Fanaa – Destroyed in Love…

Chapter One: Loss of Vision

"Ron! Shut up, will you?" whispered an agitated Hermione.

"What? I was just…"

"SHHH…" whispered Hermione.

"Ron, Hermione is trying to find clues to open the door. Don't disturb her. You come with me and we'll battle out even more death eaters. That will give more time to Hermione to figure the puzzle. Now c'mon!" said Harry as Ron opened his mouth to say something.

Hermione sighed to herself. She watched Ron and Harry go back to fight the Death Eaters who were slowly recovering. She returned to the door in front of her.

Harry, Ron and Hermione were trying hard to find out where Harry's parents lived. After McGonagall told them that his parents had spent their last days in the Godric's Hollow, they set forth to find it the very next day. Armed with extra knowledge of spells taught specifically by McGonagall to them, they set forth on their mission.

They reached the Godric's Hollow. The house was a still intact but its door and windows were broken and shattered. The house was guarded with a complex spell which only a few people could guess. But no one had any interest in finding out more about what lay in the debris. Dumbledore, who was no more, had placed this charm on the house so as to protect it from the greedy eyes who thought that there was still some treasure in it.

Hermione looked at the fence guarding the house and at the lock which was charmed. In her hand was a small piece of paper, which contained the riddle:

There is only one spell that will work

You have to find it out

I will make it easy for you

The spell, you guess in two parts

The first half:

Anything which attaches itself

To another being

Benefits from the other self

So much, the host faces death and sometimes feigns

Halve the first word – take the first half

The second half:

Legitimacy

Take the first half and backwards

You have it

"Oh my God! 'Anything which attaches itself to another being' What could it be? A branch? A bug? A spider? A Leech? Hey! It could be a leech! 'Halve the first word – take the first half' hmm… will it be lee?" Hermione voiced her thought aloud.

"'The cycle of birth and death?' What on earth could it be? 'That's what the Buddha called it' I have no idea what is it!" Hermione was very tensed.

"Hermione! Are you done with the riddle?" came Ron's voice.

"No, Ron! I am confused for the first time!" cried out Hermione.

"What is it?" demanded Ron coming over to Hermione.

"Legitimacy? I know this! It is 'truth'."

" 'Truth'? Dumbledore might have wanted something more difficult"

"Yes. Maybe, but couldn't he give something more simple? He knew that we will here one day" explained Ron.

Harry came out of the darkness sweating. "I still don't understand why these Death Eaters guard this house. They can never guess the spell, and still they want to guard it?"

"Maybe they are looking for someone who can decipher the puzzle and they can go in to find some treasure…" offered Ron.

"My goodness Ron! Your brain has finally started working!" smiled Hermione.

She raised her wand and pointed it to the lock.

"Leetru" she shouted.

Silence

"Err… Hermione are you sure of the spell?" asked Harry.

"I don't know Harry. What can attach itself to a host and be benefited?" cried Hermione.

"Hey! This question is familiar to me! Its something starting with P…P…P…" Harry couldn't remember any more.

Silence

"Parasite! It's a parasite! I learned it when I was nine." Shouted Hermione

"Ah! Now do we have the spell?" yawned Ron.

"Yes. Paratru" said Hermione.

Silence

"Oh! Its backwards! Paraurt" exclaimed Hermione.

The house glowed yellow for a minute and then it looked normal again. The lock was also open.

"That's a weird spell…" whispered Ron.

"That's not the point Ron! Its-" stopped Hermione noticing Harry had already run forward without waiting.

Harry pushed open the fence door. He felt the cool air ruffle his untidy hair. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath as if trying to smell the last of his family. He felt a tingling sensation on his fingertips and felt the hair on his skin stand up.

The trio walked towards the house and Harry opened the door. He had expected it to be empty but he saw a dark silhouette bend downwards and pick up something. Harry felt enraged. He could not bear the sight of someone else inside the house, Without thinking, his instinct overpowered his head and…

"NO! DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH ANYTHING IN THIS HOUSE YOU-" shouted Harry but Hermione came in front of him and closed his mouth. "What d'you think you are shouting Harry?" she whispered angrily but it was too late.

But it was too late; the dark silhouette swiftly turned behind and bellowed, "Opthalfomoci!"

All Hermione could last remember seeing was a very bright light and then darkness.

"Hermione, Hermione, Hermione are you awake?" whispered Ron.

"Ronald is that you? Why is there so much of darkness around me? Harry light the wand" said Hermione in a faint voice.

"But Hermione there are two wands already lighted" said a worried Harry.

"C'mon Harry. Stop being funny. Light your wand please…" pleaded Hermione.

"Hermione, you are playing games. There is enough of light to see our faces clearly" Said Harry.

"Then why can't I see your faces?" asked Hermione.

"Look Hermione. We can't afford to waste anymore time. The sun will rise now and it will be day" said Ron.

"But I can't see your faces! Ron, Harry I don't know where you are standing now or what is happening!" said Hermione in a more stronger voice.

"Look. The man uttered some spell and you were hurt. Then I and Harry pulled him down and handicapped him literally. You were unconscious for sometime but you've recovered. That's what happened. The man apparated despite his handicap" finished Ron.

The sun had risen quite a bit and it was orange in colour.

'Now can you see us?" asked an exasperated Harry.

"Huh? No, I still can't-" Then, it stuck Hermione. "I am blind now!"

"What!?!?" came the unanimous question.

"The sun has risen. Your wands were lighted and I can't see anything. The last I remember was seeing a very bright light and then darkness. The man blinded me with a spell!" shouted Hermione.

"No, it can't be! You cannot be blind. We can take you to St. Mungo's. We'll get you cured but you are not blind. You CANNOT BE!" shouted Harry.

"Hermione, no! We need you the most this time! Right now! No! Hermione! Please laugh and say this is a joke. We have come so far… YOU CANNOT BE BLIND!!!" shouted Harry pouring his frustration and concern into one voice.

"No, Harry, she is blind. She can't see a thing. She can only hear us and talk to us. The man made her blind" sad Ron in a small voice and waving his hand in front of her eyes.

"NO! This CANNOT BE! There has to be something that can repair this! Then how can she help me? How can I do it without Hermione???" shouted Harry.

Ron was silent. He looked deep into her eyes and saw no light reflected from those beautiful chocolate ones.

"No, Harry, she is blind. She can't see a thing. She can only hear us and talk to us. The man made her blind" repeated Ron.

That was 3 yrs. ago.

Hermione's eyes were of the same dark brown color but now they were useless to her. She could not see even a tiny speck of light.

Hermione was blind

This hard truth from the healer who examined her, hit Harry and Ron like the Impedimenta curse.

Hermione's parents seemed inconsolable. They cried along with their beautiful daughter who could no longer see anything. Her parents took Hermione with them. Harry and Ron tried to speak to them but they refused to.

Now Hermione stays with her Muggle parents away from the wizarding world with only Harry and Ron beside her to tell her what is going on in the magical world. Hermione could no longer read the newspaper and hence she read a paper written in the Braille language which told her about the Muggle world.

Harry was devastated. Now he couldn't do anything without Hermione. He now realized the extreme importance of Hermione as his best friend.