Dangerous Love - Harry and Ginny's life

Chapter 2 The circle scuff

Harry

"So, a fortune teller, a wand maker and a bar tender?" Ron said, scanning the information as they walked down Diagon Alley. "Why those professions? What pattern is there?"

Harry squared his shoulders, "no idea. But there had to be a pattern, it's not just a random hate crime, it's too clever. Too elaborate. We need Hermione."

Ron grinned, "I think you may be right."

Ten minutes after they had sent a patronus, Hermione materialised on the streets. She made her way towards them, pushing though the crowds and towards the two men. "What's wrong?" She asked, "you said you needed me?"

"The case," Harry said, handing her the file, "we need your brilliant mind."

Hermione blushed in pleasure, "I'm logical, not brilliant." She scan read the files and her face fell, "Hannah? Oh no..." She handed the files back, "so, a fortune teller, a wand maker and a bartender. What do they have in common?" Her face acquired the far away look she got when in deep thought, so Harry thought out loud to Ron.

"So both divination and wand making are very complex branches of magic," Harry mumbled. "Bar tending is not, but if someone took a bar tender, they must have a reason, it couldn't have been mere whim." He paused, "but-"
A shout of delight from Hermione cut him off. Both Harry and Ron turned to her.

"Oh, that's clever!" She said, face glowing, "clever, yes. You see, who do we know who wants the future plotted out for him, who wants the most powerful wand in existence? Who needs precisely measured potions to keep him alive?"

Harry and Ron looked, wide eyed, at each other. Harry looked back to Hermione, "you think this has to do with Voldemort?" He asked.

"Yes," Hermione responded, "I do. Now, why did he use a bartender instead of a potions master? I have no idea, but I might hazard a guess as to say this bartender has an extensive knowledge of herbology, meaning she could identify all the right ingredients perhaps."

Harry inwardly marvelled at his friend's brilliance, they continued to walk down the street until they reached Ermentrude Vancour's divination place (for lack of a better word). Ron pushed the door open, all three drew their wands, the shop was vacant. Hermione immediately walked to the other side of the room, she checked behind the curtains and the doors. Harry began to search the ground, stamping on the floor boards, trying to locate a hollow one. Ron began checking for protective jinxes and traps.

"Find anything?" Came Hermione's voice, from the other side of the room.

"No jinxes or traps," replied Ron.

"No hollow floorboards," Harry announced. He knelt down and knocked on the floor, no hollow panels, nothing. "Now what?"

Hermione met up with the two in the middle of the room, "there's still the cellar."

Harry nodded at Hermione and Ron, "yeah, let's go."
They approached the cellar door in silence, Harry opened the door a crack and peered in. A small amount of light was leaking in from the window that was at street pavement height. From what Harry could see, there was no one there. He moved I front of Ron and Hermione and held his wand up, the small ray of light spilling in the room still showed nothing.

"Harry," Hermione whispered, "there's no one here."

"Hmm, I know," Harry mumbled back, "let's check for a passage or anything that could help us find these missing people."
They all set about searching for passageways or hollow floorboards.
Shuffle! Shuffle! CLANG!
Hermione gasped and grabbed Ron's hand as a dish fell to the floor of its own accord. Harry pointed his wand at the place where the dish fell, he, Hermione and Ron formed a circle, standing back to back. Each pointing their wand around the room. More shuffling...and-