Disclaimer: Not mine. Belongs to Lewis Carol and Tim Burton. Hp belongs to the wonderful JK Rowling and WB. A/N: Enjoy. Edited: 19/09/2014.
Who Said it Was Fiction
Part I
Hermione had read a lot of books for a fifteen year old; some fiction and some non-fiction and some she never thought imaginable. She had a thirst for knowledge but she never considered fiction could be real. It had happened the day she had her fourth year exams. She was carrying her books in two large bags over her shoulder. She thought she'd take a shortcut through the lower courtyard. Hogwarts concealed many secrets, but this, she never imagined.
She didn't pay any attention to where she was putting her feet, so it was inevitable it would happen. Distracted by her library books slipping from her shoulder she staggered over something soft and squishy and she was flung onto the grass with a thump. The ground attacked her face and she lay still in an awkward fall, hoping nobody had seen her: it would be too humiliating. Quickly she tapped her wand against her abrasions. The cause of her fall made her stare in disbelief.
The white rabbit was looking up at her dishevelled appearance with a smile. Hermione hadn't slept much over the last few days, she hoped she was hallucinating and she should have left then but she didn't. There was something about the larger than ordinary rabbit that entranced her. It hopped towards the trunk of a nearby tree and stared at her with wide brown eyes. What did it want? There weren't many Hogwarts' pets that were bunnies. Had it escaped from McGonagall's office? It looked smarter than the average bunny. Maybe it was the Easter Bunny. A lost Easter Bunny.
"I'd watch your step if I were you." Hermione had been told a lot of things and she was well aware that animals only talked in books, not in real-life, and even in the magical world, she was sure they couldn't. She closed her eyes and opened them, thinking she was dreaming, but the rabbit was clearing its throat. Hermione swayed, not quite understanding how or why a rabbit was telling her to watch her step but when she did step back, she fell, losing her footing and spiralling down to, (she presumed) death. She struggled to grab something to steady her.
"I told you to watch your step!' The rabbit's voice echoed above her, unhelpfully.
Death was coming...
Then she slowed down, which seemed absolutely ridiculous since she should have crashed into the bottom and broken several bones, but as she slowed, she recognised strange things. A piano, a bicycle, an odd-shaped and coloured lampshade...this was the strangest dream she'd ever had and yet it seemed oddly familiar; like she'd read it somewhere before. Her robes blew up around her face and she pushed them back down, trying to see more of this strange world.
She could see tiles beneath her, like a chess board. She passed an old wooden rocking chair and several ticking clocks with confusion. Then her feet touched the cool floor and she raised her head to see a small hole letting in the only ray of sunlight. Hermione was sure this was a dream. The only furniture nearby was a table with a key on the glass top. Unsure of what she was meant to do, she ignored it to see if there was another exit. It seemed she was down a hole but it was so strange. Why would she of all people fall down a hole? She wasn't this person at all.
She was reliable, trustworthy and never late for an exam. She was supposed to be prepared for everything! She had no books to read, no wand (because that too had fallen out of her hand when she had fallen). "Why don't you try the door?" Hermione jumped. It was only the talking rabbit. Only, she reminded herself, rabbits don't talk.
"What door?" Hermione replied.
"That door," the rabbit pointed with its foot.
There in front of her was a tiny door about the same size as the rabbit. Hermione reached it but could not fit through it, unless she knew a shrinking spell and although the spell was easy to cast, she didn't have her wand.
The white rabbit smiled again at her predicament which annoyed Hermione and offered his advice, which she was reluctant to take. "You need the key." She pushed at the tiny door first, but it wouldn't budge. Hermione's lips thinned in annoyance. What key? She looked up at the table.She retrieved the key and tried the tiny lock: it twisted and turned but she could not squeeze through the door the size of a watermelon!
The rabbit pointed at the table again, where a small bottle had appeared, but had not been there before. You've got to be kidding...Frustrated she returned to the table, key in hand and picked up the small bottle. Was this the moment Death took her; when she swallowed this bottle of...what? Poison?
"What is this?" Hermione said turning up her nose. She might be stuck down a hole, but trusting a potion that had been sitting on a table somewhere she didn't know would have been a bigger mistake, she was sure. "It's magical. Read the tag." The rabbit sat by the door impatiently. Hermione thought it was stupid of him to be impatient because if he had told her in the first place, then maybe she would have. In fact, she hadn't even noticed the tag when she picked up the bottle.
