Chapter 8

There was the usual moment of tight darkness, and she opened her eyes, expecting to see the campsite. But it wasn't there. Instead, there was a dark tunnel, and she still couldn't breathe. She looked over and Draco was standing beside her, hand still clasped in hers, pale and apprehensive looking; He was too "macho" to look scared. It lasted so long, that suffocating blackness, that she began to gasp for air that wasn't there.

Just before she felt as though she would pass out, she suddenly collapsed out of the tunnel onto dark stone, shooting pain upward through her knees. She tried to cry out, but there wasn't enough breath left in them, so she gulped air down, feeling the oxygen rush to her head. It gave her a major headache. She heard coughing behind her, and turned to see Draco standing there, having managed to maintain his balance, but obviously getting the same headache.

"Where are we?" Hermione panted, looking around. "This is not our campsite." Most definitely not their sandy little beach. Far from it. An enclosed courtyard, made entirely of dark stone, with no ways in or out and containing nothing but the two of them, and a lot of apprehension, a threatening sort of atmosphere that put them immediately on edge.

"No. No, it's not," Draco said, helping her to her feet and glancing around worriedly. "How did we end up here?"

"This is where all the occupants of my island end up when they finally think to try aparition," said a voice from behind them. They spun around to see a man, tall and thin. He had an air about him, dark and foreboding, though he was quite handsome. It was almost the same quality that Tom Riddle had possessed in his prime, charming, charismatic. His hands were tucked nonchalantly into the pockets of his casual suit, his hair slicked tastefully back from his face. Slight streaks of grey at the temple and crows feet at the corners of his eyes belayed more years than he seemed to have lived. He was smiling slightly at them both.

"What?" Hermione demanded, turning to face him fully. "What do you mean, 'your island'?"

"Exactly what I said, dear girl," the man replied serenely, continuing toward them. "I own this island. Not legally, quite, but it doesn't really matter. It's uncharted, Unplottable, unused, and unknown. And I'll just get around to telling you right now that no one besides me that's ever been on this island has gotten off of it. I tamed it, and therefore I control it. And I must say, dear children, that you are the newest participants in a game I have never lost."

Hermione, gripping Draco's arm tightly, took a few steps back. A panic was growing in the pit of her stomach, making her dizzy. This was most definitely not what she had expected to hear. Draco put an arm around her, as if he could protect her from this man. His other hand pointed a wand at the man.

"Come any closer and I'll curse you!" he said bravely. The man chuckled, but kept coming at them. "I'm warning you! I've had experience with this thing, believe me!"

"Oh, you foolish, foolish boy," the man hissed, coming faster now. His expression never changed, one of polite amusement to see their fear growing. "You really think those curses will do anything at all to me? Go ahead. Kill me. I dare you." Without a second thought, Draco shot a killing curse at the man. It passed right through him. Nothing happened. The man chuckled again.

"H-how did you do that?" Draco yelled pulling a trembling Hermione closer to him.

"Didn't you hear me before? This is my island." A manic sort of gleam was creeping into the man's eyes, his grin widened predatorily. He pulled his hands out of his pockets, his fingers twitching slightly as they compulsively clenched and unclenched. His voice, however, remained as calm and quiet as ever, composed and placid. "I control everything here. The weather, the plants, the animals, the magic, everything! Whatever I say goes, and I say that curses don't work here. And it is so. Here, my word is law. Here, I am in charge. Here, I can do what I want. Here, I rule!"

"W-who are you?" Hermione whispered.

"Here, I am God."s