PART TWO - HERMIONE

Chapter 10 – A tragic love story

Life was going great for Hermione Granger-Weasley, climbing the corporate ladder in the Ministry of Magic as a member of the Magical Law Division. Lord Voldemort had been gone for almost five years. The wizarding world was mostly at peace, but there were still some dealing with the aftermath of the Second Wizarding War. The brilliant witch was also happily married and mother of an eighteen-month old beautiful girl called Rose. Nothing could be more English or wizardly.

Her husband Ron had recently quit the public service, because 'an Auror had no business being a dad', as he said. So he decided to help his brother George in the joke shop. Business was blooming.

Hermione now was in-laws with the Weasleys, and that made her family also with her great friend Harry Potter, married to Ginny Weasley, Ron's little sister. They were all one big family, all happy together.

In general, life was good for the Granger-Weasley family. Until it was not. And things turned sour quite unexpectedly, thought Hermione.

The accident in Diagon Alley was the starter. George was out, in a meeting with suppliers. Ron was alone in the shop when the explosion went off.

Some speculated that it could be a terrorist attack, led by remaining undetected Death Eaters. The Ministry of Magic was certain that the explosion was an accident provoked by faulty Muggle gas pipeline. Two wizards were killed, five were injured. Ron Weasley was fighting for his life at St. Mungo's.

Hermione stood by his side, devastated. Her inlaws were all by her side. Molly Weasley took in little Rose so Hermione could stay with Ron at St. Mungo's. But soon it became clear that mediwizards had little hope of his survival. He was alive only due to medical spells and magical life support. They told the family they would have to shut those off.

Hermione could not accept it. She argued the mediwizards, then her family, then her friends. Then, after controlling her emotions, Hermione did what she always did in a crisis: she went to the library.

Hogwarts Headmistress Minerva McGonagall allowed her to take residence in the school's library. She compared notes with Madame Pomfrey, the school nurse. The matron concurred with her St. Mungo's colleagues. Ron was beyond hope.

Desperation took the better part of Hermione and she delved into a very dark side of herself. Days were reserved to stay with Ron at St. Mungo's, and most nights were spent on the libraries: either at Hogwarts or at the Ministry. She got a special permit to also research on the Department of Mysteries.

In no time at all, as Ron's condition grew worse, Hermione's regard for abiding the law was flown out of the window.

'I think I know someone who can save Ron,' she said, her brown eyes gleaming.

Harry Potter asked, 'You found a doctor?'

'Better than that. A higher court.'

'A court? Hermione, I don't understand.'

The young woman was so agitated that she talked in extremely high speed. 'There are many accounts in the books, and there is a very high probability that these are true. He is the only one who can spare Ron!'

'Who is this man?'

'Not exactly a man. I am talking about Death itself.'

'WHAT?'

She didn't even bat an eyelash. 'There are plenty of registered encounters with Death. The Greeks called him Thanatos, but the Romans preferred the name Mortis. And you even told us that you might have met him in the Forbidden Forest. You talked to him!'

Harry said, 'It was very possible I was delirious at that time, for being deprived of proper food and sleep for so long...'

She shrieked, 'Do not do that to me! You said you saw him, tall, creepy, all skeleton and scythe!'

'It was a long time ago! I am not sure if it did indeed happen!' Harry frowned at her, but his voice was soft and loving. 'Mione, my friend, I suspect you have gone completely barmy.'

She was having none of it. 'Come on, Harry! Besides, we used to do stuff like that all the time when we were in Hogwarts, even worse! Why are you backing out now?'

'Because we are not Hogwarts students anymore,' he said. 'We were forced to grow up fast, and now we are grownups, with kids of our own. Now we are old enough to know that sometimes bad things happen to good people for no particular reason and there is nothing we can do about it.'

She couldn't give up, 'But there must be a way to fix this. I can fix this.'

Harry took a gentle tone of voice to recall, 'If Voldemort taught us anything, it was about how life is precious and fragile. We were lucky enough to have Ron all these years. Now perhaps we should honor his life by accepting his death.'

'No!' roared Hermione, fiercer than Harry had ever seen her. 'I am not ready to give up on him! I will do anything and go anywhere to save him!'

'Hermione, please, don't do this. This can only bring more pain.'

Somehow the logical girl had taken a leave, and this new, obsessed girl was willing to move heaven and earth to bring back her beloved husband from the jaws of death. She was willing to do whatever it takes, regardless of the costs.

