Chapter 41
"Tragedy"
Hermione rushed to her house and got out of her car. She ran into her living room and touched her necklace.
"Communicus!" she said.
She watched frantically for any sign of Dumbledore, but none. She had a terrible pang in her heart. She rushed over to the fireplace and went to her parents' house. No one was there. There was no sign of a struggle. Hermione then traveled to Hogwarts. She stepped out of the fireplace in Dumbledore's office. The place was a wreck. She ran to the Great Hall, feeling the weight of dread heavy upon her shoulders. She stopped, pressing an ear against one of the great oak doors, listening for a sound. Not one. She took a deep breath and pushed open the doors.
The decorations from the ball where still there. Many things were ripped and broken. Hermione walked into the hall, hearing glass crunch under her boots. A terrible smell filled the air as she ventured farther, the smell of death. Hermione held a hand up to her nose and mouth to stop herself from becoming sick.
She saw several bodies of students lying on the ground. She tried to find a pulse, but not one student showed any sign of life. She sat against the wall, rocking back and forth, crying madly. It was all her fault. If she hadn't fled, if hadn't been thinking of herself instead of others, no one would have lost their lives.
She felt a strong hand on her shoulder and looked up into the blue eyes of Dumbledore. She had not heard him or many aurors come in. Many were checking for pulses of the dead students. Dumbledore picked her up and drew her into a hug.
"It's all my fault." she sobbed.
"No, no, you mustn't blame yourself for this tragedy." Dumbledore said in a soothing voice. "Even if you did what you had to do, many would have still lost their lives."
An auror walked up to them. He was holding a clear crystal ball the size of a baseball with blue fog in it. It had "Hermione" floating in black letters.
"I believe this is for you." said the auror, handing the ball to Hermione.
Hermione took it and felt it grow hot. She threw it down as it singed her fingertips. She, and everyone in the room, watched as a flash of light erupted. A large, white fog formed into a screen. Everyone gasped as a man with glowing red eyes and a handsome face appeared. Death Eaters were holding a struggling Harry and Hermione's parents in the background.
"Hermione, my dearest, your actions tonight have been stupid. I'm sure you have already seen the damage you have left me to cause in the Great Hall. Consider it a token of my gratitude. I must warn you, if you do not turn yourself over to me, I will destroy those around you, those you love, starting with Potter and your precious muggle parents."
He pointed to Harry and her parents in the background. He laughed as a Death Eater punched Harry hard in the stomach.
"Surrender to me now and I will let them go. You've already broken a vow to be mine forever."
Here, he held up the wedding ring.
"If you refuse to surrender yourself, then know this, this world will never be the same again. You know where to find me. Look for the place where hell on earth is as real as magic."
The foggy screen disappeared. Hermione trembled. Everyone starred at her.
"He only wants me to gain my powers." she sobbed.
"Have you found out your power?" Dumbledore asked.
"Yes. I have telekinesis." she said.
The bodies were removed. Many of the students were found still alive. They had hidden themselves in hard to find rooms. All the Weasley kids were alive. Parents came to retrieve their children. Reporters where taking notes down and photographers were busy snapping pictures. Dumbledore stood outside Hogwarts, telling everyone that Voldemort had been there and that many students were dead and many professors and students were missing. Hermione stood near him, leaning against the school walls. She was afraid of her parents and her friends dying, of the world she knows dying as well. After the brief press meeting, Dumbledore sent Hermione to a room to get some sleep. When she woke up the next morning, she changed into a flowing blue dress that went just above her ankles. She then found a copy of the Daily Prophet lying on her pillow. She unrolled it and read.
"Tragedy At Hogwarts
Another attack from He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was carried out at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Several students lost their lives and many are missing. According to Head Master, Albus Dumbledore, he was tricked into believing he had an urgent call that needed to be answered and left the school the very night it was attacked. Why it was attacked, we are not clearly sure, but one thing is believed that there is a certain someone who plays a vital role in this ongoing war of good-vs-evil, that is, the beautiful and intelligent Miss Hermione Granger, who many now believe is the reincarnation of the long, forgotten myth of the Dark Lady, whose history and very name are unknown. Whether or not these myths are true, we do not know. More additional info on this tragedy will be available shortly. Pictures of the crime scene can be found on pages three through ten."
Hermione looked at all the pictures. Many were showing the damage done to the school. There were many of aurors removing bodies and some of Dumbledore. She gasped when she turned to page ten. A picture of her took up the whole page. Below it was her name, "Hermione Granger." She looked at the picture of herself, which was taken from yesterday for she was wearing the same outfit.. She was leaning against the school, her dark hair flowing around her, her eyes so full of sadness, tears running down her cheeks. Hermione closed the paper and went to seek Dumbledore.
Not to far away, someone was pinning the page ten of the Daily Prophet onto the wall. His long, pale fingers grazed the paper. His red eyes gazed at the woman. A smile crossed his lips while he watched her long, dark hair flow around her saddened face. Just for a few seconds, the red in his eyes disappeared as emerald green poured in. He pulled out a ring from his robe pockets and twirled it around in his fingers.
Lucius Malfoy grinned as he watched Potter shake the bars of his cage madly. His Lord was back to himself, except for his physical features. Lucius's plan to isolate him from feelings of remorse, pity, and love proved him to be even more ruthless then before. He had turned his Lord's feelings for love toward that filthy mudblood into hate. Soon, when that mudblood marched herself into this little piece of hell and the Dark Lord drained her of her powers; the world would be free of that filth forever. If only he could drain the very last piece of emotion he knew his Lord had left. If only.
