Year 2350
The L. Cauldron Hotel
Hermione was getting bored.
She's been stuck in her room for the last three hours with nothing to do but read her holobook and watch the hovcars descending and ascending through the gridlock transition point, which she could see through the glass panes of her room.
Just outside in her balcony, the plunging infinity pool was still steaming after Hermione had purposely left the heat transfer system running. Although she was able to see through the billow of heat and observed how a crackle of electricity had lit up when something fell into the forcefield in the far distance.
The field of energy was called the gridlock transpo. It served as a protective barrier between the air traffic on different Tiers and it was powered entirely by the omegalith Excalibur satellites orbiting in space. To transfer from different Tiers, whether to ascend or descend, the hovcar owners were required to go to the transition points that are built into spires.
Since she was in a room in line with Tier 100, she could see most of the hovcars moving around the black transition spire that jutted out like a sore thumb in the west part of the skyline.
It was fortunate that she had set the panes to veil mode to keep the air commuters from seeing her through her frameless glass walls of her hotel room. But it did allow her to see them zipping past by while she looked at the spectacular view of the neo-futuristic architectures outside.
From left to right, Hermione could see a line of towering, supermega skyscrapers that came along with the ARs appearing in the air. (Good thing that hovcars nowadays were sold with AR-shielding to prevent commuters from getting distracted and caused potential accidents.)
Burj Khalifa was ancient history with its 163 floors. Now, supermega skyscrapers were being built at astonishing speed of no less than three months, yet remained superior in terms of its architectural framework with most of them withstanding strong winds at the height of more than 3,000 ft, and supported by advanced environmental control system, and completed with sky parking space for hovcars.
This was the future and Hermione was looking at its entirety as she lay on her floating, feather bed. (a bed powered by magnetic force at the bottom panel, where she could control the height of levitation using the controller Leviosa.)
The FF Group had set her up in this room the moment Hermione had arrived at the hotel. (That had been two weeks ago)
Unable to use her airscooter since it was due for its monthly check, Hermione had called the Knight's Hov to pick her up from her house using the Knight's Hov app on her holophone.
Flashback
Upon arriving on the front lobby of the L. Cauldron Hotel, Hermione did as she had been instructed and approached someone carrying a specific item (a red silk embroidered potli bag with a dense metal and bead handwork forming a star, and stylish bead studded handle.)
A woman with almond shaped hazel eyes, frizzy black hair and wearing a navy blue shade cambric cotton patiala suit, had been carrying the potli bag that matched well with the description.
The woman looked up from her holotab as soon as Hermione approached her.
For a short while, Hermione stood there uncertainly. She was told to say the password when she would see a person carrying the item. The person would be one of the representatives from the FF Group who was sent to meet and also give her the next instructions.
Now that she was there, however, she was having doubts about the entire thing. Spouting out coded words to someone she just saw sitting in the lobby would definitely make her look like a complete loon. But the pair of hazel eyes that were staring at her rather expectantly made Hermione hesitate.
Once again, she glanced at the polti bag on the woman's hand, scrutinizing it closely.
It fit perfectly with the specific item that Hermione was told to look for.
Deciding that she might as well try, Hermione met the woman's gaze and said, "Draco Dormiens..."
"Nunquam Titillandus." the woman finished, giving her a formal smile. She slowly rose up from the Cruzador lounge sofa she had been sitting on and extended her hand forward.
Hermione took it automatically, giving the stranger's hand a firm shake,
"Welcome to the L. Cauldron Hotel. I am glad you are able to make it... My name is Aurora Sinistra. You may call me, Madam Sinistra and I will be your guide for today… Shall we?"
Before Hermione could open her mouth and say something, or introduce herself properly, the woman, who called herself Aurora Sinistra, was already ushering her towards the EL in haste, almost like she was in a hurry.
Hermione noticed the woman nodding to T.O.M - the front clerk robot - briefly.
They passed by some people who were on their way to take the ELs as well. Hermione was barely able to admire the disconcerting extravagance of the front lobby before the sliding doors of the EL closed behind her.
Once safely ensconced within the cylindrical glass tube, Madam Sinistra had then given Hermione a datacube - the size of a sugar cube - containing beamed instructions.
"You can open it once you are safely in your room," the woman told her while Hermione used the Rtooth to siphon the data into her holophone which she had taken from her pursed.
The datacube slowly dissolved and disappeared from existence, indicating that the data transfer was completed.
Hermione would be able to read it later.
"Other than the beamed instructions, it is of the utmost importance that you do not talk to other people while you are here, except the handlers that will occasionally check up on you and accompany you to your scheduled appointments. If you have any questions, you may address it to them. However, they are not obligated to answer all of your questions and they have the right to withhold information from you regarding the final process."
"I understand," Hermione said, looking outside the glass tube, observing as they zipped and maneuvered past ELs that were transporting hotel guests to their destination within the L. Cauldron Hotel.
"From now on, the representatives from the FF Group will be addressing you as Ms. G. It is to keep your identity a secret. No one knows your reason for being here other than us. Hence, it is imperative that you remain incognito."
"Am I the only one here?" Hermione asked, not needing to elaborate what she meant, for surely the woman would understand the question.
"There are others," Madam Sinistra confirmed, "-but you are not allowed to talk to them. If you do, we will know. Spies are planted to make sure that you follow the instructions. These same people will immediately report back to us if you have violated the terms. Remember, that you are still only considered as a potential finalist, the higher-ups has the choice to whether let you stay or eliminate you."
...
Hermione recalled the chill that had raced up her spine at the way Madam Sinistra had termed it, for being cut off from the final casting process.
Afterwards, the woman had lead Hermione to her room and had provided her with a short tour around the vast, opulent place that she would be staying for an undetermined time.
