Act II: Render
"One, remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Two, never give up work. Work gives you meaning and purpose and life is empty without it. Three, if you are lucky enough to find love, remember it is there and don't throw it away." Stephen Hawking
In which contact is made by several people and a plan forms through work well rewarded.
This chapter is dedicated to a dedicated reviewer Julist, who for every chapter posted has shown their support since the beginning!
Chapter 20: Heteropraxy
Hermione woke in her dream.
It was a lonesome place, stretching into an unpinnable horizon. Alien, but she knew it. She turned to see where exactly she was, the plains turned to sand, and sand turned to snowy forests, which turned to misty moors. There was a figure at the edge, lost to the trees then to the sands. But she had lost control of turning.
A pressure of weight hung her into gravity. She stopped, suspended, her body like a thin layer of ice under illimitable weight. Her limbs, hair and body were ambered as darkness covered her landscape.
Eternity stretched before her, all pitch black and a millennia of stars shifted and faded.
A Thing with no shape she could comprehend, but with Inevitable presence filled the space before her eyes.
A whisper shattered over her.
Hermione was gasping for breath, her lungs burning. Someone was shrieking.
Hermione could see nothing but the soft gaze of an eon.
"Hermione! MUUUUM- MUUUM-"
"What- oh god, Hermione! What's happened? What's ha-"
"I don't know, I don't- she was making weird sounds and then she just-"
Hermione sucked in a breath. Stars fading.
"What's going on? What's-"
"Baby, please, petal, breathe- Petunia the phone!"
"No- wizard- Professor Lugaid- look it's magic, her eyes!"
Penelope was gripping her on her knees on the bed. Lily's eyes were saucer like, streaming tears.
Penelope gasped, "Hermione, petal, can you hear me are you okay?"
Hermione tried to move but her body shook. She felt something in her throat and tried to turn, Lily and Penelope turned her over, she spat something thick out of her mouth.
"Lily, the light."
Lily ran to turn the light on.
"God, what is- what is that?"
Petunia was running back into the room, panicked, "I can't- I can't remember-"
Lily said, "We need magic healers not an ambulance-"
"What-"
Hermione was regaining feeling and her vision. Besides being shaky, she was scared.
She turned to the three pale faces. "Fine- 'm okay."
They didn't believe her. She didn't know if she believed herself.
In the dim yellow light of the bedroom, on her pale green carpet, was something impossibly black. It was star studded, and from the stars it sizzled and burned away, leaving the carpet melted.
Hermione told them that she'd be fine until school. It was likely just an unintended side effect of the time magic that she underwent with Kage.
It was her most honest guess, and she didn't want to be a source of concern for the poor woman. Though, as she had her orange and tea, she suspected it was more than that.
Penelope was wringing her hands, but Hermione explained that Hogwarts had one of the best medical hospitals in Britain, and it wasn't like she'd be able to get to Mungo's hospital sooner. All the people that needed to know would know soon enough, as soon as she was on the train, she reassured.
This argument took longer than Hermione cared to dwell on, and was repetitive enough that she became irate.
At around eight, the doorbell rang much to everyone's confusion. Lily gasped and slapped a hand to her mouth.
She got up and ran to the door, saying, "I forgot! Emily and Regina wanted to say goodbye!"
Penelope clutched at her dressing gown, in a clear state. She hissed, "Lily!" but the door had already opened and three came inside.
Petunia said comfortingly, "You're fine mum!"
Emily was the first at the kitchen door, her black hair was stark, the tendrils of her bangs stuck to her nearly translucent skin under her red raincoat. This was her friend for nearly a year who had hid with her, reading at parties, went to the park with a book and sat quietly talking with her. She held a stack of letters in her hand, damp from the morning rain.
Severus looked down at Emily, his bags for his school nowhere to be seen, a purple mark on his mouth where his jaw and chin met. He was drenched, pinched, and obviously humiliated to have met the other girls on the stoop. Regina had no such qualms, and her voice, done greeting Lily shoved both of them into the kitchen.
Hermione rose and Emily held out the stack of letters. The Evan's mother made a small sound in her throat and commanded Severus over to her, "Come help me make the tea, Severus."
