Now I said I would name those who guessed correctly…unfortunately, that was no one! Lol. But never mind, never mind.

Though I would like to mention those who had some rather…peculiar guesses and some funny ones too.

WannaBArtist – Labyrinth unfortunately not- that's Harry's little conquest!

H.L.Mittermair Voldemort's home? Good guess, but no. His home is much more special and freaky.

HRInuyashaFan16- A boat? Interesting guess…but no. it could have been I suppose…but no, I had something more dangerous in mind.

PissedBeyondRecognition13- not a guess, but see I know I'm evil, and if I wasn't, you wouldn't enjoy the story so much :P

Seekingsomeone- Draco's fangirls…yes…possibly, but not. If it was, I am sure it would have been Draco saying "oh my god," and Hermione would most likely be saying "Shit. I thought I got away from them! Is there a tracer on him?"

So, thanks for the amusing guesses, but of course, you are about to find out what it was they really did see…well in a little while…
for the moment, lets catch up on how Ron and Harry are doing…

The next morning, Harry and Ron headed down to the great hall for breakfast. When they arrived, the entire hall went quiet, and watched them walk over to their table and sit down, slightly confused.

"What's happening?" Harry asked Ginny in a whisper.

"It's Hermione…" Ginny said softly, staring at her plate.

The students started to look away and talk, after goggling for a few minutes.

"What about her?" Ron said quickly, starting to panic.

"She's…been spotted…but-"

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, come with me." Professor McGonagall said sharply, cutting Ginny off. "And you, Miss Weasley, no more gossiping!"

McGonagall started to walk off briskly, leading Harry and Ron from the hall. Again, every student watched them with hawk eyes, but they couldn't tell if they were sympathetic or curious.

The Professor didn't say anything to them as she led them up the stair case and along corridors, until finally she stopped at Dumbledore's office. She walked up the steps, and waited for Harry and Ron at the door. "Be brave." She said, then opened the door for them.

Harry and Ron walked in, completely perplexed and worried.

Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk, watching them approach with sad eyes. Fudge, the minister for magic was sitting in a chair, by the fire, but jumped up when Harry and Ron walked in, as though his backside caught fire.

"Oh…hello boys." He said, fidgeting with his bolar hat.

Harry and Ron didn't look at him, only glanced at Dumbledore.

"What's going on?" Harry began, feeling his stomach knot.

Dumbledore sighed, then began to speak, his eyes heavy. "Miss Granger has been seen."

Harry and Ron's eyes widened. "Wh-"

"Well, at least, Fudge thought it was Hermione." Dumbledore went on, cutting them off.

"I don't understand…" Harry said, sitting down. "Was it Hermione or not?"

"It was a simple mistake Dumbledore!" fudge snapped. "It looked an awful lot like the missing girl-"

"She has a name." Ron growled.

"Calm down Mr. Weasley." McGonagall said, putting her hand on his and Harry's shoulders.

"Listen boys, I sent out a few aurors to look for the girl," Ron glared at Fudge who continued, ignoring him, "and they thought they had seen her near a muggle high school. Well, they went to get her, and while they were, I made a statement to the Daily Prophet, but after I had, they informed me that it was not the young lady."

"But…the Daily Prophet hasn't reported anything about Hermione's kidnapping." Harry said, glaring at the minister who still played with his hat.

"I told them not to report anything because-"

"See Harry, Fudge was going to make the Daily Prophet wait until Hermione was retrieved. Then he would tell them to report of her kidnapping, not mentioning that she was found. Then a few days later he would 'say' they had rescued her, and the ministry would look like hero." Dumbledore said, giving fudge a glare of his own.

Harry was fuming. "You were going to use Hermione as a way to get the public vote?" he asked furiously.

"Well yes…" fudge said, now pulling at his collar. "It was an opportunity-"

"Don't speak of Hermione as an opportunity." Ron spat.

"I didn't mean-"

"I've heard enough. I've had enough. Enough with the ministry, the order, Voldermort" Fudge flinched. "Enough of magic!" Harry stormed out of the office, with Ron close behind him, just as angry.

"Well…" fudge was now more uncomfortable, with the looks Dumbledore and McGonagall were giving him.

"Fudge, you have to tell the Prophet the truth!" McGonagall snapped.

"But that could ruin me…" Fudge said, then wishing he could retract that.

"Ruin you?" McGonagall screeched. "A young girl's life is a stake Cornelius! Frankly, I don't give a damn about you; I just want my brightest student back!"

