Hermione was being dragged by the tight hold upon her wrist as they scurried across the floor beneath.
She felt completely horrid.
Dolohov had taken her back to the infirmary, whilst Hermione grieved the loss of her fellow classmate. She couldn't believe if were still happening. Death was being witnessed right in front of where she stood, and it were to most likely not to be the last.
Hermione felt nauseous, uneasy. She was uncontrollably shaking as her body grew weak, she couldn't find the strength nor the ability to ease the tension or the tarnish of agonizing distraught. The pain carried through her entire being. Not just mentally but physically as well for an absurd amount of reasons. She could not summon the ability to feel anything settling nor even capable of feeling anything not stomach wrenching.
"Guard her closely, if she even merely moves a muscle take action." Dolohov spoke, as he threw her back into the hospital wing. Death eaters surrounded closely, as she quivered in fear, whilst they all looked down upon her.
Hermione looks up and practically can not see a mere ounce of light. Every flicker is covered by dark, and every corner she turns is heavily cloaked. She hardly even remembers what the feeling or endurance of light is like. She hadn't seen any since battle.
"She will be taken back soon." Dolohov announced as he strolled away. Hermione didn't want to know what he meant but deep down she did. Yet Deep down she truly wish she didn't.
She had wished her thoughts were less dark and gruesome. They weren't, they were painful and realistic.
She was waiting for the tears to stroll down, yet she couldn't quite make them out.
Resentment and hopelessness consumed her being ever since she saw her peers fall on the battle grounds. It were a never ending loop.
After witnessing the agonizing suffering and death of those whom she held close, she knew her torture had just began.
Now was merely just the start.
The idea of death never truly frightened her. Yet that did indeed change once she had seen it right before her very own gaze. Time and time again.
She had even seen souls whom she never favored leave right before her. Lavender Brown was an example, she doesn't see much but the image of Greyback taking her last breaths replayed a few too many times. As did others.
She saw it loud and clear.
Lucius Malfoy wasn't too far off from Hermione's stand, when he was the last sight of Fred Weasley. The Malfoy's always had it out for the Weasleys. They never hurt a soul.
He casted the immediate killing curse in which Fred had been tortured to shambles prior. Hermione looked ever so close as the curse took its toll. It ripped right through Freds body, destroying him in all. She recalls not doing a thing. She simply couldn't. She was far too helpless to spare him.
Arthur Weasley hadn't made it out either. She saw him fall, she figured he would get right back up. Unfortunately It was far too late for that. He watched his own child die. That was intentional. That was worse to him rather than his own death.
Molly turned away from the scene as she physically couldn't bare it. Yet that didn't change her outcome whatsoever.
Remus and Tonks simply accepted defeat quicker than anyone else had. Yet they fell as well, It was absurd how often Hermione had seen that killing curse cause its damage.
Death replayed on and on again in Hermione's eyes. Far so many times to where she believed she would grow familiar to the sight and the pain would diminish.
Yet it never did.
Each scene hurt more than the first.
Scars that would remain open.
Ones that would either never heal, or simply just expand.
Guilt took its toll on her being. She felt repulsed that she withheld this sort of privilege to still be standing. Yet it didn't feel that way. Not one bit. The agony consumed her soul.
To Hermione being held captive never occurred as a mere possibility. Yet with what Pomfrey and Dolohov had said it was most definitely an occurrence that could await. It felt as if it were to be torture without any physical pain in motion. Not yet at least. Whatever memories she obtained within her core mind were of use to the dark lord. She could have easily knew where each and every one of those Horcruxes lied, yet even if that were the case she couldn't expose it. She may have had a severely hazy recall of her journey on out of hunting for the objects, yet that didn't mean those moments didn't exist. It was quite possible she would remember eventually.
At that point death seemed the closer option. Any other option for that matter. Any but being of service to the darkness. Anything but aiding the cloaked souls whom being the dark lord and his followers. That awaited fate bothered her from the inside out.
The idea of escape was a glorious one. Yet it was indeed an unrealistic one as well. She quietly schemed in her mind, yet a plan had to be conducted in which it outsmarted more than one being. She wasn't just surrounded by one or two souls, no it was many.
"Miss Granger do you not take anyones word these days?" Pomfrey spoke in a muted whisper. She was probably just as afraid as Hermione was.
"Hermione if you have not yet noticed there is no way out. Not now. Not ever. The sooner you realize, the easier you're mind will be at rest." Pomfrey said in frustration, as she sat Hermione down on the infirmary bed.
Yet Pomfrey's words didn't prevent the scheming Hermione had started.
The hours grew longer, as not a single soul in that wing dare shed a loud word. The guards were constantly beside each and every bed. Especially hers.
Pomfrey occasionally tested her mind as no progress had been made. Even advanced therapists tried to end the shaking she carried throughout, yet of course that didn't do much.
