"Love Almost Lost"
Chapter 1 Death Eater's Revenge
A/N: First of all, I would like to thank all of those who have read my stories and those who have reviewed them so far. I'm very grateful and I hope you have enjoyed them. The one I'm now posting, even though it was written around the same time as the other three, has taken me a bit of time to tweak and fine tune. This one is different from my usual one or two chapter stories. This one turned out to be nineteen chapters. I think I've done all I can do to this one, and I hope you enjoy it. As always I do not own these characters. They are from the wonderful imagination of J K Rowling
For the first time in his life, Harry Potter was completely and utterly happy. He couldn't remember ever feeling like this anytime in his life until now. Over the past year certain events had happened to make this possible.
The most important thing had been his victory over Lord Voldemort and his followers. Obviously he hadn't been happy that he had to kill someone, but he finally understood why it had to be done. The prophecy had seen to that. Because of his courage and determination, he had saved the Wizarding world, and if the truth be known, the entire world from a horrible fate.
The next event was the one that had caused him the greatest happiness he had ever experienced. After all these years at Hogwarts, he and Hermione had finally realized their true feelings for each other, they were deeply in love. Because of this revelation, and it being their final year at school, they needed to make many important decisions about their future very soon.
There were only two weeks left in the school year. They had completed all of their exams and tests. Harry still planned to be an Auror, depending upon his exam results. Hermione wasn't sure what she wanted to do. She had several ideas on a number of careers she liked. She had been leaning towards Healer training at St. Mungos. Harry knew that whatever she decided on she would be the best there was.
Another important event, which had actually happened last year, was Harry's seventeenth birthday. This was important for many reasons. First of all, it meant that Harry was now considered to be of age, he would now be looked upon as an adult in the Wizarding world. This is the equivalent of turning eighteen, if you were a muggle. It finally allowed him to perform magic anywhere he wanted to without repercussions, which didn't sit too well with the Dursleys.
It also meant that Harry had inherited the entire Black family fortune and all associated properties. When Harry turned seventeen the previous year, Professor Dumbledore had told him that Sirius did this for him just a few short days before his death. With the Black family fortune, together with what his parents had already left him, Harry was now one of the richest wizards in his world. This meant he and Hermione would never have to want for anything the rest of their lives. That the family he hoped they would eventually have would always be taken care of.
Included in his inheritance was the property Number 12 Grimmauld Place. Harry now had his own home, and since Voldemort was destroyed, he never had to return to the Dursley's house at Number 4 Privet Drive for the protection of his mother's sacrifice. Even though he now had his own house, it still needed quite a bit of cleaning up and redecorating. Until time that the house would be completely renovated, he had been invited to stay at the Burrow.
Harry was so grateful for everything Sirius had done for him, although he'd give up his entire inheritance to have his godfather back alive. But, he knew that was not possible. For a long time he was not able to think of his godfather, because of the immense guilt he felt about Sirius' death being completely his fault. However, now he could think of and talk about his godfather without any problems, all thanks to Hermione.
She had finally gotten him to realize that it wasn't his fault that Sirius had been killed. She had finally gotten him to open up and let out his feelings he'd been keeping bottled up inside of him for so long.
Hermione was simply amazing. The love he had for her was beyond words. She had helped him greatly over the past seven years, even when he wasn't very nice to her at times. She always remained with him and helped him no matter what. She gave of herself over and over again without asking for anything in return, and on more than one occasion put herself in grave danger to help him. He wished she was there right now. He would snog her until they were both gasping for air. He knew she was the only reason he was still alive today.
Thinking of Hermione reminded him that he should be getting back to the castle. She should be returning soon from the shopping trip to Diagon Alley with her parents. He would take a couple more quick laps around the Quidditch pitch before going back. He would sit down with her and discuss their future plans.
Hermione Granger loved shopping, especially in Diagon Alley. There were so many wonderful shops, she never knew which one to go to first. Of course, the bookstore was her favorite. She and her parents had been shopping for so long it felt as if they had gone to every shop there. She knew it was getting late, and she should be getting back to Hogwarts soon.
They had just left Flourish & Blotts, and headed back to The Leaky Cauldron so her parents could go back through the special doorway to go home.
