Chapter 2- Hermione's Return
"Hermione!" Ron said sounding half-tired and half-relieved. "You're back!" He motioned for the others to lower their wands. "So how was your trip?" He tried his best to smile but failed to do so and just hugged the bushy-haired woman tightly.
"It all went well." Hermione said sarcastically. She tossed her hair back and straightened her robes a bit. "We all knew that it was going to be worthless, anyway." Everyone in the room nodded looking dim. "Ron, honey," she said in a sweeter voice, "could you get me some food?" Her face glowed bright red. "I'm honestly kinda' hungry. It's hard to travel as a refugee, you know." She glanced at Dumbledore and smiled as she made her way to one of his comfortable chairs.
"What was that shuffling all about?" Someone drawled from a distance. Hermione looked to the corner. Draco Malfoy was leaning on the wall running his hand through his blond hair.
"Oh!" Hermione sounded surprised. As always, she was surprised to see Draco inside the hideout. "I... er..." she looked away choosing her words "So how are the Death Eaters doing?" she quipped too late.
"Well..." said Draco looking a little taken aback, "they're still looking for us, if that's what you mean." He looked up at the ceiling.
"Did anyone follow you?" Hermione asked with a raised eyebrow. She had her arms crossed, tapping her wand. Draco stared at her blankly. Hermione sighed satisfied. "I suppose they wouldn't need to follow you." She looked around the room. "I mean," Hermione's pitch was getting higher and more annoying, "why would a Death Eater go in a disgusting looking tunnel to look for a bunch of witches and wizards who haven't bathed for months?" She glared at Draco. The tiniest bit of noise that was echoing in the room had faded. Everyone was looking at Hermione.
"Hermione!" Ron started but his voice trailed as Hermione glared at him too. She was right. The tunnel that they hid in wasn't the most comfortable place to live. Rats scurried about every single minute of the day. Sewer water dripped on their heads so frequently that it was hazardous to look up. The tunnel reeked with an unmistakable smell of dead creatures. Ron sighed and flopped himself to one of Dumbledore's chairs.
"Ron, do you have that food ready for me?" Hermione snapped.
"Uh... yeah. It's on the other room." He motioned to another door.
"Good!" Hermione paused and breathed deeply. "Thank you." She smiled and walked past Ron to another dingy room. Ron smiled back. "Good day, headmaster."
"Good day, Hermione." Albus Dumbledore continued instructing the three men and dismissed them.
"I'll go talk to her." Ron said immediately. Dumbledore nodded and Ron made his way to the dining room. He cracked the door open. "Hermione," he whispered quietly.
"You can come in."
"Hey, um." Ron felt a little nervous. Hermione was standing near the makeshift dinner table slicing something. He felt his eyes travel down Hermione's body. Hermione turned toward Ron with tears on her face.
"I know, honey." She cried. "I just don't trust him." She flopped on Ron's chest and sobbed.
"Well..." Ron noticed Hermione's weight on him. He hugged her feeling her smooth back. "I think you did a great job changing the topic." Hermione looked up and he smiled at her. "Honestly," Ron looked around trying to be serious, "I think we should install a bathroom somewhere here." Hermione laughed.
"You're so sweet."
"It's the best I can do." He looked around. "Well you can't actually call this horrible place your home can you?" Hermione kissed him. Ron's eyes widened in shock then he felt them close as he felt Hermione's soft warm lips touching his. "And now my day is perfect." Hermione leaned back.
"Oh! I just remembered!" She let go of Ron and hurried to take a piece of parchment from one of the pouches she was carrying. "I was so upset when I saw Malfoy that I forgot to tell you about this!" She had the parchment up in the air; her eyes gleamed with excitement. "Do you remember me saying the Chinese didn't want to help us?" She sat down and straightened the piece of parchment.
"Yeah." Ron looked curiously at the parchment and sat down alongside Hermione. He tried to read the writing but it was in some form of Chinese and his brain started to hurt. "Hermione!" He whined. "Don't tell me you can read that!"
"Of course not!" Hermione said matter-of-factly. "But one of those sages told me what it says." She looked at Ron in the brink of tears. "Oh, Ron!" She had hugged him again. Ron was getting more confused every second.
"Uh... what's up?" He said stupidly.
"Harry!" Hermione said excitedly. Ron wiped the teardrop from her cheek. "We can save him Ron! We can save him!" Her tears started to trickle down again. Ron became very bewildered.
"Hermione..." Ron wanted to hug Hermione and tug her out of her false reality. "Don't you remember?" Ron was crying now. His hand banged the makeshift dinner table. "No spell exists to bring back the dead!" There was a knock on the metal door.
