Summary: Zero Arc. Months before their lives collided again. Tragedy struck both of them. What kind of toll will it take on them? Will they break or will they have the strength to go on?
Disclaimer: It's not mine.
If you haven't read my other story then I fear this won't make much sense.
Hey this bunny popped into my head and I couldn't even continue Wizengamot Files until I got this down. It's in the same universe as WF. It's kinda backstory and doesn't really advance my story, but I guess that's okay. The story and the chapters definitely won't be as long as WF but if I get positive feedback who knows.
[A/N-1]I don't think I'm making these characters overpowered per se. From what I have read in the books I don't think these abilities are out of the realm of possibilities. The movies I have seen treated their wands like magical gunfire back and forth, while the books I've read shows that one of their real strengths is manipulating their environment.
But if their too 'overpowered' let me know so I don't do it anymore.
[A/Q]Would this be a vignette or a prequel?
The Story of Harry - The Strength to Go On
'The Forrest of Dean'
United Kingdom
December 20th , 1995 - 2257 hrs.
Three figures in thick cloaks were running from a glowing object floating through the trees, separating every so often as their intended path became obstructed by something, but coming back together to run together. The snow crunched under their feet with every footfall and the snow drift was making it increasingly more difficult to see where they were headed. One of the figures simply vaulted over an upcoming uprooted tree. The next figure dived into a somersault, neatly rolling through the angled opening between the tree and the ground, her hood fell revealing a pretty brunette with long straight hair that was piled on to her head in a messy bun. Her blue eyes narrowed a bit in frustration at the still running subordinate. When she met the younger girl in the library years ago she would have never guess that she would be finding a sister. As the built in drying charm on her cloak activated moments later, Penelope Clearwater once again began running.
Someone from Wormtail had said that hey had tracked one of the most ruthless and notorious werewolves of their time, Greyback, to a small den to this area of the forest. He supposedly was only was traveling with a handful of other werewolves so her team was sent to bring them in since this would be their best chance to ever catch him. But it was somehow a trap made for them. They had apparated to the designated Landing Zone and were immediately surrounded by nearly a dozen muggle and wizard turn werewolf. Powerful anti wards had popped up as soon as they rematerialised trapping them there. Her third teammate Jennette, thinking quickly had punched a path through their ranks with a silver spray allowing them to escape..
"So Athena," Penelope huffed when she caught up to the figure that had been ahead of the other two the entire run. She glanced behind her to see their third teammate running slowly towards them holding, her side in agony. She turned back to Athena who had her wand out, so she pulled hers as well and from the glints in the darkness she was going to need it.
"Yeah Boss," Athena chirped and Penelope scowled at her since she didn't even seem winded,
"What are you and Lee doing for Christmas Eve?" Penelope asked as she fired off a blasting hex, "Oliver, in exchange for International Cup tickets, will be taking me to see 'Isolde'. That new play I told you about."
"Well," Hermione began slightly miffed, side stepping a large paw and transfiguring a wooden werewolf that tackled and began to attack the wolf that just attacked her, "We don't have any plans Boss, he ended things tonight at dinner before I got the summons."
"Why did you guys break up?" Penelope gasped in shock as she vanish the ground underneath one of the larger wolves then immediately filled it back in with dirt, "You both seemed happy."
"He said," Hermione started in a voice that clearly showed her disbelief, "I don't understand how important the sport he loves is and that he should probably just focus on his career for a while."
Penelope scoffed as she took control of a fallen tree branch, smacking a werewolf on its nose causing it to yelp in pain, "He's only training to be a Professional Quidditch announcer for Merlin's sake."
"Oh and the best bit," Hermione growled and Penelope's eyes widened as Athena somehow banished a powerful dark creature that was bearing down on her through a tree, "He said that I wasn't making our relationship a priority."
Penelope snorted but her face changed to apologetic when Hermione was now sporting a wounded look on her face. She tried to banish another werewolf that was charging, it barely stumbled, but the follow up leg locker curse caused it to trip and slide a few metres. But she had to jump back because it tried to snap it's mouth around her ankles, "Well, that probably means since it took him longer than he thought it would to get into your robes, he'll go look for some easy tart."
"Most likely," Hermione sadly sighed.
"Don't be sad," Penelope said brightly, "Pfft. Your really better off without him you know. Now you don't have to hear him whinge on about it all the time and remember how he flirted with all the chasers in Gryfindor endlessly at every game. Definitely better off."
"Yes I know," Hermione moaned as she sent a stream of water followed by super cooled air creating a Were-Popsicle, "But he was handsome, sorta fit, a decent kisser and let's be honest here, there not exactly a lot of suitors nowadays for an indentured Muggleborn."
"Well now you've made me feel like an utter heel for bringing it up," Penelope sighed.
"No it's fine," Hermione sighed back.
"Um ladies," Called out the third member when she conjured a bear trap under one of their opponents, "I say this as a friend Athena. Fascinating as your love life is, I don't really think this is the time."
