Author: Laurel
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action/Adventure
Summary: Hermione is captured by Voldemort and Ron accidentally follows her through the set-up Portkey. How will Harry survive with both of his best friends gone and likely never coming back? Angst, adventure, the Dark Arts, stubborness, pain, fighting, surprise, and beauty follow this trail of events...
Disclaimer: the characters belong to the goddess JKR... only the plot belongs to me.
Author's note: Brownie points to whoever figures out the Latin title. Heehee... I love doing that.
Just try to figure out what all this is for
Pinch me, pinch me 'cause I'm still asleep
Please God tell me that I'm still asleep
-Pinch Me, Barenaked Ladies
3:27 AM"Imperio." A whispered word. The scratching sound of a quill among soft snores. Another whisper. The quiet footsteps to the window and the swooshing of air behind a broom. That was all.
*****
3:27 AM
"AAAARRGH!" Harry woke up to a scream of pain, then realized with a flash of blinding pain that his scar felt like it was killing him, and that the scream was his. Then he remembered his dream-
"Harry, what's wrong?" Ron mumbled, still half asleep, ears ringing.
The scarred boy scrambled feverishly for his clothes and gasped, "Herm- he took Hermione-"
Ron sat bolt upright at that, then jumped out of bed and dressed, grabbing his wand, in a hurry. Ever since that summer, he and Hermione had been a couple and were just crazy for each other.
They raced up to her dorm and saw the innocent-looking note lying there on her bed. Ron said quickly, "Look, Harry,-" grabbed it, and vanished. Harry stared for a moment, then shook his head and blinked, then realized it was a Portkey. He levitated it in front of him and ran downstairs to find Professor McGonagall looking frantically about. At the sight of him, she stopped.
"Potter, what in the world is going on?" she demanded.
"Professor, I had a dream that Voldemort put Hermione under the Imperius Curse and made her write a note, then turned it into a Portkey. I screamed because my scar hurt and Ron and I got up and he took it - the note - before I could stop him. Professor, we have to do something! They escaped by broom-" Harry said all this very quickly in one breath, looking anxious.
The Professor, for an answer, grabbed his hand and they sprinted the long distance to Dumbledore's office. She gasped out the password ("Ton-Tongue Toffees") and they came to the familiar circular room just as an adjoining door opened and the Headmaster poked his head out.
He took it in at a glance. Harry and McGonagall were both panting, flushed, and looking flustered and worried at the same time. "My, my, what seems to be the problem?" Dumbledore asked concernedly.
The female Professor shot a glance at Harry, who explained everything in a rush. Dumbledore looked from one to the other. "Well, this is a most interesting situation," he said at last.
*****
3:41 AM
"So are you sure there's nothing we can do now?" Harry asked desperately.
He, McGonagall, and Dumbledore were still sitting in the latter's office. He had questioned Harry about the details, bringing back some things forgotten about the nightmare ("What kind of broom were they on?" "I couldn't see the name, but it left faster than my Firebolt, I think").
"Yes, Harry, I'm sure. I will send an owl to the Ministry asking for the most experienced Aurors to go through the Portkey and find some way to bring them back. Now, I suggest you go to sleep and carry on as usual. Here- have some of this." Dumbledore handed Harry a small vial of white potion. "It's only Sleeping Potion, and will take effect when you are lying down."
Harry drained the bottle. Stifling a yawn, he asked, "Can't I go with them, though?"
McGonagall shushed him. "Of course not, Potter, now let's get you back to bed." She ushered him through the door, nodding to the Headmaster ("Thank you, Minerva"), and left.
*****
7:24 AM
Harry tumbled out of bed, looking around. His roommates were getting dressed or just waking up, but Ron wasn't there. Huh... wierd... maybe he just went down early- He gasped, remembering the night before. Seamus, Dean, and Neville looked at him, so he explained everything as they finished up and went down to breakfast.
"Wow!" Neville said, wide-eyed. "And it's only the first day of school, too!"
Harry nodded glumly, while Seamus, Dean, and Neville made up ridiculous stories about what could have happened to Harry's best friends. As they sat down to eat, Fred and George bounded over ("Where's ickle Ronniekins and his girlfriend?") and he had to tell the story for the fourth time, which he was getting sick of quickly.
Harry passed through his classes in a half-blur. Finally, after lunch, he was called up to Dumbledore's office again. There were three wizards and two witches standing over the note, talking to the Headmaster. He didn't recognize any of them.
Dumbledore stood up, smiling. "Harry, I would like you to meet Ella Crikspy, Dorman Silverwing, Tinel Malero, Ona Kergola, and Joshua Urshan. They are excellent Aurors prepared to track down Hermione and Ron. Aurors, this is the famous Harry Potter." They all smiled at him.
"Hi," Harry managed.
The one called Dorman Silverwing stepped forward. "Harry, we'd like to ask you some questions, okay?" Harry nodded. "What do your friends look like?"
"Well, Ron's tall, and has really red hair, and Hermione has bushy brown hair and the straightest teeth I've ever seen..." he trailed off, not being able to think of any more distinguishing features.
"Did you see the note in your dream and what was written on it?"
"Yeah, but I couldn't read it, the angle was wrong. But it was Hermione's handwriting."
"Was there any talking?"
"Voldemort said, 'Imperio,' and something else that I couldn't hear."
"What do you think it was?"
"He probably turned the note into a Portkey..."
"Do you know what the spell for that is?"
"No."
"Did you see anyone else?"
"No."
"Could you hear anything else?"
"Um... snoring, and footsteps, and air swooshing."
"Whose footsteps?"
"Hermione's walking toward the window."
"What was the air swooshing?"
"A broom taking off."
"Who was on it?"
"Hermione and Voldemort."
"Was she still under Imperius?"
"Yes, I think..." Harry shuddered.
"What kind of broom was it?"
"I couldn't see, but it went faster than my Firebolt."
"Did they leave anything besides the note behind?"
"I don't think so."
"Okay, that's it. Thanks." Dorman Silverwing turned away and to the Portkey on Dumbledore's desk.
"Good luck," the Headmaster said softly.
One of the Aurors straightened up, took a deep breath, and touched the Portkey.
And stood there, clutching it, puzzled, as tears rolled quietly down Harry's cheeks in hopelessness.
*****
7:54 PM
"So it didn't work?" George asked, looking worried.
Harry shook his head numbly. "Dumbledore said it must have had a time limit on it."
"You know, for once I actually hope that Ronnie gets back alive," Fred remarked.
Why didn't I go with them? Why? I am the stupidest person alive! Harry thought, smacking himself mentally. He had been doing this ever since the Portkey hadn't worked for the Aurors and was feeling very guilty indeed.
"This really sucks..." George said softly.
"Don't worry, Harry. We will get them back," Fred said in a burst of feeling.
"I hope so," Harry muttered.