Thank-you to everyone who reviewed chapter 2! You guys rock! Anyways thank-you for all the positive feedback with this story; it is much appraised! I know things maybe unclear at this stage and the story is slow but it will all get clear in the story!
Disclaimer: Own nothing… expect this storyline, Elden, Edward, Cody and few others I may throw into the mix!
"What's happened?" demanded Hermione but George didn't answer, he just ran straight back down the stairs and Hermione followed him. He pushed open the kitchen door and Hermione gasped in shock and horror.
Ginny Weasley was lying unconscious on the kitchen table, covered in blood.
"Oh my-?" said Hermione, "Ginny! What happened?!"
"I can't believe this!" Mrs. Weasley was in a real state, "Fred, call your father and get him home George, get me some hot water! Ron get Harry up into your room and don't let him leave your sight! Hermione helped me with Ginny."
Mrs. Weasley handed Hermione a wet cloth and said, "There's a gash on her forehead, see if you can clean it."
Hermione began to wipe the blood of Ginny's forehead and face, while Mrs. Weasley fussed with her daughter's clothes, "I don't understand it! How could they have got through the protection shields?!"
"Maybe they weren't strong enough today Mum," suggested George coming back into the kitchen with hot water, "Or maybe You-Know-Who knows the counter curses for them."
Mrs. Weasley shook her head, "I just don't understand it. But now they know that Harry is here! Oh what will we do?!"
"Mrs. Weasley calm down," said Hermione, although she was trying hard herself not to start worrying extremely, "We need to get Ginny out of there."
"Yes," said Mrs. Weasley, taking a deep breath, "it's not the time."
The older women pulled out her wand and muttered an incarnation and Ginny rose from the table as if an invisible weight was supporting her underneath. She lay in the air and her red hair feel down vertically from her head. Guiding her, Mrs. Weasley walked up the stairs followed by Hermione and George, who was carrying a tub of hot water.
They reached Ginny's room and Ginny was laid onto the bed and Hermione and George helped Mrs. Weasley clean most of the blood off Ginny. She had a visual red slash across her forehead, but Mrs. Weasley said she should be fine, nothing a few good spells couldn't fix, but she could need a lot of rest. The affect of the curse was strong and she needed to gain back her strength.
After Mrs. Weasley had gone back down with the hot water, Ron, Fred and Harry had entered the room. Ron and Fred went straight to Ginny's side and Hermione had gotten up and moved to stand next to Harry to allow the brothers to have first priority with seeing Ginny.
She noticed how Harry hung back at the door and he was staring at Ginny as if he had never seen her before. The look on his face made Hermione's stomach sink in pity for him. He looked more then guilty.
After a few moments of silence except for the soft and worried voices of the Ron, Fred and George, before Harry said quietly, "they turned up out of nowhere. They hurt her because she got in the way of them; she was trying to protect me from being taken."
"Harry, it wasn't your fault-" said Hermione in a quiet voice. She knew Harry; he'd have the entire world on his shoulders and no matter what she or anyone else would say he'd beat himself up about it and self-consciously take the blame.
"Don't say that," said Harry instantly, still staring at Ginny, "They were after me and Ginny got hurt because of me."
"No she was hurt trying to save you," said Hermione, "There's a difference Harry. It was not your fault; it was Ginny's own choice to protect you."
"But that's the problem," said Harry, "She was hurt protecting me."
Hermione sighed inwardly and knowing full well she would not be able to convince him otherwise she said, "Well Mrs. Weasley says she's going to be okay. I guess that counts for something, don't you think?"
"Yeah, maybe."
"Oh please Harry, don't punish yourself over this! Nobody blames you!" said Hermione, "It's just not fair."
Harry remained silent and Hermione felt the urge to suddenly slap him! Argh she hated it when he was like this! She bit her lip and was just about to ask if he wanted to get some fresh air to clear his head when she noticed Ron standing in front of them.
"How is she?" Harry asked anxiously
"She's live," said Ron, "I just hope mum will be able to help her…"
"She will," said Hermione in a reassuring voice, "your mum said Ginny would be fine."
Ron gave a slow nod and Hermione decided it was perhaps best to speak her suggestion, "Look, how about we go for a walk. We haven't had the chance to catch up on the holidays yet! Ginny will be fine, Fred and George are with her."
"We can't go outside. Mum would make a scene of it if we did or tried to." said Ron, "I wouldn't be surprised if mum has barricaded every door and window."
"Shall we go up to your room then?" asked Hermione and shrugging Ron left with Harry and Hermione in walk with him.
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"So," said Hermione, "Harry did you spend the entire summer here?"
"No," said Harry in an emotionless tone, "I was with the Dursleys for the first two weeks and then I got to come here. It was the longest two weeks of my life!"
Hermione smiled, knowing how Harry felt about his muggle aunt and uncle and their disapproving ways in magic, "I bet it was."
The silence, that had created a habit of surrounding them these last few hours, settled itself again in the atmosphere. Hermione was getting rather anxious and nervous, she understood how Harry and Ron would be upset about Ginny (she was no less then them!) but they just sat their in uncomfortable silence.
"Ron I'm sorry-" Harry suddenly blurted out but Ron cut him off before he could finish, "I heard you two talking before. Hermione's right mate, it wasn't your fault and we're not going to throw you off the top tower of Hogwarts for what happened."
"But-"
"Harry please," said Ron, and it was the first time that Hermione had ever seen Ron like this, left alone simply beg Harry as if Harry's guilt was causing him pain, "just don't blame yourself. As a friend it's all I ask."
