Through Her Eyes

Chapter 26: The Wedding

'DUMBLEDORE DEAD?

It's assumed that late last night, the greatest wizard ever known, Albus Perceval Wulfric Brian Dumbledore passed away from unknown causes. The death was indeed unexpected, and has sent the Ministry of Magic into an uproar about the possible consequences! Many fear there is no longer a barrier between the Wizarding world and He Who Should Not Be Named, and the Ministry is already stretched thin with the disappearances across London. Is this the end of the Wizarding Community as we know it? And what of Hogwarts School? Supposedly Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall will take his position, but inside sources tell us there is another. Supposedly, this person was the one to find Dumbledore dead, and knows more about his demise then anyone. What will happen next, and who is this mysterious person?

Hermione slammed the Daily Prophet down against the desk, startling Fawkes who had been sitting on the window sill watching her carefully. The once vibrant red Phoenix was gone, replaced instead by a brown bird with a prism of colorful tail feathers. The Bird of Paradise was a rare breed, ever rarer then the Phoenix. They were a type of bird which could mimic any language, and disguise themselves as other species to hide from predators. Hermione knew why Dumbledore had ordered Fawkes to stay with her after his death. She just had to come to terms first,

"I'm sorry Fawkes," Hermione mumbled, reaching out to pet the birds head as he clicked softly, "everything is just...collapsing around me.  With Dumbledore gone, no doubt Voldemort will think he's won. The attacks will become greater. Maybe even on the Ministry itself,"

Fawkes cocked his head to one side as Hermione stood up and pulled the sleeves of her sweater over her palms, holding them to her mouth as she began to pace back and forth,

"We only have a few horcruxes left. The ring is gone, the diary, the diadem and we have the locket. What do you think Fawkes, think you can speak Parseltongue?"

The bird hopped slightly and nodded, ruffling his brown wings as Hermione ran a hand over her auburn ponytail and smiled at him weakly,
"I still can't believe you're not a real Phoenix. I've thought that for eight years you know? Sweet Merlin,"

Hermione groaned again as she rubbed her eyes, ridding her lids of the crusty tears which had settled there. Finding Dumbledore was a shock, even more so that it was now the second time Hermione had lost him in a timeline,
'I thought I was being careful,' she thought, ignoring the weak comforts of McGonagall and Pomfrey as they covered the body and ushered her out into the hall, 'I guess he was just a character meant to die,'

Shaking her head to throw away the awful and sad thought, Hermione glanced up as there was a small knock on her door,
"Come in,"

"Aye, girly. How'er ye doing?"

Aberforth entered the room, holding a shot of Firewhisky. He looked a bit more gaunt then usual, his eyes sadder then they had been before as his beard bushed out in an unkempt way, "I uh...brought ye somethin' to feel better,"

"Thanks, Abe," Hermione mumbled, downing the drink in one go as it sent a shiver down her spine, "I needed that,"

"How'er ye holdin' up, girl? Been eatin'?"

"Yeah, Quitz wouldn't let me not eat," Hermione smiled at the old man before her, who had become a half father to her. A little rough around the edges sometimes, but she looked up to him, more then she did in her other timeline, "thanks. I think I'm just anxious about this whole thing. I mean, Dumbledore was the barrier between Voldemort destroying everything. Even in my old life that was his job till Harry came along. Now he's gone, and I...I don't know what I'm doing..."