Disclaimer: See Chapter 1. A/N at end.

Some Scars Never Fade

WendyNat

Chapter 19

~~~~~~~~

The shock didn't last long.

"Macmillan! Explain yourself!" Kingsley's deep voice rang out as he strode forward. Ron and Tonks followed closely behind him.

"Why did you leave your post?" Ron asked in a hard voice. Ernie stopped and looked at them questioningly. Not wishing to delay any longer, Ron grabbed the other Auror's robes and pulled him along with them as they continued towards the Apparition point. "Well?" he snapped.

Ernie stumbled along, looking at Ron incredulously as he said, "You sent Katie to relieve me, she told me…"

"Katie? Katie Bell?" Kingsley asked, snapping his gaze to Ernie's face. Ernie nodded. "Imbecile. I sent her on another assignment this morning, in France. Damn!" They had reached the Apparition point, and Kingsley fixed Ernie with a hard stare. "We don't have time to question you further right now. Apparate to the Ministry office, and go to my office. Do not leave until I come get you. I don't care if Katie, Tonks, Ron, Minister Fudge, or – hell - even Merlin himself comes, do you understand me, Auror Macmillan?" Kingsley's voice rose at the end to a near shout, and Ernie paled in response, nodding silently before disappearing with a pop. The other three disappeared a split second later.

"Oh, Merlin!" Tonks breathed as they entered the lobby. There was a residual scent of smoke in the air, and the majority of the Potions department was standing in the room. Not seeing Hestia or Hermione, the three Aurors immediately took off down the hallway, heading for the labs.

They reached Hestia's office first. Kingsley waved Tonks towards the door while gesturing for Ron to follow him down the hall. Tonks pounded on the door but received no response. Wasting no time, she whipped out her wand and whispered, "Alohomora!" The door flew open.

"Oh, Gods – Hestia!" Running to her friend's side, she knelt down and felt for the dark-haired woman's pulse, her heart in her throat. It beat under her fingers, steady and strong, and she breathed a sigh of relief as she looked her friend over with a critical eye. She didn't appear to have any injuries… possibly just Stunned? Worth a try, Tonks thought, as she lifted her wand and pointed it at Hestia. "Ennervate."

To Tonks' great relief, Hestia's eyes fluttered open. She looked up at Tonks, confusion written in her features.

"What the bloody- Tonks? What-" Hestia began when Tonks interrupted her.

"No time – come on," Tonks ordered, dragging her to her feet. She rubbed the back of her head, wincing, as she followed Tonks from the office. "Where's the last place you saw Hermione?"

"The lab… what happened? One minute I was looking through my files, the next I'm waking up with your wand in my face," Hestia said. "And with one hell of a headache," she muttered, once again rubbing the back of her head as they headed to the lab. "What's all the smoke?"

Tonks shook her head. "We don't know. A cover, most likely. We've got to find Her-"

"Hestia!" A shout from down the hall halted them in their tracks. Turning, they saw Justin Finch-Fletchley racing towards them. "I saw… you… but… it wasn't… you…" he panted, trying to catch his breath. "See… look," he gasped, holding out his hand. There were a few strands of short brown hair clutched in it. "Herm… they took her… don't know where… or who…"

"What-" Hestia began before Tonks silenced her.

"Slow down, Justin… catch your breath," Tonks ordered. They waited impatiently, Hestia tapping her foot, while he slowly brought his labored breathing under control. As he opened his mouth to speak, Kingsley and Ron appeared. Tonks waved them to silence. "Start at the beginning, Justin. Anything, any detail, could be important."

"I was heading to Hermione's lab after the accident, to make sure you two were all right," Justin said, glancing at Hestia. "I saw Hermione and Katie Bell come out of the lab, and then Hestia pushed me aside and took them out the side emergency door… the one there, at the end of the hall," he clarified when he saw the Aurors' questioning looks. "I thought it was kind of weird – normal procedure is to head to the lobby – but then I noticed Hestia's robes."

Hestia looked at him strangely. "What are you talking about?"

"She… he… whatever… was wearing green robes. I remembered you were wearing black robes earlier." Hestia's eyes narrowed suspiciously, and he said, "Well, you reminded me of Professor Snape, the way you billowed out of there with your black robes on – it stuck with me, especially after Hermione told me… never mind. Anyway, I followed… and I was right. It wasn't Hestia."

"Go on," Kingsley said. Ron was practically bouncing with impatience beside him, his fists clenched tightly, his blue eyes snapping fiercely.

