•Memories• ||D.M.||

65. They

I hobbled towards the door, in pain for god knows what reason.
It took me until after I removed the IV to realize that this wasn't normal.
"I have to get back!" I cried as a nurse grabbed me. "I need to go back to school!"
"Miss, I need you to calm down!" She insisted. "Your friend went missing, and we have some officers waiting to talk to you."
"Officers?? Why would-"
It couldn't be..
"Oh, darling!"
My heart instantly broke as the woman who raised me bursted through the door.
"M-" I couldn't even say it at this point.
"Honey, how are you feeling?" It was Hermione's parents.. my parents.
"I'm fine.. can I please go back to school and sort this out-"
"Darling, it's Saturday.. and, your friend Christina went missing."
This was all too scary for me. "Where's Hermione?" I asked.
They just looked at me, confused.
"Is that another one of your friends?"
I turned over and threw up.
I was in the muggle world, and suddenly an only child.
How'd they know about Christina, then?
"Hello? I'm officer Eclair. Is now a bad time?"
I turned and threw up once more.
They gave me time to gather myself, and my brain jumped around like a tennis ball.
Maud was off from the start, and with Christina going missing, and me here, and Hermione's parents not even knowing her, I knew there was some mind magic at play.
But why?
"Miss Granger?" Maud asked, wearing a police uniform.
I held in a gag at the name and nodded.
"What do you remember about the accident?" She asked, and I tried to read her expression.
"How long have you been a cop?" I questioned, and she put her notepad down.
"I finished my training.. two days ago." She seemed to have trouble recalling.
"Have you ever heard of Hogwarts?" I asked, and her absolute confusion made me gasp.
It was her who helped me, and got gassed..
"Oh, god.. Maud?" I asked.
"How'd you-"
"Listen to me, this isn't real.. we need to get back home."
"I'm sorry, s-should I get a nurse?"
I reached for my wand, but it wasn't there.
"Please! You just came from the states, you attend Hogwarts!" I begged to no avail.
"You're a witch, goddamnit!" I yelled, tugging on her hand, and her face instantly became neutral, then her eyes went wide with shock.
"It was the Stone Guard." She said as she instantly stood up, reclaiming the demeanor that she carried at the dining hall however long ago.
"Stone Guard?" I questioned.
"They've been tracking me down since I left their cause, they didn't know where the children of the Rain Stone were and I was the closest option."
"Stone this, Stone that! What are you talking about?!"
"Todd Christopher Webber. He was the original. An American spy for the English ministry. He possessed the ability of true knowledge."
"Wait, wait? Christina and Jay's father was an American spy?!"
"Yes, as I said.." she seemed to look down on me. "They saw him as a god for his good deeds before he was sent off, and created some twisted cult following, even expanding into the muggle world. Anyone who possessed the true knowledge was seen as worthy.." she was looking around and out the windows.
"What the hell is going on..?" I shook my head.
"I don't know how long we've been out! They specialize in memory work. I've been under countless times, but i have no idea how you got over it.."
"I never had anything.." I shook my head at her.
"We need to get back to the school and tell Umbridge.."
"What's she going to do except give the Stone Clan detention?" I asked, choosing the wrong time for sarcasm.
"Stone Guard." She corrected. "And she owes me a favor."
---
"How'd they get us out here?" I asked on the subway. "And why the missing posters?"
"For the story, obviously. And they have no bounds between the two worlds. People working from all angles." She grabbed my wrist harshly and pulled us into the night.
"I need to get a letter to the ministry." She said.
I then gasped. "Is Avocado back at school?!"
She just looked at me with the same distaste she had this whole time.
"He's my kitty.." I mumbled.
She scoffed and continued to pull me through the streets of London.
"Luckily, they aren't great at hiding anything, so I'd assume.." we circled a certain building for a minute before she found a mossy stone, and lifted it.
Our wands!
Now, I was a maniac limping around the city in a hospital gown with a magic stick.
"Is Christina gifted?" She asked me as she scanned the area for people like she's constantly been doing.
