AN; u know the usual. I hope you've read my first fic, if u haven't then
this one wont make much sense later on. REVIEW
Understanding
"Harry went out into the hall, looked at the closed door for a second and then pushed it open. He saw a dark room (yet again, the curtains were shut) and had enough time to register a overturned chair before-
"CRACK!"
And everything went black."
But only for a second. His vision cleared and he found himself with his nose pressed into the carpet. Ron was shaking him, and he lifted his head a little, and then rolled over, wincing as he felt the rather large bump on his head.
Hermione stood above him, her eyes wide. She looked like she hadn't seen daylight for quite a while, she was so pale. Her hair, always frizzy, was now sticking up in every direction. Her clothes seemed to have been slept in, and the jeans had a hole in them. She was holding a frying pan.
"ow. Good shot."
"who are you?"
"Hermione," began Harry, "its me, Ron and I came to get you out of here."
"Prove it!" she snarled, lifting the pan she was clutching.
Harry thought quickly, something that only she, and himself knew about.
"I can tell you what really happened the night Sirius Black escaped from Hogwarts." He told her. He saw the hope light up in her eyes for a second before it died again.
"Go on."
"You and I used your time turner to go back a few hours; we rescued Buckbeak and then flew up to the castle and rescued Sirius. Wormtail was the traitor, not Sirius."
Hermione looked very relived, she shut her eyes and leant against the wall. Then she slid down it. Harry started to say something but she forestalled him by saying,
"I couldn't save them." brokenly.
Suddenly Harry understood why she refused to go see her parents. She felt guilty.
"Hermione, don't think that way. You didn't know what was happening, you had no warning. How were you supposed to know what was going to happen?"
"You don't understand." She grumbled, staring at the carpet. Harry rubbed his head for a sec, then sat on one of the over turned chairs.
"Actually, I think that both Ron and I understand perfectly Hermione." He began, "how do you think I felt last year when the Dursleys were attacked? Or how do you think Ron felt when he led everyone to the Death Eaters hole? He was responsible then."
Hermione didn't say anything.
"We know how you feel. Your being of muggle born bought it on, and you were unable to help. How do you reckon I feel? I was born of parents who thrice defied the dark lord and that means that what happened to my parents, if you want to look at it that way, was my fault."
"That's ridiculous!" said Hermione, lifting her head.
"That's right." Agreed Harry, 'buts that's exactly what you're saying."
She frowned.
"Where's your wand, Hermione? We have to get out of here soon."
"I'm not coming back. My magic couldn't save my parents. Why should I bother if I can't even protect those I love?"
Harry opened and shut his mouth a couple of times, not sure what to say for a second, and then,
"Wrong. You're coming with us, because, one, it won't be the same without you, two, you can learn more magic so you can protect your parents, three, I won't pass history of magic if you don't."
She smiled.
"And four," added Harry, "we'll probably have some sort of adventure this year and we'll need you to quote 'Hogwarts a history' at us."
She laughed, but her laugh was bitter, and it made Harry wince.
"I'm not coming back, why should I? Besides, I'll spend all my time with my parents if I move from here."
"Is that a bad thing?" asked Harry, confused.
"If I go near them again then they'll just be attacked because of me again. The Death Eaters aren't intersested in muggles, just muggle born wizards and witches."
Harry came and sat next to her, against the wall.
"Hermione, when you're parents get better-"
"If." She interrupted. Harry went doggedly on.
"When you're parents get better, they'll want to be with you. It will hurt them continuously if you're not around. As much as I know you're scared for them its their choice to make, and, not that I know your parents very well, I think I know what they'll say to you if you start saying something like that to them."
She didn't say anything, and Harry waited for a minute, wondering what else to say, but then she said,
"I'm so scared for them, Harry. I can feel it all the time."
Harry decided that truth would be good right now.
