Disclaimer: All characters and situations other than my own are sole property of J.K Rowling and publishers alike.

Chapter 11: Forcing Catastrophe

"Harry?...Ron?" A small voice called out from the black oblivion. However there was no response to the voice's call.

"Is anyone there?" The voice shouted out to the darkness.

No answer.

Small sounds of footsteps were heard, but they were her own footsteps. No one else's.

Hermione continued down the endless way, looking for any signs of another's presence. All she could see was pitch black. She reached for her wand where she knew would lie safely in her pocket. Her panic arose when she found it empty. Nothing there.

She reached for the other pocket only to find her wand absent.

She drew in a breath and told herself to relax. There was no one there. She was presumed safe. But she knew better than to trust the empty darkness. For all she knew there could be something lurking about.

"Harry? Ron?" She found herself calling out again. But once again there was no one there to reply.

Hermione continued to scan her surroundings. But there was nothing to see. She couldn't even see her own hands in front of her. Had she gone blind?

The Gryffindor sighed and took another search around. There were no sounds, except her own footsteps and even breathing. The place was empty…whatever this place was.

A gust of wind whirled through her, whipping her hair to and fro. Hermione brought a hand to wipe the hair away from her face. She winced as debris began to fly from the wind. Some were thrown into her face. She didn't know that there was garbage and rubbish around. She gave a gasp when a large piece of fragment knocked her back. Her breath temporarily knocked from her. Her hand flew to her chest as she fought to stand up. The large gust of wind continued to whack things at her. Things she could not identify making the task of getting up quite difficult.

"Let me help you," A cool voice called out. Hermione froze in place. She looked up to identify who it was but all she could see was a pale outline. Nothing more. She squinted her eyes to see better, but with no results.

"Who's there?" She called out. There was a soft chuckle before she felt herself being jerked up into a standing position. She squirmed and fought out of instinct but soon found a reassuring hand at her back. Seemingly calmed, Hermione turned around to attempt to identify her savior.

She couldn't.

"Don't worry your safe here with me."

That was when the chaos began.

Hermione shot up with sweat drenched on her forehead. Her chest heaving as she clenched onto her bed sheets. Hermione found herself tearing up. She swallowed and looked around.

She drew in a breath of relief when she found that she was not lost in a dark oblivion. Nor was she locked in the arms of a murderer or witnessing the deaths of all her friends and family- over and over again.

Hermione shuddered.

Still in the Gryffindor Dorms.

She reassured herself. But somewhere along the way, she had fallen onto the floor. With quick movements, she propped herself up. A hand was brought up to wipe the fallen tears away.

She thanked Merlin that it was only- she glanced at the clock- two o'clock in the morning. Her dorm mates were asleep.

The Gryffindor looked down and noticed that she was shaking. Her arms and hands were trembling at an uncontrollable rate.

Her hand flew to her mouth as she let out a sob, muffled from her hand. Her bottom lip quavered as she fought for a sense of security.

She found none.

She attempted to banish images of the dead, the dismembered, and the corpses- All of them wearing the faces of her friends and family. The sight of the glassy eyed Professor McGonagall never left her. The torn up pieces of Lavender Brown haunted her. The pale, lifeless form of Mrs. Weasley-

Why wouldn't they leave her? Why couldn't she fall asleep and dream of happiness? Rather than the horrible death and destruction she had to live through.

Hermione wanted to get up back on her bed, but she could not find the strength. She was quite content sitting on the floor- immobile.

Her heart clenched, like someone had reached in and wrung it out like a dirty rag. She felt so defenseless. Like when she was in the dreaded Malfoy Manor all over again. Being Crucio'd over and over and over.

That was when she dashed to the bathroom and flicked on the lights with haste. She scattered towards the toilet, threw open the lid with a loud clank and proceeded to vomit. She heaved and battered into the bowl as her breakfast, lunch and dinner spilled out.

The bathroom echoed with the sounds of her bile and her sobs.

"Grainford?" A meek and zombie like voice called. Hermione chocked and hurled further into the bowl, the voice left ignored.

She attempted to seat herself up. To gain some form of balance. Hermione bade herself to ignore those images from her dream.

It's just a dream, it's just a dream, it's just a bloody dream.

She chanted to herself endlessly as her head tilted to its side. The room filled with her erratic breathing and sobs that have now dimmed their volume.

