Empty souls

Chapter 7. Finding and Missing.

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At three o’clock, the body of Ginevra Wealey was found lifless yesterday by a group that called themselves as the ‘Order of the Phoenix’ that were searching the grounds accompanied by local aurors. The day after, St. Mungo, hospital for magical injuries and maladies, was attacked by death-eaters, where the now deceased Ginevra Weasley was attendingby one of the healers escorted by her friends that were wounded by the attack. She was kiddnaped and was found outside, Ottery St.Catchpole’s woods

It seems by, for the reports, that the girl was tortured, raped and finally, murdered with the killing curse...

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That was all that Hermione read in the article of her evening magazine. Then, checked her clock that read ‘3:11 pm.’, put her cloack on, secured the thing that had pulled out of her mahogany box inside her pocket and , letting out a frown, disapparated from her flat in Lyon.

Hermione apparated, then, in the ruins of her old house in London’s skirt and inmediatly put herself a desillusionment charm to move freely. She took a light glance at her old house, where her parents died months ago. Then, closing tightly her eyes begun to breath heavily to regain strenght for the memories were fresh in her mind while horrible screams were replaying in her head.

‘No’ thought Hermione ‘I have no time to cry... Ginny and Harry needs me.’ With wet eyes she opened them and let out a sigh. Her wrist-watch read ‘3:13 pm.’, but London’s time wasn’t that so, she began to walk away to get to the streets, looking for a place to get the correct time in London. Walking by, she found a dinner’s place and it’s clock read, ‘1:24 pm.’. Under her desillusinment charm, changed her clock to get it right and calculated.

‘It’s passed more than twenty-four hours already’ thought morosely. She then walked to get a dead end street, where she hide behind a trash car and extrated from her pocket the thing she had secured from her little box back in Lyon, in her fist. Hermione looked at the thing in her hand when she opened it and stared at it almost in regret. ‘No, I can’t turn back right now. They need me’ thought looking at the time turner in her hand. With a sigh, Hermione placed it on her neck and turned back the flipper, looking the little mechanism turn around and around and around... one, two, three, four... eleven times and stoped her hand. Before her, her world twirled like an hurrican and everything before her eyes turned into pure bliss. The sun set back, giving pass at the night, then the afternoon... she was getting back in time.

Hermione knew better to use the time-turner. It was a risk... a risk that she was willing to take if that means the welfare of her friends. How many times was tempted to use it to save Ron... but the outcome would be worse if she doed. Get back in time was something Hermione refuse to do to save her fiancé, because that would trigger not in Ron’s death, Harry’s... not for that exactly but for the ‘What if’ that was troubling her... If she has chosed to save Ron... ¿What if Voldemort wins?... she could change the moment to get back to the battle to prevent Ron’s death and instead, the killing curse would strike to someone else... and maybe Harry would be killed by Voldemort... and Voldemort ruled the world and tear down everyone and everything... It was the outcome that really scared her. She love Harry... and she loved Ron... but she knew that Ron wouldn’t blame her decision. It was better to let it the way it is, even if the prospect made her sick.

Hermione stealed the time-turner from the headmistress office while she visited McGonagall two weeks before the battle, under the watchful eye of Dumbledore’s portrait. McGonagall got out for almost half hour to attend Pomfrey’s call. Dumbledor, silently gave her signalings and she used her wand to perform sleeping charms to the rest of the portraits. Once she did it, Dumbledore’s portrait begun to give instructions to find the time-turner and to keep it secured. The deceased headmaster trusted Hermione to do good use of it.

‘Now... now it is a good moment’ thought Hermione when the world before her eyes settled again. Her clock changed to read ‘3:37 pm’.

Yet under the desillusionment charm, walked quickly to get into the subway to reach the street were St.Mungo’s was. When Hermione finally arrived, her clock read ‘4:01 pm.’. The street seemed to be quiet... too quiet to her own good... ‘This isn’t right’ thought looking at the workshop, where the dummy on the green dress stood once... now it wasn’t. Instead, the door was open a bit, and cautiosly peered inside of the bulding. People were running and fighting for their lives. At the far corner, she could see death-eaters aiming randomly at the wizards and witches, and Hermione, still under the desillusionment charm, began to shoot stunners at the people in dark cloaks, taking them by surprise. Hermione was even more surprised to see Necille protecting Luna behind the desk of the reception, where they were taking shelter from the multicoloured beams of light.

