Siege of the Sues

Gary smiled at Hermione. "Guess it's time for bed, everyone. Got to be up bright and early for class tomorrow."

Everyone in the room groaned, including Hermione. "I guess you're right," she conceded. I know I need my sleep, and I haven't studied all evening."

"It's the first day of school, Hermione," Gary said, patting her hand. "I'm sure there's no critical studying you missed today."

She sighed and led the girls back into their dormitory. The past two days had been hard on her. She knew full well that most of these girls were Sues, but her destruction of them had caused the loss of several beds and nearly all of the second-year dormitory. On the upside, nobody was sleeping in the common room tonight.

It hit her suddenly that Ron had come in a bit before. What was he there for? She couldn't remember, he was in and out so quickly--and she'd been busy.

She hung outside the sixth-year dormitory until all the girls had filed inside, then quietly shut the door on them. She slipped downstairs to see if Ron was still awake. What she saw in the common room, though, was not Ron but something very different.

Gary was standing by the door of the dormitory, which was standing open. He seemed to be sticking his head out and talking to someone. Hermione crept closer, wishing she had Harry's Invisibility Cloak right now. What was that creep saying?

"Yeah, she's bought it completely," she heard him say. "We'll get to Potter in no time...what? That's ridiculous. They can't make you...well, that's a good point, I suppose."

Hermione's hands balled into fists. She had known from the moment he sat down at the table that there was something wrong with Gary, but she never let on for a moment. And now here he was, working with those disgusting Mary Sues! She was more glad than ever now that she hadn't let him kiss her. She moved back into the shadows and sidled still closer, wanting desperately to know who was on the other side of that door.

"Well, you've ended it, and ended it quite well, I must say," Gary was saying. "I'll send Mione by in the morning to take care of the rest. Just because they've stopped us one way doesn't mean we can't attack another way. We'll get to our goals eventually." He made a noise that Hermione could only describe as a snigger. "And then we can dispose of the rest of these useless...Sues and get on with--" He stopped. "Did you hear something?"

And before she knew it, Hermione was pinned to the floor, Gary's wand at her throat. "I should have known we'd gotten to you too easily," he snarled. "Too smart for your own good, you are." He glanced at the door. "Shall we take her in, beloved sister?"

Hermione followed his eyes in horror as Lilac Livingston stepped into the common room. "Indeed we shall." She stood over Hermione, looking down pityingly. "It's too bad that idiot Keira got to Potter. Were he in his right mind, I think we might have an excellent bargaining chip here." She shook her head. "It doesn't matter now. We'll dispose of Keira immediately."

"But then Voldemort will come to his senses," Gary replied. "Keira's got a hold on him. She's probably the only reason we've been able to get this far without his noticing." Hermione was dumbfounded. What on earth was going on here?

Lilac nodded slowly, considering this. "True. I'll have to find some other way." She glared at Hermione. "In the meantime, we'll get this problem taken care of." Ropes shot from her wand, binding Hermione completely. "Let's go, Granger. You screwed up this time, and now you'll have to pay."