CHAPTER 34: THE BAD NEWS

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WHERE ARE YOU?

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It was the 1st of January 1993. Dumbledore was having breakfast in the Great Hall with the students that stayed over the holidays, Dumbledore quickly finished his fill, and scanned the hall, only a couple of students stayed, Harry, Ron, Hermione, a couple of Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs, and a few Slytherins.

"Albus," said a stern feminine voice suddenly beside the old man, "How will the Aldrich boy catch up in classes, he skipped a whole semester, are you going to make him fail a year?"

"We can't do that Minerva." Said Albus softly, "He will manage, he's the one who requested it after all…"

"He's the one who requested it?!" Minerva was surprised, "And you allowed it?"

"Yes, have faith in the boy Minerva, he's much brighter than you think." Answered Albus while stroking his beard. Then, before Minerva can say anything more, a silver light suddenly came in front of Albus, causing some of the Professor to be startled, while Dumbledore was frowning, because the silver light quickly formed to an owl, Ed's Patronus.

The students also saw this and got curious on what is that. The owl then spoke, but only Dumbledore could hear it.

"Dumbledore, I bring bad news." Ed's voice sounded, his voice was a bit weak and cracked, "Hermione's parents were murdered, it wasn't my parents, it was hers, I made a miscalculation Dumbledore." The old man can hear the guilt in his voice, which made the old man sighed in empathy. "Can you tell her Dumbledore? I can't right now, I did something quite serious, and I need to deal with it now, so I can't be contacted in a few days, tell her to come to my parents' home, she'll find some answers there… don't tell anybody this message Dumbledore, only Hermione, I'm trying to fix my mistake." then the light disappeared, much to the others curiosity.

"Who is that Albus?" Minerva asked, "I never saw an owl Patronus before…"

"It's Ed." said the old man sadly, earning a surprise look from the Professors, "Minerva, could you continue watching the students here? I need some matters to attend."

The Professor then stood up, and walked towards the Gryffindor long table, on the way, he imagined on what will happen once Ed got back, 'I can only hope that Ed can still be convinced…' he sighed deeply, and he arrived to the Gryffindor Long table, the remaining students eyed him curiously, wondering what's going on.

"Miss Granger," said Albus softly, his face showing a sad expression, "Will you follow me please?" continued Albus, earning surprising looks from the students, Hermione just nodded blankly, a bit afraid on what will happen to her.

Dumbledore saw people were whispering, making Hermione more nervous, but Dumbledore then 'comforted' the girl.

"Don't worry Miss Granger, you are not in any sort of trouble." Said Dumbledore, "I bring you news, but we must talk privately."

Hermione once again nodded blankly and stood up, she then followed Dumbledore to his office, the two walked through the corridors quietly, no conversations were made at all, and a couple of minutes later, they arrived at the office, Dumbledore opened the entrance, and told Hermione to enter. Then the old man sat on his desk.

"Please sit Miss Granger." Dumbledore said as soft as possible, "Sherbet Lemon?" offered the old man.

Hermione then sat and took the candy, she then asked the old man worriedly, "What's going on Professor?"

Dumbledore sighed, then spoke calmly, "Miss Granger, I want you to know that whatever happens, your friends will always be with you.", Hermione got more worried by this sentence, but before she could say anything again, Dumbledore continued.

"Just now, Ed informed me that your parents have passed away."

Silence filled the room, Hermione looked at the old man blankly, trying to digest the information she just got.

"W-What?" she stammered, not believing what she heard.

"Miss Granger," said the old man while putting of his usual glasses, "I quite understand your feelings right now, but please, you have to calm yourself."

But she didn't listen at all, she continued to ask, "P-Passed away because of what?" she stuttered once again, she looked like she was about to burst into tears at any second. "A-And where's Ed? Why is he not here?"

Dumbledore sighed, "I do not know Miss Granger, he said that he won't be able to be contacted in a few days, and he told me to send you to his home now if you want answers…"

"T-Then h-how did my parents die?" Hermione choked, "I-is it an a-accident."

"Ed informed me that it was murder…" said Dumbledore softly, making Hermione sobbed, "I do not know the details Miss Granger, perhaps do you want to go to Ed's home now? Maybe you could get some answers there."

Hermione nodded weakly while sobbing uncontrollably, Dumbledore tried to comfort her, but obviously it didn't work, the old man just sighed in sympathy, and wait for the girl to calm down.

A couple of minutes later, Hermione stood up, "O-Okay Professor, T-Take me to Ed's house." She choked on her words from all the crying.

