Hermione Granger closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. Blood pulsed through her cheeks. What would it take for this girl to leave her the hell alone?
"Don't you understand?" Luna Lovegood jogged up the steps behind Hermione, waving a clipboard. "This is the only way to convince the Ministry of Magic of how serious the problem is."
"There is no problem, Luna."
"Yes there is. Unless the Ministry puts Wulkimbles on the Protected Species List, they'll all be gone in a year's time."
"You can't declare something a protected species that doesn't exist." Hermione saw the door to the Astronomy tower ahead. Almost home free.
"But they do exist. If you'd just sign -"
"Luna!" Hermione spun around. "For the last time I'm not signing your stupid petition! Wulkimbles don't exist. Neither do Nargales or Rodens or any of the other nonsensical creatures you blather on about. Now will you leave me alone and go do something useful with your life?"
Luna simply stared at her, unfazed by the outburst. "But they do exist. If you would just sign . . ."
"Argh!" Hermione whirled around. "You're hopeless!"
She stomped up the stairs and into the tower, slamming the door behind her.
Most of the Sixth Years snapped their heads around. Hermione caught the startled expressions of Parvati and Padma Patil, sitting at the desk beside her.
"What?" she hissed.
Padma winced. "Um . . . nevermind."
Scowling, Hermione headed for her usual seat, then froze in her tracks.
Rage pulsated inside her when she saw Lavender Brown giggling and fingering tufts of Ron Weasley's red hair. Next to them sat Harry Potter, his right hand shielding his face from the nauseating spectacle.
Hermione spotted an empty chair near Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan. She slammed her books on the desk. Both Dean and Seamus jumped in their seats.
"Blimey, Hermione," Dean said. "What's got you so hot?"
She answered him with a glare.
Dean bit his lip and went back to looking at his Astronomy book.
Hermione snapped open her book, nearly ripping out some of the pages. Lavender's giggles carried across the room. She glanced over to see the little tart pawing at Ron. Harry closed his eyes and covered his ears.
Hermione crushed her quill in her hand. Damn you, Ron. She'd put up with these stomach churning displays for weeks. Just the mere sight of Ron and Lavender sent her into a fit.
And Luna Lovegood added more fuel to the fire.
Why did the wide-eyed Ravenclaw girl always feel the need to pester her about her crackpot theories and made-up creatures? Just because Harry tolerated Luna's mad ramblings didn't mean she had to. Hermione had told her that, time after time after time. Not that it ever stopped Luna from annoying her.
Professor Sinistra entered the room. "Settle down, class. That means you too, Miss Brown."
Lavender pouted and removed her hands from Ron. Hermione grinned until she noticed Lavender's foot snake around Ron's ankle.
Hermione snorted. Dean and Seamus gave her nervous glances.
Sinistra went on about planetary alignments and how some of them cause disruptions in local magical fields. Hermione forced herself to concentrate on the lecture, shunting all thoughts of Luna Lovegood, Ron Weasley and Lavender Brown to the back of her mind.
"Now, class. For tonight, I'm going to give you a rather unique assignment." Professor Sinistra waved her wand. From out of the tall wooden cabinet several glass cubes flew across the room. One landed in front of each student.
"Normally in Astronomy we study other planets. For this assignment, you will be studying Earth. Or more accurately, other Earths."
Several students gave Sinistra quizzical looks.
"Other worlds do not only exist in the heavens. They can also exist right next to us. Parallel worlds, they are called. For every choice you make, a divergent world is created where the opposite choice occurred. These Diversus Cubes will allow you to cross over to a parallel Earth. Simply tap the top of it three times with your wand and say revealio, and you will be taken to another Earth. Now, while you are there, you will not be able to be seen by any of the inhabitants, nor can you interact with them. So spend at least two hours wandering about. When you're finished, tap the cube three times and say returnio. Tomorrow I want you all to report the differences you noticed on that world, and any similarities with this one."
Hermione's eyes widened. An electric tingle shot through her body. Another Earth, different and similar at the same time. Her mind ran wild with possibilities too numerous to count.
When class ended she raced back to the Gryffindor Tower. The rest of the students headed off to the Great Hall for supper, but she couldn't wait to use her Diversus Cube. Besides, by not going to the Great Hall she could avoid Ron, Lavender and Luna.