Fudge and McGonagall glared at each other.

Dumbledore broke it. "Minerva, can you go and check on Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley? We cannot have them riding off to the rescue."

McGonagall nodded sharply, gave Fudge another filthy, then left, charging after Harry and Ron.

Hermione and Draco looked down below them, both of their minds reeling with new danger.

"Could this get any worse?" Malfoy groaned, as he recognized what it was immediately.

"Apparently so!" Hermione mumbled, then something, large and long, moved near the 'wall' and Hermione squealed in alarm. "Close you eyes!"

"Wh-"

Hermione covered his eyes with her hand, at the same time, tightly closing her own. Once she was sure Malfoy's eyes were closed, Hermione took her hand away, and buried her face in her arms, making sure she couldn't see out, but most importantly, nothing could see in.

Malfoy cursed as Hermione's hand blocked out the light. But taking her advice, he glued his eyes shut, and waited for the cost is clear.

Hermione was breathing heavily. Fan-fucking-tastic!

She had heard the story of Harry and Ron in their second year, well, mostly Harry's story, when he had battled Tom Riddle's weapon, his pet, his inherited servant- the Basilisk.

And now, right now, below them, was another one. Hermione remembered reading about the legendary snake, and its power to kill a person, simply by looking them in the eye, or its gift to petrify someone if they looked at it through another object. Then she remembered what had happened when she had seen the beast, feeling that brief moment of terror then her whole body freezing over…Hermione shivered at the memory.

They could both hear the snake as it slithered along the ground, snapping branches and twigs.

Then, before they thought the coast was clear, they heard a roar of surprise, then something falling to the ground, making a loud thump.

The creature had seen the basilisk- no, not only seen, but had made eye contact.

The instant recipe for death - Would you like it served coolly, quickly, or painfully? Hermione thought bitterly.

Beside her, Malfoy was thinking along the same lines.

The snake slithered away, into the far distance. The two waited until they could hear nothing else- not even themselves breathing. Then they opened their eyes cautiously.

"Well, that kicked the dange-o-meter up a few nots." Hermione said quietly.

"More like a few hundred." Malfoy mumbled. "But in a way, that's a good sign."

"And how, pray tell, is seeing the most ferocious and dangerous snake- probably animal, in the world a good sign?" Hermione snapped.

"Well think about it. There are only a couple of Parslemouths in the world. And I only know of two- Potter and Voldermort. Which means either potter got himself a new friend, or Voldermort's got a guardian protecting his property."

Hermione nodded. Yes, that did make sense, though she didn't like it. "But that also means that we'd have to go blind every time we hear it- which also means it could kill us, eat us, and clean its fangs with our bones!"

"Good God Granger, don't have to get so graphic." Malfoy sneered. "I say we continue moving, after the snake."

Hermione's mouth fell open. No force on earth, or indeed, heaven and hell would make her go in that direction. "Absolutely, positively no freakin way!"

"We can stick to the vines and climb higher if necessary." Malfoy said, looking around. He noticed that as high up as they were, the vines still stretched higher, connecting with trees that stood so far up your neck hurt.

"No." Hermione said firmly. "I, unlike you, am not insane, and have something to look forward to in life."

"You're not the only one with goals Granger. Come on." Malfoy didn't wait for her to argue, and simply grabbed a vine, and started jumping like a perfect monkey.

Hermione stood perfectly still on the tree branch. No way was she going to follow this lunatic to curtain death. Her feet were planted firmly on the branch, and she was not moving. At least, not that way. She sat down stubbornly, and watched as Malfoy suddenly stopped, and looked around for her.

"I'm not going that way!" Hermione shouted, her arms folded across her chest.

She heard Malfoy curse. "Why are you so bloody difficult?" he yelled, swinging back over and hovering in front of the branch on his vine.

Hermione shook her head. "No." she repeated.

Just then, as a full force fight was about to occur, Hermione spotted an owl flying towards them. She gasped when she saw it was a replica of Hedwig.

Then she screamed when she saw a burst of light come from somewhere far away, and the owl screeched, before falling to the ground.

Without thinking, or waiting for Malfoy, Hermione grabbed a vine and slide down to the ground, Malfoy in confused pursuit.

Hermione ran with all her strength in the direction she had seen the owl go down. She jumped over roots, ran through bushes, not caring that they tore her skin apart, ran along the edge of a bog, almost slipping in, and down a small hill.

She didn't stop to wait for Malfoy. Hermione only kept running with one thing on her mind- Harry and Ron must have replied to her letter.

