Chapter 8
After trying to convince Ron to remain at Hogwarts and then return home to take care of Lavender and their children, Hermione and Harry gave in to his plea and accept his help.
"I can apparate now you know. I don't need to be with the two of you while you're leaping in and out of whatever hellhole it is that you think the boys are in. I can cover your back." Ron argued. "The three of us working together will be much better than two."
"We don't have time to argue," Hermione reminded them as the fear that gripped her heart grew tighter and tighter. "Just let him come if he wants."
"Fine!" He looked at his grandfather and knew that he would remain at Hogwarts and pull whatever resource available to him to find his grandkids. "Let's go."
With that Harry leapt them to a close proximity to where he was receiving the greatest signal from his boys. They arrived at what looked like an abandoned cottage in the middle of nowhere. The dilapidated structure looked as if it would fall over with the slightest whisper of the wind. The shutters were broken and most were barely hanging on by one hinge. It looked like almost like the shrieking shack, but they knew it wasn't.
Using hand signals, they formed a triangle to surround the house. Harry took the front, Hermione the back and Ron levitated to check the top.
Near the door Harry can hear the crying sounds from three toddlers, but when he turned on his empathy powers they were being blocked somehow. He couldn't tell whether the three children were his or not. He made himself invisible and slipped inside one of the open windows.
He slowly crept towards the crying babies using levitation so as to avoid the creaky floorboards. He sensed Hermione's presence near the back door and Ron slowly making his way down from the attic. For the life of him, he could not sense if the noise came from his children. He did sense that his resolve weakened with each second he spent using his powers. With that he decided to turn off his invisibility.
The three converged in a room on the second floor. Hermione removed the invisibility cloak when she saw them. She conversed with Harry mentally. "Why does it seem no one is actually here?"
He looked at her and shrugged. Then he added mentally to both Ron and Hermione, "I can't sense whether the boys are here or not. Some force is blocking them from me. I can sense you and Ron and no one else. Something is off here."
She nodded as did Ron. She signaled that they should go inside on the count of three. She counted with her finger and on the third count she blasted the door open with her wand as Ron and Harry rushed inside wands drawn.
Once inside all they saw in the middle of the room stood a crib that looked as bad as the house. They approached the crib with caution and found three enchanted baby dolls that kept wailing nonstop.
"Dammit!" Harry exploded. Why couldn't he sense his sons? What was wrong with his powers? He couldn't stand feeling helpless. He'd been there many times before, and still he hates it. He hated seeing Hermione looking depleted and torn. He didn't know who took his children, but when he finds them, they'd wish they'd never been born.
He walked towards Hermione and put his hand on her shoulder. Her shoulder sagged. She turned around to find comfort in Harry's arms. He held on to her for a while. He needed to calm down and help her calm down too. Ron continued to look around the room for clues.
"Is there anything to turn those bloody things off? They're bloody annoying." They ignored him. They continued to hold each other and draw strength from the other. "I'll go take a look around downstairs."
Harry could feel his robes getting soaked from Hermione's tears. He could feel her wanting to scream, but he knew that her practical and logical mind would not allow her to do so. In lieu of the screaming, however, he felt the earth shake. He knew she was having a hard time containing her anger. He had to heal her.
"Shhh.." he whispered.
"Just let me be Harry. Don't try to heal me. You need all your strength."
"I'm sorry love. I thought I felt them nearby?"
"I'm not blaming you Harry. I just hope my babies are all right."
"They're mine too, remember?"
"Yes." She looked up at him. "I'm scared Harry? What if we never see them again?"
"That's not going to happen. If I can find Sirius in the midst of purgatory, I can find our children. I will not rest until I do."
Hermione merely nodded. What could she say to his pledge? She knew how much he adored their kids. She just hoped they were okay and that they would find them and the person who took them. Her brain was already in motion trying to find the best hex for the person behind the kidnapping.
She felt him weaken. She knew he still needed to recover. The trip itself took a lot out of him. It didn't help that he was frustrated. It didn't help that trying to contain his emotions so as not to create natural disasters also drained him. He was like a walking time bomb and Merlin help those who would be around when he blew up.
Harry knew he was spreading himself thin already. He needed to find his equilibrium and get all his strength back as soon as possible. He knew that his powers need to be restored to one hundred percent if he wanted to find his sons. The failed mission was an example of what would happen when he wasn't up to his full capacity as a wizard. His anxiousness won over his mind just as it did in fifth year when he went to the Department of Mysteries half cocked. It didn't work then, and it sure as hell didn't work this time around.