"I can't tell you that you shouldn't be scared, Hermione, because you should be. It's natural. But I can tell you I'm scared to. I'm scared for the Dursley's, as much as I hate them, they are my family. And I'm scared for the Weasley's. I'm scared for you and you're family.but I'm mostly scared that I won't be able to do what history wants me to."
"You'll be able to though." She sounded convinced, but Harry's private doubts were not what they wee discussing.
"If you think so, then why don't you think that you can't do what history wants you to?"
"And what does history want me to do?" she sounded sarcastic but there was an edge of hysteria creeping into her voice.
"Love your family. Stay with them. It's your calling. It's what you were put on this earth to do. I know this sounds really corny, Hermione, but it's true, we all have a purpose. How grandiose that purpose is doesn't matter."
Harry could feel his neck burning after that little speech, and sat for a minute, trying to swallow his embarrassment at spouting such a grand speech, but it seemed to cheer Hermione up.
"Where's your wand?"
"I don't know."
"Here." Ron had appeared at the door, and was holding Hermione's wand. "Found it in the living room." He added, handing it to her. Then he looked between the two, perhaps wondering what was going on, "everything all right?"
Hermione shot him a look, and he added hurriedly, "besides the obvious I mean."
"yep." Said Hermione, standing.
"Time to go then?" asked Ron eagerly, apparently the house was a little too quiet for his tastes.
"I think so. Hermione? Do you have a bag or something to pack?"
"No, all my clothes were burned."
Ron was just about to pursue this further when there was a bang, and the house shook. Harry's first thought was that a car had hit the house. Then he saw a red glow of fire in the hall.
"Oh sh**!" muttered Ro, drawing his wand.
"What is it?" asked Hermione, lifting her wand.
"Dunno, lets go though, I don't want to stay and find out." Said Harry.
They went out the window, onto the garage and jumped down just as Mr. Weasley arrived again.
"All set?" he began, and then stared at the fire that was now burning the living room of the Granger residence.
"I think its time to go." Said Mr Weasley, and they hurried to the wizards house with the gate attached to the Floo network.
AN; oh crapola, I'm out of ideas. Anyone care to help? Review anyway.
Understanding
"Harry went out into the hall, looked at the closed door for a second and then pushed it open. He saw a dark room (yet again, the curtains were shut) and had enough time to register a overturned chair before-
"CRACK!"
And everything went black."
But only for a second. His vision cleared and he found himself with his nose pressed into the carpet. Ron was shaking him, and he lifted his head a little, and then rolled over, wincing as he felt the rather large bump on his head.
Hermione stood above him, her eyes wide. She looked like she hadn't seen daylight for quite a while, she was so pale. Her hair, always frizzy, was now sticking up in every direction. Her clothes seemed to have been slept in, and the jeans had a hole in them. She was holding a frying pan.
"ow. Good shot."
"who are you?"
"Hermione," began Harry, "its me, Ron and I came to get you out of here."
"Prove it!" she snarled, lifting the pan she was clutching.
Harry thought quickly, something that only she, and himself knew about.
"I can tell you what really happened the night Sirius Black escaped from Hogwarts." He told her. He saw the hope light up in her eyes for a second before it died again.
"Go on."
"You and I used your time turner to go back a few hours; we rescued Buckbeak and then flew up to the castle and rescued Sirius. Wormtail was the traitor, not Sirius."
Hermione looked very relived, she shut her eyes and leant against the wall. Then she slid down it. Harry started to say something but she forestalled him by saying,
"I couldn't save them." brokenly.
Suddenly Harry understood why she refused to go see her parents. She felt guilty.
"Hermione, don't think that way. You didn't know what was happening, you had no warning. How were you supposed to know what was going to happen?"
"You don't understand." She grumbled, staring at the carpet. Harry rubbed his head for a sec, then sat on one of the over turned chairs.
"Actually, I think that both Ron and I understand perfectly Hermione." He began, "how do you think I felt last year when the Dursleys were attacked? Or how do you think Ron felt when he led everyone to the Death Eaters hole? He was responsible then."
