Chapter Five: I Reach For The One Who Bleeds
Hermione sat on her quilted bed as the light began to fade from the sky outside of her bedroom. Seven days had passed since she had forced her way into Harry's bedroom at Privet Drive to discover that he was nowhere to be found. Every detail of what she had found in that room haunted her waking thoughts and her nightmares. As the seventh day approached the seventh night, she found her hope began to drain away. She had been sitting here, in this exact same spot, day in day out for the past four days. Harry remained missing without any leads.
Food had not passed her lips during that time, despite constant nagging from her mother, father and sister. They had left it on the table in her room regardless every meal time, and only looked more dissapointed than before when they collected it hours later, untouched. She was too worried, too preoccupied to even consider eating. She could not get the horrible images of Harry's bedroom to stop spinning through her mind. They were mingled with terrifying thoughts of where he may be right at this moment, lying battered and broken, maybe dying.. maybe already dead. She could not prevent her worst fears from surfacing and plaguing her thoughts constantly. They consumed her and defeated her, and for once in her life she felt completely helpless.
A soft knocking came to her ears and she lifted her eyes a fraction to the doorframe, where Anna's face appeared slowly from behind the opening door. She had taken to knocking before entering ever since Hermione had arrived home with her parents and a strange looking old man much later on that fateful night than she had expected. She had waited for hour after hour for their return, and was beginning to get worried as the clock approached 1am. She had just begun to play around with the thought that perhaps her father had finally gone over the deep end and commited mass murder when a loud crack came from the living room.
At first Anna had been slightly alarmed by the sudden appearance of her family and the slightly senile looking fourth member of the party, but her panic was soon replaced by concern as she took in the pale, withdrawn faces of all four of them. It was obvious that Hermione had been crying for some length of time by the redness of her eyes and the streaks that cut down her face from sharp tears. She was even more alarmed to see that nearly all of them were covered in traces of blood. Hermione had been so distraught, so ready to take action that she had fled up to her bedroom to prepare before Anna could even ask what was going on. That girl from seven days ago was a far cry from the girl who sat before her now so utterly destroyed.
"You're going to wear a hole in that floor if you keep staring at it like that." Anna said with a gentle smile as she clicked the door shut behind her and moved into the room.
When Hermione made no attempt at responding Anna sighed and sat down heavily on the bed next to her sister, placing an arm around her shoulders. Hermione barely acknowledged her comforting touch and the movement of the bed aggravated her, the movement made all of it real. She almost had herself believing that if she did not move, none of it would be real, that it would all be some kind of surreal dream.
"Talk to me kid." Anna persisted, gazing at her pale sister in concern.
Hermione sighed and turned to look at her sister with a hollow stare. "What's there to talk about?"
"How you're feeling?" Anna tried, ignoring the tone of her last question.
Hermione snorted.
"Ok, so maybe not how you're feeling." Anna recovered cheerfully, then her tone turned dark. "Try what's bothering you, what you're thinking about that has had you glued to this spot for four days and why you aren't eating."
"Don't Anna I'm not in the.."
"Mood, yeah, so you've said." She finished her sentance. "Look, Dumbledore has assured you that he is doing everything in his power to locate Harry. There's nothing more that you can do. Sitting here feeling sorry for yourself is not helping anyone."
Hermione snorted again. "Yeah, he's doing everything in his power, you don't know what he did Anna, if he hadn't meddled with Harry's magic this would never have happened. How can I trust him now?"
"Well, you're just going to have to try. Besides, It's not just Dumbledore looking is it? He said that The Order of The Pheonix were looking for him too."
"The Order," Hermione said in a scornful voice, "Think that I had something to do with his dissapearance."
"What?" Anna said in shock, "You're not serious?"
"Oh, I am." She said dangerously, "Very serious. Those "Minor Details" they wanted me to help them with, that turned out to be a full blown interrogation. They think I know more than I'm letting on."
"But thats crazy! Why would you have anything to do with it?" Anna asked in disbelief.
"I don't know, they think that my being there at the exact moment that he dissapeared is suspicious." She said waving a hand in dismissal.
"Surely Dumbledore told them that its ludicris to even think that you would be involved?" She asked increduously.
"I think he's the driving force behind the theory actually." She said darkly.
