Chapter 2

Meeting

Over the past few days, all the work the Golden Trio accomplished benefited the Order's growing amount of intelligence. Errands had to be delivered to certain witches and wizards, and Hermione, having the 'easy' end of the rope (according to Ron), was to look up very old facts form the past. Of course, she also had to keep on date with those of the present, but her task was harder than one can estimate.

A small weight was lifted from her shoulders when an owl flew in one fine Sunday morning; it dropped several papers on the counter beside the dining table, startling the Weasleys.

"CHRIST!" Ron yelled as the owl perched itself right next to his head. The scrawny, brown owl bristled it's feathers and squawked, staring at them with it's wide yellow eyes. Ginny suppressed a giggle and threw a few pieces of her ham, which it caught expertly in it's beak.

"Oh, look," Harry began as he picked up en envelope. "We've word from Professor Lupin."

"Maybe it's news about the Hogwarts." Hermione suggested enthusiastically. She wouldn't be able to take it if Hogwarts were to be shut down. She pulled a hand behind her back and crossed her fingers.

"We'll see. Or it just might be that Arthur has found something." Molly Weasley said as she ushered Harry to open it. Harry cut a slit and pulled a folded parchment out. He unfolded it and began reading :

Virgo,

Mars has stilled its raging flames, and tranquility claims the galaxy for now. Celestial entities enter the gathering order with a gentle handshake. No objections. The hog has fallen once, but it has risen again to educate the young. Time can only tell what has become of the young ones, for they still fear for the return of the darker star. The lightning, the terrier, and the messenger god shall gather together for a fortunate meeting with three others at the cat's alleyway. The gentle giant shall be there. The third day at the stroke of 12.

See you soon, sweets.

Moony

Harry finished reading and looked up to a whole table of confused faces. Ron sat there with a fork in his ham filled mouth.

"What the bloody hell was that?" He said in a muffled voice. Ginny and Molly just sat there staring. Harry uttered a small nervous chuckle and scratched the back of his head.

"Well, the post is from Professor Lupin because of the signature, that's for sure…" He said. "The rest I'm not very sure of…" Hermione tilted her head slightly and thought for a moment, calculating the cryptic message in her mind.

"'Mars has stilled it's raging flame, and tranquility claims the galaxy for now..' could mean that everything is fine for the moment." She paused for a moment before continuing again. "I'm not sure about the next two parts, but the 'hog' section of the letter is simple. They're reopening Hogwarts."

"YES!" Ron exclaimed, throwing his fist into the air in triumph. Harry, Hermione and Ginny cracked a small grin of amusement. Ginny turned to Hermione, a questioning look on her face.

"What do you suppose he meant by 'Celestial entities'?" She asked.

"It could just be a person." Hermione shrugged. "The 'darker star' part could mean that people are scared to go to school with Vold-… um.. You-Know-Who being back and all." Ron grunted and stuffed another slice of ham in his mouth.

"This letter is so confusing! Why do they insist on writing cryptic posts?" He complained. Harry sighed.

"Just in case the post was intercepted, people won't know what we're up to. Even if some parts are obvious, the death eaters wouldn't know enough to know what they really mean." He answered before turning back to Hermione. "Go on."

Hermione took the letter from his hands and read it a few times.

Yeah, Hermione. Go on. Do what you're told to do.

She scowled slightly, but not enough to show the others what she really felt. They would think that she is concentrating.

"The lightning is Harry because of his scar… I know that I am the 'messenger god' because my name sounds like the god 'Hermes', but the terrier..? I assume it's Ron, but how?" She tilted her head at Ron. Ron blinked a few times and then uttered a laugh.

"Of course! My patronus spell is a jack russell terrier!" He laughed. Hermione raised a brow before the thought struck her.

The D.A.D.A meetings back in their fifth year! Of course! Brilliant, Professor Lupin. She smiled inwardly. Molly patted Ron on the hand and smiled.

"Yes, yes. I am proud. Now, please continue, Hermione, dear." She said softly. Hermione nodded. At least someone appreciates my help.

