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…~'*'~…
The whirlwind of colour dissolved. The three house founders vanished once again and the blackness was gone. Book and necklace clutched firmly in her hands, Hermione felt her feet touch the ground. She opened her eyes…
She was in the Matron's office in the Infirmary. Hermione stood next to a desk with empty jars and measuring scales and an open copy of Witches Weekly sitting on it. Charts of magical remedies and medicines were tacked up on the walls. The beams of sunlight coming from a skylight high above Hermione's head stretched across the small, cluttered room, over the mangled rug lying on the floor to the door that led to the hospital beds. It made the gold doorknob and tiny keyhole sparkle.
With a startling jolt, Hermione realized that there were voices coming from behind the door.
"You! Get back into bed, you're in no fit to lolly gaggle around in your pajamas! And mark my word, if I ever catch you out of it again-"
There was a splutter and a trembling sigh as if the person had lost their ability to speak in their anger. Hermione knew the voice right away. It was the Matron, talking to someone in the hospital beds, and she did not sound happy. Hermione saw her silhouette cross the small, glass window in the door, which was covered with a curtain on the other side.
Just as Hermione was debating whether to run after her or not, she heard another voice that made her heart stop.
"But I have to get up! Dumbledore said that I could! You can't go against his word, he's my headmaster!"
"He may be, but I am in charge of my patients!"
"But I have to find my friends!"
Hermione put a hand to her mouth, astonished that it was Ron who was speaking. He was alive… it had worked.
Not considering the shock she'd cause with the fact that there was no way of knowing how Hermione got into the matron's office without anyone seeing her, Hermione pushed aside her amazement and bolted for the doorknob. With a short struggle, she threw open the door.
Ron, who was sitting up in a bed, a fistful of Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans clutched tightly in his hands and getting ready to chuck the lot at the door, where the Matron left, looked at her. His mouth fell open. The beans were released and scattered all over his bed spread.
Hermione grinned from ear to ear.
"Ron!" she cried, and before she knew what she was doing, she leapt forwards and enveloped him into a tight hug. But Ron didn't hug back; Hermione realized that he felt like stone. Did she really shock him that much?
"Ron, what's wrong with you?" Hermione shrieked gleefully, releasing his shoulders, "I have so much to tell you! I met Pettigrew in the corridors and he gave me this book that belonged to Harry's father and he helped me somehow, by taking the necklace Harry gave me and giving me a new one and I went the classroom where I found Marindernia and-" she paused and stared at Ron. He was still watching her, face pale and mouth open. She smiled and closed it for him.
"Ron, do say something… I've seen you dead once and I don't need you doing an impression of it," she told him jokingly.
It was like Ron snapped back to reality. He blinked, shook his head and looked at Hermione again. Raising his hand, he carefully prodded at her face, as if she was a wax dummy.
"Bloody hell! You're so lifelike. You ramble just like her…" he said distractively.
Hermione sighed in exasperation and swatted his hand away.
"I am Hermione, you idiot! And who are you to say that I ramble, Ron Weasley? I certainly don't need that right now!" she shouted at him. He blinked.
"O-o-okay… Hermione," said Ron quietly, "It's good to say your name again. And I can't believe you're here… everyone thought you were dead for days." He distantly looked around for something to say. His mouth opened and closed several times before he did. "Dumbledore said you went back in time and saved my life. Is that true?"
Hermione looked away. She didn't want to admit it to him… Ron was stuck here, in the infirmary, while she fought Voldemort. She couldn't tell him that, so instead, she avoided his question and searched around for something else to say.
"Where is Sirius? Did he make it all right?" she asked him.
Ron's face fell and he looked defeated for a moment. But then he smiled.
"He's in Siamoen's office right now. When he found out he saved his life-" he said that pointedly, the grin on his face growing wider, "-he hid out there. Siamoen and Dumbledore's at the Ministry, working to get Harry back, so he's safe."
Hermione's heart sank. In her moment of bliss in finding Ron alive, she had forgotten about Harry and that she had brandished him in the past… would he still be here?
"W-where is he?" she asked Ron quietly, almost dreading the answer. Ron lowered his head.
"Azkaban."
The colour drained from Hermione's face.
"What?"
"Fudge brought him there this morning when Dumbledore told him that it was a mistake. I heard him talking about finding a place for him in there," replied Ron heavily, "Fudge doesn't believe that Harry's innocent..."
Hermione scowled, her hate for the Minister rising.
