringotts doors to open, revealing the immaculately decorated bank. The Aurors would soon receive those reinforcements, but in the meantime, he needed to make a withdrawal.
As he walked confidently to the head goblin teller at the same desk, he had made his first withdrawal, "I wish to speak with someone about my accounts."
The goblin regarded him with an appraising look before his eyes widened, "Lord Potter, you have returned." He said, his eyes locking onto Harry's faded lightning bolt scar, "Your account manager... passed... some time ago, let me take you to your new manager." The goblin hopped down from his desk and motioned for Harry to follow him.
They walked through the bank, passing doors guarded by fierce-looking goblins, and Harry couldn't help but notice the curiosity in their eyes as they recognized him.
Finally, they arrived at a large door that wasn't that different from the entrance door. The goblin stopped, and without a word, he gestured for Harry to enter. Stepping through, he found himself in an opulent chamber where his account manager was waiting.
"Lord Potter?" The man asked incredulously, "The ministry reported you dead."
"As you can see, I am still among the living." Harry replied.
"You have made me a rich goblin since your disappearance." The goblin sneered, obviously annoyed by Harry's sudden appearance.
"I'm sure, but I'm sorry that will be coming to an end." Harry replied calmly. "I want to withdraw all of my gold, artifacts, vault contents, and close the accounts."
The goblin's sneer deepened, "You do realize that this is a substantial sum of gold and requires some time for us to have that amount arrive? It would take days for us to gather all the items you have requested, requiring much overtime for our workers," he retorted.
"I have some house elves to help, no worries there."
The goblin's eyes narrowed; his anger now apparent. "House elves or not, you can't just waltz in here and expect us to cater to your whims!" he snapped, slamming his fist on the desk.
Harry smirked at the goblin's response, yet he didn't let it anger him. He simply leaned in and whispered, "I am not one to be trifled with Goblin, I have killed wizards for less disrespect."
The goblin's eyes narrowed further, a mix of anger and fear evident in his expression. "You dare threaten me, Potter? We goblins are not easily intimidated by wizards," he growled, but a slight tremor in his voice betrayed his fear.
"And yet, when I ruled Britain, the goblin nation yielded to me. You will allow my request today, lest I open your wards and raid the vaults myself." Harry threatened, his wand flicking to his hand.
"I will not yield to threats," the goblin spat, "But… I shall consult with the bank manager about your 'request'. Wait here." With a snarl, he quickly left the chamber, leaving Harry alone. Surprising considering how he had just treated that goblin.
Moments later, the goblin returned, accompanied by an older goblin. "We have considered your request," the bank manager stated, his voice gruff. "But understand this, Potter. Your demands cannot be met all at once. We will begin the process of gathering your possessions and gold, but it will take time..."
"Time I do not have, goblin..." Harry rolled his wand in his hand, considering his options. He didn't truly care about his relationship with Gringotts or goblins themselves. They were weak, easily destroyed beings that served no purpose but to count their galleons.
The goblins also saw him thinking, it was plainly obvious to them what he was considering. To attack and gain immediate access or to wait for the goblins to do it...
"Lord Potter," the bank manager quickly said, interrupting his thoughts, "It would be... allowable... for your elves to access these vaults this ONE time." The goblin ground out, a sneer on his face and his voice filled with anger.
"Change your mind then? Good." Harry smirked, "DOBBY!" He called. Suddenly, the elf popped into existence.
"Master Harry called for Dobby?"
"Please assist me in emptying my vaults," Harry replied before turning back to the Goblins, "I will pack my vaults with the help of Dobby." He quickly made his way to the cart that would take him to his vaults along with some random goblin, leaving behind several other annoyed goblins.
The cart rumbled along the track, passing through dark tunnels and winding paths deep beneath the bank. As they descended, the air grew colder, and echoes of distant whispers added an eerie touch to their surroundings.
Arriving at his vault, Harry and Dobby stepped out of the cart and were met with the sight of a massive, heavily warded door. Harry reached out to touch the door. The runes suddenly responded to his magic, recognizing his ownership. With a low rumble, the door began to slowly swing open, revealing a haphazardly organized vault.
Dim magical lights illuminated them as they entered, casting a glow over the countless shelves and display cases that held hundreds of ancient and powerful items that the Potters had amassed over hundreds of years.
Harry's eyes widened as he took in the sight before him. Although he had seen this place before, he was still amazed at the grandeur. Sure, Harrenhal's vaults contained hundreds of Valyrian artifacts and knowledge, but those artifacts were cold, uninviting... This vault of magnificent. Ancient tapestries adorned the walls, depicting scenes of heroic battles between Potters and magical creatures.
