The Dark Prince

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Who's the one you answer to

Do you listen when he speaks

Or is everything for you

And do you find it hard to sleep

Or is it easy on your own

Will you ever find some peace

Before you're gone

Goo Goo Dolls - Truth is a Whisper

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Chapter 7

...listen when he speaks...

Hermione scrambled to her feet as the door to her cell opened and two Death Eater's entered, their hoods thrown up over their faces, which were without their masks. She sighed. Neither of them was the Dark Prince.

The two aimed their wands at her and the taller of the two gruffly said, "Out." They pushed Hermione out of the cell in front of them, their wands brushing the small of her back. As they moved past another Death Eater out of the cell block the shorter one hissed, "Try and escape and you'll be dead before you get two feet, Mudblood."

Hermione recognized that voice. She calmly asked, "Is that a threat, Draco?"

Draco Malfoy smirked under the hood of his cloak and replied smoothly, "It's a promise."

Hermione shivered involuntarily and they moved on.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

Soon they arrived at their destination. Death Eaters surrounded them; some faces hooded, some not. Hermione could see faces she recognized and older one's she didn't. As she was moved forward through the crowd she swore she saw Dean Thomas' face.

And in the center of it all was Voldemort, perched on a throne with the arms carved into snakes and a basilisk's head arching up over the back, a pair of rubies glittering in the spaces where the eyes would be. Standing to the right of the throne was the Dark Prince, hooded and masked as always.

Draco and the other Death Eater shoved her forward into a free space that surrounded Voldemort's throne. She stumbled and fell at his feet, her hair falling into her face.

"This is the one?"

"Yes, milord. She is the one."

Hermione looked up as Voldemort and the Dark Prince spoke, both of them looking at her. She shivered as the cold red and green eyes locked onto her. Voldemort lifted a hand from where it rested on the arm of the throne and Hermione found herself lifted to her feet involuntarily. She stood, looking straight into Voldemort's chalk colored, snake-like face, his blood red eyes boring into her.

"Your name."

Hermione blinked and sputter, "Wh-what?"

Voldemort repeated, "Your name, Mudblood. I want your name."

"Hermione Granger."

"And your occupation?"

Hermione frowned, wondering what this was about.

"The Mysteries department at the Ministry."

"Ah," said Voldemort. He looked at the Prince beside him and said, "You did not say she worked with the Ministry."

"I did not know, milord. My apologies."

Voldemort nodded slightly and turned his gaze back to Hermione, who had gathered all the courage she could muster and asked, "What do you want with me?"

Voldemort smirked and said, "That, Miss Granger, is not for you to know." He looked at Draco and the other Death Eater who had brought her in and snapped, "Malfoy, Wood, take her back to her cell."

Wood? thought Hermione as Voldemort released her and she collapsed, Draco and the other Death Eater catching her. They jerked her to her feet and shoved her towards the door. The last thing Hermione heard was Voldemort telling his Death Eater's about some sort of stone.

As she was half-carried back to her cell, Hermione looked at the taller Death Eater, trying to see beneath his hood.

"Oliver?"

Oliver Wood threw back his hood, eyes flashing coldly. He said, "Hello, Hermione."

"You're a Death Eater?"

Oliver smiled. "Yes. In fact, the Prince recruited me."

Hermione paled and asked, "Do you know who he is? Do you?"

Oliver scowled and Draco spat, "No one but our master knows who the Prince is, Granger."

Hermione looked at him and began to laugh. Between her laughter she choked, "You...would...find....it...ironic...if...you....knew...Malfoy."

Draco shook his head in disgust and looked at Oliver.

"Let's get her back to her cell. Just the right place for filth like her."

Oliver nodded and then quickened their pace. Hermione was paying no notice to them as she was laughing uncontrollably. Insane laughter, she thought.

Finally, they reached the cell block and the Death Eater let them back in. Draco unlocked her cell and Oliver threw Hermione roughly into it. As they closed the door, a cold voice hissed, "Never do anything to harm her again." Both Death Eater's turned to see the Dark Prince standing there, eyes blazing at them from behind his mask.

"My lord..."

"Silence fools! Our master wants her. Mudblood or not, she will live to see what he wishes of her. If I find either of you have brought harm to you, I shall bring much more harm to you."

Draco and Oliver nodded their heads and muttered, "Yes, lord."

The Dark Prince nodded in return and spat, "Now go."

Hurriedly, the two Death Eaters moved past him. Before they got to the metal door out of the block, the Prince said casually, "Oh, and, Wood, Malfoy?"

They turned.

"Crucio."

Hermione covered her ears as Draco and Oliver screamed. She did not know how long they screamed but when they stopped she heard the Dark Prince say, "Fools," then leave, yelling at the guard outside the cell block.

"Nott! Get those two fools out of there. We don't want a prisoner accidentally getting one of their wands, now do we?"

"N-no, my lord."

"Good."

Hermione heard him walk off then the sound of the Morbilicorpus spell being cast. The door slammed shut a moment later and silence fell.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

Are you listenin' now?

Are you feelin' that way

Aren't you terrified?

