Despicable Souls

Chapter 9

A DARK WIZARDS UPRISING
Written by Cho Chang

Dark times lie ahead. The Ministery has confirmed a group of dark wizards calling themselves 'the Resistance' are behind the string of murders of Muggle families. They say it's only a matter of time before they begin invading Wizarding Britain.

"This time, the Ministry will not sit idly by as dark forces grow strength," spoke the Minister of Magic, Draco Malfoy, in an exclusive interview with the Daily Prophet. "This time, we will secure allies and fight back. Harry Potter and the Auror Department will continue to monitor the situation locally and at our borders. This will not be like last time."

The remainder of the article were directives from the Auror Department.

1. Curfew will be in effect at ten o'clock every evening until further notice.
2. Review security arrangements in your dwelling. Turn to page 3 for guidelines. Do not travel alone when possible.
3. Agree to a security question in your dwelling that is personal. Change regularly.
4. For warning signs of the imperious curse, turn to page 5. For polyjuice, turn to page 6.
5. If you have any information on the Resistance, please contact the DMLE.

Hermione gave the Prophet back to George before taking a drink of her tea, willing her hands not to tremble.

George had decided to pop by the Leaky Cauldron, insistent on breakfast and showing her today's paper. Her portkey however was due to leave in a few minutes to Malfoy's property in France for her training in the Maze.

The wizard in front of her was talking, his lips were moving, but she couldn't hear him. Her mind was elsewhere, the incessant noise around her drowned out by sheer panic.

The Resistance was here.

Did they know she was here? It was only a matter of time...

"How soon can we remove the Trace?" Hermione asked sharply, interrupting whatever George had been saying.

George raised a brow. "I've been able to remove it temporarily but not permanently. I'm hoping in another month -"

A month? The Resistance will definitely know she's here by then. It would take very little surveillance to figure out who her souldbonds were, to take them for leverage...

They'd probably take Harry, Susan, and George too, just in case.

Temporary removal of the Trace may be enough time for her to get away and then pretend magic was no longer apart of her life.

She'd essentially need to live as a Muggle and be as far away from wizardkind as possible so their magic didn't give away her location.

"Could we try-"

The galleon next to her cup began to vibrate, a blue hue getting brighter.

Her portkey.

She thought about getting the trace removed now and making a run for it but her bonds would immediately start searching for her. There needed to be a bigger window of a head start.

"I have to go," she said numbly, reaching for the galleon.

"A certain witch told me heading west is the least perilous."

Hermione nodded, appreciating Susan's advice, and finally touched the coin.

There was an unpleasant pull behind her naval before the buzzing dining room of the Leaky vanished and was replaced with treacherous twelve foot hedges.