Chapter 11: When You Feel It… You Know

"It was you…!" she gasped, staring up at the woman, her eyes wide with fear, "YOU WERE THE CAUSE OF ALL OF THIS!" And when the toad woman smirked she spoke her name, "Umbridge…"

Dolores gave out her annoying giggle as she mocked her, "Dolores Umbridge. Yes, my dear it's me. Well, looks like the beloved royal remembers her betters after all! Unlike your rude family who treated me so horribly that night…"

Wormtail, who was hiding up in the tree, turned into a rat and disappeared through the thick roots. He rather take his chances as a rat than stay here with someone as crazy as her anymore. But Dolores couldn't have noticed less that he was gone as she walked towards Hermione, pulling out her wand and using it to tear at the young girl's robes and cause her hair unraveled into the tangled mess as it usually was.

"There, now you look much more like who you used to be," she cackled as Hermione stepped back, now having cuts all over her face and her beautiful dress torn. "Rags fit you much more than those dresses."

"You think I'm afraid of someone who looks like an overgrown toad?!" she demanded and Dolores's smirk faded.

"Now princess," Dolores said sweetly, but her eyes glinting dangerously, "Don't you know that a princess shouldn't use such wicked language? Spoils your image."

Hermione just glared at her furiously.

"You may not be afraid of me now," Dolores went on, her smirk growing ever more evil. "But I can easily fix that."

And to Hermione's horror, the willow tree behind her suddenly started to attack her. She screamed as she tried to dodge the swinging branches, thick as pythons, trying to pummel her. Its trunk was bent almost double, and its gnarled boughs were like hands, trying to reach her.

"Aaargh!" she screamed as another twisted limb punched the side of her face so that she could feel it bruised and bleeding as hail of blows from knuckle-like twigs fell like rain and a branch as thick as a battering ram was now trying to smash her.

She had been able to dance around, but she was struck in the back, and fell to Dolores's feet. Tasting blood in her mouth, she glared up at her, Dolores grinning wider than ever. "You're about to get the royal treatment!" she proclaimed as she raised her wand.

"Don't you touch me!" Hermione yelled as Umbridge was about to strike.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" yelled a voice from behind them and suddenly a red blur came flying out of nowhere and tackled Umbridge to the ground just as the tree hit Hermione in the back of the head again, dazing her. Her head was hurting so much that she closed her eyes as the headache that had been pressing at her head for the whole of the night became so much worse. She barely recognized the fact that she was screaming.

"HERMIONE!" someone yelled but she was barely aware of it as terrible imagines came to her mind.

Her three sisters… her mother and father… her family was dead. Dead by this same toad who was trying to kill her here. She ran through the halls with her grandmother, closely following a pair of boys through a hole in the wall, her music box slipping from her hands…

While another pair of hands tried to pull her down through the ice… she screamed as she and grandmother ran—ran as fast as they could to the train station… but her hand had slipped once again from her grandmother's hand and all she knew was pain as her head hit the ground…

"Hermione, you have to wake up now!" someone yelled and she felt someone slapping her face so that her eyes snapped open.

Standing above her, looking terrified, was Ron.

"Hermione… what's going on?" he demanded. She stared up at him, unable to believe what she was seeing.

"R-Ron?" she croaked out, her whole body in pain as she struggled to sit up. "What… where did you…?"

"DAMN YOU!" screamed a voice, and they looked up fearfully to see that Umbridge was back on her feet, bleeding as she commanded the tree to stop attacking. Hermione looked from her to Ron, wondering just what happened here as she whispered, her eyes filling up with tears. "She did it… she did it all…"

"Did what?" Ron asked, trying to pull her to her feet. "Look, we gotta get out of here! Let's get inside now!"

"You think I'll let her live after all the trouble she put me through?!" Umbridge screamed at him. "You know… I really hate children! I'm going to take the little princess back to the castle."

"To kill her?!" Ron yelled as he tried to pull her back, away from Umbridge.

"Sue me," she hissed.

"She killed them," Hermione sobbed and Ron pulled her close. "She started all this… she wants to kill me. Mama and Papa… my sisters… they all died because of her." Hermione cried and Ron' arms tightened around her.

Umbridge smirked as Ron looked to her in confusion. "Oh yes… the royals…" she sneered, "Such a shame to what happened don't you think?"

Ron blinked before he understood. His eyes widen as he gasped, "You mean… she's the one who caused the revolt?!"

"Don't get your feathers ruffled boy, it was all just business," Umbridge said with that annoying, girlish giggle. "Nothing more. But why are you here?" she demanded, "I thought you had gone by now! Didn't you go after that foolish sister of yours?!"

Ron went pale and demanded, "How do you know about her?!"

"Oh, isn't it obvious?" Umbridge asked harshly. "I've been watching you brats! Ever since you left the palace, I've been right there watching you all!"

