Ok so this one's a bit more of a mess than the others, I haven't had a chance to Properly go through it!
This Chapter Word Count- 15,957
Serpent Skin Chapter 4
Memory
Mordred was the first to notice that someone was following them from dinner, though their pursuers were quiet, in a deserted dungeon corridor even the most insignificant of sounds could be heard. Halting Hermione in her rant about Professor McGonagall with a silent command to listen, the pair turned their ears towards the way they had just come and sure enough the pair could hear light footsteps until their pursuers realised they had stopped and then everything went silent.
Turning worried eyes towards Hermione Mordred gave her a questioning look. Hermione looked at him for a moment before seeming to come to some decision, opening her mouth she said, "Oh Mordred, stop being so paranoid, it's probably a mouse, we are in the dungeon after all." So saying, she tugged on Mordred's robes, getting him to move and tucking her arm through his, turning down the corridor and proceeding to continue her rant about Professor McGonagall.
During a pause in her speech however, Hermione leaned it towards Mordred and whispered frantically, "On the count of three, run! When we're far enough away open a portal to the common room."
They never got far enough, first years as they were, and their pursuers seemingly some of the older students were far faster than them. A group of six students cornered the pair at the end of a long corridor, three of them the boys and two of them girls."
"Oh, look what we have here, two little Slytherin's all on their own," cooed one of the girls, a chubby thing with long straggly brown hair and a face so sad looking it reminded Mordred of a Basset Hound.
"They look rather scared don't they," observed another girl that Mordred recognised as Murray, the girl that had taunted Peregrine earlier that day.
"They should be," one of the boys growled, levelling his wand at Mordred's head, a sneer curling his lips, "filthy little mudblood's."
"But they don't have to be," one of the other boys put it in, stepping forward calmly and asserting himself in front of the group. He crouched down in front of the two and pinned them with a set of light, almost white blue eyes, "All we want to the location of the entrance to the Slytherin common room and if you give us that we will leave you alone and you won't remember a thing about this."
"Brigg don't waste your time," muttered a thin willowy girl with long dirty blonde hair and nails so sharp they look like they could cut glass, stepping forward and pressing herself against Briggs side, "They won't tell us without a little bit of… persuasion." She purred into his ear, "Especially considering the reason we need to get into the Slytherin common room, my brother was in Slytherin remember, I know how their minds work." Both Hermione and Mordred shuddered as the girls voice became sultrier the longer she talked curling her leg around him.
"I don't get it," the brutish looking boy with spiky blond hair exclaimed, "why would the fact that we want Menem make them more reluctant to tell us where the entrance is?"
Mordred and Hermione immediately tensed up at the mention of the Slytherin leader and the other five turned to hiss at the blonde.
"Look what you've done now Herrin," the blonde said with a shake of her head, "they're never going to tell us anything now."
"Oh yes they will," Murray laughed, and malicious sneer gracing her face, "three words ladies and gentlemen, Divide and Conquer."
The other five looked Murray, but she only had eyes for Mordred and Hermione, "These two Slytherin's are outsiders even within their own house, they look after each other everyone can see that so the question is what would one of them do if the other were in pain?"
At that moment as if by some subconscious signal between between the pair, both Mordred and Hermione pulled their wands from that holsters on their wrists and attempted to fire at their attackers. They weren't quick enough however and six disarming spells suddenly shot at them, causing their wands to fly into the air and land in their attackers hands.
"We'll never tell, you know," Hermione stated her eyes hard she grabbed hold of Mordred's hand in silent support, "and when this is over we'll just go to one of the teachers and tell them everything."
"Funny you should say that little mudblood," Basset Hound girl said, stepping forward to point her wand between Hermione's eyes at the same time that Briggs did the same to Mordred, "because as a matter-of-fact you won't remember everything, don't worry though, you'll remember most of it, the pain and the fear and the despair, you even remember finally giving in and handing over the location of the common room actually the only thing you won't remember… is who we are." And then the world fell into pain.
Hermione felt consciousness slowly coming back to her and with it the memories of what had happened. Immediately she stopped moving, waiting for the pain to return to her limbs, for her bones to feel as if they were melting from her body, but when minute passed and the pain did not return she slowly opened her eyes and looked around. Lying beside her Mordred was still unconscious and Hermione couldn't help tears come to her eyes as she remembered the hours upon hours of pain that he'd endured while she'd watched helplessly, held back by… someone.
Shakily getting onto her hands and knees she crouched over Mordred and checked him for injuries, sighing in relief when she found none. Just at that moment something brushed against her back and Hermione immediately spun round in terror before freezing and laughing shakily at the sight before her. Crookshanks was sat there, till flicking back and for with both Hermione and Mordred's wand clamped in his jaw.
"Oh Crookshanks," she beamed, leaning forward and gathering the cat into her arms, "you were such a smart brave boy, going up against all those bullies! You're going to be eating salmon and drinking milk for a week!"
Still cuddling the cat to her chest she carefully removed the wands from his maw and leaned over Mordred once again, "Mordred," she whispered, shaking him lightly, "Mordred you have to wake up now."
With a groan Mordred sat up blinking and as his memories flooded back, frantically looked around. When he realised that there was no one but them and Crookshanks in the corridor he turned back to Hermione, "What happened?" He asked.
"You passed out," she said simply, "when they realised that they couldn't get anything out of you, they turned on me but… Crookshanks… a little while after they started… I can't… I can't get it right in my head, it is all jumbled up."
Mordred sat up slowly, waiting for any kind of pain or residual ache to make itself known. When nothing happened, when his body felt only the ache of lying on a hard cold stone floor for a time, he frowned, "What I want to know is why the both of us are completely unharmed, this not a single scratch on our bodies that wasn't there before," Mordred frowned as he inspected his body for any new cuts or bruises.
Hermione shook her head, "I don't know but –" at that moment a loud screeching from Crookshanks alerted them to another feline presence in the Hall; Mrs Norris was sitting a few paces away from Crookshanks illuminated golden eyes fixed on Hermione and Mordred.
"Sweet?" Came a croaky voice from just around the corner and immediately after Argus Filch appeared, "Well… well done my sweet, students out of bed, the headmaster won't be happy," with maniacal looking grin plastered across his face Filch turned and picked Mrs Norris, "Well come on then," he said looking back at the two that had not moved off the ground.
With a look at Hermione, Mordred stilled her before the argument he could see brewing could spill from her lips. There was no use in arguing with Filch, he was only the caretaker and from something Mordred had heard muttered about him during dinner, a very sadistic one. At the lack of protest, Filch surprisingly did not continue trying to berate them and was able to lead both Hermione and Mordred through the dungeons without very much complaint.
Severus Snape was just about to leave his potions lab and return to his own quarters for the night when he heard a loud knock against the lab door. Severus sighed, it was most likely Argus, come to him so he could deal with some rule breaking student out of bed; the other option was Albus come to demand he perform some impossible task in the name of the Greater Good.
Shaking himself out of his thoughts he strode towards the door flicking it open with his wand as he went. If Severus had not been as adept at hiding his emotions as he was Severus might well have stopped dead at the sight that greeted him. Standing in his doorway was Argus, flanked on either side by two of his first year students. That in and of itself was not what surprised him though; seeing Argus escorting students anywhere was not an uncommon sight as a man had an uncanny ability to find rule breakers within the Castle, no, what really caught his attention was the fact that Argus was smiling, and not some gruesome twist between a sneer and a malicious grin, a genuinebona fied smile.
"So you're saying as far as you know Mrs Norris is just a normal cat?" Mr Pendragon asked with what seemed like genuine interest, looking up at Angus questioningly, as he stroked the preening purring feline in his arms. He was shaking slightly, Severus noted and there were large black rings under his eyes, Miss Granger, leaning against the wall with her own cat held in her arms looked far worse however.
"Yes, as far as I know," Angus replied as he bent down slightly to scratch Mrs Norris's head as well.
"What is going on here?" Snape asked, a tinge of genuine confusion actually managing to enter his otherwise monotone voice as he stared at the bizarre sight in front of him.
Argus seemed to come out of some sort of daze as he shook his head and looked down ruefully at the two children in front of him, "Sorry you two, but I've got to do my job and –"
"It's okay Mr Filch," Mr Pendragon said in the soothing, if slightly weak voice as he hiked Mrs Norris further onto his trembling shoulders, "We completely understand and we would have come to Professor Snape anyway, so really by bringing as here you granted us a favour; we wouldn't have known where his private potions lab was otherwise, so you've been a great help, thank you."
"Before you say anything more," Severus stated, seeing Argus open his mouth to reply to the boy, "May I repeat, what is going on here?"
Argus cleared his throat and the smile that had graced his face disappeared as he looked at Severus, "I found these two looking rather disorientated and dazed three corridors over, thought it best to bring them to you Professor."
Looking oddly at Argus once more and wondering whether the caretaker had been replaced Severus nodded once, "Thank you Argus, I shall take it from here."
Argus seemed to hesitate for a moment, "Professor, they were very good, came quietly and all, don't punish them too hard, they don't seem well."
