Chapter 37
Halloween

Author's Note: Like I said in the Author's Note at the end of the chapter (and as you can tell from the chapter title) most of this will take place during Halloween. However, the first part of this chapter, will take place on the night a few hours after the Quidditch match, because it has to do with something mentioned in the previous chapter. Then I will be skipping about a week and a half to get to Halloween. Just a heads-up.

Mild warning: This chapter has a small sample of mild language, a bit of violence, and could cause you to emit some outrage and swear words of your own. Read with caution and use those words sparingly (and hopefully not in reviews). ;)

(Ron's PoV)

After almost six hours of celebrating the Gryffindor win in the Common Room, Ron realized that Hermione was no longer in the room. He knew she was never the type of girl who would celebrate alongside him and the rest of the Gryffindors after a victorious match, but he thought she would, at least, spend some time with him during the party. But every time he saw her, she was sitting in the corner of the room, reading from different text books. Seamus and Dean had nicked some butterbeer and food from the kitchens before the party, and Ron had offered Hermione a plate of refreshments. She had accepted it with a smile, but she had immediately returned to her studying.

After the party, Ron realized that Hermione was not in the Common Room anymore. He then realized that she must have gone to her room to do more of her studying. Deciding he could get in a bit of homework too, and she would probably consider helping him if she was in the mood of homework too, Ron returned to his room and gathered up his homework that he needed to complete, and headed toward Hermione's room. When he reached the door, he knocked on it

"Hermione?" he called out, "Are you in there?"

"Yeah, Ron," Hermione said, after a moment, "Come on in. Door is unlocked."

Ron opened the door and walked into the room. Hermione was laying on her bed, with a roll of parchment propped up against her knees. But he was surprised to see that she was not alone. Harry was also there. He was sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace, where a fire was crackling behind a grate.

"Where's Ginny?" Ron asked, as he shut the door.

"Isn't she still celebrating with the rest of the team?" Hermione asked.

"Party's over," Ron said, "That is why I'm up here.

Ron walked over to Hermione's bed and laid down beside her.

"She's probably doing her prefect rounds," Harry said.

"Don't you usually join her?" Ron asked.

"Sure," Harry said, "But I'm doing something more important right now."

"Homework is suddenly more important to you than Ginny?" Ron asked.

"We're not doing homework," Hermione said.

"Then what are you doing?" Ron asked.

Hermione sighed as she looked down at the parchment in front of her.

"Promise you won't get mad?" Hermione asked.

Ron raised his eyebrows as he looked from Hermione to Harry, then back to Hermione.

"Mad about what?" Ron asked.

"I'm writing to Viktor Krum about something," Hermione said.

"Viktor?" Ron asked, his eyebrows raised, "You're still writing to him?"

"See I knew you'd get mad!" Hermione said, "Ron, didn't I tell you during the wedding -"

"She's doing it for me, Ron," Harry said, cutting across Hermione.

Ron turned to Harry, then looked back at Hermione.

"Why do I think this has nothing to do with the desire to chum up with an old Tournament mate?" he asked.

"I'm writing to Viktor about the wand-maker who made his wand," Hermione said, "To see if he can tell us anything."

"Is this about the Horcruxes?" Ron asked.

"We don't know," Hermione said.

"I've been having these visions about Voldemort trying to hunt down this wand-maker," Harry said, "Only I could never figure out who it was. Voldemort killed him a few days ago. And then we discovered today that it was a man named Gregorovitch."

Ron narrowed his eyes in thought.

"I've heard that name before," Ron said, "Where have I heard that name before?"

"Luna mentioned it during the game today," Hermione said.

"No," Ron said, "It was during this past summer at the Burrow. Something to do with – Gorgovitch, I think?"

"Gregorovitch," Harry said, enunciating the word, "Not Gorgovitch. A wand-maker, not a Quidditch player!"

"No!" Ron said, "Hermione, don't you remember? Ginny dragged Harry into my bedroom at the Burrow after he blacked out."

