Hey everyone!
Now I know that I left last chapter on a little cliffhanger, but anyone who knows GoF can instantly tell who the girl is that arrived in the room. I actually wanted it to be Percy, but I didn't think it'd be wise to let that kid be in the same room as 2 people that hate him and a brother that's disappointed in him without a legal guardian.
And I'm saying legal, because we all know how Percy would react to Sirius, whether he be a real adult or not and it doesn't take a genius to figure out that Harry won't exactly appreciate such behavior or tolerate it for very long, so to have an adult that can help him keep his calm might be necessary before Percy arrives.
Okay, enough spoilers,
Venquine1990
Chapter 08
Time Sets and Secret Fantasies
Hermione's POV
It's been almost twenty minutes since Harry and Sirius were taken by a bright light each, one that shocked us both times it happened and while I sincerely worry for my best friend and his godfather, can I not help but wonder if this is some kind of magic that has been activated to give the two some alone time together.
Knowing that, if this is indeed true, Harry will come out a better person, have I been using this theory of mine to keep my calm for the last twenty minutes, however the others seem not able to do so and while I try not to listen in, do I hear all kinds of horrible possibility ideas that come from Mrs. Weasley's tongue the longer she worries.
These worries of her both anger me as some of them sound as if Sirius planned for this and should be blamed for Harry suddenly being gone while the shock on the man's face when he got taken was beyond visible to anyone with eyes and make me know that she cares for Harry as if he really were one of her own kids.
Then relief hits me hard as suddenly, just when Lupin wants to go and use the Floo to inform Professor Dumbledore what happened, does the same bright white light engulf me and take me to a room I have never seen before, one that is absolutely beautiful, yet of which the walls have so many doors, I don't even want to count.
Instead of that do I focus on the surroundings that are present inside the room, rather than the ones embedded into the walls and the first thing I see greatens the relief within me and proves that my theory has a high chance of being right as I see Sirius and Harry sharing a couch which is located near a fire grate and a coffee table.
I run over to the two, shouting Harry's name as I do and engulf them both in a hug, unable to really ignore the relief I feel in my heart at seeing these two safe and sound and Harry laughs as he says: "Good to know you care, Hermione." And unlike last night do I know by the tone of his voice that my best friend is only jesting.
Then I look around and ask: "Where are we?" And Sirius answers: "We have no idea, but we're getting more and more clues to it as time goes on." To this I nod, but then I look surprised and ask: "How many clues did you get? You've only been gone for about twenty minutes." Shocking the two in front of me.
Then I yelp in shock as I hear a familiar voice coming from behind me that says: "That can be right, we just laughed our asses off for a good half hour." And when I look around, do I see Charlie Weasley – Ron's older brother by 9 years – sitting on a chair with none other than Oliver Wood sitting on the chair next to his.
I look at the two in shock and Harry says: "They've been coming here for every chapter that we're supposed to read." And then finally does my eye land on what exactly is in the hands of the Dragon Keeper; a hardcover book with red and blue cover and with an actual picture of Harry's face and the Hogwarts Express on it.
Looking at the book in pure shock, do I hear Harry say: "I don't know how it got here or how we got here or who's really in charge here, but I know it's destiny that everyone who appears here gets to read a chapter.""How do you know that?" I can't help but ask and Harry scares the living daylights out of me as he suddenly recites:
"One by One, the Readers Shall Arise.
For one Chapter Read, a new Ally shall Appear.
All seventeen Books must be Read.
Only then may Fate be Finalized for Good.
Only through Reading Can There be Peace.
Only through Reading Can Families Unite.
Only through Peace Can Olympus Remember.
For the Forgotten Ones Deserve to Live."
I look at my best friend in shock and ask: "What does it mean Can Olympus remember?" That line somehow standing out more to me than any other and Harry shrugs as he says: "I've mostly been focusing on the first three sentences. You know, about the readers, the chapters and how all Seventeen books have to be read."
"But – but that's obviously about – about your first year, right? And – and there are only seven years at Hogwarts." I then state and Harry nods before he says: "And there are indeed only seven books about me. However, there are also five books about someone named Percy Jackson and another five about a group called Heroes of Olympus."
This both shocks and – for some reason – worries me and I ask: "Why would Olympus need heroes?" And Harry shrugs again before Sirius lounges back and says: "You know, Harry and I may have picked our beds, but you two were too busy checking out other rooms to do the same. Why not head over and pick one?"
And all of a sudden Harry is on his feet and says: "I'll guide you." Shocking us all and making Sirius ask: "Are they to be divided then?" And Harry asks: "Why, do you want to share a room with Hermione?" And both Sirius and I turn beet red as the man shouts: "No offence, but HELL NO!" And I can't help but giggle at this.
Harry then leads Oliver, Charlie and me over to the Eastern wall and then says: "The room over there is meant for Charlie, it has two other beds, I can only assume they are for Percy and Bill." And while I feel shocked that Percy might also be coming here, does Charlie turn grim at this idea, yet does he still nod and leave for the room.
Harry then points for the door four doors away from the one Charlie just walked through and says: "That's your bedroom, Hermione, it has 6 other beds and if I were to make a guess, some of those beds would be for Ginny and the Gryffindor Chasers." And while Oliver looks excited for this, do I nod in understanding.
