Disclaimer: The Harry Potter series belongs to J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros. Inc., Scholastic, Bloomsbury, Raincoast, and any other affiliated party.
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Chapter 3: The Abduction
"Hermione, why didn't you ever become a Mage Knight?" asked Ginny. It was near midnight and the two ladies were talking in the courtyard of Godric's Hollow Palace.
Hermione laughed. "Ginny, haven't you ever seen me on a horse or with a sword? I wouldn't last a fort night if I were a Mage Knight."
"That's nonsense! Your magical powers far exceed the level of an average Mage Knight and there's nothing like a little training to fix your problem with…" It was around then that the warning bell rang!
Hermione and Ginny exchanged an alarmed look and ran to the grand hall. A guard ran up to the two of them.
"You majesty. The palace is under attack by orcs! They're coming in through the dungeons!"
Hermione immediately took charge. "Start evacuating all who can not fight out of the castle. Ginny you go down to the dungeons and help hold off the attack. I need to go to my children."
"Hermione, I can't leave you!"
"Go! That's an order!"
Ginny hesitated for a moment before she tore down to the dungeons with the guard. Hermione started running to the west wing. 'My children, I must get to my children,' she thought.
Hermione had just made it to the entrance of the West Wing when she halted, terrified by the sight in front of her. A whole battalion of Orcs was in front of the entrance led by a tall blonde man in black and red robes. "Greetings your majesty," he said. "I am Edward Lingilam. I request that your presence…" the man would've continued if a blue caped Mage Knight hadn't suddenly swooped down in between Hermione and the Orcs.
"Your Majesty," said Sir Cho Chang. "Go and get your children. I will hold this lot back."
Hermione hesitated for a moment before she whispered, "Thank you, Cho," and made her way into the west wing.
* * * * * * * * * *
Orcs were streaming out of the dungeons in hordes but the Gryffindor soldiers were putting up more than a match. After all, they weren't the greatest soldiers in Magiterran for nothing. However, the orcs were slowly overwhelming them when Ginny arrived on the scene.
"Reducto!" Ginny blasted away at least half of the orcs with a good reductor curse. She then drew her sword and started hacking and hewing at the remaining orcs. Metal sounds issued through the dungeons as the orcs put up a fierce fight, but they were no match for a Mage Knight, even a single one.
* * * * * * * * * *
Hermione ran into the nursery and stopped dead. In the nursery was a sinister looking woman with short dark brown hair and cold hazel eyes. She was carrying a green iron staff and was wearing tight revealing black and red robes. Although her appearance was different, the woman reminded Hermione of a certain blonde woman she had once known.
"Icicle?"
The woman smirked. "Oh do I remind you that much of my sister?" she said. "No your majesty, I am not my younger twin sister. I am Flame, and I am here to take the babies if you don't mind."
"What?! How could you?!"
"Oh come now, surely they would be more happier being raised by us rather than a mudblood like yourself."
"How dare you say that!" said Hermione seething with anger. "I'm their mother, I should be the one raising them. Not some vile creature like you!"
"Well then," said Flame. "Perhaps I need to persuade you with other means. Crucio!" The curse went flying towards Hermione. Right when it was about to hit her, however, Hermione disappeared, leaving behind her violet, royal robes and tiara. Flame was confused when a magical force suddenly lifted her up and pinned her to the wall!
Hermione was standing in the other side of the room, wearing the familiar blue and white travel robes she had worn during the War against the Death Eaters. She was emitting the magical force from the familiar oak staff that she was carrying in front of her.
Flame worked a burst of magic and broke the force. She waved her staff and blasted Hermione across the room. Hermione immediately sprang back onto her feet and sent another magical force at Flame, flinging her to the back of the room. Flame got back to her feet and once again blasted Hermione away. This continued for a bit longer with the two women flinging each other around the room.
* * * * * * * * * *
Harry silently cursed Draco for not removing the continental wards that prevented apparating by Mage Knights. These were wards had been set up by the Death Eaters specifically for that purpose and Draco had been somewhat reluctant to remove them for "security reasons".
The horses carrying Harry, Ron, and Neville sped towards the main gates of Godric's Hollow. The guard caught sight of them as Neville called out, "Open the gates! The king has returned!"
* * * * * * * * * *
Hermione had managed to catch Flame in a type of vortex and was spinning her around in the air. She then proceeded to slam her into the wall. Flame groaned in pain. It was then that the babies woke up and started crying at the top of their lungs. Motherly instinct taking over her, Hermione rushed to the crib when a single voice called out, "Crucio!"
Hermione screamed in pain as the Cruciatus curse rippled through her body. Flame stood up and made her way over to her, never taking the curse off.
"I am going to kill you, mudblood," she hissed. It was then that Edward Lingilam burst into the room.
"Flame, just do your job," he said.
"Let me kill her first."
"Just do your job, Flame. You were not supposed to harm her."
Reluctantly, Flame removed the curse from Herrmione. Flame and Lingilam made their way to the crib and they each picked up one of the twins.
"Please, not my babies," begged a weakened Hermione, tears falling down her cheeks. Flame and Lingilam, however, disappeared out the window, carrying the crying babies with them.
* * * * * * * * * *
Having taken care of the orcs in the dungeon, Ginny ran up to the west wing as fast as she could go. She stopped short in front of the entrance when she saw Sir Cho Chang lying on the ground amidst the corpses of more orcs. Ginny cradled Cho in her arms.
"Cho! What happened?"
Cho could barely speak. "L...Lingilam….he…..he was too….powerful…..Orcs were no problem…..but he….didn't stand a chance…..but perhaps now…..I can be….be with Cedric."
"No! Cho don't say that!" yelled Ginny, tears falling down her cheeks. "You're going to be all right. Everything is going to be all right."
Cho managed a very weak smile. "Goo….good bye Ginny. You'll make….a…..g-great….Mage Knight." With that, Cho closed her eyes and her body grew cold.
"Cho? Cho?! CHO?! NOOOOOOOOOO!" Ginny started shaking Cho's body but got no response. It was then that Harry and Ron came dashing down the corridor.
"Oh my God, Cho Chang," said Ron. Both he and Harry were stricken with tremendous grief as they beheld a crying Ginny holding Cho's lifeless body.
"Hermione," muttered Harry. He dashed into the west wing. After searching a little he found Hermione curled up in the nursery. "Hermione! Thank God you're…" it was then that Harry noticed the state of the nursery and of Hermione.
Hermione was silently sobbing as she looked up at Harry. "Harry, they're gone. Th-they're gone."
Harry immediately understood what had happened. "No," he whispered. "No. Tell me it's not true."
"Th-th-they're gone, Harry. They're g-gone."
"No," tears were now falling from Harry's eyes. "No. Please, God. Don't let it be true. No!"
"Our ch-children, Harry. Th-they're gone."
"NO!!!" Harry collapsed next to Hermione and started sobbing. They embraced each other and started crying onto each other's shoulder. As the night grew darker, Harry and Hermione simply clung onto each other as if they're lives depended on it. Outside, time mercilessly ran by.
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A/N (sniff) that was so sad, and I wrote it. Review and tell me what you think. I warned you that this was a much more serious fic and things are going to get worse before they get better. Next: the search continues, and the true intention of the villains is revealed.