Long time, no see, Harry Potter fanfiction people!
Alright, so in 2011 I wrote Viral. It was one of the most fun I had writing a story. I had so many nice messages and reviews, helping me write each chapter! I'm so thankful for all the kind words, as I was still a very young writer and unsure of what I wanted to do.
Since posting the last chapter of the original work, I haven't even looked at it. I practically forgot it was there! But, after an overdue Harry Potter marathon, I thought about Viral and knew I wanted to do a re-write.
I wrote Viral as a very young writer. It was far from perfect, and after having read it back to myself earlier, I couldn't stop cringing. I was far from skilled, and even now, I have room to grow. But as an older, more experienced writer, I wanted to re-write Viral.
I hope readers who read the old version of Viral read this version and see the growth in my story telling abilities and I hope readers who never heard of Viral before now enjoy what I have to offer! After this is up and posted, I will be deleting the old story, never to be seen again!
Sorry for the long preamble, but now I offer you a new and improved story! Thank you.
Hermione Granger sat in the Gryffindor alone, nose deep in the first fiction book she had been able to enjoy in ages. The only other noise accompanying her was the slight crackles from the fireplace. She took a moment to look up from her book, eyes falling on the blazing fire. She sighed, content; nothing was more relaxing than reading by the light of a warm fire. Hermione looked back down at the page, eyes seamlessly falling to where they once were.
She only had a minute of solace before all of her dearest friends bumbled through the door, laughing with their arms full of sweets.
"Kicked out of the town?" Hermione smiled, giving her friends a quizzical look.
"We're not quite that bad." Harry said, tossing a bag of crisps to her.
"Go on a shopping spree, did we?"
"We did!" Ron nodded an exaggerated nod, tapping at Hermione's legs as a sign to sit up. She did, crossing her legs and propping herself up against the arm of the couch.
"You should've came," Ginny tossed in, sitting on a plush pillow on the floor while Harry followed suit ", the streets were lined with magical displays! So many talented witches and wizards showing off for the young kids! It was amazing."
"Ah yes, the magical buskers. I'm sure it was plenty of fun, but my book made for good company." Hermione smiled once more, placing her bookmark into the crease and setting it aside. She knew she wouldn't be able to get much more reading done now.
Hermione listened as all of her dearest friends went on about the displays of magic they saw, until something caught her eye. She took a quick glance out the window to see the sun was still up but the magical performers kept putting on various shows until late at night.
"Hey, I thought you guys said you would be out for the entire show. They must still be performing, when the sun goes down is when they do the lights in the sky." Hermione offered, slightly confused. All of her friends, especially Ginny, would have loved to see the legendary light show.
"They ended it early this year. Couldn't figure out a reason why, though. The street was so crowded, I could barely hear over myself." Ron shrugged, bringing a hand up to groom through his hair. As he did, the sleeve of her home-knit sweater fell, exposing his pale flesh. Upon it lay three scratch marks; none were deep and surely they wouldn't scar. However, that didn't stop Hermione from grabbing her friends arm and inspecting it closer to the fire's light.
"What happened here? Did Crookshanks nab you?"
"What? No! It's a funny story, really. We were walking through the crowd and this sickly man was kind of bumbling through everyone." Ron started.
"I put a bet on too many butterbeers!" Ginny chimed in with a laugh, quickly going back to sharing some flavoured beans with Harry.
"So, we're watching this guy stumble about. Just as we were about to move past him, the guy feel into me and scratched my arm up. We helped him up and he stumbled on past us like nothing happened. Didn't even say thank you, but like Ginny said, he was probably three sheets to the wind." Ron shrugged once more, clearly indifferent to the event.
"Well…keep an eye on it. When little scratches like that get infected, they can be dangerous. Especially if someone else's… dirty nails scratched you." Hermione made a face, but let it go.
As before, they kept on chit chatting about this and that. Hermione found another content moment, here with all her friends. It had been so long since they were able to act their age, with rumours of a great wizarding war on the horizon. She looked at the faces of her happy friends and wondered if this is what ordinary felt like. Strip them of their magic, and their just four teenagers being teenagers. Resting her chin on her fist, Hermione grinned.
This was ordinary.