She just had gone threw more than one could realize.
Hermione was on high alert. It didn't matter the scene around, she would remain uneasy and was incapable of controlling her bodies response to the built up terror that formed from within.
Pomfrey kept a close eye, as she attended everyone in the infirmary. Yet of course she was instructed to pay special attention to Hermione.
Days passed in the hospital wing as she regained a bit of strength, yet no luck in her remembrance. Although Pomfrey did indeed say there was slight progress within her strength, yet that was mere and didn't help much.
Hermione was soon written off as conscious and stable. In which she could be removed from the infirmary at that point. Yet by no means did that mean she was to not be under supervision.
"Right then she's able to walk and talk correctly?" Dolohov executed smartly toward Pomfrey, as the other guards surrounded from behind.
"Yes, she isn't in perfect condition but she can manage the minimum." Pomfrey spoke, whilst her eyes remained down, never forward.
"The dark lords orders must be fulfilled as soon as possible. You are whom he takes most interest toward. He withholds a particular sense that you do indeed carry the most useful information."
Dolohov's expression held smug, he was practically a messenger from the darkness itself.
Luna and Parvati were in the infirmary as well, right across from Hermione's gaze. She hadn't a clue if they had just gotten there from the dungeons, or if they were there the whole time. Hermione wasn't quite in the right headspace to be aware of every minuscule presence around. Only the ones that feared her most.
They both looked torn as well. They all did.
Yet Hermione hadn't a clue of what the others significance was to the dark lord. They hadn't a clue of anything surrounding the Horcruxes. Then again she was almost sure of the dark lord finding some use. Workers perhaps, she wouldn't be surprised.
Even if they were to simply rot beneath within dungeons and blocked out, imprisioned in dark cellars, that would be more likely, rather than them roaming free. No one from the war would roam free. No, they either died, or served.
She couldn't help but wonder how she were to remember, yet at the same time she didn't want too. She didn't want to withhold useful knowledge that would encourage the dark lord to prosper. She did in fact want to have the pieces of information to maybe help herself, yet she questioned was that even possible? To have the events of her journeys up within her head, yet block it out from the dark lords reach. She had hoped so.
Hermione had nothing. Not a weapon, not a wand, she was simply helpless. She repulsed at that truthful fact, she hated being helpless, yet she also was not in denial. She wanted to run, to fight, yet there were no exits open, nor an object to accompany her desires to flee. It was merely impossible.
Her previous plans had chased away within a small aspect of time. After the war her and the rest whom remained would leave at the instant. That was all rubbish now, that was simply a distant hopeless memory. Maybe if they fought harder, maybe if she helped even further she could have saved Ginny and they could have ran. Not anymore, now she just held guilt and remorse.
"Clearly you're failed attempt at escape went entirely wrong." Dolohov spoke, with an entitled grin. It made Hermione's stomach turn.
"From now on I highly suggest you do not fight against, but rather comply." He announced, as he inched closer with every word he spoke.
"You will listen to every order instructed."
"Obey every command thrown you're way."
"You shall not within any circumstance resist."
"You will do everything needed." He spoke stern and steady, as Hermione bit back a sob, and clenched her jaw in unsettling fear and fury.
Hermione was isolated from the others in the hospital wing. They all sat across from where she sat slumped, yet she couldn't see much of them considering they were heavily guarded, yet she could make them all out to whom they were.
She only distinctively pointed out Luna and Parvati.
Dolohov gave instruction over and over to the point in which Hermione questioned if she could even breathe. Hermione could hear occasional screams in which others were being tortured from not obliging. The sound grew far too familiar.
Her head would not rest, she didn't allow it to. Instead she went over various options none of which seeming realistic. She had thought maybe if she succeeded in regaining memory of where the Horcruxes lied then she could retrieve them herself and put an end to Voldemort once and for all. Then again she questioned her plan. How could she possibly do it all herself when all three of them couldn't? It wasn't a hopeful thought, she thought she were to go mad in her thinking. She practically tired her brain out, she never though that was a possible action, yet there she was. Her mind rarely deceived her, she was given a title from merely just her smarts. None of that mattered now.
All that did was the constant guilt.
If she were to make it out she would have to be punctual, clever, and sharp about it. She was still fearful of even thinking the wrong thoughts, she were afraid someone could read or hear them, even see them. Could they? She couldn't risk it, yet she also couldn't flip a switch within her mind to silence it.
Hermione couldn't help but let a tear fall slow. She felt remorse for her tears, a lot of others had it worse, ones who weren't even alive as of now. She couldn't help but wonder what if they had gotten all the Horcruxes? Voldemort would be dead and many others would be alive. If her and the rest hadn't failed then the dark wouldn't control, not prosper. It was far too late for that, she found no use in pondering on the what if's, because they hadn't succeed. She refused to allow that to take place again, yet at one point it wasn't to be her choice. She of course would still try, yet the outcome were not to be in her favor.
