AN: Sorry for the long wait guys. It's not as long, but I thought I'd let you guys know I'm still alive *wave*
Waking up in the morning after his duel was excruciating. He supposed the pain he went through last night's duel was ignored due to adrenaline. What he wouldn't give for a bit of excitement and adrenaline right now.
Having just got out the shower he looked in the mirror and saw the marks left from the duel. Where he had been sliced by the ghostly sword of Sir Fearghas had left his skin raw. It seemed instead of cuts scabbing over he had his skin bubbling over like a sun burn. To say the least it hurt like a bitch.
Donning a towel he went into his Head Boy chambers and got dressed. It was Saturday morning, of course, and school robes were not mandatory. He headed out into the main room of the Head's chamber and promptly heard a fork clang.
"What in the world happened to your neck?" Hermione asked
"Nothing." Harry replied as he shook his head. However the action made him hiss as the movement aggravated the burn like wounds on his neck.
"It's not `nothing'!" Hermione said indignantly
She then promptly called Dobby whom she ordered to get her Murtlap Essence.
"Sit!" She exclaimed pointing to the couch. She then proceeded to go to her adjoined bathroom.
Dobby returned with the Murtlap Essence and placed it in Hermione's hands who had returned with a cloth that she set into the dish.
"Take off your shirt." She said
"Why?" Harry asked, "It's just my neck." Harry felt his face heat.
"Because I don't want to get your shirt wet!" She replied
Sighing Harry took off his shirt to reveal similar marks on his chest. Hermione gasped and quickly started looking him over, revealing marks on his back as well. Before Hermione could ask what happened Harry said, "A ghost did it."
Hermione frowned, "How?" she asked while she applied the cloth to the marks on his chest.
Harry voiced his approval, eyes closed, with a deep sigh of relief and replied, "Sword."
"A ghost's sword, did this to you?" She asked unbelievingly
"No. A ghost wielding a sword did this to me." He replied simply
"Harry," Hermione patronized, "ghosts can't wield swords."
"Mmm," Harry moaned under her ministrations, "tell him that."
Then there was a knock on the door and Ron walked in. His jaw dropped looking at the scene in front of him.
"Uhh," Ron mumbled, "I'll come back later."
"Ron! Wait!" Hermione exclaimed, "It's not what it looks like. Come see for yourself."
Ron warily walked over to the couch. Hermione situated herself in a more properly way and pointed at Harry's chest.
"Blimey, Harry! What did this?" Ron asked.
"A ghost wielding a sword apparently," Hermione replied thoroughly unconvinced.
"What ghost mate?" Ron asked.
"Sir Fearghas." Harry replied.
At Ron's blank look Harry added, "That's Bloody Baron to you."
"What possessed you to have a duel with The Bloody Baron, of all ghosts?" Hermione asked.
"I don't know."
"What do you mean you don't know? Surely you had a reason!"
Hermione huffed and finally Harry snapped.
"Did it ever occur to you that maybe, just maybe, that I just don't want to fill you in? Maybe I knew you'd act like you are now and I just didn't want to deal with it?" Harry asked voice rising
"Fine!" She snapped.
With that she gathered her books and left the room.
***
Harry felt horrible. He felt even more horrible for turning down Junior when he'd asked for a quick lesson using the lame reason of `not being in the mood'. Harry had of course resigned himself to his bad day. But then his bad day turned into a bad weekend when he couldn't find Hermione to apologize. He decided he would just wait in the Head's dormitory until she came back.
As he was walking through the painting to the Head's Suite, Ron bolted down the hallway.
"Harry!" Ron yelled.
Harry turned to see Ron and just when Harry thought his day couldn't get worse he saw the worried look on Ron's face.
"Harry! They took her! They're probably torturing her! We have to save her!" Ron yelled franticly
"Ron! Slow down, and take a deep breath. Now, who took who?" Harry asked
"It's Hermione! They kidnapped her! V-v bloody hell. Voldemort kidnapped her."
All color in Harry's face drained. "Voldemort as in Voldemort, or Voldemort as in Death Eaters doing his bidding?"
"I don't know."
"Does anyone know you came to find me, Ron?" Harry asked as he stepped into the Head's Suite.
He started to gather things he thought he'd need. Marauder's Map, to get out of the castle. Invisibility cloak, and for good measure he checked to see if his wand was still securely in place in his pocket.
"You're going to look for her, aren't you?" Ron asked.
"Of course."
Ron for some unknown reason sized Harry up. He looked to be calculating things in his mind
"I'm coming with." Ron stated.
"I wouldn't expect any less."
***
Once they had retrieved their brooms they both got out of the castle with the aid of the Marauder's Map. If both of them were to be honest with themselves, they probably both knew that McGonagall knew what they were up to.
"Harry, where do we start first?" Ron asked.
"I don't know."
"You don't know!? Oh well that's just bloody brilliant then!"
"I'm sorry, Ron. I don't do this often! I don't have a clue as to what to do. That would be Hermione's department." Harry spat.
"Well you mucked that over didn't you?! Just couldn't keep your temper and your mouth in check, couldn't you?"
Ron knew he'd hurt Harry with that comment. But he also knew that it was exactly what Harry needed.
"Ron, you're just going to slow me down. Go back to the castle." Harry growled out
Ron not even bothering to try to keep up with Harry's Firebolt turned back to the castle. He only hoped what he'd sparked was enough.
***
Harry entered the Hog's Head with the hood of his robe up. Quietly chastising himself he ripped the Gryffindor patch off the robe and put it in his pocket.
He really didn't know where he was going to start looking. However, the bartender did.
"You there!" the bartender pointed directly at Harry.
For a second Harry thought by some sick twist of fate he'd been caught.
