Intro: I'm not quite sure where this story is going. well, yes I do!
Hermione's going through some changes (a major one at the end), and Harry's
on the lookout for Voldemort again. And what is up with the new girl,
Lyandra? Read to find out! More chapters coming soon, I promise.
Disclaimer: Looking in the mirror, I see myself, not JK Rowling. Damn! That means the only one I own here is Lyandra. Poo.
1 Complete Too Late
Chapter one
I walked down the stairs to the Great Hall for dinner. Alone. If I hadn't been absorbed so much in my secret thoughts, I would have felt awkward. Or maybe, just maybe, I would have heard her come up behind me.
"Hermione?" I cried out in surprise and slid down a few steps before catching myself on the banister.
Turning around, I snapped, "Lyandra! Don't do that to me!" Softening as the new student looked ashamed, I added, "I'm ok. You just surprised me, is all." I stood up and brushed off my robes. "Will you accompany me to the Great Hall for dinner?" Lyandra nodded and I started again with her by my side, but she remained silent. I returned to her thoughts.
I had, indeed, just been thinking about the strange new girl. Lyandra Cullyn, she had called herself, had hit Hogwarts three weeks after the start of term like a tornado. One evening when Harry was on his way back from Quidditch practice, he noticed a dark figure fleeing out of the Forbidden Forest. The person tripped, presumably over a root, and fell down with a loud thud. Incredibly, Harry was the only one who saw this, and hastily created an excuse to stay behind. When the rest of the Gryffindor team had gone ahead of him and disappeared into the castle, he rushed over to the person, now silent and not moving. Harry tried all he could to rouse her, with no avail. Finally, seeing Hagrid's cabin was closer than the school, he picked up the unconscious body and carried her with ease to the groundskeeper's house. They had fetched Dumbledore, and brought the now awake girl to the infirmary.
That was a week ago, and only one person had been successful in dragging the entire story of her arrival out of Lyandra. Dumbledore, obviously. Dumbledore had offered her a bed and a place among the students here at Hogwarts, and she accepted. Naturally. She had, to my surprise, insisted upon staying by Harry's side, with the approval of the Sorting Hat, of course. Later when I thought about it, it did make sense. He was her savior, after all. She did seem lost, out of it. The only things she knew were who she was and where she was - Hogwarts. She didn't know anything more than that - at least, nothing she was letting on to the rest of us.
"Hermione?" Lyandra shook me out of my ponderings, making me realize I had bypassed the doors to the Great Hall by about ten feet. Doubling back, I followed her as she made her way to an empty seat next to Harry at the Gryffindor table. I took my normal seat - or normal since Lyandra's advent - next to Ron.
"Hey Hermione, Lyandra. I was wondering when you two would grace us with your presence!" Seamus called down the table. Lyandra gave him a smile, shy smile and turned to her mashed potatoes and carrots.
"Hermione, have you finished your Potions essay yet?" Ron asked innocently.
In spite of myself, I replied, "Yes Ron, and no, you can't have a look. You'll never learn anything if you always copy off me!" Then again, I thought, I never let him copy! Would once really hurt?
Shaking my head, I started on my food. Ron leaned closer to me as Harry and Lyandra threw themselves into a heated discussion about Quidditch. I thought he was going to make a comment about how cute they were, but as always, Ron surprised me.
"Are you okay, Hermione? You've been quiet lately, subdued. You're not even speaking up in class. What's the matter?" Ron placed his hand on mine, and I looked away. Only last year, if he had done that, it would have sent shivers up my spine. But now, nothing. What was wrong with me?
"I'm ok Ron." I heard myself say, though I was screaming inside to tell him there was something wrong. "I think I'm just tired, that's all. Overworked." Although he didn't look convinced, he turned back to his food and tossed in a few comments to Harry and Lyandra. I was left to my thoughts. Again.
He touched me. Ron touched my hand. For years, I had been in love with Ron. Well, not in love, per say, but I loved him with a passion. Since our first year at Hogwarts, I loved him. Now we were in our fifth year. How much had changed? Between the three of us, not much. I was always in love with Ron. Ron and Harry were always best friends. I never felt like I was a third wheel - until this year. It was as if I was dead inside. Ron was right. I was even neglecting my schoolwork. I had a feeling of foreboding in the pit of my stomach. I had had it all summer. But what was wrong? I knew one thing, one part of my problem. Part of me was scared. I knew that.
At school, everyone - including the teachers - tried to act like nothing was wrong, but maybe we were all just very good at acting. Everyday, more Muggles were killed; more witches; more wizards. More children, more animals, more lives, more futures. You-Know-Who was running loose. He was underground - no one actually knew it was him. Someone would just find more people dead. But everyone at school, knowing the basic story of what happened with Harry at the end of the Triwizard Tournament, somehow knew it was Him. With a capital H. So I was scared. I was Muggle-born, after all, and one of Harry's closest friends. As much as I love Harry and worry for his safety, I can't help but feel worried about me too. Could I be in danger?
