1 IN WHICH DREAMS MAKE A PARTICULAR LIFE HELL
She was running down the hallway. Trying to escape form her father. She had tried it many times before but it never worked. He was too strong. She was only young but he was a powerful wizard. An evil, powerful wizard. Why did I have to be born into a place like this? She asked herself as she ran. Mother! I miss you mother! Please come back. I can't do this alone. Father is too strong. I will never be able to make it. I am too weak to fight. I can't hold on any longer please mother. Please come back.
The small seven year old ran down the stone corridors until she found the entrance door. It was huge indeed. And beautiful with it's sophisticated carvings. But she had no time to examine them now. She quickly opened the door and ran outside but only to be greeted with her father's faithful servants…
"This shall be your first real punishment," her father sneered. Yeah, like being locked in a dungeon for a week with only water and stale bread once every two days isn't a punishment, the small girl thought to herself. Her father pointed to a small corner of the dungeon with chains in a threatening manner. He wanted her to go there.
"No!" she screamed.
"You arrogant brat! Have I done nothing for you? Go over there NOW!" he bellowed.
"No!" she replied again. "And no, you have done nothing for me but ruin my life!"
She was only seven but she had been brought up to have the type of maturity no child should have. One that even an adult shouldn't have. Her father roughly gripped her arms and dragged her towards the chains at the small corner. He slammed her face first into the wall and continued to chain her up.
"This is what we call a minor punishment," he said holding a spiked whip. "It is a real punishment. But there are many worst. Let's hope you're smart enough to keep your trap shut and be happy with what you've got otherwise you will be met with excruciating pain."
WHIP!
She refused to let the cry of pain escape her throat. Her father was not going to get even a whimper out of her. Not even a tear.
WHIP!
She could feel the sticky liquid running down her back. Blood, she thought, he is no father. He's a monster!
WHIP!
Pain. So, this is what it felt like. Real pain. She could hardly hold it in but she was determined. This monster was not going to get as much as a tear from her.
WHIP!
A cry of pain escape her throat. She had failed her small mission. He knew that she was in pain. She could just imagine him smiling now. Tears were now streaming down her face. There was no need to keep it in any longer. There was no difference between a single cry or many cries and tears. Her father knew she was in pain.
WHIP!
Pain. And then the world went black…..
Hermione Granger woke up from her nightmare, sweat pouring down her body, hair pressed against her back. She felt like she was in an oven and it was hard for her to breath. It was a common thing for her. She had been again visited by one of the many dreams of her childhood. Her father was out there somewhere. Determined to kill the most precious thing in the world to her. He had made her life hell. But she had escaped with Josh. If her twin wanted to stay then it was up to him. She would never have to go back there again. Never. But remember what distracted him, a nagging voice at the back of her mind said - her conscience. I had to! she screamed at herself, I had to. There was no other way. He was evil. He tried to kill Josh.
At least she was with the Grangers now. With Josh. He was safe. No one needed to know about her past. Even the Grangers didn't know. She had decided to try to escape again after the night of her fiftieth real punishment. For once the attempt was successful. She found herself at an orphanage and was soon adopted by the Grangers. She had told them that her mother and father died in a car crash and she and her brother had wondered the streets until the people at the orphanage found them. They didn't question her story. But then again. Who would question an innocent looking ten year old girl, who had scars all the way across her back? No-one.
She slowly got on her shaky legs and made her way to the showers. What would Ron and Harry think? she wondered to herself, if I told them. No. I'm Hermione Granger now. Not Merloyn. Never again. I'll never be the Merloyn he wanted me to be. They'll never have me. Never! So why bother telling them? It won't make a difference. They'd just be in more danger. After all they still want me to go back. At any cost.
I need to do something about it, she continued to think as she shakily took of her clothes and stepped into the hot, steaming bath. He'll be in danger if he finds out. He'll hate me. After all, I am a monster's daughter. A monster. No, I used to be one too. But never again. They'll never use me again. I'm never going to go back to them. Never! NEVER!
The still shaking 15 year old slowly finished her bath and got dressed into the clean, black Hogwarts robes. She was glad that the robes covered the scars she still possessed from her childhood. Especially the one shaped like the Dark Mark at the bottom of her left shoulder blade. Her father had planted it there when she was only 3 years old. It was a symbol to show that she was His - forever.
