Author's Note: So the second chapter is here for those who enjoyed the previous chapter. Here we start to get some action and get into the actual meat of the story. It's not beta'd, so if there are any mistakes I apologize. Suggestions and questions are welcomed if you care to share your opinion.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter

Needful Summons

"In life you need either inspiration or desperation."
– Tony Robbins

Two days had passed since Hermione and her mother had arrived at the City and it was all she had ever hoped it would be. It was so full of life! Hermione had been used to the slow meandering way of life in the country, but here there was so much energy. There was color, art, and people going to and fro on the streets.

The town house had been what she expected, something small with a few bedrooms, and family room, and a dining room. Her father only kept a small staff of three people: a cook, and maid, and then a manservant who also spent time delivering messages. Hermione could understand, this place wasn't nearly so large a place as their manor and it took some getting used to.

On the first day, her mother had arranged for Hermione to have a tour of the City since they had planned to stay for the next couple of months. Her father's manservant, named Otto, had arranged for a carriage and had showed her around.

There were plenty of parks and teahouses, as well as shops; Hermione had already decided she was going to visit several of the bookstores they had come across, but that would have to come later. One of her favorite things Otto had showed her was the palace. She wasn't able to enter on that day, but even just sitting on the street and studying it was amazing. It was full of turrets and towers with winding paths and gardens visible even from behind the gates that kept it cordoned off from the populace.

But the very best thing, in her opinion, was the magician's college. It, like the palace, was closed off from the streets, but to Hermione it held so much more mystery. At her request, they had sat outside the college for some time, just watching people come and go.

She had noted that there was an awful lot of people coming and going, and Otto explained that not everyone was a magician. It was very common for noble born children to have classes there since magicians were usually very well-schooled. However, one could only become a student at the college's invitation and the student did have to pay tuition to go. He also mentioned there were a few lesser children allowed to go on scholarship, but no one really knew how these common children were selected.

On the way back to the town house that evening, Hermione could only wish that she could only be so lucky to go, though she knew it unlikely considering that her mother was not planning on staying here full-time. Hermione knew it was inevitable that they would eventually go home, though now that she'd had a small taste of city-life she was loath to go back to the quaint countryside.

But currently she had no time to be thinking those thoughts. It was the day of her 17th birthday party and she was staring in aghast at the disaster her dress for the ball was. She shot her eyes at her mother in questioning disbelief only to find the woman nodding in satisfaction.

"Mother, do you really expect me to wear this?" Hermione had already decided she would sooner touch a deadly scorpion than she would that ruffled, fluffy monstrosity.

"Well, of course, Hermione dear. I've been told it was the height of fashion; it's lovely."

Wrinkling her nose in distaste, Hermione knew she'd have to do something and fast. While she had nothing against the color, a soft rose, she knew it would wash her out and she'd be completely engulfed in the ruffles. Though she had seen dresses so poufy on other women the other day during her tour, it was not something she'd be willing to wear.

Casting her mind out for strings of nearby thoughts, she found a few women who were still decorating the ballroom for the event this evening. It didn't take much poking and prodding for Hermione for the women to decide they weren't sure about the flower arrangements and needed Lady Granger's guidance.

With her mother out of the room, she got to work. A tweak of one thread changed the color to a deeper carmine, knowing the red would go much better with her coloring. Satisfied with that, she began to play with the shape of the gown, reducing the layers to a much simpler flare below her hips.

Knowing she could make minor adjustments later once the dress was on, she sought her mind out towards her mother, gently blurring her memories of the dress. It was much easier to haze memories and have people convince themselves that their old memories were wrong rather than create new ones herself. People tended to see what they expected to see, so if her mother saw the new dress but couldn't quite remember what the old one looked like, well then it must have always been like that!

When the woman returned, muttering under her breath about useless servants, she could only stare in confusion at the dress before shaking it off. She must have been imagining things. Hermione could only smile inwardly as she was commanded by her mother to begin getting ready, beckoning in a maid to help her.

Once the dress was on, Hermione could only look with satisfaction. The sleeves were off the shoulder with a tight cinch at the waist. It clung to her figure until just below her hips where the fabric flared out to the floor, full of layers of red gauze inter-spaced with gold which flashed as she walked. The back of the gown was open with a golden chain connecting it together.

