Adrift upon the sea of time, the lonely god wanders from shore to distant shore, upholding the laws of the stars above.
Hermione sighed and shut the heavy book. Of course Hermione was reading a school book, but not from the school she was at, no it was an A-level physics book. The reason for this was that when Hermione went back home over the summer, and met her friends from Primary school, she could still hold an intelligent conversation with them, about subjects that they took at school. Not that Hermione met many of her old friends, no Hermione preferred to spend her time in the company of her two best friends, her parents and books. But knowledge is power, and she knew that Hermione would try very hard to have knowledge.
Anyway physics was one subject that Hermione would say that she would like to do, it was numbers and formulae, like her favourite subject Arithmancy. She yawned, her eyes drooping, and as she glanced at her watch she realised the time. 11 o'clock; and it was a school night. She mentally chastised herself before she laid her head on the pillow and blew out the candle by her bed. Soon she fell asleep. And as we all know, that's where dreams occur.
She was running, her lungs and her legs aching for a rest. But she could never stop. Meanwhile she looked onto the figure of a tall thin man was stretched out on the floor. Asleep. Despite this peaceful action he's face was crumpled into a frown whilst his lips twitched and quivered, muttering to himself. All Hermione knew is that she couldn't wake him, not yet at least. So she would keep on distracting this monster. Or else she should surely die.
"So it has come to pass that I must leave you Charlotte, I have interrupted your life enough." He sighed, as he never had been good at saying goodbye. No actually the word didn't often come through his lips. He looked into the face of the blonde girl, pain and tears marked it. "No really, it's for the best, this way you can move on, get married and have children. A normal life" A small sob of grief racked her shoulders. He turned away from her, and pushed open the door, to his home and sanctuary. Charlotte felt another sob rack her shoulders and opened her mouth, a thousand reasons came into her head, all which she discarded. "But I love you, isn't that enough" He smiled ruefully, and yet he didn't turn around. "You don't know how many times I've heard that before. I'm sorry Charlotte, but you should not waste your love on me." And with that he shut the door behind him. Gradually the blue box faded from view, with that noise Charlotte knew so well. One word escaped her lips "Doctor"
Hermione woke, she had as always woken with the little spell she had created to wake her, so that she would be ready in time for lessons. Her eyes were half shut as she got dressed into her robes, and clipped back a portion of her long brown hair. She remembered how it had been the first few years of Hogwarts, bushy and hard to manage, but as she had grown older it had calmed down and now it was simply curly. She stroked Crookshanks as she packed her school bag, he purred contently at her. A glance at her watch told her it was time to go down into the common room and meet Harry and Ron. Normally she wasn't this tired, but for some reason her head wasn't up to its usual speed. I'm probably just hungry she thought to herself.
When she reached the common room, Ron and Harry weren't there yet, so she sat in one of the armchairs and read in her Potions book. It was likely that Snape would ask them many a question on the potion they would surely be making today. "Reading again Hermione" The familiar voice of Ron rang from the steps to the boys dormitories. She packed the book back into the bag, grinned and said "Well at least I know that I'll be able to answer questions that Snape poses." Ron's face fell at that, and he mumbled something under his breath that sounded a lot like "stupid git." Throughout this exchange Harry didn't say a lot, he didn't feel the need to interrupt them whilst they were in full flow. But also because he loved watching Hermione when she was smug, his heart always leapt a little when she was sarcastic and smug and any emotion really. He didn't think that he would ever tell Hermione, or Ron to that matter, that he rather liked Hermione. Luckily for him, but also sadly though because he didn't know, Hermione felt much the same. Sure she enjoyed sparring with Ron, but there was the sense of belonging that she felt when around Harry, they understood each other without words.
They hurried out of the common room and into the corridors of the Hogwarts, there was a certain chill in the air, somehow it forebode of things to come. Hermione felt a shiver creep down her spine but she suppressed it and said "So anyone else, absolutely starving?" Ron mumbled in agreement. They moved towards the Great Hall for breakfast, as usual glances followed the trio. So Harry suggested they take one of his many shortcuts. Hermione was, as usual, half annoyed and half relieved that Harry had the Marauder's map, but she decided that she rather hurry to breakfast, than criticise the rule breaking. They entered the corridor that was the last one between them and the Great Hall. When Hermione collided with Sybil Trelawney herself. Professor Trelawney glanced at Hermione and mumbled an apology. As usual a waft of sherry surrounded the odd professor.
