How To Disappear Completely by KerryMuggle
Rated: R
E-Mail: KerryMuggle2004hotmail.com
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. I am but a poor student. Ms. Rowling is the supreme goddess over this world and it's characters.
Feedback: Please, but break me gently if you must.
Authors Note/Warning: I became a Potter fanatic last summer and I beg the forgiveness of those who may find mistakes with characters/creatures/spells and whatnot. This is my first shot at something like this and I don't have a beta. I've had this idea for quiet sometime now and because of time constraints, couldn't focus on it, until now. Also to note, I am heavily inspired by music when writing/getting ideas, therefore, these chapters are going to be named after the particular song that inspired them. I will list the song with every chapter and recommend the reader listening to it, if possible, in order to get a better feeling for what is going on.
Persephone (the gathering of flowers) by Dead Can Dance from the album "Within The Realm Of A Dying Sun"
Chapter 1: Persephone (the gathering of flowers)
The war had been over for months. While Voldemort was no longer a name to be feared, some still felt a false sense of security in going about their daily lives because it was a constraint they were forced to accommodate to for years. There were the occasional rumors that Voldemort had hidden some rogue Death Eaters in America who remained and were concocting revenge plots against those who fought on the other side, but many of the rumors were just that - rumors.
Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft was the scene of the final battle and while it was never truly known by some how Voldemort was finally destroyed, he left in his path more than just death and destruction. It could easily be said that many ghosts found their new haunting ground that night. The blood that soaked into the ground had somehow not tainted the land and while there were many periods of mourning for those lost, the school eventually built itself back up again. There was no other choice.
Most, if not all, of the Death Eaters were either killed or were captured and serving their sentences in Azkaban awaiting the Dementor's Kiss. The Kiss was considered a luxury compared to the ravaging the Death Eaters performed during the attack. While there were many students who were able to hide and eventually escape, a good population were killed during the waves of confusion and defending of Hogwarts.
A few portkeys were placed around the castle, but Dumbledore would be the first to admit that no one was truly prepared for the attack. In those moments, those who played both sides of the field realized that they had been made. There were whispers of an attack that would take place over the summer, but no real solid evidence to back it up. It was almost foolish to take stock in it because Voldemort was always someone who liked a big audience to witness his debauchery and eventually become his victims.
There were some who were lost for years to Voldemort's false promises and could not be saved (Percy Weasley being one of them). Then there were those who seemed to just be a lost cause, but would, in the most crucial moment, pledge their true allegiances and shift the direction of the fight. Double agents. Curses. Dark Marks. Broken bones. Broken spirits. All of those things were too hard to let go of, but the realization dawned that people had to move on. If one clings onto the past, a part of them dies a little each day.
"I'm almost ready Dad!" Hermione shouted from her room. She had only been home for a few days and her parents decided to make the most of their daughter's time home by spending as much time as they could together.
When she returned home, after spending most of her summer at The Burrow with the remaining Weasley's and Harry, Hermione was surprised to see that her parents had purchased tickets to see the musical "Cabaret." She was looking forward to a night out with her family - for a good while she didn't think she would see them again with the war.
It was upon Dumbledore's advice that she avoid contacting them for fear that Death Eaters would kill them for the sheer reason that she was close to Harry Potter. To add onto the blow was the fact that she was one of the most powerful witches to graduate from Hogwarts School. For months, the Granger's were shuffled from so many different locations, according to them, they lost track after Seattle, Washington. Finally, after months of nomadic adventures, the Granger's settled back into their own home. It hurt Hermione to know that they wouldn't be able to see her graduate, but at the same time, relief flooded over her at the thought of how Voldemort decided the graduation ceremony was the perfect time to attack. He didn't want the school grounds to be empty - he wanted everyone to bask in what he believed to be his ultimate glory through bloodshed and death.
As Hermione put the finishing touches on her outfit, Martha, her mother, walked to her daughters room and started at her daughter in the mirror.
"You know, we only have you for two weeks before you go off to, 'auror training'? Please, indulge us this time." Martha said smiling as she walked up to Hermione in a long black gown and began combing her fingers through her daughters long locks.
"Mum! You and Dad are acting like I'm never going to come and visit you guys. It won't be Hogwarts! I'll practically be around the corner compared to that." Hermione gave a comforting look to her mother in the mirror.
