Hey y'all...this chapter is what begins all the good stuff...you get to see what happens to...well...read and find out...

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Finding and Taking

After waiting for two days Hermione wondered if her dream was just that, a dream.

'It couldn't have been real. That would be ridiculous.' She thought, as she cleaned a room on the third floor like Mrs. Weasley asked her to.

All the kids had been asked to help out cleaning up the third floor. Each person had a room on the floor to clean of their very own. Hermione was thinking about the dream as she wiped down the front of the tall wooden cupboard that stood against the wall.

"Do you need any more rags dear?" asked Mrs. Weasley bringing Hermione from her thoughts.

"No thank you." She said softly.

"Don't forget the closet dear. Things seem to accumulate in there." And she disappeared down the hall to offer rags to other cleaners.

Though Hermione disliked slave labor and house elves working without pay she couldn't forget how much nicer it was when Kreacher would be the one cleaning. But even then he wouldn't clean so well. Kreacher's head now hung on the wall along with all the others for he was too much of a liability to have around.

Hermione walked over to the closet and began to clean the front of the doors. For some reason however her curiosity grew as she wondered what was inside the closet. Carefully she turned the grimy knob and cracked the door. It was dark so Hermione felt that it was fine. She pulled the door open revealing dusty old garments.

She felt however that there was something else within the closet. Something that called to her to find. She got down on her hands and knees and crawled into the closet beneath the clothes. It was dusty and dirty as Hermione made her way to the back. She felt the wall before her and stopped. There was only a small amount of light where she was because she was deep inside the closet.

She looked at her hands with disgust for they were covered in a layer of black dirt. She wiped them together trying to get rid of it but it only made it worse. Fed up Hermione just put them back on the floor deciding that they would only get dirty again if she managed to get them clean.

Feeling the walls for a catch Hermione made her way around the closet. She felt that she was just being stupid and silly believing that there could possibly be a passage in a closet leading to some secret room. She decided to get out of the closet, not wanting to get caught being so stupid and childish.

As she was crawling back to the doorway however Hermione saw something that she hadn't noticed before. Up by the rack where all the clothes hung was what looked like a catch. She crawled over and stood pushing the dusty articles back. She began to fiddle with the catch in the wall, digging with her fingernails at the wall.

After a moment or two the layers of dust and grim crumbled away and Hermione was able to open the little door that was in the wall. Inside the little door was a switch. She stared at it wondering if she should flip it or not. Minutes passed as Hermione weighed her options.

'If I flip the switch something bad could happen. I'd be caught of guard and could possibly get hurt. But then again it could just be a light switch.' She thought her face donning a contemplative expression.

It was then that Hermione decided to take the chance. She wanted desperately to know what the switch did and there was only on way of finding that out. So stepping back slightly Hermione flipped the little switch.

It happened quite slowly. It was a good thing that she pushed the clothes out of the way because if she hadn't she wouldn't have noticed what happened. The back wall slid open revealing a hidden staircase. Hermione approached it carefully wondering where it led.

She looked up into the darkness feeling a little frightened. But there was the same pull that led her to find the switch. She couldn't deny it and slowly made her way up the black as night staircase.

When she reached the top she had to stop and let her eyes adjust. The darkness was overwhelming. She looked about and saw the faint outline of crates and trunks. It was part of the attic. A part that was hidden from the rest by walls. She wondered why it would be hidden like this. Could there be things here that no one wanted found?

Hermione crouched down and brushed the layers of collected dust off the trunk. It was old for the wood was splintered and the paint was coming off. She wondered if it was locked. Pushing the lid she realized that it wasn't and opened the trunk all the way.

Sitting down Hermione began to go through the contents of the trunk. They were most definitely female for there were gowns and fans and all types of costume jewelry falling out. It was what sat at the bottom of the box that caught Hermione's eye.

When she saw it her breath caught in her throat. Her heart beat quickened and she backed off slightly. Her eyes were wide with fear as she stared at the trunk in disbelief.

'How is that possible? No, no it's not possible. Just a coincidence.' She thought wildly but something deep inside her told her that it was no coincidence.

Hermione leaned forward again and peered into the box where the silver rectangular box from her dream sat. It was as shiny as it had been in her dream surprising her. She would have thought after all the years that it had been up here hidden that it would be just as dusty and dirty as all the other things.