Emily didn't say much but Regina had words streaming out of her mouth, "Lil Hermie! You know I told Lily, I got into a school near you but they were real stiff when I came round to visit."
Emily blinked her deep set eyes slowly, making her hurt and resentment clear. Regina meanwhile seemed to be satisfied with making her complaints known by stating how much she had tried to get in contact with them.
Penelope excused herself, rattling off instructions to Petunia and Severus as she went to change.
"We've…" Hermione weakly croaked through a raw throat, "Been transferred."
"Well that was pretty obvious," Regina smirked, shaking her curly cue hair free of the plastic rain hood.
Lily shuffled in and with strain offered them breakfast. "Look my mum'll make-"
Regina nudged Lily, "But where though?"
"It's none of your business," Severus snapped from the counter.
Regina whipped her head around and narrowed her eyes. Emily puckered her lips as she watched Hermione. Lily shuffled them into the quickly crowding nook.
Lily was shrill, "It's in Scotland, you wouldn't have heard of it!"
Emily, softly, "Terrible liars."
Hermione felt her eyes bulge as her eyebrows tucked in, but Emily hadn't said it loud enough for any of the rest to hear. She gave Hermione the letters. Hermione accepted the stack.
Regina said with a casual swat of strength, "It's my business because they're my friends- and I know some schools in Scotland, and we might have hols so we could come visit you. It's been a bore, no one at school cares about what's happening," Regina looked like she was about to launch into a righteous snip.
Severus snubbed, preparing the tea, "No one cares."
Regina whipped around, putting her arm on the back of the dinette chair, "That's a laugh coming from you, since I'm sitting right here."
Emily said, "I care." Emily was scrunched at the table, hands over her rain spattered dress. "I just don't like protests."
Regina waved her hand, "That's alright, you're great at making signs and writing slogans."
"For what?" Petunia asked, setting out the plates and the table, shooting looks at Severus who shot equally sharp looks back up at her.
Regina said, "You don't know? Your dad was the one who talked to my-"
They heard Penelope thudding down the stairs.
Petunia looked suddenly worried, "Shsh!"
Ms. Evans raised her voice, though it was still thready, "Alright now we must really do this quickly- quickly you can't be late." Lily was already leading Regina out the kitchenette. "Place all your luggage on the stairs. Girls, help collect their luggage. Go!" Penelope hurriedly tied an apron around her pants.
The girls were gathered sometime between the gentle pushes of Penelope's bleach worn hands and her final command. Yet, Hermione caught Mrs. Evan's low voice in the echo of the kitchen, "Where're your cases Severus?"
Lily, Regina, and Emily were thudding up the stairs.
Severus took the suddenly whistling kettle off the stove with a crash. "I don't want to talk about it."
Hermione gripped the rail and looked at her white knuckles, trying to regain her breathing. Finding balance in her daily routine, and the focus of her self care, was going to be exactly as difficult as she had imagined. With her breath out, she moved her foot. Her breath filled and emptied her.
She was in the shared room of a childhood not entirely hers. Lily, Emily, and Regina were talking. Hermione was breathing.
Breakfast was done and over quickly. Hermione gave her attention to consuming food. It was rich, sweet, heavy.
Richard's cage was most curious to both Regina and Emily, but Regina's topics of conversation centered around how'd they both miss them and that they'd better not waste all that weekend time in some dumb boarding school when they could be out with them. Regina's words flashed as if in a flip book, like the windows on the train to Kings Cross station blinked images.
It was a strange thing to feel herself waving goodbye. The brick wall to their Mum and Petunia formed around Hermione, then Lily's hand was in her's.
Lily smiled at her. Warmth flooded from Lily's hand into Hermione's and just like that- she blinked, and was on Platform 9 ¾ , in the present again.
"Where did you go?" Lily asked playfully.
Severus glanced over, taking Lily's luggage from her as they climbed up into the teeming train. He snarled, "She's not gone anywhere yet."
Hermione shook her head to clear it. She couldn't help biting her lip, concern spreading. She said, "I'm here now."
They found a cabin very quickly once the whistle blew. Adashakini Ramakrishnan and Darla Huges were the only occupants, but they were welcoming, excited to see Lily and Hermione.
