Will You Ever Return to Me?

Chapter 16.

October 2002, Chicago, Illinois.

"Can I ask you a question, Ms. Granger-Weasley?" Catherine Hemmings scrutinized Hermione. Hermione didn't like doing this--she never thought the search for Hund would mean impersonating members of other organizations so much. Nominally, Hemmings was in command. In practice, Joe Stone usually decided what the team would do--and Hermione decided how.

"Sure, ma'am," Hermione answered. They wore ordinary Muggle clothes here in Chicago, but they also carried fake Chicago Police Department Ids. They were here to investigate the possibility that Hund was behind...

"Do they teach logic at those magical schools of yours?"

"What're you implying?" Hermione demanded. "That I'm--"

"Oh, you are all right," Hemmings conceded. "But the more I work with you, the less sense it makes--this riot is just the latest example."

Yesterday, Chicago was a site of an anti-Muggle riot similar to the Death Eaters' appearance at the Quidditch World Cup in England eight years before, but much larger--according to eyewitnesses, it involved at least two hundred wizards.

"It's a riot. By definition, that's spontaneous. In my opinion, Stone is--"

"I don't think so," Hemmings interrupted. "Why now? There hasn't been anything on this scale in decades."

That was true. The riot was enormous. Seven Muggles were dead, two from killing curses, three when a media helicopter was blasted and sent into Lake Michigan, and two others who couldn't escape the fires. Almost a hundred were heavily injured, including five wizards--once the Muggles got over the initial shock of seeing what they saw, some tried tried to defend themselves. Some of them had guns. Hermione thought shield charms could stop bullets... but she wasn't eager to test the theory.

"We would be asking that whenever it happened. It's not the first time in history, is it?"

"Well, no," Hemmings said. "I have to say, the response was admirable."

The riot had lasted less than fifteen minutes when the MLEA acted. Teams of Aurors began Apparating right in the midst of rioters, and sent Stunners in every direction, sapping their strength. Once that was done, the area of the riot was secured, anti-Apparition wards went up, and everyone caught inside was detained and interrogated. Memory Charms were used on the Muggles, and a story about mechanical breakdowns was sent to cover up the helicopter crash. The only actual video footage of the riot was in that helicopter, and the MLEA made sure they got there first. Finally, special teams went in to repair everything they could by magic, and a powerful rainstorm was conjured for the night so that a reason existed for anything they couldn't.

Hermione nodded. Yes, the response was admirable. She wished they didn't need to do any o fit. Still... "All right, Colonel. Suppose someone's behind this. Suppose Hund's behind this. Why?"

"More importantly, how do we stop him from doing something like this again?" Hemmings said.

Hermione tried to think up of an answer when a man bumped into her. He was constantly muttering to himself, "I am not crazy. I am not crazy. I am not--oh, sorry, ma'am."

"It's all right. What were you saying?"

The man sighed. "I try to tell people what I saw last night, but they don't believe me. But I know what I saw. I am not crazy."

Hermione nodded at Hemmings. "Why don't you tell us," she said. "I've seen a lot of strange things; maybe I won't think you're crazy."

They sat down on a park bench. "Last night, I was sitting at my computer when I hear shouts outside, on the streets. There was a large crowd dressed weirdly--"

"What do you mean, weirdly?" Hermione asked.

"Robes and cloaks, mostly. Like out of a fantasy movie, you know. And they all held these short sticks." The man gulped. "They did things with them. They waved them, and fires started--it was like magic. And then..." The man stopped, terrified.

"Go on," Hermione said gently.

"Their leader was--"

"They had a leader?" Hemmings prompted. Hermione glared at her. If this man suspected something about them--

But he didn't. "Yeah, they did what she told them to, it looked like. Don't know why, there were guys much bigger than her among them--she was a small little thing, really. Long red hair--"

Hermione tried not to appear frustrated. If this was someone independent of Hund... then there were two dark wizards running around America terrorizing people. If--

"I think she saw me, next thing I know, she's flying towards my window. On a broom!"
"A what?" Hemmings asked.

"A broom. You think it's fairy tale stuff, witches and things. But I saw it why my own eyes. Everything but the black cat, sure enough. So she flies up to my window, and the glass just shatters. I ducked from that, then ran. I heard her yell something like 'abracadabra' behind me--next thing I know, half my kitchen is wrecked, and I've got a splinter in my arm." He pulled up his shirt sleeve and showed a large bandage. "I'll now have to live with my brother till they repair the apartment--"

"Can we see your apartment?" Hermione asked.

"Hermione, what do--?"

"Can we?" she repeated.

"Sure. My brother doesn't believe me. Says I got drunk and set my own apartment on fire. Let me tell you, a fire wouldn't have done it. Well, come on. I'll show it."

"Thanks. What's your name, by the way?"

"Nathaniel," the man introduced himself. "Nathaniel Raymond."

"Hermione Bender," Hermione said. "This is Catherine Hemmings."

"Pleased to meet you."

Nathaniel led them to an apartment on the second floor of a thirteen-story building. "The front door's intact--there's a miracle," he said, taking out his keys. He unlocked it and led them in.