"We seem to be gathering and meeting with some people, I suppose. 'Gentle giant'… 'Gentle giant'… Hagrid! Hagrid's going to be at the place where we're going!" She exclaimed.

"I wonder why?" Harry asked, tilting his head towards Ginny. Ginny shrugged.

"A welcome party at Diagon Alley since it says 'alleyway'?" She suggested. Hermione thought for a moment.

"Perhaps, perhaps not. Hm… Third day could mean three days from now, which is Wednesday. I also think that he meant at 12 noon. There is no way that they would want to meet us at midnight if everything is fine at the moment." Hermione inquired as she pointed to the first sentence on the letter.

"Finally, we're through with the letter. My brain is melting already and I haven't even set one foot inside Hogwarts!" Ron leaned back in his chair, stretching. Ginny jammed a fist on his stomach causing him to lurch forward, almost spilling his glass of juice.

"The bloody hell..?" He chokes out as the whole table laughed at him. First to recover from the laughter, Mrs. Weasley patted Hermione on the shoulder and smiled.

"Well done." She whispered before standing to take dishes away.

Hermione smiled inwardly. Now that little praise was enough to last her through the discussion going on with Ginny, Ron, and Harry in which she is utterly excluded from.

She gave a small smile to each of them before opening the book she had been reading and studying a little bit. It really was quite interesting. And who knows, maybe it'll help her someday.

Just maybe.

The sound of the train's engine running filled the air with a dull murmur in every compartment. Other than the quiet snores of peaceful sleeping early in the morning, a muffled laughter came from compartment C-23. Three siblings had awoken not long ago in the fresh sunrise.

"Oi, Freyr, remember the time when I slipped catnip in McGonagall's tea? That was genius!" Kenan laughed, brushing the wrinkles off his cloak. Vincent was caught between a disapproving scowl and a small grin of amusement.

"That wasn't very kind of you, Fox. She could've had a seizure and Merlin knows what else." Vincent lectured him as he gathered some things from a sack beside him. Various wrapped foods were evident.

"Blimey, Freyr, people would think you're the bad-dooer and I the goody-good. Lighten up a little instead of sticking your nose in those fat-arse books all the time." Kenan grinned, patting Vincent on the back roughly. The gesture did not phase him, however.

Now that their travel gear has been stripped of, their faces were revealed for the world to see. Dark brown hair covered both of their heads, and they had the same pair of sharp, frost gray eyes. Kenan's hair was short and spiky, though bangs were evident on the right side of his face, giving him the 'cool, punk-muggle' look.

Vincent, on the other hand, gave way to the 'gothic-punk bully' style. He had short and darker hair, but the strands of hair at the front of his face flowed to his chin. His serious expression would make one think of a lawyer stuck in his office for a week with no coffee or access to sunlight.

At height comparison, Vincent stands at about seven feet tall, while Kenan stood just two inches smaller. But even with his dangerous appearance, he had a sophisticated aura about him, a kind of wistfulness that one can feel when near a studious scholar. Kenan had the same wistful nature about him, but he was adorned with the stature of an athlete.

Ah. but who knows. Looks can be deceiving…

A small yawn emitted from under a silken robe as a figure sat up from a compartment seat.

"Ugh, I overslept again, didn't I?" Demos stretched and rubbed her tired eyes. Kenan tossed a cantine of water which she caught effortlessly.

"Nah. Just in time more like. We're almost to Little Nottingham. After running a few errands and stocking up on some of the 'supplies', we'll be ready to go." He said as he bit into a slice of pound cake. Vincent watched as Demos wearily gulped the water down as if it were her last hope.

"How are you faring?" He asked. Demos capped the cantine and set it beside her. She leaned back against her seat, looking at him under half-opened eyes.

"I'm alright. Just drained. So tell me about this school I'm going to. What's it like?" Demos tilted her head slightly. She never went to school before, she was educated by her stepfather all her life. She felt a small genuine anxiety and excitement one would feel the first day of preschool.

