Once again my apologies for taking rather long, I suddenly came down with an incredibly high fever and was bedridden for quite some time afterwards. I once again hope the chapter lives up to the expectations, I myself enjoyed writing the dialogue on the end.
And then, I thank all those that have reviewed, added me to their alerts and added me to their favourites! I'm truly very happy with the great response to my story and it urges me to write more.
Labyrinth
The mind of a prodigy is a scary thing. Hermione Granger's however is downright terrifying.
AU. Slytherin!Hermione, Slytherin!Harry
Chapter Four
Assembly
Hermione sat in one of the soft, green chairs in the Slytherin common room whilst reading a book, her Defence Against the Dark Arts homework already laying in her trunk, finished. The book she was reading was The art of the wand written by Arcturius Rosier somewhere in the middle of the 15th century. The language was altered to fit the more modern English and it was incredibly interesting even though it had been her second time reading it.
"The wand is what shapes the magic to its final structure, it focuses the intent and blends it with the magic before becoming essentials a spell desires."
Hermione reread the sentence, the words etching themselves in her mind for later recall. It was the way she worked, her mind was her greatest and most reliable weapon. She did not have an eidetic memory though she certainly tried to have one. Two times. That was all she'd need in order to recall a book for months, if not years, on time. She only needed to have read it two times though she often read it even more just to be sure. Two times was good enough but she didn't aim for good, no, she aimed for perfection.
"The vocalisation guides the blend of magic and intent into a spell. Though the words said when casting a spell are often thought to be unnecessary by filthy mudbloods they are of great importance. The wording is bound to the spell and needed in order for the spell to be cast correctly. 'Reducto' would not work if cast for the first time saying 'silencio' because the magic in the wand acknowledges certain words with certain spells. A wizard skilled enough with, say, 'reducto' would eventually be capable of casting it while saying 'silencio' if given enough exercise."
oOoOoOo
"Potter!" Severus Snape called as he stalked up to Harry and Hermione the following morning as they were on their way to the library, "the headmaster wants you in his office."
"Why?" Harry asked as he stared up at the older man with a frown.
"He didn't elaborate, now go Potter," Severus snapped as he sneered at the boy, not bothering to hide his contempt for the boy that early in the morning.
"Where is his office, sir?" Harry asked as he remained still.
The potions master's sneer turned rather ugly as he pointed in the direction of one of Hogwarts' many staircases, "up there, second hall to the left."
Harry nodded and slowly started moving in the direction the professor pointed at, opposite to where he and Hermione had previously been going, and Hermione immediately made move to follow.
"Just mister Potter, miss Granger, you are not invited."
Hermione shot the man an unreadable look before nodding in his direction and giving Harry a pat on the shoulder, "I'll see you in the library when you're done."
Harry nodded and walked off again, this time on his own.
oOoOoOo
"Harry, my boy, how are you?" Albus Dumbledore asked amiably as he directed the boy to sit on the chair placed in front of his desk, "lemon drop?"
"No thank you, sir," Harry responded evenly as he stared at the offered bowl with a polite smile, "and I'm fine, sir."
Albus frowned for a second before popping one of the candies in his own mouth, "pity, no one ever wants one. Now, how are you liking Hogwarts this far?"
Harry frowned a little at the question, was the man for real? "With all due respect, sir, this is just my second day here." Harry paused for a moment and contemplated his words before talking again, "aside from that, it's fine. A bit cliché but fine."
Albus smiled brilliantly at the boy, his blue eyes twinkling madly as he mentally patted himself on the shoulder, "that's great to hear, my boy, simply great! Now, did you make any friends yet?"
"I did, sir, but if I don't leave now I'll be late for my next class. Charms, I believe," Harry said, lying through his teeth as he shot a charming smile at the headmaster as he rose from his seat.
"Of course Harry, you should go but just know that my door is always open for you if you need it," Albus said as he waved his wand and opened the door to his office so the boy could leave.