Hermione had graduated from Hogwarts with the highest honors one could bestow upon a student. She had decided that she wanted to pursue further studies ultimately in Potions and Arithmancy for the sheer fact that the two subjects fascinated her, but found that she first wanted to begin auror training alongside Harry. She thought fondly about her days at Hogwarts. How could such happy memories always be interrupted by sad ones?
While many lives were saved during the war - there were still so many that were sacrificed for the cause. Hermione immediately thought of Ron Weasley. He fought bravely and while she refused to believe that he died in vain, she still had to force herself to push those thoughts into the back of her mind at moments. He jumped in front of her and took the avada kedavra that was meant for her. There were days she felt guilty for surviving, but she would have done the exact same thing for him if the roles would have been reversed. Ron wasn't the only one. George and Authur were also killed. Hermione couldn't think of anything harder than having to attend the funerals of those she grew up with and loved as if they were her own. The look on Fred's face was one of utter confusion with the thought that his one partner in crime no longer was around was an image frozen in her mind. She tried to be strong for everyone else, but as soon an empty room was available, she would break down. She forgot how many times she apologized for what she felt were her mistakes. There were nights when she relived the memory of cradling his lifeless body and lightly running her fingers through his frock of red hair with a glimmer of hope that her tears would revive him somehow. For a month, she dreamed of how she should have stopped him from making the ultimate decision to save her life in return for his.
Along with attending the Weasley funerals, she also was forced to say goodbye to Lavender Brown, Colin Creevy, Seamus Finnegan, Professors Flitwick, Sprout, and Hagrid. She was afraid that Neville Longbottom would join that dreadful club, but he pulled a slow recovery at St. Mungo's along with Harry who appeared to be in a coma for four days. He woke up with no recollection of how he killed Voldemort along with the knowledge that the scar on his forehead was no longer there. Surprisingly, Hermione had escaped with a few minor injuries and scratches. She didn't have the battle scars that others did, but knew too well the stories that went along with them.
"I just want you to know that I'm proud of you."
Hermione's mother's words shook her out of her reverie as she looked back at her mother in the mirror. "Thanks mum."
"You know, this dress is absolutely lovely on you, but it's missing something" she said as she backed away from the mirror looked her daughter up and down.
"It's rare enough that I get to wear something besides those dreadful robes and uniforms at school, please don't tell me this isn't classy enough to wear." Hermione said as she turned around in her white linen dress that fell just below her knees. She still hadn't decided on what shoes to wear, but was more focused on trying to decide what to do with her hair. It wasn't as bushy as it used to be, but it still had a mind of its own sometimes.
Hermione reached for a hair clip and decided to just wear it up for the night. As she was finishing up on her hair, her mother walked back into the room. She stood directly behind her daughter and held out a beautiful necklace that made Hermione gasp when she saw it.
"Mum, it's beautiful!"
It was a sapphire cut into the shape of a tear. It wasn't something that screamed for attention, but it was more of a subtle piece that Hermione thought made a graceful statement. As her mother clasped the necklace around her daughter's neck, she continued with their conversation.
"I figured it would go perfectly with this dress. I was planning on giving it to you before your training, but this dress just begs for the necklace. You're birth stone is the sapphire and I always loved this shape and color. Diamonds are very overrated my dear." she said as she turned her daughter to face her and kissed her forehead as she heard her daughter thank her for the gift.
"Ladies! I don't know about you, but I would really like to see the first act!" Simon Granger shouted downstairs.
"Let's say we go before your father leaves us. I'll see you downstairs, I need to go put on my earrings." she said as she walked out of the room.
Hermione grabbed her dress bag and grabbed a pair of flat dressy sandals out of her closet. She turned off her light and preceded to walk downstairs.
"Now dad, we are ahead of schedule if memory serves me correct and I think..."
BAM!
All of a sudden, all Hermione could see was smoke and a green light that she was too familiar with. "DAD!" Hermione shouted out as she descended the stairs and nearly froze as she saw one, two,
three, four Death Eaters walk into her house. It was all happening in slow motion as she saw her father, still in shock at the sudden invasion, freeze in place and then fall to the ground as an avada kedavra was cast on him in the matter of a heartbeat.
