Forbidden Magic 61

Forbidden Magic 61

Chapter 61 - Captured

Days had passed since that time, and Harry was growing more and more away from the other three. Although Ginny believed as much as Harry did, she didn’t want to consume herself with a quest she wasn’t even sure they should undertake.

“Let’s see, I’ve been trying to tune in for such a long time now,” Ron said tapping his wand on the radio. He started to mutter different words much to Hermione’s exasperation. “RONALD!” she finally yelled out, “What are you doing?”

“Yeah Ron,” Ginny grumbled, “I was trying to get some sleep.”

“Sorry! It’s Potterwatch! I’m trying to tune in again!” he complained. He went back to working with the radio and then exclaimed, “GOT IT! It was Albus! The password! Come here and listen!”

“So sorry for the lack of …. Well, an update eh? We have been just overcome with those charming Death Eaters and the loads of house calls we have received.”

“Lee?” Hermione cocked an eyebrow. “I’d say that’s Lee Jordan alright,” Ginny nodded.

“It is! Cool huh?” Ron grinned.

“…now we find ourselves with another good secure location!” Lee said happily, “I am so pleased to have our regulars here today, boys… and girl?”

“Hello.”

“Hello! Hello! Rivers!”

“Nice to finally get on the air.”

“Rivers is Lee, they all have these codenames right? Because well you know and—“

“Shut up Ron,” Ginny muttered.

“Right, sorry…”

“Before we hear from them, that would be Royal, Romulus and our new member Reckless,” Lee pressed on over the radio, “We have something to announce. With a heavy heart I must tell you all of some murders. Ted Tonks, Dirk Cresswell and a goblin named Gornuk are not with us. They were all killed some time ago and it is believed that Dean Thomas, a muggle-born, and another goblin are still out there. They were both last seen with the two victims, however, if anyone has information, Dean’s family would love to hear it.”

“I can’t believe it,” Ginny whispered. The room felt heavier than it did ever. Hermione felt a sadness rise in her. I’m so sorry Tonks, she thought with sorrow, I can’t believe you lost your father.

“More muggle slaughters with the use of the killer curse have been reported as well as the remains of Bagshot in Godric’s Hallow. Her body was long since dead by the time she was found and injuries of dark magic were found on her.”

A deep voice came over the radio, “This is Royal here, and many of the muggles out there still haven’t a clue about why they are suffering. We ask all wizards to protect their muggle friends in these dark times.”

“Kingsley!” Ron blurted.

“We know!” Hermione and Ginny spat at the same time.

“Well, on to me then, I’m Romulus,” the voice said over the radio. “And I’d like to add to that, we are all human and every life is worth the same.”

“Right!” Lee commented, “That is so true! I would vote you all into the ministry if I could!”

“That one there is Lupin,” Ron said.

“WE KNOW IT’S LUPIN!” Hermione and Ginny exclaimed together.

“Sorry…”

“I’d like to say as well that we do know that Harry Potter is alive. ‘The Boy Who Lived’ remains are greatest and perhaps, only hope.”

“Now then, how about our new comer, Reckless?” Lee asked.

A female voice came through the radio once again, “I’m here and ready Rivers. I would love to state that I have joined the Order as well as the D.A. group and I have never been more proud.”

“Haha, you are one of the good ones Reckless,” Lee commented.

“ARIANA!” Ron shouted, “I didn’t know she joined them!”

“RONALD!” Hermione and Ginny both shouted, “WE KNOW!”

“SORRY!”

“….If Harry is listening to this report I would love to tell him that all of us are with him in spirit. We are all willing and hoping to fight the good fight. And please Harry, follow your instincts and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. You are nearly always right from what I was told.”

“Yes,” Lupin agreed. Hermione’s eyes were filled with tears at this point as Harry looked to her.

“Nearly right,” she stated, “I’m not giving in that easy.”

He smiled at her but Ron decided to talk about. “Oh, Lupin is living with Tonks again and she’s getting kinda, you know, big…”

“And to our usual update on those friends of Mister Potter who are suffering for their allegiance?” Lee said.

“Well we would want our regulars to know this,” Ariana stated, “Several more supporters have been captured.”

“This list includes Xenophilius Lovegood, the former editor of the Quibbler,” Lupin stated.

Hermione’s eyes landed on Ron who raised his eyebrow, “What? He’s still alive at least!”

“Hagrid,” Ariana started, “escaped capture when he was holding a ‘I Support Potter’ Party in his hut. He is, as we believe now on the run with his half brother.”

“I guess it helps to have a sixteen-foot half brother with you,” Lee stated.

“That it does,” Ariana said. “Well, we have to say that you can listen to show support but don’t throw any parties. That might not be so wise. We do have some news on the Cheilf Death Eater and for that allow me to introduce my other new correspondent, Rodent.”

