Disclaimer: I own jack.
A/N: Yeah, this isn't really PG13 yet, but some language and maybe sexual scenes might come in later when a certain Slytherin appears..... so anyways, I'm just playing it safe at the moment. Hope to have a new chapter up soon! Thanks muchos, and review review review! *Frost*
Hermione screamed as she felt the house around her buckle. This house that she grew up in with her parents, her brothers, and her life was falling.
"What has become of my world?" she screamed into the enveloping darkness that was the downstairs closet. Hermione felt everything. The heat surges slipping hastily through the bottom crack with every explosion; the soft brown mink of mother's winter coat that father had given her for Christmas when she was 6; the fading scent of father's cologne from his jackets hanging above her; she took it all in. These were her last moments here, on earth, this plane of existence. Whatever existence was after death she was prepared for and ready to accept with open arms. She knew Christian muggles believe in heaven and hell, Hindis had reincarnation, and Buddhists had Nirvana, but she never heard anything about an afterlife mentioned in the Wizarding world. Maybe there was nothing. Wizards were more knowledgeable about magic and powerful forces; maybe they knew that there wasn't anything at all so it never came up in conversation.
Hermione felt another shudder sweep through the house. Boards creaked and split, windows shattered, and the roof groaned a few floors above her. The hanging clothing had fallen and now swaddled her with their warmth and softness. She felt herself lingering away. The only thing she sensed was the mixed smell of mother's powdery perfume and father's spiced cologne.
"Horrible, just horrible. Poor thing was on the verge of death. An entire house collapsed around her after it was hit by one of those muggle fire boxes. It's just terrifying the devices they've been using these days, everything made to cause as much fire and death as possible. I never thought I'd say this, but it seems as if those muggle armies are doing as much damage to their world as you-know-who did to ours," a female voice was whispering.
Hermione breathed in and turned her head. She opened her eyes wide and rubbed the sleep out. She looked around yawning but ceased when her eyes fell upon her most dreaded professor. There stood Professor Snape, her creepy potions master, at the side of her bed nodding in agreement to the young brunette nurse who had been the speaker she heard. He gave the nurse a small smile, which in itself chilled Hermione to the bone as she thought of him being capable of niceness.
"It is disgusting, the barbaric ways muggles use in war. I'm just glad the Wizarding World has taken so many precautions to keep it hidden from their flying planes or whatever they are called. The Ministry of Magic has been miraculous in preserving our world and keeping everything as if there wasn't anything outside of its domain," he said thoughtfully as he ran his fingers through his filmy black hair, "Even Professor Dumbledore has added extra security to Hogwarts in case any battles approach school grounds. The staff is very proud the work we've done."
"I think it's great how hard you and the other teachers have worked to ensure the safety of the students and even the creatures in the Forbidden Forest," she said. The nurse giggled slightly, "Wow, I remember how scary it was when I was there. All those creepy yellow eyes that would look at you as you walked near its edge. It was quite exciting to me when I was there a few years ago."
"What year did you graduate?" Snape inquired bringing yet another chilling smile across his thin lips.
"I was in the 1104th Class to graduate from Hogwarts," she said with a grin, "Gryffindor."
"Interesting," Snape commented as he once again slid his hands through his greasy hair. "Maybe you and I could meet up after your shift ends. We could talk about our school days and I'd like to learn more about working at St. Mungo's, it must be fascinating," he added.
Hermione practically shoved the bedcovers into her mouth to keep from laughing. She wakes up in a hospital, and what is the first thing she hears? Her potions master trying to pick up her nurse! It was unbearable. A mix of a giggle and a snort escaped her mouth. Snape's head snapped around and met her eyes. A small look of frustration, almost a glare, was shot right at her head.
"Well, good morning Ms. Granger!" the chipper nurse said. She whipped around Snape and came directly over to her bed. Fluffing Hermione's pillows, the nurse explained that she was in St. Mungo's recovery ward.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to erm.... Interrupt anything," Hermione said innocently as she forced the sly look on her face to disappear.
"No, I'm just glad you're awake sweetie. I'll go fetch a healer and we'll get right to business. Mr. Snape, thank you so much for following up on your student, it's very respectful of you. But if you'd please....." she said as she motioned toward the door, "I have to ask Ms. Granger a few questions."
"Okay, thank you very much Ms. Feddlewich, and uh... maybe I'll see you later?" he asked hopefully.
"Oh, well, I'd love to, but I really can't, I'm going to have lots of paperwork to do after I finish with Ms. Granger here's interview, but thank you for the offer," she said with a smile.