Then her mind froze. She wasn't sure it was Hedwig. There are tons of snowy white owls…it could have been any one of them. But she knew she would never, ever forgive herself if it was Hedwig, and she simply walked the other way.

She approached another, larger bog and stopped in her tracks. Something small, carrying a light was heading away. The light swayed in the mist, and gave Hermione a feeling of warmth. She was about to follow when she remembered something she had once studied back at Hogwarts.

"They lure travellers into bogs, carrying lights. The person follows the light and then it is too late-"

A Hinkypunk!

She stopped herself from following the light, and looked around herself. Draco caught up, and was panting hard. "What the…bloody hell…was that…about Granger?"

Hermione shrugged. "I thought I saw…" her voice trailed off as she decided in a direction and ran. Malfoy cursed before running after her.

They came to a clearing, and Hermione approached slowly. Something white was lying on the ground, not moving. She fell to her knees when she was close enough to see it was a snowy owl. But it wasn't Hedwig. This owl had a brown patch around one eye. This owl, however, was carrying a letter, that was still clutched in its claws.

Hermione slowly reached out and was just getting the letter from the claws when Malfoy arrived, still panting and very angry.

"Now, what the-" Malfoy cut himself off, watching curiously as Hermione took the letter and read who it was addressed to.

Gale.

The name meant absolutely nothing to Hermione. She had never met a Gale before, but curiosity was still pulling at her mind, begging her to read the letter. No, she couldn't! it was private! Someone else was meant to see this letter, not her…

"Well go on Granger." Malfoy snapped from behind. "You dragged us all this way so read the damn thing!"

"But its not addressed to us." Hermione said quietly.

"So?" Malfoy asked, as though that really mattered. He read letters that weren't addressed to him all the time. It was actually a favourite pass time of his.

"I…" Hermione sighed and carefully tore the wax seal and unfolded the letter. Carefully Hermione read the letter quietly to herself, and gasped when she was finished. She looked up at Malfoy in complete horror.

"What is it?" Malfoy asked, his stomach knotting. "What does it say?"

Hermione shook her head, shaking. She held the letter out, and Malfoy snatched it and read it to himself.

Gale,

We both saw them here. I don't know where they stayed, but this town reeks of the mudblood- it is the dominant smell now. I do not know where they're headed- your direction I presume. The Blond one is with her, and they seem touchy…

Could you please make sure Hormel doesn't take this owl out of the sky? It's the fifth one this week!

Baley.

Malfoy was pissed. Not only did that mean they were being followed, but it meant someone called him 'the blond one'! The absolute rudeness!

Hermione sat cross-legged, her legs falling asleep underneath her. She stared at the owl, and felt a pang of pity for the creature. It had been killed delivering a letter. And she felt salty tears cloud her vision when she recalled the letter saying the town 'reeks of the Mudblood.'

As an automatic reaction, Hermione smelt her clothes. Okay, fair enough, she didn't smell like a rose petal, but she was trapped in a swamp without clean water to bathe in. What was a girl to do?

Harry and Ron stormed down the stairs of Dumbledore's office and along the corridors. They walked so fast that the backs of their legs burned. Other students watched them curiously as Harry and Ron walked angrily through Hogwarts and outside into the sun.

McGonagall, huffing and puffing as she tried to match their speed, had to ask another student which way they had gone. Her legs felt old and broken as she approached the entrance hall. After glancing into the great hall, and seeing they weren't there, she headed outside, and saw them both charging towards the Black Lake.

Minerva's robes trailed along the ground behind her as she trotted after them, trying to run, but not fall, and yet manage to look elegant.

Harry stopped underneath a large tree and through himself angrily against the trunk. He shouted in frustration as he slid down. Ron, feeling as much pain as Harry sat down in a huff and began pelting rocks along the smooth morning water of the lake.

"Mr…Potter, Mr…Weasley!" Minerva said relieved as she reached them, clutching a stich in her side. "I am so…glad I…caught up…with you." She covered her mouth and coughed.

Neither Harry nor Ron was looking at her. Both were staring at the lake, looking like they hoped Hermione would magically walk out of the water and greet them.

A group of first years were sitting a few meters away, and watched the scene with interest and fright. None of them had ever seen McGonagall pant, or Harry Potter look so angry and frustrated.

"Dumbledore sent me to…make sure you two are alright." Minerva said, getting her breath back.

