Hermione woke up with a jolt. The woman was standing over her, wand outstretched.
“Oh good, you’re awake now. I’m sorry, Hermione, I always tell Albert he’s too enthusiastic. It took quite a strong spell to wake you up, let me tell you. Of course, I knew you aren’t a Death Eater, but all the same, Albert had to knock you out, so he could cast a spell to check. So, how’s your summer been so far?”
Before Hermione had a chance to say a word, the man interrupted with a mild Scottish accent, “An’ as I always say, you talk a bit too much, Shannon. But I haven’t introduced myself, have I? Pardon my manners, miss, I’m Albert Tanner. Have you any questions to ask me?”
“Yes, of course. Why am I here? What’s going on with all this secrecy and running through alleyways?”
“Oh Albert,” Shannon said flippantly, “What have you been doing to Hermione? I know we’re being watched, but that sounds like a bit much, doesn’t it?”
She flipped her long blonde hair over her shoulder. Hermione noticed that she was dressed in sequined black robes, the kind that was in style that summer. The woman continued, “I’m Shannon Crabtree, by the way. You haven’t met my sister, Alai, have you? She’s a second year at Hogwarts.” Hermione shook her head. “I didn’t expect you would have, but if you see her this year, tell her I say hello…no, enough chat. Albert?”
“We’ve brought you here for a reason, you see.” Albert Tanner ignored Shannon’s chatter. “Dumbledore wants you to know- wait. Did Harry Potter tell you about the prophecy?”
Hermione nodded. “Yes, of course. But we don’t know what it said, since it smashed. I thought for a while about what it could be, but I really don’t know, and I doubt that unless anybody else knows, nobody will ever find out.”
“Well, I personally don’t know the details,” said Albert grimly, “but I happen to know that Harry knows the exact contents- you’ll have to wait till he tells you, but don’t let on that you know.”
A loud beeping sound interrupted him, coming from an object in the corner. It was a tall, black, empty hourglass, vibrating gently and letting out high-pitched beeps and whirrs. Albert Tanner looked alarmed. “Sorry, but this isn’t a safe discussion to have here. I need to tell you your assignment soon, but I can’t tell you anything here, not when my Eavatector is on alert. You’ll have to spend the night here, and I’ll try to locate a secured base of the Order where we can give you your instructions.”
“Oh, not another night in here!” Shannon rolled her eyes. “I’m starting to get sick of this place. Well, I have a spare room for you, Hermione. There are a few other people staying here too, so don’t get nervous if you hear them. You might want to read or something until dinner is ready.”
“Thanks. Do you have anything for me to read? I don’t have anything new with me.” Hermione stated, while staring hard at the empty hourglass and trying to figure out if she had heard of it before.
“I don’t have anything with me, either,” Albert said, “but Shannon always has a few books on Defense to carry around with her.”
“Oh, sure.” Shannon reached into a bright blue bag with a designer label sitting on the floor. “Let’s see, I have Hexing Heartbreakers, Revenge Charms for the Wronged, Latest Wizarding Fashions, what else is in here? Oh, why don’t you read this?” She handed Hermione a medium-sized red paperback. Hermione looked at the cover.
Out There Somewhere
By Shannon Crabtree
“You wrote this?” Hermione asked, surprised. “I think I remember seeing this on a shelf in Flourish and Blotts!”
“Aye, Shannon’s quite a good author, if I say so myself. You might enjoy her book- it’s on a subject I’ve heard you feel quite strongly about.” Albert winked at her.
Hermione stared at the book, her curiosity piqued. Shannon quickly changed the subject, blushing at the compliment from the usually reserved Albert.
“I’ll show you to your room, then, and supper should be in a few hours.” Shannon beckoned to Hermione to follow her out the door into a dark hallway Hermione hadn’t seen yet. They tiptoed upstairs into a dark room. Shannon flicked her wand at a small light bulb on the ceiling.
“Since you can’t use magic outside of school yet, you can pull the cord on the wall over there if you want to turn it off.” Shannon pointed to the wall, where a short string was dangling from a hole in the ceiling. There was a small teddy bear attached to it, a string clumsily twisted around its waist. Pushed up against the wall underneath was a chair that looked like it had been taken from a writing desk in the corner of the room.
Shannon noticed the teddy bear and laughed. “Looks like Theodore has been here- he’s a cousin of mine who was visiting me here some time ago. He loves teddy bears, but tends to lose some in unusual places wherever he goes. This is the fifth one I’ve found since he left. He’s only three, but he’s really cute. Maybe I’ll show you a picture of him later if you remind me.”
She paused for a second. “Is there anything I need to tell you? No, I think that’s all. Sorry I have to leave you alone like this, but I have a lot of work to do. If you need anything, go downstairs and find someone, but don’t shout or anything. All right then, see you by supper! Someone will tell you when it is.”
Shannon flipped her hair over her shoulder and left the room, closing the door with a quiet click.
Hermione stared curiously at the small volume in her hand. She turned it over to read the back cover. A picture of Shannon was placed at the top; her head turned to the side, and underneath was a short paragraph with the title About the Author. Hermione read the words below:
Shannon Crabtree, a well-known Auror in the British Ministry of Magic, lives in England in an assortment of cities. This is her first novel, and it has received top reviews from wizarding communities worldwide. She is a graduate of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and spends her spare time playing the flute and keeping up with her favorite Quidditch team, the Holyhead Harpies, and brewing up potions. She also loves to take care of magical creatures. She can be contacted through an owl to her publishers at 42b Diagon Alley.
Hermione sat with her jaw hanging open. The talkative, fashion-conscious Shannon Crabtree was an Auror!
She opened the book and began to read.