Author's Note: Written for Round 11 for Season 6 of the QLFC
Round 11: Who's Afraid of the Dark?
Team: Pride of Portree
Position: Captain
Captain's Prompt: Uzumaki — Junji Ito
Word Count: 2,904
Beta Love: Litfreak89 and sekdaniels- thanks for reading my freaky story without going mad!
Additional Author's Note: I've always been a big fan of japanese horror, and Junji Ito is one of my favorites. This story takes place during Harry's 6th year at Hogwarts and is very AU. It is a cautionary tale about the dangers of coveting popularity. My story and title is specifically based off of Chapter 6 of Uzumaki: Medusa.
Medusa
"Look at me!" Ernie MacMillan crowed as he slid down the fifth floor bannister. He started out slowly, but quickly built up speed. Ernie laughed until he misjudged one of the railings and tumbled into thin air. Luckily, Professor McGonagall appeared and hastily cast a Featherweight charm on his body, but it only slowed his descent. With a sickening crunch, his leg hit the ground and twisted in an unnatural way. As McGonagall summoned a stretcher, Ernie was oddly silent. He gazed at the horrified crowd with a twisted smile on his face.
"Honestly, I think I know how he feels," Lavender Brown said to Parvati. "I'd love to be the center of attention."
"Only because they don't realize just how awful it truly is to be in the limelight." Harry muttered.
"I know what you mean," Hermione said. She'd seen enough of Harry's experiences to know that fame was not all it was cracked up to be. "Besides, I'd rather let my skill prove my worth."
Harry gave her a wry smile. "I know, but what if this is the beginning of some sort of trend?"
"I highly doubt it," Hermione replied. "But in any case, we have better things to worry about. Our upcoming exams, for example."
"Really!" Lavender snorted loudly. "Of course you would think that! Slughorn's exclusive party is coming up, and it's sure to be the event of the season. I wonder who you'll take with you. A book, perhaps?"
She and Parvati laughed nastily.
"See you there, Won-Won!" Lavender giggled, blowing a kiss at him as they walked by.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Neither of you are in the Slug Club, so why is she so confident that you two will be attending?"
"Lay off of it, Mione," Ron said. "We've got a sure-fire plan to get in, but she's made me promise not to tell."
"Well, I was going to ask you since Harry and I already have invitations, but now I see that you're just...ugh!" Hermione balled her fists and stormed off.
After lunch, Hermione made her way to the Potions classroom with dread twisting in her belly. She took a spot near the front, far away from where she normally sat with Harry and Ron. The seat next to her was very conspicuously empty, and she thought of Ernie lying in the hospital wing.
"Good afternoon, class!" Slughorn announced, clasping his hands together excitedly. "Today, I would like to introduce a former student of mine who has just received Potions mastery and is working in the exciting field of experimental potions! Students, please give a round of applause for Cynthia Norquist!"
A tall, svelte witch sauntered up to the front and flashed a dazzling smile at the class. She looked more like a fashion model than a Potions master.
"I'm so very honoured to be able to show you some of my newest creations!" Cynthia exclaimed. "Now, don't worry! All of these products have been approved by the Ministry's Potions Board."
She pulled three small vials out of her robes and placed them on the table. Each was a slightly different shape. The colour of the liquid inside ranged from an iridescent periwinkle, to a vibrant green, to a smoky red colour that reminded Hermione of dried blood.
"The first potion I have to try is a derivative of the Pepper-up Potion. We call this the Best-Rest Potion because you can take a spoonful and skip your normal eight hours of rest. You can also supplement with smaller amounts to make up for sleeping fewer hours, all without any pesky side effects!"
Hermione instantly sat forward in her seat. A potion like that could be very useful for her rigorous studying schedule.
"The next is a potion that strengthens your memory- you'll recall information more quickly for an hour after taking a dose of my patented Recall All Potion, and you'll remember things that happen while it is in effect vividly as well."
Hermione wasn't as impressed, but it did seem useful.
"This third potion is a hair tonic that links your hairstyle to your mood," Cynthia continued. "I call it Mood Mane. Imagine being able to change your hairstyle and the colour/texture of your hair on a whim!"
Hermione rolled her eyes. She began to wonder if Cynthia's visit was actually just an extended advertisement for her products.
At the end of her spiel, Cynthia tapped her wand against the blackboard and a list of instructions appeared. "I'm giving everyone twenty minutes to brew an absolutely stunning potion I like to call Mesmeria. It produces an alluring scent similar to Amortentia when dabbed on your skin. It's not in your curriculum, but I know Professor Slughorn won't mind a little academic creativity from his former star pupil!"
Cynthia winked at Slughorn, who reddened to a deep scarlet and nodded to her to continue.
"Oh, and I nearly forgot," Cynthia said, "the first three students that produce quality specimens will get their pick of these three samples!"
Hermione's eyes went wide, and she immediately set to work. She made sure to check the board multiple times and measured everything twice. In the end, Hermione was satisfied by the result she achieved, though she wasn't sure if it was quite perfect. She was halfway through filling her vial when she heard Cynthia exclaim, "And it looks like we've got our first winner!"