Outside, in the balcony, Hermione saw an infinity pool overlooking the supermega skyscrapers, the white clouds drifting outside, and the expensive hover cars that were allowed to travel in that Tier level.
Hermione also discovered that there was a Gymn in her hotel room as well and an entertainment area equipped with the latest techs, including the new AR Vision that came out from the market six months ago.
"You may be able to have unlimited access to the interholo for the entire duration of your stay here. Everything will be paid by the FF Group. However, all communication devices are inactivated as of the moment, but if you make a request to call your home, you may be granted permission to do so."
When the woman was done with the tour, Madam Sinistra had given her the keycard, her stipend for the week, and the discount coupons. Afterwards, she notified Hermione regarding the strict curfew that the FF Group had established for her, and others like her.
"You must be in your room before ten in the evening. Every night, someone will come here and take your keycard and lock you in your room until six in the morning. It is another precautionary measure that the FF Group is taking that will prevent you and the others from making contact with outsiders."
There was a paused while Madam Sinistra regarded her. Hermione nodded her head in silence to indicate that she understood perfectly.
"While you are lock in your room for the night, no one - including the hotel personnel - are allowed to talk to you, and no exceptions can be made. I hope you remember this, Ms. G."
"I'll keep that in mind, Madam Sinistra. Thank you for informing me."
Then, the woman had left Hermione to her own devices.
It gave Hermione plenty of time to unpack her stuff and read the beamed instructions in her holophone. The beam of light contained a detailed schedule of appointments and exams that she needed to go through, along with the compulsory to attend her pool and gym time schedule.
Hermione frowned at the latter, wondering why the need for the pool and gym schedule
Around Lunch time, someone had knocked at her door, and that was when Hermione had first met Madam Sprout; a stout woman with curly grey-black hair.
Madam Sprout had been Hermione's PA during the first week.
"I will be showing you the place where you are supposed to eat your meals and accompany you if needed." Madam Sprout informed her. She was smiling cordially while both of them were walking towards the EL.
Compared to Madam Sinistra, Madam Sprout was more... affable.
"Oh ok," was Hermione's reply as they stepped into the glass tube that would lead them to Tier 80 where most of the restaurants were situated.
That day Hermione had found out how expensive the food and drinks were in the L. Cauldron. If it hadn't been for the coupons and the weekly stipend that the FF Group had provided, Hermione would have ended up broke.
Madam Sprout had sat with her while Hermione had eaten her Lunch. She remembered asking some questions to clarify some of the things that were still very vague to her.
Although the woman hadn't been very forthcoming about other things, but she did answer Hermione's query concerning some of the people who were supposed to be spying on her every move.
"They are in disguise but they are always watching you. Some might even talked to you to try and see if you engage in the conversation.…"
"And if I do?"
"It depends on what information you have easily divulged, and whether it is something that warrants immediate disqualification or not."
Hermione should have known it was strategy of the FF Group to foster paranoia and increase the pressure on the finalists. Yet she had been easily fooled, and for a moment there, she had felt like she was being watched.
Unbeknownst to her, someone had indeed been watching her.
However, it wasn't actually a mole planted amongst the crowd of strangers like Madam Sprout had implied.
It had been someone else.
On that same day, during dinner (Madam Sprout hadn't been there to join her) that had been the moment when Hermione saw Mr. N.
"Good evening, Mr. N. What will you want for today?"
At the coded name, Hermione's head had instantly whipped around. Her eyes landing on the robot waiter; T.O.M, and someone sitting two tables away from her and reading the menu.
Hermione couldn't see his face with the holoscreen blurring his features, but she listened to him order his dinner.
"Yes, I want the Samundari Khazana and Henri IV Dudognon Heritage Cognac Grande Champagne."
Hermione heard the person say and couldn't help but wonder who he was that he was able to afford such an expensive dinner. It was twenty times the amount of the stipend that the FF Group had given to Hermione.
The person was using his pocket money to buy his dinner. Yet the coded name entailed that he must be...
"Will that be all?"
She watched as the person flicked the menu off and Hermione finally saw his face.
Astonishment washed over her.
She knew that face.
Hermione practically saw it every day on some holoAds and ARstreams while she's driving her airscooter on her way to school.
The son and heir to one of Sacred Twenty-Eight from the Pureblood Society.
"Yes, that would be all. Thank you."
Hermione heard him say to T.O.M, where the robot swiftly left to encode the order to the R.A floating nearby.
As if sensing her stare, the dark-haired male turned to look up.
Hermione's eyes met his amber gaze from across the room.
The twenty-three year old model smiled at her, his synthetic cat-like amber eyes gleamed.
Hermione's eyes narrowed.
She didn't need to be inform by anyone that the ponce knew she was there with the same reason as him.
To be Locked Up.
….
Since then, Hermione had often seen Mr. N during meals, but they had never interacted. They weren't allowed to talk to each other. So they contented themselves by simply eyeing each other from afar and trying to gauge for possible weaknesses just by looks alone.
During the third day, Hermione had met the EP, Armando Dippet and Albus Dumbledore.
Madam Sprout accompanied her to Tier 150 and up to the 250th floor.
It was a place built from all-diamondglass, a towering monolith situated at the top floors of the L. Cauldron, divided from the main building through a magnetic force where it hovered two stories above, and could only be accessible through five running VIP pods.
The monolith was rounded at the corners, hollowed at the middle where only authorized vehicles were parked in the circular silver air strip right there.
Seeing that the L. Cauldron Hotel was a prominent hotspot for notable pureblood members of the Society, as well as wealthy muggles (mainly because it had an entrance to the Diagon Alley and its exclusive chains of merchandise stores), it's only reasonable that the hotel was protected by an impressive line of security system to protect its patrons.
