The summer was passing slowly for a well-known boy called Harry Potter. He was bored, there was nothing to do in Privet Drive, at least nothing that could fit the interests of a young wizard. Uncle Vernon and Petunia were out for lunch, at some Uncle Vernon's colleagues. So, inside the over-cleaned house there were only Harry and Dudley. From his room, Harry could hear Dudley's tv screaming; his cousin was watching a wrestling match.
Harry looked towards Hedvige's cage; she was sleeping, her head underneath a wing. Harry decided to go downstairs, to watch some tv. He wasn't interested in wrestling at all, but at least it would have been better to watch tv instead of watching his room wall all day long.
When he came next to Dudley, Harry noticed that his cousin was deeply asleep, mouth opened, a box of candies in one of his fat hand. Harry sat on the sofa next to Dudley, paying attention to be as much silent as he could, because if Dudley has saw him sitting next to him, he would have got very angry. He looked at the two men fighting on tv, thinking that a wand duel would have been much better, when a newscaster appeared claiming "Extraordinary edition of our news: a man and his wife have been kidnapped from their house at number 12 of Notting Hill by unknown persons. Their house was found completely messed up; there were broken objects all around. It is very mysterious that the daughter of the couple, an almost sixteen years old girl, has been found, asleep, in her bedroom. She has been woken up by the police, and she wasn't able to remember anything of what it has happens. The neighbours, who heard a lot of confusion and screams from the house, called police. Police is thinking that the same persons that have kidnapped her parents may have drugged the girl. The couple was very well-known in London, as they were both appreciated dentist. In fact, who doesn't know the Granger's dental studio?"
Harry's heart stopped beating. He stayed breathless, unable to think straight. Granger? Were they really Hermione's parents? He remembered that they were dentist -he was sure about it...but at the same time he couldn't believe it...... And Hermione...how was she? Where was she now? His mind was working fast... The only thing to do was to go to find her. Yes... But first, he ran to his room, took a piece of paper and a pen and wrote down:
Ron,
don't know if you already know it, but Hermione's parents have been kidnapped. I'm going to London to find her. I'll let you know more as soon as I can. Send me back Hedvige as soon as you can, we could meet somewhere and try to do something. Please alert your parents too.
HarryHe woke up the owl. on... I've got a work for you. You have to bring this to Ron, and please, try to be as fast as you can.... It's very important! Okay?" The owl half shut her big bright eyes, as to say that she understood. She immediately flew away through the window.
Harry took his wand, some galleons and went out the room, hurried downstairs and suddenly thought that he could not use magic to reach Hermione. He would have needed a taxi... But he would have needed Muggle money too.. But he didn't have muggle money... Then an idea came to his mind... Dudley!
He ran towards him. The cousin was still sleeping, snoring. Harry pointed his wand at him and shouted "Dudley! Wake up! Wake up!"
Dudley grunted. "What's up?" Then he saw the wand, then Harry. "Hey! WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE TO DO? I know you aren't allowed to use magic when you're not at school! I'll tell Dad!"
"Shut up, you silly!" said Harry, still pointing his wand. "Yes, I'm not allowed to do magic...but...do you remember the nice persons that were waiting for me at the station? Well....I think they would get really angry if they knew you are having a bad behaviour towards me... And they could... how to say... punish you, do you know what I mean, Dudley?" Harry sneered.
Dudley was listening to every word, scared, then he stammered: "O-ok, t-then, tell m-me, what d-do you want from me?"
Harry answered: "Just give me all the money you have got, and I'll let you go safe."
"All t-the m-money?" Dudley whined.
"Yes."
Dudley searched in his pocket, and gave some banknotes to Harry.
"Thank you, Dudley."
And he went out, leaving him astonished.
2- HERMIONEHarry rushed into Magnolia Crescent, until the taxi station. A man was standing near one of the car in the parking.
"Hurry up!" Harry told him. "I need to go to number 12 of Notting Hill!"
Harry jumped into the taxi, with the driver. To Harry, it seemed an endless journey. Finally, the taxi stopped in front of the 12 of Notting Hill, but the house seemed empty. Then Harry saw a policeman walking into Granger's garden.
"Hey! Excuse me!" Harry shouted. "Where is the daughter of the Granger?"
The policeman looked at him and came towards the taxi. "She is at the police station. Who are you?"
"I am a close friend of her..." Harry replied.
"Oh, in this case I think she would be happy to see a friend. Come with me, I'll take you there."
Harry jumped off the taxi, paid the taxi driver and went up into police car. The police station was rather near to Granger's.
"Come, I'll take you to Ms. Granger." The policeman told Harry.
"Do you have any idea about who could have kidnapped her parents?" Harry asked, while they were entering the police station.
