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Hey folks! Gather 'round, 'cause I've got news hotter than a jalapeño in a snowstorm! Brace yourselves, I'm stepping up my update game - once a week if I'm feeling like a superhero, and twice if I've chugged an entire pot of coffee! 🦸♂️☕
I've been going at this book like a mad scientist in a lab, sprinkling it with extra scenes, zapping it with edits from page one. But hey, no pressure! If you want to read it as-is, that's cool too. You'll still follow the story like a GPS in a lost forest. 🌲🧭
However, here's the kicker - I'm throwing down the gauntlet, folks! I strongly recommend a re-read. Why, you ask? Because it was an absolute riot for me to write! It's like trying to eat just one potato chip - nearly impossible! 🥔😂 So, dive in, laugh, cry, and enjoy the rollercoaster of words I've cooked up! 🎢📚
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In the dimly lit room, the atmosphere was tense with uncertainty. The little girl, her eyes filled with a mixture of curiosity and fear, couldn't tear her gaze away from the wands that the others around her held high. In her trembling arms, she clutched a teddy bear, as if it were her lifeline. Ginny, her senses sharp, noticed the girl's unease and began to scrutinize her, searching for any signs of injury. She couldn't help but wonder if there was a hidden wound causing this distress.
The child's face bore the remnants of tears, now smudged with faint streaks of crimson, as if an attempt had been made to wipe them away. However, it dawned on Ginny that the blood wasn't the girl's own; it belonged to someone else. The realization sent a shiver down her spine, as she understood that this innocent child had been sent here for a reason, indicating a hidden story that was yet to unfold.
Tension hung heavy in the air as the group of friends stood there, wands trembling in their hands. Ginny's voice was hushed, carrying a sense of unease as she pleaded with her companions,
"Don't point your wands, guys; she's not comfortable with it." Her own body quivered with a nameless fear, an ominous feeling that something was terribly wrong.
Amidst the palpable anxiety, a name slipped from someone's lips like a curse. "Hermione..." The moment Hermione's name was uttered, the little girl in their midst burst into tears, her voice quivering as she repeated the word "Auntie Minnie." Their collective gasps of shock hung in the air like an impending storm.
Harry's voice was barely above a whisper as he muttered, "No, no, it can't be!" Yet, deep down, they all knew the dreadful truth. The little girl's presence, her calling Ginny "red auntie," it all pointed to the grim reality of Hermione's disappearance.
Ron's words cut through the melancholic silence, urgent and laden with sorrow. "Guys, Hermione's hurt. Death Eaters are on the loose. We need to act fast." The weight of their friend's peril bore down on them, casting a shadow of sadness and foreboding over their world.
A heavy sense of melancholy hung over the room, as the friends grappled with the disturbing situation before them. George's voice carried a plaintive tone as he sought answers, "But why didn't she come with this kid using the portkey? If she's the one who actually sent her?"
The room was filled with a solemn silence, broken only by a hesitant inquiry. "And how do we find out who's actually behind thi-" Neville's words broke through the uncertainty, his voice carrying the weight of their shared sorrow.
"Neville's right," Harry began, his voice tinged with sadness. "We need to find out who's on the loose and what exactly is going on. We need to act fast, especially if the blood on the girl is Hermione's..."
A somber determination settled upon them as they faced the grim reality. "We have to find out who this kid is first," Harry continued, his wand cutting through the air as he started pacing. "And also what happened. For that, we should use her memory and find out who's behind it." The room seemed to close in around them as they grappled with the unknown, the weight of sadness and uncertainty pressing down on their hearts.
Harry's voice cut through the tension as he issued his orders, "Neville and Percy, I sent McGonagall a Patronus. Go to Hogwarts and fetch the Pensieve. Ginny and Luna, clean her up, try to feed her, and get information out of her."
The room seemed to hold its breath as two abrupt popping sounds signaled Neville and Percy's apparition to Hogwarts, leaving behind an eerie silence. Luna shuffled towards Ginny, her steps hesitant, as George pressed Harry for answers on whether they should inform Arthur and Molly about the situation.
