Note: Title: Come hell or high water - Steelfeather
(…)
She listens while he tells her that Dolohov's memory is inside a vault in Gringotts. Harry is clearly eager to leave. Eager to retrieve the memory. But she… she doesn't want to go. She feels like a liability. And she fears she might get in his way. She fears she might hold him back instead of helping.
He's ready to go, geared up. And when he makes a face at her, asking why she's not getting ready, Hermione stands from the bed and crosses her arms.
"I don't think I should go, Harry." She tries to tell him what she means without having to voice it out loud. "Maybe you should take Chi with you."
Harry stops at that, his eyes heavy on her. "Hermione." His voice is gentle and she hates it. "I- are you sure?"
She nods. "Yes. It's… better this way." He takes the steps to her and they share a hug.
"Okay." He kisses her neck, squeezing her in his arms. She knows that he's relieved. He's never going to say it to her, but he also wants her to stay here, safe.
"If you take too long I'll go after you." She touches her forehead on his and they share a tender kiss. It cuts her open. Separating like this. "I love you."
"I love you." And he cups her face to kiss her properly. It's a slow and hot kiss. Filled with promises. Her hands squeeze his waist and they take their time.
But when Harry steps away from her, a terrible feeling invades her heart. It's like a cold hand seizing her, squeezing. But she doesn't say a word. She watches while he goes. He needs to go.
And she needs to have a private conversation with Ludwig.
Outside Gringotts
"Do we even have a plan?" Chiara asks, her tone indicating how much she doesn't like this.
They're under the Cloak, right in front of Gringotts. Harry used a spell to stop others from bumping into them. And there's another spell concealing their voices.
"The plan is simple, Chi. We go inside, fetch the damn memory and then we leave."
She lets out some air through her mouth. "Do you even know how this Bank works? I don't think it's like ours in Rome, Harry."
"The only thing I know is that it's run by Goblins."
"I hate Goblins!" She complains. "They think they're superior. Honestly, it astonishes me that in Tom Riddle's Society magical creatures are in charge of everyone's assets! This tells a lot about how cunning they are."
"Chi, come on, are you afraid of some Goblins?"
"Their teeth give me the creeps! It's unnatural!" Harry can't help snorting a chuckle. "I'm serious, Harry. What if they bite us?"
"They're not going to bite us."
"I wouldn't be so sure."
He shakes his head and pulls her forward. Some people are entering the Bank and they tail them, entering just behind.
It's dead silent inside. And luxurious. The entrance is huge. There are countless chandeliers hanging from above. And there are many more Goblins than what Harry expected to find. They're all sitting on their little desks, writing away numbers, showing their teeth. Chi is right, they're creepy.
She lets out a sound, annoyed. "Don't you just want to punch their faces?"
Harry laughs. They're protected by his spell, but he can sense that some Goblins stop what they're doing, their eyes briefly scanning the enormous room. It gives him pause. Are they going to be stopped by these creatures? If they're caught, will they be handed over to Riddle? It dawns on him that he's not sure about what's the deal with the Goblins. And for the hundredth time Hermione's voice invades his mind. He should have prepared better. But the eagerness to retrieve the memory stopped him from even asking Bellatrix how to deal with these creatures - she must be at the Ministry right now, taking over.
I should have asked Hermione. But it didn't cross his mind. He thought she would be here with him. And it broke his heart to see the look on her face when she said she wasn't coming. She feels like a liability now and he hates this situation. He hates that her sure and confident self is not there anymore. She's trying, but Riddle did break her spirit. And for that Harry is going to kill him.
The Palace
It's a good thing that her mother is at the Ministry with the others. It makes things easier for her. Hermione can walk inside the Palace without running into them. And she knows that Petunia, Oliver and Sam are teaching right now. She knows life goes on inside this amazing school. So, no one is paying her any attention while she walks discreetly to the woods.
She's going to have to use a spell to reveal the door that leads to the dungeons and she hopes she'll be able to pull it off. Hermione knows it's going to take a toll on her, but she's doing this.
Deep down, at the back of her head, she can hear Harry's voice telling her to stay away from Ludwig. Especially given the condition she's in. But it's her only chance at talking with him without Harry. She needs to. She feels like Ludwig wants to reveal stuff to her, but only her. It's personal. And she wants to know why, she wants to understand.
Of course she doesn't trust Ludwig. And she wonders if the information he gave Harry is correct. But what's the worst that could happen? Harry and Chiara can deal with some Goblins, right?
Hermione finally reaches the door and closes her eyes. There's no one out there with her. She's all alone. And only a few bars separate her from Ludwig. A chill runs down her spine. Maybe she shouldn't do this. Maybe she should head back to the room and sleep for a while, recharge-
"No fucking way." She refuses to accept that she's completely useless.
So, doing her best, she takes out her wand. Hermione is sure that she's never going to perform wandless magic again. And the thought brings tears to her eyes. But she shoves it down and inhales deeply.
She murmurs the spell. And it's quite mad that she feels it taking away her strength. It leaves her body. Her vital magic goes into this and when she opens her eyes, she's breathing hard, the grip on her wand one of the tightest ever.
The door is there, open.