"So… what are we going to do?" she asked Ron. He ran his fingers through his hair, a look of concentration on his face.
"We could… we could owl the Ministry, tell them they've got it wrong. Or we can go to Dumbledore. Maybe he could do something."
Hermione sighed heavily, fighting tears, and leaned
against the bed frame, still folding her arms. He didn't understand at all. The
Ministry was not going to yield their plans for Harry on account of a letter
two students sent them. Ever since last year, Fudge thought Harry was mad. He
thought that Harry's scar was affecting his behavior and that the twinges on
his forehead referred to the insanity that was creeping up on him. Harry, as
well, loathed him all the same. So with Fudge as the Minister, the Ministry
were not about to give Harry up easily.
Hermione was starting to think
that her going back in time didn't help anything.
"I think you should go see Sirius, Hermione, he might want to see you. He wanted to go find you, but… you know," said Ron, "I'll get out of here somehow. The Matron here has got it in for me." He grimaced.
Hermione nodded. Certainly seeing Sirius would assure her. So biding Ron a quick goodbye, she left the infirmary and hurried down the corridor to Siamoen's office.
Hermione realized that the book, James Potter's book, was still tucked under her arm. She forgot she had it, and didn't show it to Ron. But Sirius would like to see it. James was his best friend. She quickened her pace and hurried across the Grand Hall, which was empty, and down winding passageway that led to a small room. She rushed up the dark, unlit corridor and slowed down when she saw the narrow door, which stood slightly ajar.
She pushed open the door, not bothering to knock.
She had only once been in Siamoen's office the day Dumbledore showed her an article from the Daily Prophet, and told her that she could see Harry in the infirmary when she was attacked. Form then and now, the office hadn't changed at all.
She looked around the green-covered room, panting, clutching the book to her chest. The fire was lit behind the headmaster's desk, and behind that desk was Sirius, sitting in the chair. He looked up at her, and his jaw dropped.
"Hermione?" he said roughly.
Hermione walked up to him, a smile tugging at her lips… but it faded almost at once when the flickering light from the fire illuminated Sirius's face. He looked exhausted; his face was pale and gaunt and his eyes were sunken and dark. He had worry lines on his face, making him look like he aged fifty years from the time Hermione had seen him last. But his eyes somehow lit up when he saw her.
"Good lord Hermione, I thought you were someone else!" he exclaimed, getting up from his seat. He hurried out from behind the desk and hugged Hermione, muttering to himself.
"I can't tell you how long I've been waiting. I was in the Infirmary with your friend Ron for a while, but the Matron came round. But Dumbledore-" he let go of her, held her at arms length… and looked at the book she was holding. His face, if possible, went whiter then before.
Hermione smiled.
"I thought you might like this," she said, holding out the book to him.
He took it, turning it wondrously in his hands, mouth slightly open. Hermione thought she could dimly see his old, worn happiness that he only felt in his school days flash by in his sunken face.
"Hermione… where did you get this?" he asked her quietly.
"Wormtail gave it to me, originally. But after I lost it at the Infirmary…" she hesitated, "Helga Hufflepuff gave returned it. Her, Godric and Rowena."
He didn't look surprised. He certainly knew all about what Hermione had did, who she met. Dumbledore probably told him everything.
"I was afraid of that. You had to risk your own life to save mine and Ron's, didn't you? Using the necklace?" said Sirius, shaking his head roughly and looking at Hermione, "It was difficult, wasn't it?
"Yes, but it was worth it… saving the people Harry loves most," said Hermione softly.
Sirius's eyes softened and he frowned. Hermione bit her lip.
"Ron told you he was in Azkaban, didn't he?" Hermione nodded, "Yes, well, Dumbledore's doing all he can to get him out, Siamoen as well. He's on his side, and with the way Fudge is behaving…" he clenched and unclenched his pale hands, "Well, let's just say he's… digging himself a grave. He was no evidence, nothing to go by. The only supporter he's swayed is Lucius Malfoy, and he's only in it for the pleasure of seeing Harry miserable."
Hermione shut her eyes tightly for a moment, clearing her head. Hatred for Mr. Malfoy flooded her blood.
"So that means… Harry can't possibly be freed? I mean, they can't put him down for life imprisonment as long as Dumbledore and Siamoen don't agree with it, can they?" Hermione asked him hopefully.
Sirius watched her, a pained expression on his face. He shook his head, opened his mouth to say something, but-
BANG!
