Warning: Scenes of Violence

Chapter 21 – Hermione's Attack
The students of Hogwarts had been back at school for three weeks now and had settled back into life once again. Hermione had found that her work load had doubled and her homework seemed never ending. She seemed to spend most of her free time cooked up the library working away on her own on her homework. Ron and Harry didn't seem to care, they were more interested in Quidditch than their homework, that was until the very last minute when they wanted to copy off Hermione.

It had also been three weeks since Hermione had saw her boyfriend Fred. There had been no Hogsmede visits since term started due to Katie Bell being cursed on the last visit just before the Christmas holidays. Fred had been exceptionally busy with the shop and setting up a make shift potions lab in Grimmauld Place. Both missed each other incredibly but spoke daily through their two way notebooks. Hermione missed Fred being around to calm her down when the mountain of work she had to do got the better of her or when Ron and Harry were driving her insane. She did manage to get a collection of the special Galleons sent to members of the order and the rest of the Weasley Family.

"Will you stop pining over my brother!" A female voice spoke causing Hermione to jump out of her daydream.

Ginny bounced over to Hermione, her long ginger hair flowing behind her.

"I was not pining over Fred!" Hermione protested.

Ginny sat herself down at the table across from Hermione, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Come off it Hermione, you miss Fred and don't try and deny it." Ginny spoke.

"Of course I miss him. I haven't seen him for about three weeks but to be honest I haven't really had much time to even think about him." Hermione answered.

"So he hasn't arranged to come to the school to meet you then?" Ginny wondered.

"No he hasn't but he's busy himself. Also Dumbledore has been away from the school quite a lot too on order business so maybe he hasn't got in contact with him." Hermione answered, keeping her voice down.

"Could he not ask McGonagall?" Ginny wondered.

Hermione just shrugged her shoulders. Part of her was glad Fred hadn't arranged to meet up with her because she was far too busy.

"Are things ok between you and Fred?" Ginny asked.

"Yes of course everything is ok between us." Hermione replied getting slightly annoying at the younger girl's constant questions.

"Well if you are missing him, why don't you arrange to meet him at the weekend?" Ginny suggested.

"I can't. Sure Gryffindor are playing Hufflepuff on Saturday, the boys will want me to watch the match." Hermione replied.

"Why don't you ask Fred to come and watch then?" Ginny answered.

"I'll see. Look Gin I've got too much work to do so I'm going to head back and go on up to my dorm, maybe catch a nap before dinner. I'll see you later." Hermione spoke, jumping up and shoving her books into her bag.

She left the library and began making her journey back to Gryffindor tower. She was just walking the corridors, minding her own business, pondering over what Ginny had suggested about meeting up with Fred when she heard a merciful bang. She whipped out her wand, holding it at arm's length.

"Hello, is there anyone there?" she called out, looking around to see if she could see anything.

It was probably Peeves up to no good. She continued to walk, keeping her wand out just to be on the safe side. As she walked, she quickened her pace so she'd get back to the common room quicker. However she was stopped dead in her tracks by someone dressed in a black cloak and mask but not one of the death eater masks, a plain white one. She was pretty sure it was like one she'd seen in a muggle film.

"Well, well, well if it isn't Miss Perfect, prefect Granger. Fancy meeting you here on this lovely winter's afternoon. Shouldn't you be in the library making sure your homework is done on time or running after those idiot friends of yours?" The voice cackled causing a shiver to run down Hermione's spine.

It didn't scare Hermione though. It was probably some stupid kid playing a prank on her, heck her boyfriend was the king of pranks so she was used to them by now.

"What do you want?" Hermione snapped.

"Oh just to have a little chat with you." The cloaked person replied.

"Who are you anyway?" Hermione asked.

She didn't recognise the voice before the mask.

"I don't think who I am should matter." The person answered moving closer to Hermione.

Hermione looked around and realised she was alone with this person.

"Look I really must get going, now if you'd excuse me." Hermione spoke trying to push past the person but they blocked her.

"Not so fast Granger, we haven't had our little chat." The person spoke coldly.

"Well I don't really have time to talk." Hermione answered.

"So have you seen that boyfriend of yours lately?" The cloaked female wondered.

"I don't think that's really any of your business." Hermione answered in a short tone.

"Haven't you heard that he and that idiot twin of his have had to go into hiding because death eaters raided their shop?" The female said.

Hermione felt a lump forming in her throat. Fred had spoken to her earlier than morning but hadn't mentioned a raid. Maybe he didn't want to worry her.

"Awww didn't Weasley tell his little mudblood girlfriend about being raided, such a shame that he's keeping stuff from you." The woman taunted.

"You're lying!" Hermione yelled, anger getting the better of her.

"Funny enough I'm not. I'm pretty sure the whole school knows about it now." The woman answered.

"Look what do you want?" Hermione asked.

"I told you Granger, I want to have a little chat to you." The woman answered.

"About what exactly?" Hermione questioned.

"Well we'll start about your boyfriend shall we? How you don't deserve Fred and how him and his family have tarnished the wizarding name because they like to mingle with scum like you." The woman stated.

"Scum? Oh I think there are far more people in this world that could be classed as scum for doing far worse things than befriending muggle borns." Hermione said. "If there were more people like the Weasley family the wizarding world would be a better place!"

"Oh would it now? And what makes a pathetic little mudblood like yourself think that?" The woman questioned.

"At least there wouldn't be as many racist people like yourself in it for a start!" Hermione replied.

She knew she had instantly hit a nerve with that comment.

"I honestly don't see what Fred sees in you. You're not very pretty nor popular. In my opinion you're an annoying know it all." The woman spoke.

Hermione never replied but tried to get away but a blast of light shot out of the cloaked woman's wand, sending Hermione flying back.

"Going somewhere Granger?" The woman cackled.

Hermione stood up and noticed two more figures had appeared with their wands held out. Hermione now felt scared, she held her own wand up.

"You're going to learn what happens to interfering little mudbloods!" The woman spoke in a menacing tone.

Jets of light blasted from the three figure's wands sending Hermione flying back once again and everything went black.