Tears of a confused mind.
Chapter 18: Unwanted visitor in my safe place.
It was Monday, It was 8.50, there was a cool north easterly breeze across Hogwarts grounds, the sun was shinning down upon the lake, it was perfect early morning conditions for an outside lesson such as Care of Magical Creatures.
That's where we find our head boy and girl, they walk hand in hand down the steps from the main building and begin their trek across the grounds towards their first lesson of the morning.
A short distance in front of them, there was two Gryffindor's standing, talking, waiting for their lesson to begin.
'You still wouldn't think it would you? 'Mione and him?'
'I know, but he makes her happy and that's all that matters. We'll just have to get along for her sake, she doesn't need us bickering with Malfoy every second of the day.'
'Yeah, I mean I don't like the guy that much, but he has changed hasn't he? Since his dad died?'
'Your right he has, but I still think we should be vigilant around him.'
The sound of crunching leaves behind them brought the pair out of their discussion.
'Hey Mya, Malfoy.'
'Guys, he has a name you know.'
'Sorry. Draco.'
'Po-Harry. Ron.'
'See wasn't that hard was it?'
Hermione shook her head at the three-some. They would just have to practice saying each others names and like it.
'Do you know what we've got today?' said Hermione in an lazy tone.
'Those Snuggle things I imagine. They were a project weren't they?'
The three Gryffindor's nodded their heads at the Slytherin.
Hagrid came out of the forest carrying a big cage full of their pet projects. He placed the cage down and told his class to get their snuggles and partner up and see if they can interact with each other.
Hermione and Draco got their snuggles and wandered off a few feet from the rest of the class, Harry and Ron not far behind.
'Shall we work in a four?'
Hermione and Draco nodded their heads and the four students sat down on the grass, letting their snuggles interact with each other.
The four of them watched as Taz (Ron's snuggle) and Leo (Draco's snuggle) jumped Simba (Harry's snuggle) The three snuggles carried on play fighting for a while, whilst Hermione's snuggle who she had yet to name sleeped peacefully in her arms. She hoped that one day Harry, Ron and Draco could interact as easily with one another like their snuggles do.
'A ha! Harry your Snuggle is a wimp! It can't even get out of Leo's tag!'
'Shut up Draco! Simba isn't a wimp!'
'Yeah mate he is, even Taz can beat him, im sure giving the chance Hermione's could beat the crap out of it too.'
' O so siding with Draco now! I get it! Thanks Ron.'
Hermione smiled to herself, this was a start. Just them relaxing around one another.
Across the ground, up the front steps, through the entrance hall and up the grand stair case, through the corridors and up two more flights of stairs, round two corners and half way down this corridor, sat a stone gargoyle. This gargoyle was the entrance to the headmasters office.
In said office at this time was a meeting between Professors Snape, McGonagal and Dumbledore. Their meeting soon to be interrupted.
'I think I've narrowed it down to the next 2 months, but its hard to say.'
'I understand Albus, but we can't just not tell them, it's ridiculous!'
'No, Minerva, Albus is right not to tell them, it will just scare them and it could cause too much tension between them, we should just wait and -'
The headmasters office door was burst open and in strode the current Minister of Magic - Fudge, his undersecretary - Umbridge and 4 arours.
The three professors rose from their positions at the sudden intrusion and interruption of their meeting. Something big was going on and it looked like if a fight was to brake out they would loose, they were outnumbered 2:1.
'Excuse me! What do you think you are doing barging into my office like this unannounced, interrupting a very important meeting with my staff?'
Dumbledore was clam considering the rude intrusion not 10 seconds ago. His two members of staff however held expressions of confusions, shock and anger.
'We have a lot to talk about Dumbledore. I suggest you sit down, excuse your staff and get to explaining. You have a lot to tell me I think.'
Fudge was positively fuming, the letter still fresh in his mind.
'My staff will go no where Fudge. I suggest you sit down and excuse your unnecessary arours from my office.'
The four arours made to leave the headmasters office but stopped when Fudge barked at them
'Stay where you are!'
'What is this all about Cornelius?'
'Minerva, my business here concerns myself and Dumbledore, not you.'
'Cornelius! You will not speak to Minerva in such a manner. We are all adults here. Sit down and tell me what all of this is about.'
Dumbledore conjured two more chairs for Fudge and Umbridge, who had remained silent through this.
'When, Dumbledore, were you going to inform me of what has been going on?'
'Excuse me Cornelius, I'm not sure I understand what you are saying.'