Alone in her room, Hermione held the cube in her hand. Her heartbeat picked up. What would she find on this other Earth? Would her alternate self have more friends? Would she be some wizarding prodigy who'd already graduated? Would she have a boyfriend?
Hermione tapped the cube three times. "Revealio!"
The air shimmered around her. She gasped as the room changed before her eyes. Posters she'd grown accustomed to seeing altered or vanished completely. Chairs and trunks changed positions.
Still she remained the only person in the room.
Hermione strode out of her room and entered the Common Room. She spotted Dean and Seamus sitting together having a chat like they usually did on her Earth.
"Travis! Travis, where are you?"
Neville Longbottom crawled around one of the sofas, looking under it for his toad.
So it's Travis here, not Trevor. That's one change, albeit not an exciting change.
Ruckus laughter caught her attention. Hermione looked to another sofa to find Harry and Ron bent over laughing.
"You have to teach me that spell, Harry. I'd love to turn Malfoy's hair into worms, too."
Hermione cocked an eyebrow when she recognized the boy standing over the sofa. Ernie MacMillan. On her world he was in Hufflepuff. On this one the sorting hat must have sensed something different in him and put him in Gryffindor.
Wait a minute . . . She looked at Harry and Ron again, then scanned the rest of the room. Shouldn't she, or rather her counterpart, be somewhere around.
Maybe I'm . . . she's in the library. Or maybe I was sorted in Ravenclaw.
Hermione grinned and bounced on the balls of her feet. She couldn't wait to find this world's Hermione.
I wonder what . . .
"Harry, dearest!"
The familiar voice shattered her thoughts. She turned to the entrance to the Common Room. Her lungs seized up when she recognized the girl.
Her figure was trim instead of skinny, the face fuller, the black hair longer. And back on her Earth, Hermione never, ever, saw this girl smile.
Mouth agape, she watched Pansy Parkinson bounce across the Gryffindor Common Room . . . and drop right into Harry's lap!
"Hey, Pa -"
Pansy smothered Harry's lips with hers.
"What?" Hermione gasped. "I don't . . ."
She slapped a hand over her mouth. Her eyes darted around the room. She relaxed a second later and scolded herself. No one here could hear or see her.
Hermione grimaced as Pansy continued to suck on Harry's face. A few students whooped with delight.
Pansy finally pulled away, much to Hermione's relief. Harry took a greedy drag of air.
"Harry and . . . Pansy Parkinson?" Hermione muttered to herself. The pairing sounded so unnatural.
It's a parallel Earth. Things are different here.
Pansy ran her fingers through Harry's black hair.
And disturbing.
"What did I do to deserve that?" Harry slipped his arms around Pansy's waist. Hermione felt a sour look come over her face.
"I've got good news." Pansy beamed. "Mummy and Daddy said you're welcome to stay at our house over Easter Holiday. Oh Harry, it's going to be so wonderful." She hugged him tight.
"That's great." Harry kissed her. Hermione wanted to wretch.
"How's about you two snog later?" Ron stood up. "I'm bloody starving. Let's get to supper."
Pansy frowned at him. "Oh, Ron. When are you not starving?"
"Come on, Pansy." Harry patted her leg. "We'd better go before Ron wastes away."
Ron snorted at him. Pansy scooted off Harry's lap so he could stand. Hand-in-hand, they left the Common Room with Ron in tow.
Hermione followed, her unblinking eyes locked on Harry and Pansy's intertwined hands.
Harry and Pansy Parkinson.
She watched the three wind their way through the corridors. A quiver went through her stomach. She thought back over the past five years, all their adventures, all their trials and tribulations. She'd shared so much with Harry and Ron. But on this world . . . she bit her lower lip at the thought. On this world, instead of her, Harry and Ron, had it been Harry, Pansy and Ron this whole time?
It's another Earth. There are going to be differences.
It didn't prevent jealousy from surging through Hermione.
"Oh, Pansy," Harry said. "About Easter, you know I have to drop by and see Aunt Petunia, too."
Hermione gasped. Aunt Petunia? Harry couldn't stand being on the same continent with that horrible woman.
Then again, if Pansy Parkinson can be nice on this world, why not Harry's aunt?
"I just had a thought. I'll ask Mummy and Daddy to invite her, too. I'm sure they wouldn't mind, especially since your aunt has no family left but you."
