Twilight

Twilight

L.S. Song

Chapter Thirteen - Riddle Mansion

Harry and Hermione landed in the now-familiar office of Albus Dumbledore, straightening up, and greeting the old wizard who waited for them with a weak smile.

Looking around, Harry noticed that Ron and Ginny had not yet appeared.

"Where are they? Shouldn't they be here at the same time?"

Dumbledore sprung up. "Did they leave at the same time as you?"

"Yes," answered Hermione.

Dumbledore frowned. "I must've programmed the portkey wrong..."

"What?!" whispered Harry in a dangerous tone.

Hermione grabbed his arm. She knew what was happening. She had only heard Harry like this once, in sixth year when Malfoy had transfigured Ginny's hair into live snakes and scared the living daylights out of her. Hermione remembered Harry's roar of anger, and she especially remembered the simple stunning charm that had not only knocked Malfoy out, but knocked him with such force he flew backwards, and actually splintered Professor Flitwick's classroom door with his body on impact.

Hermione was scared. Not actually for Harry getting expelled - no, not what any one of Harry's friends would fear at this point. She feared that Dumbledore would get hurt. He looked awfully thin and frail, and Harry had a spark of anger in his eyes. A slightest provocation would cause an explosion.

"I believe I may have..."

"DAMMIT! FOR ALL WE KNOW THEY COULD BE ANYWHERE!" shouted Harry.

Dumbledore sighed, and sat down. "Harry, portkey programming may seem simple, with a simple incantation, but the actual making requires a great strength of mind to..."

"We don't have TIME for this! We have to find Ron and Ginny, they might not be safe!" cried Harry, almost jumping in frustration.

"Relax, Harry, Ron and Ginny are probably in Hogwarts, most likely the Head Boy and Girl common room. I couldn't have made much bigger a mistake, have no worries," said Dumbledore.

Harry and Hermione exhaled in relief.

"Sorry, Professor, its just that given the state of the wizarding world now... Well, if you don't mind, Professor, we'll be going now..."

"Yes, yes... run along now you two."

Harry and Hermione walked slowly back to the common room, greeting a few rather timid looking second years on the way there.

"Beauty rest," said Hermione at the portrait hole.

"GINNNNNNNNNNNNNY!" hollered Harry.

"And Ron!" he added as an afterthought.

No response.

"Must be in one of the rooms, you check yours, I'll check mine."

Harry walked up the left staircase, calling out, "RON!" but receiving no reply.

Harry decided that they must've gone to the kitchens or Hagrid's hut or the Quidditch field, and went back downstairs to meet Hermione. Harry didn't notice that Ron's trunk wasn't there.

"They aren't here Hermione, they probably went for a walk or something... let's just have a game of chess while we wait for them," said Harry, sitting down to the chessboard at his desk.

Hermione sat down opposite Harry, and they started a game of chess.

An hour and a half later, when the chessboard had just four pieces left on it, Harry began to get a bit worried.

"Where do you think they've gone to?"

"Dunno, why don't you go check the Marauder's map?" replied Hermione, who was still staring at the chessboard with a look of concentration on her face.

"Accio Marauder's map," said Harry lazily.

The crumpled bit of parchment flew from his room straight into his hand.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

Harry surveyed the map slowly, his expression gradually looking worse and worse.

"Hermione. They aren't here."

***

"Harry, where do you think you are going?" asked Dumbledore, looking scandalized, stumbling on his walking stick to keep up with Harry and Hermione, who were sweeping out of his office after telling him that Ginny and Ron were gone.

"To find Ginny and Ron."

"How can you do that..."

"I have a tracker on Ginny's watch to use in case we ever needed to find each other. It lets me 'sense' if she's nearby by pressing this button on my watch..."

"It's too dangerous, wait for some aurors to go..."

Harry stopped in his tracks. "No disrespect intended, Headmaster, but you aren't stopping me from going. No, this is my best friend and my girlfriend. I'm not staying out of this one."

"I forbid you! That may be your choice, but I cannot allow you to lead a fellow student with you too..."

"Professor Dumbledore. I'm not going for Harry's sake; I'm going because I must. Nothing is going to stop me either," said Hermione.

Harry stood still and pondered for a moment. "Hermione, maybe he's right though... its too dangerous."

"Harry, I can take care of myself just as well as you can..."

"But you'd be risking your life..."

"If I don't go, there's more a chance that you, Ginny, and Ron will lose yours."

"But..."

"No buts, Harry."

"Fine, fine we don't have time for this!"

Harry immediately broke into a run for the fireplace in his dorm, with Dumbledore and Hermione in his tracks, Dumbledore breathing heavily.