She reached in and touched the box, surprised by the feel of the cool metal on her fingers. She pulled it out of the box and sat with it before her. It was the same as it had been in her dream except one thing…

The key.

She looked back into the box and found no key. She looked at the piles of things on the floor but again found no large golden key. She thought hard about where this particular key might be located. Her mind raced as she thought about it.

"Hermione!" came the voice of Ginny from downstairs.

"Coming!" Hermione cried jumping to her feet and grabbing the box. She hurried down the stairs flipping the switch upon reaching the inside of the closet. Immediately the wall slid into place looking like nothing had happened. Hermione quickly shut the door to the switch as Ginny appeared in the doorway of the closet.

"What in the world have you been doing?" Ginny asked in a way that her mother would have.

"Cleaning the closet." Hermione said as innocently as she could hiding the box behind her.

"I can tell you have dirt all over you. There's even a streak across you face." Ginny said smiling. "Go wash up lunches ready."

Hermione nodded and Ginny turned away. When Hermione was sure that Ginny was gone she left the closet and started down the stares. She crossed the hall to her room, putting the box under her pillow. Then she started out of the room again and down the hall to the bathroom where she would wash her hands.

"Did you get in a fight with a dust bunny?" asked Ron when she entered the bathroom where both he and Harry were currently washing their hands.

"I was cleaning the closet. It's quite dusty in there." She said like it was no big deal.

"Must have been. You're completely covered in dirt." Harry said smiling.

"Keep laughing." She said in an annoyed tone.

"We will thanks." Ron said as both boys left the bathroom and Hermione in peace.

She washed her hands thinking about how annoying both Harry and Ron could be sometimes. But their annoying jeers were a welcome change from the moping attitudes of both as of late. Hermione was worried about both of them but she saw now that things were beginning to get better.

When she finished washing she grabbed a towel and dried her hands. Then hurrying along she descended the stairs and entered the kitchen where most of the Weasley gang was seated. Lunch was always served in the kitchen to make things easier for Mrs. Weasley.

"Good now we can get our food." Ron said as Hermione took her seat beside him. It was customary for Mrs. Weasley to wait for all those who were eating to be seated before she served the meal.

"It's not like your starving to death." Hermione said not looking at Ron at all.

"I've been working myself into a hungered frenzy all day. I deserve to eat." He said defensively but she caught the smirk that he shot to Harry.

"Then eat already." Hermione said as the food was placed on the table.

And he did. Both he and Ron dove at the bowl of salad and platter of sandwiches like they were never going to eat again. They took as much as their plates could possibly hold then sat back in their chairs and began to eat. Both Ginny and Hermione, though they had seen the display numerous times in the past, were still surprised by it.

"Will you two slow down." Mrs. Weasley said harshly. "It's not like it's going anywhere."

"But mom we want to get done so that we can go up and finish our rooms. We only have a bit more. Then we're going to go visit Diagon Alley. Fred and George owled us this morning about coming to the shop to see them."

"And you didn't even think to ask me?" she said her stern eyes turning on her youngest son.

"Well we knew it'd be all right." Ron said shrugging.

"I'll have you know Ronald Weasley that I might not have wanted you to go to Diagon Alley today. But seeing as we haven't heard from the twins in a day or so I'll let you go." She said her voice going through a range of emotions in that short time.

"Can I come too?" Ginny asked looking at her brother with pleading eyes.

"No."

"Yes Ronald. You'll take Ginny along. Hermione would you like to go as well?"

"No thank you. I have something's that I want to finish up." She said and everyone nodded thinking it homework that she would be finishing.

The rest of the lunch went by calmly. There were no more outbursts from Mrs. Weasley, who was a little on edge because there had been a series of meetings at her home, which had now become the new headquarters. The Burrow was chosen because of its secluded location not to mention that it already had plenty of protection spells on it.

"Where are you going Hermione?" Ginny asked as Hermione started up the stairs to her bedroom.

"I've finished cleaning. I'm going to work now." She said softly.

"Oh. I was hoping that we could spend some time together. Just for a bit while the guys get ready to go."

"Sure if you have a minute."

Hermione and Ginny entered Hermione's room. Hermione walked over sitting on her bed blocking her pillow from sight. Ginny didn't notice the suspicious movement as Hermione sat however and just began her talking.

