House: Slytherin
Category: Themed (Discovery – what does it take to discover new places, self-discovery, inner meaning, strength, even treasure.)
Prompts: Ancient Runes (Class/Object)
Characters: Hermione Granger; Harry Potter; Severus Snape; Ron Weasley
Word count: 3478 (Excluding Author's Note, but including entire Short Story and Title)
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter nor any of the information provided in this work. I simply use it to enrichen my work/plot and I, by no means, own it. Although, if any of you are interested in Alchemy/Ancient Runes, feel free to contact me or look the information up yourselves for the subject(s) are quite interesting!
Summary: Hermione Granger, the brightest witch of her age, was on the brink of a discovery. With the aid of her Master, Severus Snape, and a small group of friends, she travels to the catacombs of Hogwarts in such of Nicolas Flamel's infamous creation: The Philosopher's Stone. Legends speak of its great and healing powers. When dealt with this information, obsession takes over and once in the catacombs, it takes more than the knowledge of the land and Ancient Runes to save her from her hellish nightmares.
Rating: T
Important:
The philosopher's stone is a legendary substance, allegedly capable of turning metals into gold. Its known as the elixir of life, used for rejuvenation and achieving immortality. For a long time, it was the most sought-after goal in Western alchemy. As Above, So Below
This phrase comes from The Emerald Tablet and embraces the entire system of traditional and modern magic which was inscribed upon the tablet that all things exist equally, divulge from one singular thing, and are all one and the same. The meaning of this phrase is that it is believed to hold the key to all mysteries. All branches of magic are claimed to function by this formula: "That which is above is the same as that which is below"
Example: the universe is the same as God, God is the same as man, man is the same as the cell, and so on.
The magical act, that of causing a transformation in a thing or things without any physical contact is accomplished by an imaginative act accompanied by the will that the wanted change will occur. The magical act and imaginative act becomes one and the same. He knows with certainty that for the change to occur he must will it to happen and firmly believe it will happen.
Note: Magic and religion are akin; both require belief that a miracle will occur.
To bring about such a change the magician uses the conception of "Dynamic interconnectedness to describe the physical world as the sort of thing that imagination and desire can affect. The magician's world is an independent whole, a web of which no strand is self-directed. Mind and body, galaxy and atom, sensation and stimulus, are intimately bound. Witchcraft strongly imbues the view that all things are independent and interrelated." These concepts pivot on the belief that all things come from the One Thing, or First Cause, and "Its power is integrating, if it be turned into earth."
The purpose of all rituals in ceremonial magic is to unite the microcosm with the macrocosm to join God, or gods when invoked, with the human consciousness. When such a supreme union is achieved the subject and object becomes one. This occurs when the magician feels that he is consciously in touch with all elements of the universe; therefore, he can control them. The magician feels connected with the universe. This feeling intensifies the more the magician successfully practices his skills. Whenever he experiences a failure he knows that the ritual was not performed correctly.
When feeling unison with the universe, he knows he has reached his Higher or True Self because he has attained mastery of himself and the universe. Thus, his "skillful work ascends from earth to heaven and descends to earth again, and receives the power of the superiors and of the inferiors." Therefore, he "hast the glory of the whole world therefore let all obscurity flee from thee." Now the miracles are possible.
Author's Note: There will be the slightest hint of Severus/Hermione, so if that isn't your cup of coffee (:3), please don't read it! It's more like admiration than romance, anyway. Although, the slightest hint nonetheless!
Note:
As always, enjoy
-Carolare Scarletus
_-~As Above, So Below~-_
And, so they witnessed in the mirror
The shells of creation
Fall into despair
And the stars that held the world together
Dive into a world of uncertainty
Crashing like meteorites in the night.
It was with this dust that coated their skins
That made them questions everything
That they believed in.
As the planets and stars unite,
They were the universe.
