AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey guys! This chapter took a long time. Shifting from Draco's mindset to Hermione's was a bit more difficult than I predicted. Hope you enjoy it.
Shout out to deliciouslychaoticbluebird and nniixx for betaing this chapter and making this chapter what it is now.
Disclaimer: I still don't own Harry Potter but one of these days I will.
Was it worth it? As I walk away from my parents' house this question keeps coming back to me. I have always had a very pragmatic attitude to life. I did not turn away from logic and reason even after discovering a world of wizards behind a wall. I discovered soon that there was a subtle science to the miraculous workings of wizardry and witchcraft also. Being an eleven year old child, I was excited at the prospect. When an average eleven year old was learning that mitochondrion was the powerhouse of the cell, I had the opportunity to transfigure one cell to another. Being able to float things, turn goblets to mice, and cure a fever in one second through one simple potion appealed to me like nothing else in my life did. But as I walk away from my childhood home, having eliminated every trace of my existence from my parents' minds and lives I wonder if floating mice was worth all of this. No, I don't believe I am some kind of martyr for doing this. My parents should have had a choice in this. I should not have taken away their freedom to choose like this. They never asked for a daughter with magical capabilities. They were dentists, who met in medical school. They dreamt of a suburban life with children. I know they were planning to go to Australia, but that was after I turned eighteen and got settled with a job. What right did I have to uproot them from their entire being, to change who they viewed themselves as? I could have uprooted myself from the wizard world and led my life as a muggle when I saw the tortures done upon in the muggle family in the Quidditch World Cup. Why did I choose to eradicate my existence from my parents' life when I had the option to eradicate myself from the wizard world instead? In fact, I tried to after my fourth year. I talked to my Dad. He said, "But Minnie that would be running away. I will not let my daughter turn her face away from a crisis. Dear, every person has a role in this world, and I am confident that my daughter will not run away when her friend needs her the most." Sometimes I wonder if I am a Gryffindor for who I am or because of the various teachings my father drilled into me. However, as I walk away from my home, I am certain that the Gryffindor in my father would not have approved of me making him a person who hides away from a crisis.
Hermione had always liked sunsets. They always gave her a feel of conclusion. The sunset is when everybody goes home. The birds go back to their nests, the London construction workers pack their boxes and head home, the office goers' end for the day, school and college students return after a day of classes. It seems that as if, even the sun packs his light in his work bag and goes home. Watching the sunset always calmed Hermione. It made her believe that every trouble, every hardship will have a conclusion. But as she watches the sun set behind the hill from The Burrow, she feels hopeless. She is sitting at the outside porch of The Burrow. She just reached here. However, she still hasn't achieved the mental strength to confront the Weasleys. She is supposed to be the strong minded Gryffindor princess. She isn't supposed to break down for any reason. She must be the rational voice to Harry and Ron. However, sometimes even she felt restless. The warm, red rays of the sun and the golden clouds which trail like pipelines around the sun fail to calm her. Today, she feels jealous at the sun because it has a home but she does not.
"Hermione?"
Ron. Tall, lanky, the ever-present scrunch of the eyebrows. It was a sight for sore eyes. He looked like just the warmth she needed in his bright red jumper and faded jeans. It looked he was preparing to go for a walk. His face was rougher than what it was during their younger years. It had more of Percy's squareness than the mischievous elf-like features like Fred and George. However, he had Bill's bright blue eyes and Charlie's thick eyebrows. Hermione understood where Ron's insecurities came from. It was only natural when both your abilities and physical appearance can be described with reference to your brothers.
Ron came and sat beside her on the bench." Is everything alright?" said he.
"Why do you ask?" replied Hermione. Ron frowned before saying, "Your face has gone so tiny. It does that every time something is bothering you. Did you face any trouble during the holidays?"
"No, I did not have any troubles." Hermione said while trying her best to hide her emotions from her face. It was all in vain because hiding her feelings was one of the things that Hermione Granger did not excel at.
"Are your parents all right?" That was the last straw. Hermione failed to keep it in anymore. She put her arms around Ron and started crying.
"'Mione, what happened?" Ron put his arms around her and started patting her back. It was not exactly comforting but it showed that Ron cared. It was difficult but Hermione told Ron what happened. How she saw the Daily Prophet article about a muggle family getting tortured in the morning, how she decided to not let that happen to her parents, and how she obliviated them and sent them on a trip to Australia.
"It's alright Hermione. This is what you had to do. You had no other option. Besides, once this entire hullabaloo is done with, you can find them and restore their memories." Oh, there were days when Hermione envied Ron's simple way of seeing the world. It would save her a lot of trouble.
Ron continued, "Actually, I think this is what will convince Harry to acknowledge our necessity in the Horcrux hunt!" With Ron it was always about Harry. Soon after the fourth year, Ronald Weasley realized that without Harry Potter, there will be no purpose and subject to his existence. Thus, he latched onto Harry like a drowning man does to a buoy. He made Harry's goals and ambitions, his goals and ambitions, from defeating Voldemort to becoming an Auror. After all, what is a man without a purpose?
Hermione smiled at Ron to show her support. It was getting chilly. She and Ron decoded to go inside and sit. Ron kept on babbling about how he needed a cover from the ministry too. He could not risk his family, for when the Death Eaters find out that he has not gone back to Hogwarts, they will assume that he is on the run with Harry Potter. They will target his family to take him out of his shell. Hermione pictured the tortured faces of Molly, Arthur, Fred, George, and Ginny. It was too much to handle. It felt like she was losing the reigns of her life to Voldemort. It was as if, she had no control over the happenings of her own life. Hermione steeled herself and started to go over plans to cover for Ron in her head. She would not let some maniacs take control of her life.
