WARNING: Insane!Parvati in this chapter! This is due to the "shadow" and his powers. (He can control people and can get into their minds, you get the drift?) This will basically also explain everyone else as well. Thought I'd let you know!

To Kimi since I'm horrible and do not reply to your reviews - Thanks! Yes, Hermione was too tired to think before. She will pretty much dismiss the "shadows" intentions of kindness as nothing like she's been doing...until Chapter 13, I suppose. :)
Disclaimer - Do I honestly need to repeat this? I. Do. Not. Own. Harry. Potter. And. Company.

Dedication - To idiotic morons who have mouths that deem too big for their face, and to the love of my life that helps me through harsh and frustrating times: food.


It was now November and the air was becoming chillier, occasional cold gusts of wind aggravating the Quidditch players. Fallen, multicolored leaves whipped through the wind, winding up under the students' shoes as they started out on their monthly Hogsmeade journey. It surprised many that the special privilege would still be open to the students.

After concluding that the Halloween ball (or more precisely, the post-ball performance) was going to haunt her for the rest of her life, Hermione decided to stop hiding in her Head Girl's private room and return to the world. She needed to stop crying over her wild and hyper imagination. Just because she had made up the fantasy that someone had helped her into her rooms, undressed her, and touched her in the most intimate places didn't mean it had actually happened. She needed to get past it and return to normal life.

Hermione made her way to the Great Hall where the hundreds seated were excitedly talking about the upcoming Quidditch game. She rolled her brown eyes. 'How could anyone be so obsessed with such a brutal sport? There's no point to it, no educational value whatsoever. It doesn't teach you a foreign language, it doesn't teach you how to defend yourself, it doesn't…'

But as she sat down and actually listened outside her own head, she didn't hear the words 'Gryffindor' or 'Hufflepuff' escape anyone's mouth.

"Did you hear?" Ginny asked noisily, her glossed pinks lips smirking as her body leaned over the table. Hermione raised an eyebrow as if daring her to continue with the conversation. "Well, if you don't know already, I heard Professor Eucken was in a duel, and not just a Wizarding duel, a Muggle fist fight!"

"Oh, dear!" Hermione's cry was one of shock, her hand immediately going to her 'o'-shaped mouth.

"I also heard it was because of a girl," Ginny continued, emphasizing the innuendo that the professor actually had a life outside the classroom. This time Hermione leaned over the table herself to hear what else her fellow Gryffindor had to say. "It seems our dear professor was trying to steal some boy's girlfriend.

"Everyone thinks it's Parvati Patil," Ginny explained. Hermione rolled her eyes and snorted, quickly glancing to be sure said girl wasn't around to witness it. "I know, but she's such a tart for spreading rumors of her and Eucken having midnight affairs behind Terry's back. What a bloody fuck, I swear, and Terry's had enough; I heard he's going to dump her."

Hermione shot an eyebrow up in amused curiosity. It was enough encouragement for Ginny. She continued.

"I saw Eucken dance with Parvati. Please. But after, our dear professor seemed to be thrown back into a table, but no one saw who did it, though Terry confessed, saying he did it for his girlfriend. But he was on the other side of the room trying to make Parvati jealous with another girl! And like I said, it wasn't a spell.

"So…in conclusion… they're all a bunch of bloody fucks, really."

Hermione laughed at Ginny's account of the goings-on from the previous evening. Unable to hold it in any longer, Ginny followed suit.

With perfect timing, Parvati sat next to Hermione, the rumor-spreader's attention on the mirror in front of her and the reflection it held. Hermione saw Ginny give her a look in the corners of her eyes and, in order not to laugh, began helping herself to some food.

Justin Flinch-Fletchley ran over to Hermione with a look of utter importance while throwing smug looks to the nosy girls surrounding her.

"Good morning, Hermione," Justin greeted, cutting off Hermione's return greeting. "I have a request from Headmistress McGonagall." Yet again before Hermione could ask, Justin cut her off. "She would like you to help me help Professor Eucken to his rooms to rest."