"Excuse me, guys." A tuft of black hair stuck out of the small opening. Then Dean Thomas peered in. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to interrupt." He looked down on the ground and closed the door, then swung it open again looking a little urgent. "Oh yeah. Dumbledore's...." He looked down again. "Well he has a plan..." he was stammering, "I don't approve... don't worry... he wants you to come." He pulled out his head quickly and slammed the door. There was an increased murmuring outside. It sounded like Dumbledore had something urgent to say. Ron and Hermione got up.
"I guess this is important." They said in unison looking at each other. "This'll have to wait." Hermione shoved the piece of parchment back into her bag. They entered the other room feeling a little tense. They wondered what Dumbledore had in plan that one of them would object to.
"Yes, very good. Ronald, Hermione, please sit down." Dumbledore conjured more chairs. Ron and Hermione looked around and saw a large number of people all sitting down in Dumbledore's chairs. They had mixed expressions in their faces: some looked shock, others looked puzzled and stared in disbelief, and others looked like they were about to fill the whole tunnel with their tears. Dean Thomas was looking down mumbling to himself. Other people would open their mouths and close them again. Dumbledore, however, looked quite calm. "I am sorry to repeat this but as some people have just arrived," he gestured towards Ron and Hermione. "Let me begin by saying that most of you have turned out to be the best people Hogwarts could produce." He took a deep breath as everyone looked at each other. "I am very proud to say that I had been your headmaster at that time." Some people had now started crying. Hermione and Ron looked at each other. "However, all things must come to an e---"Dean Thomas had suddenly stood up.
"Dumbledore you can't!" He wailed. "Hogwarts needs you!" His face was filled with tears. His nose was bright red.
"Dean Thomas!" Dumbledore's voice was angry and resolute, "The last thing I need right now is an interruption." Dumbledore glanced sideways. "I know that many of you treasure me. I know that you look up for me for protection. This," he heaved a great sigh, "would be the ultimate protection I will grant you." He paused and looked around.
"But sirs!" Dobby was jumping up and down trying to see Dumbledore from behind the crowd. "What will happens to Dobby sirs?" Dobby looked more tattered than usual. His face was contorted and gloomy.
"Dobby, if we ever get through this. I'm sure the new headmaster would treat you well." Dumbledore raised his hand as the crowd's murmuring started to increase. "As of now, the efforts of our rebellion are futile. Voldemort's has grown more powerful, and his influence is widespread. Only the few of us stand to resist his power and we are dwindling down. Yet, he stills fears me. He knows that I know all his weaknesses." Dumbledore took another deep breath. "I have found the only way to defeat him." Dean Thomas' hand shot up in the air; his face covered in tears.
"Dumbledore..." Dean was breathing heavily. His speech was a little off. "So... you'll just kill yourself?" He balled his hands into fists. "You die and he gets imprisoned?" His body was shivering. "You vanish from existence and he ends up trapped in a prison cell? Dumbledore you... you can't leave us like this!" The whole room echoed with Dean's voice. Everyone was staring at him but he did not care. "You're more than just protection to us Dumbledore! You're our mentor. You taught us that even with all of this happening... there is still some good left on earth to fight for." He sat down crying to himself. "You taught us that there is still hope left." Dumbledore sighed; he was crying too.
The whole room was silent for a moment. Ron and Hermione were in shock. Dumbledore was more than just their headmaster, he had saved their lives when Voldemort's dark creatures had rampaged around the country destroying many homes, killing many of their families. Dumbledore opened the gates of Hogwarts and protected those who have fled. Many lives were lost but without Dumbledore more could have died. When the fear of impending doom drove many of them crazy, Dumbledore was there to make them see the light. Dumbledore was a hero to many who were in that room. Hermione couldn't take it. She wiped the tears from her face and stood up. She surveyed Dumbledore and was stunned at how old he looked. His beard drooped down to the ground. His face was etched with many lines as he tried to keep up a straight face. His glasses sparkled from his tears. Hermione gulped and took a deep breath.
"Dumbledore," Hermione was unsure if she could lift the spirits of his comrades after they heard what Dumbledore had planned. "You may be right..." she looked back to Ron for support but he was looking down the ground unable to speak. "You're plan might work. But..." some of the people were looking at her angrily. She conjured up her courage and spoke again, "you don't have to sacrifice yourself. There is another way!" When she said this, everyone's faces lit up. They looked at her hoping she would say something quick to stop Dumbledore from tossing himself into the fray. Hermione closed her eyes, "I have a plan."
