A/N: Hi, I am back with another chapter. This chapter would serve as a general introducton to the world and main characters of the stories. I thought I would update this one early, since the previous chapter was so short since it was a prologue.
I have worked out the plots and storylines for the next few chapters, so, hopefully I would be able to update this story once a week. the latest on Saturday or Sunday.
To 'Guest' thanks for reading and reviewing. For the purpose of this story, Hermione born as a muggle. But there are hints in this chapters, that will divulge whether she had magical abilities or not.
I am still in need of a beta-readers or two for help. so please PM me if you are interested.
A week earlier
"Ughh…If I had to clean Mistress Pansy's bathroom again, I am going to kill myself." Penelope Clearwater groused, as they walked to work, huddled together through the frozen street. The winter is coming early this year. With less time to prepare, this meant less food, clothing and wood for warmth available for the muggles. Which explained the general disgruntlement and discontentment in the air in the Muggle quarter, a crowded and highly ramshackled part of town where all the muggles are forced live.
Well, more discontentment and disgruntlement.
Ever since Grindelwald had managed to 'unite'- or more appropriately conquer, thought Hermione viciously- the muggle and magical world of bulk of Europe and northern America 37 years ago, most muggles are forced to serve the wizarding community in some form or the other. Bulk of them were mainly relegated to back-breaking hard manual labour usually in food production and farming. But, if you are lucky- or unlucky, according to Penelope numerous times- you are assigned to serve the Magical community directly, mostly the elite and wealthy Purebloods. Though the work is slightly less labour intensive, it is infinitely more humiliating and degrading. Some –like Penelope- are in opinion that working the land is better than attending to whims and needs of the Purebloods. As Penelope always said, at least a turnip won't hex you when you brought them the wrong sparkly mustard colour dress.
"If, I can get away with it I would shove the toilet brush to her face if she tell me with that nasally voice of hers, 'it's not clean enough Penelope. Clean it again.'" Mimic Penelope, as she vented her frustration to Hermione.
Hermione just grinned in response. Having worked together with Penelope in the Parkinson's family household for five years before she was moved to McGonagall's household, she could understand Penelope's frustration. Mistress Pansy Parkinson is one of the most spoiled and dementedly demanding mistress she ever worked under. Her mouth and wand are always ready with an insult and a hex.
Thankfully, the older McgGonagall's household is far more sedate and kinder to their servants.
"Everytime I saw her pug-face, I almost regret not accepting the McGonagall offer." Complained Penelope.
As the second most senior maid at the Parkinson's household, Penelope has the first dibs of any new offer of transfer. But, she had declined the McGonagall's offer, thus it went Hermione, whom was below Penelope in seniority.
Hermione brows furrowed in worry, "You don't regret it do you? I'm sure the McGonagall would be glad to have you instead."
"No, no, I am just venting, I want you to go to the McGonagall," Penelope turned to her, for once looked very serious and took her hand is assurance, "Mistress Pansy is horrible to me and everyone, but she is down right abusive with you, it was the right decision to make, I don't regret it at all."
Hermione never thought she could love Penelope more. Even though Penelope is few years older than her, they had close since they were children. They practically grew up together, with their parents frequently leaving both of them in the care of Hermione' s grandmother when they were small. As it were, they were the only family they both had left in this world. Hermione would do anything for Penelope and knew in her heart she would do the same.
"Beside, I got my revenge on mistress Pansy," She said with that conspiratorial look on her face, " I've been steadily taking an inch on the side off all of her dresses and robes, so she's been losing her mind over the thought of gaining weight."
"She's been fasting the last few days, so it had been bliss," continued Penelope as they almost approach the gate separating the poor Muggle quarters and the Wizarding world, " no more running up and down the stairs for her stupid not too-hot or too cold tea, and the housekeeper had been giving us her portion of the food, so it is a win-win."
They both laugh at the thought, when Hermione saw a bright light popped out in the sky.
