What I Always Wanted
Chapter 20: In The Cellar
Ron arrived at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes to find George ankle deep in Pygmy Puffs. The store reeked of the new and unproved Weasley Neurot-O-Gas and there were what appeared to be several representatives from the French conglomeration that was handling their expansion into France, running around the shop acting extremely oddly. Upon seeing his brother George's voice exploded in a rush of words.
"Thank Merlin you're here Ron…think you could sort out the Frenchies while I get rid of these blasted Pygmy Puffs…and for Circe's sake Fred would you shut off that bloody gas its making me all twitchy."
Ron was about to reply when suddenly an image of Daphne's smiling face appeared in his mind's eye. There had been something odd about her behavior today. She'd smiled every time he'd spoken to her not that she didn't smile normally but she was a bit of a chatter Daphne and she hadn't spoken a word from the time she entered the house and he performed the identity check up until he left. A sense of dread flooded Ron as a litany of curses issued from his mouth. George looked up wondering what Ron was in such a tizzy about but he was not to know the cause of his brother's agitation because before he could say a word Ron was gone.
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Nymphadora Tonks toddled down the corridor towards the loo. As she walked by passersby called out greetings, most were questions about how she was fairing through the pregnancy, when her due date was and the like. There was much for Tonks to accustom herself with pretending to be a very prominent and very pregnant witch. She'd had to get used to carrying around a whole other person without being her usually clumsy self and stumbling into every object that crossed her path. She had also had to accustom herself to some of the other more common facts of pregnancy like the sprog's constant moving and the need to have a pee every ten minutes or so. In order to be as convincing as possible in her role as Hermione Tonks had taken a modified Polyjuice potion that mimicked the signs of Hermione's pregnancy exactly. Thus she found herself off to the loo for the tenth time that day and it was just after lunch.
Suddenly Tonks caught sight of two of the older departmental assistants who seemed to have some sort of obsession with rubbing her rotund protruding belly and cooing nonsensically to the would be sprog inside. Gripping the underside of her belly Tonks broke into a trot and just made the safe confines of the ladies before the two mad old crones turned the corner. As she trudged to the nearest stall and pushed the door open she was met with the sight of Daphne Greenfendle sprawled on the toilet, her head leaning against the wall of the stall, a nasty purple bump blooming just below her hairline. Unconsciously Tonks morphed back into her own form as she surveyed the scene. If Daphne was unconscious in a bathroom stall in the Department of Mysteries, who in bloody hell was at Grimmauld Place with Hermione?
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Agamennous Melbourne left Minister Stanley's office at a full out run. He'd just stepped through the doors of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement when he came face to face with the panic inducing sight of an obviously pregnant Nymphadora Tonks attempting to rouse a semi-conscious Daphne Greenfendle. Agamennous covered the distance separating him from the two women in a single stride.
"What's happened?"
Tonks answered without looking up.
"Near as I can tell it looks like someone knocked her out and swapped places. I'm trying to bring her round and get the particulars. Two of my best aurors, Perkins and Creswell, have been dispatched to Grimmauld Place to look in on Ron and Hermione."
Before Agamennous had a chance to say anything in reply a befuddled and agonized moan drifted up from Daphne. Squatting down beside Tonks Melbourne asked.
"Miss Greenfendle can you hear me?"
Daphne's reply was a low moan that Melbourne took to mean yes.
"What happened? Who did this to you?"
Daphne struggled into a sitting position with the assistance of Tonks. Esmeralda Satterfield, Melbourne's secretary, offered her a vile of reddish brown potion, saying it'd help with the pain and settle her nerves. Daphne gratefully drank the potion down in a single swallow. In a voice that steadily became less shaky, she recounted how she'd stopped off at the ladies before heading to Grimmauld Place to take Hermione the day's assignments. She was just opening the door when she was roughly pushed inside by a tall, pale-blond haired willowy witch with a harsh gravelly voice. The next thing she knew she was coming to in the auror's office. Tonks and Melbourne listened attentively to Daphne's account of her assault and took in the sight of the handful of hair that had been ripped from her scalp. Before either of them said a word Joshua Creswell came rushing down the corridor. Tonks knew instantly that the news wasn't going to be good. Creswell's urgency and panic was clear in the dead quiet whisper of his voice.
