Disclaimer: All Characters and things associated with Harry Potter belong to J.K. Rowling and Warner Brothers. This writing is purely for entertainment only.
Summary: Harry died in the Forbidden Forest and Ron and Hermione must find a way to finish his mission in a world where Hermione and her blood status leaves them both in incredible danger.
Chapter 12
Hermione was beyond scared as she was dragged through the long dark halls of the Ministry to the basement courtrooms. The Deatheaters who had attacked and captured her flanked both of her sides. Her hands were tied together and her wand had been taken long ago.
Her mind raced, wondering if there was really a way out of this and even if there was what did she have to go back to? She was certain Ron was dead. They had left him behind, but she couldn't imagine they had let him live. If he was dead, she had nothing.
She was dragged into the same courtroom that she, Ron, and Harry had stolen the locket from Umbridge in over a year ago. I felt so much larger now to her, but the room looked the same, and the woman, dressed in bright pink, standing high at the inquisitor's chair was the same woman that Hermione had always hated. Dolores Umbridge smiled menacingly down at Hermione.
"Why, Miss Granger...what a truly lovely surprise," Umbridge said as her lips twitched into an evil smile.
Hermione felt a chill run down her back and at the same time a feeling of anger rose in her chest, confusing her internal system of how to act. She both feared and loathed Umbridge at the same time.
"What should we do with her, ma'am?" One of the death eater's holding Hermione asked as they shook Hermione by her collar for emphasis.
Umbridge pursed her lips as if she was deep in thought, though her answer came far too quickly for her to have not already had the idea the moment Hermione had set foot in the Ministry.
"Tag her as one of the higest order Mudbloods and bring her up to auction. Notify all the Pureblood families...someone will surely pay a small fortune for Potter's Mudblood." Umbridge ordered.
Hermione felt a coldness run down her back. She was smart enough to know what fate Umbridge had subjected her to. She has learned enough about the world under Voldemort's rule, seen it with her own eyes even. She would now be subjugated to the same fate she had seen other Muggle Born's given. She would be sold off, like an animal, to the higest bidder and she was certain Umbridge was right; more then likely a deranged Pureblood family would want her, if for no reason then to truly defile and break her because of how close she had been to Harry. She knew now, her life would be reduced to nothing quicker then she could have ever thought possible.
"Anything to say for yourself, dear?" Umbridge taunted Hermione.
Hermione set her jaw firmly and glared ar Umbridge, knowing she may never have the opportunity to speak again to the awful woman. "Go to hell..."
Umbridge merely smiled at Hermione's words and shrugged. "Oh, I don't think that's going to happen to me, but for you, dear, you may just be on your way."
Without another word, Hermione was dragged away from Umbridge and brought up a flight of stars where she was then thrown into a holding cell. She whimpered as the door was locked behind her and the darkness of the small room overtook her.
Hermione curled into a ball on the cold stone floor and lay very still. She wanted to cry and scream but she knew it would do her no good. No one would save her now. There was no one left to save her. She was certain Ron was gone, and that singular thought of the redhead she had fallen madly in love with, the thought of never seeing Ron again, brought a few stray tears to her eyes that she tried desperately to fight off.
Crying would get her nowhere. No one was coming to save her.
Ron's eyes flicked opened and it took him a long moment to get his surroundings in focus. When he did, realizing he was laying in the sitting room that formally had belonged to the Granger's, he quickly sat up, his mind racing to Hermione.
They had been attacked. She had been taken.
Ron glanced around, still half hoping it had been a nightmare and he would find Hermione safe next to him but the room was empty.
She was gone. Taken.
Ron got to his feet quickly. He knew, if he had any chance of finding and saving Hermione he only had a short amount of time to do so and he needed all the help he could get. Without thinking for another second he apparated to Shell Cottage, hoping to find anyone who could help him.
He landed on the beach and was relieved to see lights on at the Cottage. That meant someone was there.
Ron sprinted to the front door and straight into the house, met immediately with the wands of Ginny, Neville, and George, all ready to blast him to oblivion from their seats at the kitchen table.
Lucky for Ron, they recognized him before they attacked him.
"Ron?" Ginny was on her feet instantly, surprised to see her brother.
"They got her. They took Hermione!" Ron was frantic as he tried to catch his breath.