"Yes sir, thank you," Harry said as he exited the office and started is trek down the winding stairs again.
Once he was back in the empty hallway he waited for the stone gargoyle to slid shut before letting out a sigh, the man really is a nutter, he thought with a grim face, and Hermione was right, aside from that there is something wrong with him.
Harry shrugged to himself as he tried to find his way back to the library, his charms class wasn't until after lunch and he and Hermione had a whole library to read.
oOoOoOo
Hermione looked up from her book when he heard Harry enter the library, his footsteps echoing through the silent room causing her and the odd Ravenclaw to look up.
"What did he want?" she enquired, turning towards him once he sat down in the chair next to her.
Harry grimaced, "he wanted to know whether or not I liked Hogwarts and if I had any friends yet."
Hermione frowned as she leant forward, resting her elbows on the table after she placed her book down on the polished wood. "Your answer?"
"Vaguely positive," Harry snorted, "though I'm not sure he bought it. He gives off this whole 'slightly demented but loveable grandfather' vibe but I'm not sure. He did seem way too familiar with me, and way too interested."
"The old coot shouldn't stick his nose in business that's not his," Hermione said delicately, "especially not business that's mine."
Harry just shrugged, "he's on the top of the food chain here-"
"For now," Hermione interrupted calmly, her voice chilly, "because we will not be simply mediocre, Harry, we are better than that, Albus Dumbledore is merely another hurdle to overcome."
"And I suppose you already have a plan for that as well?"
"You know me so well," Hermione said with a beatific grin as she picked up her book once again. They would overcome the hurdle that is Albus Dumbledore, she vowed silently, because they were Harry and Hermione, they were the top of the food chain before they were thrown into a different world. They had shown everyone who bullied, belittled, annoyed or opposed them that they were superior and they would do so here as well. And if Albus Dumbledore proved to be too difficult to be overcome they would simply crush him, because they could.
But for now they had research to do, their list wasn't made up for nothing and they needed to know more would they ever stand a chance at crushing Albus Dumbledore.
oOoOoOo
Daphne Greengrass sat regally in her chair as she regarded the other Slytherin first years seated around her in one of the unused classrooms in the dungeons. Her back was straight, her chin was raised and her hands folded primly in her lap as she waited for someone to speak.
"Nott," It was Draco Malfoy that spoke first, she noted absentmindedly, "explain your reasons for the comment to Potter and the mudblood."
Theodore Nott gave no inclination of having heard it or not, his eyes staring vacantly ahead for a moment before they came to rest on Draco for a second. "I do not need to explain my actions, they were necessary and thought through."
"I say it's a conspiracy," Blaise Zabini muttered darkly from his corner, his dark eyes surrounded by bags from not having slept much the past nights, "Potter and the mudblood have drawn Nott into their plan to milk him for his information and then dumping his body in the lake, making it look like an accident."
"That's something your mother would have done, Blaise, and I doubt the mudblood and Potter are coldblooded enough to do such a thing," Draco drawled calmly.
"My mother did not murder my stepfathers," Blaise said angrily, "they met unfortunate and tragic but most importantly accidental ends. And they want you to underestimate them and- Merda!" Blaise hissed when the door suddenly closed loudly and Gregory Goyle shuffled in, mumbling a "sorry," as he went to sit down as well.
"You idiot," Blaise hissed sharply as he glared at Gregory, "do not close doors that loudly, don't you have manners? If there was someone looking for us all they'd have to do was follow the sounds of your idiocy and find us here! You could get us all killed!"
"Oh shush," Millicent Bullstrode grumbled as she shot Blaise a dark look from her own chair, "your paranoia is not needed here."
"My paranoia might just one day save my life," Blaise shot back as he mirrored Millicent's dark look with one of his own, "and while you die tragic deaths I'll laugh from my safe corner and say 'I told you so'"
"The mudblood is coldblooded enough," Pansy Parkinson said hesitantly, "you should have seen her in our dorm, deliberately shattered my glass snake without as much as batting an eyelash."