"When I opened the door and stepped out… I saw Herm… she was on the ground, looked like she'd been Stunned. I ran up behind the two before they noticed I was there… I saw Hestia's hair start to change back, and she was getting bigger… like more muscular, or something. Katie started yelling at the Hestia, something about the robes and letting the Polyjuice wear off… I jumped the Hestia… he – she - threw me off – strong fellow - and before I could get back up, they were all gone. I think they used a Portkey, but I'm not sure." Again, he held out his hand. "Here's his hair. Her hair. Whatever. Damn it…. I tried to stop them… I did. Is Herm-"

"You did us a great service, Justin. Thank you," Kingsley said solemnly, taking the strands of hair from the younger man's hand.

"I tried…" Justin began again, but Hestia stopped him.

"Justin – these tossers have taken out two Aurors, got the better of me twice, and killed a few other people already. You did good," she said, clasping his arm in a friendly manner. Standing beside Kingsley, Ron nodded his agreement.

"Don't beat yourself up over it, Justin. You did more than anyone would expect."

Tonks also nodded in agreement. "Without you, we'd be lost as to what happened. At least we know she's been taken-" A flash of black down the hall caught her eye and she felt her stomach drop. "Oh, Gods… Severus…"

"Damn it all! Tonks, you stay here. Weasley, I want you to check the side entrance," Kingsley ordered. "Hestia…"

"Is staying right here, Kingsley," Hestia said flatly, turning to face Severus as he strode down the corridor. "You'll need all the help you can get," she muttered under her breath.

            *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *

Snatches of broken conversation faded in and out as Hermione slowly regained consciousness. She lay still, feigning sleep, and silently took stock of her surroundings. She was lying on a hard surface in a cold room. To judge by the texture of the fabric touching her skin, her robes had been changed. She didn't feel the necklace around her neck and there was no response to her silent call to Severus, no warming of metal to let her know the connection was made. Most likely, the necklace had been removed with her robes.

Who kidnapped me? Why? The Manere can't help them… Keeping her eyes closed, she strained her ears to listen. The voices sounded as if they were coming from a distance, or through something… a wall or door, perhaps… she could only here bits and pieces of what they were saying.

An indistinct voice came first. "…course he saw you, idiot! Whatever possessed me to… the robes must have clued him off… knew I should have handled…" Man? Woman? she thought indecisively. The only thing she was sure of was that the speaker was definitely British.

Then, a deeper voice. "…could take care of him… should have let me… I should have been the Auror…" That voice is definitely a man…

The first voice's response was swift and angry. "… can't even get the robe color right, how could I expect… sabotage potion correctly…"

The second voice mumbled, "… don't blame… not easy. Had to take care of that Jones bitch… no time… wore off…"

They attacked Hestia, she thought with an involuntary gasp. The voices paused.

"I believe our little guest is awake," the first voice said. She lay still, keeping her breathing regular as she heard boot heels clicking on stone. The steps stopped when they reached her side. "You can stop pretending, Mudblood." She didn't respond, and the tip of a boot pushed at her thigh. "Open your eyes, Granger. Or I'll break your leg. You don't need your legs to brew, after all."

Cautiously, she blinked. It didn't take her eyes long to adjust to the light in the dim room. Furtively, she took in her surroundings. The room was small and lit with just a few candles. She wondered for a moment at the lack of light – how long was I knocked out? - before realizing that the room had no windows. Am I underground? Or just in a windowless room? It certainly feels like a dungeon of some sort, she thought with a small shiver. The room was very cool, and the walls and floor appeared to be stone.

"Since you ruined our other plans, you're going to help us, Mudblood," the first voice said. She turned her eyes towards the voice and saw a slender figure standing in front of her dressed completely in black. A black fabric mask completely covered the person's features. She sighed a little in relief when she saw the mask… if the kidnapper was bothering to conceal his or her identity, then it was possible that they meant to let her go… eventually.

Her musing was cut short when she felt a sharp pain lance through her leg. She cried out, looking up at the figure as it pulled its leg back from the kick.

"I spoke to you, Mudblood. I expect a response," the first voice, the figure, said. "You're going to help us, aren't you?"

Hermione blinked and then answered, "What… what do you want? What do you need me for? Who are you?" Instantly, she cursed her loose tongue as she received another sharp kick to her leg.

