Disclaimer: Any familiar characters belong to J.K. Rowling

Chapter Two: On the Brink of Death

A manic fervour could be detected burning bright in Tom Riddle's near black eyes if one were to look close enough. But no one did and so as far as any observer was concerned they watched a studious head boy briskly make his way to the castle. The little details were overlooked. The fact that he seemed to have emerged from the Forbidden Forest would not register. The blood on the soles of his shoes went unseen. The faint scratches on his neck, uncharacteristic dishevelled hair and visible shirt tails unnoticed.

A sharp shriek however stopped Riddle on his way. His ears pricked up at the sound of despair. He found himself walking towards the foot of the Astronomy Tower and a flicker of apprehension flashed in his dark eyes. There stood Myrtle Holmes, so still he wondered if she'd been petrified. Yet her mouth was wide open screaming at the top of her lungs. Silencio. In front of her lay a broken body wrapped in grey threadbare robes soaked in blood. The ashen pale limbs lay in an obscure fashion pointing out in unnatural angles. Riddle barely concealed a shudder as he edged closer to see the face of the corpse sporting a deep scar beginning from the corner of the eye and ending Salazar knows where. Shackles adorned wrists and ankles. But it wasn't these details that had Tom Riddle uneasy with fear. It was the look on the unidentified face. Blood seeped between broken lips curled into a slight smile. Eyes closed as if in an everlasting sleep. This was the face of one that was embracing death. This broken body threatened Riddle, for it had conquered his greatest fear.

"Stand aside." Riddle broke away from his reverie at the sound of the deputy headmasters command.

"Professor" Riddle murmured, his eyes still on the body. There was something off about it he noted. The body seemed fixed in time. Dumbledore too was momentarily held in the trance.

"Tom if you could please assist Ms Holmes to my office." Dumbledore requested. But there was no denying it was an order to be acted upon swiftly and without comment. Riddle nodded his head and placed a hand on Holme's shoulder. Her mouth was no longer wide open, only now tears dropped silently from her eyes. "Myrtle let's get you inside." Riddle spoke consolingly. Holmes stiffly made her way to the castle with a thoughtful Riddle trailing behind.

Professor Prince had been enjoying a shot of whisky as he caught up with his correspondences. As he sealed off a letter to Olivander Dumbledore walked in briskly followed by a levitated bundle of red cloth. Professor Prince rose at once sensing an emergency.

"Edward, my apologies." Dumbledore began in a grim tone.

"Not at all Albus, how can I be of help?"

"Set up a room in your laboratory for our patient. She must be handled with absolute discretion until we know of her identity and situation."

"Of course."

"I will need to attend to the witnesses. I trust you to begin the diagnosis. She is barely alive."

As professor Prince took hand in the levitation Dumbledore appeared to vanish. Prince did not stop to think about the odd situation as he prepared his laboratory for healing, lay the patient down on a standard hospital bed as he waved his wand back and forth. The room buzzed with magic as he worked ruthlessly to bring the girl back to life.

Dumbledore entered his office to find two students sitting obediently before his desk.

"If you could explain to me how you came across the body this evening." Dumbledore sat comfortably back in a Griffindor red armchair, fingertips pressed together, and waited.

Riddle looked at Holmes expectantly. She however still seemed to be coming out of a vivid nightmare. Riddle actually sympathised.

"I heard a scream as I was making my way to dinner and followed the sound to her. She was stood by the tower screaming. I silenced her and saw the body. You joined us a minute later professor." Well, it wasn't a lie.

"Mrytle?"

She exhaled a breath she had been holding in.

"I was walking back from the greenhouses sir. I had left my Herbology notes behind and I needed them for my essay. As I neared the tower I felt a draught. I began to hurry towards the steps when it-it began to materialize in front of me. I stopped to watch it becoming more and more solid. I thought it was maybe inferi but as I edged closer it was obvious the ground beneath was untouched. And blood, so much blood... I was going to run for help when I saw the face. Dead but the expression…" Mccann shuddered. "It was alive."

Tears began falling again. She looked steadily into Dumbledore's eyes and took a deep breath to steady her nerves. "I began screaming because I couldn't seem to move. Then Riddle appeared. Then you."

"Thank you Myrtle, Tom." Dumbledore paused, appearing deep in thought.

"What happened to her professor?" Riddle asked.

Dumbledore now stood and turned to the vast window behind his desk. He watched Rubeus Hagrid, the ground keeper, make his way to the castle and his arms was Druella Rosier.

"A very good question Tom. I don't know. I have her under the very best care. I believe she is still alive. Now I must ask something of the both of you."

Both Holmes and Riddle met his piercing gaze.

"Given the rare and suspicious circumstances I am going to have to ask you for your silence on what you witnessed tonight. I believe that this secrecy is unfortunately necessary. Her life may be at risk. Do I have your word?"