Ron’s face beamed every time Ariana’s voice rang through the radio. Hermione and Ginny beamed when a voice said, “Rodent?! What the hell kind of name is that?!”

“FRED!” Hermione exclaimed.

“No, that’s George,” Harry said.

“No, it’s Fred, I think,” Ron said leaning in. “Of course it is Ron! You can’t tell them apart? Honestly,” Ginny frowned.

“I’m not being called Rodent on here!” Fred exclaimed.

“What do you want to be called then?” Ariana shouted back at him.

“I told you I want to be Rapier!”

“Oh! For the love…” Ariana spat, “Fine! Rapier it is. Happy then? I swear this is why I really like someone else… ugh.”

Ron clapped wildly at the radio and Hermione shook her head.

“Oh, um, well, anyway, Rapier,” Lee tried to move on, “What can you tell us?”

“Well as you all may know, You-Know-Who is remaining in the shadows and is making the entire wizarding world panic. Mind you, there have been some reports of sightings and if they were all true, well, we’d have nineteen You-Know-Who’s running around!”

“It suits him,” said Ariana with an air of huffiness that would make Hermione proud (which it did).

“The air of the mystery surrounding him is more terror than him actually showing himself,” Kingsley agreed.

“Yes indeed,” Fred said, “So, let’s try not to get too carried away. I mean, there are these new rumors that he can kill you like with one look! That is a basilisk my dear listeners, not him. So I would like to present to you one simple test, if has legs then you can look into its eyes, although if it really is You-Know-Who, that’s not a good thing to do either!”

Ginny started to laugh for the first time in a long time. It felt good listening to her brother over the radio. She missed him dearly.

“And of the rumors of him popping up everywhere?” Lee asked.

“Well, who wouldn’t like a getaway after some hard work of killing? Eh? Am I right?” Fred joked.

Ginny laughed once again and Hermione held onto her closely as they listened. She needed this happiness from the other girl and she needed her warmth. She hadn’t felt it in such a long time. It felt good to laugh and it felt good to just have her near.

“However, the point is that he is out there. He might be here or not but he is still there so please do not be lured into a false sense of security. He could be here faster than Severus Snape when confronted with shampoo! So don’t take the risks! I can’t believe I just said that…”

“Thank you for the wise words,” Lee commented, “That brings us to the end. Tune in next time and keep fiddling with those dials! You’ll never know when we will be back! Next password will be “Mad-Eye’, Keep faith. Good Night.”

The radio fell silent and Ron leaned back in his chair, “Ariana is ok and now she’s in the Order. I knew she was the right girl for me.”

“She’s not the first Slytherin to join the Order but I think she might be the first good one to join,” Ginny stated.

“They are so utterly brave,” Hermione breathed a sigh of admiration, “I’m so proud of Fred and Ariana. If they were found—“

“Well they keep on the move just like us,” Ron said, “So no worries.”

“You heard them! He’s still on his mission he’s after the wand!” Harry exclaimed.

“Harry!” Hermione yelled at him.

“Oh come on Hermione! You heard them? Why are you always so determined not to admit it to us or to yourself? Are you scared? Vol—“

“HARRY! NO!” Hermione and Ginny exclaimed but it was too late.

“—demort’s after the Elder Wand!”

“The name is Taboo! I told you! I did! I told you!” Ron shouted. He got to his feet along with the girls. “We can’t say it anymore!” Ginny added.

She stopped talking when she heard voices coming closer. She gulped as fear gripped her she clung onto Hermione who was closing her eyes tightly. Ron took the Deluminator out of his pocket and clicked the lamps off.

“Come out of there!” a voice shouted through the sudden darkness, “We know you are there and we don’t care if we have to kill you! Come out now!”

Hermione casted a spell on Harry to ruin his face and she closed her eyes as her wand was pointed at Ginny, forgive me. The spell came over Ginny but she didn’t think much of it as she saw Harry hit the floor.

After this point, Hermione only remembered seeing a flash of light as she was dragged out of the tent with Ginny and Ron. Harry, somehow, she lost sight of. She struggled against strong arms but she couldn’t break free.

“LET-HER-GO-RIGHT-NOW!” Ginny kicked and screamed against the Snatcher’s grasp.

The sound of flesh hitting flesh rang out as Ginny’s limp body fell silent for a moment, “Ha, I laugh at muggle ways to hurt people.”

Another punch was heard and Hermione could feel slight pain in her abdomen. “What was that girly? You better calm yourself.”

“Leave her alone! Leave her alone!” Hermione shrieked.

“Oi, your girlfriend is going to have worse than that done to her if she’s on my list girly!” The voice was familiar and it made Hermione’s skin crawl. She fought against the hands holding her down but to no avail.