Ada brightly turned to Hermione, her single plait of raven hair swung heavily. "I got new textbooks for the Holiday." Crookshanks leapt from Hermione's shoulder to pounce on Ada's hair.
Darla was quiet and wan, her mousy hair pressed tightly to her head in a smooth bun. Hermione had never seen Darla's hair so neat. The girl didn't sound derisive, but sleepy. "Books? For Christmas?"
Ada corrected, as she wiggled her braid for Crookshanks to swat, "Not Christmas. My family celebrates a different winter festival, and I think my parents gifted these books to me because they wanted me to not fall behind my peers, but alas, I can't seem to bring myself to care. How were your winter studies?"
Darla looked out the window to the rapidly fading train station, "Same as always."
Lily said, "I tried to get studying in, but it was just so long since I'd seen my friends-"
Severus grouched, "Muggle friends."
Ada's sloe eyes went wide, but it was Darla who said, "Muggle friends? You're still allowed to keep your muggle friends?" She looked wounded.
Lily asked, "Of course-?"
"But they'll ask questions..." Darla trailed off.
Lily was indignant, stuttering.
Ada said over Lily's protests, "Of course they ask questions- but certainly if you are clever you can avoid telling them, no?" Ada looked to Hermione.
In the second that it took for Severus to reply, "Not for long," Hermione found that her tongue was not quite as quick as it once would have been.
Lily stuck out her lower lip, and pinched her top lip.
Severus shifted, uncomfortable, "Where's that other one you lot are always around?"
Ada said, leaning forward listing on her fingers, "Which one? There's Alice, Frank, Maisy, Marlene, Mary, Remus- oh and James- then Sirius-"
Severus hissed, "Never mind- I'm going to go and change." He stood very abruptly and then faltered. Hermione flicked her eyes to Lily who shared her concern. He had no luggage. No robes.
Hermione stood, "I need to go see a Prefect, will you come with me while you find a room to change, Severus?"
Jerkily, he nodded. Lily looked at her gratefully.
Severus did not say thank you in the crowded hallways where students were milling.
Hermione asked a few of the people that she had spent effort last September meeting where a Prefect was. Most greeted her by name and responded well, though they directed her to a Prefect car in different directions or with a "I just seen Edan," or "Meadowes is busy for sure with the Slytherin's,"
They eyed Severus with mistrust or did not notice him.
"What are we doing?" Severus groused.
"What do you think we're doing?" Hermione said back, impatiently. Severus glared and Hermione sighed, "Do you have your wand still?"
Severus drew his wand out of his sleeve. "I never let it out of my hand."
Passing a cabin full of people laughing, Hermione glanced at him, she uncomfortably asked, "Is he getting worse?"
Severus muttered, "He's always been terrible, but there was a second where I thought…." his face soured and his eyes latched onto the tall Slytherin girl down at the end of the car.
It was Meadowes they found, already in her Prefect robes. Her thick, dark blonde hair was kept out of her face by a small band. She was just slamming a cabin door shut, and Hermione could swear she heard James' voice.
"Oh," Dorcas Meadowes looked at the two of them, and then crossed her arms. She seemed no less formidable than when she had brandished her wand against Peeves, but seemed like she was trying hard not to be annoyed. "Severus and... Hermione is it?"
Hermione said, "Yes, I wanted to...er," Hermione thought about her promise to the Evan's mum but said instead, "Severus...actually-"
Meadowes cocked her head. Some Slytherins had slipped out of their car cabin, door down from where James was likely imprisoned. They saw Meadowe's back and turned their backs to linger as if waiting for the snack trolley.
Hermione finished blandly, "- he had another question."
Meadowes said, "Well, what is it, then?"
Hermione quickly said, "I should be clearer. It's rather something I thought we could have a quieter conversation about."
Severus hunched in on himself, and the inches that he had stretched into in his new clothes over the past year snapped away.
A car door opened and Peter Pettigrew stuck his head out. He smiled brightly and turned his head into the car, "You were right!"
James Potter's head popped out, and so did Remus, then Sirius.
Meadowes snapped, "You- get back in there."
James caviled, "But she's our friend. You give her to us, and you can keep the other one, and the terms of our treaty will hold."
