The 24-year old witch Abigail Warden sat down at a little round table in
The Three Broomsticks, to get something to drink, while waiting for her new
client.
She was a detective. People hired her to follow somebody, or to find long lost family. Last week a woman, who needed help to find somebody, had contacted her. She had wanted to stay anonymous, because "if he finds out, I'm looking for him, he will just.. Not let me find him" Yes, that was what the woman, "Alice", had said in the phone.
To Abigail this seemed to be the same old story. 'Alice' had had a relationship to this 'he', she'd broken up with him, and he was heartbroken, never wanting to see her again. And now she had realized she had made a mistake, and wanted a second chance.
"Yes, that's probably it" Abigail said to herself. She had been doing this so many years, so she knew all the stories.
"Abigail Warden?"
Abigail looked up, at a young woman, supposedly her own age.
"Yes" she said, smiling. "'Alice'?"
"Yes"
"Sit down, Alice" Abigail pointed to a chair at the table. Alice sat down, she looked slightly nervous. "Tell me your story"
Alice bit her lip, and started to say something. "Well, eh, we, me and."
Suddenly Abigail recognized Alice.
"Oh my God! Hermione Granger?"
Alice's head shot up and she looked closely at Abigail.
"Well. eh, yes. Who are you?" Hermione said, not recognizing Abigail.
"It's me, Ginny.. Ron's sister"
"Ginny Weasley?"
"Yes"
"But, why.."
".am I Abigail Warden?"
"Yes."
"To protect my privacy. But why in the world, would you.. Hermione! We haven't seen you for like 5 years, since. why, what are you doing here?" Ginny said. She thought of every reason Hermione would have to hire a detective, but she couldn't.. "You are looking for Ron, right?" it suddenly hid her. What else?
Hermione stared down at the table, refusing to look up at her old friend.
"Hermione, he's dead. You know he is. Why would you.."
"No, I don't!" Hermione had suddenly raised her head, and now looked straight into Ginny's eyes. "We never found out for sure. Everybody just assumed!"
Ginny looked closely at Hermione. She was right, they did just assume. But there was no way he would have survived an attack like that. Even Ginny, naïve Ginny, was sure of that.
Hermione had always been so down-to-earth, and now she was filling her head and heart with hopes that would just be shattered. Again.
Suddenly Ginny remembered what Hermione has said on the phone, when she still thought the woman was 'Alice', "If he finds out, I'm looking for him, he will just.. Not let me find him" That didn't quit fit into this thing.
"Hermione, what you said on the phone, is not what you're saying right now"
"I didn't know you were Ginny, and, well, nobody would've helped me if I said that I was looking for a dea. assumed dead man, would they now? I don't think so" Hermione said, anger rising in her voice. "Well, will you help me or what. God, Ginny, you're his sister! How could you all give up so easily?" tears started to show in Hermione's brown eyes.
Ginny was taken aback by Hermione's suddenly outburst. Before she had sounded slightly confused, then angry, and now she was on the verge of crying.
"It wasn't like that, Hermione. We didn't 'just give up' you know, you were there. We all were. And we searched for Ron everywhere for 14 months, even though we all knew in our hearts, that he was gone forever.. "
"I didn't"
"Everyone, except you then. And Hermione, we all have missed you a lot. Why did you just disappear like that, when we stopped trying? You didn't have to"
"Because I was angry at you all, for giving up! I still am. can't you just say, if you'll help me or not"
Ginny looked closely at Hermione. Hermione and Ron had been together only 1 year, when Harry was attacked by some You-Know-Who follower, and Ron had been there, and the follower had done some.. Horrible things to Ron and Harry, and then had taken Ron, and let Harry be. Why, nobody knew. It was usually Harry they were after. After that the whole family including Harry and Hermione had searched, they really had, 14 months, but it was easily to see that he couldn't have survived that, and they stopped. They couldn't do more. And then Hermione left, and never wrote or anything again. And now she was here, right in front of her.
Ginny sighed. Hermione was her friend, and it would seem like she didn't love her, or Ron, if she wouldn't help her. And that was not the case.
"Of course I'll help you, Hermione. We were friends remember? I hope we still are. But you have to do one thing for me. Come home with me, and say hello to everybody. We've all really missed you. Specially Harry. He lost his two best friends within 14 months of each other. please"
Hermione hesitated a little, but then said, "Okay"
The two witches left the Three Broomsticks, to go to the Burrow.
