A Hero's Defeat

Chapter 9

"You look exhausted," Goyle said.

Harry shrugged. "Sleep is not easy to come by anymore."

"Ask Severus for a strong sleeping potion. You'll need it before we go into Azkaban."

Harry sat down at the table. He'd just checked on Luna and Katherine and added additional wards around number 12 Grimmauld Place. He would leave them there until such a time he could move them to Snape's manor without putting anyone in danger. As it was, half the people in their group were supposed to be dead and Harry knew Voldemort wanted Luna and Katherine to follow them.

"When are we going to Azkaban?"

Torn away from his musings, Harry looked up. Greg Goyle had been loyal to him since the beginning. At first Harry had been suspicious. Goyle, Senior was one of Voldemort's loyal followers and Harry had believed the son would follow. Greg had fooled his father and everyone else watching. Yes, he had followed a Death Eater, but that Death Eater had been a spy. Severus had drawn Greg into the Order of the Phoenix and later into the group Harry formed. Harry would win the war but it would be without the Order or the Ministry.

"Within the week," Harry answered. "I would rather not do it without Makara's aid, but we haven't much choice. We have to take Azkaban from Voldemort."

"We need someone on the inside."

Harry smiled. "Severus has someone."

"Who?"

"An old friend who has become an enemy."

~~~

Hermione walked the dark streets of London looking over her shoulder every few minutes. Even though she had an Invisibility cloak wrapped around her she knew some charms could render it useless. Her walk was almost a run when she saw her destination ahead of her. She had to warn them. She couldn't lose what family she did have left. At least the house was supposed to belong to her. If anyone was watching, they would think she was visiting to perhaps, turn it into another refuge for the Death Eaters.

Anyone watching would be very wrong. The wards reset themselves as she passed through the barrier. By the time she got to the door it was open and inviting her inside.

She had only been to the manor a few times in the past, preferring to meet in places with less chance of her being seen. She closed the door behind her and took off the cloak.

"Granger, what are you doing here?"

Hermione turned. She should have known they wouldn't let Draco die. "Hello, Draco," she said. He was standing at the base of the stairs. "It's good to see you alive."

"What are you doing here?"

She smiled. So he didn't know. It had been a good idea. Unlike Dumbledore's Order, where all spies knew each other, Harry had arranged it so that only he, Severus, or Goyle knew who was spying. Hermione only knew about Draco because she had been the one to question him under Voldemort's orders. He, of course, wouldn't remember his questioning except for the pain his interrogator had inflicted. She could tell he was still in pain. He was leaning against the wall for support and he was too pale and shaking.

"Hermione."

She turned. A worried smile crossed her face. "Father, we have a problem."

"Father?" Draco asked. "You two are working together, Severus?"

Hermione turned back to Draco. "How else would you have gotten here rather than a funeral at Hogwarts, Draco?"

Severus stepped forward and placed his hand on Hermione's shoulder. "Indeed. Hermione has been spying for Harry and I for several years. Yes, she is my daughter. How else would Voldemort accept her?"

Draco looked ready to faint. It seemed he was shocked by the revelation. Hermione could understand. She hadn't wanted to accept the truth when she'd discovered it either. It had been a shock to everyone involved and it had given Voldemort the upper hand in dealing with them.

"Now, Hermione, what is so important you must risk coming here?"

~~~

He had to be going insane now. How long had he been in here? Hours, days? He lost track. Seconds were lost in a blur of cold and pain. Who would come to torture him next? Harry, Voldemort, someone else?

Ron tried to move but it hurt far too much. What would they do to him next? Why couldn't they just let him die?

