A/N: Many great thanks to: Tokyo no Ecchi, PhanPhic-adict, Universal Hope, little mimi, Gaerwen, All-American Vampire, Cardboard-Creative, Sophiax, Twilight Elf-Maiden, professionaldooropener, Kitty0617, PapayaCrazy, coolmarauders, kat6528, Mrs Pierre Bouvier, -carcrash, Shanghai Honey, shadowglove,MGoddess, and teneraestnox. (dances around room) 279 reviews! On my way to 300! WooHoo! (sits down) I'm now going to shower you with a glorious update. (my favorite chapter by the way)

Chapter 23 – Dumbledore's Return

Hermione entered the Gryffindor common room and dropped down onto the couch. She sighed heavily and closed her eyes. When she opened them, she was staring at the Christmas tree that was put up. She looked at the presents sitting under it and suddenly saw a picture in her head.

It was Tom's tree. There hadn't been anything under the tree. She recalled that and for some reason unknown to her, she felt bad about it. She felt pity on Tom. Sadness and disappointment with herself. That's when she came to the conclusion that she had to get Tom something for Christmas.

She smiled faintly as she stood up and headed out of the common room. She was on her way to see Dumbledore. She hoped he would let her go into town.

"RUN!"

Thundering footsteps shook the houses of a small village. Giants entered, their feet flanked by people in black robes with white skull masks. Women were running from the stores in panic as giants grabbed up light posts and street benches. Jets of colored light flew everywhere, hitting men and women, some even hitting children.

One child dropped beside his mother, his hand being jerked from hers. She shrieked and turned to grab him, but the sight of him writhing on the sidewalk as he screamed in pain made her freeze and scream herself. In that instant that she stopped, a giant made a grab for her.

She dropped to the ground and managed to escape, but she looked up to find a wand in her face. She began to shake with violent sobs, the giant finally getting a hold on her. Her scream was drowned out in the sea of crazy shouts, running feet, and pounding crashes.

Havoc reigned for the rest of the night in the tiny town. And by the time the giants and Death Eaters left, the town was in shambles. The Death Eaters turned, each of them laughing and smiling maliciously behind their masks.

"INCENDIO!"

The shout rang from each Death Eater, a lightning bolt of fire issuing from thirty some wands. The village caught fire and began to burn like a beacon in the night. A beacon screaming for help, but no one would help. The smoke would rise and no one would bother because there was no one for miles. No one but a man with a pale, pale face.

He smiled and watched with eyes of blood red as the village burned. He turned and looked at his servant who was just leaving the room with a tray. He grinned and thought about how everyone obeyed him, bowed and cowered before him. He turned back to the window and basked in his orange glow of glory. The only thing that was missing was his queen. Queen Hermione Granger. Soon to be Queen Hermione Granger-Riddle.

He grinned thought of the trip he was going to take later that night. Hogwarts would never know he was there. Good thing the school had been temporarily closed. Temporarily. He laughed at the word as he turned away and went to his chair. He relaxed and closed his crimson orbs as thoughts of his wedding to Hermione filled his head.

"Dumbledore?" Hermione called as she entered the classroom and looked all around.

The auburn haired professor didn't seem to be anywhere in the room. Hermione walked up past his desk and over to the door off to the side of his classroom. She knocked and it creaked. She looked around the frame of the door and saw that it was cracked.

She pushed the door open and looked around the room. The first thing she spotted was a tall, hulking figure in the corner. Their head, or what appeared to be their head, was covered in matted dark brown to black hair. They turned, their black, beady eyes landing immediately in alarm upon Hermione.

"Who are ye?" they inquired.

"Ha-Hagrid?" Hermione stuttered in disbelief.

"Do I know ye?" Hagrid asked uncertainly.

"Um... Professor Dumbledore told me about you. I'm new here at Hogwarts. I just started this year, not too long ago," Hermione explained. "I'm a good friend of Dumbledore's. Do you know where he went?"

