Goes Without Saying

It goes without saying,

It's already known.

It's written all over you,

It goes without saying.

Don't let it go,

keep it inside of you.

……

Hermione

8/26/10

9:11 p.m.

Everyone was sitting around the Burrow in a very bad mood. Bill and Fleur had decided to elope based on the sheer number of Death Eater sightings in the area lately, making Mrs. Weasley and Fleur's parents very upset. I picked up a random book and stared aimlessly at a page, trying to ignore the uncomfortable tension in the room. Suddenly, I felt the tingles down my spine that I had never expected to feel, not once, but twice. Someone had used my Taboo! Ignoring the questions, I dashed to the fireplace as I checked the address and felt my breath hitch.

Jenny was calling. I thought I would never see her again. Now I didn't want to.

I threw Floo Powder into the fireplace and almost squeaked the address to Grimmauld Place. My head went through dizzying and fiery green tunnels until the dismal kitchen righted itself. Mr. Weasley looked up from the worn kitchen table in surprise to see my head suddenly sitting in the fire. "Is everything alright, Hermione?!" He asked, seeing my pale and panicked face, standing up quickly.

"No, someone dear to me used my Taboo!" I gave Mr. Weasley the address and he instantly ran to get members, not even questioning on who it was. Starting to tremble, I came back to the Burrow to be bombarded with questions. "A very dear friend used the Taboo I made almost exactly a year ago. I wanted to be able to respond to my loved ones in case…You Know Who actually started to get this much control." I said, and my voice sounded high and scared.

"You know how to set up a Taboo? What name did you use?" Mrs. Weasley asked, looking surprised, but her face was starting to pale when I did not stop looking horrified.

"Pidgewedgon. I didn't want any accidental calls." I said, and Ron looked shocked. He and Harry traded glances while I paced anxiously around the tiny living room. Everyone had gone from slightly cranky and uptight to silent and nervous. Tension was filling the air as I paced faster and faster. I knew Death Eaters were attacking Muggle families for sport, but this was ridiculous. I never thought Jenny would need my help.

"Who…who used the Taboo?" Mrs. Weasley asked finally. I stopped pacing and grabbed onto the edge of a chair, unwilling to answer. What would they say? What would happen to Jenny if she was ok?? I leapt into the air when the fire crackled, and Mr. Weasley's face appeared in the fire, and he looked grim. "It was a Death Eater attack at a local Muggle residence. The girl was fit, with long blond hair…" he trailed off pathetically as my hands flew to my mouth. That was Jenny, for sure. Everyone looked at me in surprise at the mention of the Muggle residence.

"Is she alright?" I squeaked, and when his face turned even grimmer, I gasped. "Is she dead?" I asked, and the look fell off his face.

"No, no! Not yet, but she is hurt. The situation is…extremely delicate. We're going to need you, Molly. You can bring everyone if you want, but it's not pretty. Lupin is furious." He was going to leave, but Charlie spoke up.

"Do you know how many were there?" he asked, and Mr. Weasley hesitated.

"You'll have to see when you get here." He said quickly, and vanished. For a moment, no one moved. Then Mrs. Weasley got up quickly, and started Summoning different items and shoving them into a bag.

"Oh, please hurry," I moaned, trembling. Mrs. Weasley sighed after closing her bag.

"Bill, Fleur, Charlie, Fred, George? Apparate with all these kids, but go where you are told. And stay out of the way. See you in a moment." She said, and took my arm. The last thing I saw was all the underage kids standing up as fast as they could, to follow us. We appeared in the grassy patch in front of the two dingy houses, and Grimmauld Place appeared from between the two. Mrs. Weasley hurried inside, and I was hot on her heels. I followed her down the dark hallways to the kitchen. "Where am I needed?" she asked Mr. Weasley sharply, but he shook his head, making my heart clench at the look on her face.

"You can try, Molly, Dear, but we called for Madam Pompfrey. Her wounds are…extensive and…" He stopped when he saw me. "Hermione, here, sit down. When everyone gets here, I'll brief all of you at once. The time for secrecy has past." He said, looking pale, and pulled out a chair for me, which I slowly sank into. Jenny…was she dying? Insane? Cursed beyond repair? I couldn't help but think about Neville's parents, mentally insane…

Mrs. Weasley headed for the stairs as more people from the Burrow started to arrive. Finally, when everyone was here, Mr. Weasley took a deep breath. "Hermione, why don't you start by telling us who this young woman is." He looked apprehensive.