"Uh…are you going to clean that up?" The voice called out once again. Her brown eyes lifted lazily to the figure. Blurred by her tears and the obscured darkness, the figure remained as a silhouette. Hermione couldn't tell if it were male or female. However, her state brought her down to the point she just couldn't care anymore. She couldn't find any reason to care.

She drew in a heavy breath and brought up a hand to comfort herself.

She shuddered as those memories crawled and taunted her.

"Hermione! Run!" Ron would cry

"He's here, he's here! Leave! Leave before he finds you to!" Harry would shove her away as he marched to his death.

"Sniveling, filthy, disgusting Mudblood!"

"Cruico!"

"Hermione help!" A comrade would cry.

She wouldn't be able to save them.

"Don't leave me! Please don't leave me here!" She couldn't identify the voice but she knew that in the end, Hermione had left the pleading voice to their death.

"Kill them! Kill them all."

"Avada Kedavra!"

And that was why Hermione Granger refused to fall asleep.

"…-It was disgusting! Vomit was all over the bathroom. I don't know how the House Elves managed to clean it all up."

"Is it really true?"

"Of course it is. I can't think of any other explanation of why her bile was all over the place. It's the only logical explanation."

"Just when I thought she couldn't stoop any lower…"

"I can't even look at her now."

"With hair like that? It was harder even before we found out."

The girls erupted in laughter and giggles, their cheeks burning up in red from their joys.

Their snickering fell silent when a lone, bushy haired witch walked into the Great Hall. Her demeanor even more sickly than usual. Her color completely gone, her skin had gone from a pale white to a chalky grey. Hermione's hair had gone to the point of being untamable. Her books held on with what little strength she had left.

The hall fell silent at her arrival. Glares were fired towards her. The girls especially seemed to especially seethe at her presence. As if she had insulted their entire gender.

The Gryffindor faltered in her steps at this treatment towards her but she continued walking nonetheless.

Confusion swam in her when one of the Slytherin girls yelled out 'Slut' and a Ravenclaw girl muttered the words 'Filthy Whore' as she walked by.

Hermione narrowed her eyes but continued on to her table, slightly hurt by the treatment of the Hogwarts students. Her pain only grew when she realized that the Gryffindor students participated in shunning her.

All the available seats at the table suddenly disappeared. Students glared at her while whispers were exchanged amongst the students.

She visibly swallowed nervously but didn't let any other emotion be displayed towards anyone else. Hermione held her head up high and ignored the stares and whispers. Whatever reason these students had for hating her, she would get through it.

"Disgusting skank," A voice hissed. Hermione was taken aback. What has gotten in the students? Had they all gotten together and decided that they would shun her?

Absurd! Absolutely absurd. If they wanted to treat her in such a manner than fine! She didn't need them, anyway.

"Hermione!" Sylvia waved over towards her direction which stunned the Gryffindor. Hermione noted how her companions, Jamie or…Janice and Abby or was it Angie- shoot Sylvia heated looks. The blond whispered something into Sylvia's ear which caused Sylvia to whisper something back. Whatever Sylvia had whispered, it had caused the blond to calm down.

The brunette would normally refuse such an offer, but she was debating whether or not she wanted to deal with the Weasley's whining. Or maybe she was in need of company, because she was relieved when she found that someone was willing to ask her to sit with them.

Plopping herself into the vacant seat next to the red head, Hermione quickly began to pile food onto her plate. Her hunger striking her as she caught sight of the food, Hermione immediately grabbed a plate to stack food onto it.

The whispers began to arise, as if the Hogwarts school population was monitoring her every move. She ignored them all. She quickly noted that Sylvia and her two 'friends' gawking at her like a hawk.

"How are you feeling?" Sylvia asked as Hermione shoveled eggs into her mouth. The Gryffindor made a hand gesture that signified that she was fine.

"Here," Sylvia smiled at Hermione as she handed her a toast. "Have some more food, you'll need it." Hermione was taken aback by the offer but she declined the offer with a shake of the head.

Weasley seemed to have taken the decline as an offence because her eyes widened.

"But you need it, 'Mione" Hermione didn't know whether to be more surprised from Sylvia's demand to feed her or the nickname she was given. The determined girl shoved the toast in Hermione's direction. Without a second thought, Hermione took the food and placed it on her plate.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at everyone in the room and continued to her meal. She inhaled everything and topped her plate with more.

