The Hostage Situation
Hello readers :) So this is a fast moving mission filled with suspense and it'll be about, say, four to five chapters long? And the case will only end in the last chapter so the entire thing is action packed :) It has several ships and in this one, Harry and Ginny aren't together and neither are Ron and Hermione, just letting you know.
I hope you all enjoy this one as much as I enjoyed writing it! The idea of this story was inspired mainly from CBS' Criminal Minds season 7 finale and a little bit from ABC' Castle.
Hermione vaguely registered Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini enter the Bank before returning to the accounts in front of her. There was an ear-piercing scream and the next time she looked up, a man stood in the middle of the bank lobby, his wand tip digging into a black haired woman's temple. A few more men with hoods covering their faces and a woman dressed in black stood around him, their wands pointed at everyone around.
Hermione slipped her hand underneath her table and was about to hit the red button below it when the wand was pointed directly at her.
"Don't touch the button, put your hands where I can see them, lady!" The man growled. She did as she was told, raising her hands in the air, palms facing him. The wand was pushed right back into the woman's temple and she began sobbing. "Everyone get in a line by the window here." He nodded towards the windows facing the main street. "And don't try anything funny. Expelliarmus". He flicked his wand and everyone who had been carrying one lost their own. They quietly lined up in front of the large windows and the man's accomplices stood with their wands trained on them.. Hermione stood up and was about to walk around her desk when he spun to face her and the other employees. "If any of you touch that button, I will kill her." His hand was steady as he moved the wand from the lady's temple to her throat. He moved forward swiftly and dumped a bag on to Hermione's desk. A few of the other men in black threw their own empty bags on to her colleagues' desks.
"What do you want?" She spat, not even touching the bag.
The man snickered. "What do I want?" He asked. "We're robbers and we're at a bank. What the hell do you think we want? Now empty those drawers and put what you have in the bags."
"Let the others go." Hermione said, her voice more confident than she felt. She knew Ginny was amongst the hostages and she had George and Angelina's baby with her.
The man raised his eyebrows and shoved the lady he was holding on to the floor. She fell on her side but hurriedly stood up before a woman dragged her to join the line. The man in front of her stepped around the desk and Hermione was aware of all the eyes on her. "Feisty, this one, huh?" He placed his wand tip at her throat and ran his other hand down her arm.
"Don't touch me", She spat, knowing this was probably going to get her killed. He laughed mirthlessly.
"Very feisty." He circled his arm around her waist and dipped his face into her neck. She shuddered in disgust and grit her teeth together.
"She said don't touch her!" A deep, loud voice said from amongst the hostages. The man split apart from her and pointed his wand at the line.
"Who said that?" He asked, his left eyebrow raised. He stepped back around the desk but not before turning to the desk employees and yelling- "I want those bags filled!" They immediately did as they were told, taking handfuls of bills and stuffing them into the bags. "Now who said that?" One of the ladies dressed in black boots and a black leather suit pointed her wand at a person in line. She had short, straight black hair and a pointed pale face with big, dark eyes.
"He did."
Hermione glanced up and her mouth fell open when Draco Malfoy was shoved forward.
"What's it to you what I do to that young lady? She your girlfriend?" The man asked, stepping forward.
"No, but she isn't yours either." Draco spat, his face in a sneer. The sneer was wiped right of his face the next second when the lady who had called on him slapped him. He held his jaw and wiped at the blood drawn from her long nails.
"Shut up if you know what's right for you." The man said, turning back to the desks where the bags were rapidly being filled. Draco was pushed back into the line where he stood in between Blaise and Ginny.
"Didn't I tell you to fill up the damn bag?" The man snarled, pointing his wand at Hermione, who was staring at the two Slytherins and her best friend.
"Y-yes, you did", She began pulling the money out of her drawers and putting them into the bag, glancing up occasionally. She hoped to god that the Aurors were on their way. Something this big had never happened before. Not at a wizarding bank at least. Well, unless you count Hermione, Harry and Ron's Gringott's break-in. The bank was destroyed after that and once it was rebuilt, most of the goblins left the bank and Wizards and Witches took over with the help of the few remaining goblins, some of which were sitting near her panicking.