Just as Hermione had finished her bag of crisps, she reached for another, figuring she'd spoil herself. But before her hand could touch the muggle made foil package, they heard the sound of the door swinging open. Hermione furrowed her brow. She had never thought the door could move faster than at a snail's pace.
Before they could even say another word, Professor McGonagall fast walked into the commons. Her entire body, as it often did, read as calm and collected. But no one could miss the glimmer in her eyes, hinting to something being off.
"Where are the rest of the Gryffindor's?" She asked, urgently, but with no waiver in her voice.
"I haven't seen anyone all night. They're probably scattered about the castle." Hermione offered.
"Some of them are probably still in town." Harry chimed in, standing to look at their dear professor.
"No matter. The four of you must come with me at once. No lollygagging. Let's go." Before any of the students could protest, the professor had already turned. The sounds of her swishing robes were enough to get everyone moving, following behind in a large group.
"What do you think is going on?" Ginny whispered to Hermione, gripping tightly on to her arm as to not fall behind.
"I'm not certain… but we've faced Dementors and constant threats from Voldemort. What could possibly be happening that we can't fix?" Hermione said. She shook of Ginny's tight grip, instead throwing it over the younger girl's shoulder. Ginny was shaking.
As they worked their way through the halls, the noise of harsh breathing and footsteps bouncing off the walls, they kept tight together. With every turn down a new hall, all four students saw Professor McGonagall grip the handle of her wand; her knuckles, already pale, seemed to turn even whiter with each grip.
"Stop." The professor whispered, holding her hand up for silence. All the kids followed her order and waited. A moment of pure silence passed and Hermione was starting to get confused.
"Professor, what are you -" what she had heard stopped Hermione's words in their tracks.
A groan. Not loud, nor quite. It seemed to bank off the stone walls, leaving the group unable to pinpoint the exact location. The golden trio, plus a lovely little lady, all exchanged looks of concern and confusion.
Another groan emerged, but it's location was more clear. It came from the end of the long hallway. The candles lighting the far hall always casted odd shadows, but something about how the dark and light danced upon the walls in odd, shambling shapes left them all with an uneasy feeling.
"Come, there is no time to waste." Professor McGonagall ushered them all down a deviated hallway and down multiple sets of stairs before coming to the main lower floor hall. In the other arched doorway stood Professor Snape and his ragtag band of misfit students. Beside him stood Draco, confused and obviously angry about it and Luna Lovegood who, from far away, looked as dazed as always.
When they walked towards each other, it became very clear that Luna was not dazed as always. Splatters of blood covered her, nearly head to toe. Her white shirt, blue tie, and porcelain skin each wore splatters and flecks of something.
Hermione was the first to walk forward, placing her hands gently on Luna's shoulder. Hermione snapped her fingers in front of Luna's face, but she just kept looking at her. With one more snap, Hermione realized she wasn't looking at her… Luna was looking through her.
"What is going on?" Hermione was the first to ask Professor Snape, a little outraged and exasperated. She looked up at the man, but he avoided her gaze, looking to McGonagall.
"My quarters will be the safest."
"No, they won't. My office is further of a walk, but the height will give us an advantage."
"Seeing as I just came from the halls of your office, I ensure you my office is much safer."
Hermione watched the conversation go down, as the rest of the gang had surrounded Luna to make sure she was okay. At the mention of her office not being a viable option, McGonagall's face seemed to fall. Whatever was happening… the situation was grim.
"Okay, your office it is." There wasn't time for any more talk. Both professors motioned the teens to start moving, all of them following behind Professor Snape to his coveted office. In the midst of the craziness, Hermione thought it was strange she had never been in his office before. She'd been in the basement with a three-headed dog, a huge chess room, every forbidden portion of the school, and a list of other crazy place Harry seemed to lead her. But not once had she ever set foot in the mysterious office of their own potion master.
As they made their way down to the Slytherin halls, a stench of pennies and gasoline wafted about. It was enough to make Ginny gag, causing her to nearly double over onto the stone floor.
"I know this is the dungeons, but… it's never smelt like this." Ron huffed through the sleeve of his sweater, trying to keep his sister on the move.
"They must be collecting down here." McGonagall spoke in a hushed voice to her colleague, who simply nodded in response.