At this statement, Severus's eyes bulged and his jaw dropped, all semblance of composure gone. It took a second for him to regain his wits and when he did he motioned the two silent students to follow him into the lab. With a look at Mr Pendragon Miss Granger cautiously stepped into the lab while Mr Pendragon set a disgruntled Mrs Norris down on the floor and thanked Argus calmly once again for bringing them to Severus.
Snapping the door shut when Argus had left, Severus made a silent motion with his hand the two to follow him through to his office. Sitting with two down in front of his desk he rounded it and took a seat surveying them with narrowed eyes.
"Very well lets get to it then, it is two o'clock in the morning, why are you, two first-year students out of bed?" His voice may have sounded harsher than he had intended for looks of genuine fear and pain crossed their faces at his words, he noted Miss Granger tightening her hold on her cat.
"We didn't mean to be out so late," Mr Pendragon said in a tired voice, "We were walking back from dinner."
"Dinner was at seven o'clock Mr Pendragon, like I said before it is now two o'clock in the morning, what have you been doing for the past seven hours?"
"We're sorry Professor," Miss Granger whispered, "we tried to get back to the common room, we really did but…" She trailed off and Severus watched with a pang of concern as the girls started to shake more violently than before.
"Miss Granger," Severus said in alarm as he rushed round his desk to the girl. She did not respond his words, but when he touched her arm she flinch back with a cry.
"Professor, I think she needs a Calming Draught or something to put her to sleep maybe?" Came a quiet voice from beside him and Severus turned to see Mr Pendragon looking at him and biting his lip nervously.
Severus nodded, feeling slightly sheepish at being told what to do by a eleven-year-old as he rose from his place in front of miss Granger and hurriedly grabbed a Calming Draught from his potions store. When he tried to give the potion to the small girl however, she once again flinched away in fright and Severus was at a loss what to do.
A small hand on his shoulder startled Severus into turning, "Give it to me," Mr Pendragon said holding out his hand for the vial. Severus silently handed over the potion and watched as Mr Pendragon step forward cautiously.
"Hermione," he said softly, slowly placing his hand on the trembling girl, drawing closer and placing an arm around her when he realised she wasn't going to flinch away as she had with Severus, "Hermione I need you to take this for me, okay?" He asked, holding the vial up for the girls inspection.
Miss Granger looked at the vial from moment before nodding and allowing Mr Pendragon to tip its contents down her throat.
Mordred couldn't help his sigh of relief as Hermione started to relax in his arms, eyes slowly falling shut as the potion took effect. Slowly removing his arm from around her when her breathing had evened out into deep sleep he went and sat back in his own and and turned to face his Professor and Head of House.
"Mr Pendragon, what happened?" Professor Snape asked, concern clear in his eyes.
Mordred shook his head, "We were walking back from dinner, and there were people following us," he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he tried to stop the fear and pain from clouding his mind, "We started running, trying to get far enough away from them so that we could open a portal to the common room but we never got a chance, the cornered us."
"What happened next Mr Pendragon," Professor Snape asked when Mordred stop talking, caught in the slight memory of the event.
Startled, Mordred looked up, "Sorry Professor… There were six of them and they… they wanted to know where the entrance to the Slytherin common room was… I think… I think they want to get back at Menem for something."
"Menem?" Professor Snape asked with a raised eyebrow before taking his wand and writing, "Come to my office immediately!" in the air with glowing scripture. Swinging his wand through the air once more the message seemed to be absorbed into its tip before Professor Snape tapped it to his silver Slytherin ring.
"That's…" He trailed off, "Do our rings do that?" He asked the Professor curiously, understanding he had just sent a message to someone, probably Menem.
Professor Snape smirked, "No, only the prefects and the Head of Slytherin have rings which can communicate with mine like that."
A minute passed, but then a bright white crack seemed to appear in the air, and seconds later Menem was climbing through into Snape's office.
"You called me Prof?" He asked, and then sneered when he spotted Mordred and Hermione sitting in front of his desk.
"Do not bring your hatred of them into this room," Professor Snape hissed at Menem, causing the boys startled attention to revert back to his professor, "From what Mr Pendragon has told me so far, they just got attacked because of something you did." Accusation was thick and hanging in the air as Menem's surprised eyes swivelled back to Mordred before narrowing.
"What happened?" He asked harshly.
"It seems a group of six students took it into their heads to follow Mr Pendragon and Miss Granger from dinner with the intention of finding out where the entrance to the Slytherin common room was," Snape explained in a monotone almost dangerous voice, "They wanted to find out so they could get to you for some reason, have you offended any students lately Menem?"
Menem, who seemed not to know who to look anymore sighed and with a flick of his wand conjured a chair before sinking into it, "I'm a Slytherin Prince Professor, I have many enemies and make more on a frequent basis, however I cannot think of any students that I've offended enough to -"
"Excuse me," Mordred interrupted, waiting until he had both both Professor Snape and Menem's attention for continuing, "They said something… I'm sorry," He shook his head as pain lashed through his brain, "they said something about wanting you, it may not have been in revenge, though I do highly doubt they have pure motives if they cornered us to try and get to you."
"What did they do exactly?" Menem asked causing Mordred to gulp.
"They… they used spells on us," he said slowly, "I don't think any of them were illegal or even Dark in nature, from what I remember they were very simple spells… but the pain…" He trailed off looking up to see both Professor Snape and Menem looking anxious.
"We need to take this to the headmaster," Professor Snape said rising from his desk and striding towards the door.
"What?" Menem snarled, "We do not need to involve the old goat in this at all."
Snape turned and looked at Menem straight in the eye, "Yes actually Mr Menem we do need to involve the headmaster because as it stands if we wish to go any further in this investigation, if we wish to legally punish the people involved we will need his cooperation."
Turning round Professor Snape grabbed a handful of Floo powder and threw it into the fire, he stuck his head in for a moment, but none of the other three could make out what he said. After a moment he took his head out of the flames before turning and flicking his wand at Hermione, causing her to wake up.
"Mr Pendragon would you please help escort Miss Granger up to the headmaster's office." It was not a question, it was a demand and with that that's how Mordred found himself with one arm wrapped securely around Hermione the party of four making their way up through the Castle towards the seventh floor of the West tower.
Stopping outside a large statue of a winged gargoyle the three students watched as Professor Snape stepped forward and recited, "Ice mice," causing the gargoyle to come abruptly to life and leap out of the way revealing a spiral staircase.
Following quietly after their professor the four soon found themselves standing in a circular room every wall covered with portraits and shelves with odd trinkets that ticked and whirled and emitted puffs of multicoloured smoke.
Set on a raised deities in the middle of the room was a huge desk and in front of the desk sat four overstuffed armchairs, each as mismatched as the next and covered in the most horrible polkadot and pinstriped fabrics Mordred had ever seen in his life.
Behind the desk Dumbledore sat smiling serenely at four in front of him, his long beard slung over her shoulder, blue eyes twinkling madly and dressed in clothes that Mordred suspected were made out of the same material as the armchair fabric.
"May I ask Severus, what brings you here so late at night," Dumbledore asked raising a hand to his mouth to cover a yawn that Mordred had the oddest suspicion was fake, "these old bones aren't what they used to be and they do need more sleep than they used to. Please sit." He seemed to say it as an afterthought, indicating the technicolour armchairs in front of him.
"A suspected attack on two of my students Albus," Snape replied tightly as the four settled into the chairs, Hermione and Mordred taking one between the two of them the need to be close overpowering, "I would think that was enough of a reason to disturb you from your beauty sleep."
Dumbledore's eyes lost their twinkle and the slight smile that had graced his face vanished, "What happened Severus?"
Just then the fireplace in the corner flared up and Mme Pomfrey stepped out, immediately going over to Hermione and Mordred, all the while muttering about students out of bed at the wrong time of night.
"It would seem," Professor Snape started in a low voice, "that six older students within the school took it upon themselves to corner and torture two of my first years in the hopes of getting the location and password of the Slytherin common room. It seems the students wish to get a hold of Mr Menem here; the reason as to why they wish to get a hold of Mr Menem is as yet unknown."
Dumbledore's eyes narrowed further as he looked down at Mordred and Hermione, "They seem perfectly fine to me Severus," Dumbledore observed as his eyes scanned over the pair from head to toe looking for injury, "Poppy, what is your prognosis, is there anything wrong with either Miss Granger or Mr Pendragon?"
Madam Pomfrey, who had just finished feeding Hermione another calming draught turned and looked at Dumbledore, "They are completely exhausted Albus, I'm surprised that either of them is even able to stand up, they are running on adrenaline alone at this point, but other than that I can find nothing wrong with them, there's not a scratch on either of recent enough to have been done tonight. Although you," she said, turning to Mordred and pointing a bony finger between his eyes, "Are going to come and see me as soon as possible for a general checkup, do you understand?"
Mordred nodded quickly and turned back to look at Dumbledore when the headmaster said, "So there is nothing physically wrong with them but exhaustion, nothing at all Poppy?"
