Hermione was still in a daze.
The lady was the Doctor's mother. This she could understand. They looked similar, too – the same face shape, same eye colour, and same hair colour, though hers seemed to have greyed over time.
But this alien world. That was what really got to her. She was standing on another planet.
She wasn't sure she could ever come to terms with this. Another planet. Her mind was still freaking out.
The Doctor's mother – whose name Hermione had just learned was Salanya – had led them into and through the city, past the tall Time Lords swathed in red and the huge buildings that seemed to defy gravity itself, and into a small warehouse located near the centre of the citadel. Once inside, she closed the door behind them and flicked a switch on the wall beside the entranceway. She walked to the middle of the room and sat down in a small chair, gesturing to two other armchairs and indicating that they should follow her example.
They sat down.
She leaned forward. "Tell me everything." She commanded the Doctor. "How are you here? Why are you here? What have you been doing? And who is your companion?"
So the Doctor began. He started from a time way before Hermione met him, somewhere in the 'Medusa Cascade', wherever that was. After that the story proceeded to Earth, and to a girl named Rose. Hermione realized that this must be the same Rose who she had seen on the interface of the TARDIS. The Doctor seemed very upset at her leaving – stuck in a parallel universe, it seemed – and suddenly she felt a small twinge of jealousy at this girl she had never met.
The Doctor's story continued with Donna, a very sassy redhead from London, before it reached her. "I wanted to study the wizarding world," the Doctor explained when he got to this point. "Humans who could bend Hion energy? It's fascinating!"
This turned Salanya's focus to Hermione, who shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. "Hion manipulation?" she mused. "Can I see some?"
Hermione looked worriedly at the Doctor. "I don't have my wand," she mouthed.
"It's okay," the Doctor whispered back. "You have a real talent for magic, I've seen it. Besides, I can amplify your abilities using the Sonic." He grabbed her hand and pressed the Sonic into it, pressing the small button on its side as he did so. After a few seconds Hermione felt buzzing with energy. The hairs on the back of her neck prickled as she took her hand back. Then she grinned. Using her hand as if it were her own wand, she pointed into the empty space beside Salanya's chair. "Expecto patronum!" she yelled, remembering Harry's DA lessons from the year before. Immediately she felt a tingle run up her hand before a small otter bounded from her fingertips. It ran a joyous lap of the room before fading into a soft cloud of silvery mist.
Salanya seemed impressed. "That is fantastic!" she remarked. It appeared to Hermione that she was attempting to hide her fascination and remained dignified. If she was, she wasn't doing a very good job. "May I see some more?" she asked politely, her eyes glistening with delight. Hermione smiled and raised her hand again.
