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Chapter 7: Where is She?
The next few weeks passed in a happy blur for the trio. Even if Harry couldn't practice with the team he came to each of the practices and cheered them on with Hermione next to him. His ribs were healing nicely and Madame Pompfrey said that he could get the brace off in two more weeks. Gryffindor had a big match against Ravenclaw today and for Harry that was the weirdest feeling watching Ron and the rest of the team make their way to the changing rooms while he went up to the stands to watch.
Hermione seemed to sense how he felt because she put her arm around his waist and squeezed him slightly. Harry snapped out of his daydreaming to glance down at her. They had become very close over the pass six weeks and seemed to pick up on each other's emotions very well.
She smiled up at him and whispered, "You will be back up there by the next match. I know this is killing you to watch a game Harry, but enjoy the fact that you don't have to look out for the snitch and bludgers plus keep an eye on the game!" Harry smiled and squeezed her back as they made their way up to the Gryffindor cheering section.
The match started and everything was going well. Gryffindor was winning by 50 to 10. They were watching Ron as he weaved in front of the goals watching a Ravenclaw player pelt down the pitch toward him with the red quaffle tucked under his arm.
Harry suddenly saw two identical black orbs speeding toward Ron from opposite sides of the goals, completely out of Ron's range of vision.
"Ron! Duck!" screamed Harry. But it was too late; Ron didn't have any time to react. Both bludgers slammed into his head with sickening speed. Ron dropped from his broom like a stone. Harry and Hermione ran down on to the pitch as a teacher also leaped the barrier and ran to Ron. The teacher was Professor Lupin who had come back to teach DADA, and to keep an eye on Harry and the rest of the trio.
Lupin looked up quickly to see Harry and Hermione running toward him and grinned, "What is it with you two and quidditch injuries?" He bent down and began to examine Ron. "He needs to go to the hospital wing obviously," he said straitening up and conjuring a stretcher, "I will take him as I can get him there more quickly." Harry nodded and turned to Hermione, "C'mon Moine lets go up to the hospital wing." Except that Hermione wasn't next to him like he had thought. He looked around but still didn't see her.
"Hermione?" Harry called looking around again hoping to have just missed her. "Hermione! Hermione!" Harry was starting to panic he ran up to Lupin who was just getting the stretcher that was bearing Ron out of the stadium.
"Remus!" Harry called catching up with them. Lupin turned and saw Harry who looked like he had just seen a ghost.
"What is it Harry?"
"Have you seen Hermione? I can't find her!" Lupin understood why Harry was so upset Dumbledore had warned him about what Voldemort might try to do, plus with Harry's new relationship with Hermione.
"Go to Dumbledore see if he knows where she is." He suggested. Harry nodded and raised his wand and called his Firebolt to him, mounted and took off for the castle. Harry tore through the hallways still on his broomstick till he got to the gargoyle. He had to try several different kinds of sweets before he found the right one, which was Acid Pops. He flew up the stairs and burst into Dumbledore's office.
"Harry? What is going on?" Dumbledore asked as he looked up to see Harry pale and panting in front of him.
"Professor, have you seen Hermione? Do you know where she is? I can't find her!" Harry gasped and wheezed.
Dumbledore's face paled and Harry's worse fears were confirmed, "Oh no, oh no, oh no." Dumbledore's office door banged open once again and Lupin came charging in, "Harry did you find her?" He stopped when he saw the hope that had briefly come to Harry's eyes fade and the despair return. He turned to Dumbledore, "Do you know where he might have taken her?" Harry seized upon the question and watched as Dumbledore hesitated then nodded slowly.
Harry jumped up and shouted anxiously, "Where is it? C'mon we need to go now! He might go on and kill her! We have got to go and save her!" Harry was almost to the door when Lupin appeared in front of him, blocking his way. "Get out of the way Remus! I have got to go save her!' he shouted.
Lupin took him firmly by the shoulders and began to shake him, "Harry get control of yourself! Remember the last time you went headlong into something and what happened at the end of it? Don't you ever forget the mistake that happened with Sirius!" Harry's face went if possible even paler and he stopped trying to resist Lupin. "Now Harry, I know your feelings for Hermione are very strong but you have to stop and think." He turned to Dumbledore, "Do we need to call the Order?" he said quietly.
Dumbledore nodded and called Fawkes to him. After a few minutes of whispers Fawkes disappeared. Dumbledore turned to Harry and said, "Now Harry I am going to ask you to do the impossible right now, but try to relax, Hermione is no use to him dead." They watched as Harry paced back in forth checking his watch every few seconds.
"Harry, try to calm down," said Lupin noticing the lines on his face and the tight drawn expression around his eyes, "you have aged years in the matter of an hour."
Harry turned on him angrily, "Isn't it obvious why?" he said hoarsely before resuming his pacing.
Suddenly there was a pop and Fawkes reappeared and a second later there was another pop and the Order of the Phoenix suddenly appeared in Dumbledore's office.