So as normal as the day had started for Hermione, all of it was about to change, not just her day, but probably her life too. Trelawney let out a choked cough, and looked at Hermione, her eyes misty and round. Her voice was thick and raspy as she said.
"Child of not so noble birth
You shall someday change the Earth.
Make sure that the wandering lonely God will rest
Or else he will fail the final test
When travelling through the stars
Remember that your heart is never far.
Clever as you may be
Far more intelligent is he;
Who has lived for longer than you can imagine"
Hermione was a little confused as she didn't know what to make of it. But Harry realised in an instant, that Professor Trelawney had made a real prediction, no prophecy, he corrected mentally. Trelawney however was not aware of the thoughts that she had created a whirlwind of emotions in the trio. She just gave Harry a worried look and moved away from them, to be instantly wrapped in conversation with Pavarti and Lavender. Ron sighed, he was clearly confused, and said "Well I'm still hungry" Harry who was dazed, agreed and together they sat down at the Gryffindor table. Ron began shovelling food into his mouth whilst Hermione could only manage a piece of toast. Ron nudged her and said, "Come on eat up, you know that most of what the old hag says is rubbish." Hermione gave him a reproachful look. "Well you dropped the subject didn't you." Hermione sighed and then turned to Harry, "What do you think Harry?" she asked. He finished his mouthful of cornflakes, swallowed them and then said. "I think, what she said, may have been an actual prophecy, I mean that's what she sounded like, when Wormtail returned to Voldemort. So I really don't know Hermione." She sighed, and nodded slowly. "I suppose, well I've got to go now anyway. Ancient runes lesson, I'll see you in Potions this afternoon." With that she got up and walked out the Great Hall and towards her lesson. The two boys watched her retreating back, looked at each other as if to say "She is mental after all"
He pushed a slender hand through his brown hair, leaving it even messier than it had been. The scene that he had seemingly witnessed only moments again was playing through his head. He hated his longevity. He would always be the one who had to say goodbye to too many people. "Parting is such sweet sorrow" He murmured, and his voice echoed through the TARDIS. An anger crashed through, as it often did after he left someone. He aimed a kick at something, and then regretted it as it made a worrying clang and then pain in his toe. He held his one foot while he hopped on the other. He looked at the place where he had kicked the TARDIS and noticed that he hadn't damaged it too much. Just another dent it seemed. As the pain receded he carefully put his weight back on it.
He stared at the controls as he wondered where he should go next. One thing the Doctor knew that it wouldn't be Earth for some time. "Barcelona it is then." He said into the loneliness, and without another word he flipped a switch.
As he did he thought of all the brilliant moments he had had with Charlotte, there was the time where they had a run in with the Blathereen, another family from Raxacoricofallapatorius. Or when Charlotte had begged him to see the creation of the earth, a lot less glamorous than she had imagined, for it really had just been a rock circling a new star. It seemed that with Charlotte that he could simply travel, whereas with Rose, Martha and Donna there always seemed a crisis that was intermittent. Maybe the forces that held the Universe in its delicate balance were coming to a rest. That would be for the best, sometimes he was so tired, but no he must go on.
The rest of the day went quickly for Hermione, who was enjoying her lessons; as Professor McGonagall had complimented on her transfiguration homework. She had also managed to get full marks on the spontaneous test that they had gotten in Ancient Runes. Yet below this happiness a turmoil of the thoughts were raging through Hermione. I really have no idea what she was on about. I'm pretty sure that it was nothing. I mean she is a hopeless fraud. Hermione was thinking so hard that she didn't notice when she collided with Harry and her books went flying. "Oh god, I'm really sorry Hermione." Harry said. Both of them bent down to retrieve the fallen books. Hermione had her hand on her Arithmancy book when she felt the brush of Harry's hand, small tingles were set off underneath her skin. Stop thinking Hermione, she thought to herself. Instead she laughed and said "Thanks for the help, Harry. And sorry I bumped into you." They both laughed now and Harry said, "Well you looked pretty out of it, you weren't thinking about some essay, were you?" Hermione pondered this for a moment and then said "No, actually. I was thinking about the thing that Professor Trelawney said. And the believability I should give to what she said." Harry shrugged and said quietly, "You never know, so don't worry about it. Even if it were true, didn't sound like it would be a bad thing, the way she said."