In the pinnacle - the diamond glass monolith - each floor revolved around horizontally or vertically, clockwise or counterclockwise - like a rubix cube - in no order and with such irregularity to further confuse any who would threaten to target one specific high-ranking Pureblood or anyone residing in any of its rooms.
There were also Level 10 impact and shock-absorber barriers that wrapped around the structure like an invisible armour, while unauthorized vehicles weren't allowed to fly near that zone, or they would be shot down by drones if vehicle owners refused to give their identification.
It was a building reserved only for the wealthiest and influential individuals that generally had an annual net worth of around trillions of galleon pounds. And for the first time, in all her nineteen years of life as any normal muggle, Hermione could step into the place and meet two of its temporary guests.
Flashback
After seating herself in a front of them on a chair designed from elastic 5D fibres that absorbed her weight, both of the Executive Producers had directly asked her questions and Hermione had answered to the best of her abilities.
"What made you decide to apply for this social experiment, Ms. G?" Mr. Dumbledore was the first one to ask, followed by Mr. Dippet, who said: "Was it for the chance of being among the thirty finalists who will be Locked Up together with two of the most popular crowd of prodigies from the Pureblood Society?"
Very much aware of the wristband on her wrist that the two Purebloods had given to her under the pretense of extending their congratulations for being amongst the fortunate who had been accepted, Hermione took some time to answer.
She knew what the wristband was since she had heard her parents discussed about them. The Riddle LabCorp had supplied different types of wristbands to a focus group, most were medical practitioners, including Hermione's parents, to evaluate consumer response to the product prior to launching it into the market.
Both Hermione's parents were DenSpecs. They specialize in cleaning, restoration, aligning, oral surgery, therapy - or most often - stimulating ectoderm to promote teeth growth which would require hours of Dental Micro Surgery. It also meant the need for long-acting anesthesia.
The Riddle Labcorp had both provided Hermione's parents a supply of anesthesia wristbands.
After trying the wristbands on their patients, Allison and Joseph Granger had nothing but praise for it. They had given a positive review, and 9 out of 10 pentagrams for the product. And later, telling the company that they would buy it once it was available on the market.
The wristband that Hermione was wearing, however, was not an anesthesia wristband. It was something else entirely.
Given that the Locked Up experiment would involve living with, and getting close to the Pureblood members of the Society, Hermione suspected that the wristband was for them to ensure that most finalist, that were chosen, weren't there to possibly harm one of their kind while inside the Castle.
Hermione concluded that the wristband must be one of those that contained a mild form of sodium thiopental - or in other words - veritaserum (a truth serum). If absorbed through skin and into the bloodstream, it would force the wearer only to tell the truth.
Some finalist might not be unaware of what the wristband could do, but Hermione had prior knowledge to it and knew how to slow down the effects.
Hermione started holding her breath for about five seconds while she talked. If she slowed down her breathing, the supply of oxygen on her red blood cells would decrease, hindering the pentothal from attaching itself into her blood and thus delaying its effects to reach her brain.
"To be quite honest, Mr. Dippet, Mr. Dumbledore." Hermione began, still trying to control her breathing. "It wasn't really my plan at all to join the Locked Up. My best friend, her name is Cho Chang, she was the one who convinced me to apply and send a holorecording of myself to the Four Founder's Group. I have never expected that I would be picked from the random selection and get the invitation for the final casting process."
The two men must have noticed her odd breathing pattern because Hermione saw them exchanged a brief look.
When Mr. Dumbledore turned to look at her once more, Hermione saw the twinkle in his blue eyes.
It puzzled Hermione that it seemed her method of trying to counteract the effects of the wristband had pleased both the Executive Producers.
Surprisingly, they didn't comment on it.
A creeping suspicion rose up within Hermione, telling her that the wristband must be some kind of test that.
"You are very fortunate Ms. G, because out of more than a billion of hopefuls, and most of them fans of the Death Eaters and the Marauders, you have been encoded by our Quill of Admittance as a potential candidate to be Locked Up in the Hogwart's Castle. Whether you are a fan of the two groups or not, I'm glad that you didn't back out from this opportunity to be seen and recognized by the entire world."
"I hear from Ms. McGonagall that Ms. G here had nearly denied the invitation." Mr. Dippet said, scrutinizing Hermione. "You are a very unusual girl, Miss G. Other people out there would die to get this chance to be seen and gain fame while locked up in the Hogwart's Castle. Yet from what Ms. McGonagall have told me, you were ready to decline our invitation when she contacted you. I believe you would have, if she hadn't given you the time to think twice about it. May I ask the reason behind your hesitation?"
Hermione was glad for the sleek, geometrical table that stood between her and the two executive producers. It gave her the opportunity to hide the movements of her hands.
"It's a simple reason, really. I was planning to study this summer for the entrance exam in Oxfarva University -"
Hermione wanted to become an Alucinari; a new course major that the Oxfarva University started offering this year.
It was a type of Psychologist solely for the Purebloods. If Hermione obtained a Bacherlor's and Masteral's Degree on that course, she would be able to go in and understand more how the Pureblood mind work.
If not that, Hermione could always fall back to her second choice of becoming a BioTechno Engineer.
With them hanging unto her every word, Hermione swiftly dragged her wristband against her black cammo polyester pants.
" -So I thought... I won't be able to do that if ever I'm chosen as one of the thirty finalist to be locked up in the Hogwart's Castle -"
Using the right amount of pressure, Hermione forcefully turned the wristband inside-out, consequently rendering it ineffective with its microscopic filaments currently exposed to the air, where it had previously been expelling the chemicals directly into her skin.
