A/N: Please keep in mind that for the purpose of this story I will change the age of some characters, i.e. Lucius future chapters, as well as change some aspects of the original plot. Additionally, since I am mixing together both the Harry Potter world and all King Arthur-Merlin legends, some things might differ, i.e. the way Magic is understood and sometimes used.

Disclaimer: ION

When Hermione arrived at Hogwarts on the first of September, she glanced up at the building, shadowed by the setting sun and frowned. Not because she was seeing anything unusual. It was more because of a feeling she had in her gut. One she couldn't understand. It was heavy and rather uncomfortable, but figuring it was just due to the long trip, she shook her head and simply shifted her bag on her shoulder. She eventually followed the other students to the Hogwarts carriages, noticed that Adrian had already climbed into one and was waiting for her to arrive, saving her a seat next to him. Hermione smiled at him, throwing a quick glance at the Thestrals known for being usually calm creatures. Unused to being seen however, the Thestral closest to her jumped excitedly at her very brief attention. Not wanting to attract attention to herself, Hermione tried to make it seem like she couldn't see it, feeling horrible when the creature let out a pitiful whine, trying to regain her attention. It was like the Thestral could feel that Hermione could see him but she still refused to look at it again despite its complaints. The other students on the carriage shivered at the sound that travelled through the air but no one mentioned it, feeling a slight bit too creeped out to bring more thought to it.

Hermione sat in the carriage, spending the brief ride up to the school being jostled and chatting with the others, eager to get to sleep. They finally reached the school, Hermione and Adrian walking inside side by side and sitting down beside Pandora and Amelia, another second year Ravenclaw. The four second year students talked amongst themselves about their summer holidays until the first year students entered the hall. Hermione's gaze immediately landed on the youngest Black sibling. Said boy glanced hesitatingly at his older brother who nodded encouragingly. Hermione was surprised to see this small show of affection coming from the pair, but then she suspected it was only normal. She remembered Sirius telling her about the moment things had changed for the pair.

Hermione was alone at Grimmauld Place, with only a disappearing Sirius as company. The Weasleys had gone back to the Burrow for the afternoon in order for them to all gather some of their things and Harry, of course, had decided to accompany them. Hermione had declined the invitation, preferring to stay here with Sirius and read some of the books in the Black Library. Hermione heard the ceiling creak above her and knew it was probably Sirius but still found herself standing and heading towards the staircase to check.

Hermione paused in front of an open door and observed Sirius who was currently sitting against a wall inside a room that had previously never been opened. She shifted, pulling at her sleeve while she tried to decide if she should enter. A half empty bottle of firewhiskey was dangling from his left hand, his arms resting on his spread-open knees and his head hanging between his shoulders. The wall he was leaning on was in terrible shape, the wall paper partly ripped off in a number of areas and some of it left hanging piteously. The floor was missing less than half of its wooden planks and of the remaining ones, some were stained in various shades of red and green.

Sighing Sirius banged his head against the wall, his eyes still shut, causing Hermione to jump in surprise at the loud, unexpected noise. She looked at his face closely and if his actions didn't give it away, his expression clearly revealed something was wrong.

"This was my brother's room," Hermione didn't react to his words but took the fact that he was addressing her as an invitation to enter and took a few careful steps inside, slowly lowering herself to the floor, not far from him. "He's dead, you know? Was a Death Eater. Got killed by his master. Probably."

"What was he like?"

"The best little brother ever. Until third year. Though I suppose I should have seen it coming. He grew more and more distant as the years passed."

"Why did you let it happen?" Hermione wondered.

"Because I thought it was what he wanted. I still think it was what he wanted. He was proud. And I was a coward. And blind. Stupid."

Shaking her head Hermione stood up to leave the room, pausing only to say a few more words to him. "I don't think that's true."

Hermione quickly shook her head and decided to try to stay out of all that. She was certain meddling with the Black brother family issues would only bring her trouble. Her attention turned towards the Headmaster as he stood to make his speech though she almost wished she hadn't when she heard the subject he was explaining and she felt herself lose her appetite, her face paling a fraction, though no one noticed.

"And last but not least, just like every year, the Duelling Club will be starting in two weeks time, obligatory for all second years and up. Dueling Club schedules shall be displayed on the billboards in your common rooms. Keep your eyes open for those. Thank you for your patience! Bon appétit! And just to spice up your table discussions this fine evening: Nargles, Gulping Plimpys and Heliopaths."

"My father is out looking for Heliopaths this year, did I tell you?" Pandora told the pair sitting opposite her eagerly as soon as they had each served themselves a portion of food.