No family but Harry? Hermione wondered what could have happened to Harry's Uncle Vernon and his cousin Dudley.
"You're the best, love." Harry kissed Pansy on the cheek.
Hermione tried to stay focused on Harry. In all the years she'd known him, he'd never seemed this happy, this carefree. Did the Harry of this world go through the same things her Harry had? Was Voldemort still a threat to him, or just a distant memory?
Hermione sighed. She so wanted to be happy for this Harry. But seeing him with Pansy Parkinson, knowing what she was like on her Earth, made that extremely difficult.
"Won, Won," she heard a sickening sweet voice as they entered the Great Hall.
Hermione groaned when she saw Lavender Brown waving from the Gryffindor table. Ron picked up his stride until he reached her, then planted a kiss on Lavender's lips.
Hermione rolled her eyes. Why does that have to be the same on both worlds?
She tried to get her mind off it by scanning the Great Hall, wanting to see who else had been sorted differently on this world.
The Patil twins sat together at the Gryffindor table. Katie Bell was a Hufflepuff. Her eyebrows rose at the sight of Cho Chang seated next to Draco Malfoy at the Slytherin table.
At the front of the Great Hall, where the staff sat, things looked the same. Dumbledore, McGonagall, Flitwick, Sprout, Snape, Hagrid and Madam Pomfrey were all present.
Hermione's gaze returned to the Gryffindor table. She saw no sign of her counterpart. An uneasy feeling rippled through her. Please, no.
With great trepidation, she looked back at the Slytherin table. She sighed with relief when she confirmed this world's Hermione wasn't there either.
She finally spotted herself . . . her other self. Her counterpart sat by herself at the far end of the Ravenclaw table. Hermione canted her head and slowly approached her counterpart.
This is . . . me?
This Hermione looked like a static storm passed over her hair. Her horn-rimmed glasses kept slipping down her nose. She let out tiny gasps as she rummaged through her book bag in a panic.
"Where is it? Where is it?"
Hermione shook her head as she continued staring in disbelief at her counterpart.
This can't be me.
The girl practically hyperventilated as she stuck her head inside her bag.
Hermione blinked, then turned back to the Gryffindor table. Her lips tightened as she watched Harry, Pansy and Ron talking animatedly.
So it is those three on this world.
She turned back to her counterpart and shook her head. Did Harry and Ron even know she . . . rather, this Hermione existed?
"Attention everyone."
Hermione's brow furrowed. The voice sounded familiar. But something was different about it. It didn't have the dreamy tone she'd grown used to. It possessed a smooth yet menacing quality.
Hermione looked up. I don't believe it.
Luna Lovegood strode into the Great Hall and wound up at the Slytherin table. Gone were her necklace of butterbeer caps and radish earrings. Her dirty blond hair was straighter, and framed a face that radiated a sense of superiority.
Hermione glanced at the two girls who flanked Luna. That sow Millicent Bulstrode and . . .
Ginny? Ginny Weasley! In Slytherin?
"I thought you'd like some entertainment while you ate." Luna stood on her seat and waved a book over her head. "I just happened to be walking around today and found this interesting little book. The Journal of Hermione Granger."
The other Hermione's head popped out of her bag. She spun around to face Luna, sheer terror on her face.
"Now, let's see." Luna opened the journal and thumbed through the pages. "What to read . . . what to read? No, that's boring. That's just pathetic."
Hermione's head swiveled between Luna and her counterpart. The other Hermione trembled.
"Luna." Hermione turned to her. "What are you doing?"
She silently cursed herself. No one on this world could hear her.
"Ah, here's one. From just two days ago." Luna cleared her throat. "'What a great day this is. Halfway through my History of Magic assignment I spilled my ink bottle. Then to my surprise Harry Potter let me use his ink bottle. I managed to mutter a thank you. If only I could have said something more. But as always, my tongue gets tied in knots whenever I'm around him. I want to melt every time I catch a glimpse of his beautiful green eyes.'"
The other Hermione covered her face.
"'When will I ever summon enough courage to talk to him, to let him see the real me? But then I think, why would he want me when he has someone like Pansy Parkinson?'"
A sob echoed through the Great Hall. Tears slid down the other Hermione's cheeks.
"Luna, stop it!" Hermione shouted, then turned back to her counterpart. "Do something!" Dammit, can't I do anything to make them hear me?
