Any Random Tuesday

The meadow grass was a brilliant green beneath the feet of the black haired blue-eyed boy who ran towards her, trampling it in his advance. Gwen could feel the sun warming her back as a little hand tugged at the seam of her shirt. “Mom”, he whined. Gwen crouched down at his eye level and stared into the depths of his blue eyes. She could see his innocence and happiness reflected there. She traced a single finger along the alabaster skin so much like her own.
“Amazing,” she murmured feeling a strand of soft downy black finger between her fingers.
“Mum, I’m hungry,” he whined irritated by her lack of response. He pressed his little hand in hers.
“Okay, let’s get some lunch,” she offered. He beamed up at her. That little face, so perfectly resembling her own, No one could doubt that this was her child. With his hand in hers she began to walk across the meadow.
Suddenly the little boy stopped. She turned to look at him. “I’m glad you came. I’ve missed you.” He said and then he was gone.
“GREGORY!”

Gwen awoke with a start and looked around her in the darkness, searching for the little boy. “It was a dream,” she muttered to herself, “It seemed so real.” Tears fell from her eyes. She sniffled and wiped her nose with the sleeve of the shirt that served as her nightgown. She sighed frustrated by the vividness of the dream and her inability to forget.
“Gregory, I don’t even know if that’s what they call him. I don’t even know if he still looks like me. It was just a dream,” she thought to herself bitterly. She turned to look at the alarm clock beside the bed. It read 4:30 AM. “God damn it,” she thought to herself, “I’ll never get back to sleep now.” She had two hours until she needed to get back to work and she knew that she had to distract herself from thoughts of her son.
With a hot cup of tea Gwen settled down on the worn sofa in her living room to look over the case file. Hermione to her was like some sort of enigma. She was puzzled by Hermione’s disappearance. Gwen firmly believed that Hermione had left of her own volition, but why she would want to leave was not clear. It seemed that the girl had it all. Why would someone who was so smart and had so many people who cared about her want to leave it all behind?
Gwen began reading through the case notes. She hoped that she would see something that she had not noticed before. She read through the victim description and perused the suspect list. As she flipped through the materials she came across a sheet that she had never seen before. A Brief History of the War: Voldemort’s Second Coming was the title. Gwen began to read the document with fascination.

Lord Voldemort aka Tom Marvolo Riddle had been considered dead by the Ministry of Magic after the famous Halloween that he attempted to kill the then one-year-old Harry Potter. The supposed demise of Voldemort caused many of his legions known as death eaters to give up their battle to purify the wizarding race of undesirables such as muggleborns. Unfortunately not all of the deatheaters could be rounded up since it was impossible to tell whether or not followers had been imperiused to follow orders.
In August of 1994 the deatheaters made an appearance at the Qudditch World Cup tournament that was being held at a muggle campground in Yorkshire. It is believed that escaped deatheater Barty Crouch used the wand of Harry Potter to cast the dark mark in the sky. Also deatheater followers rampaged the site and attacked muggles who were camping in the vicinity. At least one muggle death is known to have occurred at this time.
The paper dropped from Gwen’s hand. “Oh my god,” she whispered, “it can’t be.” She threw the folder on to the floor scattering the papers that she had so neatly organized as she jumped up from the couch and began to pace. “August, Yorkshire, 1994. It has to be a coincidence.”
Gwen picked up her phone and dialed the station. “London PD, detective’s division. This is Samuel Coldwater how can I help you?”
“Sam, this is Detective Cooper I need you to pull a case file for me.”
“Sure what’s the name?”
“Dolley and Gwen Cooper,” Gwen responded.
“Was it an LPD case?” Sam asked.
“No, Yorkshire.”
“August 1994?”
“Yes, that’s it,” Gwen began, “Can you send it to me?”
“I would, but it seems to be locked,” Sam answered.
“Is Chief Varren in?” Gwen demanded.
“ It’s almost six. You know the chief doesn’t come in before nine.”
“Fine. Can you get me his home phone number?”
“Sure, but I wouldn’t disturb him unless it was really important,” Samuel advised.
“Of course it’s important,” she snapped.
“Okay,” he paused before reading off the number to her.”
“Thanks,” she responded before pushing down the button and dialing the chief’s number.
“Hello,” a groggy female voice answered.
“Hello, I need to speak to Chief Varren.”
“I hope it’s an emergency,” the female warned.
“It is,” Gwen snapped.
A few moments later a gruff male voice sounded, “Hello?”
“Chief Varren, this is Detective Copper.”
“What do you need Copper.”
“I need to see my case file.”
“Then go get it and don’t bother me at six!” He yelled.
“You don’t understand. I don’t mean the case I am working on. I mean my case.”
“What? Was this an LPD case?”
“No, it wasn’t, but it’s locked. I want you to unlock it.”
“Okay, Cooper I’ll meet you at the station in half an hour.”
“Thank you sir,” Gwen responded.

