CHAPTER EIGHT
Summary: Hermione's secret is discovered by The Order of the Phoenix. Before Harry is rescued, she needs to be first. But from who? With the help of Sirius she learns to put the past behind her, and with the help of two Weasleys, they show her a happy future. But Hermione isn't who she thinks she is, what she discovers will change her life for good. Rated M for a reason.
Disclaimer: All original characters and canon events belong to J.K. Rowling. Non-canon events are my own ideas. I am not making any profit from posting this fanfic.
Page count: 8
12 Grimmauld Place – Saturday 6th January 1996
"No, it can't be," she heard Remus whisper. Sirius turned to Remus and looked at him sadly.
"It is; it's the only thing even remotely plausible," he said quietly.
"But, it can't be," he looked at Sirius fearfully and he now understood why Sirius had been so afraid.
"What's a Blue Mage?" Hermione asked confused.
They both looked at her and she noticed they were both tense.
"A Blue Mage is a magical being that is able to control the elements. She is the only thing that can control the elements, that is why I am certain that you are one."
"I've never heard of them, why do you look so worried?"
"Kitten, Blue Mages are essentially warriors, good doers, they exist to protect the world. They usually don't chose sides, staying neutral and making sure that too much damage isn't done, they usually stay in the background. They are known for their ability to control the five elements: Earth, Air, Water, Fire and Quintessence. The last element of Quintessence shows itself in a different ability with each Blue Mage. For example, the last Blue Mage had the power of telekinesis, and the one before that had the power of astral projection. In your case it's the ability to control lightning, much cooler if you ask me," he said trying to lighten the mood.
"How come I've never heard of them?" she asked quietly.
"They're almost non-existent. There's only one Blue Mage born every five hundred years, the last one was born in America, South Carolina. You are the only Blue Mage for the next five hundred years, they are born to the continent that is in most need of them and in this case it would be Europe, given the times that we've been in for the last six decades."
"But, I can't be," she muttered.
"There's a test that can be done, but I am one hundred percent positive that you are a Blue Mage, there is nothing, and I mean nothing that can control the elements for except them."
"Why?"
"Legend has it that the Blue Mage is Mother Nature herself, that she is the creator of all magic, she is the reason magic exists as well as magical creatures. They say that she is the Goddess of Magic, the Mother or Magic, and therefore, she is always treated with respect and honour, even the most cruellest of people would never disrespect a Blue Mage. You are essentially Mother Nature."
"Why me?"
"I can't answer that, Kitten, no one knows how or why the next Blue Mage is chosen, she just is. When the next Blue Mage is born, the previous Blue Mage will finally find her peace in the afterlife and her powers will be passed on. It's always a woman and from what I can tell, she's always a Muggleborn, likely because your blood isn't polluted through inbreeding, your blood is the purest of all witches and wizards, which makes your magic more potent. For whatever reason, you were chosen to be the next Blue Mage. You will live to the age of five hundred and until the next Blue Mage is born, it could be anywhere in the world, but there can only be one at a time and that is now you."
She was sat there frozen.
"Why is this only happening now?" she whispered, finally blinking.
"You're seventeen, you've become an adult and that means you've come into your heritage. You started having outbursts when you were sixteen, correct?" she nodded. "That was your powers coming into your blood, they would slowly fill your body until your seventeenth birthday, at which point they would come into full force. It's why you can suddenly control the elements. It's a natural ability for you and therefore it won't take much for you to learn how to perfect control. Likely a couple hours a week for a few weeks and then you'll have mastered them. The only problem is your emotions; your powers are tied into them. When you feel fear, sadness or anger you will likely lose control of your powers and it will affect whatever element it is tied into."
"It makes sense," she whispered. "Fear and anger are tied into thunder and lightning storms and sadness ties into rain."
"You're the Blue Mage for the next five hundred years."
"What will happen to me?"
"You won't age, not typically anyway, the book I found states you will stop aging between thirty and sixty years old."
"So I'm just supposed to watch everyone die?" she whispered.
"No, Blue Mages are powerful, but they can be killed. You can live to the age of five hundred, but you can also die before that. However, it is an unforgivable crime to kill a Blue Mage, no matter her age. No one knows what happens to those that harm a Blue Mage, because it's never happened before, people are too scared to even think about harming you. This gives you protection, but not your family. If someone wishes to cause you pain, they will likely go for those you care for, but that will result in retaliation from you, which wouldn't bode for those involved."
"How will this affect this war?"
"That's up to you, Kitten," he said softly. "Like I said, traditionally Blue Mages stay neutral, they keep the balance in the world. Along with their mates they..."
"Mates?" she interrupted.
"A Blue Mage must have someone to balance her, someone to help regulate her magic, someone to help remain her in control. The average Blue Mage has two. They are her companions in life, her happiness, her laughter, they are her everything," he said softly. "It's your choice who you choose, but those that you do will be treated with the same respect that is bestowed upon you. They are your equals. You have centuries to find those that make you happy, so you don't need to worry about it for the time being."
"Will people find out? Can it be kept a secret?"
