Chapter 1 – Chamber

Hi everyone! So, I've finished writing my first multi-chapter fanfic, and my current project is this one: Carousel. I'm not going to say much, except that I hope you like it!

"Are you sure this is the place?" Hermione asked, looking doubtfully around the decrepit fairground.

"Certain." Harry replied, before squeezing her shoulder reassuringly. "I'll lead. Wait for my signal – this could be the biggest threat we've encountered so far." He spoke to the group of highly trained Aurors behind him. Each one nodded dutifully, before filing after him in a defensive formation, Hermione at the front with their leader.

"According to our source, we're after an underground chamber or meeting place. So look out for a passageway of some sort. Split up into your pairs, everyone take a different area. If you find something promising, alert me immediately. Understood?"

The professionals broke away from the main group, and began to search the fairground with an exceptional precision.

"Only one area left, Harry." Hermione indicated the garishly decorated "Tunnel of Love." He looked at her doubtfully.

"You think that's likely?"

"No. But all the other rides and stalls are covered. So we have no choice."

"Fine." He nodded curtly, and they advanced towards the ride. As they neared, the sense of foreboding around the place only seemed to increase. The fairground was silent, except for the occasional footsteps as the Aurors inspected the area.

"Ladies first." Harry gave her a grim smile, pointing at the entrance looming above them. "I've got your back." He lifted his wand.

Hermione slowly began to progress, taking care to scrutinise practically every centimetre of the ground. As they stepped into the neglected ride's route, the musty stench of abandonment increased, and the previously quite sound of their steps reverberated throughout the tunnel.

"Lumos." Hermione whispered, the glow from her wand offering some source of assistance. She began to prod at the sloping walls around them, probing for what she hoped would be some sort of loose brick, giving way to a passageway. No such luck. But then, out of the blue, she felt her ankle suddenly give way as part of the floor collapsed beneath her. Harry had the sense – and quick reflexes – to clamp his hand over her mouth before she could scream, as he helped her up, half falling through the floor. Quickly, he hauled her back to her feet and bent down to inspect the flooring.

"Trapdoor." He spoke, triumphantly. "We need back-up. This is it."

"It's too easy, Harry." Hermione frowned, uneasily. "I don't have a good feeling about this. It could be a trap."

"We won't know if we don't try." He answered, firmly. "Vocavi te." He whispered, and the tip of his wand glowed a deep blue, before it dulled again. Seconds later, the rest of the Aurors apparated behind them in a series of "pops".

"We've got it." Harry gestured towards the door. "This is it. Formation."

The Aurors quickly slipped into a diamond-type of shape, each one slowing their breathing for added stealth.

"Here we go."

ooooo

The group crept through the passageway, dutifully following Harry's lead through the twists and turns beneath the ground in complete silence. After what must have been at least an hour of trekking through the crumbling tunnel, they finally came to a fork in the channel.

"Shh." Harry held a finger to his lips, despite the fact that everyone was already completely mute. As they froze in apprehension, slowly, they could make out the faint echo of voices.

"This way." Harry swerved to the left, and once again, the trekking began. Only this time, it was a mere couple of minutes until they'd stopped, for as Harry turned around a corner, each member did so too, but ended slamming into each other, and hastily retreating. He'd stopped walking, and furiously ushered them back. Why? Because only metres away from them were the hoard of danger that they were searching for, and all that stood between them and the enemy was the crumbling corner of the tunnel. It seemed that the hunt had ended early.

Harry held up his hand, to indicate that the Aurors were to stay where they were and first get a bearing of their surroundings. At the words spoken by the apparent leaders of the group, Hermione felt a shiver of fear travel up her spine, and the sight beyond the safety of the tunnel only increased her anxiety.

"And so, we shall be known as V-DARK!" one of the two figures on a raised platform called out, "V-DARK: Voldemort's Disciples And Revolutionary Killers!" his voice rose to a crescendo, and at the sound of the former Dark Lord's name, the jeering crowd below the stage had a mixed reaction. Some cheered, with chilling enthusiasm, and others muttered and gripped their wands tighter.

