The Serpent and the Eagle

Chapter Eight - An Attack In The Dark

[Sing For Absolution]

[Muse]

Lips are turning blue
A kiss that can't renew
I only dream of you
My beautiful...

Tiptoe to your room
Of starlight in the gloom
I only dream of you
And you never knew

Sing for absolution
I will be singing
Falling from your grace

There's nowhere left to hide
In no one to confide
The truth runs deep inside
And will never die

Lips are turning blue
A kiss that can't renew
I only dream of you
My beautiful...

Sing for absolution
I will be singing
Falling from your grace

Sing for absolution
I will be singing
Falling from your grace

I won't remain unrectified
And our souls won't be absolved

Hogwarts, early October 1996

Blue eyes stared at the kissing couple in the corner and narrowed dangerously. The couple broke apart, smiling and gazing lovingly at each other while the watcher balled his hands into fists, trembling with rage and unconscious of the fact that his knuckles were turning white. The belligerent foe snapped a quill in half, unnoticed in his wrath.

'Take your grubby mitts off my sister!' he growled.

'Oh, for heaven's sake!' Hermione snapped.

'What now?' Ron demanded.

'Stop eyeballing Ginny and Harry,' she said sternly. 'I'm only saying this for your own good, so you can take that death look off your face and focus on your Potions homework.'

Crookshanks batted a crumpled ball of parchment from Ron's homework attempt pile and chased it wildly about the common room. It was quite a pile, roughly half a metre in height and quivering like a bowl of jelly. Ron watched Crookshanks set upon the heap and sighed. 'Wish I had time to chase useless wads of paper about,' he groaned.

'You will have time,' Hermione replied, her voice softening, 'if you get your homework done. Come on then, I'll help you out.'

'Really?' Ron asked eagerly.

'I won't do it for you, if that's why you're so excited,' she warned. 'I promise I'll help you out if you get stuck, though, all right?'

'Thanks, Hermione,' he said. He placed his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it affectionately. 'You're a star.'

Hermione blushed pink and squirmed a little in her chair. 'It's no problem, Ron,' she replied. She almost kicked herself out of frustration. Why the hell was she acting like a little schoolgirl with a crush?

'Eh...just a wild guess here, but could it be because you're only sixteen, you're attending school and you have a crush on your best mate?' Hermione ignored the annoying little voice in her head and returned to her homework.

She began to write out a list of potion ingredients for a burns remedy to get her mind off him. Somehow, her quill kept on slipping to write things like, 'Hermione Weasley' and 'My Ronnie, oh, my Ronnie' and even 'I love you Ron, despite the fact you're too dense to even tie your shoes, let alone understand my undying love...'

She gave a startled yelp as she read back over her list and realised that every 'ingredient' mentioned Ron. She tore up the page and threw it into the fire. A gang of first years looked up, alarmed.

'Hermione, d'you mind?' Ron gasped, scandalised. 'I'm busily working on my Potions homework here!'

'Oh, sorry,' she muttered, scanning through what he had written. There were a lot of words scratched out, and she was almost certain that her name was amongst the things that had been scribbled over. Her heart leaped and she had to struggle to breathe properly out of excitement. 'You forgot to mention lavender root to promote healing!' she yelped, her voice high-pitched.

'Hermione?' Ron asked, bewildered. 'Are you all right?'

'Fine! Fine,' Hermione squeaked. 'I'm just...I just want... I mean, I need a glass of water!'

She rushed through the crowded common room and scrambled through the portrait hole. Being a prefect, she was allowed to roam the corridors after curfew. She lit her wand with a word and hurried along the darkened corridors to the kitchens. A cup of tea was just what she needed, rather than water. It had been ages since she had had a cup of tea, just a touch of milk and one and a half sugars.

Her throat was tight and dry, and her heart seemed to be reprising the drum solo from Led Zeppelin's Moby Dick (Live Version).

'Damn you, Ronald Bilius Weasley!' she swore softly. 'I never asked to like you, but now I do. It's almost sick in a way...I have known you for almost six years, and we've been through so much together that you're practically like family. I virtually live in your house, and I care almost as deeply for your family as you do!' She paused and took stock of her surroundings. 'And now I'm talking to myself - joy!' she muttered angrily.