"No headmaster," Madam Pomfrey said in a slightly cautious tone, as if her answer was not the one she wanted to give, "like I said, there nothing recent enough to have been done tonight or any time this week if I am correct."
"Very well, what would you suggest Poppy?" Dumbledore asked as if he were simply talking about the weather and not to children's physical health, "Other than looking a little tired, they looked perfectly fine to me."
Madam Pomfrey raised an incredulous eyebrow at the headmaster but simply said, "A good night's sleep should be all that is needed, they should sleep in the infirmary tonight to make sure nothing else comes up but other than that…"
Madam Pomfrey trailed off as a low whimpering sound came from the direction of Hermione and Mordred's chair, "I think would be best if we went back to our dormitories tonight Madam Pomfrey, if that's allowed," Mordred said quietly, feeling the blood draining from his face at the thought of the infirmary, "The Slytherin dorms… our attackers don't know where they are so we would be far safer there than in the infirmary which everyone knows the location of and is easily accessed by other students."
Out the corner of his eye Mordred saw Snape grit his teeth, "Oh yes Albus, I see exactly what you mean, they are perfectly fine Albus, the fact that Miss Granger is shaking like a leaf and Mr Pendragon looks like he is about to throw up has no bearing whatsoever. Why, Miss Granger almost went into shock earlier before I gave her a Calming Draught;" Snape glanced at Mordred and he could have sworn Snape looked almost proud of him, "Mr Pendragon is faring a little better I will admit."
Dumbledore nodded without taking his eyes off of Mordred, "Very well, but we will need more proof than simply the word of two students, Mr Pendragon, would you permit me to enter your mind and take a copy memory of the event to see for myself first-hand what happened?"
Mordred stopped his eyes from automatically turning to slits as he looked back at the headmaster. He didn't feel like he could trust this man and when a strange creeping feeling stole over his mind as if trying to sink into his conscience he automatically broke eye contact and the feeling left, "I'm sorry Professor," he said looking over at Professor Snape with pleading eyes, "but I will only allow Professor Snape to enter my mind. He can take the memory from me." He did not want the headmaster poking around at all his private thoughts.
Professor Dumbledore seemed startled at Mordred's slight defiance but conceded when Mordred pointedly refused to look back at him. Indicating that Professor Snape should go ahead the headmaster sat back in his chair, steepled his fingers together in front of his face and watched.
Professor Snape knelt down in front of Mordred and looked into his eyes, "Mr Pendragon, I'm going to need you to concentrate on the point where you started noticing someone was following you, can you do that?"
Mordred nodded and he felt Hermione starting to shake more violently in his arms as Professor Snape's wand came closer to his temple. Seconds later a feeling of some other presence drifted through his mind, but then seconds later it was gone and Professor Snape was pulling back, and odd silvery tadpole like substance hanging from the end of his wand. Quickly professes Snape conjured a bottle and placed the odd silvery substance into it.
"You may wish to take Hermione's memory of it too Sir," Mordred said, "I think I passed out before the end."
Professor Snape nodded and turned towards Hermione the girl shrug back further into the chair. With a shake of his head Professor Snape crouched down even further trying to get her to look him in the eye, asking softly, "Miss Granger?" When was no response from Hermione Professor Snape sighed and placed a hand lightly on her shoulder, "Hermione?" He said even more softly and smiled slightly when she stopped shaking quite as violently, "Hermione, can you do this for me, can you give me the memory of what happened, I know you don't want to remember but it'll only be this once and after you can forget all about it."
Hermione's eyes peeked out from where she was huddled in Mordred's arms and there was a slight nod of her head as she lightly placed her hand on Professor Snape's guiding his wand to her temple. Just like before when Professor Snape pulled away a silvery substance was hanging at the end of his wand and he placed it into the bottle with the other one, murmuring something softly under his breath and causing the two silvery liquids to combine into one.
Mordred watched as Snape handed the vial of memory to the headmaster and walked over to a large cabinet at the side of his desk. Sitting in the cabinet was a large white stone basin all riddled with silver veins and containing large quantities of the same odd silvery like substance that Professor Snape had just taken from their mind.
"After you Severus," the Professor said indicating the bowl as he pulled the contents of the bottle into the bowl.
"Wait, I want to come to," Mordred said coming forward, "I want to find out what they did to me, what they did to Hermione."
"I do was well," said Menem coming up beside Mordred, "If someone is after me, I want to know who it is and why."
Dumbledore looked as if he were about to object, but Professor Snape simply nodded and said, "Very well, then you how this works Menem, simply dive in." Menem nodded, leaning over the bowl and dipping his head on the surface of the liquid the rest of his body seem to be sucked into the bowl. Wide-eyed, Mordred looked at Snape who simply indicated for him to go next. Nodding his head Mordred stepped forward and ducked his head under the surface of the liquid. There was the odd sensation of his feet leaving the floor, the headmaster's office and falling into spectrum of swirling colours before they all seemed to come together and he found himself stood next to Menem as first Snape, then Dumbledore and finally Hermione appeared.
"Hermione, what you doing here?" Mordred asked as the shaking girl dived into his arms.
"I'm not leaving you to watch this on your own Mordred," Hermione said, locking her arms more tightly around his waist.
Knowing it was useless to argue Mordred nodded and wrapped his own arms around Hermione as they turned to watch the scene unfold before them.
Hermione and Mordred watched as their memory selves ran down the dungeon corridor and came to the dead-end where they were cornered; but when their pursuers came round the corner something strange had happened.
"Hey, they –" Mordred started but Snape interrupted him.
"Be quiet, we will disgust it later, for now just watch."
Mordred frowned but obediently looked back at their pursuers, at least what he thought to be their pursuers. Even in his own mind he could not remember their faces, could not pick out their body shape, could not even tell whether they were tall or short and that was exactly what he saw in front of him, shapeless dark splodges in his memory that moved like humans but had no other similarities.
"Oh, look what we have here, two little Slytherin's all on their own," cooed a voice from one of the shadow figures, a voice that sounded so completely inhuman that none of the watchers could even tell whether it was the boy or girl speaking.
Mordred closed his eyes and listened, "They look rather scared don't they?"
"They should be, filthy little mudblood's," nothing, Mordred thought with frustration, they all sounded the same to him, though his brain told him they were different speakers, his ears could not distinguish a single unique trait between the different people speaking.
"But they don't have to be. All we want is the location of the entrance to the Slytherin common rooms and if you give us that we will leave you alone and you won't remember a thing about this." Mordred felt Professor Snape tence beside him.
"… don't waste your time. They won't tell us without a little bit of… persuasion." A shadow spoke, leaning into one of the other shadows, "Especially considering the reason we need to get into the Slytherin common room, my brother was in Slytherin remember, I know how their minds work."
Mordred's eyes snapped open, his eyes zeroing in on the shadow that had just spoken, something was missing off the start of its sentence.
Looking up at the Professor Snape he opened his mouth but the professor simply nodded and mouthed, "I know," cutting Mordred off before he could even speak.
"I don't get it," another monotone, inhuman voice said, "why would the fact that we want Menem make them more reluctant to tell us where the entrance is?"
Mordred glanced down at Hermione who was watching the scene with a morbid fascination clearly portrayed on her face. They watched their past selves tense up and look at each other fearfully.
"Look what you've done now…,they're never going to tell us anything."
"Oh yes they will, three words ladies and gentlemen, Divide and Conquer." A fearful whimper escaped Hermione as the words washed over them, the two both knowing what was to come next, "These two Slytherin's are outsiders even within their own house, they look after each other, everyone can see that, so the question is… what would one of them do if the other were in pain?"
Hearing the words a second time did not stop the fear that coursed through Mordred as they were spoken and it was only a single strong hand on his shoulder that stop him from collapsing on the ground.
"We'll never tell you, you know," past Hermione stated as she grabbed hold of past Mordred's hand in silent support, "and when this is over we'll just go to one of the professors and tell them everything."
"Funny you should say that little mudblood," a shadow hissed, seeming to glide forward and point an indistinguishable wand at past Hermione's temple as another did the same to past Mordred's, "because as a matter-of-fact you won't remember everything. Don't worry though, you'll remember the most important bits, the pain we're about to inflict, the fear you felt and the despair when you realise there's no escape. The problem is, that's the only thing you will remember."
Mordred watched captivated as his past self collapsed on the stop floor, gritting his teeth and shaking as what looked like electrical currents were sent through his body.
"No!" Past Hermione shouted as he watched her friend thrashing about on the floor in pain, "No… Mordred… Leave him alone! Please! Please!"
"Now, now little mudblood," the shadow that was holding past Hermione murmured in her ear, "This is all your fault you know, you can stop this, all you need to do is tell us where the Slytherin common room is, tell us how to get in there little mudblood and all this will be over, we'll let you go."
"Did you know mudblood that the spell now being used on your friend is like a slightly less painful form of the Cruciatus?" One of the shadows asked.
