Desperate Measures

Chapter 2

* Flash back- Ron's abduction. *

Harry had something important to tell Ron the day that Ron went missing. He wouldn't discuss it by owl and he refused point blank to meet Ron in public. Ron didn't mind though, it meant he could have his best friend to himself without half the town jabbering greetings and wanting to chat. They agreed that they would meet at Ron's rented lodgings in a tiny village a few kilometres from Hogsmeade at seven o clock. It was January and would be dark by then, Harry had less chance of being seen.

Harry had barely been seen out in public a month and a half prior to Ron's abduction. This had hurt Ron and Hermione because he had shut himself away from the world. They could only guess what he had been doing.

Harry wasn't a confused and angry teenager anymore, he was a philosophical and on the surface, careful mannered and spoken twenty year old man. Rumours had been flying around the wizarding world that he was training to become an Auror, or were 'In hiding from You-Know-Who' Or that the great and good Harry Potter was undergoing many dark and dangerous transformations to become strong enough to fight the Dark Lord.

All were plausible, but Ron knew 'that all was bullshit'

It was five o clock in the evening now and had been properly dark for half an hour, Ron contemplated actually cooking something for dinner that night, but after a few messy attempts at a simple meal of pasta, he sighed, gave up and made some toast instead.

After that little drama, it was six o clock and Ron thought about picking up a few bits of paper around the living room and sweeping the floor in the likely case Hermione came with Harry and decided to give him a few choice words about the state he was living in.

No sooner had he neatly stacked the paper, swept the floor and sat at the sofa with a mug of coffee, he heard a light pattering of feet down the pathway. Ron looked out the window expecting to see Harry and/or Hermione walking to his door.

Ron saw no one; he assumed that Harry was early and wearing his invisibility cloak, he would let himself in. It was starting to get chilly, even though the fire was blazing in the fireplace. Ron shuddered. All of a sudden he felt a whack of depression. It wasn't like him; recently, he had been fine, content. What the hell was going on?

It felt like hours were passing, but it was only seconds. Fear was hitting him in overpowering cold waves.

There was a polite knock on the door. Ron gulped, but found the nerve to answer the door. He didn't see why he was scared. It was only Harry...

***

Later on reflection, he wished he had taken his wand, though he didn't see how it would have done much good.

***

When Ron opened the door, a strong unseen force pushed past him onto the floor. He got up quickly and looked for his wand, if this was Harry's idea of a joke- he was going to hex him into next year! His wand wasn't there, it was twirling mockingly above his head where he had left it on the coffee table and bent down to get it.

This wasn't funny anymore. Another wand emerged. Ron felt sick; he didn't hear the spell muttered as he queasily tried to yell.

He was mute. Within seconds, he knew a full body bind would be placed on him. It was an attack, a silent attempt to abduct him. Ron had to think quickly, could he fight them off? How many of them were there? Who was it? Where the hell was his wand?

No time for that, powerful colours of curses were flying round the room. He was doing his best to dodge, but he knew he couldn't keep on jumping, knocking over his mug of coffee over the table and floor, sweeping papers everywhere. Ron saw a thick arm reach out of the cloak to punch him unconscious. Ron dodged it, but stumbled on the coffee table and cracked his head open. He didn't notice the blood pouring out. He knew resistance was fruitless and if he struggled more, they would kill him. But he wasn't going to just stand still and let these unknowns take him away. It dawned on him, as he lay there dazed for a moment- that it must be Death Eaters in invisibility cloaks come to get him. Why? He was pure blood and he hadn't seen Harry in weeks- he wasn't even a member of the order yet. Dumbledore had put him off to say join when he was twenty-one- 'live a little first, learn a trade or be educated further- you could be more help then'

The back door from the kitchen was wrenched open. The cold hit him harder than ever. It was Dementors who floated in. Ron sunk to his knees in fear and horror at the creatures. His head started to swirl and the worst of his memories came back.

