Random Harry Potter One Shots

Hermione Granger

7. Hermione Granger

Hermione never got over Bellatrix's torture. Not really. But over the years, she had managed to hide her pain from so many that no one could tell. Not Ron, not even Harry.

Nobody ever really knew what happened, either, except the Malfoys and Bellatrix. As soon as Harry and Ron were taken to the cellar, nobody but they remained in the room.

Bellatrix threw her to the floor and, with absolutely no hesitation, used the Cruciatus Curse on her. They heard her screams, of course, but then again, she thought everybody from Malfoy Manor to Hogwarts probably heard her screams.

First Year, the Troll was coming at her, club raised. Harry and Ron were supposed to be here? Why weren't they here! The cubicle next to her was destroyed in seconds. She screamed. Where were they? The Troll lifted his club again-

"Tell me where you got it from! The sword! How did you get into my vault?"

"W-we didn't!" she sobbed. "I swear, we-"

"Crucio!"

Second Year, sat in the library. She had finally found it! It was the basilisk travelling around the pipes in the walls! She would be praised for this for sure. Everyone would like her. The one who found out what was terrorising the students. Then she heard it. A slithering sound. But something wasn't right. Where was Penelope Clearwater with her mirror? She was supposed to warn her and save them both. So where was she? Hermione had no mirror. Dread filled her as the slithering noise drew near her. She turned and saw bright yellow eyes-

"Tell me!"

"We didn-"

"Crucio!"

Third Year, she was at Hagrid's, waiting for Dumbledore to come with the executioner and Fudge to come for Buckbeak. Harry and Ron were nowhere to be seen, but Hagrid was in the corner of his hut, sobbing and over and over again saying "Not Buckbeak!". She didn't understand. Where were Harry and Ron? Why was she still here? A knock on the door alerted Hagrid to the Minister's presence. "We'll get it over with shall we, Hagrid? Do it now, sort out the paperwork later?". Hagrid miserably nodded. "No!" she screamed. How could Hagrid agree to this? How would they have time to save Buckbeak when they came back in time? The executioner was taking his place, raising the axe above his head. Without thinking, she threw herself in front of the animal and watched in horror as the axe descended-

"TELL ME NOW!"

"Please, no, we di-"

"CRUCIO!"

Fourth Year, she was in the graveyard with Harry. She didn't know how she knew that, as she had never seen it before, but she could just tell. She watched as Cedric and Harry suddenly appeared out of nowhere. She remembered the way everybody had carried themselves after Cedric's death, how distraught they had all been. She couldn't let him die. She could stop this. She saw Pettigrew appearing out of the gloom and head a slithery voice say, 'Kill the spare'. She knew what was going to happen immediately and jumped in front of Cedric. She couldn't let this happen. She saw the curse hurtle towards her-

Tears clouded her vision as she thought about these things. Why was she crying? She wanted to scream at herself. Why was she giving them the satisfaction of them hearing her scream? Why was she crying over her own death?

"CRUCIO!"

She was in her house, folding up the newspaper, preparing to go downstairs for dinner, where she would Obliviate her parents. But something was wrong. By now, her mum should have called her for dinner. She should be walking downstairs. But all was silent. She walked down on her own, peering into the living room, wand drawn. She came face to face with something she really did not want to see- her parents, spread-eagled on the floor, un-moving. She heard herself scream. '"Hello, beautiful," a voice drawled from behind her and she screamed again.

She looked through her tears everyone in the room, hoping for some help. She hated that voice. That horrible drawl. The voice of Greyback and Scabior combined. Who both wanted to kill her. She wanted somebody to hug her and keep her safe. To whisper that it was ok and she was safe. But that didn't happen. She did, however, see Draco Malfoy staring into her eyes, with his own sad ones, a small tear dripping down his face. He was staring at her intently and she could tell that- somehow- he had seen everything that she had. She could tell he felt her pain, and that was when she knew Draco Malfoy was not a bad person.

Then a sharp, cold thing pierced her skin and all she felt was pain. She could feel it as though Bellatrix was drawing or writing something with a knife on her arm. She screamed as the knife progressed. 

"May that serve as a reminder," Bellatrix growled as she stood and ordered Paettigrew to get Griphook.

She managed- with great difficulty- to move her head to the side and saw the word MUDBLOOD carved out on her arm. She sobbed harder and couldn't have been more relieved when Harry and Ron came for her.

But she never recovered. And Draco Malfoy became a great friend to her after the War, because she could talk to him about it, and he would understand.