"Yes" they both agreed without a second doubt. Neither had any wish to retell what they had seen.

"Thank you. Here, have some chocolate. It should help. Remember my door is always open." Dumbledore gave them a small smile as they left the office. Just before Riddle followed Holmes out of the office Dumbledore stopped him, suddenly standing right by him.

"You were heading to dinner quite late." Dumbledore stated. Riddle heard the unspoken question but he was familiar with the old man's game.

"I had lost track of time reading in the common room." Riddle dared not blink as the professor's blue eyes bore into his.

Dumbledore looked a little disappointed but opened the door for him nonetheless and let him leave. Riddle left thankfully, scowling as he walked away. The interfering professor didn't miss a trick.

Professor Prince held his head over a boiling grey potion, he appeared feverish as he stirred the liquid with his wand in one hand and dabbed his brow with a cloth on the other. All the while keeping one eye on his patient.

Dumbledore entered the laboratory and stood by the pale creature. She looked a little better. Her limbs realigned, her body rid of the dirt, blood and grit and a little colour returned to her cheeks. Most significantly she was breathing and that look which had petrified Myrtle had left her face.

"Her body has strong traces of dark magic." Dumbledore murmured as professor Prince returned to his patient.

"Female. Witch. 18 years of age. Obvious evidence of torture. The main harm to her body resulted in a fall. I'd say seven storey. Did you find her by the Astronomy tower?"

"Yes but she did not fall from the Astronomy tower… Miss Holmes found her by the tower. She said that she materialized out of thin air."

"She is severely malnourished. Seemed to have been starved. Some scars are as old as two years. There is indication to rape too Albus."

Dumbledore closed his eyes.

"Could she be a victim of Grindelwald?"

"It isn't Gellert's style." But there was a tone of doubt in his voice. "We will worry ourselves on the why and how later. For now let her be healed. We will find out more when she's conscious."

"Her mental faculties appear fine. I'm brewing her a potion that should help with the internal repair. She's been tortured extensively but someone wanted her alive. The fall however.. I cannot be certain but she is breathing."

"I have faith." Dumbledore placed a reassuring hand on his old colleagues shoulders. "Again, my apologies for burdening you Edward but there is no one else with the skills and insurance of careful handling and privacy."

"I am as intrigued as you Albus" Professor Prince smiled a little. "I don't dare to awake her yet, she'll be in a lot of pain."

Dumbledore nodded.

"I leave her to you Edward. I'll let Ms. Blaise know to cover your lessons this week."

"One more thing Albus. Rosaline is a trustworthy-"

"Yes, but stress the need for discretion." With that he left. His eyes resembled frost as his face clouded with anger. Dumbledore was certain he had another patient waiting for him in the hospital wing.

Rosaline Blaise had been alerted a week ago by the deputy headmaster that she would be taken over all DADA lessons temporarily. She had been extremely flattered by the responsibility and also a little nervous. She was only a few years older than the NEWT students. Yet the lessons went without a hitch. Her lectures were never going to rival her masters but for a beginner she felt she had done a passable job. She now headed to Professor Price's office, a skip in her step, to report back on the week as a reasonable success. She knocked and heard an "Enter" from inside. She was met with a grim expression and immediately the smile on her face vanished.

"Professor?" Rosaline spoke with daughterly concern. In the last two years she had become extremely close to her mentor and she suspected he too was fond of her.

"Come with me Rosaline."

The professor disappeared into his laboratory. There instead of a desk was a bed resembling those of the hospital wings and lying on the bed was a pale young woman with dark circles under her eyes. Her dark curly hair was roughly cut short and uneven. Her pink lips were dry and almost grey. Drips were attached to her nose and arm. Several potions stood by on a bedside table. Rosaline was overcome by a wave of sorrow for the poor creature as she noted her breathing shallow.

"I don't understand it Rosaline, she had been recovering but something is stopping her, something the diagnosis spell isn't detecting." the professor murmured and now Rosaline looked at her dear mentor and saw the rings under his eyes. He mirrored his patient with his waxy skin and hollow cheeks.

"Professor you have not been eating." She lightly reprimanded him. "She is stable enough for you to catch up on your meals and your sleep. I will watch her."

Rosaline led the professor out of the laboratory and into his quarters. She sat him down at the small dining table in his living room before returning to the patient.

"Wendy" she called hesitatingly. She wasn't sure if she was able to summon her mentor's house elf and jumped in surprise when Wendy appeared with a deafening crack.

"Miss Blaise called?" Wendy bowed deeply.

"The professor hasn't been eating, please source him a hearty meal Wendy and make sure he rests after. Can you do that for me Wendy?" she asked kindly.

"Yes miss! Wendy can see you is caring for my master." The house elf bowed deeply before dissapperating.