Hermione turned to look and hissed with pain as some of the hot liquid poured down the back of her hand and down her sleeve. Hastily stoppering the half-full bottle, she wiped off her arm just in time to see the smug grin on Lavender's face as she took the Best Rest Potion from Cynthia's hand.
"I'll be sure to put this to good use," she tittered, casting meaningful looks at Ron.
Hermione wanted to cry. Not only had Lavender shown her up in class, but now she was going to...Hermione didn't even want to think about it. Still, she knew she had to see it through. She finished filling a new vial and sealed it expertly, then brought it up to the front. Unfortunately, just as she stood up, she realized that Harry had beaten her to the front.
"Our second winner is the very talented Harry Potter!" Cynthia called out, clapping wildly.
Hermione practically ran, her vial clutched tightly in her fist.
"Ah, how wonderful!" Cynthia clasped her hands together. "And here's our third!"
Hermione couldn't look. She dearly hoped that Harry had decided on the stupid hair potion.
"I had hoped this would go to a girl," Cynthia remarked, pressing the bottle of Mood Mane into Hermione's hand. Hermione tried desperately to hold back her stinging, disappointed tears. "I heard that old Sluggy is having a party this weekend. Don't worry, this potion is ten times more potent than an entire bottle of Sleekeazy's and from the looks of you, you need all the help you can get. I hope to see you and your fabulous hair at the party!"
Hermione tried to smile as the class applauded for her, but her heart was not in it. She trudged back to her seat just as class ended for the day.
"Harry," she said, as he stood by her desk and waited for her to clear away and pack her things, "would you mind terribly if we switched potions?"
"Sorry, Hermione," Harry said apologetically, "but I have someone in mind for this. Besides, you've already got a mind like a steel trap." Hermione blinked away tears. She'd snuck the half -filled vial of Mesmeria into her bag to test later. Perhaps she might convince Cynthia to give her another vial of the Best Rest if she could perfect it even more.
Ron had already gone off with Lavender and her entourage of admirers. It was bad enough that Harry had developed a sudden proficiency in Potions, but to be upstaged by Lavender was almost more than she could bear.
"Hermione...what's wrong?"
"It's...nothing, just dust in my eyes," Hermione said, forcing herself to smile.
Silently, she swore to herself that she wouldn't rest until she'd brewed the perfect potion to show Cynthia at the party.
Hermione woke up the next morning with her hair half-submerged in her caldron. She yelped and threw her head back, which splattered her up the front with the gooey liquid. It went in her eyes, her mouth, and all over her hair. She squeaked in surprise and horror as she fully regained consciousness and realized that she'd fallen asleep while brewing.
She tried to bottle as much of the potion as she could. Luckily, it seemed as though the potion hadn't been totally ruined, as the colour and consistency was even better than it had been the first time she brewed it. Hermione safely hid her sealed vial in her rucksack, then ran to the bathroom to clean herself up. Even after a shower, her hair looked a fright. It was still clumped and hopelessly tangled. Hermione was about to cry at the unfairness of it all when she remembered the hair tonic.
For once, she felt somewhat relieved that she hadn't thrown it out. She read the instructions on the back. It suggested one drop for straight hair, two drops for curly hair, and three drops for bushy hair. Hermione wasn't sure what it meant by three drops, but when she'd massaged in the three drops, it still wasn't enough to get her hair in a manageable state.
Parvati walked in, startling her, and Hermione ended up pouring in quite a lot more.
"Merlin's pants, Granger!" Parvati exclaimed, "Your hair...it's…"
"Don't rub it in," Hermione said miserably.
"...it's gorgeous!" Parvati finished, still looking at her open-mouthed.
Hermione wondered if perhaps Parvati was joking when she finally turned to look at the mirror. In place of her thick, unruly, tangled hair, was the glossiest, silkiest hair she'd ever seen. It gracefully curved around her face in a flattering manner and there was not a hair out of place.
"Oh, um, I just…"
"You look good," Parvati said, staring intensely at Hermione. "Lav is going to be so mad."
"I don't care," Hermione said.
"That's fine." Parvati's expression was almost unnerving. "With hair like that, you can do whatever you want."
The whole day, Hermione felt eyes upon her. She was somewhat used to stares, but this was different. Everyone kept treating her in an almost reverent way.
"Hermione, what's going on with your hair?" Harry was looking at her worriedly.
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.
"Look!" Harry pointed and Hermione had to sweep her hair back over her shoulder to see what he meant. Where her hair had been perfectly straight before, now it was coiled in large, loose spirals.
"I...I didn't do it on purpose," Hermione said, feeling uneasy.
Hermione decided to braid her hair, but five minutes into class, she felt a strange tugging sensation and suddenly her hair was floating in the air all around her head in wide ringlets.
"Miss Granger, what is the matter?" Flitwick squeaked.
Hermione turned to speak to him, but her hair moved first. It seemed to grow longer and angle downward until it was curled in front of his face, waving back and forth in an almost hypnotic way. Flitwick's expression went from irritated to blank.