Meadowes narrowed her eyes and arched her expression, "The terms will be held because I say they are."
Sirius, sneering, slid out in front of the others and put his hands in the door frame.
Hermione sighed, she tilted her head to Severus and said, "I'll be back with Lily shortly."
Severus hissed, "You're going to leave me here?"
Hermione only said, "Meadowes? I'll ask later about clubs- Severus still has a question that should be discussed elsewhere."
Meadowes rolled her eyes up at the roof briefly, "Sure- Severus, c'mon this way."
James called out, trying to ape Severus' northern cut, "Righ' Sev'Rus."
Under Meadowe's shepard like elbow, Severus directed a look of hate at him.
Hermione stood in front of Sirius and glared at James. "I was going to chat with civilized people but if that's not you-"
Peter cried, "No! We're civilised, we're civil- "
Remus said warmly, "Hermione, nice holiday?" She smiled at Remus over Sirius' arm and looked at Remus closely. He was tired but happy. The moon had been full recently she guessed, though she had lost track of the lunar cycle.
Sirius' arm was tense even beneath the thick layer of his robe, a dull black. He was glaring. Not at the direction that Severus had gone in, but at the other cabin, where smirks decorated the faces of several students.
A clean cut 3rd year, his light brown hair parted and pasted down as if polish alone held him together, called out, "Having a meeting with your servant, Black? Must be nice to have such a pretty new thing for the Ancient House." The polished boy seemed to be aghast with what managed to come out of his mouth. His companions reacted with snorting approval. An older blonde boy, with the same down turned eyes that Yaxley possessed, ribbed the polished boy for his wit.
Sirius' face snapped to bare his teeth, as he rammed himself in front of Hermione, "I'll remember that- you best watch your tongue or I'll cut it from you." James and Remus jolted after him, placing a hand on each of Sirius' shoulders.
Sirius flinched from his friends as they yanked him back in their cabin. Hermione looked at the compartment across the hall of mostly older Slytherins. She marked each of their faces, though she wasn't familiar with any of them, she had her suspicions. She impassively shut the cabin door behind her.
Sirius flung his arms away from his friend's grip making guttural sounds.
James coaxed, "Sirius, mate, you need to relax-"
Peter piped in, "Yeah c'mon, we don't want to get in more trouble before we're even at school!"
Hermione stood in the car, "Have I missed something?"
Sirius sat, arms crossed, legs spread, his foot tapping up and down, "I'd like to state for all in attendance that I can't know what you've missed because I'm not you."
James rolled his eyes melodramatically over to her and gave her a look, which Hermione met with a tight frown.
Remus tried to put a hand on Sirius' arm again but hovered, frowning. "You're bleeding."
Sirius uncrossed his arms and looked for the blood, a glimmer of panic in his eyes. "What-? No, no, I'm not bleeding, why would I-"
Remus put both of his hands up as Sirius coiled away from him. James had a thoughtful look on his face. Peter wrapped his arms over his legs, taking up as little space as possible. Remus' eyes darted back and forth, anywhere but the eyes of his friends.
Hermione guessed that Remus hadn't seen the blood. Hermione sat by Sirius, trying to pinpoint something someone could explain. "If you're not bleeding, then you can tell me what that comment was all about."
Sirius, inching away from her and shirking from Remus, muttered, "It's nothing."
Hermione placed her hand on her hip, "Honestly, you want me going back to Hogwarts not knowing something that-"
Peter guffawed, and Hermione whipped her head over to him. He didn't stop, he seemed genuinely giddy. Sirius shifted, Remus gave a tentative smirk.
James waved his hand, "Yes, yes, funny, funny that Rosie Posie Evan's can't take not knowing. It's a wonder you haven't gone up to the Divination tower and made it your home if you want to know everything so bad." James, a glint in his eye, leaning down to Sirius who turned his head away, "But I think Posie should go back to her sister. That's enough of a visit to our special car for today."
Hermione sniffed, "You're the one who bargained for me."
James staunchly folded his arms and drew himself up to his full height, still a little on the small side he was taller than her, but regardless it wasn't very impressive to Hermione. "Marauder business, Posie."