But now she feels weaker than before and she hesitates. Even if Ludwig is not with his golden watch, she doubts he's not stronger than her. For another few beats she ponders what to do.
It's a tough decision, but she enters the dungeon.
Gringotts
"Do you even know to whom the vault belongs to?" Chiara asks him.
Harry shakes his head. "I have no idea."
"Dio mio, Harry. How did Hermione let you come here without essential information?"
"It doesn't matter. I know the number and we're getting inside. That's it."
"I would bet my ass that only the Goblins can open the vaults. This must be why they still run things here. Maybe Riddle didn't find a way of getting rid of them. This place is a fortress and to be honest I have no idea how-"
Someone bumps into their Cloak and both turn to look at the old wizard that's standing by their side. Fucking Dumbledore. Harry shares a look with Chiara. The man knew they were standing right there and it doesn't go unnoticed to Harry the way he discreetly moves his head, urging them to follow him.
While Harry ponders, Dumbledore moves. He walks slowly and all the Goblins turn their heads to look at him. He's clearly respected by the creatures.
And Harry realizes he doesn't have another option.
He and Chiara walk slowly under the Cloak, their eyes on the Goblins. Being closer to them also makes Harry uncomfortable. It's like they can see right through the Cloak. But nothing happens. No alarm sounds and no one else seems to be aware of their presence.
What surprises Harry is what Dumbledore is saying to the Head Goblin.
"Vault 899, please."
The Palace
"I was wondering when you would finally ditch him." Ludwig says even before she reaches the front of the cell.
Hermione gulps. She's cold. But she keeps going. And she crosses her arms when she stops in front of him. Ludwig leans on the bars, an insufferable smile on his face.
"I want answers, Ludwig."
He tilts his head.
"You look different, Hermione. What happened to you?" He squints and she can feel his eyes on her, sizing her up. Trying to understand.
"Maybe you could tell me more stories." She says in a low voice and their eyes meet.
She can feel the imminent danger. And she regrets her decision of facing him alone. But she doesn't move. Hermione holds his gaze. She can't show how afraid she is.
Finally, Ludwig breaks the eye contact and scoffs. "Yeah, I could tell you stories." He takes one step back and moves his hands in the air. She holds her breath. A vial with a memory appears in his hands. "Oh, look what I have here. The memory Harry is looking for inside Gringotts." He clicks his tongue.
Hermione narrows her eyes. She doesn't want to think about the fact that he just performed wandless magic. She doesn't want to think that he could probably kill her in a blink.
The only thing she does is hold her ground.
"Well, what is he going to find in Gringotts, then?"
Her eyes are following his movements. Following the memory. If this is really what they've been looking for all this time…
Ludwig shrugs. "A small surprise." Hermione gulps. She needs to warn Harry. And her eyes move to the entrance, but- "Oh, you have a choice, Hermione." She looks back at him. "You can stay here and learn a few truths, or you can go and warn Harry." He vanishes with the vial. "What will it be? Keep in mind that this is a one time offer. I fully intend on destroying this memory."
"How can you know so much?" She asks, her voice faltering. This intrigues her immensely. Ludwig is always a step ahead. And recently she got the sensation that he's been onto them for way longer than that night when they met in Berlin. "Who are you, Ludwig?"
He opens a creepy smile. "A good question. I'll tell you. But you have to stay here with me. You have to see the memory and listen to my stories. Let Harry deal with the trap he so easily fell into."
She inhales deeply. Harry is strong. Different from her, his power is at its fullest. He has the phoenix fire. And he's with Chiara-
"So, Hermione? What will it be?"
Gringotts
Harry and Chiara are sitting behind Dumbledore on a cart that he never saw before. It's a strange mechanism. The Bank in Rome is way simpler. Things are way easier and there isn't much suspicion around the wizards and witches who go there to simply withdraw some galleons.
They're silent. Dumbledore is pretending marvelously. He knows they're there, but the Goblin at the front didn't notice a thing.
And inside these caves, Harry doesn't dare speaking. He fears the Goblin might notice them. He knows they can take one Goblin, but he has no idea if there's any kind of backup that the creature could call, so, he prefers to stay in silence.
It's a long ride.
The Palace
"I'll stay here, then. I wanna listen to your stories."
Hermione can't deny this. She knows it's a gamble, but she trusts Harry. She blindly trusts his power and magic. She knows he'll come out alive from that Bank. Her warning him or not is not going to make a difference now.
But the look of satisfaction on Ludwig's face gives her another chill. However, her decision is made.
"Good. Why don't you conjure up a chair to sit?"
She bites on her tongue. Motherfucker. It's like he knows that her magic is gone. Like he can feel it.
But she takes out her wand and conjures up a chair. It takes a fucking lot, but she keeps her face straight. Slowly, she sits down.
"I'm all ears."
He walks from one side to the other inside the cell. It's predatory. And she feels like the prey.
"I've been watching you for so long, Hermione."
"Is that so?" She knew it. "How long?"
"Is twenty-four years long enough?" Oh. She widens her eyes and he opens a side smile. "Wasn't expecting that, were you? Well, I guess you'll be surprised to know that… that night in Berlin wasn't the first time we met."