But he knew. Harry was the one doing all this. They had forced Harry to be the savior of their world and he had rebelled and now he would make everyone pay.

~~~

"Harry, Greg? What's going on here?"

Harry and Greg turned to the door of the kitchen. Luna was standing there with Katherine in her arms. Harry jumped up and took his goddaughter, leading Luna to a chair.

"Luna, there are a few things we need to explain and we haven't much time. Harry, perhaps you should start."

Harry shifted so he could hold Katherine in a comfortable position. "Luna, first I should tell you that Draco is not dead. Right now he'd recovering from the after effects of his questioning with Severus Snape."

"But Snape's dead," Luna said, shaking her head. "He died four years ago."

"Yes, but no. He's very much alive and he and I have been working together since long before Hogwarts fell."

Luna looked as if she were about to cry but Harry pressed on, telling her the truth about everything. Now that she was a target of Voldemort's assassins she could never go out unprotected and right now, Harry couldn't spare anyone to protect her. By the time he was finished Katherine was asleep again and Luna appeared to be in shock.

"So...all this time..."

Harry nodded. "George and Charlie, yes."

"I never would have thought it," she said. Harry nodded and passed Katherine to Greg who took the girl out of the kitchen.

"Luna, you're a very powerful witch and you're a healer. I need both right now. We're planning to raid Azkaban and free as many prisoners as we can."

"I'll do what ever I can, Harry. You saved Draco for me."

"No," he said. "Our spy did that. Tell Greg I needed to go get something from Hogwarts. I'll be back soon."

She nodded and he stood up. He didn't want to leave her but he needed to get the diagrams Snape had done of Azkaban. Harry wasn't sure whether he'd left them in the dungeons or in his own room. He called for his Invisibility cloak and put it into a pocket before leaving.

~~~

Ginny walked through the halls of Hogwarts, half blinded by tears. How could Harry be a Death Eater? How could he have fooled them all for so long? Voldemort had won the war now. Even if Harry killed Voldemort, which she doubted, he would become the next Dark Lord.

Not paying attention, Ginny didn't realize she'd ended up outside Harry's room. Maybe there was a clue inside. She whispered the password and the door opened. She'd had the room decorated like Gryffindor tower. She'd thought it would bring him back to them, to her. They had never had a chance. How long had he been with Voldemort?

Ginny sat down at the desk looking over the parchment and books scattered across the top. One book caught her eye. It was a potions book. Why would Harry have a book about advanced potions? He had hated the subject. She opened the book and saw Harry's familiar scrawl.

Three days. They've been gone three days. Severus and I are leaving for the elven kingdom Kylmisti later tonight. We'll go under the cover of darkness. No one can know where we're going or why. If the spies in the Order find out and tell Voldemort...We can't let him know we've figured out his secret. With Makara's help, maybe we can find a way to kill Voldemort.

Ginny felt like a dementor had entered the room. She was cold and couldn't breath. The entry was dated the morning of Harry's disappearance. He had planned it. Had he planned his return as well? She flipped through the pages and stopped at another entry.

...Severus pulled Hermione into this. He didn't want to, but we made him understand. We need someone near Voldemort and who closer than his potions maker? Severus doesn't want to put his daughter in danger, but Hermione is her own person. She always has been. I'll play my part. Hermione is a Death Eater. She is the enemy.

And another.

Draco confirmed our suspicions. Voldemort has been holding George and Charlie under Imperious. I had hoped maybe, perhaps we'd been wrong. Now that it's been confirmed, I ran the spell. Draco was right. Only George and Charlie, though. Ginny, Ron, and Tonks are clear. I don't like it, but I'll have to stay in the castle. They can't find out what is really going on.

Ginny wanted to cry. Harry's words couldn't be true. If they were, then it meant he wasn't insane. If the words were true, Harry was planning on killing Voldemort.

If the words were true...George and Charlie were telling Voldemort everything.

She looked through the entries again. Hermione was Snape's daughter? Snape was alive? Nothing made sense. This all had to be Harry's fantasy world. Still, she found herself wanting to turn the page again and find another entry.

Sirius is the key. I can't move forward with this plan until I bring Sirius back. I have to find a way to get to Grimmauld Place. We need to plan.

Could Harry be at Grimmauld Place now? Ginny didn't know what to think anymore. This had to be Harry's insanity. Certainly no one sane would think these things. Sirius and Snape were dead. Hermione was a Death Eater and had Muggle parents...No, no it wasn't possible. If Hermione was a real Muggle born Voldemort would have killed her. If she was Snape's daughter, however, she would be half-blood or more, Voldemort would accept her into his circle.