The man was about to check the bags when the sounds of apparation was heard from outside. The hostages turned where they were and watched as Aurors gathered outside the Bank building.
"They're gonna get you", Someone muttered from amongst them and it wasn't gone unheard.
"What did you say?" The lady in black asked, stepping towards the young brown haired boy standing beside Ginny. She unconsciously shifted closer to Draco, holding little Fred closer to her.
"N-nothing", The boy stammered, obviously not expecting to have been heard.
"Tell me what you said if you want to live", The lady said, her wand twirling between her fingers.
"I- I didnt-"
"Tell us, dear", The man in black said, his wand aimed at the eighteen year old. "Now."
"I s-said that they're going to- to get you." The lobby was filled with a flash of green light, followed by screams and then the boy fell to the floor, his eyes blank. Dead.
Fred began crying and the man growled. "Shut him up."
"She can't shut him up- he's just a baby", Blaise said softly. The wand was pointed at him and he raised his hands in the air. "I'm only being reasonable, I don't mean any offense." The wand was lowered and pointed at Ginny instead, who swallowed hard.
"Please, he's just a year old- there's not much I can do", She pleaded with him, bouncing Fred lightly, trying to calm him down.
"Perhaps we should put him to sleep then. Permanently." The man trained his wand on the baby and Ginny felt tears rise to her eyes.
"Please, no! He's just scared! There was too much screaming! He's too small- he's scared. Please don't hurt him!" She cried, holding Fred tightly. The man smirked.
"He's only a baby!" Hermione found herself saying and immediately her hand flew to her mouth. Why couldn't she just keep quiet?! The man spun around and his mouth twisted in amusement.
"And whose he to you, sweetheart?" He asked.
"N-nobody", She lied. He might have killed Ginny or Fred just to get to her and she wouldn't allow that.
The man came up to her and stood behind her. He reached around her and held open the bag's flap. He then swiftly grabbed her hair and pulled it hard causing her neck to snap backwards and her hair to come out of it's tight work bun. "Does that bag look full to you?" He asked. She blinked rapidly, trying to get rid of the tears that had welled up in her eyes.
"No." She answered shortly.
"Then perhaps you should be filling it up." He said, giving her hair a final yank before letting go. She wanted to collapse into the chair behind her but she refused to show any kind of weakness. She instead stayed standing as she continued filling up the bag with both muggle and wizarding money.
Just when the man was about to check up on the rest of the bags, one of the telephones sitting on the round table at the center of the lobby started ringing. Gringotts had upgraded using muggle technology such as cameras for extra security and telephones for communication but nobody except staff and the auror department and the wizarding security department in the Ministry knew about the cameras.
The man frowned and turned to Hermione. "Pick it up." She stumbled around her desk in a hurry and picked the phone up with steady hands. "Hello?"
"Hermione?"
"Harry?" She breathed.
"Hang in there, Hermione, we're going to get everyone out. Put it on speaker."
"What's he saying?" The man snapped, striding forward.
"You can listen to him yourself", She said, hitting the speaker button.
"Im Harry Potter, Im an auror at the Ministry of magic-"
"Everyone knows who you are, Potter", The man snapped. "What do you want?"
"We've got you surrounded, Bonavier." Bonavier? Hermione thought.
"I see you've figured out my identity."
"It wasn't difficult. Matthew Bonavier, serial killer and famous bank robber. There's no way out, let the hostages go."
"Are you really negotiating with me?" The man- Bonavier smirked. "I want a way out and nobody dies."
"Release the hostages."
"And a way out?"
"We'll discuss that once we're sure you won't kill them."
Before anybody could even register what had happened, a flash of green light filled the room and a man at one end of the line fell to the floor sideways. The woman beside him knelt to the floor and shook him, sobbing. Hermione's jaw dropped open and the others in the line watched the scene wide-eyed.
"No! No, what did you do?! Austin! Austin, please!" She cried, tears cascading down her cheeks.
