DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HP AND I DO NOT PROFIT FROM ANY OF IT.
Any resemblance to any living or dead person, (or animal as may be applicable) is purely coincidental.
Written for pure Dramione Fantasy... huehuehue
Chapter One: The Vanishing
"The Dark Lord is dead! The Dark Lord is dead! Voldemort is dead!"
The shouts of the people came bursting from the woods, announcing the victory. The Death Eaters laughed at first but realized that the words coming out from the people are true. Some tried to escape but was blocked by witches and wizards. Some are still bleeding but as they knew they have already won, that gave them strength.
Ron ran where his best friend is standing, "You did it Harry!" Ron hugged him. They are both bloody, have broken bones here and there but the happiness swelling inside them made them forget their current states. Hermione smiled as the smoke and dust start to settle revealing the battle ground. There was debris, torn clothes and blood everywhere but knowing that all of this came to a beautiful ending made her smile. Yes, many have died, after this there will be hundreds of funeral, but the fallens who have died fighting, the victims of this awful war, the wounded. They are heroes. They have fought hoping for a better future for their children, for their family and friends. Hermione looked at Harry and Ron, and whispered 'Thank you'.
She went to hug them both and they stood there looking at each other with smiles on their faces. For all the suffering and pain they've experience they have stick with each other. They never gave up. Their odds were almost nothing, near to zero in fact but they knew that it was never zero. Today, it all ends. They knew that they are not strong. They're just children but throughout history the weak became the strong, through fighting for what is right.
Hermione wiped her eyes. "Now, you two go wash your faces. I'll go to the infirmary to check if I could help"
"Up until the last Hermione. You do love bossing us around, don't you?" Harry smiled and Ron chuckled.
"After all of this, all you could say is 'wash your face'?" Ron teased her
All three of them laughed.
The remaining aurors capture the death eaters still trying to escape. Some of the members of the Dumbledore Army are helping. Luna approached a lying death eater; the bushy and greasy hair covers the face. Luna tried poking the person lying to check if the death eater is still alive.
"Luna, what are you doing?" Neville cautiously approached her
"Just checking" she replied in a lazy voice, "I think she's dead"
"Then let's go. The ministry is taking account of all the bodies"
She nodded.
Luna stood up to follow Neville but a hand grabbed her ankles and pulled her which caused her to fall. Her head hit a stone and blood flowed while she lay unconscious. Neville turned around to see who the death eater was, it was Bellatrix Lestrange.
Blood was dripping from the deranged witch. Her yellow teeth were showing through her smile. She is holding the limp body of Luna.
Luna is still alive but it is obvious that her breathing is laboured.
"Let go of her!" Neville raised his wand, aiming it to Bellatrix
Bellatrix just laughed then said, "Get out of my way silly boy! Or do you want to watch this girl as I do what I did to your parents?" her wand is pointed right at Luna's throat
Neville's grip tightened, his expression became stern but he doesn't want to succumb to her taunting. He looked around frantically for someone who could alert the others but apparently everybody is outside the castle or the infirmary.
BANG!
Neville blocked a cursed right on time before it hit him. The impact of both spells hitting each other so near to him sent Neville flying to the wall.
He touched his eyes as he tried to adjust them from the light of the explosion causing them to blur and his hearing temporarily damaged.
As he tried to stand up, he could see a blurry image of Bellatrix dragging the body of Luna, she dropped it and jumped out of the window.
Neville felt a hand balanced him. His senses are slowly stabilizing. He is still groggy but he managed to blurt out, "Help Luna….Bellatrix…..window" he sat down and he closed his eyes to attempt to help it. When he opened his them he saw a blurry brown haired girl jumping out of the window. His eyes have adjusted but his balance is still off. He managed to walk to Luna. She already has a bandage on her head and her breathing has steadied.
Luna holds Neville arm and said, "Tell Harry and Ron that Hermione went after Bellatrix. Don't worry about me. This is just a shallow cut"
Neville nods then ran.
"You're coming to get me! You're coming to get me!" shrieked the bloodied witch while running
"I'm not Harry, you stupid witch!" Hermione shouted back then pointed her wand at the fleeing death eater, "Immobillus!"
Bellatrix managed to dodge it by running behind a large tree.
"oooh. It's the filthy Mudblood!" Bellatrix shouted from behind the tree, "How is the beautiful scar I gave you in the Malfoy Manor? Has Draco appreciated it yet?"
Hermione touched her arm. There was no scar, of course, she healed the wound right after they've escaped. She clenched her teeth thinking of Malfoy watching her being tortured. She knew just by looking at him during that time that he was terrified, she saw how scared Malfoy was. She hated him for being a coward but couldn't blame him. She saw how his family has walked away even before the war ended. She realized that they had no choice because of his father. She hasn't forgiven him but she understood.
"Just give up Lestrange! Voldemort is dead and you have nowhere to run!" the Gryffindor shouted back
But there was nothing. Hermione only heard the bustling of the leaves. She created a barrier then peeked behind the tree she was using as a shield. There was no one.
She slowly walked towards the tree Bellatrix was hiding from and she could only see smudges of blood.
Did she apparate? No, she's too weak to do that. Where is she?
