Disharmony in the Dungeons

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JKR. All situations are mine. No $$$ is being made from this fanfic.
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Chapter 42 ~ The First Sacrifice

The main component of the Dark Lord's elixir was snake venom, milked from his familiar, Nagini, a female king cobra of extraordinary size. The Dark Lord was linked to the snake and immune to her venom, since it was utilized to bring his body back from dissolution. Nagini was almost eighteen feet in length and about ten years of age. Her great size was attributed to her diet, which was mostly muggles. She was ten years old.

Her venom, combined with muggle blood and various magical ingredients, kept the Dark Lord alive, at the cost of making him quite reptilian in nature. He kept fires burning constantly in his throne room, because he was affected by the cold, and would become sluggish if the temperature dropped too low. His skin was flesh, but scaly, and every few days he had to be oiled or his skin would dry out, and crack, then scabs would appear.

Peter Pettigrew administered the elixir every three days. During its administration, Voldemort would clear his fortress, because when he consumed the elixir, he went through terrible convulsions and pain, screaming and writhing uncontrollably until it was absorbed into his bloodstream. He didn't want his deatheaters to witness his weakness and vulnerability. It was important that they believed him to be strong and impervious to pain. Severus was the only other deatheater besides Peter who knew of Voldemort's momentary helplessness when he imbibed the elixir. If they were to strike, it would be at that moment of weakness.

The difficulty was that the Dark Lord cleared his throne room. Hermione and Severus had been working in her lab at the Dark Lord's stronghold for the past four months, and had produced four of the six horrible spells. Voldemort had his deatheaters test the boneless spell on a family of muggles with great success. Severus informed Hermione of this, and after a brief period of guilt and remorse, Hermione focused harder than ever on the destruction of the despot.

Hermione was always told beforehand to arrive at a later hour on the days of the Dark Lord's treatment. This gave her his timetable. She knew when he was to be fed. She and Severus needed to be at his stronghold when his feeding occurred, and had to make sure the elixir he was given did not give him strength. The only way to do this was to tamper with it during the distillation process, and the only one who stood a chance to do that would be Hermione when she was observing Peter.

The easiest way to change the elixir would be to change the most important ingredient, the snake venom so its properties would be nullified. Render it harmless. Or even better, substitute it with another poison, one the Dark Lord would be unable to absorb. The couple decided that this would be the most expedient course of action. They would not have to spend precious time experimenting. They would have to pull a switch.

Severus knew the kind of vessel that held the snake venom, and transfigured an ordinary vial to an exact replica. A black bottle with a snake-headed stopper. Hermione researched the best and most potent poison to use, and decided on cobra venom from a different species of cobra. They were looking for one that would react with the other ingredients of the elixir in a similar manner as the King Cobra venom. But since the Dark Lord could only process one type of venom, a substitute should weaken him to helplessness, if not kill him. Severus painstakingly brewed several batches of elixir, using different types of venom with varying results. Most reacted badly. Peter would be instantly alerted that something was wrong with the brewing process. Finally, they found a venom that reacted properly and produced an elixir that looked and smelled like that which Voldemort imbibed. They used the venom of the Ringhals, a type of spitting cobra. It was highly poisonous. It should do the trick.

Hermione took to carrying the black bottle of venom with her whenever she went to work in her lab, disillusioning it so it would not be accidentally exposed. Peter had not yet invited her to watch him distill the elixir. Hermione told Severus she needed to turn the heat up on Peter.

"Turn it up how?" Severus asked her, scowling.

"I think I am going to have to kiss him, Severus," Hermione said with a look of disgust on her face.

"What? No. Absolutely not," Severus said, folding his arms. The idea of the fat, little wizard lips or worse, tongue anywhere near his wife's mouth was revolting.

"Severus, I have to get him more interested. Flirting isn't enough. He needs contact with me to get him started," Hermione said, grimacing at the idea of the wizard getting hot for her.

"What if once started, he doesn't want to stop?" Severus asked her, his brows drawn together murderously.

"I'll stun him. I'll use my ring wand," Hermione said.

"He might not take that well, Hermione," Severus said. But he liked the stunning idea. Hermione could handle herself with spells. She was quick. She could be deadly if she were the killing type. She was, but only where Voldemort was concerned.

Hermione scowled at her husband.

"I'll handle it, Severus. This is a necessary sacrifice…you know what's at stake here. I have only two more spells to complete, and he'll have enough spells to wage the Final Battle. We can't let that happen," she said, putting her hands on her hips and looking up at her husband.

Severus faltered. Hermione was right. He was letting his emotions cloud his judgment. She was a spy just as he was, and she had to make sacrifices too. If she had to kiss, or even fuck Peter Pettigrew, it was something he had to accept, just as she had accepted his fucking other women for Voldemort for several years. He hated the idea of it, and hoped that she was smart enough and manipulative enough to get around Peter without giving him her body.

"All right, Hermione. I will trust you to handle it," he said, defeat clearly in his voice.

Hermione's eyes softened as she looked at her husband. He loved her so much and was obviously torn over what she might have to do to bring down the Dark Lord. But this was the life she had chosen, for both their sakes and the sake of the wizarding world at large. She had to do what she had to do. She only hoped that whatever happened, Severus would be able to live with her decision. She kissed him on the cheek.

"I'll be careful, Severus. I want as little contact with that rat as possible," she said, walking into their bedroom and donning her deatheater garb. Severus followed her and watched as she pulled on her half-skull mask.

"You're sure you don't want me to come with you?" he asked her.

Hermione looked at him. No way was she taking Severus with her when she might have to kiss Peter. She didn't trust him to control himself.