The green skull and snake symbol of the Death Eater.
"Hush Penelope… Death Eaters." Suddenly there were swarm of dark clothed men appeared in front of them at a thunderous cracks.
Unlike most of the professional wizards that Hermione had ever encountered, who preferred to wear either robes or robes with traditional suits with array of colours, the Death eaters are more austerely dressed.
They were clad in black fitted utilitarian suit with black combat boots more reminiscent of muggle military uniform rather than a traditional wizarding suit.
Her grandmother told her how the Death Eater in full regalia reminded her of the Stasi. The secret police of East Germany after the Second World War.
And they might as well be the magical successor of the organization. They had effectively struck fear and repressed any notion of oppositions amongst the muggle populations and their sympathisers. They ruthlessly execute or punish any dissenters along with their family and sympathisers, regardless of their magical status. Hermione couldn't count how many times she was woken up late at night, hearing screams from her neighbours being taken in by the Death Eaters for 'interrogations' and to never be seen again. Or how many public executions she had witnessed of a whole muggle family- including the infants- and sometimes with an odd blood-traitors or two from a mere rumours of dissent and oppositions with no hard evidence. They had so violently and effectively oppress the people, that they managed to turn friends and neighbours againsts each other to save their own skin.
It was their duty to upheld Grindelwald's belief that muggles are design to serve the wizarding-kind, and no other agencies before them had ever been as effective as the Death Eaters.
It didn't help that their leader and creator, Tom Marvolo Riddle also known as Voldemort, is a powerful Legilimens. One of the only handful known Legilimens in world, he was highly feared. It was rumoured that he could read and influence your mind as well as fly without the use of a wand or a spell. Some even said that he could talk to snakes! Snakes! For what purpose and how that little tidbit come about, she will never know. With all the stories floating around about Voldemort, it was hard to separate the truth from fiction. Especially when he was rarely seen by the muggle public, unless he was hunting someone.
While, Hermione generally did not believe every outlandish stories about Lord Voldemort' powers and abilities, she still believe that he is as every bit as dangerous and evil as the rumour mill had said. You did not get hand-picked by Grindelwald himself to be his mentee when you were only sixteen if you didn't have the same or even more capacity for darkness. If she ever sees him, she'll probably run the opposite direction.
As it was, she could barely hold herself from full on sprinting away from the street filled with Death Eaters. There were so many of them. A lot more than there usually are for regular random check. Something must have happened.
"What's going on?" she whispered to Penelope, she usually know everything.
"It seems like there were runners last night. One whole family just packed up and leave." Answered Penelope in her own hushed tone, "It seems like it had caught the Death Eaters by surprise, so now they are checking everyone for alibis, I heard even 'You-Know-Who' is here."
'Good.' She thought rebelliously, 'Hope, they get away.'
Suddenly out of nowhere, a tall blonde Death Eater grabbed her by the arm, dragging her away from strickened Penelope.
"I don't know anything." She wrestled against the bruising tight grip he had on her arm. She might be at a disadvantage but will not go down without a fight. However, he was too strong, that her physical protest didn't even break his stride.
She continued to struggled all the way only to stop cold when a heavily guarded tent came into view. This could only meant one thing.
Interview.
Muggle worse nightmare.
The possibility of an interview had her blood turned into ice. Frozen in fear, the Death Eater had to carry her the rest of the way into the empty tent.
Deposited none too gently onto one of the seat in front of large mahogany desk. Inside was sight to be hold. Despite, looking no bigger than broom closet from the outside, it was disproportionately bigger on the inside, easily three times as big as the apartment she shared with Penelope. It was a full office complete with a mini library brimming with books on wide and varied subjects. The sights of the books made her for made her moemntarily forgot her fears. She looked at the library with pure longing. It had been so long since she had read a book. She had to sell her family's small collections when both of her parents were both struck down by consumptions. Not that it matters in the end.
