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Atlantis - An Adventure	By : TheLadyMiya Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Hermione/Voldemort Views: 20208 -:- Recommendations : 3 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I do not make any money of this.

Chapter List
- 7
- 8
- 9
Hi. Sorry for the slow update. My life is really crappy at the moment. So updates will unfortunately be less frequent for the next month or so, before I get back on track.

Review-answers; Sbrande; Glad you find it intriguing and well written! Hope that won’t change after this chapter… I didn’t have the patient to go through it as carefully as I usually do. Oh, well, thanks for reviewing and enjoy!

Mrequecky; Haha, I’m glad you did! Hope you’ll like this one as well! This chapter is dedicated to my grandmother. I will always love you.

Chapter 8

The next morning Hermione was awaken early by Voldemort just as he had promised. However, since she hadn't been able to sleep last night because of a lot of thinking, she just groaned and put her pillow over her head. Voldemort didn't like that and ripped her blanket away.

"Fine, fine, I'm awake," Hermione mumbled.

"Good, because we have a lot of work to do and I have no idea where to being." Voldemort didn't sound very happy.

Hermione sighed and yawningly followed him down to the library. She had mild cramps because of her period. If it became too much, Snape would give her some potion for it. At least that was what he had said late last night when she had gone to see him. Normally she managed anyway and she didn't see why this period would be any different.

She sat down in one of the chairs in the library and leaned her head against an elbow as she watched Voldemort pace.

"Lucius is looking for the missing artefacts, but until he finds them, I want us to understand the connection between Egypt and Mexico over ten thousand years ago," he finally said. "Start talking."

Hermione covered a yawn with her hands. "Well, ten thousand years ago there were humans in both places even if there weren't what we would call civilisations. But some thousands years later, civilisations started rising on both continents. One common thing has to be their interest in the night sky. From what I have read, the pyramids of Egypt are placed to resemble constellations of stars and that city in Mexico was also built like the night sky."

"Yes, astronomy… which other civilisations do we know off that used it?" Voldemort started to feverishly browse through books.

"Well, that is quite hard to know since we don't understand the writings of many of the ancient civilisations," Hermione remarked.

"I know that," he answered irritably. "But I'm sure I've heard about others."

He was interrupted by a knock on the door. He waved his wand and the door opened, revealing Snape. "My Lord, I have managed to get a match between the corpse we found in Egypt and the stone you brought from Mexico."

"And?" If Voldemort was any other man, Hermione guess he would have jumped up and down in excitement.

Snape rolled out a scroll over the table. It reminded Hermione of the family-trees she had done in Muggle school years ago.

"I had to look at the structure of the spells. On a very basic level, they origin from the same source. The stone is older than the corpse, but the magic are much more advanced. However, the structure is from the same family. Look here." Snape pointed at the beginning of the family-tree like map. "This is where they have both emerged from. The spell which killed the child is further away from the source and it has developed in this direction." He pointed at one line which went from 'The Source' through and empty circle and to the circled word 'Corpse'. "The spell on the stone is like… a distant aunt." He pointed at another line which went from 'The Source' directly another circle with the word 'Stone' in it. "Although, there is something else. I don't know what the stone is created to do, but it is some sort of tool. Magic has been used through it many times. There are layers of magic on it. Just small traces. I assume the latest traces are from you my Lord?"

Voldemort frowned. "I didn't do magic on it, but it started to glow when I touched it."

"Then your magic must have triggered the spell in the stone. However, there wasn't much magic used. The only reason I detected it at all is because it hasn't been operative for several hundred years before you found it," Snape explained. "I'll see if I can find out if it has any other function than to light a room."

"What about the book?" Voldemort asked and patted the family-tree map again.

Snape sighed. "I'm starting to think it's an experiment because the magic isn't like the other two. Maybe this is a notebook from a wizard who was developing a new kind of magic?"

Hermione frowned. "How can you create a new kind of magic?"

"It's a little like creating a new language," Snape said, clearly annoyed by her interruption. "However, if that is the case, this wizard has created new magical laws! I've never seen anything like it."