The second figure stepped away from the shadows, and as Hermione caught sight of his face, she gripped Harry's shoulder.

"Rabastan!" she hissed in his ear, and he replied, sounding more determined than ever.

"That means the other person must be Rodolphus. The Ministry are going to be shocked when we get hold of these two."

"When we get hold of them?" she asked.

"When." He replied, firmly. "Not if. When."

They both turned back to the platform, and listened to Rabastan speak, his eyes darting crazily around the room.

"And as our namesake declares, we shall rid the world of Muggles forever!" he cackled, with glee. "And we shall finish the task our Lord gave his life so valiantly for!" The roar of approval from the chamber was deafening, as members of "V-DARK" began to cheer, and stamp their feet.

"They're insane." Harry muttered.

Rodolphus held up his hand, motioning for quiet. "But to run such an extraordinary group, we shall need a leader. Someone young, and strong, for my brother and I cannot control such an establishment. And so, we have brought the boy whose mother betrayed us. SHE is the reason the Dark Lord was vanquished, and therefore he and his family owe us all a great debt." Rabastan then gestured extravagantly towards a black screen, behind which the outline of a struggling silhouette could be seen.

"You all know what to do!" he screeched, and slowly, every member in the room summoned some sort of goblet, and drew their wand across the wrist of their right hand. Each goblet caught only one single drop of blood from the cuts, and as Rodolphus and Rabastan raised their arms above their heads, the goblets floated towards the stage and emptied their meagre contents into a bowl.

"When our leader consumes this," Rodolphus began, "he shall have absorbed some of the powers of each of us. It is a small price to pay for greatness, and we shall all have established a connection with the new Dark Lord!" he began to chant, in a low, disturbing tone, and the blood began to bubble violently. He then disappeared behind the screen, and the figure behind could be seen having the contents of the bowl being forced down his – or her – throat; but at that very moment, Harry raised his wand, and the group of Aurors burst into the chamber. The chaos that followed was simply insanity, with the room aglow with the flash of colours and screams of curses.

"STUPEF - "

"SECTUM - "

"IMPERI - "

"CRUCI - "

"SECTUM - "

"IMPERI - "

"AVADA - "

"PETRIFIC - "

The noise was deafening, particularly as the Aurors had come armed, and with each member they had the chance to, a modified portkey was thrown at them and would send them straight to holding cells at the Ministry. Amidst all the madness, no-one noticed two shrouds of smoke enveloping the crazed brothers, and their disappearance was only realised once the short-lived battle was over.

Hermione bent over, breathing heavily, a sheen of sweat across her forehead. "We've done it, Harry."

"Not a single Auror lost." Someone called out, "but can't say the same for the other lot."

They glanced around, at the bodies of dark wizards littering the floor.

"That was well executed," Harry began, as the team nodded with pride, "but they got away! Rodolphus and Rabastan…Dammit!" he kicked a wall, hard.

Hermione approached him, placing a cautious hand on his shoulder. "Don't be so hard on yourself. You can't have expected us to capture them on our first attempt – we've got hostages, and we'll make them talk. You did well."

But they were interrupted from their moment of victory by muffled screams. The Aurors turned, to realise that the victim was still trapped behind the screen. Harry motioned for them to stay put, but he and Hermione ventured forward, to find the last person Hermione had thought to find gagged and tied up against the wall. Harry dragged the handkerchief roughly away from his mouth, and they stared in disbelief as the seemingly ethereally-glowing figure spat the remnants of blood he'd been forced to swallow from his mouth. When he'd finally finished, he lifted his head, smirking, ironically, and looking the pair right in the eyes.

"Potter. Granger." He began.

"Malfoy." Harry spat out.

"Long time, no see."

So, this is quite different to "Uncovered." Obviously this is a Dramione - if you liked this chapter, I'd LOVE to hear your thoughts on it. 10 reviews and I'll update!

Thanks guys,

Tris xx