Past Hermione gritted her teeth and turned her head as far as she could, spitting into the face of the shadow who had just spoke, "You're disgusting!"
The shadow that had been holding her growled, "… I think it's time we step this up a notch, I think the mudblood needs slightly more visual effects to understand the pain that she's putting her friend through," and without another word the shadow flung past Hermione away from itself towards another of the shadows who grabbe what are you doing stop d her and strode towards Mordred's still thrashing body. Pointing its own wand at Mordred the shadow mumbled something under its breath and just as Mordred body stopped shaking he was hit with another curse.
Feeling echoes of the pain he had suffered emanate through his mind Mordred finally allowed his legs to give out from underneath him as he and Hermione slid to the floor. Holding his friend close, he whispered in her ear, "It's okay, its okay Hermione… it's over now, I'm here, we're okay, we're okay…"
A loud scream from in front of them brought the pair's attention back to the scene and they watched horrified as the curse placed on past Mordred slowly started to take a visible effect, as his flesh was torn open in shallow cuts all over his body; the longer the wand was held pointed at him the deeper the cut seemed to get and pretty soon blood was flowing freely from wounds.
"We've never done anything to you!" Past Hermione screamed struggling to get free, "Why do this to us?"
"It's nothing personal," one of the shadows said, "you are simply a means to an end that we have been trying to achieve for years."
One of the other shadows stepped up to Mordred's side and pointed his wand at Mordred, seconds later Mordred's body was completely healed, only for him to arch in pain, a silent scream escaping his mouth as another curse was thrown at him.
It went on like that for what felt like hours, the shadows would torture Mordred, maim his body beyond all recognition and then in the blink of an eye heal him completely, only to start the process all over again. When it became obvious that neither Mordred nor Hermione was going to say anything, their tormentors became impatient and attention was turned on Hermione. Mordred, beyond any kind of coherent thought due to the pain he was in had gone into a coma like state that not even an enervate could revive him from. It was quite soon after that as Hermione was screaming from the latest spell used on her that a sudden shattering reverberated through the air causing it to waver like a mirage for a moment. Not seconds later a loud screeching sound emitted from a giant ball of fur that came careening into the two's tormentors scattering them like pins at a bowling alley.
That was when the memory went blank.
Before anyone could do or say anything much the five once again found themselves stood in Professor Dumbledore's office, where Mme Pomfrey seemed to have disappeared from.
Dumbledore indicated for the four to once again take their seats as he strode over and paced behind his desk all the while muttering under his breath.
Eventually Snape seemed to lose all patients with the old man and said tightly, "Albus, stop your incessant pacing right this instant I'm going stir crazy over here while you mutter to yourself, tell us what you thinking."
Dumbledore turned to look at Snape in surprise, as if only just remembering that they were there, "I am going through my options Severus," the old wizard sighed, "and I am starting to think there is very little to be done."
Professor Snape attempts to his seat, "What can you possibly mean Albus, this is a cut and dry case, my students have been attacked, the students that have done the attacking will be punished, most likely expelled with their wands broken and my students will get counselling for the trauma they have been put through."
Professor Dumbledore shook his head, a sad look stealing over his face as he gazed earnestly at the man in front of him, "I do not think that will be the case in this instance Severus."
If he had not been looking for it, Mordred could easily have missed the way Snape's shoulders tensed and his eyes changed from smouldering coals to flinty cold slate in an instant, "What do you mean?" His Professor asked lowly.
Dumbledore seemed to have noticed the change as well because he straightened slightly, his pale icy eyes locking with Snape's, "I am sorry my boy, but there is very little I can do in this. You saw it yourself, in that memory there is not a single indication of who the attackers are and short of interrogating the entire student body while under veritaserum there is very little chance that any of them are going to tell the truth and own up to such a heinous crime."
"Are you saying, that you are just going to let this slide Albus?" Snape asked incredulously, "These two first-year students have been attacked and you intend to do nothing about it?"
"Like I said Severus, short of putting the whole of the student body under veritaserum and questioning them, which by the way is completely illegal if the participant is under the age of 17 or a student at Hogwarts in any situation, there is very little I can do. We do not know the identity of the attacker and because Mr Pendragon is so reluctant to allow me into his head we may never know. Then of course is the question of how on earth this attack could have gone on unnoticed in such a heavily used corridor in the dungeons. Add to that the fact that neither of the victims have a single scratch on them and we come up with one big dead end. It's highly likely that what really happened is that the student thought it would be funny to plant this horribly grotesque false memory in their head as a prank. If that truly is the case, then we have even less evidence than we did when they had truly been attacked; I'm sorry Severus but my hands are tied, there is nothing I can do.
"Nothing you can do, or nothing you will do?" Snape asked dangerously, his hands clenching at his side.
Mordred had never seen anyone looks so furious in his life as the headmaster did right now, "What exactly are trying to imply with that statement Severus?"
"You know exactly what I'm implying Albus," stated Snape, refusing to back down, "You have become so caught up in your search for Harry bloody Potter that you have forsaken the well-being of every other student, you have pushed their needs to the side in your relentless pursuit of a boy that is in all probability dead already."
It seemed like neither Professor was going to back down but with a shake of his head Professor Dumbledore looked away from Snape towards the three students watching the scene unfold with interest, "This is not a conversation to be had in front of children Severus," he said calmly, "I suggest you take your students safely back to their common room and we can discuss this at a later date."
For a split second it looked like Professor Snape was about to object but then with a flick of his wrist behind him the door to the office sprung open and with a swirling swish of his robes he was gone.
"Mr Pendragon, Mr Menem, Miss Granger, I think it's time you all went to bed," Dumbledore said to the three students, a steely quality to his soft declaration that seemed to make Menem jumped to attention, grabbing Mordred and Hermione each by the shoulder and pulling out of the office.
Snape was nowhere to be seen when they reached the bottom of the spiral staircase, but Menem did not break his stride as he kept silently ushering his two charges in the direction of the dungeons.
They found Professor Snape in the corridor where the two had been attacked, he was looking around and waving his wand as if trying to find some evidence of the attack truly happened. In that moment Mordred could not have been more proud to have the man as his head of house. When they offered assistance however, the man seemed he shook his head and motioned them to carry on. Feeling too tired to argue with three carried on and eventually reached the official entrance to the Slytherin common room. Menem with a tired sigh stated the password and entered gently nudging the other two in the direction of the first-year area.
"I'll fix it for you two to have the day off tomorrow," he murmured, his hand brushing once over Mordred's shoulder in some form of approval as he turned his back on them and vanished from sight.
"Come on Hermione," Mordred said wrapping his arms around the girl beside him and tugging her towards the dormitory stairwell.
"Mordred I… I can't," she whimpered when Mordred indicated she should go up to the girls dormitories, "I can't go up there on my own, not tonight… please."
Mordred sighed, "Come on then," he said slowly taking her down the stairs towards his own dormitory and quietly pushing the door open. Laying Hermione down on his bed he turned around taking off his outer robes and shoes. When he turned back around he smiled sadly the sight of Hermione completely collapsed from exhaustion on his bed in front of him. Shaking his head he removed Hermione's shoes and outer robes before levitating her just enough to work the quilts and blankets out from underneath her. Climbing into bed he pulled Hermione close to him covering them with the quilts as he went and in seconds was dead to the world.
The next morning dawned bright with the light penetrating even the deepest depths of the Slytherin dungeon, but for Mordred and Hermione, their day was not about to begin so early, or so they thought.
Mordred eyes had only just flickered open because of the ray of light coming through his bed curtains when every single one of them was pulled back to reveal his rather irate looking roommates.
"Come on Pendragon, I don't care what's wrong with you but…" Draco trailed off at the sight before him. The mudblood had her head pillowed on Pendragon's chest whimpering slightly and Pendragon had his arms wrapped possessively around her as he glared straight at Draco.
"Mordred make the light go away," the mudblood cried piteously and Pendragon shushed her, stroking her hair once with his hand before sliding out of bed and covering her in the quilt.
"What in Merlin's name is going on?" Blaise asked from beside Draco, and the blonde felt his heart sink, Blaise had been lacking for a reason to have a go at the two mudbloods since the first day when the girl had shown him in potions, "having one mudblood in our room is bad enough but when you two started shacking up together I at least thought you'd have the decency to do it away from here."
Pendragon gave Blaise and incredulous stare before he grabbed his wand and flicked it, causing the drapes around the bed to shut, "Look at what I'm wearing Zambini," he said gesturing down at his school trousers and undershirt, "Does it look like I was doing anything particularly sexual? Plus I think we're all a little young to be thinking about that I'm what, 11 years old?"
Blaise seemed to realise his mistake because with an annoyed shrug and last glare at Pendragon he backed away and looked at Draco, handing over the job of talking back to him. Draco growled at his friend, he knew he was their leader, but when the Blaise started argument that he couldn't finish it was not his job to do it for him.
"What is the other mudblood doing in our room Pendragon?" He asked with a put upon sigh, as if he was talking to a small child.