Walking further into the vault, Harry's attention was drawn to a pedestal upon which rested a delicate crystal sphere. Within it swirled blue and grey colors that seemed to dance and shift, forcing Harry to smile. It was a prophecy orb, his orb... The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... Under it, a plaque that still reads,
S.P.T to A.P.W.B.D
Dark Lord and Harry Potter
Harry continued walking through the vault, breathing in the magic contained within. On another shelf, rows of ancient spell books, their titles speaking of intricate magics, long forgotten spells, and, surprisingly, cooking recipes. Harry chuckled, not surprised that a Potter would have had to think 'I need to keep this book safe' and put it in their vault. However, his mind still filled with regrets as he perused the titles, each seemingly more esoteric than the last. The knowledge contained within the tomes might have served him well in past wars, yet Harry had never known they existed. His interactions with his family vault had been fleeting with quick jaunts looking for something specific.
As he continued his exploration, Harry's gaze fell upon a simple Gringotts vault key displayed prominently on a marble pedestal.
Drawn to it, Harry's eyes lingered on the ordinary-looking key. Unlike the other artifacts in the vault, this key seemed almost out of place. It's simple design betraying its age. If Harry had to guess it had to have been at least a thousand years old. Stepping closer, he reached out and picked up the key. Suddenly, he felt a pull at his navel as a portkey activated. Startled by the sudden pull, Harry tightened his grip around the vault key as he felt himself being transported.
Just as quickly as it began, it ended with Harry finding himself standing in a new vault, distinctly different from the one he had just left.
In the center of the vault stood a simple pedestal, upon which rested a large tone. Its surface seemed to pulse with a faint, magical light, casting intricate patterns and shadows on the vault's walls. He reached out to touch it and as soon as his skin made contact, a surge of energy coursed through him, causing the book's lines to begin to glow.
Visions of ancient civilizations, historical figures, and battles he remembered from history class flashed before his eyes. He saw individuals wielding incredible powers, manipulating minds, and using magic he had never even seen! He felt one last pulse of magic before the book stopped glowing and he crumpled to the ground.
Dean Thomas, Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement
Dean Thomas mumbled angrily to himself as he stood in the hallway outside his department's offices. He had been in a department head meeting when news had come that there was an attack taking place near his office. When he had stepped off the elevator with his squad of Aurors, he had been horrified to see Harry Potter in the other elevator, obviously leaving the destruction he had caused. The elevator doors had closed with Harry standing there with a chilling smirk on his face. The words had slipped out of his mouth: "He's back. Lord Potter is back." He had laughed later realizing that those had been the same words Fudge had said when Voldemort returned...
The next few minutes had been absolute pandemonium. "Secure the area! Prevent anyone who is not an Auror or Hit Wizard from entering or leaving!" Dean barked at his fellow Aurors as he picked debris off of a fallen Auror at his feet, who he sadly couldn't recognize. He knew everyone in his department, even the new recruits, but the person below him was unrecognizable. He looked young, maybe a rookie Auror, but his face had been mangled by a spell that had impacted it and the wall to his left. The boy's eyes were still open, forever fixed in position. Dean leaned down and closed his eyes.
"Start a search for survivors. We need to account for everyone who was up here at the time of the attack," Dean instructed another group of Aurors as he knelt down to examine another deceased Auror. This one was completely unharmed it seemed, except for his eyes staring at the ceiling. Killing Curse...
As the Aurors began their search around him, Dean's attention turned to the remnants of the destroyed office and shattered door at the end of the hall. He walked towards it, feeling the powerful magic still radiating in the walls. When he reached the door, the magical remnants were suffocating, like standing outside during a 100% humidity day. "What were you here for Harry?" Dean asked to no one, looking around the safe room. Papers, some of which were vitally important to policing work lay strewn about, forgotten by the attacker. Evidence lockers burned and destroyed...
As he ran his hand through his hair in stress, a young Auror entered behind him, "Sir, all Aurors besides one are accounted for. Head Auror Weasley is missing."
"Ah, of course..." the answer to Dean's unanswered question clicked in his mind, "This wasn't an attack for information, he wanted Ron."
"And he attacked the DMLE head on, Sir?" The Auror asked, looking confused.