Luna went on. "'Sometimes I wish I could apparate inside Pansy. Then I'd know what it was like to be held by Harry Potter, to be kissed by Harry Potter, to be loved by Harry Potter.' Oh, I think I see a lipstick stain on this page. Isn't that sweet?"
A collective roar of laughter filled the Great Hall.
"Stop laughing at her!" Hermione screamed in frustration. She looked over to the Gryffindor table. Ron and Lavender cackled hysterically. Harry sat back and shook his head while Pansy aimed her narrow eyes at the other Hermione.
Hermione swung around toward Luna. Her body went numb when she noticed the look on the other girl's face. It was an expression she never thought she would see on Luna Lovegood's face.
Malevolence.
"What has she ever done to you?" Hermione shouted in vain.
Her counterpart ran out of the Great Hall, bawling.
With a parting glare at Luna, Hermione followed herself into the corridor. The other Hermione raced up the stairs and into the girls' bathroom. She collapsed by one of the stalls and pulled her legs into her chest, crying loudly.
Hermione knelt down near her, moisture welling up in her eyes. Parallel Earth or not, she could never imagine Luna Lovegood being so cruel.
And this Hermione. What happened to her fire, her confidence, her courage? How could she let that Luna embarrass her like that and not do a thing about it?
The bathroom door crashed open. The other Hermione's head snapped up. Hermione turned.
"See, I told you, Luna," said a scowling Ginny Weasley. "She always comes in here to cry."
The other Hermione trembled as Luna sauntered toward her. "What's wrong, Granger?" An evil smile crossed her lips. "I thought we were doing you a favor. Don't you want Harry Potter to know how you feel about him?"
"Leave her alone, damn you!" Hermione stood between Luna and her counterpart.
Luna walked right through her. She bent over the other Hermione, who was weeping and trembling. "Oh, I forgot. Journals are supposed to be private, right? I guess it was wrong of me to read it in front of the entire school. Do you think you can ever forgive me?"
Ginny and Millicent chuckled. Hermione balled up her fists.
"W-W-Why?" The other Hermione mumbled.
"Why?" Luna shot to her feet, her wide eyes blazing with hatred. "Because you're a filthy Mudblood, because you're a pathetic excuse for a witch and a pathetic excuse for a human being. Don't you think that's reason enough?"
"I . . . I . . ." The other Hermione sobbed. "I never did anything to you."
Luna laughed wickedly. "You can't do anything to me. But we can do something to you."
She pushed open the door to the stall. "Ginny. Why don't you do the honors?"
Ginny smirked and pulled out her wand. "Fountainous!"
Hermione jumped back as water exploded from the toilet. The fountain rose ten feet in the air, twisted over . . . and crashed down on the other Hermione. The girl screamed and gagged on the water.
Luna, Ginny and Millicent howled with laughter.
"You twisted hags!" Hermione went for her wand, then roared in frustration. She couldn't do a damn thing to these three.
"See you later, Granger." Luna stepped around the drenched Hermione counterpart. "I'll be sure to give Harry Potter your love the next time I see him."
Still laughing, Luna, Ginny and Millicent left the bathroom.
Hermione glared at the closed door before turning back to her counterpart. The girl curled up on the soaking wet floor, her body convulsing with sobs.
A spark of anger burned in Hermione. Anger at her counterpart for not standing up to those girls. Sorrow then sprang up next to the anger. No one deserved to be treated this cruelly. How could anyone . . .
Hermione put a hand over her mouth. She thought back to her confrontation with Luna, her world's Luna, earlier today. Actually, confrontation wasn't the right word. Luna just asked her to sign a stupid petition, and Hermione jumped down her throat. Even called her hopeless.
She stared back down at her still crying counterpart. Hermione felt a tear run down her cheek. What other cruelties would this world's Luna inflict on the other Hermione? Would anyone here try to put a stop to it?
If only I could do something about it.
But the Diversus Cube wouldn't allow her to interact with this world.
Shoulders sagging, Hermione took one last look at her sobbing counterpart and made for the door.
I've seen enough.
She waited until she was in the hallway and pulled out the cube. She tapped it with her wand three times. "Returnio!"