The room fell silent for a long moment as Ron searched the three faces in front of him, deserpate for their help and yet receiving none.
"Did you hear me?! They have Hermione...we have to find her! We have to save her!" Ron shouted.
"It's not that easy, Ron," Neville eventually spoke up.
"What do you mean?" Ron was confused by Neville's words. He didn't think it would be easy but he also thought he would get a better response then he was getting.
"There's no way to save her, Ron. If she was captured she's as good as gone," Ginny said, almost matter-of-factly.
Ron shook his head, a mix of pure disblief and anger filling him. He wanted to reach across the table and slap Ginny, instead he slammed his fists on the table. "I don't believe that bloody bullshit!"
"Relax there, Ron," George said with no enthusiasm, only angering Ron more.
"No, George, I will not bloody relax. I need to find Hermione before something happens to her!" Ron glared at his older brother.
"More then likely you are already to late for that," Ginny said.
Ron turned his glare to his sister, fighting the urge to punch and kick all three of the people in front of him. He didn't understand why none of them wanted to help him, why they were giving up so easily, why they didn't seem to care about Hermione.
Neville seemed to be able to read Ron's facial expression perfectly and so he sighed, drawing Ron's attention to him. "It's just that...it's been nearly impossible for us to save any Muggleborns once they are taken...and Hermione would be a big deal to catch, given how close she was to Harry..."
"All I am hearing is we don't have a lot of time to find her then," Ron said, his fists still in balls as the anger continued to rise in his chest. He suddenly didn't care if they wanted to help or not. He would find Hermione no matter what. He would not lose her like this.
At some point, Hermione had managed to fall asleep. She wasn't sure how, as the cell was cold and suffocating. She just assumed it was from the absolute shock of what had happened to her. It was as if her body had shut down to sleep to protect itself from the situation she was now in.
However, that sleep did not last long and Hermione was awoken by the door of her cell banging opened. She glanced up, her eyes adjusting to the light coming in from outside the cell door.
"Get up!" A Masked Death Eater entered her cell, grabbing her by the collar and tossing her out of the cell and across the hall floor, her back colliding with the opposite brick wall.
Hermione closed her eyes in pain as she felt her spine hit the brick. She would be bruised for sure, should she live through whatever was about to happen.
When Hermione opened her eyes again, she was staring up at Dolores Umbridge who was smirking over her.
"You're very lucky, Hermione. You were bought almost instantly and for a hefty price indeed," Umbridge told her, as if Hermione should be proud of herself.
Rage built in Hermione's chest and she wanted nothing more than punch Umbridge straight in the face. It was in that moment that Hermione realized her hands were not restrained and she very well could have, but she knew it would only cause more trouble for herself. She assumed she was not tied up because she was not a real threat, especially without her wand.
When Hermione said nothing the masked death eater yanked her to her feet and they began following Umbridge out of the cell-block.
"We will bring you up to your new Master. You will then become his servant. I suggest you do what is asked of you as death does not come easy to many mudbloods in your new position. We really prefer you alive...it takes most Pureblood's so long to break you all in that if we must dispose of you I can assure you it will be a rather long process," Umbridge explained Hermione's fate and though Hermione could not see the nasty woman's face she could tell Umbridge was smiling.
Hermione allowed Umbridge's words to sink in. She knew what was to become of her and Umbridge's words only confirmed it. She would now be bound to the whims of whatever Pureblood Wizard had bought her. Her future was non-existent. She was now just another number, another casualty of Harry's lost fight.
Hermione wouldn't allow it. She decided in that moment that whatever torturous death the the Pureblood wizard who purchased her could bring upon her, it would still be a relief from living in a world where she knew she would never see Ron or her family ever again.
Umbridge led Hermione up the stairs where they met someone in a black suit, his back turned to them, with a black hat on.
"She is all ready for you!" Umbridge nearly sang as she grabbed Hermione by the arm and pulled her forward.
The wizard who had purchased Hermione took off his hat before turning to face her, but Hermione didn't even need to see his face to know who it was. Her blood ran cold as she recognized the bleach blonde hair under the hat, and suddenly she was face-to-face with Draco Malfoy.
"Ah...Granger!" Malfoy's silver eyes seemed wild as he smirked at her.
Hermione took a step back, recognizing her fate. Draco Malfoy had purchased her.