It didn't go unnoticed when the blonde whispered something to the brunette…Andrea? Abby? What was her name?

"I knew it," She snarled into her ear. The brunette nodded and shot a glare at Hermione. The blonde gave Hermione a cold smile only to roll her eyes, as if to silently ask why she was stuck here with Hermione.

It was Sylvia who was staring at Hermione, like a mother watching her baby girl play at the park. Her eyes never leaving her in fear that if they left, the child would be gone.

Hermione gulped and decided that perhaps it would be better if she just left. The idea brought satisfaction to her.

She stood up and bade that girls goodbye. She gripped onto her bag when Sylvia quickly stood up and cried:

"Do you want to more? You need to eat!" She squealed. The brunette looked appalled at the redhead. Was she really beginning to look that terrible? Had her lack of sleep finally ridden her features?

"I'm fine," Hermione responded as she moved to walk away.

"You want me to carry that for you?" Sylvia squeaked. Hermione shook her head. She couldn't decide what to feel. Confused at this strange behavior or thankful for Sylvia's…sudden care.

"I'm okay." Hermione spoke the words slowly as if speaking to a foreigner who had difficulty with the language.

"You wouldn't want to hurt your shoulder would you?" Sylvia said, her eyes widening in fear.

Hermione forced herself to smile as she stepped out of her chair.

"I'm fine, thank you." She responded and quickly scattered away from the Great Hall. She wanted to get away. Get away from the students. Get away from those two 'friends' of Sylvia. And she wanted to get away from Sylvia herself.

Stares and whispers followed Hermione as she stumbled away.

She felt herself breathe in as she stepped out of the Hall. As if she had been holding her breath her entire visit.

A lump grew in her throat but she fought hard to swallow it.

What was going on? What kind of rumor or thought caused every single one of the students to despise her?

Hermione raked her brains but found no results.

"Slut!" A blond haired Slytherin shrieked towards Hermione as she walked towards the Great Hall. The girls walking with the Slytherin all snickered and threw in rude curse words directed towards Hermione.

"Whore!"

"Bitch!" They teased.

"Filth!"

Hermione was repulsed, revolted. What had she done? What kind of thing did she do to offend these students?

"Professor Dumbledore, this is a serious matter!" The plump Medi-Witch screeched as she waved her arms around dramatically.

"Sana, I'm sure that you are overreacting-"

"Overreacting? Overreacting?" Madam Flane brought a wrinkled hand to the bridge of her nose. "Albus, this girl comes out of the blue looking like she walked through a battlefield. We examine her and she was badly injured. And her injuries are abnormal. We found traces of curse and hexes all over her. She has traces of the Cruciatious Curse on her. The Cruciatious Curse!"

"Madam Flane-"

"And do you know what I found on her forearm?" Madam Flane huffed, her face turning into a shade of puce. She stuck up her left forearm and traced her index finger on the sleeve. Mimicking the trail of the scar she had found on the girl.

"The word Mudblood carved into her skin" The last sentence had caught Professor Dumbledore's attention.

"I beg your pardon?" He asked his voice soft and indulgent. He almost went unheard.

"The word Mudblood is carved into her skin. And it wasn't an ordinary scar; I found traces of Dark Magic on them, Albus."

The plump witch's voice began to shake from rage and frenzy. If the Medi-Witch wasn't so furious she would've saw something flash behind Dumbledore's eyes.

"And do you know what the students are saying?" Madam Flane heaved, her chest rising and falling heavily.

"Yes," Professor Dumbledore responded, a twinkle of amusement behind his eyes. "Though I doubt what they say is true-"

"For all we know, it could be. After all, this girl is by far the most mysterious and confusing thing I have ever come across."

"She, Madam Flane. The young lady is a she. She is not a thing." He commented his voice remained light and calm.

"Albus, please" She breathed. "This girl is dangerous!"

The elderly professor arched his eyebrows.

"Truth be told, Sana, I do not see the threat in this student. I have received many positive comments from her professors. They are impressed with her knowledge and capability in every subject she is placed in-"

"Professor Dumbledore." Madam Flane's voice quivered. "I'm coming to you because I'm worried about this girl. Maybe she's a criminal. An unlawful girl on the run. And by allowing this girl to stay here, we'd be an alibi. We are helping this…this possibly dangerous girl into our school. We could be endangering the students! I have tried speaking with Armando but he won't listen to me. He will trust you, Albus"

The Professor raised a hand to silent the frantic witch. The Medi-Witch stopped speaking immediately.