"Well," Anna said carefully, "Don't worry, when Harry is found they'll discover their theory is completely ungrounded."
Hermione fell silent, and overwhelming despair filled her gut.
"What is it, Hermione?" Anna asked, seeing the change in expression.
"Anna, you didn't see what we saw! He could be lying somewhere, alone, unable to get help! He could be dead.."
"So that's what it is." Anna said, finally understanding. "You're worried that it's too late. You're worried that he might already be dead. Hermione .."
"Anna you didn't see his room.. " Hermione began, tears forming fresh in her eyes.
"Hermione.. Harry is going to be fine.." Anna said in a soothing, consoling voice.
"How can you say that? You don't know that.." Hermione retorted angrily.
Anna bit her lip gently and frowned. She looked remarkably different from Hermione, her shoulder length, dark brown hair hung dead straight and was pulled back in a tight ponytail. Her almond shaped eyes were deep green and held beauty that Hermione didn't see in hers. Anna was more rebellious than Hermione, and although there was no hint of magic in her veins, that fact didn't bother her in the slightest. She was tall, slender and extremely good looking. Hermione had never known her to go without a boyfriend for longer than a week.
"Hermione, they will find him.."
"I wish I could believe you, Anna. It's been seven days now, seven days since he dissapeared and no sign of him anywhere. People just don't dissapear, something's wrong." she said desperately.
"Hermione, where ever he is, I am sure he's being taken care of." Anna said calmly.
"The first places I checked were the hospitals! St Mungos, every muggle hospital I could find. He wasn't in any of them. How can he be taken care of if he's not in hospital!" She said angrily, her temper rising.
"Hermione, you need to relax, get some sleep, you're exhausted.." Anna said, trying to play down her anger.
"Sleep? Ha! You think I can sleep knowing that Harry isn't safe?" Slowly her anger turned to mental exhaustion, and she ended lamely. "Just go away Anna, leave me alone.."
Anna sighed, again her attempts to cheer her sister up being defeated. "Alright. But you need to eat, Hermione. No, Listen. If not for yourself then for the baby. There's two of you to think about now."
Hermione looked taken aback for a moment. In her despair she had put being pregnant out of her mind. She opened her mouth to speak but before the words left her mouth Anna had dissapeared out the door, and once again she was alone. Now, having recieved what she had asked for, she regretted sending Anna away so abruptly. Her presence was comforting, if even only a little bit so. She felt bad for taking her frustrations out on her sister, but she was so distraught that she could not think straight. It had been the same when she was taken to Number 12, Grimwauld place by Dumbledore himself...
...It had been close to 1am when Hermione and her parents, escorted by Dumbledore, had apparated into her living room. Hurried footfall came towards the living room door and Anna burst in and stopped abruptly in surprise. She had never had the pleasure of meeting Albus Dumbledore before, and on first appearances, she thought he was strange and off putting. His bizzarre appearance had wiped her mind of everything she was about to say and she struggled to get her bearings as she stared at him rudely. She desperately hoped that this man was a wizard, for if not, he definitly wasn't the kind of man she wanted to be associating with her parents, they were embarassing enough on their own without some weirdo's help.
His midnight blue robes were showered in small silver stars and his long silver beard hung down passed his naval. Despite having a witch for a sister, she had never seen any other wizards dressed the way he was, but she had no other explaination for him. She was sure from his appearance that he was not entirely right in the head. He smiled weakly to her and his bright eyes shimmered behind his half moon spectacles. Anna shook off her shock and ignored the man for the present time.
"I was getting worried, where have you been..." She began, but her words trailed off in horror seeing that all four of them were covered in what appeared to be blood. "What's going on? Who's blood is that..."
Before the question had entirely left her mouth Hermione had turned on her heel and fled up the staircase to her room. Anna had caught a glimpse of her tear stained face and the hollow yet determined look in her eyes.
"Dad?" she probed again anxiously, upon recieving no answer.
"Something has happened to Harry.." He said quietly.
"What did you do?.." she asked in shock.
"I didn't do anything."
She had expected his answer to bite back at her, but it was calm and solemn, this alone told her that something was not right.
"He wasn't there when we arrived. His uncle had been torturing him, his magic somehow took over and i don't know.. but he's not there. No one knows where he is." He continued quietly.