When Parvati heard Eucken's name, she abandoned her attempts to drown in her own arrogance and latched herself onto Justin's robes, causing him to jump back in shock.

"What the bloody-?" he cried.

Parvati pleaded loudly, "How's my Edmund? Will he live? I just knew that he shouldn't have tried to show his affections for me out in public no matter how much he desired me!"

"Parvati!" Hermione cried over the noise exiting the girl's lips. With force not truly necessary, the Head Girl pried the gossip-spreader off Justin. The latter looked like Voldemort had just asked him to be his boyfriend.

"Control yourself, woman!"

"But I love him!" Parvati continued loudly, causing everyone in the Great Hall turn to catch a glimpse of her. Only somewhat necessary this time, Hermione smacked her across the face to silence her.

A bit more composed, Parvati added, "I'm sorry, it's just that not hearing if my lover's alright or not gets me a bit upset. If you don't mind, I'd like to visit him now..."

Before Hermione could understand what had just happened (and really, why she was actually listening to the psychotic girl), Parvati fled the Great Hall in the direction of the Hospital Wing. Hermione was sure Professor Eucken would beg Madam Pomfrey to not allow Parvati in.

"Madam Pomfrey will never allow that psycho in," Justin said as if reading her mind. He sighed, shook his head and put his hands on his hips. Then he turned and grabbed a blueberry muffin off Ginny's plate. "See you later Ginny. Hermione and I have some business to attend to if you don't mind."

"No, no, I don't," Ginny replied truthfully. She ran her hands through her shining red hair and flipped it without enthusiasm, quickly catching Potter's eye. "You can handle Ms. I've-Gone-Insane-Over-A-Handsome-Teacher; I have a Transfiguration essay to complete."

"Thanks," Hermione added sarcastically with a roll of her eyes. She and Justin grudgingly left the Great Hall as it continued to fill with hushed, excited whispers.

On the way out they heard the cry of one Harry Potter as he fell off of the long bench while leaning too far to catch more glimpses of Ginny. Hermione sighed. She wanted to smash her head against the wall over and over again. This was the "Chosen One"? Boy, were they in trouble.

Their pace slow from her short legs and his sluggish walk, they continued up to the Hospital Wing. By the closed doors Parvati was having a heated debate with a red Professor Sprout. The professor looked to be on the verge of slapping the girl back to her senses.

"Ms. Patil, you are not allowed in here!" the Professor protested, her arms fiercely crossing into an 'x' then back out to her sides in an attempt to prevent the girl entrance. Parvati huffed in outrage and clenched her fists.

"I will not be pushed around!" she yelled, pointing at the professor as if the quick turn of events was her fault. Sensing trouble, Justin quickly raced towards the two, pushing Parvati away from the professor.

"Let me go!" she ranted.

"Damn it Parvati, get a grip!" Justin hissed as he shook her. Turning to the professor, he explained, "The Headmistress wants only Hermione and me to go in."

Hermione walked passed them with Parvati snarling, "How dare you Flinch-Fletchley!" She pushed through the Hospital Wing doors, ignoring everyone, and closed them with an auditory glimpse of such colorful words Hermione didn't even know existed.

"Miss Granger, thank goodness you're alright!" Professor McGonagall cried. She grabbed the front of Hermione's blouse and pulled her face to face. McGonagall shook her a number of times before her shakes turned into convulsions of weeping. Hermione unclenched the professor's hands from her blouse and gently led her to a nearby straight-backed chair.

Hermione, confused at McGonagall's bizarre reaction, swiftly went toward the only bed that had curtains drawn around it. She had to dodge Madam Pomfrey collapsing into an empty bed, angry sobs escaping her throat. This was getting very strange, indeed.

