A Time of Reckonings

"A Time of Reckonings"

Chapter 1: The Boy Who Disappeared

It all began, that fateful day in 1980. Lord Voldemort, the most powerful wizard besides Albus Dumbledore, decided to pay the Potters at Godric's Hollow a little visit. It was a day, which would live in infamy. James and Lily Potter died that day, but a ray of hope shone through. Harry Potter, who was a little more than a year old, lived through the Avada Kedavra curse. However, the curse did not rebound upon Voldemort, but it simply had no effect. Voldemort did disappear that night, not to be heard of until 13 years later.

Harry, however, disappeared that night. No one has seen the baby he was since that fateful night.

And that brings our characters to the present day.

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The Forests of England

"Pss... hey, Sahki! Wake up! They're coming again!"

Hermione Granger urgently shook her friend awake from her nap. Ever since her fifth year, when Voldemort had taken the Sorcerer's Stone and become immortal, she had been on the run. As a Muggle born witch, she was never safe. Death Eaters (led by Draco Malfoy) had been after her ever since.

She had met up with Sahki Poplomanu a year ago. Sahki was a Hawaiian witch on the run, not because she was Muggle born, but for two reasons. One, she was a Muggle born witch/wizard sympathizer, and Two, because she was the last shape shifter left in existence. You name the animal, she could become it. It was a talent that came in handy on more than one occasion.

"Huh?"

"You heard me! Malfoy and his crew are nearby! I can sense it!" Hermione whispered. She took out her wand and moved all their things into their bags.

Sahki stood up and said "I'll go look." Her form shifted into a snake and she slithered around the bushes.

Hermione grabbed their two bags and dove into the bushes. She could hear Sahki slithering towards her.

"You're right. Malfoy brought three Death Eaters, four dementors, and his father! We need to take to the air, and fast!" she said as she shifted into a small bird.

Hermione did a weightlessness and a shrinking charm on the bags, and transformed into her Animagi form, an owl. They took to the air, flying opposite from Malfoy's party.

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"Father, I see them!" Draco Malfoy shouted as he pointed at the two birds flying away from them.

Draco laughed smugly as he said, "I told you I'd show you where they were hiding." His smile quickly disappeard as the birds joined a flock of ravens migrating away from this winterey place.

"Well, now, young Master Malfoy, how do you suggest we follow them?" a Death Eater asked.

"We shall go back to Lord Voldemort and ask what he wants us to do next," Lucius said matter-of-factly. "For now, go find us some wild game so we can eat."

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Sahki looked at the ground below her as she soared high above it. They were out of England and going over France. From there they could join up with the Underground. Sahki had recieved an urgent message via brainwaves telling her and Hermione that the Underground had a mission for the two of them. Rumors had been going around that Harry Potter had been located. But you could never rely on them. Some said he was in Switzerland, others said he was in Hong Kong. Sahki didn't believe any of them. She personally believed that Harry Potter was dead.

Sahki had grown up on the island of Oahu. She had attended Ko'pa'po's Academy of Magic, and there recieved her magical education. It wasn't until she was 13, however, did she realize that she was different. She realized she could asume the form of whichever animal she pleased at whatever time she wished.

It was then that Hawaii had fallen to the Dark Forces. Dark wizards took over the Academy, and all the students there either joined the Death Eaters, or were put to death. Sahki had been lucky. She had been put on trial to decide her fate for refusing to join the Death Eaters, and was awaiting trial when she had escaped in the form of a butterfly. She flew out of her cell, and escaped to the mainland America.

Afterwards, she had remained hidden in Death Valley, living as a rattlesnake for two years. She came out, and promptly gotten ahold of a wizarding newspaper.

