5 Times Hermione Granger saved Neville Longbottom, part 2
The Hogwarts lake was called the Black Lake for a reason. While the water physically the same as any other Scottish lake water, it was always dark. Even in a clear, bright day, it was dark, a stain on the valley in front of the castle. It would take weeks for students to get used to it, and the teachers never had to warn anyone from swimming or fishing. Sometimes someone was attacked by a redcap or a grindylow, but that was usually enough to scare away anyone else who had heard of the incident. It seemed that only Hagrid himself had no fear of it.
Well, him and Hermione Granger. On one of the aforementioned clear and bright days, a rare glimpse of pleasant weather, she took the opportunity to study outdoors. She was perfectly comfortable reading indoors, but she found herself wanting to clear her head from the dusty library, the noise at the Quidditch pitch, and the clutter and chatter of the dorms and common room.
The library had always been Hermione's favorite place to read at Hogwarts, but it was by no means her exclusive place. She read in class, in the common room, in the dormitories, and in the great hall. Ron had developed a whole series of jokes based on this, and used them whenever possible. She didn't mind.
Here, with everyone inside or elsewhere on the grounds, she felt comfortable and free. If only Ron and Harry wanted to share this with her, but they wanted to watch the Ravenclaws practice. Part of her wanted to go with them, but she realized she didn't want to be bored, or offend them with her indifference. Often enough, she studied better alone.
At least, she thought she was alone. Her concentration was broken by a familiar voice.
"Hullo Hermione. Can I ask something?"
"Of course, Neville. What do you need?" She put down her book to smile up at Neville Longbottom, who was carrying several books of his own, as well as what looked like a bucket, a net, and a magnifying glass.
"Would you want to trade books? I mean, if you need any of these…" he stuttered and stumbled over the words
"Do you need any of mine? I know that's what you're trying to ask" she laughed.
"Well, yes. I mean…yes"
"Personal interest or class?"
"Class this time"
"Bimms, Trewlawny or Snape?" she rattled off his least favorite teachers.
"I know you don't have any books for Trewlawny's class. It's about potions", he explained as he sat down.
"It just so happens I was about to return this book on magical ingredients and their properties" she waggled the book in her hand playfully, "Now, what do you have for me?"
"What to give to the witch who has everything? I'm just wondering if, I mean, if you have, if you're read this book I got for my birthday. I mean, I read it already, but have you read this book on the history of elves and goblins?"
"Snodgrass! Yes! I mean, I haven't read it. I've been meaning to! Oh, thank you!" she passed over her volume in exchange.
"Do you mind if I look for traces of dwarf nilgu while I'm here?" he gestured at the net, "I mean, if I'm not disturbing"
"Of course not. It's nice to have company for once. Why aren't you watching practice? "she asked as she opened the new book
"I don't know anyone on their team. I'm sure they're a good team, but as long as someone knows how they play, I don't see how I could help"
"Harry probably just wants to see Chang practice" Hermione quipped, making Neville laugh as he waded into the shallows, his robes soaking up the water.
"You probably should have waterproofed your robes" she noticed
"Oh. I forgot" Neville stopped in his tracks, "Sprout usually has me just go in the house for samples"
"You know, those might help in potions. That book I gave you" she motioned to his bag sitting on the bank, "has some chapters on freshwater animals and planets that make up potions"
"Yeah, isn't there something that's Grindylow repellant?"
"You'd have to ask Hagrid" Hermione shrugged, "the book's vague on ecology"
"That's too bad. I like to learn about where this ingredients grow naturally, you know. What are they like, what gives them their magical-YIPE!"
A big pink tentacle suddenly grabbed the teen wizard and pulled him beneath.
"Neville!" Hermione cried out.
Her mind raced. Who was there? Hagrid would know what to do, but he was in the forest on the other side of the lake. McGonagall was teaching the second years. Flitwick was on the far side of the castle. Snape kept his office locked and was by appointment only. She certainly didn't trust Trewlawny or Umbridge. Filch didn't know how to deal with a giant squid.
Right, now what? She didn't want to go back in that lake. Last year she was grabbed herself by the merfolk for their stupid game. Thank goodness Viktor knew that sharkform spell, but it was too bad she didn't know how to make it herself.
Then it hit her. Gillyweed. Dobby had given Harry some for the tournament. A quick glance at his bag and forgotten wand showed Neville brought some, but he had, as expected, forgotten to use it before entering the water. Was there enough? What did Harry tell her about it?
No time now. A flick of the wand waterproofed her clothes. She popped the ugly green wad into her mouth and chewed, gagging as she put the rest into one of her robe pockets. She wasn't much of a swimmer, but she had to try. Still twitching from the gillyweed, Hermione kicked off her boots and waded in as fast as she could.
It was dark. It took a while for her eyes to adjust to this dark, and to her horror she had forgotten to light up her wand. After some experimenting she managed to burble out "Lumos.". Fortunately, by that time she felt her breathing come easily and her freezing feet pushed through the water much more easily. How did Harry do this?
How did Harry do anything? By remembering it was a matter of life and death, that it was important. That's why Harry's the hero, she thought to herself before swimming onward. As she descended, she could make out stone shapes. Shapes that Harry had described to her. Spires that she had been tied to….
Merpeople. Sure enough, they came out. She could make out their murky green skin and amphibian features. She had heard about them. She had read about them. She had aced that part of Magical Creatures, and knew their history inside and out. She knew they were persecuted and hated, killed off by both wizard intentionally and muggle unintentionally.