The door burst open. Hermione spun around and felt Sirius fall to the ground in a heap behind Siamoen's desk, looking panic stricken. If anyone found out he was there…
But it was Siamoen, looking out of breath but excited all the same. Hermione's mouth fell open as he looked around the room and spotted Hermione. He squealed and dashed towards her.
"Miss. G-Granger! You must come w-with me, to the hall at o-once! Y-you and… you and-" he cut short, breathing hard. Hermione raised her eyebrows, apparently astonished, "-you and Mr. Black!"
"How d'you know about Sirius?" Hermione demanded at once.
But Sirius pushed himself up and carefully looked at Siamoen, whose face lit up.
"It's done... Fudge and Lucius and the Aurors are in the Hall. You must come and speak to them at once!" he stuttered to Sirius.
Hermione looked at Sirius. He watched Siamoen for a long moment, then nodded. He seized Siamoen's arm and led him to his chair.
"I'll go. You stay here and make sure if Harry shows…" he trailed off and nodded suggestively. Then glanced at Hermione and motioned his hand to the other chair. Hermione smiled and shook her head almost at once, taking a few steps backwards.
"Oh no, I'm coming with you," she told him strictly, "I want to ask Fudge a few questions, on Harry's behalf and mine."
Sirius's shoulders fell. His mouth gapped wordlessly for a few moments before he groaned and muttered an agitated 'all right'.
They left the office, sticking close to the walls and slinking their way to the hall by the means of the shadows made by pillars and statues that where along the corridors. Hermione didn't want to think of what would happen if Sirius was spotted by a student.
It was a very slow progress, but they made it to the owlry. Hermione peered around the corner, into the hall, and saw nothing.
"What will you do if you're spotted?" Hermione asked Sirius nervously as they flattened themselves against the wall.
"We'll find out, wont we?" said Sirius.
He stepped out of the shadows and Hermione anxiously followed.
They walked inside the hall.
About a dozen wizards and witches dressed in Ministry robes stood at the end of the enormous hall, talking in very loud voices and amid it all, various students from all three schools sat curiously at the school tables. Hermione's eyes widened; it must be about the time the feast would start.
Sirius led the way to the front of the hall, Hermione closely following. Whispers and buzzing started at once from all sides, like little hissing fires; a few girls pointed at Hermione. How many people knew about what Hermione had done? Some of the boys gasped and pointed at Sirius; it was a loud scream from a young Norkdernian girl that made the Ministry wizards look around. One of them, Hermione recognized, was Lucius Malfoy.
"Ah, here's the assassin!" said Fudge, stepping out from the crowd of wizards, a look of triumph on his red face, "Here's the very man who murdered those people! Ah, didn't I tell you? He'd fall right into our hands."
The Ministry wizards on either side of Fudge looked apprehensive and doubtful, and when Sirius stopped in front of them, looking quite annoyed, a few of them silently stepped back, without Fudge noticing. Hermione stood nervously and watched a few paces behind Sirius.
"Fudge, you don't know what you're doing. You're wrong," said Sirius loudly, "I did not commit those murders. Peter Pettigrew is still alive; he faked his own death and escaped!"
Fudge looked at him as though he was mad, but Mr. Malfoy glared, a small sneer on his thin, white lips. A thought struck Hermione: if Mr. Malfoy could say that he despised the Potters, could he have hated James and Lily Potter in school? He could not glare at Sirius so dangerously if he hadn't met the fabulous duo, Sirius and James. He would take pride in knowing that James was dead and Sirius felt like his brother had gone. The thought was horrible.
"Great wizards, Black. What happened to you?" said Mr. Malfoy, still with that hideous sneer on his face, "Had a run-in with a few Dementors, or are you just... on the run?"
Nearly all the Ministry wizards laughed.
"And this must be the famous girl that was attacked by that boy," said Mr. Malfoy, looking over Sirius's shoulder.
It took a moment for Hermione to realize that he was indicating her. His cold, grey eyes were narrowed in her direction and Hermione felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. Her encounter with him in the Infirmary was still deep in her mind.
"It's a shame Potter felt the desire to attack one of his closest friends. I must say, you did look rather bloodied up when we found you, Miss… Granger," said Mr. Malfoy softly, "We don't want you dieing in the hands of evil, do we?"
Anger coursed through Hermione's veins. It was a well-known fact that the Malfoy family were true purebloods at heart and thought anything lesser were complete inferior… Muggleborns, like Hermione herself. She knew that one of the reasons Harry hated this man so much was his loathsome comments to Muggle borns. He thought nobody could do anything about it.
