AN: Obviously, this is a crossover. As such, it will be an AU story; I'd list what will be different, but it would take way too long, and I'm sure you'd rather read the story. :) I apologize for the shortness of the prologue; the rest of the chapters that I have written are much longer. Hmm...what else...enjoy the story and let me know what you think!
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or the Elder Scrolls. I'm just playing with them for a while. They will be returned when I'm done, so please don't sue!
Prologue
Hermione Granger stared down at her filthy, bloodied hands, briefly wondering how her life could have degraded so very far. Her downward spiral began shortly after the start of her seventh year at Hogwarts. In the beginning, she had been excited about the prospect of her OWL's and the culmination of seven strenuous years worth of work. And now...now everything had changed, her life flipped on it's end and shaken violently about as if it were a child's rattle.
Through the hazy murkiness in her mind, Hermione could barely make out the night that it had all started to change. Sleepwalking was not something that she had experienced before hand, so she was reasonably startled when she had woken up deep within the Forbidden Forest. Clad only in a thin cotton nightgown, she had found herself standing before a heap of stones, partially covered with moss and debris. It had been a terrifying experience to find herself there, unarmed and unaware of her surroundings. She remembered the suffocating feeling of panic settling over her, blinding her vision and sending her heart racing. Somehow, someway, she had managed to find her way back to the castle and crawled back into the safety of her bed, swearing that she would speak to a professor about it in the morning.
Yet, in the dawning early morning light, she had woken up with a cheery smile on her face, having forgotten all about the mysterious journey she had taken the night before. Hermione vaguely remembered a feeling of puzzlement over her filthy feet, but she had shaken it off and simply jumped into the shower. She had a busy day ahead of her and she was not going to spend what little time she had wondering about her feet. If Harry or Ron had sensed that something was off with their friend, they had not commented on it.
This pattern had continued for several weeks: falling asleep in her bed, waking up in the forest, vaguely taking note of the change in the pile of the rock and then heading back. She did not remember all of her nightly ventures; the only clue to her continued presence was the change in the rocks before her. When she had started coming to the forest, it had been just a pile of debris in the middle of a glade. Now, it was a fully formed archway leading to nowhere.
It was confusion and puzzlement that made Hermione pause for a few moments, not the pain from her abused hands. Her thoughts were scattered and in disarray, but she was certain that something should be happening. She took several steps back from the gate and cocked her head, looking for a clue as to what was wrong. There were thirteen stones in total, each of them a little over a half a meter in length with unusual geometric shapes carved into them, save for the largest one which was blank.
Perhaps it should be in the middle, Hermione pondered. It took careful maneuvering with her wand to pull out the slab in question, thankfully Wingardium Leviosa was a charm that she was well versed in. She held her breath as she watched the stone settle slowly into place, then let out a sigh of relief when the arch did not come crashing down as it had in the past.
A twinge from her hand cut through her mental fog, causing her to drop her vinewood wand to the forest floor. Her chocolate colored eyes took in her ruined palms and scraped knuckles, noting that the damage was not severe but merely painful. She stood and stared at her hands for a few moments, trying in vain to focus long enough to clean the wounds but it was for naught. The pain faded into the background once more as Hermione turned her attention back to the archway.
Finally, success!
Hermione felt her jaw drop as she took in the sight before her. The archway that she had struggled to rebuild now glowed in the silvery moonlight. A brilliant cerulean blue outlined the geometric shapes on the stones and emitted from the center of the arch. It was a feeling of relief and satisfaction that filled her now. She knew that her all of her hard work had finally paid off, even if the price included her sanity and blood. A giddy smile graced her face as she stood and stared at the sight, and it stayed there as Hermione did the unthinkable.
She walked through the gate.