Suddenly, two black cloaked figures apparated right in front of Hermione and her parents. Before she could react, she was hit with a Stunning spell. To her horror, she saw both of her parents hit with flashes of green light. She couldn't move. She was utterly helpless. People around them had started to scream and run in terror. The larger of the cloaked figures picked her up off the ground, threw her across his shoulder, and ran towards Knockturn Alley with his accomplice.
About the same time Hermione and her parents had left Flourish & Blotts, five shops up the alley, Nymphadora Tonks and Alastor Moody had just come out of the Apothecary Shop. They had stopped by to replenish their potion supplies. They too had started walking towards The Leaky Cauldron so Tonks could get a butter beer.
They were suddenly startled by the sound of a disturbance a few shops down the alley. In the distance they saw the flashes of red and green light.
Moody growled at his fellow Auror, "Wand out Tonks, something's wrong! Let's go!"
They hurried in the direction of the disturbance. People were running and screaming in all directions. In the distance, Moody saw two black clad figures running from the area. One looked like he had some thing or some one over his shoulder.
When they arrived at the scene of the disturbance they were greeted with a horrible sight. On the ground, lying side by side were Hermione Granger's parents, obviously dead.
"Bloody hell!" exclaimed Moody.
He knew they had no time to lose. Looking around, he spotted a teenage girl nearby, crying at what she had just witnessed. Moody quickly walked over to her.
As gently as he could, he asked, "Which way did they go? Did you see them?"
She looked up at Moody and recoiled in terror at the sight of him.
Tonks quickly came around Moody and said, "It's all right. We are here to help. Which way did they go?"
The girl was much more composed talking to Tonks. She pointed down the alley and said,
"They went down Knockturn Alley."
Tonks and Moody took off as fast as they could. They knew time was of the essence. Moody knew if the Death Eaters hadn't killed Hermione outright, like they did to her parents, he knew they had something most horrible planned for the poor child. As they arrived at the entrance to Knockturn Alley they were greeted with a scream the likes of which neither one had ever heard before. It chilled them to the bone.
Cautiously, they entered the alley, but moved as fast as they could. They heard the scream again. They picked up their pace. Up ahead was another alley that branched off to the right. Carefully, they approached the alley entrance. Moody slowly peaked around the corner. What he saw severely unnerved even this veteran Auror.
The two cloaked figures had their hoods down now. He could clearly see they were Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange. Both had their wands out, applying the Cruciatus curse to Hermione Granger, who was being levitated several feet into the air. Another scream savaged their ears, but this one was different. They heard Hermione scream, almost pleading,
"HARRRYYYY! HELP MEEEEEE!"
"Mad Eye" Moody was even more determined to save Hermione no matter what the cost.
He looked at Tonks and said, "Give me your wand."
She looked puzzled but did as he asked. Then Moody gave his orders.
"While their attention is distracted, go to the other side of the entrance. After I put on my invisibility cloak, get their attention. I'll take care of the rest."
Tonks quietly made it to the other side of the entry way. She waited for Moody to don his cloak, which took but a moment. Once he was set, she did what she was told.
She screamed around the wall, "You bloody cowards! Leave her alone!"
Tonks' voice echoed off the alley walls. Lestrange and Malfoy were taken completely by surprise, which caused the curse on Hermione to be broken. She fell, hitting the ground very hard. Moody, under his cloak, quickly approached Hermione to check her condition. She was very badly injured but still alive.
Lestrange and Malfoy were confused as to who had interfered with their plans.
"Show yourself! Come out and play with us!" she screamed tauntingly.
"Bellatrix, you're nothing but a cruel, inhuman bitch!" yelled Tonks.
She was trying to keep their attention on her while Moody got into position. She quickly peaked around the corner and saw that Moody was now out from under the cloak. But she noticed something different about the old Auror. She had never seen such a look of anger on Moody's face as there was now. She could almost feel the rage radiating off of him. However, neither Death Eater knew he was behind them.
"You must be a very powerful witch, to take on two of the Dark Lord's most loyal followers by yourself," said Bellatrix.
Tonks retorted with one last parting shot.
"Dark Lord? Do you mean Voldemort? You mean the bloody coward of a wizard that was destroyed by Harry Potter. Oh, by the way Belaltrix, I'll let you in on a little secret. I'm not alone."