"Mrs. Potter was gone when we arrived. Adam stayed behind with Weasley to work the scene…"
Creswell's voice died away as he felt the room go very quiet and still. He whirled around and was suddenly horror struck at the sight of Harry Potter standing just behind him. Harry stepped past the open-mouthed Creswell to ask what was going on. It was then that he caught sight of Daphne's battered face and Tonks and Melbourne kneeling beside her. A thunderous crack sounded through the office as Harry disappeared. Agamennous Melbourne drew himself up to his full height; when he spoke the tone of his voice brooked no argument.
"Creswell! Round up the Horntails, get the rest of your unit and Kingsley Schacklebolt and his team in on this straight away…fill them in on what's happened and…let them know that we're operating under code orange."
As soon as Melbourne completed his sentence Creswell ran full tilt back down the corridor and disappeared from sight in a matter of seconds.
"Nymphadora go and make Minister Artaxerxes of what has transpired."
The small frown that crossed Tonks face as she moved towards the Chief Minister's office went unnoticed by the others assembled. Melbourne then beckoned to a young auror standing nearby before turning and speaking directly to his assistant.
"Esmeralda I'd like you to take Ms. Greenfendle to St. Mungos to make sure her injuries are not severe…"
The older witch nodded and Melbourne turned his attention to the young auror.
"Richards, escort Mrs. Satterfield and Ms. Greenfendle to St. Mungos and then to Ms. Greenfendle's flat. You are to stay there until I tell you otherwise."
Richards nodded and quickly strode over to where Esmeralda Satterfield was helping Daphne to her feet. As she weakly raised herself into a standing position Daphne whispered dejectedly.
"This is all my fault…I should have been more careful…"
Daphne's words were lost as she hung her head and sobbed. Mrs. Satterfield soothingly patted her hand and spoke comfortingly to the younger witch telling her that she'd done nothing wrong and that everything would be fine as she led her out of the office. Once the threesome had round the corner Melbourne himself disapparated with a piercing bang.
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Harry appeared in Hermione's upstairs study in Grimmauld Place to the sight of auror Adam Perkins and his best friend of many years Ronald Weasley picking their way through the thoroughly tossed room. Papers and files were scattered haphazardly around the room, desk drawers hung open; obviously rifled through and Hermione's beloved books lay strewn to every corner of the room pages torn and ripped from their spines. Harry knew from his own training as an auror what Ron and Perkins were looking for and the mere thought of it caused the room to tilt dizzyingly around him. He thought he'd covered everything. Planned it all out to keep her safe. How had this happened? How had she gotten so close, close enough to watch them and suss out their plans, close enough to take Hermione? Harry dropped his head as a violent tremor shook his body and the gravity of the situation slammed into him…Isolde Melbourne had taken Hermione and he had no earthly idea where. Harry took two deep steadying breaths before raising his head. As he did so he locked eyes with a rather harried and tight lipped Ron.
"Harry I'm sorry this is all my fault…I shouldn't have left her alone…I should have known that something wasn't right with Daphne…"
Harry waved off Ron's apology.
"We haven't got time to worry about assigning blame; we've got to find Hermione as quickly as possible."
Ron nodded in answer to Harry's statement. Harry then asked.
"What happened?"
Ron recounted the events of the day starting from the moment Tonks had headed off to the Ministry that morning up until Ron had received the owl from George and the imposter Daphne had arrived. He explained how he'd gotten to the shop and just known that something was off about the whole situation; how Daphne had been too quiet. Ron told Harry that he'd immediately apparated back to find Hermione gone and the study looking completely turned out. As Ron finished his tale he noticed that his audience had grown to include Kingsley Shacklebolt, Tonks, Agamennous Melbourne, and the Chief Minister of Magical Law Enforcement Caiaphas Artaxerxes. Tonks looked towards Perkins and said.
"Adam head back to headquarters, Josh is for you."