"No... I was just waitin' here fer him," Hagrid replied.

"Oh, well, do you mind if I wait with you then?" Hermione questioned.

"Naw, not at t'all," Hagrid boomed.

"Thanks," Hermione smiled as she walked over and stood next to the towering Hagrid.

They stood there for a few moments in awkward silence when they heard the door creak again. Dumbledore was standing in the doorway smiling at the two of them.

"How are you today, my friends?" Dumbledore beamed.

"Fine," Hermione replied with a returned smile.

"So, what brings you two to my office today?" Dumbledore asked as he leaned against the windowsill which Fawkes's perch was next to.

He stroked the bird as Hermione sighed and looked to Hagrid. She hoped that he would speak first and then leave. She needed to speak to Dumbledore in private. She couldn't go asking Dumbledore if she could to go into the village to get a present for Tom if Hagrid was there.

"Ladies first," Hagrid said gruffly.

"Oh, no. Go ahead, Hagrid. I needed to talk to the professor about something private," Hermione said as she quickly tossed Dumbledore a pointed look.

"Oh," Hagrid mumbled. "Okay. You see, Professor, I was just wondering if I could get some money to go into the village and get some Flesh Eatin' Slug Repellent."

"Certainly, Hagrid," Dumbledore said. "Just go out and wait in my classroom and I'll bring the money to you as soon as I speak with Miss Granger."

Hagrid nodded and walked out, pulled the door shut behind him as he ducked through the doorway.

"Kind soul, Hagrid is," Dumbledore sighed with a fond expression.

"Yes," Hermione smiled. "I always did like him." Hermione recalled the time in her second year when Hagrid told her to not pay attention to Malfoy after he called her a Mudblood.

"So, what did you want to speak with me about?"

"I uh-," Hermione broke off. That memory of Hagrid made her want to cry like she had that day. "Um... I was wondering if I could go into the village and pick up a few things."

"A few things?" Dumbledore repeated in amused curiosity.

Hermione sighed and nodded. Dumbledore immediately caught on and shook his head, still in amusement.

"Very well, then," Dumbledore replied. "You can go into town with Hagrid. I trust him with most everything, I believe he can escort you into town and then leave you to shop."

"I was won-"

"I will lend you the money, Miss Granger. No worries."

With that being said, Dumbledore pulled open a drawer on a small dresser and pulled out a red drawstring bag.

"Follow me," he said as he left the office.

Hermione accompanied him out to where Hagrid was standing, reading a chalkboard with equations and spells written on it. He turned to Dumbledore and waited for his orders. Hermione smiled at his obedience. How could anyone think that he was the one that had set that monster out and killed Myrtle with it?

"All right, Hagrid," Dumbledore spoke clearly. "You are to escort Miss Granger into the village. When you get there, she will give you the money for the things that you need and then she is going off to do some of her own shopping. You two are to be back up to the castle in time for dinner, do you understand?"

The both of them nodded and Dumbledore handed Hermione the drawstring bag. They turned and left silently, Hermione following along behind Hagrid.

Harry stared out the window of the attic. Buckbeak, or rather Witherwings, was laying behind him, munching idly on a rat's skeleton.

"I promise to bring you up someone dinner later," Harry sighed to the hippogriff as he felt his own stomach rumble, wondering whether Mrs. Weasley had lunch ready.

Harry walked slowly from the attic, boredom setting in upon him. He hadn't heard anything about Voldemort. Of course, they had ceased getting the paper and they hadn't had any contact with the outside world. Ron, Ginny, Mrs. Weasley, and himself had been shut up in the house for the past eight days with no one but themselves to talk to. And nothing to do except clear out doxies and continue cleaning.

As Harry went, he heard a bang issue from Ginny's room. Feeling thrill for something that might be foul and his chance to fight it, Harry whipped out his wand and ran down the hall to her door. He burst through and saw Ron sitting there, black soot on his face and his red hair charred and sizzling.