Some of them looked around slightly confused while two of them strode through the crowd toward Dumbledore. It was Mad-Eye Moody and Tonks. Spotting Harry, Tonks sighed, "Oh good so we do not have to go rescue him." The crowd went quiet and everyone turned and faced Harry. Many of them seemed to be relieved to see him, Harry noticed.
"If it isn't Potter we are going to save Dumbledore," growled Mad-Eye, "Then who are we saving?" The crowd murmured ascent.
"I am sure that you all remember Hermione Granger?" the crowd nodded, "It is her who we are going to try and save. Lord Voldemort took her from the Quidditch field this morning. Harry here brought it to my attention when he noticed that Ms. Granger was no longer standing beside him, which is where she has usually been for the past six weeks." Tonks raised her eyebrows at Harry and Harry threw Dumbledore a look that could kill. Dumbledore shrugged and said, "They were bound to find out anyway Harry." Harry nodded, but it was a very stiff one.
"Now I have called you all together as back up for Harry and I." Mad-Eye snorted, "I will create a portkey that will take us to where I believe Voldemort would have taken her. Now I want you all to gather around in this formation: Harry you will be up front, Remus, you and I will be behind Harry, and then Tonks and Mad-Eye and whoever else would like to join you. The pattern will continue in that fashion until we have five rows, then it will reverse. So basically it goes like this: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1." The crowd once again nodded.
So forming up, Dumbledore passed the portkey into the middle and everyone turned so that they could get a finger on it. Dumbledore looked at his watch, "Five, four, three, two, and one!" Harry felt the familiar tug at his navel and closed his eyes.
Feeling them start to slow down and braced himself for the landing. Hitting the ground with a thump Harry immediately screamed into the darkness, "Where is she Voldemort?" He had his wand out and was preparing himself for the worse when a cold voice came out of the darkness that surrounded them, "Ah, Harry, how nice for you to join me," Voldemort said silkily as he glided out from the shadows, "Oh and I see that you have brought some of your friends to play too." Harry sneered at him.
"Just tell me where she is Tom, and no one needs to be hurt except for you."
"Tut, tut, I would think that you would have learned by now to keep that temper of yours in check Mr. Potter."
"Where is she Riddle?" Harry yelled glancing around hoping to see her in the corner.
"Now why should I tell you that, besides I don't think that you will ever see Ms. Granger alive again or if you do maybe without something that she would value highly, anyway, not after the little game that I want to play with you and some friends of mine."
Harry's face paled as he understood what Voldemort meant, he spun suddenly and saw a complete ring of Death Eaters surround their group making them look pathetically small and defenseless.
"Harry," whispered Dumbledore in his ear, "when I saw go everyone is going to shout 'Stupefy' in as many directions as they can. You are to send only one and that is straight at Riddle, then duck through the formation and go out the back there is a door there, the only one in this room." Harry nodded still looking around as if in shock at the number of Death Eaters that was surrounding them.
Harry managed a laugh and said tauntingly, "Is this all you have Tom? I would have expected better of you!" "Now!" whispered Dumbledore. Suddenly twenty-five 'Stupefies' rang out and the red beams of light shot everywhere. Harry said his, watched Voldemort block it then disappeared toward the door. Opening it quietly he slipped in and closed it softly behind him.
"Lumos." He said and the tip of his wand suddenly lighted giving him a good look at the area that he had entered. It was a corridor that had so many doors Harry quickly lost count. He crept soundlessly down the hall pausing at every door and listening hard. After about the twentieth one he heard voices behind one, what he heard made his blood boil and what he most feared for Hermione might have already happened.
"Let go of me! Leave me alone! Get your disgusting hands off me, you asshole, you son of a bitch!" Hermione screamed.
"Now just stand still for a moment sweetie, I promise I will be quick, it won't hurt at all."
Harry couldn't take it anymore, he grabbed the doorknob, twisted and shoved hard against it so that it swung open viciously and hit the wall with a bang. It did what he wanted it to do. The occupants inside it froze. Harry ran in and took the scene in, in a single glance; Hermione pinned against the opposite wall and a man hovering over her, his face just inches away from hers. Hermione had been stripped of her shirt and her body was covered in cuts and bruises.
The man looked just as startled as Hermione and before he had time to react Harry raised his wand and pointing it right at the man shouted 'stupefy'. The red jet of light hit the man squarely in the chest with such a force that it sent him reeling backwards into the far wall, where he slid down to the floor and lay motionless. Harry stood there breathing hard for a few seconds until Hermione's soft sob brought him back to his senses.
"H-h-Harry?" she asked trying to stand up.
Harry rushed over to her and pulled her up and in to a hug so fierce that Hermione gasped. "Who else love?" he whispered into her hair as he felt Hermione start to sob into his shoulder and her body shake violently. "Shh, it's ok Moine. I'm here now. I won't let anything hurt you." He cooed into hair as he felt herself just completely break down and sob hard into him. It was taking all of his strength just to hold her up. They stayed like that Harry holding her and rocking her gently while Hermione clung to him with all of her strength.
(Back at the main room)
Dumbledore watched as Harry disappeared through the door before turning around to face the unconscious Death Eaters. Mad-Eye made his way to Dumbledore, weaving in and out of the bodies that littered the floor.