"For one thing, it's not like the muggle schools we've brought you to way back when. Hogwarts is bigger and better with four houses that you could be sorted into. Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. The house you're in would be like your family. Being good gets you points for your house. Being bad, well, let's just say Kenan utterly destroyed Gryffindor's chance of winning the last few times," Vincent shot an amused glare at Kenan, who shrugged and laughed.

Demosthene blinked and questioned further, "What houses were you and Fox in?" Kenan thumped his chest once like a gorilla and grinned.

"Gryffindor for me! Freyr got the bird house." He replied with a snicker. Vincent rolled his eyes and offered a cinnamon roll to Demos which she promptly accepted.

"Which means I'm in Ravenclaw." He said to Demos who nodded and bit into her roll. Vin turned back to Kenan and commenced the argument, "And it also means that I'm smarter."

"Nuh-uh."

"Yu-huh."

"No."

"Yes."

"NO!" Kenan said, growing annoyed. Vincent just flashed an apathetic amused glance to him.

"Yes."

Demos chuckled at their childishness.

"What house would I be in?" She wondered aloud, purposely to get them to shut up. They both thought for a moment.

"Gryffindor sounds like it.." Kenan said thoughtfully. Vincent nodded in approval as well.

"Or she could be in Ravenclaw like me, eh Demos?" He said, a small grin forming on his usual serious face. Kenan scowled and threw a pillow at him.

"No, she's in Gryffindor! She's a lion, not a puny bird." He said, "She's perfect for Gryffindor!"

"I beg to differ. She's a Ravenclaw, smart, cunning and sophisticated with the extra dose of high academic achievement." Vincent countered proudly. Demosthene didn't know whether to be annoyed, or extremely flattered. She just sat silently, her face a small tinge of pink, and watched her brothers argue about her placement at Hogwarts.

I wonder if she's still there.. She wondered to herself, looking out the window to the bright, sunlit sky. Regardless of her never being at Hogwarts, she has met some of it's inhabitants. One, deceased in an event several years ago, and another, still grieving over the loss.

A small stab of pain shot through her body, causing her to pause in her movements for a split second. She trained herself not to show any emotions of pain, and this little jab was nothing. It was a sting that she felt very often on the day near the full moon. She sighed a little.

A small bell ringed by the door signaling the end of their journey. A small village could be seen not too far a head.

It's almost time.

"Honestly, Tonks, you must contain your anger for Mr. Fudge to a low degree! He could do a number on you for treating him like that!" Remus sighed as he turned to look at Tonks, who was sitting, pouting on the couch, arms folded and all.

"I hate him! He's a prick that grumbles and throws his weight around once the danger is over! He does nothing but complain all day until something is done." She huffed. Lupin walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing comfortingly.

"You can express your anger towards him on a toy or some what. But please try to control yourself when in front of him." He said softly. Tonks pouted again, turning away from him.

"I am not going to forgive he-who-takes-Dumbledore-for-granted." She uttered simply.

"Please, Tonks. For Dumbledore? For me?" He pleaded. Tonks turned towards him and sighed, expression softening.

"Oh, alright. I'll behave during the meeting today.. I'll try to behave from now on." She said grudgingly. Lupin smiled and kissed her on the cheek gratefully leaving her with a blush that shown two shades of red and an equally dark-pink hair.

"I was wondering if you would also spend the evening with me at, well, Minotav's?" He asked with a bit of a shyness to his voice. Minotav's was one of the most expensive Italian restaurants in the wizarding world. Tonks smiled and nodded.

"Of course!" She said excitedly. Lupin chuckled a bit.

"We'll leave about 6. Alright, Nymphadora?" He said with a bit of wistfulness about him which earned him a light smack on the arm.

"Know that I only let you call me that!" She said, glowering jokingly at him. Lupin laughed as a knock sounded on his office door.

"Come in." The door open and Cornelius Fudge stepped in, pausing in front of the door as he closed it. He frowned slightly at Tonk's direction, but smiled a little at Lupin.