She didn’t has time. ‘They’ll protect themselves... sorry guys’ thought Hermione begging for forgiveness silently and ran for the stairs, running into more fights beteen patients and healers and death-eaters, few of them on the floor lying injured or dead. Then she reached the first floor, and almost collied with Kate that seemed to be determinated to get to the upper floors but couldn’t. She herself was fighting against two death-eaters. Hermione then aimed at the ceiling above the masked people and wordlessly shoot ‘¡Reducto!’ and a BOOM made the ceiling cracked and a pair of bricks fell on hteir heads and she was about to get again upstairs but a thought stoped her.

‘Wait, I don’t know where Ginny is’ and with that, gripped Kate by a wrist pulling her upstairs, while the girl was screamig at whatever was taking her, until Hermione cancelled the charm. No one else was on the stairs and before Kate, Hermione came visible again.

“Hermi_” Hermione covered Kate’s mouth with a hand and with the other hand made a signal to her to stop yelling. Kate’s eyes were wide opened and leaked a few tears.

“¿Where’s Ginny?” asked Hermione in a frantic whisper

“Second floor” replied Kate equally in a whisper

“¿What is she doing there? ¿Whom else is with her?”

“She’s with Angelina... we came here to know if Ginny is pregnant.”

Hermione felt her world tumbling down at Kate’s words. Suddenly the will of keep alive was leaving her and paled; Hermione began to sweat cold. The impact of the information left her without air in her lungs and a horrible scream was strucked in her throat. ‘There’s no time’ thought almost at the point of cry.

“¿Harry knows?”

“He knows that we’re here, but doesn’t know if Ginny’s pregnant.”

“And... and, ¿is she?”

“we don’t know yet. We were waiting for Ginny and Angelina to get down with us but they’re still upstairs.”

Hermione braced herself and felt lightheaded, like she was about to faint but resisted. She began to breath erratically and Kate got worried, calling her as if from far away. Hermione then got back to her senses and gave instructions.

“Ok, i’m going upstairs. I need you to go with the rest... ¿Is Harry there?”

“No, he’s in Black manor.”

“Go for the rest. Use a desillusionment charm like me get them out of here as soon as possible. I’ll go for Ginny and Angelina.”

“¡No!”

“¡Listen!” Hermione gripped Kate by an arm looking straight to her eyes, “If you don’t do as I say, it’ll get worse, and I beg you...” Hermione sighed and blinked a few times to contain the tears, “I beg you... don’t tell anyone that you saw me... please, swear to me.”

“But Hermione, we were looking for you... why did you leave?”

“Sorry but...” Hermione frowned “Not now, maybe one day but please, I beg you, swear to me that you’re not going to say a word please... to no one.”

Kate saw a shadow passes behind Hermione’s eyes. It wasn’t until that moment that Kate noticed... she was barely herself anymore. The sadness and torture in them were there like they were hunting her.

“I swear.”

“Thank you. Please take care, Kate.” Said Hermione, her voice almost craking. With that, placed on herself again under the desillusionment charm and a BOOM was heard from above. “¡Do it!” yelled Hermione, and Kate used the same charm on herself and ran downstairs. Almost in that instant, a second BOOM was heard, and the need for words ended. Hermione ran upstairs two at the time praying to the heavens. When she arrived in the second floor, saw two corridors and in the right had smoke and dove at it running. Without air and panting, pointed with her wand but she barelycould see beyond. Unexpectedly, saw a death-eater came out of nowhere and a girl screamed and bolts of light flew from the last door between the smoke in general direction to the corridor.

