Chapter 2
Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny got off the carriage in front of Hogwart's main entrance.
"Well, this is it. Our last time walking through these doors to go to the Sorting Ceremony. Let's go." Hermione grabbed Harry and Ron's hands, and walked into the Entrance Hall.
"Wait, Dumbledore'll tell us now, right? I mean, dad did make it sound like it was a big deal, Dumbledore wouldn't wait that long for something so... important, right?" said Ron.
"I hope so Ron. I'm just not sure." said Hermione. They sat down at the House Tables, and now they were at the far back of the Great Hall since they were the oldest year. The Sorting Ceremony began.
"This is the most boring thing in the world." said Ron halfway through the ceremony and half asleep.
"Oh Ron be quiet, it's the last one we're going to be at. Be grateful." said Hermione.
"For what?" said Ron.
"That you're here to see it!" snapped Hermione. Ron raised his eyebrows and looked over at the Slytherin table.
"Looks like Malfoy's made some new friends." he mumbled to Harry. Malfoy had invited a first year to their part of the table and they were all laughing loudly at a joke that Malfoy had told.
"Wait a minute, that's not his friend. It's his brother." said Hermione frowning.
"Malfoy's got a brother?" said Ginny.
"No he doesn't!" said Ron.
"Apparently he does, look at the shape of his eyes and the boys eyes. Exactly the same. And that blond hair. How could you miss that feature?"
"I didn't." said Harry plainly.
"Well, foods almost here." said Ron. "That's the last kid."
"I'm starving!" said Ginny.
"Before we serve the food I have an announcement to make." said Dumbledore standing up.
"This is it!" whispered Hermione.
"This year there will be some changes made as far as your classes outdoors and Quidditch. Voldemort is indeed returned. And he's coming to Hogwarts." A few people laughed, they thought this was a joke. Ron was one of them.
"Honestly Ron it's not funny." said Hermione.
"He believes that he must seek... revenge on someone." continued Dumbledore. Everyone turned to Harry. "However, however, you are all safe in the castle. No harm will be done to you here. Your Herbology classes will take place in the Dungeons and Care of Magical Creatures, Flying, and Quidditch have been canceled. And our groundskeeper Hagrid is doing us all a big favor by staying a lookout of the schools' grounds. He is risking his life for your safety so be sure to tell him thank you if you run into him. And I am warning you, if you do leave the castle, it is at your own risk." His eyes twinkled in the direction of Harry and Ron.
"Why is he looking at you? Have you done something wrong?" said Hermione sternly.
"Us? Something wrong? You must be crazy!" said Ron.
"RON!" yelled Hermione that almost the whole Great Hall turned and looked at her.
"Uh, I love that color on you Ron! It really—uh—brings out your—eyes!" she said turning red. Everyone turned away and she started cursing at Ron under her breath.
"Now, let us feast!" Suddenly the plates and goblets filled themselves with assorted foods and drinks.
"I think we should go early. We've had our food. Now let's go to the common room." said Harry.
"We can't go yet!" said Hermione.
"And why not?" said Ron.
"First of all, Voldemort's loose. Second, I'm still hungry. And third, we don't know the password. Are those good enough reasons?" said Hermione. Ginny giggled.
"Hey, there's Head Boy and Girl. Seamus and Padma. Lucky. I wish I won." said Ron.
"Ooh, ickle Ronnie wants to be Head Boy?" said Ginny teasingly.
"Ooh, I think ickle Ginny has forgot she wants to be Head Girl next year when we leave!" said Ron. Ginny turned red.
"So? I liked being a prefect last year and I want to be Head Girl. It's not like I make fun of the position and then want to be it." said Ginny. Now Ron turned red.
"Come on. Colin is leading the first years to their dormitories. Let's follow." said Hermione.
"No." said Harry. "I want to visit Hagrid."
"But you wanted to go to the dormitories!" said Hermione.
"To get my invisibility cloak. But looks like our trunks haven't quite made it upstairs yet." he said pointing to the pile of trunks in the entrance hall.
"Harry, please don't. Voldemort could get you!" said Hermione.
"He won't. Dumbledore never said Voldemort could see through invisibility cloaks now did he?"
"Wait, if you're so determined to go see Hagrid, let me go first. I can make sure that the coast is clear." said Hermione.
"I'll come with you." said Ginny right away.
"No!" said Ron. "It's too dangerous for you. Go to bed."
"You think I can sleep with your lives at risk? Think again. I'm coming."
"No you're not."
"Yes I am."
"You can't tell me what to do!"
"I can I'm your older brother and you will listen to me!"
"I hate you! You never let me do anything!" She turned around and stormed up the stairs.
"That was kind of mean Ron." said Hermione.
"She'll be over it by breakfast."
"Let's go." said Harry.
They found Harry's trunk easily as it was on top of all the other trunks. Harry took his cloak out and the three of them went to the castle doors.
"We can't get out this way. Looks like we can't visit Hagrid." said Hermione.
"And why can't we go out this way?" said Ron.
"Because it's locked. A lock too complicated to use Alohamora on." added Hermione at the look on Ron's face.
"I've got an idea." said Harry with a grin. He led them back to the entrance hall where Filch was now ordering the house elves to take the trunks upstairs.
"Oh those poor creatures!" said Hermione. Ron rolled his eyes.
"Quick, under here!" said Harry, throwing the invisibility cloak on top of them. They went to his trunk and quickly and quietly opened it and he took out his firebolt.
"Hold this." he said handing it to Hermione.
He led them to the Owlery and took off his cloak.