"Madam Flane, I will look deeper into this. If I find that this girl is as dangerous as you believe, then I will personally speak to Armando myself."

The elderly witch visibly relaxed at these words.

"Thank you, Albus." The plump witch breathed and exited his office. Her large body wobbling from one side to another.

The door closed and the professor was left with something to ponder. The scar that Madam Flane had mentioned struck him painfully. It had brought him memories that he had forced himself to forget. His eyes narrowed as he stared at Fawkes who stared blissfully back at his owner.

Professor Dumbledore had a feeling that his old friend was a key part to Ms. Grainford's mystery.

Hermione huffed as she made her way to class. The stares and whispers trailed her everywhere she ventured. She had half the mind to hex the next person who stared or exchanged remarks about her or even yelled out some offensive words her direction.

She gripped onto her books, allowing herself to take her anger out on them. So far, her day had gone horrible.

The students were insistent on making her feel terrible. Her classes droned painfully with people staring at her and inching away whenever she neared. Even some professors were acting strange. Some didn't even allow her to answer a question when one was asked. Even if she was the only one to raise her hand they would act as if she wasn't even present in the room. Though if one thought that that would stop her from asking questions, then they were wrong.

A student rushed passed her knocking her books from her grasp. The student turned around, to apologize, but when he caught sight of who he had knocked over, he frowned and turned away, continuing to his destination as if nothing had happened.

A scowl etched her features as she waved her wand and her books fell back into her arms.

Honestly! It was like she had a severely contagious disease and no one would approach her. Unless you were Sylvia Weasley, Hermione recalled with a distressed sigh. Don't get her wrong. Sylvia was sweet but unceasingly sweet. The girl tried to talk to Hermione any chance she would get. Treating Hermione as if she were a delicate doll. Offering to take her books and holding her like she was guiding an elderly woman up the stairs.

It was ridiculous!

Someone shoved passed her and Hermione was thrown forward once again. This time she knew for sure it was on purpose. She gave a huff and picked herself off the floor. Her knee was scraped but she bit back the pain and moved to collect her books.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" A voice called. Hermione fought the urge to groan. That voice! That disturbingly magical voice! Oh, how she wished to rip out those vocal cords. Hermione immediately grimaced at her own cruel thoughts.

"Sorry, Mr. Riddle." The boy muttered before he scampered away down the busy hallway. Hermione watched as the Slytherin came into view as he arrived in a Superhero manner. Hermione had to roll her eyes as the girls and boys around them seemed to have stopped traffic to admire him.

"Are you alright, Ms. Grainford?" Lord Voldemort asked with his face etched with falsified concern. Hermione nearly choked as he aided her to pick up the thrown books. Perhaps she should burn them now that his filthy hands have touched them.

The young Head Boy handed each book back to her. Each time his hand brushed against hers. Hermione made a mental note to Scourgify herself later on.

Hermione watched as he swooped down in that elegant matter he always carried as he handed her the last fallen book.

Hermione refused to look at him directly. She refused to look at the handsome face that so many girls have fallen hopelessly for. She wondered how he would look like if his features mimicked how he was within. She was sure he would look hideous.

"Watch out next time." He said with a smile that flashed his perfectly white teeth. To observers, it would appear like a friendly gesture. But Hermione knew better. She knew that it was a warning. And by the looks of that gleam in his psychotic eyes, he had a serious threat in mind. She could see the menace radiating from his eyes and that flared something within her. Hermione refused to flinch or back away from him, instead she stared straight back into his eyes in a much to daring matter.

Hermione Granger must've been hanging around Harry Potter to much because she looked back into his eyes, beamed at him and said:

"You should to," She smiled with plenty of hidden meaning. "After all, you never know what could happen to a guy like you."

And she briskly stalked down the corridors. Her robes billowed in a manner that would make her former Professor Snape proud. She didn't dare look behind her, because she was sure she left a gawking Tom Riddle.

Hermione couldn't make herself regret her indirect counter threat to Tom Riddle. She had already done so much to screw up that it didn't even matter anymore.

The soft pounding of the rain kept her awake throughout the night. Hermione found herself counting every time a thunder roared throughout the night. She had always adored thunderstorms. The way the sky would crack with a burst of light followed by a loud rumble.

