Redemption I

Chapter 36

"You made it!" Harry watched Neville, Luna, and Ginny step through the secured floo. Both he and Ron had been beside themselves waiting for them to get there. The other order members were discussing tactics in a heavily warded room just off of the kitchen. They'd received intelligence that had them all beyond worried but none of them had shared a piece of it with either of them.

"Yeah, sorry we're running a little behind. Ginny had a little too much fun with her diversion." Neville grinned slightly as the aforementioned redhead rushed forward to wrap her arms around Harry.

"It's alright you're here now, we haven't used the mirror all day so we're hoping we can get a good view of Hermione in it before we make our plan." Ron lifted the mirror up showing it off. It had taken every ounce of willpower he had not to take even a brief look.

"Are you all still thinking it's Malfoy's Manor?" Neville took a seat, moving with the others who had also moved to sit at the table.

"Yes, but we're not sure exactly what her words mean." Harry pulled the paper over from where they'd been bouncing dead-end ideas back and forth all day. "'I'm a trap.' Why not 'it's a trap' or something like that?"

Luna pursed her lips slightly, she too had been wondering but when they'd discovered the other half of the puzzle her brain had been ticking away, "Didn't Hermione send you another message... one from the start of the break?"

"She did..." Ron pulled the bag they'd restocked and made ready in the off chance they'd need to take running again. He dug through the top for a moment before pulling out the paper. "She'd hidden a message inside that one too..." Ron set the paper down on the table for all to see. "She hid another message under her instructions, here. Lumos." Ron held the paper up and illuminated it from behind. "'Don't come for me.'" Ron canceled the spell and set the paper down. Placing them beside the other it was a startling difference.

The first note had clear and precise handwriting that Hermione was well known for and the other looked shakey like she could no longer properly hold a pencil. Everyone around looked down at the two notes with a heavy heart and an even heavier silence fell over the room.

oOo

"Interesting spell, is it not?"

Snape swallowed the bile that was rising up the back of his throat. His eyes never leaving the girl who struggled for air in front of them. "Indeed...My Lord." The words burned even as they left his throat. His jaw and temple pulsed with his heavily thumping heart.

Hermione had been chained to a steel cross of sorts. She sagged against its rough surface, the pole that was looped through her biceps kept her from going too far down. A large steel chain pressed against her stomach, attached to her free wrists that struggled to keep her from falling any further. Her feet were completely free but they were of no help at present.

Voldemort had transfigured her previous attire of borrowed shirt and slacks to something out of a history book. A long white robe from Roman times. It hung off her frame exposing her shoulders, a large V over her chest and thanks to a long split up the side, almost all of her legs. The rope around the middle looked painfully tight around her already small waist. It was not lost on Snape that it would have been something a Roman slave would have been seen wearing.

"What happens when the number reaches zero?"

"She will die." Snape's eyes hadn't wandered far from the number that was shining red against the white stone that hung around her neck. He had managed the switch, but only just. It had taken some very creative words and very well placed hands but he had done what he had meant to do. He could feel the real stone's mate burning against his skin around his neck, begging him, urging him to take action. Presently, the number read 30. 30 Minutes before true death.