Story: Broken But Brave
Chapter Seventeen: The Search
✏Pay Attention to the time!

(6 PM, 17th December, 2005)

Diminutive, white patterned flakes fell over her bushy brown hair as she walked on the cobbled path of the Godric's Hollow. She looked around as she fastened her coat even tighter to hug her body. The snow filled path made it difficult for her to walk but she forced herself through it. Squinting her brown eyes as she passed by each house made her look even more tired.

It was half past eleven in the night and Hermione Granger had not spotted a single clue about her best friend. She searched all the locations where they stayed during the horcrux hunt during what was supposed to be their seventh year at Hogwarts. She looked through the lush, snow filled forest of Dean, but did not come across him. She sighed and her icy breath was visible due to the cold atmosphere surrounding her. Hermione half wished to use the warming charm but that would not do good. She was in a muggle locality.

Walking through the snow, she was met with a similar house. As she looked up, she found that the previously broken windows were now fixed and frosted over. The graffiti on the gate were not there. Icicles hung from the roof of the empty house, giving it a cold feeling. Lights were off. Patches of weeds were burned in the garden and a single chain held the door to a thin iron rod. It was acting as a lock. No one but magical folk would be able to view this house, Hermione thought, still, wards protecting the house was placed. She could feel the magic and power of the wards. Hermione idly wondered if Ginny came by this house as she was assigned. Judging by the half opened gate, Hermione confirmed it to be a yes.

She sighed and continued walking, her eyes leaving the sight of Harry's house. She stared right ahead and stopped on spot when she approached the place where she wanted to come - Godric's Hollow Graveyard. She turned and saw that the place looked really eerie. Snow covered the land the dried flowers lay here and there. She slowly walked through the eerie yet sad place, taking one small step at a time. Her ears strained as she heard a shuffle of feet. Brows together, she walked a bit faster, taking out her vine wand discreetly and lighting it's top with a non-verbal lumos.

She was a minute or two away from the Potters' graves when her brown eyes widened at the sight of her best friend. He was kneeling in front of his parents' graves. A fresh wreath lay upon the land. Hermione could hear the silent sobs of Harry mixed with whatever he was talking. She walked towards him, very stealthily, careful not to alert him. Finally, she could hear his voice.

"-happiness of this cruel world. S-she needs it. . .I-I will look after her from ab-above, if I can. I-I will be seeing you in a hour or so. . . I shall meet you there, mum, dad."

No, that could not be! Harry was going to harm himself! Hermione ran forward as he stood up.

"HARRY!" she shouted but he apparated away just as she reached him. Apparently, he did not hear her nor see her. Or maybe he did and pretended not to have seen or heard her so as to escape. She groaned and stomped the ground angrily, crossing her arms over her chest. She missed him by one single minute! Angry tears leaked from her brown eyes and she sobbed. She was too late. Harry. . . He was acting so foolish and she could not do anything about it! She could not even help him. She felt so angry with herself. So disappointed, so dejected that the snow around her melted away, due to accidentally magic and with a very heavy heart, she apparated away, hoping to meet Ron. It was already half past eight and she had promised to meet him by one in the early morning.

Just as she disapparated, two tiny wisps of white light appeared out of thin air on top of the Potters' graves.

"I'm worried for him," one of them, a white ghostly doe said.

"It is alright, flower. I am sure that his flower will find him on time," the other, a white stag reassured. The two animals then looked up at the sky as a lone yet bright shooting star fell across the cloudy sky. Despite the overcast skies, the shooting star was seen due to it's luminous nature. The popular belief that shooting stars indicate the passing of someone made the pair of light even more worried.

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(8 PM, 17th December, 2005)

Ron Weasley was pacing around his office. He had ordered six groups of two to search for his best mate, Harry. They were currently scattered throughout London - Muggle and magical alike. Ron had asked them to disguise themselves under glamour charms or heavy wear in order to catch Harry off guard and forcefully portkey him to Ron's office.

