Hehe I think I'm a chemistry genius…so, yay for that excellent introduction :P…
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"What's tha deal with Mari Smith?"
It was lunchtime the Monday after Hermione had first found out about the Harry Potter books. Hermione had yet to run into Mari so far that day, but they had English together at the end of the day, and Hermione wanted to be prepared. Which is why when she plopped down across from Kerri at a table in the cafeteria, the first thing she did was to drill her host for questions about the other girl.
"Hi Kerri, how are you? Oh, hey Jayne, I'm fine thanks for asking." Kerri mocked her friend.
"Kerri, I'm serious." The look on her face demonstrated this point.
"Alright, fine, what?"
"Mari Smith."
"What about her?"
"She's the exchange student who never left, right?"
"Yeah, so?" Obviously this approach wasn't working so well.
"Look," sighed Hermione, "There's just something about her that's…off. Do yah know where she's from originally? Why she never left?"
"I think she's from some hick town in Pennsylvania…Amish country or something like that. I don't really know. I think something happened…her parents died…she was on exchange staying with relatives when it happened and in the end they decided to adopt her. There's really nothing 'off' about it."
"Yeah, I guess not." But Hermione really wasn't convinced. She needed to find a way to talk to Mari, she just didn't know how.
****
A few thousand miles away, the dark wizard Voldemort sat plotting away at his evil schemes.
"I think it's about time we expanded our following, don't you agree Nagini?" The "man" spoke to the snake curling around his dark throne in an eerily calm tone.
Now, Voldemort might be the bad guy, but he was no idiot. He knew that while it would be a definite plus to have more Death Eaters, and other supporters (regardless of whether they took the dark mark), expanding his boarders to other nations would also undoubtedly bring the attention of other "good" wizards. Those just made him sick. Well, his loathing for those of the "light" side, with their mixed breeding and such was not the only reason he didn't want to attract negative (or positive, depending on how you look at it) attention. What no one, barring of course Voldemort himself (although, taking into consideration certain recent developments, he couldn't be positive as to who else might know), knew was that the Dark Lord indeed had not reached full power. There was still one thing missing; one thing that he would have right now were it not for that fool Lucious Malfoy. That imbecile's "bit of fun" cost his master much more than he could ever hope to make up for. Not that Malfoy actually knew what he had done to so enrage Voldemort, but all the same there had been a bit of malicious growling and a "crucio" or two involved.
"Yes, my pet. I do believe it is time we began recruiting in America." His shout summoned a minion to his side. "Come here."
Once the greedy little rat cautiously approached, he reached over and pulled up Wormtail's sleeve to reveal a faded black tattoo on the man's bare arm. Voldemort pressed his finger on the Dark Mark, which glowed red in response. Wormtail staggered slightly under the pain that shot through his left side. He somehow instinctively knew that his master was exerting more pressure than was necessary. Upon being released, he stumbled back, away from the old throne and stood facing his master, waiting for the others to arrive. One by one the Death Eaters began apparating into the room, forming a semicircle around Voldemort's throne.
"Nott, Malfoy, you're going to America."
*****Hogwarts, One Week Later******
"America? Are you absolutely sure?"
Harry and Ron were hidden under the invisibility cloak as they overheard Snape's whispered conversation with Dumbledore. On their way to the kitchens, the boys had witnessed their Potions professor running hurriedly through the halls of Hogwarts. Curious, and knowing that it must mean he had just been at a Death Eater meeting, they followed him through the castle, until he met Dumbledore in the corridor just outside the headmaster's office.
"He's sent Nott and Malfoy. I'm not certain exactly where in America they will be, just that they will be there. They are to recruit any witches and wizards who follow his 'cause'."
Dumbledore stared at him with a mixture of suspicion and worry evident on his face. "Are you positive that that's the only reason he's sending people to the States?"
"Well if there is another reason, I am unaware of it." Then, as an afterthought, "Why? Is there another reason why he might have an interest in…Americans?" The distaste was evident in his voice. "Or are you worried that he's going after the Granger girl?"
But he was not about to get an answer.
"Thank you for bringing this to my attention Severus. Now, you've undoubtedly had a hard day…why don't you get some rest?"
Snape gave the headmaster a suspicious glare, but wasn't about to question the older man's authority. He turned and walked in the direction that would take him down to the dungeons. Dumbledore spoke the password "Shock Tarts" to the gargoyle guarding his office and, once granted admittance, started inside.
Harry and Ron returned to the dorms after that, their quest for food forgotten. Voldemort was going after Hermione! He knew she was in America! The world was coming to an end! …Well, not really, but as far as they knew they're friend was being targeted by the most evil wizard in recent times. They couldn't just sit around and do nothing. They had to do something. They knew if they mentioned this to anyone else the boys would be told to leave it all up to people who had been trained for this. Fat lot of good that'd do. They both knew from experience that the "professionals" weren't all they were cracked up to be.
"If we don't do something," Ron said slowly, the two of them now occupying the empty Gryffindor Common Room. "What happened to Ginny could happen to 'Mione."
Harry stared into the fire. Almost a year ago, Ginny, on her way back from a Hogsmeade weekend, had been attacked behind the Three Broomsticks. Colin and Dennis Creevy had been walking a bit behind her at the time. The only witnesses, they claimed that she just…disappeared. One minute she was there, the next she was gone, a dark mark hovering in the air just above the spot where she had last stood. She didn't even have time to scream. It was later reasoned that a Death Eater wearing an invisibility cloak had kidnapped her. The following week, an explosion in London sent the Ministry to the remains of a seemingly abandoned shack. Over the wreckage was a Dark Mark, and in the rubble was found a small clump of singed red hair. It didn't take long for them to prove who the hair belonged to.
"Don't worry. We won't let anything happen to Hermione. I don't know what we're going to do, but we will do something"
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So, yeah ch 6 is done…and things are starting to happen. Yay for that.
Lily and James Potter: No, really though, which question? *shrugs, goes back to counting the ceiling tiles*
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