Hermione Granger was a smart girl, but she didn't know what to tell her parents about thiswar. She hated keeping them in the dark, but if they found out about You Know Who, they may try to keep her from going back to Hogwarts. It was far too late
for that. She was in this war, staying home wouldn't change that.
"Hermione," HelenGranger said as she stood in her daughter's doorway, "would you mind running to the store? We are out of milk."
"Sure, I could use some fresh air anyway."
Shelost herselfin thought as she made her way to the store. Harry was turning 16 in a few days, and she would be going to the Burrow for his birthday and staying till school. She would be coming of age in September, and she doubted that she
would be able to come home muchafter that, so if she was going to tellher parents anything, she would need to do it before she left.
Then, quit suddenly, everything went dark.
When she came to she was in a run down manor house surrounded by Death Eaters.
Stupid she thought, what the hell happened to constant vigilance!?
"Well well," a chilling voice said, "if it isn't the famous Hermione Granger. I've heard so muchabout you."
A large snake slithered past Hermione. Breathe, just breathe she forced herself to look towards the voice.
Red reptilian eyes bour into her own. She barely managednot to be sick.
Lord Voldemort laughed. "It seems our guest is a little nervous. Not to worry, this will only take a bit."
Hermione tried not to panic. "I want nothing to do with you."
"Well that is very disappointing. No matter, you don't really have any say in this." He looked past her to one of his Death Eaters. "You know what to do."
One of the Death Eaters stepped forward and vanished herrestraints. She scrambled to her feet and reached for her wand. It was missing. Of course. She was still trapped. The Death Eater pointed his wand at her again and she crumpledto
her knees. He knelt across from her and forcefully took her right hand and slashed it open. After doing the same to his own hand he forced her injured hand to grasp hisso that their blood ran together. Then he looked toured his master.
"You see my dear, after tonight, there won't be any Hermione left to object." And with that, the Dark Lord took out his wand and began to chant.