These words brought a certain level of comfort to Hermione, not much, but just a little. Then a thought came to her, "Why are you here in this corridor, Harry? I mean you don't have any lessons here." She asked. Harry looked down at his shoes and then said, "Well they moved up the Hogsmeade visit to this weekend, and I wanted to tell you as quickly as possible." She grinned and said, "Well obviously I want to go, I mean we haven't seen George for a long time have we. Come on, we all have a free period now, and I know that you and Ron still haven't finished that essay on the twelve properties of dragon blood." Harry looked dejected and nodded his reluctant agreement. "Suppose you're right, as always." Hermione smiled smugly, but kindly too, and said "I'm not always right, just very often." They laughed again and reached the common room, where they found Ron sat in an armchair; dozing. Harry and Hermione smiled at each other.
He staggered into the TARDIS and said, "The French still know how to party. Even after thousands of years, it just hasn't changed." His tie, that was normally, more or less, hung around his neck was now perched firmly on his head. He looked down at himself, a stain from red wine had darkened the fabric. "Note to self: don't anger the Empress of lower France." He laughed, and the sound echoed back to him; this is when he realised who alone he was. The laughter died down, and suddenly there was an oppressing silence. He sighed, one world weary sigh, and looked at the screen of the TARDIS. All traces of weariness vanished. "A fluctuation of energy, way beyond the norm. It seems that the energy is coming from nowhere. But that can't happen. I mean energy must always be conserved, it can't be destroyed or created. It seems to be happening all over the world, but concentrated in the UK-and there further up north in Scotland. My god it's lighting up like a Christmas tree." He moved to the switches and quickly typed in the coordinates of the brightest area. With that the TARDIS shimmered from its original place.
Hermione, Ron and Harry were walking down the path from Hogwarts to Hogsmeade, there was a sense of enjoyment and relaxation between the three. The idea that they would be able to spend the day not doing anything except from enjoy themselves, was very uplifting. Ron spoke up first. "Weather's good, shame it wasn't like this last week during the Quidditch match." Harry made a serious face and nodded, but added, "We still thrashed Ravenclaw though." This instantly set off a discussion between Ron and Harry about the pros and cons about the role of weather in a game of Quidditch. Hermione sighed, but it wasn't exasperated, it was almost an endearing sigh. What on earth would I do without these two. Her face was relaxed into a peaceful smile as she watched the two, who were making wild gestures now. She smiled more widely and then said "Okay so now I feel so enlightened on the topic of weather and Quidditch, but I'd also like to mention to you that we haven't got all day to talk about it, I mean we want to visit George, don't we?" She gave them a pointed look and they both grumbled a yes. But then something happened that would completely ruin their plans.
They took another step, and then a blue box appeared, this apparition was accompanied by a sound that raised the hairs at the back of Hermione's neck. Not with fear but an anticipation that was exhilarating. Harry pulled out his wand and stepped forward before whispering "Get behind me." Hermione smiled and whispered back "It's fine, it's only a police box from the fifties." And with that she pushed past Harry and walked up the police box. She ran a hand along the surface in front of her. So not a hallucination she thought to herself. The surface was wood, just a basic wood but it was real and not otherworldly as its manner of appearing had suggested. She turned around to Harry and Ron and said, "See there really is nothing to worry about. Of course I don't know how it could appear here, but I think it's probably just a simple movement spell." Whilst she was talking she did not notice a door opening behind her, and a slender man in his thirties standing there. In fact she did not notice him till this man said, in a Scottish accent, "Did I just hear you talking of a spell?"
Hermione turned around and took a quick look at the stranger. He was about medium height but very thin, this was accentuated by the brown pinstripe suit he was wearing. She looked at his face, and it was one that seemed alive and animated by a youthful spirit, but the eyes were sad and wise, Hermione knew that all three would have to go through a lot more than destroying Voldemort. Harry looked down sheepishly at his wand, the first rule they had learnt in school, was to not raise awareness of wizards to muggles. Hermione's brain whirred, wondering how best to straighten the mess. "Oh yeah sure, there's this guy who is really changed in his behaviour, and it's almost like he's been cursed." But the stranger wasn't looking at her, or did he seem to be listening to her either. Automatically her bottom lip pouted a little, annoyance raced through her. He had put on glasses and was holding a metal device in front of him, that seemed to make a frantic beeping noise when it was pointing at her pocket, which was the place her wand was concealed. "Can I ask you to turn out your pockets." Any trace of a Scottish accent was gone, almost as if it had been face. Hermione put her hand into her pocket and drew out her wand. "It's a woodwork project. We were learning how to carve designs." She said, hoping it sounded as if it was the truth. She watched anxiously as he took the wand, held it out on a flat palm and held the beeping device over it. The beeping was incredibly fast now, and he was muttering to himself.