"Right!" Hermione said, "And she said you were muttering something, Harry. Something like –"

"Gregory or Gorgo," Ron said, "And I thought she meant Gorgovitch."

"I remember now!" Harry said, "That is why the name sounded so familiar! Mr. Ollivander – he was being tortured and he revealed that name to Voldemort!"

"Why would You-Know-Who want another wand-maker when he already kidnapped Mr. Ollivander?" Ron asked.

"Yeah, it's strange," Harry said.

"Maybe he's looking for something to make into another Horcrux," Ron suggested.

"Impossible," Hermione said.

"This is You-Know-Who we're talking about, Hermione," Ron said.

"No, you don't understand!" Hermione said.

She sighed audibly and stood up from the bed then went over to her trunk. She rummaged through her trunk and soon she held up a book.

"Secrets of the Darkest Art," Ron read the title,, "I thought you hated that book. Can't blame you. It's pretty creepy."

"It is creepy," she said, "But I've read quite a bit about the Horcruxes in this book.

She flipped through a few pages and stopped on one.

"And the more I've read about them," said Hermione, "the more horrible they seem, and the less I can believe that he actually made six. It warns in this book how unstable you make the rest of your soul by ripping it, and that's just by making one Horcrux!"

"Isn't there any way of putting yourself back together?" Ron asked.

"Yes," said Hermione with a hollow smile, "but it would be excruciatingly painful."

"Why? How do you do it?" asked Harry.

"Remorse," said Hermione. "You've got to really feel what you've done. There's a footnote. Apparently the pain of it can destroy you. I can't see You-Know-Who attempting it somehow, can you?"

"I guess not," Ron said, "So – you said you couldn't believe he actually made six."

"Yeah, it had to be painful," Hermione said, "If he did it again, it would probably destroy him."

"So if he isn't looking for another Horcrux," Ron said, "What is he looking for?"

"He kept thinking how he hated the wand he had," Harry said. "Maybe he is looking for another one?"

"Yeah, but Ron said it earlier," Hermione said, "He has Mr. Ollivander for that, why would he need another wand-maker?"

"Wand-makers make different wands," Harry said, "Maybe he wanted Gregorovitch to make him one, and he refused, and Voldemort killed him."

"Do you think that maybe Gregorovitch knew about the Horcruxes?" Ron asked, "Maybe that is why he killed him."

"I doubt it," Harry said. "Voldemort thinks his Horcruxes are completely safe. He thought only he knew about his secret."

"So should I still write to Viktor then?" Hermione asked.

"I guess not," Harry said. "Gregorovitch seems like a dead end, unless Voldemort says any different. I'm going to go find Ginny. Have fun."

Harry stood up and left the room. Hermione closed the book and threw it across the bed.

"Hermione," Ron said.

"Hmm?" Hermione asked.

"If I never found out that you wanted to write to Viktor about this," said, "would you have told me?"

"I hate mentioning him around you, Ron," Hermione said, "Because he's a part of our past that really affected you and I at one point. I don't want to feel that way again. But I probably would have... because I don't like keeping secrets from you. I love you too much to do that to you."

"I love you too," Ron said.

Hermione smiled and kissed him softly. Ron returned the kiss and Hermione pulled him closer to her. As he moved, he accidentally kicked the Secrets of the Darkest Art off the bed.

"Oops," Ron said, "I'll get it."

Ron made to get up, but Hermione pulled him back toward her.

"Leave it," she said.

"Yes, ma'am," Ron said, then kissed her once again.

(Hermione's PoV)

The week before Halloween, Professor McGonagall announced that the first Hogsmeade weekend would be on Halloween day. The school was abuzz with happiness and excitement as Halloween drew in closer. Finally it was Halloween, and Ron, Hermione, Harry were all nestled into one of the carriages as they headed into Hogsmeade Village.

"What should we do first?" Hermione asked, "We have a few hours before we have to go back to the castle."

