Chapter Twelve

True Identity

Harry's POV

"Well, first things first, we should find Draco, and get him to explain." Ron concluded within himself aloud, agitated at the fact of him at all.

"How do we know that this has anything to do with him?" Ginny asked softly, trying to narrow this down. "Even if Hermione had feelings for this boy, I don't think she would run away for him."

"I don't think she would either… But bloody hell Ginny, she's been strange since that boy put her under a spell!" Ron argued.

"What do you mean put her under a spell! Hermione isn't under no dag gone spell!" She argued back.

I chuckled at that. Not realizing how my girlfriend uses the cutest word choices. "I have a suggestion."

"How do you know if she's not? We haven't seen Draco lately! Maybe he's doing some dark magic to make her come back to him." Ron, ignoring me, dug more into his grave.

"Um, I have a suggestion." I said again a little louder.

"Draco may be a lot of things, but why would he do dark magic on her? Plus, Hermione is very smart and I don't think she would fall for that, Ron!"

"I have a suggestion!" I yelled, getting their attention.

"What?" Ginny asked.

"It better be good." Ron added grumpily.

"Why don't we just track her down from her last use of magic by using our magic? Plus, I'm sure we can locate the booth she called me from since we have the number." I grinned in satisfactory for finally getting that out.

"Why would we do that? That's more work than just finding Draco." Ron retorted.

Ignoring her brother's last comment, Ginny brushed the hair out of her face and looked back at me. "You know, that is a great idea Harry."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

I circled the area where the booth was one more time as Ginny and Ron paired and looked in and around the booth for any evidence. No sign of Hermione seemed to exist; however, it did seem apparent she was here: the phone was still off the phone hook, her sweet smell lingered, and the door was left open just enough for someone her size to get out quickly.

"Any sign?" Ginny called out to me.

"Nope," I answered, defeated.

"Wait a second." Ron muttered, signaling for us to retreat. "Harry, if this wasn't used since when she called you, and it rained right before she called, wouldn't the footprints of where she went remain?"

"That's a great point Ron; they should probably still be visible since the rain hasn't seemed to settle. Ron, you take the left, Ginny the right, and I'll go this way." I squeezed Ginny's hand, nodding to Ron, and turned my way barely letting go Ginny's hand.

In all of this, as much as I would hate to admit that I had a weakness, I just can't bear to stray far from Ginny. She is my weakness. The only hope I have. Even when it comes down to discovering where Hermione went, what Draco's intentions are, and why Voldemort's presence is so much stronger, all I see is Ginny guiding me through all of this.

My direction didn't have anything, which made sense since it was the direction straight from the door. Hermione is smart, and I am absolutely positive she would have gone a random direction other than straight. I'm sure her mind couldn't have been so groggy she couldn't cover her tracks. Or could it…?

"Hey guys," Ginny yelled from a distance away on the sidewalk. When we caught up, she was pointing to a small coffee shop. "Do you think she went there?"

"I'm not sure. She might have-" I was cut off by a high pitched familiar scream.

"HERMIONE!" Ron busted through the doors of that poor coffee shop.

We followed after him, looking around with a look of almost horror. Everyone before us was dead, and Hermione's bag was lying on the floor by a back booth. Ginny and Ron were inspecting the bodies, and I went to retrieve my findings.

"Guys, she was here all right." I barely got that out, squeezing the bag tightly.

"But the problem is: where is she now?" Ron grinded his teeth.

Ginny gently put her hand on my shoulder. "Do you think the ministry knows who did this? Do you think they are going to come? They can't know we were here. Who knows what we would be accused of, considering Hermione is a close friend to us?"

"You have a good point, Ginny... We should leave." I started towards the door.

"I blame Draco." Ron sputtered, his voice suggesting he was about to lose control.

"Can't you drop the Draco thing Ron?" Ginny hollered. "You just keep accusing him because you're jealous that Hermione is attracted to him more than you!"

"Don't you dare call me jealous? What about you Ginny: you're jealous of any girl who comes around Harry, especially Hermione and Luna." Ron hissed back.

"Don't change the subject! Before you blame anyone else, you should blame yourself!" Ginny ran out of there, letting the doors slam too hard, causing things to rattle.

"Ron, you really need to stop arguing with your sister. We're running out of time. Hermione could be-" Ron cut me off.

"You're not losing hope already, are you?" Ron gave me a glare. "Am I the only one who actually cares for her?"

"I didn't mean it like that, and you know it." I defended.

"No, of course you didn't. Of course the boy who lived doesn't care about people dying for him. And she is dying for you now? You don't care who dies in your place Harry, you're just glad to be alive, no matter the cost!"

"You're implying that I am the one who doesn't care? You're the one who made her cry and probably drove her to this. Stop willowing in self-pity and actually do something for a change!"

Draco's POV:

"Lily," I called, looking around the deserted bathroom. I knew very well she would come in here hoping to find Hermione, and I was quite hoping she could be right.

"Who's there?" She replied defensively, aiming her wand at me when I reached the bathing area, where she was sitting on the edge.

"It's Draco. What are you doing here?" I walked towards her cautiously, waiting for her wand to lower.

"Leave me alone!" She screamed, scurrying back towards the wall, her hand shaking gripping the wand so tightly.

"I'm not here to hurt you Lily; I just came to talk." That poor girl looked so miserable. The last time I seen her she looked so much better. I wonder what happened to her.

"I don't care, go away!" She hissed weakly, pointing towards the door as if a reference to leave.

I went to oblige; however, I had to take that glance of red. "Lily, why is the water red?" I had become high alert since seeing that. "Where's Hermione?"

"It's my fault." She sobbed, letting out a painful cry.

"What's your fault?" She was shaking so bad it was hard to get a response from her. "Lily, what is your fault?"

She reached, grabbing my arm, pulling up my sleeve to reveal the dark mark, and put an arm covered in dark red next to hers. "I didn't mean to…"

"Didn't mean to do what?" I said a little too loudly. "Where's Hermione?"

"She's gone... And I will be too."

"What do you mean by gone?"

The lack of response helped me realize what was really going on. "Wait, aren't you supposed to be with Snape?"

"I left…' She answered quietly, falling back onto the stone.

"Lily!" I barely caught her in time, luckily I got her head.

Realization finally hit me. Lily Evans. The look. The name. The hair. The voice. The secret she shares with Snape. Everything. It finally makes sense to me. This is the real deal, not just a coincidence. This is the Lily Evans.

She was supposed to be dead, but no. I picked up her arm, finally understanding why she compared hers to mine. Wiping the blood carefully, I saw the mark. The same dark mark. She was a death eater too. But the blood?

"Lily, what are you doing?" I pushed.

"He can't control me anymore."

"Control? Who?"

"Voldemort…" She was the imposter Dumbledore was talking about to Snape. Snape fell for the enemy.

"But why are you doing this?"

"I want the mark gone! I'm not like him! He got to me at first, but I'm not cruel. I don't want this second chance at life is this is what I have to do!"

"So what, you tried to cut it off! IDIOT! It won't work! Nothing will. Just stay here at Hogwarts. You're safe. Stay with Snape! Please! What about Hermione?"

"She's dead anyway…" Her eyes shut, and this was just the beginning of my long night.


Oh, so intense, maybe? I know! It was so much fun writing this scene because everything is crumbling since Hermione was taken, so I wanted to bring out how essential she really was to everyone. I hope you all liked it! Any questions, please ask! ^_^