He also knew that he needed to be strong for Hermione. He tuned her out, but her facial expression alone showed anguished she felt. He didn't need his empath powers to know what she was feeling. He only had to look at her and inside himself to know.
He wanted to gather her in his arms and tell her everything would be all right, He wanted to promise that their kids would be safe and sound. He wanted to do many things for her, for his family, but as before he felt helpless. He could barely sustain his being from just passing out. He also knew that if he touched her or anyone else, it may be the last straw that his volatile body needed before erupting. So he let her sit to gather herself together. He had to get his strength back.
She sat on a stool near the crib and stared down at the dolls. She knew it was foolish to try undo the spell that made the dolls cry. The earth stopped shaking as she reined her emotions in. She needed to be logical and practical. She'd always had that ability to look outside the situation and give an objective assessment. It had worked many times when she tried to help Harry when he tried to work out a solution to a problem or a situation that concerned Voldemort. She knew she needed to do that now, but motherhood just makes it so much harder.
Not only had she failed them as a witch, but she'd failed her sons as a mother. She had to stop herself from starting on the self pity mode. Her sons needed her to be Hermione now, not their doting emotional mother she couldn't help herself to be.
"Everything else looks normal," Ron spoke from the doorway. He found Hermione sitting on the stool and Harry seemed to be in a meditative state.
"Thanks, Ron," Hermione acknowledge him.
"What's Harry doing?"
Hermione turned around to have a look. She'd been so wrapped up in her own thoughts she'd forgotten Harry was in the room with her. "I guess he must be meditating."
"Are you sure? It doesn't look as if he's breathing." Harry lied on the floor. Eyes closed. Body unmoving. He did look as if he were dead except for the slight rise and fall of his chest
"He's okay. He's trying to center himself. He needs to rejuvenate his body, mind, and soul in order to have full access of his powers. I still can't understand how he holds in his emotions so well. Sorry if I startled you with the earth movement."
"No worries. I knew it was you," he lied. He was ready to bolt up the steps when the house started shaking. If he hadn't remembered what Hermione's powers were, he'd have been up the steps like lighting.
Hermione looked at him with a "yeah right" look. "We'd better get back and re-group. Maybe Dumbledore will have some ideas."
"Maybe we'd better get some more help."
"I don't know Ron. I don't want to put anyone else in danger. Everyone had their fill of pain and suffering when Voldermort was still alive. Besides, I don't know if I can trust anyone outside our family. Someone was able to get into Hogwarts without raising any suspicions. That could only mean that the person who is involved was someone that the staff knew and would trust to leave him or her to wander around the halls of Hogwarts."
"Then we'll recruit the family. You know they would do anything for you and Harry."
"That's just it Ron. I don't really want to involve the family too much. I'd feel guilty if anything happened to any one of them."
"Hermione, you're being unreasonable. At least get Bill, Charlie and I never thought I'd say this, but Draco too. That should be enough for backup. I'm sure we'll also have Dumbledore, Sirius, Remus and Tonks for support if we need to."
Hermione frowned. She didn't want to put anyone in danger, but they were her kids. She loved them and wanted them home. "We'll ask Harry."
"Okay, we'll ask. But if he becomes stubborn like you, I'm just going to have to go on my own and get help whether you want it or not. They're my nephews. I love them too Hermione. Even if we're not bound by blood, they're still family."
"You're right. I'm sorry."
"We need to get back to Hogwarts. Harry, you ready mate?"
Harry opened his eyes. He stood up and nodded at the two of them. He knew he didn't need his wand, but he took it out of his pocket. "So, you think the family can help us?"
Ron blushed. He knew that Harry wouldn't have needed as much help if he were 100 percent recovered. "I think we should at least ask for it."
Harry nodded in agreement. He looked at Hermione. They gazes locked for a moment until Hermione looked away. She turned to stare at the dolls once more. An overwhelming urge to comfort the dolls came over her. She bent down to pick up one of the dolls. As soon as she touched the doll she felt the familiar pull in her navel.
"Hermione!" Harry and Ron screamed in unison.
A/N: Sorry this took so long. Been busy. Hope this keeps you interested. Thanks for your review.
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