She looks down, her mind is working fast. She can't remember another time she saw him.
"How old are you?"
He scoffs. "I'm not that older than you. I'm thirty-one."
A silence follows after his words. Hermione keeps raking her mind after the time they've met before Berlin. But there's nothing-
"You won't remember my real face, Head Auror."
It- she opens her mouth, it's familiar. The way he said 'Head Auror'. Hermione squints. Her heart starts to beat faster and her mind finally catches up. She whispers the name:
"Moritz."
Gringotts
When the cart stops, Harry has to hold onto it not to fall over. Chiara grunts by his side and they exit it with Dumbledore. The goblin is right at the front, leading them through a narrow passage and to the vault 899.
And now that they're close, Harry is nervous. He's way more nervous than normal. And he knows why. This feels like a trap. An elaborated trap that he was so eager to believe in that he acted before thinking.
He stops walking and Chiara stops with him.
"What is it?"
Dumbledore and the Goblin are many steps ahead of them now.
"I don't know. I feel like I should go back to Hermione."
Chiara crosses her arms under the Cloak and he can see the irritation in her eyes.
"For fuck's sake, Harry. Decide."
He chews the insides of his cheeks. Now Dumbledore and the Goblin are disappearing in the distance. And it strikes Harry. Why is Dumbledore here? Is this a coincidence? Would he be here if this was a trap? And he's going to the same fucking vault.
Harry's torn.
Maybe the memory is here and he's losing the perfect opportunity if he leaves. But maybe the memory isn't here and Hermione is all alone-
"Do you think Hermione is in danger at the Palace?" He asks Chiara in a low voice. They can't see Dumbledore and the Goblin anymore.
She exhales heavily. "The Palace is secure, Harry, you know that. What could happen? She's probably taking a nap."
He nods at her words. "Yeah, you're right. Let's go."
The Palace
"Very well, Head Riddle." Ludwig says. She's silent, observing him. "Being Moritz was fun. I loved the opportunity to be close to you and work inside the Ministry."
She wets her lips. "Why do you wanted to be close to me?"
"You intrigue me, Hermione." He takes the few steps to the bars and leans forward. "Riddle's daughter." She presses her lips together, raising her chin, her eyes locking on his. "Oh." He opens another smile. "You found out the truth." It doesn't surprise her that he knows. "Tell me, how does it feel now that you know you're a Muggleborn? A nobody?"
"I am not a nobody. I'm Hermione." She says with some fury.
Ludwig squints. "Yeah, but you've grown up your entire life believing that you were some hot shit, right? The Riddle Heiress. The powerful Head Auror." He tilts his head. She doesn't say a thing. "It must be a shock. You never were who you thought." He leans even more, shortening the distance between them. Hermione doesn't move. "You can't fool me. I know you liked the title. I know you felt superior."
"You don't know me, Ludwig. Maybe you think you do, but you don't."
He snorts. "I know that your real last name is Granger. I know that Tom Riddle experimented with you for years and you have nightmares because of it. I know that you were a Gryffindor. I know you lost your virginity with Ronald Weasley. I know you consider the Weasleys a second family the same way you love Sirius and Eleonora fiercely. I know you only chose the Head Auror career because you knew it was something Tom Riddle wouldn't be able to mess with. It was something you had to earn. And oh, boy, how you love to prove yourself. How you love to show others that you can do it even when no one believes in you." He stops talking. Her head is throbbing. This is… this man is so fucking dangerous. Way more than she anticipated. "I know you've disagreed with Riddle your entire life but you never did a thing to change his rule. Not until Harry. Am I close? Are you sure I don't know you?"
"I think you're very good at guessing." She shrugs. "All you've said is pretty obvious if you pay attention."
He laughs loudly, moving his head back and clapping his hands.
"I have to say, you're tough." He points at her. "I guess Riddle was never able to break your spirit." Ludwig squints, his gaze drilling holes in her. "Right?" Hermione gulps. "Or did he? Finally?" He wets his lips. "I have to say, you do look different."
Some silence fills the dungeons. Her mind is reeling. She can't show him any indication that she's completely broken. Shattered inside.
"So, you've been obsessed with me for twenty-four years." He makes a face at her statement. And her own words send out an alert inside her head. This is too strange. He was only what? Six? Seven? Why would he be obsessed with her for so long? Since such a tender age? Hermione blinks a few times, her heart beating faster. And an absurd thought crosses her mind. She squeezes her hands on her lap to hide the way she's trembling. "You said you were going to tell me more stories. I'm curious about Riddle and… Loli."
It's very subtle but she sees the way he flinches. Ludwig raises an eyebrow.
"Don't forget about Matteo. They were pretty good friends."
"Indeed, maybe both fell in love with her, but she made her choice, didn't she?"
She's sure Dolores chose Tom. And Harry told her that he didn't think Matteo would cheat on his wife.
Ludwig steps away from the bars and moves his hands in the air again, the vial with the memory appearing. He shows it to her.
"Do you want it? Come get it."
Gringotts
If Harry had imagined that Dumbledore and the Goblin would disappear so fast, he wouldn't have stopped to have that little conversation with Chiara. They're practically running at the narrow passage but they can't see them.