With a sickening fear and a racing heartbeat, the brunette pulled back the curtains. She dearly hoped Eucken was in better health than before. It seemed somebody needed to be.

There, tucked neatly into the white bed, lay Professor Eucken who looked more dead than merely sleeping. Fearing the worst, she reached out and shook her professor. She tried to ignore the purple and blue bruising around one of his eyes and the large, deep slash mark blatant against the smooth skin of his cheek.

His dark eyes shot open, and he gasped out a breath he seemed to have been denied for quite some time. Hermione sighed in relief and a warm smile stretched across her face.

"W-What?" he began stupidly. His eyes rose to her face. Instantly, he groaned deeply and rolled away from her, his large hands covering his face. Her smile faltered as the feeling of deep rejection from last night returned to her.

Someone's soft and tender hands clamped onto her shoulder, startling her from her deep thoughts. She turned to see Madam Pomfrey's stern face.

"What are you doing in here Miss Granger?" the witch demanded in a booming voice. The nurse's eyes suddenly grew wide and her fingers twitched and grasped at Hermione's flesh in physical threat.

"I'm Head Girl," Hermione explained, pointing out the obvious. It only seemed to insult the nurse more, though. She moved to protect her patient like a possessive mother protecting her newborn. Hermione hastily added, "Professor Sprout let me in; I'm here with Justin to take Professor Eucken back to his rooms."

"Who told you this?" McGonagall inquired as she appeared by the other woman's side. This time she looked confident, superior Headmistress she was. As if natural reaction, Hermione took a step away from the women and began wishing she were in the privacy of her peaceful rooms.

"Justin told me that you gave him orders," Hermione explained hesitantly. Something didn't seem right.

Suddenly a hoarse cry came from the professor's parched, bloody lips. "I didn't make them come! They came to me! I am not my father! LEAVE ME ALONE! I would never do that! Don't! Leave her out of this! Don't hurt them! They're the only ones who care!"

Hermione felt her eyes water at the display in front of her. From nowhere a chill ran down her slouching back and a malicious, humored laughter flowed into her ears. She cried out and clutched her professor, trying to block out the thoughts she knew weren't hers.

A stunned silence filled the room as her professor grasped her to him, his head nestled into her chest. She ignored his intimate position and began to rock him back and forth comfortingly.

"Quickly, help him up," McGonagall ushered in a whispered, hoarse voice. She sounded as if she was battling something deep within her soul.

Hermione gave her a strange look before, again baffled at the Headmistress' odd behavior. Just as she was mentally calculating all the spells or ailments that could have befallen the professor, Madam Pomfrey lurched at them, toppling Hermione and Eucken over the bed with cries of shock.

Professor Eucken lay on top of her, shaking his mangy hair like a wet dog. They both turned to Madam Pomfrey for explanation when she cut them off, yelling, "Go now!"

Her professor, who seemed to have gotten a grip on himself, jumped up. Abruptly he pulled Hermione up to him, and without letting go, began to run out of the Hospital Wing. With his iron grip, Hermione was forced to follow.

Out the doors they brokenly ran. They passed Sprout, Justin and Parvati; the group wore drowsy but angry expressions, tinged with muffled surprise at the escape. There was no time to explain now, if she even had an explanation, Hermione thought.

The odd couple fled down the deserted corridors, many of which Hermione didn't even know existed. Unfortunately, people she didn't dare reveal trailed behind. Once she and the professor made their way down one more mysterious and dark hallway, he abruptly shoved her into a large tapestry of a menacing black raven, wings spread. He followed her into the hiding place, squishing both of them into the narrow recess.

Six feet stormed passed their hiding place. Hermione tried not to breathe too loudly, but failed. She was too close for comfort to him. Just as she was about to burst from the insanity of it all and the deprivation of oxygen, Professor Eucken dragged her out from behind the tapestry and forced her tear-streaked face to look at him.

"Give it to me!" he demanded angrily while shaking her. She whimpered and tried to loosen his painful grip on her. "Give it!"

