Insanity

This took awhile to get out but if you managed to stick around, thanks. This chapter should have been out around a week and a half ago, but my computer basically killed itself and it deleted the whole chapter. But nonetheless, its done now. Brand new chapter, get it while supplies last! Attempt to enjoy. ;) ~Spirit

Chapter Four: Escaping Imprisonment

Hermione's bloodcurdling scream stabbed straight through Harry's heart. No. Please no.

Harry and Ron both looked at each other with the same horror-stricken face, and sprinted to the locked door.

"HERMIONE! HERMIONE!" Ron bellowed, banging on the bars.

Harry gripped the bars tightly in anger. "No. No! NO! Hermione! Damn!" he hissed. Every second that scream hit Harry's ears, it felt like it was impaling him repeatedly. What the hell are they doing to her? I can't do this. I'm going to faint. Harry started to breath hard. Think, you bloody idiot, think. You can't panic. Be strong, dammit. She needs you. I need to get to her. She's going to die if we don't get to her soon.

"HERMIONE! HERMIONE! HERMIONE!" Ron continued to scream.

"Ron! Shut the hell up! Calling her name isn't going to save her! We need to focus on getting out of here." Harry growled.

Ron took a deep breath. "Right. Right. You're right."

"We'll get to her. She's going to be okay, Ron."

Ron nodded. "Yeah, we'll get Hermione and the horcrux and get out of here. Let's start searching for something useful."

Harry began walking towards the back of the cellar, to the light that was provided by the wall lamp. As he walked, he ran his hand down the cold wall, in search of anything really. Muffled yelling erupted from above, followed by a pain-filled scream. Harry closed his eyes, trying to silence the scream from his mind. Every scream tore through Harry like physical pain. He couldn't imagine what they were doing to her. What horrible torture methods they were putting her through. I'm sorry, Hermione. Please, stay strong. He blinked back the tears and continued to walk. His hand suddenly dipped into a hollow space on the wall. Harry turned his head and noticed the indentation was from a missing brick that formed the cellar walls. He looked at the ground below the hole and his heart skipped a beat. Half of a brick laid on the ground, that he could only assume it crumbled from the wall. He picked it up and tossed it back and forth between his hands. It was solid. The brick was about the size of his hand, which would do nicely. Another scream pierced the air. Harry shut his eyes and took a few steps blindly, like he was in a daze. The next thing he heard made his blood stop short. "Please! Please, make it stop!"

It was Hermione. Her voice was broken and hoarse from the screaming. Harry feared the worst. He quickly turned to Ron, who lost all color in his face. "Ron! I found something!" Ron forced his attention to Harry, who was holding out a brick. Ron forced a ghost of a grin. The screaming stopped, and was replaced with sobbing.

"I figured this is the best we are going to get." Harry motioned to the rock. "I just don't have any sort of idea as of how we are going to get their attention to somehow use it on them."

"We call them down here and smash their bloody brains out." Ron spat.

"Alright, fair enough." Harry shrugged. "Okay, Ron-"

Harry was cut off by the most horrific scream he had ever heard. "PLEASE! I CAN'T TAKE IT! I BEG YOU! KILL ME PLEASE! MAKE IT STOP! MAKE IT STOP!"

Harry couldn't help himself. He dropped the brick and ran to the door, followed by Ron. No! Hermione! Please! Don't! Hermione!" Harry cried. Hang on Hermione. Don't let them break you. Please.

Harry grabbed the brick and paced over to Ron. "Let's start making a ruckus." Ron nodded. Harry pressed himself against the wall beside the door, brick in both hands ready to strike. "Okay, Ron scream, smash the wall lamps, bang the bars, kick the door, do whatever it takes to get Wormtail's attention. Ron ran over to the lamps and began shattering them, he rammed himself against the door, all while he was yelling "Hey! You coward! I'm getting out of here!" like a mad man.

"Shut it, Weasely, before I come down there!" Wormtail called.

"Watch me, Prick!" Ron backed a few feet away from the door.

Heavy footsteps traveled down the stairs. Wormtail's ugly face appeared on the other side of the door, wand in hand. He flicked his wand and let himself in. "Didn't I tell you to shut the hell up, Blood-traitor?" Wormtail made a move with his wand towards Ron and Harry decided it was time. "What in Merlin's nam-" Harry ran out from behind and slammed the brick over Wormtail's head. He let out an anguished yell and put his hands to the top of his head. Harry lifted up the brick to go for another blow, but Wormtail hit the brick out of Harry's hand. Harry tried to wrestle the wand from Peter's hand, but his other silver hand wrapped around Harry's throat. The boy let go of the wand and groped the hand around his neck. Wormtail pointed his wand at Ron and threatened him. Harry gasped and choked, as his windpipe was slowly getting crushed, whitespots appeared in his vision, and he found fighting hard to stay conscious. "Wait," he managed to squeeze out. "you owe me Wormtail...your life. I saved you."