"Why not Tisiphone?" Penelope asked harshly, "We're all friends. Friends comfort each other."
"Well," Jeannette began with a sarcastic lilt, "It could be the pack of werewolves that are presently trying to eat us or worse, turn us.
"Please, you call this a pack," Penelope called out as she fired another blasting hex over her shoulder and heard a satisfying yelp, "There's only four... well three left now."
"Two left," Jeannette exclaimed when her conjured silver net wrapped itself around one of the werewolves and he reverted back to his human form writhing in pain, "Pack is a grouping of wolves Megera."
They watched in relief as the last two wolves decided that it would be safer to turn tail and flee. When they sprinted off into the darkness of the forest Hermione turned to Penelope, "Boss there's no need to worry about me. I'll be fine. When we get back I'll sulk for a few days then I'll be back to my usual bossy self."
Tisiphone reached up under the hood of her cloak to play with a few strands of her curly black hair, "Small favors Megara."
"Hey," Hermione started as she stood with her arms akimbo, "No one said we were taking comments from the peanut gallery."
"Okay. Okay," Penelope began as playfully pulled Jeannette away from Hermione, "We're just outside of the anti app wards. Let's get a team from Wormtail to clean the..."
A sharp yelp from deeper into the forest brought them back on guard. The entire forest seemed to quieten at that moment. A few thumps landed all around them with one in the centre the witches. Both Penelope and Jeannette were fascinated at what had to be some sort of muggle device with a red three that turned into a two, then a one had huddled over it. Hermione on the other hand realised what it was the moment it landed, but the shock of what had just happened rendered her mute for a full second. When she noticed the questioning look on both of her teammate's faces she nonverbally was casting a shield charm while she yelled, "Grenade!"
And then world she knew exploded into fire and metal.
Hermione was jolted awake from a staccato burst of gunfire followed by a yelp that managed to cut through the ringing in her ears. She was somehow looking at the top of the trees from inside a thicket and she ached all over. She tried to sit up but a sharp pain in her stomach stopped her. She looked down to see a small piece of metal that seemed like it was attached to her robes. She tried to brush it off and she nearly screamed at the jolt of pain that came from the area. She wrapped her fingers around it to yank it out when a seemingly vague and familiar voice on the wind told her to leave it in.
As tears from the pain nearly began to form a feminine voice called out, "What the hell?"
"You should have seen it," Said a gruff voice, "Two Wolves were coming at me. The first one was dead before it knew it. Clean headshot. Then I hit the second one and decided to check out were they came from and I hit the motherload: Three Craft and Seven Wolves with three grenades. I'm amazing."
Hermione was about to call out for help from the voices when the the woman shreiked, "You weren't cleared to take on Craft. How are we going to explain this? We don't go after Craft unless they come after normal humans. Have you ever listened to the Mountain Ranges? No you couldn't have. Otherwise you never would have killed these Craft."
"There not dead," Called out another male voice.
"Like cockroaches the lot of them," The gruff speaker said.
"Shut," The woman commanded putting a hand in front of his face, then turned to the other man, "Can anything be done?"
Hermione rolled over onto her hands and knees and as quietly as she could crawled out of the thicket and leaned against the closest tree. There were three people standing near Penelope and Jeannette who were laying on the ground. There was a very large man, who by her guess was about 6'10" and about twenty stones. The woman and man were taller than her but not by much. They were all wearing snow camouflage, with all manor of muggle weapons all over them and they wore balaclavas, protecting their faces from identification and the cold.
When the smaller man put his hand near Penelope a wild flare of magic singed his hand and he shook his head sadly, "No. Their dying. See that? Their magic is lashing out at any perceived danger to them."
"Hey," The gruff man said, "I get to add three Craft to my CV, that means I get a code name, better missions and it ties me with Mjollnir. Bastard's too good at his job."
"I only count two Craft," The woman stated.
"What!" The gruff man exclaimed. Then he began to spin around to look around the forest and Hermione moved her head back before he noticed her, "There were three. I know it!"
"Stop padding," Said the smaller man.
"Piss off you bloody poofter!"
"Okay!" The woman snapped, "Both of you stop. Since you want credit Gavin. You can have it. Arranged the Wolves' corpses for transport. We'll have to wait for the Craft to pass before we can transport. I'll get the other two wolves you hit before."
When they started to go about their business she stood up, Hermione's eyes widened when the large man picked up a dead werewolf by the pelt off the ground with each hand. No normal muggle could lift a Two hundred kilos dead weight with one hand. What was he and what was going to happen? She realised she didn't know what they had planned and she didn't care, she needed to get Megara and Tisiphone out of here. She felt for the emergency portkey in here cloak, finding it easily. After the man had tossed the bodies into an inelegant pile and headed for another two bodies, she timed her steps with his so he didn't hear her steps in the crunch of the snow. When she had made it to them, she reached down to grab Jennette's hand, but a bolt of unfocused magic shocked her hand and before she could stop it, she let out a hiss in pain.
