Hunter and Prey

Minerva McGonagall, before she informed the Aurors or the Ministry of Magic, went to Surrey to collect Martin and Louise Granger so they would be the first to know their daughter was safe. Muggle access to Hogwarts was restricted but the Headmistress was quite prepared to bend the rules for the sake of one of the school’s most accomplished alumni.

It was no great surprise to her that they found Hermione with her nose in a book. She excused herself to give the Grangers privacy. Minerva intended to find out precisely how the Ministry could be so reckless in allowing one of the most infamous war criminals escape their custody. Heads would roll. There would be other more private calls as well. Something had to be done.

“Darling, we were so worried!” Louise hugged her daughter, smoothing a hand through her hair as though she could not quite believe she was there. Red rimmed eyes with dark smudges that careful foundation could not conceal told Hermione everything she needed to know. Her father had cut himself shaving. He still had little bits of paper sticking to his neck. He only did that when he was upset. Martin sat down on the edge of her bed and patted her distractedly.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” Hermione cried into her mother’s cardigan. Both her parents offered her handkerchiefs and the memory of stuffing her jeans pocket with hankies made her give a choked laugh, which turned into hiccups. She drank a glass of water and pulled herself together. Her parents had been briefed by Headmistress McGonagall but the sight of blue-purple bruises around her wrists made the Grangers’ wish, not for the first time, that their only child was anything but a witch.

“We collected your mail and Crookshanks has been eating his weight in salmon.” Martin was never very good at expressing his feelings so took refuge in being efficient. “You have some scrolls from your lawyers to sign. We paid your electricity bill.” He ground to a halt, noticing the title of the book his daughter had been reading. How could he ask that? Louise followed his gaze then closed her eyes and hugged her little girl tighter.

“It was a werewolf.” Hermione said almost unwillingly. She didn’t want to add to her parents’ fears. Slowly, in disjointed pieces she told them what had happened. They listened quietly without interrupting. Louise paled to milk. She could guess the bits her daughter left out. Martin was privately very, very glad the monster had got that wizard first because otherwise he would have been obliged to hunt him down. There was a lot a dentist could do to make someone suffer, particularly if they did it without anaesthetic.

“Whatever you decide, we will support you, you know that.” Louise assured. Hermione nodded shakily. Petting her hand, Mrs Granger ventured. “There are medical ways. Surgical, I mean. My gynaecologist could give you a referral or whatever you need to get something done.”

“Make an appointment, mum.” She didn’t doubt Madam Pomfrey’s diagnosis but Hermione wasn’t prepared to ignore any alternatives. Impediments, despite is gruesomely accurate diagrams, had only answered some of her questions. According to the author, ‘usual’ meant in the two cases I have seen and by hearsay. She needed to do some more research. An ultrasound would help, though how she was going to phrase that request without sounding insane she didn’t know.

“Ron’s been calling. Often.” Martin was in two minds about his nearly former son-in-law. On one hand, he understood people were not perfect. On the other hand, the red-haired jerk had given his word to Hermione then broken it. There had been articles in the Daily Prophet, to which the Grangers’ subscribed as surreptitiously as if it had been pornography. His wife shot him a warning look but he continued. “He sounded concerned.”

“Ron can burn in Hell.” Hermione said curtly then relented. “I’ll owl everyone and let them know I’m okay before I speak to the Aurors. That will probably take a while.” She adjusted the bedding, dreading the debriefing she had to face. After Voldemort’s death she had talk for weeks to people from the Ministry, giving testimony, confirming statements, granting interviews for the official account. It had been exhausting. “Can you please tell me what happened to Elinor?”

“A BT tech found her in his van when he came back with a tow truck.” Louise answered promptly. They had read every newspaper, watched every newscast. “The truck driver recognised Morgan’s Cottage, apparently he knew the family, and took her to her grandparents.” She hesitated then said carefully. “The police found her parents. And the farmer.”

Hermione simply nodded, feeling light-headed with a mixture of relief and sorrow.

“The story was an escapee from Carstairs Hospital went on a rampage. Some reporters came to the house after your name was published.” Martin added. “Two of those Auras came too.” He had not liked that in the slightest. Two grown men in dresses stomping about their house talking to them like they were idiot children. “They told us what we could and couldn’t say to the press.”

“That’s Aurors, Mr Granger.” Harry corrected from the doorway. Ron didn’t say anything.