The Book of Morgan Le Fey

Chapter Thirty-Four: Betrayals

'NO!'

The word was out of Ron's mouth before he even thought of it. He reached for Hermione but the Death Eaters were quicker. Two of them advanced on Ron, grabbing him around the arms. A third Death Eater snatched Hermione by the hair and yanked her forward; she squealed in pain. 'Ron!'

'Hermione!' One of the Death Eaters holding Ron punched him, hard, in the stomach. Ron felt bile rise in his throat and stars appeared in front of his eyes; he choked and coughed and sank to his knees.

'How very touching,' said Voldemort, smiling with his lipless mouth. 'Young love. I imagine if Mr. Weasley were able to talk, he'd beg us to test the formula on him instead of Miss Granger. Am I right, Mr. Weasley?'

'Ron, don't!' Hermione cried, squirming even as the Death Eater holding her tightened his grip on her hair.

Ron forced himself to look up at Voldemort. He tried to speak but the wind had been knocked from him by the Death Eater's punch, so he nodded vigorously.

'Please...' he managed.

'Alas, Mr. Weasley, I'm afraid I am disinclined to acquiesce to your most eloquent request,' said Voldemort sarcastically. Bellatrix Lestrange and the other Death Eaters laughed sycophantically. 'But don't worry. You'll be joining Miss Granger in the afterlife soon enough.'

'No,' Ron mumbled feebly.

'Get up,' said the Death Eater who had punched him, and he and his compatriot yanked Ron up so hard by his arms that Ron felt one of his shoulders nearly dislocate. He howled in pain and Hermione let out a strangled sob.

'Gently, Augustus,' said Voldemort, shaking his head slightly. 'We don't want to do too much damage. Yet.'

Voldemort turned his attention to Hermione, who had stopped struggling and was staring hopelessly at Ron, tears pouring down her face.

'Now then, let's get this over with, shall we?' said Voldemort pleasantly. 'Lucius, bring your son.'

Lucius Malfoy bowed low, stood up sharply and said briskly, 'Draco. Come forward.'

Draco Malfoy stepped out of the line of Death Eaters. Ron could find nothing to be satisfied about the fact that Draco appeared nervous, even scared.

'Kneel, boy,' said Voldemort imperiously, and Draco obeyed at once. 'You have shown yourself to be a valuable asset to me. But now I have one last task for you.'

'Yes, my Lord,' said Draco, his voice cracking just a bit.

'Rise,' said Voldemort, and Draco obeyed. 'Macnair, your knife, if you please.'

MacNair handed Voldemort the knife, handle-side out. Voldemort took it and held it out to Draco.

'Bella, the flask of potion,' said Voldemort. Bellatrix pulled from her robes a flask and took from the fireplace mantle a pair of tongs. She put the flask into the grip of the tongs, dipped the flask into the left cauldron and lifted it out very carefully. She then wrapped the flask in an old rag she picked up from the mantle, and set down the tongs.

'Bring it here,' instructed Voldemort, and Bella carried the flask to him. The liquid inside bubbled sick and dark red; black specks in it were moving about.

Luna, who up to now had been silent, gave a low moan.

'This is the culmination of the greatest Dark Magic ever created,' said Voldemort, taking the cloth-wrapped flask and holding it away from his face, admiring it like some huge jewel. 'Morgan Le Fey created this magic from her own blood. With Yersenia pestis, the source for the Black Death, and the blood of her descendant, we will destroy all who oppose us.'

The Death Eaters murmured amongst themselves in agreement, bowing to Voldemort and nodding at Luna, whom Crabbe had dragged forward and was holding up by one arm. She whimpered, crying silently, and looked at Ron, at Harry, at Hermione, at all of them. She was mouthing words that to Ron looked like 'I'm sorry.'

Voldemort ignored Luna and turned to Draco, who was holding the knife in one hand. Voldemort snapped his fingers and Bella came to his side and took the flask back, holding it very carefully.

'You will take this knife,' said Voldemort slowly to Draco. 'Cut the Mudblood's flesh. Then take the flask and pour the Draught onto the wound. A few drops will do.'

'No!' Ron yelled. 'Malfoy, don't!'

'Shut up!' bellowed the Death Eater to Ron's right, and he backhanded Ron hard across the jaw. Ron's head exploded into a million tiny stars and he felt a molar loosen.