"Get up. You will not ask questions. I will tell you what I decide you need to know," the first voice said coldly. Hermione sat up slowly, rubbing her thigh where the figure had kicked her. She hoped she could stand on it. The voice continued to bark orders. "Get up now. We're going to the lab. No, wait… first, you're going to get cleaned up. I'm not going to stare at that filthy face all afternoon." So it's afternoon… most likely the same day, she thought distractedly as she painstakingly rose to her feet. The muscles in her right thigh protested strongly when she stood, and as she followed the figure from the room she was careful to place most of her weight on the left leg.

Swiftly, she ran through her options. Her wand was gone, the pendant was gone… and while she was fairly certain that she could overpower First (as she decided to call the first voice), when she caught a glimpse of Second she knew that any victory would be short-lived. Second was a large, hulking man who looked at her as if he couldn't wait for her to cause some trouble. Though Second also wore a mask, it was smaller than the one that First wore, the dark fabric covering only the upper portion of his face. There was something strangely familiar about what she could see of his face… about his stance… but she just couldn't put her finger on it.

She was led to a bathroom first, where she used the loo and washed her hands, glancing up at the mirror as she did so. She gasped in shock. Dried blood caked her nostrils and chin, cracking around her mouth. The right side of her face was covered with dirt, some of which had blended with the dried blood into a gruesome mixture. With trembling hands, she carefully washed her face, feeling her nose and mouth for injuries. There were none.

With a sigh of relief, she theorized that it must have just been a simple nosebleed. Then she stopped, frowning as she stared into the mirror. She didn't get nosebleeds often - the last time she had experienced one was during a skiing trip with Viktor a couple of years previous. The mediwitch on staff at the lodge had not been surprised – evidently the cold, dry air affected many people the same way. Where are we, anyway? she wondered again.

Without a wand or a full shower, there wasn't much she could do about her hair. She cursed herself absentmindedly for leaving it loose that morning. It was now hopelessly tangled and bushy, not to mention filthy with dried blood and dust gathered from the floor she had been lying on. She had to stifle a laugh… was she really concerned about her hair at a time like this? But then again, why not? What use would worrying be at this point in time? Keep thinking about the mundane… it will help keep me sane…until I can escape or someone finds me… 

With an irritated breath, she twisted her filthy hair into a knot at the nape of her neck and exited the bathroom.

            *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *

This was impossible. It couldn't really be happening.

But it was.

After hearing Hermione's frantic call through the necklace, Severus had immediately raced to the Ministry offices, hoping to reach her in time. Her last words, cut off so abruptly, ran through his mind over and over again. Hestia… Polyjui-

From those two words he could only guess that someone had been impersonating Hestia… but when? Why? What did they want with Hermione, now that the plant-stripping potion was widely acknowledged as a failure?

Unfortunately, it seemed that his suspicions, his… feeling of foreboding… had been accurate.

Despite all of their precautions, she had been taken.

When he had reached the Ministry offices, Kingsley and Tonks had explained what they knew of the situation. He had clearly seen Kingsley's murderous rage over his Auror's carelessness, and his fists clenched in memory. If he ever ran into that Auror…

Angrily bringing his attention back to the present, he grabbed the flask of Polyjuice potion from his private stores and turned on his heel to head back to the Great Hall. Kingsley had sent Tonks and Hestia back to Hogwarts with Severus to test the hairs that Finch-Fletchley had taken, as the Ministry Potions department did not keep Polyjuice base in stock. In the meantime, the Chief Auror had mustered his other staff to investigate various locations, such as the Moreau Greenhouse. After seeing to his errant Auror, Kingsley had told them he would accompany Weasley to Hogwarts to see what they had found.

"Severus! Do you have it?" Hestia cried, running to him as he entered the Great Hall and grabbing the flask from his hand. Dumbledore and Remus watched Severus solemnly as he followed Hestia to the head table.

"Sit, son, try to eat something," Albus said gently, and Severus glared at him furiously.

"Eat something? Are you out of your mind, you-"

His tirade was halted when Tonks lay a hand on his arm. "Severus, he's just looking out for you. You need to keep your strength up – we need your help. She needs your help." Recognizing the truth in her words, he nodded curtly and sat, scowling darkly at the plate in front of him.

"I will try to contact her using Legilimency this evening. It would be too dangerous, now, if she's in the presence of her captors," Dumbledore said evenly, reaching over to tap Severus' plate with one thin finger. Immediately, a hearty lunch appeared on the porcelain. Severus stared at it blankly for a moment before mechanically reaching for a fork.

