Half-Bloods and Hogwarts...

Chapter 21

Hermione's POV:

The tunnel is dark. It looks like death, it smells like death, it even feels like death. If I was skeptical about the demigods story before I'm definitely not now. I have no trouble believing that we're going into hell. Percy looks increasingly uptight, while Nico seems to relax. The ground levels out, and then there is a sight I never thought I would see. Sure, I've read about the River Styx. And for the past couple of days I've know its real. But nothing can prepare you for the River Styx. Its majestic. Its beautiful the way a gun might be, sleek, refined and deadly. Floating through it are seemingly random items, a diploma, a baby bottle, a wedding ring. The whole river is full of such items, "They're peoples dreams." Percy mummers, "When you die, all your hopes, dreams, goals, everything, gets dropped into the river. Because if you've gone this far, there's no going back. Well, if your dead that is." He adds quickly at my look.

Harry shakes his head, as if to clear it, "Well what are we waiting for? Lets find Voldemort and get out of here." And I must say I agree with him, this place is creepy.

"Is that screaming!?!" Ron whimpers. I guess the spell wore off.

Nico rolls his eyes, "Ever heard of the Fields of Punishment?"

"No"

"Well, its where mass murders, evil guys and people who annoy children of Hades go when they die."

"What happens to them there?" I'm afraid of the answer, but I need to know.

"Oh you know, sitting in a pot of boiling oil of all eternity. Standing in a pool of fresh water with a fruit tree over your head, starving, but not being able to reach them. Having to push a bolder up a hill forever, that kind of thing."

"Oh." I manage to squeak.

"We'll avoid them if at all possible." Percy decides. "Where do you think Annabeth will be?"

"We'll have to find Voldemort first, he'll probably be camped along the banks of the Styx, so he's less likely to be spotted. Lets go."

Nico leads, followed by Harry, Ron, me and then Percy. As we walk along I hear the screaming, but also the bark of a dog. Souls glide soundlessly beside us. Its all I can do to keep from screaming when one floats threw me. The ceiling glows red, miles above. My knees feel weak. When I die, which at this rate isn't to far off, this is where I'm going to go. Surrounded by the dead its hard to remember that I'm not one of them. The longer I'm in this place, the harder it is to remember what trees look like, what sun feels like on my back. I'm slipping away and I can do nothing to stop it. I slowly start to sink to the ground. My soul begins to float free of my body, towards the gates.

"Whoa, Hermione, not a good place to take a nap." I vaguely hear Percy's voice. But its not enough.

"Hermione, wake up!" Someone slaps my face, breaking my paralysis. Slowly, blinking I sit up, "Sorry, I don't know what I was doing."

Ron gives me a hug, "Don't do that to me again!"

"Were you worried about me?" I smirk.

"Of course I was!"

Harry gives me a hand up and whispers in my ear, "You sure your all right?" I nod and dust off my trousers. Then we carry on.

The ground gets rockier, the you can taste the evil in the air. I'm shivering, but not from cold. The screams seem fainter here. But that's not comforting. Nico signals for us to stop, "We're almost there, make sure you're quiet."

And then I see him. It Voldemort. He's just standing there, watching, waiting. There's a girl crumpled on the ground beside him, she's chained down. But there's something off about her. She's slightly transparent, like one of the spirits.