So this chapter ended up being somewhat frustrating for me, and I hope it isn't obvious in the writing. I wanted things to move faster, but recognized that someone as busy and dedicated as Hermione would still get sidetracked by the various other things she's devoted to.
Hope you enjoy!
Things ended up being worse than she thought.
As soon as Hermione was well enough, she was swept into the horrid task of makeup work, and then shortly before Christmas, the attack on Arthur Weasley.
Harry became particularly antsy, and she was becoming rather worried about his mentality. Plus, his spare clothing was still in deplorable condition, and considering the mountains of galleons in his possession, she was starting to wonder what was going on in the mind of the Boy-Who-Lived.
And then all of that reminded her of the letter she'd never opened from Sirius Black. But then she didn't have it with her, and it slipped her mind, only for her to very frustratedly remember it after hearing Hogwarts High Inquisitor Umbridge's latest decree.
People stared at them, something that wasn't new to Hermione considering the public's fickleness of the love for their savior.
It was the product of much prodding and logic that Dumbledore's Army was born.
Though just barely caught up, now Hermione was helping Harry create lesson plans (he seriously needed a confidence boost!) and snarking quite audibly at Umbridge banning groups larger than three to congregate anywhere at anytime.
So she enchanted coins for members.
It wasn't until a near run-in with Draco Malfoy of the Inquisitorial Squad that she finally had enough, and forced herself behind her bed curtains with a locking charm to ensure the correspondence was finally read.
oOo
Dear Hermione,
Where did you find this charm? It isn't known to the public, nor should it be written anywhere you could find.
This charm belongs to the Black family, and is highly illegal. Though sibling to the dark curse it resembles, it has been specially tailored.
The charm in question has a conditioning charm as well as several others layered into it to ensure obedience. It begins as the -Imp- charm does in giving the caster complete control of a complacent victim, however the calm cloud that encourages obedience surrounds the brain, singling out the subconscious, which is then fully cleared giving the impression of being trapped in your own body.
The longer that the charm is in place, the stronger are the effects of the conditioning charm that makes the victim forget free will and believe that all of their actions are their own.
Eventually, the victim will either fully believe in whatever moral or garbage their caster has forced upon them, and the charm is removed in increments to fool the -ministry- people. OR, their mind couldn't take the pressure of having no control, and their sanity is pulled out from under them like a muggle rug.
Wherever you found this charm, I implore you to stay away. There is no known cure other than the curse's removal by the caster. And I will not forgive anyone bringing Harry into further danger.
-Padfoot
oOo
Hermione saw several little ink blotches as if Sirius had had a hard time wording the missive, or a difficult time concentrating. It did nothing to reassure her nerves, which were now completely and utterly shot.
Imperia was a far more tricky charm than she expected. And far more dangerous!
She couldn't imagine what it would be like to be trapped inside your own mind, either falling to the logic that trapped you there, or being broken beyond recovery. And all of that on top of the normal risks accompanying a regular Imperius Curse!
She truly sympathized for her tormentor now, but there was something else to remember.
There was no cure.
Whoever that Draco Malfoy she saw in that alley was, he'd be forever lost to the world, and no one would notice a difference or care.
And that was what had her fierce Gryffindor heart vowing to attempt to find a cure and at least give this Malfoy a chance, even if he was just as bad as his original counterpart.
/-/-|-\-\
Hermione added a beta symbol to her schedule where she wrote all her assignments to represent researching a cure. It didn't feel safe penciling in 'Research ways to save Draco Malfoy from altered Imperius', and this way she had her own secret.
Harry had secrets, and though she tried very hard not to let it bother her with logic, it was hard to deny her innate need to go in and fix the problem. Now she had a secret of her very own, even though it was about Malfoy of all people.
Harry and Ron, being mostly ignorant when things weren't concerning Malfoy, Snape, or Quidditch didn't notice the change bubbling up in her, though they decided to now turn in mostly shoddy (Ron) and somewhat lazily fulfilled (Harry) assignments which only furthered her disappointment in both boys.
She knew that Harry was likely depressed given his behavior that schooling didn't matter, but she couldn't understand how he wasn't fascinated by all that he could learn about this world. After all, she didn't become an accomplished repertoire of defense spells overnight!
She had had to reprimand herself at the enjoyment she'd felt at blackmailing Rita to get an article out on Harry's witnessing of Voldemort in that horrible graveyard. But at least now the fickle populous of Hogwarts was mostly behind Harry, instead of maltreating him the way they always did when they didn't agree with him, something she found highly illogical and frustrating.
At some point, she finally got around to composing a list of research to further aid her in reaching her goal.
-Curse has no visible effects as dulling of the pupils, but eyes do appear vaguely less expressive in DM's case. His eye color seems to have shifted, but not to a point that someone not constantly staring him down for being a prat should notice.*
-The ImpC. affects the brain, something that muggles have also studied to try to understand, something most wizards don't bother to question how it works. Owl Mum to see if book on muggle brain is available to borrow from library for quick analysis.
-Books unclear on whether or not a potion can cure the ImpC. If so, altered potion experimentation may yield results?**
-How does the long-distance controlling work? Can something be used to disturb the long-distance connection of magic?
Hermione had her quill at her lips considering it all when a hand suddenly landed on her shoulder, making her scramble to cover the page and whip her head of curls around, effectively smacking the person in the face and maybe distracting them in its haste.
The site won't let me use strikethrough so -I did this-. Hope that's not too confusing, but it only happens in Sirius' response to 'Mione.
Now the boys aren't asking for help, and doing bad jobs! *Sighs*
*Here again I mention that unlike the movies, Draco's eyes aren't dulled obviously like Victor Krum's in the 4th movie. Buuuuuut, and Hermione's reasoning is that she's stared him down because he's such an antagonist, his eye color is a little different/ dull. It's like saying 'she had shimmering chestnut eyes' versus 'her eyes were a dull brown with indifference or sadness'; his eyes will still crinkle and narrow and shape when his face forms expressions, but they won't glint or shimmer, or express emotions alone the way that the windows to our souls usually do. (But 'he' [the curse] still means what he says, it's not like that thing where you look to see someone's eyes don't match their expression, indicating dishonesty)
Grrr... If you don't get this first point here, feel free to PM me, and I will try to explain in a less complicated manner. Just know that if you're not as observant as Hermione, or at her level of constant observation, (few are) then you will not notice a difference at all.
**Since I'm confused since I haven't found a definitive answer if there is a potion cure to the Imperius, so is Hermione. If any of you know, that'd be great because the internet's not cooperating.
Review if you'd like, because I like. Just know that I won't hold chapters hostage if you don't, I truly do update when I've finished a chapter and am mostly satisfied with it, because someone sent me an unkind PM saying 'they had enough going on without an egotistical author starting a story and holding chapters hostage and nagging for reviews like a review troll' O_o.