Hermione couldn't help but notice that the brunette's fingers were crossed behind her back as she smiled, a small vein popping out on the back of her neck. Hermione smirked.
"Shot down," she thought to herself. Snape nodded and left the room, aggravated footsteps echoing down the hallway.
"Thank Fudge you woke up," the nurse said with a chuckle, "I thought he'd never leave." Hermione laughed and gave the nurse a quick wink.
"My name is Fiona Feddlewich," she said, returning the smile and extending her hand.
"Hermione Granger, pleasure," Hermione responded.
"So, what's going on anyways? The last thing I remember is.... Is..... My closet at home," Hermione improvised quickly, glossing over the many morbid details of her last memory.
"Well, it appears your house was hit by one of those muggle fire... whatchamacallums..."
"Bombs." Hermione finished.
"Yes. Booms," Fiona began, "A few weeks ago Minister Fudge consented to begin forming a new committee called Cooperation for Liberating Abandoned Wizards, or CLAW, to find and rescue Witches and Wizards trapped in the muggle world. Naturally, hundreds of Ministry workers volunteered for CLAW to help save citizens of our world caught in the muggle war."
"What kind of workers do you mean?" Hermione asked.
"Well, the majority is of pure-blood families. Many "pure-bloods" believe that now anyone possessing magical abilities needs to be brought back into out world. Their goal is that once all the abandoned witches and wizards are safely back in our world, they will seal off its existence from the muggles forever," Fiona replied.
"Forever!" Hermione yelled, a look of shock crossing her face.
"Yes, and the majority support their decision. Muggles have gone to far this time. These boom things can kill millions of their own kind, imagine what they would do if they discovered magic! Muggles have grown too dangerous. They're a risk to themselves and the Magic Community. The time has come for us to seal ourselves off forever," said Fiona passionately.
"But, forever? That's insane! What about all the children now, who are muggle-born, but magical? When they get their powers, who knows what they might do? And it's not fair to deprive them of the education they deserve! I should know! I'm muggle-born," Hermione shouted as tears welled in her eyes, "We can't just pretend that billions of people don't exist!"
Fiona sighed and patted Hermione's hand. She stood up and stood in the doorway.
"I'm sorry Hermione, but if this muggle war continues, those billions of people won't exist for much longer anyways."
A/N: Yeah, this isn't really PG13 yet, but some language and maybe sexual scenes might come in later when a certain Slytherin appears..... so anyways, I'm just playing it safe at the moment. Hope to have a new chapter up soon! Thanks muchos, and review review review! *Frost*
Hermione screamed as she felt the house around her buckle. This house that she grew up in with her parents, her brothers, and her life was falling.
"What has become of my world?" she screamed into the enveloping darkness that was the downstairs closet. Hermione felt everything. The heat surges slipping hastily through the bottom crack with every explosion; the soft brown mink of mother's winter coat that father had given her for Christmas when she was 6; the fading scent of father's cologne from his jackets hanging above her; she took it all in. These were her last moments here, on earth, this plane of existence. Whatever existence was after death she was prepared for and ready to accept with open arms. She knew Christian muggles believe in heaven and hell, Hindis had reincarnation, and Buddhists had Nirvana, but she never heard anything about an afterlife mentioned in the Wizarding world. Maybe there was nothing. Wizards were more knowledgeable about magic and powerful forces; maybe they knew that there wasn't anything at all so it never came up in conversation.
Hermione felt another shudder sweep through the house. Boards creaked and split, windows shattered, and the roof groaned a few floors above her. The hanging clothing had fallen and now swaddled her with their warmth and softness. She felt herself lingering away. The only thing she sensed was the mixed smell of mother's powdery perfume and father's spiced cologne.
"Horrible, just horrible. Poor thing was on the verge of death. An entire house collapsed around her after it was hit by one of those muggle fire boxes. It's just terrifying the devices they've been using these days, everything made to cause as much fire and death as possible. I never thought I'd say this, but it seems as if those muggle armies are doing as much damage to their world as you-know-who did to ours," a female voice was whispering.
Hermione breathed in and turned her head. She opened her eyes wide and rubbed the sleep out. She looked around yawning but ceased when her eyes fell upon her most dreaded professor. There stood Professor Snape, her creepy potions master, at the side of her bed nodding in agreement to the young brunette nurse who had been the speaker she heard. He gave the nurse a small smile, which in itself chilled Hermione to the bone as she thought of him being capable of niceness.