"Tragedy"
Hermione rushed to her house and got out of her car. She ran into her living room and touched her necklace.
"Communicus!" she said.
She watched frantically for any sign of Dumbledore, but none. She had a terrible pang in her heart. She rushed over to the fireplace and went to her parents' house. No one was there. There was no sign of a struggle. Hermione then traveled to Hogwarts. She stepped out of the fireplace in Dumbledore's office. The place was a wreck. She ran to the Great Hall, feeling the weight of dread heavy upon her shoulders. She stopped, pressing an ear against one of the great oak doors, listening for a sound. Not one. She took a deep breath and pushed open the doors.
The decorations from the ball where still there. Many things were ripped and broken. Hermione walked into the hall, hearing glass crunch under her boots. A terrible smell filled the air as she ventured farther, the smell of death. Hermione held a hand up to her nose and mouth to stop herself from becoming sick.
She saw several bodies of students lying on the ground. She tried to find a pulse, but not one student showed any sign of life. She sat against the wall, rocking back and forth, crying madly. It was all her fault. If she hadn't fled, if hadn't been thinking of herself instead of others, no one would have lost their lives.
She felt a strong hand on her shoulder and looked up into the blue eyes of Dumbledore. She had not heard him or many aurors come in. Many were checking for pulses of the dead students. Dumbledore picked her up and drew her into a hug.
"It's all my fault." she sobbed.
"No, no, you mustn't blame yourself for this tragedy." Dumbledore said in a soothing voice. "Even if you did what you had to do, many would have still lost their lives."
An auror walked up to them. He was holding a clear crystal ball the size of a baseball with blue fog in it. It had "Hermione" floating in black letters.
"I believe this is for you." said the auror, handing the ball to Hermione.
Hermione took it and felt it grow hot. She threw it down as it singed her fingertips. She, and everyone in the room, watched as a flash of light erupted. A large, white fog formed into a screen. Everyone gasped as a man with glowing red eyes and a handsome face appeared. Death Eaters were holding a struggling Harry and Hermione's parents in the background.
"Hermione, my dearest, your actions tonight have been stupid. I'm sure you have already seen the damage you have left me to cause in the Great Hall. Consider it a token of my gratitude. I must warn you, if you do not turn yourself over to me, I will destroy those around you, those you love, starting with Potter and your precious muggle parents."
He pointed to Harry and her parents in the background. He laughed as a Death Eater punched Harry hard in the stomach.
"Surrender to me now and I will let them go. You've already broken a vow to be mine forever."
Here, he held up the wedding ring.
"If you refuse to surrender yourself, then know this, this world will never be the same again. You know where to find me. Look for the place where hell on earth is as real as magic."
The foggy screen disappeared. Hermione trembled. Everyone starred at her.
"He only wants me to gain my powers." she sobbed.
"Have you found out your power?" Dumbledore asked.
"Yes. I have telekinesis." she said.
The bodies were removed. Many of the students were found still alive. They had hidden themselves in hard to find rooms. All the Weasley kids were alive. Parents came to retrieve their children. Reporters where taking notes down and photographers were busy snapping pictures. Dumbledore stood outside Hogwarts, telling everyone that Voldemort had been there and that many students were dead and many professors and students were missing. Hermione stood near him, leaning against the school walls. She was afraid of her parents and her friends dying, of the world she knows dying as well. After the brief press meeting, Dumbledore sent Hermione to a room to get some sleep. When she woke up the next morning, she changed into a flowing blue dress that went just above her ankles. She then found a copy of the Daily Prophet lying on her pillow. She unrolled it and read.
"Tragedy At Hogwarts
Another attack from He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was carried out at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Several students lost their lives and many are missing. According to Head Master, Albus Dumbledore, he was tricked into believing he had an urgent call that needed to be answered and left the school the very night it was attacked. Why it was attacked, we are not clearly sure, but one thing is believed that there is a certain someone who plays a vital role in this ongoing war of good-vs-evil, that is, the beautiful and intelligent Miss Hermione Granger, who many now believe is the reincarnation of the long, forgotten myth of the Dark Lady, whose history and very name are unknown. Whether or not these myths are true, we do not know. More additional info on this tragedy will be available shortly. Pictures of the crime scene can be found on pages three through ten."
Hermione looked at all the pictures. Many were showing the damage done to the school. There were many of aurors removing bodies and some of Dumbledore. She gasped when she turned to page ten. A picture of her took up the whole page. Below it was her name, "Hermione Granger." She looked at the picture of herself, which was taken from yesterday for she was wearing the same outfit.. She was leaning against the school, her dark hair flowing around her, her eyes so full of sadness, tears running down her cheeks. Hermione closed the paper and went to seek Dumbledore.
Not to far away, someone was pinning the page ten of the Daily Prophet onto the wall. His long, pale fingers grazed the paper. His red eyes gazed at the woman. A smile crossed his lips while he watched her long, dark hair flow around her saddened face. Just for a few seconds, the red in his eyes disappeared as emerald green poured in. He pulled out a ring from his robe pockets and twirled it around in his fingers.
Lucius Malfoy grinned as he watched Potter shake the bars of his cage madly. His Lord was back to himself, except for his physical features. Lucius's plan to isolate him from feelings of remorse, pity, and love proved him to be even more ruthless then before. He had turned his Lord's feelings for love toward that filthy mudblood into hate. Soon, when that mudblood marched herself into this little piece of hell and the Dark Lord drained her of her powers; the world would be free of that filth forever. If only he could drain the very last piece of emotion he knew his Lord had left. If only.