Last time Harry discovered a pattern to the killings. Now there is a chance that they'll find Hermione before it's too late. But will they make it in time? On with the show!

Chapter 6: Gave Over

Hermione turned the last pages of another book. She lost count of how many books she searched through. As a result of handling so many contaminated books, her hands and fingers had absorbed more than a lot of the toxin. Her hands were red masses of pain so great she could barely see straight.

Yet she had six of the seven numbers needed to escape this horrible room. She looked at the clock on the wall, 5:41 a.m. "I'm not beaten yet!" she shouted out loud, it didn't take much for Hermione to realize that she was being watched, "I've still got time! The game is still on!!" She picked up another book and started turning the pages. She could barely hold the book, let alone turn pages for the pain, yet she continued despite the agony.

All the time she was turning pages, Hermione was thinking on why the killer picked her. True, she did spend much of her childhood reading and did little else. Yet all that changed when she met Harry and Ron. If she hadn't encountered those two boys on that first train ride to Hogwarts, her life would have turned out very differently.

She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she almost missed the final number in the combination. She placed the book in order with the other six so they showed the numbers of the combination. Hermione checked the time, 5:53. She then hurried over to the door and began turning the dial on the lock, programming in the numbers to the combination.

Her hands were hurting so much she could barely grab the dial, let alone turn it. Yet the thought of seeing Ron and Harry again, especially Ron, gave her a boost of determination as she turned the dial to the final number. She tried to open the door, yet it wouldn't move an inch.

I must have entered a wrong number by mistake, thought Hermione as she started over, only two chances left. This time she made sure to go slowly so as to not make any mistakes. The thoughts of her friends and loved ones were the only thing keeping her going as the turned the dial to the final number.

She could hardly believe her ears when she heard the lock click and the door opened. She quickly glanced at the clock, 5:59, with less than ten seconds before 6:00. Mustering her remaining strength, she ran beyond the first door and past the second door, which was still open. She barely cleared the second door when the clock struck 6:00 a.m. and it slammed shut.

Gasping for air, Hermione looked around to see she was in another room. This one had a glowing green EXIT sign on the wall, pointing to a corridor to her left. To her right was a table with her wand and another recording crystal. After putting her wand in her pocket, Hermione picked up the crystal and activated it:

"Congratulations are in order; you are still alive. Most people these days are so ungrateful to be alive. What you do with your life from this point on is up to you. But perhaps you now have some appreciation for just how special it is to be alive."

That was all the crystal said. Without further hesitation Hermione followed the Exit sign to the outside.

…Meanwhile…

Ron checked his watch for the 187th time that morning, 6:03 a.m. "We're taking too long," he said to Harry as they and several Aurors searched the empty buildings that were in the area Harry designated, "She might be dead by now."

"Don't say that," said Harry, "I promised you that we'll find her, and I keep my promises.

They were just about to enter the last building in the search area when the door to the building burst open. There stood Hermione, her eyes red from all the book searching, her hands throbbing from the pain. She and Ron stared at each other for about five seconds before she ran to his arms and began sobbing.

"I knew you'd find me," she said between tears, "I knew you wouldn't leave me to die."

"I'll never leave you," said Ron, "Not even death itself can keep us apart."

While Ron escorted Hermione over to St. Mungos to have her hands healed, Harry, Jessica Yeager and several Aurors examined the crime scene. "Be careful with the books," Knight told the Aurors, "They're coated with a toxic substance. Don't handle them without gloves."

Harry, meanwhile, had found a secret room behind one of the walls. "He was watching her from here," said Harry, "That son-of-a-bitch was watching Hermione while she was forced to hurt herself with those poisoned books."

Meanwhile, none other than Justin Finch-Fletchley, who had also been made an Auror, was examining the evidence. "I just don't get it," said Justin as he took another picture, "What drives a man or woman to do such things to people?"

"Genetics on one hand," said Yeager, "A bad childhood, negative experiences when growing up and sometimes some people, like you-know-who, are just born evil."

Just then something ran past the door. Harry only saw it for a second, but knew in his gut that it was the killer. "Hey!" he shouted, "It's him!" He ran after the killer out the room, into the hallway and out the building.

Harry ran after the killer for two blocks, yet the suspect was getting away. Harry then stopped, "What am I doing?" he asked himself, "I'm a wizard for crying out loud!" He then apparated three blocks ahead and aimed his wand at the killer, "Stupefy!"

Harry's stunning spell hit the killer in the head, knocking him out onto the cold pavement. Harry rushed over to the still form he stunned to reveal that the killer was indeed a man: a man with short gray hair.

Meanwhile, Yeager and the other Aurors had just caught up with Harry. "Looks like you caught the scurvy bastard," said Yeager, "Well done."

"Yeah," said Harry, "It would have been better if I or someone else caught him before he got to Hermione."

The end of chapter 6. Next chapter we learn who the killer really is and why he did what he did. Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie. See you next time!