"Actually, Hermione," Harry said, "Ginny and I wanted to go around the village on our own. It is our first real date in so long. You know... doing something that doesn't take place in Hogwarts or on the grounds."

Hermione looked at Ron, who nodded.

"Okay," Hermione said, "Sure. We'll meet at the Three Broomsticks in three hours then. How about that?"

"Good idea," Ginny said, "See you then."

Before Harry could say goodbye, Ginny pulled him away into the village.

"So?" Hermione said, looking at Ron, "What should we do?"

"I wasn't going to mention it in front of Harry," Ron said, "But I thought we might do actual... you know date stuff too."

"Stealing Harry's idea, are you?" Hermione asked, grinning.

"No, no!" Ron said, "It was on my mind since this morning, only he decided to say it first."

"Right," Hermione said.

"Where shall we go first?" Ron asked.

"Can't we just take a stroll around the village first?" Hermione asked.

"How very romantic of you," Ron said, grinning, "I'd love to."

Hermione took Ron's hand and they walked into the village. As they started off down the cobbled path, they passed a number of men and women dressed in black robes.

"Aurors," Hermione said, when she caught Ron looking at one as they passed a rather tall, muscled gentleman, "This will be the safest little village in the world this weekend."

"It is what I want to do when I get out of Hogwarts, you know?" Ron asked, "Become an Auror."

"Really?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah," Ron said. "Fred and George reckons I could work at their shop, but I really want to be an Auror."

"With Harry?" Hermione asked, "I know that is what he wants to do."

"Yeah," Ron said, "I just realized we haven't really talked about what we're going to do after we get out of Hogwarts. You've never really said what you wanted to do."

"I've never really thought about it," Hermione said, "Career Advice seems so long ago, and back then the only thing on my mind was S.P.E.W and the OWL exams."

"Spew?" Ron asked, "You're still on about that?"

Hermione rolled her eyes at his term for her house-elf welfare group.

"Yeah, I mean," Hermione said, "You saw how Kreacher was treated by Mundungus and – I'm sorry to say it – Sirius. And then when Harry was nice to him, Kreacher became nicer. He even worked in the kitchen with your Mum for a while. I think if the wizarding world realizes there is more than just treating the House-Elves as slaves, they would realize that House-Elves would want to work for them. But they're treated like filth."

"That actually makes some sense," Ron said.

"You think so?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah," Ron said.

"What else do you see for – well, us – after get out of Hogwarts and the Second War is over?" Hermione asked, "You know – if we make it through the war."

"When we make it through the war," Ron corrected her.

She smiled.

"I don't know," Ron said, "I mean... we keep acting all romantic around my Mum, and she's going to expect us married before we're twenty-one!"

Hermione felt heat rise to her cheeks.

"You think about that?" Hermione asked, "Marriage? Er... kids?"

"I can't say it isn't something I'd want to do in the future," Ron said, "Sure."

Hermione smiled.

"Though, I will admit," Ron said, frowning, "Oh – nevermind, you might get offended."

"No, I promise I won't," Hermione said, "Just say it."

"When I was younger," Ron said, "I always saw myself as my father, you know. Because I look up to him. And for a long time, I saw myself in his position. Married to someone who kind of resembles my mother, maybe not in looks, but in personality, and you know... a lot of kids."

"A lot?" Hermione asked.

"Well, that number has kind of dwindled as of late," Ron said, "Perhaps two or three. Not seven."

"And who did you have in mind when you were picturing someone who resembled your mother's personality?" Hermione asked, raising her eyebrows.

Ron blushed.

"Oh, come on," Hermione said.

"Let me give you a hint," Ron said. "Until recently, she's scolded me quite a bit when I would use swear words – like my mother. She's called me by my full time quite a bit in the past – like my mother. And she has a knack for putting her hands on her hips when she is upset with me – like my mother."

Hermione felt heat rise to her cheeks.

"And she's the girl – woman – who I love and I would do anything for," Ron said, "I guess I could also compare that to my mother too. Yeah."