"That is where Auror Weasley works, Auror." Dean said, obviously annoyed by the question. The young Auror took that as a cue to leave as he shuffled out of the room to tend to the cleanup. With a heavy sigh, Dean realized he likely needed to report this to the Minister, if the man had not heard already. He turned and left the office, his steps quickening as he made his way to the elevator, passing worried and confused looks from his fellow Aurors along the way.
After a quick ride, he stepped off to the Minister's floor. Since the fall of Lord Potter, they had renovated the Ministry, giving the Minister a full floor for his staff rather than just a simple office on the main floor. However, he needed to speak directly to the Minister himself, so he passed the reception area making his way to the Minister's office. Dean knocked and waited for the invitation to enter after his arrival. The door swung open a moment later, revealing the Minister seated at his desk, engrossed in paperwork. Dean cleared his throat, causing the Minister to look up with a questioning expression.
"Dean, ah good. What was that noise I heard not long ago? The Department of Mysteries have another accident?" the Minister said as he smirked at his paperwork.
"Minister," Dean began, his voice steady despite the news he was about to deliver, "I have bad news... It seems that Lord Harry Potter has returned."
"Oh, well ensure that they take additional..." the Minister dropped his quill onto the parchment in front of him. "Lord Potter? Did you just say Harry Potter has returned? Are you sure, Dean?"
Dean nodded solemnly. "I saw him myself, escaping the DLME... He kidnapped Ron Weasley."
The Minister's face paled as he processed the information. "That is... impossible. We sent assassins after him. I signed the order myself. We paid the bounty... How could he have returned?"
"I don't know, Minister," Dean replied, "But unless it was someone in Polyjuice, then he has returned."
The Minister leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples as he contemplated the situation. "We must find him and kill him quickly, Dean. He can't be allowed to rally..." the minister stopped when a witch burst into the office, shouting there is an attack in Diagon Alley, and it was Dark Lord Potter.
The Minister just sighed, "There goes our ability to keep this quiet... Send all available Aurors and ensure Lord Potter doesn't leave Diagon." Dean just nodded and rushed from the room.
Ronald Weasley, Head Auror
Ron awoke with a start, reaching for his wand that he found was no longer there. He reached for his backup wand in his boot but was also surprised that the wand was missing. He cursed to himself before taking in the sights of his new abode.
It was dimly lit, with the damp stone walls that always seemed to become standard when building a dungeon. The air was thick with a musty scent and the only light came from a flickering torch set in a sconce high up on the wall. The room contained little in amenities, containing only a metal bed and chamber pot.
As his vision cleared of the grogginess from the stunning spell, he saw the cell's iron bars that confined him. Likely built with magical enchantments to be unbreakable, Ron sighed and sat down on the bed.
As he sat there, a figure emerged from the shadows outside the cell and stepped forward, revealing... Hermione? Ron's heart soared at the sight of her and his now impending rescue. He scrambled to his feet, rushing over to the barred cell door.
"Hermione! Thank Merlin you're here! I was starting to think I was done for," Ron exclaimed.
Hermione smiled softly, "Shhhhh you dummy, I'm here to get you out of this place."
"I knew you'd come. I knew you wouldn't abandon me." He said, thankful for his wife.
As she waved her hand, the iron bars of the cell seemed to shimmer and dissolve, allowing Ron to step out. He hugged her tightly, "I can't believe you're here, Hermione. I was so scared."
"Ron, you need to be quiet. We can talk about this later, but before we go, how did Harry return? You must know since he came from within the Ministry itself. We detected no unauthorized entries." Hermione whispered as they stood just outside the cell.
"I don't know," he whispered back, "I was in my office when an intrusion alarm went off from the elevators and the next thing, I know I'm being attacked in my office."
"Damn it," she swore, causing Ron to look at her weird. Hermione never swore, "Okay, it's been several days, and we haven't discovered anything. Does the elevator have a memory of what floors they visited?"
"Yeah," Ron responded, narrowing his eyes, "Any Auror could pull the last 50 floors visited... You should know that..."
"I forgot, okay?" She grumbled as she grabbed him to begin their escape, "It's been very hectic the last few days..."
Together, they navigated through the dimly lit corridors of the dungeon, making their way past many empty cells. As they neared what seemed to be an exit, a sudden realization hit him. "Wait a minute, my wands! They're missing."
Hermione's expression remained calm, but her eyes seemed to narrow ever so slightly. "Don't worry, Ron. We'll figure that out later. Right now, we need to get out of here."
With a quick wave of her hand, the heavy door swung open, revealing another dimly lit corridor and stairs. As they were about to begin the ascent, they heard two voices and the door at the top began to creak open.