Ginny however didn't get far into the conversation because a call from the hall outside told her that it was time for her to be going. Hermione walked down to the foyer to say goodbye to the others.

"I'll grab you something at the twin's shop." Ginny said smiling and waving as she started off the porch and onto the walk.

Hermione only nodded and waved until the door was closed. Then she started up the stairs to her room. She closed and locked the door then hurried to her pillow where the box waited. She pulled out and it still shone in the light of her room as it moved.

"Where is there a big gold key in this house?" Hermione thought remembering the key from her dream.

It was then that Hermione remembered the ring of keys that Mrs. Weasley kept with her. All the keys to everything in the house hung on that ring. The key to the box must have been on it. All she had to do was get the keys from her.

"Think Hermione think." Hermione said to herself as she paced the floor at the foot of her bed.

She finally came up with a plan. She would tell Mrs. Weasley that she needed to borrow the key ring for a moment to unlock the next bedroom that she wanted to clean. She knew for sure that Mrs. Weasley would let her borrow it because Mrs. Weasley trusted her.

So leaving her room Hermione hurried down the stairs to find Mrs. Weasley. She found her in the kitchen cleaning up after their meal. She had her back turned as she washed dishes in the sink.

"Mrs. Weasley I've finished working on my homework and was wondering if I could clean another room upstairs."

Mrs. Weasley turned off the water and turned about placing the dish on the table. She smiled softly and took the ring of keys out of her apron. She reached out her hand and handed the keys over to Hermione.

"The first key should open any door." She said softly. "And thank you dear. It's so nice of you to clean more for me."

"Anything I can do to help."

Hermione then turned about and started up the stairs again. She walked quickly taking the stairs two at a time. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she reached her door.

"All right now which key is it?" she asked herself after she was in her room with the door closed and locked behind her.

She looked through the ring at all the keys seeing quite a few big gold ones. But which one was the right one? She tried each one, one at a time until she felt one click into place. She slowly started to turn it and was surprised when the lid sprang open revealing the three rings from her dream.

She stared at them her breath catching in her throat. They looked even more elegant and wonderful in person. She sat the ring of keys down beside the box on the bed and stared at the rings.

They were still as shiny as they were in the box in the dream. She couldn't help but gaze into their reflective bands wondering just what was happening. How was it that she found them when they had been in her dream? What did this mean?

Hermione then remembered that Mrs. Weasley would be expecting her to bring her keys back and clean another room. So Hermione went up the stairs and opened another room deciding that she would do it to help out the woman in the kitchen who seemed to be working so hard all the time. She unlocked the next room in the line of rooms to be cleaned and turned to head back down the stairs. She remembered the rings that were sitting in a drawer of her dresser, the lid unable to close because Hermione jammed the lock with a small piece of parchment.

"I'll figure it out tonight." Hermione said as she reached the foot of the stairs. But she wouldn't get the chance.

Two hands reached out of no where. One wrapped about Hermione's waist and the other clasped down over her mouth as quick as lightning. She heard someone mumble something as she struggled to get free. She tried to scream but she wasn't able to. Her voice was gone.

She tried again to fight but found herself not in control of her body. It was moving back up the stairs her captors keeping her from looking in their directions. She reached the top of the stairs and turned to head to the third floor. She had long ago dropped the keys and her arms wouldn't move so she had no way to alert Mrs. Weasley that anything was wrong. But then again who was to say that Mrs. Weasley wasn't already incapacitated.

Suddenly she heard voices. They were a bit muffled but she was sure that was because they had hoods on or something obstructing their mouths. She wanted to reach for her wand but she couldn't fight the spell. She had never been good at that.

"Should we take them as well?" one voice asked. It sounded deep and male.

"Why not it wouldn't hurt." Said another male voice.

She heard their footsteps heading away. She was standing there alone in the middle of the hall but try as hard as she might she wasn't able to break the spell and get help. She just stood there and allowed herself to be taken away once they returned. But she never got to see how it was that they were going to take her away because as soon as they reached the third floor Hermione was knocked unconscious.

All righty so that's another chap finished...let me know how it was and if this stories heading how it should or if it's getting boring...i know theres alot of junk but you gotta lead up to the good stuff...thanks for all the reviews it makes me happy to know that someones reading my story...not just me...

Starry