Prologue:
"It's me on my own. Helpless, hurting, hell."
(*Fin) - Anberlin
A soft smile formed on Hermione's lips as she stood on the tips of her toes to reach the very top of the bookshelf. Her hand delicately traced the books with her thin hands as though they would disappear in any moment. Books. They were her treasures. Books of any subject.
Anything.
Knowledge.
She was a curious person. Naturally curious. She wanted to learn anything and everything she could about anything and everything that existed. Existed being the key word. Though she was friends with Luna, she did not have the desire to learn about the nonexistent animals and beliefs that Luna was so fond about. She was the exact opposite of her eccentric friend, Luna Lovegood. While Luna had a fondness for animals that were never seen and of false truths, Hermione enjoyed reading about the history-and making sure the history was from a credible source. It wouldn't do well to know something that wasn't true.
Yet, despite being the top student of her year, she wasn't the best wizard or witch. She knew spells. She knew more spells than anybody else in her year. Her love of books brought about a new world of magic and she memorized all that she could. This love of books, or knowledge, was her downfall. In eagerness to read more and more-she never practiced the spells. She used the spells she was comfortable with-but that would have to change.
The book she was searching for would be the first step in the change.
The war was coming. It could be any day now-or it could be in some time. All those spells that Hermione knew...she would need to know how to yield them which was why she was buying the spell book that had the most up to date list of jinxes and defending spells, for her two best friends Harry and Ron.
Harry, being Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived and Ron, being Ron Weasley. Just Ron. The loyal friend of the super hero. And she was Hermione Granger-the know-it-all Muggleborn who was the supplier of knowledge when things went wrong-which they often did.
The group had a knack for trouble-but it was something that brought them together. It was what made them a family.
Her hand grasped the large green book that she was looking for and grabbed the two extra copies. "Found them!" she exclaimed to Harry and Ron who rolled their eyes are her in return. A light laugh came from Hermione as she walked over to them to pay for the large books that would no doubt would go unread.
"Hermione," Ron whined as she handed him one of the large green text books and the other to Harry who mouthed a sarcastic thanks but there was a tone of gratefulness in his bright green eyes. "You know I'm not going to read it," he proclaimed as Hermione paid for the two books, ignoring the protests of Ron which were getting more annoying as they continued walking around the shop. "I'm just going to ask you-"he said as he was cut off by Harry's laughing voice.
The green eyes sparkled with amusement. It wasn't often that they were seen that cheerful. "Ron. You know Hermione is stubborn. It is likely she will make us write essays on them," he cheerfully said as he picked up a book off the shelf and then returned it just as quickly as he took it out. "Besides. You never know, Ron..." he ended with a serious tone.
The trio went silent as they continued to browse the store awaiting their escort to the next store. It had taken months to organize this simple trip to Diagon Alley. They were to spend twenty minutes in each shop and then depart for the next stop with Aurors and Order of the Phoenix members littered around the shop and escorting them as well. It was top security. It was very annoying-and it was to keep them all safe and together.
"Oh! Look!" Hermione exclaimed rushing to the front of the store to where a book displayed had gone unnoticed. "Harry, Ron! It's the new book by Lockheart!" she whispered with excitement. It was his autobiography of his adventures in St. Mungo's. Running ahead of the boys who were everything but eagerly running to the display, she began skimming the pages of the book filled with gibberish.
The boys laughed at her obvious eagerness and it seemed like old times. The times when they weren't nearly dying every week. When they weren't on the Death Eater's kill list. "Hermione. Come on," Harry laughed at her, motioning her to come and follow them from across the room. "The Order is just about-"
Dark ashy smoke filled the room with a deafening loud crash as the glow of red fire filled the bookshop. "Harry!" Hermione screamed as she lost slight of Ron and Harry who were across the room a minute ago. No. No. This wasn't happening. They had planned this. They were supposed to be safe. "Ron!" she yelled trying to hear some type of reply in the crashing and the laugher and shouts from the Death Eaters who were attempting to find Harry.
Hermione dropped to her knees where the smoke was less dense and could see the feet of people gathering the in the center. Death Eaters. She crawled on her knees through the bookshelf, attempting to see the worn brown shoes of Ron and the Converse style shoes of Harry. Yet, nothing. She could see nothing behind the safety of the bookcase.
She looked up and noticed the smoke beginning to lighten. That would be the chance to escape. Would that be the right choice though? Harry and Ron...had they already left the building in hopes that Hermione would have done the same?
Yes.
It was what they had talked about months before. Save yourself and get to the safe point.
Yet, through the crackling of the fire and the shouts of the Death Eaters, she heard Ron's terrified voice come through the smoke on the other side of the store, "Hermione!" Hermione quickly left the safety of the large bookcase and ran past the cluster of Death Eaters, somewhat hidden by the dark smoke that was slowly disappearing.
"Stupefy!" a loud but low voice yelled at her. She quickly dodged the jet of red light that was directed towards her. Quickly, she hid behind the bookshelf closest to her and tried to make her way to the next one without getting caught. She took a deep breath as she heard footsteps run quickly towards her. She heard the swift moving air that was starting to drop books around her in hopes of getting her to reveal her position or cause an injury in hopes of stopping her from moving away from the surrounding Death Eaters. Quickly, as she heard the sound of burning wood beginning to fall she took the chance and ran through the maze of the shelves. She looked around trying to find signs of Ron and Harry who were also running for their lives through this store, or possibly the streets of Diagon Alley.
She saw another stunning spell barely miss her as Death Eaters sent book shelves flying through the store. She ran faster, as fast as she could but she knew she wasn't like Harry or Ron. They played Quidditch. They could run. What could she do? She could read. She could study. She knew spells that could help her but she was too afraid that she would fail. She looked behind her and shot the same spell back at the Death Eater. "Stupefy!" she yelled and smiled as the Death Eater fell and a pile of books start to bury him.
"Ron! Harry!" she yelled, in hopes of finding them still in the store and not in the streets of Diagon Alley. She turned the corner, and saw a group of Death Eaters in the center of the store, seeming to be regrouping and awaiting new orders. She quickly crouched down in hopes that she couldn't be seen.
"Take the Mudblood. Find her. Forget about Potter and Weasley-they have escaped. The girl is the only one left. Look only for the girl now," he heard the cool and short tone of Lucius Malfoy. She shuddered as she heard that, yet a surge of hope filled her. Ron and Harry had escaped. It was possible to escape...But their determination. She was the only one left. They weren't looking for three now-only her...No. She wouldn't go with them! She would fight! The idea of being kidnapped…the idea of having Harry fall into a trap because of her…She didn't want to think about that idea.
As the Death Eaters moved away from each other, she took this as her chance to run into the streets of Diagon Ally where Harry and Ron would have ran. She quickly ran to the door, looking both ways and keeping her body low in hopes that no one saw her—but the cold eyes of Lucius Malfoy caught her. It seemed Lucius Malfoy was keeping a look out at the back door. She heard the stunner head in her direction and looked at who had sent it. The cold eyes kept her frozen and the stunner sent her falling to the ground unconscious, frozen in time.