Hermione found herself sitting on the window sill and staring out. She felt silly as if she were attempting to mimic a sad movie of some sort. She drew in a sigh and allowed her head to lean back in a lazy position. Her arms remained crossed over her chest as she fought the sleep that threatened to overcome her.

The room filled with her roommate's snores and the soft pitter patter of the rain. Every now and then lighting would flash across the sky accompanied by the thunderclap that was sure to come.

She remembered how Ron would always jump whenever there was a thunderstorm. She remembered how he disliked the storms. How he would always rant on and on about how loud and disruptive they were.

Unlike Ron, Hermione absolutely adored the thunderstorms; they always seemed to bring her at a certain peace. Something the other weather conditions weren't capable of.

It was funny really. Funny how such different people managed to find each other. The list of things her and Ron had in common came to a bare minimum and yet…

They still managed to love each other.

Hermione recalled her slight dislike for Ron when she was younger. She remembered that it was Harry Potter that had struck her interest and Ron had just been a nuisance to her. Hermione now knew that love can easily be mistaken for hate.

Ron

Her loving, silly, goofy Ron. It took them seven years to admit that they loved each other. And it took only seconds for him to be ripped out of her life.

Hermione bit her lower lip as if to prepare herself to cry. Strangely enough, she seemed to have run out of tears to shed.

Another roar of thunder echoed amongst the dorms. This one was louder than the rest and as the sound filled up the room, the sound left Hermione's ears ringing.

"Omygoodness!" A roommate sat up with sweat beaded on her forehead. Hermione could identify the girl to be panting. Hermione looked a little closer and noted that the girl had been crying. The girl appeared pale as a ghost. Perhaps it was the storms that have scared her.

Hermione rolled her eyes when the girl looked up at Hermione and screamed for everyone in the room to hear. The girl pulled her sheets but then proceeded to fall off the bed.

Unfortunately for Hermione, the girl's scream had awakened the other roommates.

"What's wrong?"

"Huh, what? –Janette, you okay?"

The blonde stared at Hermione as if she had seen Lord Voldemort appear into the room. Hermione scowled at the thought. She was thankful for the low lighting in fear the other girls would question her rude demeanor.

"Janette? You okay?" An unidentified roommate stepped out of bed and cautiously moved towards her fallen companion. 'Janette' only stared at Hermione. Her expression of fear never leaving her face. It was as if someone had pressed pause on the blonde and she remained frozen in time. The only movement she made was her erratic breathing as fear continued to mount on her face.

"Janny," The roommate shook the girl as if to awaken her from a trance. "Janette?" She called again but the only response was a terrified gasp.

The fellow roommates have all stepped out of bed now and they were each exchanging panicked glances towards Janette and dreadful glares towards Hermione. They each regarded her as if she was the cause of this dismay.

Hermione scowled once more. It wasn't her fault that Janette was painfully dramatic.

Hermione could only ignore them and stare back at Janette who seemed insistent on holding her terrified gaze. What was going on? What was this ridiculous display?

"Janette? Janette, can you hear me? Hello?" Janette's brunette friend waved her hand over her face continuously.

"Somebody get the Medi-Witch!" A pale faced girl croaked and quickly barked at a meek Gryffindor who was sitting on her bed to go to the Hospital Wing to find Madame Flane. The meek girl quickly got up and scampered out the dorms.

"What the fuck did you do, Grainford?" A harsh voice bounded through her ears. Hermione flinched when she found Janette's brunette friend sending Hermione one of the most dangerous looks she had ever encountered.

"Me?" Hermione hissed in displeasure. "How is it my fault that your friend here is too theatrical for her own good?"

The girls all reacted in a matter that made Hermione look as if she had rehearsed every curse word in the book.

They all shouted defenses for their darling friend. The pale faced girl even pulled out her wand. Hermione scowled at the piece of wood that was jabbed in her direction. Why do girls need to be so melodramatic? Honestly! It was like a practiced religion or something in these dorms.

The next ten minutes was filled with arguments and shouts of concerns. Everyone shot something rude or considerate towards the other party. Most of the rude remarks were directed to Hermione. She would very much like to pull out her wand and just cast all these morons to sleep.