"Tortured?" Anna choked out in alarm. "What do you mean tortured?"
"You must be Hermione's older sister, Anna, am I correct?" Dumbledore interupted gently.
"Who are you?" she replied a little more rudely than she had intended.
"Albus Dumbledore, I am the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Dumbledore replied curteously.
"Why are you here? What's going on? Dad?" She said turning her attention again to her father.
"Hermione summoned me from Harry's Uncles' house as soon as she discovered the scene." Dumbledore interjected once more, "I'm afraid she is very distraught. It wasn't a pleasant sight."
Jonathan looked at up at Dumbledore in surprise. "Wasn't a pleasant sight? That's all you can say, after what we just witnessed? If the boy's not dead it will be a miracle!"
"John, I'm sure professor Dumbledore didn't mean.." Anna's mother interjected.
"No, I'm sure he didn't." John said shortly, cutting her off. Sarcasm was eminant in his voice.
"Dead?" Anna repeated in alarm. "You don't really think that he could be dead? Was it that bad?" Anna asked in shock.
"What do you think Anna?" He snapped, losing his patience. "I'm standing here covered in the blood of a boy I hardly know. I can still smell his room, the smell of rotting flesh. If he's not dead yet, wherever he is, he'll be wishing that he was. No one could sustain that amount of injury for long without being treated."
Dumbledore cleared his throat loudly.
"Let's face it, It's highly possible that the boy is dead." John continued, ignoring the old wizard.
Dumbledore cleared his throat louder still, and John turned swiftly to tell him to shut up, only to see his youngest daughter paused on the bottom step of the staircase, glaring at him angrily. Furious tears burned at her eyes and she blinked rapidly.
"Hermione sweetheart.." He began, only to be cut off.
"Don't waste your breath dad. You may have given up on him already, but I assure you I havn't. He's alive, I know it, and i'm not going to sit here and wait for a miracle. I'm going to look for him."
"Hermione its One O'clock in the morning." Her father protested.
"You saw his room." She said through her tears, "You know we don't have any time to waste, I don't care if you aren't coming, I planned to go alone anyway."
"I'm afraid I can't allow that Miss Granger." Dumbledore broke the silence.
"Oh? And who said that you have the right to presume authority over me? This is your fault, all of this, and if you won't fix your mistakes then I will." She snapped.
"I can't allow that," He continued ignoring her outburst, "Because I need you to come with me to the Order's Headquarters immediately. I need them to start looking for Harry as soon as possible, and, as you witnessed the ward's collapsing, and were first on the scene, you need to fill in some minor details for the aurors'."
Hermione turned slightly pink.
"Don't make the mistake of thinking that I don't regret very deeply what has happened to Harry as a result of my interferring. I want Harry found just as much as you do." Dumbledore added, narrowing his eyes behind his half moon spectacles.
Hermione nodded quietly and moved over to him, "Please, can we check the hospitals first? Just quickly, I need to know if he's made it to safety." she pleaded.
Dumbledore frowned heavily, then conceeded seeing the look on her face. "Very well, but very quickly mind you. I doubt highly that he will be in any hospital and the Order need to be informed of the situation as soon as possible so that work may begin on his recovery."
Hermione nodded, slightly relieved. "I know, I'll feel better knowing the Order are looking for him, but I need to do this first. It's important...". Hermione despised herself for playing nice with Dumbledore, but she knew it was imperative to getting Harry back as soon as possible. She decided to give the old man the benifit of the doubt one last time, for as she looked at him, he appeared frail and genuinely distressed by what had happened to Harry when he was supposed to be protecting him.
Dumbledore nodded brieftly. "Mr and Mrs Granger, I'll keep Hermione with me for a few days, so she can help with the investigation. We will need to return to question you also about what you saw, just so we can verify details, that sort of thing.."
Mr Granger nodded curtly and walked over to Hermione, placing his hands on her shoulders and looking into her eyes which mirrored his own. "Be careful, and if you need us, write."
She nodded biting her lip as he reached down and hugged her tightly. "Everything will be ok, Hermione." He added, "I promise.."