"Don't call her that!" Pendragon growled, but when Draco simply raised an eyebrow at him, waiting for his answer he sighed and continued, "We were attacked last night," he said in a low voice and when Draco's eyes widened in astonishment he went quickly, "They tortured us, they would hurt us, use curses on us and then they'd suddenly heal us and start all over again. In the end Hermione's cat scared them away and we lost consciousness."
Draco looked Pendragon over from head to foot, though he looked a little pale nothing else seemed to be wrong and he said as much.
Pendragon frowned and his countenance changed completely, his fists clenching and his teeth grinding, anger shimmering in his eyes, "When we fell unconscious we were both badly hurt, but when we woke up every single one of our injuries were gone. Madam Pomfrey looked us over, but she could find nothing wrong with us apart from being completely exhausted. I'm sure you'll find out more about it later on today, I can't imagine Professor Snape keeping quiet about it."
Draco looked the boy in front of him over once again; he didn't seem to stand straight as you normally did there were big bags under his bloodshot eyes. Making a snap decision Draco abruptly turned around digging into his bedside Cabinet and bringing out two small vials of clear green liquid that had tiny flecks of black floating around in them.
He handed the two vials to Pendragon and at the other boys quizzical look explained, "It's Bottled Sleep, it can't be used all the time as there are some rather terrible side-effects but the one-time uses it's fine. We cannot show you any compassion publicly because you are as far as we know mudbloods, but we are solid as a house Pendragon and we present a solid front. If you were truly attacked then showing up to class today looking like that is going to make them think they've won, that they've found a weak link in the Slytherin chain and that cannot happen."
"Thank you Malfoy," Pendragon said with a nod, trying to hand back the vials at the same time, "but you don't need to give us these, Menem gave us the day off."
Draco huffed, "And that will have the exact same effect as showing up looking battered Pendragon. Take the Bottled Sleep and go to class, that is order from me as the head of our year."
"How do I know I can trust you?" Pendragon asked, a frown tilting his lips.
"You don't," Draco said simply and was about to turn away when the vials were shoved back at him.
"Then I'm afraid I can't exept them Malfoy," Pendragon replied, waiting for Draco to take them back.
For some reason Pendragons refusal angered Draco, all he wanted to do was help, "For Merlins sake Pendragon, just take the damed potions, I swear on my magic there is nothing wrong with them and that they are exactly what I have just told you so mote it be!"
There was a collective intake of breath from behind him and Pendragons face contorted with utter shock as magic swirled around Draco, setting his promise in magic.
Suddenly realizing what he'd just done Draco swept round and left the room knowing that the rest would follow but not wanting to give them or Pendragon any chance to question. When they reached the common room however, they were surprised to find the rest of their housemates already seated in the central semicircle, Menem and Professor Snape on the stairs in front of the exit.
Seating themselves right in front of the stairs with some of the first-year girls and a group of boys from one of the other first-year dormitories Draco tapped Pansy Parkinson on the shoulder and asked, "What is all this about?"
Pansy shrugged, "I don't know, although the mudblood girl didn't come back last night and she wasn't in bed this morning, I wonder if it's about that, though I can't imagine anybody is worried about her."
"Yes, that is probably it," Draco said with a sigh, "although, I already know where you're missing mudblood is, she spent the night in our room with her mudblood chum."
Pansy's eyes widened and she sneered, "I seriously suggest you get the room disinfected before you sleep in there tonight."
Draco growled at Pansy's accusation but for the life of him couldn't figure out why. To answer Pansy's surprised and questioning look he went on, "According to Pendragon they were –"
"Attention Slytherin's," Professor Snape called, cutting Draco off and gaining the silent attention of the room in one fell swoop, "I am sorry to announce a very dire situation has arisen within Slytherin. Last night two of our students were attacked by older members of another house."
At Snape's pronouncement, the whole common room burst into wide-eyed whispers until Snape's voice rose over them, "I know that you are all aware who Mr Mordred Pendragon and Miss Hermione Granger are and I know there is no love lost between you and them, but last night they did us the greatest service any member of our house can give. When they were walking back from the tea they were attacked by six older students from another house and repeatedly tortured for hours. The reason for this was the attackers wish to know the location and password of our common room, they wish to gain entrance to our most sacred space and because of the actions of Miss Granger and Mr Pendragon that information is still safe."
As the noise level rose in the common room Blaise climbed to his feet, and angry look on his face even has Draco tried to pull him down, "Come now people, use your heads!" He exclaimed turning round partly to face the rest of the house, "Do you really think it is such a coincidence that it was them that got attacked not one of us? Why would they keep our secrets, they have no reason whatsoever to feel any loyalty towards us, we have not treated them as our own. I have seen both Pendragon and Granger this morning with my own eyes and though I admit they looked tired they did not look as if they have been hurt in any way shape or form. They are simply trying to manipulate us into accepting them!"
When the sound level in the room rose, many people shouting outraged cries it was Menem's voice that cut through everyone with a resounding, "Silence!"
"I have seen the memory of what happened myself Mr Zambini," Menem said in a low voice that nonetheless carried to the rest of the students present.
"Isn't it obvious?" Blaise scoffed, causing Draco to question whether Blaise would not have been better placed in Gryffindor, his stupidity knew no bounds, "They faked it, it's a fake memory that they implanted in their heads to make us think we owe them a debt!"
Menem's eyes widened and he opened his mouth as if to start berating Blaise but Snape cut him off, "Mr Menem is not the only one that saw the memory Mr Zambini," he said in a low dangerous voice, his eyes piercing Blaise's, "Do you think that they could so easily trick me into thinking a fake memory is real as Mr Menem?"
Blaise's brain seem to re-engage at that moment because his eyes widened and he shook his head furiously stuttering, "N – N – No – No Professor!"
Snape stared at Blaise for a moment longer, before he nodded his head, "Good," he murmured turning his attention back to the rest of the assembled students, "The fact that these attackers did not get what they wanted when they tortured Mr Pendragon and Miss Granger makes it very likely that this could happen again, to any one of you. Therefore I am issuing a rollcall to be taken every hour that you're not in class and everyone is to be back in the common room by eaight o'clock at which time the entrance will be locked."
Loud groans could be heard throughout the common room and one fifth year stood up asking, "Professor I'm not being disrespectful in any way, shape or form you must understand this, but don't you think these measures are a bit extreme? Do you think maybe you may be overreacting slightly Sir?"
Snape lifted an eyebrow and looked straight at the fifth year searchingly, "In all the years you have been here Mr Satori, when have I ever overreacted to a situation, if anything I have been under cautious because I trusted my Slytherin's could look out for themselves. I will not breach the trust I have from Mr Pendragon and Miss Granger by showing you the memory of what happened to them, but I assure you the torture those two first years went through last night is equal to what a lower tier Death Eater was capable of inflicting."
When the student nodded quickly and sat down Snape continued, "I am not asking you to like them, I am not asking you to talk to them, all I am asking is that you take this incident as a reminder of the cruelty the other houses are capable of. I am asking you to make sure that our secrets do not escape and to do that you have to look united as a house, a house which includes Miss Granger and Mr Pendragon. No more sitting apart from them when outside of this common room; first years, you will have to take the brunt of the responsibility in this instance. I'm not asking you to talk, I'm not asking you to interact, but am asking you to make it look like you are. The mandatory register will be taken by placing your lips on the ring when it grows hot. To stop people from noticing this action the registration will be at a different time during the hour for everyone."
Professor Snape gave one last look around the common room at students before turning and sweeping out the entrance. In a flurry of movement everyone in the common room rose and also made their way towards the entrance.
"This is preposterous," Blaise growled, "I can't believe he expect us to hang out with… to interact with those worthless –"
"Blaise, to be quiet before you hurt yourself," Draco said sternly.
"Oh, and are you going to make me Draco?" Blaise asked in a sickly sweet voice, completely at odds with the sneer that was marring his lips.
At that moment, Draco lost his temper with the other boy and spun, hand stretching out to clamp around Blaise's throat as he pushed him back up against the wall.
"Yes Blaise," Draco whispered in his ear, making sure not to squeeze his hand too hard around the boy's neck, "because the fact of the matter is, since the mudbloods showed you up in class you have done nothing but instigate fights which you could not finish and I'm getting fed up with having to deal with the aftermath. This time Blaise, you'll do as Snape commands; you will shut up, you will sit next to the mudbloods at breakfast, you will walk with them to class and stand with them outside the classrooms, all the while smiling like you're having the time of your pathetic little life."
Letting go of Blaise's neck he turned to the rest of the first years, all of whom were watching him wide-eyed and shocked, "Anybody else have a problem with Professor Snape's announcement?"
Back in the dormitory Mordred was still looking at the two vials in his hands; with a sigh he decided that yes Malfoy was right and that he had to trust the boy. Uncorking one of the glass vials, he tipped his head back and allow the contents to pour into his mouth. Immediately his mouth began to burn and resisting the urge to spit it out he quickly swallowed and felt the fire fall into his stomach. After a moment of panicking that maybe Malfoy had given him some trick potion, he realised that as he was clutching his stomach every fibre of his being seemed to be far more alert than it had been before. As the burning started to subside he uncurled himself and stretched out his arms in wonder, feeling energy rush through him, every trace of sleepiness wiped from him.