Students observing this scene would be very amused in seeing their Headmaster tail Harry, and seem to be begging a student.

"Professor Dumbledore, you must stay at Hogwarts in case of an attack whilst we're gone. This could be a trap... but do contact Fudge and see if he can send some kind of diversion..." muttered Harry as he grabbed a handful of floo powder from above the fireplace and through it in.

"Wait, Harry. Wherever Voldemort is you can't merely floo in..."

"I know. That's why I'm going to the next best place. Accio Firebolt. Accio invisibility cloak."

Harry caught the Firebolt in his free hand, and tossed the floo powder into the fireplace.

Harry then caught the speeding silvery cloak with his hand that had just held the floo powder, and walked into the green flames.

"Harry you just said it yourself, this is probably a trap! A trap for the sole purpose of snaring you!"

Harry turned and looked Dumbledore in the eye with unfathomable emotion in his eyes. "That's why I have to go. It's my fault Ron and Ginny are there, it'll be my fault if they die."

"But what about Hermione, Harry! You do not realize that you are leading her into danger?"

"I know Hermione by now, after seven years of her being my best friend. I know that no matter what I do, she will not be left behind. It is also her choice to go if she wishes, although if it were up to me she would not be going. I promise you though, Professor, Hermione will not be hurt. Not whilst I'm alive. The invisibility cloak is for her."

"Invisibility cloaks will do no good! You may cause her death, Harry, don't go!" cried Dumbledore in a last ditch attempt to stop Harry from leaving. Hermione was shocked at how Dumbledore now had to resort to emotional blackmail to try and stop Harry. Hermione understood Dumbledore's frustration, how he must stay in Hogwarts whilst he watches one of the strongest wizards ever, almost strong enough to rival Dumbledore himself, to step into Hogwarts walk into a trap, and bringing with him the best student since Tom Riddle. The old wizard cared deeply for them, but also in his heart knew there was nothing he could do to stop Harry.

Harry, with a tortured look in his on his face said, "Then keep her here. I must go, I have no choice."

"Pistols Pub, La Havre," Harry whispered, and disappeared in a whirl of green flame.

Dumbledore held out his hand, blocking Hermione's path. "Hermione if you insist on going... take care of yourself and Harry. If you need, here's another portkey, I will do my best to assure you that you get someone there to help you... now it is the clearing in the mountain path east of La Havre, correct? Good luck, dear Hermione."

Dumbledore pulled out a green bottle cap. The grown wizard looked as if he was about to cry. Hermione immediately felt a surge of emotion towards the old wizard; he treated Harry like a son, and her like a daughter. He truly was a great Headmaster.

"Thank you, Professor."

Hermione noted the massive change in Dumbledore. Two years ago, he never would've allowed Harry or Hermione to leave, but now it seemed as if he wouldn't, or couldn't care anymore. Hermione feared greatly for Dumbledore, as she walked up to the fireplace and threw another handful of floo powder in.

"Pistols Pub, La Havre."

Hermione tumbled out of the fireplace, in a very dirty, musty old pub being pulled up by Harry.

The two walked out of the pub, not noticing a man with a long gash across his face quickly scarper out ahead of them.

"Where are we going, Harry?"

"Hang on... there," Harry pointed at a clearing far away from the little town they were in now.

"There's nothing there..."

"That, Hermione, is Voldemort's hideout. My watch is pointing there, and there's something that just seems... wrong about there. The watch points to where Ginny is so she should be there. C'mon get under the cloak."

"But how do you know all this, Harry? Why do you know there's something there?"

"This town is where Remus Lupin lived during the first war. I visited him last time we went to see my parents, and I remember there was something over there..."

Without another word, Harry swung the cloak over himself and Hermione, and they made their way slowly to the clearing on Harry's Firebolt, until Harry closed his eyes, and laid his hands onto a plank.

It looked like he was pressing on thin air, until Hermione felt what Harry was pushing against.

"No time for pleasantries," said Harry, climbing out from under the cloak. "You stay down there, no need for them to know you're here. Now I'm going to cause a little trouble, find Ginny and Ron, their in some kind of underground basement according to my watch, I can sense them. I'll draw them away, you creep down and portkey them back to Hogwarts, okay? Once we're in the house, you should be able to see everything."

"But..."

Harry didn't wait. "REDUCTO!" he bellowed, shattering the front door, which in turn exposed the whole of the house, which Harry saw was massive.

"Good luck, Hermione," he said, and he strode purposefully into the lair of Lord Voldemort.

"Master! Potter is here!" shouted someone.

Harry silenced him with a rapid-fire stunning spell, and felt Hermione slide past him.

By now, Death Eaters had gathered in Voldemort's 'throne room', waiting for Harry to make his way in.