And there aren't any other vaults there. Harry tried looking for one to have at least an idea if they were close, but he found nothing.
"Cazzo." Chiara says, "Let's get rid of this Cloak for fuck's sake."
He can't help agreeing with her. The Cloak slows them down.
So, Harry moves his arm to get rid of it and they both breathe relieved when they're free. Now, they run faster. After a while, he uses a spell to reveal Dumbledore's and the Goblin's traces, but there's nothing.
"Harry, we're running in circles."
He blinks, not wanting to believe in this.
"Of course not. If we were we would have already met with the Goblin and-"
A loud alarm sounds and Harry puts both hands over his ears, making a face. Chiara does the same, looking up, trying to find the source of the sound.
And when it stops, they hear voices. Goblins. Lots of them. Harry shares a look with Chiara.
"Shit." He murmurs and raises both hands in the air. Closing his eyes, he focus on a spell.
Regardless what's happening, he needs to find vault 899. He needs to see what's inside, if anything. So, he tries using the technique Hermione taught him. His magic goes out into the void, searching for any kind of illusion and breaking them apart. He got a lot better at this so it's no surprise when he succeeds. Harry breaks down all charms and when he opens his eyes, they're right in front of vault 899.
It's open. And it's inviting them in.
The Palace
"You know I'm not going inside your cell, Ludwig. And I'm not letting you out either."
Ludwig pouts, smiling after.
"Fair enough, Hermione." He walks slowly to the bars and puts the vial down on the ground on her side. "Here, you've deserved it. This memory is yours to see." He winks at her.
Hermione tries not showing how anxious she is, so, calmly, she bends over and takes the vial in her hand. Ludwig keeps watching her with keen eyes.
"I'm sure you can bring a pensive here, can't you?" He says in an acid tone. Hermione is sure he knows her magic is gone.
"I'll head upstairs to see it, Ludwig." And she rises from the chair, crossing her arms and tightening her grip around the vial even more. "You're not fooling me, are you?"
"I would never." He mocks her.
Hermione inhales deeply. "I don't think our conversation is over, though." She tilts her head. "You're Moritz, after all. And I have so many questions for you."
"Well… I'm not going anywhere."
He crosses his arms and she sets her jaw. Hermione saw him doing wandless magic just now. She knows he can escape if he wants to. But it doesn't look like he's about to do it. Which is… odd.
She takes one step to the side to leave, but he stops her:
"And since I like talking to you and I don't want you to leave me…" He blows her a kiss and Hermione makes a face, "How about I help you with the pensive?"
She doesn't have time to react when Ludwig does another wandless magic and a pensive appears out of nowhere in front of her. Hermione snorts and shakes her head.
"I can't imagine you like being behind these bars. I wonder why you still are."
He opens a cryptic smile. "I'm behaving." Ludwig shrugs and opens his hand, gesturing to the pensive. "I know you're curious. Go on, see it."
Gringotts
It's complete darkness inside the vault. And the stench…
At the same time he and Chiara use a spell to illuminate the place. And he wasn't expecting this at all. It's some kind of chamber. Wet and cold. Gigantic with big holes on both sides. Holes that are clearly a path-
His heart quickens.
"This is not good." Chiara says while she turns back to the entrance. "Harry, the- the door is gone."
He doesn't look back, he believes her. Gulping, he says, "Accio memory."
For two beats he and Chiara wait. But of course nothing happens. Harry closes his eyes. He should have stayed with Hermione. He should have chopped Ludwig's fucking head off.
"FUCKING SHIT!" He yells into the wide chamber.
"Shut up!" Chiara hisses.
And a sound he wished was a hallucination reaches them. Harry recognizes it, he already saw many snakes slithering around. He knows what's coming. And when the head of a basilisk appears at the other far end of the chamber, he bites hard on his lower lip.
"Oh, fuck." Chiara says under her breath.
"Don't move."
He read about this animal. This is no ordinary snake. This snake is magical and powerful. Ancient. Deadly. And they have to be silent. Only this basilisk exists and Harry knows it's blind. A phoenix blinded it many, many years ago in a battle of wills. So, they have to be practically invisible. But the water under their feet makes it harder. Their heavy breathing also. Their advantage is the fact that the monster is yet oblivious to their presence.
And his mind is making fast connections. Ludwig sent him here. The serpent is Salazar's symbol. It was Salazar's pet. He was the only man capable of controlling the basilisk. The Riddle's crest - the direct descendants. For the basilisk to be here, controlled and-
Harry sets his jaw, cold inside.
The basilisk is getting closer to them and Chiara is shaking.
"Harry, what do we do?" She asks in a low voice, scared.
Yes, Ludwig was sure Harry would die here. He probably thought Hermione would too. But he doesn't know about his phoenix fire. He doesn't know that he has the only thing capable of ending the basilisk in a blink.
"Chi, I can kill it." She frowns at him, surprised. "I have phoenix fire inside me."
Her eyes widen considerably. "What?"
"I'll explain later." They're whispering and the basilisk is getting closer and closer. "I need you to protect yourself. I'm not sure I can control this entirely."
She groans. "If you kill me with this stupid fire I promise you I'll come back to pull at your feet at night!"