"We're just fine!" Harry snapped, his facial expressions and sarcasm giving him away dramatically.

"Mr. Potter, do not take that tone with me!" McGonagall snapped. "Fudge is just…he's just…" but she couldn't find the right words. So sighing, she sat down next to Harry and Ron, her legs stretched out in front of her. "It is frustrating isn't it boys?" she remarked softly. (A/N isn't it a great image of Professor McGonagall? Lol)

Ron nodded while Harry remained quiet. "Yep." Ron said dully. Ron picked a particularly smooth rock and pegged it across the surface. All three watched and counted as it skimmed the water. It sunk after nine bounces.

Harry felt like the rock was his hope- every bounce for all the times he thought they could get Hermione back safely, then, eventually, all hope just sinks. Ron was thinking along the same lines.

Ron had just thrown another rock, when something popped up out of the water and looked around widely. When it spotted them, (Ron with another rock in his hand ready to go) the thing scowled deeply and rubbed its head and shook its fist at them.

"I think you hit it on the head." Minerva said watched as the animal sunk back below the surface.

"I. don't. care." Ron said angrily, throwing another rock. "He can be hit…on the head…as many…times…as I want!" every time Ron broke, he threw another rock.

But without noticing, he grabbed one rock, and then after throwing it had grabbed one of the first year's work books and sent it flying into the water before it registered.

"Hey!" a boy shouted. "I was using-" the boy cut himself off as Ron glared at him. "That." He finished weakly.

"Mr. Weasley, fetch him the book!" Minerva said sternly.

Ron mumbled as he waddled into the water, angrily pushing the water away. (of course this was pointless, but he felt better anyway.) He was waist deep, and reached out to grab the now soaking book.

He dragged it back through the water and threw it at the boy who ducked as droplets of water and his book soared over his head.

McGonagall glared at Ron who just sat back down.

Then, as though the time of day hit her, McGonagall stood up and barked at the first years to get to class. "Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley, come on. Transfiguration will begin shortly."

Harry and Ron felt a pang of sorrow as they both noticed how much the professor sounded like Hermione.

So they all marched back up to the school, and inside, towards their class room.

When they arrived, everyone was already there, leaning lazily against the wall and glancing up and down the corridors.

"oh, finally." Someone muttered.

"20 points from slytherin!" Minerva snapped as she spun and saw one of Pansy Parkinson's friends glaring right back at her.

They all filed into the room, Harry and Ron taking their sets at the back of the class. McGonagall sat behind her desk and watched Harry and Ron carefully throughout the lesson. She appeared by their sides when they seemed lost, and was too helpful when showing them how to perform the spell.

"No, no, no Mr. Weasley." She said kindly. "Not flick, swish, jab. It's a slight jab, then swish and flick."

McGonagall had no idea how much that annoyed and disturbed Harry and Ron. Both glanced at each other sadly for a moment, before trying the spell again.

"Swish and flick." Ron said softly so only Harry could hear. "Wingardium Leviosa." He said, even more sadly, saying it almost exactly how Hermione had said it in their first year.

His quill levitated before him. Its thanks to Hermione he knew that one.

There was a knock at the door. McGonagall walked over and opened it to see Professor Snape staring back.

"Minerva." He said quietly, so the nosey slytherins near by couldn't hear him.

"Severus?" McGonagall replied curiously.

"Dumbledore wanted me to check how Potter and Weasley are doing." Snape said in a very board voice. "And," he added, lowering his voice so low that McGonagall had to come closer to hear him, "To know if they are coming to tonight's meeting."

Minerva shrugged. "What meeting?" she asked distracted as she glanced in the boys direction.

Snape sighed in frustration. "You remember Minerva! The order-"

But McGonagall had zoned out. She was thinking about Harry and Ron, and how she blamed herself for Miss Granger's disappearance. It was, anyway this class that she had sent Miss Granger outside to speak with the two men. She had scolded herself so many times for that fatal mistake. It was because of her that Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley are missing their friend, and Hogwarts is missing its brightest student.

"Is gathering tonight to discuss the next action-" Snape continued.

Minerva was muttering to herself. "All my fault…order meeting?"

"To recover Miss Granger,"

"My fault."

"And Dumbledore thinks we have a solid plan…though he wasn't very forthcoming…" It was only now Snape realized Minerva had a glazed look on her face, and was not at all paying attention to him. Snape very much disliked being ignored! "So I slept with the student and we now have a chi-"

"I slipped up- what?" McGonagall snapped flicking her eyes at Severus who smirked.