Then, a girl yelled Ginny’s name and Hermione’s heart beat faster. A man yelled things that she couln’t quite understand and ‘reductos’, ‘impedimentas’ and ‘stupefys’ were heard. Under her charm, ran ran to the place where the smoke was outled. Hermione got in time to see a death-eater pointing his wand to Angelina and a healer on his knees beside Ginny that was on the floor. Three death-eaters were surrounding the healer and Ginny. The person that was aiming his wand to Angelina yelled ‘¡stupefy!’ and the girl dropped to the floor bonelessly. The rest were about to attack the healer but Hermione was faster. In three quick succesions, wordlessly she shot three stunners and the death.eaters dropped to the floor like Angelina did. With a ‘reparo’, the door of the waiting room repaired itself and put the stronger locking charm.

“¿Who’s there?” asked the healer at the air. Hermione was still under the desillusionment charm. To the relief of the healer, Hermione canceled the charm and faded into view before him.

“Don’t be afraid, I’m a friend. ¿What happened with Ginny?”

“She was stunned.”

“Thank God. For a minute I believed that she...” Hermione sighed and came closer. Ginny was very paled. They needed to get out as soon as possible.“¡Accio wands!” and everyone of the wands came to the palm of her hands. The healer reached his, and quicklywalked where Angelina was and revived her. Then the healer did the same with Ginny while Hermione stick an ear to the door. There was no sound.

“¿What happened?” asked Ginny from the floor.

“Don’t move. You’re weak.”

“¿What the hell...?” Angelina didn’t finish her question. Her vision was like a blur to her, but she was seeing a blond girl supporting her body on the door like she was evaesdropping. She didn’t know who she was. Hermione, from her spot, shush them. Ginny stood up slowly. Her vision was like Angelina’s, she couldn’t recognize the girl that was with them.

“I think they’re gone.” Said Hermione in a whisper and Ginny did recognize her voice.

“Her... Hermi_”

“¡shhh!, ¡Silence!”

“But_”

Exasperated, Hermione pointed her wand to Ginny and shoted her a silencing charm then did the same with Angelina.

“¡Damn it!” exclaimed Hermione. Suddenly she heard steps... not one but a few pair of hurried steps getting close. Quickly as she could, made a desillusionment charms to Angelina and the healer and was about to cast it to Ginny but an explosion took down again the door. Fortunately for Hermione, she was already moving away from there when the door fell. Unfortunately for them, the death-eaters caught them and Hermione fought against them. She reached Ginny’s side and yelled “¡Protego!” and instantly a silver bubble light surround them. Hermione’s energy was lessened in seconds and then Ginny took Hermione’s place. Angelina and her uncle aimed at the new commers and stunned them out of nowhere. Spended, Hermione fell to her knees panting and let herself lay on the floor. Ginny couldn’t believed it and canceled the silencing charm.

“¡¿where the hell were you?! ¡We_”

“Not... not now, Ginny.”

“We need to get out of here” intervened the healer still under the charm and bent down to check on Hermione, placing lightly a hand on her abdomen. She, feeling the touch, flinched in sudden fear.

“Wha_?”

“Shhh, please... don’t.” Whispered Hermione pleadingly to the healer.

“But you_”

“¡Don’t!” interrupted Hermione. “Help me.”

The healer said nothing else and helped Hermione to get to her feet. Ginny was looking at her suspiciously but helped her to stand up. Angelina came to their aid.

“Angelina... Ginny” said Hermione in a hurried whisper, “I beg you to not say anyone that you saw me.”

“¿But, why?” asked Angelina worried.

“Because I don’t want to.”

“¡¿Are you out of your mind?!” whispered Gynny almost shouting.

“No, I’m totally sane”

“We can’t.”

“If you don’t cooperate, I’m going to erase your memories then.” The voice of Hermione was the one McGonagall used to give detentions... it was almost sternal vooice with a tinge of pleading. Angelina and Ginny were crying silently and marched out of the waiting room, making their way to the stairs.

“We were worried sick... it’s not fair.” Argued Ginny seriously but Hermione wasn’t the type that surrender easily and they knew it.

“It’s fair because it’s my choice.”

“Then, ¿why did you get back?”