Of wakin' up too tired to try again?

Are you happy now

That you've shut yourself down

Are you paralyzed

By all the nonsense that's gone down

Goo Goo Dolls - Up, Up, Up

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Chapter 8

...the nonsense that's gone down...

"We can't just sit here and do nothing!"

Natasha watched Ron pace across the floor of her apartment. He had been doing that for almost two hours straight and she swore she could see the carpet beginning to wear away.

"Ron, we can't do anything to help her. We don't even know why they want her."

"Because she's Muggleborn! What else?"

"There could be another reason. She does work in the Mysteries Department."

"Yes," hissed Ron, "but no one knows she works in the Mysteries Department."

"Well then it must be something else."

"Why do you keep saying that?!"

Natasha scowled and snapped, "I'm trying to be lighthearted here!"

"Well, its not bloody working, is it?"

"No."

Ron snorted then said, "I'm going after her."

"Ron!"

"No. I have no idea where my best friend is and he could be dead for all I know. I will not lose my other friend!!"

"Okay, okay." Natasha rose and placed a hand on Ron's shoulder. "Okay. But calm down. If you find the Death Eaters, you can't go rushing in with a clouded head."

"Right."

"So, c'mon, let's go."

"Hold on. 'Let's go?'"

"Yeah," said Natasha as she swung her cloak around her shoulders. "You think I'm going to let you have all the fun?"

Ron gaped at her for a moment then shook his head. Grabbing his cloak, he followed her out of the apartment.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

"Alright. She disappeared right about here, so..."

"Portkey?"

"Portkey. But...they were probably somewhere hidden."

"Such as?"

Natasha looked at their surrounding and her dark eyes locked on a shadowy spot. Walking forward, she stuck out her arm into the spot, which simply appeared to be a shadow on a building. Her arm went through the shadow and into whatever was on the other side. Grinning, Natasha walked on through, hearing Ron choke behind her as she vanished from sight. When he didn't follow her she turned back around and pulled him through.

"C'mon."

Ron looked around and said, "An alleyway."

"A hidden alleyway," corrected Natasha.

"That's what I meant."

"Yeah, sure. So...Mione got dragged in here and then Portkeyed away."

"The next question would be 'why?'"

"And that, my friend, is an excellent question. One I think we can easily find the answer to."

Natasha grabbed Ron's arm and pulled him out of the hidden alleyway into the street.

"Where are we going now?"

"To talk to the one person who might know why they took Mione."

Ron blinked and asked, "And who would that be?"

"Snape."

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

"Bessleroot, bessleroot, bessleroot...where in all Hades is it?"

Snape rummaged through the contents of the ingredients cupboard until he came up with a small jar of Bessleroot. A small smile quirking at his mouth, he turned and went to add it to the potion he was making.

"Hello, professor."

Snape looked up and saw Natasha and Ron standing in the doorway of the Potions classroom.

"Miss Bennett and Mr. Weasley. What may I do for you?"

Ron took a step forward and growled, "You could start by telling us why You-Know-Who would have Hermione, you greasy git."

"Ron!" Natasha shoved him down onto a stool and spat, "Sit! Let me handle this."

"But..."

"NO!"

Ron glared at her but complied. Natasha scowled at him then turned to face Snape, hands on her hips. "Well?"

Snape sighed and said, "I have no idea why Voldemort would want Miss Granger. Although there is the fact that she is Muggleborn."

Ron growled and half rose but Snape fixed him with a glare.

"Calm down, Mr. Weasley. I was merely stating the obvious and why Voldemort would take her. I have no more hate for Miss Granger or Muggleborns than you do."

"Yeah, right," muttered Ron."

"Hey!" snapped Natasha, "I thought you were letting me handle this."

Ron gave her a grumpy look then fixed Snape with a glare. Snape ignored him and looked at Natasha.

"However...if you wish to try and save her on your own - which I suggest you do not - I could show you a way into the fortress."

"Fortress?" said Natasha with a raised eyebrow.

"Fortress. The Death Eater fortress. Where they are most likely to be holding her."

"And you know where it is?"

"Not specifically but I can show you. I suggest you get help."

Natasha shook her head. "No help. We can handle this."

Snape closed his eyes for a moment then opened them, looking straight at her.

"Miss Bennett, these are not just wizards and witches you are going up against. These are Death Eater's, Voldemort's minions. And the Dark Prince will most likely be there as well. Voldemort's protégé. Can you defeat all of them, including possibly Voldemort himself?"

"You said the Dark Prince was dead."

"I said the Dark Prince I knew was dead. I said nothing of the sort of this new one."

Natasha frowned and looked at Ron, who nodded. She turned back to Snape and said, "Show us the entrance."

Snape nodded and turned to the bubbling cauldron, casting a Time-Stop spell on it. Turning back to them he said, "Are you certain the two of you want to do this?"

Ron growled, "Yes."

Natasha nodded and said, "I never completed Auror training but I know how to fight. So does Ron if what Hermione told be was correct."

Snape looked between the two of them then grabbed his cloak.

"Let us go then."