When he released her her mother moved in for a quick embrace and a kiss on the cheek before Dumbledore took her by the hand and they both dissapeared with a crack. Anna barely had time to wave before they dissapeared from sight.
Arriving outside the headquarters an hour later, Hermione felt suddenly hopeless. The search of the hospital's in the area had proved fruitless, as Dumbledore had suggested it might. Still, Hermione was very distressed to discover that Harry was not in the safe hands of healers, and began to panic, having not found him so easily.
"He could be anywhere.." she said in despair, suddenly the vastness of "anywhere" hit her like a ton of bricks.
"Don't worry Hermione, like I said, the sooner we get the Order on the case, the better." Dumbledore had replied as they appeared in the dark lane lit only by dim streetlamps.
Hermione recognised Grimwauld Place immediately, and Number 12 loomed before her ominously as she looked to her right. Somehow it seemed darker and more dreary than ever before, and the fact that Sirius was now dead made it appear very morbid indeed. The crescent moon shone down on the rooftop, making it glisten against the darkness.
"Quickly." He urged her, as he steered her toward the front door. "It's not safe to linger here."
His knuckles were rapping urgently on the wooden door even before his feet touched the doorstep. From within Hermione heard footsteps approach the door, then a muffled voice called out, "Who is it?"
The voice belonged to Molly Weasley.
"Molly, Its Albus. Let me in, quickly." He spoke hastily.
The locks on the other side of the door clicked and the door swung open, Dumbledore wasted no time in pushing Hermione hastily inside and shutting it behind him in under a second. As the locks clicked once more, Mrs Weasley looked at Hermione in surprise.
"Hermione? Why Albus, what is she doing here?" She asked in surprise.
"I will explain in due time Molly, let us move into the living room, It's awfully draughty in this hallway." he said impatiently.
Molly nodded in agreement and lead the way to the living area. Hermione looked about and realised that nothing about the house had changed dramatically since Sirius' departure. She wondered if they had not had the heart to change the house's appearance, despite Sirius' loathing for the place. As they entered the living room the bright light stung Hermione's eyes. Mrs Weasley turned around and faced them.
"Would you like some tea?" She asked with a smile, but her smile faded rapidly into a look of horror and she let out a small scream.
"Calm yourself Molly whatever is the matter?" Dumbledore asked in surprise.
She lifted a shaky finger and pointed to their clothing. "Blood.. Whose blood is that? What on earth happened?"
"Ah," Dumbledore said apologetically. "I'm sorry, i forgot. I'm afraid that will take a bit of explaining, but I would like the entire Order present for that story, Molly. No exceptions. This is extremely urgent."
She nodded her pale face and dissapeared into the kitchen to summon the remaining members of the Order of the Pheonix. Dumbledore turned to Hermione and gave her a small smile.
"Hermione, why don't you go and clean up?" He suggested gently, his wise eyes twinkling softly in the light. "Let me inform the order of the backstory, you're exhausted and I can do the job well enough on my own. I will call for you when they need your version of events."
"No, I want to be there." She said in a shaky voice. "I want to help.."
"And you will, Hermione." He said with a kind smile, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You're still in shock, you need to sit down for a while. And besides, I think, if my guess is correct, that you will find Mr. Weasley upstairs on the second floor, and I think it would be best if he heard the news from you, Don't you agree?"
Hermione felt a jolt of relief in her stomach. Ron was here. She nodded quietly, still not happy about being left out of the meeting, but admitted defeat, realising she was covered in blood and completely drained of all energy. Ron would be pleased to see her at any rate, until she gave him her account of what they had found at Harry's house. She didn't want to be the one to admit that it was real. She was still waiting for someone to tell her that it was ok, that it had all been a horrible dream.
She stood outside the door to Ron's bedroom for several minutes, eyes closed, picturing how she would tell him that Harry could be dead. At last her hand obeyed her instructions and she found herself knocking on the creaky wooden door. She heard the familiar grunt that she had come to recognize as Ron's version of "Come In". She turned the doorknob as if in a dream to see Ron lying on his stomach lengthways on his bed, reading a chudley cannon's book. As the miniature quidditch players zoomed across the cover Hermione thought of Harry, and wondered if he would ever play as seeker again.