Peter asked, "Why's she Posie?"
James snapped, "Because she posie problems all the time, with her wandering off into the Lake and attracting trouble- and anyway her sister is Evans."
Hermione, upsettingly bewildered, "What?"
Sirius echoed, "Yeah, what?"
Remus said, trying to defend her, "I think she can be a M-" Sirius cut him off, "I don't want her to-" James tacked over Sirius, "She can't!"
Hermione was disgusted, boys and their clubs. Ron's voice whispered in her, 'No wonder she hasn't got any friends'. The sting of rejection was difficult to let sit, so she tried something else, "Can we focus, please, on why I'm being called a servant?"
Sirius shouted, "You're not a bloody servant!" His eyes darted as if he'd be struck for swearing.
Hermione, thoroughly cross, "I know that-"
James said pragmatically, "It's because you're tied to Lord Alphard Black like an apprentice. He declared you his ward, and he your guardian."
Remus awed, "Really? An apprentice?"
Sirius was worming around, rubbing his forearms, "She's not! She's un- he has his guardianship- that's all."
Hermione sighed and resisted pinching her suddenly tight temples, "Stellar."
Remus meekly, calling back to his first question to her, "I guess your hols were...eventful?"
Peter asked, "How did you know that James, if this Evans'- I mean," Peter downturned his mouth at James' warning look, "Posie, didn't?"
James waved his hand and took a seat, "Because you precious nit-wit, while you were out showing us the muggle town, Sirius was no where to be found, as you well know, so I had to resort to begging off my parents for information. Parents give lots of information if you're listening right."
Remus ducked his head at Sirius, "Why didn't you answer our owls?"
Sirius muttered indistinctly and gripped his forearm.
Hermione was interested in this as well, but was trying to breathe out her irritation.
James said, "Now it's really Marauder business."
Hermione felt the lingering sting in her chest from his earlier comment, a profound strange sense of awkward nettling into her. She got up and went to the cabin door, hands tight.
"Wait, Hermione!" Remus pleaded, "She's - you know? She's helped, she's shown us things."
Hermione didn't wait, and left the car. She shut the door to a sudden burst of argument behind her. She leaned against the door, and then not wanting to hear the rest of the argument, pushed away.
"Done with your 'service', mudblood?" The car at the end of the hall was open, the group was lingering at the edge. The one who looked older than a third year, bearing resemblance to Yaxley, had spoken.
Hermione's first instinct was to not turn her back on the group. She reasoned with herself, briefly, between a show of indifference or channelling all of her day's frustration into a brutal slap.
A girl came out of the cabin. The two boys parted for her. She looked Hermione up and down. Her hair was pale rose gold. Her angelic face, large eyes with lightly applied shadow, did nothing to disguise her derisive apathy which characterised her far more than her physical appearance.
"That?" She said simply, then turned, flicking her eyes to the Yaxley-esque boy like a reprimand. "Don't be crass, Donal, it's worse than filthy. That Black would debase himself for even associating with such a ratty pustule."
Hermione told herself she'd keep her dignity. These children were more vicious than she remembered, but she was not a child. It appeared that the girl was turning away, so she decided that was her opening to walk away.
But the car door to the other side was opening. Hermione saw Marlene saying something to someone still in the car, just as she heard Donal call from behind her, "You'll leave when you're dismissed- Zirakhva!"
Marlene, and what appeared to be many of the McKinnon clan, including Marlenes' cousin Finella and her Prefect sister Aidene, were witness to Hermione's legs being yanked out from under her.
The hard spectral hands of Donal's spell dragged her bodily across the floor. Hermione's muggle dress rode up as she dug her fingers into the carpeting.
She was back in the Malfoy Manor, her lungs pressurising, burning. She lost control of her breath, hyperventilating as Bellatrix dragged her. But the carpet was wrong, her dress was wrong, the sounds of laughter and angry shouts were wrong- wrong, it wasn't.
While the ghostly multitude of hands dragging her roughly closer to Donal still gripped at her she flipped upright to face him.
Hermione regained her breath, but a large black shape leapt over her and tackled Donal. Donal's head snapped against the car door.
