Ch.5: Dead or Alive
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May 2, 1997
"He's dead? Lucius Malfoy is dead?"
"Yes. He was killed the same night Sirius was." Harry answered, hurt flashing across his face at the mention of his godfather.
Hermione thought about that little bit while she stood by the window, the sun hot on her back as it climbed the clear sky. But her hands and feet were numb. Her body was demanding rest but she couldn't. Not yet.
Harry and Ron both had sat down on the steps leading to the upper level of Dumbledore's office.
Alastor and Dumbledore both were quiet. Neither had moved for the past hour. But Hermione knew not to underestimate either one.
Leaning more of her weight on the window seal, she reached up to touch her stinging lip. The cut had reopened twice…
Nobody had noticed since she had used wandless magic, whispering the incantations without much effort, to heal it. It obviously didn't heal all the way since it still stung.
"Is Malfoy and his mother...on their side? Because the driving force for them supporting him had been Lucius. He pushed Draco Malfoy hard. Narcissa was actually the reason, in the end, as to why we definitely stood a chance."
Harry and Dumbledore both turned to stare at her. She understood why. For the past hour, not once had she uttered a word about her world. She had only listened to Harry as he told her of his 5th year.
Alastor let out a small grunt. "Lucius was killed by Alice Longbottom. She was staying late on an assignment I had left her and was actually on her way home to her husband, Frank, when she heard of a disturbance in the Department of Mysteries. She arrived just in time to save Harry from being killed."
"Neville's parents are awake?" Shock. She had known of Neville's family. His parents had been tortured by a group of Death eaters. They had been left in a coma-like state. Not sleeping but also not aware.
Dumbledore stirred and Alastor dropped his scowl.
"Frank and Alice Longbottom are alive and well. What happened to them back in your world?" Dumbledore questioned.
She saw no reason not to tell them. It was better to actually know. She had never had the chance to even see them. Yet, here they lived. They were by Neville's side. She wondered what kind of boy he had grown up to be with the support of his parents instead of his grandmother.
Hermione told them the truth. Genuine sorrow shown on all their faces as she described their state.
"They were still that way when I left. Neville was raised by his grandmother. He grew up the hard way like most of us had. Riddle didn't care that we were students or too young. We were fair game."
A flinch from Ron.
Unlike him, the name didn't frighten Harry, Alastor, or Dumbledore. Hermione tilted her head and let the sun warm her face. She had missed the sun in those months they had spent in the Forest of Dean. Cold, wet, and starving. A shiver wanted to break out but she clenched her fist.
"What happened afterward? Did the Ministry believe Harry's word? Did he show up?" she asked Harry, signaling with her hand for him to go on.
Dumbledore crossed his arms. "He tried to kill James Potter and I followed him to the Ministry."
Hermione's knees buckled.
Harry was there before she hit the floor. Her breath rushed out in shock. She grabbed his shoulder with one arm as he slid his own around her waist. Hermione used her other hand to brush his cheek.
"Your father is alive?"
A sound left Harry's chest as growing anguish filled his eyes. "He is. My mother isn't. They were both gone in your world?"
She nodded. "They were killed on Halloween night when you were a baby. He killed them and tried to kill you next."
"So my mum never stood a chance?"
Hermione's eyes narrowed. She looked past his shoulder and pinned Dumbledore with a glare. "You haven't explained things to him, have you? Where is James Potter? Was Harry living with him all this time or did you leave him with that bloody muggle family!"
No matter how weak she was, or the fact that her legs had given out on her, she pushed Harry aside and shoved to her feet with gritted teeth. But not once did she look away from the old wizard.
"You haven't told him anything, have you?" Quiet words that just barely held her anger. She had come to resent the old wizard over the years. The decision he had taken had been the wrong ones. And in the end, he had died without making anything right. He had left everything up to Harry without preparing him.
"I have made sure that if and when the time-"
"So you haven't. You are a fool, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. I know everything there is to know about you. Unless things didn't happen the same way here, I know. I know about your sister. The reason why she died. I have met your brother, Aberforth. I know about Grindelwald and you. I also know about the truth behind the prophecy."