Kingsley Shacklebolt was a man who demanded respect and compliance just from his very demeanor. There were very few people in the world, whose plans Hermione trusted and Kingsley was one of them. It was always assumed that Shacklebolt was either a Gryffindor, for his beliefs and easy friendship with Dumbledore or a Ravenclaw, for his quick wit and discretion in handling things. However, he was actually a Slytherin. It was a little known fact because Kingsley made it so. Blood prejudice was not the only kind of prejudice out there in the wizarding world. Hermione's inquisitive nature is the only reason why she was privy to the information. Despite all, she trusted in Kingsley's plans.
However, it was getting difficult to do so while hanging from a thestral. Kingsley and she were currently on a mission. They were relocating Harry from Pivet Drive. Somehow, the death Eaters happened to be waiting for them once they came out. It seemed that they had a rat in their midst. Otherwise it was impossible for them to know the exact date for Harry's relocation. The only edge they had on their side was the seven Harrys plan. She, Ron, Fred, George, Fleur, and Mundungus were polyjuiced into Harry. Each Harry then was given a protector and each group will go to a different safe house. Her protector was Kingsley. And right now he was not doing very good job of it. They had Rodolphus Lestrange and Selwyn at their tail. They had managed to trip Hermione off the thestral so that they can gang up on Kingsley. They were currently nearly ten miles away from their safe house. Hermione was holding on to the threstral's leg with all her strength. It seemed that they thought they caught Harry Potter already. Big mistake.
She cast an anti-gravity sticking charm to her leg. It was a spell she had personally developed. She combined the archaic sticking charm, Haesitatio with speed charm in such a concentration that its numerical value would be greater than the combined weight of her weight and the force generated from Haesitatio. It was still a prototype and thus lasted for only about ten minutes. But Hermione had a inkling that if she could alter the angle of her wand movement a little more she could achieve the optimum speed required for permanence. The spell's difference from a normal sticking charm was that she could move around as long as she had a platform.
She prayed to God that the thestral won't be much scared and carefully walked up to its hind legs. Her balance was not yet perfect so she had to tread carefully. The wind blowing in the opposite direction wasn't helping either. She cast a nonverbal Incidio at Selwyn's broom and watched him go down with his burning broom. He was too shocked to cast a watering spell at the right time. Lestrange soon recovered from his shock and started attacking her along with Kingsley. Lestrange was good. He managed to keep up with both her and Kingsley without much difficulty. Hermione looked up at Kingsley. His forhead was bleeding. It didn't look like he could keep up for much longer. Hermione looked at her watch. Her time was almost up. Lestrange was not giving her enough opening to recast her spell. Kingsley did not know about the time limit of her spell. He was depending on her a lot as he was already injured. She was regretting her decision of not telling anyone about the spell until it reached perfection. There were days when being Hermione Granger was a pain.
Hermione was contemplating casting a shielding charm on herself when another death eater came up behind Lestrange. He said something to Lestrange's ear. Lestrange looked at Hermione skeptically before both of them apparated away from that place. Kingsley finally gave her a hand and she steadied herself on the thestral. She was just beginning to relax when she saw the worried expression on Kingsley's face. "Kingsley?" she asked.
"There can be only one reason as to why they apparated to a different location."
"Harry!" Hermione felt as if she was losing her footing. This cannot be happening. If Harry gets caught here then all will be for naught. No, there must be another reason. She and Kingsley increased their speed. Their safe house was the Shell Cottage. It was supposed to be the house Bill and Fleur live in after they get married. It is near the coast. The quaint looking white cottage at an obscure coast actually looked like an actual shell. They entered the house hurriedly. Their portkey was supposed to be a blue handkerchief kept on the tea table. There was indeed a blue handkerchief at the tea table in front of the fire place. However, their portkey had already expired. Hermione had little patience left. It felt like someone was slowly and quietly sucking out the air from out of her lungs. Kingsley suggested setting up another emergency portkey. The effects of polyjuiced on her body were already starting to wear off. It would be gone by the time they reached The Burrow.
Hermione managed to keep her footing while landing. Wizard communication had always unsettled her. Given a choice she would always prefer a car or the train. They felt more reliable and safe to her. Travelling by train didn't give her a concussion every time she reached her destination. Looking up she found the relieved face of Harry Potter staring at her. The wind entered her lungs again. She jumped forward and hugged Harry. It was comforting to realize that she would not be losing what little she had left of her family after all. Harry looked shaken up too. He had bruises and cuts all over his face and arms. She went on to heal them.
It was not long before Ron entered the scene. It seemed that he and Tonks also faced quite a bit of opposition. She felt whole again. However, the still worried face of Harry told her that something had happened.
Arthur entered the scene with Fred. Fred's smile faded when realized the absence of George. He rushed inside. It was then that Hermione realized that something must have happened to George.
As Hermione tossed and turned in her bed that night, she realized that even Moody, whom she had met only a couple of times, had a consequential place in her heart. If the pain of someone so little known by her can hurt this much, she wondered what it would feel like if she lost her family which included Harry and Ron.
They still did not know the identity of the rat. Hermione would have guessed Mundungus. However, it seemed that only his part of the plan was what saved their skins tonight. It scared her to think that they can have another Snape amongst them. Maybe this was why Harry claimed that he trusted everybody present. Further inquiry will only increase unease among the order. That won't do. They already feared Voldemort enough. They would break if they start fearing each other.
Maybe Voldemort had some kind of spying spell. Or, animagus spies like Rita Skeeter. While mulling over the various possibilities in her head that night, Hermione realized one thing.
How massively underprepared and underequipped they were in front of Voldemort.