As Above, So Below
Hermione Granger peered over the top of her beaker as she tried to keep a steady hand. In her possession was a deadly mix of Nightshade and Fluxweed infused with a purple flower that she had plucked at the peak of its bloom. If the combination was right, she would have brewed a very potent variation of poison meant to kill anything within forty-two hours after consumption. Slowly, she tilted the beaker over the simmering contents of her cauldron. One drop fell from the lip and landed into the awaiting mixture. Hermione wouldn't know immediately if the proportions were right; the wait would be excruciating long and she prayed that it would be correct and not boil over and explode. It would be the third ruin potion this week and she could already hear her Master's scolding sneer in memorial of the last disaster.
Brewing and potion making was a subtle art. It was a phrase that had been drilled into her mind so many times that she practically could recite it in five different languages, including Latin and Elvish. It was a science, though not practical on the true spectrum, that Hermione has come to love. She ditched her plans to study Civil Rights and decided to Major in Ancient Runes with Potions as her Minor. In less than two months, she'll be able to take the once in a life time trip underneath her school and embark on a journey that will change her life. First, she needed to master this potion. A week in the catacombs of Hogwarts almost ensured contracting diseases and sickness that didn't sound the least bit pleasurable. She needed to be prepared.
Hermione, as all other explorers, had one dream in mind and that involved the Philosopher's Stone. She had read about it her first year at Hogwarts. Nicolas Flamel was a well0knwon French scribe in his time, and only gained his reputation after discovering the Philosopher's Stone. It was never described how he did it, or if anything from the accounts were even trustworthy, but one thing was for certain- Nicolas had achieved immortality in one form or another. Sightings of Flamel have surfaced all over the world. Hoaxes, though, Hermione could happily say that she knew the real man behind the image. Although the exact whereabouts where unclear, as Flamel had passed away shortly after his wife at the end of her second year at Hogwarts, one thing was for sure: this would be the greatest discovery of a lifetime and she had to find it no matter what.
Ancient Runes was more than the fascinating subject that had caught her attention back in school. It was an unscripted journey that, no matter whose viewpoint she read it in, told of endless stories of discovery and reenactments. She supposed that what she wanted. Call it an obsession, but the more Hermione studied it, the stronger the attraction became. It all started with a tour under the City of Mystique, or Paris, that entrapped her to the dream. She had broken into one of the entrances and spent an entire night exploring the endless paths alongside her best mates, one of which had gotten caught and spent the night in a Parian cell. He had yet to contact her, much less forgive her. That certainly was the deal-breaker in their friendship.
As she attended to the mixture, cutting a beaded pearl, her mind wandered just a tad.
Instead of cutting the beetles that lay on his plate, he was crushing them with the flat side of his blade. Which seemed a bit odd if anyone would to ask her. She had been instructed by the same Professor in the art of brewing potions, and nowhere in their text said that crushing the beetles would amount to a more positive reaction to the brew. Furrowing her brow, she watched attentively as his adroit hands made little movement with the ingredients provided, gradually added the bits of slug flesh and owl dung to the concoction. Her fingers flipped through the text with lightning speed as her mind whirled with uncertainty. If Hermione hadn't known any better, she would say that Harry Potter was cheating.
"You're not supposed to do that!" she hissed under her breath. "Do you have any idea-"
"Relax, 'Mione," her partner said with a flare of humor. "I'm merely experimenting. Besides, isn't this a Beginner's Brew class? I'm allowed to get up and personal with my ingredients."
"But, not like that!" she nearly shrieked as he added another drop of the vaporless liquid to the cauldron. It omitted a greenish light before it dispersed completely. "Oh, move over! You're going to blow us to pieces if you keep adding all that."
University hadn't changed Hermione in the slightest. In fact, it seemed to invigorate her need to learn and grow.
Hermione glanced at the digital clock that she had procured for her Master. A gift from her Muggle upbringing. Though, it was a bit useless since all the windows had been shut in preparation to brewing this potion. Besides, he didn't appreciate kindness even it conjured itself right before him and kicked him in the arse.
