Hermione Granger and the Theft of Magic

Chapter 4: Right Where You Are

[A/N: Thank you to Calamity Owl, Darsynia, GaeilgeRua, GenericName404, and Liquid-Water for beta-reading this chapter!]

"I'm a...witch?" Hermione asked.

"Yes," Harry said. "That's how you were able to see my magic wand. I'd spelled it to be hidden to muggles, but you're not a muggle. I think someone bound your magical core and then somehow warded it to warn them if you ever successfully cast a spell. Magic doesn't play well with electronics, so that's what happened to your telly."

"I don't remember anyone ever doing that to me, though," Hermione said.

"You wouldn't necessarily remember anything," Remus said. "There's a spell that allows someone to surgically remove memories."

"That's awful!"

"It is," Sirius said, "and highly illegal. However, I have some resources of my own that aren't exactly legal, but might help us sort out what happened to you."

"Thank you," Hermione said. "I feel sick that someone might have done something to me that I can't remember."

Harry took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "I understand," he said. "That's one of the reasons I said magic could be horrifying. We also need to figure out how to remove the ward from your magical core, though. Remember how Remus said this house is protected by a Fidelius Charm? As long as you're here, that beacon can't be tracked. If you leave the house, though, whoever did that to you will be able to find you again."

Hermione swallowed hard. "You mean I'm trapped here?"

"I'm sorry," Harry said. "There are very few houses protected like this in Britain, though, and this is the only one I had access to on such short notice. Remus, Sirius, can she stay here with you?"

"Of course," Sirius said. "We probably have the best private library in the country to research what's happened to her, too."

Remus nodded. "She's the victim of an offence against Magic itself, as far as I'm concerned. I want to help set that right."

"But...I can't just move in with people I barely know!" Hermione said.

Harry turned to her and put his other hand around her hand he was still holding. "Listen to me, please. If you leave this house, we don't know when you'll be attacked or how many people will attack you, but you're almost certainly going to be attacked. When that happens, the best-case scenario is that they'll take away your memories of the last few hours, and they'll probably kill you. We won't make you stay here, but I'm asking you not to go. I...I don't want to lose you, and I'm worried that if you walk out that door I'll either never see you again or, if I do, you won't remember who I am."

Hermione tried to look away from his eyes and failed miserably. "I don't want that, either," she whispered. If he ever realised what his eyes did to her, she would be well and truly lost.

"It's alright, dear," Remus said. "Any friend of Harry's is welcome here." He yawned. "I'm afraid it's gotten terribly late. Let's get some sleep and reconvene in the morning. We'll need a research plan to figure out what's happened to Hermione, and I suspect Harry will need to get to work at some point."

"I do," Harry said, "but thank Merlin I have evening shifts for the next week. I think we all need to sleep in tomorrow."

"I agree," Sirius said heartily. "Remus, would you-"

"Way ahead of you." Remus was already rising as he spoke. "I'll go clear out the guest rooms."

"Thank you," Hermione said. "Does he need any help? I don't want to be a bother."