“I have my reasons.” Hermione almost stumbled if it wasn’t for the healer that was suopporting most of her weight. Then they reached the stairs. Angelina was pointing her wand downstairs, ready to use it. Slowly, began decending, Hermione was still weak, but refused to give up.

In the rest of the floors were heard footsteps ran in every direction. Then they reached the main floor and were about to go to the reception, when a group of the death-eaters saw them. Hermione almost kicked herself for not prevent it. She forgot to use the desillusionment charm on Ginny and her. Angelina and the healer were still under it.

They stoped and the death-eaters pointed at the girls. The other two were at their side.

“Well, well, well...” said an aristocratical, slurred voice. Hermione immediatly recognized it: Lucius Malfoy. “¿What do we have here?... our prize.”

“Malfoy” said Hermione in a bored voice.

“¿Do I know you?”

“Certainly not” replied smirking and Ginny tensed. Hermione tug her arm off the healer’s grip and stood stright before Ginny to prevent Malfoy touch her.

“Maybe I can’t place your face...but your voice give it all away... mudblood.”

“Good... your level of stupidity is not the same... tell me... your former master tought you a few new tricks? ¡Oh! I forgot... he’s dead.” Said sarcastically.

“Hermione, don’t...”

“You’re still a smartarse, aren’t you? But what if I take control” said Malfoy glancing behind Hermione and suddenly from behind, two death-eaters caught Ginny out of guard and siezed by the arms. Ginny struggled against them, yelling to be released.

“¡Don’t dare to harm her!” yelled Hermione.

“¡Oh! I was thinknig on something more enjoyable” leered Malfoy and two more death-eaters gripped Hermione’s arms. Like Ginny, she too was struggling to get free uselessly: they were stronger. Malfoy slowly began to walk where Ginny was and, with a finger touched her chin. “I actually wasn’t especting this... the chance to give Potter what he deserves...” his finger caressed slowly the throat of Ginny down to her chest and the line of her shirt and the girl shivered. “Well, I’m going to disposed the both of you... it’ll be a good fun for my friends.”

Angelina was paralized by the fear where she stood, but the healer lilently begun to shoot stunnings to two death-eaters from the crowd. Noisely colapsed to the floor and the rest distracted... moment that Hermione took advantage of. The two death-eaters that was seizing her by the arms lessened their grip and she blew them punches on the nose or in their groins.

Lucius pointed with his wand to Hermione and shoot her a stunner, but she dived to the side, and the red light struck a masked foe behind her. The distraction was enough for Ginny to released an arm and caught the wand of the death-eater at her left, disarming him and aiming at the other with a jinx. At her right, the other foe was slow in his reaction when he percived the tiny witch moved in rapid motion, lessening his grip on her and she shoot another stunner at him, falling unconcious to the floor.

Healer Jacobson was trying to get where Ginny was. Still under his charm was easy to pass between the death-eaters, but he couldn’t reach her. Angelina then, at seeing the actions before her, followed the strategy of her uncle and shoot stunners almost randomly, that let out another three foes of the bunch. Quickly, she was looking for other people that were available to help them, but she could barely see... healer Jacobson, Ginny, Hermione and Angelina were far from the main room, where wizards and witches could wait for a healer. Since the hall were surrounded by the enemy, couldn’t appreciate if there was someone or not. ‘Maybe the main room is crowded by more death-eaters’ thought Angelina, ‘we’re dead’.

The fight was right there, in the principal corridor, but even if they could reach the fire place, Hermione was afraid that it was secured by the death-eaters. Ginny was battling them as were Hermione, healer Jacobson and Angelina, but then they heard a ‘finite’ and Hermione turned to her roght to see Angelina came into view. One of their foes discovered her when, by the lights, discerned her shadow.

“¡Run!” screamed Hermione. Angelina was the more close to the reception and broke into a run in that direction.

A death-eater was about to shoot the kiiling curse to Angelina’s way, but was stopped by the healer that, bodyly, slammed him from behind and both fell on the floor.