Hermione would have approximately around 30 seconds before she would be able to lie.
"-If I am to live with the two groups and thirty other people under 24/7 hours of surveillance. It won't be a conducive environment for me to study. The Death Eaters or the Marauders might even create such a ruckus that it will be difficult for me to concentrate."
Now, Hermione's frank answer seemed to have amuse the two middle-aged men even further.
"So what changed your mind?"
"It was my parents who convinced me to come for the final casting process."
"What did they say to convince you?"
It's time to test if Hermione could lie.
"They told me that they will be paying for the courses that I will choose in the future, but on one condition…" Hermione paused while the two men leaned in with interest. "If I got them a personal autograph from both the heirs of the Riddle LabCorp and Potter Electronic Industries."
Yes, it worked.
The reason her parents had given 9 out of 10 pentagrams during the product review; it was mainly due to the wristbands being slightly loose that it still allowed room for movement and the chance of possibly turning it inside-out; like Hermione had purposely done to make its purpose ineffective.
Fortunately, Hermione's parents hadn't encountered this problem during their initial test run on their patients, lest the patients would have been in extreme pain during the surgery.
Mr. Dumbledore and Mr. Dippet now looked equally intrigued.
"Are your parents both fans of the Death Eaters and the Marauders?" Mr. Dumbledore inquired.
"No, not the group as a whole." Hermione clarified. "My parents are fans of both Mr. Riddle's and Mr. Potter's brainchild."
There was a long pause as the two stared at her, uncertain if she was jesting or not.
"Do you mean the new AR Vision?" Mr. Dumbledore started, a puzzled frown knitting his brows.
Hermione knew that both Tom Riddle and James Potter had developed the new AR that came out six months ago.
Currently, both the Riddle Labcorp, Potter Electronic Industries, and their associates were using an effective marketing strategy that would promote the ARs through mainstreaming, and using their newly formed group (though separate) - the instant global sensation - The Marauders and The Death Eaters.
This, of course, had drawn other business corporations, such as the Four Founder's Group, to capitalize on the group's fame to their advantage, and set up a stage for them in the upcoming social experiment, the Locked Up, which would ultimately fill the overloaded pockets of many Purebloods with a disgusting amount of gold.
Greedy Bastards.
"No, my parents became great admirers of them for creating...the new version of Pokemon Go. The one with the Lord of the Rings Crossover." Hermione lied, trying to keep a straight face while she gauge to see the men's reaction.
She saw surprise flicker on both Executive Producer's eyes.
The two stared at her like she had just grown two heads until they both realized what she was on about.
The men exchanged glances once more before nodding their head in unison.
Abruptly, Mr. Dippet stood up and extended a hand towards Hermione which she automatically took.
The man was smiling.
"Congratulations, Ms. G. You pass the initial interview. We hope that we will get to see you on the finals." He told her, shaking her hand firmly.
Mr. Dumbledore stood up to shake her hand as well. "Thank you for meeting us today Ms. G. You've provided us with something to think about. It's been a pleasure meeting you."
They didn't comment on how Hermione was able to lie through the verita serum wristband, which only confirmed Hermione's theory that it had been a test after all.
A test she had past.
And it seemed Mr. N had past as well because Hermione could still see his arrogant figure sitting two to three tables away from her every time she came down to eat her meals.
Hermione didn't know who else had passed the test. The restaurant was often packed by other kinds of people, both from residential and corporate inhabitants in the L. Cauldron, as well as temporary guests, so it was difficult for Hermione to distinguish who else was there for the final casting process.
Three days after her meeting with both Mr. Dumbledore and Mr. Dippet, Hermione was then asked to take the standardized IQ test and Personality test.
The test was conducted within an anechoic chamber, which was designed by walls, ceilings and floors from 3.3 inches of sound-absorbent wedges, built within double insulated steel and concrete, and then reinforced with a 50 mm of ballistic glass.
It was a chamber to drive anyone insane in less than an hour with no sound but you.
At around -9 dBA, Hermione could hear the sound of her beating heart, the chugging of blood within her veins, the churning of her stomach, and even the sharp rasping of her lungs as it collapsed and expanded with each breath she took.
Hermione was used to the silence in the library, but this kind of silence produced hallucinations.
So by the time it reached around ten minutes while she scrambled to answer the question, she started hallucinating.
It was only through sheer amount of concentration that she was able to ignore the figure of a woman who was standing still beside her.
The form had appeared as a vague shape at first, and as minutes pass by while Hermione answered the exampad on the table, the woman seemed to solidify.
The black figure stood right next to her, just watching how Hermione tapped on the touchscreen pad with shaking fingers.
It was standing still as a statue. It looked sleek as black marble. With no eyes and nose, but with a mouth, and hair so long it reached the floor.
It didn't have arms, but it had razor sharp teeth, and blackened - by what appeared to be -days old blood.
And the figure was grinning wide from ear to ear, like someone had slit through the sides of its mouth to give it a Glasgow smile.
Hermione felt only horror gripping her heart. The sound of her racing heartbeat was like the sound of a deafening thunderclap.
As time passed by, the figure seemed to lean in closer and closer to Hermione. She watched it from the corner of her eyes; a scream lodged within Hermione's throat as it pressed its wide, grinning mouth right beside Hermione's face.
Just a hallucination! This chamber is designed to break the mind! Don't fail your test! She thought as her fingers frantically continued to tap –tap- tapping on the exampad.
She was almost done. She had to finish the exam.
Just close! Ten more items! Don't fail! Don't fail! Or that thing is going to eat you!
As if reading her thoughts, the faceless figure started whispering into her ear. It's black, long hair sliding against the floor that produce a sound like sharp iron nails dragging against glass.
