Disclaimer: Anything recognizable, sadly, belongs to J.K. Rowling.
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Hermione awoke not quite an hour later to a loud pop. She sat bolt upright and looked around; apparently Luna had heard it too, because she was sitting up and searching as well. "I wonder what that was. You don't think it was a Snorcack flying over head, do you?" Luna asked dreamily. Hermione hesitated before answering the odd question.
"Um, actually, I think it sounded like someone apparating," Hermione said and started to head for the door. A moment later Luna was at her side and they were peering around the door frame. "Headmaster? What are you doing here?" they heard Remus' voice say. "I need to talk to Ms. Granger," Dumbledore replied solemnly.
Hermione edged around the door and towards the room where the two men were talking. She didn't like the way Dumbledore had said he needed to talk to her; it sounded urgent and ominous. "H-headmaster? What's happened?" she asked. The men looked over and finally noticed the girl standing in the doorway.
"Ms. Granger, please sit down," Dumbledore said and motioned at a chair in front of George's desk. She sat obediently and watched warily as Remus closed the door. "Ms. Granger, I sadly have to inform you that your parents were attacked by Death Eaters last night," Dumbledore said gently, she noticed the twinkle was gone from his eyes.
"Ar-are they alright?" Hermione asked as she braced herself for the worst. "I'm afraid they aren't with us anymore," he said quietly. "No, no!" Hermione sobbed. "I'm sorry," Hermione felt a large wrinkly hand pat her shoulder comfortingly. Hermione shrugged away. "Just leave!" Hermione said harshly and covered her face in her hands.
Dumbledore whispered something to Remus and disappeared with a small pop. "Hermione, it's alright," Remus wrapped his arms around her in a warm hug. "It's my fault! Voldemort only attacked them because of me!" Hermione sobbed into his chest.
Hermione didn't remember falling asleep. She didn't remember being set in a warm sleeping bag or someone brushing a strand of hair out of her face and kissing her lightly on the forehead. Remus softly shut the door behind him as he went to find Hermione's two best friends.
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Hermione woke up and groggily looked at her watch. It was ten p.m. She sat up and noticed she wasn't in her sleeping bag - she wasn't even in the yellow room anymore. With the speed of Harry on a broom, the night's events came back to her. She realized her parents were dead.
It might seem belated, but it was just sinking in that they would never be back. Never.She held back a fresh wave of tears and stood up. She sauntered toward the door and opened it. She was hit with the noise of many kids laughing and talking. She dazedly walked back to the yellow room to get dressed and get her things.
As she knelt down by her backpack the room hushed. "Hermione, where were you? Luna said that you went into Professor Lupin's room to talk to Dumbledore, and you never came back," Parvati asked her. "I-I was in Professor Lupin's room because Dumbledore wanted to talk to me, and I, er, fell asleep in his chair," she grumbled in reply.
"What's wrong?" Ginny whispered worriedly to Hermione. She just shook her head. "Why was Dumbledore here?" Lavender asked as the girls started to gather around her. "Um, he just wanted to talk to me; it wasn't that important," Hermione said unconvincingly. The girls shrugged and went back to putting their things away. Hermione got dressed and picked up her backpack.
Seeing as how late it was, she figured 'Gred and Forge' had already served breakfast. She was all but anxious to leave the joke shop. She filed out of the room when she heard a voice say that the carriages were there. Just as she got into one, two boys slid in beside her. "'Mione, you ok?" she heard a familiar voice say.
"No," she bawled. For a few minutes she just cried into the shoulder of his maroon sweater. She wiped her eyes and sat back up straight. "How'd you know?" she asked. "Remus told us," Harry answered. The rest of the short ride passed in silence. When the carriage jolted to a stop, the three got out and made their way into Hogwarts and up to the common room.
Hermione went up to the dorm and put her stuff up. A few more tears coursed down her cheeks. She sighed slightly. She was not going to become a basket case; they were in a better place now. But that thought brought panic with it. Where am I going to stay? I can't stay alone! She thought franticly.
"Hermione, what's wrong?" A voice startled her out of her thoughts. She looked up and saw Ginny. "My parents. They're dead," Hermione said. "I-I'm sorry," Ginny said comfortingly. She gave Hermione a hug. "Ginny, where am I going to stay?" Hermione said, her voice cracking slightly. "You're always welcome at the Burrow, 'Mione," Ginny said and smiled.
Just then the door opened once more. "Ms. Granger, Dumbledore would like to speak with you, now," McGonagall said curtly. Hermione nodded and followed her Head of House out of the dorm. She smiled at Harry and Ron as she passed them while leaving the common room. She proceeded to the statue guarding the headmaster's office where McGonagall left her after saying, "Peppermint humbug," to the gargoyle.
Hermione walked up the winding staircase and knocked on the door at the top. "Come in," an old voice said a moment later. She opened the door and slowly walked in. "Ah, Ms. Granger, I'm sure that you know that you can not live alone, and that it wouldn't be safe for you to stay at your house any longer," Dumbledore said as Hermione sat down in a chintz in front of his desk.
"I propose that you stay at Hogwarts, that way youwillbe safe if Death Eaters decide to attack once more and come after you," Dumbledore informed me. "Come after me?" Hermione asked astonished. "I'm afraid it's a possibility. But you shall be safe at Hogwarts; there are a few teachers who stay over the summer holidays," Dumbledore said as calm as a cucumber.
"Wait, you mean that all professors don't stay at Hogwarts during the summer holls?" Hermione asked curiously. Dumbledore laughed. "Yes, only Professor Sinistra, Professor Snape, and Professor Lupin stay for the summer," he said amusedly. Hermione nodded. Although it was quite naive of her, she had never thought that professors actually had lives.
"All your things from home will be sent here if you want to request things that you would like," Dumbledore said. Hermione nodded and left.
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A/N: Sorry it took so long to update, I was busy with school and stuff. Hmm, paragraph 7, sentence 2, was that foreshadowing? I think it was!! Review.