HERMIONE'S POV (STILL)
Hermione and Ron rushed down the hallway after Malfoy. Just as he was about to enter the hospital wing, someone stepped right in front of him blocking his way. Dumbledore. "Mister Malfoy, may I have a word?"
"Professor, I really need to see-," Malfoy stuttered, but Dumbledore interjected.
"It's incredibly urgent, dear boy. It might even save her life."
"She's dying?!" Malfoy's face turned an incredible shade of white, and he tried to push past Dumbledore, but Dumbledore caught him by the shoulders and turned him to face him.
"Mister Malfoy," he said with intensity, "Yes, Miss Dolohov is in an extreme state of shock, and what we need could save her life. We need a few of your memories."
"Memories?"
"Yes. Memories of your time spent at Malfoy Manor, specifically of the last week and half."
Draco's face turned even whiter, and he shifted his weight from side to side. "Alright...how am I to extract them?"
"Place the tip of your wand to your temple, bring up the memories we need, and pull the wand away very slowly." Draco did as Dumbledore said, and several light blue strands fell into little vials Dumbledore had ready. "Thank you," Dumbledore nodded and directed Malfoy into the hospital wing. The Headmaster took off toward his office.
"Ron!" Hermione whispered. "Remember what Harry said? Make this part of the D.A.? When Dumbledore comes back, we should sneak into his office and watch the memories...You go find Harry and the rest of them. I'm going to see Adriana." Hermione marched into the hospital wing, greeted by many worried faces. She continued to walk slowly through the wind, until she came to a bed with a girl on it- Adriana. She was nearly white, and unconscious. Draco was sitting on the edge of the bed, holding her hand and just looking at her. He appeared near (or already in) tears.
"'Mione!" Ron's voice carried softly over the wing. He trotted up to her. "Dumbledore's left for the weekend. He's researching at St. Mungo's and he's left the memories," Ron whispered. "Harry, the twins, Neville, and Luna are going to meet us up in his office. Let's go," he tugged her arm and took off running toward the Headmaster's office. Hermione sped along behind him.
"Sherbet Lemon," Hermione smiled at the funny password and dashed up the stairs in front of Ron. Harry was standing near a bird-bath looking object, holding a glowing blue vile. "Are you sure you want to watch these, Harry? It's a major violation of their privacy," Hermione chewed her bottom lip nervously. Harry nodded.
"C'mon, everyone. Gather around the Pensive and just watch...be prepared. From anything I've heard, this was pretty terrible," Harry gave each of them a knowing look, and gently shook the memories into the Pensive. It turned black, and they all were drawn deeply into the inky pool.
Hermione landed on a hard wooden floor of a meeting room. There were several people gathered around a glossy table, but the thing at the head of the table was terrifying. Lord Voldemort. His eyes were red slits, his face pointed, his frame broad. He commanded power over those around him. Neville gasped at the sight of a crazy-haired, curvy woman next to the Dark Lord. She turned her wand over and over in her hands, not taking her hungry eyes off of the Dark Lord. "Bellatrix," Hermione breathed to herself. She let her eyes take in the rest of the people at the table, and suddenly the door burst open. Narcissa Malfoy reluctantly entered, guiding two shaking teenagers. Adriana Dolohov was clutching the arm of a very pale Draco Malfoy as they took two empty seats, their heads bowed. The Dark Lord continued speaking, as if he hadn't even noticed the two children entering.
"It has come to my attention," he rasped, "that one in our current company knows the location of the Order of the Phoenix." Hermione heard Harry gasp sharply, and Ron's face turned a brilliant shade of red as he recognized his mistake. "Everyone is dismissed...except for Miss Dolohov and Bellatrix."
Because they were seeing Draco's memories, they followed him out of the room, and landed in the next scene. They stood watching him pace his room, incredibly nervous. The door burst open and Bellatrix came in laughing hysterically, followed by a man named Yaxely. "Come, Draco." Bellatrix beckoned, and Draco followed reluctantly. They cut to the next major memory, landing on a cold stone floor. The door burst open again, and the man named Yaxely threw Draco to the ground, turned and left. Bellatrix smiled and yanked her nephew to his feet.
"What's going on?" Draco asked, as he stumbled in the direction his aunt shoved him. Bellatrix flicked her wand, and chains bound Draco's wrists, tethering him to one spot.
"She's dead, and the Dark Lord needed you out of the way," Bellatrix grinned airily.
"You're lying," Draco's eyes were wide, and he stumbled backwards.
"No, I'm not. She's gone," Bellatrix pushed her nephew, sending him to the floor. He squeezed his eyes shut against the tears, and pushed the back of his head into the wall behind him.
"You're a liar!" Draco shouted. Hermione was covering her face with her hands, nearly sobbing herself. She turned to see Harry's eyes wide with surprise, Ron was biting his lower lip intensely, and Luna was crying. She turned back.
"Shut up, you insolent boy! Crucio!" Bellatrix cackled, as she watched her nephew beg for her to stop. "She was in pain. Lot's of it. He killed her the most brutal way...what you're going through is nothing. Crucio!" She spelled again, and Hermione turned around, fully sobbing now. "She's dead, and you're not getting her back...they're burying her at this very moment." Bellatrix smiled to herself, turned on her heal, and bent to the floor. Draco's wand. She snapped it, and tossed it near the fireplace in the corner. Bellatrix skipped out of the dungeon, and locked the door behind her.
Draco sat sobbing in the corner. His eyes were squeezed shut, and his chest was heaving- the grief incomprehensible. Hermione wanted to comfort him, but the memory ended.
The group landed solidly back in Dumbledore's office, numb. "That was terrible," George Weasely whispered. Hermione nodded.