'Malfoy, please don't do this!' Harry begged, still clutching Susan. Ginny was sobbing; Bill, silent all this time, clutched her close to him and had a hand on Neville's shoulder; Neville was staring at Luna miserably.

'Ignore them, Draco,' said Lucius Malfoy sternly, through gritted teeth.

'Y-Yes, sir,' said Draco, nodding to his father.

'Do it, boy,' said Voldemort, sneering his lipless mouth.

'Yes, my Lord,' said Draco, his voice rather squeaky. He bowed low to Voldemort and turned slowly to Hermione, who immediately began to squirm. The Death Eater holding her yanked on her hair again; she squeaked and went still.

'Malfoy, NO!' Ron begged, struggling uselessly against the two Death Eaters, who were now gripping his arms so tight they had gone numb.

'I cannot THINK for all this shouting!' Voldemort roared, and he pulled his wand from his robes, pointed it at Ron's throat and said, 'Silencio!' Ron immediately felt his voice disappear.

'Hermione!' he cried, but no sound came out. She was looking at him, tears still pouring from her eyes. Ron felt his heart rise up into his throat and suddenly, tears were in his eyes, falling down his cheeks.

There was nothing he could do. These evil, evil people were going to kill Hermione, and there wasn't a damn thing he could do to stop them. They were going to kill his girl, his Hermione, his best friend, the only girl he'd ever loved in his life, and he could only stand there and watch her die.

Draco Malfoy reached Hermione; Bellatrix at his side. Malfoy was a foot away from Hermione, whose gaze left Ron's and fell on Draco, but instead of looking at him with pleading eyes, her expression was hateful, defiant. Draco, meanwhile, stared at Hermione in shock and fury. His mouth curled into a hateful sneer, and he reached out and grabbed Hermione's wrist, giving her arm a wrenching twist. She squeaked in pain as Draco exposed the soft flesh on the underside of her forearm.

Draco's eyes met Hermione's again, and this time, the defiance was mingled with a kind of dignified resignation. Ron felt himself begin to almost choke on his tears. Even in the face of death she was brave, unflinching. He wanted to yell to her that he was sorry, that he loved her, but his voice was silent, and she wasn't looking at him now.

Draco raised the knife and held it above the pale skin of her arm, his eyes never leaving Hermione's face. A moment passed and it was an eternity. Draco's hand was shaking.

'Do it, Draco,' Lucius Malfoy hissed.

Draco held the knife over Hermione's arm. His eyes moved from her face to the knife, back and forth. Ron stared, waiting for Draco to slash Hermione's skin with the blade, waiting for the inevitable spurt of blood that would come from the wound, but it didn't come.

Draco swallowed hard and lowered the knife. His hand was trembling violently.

'Do it, boy!' Voldemort ordered, sounding suddenly furious.

Draco nodded feverishly, his eyes on Hermione's face. The flash of hatred he'd shown her was gone. Now there was only fear in his gray eyes.

'DO IT!' Voldemort screamed.

Draco nodded again and lifted the knife. Any second now, he would strike. Any second...

The knife glittered as it clattered noisily to the floor. Draco was panting, sweating, and in all his life Ron had never seen the other boy looked so scared. Draco backed away, shaking his head.

'I...I can't,' he whispered.

For a moment there was silence. A silence so complete it seemed, ironically, to be as loud as a million fireworks exploding at once.

But in the next instant the real explosion happened.

'FOOL!' Voldemort screamed. He whirled on Lucius Malfoy, who looked alternately terrified and disgusted with Draco. 'This is what you mean when you say your son is ready to be one of us?'

'Forgive me, my Lord,' Lucius said, his voice pleading; he crashed to his knees and bowed, entirely submissive. 'The boy...I thought he was ready!'

'This is his mother's influence!' Voldemort cried. 'I asked you to remove her!'

'I did, my lord!' Lucius said quickly. 'Exactly as you asked me!'

'I always knew your wife would ruin your son,' Voldemort hissed.

'Don't you talk about my mother!' Draco snapped. Ron and the others stared at him; Draco Malfoy, mouthing off to his father's master?

Voldemort whirled on Draco. 'You dare raise your voice to me, stripling?'

'My lord--' Lucius began.

'Silence, Lucius!' Voldemort snapped. 'Your son lacks proper respect. You should have sent him to Durmstrang as I instructed, but you allowed your wife to hold sway. And she has done nothing but coddle this boy, and he is pathetic! Had I known the reach of her influence I would have ordered you to kill her years ago!'

