T̶h̶e̶ D̶a̶r̶k̶s̶i̶d̶e̶

The Dungeon

"There you are!" Hermione hissed, "It took you forever!"

"Yeah, sorry." Ron ran down the steps and reached Hermione in the main hall. He handed her a vial that contained a few black hairs. "I had to stun the girl because the sleeping serum didn't work. She's alright, though."

"Good. Let's hurry up." Hermione started running towards the forest at a steady pace, and Ron followed into the night without a question.

The spells that protected Hogwarts still didn't allow people to use Apparition inside the grounds, and they couldn't risk using the fireplaces.

As soon as they reached the woods, Hermione stopped abruptly, and Ron almost bumped into her.

"We're out," Hermione said, her breath heavy from the run. She pulled a flask with what Ron could only assume was polyjuice potion and the silvery cloak they knew all too well. They had thought about leaving it in Harry's trunk along with his other belongings at first, but they'd all agreed that Harry would've wanted them to use it.

Ron wrapped the cloak around his body as Hermione dropped the hairs into the flask. The greenish liquid bubbled and didn't smell good, but Hermione didn't hesitate to gulp down every last drop. She'd done this enough times to remember how it felt.

When she looked up at Ron a few seconds later, she was an entirely different person.

Straight black hair, green eyes and a cute button nose.

"How do I look?" Hermione asked, running a hand through her shiny hair.

"Alright," Ron said, giving her a comforting smile, "But I like you better when you're... yourself."

"Aw. Thanks, Ronald." Hermione smiled. "So what do I have to know about this girl?"

"Her name is Nadia Dobrev. She's a Slytherin sixth-year girl who hates Muggleborns deeply and was granted the Dark Mark early because she served the Dark Lord. Remember to always refer to him as that and sound very grateful and devoted. Also, you might have to use Occlumancy."

"I've trained," Hermione said, sounding confident and a little anxious at the same time. "All right. Take my hand and don't let go until our feet hit the ground again."

Ron nodded and pulled the Invisibility Cloak over his head until he completely disappeared. "Ready?"

"Ready," Hermione said. A crack pierced the air.

When Ron opened his eyes again, he was standing in front of the gate of the Malfoy Manor a masked Death Eater guarded the entrance.

Ron was careful not to make a sound as Hermione took a few steps towards the high gate. He didn't hear what she was saying to the Death Eater, but he did catch a few words: "The Dark Lord's business."

The Death Eater narrowed his eyes, though Ron could barely see his face under the mask and through the shadows of the night. Ron's grip on the cloak tightened. What if their cover had been blown already? From the moment Hermione had told him her plan, he'd hated the idea of letting her do it, after all she'd been through. They hadn't had enough time to find other options though, so there they were. He was just supposed to stay still and wait for Hermione to talk their way inside.

"He summoned me here himself," Ron heard Hermione say. She's thrown all precaution to the wind. "since I have proven my loyalty to him, he told me I am now worthy of carrying the Dark Mark."

"Good. You shall pass, but if you are lying, girl, know that he won't spare you a second thought before ending your life."

Ron shivered. He moved as silently as he could towards where Hermione stood and managed to sneak in after her when the Death Eater unlocked and opened the gate just enough for Hermione to pass through.

Hermione walked towards the main entrance. They both remembered the way from the time they had been kidnapped by Snatchers when they were on the hunt for Horcruxes. The difference was, that Harry had been there with them.

Ron gasped when his feet caught in a pebble and he almost tripped over. Swearing silently for his foolishness and the fact that he shouldn't have gotten distracted, he turned to check if the Death Eater had noticed anything. He was looking at Hermione, whose pace had faltered when she'd heard Ron stumble over the gravel. Her back had gone rigid for a second and a half, but she hadn't turned around. Ron held his breath as he started walking again.

The Death Eater kept his eyes trained on her until Hermione/Nadia disappeared inside the door. The Manor was even more majestic than Ron remembered. The oil paintings and the giant family portraits, the stone stairs and shiny windows. The deep green and black carpets and the wide chandeliers made the whole place look straight out of a fairytale castle. If the situation hadn't been so tense, Ron would've taken the time to draw a moustache on Draco Malfoy's way-too-serious face in the portrait.

Two Death Eaters he didn't recognise approached Hermione and started asking questions. After a while, they lead her towards a corridor on the left. Ron knew he needed to go to the right. The dungeons were that way. He hated leaving Hermione like this, but a picture of his sister lying in a pool of blood popped into his mind, and suddenly he was running, not even caring to cover his shoes as he got lost in the corridors and raced down flights of stairs.

He finally found the wooden small door in the wall to his right, and he pushed it open. It had been left unlocked, surprisingly.

He hurried down the narrow stairs that he knew led to the dungeons and slowed down just in time to avoid running into someone.

Not just anyone.

Lucius Malfoy. He was standing there, in front of the cell. Ron was close enough to see the key dangling from a chain around his neck. That one golden key was what he needed to get to his sister.

Ron took a calming breath and pointed his wand towards Lucius Malfoy. "Stupefy." He said, his voice quiet but firm. The spell hit Malfoy in the chest, and he collapsed on the ground.

Sighing in relief, Ron crouched and took the chain off the Death Eater's neck. Knowing he didn't have any time to waste, Ron opened the door of the cell and ran inside.