Ginny grinned and picked up little rectangular charred pieces of paper. She pulled out her own wand and did a Reparing Charm on them.

"Exploding Snap?" she offered.

Harry shook his head and turned from the room. As he did, he heard the door downstairs burst open and thundering steps issue in the hall, waking Sirius's mother.

"MOLLY!" It was Mr. Weasley.

Harry, Ginny, and Ron all ran down the stairs and into the hallway, nearly running into Minerva and Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"What's going on?" Molly panted as she burst out of the kitchen.

"Voldemort was in Hogwarts last night," Arthur announced.

"For what?" Harry spat.

"We're not sure, but he didn't leave without doing some damage. Professors Flitwick and Sprout are dead... as is Professor Trelawney," McGonagall replied.

She bowed her head, apparently in guilt. She may not have liked Trelawney, but it was a sad thing to lose her. And no doubt she had been good friends with Sprout and Flitwick.

Harry heard Ginny sigh beside him and he frowned. The good of the wizarding world was in a spiraling crash and nothing seemed to be there to stop it from hitting rock bottom and going straight to hell.

"I can't imagine what he would have been looking for," Arthur breathed in exhaustion.

"I can," McGonagall mumbled.

"What?" Harry asked quickly.

"Dumbledore's time device," Minerva replied quietly.

"What does he need with that?" Ron asked frantically.

No one said a word. Everyone knew. And everyone dreaded it. It was then, as they stood there, that something miraculous happened.

Something like thunder rumbled the house. Wind whistled outside and the front door blew open with a loud crash. In the doorway stood a tall man with a pointed hat and a white beard.

No one spoke. Everyone just stood in awe for a moment. Then there was a scream. Harry looked to Ginny who was holding her hands over her ears and screaming in agony. She dropped to her knees and it was then that Harry felt a throbbing pain in his head.

It was a rushing feeling. A pounding that started at the very back of his head and went surging with pain to the front, blurring his vision. He shook his head, clearing his vision as he turned to Ginny. He went to kneel, but dropped to his knees with a dizzying feeling.

It was then that he heard Ron bellow. Ron leaned against the wall, on hand on a stand, supporting his weight. Be he too dropped to the ground, curling his head down to his chest and wincing with obvious hurt.

Mrs. Weasley went to go to her son, but she too stopped. She dropped down onto the bottom step and with a pained mutter, she fainted. Mr. Weasley went to go to her side, but he too collapsed on the step and shook his head as he winced in agony. What was happening?

Harry heard McGonagall screaming and looked over to her. She was holding her hand out as Dumbledore stepped past the threshold and into the hallway. She dropped to her knees and cried out for him again as he smiled down at her.

"Dumbledore!"

This couldn't be Dumbledore. Could it? 'I watched him die last year. Snape killed him' Harry thought. His thoughts ended quickly though as another wave of pain overcame him and he screamed. He heard faintly a thud next to him and saw Shacklebolt sittin against the wall. His eyes looked glassy and his mouth twitched.

Harry turned back to the man that was smiling and making his way toward him and McGonagall who was now laying on the floor, riving in pain. Dumbledore was certainly no ghost because he didn't have the ethereal glow or transparency that the ghosts did. His smiling face and twinkling eyes were prood that it was really him. Then something amazing happened.

The house began to shake as though in the center of an earthquake. Things blurred and Harry roared again in pain. Dumbledore was just about to reach out and touch his shoulder when Harry dropped forward completely onto the floor.

It was like his skull was cracking. He felt as though someone was hitting his head with a hammer. He covered his ears as a wave of many sounds passed through his ears painfully. He yelled for it to stop, but he blacked out before anyone could come to his rescue.

"So, Hagrid... you are pretty good friends with Dumbledore, hmm?" Hermione sighed as she tried to make some kind of conversation.

