Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, or anything related except the plot.
Harry woke up somewhat startled. He dreamt that Hermione was calling to him frantically. She seemed close but he just could not reach her. Still shaken he reached for his glasses and slipped them on to see Hedwig at the window. Sirius had written to say that he would see if he could find out anything about Hermione's disappearance and Harry knew he must be close to Hogwarts because he responded so quickly. Before he could think about it anymore, Pig came flying in. It looked like he had a copy of The Daily Prophet. Harry took the paper from Pig and thanked him. Hedwig and Pig both flew up to the owlry for some rest and Harry went over to Ron to wake him.
"Ron, wake up!" urged Harry shaking his friends arm. Ron groaned and turned over.
"What time is it?" he mumbled, his back turned to Harry.
"Pig brought the paper, but it's an hour before breakfast if you must know," teased Harry. He knew how important Ron's meals were to him. Once Harry was back at school his body adjusted to normal eating habits unlike being starved at the Dursley's.
Ron sat up rubbing his eyes still half-asleep. Harry quickly opened the paper. There was only one story on the front page.
"Two muggle's were found dead suspended from the fire place, in one of the upper floor rooms of the Leaky Cauldron. Tom, the owner of the renowned Pub and Inn, discovered the bodies, when he went to investigate after not seeing his guests for a few days. Their bodies had been mutilated.
"It was horrifying!" stated a distraught employee. Sources have stated the couple's daughter had been with them also but was now missing. Evidently the family had arrived in Diagon Alley, and had been staying for the week. The names of the victims will not be released until family has been notified of this tragic event but it is said that the daughter attends Hogwarts, School of Magic and Wizardry. The Ministry of Magic has promised a full inquiry." Harry read aloud, his voice wavering with emotion.
Ron turned whiter than his sheets, while Harry re read the article to himself.
"This really bad," Ron managed to say eventually, his voice trembling. Before Harry could reply, Errol made one of his usual dramatic entrances, almost colliding with Harry, carrying a letter from Mr. Weasley. Ron quickly opened it and read it to Harry.
"Dear Ron, your mother informed that you requested yesterday's paper when I got home last night. You have probably figured out by now, that the bodies found were that of the parents of Hermione Granger. I am terribly sorry to tell you this, and we are doing all we can to find her. Please don't get involved…" Ron's voice trailed off.
"Is that it?" Harry asked. Ron nodded still taking in the news. Both sat quietly for a moment.
"I think I know who has done this, but the question is why?" Harry said eventually as the first wave of anger rippled through his body.
"Harry, please tell me you don't think it's you know who, do you?" stuttered Ron, his eyes wide with fear.
"No Ron, not directly. I not sure what Voldemort would want with Hermione, but I am think it might be somebody else," said Harry scratching his head thoughtfully. Ron looked at him questioningly.
"Well, who?" croaked Ron when Harry said nothing after a few minutes.
"Lucius Malfoy," Harry said gazing out the window.
* * * * * * *
"Harry, you cannot be serious?" said Ron, his mouth full of pancake. They were sitting having breakfast discussing what to do next. Harry looked up from his timetable he just received.
"Ron, think about it!" Harry urged. "Who hates mudblood's the most, that we know?"
"Yes, but why?" said Ron still uncertain of what Harry was thinking.
'"Maybe he is trying to set an example; maybe he wants to get at me? I am not sure why, but I feel sure that he is involved. I just know it, Ron," admitted Harry shaking his head.
"Alright, say he is, how do we find out?" said Ron. Harry looked in Draco Malfoy's direction. Ron followed Harry's eyes.
"Harry!" he whined. "Not Malfoy, this is the pits," he groaned. Ron pushed his plate away, his appetite ruined and looked at Malfoy who was whispering something to Goyle. "We are just going to have to get it out of him," said Harry determinedly.
"Yeah, pity Hermione is not here to help," Ron said shrugging his shoulders wondering how Harry was going to get Malfoy to say anything besides insults.
* * * * * * *
Ron and Harry both did not realized they were being watched from the corner of the dinning hall.
Severus Snape had just finished his breakfast, and now he watched the Gryffindor's table with interest. He was suspicious of the lively discussion between Potter and Weasley and was convinced they had finally laid their hands on a copy of Daily Prophet. He also knew for certain that Hermione was in a great deal of danger. The death eaters had called a meeting recently of which Snape had been excluded. He had tried everything, short of using veritaserum; in an attempt to try discovering what had happened. He was not trusted yet after not going when Voldemort had called him last year. Snape had spent the summer trying to gain Voldemort's trust again. Now he glanced in the direction Harry was looking, to Draco Malfoy. Snape decided he better get to Draco before Harry. As much as he wanted Miss Granger found, he did not want Potter to be the one to find her. It would endanger Harry's life and he needed to be alive to defeat Voldemort when the war finally erupted.
'Not to mention the boy would get an ego the size of the dinning hall,' he thought snidely to himself. It was no secret that Snape did not like Harry. Nobody ever said that he had too; everyone in Gryffindor from the years that Severus Snape had attended Hogwarts would get the same reception. The fact that Harry was James Potter's son only added to the intense dislike he had for Harry. He was just like his father. Severus would never forget that and so Harry would always bear the wrath of Snape's anger. He slowly got up, the pain from being attacked by the cruciatus curse over the summer had not fully healed, much to the dismay of Madam Promfrey, the school's nurse. Snape walked up behind Draco at the Slytherin table.
"Mr. Malfoy, please see me in my chambers immediately after breakfast," he said coldly.
Draco looked up surprised but nodded.
'What had he done now?' he thought resentful.
* * * * *** *
Harry watched Snape talk to Malfoy. Snape looked up at him for a moment and then swept out the hall.
Meanwhile Ron looked at his timetable and groaned. They had two classes with Slytherin, which were potions and care of magical creatures, the same as the previous year. Harry had noted this too. They both grabbed their bags and headed to Professor McGonagall's classroom trying to make sure they were not transfigured into something awful for being later.