::creeps into view:: Um, hi everyone! Did you miss me? Well, you probably didn't, but I'm hoping you missed the next chapter! Sorry, sorry, sorry! ::cringes:: Have mercy! I've had so much stuff to do and just no time to get this together! But guess what? This is a long chapter, and the second to the last one! Yay! Ok, so, on with the story!
Disclaimer: Don't own the characters, do own the plot!
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Chapter 24:
"It must be the countercurse to Avada Kedavra!" Her eyes widened in excitement and amazement.
"There's no such thing," Draco scoffed half-heartedly. He secretly wanted to believe it, but there was simply no way it was true.
"Yes, this is it! Slytherin was the founder of the Dark order, right? So it would make sense that he made up Avada Kedavra. He had to make a countercurse, because that's the natural thing when you discover a curse. But of course he wouldn't tell anyone, because he wanted the curse to produce power, and if people could resist it, it would be pointless." Hermione had started pacing again. It seemed to be becoming a habit, whenever she was agitated or excited.
Draco saw a few flaws in Hermione's reasoning, however. "But the prediction was made by Rowena Ravenclaw. If Slytherin told no one, how did she know? And if she knew, wouldn't she have told someone? She most definitely was not in the Dark order," he smugly stated.
"Yes, but when real Seers make big predictions, they go into a trance, like Trelawny in our third year. She told Harry—" Hermione stopped, realizing she couldn't tell Draco about Sirius. He was still a fugitive, and though she knew Draco wouldn't tell anyone, she couldn't betray Harry's trust. Besides, it would take too much explaining right now. There wasn't time.
"The old fraud told Potter what?" Draco asked curiously.
"Nothing important. The point was she didn't remember making the prediction, and it did come true, so maybe Ravenclaw didn't either. If only Slytherin heard it, his secret was still safe. She probably Saw something happening with the countercurse and heard it, and from that sprouted her prediction." Hermione's eyes gleamed triumphantly.
"We still don't know for sure. That's a lot of guesswork and putting together pieces that we don't know are there."
"There's only one way to find out." Hermione grimaced.
"Yeah, I'd better go." He strode out the door. Footsteps followed him, before he reached the moving staircase. He turned around. "You aren't coming with me." He left no room for argument, but Hermione argued anyway. "We've been through this already. They're my parents."
"For all we know this is a complete hoax they sent just to scare us into revealing what's really going on!" Hermione shook her head and told him about the letter she had received. "You can't come. They'll kill you."
"Oh, and they won't kill you? Besides, the prediction says two lovers, not one person. We're in this together, whether you like it or not. Two wands are better than one, anyway." She stared defiantly up at him. He threw up his hands in defeat.
"Fine. But if you get killed, I'll never forgive you." She smiled weakly and pulled him onto the stairs.
"Let's go."
After the door closed, Albus reappeared, looking thoughtful. He hoped he had given them enough…
They walked-or rather, crept, since they were both supposed to be in class-down through the Great Hall and over the castle grounds quickly.
"Hold on. I just realized a slight problem. You don't know how to Apparate." Draco looked hopeful. Maybe this would stop her. He really wouldn't be able to forgive himself if she was hurt in anyway. This was all his fault. If he hadn't kissed her that day in Diagon Alley, she would be living happily ever after, perhaps going out with Potter or something, blissfully studying for the N.E.W.T.s. And you would be a hopeless Death Eater case. She saved you, and this is how you repay her? Getting her parents murdered. Some grateful person you are. He shook his head. What had she said? He was busy having a conversation with himself. This was crazy.
"What did you say?" Hermione almost laughed as she watched him internally chiding himself. It was quite funny.
"I said, that's what you think. That I can't Apparate," she added when his face stayed blank. "You've had a bad influence on me, Draco. I've been practicing my Apparating skills, since I couldn't take the test while in school. I may as well be certified." She grinned slyly at him.
Draco laughed. "That's my girl. Alright, let's go to Voldemort." With a slight *pop*, they were gone.
They instantly appeared in a strange place to Draco, but he heard Hermione gasp next to him. They were in a very obviously Muggle house, which he assumed meant it was Hermione's. The threat must have been true. This made things a tad more complicated.
Hermione's heart sunk as she stared around at her familiar house. The Death Eaters had destroyed many things, so even if they managed to make it out of this alive, with her parents, their house would forever bear scars from the ordeal.
Gripping their wands tighter, Hermione and Draco moved through the house. It was eerily silent, seeming as if to lull them into false security. Draco tensed every time they moved around a corner, expecting ambush. But nothing happened.
Where are they? Draco wondered, thinking hard. Where would they be? If he was an evil Dark Lord kidnapping someone's parents, where would he take them?
"We've been waiting for you two." Draco and Hermione spun around at the sound of a slightly squeaky voice trying to sound menacing.
"Wormtail," Hermione hissed. Draco started and looked at her. How did she know…?
"I prefer the name of Peter, but, to each his own." Wormtail shrugged. "I wouldn't advise that," he said sharply, pointing his wand quickly at Draco's chest when he saw the young man lifting his wand. "You see, there are five other faithful Death Eaters behind you." Draco turned calmly around to see that this was, indeed, the case. Hermione was still staring at the short, rat-like man.
"I call you Wormtail because you don't deserve a true name, you bloody son of a bitch. I would rather call you Wormtongue, or Wormheart, because Wormtail disgraces the memory of Harry's parents." Draco was startled at the obvious venom dripping from Hermione's words. He was also surprised at her seemingly extensive knowledge of Potter's family history, but then, perhaps he shouldn't be. The Terrific Trio shared everything.
You think of the oddest things when in mortal peril.
