Halloween Mix-Up

Halloween Mix-Up

by: Tassana Burrfoot





Chapter Fifteen: Compassionate Victim





Seamus stood in the open doorway to the hospital wing. He had overheard Professor McGonagall tell Harry and Ron that something was wrong with Hermione and to follow her to the hospital wing. Being concerned himself, Seamus had followed.



Now he watched on as the small gathering of people crowded around her hospital bed. He desperately wanted to join them, but did not know if he\'d be accepted. Seamus was never really a shy one, but there was something different about the know-it-all bookworm. Something... special that he couldn\'t quite place.



He still didn\'t know exactly what was wrong with her. No one had spoken about it. In fact, no one had even noticed his presence.



The boy thought it odd that Professor Snape would be there, as well as Malfoy. But, then, it was rumoured that Hermione was dating Malfoy, so that wasn\'t too strange. Hurtful, but not strange. As for Snape? Perhaps he had been present when whatever happened to Hermione happened to her?



Madam Pomfrey had given Hermione a Calming Draught, which actually calmed the girl so much, she had fallen asleep. That was fine by the Healer, for it gave her a chance to check over the girl without any problems.



"Poppy? How is she?" Snape asked, suddenly, sitting in a chair near the bed.



There were two chairs in the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey occupied the other. The three boys, Draco, Ron, and Harry, knelt near the bed. Draco held Hermione\'s hand in his while Harry kept his head bowed as if in prayer. Ron just stared at the sleeping girl, a mixture of shock and anger in his face.



The Healer sighed, "She\'ll be all right, Severus. Thankfully, those boys didn\'t do any real damage to her. At least, not physically. However, I cannot stress enough the severity of this all. Miss Granger is a sweet, innocent girl. She never should have been put in this sort of situation."



"It\'s my fault," Draco confessed, looking up into Hermione\'s peaceful face. "She was coming to the dungeons to apologize to me. We had had an argument. I didn\'t think she would come after me."



"You cannot blame yourself, Mr. Malfoy," Madam Pomfrey told him. "You had no way of knowing she would come. Nor did you know those boys would attack her as they had. The only ones to blame for this deed are those boys."



"Yes, well, I\'ve already spoken with the Headmaster. He is in negotiations to have the boys expelled from school," Snape announced, much to the relief of those present.



At that moment, Hermione shot up from the bed. "What?!" she demanded staring at Snape as though he had said something wrong.



"Miss Granger, please lie down," Pomfrey ordered, gently pushing on the girl\'s shoulder.



"I will not!" the girl shouted, jumping out of bed. "I need to see the Headmaster! Now!"



"Miss Granger, do as Madam Pomfrey says and lie down," Snape growled. "Those boys are being dealt with."



"No!" she argued, as she yanked her hand out of Draco\'s and moved to get up.



The boys stopped her. "Hermione, please, listen," Harry requested. "You\'ve gone through a horrible ordeal."



"Professor Dumbledore!" Hermione shouted at the top of her lungs. "HEADMASTER DUMBLEDORE!"



"Silence!" Snape hissed, glaring at her.



There wasn\'t a soul in the room who wasn\'t shocked at her behaviour. Even Seamus, who had only been able to hear snippets, was shocked. What was she planning?



The Irish Gryffindor jumped out of the way as Dumbledore walked into the hospital wing. "Miss Granger?" the headmaster said calmly. "You called for me?"



She nodded urgently. "Please, Professor. You haven\'t expelled those boys yet, have you?" she inquired.



His expression was unreadable as he answered, "No, Miss Granger. Not yet. We are still in the process.."



"Please, Professor. Don\'t expel them," she begged.



Both of his eyebrows were raised as the surprise was felt around the room. Everyone was stunned into silence.



Finally, after what seemed like hours, Ron managed to say, "Hermione, you can\'t be serious?"



"Of course, I am, Ronald," she said, quiet clearly. She looked at Dumbledore and straightened her hospital gown. "I know what they did was wrong. I was the one they did it to. But, expelling them solves nothing. Education is important, no matter the person. Furthermore, they touched me. Skin on skin. It would be... torture to make them leave now. I can\'t... I won\'t be cruel."



"It\'s no less than they deserve!" Draco snapped. "They raped you, Hermione! They touched you in a way no girl should ever be touched."



The Gryffindor lioness sneered at him. "None of them can claim to be the first boy to have touched me. Besides, I have a better plan for them."



Draco raised an eyebrow when she shot him a smirk that would rival one of his. "What are you on about?"



"First, we need to explain things to Seamus. He\'s been standing at the door wishing to join us without a clue as to what\'s going on," she told them all, drawing their attention finally to the Irish boy.



(II) (II)



Dumbledore\'s office was much too small for what Hermione had in mind. So, instead, they used her apartment. Snape and McGonagall stood by the fireplace while Draco and Seamus stood off to the side. Harry and Ron flanked Hermione.



Dumbledore walked in with the six miscreants. They were all hobbled and looked a bit worse for wear. Even Zabini had lost his luster.



The dark Italian glanced up at Hermione as he entered the room. His dark eyes silently begged for her forgiveness while, at the same time, he wore a confused expression. Neither he, nor his fellows, knew why they were here.



The lioness did not smile. She did not bat an eye. She merely stared at them as they entered, one by one. She knew, without looking, that her friends had their wands at the ready should one of the boys decide to go astray. She knew Snape and McGonagall both stared daggers at the boys as well. One false move, and the six would be blasted into eternity.



Once everyone was inside, Hermione waved her wand to shut the door. Dumbledore moved to join his two employees as Hermione approached the boys who had taken advantage of her. She felt a hand on her shoulder, but swatted it away. Harry knew his place in this moment.