As she rounded the corner nearing the kitchens, she heard whispered voices. Ducking behind the statue of Geoffrey the Generous, her eyes widened when she recognised Cho Chang and Draco Malfoy. Cho was dressed in her Hogwarts robes, whereas Draco wore tight jeans (Hermione couldn't help but stare) and a black t-shirt emblazoned with the logo, 'Montrose Magpies'.

'Is the potion ready yet?' Draco asked softly.

'Not yet, Draco,' Cho replied. 'And I told you not to speak directly about it in school!'

Draco bowed his head, ashamed. 'I'm sorry,' he murmured.

'Forget about it,' Cho said idly, making a gesture with her hand as though she were waving away a bad smell. 'Did you get me the amaranth flowers?'

'Right here,' Draco replied. 'I had to raid Greenhouse Nine for them, but it was worth it.' He handed her a velvet pouch that gave off a strong, sleepy scent. It made Hermione's nose itch like crazy.

'What I'd give for Harry's cloak right now!' she muttered, shrinking back into the shadows and pinching her nose against the heady aroma. 'Why, oh why, did I have to have hay fever?'

'Good,' Cho said, oblivious to the spy. 'I'll get cracking on the final stage of the potion and we'll soon have him on his knees!'

Draco made a face, and looked pained. After a while of the Ravenclaw Head Girl gloating, he looked up at her face. 'Cho?' he ventured.

'Yes?' she asked.

'I don't remember amaranth being listed as an ingredient for that potion...' Draco trailed off.

'Of course it wasn't, silly!' Cho laughed. 'It was one of the ingredients for Androphonus. It makes the Blood of Eros just that little bit stronger, but without the devastation of Androphonus, you see?'

'I do now.' Draco scowled.

'Oh, my silly Draco,' Cho purred. 'Were you worried?'

'A little,' he admitted.

'Care to come back to my room?' she whispered. 'I've always loved you in those jeans.'

Draco seemed to shudder, and a shadow passed over his face. 'I thought we were going to wait...' he protested.

'I can't wait,' Cho whispered. 'I need you right now! It's been over a month, and I really, really want you.'

Draco's face twisted as though he were battling with himself, and eventually took on a highly relaxed expression. 'I'll do whatever you like, Cho. I'm yours. Do with me what you want.'

Hermione gasped audibly and clamped her hands over her mouth.

'Draco?' Cho said. 'Go find whoever that was and make sure they never breathe a word about this to anyone.'

Draco advanced, his wand outstretched.

Hermione shrank back into the shadows and pulled her own wand from the folds of her robes. 'You're a Gryffindor,' she muttered. 'Don't hide from a fight!' She leaped out and aimed her wand at the couple. 'Expelliarmus!' she shrieked, and caught Draco and Cho's wands as they flew through the air.

'It's Granger!' Cho screamed. 'Don't let her get away!'

Draco sprang forward, catching Hermione about the waist. Squealing, Hermione kicked and punched to escape his grasp. Draco held firm and caught her wrist in his hand.

'I'll be having my wand back, Mudblood,' he drawled.

'I think not!' Hermione rejoined, poking Draco in the stomach with it.

'Ow!' he yelped. 'Stop that!'

The wand snapped in half as Hermione gave a particularly vicious stab.

'Crap!' Hermione swore.

He lunged, and the severed wand entered his outstretched hand. He yelled in pain as the wood splintered into his skin. Horrified, Hermione threw Cho's wand down the corridor into the glooming darkness and turned to face her attackers. To her surprise, only Draco was there, clutching his hand and gasping in pain.

'What?' he breathed. 'What am I doing? How'd I get here?' He looked at his hand and gasped. 'Oh God!' he wailed. 'My hand, my wand! What in the name of Merlin happened to me?'

'Don't play the fool with me, Malfoy,' Hermione snapped.

'Granger?' Malfoy whimpered. 'Did you do this?'

'I had to!' Hermione retorted angrily. 'I didn't mean to hurt you, but you and Cho attacked me!'