The doors swung open which slammed into the wall with unnecessary force. There appeared the plump Medi-Witch who appeared livid. Hermione was sure that it was because she was disturbed from her slumber. The elder witch had her hair strung up in a crazed style. Her eyes only seemed half awake yet were lit with an angered fire.

"What is going on here?" She shrieked as the lightning flashed across the sky giving her the appearance of a villain who had stalked into the room.

Immediately all the girls explained at once. Making hand gestures, waving their arms around dramatically. Hermione leaned back against the window sill and allowed the thunder and rain to drone out the screeches and yelps.

She cast a glance at Janette who still remained immobile. Over all the chatter, Hermione was the only one to make out the nearly incomprehensible words that the blonde muttered.

"I could've sworn that you were…that you were…"

Nothing else was heard because she began to vomit. The sounds of her lurching caused everyone to be silenced and gasp as the subject of their concern hurled out her stomach contents.

"Let's get her to the Hospital Wing!" Madame Flane demanded and quickly conjured a stretcher and levitated the ill student away. All the students present in the room quickly followed the floating stretcher with a puking Janette.

As they exited the room, Madame Flane remained in the dark lit room, staring at Hermione. Her pale uniform and her pale appearance made her look like a spirit who had arrived to haunt her.

"You and I need to have a little talk later, Ms. Grainford." She hissed. And with those words the plump figure waddled her way out of the room.

Confusion whirled in her at what she had just witnessed. How could one moment lead to such bewilderment in such little time?

One minute she was sitting there, the next the blonde haired girl ends up going into what seemed like shock.

Hermione stared at the pool of vomit and quickly pulled out her wand and conjured a Scourgify to clean the mess. The mess immediately disappeared and Hermione continued to stare out into the rainy night. The room was now completely rid of all sounds. Even the thunder had silenced.

Any feelings of previous tiredness had long disappeared.

With blurred thoughts of the events that have just taken place, Hermione flicked her wand and summoned the nearest book to her. Which happened to be from the side of Janette's bed.

Hermione casted a nonverbal Lumos and read the title. The lone Gryffindor sighed when the cover had the picture of a glamorous model that fitted the entire style of this foreign generation. The woman had wavy and thick brown hair who batted her thick eyelashes up at Hermione. Every now a gloved hand would reach up and she would blow kisses up at her. Her perfect red lips standing out and the glittering dress only adding to the sparkle.

The title written in histrionic cursive writing. The words Sorceress Eternally were written flawlessly across the cover.

With the eagerness to rid of the thoughts of the recent happenings she flipped open to a random page.

Hermione found herself on a page of shallow gossip about the Wizarding World's latest celebrities. Hermione could only roll her eyes as they were mostly bashing the famous people on their relationships, their hair and their clothes.

Honestly!

It was as if they had nothing to do with their time except for bashing people.

She read through a paragraph about a celebrity Witch who had recently worn a considerably unsuitable dress to a recent dinner party. Hermione had to grimace at the way they insulted the poor witch.

Tired of the rude commentaries she quickly flipped to the next page. The next page filled with 'appropriate' dress wear that young witches this generation all should have.

Hermione had to sigh at her poor choice of reading. This shallow, shallow teenage gossip page. She could already feel the brain cells beginning to die. It was no wonder that the girls this generation were so narrow minded.

With a groan she banished the magazine to its original place.

Hermione rested her head against the window once more. Feeling the cool pane against her temple. She gazed out trying to identify anything out in the murky Hogwarts grounds. She could make out the figures of the towers and the trees of the-

What in Merlin's name…

Hermione narrowed her eyes to get a better view of what seemed like…

Blonde hair?

Hermione pushed herself up and pressed herself against the window like a fool.

That couldn't be could it?

The patch of blonde hair seemed to have been moving towards the Forbidden Forest. But why? Hermione squinted to fight to see past the curtain like rain.

Why in Merlin's beard would someone walk so willingly into the Forbidden Forest?

Five minutes later the Invisibility Cloak was pulled out and Hermione exited the room unseen. She swept down and quickly made her way to the nearest exit.

With a quick double over she unlocked the door with complete ease and snuck out. As soon as she stepped out, Hermione was greeted with heavy rain. The rain pounded onto the ground with cruelty as if to mimic hail.

Without a second thought of returning to her dorms, Hermione quickly stepped out to be embraced by the cold weather.

The rain was quick to soak her to the bone. She self-consciously conjured a Warming Charm to shield her from nature's brutality.

