"Bye, Mum, Dad, I'll be back by supper time!" Hermione shouted from her family's living room.
"Bye, you have enough money?" Mrs. Granger asked.
"Yes, Mum," Hermione said, and then apparated to Diagon Alley.
Hermione took out her wand, and tapped the right brick that would lead her into Diagon Alley itself. The archway opened and Hermione stepped into bright sunlight. She looked around, heading straight for Madame Malkins Robes for All Occasions. She stepped inside, a little bell clanging as she opened the door.
"May I help you?" Madame Malkins asked.
"Yes, I would like some new robes, all I have are my old school robes, and if I am to be a Professor, I need new ones," Hermione explained.
"Oh, right this way," Madame Malkins, said, leading Hermione into the back.
A tape measure began to measure Hermione up and down, while Madame Malkins, brought back a huge assortment of fabrics. She set the fabrics on a small table in front of Hermione and clapped her hands twice. The tape measure fell to the floor.
"Pick as many as you would like, and you may have any design you'd like as well," Madame Malkins said, heading back into the front room.
Hermione stepped off the stool and walked over to the small table. She looked over the fabrics, contemplating over which one's would suit her the most. After she had chosen seven robes, she brought them over to Madame Malkins. Madame Malkins then brought the robes behind a curtain, and within ten minutes, Hermione had newly made robes.
"I would also like a cloak," Hermione said.
"Ok, I only have three colors left, blue, black, and purple," Madame Malkins replied.
"I'll take blue and black," Hermione said.
"Just a minute," Madame Malkins said, heading back into the small room behind the curtain. She came back a few minutes later, and handed Hermione her two new cloaks. "That will be 50 galleons and 4 knuts."
"All right," Hermione said, dishing in her purse for the money.
"Thank you, have a nice day," Madame Malkins said, handing Hermione her packages. Hermione put her cloaks under her arm, and her robes in a bag. She then headed over to Flourish and Blotts to look at a few books. She became immersed in a book and before she knew it, an hour had flown by.
"Hermione, is that you?" A voice said behind Hermione. Hermione turned around and found herself face to face with Ron.
"Ron! How has your summer been?" Hermione asked, putting the book away.
"It was great, I'm waiting for Kate, she's buying her school books," Ron replied.
"Well how was your vacation in Romania? When did you get back?" Hermione asked.
"A few days ago, it was ok, Charlie's getting married in September to a girl named Marissa," Ron said.
"Oh, well tell him congratulations," Hermione said.
"I will, so how have things been between you and Harry?" Ron asked.
"Great, I'm meeting him at the Leaky Cauldron at around 1:30," Hermione said.
"Well Hermione, it's already 1:27," Ron said, looking at his watch.
"Well come along then, Harry would love to see you again," Hermione said, heading out of the bookstore.
"Sure, let me grab Kate. Ginny's probably at the Leaky Cauldron anyways, with Draco," Ron said, saying the last word with disgust.
"How is Ginny?" Hermione asked.
"She's great, she's real excited that Draco is the new Defense against the dark arts teacher," Ron explained.
"He is? Well that is something isn't it?" Hermione said.
"Yes, I heard you and Harry were getting married," Ron said, taking Kate's hand and a bag full of books from her.
"You're getting married, can I see the ring?" Kate asked.
Hermione held up the ring and Kate gasped. Ron rolled his eyes and held open the door for the Leaky Cauldron for the two girls.
"Harry, guess who I have with me," Hermione said, rushing into Harry's arms. Harry took her packages from her and put them on a bench at a table he had reserved.
"Ron! I was wondering if you would show up," Harry said, spotting his friend.
"Harry! Good to see ya!" Ron said, leading Kate over to the table. "Mind if we join you?"
"Sure, so how's work?" Harry asked.
"Dad is so crazy sometimes, but anyways, Harry, I hear you are a great Quidditch Player. Haven't lost a match yet have you?" Ron asked.
"I'll get you free tickets to the next match in Britain," Harry said.
"Sounds great," Ron began.
"Ginny over here!" Hermione shouted, as she spotted a tall, skinny girl with flaming red hair, holding the hand of a blonde haired boy.
"Hermione, Harry, haven't seen you guys all summer," Ginny said, leading Draco over to her brother and friends.
"So Draco, I hear you'll be teaching with Hermione," Harry said as Draco reluctantly sat down. Ron glared at his sister's boyfriend and continued to talk with Kate.
"Uh, yeah," Draco said, taking a sip of some butterbeer that was placed in front of him.
"So, you'll watch after my fiancé for me?" Harry asked.
Ron spat out his butterbeer.
"You'd trust that guy with your fiancé?" Ron asked.
"He hasn't harmed Ginny now has he?" Harry asked.
"Well…no, but still," Ron said slowly.
"You two are getting married?" Draco asked, raising his eyebrow.
Hermione lifted up her finger. Ginny gasped at the ring and Draco just nodded, taking another sip from his butterbeer.
"That rock must have cost a fortune!" Ginny exclaimed.
"That's for me to know and you not to find out," Harry said with a smile.
At that moment many screams were heard from Diagon Alley and many people came running into the Leaky Cauldron. Mother's were carrying crying children, dropping their purchases on the floor, trying to head for the London Street on the other side, but to find it blocked by Death Eaters. Harry jumped up, taking out his wand.
