AN: I've edited the second-to-last paragraph of the last chapter to make it
go with this one. You know where the disclaimer is. I'm sorry for this
chapter being so short, I've been busy lately and wanted to get something
out before I left.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Light in Darkness
"Miss! Miss, you can't go in there!"
Hermione barely turned around, shooting the hapless man a glare that said, rather defiantly, "watch me". Instead, however, of saying that, she shouted over her shoulder, "Ministry of Magic - Hermione Granger, Auror." She pulled her wand from her robes, shedding them as she did to reveal the slacks and blouse she wore underneath.
Harry and Ron Apparated right behind her, and sprinted after her. "Hermione, NO!" Harry shouted after her. "Ron, you take care of the Muggles," he ground out, hurrying after his friend.
"Stupefy!" Ron shouted at the Muggle authorities, casting a group Stupefy over them. "Bloody hell," he muttered at the sheer number of people gathering. "Dad's going to be furious." Dry commentary aside, he began throwing up wards, glamours, whatever he could manage to get people away.
"Hermione, STOP!" Harry yelled, throwing himself at Hermione and tackling her before she got any closer to her house. "There's nothing you can do. I'm sorry."
Her body was wracked with sobs. "It's my fault," she mumbled through her tears, "if I weren't a witch, then this wouldn't have happened."
"Hermione, please. It's not your fault. Come on, we have to get rid of the Dark Mark."
Dully, Hermione stared at him, then turned to the house, squeezing her eyes shut as she pointed her wand upwards, at the Mark.
"On three, then. One...two...three."
"Amolior!" They shouted together, and the Dark Mark began to fade.
"Again...one, two...three!"
This time, Ron joined them in shouting the "forcible removal" spell.
"Amolior!"
"Once more," Hermione murmured, and didn't count this time.
"AMOLIOR!"
The Mark disappeared, and Hermione's tears began to flow again as the whole thing hit her, full force. Her parents were gone.
She allowed Harry to lead her away from the house, and crumpled to the ground again. Ron cast "Ennervate" on some of the firefighters, who began to put out the fire, then headed over to help Harry comfort Hermione.
"'Mione...I'm so sorry. Your parents were great people." Said Ron, voice full of pain for his best friend.
Suddenly, an owl swooped down to perch on Hermione's shoulder, hooting quietly.
"What's this?" Harry untied the note from the owl's leg, then skimmed it over, nodding for the owl to go.
"Arthur's dispatched people to take care of this...situation," Harry said, glancing around at the stupefied Muggles. "It seems that he would like us to go to a Dark Revel."
"No, Harry, we can't..." Ron said, looking worriedly at Hermione.
"We have to. It looks like something's up. And I don't think it's going to make anything worse if we go kick some ass, especially not for Hermione."
"Harry, look at her!" Ron exclaimed. "She's unstable. Her emotions are clouding her judgment. It's not going to help her."
"Would you two stop talking about me like I'm not HERE?" Hermione demanded, interrupting Ron and Harry's hushed conversation. "I'm going," she declared. "Where is it?"
"Hermione..." Ron pleaded with her.
"Ron, I graduated top of our class from the Auror Academy! I'll be fine," she insisted. "I can handle myself, I promise."
He looked at his watch, then sighed reluctantly. "Fine. At least let me give you some Pepper-Up Potion first. We've got an hour or two. I want you to come back to our flat, take a nap and then some Pepper-Up Potion. THEN we'll go."
She looked imploringly at Harry.
"Uh uh," Harry said, shaking his head. "Not only do I agree with Ron on those points, but even if I were to be on your side, you couldn't convince him. Besides," Harry added, "it'll give us some time to catch up, and you can't have gotten all the sleep you're supposed to, what with term starting."
"Oh, alright," Hermione conceded, and the trio headed back to Harry and Ron's flat.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Light in Darkness
"Miss! Miss, you can't go in there!"
Hermione barely turned around, shooting the hapless man a glare that said, rather defiantly, "watch me". Instead, however, of saying that, she shouted over her shoulder, "Ministry of Magic - Hermione Granger, Auror." She pulled her wand from her robes, shedding them as she did to reveal the slacks and blouse she wore underneath.
Harry and Ron Apparated right behind her, and sprinted after her. "Hermione, NO!" Harry shouted after her. "Ron, you take care of the Muggles," he ground out, hurrying after his friend.
"Stupefy!" Ron shouted at the Muggle authorities, casting a group Stupefy over them. "Bloody hell," he muttered at the sheer number of people gathering. "Dad's going to be furious." Dry commentary aside, he began throwing up wards, glamours, whatever he could manage to get people away.
"Hermione, STOP!" Harry yelled, throwing himself at Hermione and tackling her before she got any closer to her house. "There's nothing you can do. I'm sorry."
Her body was wracked with sobs. "It's my fault," she mumbled through her tears, "if I weren't a witch, then this wouldn't have happened."
"Hermione, please. It's not your fault. Come on, we have to get rid of the Dark Mark."
Dully, Hermione stared at him, then turned to the house, squeezing her eyes shut as she pointed her wand upwards, at the Mark.
"On three, then. One...two...three."
"Amolior!" They shouted together, and the Dark Mark began to fade.
"Again...one, two...three!"
This time, Ron joined them in shouting the "forcible removal" spell.
"Amolior!"
"Once more," Hermione murmured, and didn't count this time.
"AMOLIOR!"
The Mark disappeared, and Hermione's tears began to flow again as the whole thing hit her, full force. Her parents were gone.
She allowed Harry to lead her away from the house, and crumpled to the ground again. Ron cast "Ennervate" on some of the firefighters, who began to put out the fire, then headed over to help Harry comfort Hermione.
"'Mione...I'm so sorry. Your parents were great people." Said Ron, voice full of pain for his best friend.
Suddenly, an owl swooped down to perch on Hermione's shoulder, hooting quietly.
"What's this?" Harry untied the note from the owl's leg, then skimmed it over, nodding for the owl to go.
"Arthur's dispatched people to take care of this...situation," Harry said, glancing around at the stupefied Muggles. "It seems that he would like us to go to a Dark Revel."
"No, Harry, we can't..." Ron said, looking worriedly at Hermione.
"We have to. It looks like something's up. And I don't think it's going to make anything worse if we go kick some ass, especially not for Hermione."
"Harry, look at her!" Ron exclaimed. "She's unstable. Her emotions are clouding her judgment. It's not going to help her."
"Would you two stop talking about me like I'm not HERE?" Hermione demanded, interrupting Ron and Harry's hushed conversation. "I'm going," she declared. "Where is it?"
"Hermione..." Ron pleaded with her.
"Ron, I graduated top of our class from the Auror Academy! I'll be fine," she insisted. "I can handle myself, I promise."
He looked at his watch, then sighed reluctantly. "Fine. At least let me give you some Pepper-Up Potion first. We've got an hour or two. I want you to come back to our flat, take a nap and then some Pepper-Up Potion. THEN we'll go."
She looked imploringly at Harry.
"Uh uh," Harry said, shaking his head. "Not only do I agree with Ron on those points, but even if I were to be on your side, you couldn't convince him. Besides," Harry added, "it'll give us some time to catch up, and you can't have gotten all the sleep you're supposed to, what with term starting."
"Oh, alright," Hermione conceded, and the trio headed back to Harry and Ron's flat.