Introduction to Elementals:

In the middle of Ireland, there was a seemingly young girl by the name of Morcant McDougall, who had actually been what was called an Elemental for over two hundred years. She was dying soon, and she knew it.

Because of her death, a whole new generation of Elementals would be born. The world would undergo a dramatic change.

Surrounded by all of her living friends, Morcant said, "Make sure they are taught well, the fate of everyone depends on it."

These meaningless phrases to the normal witches and wizards, who surrounded Morcant on her death bed, were forgotten later on after she passed, and the media world was let know of this great tragedy.

Thankfully, though her message would not be received, they would be carried out by a saint-like soul who would take on half of the Elementals..

Two unknowing Hogwarts students would begin receiving their powers upon her last breath, and their lives would change forever.

…………………

Hermione Granger sat attentive in 6th year Transfiguration, full attention to her middle-aged teacher.

"As the last living Elemental just passed away this weekend while you all were gallivanting around Hogsmeade, I thought you all could use a break from our usual essays."

Cheers erupted throughout the classroom of mixed Gryffindor and Slytherin students.

"So, I am going to go off of our Transfiguration book and give you and essay on current news."

Booing met the old woman.

"Now, class, you may cover any area within the subject, and I want at least two feet of writing. Dismissed."

Hermione got to work immediately in the library on this one, she had never really explored the subject of Elementals, and wanted to do a decent job on this one.

Elementals: A witch or wizard, possessed by one of the four Element Spirits (see: Element Spirits, pg. 231) and has the ability to control said element (air, fire, water, or earth). Elementals can live as long as "forever", however can be killed by untimely human/magical deaths. Elementals are very rare, and are all four born into the same generation; once the last living elemental from the prior generation has died (the elementals will begin to receive their powers as soon as the last perishes). The Elementals normally quit aging and growing once they receive their powers.

Extra Information: The longest living elemental (on record) was "Desiderata" an Earth Elemental who lived to be approximately 345 years of age (born 41 B.C.). Only once has an entire generation of Elementals been born on the same continent, and all four wizards/witches attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This extraordinary discovery was made in 1751, when Fire Elemental Gretna Duvall' (English Witch, aged 158) passed away. All four students were in their final year at Hogwarts-

"Oi, Granger, your not the only one who needs that books. Hurry it up, will you?" A certain spoiled brat was leaning up against the shelf next to her, sneering down.

"Malfoy, I was here first. Your constant badgering isn't going to speed up the process," Hermione didn't even bother to look up from her parchment.

Malfoy huffed, but surprisingly kept quiet. He ran a hand over his too-slick hair, looked around the deserted library, and took a seat at her table cautiously as a kitten in a forbidden territory. He pulled out some parchment and a quill, and looked around to make sure there wasn't anyone again.

Hermione caught him looking around nervously, and said, "Don't worry. No one is in here and won't be in here for several hours."

"Why do you assume so?"

"The first snow fell this morning, and it just stopped. They are all either in their common rooms dressing for the snow fight, or already outside waiting on their friends to ambush them."

"Sounds like a heap of fun," his sarcastic comment startled her. She thought he would love tagging all of the other houses and younger students with chunks of ice; such a Malfoy-ish thing to do.

"You don't enjoy blasting people with chunks of ice and endangering their physical stature? Sounds like something you would enjoy."

"I do not."

That ended their conversation for the afternoon. They somehow managed a silent truce to help each other out on this one; it was an unheard-of subject for the both of them. 'Elementals' had only ever been covered in Professor Bin's class once, and very briefly. They worked together well later than Malfoy had intended to; but it paid off in the end. They both wound up with award-winning essays on Elementals, and Malfoy even managed out a strangled "Thanks for all the help…" and realizing he had actually thanked Hermione, he added, "Mudblood," in the end.

With a strangled smile, she croaked out, "Your welcome, Ferret."