Harry knew already that it was a trap, but he had no choice but to continue. He heard voices shouting out spells. Harry assumed that the defences were being raised again. He walked up to the strange door that had live snakes crawling all over it, and hissed, "Open."

Slowly, but surely the door cracked open.

"Banisho Serpents." Voldemort's snakes disappeared, and Harry walked into the throne room, where he 'felt' dark forces gather.

"Ah... here he is, my loyal Death Eaters. Potter," Voldemort spat out the last word in disgust.

Harry refrained from clutching at his burning scar, but clutched his wand tight, with the spare wand hidden securely in his holster and shouted aloud, "I am here for my friends, Voldemort!"

***

Hermione snuck down to the dungeons, only barely hearing voices shouting above her. Riddle Mansion was a curious place, cold, green, and dark in every single room and hallway. Snakes commonly slithered about the halls, and Hermione shuddered to think that they could smell her, yet they left her alone, so she proceeded silently to the dungeons down low, sliding through the open door, and walking down the cold stone steps, with nothing but a torchlight down at the bottom to guide her.

When Hermione reached the bottom of the staircase the sight before her almost made her gasp. Stuck inside Riddle Mansion was indeed Ron and Ginny Weasley, both looking worse for wear, a nearly skeletal Cornelius Fudge, four dead wizards plopped carelessly against a wall, an old witch Hermione didn't know that was practically a skeleton, and Victor Krum.

Hermione had not seen Krum since her fourth year, and had only sent him one letter to explain that their relationship was over. She never received a reply.

Krum looked helpless lying there on the floor, blood splattered all over his black robes, his face an empty expression. He looked as if he gave up all hope already. What the Death Eaters kept Krum alive for, Hermione did not know, and certainly did not want to find out.

But Krum, not to mention Fudge's presence put Hermione into a difficult position indeed. Her original intentions were to come in and grab Ron and Ginny, and portkey away without anyone noticing she was there. She still COULD do that, but that would mean leaving Fudge and Krum lying there, probably to be killed once the Death Eaters sniffed out what had happened. Hermione also did not have time to think. There were three Death Eaters patrolling the dungeon, and Hermione, with an expression of horror creeping up on her face, realized one was Draco Malfoy.

Hermione knew all too well that those magical eyes could see through invisibility cloaks. She had merely seconds to think up a plan, for surely Malfoy would turn to her direction soon.

She could either sprint to Ron and Ginny, portkey them out, and alert Dumbledore, or she could knock Malfoy out, and try to beat those two other Death Eater guards - but surely they'd raise an alarm before she reached them all - if she reached them all.

She had no choice but to try and rescue Ron and Ginny. She had already tempted luck too long; Malfoy would soon see her.

She ran as fast as she could without making too loud a noise, up to the dirty corner where the Weasley siblings clutched at each other for warmth, wandless. Hermione saw that Ginny still had Harry's watch on her wrist.

Malfoy and the other two Death Eaters were deep in conversation, practically ignoring their prisoners - that's how confident they were in their master's plan.

Hermione reached the corner, and swept the invisibility cloak over Ron and Ginny also, the three of them barely fitting, and placing a hand over Ron's mouth to get him to stop from saying something, she grabbed out the bottle cap, waved her wand over it, and motioned for Ron and Ginny to touch it. She found that they couldn't, and she realized that they were under the full-body bind. She muttered the counter-curse, and the two siblings found that they could move again. Hermione put a finger to her lips, and motioned again for them to touch the bottle cap. They did, tiredly, and Hermione shouted, "Activatio!"

There was no tugging sensation that she had grown accustomed to. However, Ron and Ginny were gone, she observed, thankful for that at the very least. She also noticed that the invisibility cloak was gone. Numbly, Hermione knew that her time was up, as shouts from the three Death Eaters let her know that they were aware of her presence. She regretted that she had shouted the spell to activate the portkey. Slowly, and dumbly, she raised her wand in an attempt to defend herself.

"Avada Ke..."

"NO, GOYLE!" shouted Malfoy, knocking Goyle's wand out of his hand. "Do not harm her, the Dark Lord may have uses for this one yet... stun her and we will bring her up to the throne room. I must remind the Dark Lord to recast the anti-apparition and portkey wards, and the defences..."

Damned would she be if Hermione Granger let the father of the blundering git Goyle best her in a duel. As she heard the word "Stupefy" come out of the large man's mouth, she dodged the beam and yelled, "Skeledestructo!"

Hermione watched, horrified, as the beam of light smacked Goyle in the head, making him crumple to the floor, all the bones in his upper body removed. She had killed someone, she thought hopelessly. She was going to be sent to Azkaban...