The silence that came in the wake of this outburst was as loud as a thunderclap. For another eternity, nobody said a word. And then Ron heard a kind of strangled, choked cry come from Draco.

'Father,' he croaked. 'What is he saying?'

'Be quiet, Draco!' Lucius hissed, still on his knees.

'What is he saying?' Draco yelled. 'What does he mean about Mother? Tell me!'

'Your Father showed me the depth and breadth of his loyalty, boy,' Voldemort. 'Your mother was useful from time to time, but in the end she spoiled you far too much. A pity her death comes too late to save you.'

'NO!' Draco screamed, and suddenly he was crying, sobbing, and the sight of it horrified Ron. The blond boy's sobs echoed through the room as he turned on his father. 'You bastard! You lied to me! You said she went on holiday! You bloody bastard! How could you--how could you--your own wife!'

'Shut up, boy!' Voldemort shrieked. 'Now, Lucius, you will see how Lord Voldemort punishes those who disappoint him.'

He gave Lucius Malfoy a swift kick in the side before whirling around to face Draco. Draco seemed to shrink before Ron's very eyes. Voldemort lifted his wand.

'CRUCIO!'

A jet of light shot from the wand and struck Draco in the chest. He screamed and crashed to the floor, writhing in agony.

'F-Father!' he cried, sobbing. 'H-Help me! Please!'

Lucius had climbed up from the floor to look down in his side. Ron was horrified by the expression on the senior Malfoy's face. Where there should have been compassion, where there should have been love, there burned only disgust and resentment. Malfoy was allowing his master to torture his own son. He'd killed his wife, Draco's mother. All the years Ron had hated Draco; all the years of insults, taunts, malice that he'd thrown at Ron and his family. But watching Draco writhe on the floor, with his father glaring down at him, gave rise to an entirely unfamiliar and uncomfortable feeling in Ron: pity. Pity for this wretched boy who, in the end, was losing everything.

The curse lifted and Draco still bawled; the huge snake, Nagini, slithered hopefully over to him, hissing, but Voldemort lifted a hand, calling the snake off, and it resumed its circles around Ron and the others.

'Get him up,' Voldemort snapped at Lucius. Lucius strode gracefully over to the crumpled form of his son and grabbed his arm, yanking him up brutally from the floor. Draco gave a yelp of pain and continued to sob.

'Your son is worthless to me,' said Voldemort viciously.

'Forgive me, Master, my Lord,' said Lucius, bowing low even as he gripped Draco's arm like a vise.

'He clearly does not have loyalty in his heart,' said Voldemort, glowering at Draco, who was clutching his stomach.

'He can learn it,' said Lucius quickly. 'Allow me to train him personally, my Lord. His mother is no longer around to corrupt him.'

'No,' said Voldemort. 'Loyalty is born, not made, Lucius. You have proven yourself a worthy servant, but the boy's blood is your blood. You will prove your loyalty to Lord Voldemort once again.'

Lucius Malfoy glanced at Draco, then back at Voldemort.

'Name what you wish, my Lord,' said Lucius,

'Put your son in Nagini's circle, with the others,' said Voldemort. 'He will die with the rest of them.'

Lucius swallowed and glanced again at Draco. Draco's eyes had gone as wide as Ron had ever seen them.

'B-but my Lord, h-he is my only son, my heir,' said Lucius haltingly.

'You can produce another heir, can you not?' Voldemort snapped. 'And hopefully this time you will choose a more loyal and worthy broodmare.'

Lucius swallowed again, his throat working. He looked at his son, then at Harry and the others. Again, there was the loud silence. Lucius looked back at Voldemort, and without another look at Draco, Lucius shoved his son back, where Draco collided with Harry.

'Father, no!'

'Silence, boy!' said Voldemort. 'A wise decision, Lucius. You see, boy. Your father understands the true meaning of loyalty. A pity you won't grow up to follow his example, but I'm sure your mother will be delighted to see you in the afterlife.'

Lucius looked over at his son, his face a frozen mask, only his eyes giving away his own abject terror.

Draco, on the other hand, exploded at his father.

'I hate you!' he shouted. 'You killed Mother! You sick...FREAK! I've done everything you asked me to do! You filthy son of a bitch! You think he won't kill YOU the minute you stop being useful to him? I hate you! Mother was right about you! You're a bloody coward!'