She slowly shook her head and went back into her room. Tears running down her face from the painful memories of her childhood. No, no-one should've been through this. But Josh had. And so did another boy. One she wished she was never related to.
She could hear crying coming from an adjoining room. Poor Josh. He had been through so much at such a young age. She couldn't have the Grangers walk in on him crying. She knew he hated it and most of all she knew that eventually the Grangers would find out if he went on like this. He was eleven now and was also accepted into Hogwarts. He was strong minded and kept an indifferent expression around people, just like she did. But when he was alone he was a nervous wreck.
She quietly walked into the adjoining room and found her brother there. His silvery-blonde hair falling in front of his greyish eyes eyes. He was pale, like all of them but he had inherited his mother's short height. Hermione could see him crying on his bed, holding a picture of their mother close to his heart. He was muttering the same things she always used to. Mother, why did you have to go? I can't take it much longer. Mother, if only that monster hadn't done this to you. But he paid mother. He paid. I wish you were here mother. I wish it so bad.
"Josh," his sister cooed.
She walked over to his bed and wrapped her arms around him in tight hug.
"C'mon. You have to move on. It happened 8 years ago. Mother would want us to move on," she continued.
A new stream of tears burst from her brother's eyes.
"But Merloyn, I miss her so much. I was only three but Merloyn what am I supposed to do? What if people don't like me at Hogwarts? What if.."
"Shush," Hermione interrupted her brother. "People will love you at Hogwarts. You'll make tonnes of friends. And don't forget that I'll be there too. You can come to me whenever you need to. But please Josh. Call me Hermione when people are around. I know you already do but be careful okay? We don't want father's people to know where we are. And please don't go looking for our brother. I know you miss mother Josh. I do too."
"Don't worry Merloyn," her brother said. "I won't. I'm not that stupid."
Hermione smiled. "Thanks Josh. You're the best brother a girl could have."
"And you're the best sister a boy could have," he said as she got up, "I think I better get packing now."
He wiped away his tears an opened up his wardrobe.
"So what do you think. The blue or the black?" he asked his sister to try to lighten the mood while holding up two dress robes.
"Definitely the black," she said smiling, "black is definitely your colour."
"Thanks Merloyn,"
She was running down the hallway. Trying to escape form her father. She had tried it many times before but it never worked. He was too strong. She was only young but he was a powerful wizard. An evil, powerful wizard. Why did I have to be born into a place like this? She asked herself as she ran. Mother! I miss you mother! Please come back. I can't do this alone. Father is too strong. I will never be able to make it. I am too weak to fight. I can't hold on any longer please mother. Please come back.
The small seven year old ran down the stone corridors until she found the entrance door. It was huge indeed. And beautiful with it's sophisticated carvings. But she had no time to examine them now. She quickly opened the door and ran outside but only to be greeted with her father's faithful servants…
"This shall be your first real punishment," her father sneered. Yeah, like being locked in a dungeon for a week with only water and stale bread once every two days isn't a punishment, the small girl thought to herself. Her father pointed to a small corner of the dungeon with chains in a threatening manner. He wanted her to go there.
"No!" she screamed.
"You arrogant brat! Have I done nothing for you? Go over there NOW!" he bellowed.
"No!" she replied again. "And no, you have done nothing for me but ruin my life!"
She was only seven but she had been brought up to have the type of maturity no child should have. One that even an adult shouldn't have. Her father roughly gripped her arms and dragged her towards the chains at the small corner. He slammed her face first into the wall and continued to chain her up.
"This is what we call a minor punishment," he said holding a spiked whip. "It is a real punishment. But there are many worst. Let's hope you're smart enough to keep your trap shut and be happy with what you've got otherwise you will be met with excruciating pain."
WHIP!
She refused to let the cry of pain escape her throat. Her father was not going to get even a whimper out of her. Not even a tear.
WHIP!
She could feel the sticky liquid running down her back. Blood, she thought, he is no father. He's a monster!
WHIP!
Pain. So, this is what it felt like. Real pain. She could hardly hold it in but she was determined. This monster was not going to get as much as a tear from her.
WHIP!
A cry of pain escape her throat. She had failed her small mission. He knew that she was in pain. She could just imagine him smiling now. Tears were now streaming down her face. There was no need to keep it in any longer. There was no difference between a single cry or many cries and tears. Her father knew she was in pain.