The Herald's Oracle

California's ONLY Source for Wizarding News

Hogwart Is Overthrown by Lord Voldemort

Velga Stiowski, London

A day which will stand out in everybody's minds who were there forever. A sight, Lord Voldemort, back after 13 years, in which everybody thought he was dead. Now, forevermore, a cloud will hang over the remains of the world's safest wizarding place. Lord Voldemort has stolen the Sorcerer's Stone from its hiding place in the Mirror of Erised and made himself immortal. Hogwarts is no more, and all the faculty, including the great Albus Dumbledore, are dead. The students who survived the attack were checked for loyalties, and the same procedure that happend at Ko'pa'po's Academy of Magic was put in place. All Muggle born witches and wizards were killed, and those who refused to join were put on trial to decide their fate (which ulitmately is death). In this time of fear, I fear that the wizarding world is not safe. I propose a question which we all wish to know the answer to:

Where in the world is Harry Potter?

After reading that article, Sahki made up her mind. She shifted into a falcon, and flew to England, and found the Forbidden Forrest, and what was left of Hogwarts. She lived there for a year, and that was when she discovered Hermione.

Hermione Granger, Hogwarts-soon-to-be valedictorian, and the brightest witch in the world. It didn't help, however, that she was Muggle born. When they had first met, Hermione had regarded her with some suspicion. It had taken time, but Sahki had proven that she was on the same side as Hermione. Now, they were fighting for their lives.

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Hermione looked over at Sahki, and recalled that fateful day, in which her world had changed.

It started out as a normal school day. Good morning, Miss Valedictorian! How did you sleep? she would ask herself in the mirror. Go to breakfast, have a little snog session with her boyfriend (God rest his soul) in the back of the library, and off to classes. It was mid-morning, when things started looking wierd. The sky became black as tar, and all the teachers were nowhere to be found. Hermione frantically scurried through the castle. "Everyone to their houses!" she yelled, pinning on her Head Girl badge on in a frantic frenzy. But when she turned the corner, she saw something she would have nightmares about for the rest of her life.

Draco Malfoy, with wand in hand, was torturing Professor Snape, using the Cruciatus Curse. Professor Snape was on the ground, withering in pain, his hands clutching his wand uselessly. He looked up and saw her.

"Granger! Go, run! Get out of here..." he yelled as Malfoy hit him with another Cruciatus Curse. But that was when she heard Malfoy's ill fated words....

"AVADA KEDAVRA!!"

A flash of green light, and Snape's body stopped its shuddering and twitching, and was still. Malfoy threw back his head and let out an evil laugh.

"STUPEFY!" Hermione shouted with all her might, and pointed her wand at Malfoy. It hit him, mid-laugh, and he fell over backwards and hit the ground.

Hermione had no time to think, but she turned and ran. She could hear screams of the other teachers, being tortured by other Death Eaters. She went to the common rooms of every house, screaming "To the front hall!"

She took to her Animagi form and flew out of one of the open windows. She could see Death Eaters everywhere. 'What is the ultimate goal of this massacre?' she thought. Then she knew the answer. The great doors of Hogwarts flew open. All of the students ran out, screaming. Behind them stood a shadow.

Voldemort.

The Lord of Darkness himself.

He looked around at the screaming children, and laughed. "You don't feel so safe without your great protectors, Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter around, do you?" Hermione gasped. Dumbledore.....dead? It couldn't be, but yet it was.

"And your Head Boy and Head Girl have been successfully eliminated too!" he cackled. "And I have the Sorcerer's Stone, and I am now invinceble!"

That meant two things. #1, he thought that Hermione was dead, and #2, Ron Weasely, her best friend, Head Boy, and her boyfriend, was dead.

Life is over. Time to run, sister.

Things had never been the same since. She had met up with Sahki after discovering her in the Forbidden Forest. Now they were in France, about to recieve an assignment.

Sahki got up, pressed a button on a transmitter she had, and Hermione and herself were Apperated to the Underground's main office.

There sat Ginny Weasley, who had also disappeard after Voldemort had destroyed Hogwarts.

"Hermione, it's good to see you," as she stood up and embraced her. "You too, Sahki."

"You wanted us?"

"Yes, I have an assignment for you. I want you to get someone for me."

"Why?"

"Well, he's very important to overthrowing Voldemort. I believe I can count on you to find him," Ginny said very seriously.

Sahki gasped. "You don't mean...."

"Yes," Ginny said.

"Harry Potter has been found."