Then Harry motions for the room that is next to Charlie's and says: "Seems like you and I will be sharing a room, Oliver. That will leave another four beds empty and I think I know who those will be.""All of them?" Oliver asks and Harry nods before he answers: "Ron, the twins and Neville, if I were to make a guess."
This makes me look at Harry confused and I ask: "Why Neville?" But Harry shrugs and says: "Just my gut telling me. It's in my eyes the most logical choice seeing that at least once every year Neville played some kind of role in our lives." And after a quick mental trip down memory lane, do I realize that my best friend is correct.
This shocks me and while he and Oliver head for the room he told me they would be sharing, do I myself head for the room he appointed me, before turning to Sirius and asking: "Did you get a room yet?" And the man nods and says: "Explored the place when I first arrived here. Found the bedrooms along with Harry."
I nod and then open the door Harry appointed me, only to gasp in utter shock at what I'm seeing. Seven beds are spread across the room, all of them made of the finest material and having the most amazing quilts, pillows and mattresses placed upon them, while all of the equipment seems to be changing color over and over.
Sirius then walks over and says: "This has been going on in all of the rooms. There's only one bed in one room over there that has the smallest of hint of who it should belong to. All others don't really get an owner until a person touches the bed, then it changes to fit whoever sleeps in it perfectly. Did so with both Harry and me."
And while I can't help but wonder what kind of themes the two of them have picked, do I walk over to the second bed on the left of the door, my mind for some reason telling me to stick close to the door, yet knowing that I can't fall asleep so close to a source that could reveal light from the center room and I softly touch it.
Instantly the same bright light as the one that flashed me here shines from the bed and when it vanishes, do I see a bed I have actually always dreamed of owning, once I were to be old enough to have my own place. A double mattress with an amazing size, big enough I can spread my arms wide across to both sides.
The mattresses being made of a thick grayish black color and the pillows – one for show, one to lie on – that are stacked upon it are white with a black pattern that moves across the top to the bottom in such a way that it dangles out and touches other lines, making small blobs of squiggly lines every few centimeters over the pillow.
The same can be said for the blanket and while it covers the entire bed and even falls over it a little, just enough to tuck it in on all sides, can I already tell that the quilt inside isn't thick enough to make me sweat profusely in the summer, but neither is it thin enough that I feel like freezing were I to lie under it in the winter.
Sirius whistles as he sees my bed and I say: "I always dreamed of having a bed like this. I swore to myself when I got to realize how important my O.W.L.s were for my future career that I would get exactly the scores and the job that could help me get this bed within a year. I – I can't believe this bed is really here right now."
And even while I am standing with my back to the man as my hand keeps softly going from side to side over the quilt that is tucked in under the topper mattress, one that I already know will bend itself to how I'm lying on it, can I almost feel the happy smile that the man sends my way as he hears about my secret fantasy.
I then turn around and ask: "How long have you guys been here?" And the man shrugs as he says: "Definitely a couple of hours. We read a book about Harry, after all, and with how much we care for him, there was bound to be some commentary." To this I nod and he asks: "How long did you feel that we were gone?"
And when I answer: "Only 17 minutes since Harry was taken." Does the man look shocked and he says: "I think I know how that is put together." Before he walks back into the Center room, obviously planning to share his theory with the other three boys and I quickly follow the man, not wanting to miss out on this.
Back at the center room, do we see that Harry and Oliver have already taken their seats again and just when I do, does Charlie come back into the room and he says: "Picked my bed. Took the one furthest away on the right, I always liked the right and I personally hope Bill will take the one in the middle. He usually does, though."
And while I can perfectly understand why as the hot-tempered Weasley can't exactly feel happy or proud about the actions of his first younger brother, do we all nod and Sirius says: "It seems that time is behaving differently around here." Drawing the attention of the others and making Charlie sit down with trepidation as Sirius says:
"Hermione just told me that we've only been gone for about 17 minutes since Harry was taken, yet last chapter alone took at the least an hour to read full out. I think there's some kind of magic at work and I think I know how it works as well." Everyone looks at the man, Oliver shocked that he already figured it out and Sirius says:
"If my theory is correct, then I think that every action we take between reading chapters takes about five minutes in the real world outside this room, while it seems that the large amounts of time that we take to read these chapters are shortened all the way down to a single minute." Shocking us and Oliver asks: "How do you reckon that?"
And Sirius answers: "Harry read one chapter and then I arrived. We explored and then did another chapter and this we have been doing since. We've explored for a good three times and we've read three chapters since Harry's, which makes four chapters. So if every action between reading is 5 minutes and every chapter is one?"
The man asks in the end and I answer: "That does end up being 19 minutes, the exact amount of time you guys have been gone." And Sirius nods before Oliver asks: "So we can be here for hours on end and it will only be a few minutes for those outside?" And I nod, feeling honestly amazed at this whole concept myself.
Okay, that's it.
And I know it's not the longest chapter, but I was a little done thinking up new rooms and it's getting late here where I'm writing and I have an early shift that starts tomorrow and bla-bla-bla, you don't want to hear any of this. So I won't bother you with it and just wish you all a goodnight and till next chapter.
See yah,
Venquine1990
