Puzzle to a Frozen Heart

Chapter 6

(A charge from the past)

Harry was getting desperate. He was trying to find this Hermione Granger, but so far, he had not been successful .

This day was getting worse by the minute. First, a cat ripped his sweater, then he met a certain Hermione Granger and.... Then, it all clicked.

"Hermione...wait ... wasn't that the name of the girl who...? Oh, crap!" Harry mentally kicked himself. He had already met his charge five years ago, on this very school.

Suddenly, out of the blue, he heard Oliver's voice, putting a stop to his betraying thoughts.

"Harry! What are you doing here?" Oliver came towards his friend, greeting him.

"Looking for Hermione Granger. Please tell me you know where she is," Harry pleaded.

"Why are you looking for her?" Oliver's face held a puzzled expression.

"Because I'm her Jedi Wizard, you idiot! Didn't Master Yoda tell you?"

"No. He just said that she had one. But hey, isn't this a bit emotional for you?"

"What do you mean?" Harry knew exactly what his friend meant, but not in this lifetime was he going to admit it.

"You know, she was the first girl you ever liked. I don't think you ever got over that. In fact, did you?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Oliver. That happened five years ago. Besides, I'm a Jedi Wizard now. Emotional attachments are strictly forbidden."

"So? That doesn't mean...."

"Oliver, do you know where she is?" Harry interrupted him before he could continue. He hadn't talked about his unresolved emotions in a long time. He had buried them deep inside himself and he wasn't going to let them out now, especially when the object of those emotions was so close to him.

"Well, I told her to wait for me in her room. Come on. I have to go there anyway." With this said, Oliver started to make his way to Hermione's room, Harry close behind.

The problem was that, as they walked deeper into Hogwarts, memories flooded Harry's mind. Memories long forgotten, memories that he had tried his best to suppress during his years at the Jedi Temple. Memories that couldn't afford to be left uncloaked. Memories best forgotten, but impossible to erase.

************

Harry woke up with a nasty headache. It took him a while to remember where he was and

why he was there. He slowly got up and began to smooth his Slytherin robes. That's when he heard her:

"Expelliarmus!"

"Oh my God! Hermione, " he breathed. He immediately got his wand out; sending red sparks up to the entrance and ran toward the sound of Hermione's voice.

He caught sight of him as soon as he arrived to where the voice had led him; Voldemort, the one who had murdered his parents, the one who had cursed his life since before he could remember, making him live with stupid Muggles and depriving him of family love.

For a moment there, Harry forgot about Hermione and began to walk through the flooded floor towards him. However, this was revaluated once he saw the one he had really come for.

Hermione's arms were tied upward to the Salazar Slytherin's statue and Ginny was lying on the floor, both completely unconscious.

Harry hid behind one of the serpent statues , while trying to figure out how to get them and himself out of there alive .

From there he watched everything which now haunted his dreams at night.

"Now, now, Gryffindor's heir, wakey up, " Voldemort hissed, throwing a splash of cold

water at Hermione's face. She coughed and opened her eyes, only to find herself face to face with

Voldemort.

"Morning honey. Slept well? " he asked, laughing maniacally .

"Up yours asshole," she barked .

"Now, let's play nice. We wouldn't want the Heir of Gryffindor to drown, now would we?"

"Why do you keep calling me that?"

"Because you, mudblood Hermione Elizabeth Granger, are Godric Gryffindor's heir," Voldemort affirmed while he held her wand close to her chest, making her shiver from fear.

"Oh well, in that case, why don't you call my granddaddy to come and pick me up?" she said

sarcastically.

"I get the feeling that you don't believe me, sweetie. Are you calling me a liar?" Voldemort growled.

"Hey, if the wand fits..."

In that moment Ginny, who had just woken up, kicked Voldemort's ankle, making him wince in pain. Then she pushed him, causing him to drop Hermione's wand to the water and broke into a run.

"Stupid Weasley, wouldn't you agree, Granger?" he asked, taking out his own wand and pointing it

at Ginny .