A strong wind came behind her, almost skewing her balance. Behind her was a small open space with just grass growing. At the end of it is a canyon. She knows this place. She once stumbles across it when looking for the ingredients of the Polyjuice Potion.
She didn't trust her judgment at the moment but she felt a strange pull, like she was enchanted. She slowly walked into the open and she continued to.
Shouts came from the forest behind her.
"Hermione!" came the voice of Harry, Ron, Mr. Weasley, Tonks and Lupin
"Where are you?"
"Stay where you are!"
"Send a signal!"
Hermione couldn't hear them. She continued to walk until her she reached the center of the grass land.
She spun around raising her wand. Bellatrix was already standing there.
"tsk. Tsk. Your stronger than you look Mudblood, you were able to break the spell" she sneered
Hermione could hear the others voices calling out.
"Well, got to work fast! Company is coming" Bellatrix faced Hermione with a menacing smile
Hermione didn't notice that she has been stepping back until she felt the end of the land. She glanced at her back to see a raging river below the very high canyon wall.
"Nowhere to run Mudblood" Bellatrix raised her wand to cast an unforgivable
This is it Hermione, she told herself, to kill or be killed.
"Avadakedavra!" both shouted.
Hermione felt like a strong punch in the abdomen. It was not painful but the effect was strong, throwing her backwards. She felt the soil beneath her crumble.
Falling. She was falling, the last thing she saw was Bellatrix smiling at her.
I'm sorry, she thought as she think of her friends. A tear fell from her eyes thinking that she died without restoring her parents' memory of her. In her last attempt she reached forward. Hermione was able to grab something from Bellatrix before everything went black.
"There!" Tonks pointed at the direction of the prairie.
The group ran, Harry on the lead. Then he suddenly stopped upon reaching the end of the forest.
"What's the matter?" asked Ron panting
"no" whispered Tonks.
Lupin moved toward the lying body in the edge of the canyon.
"Bellatrix Lestange" he announced, "and she's dead"
"Then where is Hermione?" Ron stepped forward
Lupin looked over the canyon and saw a piece of cloth caught between the twigs of a plant, he reached over to get it.
"Do you recognize this?" he gave it to Ron
"That is the same colour of the jacket she was wearing" he answered back
"Ronald Weasley" a sharp voice could be heard together with a loud knocking on the door, "you get your sorry ass up and help me finish this report. You know we need to submit it before eleven today"
Ron grumbled but forced his self to get out of bed. "what were you thinking when you signed up in the investigation committee, Ronald Weasley?" He asked his groggy reflection. After a quick fix he joined Lavender Brown who was buried under stacks of papers.
"Ron, could you pass that green folder near the peach one" Lavender ordered
"what peach?" he asked himself, then said, "what is with women and colors?" Ron handed over the green folder.
"This is important to know the status of the case Ronald" she pointed out
The red hair sat on a chair, bored, near a stack of brown folders, the 'cold case folder', as he calls it after watching a muggle show about cases that were never solved. He picked up one folder and opened it.
The picture that stared back at him made him remember the reason why he entered the committee. The girl on the picture was young, with brown bushy hair, bright smile and intelligent eyes. The case report stated her age, height, weight, skin and eye color, and her blood status, where she was last seen and the status of the case.
The folder is thick compared to other folders due to reports attached to it, most was done by him. According to the reports, a lead was established in numerous places as information of her appearance was submitted but every lead went cold. It was always a damn goose chase.
Even with the protests of Harry, the ministry could no longer continue the search. The law has stated that after seven years, if the missing person is not located even with extensive search, the person will be considered legally dead.
Ron and Harry could not argue with the effort Kingsley had given these past seven years. The ministry even requested the help of the muggle government. Very few muggle officials knew the existence of the wizarding world but these few also hold very high positions. They coordinate with the ministry to help protect the muggle and wizarding worlds.
The ministry's funds is being chipped by the assets it releases for the search and abolishment of the remaining Voldemort fractions all over the wizarding world, and a search of a person is equally not cheap but the ministry unfailingly released support.
However, even with all the effort, she still could not be located.
Newspaper clippings are attached to the folder, the latest one reads "War Hero Declared Dead after 7 years"
Harry, Ron, and their friends have no choice but to give up the search.
Lavender closed the folder as Ron was staring at it again aimlessly.
"I'm sorry Ron" she whispered. She knew that even though she and Ron are now together, she could never replace her. She knows that Ron cares for her but she has already accepted that it will always be her.
She put away the folder, Ron smiled at Lavender. "I'll go make breakfast" she smiled back. Ron just nodded, he looked at the woman beside him. She was no longer the Lavender whom he knew in Hogwarts, not the giddy school-girl. It hurt him thinking he could never give his all to her, it the guilt is bigger as he knew that lavender knows it but she still stayed. Lavender was there when he was on his worst. Ron stood up to follow her and for the last time, he glanced at the thick, brown envelope before sealing it.
Three years ago, the girl in the picture is declared legally dead after an extensive seven year search. Her case is classified as close.
Hermione Jean Granger is declared dead.
Done... Done... thank you for reading :)
I appreciate reviews (good or bad but please be gentle) hehe.
Till next chapter. :)
iffa.