Draco was shocked, and was about to turn around and retaliate, but thought the better of it as Pansy strode in.

"Draco, hurry up, I don't want to wait any longer. I want to re-word your essay on Elementals once we get back into the Common room-" Hermione didn't bother to listen to the annoying girl's voice; she had more important things to do.

Continuing on to her Defense Against the Dark Arts assignment, she reveled upon what had just happened. She actually had a decent conversation with Malfoy- her arch enemy! And, she had helped him with his essay! What had gotten into her? Whatever it was, it was very un-Hermione-like.

She looked down at her watch- it was a quarter till dinner time. She would have to get down to the common room A.S.A.P to dump off her books she was about to check out and get all the way back to the Great Hall just in time to eat… She was glad she didn't have a time turner thrown into the mess anymore- that just made things too complicated.

Hurriedly, she made all of her stops and wound up in the Great Hall, winded and peacock-haired due to a failed bun. She could see out of the corner of her eye Pansy sniggering and pointing at her. Draco finally looked up at some point to see what all the fuss was, and nonchalantly agreed with Pansy. The girl looked stumped that her boyfriend didn't join in on her antics.

…

In Potions, the next week, Harry was using the Half Blood Prince's method's (yet again) to put on a spectacular show for Slughorn. She just rolled her eyes, and tried to fix the pink (supposed to be yellow) gunk in front of her.

After class, for second time that year, Slughorn told her (and Ron & Neville too) to re-write the instructions for the day's potion, and make pointed notes where they had messed up. Hermione felt humiliated to be in the after-class group; Neville and Ronald were usual, but Hermione? Definitely not.

While in the Library that evening, she saw yet again a certain blond Slytherin pouring over a restricted potions volume, one which she had intended to pick up herself.

"Oi, Malfoy, hurry it up will you?" She mocked. Draco looked up with an amused smirk on his face.

"Decided to play cheeky now have we, Granger? I didn't appreciate your Ferret comment last week." He flashed her a half a smile, but then went back to his usual sneer.

"Ah, well, I didn't think you would. But I knew you couldn't say anything back in the presence of your Pansy, have to uphold our reputations, eh?"

"She isn't MY Pansy. Father just wants me to-" He stopped abruptly, as though he had said something he really wasn't supposed to. "Just forget it, Granger. Quit snooping into other people's business. Mudblood."

"Malfoy, you should know by now that that word has no effect on me. We aren't in second year anymore, do you remember? Unfortunately for you, I-"

"Shh!"

Hermione turned red at being 'Shushed' and was about throw back an insult when she realized someone had entered their portion of the library. Once the said person was passed, they continued in hushed tones.

"So, your father wants you to date Pansy because he wants you to carry on the pureblood line? Is that it? Malfoy, you know there are other pureblood girls out there besides Millicent Bullstrode…"

For the first time since they were children first arriving at Hogwarts, she saw a tiny bit of genuine sadness and fear.

"Just… forget I said anything. Here is that book." He roughly shoved a bit of parchment into the book and slid it over to her on the table. He met her eyes briefly, looked down at the book pointedly, and strode out.

Confused, Hermione started to ask what the parchment was about, but a menacing, slightly pleading look from Malfoy made her shut up. Once he had stalked off, she opened the book to the page of the parchment, and opened it.

Granger-

Meet me in the Room of Requirement in 10 minutes. I hope that you know where and what it is (if you don't- ask Weasley). I need to talk to you urgently- I don't want to insult you or anything, this is important.

Draco Malfoy

P.S: Bring that book on Elementals.

Hermione was thoroughly confused. But, she did as directed- and sincerely hoped that her arch nemesis wasn't going to attack her or worse.

………………………..

As nervous as possible, with her wand in front, she paced back and forwards in front of the entrance to the Room of Requirement. After a few tries, it allowed her inside.

"Calm down, Granger, no one is here to ambush you."

