Disclaimer: I don't own HP. JKR does. Some details are taken from the fanfiction HP and the Psychic Serpent by Barb that can be found on fanfiction.net.
A/N: Hey, I'm here at last. Sorry for the long time it took to me, but I'm here to update now. Hope you will like this, and please review, it makes me happy! Thanks to my wonderful beta Cheryl, who always contributes to make my story better!
Chapter Four
"A Very Unwelcome Gift"
Harry spent the afternoon exploring the secret passages he had yet to venture into. Just before going to bed, he took one final glance at the Marauder's Map with the intention of putting it away. It was in that moment he did a double take, unsure of what he was seeing he took his glasses off and cleaned them on his pyjama top and put them back on. He starred at the little person moving around the map labelled "Viktor Krum."
`Krum?' Harry asked himself. `What is he doing here?'
`What IS he doing here?' Harry repeated, `Maybe he is looking for work? No…he's playing Professional Quidditch, isn't he? He finished school three years ago, he was already playing for Bulgaria…he was drafted by…' Harry shrugged and muttered "Mischief Managed" and carefully hid the Map in his trunk; Viktor Krum was not his concern. Harry fell into a deep sleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.
Harry awoke with a start; the cause of his disrupted sleep was a large black owl tapping loudly at the window obviously intent on completing its late night delivery.
`Who would be owling him at this hour?' Harry thought as he stumbled over to the dorm window and opened it. The determined bird flew over to the bureau and held its leg out for Harry to retrieve the attached letter. It was addressed to "Harry Potter."
The owl flew out the window as soon as Harry removed the letter, he briefly considered throwing it away; taking out his wand he cast the few revealing charms he knew. Nothing. Curious, he opened the letter glancing at the bottom his mood soured; it was from Hermione's parents. `Hermione's parents? What?' he thought; he read through the short note.
Dear Harry,
We are frantic; Hermione was not at the station when we arrived to pick her up.
We have contacted her boyfriend Ron, and he says that she was definitely on the train and that when he left with his parents she was still in the compartment gathering her belongings.
We have also alerted Professor Dumbledore and the authorities that she is missing.
If you know anything, if you have any idea where she may have gone, please let your Headmaster know.
Please help us.
Sincerely,
Robert and Anne Granger
Harry felt sick, at first he was in denial, he had watched Hermione board the Express with his own eyes. Then he was angry, angry with Ron for not staying with her until her parents arrived. HE would have waited. Hermione was missing? How could this have happened?
Suddenly this was working out to be one of his worst Christmases yet, he felt a deep sense of remorse at his childish behaviour earlier and now regretted throwing her letter and picture in the fire. He thought back to Snape's warning from the summer, Voldemort WAS targeting his friends.
Harry got dressed and immediately headed for Dumbledore's office, giving the password "Chocolate Frog" to the gargoyle. Harry marched up the stairs and into the office; he tossed the letter on the Headmaster's desk. While Dumbledore picked up the parchment to read, Harry threw himself on the sofa, his eyes wild and desperate. `Hermione, missing! How was it possible? This is Ron's fault' he repeated in his mind.
His heart was pounding in his chest while he waited for a response for Dumbledore. Then he thought of something, "Professor, maybe…is it possible that Hermione has disappeared on her own? I did receive a letter with a gift, she definitely wrote the letter sir I know her hand-writing." He was grasping at false hope, he knew it and so did Dumbledore.
Dumbledore pulled off his glasses and rubbed at his eyes, then putting his glasses back on he looked up at Harry to voice his response, "Harry, Hermione was going on a ski trip to Switzerland with her parents, she most likely gave the package to Ron to owl, or made prior arrangements to have it delivered for Christmas. I believe she has been taken, Hermione would not just willingly disappear."
Harry and Dumbledore sat in contemplation for a few minutes when Dumbledore continued, "May I assume that your earlier declarations of not caring were false? Did you not state that you didn't wish to see Miss Granger nor Mr. Weasley for that matter ever again?"
`Why did he have that damned twinkle in his eye.' thought Harry, `the man is a nutter.'
Harry with a very serious tone and demeanour looked Dumbledore directly in the eye, "Sir, I never wanted anything bad to happen to them, I love Her-uh care for them still. We both know who is behind this, and I for one am not going to sit around letting Him take away anymore people that I lov…er care about. I will find Hermione and I will fulfil the prophecy. I will not rest until Hermione is safe and Voldemort is dead."
The Headmaster tried to calm him, "Now, now, Harry do not let rage be your motivator. You will accomplish nothing and your anger will only lead to costly mistakes. Let `the power he knows not' be your guide from this moment, until you return with Hermione, I will ensure that you'll be able to research, investigate and plan without restrictions. I have confidence in you Harry; you have achieved much since your arrival at Hogwarts. Go on my boy, find our Hermione and bring her back." Dumbledore then signed a piece of parchment and handed it over to Harry.
Dumbledore had many reasons for sending Harry on this task alone, the boy needed to find himself, allow himself to love and be loved. Harry couldn't fool Dumbledore, he knew Harry was in love with Hermione but had lost his chance of romantic relationship out of fear. Dumbledore was hopeful that Harry would learn to take risks in the name of love; as love was after all the greatest powers a wizard could hold. Harry would find Hermione; Dumbledore was very confident of this and Harry would face down Voldemort in the process, it was his fate.