"Potter threatened to break both my arms," Draco admitted, a frown on his pale face as he thought back on the event, "it bothers me and I plan to write to my father for advice."
His plans were met with nods and various, "I wrote my parents too," from a few of the others in the room. Only Theodore Nott remained quiet as he kept staring ahead with his odd, even stare.
"You didn't write your father?" Daphne asked curiously as she watched him with raised eyebrows.
Theodore slowly faced her and blinked, "my father's opinion has not been taken in account for a long time now." With that he continued staring at the wall again, leaving Daphne to sigh.
"Wasn't his father pardoned by the Ministry?" Daphne whispered to Pansy who sat next to her.
"He was," the pug-faced girl whispered back as she twirled a strand of black hair around her finger lazily, "but that's the problem, it means he chose a side."
"Oh," Daphne said, frowning before she realised what it meant, "Oh! Yes, how silly of me, how could I forget."
Pansy merely rolled her eyes and straightened her back as she looked away from Daphne.
Blaise merely sat in his rather shady corner as he shot a glare at Daphne, "such forgetfulness might one day cost you your life. Potter is the reason I can't sleep in my own dorm! I have been carrying a bezoar with me ever since he has been sorted into Slytherin! He's the Boy Who Lived, who knows what he is capable of!" Blaise cried rather hysterically as his eyes shot across the room, his hands twitching over where he kept his wand.
"He's been raised by filthy muggles," Draco intervened smoothly, "I highly doubt he is that magically capable. And he hangs out with the mudblood, who's a mudblood no matter how scary or coldblooded she might seem. And aside from that I highly doubt he'd poison your food, Blaise. That snake of yours, Pansy, is merely an out-of-hand act of accidental magic and I might be overreacting with Potter's little scene. Maybe he knows magic, maybe he plans to fight us like common muggles, who knows. Hence why I plan to write my father, the whole situation bothers me."
"Your father better has an explanation for this or I'm writing my mother," Blaise grumbled angrily.
"Yes, and then we'll find Potter's corpse floating in the lake," Draco drawled with a smirk as he watched Blaise haughtily.
"If that means I can sleep then yes!"
"We are losing the topic of our discussion," Theodore said slowly as his eyes rested on each of them individually before once again going back to the spot on the wall.
"Ah yes," Daphne said quickly, "Theodore is right, we are straying from the reason we came here in the first place. Now, anyone any ideas on how to proceed?"
"I refuse to mingle with the mudblood," Draco stated calmly, "and I plan on waiting for my father's reply before taking further action and risk making mistakes."
Gregory and Vincent mumbled something along the lines of "we're with Draco," before staying silent again.
"I choose living," Blaise chimed in.
"The mudblood freaks me out," Pansy said, "and she's been with Potter the whole day save for when we went to bed, so I'm not doing anything."
"I'm not doing anything," Daphne said slowly, "until I know more."
"I see no reason for prolonged interactions at this moment," Theodore droned.
"I'm not going to suddenly make friends with the mudblood just to get to Potter," Millicent grumbled.
"Does everyone agree that a 'wait and see' approach is the best thing we can do?" Daphne called out.
"It's the best we can come up with that doesn't involve the mudblood or angering Potter into potentially breaking our arms," Pansy said snidely, "but yes, it's the best option."
Draco nodded and rose, the others standing up as well as they calmly exited the unused classroom. Draco vanished with Vincent and Gregory at his side while Pansy and Daphne silently chatted with each other. Blaise walked off in the wrong direction mumbling about conspiracies and Millicent hurried after him to get him back while Theodore slowly walked behind them all in his peculiar slow paced shuffle. The very first Slytherin First Year Meeting had been held, their parents would be proud of how they had handled themselves.
Thank you for reading.