Turning quickly, he opened the curtains to his bed and shook Hermione awake, "Drink this," he insisted, shoving stop the potion under her nose.
"What is it?" Hermione asked suspiciously as she took the potion and held the vial up to the light, her hand shaking slightly.
"Bottled Sleep," Mordred said, and then taking in Hermione's pale, almost green features, the large bags under her eyes and her shaking body he asked, "How are you feeling?"
"Like someone ran over me with a bulldozer and then used me as a punch bag for a gang of raging baboons."
Mordred laughed, "Well if you feel that good then you'll have no problem coming to class with me!" he joked and once again motioned to the bottle in the girls hand sobering slightly, "Take that Hermione, it'll help I promise."
Hermione seeming to have forgotten about the bottle in her hand once again held it up, "Where did you get this?" she asked.
"Malfoy gave it to me," he said lightly but when her eyes widened in alarm he hurriedly continued, "He swore on his magic that it was safe Hermione."
Hermione looked up at Mordred in shock, "Why would he do that?" She asked in astonishment, "There is absolutely no reason for him to do something like that. I mean, granted you would not have accepted the vials if he hadn't, but…"
Mordred nodded in agreement, "I don't understand it either, maybe it was simply his reaction to my defiance, to make it so that I couldn't say no."
"You've taken it?" Hermione asked him, making sure he couldn't look away as her eyes bore into his. "You trust him," she whispered, her eyes widening in surprise. It was not a question, but a statement and it was said with such disbelief that Mordred immediately felt defensive.
"I wouldn't have," he said in a low voice, "I wouldn't have trusted him if he hadn't sworn the oath… but he did… and…" Words were lost to Mordred, he couldn't understand why he felt the way he did, couldn't understand this sudden rightness he felt about trusting the blonde.
With a sigh and an unhappy shake of her head Hermione tilted the vial in her hand towards her lips, swallowing the potion in one. At Mordred's astonished look she simply gave him a sad smile and said, "If you trust him Mordred, then I do too, for your sake."
When the two entered the Great Hall and made their way over to their house table the feeling of change was almost sentient; while the Slytherin's didn't look at them differently the change was visible in their positioning along the table. Before every Slytherin year group had sat together with not a single setting between them; an arrangement that had occurred at the welcoming feast when the Slytherin's had moved away from Hermione and Mordred, leaving at least ten place settings between the mudbloods and the rest of the house. Now there were spaces in between each year group, a clear definition about where each member of the house belonged.
Hermione and Mordred out the table warily, it was obvious where their seats were; they were still sat at the end of the table, but now there was no space between them and the rest of their housemates.
The change it seemed, had not gone unnoticed, it had caught the attention of the other houses as well. Snatched whispers of –
"… that's different…"
"… back to the old layout."
And, "… finally been accepted…" could be heard from the Ravenclaw table. One old Ravenclaw presumably a pureblood, could even be here to wondering aloud what on earth the Slytherin is the thinking letting the mudbloods have free rein in their house.
"What a drop in standard," the blonde boy exclaimed in a loud sarcastic tone, "there used to be such a distinction between the purebloods of Slytherin and the rest of us mere mortals, guess in the end the pressure of their superiority complexes just got the better of them."
Laughter rang out and it wasn't confined to just the Ravenclaw table, Snickers could be here from all over the Hall as even some muggleborn's for Hufflepuff could be heard laughing at the Slytherin's expense.
To the surprise of many, the Slytherin's did not ignore the comments being thrown at the so called unworthy members of their house, but turned as one and glared at the Ravenclaw.
"We do not take kindly to members of our house being insulted Mr Rosalind," hissed a honey brown headed fourth-year witch.
"Yes Jacob, please be quiet;" came a calm yet clear voice from the Slytherin second year group.
"Arabella," Rosalind spat at the girl who had just spoken, "What is daddies Princess have to say now.
"Nothing really important dear brother mine," replied a small blonde haired girl as she locked hardened eyes with her older sibling across the room and rose to his feet which, though only gaining her a few inches, seemed to make her a very imposing figure in some strange way, "Merely that the rest of the family would be quite put out if they knew you were holding a grudge and taking out your frustrations on the Slytherin's. Especially for something as simple as not being sorted into Slytherin house the way you thought you should be."
Rosalind looked like he was about to start screaming profanities at his sister, but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.
"It isn't worth it Rosalind," the other Ravenclaw hissed in his ear and slowly managed to guide his friend to sit once again.
The drama over, everyone went back to eating and once breakfast was over Mordred and Hermione moved to get up, each glancing at the schedules, exchanging excited glances when they realised they had Divination.
"First years!" a prefect called, "Group one! Over here please!"
Mordred and Hermione looked round and made their way over to the class, waiting patiently for the prefect, a Jonah Walheart, if Mordred remembered correctly, to explain.
When everyone had gathered around him, Walheart made a motion to follow him with his hand and took off at a brisk stride out of the Hall.
About to move to the back of the group the way they normally would Mordred and Hermione were surprised to find their way blocked by Crabbe and Goyle; before any feelings of unease can enter their brains however Malfoy, at the head of the group turned and walked out. With the rest of the first-year class following him, Hermione and Mordred had little choice but to get ushered along in the middle.
This second startling change in the Slytherin attitudes toward the two lesser members of the house again did not go unnoticed. People from other houses were openly staring at them, and speculation varied widely from blackmail by the mudbloods to thanks by the Slytherin's for some good deed, (in theory not far from the truth).
"Oh come on Hermione," Mordred sighed, skipping just slightly to keep up the first years in front of them, "The idea of divination is very interesting, but in practice…" He trailed off, looking at his friend with a shrug.
"I admit," Hermione panted slightly, as they made their way through the halls at a pace just that tiny bit too fast for little first-year legs, "There is a lot of speculation about divination on the whole, the problem is there are many people who think they have the sight, who delude themselves into thinking that they have the power to see into the future and back into the past, when in actual fact they don't."
"Either way, we have to assume that Dumbledore has hired a competent and genuine sear, we have no evidence to presume otherwise. So far all of the teachers have been good, even if that is not shown properly because of the mix of students within one class."
Hermione nodded, "True, I guess we'll just have to judge for ourselves."
Walking swiftly through the halls, it took the class ten minutes before they were stopped by Walheart at the base of the North Tower. With a rather malicious grin Walheart pointed to the set of staircase spiralling around the outside wall of the tower, "Take the staircase all the way up to the top."
So saying, Walheart turned on his heel and strode away from the tower and with disgusted looks at the prefects back the first-year Slytherin's starts to climb.
It was then that the sound of loud voices could be heard coming from the corridor they had just exited.
"Merlin, Morgana and Arthur," whispered Weasley as he looked up at the tower of stairs they had to climb, "We've got to get to the top of that?"
"What's the matter Weasley, so pathetic you can't climb a few stairs to the top?"
Weasley growled, "I could give you a hour head start and still get the top before you Malfoy!"
"You're on Weasley," Malfoy smirked.
"Only if you agree not to cheat Malfoy," Weasley insisted, holding out his hand "Wizards Bet!"
Malfoy hesitated for only a second, his eyes briefly flicking towards Mordred before he clasped Weasley's wrist as Weasley clasped his, "No cheating," Weasley intoned, tapping his wand to Malfoy's hand.
"Last to get the top has blue hair for a week," Malfoy counted tapping his own wand to Weasley's, "all first years in this group are witness."
No sooner had Malfoy said this than all the other first years suddenly found themselves at the top of the stairs.
"What happened?" Hermione questioned and to her surprise Baize Zambini answered
"A Wizards Bet requires witnesses to prove who won, in this case, the whole of our group are whitness."
Thirty minuets and one thousand seven hundred and twenty-one steps later the first-year Slytherin's were welcoming their fellow as he reached the top of the tower, "Merlin," Malfoy panted lightly, "I'm flying up here in third year."
With a vicious self-satisfied sneer crept onto Malfoy's lips and turning he made his way over to the railing to look down at the Weasley, face an unbecoming red and chest heaving, still only half way up.
Pointing his wand, Malfoy took aim and a bright blue light shot out the tip, hitting the Weasley directly on his crown and turning his hair cobalt blue.
"That should teach him to try and beat a Malfoy at anything," the blonde said turning back toward the Slytherin group and the small landing they were now occupying, his eyebrow rising in confusion as he took in the fact there were no doors. "And where exactly do we go from here?"
Smirking, Mordred pointed at the trap door in the ceiling and simply said, "Up"
Malfoy frowned, "Oh yes Pendragon, well done, but how do we get up there in the first place?"
Mordred shrugged and turned away from Malfoy, walking over to where Hermione was standing near the wall.
"What are you doing?" he asked as he reached her.
"There seems to be some sort of marking on this stone," was the only answer she gave as she peered closer at the stone. Mordred looked at the wall but he could see nothing and was about to say so as Hermione placed her hand on the wall.