Disclaimer: Looking in the mirror, I see myself, not JK Rowling. Damn! That means the only one I own here is Lyandra. Poo.
1 Complete Too Late
Chapter one
I walked down the stairs to the Great Hall for dinner. Alone. If I hadn't been absorbed so much in my secret thoughts, I would have felt awkward. Or maybe, just maybe, I would have heard her come up behind me.
"Hermione?" I cried out in surprise and slid down a few steps before catching myself on the banister.
Turning around, I snapped, "Lyandra! Don't do that to me!" Softening as the new student looked ashamed, I added, "I'm ok. You just surprised me, is all." I stood up and brushed off my robes. "Will you accompany me to the Great Hall for dinner?" Lyandra nodded and I started again with her by my side, but she remained silent. I returned to her thoughts.
I had, indeed, just been thinking about the strange new girl. Lyandra Cullyn, she had called herself, had hit Hogwarts three weeks after the start of term like a tornado. One evening when Harry was on his way back from Quidditch practice, he noticed a dark figure fleeing out of the Forbidden Forest. The person tripped, presumably over a root, and fell down with a loud thud. Incredibly, Harry was the only one who saw this, and hastily created an excuse to stay behind. When the rest of the Gryffindor team had gone ahead of him and disappeared into the castle, he rushed over to the person, now silent and not moving. Harry tried all he could to rouse her, with no avail. Finally, seeing Hagrid's cabin was closer than the school, he picked up the unconscious body and carried her with ease to the groundskeeper's house. They had fetched Dumbledore, and brought the now awake girl to the infirmary.
That was a week ago, and only one person had been successful in dragging the entire story of her arrival out of Lyandra. Dumbledore, obviously. Dumbledore had offered her a bed and a place among the students here at Hogwarts, and she accepted. Naturally. She had, to my surprise, insisted upon staying by Harry's side, with the approval of the Sorting Hat, of course. Later when I thought about it, it did make sense. He was her savior, after all. She did seem lost, out of it. The only things she knew were who she was and where she was - Hogwarts. She didn't know anything more than that - at least, nothing she was letting on to the rest of us.
"Hermione?" Lyandra shook me out of my ponderings, making me realize I had bypassed the doors to the Great Hall by about ten feet. Doubling back, I followed her as she made her way to an empty seat next to Harry at the Gryffindor table. I took my normal seat - or normal since Lyandra's advent - next to Ron.
"Hey Hermione, Lyandra. I was wondering when you two would grace us with your presence!" Seamus called down the table. Lyandra gave him a smile, shy smile and turned to her mashed potatoes and carrots.
"Hermione, have you finished your Potions essay yet?" Ron asked innocently.
In spite of myself, I replied, "Yes Ron, and no, you can't have a look. You'll never learn anything if you always copy off me!" Then again, I thought, I never let him copy! Would once really hurt?
Shaking my head, I started on my food. Ron leaned closer to me as Harry and Lyandra threw themselves into a heated discussion about Quidditch. I thought he was going to make a comment about how cute they were, but as always, Ron surprised me.
"Are you okay, Hermione? You've been quiet lately, subdued. You're not even speaking up in class. What's the matter?" Ron placed his hand on mine, and I looked away. Only last year, if he had done that, it would have sent shivers up my spine. But now, nothing. What was wrong with me?
"I'm ok Ron." I heard myself say, though I was screaming inside to tell him there was something wrong. "I think I'm just tired, that's all. Overworked." Although he didn't look convinced, he turned back to his food and tossed in a few comments to Harry and Lyandra. I was left to my thoughts. Again.
He touched me. Ron touched my hand. For years, I had been in love with Ron. Well, not in love, per say, but I loved him with a passion. Since our first year at Hogwarts, I loved him. Now we were in our fifth year. How much had changed? Between the three of us, not much. I was always in love with Ron. Ron and Harry were always best friends. I never felt like I was a third wheel - until this year. It was as if I was dead inside. Ron was right. I was even neglecting my schoolwork. I had a feeling of foreboding in the pit of my stomach. I had had it all summer. But what was wrong? I knew one thing, one part of my problem. Part of me was scared. I knew that.
At school, everyone - including the teachers - tried to act like nothing was wrong, but maybe we were all just very good at acting. Everyday, more Muggles were killed; more witches; more wizards. More children, more animals, more lives, more futures. You-Know-Who was running loose. He was underground - no one actually knew it was him. Someone would just find more people dead. But everyone at school, knowing the basic story of what happened with Harry at the end of the Triwizard Tournament, somehow knew it was Him. With a capital H. So I was scared. I was Muggle-born, after all, and one of Harry's closest friends. As much as I love Harry and worry for his safety, I can't help but feel worried about me too. Could I be in danger?