The teddy that turned into a spider as a child smashed into Ron's mind first. It became worse. His meeting with Aragog and the day he thought Ginny had died in the Chamber of Secrets came next. If he could have cried out then, he would have. Then came into his mind the thoughts of Voldemort's return, Sirius' death... It was all too much; Ron began to twitch deliriously on the floor. He knew he was defeated. He would die now- they would kill him. Unarmed and unable to call for help, Ron knew that this was the end...

***

Hermione walked up the path to Ron's lodgings with Harry under an invisibility cloak at half seven. They were silent as she always refused to talk to him when he was wearing 'that thing'. She hated other wizards thinking she was talking to herself and that she was some mad young delinquent. She was also mad with him because they had got their meeting place confused, and wizards don't have mobile phones. Also Harry was invisible- he would not tell her why he was invisible or where he'd been for weeks, which was really annoying.

They let themselves into the house and stopped in horror at the sight before them.

The room was a chaotic mess, with paper and bits of rubbish everywhere, spilled coffee and blood and fibres of Ron's old 'fart arsing around the house cloak' in places.

Hermione gasped and whimpered at the sight of blood on the now smashed coffee table.

Harry started to look around the house calling Ron's name. There was no reply, he gave up and stared at the blood splattered around the room. Hermione was close to panicking. She was racking her brains thinking what had happened to Ron.

"Go next door Hermione and talk to the neighbours, see if they saw or heard anything suspicious," Commanded Harry. His voice was close to breaking. There was an awful lot of blood soaked onto the floor; he prayed Ron was not dead. Hermione dared not disobey him- they should raise the alarm- He must be in trouble- She thought desperately- he hasn't even got his wand.

The wand in question was lying forgotten on the sofa, tossed away carelessly while his kidnappers made their escape. Harry pocketed the wand. There was no doubt in his mind now that Ron had been abducted. No doubt as well that it was Death Eaters or other such dark force.

They were going to torture him for information of Harry's location and potential plans in defeating their master. Attempt to break memory charms on him if they suspected any.

But Ron knew nothing. Hermione knew nothing. Only Albus Dumbledore knew of where Harry was and what he was doing- and he weren't telling. They would find out even before they could drag Ron out of the house that he was as clueless as they were about the young wizard. The merciless Death Eaters and their evil leader would find this out and kill him straight away.

Hermione entered.

"I spoke to both sets of neighbours. One of them has been out all day; I met him at the door just as he was coming in. The witch next door on the other side said that about six a clock she heard crashes, but didn't want to intervene because he'd been arguing with a woman loudly that day- she saw Ginny come out soon after in tears. I know what that was about- its stupid really- he treats her like a kid..."

"You'll have to alert the ministry,"

"Why me Harry?"

"Because I'm not supposed to be seen. Look, I can't tell you anymore, just promise me you'll do all you can to get him back..."

"What about you Harry?"

"I can't, they'll expect me to go after him to save him and Voldemort will kill me."

Harry's voice changed to a softer tone that was nearly breaking with emotion.

"Please just find him. I would- you know I would, I would save him or bring his body back- but I can't- its too risky."

Harry advanced towards Hermione and swept her up in a big hug. Hermione thought she was going to cry at any minute clung onto him like a life raft.

"You have to do everything you can. You have to use your bravery and all brains, wit and cunning,"

"I know- I don't know what I would do if I lost Ron," Wailed Hermione.

"Me too."

***

They stayed in that embrace for five minutes. Longer than they should have done, time was at the essence. They didn't know if they were fighting to keep Ron alive, or having his dead body blown to smithereens. Finally, they broke away. Hermione promised she would do everything in her possible power to keep her word to Harry and bring Ron back.

Harry left Ron's little house under his cloak while Hermione left the house as it was, but locked the door. She was on her way to report to the ministry about Ron- though she didn't know why- bungling idiots. On a whim, she decided to owl Dumbledore instead and ask him what to do.

