A/N: I'm spoiling you guys. Ah the joys of being bed ridden with adult chicken pox! Last chapter of the day I think. I don't own HP sadly. Not too happy with it as it felt a little rushed. Please review, tell me your thoughts and theories. What you like and dislike. It means a lot to me as a writer to get feedback on my creations.
Much love,
Logic x
At Grimmauld place an all out state of emergency had been declared. The Weasleys had come running at Harry's horrifying scream, they found the young man collapsed in the centre of the library, his whole body heaving as he cried hysterically. Ginny and Ron ran to comfort him not sure what else to do. Ron patted his back awkwardly as Ginny hugged him, tears welling up in her hazel eyes.
"Gone... Disappeared!" Sobbed Harry as he lent against Ginny for support. She wasn't jealous of Hermione, she knew that Harry saw her as a sister, he was closer to her then Ron in many ways but there was nothing going on between them.
"Shh. Harry we will find her. It's going to be alright." Ginny wasn't sure if she believed herself but it seemed to reassure Harry momentarily.
Molly tore about the messed up library, looking for any sign of Hermione amongst the now damaged books. All she had found was the key to the library sitting in a scorched patch of carpet. She started to sob as well, Fred and George rushed to her side, rubbing her back silently. After a few moments Molly had composed herself slightly. Raising her wand she sent out to patronous', one for Dumbledore and one for Arthur. Harry watched the silvery otters bound across the now trashed room and through the closed window.
Something on the desk caught Harry's eye. Unsteadily he stood and sauntered over to it, on top of the desk was an envelope bearing Hermione's delicate and concise cursive 'To whom it may concern.'
Harry tore open the letter. His hands trembling and began to read aloud to the room of shocked Weasleys.
'To whom it may concern,
I'm assuming you have this letter because I am gone. While I do not know how, where or when I am going I feel that I will have to leave soon. I have been looking for away to bring Sirius back for the past few months, if you are reading this then I have found that way hopefully. Do not fear as I am prepared for what may happen. In my moleskin purse is one thousand, six hundred pounds and eighty four pence, my life savings. I also have tins of beans and such, Harry's invisibility cloak, (sorry Harry!) my wand and spare clothes. I also have a copy of this letter. If I have not returned in three months then please inform the Department of Mysteries, the Order of the Phoenix and my parents as I may have found a way to travel through the veil and am possibly stuck or am otherwise out of reach. Give my love to Harry, the Weasleys and my parents. But most importantly do not follow me where ever I am. I had to do this, not just for Harry or Sirius but for myself as well. I don't expect you to understand. Just let me go, I have to do this. I'm sorry.
Regards,
Hermione Granger'
Harry cleared his throat and looked around the room everyone stared at the parchment in his hand in a stunned silence. What had Hermione done? Was she really so foolish to attempt to go through the veil. What would happen to her, was she okay or had she gone like Sirius in to the great unknown...
Hermione slowly glanced around she was still in the Black family library she noticed as her vision returned. it was dark outside, the half moon shone through the surprisingly grime free window. She sat up slowly her body shaking, every where hurt and it felt although her head was splitting in half. She heard a noise that sounded unmistakably like the Black family matriarch Walburga but that was impossible as Walburga had been dead for years now.
Hermione tried to quietly stand and find a place to hide just in case. Luck was not on her side however as instantly she stumbled in to the nearest book shelf knocking several large tomes to the ground with a loud clatter. Her energy was waning, desperately she reached in to her mole skin purse and pulled out Harry's cloak, she threw it over her self and crawled away from the fallen books as footsteps approached the library.
Hermione had to shove her hand to her mouth to keep from crying out in shock as she saw what was obviously a very young Regulus Black standing in the entry, he looked so much like Sirius in the photos her and Harry had seen at Grimmauld place. There were a few slight differences though; Regulus's eyes were a murky green where Sirius' were a steely grey, Regulus' also had higher cheekbones and a very aristocratic look in the way he held himself, with a bored look in his eyes he swaggered in to the library.
"You can come out now." He whispered his voice held an uncertainty his appearance did not give away.
Hermione lay deathly still trying not to make a single o
Sound that would give her away.
"Show yourself. The wards were activated, I know someone is in here, Siri is it you?" Regulus had more confidence this time. "Mother will go mental if she finds you." He waited for a sign of life, after a few moments he sighed as he turned to leave. Hermione let out a breath she hasn't realised she was holding and allowed the shock of seeing the long dead younger Black boy. He must have been sixteen or so, not much older than her. But that was impossible. He couldn't be alive could he?
'Shit, i have to get out of here. now' Hermione groaned inwardly. What had she gotten herself in to. All she wanted was to see Sirius again and bring him home, to help Harry, to save the withdrawn lost boy, give him back his happiness and if she got to feel the older man even just once more. Well that was just a perk.
Hermione tried to stand once more carefully removing the cloak. Her magic felt drained almost completely. She needed a get away, but how she thought desperately. Suddenly she realised Sirius's room was the next door over if Reg was sixteen-ish then Sirius should have already moved out, bracing herself she tip toed towards the door and out in to the hallway. Resisting the urge to sprint in to Sirius' old bedroom she crept up to the stiff, dark wood door. She turned the handle quietly as possible and disappeared in to the comfort of Sirius' room. It looked exactaly as she remembered only less dusty and neglected. The faded posters she remembered seemed to gleem in the darkened room. If memory served her correctly Sirius had a stash of potions hidden in the bottom drawer or his bedside table, he claimed it was a habit he had started in his fifth year at Hogwarts. She reached in to the door which was slightly ajar and rummaged as quickly as possible for a pepper-up potion. She didn't know what was going on but she couldn't stay in house with Walburga Black the famous muggle born hater. Finding a phial that seemed promising she stared at it trying to make out the label.
Realising it was in didn't what she needed she tipped it back, grimacing at the aftertaste. Letting it work for a few minutes she pondered her next move where should she go, where could she go? It wasn't like she could just walk in to Hogwarts and expect the headmaster to take her word that she was possibly from the future. Diagon Alley popped in to her head, more specifically The Leaky Cauldron. Currently she couldn't see away out of the house though. She had read in truly desperate situations it was possible to apperate past lower level wards. But she couldn't apperate, she had read the theory but had never tried. She didn't have much choice though. Walburga would discover her soon. Hermione shuddered at the thought of what that evil woman would do if she caught a muggle born on her property. Taking a deep breath Hermione readied herself focusing on her intended destination and she gathered her magic from her core fixating on getting to Diagon Alley. The last thing she saw was the shadowed figure of Regulus Black staring at her as she disapperated...