"Herm-own-ninny?" said Victor Krum, staring at Hermione with wide eyes. It was all absolutely meaningless to Hermione. She had just killed someone. She was a murderer.

Hermione let out a small whimper, shaking in fright. She didn't even raise her wand to defend herself as a jet of light smacked her straight in the stomach, and for Hermione Granger, all went black.

***

Harry was in trouble. He was outnumbered about twenty to one, and he had only avoided curses by controlling Death Eaters and causing them to jump into the curses cast by their own comrades, and by creating illusionary copies of himself with a neat little charm Dumbledore had taught him. Minor curses, such as stunning spells and freezing hexes bounced off the bright green net that flew out of his watch. So far, four Death Eaters were immobilized or killed, but it meant nothing, he was still outnumbered, and he still stood no chance. He dared not run, or else they would chase after him, and Hermione's mission might be compromised. He had to hold them off until they escaped, and then he'd portkey out. What was worse was that his scar felt like it was ripping his head open.

"Torrentoria Flamare!" Harry shouted, pointing his wand above Voldemort's throne. Death Eaters dived for cover as fire rained down upon them.

"Avada Kedavra!" he heard Voldemort shriek. An illusionary copy was hit, shimmered, and disappeared.

Voldemort stood and waved his wand. The illusionary copies disappeared, and the Death Eaters he had under the imperius snapped out of it.

Harry swore loudly.

"Leave him to me. It's about time we finally snare the illusive Potter."

Death Eaters chuckled appreciatively, as Voldemort brandished his wand.

Voldemort's face contorted from his disgusting twisted smile into an expression of hatred.

"Goodbye Potter. AVADA KEDAVRA!"

Harry dived down to avoid the curse, and at that moment, he felt in his heart that Ginny had gotten away. Harry felt a surge of elation surge through him. With a smile on his face, he tapped his watch, and said, "Goodbye Riddle. Activatio!"

He felt the jerk on his stomach, but he didn't go anywhere.

"Were you expecting to get away that easily, Potter?"

Harry spat, but inwardly he began to worry. Ginny had obviously portkeyed out; he couldn't sense her in the house anymore through the watch, which meant she was gone... unless they broke the watch...

Harry drew himself up to his full height, preparing to die a hero's death.

"Avada Kedavra!" shouted Voldemort again.

"Skeledestructo!"

The beams of light hit, Harry and Voldemort flew up into the air again. But this time, Harry was ready.

He whipped out his spare wand and bellowed, "AVADA KEDAVRA!"

He watched with a sick satisfaction as the green light smacked Voldemort straight in the chest, sending him flying across the room.

He let out a laugh at the Death Eaters, who yelled and gathered around their master's fallen body, which had smacked into the wall, and lain in a heap.

But Voldemort stood again. Harry's laugh was taken right out of his mouth, and turned into a gasp of disbelief. Voldemort just took a Killing Curse straight in the stomach and stood up seconds after it hit. It was impossible. Harry just stood, unmoving, disbelieving.

"CRUCIO!"

Harry doubled over in pain, clutching the cold floor with his fingernails, yelling out in agony, and begging for death. This time, it was not just physical pain like white-hot knives piercing his skin. In addition to that, his blood boiled, burning him from the inside as well as the outside. His mind played images of the ones he loved, dead in bloody heaps. Harry felt as if he was going insane.

Voldemort lifted the curse after what seemed to be ages, and when Harry lifted his head again, he saw fuzzily Draco Malfoy urgently whispering to Voldemort.

Harry saw Voldemort nod and smile, and he knew something bad was about to happen.

He was right.

Coming in the chamber was a tall, stocky Death Eater clutching the limp body of Hermione Granger.

Harry regained his wits when he saw Hermione's unmoving body. Tears welled up in his eyes, but he blinked them away immediately. Pure, unfiltered hatred ran through his blood, stronger than ever before. He stood, even after thirty pain-filled minutes of torture, straight and proud, facing the invincible Dark Lord who had caused him so much pain. Green eyes shone with hatred.

"One day, I vow that you'll pay for all this you filthy bastard... you'll pay."

With that, Harry Potter did the impossible. He apparated to the limp form of a seventeen-year-old girl, picked her up, and disappeared from Riddle Mansion, in the nick of time as twenty green jets of light left a smoldering hole in the wall where two teenagers had just been half a second ago.

***

At Hogwarts School of Wizardry, a brilliant white light erupted, flying through the halls, filling everyone it hit with an indescribable feeling of loss and sadness.

"All members of staff, gather all the students into their common rooms, it's happened," said a now sobbing Minerva McGonagall in the cold staff room.