The tag read, Drink Me.
Hermione weighed up the consequences. If it killed her she'd die too young; if she didn't take a risk, her only escape would be to find some sticks and climb back up the dirt walls which would be an achievement in itself, leaving the only other option, to trust the rabbit.
"Hurry up, I'm late for a very important date."
You're late! I don't want to know what McGonagall does to me when she finds out I skipped my exam! And Harry and Ron must be wondering where I am! It's not like me, to miss this. I'm probably going to get a T now. Her stomach twisted painfully at the thought of the failed grade. Even though it wasn't entirely my fault, she added, glaring at the white rabbit.
"We don't have all day!" The rabbit complained.
"Before I trust you, you are going to tell me what this place is." Hermione clutched the magical bottle and towered above the small door and the rabbit. "Why did you choose me?"
"Open the door and find out," The rabbit said without answering her questions.
Being told what to do by a rabbit was highly annoying. "I can't open the door. I don't fit through it, besides you'll just disappear!" The rabbit stared at her, its whiskers flexing. Hermione raised her eyebrows and sat down so she was level to its face and praying it wouldn't bite her: she didn't trust it ever since it had tricked her into falling down the hole.
"Alice is trapped. We needed her cousin but I couldn't find her. You were the only one who looked like you could play the part. This world is full of mystery and evil and you have the chance to save it."
"I'm definitely dreaming, wake up Hermione!" she pinched her elbow and yelped.
"It's not a dream," the rabbit sighed. She would know he was missing. He couldn't be suspected of treason.
Hermione crossed her arms. "What if I don't want to help you? What if I don't drink this?" She raised the bottle in the air in front of the rabbit's nose.
"You haven't any choice." Hermione lowered her hand, defeated. "Drink it and open the door."
"Promise me you won't leave?" she pleaded. There was only one book she had read which had a white rabbit, a Drink Me potion and a girl named Alice. It was a classic, one of the first stories she'd read but that's what it was; a story, made-up, a fantasy: nothing else.
"I don't make promises," the white rabbit murmured.
If only I had my wand. Hermione thought annoyed, as she unplugged the bottle and swallowing the entire contents in one gulp. It tasted like peppermint schnapps. It didn't take long to effect her. Soon, she was falling to the floor with a great whoosh and her clothes were far too big for her. She had shrunk to the size of a Niffler. She looked like the rabbit's chew toy.
"Try the key now," the rabbit instructed, rather impatiently.
Hermione took the key, now heavy, considering her tiny size and stumbled over to the door. She put the key into the lock and unlocked it. "Time to find Alice," the white rabbit hopped away, leaving her behind.
"Wait! You sneaky bugger!' Hermione gasped, hurrying after him. "If I had my wand you'd be toast by now!" She ran through the long grass and flowerbeds, trying to keep up. She stopped in the middle of a large field, to catch her breath, overhearing whispers directed at her.
"What is that ugly thing?"
"It smells!"
"It's so silly-looking. Where's its petals?"
Hermione was surprised to see the voices were coming from the flowerbed. Now she'd definitely lost it; talking bunnies and flowers, what next? "Can you please tell me where the White Rabbit lives?" It was a long shot, but at least she might be able to find some answers.
"It talks!"Harry would definitely have laughed in her face if she told him she was having a conversation with a flower.
"Of course I talk, it's you who shouldn't talk," she huffed.
There was a soft tsk tsk and Hermione saw the daisies wilt, making way for a beautiful scarlet rose. "And who might you be?" It seemed to be the leader of the daisies, at least, they had listened when she had tutted.
"I'm Hermione," she said.
"And what brings you to Wonderland?"
"So this is Wonderland?" She was surprised to see that the story had come to life. If this wasn't a dream and she really was trapped in a storybook then how would she ever get home? There was something wise and friendly about the rose, who gave a curt nod in reply over the giggling daises. Hermione asked about finding the white rabbit and was told to speak with Absolem, she thought back to the story and remembered Absolem was the wise caterpillar that spoke in riddles.
The rose pointed to a leaf where the rabbit had disappeared and Hermione murmured thanks, before running through the grass, on what she felt was a wild goose chase.
-:-
Hermione's socks were splattered with mud by the time she reached the hill. It didn't look at all like a place somebody would live. She followed the smoke that led to the pipe. "Absolem?" The intimidating caterpillar peered down at her small figure, a monocle perched on the brim of his nose. Hermione felt incredibly strange being smaller than a caterpillar, nevertheless she stood as tall as she could. She needed to find the White Rabbit and get home. She wasn't ready for an adventure in Wonderland, not with finals and a life to live. If only she had her wand - she might be able to re-size herself.
