"Missy Granger, Missy Granger, the crazy lady that has all the kids is refusing to leave. What do you want us to do." Dobby had come to wake Hermione up the next morning. Apparently Molly had taken it up on herself to not do as Hermione had asked.
"It's ok Dobby. I will take care of it." Hermione rolled out the bed she was in and went down to the kitchen. "Molly I believe when I inherited this house that my ONE rule for the order to continue to use this house for meetings was for everyone to leave first thing in the morning to go home."
"Oh, but Hermione dear, surely you didn't mean us." Molly tried to talk her way out of this.
"Yes Molly, I did mean you. I meant everyone. It's my house now and my rules. I'll give you to the count of three to piss off back home. If you aren't gone, then I will change secret keepers to this house and the order will not be allowed back in it." Hermione was fed up with people who flouted the rules.
Molly Weasley scoffed at Hermione. "I see dear, well I'll just be going then. We'll be back tomorrow for an order meeting. I suppose if you need us, you know where to find us at." She turned and threw floo powder into the fireplace. "The burrow."
After the last Weasley had left Hermione went back up to her room. She was going to move all of her stuff into Sirius's room and stay there for the time being. There wasn't another order meeting until tomorrow evening. She had to figure out a way to block the fireplace from unwanted visitors as well.
"Dobby!" Hermione tried to test out and see if dobby or winky would answer her now since apparently they were her house elves now. "Winky! Is there a way I can block the fireplace from floo calls and such without my wand? It seems to have been misplaced or lost or something."
"We overheard something you need to know about Missy Granger. The bad boys that left with the nutty lady hid your wand somewhere. We don't know where's we've looked everywhere. We figure they must have put a concealment spell on it or took it with them. We're sorry we did try. We can block the fireplace for you. No one will disturb you, until its time for another order meeting." Dobby and winky popped in beside Hermione.
"Thank you and they'll get their payback. I'm still thinking about what exactly I want to do to them." I suppose I need to go visit my parents, but I have no wand. I'll have to get a cab to the house then. \Hermione grabbed her coin purse and took off out the door. "I will be back later. I'm going to visit my parents' house."
Hermione was going to be in for a very nasty surprise when she got to her parents' house. After paying the cab fare she walked up the street to an empty lot. The house was a pile of ash, the cars were burned metal. Smoke was still lingering in the air and Hermione just fell to her knees on the sidewalk and burst into tears. She didn't need a wand to know that her parents were in that pile of ash. She didn't have to go digging for the bones to bury, she could see what was left of them plain as day. They were blackened and brittle, but they were still bones. It was all she had left of her parents' bodies.
I need to go to the neighbors and ask them to use the phone. The authorities must be called, There's no dark mark above the house, it must have just burned down a faulty wire or something.
Hermione got up still crying and went over to knock on her neighbor's door. Once they opened the door she asked them, "Do you mind calling 999 for me? I don't know what happened, but my parents' house is now ash and I believe they were inside it went it burnt down."
The neighbors of course agreed and let Hermione talk to the emergency people when the phone call was answered. "999 how may we be of service?"
"Yes, my name is Hermione Granger, the address is 235 Heathgate. My parents were inside their home when it burnt down. My guess would be sometime late last night, but I don't know. I've been away at a boarding school in Scotland and the semester just let out for summer break." Hermione was trying not to be hysterical at the thought of having nowhere to live now.
She did inherit Grimmauld place, maybe she should kick the order members out entirely and just live like a hermit.
"Ok, calm down and someone will be coming to that address shortly. You called from the neighbors' house correct?" The people on the other end of the 999 number were asking their questions.
"Yes, ma'am, I called from the neighbors across the road from my parents. I will be outside in front of my parents' house waiting for your people to show up. Thank you so much." Hermione finally got the ok to hang the 999 phone call up.
"Thank you again Mrs. Jones. I really appreciate it." Hermione dried her eyes and hung the phone up. She left the neighbor's house in a daze. She supposed she'd have to figure out how to hold a funeral for her parents now when all she had was ashes from a house and brittle bones. She knew the bones would turn to dust or ash if someone tried to pick them up.