“Oh, what a treat, two girls…” Greyback said sniffing the air, “I do enjoy the soft skin against my mouth…”

Ginny kicked and screamed again, “You can’t have her! You can’t! She is mine!”

Another punch to her stomach and blood was forming at the corners of her mouth. “Oh, little redhead is a fire cracker!” Ron was struggling, “I WILL KILL YOU FOR HURTING THEM! YOU HEAR ME?!”

“Calm down!” another punch to both Ginny and Ron.

“Search that tent!” a voice said.

They were all thrown facedown on the ground. Ron and Ginny were both pinned down with boots to their backs. “Who do we have here,” Greyback gloated.

“You sure are ugly,” he told Harry, “What the hell happened to you?”

“I was stung,” he lied.

“Sure looks like it son,” Greyback laughed, “What is your name?”

“Dudley,” Harry told him.

“And the first name?”

“Vernon.”

“Check the damn list Scabior,” Greyback barked.

“What’s your name ginger boy?” he asked Ron who was pinned by the man named Scabior.

“Stan Shunpike,” he lied.

“Like ‘ell you are,” Scabior said digging his boot into Ron’s back. “What’s the real name?!”

A loud thud came down on Ron’s back and Hermione could see blood leaking out of his mouth. “I’b Bardy,” he lied once again, “Bardy Weadley.”

“A Weasley?!” Greyback said amused, “So you are related to the blood traitors are you? And you there ginger firecracker girl?”

“Mary Weasley,” Ginny lied.

“Another Weasley! Must be Christmas!” he laughed along with the others as a boot slammed on Ginny’s back. Her mouth started to fill with blood and the rush of horror came over Hermione. She felt the anger come rushing in from Ginny and the pain. She felt her tears start to swell in her eyes.

Ginny, however, couldn’t feel Hermione for some reason. For a moment, she thought that perhaps Hermione was knocked out but she turned to see Hermione crying. Why can’t I feel you?! What the hell is going on? ARGH! This isn’t fair at all!

“How about you pretty thing?” Greyback asked Hermione.

“You better remember your name faster than Mr. Weasley here,” Scabior said.

“Penelope Clearwater,” Hermione lied. She was terrified but her voice was convincing.

“What is your blood status?”

“Half-Blood,” she lied once again.

“Easy to check then,” Scabior said, “This ‘ole lot of ‘em look like they are ‘ogwarts age—“

“We left,” said Ginny still struggling under his boot.

“Left ‘ave you female ginger?” he laughed, “And you decided to camp eh? And just for a bloody laugh you thought about using the Dark Lord’s NAME?!”

“Nod a laugh,” Ron said while spitting up blood, “Aggiden.”

“Accident huh?” there was so much laughing that Ginny’s skin crawled.

“There was so much using of his name by those filthy ingrates the Order of the Phoenix. Heh, we caught a few of them though thanks to the Taboo. BIND THEM UP! Stick them with the other two.”

“Any of these kids have wands?”

“No,” they all said.

As they were tied up Harry was crying, “this is all my fault, I’m sorry.”

“Harry?” a voice whispered.

“Dean?” Hermione whispered back.

“Hermione? Ginny?” he looked at them, “Ron?”

“Yes, but shh,” Ron stated.

“Not bad for the night,” Greyback said, “are these four on the list?”

“No,” he said.

“What house are the lot of your from?” he asked.

“Slytherin,” Ginny lied.

“Ha! You think we all want to hear that?” Scabior laughed, “where is the common room girly?”

“In the dungeons,” she answered, “You enter through the wall. It’s full of skulls and stuff. It’s under the lake, so the light’s all green.”

“Oh, so then, we have a Slytherin group of kids,” he laughed.

More questions followed but to their horror the sword was found inside the tent. “Look at this!”

“It’s my fathers!” Harry shouted, “We borrowed it to cut firewood and –“

“Look at this in the Prophet!”

“What is it?” Greyback asked.

“’ermione Granger,” Scabior read, “the Mudblood who is known to be with Harry Potter.”

“Hey girl!” Greyback rushed to her, “this looks like you!”

“NO! It doesn’t!” Hermione shouted, “it’s not me!”

“Known to be with Harry Potter,” Greyback laughed.

Glasses were found and shoved back on his face. “THAT’S HIM! This is Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley and Ginerva Weasley! They are all on the list of course! Little brats!”

Hermione shouted something but Ginny couldn’t hear her. “Take them back to the Malfoy’s.”

They disapparated into the night, and found their way inside the Malfoy Manor. “Who are you?” a woman’s voice asked.

“Greyback, you know me woman! Where is He-Who-Should-Not-Be-Named?!”

“Why?!” she hissed.

“It’s Harry Potter,” he pulled Harry out and threw him on the floor. “He’s swollen but that’s him alright. And look at this, we got the mudblood Granger and the two blood traitors Weasley!”