At the mention of Cho's name, Draco's eyes went glassy. 'Stop Granger...' he muttered.

'What?' Hermione asked.

'Do whatever it takes, just stop her!' he said with alarming clarity.

'Stop it, Malfoy,' Hermione stuttered. 'You're...you're frightening me. Who are you talking to?'

'Kill her...' Malfoy moaned, lurching towards the terrified girl.

'I mean it, Malfoy, stop it!' she cried.

'Reducto!' Malfoy hissed, extending his damaged hand. From the shattered wand erupted a flash of green light. It shot forward and struck Hermione's arm.

Hermione screamed and fell to the ground, gazing in horror at her arm. The bones were broken, and several were sticking out of the flesh. The white of her eyes showed all about the brown iris, and she was able only to gasp and gibber in panic.

'Obliviate,' Cho whispered from the shadows. The spell hit Hermione hard and she lurched forward, hitting her already damaged arm off cold stone. 'Incendio,' she added, pointing at Hermione. Just at that moment, Hermione screamed, and by chance the spell hit Draco's injured hand. The damaged chunk of wand ignited in his flesh. He bellowed in pain and pulled the burning length of wood from the wound. He stomped on it once or twice and fled, leaving a bleeding Hermione on the ground, half-fainting with fear and pain.

Cho's eyes followed Draco's path. She was surprised when the first wet tear hit her face, and touched it with her fingers. She sighed heavily and strode off into the night, followed closely by Gabrielle.

'Eh! Cho! Très bien,' she babbled in French.

'Je sais,' Cho replied. 'Mais je ne suis pas heureuse.'

'Tu seras quand Maître en écoute!' Gabrielle insisted.

'Peut-être,' Cho sighed. 'Je me déteste!' she adn a whisper. She looked back and saw Hermione lying on the ground. She may hate the girl for being a success in everything, but she hadn't meant for all this pain and destruction. As much as she tried to hold on to these thoughts and guilt, they slipped away almost as soon as she experienced them. It was like trying to hold water in her cupped hands; it dripped between her fingers before she could do anything to stop it.

She rounded the corner, leaving Hermione alone in the dark.

The petite brunette was ashen faced and shaking. 'Ron,' she murmured, and finally let her eyes close in defeat.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

'Did you hear?' Lavender gushed.

'About the ball?' Parvati asked. 'Of course I heard! It's a once-off Halloween ball to encourage friendship between the houses.'

The two girls looked at each other and burst out laughing.

'Is Dumbledore mad?' they squealed.

Ron glared at the giggling gossip queens and struggled on with his Potions assignment.

'Well, duh, he's always been mad,' Lavender said scathingly. 'If he thinks I'll dance with Crabbe, though, he's obviously gone off the deep end.'

'I wouldn't mind dancing with Malfoy,' Parvati mused. 'He's quite good looking, if you're into that whole tall, pale and brooding thing.'

'D'you know who he'd look fantastic with?' Lavender said.

'Hermione!' Ron gasped, looking up from his Potions.

'Still daydreaming about our lovely Miss Granger?' Lavender teased.

'She's been gone an awfully long time for someone just getting a glass of water,' Parvati added. 'Maybe she met up with Viktor Krum or someone in the corridors...'

'Shut up,' Ron suggested. 'Harry? I'm going out.'

'All right, mate, see you later,' Harry said. Ginny was distracting him with a sugar quill. She kept on tickling him behind the ear with it.

Ron rolled his eyes heavenwards. Would he ever get used to that pair?

Hermione. His mind kept repeating her name, and he practically raced into the abandoned corridors.

'Wake me up again, would you?' the Fat Lady grumbled.

'Emergency, sorry!' Ron apologised, sprinting towards the kitchens. He had just reached the statue of Geoffrey the Generous when he tripped over something. He landed headfirst on the stone floor and groaned in pain.

Muttering angrily about useless house elves, he staggered to his feet and turned to see what he had fallen over. His heart stopped and seemed to rise into his throat. His chest twisted in agony, and the whole world seemed to be falling apart around him.

