Chapter 3


Hermione had taken a risk and had shifted into her margay shape in the library to avoid curfew. When the door closed and the keys locked the door for the night, Hermione stayed perfectly still. On the off chance that someone was waiting she was not to be caught in her form. After a few minutes where the only sound was her quiet breathing, she believed it safe enough and sprang from the coach she'd been hiding under. Her cat-like reflexes and her practice had her climbing the bookshelves carefully, and she was grateful that her Animagus form was good for tree climbing. When she got high enough she jumped over the boundary to the Restricted Section.

It took little for her to find the book she was looking for. She shifted back to Hermione and cast a few spells on the book to ensure her safety but they weren't affecting it. Cautiously, she took the book into her hands. Nothing happened.

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief and opened the tome. It was exactly what she wanted. She saw images of wizards without wands casting various spells that used to be known as simply magic. Throwing magic, then. She sat on the floor, pouring over the text avidly.

They had used different magic back then, in a way. Their magic was the same as Hermione's or McGonagall's until they had either become the Lords or Ladies of their House, through marriage or death of a relative, or once the passed the threshold age of 16. After that, the village or the family would put the new adult through the 'Ritual of Unbound Magic'. Almost like a biological restraint on the child, their magic was needed to pass through cores so they could be trained before they unbound the magic. The ritual was first invented by Merlin himself! That explained so much about how magical society grew so much during his lifetime.

Her excitement was only tempered by thoughts of Dumbledore. Why on earth did no one else perform this ritual? Yes, it did make a person less in control of their magic, but it also gave them a whole lot more to work with. If the light side was filled with Dumbledores, Voldemort wouldn't stand a chance! But if either of them had used it, then why didn't they have their own wizards perform the same ritual?

Her doubts became the reason for her further search. She wanted nothing else but to do this, but she needed to make sure she knew the risks. There was sometimes a price for magic, but the there was always a price for power. What price was it?

All she found was the blood ritual itself. It would be draining to perform, and that was meant one hundred percent literally. She needed to drain a fair amount of blood in the ritual, and then incant a spell while a whole peppermint plant's paste was applied to the wound. The mark would scar, but would do so at the completion of the ritual. Many women chose to cut over their chests as a symbol of devotion to their betrothed or espoused, though Hermione snorted at that. No, she'd rather have it not visible to anyone. Inner thigh, probably, so she could trail the blood properly as it spilled down her leg.

No magic was allowed except for the spell, so no wards or anything. It couldn't be done in Hogwarts, but she still needed privacy so no one stumbled upon her accidentally. Blood magic of any kind was considered dark, and so she would need to keep it secret as much as possible.

So if Hermione was to do this ritual, wandless magic would become second-nature. She would have the edge of almost any situation, especially when on the run. Harry wouldn't need this himself, because clearly Voldemort had done this ritual himself.

That gave her a moment's pause, because she knew that this was the ritual Dumbledore had done, but to acknowledge that the monster they were trying to beat had done this as well was a little much. It was dark magic, but Dumbledore had done it. It was common practice at one point though, so why did it seem to grant them so much strength? Why didn't anyone else do it?

Hermione would risk it.