Now Rosaline turned her eyes to the frail girl battling death in her sleep and snuggled into the chair beside her, summoning a book from her chambers. It was going to be a long night.

As Rosaline drifted off snoring softly into the night Hermione Granger's hand twitched and her eyelids flickered. Behind her eyes swirled a furious battle between life and death. As her nerves awoke from their slumber, Hermione willed her brain to remain unconscious. She had thought death would come easy yet she was beginning to feel the pain of her scarred body. Her soul didn't have a body she protested!

Rosaline awoke with a start, the book she'd been reading landed on the floor with a thud. The girl's body was convulsing violently. Her state incredibly unstable. Rosaline took one hand into hers, uncurled the clenched fist and whispered into her ear "Wake up darling you are safe."

Blood shot eyes opened as suddenly as a deep breath followed by a gasp. The girl looked around her and grimaced in pain. Her eyes snapped up at Rosaline whose hand was still in hers. Instinctively she summoned her magic and threw Rosaline across the room. Her body lay limply among broken jars. Hermione attempted to get up but groaned in pain. She flexed her fingers and mourned the loss of her wand which was usually strapped to her upper arm. Two men now charged into the room. They stared at the ferocious girl now fully awake giving her few precious seconds to muster her strength, wandlessly disarm them both and bind them in ropes.

Clutching two wands she walked to the two professors, ignoring the stabbing pain and pointed one wand on each neck trained on their jagulars. She looked at them and almost dropped her wands as one professor stared unnervingly back at her.

"What kind of sick bastard impersonates a dead man." she snarled at the professor. Her voice was hoarse. It hurt to speak.

"I assure you I am well and living." replied Dumbledore calmly.

"Then I am dead?" she asked more to herself than anyone else. Hermione retreated a little when she saw both professors freed from her bonds. Her wands still trained on them both but her eyes darted around the room noting all possible exits.

"You almost died" corrected Dumbledore.

"No!" she screamed. "I jumped off the Astronomy Tower. I embraced death!"

She looked at her old professor scrupulously. Her eyes widened as she finally saw what her logic refused to see. Auburn hair, a shorter beard and his face looked oddly youthful.

"Professor…" she began weakly, longing to close her eyes and give in to weariness. "What is the date?" she dreaded the answer.

"Saturday 21st of November." Dumbledore paused. "1942"

"Prove it!" she demanded, she dared not believe it.

Professor Prince summoned a newspaper and tentatively handed it to her. On the right hand corner in elegant script was the date Friday 20th November, 1942. Hermione now looked more closely at the two men in front of her, at Dumbledore's red paisley smoking jacket then at the black haired professor who wore suspenders for his high cut pleated trousers and a short wide tie held in place by a clip.

"Impossible" she whispered.

"You materialized a week ago at the foot of the Astronomy Tower." Dumbledore provided. "Professor Prince here nursed you to health. You had a very near brush with death."

"You should had left me to die!" she screamed, her breath ragged. "I wanted to die, don't you understand? I gave up on life."

She collapsed on the floor weakly dropping the wands. Professor Prince immediately moved over to Rosaline. Unconscious but mildly injured. "Ennervate." Rosaline awoke, her features distorted in discomfort.

"Professor! She woke up!" Rosaline panicked.

He assisted her up and Rosaline saw the patient keeled over on the floor and rushed to her side. Hermione flinched as Rosaline monitored her with a wand and summoned a calming draught.

"Drink this."

Hermione eyed the flask with suspicion.

Rosaline laughed loudly. The sound was merry and carefree. She then drank a little of the potion herself, swallowed and passed it to Hermione.

"See, not poison."

Well, it looked like a calming draught taking in the lilac colour. She sniffed it ruefully. It smelt like it too. She looked at the wide trusting eyes of the young woman before gulping it down.

"There you are." Rosaline soothed. "I'm Rosaline Blaise, what's your name love?"

"Hermione." She spoke gravely as it began to sink in. "Hermione Granger."

"Well Ms. Granger, how about you come with me and get some rest?" Rosaline looked unsurely at Dumbledore who smiled encouragingly.

Hermione felt the potion take affect as she allowed Rosaline to help her up. Before she left the room she paused and looked at Professor Prince.

"My apologies for my misbehaviour." Hermione apologized sincerely. "I am indebted to you."

"Not at all my child." the professor spoke humbly.

Hermione attempted a smile then looked other old headmaster hesitatingly.

"Is Tom Riddle here?" Hermione finally asked, dreading the inevitable answer.

Dumbledore looked at her sharply. "Yes. In fact he was one of the students who found you."

Hermione shuddered. "Thank you professor. I will rest now."

A.N. Evening readers. I've begun redrafting and as you can see I've changed the year and have made Ms. Blaise a more significant character. I felt the previous draft was unrealistic for the extent of the suffering Hermione has experienced. I hope you can feel it now and her strength too.