She began prowling around them as a predator stalks it\'s prey. Her eyes trained on each of the boys in turn. "I know Vincent, Gregory, Blaise, and Theodore," she said, in a low whisper. "I do not know these other two. Draco? What are their names?"



Draco glanced at the boys in question. "Yaxley and Bulstrode," he answered.



She rolled her eyes. "I meant their first names," she said in slight annoyance.



Draco tilted his head a bit. "Yaxley, the one with the short hair, is Tristan. Bulstrode, the other one, is Mordred. He\'s Millicent\'s older brother," he replied, curious as to why she would want to know their names.



She nodded as she continued to circle the six boys. "You must be very proud of yourselves, huh?" she asked, addressing them. "I hope the six of you had your share of fun earlier tonight. Too bad it was short-lived for you."



They kept their heads bowed, none of them daring to look up at her. They were wandless and shackled. No match for the entire room of people. She knew this and played it to her advantage.



"How does it feel to be outnumbered and powerless?" she hissed at them. "To know that you have given your fate into the hands of a Mudblood?"



"Miss Granger," Dumbledore started, stunned that she would use that sort of word.



She shook her head. "It\'s all right, Professor. I\'m not ashamed of what I am," she assured him, giving him a glance that told him the word didn\'t bother her. "Though, I apologize for using such vulgar language in front of you. I pray you will forgive me."



"It\'s amazing what prayers can do," the headmaster commented, bringing a mischievous smirk to Hermione\'s face.



"You\'re right. It is amazing," she agreed.



She stopped in front of Zabini. "I want you to look at me, Blaise. Look me in the eyes," she commanded.



He did as he was told. His eyes were red-rimmed from holding back the tears. He knew his fate was expulsion. His wand was currently being held from him. It was only a matter of time before it would be snapped in half.



"I\'m not powerless now," she told him, her voice barely above a whisper. "In fact, I now hold more power over you than you could ever imagine. And I\'m not just talking about your ticket to Azkaban.



"No, I hold something even more powerful than that. Can you feel it, Blaise?" she taunted, stepping close enough to him so her breath could brush against his cheek. She leaned over ever so close to his ear and whispered, "It\'s called desire. And right now, it is burning up inside of you. And it will grow and grow. It will drive you mad. You can\'t control it, you can\'t simmer it down."



Without warning, she crushed her lips onto his in a brutal kiss. Before he could open his mouth to accept her, however, she pulled away and slapped him across the face. She then spit on him. "You disgust me!" she snarled.



She started circling them again, taking in each of their faces, one by one. "I have begged Professor Dumbledore for clemency. The six of you will not be expelled."



They looked at her in expressions mixed with relief and surprise. That she would go out of her way to save them after what they had done...



"But, do not think it\'ll be easy for you. Each of you have been cursed," she informed them. "Any male whose skin comes into contact with my own becomes madly in love with me. Love, infatuation, lust? Whatever. It\'s all the same. Suffice it to say, you will desire me greatly. Have all ready begun to do so.



"You wanted to know, Blaise, why I am with Draco. You wanted to know why Theodore saw me walk out of Snape\'s chambers that night. Well, now you do," she told them. "They had been inflicted with the curse as well. But, unlike you, I have given them a chance to reduce the fires. By sleeping with me, they are able to curb their desires for a while.



"You will not be given that chance," she snapped. "The six of you will suffer a torment worse than expulsion. You will continue your studies, make passing grades, and will not come anywhere near me. And if you think I will be caught alone again, you are sadly mistaken. I have learned my lesson.



"Professor Dumbledore and Professor Snape have both agreed to the terms. Each night, Prior Incantato will be cast on your wands to see what spells you have casted throughout the day. If any spells aside from self-defense and school work has been cast, I will no longer be able to help you. The next spell you use against a student, not in self-defense, will result in your immediate removal from the grounds.



"You will not approach me, nor anyone I am speaking with. You will not mention this curse to anyone, if you do, I shall deny everything you say. And trust me when I tell you, they will believe me over you. Regardless of how much evidence there is to support your story. You will not leave your dormitories except to attend class and meals, though you will be allowed to return home for the Christmas holidays. Letters have been sent to your parents, informing them of what has occurred and the possible consequences should you step out of line.



"If you accept these terms, your wand will be returned to you and you will be allowed to return to your dormitory. If you decline these terms, your wand will be destroyed and you will be expelled. If you step out of line, know this as well, I will press charges against you and you will feel the cold steel bars of Azkaban. Not even your Dark Lord will be able to save you from your fate there. Trust me."



Theodore glanced up at her. "Why are you doing this?" he asked. "After what we\'ve done? Why are you allowing us this option to stay?"



She stood tall and proud. "I am a Gryffindor," she answered. "I know how to face my fears and stand up to my enemies. More importantly, I know how to show compassion even to those who do not deserve it."



"But, is it compassion?" Bulstrode questioned. "You tell us we have been cursed with something that only you can help us with, yet you deny us the counter. Is that compassion or is that cruelty?"



She raised an eyebrow. "It depends. Which is more cruel, Mordred? Locking you up in Azkaban where you will go insane from lack of human contact as well as lack of being with me? Or having a chance to learn and continue with your magical education?"



"But we will still go insane," he argued, though he was careful not to raise his voice.



She smirked. "Only until Valentine\'s Day. Azkaban lasts for years. On Valentine\'s Day, the curse will be broken when my true love is revealed. All those affected by the curse will be lifted from the spell."



There was no hesitation from the boys. Each of them readily agreed to her terms.