Ginny's body shook with sobs. None of this could be true. It just meant Harry was really insane and it wasn't just a game a Death Eater was trying to play. Harry couldn't really believe any of these words, could he?

The sound of the door opening scared her out of her thoughts. She looked up and saw him. Harry was standing before her with his cloak draped over his forearm. She wanted to disappear. The book dropped from her cold fingers. Harry crossed the room and picked it up. He flipped through it, not speaking.

"I knew I should have charmed this in a different way."

Her breath caught. So lucid, sane, and laughable. "Harry?"

He slid the book into his pocket. "I didn't want you to find out about this, Ginny. I tried to protect you from it. I failed in that as I've failed in so many other ways." He pulled out his wand and shot locking and silencing spells at the door. "So we can be alone. Ginny, you have to believe what I tell you. Ron's life depends on it."

~~~

"Harry must know of this," Severus said after Hermione had finished her story. He had feared Voldemort would figure out how to steal souls. It was an ancient and dangerous magic, but it was effective. If Voldemort accomplished it no one would be safe. It took longer to steal a soul than it did for a dementor to take it but the person taking the soul didn't have to be in constant contact with his victim.

If they were going to take Azkaban they needed to do it soon with or without Makara's help. A body without a soul could be possessed and could hold an enemy.

"I need to get back before my absence is noticed," Hermione said, standing up.

"Don't go back," Severus said.

"You have too few spies already," she answered him and he damned his own stubbornness. He'd passed it on to her. Either that or it was the Gryffindor stupidity. He wasn't sure which but he cursed both now. He didn't want her to go back. It was far too dangerous. Voldemort knew she was his daughter and would suspect defection. Better for her to disappear now than to be there when Voldemort wanted to question her about her loyalties. Without saying he tested her Occlumens shields. Still in place and strong. He thanked whatever deities were listening.

"Be careful," he sighed. "If trouble begins, portkey out."

"I know," she answered. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "I'll be in touch."

Severus and Draco sat at the table for a long time after Hermione had left. They hadn't prepared for Voldemort to be in such close relations with the drow to learn their soul stealing magic. If Hermione was right, they would soon lose all the prisoners in Azkaban. Severus didn't like what he would have to do but they would have to get everyone out of Azkaban. This was no longer a simple mission to rescue Black. This would be the first battle of the final war.

He stood up and walked to the fireplace. He was aware of Draco watching him. He hadn't answered any of the questions he knew his former student had but now was not the time to explain anything. He lit a fire and threw some floo powder into the flames.

"Godric's Hollow."

~~~

The man huddled in the corner of the room. He knew the other occupants thought him to be asleep or unconscious but he was very much aware of who was there and what was going on. The voices spoke and he was able to give names to his tormentors this time.

"Ah, Hermione, you've returned."

Hermione? He only knew one person named Hermione. She was dead. She'd been killed by Lucius Malfoy. Tortured by Voldemort. It couldn't be the Hermione he knew and loved. It couldn't be Harry's best friend. She was dead. Dead before he'd been sent into this hell.

"I always do, Lucius," the person called Hermione answered.

"Where did you go?"

"I had to look up something in the Snape library."

"No sign of Potter anywhere about?"

"If I'd seen him do you think I'd be here?"

Lucius laughed. "Indeed. Join me tonight."

"Has the procedure worked?"

What procedure? What was going on? He must be hearing them wrong. Yes...yes Voldemort was trying to trick him. Bring a woman in and call her Hermione and he'd release himself. Well Voldemort was wrong.

"With remarkable results. I thought we would be needed to break Weasley but Black here has done it for us." The woman called Hermione laughed.

"Good." There was a long pause. He waited for more torture but none came. He heard the locks click into place and risked lifting his head to look up. He was alone again. Alone with his thoughts but he didn't want to think.

Without a sound the man shifted form.