Fifteen minutes later Gwen was about to leave her apartment when she noticed a tawny brown owl hovering outside of her living room window. Remembering the events of the day before Gwen let the owl in and untied the rolled up parchment from its leg.


Gwen,
I would like to apologize for yesterday. I was not myself and I hope I did not do or say anything that offended you. I would like to meet with you and discuss anything that might help you to find Hermione.
Sincerely,
Ronald Weasley

Gwen was a little surprised by the note. It seemed to her like the events of
yesterday had happened a year ago. She also wondered why he hadn’t just written to Harry if he wanted to help with the investigation. After all Ron and Harry were best friends from their days at Hogwarts. Gwen hesitated. Her cases were important to her, but she wasn’t sure that she wanted to interact with this Wizarding World any longer. Finally her curiosity got the better of her and she penned a quick note to Ron agreeing to meet him that afternoon.

The halls of the LPD were quiet when Gwen arrived. The clacking of her heels echoed in the long corridor that led to Chief Varren’s office. He was seated at his desk when Gwen knocked on the open door. “Cooper, come in”, he greeted, “I have already pulled up the file.”
“Thank you,” Gwen responded as she walked behind his desk to stand behind him.
“I hope you don’t mind, but I looked at it. I want to apologize. If I had known I would not have put you on your current case.”
“What?” Gwen questioned not sure of what he meant.
“I am going to leave you to look at this on your own. Let me know if you need anything,” Chief Varren offered before leaving the office.
Gwen sat down in his vacated chair and pulled herself closer to the desk. She pulled herself up to the desk and clicked to bring up the case file.
G. Cooper and D. Cooper Rape/Homicide/Attempted Homicide
Chief Investigating Officer: C. Bentley
Ministry of Magic Official: N. Tonks
Date: August 17th, 1994
Field Report:
G. and D. Cooper (the victims) were camping at Yorkshire Campgrounds on the evening of August 16th – 17th. Four men who are believed to be wizards attacked the victims. The British Ministry of Magic has confirmed that these men are deatheaters and part of a group that wrecked havoc after the Qudditch World Cup. D. Cooper was attacked and died from the killing curse. G. Cooper was raped and beaten by the men. Yorkshire PD responded to a call from unknown source at 3:18 am. D. Cooper was dead at the scene and G. Cooper was unconscious. First aid was administered to the latter.
The victims were transported at 3:45 am to Yorkshire Hospital for treatment and autopsy. Yorkshire CSI inspected the crime scene and collected evidence. At that time we were joined in the investigation by Ministry of Magic Auror N. Tonks, who confirmed that the unsubs were wizards and deatheaters.
Gwen was shocked and angry. Angry that no one had told her what had really happened that night. Angry that her mother had been killed by men who hated her for being non magical. She was angry that these men had not been caught. She was shocked that Tonks had lied to her. She had trusted her. She wondered if her father had known. “Oh my god!” she shouted. Could my son be a wizard? Hermione’s parents are muggles and she is a witch, Gwen thought, so my son could easily be a wizard.
Chief Varren popped his head in, “How are you doing?”
“I’m fine,” Gwen lied.
“Did you read it all?”
“No, I think I’ve read enough.”
“Cooper, you should see the psychiatrist. I think you should talk to someone about this.”
“I’m fine,” she lied again, “I’ve already talked about it.”
“You didn’t know what you know now,” he sighed, “I’m going to take you off the Granger case.”
“No.”
“Cooper, be reasonable. You can’t possibly be objective.”
“Chief you’re not taking me off the case.”
“I have to at least tell Potter about this.”
“Chief, I don’t see why it would matter to him,” Gwen defended herself.
“Fine, but if I think this is affecting your performance I am taking you off the case and you will talk to the psychiatrist.”
“Yes, Chief,” Gwen responded.