Her feet splattered in puddles unwillingly but she shook it off as nothing. Hermione briskly made her way to the Forbidden Forest. Her wand at the ready in case of an unpleasant surprise.

The walk to the Forest was considerable short, considering the fact that she had to make her way through the dark. She wouldn't dare cast a Lumos in the night in fear she would draw attention.

Hermione faltered in her steps and fell immobile when something behind the bushes moved. She narrowed her eyes in curiosity but held the cloak around her tightly to ensure that she was Invisible to their eyes.

She relaxed when it was just a cat who was trying to find shelter from the rain.

The Gryffindor continued forward until she stalked right into the Forbidden Forest. She was sure what to expect to find in the Forest in 1944. She wasn't sure if she'd be able to handle if some beast would appear in this era and she wouldn't know how to defend herself.

Nonetheless, she found herself surrounded by towering trees as she guided herself to the heart of the woodland.

She searched frantically for that patch of blonde hair. With a growl in her voice she cast a Lumos to help guide her. Hermione was quick to note how the trees acted as a barrier from the stream of never ending rain. But she could still smell the pine emit that same scent whenever it would rain.

With only her footsteps to indicate a sign of life she searched around with caution to look out for any beast. Every now and then, an animal would flee at the sign of a human entering the terrain. She would see the reflection of a beast's eyes in the trees but the creature would only back away to it's slumber.

It was the sound of an unnatural twig snap that had caught her attention. She spun around on her heel and noted how her foot seemed to have sunk into the mud.

There was that familiar patch of blonde hair that she had seen up in the Gryffindor Towers.

With caution she approached it reluctantly. But as soon as she neared it, they would run away.

Hermione cursed under her breath as she attempted to follow them. She ran over towards them, but this person continued to disappear.

Her chest heaved up and down from her chase but she continued with determination. She had nearly tripped over roots and other forest debris had she not gripped onto the nearest tree or branch.

After tripping over what seemed like a fallen tree Hermione quickly pulled herself up only to find a silhouette standing in a clearing.

Hermione made out the figure of a male structure as she approached. She could now identify this person as Draco Malfoy. Why he was standing there in the clearing, Hermione had no clue.

"Hey!" She found herself calling out through the thick of the trees. To her surprise the Slytherin did not move, he just stood there. His shoulders shaking. However it appeared as if he wasn't shaking from the cold.

Hermione took cautious steps towards him as if to approach a chained beast.

"Malfoy?" She called out again but she did not receive a response.

She was now only ten yards away from him as her steps became more and more disinclined.

But from this distance she could see him lift his wand and press it dangerously close to his temple. Hermione stood shock frozen, unsure of what to do.

Hermione noted how his arm continued to shake. She would also notice how he would try to pull it away only to have it pulled back.

The Gryffindor watched in fear as if she were watching a horror movie praying that the character didn't open the closet door.

"A-A…Avada-"

That mere pronounciation seemed to have snapped her back into reality. She quickly yanked her wand and directed towards Malfoy.

"Expelliarmus!" She cried to ensure that the spell would work. A powerful jet of red lead streamed from her wand and before the blonde could conjure the third Unforgivable on himself his wand flew from his grasp.

Out of instinct Hermione flung herself and tackled him to keep him from harming herself.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she pinned the boy down only to find him not struggling. She coughed and heaved to regain her breath before she looked down to examine Malfoy.

"What the hell!" She chastised. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" She hissed out her words as she was on the verge of slapping him for his stupidity.

But when she glared down for him to explain himself she was taken aback when she found him staring up, but not looking at Hermione. He was simply looking up with a distraught amount of peace. He looked without a care in the world.

But that wasn't what placed her in such a panic. It was when she stared into his eyes, she noted how glassy and empty they appeared.

She swallowed in nervousness as blood drained from her face when she identify the symptoms of an Imperius Curse placed on him.

Someone wanted him dead.

She concluded with a fear. And she had a pretty fair idea on who it was.

A/N: Wow, how long has it been since I've posted? Weeks? Months? I've been getting lazy haven't I? :P Truth be told I nearly abandoned this story had it not been for you wonderful reviewers. You all keep me going.

There had been many attempts to finish this story but it was you guys that have pushed me to finish this chapter. :) I hope it's good enough. It's been a while since I've written so it might be a little rusty.

Until next time

~We're All Just A Little Mad