Oh, well.
One cheap little clock was the least of her worries.
Carefully, Hermione took hold of her stirrer and began whisking the concoction in counter-clockwise strokes before stirring it three times in the opposite direction. With an easy flick of her wrist- something that she had taken up from her Master- Hermione had finally gotten her brew where she wanted it to be. In the text that had been provided for her, the potion was supposed to be a deep purple (which it was). However, it didn't say anything about it omitting a sweet, yet entrancing scent. Worried, Hermione opened her book back to where she left off and read the notes on the sides carefully. Instead of the foul scent to which would have signaled a perfect brew, the note indicated that the smell would be richer and more refined. Coming from the Half-Blood Prince himself, Hermione decided not to worry too much.
This time, she nailed it. That's all that mattered.
Perspiration rolled down her temples, staining her skin and rousing her already ambitious hair. Just a few more seconds and-
"GRANGER!" bellowed her Master just as the color was about to change.
Quickly, Hermione looked up to find Severus Snape, the man of her rigorous training and tormenter of all her educational years at Hogwarts. His unceasing snarl had been permanently etched onto his face and if his looks could kill, she would say that he was stubbornly upset about something that happened at the Ministry. Professor Snape (a name that he adamantly refused to answer to nowadays) was a self-proclaimed Alchemist. Whilst under his care, Hermione had gotten into a bit of trouble and it was only with his standing that she was able to get out of trouble punishment-free. Not only was she apprenticing under his credentials, he was her only supporter. Aside from a couple of menial jobs she scrapes up every now and then, Hermione was completely dependent on almost everything.
Well, almost
"I specifically instructed you to wait for my return!" he snapped, arriving at the table and watching as the boiling concoction took over a new leaf. It was darker in color and the smell had turned sour. Hermione began to panic. Gathering everything in her reach, she poured the phials over the churning brew. Before Severus could instruct her further, the cauldron began to rock. Back and forth it rocked until the hinges on the sides broke off and the brew became so hot that it looked as if it would explode at any moment. Just then, a pale hand flew past her visual and within moments, the cauldron had righted itself and was the same purplish hue that it had adopted.
"Whew," Hermione wiped her brow and smiled. "I say that was impeccable timing, Prof-"
"You nearly killed yourself."
"I nearly do that every day," she teased playfully, watching as her Master's face contorted into a sneer. With a billow of his robes, Severus walked away from the table and deposited a large volume onto his coffee table. Hermione looked at it curiously.
"How is it that I leave you to your own devices that you always managed to either blow something up and set something on fire?" he hissed. "I was gone for-"
"An hour." She said simply, looking at the cauldron now with the least bit of concern that they had almost been covered in the corrosive liquid. "If you would just taking a gander at the clock I-"
"-and I specifically told you not to open the lid to the potion."
"It was hissing and set itself on fire!" she cried, defending her actions. "What was I supposed to do?"
Severus mumbled a series of obscenities before turning to say," I don't care if it was howling at the moon or singing showtunes, Ms. Granger. If that's what it was supposed to do, I would have expected you to let it do so. As studying this art under my care and as my pupil, I expect you to take more consideration to brew and directions. How are you supposed to last a single minute in the catacombs if you can't even follow simple instructions?" By the end of his tirade, Severus was fuming with unreleased rage. Hermione could see now the mistake that she made and made a display of ducking her downward and mumbling an apology.
"I suppose that's the look that they weren't having it?" Hermione finally said, looking to find that Severus was still glaring at her. She had hoped that her proposition to explore the catacombs of Hogwarts would be a sure thing among the council. It seemed that she had misplaced her assumptions. Crestfallen, Hermione dropped her arms to her sides and bit her lip. Her whole thesis relied on exploring the continuous cavern of Hogwarts. What was she going to basis it on now?
"It seems," he began warily, removing the scarf she had gotten him for the holidays and placed it on a nearby chair," that they have been aware of your… adventures, Ms. Granger."