"Good afternoon, Remus. I'm sure that you've updated every member of The Order?" He started.

"Yes. Everything is finished, I wish to have the rest of the day off if that is alright? There is not much else to do since the countryside seems to have grown quieter with the horcruxes." Lupin asked, explaining the little details of the work that was done.

"Of course. But just for this evening, Remus. I worry for the children doing all the work." Fudge answered. Tonks hid a shaking hand behind her back, resisting the urge to jump up and scream at the pudgy man silly.

"Thank you, Mr. Fudge." Lupin said kindly. Tonks followed suite, masking her temper with a smile.

"Yes, thank you, Mr. Fudge." She said with the same smile, though she was just saying it between gritted teeth. Lupin held her hand warmly and cast her a grateful look. Fudge looked oddly at the two before asking.

"Was there something I interrupted?" Lupin turned pink and shook his head.

"No, sir."

Fudge raised a brow, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, sir." Tonks said, exasperated.

Fudge glowered and raised an arm in protest but before he could say anything at all, the door slammed open, knocking him behind it and crushing him against the wall under it's weight.

A figure took two long strides into the room before pulling it's black hood back, revealing spiky-gray hair and a pair of hawk-yellow eyes.

"Remus John Lupin! Nymph. Tonks! I have not seen you two in ages! How are you? How is everyone?" The quidditch referee cried, marching forward towards the stunned Tonks and Lupin, embracing them both.

"Hooch! What a pleasant surprise! What are you doing here of all places?" Lupin said, returning the embrace. Tonks, still surprised, returned the hug as well and glanced at the door, which was shaking slightly.

She could feel the fury and rage that threatened to explode from underneath. She narrowed her eyes to slits and smirked, grinned, cursed silently, and did everything she could think of that was offensive at the door that was concealing the raging Fudge-man for the moment. Hooch, confused by her friend's behavior tapped her on the shoulder.

"Tonks, what are you doing?" Tonks went back to her happy little self and faced the two, smiling a genuine smile.

"Oh, nothing, nothing. I was just surprised. We've missed you so! Where have you been all this time?" She said, giddy with happiness. Hooch raised a brow but smiled.

"I've missed you all as well. I've been out and about. You see, there was…" Hooch continued her explanation of how there was a problem with brooms, and how she had to fix the problem while walking out the door with Tonks by her side. Lupin shook his head and smiled, while exiting, closing the door behind him.

Fudge grabbed his nose and pulled it to the side with a small crack. He glared at nothing and uttered a scream of frustration and anger.

From the corner of the hallway, Hooch hesitated and looked back.

"What was that?" She asked, looking at Tonks questioningly. Tonks laughed and ushered her to move on.

"Oh, it was nothing. Just another boggart Remus locked up in a closet." Tonks assured her. Hooch shrugged and walked on ahead, following Lupin to catch up on events. Tonks waited back for a bit until they were away from hearing distance and started blowing raspberries at Lupin's office door.

"I WAVE MY OBNOXIOUSLY BEAUTIFUL, HOT-PINK HAIR AT YOUR GENERAL DIRECTION, YOU PIGMEISSER!" She screeched as she made a head banging motion towards the office. Her hair flopped around like a mop being thrown around wildly.

She blew another childish, five-minute raspberry and fled down the corridor to her dear Remus, and friend Hooch.

Back at Lupin's office, the door creaked slowly open as a face peaked out, growling, sputtering and rubbing a bruised lump on its forehead.

That evening, up in Ginny's room a small candle lit the small space while two people conversed. Harry sat in a chair by the window, contemplating his next move.

"Harry, I know the horcruxes are a vital key to the mission, but I worry y'know…" Ginny said in a small voice. She sat on the bed knitting something with pink and blue yarn. Harry sighed.

"I know… But it can't be helped. I have to leave Hogwarts to hunt them down. With Moody's help I'll probably learn all there is to know about the last year in Hogwarts." He said gravely.

"But Harry…" She began, but Harry cut her off.

