When Hermione Fights

Arrival at Grimmauld Place

Arrival at Grimmauld Place

My parents would leave for the South of France in their almost four-week holiday at the end of the week and only return shortly before school. To avoid the whole thing, as a holiday did not really fit into my daily schedule, I had, at the request of my parents, at the beginning of the first week of holiday, contacted the Weasleys and Dumbledore and explained to them that my parents would leave, but I would stay here. Professor Dumbledore said that this was not a problem at all, he had a place for me, as I could not possibly be alone in those times. I had imagined this differently, but that would not stop me from implementing my plans anyway, maybe it made it somehow more difficult, but I would make it. I was very optimistic.

Wouldn't be fun otherwise, if it were too easy! Here my cynicism kept coming back. So I sat in our BMW on Sunday morning and was taken by my parents to Grimmauld Place. In the letter from Professor Dumbledore, it was written that he would be waiting for me at 10 am in the park in front of Grimmauld Place. My father helped me with my luggage.

"Shall we wait, dear?" I heard Mum from the rear of the car.

"No, Mum, it's alright. Not that you'll miss your plane!" I exclaimed.

"Really darling, we'd like to wait!", She said.

"I know that, Mum. But I will not have to wait here for long and I know how much you are looking forward to the holidays. Just go" I smiled at her, relaxed.

Then Dad simply pulled me without a word into a hug and murmured, "Watch yourself, little one! We love you!" He kissed me on the cheek.

"I love you too. I'll see you soon, and have a nice holiday!" I leaned toward Mums's car windows.

"Enjoy! See you soon!" I waved her goodbye, as the car was already moving, and so my parents parted to their holidays and had no idea that they would leave their daughter to a starting war. I looked at the surroundings. Behind me was the fenced typical English town park with its old trees and the green meadow. On the other side of the street were the usual English detached houses of red brick, big and solid. A hardly perceptible, quiet plopping sound next to me, which I only perceived, because I practiced like a madman to get something like this, tore me out of my contemplation of my environment.

Ok, I admit. From this I was still a tiny little bit away! Yes, alright, in contrast to this I sounded like a misfire of a motor, satisfied! Inwardly I made a whining face, as if I were biting something very bitter. I turned to the sound and smiled relentlessly, not looking too deeply into his eyes, and glanced at his gray-robed robes as he wore them. I did not believe the walls were strong enough to defend my mind, but that would not prevent me from creating them anyway.

"Professor!" I said, pretending I'm surprised. "Where do you come from?", feigning a little more being oblivious Hermione. But especially with Dumbledore, my disguise had to stand perfectly! His interference at this time would be fatal and so far I had managed to remain relatively unobserved by him, as Harry's friend, the nerd, no more, but no less.

"Miss Granger, pleased to see you. Am I too late?" He asked habitually friendly and brightly smiling, blinking his bright blue eyes flashing behind his half-moon glasses in good spirits, as he looked around searchingly.

"No, Professor, we were too early, but since the plane was not waiting for my parents, I sent them quickly, or did you want to talk to them?" I asked politely.

"No, no, everything is fine. But now, Miss Granger. You surely want to see your friends as soon as possible, whom are already very impatient," he pulled out a parchment from his robe, which he gave me. I took it and read it carefully. There stood: "The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix is Grimmauld Place No. 12!" And the red brick houses were jerking already, sliding sideways, leaving a so far not visible building before my astonished eyes, while the paper burst into flames and fell to ashes.