Playing with Fire

Chapter 58

When Hermione looked at the dead small child, she couldn't stop herself anymore. She had to stop Barty from destroying even more innocent lives. She knew that he could be quite extreme in his ways, but this was just too much. She doubted if the Dark Lord himself would kill an innocent child in cold blood just like that. Well, be probably would. But that didn't mean that Hermione just had to accept this. So she took Barty's arm again, even though she received a deathly glare from him when he turned around to face her.

"Stop this, now," she demanded. "I asked you to hurt Marc, not to kill his innocent sibling who was only nine years old."

But his expression didn't soften as it so often did when she spoke to him to calm him down. And it frightened her.

"Unhand me, Hermione," he said slowly, dangerously. "And go sit yourself down and do not interfere."

"Or else?"

"Or else I will force you."

Now Hermione drew her own wand and she took a step back to aim it at her husband from a safer distance. Her hand shaked, but she still stood by her decision. He had to stop, and he had to go through her if he wanted to kill anyone else. Students gasped when she drew her wand, but she ignored everyone. All she could focus on now was Barty.

"Give me your wand and let's leave," Hermione said sternly.

But he only narrowed his eyes at her which told her that she had only made him angrier. She didn't care. If he was true to his word, he wouldn't  hurt her.

"You are going to do as I say, love, do not contradict me," he just growled furiously, taking a step closer as if she weren't aiming a wand straight at him.

"I will defend myself if I must," she warned.

"There are certain things you can and cannot do here. You need to understand that. Lower your wand and sit down. I will not repeat myself," he said, sounding more and more dangerous.

It scared her. She didn't even know that he still had this effect on her, she didn't know that he still frightened her this much.

"Please don't make me stop you," she pleaded, tears welling up in her eyes.

She heard some noises behind her, and in the corner of her eye she saw how teachers were standing up to help her. They also raised their wands and aimed them at Barty. That was probably a stupid thing to do, but Hermione truly appreciated the support.

"All this because I killed a child. Come on... I've done worse things," Barty scoffed, though it was obvious that he felt cornered now.

And cornered people could only become more aggressive.

"You're outnumbered. We stop this now. Let's go to our quarters," Hermione said bravely.

Barty only got an unnerving smile on his face, which made him look downright creepy and insane.

"I'll remember this," he said slowly, more talking to the teachers who had been helping her. "You will pay for this... Especially you, Horace, friend of Dumbledore... Oh, you'll pay... And you, Marc Stapler, you're still going to burn. This is only delay of execution."

Hermione already wanted to grab his arm, but he wasn't done yet.

"I expect you all here for dinner. Every single one of you. Those who fail to show up can expect heavy punishments. I want to see backs bent and necks bowed before me, no exceptions," he barked.

A faint 'yes, sir' echoed through the Hall.

"IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?"

A louder 'yes, sir' now boomed through the air and finally Barty took Hermione's arm to apparate them to their quarters. She was still convinced that he wouldn't hurt her, especially since she was carrying his child, but she wasn't so sure anymore when he grabbed her shoulders roughly and started shouting at her.