'Silence, Draco!' Lucius snapped, his eyes darting from his son to Voldemort and back again.

'I-I'm your SON!' Draco cried, tears starting again. 'I'm your son!'

'QUIET!' Voldemort screamed, pointing his wand at Draco's throat and uttering 'Silencio.' Draco's voice vanished, but his mouth was still moving; he was shouting at his father silently.

Voldemort seemed to have recovered his temper almost at once. 'Teenagers. So loud and unruly and unrefined. I'll be glad to get rid of the lot of you. Now, let us finish what was started with this Mudblood.'

Ron looked up sharply. 'No,' he wheezed. His voice was starting to come back, and he struggled against his Death Eater captors.

'Allow me, my lord,' said a heavily accented voice. Another Death Eater approached, and Ron recognized him as Antonin Dolohov, the same Death Eater who had cast the wicked spell on Hermione that had nearly killed her. His stomach plummeted.

'As you wish, Antonin,' said Voldemort smugly, clearly certain of Dolohov's fortitude for killing.

'No,' Ron hissed, struggling again. 'Please, don't...'

But his pleas were useless, and only served to inspire his captors to yank at his wrenched shoulder; he screamed, but it was nothing more than a whimper.

Dolohov strode toward Hermione. He ignored the knife on the ground. Without preamble or hesitation he grabbed her wrist and twisted it to again expose the flesh on the underside of her forearm. He smiled at her malevolently, raised his wand and pointed it at her flesh, gave the wand a harsh slash and said, 'Diffindo.'

Hermione gasped as her skin split open.

'No!' Ron yelled weakly, receiving another punch in the gut. Blood poured from Hermione's wound; Dolohov had cut her deeply.

'Give me the flask, Bellatrix,' he ordered, sliding his wand back into his robes. He still clutched Hermione's hand, still smiled down at her as tears ran down her face.

'No!' Ron croaked again, coughing. 'Don't!' Not Hermione, he thought wildly, struggling feebly against his captors. Cut me, poison me, just leave her alone!

Dolohov took the flask, still wrapped in the rag, and held it up for a moment. Hermione struggled but the Death Eater behind her grabbed her hair yet again and pulled; several strands broke from her scalp.

'Keep her still!' Dolohov snapped.

'Don't,' she whispered weakly.

'Don't worry, my dear,' said Voldemort, in a grotesquely kind sort of voice. 'It won't hurt that much.'

'Stop!' Ron begged, but Dolohov tipped the flask. Ron watched as one, two, three, four drops of the potion fell onto Hermione's wound, mingling with the blood, sizzling as the drops made contact. She cried out and tried to move but Dolohov pulled her toward him. Wrapping the end of his robes around his free hand, he gripped her forearm over the wound and squeezed. Hermione whimpered and sank to the ground.

The poison was inside her now.

For a long moment there was silence. Dolohov released Hermione, letting her fall to the floor in a heap, where she sobbed. Ron struggled again, feeling renewed strength, renewed hatred. The two Death Eaters made to cuff him again, but Voldemort lifted a hand, and instead, they released him.

'Hermione!' he croaked, crawling toward her and scooping her into his arms, where she sobbed against his chest. He couldn't say anything to comfort her now; tears were on his own face again as he held her. Even now she was dying, he thought desperately. Even now...

'Dolohov, take the Mudblood into the room down the hall,' Voldemort said briskly. 'Seal her inside.'

'No!' Ron rasped, clutching Hermione to him. 'You...you've already poisoned her, you bastards! Leave her alone!' His voice was returning more strongly with each word.

'It's too late for her, Mr. Weasley,' said Voldemort, in a mock-sad voice. 'She is already dead. It's just a matter of a few days before the poison does its work.'

'P-please,' Ron begged. 'Don't...don't leave her alone. You're going to kill me anyway! Let me stay with her!'

'This tender scene is beginning to bore me,' Voldemort said cruelly. 'Dolohov!'

Dolohov reached down and yanked at Hermione. Ron let go of her to rush at Dolohov but his own two Death Eater captives were faster; they pulled him away from Hermione.

'NO! GET OFF ME!' Ron bellowed, his voice back at last. 'HERMIONE!'

'RON!' Dolohov was half-carrying Hermione out of the room; she kicked and flailed.