Finally, the stone turntable to Snape's office was in sight. The group all walked a little faster, clearly the professors didn't want to attract too much attention. As Snape was saying his incantation, a familiar loud groan came from the end of the hall. They all looked back, seeing an unfamiliar student bumbling near the main arch.
"Who's that?" Harry looked to McGonagall for answers, but she was checked out. Her entire being was focused on the figure at the end of the hall. Hermione looked as well.
Whoever it was, they looked confused. They were walking with a slow shuffle, head hanging down to their chest. Hermione could see how their fingers seemed to twitch uncontrollably. Definitely not the behaviour of a normal, healthy person.
"Seriously, what's happening?" Harry spoke, his voice louder than before, to gain the attention of one of the professors. Unfortunately, that was all they needed.
The dumbstruck figure had heard Harry's voice. The unidentifiable person stopped all shuffling and looked down the hall. McGonagall took very slow steps forward, placing herself in front of the children, her wand in hand.
"Magic doesn't work." Luna piped up, finally. All Luna's fellow students looked at her with a shocked expression.
"Magic always works." Ginny whispered.
"They don't care." Luna whispered once more.
Before anyone could ask for clarification, a wild shriek came from the being at the end of the hall. Hermione watched this… thing try to run, but it couldn't quite get the footing. It was more of a medium speed shamble. Hermione wanted to keep watching as the thing stumbled over itself, picking itself off the stone in order to get to them.
"Do they need help?" Hermione asked, her tone hushed.
"Far from it, Miss Granger." She heard Snape say, before he grabbed the back of her shirt and dragged her into his office. He had enough time to shut the door and put a sealing charm on the stones before him.
But it wasn't long before the thing at the other end of the hall was at their end of the hall. The group relished in silence for twenty seconds before the banging and shrieking began on the other side of the door.
"I think we'd all appreciate some answers now, Professors." Harry looked up at his teachers. Like a true Gryffindor, he kept his fear hidden for the sake of his friends.
"I'm afraid I don't know how to say this…" McGonagall sighed, looking at the door with a disenchanted look.
"Take a seat. I don't need anyone fainting and breaking their skulls on my floor." Snape droned, taking his rightful spot at his office chair. They all claimed their own spot in his office, many of which residing on the black, leather loveseats he kept in case there was along grading night.
"It started four days ago," Snape began, riffling through stacks of unorganized papers to find the notice he had received from the Ministry of Magic ", the staff made no mention of it, as the Ministry had told us it was in control. Unfortunately, what was in control is now out of control.
"Out of control? What could possibly be out of control?" Draco finally piped up, putting on an annoyed face to mask his anxiety.
"A virus." McGonagall, as always, used a soft voice.
"This virus isn't like a head cold or a flu, I assume." Harry stated. He tightened his arm around Ginny.
"Obviously," Snape sneered ", this virus doesn't work on the living. It works on the deceased. The virus is… reanimating the dead. But they're not coming back as the conscious, sentient person they were before they died."
"Necromancy?" Hermione asked, unsure what the whole fuss was about. Necromancy scares were, more or less, a common enough occurrence. There was even a book in the library focused on how to fix those mistakes.
"No, if it were simple necromancy, we wouldn't be here. It's something completely unheard of in the wizarding world. But you, as a muggle born, are likely the most knowledgeable on the subject." McGonagall offered to the girl.
Suddenly, everyone's eyes fell to Hermione and she felt self-conscious.
"What subject?" Hermione was officially tired of the only adults in the room beating around the bush. She stood, arms crossed over her chest, and face in a sneer only Snape could compete with.
"Miss Granger, the muggle term used to describe what's happening outside is zombies." Snape tried to remain official, but the muggle word left a bad taste in his mouth. It seemed so juvenile and childish; that somehow one muggle word could sum up what was happening.
Draco, Ron, and Ginny were at a loss for the word. They had never gone out of their way to see muggle media. Harry thought he understood, but living in a home with an abusive family didn't leave much time for him to watch horror movies or read comic books. Luna understood as well, but she couldn't seem to make herself speak.
But Hermione knew well enough what that word meant. It was enough to make her puke into the trash bin just beside the loveseat.