"I'm sorry to say it can't, Kitten," he said sadly. "Now that you've been found, your powers will continue to grow and it won't be long before people begin to notice. It's best if we do the test and inform The Ministry ourselves, that way we can control what others know."
"Then the public will know."
"Yes, and so will the enemy side. You will be contacted by Him, he'll try to convince you to fight for his side, but the decision is yours, it would be best if you stay neutral in this war." He could see she was going to argue with him. "Kitten, it's in your best interest if you stay neutral. You have four hundred and eighty-three years to live before the next Blue Mage is born. If you die before that your magic will not be able to pass on to its next owner and it will be without a protector and that cannot be allowed to happen. Magic such as yours without a body can damage the magic, weaken it. You don't have to worry about the public, they'll try and befriend you, hoping that it would benefit them in some way, but you have your own mind, you can make your own decisions."
"Is there anything I can read?"
"I believe that there are journals, each Blue Mage keeps a journal throughout their lifetime, it is supposed to be passed onto the next Blue Mage, but since the previous Blue Mage was born in a different continent, we'll have to track it down for you. It won't be easy, people would kill to know the secrets of the Blue Mage, but it is your birth right and so it will be found. I'll put the entirety of The Black resources to use to have it found and brought to you."
"So there's no point in keeping it a secret?"
"At least not from The Order," he confirmed. "There's a meeting tonight..."
"Send me a message and I'll prove it," she said quietly. "If you don't mind, I think I need to lie down for a little while."
"Of course, Kitten."
She shakily stood and moved over to Sirius. He stood and hugged her tightly.
"No one is going to hurt you, not only will I not allow it, it would be unforgivable." She nodded and kissed his cheek. She hugged Remus and kissed his cheek before walking out of the room in a daze.
Sirius started pacing once she left.
"It's bad," Remus said sighing.
"Told you," Sirius muttered. He walked over to the bar and poured himself a tumbler of fire whiskey, he downed it and winced. "Her life is never going to be the same."
"It could be something else," Remus offered hopefully. Sirius shot him a glare. "Or not," he sighed. "Dumbledore will want to do the test."
"I know, it's not going to be pleasant for her."
"Why not?" he frowned.
"It'll be draining, it'll be painful and it's a long process."
~000~000~000~
Hermione was lying on her bed staring at the ceiling trying to digest everything, when she heard a knock and a mutter. She waved her wand letting Fred and George into her room.
"Did you talk to Sirius?" Fred said sitting beside her, George sat on her other side.
She nodded.
"Did he find the book you mentioned him having?" George asked.
She nodded.
"And?" they both asked.
"I'm a Blue Mage."
"Fucking hell!" they both exclaimed.
She jumped in shock and she looked at them both. She had never seen the twins so shocked before. Their eyes wide, on the verge of bulging out of their heads and their jaws practically hitting the floor.
"You know what they are?" she asked quietly, they nodded. "How?"
Fred was the first to clear his throat, but he looked like he wanted to faint.
"The legend of the Blue Mage is told to every Pureblood child throughout their childhood, specifically the males, they are bedtime stories. They're powerful Muggleborn witches with the ability to control the elements. She's a fierce warrior, but she traditionally stays neutral in times of war. She rights the wrongs of others, makes sure that neither side of a war have a too great an advantage, she keeps things fair and balanced," he said, staring at her in awe.
"Her legend is told to us in case we ever find ourselves being in the presence of one, she must always be treated with the upmost respect and she must be protected. We're also told her story should we be chosen as her mate. Those chosen to be her mates will be her equal, she will value them before all else and she will bring respect to the family of her chosen ones," George finished for his twin and he couldn't tear his eyes away from Hermione.
"What else do you know?" she asked, sitting up to look at them.
"She can control the five elements, she will live to the age of five hundred at which the next Blue Mage will be born and her powers will be passed on," Fred said. "That's all we know."
"Sirius told me that a Blue Mage stops ageing between the ages of thirty and sixty. We can be killed before our fifth hundredth birthday. If we are killed or injured by someone, it is said to have disastrous consequences, except no one's dared to hurt a Blue Mage before and therefore the ramifications are unknown."
"That makes sense, a Blue Mage must be respected at all times," George nodded.
"Each Blue Mage can control all five elements, however, since the element of Quintessence is said to be more than one ability, each Blue Mage's is different. Mine is the ability to control lightning, the previous Blue Mage had the ability of telekinesis and the one before that was able to astral project."
"Yours is much cooler," Fred said and a smile tugged at her lips.
"Each Blue Mage keeps a journal of her life and it's supposed to be passed down onto the next one, Sirius is going to track it down for me. My powers are growing stronger, but since they are natural abilities, it shouldn't take me long to master control over them. A few weeks at most. My emotions are tied into my powers and that's going to be the most difficult part of controlling my elemental magic. When I'm sad it rains, when I'm angry or frightened it's thunder and lightning storms. I'm going to have to start to try and control my emotions. Sirius wants me to attend The Order meeting tonight and he wants to tell The Ministry ourselves."
"So you can control the reaction, makes sense," George nodded.