Like a thunderbolt striking the tower the landing shook for a second, knocking everyone off their feet before going still.
"What was…" but Knott didn't finish as his eyes focused in on the rope ladder that now hung down from the trap door.
Wide eyed, Hermione made her way over to the ladder and curled a tentative hand around the wood. "After you mudblood," Pansy Parkinson said, as she walked over to inspect the ladder as well. Hermione huffed and with a shake of her head started climbing the ladder with Mordred hot on her heels, still not feeling quite safe around the rest of his classmates.
At the top of the ladder Hermione and Mordred emerged into the strangest-looking classroom they had ever seen. In fact, it didn't look like a classroom at all, more like a cross between someone's attic and an old-fashioned tea shop. At least twenty small, circular tables were crammed inside it, all surrounded by chintz armchairs and fat little poufs. Everything was lit with a dim, crimson light; the curtains at the windows were all closed, and the many lamps were draped with dark red scarves. It was stiflingly warm, and the fire that was burning under the crowded mantelpiece was giving off a heavy, sickly sort of perfume as it heated a large copper kettle. The shelves running around the circular walls were crammed with dusty-looking feathers, stubs of candles, many packs of tattered playing cards, countless silvery crystal balls, and a huge array of teacups.
"Well what now?" Mordred asked, turning towards Hermione as the rest of the class spread out into the classroom.
"Now I welcome you," said a soft and rather dreamy voice from an armchair that was closest to the fire. "It is nice to have at least one true seer amongst you and one of considerable power if my wards are not mistaken. I will admit I was on the edge of letting the ladder down for you anyway."
Mordred looked at Hermione with wide amused eyes as the two took in their new Professor who had obviously been trying her hand at dramatic flair by using a disillusionment charm when they first came in.
"Come, please sit down children, there is much to talk about now that I have you here in the physical world."
The students shuffled into seats around tables, each with a the crystal ball in the centre as Professor Trelawney moved into the firelight. They saw that she was very thin; her large glasses magnified her eyes to several times their natural size, and she was draped in a gauzy spangled shawl. Innumerable chains and beads hung around her spindly neck, and her arms and hands were encrusted with bangles and rings.
"Welcome to Divination," said Professor Trelawney, who was walking slowly around the room and peering at each student threw her huge magnifying glasses. "My name is Professor Trelawney. You may not have seen me before. I find that descending too often into the hustle and bustle of the main school clouds my Inner Eye."
Mordred and Hermione shared another amused smirk at this, both were starting to think that this was a lost cause of a subject with a professor like this teaching it.
Professor Trelawney delicately rearranged her shawl and continued, "So you have chosen to study Divination, the most difficult of all magical arts. I must warn you at the outset that if you do not have the Sight, there is very little I will be able to teach you...Books can take you only so far in this field..."
Mordred and Hermione frowned at each other, "But if that is true, surely we are wasting our time being here," Hermione said with a frown directed at their new teacher, "The percentage of true seer's is 1000. Even then, the chances that person being a seer of any true power is very slim, it's more common for a group of lower powered Sears to group together in order to boost their ability."
Professor Trelawney's gaze turned the towards Hermione in surprise, "You know facts very well child, but I can already tell you that you are not a true seer and therefore have very little place in this class."
Laughter rang out around the Gryffindor's as Hermione's mouth open slightly in surprise, but she recovered quickly and her eyes narrowed.
"How can you tell that Professor, simply by looking at me, I'll have you know that I am rather accomplished witch for a muggleborn."
"Many witches and wizards, talented though they are in the area of loud bangs and smells and sudden disappearings, are yet unable to penetrate the veiled mysteries of the future," Professor Trelawney said, her eyes moving over Hermione in thinly veiled sympathy, "You may have, as you recited earlier some low powered talent that the fact that you are muggleborn exempts you from ever being a true seer. A seer born with enough power to work alone only comes from a build-up of latent magic which only occurs from a long line of magical breeding."
Surprise took over Hermione's face and in an unexpectedly even tone she replied, "I did not know that, and if that's the case then I truly don't have a place here in your classroom, I have no wish to become a seer that can only work her magic by working with others."
So saying, Hermione rose from her seat, making her way quickly towards the ladder and it took Mordred only a split second to decide to follow, surreptitiously swiping the small crystal ball from their table as he went.
"Where are you going boy?" Trelawney questioned as she saw Mordred leaving; Mordred tensed slightly, thinking he had been caught but then Trelawney continued, "I sensed powering you, you may be true seer, tell me what is your family name?"
Mordred slowly turned towards the Professor a sneer marring his face as he answered, "I have no family name, my last name is Pendragon, but as a muggleborn I highly doubt I have the potential you seem to think I have. She think it possible that your senses a slightly out of whack?" With that final jab at his teacher Mordred turned swept down the ladder, the sound of laughter echoing behind him.
For the rest of what would have been divination Mordred and Hermione sat curled up in the library corner studying and it was only at the end of their period when Mordred finally brought the crystal ball out of his pocket.
"Mordred," Hermione exclaimed in amused surprise, "did you take that from Professor Trelawney's classroom?"
Mordred laughed, "I may have done, I mean Merlin Hermione, the woman thought I had seer potential and we both know I'm a muggleborn through and through. If that doesn't tell you how much of a joke that woman is I don't know what will."
Hermione laughed and held out her hand, "I wonder, shall I be able to see anything in the crystal ball?" She said playfully, but the moment the ball fell into her hand Hermione's face glazed over and her eyes turned white and her body started to tremble. With a piercing scream she dropped the crystal ball; her eyes were once again a clear piercing blue as they connected with Mordred's and Hermione was suddenly falling so fast it was all Mordred could do to reach out and stop her head from cracking against the hard stone floor.
Carefully resting Hermione's head down on the floor, Mordred have the inexplicable urge to grab the crystal ball from where it had fallen and stuff it into his pocket seconds before Madam Prince came hurtling around the bookshelves.
"What on earth happened here?" She asked frantically as she took in Hermione's prone form.
Mordred was already reaching into his pocket to pull out the orb and explain but again the urge not to do so reared its head and instead he said, "I don't know, one minute she was reading the next minute she stood up screamed, then… she's fainted."
Madam Prince narrowed her eyes at him and it was a long moment before she looked away with a nod, "Very well, then we need to take Miss Granger to the hospital wing." So saying, Madam Prince pulled out her wand and with a spell too low for Mordred to hear she sent a beautiful ghostly peacock tearing out of her wand and out of the library.
In slight shock Mordred stood waiting for he did not know what, silently fingering the orb in his pocket. It took a few minutes before Madam Pomfrey entered the library but as soon as she saw who was laying on the floor her eyes widened and she immediately crouched down beside Hermione. Running her wand over Hermione's body she mumbled under her breath, simple diagnostic spells first, from what Mordred could tell, but when one after another told her that Hermione was perfectly healthy, they started to become more specialist.
Eventually she stopped casting and sat up turning towards Mordred, "is she alright?" Mordred asked anxiously his hands clenching at his sides as he looked frantically between his friend and the nurse.
"Miss Granger is fine Mr Pendragon," Pomfrey said looking directly at Mordred, "at least physically she is, her mind however, it's in turmoil."
"What you mean?"
"Exactly what it said Mr Pendragon, her mind is in overdrive, it working far faster than it should and it seems to be changing in some way, it's quite astonishing but there seems to be very little I can do. The only thing I can suggest without a more thorough examination is to let her rest."
Mordred went to the rest of his classes in a daze, after taking Hermione to the hospital wing Madam Pomfrey insisted he go to class and let his friend rest. It was in this mind-set that he slowly made his way across the grounds of Hogwarts towards the small hut that was owned by the gamekeeper Hagrid for his first Care of Magical Creatures class.
"C'mon, now, get a move on!" The giant called as the class approached. "Now as it is, Professor Kettleburn lost another limb the other day so I'm gonna be introducin you to Care a Magical Creatures. Got a real treat for yeh today! Great lesson comin' up! Everyone here? Right, follow me!"
The half giant lumbered off around the edge of his hut, skimming along the edges of the forbidden forest until five minutes later, they found themselves outside a kind of paddock. There was nothing in there.
"Everyone gather 'round the fence here!" he called. "That's it - make sure yeh can see."
"Righ' then," said the half giant went on in an excited tone picking up a stack of envelopes, take one an pass um on, don't open um til I come back..."
And so saying the half giant strode away from them into the forest and out of sight.
"God, this place is going to the dogs," said Malfoy loudly. "That oaf teaching classes, my father'll have a fit when I tell him -"
Mordred, still not paying much attention simply rolled his eyes and propped himself up more fully on the fence he was leaning against.
"Oooooooh!" Squealed one of the Gryffindor girls, pointing toward the opposite side of the paddock and causing everyone to turn and look.
