The Outcome
Hermione watched Bellatrix with a careful eye as she leaned over his pale body. She was unsure of her decision, but there was nothing she could do. No amount of knowledge and spells would save him, and Bellatrix offered a solution. Filled with apprehension, Hermione stood over Bellatrix with her wand pointed at the back of Bellatrix’s head. “If he dies, you die!” Hermione threatened.
Bellatrix rolled her eyes and then she pulled a bottle out of her pocket that looked familiar to Hermione. It dawned on her that it was one she had seen Madam Pomfrey use in the hospital wing. Bellatrix uncorked the big vial of orange colored liquid and knelt next to Ron. She put the vial to his lips and poured it in.
Taking a step back, Hermione situated herself to give a deadly blow if necessary. She watched as the liquid slowly drained into Ron’s mouth. The orange liquid was quickly disappearing. Hermione waited in horror for Bellatrix to pull the vial back. Once half of the liquid was drained, Ron’s body began to twitch. Hermione gasped and jumped forward afraid for Ron’s life. She intended to snatch the bottle away from Ron’s lips. But Bellatrix was one-step ahead, by the time Hermione had gotten to vial she had snatched it away and replaced it in her pocket. Hermione glared at Bellatrix and shaking with anger, forgetting her wand she lunged forward punching her eye.
With a grunt Bellatrix stumbled backwards, shock spilt across her face. An instant later Bellatrix was pointing her wand at Hermione. Before Hermione could react, Bellatrix shouted out, “Rictasimpra!” Hermione slammed into the wall and crumbled to the ground unconscious.
Bellatrix smiled walked over to Hermione’s crumpled body and kicked her once. With a revengeful laugh, Bellatrix went to the door. She pulled out another door handle from her pocket and magically placed it on the door. “Alohomora!”
* * * * * * *
Ron opened his eyes to see Hermione not far from him on the floor. He tried to get up but his body would not respond. His eyes searched around trying to ascertain where he was. They were no longer in the room with the coffin. It was somewhere else. Ron rolled himself onto his back. A keen pain shot through his head. He couldn’t remember what had happened. All he could remember was Harry disappearing. He looked at Hermione’s crumpled form on the floor beside him.
“’Mione?” He hoarsely called to her. Her clear beautiful pale face seemed frozen in time and was sad and helpless. Ron wanted to get to her, but his body was still not responding.
He breathed heavily waiting for the pain in his head to go away. Seconds later he realized that his shoulder no longer hurt. Rolling his head to one side he saw his makeshift bandage lying on the floor beside him and his shoulder no longer wounded, but coated with dried blood. Curiously he stared at his shoulder even more confused. Ron rolled his head back to look up. A large ceiling loomed before his vision, it looked familiar, but he couldn’t put his finger on it.
Looking to Hermione again, he called out her name. She didn’t respond. Waiting a moment more, Ron then gave it all his strength and sat up. His head suddenly throbbed with pain. He ignored the agonizing pounding in his head and pulled himself to Hermione’s side. Lifting her up gently he held her in his arms. “Hermione?” He spoke to her gently.
She groaned in reply. Her small body moved in his arms. Ron sighed relieving all the worry knowing that she wasn’t dead. He called to her again, “Hemione are you okay?” With his hand he moved a few strands of her hair out of her face and tucked them gently behind her ear.
“Ron?” she whispered fluttering her eyes open. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. How are you?”
“Ron, you’re alive!” Hermione cried out. She sat up and threw her arms around his neck. Strangely her ribs were painfully sore, but she ignored that, happy to be in Ron’s arms.
“Careful!” Ron warned as he spoke into a wall of frizzy hair. “I’m still not perfect yet.” He wobbled a bit, losing his center of gravity.
“Oh!” Hermione replied and moved back trying to steady him.
“What happened?” Ron questioned rubbing his head tenderly.
“You suddenly fainted. I think from loss of blood. Then Bellatrix appeared and gave you some medicine,” Hermione paused. “I punched her and then she blasted me with magic. I don’t remember anything after that.” She stopped and looked around. “Where are we?”
“I dunno?” Ron answered with a frown. “Bellatrix helped us?”
“I know I don’t understand,” Hermione replied confused.
During their thoughtful silence, Hermione took in their surrounding, not sure they were real. They both sat in the middle of the Weasley’s family room, before the fire. Everything looked as though it had when they left. Hermione wasn’t sure whether to trust her eyes or not.
Ron looked around, uncertainly also played across his face. It seems like his home, looked like it, but it didn’t feel quite right. The blue flame was missing from the fireplace. Ron swallowed hard worried that maybe Bellatrix had sent them back. He turned to Hermione.
“Do you think that she sent us back? Do you think that this is real?” Ron asked quietly.
“I don’t know,” Hermione replied standing up. She examined the details around her. “It’s your home, you should know.”
“I can’t tell,” Ron protested also rising. He took her hand instinctively, still not trusting his surroundings.
“You worried?” Hermione asked looking down at his hand clasping her own.
“I don’t trust it.”
Hermione nodded in agreement. She figured it had to be a trick. They were both out cold. Someone had moved them or the room had been magically changed. She didn’t know what to do or how to figure out where they were.
“Let’s try the doors,” Ron suggested looking at Hermione expectantly waiting for a reply.
“Why not?” Hermione shrugged, afraid of what might be waiting up the stairs.
Ron walked to the nearest door, which happened to be his back kitchen door. Still holding Hermione’s hand, he reached out with other hand and turned the door handle. The door lock clicked ominously and echoed throughout the room. Ron was taken aback and jerked his hand back. The click noise of the lock reverberated against the walls as though it was explaining they were locked in. Ron could feel Hermione shudder behind him. He felt the same urge to shudder, but overcame it quickly.
“That was disturbing,” Hermione finally broke the silence of the last click fading from hearing.
“Unnerving, for sure,” Ron answered quickly, his eyes still laid on the doorknob. “There’s no inside lock.”
Hermione looked at the door noticing that Ron was right. There was no lock on the inside. She knew this wasn’t Ron’s home. She had been there several times and the lock was always there. Hermione felt suddenly scared.
“Should we try….” Hermione trailed off holding up her empty hand. She suddenly realized her wand was gone. Her face blanched, as her mind understood what her mouth could not say. She turned to where they had been on the floor and fell to her knees, searching with her hands the dark colored spots on the carpet. Desperately she crawled around.
“What’s the matter?” Ron asked with one of his eyebrows arched. He watched her wondering if her mind had been muddled.
“My wand,” She called from the floor.
Ron’s eyes grew wide. He quickly searched his own pockets, hoping the weightlessness was just his imagination. His hand grasped at emptiness in his pocket. A dreaded feeling sunk his heart.
“There gone Hermione,” Ron admitted defeated.
“We have to get out!” Hermione shrilly answered, more fear building in her.
“Let’s try the front door,” Ron said. She nodded at him silently gaining control. He took her hand and walked forward towards the front door. His mind filled with doubts and fear. He knew if it was open that they had no real way to protect themselves from any magical creatures. Yet, if the door was locked he knew that Bellatrix was their captor. His flesh touched the cold doorknob and his wrist turned.