Hermione smiled at her friend. "No, I don't think you have... Why is he looking for... He-Heliopaths?" She inquired, hesitant to encourage Dora in her belief of this mythical creature.

"Well, he is! He's trying to take some of their fire!"

"Heliopaths don't exist," Adrian interrupted, taking a bite out of a loaf of bread.

"Of course they do!" Pandora claimed.

"I've heard that a Heliopath's fire is inextinguishable and could last for eternity," Hermione said, curiously, shrugging when Adrian shot her a surprised glance.

"Why are you encouraging her?" He wanted to know.

"Oh it is! Which is why- I mean- could you imagine having access to an eternal flame?" Dora exclaimed, stumbling over her words in her excitement, ignoring the curly haired boy.

"That would indeed be quite something... And it would also be undeniably useful," Hermione replied, practically lost in a daydream of what she would do with such a thing.

"You must be joking!" He exclaimed in a huff. "Heliopaths aren't real!"

Amused by his obvious frustration Hermione decided to tease him a little longer. "Well... How do you know?" She questioned, innocently.

"There's no proof that they exist!" Adrian almost yelled.

"So? There is no proof to the existence of Nargles and we all know they exist," Pandora pointed out, serenely.

"Actually," Hermione spoke thoughtfully as she thought back to her sixth year when Luna Lovegood had managed to find Harry with the help of Nargles. "I think there is proof those exist."

"Hermione! Heliopaths are one of the most idiotic imaginary creatures around. Please tell me you know this?" He begged.

"Excuse me, I couldn't help but overhear that you were discussing Heliopaths and I thought I might join in?"

A tall long blond haired boy inquired as he shuffled over to the trio. "Oh, it's Xenophilius, what luck!" Adrian deadpanned, knowing this would only make sure the conversation lasted longer.

"My friends seem to find Heliopaths a ridiculous topic... I don't see why, they're usually more than open to discussing such mythical creatures."

"Yes well, I suppose even your band of friends has their limits to what they judge to be silliness and imagination," Hermione replied, pleasantly.

Xenophilius smiled at her, filling the plate that had magically appeared before him when he changed seats. "Do you know that, supposedly, if you were to burn Molly with Heliopath Fire, you could get eternal purple fire?" He inquired.

"Really? Fascinating!" Pandora exclaimed.

"Purple fire, you say? What would be the use?" Hermione wondered, curious.

"Well it'd be pretty wouldn't it? But there'd be nothing more, as far as we know," Lovegood said, sagely.

"As far as we know?!" Adrian repeated, sounding exasperated. "As far as you know is equivalent to nothing, that is because Heliopaths don't exist- they don't. Absolutely not, it's not possible. Really truly not. Please stop."

"True," Pandora giggled, feeling sorry for the boy. "For now."

Hermione chuckled, knowing that a few years ago, before she had gotten to know Luna well, she would have been like Adrian, horrified by the turn of the conversation, but having learnt that some of Luna's 'imaginary' creatures could be more than useful, she decided not to judge until the current Lovegoods, future Lovegoods and all those similar to the Lovegoods were proven wrong with substantial proof.

"I've heard of your father's work Pandora," Xeno informed her. "My family is quite interested with his research and if his current endeavours are fruitful, we'll know so much more about Heliopaths."

Adrian groaned and slammed his head against the table as the two girls and the older boy launched into a discussion about Heliopaths and where to find them. Hermione smiled cheekily at him when he rolled his head to the side and peeked at her through his bangs. He glared at her and in the hopes of calming his slowly growing anger, Hermione raised her hand and stared raking her nails through the small hairs at the base of his neck. She knew it had a calming effect on him and he never protested. Shaking his head Adrian sat up straight and decided to join the conversation, even if he found it utterly ludicrous.

The first week of class had gone by smoothly, teachers were flooding their students with start of the year assignments, but Hermione, having done them before and having an excellent memory, could pretty much rewrite the same thing she had written in her original timeline without opening a single school book. Which is not to say that she didn't, oh no, she opened just as many school books as the first time around, but she was especially careful to make just enough mistakes to be graded under Lily and Remus. Even if she could live her life as if she had never lived another, she still knew that they deserved what they got in school.

It was as Hermione was calmly walking back to the Ravenclaw tower on Sunday evening that she was caught by Adrian. "Hermione!" He called, throwing an arm around her shoulder. "Have you heard?"

"Heard what?" She asked, amused by his enthusiasm.

"The Duelling Club timetables have apparently been hung up in the Common Rooms! I was just on my way to verify if it was true."

Hermione stumbled in her stride at his words and cursed under her breath. "I bloody well forgot about that!"

