The Secret

Chapter 4

Unmasked

"Dad!" Hermione screamed all the way down the stairs. Harry running behind her, trying to keep up. "Dad!"

They reached the landing where Karen, Ginny and Ron stood gaping at the open front door. Hermione's mother caught her daughter by the arm and said, "Don't worry. It's not what you think." But before she said anymore, Hermione grabbed her arm back and looked through the door. Shock, was one way to describe her feelings at that precise moment. She had clearly seen her father being killed, but the strange thing was that one person was lying on the door step and another standing over him, both being her father.

A second man ran up to see what had happened. It was Kingsley Shacklebolt. "Mr Granger, are you okay?"

Andrew Granger looked at himself lying on the floor and the looked back up at the people around him, his mouth open. "Yes, I'm okay, I think," he said uncertainly. "Who is that?" Andrew, Hermione's father, pointed at the impostor.

"We shall see," Kingsley said in his rough voice. "I have reason to believe that he is a Death Eater." Everybody gasped at his words and Hermione threw herself at her dad, sobbing hysterically.

"I t-thought it was y-you," she stammered between sobs.

"There, there. We shall find out who this person is," Andrew said as he stroked his daughter's head gently. He glanced over at Kingsley, and he nodded.

"Best to put him under a binding spell. Mrs Granger, is it possible for me to bring him inside."

Karen nodded and pushed the others out of the way to let the impostor through. Harry, Ginny and Ron all looked in disbelief at Mr Granger's look-alike.

After twenty minutes of tension, the man was starting to get his appearance back, and a loud gasp filled the room as Lucius Malfoy lay sprawled on the floor. "Well, I better tell Dumbledore," Kinglsey informed the room at one.

"But how did you know? And how did he get Mr Granger's hair for the potion?" Harry asked, and everyone was now looking at an amused Shacklebolt.

"I followed him. Dumbledore assigned each and one us to a Death Eater and I happened to see Malfoy following Andrew, after you had finished work," Kinglsey glanced at Andrew, "and I saw him using a severing charm at the car park. I knew immediately what he was up to after that."

"Is he dead?" Andrew asked. Kinglsey didn't look at him for a while before he sighed, "Yes. Yes, he is. Now I need to go and inform Dumbledore. I'm afraid I have caused a bit of mess doing this," he scratched his chin and continued, "but what else could I have done?"

Kingsley Disapparated from there immediately and every eye was on the dead Lucius Malfoy.

"So, we're in big trouble right?" Ginny said sarcastically. They tried to laugh but comprised by looking down at their feet.

"Draco Malfoy is going to go mad." Ron looked scared. "And not to mention You-Know-Who. He was one of his best men, wasn't he?"

Harry looked at Malfoy, and thought one down and many more to go. With him having escaped from Azkaban, and the others bound to have joined him; will now most likely come looking for Malfoy.

"We have to leave," Harry said suddenly. "This place isn't safe anymore. I mean if Malfoy found out where you live," he looked at Hermione, "then that means the rest of the Death Eaters do as well."

"But where can we go?" Karen said quietly.

Everybody really knew where they could go, where they would be safe. But they were afraid of Harry's reaction. Grimmauld Place was by far the safest place to hide, but they didn't want to say it.

As though Harry understood what they were thinking by the look of their expressions, he said, "Sirius's house. Anyway, I'm sure that's where Dumbledore will say."

At that precise moment Albus Dumbledore Apparated in the Grangers' living room. He had that familiar aura of power and Harry felt relieved to see him.

"Is everyone all right? We will have to move quickly. You will have to pack your belongings now, and in ten minutes I want everyone down here. Yes, Karen and Andrew, you too."

So with everyone set, Dumbledore took an ornament from the mantel piece, turned it into a Port Key.

"You know what to do." They all put a finger to the ornament, Karen and Andrew copied everyone else, and the jerk behind their navels sent them off to Grimmauld Place.