He then turned it over in his hand as a look of puzzlement creased his forehead. He wrapped his slender hand around the end that looked most like a handle, He swung it a little, as the trio held their breath, and was surprised when a tiny little spark emanated from the tip. "Wow" he whispered, completely in his element of discovery.
Oh no, how can we sort out this mess? Hermione's thoughts were whirring, in her mind there was no doubt that the person was not an average muggle, yet it was also clear that he was not a wizard. No wizard would have been able to not find out by now. "You're impossible." She whispered, then she realised what she had just uttered. "I mean, who are you?" He smiled at her, "I'm the Doctor" and stuck out the hand that was not holding the wand. "But a Doctor of what? And I mean you can't just be called the Doctor, everyone has a name." He grinned broader, an intuitive girl, cleverer than most he decided. "Well that depends on how you look at it, I'm a doctor of many things. A great manner of things. You for example," He pointed at Harry, "really ought to get that horrible scar fixed, it seems to be sapping a rather large amount of strength." Harry was astounded, how could a muggle be able to see the scar as something that he always had thought it did. "And how can you think that I would believe that this is only a woodwork project." The Doctor swirled the wand between slender fingers, like a baton, as he continued "I mean it's seen far too much energy to be just a piece of wood." Hermione was a little perplexed as to how this stranger knew all these things if he wasn't a wizard, more to the point he hadn't answered her question.
"Fine so I lied, but you've been ignoring my question: what is your name?" She was little annoyed, she knew that for the safety of the Wizarding world she would have to perform a memory wipe on this stranger. The Doctor grinned "Not to be distracted I see, right so my name. You're right to assume that "the Doctor" is just a title, one that I chose when I came of age. But my name is something that nobody can ever know." The smile vanished, "Don't you understand no one can know, unless…" He trailed off, don't want to be revealing everything about yourself. "So what is this wooden stick?" As if to highlight his question the Doctor swung the wand. Ron said, "I wouldn't do that, if I were you." But the words were spoken too late. A series of brilliant green sparks erupted from the tip. "Oh wow. This is a beauty. How on earth, did you manage this?" The doctor said. He glanced at the three, at the red-haired boy who looked ever so confused, to the raven haired boy with such a suspicious face and finally at the girl, a girl who held a fierce intelligence in her eyes. These eyes were brown, and seemed to be able to tell what he really was. "Okay, so I guess the deal is up. You might as well know what and who I am." Hermione crossed her arms as if to say "Oh, now you're telling the truth." The Doctor didn't miss this gesture so he hastened to explain.
"Well the thing is that I'm not from here, I come from somewhere far away. And I was in the TARDIS, when it alerted me to an occurrence concerning energy. It was all a little odd, well it seemed there was a large amount of energy that seemed to come out of nowhere, and it's was so odd." He rattled this down as quickly as he could, as he wanted to carry on finding out what was really going on. He watched as the eyes of the trio seemed to glare at him suspiciously but also puzzled, especially the two boys. But the girl seemed to understand some of what he had just said. "Hang on, if I remember correctly, energy can't, not have a source, it is only ever transferred. But can't be created or destroyed". The Doctor positively beamed as Hermione said that. "My point exactly." The Doctor added. Ron and Harry looked at each other bewilderedly. "So now I've answered your question you can answer my question." The Doctor said solemnly. "What is this?" Again he swung the wand, and again green sparks erupted at the tip. Hermione opened her mouth to explain but Harry cut her off, "You can't tell him, you know what the law says about these situations." Hermione glared at him in a way only she could. "Harry I know what I'm doing, besides you've forgotten what I can do to make sure that this situation remains locked away."
Again Hermione opened her mouth and started her explanation, "Well that thing that you're holding is my wand." The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "Yes a wand, with which you can perform magic spells, as us three"-she motioned to herself, Ron and Harry- "are wizards and a witch. We belong to the Wizarding world."