"No, George," Harry replied, his voice laden with uncertainty. "Until we see from the memories, we can't be entirely sure. We don't want to act rash."
As Luna began the painstaking task of cleaning away the blood, and Ginny offered food to the trembling girl, the sense of sorrow grew palpable. Ginny gently asked, "What's your name, sweetie?"
The child's response carried a poignant weight, "Auntie Minnie, Mom and Dad call me Nora, others call me El. Uncle Mikey calls me Pumpkin."
Ginny pressed further, seeking answers. "What's your full name? What does your mom call you when she's angry?"
"Eleanor Rudy Andre, Get back here!" The little girl mimicked an angry voice, her small hands resting defiantly on her hips.
Tears glistened in her eyes when Ginny inquired about Auntie Minnie, and she clung to her teddy bear as if it were her last comfort. The room remained enveloped in suspense, a haunting sadness lingering in the air as the mysteries of this fragile child's existence slowly unraveled.
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In a room filled with anticipation, Harry, Ron, and George sat hunched over Muggle newspapers they had summoned. Not even a minute had passed since they started reading when Ron's sudden yelp broke the silence. He jumped up and eagerly displayed a picture of the missing girl that had dominated the headlines.
"The address? We should pay a visit there," George suggested, his voice eager to uncover the truth.
The room crackled with tension as two sharp pop sounds heralded the arrival of Neville and Percy, who handed the Pensieve to Harry. Ginny and Luna joined them, their attention drawn away from the sleeping Eleanor, who lay quietly on the bed.
"Okay," Harry began, his voice filled with determination. "We'll first examine her memories. Once we have Eleanor's address, we can return her to her parents. She's been missing for a week. We'll figure out what to do from there."
Harry carefully placed the Pensieve on a table, then turned his attention to the slumbering girl. With a flick of his wand, he summoned a glass tube to hold the extracted memories. He pointed his wand towards the girl's head, and delicate, blue web-like structures burst forth from the wand, capturing and storing her memories within the tube.
Returning to the table where the Pensieve awaited, Harry sighed deeply before pouring the collected memories into its silvery depths. He dipped his head, bracing himself for the journey ahead, as he felt the undeniable pull of the Pensieve drawing him into a world of memories and secrets.
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In a grim and foreboding place, Hermione fought through her pain and exhaustion. Every muscle in her body ached, and the blood she had lost blurred her vision. Still, she mustered her strength, knowing that Eleanor was safe now. Her own survival felt secondary, and she believed no one would genuinely miss her.
Her thoughts drifted back to Harry, his hurtful words echoing in her mind. She took a deep breath, struggling to hold back tears, her emotional pain deeper than the physical agony she endured.
Suddenly, a thunderous shout pierced the air as Beck, fueled by rage, closed in on her. His vice-like grip around her neck constricted her airway, making her struggles more desperate. The cuts from the deathcuff around her wrists had left her fingers numb, making it nearly impossible to claw her way free. Beck's menacing threats and taunts further fueled her determination to break free, but darkness encroached as he slammed her head against the wall.
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Harry found himself in a dark corridor, surrounded by his companions. A scream pierced the air, and he turned to see dark figures emerging from behind. One of them aimed a wand at a figure on the floor, and the simultaneous screams of Eleanor and an unidentified male sent shivers down their spines.
The source of the disturbance became evident as a door flung open, revealing a figure with stormy gray eyes. Minutes later, the male's screams ceased abruptly, leaving Eleanor's agonized cries echoing through the dark corridors. Harry and his friends followed as the figure lifted Eleanor by her hair, her futile struggles increasing her desperate screams.
Ginny held onto Luna's hand, who clutched Neville's hand, forming a chain of shared dread and concern. Ron stood by Harry's side, while George and Percy attempted to glimpse into the room, unable to see beyond Eleanor's perspective.
Suddenly, amidst the chaos, the room echoed with the man's furious shouts and a flurry of curses. However, his words were drowned out by the anguished and terrified screams of poor Eleanor, making it impossible for anyone to discern his exact message.