Blood for Blood, the Return of Viktor Krum

Stir Up the Flames

The Return of Viktor Krum

Chapter Four

Hermione did her best to make some good out of a bad situation. The words that Paris Krum had spoken to her made her very frightened. She tried to rest. However, the words," teaching her lessons" still danced across her mind. The fear that was flowing through her body like a river beat against her emotions like great, powerful waves crashing against the shore. Whatever was going to happen to her, she knew she had to get some rest to be physically prepared as best as she could be. She looked about and saw that her surroundings were absolutely filthy. The smell was dank and musty. She made a selection of a space that she thought was bad, but not the worst in the dungeon.

It was deathly quiet. It was hot and stuffy. She lay down and placed her head on her arm and started to fall asleep. She stopped moving. After awhile she opened her eyes wide. Something had stirred on her left ankle. Now it was moving through her loose clothing up the inside of her shin. Hermione could feel the light hairs on her leg being parted. She knew it was an insect of some kind, a very big one. It was long however she was not sure of its exact length. She was positive it was as long as her hand. She could feel dozens of tiny feet lightly touching her skin. What was it?

Hermione realized at that moment that the hairs on her head were standing on end. The thing on her leg moved. Suddenly, she realized she was afraid, terrified. Her instincts, even before they had communicated with her brain, had told her body that she had a centipede on her.

She lay frozen. She had once seen a centipede in a bottle in potions class. It had been pale brown and very flat and around six inches long. She was sure that was the length of this one. On either side of the head there had been curved poison claws. The label on the bottle said its poison was mortal if it hit an artery. Hermione recalled her reaction. She had to run to the girl's bathroom and retch.

The centipede had reached her knee. It was starting up her thigh. Whatever happened she must not move, she could not even tremble. Her whole concentration had focused down to two rows of softly creeping feet. Now they had reached her flank. She almost screamed, because it was turning towards her groin. She set her teeth. She kept on thinking what if it liked the warmth there. Her thoughts raced to the possibility that it might crawl into the crevices. Would she be able to stand it? Suppose it chose to bite? It felt around and began to tickle. Her stomach fluttered. There was nothing she could do to control it. It started to move up her belly and seemed to be fascinated with her navel. Its feet were gripping tighter to prevent it from falling. Now it was at her heart. The loose blouse she was wearing didn't seem to bother it. It liked her skin. If it bit at her heart area, it would kill her. The centipede trampled steadily on through over her breast up to her collar bone. It stopped. What was it doing?

Hermione could feel the blunt head questing blindly to and fro. What was it looking for? Was there room between her skin and the dirty floor for it to get through? Dare she try to swish it off her? No. Never! Perspective she thought. The thing was at the base of her jugular. Perhaps it was intrigued by the heavy pulse there. Lord if she could only control the pumping of the blood. She tried to communicate with it. It's nothing. The pulse means you no harm. Get a move to that filthy ground you love so much. As if it heard her, it moved up on the column of her neck and on to her chin. As if this wasn't driving her mad, it was now at the corner of her mouth. It now was tickling her to insanity. On it went up along her nose. Now she could feel its whole weight and length. She softly closed her eyes. Two by two the pairs of feet, moving slowly, trampled across her left eyelid. When it got of her eye, should she risk taking a chance and shake it off? No. Even with the sweat she was producing it probably would not slip off. The grip of its feet was endless. With incredible deliberation the huge insect ambled across Hermione's forehead. It stopped below her hair. What in the name of Weasley was it doing now? She could feel it nuzzling at her skin. This is insane it's drinking, drinking the beads of sweat. Hermione was sure of it. It didn't move. Hermione felt weak with tension. She felt sweat pouring from her body. She could hardly stand it. In a few moments she would begin to tremble. She could feel it coming on. How would she be able to control it?

The centipede started to move again. It walked into the thickness of her hair. Someday, she thought, I'm going to get my hair cut short. She could feel the roots being pushed aside as it forced its way along. Would it like it there? Would it settle down? How do they sleep? If it slept like Ron, it could be there for months. It started to move once again. It felt like it was leaving the examination of her body. It stopped again. Hermione's nerves were screaming for it to leave. It moved again. It finally crawled off her and went to the ground. Hermione waited a few seconds to make sure it had left her. She slowly arose trying to quiet her nerves. She hated to look, but she summoned her courage and did. There it was moving along. Anger surged through her body. She took off her shoe and smashed it down. She heard the crack of a shell. The centipede was whipping from side to side in its agony. She hit it again and it burst open, yellowy. Hermione placed her shoe upon her foot and ran to another place and was very, very sick.

After vomiting, she went to another place to sit. She inspected the spot before sitting. She did not want to have another meeting with the centipede's relations. As she began to dose, she heard a door open. Standing before her was her old dance partner, Viktor Krum. He had a devilish look about his face. He called her to come to him. She noticed he little trouble pronouncing her name as he did when they first met, so many years ago. She just sat and looked at him. He began to lose his patience and demanded that she come to him. She slowly arose and went to him. He smiled at her and told her it was time for lessons to be learned. He lifted her chin and told her that because she was such an excellent student, she should have no problems with the lessons. He led her up the stairs.