Hermione clenched and unclenched her fists, and said, quite angrily, "You'd love that, wouldn't you, Mr. Malfoy? You'd like nothing better than to see a Muggleborn die right in front of you," she took a brave step forwards, towards the face that was baring its teeth, "You probably killed a Muggleborn before, Mr. Malfoy."
She spat his name in disgust. Mr. Malfoy looked livid. The other looked surprised… Sirius, mouth slightly open, was about to speak until-
"STOP!"
The door of the hall burst open. Everyone, the Ministry and the students trembling at the school tables, turned to look at who had barged in. Hermione was bewildered for a moment, because Dumbledore and Siamoen walked inside, looking anxious.
They saw them standing at the end of the hall.
"Wait a moment, Cornelius," called Dumbledore. He started walked down the long, house tables with a pace no old man could possibly have. Siamoen shut the hall door and hurried over to the tables, where several students started to shout his name. He started telling them explanations at once.
It seemed that Fudge didn't want Dumbledore to interrupt. Face pale, he turned around and started talking quietly to the wizards behind him.
"Cornelius Fudge!" said Dumbledore loudly. He came to a halt next to Hermione, not breathing hard from his run but looking very solemn. Sirius stepped to the right, seized Hermione's wrist and pulled her to the side.
But Fudge was still talking in a rush. Instead, Mr. Malfoy spoke to Dumbledore.
"Forgive me for saying so, Dumbledore, but you have no scores to settle with the Ministry. You are forgetting that this is official business-"
"And you, Lucius, are forgetting your place in the Ministry, which does not concern matters such as this," said Dumbledore calmly, but bitterly all the same.
Mr. Malfoy couldn't answer. Dumbledore was much too important to argue with… he stepped aside, very reluctantly.
Finally, Fudge turned around when he realized, with much annoyance, that Dumbledore was waiting impatiently behind him.
"Ah, Albus, old Chap!" he said, replacing his tight-lipped scowl with a most unconvincing grin, "What a surprise to see you here… in this school…"
Hermione had seen Dumbledore angry, but not this angry. There was an absence of the familiar twinkle in his eyes, which were cold. His was tapping his foot and his arms were folding. He looked very unforgiving.
"Slaton and I were working tirelessly at the Ministry with evidence of this ridiculous quarrel for a man who wasn't there!" he said sharply, and Hermione winced at the coldness in his voice, "Tell me, why is that?"
Fudge, who was looking over his shoulder ever since Dumbledore arrived, turned around completely, twisting his hands and licking his lips nervously without realizing it.
"Well, you see, Albus-"
"There is no excuse, Cornelius!" interrupted Dumbledore, "You will be dealt with and you will not be considered a worthy Minister around here any longer!" he stared at Fudge, who was wincing, with fury for a very long moment. Then, with his gaze softening, he looked over his shoulder and called "Mr. Pettigrew, if you please."
Hermione blinked and looked at the hall doors. So did everyone else. The students stopped whispering to Siamoen and looked at the other end of the enormous room in curiosity and even the Ministry wizards went very quiet. Sirius took a small step forwards, looking hopeful.
The doors of the hall creaked open very slowly, like the wind outside opened the doors itself.
Hermione's heart stopped.
A few people screamed.
Peter Pettigrew, nervous and pale, walked inside and shut the door behind him. He looked around the hall, at all the astonished faces around him, and started to approach the Ministry wizards at the front of the hall.
Fudge looked dumbfounded. Mr. Malfoy, on the other hand, looked furious.
"Listen here, Dumbledore! You can't bring him in here! The man's forbidden! He's-"
"-dead?" finished Dumbledore thoughtfully, the familiar glint in his blue eyes returning, "As you can see, Lucius, It is not so."
Peter Pettigrew stopped behind Dumbledore. He took one frightened look at Hermione, then Sirius and dropped his head as if he noticed all the eyes in his direction.
"He's not him!" said Fudge distractedly, "It can't be..."
"Indeed it is him and I will tell you the entire story if you will listen," said Dumbledore.
Personally, Hermione wanted to hear what was going on. She knew that Pettigrew was alive for a few years. But why is he walking in here, amid the Ministry and why did Dumbledore think this is wise?
Nobody answered Dumbledore's question, so he started, with everyone in the hall listening.