As she saw his descent, Hermione turned to face the Death Eaters who were laughing with sheer pleasure of how easy their task was without realizing that their main target was staring right at them. When she finally came to her senses a moment later, she ran upstairs screaming for her mother to hide as she ran into her room and searched frantically for her wand which she hadn't touched since she returned home. She finally realized that it was in her dresser drawer right next to her old prefect badge when her mother came running into her room.
"Hermione, what's going on!!!!" Martha screamed with panic in her voice, only one earring was in place.
"Death Eaters!! They've found us - I need you to hide. Please!!!!" Hermione pleaded.
"Where's your father?"
"He's...he's.....dead" Hermione said as tears began to run down her face, trying to catch her breath. "Please, mum, I need you to hide. If they find you!" she said as she heard them approaching up the stairs.
"Hermione!" she shouted as her daughter tightened her grip on her wand, prepared for whatever or whomever would cross her threshold.
It was too late. The Death Eaters were now poised and ready to invade her room. Hermione's mother, too shocked and scared for words froze as Hermione immediately started the attack. It was clear she didn't have any idea of what her daughter had to face only recently and now as it dawned on her, she was completely mortified.
"ACCIO WAND!" Hermione shouted as the first Death Eater's want flew out of it's hands and came into her reach. As she reached for it, the Death Eater's took the small distraction as their cue to attack. Before Hermione knew it, she was casting stupifies to buy time, but the Death Eaters were too powerful. She had never faced Death Eaters before on her own and the fear that came with realizing that she had to take them on, on her own, made her scream the first curses that came to her mind.
"INCENDIO!!" Hermione shouted as the third Death Eater's robes caught ablaze slightly at the bottom. As the fourth Death Eater approached her mother and grabbed Martha by the hair Hermione lunged at it and threw herself with all of her might hoping to cast an impedimenta and to prevent what seemed like the inevitable, but she was too late as her mother fell into the throes of a crucio.
Hermione's mothers screams of torture threw her off balance as the first Death Eater grabbed her from behind. Kicking and screaming with all of her might, Hermione dropped her wand and tried to concentrate on getting it back, but her primal instincts were screaming for her own self preservation. She ended up punching the Death Eater in the face with her elbow and was rewarded with a punch from the second one. Somehow, it dawned on her that they wanted her alive as she tasted the tinge of her own blood from her busted lip.
As her mother was loosened temporarily from the crucio, Hermione saw one of the Death Eaters descend upon her and looked as if it were planning a personal violation. Hermione regained her balance and dove for her wand on the floor. As soon as she caught it, she was intending to cast an unforgivable directly at the Death Eaters face.
"YOU WILL NOT LAY A BLOODY HAND ON HER!" Hermione screamed, but it was too late. Before she could stop it, the Death Eater spoke, "this is getting boring" and cast the avada kedavra. Hermione could only scream at her mothers lifeless body - somehow wishing screams could bring someone back to life. The image of Ron's body flashed before her eyes with the realization that she was having to relive that day all over again.
Once again everything seemed to fall into slow motion as she looked around and saw the Death Eaters laugh their spineless laughs. The third one was ranting about how his robes were just about ruined while one dug into her dresser drawer, which she left open, and pulled something out. The doorway wasn't blocked. That was her chance and she took it - getting up and running as fast as she could down the hallway. Before she could think, the remaining Death Eaters were behind her, taunting her by taking slow paces.
"Where are you going mudblood?"
"We don't want to hurt you -- just kill you......all in given time!" one said with cold stoicism.
Hermione couldn't see anything as she ran, but her clumsiness caught up with her and she tripped on the stairs and ended up falling all the way down the staircase. The voice in her that screamed for her to survive forced her to get up, but she couldn't. She felt as if the weight of the world was on her and all the strength she had to get back on her two feet had quickly disappeared. Hermione ended up dragging herself towards the front door which was now a huge hole in the wall, tears flowing down her face, hair no longer neat and pinned up, even as she heard the Death Eaters approaching her with heartless laughs that could freeze fire.
She didn't turn to see how close they were but only screamed with the anguish of seeing her fathers body and the pain that filled every cell in her body. She reached her intended destination, but stopped as she saw a black boot place itself in front of her face. Her breath ragged, her mascara mingled with tears, she turned around and faced her tormentors, as her body declared defeat. Before she passed out, she distinctly heard...
"Can we keep her?"