"Stay here," Harry said to Hermione. Hermione stayed seated, but took out her wand anyways.
Draco and Ron followed Harry as he went around the corner to face the Death Eater's. There were a great many wizards already starting to fight off the rampaging Death Eater's.
"Hermione, I though You-Know-Who was gone?" Kate asked, her eyes wide with fear.
"He is gone, but his death eater's haven't all been caught, and Peter Pettigrew is still out there," Hermione said.
"I wish we could do magic over the holiday's," Ginny said.
"We have to get the women and children out of here," Hermione said, staring at the fireplace. "Ginny do you have any floo powder?"
"Yeah," Ginny said, taking a small package out of her pockets.
"Ok, here's what we do, see if the women can apparate home and have them send their children by floo powder to their homes. Kate, start telling that group of women over there, Ginny, you go over to the parlor, and see if there are women there. Take your wands out, I'm sure you wont' get expelled for protecting yourselves," Hermione explained, thinking fast.
"Ok, but what are you going to do?" Ginny asked.
"I'm going to help Harry, now GO!" Hermione shouted. Ginny and Kate sprung into action, rushing over to the women and children.
Hermione stepped into the entryway, finding Draco fighting his own father, Ron and Percy Weasley fighting a tall skinny man, with his hood up and Harry fighting about three men at once. Hermione rushed over and started firing any spell that came to her mind, besides the unforgivable curses. Harry turned around as one of the men he was fighting had red boils pop up all over his body.
"Hermione get out of here!" Harry yelled.
"No, I'm going to help you!" Hermione yelled determinedly
"Just be careful then!" Harry yelled.
"Daddy? Daddy? Where are you?" A little girl of about three yelled.
"Hermione get her," Harry shouted as a Death Eater prepared to grab the girl.
"Stupefy!" Hermione yelled, catching the Death Eater off balance. She grabbed the girl and rushed into the dining area, where most of the women and children had already evacuated. Hermione set the little girl down on a chair and kneelt down to her size.
"Why haven't you headed home like everyone else has?" Hermione asked.
"I can't find my Daddy," The little girl said, starting to cry.
"What about your Mum?" Hermione asked.
"I don't have a Mummy," The little girl replied.
"Can you tell me your father's name?" Hermione asked.
"My Daddy is Allen Marist," the little girl replied.
"Where was the last place you saw your father?" Hermione asked.
"He put me down in here, then walked away. I don't know where he went," The girl explained.
"Did he go to fight the death eaters?" She questioned.
"I don't know."
"What's your name?" Hermione asked.
"I'm Sarah Rae Marist," Sarah replied.
"Well come along Sarah, let's find your father," Hermione said, picking up the small girl once again.
They reached the entryway to find many death eaters unconscious and a few ministry wizards with cuts and bruises, one or two was knocked out. Hermione found Harry, helping Arthur Weasley, lift up the body of Luscious Malfoy and send him off to Azkaban. Harry looked up when he had finished and rushed over to Hermione.
"Are you ok?" He asked.
"Yes, but little Sarah, can't find her father," Hermione said.
"Who is her father?" Harry asked.
"Allen Marist," Hermione replied.
"I've never heard of him, I'll start searching around and see if I can find anyone who knows him or has heard of him," Harry said, leaving Hermione with the small child. Hermione turned and found Ron helping Draco to his feet.
"I can't believe you knocked your father out, I trust you with Ginny now, I'm sorry I ever doubted you," Ron said.
"It's ok, where are the girls?" Draco asked.
"Probably in the parlor," Hermione said.
"Ok," Ron said, heading into the next room.
"Hermione, who is that?" Draco asked.
"Her name is Sarah, her father is Allen Marist, but she has lost him," Hermione replied.
"That is Allen Marist," Draco said, pointing to a death eater on the ground.
"Daddy," Sarah, said, jumping out of Hermione's arms to her father.
"A death Eater?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah, he was in Hufflepuff, a few years ahead of us, but he joined the dark side. He killed his wife, when she refused to join him, so now he's stuck with Sarah, but he's going to Azkaban," Draco explained.
"What will happen to Sarah?" Hermione asked.
"She'll go to a wizarding orphanage," Draco replied.
"How awful. I won't let her," Hermione said.
"You can't raise her, you'll be teaching," Draco said.
"But she can't go to the orphanage," Hermione said, picking Sarah up as some Ministry Wizards went to transport Allen to Azkaban.
"Daddy!" Sarah cried as her father disappeared.
"I'm going to have to take her," A tall man with a black mustache said.
"But where will she go?" Hermione asked.
"To an orphanage, she'll be well cared for there," The man explained. Sarah began to cry, clinging to Hermione's neck. Hermione gently pried the small arms off of her neck and reluctantly handed her over to the wizard. He then disappeared, heading for the orphanage.
"Hermione, her father was a death eater," Harry said, coming up to Hermione and Draco.
"So I heard," Hermione said sadly.
"You couldn't keep that child," Draco said, as Ginny came up, taking Draco's hand.
"I know, but the poor girl," Hermione said.
"You did the right thing," Draco said.
"I hope so," Hermione sighed, as Harry pulled her into a comforting hug.
