Harry and Ron sat in Arthur Weasley's car, staring out the windshield, thinking. None of them had been particularly good with plans. Harry tended to act without thought, taking what he believed to be the heroic solution with usually destructive outcomes. Ron followed a plan given to him. It was usually Hermione that took the lead and without her they were lost. This made any plan to save her immediately more difficult. How were they supposed to save Hermione without Hermione? They lost her once, second year when the Basilisk had petrified her. But this time is different. This time they had to save Hermione from herself.
It was 3 months ago that Hermione left. The day before that she sobbed on Harry's shoulder, mourning the murder of her only family. The next day she was gone. It all happened so fast that Harry and Ron could not have even foreseen Hermione's departure. They thought that she would stay, and together they would come up with a way to help her. That is how it always was, the three of them. Now though there were only two, and it felt completely wrong.
Looking for Hermione was difficult but they always knew it would be. She was far more intelligent than most people knew and if she didn't want to be found, she wouldn't be. Still they looked in every considerable location but there was no sign of her. No trail, no clues, no Hermione. They had never felt so helpless before. They had to find her, and soon. If not she would make a terrible, terrible mistake.
There was no magic in the world that could help them save Hermione. No known magic at least. Ron cupped the crystal ball in his hands that showed Hermione in a large cold, grey room. Her face was illuminated by a blue screen with dancing numbers. Harry tried not to look at Ron as his eyes became red. Hermione was somewhere else, somewhere they could not go.