Dumbledore nodded weakly, the old man too stood up and walked to the girl, "Take my hand Miss Granger.", Hermione took the old man's hand, and the old man spoke to the phoenix nearby, "Take us to Ed's house Fawkes," the phoenix just chirped and flew to the old man, the bird grabbed Dumbledore's shoulder and apparated the two, leaving the office behind.

Dumbledore and Hermione arrived in front of the home, Hermione's face looked swollen, and her eyes are bloodshot from all the crying, and she still sobbed a little. It's still snowing, and Hermione didn't wear warm clothing because she rushed to Ed's home. Then the two walked to the front door, and Dumbledore knocked the door.

A couple of seconds later, the door was opened and Ashbey, he looked at the two, he first looked at Dumbledore, which he nodded, and then he looked at Hermione, which he sighed softly.

"Miss Granger," greeted Ashbey, "Come in, it must be cold outside.", Ashbey then let the two come inside to warm up, Hermione then instantly ask, "Where's Ed Ashbey?"

Ashbey sighed at the question, "We don't know Miss Granger."

"You don't know?" Hermione questioned; her face looked tired from all the crying.

"Yes, we don't know." Ashbey said, "Last night, on midnight, he suddenly yelled frantically to me and told me to call your home, and I did, but no answer, after that, he's gone." Explained Ashbey. "But then Master Roger said that he came back, he him that he needed to go, and Master Roger said that he was handcuffed by a group of bizarre looking people with swords and guns on their waists."

Dumbledore frowned, while Hermione looked gloomy, Ashbey looked at the two, and he asked Hermione hesitantly, "Miss Granger… you don't know where your parents are do you? I went to your house last night, but it was empty, the door was unlocked, the lights and tv were turned on, but no sign of Mr. and Mrs. Granger…"

Hearing the question, Hermione cried again, but it wasn't as hysteric as last time, she just cried silently. Ashbey knew what it meant and just stood in silent.

"Mr. Ashbey…" Dumbledore said, "Did Ed left a message to Miss Granger right here? He informed me that he did."

Ashbey nodded, "He did sir, but he told it to Master and Mistress, and they're not at home right now, do you want to wait?"

Hermione nodded weakly, then all of a sudden, Dumbledore stood up and spoke to her, "Then I have to take my leave here Miss Granger, I believe you're well taken care of in here, as for the school year, you can take a couple of days of until you recover, until then, you need to rest, I will see you at Hogwarts Miss Granger."

Hermione just hummed, and Dumbledore excused himself from the home, apparating to the school once again.

Ashbey then looked at Hermione softly, "Would you like some tea while waiting Miss?"

Hermione nodded, "Yes, I would like that, thank you Ashbey…" answered Hermione weakly. Ashbey then left the living room and went to prepare the tea. Meanwhile Hermione was thinking in the room silently, 'Where are you Ed?' she thought while sobbing, 'What happened last night?'

A couple hours later, Hermione was still drinking tea silently in the living room, calming herself down, she was playing with her fingers, a habit she picked up when she was nervous and full of anxiety, and then the one who she awaited arrived.

The front door opened, and with it entered Roger and Anna, who looked a bit tired and gloomy, but when they saw Hermione, they smiled sadly.

"Hermione dear, how are you." Greeted Anna with a soft smile.

Hermione also responded with a weak smile, "I'm Managing Mrs. Andrews…"

Roger sighed in sympathy and the two sat in front of the girl.

"Hermione," Roger spoke softly, "I think it's best for you to live here at the moment, we can't protect you if you stay at your parents'…"

Hermione wanted to cry once again, but she hold it and nodded, then Roger continued, "Ashbey will take care of it, in the meantime, Ed left you a message."

Roger looked at Hermione's expression and continued, "He told you to go to his study room, and enter 'That' place, whatever that place is…"

Hermione instantly perked up and nodded weakly in understanding, "Thank you Mr. Andrews, can I go to his study room now?"

"Of course, you don't need direction right?" confirmed Roger, which Hermione just hummed, she then excused herself and walked to Ed's room.

She stood in front of the door, slowly opening it, she smelled a familiar scent, the smell of old books that always permeate Ed's room and clothes that she had missed over the summer, she then entered the room and saw that it was quite tidy, a sign that Ed didn't sleep here last night. She walked slowly to the study room, and opened the door, and to her surprise, she saw that the study room was quite messy, books were littered everywhere, papers scattered on the desk, a board with unrecognizable writing can also be seen.

