Chapter 3:Revelations
Special Agent Hermione Granger stood in the shadows of the warehouse wrapped tightly in her invisibility cloak, well she said hers what she meant was it was Harry's but after his death the Ministry wanted to build a memorial and put Harry's belongings in a museum, she couldn't let that happen, this was all she had left of her best friend and she would be damned if she was going to lose this as well. She kept her focus on the entrance to the ware house waiting watching for a sign of what her informant had tipped her off to. After the fall of Voldemort the Death Eaters all pretty much vanished but over the past two years it seems a new group had sprung the Order of the Red Dragon, whilst not as evil and dangerous as the Death Eaters in their own way were worse using assasination and terrorism to get what they wanted. No witch or wizard was safe from the Red Dragons, pureblood or muggle born alike.
Six months ago she was called into Alastor Moody's office and given this assignment for the simple reason she was the best auror in the special branch. She was to gather information on the Red Dragons and to try and identify the leader and arrest him. Simple enough yet it seemed that almost no one knew anything real about the dragons just guesses and theorys. What Hermione dealt with was facts and after several months she finally had a solid lead.
She perked up as she watched several figures arrive at the target site dressed in crimson and black robes apparate outside the ware house and she watched stunned when she saw one of them pulls his hood back to speak to whoever was behind the warehouse door, a face she herself had watched die in the ruins of the Temple of Gaia.
***Flashback***
Her heart in her throat she watched as Harry darted across the main chamber dodging the combined curses of both Malfoy and Lestrange in a desperate bid to halt the Voldemorts plan, her own wand drawn she pointed at Lestrange and sent a stunning hex at her to watch dismayed as Lestrange cast a protection charm causing the spell to deflect harmlessly into the wall.
Lestrange smirked evilly. "Ah i see the mudblood has come out to play, I will enjoy this, first the Longbottoms then that blood traitor Black an now the Mudblood." Her wand raised she began blasting curses at Hermione one killing curse after another in an attempt to end her exsistence. Almost a year of physical training with Harry and Ron had paid off tremendously as she was no longer just the book worm but very lithe and athletic she dived and rolled dodging curse after curse occasionally firing her own at her opponent when suddenly a stray expellaramis spell from Ron and Malfoys duel struck her wand sailing out of her hands to land with a clatter against the wall.
Slightly stunned at the turn of event Hermione didn't react quick enough when Lestrange cast yet another spell this time the Cruciatus curse. Hermione screamed as wave upon wave of unimaginable pain washed across her body. Falling to her hands and knee's she tried to think to react anything to put off what she knew was going to happen.
Lestrange smirked down at the screaming girl and slowly stepped out of her hiding place behind some fallen pillars and calmly strode across the chamber floor to stand over Hermione. "Well Mudblood seems like your going to die just like Black and the Potters, even your boyfriend Harry, though take this as a consulation you'll be seeing him again soon enough."
Deep inside Hermione something snapped and like a wild fire it blazed through her pain wracked body almost detaching her mind from the agony induced by the spell. Raising her head she glared at the woman who had hurt her friends, had hurt her Harry so badly and she wanted nothing more than to slap that smirk of the bitches face. Slowly she started to push herself to her feet trying to ignore the pain as she stood.
A look of pure horror and shock registered on Lestranges face as she screamed Crucio yet again doubling the strength of the spell once again trying to force Hermione back to her knee's and was totally unaware of how to react when Hermiones full forced slap caught her across the face sending he staggering to the side a few steps. "You...You struck me!" The curse forgotten she raised her hand to her face and the red hand print spreading across her pale cheek. "How dare you lay your filthy hands upon me you Mudblood trash!"
"Fuck you!" With the spell forgotten HErmione hauled her fist back and let fly her small fist slamming hard into Lestranges face, her nose exploding in gouts of blood as Lestrange screamed in pain her wand dropped to the ground. All pretense at magic was forgotten as Hermione vented all her frustrations on the pure blood Death Eater as she landed blow after blow her small fist sinking solidly into Lestranges stomach driving the wind from her lings and leaving her on her knee's gasping for breath.
In a snarling Fit she grabbed the older women by her hair Hermione drove her knee into her face knocking her onto her back dazed from the beating she had recieved. Kneeling over Lestrange Hermione grabbed her by her ears and hauled her head upwards before driving it backwards into the marble floor with a sound thud and started to scream in her face. "You Evil Cow you wont ever Hurt him again you hear me!" He slammed Lestranges head back against the stone again and didn't even notice when her eyes rolled up into her head and she lost consiousness, she was to busy screaming at her.
Finally her tirade ended and she collapsed onto her side as the adrenaline started to wear off and the effects of the curse started to make her muscles burn and she began to sob. Suddenly the temple started to shake and all around them the roofand the support pillars began to collapse. She watched the archway hoping that Harry would soon come running out and her heart was in her throat when a figure stumbled into view.
