Over the weekend, Hermione decided that it would be best if she could pay a visit to the orphanage that she had stayed in temporarily. Though she was not sure if she could gain any useful information in this trip, but a piece of news was a piece of news, she did not want to miss any of the details. And she was thankful that Olivia gave her the address and the vague description of the orphanage.
Harry, again, offered his accompany. At times, Hermione felt apologetic towards him, he had offered so much help that she did not know how to repay. If only the agreement had never existed…
The orphanage was located near the countryside, away from the bustling roads and flourishing markets. It was almost like as if the orphanage came from another era, or a hidden house like Hogwarts, where no one beside those special ones could reach. Though she had been a temporary habitant, she had so little memory of it that she had once suspected all was just a lie. Perhaps her young age made her unable to recall anything about it, and so she had to pay her visit.
The orphanage seemed to be still working, with the smoking chimney and the laundry being hung at the front yard, dripping water and formed a puddle on the grass.
"Are you sure this is the right place?" asked Harry.
"I think so," said Hermione. "At least it fits into Olivia's description."
"I hope it's not yet closed down."
"If that happens, I will just try to find out the person responsible, certainly he or she can provide me some information, regardless of usefulness."
"Let's hope that this will not happen."
"That's not the worst."
"What's worse?"
"I hope they have not found this out," stated Hermione plainly, standing at the door.
She knocked at the door then rang the bell, then waited. But no one answered.
"Oh, not that…" muttered Harry.
Hermione rang the bell again. This time, she could hear faint footsteps coming from the hallway.
"Coming!" yelled a voice.
The door swung open and a short woman came out, panting hardly. She appeared to be in her mid-fifties, still wearing the old countryside gown that Hermione thought she had turned the time turner so too many times that she returned to the early ninetieth century.
"Trying to find a perfect child adoption?" asked the woman.
"You still have children in here?" asked Harry.
The woman seemed to be a little bit offended, knowing that the two were not here to bring the orphanage any fortune.
"We do have children here, despite the fact that we are having tight budgets these years."
"Are you the person in charge?" asked Hermione.
"You can say so," said the woman. "But the owners are the Masons."
"You mean they are masons?" asked Harry.
"Mr. and Mrs. Mason! Don't you read or not?" exclaimed the woman. "There's their name at the fence."
Hermione rolled her eyes and shot a dissatisfied look at him. Harry shrugged and entered the orphanage. The inside did bring some vague memories, and now they became much stronger and clearer.
"I think I can remember the place," said Hermione, examining the orphanage. "There's the garden planted with colourful flowers, and I lived on the first floor."
The woman stared at her and frowned as if she was a monster.
"Who are you?" uttered the woman with her shaking voice.
"Hermione—it's Granger. He's my friend, Harrier."
"I don't recognize you," said the woman. "Though I reckon I have come across that surname."
"You remember?" exclaimed Hermione.
"…Let me think…are you…"
Hermione looked at the woman expectantly.
"Ah, I remember. That baby girl…you are the baby girl?"
Hermione nodded eagerly and the woman jumped a little.
"But you are just a couple of months old! How would you remember anything of here? That's not possible."
"Not that clear, just fleeting images," said Hermione. "So can you tell me everything about me—I mean, everything during my stay here."
"That was more than twenty years ago, how are you going to expect me remembering that much?"
"Please, this is important to me."
"Why don't you ask your parents?"
"Well, I—all they tell is that I come from here."
"I think I still have memory in here…I remember that it was an evening when you came. There was an old woman taking you in here, claiming that your biological parents are dead or something, and she asked us to keep you. But you are a very strange child, so strange that no one wants to be with you. But anyway, babies need extra care, so I was assigned to feed you. Somehow you always did something like conjuring sparks or making things come closer to you. It's like you have some kind of powers."
Hermione was not so sure if she could do that when she was just in that age, not even knowing how to talk.
"So my adoptive parents came one day and took me?"
"I warned them about your weird behaviour, but they seemed to like you so much that they're willing to accept your strange acts. Well, I was happy, one less mouth to feed and I could take some rest."
"Did the old woman bring along anything? I mean, did you find anything that came with me? Some pendants? Bracelets? Lockets?"
The woman jumped a little and she cleared her throat,
"I am not sure," replied the woman. "It was Mr. and Mrs. Mason who took care of you at first, I remembered there was nothing with you—"
"Liar!"
The woman snivelled as Harry glared at her.
"Of course I did not lie—"
"You're the one who answered the door that evening, Mr. and Mrs. Mason came and took away something, didn't they?"
"I…I…"
"Yes?"
"They…they…they took something into their pocket, but I am not sure about this…I cannot just go and ask them about this."
"Where are they?" asked Harry, trying to keep his calm.
"What?"
"Where are the Masons?"
"I…I…I don't know! I have not seen them these years, they have gone somewhere! I really don't know! Please don't kill me!"
Hermione nudged Harry and signalled him not to go one more step further.
"We have enough information," said Hermione. "Thank you, Madam, for whatever you have said."
"Wait—" said the woman when Harry and Hermione were about to leave.
They turned around, eyeing on the woman's grin.
"I was just wondering if I can receive anything in return for the valuable information," said the woman, peering into their eyes.
Hermione glanced at Harry, Harry shrugged and tossed a few coins to the woman's palm.
"Your rewards," said Hermione. "But pledge never talk about this to anyone and forget it as soon as possible. Is that clear enough?"
The woman nodded and the two sprinted out of the orphanage, in search of someone...
Happy Halloween! Been busy for the whole week, think I am going to get sick soon.