"I'm sorry?"

"Oh, just mumbling to myself," she shrugged. "Shall we go see when we have the Club?"

As Hermione stood before the board, unbelieving of her bad luck, Hermione promised to go see Dumbledore as soon as possible because of course, she had her first Duelling Club tomorrow, at lunch. All the fifth to seventh years had their Duelling Club in the afternoons after class, while the second to fourth years had it during their lunch periods. And while all her classmates were conversing about it eagerly and excitedly, Hermione chewed her bottom lip, trying to figure out when the best time to interpel Dumbledore would be.

The first and only opportunity for Hermione to do so was just before the start of the Duelling Club. Hermione interrupted him just as he was leaving the empty Great Hall with Professor McGonagall.

"Professor Dumbledore, if I might have a word?"

"Of course, my dear, come along. Excuse me, Minerva," he said, walking away with Hermione. "What seems to be the problem? You appear troubled."

"I am. The Duelling Club starts today," she paused and glanced at her watch. "Right now actually."

"Indeed it is, I am aware of this, Miss Delacour," Dumbledore spoke, calmly.

"Well, the thing is, Professor, I can't participate in it, Sir," she told him.

"Why of course you can, you must be a very experienced dueller," he said, leaving unsaid, but mutually understood the reason for her competence in that domain.

"But I don't want too, I know far too much and I fear I won't be able to hold back, even during a practice duel," Hermione argued.

"I understand that your circumstances here are of an unusual variety, but that does not permit you to favouritism."

"It's not favouritism, Sir, it's smart thinking. If I duel I will draw attention to myself."

"If you do not duel, you will draw attention to yourself," Dumbledore countered.

"Yes, but it will be the type of attention I can handle. People won't be wondering how I came to be such a good dueller, how I learnt such a dangerous spell, how I knew how to perform such and such curse..."

"You make a fair point, Miss Delacour," he studied her for a few drawn out moments, his eyes twinkling. "Very well, it seems you won't budge on this decision, so I will cave, but I must insist you still attend the Duelling Club, at the very least for the theoretical aspects of the Club."

"Yes, of course," Hermione nodded.

"I hope you are prepared for six years of sitting and watching your classmates duelling, you might be surprised by how boring it will become," he teased, steering her down a corridor.

"I'm sure I'll find some way to pass the time."

"Here we are," he motioned her inside a busy classroom. "After you."

Few students spared the pair a glance when they entered the classroom as they were busy practising their first duelling spell. Albus waved over the professor.

"Albus," the man greeted with a nod.

"Heinrick," Dumbledore responded. "This here is your last second year student, Hermione Delacour."

"Pleasure," Heinrick smiled kindly, eyeing the young girl who had entered with the Headmaster curiously.

"I ask that you allow Miss Delacour to sit out on all your classes. She is not to participate in any practical parts of the Duel Club, just watch and work."

"May I ask as to why?" He wondered, now even more curious.

"Her circumstances for coming to Hogwarts as a student were quite particular and due to this, I believe it is unnecessary to put her under any additional stress."

"Additional stress?" Heinrick repeated, almost disbelieving. "Come now, Albus, this is a second year duelling club not Aurors training! If they were fifth years I might have understood but the most dangerous spell that will be used this year will most likely be the Jelly-Leg hex."

"I realize that Heinrick, but the mind works in mysterious ways. Miss Delacour has gone through things, done and seen things no one her age, or any one for that matter, no matter the age, should ever have to go through."

Heinrick glanced at Hermione worried, his eyes widening when Dumbledore leaned forwards and murmured something in his ear, his gaze on Hermione softening as the Headmaster left. Heinrick summoned a chair and desk in the corner of the room and invited her to ask questions and participate orally if she wished to. Hermione sighed in relief, glad she had avoided what she was sure could have been a catastrophe. She ducked her head, avoiding the looks she was receiving, mostly from an understanding Adrian, the annoyed and far too curious Marauders, and the pitying Professor.

On Hermione's Thursday Transfiguration class during her third week back, she dropped down gracefully into her usual seat beside Adrian, and fell backwards into a much less graceful slouch, huffing air out through her pursed lips to move the hair out of her eyes. Amused Adrian shifted in his seat to observe her.

"What's got your knickers in a twist?" He teased.

"Slytherins. They don't usually pay much attention to me but seems today was my lucky day!" Hermione almost growled.

"They're like that to everyone, it was bound to fall on you some day or another. Just be happy it's over now," he shrugged, straightening up when the Professor McGonagall entered the class, along with another professor.

"Today, Transfiguration is cancelled, instead you will have an exceptional course with the Hogwarts Care of Magical Creatures professor, Mrs Rumblehorn."