Hermione shook her head. She cannot afford to get distracted or panic at a time like this. She needs to focus and calm down fast. These people will pounce on any perceive indications of guilt however slight. It won't do for her to sit there shaking like a leaf while they interrogate her. She squeezed her bruised arm hard, allowing the pain to course through her. She focused on the sharp throbbing pain and allowed it to clear her mind completely.
It worked. Her breathing slowed down and her heart stopped racing. Just in time to be greeted by a dark haired man, in normal wizarding robe, who just entered the tent.
" Miss Hermione Granger, I presume?"
She barely managed to nod her answer. He was the most gorgeous man she had ever seen. It had literally stunned her into silence. He has a jet black wavy hair contrast perfectly with his pale skin and classically beautiful features. He reminded her of old- school Hollywood actors her grandmother always told her about. However, she couldn't help but feel unease growing at the pit of her stomach. It was his eyes. Although beautiful, they were also cold and hard. Make no mistake this man is as dangerous as any Death Eaters.
Her eyes followed him as he walked around her towards the desk-presumably his desk and sat in front of her. Even though a huge table separating them, with an exit directly behind her, she couldn't help but feel overwhelmingly trapped by the intensity of his gaze.
"Where were you last night at 11 pm?" His tone was soft but still display authority from his deep voice and commanding presence. She had to physically restrain herself –by holding onto the chair handle- from shivering at the sound of his voice. In a weird mix of pleasure and fear.
"I was at home, asleep." She kept her head down and her tone submissive. Her experienced dealing with Purebloods had taught her that most of them extremely dislike eye-contacts from Muggles and considered it as a sign of disrespect worthy of few rounds of hexes and even curses.
She expected him to continue to pepper her with question, but instead he was quiet. He studied her intently without saying anything as if trying to gauge whether she was lying or not. The silence in the tent was deafening.
"I heard that you were friends with the Creeveys."
Before Hermione could even answer he continued, "and don't bother lying, I know you had repeatedly took care of their children before."
"What I want to know is if you have any prior knowledge of their disappearance?" he asked silkily.
"No." she answered truthfully. She never expected the mild-mannered Mr. Creevey had the courage or insanity to risk everything to escape the regime.
For some reason beyond her comprehension, her answer had infuriated him. His face and body gave away nothing, but she swore his eyes literally flashed red in anger. The room vibrated in tensions.
"Look at me in the eyes," his softly demanded but it sounded menacing to her ears, for the first time since she entered the tent that she was in fear for her life, "tell me the truth."
She gathered her courage, squared her shoulder and looked at him directly in his eyes, praying her voice won't shake, "I swear I didn't know, I Haven't seen them years."
She could feel the back of head tingle as he continued to stared at her intensely. It was as if he was trying to see through her soul.
He frowned. She guess whatever answer he gets from her body language was not what he had expected.
His face then return back into the blank mask he had on earlier. He went on to ask few more basic questions before dismissing her. No more demand to look at him in the eyes and no more threatening tensions. The change was so bizarre and drastic, she felt disorientated the whole time.
She still felt the after effects as she staggered towards Penelope who still waiting for her.
She pulled Hermione into a suffocating bear-hug, " Oh, my god! I thought I lost you forever."
"I am fine Penelope, really, they were just asking me questions." She tried to ease Penelope's while trying unsuccessfully to extricate herself form the hug.
"Fine, sure..You had been interrogated by the big bad himself, but you are fine. Sure" Penelope said, touched hysterically, as her hands flailed around in emphasis.
Her eyebrows burrowed in confusions, "I don't understand."
"That man who questioned you," Penelope pointed towards the dark haired man as he exited the tent, her voice lowered down to a whisper " is Tom Riddle, Lord Voldemort."
A/N: Dun dun dun... :D. I wanted a more menacing feeling to be conveyed at the questioning part, but I am a bit unsure whether it is successful or not. And I feel the endings are a bit rushed. This is why I need a beta. Please tell me what you think. I might go over the chapters again in the future.
Please read and review!