Hermione quickly grabbed Ron and pulled him behind the open door, hiding them from view. The two figures continued walking down the stairs, talking about something Ron felt was not important. As they passed and pulled the door shut behind them, Hermione quietly turned to him, "In case we get caught, I need to know the answer to this question. We think Harry is looking for something. After we killed him and raided Grimmauld Place, did we discover anything in his study? He was mumbling on the recording about how we must have found it since it wasn't there..."
Ron blinked in confusion, his mind racing to make sense of Hermione's question. "A study? In Grimmauld Place? Hermione, we didn't find anything like that. We raided the place after his defeat, but I don't remember anything about a hidden study."
Hermione's eyes flickered with a mix of frustration and concern, her grip on Ron's arm tightening. "Are you certain, Ron?"
Ron's voice held genuine bewilderment. "I swear, Hermione, I would've remembered something like that. We found some documents, books, and a few artifacts, but we definitely did not find a hidden room. Are you sure you've got the right place?"
Hermione's gaze remained fixed on Ron's, her face slipping momentarily to reveal a flicker of doubt. "I... I must have been mistaken. It's just that Harry seemed so convinced we had found it. But never mind, we'll sort it out later."
With that, Hermione motioned for Ron to continue following her up the stairs. Ron's mind was racing. Something wasn't adding up, and he couldn't shake the feeling that this escape was too perfect, too tailor-made for him.
As they continued sneaking through the manor, she continued asking questions, her inquisitive mind racing, "How did we find him last time? He was in America when we killed him."
"Dumbledore had stored some of his blood in his office. A simple blood tracking charm infused with a globe allowed gave us a general location. Then an enchanted compass with his blood to find him on the ground. Standard Auror stuff." Ron responded, still confused as to why Hermione didn't already know this. He had shared that information years ago.
As they continued to navigate through the corridors of the manor, Hermione's questions kept coming, probing Ron for information. "And what about his supporters? How did we manage to track them down after his defeat?"
Ron felt a growing sense of unease. The questions were too specific, too calculated. It was as if someone was meticulously extracting information from his mind. He tried to shake off the feeling, to focus on the task at hand. "We used a combination of magical surveillance, informants, and intelligence gathering. It took time, but we managed to root out most of his supporters and send them through the Veil. I'm sure some escaped to France and Rome, but we got most."
Hermione's expression remained calm, but a glint of frustration flashed in her eyes. "And the Horcruxes, Ron. Did we find all of his before we tried to defeat him?"
Ron's mind raced as Hermione's questions delved deeper into their past actions. He felt a sense of confusion and frustration building within him. Why was Hermione asking about Horcruxes? Harry didn't create Horcruxes, did he?
"We didn't look for any Horcruxes," Ron answered truthfully, his brow furrowing. "I mean, we didn't have any information that he had created any, so we just had him killed..."
Hermione's eyes narrowed slightly, and Ron could sense her dissatisfaction with his response. "But surely, Ron, there must have been some indication, some clue that he had created Horcruxes?"
Ron shook his head, "I'm telling you, Hermione, we never found any because we didn't look! The idea of Horcruxes never even crossed our minds until you mentioned it to me now!"
Hermione still looked at him unconvinced, so he continued, "I understand that you might find this hard to believe, Hermione," Ron said, his voice becoming more frustrated, "but we had no reason to suspect that Harry had created them. Our focus was on defeating him, not on hunting for hidden objects we didn't even know existed!"
Hermione's expression remained fixed, her doubt evident, but there was a hint of something else behind her eyes, distrust?
"Look, Hermione, I'm telling you the truth," Ron continued, "We never found any evidence of Horcruxes. Your questions don't make any sense. What's really going on here?" Ron took a step back from Hermione. "This isn't real, is it? You're not Hermione. What is this? Some kind of mind trick?"
Hermione's image flickered, and a sinister smile crossed her face. "Very clever, Ron. It seems your mind is sharper than we thought."
The truth hit Ron like a blast of cold air. None of this was real. The entire escape, the questions, Hermione's presence—it was all a construct within his mind. He had been trapped in an illusion; a mental prison meant to extract information from him.
As if a spell had been broken, the illusion shattered. The cold, damp cell returned, the iron bars once again confined Ron. The torchlight cast eerie shadows on the stone walls, revealing two figures occupying the room with him.
"So, you never found the Horcruxes... Good." Draco responded, spinning a wand between his fingers, "Thank you for being most forthcoming with information, Ron." Once again, he was hit with a stunning spell and fell back into the bed.