"Jenny was my friend the summer before sixth year. I was with my parents towards the end, and they insisted on meeting up with some of their friends from the school they went to. Jenny was their adopted daughter. We spent three full days together, and we were really good friends. She showed me a whole bunch of Muggle activities that are really fun. Towards the end, I realized that if Voldemort came to power, she would need protection. I created a Taboo on the word 'Pidgewedgon' so that I could respond to loved ones if it became necessary." I bit my lip and stared at the table top as Ron gently squeezed my hand.

"Alright…Ms. Jenny was attacked in her house when she was alone, by two Death Eaters. Somehow, she managed to kill one and injure the other." Mr. Weasley said slowly, and everyone sort of gasped. I wasn't surprised, if Jenny wanted to; I knew she could have done that. I was just wondering how she managed to do that against two Dark Wizards…

"But this girl is a Muggle. She was against two Death Eaters, that's impossible." George said loudly as everyone kind of muttered to each other.

"Yeah, what kind of Muggles do you make friends with, Hermione, the ones that carry those gun things with them?" Fred added, but frowned as I smiled faintly.

"Muggles have a kind of sport called karate; it's like physical defense and fighting, sort of like boxing. You get a belt for every 'level' you complete, and they come in different colors. A black belt means you are a master, and are actually dangerous without any weapon. Jenny was a black belt." I said softly, and when no one spoke, I looked pointedly at Mr. Weasley.

"Ahem, yes, well," He cleaned his glasses hurriedly, making my stomach plummet. "Jenny was attacked by Draco Malfoy and Fenrir Greyback." Bill stood up so fast, the table moved, and everyone sat in shocked silence.

"She killed Malfoy?" Ron actually sounded pleased, but when Mr. Weasley shook his head, I gasped and slumped back into my chair. "She killed Greyback?!"Ron amended, standing up too. "How?!"

"Apparently she was cooking, when the attack happened. We found broken glasses, broken eggs, and plates smashed by spell and by force. She injured Draco Malfoy by stabbing him in the right thigh, and stabbed Greyback in the neck." Mr. Weasley swallowed, looking even paler. He was probably picturing the scene when he got there, and it made my heart clench.

"Bloody hell," Bill whispered, looking impressed yet pissed off as he finally let Fleur tug him back to a seated position.

"I'm afraid that's not all. Although she did inflict bodily harm on Greyback other than the obvious stab wound…he bit her. Several times." Mr. Weasley looked at the table top and no one spoke until I burst into tears. She had fought for her life, killed a Death Eater and injured another, and she was bitten. Ron put an uneasy arm around my shoulders and gave me a squeeze until I stopped crying. Mr. Weasley swallowed loudly, but then continued as I dabbed at my eyes. "Lupin is beside himself. We obviously can't modify her memory and put her back where she belongs. At the same time, if we keep her among us, she will only be in danger, and she will only bring danger here."

"I feel so bad for him," Tonks's voice in the doorway scared me. "If Greyback wasn't already dead, he would probably go try to hunt him down. The Malfoy boy is locked in the attic. Molly treated his wound and Madam Pompfrey is supposedly on her way." She added, leaning against an edge of the table.

"What are you going to do with her if she recovers?" Harry asked, and Tonks looked up brightly while Mr. Weasley shrugged, looking uncomfortable. I wanted to know this too, she didn't have many options here, if any…

"I can't really say anything, the Order will have to decide what would be best for her condition." Tonks quickly looked down when he said that, but I was peeking up the stairs from where I was sitting, starting to ignore them. I could see shadows moving on the landing, but not much else. The front door opened and Madam Pompfrey came hurrying down the hallway, nodded to us, then picked up her skirt and almost ran up the stairs, a bag over her arm. I groaned and put my head in my arms.

"When can I see Jenny?" I asked, dreading the answer. I could almost hear Mr. Weasley stiffen.

"It depends on if we can treat her wounds. If so, when Madam Pompfrey and Lupin see fit. If she survives, she could be dangerous. Greyback bit her multiple times with a vengeance." Mr. Weasley said quietly, and then the waiting began.