With a curt nod of his head Adam strode out the door and hurried down the hall. Harry and the rest of the assemblage listened to his footfalls as they grew steadily more distant. It was only after the pop of his apparation was heard that anyone spoke. Agamennous glanced around the room and said.
"Daphne Greenfendle has been compromised."
Ron spared his former superior a withering glance as he muttered under his breath that sounded vaguely like "Well that's obvious." Agamennous ignored the cheek and went on somewhat difficultly.
"I think she's been replaced by Isolde…"
Caiaphas Artaxerxes interjected.
"What makes you think its Isolde?"
Before Agamennous could respond Tonks Supplied the answer.
"Her rather detailed description of her attacker…when we brought her round and asked what happened Daphne told us how she stopped off at the loo and was assailed by a tall, pale-blond haired willowy witch. Perfect description of Isolde only Daphne claims she was hit from behind…all the mirrors in that loo are lining the wall on the left. There's no way Daphne could have seen the person who attacked her if they pushed her from behind."
Agamennous inquired.
"I trust you caught up to Creswell."
Tonks nodded affirmatively.
"We really need to change our safe word…bloody Nymphadora…I caught up to James and sent him to search the loo for clues, turned up nothing. He and Josh are headed to her flat now to check things over."
"Daphne is presently at St. Mungos being treated for her injuries under the watchful eye of Esmeralda."
Minister Artaxerxes bobbed his head approvingly.
"In her day Esmeralda was one of the finest aurors I've ever had the pleasure of working with I'm certain she'll keep excellent watch over our young Miss Greenfendle."
"Mrs. Satterfield won't find much. I'm sure Isolde and her accomplice have an escape plan all worked out."
Melbourne turned to look at Harry as the words fell from his lips.
"What?"
Harry's replied was unnervingly calm.
"Isolde has an accomplice. Based on everything the lot of you've said it's the only thing that makes any sense. From the time Ron left for the shop until he got back here couldn't have been more than five minutes. It's not possible for any witch or wizard to create this much damage and move a pregnant witch all in five minutes. Isolde's got help which makes it all the more important that we find Hermione…and I mean find her now."
The silence that descended on the heels of Harry's words was positively deafening.
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Awareness came slowly to Hermione. Her brain felt foggy like it did when she'd had too much wine and her arms and legs felt heavy and awkward. As her muddled brain tried to work she became aware of the fact that she was lying noticeably uncomfortably on thin mattress. As she attempted to arrange herself into a more comfortable position a soft moan sounded in the room. Hermione realized that the moan had come from her at the exact moment she felt a cool cloth being pressed against her cheeks and forehead. A soft gravelly feminine voice resonated from above her.
"Just keep still now…that knockout potion takes a while to get over."
Hermione slowly forced her eyelids back and after a few seconds of adjusting to the dark her eyes focused on the face of none other than Isolde Melbourne. Hermione placed one hand under her protruding belly and the other on the thin mattress and pushed herself into a sitting position; the room swam and titled a bit as she did so and she felt as if she might be sick. A quick glance around the room told Hermione that they were in some sort of cellar or perhaps an underground cave that had been converted into a cell of sorts. Hermione's voice was surprisingly steady as she locked her eyes on her would-be captor and said.
"Isolde you've got to listen to me…there's no way to bring Priam back…the Book of Spells doesn't work that way…there's no magic that can bring a person back from the dead. I have a fair understanding of what you're going through but kidnapping me won't change anything…"
The shock evident in her tone, Isolde cut across Hermione's words.
"I haven't kidnapped anyone…I'm just as much a prisoner here as you are!"
Hermione stared wide-eyed at the witch before her. She was about to question Isolde about what she'd just said when a familiar voice sounded from across the room.
"Prisoner…honestly Isolde surely my hospitality isn't that lacking. What about you Hermione? How do you find the accommodations so far?"
Hermione gaped open-mouthed at the woman smiling at her. In obvious bewilderment Hermione cried.
"Daphne…what in bloody hell are you doing?
A/N: Yes I know its taken ages to update and on top of that I leave you with yet another cliffhanger. Hope the chapter was good enough overall to warrant some type of forgiveness.
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