"No, we really don't. The strange thing is that we haven't received any ransom demand yet... Granger are quite rich...So this is really odd..." the policeman said. They entered a large room, with a sofa at the centre of it. Hermione was sleeping there, a patchwork cover above her. A policewoman was next to her.
"Hannah, this is a friend of the girl. Hey boy, what's your name?" the policemen asked Harry.
"Harry." He replied in a whisper. He looked at Hermione, then asked to the policewoman: "How is she?"
"Well, she had a big shock. She can't remember anything. She's very tired..." In that moment, Hermione opened her eyes, and looked at Harry.
"Harry..." she whispered. "My parents..." Some tears came to her eyes. Harry sat next to her.
"I know, Hermione... Try to be calm, police will sort out..."
"Ok, "said the policewoman "I'll give you some time to talk. Let's go out, Bob."
Hermione and Harry remained alone.
"Hedvige..." said Hermione.
"What?" asked Harry. Then he looked at the window, and Hedvige was standing outside, a letter on her beak. He opened the window and took the letter.
"It's Ron, "he said. "He writes that he's coming here with his family."
"Ron..." said Hermione.
Harry caressed Hedvige. "Hedvige, you have to go to the Burrow and remain there until I arrive, ok?"
"Crookshanks..." said Hermione.
"What? Asked Harry.
"Harry, please, tell Hedvige to look for my cat and bring him to the Burrow too."
"Okay...Did you understand, Hedvige?" The owl pecked Harry's hand to say yes, and flew away.
Harry looked at Hermione. She was sleeping again.
About a hour later, Ron entered, followed by his dad and mum.
"HERMIONE!" he yelled.
"Ssstttt!!!" Harry told him. Too late: Hermione woke up.
"Oh, Ron...Mr Weasley...Mrs Weasley..."
"How are you? How do you feel? Have you got headache? Are you hungry? Are you thirsty? Want to get some rest? Need anything else?" Ron said, worried faced, looking at Hermione.
"Erm... no, I....I think I'm feeling better... now..." the girl weakly replied..
"C'mon, Ron, shut up...Can't you see she is shocked? You rude guy! Honey, how do you feel?" asked Mrs Weasley, caressing Hermione's head. "You are so pale! Are you frightened?"
"Obviously she is, Molly!" said Arthur Weasley. Ron was standing by, motionless-eyed, open wide mouthed. Then he turned to Harry. It seemed like none of them could speak, so they just looked to each other, and then turned again to Hermione.
"Molly, I think we should bring Hermione to Saint Mungo's..." hazarded Mr Weasley.
"SAINT MUNGO'S?" said Ron. "WHY? IS SHE ILL?"
"Ron! Please! Shut up!" Mrs Weasley strictly said to her son. Then, to her husband: "Yes, Arthur, I was thinking the same thing... Is it what I think it is?"
"Yes, Molly, I'm afraid it is..."
"IT IS...WHAT????" asked Ron, impatiently.
"Ron, for the last time...Shut Up!" said Mrs Weasley with burning eyes.
"Hermione" said softly Mr Weasley. "Do you remember anything of what happened?"
The girl took a breath, then said: "No... I just remember that I heard my mum screaming something, then my dad's voice...Then I fell asleep..." she sniffed.
"Oh, dear..." said Mrs Weasley, and gave her a chocolate frog. "Eat it, it would be good. Arthur, I think we should tell the police that we are taking Hermione to San Mungo's... Harry, Ron, please, wait here with Hermione...Let's go Arthur...and, Ron, please, be kind, ok?" Ron shook his head as to say yes, while his parents were going out from the room.
Ron rushed towards the girl, who was now eating the chocolate frog. She gave him the picture of Nicholas Flamel found inside the chocolate frog. Ron gave it to Harry, who threw it into the wastebasket. He took a sit next to his two friends.
"Hermione..." Whispered Ron. "How do you...how do you feel?"
"Tired..." replied the girl.
"Don't you remember anything?"
"No, really..." she replied.
"Nothing at all?" continued Ron.
"Ron!" said Harry. "She has already said it thousands of time!"
Ron nodded, and took the girl's hand.
Hermione said "Oh!" and looked at Ron, astonished. Harry felt very embarrassed.
He said: "Ehm... I'm going to see what your parents are doing, ok?"
Ron didn't even look at him
Harry found the Weasley talking to the policewoman who was before with Hermione.
"Ok, you have just to sign your name here, and then you can go." He heard the policewoman tell the Weasley. Mr Weasley signed the paper the policewoman was giving him, he shook her hand and so did Mrs Weasley, and they went towards Harry.
"Harry, call Ron and Hermione, and let's go!" Mr Weasley said.
Harry entered the room.
Ron was caressing Hermione's head, while she was dozing.
"Ron, we must go, your parents are waiting outside." Harry said.