WHIP!
Pain. And then the world went black…..
Hermione Granger woke up from her nightmare, sweat pouring down her body, hair pressed against her back. She felt like she was in an oven and it was hard for her to breath. It was a common thing for her. She had been again visited by one of the many dreams of her childhood. Her father was out there somewhere. Determined to kill the most precious thing in the world to her. He had made her life hell. But she had escaped with Josh. If her twin wanted to stay then it was up to him. She would never have to go back there again. Never. But remember what distracted him, a nagging voice at the back of her mind said - her conscience. I had to! she screamed at herself, I had to. There was no other way. He was evil. He tried to kill Josh.
At least she was with the Grangers now. With Josh. He was safe. No one needed to know about her past. Even the Grangers didn't know. She had decided to try to escape again after the night of her fiftieth real punishment. For once the attempt was successful. She found herself at an orphanage and was soon adopted by the Grangers. She had told them that her mother and father died in a car crash and she and her brother had wondered the streets until the people at the orphanage found them. They didn't question her story. But then again. Who would question an innocent looking ten year old girl, who had scars all the way across her back? No-one.
She slowly got on her shaky legs and made her way to the showers. What would Ron and Harry think? she wondered to herself, if I told them. No. I'm Hermione Granger now. Not Merloyn. Never again. I'll never be the Merloyn he wanted me to be. They'll never have me. Never! So why bother telling them? It won't make a difference. They'd just be in more danger. After all they still want me to go back. At any cost.
I need to do something about it, she continued to think as she shakily took of her clothes and stepped into the hot, steaming bath. He'll be in danger if he finds out. He'll hate me. After all, I am a monster's daughter. A monster. No, I used to be one too. But never again. They'll never use me again. I'm never going to go back to them. Never! NEVER!
The still shaking 15 year old slowly finished her bath and got dressed into the clean, black Hogwarts robes. She was glad that the robes covered the scars she still possessed from her childhood. Especially the one shaped like the Dark Mark at the bottom of her left shoulder blade. Her father had planted it there when she was only 3 years old. It was a symbol to show that she was His - forever.
She slowly shook her head and went back into her room. Tears running down her face from the painful memories of her childhood. No, no-one should've been through this. But Josh had. And so did another boy. One she wished she was never related to.
She could hear crying coming from an adjoining room. Poor Josh. He had been through so much at such a young age. She couldn't have the Grangers walk in on him crying. She knew he hated it and most of all she knew that eventually the Grangers would find out if he went on like this. He was eleven now and was also accepted into Hogwarts. He was strong minded and kept an indifferent expression around people, just like she did. But when he was alone he was a nervous wreck.
She quietly walked into the adjoining room and found her brother there. His silvery-blonde hair falling in front of his greyish eyes eyes. He was pale, like all of them but he had inherited his mother's short height. Hermione could see him crying on his bed, holding a picture of their mother close to his heart. He was muttering the same things she always used to. Mother, why did you have to go? I can't take it much longer. Mother, if only that monster hadn't done this to you. But he paid mother. He paid. I wish you were here mother. I wish it so bad.
"Josh," his sister cooed.
She walked over to his bed and wrapped her arms around him in tight hug.
"C'mon. You have to move on. It happened 8 years ago. Mother would want us to move on," she continued.
A new stream of tears burst from her brother's eyes.
"But Merloyn, I miss her so much. I was only three but Merloyn what am I supposed to do? What if people don't like me at Hogwarts? What if.."
"Shush," Hermione interrupted her brother. "People will love you at Hogwarts. You'll make tonnes of friends. And don't forget that I'll be there too. You can come to me whenever you need to. But please Josh. Call me Hermione when people are around. I know you already do but be careful okay? We don't want father's people to know where we are. And please don't go looking for our brother. I know you miss mother Josh. I do too."
"Don't worry Merloyn," her brother said. "I won't. I'm not that stupid."
Hermione smiled. "Thanks Josh. You're the best brother a girl could have."
"And you're the best sister a boy could have," he said as she got up, "I think I better get packing now."
He wiped away his tears an opened up his wardrobe.
"So what do you think. The blue or the black?" he asked his sister to try to lighten the mood while holding up two dress robes.
"Definitely the black," she said smiling, "black is definitely your colour."
"Thanks Merloyn,"