"There are forty in all and no Voldemort is not among them." He said simply. Dumbledore sighed he had only hoped that with the sudden mass spells that Harry had taken Voldemort by surprise.
Lupin ran up to them, "Can we go find Harry now? He hasn't returned yet and I am worried that he might have found more Death Eaters." Dumbledore nodded and Mad-Eye, Lupin, Tonks and Dumbledore went down the corridor. Mad-Eye found them first; peering around the doorframe he smiled (a very rare sight) and motioned for the others to come see.
It was a very touching sight. Harry was holding on to Hermione with all of his might, looking very much like he would never let her go again and Hermione likewise. He was rocking her and telling her over and over that she was fine and that he would never let someone hurt her again. Hermione was sobbing that much was evident by the way her body shook and the muffled sounds that were coming from her.
"Look," said Tonks quietly so not to disrupt the two, "she is missing her shirt." Lupin started, "No silly, I mean that she has a bra on if that is what you are wondering, but I mean what do you want to bet that when Hermione refused to give him whatever he wanted, he left her back here for the sick amusement of his best Death Eaters?" Moody growled low in his throat, "Bloody bastard. Fancy doing that to a child."
Dumbledore interrupted Moody, "Remember you two, they aren't children anymore. Together they have seen more in their five years at Hogwarts than most Aurors will see in their whole lives." Moody nodded and glanced back at the two.
"Well I sure hate to do this but we need to break them up. We need to get back to Hogwarts." Said Dumbledore forgetting to be quiet.
Sure enough it did the trick, Harry's head shot up and he looked over his shoulder at them. Spotting them he smiled and turned back to Hermione.
"Hermione? Moine? Try to get a control on yourself, love; the Calvary has arrived to take us back to Hogwarts." Hermione sniffed loudly a couple of times as she tried to get a hold of herself. She wiped her red rimmed eyes and looked up at Harry and smiled. Harry smiled back and gave her a quick hug. Harry gently turned her around; Hermione paused, suddenly realizing that she didn't have a shirt on.
"Oh, my shirt! She said sounding slightly pained that all of these people had to see her like this. Harry laughed slightly and waved his wand. A shirt appeared in mid air. Hermione grabbed it and pulled it on saying as she pulled it over her head, "Thanks Harry."
Harry placed an arm around her back to support her out, but Hermione tried to take a step and immediately fell. Harry had to stoop quickly to catch her. "All right there Moine? How about if I carried you instead?" Hermione nodded and wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. Harry shifted her slightly so that it was easier to carry her then strode out of the room passing Dumbledore and Mad-Eye who had gone to look at the Death Eater that Harry had knocked out.
Lupin and Tonks fell into step with him as he made his way back down the corridor.
"You all right Hermione?" asked Lupin worriedly as he watched her close her eyes.
"Of course she is alright," said Tonks grinning maliciously, "how many girls do you know you would kill to be in Hermione's spot right now? I mean she just got saved by the world famous Harry Potter and then he sweeps her off her feet!" Lupin grinned, and Harry threw Tonks such a look that made her hide behind Lupin.
"If I wasn't carrying Hermione right now I would so give you a taste of what Voldemort got in fourth year." Said Harry narrowing his eyes dangerously at Tonks. That got Tonks to shut up because there wasn't anyone who doubted Harry's threat.
"But Harry," said Hermione, her voice was slightly muffled because she was speaking into his chest, "you know that Tonks is right. Most girls that I know would kill to be in my position; I just have to make sure that never happens!"
Lupin and Tonks laughed and Harry smiled slightly trying not to show how relieved he was that she sounded back to her old self. They had made their way back into the main room and immediately the aurors crowed around Harry asking him all sorts of questions.
"Yes Hermione is fine and yes I am fine. No there were no more Death Eaters except," Harry felt Hermione stiffen slightly in his arms, ok he could respect that Hermione didn't want the others to know what the other Death Eater was going to do to her, "for the one that was left to guard Hermione."
"Everyone back off! Give Harry and Hermione some room." Shouted Dumbledore as he pushed his way through, "Don't worry, I will question Ms. Granger fully when we get back to Hogwarts." Everyone took the hint and started to get ready to go back to his or her homes, while Dumbledore, Lupin, Tonks, Mad-Eye, Harry and Hermione got ready to go to Hogwarts.
Dumbledore held out the portkey and everyone put a finger on it. Harry once again felt the familiar tug around his navel area and felt himself being pulled forward. Suddenly they landed and Harry had to be extra careful because of Hermione. Once he had stabilized himself he looked around; they were back in Dumbledore's office. Harry carefully set Hermione down in one of the chairs and pulled another one closer so that he could hold her hand. Dumbledore took up his seat behind his desk, Lupin behind Harry's chair and Tonks and Moody on either side of Dumbledore.
"Now Hermione," Hermione opened her eyes at the sound of Dumbledore's voice being directed at her, "can you please tell me to the best of your ability what happened from the time that you disappeared from the quidditch pitch to when Mr. Potter here so bravely rescued you." Hermione smiled at Harry and started to explain what happened to her.