Ginny was going to take advantage of this to run, but Lucius, seeing her attempt, gripped her from the waist and she let out a cry for the sudden action. Hermione heard this and, distracted, glance to Ginny’s side when a death-eater used on her a dissarming spell. Hermione, until that moment, wasn’t using any wand, so the charm struck her on her back and fell to the floor using her hands to prevent anymore damage. Healer Jacobson stood up from on top of the death-eater when he saw Angelina disappeared to the reception and continued to shoot stunners at the others.

Hermione was trying to get up, but she was too weak. Suddenly, two pairs of foot were before her, and slowly her eyes traveled up to their owners just to see Lucius Malfoy gripping tightly Ginny’s waist and pointing his wand to Hermione’s face, that paled at the sight.

“Your stupid attempt to break free didn’t work, did it?” Malfoy laughed at her predicament and Ginny was trying to get free to no avail; he was stronger, and she was dissarmed. Then, Lucius bent down a bit and with his wand slapped Hermione’s face, making her turned from the blow and she bit her lip to not let a cry leave out from her mouth. A red stain appeard rapidly on her cheek and slowly began to bleed. The pain was bringing tears to her eyes, but she suppresed the urgency. “You’re just a stupid mudblood good for nothing... useless. But you are where you belong... on the ground, like rubish.”

Lucius was going to say something else, but loud noises were heard... like someone was fighting in the main reception... jinxes and curses were yelled... the cavalry had came to their aid. Hermione looked hopefully, but they were too far still, and she was too weak to make a move or even yell for help. All the energy for the need to get there was drained and soon she’ll pass out if someone won’t come quickly.

“Time’s up” said Lucius and with his wand pointed to a wall and yelled: “¡Reducto maxima!”.

A lod explosion left a big hole where Lucius was pointing and Ginny and Hermione screamed when the debris flew in every direction, reaching Ginny’s left arm slicing it a bit, and Hermione’s head: instantly she began to bleed and was momentarely blinded by the hit. Then she heard Ginny’s moans for the pain in the distance, getting less and less loder and Hermione understood; Lucius was taking her with him... they were leaving. She lifted herself from the floor and almost stumbling, she made up her mind to follow them. The corridor was almost empty. All the death-eaters were following Lucius and Healer Jacobson supported Hermione when he saw her walking in the direction of the enemy.

“No, don’t go.”

“I ought to.”

“But in your current state... it will harm you and yo_”

“There’s no time...” she couldn’t finished because another explosion was heard from afar. Hermione snatched the healer’s wand and pointed to herself, barely could say the word. “Enervate”.

Suddenly, she felt a bit better and without another word, broke into a run over the path of Lucius Malfoy.

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The aurors were trying to get inside but the charm on the glass door didn’t work. Since the alert of the ministry of the attack, they headed off immediatly and got there just the minutes after Hermione went in and the passage was sealed. The fireplace fo St.Mungo’s was blocked too by strong and different charms.

Harry, Bill, Fred, George and the rest of the Order of the Phoenix got there when the aurors were deciding to use one of the invention of the twins to make a hole: they were trying for almost an hour to lift the charms of the entrance but non of them could. Kingsley was already there when the rest arrived.

“We can’t open the fucking door.” Said Kingsley before Harry could utter a word. “We were thinking of using one of the artifacts of the twins” he explained glancing at them, but the twins didn’t smile. Kingsley noticed then, the apprehesive faces. “¿What?”

“Ginny’s inside” answered Harry and Kingsley paled. “Angelina, Kate, Luna and Neville too.”

“¿What the hell are they doing inside?”

“Long story. Right now we need to get inside.”

“We brought this” said George pulling out from his pocket two bulky sticks.

“It lift a medium locking charm.” Intervened Fred.

“I we place two on the same floor, it’s lifted whatever charm is locking it...” continued George.

“It’s soundless, so we’re taking them by surprise.” Finished Fred.