"There are ways, as you all know, how assume responsibility of the human mind. You can dominate their body and determine their actions, yet only with an immensely large amount of magical power and strength. And as you know, it is supposed that Mr. Potter attacked Miss. Granger about a few weeks ago, the time in which she spent recovering in the hospital wing. But with a realization, which Miss. Granger herself has experienced, there has been some unanswered questions solved. You see, it wasn't Harry who attempted to kill those people… it was Lord Voldemort."
He got no reaction, mainly because this assumption must have sounded ridiculous if they didn't know what Hermione knew. Fudge opened his mouth to speak, but found that he had nothing to say.
"What do you mean, 'attempted to kill those people'?" asked Mr. Malfoy coldly, "You mean to say, they were… resurrected?"
"In a way, Lucius. Just a little over an hour ago, Miss. Granger fought Voldemort, while he was managing Mr. Potter's body, ruling his mind and causing him to inflict this damage," Hermione felt dozens of eyes flicker to her momentarily, then back to Dumbledore. "Miss. Granger went back in time, a few moments before Mr. Potter would kill two others, and defeated him… in the matter of a few watchful eyes."
"Watchful eyes… what are you talking about, Dumbledore?" spat Mr. Malfoy angrily, "Why do you persist with this ridiculous string of lies?"
Dumbledore ignored him. He looked over at Hermione.
"Do you have the necklace?" he asked her.
Bewildered, Hermione nodded, reached up and pulled it out of the neck of her robes, and as she did, she unmistakably heard Mr. Malfoy gasp. The other wizards weren't sure what to do.
"Ah, you guessed right, Lucius," said Dumbledore, smiling, "Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff and Rowena Ravenclaw were allies to Miss. Granger. They gave her this necklace, and in it holds Godric's most powerful magic. Before he died, he concealed it inside this necklace and hid it from the magical world. But, if truth be told, Salazar Slytherin got his hands on it, replicated it to an almost exact original and stored his most dark powers inside it. You know the story from here on, Lucius."
"I-I gave Godric's necklace to her," said Pettigrew, finally speaking but with a definite tremor in his squeaky voice. He was pointing at Hermione with a quivering finger. "Harry Potter gave her Salazar's necklace as a gift, and h-he didn't know w-what it'd do. So I took it from her when she was sleeping and gave her Godric's necklace."
"So there you have it. Mr. Potter is innocent," said Dumbledore as he looked at Sirius then back to Fudge, "and this man is obviously above suspicion."
Hermione was staring at Mr. Malfoy. She tucked away her necklace, and at once, he realized what they were talking about. It was like he was in a trance. But as he looked around at all the wizards surrounding him, his face, thought pale and tight, went more than slightly pink.
"Is that so? He's innocent?" he barked angrily, looking at Sirius with utter loathing, "Then how did all those people die? All those people in the streets years ago, Muggles and wizards… he killed them with a single curse!"
But then Hermione understood. She couldn't believe that she hadn't thought of it before. Wormtail was innocent. Completely innocent, just like Sirius. He hadn't killed anyone before... not even Cedric, because someone else had done that. The small, balding man who trembled with every movement never wanted to kill anyone and never will.
It was so unbelievably surprising, but true.
"I understand it now!" Hermione burst out in a rush of words, making the wizards around her look at her in surprise, "When I was sent to the classroom where Ron and Sirius were going to be killed, I heard Harry, er, Voldemort talk to them about using this method before… taking control of people's minds and using them for his own purposes. He said that Peter had sent Sirius to Azkaban."
"She's right," said Sirius at once.
"So what if he was telling the truth? What if he took over Peter's mind and ordered him to kill those people, making it look like Sirius had done it?"
Real, authentic realization dawned on the each Ministry wizard's faces. Hermione bit her lip, thinking hard, racking her brain in thought, with Dumbledore smiling at her encouragingly.
"So it was Voldemort who actually killed those people, transformed into a rat and escaped before the Ministry had captured Sirius. It has to be true," said Hermione, finding even her own thoughts surprising.
Fudge looked like he was stunned with a curse, but Malfoy was seething with anger.
"You silly girl!" he snapped irately, "What rubbish! What unbelievable nonsense! Do you really expect the Ministry to believe this? We have evidence that Black had killed Pettigrew! This man," he rounded on Peter, who squealed and stumbled backwards, "is a fraud!"
Amid everything, Dumbledore chuckled lightly.