Hermione went to a hag of terrible reputation, not bothering that the Ministry of Magic had fined the lady several times on charges of forbidden magic. The woman certainly merited her bad reputation, for there was no sign of legitimate validation to her information. She stared at Hermione, her unmatched eyes looking frankly demented.

'What you seek, pretty girl, is extremely difficult and dangerous. Are you brave enough?'

Asking that to a Gryffindor was nothing short of insulting. 'I am not afraid.'

The witch was unimpressed. 'Oh, but you will be. Are you willing to do what needs to be done to meet the Incarnation of Death?'

'Yes.'

'And are you willing to give up the little flower you love so much?'

'Little flower?'

'I mean that precious little rose bud of yours. You can't take her with you, for Death might be tempted to take her, as well.'

As well?

Hermione was already scared of the old woman, but when she mentioned the chances of Rose being harmed, her resolve failed. But just for a heartbeat.

'Yes.'

'Very well. I tell you, there is no guarantee. Thanatos is not a merciful entity.'

'What do you want me to do?'

'First you try an incantation to invoke him so that he comes to you. If that doesn't work, then we go to him.'

'You know where Death lives?'

'Death does not usually come to the mortals, unless on the job.'

Hermione understood perfectly well what that hideous hag meant. You don't see Death until you die.

Then the horrible hag began to explain the extremely complex proceedings of the incantation.

o0o 0o0 o0o 0o0

Severus stood invisible, quiet, observing as Hermione frantically took care of the complicated steps of the useless incantation. At first he had the impulse to stop her. He hoped Hermione still remembered his Severus persona from the time they fought Voldemort. But suddenly he held himself back.

And Severus watched as the ridiculously complicated incantation failed, and Hermione despaired. He tried to keep his calm as Hermione realized that she would have to die to meet Death. Her hopelessness broke his heart.

In an impulse, Severus took off to Spinner's End.

He didn't realize, though, that he was also being watched by someone who was both invisible and supernatural.

o0o 0o0 o0o 0o0

In the end, Hermione opted for the simple solutions. She kissed Ron at the hospital and left Rose with the Weasleys, announcing she would try a new resource to help him. Then she left.

A small lake, almost a pond, was what Hermione had prepared. In a boat hardly fit for one adult, she rowed to the middle of the lake and began to drown.

The plan was not foolproof, she soon realized. Drowning was not a spontaneous death. She had to summon all her will power not to swim back up to the surface. But she was not ready for defeat.

In no time, the need for oxygen was overwhelming. Hermione kept her focus on Ron to draw strength to all of this. She also remembered the witch's recommendations about the spiritual pull.

Please please Death come now Ron needs you I need you please Death come to me please please please come sweet Death

By now, she had swallowed a lot of water, and some had come inside her lungs. Things under the water became quite blurred but she could see the figure approaching. The historical accounts mentioned the coming of Death in the last breaths of the victim.

It was strange how Hermione could still see the hooded man approaching, riding a pale horse, even under the water. He really looked unarmed to her. Well, at least until he dismounted the horse, drew out the long scythe and used it to open the layers of water as if he were cutting a wheat field.

When he came close to Hermione, he extended a skeletal arm towards her. She took the hand, bony and cold. Abruptly, Death took her by the hand and, with an unexpected strength, helped her get up in the horse. Death also climbed on the animal and they took off.

It was literally a takeoff, since the horse went upwards in the direction of the clouds. Hermione was soaking wet and freezing because of the flight. The cause of her demise might even change from drowning to hypothermia.

Thanatos took her to a strange place, not that she expected anything else. But this thing reminded her of a gigantic spider web, one bigger than Hogwarts castle. Instinctively, she cringed as Death helped her get off the horse.

'Let's go.'

Hermione panicked for a split second, thinking that perhaps she was still alive enough so that he had taken her to a monstrous spider to be eaten. Flashes of "The Lord of the Rings" and the scene of Frodo and the giant Ungoliath spawn danced in her mind.

Death took her by the arm, and he was awfully gentle, she noticed. But when they magically stepped inside the web without being tangled, Hermione noticed this was really another realm of the universe.

As they walked, delicate sounds like chime bells echoed throughout the web. They stepped in a sort of padded soft rug and Death stopped. Hermione looked around. The web spread through seemingly miles of distance in every possible direction.

A single thread appeared in front of them, and down through it came a tiny spider, who stopped at their level. Death said, 'A situation has arrived.'

In a blink of an eye, the spider turned into a young, gorgeous woman who stared at Hermione. 'Oh.' She kept her eyes on Hermione. 'No wonder my threads are tangled. She is not supposed to be here.'

Death greeted, 'Hello, Clotho.'