"Very...well," he said slowly.
Hermione felt the stares more pointedly now and looked around to see that everyone was looking at her hair. It had grown longer than before, twisting itself into flat disks around her head.
Alarmed, Hermione grabbed her wand and pulled it from her pocket, intending to cast a Severing Charm on her hair. Instantly, one of the strands uncoiled and wrapped itself around her neck, choking her until she loosened her grip on her wand.
She stood there, feeling paralyzed for a long time. Soon, though, she felt restless.
More. More attention.
As though in a trance, Hermione felt herself stand and leave the room. The others followed her, staring blankly at her riotous whorls of hair. She made her way down to the Great Hall, where her hair seemed to stretch out and display itself more proudly than ever.
"Hermione! Your hair is alive! How did this happen?" Harry averted his eyes.
"I...I don't know," Hermione said, "I used that hair tonic, and everything seemed fine, but now..."
"We need to find Ms. Norquist," Harry said. "Now!"
"I know...but...I can't move. My hair...it wants to be noticed," Hermione said miserably. She was so exhausted that she could barely hold her head up and her stomach ached with hunger. Luckily, lunch appeared on the table moments later, and she ate as much as she could while the other students stared at her. Even the other professors at the Head Table seemed to be affected.
Reluctantly, the other students finally began to eat as well, and they slowly filed out of the Great Hall, which seemed to release Hermione from the control her hair had on her.
"I'm going to look for her," Harry assured Hermione. "If I can't find her before the party, meet me there. There will be plenty of people there. Your hair will love it."
Hermione felt a thrill go through her, but she had the creeping sensation that it it hadn't come from her.
The day passed slowly. Hermione tried to go to her next class, but her hair had other ideas. She ended up standing in the middle of the Gryffindor Common Room, ensnaring students as they returned to pick up materials for their next class. Finally, though, hunger won out, and the crowd began to dwindle. Hermione stumbled up to her dorm room feeling drained. She tried again to cut her hair off, but each time, her hair wrapped tightly around her throat and she soon gave up hope of being free of it.
'Hopefully, it will wear off,' she thought, but it had been nearly the whole day and the effect had not gone away. Meanwhile, Harry had still not shown up. Slowly, Hermione washed herself and dressed for the party, her body aching with fatigue. A house elf appeared as she finished dressing and placed a tray of food on her desk. Hermione didn't even have the energy to argue. She felt slightly better after eating and made her way down the stairs again. The halls were oddly quiet, as though everyone were avoiding her. As she got closer to Slughorn's office, though, she could hear the sound of voices, and her hair practically dragged her the rest of the way there.
"My, my, Hermione, what lovely hair you have!" Cynthia Norquist was standing there, her long blonde hair swirling even more violently around her head than Hermione's hair. Slughorn hung nearby, staring vacantly into one of her golden whorls of hair. "Doesn't it feel good to be noticed?"
"No, I doesn't!" Hermione said. "It's awful! I can't go anywhere, I can't do anything! My hair has been dragging me around all day long!"
"Well, one must suffer to attain beauty," Cynthia said with a sniff. "Still, even though I thought I could stand sharing my gifts, I find that the more I look at your gloomy little face, the more irritated I get."
Hermione felt her hair pulling taut and growing wider around her head. In response, Cynthia's hair did the same. Their hair began to dance and shift shapes as though trying to out-display one another.
"Please, stop!" Hermione cried, but her hair continued what it was doing.
"Stop? But we're just getting started!" Cynthia cackled. A strand of blonde hair shot out, wrapping around Hermione's neck, and Hermione fell to her knees, gasping. Her own hair shot out to fight back, but it was too short to reach Cynthia.
"Haha!" I've won!" Cynthia screeched, her voice growing more and more ragged as Hermione began to lose consciousness.
"Hermione! I've come to save you!"
Was that Harry's voice?
Hermione's eyes were so heavy, and the pain in her neck was excruciating.
She was vaguely aware of her hair twisting in a new direction, but she couldn't focus.
'Am I really going to die like this?' she thought, and she crumpled to the floor.
Hermione inhaled sharply and sat up, her eyes wide with fear.
"Hermione, you're okay!"
"Harry? Ron? What happened?" Hermione looked around. Something felt different. She was in a bed at the Infirmary. Both Harry and Ron were sitting on chairs to her left.
"You should have seen Harry!" Ron gushed. "He ran in there with the sword of Gryffindor and SLICE!"
"Ron…" Harry warned.
"What?" Ron said with a shrug, "You saved her life. So what if her hair is...gone?"
Hermione's eyes went wide with shock and she shook her head back and forth. That was what was different. She felt so...light.
"I'm sorry, Hermione, but it was sucking the life out of you. Ms. Norquist wasn't so lucky. By the time we got to her, all that was left was her hair," Harry said, looking away.
"Yeah," said Ron, "It's still clinging to the Whomping Willow and hypnotizing anything that walks by. Dumbledore has forbidden anyone to go near it."
"Are you mad?" Harry asked softly.
Hermione shook her head. "It's just hair. I'd much rather have my life."