Suddenly there was a knock on the door and they all turned as Mrs. Weasley pocked her head around the side of the door, "Arthur and Remus are here, their downstairs waiting for you three."
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Hermione had hardly shut the living room door behind her before Ron had began to bombard his father with questions about what had happened early.
Mr. Weasley held up his hand and said, "Ron we don't know much for at this stage then any of you do."
"We've already old dad what happened," came a voice from Hermione's left and she saw Fred and George were also in the room. She guessed from the missing of her presence that Mrs. Weasley was still upstairs looking after Ginny.
"The real problem now is finding Harry somewhere to stay," said Lupin, "He can no longer stay here. It's too dangerous, for everyone in this house."
"But where else would I go?" asked Harry, "please don't send me back to the Dursleys."
Hermione saw the sides of Lupin's mouth twitched at little upwards that Harry's comment and he said, "No, we were hoping that Hermione would be able to help us out."
Everyone turned to look at Hermione who reacted in shock at the suggestion and said slowly, "What do you mean, help you?"
"Well we need Harry, and mostly likely everyone in this house too, to stay somewhere where Death Eaters and Voldemort's other followers would have a hard time finding them. Somewhere where Death Eaters would not be familiar with and has security. Just for the next week until Hogwarts starts again." said Lupin thoughtfully.
"I-I," said Hermione, "Why would you think I would know anywhere?"
"Well we were hoping some muggle place," said Arthur, taking of his glasses and rubbing his tried eyes, "away from this whole war."
"As in a refugee place?" asked Hermione
Lupin nodded, "That's exactly what I mean."
Hermione thought for a moment. She really couldn't think of anywhere. There wasn't much refuge where she lived. She slowly shook her head, "I really don't know. I'm sorry."
She watched Lupin and Arthur's faces drop in disappointment and Lupin said, "That's alright. It was perhaps too much to ask of a fifteen-year-old."
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That night Hermione could not sleep. She kept twisting and turning, trying to get the bothering thoughts of the day's events out of her head.
Well we need Harry, and mostly likely everyone in this house too, to stay somewhere where Death Eaters and Voldemort's other followers would have a hard time finding them.
There was only one place she could think of. But she highly doubted it would be allowed. Elden would not have it. She knew him; he would always take up a deal where there was some sort of profit for him in it…the only thing she could think of is if she worked extra hard.
No, that wouldn't do!
But Elden's place would be safe (to an extent, of course), away from any Death Eater threats because she highly doubted that any Death Eaters would find their way into his house. Even if they did, they'd be killed before they had even been able to get the chance to think where they were and what they would do next.
But she knew how dangerous it would be if their secrets were discovered. They would be hunted down. She'd be putting the people she considered more family then anyone else in world in extreme danger.
She was torn between the two groups. Harry and the Weasleys would be defiantly protected if they were to stay at Elden's house but if they discovered what was going on…see, that was the key word that was driving Hermione's ticking mind insane; if. There would be a 50 chance nothing at all would be found and it would all be as it was. But what if it didn't go right? What if this, what if that! Argh!
Having enough of her self debating she pushed back the covers of her bed. Glancing over at Ginny in the bed next to her, Hermione knew that the other girl wouldn't be awake. Mrs. Weasley had given Ginny a strong dose of sleeping potion so that the girl would sleep through-out the entire night.
Going to her trunk she pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill and some ink. Going over to the moonlight window she began to write and held the paper in the direction so the moonlight made the black ink shine eerily.
It's me. Look, I have a problem. A very big problem. You remember Harry Potter? He's in trouble and we need a place to stay for just the next week. Please, please, please Elden, its maybe only a few people, not many, they could all fit into the one room. They won't be any trouble, I promise!
Reply ASAP
She blew lightly onto the paper to dry the ink and then carefully folded it and placed it under her pillow. She'd ask Harry to borrow Hedwig tomorrow morning and she'd send it. But first she needed to do something else.
Getting to her feet and pulled off her pajamas and pulled on her old jeans, shirt and jumper. She went to the door and went out into the hallway and began to descend the house stairs. She hoped that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were still awake. She didn't know what time it was, but she guessed it was late.
She saw the kitchen door was closed and a golden light shone form under the door and she gave a sigh of relief when she heard soft voices from the other side of the door. She knocked on the door and the voices instantly stopped.
She heard footsteps and the door slowly opened to reveal Mad-Eye Moody. He looked down at her in surprise and said, "What are you doing up so late, eh Granger?"
"I have to speak to Mr. Weasley or Professor Lupin," said Hermione, in the most confident voice she could manage.
"You don't have to call me Professor anymore Hermione," she saw Lupin's kind face appear next to Mad-Eye's, "Remus would be fine, but come on in, we were all just talking."
She walked into the kitchen and was a little surprised to see it filled with people. Some of them she recognized and some she didn't.
"Hermione!" exclaimed Mrs. Weasley, "Are you alright dear? Is it Ginny?" She half rose from her seat but when Hermione shook her head she sat back down again.
"No, Ginny's perfectly fine," said Hermione, "She's sleeping. It was just, I thought about what you asked me earlier on today about a refuge place."
"And what is that?" asked Lupin politely, smiling at her while sitting down at the table and pulling up a chair for Hermione to sit in.
Sitting down in the chair Lupin offered her, Hermione said, "I think I may know a place."
Chapter 3 done! Sigh! OK, I know it's not that eventful but I have to sort out the whole slow parts before anything else can start. I hope you liked it! Please review!