Hermione crossed the street again and went to wait for the emergency services under a tree in the yard. She sat there for a few minutes and then she heard the sirens. The coroner and the fire department had finally arrived. She started crying fresh tears, it seemed that lately all she's done is cry and cry some more. She sat under the tree and barely heard a word anyone said to her.
"Ma'am, ma'am the fire wasn't started by anything in the house or outside of the house. There is nothing we can do for you to get the insurance money. I can't find any proof that the fire was set on accident or on purpose." The lead fire inspector came over to talk to Hermione.
"Wait, what do you mean there's nothing you can do? How did the fire even start if you can't find where it started at?" Hermione's mind was spinning, she knew something wasn't quiet right here, but she couldn't figure out what it was. "Thank you I guess. I supposed I won't be able to bury my parents either."
"No ma'am, you can bury your parents but there will probably be some of the house ashes mixed in the urn with your parents. There weren't many bones left intact. We tried our best but some of them turned to ashes the moment they were picked up. I'm sorry ma'am I know that's not what you want to hear." The lead inspector dipped his hat and went back to finishing up his job.
Hermione left once all the emergency service people had left. She was going back to Grimmauld to stew on some things. She also had to prepare for the stupid order meeting tomorrow night. She wasn't going to let whoever killed her parents get away with it. She now knew it was someone magical because there is no trace of an accident. She figures it was someone whose well versed in the dark arts, but honestly it could have been anyone.
She had to let Dumbledore know that someone was after her. She figures she's the reason her parents are dead. If it wasn't for her being a witch, they'd probably still be alive. She never even got to see them one last time. Her parents' deaths had gutted her. She couldn't believe someone wanted her bad enough that they'd kill defenseless muggles. She of course was well hidden, but her parents weren't, maybe this person or people wanted to draw her out of her hiding spot.
Catching a cab back towards Grimmauld place, she again paid the fare. She waited til the cab disappeared and then she ran up the steps to number 12 and went inside. She wasn't hungry tonight. She went straight to Sirius's room and laid down in his bed. Even though he'd been gone for a few weeks already at this point, it still smelled like him. Sometimes she thought she could feel him wrap his arms around her in the middle of the night. She knew she was going crazy, but at this point she's rather be crazy instead of having to deal with all this order nonsense. Boy would she be glad when the order wasn't coming around anymore. She just wanted to be left alone.
She fell into a deep yet troubled sleep and didn't wake up until tomorrow night. She was supposed to wake up that morning but honestly she was sleeping so badly that she didn't hear the elves try to wake her up. She never even heard the floo being unlocked for the meeting. She would get up on her own time she supposed, but she did eventually feel Dobby or Winky trying to shake her awake.
"Missy Granger, Missy Granger." Dobby was shaking Hermione. "You has to get up, the crazy lady is trying to tear the wards down on the fireplace to get through. We need your permission to open the floo network."
"Yes, go ahead and open the Floo. I will have to have a talk with her in front of the entire order if I have too." Hermione was resigned to dealing with the crack potted bitch she originally thought of as her second mother.
Not anymore you won't Molly. You won't be like this anymore after I let you have it.
Hermione got up and dressed and then she went to have a chat with Walburga. She pulled the curtains back and woke Mrs. Black up. "Now Walburga, you listen to me, and I'll leave you be for the rest of however long. Molly Weasley is trying to break into this house. I had the fireplace blocked because Sirius left me this house and I don't want to put up with her. I'll let you have a go at her as long as you leave me out of. Do you think you can do that?"
"That blood traitor won't know what hit her when I'm through. Yes I accept your terms." Mrs. Black was foaming at her mouth to screech at Molly Weasley.
Hermione walked off and left the curtains open. She went down into the kitchen to await the order meeting she didn't want to happen in her house. As she sat down the floo activated and Mrs. Black started screeching insults at the top of her lungs.
