Through a Glass Darkly

By : alyssa321

NON HPB-COMPLIANT

Points that must be made: Witches and Wizards in this story have generally longer lives than muggles (therefore, the "age difference" between Hermione and Severus is less pronounced), non-HPB compliant, deviates from mid-way through OTP. This is not meant to be canon. I am creating things here. If there is a point of information, etc. that is wrong with the story line, feel free to let me know through a PM or review. I'd love to hear from you. [I'm also going to jump around from tense to tense - this is a stream of consciousness/narrative story, not just a narrative]. After posting a few chapters, I will update around once a week. However, life as a college student is unpredictable. I'll try and warn you all if I won't be able to post for a while.

Chapter 1: Of Cursed Beginnings

All I could feel was pain. As much as I'd tried to dodge, Dolohov's curse hit me. His cutting curse has sliced me open across my chest. It hurts so badly. I can feel blood gushing from the wound, soaking my now ruined shirt. I can't see Harry! I don't know what's happening. All I can here is curses colliding with bodies, both Death Eaters and my friends. The Order members arrived. I can hear Harry screaming. I've managed to back myself against a wall. I can feel it cold and rough against my back, my shirt having started to fall from my shoulder, I can feel the scratch of the stone against my bare skin. What's more bleeding to what I already am plainly experiencing? How much blood can possibly be in my body? There is a puddle beginning to surround me in my spot against the wall. Is that Dumbledore? I had thought that he was in hiding. I should be in hiding with the scar that I'm going to have from this slash on my chest...

I felt groggy. Had I been unconscious? My chest hurts so badly; it's more achy than sharp. I feel like it's been a few days, not a few minutes. I'm dry. I'm not crusty or covered in congealed blood either...Where am I? Did the Order find me by the wall? Did someone take me? I try to lift myself from the bed I seem to be laying in. If I could just sit up, I'd be so much more comfortable. I don't want to open my eyes. If I open them, I know that I'll find that I've been hallucinating or dreaming in my blood-loss unconscious state. I'll find myself alone, backed up against a wall, bleeding and trapped in the Department of Mysteries. Mysteries? I think what that department is is no mystery at all. I feel hazy, half-awake.

"Miss Granger? Miss Granger? Are you awake?" Is that Madame Pomfrey? Of course not, I'm not at Hogwarts, I'm stuck in the Department of Mysteries, surrounded by friends who are risking their lives while I just lay here.

"Miss Granger, I'm sure you are awake. Please acknowledge me. If you can sit up, you can swallow your potions instead of my injecting them!" Injections? I've always hated needles. This gets more nightmarish by the minute. However, uncovering my secret fear of needles does not seem like it would be high on the Death Eater priority list. They can't have gleaned it from my mind...I've been practicing Occlumency ever since I found out Harry was going to learn. I figured that if I could learn it, then I could tutor him, spare him some aggravation from...Professor Snape. Maybe I really am in Hogwarts, in the Hospital Wing with Madame Pomfrey. I slowly open my eyes, my eyelids tired from being snapped closed for so long. How long has it been? Oh no, the light is far to bright, it must have been a while. I can hardly see. I jump, trying to sit up. I falter, the pain in my chest has returned, having been momentarily blocked out by my internal ramblings.

"Ah, Miss Granger, it's good to see your eyes open. Relax, your eyes will adjust to the light soon enough. Here, I'll help you sit up." I scowl as Madame Pomfrey props up pillows behind me, working to help me sit up on my own. I'd much rather be back asleep, relishing my own personal darkness where my chest doesn't hurt this way and where my eyes don't burn.

"Alright Miss Granger. Here are Pain-Relief, Blood-Replenishing, and Pepper-Up potions. Later, when you're ready to go back to sleep, I can provide you with Dreamless Sleep. Now, we did our best with your wound, but we couldn't ascertain what the curse that hit you was. Therefore I couldn't heal it properly. You have a scar across your chest. You will most likely be able to cover this with glamour charms. Do you have any questions for me, dear?" Questions, questions? Really? How are Harry and Ron? Where are they? Are they hurt?

"Your friends are fine." She must have seen the distress on my face. "Ron is recovering nicely from his burns, and Harry...will be alright with time." What does she mean alright with time? What happened to Harry? Ron was injured just jumping the gun, as bloody usual, but what happened to Harry? "Oh no, I thought you'd seen. When the Order came to help you, Sirius would not be left behind. He had to help his godson, and he wouldn't be deterred." She scoffed. "In the Death Chamber, Sirius dueled with Bellatrix Lestrange. She hit him with a curse, and he fell through the Veil." Sirius was dead? Harry must be absolutely devastated. He's probably nearly insane with grief right now. If only I could move and go to him.

"So, Miss Granger, how is your pain? Can you rate it for me on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being barely there and 10 being unbearable?"

I open my mouth to answer her. Nothing will come out.

Alright everyone! First chapter! This may have seemed somewhat short, but this was a very logical place to end this chapter.

Get excited for Chapter 2 and feel free to review!