"He's adamant we can't keep it a secret."
"He's right, people will start noticing, especially the Pureblood wizards. I can't wait to see the look on Malfoy's face," Fred spoke gleefully and she chuckled.
"He's been disrespecting you since you stepped foot on the train your first year, he's got a lot of making up to do, his father will be livid if he loses the chance of being the mate of a Blue Mage."
She frowned. "Sirius said I have centuries to choose my mates, and Malfoy would sure as hell never be one of them."
"Don't worry, we'll keep him away from you," George grinned mischievously and she felt herself smile, knowing exactly what his intentioned were.
"It must be a lot to take in," Fred commented softly.
"It is, I don't know how to deal with all the information floating around in my head."
"Do you want us to leave you alone for a little while?" George asked her.
"No, you can stay."
She laid back down and stared at the ceiling. Fred and George smiled at each other and then laid down beside her, looking up at the ceiling that she'd charmed to show the constellations and stars.
~000~000~000~
"Before we call this meeting to a close, Sirius, you wanted to speak of something of great importance?" Dumbledore said.
Tonks, Remus, Kingsley, Moody, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Professors Snape and McGonagall and Charlie and Bill –who had arrived New Years- were all present. They turned to look at Sirius expectantly.
"Yes, just give me a minute," he spoke and then he touched his ring.
'It's time, Kitten,' he thought.
'Okay,' she replied.
They were all surprised when the kitchen door open and Hermione stepped in.
"You're supposed to be in bed, young lady," Mrs. Weasley scolded.
"She's of age: you can't tell my daughter what to do," Sirius rolled his eyes.
"Daughter?" several people questioned in confusion.
"Daughter," he clarified. "I adopted her last week."
"I'm Hermione Black now," she said sheepishly. They gawked.
"Sirius, I presume Miss. Black is here for a reason," Dumbledore spoke.
"Yes, we've recently become aware of something affecting her." He waved his wand and they watched intrigued as a glass of water, a lit candle, a plant pot filled with soil and a book appeared in the middle of the table.
"Miss, Black," Dumbledore nodded, gesturing to the table with his hand and giving her the go ahead.
Hermione looked at Sirius and he smiled at her encouragingly. Hermione took a deep breath and walked over to him, his presence helping to calm her.
"What's this all about?" Moody's gruff voice spoke.
"Just give her a chance, Moody, you'll want to see this," Sirius glared. "She needs to concentrate, so be quiet."
Hermione looked at the plant pot first. She gripped her necklace.
'I've never done anything with Earth since my first magical act,' she thought.
'Just try, Kitten, it should work the same way as your other abilities,' he replied.
She sighed and let go of the necklace. She reached over and held her hand out close to the plant pot, which she knew had a seed in.
She focused her attention on the plant pot, imagining a beautiful flower being in its place. She wished it, willed it to happen. She could feel something pulling on her magic and narrowed her eyes further. She felt a smile tug at her lips when the plant pot began to shake. Excitement and joy was bubbling within her and suddenly a green stem sprouted out of the soil. A bud began to grow, before petals appeared and unexpectedly burst open, revealing a lone lilac rose, fully grown. She dropped her hand and stood up straight, beaming at Sirius who was smiling at her proudly.
"What the hell was that?" Tonks whispered, everyone's attention was on Hermione and she shifted under their stares.
"Earth," Sirius spoke.
Hermione cleared her throat and then moved her attention to the glass of water. She focused her attention and narrowed her eyes. It took less time that it did usually for the water to erupt and float in the air, quickly changing into a Phoenix under her will. She used her wand to freeze it and when it dropped she caught it and moved over to Dumbledore. She held it out for him and he took it from her slowly, staring at it in wonder.
"Water," Sirius said.
Hermione turned her attention to the book on the table. She narrowed her eyes at it and a tiny tornado appeared, made its way over to the book and then it slipped under the book. The book was levitated from the table and into the air, everyone's head lifted up, following the movement. The book then moved over to Charlie and dropped and he caught it and he gawked at it.
"Air," Sirius said.
Hermione turned her attention to the lit candle; the tornado appeared once more and moved the candle over to her. She put her hand near the flame, touching it and then she moved it away. The lone flame seemed to grow in size, before it followed her hand, reaching out to touch her finger tips. She lifted her hand up high over the candle and the flame followed, she moved her hand around the flame and the flame moved in a circular motion, following her.
She put her hand over the flame and with her thumb and forefinger she pinched the flame, when she moved her hand away all that was left was a small puff of smoke.
"Fire," Sirius said and Hermione moved back over to him.
He put his wand to his temple and pulled out a small white wisp of smoke and flicked his wand. The memory played on a large screen. The day Hermione had been found, Sirius was hugging her tightly and a thunder and lightning storm was raging in her bedroom before it suddenly stopped, then the memory faded.
"Quintessence," Sirius spoke.
Everyone was staring at Hermione.
"Impossible," McGonagall muttered, staring at her cub in wonder.
"Incredible," Dumbledore said with his eyes twinkling.
"I'm a Blue Mage," Hermione said quietly.
Chaos ensured.