"HOW DARE YOU ENTER MY HOUSE BLOOD TRAITOR! YOU'RE NOT WELCOME HERE. YOU WERE TRYING TO BREAK THROUGH MY FIREPLACE. YOUR WORTHLESS SCUM! GO HOME TO THAT HOVEL YOU LIKE TO CALL A HOUSE. FLITHY BLOOD TRAITORS! SCUM, BY PRODCUTS OF DIRT AND VILENESS! YOURE NOT WORTH THE SHIT ON A MUGGLEBORNS SHOES. GET OUT OF MY HOUSE." Walburga was full on screeching at this point.
Hermione had dobby conjure her some ear plugs. Good the Weasley bitch is getting an ear full.
"HOW DARE YOU! YOU'RE JUST A PORTRAIT, I WOULD BURN YOU TO ASH IF I CHOSE TOO!" Molly Weasley was getting started.
"YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TOO SCUM. YOU DON'T OWN THIS HOUSE. YOU'RE JUST A GUEST AND ILL BE GLAD WHEN THE OWNER THROWS YOU'RE ANNOYING SCUM BAGGED ASS OUT OF HERE." Walburga was having way too much fun with this and that shut Molly Weasley up.
"I forgot I was just a guest here. I guess she doesn't see me like family anymore." Molly was still running her mouth, but she still wouldn't shut up.
Hermione had to intervene. "MOLLY THAT IS ENOUGH. YOU COME INTO MY HOUSE UNINVITED AS THE ORDER MEETING ISN'T FOR A COUPLE OF HOUR YET, HARRASS THE PAINTING HANGING ON MY WALLS AFTER YOU'VE TRIED TO BREAK DOWN THE WARDS I HAD DOBBY SET FOR ME. JUST WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM? You are my best friend's mother but that doesn't mean I see you like family. I had my own family. I really don't need to be mothered by you. Now I'm going to see if I can close Walburgas curtains or maybe I should leave her open so she can inject her thoughts and opinions on the order meeting."
Molly was suitably chastised and sat down at the table. "I thought you might need some help dear."
"Molly, if I needed help I have two perfectly capable elves that can get things ready for the meeting. Now please no more inviting yourself over as you see fit. I don't do it to you so I'm asking for the same respect here please." Hermione left the kitchen and went up the steps to see about Mrs. Black.
"Walburga, would you like me to leave your curtains open for a bit or would you prefer for me to close them." Hermione had struck some type of deal with Walburga, so she was being cordial to her.
"Oh, can you leave them open please. I would very much like to sit in on the meeting if you would let me." Walburga had some things she wanted to address to the order members.
"I can do that. The meeting should be starting shortly." Hermione turned and walked by down the steps to the kitchen,
The rest of the order had sat down at the table, and they were just waiting for Dumbledore to come in before the meeting started.
"Dumbledore, before we start this meeting, I would just like to say that yesterday I went to my parents' house for a visit, and it seems that they have been murdered. I would like someone at the ministry to look into this for me, as the muggle authorities said everything was fine and there was no proof of a murder or anything. I also need you to rein in the members of the order. Molly Weasley invited herself over earlier then normal for a meeting and again woke me up from my sleep. My elves told me she was trying to break through the wards on my fireplace. I won't be having it. If she keeps this up, I'll be asking the order to move houses." Hermione stood at the head of the table.
"Are we really going to let a teenage girl make demands and decisions about the order Albus." Molly was fuming.
"She owns the house Molly; she can stay for order meetings occasionally. We can't kick her out of her own house. However, she can kick us out if she chooses too. Keep that in mind before you continue to piss her off." Dumbledore sat down and got the meeting started.
"TOO TRUE! HERMIONE KICK THEM OUT OF THE HOUSE IF THEY CROSS YOU AGAIN. GRIMMAULD PLACE NOW BELONGS TO YOU!" Mrs. Black was going again.
"Hermione dear why is Mrs. Black's portrait open? As for your parents we'll have someone look into them for you to see what happened." Dumbledore tried to placate Hermione.