With that, he felt the hand around his throat slacken its hold as Wormtail's eyes widened. Stunned that Wormtail would do this, he managed to wrench himself free from the small man. Harry began gulping deeply for air, his chest burning. Wormtail looked equally as shocked by his actions. Ron managed to wrestle the wand from the astonished, ratty man. Wormtail stood frozen, his eyes wide with terror, transfixed on his hands, and finally Harry noticed why. The silver hand, that Voldemort created for him, was slowly inching towards his own throat.

"No!" Harry cried in vain, but the hand found its place on his throat, squeezing tighter and tighter.

"No!" Harry, without thinking yanked hard at the hand around Peter's throat. But it was no use, he was beginning to turn blue.

"Relashio," Ron growled, pointing Wormtail's wand at the silver hand, but that did nothing.

"Harry, we have to leave him."

Pettigrew's now purple body heavily slumped to the floor. Harry couldn't believe what he just witnessed. His father's old friend just got strangled by his own sliver hand. He wanted to vomit. A bone chilling scream ripped out of Hermione that knocked Harry out of his daze. He mentally cursed at himself. Ron also looked like he was forced out of his thoughts. Both boys knew it was time to go. Harry shoved Ron up the stairs.

Once he reached the top, Harry saw something he will never be able to rid his mind of. On the cold, hard floor laid a bloody Hermione sprawled out at the feet of Bellatrix, unmoving. No. No. She can't be. No.

That is all you'll ever be: a Mudblood. Look how pathetic you are. You're weak. You're just a worthless piece of filth. She's useless. Greyback, do what you want with her."

Greyback grunted and began towards Hermione's limp body.

"Like hell." Harry growled.

Harry snatched the wand from Ron's hand and pointed it at Greyback. "Stupefy!" Fenrir flew back and hit a nearby wall, unconscious. Bellatrix whipped her body around and glared daggers into Harry.

"You!" she hissed, as she aimed her wand at Harry.

Harry acted fast and quickly yelled "Expelliarmus!" Her wand flew out of her hands and into Harry's. "Stupefy!" he stunned her back, away from Hermione's body.

"Ron! Catch!" Harry threw Wormtail's wand in Ron's direction, and he caught it. "Ron, I want you to grab her and-"

Suddenly, Harry got knocked down to his back. He tried to sit up using his left arm, but a sharp, burning pain in his left shoulder caused his to gasp in pain. He clenched his hurting shoulder with his good hand, and it became wet with blood. Harry looked up and saw Lucius pointing his own wand directly at him. The eldest Malfoy smiled. Harry braced himself and closed his eyes.

"Avada Ke-" A light-blue spark hit Lucius, making him fall back into a wall, unmoving. Harry opened his eyes to see Ron in front of him, holding out a hand. He grabbed it, and the red-head pulled him up. Harry ran over to Lucius's body and beckoned Ron to follow him. Harry picked up his stolen wand from the blond's hand and also managed to find Ron's and Hermione's sticking out of his pocket. He gathered them up and handed Ron his. Harry and Ron began to run towards the center of the room where Hermione laid, but they soon at to take cover behind a flipped table as a shower of curses began flying towards them. Harry peaked his head around the corner and saw it was Draco and Narcissa. With a sudden bolt of adrenaline, Harry jumped out from behind cover and began shielding and deflecting the curses, all the while casting some of his own. Ron quickly joined his best friend. Soon enough, they were full-on dueling with the Malfoys. Harry's shoulder burned with the swift movements, but he pushed it to the back of his mind, allowing the adrenaline to numb the pain. He couldn't stop fighting now, for Hermione.

"DROP YOUR WANDS!" a voice yelled.

All attention was focus on the direction of the voice. Harry and Ron turn and pointed their wands at the direction of the voice. Harry's eyes widened at what he saw. Bellatrix was holding up an unconscious Hermione, with her head pulled, and a knife to her throat.

"I said drop 'em! Or we'll see how dirty her blood really is!" Bellatrix screeched as she pressed the blade into Hermione's throat, making beads of blood. Hermione whimpered.