"Yeah, we are. Dumbledore's been right good ter me," Hagrid boomed as he and Hermione made their way into the bustling streets of Hogsmeade. "I suppose we had been hurry now."

Hagrid stuck out his hand for the money and Hermione emptied the sack into her hand.

"Just two Galleons ought ter be enough," Hagrid informed as he smiled at her.

She nodded and handed him two Galleons and watched the young, already stubbled Hagrid turn and head off down the street.

"Now to get a little of my own shopping done," Hermione breathed to herself as she emptied the money back into the bag and continued off down the street toward a book shop.

"Wormtail... my efforts came up fruitless," Voldemort muttered. "But I won't be deterred."

"N-no, my Lord?" Wormtail said in slight disbelief.

"No, Wormtail," Voldemort repeated. "I know that that Dumbledore worshipping fool who calls herself the new Hogwarts Headmistress has done something with that instrument... And I intend to find her."

"But how? No one has seen her since the Minister gave her the boot," Wormtail reminded.

"Oh, she can't hide forever. And I have some devoted followers on the look-out for her," Voldemort chuckled. "Not to mention I have one more follower to send out. His devotion needs to be proven to me."

"Who would that be, my Lord?" Wormtail inquired.

"Why, none other than... you, Wormtail, my fearful servant. You."

"M-m-me, m-my L-Lord?" Wormtail repeated fearfully.

"Oh, yes, you. You see, you possess a gift. The gift of Animagus form," Voldemort enlightened. "And you will use it to follow that blasted fool, Arthur Weasley. Know his every move and follow him everywhere. Then report back to me with your findings."

"Y-yes, sir," Wormtail stated quickly.

"Oh, and Wormtail," Voldemort spoke up. "You had better bring back something good and of use... or else you can just start to call yourself Worm because I will remove that tail of yours."

"Absolutely, my Lord," Wormtail gushed before leaving the room in a rather quick fashion.

"I'll soon have you, my dear... and nothing... nothing... will stop me," Voldemort said to a picture of Hermione that sat on the mantle place above a roaring fire.

'Where is he?' Hermione wondered to herself as she stood outside the Three Broomsticks waiting on Hagrid.

She was finished shopping and there was a half hour left before dinner. She sighed and shifted her weight to her left foot, her arms tiring of holding the bags of gifts. She had bought something for Sandie and Tiffany, Leo, and of course, Tom. She had even slipped in two more gifts, Dumbledore's and Hagrid's.

"Oh, c'mon, Hagrid," Hermione moaned as she dropped down onto a cold, damp bench in front of the warm, lighted windows of the Three Broomsticks.

She looked up the road towards Hogwarts and saw nothing. Then down the opposite direction. It was then that she spotted him. Black mass of hair and broad shoulders rising above the bustling crowd. He made his way to her, taking her bags in a friendly gesture and the two of them walking toward the castle in peace.

Hagrid left Hermione off outside the castle's front oak doors, saying that he had to drop off his things and he would be up for dinner. Hermione had made him promise to come in for dinner and sit with her. She had never seen him at dinner when she went and she knew why now.

He told her that he was forced to go into the kitchens to eat, that it disturbed the other children to see him after he had been convicted of a crime and expelled in his third year. Hermione was surprised that she had got him to talk about this, but it wasn't that hard now that she thought about it, once she had told him Dumbledore informed her of his mishap anyways.

Bags back in hand, Hermione lugged them over to the marble staircase and to the second floor. By the time she hit the forth floor, she needed a break. Stopping and leaning against a wall, Hermione slouched and let the bottom of the bags rest on the floor.

"Care for some assistance?" a charming tone carried to her.

She looked up and was met by Tom's dark eyes. He was carrying a book, obviously just coming from the library.

"That would be grand if you would," Hermione panted as she stood up straight and handed Tom some bags, careful not to hand him the one with his gift inside.