To be continued.
She was a detective. People hired her to follow somebody, or to find long lost family. Last week a woman, who needed help to find somebody, had contacted her. She had wanted to stay anonymous, because "if he finds out, I'm looking for him, he will just.. Not let me find him" Yes, that was what the woman, "Alice", had said in the phone.
To Abigail this seemed to be the same old story. 'Alice' had had a relationship to this 'he', she'd broken up with him, and he was heartbroken, never wanting to see her again. And now she had realized she had made a mistake, and wanted a second chance.
"Yes, that's probably it" Abigail said to herself. She had been doing this so many years, so she knew all the stories.
"Abigail Warden?"
Abigail looked up, at a young woman, supposedly her own age.
"Yes" she said, smiling. "'Alice'?"
"Yes"
"Sit down, Alice" Abigail pointed to a chair at the table. Alice sat down, she looked slightly nervous. "Tell me your story"
Alice bit her lip, and started to say something. "Well, eh, we, me and."
Suddenly Abigail recognized Alice.
"Oh my God! Hermione Granger?"
Alice's head shot up and she looked closely at Abigail.
"Well. eh, yes. Who are you?" Hermione said, not recognizing Abigail.
"It's me, Ginny.. Ron's sister"
"Ginny Weasley?"
"Yes"
"But, why.."
".am I Abigail Warden?"
"Yes."
"To protect my privacy. But why in the world, would you.. Hermione! We haven't seen you for like 5 years, since. why, what are you doing here?" Ginny said. She thought of every reason Hermione would have to hire a detective, but she couldn't.. "You are looking for Ron, right?" it suddenly hid her. What else?
Hermione stared down at the table, refusing to look up at her old friend.
"Hermione, he's dead. You know he is. Why would you.."
"No, I don't!" Hermione had suddenly raised her head, and now looked straight into Ginny's eyes. "We never found out for sure. Everybody just assumed!"
Ginny looked closely at Hermione. She was right, they did just assume. But there was no way he would have survived an attack like that. Even Ginny, naïve Ginny, was sure of that.
Hermione had always been so down-to-earth, and now she was filling her head and heart with hopes that would just be shattered. Again.
Suddenly Ginny remembered what Hermione has said on the phone, when she still thought the woman was 'Alice', "If he finds out, I'm looking for him, he will just.. Not let me find him" That didn't quit fit into this thing.
"Hermione, what you said on the phone, is not what you're saying right now"
"I didn't know you were Ginny, and, well, nobody would've helped me if I said that I was looking for a dea. assumed dead man, would they now? I don't think so" Hermione said, anger rising in her voice. "Well, will you help me or what. God, Ginny, you're his sister! How could you all give up so easily?" tears started to show in Hermione's brown eyes.
Ginny was taken aback by Hermione's suddenly outburst. Before she had sounded slightly confused, then angry, and now she was on the verge of crying.
"It wasn't like that, Hermione. We didn't 'just give up' you know, you were there. We all were. And we searched for Ron everywhere for 14 months, even though we all knew in our hearts, that he was gone forever.. "
"I didn't"
"Everyone, except you then. And Hermione, we all have missed you a lot. Why did you just disappear like that, when we stopped trying? You didn't have to"
"Because I was angry at you all, for giving up! I still am. can't you just say, if you'll help me or not"
Ginny looked closely at Hermione. Hermione and Ron had been together only 1 year, when Harry was attacked by some You-Know-Who follower, and Ron had been there, and the follower had done some.. Horrible things to Ron and Harry, and then had taken Ron, and let Harry be. Why, nobody knew. It was usually Harry they were after. After that the whole family including Harry and Hermione had searched, they really had, 14 months, but it was easily to see that he couldn't have survived that, and they stopped. They couldn't do more. And then Hermione left, and never wrote or anything again. And now she was here, right in front of her.
Ginny sighed. Hermione was her friend, and it would seem like she didn't love her, or Ron, if she wouldn't help her. And that was not the case.
"Of course I'll help you, Hermione. We were friends remember? I hope we still are. But you have to do one thing for me. Come home with me, and say hello to everybody. We've all really missed you. Specially Harry. He lost his two best friends within 14 months of each other. please"
Hermione hesitated a little, but then said, "Okay"
The two witches left the Three Broomsticks, to go to the Burrow.
To be continued.