"Watching…?" Hermione repeated before she gasped. "You mean…? You caused…?"

"I had wanted to kill you nice and quickly," Umbridge confessed, trying to smooth out her ridiculously pink skirts. "First it was the train… but you managed to save yourselves before it crashed didn't you? And then I almost had you walk off that ship during the storm, and you would've if your wretched friends were there to save you…"

"And the snake…?" Ron added, looking at Hermione and they shared a horrified expression.

"Correct," Umbridge said, marching over to them. "I had tried again and again to kill you princess, but you sure haven't been making it easy for me."

"Well, sorry for me making it difficult for you!" Hermione retorted sarcastically.

"I thought I'd be able to kill you tonight," Umbridge went on as she came in close and Ron pulled Hermione back with him. "When I heard that those two ran off together, and this moron going after them…? I thought that I'd be able to get you for sure on your own."

Ron glared. "What did you do to them?" he asked through gritted teeth. "To my sister…?"

"Nothing at all," Umbridge smirked. "My interest here is the princess… of course, once I do kill her here, I'll need something to do…"

"Over my dead body you will!" Ron yelled, before he grabbed Hermione's hand and they began to run.

Umbridge sighed as she watched. "Oh… how cute that the couple is together again… too bad that it won't last for much longer." She looked up and grinned evilly, "For you see… you two… can't get away from me!"

"Ron…" Hermione whispered as they ran as fast as they could down the hill and away from Umbridge. "She'll never let us go like this!"

"I know… but we can't stand around there as she tries to kill you!" Ron told her as they started running along the edge of the lake. "If we can… just get… help…"

"Ron, don't be…" Hermione began angrily, but at that moment, something rose up from the lake. Hermione screamed and they saw a large tentacle rise from beneath the water and come at them. Umbridge was right behind them and used her wand to summon the squid to attack, "DIE PRINCESS!"

But then Ron pushed Hermione out of the way as the tentacle grabbed him and pulled him to the water.

"RON!" Hermione screamed as she was forced to watch Ron try to stay afloat but was pulled under as if he were a doll. "RON! NO!"

"Awww… was that useless trash someone dear to you?" said that disgusting girlish voice behind her and Hermione turned to glare at her.

"You have no soul," she hissed, and something snapped inside her as she threw herself at her. Umbridge obviously didn't see that coming as Hermione was now wrestling with her to the ground. "You have no idea what I had to live with for all these years! But I will say this… ten years of growing up in an orphanage does teach you how to fight back!" she finished as she began punching her in the face.

"Get off me you horrible little girl! I SAID GET OFF!" Umbridge demanded, trying to fight her off, but Hermione was bigger and stronger.

"You can't tell me what to do!" Hermione screamed back. "You took my family from me, but I won't ever let you take someone else I love!"

Trying to raise her wand to get her off, the flailing limbs caused the wand to get knocked out of Dolores's hands. As soon as Hermione saw it fly off, she knew what she had to do… kicking hard as she could against Umbridge she dove for it and picked up the short stick.

"This is the source of your powers isn't it?!" she demanded as Umbridge froze at seeing it in her hands. "I've heard a story about how people sell their souls for power like this! Their entire existence is dependent on the weapon isn't it?!"

"Put that down you brat!" Umbridge screamed, which was all the proof that Hermione needed. Gripping it tightly in both hands she began to bend it so that it started to splinter. "This is for Ron!" she screamed as she continued to bend it.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" Umbridge screamed at her.

"This is for mine, and all the families that were killed because of you!" Hermione screamed as she backed away when the human-like toad charged at her.

"And this last one is for you!" she said, "Just to teach you a lesson!" And with that, she snapped the wand in two.

Hermione screamed as she dropped the wand and ran from it, a green, swirling vortex of light appeared around the two broken pieces of the wand. Umbridge screamed as well, but whether it was in fury or fear, Hermione didn't know or care as she ran to the water's edge and dove in. The only thing on her mind was to find Ron.

She looked around desperately, trying to find any trace of red hair through the dark water… she gasped… she didn't know where the tentacle beast was, but there was Ron, sinking like a stone. She dove quickly and grabbed hold of his arm and managed to get him back to the surface.

As soon as her head broke through, she made it back in time to see the great wind of the vortex reach its greatest and Umbridge's scream. Hermione hung tightly onto Ron as the screaming went on and the wind blew… and then… it all died out at once. Breathing hard, she cracked her eyes open to look. A large section of the grass was burnt to a crisp in the shape of a perfect circle, and there was no longer any signs of Umbridge.

Feeling sick, she looked down at Ron and realized that he wasn't breathing. Panic gripping her heart, she dragged him back to the shore and pushed his head back. She then put her lips over Ron's and proceeded to breathe for him.

