===November 6 1993===
Harry is excited. Since there had been no sightings of either Peter Pettigrew or Dolores Umbridge since their escape, today's Quidditch game was going to happen! There was always a certain degree of pleasure for Harry when he was in the air.
So, here he is in the air trying to stay away from the action as he watches for the snitch. Soon he sees the snitch and flies after it, the Hufflepuff seeker right behind him.
Suddenly the air grows cold, and Harry looks around to see a group of dementors start to head towards the end of the field he's flying towards. He stops his broom to assess the situation, the Hufflepuff seeker continues towards the snitch flying right past as if they don't even notice the creatures. Sure enough, the wraiths change direction and head right for Harry.
"Bugger." Harry curses as he turns his broom around and flies in the other direction.
Hermione is watching in the stands and sees the trouble. "Hugin! She summons the dagger to her hand."Purgo!" The dagger glows white then flies off and impales itself in the lead dementor. It knocks the wraith back, but the others quickly take its place before it it rejoins them.
Without his fear for Hermione's life blocking it, Harry feels the dementors trying to feed off of him: he tries to focus on flying as he hears a woman screaming in his head, while a flash of green light partially obscures his vision. He shakes his head trying to clear the dementor's influence.
Dumbledore is in shock as looks up and sees the dementors swarm Harry. He pulls out his wand and is just about to cast his patronus when the dementors knock Harry off his broom. Dumbledore quickly changes tactics and cushions Harry's fall, but he still hits hard and doesn't immediately move.
McGonagall and Sprout summon their patroni to chase away the dementors.
"Harry!" Hermione vaults over the stands to get to Harry's side.
"Miss Granger." Dumbledore starts.
"Don't you Miss Granger me!" Hermione says angrily, Hugin, floats at her eye level pointed towards Dumbledore. "We told you these creatures were going to hurt somebody! You didn't listen to us; the Ministry didn't listen to us, and now look at what happened!"
"Miss Granger, please control yourself and put the dagger away." Dumbledore says. "You have quite literally made your point."
Hermione dismisses the dagger causing it to vanish. "I'm sorry about the dagger, I honestly forgot I summoned it for a moment."
Dumbledore nods. "Understandable."
"Where is he?" Madam Pomphrey asks as she makes her way onto the Quidditch pitch. She sees Harry and goes to his side to examine him. "I'm going to take Harry to the infirmary for observation, but I'm fairly sure he'll be fine."
The relief is obvious on Hermoine's face. "Thank you, Madam Pomphrey."
#####
A couple of hours later Harry wakes up, Hermione is sitting by his side. "You're awake." Hermione says, the tone of relief obvious in her voice.
"Sorry about that." Harry says. "I didn't exactly plan to get attacked by dementors."
Hermione nods. "I know."
Harry sits up. "So, what happened with the game?"
"Madam Hooch suspended the game, so the score remains what it was until such time as it can be finished." Hermione says. "Dumbledore then postponed any future matches indefinitely."
"That makes sense."
"I do have a bit of bad news."
"Quidditch being canceled wasn't the bad news?" Harry asks.
"No," Hermione hesitates "Your broom."
"What about it?" Harry asks, afraid of the answer.
Hermione looks at the floor. "Apparently your broom kept flying without you. and went straight into the Whomping Willow."
"No." Harry whispers.
"I'm so sorry." Hermione says as she hugs him.
"How bad is it?" Harry asks quietly.
"Ron said it's in pieces." Hermione says. "It can't be fixed." Harry nods as he hugs her back.
Madam Pomphrey walks over to them and clears her throat causing the teens to separate. "How are you doing Harry?"
"Tired." Harry says. "Not like last time I faced them though. I felt them pulling at my memories."
"It's horrible, isn't it?" Hermione asks.
Harry nods. "Did they pull at yours?"
"Not technically." Hermione says. "They pulled at the memories of yours I had seen."
"Hermione!" Harry gasps.
"Don't you start!" Hermione warns. "I asked you to show me those memories it was my choice. Understand!" Harry nods.
"Enough of this, now Mister Potter needs rest." Pomphrey says. "He'll be out in the morning." She ushers Hermione out.
===November 20 1993===
Hermione takes a breath before heading to the common room. Today was the agreed-upon day that Loki was going to stop controlling the fake Scabbers. She knew the loss of her favorite pet was going to be hard on Ginny but they couldn't keep up the ruse forever.
Once in the common room, she didn't see the younger witch so she sent her thoughts to Loki. 'Sweetness?'
'Hey, Mum.'
'Where's Ginny?'
'Sitting on her bed.'
Hermione winces as she goes back up the stairs and looks into the second-year dorm. Sure enough, Ginny is sitting on the bed in nothing but her knickers, holding the fake Scabbers. "Ginny?"