Remus stared at the Headmaster. "Too dangerous? But…"

Severus answered hollowly. "If she is being watched, they will undoubtedly notice her falling into a trance. And, if my hunch about what they want is correct… it may disturb her concentration while she is brewing."

Dumbledore was the only wizard still living who was talented enough at Legilimency to cast his mind at a distance. In many cases, as long as he had a connection of sorts to the receiver, he didn't even need to know the person's location. Hopefully Albus' proximity to Hermione of late would assist the Headmaster in reaching her mind. Unfortunately, Severus' own skills ran more strongly towards Occlumency than Legilimency.

"Gods," Hestia murmured.

"But what could they want her to brew? They've got to realize the Manere is worthless to them…" Tonks said, her voice trailing off at the end as she caught Severus' eye.

Hestia frowned. "I hope they don't expect her to perfect that plant-stripping potion… it's impossible… it would take years to do." Severus nodded in silent agreement, his brow furrowed in thought.

"Do you think they may want the Manere for another reason?" Remus asked. "Maybe there's another potion that they have in mind to use as a bartering tool… a plan B, so to speak." Severus sat still for a moment, considering the idea. It made more sense than the kidnappers expecting Hermione to perfect the plant-stripping potion for them, but it didn't alleviate his concern at all. Even if she was successful in adjusting the Manere to their needs… it was more logical for the kidnappers to dispose of her rather than allowing a possible witness to go free… Damn…

I was supposed to protect her…

Suddenly he felt a hand on his arm, and looked up. Tonks was watching him sadly, and when she gently pulled at the bent fork in his hand he let it go with a sigh.

Just then, Kingsley and Ron strode into the hall. In typical Weasley fashion, the redhead immediately began to demand information as he made his way to the table. "Well? Do you know whose hair it is? Did you test it?"

"No, Ron. We were waiting for you and Kingsley," Hestia said to the agitated young Auror. "So – who wants to take it?"

"I'll do it," Ron immediately volunteered, and once he received the nod from Kingsley he took the flask from Hestia and downed it in one swallow. At least the boy waited for permission from his superior, Severus thought with a sneer as the redhead's face and body began to bubble and change.

They all held their breaths as they waited for the transformation to complete. In moments, a large, hulking man stood before them. Albus sat back, shaking his head slightly, while Severus jumped up and let out a hiss.

"Crabbe. Vincent Crabbe," Remus said slowly.

"He will die." Severus' voice was flat and hard.

            *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *

The lab was even darker than the room in which she had awoken. The equipment was in excellent condition, however – surprisingly excellent condition. An array of stirring rods of various diameters and materials lay on the worktable beside a set of cauldrons – copper, silver, and cast iron. They appeared to have all of their bases covered.

"I've read your notes, Mudblood," First said in a conversational tone, walking slowly around the worktable. "I have prepared a number of batches of the Manere base. It will save you time as you work on the adjustments."

Hermione looked at First with disbelief. "What-" The rest of her sentence was cut off when Second stepped forward and grabbed her neck in a firm grip. She stood absolutely still, her stomach twisting in alarm as First continued the slow walk around the table.

"No questions, Mudblood. Just do as you're told," Second said in his gruff voice, his fingers tightening slightly around her throat. She couldn't stop the faint trembling that hit her, and she sucked in a ragged breath when he smiled coldly, sweeping his eyes down her body.

First snapped then, "Control yourself!" Second immediately loosened his grip on her and stepped back, averting his eyes as he stammered.

"Sorry, you know I just-"

"Silence!" First shouted. Second flinched at the outburst, and stepped back to lean against the wall while First followed him with its eyes. Unable to maintain eye contact for long, Second dropped his head and stared at the floor. Apparently satisfied, First turned back to Hermione and said, "I believe we have all of the items you listed as possible ingredients for the Manere. You will tell me if there is something missing. Other than that, there is no need for you to speak unless I ask you a direct question. Is that understood, Mudblood?"

Hermione didn't answer immediately. Quick as a striking snake, First's gloved hand shot out and connected with her left cheek. She reeled back in surprise and had to clench her fists against the instinctual urge to strike back at the figure. Keep calm, keep under control… as long as they're wearing masks and hiding their identities, they may still let you go…she told herself sternly. Unbidden, the memory of Severus' voice came to her: I will not long survive you. She closed her eyes and swallowed hard. Gods, I hope they let me go…

"We'll try this again, girl," First said. "Is that understood?"

Taking a deep breath, Hermione nodded. After a short pause, she said aloud, "Y-Yes. It's understood."