Ron looked up and his mouth opened in surprise. "Hermione! When did you get here? Thank God, i've been bored out of my mind. Now all we need is for Dumbledore to let Harry come and we're set." Ron paused suddenly and screwed his eyes up, looking at her more closely, as though he thought he had seen something that he assumed would dissapear on second glance; only it didn't.
"Hello, Ron.." She said quietly, fresh tears begining to roll down her face.
"Hermione.." he said in concern, "What's happened?"
She couldn't explain why seeing Ron's face had made her finally break down in despair, and as he moved forward and lead her over to sit down on his bed her tears fell thick and fast.
"Hermione, where have you been? You're covered in blood.." he said quietly.
"It was horrible, Ron." she choked out through her sobs, "There was so much blood, and I'm scared because I don't know where he is.."
"Hermione, You're not making sense.. calm down." He said soothingly as she latched onto him, crying into his shoulder. The dull aching in her chest throbbed painfully as she cried loudly, "Breathe, Hermione, just breathe.. that's it.."
Her sobs quietened for a moment and he pulled her back to look her in the eye. "Now, tell me what's happened. You don't know where who is?"
"Harry." she said gulping some air. "He's gone.."
"What?" Ron asked in shock. "What do you mean 'he's gone', Hermione?"
"I went to his Uncle's house.. I was worried about him.. When I got there, there was a huge explosion of magic.. the anti porkey wards and anti apparition wards collapsed and when I got to Harry's room.. He wasn't there Ron.." she choked.
Ron laughed as though she was over reacting. "Hermione, don't you see? If he wasn't there, then what are you worried about? He'd probably just had enough of Dudley and took off. He'll be fine, he was probably nowhere near the explosion. You worry too much, you even had me worrying there for a minute. I bet that he turns up here or the Burrow within the next day, arrogantly refusing to apologise to Dumbledore for running away from his bloody awful relatives."
"No Ron, you don't understand.." she began, not knowing how to describe what she had witnessed in Harry's room. "This blood.. this blood is Harry's.."
Ron stared at her in disbelief. "I thought you said he wasn't there?"
"He wasn't.. I ran into his room.. The blood was everywhere.. On his bed, the floor, the walls.. The smell Ron.. It was unbearable.." Hermione said, tears streaking down her face silently.
"I don't understand.." Ron said shaking his head as if he didn't believe what she was saying.
"What happened?"
"His uncle, Ron." She said in a hollow voice. "He's been beating him all summer.. Torturing him.. His aunt.. she told me that his uncle burnt his eyes out with acid.. broke his legs.. whipped him..."
Ron stared at her in shock. "No.. No Harry wouldn't let him do that.. His uncle's scared of him remember.. the whole magic thing.. It's not possible.. Harry would have jinxed him with every curse under the sun.."
"Dumbledore bound his magic at the end of last term.." Hermione said quietly, the vast emptiness in her chest devouring her. "He was writing us letter's to tell us when his uncle confiscated them.. That's how he found out.. That's when it started."
"No.. That's not possible.. Why would Dumbledore do that? Harry's magic is the only defense he has.." Ron said in silent rage.
"It also links him to Voldemort, Dumbledore said he thought he was protecting Harry by binding it.." Hermione explained.
"Fat lot of good that did, He didn't even manage to protect him from his own flesh and blood. What the hell was he thinking?" Ron shouted violently, throwing his book forcefully into the bookshelf at the end of his room, smashing a glass vase into pieces.
Hermione jumped and Ron immediately regretted his actions, running his hands through his hair in frustration. He cursed, making an angry, helpless noise as he rubbed in his temples, trying to think. He took a deep breath and turned to face Hermione once more.
"What's being done to recover him?" He asked calmly.
"Dumbledore is informing the Order of what took place now. I have to go and tell them my side of the story soon. We don't know what's happened Ron, he can't have escaped on his own he wasn't capable of it.. Dumbledore thinks his magic broke free to try and heal him and maybe apparated him away or maybe he came in contact with a portkey.. but no one knows for sure.. We checked St Mungos and several muggle hospitals, he's nowhere to be found. We don't have any idea where he is or how he got there.."
Ron sat down heavily, clutching his head in anger. "This should never have happened.. We should have written to him.. Why do we always listen to that stupid old git?"