“There’s something not right with her,” Draco stated to Harry. The pair was seated together in the department conference room. They had all the case materials spread out on the large table and in front of Harry was the purple leather bound notebook that Gwen had handed to him the other day. It was Hermione’s journal and Harry was hesitant to invade her privacy.
“She’s a muggle who just learned about the wizarding world. That’s all it is.”
“What about how everything is work with her?” Draco tried again.
“Yeah, I noticed that too. It’s like she hides in her work.”
“Yes! And its not right,” Draco declared triumphantly.
“I don’t see why it should matter to us,” Harry responded shrugging him off.
“What about her knowing someone named Tonks who had pink hair?”
“It’s a coincidence.”
“I don’t think so. How many girls going by the name of Tonk’s could there possibly be?”
“Draco, just…”
“I’ve got it!” Draco interrupted.
“Oh, Merlin. What?” Harry inquired.
“I can look through Tonk’s old case files and see if anything involving Gwen comes up.”
“I doubt it. I told you it’s just a coincidence,” Harry paused for a second, “but if you really want to waste your time go for it.”
“I’m right. You’ll see,” Draco said before exiting the room. Merlin, Harry thought that man does not let go. First it’s Hermione then Gwen Cooper. He sighed to himself and stared at the purple journal. He knew he needed to read it, but it felt wrong. He didn’t want to invade Hermione’s privacy, but he also knew that what was in there could help her.
Harry took a deep breath and flipped the book open to the first entry it was dated June 8th 1998. That was the day after the final battle. Harry sighed and began to read:

6-08-98
Neither Ron nor I could sleep last night. I felt so numb. I should have been happy that we had won, that Voldemort was dead and the killing could end. Or, I should have been sad for all the lives that had been lost. But I felt neither. When Ron came into my room crying I was angry with him. Angry that he could feel when I couldn’t. He tried to comfort me. He assumed that I was grieving too. I couldn’t tell him I wasn’t. He began to kiss my neck and I felt nothing. I could feel him hard against my thigh and still I felt nothing. I let him make love to me, hoping I would feel something.

6-18-98
I applied to Wizarding University today. I have felt so lost these last weeks. I don’t know what to do with myself. I have spent hours with Harry, Ron, and Ginny, but I never feel like I am really there. I am hoping that school will give me a sense of purpose.

6-31-98
Yesterday was graduation day. After the ceremony I went out with the gang and got drunk. We went to a muggle pub and played a muggle drinking game. Ron kept directing his at me. I think that he might be upset that I haven’t slept with him again. It’s funny how everyone else seems to be moving on like the war never happened. I wish I could do that.

7-20-98
I got my acceptance letter from the Wizarding University today. I’m not sure if I still want to go.


7-25-98
Ron has asked me out to dinner tomorrow night.

7-26-98
Ron and I went to dinner tonight at Anatolia’s. It is a very elegant place. Ron wanted to celebrate getting the keeper position with the Chudley Cannons. He was in such a good mood. We chatted all through dinner about how this was his dream job and now he can move into his own place. Things were going so well, but then he pulled a small black box out of his pocket. He got down on one knee beside my chair and said ‘ Hermione Granger, I have known you for over eight years. Together we have fought against Lord Voldemort and the death eaters. I have seen your strengths and your weaknesses. I cannot imagine finding anyone more amazing than you. Please, say that you will marry me.’ I was horrified. I did not expect Ron to propose, not now. I told him I couldn’t marry him, that I had plans to go to university. I asked him to wait six or seven years until I was done and settled in a good job. Ron grew red in the face and I think smoke was even pouring from his ears. ‘It is now or never,’ he said between gritted teeth. ‘I guess it’s never,’ I responded. He stormed out of the restaurant.

7-27-98
I moved into the leaky cauldron today. I am hoping that I can find a job and apartment in muggle London. Being part of the wizarding world feels like such a strain now. I hate that everyone knows who I am and has expectations of me. I wish I could just disappear from all this and start over somewhere new, but I can’t. I know I can’t. I’m still hoping to find purpose in my schoolwork at the University. Maybe I will feel better when school starts.

Harry was jarred by her words, “I wish I could just disappear from all this and start over somewhere new.” Had the last two years pushed Hermione to the breaking point? Had her feelings of numbness never gone away? Could Gwen be right that Hermione had left of her own volition?