“¡Fantastic!” exclaimed Kingsley, gripping George by an arm and dragged him to the glass door. George promptly placed the two sticks, that seemed to be made by iron, over the closed door. George and the rest of the audince step back and Fred, with his wand made an arc on the air over the dticks and a quick flick... the two sticks melted on the glass door until they heard a click... then two clicks... six clicks later, they realized that the charms that were sealing the door lifted and silently they made their way. Instantly were recieved by a group of wizards and witches dissarmed and tied seated on the floor, others sprawled, maybe injured or dead. The main reception and the wood chair broken of turned down, few of the portraits on the walls were severely damaged and at least six or seven death-eaters pointing their wands to the prisioners, but ion the end of the room, was Angelina struggling against three foes that had her siezed by the arms and one of them was just abiut to curse her when Harry, the Order and aurors got inside and distracted them.

Then a ruckus began. Dozens of jinx and curses were flying everywhere and the screams of the prisioners filled the air. In the middle of the fight, Harry turned to see Angelina trying to escape to her right and Harry followed her stare: in the far corner were Luna, Kate and Neville. He was using his body like a human shield to protect the girls. Harry was about to run to their side, but an explosion that came from the corridor made him stop. ‘there are more’ thought Harry.

Harry tried to get into the corridor, but from there came more death-eaters to the fight and he couldn’t reach where the detonation came to began a new battle, all the time his fears were increasing because he didn’t se Ginny anywhere. Harry was spared and battling furiously to go farther.

BOOM. Another explosion was heard, and this time was distant. ‘¿What that means?’ thought even more preocupied.

“¡Harry!” yelled Mad-eye. “¡They’re escaping!”

in that instant, a killing curse was about to reach him, but dived to the floor in all fours and saw at the person who did it.

“¡Aye, Potter!” yelled Mulciber with a demonic staring. “almost got’ya”.

“¡¿Where’s Malfoy?!” Harry yelled back.

“¡Don’t worry, Potter!” replied smirking. “¡He’s well accompanied by the Weasley girl... wherever they’re going, they’ll fun!”

Harry was enraged and without thinking twice, shoot him with a ‘sectumsempra’. Mulciber screamed in pain and fell tot the floor bleeding profusely, whilre the others turned to see Harry running to get closer so fast that the other surses his way never even grazed him. He then crouched beside Mulñciber pointing at him with his wand and dissarmed him

“¿What did you said?” croacked Harry refaining himself to not kill the bastard. Mulciber, even injured, was smiling openly, a trickle of blood leaked from his moutjh and coughing, replied:

“Lucius took the Weasley girl... you’re gonna... get what you... and she deserved...” Mulciber laughed darkly, almost chocked and stared directly in Harry’s eyes. “... and your friend too.”

“¿Friend?” asked Harry wondering. “¿What friend?”

“That girl...” slowly Harry’s blood was leaving his face and started to sweat. “the... the...”

Mulciber couldn’t finish. He was unconcious or dead, Harry didn’t know but he felt a big hole in his stomach and grasping at the death-eater, started to shake him.

“¡¿What friend?!” yelled Harry anxious and desperated. “¡¿What friend, damn it?!, ¡¡Answer me!!” Harry was fearing the
worst. Deep inside was wishing that that ‘friend’ was Hermione, and the same time was praying that it wasn’t, and his body was trembling uncontrolably.

Behind him, he heard a rush of steps coming his way, buy Harry was loosing all coherent thought in his desperation, waiting for an answer. Remus fell on his knees beside him and was checking the Mulciber and once the examination ended, Remus sighed.

“He’s dead, Harry.”

“¡¡No!!” Harry yelled madly. “¡¡He’s not!!, ¡¡He’s faking!!”

“Harry...” said Remus wondering about the behavior of the green-eyed. “¿Wha_”

“He said Lucius kidnapped Ginny” Remus eyes opened wide. “... and that one of my friends too... but the rest are here...” Harry turned to see Remus and his eyes said it all. “¿What if that friend... is... Hermione?” and a tear fell from one of his emerald eyes. He broke run in the direction of the hall. Remus right behind him.


A/N. ¿How was it? ¿Did you like it?.... and it’s not over. It’s getting better and better!!!!!

PLEASE... READ & REVIEW!!!!!!!

¡¡¡¡¡ SORRY FOR THE DELATE !!!!!
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