Her wild curls were left alone to tumble down her back, instead of the usual severe updo. A delicate golden chain was placed on the forehead, holding her hair back from her face, with the ends allowed the trail down her back and intermingle with her curls. A little carmine was added to her lips to echo her dress and that was all. Hermione never truly wore much make-up, not even for a ball such as this.

With one last look in the mirror, Hermione decided she was ready and swept out of the room, knowing the ball would begin very soon.

Peeking out from the dividing curtain, Hermione was amazed at the amount of people who had decided to show up. Of course, it was being hosted by the king, so most of the noble families who had taken up residence in the City would be coming, but honestly Hermione hadn't realized there were so many of them.

Bored, and knowing it would be a while yet before she was introduced, she decided to take a stroll around the nearby garden. No one should be here right now since the ball was currently going on, so she should be safe enough.

It was dark, the sun having fallen beyond the horizon an hour ago, but the moon was full, accented by the few lanterns that dotted the paths here and there. For the first ten minutes, she greatly enjoyed herself. The flowers were beautiful and their smell was heady in the late summer air that had just the barest hint of the bite of autumn which would soon arrive. All too soon, however, an unsettled feeling began to fall over her.

Frowning, she opened her mind and cast around for someone else here in the garden with her. Unexpectedly, she reached what felt to her a physical wall. This had never happened before and it scared her.

Very quickly she began making her way back inside, but found herself disoriented. Stopping, she closed her eyes and thought. Normally she never lost her way, her internal magic keeping that from happening. But something seemed to be blocking it, and no one else could do that except for someone else with magic, but magicians couldn't do that. So what was it? Could there be a sorcerer here? But if there was, why would he or she be after her?

So lost in her thoughts was she that she almost screamed in surprise when a dark figure stepped into the circle of lantern light she had stopped in. Hermione took a step back to put distance between the two of them and glared at the man.

"Just who do you think you are, coming here and scaring me like that?" she asked, trying to play dumb while she tried to come up with some idea on how to get herself out of the situation she was now in.

The man just chuckled darkly, blue eyes lighting with cruel mirth. "I think you know well enough. We know what you did at the outpost. You have made us most curious," he murmured, raking a hand through his blond hair. "But if you know, my name is Thorfinn Rowle." He gave Hermione a mocking bow before straightening.

"Lord Rowle, while it is very nice to meet you, I simply have no idea of what you speak. My mother is surely missing me and I must go."

She tried to dart around the man, but suddenly found herself unable to move, as if the very air would not release her from its hold. Casting horrified eyes at Thorfinn, Hermione tried to struggle but found no give in whatever was holding her.

The large and muscled man only laughed at her, shaking his head. "You really don't have any defense against magic, do you? This will be easier than I thought; we really expected some resistance."

As the man gloated over her, Hermione was only getting more and more desperate. Her mental probes were not working on this man, something was blocking her. She also could not transport herself back inside, the same wall she had run into before still up.

That last straw was when Thorfinn walked up to her and touched her face. Hermione could feel her magic well up all of a sudden in response to her fear and desperation and something outside seemed to ping in response. Thorfinn must have felt it too because he yanked his hand back and glanced around, eyes furrowed.

"That felt like a summoning…" he muttered.

That was the last thing he ever said, for howling out of the dark appeared a large and fearsome black dog that lunged at the surprised man. Its large bulk was enough to knock Thorfinn down and keep him pinned before it casually ripped his throat out. He never had a chance to react.

At Thorfinn's sudden death, the magic holding Hermione was released, causing her to stumble back from the large animal. She knew she was ashen white at the sight and wondered if she would be next. But to her surprise, she felt a tentative mental touch from the animal. Hesitantly, she opened her mind to it and suddenly relaxed at the feelings of love and devotion from the animal.

With a sob, she fell upon the dog, shaking from the adrenalin coursing through her system. She'd come very close to being kidnapped by this strange magician and it worried her. From what this Thorfinn had said, there were more of them. And now she had the dead body of a lord on her hands. What was she supposed to do now?

Already weary and ready for the night to be over, she stood and straightened herself to look presentable before looking at the large dog and the rapidly cooling body. Before she could so much as start to head towards the palace and the guards waiting inside, a drawling voice emerged from the darkness, prompting a growl from Hermione's new canine friend.

"Just what do we have here? Seems like someone had gotten into a spot of trouble."