The Rise and Fall of the Dark Lord
A Harry Potter FanficAuthor's Note: Hula guys, the fourth chapter!
Thanks for the reviews!
Where's Fleur?
Hermione was playing around with her fork, twiddling it. Ginny sat beside her, both in a pensive mood.
"Well, in that case, they'll just have to use Muggle transportation?" Luna asked from the kitchen.
"No, who knows, Krandert might try to kidnap them AGAIN" replied Hermione firmly.
The three girls were discussing what was to be done with Fleur and Mrs. Granger, whose memory had been lifted.
"If, we can't send them by Apparition, 'cause Krandert will sense it, and we can't send them by Muggle transportation, as it's not safe and free of risk, then, they'll have to go by a Portkey" said Ginny, balancing their options.
"Can't, we don't have any item" said Hermione tersely.
"What about one of the utensils?" Luna suggested, coming out, holding a broken pan.
"We might, that's a possibility" said Hermione, looking in the distance.
A fresh smell of bacon and eggs wafted into the bedrooms as everyone woke up. Kreacher was cooking and Luna, Hermione and Ginny were lounging in the hall.
"Mum, Fleur, we've prepared a Portkey to take you back home. If it's OK, Fleur, can my Mum live with you for a few days? At least until I come back?" Hermione asked nervously.
"We're not going anywhere" Fleur scowled. Mrs. Granger nodded firmly.
"I'm not leaving until I get back your father" said Mrs. Granger.
"And I'm not 'eeving unteel I get back Bill" said Fleur, frowning.
"But, it's a question of your safety" Ginny, Ron and Hermione said indignantly.
"We don't care" said Mrs. Granger.
"You can't" said Harry, flatly.
"But why can't we? We're elder to you, we've more experieence in theze matters" said Fleur.
"We're Aurors, we're qualified for these type of issues" Ron pointed out.
"So only a qualified person can save their dear ones?" Mrs. Granger argued.
"And aren't zey helping you too?" said Fleur, pointing at Neville and Luna.
"They are, but that's because, their relatives have been taken hostage" said Hermione desperately.
"Exactly, our relatives HAVE been taken hostage" said Mrs. Granger.
Hermione sighed and turned towards Harry.
"They ARE right, in a way, it's their choice" said Harry, defeated.
"We want to help" said Fleur and Mrs. Granger in unison.
"Mum, you WILL stay in the tent with Kreacher" said Hermione firmly. "You've stayed back, OK, but you WON'T come with us".
"Fleur too" said Ron and Ginny quickly.
"We didn't stay back to be cooped up in a tent" said Mrs. Granger, indignantly.
"But it's dangerous" Hermione persisted.
"It's dangerous for you too" said Fleur.
"It doesn't matter" said Harry. "You're staying here and that's final."
Crunch!
"Keep quiet can't you?" Hermione whispered tensely.
"Sorry" Neville whispered back.
Ginny peeked through the branches at where Krandert had been yesterday.
"Shit" she exclaimed.
"Ginny, ssh" said Hermione alarmed.
"It's no use, Hermione, they're gone" she replied.
"Like I said" said Harry, coming out of the trees towards the clearing where they could see the markings of a recently lit fire.
"Guess you were right, mate" said Ron, thumping Harry on the back.
"What do we do now?" Neville asked.
"Look" said Hermione sharply, pointing at a rock.
All of them walked over to it. On the rock Krandert had tacked a small chit of paper.
"What's it say?" Luna asked.
"It says:
'This isn't just sabotage,
It's a game.
To find out how deep it goes,
Put your hand in'"
"Meaning?" Neville asked.
"Where do we put our hand in?" said Ginny.
"Wait a sec" Hermione said, sharply and walked closer to the rock.
"Look" she whispered.
There in the rock, Krandert had dug a deep hole.
"I can't fit my hand in" Ginny gasped.
"It's too small" complained Ron.
"God, what possessed him to make such a small hole?" Hermione said.
All of them were trying, in vain, one-by-one to fit their hand in the small hole.
At last, defeated they slumped on the ground.
Hermione suddenly stood up, smacked her forehead and started off towards the forest.
"Hermione wait up" everyone called, and got up, groaning and moaning.
"Fleur, we need your help c'mon" Hermione shouted through the tent.
"Fleur, Fleur?" she called out again.
Instead there arrived in the doorway, Kreacher, looking forlorn.
"Kreacher, where's Fleur?" Hermione asked.
"Gone" he croaked.
"Gone?" she asked.
He nodded, his ears flapping.
"Where?" she persisted.
"Hermione…" said Harry entering the tent.
"Harry, Fleur's gone" she interrupted.
"What?" he gasped.
Hermione nodded and rushed into the tent, into the room Mrs. Granger and Fleur were sharing.
"Mum" Hermione gasped in relief and hugged her mom.
"Mrs. Granger, where's Fleur?" asked Harry, noticing the many cuts and bruises on Mrs. Granger's arm and her tear tracked face.
She gave a dry sob.
"Mum?" Hermione asked again.
"There we were sitting in the hall, watching TV and wondering when you'd get back. Then suddenly we heard Ginny scream, and I saw Fleur pale. She rushed out and I followed. She rushed towards the cliff, that's where the screams were issuing from. And then, and then…she…she lost balance and… and she… she…" and Mrs. Granger broke down, tears running down her face. Harry simply stood dumbstruck as everyone crowded into the room; and stared surprised at the four: Kreacher, his ears drooping, Hermione and Mrs. Granger tears streaming down their faces and Harry, simply standing, too dumb struck.
"But she wasn't near here at all, she didn't scream at all" whispered Hermione. At that moment everyone came into the room.
"What happened, Harry?" Ron asked, placing a hand on Harry's shoulder, and he felt it shaking under his arm.
Kreacher then explained everything to them. As one they all dropped into chairs, shocked.
"Ron, it's no use" Hermione said for the umpteenth time.
"How do you know, she might have fallen on a rock and be stranded there" he argued.
"Only one to find out" said Harry, finally, fed up of their non-stop bickering.
Harry rushed into his room and grabbed his Firebolt.
"C'mon" he said to a bemused Hermione and Ron.
They all rushed out.
Harry and Ron mounted their brooms and after kissing their wives took off, below the steep cliff.
"Do you think they'll be successful?" Neville asked, err, nervously.
"We'll just have to wait and see, Neville" replied Ginny, sighing.
That was that. How was it? DO review!
Au Revoir!