The car with the Marauder's slammed open, at the same time the leaping boy yelled, "Fecker!" and tossed Donal to the side, slamming him into the wall before he landed on the floor.
A fifth of a second later, Marlene was standing next to Hermione with her wand out, screeching, "Abbot, bint, heyt!"
A slap rang out as the girl's face turned, blossoming bright red from Marlene's spell.
The polished boy swatted out a sneezing hex in the tan face of the boy who had leapt over her.
The boy who leapt over her sneezed, open eyed, into the polished boy's face, and tossed him onto Donal.
Donal was just gathering his senses before his companion's weight slammed into him.
Hermione could feel the hallway filling up with spectators. Her wand was not where she had affixed it for so long, and she was wrestling with fear when Aidene came to her side.
Aidene, meeting her eyes for just a second, asked, "Are you-?"
Hermione jerked her head into a nod, trying to get up, seething.
Aidene bellowed, standing, "Oi, yer wands better be down or in your ear in the next second or I'm ruining ye lot! That includes you Caradoc! Dearborn, are you listening?"
Abbot glowered, holding a delicate hand to her face.
Marlene's older sister stood in front of Hermione protectively, legs apart, her wand out. She commanded, "Twenty points from Slytherin for a gross display of brutality and dishonorable conduct. And five points from Gryffindor for brave, if reckless, retaliation."
Hermione used the wall to get to her feet, but suddenly found Peter's blushing face near hers. His pale blue eyes, a little watery, were averted. His soft hands were holding out his school robe to shield the rest of the car from her exposed undergarments and her loose sock.
She felt humiliation wetly stain her face, though she knew no tears escaped, and roll down into her stomach. She whispered out as she yanked down her dress and pulled up her sock, "Thank you, Peter." Somehow, Peter caring made her exposure more of an issue.
Donal sputtered, "Five bloody points, look at my head, my face?!"
Sirius deadpanned, "It was hideous before. This is less inspiring of violence." He had his wand out, standing out of the car with James and Remus.
Remus added quietly with a feigned politeness, "The coloring is certainly an improvement, but it's too bad about the vacant expression. Unfixable." James bowed over with a boyish cackle. Remus tried to suppress a proud smile, but Sirius' face remained twisted in a ugly look of anger.
Dearborn, sneezing still, took out his wand and pointed it at his face. His narrow, light blue eyes were on the group picking themselves up, clear in color and distrust even from where Hermione stood. He muttered a counter spell, his deep brown hair flicking as the spell snatched his sneezes.
Hermione remembered he had been suspended from school after placing a fifth year Slytherin in the Hospital Wing for two days. He looked very much like he'd like to do it again.
Aidene put a hand on Hermione's shoulder and barked, "I'm pretty sure you lot were confined to your cars by Meadowes, if you don't want another detention I'd git back inner. Goes for you too, Lupin."
Hermione didn't want to deal with this, but Marlene's arm was around her shoulders and she was saying into Hermione's ear, her brogue accent pronounced, "Goan now, let's go yersel to the girls."
Hermione tried to shrug off Marlene's strong arm and didn't want to look at the others in the car. They quickly went back to the cabin that Hermione and Lily had found Ada and Darla in.
Hermione threw open the door.
Crookshanks mewled, having been trying to get out. She picked him up and Ada and Lily looked up from their game of Exploding Snap.
Lily gasped, "'Mione, your hair, are you okay?"
Hermione let Crookshanks bristle and yeowl in her arms, "I'm fine."
Marlene jerked the door closed, her arms akimbo. "Had a bit of a run in with her Majesty Saoirse Abbot, Donal Yaxley, Roan Burke and that coward Belby. Hidin' in the car while the rest of 'em-"
Hermione stamped her foot, "Ragh!" Damocles Belby was in that car as well, Hermione cursed. Crookshanks leapt out of her arms as she drew inwards. She placed a hand to her head and bemoaned making headway on developing the wolfsbane potion.
"What happened?" Lily demanded, "Where was Sev?"
Hermione began to pace, she might not even care to have Belby create it if he was that kind of person, she raged to herself.
"Snape?" Marlene said, then laughed, "Was he snivelling in the car, too?"