She almost gasped when she walked in. It must have been a replica of the Malfoy sitting room, for there was a portrait of someone who resembled Draco's father, sneering down from the fireplace. Bewitched (famously stolen) paintings, a dragon's leather sofa, and numerous Dark Arts books screamed 'Illegal in Every Aspect' to a rule follower such as Hermione. What should she have expected? If all Draco wanted to do was talk, he would want to be somewhere he was most comfortable.

"Well, I suppose I will tell you why we are here. I can't be seen talking to you in public, not to be rude," He almost had an apologetic look behind the smugness, "and this conversation MUST stay between YOU an I only… Got it?"

"I suppose. But I wont guarantee anything. And what does this book," She held up the Elemental book for reference, "Have to do with this whatever problem you have run into?"

"Well… don't call me crazy either. I think… I think you and I could be the next generation of Elementals."

Hermione made an amused sound in her throat, and then busted out laughing at him.

"I am serious Hermione!" This grabbed her attention for the time to spare.

"In that book, I read the whole thing," She made a mock surprised face; "It said that the Fire elementals and the Air elementals are… connected in a way. Like, they usually are close together in terms of geographic location. That book said that they can identify each other with a simple wand motion," he did a quick little swish-swish-flick-swish, and Hermione felt a little ridiculous just standing there listening to him babble, "and the person should glow green for a few seconds. Every time I try you glow green like grass!"

"For starters, Draco, I cannot control the air around us, nor can you control fire. I think you may have gone off the deep end…"

"Hermione you have to believe me. I can't tell my parents- they will just turn me over to You-Know-Who if they find out. I can't do it. We have to self-train anyways…"

"We need to talk to Dumbledore about this. He would know," Hermione was getting a bit spooked out by Draco now. He seemed dead serious, and he didn't at all seem joking.

"You-Know-Who has his spies in the Order Of the Phoenix, Hermione. He knows just about everything that goes under the old bat's nose, ple-"

"Alright, lets pretend for a minute that your right, and we are the two next teenage prodigies of the magical world. What proof do we have? A 17-year-old son of a death eater's word? Sorry, but I got to go, Malfoy."

Before Draco could say or do anything she was out of there like a bullet. Hermione practically jogged up to the owlry where she knew where either Harry or Ron would be there. As she expected, Harry was there, talking to Hedwig with his back to her.

"Harry, I was just in the Room of Requirement –pant- with Malfoy and he was spouting all kinds of nonsense about Elementals, and –pant- then I got really freaked out and ran all the way here."
"Um… Im not Harry. Sorry." The boy with the messy black hair turned around to be a 4th year Slytherin, one with surprisingly good manners to 'mudbloods' from the interactions she had had with the boy over the years. His snowy owl looked remarkably like Hedwig, and once Hermione gave a glance-around, there were several of these same looking white owls in the room.

"Oh, dear, I'm sorry…"

"Don't worry about it. Secrets safe with me." The boy gave a smile and turned back to his owl again.

Hermione thought, with a sigh, 'thank goodness some Slytherins are good.'

Hermione took a long shower that evening after dinner, she needed to clear her head from the last two weeks events… badly. She gave another thought to Malfoy's accusations… it couldn't be true.

She stepped out of the shower, then realized that she didn't have those girl necessities. Then she realized that it would be about 5 degrees Celsius on the crosswalk from the main building to the outer building where Madam Pomfrey's office was… And her hair was sopping wet. It would be too late (she had a curfew) and even colder by the time her hair was dried enough to go out doors…

Suddenly, a gust of hot air filled the room, and her hair was drying by the minute.

She raised her hands and motioned the hot air to her head, and her hair was done in a few minutes.

Hermione dropped her hands, and ran to Lavender's Owl's perch, hoping her friend wouldn't be back anytime soon.

Draco-

You were right. I have my powers.

Hermione Granger

Stunned with herself for actually think the waco boy was right, she sent the owl off. 'Oh, God, what have I gotten myself into?'