Hermione didn't say anything.
"We know how you feel. Your being of muggle born bought it on, and you were unable to help. How do you reckon I feel? I was born of parents who thrice defied the dark lord and that means that what happened to my parents, if you want to look at it that way, was my fault."
"That's ridiculous!" said Hermione, lifting her head.
"That's right." Agreed Harry, 'buts that's exactly what you're saying."
She frowned.
"Where's your wand, Hermione? We have to get out of here soon."
"I'm not coming back. My magic couldn't save my parents. Why should I bother if I can't even protect those I love?"
Harry opened and shut his mouth a couple of times, not sure what to say for a second, and then,
"Wrong. You're coming with us, because, one, it won't be the same without you, two, you can learn more magic so you can protect your parents, three, I won't pass history of magic if you don't."
She smiled.
"And four," added Harry, "we'll probably have some sort of adventure this year and we'll need you to quote 'Hogwarts a history' at us."
She laughed, but her laugh was bitter, and it made Harry wince.
"I'm not coming back, why should I? Besides, I'll spend all my time with my parents if I move from here."
"Is that a bad thing?" asked Harry, confused.
"If I go near them again then they'll just be attacked because of me again. The Death Eaters aren't intersested in muggles, just muggle born wizards and witches."
Harry came and sat next to her, against the wall.
"Hermione, when you're parents get better-"
"If." She interrupted. Harry went doggedly on.
"When you're parents get better, they'll want to be with you. It will hurt them continuously if you're not around. As much as I know you're scared for them its their choice to make, and, not that I know your parents very well, I think I know what they'll say to you if you start saying something like that to them."
She didn't say anything, and Harry waited for a minute, wondering what else to say, but then she said,
"I'm so scared for them, Harry. I can feel it all the time."
Harry decided that truth would be good right now.
"I can't tell you that you shouldn't be scared, Hermione, because you should be. It's natural. But I can tell you I'm scared to. I'm scared for the Dursley's, as much as I hate them, they are my family. And I'm scared for the Weasley's. I'm scared for you and you're family.but I'm mostly scared that I won't be able to do what history wants me to."
"You'll be able to though." She sounded convinced, but Harry's private doubts were not what they wee discussing.
"If you think so, then why don't you think that you can't do what history wants you to?"
"And what does history want me to do?" she sounded sarcastic but there was an edge of hysteria creeping into her voice.
"Love your family. Stay with them. It's your calling. It's what you were put on this earth to do. I know this sounds really corny, Hermione, but it's true, we all have a purpose. How grandiose that purpose is doesn't matter."
Harry could feel his neck burning after that little speech, and sat for a minute, trying to swallow his embarrassment at spouting such a grand speech, but it seemed to cheer Hermione up.
"Where's your wand?"
"I don't know."
"Here." Ron had appeared at the door, and was holding Hermione's wand. "Found it in the living room." He added, handing it to her. Then he looked between the two, perhaps wondering what was going on, "everything all right?"
Hermione shot him a look, and he added hurriedly, "besides the obvious I mean."
"yep." Said Hermione, standing.
"Time to go then?" asked Ron eagerly, apparently the house was a little too quiet for his tastes.
"I think so. Hermione? Do you have a bag or something to pack?"
"No, all my clothes were burned."
Ron was just about to pursue this further when there was a bang, and the house shook. Harry's first thought was that a car had hit the house. Then he saw a red glow of fire in the hall.
"Oh sh**!" muttered Ro, drawing his wand.
"What is it?" asked Hermione, lifting her wand.
"Dunno, lets go though, I don't want to stay and find out." Said Harry.
They went out the window, onto the garage and jumped down just as Mr. Weasley arrived again.
"All set?" he began, and then stared at the fire that was now burning the living room of the Granger residence.
"I think its time to go." Said Mr Weasley, and they hurried to the wizards house with the gate attached to the Floo network.
AN; oh crapola, I'm out of ideas. Anyone care to help? Review anyway.