"Ginny, if I don't go out and hunt for them, who will? The Ministry has already proven unreliable. The whole Order is already sniffing out clues and information for me. Hermione is probably working the hardest with the workload they've given her. Please understand, Gin." He pleaded. "I won't let their work go to waste, and I won't let Dumbledore's death go in vain."

Ginny sniffed and stood up, dropping her knitting kit beside her. She embraced him as he stood.

"Let me help you on your journey then." She whispered, hands trembling with anguish. Harry held her close and shook his head.

"No, I won't risk your life on this mission." He stated firmly. She uttered a small sob and smacked a fist onto his shoulder. Harry, of course, didn't feel it for her strength fell before her grief.

"Harry I don't want to lose you!" She cried into his shoulder. Not knowing what else to do, he rubbed her back comfortingly.

"You won't… You won't." Harry said soothingly. Ginny broke out of their embrace and wiped her eyes with a tissue. She looked up at him with tear-stricken bright brown eyes.

"Then please… Take me back. Please have me as the one to welcome you home after the journey. Please…" She begged, her determined and sorrowful eyes boring into his. He was compelled to look away, but something stopped him. Her eyes shined with genuine love and concern that made him stand speechless.

Harry smiled a little and felt light-hearted, a feeling he hadn't felt since the meeting of Sirius, or the incident with the Mirror of Erised. Slowly, he felt a renewed vigor rising within him as he reached out to pull Ginny in a warm hug.

"Ginny… You… I…" Ginny silenced him by placing a finger to his lips.

"Just kiss me…" She whispered, pulling his face down slowly. Their lips met in a shy manner, brushing against each other uncertainly. A sudden knock on the door caused them to break apart abruptly.

Harry fell over on his backside, looking as if he just woke up from a dream. Ginny suppressed a gasp, and covered her mouth before she could double over in a small fit of giggles. Mrs. Weasley's voice came through the door.

"It's dinner time! Oh, and Ginny, wake Harry up on the way down. He simply won't get up when I knock! Honestly, if I could sleep that deep, I'd be in paradise!" Her voice trailed away as she walked down the stairs.

Ginny looked at Harry and bursted out laughing. Harry, still dazed, looked at her strangely. Still giggling, she helped him up and hugged him.

"I promise this won't affect our mission." She said. Harry nodded slowly.

"We can't let anyone know or else they'll be bugging us about it…" He said hesitantly. Ginny patted him on the arm.

"It'll be okay. Like I said, this won't affect the mission.." She assured him. Ginny opened the door and tugged on his sleeve.

"Shall we?" She said almost slyly. He grinned.

"Yeah." They both walked downstairs together, hand in hand, but broke apart as they opened the door to the kitchen.

She saw it. She saw it, just before the door closed. The warm locking of hands.

Didn't they break up a few months ago? Hermione felt numb over the whole thing. She masked her shock with a smile to the two as they entered. She returned the greeting with a wave.

"Alright! Beef stew for tonight!" Mrs. Weasley announced as she placed bowls of steaming beef stew in front of them. Ron was definitely not complaining this time. He immediately dug into his dinner, with content snorts like a hog who hasn't eaten in weeks. Mrs. Weasley scolded him.

Ginny and Harry laughed slightly, but Hermione just sat with a disgusted expression. Though her eyes twinkled with a small glint of amusement.

The topic for the evening was the trip to buying books and supplies tomorrow at Diagon Alley.

"I'll be coming along, but I won't be buying anything." Harry said as he swallowed a mouthful beef.

"Why not?" Ron asked, his spoon-midway from his mouth. Hermione perked her head up in interest.

"You're not coming back to Hogwarts to finish the final year?" She asked with a small panic in her voice. She wouldn't be able to see him for the whole year? Harry, interpreting that as a upcoming 'you-must-finish-school' remark, spoke in a slightly annoyed tone.

"I can't waste any precious time that can be used to look for the horcruxes. I'm not that much of a worry-wart for school like some people." He said. Hermione blinked and sat back.