"RON!" She stood on shakey legs grabbing Lestranges wand and using it to bind the older women with magicly created ropes. "Ron where's Harry, we have to wait for Harry!" Panic started to set in as more and more of the temple started to collapse
Ron shook his head. "He's dead Hermione. I saw him die!"
"No!" She wouldn't believe it she couldn't she started to run for the archway when she heard the stunning curse muttered and then it all went dark.
***End Flashback***
That was the beginning of the end of her friendship with Ron...Especially when he claimed he was the one who had finally ended the reign of the dark lord himself. It wasn't long afterwards that Dumbledore had confided in her about the Prophecy and how only Harry had the power to kill Voldemort and if Voldemort had killed Harry and survived himself then there was no way Ron could have killed him. But all that was moot right now as she stood there hidden under her Invisbility cloak looking at a very much alive Draco Malfoy. The door to the ware house was opened and soon all the Red Dragons were making their way inside.
Taking a chance she snuck out from her vantage point and joined the smll group as they made their way inside. Soon enough she was inside and stood amongst the congregation, watching, waiting, her eyes on Draco Malfoy as he climbed upon a raised stage.
"Brothers and Sisters of the Red Dragon Order tonight begins the first stage of our plans, the location of Gaia's source has been uncovered!" He raised his arms in triumph. "Our Glorious Leader will lead us to the source of power and soon the world shall be in our hands."
Shocked to her core Hermione watched as Draco whipped the crowd of followers into a frenzy, she was startled to find that malfoy was following anothers lead, but even more shocked was she to learn that they sought the spiritual essence of Gaia its self. After Harry's sacrifice to stop Voldemort from tapping into the source she would be damned if she'd let another try to find and abuse it's power.
So intent on Malfoy was she that she didn't notice the Red Drgon that bumped into her knocking her off balance causing her hood to fall back revealing her face.
"INTRUDER!"
The crowd was silent and MAlfoy stared at the floating head with loathing and contempt. "Mudblood." Snarling he pointed at her. "Seize her!"
Thats when all hell broke out as the south west wall exploded inwards in a bright flash of light and the booming crack of thunder. As the light died and glare faded from everyones eyes they turned to stare at the intruder a man by his build wrapped up in a cotton weave poncho with the hood drawn up to hide his face.
"Who the hell are you!" Malfoy pointed his wand at the newcomer and screamed Avada Kedavra and the jet of green light soared across the room only for the Man to gesture with his hand causing a sheet of metal from the wall to sail into the killing curses path causing another flash of light. With a clang the metal fell to the ground and the man raised both of his hands and suddenly the temprature in the warehouse dropped dramaticly and small globes of ice about the size of a baseball started to sail across the space between the man and the Red Dragons at speed slamming into the members driving them backwards and sending them running in pain.
"I am Gaia's Chosen, I am her champion, you have betrayed Gaia and she has sent me to restore the balance." Behind the man lightning flashed and thunder rolled in a suitably dramatic fashion.
Finally shaking herself from her suprised stupor Hermione turned her attention back to Malfoy and with reflexes born through 8 years of field work raised her wand and fired the stunning curse attempting to capture him but in the paniced jostling of the crowd her aim was thrown off and Malfoy flinched as the bolt of crimson light whizzed past his ear.
"Damn it!" He raised his wand and aimed it at the still semi concealed Hermione. "Avada Kedavra!" Before he ducked off the stage and start running for the back door. Dodging wildly Hermione sprinted after him, whilst all around her chaos ensued as balls of molten rock and frozen gales mingled with the counter attacking spells of the Red Dragons yet the strange wizard stood uneffected as he continued his assualt.
Hermione ran as fast as she could round corners at speed trying to keep Malfoy in her sights as they pair raced through the warehouse district. Though her haste to capture her enemy proved her undoing as she rounded a corner only to meet a scaffolding pole coming the other slamming into her face sending her sprawling to the ground.
"Well well well, if it isn't Potty's little mudblood girlfriend, oh but wait potters dead, silly me, well guess you'll be seeing him soon enough bitch." Raising his wand he aimed it at Hermiones chest and began the incantation for the killing curse only for it to die on his lips as from down the Alleyway a swirling ball of chain lightning blasted him solidly in chest sending him sailing backwards twenty feet screaming in pain.
Hermione her mouth full of blood couldn't speak when she saw the Figure from the warehouse walk calmly down the ally towards her and Malfoy. "You won't get away that easily Ferret."
She blinked in shock as the man raised his hand and held his palm up as a small globe of fire formed and for a brief moment his face was illuminated. No...it couldn't be. Hermione turned her attention to Malfoy as she saw the globe of fire sail from the man hand and head towards the now standing Malfoy who with a curse apparated away leaving the ball of fire to splash against a ware house wall.
Turning her attention back to the man she stared up at his hooded face. "You should not get involved in this Ms Granger, it's not of your concern." She tried to reply but couldn't and could only watch as the man seemed to step backwards into the shadows and vanish.
Hermione couldn't believe it, it must have been the blow to the head, because she could have sworn that when she caught a glimpse of the mans face she was staring inti the emerald eyes of the boy who lived.
TBC...