Hermione smiled when he looked at her. She then looked away and looked around the village.

"What's wrong?" he asked, "Oh, I'm sorry. I embarrassed you. I apologize, Hermione."

"No, not at all!" Hermione said.

"Then what's wrong?" Ron asked, chuckling.

"I'm just trying to figure out a place around here," Hermione said, "where I could snog you senseless, away from the watchful eye of Aurors, in reward for what you just said to me."

Hermione turned her eyes to Ron, and his face turned the color of his hair.

"Who are you and what have you done with Hermione Granger?" Ron asked.

Hermione raised her eyebrows. He looked at her, obviously expecting an answer, and she burst out laughing.

-
Three hours later, after exploring the village, visiting some of the shops, and finding a nice spot near the Shrieking Shack (though, as Ron said, enough distance to be safe) for a bit of romantic cuddling, Hermione and Ron went into the Three Broomsticks and found Harry and Ginny, sitting at a table and talking to Madam Rosmerta.

"Ah, make that four butterbeers!" Harry said, "We have company."

Hermione smiled as she joined Ron across the table from Harry and Ginny.

"Coming right up!" Madam Rosmerta said, before walking away from the table.

"So what have you two done these past three hours?" Hermione asked Harry.

"The usual stuff we can do in Hogsmeade," Harry said, "Walking around and visiting the stores."

"I insisted on taking him to Madam Puddifoot's," Ginny said, "But he seemed very intent on talking me out of it."

"Harry can talk you out of things you want to do?" Ron asked, "I can't even do that!"

"No, he can't," Ginny said.

"Madam Puddifoot's," Hermione said, grinning, "Must have been nice."

"Yeah, I was surprised," Harry said. "Last time I was in there, I didn't exactly have the best of times."

"Ohh, right," Hermione said, grinning, "You went there with Cho."

"So," Harry said, obviously ignoring what Hermione said, "Where did you two go?"

"We walked around and visited stores," Hermione said.

"Then how come we didn't see you at all?" Ginny asked.

"What she forgot to say," Ron said, "Is that we only did that for about two hours."

"But it's been three hours since we saw you," Ginny said, raising her eyebrows.

She looked back and forth between Ron and Hermione, then her face contorted into disgust.

"Shrieking Shack nice this time of year?" Harry said, chuckling.

"We wouldn't know," Ron said, "We were about fifty yards north of it."

"But isn't fifty yards north of the shack," Harry said, "Er... forest?"

"Mmhmm," Hermione said, "Very private underneath those trees."

"Romantic," Harry said.

"Puddifoot's is nice and private you know," Ginny said, "If you use a corner table."

"I didn't want to know that," Ron said.

A moment later, Madam Rosmerta brought over the four butterbeers and Harry paid for them, then passed them around the table. Hermione opened hers and took a sip. She was about to continue the conversation when she saw Kingsley Shacklebolt walking across the room with McGonagall, Remus and Dora. Obviously, they didn't see Hermione and the others, because they sat down at a table nearby and didn't acknowledge them.

As Ron talked to Harry and Ginny

"Did you find the bastard who murdered my father?" Dora asked.

"No," Kingsley said. "But we're on the hunt for them. Actually... we've tracked them to a murder in Wheatley -"

Hermione choked on her Butterbeer and gasped. Ron looked at her and she turned toward Kingsley and the others. She stood up and walked over to them. She heard footsteps behind her and knew Ron had joined her.

"Miss Granger!" McGonagall said, "Hello."

Hermione ignored the Headmistress and looked at Kingsley.

"Kingsley," she said, "Did you say Wheatley?"

"Yeah," Kingsley said, "A Muggle was murdered there a couple days ago."

"Wheatley is close to Oxford!" Hermione said, "My parents have friends in Wheatley! I -"

Hermione felt tears in her eyes.