"Who might you be?" The caterpillar had a snide, low voice which sounded oddly like Professor Snape but that was absurd, Professor Snape was not a caterpillar! She was a witch, a muggle-born witch but nobody knew here. "I'm Hermione, Hermione Granger," she squeaked, wiping the mud from her socks and brushing her hair from her sweaty forehead. Absolem raised his eyebrow - Hermione never knew caterpillar's had eyebrows. She was sure the book never mentioned it.
"And what do you want?"
"I'm trying to find the White Rabbit," she said with a hint of annoyance. He was probably long gone by now. So much for asking for directions, she thought.
"The White Rabbit? He is probably celebrating his un-birthday with the Mad Hatter, "Absolem said, carelessly. Hermione's mouth dropped. The Mad Hatter had been her favourite character in the book. With this news she swayed a little and a curious Absolem watched.
"Un-birthday?" Hermione said, steadying herself against the rock.
Absolem sighed. "Yes, it is a little tea party he has with the Hare, the Hatter and the Dormouse and you shall find him there. Leave me to finish my pipe, I have enough on my mind."
Hermione thanked him, rather confused, he had not given her directions. He seemed to realise this and pointed one of his many legs up the hill and into a forest. Though she had read this scene many times before, she wondered what had gone so wrong that the White Rabbit needed her help to fix it? And where was Alice? She left Absolem the wise caterpillar and his billowing smoke behind as she entered the dark forest. She knew where this led according to the novel - to the Cheshire cat and Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dum.
The sun was setting: it was dark and creepy and uninviting. Hermione really wished she had her wand. She took a deep breath and carried on up the dirt path, thinking of spells and hoping they'd work even without her wand. Protection charms, silencing charms and a 'point me' spell which she tested on a stick, holding it in her hands and hoping for the best. The point me spell didn't work but the protection spell did. There was a bang and a giggle and Hermione fell back against the nearest tree as two twins with bright orange hair came bumbling toward her, carrying fireworks and arguing.
"It worked!"
"Did not!"
"Did too! It went 'bang'!"
"Did not, meant to be bigger!"
"Can't be bigger than that."
"What did it hit?"
"Nothing..." he seemed disappointed.
"It hit me," Hermione breathed. She hoped they didn't noticed her, but who was she kidding, she should have stolen Harry's invisible cloak as well. They saw her.
"A girl!"
"What fun!"
They grinned and caught both of her arms. "I'm trying to find the White Rabbit - I'm off to the tea party - can you show me where to go?" Dum giggled which was not a very comforting sign.
"Yes! Yes! We will show you!" they said. Without letting her go they bounced and pulled her one way and the other, back and forth until she had had quite enough. They had been going around in circles which was a complete waste of her time.
"I think she has had enough boys," a disembodied voice stated.
The twins let go of her arms quickly as if being reprimanded by their parents. Hermione flinched and stared at a tree branch where two blue eyes were materialising in front of her: its striped purple coat was next with shaggy fur and an unnaturally wide, toothy grin. It seemed to be admiring her as much as she was it.
"The Cheshire cat!" Hermione breathed. He was more beautiful than she had imagined. Crookshanks would definitely have been jealous of her admiration over him.
"You said you were looking for the Mad Hatter?" Cheshire grinned even more, which was bizarre to see as his teeth gleamed in the darkness."He brought you to stop the Red Queen, didn't he?" It seemed to Hermione he already knew the answer to both questions. "Well, you better be off on your way then. Just follow the little forest creatures and you'll be there."
"What forest creatures?" Hermione wondered aloud, she had not seen anything except the cat and Dim and Dum. Hermione stepped background and as soon as she had there was a loud H-O-N-K. She apologised to the small creature with a horn for a nose. The cat banished the Tweedle brothers back to the forest, apparently they were not needed and she sighed, half relieved. She felt safer with the group of creatures and the Cheshire cat as her guides.
At the end of the forest, she waved good bye to her little helpers. She could hear the Mad Hatter and his company in a nearby field. "Go on." The Cheshire encouraged her. Hermione glimpsed the Mad Hatter's red hat through the bushes and it only made her more exuberant. She had completely forgotten she was supposed to be trying to find her way home.
A/N: Please review.