"Go to the back and grab me another barrel of ale!" Nobody seemed to notice the wink he sent his way.
With a shake of his head and an encouraging gesture Harry went to the back of the building. The bartender must've known who he was. Because what he found behind the Hog's Head is exactly what he needed: two Death Eaters with big mouths.
"They've got her in that new warehouse." One said gleefully
"I can't wait to have a go at her! Potter will get a nice little surprise when we return her body to him." The other said with a maniacal grin.
Harry growled. Grabbing his wand he shouted two quick spells of "Stupefy" and "Incarcerous". Stunning and tying the Death Eater up before he knew what was coming.
Harry then extended his hand in the direction of the other Death Eater and slashed it violently and the Death Eater slammed heavily into the back of the building.
"Where is she!?" He yelled furiously
"I d-d-don't know who you're talking about!"
Harry growled again and his eyes flashed. He extended his fingers and the man's body seemed to stretch and he yelled in agony.
"I'm going to ask one more time before I do something you're really going to scream over. Now, where is she?" He said the last part very calmly.
"They've got her held at a new warehouse. The only way to it fast enough is by Floo. But only someone with the Dark Mark can get in the warehouse." The Death Eater seemed very happy by this last statement.
"You're a fool. Hermione is in there, and she doesn't have the Dark Mark."
"So you think." He smirked.
Harry extended his fingers as far as they could go and the man screamed in agony. He then proceeded to smash the Death Eater repeatedly on the wall. Harry eventually whittled the exact location from the man.
"I can Apparate there."
"Hah!" The Death Eater yelled, "Half-way across the country? Not bloody likely."
It was now Harry's turn to smirk.
Knocking the second Death Eater unconscious he grabbed a barrel of ale and opened it pouring its contents on the Death Eaters. He then preceded to Obliviate them not caring if he damaged their minds.
***
When he arrived at his destination, wherever his destination was, he didn't expect to end up inside the warehouse itself.
Yet everything still seemed to be very quiet, as if nothing had happened. He could only assume he was that good, or he'd been set up.
Harry decided he really didn't care, he needed Hermione and he had to get out.
The room he arrived in had boxes filled with things he really didn't care to acknowledge. He peeked through the doorway noticing three doors being guarded by one Death Eater each.
He'd check each room. Silently casting he levitated the two farthest Death Eaters into each other stunning both of them for a few seconds. While they were slowly getting up he incapacitated the third. Blood seeping from where his head had hit the concrete floor.
He silenced the remaining Death Eaters and tied them up with two quick murmurs of `Incarcerous'. Stunning them now they were out of the way he dragged all three into the room he'd arrived in and locked it.
Opening the first door he could hear many voices. Most of them were softly crying. What he saw in the room shocked him to his very core.
House Elves. At least two dozen that looked in rough shape.
"Who're you!?" one squeaked.
"I'm Harry Potter."
They all gasped. "Are you here to save us?" another spoke up.
"I'll be honest that wasn't my original plan, but now that I know you're here I've dispatched of your guards. You're free to go. I'm sure if you head to Hogwarts the Headmistress would be happy to look after you."
They all looked at him with eyes of adoration and Harry silently cursed. Not more Dobbys!
They all left the room with magic that had kept them captive and they all left with one pop after another.
Heading to the next door and opening it, he was very relieved to see Hermione.
"Harry!?" she sobbed. "Prove to me that you're you!"
"Uhm, I'm sorry for snapping at you when you on Saturday?"
Hermione let out another sob and ran towards Harry flinging her arms around his neck.
"Shh, it's okay. I'm here now." Harry whispered.
"Harry, it was horrible! I'm so sorry. I couldn't stop it!" She cried
She then showed Harry her forearm where the Dark Mark was seen clearly. The black color alone made Harry's skin curl.
"Shh, Hermione. It's alright. We'll get rid of it."
"It's impossible Harry!"
"That's what they said about surviving The Killing Curse too. Now, where's your wand?" Harry asked
"One of the guards took it."
Grasping her hand Harry led them both to the room he'd arrived in, found Hermione's wand on one of the guards, very happy it wasn't broken.
"Hold on." Harry said
Hermione hugged herself to Harry. With a resounding crack Harry apparated.
***
Minerva McGonagall was having her first real test as a Headmistress. A student had been taken right from her school. Her school!
Apparently someone had taken a student from the grounds. And not just any student, oh no, they took Hermione Granger.
Ron had run off to tell Harry no doubt. It was rather quick how it all happened. Every Headmistress or Headmaster was able to communicate a little with the school to protect its students. Albus, bless his soul, had always been able to get the school to let him know more than it should.
The school let her know Harry and Ron were leaving the castle. She resigned herself. She already knew they'd leave. But when Ron returned shortly thereafter, without Harry she had to admit she was scared that Harry had been hurt.
"Mr. Weasley, where's Harry?" She asked sternly.
"He sent me back." He said heavily.
"Sent you back from where?" She asked again.
She did have to keep the impression she didn't know what they'd done.
"We went out to look for Hermione, and I got him angry. So he sent me back."
"And you just left him!?" She admonished, "You left him to fend for himself?"
"Of course. Surely you've noticed how much of a force he is when he's angry? So I got the first obstacle out of the way. He'll do the rest."
The confidence in that statement didn't show on his face.
***
It was now the coming close to the ending of dinner with no word from either of her students. She had received at least two dozen house elves claiming Harry Potter had saved them! Just what was that Harry Potter up to? Her stern demeanor began to falter when the castle informed her of a breach on the wards.
With a large crack that would send a few students to the Hospital Wing with damaged ear drums Harry Potter and Hermione Granger appeared in the Great Hall.
"It's also what they said about Apparating in Hogwarts." Harry said quietly
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