"I'm sure, Severus. I will see you tonight," she said, patting her pocket and feeling the disillusioned bottle of venom there. She kissed him and disapparated.

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Hermione appeared in front of Voldemort's throne and greeted the wizard in her customary way. He again asked her to remove her mask and drank in her beauty before dismissing her to her labs. The Dark Lord was very pleased with Hermione. She was as excellent a Spells Mistress as Severus said she would be. Already he had spells that would decimate and terrify his enemies. There were only two more left. Coupled with the spells he already had, his army would be formidable. He had also enlisted the help of the Manticora, Giants and Vampires. They would cut a large swathe through the opposing forces.

Once he was victorious, his first act would be to dispose of the Spells Mistress and her husband. Severus would no longer be useful, and he was far too dangerous to be allowed to live. And Hermione's usefulness would be over as well. She was also too powerful. She might turn on him later. It would be better to remove her from the equation. Actually, most of his loyal deatheaters would be in for a surprise. The only one whose position was secure was Peter Pettigrew. He needed him to administer his elixir.

Hermione walked to her lab and entered. She walked over to her notes and sat down. Peter would soon be knocking on her door. He visited her for at least five minutes every evening, staring at her hungrily as he made small talk. But never brought up her visiting his lab to watch him create the elixir. Hermione thought he might have had second thoughts. Well, she would change his mind tonight. She began to work on the next spell, which was the shredder. It was almost completed. The witch looked rather sadly at the cage of nifflers resting on the far countertop. They were happily mouthing the galleons she had placed in their cage, and running on the exercise wheel. The poor things had no idea what was going to happen to them when it came time to test the horrible spell.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in," Hermione said, knowing it would be Peter.

The fat, balding wizard entered, smiling at the witch.

"Hello, Hermione. You are looking lovely as always," he said, his eyes sweeping over her.

Hermione leaned against the counter provocatively. Peter's eyes widened.

"Why thank you, Peter. You are looking well yourself. Very well," she said, "As a matter of fact, I've been thinking about you and wondering when you'd let me watch you make your potion," she said, "I'm always in this lab. I want to do something…different."

The way Hermione said "different" made Peter's cock throb powerfully.

"Er…how 'different' Hermione?" he asked, moving a little closer to the witch, who was looking at him rather sloe-eyed, making his heart race. Little beads of sweat appeared on his brow.

Hermione steeled herself. Gods, this was going to be disgusting. She walked toward him slowly under she was pressed against his fat little body.

"This 'different,'" she said, kissing him.

Peter was shocked at the contact, but wasted no time wrapping his arms around the witch's waist and snaking his thick tongue into her mouth, tasting her. His chubby hands slid over her ass, and he pulled her against his erection. Peter wasn't huge, but he was a good size.

Hermione gag reflex was desperately trying to make itself known. She began to push away from the wizard, but he was surprisingly strong. She managed to pull her mouth away from him.

"Let me go, Peter," she gasped. The wizard thought it was passion that made Hermione gasp, but he was crushing her to him so hard, she could hardly draw breath. He held on, enjoying her soft body against him.

"Let me go, Peter. Don't make me regret kissing you," Hermione said, already regretting it. That did it. The wizard reluctantly let her go. He stared at her hungrily.

"Am I to take this to mean you've accepted me, Hermione?" he asked her.

"I wanted to see what it would be like to kiss you. I still have to see you brew to make my decision. If I find your technique moving, then most likely, I will accept you. I love a skilled brewer," she said, breathing heavily.

"I am very skilled," Peter said in a low voice, moving toward her again, "Not only in brewing."

Hermione felt the bile rising in her belly and held up her hand to hold the wizard off. Peter stopped.

"Well, that remains to be seen, Peter," she said, moving away from him and back to her notes, signaling there would be no more kisses. The wizard's robe was tented. Hermione looked away, not wanting to see Peter's arousal.

"I will be brewing the elixir tomorrow evening," he said quickly, "I will come for you then."

Hermione smiled at him. It was a very forced smile. She felt sick to her stomach.

"That's wonderful!" she gushed. Then by way of dismissal she said, "I'll see you tomorrow then."

Peter knew he was being dismissed. But he got a chance to kiss and fondle her. It had been heaven. Maybe tomorrow he'd be fucking her in his lab. Merlin, the hours wouldn't pass fast enough. He'd make sure to drink a stamina potion. He wanted this tryst to last.

"All right, Hermione, I will see you tomorrow evening," he said backing out of the lab and closing the door.

Hermione made sure he was gone, ran to the waste pail and vomited. He had tasted like old eggs and Limburger. Circe. What a disgusting wizard.

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In his study, Severus was focused on his Hermione's emotion. Waves of apprehension and deep disgust washed over him. She must be interacting with Peter. Then he felt a pulse of anger, then relief and then some more disgust. By her violent reaction, Severus had very little to worry about with Peter Pettigrew, though he hated the idea of the fat gopher touching his wife. He knew Hermione would do everything in her power avoid fucking him. Severus had the distinct feeling she had gotten physically ill.

The Potions Master wondered if she had made any headway with the wizard.

Knowing Hermione, she had.

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A/N: EWWWWW! I just had to let that out. Eggs and Limburger? Man. Too disgusting. Kissing Peter and letting him grope her. Oh, Hermione…you are dedicated, I give you that. Severus listening in on her emotions. It seems he was actually worried she'd be attracted to the fat, little twerp. :::shaking head::: Men. Go figure. Anyway, let's see what happens next chapter. Please review so I know ya'll are reading at this site. Thanks.