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Lumos

The whole carriage lit up and Hermione screamed. No an inch from her face was someone else's as Hermione found herself looking deep into Steele gray eyes. The girl felt a hand wrap around her neck, squeezing the life out of her. She struggled for a bit but soon gave up as the world was spinning around her and with a final breath Hermione past out. Her heart beat slowly died down as her body was denied oxygen. Yes, Hermione-the-book-worm-Granger, was dying.

The strong hands that were holding the girls neck in a vice-like grip suddenly let go as a tingling sensation ran through Hermione's body. The girl woke up but was slowly passing back and forth between the real world and darkness. Her head was screaming out, it pounded with pain as she saw a red light beam sent at the one who was trying to kill her. It didn't matter though the perpetrator was already laying on the opposite side of the carriage, either dead, stupefied, or past out. Hermione didn't have time to check as she was about to pass out for a final time. The only thing she could collect from the persons appearance was his Steele gray eyes and platinum blonde hair.

Hermione awoke several hours later in the hospital wing. She tried to sit up but as soon as she did the world around her began to spin. The girl laid back down with a thump and watched as Madam Promfrey come running to her. Their was a frantic look on her face as she leaned over Hermione shining a flashlight into each eye. Hermione had no idea what was going on, there was a lot of adults in the room, many of whom she did not recognize. What was going on? Why were all these people here? Who are these people?

The kind nurse saw the confusion on Hermione's face and smiled softly. She was a kind old woman who loved her job but you would not want to get in her way while she was trying to help someone, nor would you want to be on her bad side. Madame Promfrey hated all these people in her wing, they were loud and nosey, this was no place for them to be while they were sick students. But what could she do? Hogwarts almost had it's first student murder.

"It's okay dear, these people are here to help. You do remember what happened don't you?"

Hermione thought for a moment then her eyes widened in realization. Someone had tried to kill her. She could have been dead right now, but she was alive. How? The person chocking her had bad intentions and would of succeeded if…well she didn't know. All she remember was seeing them and a red flashing light before passing out. Oh, and that tingling sensation but Hermione shuddered thinking Maybe that was just death taking over…

Dumbledore saw that she was awake and walked over casually. A smile was gracing his timed features. He really was a kind old man that Hermione admired greatly. He pulled over a chair and sat down next to her.

"Ah Miss Granger I see you are awake. What happened back there gave us quiet a fright. These people are here from the ministry, they are going to help us find the one who is responsible."

The girl was about to cut in but Dumbledore held up a hand to silence her.

"Please, let me finish. They are going to ask you questions about what happened right after Poppy here gives you something for your head."

Saying that she bustled off, looking for the potion. She came back a few minutes later and handed Hermione a purple looking potion

"Drink up now"

Hermione poured it down her throat trying not to taste it. She knew what this stuff was made from. Yuck. Only seconds later her head cleared and her dizziness was gone. The only thing that remained was the horrible memories and black bruises around her neck.

One man stepped forward, he looked like he was all business. He reminded her vaguely of Percy Weasley.

"Ahem."

He coughed and got Hermione's attention, she looked up and pursed her lips together as to not say anything. Dumbledore looked amused with this scene. Hermione found this man to be somewhat rude. Just something about him irked her.

"Now could you tell us what you were doing prior to getting into the carriage?"

"I was helping all the kids into their carriages, I was supposed to take the last carriage up with Draco Malfoy, but I didn't see him. It's just like him not to listen."

All the men nodded and were writing feverously on their papers, before another man looked up. Hermione decided she like this guy better.

"Could you please tell us what happened when you got in the carriage?"

"Yes, well I got in and I was just sitting their waiting for the carriage to pull me up to the castle. It felt, well awkward in there. Like someone was in there with me. I said Lumos and lit the carriage up and there was a face…an inch from my own. I screamed and he began chocking me until I past out"

Again they were all writing feverously on their papers, one guy tapping his lip.

"How do you know it was a man…you said he"

Now Hermione thought, why did she called it a he? She just knew, but that wouldn't be enough for these men

"I don't see a woman having a grip and such big hands as the one who did this to me"

Again they all nodded and wrote on their papers, only looking up momentarily at her neck. Hermione sighed and waited for more questions to come her way.

"Okay this is the last question"

A rather small man spoke up, his hair was a dark black and he stood a mere 4 foot 11 off the ground.

"Did you see what he looked like?"

Hermione winced at this question. She couldn't get those Steele gray eyes from her mind, they haunted her. Now she spoke, her voice a wispy whisper as she was almost afraid of speaking to loud.

"He had Steele gray eyes and platinum blonde hair."

All the men looked at each other, grave expressions upon their faces. The man had gotten away but now this made his intentions clearer, at least to them.

"Malfoy."

One man whispered the rest nodding in agreement.

Hermione gasped at the name. He wouldn't sink so low as to try and kill her just because she was a Muggle-born, would he?

"Draco Malfoy?"