"Miss Granger, relax," Kingsley said, "The Order is very well aware of this. In fact, I just received a letter from Elphias Doge today. He was going to explain everything to your parents, with evidence of your letters to him. If I recall, he was going to move them to a safe-house tonight. I was just going to tell McGonagall to give you that message."

"I-I gotta write to them," Hermione said to Ron, "I have to explain to them what is going on."

"Use the post office here in Hogsmeade, Miss Granger," McGonagall said, "Tell them I sent you and they'll give you the fastest owl they have."

"Thank you," Hermione said.

She rushed out of the building and hurried to the post office.

-
The wizard at the owl post said it would be as minimum of an hour-and-a-half for the fastest owl he had to get to Oxford. If she got a reply message from her parents or Elphias, it would be back in the minimum of a little over three hours. Now, three hours later, Hermione was pacing back and forth in her bedroom. Ron, Harry and Ginny were there with her waiting there with her.

"Why isn't it here yet?" Hermione asked, as she felt tears in her eyes, "It should be – damn it. I can't think right now. How long has it been? Three hours? That's what the post-wizard said it would take. What if-?"

She couldn't finish her sentence. Ron put his arms around her, and she put her head against his chest.

"Hermione, relax," Ron said, "The post-wizard said it would take at least three hours. That is the round trip. Now add the time it took for your parents to read your letter and write another one. Perhaps Elphias even wrote one to explain what was going on, so you could find them later. How long would that add."

"A little bit of time," Hermione said, "Okay. You're right."

"I'm sure they're okay," Ginny said, "Then we can go down and go to the Halloween feast in the Great Hall. That always calms your nerves, right, Hermione?"

Hermione nodded.

"Good," Ginny said, "Now if you don't mind, I bought a nice outfit for this occasion. So I'm going to go change, and hopefully, by then, you'll be ready to go. Right?"

Hermione nodded again.

"Thank you, Ginny," Hermione said.

Ginny smiled. She kissed Harry on the cheek, then got up and left the room.

"Do you want to change, Hermione?" Ron asked, "We can leave."

"Don't let me go," Hermione said, shaking her head, "Not until we know if my parents are -"

Suddenly, there was a very loud, very familiar scream coming from somewhere down the stairs.

"Ginny!" Harry said.

Harry ran to the door. Hermione took Ron's hand and they followed him and ran out it and down the stairs toward Ginny's room. When she reached the door, she stopped in her tracks, her eyes wide at the sight. Peter Pettigrew was standing there, and he had Ginny held against him with one arm. At the end of the arm, Hermione saw the shiny silver hand. Peter's wand was pointed toward Ginny's neck. Ginny had tears in her eyes, as she looked at them.

"Let her go!" Ron growled.

"You don't want her!" Harry said, "Your master wants me! Let her go."

"He doesn't want you," Peter said, grinning, "Not yet. He wanted to send a message."

He looked around at the three of them, then his beady eyes looked at Hermione. Her eyes widened.

"He has a message for you, Muidblood," Peter said, then whispered into Ginny's ear: "Give it to her, little girl."

Ginny raised a shaky hand that was holding a piece of parchment. She lifted it up and the parchment fell to the ground.

"Clumsy!" Peter growled, "Pick it up! Don't do anything stupid."

Ginny looked at Harry, and Hermione saw her head move the teeniest bit of an inch.

"Yes," Harry breathed, and only Ron and Hermione could hear it.

Ginny bent down to reach for the piece of parchment, then kicked Peter in the leg. He groaned, and she ran over toward Hermione. Then Harry and Ron launched themselves upon him. Ron seized Wormtail's wand arm and forced it upwards. Harry slapped a hand to his mouth, muffling his voice. Silently they struggled, as Hermione and Ginny watched on, frozen where they stood. Wormtail's wand emitted sparks; his silver hand closed around Harry's throat. Harry choked and sputtered.

"You're going to kill me?" Harry choked, attempting to prise off the metal fingers. "After I saved your life? You owe me, Wormtail!"