'HERMIONE!' Ron screamed, and in the next instant something hard and dull smacked him on the back of the head. Immediately he saw stars again, and he slumped weakly against his captors. The room was blurry; everything was spinning he couldn't see. Hermione was screaming, her voice was growing fainter.

'Don't let him pass out,' a cold voice said. Voldemort.

Ron shook his head, trying to clear it, trying to regain his senses. Hermione--Dolohov had taken her. He could hear her screaming down the hall, and then silence.

'I grow weary of this,' said Voldemort. 'The Mudblood is useful for the purpose of studying the effects of the Draught of Death. The rest of these are baggage, including Potter. It is time to end this now. Bring the Lovegood girl.'

A Death Eater grabbed Luna's arm and yanked her to the center of the room, sending her reeling right into Neville, who caught her awkwardly. She sank against him, her huge eyes red and swollen with tears.

'I'm sorry...I'm sorry,' she whispered, looking at Neville, then at Ron. Neville nodded and awkwardly put his arms round her.

The Death Eaters closed in. Ron's captors released him again, and he sank to the ground, landing hard on his knees. The pain brought him to himself, and he looked up. All around him were black-robed, malevolent figures. He was going to die here in this room. He'd never see Hermione again, and she would die alone.

Harry, Susan, Bill, Ginny, Neville, Luna and Ron clustered together. Only Draco Malfoy stood apart from them now. He was shaking in fear, and his eyes stared up at his father, a horrible mingling of love, adoration, hatred and betrayal in them.

'Severus,' Voldemort called.

Snape bowed low to Voldemort; he was only feet away from Ron. Ron resisted the urge to kick him.

'What is my, my Lord?' Snape asked.

'I believe I have not yet asked of you the proof of YOUR loyalty,' said Voldemort.

'I am loyal to you to the death, my Lord,' Snape said, but there was the slightest quiver in his voice.

'I am delighted to hear it,' said Voldemort dryly. 'In the meantime you will do us the honor of ridding the world of Ronald Weasley. Go as slow or as quickly as you like, so long as Potter watches.'

Bill and Ginny drew sharp breaths, and Bill grabbed Ron and stood in front of him.

'Mr. W-Weasley?' Snape stammered. Ron had never heard the Potions master stutter.

'Yes,' said Voldemort. 'But be sure to move his brother out of the way. I'm saving him for Augustus. And the sister will be for Nagini. After I'm done with her.' He gave Ginny a malevolent smile, and she whimpered and clung to Bill.

'No,' said Ron, but even as he said it he knew it was useless. And Hermione was all alone...

The Death Eaters closed the circle even tighter and Ron felt hands grabbing at them again, pulling his friends and family and Draco away from him and pushing him forward.

'Kill him,' said Voldemort, as the Death Eaters left Ron standing alone in the middle of the circle. They had begun to chant, an awful, weird chanting of words that Ron did not understand. His heart was pounding.

Snape looked at Ron, his black eyes glittering, and he raised his wand, pointing it at Ron's chest.

'NO!' Ginny screamed, struggling against the grip of a Death Eater who yanked her away from Bill. 'Ron!' She was sobbing uncontrollably.

Ron said nothing but stared back at Snape. This is it, Ron thought. I'm going to die right here. Will it hurt? Will it be quick? What about Mum and Dad? How are they going to find out? What about Hermione? What about Ginny? And Bill? And Harry...

'Kill him,' Voldemort repeated, his voice harder.

Snape took a deep breath. Ron blinked but did not close his eyes. He would face his death standing, eyes wide open.

Snape opened his mouth.

Ron held his breath.

'EVANESCO!'

Ron opened his eyes, and time slowed down. Dammit, I shut my eyes! he thought for a tiny fraction of a second. Then another fraction of a second and he thought, wait, I'm not dead. That wasn't a Killing Curse.

And then in the final fraction of that second, Ron saw the jet of light from Snape's wand sail past him, making his hair stand on end. He heard Voldemort shriek 'SEVERUS!' and when the jet of light hit the cauldron full of the Draught of Death, it vanished.

Then Snape was turning, in a whirl of black robes, and he aimed his wand at the wall just behind Voldemort and bellowed 'REDUCTO!'

'NO!' Voldemort screamed, and he Apparated with a crack just as the wall behind him came crashing down. And suddenly there was chaos.