'Wake up,' she begged inside her mind as she continued to try and breathe air into his lungs. 'Please… please Ron… I don't know what I'd do if you…?'

But then Ron gasped for breath and she pulled away to see his breathing, his eyes snapping open and staring at her.

"Ron?" she whispered, "Ron are you alright…?"

"Y-yeah…" he gasped and began to cough, spitting up water from his lungs, "I… I think so… but let me tell you… I've had better days."

Hermione let out a shaky laugh as he rolled over and tried to breathe. "What happened?"

"She's… gone…" Hermione answered as she looked up at the burnt area and cautiously got to her feet.

"Gone? You mean, she left?" Ron asked as he gasped and spluttered where he lay.

"No," Hermione answered as she pulled him back up as well. "Her wand was destroyed… it's a story I heard before when I was at the orphanage. They told those stories to try and scare the younger kids. They say that those who are so power-hungry are able exchange their souls for items of super-natural powers. That's what allowed her to do all this… but if those items are destroyed, then those people are destroyed along with it. It was just a story, that I never believe in till now…"

Ron gulped down air as the two looked around. The only thing that was left of Umbridge was her fluffy, pink carnage and something glinting among the clothes. Breathing now painful, Hermione slowly approached the clothes and moved them around with her foot until she saw it. The only thing that was left of that evil toad was a…

"A mirror?" Ron asked, looking at the slightly foggy, handheld mirror.

Cautiously, Hermione picked it up and looked at it softly, her heart now very heavy as she looked around her. Tears burning her eyes, she hugged Ron, who looked startled, and did the only thing he could think of and patted the top of her head awkwardly.

"She was the one behind it all!" she gasped to him. "All those people…"

"I know…" he said quietly. "I know…"

"I'm sorry," she whispered, "I'm sorry for all this… I was so afraid that you…"

"Well, she didn't kill me did she?" Ron asked as he looked at the clothes again. "Not sure I get it, but I can't say that I'm not upset. I mean… she sure made things miserable for us didn't she?"

Hermione let out a wild laugh. "I think that's the understatement of the century." But then that left a more pressing matter at hand and she looked up at him. "Why did you do it?"

His ears turned red and he looked away, trying to think of something. "Well, ah… I was just passing by and I saw what was going on so I ah… jumped without thinking," he confessed. "I ran into that toad and we were suddenly attacked by the tree and it was a nightmare to get away from it…"

"NO," Hermione said shaking her head firmly, "I mean, why did you come back? Why didn't you take the money? You just walked away from more money than you could ever imagine!"

"I-I know," he said, and he looked truly uncomfortable now. But as he opened his mouth, he felt something touch his leg and jumped. Looking down, there was Crookshanks—purring loudly.

"Typical," Ron told the cat darkly, "You show up after the trouble."

Hermione let out another shaky laugh as they could suddenly hear the music in the distance going on. Looking up, they realized what it was and what they were doing here. They looked to each other sadly.

Ron sighed. "They're waiting for you," he reminded her.

"And you have a wedding to stop," Hermione said half-heartedly.

"Yeah, if I hurry I should be able to reach the docks. I did a little looking around and I found a ship that is supposed to get back to Godric's Hallow tonight. And if the weather is nice, apparently I should make it there in time for the wedding," Ron stated, "If only I knew where my sister was right now."

But as he said that, the mirror in their hands began to glow. Hermione almost dropped it in surprise as they looked into it. The mirror showed an image and it was the deck of a ship… the forms of Harry and Ginny were there, dancing with each other.

"How…?" Ron gasped but Hermione understood.

"Umbridge," she stated. "I think that she might've used this to spy on us and send all those traps. I guess when you said that you wanted to see her…?"

They both stared at the little mirror—amazed at what they were seeing. There was an empty deck and the two were smiling… Harry bowed low to Ginny, who curtsied back before they began a waltz together. Ron let out a furious yell when they watched the two lean in for a kiss so energetic that Harry had lifted Ginny right off her feet and spun her around with their lips locked together.

Hermione could only laugh as she looked at the happy couple. "Ron," she confessed, "I'm afraid that you just have to learn what battles to fight."

"What do you mean?" Ron demanded hotly.

"Even if you were able to get to them on time, you won't stop them," Hermione said, staring at their blissful faces. "I know it's hard for you to accept, but look at them… can you ever remember seeing Ginny this happy?"

Ron blinked before he looked back and spotted their expressions. Ginny's eyes were glazed over and she leaned her head against Harry's chest—as if listening to his heart—and he kept his arms tightly around her.

Some of Ron's anger faded at that. "But they hardly know each other," he reminded her. "It's only been a month!"

Hermione didn't answer for a moment as she looked to Harry's peaceful face. "When you're truly in love, you know it…" she said, looking up at him. "If you truly love someone, then don't you want to be with them? No matter what anyone else says? And if he feels the same way, then what's the problem?"

