Something to start out with.

I understand that there hasn't exactly been 'hate' going on here, but there are a few things that I would like to say regarding your comments.

First of all- I'm trying my hardest on this book, and I need you all to remember that I am only thirteen, so yes, my writing isn't flawless. On my other fanfic as well as a little bit on this one, people are commenting saying that Ginny is always a jerk, Hermione is always kidnapped, Hermione is always helpless- and then saying that the exact same thing is happening in my books. To all of you who are writing that- you're pretty much calling my writing stereotypical, something that I really don't appreciate. It kind of hurts, because I love it when you guys comment, and every single comment is like a gold star to me- I love them. And everytime I see that someone commented I get excited, and it really hurts my feelings when it turns out that the comment was only to say that my story was just like all of the other ones out there.

So please, constructive criticism only, and please remember- I see every single comment that you guys provide me with. Talking about all of this with you has sort of crushed my writing spirit, so I'm sorry if this chapter isn't good.

On with the story I guess.

Hermione pales, her wand shaking. "Dennis isn't gone. You're lying."

Bellatrix cackles. "Oh, my dear- Dennis is alive, sure, but he is gone. There is no way for you to get to him without my help."

Hermione's eyes light up in anger. "Help us then!"

Bellatrix taps her chin. "No- I don't think so."

"I'll make you help us! I will!"

She laughs again. "The only possible way to force a ghost to do anything is- oh, wait. You can't. Sure, you can ban them into the afterlife, forbid them to come back and, well, call upon them. But, you can not force them to do anything. However."

Hermione's eyes narrow. "However?"

Bellatrix tugs harshly at a ghostly lock of hair. "I will reveal the location of Dennis, if... you free me."

"No!" Harry shouts. The thick black fog had just started to clear up, and Hermione could see him slightly. "Hermione, we can find another way- we just went through all of that trouble to lock her up and ban her. We can't lose that now."

Hermione shakes her head. "When freeing a ghost, it does not mean that they can run free in the mortal world, terrorising the inhabitants. Instead, if the spell is cast correctly, it means that they are released from their punishment of serving a ghost, to be held in the immortal world, where it will be chosen whether they will reside in heaven or hell." Hermione recites. "Bellatrix has killed far too many people and done far too many terrible things to be put in heaven, so my releasing her would likely resolve in her going to hell. Either way, she wouldn't be able to bother us and we would get Dennis back."

"And the downside?" Ron asks.

Hermione frowns. "The downside would be that Bellatrix would no longer have to suffer her punishment as a ghost, but I'm sure it will be much more terrible where she's headed."

Bellatrix struggles against the bonds, but Harry and Ron had her wrapped tight. "Yes, yes, I'm off to a terrible place, yada yada. Will you do it then? Free me for Dennis?"

Hermione thinks, before nodding. "Yes, I will. But I want you to show me where Dennis is before I even think about releasing you."

Bellatrix sneers. "Trust issues, eh?"

"Show me where he is."

Bellatrix stretches out her hand slightly, which looked very difficult seeing as she was bound up. "All you have to do is touch my finger. Touch my finger, and it'll take you with me to where I've been banished to. I can show you Dennis, and you can take him back with us."

Hermione glances wearily down at Bellatrix's hand, and in that moment, Harry noticed that she looked so tired. She looked so exhausted, like she wanted to collapse onto a bed and sleep forever. "Will it hurt?"

Bellatrix nods eagerly. "Oh yes, you'll feel excruciating pain. But, pain is a sacrifice you have to give for saving a life."

"Hermione." Harry says. She looks at him. "I'll do it. I'll go with her- I've felt plenty of pain before, I can handle it."

"So can I." Hermione says, wrenching up her shirt sleeve and exposing her mudblood scar to them. "I can handle it too. When I leave, no matter what happens, no matter what you see, do not let go of Bellatrix."

Harry locks eyes with her, and so many emotions pass through them that it seems unbelievable- fear, worry, love, sadness, hate for Bellatrix, anxiousness, understanding, and then once more, in the end- love. "Kiss goodbye at least?"

She smiles. "That's the reward for trusting me, remember?"

