CHAPTER IX

January 7th 1999 – Present Day

- Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Ministry of Magic -

Hermione stared blankly at the empty photo frames along the wall that once housed some of her most important childhood memories. More tears streamed down her face but she didn't move a muscle to wipe them away. They weren't going to stop and her sleeves were now too damp anyway. She looked around her childhood home no longer able to recognize the empty shell it now was. Stiffly, she bent over and pulled the suitcase of belongings she had packed and protected before she had cast the memory charm on her parents in what felt like eons ago.

She dragged the suitcase behind her, her body felt like lead with each step. Her body was that stiff and her mind that numb that she hadn't noticed the family that had apparated at the edge of the property. Releasing the handle of the suitcase, it cluttered to the ground as she raised her wand and cast spells to prevent the muggles around her from noticing anything out of the ordinary.

She turned around and faced her home once more and her heart felt it was being ripped in two. Agony, despair, guilt, failure and anger tore at her, ripping it apart piece by piece. She stared at the empty house thinking only one thing – destroy. There was nothing left, no memories, and no people, just a cold empty house. She raised her wand oblivious to her name being called out behind her and yelled "INCENDIO!"

She didn't have time to appreciate her old home burning when she saw a flash of green skim past her ear. She whirled around and came face to face with Rabastan Lestrange. Seeing his face her body was no longer lethargic. No it had purpose – anger and hatred pumping through her veins demanding her to hurt and destroy him.

Before he could attack again she cast two spells in quick succession, "INCARCEROUS! SECTUMSEMPRA!"

She didn't care that she used a Dark Spell. All she cared about was making sure that Rabastan Lestrange suffered. A smile tugged at her lips as he screamed in pain until she noticed the smirk on his face. He was bound, covered in cuts, gushing blood, and he dared to smile. Hermione raised her wand once more, an unforgivable curse forming on her lips, "Cruc–"

An arm around her waist pulling her back and a gentle hand over her wand hand startled Hermione and she found herself staring into a very worried face of Blaise Zabini. Hermione's shock was only momentary, her anger resurfacing.

"Move." She growled, hatred burning once more in her eyes.

"No." He said firmly before he stole the wand out of her hands. She tried to attack him and grab her wand back but the person behind her pinned her arms down wrapping his body around hers.

"Enough Hermione."

"NO! Let me go! Give me my wand back! I'm not finished."

"Yes you are." Celso whispered in her ear gently. "Trust me Hermione. You don't ever want to ever cast that curse. It will haunt you for the rest of your life."

"No…! You're wrong! I'll regret not casting it. He deserves it. I have to…" Her voice trembled.

She began struggling in his arms again and Blaise cupped her face in hand using his finger to stroke her skin in an effort to calm her. She continued to try and break free, a vicious need consuming her, but after a couple of minutes that anger and desperation began to die out replaced with despair as the tears returned.

"That's it Hermione. Just relax." He whispered as he used his fingers to wipe the tears away. He nodded to Celso, signally him to take over.

Celso loosened his hold Hermione, before turning her in his arms and picking her up. Her head lolled against his chest, his shirt soaked with her tears. She clutched his shirt with her hands tightly, burying her head against his chest instinctively seeking out comfort.

"Take her back to the Manor. I'll deal with him." He growled.

Blaise twirled around, rage at Lestrange for casting the Killing Curse at Hermione which only missed her by inches. Mad at him for causing Hermione so much grief and pain that she was using dark magic and was ready to use an Unforgivable. He reached down and punched Lestrange in the face, satisfied with sound of his nose bone's breaking. It was the least that Lestrange deserved, and all that Blaise could afford to give now. Pocketing Hermione's wand, he grabbed Lestrange roughly and apparated over to the Auror Department.

Celso glanced down at his little sister in her arms, his heart in turmoil. The girl in his arms wasn't the girl he remembered from the battle or the trials. What had Lestrange done to her, to cause her to act so recklessly and violently? One thing he knew for sure was that neither Blaise nor he would let her cast that curse no matter what she felt. He wasn't going to let her throw her life away to dark magic. He glanced at the home noticing the whole house was engulfed but the fire was magically contained so that it didn't spread to the gardens or neighboring homes.

Bending down he picked up the suitcase he had seen her wheel behind her when she had first exited the home, a determined look pained on her face.

"It's okay Hermione, our little Artemisia. I'm taking you home."

Hermione was too busy lost inside her pain that the words didn't register in her mind else she would have protested that she had no home. Celso released the glamour spell so that the muggles could see the fire and get help to put it out as he apparated back to safety of the Zabini home.

Author's Note:

This chapter takes placed three months after Chapter VII and VIII in case anyone missed the dates at the start of the chapter…a lot can happen in three months...which I'll be exploring in later chapters. I've been battling this headache all night and it's not going away any time soon so I think now would be a good time to stop writing. Until the next chapter…