"Alright class! I've got a treat for you today!" She grinned, waving her wand, causing a cage covered by a black sheet to appear on the desk. "I suspect you've never come across one of these before! Well, for the most part that is," she ammended, glancing at Nicolas Jahquen, who had most of his family in Oman and regularly travelled there to visit with them.

The class mumbled amongst themselves excitedly, wondering what it could be, it had to be quite rare for their usual classes to be cancelled. "This is a creature I'm showing to all years seeing as I highly doubt I'll ever manage to get my hands on one of these beautiful creatures ever again. However, don't be fooled by its hypnotizing appearance, one lick or bite from it and you're as good as dead, unless you can get your hands on Red-Frog Blood in the following ten seconds."

She paused as she tugged on a pair of dragon hide gloves with a small grunt. "You'll all be staying in your seats today, no getting close to the cage... But just in case," the professor muttered pulling out a large vial filled with what was most likely Red-Frog Blood. "We can never be too certain with young folk, especially if some of you should choose to show off," she added, throwing a stern and reproaching glance at the Marauders who widened their eyes in exaggeration, the perfect picture of innocence and surprise.

"Us? Never!" James exclaimed.

"Oh! How you wound us!" Sirius claimed, clutching a hand to his heart.

"Bloody teacher has never taught us before and she already knows who to keep an eye on," Adrian snickered to Hermione behind his hand.

Sighing as if too tired to pay any more attention to the four boys, the professor turned to the cage placing a hand on the sheet and pulling it off with a flourish.

Everyone stared at the large snake curled up in the center of the cage. "Now, listen carefully, because should you ever come across one of these in the wild, which is highly unlikely to happen in Britain, this could save your life: Veru Mortiferum will go right to sleep if you stick it in darkness. While a darkness spell will do the trick, the most efficient way is to cover it with a sheet, cloak or scarf," she explained as the class observed the snake.

Ever so slowly the snake's body tensed as it awoke, carefully opening its eyes and staring at the students with bored purple eyes. Its tongue slipped out quickly as its head moved, taking in its location.

"So I would, for this class, like for you to all observe this creature. Describe its appearance, anything that stands out and that could allow you to recognize it in its true environment. And of course, all the obvious characteristics. Then, I ask that you read this pamphlet - yes, yes, do pass it around child - and take notes about information you might find pertinent. Your only optional homework will be to give me a brief summary of what you observed and add a number of uses for this snake's poison in healing and in potions."

With that the teacher nodded to the class and started strolling up and down between the desks, answering any questions thrown her way. Hermione quickly got to work, taking note of the Veru Mortiferum's beautiful scales, intricate designs of dark red and a green so dark it looked almost black. She scribbled down observations on its bright purple eye colour and its black forked tongue, tilting her head and squinting her eyes in the attempt to find more discreet details about the snake. Her note taking gradually slowed as she realized the snake was staring straight at her. She shook her head. What did it matter after all? Hermione was straight in its line of sight, it could be staring at anyone. But then, it had been staring at her since the first time its gaze had landed on her. And it had even moved around in the cage, which was the exact reason Hermione was in its line of sight as originally it had been turned towards the other side of the classroom. Was it normal for an animal to be so concentrated on one thing for so long? Well, it was a magical creature, Hermione supposed, and those were always quite unpredictable. Still Hermione felt unsettled by its stare but nevertheless ducked her head to write once she noticed the fact that one of the dark scales on its head was purple, not dark green.

It was as she was writing that Hermione heard it. That snake had just hissed at her. She paused and glanced up at it quickly, but the snake had not moved. Honestly, she huffed at herself in her head, you're being ridiculous. It didn't hiss at you, it just hissed. Still, Hermione was sure she had heard-

No, certainly not. She was just extremely tired. However, as soon as she went back to writing she heard it again. The hiss.

Hello.

Hermione froze, closing her eyes and taking a deep, shuddering breath. Surely she was dreaming. Or losing her mind. It wasn't possible, but as her hand once again moved over her parchment, painfully slow as Hermione was lost in her thoughts, the snake hissed a third time. Hermione's grip tightened on her quill, her body taken over with an abrupt shiver. The quill snapped in her grasp and Hermione quickly slapped it onto her desk, not noticing the odd glance Adrian threw her way as she curled her hand into a fist. This time it was undeniable. She couldn't ignore it any longer as ever so slowly and Hermione raised her head, her gaze meeting the snake's one. Hermione swore that if snakes had lips with which to smirk, the snake would be doing exactly that at this exact moment as it hissed for a fourth and final time.

Hello.