The first thing that Harry did was to send an owl to Hermione's parents, telling them that he intended to do everything in his power to bring Hermione safely back to them. He then went to the Common Room, seated himself on the sofa in front of the fire and began to work out the different ways she may have been taken. He knew that she had boarded the train; and that she'd made it to Kings Cross but what had happened to her from there? Someone on the train must have attacked her, right after Ron left. She must have been taken by surprise (or disguise) because there would have been a struggle; there was no way Hermione would have just gone without a fight had she been aware…How to find her?
He hadn't quite worked out how, but he was determined he would, one way or another.
After staying up until the early morning and falling asleep where he sat, Harry awoke with a soar neck and still no plan. He ventured out to Hagrid's hut in hopes that a sympathetic face would give him inspiration. Harry needed to confide in someone; Hermione missing was making him ill with worry more ill than when he stumbled on her and Ron kissing that first time. He was succumbing to despair, he felt useless, powerless and thankfully Hagrid provided a much-needed distraction to lighten Harry's sombre mood. He decided against telling Hagrid at the minute that Hermione was missing, he didn't want to upset the gentle giant. After a nice visit, Harry returned to the castle with a clear mind and ready to re-start his research.
Harry's intuition told him that Hermione never made it off the train; she had to have been taken from the compartment. He went to the library to research all the possible ways to transport a person undetected. After ruling out several possibilities, like Apparation and Portkeys as they all leave traces of magic behind, he mused over the idea that maybe the kidnappers flew away using the Disillusionment spell, or an Invisibility Cloak…or maybe a flying Animagus? He himself was a Golden Griffin, but how many flying Animagi could there be? He wasn't sure but it wouldn't hurt to check the registry, though it was more likely that the individual would be unregistered…
Exhausted from lack of sleep, Harry decided to turn in early in hopes that a night's rest would inspire him on how to find Hermione. However, sleep did not come, he was restless with the constant images of Hermione in danger, tied up, gagged or even being tortured, try as he might he could not expunge the disturbing visions from his mind. Giving up on any prospect of sleep, he put on his dressing gown and slippers and headed to the dungeons, he needed to talk with Snape.
As Harry expected Snape was in his office without waiting for the offer he seated himself in the uncomfortable chair opposite his newfound confidant. Strangely, Snape was unaware of Hermione's disappearance, so Harry spent the next few minutes bringing Snape up-to-date.
"So Potter you were unable to follow my advice…now Miss Granger is missing and you wish to venture out on some hair-brained scheme to rescue her?" droned Snape, but then his demeanour changed as if struck with an idea, "You will need to keep your mind clear at all times Potter, you must keep your involvement with Miss Granger from the Dark Lord. He will use your fondness for the girl against you. You will resume practising Occlumency; it is imperative that the Dark Lord not access to your mind while you sleep. He may try and insert visions of Miss Granger in distress in effort to lure you away from Hogwarts as he did when he tricked you in to running off to the Ministry unprotected last year."
"You are right Professor, I'll do it. I'll do whatever it takes to get Hermione back safely," responded Harry. He was not going to make the same mistake twice; his foolish stubbornness had cost Sirius his life. The irony of the situation of not lost on him either as it was Hermione who had tried to talk him out of going to the Ministry last June in the first place.
Harry spent about two hours practicing Occlumency with Snape. Their new found friendship made the task of clearing his mind and staying focused much more productive than their previous endeavours the year before. When he left the dungeons to turn in for the night Harry felt a new sense of purpose.
Unfortunately, the next day proved to be as unsuccessful as the previous; Harry spent several hours pouring through the various reference books in the now very familiar Library, but nothing he came across proved was helpful. His mind drifted as he closed yet another book, `Every time I had a problem she would be right here with me working to find a solution. The Triwizard Tournament, he would have surely died if she hadn't helped…' Thinking about the Tournament always led to more painful memories so Harry quickly refocused on the task at hand picking up another large dusty book `Magical Abilities while in Animagus Form' by Selene Azazello.
Later that night, as Harry lay in bed finally able to sleep, however, he hadn't quite mastered clearing his mind. A vision invaded his dreams; it was from the same perspective as the attack on Arthur Weasley. Harry saw Hermione tied up, the room was dark when he heard what he assumed was Voldemort's voice, "I'm curious Mudblood, where is your rescue party? Where is Potter, why hasn't he come to save his one true love? Is it possible that he no longer desires you now that you have taken up with the Weasel?" Voldemort leaned over stroking her cheek with a long bony finger and whispered in her ear, "I can see into his mind, you know Mudblood. I know what he is feeling; how unlike Potter
to just leave you in my power…"
Harry woke up his scar burning on his forehead. He was right, Voldemort had Hermione, but not for long Harry swore to
himself, `hang in there Hermione, don't listen to Him, I am coming for you.'
Voldemort was unaware of the very angry and powerful green-eyed wizard preparing for their final meeting.
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