The two men looked like two overenthusiastic schoolboys. For a moment she thought about how different her schooldays would have been if she had had Snape and Voldemort as friends instead of Harry and Ron. Not that she didn't love Harry and Ron, it was just that… they didn't seem to care about actually learning stuff. It was all Quidditch and lately, girls. Although, most of the girls at Hogwarts was the same. She remembered last year when Ron had been together with Lavender. Hermione had had to listen to Lavender discussing her and Ron's future with Parvati late at night in their dorm. It had been all "Ron will propose with a diamond at the size of a dragons egg!", "Our wedding will be the biggest event of the whole year, no, the whole decennium!" and "Ron better take me to the Samoa Island during our honeymoon". Hermione was surprised Ron hadn't dumped her sooner…

Wait… a thought. Yes, a thought. She had read something about the Samoa Island. Something about… She rose from the table and went over to the shelf which was dedicated to History of Oceania. She knew she had read something about astronomy and myths from Oceania. Ah, yes. She took the book back to the table, blushing when she saw the two men watching her with amusement.

"Well, I just thought of something," she explained. "About astronomy. For Christmas some years ago, my parents gave me a lexicon about myths of the world and I just remembered some mythology of the islands in Oceania. The myths are of course very old, but what is peculiar is that they seem to have had quite a bit of knowledge about astronomy. Although, during time this knowledge seems to have been misinterpreted. But they still had the knowledge, but so long ago that no one remembers it correctly!"

Voldemort stroked his chin, clearly thinking hard. "If it is indeed the same people who have spread knowledge about astronomy, they must have been in Oceania long before they went to Africa and America. But how?" Then he sighed. "Is there anything in that book about some ancient artefacts left that we may test magic on?"

Hermione sighed. "I know too little about Oceania. I'll need to read more."

"Very well. So to summarize, we have an stone and a curse on a corpse that seem to originated from the same sources, astronomical knowledge that is very advance for such early civilisations and a book which probably are from Atlantis, but by some weird wizard who wouldn't use his fellows' magic," Voldemort said and sank down in his chair again.

"Yes, that seems about right," Hermione agreed and sank down in her own chair. Merlin, would they have to go to the Samoa Islands now? She shivered at the thought of such a long flight. Even with Voldemort's superfast carpet, it would probably take at least six hours.

"I'll go back to my own studies," Snape said. "My Lord."

Voldemort waved him off and they sat quiet.

Then Hermione remembered something else. "Would it be okay for me to write that letter to my parents before we begin?"

He just nodded and Hermione took out a piece of parchment. She wanted them to know that she was okay and not alarm them in any way. The problem was that she felt like she didn't know them any longer. For the past six years, she had spent maybe one month every year with them. She was quite sure they saw her as a stranger too. She had changed so much since she begun at Hogwarts.

After a moment of thought, she wrote;

Dear mum and dad

I'm sorry I haven't been able to write to you sooner, but there has been so much going on. I've been chosen to go on a magical archaeology expedition with some of the most famous wizards in the field! I'm learning so much every day and I'm having really fun! Right now we are in Greece, but I think we will move soon again. Since we travel around a lot, it will be quite hard to get in contact with me, but I'll write again when I'm able too. I hope I'll be able to come home for Christmas, but we'll see. You never know what to find and sometimes we loose track of time.

Love,

Hermione

She handed the letter over to Voldemort without a word. He took it and read through it. Then he took out his wand and tapped the letter so some of her words disappeared.

"Never write where we are," Voldemort said unemotionally

Hermione sighed. "Fine. Can I send it now?"

He rolled the scroll together. "I'll send it."

"How will I know you have sent it?" she asked suspiciously.

"Because worried parents are very annoying and I don't want Muggles to start looking after you too," Voldemort grumbled. "We do move around a lot on the Muggle world."

"Oh, okay, then. But can I see you when you send the owl away?" she asked hopefully.

"Very well," he said patiently. "So, if that is all, I think we should begin reading up on Samoan myths."

Hermione yawned and stretched, preparing herself for a long session of reading.

xxx

Lunch came and went. Hermione and Voldemort managed to find some other early cultures where astronomy had been known, but not anything suitable for further investigations. There were thousands of islands in Oceania and all of them seemed to have different versions of everything. Needless to say, Voldemort was in an awful mood at dinner and Hermione didn't know if she should say something to cheer him up or sneak out quietly. Before she was able to decide, Malfoy opened the door.

Voldemort looked up at him. "Did you find out who bought the artefacts?"

"Yes!" Malfoy said, obviously pleased that he was able to shear some good news.