"Good," First said in a satisfied voice. "Please – have a seat." Hermione, confused, sat on the indicated stool. "Now, since you've ruined my original plans, you will help me with the alternate plan." As the figure outlined the potion Hermione would be working on, her eyes grew wider and wider.

This person is insane, she thought in shock. Completely and utterly insane. Polyjuice? Why? Without realizing it, she spoke the last two words out loud.

First smiled and sat on the stool next to Hermione. "I will let that slide this time, girl. Next time…" First trailed off threateningly, and Hermione nodded quickly. "You see, I would not have had to bring you here to enjoy my… hospitality… had you or that Jones bitch responded to my initial requests." Hermione sat very still, remembering the increasingly rude parchments they had received, demanding that they work on adjusting the Manere potion for Polyjuice. She shook her head slightly, still confused. "What do you need from me to accomplish this task, Granger?"

Hermione's head was spinning. Polyjuice? Whatever for? She stammered, "W-well… I'll need a sample of the hair…" Seeing First's eyes narrow, she quickly said, "Because that's when it begins to break down… the base has an indefinite shelf-life. It's just when the hair, or other body part, is added that it starts to break down."

"That was not in the books I have read," First said slowly.

Hermione shrugged. "Well, I'm not sure what books you've read, but I learned it during my apprenticeship. Not everything is in a book."

"From what I've heard, that's a rather surprising statement to come from your mouth, Mudblood," First said, standing. Against the wall, Second was nodding in agreement. Do I know Second? Hermione thought, frowning suddenly. She felt her blood run cold when the realization hit her. She did know him.

It was Vincent Crabbe.

            *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *

"Headmaster? Are you ready?" Severus asked, entering Albus' office. The others were already there. The three Aurors had come to the Headmaster's office that night, as agreed, to be present when Albus attempted to contact Hermione. Kingsley knew that they may need to be prepared to act without delay… depending on the information Albus was able to obtain from Hermione. Remus, Hestia, and Minerva were also present.

After the identity of one of the kidnappers was ascertained that afternoon, Kingsley and Ron had left to investigate the Crabbe estates. They had found no trace of the man at his estate; and, from what they had discovered when questioning neighbors and one nervous house elf, Crabbe had not been there for at least a month. 

Severus had spent the afternoon holed up in his – their – rooms. He could not remember ever feeling as… helpless… as he did that day. And with no discernible leads or progress in the Aurors' investigations… the bitter, twisting feeling in his stomach would not abate. What was happening to Hermione? Where was she taken? If something happened to her…

Belatedly he realized Tonks was speaking. "…contacted Viktor – he told Harry what happened. Harry wanted me to let you know, Kingsley, that he's coming in the morning. He wants to help any way he can." Tonks smiled. "It took me a bit to convince him to stay put for the evening… I think he was planning on starting his own search until I reminded him he'd be too conspicuous."

Severus nodded. The thought of searching on his own had occurred to him, also, but it had been quickly discarded. Even if he did come close to where the kidnappers were, his presence would simply alert them to the hunt and possibly cause them to change location. No, it was far better for nondescript Aurors to conduct the search of suspicious sites.

At least, that was what he kept telling himself.

Albus sat forward, then. "Well, it's late enough now, I believe, that Miss Granger should be asleep. If you would, Severus?"

Severus nodded, drawing his wand at Albus' request. The Headmaster was concerned that the distance would cause him to weaken quickly, and as a result he may not be able to give a full report of the communication to those waiting before he collapsed from exhaustion. They had tested Albus' idea earlier – while Albus performed wandless Legilimency on Tonks, Severus had cast the same spell on Albus – thus allowing them both to view the images from Tonks' mind. This way, Severus and Albus would each have a direct memory of the contact, if a link could be made. Please, let it be successful, Severus thought silently as he spoke the incantation. "Legilimens."

Severus held his wand steady as Albus closed his eyes in concentration. Severus could feel the strain the Headmaster was under through the connection, and he wished there were some way to lend the older wizard some of his own strength through the link. After a few tense minutes, a link was made…

A scene formed in Severus' mind.

Albus stood in front of the gates of Hogwarts, and watched as Hermione approached. She was dreaming of her years as a student, to judge by the Gryffindor robes she wore.

"Hello, Headmaster. I'm-"

"Miss Granger. Hermione. I'm afraid we don't have much time. I am using Legilimency to contact you," Dumbledore said, holding a hand out to the woman in front of him. As she stared at the Headmaster, her robes changed.

