Last Christmas

She walked silently down the corridor, never looking up once. She had lost all hope... Her father had passed away in a fatal accident. She felt like there was nothing left to live for any more. However, images of her mother flitted through her mind. She needs me, she thought to herself, miserably. I can't abandon her... That would completely devastate her.

"There you are," a voice interrupted her thoughts, shaking her back to reality.

Hermione looked up for the first time. Ginny Weasley stood before her, juggling more bags than she could manage, flashing Hermione the brightest, sunny-day smile that she could.

Thanks for trying, Ginny, Hermione thought, tiredly.

"Haven't you packed yet, Hermione?" she asked, concerned. "Aren't you going home for the Christmas holidays?"

"I am," she said, wishing just the opposite.

"Well, come on, then, we have to leave tomorrow morning," she said, dragging Hermione along with her.

I wish there was someplace I'd be alone...

Suddenly, a thought struck her. Hagrid was away from school until the Christmas Vacations would end, which meant that his hut would be empty for the night...

But how will I get there? she wondered. Images of a magical garment flashed at the back of her mind. The Invisibility Cloak.

Perfect.

She tagged along with Ginny, longing for night to fall, when she'd finally get a chance to be by herself.

*

"Alohomora!" The door swung open. Hermione walked into the familiar-looking hut. I wish Hagrid were here, she thought, sadly.

"Incendia," she said. The fireplace burst into flames, wrapping Hermione's figure with a warm glow.

"I suppose I should rest for a bit," she said, to no one in particular. After she had learnt of her father's car accident nearly a week ago, she hadn't been able to sleep all that well. The terrifying nightmare that she had been trying to shut out of her life for seven years, had returned. Ever since she had been told that her father was dead, the same nightmare that she had long ago managed to escape from, now returned to haunt her dreams each night. She lay her tired body down on the surprisingly comfortable, yet enormous, bed. "Goodnight," she whispered to the ceiling, and shut her eyes, tears sliding out of the corners of her eyes.

*

He moved through the darkness with catlike stealth, not making a sound. Lance Pucey, a colleague of his father's, had arranged for a private meeting south of the castle, near the Hogwarts Lake.

He wandered around restlessly, not liking the fact that he was being forced to wait. He wondered what Pucey had to say to him... Whatever it was, he knew that it would be something that he would not want to hear.

He walked a great distance away from the large body of water, terrified of the fact that the Giant Squid resided there, yet careful that he wouldn't be caught outside of his dormitory at this time of night. After about ten minutes of aimless wandering, he was just about to return to his dormitory, when something caught his eye. He froze. Was that a fire he saw? He moved closer to the hut. Yes, indeed! he deduced. It was a fire. But Hagrid wasn't supposed to be at Hogwarts...

Rubbing his hands together, both because of the cold, and because of the immense pleasure his cruel intentions gave to him, he moved silently towards the hut. Getting Hagrid sacked really would be a treat.

Maybe then, just maybe, Father would be proud of me for once, he thought to himself.

*

Hermione squirmed in her sleep.

"Don't worry, honey," she saw Madam Pomfrey standing before her. "This won't hurt a bit..."

"Dentibus Redigo!" Madam Pomfrey cast, thus shrinking Hermione's embarrassingly large front teeth to normal size.

Suddenly, the scene changed. The room was darker, the walls much thicker.

"Don' worry, honey," she heard the same words. Only this time, it wasn't Madam Pomfrey that had said them. "This won' hurt a bit..."

She opened her terrified eyes, only to see a large, dark figure looming above her.

"Wha...?" an eight-year old Hermione tried to say. He put one of his large hands over her mouth roughly, thus preventing her from speaking.

"Don' yuh dare scream," he growled, as his other hand lifted her nightgown. His hand slid toward her thighs.

Hermione's eyes widened with horror as she realized what he was doing. She tried to scream, but his grip on her mouth only tightened, muffling her terrified pleas for mercy. Her lips began to bleed under his hand.

"There ain't nobody tuh hear yuh, yuh lit'l slut! Yerr lucky tuh have a man like me tuh teach yuh how tuh fuck!"

Frantically, her eyes tried to search the room for something that would help put an end to it all. She couldn't see a thing, except for the dark outline of the large body on top of her.

"No, please... No, don't do anything!" she cried out with fear, as he unzipped his pants.

"Shut tuh fuck up and spread 'em fuckin' legs, yuh lit'l bitch!" she heard her uncle's gruff voice.

Suddenly, she felt a jolt of pain shoot up her body. She screamed uncontrollably, the pain rushing through her body like venom. Another jolt followed.

"No! No, please!" she screamed. She cried out in pain, again and again -- trying to push him off of her, to hit him -- but he only smacked her hard in the face when she tried.

He ignored her pleas for mercy. Hermione tried once more.

"No, PLEASE!" she screamed, but all her efforts were in vain. "Stop it, STOP IT!" She felt her own blood trickle down her thighs. She felt so unclean, so helpless, so miserable... She wanted to scream for Mummy, to tell her what was happening, but she couldn't, for she wasn't at home.

After what seemed like a lifetime of merciless agony, he finally stopped. Hermione was throbbing with pain. She couldn't believe what was happening.

Her Uncle Johnny had raped her, and there was nothing that she could do about it.

"Now, yuh list'n tuh me," he said, his stinking breath heavy on her cheek, which was still raw from the blows that it had received from him. "If yuh ever tell yurr mother, I'll kill yuh. D'ya hear me, kid? I'll kill yuh an' yurr fuckin' mother an' yurr worthless father, too, even if he is me fuckin' brother. D'ya understan' me, yuh fuckin' kid?"

She nodded her head miserably in response.

*

"No, please... Please, no, DON'T!" she screamed.

He watched her squirm in her sleep, screaming with pain, wondering what could possibly be disturbing her... Pucey could wait. This was more important.

Father would probably love to hear about it. And a malicious grin made its way up his lips.