Hey guys! Thank you flying with "breakfast-for-dinner" airlines! Hahaha, Im trying to be funny. It's not working. Anyway this story is supposed to be only between 5-10 chapters. Just FYI this is a darker OOC version of Hermione. If you are reading my other story, don't worry i'll still be working on that one too! Ok buckle in and lets go onward to literary enlightenment!
Hermione Granger was off to a normal day. She woke up at 5:45, went on a run through her neighbor hood. Upon arriving at home she made a cup of raspberry and mint tea before hopping in the shower and getting ready for work. She was just locking up her apartment door, before stepping out on the sidewalk and walking up to the corner of Dyott and Bainbridge street. This is when Hermione Granger, brightest witch of her age, was hit and killed by a bus. It's odd to think that a beautiful woman of the age of 23 could die so suddenly, in such a muggle way. And this, my dear readers is where our story begins.
"God damn" muttered Hermione rubbing her tender head, her eyes squeezed shut while she blocked out the blinding light that surrounded her. She slowly opened her eyes, peeking out from behind long dark eyelashes. She was currently sitting on the floor of Hogwarts School of Witch Craft and Wizardry's floor. To be more specific, it was library's floor. She was currently tucked into her favorite corner of the library, between the W and X sections. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes again. The last thing she remembered was walking to work. She had been standing at the corner. There was a long honk. Had she turned to see who was honking? Hermione couldn't remember. Maybe this was a dream. Maybe she just never got up this morning and dreamt she did, and now her dream had taken a strange and sudden turn on her.
"Stay calm Mia, nothing to worry about, it's just dream. Not even a nightmare yet. Stand up." Gritting her teeth Hermione slowly stood up, steadying herself on the nearby book shelf. Opening her eyes, Hermione noticed the small differences that made her more confidant that this was a dream. The colors where too bright, the edges of the scene faded to white. Then she noticed a little boy sitting in the U section, reading a large book, his legs were inches off the ground causing them to swing slightly as he concentrated. The boy had dark hair and beautiful pale skin. Hermione walked up slowly and toughed his shoulder lightly, causing the boy to turn and face her. Hermione gasped, stepping back. The boy was stunning. The word handsome didn't do him justice. His eyes were a beautiful blue, his lips full and red. His face was oddly hard for a child, like he was very grim about something.
"Hermione, welcome. We have much to discuss. Follow me." He closed the book and stood up, motioning for Hermione to follow him. He walked quickly and silently toward the back of the library toward the restricted section. The boy opened the normally locked door with ease. As they walk through the tight hallways and book shelves of the restricted section Hermione started to feel a slight chill as the turned into an extra classroom, desks and chairs pushed up to one side of the room, a tall mirror. Hermione stepped closer to the mirror, reading the inscription. "Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi." She turned quickly to look at the boy. He only gestured at the mirror slightly. Eyes wide with anticipation Hermione lined herself in front of the mirror, looking into it's depths.
First she saw Tonks and Lupin. Then Sirius, Dumbledore, Fred, Moody. Colin. They were all there. Everyone who died everyone she failed to protect. Everyone who was counting on her to protect them, if she had been faster. Stronger. Smarter. She could have saved them but she failed. Hermione collapsed on the floor sobbing, reaching out to the mirror. Curling up in a ball, sobs racked her body. Even now, for the rest of her life she would be guilty. Sick and guilty. She was weak.
Hermione sat up quickly from her ball. She was dreaming. And she could wake up. Hermione closed her eyes and put her hands over her ears.
"I'm Dreaming!" She said loudly, in a sing song voice. Suddenly a strong hard voice filled her mind.
"Stop acting like a child or we'll never get through this." Opening her eyes and removing her hands, Hermione stared up at the boy, who was now hovering over her. "Hermione Jean Granger. At 7:36 this morning at the corner of Dyott and Bainbridge street. A bus hit you. You are currently dead." Hermione's mouth opened widely followed by a strange shrill laugh.
"This dream is so weird! Wow, I can't eat Indian food before bed anymore." Hermione shifted, ignoring the small boy and looked back at the mirror. If this was a dream then she would use it, feeling guilty for the deaths she cause, not believing the she escaped the burden of that guilt by being dead.
"You know who I am, don't you?" Asked the boy, his voice echoing through the empty room.
"Don't know don't care." sighed Hermione trying to pinch her underarm to wake up, only she didn't feel any pain. "Strange." She thought pinching the once tender skin.
"I am the one you secretly respected. The one you would never admit inspired you. This is the way you thought of me, or was it in this form?" His voice changed, the tone getting deeper. "I know you. I know your deeper desires. There is another desire. Not the innocent one, the one to bring back the dead of war. There is a darker desire." Hermione looked up into the mirror. The scene changed. Suddenly she was in the mirror. She was beautiful. Her hair had turned black and shiny, her eyes had turned blue. It was her dream. The one she hid behind her guilt. The dream that began in fourth year when she started S.P.E.W, a dream where she controlled wizarding society changed it for the better. Hermione turned and looked at Tom Riddle, in his handsome teenage form. His face was just as hard as his as a child. "Lets face it Ms. Granger, you admired my achievements."
" Never! You killed the innocent! Orphaned children! I would never do that! Not in my world, not under my rule!" Riddle sneered, morphing his beautiful face.
"Ms. Granger, You know how I gained power? I took a cause, like hating muggle borns, and took it as my own. I never cared about that, I never cared about pure blood, half blood. It's all blood to me. I used it to gain control, to take the wizarding world as my own. Pretending to believe in the elimination of muggles gave me an army, and supporters without even trying."
"Lies!" Screamed Hermione. Riddle laughed, infuriating Hermione even more.
"Hermione Granger. I would expect you to be more understanding. You're a smart girl, and you know what it takes to get power. You would think that you being dead would make things clear up for you."
"No! This isn't happening. I'm not dead! This isn't happening to me." Riddle rolled his eyes and coughed lightly.
"Look, we haven't even arrived at the point yet. Someone up stairs, one of the big guys have pulled you. You were killed for a job."
"What the hell are you talking about? Not only am I dead but God killed me so he could hire me?"
"Christ no, God doesn't bother himself with such things, an Arch angel pulled you. You are being given a second chance to have a chance to achieve your deepest desires before you die. Both of them."
"No. This is crazy. I want to wake up. Voldermort is not my angel, I am not dead."
"Sorry Granger, You have 5 years to achieve your desires. At the end of the year you die, win or lose." And with that Tom Riddle snapped his fingers and everything when black.