Why the coldness all of a sudden? She wondered. Ginny pinched Harry on the arm from under the table. He shot a glance to her and found an angry, glare staring his way. He softened his expression and turned back to Hermione, nodding a bit.

"Sorry, 'Mione. I didn't mean to snap. No, I won't be finishing the final year." He corrected himself, going back to his stew. She nodded and uttered a small, "No problem…" She saw the look on his face when Ginny pinched him. At once, ever since they walked through the door, she knew they were back together again.

She quietly went back to eating her stew. Every spoonful became harder and harder to swallow until she was half-finished her bowl and put down her spoon.

"Mrs. Weasley, I'm going to retire early for tonight. Thank you for the wonderful stew. Goodnight everyone." She said as she stood up and walked out of the kitchen. Several eyes watched her retreating form.

"Blimey, she's working herself to the bones." Ron muttered, biting into a slice of bread. Ginny nodded and looked to Harry in concern.

"I hope she's okay. She's quite sullen these days…" Harry nodded in agreement.

"I'm going to ask Lupin if we can cut her workload in half.. She's overworking herself… I hate to see what'd happen if she has this and Hogwarts work at the same time." He said worriedly. Ginny nodded.

"I'll send out Hedwig after dinner." Harry said. Mrs. Weasley lifted Hermione's unfinished bowl up and set it down on the floor next to the chair. Crookshanks crawled out from underneath the couch and slipped into the kitchen towards the bowl.

"There you are, Crookshanks."

Up in her room, Hermione sat in her usual work area and began pulling out parchments and scrolls from her bag. She felt happy for them, she really did. But she felt an unwelcome pangs of pain every time she laid eyes on the two.

Ginny was like a sister to her, but she now developed a sort of envy that she was beginning to become shameful of. Even with her thoughts distracting her, she had opened up the research books and unrolled the scrolls.

A sudden wave of emotions course through her body like tidal waves in a hurricane. Anger, confusion, longing, envy, jealousy. She felt most of the seven deadly sins screaming in her mind, but she shrugged it off as much as she could.

She used her anger as fuel for her adrenaline to work, she pushed away all thoughts of sadness and focused on the research at hand. It was only 2 hours later that everything shut down in her body, forcing her head to slip into her arms in a fatigue induced slumber.

Hermione… A gentle hand brushes against her shoulder and the warm air of breathing tickles her ear. Hermione… She sighed and smiled a bit until a sudden jerking motion snapped her out of her dream.

"HERMIONE!" Ginny screamed into her ear as she jumped about seven feet into the air. Hermione gasped and stared at Ginny in shock.

"Wha..?" She sputtered intelligently. Ginny smiled and giggled.

"Wake up, sleepyhead! It's time to go to Gringotts!" She said brightly. Hermione groaned and looked about ready to fall backwards on to the bed until Ginny tugged on her hand.

"Come on! Get changed! We'll be late to meet those people you were talking about!" Ginny dragged her to the closet and opened it. Crookshanks sprung out and leapt into Hermione's arms, meowing.

"See! Even Crookshanks agrees." Ginny laughs some. Hermione smiles and points to the door.

"Oh, get out so I can change."

After breakfast, Mrs. Weasley readied the floo powder for everyone. Ron and Harry went first, followed by Mrs. Weasley herself. That left Ginny and Hermione. She stepped up to floo, but Ginny stopped her.

"Hey 'Mione, I want talk to you about something real quick." She said. Hermione turned to look at her.

"Yes?"

"Is there something wrong? You seem out of it these days." Ginny noted with concern. Hermione gave one of her best smiles.

"Of course not. It's just stressful with the research and the shock from Dumbledore's death…" She said. Well, it was mostly correct, though she left out the part mentioning her inner distress. Ginny had a nagging feeling but nodded and smiled.

"Well, they're going to cut your workload in half. You should relax more often." Ginny said as she threw the powder into the fireplace, crying out, "Diagon Alley" as she disappeared in a mass of emerald flames.

"If you only knew…" Hermione whispered into the fireplace before flooing to Diagon Alley.