This time, the old wizard finally lost his calm and serene facade. His strength was something grand, she had known even before and now felt it as he seemed to gather it. But she wasn't intimidated.
Her own magic was untamed. Scattered by pain and rage. She knew no boundaries. She unleashed it. Knowing her body would hate her for it. He took a step forward. Magic was a living thing between them as they faced off.
"Whatever you think you know, child, I am not the same person as the one that you knew. I don't like the things I'm hearing from you. As for Harry, he knows what he needs to know."
She didn't have to answer this time. Another flare of power brushed her skin, one familiar as her own. Harry walked up to them, his magic making the air thicker. She stepped aside, willing her body not to give up on her just yet.
"What is it that I need to know, Headmaster? Does my father know as well? I have the right to know whatever it is you are hiding, especially if it's about me."
Hermione couldn't help her shock once again. James Potter was alive. She wanted to meet the man that had obviously raised Harry in this world. The urge to seek out the man was a living thing.
"Things are obviously not what they seem, Potter. Step back and control yourself. Miss Granger, tone it down. While I don't mind violence, we do have an audience." Alastor cut in, his voice laced with irritation.
Hermione had forgotten about the portraits. They were usually loud, drawing a lot of attention. But Hermione hadn't paid them mind. They were also known to have other portraits far and wide. Words could spread easily through them.
"My father needs to come here. Or we go to him. I have known that I have been kept in the dark for years but that stops now. The Order has to be told and I want to know everything. If not by you then her."
All three of them had calmed down but it was clear that she had stirred a hornet's nest. She walked away before she lost all control.
"Things won't be kept in the dark, Dumbledore. I don't trust you. I don't trust any of you. Make sure that the Order is warned. There is something I will have to do to each and every one of them, plus you four, that will have consequences if broken. I'm not lenient. Too many lives had been lost to the loose tongue of one. I won't allow that to happen this time around."
Dumbledore was staring intently at her but she wasn't one to be intimidated or stared down into submission.
She stared right back. "He will know either way. I won't allow him to work blind. Harry, finish telling me about the battle."
"After the battle, the Minister arrived with the rest of the ministry workers and press. They all had a look at him. But the Minister pushed forward and took advantage of the situation. But the damage had been done. Nobody trusts him, now but nobody else wants to take the position of minister since Riddle has been killing off anyone who even dares to think it." Harry told her, his displeasure still tainting his tone.
"They want the Headmaster to take over but he won't do it. Only Riddle and Bellatrix escaped that night. I spent the summer with the Order while my father led the Auror's on raids. At the start of this year, we found out that Umbridge was going to leave her post here but still has the right to come unannounced to make sure the students haven't left the premises of the school. She usually comes early in the day or around Dinner time."
Hermione wasn't worried about the old toad. She wasn't even a blip in her mind.
"As of right now, Riddle is trying to kill me."
"He was always trying to kill you," she whispered as her body began to slowly shut down on her.
Harry came into her line of sight once more, bending down as she slowly fought to stay conscious.
"Rest. You may not trust me right now and I think I understand why. But you won't last much longer if you continue to push yourself. You'll just hurt yourself more and for what?"
Hermione's eyes blurred and she suddenly clutched his school shirt. "I'll kill even you, Harry if you betray me."
"I believe you."
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Ch.6 will be up soon, thank you for reading! By the way, this fanfic might end up being a lot longer than I had planned.
Feeback is my motivation. But it also makes me want to upload faster.
Vanee
lia. : She gets better. Somebody is going to push her too far and...
ZoeyOlivia: I agree. He was better off with Brown. Hermione was way too good for him.
JuliaBa: I don't know if you would like to know but the other Hermione...nvm. You'll just have to read on.
Shola2001: Join the club. We have shirts with Ron's face on a donkey's...For being an...to Hermione.
Convalla91: Intrigued you say...my job here is done, folks.