Ron stared at her as she took his hand and asked him once again, "Why did you come back?"

"I… well I…" he choked out. She couldn't ever remember seeing him look as uncomfortable as he did right now.

"What are you doing back here? I thought you left," she went on. "Why…?"

"Why?" Ron finally said loudly, walking away from her as he screamed out, as if no longer caring who heard him. "WHY?! BECAUSE I THINK I MIGHT'VE FALLEN MADLY IN LOVE WITH YOU! THAT'S WHY!"

Hermione stared at him, unsure of what to say. "But there's only one way to know for sure," Ron said and he walked back to her and kissed her full on the mouth—gentle, tender, almost heartbreakingly loving—and Hermione responded in kind. This kiss was perfect, and, they both knew, so would be every kiss they shared.

Hermione's eyes had widened, and before she could register what was happening, he made the first move, crushing his mouth to hers in a sweet, passionate, hold-your-breath-till-it's-over kiss. She had no idea what she was doing, and her brain seemed to have frozen stiff, but she didn't feel awkward in the slightest. Her arms came up to grasp his head, tangling in his hair as she pushed him closer, pressed their mouths tighter.

Nearly a minute later, the pair sprung apart, foreheads resting together as they panted hard.

Their first kiss.

They pulled back, staring at each other—no one knowing what to say.

"So what now…?" Ron asked.

Hermione smiled as she let the little mirror fall into the lake, hopefully, never to be seen again, "I think… I know…"

*The Castle*

Minerva, who had gone back into the Entrance Hall, was looking around for Hermione. The party was almost half-way over, but her granddaughter was still no one to be found. "Hermione?" she called as she stepped in and glanced around. Suddenly she heard a meow at her feet and she looked down to see that the ginger cat was sitting here with piece of paper in his mouth and her granddaughter's silver tiara.

Staring at it, she bent down to pick up, both the crown and the cat. She pulled the message from his mouth and quickly opened it.

Dear grandmother,

Wish me luck! Sorry to take off so suddenly like this, but there's still some things that I want to do before I commit to a life of a princess. One of them means being there for my best friend's wedding. I promise that I'll be back soon…

And take care of Crookshanks for me. Something tells me that he'll be happier in the castle than travelling.

Love, Hermione.

Minerva read it a few times before she burst out laughing, and petted the fluffy cat, who was purring happily in her arms.

*The sea*

"All aboard!" the captain shouted and the two hurried on, despite their exhausted state.

"I didn't think… we'd get… here on… time," Hermione gasped, but she was smiling.

"Yeah," Ron grinned. "Tell… me about it."

The two went to the deck, suddenly being reminded of the love scene they saw in the mirror not long ago. "What do you say?" Hermione asked as she took his hand. "You still going to kill them for getting married?"

He sighed. "Well… I suppose there's nothing I can do about it now right?" he asked.

"I'm teasing," she said, leaning against him. "I can promise you though, Harry will take good care of her."

He looked at her and he could only nod dully. "I guess I rather have him with her than just some random bloke. I suppose she could've picked worse."

"And… what about us?" Hermione asked, looking at him, realizing that they were all alone.

Ron looked uncomfortable… as if trying to figure out that same question himself. Hermione only laughed as she took his hand and pulled him to the middle of the deck were there was more room. She curtsied and he gave a quick bow back before she put his hand on her waist and seized the other. Ron was looking nervous here, but as soon as they began to dance, he seemed to get over it as they spun around each other—hearing the sounds of a bell striking midnight somewhere far off.

Hermione stood on her toes to plant another brief kiss on his lips. "And I love you…" she whispered.

Most people would say that the four of them were crazy. Ron was right, and they barely knew each other… but this was a feeling that she couldn't ever imagine. It was scary… but also more amazing than she ever thought possible.

The two danced together, spinning happily as they headed back towards Godric's Hallow. Hermione laughed again, she couldn't wait to see the stunned looks on their faces when they showed up. For ten years she had merely been trying to figure out who she was and find her place with a family. But now she had one and the most important thing to her right now was to find her brother… and her soon to be sister.

She didn't know what life had in store for them next, but all that mattered right now was the fact that she was alive and knew who she was… and what she wanted. Ron grinned down at her again and said, "Your highness…?"

They then closed the distance between them with another kiss… the first of countless more.

(So it's finally over. What do you think of my Anastasia/Harry Potter idea? The next story in my fairytale series will be a version of Peter Pan with James and Lily. Anyway, I'm glad that it's finally done, and I hope that you all seriously enjoyed it. I don't know when Peter Pan will be going up, but hopefully soon. Until then, thanks a bunch, and I hope to do several more fairytales… so if you have a really good idea of one, I'd love to hear about it.)