"Listen here, Potter", Bonavier said, turning his attention back on the phone. "You have no guarantee that I won't kill them but you have my guarantee that nobody dies if you give us a way out. An armored vehicle and then a private plane that heads to Switzerland."
"How about let the women and children out and-" Bonavier pointed his wand at Hermione and she froze, barely breathing. "OKAY, OKAY!" Harry's voice rang out. "Lower the wand, Bonavier! Lower the wand! I'll get back to you on the deal. Don't kill anyone, there's no need!"
"You have five minutes to call back", Bonavier grabbed the receiver from Hermione and slammed it back in it's place, cutting the call. He then turned to Hermione. "Are the bags ready-" He leaned forward and skimmed her badge with his fingers, making her want to cry, "-Hermione?" She nodded and took a step behind, away from his reach. A hand grasped her arm and pulled her backwards, forcefully throwing her to the side into the line. She stumbled and would have fallen had a pair of arms not circled her waist and caught her in the last second.
She looked up and stared into stormy blue eyes. Her eyes drifted to his white-blonde hair and then to his arms which were still around her. He straightened her up and she mumbled a thank you before turning to her left. She refrained from hugging Ginny and instead settled on holding her free hand. The red head was shaking visibly in fear.
"They can't take Fred, Hermione, they can't", She said, her voice breaking. She was afraid for the little boy, not herself.
"Calm down, Ginny. The more scared you are, the more they can hurt you." Hermione whispered, tightening her grip on her best friend's hand.
"Hey, stop talking!" The lady in black said, pointing her wand at the two. Once she turned back around, Hermione closed her eyes and took a deep breath. There were things and parts of the bank that only she knew about. She had to think hard. She had to do something.
"Who knows this place well?" Bonavier asked, looking at the employees in turn. When nobody answered, he stepped forward and grabbed Draco around the throat and pressed the wand tip against his stomach. "I said- Who knows this place well?" Silence. "Three...Two..."
"I do!" Hermione cried, stepping forward. "I know this place well! I can help you just- just let him go."
Bonavier smirked at Draco and then pushed him backwards. "Saved by your girlfriend. So tell me, Hermione," He purred her name in a way that made her want to throw up, "Tell me- how can I close up the windows with magic-proof blinds?" Hermione froze. She couldn't tell him that. If she told him then they were all as good as dead. The aurors would only be able to direct their wands at these guys through the main door.
"Okay then." The lady in black said from her left. She stepped forward and put her wand lightly against Fred's head, making Ginny gasp. "Let's ask you again- how can you bring down the magic proof blinds?" She said the words slowly as if she were talking to a child.
"Okay! Okay, I'll show you! No one needs to get hurt!" Hermione said, moving towards the right where a brown door was. The lady moved her wand to point it at Hermione. "I'm not going to cause any harm! I'm just going to get the blinds down!"
"Jasper, go with the girl," The lady said, looking at a young man whose curly strawberry-blonde was peeking out of his hoody. Jasper pointed his wand at Hermione and followed her through the door.
"We need to do something and we need to do it quick," Harry said.
"Can't we just get a goddamn vehicle for them?" Pansy asked, slamming her palms against the table the aurors were working at.
"You know we can't, Pansy". Ron said, running his fingers through his hair. "Hermione's smart, she'll find a way."
"She's under pressure, Ron. Its our job get them out, not her's," Harry said, staring at the security footage. "There has to be something we're missing. If Hermione or Ginny or Fred get hurt, I'll never forgive myself". Pansy placed her hand on his arm and he looked at her.
"We're going to get them out." She said, staring into his eyes. "You know we will." He looked at her for a long second before nodding and turning back to stare at the screen. "Okay, the robbery began at ten o clock sharp. One lady and four men. The man is a well known robber and serial killer but the others still remain unidentifiable because if their hoods. We can't trace the lady despite knowing how she looks."
"How is that possible? The Ministry has records of every Wizard and witch born into our world." Ron said, pointing his wand at the screen to his right. Faces and ID's flashed through and he stopped it. "I've been through these too many times. She's not in our records."