"And?" Voldemort asked.

"Well, most of the objects weren't hard to find at all, a Muggle museum had bought them. However, I couldn't detect magic in any of them and when I used Severus' spell, I found that they weren't even old. Approximately a thousand years. Probably war profits." Malfoy must have noticed Voldemort's face darkening because he quickly added. "But there is something else. One small object was sold to a wizard before the museum bought the rest."

"But?" Voldemort asked suspiciously.

"The wizard is Arthur Weasley," Malfoy answered with a sigh. "Apparently he stumbled over whatever it is on the Muggle black market. Knowing Weasley, he probably didn't even realise it was a black market, but our grave-robbers sold it at a very low price. Nevertheless, there is no way Weasley will do any business with us."

"How can we steal it, then?" Voldemort asked. "If there is any chance this thing is magical, I have to know."

Hermione had been quite surprised with Malfoy's information, but now she snorted. Both men looked at her. "Well, besides the fact that I really don't want you to break into my friends' house, there is no way you'll be able to find an unknown artefact at their house! They have things everywhere! And how do you know if Mr Weasley didn't give it to someone as a gift?"

"Unfortunately, I believe she is correct, my Lord," Malfoy said resentfully. "Perhaps we could kidnap one of the children…?"

Thankfully, Voldemort shook his head. "Ever since Granger disappeared, the Weasley children have been very well protected. The girl is still at Hogwarts and from what I've been told, not allowed to go anywhere without company. The youngest boy is still off Merlin knows where with Potter. The twins are living with Order-members and the three oldest aren't even in the country."

It was a bit disturbing that Voldemort knew so much about the whereabouts of her friends. Then again, he was the Dark Lord and did most likely want to know where his enemies were.

"I think a bargaining is in order," Voldemort said and looked at her thoughtfully.

Malfoy looked at her too and Hermione got a feeling she wouldn't like what they had in mind.

"Why don't you go and write a letter, Lucius?" Voldemort asked smugly.

"Certainly, my Lord." Malfoy bowed and left.

Voldemort stood and walked over to her. Hermione leaned back and looked up at him questioningly. "Are you going to give me back to them?"

He tilted his head. "You don't seem very happy about that?"

Hermione bit her lip. She knew that she should say she wanted to go back to the Order straight away, but Voldemort didn't like it when people lied to him. "Well, I want to go back to them… but I'm really curious about Atlantis and if you send me away now, I'll probably just try to find it myself."

Voldemort chuckled. "I do admire your honesty, Miss Grange." He stroked her cheek with his finger. "Fear not, I've no plans to give you up just yet. The bargaining is not for them, it's for you." His hand travelled up to her hair. "We are going to pretend that you are coming back, but in reality, you are just going to find what we are looking for and bring it back to me."

Hermione frowned, not really liking the sound of that. "But they will think I've betrayed them!"

"There is where the bargaining comes in," Voldemort said sweetly. "You wrote in the letter to your parents that you would try to come home to Christmas. If you do this for me, I'll be able to trust you enough to let you go home for a couple of days."

Hermione gaped. He would let her go home to her parents? Oh, that would be so wonderful, just go home and forget everything that had happened and celebrate a completely normal Christmas… which would be in the shadow of her betrayal. No, she couldn't do that. She couldn't pretended that everything was normal while her friends was out there, wondering why she had turned over to Voldemort's side. She shook her head.

"No?" Voldemort seemed surprised, then his face turned into a mask of annoyance. "Very well, how about this, if you do as I say, I won't have your parents killed?"

For a moment Hermione became worried, but then she realised that it was a bluff. "You wouldn't kill my parents. You know that I would never help you if you did that. No matter what torture you came up with." Perhaps it was a bit foolish of her to say that, even if it was true. Voldemort could still be mad enough to try.

He growled. "You are quite sure of yourself, Miss Granger."

"I know my value," she replied, trying not to show any fear.

"Insolent girl," he hissed and took a hard grip of her hair and forced her to stand up. However, then he seemed to remember that he still needed her and softened his grip, his hand resting at the back of her skull. "You shouldn't test me like this, Hermione. One day I will hurt you."

Hermione wanted very much to answer something sarcastic, but knew it wasn't wise to push his temper any further. However, sometimes her own temper took a hold of her too. Luckily for her health, this was not one of those times. Instead, she placed a hand on his chest and trailed the outline of his robe as she thought.