Fudge's fat round face turned red, anger was building and everyone could see that the little man was going to explode out of sheer frustration soon. He reached into his coat pocket and drew out the piece of parchment he had been sent.
'I got a letter. I very interesting letter at that.'
The worried glances between the three professors went unnoticed by the Minister. The same word going through all of their minds...Shit.
The sudden realisation however did show on the headmasters face, which the fat man caught.
'I trust we are on the same page now Albus?'
'Yes, Cornelius I think I know what you are talking about now.'
'Then let me cut straight to it.'
Fudge leaned back into his chair and looked the worried Headmaster in the eye.
'She's going to be detained. She is a risk to the other students, and I must consider the welfare of everyone at this school as well as the magical community. I've ignored this for too long. She will be arrested and detained pending trial.'
The outrage expressed by McGonagal and Snape went unnoticed by Dumbledore. Fudges words echoed in his mind. He ignored the shouts in front of him and looked out of his office window, out on to the grounds below.
His eyes weren't what they used to be so it took a few seconds for him to focus on what he was actually seeing.
Arours dressed in red robes were coming through the gates of his school, he took a double take, thinking his eyes were deceiving him. This group of arours were making their way to the Care of Magical Creatures class, going unnoticed by the actual class.
He knew what class it was. Hermione's class. His breath hitched in his throat, he turned his attention to Hagrid hut, on the outskirts of the Forbidden forest. Again he did a double take. More red robed arours were going out of the forest, making their way to the unsuspecting class.
Anger bubbled up inside the headmaster. He couldn't believe what Fudge had ordered on his school, on one of his pupils.
'THIS IS MY SCHOOL FUDGE, YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO THIS.'
His voice rose above the other bickering ones in his office. All of the occupants turned to face a seething Albus Dumbledore. He rose from his chair and strode from behind his desk.
'NO! SHE IS AN INNOCENT CHILD FUDGE AND I WILL MAKE SURE YOU PAY FOR THIS'
Dumbledore flew from his office and down his staircase. Everyone else close behind him.
Hermione was extremely content in her current position, sitting with the three people that loved her most in the world, playing and having fun.
But, but something wasn't right, she could feel it. Like a warning in the air. She looked around her, her other class mates playing with their snuggles, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. She looked up at the school, nothing bad, her eyes scanned the lake and the main entrance to the school. That's when she saw them.
The arours coming threw the gates, towards her.
She spun around trying to find an escape, the forest. But when she looked towards it and saw that even more arours were filling out of it.
She was being surrounded.
Her heart was beating a thousand miles an hour. What was she going to do.
She was panicking. Her breathing becoming chaotic.
She looked at the three guys in front of her, who now noticed something was wrong with her.
She whipped out her wand and pointed it at the three of them.
'Maya -'
'I'm Sorry, I love you all. But I have to do this. I have to make sure you don't do anything stupid.'
She bound the three boys. They couldn't do anything.
She raised from her sitting position and faced her class who were becoming extremely nervous.
'GET IN THE HOUSE NOW!'
They didn't need telling twice, they all scrambled into the house and watched as the arours closed in around her.
''Mione!'
'NO HAGRID. STAY BACK! I DON'T WANT YOU GETTING HURT.'
Hagrid didn't know what to do for the best. He hesitated, which was all the time
Hermione needed. She looked for an escape.
There was nothing.
The arours were getting closer and closer. All had their wands raised pointed straight at her.
One of the ones closest to her, shouted
'Don't do anything rash Miss Granger.'
Hermione only had one option. She cast a blinding white light around her, hoping that it might blur the arours vision enough for her to escape past them.
While the arours were shielding their eyes, Hermione ran to her only source of safety, the school.
There was a buzzing in her ears, the blood pumping so hard into her head. She couldn't hear anything else. She had to concentrate on her escape.
Behind her she knew Hagrid and her class were all screaming.
She couldn't hear them.
She looked up at the castle, many teachers had heard the commotion and now their were teachers and student all hanging out of the class room windows screaming her name, some so scared they were crying.
She couldn't hear them.
It was if somebody pressed a button. A slow motion button. The next 5 seconds were like somebody slowing time.
Hermione spun around after a white light almost hit her.
She saw Dumbledore, McGonagal and Snape running down the front steps towards her, wands raised. Screaming.
Fudge and Umbridge stood at the top looking at her, smug grins on their faces.
20 curses in every direction were coming straight for her.
Her eyes closed at the immense pain that shot through her.
She couldn't hear anything. She couldn't see anything. She couldn't feel anything.
Nothing.