Just half an hour ago, which seemed like an eternity to the red haired man, he had received news that Harry was last spotted in a cloth shop in Diagon Alley at 6 in the evening. He was seen wearing clothes in black and an Auror in his mid forties had sensed the amount of magic that was felt around the young man. When the auror tried to catch Harry, he apparated away, though it was unknown if he found out that they were looking for him and apparated away or if it was by chance.

Ron sighed and sat down on his chair. He had yet to hear from Hermione and Ginny. One question was running through his mind. Why on earth did Harry go on cloth shopping? He was never the shopper. He just accompanied Ginny but he never shopped for stuff as if he was crazy. Shopping frenzy in Diagon Alley where many people would recognize him was not the most intelligent thing to do. Ron rubbed his throbbing temples when a white wisp of light appeared and walked near him. It was a chameleon patronus.

"Boss, found footprints in the Forest of Dean. Come quickly," the chameleon patronus' owner's voice said. Ron immediately stood up, picked his wand and apparated away to the Forest of Dean.

Just as his feet touched the snow covered ground, he began looking around for fellow aurors. A second or two later, he heard the crunch of a twig and turned around, pointing his wand at the direction from where the sound came. His eyes narrowed and he tried to ear something. That was when Joshua Kensley walked from behind a tree. Ron pointed his wand at him.

"What was the first dish Joshua Kensley and Ronald Weasley ate together?" Ron asked the secret question.

"Chicken wings," Joshua answered, his own wand pointed at the head auror. "When was the first time Joshua Kensley and Ronald Weasley attended the same social party?"

"Harry Potter's wedding," Ron answered the security question asked by Joshua. The latter lowered his wand and so did Ron. The two exchanged quick smiles and Ron asked for the leads. Joshua led the Head Auror through the snow filled white forest. Ron was reminded of several memories as he walked on the rocky path. After about a five minute walk, the auror duo reached a site where one more auror was standing, looking around. It was Lana Owens, an auror cadet. As soon as she saw them, she looked at Joshua who nodded. There was no need for another round of throwing security questions at each other given the small time frame they had before the deadline.

"I was passing through this place when I noticed these footprints. Some are smudged, presumably due to the snow but some are visible. Take a look, boss," Lana said, pointing at the ground. Ron walked closer and found out there were indeed footsteps. "Do you reckon they are Harry Potter's?" she asked. Ron shook his head, looking confused.

"No idea," Ron said as he squatted down to look at it. They were a bit small for Harry's footprints and looked more feminine, judging by the gap between the footprints. That was when everything clicked to place. It was Hermione's footprints. The forest of Dean was one of the places where they camped while on their mission. He had ordered Hermione to visit the places which they visited while on the hunt. It was natural she had been here. "Well spotted, Aurors but this is not the footprints we are looking for. This is of my wife's. Even she is involved in the mission so there is nothing to worry about. Continue on your search and send a patronus if you spot anything else," Ron ordered. The two aurors nodded and with a final nod, Ron apparated away to his office to think of more places where his best mate would most likely be in. He was mostly waiting for news from either his sister or Hermione but it so seemed that, that will take a lot of time to come true.

That's it for this chapter. Just a show of Hermione and Ron's PoV's. They are really fun to write. I did not get any oc names for aurors so I named my own. The next chapter might take a while because I'm apparently busy with the awards contest.

I hope you paid attention to the time. It is important to understand the chronology of the future chapters. If you did not, here is the chronology:

1. Harry was spotted in Diagon Alley between 7 PM to 7:30 PM.
2. Hermione visited The Forest of Dean between 4:30 PM to 6 PM.
3. Hermione visited Godric's Hollow at 6 PM and so did Harry.
4. Ron visited The Forest of Dean at 8 PM.
5. Ginny visited Godric's Hollow between 4:30 PM to 10 PM.

Thank you for reading!

Miyoko x