The Unicorn Ring

    Harry Potter ran back towards Gryffindor Tower in a panic. The news Dumbledore had just told him was enough to frighten anyone; but if you haven't seen your friends in hours, it could be downright scary...

    "Always remember," he shouted urgently to the Fat Lady.

    "I will, dear," she returned wistfully as she opened. Harry charged through the portrait hole. He spotted Neville on the couch.

    "Neville," he whispered to the boy. "Where are Ron and Hermione?"

    "I thought I saw Ron go up the stairs to your dormitory, but I haven't seen Hermione. Then again, I did doze off-"

    Before Neville could even finish, Harry had run upstairs to the boys' dormitory, searching desperately for his best friend. "Ron? Ron!" he called into the room.

    "Harry, what the devil is the matter?" Ron asked, coming up the stairs from his brothers' dorm room. Harry sighed in relief. Then, he thought of Hermione.

    "Ron, where's Hermione?" he asked, concerned.

    "I haven't seen her since the match," he replied nonchalantly. "Why?"

    "Oh, bloody-" he cried out, running toward the girls' staircase. "Ginny! Ginny, are you up there?"    

    "Yeah, Harry," she called down. "What's the matter?"

    "Just do something for me, will you?" he asked, panicked. "Could you check to see if Hermione is up in her dorm room?"

    "Sure." Harry waited very impatiently at the bottom of the stairs, tapping his fingers on the rail. "Harry?"

    "Yeah, Ginny?" he yelled.

    "She's not up here." Harry tore up the stairs to his dormitory, where a little clock sat on his bedside table. The clock was not unlike the one in the Weasley home, just programmed for his friends, including all of the Weasleys, Hermione, Hagrid, and Dumbledore. He looked for Hermione's hand quickly, and found it.

    MORTAL PERIL.

* * *

    Hermione groaned and sat up. Her shoulder was killing her, and she had absolutely no idea where she was. Then she remembered the last words she had heard, and groaned. 'Great,' she thought sarcastically to herself. 'I had to go and get myself captured, didn't I?'

    "I see our little mudblood friend has awakened," the cold voice snarled. Hermione suddenly recognized it.

    "Lucius Malfoy," she hissed, shooting daggers at him. He gave her a sardonic look.

    "Now, there's not need for nastiness, is there?" he queried, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You have no reason to upset yourself, do you?"

    "Oh, no," she returned. "I'm just the captive of the darkest wizard known to man, waiting ever so patiently for someone to rescue me from a silver-blonde dunderhead. What would I have to be upset about?" She smiled sweetly.

    "Silence, girl!" he barked, slapping her sharply across the face. She fell, holding her cheek, and then glared up at him maliciously.

    "You know, you haven't much time to lounge," she said thoughtfully. "I'm sure it's been discovered by now that I've gone missing, so some group of Aurors is probably coming for me. If you're going to bring me to Voldie, then I suggest you make it snappy."

    "How dare you speak of my master that way!" he roared, pointing his wand at her. "Crucio!"

    Hermione fell to the ground, screaming. She'd never felt pain like this before. 'I'm going to die,' she thought to herself. 'God, I'm going to die.' The pain seemed as though it would never stop, and then-it did. She struggled, but valiantly stood and gave him look for look.

    "You dare stand up to me, girl? Do you wish to die?" he threatened, putting his face in hers.

    "Not really, but I know you can't kill me, anyway. Your master hasn't seen me yet, and I've no doubt I'm being held so the INFAMOUS and BRAVE Harry Potter, my best friend, will come after me, leading him into a desperate trap which will end up with him dead?" she asked, feigning innocence.

    "You're really trying my patience, you know that, you nasty little mudblood?" Suddenly, he threw her against the far wall of the chamber. She cried out in pain as she connected, feeling her shoulder move out of its socket. He advanced on her slowly, looking as though he wanted something. Hermione's blood turned cold when she realized exactly what it was.

    "Well, with all due respect, MISTER Malfoy, raping me is a highly unoriginal and overused device to get me to feel degraded, is it not? I'm quite sure you don't like to conform to the normal stereotype, so spare me the agony and GO AWAY." She looked at him still advancing, and tried her luck. "Do you still insist? Well then, I'm afraid I have no choice." When he came close enough, she kicked him directly in the family jewels, or lack thereof, and then socked him in the jaw. "Really a bad idea, not to tie me up."

    From nowhere, two bulky, rock-like men came from her sides, each holding rope in his hand. Hermione tried to reach out and punch both at once, but all she got was her arms being twisted behind her back and bound. Her shoulder screamed in protest at the twist, and Hermione along with it. A hit in the eye both silenced her and knocked her back to the ground. One tied her ankles, and the other stuffed a gag in her mouth. She stared at them both in contempt, and suddenly thought of something smart to say. They noticed, and pulled the gag out. She grinned.

    "Well, you know, I figured that evil people got all creative with their chains and cells. Funny how rumors lie, isn't it?" For her comment, Hermione got a rock to the head.

* * *

    Harry was in a state of extreme panic. He paced back and forth in Dumbledore's office, waiting for the man to come back with his tea tray.

    Harry suddenly got his wish-Dumbledore came into the office, looking older than normal, but carrying his tea tray.

Harry started yelling.

    "Isn't there anything we can DO?!" he asked, staring at the headmaster. "I can't let her just DIE, wherever she is! She's my best friend, and the-" he blushed suddenly.

    "And the what, Harry?" Dumbledore asked gently, looking at the young man.

    "Erm-she-I-she's the love of my life! I can't live without her, professor!" he blurted, looking at the old man, pleading with him to do something, anything to solve this problem.

    "I'm afraid there's nothing I can do, Harry," he replied softly.

    "Can't you at least tell me where she might be?" he asked, begging.

    "I don't know, Harry. I can only speculate. Voldemort was last rumored to be hiding captives in a certain manor, about a hundred miles from this location. I'm sure you could probably guess what manor this is, but I leave it to you to figure out. I know you'll try to find her no matter what I tell you."

    "Thank you, Professor!" he exclaimed, jumping from his chair. Dumbledore stopped him.

    "Good luck, Mr. Potter," he said almost grimly. Harry nodded and left the office, ready for anything.

    Harry got back to the portrait hole quickly. "Always remember," he muttered hurriedly.

    "Indeed, dear," the Fat Lady returned, opening. Harry tore up the staircase to his dormitory, where Ron sat alone, playing himself in a game of chess.

    "Do you have Floo powder, Ron?" he asked his friend.

    "Sure, mate," Ron nodded, puzzled. "Why?"

    Harry ignored that. "Be ready to go by midnight."

    "Ready to go where?"

    "Malfoy Manor."