Chapter 1
Elizabeth Granger sat on the edge of her daughters' bed a letter clutched in her hand tears rolling down her cheeks as once more she quickly scanned the contents of that single page.
Dear Mum and Dad
I just want to say I am sorry. By the time you read this I will likely have left with Harry for where ever it is he needs to go. He needs me mum, he may not like admitting it but when I demanded he take me with him I could see the gratitude in his eyes. He is so lonely, everyone he has loved in his past has died and I am scared, scared that if something isn't done to help him then there won't be just one dark wizard out there but two.
For five years not including silly arguments that have blown over easily I have always been by his side. Almost every obstacle he has faced, I have helped him face it. I can't let him face this new one alone.
I don't want you to worry though, please know that I can look after myself and that Harry would never willingly let anything happen to me. And once Harry learns what he needs to learn I promise I will come home to you.
Till that day
I love you
Hermione
Elizabeth curled up on her daughter's bed and lay there staring at the wall and that is how her husband Tom found her an hour later. "Where's Hermione?"
Silently Elizabeth raised her hand with the letter still in it and handed it to her husband. Tom quickly read it his face slowly changing colour from pale white to blazing red as the letter crumpled in his hands. "I'll kill him, there is no way I'm letting him take our daughter off on another of his reckless adventures. He almost killed her last time!"
"You will do no such thing Tom Granger!" Elizabeth sat up her expression like a thundercloud promising a major storm. "You know what that boy has been through, it's all she's ever talked about since she started at that school. We can't stop her from doing this Tom, so all we can do is trust that when this is over she'll come home to us." She placed her hands on her hips and stared her husband down and in that moment it was clear where Hermione got her strength. "And anyway where exactly would we start looking for her, but if Harry has left as well then sooner or later someone will come here looking for him." She sighed sadly. "All we can do is wish both of them luck."
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Hogwarts
Dumbledore sat in his office looking tired and forlorn, once more his mistakes had cost him, he should never have sent the boy back there alone and now Harry was out in the world unaided and unprotected. He stared at the parchment and the enchanted quill as it wrote squiggles all over the page, it had been nearly twenty four hours since Harry's disappearance and somehow the scrying spell was failing to locate him, his loss of control some how scrambling his magical signature enough that all he had been able to fathom was that Harry was in London. He looked up as his door burst open and a flustered Mcgonnagal entered. "Hermione Granger is missing!"
Dumbledore shook his head staggered at how badly he had misjudged the situation. "When and why?"
Mcgonnagal sighed. "Seems Potter came to her during the night and she went with him, she left a note for her parents but there were no clues as to their destination."
"No matter while the scrying spells may have trouble locating Harry they should be able to pick up Hermione's magical signature." He drew his wand and tapped the quill. "Locatius." The quill flashed briefly as the magical energy crackled through it.
Hermione Jane Granger
Diagon Alley
London
"Minerva gather as many order members as you can and meet me in Diagon Alley, I must try and reach the two of them before the Death Eaters learn of what has happened." Nodding the deputy headmistress turned and strode from the room with a determined expression on her face. Once the door closed Dumbledore rose from his chair the tired exhaustion falling from his face as he grabbed some floo powder and tossed it into the flames before stepping into the emerald fire. "Leaky Cauldron!"
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Several hours earlier
Quietly the teenagers made their way through the streets trying to put as much distance between them and Hermione's house as they could so that no noise would disturb her family and wake them before the two had a chance to get away. Harry gestured for Hermione to stand as far way from the curb as possible and he stood there in a circle of yellow light from the street lamp above him and drew his wand and held it out in front of him pointing up.
Hermione yelped as with a crack of displaced air and a screech of tyres a purple double-decker bus appeared, skidding to a stop besides Harry, it's doors springing open and a young man whose face wouldn't look out of place in a join the dots puzzle stuck his head out. "Ere Ern it's Arry Potter!"
Hermione giggled from the expression on Harry's face. "Friends of yours Arry?" Harry turned and glared at her.
"Hermione this is Stan, the guy driving is Ernie." He turned back to Stan. "I want two for Diagon Alley Stan, how much."
Stan shook his head. "Normally it'd be six galleons each but see the bus is chocka tonight Arry and we only got one space left, so if ya are willing ta share then call it four apiece and say no more about it eh?"
"Oh damn, you sure there's only one space left Stan." Stan nodded while Harry's face lit up like a stoplight. Stepping forward Hermione looked at the two curiously.
"So what's the problem, we'll just share they seat Harry, it's not like either of us are the size of Crabbe and Goyle."
Stan snickered and Harry shot him a venomous glare. "You see the Knight bus doesn't actually have seats, um, at this time of night it's beds…"
"Oh…" Hermione's face soon matched that of Harry's. "Well…ok…right, well you're not going to do anything cause you know what I can do with my wand if you tried, so we have got nothing to worry about." With that she climbed past the two stunned guys and made her way into the dark interior.
Stan looked at Harry with an almost pitying expression on his face. "Rather you than me mate." Harry just nodded still somewhat stunned and handed over the galleons before climbing inside. "Bed's right at the back, better ang on, lets go Ern!"
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It was a few hours later and Harry shifted his gaze back to his travelling companion and sighed. She slept her head resting on his chest her arm across his stomach holding tightly whilst his own arm was draped across her shoulders keeping her close to prevent any accidents when the Bus made it's somewhat dramatic stops. He should never have let her come, but inside he was glad someone cared for him, not because he was the boy who lived, not because he was the central figure in someone else's prophecy, she cared because he was her friend. And she had placed her safety in his hands, he swore here and now that he would protect her even if it meant his own life. And he knew, knew deep in the centre of who he was, that without this bushy haired bossy little book worm he would be lost and these thoughts made him hold onto her just that little bit tighter. She would not be harmed again, he wouldn't allow it.
Sitting up the front of the bus Stan shivered as he stared into the darkness up the back of the bus at the red glow and knew he was staring at the eyes of the boy who lived and he felt afraid, not for once about You know Who, but of this mere teenage boy who sat wrapped in the arms of his friend.
TBC…