Spellbound Sacrifice: The Hidden Truth (Book 1)

Chapter 2 - Haunting History

Chapter 2 - Haunting History

Harry left shortly after they reluctantly agreed to go back to Hogwarts, with him tomorrow, and Hermione decided to leave Ron with his thoughts as he cleared away the broken glass from the oak floor.

"I'll be upstairs getting our things together then" she whispered as he nodded without looking back.

His hunched, tensed shoulders told her this would not be an easy journey but the thought of going into work next week and trying to forget about everything she had learnt, experienced and loved at Hogwarts made her die a little each day.

Hermione never could just forget about those years as, even with the fatal sacrifices they all made, with some we still regret to this day, it made her into the woman she is today but she also knew that if she did go back it would be 'make or break' for her marriage and was torn as to how she would deal with life without someone who had been her rock through all these years.

She looked back at her distraught husband and opened the door, knowing the time had come to unlock the memories and deal with their past demons. Her mind was anxiously ready but her body was unwilling.

The cool breeze from the door gave her some perspective on what they had just agreed to and she hesitantly willed her resistant body towards the attic door.

Neither of them had been in the attic since they bought the house eight years ago and, just like their memories of that night at the Hogwarts Prom, they shoved all of their magic related possessions in a deep trunk and locked it away - never to be released again.

The cream carpet bounced against Hermione's dragging feet as her hand reached out for the rusted copper doorknob.

She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and whispered, 'Accio Horcrux Key' as she held her hand out and felt the cold tarnished key fall into her shaky palm.

She put the key into the lock and turned it slowly as the bolt clicked open and a gust of musty air greeted her apprehensive face.

The creaky stairs only added to her anxious mind as she scrambled to find the light switch, 'got it' she whispered to herself as the door slammed shut and she was left in the dusty room with only the shadows to keep her company.

Walking around the cluttered space, she found items from her childhood up to more recent objects that provided more happy memories such as her wedding dress.

Hermione walked over to the mannequin, it was draped over, and stroked the silk through the plastic dress bag as she reminisced about one of the happiest (and saddest) days of her life.

As her hand connected with the plastic, flashbacks bombarded her mind, without warning, as the amazing day played out in her mind like a disjointed film. From Ginny splitting the back of her pink bridesmaid dress, due to her ever expanding pregnant stomach, to more sullen thoughts of her sat by the telephone in her room at The Dorchester hotel trying to resist every urge to contact her parents in the bleak hope that her Memory Charm spell didn't work, years before, and just by hearing her voice their memories of her would come flooding back and they could be there for her on her special day.

This memory was too much for Hermione to bare as she stepped away from the taunting outfit and looked around for the real reason she came to the haunting space.

The moonlight shone through the arched stain glassed windows as hues of greens, reds and purples attempted to bring some warmth and energy into the eerie and ghostly room.

She walked around not wanting to touch anything in case more disturbing memories invaded her fragile mind before stumping her toe on something hard and dusty, 'ouch!' she screeched as she inspected her bloody toe in her unsuitable flip flops.