“Draco will know if it is him,” she said, “Draco! Come here at once!”

Draco came out of the back of the manor and his eyes landed on Harry. Hermione didn’t look at Draco. Her eyes darted away when another voice came out. It was Lucius. “Well Draco, is that Potter?”

“I can’t be sure,” Draco said.

“Look closely!” Lucius told his son. Draco was pushed forward and forced to look at Harry. Ginny tried to break free once again but was struck in the back. More blood came out of her mouth. “NOT ON MY FLOOR!” Narcissa shouted, “No blood on the floor! Not blood traitor blood of all things!”

“If you say this is Potter everything will be forgiven-“ Lucius said.

“Don’t forget who caught him!” Greyback shouted.

“Of course not!” he said with impatience. “What happened to him?”

“It wasn’t us,” Greyback said.

“Stinging Jinx,” Lucius stated. “What about the girl Draco? Isn’t that the mudblood?”

“Yes, that is her,” Narcissa stated.

“And the other two, they are the Weasleys! That girl and the boy!” Lucius said, “What was their names?”

“Ronald,” Draco said in a shaking tone, “And Ginerva…er….Ginny.”

Hermione was dragged up to Narcissa’s face. She flinched as a cold bitter voice rang out. “What’s this?”

Bellatrix strode out into the room with her wand held up to her temple. “Granger?” she asked, “The mudblood?”

Hermione winced as she was pulled to her feet. Ginny was now fighting even harder but she was kicked once again. “Stop! I don’t want her blood on my floor!” Narcissa warned again.

Bellatrix took a look at Hermione, then at Ginny, then to Ron and finally on Harry. She started to pull up the sleeve on her dress to call Voldermort but Lucius grabbed her arm.

“NO! It is my house and therefore-“ he was cut off by her pulling away from him.

“You lost that when you lost your wand!” she shrieked at him. “I shall call him!”

“I beg your pardon,” Greyback roared, “But we caught the little brats! We want the gold!”

“Gold?!” Bellatrix mocked them, “You want gold? Take it!”

She threw gold at them and then her eyes landed on something, “STOP! No calling on him now!”

Lucius froze with his hand over his dark mark, “Why not?”

“What is that?” She asked one of the Snatchers.

“Sword,” he muttered.

“Give it to me.”

“No! It’s not yours! It’s mine! I found it and I—“ He was cut off by a red jet of light. Hermione, who was still being held up by Narcissa, knew it was a stunning spell. She knocked them all out except for Greyback who was now on his knees.

“Where did you get this sword?” she whispered to Greyback.

“How dare you! Release me, woman!” he growled.

“I will ask you once again,” she snarled at him, “Where did you get this sword?”

“They had it,” he told her, “those four brats!”

“Draco move these pieces of trash outside and if you do not have the nerve to finish them, I will,” Bellatrix bellowed.

“Don’t you talk to him that way!” Narcissa dropped Hermione. She fell with a loud thud and Ginny managed to crawl over to her while the sisters fought.

“What did you do to me? I can’t feel you…” Ginny whispered.

“Don’t worry about that now, you are badly hurt and we might not make it out of this alive so please…” Hermione was cut off by screaming.

“Do you have any idea how much shit we are in?!” Bellatrix yelled at her sister.

“Take them to the dungeon,” Narcissa told Greyback.

“All of them except the mudblood,” Bellatrix grinned.

Ron and Ginny both struggled against their magical bonds and the robes around their wrists. “NO!” they screamed.

“TAKE ME INSTEAD YOU HORRID WOMAN!” Ginny yelled at the top of her voice. “DON’T YOU DARE TAKE HER! TAKE ME!”

There was a loud flesh on flesh noise that rang out. Ginny’s face was red with the mark of Bellatrix’s hand. “If she dies under questioning, I’ll take you next. Blood traitor is next on the list next to mudblood in my book. Take them downstairs and make sure they are locked up tight.”

Bellatrix took out a silver knife from her robes and cut the ropes from Hermione. She was dragged into the middle of the room by her hair and Ginny was fighting against for her life.

“You think she’ll let me have a bite?” Greyback asked, “I’d say I’d get a bite, wouldn’t you ginger girl?”

Ginny was shaking with terror and was still fighting against Ron and Harry who could feel her urgency. They were dragged away but before she lost sight of Hermione she shouted out, “HERMIONE! NO!”

They were tossed into a dungeon and Ginny was now crying and rocking back and forth, “Hermione… Hermione…” She did this over and over again as Ron shouted out Hermione’s name.

“Stop we aren’t doing her any good!” Harry said, “We need to make a plan and then we can—“

“Harry?” a whisper rang out, “Ron? Ginny? Is that really you?”