'Hermione!' he gasped. Kneeling by her still form, he winced when he saw her damaged arm. 'Who did this to you?' There was a smouldering twig nearby, and Ron shoved it away in order to get close to her. Gently cradling her neck with his forearm, he drew his wand and pointed it at her heart. 'Enervate,' he murmured, and watched hopefully as Hermione's eyes blinked and opened.

'Ron!' she murmured. 'How did you know I was here?'

'I was worried about you,' Ron whispered. 'You'd been gone for over an hour.'

'It hurts, Ron, it hurts so badly...' she whimpered, almost fainting again.

'Don't worry,' Ron soothed. 'I'll get you to Madam Pomfrey. Who did this to you?'

'I don't remember...' Hermione began to cry.

'Mobilicorpus,' Ron said, and held Hermione's hand all the way to the Hospital Wing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hermione looked nervously at Madam Pomfrey.

'Is it fixable?' Hermione asked.

'Of course it's fixable!' came the reply. 'There are few things that are beyond me, but this is not one of them.' As gently as a mother handling her newborn child, the Hogwarts matron examined Hermione's arm. She winced audibly and added, 'You'll be in for a rough night. A fracture like this is fiendishly difficult to heal.'

'You can fix it, right?' Ron pressed.

'I already said so, didn't I?' Madam Pomfrey snapped. 'I'll have the remove the bones first and regrow them. I'm sorry, Miss Granger, but you'll have a nasty night ahead of you.'

'Can Ron stay with me?' Hermione pleaded.

'Certainly not!' the matron replied. 'This is a hospital wing, not a guest house.'

'Please, Madam Pomfrey?' Ron begged. 'I won't be any trouble, and it's just to distract her from the pain.'

'Please?' Hermione added.

Madam Pomfrey frowned and sighed. 'Very well, then! But I'll be watching you both like a hawk.'

'Thanks,' Ron breathed.

The vile potion was administered, and Hermione coughed and choked as it slid down her throat.

'Ron?' she said.

'What is it?'

'I don't think I thanked you for what you did...'

Ron blushed to the roots of his hair. 'S'all right, Hermione,' he said bracingly. 'I just did what any friend would have done.'

Hermione shook her head. 'No!' she said. 'No, you worried about me enough to come looking for me, and then your first thought when you saw I was hurt was to help me. So, thank you.'

'It's all right, Hermione, really,' Ron repeated, blushing even more deeply.

'Is there anything you wouldn't do for me?' she whispered.

'Very, very little,' he murmured. 'Almost nothing.'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Interlude - Mortal Sin

London, February 1862

Cassandra sat on the edge of a rumpled, unmade bed. Wan morning sunlight crept through the half-closed curtains, hurting her eyes. She cradled the porcelain chamber pot between trembling arms, feeling her entire body quivering.

'How do you feel now, darling?' Albus called from the hallway.

'Still horrid,' Cassandra said weakly.

'Shall I fetch a Healer?' he enquired.

'No!' Cassandra yelped, placing the half-full container on the floor.

'Would you like some tea?' he asked timidly.

'That would be very nice, thank you,' Cassandra replied, pushing stray strands of grey hair from her sweat-slicked face. She listened as Albus' footsteps receded and cursed her own stupidity. How could anyone know that she had enchanted her clothes to keep her swollen stomach a secret? From without the clothes looked the same, but within they were spacious enough to keep her tiny bulge in check during the coming months. She was already beginning to show, which worried her intensely.

Stroking her stomach fondly, she felt another wave of nausea and shame consume her. She seized the basin, barely reaching it in time. With her head near that reeking mass, her mind raced with thoughts. Mostly ones that questioned her logic and mental ability.

'Pregnant!' she whispered in horror. 'A mortal sin...'

A witch she may have been, but this was 1862, and hardly a time period that would smile upon an unwed mother. As a matter of fact, she would probably be burned at the stake for this crime by her own kind!

And there was also her other problem...

Her eyes glowed red and some force manipulated her vocal chords into saying, 'Now, now Cassandra...it's not all that bad. Carry this child for seven more months and let me take it. Then you shall be free from me forever...'