The air shimmered around Hermione. Back against the wall, she slid to the floor and stared across the corridor. Thoughts and revelations swirled through her mind for hours. Finally, her brain fogged and her eyelids heavy, she trudged back to Gryffindor Tower and her bed.
The next morning Hermione came down to the Common Room. The first people she ran into were Dean and Ginny.
"Morning, Hermione." Ginny smiled at her.
Hermione just stared at the redhead. Her mind snapped her back to the night before, to the scowling Ginny Weasley who drenched the other Hermione with toilet water.
Ginny canted her head. "Hermione? Are you all right?"
"Um, yeah. Fine. Just . . . It's just the Astronomy assignment I did last night."
"Oh yeah, Dean told me about that. The Sixth Years were the only ones to get it. Lucky. So, what was I like in the world you went to?"
"I don't think you want to know."
Ginny frowned. "What, did I turn out to be as big a git as Percy?"
"Much bigger, unfortunately."
Ginny snorted as Harry and Ron entered the Common Room.
"I'm telling you, mate," a smiling Ron said. "It was me and Angelina Johnson. Angelina Johnson! And she's two years older than me."
"I wonder what Lavender will think when she hears about that," Harry replied.
Ron looked mortified. "Harry. Promise me you won't tell her. Promise."
"Ron. Harry."
"Morning, Hermione." Ron nodded to her. "So, what was your parallel Earth like?"
She ignored Ron and faced Harry. "Harry. Please tell me you don't have any feelings for Pansy Parkinson."
A sick look came over Harry's face. "What?"
"Oh no way," Ron guffawed. "A world where you and Pansy Parkinson . . ." He fell against the wall laughing.
"I don't believe it." Harry snorted. "Hermione. Trust me, I'd sooner ask out Grawp than Pansy Parkinson."
Hermione's muscles loosened. "You've no idea how glad I am to hear that. Seeing the two of you . . ."
"Please." Harry held up a hand. "Please don't tell me we were snogging. That'll give me nightmares for the rest of my life."
"So what else did you see on your Earth, Hermione?" asked Dean.
"I'll tell you all later. Right now I need to get to breakfast."
She bounded out of the Common Room and headed for the Great Hall. As she entered she caught sight of Pansy Parkinson coming the opposite way. Images of the beautiful, smiling, personable Pansy from the other world ran through Hermione's mind. She smiled at the Slytherin girl.
"What the hell's your problem, Granger?" Pansy snapped.
Hermione chuckled. "Try being pleasant for once, Parkinson. You might come to like it."
Pansy sneered at her. Hermione smiled wider as strode into the Great Hall.
She bypassed the Gryffindor table and headed for the Ravenclaw table. She spotted Luna Lovegood sitting by herself, her petition next to her plate.
"Um, morning, Luna."
"Hello, Hermione." She stared up at her with those silvery protuberant eyes. Hermione took much comfort in seeing the radish earrings and the butterbeer necklace.
"Um . . . I just wanted to say I'm sorry about yesterday. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that."
"That's all right. Most people just ignore me when I ask them to sign my petition. At least you actually talked to you."
"I didn't talk to you. I yelled at you, I called you hopeless. I was wrong to do that."
"It's not your fault." Luna sank her fork into her waffles. "You may have been under the influence of Zerkeths. Swarms of them can enter your pores and send you into uncontrollable fits of anger."
"Uh-huh." Hermione drew a deep breath. "In any case, I'm sorry. And I would like to sign your petition."
Luna's face lit up. "Oh, Hermione. Thank you so much. You have no idea how much this will help the Wulkimbles."
Hermione ignored the queer looks from several Ravenclaws and picked up the petition. She saw only two names on it. Luna Lovegood and Harry Potter. It didn't surprise her to see Harry's name. He seemed to have a special place in his heart for this eccentric girl. It made Hermione wonder if there were Earths out there where Harry and Luna were together.
She signed her name to the petition and handed it back to Luna, who thanked you.
"Do you mind if I join you?"
Luna canted her head. "Wouldn't you rather sit with Harry and Ron?"
"Well, you look like you could use the company."
Hermione sat beside her. For the next fifteen minutes she received a lecture from Luna on every detail regarding Wulkimbles. Hermione listened attentively, forcing herself not to shake her head or roll her eyes.
Yes, the Luna Lovegood of this Earth was mental, illogical and annoying.
Hermione was perfectly fine with that.
- THE END -