"Shit," Hemmings summarized the state of the apartment.

"Yeah, lady, and it's not even your place. Imagine how I feel."

"Well, I can say one thing, Nathaniel." Hermione closed the front door. "You are not crazy."

"You believe me?" Nathaniel asked, surprised.

"I believe you," Hermione said.

"But I saw--"

"You saw what you saw. You're lucky about this--she missed."

"Missed?" Nathaniel asked.

Hermione nodded. "She was aiming for you." Nathaniel shuddered.

"Catherine." Hermione looked at Hemmings. If Nathaniel attacked her, she'd have to stun him, and she didn't want to. Hemmings nodded.

"Now, Nathaniel, please don't be afraid," Hermione said, before taking out her wand.

"You--You're one of them!" He tried to rush, but Hemmings restrained him.

"Nathaniel, you weren't trick. There really are witches and wizards."
"Hermione, what--"

"And yes, I am one of them," Hermione said, ignoring the other woman.

"Came to finish the job?" Nathaniel asked.

Hermione shook her head. "There's a difference between them and me," she said.

"What's that?"

"I'm a good witch. Reparo!" A hole in the wall filled with fragments, which jumped to their position and fused together. Same things began happening with other parts of the mess, and in fifteen minutes, the kitchen looked completely normal. Hermione, followed by Nathaniel and Catherine, proceeded into the bedroom. Small pockmarks from the glass shards vanished one by one. "I can't do anything about the computer, Nathaniel, but..." She waved her wand, and the crack in the monitor vanished. "It won't work, but at least you won't get weird questions when you take it to get it repaired." She pointed her wand at the window, and a new pane of glass appeared out of thin air. She looked around and nodded.

"Wow," Nathaniel said. "How can I ever thank you?"

"You already did," she said. She didn't know if the information he gave would prove valuable, but it was the best thing to say.

"I am really, really, sorry, Nathaniel," Hermione said as she aimed her wand at him. "Obliviate!"

She then took Hemmings' hand and Apparated her before he became aware again.

"You're ruthless, do you know that?" Hemmings said later that day, when they were back at Area 51 discussing the news.

Hermione shrugged. "I knew I'd have to do that eventually, so I figured to get it over with quickly. Mind you, I'd rather not have to do that all."

"We don't make policy," Hemmings said. "It's your law, you have to follow it.

"Nothing else? All right. Dismissed," she said. "Make sure you're here tomorrow. Jones says she may have found something."

Hermione hasn't seen Lydia for a few days, and had started to worry. Oh, so there's an explanation.

As she headed towards the Apparition point she wondered if she should have mentioned Bellatrix. The Death Eater wasn't a redhead, but appearance altering charms, hair dye, and Polyjuice Potion weren't exactly unknowns. And she would be just the type to incite anti-Muggle riots.

As soon as she Apparated to her house, she forgot all about that, though. Something was wrong. Ron sat on the couch, numb.

"Honey? What happened?"

Ron pointed to a paper lying on the floor. "Percy's injured. They--they don't think he'll make it."

Hermione dropped her wand and picked up the paper. It was the Daily Prophet form the day before--which meant that events it described where from two days ago--or two and a half, given the time difference. Too bad there's no wizarding Internet yet, she thought.

"RAID ON THE MINISTRY!" the headline screamed. "Death Eater remnants attack the Department of Mysteries!" She read, "and frowned more and more as she did. Bellatrix Lestrange was definitely involved. And the article didn't stop there. "According to a reliable source, since the defeat of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named four years ago, Lestrange has been known to work with an American dark wizard named Alan Hund." Harry must have found some way to get this to them, and get them to believe it... I wonder how.

She then read the part about Percy. He tried to stop Bellatrix from leaving the Ministry, and she tortured him. If he ended up like the Longbottoms--

"We should visit him," Ron said. "I'm going tomorrow."

Tomorrow. But... "I can't," she said.

"What?!" Ron leaped. "Why the--"

"Calm down! We're in the middle of something important--"

"More important than this? Where are your priorities, Hermione?"

"Look, I'll come in a few days--"

"In a few days, Percy might be dead," Ron said.

"I'm not a Healer, I can't do anything about it." Did I just say that? No...

Ron exploded. "He'd want to see you! The way things are going, I hardly see you. What the bloody hell are you doing that's so important?"

"I can't tell you, you know that--"

"Of course. I knew it was a mistake--"

"Oh, do you want a docile housewife? You married the wrong woman--"

"I want you! I want to you be with us instead of--"

"I earn the money in this family!"

"It's not like we need it," Ron muttered.

"I'm not going to live off Harry!"

"Harry isn't using it, either. And if it means you being here--"

"We need to do this Ron. My team has just stumbled on--"

"Forget it!" Ron threw up his hands. Before Hermione could say anything, he vanished.

Frustrated, forcing herself not to cry, she went to see Caroline. The girl was sleeping, and Hermione had to bite back the tears. It was a while since they really spent time together as a family. And...

The next morning, when she woke up, Caroline wasn't in the house. A note waited for her in the kitchen.

You know were we went, Hermione. We want you to join us. I love you.

-Ron.