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Chapter Seven

Farther Away

Hermione was able to keep up with the three, but getting them to notice her was another thing. She mewed and yowled and ran circles around them as they walked, but they still didn't show any sign of recognition.

"What's the matter with this cat?" Harry (still looking like Crabbe) said.

"S'pose it's sick of being in Malfoy's house…" Ron answered.

"Exactly!" Hermione mewed. "Take me with you PLEASE!"

They all continued out the front door and to the street running by the large house. Hermione was even more hysterical, knowing that they would Disapparate soon and she'd still be stuck here…

"Where is Ginny anyway?" Lupin asked. "Is she still…?"

"Depressed?" Harry said. "Yeah… we can't convince her Hermione's not dead…"

"I'm not dead!" Hermione yowled. "I'm right here! If you'd just take me back to the Burrow and take this jinx off me, then Ginny won't be sad! Please take me home!"

"Harry, what if… what if Hermione is…" Ron stuttered.

"Don't think about it," Harry said, looking grim. "Just… I mean, you know Hermione's smart, she'll come back…"

"Take me home… please…" Hermione continued to lament. She stood up on her hind legs and put her front paws on Ron's leg, gazing at him sorrowfully, hoping that he'd suddenly realize that this cat was Hermione, even though it was unlikely…

"Right," Ron said. "Hey, get off, you cat…" He shook his leg and Hermione drew back.

"That thing reminds me of Mrs. Norris…" Ron cringed. "Let's get out of here…"

Quickly, they raised their wands, and when they had disappeared and the sharp crack had finished echoing down the long, empty street, a cat's distressed yowling could be heard, loud and clear.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Hermione woke up late in the morning. Erkki came in and scooped her up just moments after she opened her eyes. When he carried her into the kitchen and set her down by her dish, Hermione didn't have the heart to eat her breakfast or even look at it.

She walked out, and, neither wanting to go outside and look for new posters or try and get into the upstairs office, she sauntered into the living room and curled up behind the couch again.

My own friends didn't recognize me, she thought, sighing. Not even Harry and Ron. I've known them almost ten years now, and they didn't know it was me…

Well, said another part of her mind, it's not like you really look like yourself. At all.

But wouldn't good friends recognize each other even if one were a cat?

Not really. Malfoy didn't know that Crabbe and Goyle were Harry and Ron, and he's probably known them for longer than ten years.

Well…

Oh, come on, stop moping, if you stay here and starve to death, you'll never get home and then Ginny will be miserable forever!

She'd probably recover after a while –

Ahem.

I was just saying… But I suppose you're right, I have to go find my own way out…

Hermione started to lift herself up, slowly, as her mind was still arguing with itself. But her voice of reason, which had already proved useful in the past, convinced her that she really should go on.

She thought about what Malfoy had said about his assignment last night. It was the first time since then that she had really gone over it, because she had been so distracted by the fact Harry and Ron were at the party that it hadn't hit her.

So, it wasn't Ron he was trying to murder, she thought. It was Ginny. I suppose both of them would be possible targets, or any in the Weasley family, they're mostly with the Order. And Ginny is close to Harry… If she were killed, Harry would be heartbroken, and Voldemort knows that would also make him vulnerable…

Hermione shuddered to think what would happen if that kind of disaster came about. She had to help protect Ginny, but how was she supposed to do that if she was stuck in Malfoy's house?

Well, let's see, you're stuck in the soon-to-be murderer's home where he's perfectly defenseless, especially since he thinks you're just a cat. I don't know why you don't just give up now.

Of course! She could just convince Malfoy not to do it. Somehow… But how would she do it? She was only a cat, and he didn't like her in the first place… Plus Hermione wasn't planning to stay here long term… Oh, what the hell, she wouldn't be going anywhere…

"So I have to think of a plan," Hermione mewed. "Um…"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Meanwhile, at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, the leader appointed after Dumbledore had gone, Minerva McGonagall, had called a meeting after Lupin, Harry, Ron, and Tonks had given her a report on their reconnaissance mission. The members of the Order sat in chairs around the table and stood nearby, all waiting for her to speak up.

"I've been informed of some unfortunate news," she said darkly. "Ginny Weasley has been made the next target of You-Know-Who."

Mrs. Weasley shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Then that's why there was a Death Eater in my house… Ginny…"

Mr. Weasley put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure she'll be alright. We'll make sure no harm comes to her."

"But why do they want Ginny?" Ron asked from a few seats away. "He could just as easily kill me."

"I believe you know why," Minerva replied. "It's because of Mr. Potter."

Harry, who was sitting next to Ron, simply stared down at the table in front of him as if he'd rather listen to the wood than be there at the meeting.

"Why did… why did the Death Eater kill Hermione, then?" Tonks asked slowly.

"If she was murdered!" Ron said hotly.

"R-right…"

Minerva sighed. "She probably got in the way… Not that I believe she was murdered, I believe Miss Granger was far too intelligent to let her life end there. But something did happen to her."

There was silence for a moment. A few people looked around, looking distressed. Lupin walked forward and cleared his throat.

"Minerva, what should we do to help protect Ginny?"

"Well," she said, "I have thought about that quite a bit. Draco Malfoy is the one You-Know-Who has chosen to kill her. If we can stop him, we would not need to protect her. And there is only one person here who could even try to persuade him not to."

She looked around at all the people gathered into the dining room. Her eyes locked onto a young blonde witch in the back, who was listening very carefully to the conversation.

"Xanthe," Minerva said. "I need you to talk to him."

The blonde woman nodded. "I'll try."