Hermione snipped, "No- if you must know, Potter and Black likely had something to do with riling up that car before I got done with my visit with them. They said some nasty things and then I left and-"
Marlene was outraged, "Shot a hex't er- back turned n' all!"
Darla looked upset and Lily furious but Ada looked confused. The Ravenclaw girl asked, "But why would they think they can use magic on her? Is that not against the rules?"
Darla shrugged, "I don't follow my parents rules when they're not around…"
Hermione didn't even know where to begin. Tension was slowly closing its vice around her head. The Question reached to grip her from the bowels- How was she to handle figuring out her magic, dealing with this blight in her focus, and fix a thousand other things all without destroying the familiar timeline?
Marlene pointedly sat down next to Darla. "What rules don't you follow, Darla?"
Darla quietly said, "Rules. Just… everything."
Lily said, "There's a difference though."
Hermione was speaking before she had hammered out what was right to say, speaking more to herself than anyone in the cabin, "They're entirely different concepts. You can follow some rules if they fit within your world view. If they're taught that other people are less than they are, if they matter more, it would make sense that they would break the rules that don't make sense to them."
"Hermione?" Lily asked cautiously. This is usually where Lily would ask her what a platypus does for vacation, or some other nonsense, but something seemed to have changed in Lily.
Hermione pressed her lips together. She looked at Lily's face, remembering her meditations before Kage had carved into her and she manifested her anchor of Antahkarana. She closed her eyes and shook her head. "Let's get changed."
She went to her luggage, setting out the baked goods their mum had scrounged up. Hermione told herself, she had to remember, they were children, but not for much longer and certainly being a child had never stopped Harry.
Marlene said, "I'd like to know what kind of rules Darla breaks." She smiled and raised her eyebrows then asked, "Is it about hair brushing, because I have to tell you Darla, I've never seen you with your hair like this."
Darla attacked the bun on her head and tore it free. "It's my mother's hairstyle, I hate this bun."
"So it is about hair brushing." Marlene hummed, as Ada locked the door and Lily drew the curtains.
Darla said, "She's a dancer. There's rules for everything."
Lily said, "Your mother dances? What kind- oh, I bet she's lovely!"
Darla fumed, "No! She's a ballerina, she was Beauxbatons elite prima donna. Do you know what that means?"
Ada explained as she shed her outer layer and fluffed out her robe. "It's a lifestyle that comes with immense pressure, involving rigorous training that uses a combination of physically demanding exercise, and careful diet, and mental preparedness for performances that push for perfection."
Lily was wide eyed, having stopped unbuttoning halfway through Ada's explanation.
Darla cut out, "Yes, and she chose that lifestyle for me. At least at Hogwarts she can't control what I eat."
Hermione said darkly as she folded her dress, "It seems like there's a lot of that going around. Parents making absurd 'rules' for their children." She thought of Snape, who likely had his items taken from him by his abusive father. She thought of Sirius' mood and Remus' identification of blood on Sirius' clothing that for once he wore properly. Sirius, who was likely facing punishment from his parents. Now, Darla with this anger. Who knows how many other children faced wretched treatment at home, like Harry.
Darla said after a while in the awkward silence, wrapping and tying her robes together, "I don't want to talk about it."
Lily said gently, placing a hand on Marlene, "That's alright. Want to do a round of Snap?"
Darla shrugged, "Only if Ada's on my team."
Ada was delighted, though she said, "There's no team for a game of Snap, but I'd be happy to be your mentor!"
Hermione adjusted her robes, watching. She might still need practice becoming, but the question Kage had denied her an answer for plagued her.
She had asked if a task was evil, but still needed to be done- would Kage do it? Should she? Meddling in affairs this far into the past had consequences, but she could barely take care of herself. After her lessons with Kage she knew she needed to, as vitally as she needed to relearn her breath.
Yet, how many others would be lost if she cared for herself, how many would be lost if she cared only for her goal, or a familiar future? Would it be fair to meddle even if she did have the power? She'd become Dumbledore, as she had sworn she wouldn't, standing at her bedroom window, watching her family go to take in a movie.
Crookshanks came up to her nose, his small paws kneading in her robes. He chuffed in her face and she patted his head.