He was considerably stronger than her, and wrenched her left wrist to him with intent to pull the yellow ring from her finger.

"No!" she cried out desperately, smacking his hand away. She began wrestling with his hand as it continued its exasperating mission. Damn it; it was her ring, not his!

"Give it to me!"

"Step the bloody hell off!"

"Hand it over, you stupid whore!"

Shocked and appalled, she slapped his bruised and battered cheek angrily, giving him the clear shot to grab the eerily, brightly glowing ring. Seizing the chance her confusion enabled, he secured the ring and flung it as far as he could. Its graceful arc reached its pinnacle somewhere over the nearest staircase, then descended in freefall for quite sometime.

Voices began to grow louder, and he quickly dragged her into a room and shut the door. He locked the door with both Muggle and magical methods. Hermione began to wonder whether or not he was really mentally ill. Perhaps she was just dreaming up this entire morning with her distressed mind in overdrive. She glanced at his almost maniacal expression. Perhaps not.

Just as he turned to her, relief spreading over his handsome and wounded face, she felt anger seep back into her veins. Her hand took control of itself and slapped him clear across the face for the second time that day, only this time sending him crashing into the wall.

This time, however, he retaliated. Steadying himself, he lunged and tackled her, shoving her into the wall. Desperately she squirmed, determined to make sure he couldn't gain total control of the situation like he had last time.

Hermione summoned all the courage, anger, hate, and betrayal she possibly could and punched her professor in his stomach. He gasped out in pain and fell to the floor on all fours. His gasps for air quickly changed to coughs full of blood, and Hermione grew concerned and regretful.

Inside she whined at not knowing what to do. Though unsure it was the right course, Hermione made up her mind. With difficulty, for he was heavy, she helped him to his feet, and lit up the room with a wave of her wand. To her amazement, she realized they were in a bedroom of some kind. He must have led her all around the area of the teachers' quarters. No wonder she didn't know where she was!

Concluding they were in his bedroom, she half-dragged him to the large bed where he clutched his stomach, crying out in pain. She must have hit a previous wound in her tirade, for she certainly hadn't punched him that hard. She really needed to find an adult for help, but that would have to wait; he needed attention now, and she wasn't sure she trusted anyone's behavior at present.

She turned to search the room for any sort of medical necessities. Surprisingly, she found everything she needed.

She didn't know any magical spells that would remove his clothing; actually, she was pretty sure it was impossible. But she also knew he wasn't going to cooperate with her after her previous actions.

Out of quick and somewhat decisive planning, she grabbed his shirt and tore it open. She smacked his hands away from his stomach; they seemed to want to attach themselves to his skin.

Hermione gasped at the large, deep slashes on his stomach. Snapping out of her shock, she quickly went to work healing his wounds. It wasn't long before he fell asleep on her, or rather perhaps fell unconscious. She bit her lower lip, wondering just what had happened to him.

Terry Boot wasn't the sort to know nasty and particularly foul curses, nor would ever harm a professor out of jealously, though she knew he probably wanted to do so. The only way this wound could have been inflicted would be by very Dark magic or a very dangerous magical creature. If even Madam Pomfrey couldn't mend him, it was very Dark indeed.

Her dysfunctional mind could only recall a single coherent thought at the moment: 'What is going on, and what have I done?'


The end of Chapter 9! (I told you thinks would get complicated!) But Chapter 10's even more insane, I don't know about you, but I can't wait!

And a sorry goes out to my dear readers. This chapter seemed rushed, I don't know about you...but whatever:)

Yeah, there's no clues in my livejournal. I'm just too tired and no one seems to read those things anyway. If you truely want them, please let me know or I won't continue to do that anymore. It's a wasteful amount of time to make if no one reads them. You can just continue to ask questions in reviews, that would be nice and helpful to me.

This means you have to review...(Encouragement would be nice, too.)

So review please!