Hermione woke up, and Ron and Harry helped her to stand up.
They went outside the police station, were the Weasley were waiting.
They went down the road, until they arrived to an empty garden, none else around. Mr Weasley shown a bubble wrap and told the others: "This is a Portkey, it will take us to Saint Mungo's. Come nearer..." They all were touching the Portkey. Hermione was too pale.
"Harry" said Mrs Weasley "Hold Hermione, she is falling from a moment to another..."
"I'll do it." Said Ron, serious.
"At the three" said Arthur Weasley. "1...2...3!"
A flash of light wrapped them.
3 – THE BURN -The group entered the hospital, and immediately a witch dressed in green came towards them.
"What's up?" She asked.
"It's her," said Mr Weasley, pointing Hermione. "She is the girl whose muggle parents wee kidnapped.."
"Well, but is she's a muggle we can't heal her here at Saint Mungo's!" said the witch.
"No, she's not a muggle, she's a witch, only her parents are muggle." replied Mrs Weasley.
"Ok then...What do you think she has?" asked the witch, making appear a paper and a pen.
"Well..." said Mr Weasley "We are not sure but I suppose that.."
"Arthur!" said her wife, serious. "Not here! Not in presence of Harry and Ron!"
"Oh...right, Molly, right." Then, to the two boys: "Harry, Ron, bring Hermione in the waiting room, we'll come immediately."
"Why can't we listen? Why can't I know what's going on?" shouted Ron, red-faced.
"Because you can't." said his mum, calmly.
"This is not a reply! I want to know what's happening to Hermione!" said Ron, moving a step towards his mother.
"You-just-can't." she was absolutely calm, and this was irritating Ron very much.
"Ron," said Harry, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Let's go, Hermione is tired, she needs to sit. C'mon."
"Ron looked angrily to his mother, willing to say something else, then looked at Hermione, who was turning paler. "Ok, let's go."
The waiting room was a large, blue, comfortable place, with many sofas all around. There were many people in here, someone with some really scaring faces. While they were sitting, Harry noticed a young man with a carrot instead of the nose. Some seats after, there an old witch; there were frog coming out with a 'pop' from her mouth. Disgusted, Harry turned on the other side.
Many healers were coming in and out from the waiting room, calling the patients who were waiting there.
It was 6 pm, and Harry started to feel hungry. He decided to go to eat something, while waiting for the Weasley.
"Ron, do you want something to eat?" he asked.
"Uh?" it seemed like Ron was absent. "Oh, yes...anything you like, it's the same...Take something for Hermione too..."
Harry went on the lift, and pushed the 5th level, where he knew there was the tea room. He remembered it from his unpleasant visit last year, when Mr Weasley was at the hospital.
He bought some sandwiches, three Butterbeer and a box of strawberry and chocolate frog flavoured Florian Fortesque's Forever Iced Ice Cream. He went on the lift to come back into the waiting room, when he saw Lucius and Draco Malfoy.
"Harry Potter" Lucius said. "What a pleasure. Are you here because you feel that you are going to die soon? I'm sorry, but none can heal death..." Draco was sneering.
"No." Harry simply replied, watching Lucius straight in his eyes. And he tried to go away, but Draco moved in front of him. "Potter, don't you want to have a chat with some old friends? Or are you too much afraid that your half-blood friend is going to die that you want to give her your last greet?"
"Hey, how do you know about Hermione?" Harry said, suspicious.
"Well, I know. And that's all." Said Draco, a stupid smile on his face.
"And you? Why are you here? Maybe a duel with an Hippogriff?" Harry asked, sneering, remembering what happened the 3rd year at Hogwarts.
"You bastard.." muttered Draco, showing a fist to Harry.
Harry noticed that he had a scar on it. Not a real scare... it was more like a burn. It was red, so it must have been something recent.
"C'mon, c'mon, Draco, don't loose time with him... His days are counted, he deserves a happy life...at least a happy ending ..." Lucius lowered down Draco's fist. "See you, Harry Potter. Draco, be educated, greet the famous Harry Potter..."
"We'll see at school, Potter..." And they went away.
Stunned, Harry rushed into the waiting room, but his friends weren't there anymore.
"Excuse me, do you know where I can find Hermione Granger, please?" he asked to a Healer who was passing there.
"Oh yes, they have just brought her at Level Four."
Level four... Harry remembered that it was the Level where Neville's parents where...
When he arrived, he looked for Hermione's room, when he saw the Weasley, talking. Harry did want to know what Hermione had... so he went behind a door and listened. He couldn't hear very well...
"Arthur, Hermione will recover soon.... The main problem is something else..."
"Yes, Molly, yes, but we have to be calm... There are no proofs of what you are saying..." he looked very worried.