The silver fingers slackened. Harry wrenched himself free, and Hermione saw the ratlike man's small watery eyes widen with fear and surprise: He seemed shocked at what his hand had done, at the tiny, merciful impulse it had betrayed, and he continued to struggle more powerfully, as though to undo that moment of weakness.

"And we'll have that," whispered Ron, tugging Wormtail's wand from his other hand.

Wandless, helpless, Pettigrew's pupils dilated in terror. His eyes had slid from Harry's face to something else. His own silver fingers were moving inexorably toward his own throat.

Harry tried to drag back the hand, but there was no stopping it. The silver tool that Voldemort had given his most cowardly servant had turned upon its disarmed and useless owner; Pettigrew was reaping his reward for his hesitation, his moment of pity; he was being strangled before their eyes.

Ron had released Wormtail too, and together he and Harry tried to pull the crushing metal fingers from around Wormtail's throat, but it was no use. Pettigrew was turning blue.

"Relashio!" said Ron, pointing the wand at the silver hand, but nothing happened.

Pettigrew dropped to his knees, and his eyes rolled upward in his purple face; he gave a last twitch, and was still.

"What happened?" Ginny asked.

"I think the silver hand made him kill himself," Harry said, "Ron, I need you to go get Remus! Tell him Peter's here. Go!"

Ron nodded and stood up.

"I'm fine," Hermione said, when she noticed Ron looking at her.

Ron nodded again and ran out of the room.

"Ginny, what happened?" Harry asked, "How did Peter get up the stairs?"

"All I remember is seeing a rat," Ginny said, "And then a moment later, I saw him and I screamed and he grabbed me."

"A rat?" Harry asked.

Ginny nodded.

"He was in his animagus form," Hermione said, "The stairs didn't recognize that. He must have gotten all the way up here using his rat Animagus, and waited for students to use the password."

"Hermione," Ginny said, "The letter –?"

Hermione gasped. She had almost forgotten about it. Her eyes slowly went toward the parchment, and she walked very slowly toward it. She picked it up and looked at it. Her eyes widened as she looked at the contents of the letter and she felt her body freeze up. She fell to the floor and stared at the letter.

"Hermione?" Ginny asked, kneeling next to her, "What is it?"

Hermione shook her head and stared at the letter. What did it mean? She considered the possibilities, and as she did, Ginny took it from her hands and looked at it.

"But... this is your writing," Ginny said, looking at Hermione.

Hermione could only nod. She didn't want to say the words.

"Oh, bloody hell!" Harry groaned.

Hermione looked up. Harry was holding the body of a dead owl, and Hermione recognized it.

"That's the owl I used to send this letter," Hermione said.

"Owls only return the letter if they could not get to the person or persons they sent it to," Ginny said, "Errol's done that many times."

"It must have returned here and Peter intercepted it before it could get to your window, Hermione," Harry said.

"My parents never received my letter," Hermione said, "They always receive my letters. They always send a letter back. The only reason they wouldn't would be if – if -"

Hermione choked out tears and suddenly she could hardly breathe. She laid down on the floor, and the last thing before she fainted was Ron, Remus and Dora running into the room.

-
The last part of this chapter was so hard to write. For two reasons: 1) I couldn't figure out exactly how I wanted to achieve it. At one point, I was going to have Harry's PoV and Hermione would receive a different letter with a message from Voldemort himself. But I thought it would be better if she received the one she had sent. 2) It was so sad, but this is what I had planned before I even started writing this story.

I used Wormtail's canon death and it was still extremely awkward to write in Hermione's PoV. I hope it looks okay.

Next chapter, as you can guess, is very emotional. And it starts out in Ron's PoV.

I know this scenario did not happen in the book, but this was one of the reasons I wanted to write this story. I wanted this storyline. It is kind of controversial, but I hope you like it anyway! (or at least approve of it – like may be too strong of a word, how could anyone like what happened!)

Also... I'm not going to mention who was responsible for what happened. That will be almost as shocking, and the reveal of it will be AMAZING! But it won't come for a while.