"Ron.. What if.. What if Harry's.." Hermione choked.
"Hermione, Harry is going to be fine. We will find him, You know we will.." Ron said looking at her in surprise, he had not expected her to give up on him so easily.
"You didn't see it Ron.." she said shaking her head.
There was a sharp knock on the door, which caused both Hermione and Ron to jump and as it opened it revealed Mrs Weasley. Her face was drawn and pale and her eyes red and agitated.
"Hermione," She said quietly. "It's time."
Hermione got to her feet, followed almost instantly by Ron, but Mrs Weasley interjected. "Ron, Hermione needs to face them alone. You can see her afterwards."
"But Mom.."
"No but's Ron! Just listen for once in your life!" she snapped and dissapeared from the room with a sob.
Ron punched the wall in frustration, roaring to vent his anger. Throwing himself down on his bed he looked at Hermione, the tears still clinging to her eyes. He gave her a bracing look, a half smile to let her know he was ok. Hermione frowned, shooting Ron an apologetic look, then without a word trailed after his mother down the creaky staircase..
"Hermione.." Remus said catching his first glimpse of her as she walked into the living room once more. He looked pale and alarmed as he walked up to her, taking her in his arms and hugging her gently. After a moment, he steered her toward an armchair in the living room and made her sit, pressing a glass of amber liquid into her hand. "Here, drink this. It'll make you feel better."
"No, thank you, I'm not thirsty.." she said, politely smiling as she tried to hand it back.
"Hermione, drink, you really don't look well. Trust me, it'll help.." He pressed, refusing to take it back.
"I don't want to feel better." She said shortly, "I want to find Harry."
"Drink up Hermione, the sooner you do the sooner we can get started." Dumbledore said sternly.
Hermione resented being treated like a five year old, but decided if it was the fastest way to move this along that she would appease them. "Fine.." She droaned.
She put the glass to her lips and tilted it, but then suddenly stopped, pulling it away from her lips. Every eye in the room was watching her eagerly, too eagerly.. Suddenly a thought clicked into place in her mind which made her stomach lurch and her heart beat rapidly.
"Veritaserum." She said in disbelief, looking around at the guilt ridden faces in the room Her stomach felt like lead as her face slackened in horror. "You think i had something to do with his dissapearance, don't you?"
There was an extremely awkward silence, as everyone in the room moved shiftily and glanced carefully from one to the other.
"You were outside Harry's house at the exact moment the ward's collapsed, and according to you, you were the first on the scene. We suspect you know more than you are letting on, yes." Alastor Moody spoke up, His electric blue eye fixed on her intently.
"I don't believe this.. Dumbledore, you said that only Harry's magic could have caused the ward's to collapse." She said, rounding on him with an accusing tone.
"That is true, but there is a small possibility that an outside force could have done so, a very small chance, but we have to investigate all avenues. Even if it were Harry's magic that destroyed the wards, It still does not explain how he managed to dissapear.. And seeing as you were there at the time of the wards collapsing, we have to ask you a few questions." Dumbledore said, his eyes narrowing on her.
"I told you! I was worried about him, I hadn't seen nor heard from him in weeks! I needed to make sure he was alright!" she yelled in frustration.
"It's a very fortunate coincidence, don't you think?" Dumbledore said darkly.
Hermione's mouth was open in horror. "Fortunate? How could you even think that I would have something to do with this? He's my best friend!"
"We've seen it happen before." Lupin said darkly. "You wouldn't be the first to sell your best friend out to the dark lord."
Hermione's face went violently red. Her whole body was vibrating with silent anger, this had been the last thing that she was expecting. Dumbledore had managed to pull the wool over her eyes yet again, and she cursed herself for giving him the opportunity to manipulate her for his own purposes. She looked at him then, a glare filled with hatred and loathing, yet he merely smiled in return, his beady eyes twinkling back at her as if this were all very amusing.
"This was your plan all along. You humored me to get me here. How dare you!" She screamed. "I thought you were sorry! I thought you were sorry for what you had done to him! Now I see that it was all an act because you think that I've sold him off! I don't believe this.. Harry is lying somewhere dying, God knows where, and you're sitting here, questioning me, rather than looking for him? You make me sick! I would never ever sell Harry out. Ever!"