He opens a small smile, his eyes on the basilisk. They'll need to act in sync. Chiara is standing a step ahead of him and she needs to move back so the fire doesn't burn her. And well, his fire needs to work. It needs to burn the basilisk down without a doubt.
"You move when I tell you to move." He says to her, preparing himself.
October 31st, 1981
Potters' house
Since he's the leader, he's the first one who steps inside the house. Dolohov and the other Aurors used a powerful spell to break the wards around the place. And then, they acted fast.
When he opens the door, he sees the anger in James Potter's face. He sees that two women are running upstairs with a little girl - who has wide, scared eyes.
Dolohov wastes no time in engaging in a duel with James. And then, the other Aurors are there.
Spells are flying everywhere. And it intrigues him that James Potter alone is capable of holding back all of them. His power astonishes Dolohov. Maybe they won't get to the Mudblood this way.
He moves between his fellow Aurors, trying to land a blow at Potter, failing. It frustrates him. He knows Tom Riddle will be here soon.
And just when he thinks about it, the Minister enters the house. And he's the first one capable of hitting James Potter. Dolohov watches while Potter flies across the room and lands close to the stairs.
Before they can react and subdue the wizard, Tom Riddle yells the killing curse. Dolohov widens his eyes and the others let out a collective gasp. Potter has no time at all to react. It's so fucking fast. Deadly.
A scream comes from up the stairs. Dolohov moves to see Lily Potter coming down with fury in her eyes.
And he can't believe when she uses one spell and all of them fall down. It hurts and he groans to himself, pissed. Some Aurors are knocked out and Riddle is indeed furious. Lily Potter vanished to the second floor and Dolohov feels an obligation to warn the Minister.
"There's another woman upstairs with her. I don't know if she's magical."
Tom Riddle squints at him and walks slowly to the corpse of James Potter.
"What a waste." Riddle says, softly kicking James' side. The other Aurors are finally getting on their feet. "You deal with them, I have something else I need to do."
Dolohov stays in place while he watches Riddle turning things upside down. He's looking for something. He glances at the other Aurors. They're a bit shocked, Goyle, the worst. The man is shaking, his eyes on dead James Potter.
This was supposed to be another kind of mission. From what the Minister told them, they were only supposed to get inside and arrest the Potters. But now James is dead and Dolohov knows that the same fate awaits for Lily Potter.
"He was only protecting himself." Crouch Jr. murmurs by his side. "This is not good."
Dolohov has no reaction to that. It's clear that the Minister has other plans. And he's not about to go against the most powerful wizard he knows, so, he only motions his head to the stairs.
In line the Aurors follow him, but to their surprise, a man comes from behind a door - probably the kitchen - with a knife, yelling.
And he cuts Greyback's arm. The Auror lets out an irritated yell and punches the man with force. He stumbles back, but comes back at them with his knife, bravely trying to wound the Aurors. Dolohov doesn't move. He watches while Karkaroff uses a simple spell to take the knife into his hands.
The other man puts his fists up, ready to fight.
"You're not going past me." He says.
The Aurors - except Goyle - laugh.
"A Muggle, huh?" Greyback says, circling the man. "I would leave if I were you. You have no business in this." But he punches the man with force, laughing when he seems about to faint.
"A Muggle?" Riddle comes to them. He looks pissed. "Why are you wasting time on a Muggle? Go fetch Lily Potter before she escapes!"
"You're not-"
"Silence, Muggle!" And Tom Riddle waves a hand to glue the Muggle's mouth. It looks painful and some tears start to fall from his eyes. "You disgust me. Muggles are so weak. So inferior."
It happens fast for anyone to have a reaction. Not that Dolohov would dare to stop the Minister.
With the knife that Karkaroff was holding, Riddle takes the two steps to the man and stabs him in the stomach. Blood gushes from him. And Riddle continues to stab him, repeatedly. His face is cold but his eyes show how much he enjoys this. And the Aurors are, again, shocked. The Muggle was not even a real threat. This is… murder.
Dolohov gulps but crosses his arms. He counted. After eleven stabs, Riddle holds the Muggle's shoulder and stabs him in the heart. The man was already practically dead, but now he falls to the ground, a lot of blood all over. Gushing from his mouth and from the wounds.
The Minister is also drenched in blood. And when he notices, he makes an ugly face, using a spell to clean himself.
On this very moment, Lily Potter appears again. And she tries killing Riddle with the Avada Kedrava. But he's fast. And he stops it, sneering at her.
She moves inside with grace, her spells powerful and clean. In no time she immobilizes three Aurors.
And now Riddle is focused on her. Dolohov swallows hard, pondering. He's the leader on this operation, but he knows that from the looks of it, Riddle is not going to let them keep their memories. It's clear. He's showing a facade that no one ever saw. Dolohov has to admit that he looks like a lunatic. And whatever he was searching inside, he hasn't found it.
While Lily Potter keeps dueling with the Minister - the other Aurors in shock or subdued - Dolohov sees the perfect opportunity. He's the only one that saw the little girl. And they were hiding her.
Decided, he apparates to the second floor. And a woman attacks him. He grunts, falling down. She stabbed his side and it burns.
