Hermione waved her children off as they ran into school, they had just turned nine in August and they now only had two years left until they hopefully went to Hogwarts.
She walked out of the gates and out into the September sunshine.
"Hermione," someone called out from behind her, she turned to see the father of one of the children in Jack and Isabelle's class running towards her.
"Hi Daniel," she said.
"Long time no see eh," he said walking down the road with her.
Hermione smiled, it was obvious that he liked her, he was also a single parent, but unfortunately the feeling wasn't mutual.
"I don't suppose you've rethought my offer to join the PTA?" he asked.
"No, sorry, I'm really busy at the moment." She said, he had been pestering her to get her to join, probably so he could see her more often with an excuse.
"Well if you ever reconsider you know where I am," he said, "you do have my number right?"
"Yes I do," Hermione said.
"Right well see you later then." he said and he got into his car and drove back home.
She continued the rest of the walk home by her self, she was nearly at her house when a hand appeared out of no where and grabbed her.
She let out a small scream that attracted the attention of the old woman that lived at number nine.
"Shhhhhhhhhh," Harry said laughing.
"Harry," Hermione said hitting him on that arm, "what are you doing?"
"I wanted to surprise you," he said.
"You haven't grown up at all have you?" She said. "I'm surprised we still fit under this thing," she said indicating to the invisibility cloak covering them.
"Well I had nothing else to do, and unless I have this thing on I can't go anywhere," Harry said, "you never know who might be watching."
"Come on lets get back to the house before someone realizes you're here." Hermione said, and as it would be strange if she suddenly reappeared in the street, she walked back to the house close to Harry so the cloak covered them both.
Harry was eager to return to the burned remains of his flat and try and salvage anything he could find. Thankfully he kept his most treasured possessions in his vault in Gringotts where he knew they would be safe.
He sat at Hermione's kitchen table with the note Dumbledore had left him eleven years ago.
What could there possible be in this world after Voldemort was gone that was so bad that?
He started at the note, he would ask Hermione to look at it when she came back from picking up her children from school.
He folded up the old piece of parchment and placed it in his pocket, he went over to the sink and poured some water in the kettle and placed it on the stove to boil.
He went over to the mantle piece where there were many pictures. There was one of Jack and Isabelle playing with Hermione, Fred and George with their children and wives, Hermione's parents, Ron and Hermione together when she was pregnant, and one of him Ron and Hermione all together in their school days.
Harry felt a lump in his throat as he looked at it, they were so happy in the picture, he wished he could step into it and relive those, relatively trouble free years, well compared to ones he had had lately.
The kettle began to whistle, he went over and took it off the stove and began pouring some into a mug.
There was suddenly a loud crack and Harry dropped the kettle splashing boiling water everywhere and burning his left hand.
"Crap," he said running it under the cold water tap.
"Harry, Harry," Hermione shouted running into the kitchen.
"What's wrong Hermione, where are Jack and Isabelle?" Harry asked.
"I was……. They've been…………… I went to………." She said but she could get a sentence out through all her tears.
"Sit down," Harry said turning off the tap and guiding her into a chair, "and tell me what's wrong."
Hermione took a deep breath as she sat down as Harry dipped a bandage in Murtlap essence and wrapped it around his hand to ease the pain.
"I was just at the school to pick up Jack and Isabelle, and I waited for about ten minutes for them to come out but they didn't come, so I went to ask the teacher where my children where, and she said that at friend of the family had come to pick them up because I was busy at work." Hermione said tears streaming down her face. "Someone has kidnapped my children."
Harry put an arm around his crying friend, "it's going to be Ok, we'll sort it out." He said comfortingly.
Just then an owl tapped at the window, Harry opened it and let the owl fly over to Hermione who took the letter from it's beak before it flew out again.
Hermione opened the letter, when she finished reading it she burst into tears again.
Harry picked up the letter, it read-
If you want your children back then take this portkey.
Come alone we will know if there is someone with you.
Harry turned the letter over to see if there was anything else, but that was it.
"What are you going to do?" Harry asked Hermione putting the letter down and handing her a tissue.
"I'm going to go and get my children back," she said wiping away her tears and pulling herself up to her full height.
"Do you want me to come?" Harry asked.
"No, if they, whoever they are, find out they might hurt my children," Hermione said.
"But what if something happens to you?" Harry asked anxiously, "I'll wear my cloak."
"No Harry, I'm not putting my children at anymore risk, stay here." Hermione said.
Harry nodded.
"I'll be back soon," Hermione said and she left using the portkey.
Hermione's feet touched ground in a darkened room lit but a dying fire.
"Hello?" She called out, and a man came rushing through a door on the other side of the room, he had a long black cloak, a bit like a Death Eaters one that covered his face.
"Miss Granger," the man said.
"Where are my children?" She asked. "I want to see my children."
"All in good time, but we want something from you first." The man said.
"No, I won't do anything for you until I see my children." Hermione said standing her ground.
"Potter not with you?" the man asked, he had a voice extremely low, almost like a growl. It was quite menacing but nothing near to as frightening as the one of Voldemort.
"Harry' dead," Hermione said trying to keep her voice cool.
"You're quite a good liar you know that, but don't try and play games." The man said, "we know he's alive, that's why we burned down his house."
"I have no idea what you're talking about?" She said trying to keep her face neutral.
"Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about, I know you know where he is." The man said. "But I don't suppose he's here with you, maybe under his invisibility cloak?"
Hermione didn't say anything.
"Maybe not, you're a clever woman, I suppose you didn't want to endanger your children." The man said chuckling.
"I want my children," Hermione said.
"I told you, there is something I want from you first." The man said.
"And I told you, I'm not doing anything until I see my children." Hermione said anger rising inside of her.
"I don't think you're in a position to make demands." The man said.
"Show me my children now or…"
"Or what?" The man asked, "You seem to be forgetting that you are all alone, where as I am not."
Hermione knew the man was right, she had no power over him, "what do you want from me, why did you take my children?"
"There is only one thing we want from you," the man said walking towards Hermione, she walked backwards but she hit the wall.
"What do you want?" Hermione said the fear in her voice obvious., "who are you?"
"We are people that are very mad at your friend for killing our master," the man said, "and we want to avenge him."
"Why do you need me for that?" Hermione asked.
"We don't need so much you, but your hair." The man said and he stunned Hermione knocking her to the floor causing her to hit her head on the cold stone beneath her.
Someone left me a review and I just wanted to clear a few things up-
1. When I said in chapter 3 that Harry tied to apparate back to Hogwarts, I didn't mean directly into the castle I meant into the area where it was sort of thing. I can see how that might be a bit confusing so I'm sorry about that. : )
I'm sorry, I realized that I did killed Hermione's parents, I just forgot (memory like a sieve!) I'm really sorry about that, I'll change that bit!
Sorry again!