"Thank you. And she said she had somethings she had to tell us, so we could possibly close the portrait after we let her speak." Hermione was all for getting the horrid meeting over with. She didn't like these people in her house.
"I SECOND HER IDEA! KREACHER USED TO HAVE SOMETHING IN HIS TREASURE HOARD THAT CAN HELP YOU DEFEAT VOLDEMORT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS, BUT MAYBE HE CAN TELL YOU." Mrs. Black hollered across the kitchen from the stairway. "NOW I'VE SAID MY PIECE SO YOU CAN SEND THE GIRL TO COME SHUIT MY CURTAINS."
"Hermione my dear, you heard Mrs. Black please go shut her curtains and come back here." Dumbledore looked over at Hermione who rose up to go upstairs and shut the curtains.
"That girl is mental she is." Ron whispered to Harry.
Bill and Charlie heard their little brother whispering to Hermione. "Instead of trashing the smartest person in the room, why don't you two idiots sit down and shut up. Harry needs to call Kreacher in here anyways, to see if Kreacher has anything like Mrs. Black said."
"KREACHER!" Harry hollered for that useless house elf.
"Yes master." Kreacher popped into the room.
"Mrs. Black says you have something in your treasures that can help us defeat Voldemort. Do you still have what she's talking about." Harry looked at Kreacher when he asked.
"Kreacher will not be giving up Master Regulus's secrets. No, I don't have what you're looking for." Kreacher popped back out of the room.
"Well, that was a waste. Harry you need to get rid of that elf. He won't be any help to us at all." Ron was fired up again.
"I can't he's the last link to Sirius I have. I can't get rid of him. He knows things that could get us all killed." Harry was bent on not getting rid of Kreacher.
"Well then I suppose you need to cut his head off and stick it on the wall with the rest of the elves at the manor." Ron was nonchalant about killing Kreacher.
"RONALD WEASLEY! YOU CAN'T JUST KILL A HOUSE ELF BECAUSE YOU DON'T LIKE HIM OR BECAUSE HE WON'T TELL YOU ANYTHING. HE DOESN'T SEE HARRY AS HIS MASTER YET. HE'S STILL BEING TRUE TO REGULUS. YOU CAN'T FAULT HIM FOR THAT. AS LONG AS HE'S TRUE TO REGULUS HE WON'T GIVE UP WHAT HE HAS, WHICH MEANS WHATEVER IT IS, IT'S SAFE WITH HIM." Hermione had really had enough of Ron. He was just so annoying. "NOW IF THIS MEETING IS OVER, I'D LIKE YOU ALL TO LEAVE. I need to get some sleep and I cant do that until the last person is out of this house."
One by one the order members filed out of the kitchen to the floo or out of the house and left. Thank fuck alone at last. Now I can go to bed and have dobby lock the floo back down. There's not another meeting until next month, right before we go back to school, I need to get on with it and find my wand too.
Hermione made sure that the floo and the doors were locked and warded. She then went up for a long soak in the tub. No one could get back into her house and they'd be signing their death certificate if they even tried. Dobby and winky were watching to see if anyone would try and come back.
No one came back that night and Hermione was finally able to get an ok sleep in Sirius's bed. She still thought that she could feel his arms wrapping around her in the middle of the night but then she'd wake up crying because she remembered he was dead.
The next morning Hermione made out a list of things she needed for her sixth year of school and had winky go shopping with her. "Ok winky first thing's first I need new robes for the year, After that we need to go to Gringotts and take care of some paperwork and then we can get the rest of my school supplies. Dobby I need you to ward the house while I'm gone. Winky will be able to get me back through the wards. Is there anything you two need while I'm in Diagon Alley."
"No Missy Granger, we has everything we needs here. Have a good trip to town." Dobby put Hermione's breakfast in front of her.
She was in a hurry, so she ate the eggs, bacon and toast that Dobby had sat in front of her and quickly downed a pumpkin juice. She was ready to go as soon as she grabbed her coin purse from the bedroom.