The next chapter, as promised.
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Hermione runs a hand through her messy hair, tangling it even more. Between the interrogations and failed attempts at finding the correct spell to recover the families, she hasn't slept in several days and there are dark circles under her eyes. Harry and Ron give up trying to get her to sleep after the second day when she nearly bites their heads off. They stay away from the table covered with all of her work, their survivalist instincts telling them this was their safest bet.
Their last effort had fallen through. It had been too difficult to alter the spells, to try and combine so many spells into one. It hadn't yielded any good outcomes either, mostly resulting in a smoking, burning table and, occasionally, charred hair.
She is determined to find the parents as soon as possible. They promised weeks ago that the members of the group would be reunited with their families and so far none of their families had been located.
This could only mean one thing-she wasn't trying hard enough.
The only one who stayed with her was Cho Chang. She was as resolute as Hermione. While her fellow Ravenclaws took breaks to sleep and eat, Cho had to be coerced into departing for meals-she never left to sleep, but both she and Hermione occasionally fell asleep at their work. Neither mentioned it when it happened, they were so united in their feelings about this task.
"We've tried everything." Cho knows that there is always more that they can do, but she needs the reassurance from Hermione that she is still trying.
"There's got to be something we haven't tried yet." Hermione's eyes scan the tabletop, searching for something, anything they haven't tested or revised or already deemed as impossible. She rifles through pages of notes, spell alterations, crossed out ideas and even doodles. She just needs one thing to stand out, one thing she can latch onto and work on.
She throws the papers, letting out a sigh of frustration as they fall to the ground around her. Cho looks dejected-if Hermione can't find anything, then there must be nothing left to find.
Hermione begins clearing the table, a trick she used to use when she ran out of ideas for an essay. She would start over, with a clear mind, and something would eventually pop out at her. It never failed her before.
As she stacks the papers into separate piles, placing them on the shelves behind her, her eyes fall onto a book on the ground. It is placed under the leg of a chair, a thin layer of dust covering it. She vaguely remembers Terry Boot complaining about a wobbly chair, sticking a book under the short leg to balance it.
She picks up the book, blowing the dust off of the cover. It is made of thick leather, the binding slightly weakened by many uses. The cover tells her it is her Ancient Runes textbook.
She sets the book on the table and tries to remember everything she can about the subject.
…the most ancient form of magic…most powerful, works nearly every time if the correct runes are drawn…more specific than most spells...
…can be made more specific than most spells…
If the correct runes are drawn, the magic produced can be as specific as the creator's liking, used for anything the creator wishes, and will work no matter who draws them.
"Ancient Runes, Cho! The one thing we haven't tried is Ancient Runes!" Hermione excitedly pushes the book between them.
She flips open the cover, searching for the runes to match what she is thinking. Cho leans over, looking along with Hermione. If anyone else were in the room they would be able to feel the excitement, the sudden rush of energy that has taken over.
"The one for family!" Cho points at the page Hermione is currently on. Hermione hastily scribbles down the rune.
"What about destination?" Cho looks to her companion for help.
Hermione thinks for a moment, her brow furrowed. "I think that could work, but I think location would work better." She turns to the correct page and copies down both symbols.
"Find, or search?"
Hermione nods, quickly finding the correct location and drawing the runes next to the other ones.
They stare at the paper with the runes. It doesn't feel complete to Hermione, a feeling she hates-she is so close to the solution and she can't quite make it. It's like she is sinking in the ocean and someone has thrown her a life preserver just out of her reach. She knows she can make it, if she just tries hard enough.
She thinks about what exactly they are trying to do. They are trying to find the location of their friends' families. Trying to reunite them.
Trying to send them home.
"Home. That's the last rune. Home."
Cho flips to the page with their final symbol and writes it down next to the others. "Now the other question is: what order do they go in?"
Hermione continues studying the runes. She has to get the order exactly right if she wants to make it work. As much as she knows there are only so many ways to order the four symbols, she wants to get it right the first time-the sooner the better.
The most important part of the task is the "find, or search." That should come first. But which do they use? Which is the most exact?
Searches don't always end with the searcher obtaining what they were looking for. To find means the object is in hand, it has been located.
"Find is first."
Cho writes the number one next to the symbol for find, and crosses out the one for search.
"Location is next." That is the next part of the task: the location of the families. "Family is third."
This only left home, the natural rune following family. Home is where the family is.
Cho numbers the runes, crossing out the ones deemed unnecessary, and hands the paper to Hermione, who clears a spot on the floor. She pulls out her wand and traces the symbols into the carpet of the tent.
"Hermione, how do the runes know which family to locate?"
Hermione stares at the floor, which begins to glow yellow, forming a circle beneath her hands. "The magic only works for the person who draws it. So everyone will have to draw these runes in order to find their own families."
"And how will we get them to their families?" It's a good thing Cho is here-as much as Hermione hates questions while she is working, she knows that Cho's questions are important and are saving her time. She won't have to deal with these questions later when she thinks of them.
"Look up the rune for transport. We'll put it between location and family."
Cho quickly does what Hermione tells her, handing her another paper with the correct rune copied down. Hermione erases the runes already written on the floor and traces the new combination.
She and Cho watch as the floor glows under the runes, a small circle once again forming beneath her hands, growing larger. Hermione can see people inside the circle. Two people and a vast expanse of what looks like desert, or perhaps just dirt. A few cows are scattered around, and a small house is in the background. It looks to be a ranch.
Two people. A ranch. Desert-like conditions.
Hermione has found her parents.
"It works. Cho, it works!" She jumps up and grabs the other girl, pulling her into a tight hug. All their hard work has paid off.
Cho runs outside, yelling to the camp. "We've done it! It works!"
But Hermione is distracted by the yellow orb by her feet.
All she would have to do is touch it, make contact with the runes, and she could be with her parents for the first time in almost a year and a half. They wouldn't know who she was, would think she was a stranger, but she could fix that easily. All she has to do is touch it.
Harry comes running in, clapping her on the shoulder. "I knew you would figure it out, Hermione. It was only a matter of t-" He cuts off as he sees her longing expression and follows her gaze.
He knows what it would mean to her to go and see them. But she won't do it, not even if he gave her permission-not that he would ever dream of giving her permission, because she doesn't need it. She won't leave him and Ron, wouldn't leave them for anything, especially not now, after all they have been through.
He takes her hand and squeezes it lightly. She squeezes back and turns to look at him, tears in her eyes. She wipes them and gives him a shaky smile. "It's not worth it, not yet. Not until the war is over and I don't have to worry about their safety."
Harry nods. He begins heading towards the tent door, pulling her with him. "Everyone is waiting to praise you, Hermione."
She follows willingly, wanting to be away from the circle of temptation on the floor.
Outside the crowd gathers her up, lifting her onto their shoulders and chanting her name as if she were some war hero. She lets them, smiling and telling them that Cho helped too but they already have her up on their shoulders as well.
She pushes all thoughts of leaving aside. She belongs here, for now.
This is one of my personal favorites.
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:)
-ninja82