"I thought we agreed to drop the surnames?"
"You have yet to live up to your end of the bargain," Severus grinned shamefully. "Besides, you become quite irritated by my inability to refrain from such abuse. Anyway," he began, dropping the formal absurdity that was wedged between them. His voice suddenly grew dark. "The Ministry had some words regarding your illegal activities. There were countless reasons that they weren't keen on permitting your exploration of the catacombs, Hermione. One of which served as basis for both of our termination. However, one small indecency was met and they had no choice but to refrain from any well-deserved treatment. Needless to say, they were intrigued."
"I-intrigued?" she asked nervously. If she hadn't been clutching her breast, Hermione wouldn't have realized just how important the information he was relying her was. She waited patiently. If this was the news that she had been dying to hear, she needed to act accordingly and not blow up. There was only so much disappointment a person could take. "What do you mean, intrigued, Severus?"
Her master raised an eyebrow at her audacity to call him by his given name. With this approach, he cleared his throat and began telling her of the assembly, which had not been met with the wildly enthusiastic atmosphere as the closure had been. In fact, Severus had gone there with the intention of seeking out legal protection against any accusation regarding his pupil. The assembly recited all the offenses that Hermine had met, each with his own reprisals. The punishments ranged from suspension to time in Azkaban. Though, they knew that she had committed some of the lawbreaking, they could not propose a single reliable account to that surely would have resulted in jail time. Thus, an acquittal was reached. It was a liberation that neither of them had prepared for; though, they were certainly hoping.
"Wow," she breathed, completely beside herself with relief and shock. "Professor-"she began, earning a self-earned glare from her Master,"-Sorry. Severus, what made them withdraw their charges? I mean, I did break the law." Hermione had waited as patiently as she could. Though, she couldn't refrain from questioning their decision as she waited.
"I believe that their intrigue steams from the simple fact that Flamel never disclosed the whereabouts of the stone." Severus told her. "Seeing how… ambitious you are, they decided to grant you immediate acquittal and allow you to take a trip back to Hogwarts in your search for the stone. However, I must advise you that I have discovered there are others. Even if you don't find it, Hermione, other's will follow in your footsteps. You're a novice, and their profound accomplishments and understanding of Alchemy and Ancient Runes will carry them further than you ever thought possible. I am by no means downplaying your ability, I am merely being truthful."
"Does that mean you'll still accompany me?" Hermione asked quickly.
"It means that I will continue to supervise your studies. Frankly, I don't believe you're ready to undertake such a monstrous expedition, but who am I to obliterate your dreams? I am merely a passenger on your voyage to the unknown. Come, there is much to do until the brew is complete. Care for a snack?"
Hermione beamed as Severus busied himself of the menial tasks of arranging their workspace into a more suitable environment for entertainment. Whilst the brew reached its final stages, they played on spending the remaining hours engaged in conversation and notetaking. It had become a ritual at the beginning of their engagement. One of many that hadn't been broken in the months leading up to her finding home in his spacious abode. He had sold his family home and used some of his wealth to purchase land just outside of London. With a house more suitable for a large family such as the Weasleys, Severus immediately took the liberty of converting every single room into some sort of extension of their practice. When completed, the home was furnished with a large library, a lovely study and three separate labs, one for them both and the last for their joint experiments. The last several months have been more than kind to her, but Hermione was itching to get out on her own and see the world. As kindhearted as Severus was underneath his façade, it was the need for exploration that rekindled the everlasting flame. She just had to get out.
Biting her lip again, a startling thought occurred to her. As luxurious as a lifestyle as she's had, she wondered about her classmates. She knew very well that Harry was no doubt studying to be an Auror and Ronald finally found fame in Quidditch. With a vague, yet determined memory, Hermione thought back to the time when she actually cared for the boy. Speaking of apologizes, there was an assured apology if she ever had the chance to see him again. Along with that, there was another person that she believed would do well with a piss-poor excuse and that involved leaving him in Paris with no chances of escaping. Hermione knew she had to reconcile with Harry if she ever wished to be friends with him again.