She was still frightened of them. She could remember their iron grips as their thin, warty webbed fingers had pulled her in. To Hermione's horror she felt that again as one of the guards grabbed her right wrist. Another held her trident at her throat.
"Why have you returned here?" the brandishing guard snapped.
"Please…the squid took my friend…let go…."
No other merfolk grabbed her, but the guard to her right kept his grip.
"I don't know why, but the squid went under and he's drowning my friend" she pleased
"Use your magic" it sounded half mocking, half a genuine suggestion
"I can't find it. Please, ask the chieftain"
At the sound of her name, old Murcus herself swam into the scene; her expression stern and calculating. For years she had kept the peace between the landfolk and her people, and only rarely had they disturbed her. She and Dumbledore had an agreement, and whoever broke this agreement would face punishment at the hands of both.
"Is this a trick? Have you come to steal from us?"
"Please, your grace" Hermione struggled to remember the selkie honorific, "I'm just trying to rescue my friend from the squid"
"Your friend…was it the gilled boy? The one merged with a shark? The bubble-protected one? The female?" Murcus seemed genuinely curious
"None of those! He's just a student who came to wade for plants and the squid grabbed him."
"Which plant did he seek?" the Chieftain stroked her chin thoughtfully.
"Dwarf nilgu…the little red weed"
"It is not the season for it. Are you lying to us?"
"No, no! I'm sure he didn't know! Look, you can tie me up again if you have to. You can hold onto my wand if you want. I just want to save him from the squid!" Hermione panicked, the memory of that ordeal closing in around her.
"You can take my wand if it makes you feel safer" she burst out
Murcus swam cautiously towards the girl, dwarfing her in regal stature, sickly green hair swirling in the gloomy green water.
"Xophis, take your men to find that squid. Bring the human to the surface. This one I will deal with myself."
Hermione let go of her wand, steeling for whatever horrible fate her vivid imagine could conjure. Murcus calmly grabbed the wand as it floated away, then replaced the guard's grip on Hermione's wrist with her own.
Firmly, the merrow swam up and towards the shore, dragging the young witch behind her with one hand while her other gripped the wand. With astonishing speed they raced, the chief casually kicking a grabbing grindylow who tried his luck. Hermione's head spun as she felt the water rush by her, entirely helpless and cringing against the strong cold current that threatened to drag her down.
When they suddenly stopped, Hermione began to panic again.
"Be still, child. I await the work of my people." Murcus muttered.
They hung there seemingly for an eternity before the merwoman moved again. They finally breached the surface, the Scottish air never feeling so good to Hermione before. For a moment she hung in the air, before she felt being flung onto the ground. Scrabbling to her feet, she clung onto the tree, not bothering to pick up her wand after it hit the grass. She barely remembered to cough up that foul gillyweed and struggle to catch her breath. All she could feel is relief.
A familiar cough caught her attention. She turned to the grass to see Neville, looking very pale and moaning as he lay on the ground. She looked back to the water. She could see Murcus and another merperson breaching the water.
"T-thank you. " Hermione managed to rasp out, unable to say anything else.
Murcus nodded, screeched something, and then she and her companion slipped back beneath the lake.
Almost immediately, she rushed down to her fallen friend. "Rennervate" she remembered the spell.
"Neville, are you all right? Speak to me. Say something"
"'mione? That you?" he gasped, trying to blink away the water, his large blue eyes dilated.
"Yes. Can you get up?"
"Gimme a moment" he murmured, trying to take deep breaths. For a little while she just kneeled there, watching, waiting. It took a few minutes, but eventually she managed to pull up the larger wizard.
As they walked to Hagrid's house, leaning on each other, Hermione explained what had happened.
"I don't remember much…I mean, less than usual" Neville shook his still-dripping head, "just I was pulled water rushing by. I was too busy drowning. Last thing I remember was some green fish-people with spears rushing a giant squid. Would have been exciting if I wasn't terrified. And drowning"
Hagrid opened the door when they knocked, understandably surprised enough to drop the cold-charmed bone he was using on his bruises.
"Whatchre doin' here? Did yer go for a swim?"
"Involuntarily" Hermione wheezed, "We were by the shore. That…" , she stopped to think of a Ron expression for this, "bloody overgrown sushi grabbed Neville. I had to talk to Chief Murcus to rescue him."
"Tha's quick thinkin', Hermione. Surprised she did it. I guess tha' goes to show ye that merpeople have souls like the rest of us. Wonder why that squid went looney" Hagrid asked himself as he went to the fireplace.
"I was frightened out of my wits. Turns out I still remember when they grabbed me for the tournament"
Neville looked shocked at her admission of fear.
"Well, I'll heat up some porridge and treacle. Here, Neville-wear this. " Hagrid offhandedly tossed them a huge fur-and-wool monstrosity he probably wove himself.
Neville blushed as he changed, stripping off his wet robes to his pants before wrapping the….garment around himself.
He looked pretty good, Hermione absentmindedly thought to herself.
"Aren't you cold, Hermione?" Neville turned to her
"I'll just warm myself by the fire" she explained, moving her seat to the fireplace where Hagrid was placing the cold food.
"Here" Neville offered, "Dehydrate" he dried his robes and put them on Hermione's shoulders.
"You could just put your robes back on now, you know" Hermione smirked and waggled her eyebrows.
"Oh. I guess I forgot"
The two teens laughed.