"Harry-" Pansy said, hitting a key on her laptop and leaning in to look closely at the screen. If muggles had done good for the Ministry, it was because of their technology. Harry looked at her. "You said the robbery began at ten o clock right?" He nodded. "That's not possible. Are you sure?"
Harry's eyebrows came together as he looked back at his own screen. "Yeah, I'm sure. That's what the time says on the cameras. And on the clock in the lobby in the tapes. Why?"
Pansy leaned back in her seat and shook her head. "Because it says here that we got the tip off about the robbery at 9:58".
Hermione came back out of the room and at that moment, dark silver blinds slid downwards, blocking the windows. Jasper had his wand trained on her until she stood in between Draco and Ginny once again.
"You okay? Did he do anything to you?" Ginny whispered. She shook her head and said, "I'm fine."
"Okay, move towards the door and sit in front of it, all of you", Bonavier said, nodding towards the tinted glass double doors of the main entrance.
They moved and Hermione sat down in between Draco and Ginny while Blaise moved to sit on the other side of Ginny. The lady in black remained where she was, looking at her watch.
The phone began ringing and everyone froze, wondering who would be made to pick it up. This time, though, Bonavier himself hit the speaker button.
"Give me good news, Potter."
"They're sending a vehicle."
"How do I know you're not lying just to buy time?"
"You'll just have to trust us," Harry said, his voice completely calm. "You hurt anybody and the vehicle will take longer to come. It's our deal."
"You have fifteen minutes before the next person dies." He lifted the receiver and then slammed it back down, cutting the call.
"They're using us as a shield", Draco whispered into Hermione's ear.
She spoke, trying not to make it too visible. "What do you mean?"
"That's why we're in front of the door. It's so that the Aurors can't take the risk of open-firing through the doors." After a moment of silence, he said, "Tell me, Granger, how do the aurors have eyes on us?"
Hermione considered whether it was alright to tell him and then decided it was. "Muggle security system called cameras. Only staff and the Auror and Security department of the ministry know about them."
"These people aren't stupid. They must know that there are eyes on them." Draco said.
"They do, I'm sure. I think they're just trying to figure out how." Hermione nodded.
A few minutes later, Fred began to cry again. Ginny bounced him up and down and Blaise rubbed the little boy's back gently.
"Shut him up!" The lady snapped, pointing her wand at the child.
"He's just a child, he's feeling suffocated and scared", Blaise said. "Just let these two out and continue with your work."
"Don't give us suggestions," She said, sneering. "Just shut him up."
The telephone rang and Bonavier hit speaker phone.
"Let the boy out. Just the boy." It wasnt Harry this time.
"Pansy". Draco whispered.
"And who may this be?"
"I'm Pansy Parkinson. I'm an Auror as well. They dont know I'm speaking to you", Her voice shook audibly. "Just let the child out. That's all I want."
"And why would I do that?"
"I'm his mother. I can guarantee the vehicle. It's not actually coming- they're buying time, you were right. But I'll make it actually happen. Just let the boy out." The four sitting huddled together's eyebrows all had shocked expressions.
"Don't look shocked," Blaise murmured under his breathe. They straightened their faces out instantly.
"Is that right?" Bonavier smirked, looking towards Ginny and Fred. He asked Ginny loudly, "She the mother?"
"Yes." Ginny nodded. "I was baby-sitting."
"I need a guarantee." Bonavier said, glancing at the lady in black.
"I'll give you Harry Potter's house address. You can have someone of your's go check." Pansy said, her voice shaking even more. She took a deep breath before continuing.
"That's a horrible negotiation, how stupid do you think we are?" The lady called out loudly.
"Okay. The vehicle will arrive in five minutes- send someone out with the boy. If your person doesn't see the vehicle, you can take my child back in."
The man and woman were both silent for a few seconds before the lady nodded. Bonavier said, "Fine, in five minutes." He disconnected the call.
Just then, Hermione noticed Draco's ring as it reflected light into her eyes. She was hit with an idea.