Those are the ones she wore this morning, Severus realized. He was relieved that she was able to snap out of her dream persona so quickly – every second counted.

"Headmaster? Albus?" Hermione said hesitantly. "But, how…"

"Distance Legilimency, Miss Granger. Similar to what Voldemort used against Harry in your fifth year. Time is short… are you in good health? Do you have any idea where you were taken?" Albus said urgently. Hermione shook her head, her eyes troubled.

"No, Albus. I mean, I'm in good health, other than a few bruises… but I don't know where I am. But I do know that Crabbe, Jr.  is one of the kidnappers…"

Albus nodded. "Do you know who the other kidnapper is?"

"No idea – they're both wearing masks… Crabbe had a smaller mask on, though, and his voice gave him away. The other one, I can't even tell anything about him… or her. The voice is disguised somehow." Hermione chewed on her bottom lip for a moment. "Albus, they want me to adjust the Manere for… for Polyjuice potion. I don't know why, but the hair they gave me to adjust the potion to… it's blond."

"Blond," Albus repeated in an odd voice.

"I don't know if that helps any," Hermione said despondently.

"Anything could be of assistance, Hermione. Tell me about your surroundings," Albus ordered.

She shook her head. "Stone… I think I'm in a dungeon of some sort – no windows, stone walls and floor, it's cold… and dry. Dusty. I had a nosebleed when I came to – they Stunned me when I was taken. They took my robes and the necklace… is Severus-"

"He's fine, Hermione. Is there anything else you can tell me?"

Hermione frowned a moment then shook her head. "No… I can't think of anything… I've only seen this room and the lab… and the bathroom. All of the equipment is new, and there's a lot of it… they have a lot of the Manere base already brewed. I think this has been planned for some time." She stopped again and an excited look came to her eyes. "Wait – First said that we had ignored her requests… they're the ones who wrote me and Hestia demanding that we adjust the Manere for Polyjuice… they wrote more than once, and Hestia wrote them back… maybe she still has the address, or the original parchment… something in that could help, couldn't it?"

"Perhaps – it's a good starting point, Hermione," Albus said.

The scene went hazy for a moment, and Severus' eyes narrowed as he inspected the Headmaster. Albus was wilting further, his head almost touching the desk. He wouldn't be able to maintain the link for much longer.

"All right, Albus," Hermione said. "Albus?"

Albus shook his head and smiled gently at her. "I'm fine, my dear – but I cannot hold the link any longer – I will visit again soon."

The scene dissolved. A second later the Headmaster slumped forward on the desk and Severus bolted from his chair, covering the distance quickly. Supporting the older wizard's weight, he looked up to see Minerva approaching them.

"Come on, lad, let's get him to his bed," Minerva said gently. "Is Hermione all right?"

"She's in good health. For the moment," he said shortly before scooping up the surprisingly light Headmaster and following Minerva into the adjoining bedchamber. After laying the Headmaster down in the bed, he looked down at the wizened face, troubled by the physical evidence of the man's frailty. Albus always seemed so strong… He started when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"He'll be fine, Severus. This just took a bit more out of him than he could spare right now… and he hasn't been sleeping well. I'll watch over him tonight." Severus nodded awkwardly and Minerva smiled. "Come, then – we'd best get back and you can tell everyone what you saw."

He closed his eyes for a moment then. He had seen her. He had seen Hermione. For now, she was alive.

_______________________________________________________________

A/N: Sorry this took so long to get up, but work and real life have been keeping me busy. I appreciate all the reviews, keep them coming!! I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and for once no evil cliffie at the end, eh?

Dru – Sorry about the cliffie last chapter… they're just so hard to resist!!

The Great and Masterful Yoda – Yep, she has the necklace… but they took it. I couldn't let it be THAT easy for her!

Lizzie – Hope you liked the chapter!

Jinxdncursed – Thanks for reviewing!

Electryone – Yep – you were the first one to mention it way back after chapter 6. Good eyes ;). LOL @ your real-life Hestia… Chapter number – I can't say for sure, but approximately three or so, maybe more or less… I do think I'll overshoot the 20 chapter assumption I made – the original outline kept getting expanded as I wrote.

KES – Thanks for reviewing – glad you're not holding a grudge :)

Keket – A few people on some other sites mentioned that they were suspicious of Justin – I think he was a pretty good red herring. The robe color had significance because we needed to clue Justin in somehow, as explained here. As always, thanks for reviewing!

Louise – I'm glad you liked Neville's advice! Thanks for the review!