"Well, if you havn't then it won't be a problem for you to tell us what happened then, will it?" Moody said grimly, eyeing her suspiciously.
"We don't have time for this!" Hermione shouted furiously.
"The sooner you tell us the truth, the sooner we can find him.." Lupin said quietly.
"Perhaps you found him, lying there in all that blood, calling out in agony and you wanted to ease his pain. We wouldn't blame you, he must have been going through hell.." Tonks suggested kindly, that fact that she was trying to coax a confession out of her was not lost on Hermione.
"How dare you.." Hermione said through gritted teeth as she looked up at Tonks in disgust. "I would never kill him.. I would never kill anyone.."
"All that blood.." Shacklebolt said in a drilling voice, "His injuries must have been substantial, broken legs, eyes burnt out.. It must have been a terrible sight.. No one would want their best friend to go through that.."
"I didn't kill him!" Hermione screamed.
"Maybe he asked for it? Maybe he begged and pleaded you to finish it.. To put him out of his misery?" Lupin said raising his voice. "And who could refuse the voice of a friend in pain?"
"I did not kill Harry!" She shouted rising from her chair.
"You're covered in his blood.." Tonks pointed out.
Hermione's jaw dropped in surprise. "You can't be serious? His room was covered in blood.. There's no way you can pin that on me.. Dumbledore is covered in his blood too!"
"Dumbledore has witnesses to prove how that blood got there. You, on the other hand, were alone when your parents found you covered in it, funny that, isn't it?" Tonks said with a cold stare.
Hermione fell back into her chair weakly, trying to figure out how she had got herself to this place in time.
"Tell us what happened." Lupin said shortly.
"Why were you really outside Harry's bedroom at 9.30pm?" Moody growled...
Fresh tears stung the corners of Hermione's eyes as the pain of the memory Order of the Pheonix beleived that she had betrayed Harry, her best friend, the father of her child. For three days they had kept her there, repeating the same questions over and over, drilling her, hoping to make her crack and confess. This betrayal was more severe to her than Dumbledore's dealings with her. She had held the upmost respect for the Order as a collective, and their accusations had cut her deeper than she would ever let on. Dumbledore had returned her home on the fourth day, and she had been sitting in this same spot ever since.
Darkness had now fallen completely outside and the warm orange glow of the streetlamp seemed brighter than before. Through her open window Hermione heard the wind start with an ominous howl. The window rattled against its force and spots of rain began to splatter against the glass pane. She sighed heavily and stood, walking over to the table where her food tray sat, and picked at its contents wearily.
The tree outside swayed in and out of the path of the streetlamp, casting shadows across her room that danced mournfully. The leaves chattered noisily in the wind, which seemed only to increase her despair as those tears that had been threatening to spill over finally did so. She leaned against the wall and slid down it in slow motion, weak and scared. She cried, hard and long, choking out Harry's name over and over as if he might reply if she could only say it clear enough. Her head hung between her knees and her salty tears pooled onto the floor beneath her. She could not escape the plaguing thoughts of Harry's bloodied room, or the sight of his dead body that she had now conjured up perfectly in her imagination. It utterly broke her, over and over and over again.
She didn't hear the fluttering of wings over her deafening thoughts. Nor did she hear the clattering of sharp talons as the scrawny, snow white owl landed on her writing desk. It was not until Hegwig had flown over and pecked her sharply on the finger that Hermione even realized that she had arrived.
"Hedwig?" she said in surprise, wiping her eyes temporarily to look at the owl closely. "Where have you been? You never came back after I sent you to find Dumbledore.."
Hedwig hooted impatiently and stuck out her leg, revealing a tightly rolled scroll tied with a red string.
"Alright girl, alright.." Hermione said soothingly as she hastily removed it, and unrolled it carefully.
She was surprised to find that the handwriting on the outside of the parchment was completely foreign to her.
"Where have you been girl?" Hermione asked curiously. "Who sent you?"
Hedwig nipped her finger impatiently again and hooted doefully.
Hermione examined the parchment carefully, her curiousity increasing. It was written in an elegant hand, that of a woman, but other than that it held no clues for her. The curly sloping letter's that served as the address for Hedwig merely formed one word, and one word alone. 'Hermione'...