"Slip me your ring", She whispered, her lips barely moving. Draco sent her a puzzled look but didn't ask any questions. He simply slipped off his ring and took Hermione's hand as if they were just holding hands. He put the ring in her hand and to make it look normal, lifted her hand and kissed it softly.
"How adorable". The lady spat and turned away from them. She had been watching closely and Hermione, then, realized when Draco made it look so intimate.
She pointed the reflecting surface of the ring in the direction of the light and position it in a way she could reflect light onto the pillar to one side of the door outside.
Careful not to attract attention to her actions, she began flashing light onto the pillar in a pattern. Hopefully someone would see what she was trying do from outside.
"I don't know if it'll work". Pansy said after the call was cut.
"I think it will. They're desperate." Ron said.
"What if they find a way to apparate?" She asked.
"They can't. The bank doesn't allow apparation. You know that already. Please calm down". Harry said, placing his hand on her shoulder. She took a deep breath.
"I know, I'm sorry. Cases have just never been this personal. My two best friends are in there and so are Hermione and Ginny." Pansy said. "Okay, so what happens when the guy comes out with Fred and doesn't see the vehicle?"
"We attack the guy." A tall, greying man said entering the van they were seated in. All three turned to look at him.
"With all due respect, Sir, I hardly think that's a good idea," Ron said, shaking his head. "They'll kill the hostages."
"We need leverage."
"This won't get us leverage!" Harry exclaimed. "They'll only kill more people! You've seen how ruthless they are! These aren't just robbers we're dealing with, Crane, these are serial killers!" The new Minister of Magic sighed.
"Come up with a plan, Potter", Crane said. "Or we'll make our own." He left the van and the three were left alone again.
"We can't attack the guy! They'll kill everyone inside. This is mad, we-"
"Harry." Pansy said.
"We have to find a hole in this plan. Starting with who could have tipped us off."
"Harry!"
"It had to be one of the robbers themselves."
"Harry Potter!" Pansy yelled and Harry looks at her. "You need to see this." She turned her laptop screen towards him and pointed at a flashing section on the pulled to the left of the door.
Harry looked closely and then his eyes widened. "Give me a view of the inside." Pansy enlarged the camera view focused on the lobby.
"Zoom in on Hermione." Harry instructed. Pansy did as she was asked and in the next second, Harry was striding towards the door.
"Get me the smartest person from the Muggle translation department", Harry said, throwing open the door and stepping out.
"What is it?" George Weasley asked, walking beside Harry.
"We'll get them out, George, I think we have something", Harry said, moving towards the pillar with the flashing light. The sound of apparation was heard and someone rushed up beside Harry.
"I'm Alex, Sir. What can I do?" He was a twenty two year old boy with dark brown hair and large framed glasses. He had a notepad in his hand and a pen, ready to take notes.
"Can you translate morse code?" Harry asked, his eyes fixed on the light.
"Obviously." Alex nodded confidently.
"Okay, translate the signals I'm seeing", Harry said. " Dot, dash, dash, dot. There's a break." He waited for two seconds. "Dot." Another few seconds. "Dot, dash, dot." A break. "Dot, dash, dash, dash." Break again. "Dot, dash. Break again. Dot, dot, dot." He watched the pattern once again for a few seconds. "Dot, dash, dash, dot. I think it's a repeat after that. Did you get it, Alex?" The boy nodded, his eyes scanning the code rapidly. Harry took his wand out and flashed the light on to the pillar in the pattern of 'three dots, a dash and then another dot' to show that he had received the message.
He then turned back to the boy. "What did you get?""SPERJA," Alex said, shaking his head. "Does that make sense?"
"Sperja. Sperja. Sperja." Harry recited, trying to make sense of it.
"Could it be Jasper?" Pansy suggested from his left side. He turned to her and was very close to grabbing her face and kissing her.
"You're brilliant, it most likely is." Harry nodded. He looked towards Alex. "Stay here and keep a watch in case she tries to send us anything else."
He hurried back with Pansy and burst into the van. "Ron, search records for a Jasper that could be related to the case- past robberies, killers, anything. See if any intersect with Bonavier's history." Harry said.
