A/N: Sorry to everyone who read this chapter before it was replaced; I changed it to third person again because… well, I just felt like it. It was probably stupid to change it anyways. This chapter sucks, but it gets good next chapter. That's when all the Marauders are introduced! :^D So I hope this is okay, and look forward to the next one!
- appleseedquest
Chapter Two
"Wake up."
First there was nothing. Then there were words.
"Hermione."
First there were words. Then there was sound.
"Can you hear me?"
And all the sounds were twisted together, like men and women and children all speaking in unison, a thousand vocal chords combined and saying -
"Yes," and that's all she said, because she fell silent at the sound of hervoice: the second voice she had ever heard, a girl's voice. Her brain pushed thoughts of other voices at her, echoes of words and spells, but it didn't matter because she'd never heard them – she was new, she was somebody else, and all that was left in her head was a skeleton of a woman (did the voice say Hermione? Am I Hermione?) she had never met, and she was gone, somebody had taken her away -
"Good," the first voice said, and paused; and in this pause Hermione realized that she couldn't make her body move; and even confused and lost and drowning in this person that she was not, with no past and a head full of things that she couldn't recall learning; even then, Hermione knew that this was not a good thing. The voice continued whilst she struggled against invisible bonds. "Do you know what's happened? Where you are? Who you are?"
Hermione didn't answer, concentrating on the Body-Binding Curse. There was a weird kind of calmness inside her, like nothing could get worse than this; no memories, no movement, and a creepy voice talking at her, in the middle of some strange mound of grass – she was at the bottom of a hill, and the curve of the land meant that she couldn't see beyond it – it was as if she was stuck in the eye of a storm, looking down at this girl who was stuck in the worst kind of situation, and none of it had anything to do with her.
But then Hermione realized that she didn't even know what she looked like, she didn't know why she was even here, why this was even happening, and she strained to remember something, anything...
you're a witch avada kedavra divination hogwarts you-know-who don't say his name astronomy pureblood halfblood mudblood slytherin ravenclaw unforgivable curses cheering charms amortentia quidditch bezoars hippogriffs sorting hat professor essence of dittany veritaserum polyjuice potion parchment boomslang skin ghosts azkaban werewolves
… words leapt out at her, the things she knew, the books she'd read, the spells she had cast – but people, faces, memories eluded her; Hermione didn't know who she was. Tears of frustration welled up in the corners of her eyes, and she wondered if she was the kind of the girl that cried easily, or if she bottled it up inside for days and months and years; then she wondered if she was still that girl at all; or if when her memories were taken, she became somebody else, the person Hermione was now, with no memories to define her or to shape her personality.
"I guess not," the voice went on to say, and there was a smile in its words. "But don't worry. That's all part of the plan."
"Plan?" she said, struggling harder, thinking Hermione Hermione Hermione so she didn't forget; did she forget her memories? Did someone make her forget her memories? Was it a spell? What spell could – Hermione Hermione Hermione – oh! Obli-
"Plan," it confirmed, "I had to Obliviate you. I had to." Then suddenly it sounded heartbroken and deep and choking, and it said, "Don't hate me. You'll know one day, Hermione, and maybe then you'll see what I did was -" It broke off, whispered to itself - "No, no, I can't say that... she can't know..."
"What're you talking about?" Hermione cried. "Please, let me go! I don't know why you're doing this, but I haven't done anything wrong!"
"You haven't. You have. I haven't. I have." The voice said quietly, almost to itself. "Hasn't everyone?" It sighed. "Hermione. This is all that you deserve. One day you'll be able to blame me; but maybe on that day, you won't want to. Goodbye."
Something was pulling at the back of her neck; a cord hit the front of her throat and Hermione realized that she was wearing a necklace. A hand fiddled with the chain from the front and it felt cold, smooth; and that's all she had time to register before a spell was muttered behind her. She couldn't hear the words because even as she realized that she could now move there was a rush of sound and heat and light.
Hermione leapt to her feet but there was no substance behind the voice; there was a lake, and a castle; and the sky was moving at a blur and suddenly there were shadows moving quickly all around her, moving faster and faster…
… and then it was too fast for the shadows, and instead there was nothing but the gradual shifting of the land and the flashing of night and day, and to Hermione the castle was all that was left of mankind. She glanced down at her chest, seeing black robes adorned with scarlet and gold, and an hourglass on the end of a shining chain, the glass whirling around at an impossible speed – her hands leapt away by themselves at the heat of the thing when she attempted to stop the spinning hourglass, but then the necklace was gone like it had never existed.
It was just her left standing by herself at the lake, shuddering and refusing to cry again, because she wanted to be strong, she wanted whoever she was to be strong enough to remember herself and strong enough to figure out what the hell she should do next. The closest source of help was the castle, and Hermione walked towards it warily, hoping that somebody would be -
But she came to a halt and stood there, mouth slightly open, as she stared at the castle. She knew this place. This... this was Hogwarts! This was where she... this must have been where I went to school. Why else would I be here? I must still be at school. Hermione thought, then gazed down at her robes once more, realizing she was right as she noticed a badge on her chest; a roaring lion, emblazoned in scarlet and gold, and beneath it was 'Gryffindor'.
Gryffindor. Where dwell...
"The brave at heart," Hermione whispered, and with renewed vigour she continued up the hill towards the castle. She knew she'd find answers there.