Trotting toward them at a sedate pace were twelve stunningly strange looking creatures that Mordred couldn't keep his eyes off. They had the bodies, hind legs, and tails of horses, but the front legs, wings, and heads of what seemed to be giant eagles, with cruel, steel-colored beaks and large, brilliantly, orange eyes. The talons on their front legs were half a foot long and deadly looking. Each of the beasts had a thick leather collar around its neck, which was attached to a long chain, and the ends of all of these were held in the vast hands of the half giant, who came jogging into the paddock behind the creatures.
"Gee up, there!" he roared, shaking the chains and urging the creatures toward the fence where the class stood. Everyone drew back slightly as a half giant reached them and tethered the creatures to the fence.
"Hippogriffs?" Mordred asked in slight apprehension as he looked towards the half giant.
Surprise flitted through the man's eyes but then they were overtaken by D, "Right ya are Mr...?" The half giant trailed off.
"Pendragon," Mordred stated slowly
The half giant beamed brightly, "Well done Mr Pendragon, 10 points to Slytherin," he roared happily, waving a hand at the creatures. "Beau'iful, aren' they?"
Mordred's mouth was slightly parted as he gazed at the creatures in front of him. They were just beautiful, they were stunning; each one seemed to have an aura of power surrounding it, and as his eyes locked with a huge black hippogriff who seemed to be the herds leader, Mordred felt himself drawn towards the paddock fence.
"So," the giant said, rubbing his hands together in undisguised glee as he looked from student to creature, "if yeh wan' ter come a bit nearer..."
For a second no one moved the then Mordred, eyes still locked with the black hippogriff felt a sudden tug. Stumbling forward Mordred found himself pressed against the paddock fence but just as his hand was about to reach out towards the black hippogriff the half giant grabbed his arm.
"Now Mr Pendragon, firs' thing yeh gotta know abou' Hippogriffs is, they're proud," the giant explained. "Easily offended, Hippogriffs are. Yeh always wait fer the Hippogriff ter make the firs' move," he continued. "It's polite, see? Yeh walk toward him, and yeh bow, an' yeh wait. If he bows back, yeh're allowed ter touch him. If he doesn' bow, then get away from him sharpish, 'cause those talons hurt."
"Now, yeh want ter go first?" He asked Mordred, who was already gazing back at the black hippogriff again.
Without responding to the half giant, Mordred climbed over the paddock fence and made a beeline straight towards the black hippogriff, only to hear the slight intake of breath from half giant behind him.
"Watch it Pendragon," roared the half giant. "That there's Silverbeak, an he don't take too kindly to umans."
Once again ignoring the half giant Mordred continued towards the creature at a steady pace until he was only a foot away.
"Easy now, Pendragon," the half giant warned quietly. "Yeh've got eye contact, now try not ter blink...Hippogriffs don' trust yeh if yeh blink too much..."
Mordred couldn't have blinked if he had wanted to, Silverbeak's startlingly white eyes were piercing his like icy flames. With slow movements Mordred placed a hand at his front and back bending his torso as far as it would go without having to break eye contact.
The Hippogriff didn't move.
"Ah," the half giant said, sounding worried. "Right - back away, now Pendragon, easy does it -"
But then, in a flurry of sudden movement the black hippogriff bounded forward, pushing Mordred flat onto his back and pinning him with a huge claw. For a split second all was still as the hippogriff stared down at Mordred, but then a sudden flash of red light hit the hippogriff in the side causing it to stumble away from Mordred and onto the ground. Jumping to his feet Mordred looked around frantically and locked eyes with Malfoy who had his wand raised at a surprised look on his face.
Just then the black hippogriff seemed to stir and with it the rest of the herd seemed to tense. With a gulp Mordred bolted towards Malfoy, hurtling over the fence and dragging the blonde boy to his knees just as a heard of angry hippogriffs descended upon them. The panicked shouts of the half giant rang through the chaos as the rest of the class scattered.
"Stay on your knees Malfoy," Mordred screamed as the blonde struggled in his grip, "Didn't you hear the half giant, show the creatures respect or you could get trampled!"
Malfoy stopped struggling and went limp in Mordred's arms but it was a few minutes before the rumbling of hooves and the screaming stopped suddenly. A still silence reigned for another minute before Mordred felt a slight tug at his hair. Slowly raising his head his eyes again locked with those of the black hippogriff, as it looked between him and Malfoy. With a second bow of its head it gave a tug of Malfoy's hair, causing the blonde to look up at the hippogriff fearfully but it had already turned its attention back to Mordred. With a final snort it leaned forward and touched its beak to Mordred's forehead and the slight stinging pain erupted from the point of contact, causing Mordred to touch a finger to his forehead, coming away with blood.
Seemingly satisfied, the hippogriff turned back to Malfoy and gave the boy one last glare before turning around and walking away, slowly followed by the rest of the herd.
Mordred let out a slow breath, keeping his eyes trained on hippogriffs as he removed himself from where he had been holding Malfoy down. Almost immediately, the blonde scrambled to his feet and after a moment held his hand out to Mordred. Mordred hesitated for only a second before grasping it, but as soon as their hands touched light started to spill out from between their fingers.
Malfoy gasped again, and immediately pulled his hand back his eyes wide and horrified as he stared at Mordred. It was a moment later that a laugh rang out from behind them, causing the pair to turn just in time to see the Weasley double over with laughter.
"Malfoy's formed a Life Debt with Pendragon!" He wheezed out between hysterical laugh is, "Malfoy is indebted to a muggleborn!"
Like breaking the ice Weasley's words caused laughter to ring out among the purebloods and halfbloods while the Gryffindor muggleborn's just looked on confused.
Malfoy snarled and swung towards Mordred, "Did you do this on purpose Pendragon, you did didn't you!"
Mordred gaped, "I don't even know what a life debt is Malfoy!"
Malfoy looked at him for a moment, and his rage seemed to calm slightly. With a nod he turned and walked back towards the castle, the rest of the Slytherin's following behind.
What just happened? Mordred thought to himself, shaking his head with a sigh and skittering past the Gryffindor's back towards the Castle and the infirmary where Hermione where Hermione had been moved to after the incident in the library. He pushed the doors of the infirmary open and his eyes zeroed in on the bed Hermione lay in, but she was not alone. Professor Dumbledore was there his eyes glazed and his red wand pointed at Hermione.
"Hey! What are you doing?" He exclaimed, coming into the infirmary fully and making his way over to the bed where Dumbledore had just started out of his daze and looked at Mordred in surprise.
"Mr Pendragon, what is that racket you're making?" Came a female voice from behind him and Mordred turned to see Madam Pomfrey bustling out of her office.
Mordred growled and turned back toward Dumbledore, "Excuse me Professor, but are you a trained mediwizard?"
Dumbledore frowned, "No, but I –"
"Then forgive me Sir," Mordred said in a sarcastic tone, "but I don't think you have any business casting spells on a patient in the hospital wing without Madam Pomfrey present."
Dumbledore's eyes widened in Madam Pomfrey looked between the two in confusion, "Albus?" She asked when the old man didn't refute boys claims.
"I was simply looking over Miss Granger Poppy," Dumbledore said in the soothing voice, "Simply one of the diagnoses spells you cast on Miss Granger earlier, nothing to worry about."
Mordred's eyes narrowed, that was not one of the spells Madam Pomfrey had used earlier, none of the healing spell she had cast need contact with Hermione's forehead.
Madam Pomfrey seemed to accept Dumbledore's answer with a nod, she still frowned and said anyway, "Be that as it may Albus, I agree with Mr Pendragon, it would be best if you do not cast any spells on my patients without me being present."
Dumbledore seemed to take this answer in stride, "Yes of course Poppy," he said with a slight bow and a smile towards the Mediwitch, "Please forgive my intrusion I was only trying to help. Either way, I must be off, have a good day both."
Mordred watched the old man go with ill concealed mistrust, but Madam Pomfrey didn't seem to notice as she turned to Hermione and cast a few diagnostic spells around. She sighed, "Still the same I'm afraid Mr Pendragon."
She turned walking back into her office and Mordred took a seat beside his friend, "Come on Badger," Mordred whispered, soothing back a lock of her hair.
As if they were the magic words Hermione's eyes flew open and she gave a huge gas, sitting up and looking around her frantically.
Mordred almost fell off his seat in surprise and turned shouting towards Madam Pomfrey's office that Hermione was awake. The mediwitch came bustling out caffeine frantic diagnostic spells towards the girl as she walked. However after half an hour of casting she sighed and shook her head in puzzlement, "You seem perfectly fine Miss Granger, I cannot find anything physically or mentally wrong with you. Stay tonight under observation and if you are all right in the morning you can go back to class, but for now I want you to take this," she said handing over a powerful vial of what Mordred identified as dreamless sleep potion, "And you Mr Pendragon, I want you to go back to your common room for the library and stop pestering my patient."
Mordred looked towards Hermione confirmation that he should leave and she shrugged helplessly as if to say what can you do, "I'll see you in the morning Mordred," she said eventually. With one last worried look at his friend Mordred nodded and left the infirmary, going straight to the library, he had a few things he needed to look up.
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