The large man turned instantly and when he had seen her, a cruel smile appeared on his face. Ignoring the pain she grabbed Penelope's hand, since her magic was lashing out at Hermione and pulled her the short distance over to Jeannette. The man began to bear down on them when she reached into her cloak and activated her emergency portkey.
When she had reached into her cloak the man stopped, afraid that she would bring her wand out and he didn't have his weapon out already . When she grabbed the other two Craft's hands and something blue shimmered under the cloak he realised his quarry was getting away and he yelled out, "Hey Stop!"
They disappeared in a flash of colour into the cyclone of travel and when they landed in the infirmary of the Bones Estate the ground rippled as time space was bent.
From he spot on the floor Hermione screamed with everything she had, "Madam Pomfrey!"
'Bone's Estate'
South Wing: Guest and Greeting Area'
Northampton, England
January 4th, 1996 - 1323 Hrs.
Hermione stood in the hallway staring off into the distance, but not really seeing anything. She was being described as an inferi by some of the colder members of the Order behind her back now. She was barely eating or sleeping now. All she saw now was the faces of her team as the looked down, puzzled at the curious little object that landed in front of them.
They were dead.
According to sources her team had been taken out by MTS.
Her team. Her sisters, not of blood but in bond had been killed because they knew nothing of the muggle world. They stood too close and the small bits of metal shredded their vital organs. Hermione gasped as she felt a twinge of pain in her stomach from the surgery, if she hadn't left that piece of metal in she would have died as well. Her two week convalescence was over today so she was planning to ask for a transfer to Padfoot. They seemed to be dealing with the Abominations on a monthly basis since their appearance a year and a half ago.
"Ma'am," An woman called out behind her. American by the sound of it.
Hermione turned around to see a young witch, a few years her senior, standing at parade rest. On her stylish robes she was wearing the crest of someone who would be high in society. She had caramel colour skin with hazel eyes with short dark brown dreadlocks. Hermione had seen her roaming the halls of the estate for the last few weeks.
"Who are-" Hermione started before she remembered her etiquette, "Forgive me my Lady. How may I serve?"
"No need for that Ma'am," The woman said, "I may have the blood but most of us Americans don't take stock in it. How do you do? I'm Order Cadet First Class Kiara Freedmen from Padfoot Company Ma'am. I am to be folded into your team."
Hermione blinked in confusion, "What team?"
"Ma'am?" Kiara canted her head to the side.
"What. Team?" Hermione asked again stretching each word.
"The Enrinyes Ma'am," Kiara said slowly, "Your to command the Furies."
"What!" Hermione exclaimed as she stumbled backwards to the wall to steady herself.
"You didn't know," Kiara stated, "Shit. 'Make a good first impression.' Great advice from my aunt. Ma'am are you okay?"
"Don't call me ma'am," Hermione snapped as she struggled to breath, "Just... I just need to think, yeah?"
"I know this is is a lot to take in Ma'a- Boss."
Hermione's head snapped up at that. She had started to call Penelope 'Boss' when the older witch claimed 'Ma'am' was too formal and made her feel old.
"What did you call me?"
"'Boss'," Kiara answered, "You said not to call you ma'am."
She knew she was paling. It was completely absurd. Even the notion of it. She was only sixteen for Merlin's sake. It had to be a joke. She shouldn't have this responsibility.
Then there was a small glimmer of hope that this was all some elaborate prank. The Furies were autonomous in nature. The leader picked who they worked with, not anyone else. It would take all the captains to make her do something like that, "I don't remember selecting you for my team. So how did you get picked?"
"Madam Bones has personally hand picked us," Kiara told her dashing her hopes, "Said it was an Executive Decision. There's me and this french lady. I Don't know her name yet.
"Boss, I read your last mission report and I know that you don't know me, but there wasn't anything you could've done differently. Your team was just unaware of technology. That won't happen with me. Nearly all of us in the States, except a few a hard colonies in our New England States, are Muggle raised.
"I'll try to live up to your former team and here's something you might like though. Our first mission is tomorrow and get this. Wormtail tracked a dark wizard, a trader named Jugson and his protection in the form of a group of MTS; two men one woman."
When Hermione's head popped up at the description Kiara grinned and said, "Thought that might get your attention. There apparently guarding him in one of his Pandora trafficking warehouses. So... you ready to hunt down some abominations."
From the guarded look on the other witch's face, Hermione knew she was being tested. This was the kind woman would follow her through hell and back and was a hunter like herself. A vendetta against an unknown enemy was the quickest way to the next great adventure. No, she wouldn't let it consume her.
"No," Hermione said resolutely, "We will not kill indiscriminately... Artemis. We're not judge, jury and executioner. Our job is to capture them and then they will be tried against their action."
Kiara gave her a relieved smile, "You got it Boss."
"Now," Hermione said with the first smile on her face in weeks, "Let's go. I think it's time to meet this Frenchwoman."
Fin... for now