When she brought this up with Severus, he stopped rearranging the furniture to look at her.
"Have you spoken to Mr. Potter about this?" he asked, raising his wand once more and watching as a tray of small sandwiches, assorted cakes and tea levitated toward them. They sat down and welcomed the peaceful setting. Each took a plateful of treats and sipped on their tea until the silence was overwhelming.
Hermione cleared her throat, sat her plate down and said," Well, no."
Severus raised a brow. "How do you know he will be up for the occasion?"
"I don't."
"I see." He paused then. "I supposed he has yet to contact you, yes? How long as it been? Two, three months?"
"Something like that…" she said, wrapping her fingers around the china. "Though, it feels like it's been half a year. He's joined the force, you know. Associating with me won't look so good on his resume and he'll still be mad about what happened back in Paris."
"Have you tried to contact him?"
"Of course!" Hermione shook her head. She had sent him so many owls that every inch should have been covered in feathers and letters. Despite reaching out to him, arriving to his various flats without notice and even stalking his workplace in hopes to see him, Harry hasn't budged. In fact, she has reason to believe that he's moved because of her obsessive behavior. It's the lowest blow that her heart and ego has ever had. She didn't think he'd ever want to see him. "I don't need him. As long as I have you and..."
"Hermione," She looked up at the sound of her name like some canine," I believe you know what's right in this situation. You don't need me telling you what to do."
"If you had gotten into an argument with Professor Dumbledore-"
"Albus would have acted as if nothing occurred between us." He stated simply. "I could have flipped the school upside down and he'd come out acting as if it was of natural occurrence. The point is, don't let this continue. Find Potter and apologize. If my assumptions are correct, he'll forgive you and you both can finally move on. Now, are we quite done? I'd like to enjoy my snack before we go back to brewing."
"Are you sure?" she asked nervously.
Severus shrugged then glanced at her before standing up. He drew closer to the cauldron she had completely left unattended. Just when he was about to recite the importance of never leaving a brew, Hermione jumped up and poked him with the rounded end of her wand. He looked down at her with a deadly glare.
"What was that for?" he hissed.
"For being a complete dunderhead!" she yelled angrily
"For the sake of my safety and yours- "he plucked the wand from her hand and placed it on the table,"- I refuse to let you partake in anything that may lead to your death and I hereby suspend you from using your wand or any instruments you may find in this room. I see now that safety is the upmost importance, especially with you. In fact, you're on probation until Monday morning. During which time, I hope you find the absurdity of not listening to my instructions and I sincerely hope that you see the error of your ways during the Holiday."
Hermione's eye widened. "W-what?"
She felt the effects of it before the strands reached her. Though, he wouldn't dare take her wand from her, Severus looked hell-bent on allowing her the continued use of his labs. Hermione angrily watched as the tendrils became a soundless strand as it reached over and connected both their wrists together in one unbreakable bond. How dare he even make the Vow in such a way that would limit her for the entire weekend? Breathing out heavily, she looked him in the eye and cursed before stepping away.
"I hate you," she whispered, her brow furrowed into a permanent state of annoyance.
"As I'm sure," he recited, amusement laced in his voice as he leaned up against the table and looked at her. "It gives me plenty of time to get ready for supper and take you out without worrying you blowing up the place in my absence."
Hermione lifted her head. "Truly?" she whispered, already recovering from the downpour of him bestowing such a harsh sentence.
Severus finally smiled. It was a beautiful, enchanting sight and it took Hermione's breath away every time he did it. Reaching out, he pulled her into a tight hug and sighed. Frustrated or not, he was happy that she hadn't killed herself. Though, she could tell that he was still angry at her, it was the thought of spending time together before their lives changed forever that melted her heart.
Hermione clung to him, imaging just how wonderful the stone would look on her finger.