"Well, there's no one else here but us. Unless you want to include Potter's dead mudblood tramp lying over there," spat Bellatrix.
Moody's anger had reached the breaking point when he saw what they had done to Hermione, but with Bellatrixs' last words, he lost all sanity at that point.
"Over here you bloody bastards!" growled Moody.
Malfoy and Lestrange knew they had been tricked. Moody didn't even give them a chance to move. With both wands extended toward the Death Eaters, Moody roared,
"CRUCIATUM INFINITUM!"
Two immense balls of orange light were expelled from the wands and completely engulfed Malfoy and Lestrange. While encased in the orbs of orange light, each Death Eater burst into flames. It was their turn to scream, to endure eternal agony. This lasted but mere moments. As the flames went out, there was no sign of either one of them. The orbs of light slowly dissolved into nothing. The echoes of their screams eventually faded away.
Moody hurried over to the gravely injured young woman. He was quickly joined by Tonks.
"Alastor, she needs to get to St. Mungos immediately. She's in bad shape," said Tonks.
"Listen, you go to Hogwarts and tell the headmaster what has happened. I will take Miss Granger to the hospital. I'll meet you at the castle after I make sure she is being attended to," replied Moody.
Tonks apparated to The Leaky Cauldron and reclaimed her broom. Then she headed to Hogwarts. When she arrived she headed straight to the headmaster's office. Moody joined them fifteen minutes later.
Moody gave Professor Dumbledore a full briefing on what had taken place. He could tell the headmaster was restraining great emotion. He could feel the rage radiating from him as he listened. After Moody finished with the briefing, Dumbledore softly said,
"I think we need to inform Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley of the current situation."
They all headed towards Gryffindor Tower.
Harry was sitting on the couch, staring into the fire. He was becoming very worried now. Where could Hermione be? This wasn't like her to be late. If she was going to be later returning, he felt she would have let him know. He looked at his watch. It was 9:30pm. Something just didn't feel right. There was a horrible feeling, deep in his soul, that something was wrong with Hermione.
Harry jumped when he heard the portrait open. He looked over at the entry way anxiously expecting to finally see Hermione. But, who he saw coming through the entry way sent a chill through his heart. Entering the common room were Professor Dumbledore, Nymphadora Tonks, and Alastor Moody and none of them looked to be in good spirits.
Harry's stomach started to churn. Ron had looked up from the chessboard, also expecting to see Hermione. But, when he saw the headmaster and two Aurors, an immense feeling of dread rose up inside him.
Ron's feelings were still stinging from finding out that his two best friends were deeply in love with each other. He just needed some time to sort things out.
Dumbledore and the two Aurors walked over to Harry. He felt his stomach lurch as they approached. He just couldn't shake off this feeling of despair that reached to his very soul, that something was terribly wrong with Hermione. As they stood in front of him, Harry broke the silence.
"Something has happened to Hermione, hasn't it?"
The headmaster was the first to answer, "Harry, Ron, there has been some trouble in Diagon Alley. We do not have time to explain right now. We need to go to St. Mungos immediately. Suffice to say Miss Granger has been gravely injured, we must go now."
Harry had a million questions running through his head, but knew this was not the time to ask. He could see the urgency in the headmaster's eyes. He had to see Hermione. He glanced over at Ron, who was still staring at the chessboard. But, Harry could see Ron's fists were clenched, his jaw set,and tears were streaming down his face.
"Just a second, Professor," said Harry
He walked over to Ron and sat down opposite him at the table. Harry could see his friend was trying to contain his emotions, but was fighting a losing battle. He would try to help his friend as best as he could.
"Ron, I know you have been hurt by finding out about Hermione and me. It was never our intentions to hurt you. We still consider you, now and always, our best friend, regardless of how you may feel about us. We can sort this out later. Right now, Hermione is seriously hurt and she needs both of us to help her. You know she would want you there. I want you there. I will not throw away seven years of friendship. Please come with us to the hospital."
Ron looked at Harry and thought to himself. Ron Weasley, you are a selfish, stupid, git .Harry and Hermione will always be your friends, now stop being an idiot and help them.
"Sorry, mate. I've been acting like a bloody idiot. Yeah, of course I'll go. Let's go help Hermione," said Ron.
Harry and Ron walked over and joined Professor Dumbledore, Moody, and Tonks.