"But Arthur, there are no proofs of who has caused the whole thing, but there are no doubt of what they are trying to do!" Mrs Weasley was overexcited.
"Molly...please, try to reflect on it!"
"What? If they are really trying to arrive at Harry this is the best way to do it!"
Harry remained breathless. Trying to get him?
Mrs Weasley continued: "We must look after him. They are trying to do the same thing they did with Sirius...They are tricking him...This time he CANNOT act like the hero of the situation!"
Harry's brain was confused... Was Voldemort tricking him, as he did a few months ago? Was he now using Hermione's parents?
"Molly, I don't think they are trying to do such a thing for the second time..."
"They ARE! You-know-who is addicted to these things! And Harry... Harry want to defeat him with all his forces..." Mrs Weasley sniffed. Her husband hugged her.
"Molly, c'mon. The entire Order of the Phoenix is looking after Harry. In my opinion, I don't think that Harry at the moment is the first You-Know-Who's objective. I'm afraid is... Hermione."
"Oh, Arthur! You are right! She easily could be!"
"Yes. Dumbledore said it... You-know-who is looking for the Half Blood Prince. He needs something from the Prince before trying to get Harry.
Harry was motionless, feeling stomachache, sweating. He couldn't believe to his ears. Mr Weasley kept on.
"Anyway, we have no proofs that Malfoy is the responsible for what has happened. For sure, Hermione was struck by a Dark Magic charm. I'm sure –and the Healer is too- that it was a Whip-And-Forget Charm...In fact, Hermione has got a deep burn on her neck..."
"Yes... But I'm sure that she has been able to defend herself...the burn didn't cause great pain, and the Healer said it is already vanishing... Great girl, she was able to send the Whip-And-Forget Charm against her aggressor..."
Harry suddenly thought to Draco's burn... Was he Hermione's aggressor? He could not wait anymore.
"Mr Weasley! Listen!"
He told the Weasley about Draco. They were not angry about the fact he was spying their conversation, on the contrary: they were very interested on what Harry was saying.
Then Mr Weasley said: "I think we must ask Dumbledore to do a Charm on Hermione, to protect her. Harry, don't be afraid, but the worst thing about the Charm Hermione was victim is that besides causing pain and loosing memory, it can hypnotize a person. We are afraid of this aspect over all."
"But Hermione... Hermione was able to protect her!" Harry was confused.
"Yes," said Mrs Weasley "But we can't be sure of anything. We've called Moody and Lupin, they are coming. Moody knows how to recognise if someone is hypnotized by a Dark Force."
Harry felt better. He trusted Moody.
"Harry, Hermione's room is number 8. Go there, she needs to be surrounded by people that loves her." Said Mrs Weasley, sweetly.
Harry walked on the corridor and reached the room. Hermione was lying on a bed near the window; Ron was sitting in a chair next to her. On the other side of the room, there was a woman; her face was completely covered up with something that Harry thought was grass.
"Ron, Hermione, here is something to eat!" said Harry, walking towards the guys.
"Finally!" said Ron. He was looking better, and so was Hermione.
"Thank you Harry, you are so nice!" the girl said.
Harry took a chair and they begin to eat the sandwiches.
"How do you feel, Hermione?" Harry asked.
"A bit better now... I'm worried for my parents, though..."
"She's feeling fine now!" exclaimed Ron, his mouth full of meal.
Harry hinted a smile. He was feeling better now he could see that Hermione (and Ron too) was recovering.
While they were eating the Florian Fortesque's Forever Iced Ice Cream, Harry decided to tell his friend about Draco.
At the end, he asked: "Hermione... can't you remember if Draco was there?"
Ron was wordless.
"No... sorry..." the girl replied.
In that moment the door opened and the Weasley entered, followed by Lupin and Moody.
"Hermione, it is a pleasure to see that you are fine!" Lupin said, shaking the girl's hand.
"Good, good, Granger." muttered Moody "You have been very brave to send back the Whip-And-Forget Charm..."
"What?" asked Hermione, rising from the bed "Oh, I really can't remember what I've done! Yes...I remember I used my wand but...nothing more... Oh!!!" she put her hand on her face. "I will be expelled from Hogwarts! I did a magic when I was not at school!" some tears rolled down from her eyes.
"No, don't worry, don't worry.." said Lupin. "It was life or death... And luckily, you are an excellent witch who was so able to choose life."
"YES! YOU WERE!" exclaimed Ron loudly.
His mum looked at him with reproachfully.
Hermione seemed to be heartened.
"Arthur, Molly, I think we should go to Grimmauld Place. There I could see what I can do for the girl. "said Moody.
The Weasley nodded, and Lupin took out a ragged handkerchief. Harry guessed it was a Portkey, and he was right. They all stood around the object and 3...2...1... they were in Grimmauld Place, n°12.