And then she touches Bellatrix's ghostly finger.

~~~~~

At first, there was no pain.

Honestly, in the beginning few seconds it was sort of relaxing. It felt as if a hot rush of air was passing though her, warming her fingertips and now numb toes. But then the air got hotter, and hotter- and then it felt like she was on fire.

She screamed out loud, for it felt as if there were flames, melting her skin to the bone. She then starts to feel tiny jabs here and there, almost like tiny knives digging into her skin, whilst she felt the burning alive sensation.

She couldn't help it- she screamed again.

She was lifted off of her feet and sent swirling into the air, and the world around her went from bright red to a dark blue, and she landed on her back in a small, tiled room.

On the floor was where she stayed for a moment, then two, struggling to catch her breath. She breathes in, out, in. Opens her eyes, shuts them, open. Soon she is clambering to her feet to see Bellatrix standing, amused, in the corner.

"Yes, it was rather painful wasn't it?" She says. "I didn't feel any pain, for I am the one banished here, but you? Oh just the sound of all of that hurting you makes me laugh."

Hermione groans, looking around the room. "Well? Where is he?"

Bellatrix coughs. "Dear Dennis? Oh he's just through this door."

She waves her hand, and a door that had stood behind her opened. The door was dark blue, just like the room. Everything was blue- the ceiling, the floor, the walls. Even the tiny bed in the corner that looked like it was for Bellatrix was blue.

Hermione enters first, Bellatrix gliding in after her.

"Dear Dennis?" Bellatrix calls into the room and a soft whimpering sounds.

"P-please. D-don't hurt m-me anymore. I-I t-t-told you I-I d-don't know how t-to free y-you."

Hermione looks at Bellatrix. Had she actually thought she could free herself? And what had she been doing to this poor boy? She turns back to the room. "Dennis. Dennis it's me- Hermione."

"H-Hermione G-Granger?"

"Yes. I'm here to help you."

She waves her wand. "Lumos Maxima."

The room is instantly flooded with light, and Hermione's gaze falls upon a shivering boy, tucked into the furthest corner to the left. It was Dennis.

She rushes towards him, helping him up into a sitting position as she takes in his state.

Dennis had undoubtedly been tortured. He had traces of Crucio on him, and there were cuts and bruises scattered on his face. He had a large cut on his lip, and the top of his head was bleeding.

"I th-think she b-broke my arm." He says, lifting his left arm up and gritting his teeth.

Hermione inspects it, nodding. "She most certainly did. Episky."

With a loud crack, Dennis's arm is healed, but he howls out in pain. "Bloody hell that hurt!"

"Sorry. Come on now, I'm here to take you home."

She places on of his arms around her shoulders and lifts him to his feet as he leans heavily on her. She slowly makes her way towards Bellatrix, which was harder now that she had additional weight on her.

"Now take us home, Bellatrix."

Bellatrix nods. "Yes, yes I will, but just something for you to think about- Dennis, like you, will have to go with as much pain as you did, and I'm pretty sure that he has already reached his pain threshold, courtesy of me. If he is to take any more pain, he will likely... pass on. You know. Die."

Hermione stops, now feeling completely hopeless. "He's going to die? After all of this work he's going to die trying to get back?"

Bellatrix sneers. "Afraid so. However, is you were to, say, take the pain for him, therefore bearing his pain and your own, though that would be an extremely terrible minute or so for you, Dennis will live and so will you."

Hermione knows what she has to do. "How do I take his pain for him?"

She feels Dennis grip her shoulder weakly with one hand. "Don't. Don't do it. I can die, it's alright. Then I'll be with my brother again. Collin. I miss him, and for you to take all of that pain is just cruel- Hermione, I can take it. Honest."

Hermione shakes her head the entire time he speaks. "No." She turns back to Bellatrix. "How do I take his pain for him."

Her smirk widens. "Easy. All you have to do is speak the words 'I, Hermione Granger, take the pain from Dennis Creevey.'."

Hermione closes her eyes. "I, Hermione Granger, take the pain from Dennis Creevey." When nothing happens, she looks back to Bellatrix. "Did it work?"

Bellatrix shrugs. "Probably. Now, touch my finger." She extends her hand.

And Hermione touches her finger.

Fire. FIRE. Hermione felt like she was on fire. The knives came back, digging deeper into her skin than they had the first time. And then something new came.

Wasps. Or was it hornets? Either way, tiny little things stung her while she was getting stabbed and burned alive. At least, that's what it all felt like. And then, as the final form of her pain, Hermione's scar heats up, burning and burning, and then it feels like it's bleeding-

She's lifted off of the ground, swirled high into the air, and then lands flat on her back in the classroom at Hogwarts.

She hears Harry and Ron's voices first. "Hermione!"

She holds up a hand. "Keep Bellatrix restrained."

Breathe. In, out, in. Open your eyes, close them, open. In, out, in. Breathe.

Turning over as she sits up, she sees Dennis lying on the floor beside her. He was unconscious, but alive. She moves him over to the side of the room. She stands in looks at Harry and Ron, both of whom had tears in their eyes.

"You were hurt."

"Screaming and screaming in pain and it took all of our strength not to do anything, just like you said." Harry says. "But you did it."

Hermione nods, and then turns back to Bellatrix. "I suppose it's time I freed you."

She closes her eyes and starts to chant.

"In the coldest breeze,
Where all good things harden and freeze,
Lies the spirit of the wretched Bellatrix Lestrange.

Deep in the woods where the bad things hide,
Good was never on your side,
You were punished, you were warned,
But you still killed many to be mourned.

And now I free you from your fate,
And you shall be sent to a afterlife of hate,
Be gone now, Bellatrix Lestrange."

And then, in a puff of black smoke, she was gone.