After withdrawing some money from Gringotts, the group made their way around Diagon in search for books and supplies. Mrs. Weasley gave them all their letters that contained lists of things to get.

"Here you are dears. Take care and be back at the Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor in an hour!" She said as she ushered them all away. The group split up, Ron went with Harry to 'Quality Quidditch Supplies.' while Ginny went to visit George and Fred at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes.

Hermione took the liberty of buying all things needed first before spending her extra forty-five minutes. Sighing, she looked around the crowded streets and walked into the 'Flourish and Blotts' Bookstore.

The musty smell of new and old books filled her nostrils making her frown a bit.

What do I need from Flourish and Blotts… She wondered to herself as she walked about the store, pulling out various books that piqued her interest.

Dark Forces: A Guide To Self Protection by : Quentin Trimble

Curse of the Werewolf by: Urnest Hazeleye

Many other books were taken out of their shelves and skimmed through. But Hermione only picked books useful to her research on the backgrounds of the Death Eaters. Several books on werewolves were picked and several more books on demonic creatures were chosen as well for a grand total of nine books.

Hermione needed a large basket to hold the heavy, thick, and musty smelling books. As she made her way to the back of the store in search of more interesting novels, a figure stalked behind her with it's black hood concealing it's face.

She barely touched a book when the pointed end of a wand painfully jabbed her back causing her to gasp and freeze in her movements. The wand wielder held it in place and chuckled slyly.

"Fancy seeing you here, Mudblood. Where are Pottyboy and Weasel off to?" A cold voice growled behind her. She wheeled around and narrowed her eyes in hate.

"Malfoy!" She hissed, reaching into her pocket for her wand. Malfoy sneered from underneath his hood and pointed his wand at her chest.

"Keep quiet, you silly girl. If I weren't surrounded by all these fools, I'd finish you off, but let's give a small demonstration, eh? Cru-"

"You don't want to finish that spell, boy." Uttered a dangerously low voice behind Malfoy. He turned his head and growled.

"Who the bloody hell are you?" He sneered, pointing his wand at the cloaked figure. Hermione took this spared moment and shot out her wand, muttering a quiet 'Diffindo!' The severing spell instantly diced Malfoy's wand in half, causing a momentary shower of sparks to form.

Malfoy growled his rage and promptly turned and jumped on Hermione, his fist raised. Of course, being blinded by his rage, he immediately forgot about the towering figure behind him who grabbed his wrist. He screamed in pain as the firm hand tightened it's hold, gradually crushing his bones.

He glared at Hermione and snarled, "You'll pay for this, Granger! I can promise you that!"

The grip on his wrist tightened and a small, sickening crack could be heard. The hooded person, spoke in a low, husky voice that was anything but friendly at the moment. Hermione widened her eyes at the mercilessness.

"Do not threaten her if you value you life. Leave this place at once, heathen." The cloaked figure swings a screaming Malfoy over their heads and tosses him through an aisle which led straight to the door.

Malfoy flew through it and landed face first in the dirt beside the store, 'Magical Instruments.' He stood up, threw one last ugly, hate-filled glare at them and ran off into the crowd. Hermione gasped for air slightly as she was still sitting on the floor, leaning against the shelf.

The cloaked figure pulled back it's hood revealing a girl just barely touching adulthood. She was a very firm, strong looking young woman in Hermione's eyes. Speaking of eyes, as Hermione gazed at her heroine, she found a deep, dark brown contrast to her own light brown. The girl held out her hand with a small chuckle, helping Hermione up.

"Diffindo, eh? Brilliant move. What's your name?" She asked, waving her gloved right hand, causing the fallen books to gather neatly in two piles inside the basket. Hermione's eyes widened at the sight. No wand…? She snapped out of her momentary reverie as the question sunk in.

"Oh, um, thank you. My name's Hermione Granger. Yours?" She honestly didn't know what else to say to this stranger who helped her. She was a little peeved by the height difference; Hermione stood just about up to her shoulder. The girl smiled some and lifted up the basket. Hermione had trouble lugging the darned thing around, but this girl held it like it was a basket of flowers.