"Let's see, how about Avrada..." he tried to curse but Hermione's foot caught his knee, stopping him just inches from killing Ginny.

"You fool! Look what you made me do! I never miss! You'll pay for that dearly," he threatened.

Ginny kept running, not looking back but just as she was about to make her way out of the Chamber, a hand caught her waist.

"Ah!" she screamed.

"Ginny, it's me. Shut up," came Harry's voice.

"Harry!" Ginny squealed, throwing herself at him. " Did you come to save me?"

"Uh, something like that. Now listen to me, get out and find Prof. Dumbledore. Tell him that Voldemort is here and that he's trying to kill Hermione. Go now!" Ginny blew him a kiss and took off while Harry began once more to walk towards Voldemort. "I'll try to hold him off."

"Oh, well, I guess it comes with the family, doesn't it?" he heard Hermione's cool voice once again.

"You think you're so clever, mudblood. But don't you worry, I have all the time in the world to

prove you wrong. Let's see, what happened to you last year?" he asked, now pointing at her with his own wand.

"I don't know what you're talking about bastard."

"Now, watch your language. You're only eleven years old after all."

"Harry was only one when he defeated you." Upon hearing this, Voldemort began to laugh again.

"There you go again. Your bookish assumptions. But well, let's just say he was just lucky back then and right now, I couldn't say the same for you."

"Rot in hell."

"Maybe I will, but first things first. How about we see your lion tattoo?"

"What?!"

Voldemort ripped Hermione's sweater and blouse, revealing her white lace bra. Then he turned

her around , revealing a lion forming a 'G' on her right shoulder .

"What do you call this Granger? A birthmark? A coincidence? Well, I'd say that coincidence, it is not, and due to the fact that it appeared last year, I'd say that it is a little late for a birthmark." he said, passing his hand through the tattoo.

"Don't touch me!"

"Oh feisty, aren't we?" He turned her around "I'll explain that tattoo for you dear. That is

the mark that , what do you call him ? Oh yes, your 'granddaddy' left you, the one that identifies you as his heir. But don't worry, I'll relieve you of that task soon enough. Now, would you like a swim?" And, with a whirl of his wand, he unfastened her chains and put her just on top of the

water that was coming out of the serpents' mouth ,tying her arms and legs with the same heavy chains that once held her in the Slytherin's statue.

"Now is the moment that I get to say: Bye, bye Heir of Gryffindor!" he screamed maniacally, letting her drop to the water.

Voldemort was so concentrated on seeing Hermione drown that he didn't see Harry walking up behind him.

"Rictusempra!" the boy shouted, making Voldemort fly and hit himself with the damp, stone hard floor.

Harry then, took off his robes and dived into the water to get Hermione. The water was freezing

and Hermione was near the very bottom. He swam under and grabbed her by her chains that tied her arms, pulling her up until they both reached surface . Hermione began to cough while Harry sighed. That had been close.

He got out of the water, only to find himself face to face with Voldemort.

"So, Granger has a boyfriend now? Well, no matter. Crucio!"

Harry let out a whimper as he felt on the floor. Voldemort began to laugh as Harry yelped in pain.

"You know, this is the same one that I used on your mother before I killed her. But, don't worry, I'll grant you the same courtesy." Voldemort promised him as he began forming the words of the killing curse in his mouth.

"Expelliarmus!" Voldemort was once again thrown to the floor. He looked at the curser; it was

Hermione, who apparently had recovered her wand. No, wait; this one was throwing green sparks!

"No! I killed her! She couldn't have.... Potter!" he screamed, realizing that he hadn't killed the last one of Slytherin's heirs.

*********

"Harry? Harry?? Hey, Potter!" Oliver had been unsuccessfully trying to get Harry's attention

for the past ten minutes . At last Harry seemed to snap out of his memories.

"Uh?" He glanced at Oliver, passing his hand through his untidy hair.

"As I've been saying during the last ten minutes, we're here!"

"Oh, did you? Sorry, I was just..."

"Yeah , in la-la land . Now move," Oliver commanded, opening the door to Hermione's room.