"You will fail. FAIL! FAIL! FAIL!"
Hermione felt like screaming.
Concentrate Hermione! Concentrate! That thing is a Boggart! A Boggart just like Madam Sprout had warn you about! It's just a hallucination produced by long stay in anechoic chamber! Ignore it!
The Boggart continued to whisper at her. "You're a failure! Failure! You are –"
Hermione finally tap finish button on the exampad and instantly leapt up to her feet and ran towards the door.
She heard the Boggart screaming... or was it her?
As soon as she came out of the room, and could finally hear other sounds other than her bodily functions, Hermione immediately vomited on the floor.
A sweeperbot came out from the wallchute to clean the mess when it had detected the contamination.
Madam Sprout had been sitting just outside in a Cruzador chair, when Hermione came running out from the test chamber.
The woman had hurriedly came to assist her.
"Do you need to go to the Clinic?" Madam Sprout asked with worry and Hermione shook her head.
"I'm fine. I just need to go to my room."
Hermione still felt like vomiting again. She didn't know how long she had been in the chamber.
It felt like she had been there for hours.
"How long was I inside?" Hermione asked after rinsing her mouth with a bottle of Aguamenti which Madam Sprout had handed to her.
"Around forty-five minutes and ten seconds," Madam Sprout respond automatically.
She's been counting. Hermione noted, narrowing her eyes.
The test wasn't completely about the things that she had answered on the exampad, but how long she had lasted in the chamber.
It was test of how long Hermione was able to hold her sanity in check.
Later, Hermione was told that she past the second test, and so did Mr. N because he was still there. It meant that the FF Group was still eyeing her and him as possible participants.
A week after that, she met Dr. Firenze, a Psychologist for her Psych A Exam. It had provided her a small respite when she discovered that the Psych Exams were normal exams, and not an unpleasant exam like she had experienced in the anechoic chamber.
The moment she entered into the Doctor's office, Hermione swiftly deduced that the Doctor held an interest in Astronomy, judging from the embedded glowing celestial objects on his glass chassis walls.
The walls must had been reinforced by polycarbonate and layers of laminated glass to make it impenetrable against strong winds in that altitude; albeit thin enough to allow Hermione to see an unobscured view outside, yet still glimpsed celestial processes like supernovae explosions and gamma ray bursts displayed in the glass.
Silently, Hermione contemplated if it was a recorded live feeds that was taken from the hubble spectroscopy she could see standing outside his balcony.
Hermione sat on the Cruzador sofa as the doctor began explaining to her the reasons for the Psych exams.
"The FF Group has made it a prerequisite that all potential Hogwart's finalist must undergo the Psych Evaluation Exams for us to determine if you have the capacity to withstand the psychological impact and emotional minefield that you will face while staying in the castle for three months. With no outside contacts, constantly under surveillance and with the increasing pressure of every expulsion night..."
There was a paused while Hermione waited for him to continue.
"This will prove to be quite stressful to some of the participants and might push them to act irrationally, even to the extent of having a mental breakdown, and in turn, can possibly endanger the people within the castle. Hence, the need for the Psych exams… Furthermore, we want someone who falls under a predictable behavioral pattern and least likely to act on their violent impulses, what I mean to say is, the FF Group is looking for participants who don't have similar traits as that of a Psychopath. With these exams, it will lessen the risks of wrong-casting murderers into the castle."
"And are both the Death Eaters and Marauders being subjected to the same exams as us, the finalists?" Hermione inquired.
This had bothered her when she began taking her test. She wondered if the two group was exempted from the exams because they were…The Death Eaters and The Marauders after all.
"They have their own exams, yes, but I can't tell you more than that."
Beside the hololight of a centaur on the Doctor's Volno-Floor mounted table, Hermione could see the Vtrans device sliding open; a device that would transcribe the conversation into beamed words to be read through any holosystem interface (HSI).
The doctor started drilling Hermione with questions, such as:
"Can you tell me more about yourself?"
"What are your hobbies, motivations, goals?"
"What are the things you dislikes the most and people that you don't get along with?"
Hermione answered everything without holding back.
Dr. Firenze listened, but at the same time, he kept on checking on the holopad in front of him, which Hermione assumed must contained her files and her answers during the Personality and IQ tests.
He also asked her if she had history of substance abuse among other things.
"Have you previously used drugs? Do you smoke? Have you tried to kill yourself? Have you been admitted to a Psych Hospital? Have you been convicted of a crime? Ever harm anyone?"
And along with some uncomfortable questions.
"At what age did you become sexually active? How many sexual partners have you been with? Have you ever had problems with-"
Dr. Firenze might have continued on if Hermione hadn't step in.
"I have never had sex." She told him, forcing herself not to fidget in discomfort.
The Doctor looked startled at her answer.
After a short pause, he backtracked and said to her, "I see... May I ask the reason why that is?"
As much as Hermione wanted to lie about her lack of sexual experience, she couldn't possibly do so when Dr. Firenze had injected her with a shot of truth serum prior to the exam.
"I'm a scholar, you see, and I have to maintain my grades and remain at the Top, or else I'll lose my position in the Veela Five. Beauxbatons Academy are well-known for expelling students if they failed to keep up with their rigorous school curriculum. So I've been preoccupied with my studies that I haven't got the time for dating," Hermione explained and added. "The only dates that I'm able to have are study dates with my friends, while the semblance of romance that I'm able to experience, is through reading the preclassics in my holotab."
And those unusual dreams that she had a hard time recalling in the last three years; dreams of a life being adored and loved by people...by men with faces hidden in the shadows.
The Doctor had simply nodded his head in understanding and continued to ask her questions. Fortunately, it was no longer about her absent sex life.