"Yeah, she's smart, pretty, hilarious and an all around great-"
"Oh, shut your gay mouth and tell me if she seems to know things she's not supposed to??"
"What??" I questioned, and she groaned.
"I knew the wands would be here, that's knowing something."
"Her crazy intuition! Is that-"
"True knowledge, yes.. we need the ministry's help. We need a floo."
---
"Three young ladies have gone missing under your watch, Dumbledoor." Umbridge accused in his study, when just a few doors away..
"This isn't some feud right now, we want to know what happened to her-" Harry asked.
"You're acting like you knew her! It's none of your business!" Draco was genuinely angry, not teasing or condescending, he was furious that those three wanted to 'team up' to find what happened.
"She was my sister!" Hermione insisted.
"Was! She was your sister!" Chloe spat out, and Donna nodded, both of them ready to save their old friend who had been missing for 3 days now.
"That doesn't matter now, alright? Christina-"
"Don't even start! You've never had a conversation with either of them!" Draco interrupted.
Harry chode his next words carefully, as to not provoke the boy with the 'inquisitorial squad' pin.
"We had detention together and talked a lot, (Y/n) and I."
Those were not the right words, and Draco's face screamed murder.
"Ah, Harry and I are here if you need any help finding them, or if it has anything to do with Voldemort-"
"It doesn't. We don't need your help." Blaise said with utmost seriousness, the last piece for setting the world off balance.
---
"Maud, I'm tired.." I cried out as my feet scraped against the ground again, and I winced.
"You spoiled snake!" She snapped. "Poor you, with your gold earrings, diamond necklaces and fancy bracelets clinking every step! You're unimaginably selfish and spoiled!"
"Says the cult baby who has some fucking shoes on her feet!" I yelled back. "You had a problem with me when you made eye contact for the first time, and our first conversation was in a hospital room as we're both being hunted, and you still have a problem with me!"
"Don't try to make this about you! I've been running for them my whole life, and you've stayed at one school, one amazing best friend, one perfect boyfriend, and a fairytale life! I've seen your type, and-"
I smacked her across the face. "I went from neglected fake child, to an orphan, and I still found my meaning. My "type" is strong."
She clenched her cheek.
"They could've taken my memories, but they can't take who I am."
She was quiet.
"We need to get back tonight. I can carry you." She offered.
"No. I'm suddenly less tired." I said as I continued to limp past her, as she looked back and saw the perfect imprint of my feet against the moonlight, a blood red stain.
---
The loud talking from inside the hall neared.
The doors bursted open, and there we stood, soot and dirt on our faces and bodies, a whole day later as Maud collapsed on the ground.
"Pencils down.." I said as I groaned, falling down a second after.
I awoke as I was being lifted up the stairs.
Jeremy huffed, and I looked back to see my friends close behind, and I smiled weakly.
"I have her! Help the other girl!" Jeremy yelled. "Everyone else, leave!" He ordered to my friends as someone stayed behind to help.
"Jer, I'm okay." I tried to sit up, and he gently kept me down as he hovered his wand above me.
"That's- that's a broken rib (Y/n)! What the hell happened?!"
"I was kidnapped by fucking cult members, Jeremy!"
Jay burst through the door, Theodora not far behind.
"Is she..?" He asked.
"No." Jeremy hissed, slamming his fist against the wall.
"She's stable."
I looked up and Draco stood over Maud, helping her.
"Dr-"
"You should've told her!" Jeremy yelled over me.
"What?! That the memory of our father was twisted into a creepy ideology about 'true power'?!"
"Anything to keep her safe, goddamnit!" Jeremy argued back, and I saw Theodora begin to cry, holding her inflated belly.
I held my hand out to her and she took it while the men argued.
"Did you see her?" She asked.
I solemnly shook my head. "Maud has information to help, alright?"
"Please... Chris is like a child to me." She cried. "She needs to meet her godson.."
"She will." Charlie announced as he showed up, in a messy suit, face scruffy and eyes dark. "They found her."
"They did?!" Jermey called. Only Draco and him knew what he meant by 'they.' "You two are coming with me to get her." He said to Jay and Jeremy.