"Oh yes. The child it very attract-"

"Severus, you had better be joking!" McGonagall threatened.

The entire class was silent, after hearing Snape's comment and now watched with some amusement, and some frightened glances at Pansy. Go Figure. (a/n sorry to all Pansy lovers out there…sorry!)

Harry and Ron goggled at Snape, before starting, like with the rest of the class, to giggle and snigger.

"Oh pur-lease!" Pansy snorted. "Like anyone would have a kid wit-"

"Miss Parkinson, mind your own business and stop nosing into other people's conversation!" McGonagall snapped without turning around. To Snape, she added in a low growling voice, "Never say that again Severus."

Snape smirked. "Well you weren't listening to me!"

"Don't you dare try and blame that on me!" Minerva shrieked.

"This was important Minerva!" Snape hissed.

"Oh for goodness sake Severus! Couldn't you just wait for a few minutes? Class is almost over!" Minerva sighed.

Snape scowled. "I was sent by Dumbledore- not here on pleasure-" Snape looked past her at the class she had. "I have these next anyway. Just inform Potter and Weasley about the meeting." With that, he turned and strutted down the corridor, his robes billowing behind him.

McGonagall sighed. God that man was impatient! And rude! She turned sharply and saw the entire class staring back, all smiling and smirking. "Back to work!" she snapped.

The class jumped as one, and started fumbling with their quills to hurriedly start writing their notes. Minerva swooped over to her desk and sat down, marking essays. Harry and Ron were amazed at how much she looked like Snape- in fact they had the feeling she was mocking the potions master.

The bell rang, and everyone eagerly packed up, all wanting to spread the gossip about Snape- though they knew it wasn't true. But hey, anything on Snape was good enough.

"Potter, Weasley, stay behind, I need to talk to you." McGonagall called as everyone headed for the door.

Harry and Ron looked at each other before approaching the teachers desk. "Yes Professor?" they said in unison.

"Professor Snape just was here to inform you two of an Order meeting that is taking part tonight, at nine o'clock. And you two have been invited, so there is no use sneaking in." Minerva added sharply.

Harry and Ron nodded. "But I thought Dumbledore…" Harry trailed off.

McGonagall smiled. "Potter, you do not seriously believe Albus would allow two of his students to go missing and not do anything about it?"

"So they're including Malfoy in this?" Ron hissed.

McGonagall looked at him sharply. "Of course Mr. Weasley. You may not like the young man, but he is a student of this school none the less. We suspect they are togeth-"

"We know they are." Harry said quietly.

Minerva looked at him strangely. "I beg your pardon Potter?" then she almost scowled. "Just because you are not fond of Mr. Malfoy does not mean he had anything to do with the kidnapping of Miss Granger."

"I didn't mean it like that Professor." Harry replied softly.

"Then just what did you mean?" McGonagall asked. Clearly she was out of the loop.

"I think Dumbledore could explain it." Harry answered wirily. "He could say it so much better than I could."

Minerva surveyed the-boy-who-lived and closed her eyes deep in thought. Now all the anger inside him was burning away, and was being replaced by quietness and bottling up. Then she gasped. The five stages of accepting death! Harry had passed a few. She fit his behaviour with the five guide lines.

. Denial
· Anger
· Bargaining
· Depression
· Acceptance

Just as she was about the compare, Ron spoke. "Er anything else Professor?"

"Oh what? Oh no, Mr. Weasley, nothing more. You are free to go." McGonagall replied distracted.

Harry and Ron left, slightly confused. Just as they closed the door, McGonagall whipped out ink, quill and parchment and wrote the five stages that most people go through when either hearing they're about to die, or hearing someone they know is about to die.

So, now she compared them to Harry. She placed a small tick next to Denial. Yes, Harry had been in denial for a few days, wondering around the castle looking lost and confused…

Next. Anger. Well, he had certainly showed that. No explanation needed. Another small tick.

Bargaining. Well, he had sort of tried to bargain- try to get Hermione out, and offer himself up…yes, he had bargained.

Depression…not so much. No, Harry was approaching that stage- unless she did something about it. And by Merlin, Minerva McGonagall intended to do a lot about it!

Long-ish, and I know it was mostly about Harry and Ron again, but I had to fill you in on their movements, and Harry's unfortunate 5 stages of death. Sorry if this offends someone, who has gone through these stages…it was untended if you read it thinking I was insulting or making fun of it for some reason.

So, hopefully, new chap soon.

Aj.