Draco came out of his thoughts to be suddenly faced with Voldemort himself. He looked the same as usual, if not even more superior and full of disdain. He swept past Wormtail and the other Death Eaters to stand in front of the two teenagers in disgust.
"Draco Malfoy." Voldemort said this like a curse, something to recoil from, a gross thing, like a half-eaten cockroach. Draco's face remained impassive. "Draco, Draco, Draco." This time his tone changed to almost fatherly. "I have given you everything you have ever wanted, and this is how you repay me? You had power, glory, and acceptance, in the palm of you hand, and you gave it up for this? This…" His gaze swept over Hermione, "this Mudblood and the confines of being 'good'? There is no good and evil, only power and those too weak to see it. I believe I said that to your new friend in his first year." It took Draco a second to realize the Dark Lord was talking about Potter.
"Potter's not my friend."
"No? He will be. They will suck you in, into that hero-worship of their pinnacle of good, the Saint Potter." The words stung, because they were ones Draco had often said in his earlier years.
But Draco kept his gaze level, never wavering from the challenging face of Voldemort. "I love Hermione, not Potter," he said in disdain, almost patient exasperation, as if Voldemort were nothing but a slow child not understanding a simple spell. "I also have no thirst for power, not if it involves giving up the good things in life, like love."
Voldemort narrowed his eyes, "Are you sure? I am being extremely generous, offering you one last chance. Will you accept it?"
With one word, Draco sealed his choice. "No."
"Crucio!" Voldemort had stepped back and instantly cast the Cruciatus Curse on the officially ex-Death Eater.
Draco felt agonizing pain all through his body, but gritted his teeth so as not to scream and therefore give the Dark Lord and his minions satisfaction. He sank silently to the floor, the room swirling dangerously around and around, faster and faster until Draco felt he would be sick.
The pressure stopped suddenly. Draco took a moment to steady himself, then started to get up. Comforting arms wrapped around him, helping, and he looked up into the face of Hermione, smiling tremulously at him. He struggled to his feet.
Voldemort had walked further, to the other side of the room, and was issuing orders to a few Death Eaters. They left the room.
The Dark Lord turned back to the two teenagers, and laughed coldly. It was high and ringing and malicious, and it sent a cold chill rippling through Hermione's bones.
However, compared to the sight that was now entering the room, that laugh seemed like a cute and fluffy pink stuffed bunny rabbit.
Hermione's parents were being levitated into the room, looking quite the worse for the war. They had numerous cuts and bruises, and her father's arm was twisted at an odd angle. Her mother's eyes were darting wildly in terror, and as they rested on her daughter, with confusion.
Hermione felt her heart blazing with fury. How dare Voldemort bring her family into this? They were innocent, good, upstanding dentists; they were no threat. Her fear was replaced with a boiling hate, making her feel reckless.
Draco sensed this, and placed a calming hand on her arm, gentle but restraining if need be. He didn't really have a plan, but rushing head first blindly towards Voldemort didn't sound like the best one.
Voldemort laughed again, sickly enjoying the horror on the Grangers' faces. He hissed at Hermione, "Let's see what your precious boyfriend will do to help your parents. My bet is nothing. Because he can't do anything. They'll die in front of you eyes, and you will do nothing."
Hermione closed her eyes and took a few deep, shuddering breaths. It wasn't true. He was just taunting her. She knew the spell. What was it again? Aro- no, that wasn't it. Arum…defend? No…fear and despair were clouding her mind, rendering it useless. She'd never been too good in a crisis; Hermione suddenly remembered her "There's no wood!" exclamation way back in their first year when she, Harry, and Ron were trying to get to the Philosopher's Stone. She smiled ruefully, and then opened her eyes.
Voldemort had positioned her parents to his liking. He stood in front of them, looking like a cat after successfully killing a mouse—smug and superior. "Shall I kill them now, or allow you to watch them suffer?" he mused loudly. Making up his mind seemed not very difficult, and Hermione felt Draco tense next to her.
"Crucio!" Hermione's mother jerked with the force of the curse, and screamed in pain. Hermione clenched her fists, but was helpless. The only thing she could do was wait for him to try the Killing Curse. They hadn't learned the countercurse to Cruciatus.
Voldemort lifted his wand and Mrs. Granger collapsed to the floor. He smiled wickedly, and turned to Hermione. "Enough torture for you? Want me to finish it now? You'll be next, filthy Mudblood. Or maybe your faithless boyfriend…" Hermione tried her best to ignore the Dark Lord's provocations. It didn't work.
"He's got more faith than you," she spat back. "He's better than you. Everyone is. You're just a soulless, heartless bastard craving power."
Voldemort's eyes narrowed. "I have power. More than anyone else in the world! Allow me to demonstrate." His wand raised once more, and his high voice called on the Dark powers as he yelled the two most literally deadly words in the word. "Avada Kedavra!"
Hermione tried to shoot forward and protect her parents, but her feet refused to move into the green light that was flashing through the room. She sensed, rather than saw, Draco darting forward almost inhumanly fast, but thought desperately, He's too late, we weren't ready, he's too late!
Hermione heard screaming and yelling, and realized the screaming was coming from her. Black spots swam in front of her eyes as she struggled to find Draco's form in the extended green flashes blinding her, but she felt her knees weaken, and the blackness engulfed her. Draco, Draco… And she saw nothing more.
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*grins and cackles evilly* Sorry that was a cliffhanger, but it's just the way it was written! Don't blame me! Oh wait…I wrote it! Hehe, sorry. But look on the bright side, the next chapter's the last one! And it's very long, so it might take awhile to get up, sorry 'bout that ahead of time. Feel free to criticize, but flames will be used to light my candles! Also, REVIEW!