"Really, Lucius. Are you referring to the single largest piece of Pettigrew that was found on the scene, where he was supposedly slaughtered? Well, I'm afraid that too was a mistake. It seemed very likely that Voldemort, controlling Peter, had cut his own finger off as support of a massacre. He did that then fled from the streets."
"It's true," Peter spoke up, "He cut it off himself." He rolled up his sleeve and revealed his hand, with the absence of one finger. "I've lived with it f-for years."
Fudge, looking quite shocked and white, nodded as though trying to convince himself that all this was true. He swallowed, nodded yet again and said, "Well… that was certainly unexpected. But don't think you'll be getting off so easily, Peter. You'll be sentenced to thirty days in Azkaban."
Hermione looked over at Pettigrew and watched the colour, or what was remaining of it, drain from his face. He replied a quiet approval, and for a moment, Hermione almost felt genuinely sorry for him. But then she remembered that his punishment could be worse and that he deserved it; he had been working for Voldemort, even if it was against his will, for years.
"But Sir!" started Mr. Malfoy. He wasn't too keen on letting Peter off so easily. "Is that it? He's worked with You-Know-Who for years!"
"Lucius, I think that's the point of the thirty days in prison," stated Dumbledore simply, smiling at him.
There was a tense moment in which Mr. Malfoy glared at Dumbledore. It was clear that he didn't think much of Dumbledore as headmaster of Hogwarts. With a disgusted look and a furious snarl, he turned on his heels and stormed down the row of tables out of the hall. A few of the wizards followed him but Fudge didn't.
"Terribly sorry about this all, Dumbledore. It's just difficult to keep on top of things, you know," he said, "Well, I've got to run!"
He started down the tables after Mr. Malfoy. When he was out of earshot, Dumbledore shook his head forlornly and said, quite annoyed, "There's not hope… that man is a dolt."
Hermione would have laughed, but couldn't. Dumbledore turned to her and Sirius, looking very somber. Siamoen came up behind him, looking curious.
"I will go to Mr. Siamoen's office to owl Azkaban… we need to get this sorted out," said Dumbledore, "Sirius, I suggest you follow me."
Then Siamoen piped in, looking anxious. "Albus, will the boy come back? He's our third champion!"
But he didn't answer. He, Sirius and Siamone left down a corridor, all talking very fast, leaving Hermione in the hall alone. But not for long.
Ron, dressed in new robes, came down the staircase at a run. Stopping, he noticed Hermione standing there. He caught a last glimpse of the two Professors and Sirius leaving through a corridor and his face fell.
"Dumbledore won't leave this alone, Hermione. Sirius won't let him," he said softly. He stopped behind her, frowning.
Hermione turned. Tears were threatening to leak from her eyes, and everyone in the hall was watching. She sighed unevenly and shook her head.
"I'm… not so sure."
Hermione was suddenly aware of how exhausted she was. Her limbs ached tremendously... the tears she was holding finally let loose.
"I'm n-not so sure that Harry will come back, Ron."
Ron sniffed and wrapped an arm around his friend. With a glance at all the staring eyes, he steered her our of the hall and up the staircase, on the way to the common room. He was suddenly struck with a thought… what if Hermione was to stay like this? He doubted if Harry could come back so easily… not with Lucius Malfoy around. And then he thought…If only Harry was here.
…~'*'~…
A/N: I'm terribly sorry about not posting his earlier. I've been very busy… I won't bore with you the details. Anyways, ever heard of 'short but sweet'? Well, this chapter was short and sad. But it gets better! Yeah! So hang in there!
Remember when I'd tell you more about my new story? Yes, well, its part of a Series called 'The Love and Deception Series'. The first part of it is a fic called 'Road to Reality', whish I will be posting soon after I've finished Demontarity. Need more info?
It's based on the life of Hermione after Hogwarts. She works with Ron at the Ministry and fights Death Eaters every few nights. And it has a lot of racism towards Muggles because they're breaking into the Magical world. Hermione, naturally, gets treated badly (for example, she wasn't permitted to learn how to apparate). There are a few new characters and, of course, originals, like Draco Malfoy, Neville and Charlie Weasley.
All I can tell you is that it's very unpredictable and quite sad in the beginning. It's much more serious than Demontarity, with a few funny moments, but all of it is very well-written and brilliant. This is something I never dreamed I'd be able to write. By the way, throughout it, there is H/H... but there's a catch.
That's all… I need comments on this story. Just give a few in a review. Thank you.