"Alright, Hermione, you first. When you reach the bottom, leave my broom on the ground and see if the coast is clear. Give us some kind of signal and then we'll join you."
"Alright." said Hermione nervously. She didn't like flying. She got on the broom and flew down with a loud scream.
"Shh!!" said Harry and Ron. She got off the broom and looked around. She turned back to Ron and Harry and gave them a thumbs up sign when something smashed into her very hard, knocking her down.
"Hermione!" said Ron and Harry.
"Are you alright?" said Ron as she slowly stood up. She nodded and wiped her lip, which was bleeding.
"What was that?" she said.
"I'm not sure." said Ron.
"Accio Firebolt!" said Harry. His broom turned and flew back up to him. Just as he caught it, something else smashed into Hermione. She whimpered and fell back again.
"Don't... come...down..." she managed to say.
"I've got to go get her." said Harry.
"No! Let me. You're Voldemort's target. Maybe he wants you to do that." Ron grabbed Harry's broom. "I'll go."
"Be careful Ron." Said Harry. Ron nodded.
"I will." They looked over at Hermione who was now sprawled out on the ground.
"Here I go." said Ron. Just as he was about to go, a black blur grabbed Hermione by the neck of her robes and pulled her away up into the sky.
"HERMIONE!" yelled Ron and Harry.
"Harry, go to the dormitories. Get McGonagall. I'll go after Hermione. HURRY!" said Ron.
"Alright, be careful." said Harry, but before he had finished his sentence Ron had flew out the window into the starry sky.
Ron gained speed as he saw Hermione's body and the blur up above him. Suddenly she stopped. The blur looked down at Ron. He was no longer a blur. He was Lucius Malfoy.
"It's not Potter." said Lucius. He was on a Starsweeper, the newest broom. As Ron got closer to him, Lucius's grin widened. Ron stuck out his hand and was getting closer and closer.
"Say goodbye to your mudblood friend Weasley." said Lucius once Ron was within earshot. Ron ignored him. He was concentrating on the hem of Hermione's robes. That was where he would grab her. Just as he was about to pull her onto Harry's broom, Lucius turned his broom down and sped toward the ground. Ron was still holding onto Hermione's robes, so he was pulled of the Firebolt and down with Lucius.
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" he screamed. He then focused on getting the broom. Harry did it, I can do it too. He thought.
"ACCIO FIREBOLT!!!" he screamed. He didn't know it had worked until he saw the broom flying down towards him.
"Yes!" he said. He grabbed the broom and swung himself on it with one hand. The other hand was still on Hermione's robes, and Lucius was still pulling him down. He faced the broom towards the sky and he tried to go up.
"Please go! PLEASE!" Suddenly there was a loud rip and the part of Hermione's robes that Ron was holding ripped off into his hand, as Lucius cackled as he sped away with Hermione.
"HERMIONE!" yelled Ron. He suddenly lost his balance and slipped off the broom and started falling.
"AAAAHHHH!!!" he yelled. Then everything went black.
Meanwhile, Harry was searching for Professor McGonagall.
"Professor!" he yelled running around the castle. "SOMBODY!"
"What is all this noise, Potter?" It was Professor Snape.
"Professor—you don't understand—Hermione—the blur—Ron—they're in trouble!"
"Granger and Weasley? Where?"
"Hurry! It may be too late!" yelled Harry as he led him to the Owlery.
"Outside, this blur got Hermione, and pulled her up, then Ron went after her, and I went looking for Professor McGonagall. This thing took her Professor!"
"What are you talking about Potter?"
"There's Ron! RON! He's falling, do something!"
Snape murmured something under his breath and a giant black pillow appeared under where Ron was falling. He murmured something else and a ladder appeared out of the window. Harry was about to climb down when—
"No Potter. In case you have forgotten, the Dark Lord is after you. I will go first." said Snape as he started climbing down. Harry followed. He reached the bottom just as Ron hit the giant pillow.
Not really black. Ron saw black for a moment then bounced up and back down.
"Huh?" said Ron. He soon realized he was on a giant pillow.
"Ron! Are you alright? Where's Hermione? What was that blur?" asked Harry.
"Hermione's gone, Lucius Malfoy took her. I think I broke my arm. I just got this." said Ron, handing Harry the torn piece of Hermione's robes.
"Hermione." said Harry.
Then more teachers came outside.
"What is going on here?" said Professor McGonagall. "And why are you two out of your beds?"
"Granger." said Snape plainly. "According to Weasley, she was taken by Lucius Malfoy. They were most likely out trying to steel some of the pumpkins Hagrid is growing for Halloween."
"Severus, they were most likely going to visit the man, not steel from him." said McGonagall, slightly annoyed. "As far as Granger goes, go alert the students. Everyone in the Great Hall immediately."
"Dumbledore, you go too now." said Professor Sprout.
He left with Filch without a word.
"What will happen to Hermione?" asked Harry.
"I do not know Potter. For now, escort Mr. Weasley and yourself to the Hospital Wing. Both of you stay there tonight.
"Did you see Dumbledore?" asked Ron while they were on there way to the Hospital Wing. Harry nodded.
"He's worse when he's disappointed then mad." said Harry.
"He didn't even look at us!" said Ron.
"Well we did disobey him, I mean he specifically told us not to go anywhere, and so did your dad."
"I can't help feeling that it's my fault. I could've gotten her! I know I could have."
"Don't be ridiculous Ron, it's my fault. If I had just listened—"
"It's none of our faults Harry, it's Hagrid's. If we hadn't been going to visit him none of this—"
"Don't go on blaming him now. He didn't know we were going to go visit him. I should have just... waited."
"It's alright Harry. Don't worry."