Hermione tried to say, 'Please, I came to -'

She was interrupted as the woman shimmered briefly and in her place stood a middle-aged woman, still pleasant to the eye, but the youth fading form her skin and eyes. 'I am Lachesis, and I dare know why you are here.'

'Can you help me?'

Lachesis still stared at her, her mature features revealing none of her thoughts. Hermione turned to Death. His skeletal features were even worse to read.

'You are soaking wet.' The woman turned to Death. 'And I can see you are still a mortal.'

'Take care of her' was all Thanatos said.

'Thank you,' said Hermione to Death. 'I was -'

Thanatos interrupted her. 'We can talk later.'

Then he left.

Hermione watched him go. Somehow she knew better than to confront him. The woman took her arm. 'Come on, sweetie, let's take these wet clothes off.'

Hermione was given a bathrobe and slippers. The lady observed, 'A gorgeous young thing as yourself should not be thinking about suicide. Why did you do such a foolish thing?'

'For love,' was all she could answer.

'Ah,' smiled the lady. 'Love. It's a many splendored thing.'

Hermione just smiled, happy to feel a bit warm once more. The lady said, 'Thanatos will see you now. I'll bring some tea.'

With a quiet thank-you, Hermione went to the other room inside the gigantic spider web. Thanatos turned to her and chastised, 'You did a very dangerous and foolish thing, young lady.'

'Thank you for seeing me,' she said politely.

The skeleton with a pleasant voice said gravely, 'Your death was not scheduled. It tangled Fate's threads and made my schedule chaotic. The consequences could have been dire. Actually, they still can.'

Hermione chose to ignore the veiled threat. 'I had to see you. On behalf of my husband. Please save him.' Tears began to fall. 'He has - I mean, we have a small daughter and a whole life ahead of us!'

Thanatos explained, 'My job is not to kill anyone. I just collect souls.'

'But if you don't collect his -'

'Then there is a chance his body will be an empty, dead shell, and his soul will be adrift, without a proper place to go. He would suffer even more. Would you like that?'

'No! Just save him. Please. Let him live!' She began to cry.

Thanatos turned his back on her. 'I am afraid I cannot grant you your wish.'

'Please don't take him from us...' She was sobbing.

'I am sorry, but there is nothing I can do about it.'

Hermione asked, distraught, 'If not Death, then who can?'

The woman came in with tea, answered, 'I fear there is nothing I can do either, my dear. I am Fate, and your husband's thread is already cut.' She offered, 'Milk?'

'Whom else can I talk?'

The lady looked at Thanatos, who shrugged. She announced, 'I will get Atropos.'

Death nodded and, to Hermione's surprise, the woman shimmered again and in her place an old lady appeared, well into her sixties. Very down to earth, she looked disapprovingly at Hermione and scolded, 'Shame on you, young lady! What you have done was not only utterly useless and foolish, it is unworthy of someone with your intellect!'

Hermione felt her face flush. Yet she justified her actions, 'I just can't let my husband die! I love him!'

The old lady cast her a kind look. 'I understand your pain. For I am Atropos, one of Fate's three aspects. My sisters take care of the other sides of destiny. Clotho spins the thread of life and Lachesis weave the web, settling the threads in the tapestry. Look.'

She pointed upwards and Hermione saw the most amazing tapestry ever, still mounted in a loom above their heads. In the right side, the patterns were solid and the wondrous design was set with the brilliant threads. On the left side, the threads were loose, still waiting to be woven. In between the two parts, a shimmering energy of brilliant colors and magic that enchanted Hermione. She gaped at the sight.

'Beautiful is such an inadequate word, isn't it?' asked Atropos, bringing her back to reality. Or at least, that reality.

'And what do you do in the tapestry?'

'I cut the thread, of course. One sister spins, the other weaves and I cut the threads of life. The three aspects of Fate work together to weave a web of tangled skein.'

'So you are the one who actually kills people? You are the real killer.'

The granny-looking old lady nodded. 'You could say that, yes. But that is not entirely true. Besides, it is not my decision.'

Those incarnations were proving themselves slicker than a street thug, sighed Hermione. How was she supposed to save Ron?

'Well, then who could help me?' she asked aloud.

Thanatos suggested, 'What about Chronos? Would he give an extension?'

'Who is this Chronos?'

'The Incarnation of Time.'

Hermione repeated, 'Time? Could he turn back the clock and prevent the accident?'

Atropos shimmered back into Lachesis and said, 'Of course he could. But he would never.'

A new man came in, bearing an hourglass. 'You rang, my dear?'

tbc