"Demosthene. Pleased to meet you." She said pleasantly, shaking Hermione's hand. She nodded in agreement as they walked towards the pay-counter. Good thing the place was empty, or the incident with Malfoy would've been quite hectic, not that it already was.

Hermione was just about to pull out her money-bag when Demos placed several galleons on the counter followed by some knuts and sickles. Hermione opened her mouth to protest, but was silenced by a pat on the shoulder from Demos' gloved hand. She felt an unpredictable amount of energy radiating from the gloved-hand, which puzzled her. She never saw or heard of anything like this before.

After paying for the goods, both girls walked out of the shop. Demos could sense Hermiones' curiosity for her glove and offered a small grin.

"Your glove… Excuse me for being blunt, but… How did you cast magic without the usage of a wand?" Hermione asked, examining the small armor-like, steel plates that coated the back of the glove.

"It's alright. It's just something I've made and grown accustomed to over the years. My glove is my wand to be exact." Demos explained. "It's very convenient, instead of whipping out wands that could easily be stolen, lost or something along those lines."

Hermione nodded slowly. How very interesting, I'll look into those. She then looked back up to Demos' face. She was so pretty… Turning away, she blinked rapidly, attempting to blink away the silliness.

"Are you an Auror?" Hermione asked, a little peeved at asking so much questions. Demos shook her head simply.

"No, but I want the job." she answered. Hermione found it not surprising that someone with this much power wouldn't want to put it to good use. Demos watched her with quiet interest.

"You seem deep in thought. If it isn't too presumptious of me, anything on your mind?" Hermione flinched slightly, but looked up to her new companion with a smile of assurance.

"It's nothing. Oh, rude of me! I still haven't told you about me!" Hermione cried, even more peeved of herself. Demos chuckled. This one's interesting. She thought to herself before replying.

"It's alright. So, what is a beautiful young lady such as yourself doing in Diagon Alley?" She asked playfully. Hermione felt her cheeks reddening. Beautiful? Me?

"Oh, um… Well, I'm here buying books and supplies for my final year in Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." she said awkwardly. Demos grinned slightly.

"Quite a lot of things to buy just for school, eh?" She teased. Hermione turned bright red.

"Those are for late night reading I suppose," she said as she beckoned towards the bag of books Demos helped her carry. "And these are my supplies." She only just noticed the weight on her shoulders as she showed Demos her school bag.

"I see. Quite the scholar, aren't you?" She smiled. Peeking into the bag, a title in silver bold letters caught her eye; it mildly surprised her.

Demon Bestiary For The Weary and Worried by: Kaskt Ulriel

She raised a brow in wonder. Is she into demons? Demosthene smiled inwardly at the thought. Glancing at her bushy, brown-haired companion, she noticed how freely her locks swayed as she walked regardless of the curls. Her face was so serious, and yet at the same time, smiling, but she sensed something amiss. Her eyes were unfocused, and concealed something.

Demos wondered what was troubling her positively intriging new friend, but chose not to question about it. After all, they've only just met. Before Hermione noticed what she was doing, she turned her head quickly and looked ahead. A loud, friendly voice boomed as they approached the Ice Cream Parlor.

"Blimey, Hermione, we were worried! Ah, I see yeh met Demosthene. Come on in and meet some new classmates ah yers!" Hagrid shouted from a table on the far left corner of them. Everyone was there smiling and waving, but there were two who stood out from the group that Hermione didn't recognize. Demosthene gave a polite nod of greeting to everyone and tapped Hermione on the shoulder.

"Come and meet my brothers!" She said warmly. Hermione blinked, feeling a small feeling of warmth within her as Demos gently took her by the hand, leading them to the table. She felt confused for a moment, but brushed it aside, forcing a smile as she uttered a quiet greeting to the group.

Chapter 2 end

Weeee! Second chappie! I hope it wasn't too long… or too short either. Well, I hope ye guys like it. Please review!