It must be around 30 minutes after, when Dr. Firenze finally announced that he was done with the Psych Evaluation.
However, before Hermione could leave, the man had given her a forewarning.
"If you enter the castle, you will gain recognition. There's no doubt about that. Will it be a good thing? Not necessarily. I tell you this, Ms. G….if you proceed, this can very well be damaging to your mind."
Dr. Firenze had warned her, whether it was another scare tactic that the FF Group was trying out or not, it was an enough indication to Hermione that she had passed the Psych A Exam.
Madam Hooch, who was her handler at that time, had then led her to the next Psych B Exam. The Psychologist this time was a robust man with straw blonde hair - which Hermione presumed must be the result of hair follicular enhancement.
Dr. Horace Slughorn greeted her with an enthusiasm that surprised Hermione.
"Come on in, Ms. G! Come in! Come in!"
Hermione immediately notice the obnoxious amount of holographic images displayed on every tables, shelves and even the glass walls of Dr. Slughorn's office that showed captured vids of himself alongside well-known AV personalities, influential ministry officials, heirs and heiresses from the Sacred Twenty-Eight of the Pureblood Society, and other affluent individuals that Hermione didn't recognize.
Sitting down on the circular disk of a chair with curving cushion at the back, Hermione frowned in consternation when she saw a holovid of the Marauders and the Death Eaters in the same scene.
All ten of them were either smiling or in some form of camaraderie. She saw James Potter grinning widely with his arms slung in both Tom Riddle's and Sirius Black's shoulders.
The Black Heir had the same sly smile as James Potter, while Tom Riddle on the other hand, was frowning with his arms crossed in front of him, a far cry from the other two dark-haired men.
Apart from that, Hermione also noticed how very different they were. Tom Riddle was all manners and propriety. It showed well in the set of his broad shoulder - his posture ramrod straight, and at the way he impeccably dressed himself in blue-black slim-fit tailored BioLogic formal wear and an evening coat trimmed with fur collar.
His hair perfectly combed back with some rebellious waves curling at his forehead and the back of his neck and ears. Though Hermione noted the man's lapis lazuli eyes - framed by thick, dark lashes - held a slight warmth through its frosty blue, when he stared straight out the holoshot.
In contrast, Sirius Black, in his laidback manner, kept his black hair at shoulder length. It was slightly wavy and lustrously thick, accentuating the man's handsome, rugged features; his strong jawline, thin long nose, high cheekbones with a slight scar below his left eye, and he had cleft on his chin.
The man's blue-grey eyes were alight with an inner fire - either borne from mischief and rebellion. He wore clothes that fit well with his personality, and it did justice to display his admirable lean physique; in blue-black Technoleather jacket, a royal blue V-neck shirt beneath it, and grey loose pants, combined with a sleek black combat boots and black thinsulate fingerless gloves.
He had the insignia of trouble stamped all over him.
Right smack in the middle of the two men, stood James Potter, with his unruly raven-black hair and his eyes glowing green, which could only mean that he was wearing Rob2 absorbable lenses to improve his eyesight.
His fashion style was a mixture between something formal and informal. In an earthen palette, he wore a shearling line jacket over a pristine white long sleeve shirt, unbuttoned at the neck and showing more of his sun-kissed skin. His ensemble was completed with a dark dress pants and brown round-pointed Yepme shoe made of synthetic PVC.
Like the other two beside him, James Potter was an attractive man. He had two dimples peeking from either side of his mouth when he smiled. He looked arrogant but equally playful at the same time.
Hermione was certain that many had fallen for that smile. In silence, she admitted that she liked the shape of his eyes with the hint of laugh wrinkles at the corners.
Just beside Tom Riddle, the Malfoy twins, Abraxas and Lucius, were wearing dark green and steel grey formal suits; and obviously a product from their personal tailors. They were standing shoulder to shoulder, slightly back to back with their chin lifted up haughtily as expected from the wealthiest pureblood family.
Their tailors had fitted them with suits that emphasized the broadness of their shoulders, the undeniable outline of their muscular chest, and ultimately complimented the silken silver of their hair.
The only way to distinguished the two of them apart was through their hairstyle. Abraxas had his long platinum blonde hair tied in a high ponytail, displaying most of the sharp angles of his pale, aristocratic features.
In comparison, Lucius Malfoy had his long hair tied in a low ponytail. And both of them were sporting that trademark Malfoy smirk plastered across their lips.
Hermione was certain that the devastatingly handsome pair could have easily made women faint by the sight of them standing together.
Hermione, however, turned her attention to the two men beside Sirius Black. Closest to him, a man with light brown hair and a couple of scars - of what appeared to be claw marks - must be Remus Lupin.
The man was smiling warmly, a hand draped over Sirius Black's shoulder, his head tilted slightly to the side.
Remus Lupin had soulful and kind green eyes and he was wearing neutral colours in slim-fitting dress suit. Broad across the shoulders and tapered to a lean waist, which Hermione could gauge base from his body alignment.
Although, if he stood next to Sirius Black, he's musculature wasn't built as an athlete. He had a scholarly air about him and Hermione instinctively knew that she would like him instantly if they meet.
After Remus Lupin, Hermione's eyes settled on the man who look no more than twenty-four years old and had a cherubic face. (Hermione was fairly certain that he had surgery for that.)
The man had curly brown hair with golden highlights at the end, bright blue eyes and completed with a bow shaped lips. He was also smiling rather impishly in a way that made some girls, and older women, want to pinch his cheeks.
Hermione recalled Cho Chang saying that his name was Peter Pettigrew. He was the shortest of the group of men who towered mostly beyond six feet tall.
Peter Pettigrew probably was around 5'8.