"Cunt!" He slaps her face so fucking hard that the woman hits her head on the wall next to a door.
There's blood. And she's probably dead now. Dolohov sighs, irritated. It was not on his plans to kill anyone, but he has no kind of remorse when it comes to it. Shrugging, he opens the door to the room.
And there's a little girl with wide eyes there. She's standing close to the bed, on a rug. Her magic is the first thing he feels. So fucking powerful he's a bit taken aback. He was not expecting this. And maybe this little girl is the thing Riddle is looking for... she's not older than three and her power is astonishing.
She raises a little hand in his direction, the left one.
"NO!" She yells. And Dolohov is sure she's trying to use magic against him, but it doesn't work, of course.
He laughs. And then he takes a few steps to her when he hears the others climbing the stairs. Squinting he shuts her up with a spell and takes her by the arm, magically hiding the girl behind him and putting himself against a wall.
Dolohov does his best to conceal her signature and just in that moment, the door opens.
Riddle and the other Aurors are entering the room with the corpses. James and Lily Potter were killed by the killing curse. Dolohov is sure it was Riddle's doing. Then, the Muggles. Someone stabbed the woman the same way Riddle had done to the man. They put the Muggles on the bed, Lily and James on the floor.
The Aurors seem about to faint. They're disgusted by all the blood. Blood is rare in magical duels.
The Minister stops in the middle of the room, his hands on his waist. He doesn't look in Dolohov's direction and he's thankful for that. Then, Riddle walks to a bookcase inside the room, eagerly looking for something. That he clearly doesn't find.
And he throws a tantrum. Dolohov widens his eyes.
"All of you, wait for me outside!" The Minister roars.
They obey. Well, Dolohov doesn't. He apparates with the girl.
Gringotts
When Harry yells for Chiara to move, the basilisk charges at them. So fucking fast. But he has time to call out his fire and he lets it go completely. The monster shies away, hissing. And Harry can't believe in how much power he's harnessing.
It's insane.
The orange and blue flames are taking over everything in front of him. On his sides. Around him. He has no idea if Chiara is safe, but he can't stop now.
The basilisk is making a sound that Harry never heard before. It's wild. It's ancient.
But he doesn't falter. He keeps pouring out all his power. The flames dancing away from his entire body and burning the snake.
The basilisk is trying to enter a hole to escape but he closes it off with fire. He closes all of the holes. There's no escape. And he can see that the tail - that is slimmer and more fragile - is the first thing that begins to turn black.
He won't spare any effort. He's going to char this motherfucker.
October 31st, 1981
A house
The girl is crying and Dolohov has had enough of her whining.
"Shut up!" He slaps her across the face and she cries more.
He raises an eyebrow, irritated. He's waiting. He knows Riddle is coming after him.
Walking from one side to another, he avoids looking at the girl. Her magic is still burning bright, engulfing the air and the atmosphere around him. It's exhilarating.
"Maybe I should keep you to myself, girl."
Grunting, he opens a closet and hides her inside. Riddle can arrive at any moment-
And indeed, two apparitions sound loudly inside. Riddle and a woman Dolohov has no idea who she is. And he widens his eyes when he notices that the Minister is already raising his hand to obliviate him.
"Wait!" He shouts. "I- I want to make a trade! I have something powerful to give you in exchange of my memory." He gulps. He shouldn't be doing this. Dolohov knows that Riddle could simply kill him, but he hopes he won't. Even if he killed James Potter, he avoids at all costs killing Purebloods. And he wants to keep his memory, it's his integrity. Who he is.
"Something powerful?" Riddle tilts his head.
"He's fooling you." The woman says.
"No! I'm not. Can't you feel it? The magic?"
Tom Riddle stops. He still has a maniacal look on his face and it goes away slowly while he feels the magic Dolohov is talking about. For the first time ever, Dolohov sees Riddle shocked. And excited as a kid.
"Where is it?" He hisses to him, taking a step in Dolohov's direction.
The woman is quiet, she's probably feeling the magic too.
"I'll give to you." He gulps, and then, "But I want to make a Vow. A Vow that I'll get to keep my memory." Dolohov knows that an obliviation of that caliber might ruin his brain forever. "And you can't kill me. You can't come after me, Minister. You have to take care of me instead."
A glint of fury goes through Riddle's eyes. "I should just kill you-"
"Yes. But I'm a Pureblood." He raises his chin, puffing out his chest. "I matter on your Society, Minister. And if you kill me, I don't think you're going to find this magic. Think about it."
"Just kill him, Tom." The woman says and Dolohov makes a face at her.
"Stay out of this." He points a finger at her. "Who are you?"
"Dolores Umbridge." Her tone is clipped and Dolohov squints at her. She must be important. She talks with the Minister in a way that shows how close they are.
"Fine." Riddle says and Dolohov's eyes go back to him. "But you vanish, do you understand?"
He nods, eager. And not thinking about it, he extends his hand to the Minister. "Let's make the Vow."
Dolores seals it for them. And when it's done, Dolohov sighs relieved. But it sucks that he has to give up on the girl…
With a flick of his wrist the closet door opens. He magically pulls her out of there.