"It is disgusting, the barbaric ways muggles use in war. I'm just glad the Wizarding World has taken so many precautions to keep it hidden from their flying planes or whatever they are called. The Ministry of Magic has been miraculous in preserving our world and keeping everything as if there wasn't anything outside of its domain," he said thoughtfully as he ran his fingers through his filmy black hair, "Even Professor Dumbledore has added extra security to Hogwarts in case any battles approach school grounds. The staff is very proud the work we've done."
"I think it's great how hard you and the other teachers have worked to ensure the safety of the students and even the creatures in the Forbidden Forest," she said. The nurse giggled slightly, "Wow, I remember how scary it was when I was there. All those creepy yellow eyes that would look at you as you walked near its edge. It was quite exciting to me when I was there a few years ago."
"What year did you graduate?" Snape inquired bringing yet another chilling smile across his thin lips.
"I was in the 1104th Class to graduate from Hogwarts," she said with a grin, "Gryffindor."
"Interesting," Snape commented as he once again slid his hands through his greasy hair. "Maybe you and I could meet up after your shift ends. We could talk about our school days and I'd like to learn more about working at St. Mungo's, it must be fascinating," he added.
Hermione practically shoved the bedcovers into her mouth to keep from laughing. She wakes up in a hospital, and what is the first thing she hears? Her potions master trying to pick up her nurse! It was unbearable. A mix of a giggle and a snort escaped her mouth. Snape's head snapped around and met her eyes. A small look of frustration, almost a glare, was shot right at her head.
"Well, good morning Ms. Granger!" the chipper nurse said. She whipped around Snape and came directly over to her bed. Fluffing Hermione's pillows, the nurse explained that she was in St. Mungo's recovery ward.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to erm.... Interrupt anything," Hermione said innocently as she forced the sly look on her face to disappear.
"No, I'm just glad you're awake sweetie. I'll go fetch a healer and we'll get right to business. Mr. Snape, thank you so much for following up on your student, it's very respectful of you. But if you'd please....." she said as she motioned toward the door, "I have to ask Ms. Granger a few questions."
"Okay, thank you very much Ms. Feddlewich, and uh... maybe I'll see you later?" he asked hopefully.
"Oh, well, I'd love to, but I really can't, I'm going to have lots of paperwork to do after I finish with Ms. Granger here's interview, but thank you for the offer," she said with a smile.
Hermione couldn't help but notice that the brunette's fingers were crossed behind her back as she smiled, a small vein popping out on the back of her neck. Hermione smirked.
"Shot down," she thought to herself. Snape nodded and left the room, aggravated footsteps echoing down the hallway.
"Thank Fudge you woke up," the nurse said with a chuckle, "I thought he'd never leave." Hermione laughed and gave the nurse a quick wink.
"My name is Fiona Feddlewich," she said, returning the smile and extending her hand.
"Hermione Granger, pleasure," Hermione responded.
"So, what's going on anyways? The last thing I remember is.... Is..... My closet at home," Hermione improvised quickly, glossing over the many morbid details of her last memory.
"Well, it appears your house was hit by one of those muggle fire... whatchamacallums..."
"Bombs." Hermione finished.
"Yes. Booms," Fiona began, "A few weeks ago Minister Fudge consented to begin forming a new committee called Cooperation for Liberating Abandoned Wizards, or CLAW, to find and rescue Witches and Wizards trapped in the muggle world. Naturally, hundreds of Ministry workers volunteered for CLAW to help save citizens of our world caught in the muggle war."
"What kind of workers do you mean?" Hermione asked.
"Well, the majority is of pure-blood families. Many "pure-bloods" believe that now anyone possessing magical abilities needs to be brought back into out world. Their goal is that once all the abandoned witches and wizards are safely back in our world, they will seal off its existence from the muggles forever," Fiona replied.
"Forever!" Hermione yelled, a look of shock crossing her face.
"Yes, and the majority support their decision. Muggles have gone to far this time. These boom things can kill millions of their own kind, imagine what they would do if they discovered magic! Muggles have grown too dangerous. They're a risk to themselves and the Magic Community. The time has come for us to seal ourselves off forever," said Fiona passionately.
"But, forever? That's insane! What about all the children now, who are muggle-born, but magical? When they get their powers, who knows what they might do? And it's not fair to deprive them of the education they deserve! I should know! I'm muggle-born," Hermione shouted as tears welled in her eyes, "We can't just pretend that billions of people don't exist!"
Fiona sighed and patted Hermione's hand. She stood up and stood in the doorway.
"I'm sorry Hermione, but if this muggle war continues, those billions of people won't exist for much longer anyways."