"I want my wand back," she finally said. "And you'll spread out the word that you will kill my parents if I don't do as you say."

The Order would never understand why she would help him unless something as important as her parent's lives were at cost. None of them, besides Remus, understood the hunt for knowledge. How much you needed to find what you wanted to know if you knew it was within reach. Not just that, but she knew the Order would place wards around her parents if they thought they were at risk. Even if it would be very foolish for Voldemort to kill her parents, he did have a temper. If things continued this way, she would no doubt do something she would deeply regret. Better to take precautions while you still could.

"You are starting to think like a Slytherin," Voldemort said with a smirk.

"Bad company," she muttered and let her hand fall down to her side.

"Or very good," he mumbled back. His hand came to her chin and he tilted her head upwards.

She gazed straight into his red eyes. He was looking at her with a soft calculating look. For a moment she thought he would kiss her, but then something dark went across his eyes and he let go of her. He went back to his chair.

"If you do this to my satisfaction, I'll return your wand. No matter what, I'll let everyone know I've threatened to kill your parents," he said as he sat down. "Now I think you should get some dinner. I'm quite positive we will get a quick reply from the Weasleys and I don't want them to have the time to come up with any kind of plan to trick us."

Said and done, Hermione had just finished her dinner when Snape told her they were leaving. Her stomach lurched. She would see the Weasleys again. Merlin, how would she be able to lie to them? They had done so much for her and now she would deceive them like a… Death Eater. A shudder went down her spine. No, she couldn't think like that. Mr Weasley would probably not know what it was anyway and she could always return it once this adventure was over. Besides, it wasn't like Voldemort would stop looking without her. The Order could use some inside information if they managed to find Atlantis and Voldemort's precious immortality. Although, then she would betray Voldemort.

But that was okay, wasn't it? He was evil and that kiss had meant nothing. Just the dark and his smell… he did smell quite nice for someone so evil. Fresh like lemon and peppermint. No, it didn't mean anything.

"Miss Granger?" Snape would escort her. Voldemort didn't want to be seen and Snape would make sure things went according to plan.

She nodded once and stood to follow him outside.

"We are going to fly to the Death Eaters' headquarter and Apparate from there," Snape explained as they mounted the flying carpet. "Four Death Eaters are going to accompany us to the Burrow. Once there, you are going inside to find the artefact Weasley got."

"How am I going to find it?" she asked.

"Ask them where it is," Snape answered impatiently and took of from the ground. "I'm certain they are as eager as you are to save your parents' lives. They will help you."

The chilly night air hit her face. She tried to make herself as small as possible and not look over the edges of the carpet. "What if they don't remember what they bought?" she objected. "How will I be able to find it?"

"Well, according to Lucius, it isn't big. It's something you can buy at a second hand store and carry out with you. He just paid three Sickles for it, so I think we can rule out any kind of jewellery or things that look expensive." They were flying higher and higher, but Snape seemed completely unmoved by it.

Hermione became more and more unhappy about her mission. "I'm not sure you have ever been at the Weasleys', but they have a million things, and most of them were likely found on some sort of second hand store."

"If it would come to that, I have brought the stone and we can use it as a compass, but I rather not give the Weasleys any hints of what we have," Snape said. "Now be quiet, I need to think this through."

She glanced up at the dark wizard as he gazed out into the night. He seemed very thoughtful and she would have liked to know what he was thinking. He was such an enigma and she had never liked those. What was his real connection with Voldemort? Why had he betrayed the Order? Why was he so nice to her? She sighed. He was like a big cat, sneaking around in the shadows of everything.

"Hold on, we are going to land," Snape said after about twenty minutes.

Hermione was once again surprised by how fast they had travelled. "What kind of magic makes this carpet fly so fast?"

"It's one of the Dark Lord's own inventions. We are flying much higher than normal magical transportations, but he has made sure we are able to breathe and be quite comfortable," Snape said with a sneer.

"Do you think he would consider teaching me?" Hermione asked, interested.

For the first time this night, Snape actually turned to look directly at her. "I doubt he would deny teaching you anything, Miss Granger."

Hermione wasn't sure he implied what she thought he was implying, but she blushed anyway. A moment later, they landed and Hermione got more important things to worry about.
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Atlantis - An Adventure