The redhead looks up, her eyes match her hair as the tears stream down her face. "Scabbers."
Hermione immediately goes and hugs the grief-stricken witch. "Ginny, I'm so sorry."
Ginny leans into Hermione as she cries. "He's been around my whole life. Some of my earliest memories are of him tickling me."
Hermione nearly gets sick at the thought of Peter abusing the girl in her arms when she was so little. "How did he go?"
"I noticed this morning he was barely breathing, so I stripped down. For some reason, he always got excited when I did. Then I put him between my breasts, as soon as they started budding that was his favorite place. I felt him take his last breath there."
'Well done.' Hermione thinks to Loki before she speaks. "It sounds like he died happy; is there anything else you could wish for?"
Ginny shakes her head. "I'd like to bury him back at home."
Hermione holds out her hands. "First you have to get dressed, then we'll go talk to Professor McGonagall."
Ginny carefully hands the rat to Hermione before getting dressed. "I need something to put him in."
Hermione hands him back before pulling out her wand and a piece of wood. "I knew this day was coming." She transfigures the wood into a box.
Ginny places Scabbers in the box and nods, and the two of them head to the common room. Harry sees them and starts towards them; Hermione just shakes her head. Then Harry hears Loki's voice in his head. 'Mum says Ginny's still pretty broken up. Keep Ron occupied.'
Harry nods and goes to distract Ron. Meanwhile, Hermione and Ginny leave and knock on McGonagall's door. "Enter." They do so, and she sees Ginny carrying the box, a sullen look crosses her face as she does. "Has it happened?"
Ginny nods. "I was hoping I could bury him at the Burrow."
McGonagall nods, sadly. "That is an unusual request."
"Please, Professor?" Ginny begs with tears in her eyes.
McGonagall sighs, she knows the rat isn't really the young witch's beloved pet, but it's clear she thinks it is. "Are you willing to go with her Miss Granger?"
"Of course, anything for a friend." Hermione answers.
"Very well then," McGonagall says as she grabs parchment, a quill, and starts writing. "I hereby give Ginerva Weasley permission to accompany you to her home."
"Thank you." Ginny says as she takes the note. Then the two of them go to the fireplace and floo to the Burrow.
===December 17 1993===
It's after dinner in the common room when Harry and Hermione come up to Ginny, who's sitting in a corner. "Ginny, we have a surprise for you." Hermione says.
The younger witch still looks broken from having lost her precious pet a month ago. "What's that?" She asks quietly.
"We asked McGonagall to send an exception form to your mom. You can come with us to Hogsmeade tomorrow." Harry says.
"We were thinking maybe you could look for a new pet?" Hermione suggests.
"I don't deserve one." Ginny says sadly. "I killed Scabbers."
"What happened to Scabbers is not your fault." Hermione says.
"Look, you don't have to get a pet if you don't want one." Harry says. "But you can go to Honeydukes."
"I don't have any money." Ginny says.
"Allow US," Hermione emphasizes the second word. "To treat you."
"Why?" Ginny asks.
"You're our friend, and you need cheerincheering up." Harry says.
===December 18 1993===
The trio walks through Hogsmeade. Lavender had helped clean up the grieving Ginny. She wears one of Hermione's old skirts, a spare pair of Lavender's leggings, and a clean blouse. Lastly Lavender had braided Ginny's hair into twin ponytails. The overall effect made her look younger than she was.
The younger witch asked to be taken to Honeydukes first, where her eyes lit up as she literally started acting like a kid in a candy store. She excitedly went from display to display, grief momentarily forgotten. "It all looks so good, how do you decide what to get?"
Harry smiles. "Last time I got a bit of everything so I could try it. Now that I know my favorites, I'll just keep to them."
Ginny's eyes widen as she asks. "Can I do that?"
Harry nods and watches her practically skip between displays. "You're spoiling her." Hermione says.
"She's like the little sister I never had." Harry says.
"She could easily pass for your sister." Hermione comments. "In this light, she looks like your mom at that age."
Harry nods. "I know." He pays for all their candy and they leave the shop when they hear the sounds of the Hogsmeade branch of Magical Menagerie. Ginny looks at the store hesitantly. "Go look." Harry says.
Ginny enters the store. She immediately sees a beautiful snow-white owl. "Look at her, she's beautiful!"
"She just came in." The salesman says. "You're the first ones in today, I'm sure she won't last long."
"You should get her." Hermione says.
"Really?" Ginny asks.
"Just tell us her name." Harry says.
Ginny looks at Hermione. "A little help?"
"Artemis?" Hermione suggests. "Goddess of the hunt?"
Ginny smiles. "Artemis… I like it!"