Next, Hermione's attention shifted to the three men beside the Malfoy twins. One had cropped short black hair and beside him was another man with the same hairstyle, but he had platinum blonde hair.
They were Regulus Black and Draco Malfoy.
The youngest Black heir had a sombre look about him. His face was nearly expressionless, his lips pulled tight in a straight line, the corners tilted downwards. He looked so serious that he appeared to be older than even his elder brother; Sirius Black.
Carefully, she noted that he had similar features like his older brother; the chiselled jawline, the aquiline nose, and the arch of his brows.
However, Hermione found his face more aesthetically-pleasing, especially when she saw his eyes.
His eyes were like molten gold.
She immediately knew that there was something special about those eyes.
However, before she could think more on that, her attention went back to the blonde standing beside him; Draco Malfoy.
Like his older brothers, he had the same aristocratic features. He was tall, perhaps a few inches shorter than the twins. Also, he appeared to be in tip-top shape like Regulus Black beside him. Meanwhile, his silver-mercury eyes were the exact opposite to Regulus golden orbs.
His eyes were like a still pond, a pond with the moon casting reflection upon it, she wondered how many girls had drowned in those silver pools.
Draco Malfoy's smirk was slightly off though. It didn't hold the same arrogance as the twins. It carried more weight...heavy with responsibility, where Hermione caught a glimpse of it reflected in his silver eyes.
There was also a strain in the corners of his mouth that she couldn't see in his older brother's smirk.
Nonetheless, the youngest Malfoy heir still cut a fine figure in green leather military jacket, with silver circular buttons, paired with a black neck-warmer, black slacks and forest green Kraasa boots.
Whereas Regulus Black wore a sleek black mod military jacket, somewhat resembling a bullet proof vests with geometric knits with inverted triangles on the chest, combined with utilitarian lightweight camo trousers, with the same forest green combat boots, and curiously, a golden necklace hanging around his neck.
The two didn't look like they were dress for a party when the holo was taken. They look, more or less, like people who just came out from Military training instead.
Last but not the least, Hermione's eyes landed on the man standing sideways beside Draco Malfoy. He was pale with jet black hair, which was cut at a shoulder length style, some of it fell over the side of his face.
He wore all black, with black double-breasted coat over a white stand-up collar shirt, a pair of black trouser pants and an Aadi black formal shoes.
The man's features were sharp around the cheeks and smooth down his chin. He had a hooked nose that added character to an otherwise inscrutable face. His pink lips were thin, pursed together in a frown that match the knit in his brows. But there was something about him...
It must be his haunting, dark brown eyes.
After that, Hermione looked at all of them, regarding them as a whole, and concluded that they were an odd lot. Certainly, heads would turn if these ten men were seen in the same room because each of them had an air that commanded respect...and of course, they were all powerful men, who came from wealthy and influential families.
They were bound to draw attention if they came in as a group. Hermione could practically see women stumbling all over themselves just to get near them.
Though Hermione mused that the men would have definitely clash due to their different personalities, but it seemed both James Potter and Tom Riddle had managed to keep the group together during that time.
However, a year ago, Hermione remembered the news of the two bringing some kind of dispute to the Wizengamot (A Court for the Purebloods). Everything was hushed up, but in the end, the reports stated that the two had settled at unspecified price.
It still didn't stop people from speculating though.
Like the rest, she had wondered what had caused a rift between the two heirs of the Riddle LabCorp and Potter Electronic Industries, which had resulted to the ten friends to part ways and choose sides.
Surprisingly, from what Hermione had heard, both James Potter's and Tom Riddle's fathers - Fleamont Potter and Tom Riddle Sr. - had remained cordial and best of friends.
It appeared that the conflict was only between the heirs and their closest friends.
Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew had chosen James Potter. Meanwhile, the twins, Abraxas and Lucius Malfoy, and their younger brother, Draco - together with Regulus Black and Severus Snape - had chosen Tom Riddle.
Ten friends broken apart for a reason.
"Ah, yes...them." Dr. Slughorn said when he followed Hermione's gaze to the still holoshot of the ten men currently expanded up in the screen with their figures towering up to the high ceiling like ten giants...or Gods.
"That picture was taken four years ago during an Annual Party for the Purebloods. I've known those ten since their years in Durmstrang Institute. The KRT, some might call them during their Uni Years...That was before the... rift occurred. It's sad to see such good friends torn apart…."
Dr. Slughorn shook his head.
Hermione didn't comment. She hardly knew the men and she didn't want to appear like a gossip monger if she started asking question.
After a short pause, Dr. Slughorn straightened and directly addressed the reason she was there.
"So...I'm sure you already have a strategy?" Dr. Slughorn began.
"My strategy?" Hermione asked, frowning.
"Your strategy to remain longer in the castle."
"I don't have a strategy actually…"
Dr. Slughorn stared at her, his smile faltering.
"Is acting as myself considered a strategy?" Hermione asked instead.
She could almost tell that the Dr. Slughorn was disappointed with her answer.
That wouldn't do. She needed to make a good impression, lest she would be disqualified from the final casting process.
Hermione changed tactic and smiled. "Of course, I have a strategy, Dr. Slughorn. I was only...testing to see how you would react if I don't."
Dr. Slughorn brows rose in surprised.
"Then, what will you do to remain in the castle?"
So Hermione told him what she thought would be shocking.
"My plan is to.. inculcate myself into the two group's...good graces."
Even as Hermione said those words, she wanted to take them back, or scrub it off her mouth for its suggestive implication. Just thinking about it made Hermione sick.
She sounded like she was ready to sell her body like a common whore.
She was glad that she hadn't been injected with a truth serum or Dr. Slughorn could tell she was lying.