***

Dumbledore's office was as its usual organised chaos and Hermione was relieved to be in the safest place in the wizarding world. Dumbledore smiled at her in a friendly manner as she sat down. But as she told her story, his smile faded and he looked grave. She told him of Harry's words to go and save him herself- but the notion of it seemed so ridiculous that she- although an extremely talented witch, was inexperienced in actual dealings with the dark arts and her rushing in to save young Mr Weasley from the allies of Voldemort would certainly kill her.

Dumbledore was rambling onto himself she thought exasperated that this great wizard had no obvious solution. But when she started to listen, an idea struck her. Dumbledore was calmly talking about transformations and slyly joining elite groups and how so-in-so had done this in 1928 to spy on an up and coming dark wizard.

"But one thing worries me Miss Granger," If you are faced with the Voldemort, how will you hide your cover? He is an accomplished Legimens- you would be found out and killed,"

Hermione grinned triumphantly.

"And I am an accomplished Occumens Professor,"

Dumbledore stuttered how this girl would possibly know. Although a Legimens himself, he hadn't been trying to search into her mind at this moment.

Hermione explained she learned from Snape a couple of years ago the ability to close her mind from others interpreting her thoughts. Dumbledore and Hermione let it go unspoken that they knew she had obtained the lessons from the Slytheryn potions master because of blackmail- they were both considered to be in polite company and in polite company- you do not talk of such things- especially why the young woman was blackmailing a more experienced and darker wizard, what she had seen to make him so agreeable to teach such a subject.

***

Hermione left Hogwarts within the hour she entered. There was no time to lose; a plan was forming in her head. She hoped up to God, Merlin, who ever was listening that she could get her and Ron through this alive. It wasn't the most plausible, sensible or brilliant plan- rather crude- but she saw no other choice and got to work straight away.

***

Using Wizarding charms to change her appearance was not the best of ideas- Hermione realised that straight away. Charms can be stripped away and if they suspected for one minute she was in disguise...

She took notes of everything possible she would have to change about her appearance, hair, eyes, voice and basic body outline. Hair was easy, she would dye it the opposite colour to hers- blonde but have to magically sort out the fast growing roots. She would purchase coloured contact lenses... a nice blue- she thought, imply Veela blood. She could just put on an accent- her younger years at drama club had helped.

'It would be nice to be a metamorphagus' Hermione contemplated. She hated the idea of contact lenses, but she would do it and not moan.

The body was a harder thing- this would have to be achieved by magic. Months of operations were not an option. Hermione opted for shrinking from her height of five feet five, to a more docile and innocent looking five feet. She put an engorgement charm on her breasts grudgingly. She liked her moderate chest that left her free to lie on her front in bed. She used a complicated charm to give the impression of little muscles in her stomach and legs. It was four o'clock in the morning at that time; there was nothing more that she could do until the shops were open.

Hermione went to a shop at nine o'clock the next morning to buy some bleach for her hair. She followed the instructions exactly. She was pleased that the result was not ginger. She would look too much like a Weasley.

She entered her opticians at eleven o'clock. After a brief discussion with her optician and stressing the importance that she had the lenses now. After finding a blue pair that fitted, Hermione said she would order the other pairs and take this pair and the solution now.

***

Hermione made her way up to Hogwarts to clear her idea and new appearance with Dumbledore before she put her life on the line. He didn't appear to recognise her. She had blocked her thoughts from being available to him, and his surprise in the transformation showed on his aged face.

They ran through her plan and her new name and back ups and authenticity of their story- should the Death Eaters become suspicious. If they didn't take to her, she would change her appearance time and time again until they took her in. Several trusted members of the order would be in on this, Tonks in particular because of her ability to change appearance at will and able to pose as relatives, friends or even into Hermione herself.

They found out that the Death Eaters would be meeting up in the Hogs Head that night. Hermione had no time to get nervous. She would have to get certain on her plan, mannerisms and spells to use and how the hell flirting with Death Eaters was going to lead her to Ron.

Ten o'clock. It was time now to stand out side the pub and wait.

TBC (Flash back over)