"Get E.J- if I have someone working with me, we'll get it done faster." Ron said, typing furiously. Pansy rushed out and returned with a man with black shoulder-length hair and dark blue streaks and square framed glasses. He sat down beside Ron and put his own laptop on the table and began hitting keys.
"Ive pulled up Jaspers in the Wizarding world above the age of fifteen." E.J said. "Ron, check them with robberies and kills and Ill cross check them with other crimes.""Ive got ten Jaspers." Ron said, searching through pictures.
"Ive got eight", E.J said.
"Narrow it down to light haired and below the age of thirty." Harry said.
"Three", E.J said.
"Two." Ron said.
"I think I got him", E.J said, turning the screen towards the others. "Jasper Huereries. He's participated in four high-level professional bank robberies in the past two years in other countries but has escaped scott-free each time."
"I'm searching Bonavier and I didn't get a blondie but I did get someone who fits another person from the lobby in terms of height and possible weight. He's got a criminal history and oh-" Ron's eyebrows rose, "-His name is Gorton Bonavier- he's Matthew's cousin. This is odd, though. Get this- he's a known criminal in the Wizarding world for four years straight but then suddenly he's off the charts for the next two years in the Wizarding world."
"And", E.J continued, looking at his screen, "He shifted to Muggle crimes after that for those two years." He looked up at the others. "Why would someone whose a criminal in the Wizarding world suddenly swap over to the muggle world?"
"That's really very odd." Pansy shook her head, confused. "Which one are you assuming he is?" Ron pointed at a man standing near the lady in black to the right side of the Lobby.
"That's him. He's barely moved since they entered." Ron said. "We have half a minute till whoever it is comes out with Fred. What are we going to do?"
"Do we have any leads on the fourth guy?" Harry asked. E.J and Ron both shook their heads. He thought for a second and then said, "Ive got an idea. But it's risky."
"We don't have a choice", Pansy shook her head. "Tell us."
Hermione saw a pattern being reflected on to the pillar and she breathed out in relief. Hopefully it would help Harry in some way or the other.
"What was that with the ring and the light?" Draco asked.
"Morse code- muggle technique to communicate. They understood what I sent them." She responded.
"Do you think they'll get the vehicle?" Draco murmured as Hermione played with the ring. She shook her head.
"The kid's going to die." Draco hissed, "Are they mad?"
"They're doing their job", Hermione replied. "They've got something planned. They have to have."
"You got a boyfriend?" He asked, casually. Hermione sent him a puzzled look but shook her head.
"Girlfriend?" He asked, smirking. She smiled.
"You wish." She replied. Her expression grew serious. "And if we don't get out of here, I never will."
"Get a girlfriend?" Draco raised an eyebrow.
"No, you idiot", Hermione said. "A boyfriend. Ill never get married. Never have kids."
"Aren't Gryffindors supposed to be optimistic?" He asked, trying to take his ring back but she didn't let him.
"They're realistic. But that doesn't mean they don't have hope. They're realistic and hopeful." She shrugged. "Do you have a girlfriend?"
"Sure, several." He said, smirking again. She rolled her eyes.
"Hey, I told you to stop talking", The lady in black said, pointing her wand at the two. The looked down at their laps.
Several minutes of silence ensued. When it was time for sending Fred out, Ginny hugged him close and kissed him on the cheek, hoping that Harry knew what he was doing. A man standing on the left of the lobby stepped forward and picked Fred up, who promptly began crying.
"No, sssh, it's okay", Ginny said, tears in her eyes. "You're going to mommy and daddy, Fred." The boy sniffed and Ginny bit her lip, the urge to cry overcoming her. Blaise took her hand and held it tight.
"He'll be okay." He whispered.
The man stepped through the hostages and exited through the door, Fred in front of him and a wand at the boy's throat. They heard him say, "Hands in the air, all of you and any funny business- the boy dies. Where's the vehicle?" Silence and then suddenly he cried out and they saw flashes of light followed by a green light heading in the direction of the man and Fred.
Do review :D Thank you for reading!