Enable for Hermione to pass the exam, she had to discard her prudish and goody-toe-shoes persona and show a shrewd and ruthless side of herself, or pretend to be; a femme fatale hidden beneath layers of a nun hobbit.
It's time for Hermione to take this exam seriously and show the FF Group that she was ready to play their game; ready enough to lie her way through it and hid behind a false bravado.
She knew that every word was recorded in a Vtrans and her reaction was possibly captured by hidden cameras. She guessed that the FF Group was looking for someone very interesting and Hermione was going to show them that she could be a very interesting person indeed.
At the moment, Dr. Slughorn was rifling through his holotab, skimming his fingers through it as if searching for something.
"It said here in your profile that you have no previous relationship...and lack the.. experience. Yet you appear to be confident in your...feminine capabilities to gain favour with the Death Eaters or the Marauders." Dr. Slughorn commented, allowing his words to hang heavily in the air.
Hermione didn't let the smile slip off her face, while on the inside, she was mentally reprimanding herself for acting so overconfident.
"Yes, I may not have any experience with relationship, but that doesn't necessarily mean that I'm ignorant of such things." Hermione responded, plastering a fake smile.
"If that is what you say, so do you mean, you are willing to offer yourself to any of them just to save yourself from getting expelled?"
Not likely! Hermione inwardly frowned. She wasn't going to do that of course.
However, she would certainly find a way to gain the two groups trust, befriend or impress them in some way, just enough to have any of them save her from getting expelled.
"Yes," she lied instead.
Dr. Slughorn regarded her in a contemplative manner.
"I have years of experience as a Psychologist to know when someone is lying." the doctor stated, suddenly smiling.
At his words, the fake smile on Hermione's lips wavered.
"You need more practice with that before you can get into the Castle, Ms. G... otherwise you will become easy prey to those who have mastered the art of deception..."
Hermione opened her mouth and closed it again. She didn't know what else to say. Should she apologize for lying?
Dr. Slughorn must have seen the uncertainty on her face because he said, "You need not worry, Ms. G. I won't hold it against you for lying. After all, this is a test to see how far you will go to slither your way up into the finals, which will require a certain degree of cunning in your part to achieve it."
Present….
Hermione was done with most of the exams. Astonishingly, Dr. Slughorn had cleared her mentally fit to enter the Castle and scheduled her for the medical exam tomorrow.
After that, Hermione was told that she would meet up with Mr. Dumbledore and Mr. Dippet for the call back, given that she passed her medical exam.
Speaking of exams, other than the one she had been asked to take, there was another Psychological test that they hadn't informed her, and perhaps other finalist as well.
A test that was bound to tick some people off, and would significantly cut off the competition for the final casting if they end up walking out of the place.
Hermione had recently discovered that her room was bugged with micro cameras that was equipped with fast-detection movements and incredible heat sensors.
Currently, she could almost sense two of those floating ten meters behind her back while she lay on her feather-light bed which was doing the rhythmic motion (like in the old times when a ship was anchored in the docks with waves making it bobbed up and down). It would have lulled her to sleep if it weren't for the fact that she was very much aware of being watched.
Hermione had pretended not to notice the flicker, and sometimes the odd disproportion in the air, every time she moved around the room.
She knew that the cameras were capturing her every move, and perhaps it had sometimes made itself known to Hermione just to see how she would react.
Thus far, Hermione merely pretended that it didn't exist. Others might start throwing fits - or freaked out - after realizing that there were cameras following them in the last few days.
However, to Hermione, she decided to treat everything as a learning experience to give her the edge. (She wasn't going to let others treat her like a lab rat. So she might as well adapt the opposite mentality of a guinea pig and prepare herself for the psychological side effects of being locked in a Castle for three months.)
Moreover, she understood the need for the cameras in the room. Other than to ensure that the FF Group had chosen finalists who looked exceptionally well in front of the cameras. It was also another method for the company to desensitize the finalist and prepare them for the nerve-wracking and constant camera-exposure once within the Hogwart's Castle.
She wondered how the others like her were faring and how many were left.
She hoped they were only few.
Author's Note: I know it takes me a really, really long time to update. But in the meantime, if you lose patience and just can't wait for the next update, you can go read the PWP - Moresome/Foursome (6k words of smut) that is set in this world that I have posted. If you have any question, please don't hesitate to ask. (Because this futuristic AU must be confusing to you).
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Information:
Sodium Thiopental (Pentothal) is still used in some places as a truth serum to weaken the resolve of a subject and make them more compliant to pressure. The barbiturates as a class decrease higher cortical brain functioning. Some psychiatrists hypothesize that because lying is more complex than telling the truth, suppression of the higher cortical functions may lead to the uncovering of the truth. The drug tends to make subjects loquacious and cooperative with interrogators; however, the reliability of confessions made under thiopental is questionable. - source: Wikipedia
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Anechoic Chamber
The longest that anyone has survived in the 'anechoic chamber' at Orfield Laboratories in South Minneapolis is just 45 minutes.
It's 99.99 per cent sound absorbent and holds the Guinness World Record for the world's quietest place, but stay there too long and you may start hallucinating.
"In the anechoic chamber, you become the sound." -source: www dot dailymail dot co dot uk - the world's quietest place
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The prodigious savant is a convincing example of suboscine genetic inheritance of the actual instructions and knowledge that precedes learning. That is not to say such inherited skills (nature) cannot be cultivated, enhanced and improved (nurture). They can be. But I agree with Dr. William Carpenter that savants demonstrate a "congenital aptitude for certain mental activity, which showed itself at so early a period as to exclude the notion that it could have been acquired by the experience of the individual. - source: "Genetic Memory: How we know things we never learn." by Darold Treffert