"Here." He pushes her towards Riddle.
And the Minister makes an ugly face. "Are you kidding me, Dolohov?"
The girl is crying silently, her head down.
"The magic is hers. I mean, the power is inside her." He taps one hand on her head.
Riddle crouches in front of the girl, examining her with narrowed eyes.
"Who are you? What's your name?" He asks her, but she doesn't answer. The girl only sniffles. "You took her from the house?" He asks Dolohov, his eyes still on the girl.
"Yes. She was inside the bedroom."
For long minutes there's silence while Riddle keeps looking at her.
"Tell me your name." He finally says and even Dolohov can feel the Imperius.
"Hermione." She says in a low voice.
"How old are you?"
"Two and one month."
Dolohov is surprised by how well she speaks at this age.
"What is this?" Riddle asks, his hand taking something from the girl's little hand. Dolohov hadn't noticed that. "Is it a toy?"
"A phoenix." She says in a low voice, crying still.
Something passes through the Minister's eyes. Exhaling heavily, Riddle stands up. "You're coming with me, Hermione. I'm your father now."
"What?" Dolores reacts violently. "Are you crazy? She's probably a Muggleborn!"
"I don't owe you or anyone else explanations, Loli. You're only here because I called you, remember that."
"You can't do this to-"
"Silence! Enough."
She purses her lips. And then, Tom Riddle is using a spell on Hermione. Dolohov has no idea what he's doing, but the girl falls asleep and he levitates her.
"I hope I don't see you again, Dolohov."
With that, they're gone.
Gringotts
Now that the basilisk is only a carcass in front of him, Harry is having a hard time in stopping his power. It's taking over everything and he fears for Chiara. He fears she might burn or suffocate. Even for him is getting harder and harder to breathe.
But the fire is not obeying him anymore. As expected, this got out of hand. He grits his teeth, doing his best to pull it back, trying to stop it. Harry lets out a yell, gathering the fire in a line in front of him, his arms guiding it. He's sweating like he never did before in his entire life. The magic inside him is battling with the fire while it tries to control it.
He knows this is going to drain him, but he doesn't care, he has to be able to tame the fire.
His shirt and vest start to burn. It doesn't hurt him.
He screams another time and closes his eyes, his magic is going away fast.
"COME ON!"
And he closes his extended arms in front of him.
With an explosion and a huge chunk of his magic, the fire is gone.
Ashes are taking over the place, smoke. And he's naked from the waist up. It's odd because it's almost like he can feel the tattoo moving. He can feel the feathers on his back, the wings-
A cough behind him makes him turn on his heels. Chiara is on the floor, her skin is tainted black with the ashes and she gasping for air.
"Shit."
He goes to her, trying to take her in his arms but she flinches away.
"You're burning up!"
She keeps coughing and he tries his best to help her. All the water inside is gone. His eyes scan the room. The door is back there.
"Come, Chi. Let's get out of here."
The Palace
She's kneeling on the ground. Crying. Sobbing. It was too much. Maybe she shouldn't have seen it. The way Riddle so brutally killed her father-
Ludwig is crouching in front of her, out of his cell.
"The only thing I never figured out was how Riddle didn't see Harry in your memories."
She knows how. The protection Lily put around him. His enemy wouldn't be able to see him, not until Harry revealed himself.
"Well, doesn't matter." Ludwig says and one of his hands brushes a few tears from her cheek. She moves away aggressively, standing up.
"Who are you?"
She thinks she knows. But she wants to hear it.
Ludwig also stands and pockets his hands. Hermione tries not thinking that this man is on the loose inside the Palace. She can't let him leave the dungeon. But she doesn't have the power to stop him. The most she can do now is protect herself.
"You know who I am." He squints. "You fucking cunt." He moves fast, slapping her across the face. She has the state of mind to put up a shield around herself - weak - and step back, away from him. "I wanted you to see how your parents got killed. Wanted you to see the tragedy. And the way Dolohov and Riddle treated you like a thing." He hisses the last word, his eyes crazy. "I can't tell you how much I've hated Dolohov all these years. I imagined Riddle would have taken you regardless because he would feel your magic, but Dolohov gave you an even better chance and that infuriates me completely!"
"Because I took your place, didn't I?" She says with some defiance. "Why Riddle didn't want you? Were you too weak for his liking?"
Ludwig bare his teeth like an animal. "Even if he considered me weak, I proved him wrong, didn't I? With my powders and the way I've completely destroyed you." He clears his throat and runs his hands through his hair, combing it. "You are no match for me anymore, Hermione. You really are nothing. Your magic is gone and Potter is not here to save you. I'm sorry to tell you that I don't think he's coming back from that vault either." Her heart beats faster at that. "Which is a pity. I really wished he would be here to see this place get what it deserves. All these filthy Mudbloods." He clearly shivers from disgust.
It angers her.
"I can imagine how it must have been being second to me. A Muggleborn." She lets out a nasty laugh. "It's no wonder you're obsessed with me, no wonder you've done nothing but stalk me your entire pathetic life. Tell me, Ludwig, do you finally have his approval? Or is he just using you and your powders? Because of one thing I'm sure, he's never going to love you."