Cassandra shook her head violently, almost dropping her basin. The red receded from her irises and they were pure blue while she spoke. 'Never! I'd sooner die than let you harm my child.'

'Come, come!' the demon said. 'It's hardly a real child. It's a bastard; it will never be of any worth to your society.'

'It's of worth to me, you fiend,' Cassandra snarled.

Cassandra gasped in pain as the demon left her body, weakening her until she was forced to lie down on the bed, shivering and pale.

She forced herself to look at this creature. Basically anthropomorphic in form, but that was all that was even vaguely human about this beast. A pale, ridged belly so transparent she could see straight through it to the black organs coiled and pulsing within. Its giant black wings were sheathed under black casing and gently waving antennae sprouted from its brow. Its eyes were massive and metallic red, staring ghoulishly at her. It had four arms and two legs, all covered in black hairs. Its teeth were tiny and black, like broken pieces of glass in its disturbingly human-like mouth.

'One child!' it hissed. 'Give me this one child and you will be free from me.'

'It's my child, our child - mine and Albus'!' she whimpered.

'How can you be so sure it's not mine?' the creature taunted.

'You have not left my body since the night my parents died,' she whispered, blue eyes closing and shedding tears.

'I might have possessed your Albus without his knowledge,' it snarled. 'You remember that night in December? You had drunk too much rum and he carried you home on his broomstick. He laid you in your bed, and you pulled him closer to you, whispered that you could not wait until your wedding night...'

'Stop!' Cassandra wept.

'Do you remember feeling weak?' it continued, stroking her clammy cheek with its hand. Her skin crept and she recoiled, whimpering. 'And when he finally entered you, you cried out and he kissed all of your tears away...' it hissed.

'Stop it now!' she gasped.

'What makes you so sure it was not I?' he continued.

'His gentleness,' she whispered. 'You could never hope to be so gentle.'

'I am a master of trickery, my beautiful Cassandra,' it mocked.

She screwed her eyes shut and snapped, 'Be gone, Beelzebub.'

'Do not speak my name!' Beelzebub hissed.

'Be gone, Beelzebub.'

'Not again, I plead of you!'

'Beelzebub, be gone!' she said, this time with a vehemence that startled her.

The demon hissed as it dissipated into fragments. The cloud of dust it made descended on Cassandra, pouring into her mouth, nose and ears like thick black smog. Choking, Cassandra fought as the demon possessed her again. Her eyes slammed open, staring at the ceiling and casting eerie red lights like demonic candlelight.

'Mine once more...' Beelzebub crooned, and Cassandra recoiled as she felt phantasmal hands touch her stomach.

'Leave my child be!' she groaned.

'Cassandra, who are you talking to?' Albus asked as he entered with a cup of steaming tea.

'Nobody!' Cassandra yelped. 'Nobody.'

'Are you crying?' he asked tenderly, wiping away the tears with a silk handkerchief.

'I...I just feel so ill,' she said lamely.

'Oh, sweetheart, I understand!' Albus soothed. He took her in his arms and kissed her brow. 'Perk up,' he suggested. 'You'll feel better in the afternoon. You usually do,' he added, sounding puzzled.

Cassandra felt as if she had been rolling in a sewer - dirty and sickened. The longer this demon controlled her, the more she felt like she was betraying the one man who had ever really loved her. Terrified of losing him, she kept her silence, feeling even more disgusted with herself that she was doing this to him and so endangering their child.

How on earth could she tell him that she was expecting his child and possessed by a demon all at once?

'Will you be all right alone?' he asked, wiping her face with his handkerchief again. 'I hate to leave you, but Nicolas and I are so close to discovering the truth in work...'

'I shall be perfectly fine, darling,' Cassandra soothed. 'You go to work, and I'll have dinner ready when you come home.'

'If you feel any worse, don't hesitate to owl me,' Albus added, pulling on his coat. 'I'll see you later tonight, sweetheart.'

He Disapparated with a gentle pop, and Cassandra dropped her head into her pillow and wept.

'How could I possibly feel any worse than I do now?' she sobbed.