Harry couldn't move. He was mentally paralyzed. He heard something rattle as it hit the floor, which he could only assume that Ron dropped his wand, but he couldn't think. His eyes were fixed on Hermione. He studied her, almost waiting for her to spring up and attack Bellatrix. But besides her uneven breaths, she was motionless. Her skin was too pale, painted with blood. Her closed eyes were drowned out by dark shadows. He noticed a thin trail of blood dripping down from the corner of her pale lips, flowing consistent with her tears. His eyes moved down towards her stomach, and he internally winced. Deep red patches stained her shirt. he realized Hermione wasn't standing at all. Her body was relying, if you could even say that, on Bellatrix to keep her from collapsing. I'm so sorry. Once we are out of this hell, I won't let anything hurt you again. I promise, Hermione. I promise. Harry's eyes bolted up when Hermione let out a cry of pain as the knife slid deeper and farther across her throat.

You're a fucking idiot, Potter. "Alright!" Harry yelled, dropping the wand.

"All the wands." Lucius stated. Great, you're awake now. Harry closed his eyes in defeat and pulled out Hermione's and Bellatrix's wands and threw them down to the floor. Ron did the same with Wormtail's.

"Draco, pick them up. Now!" Bellatrix hissed. Draco jumped. He quickly walked over, collected them, and paced to his father's side.

"Well, well, well, look who we have here." Bellatrix sneered. "It's Harry Potter," she whispered in Hermione's ear, almost mocking her. "He's all bright and shiny and new again. Just in time for the Dark Lord." Hermione stiffed.

Bellatrix looked over to the Draco, "Call him." she smiled her sick teeth. Harry saw Lucius step forward, but something else caught his attention. In the corner of his eye, Harry could see Hermione slowly open her eyes. Harry steadily turned his head a bit to her to see her better, trying not to be noticed. She eventually made eye contact with him. Harry could see the panic in her eyes. He watched her furrow her brow and suddenly breath in sharply.

With that last amount of strength she had, Hermione hastily elbowed Bellatrix in her core, causing Bellatrix to recoil back. "You filthy, degraded Mudblood!" Bellatrix stumbled to get her footing. No.

"Run!" Hermione weakly yelled.

"Hermione, No!" Harry lunged forward.

Bellatrix tightened her hold against Hermione stabbed her in the stomach, and she screamed in pain. Harry watched in horror as Hermione fell to the floor like a ton of bricks.

"NO!" Harry pounced and tackled Bellatrix to the floor. He wrapped his hands around her neck, strangling her.

"YOU BLOODY BITCH! IF YOU EVER LAY ANOTHER FINGER ON HER AGAIN, I WILL KILL YOU! DO YOU HEAR ME? I'LL END YOU! he screamed in her face.

Ron managed to wrestle the wands out of Draco's hands quick enough to stun the Malfoys back away from Hermione. Ron looked over in a hurry to see Harry choking the crazed witch. He runs over and pulls him off of Bellatrix. "Harry. Come on, mate. We've got to get Hermione help." Harry reluctantly released Lestrange and realized what just happened.

Hermione.

He quickly turned and crawled over to Hermione. She was lying on her back, her eyes wide open, shaking violently. She didn't even notice him. He couldn't think straight. His knee's were damp. Blood. Hermione's blood. The silver knife was embedded in her stomach. Her right arm was weakly draped over it, almost protecting it. His shaky hand motions towards it, but she flinches. "Hermione." he choked out. He was crying. Hermione looks at him, almost pleadingly. He saw only pain and fear.

Bellatrix groaned. He forgot about the unconscious Death Eaters. They had to go. He looked up and saw Ron on the other side of Hermione, holding her hand. He knew his friend was hurting too. Ron heard Bellatrix too. Harry slid one arm under Hermione's knees and one under her back, and lifted her off the ground. Hermione moaned with the movement. "I'm sorry." Hermione writhed in his arms. "Hermione, hold on!" His shoulder was screaming from Hermione's added weight, but she was abnormally light.

"Ron, you ready?"

"Harry, we can't apparite in here. They've got spells up. It's like Hogwarts, but more like hell. We've got to leave the manor."

"Right. Let's go."

Harry and Ron sprinted towards the exit. Harry's shoulder was burning with pain, but he didn't care. Hermione lost too much blood already. Once they were outside, Harry held Hermione close and grabbed hands with Ron, and they disapparitted hoping Hermione was strong enough without getting splinched.

Ahhhh. Besides my computer literally exploding, this chapter was sooo hard to write. Usually when I write this stuff, it all rolls off quite nicely and barely takes any thinking. But with this one, it was so hard to ponder up words and how things are going to work out. I did run into a lot of plot holes when writing this and I tried to fix it the best I can. I'm going on vacation from the 6th to the 11th in August, so most likely the nest chapter will be out after then. Okay, good bye for now. Don't forget to review!