"What did he do last night?" Hermione asked Herself, she then picked up one of the book on the desk and read the title of it, 'The magic of the Blood', she read, which made her frowned, she put the book down and looked at the papers that are scattered and looked at it one by one.

A couple of minutes later she arrived at the conclusion that Ed was studying blood magic, or rather a blood curse or some kind. Hermione was stuck as she didn't know what the runes and calculations mean, so she gave up for now and searched for the suitcase. She found it on the corner of the study room, and put it sideways, she whispered the password, and entered the dark hole in the suitcase.

She then arrived at the bottom of it, lighting up the whole room. She breathed in the air in the room, she missed the atmosphere of the place, the sound of crackling fire, the comfortable temperature, and when Ed was here, the sound of the gramophone playing music in the background.

Suddenly, Gilligan appeared in front of Hermione, startling her a little bit.

"Hello little girl…" said Gilligan, "I believe you want answers for the events that happened."

Hermione nodded, "Yes Gilligan, can you tell me everything? Please…"

Gilligan sighed, "Very well, sit down little girl."

Hermione then sat down on the sofa where she usually sat, besides Ed's place. She looked at the crackling fire and took a deep breath, "So what happened Gilligan? Dumbledore told me that my parents were murdered?" she said while holding her tears, "But Ashbey said that they didn't find anything…"

"They passed away little girl…" said Gilligan calmly, making Hermione choked a little bit, "But from the looks of it, they'll be revived soon enough."

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, surprised at the statement.

Gilligan pointed at a bottle on top of the fireplace, "Ed forced me to give him the knowledge about the revival magic." Said Gilligan, "And that bottle right there, contained your parents' souls."

"W-What?" Hermione stammered, "So they're alive?"

"No, their souls were trapped by Ed so he can revive them."

"Trapped!?"

"Yes, do you want to talk to your parents?" asked Gilligan, looking at Hermione in the eye.

Hermione was still surprised at the revelation, she collected herself and nodded, "C-Can I?"

"You can little girl, Ed had talked to them." Gilligan answered.

"O-Okay then, what do I need to do?"

"Just grabbed the bottle and focus your consciousness to it." Explained Gilligan, "Close your eyes and imagined being sucked to the bottle."

Hermione nodded weakly and grabbed the bottle, she then closed her eyes and imagined it. And once she opened her eyes, she can only see black, darkness surrounding her everywhere.

"H-Hello? Anyone here?" said Hermione, a little bit afraid at the situation, her voice echoed throughout the place.

Two silver lights suddenly approached Hermione, making her on guard.

"Hermione?" said a feminine voice that Hermione was familiar with, "Is that you?"

"M-Mom?" Hermione stammered.

"I'm here sweetheart." Answered Mrs. Granger softly, "I take that you heard the news?"

"W-What happened?" asked Hermione, trying to hold her tears.

"Shhsh… don't cry Hermione, Ed said we will definitely come back…." Said Mrs. Granger. "We… were killed… We thought it was a robbery, but Ed said that it was an assassination."

Hermione is trying her best to not burst into tears right now, in fact, she didn't want to, she already cried all day, and her eyes are quite swollen. "B-By who? W-who wanted to kill you?"

"We don't know…" said Mr. Granger, "You have to ask Ed for that, he seems to know who killed us."

Hermione calmed a little, she looked at her parents and tried to hug them, but she can't, she just phased through them like when she tried to touch a ghost.

"Hermione…" Mr. Granger said softly to his daughter, "Don't worry okay? Ed will help us."

Hermione nodded weakly, and Mrs. Granger questioned her daughter, "Do you blame him?" asked Mrs. Granger softly, "When he talked to us, he blamed himself for our deaths, I don't know what he did, but the guilt in his eyes…"

Hermione gulped nervously, "D-Do you know where he went? I want to talk to him…"

Mr. Granger shook his head, "We don't Hermione, he just visited us to apologize…" he said softly.

"Go easy on him will you?" Mrs. Granger advised, "he seems a bit shocked at our deaths, and blamed himself, so take care of him."

Hermione nodded weakly, "I will mom, I need to scold him also." Said Hermione.

The couple just chuckled, "Well, I guess it's time to go Hermione, we'll see you when it is time."

Hermione hummed, "I'll miss you mom, dad…" then Hermione looked at her parents one last time, and suddenly, she was transported back to the living room, with the owl looking at her.

"Finished?" asked Gilligan, which Hermione just nodded.

"Sit down then," ordered Gilligan, "I will tell you what happened."

Hermione sat down on the sofa, and listened to Gilligan intently, not missing any information.