"Pat her down, I haven't a clue on what smart tricks she had tried to pull, whilst my back was turned." Dolohov exclaimed in Pomfrey's way, yet it were a foolish statement. There were guards at every corner, blocking out every angle possible. If she had tried to sneak in a weapon, or a tool, a soul would with no doubt would see. Yet of course it always had to go the hard route.
"I am quite sure it would be entirely impossible for her to get a thing within her reach--" Pomfrey began, yet were quickly cut off.
"I said pat her down, trust me you don't want me to do it myself."
Hermione didn't know if it were the outcomes of refusing, or the sharp command that caused her to practically beg Pomfrey to listen with merely just her eyes.
It was most likely all of it combined into one.
Pomfrey pat down all the way from her feet up to her head. Lingered her hands right through her pockets, whilst Hermione raised both her hands up, as Dolohov watched and inspected.
"Do it thoroughly." He ordered.
Pomfrey had even went in for the second time, touching every part of Hermione's clothing, assuring them she weren't hiding a thing.
"You will get new clothing anyways. Who knows, maybe you have a weapon embedded within you're fabric." Dolohov spat with bitterness for days. Hermione was astonished by the remark. She had wished she were able to get her hands on something of use, yet she couldn't.
Dolohov handed her a new set of clothing. Spares that were left in the infirmary, she had guessed.
She were even paranoid at that point. She feared they would embed some tracking of the sort. Yet she couldn't think like that, there was no way to tell for certain.
"You must keep these fabrics on until instructed otherwise. If you merely change a piece of cloth, it will be a disadvantage to you're own self, don't be foolish." Dolohov announced, with hatred clearly present. She could feel the harsh gaze he shot her way, along with other guards whom were instructed to keep a stern eye upon her.
With the confirmation that Hermione now wore different clothing, Dolohov walked away.
She noticed Parvati holding strong contact with her from across.
Looked as if she wanted to get a word in.
Parvati slowly walked to the other side, in which Hermione and Pomfrey stay put.
"Please tell me you have a plan of some sort. You're Hermione Granger, I am sure you do." Parvati spoke, in the at most softest, lowest whisper Hermione had ever heard. She could barely hear it herself. Yet it was spoken with tremble and a slight shake to her rhythm. She were also despaired with the statement she had heard. Mainly because Hermione had though of thousands of plans. None of which resulted in freedom, no instead the outcome were to be torture and death.
Hermione took in a slow inhale of breath, as she looked down. Her next gaze went toward Luna who looked distraught as well, just like they all did. They all held scratches, tears, and blood either on their clothing or it took hold on their flesh and skin. Some were old from war, and some were new from the current power death eaters held.
The current torture that took place.
She did nothing but slowly shake her head in no, as she examined Parvatis face fall with disappointment. She couldn't blame her, yet she also couldn't be expected to have all the master plans, nor all the wanted answers.
Because she had questions as well.
A tear clung to Hermione's slightly dampened eyelash, as she seen Parvati walk back to the other side and shake her head in Lunas direction. her face fell ghost cold as well.
"Miss Granger you have to at least look at the bright side." Pomfrey went on, as she still had to take inspections of Hermione's being as time went on.
"Madame Pomfrey I am being sent against my own will to be of service to the dark lord." She finally spat, as Pomfrey gave her looks of sympathy, whilst her eyes were cold.
"Miss Granger you are smart, you know there is but no choice, but you also know how to use that brain you with hold to you're own advantage." She announced in a subtle manner.
"Do what you can with you're intelligence. Use up the best of you're abilities, it is all you can do." She said finishing off her statement. Her words weren't as uplifting as Hermione wanted, yet they spoke truth.
Dolohov soon started making his way back.
"The dark lord is eager to regain the needed information we all know you withhold. The dark lord needs you're brain getting to work as soon as it can. Whether you remember overtime or you're brain is constantly exercised it must be done. Legilimens will be performed until it is confirmed that it is not to work. Then of course the dark lord has other plans in mind."
"The Horcruxes must be found."
Dolohov gave a sly spine rattling smile that caused her stomach to twist from within.
"You are wanted at Malfoy Manor, they are expecting you."
She let her head fall down as she had to regain a steady breath. She needed to brace and prepare herself. To get herself ready for what's about to come. What she had to face, who she had to face, and what her physical being had to endure to satisfy the darkness.
She greatly feared what she indeed had to do.
"You will obey."
"Listen."
"And for you're own sake, do what you are told." Dolohov lastly spat in cold sternness.
Hermione felt a steady grip on her hand as she soon realized she were being Dragged out of the Hogwarts grounds far enough to where it merely were no longer castle grounds.
They quickly apparated out.
All that traveled her mind were that she simply had to obey.
Everything and anything.
Obey.
Feel free to leave thoughts in the comments on the story so far.