The Cupboard Series 3: Potter Haven

Chapter 1

Disclaimer – I solemnly swear that JKR owns everything Harry Potter. Whether or not I am up to no good with her characters is for you to decide.

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"I'm sorry, Hermione," that most cherished of voices whispered.

A light touch on her cheek registered and she brought her hand up, her fingers brushing along that spot. Slowly, her eyes flickered open and she frowned. He wasn't there, hovering over her like she'd imagined. The voice, the kiss, must have been nothing but a dream. Another one of those dreams, but one that felt infinitely more real.

Turning her head, Hermione Granger made out the frantic activity in the hall between Platforms Nine and Ten at King's Cross Station past the wisps of her bushy brown hair. People everywhere where rushing about. Many were slowly pushing themselves to their feet or helping others to stand. A couple of red-robed aurors seemed to be taking charge and herding everyone together.

Her brows knitted in concentration as she thought back to the last thing that she remembered.

She, her best friend Harry Potter, and their friends had not long arrived back at King's Cross from Hogwarts. They'd passed through the barrier where Harry had been pulled away to meet little Colin Creevey's family while she had gone on to find her own parents.

She remembered Harry joining the three of them and then he'd asked to speak to her privately. Whatever it was that Harry had wanted to say had him extremely nervous. He couldn't even look her in the eye at first and she'd wondered, no hoped, that he was finally going to ask her the question that she'd been ever so patiently waiting for for most of the year.

And then, just when it looked like he'd finally gathered up his courage, they'd been interrupted by Dumbledore. Two minutes! Just two more minutes! If he'd only given them that much time, then she would have known. Instead, the Headmaster had stood there, not allowing them the privacy and time that they needed.

And then everything seemed to go straight to hell.

Dumbledore had grabbed Harry and tried to drag him off behind a pillar to apparate the two of them to Harry's Aunt and Uncle's place. A place that Harry should never go and not just because of the way that they treated him. No, it was much worse than that. Nearly a year ago, Harry had inadvertently made a magical vow stating that he'd give up his magic if he spent another night at Privet Drive with his relatives.

Dumbledore knew that. But for some unfathomable reason, he'd chosen to ignore it.

Harry'd fought the Headmaster, but it was no use. She'd seen her dad start towards the struggling pair but before he'd reached them, Harry's magic had exploded.

Hermione remembered an intense flash of red light before she was blown backwards. Lifting herself up on her elbows, she could now see that she was over ten feet from where she'd last been. Whatever that was that Harry'd accidentally done, it was definitely powerful.

Her eyes widened as she saw a bunch of purple and gold robes lying at the base of a pillar. Dumbledore looked to be out cold.

"Hermione, darling, are you alright?" her mum asked, dropping to her knees beside her.

She nodded. "Where's Harry?"

Her father's eyes roved over her, obviously checking for any injuries before answering. "I'm not sure. I think I saw him run from the station, but in all the confusion, I'm not sure. Who was that man and what was he trying to do to Harry?"

"That was our Headmaster, Professor Dumbledore and he was trying to take Harry to his relatives," Hermione replied venomously.

Her mother's eyes narrowed. "Not back to those people who locked him in his room last summer?"