He clenches his jaw but doesn't move closer to her.
"I could kill you fast. An Avada, maybe. But I'm not feeling that nice anymore." And he moves his hand to throw a Cruciatus her way.
Hermione crumbles down. The pain is ridiculous. Her shield gone in a blink.
"I think your heart might stop in an hour or so. Hope you enjoy your last 60 minutes on this life, Hermione." He takes a few steps to leave the dungeon, but stops on his tracks. She can see his back. "He may not love me, but I don't want his love. I'm a Riddle, Hermione. The true Riddle Heir and I'm taking what's mine. That's the only thing that matters."
Gringotts
Chiara is well. Even if she doesn't look like it, she has way more magic than he. So, she summons the cart to them.
"Where are the fucking Goblins?" She murmurs when they sit down on it. Harry uses his Cloak to conceal them. They smell of a bonfire.
"I have no idea, but we need to find a way out of here." He can't stop thinking about Hermione. There's a heaviness in his chest that he can't quite explain or understand, but he needs to be with her.
Chiara uses her magic to ignite the cart but nothing happens. "Shit." She slams a hand on it. "Where is that old loony wizard? Dumbledore."
Harry had forgotten about him. He looks around, but there's no one else there.
"Try a different spell." He says to her, suggesting one that might work with the cart.
Nothing happens.
"Fuck, I can't believe this." Chiara says, and she keeps trying spells.
The Palace
She's trying to embrace the pain. If she's honest with herself, there's nothing else she can do about it. And she's been through worse. It's not a Cruciatus that's going to break her. Not now.
Hermione knows she's dying. But the only thing she can think about is Harry. She wonders where he is. She knows he's not dead. She would have felt it through their bond, wouldn't she?
Tears are coming out from her eyes. The memory keeps repeating itself in her mind. She has no idea why they didn't flee with her. Why they didn't hide her. She can't stop thinking at the way her parents fought the wizards. They wanted to help. And it cost their lives.
And now she's here. Waiting for death. A death delivered by the hand of Tom Riddle's true son. It's not hard for her to understand what happened. Dolores got pregnant and when the child was born and Riddle saw that he wasn't strong enough to be his Heir - an illegitimate Heir - he kept both Dolores and Ludwig in the shadows, hidden away from Society while he paraded around with Bellatrix and their powerful daughter.
It cuts her heart open.
The reality of things. The way it all happened. How the Potters and the Grangers were murdered.
And Harry's not here with her. She's going to die and he's not here. He's not here to protect the Palace.
She tries not biting on her tongue while she resists the curse. It's fucking painful and she's getting weaker and weaker. Her heart is beating in a crazy rhythm while trying to keep her alive.
No one saw her entering the dungeon-
But even so, someone ends the curse and she inhales deeply. Hermione looks up to see John in front of her. And Dobby behind him.
"Hermione, oh, shit." John raises her from the ground, embracing her gently. "Dobby told me he saw you entering and after a while Ludwig stepped out."
She cries, holding on to John. As always, Hermione doesn't have time to mourn her pain. She needs to act.
"Ludwig is going to do something, John. We need to alert everyone. Dobby," She turns to the elf. "Can you apparate into Gringotts?"
"The Goblins don't like Dobby very much-"
"Can you?" He simply nods. "Harry and Chiara are there. I- please, I beg of you, try to bring them back. We need them, Ludwig is going to attack the Palace."
The elf is clearly uncomfortable, but he inhales deeply and raises his head. "I'll do my best!"
With that, he's gone. She turns to John.
"Let's go."
"Hermione." He helps her up but he stops her steps. "You're not well, you can't fight."
"I have to."
"No. You won't survive." He has a gentle look on his face. "And I'm never going to forgive myself if-"
"John." She cups his cheek. "You always felt like a father to me, you know?" He swallows hard, pouting. "Thank you for taking care of my mother. For taking care of me when no one else could do it." She knows there were many times when her mother was locked inside a room and this man tended to her after the endless torture Tom Riddle put her through. "But I have to do this. I would never forgive myself for doing nothing when these wizards and witches need me. You can understand that, can't you?"
John sighs, looking down and then up at her again. "I'll be with you, Hermione. Lead the way."
Gringotts
"Are we fucking stuck here forever?" Harry asks to the nothing.
They already tried everything they could think of. Every spell. Apparating away. Nothing works inside this fucking Bank.
"Maybe Hermione will come for us. Or send someone."
Harry bites the inside of his cheeks. He's worried about Hermione. And having no idea why is killing him. But it's a strong feeling. It's clear to him that he's not separating from her again when they get back.
"Maybe. She said she would-"
They both jump back when they see the elf in front of them.
"Master Potter?" Dobby whispers, looking at them but not seeing them.
Harry gets rid of the Cloak.
"Dobby! You're here!" He wants to laugh from joy. Fuck, Hermione did send someone-
"We need to go! Fast, master."
There's desperation in Dobby's voice and it quickens Harry's heart. He doesn't ask what's wrong, but he takes the elf's little hand and in a blink he and Chiara are back to the Palace.
And he can't believe what he's seeing.
"Fuck." Chiara whispers.
(…)