Harry Potter and the Master of Death [Complete]

Chapter Nine - The Killing Curse

Hermione was in the Forbidden Forest alone for the first time in her life. She had always had Harry, Ron or Hagrid with her on previous visits and wished they were with her now. On her way from the Tomb she had passed Hagrid's hut, the windows were dark and the door stood open. He would surely have reached the school by now and she prayed Ron would be alright. Hagrid had said it was a memory charm, she remembered Gilderoy Lockhart whose own magic had wiped his mind clean and shuddered.

Night was falling and the Forest, which was dark even during the daytime, was now cast in shades of purple and black. She had stayed to the paths as that was the safest way to travel here but she knew Harry had not. The light from the tip of her wand threw eerie shadows, bending the trees into sharp-taloned monsters and doing little to guide her way. She called up her Patronis and watched it run ahead, gaining some small sense of safety from the brightness of the Otter as it snaked amongst the trees.

The ground was muddy ahead and she almost missed the footprint, seeing it at the last moment as she picked her way through the muck. It was Harry's, she just knew it. He had crossed the path here, exiting the woods to her right and re-entering on the left. Small branches had been broken as he had passed in his haste. Hermione stared into the forboding weald, the tree's here stood close together as if blocking entry purposely to keep her out. She took a deep breath and made her way in pushing through the barrier with her hands out to protect her face. Roots and brambles clawed at her so that within a few minutes her legs were covered in deep scratches and her clothes where torn.

She plunged ahead for what seemed like hours, her eyes reduced to slits to avoid being blinded by pointed twigs and stinging saw-edged leaves. All around her were the sounds of the creatures of the Forbidden Forest, crickets and toads chirped and croaked but were joined by strange keening sounds and deep echoing growls that made the tiny hairs on the back of her neck stand up. A chill set in and gooseflesh rose on Hermione's exposed arms.

She stopped, ahead the thicket was almost impenetrable. Placing her hand upon the closest tree for support she stood trying to catch her breath and wiped the sweat from her clammy brow. She could not see how Harry had managed to traverse this part of the forest, there was no path ahead, no broken branches or muddy footprints to guide her.

She heard something then, movement far off and a deep loud panting. There were werewolves in the Forbidden Forest and the image of Fenrir Greyback sprung to her mind unbidden, his sharp yellow nails and pointed teeth, his fetid breath and poor Lavender Brown lying dead on the ground.

Hermione turned and backtracked searching for a way around the thicket, the panting was getting louder and she could hear something crashing through the forest nearby. She ran, low branches catching in her long brown hair and pulling it out painfully. Her eyes blurred with tears and sweat as she hurtled forward. She staggered, squelching through a shallow bog and the sucking mud pulled at her feet causing her to lose her shoes.

"Expecto Patronum!" she screamed, slicing the air with her wand. The gleaming silver Otter shot out of the tip of the wand and ran out into the forest cutting a wide circle of protection around her. Rocks and brambles stabbed painfully into the soles of her shoeless feet and just when she thought she could not run any farther she plunged out of the trees and into a muddy clearing.

Hermione fell to her knees, gasping for breath. Her sweater and jeans were cut to ribbons and the bottoms of her socks were soaked with a mixture of blood and mud. She listened hard but there was nothing now but the usual sounds of the Forbidden Forest. She stared hard back into the trees for some sign of what had been chasing her but, if anything, the woods seemed quieter.

The clearing was small and Harry's footprints were easy to discern in the soft earth. He had dug down into the ground in many places and Hermione wondered if he had found the Stone and was even now waiting for her back at the castle.

She sat back and slowly pulled off her long socks to examine the deep cuts and bruises on the soles of her feet. She waved her wand, uttering "Tergeo," to remove most of the blood and dirt from her wounds and then, in a tremulous voice, "Episkey..." The wounds healed, although not completely, but a least she would be able to walk again. "Accio shoes," she ventured and her filthy trainers came flying through the air into her hand.

She used the cleaning spell on both the shoes and socks and had just finished easing them back onto her sore feet when she saw something glint in the mud. Hermione bent down and as her hand closed on the shiny stone it appeared.

The Invisibility Cloak fell in a silvery heap revealing the tall hooded creature not two feet away. It stood over her, its arms outstretched with the Elder Wand in its right hand. Hermione raised her wand but with a flash of the Elder Wand, it flew from her fingers. The most powerful wand in the world pointed now at Hermione's head and the creature put it's other hand out palm up beckoning her.

She was still holding the shiny stone... it wasn't the Resurrection Stone, Hermione had known that as soon as she had picked it up, but it might buy her some time.

Hermione slowly stood and reached forward shaking violently. She dropped the stone into the creatures hand and stepped back quickly.

Almost immediately the creature knew it was a ruse. It cast the shiny stone away and brought the Elder Wand up again. At that moment there was a flash of fur as Fang, the boarhound, charged into the clearing. The hooded figure flicked the Elder Wand and a flash of bright green shot from it towards Hermione who fell backwards. The huge dog leapt between them and the spell hit him. Fang went rigid and crashed to the ground unmoving.

"Expelliarmus!" The disarming spell hit the creature and the Elder Wand flew from its grasp. Hermione turned to see Harry standing at the edge of the treeline. He caught the wand and swooped down to pull Hermione up from the ground.

The creature rounded on them, its long white hands reaching out with claw-like fingers. Harry shoved Hermione behind him and raised both wands.

"Avada Kadavra!" He screamed. A huge red beam shot from the wands and seemed to explode through the hooded figure, it's intensity blinding them both.