"Hermione, I'm dying over here, your sister's no help!" Marlene called, gesturing to Ada's and Darla's combined brilliance.
Lily with a hand to her forehead. "I'm new to Snap, the only game I play very well is Trouble!"
"Likely story, Evans." Marlene laughed.
"It's true!"
Hermione breathed a laugh and met Crookshanks eyes, "Alright, alright. I'll help."
She didn't know how long she'd have at Hogwarts to fix things well enough to leave it, but a stone was sitting in her garden too heavy to move alone.
Maisy Summers and Mary MacDonald joined their group on the platform. Hermione was standing a little apart, watching the carriages fill up with students as the Thestrals tossed their heads. The Prefects were directing people into Thestral carriages to quicken the journey back to Hogwarts. Aidene McKinnon had turned, pointing to their group with a bright eyed smile, her curly blonde hair whipping around in the crisp winter air.
"What are you looking at?" Lily prodded.
Hermione turned to Lily and spotted Maisy behind her, nervously flicking large brown eyes at the carriages.
"The efficiency of a line." Hermione said, but Maisy met her eyes for a second before Mary cut in and greeted her.
"Evans! I heard about what Donal Yaxley did, oh and what Dearborn did as well? Weren't you just swept away?" Mary's soft, square face was well suited to the feminine gesture of laying her hands under her chin and along her small cheek, but her hands were decorated with Quidditch callouses.
Marlene loudly snorted, but Mary spotted Dearborn behind Hermione popping his head out of the carriage.
Mary faux whispered, "Oh look! Is he coming this way?"
Dearborn had come down from a carriage quickly, despite Prefect Edan Thatcher protests. Aidene twisted gaily as she skipped down the line to escape Thatcher's pleas for uniformity, quickly waving more students into the carriages.
Lily eyed him and then nudged Hermione, "Oh, he is a bit of a hunk. I've seen him round the Common Room a few times."
Hermione gave Lily a look, stunned, "What are you on about?" it came out higher pitched than she intended.
"Maisy!" Dearborn called out, jogging over.
Maisy waved and tried to give a smile. Ada and Darla shifted away as Dearborn placed a reassuring hand on Maisy's shoulder.
Mary placed her folded hands in front of her mouth, badly suppressing a giggle. Lily was grinning, reaching for Hermione's hand as she shared a wink with Mary.
He said kindly to Maisy, his Irish lilt in full grace, "It's a little strange I know, but you can do it. They're gentle. No bother at all."
Marlene put her hands on her hips, "Waggin' nonsense, Caradoc? I'm nothing but gentle to Maisy-Daisy."
Dearborn sighed looking at Marlene and slid his eyes over to Hermione who had Lily glued to her arm. "Leenie, just for once could you not be a busy body?"
Marlene folded her arms. "No."
Dearborn guided Maisy over to a carriage Aidene was holding for them. She was shooing away others and then herding them to another carriage.
Dearborn looked at Hermione, "You alright?"
Hermione determined that, yes Caradoc Dearborn was cute, and was clearly a good boy, but she only nodded.
Dearborn added, as the rest of the group followed after him, "Well, if they give you any trouble let me know- I'll handle them."
Lily said, "Hermione can handle herself, and I'll be around." Hermione could nearly hear Regina's chant of 'Girl Power' behind Lily's response.
Marlene added sticking out her tongue, "Yeah, Dear boy,"
He returned the stuck out tongue and guided Maisy up past the Thestrals, shielding her from having to look at them too closely.
Ada laughed while Mary said, "You lasses are daft, you should be thanking him for the escort." She swung into the carriage eagerly.
Hermione glared at Mary and said to Dearborn, "I appreciate your concern but it will be fine."
Dearborn shrugged, and guided Maisy into the carriage after Hermione. "See you around." Darla gave an uneasy Maisy more space in the carriage.
Mary said, pushing herself out the door as he shut it, "You're not riding with us?"
Caradoc gestured to another carriage, "I'll let you birds have this one."
He waved as the carriage took off. Mary sat back and groaned until she careened into a squeal, kicking her legs.
Ada was giggling and Maisy had taken to biting her nails.
Marlene was disgusted, "You can't be serious."
Mary crossed her arms like she was preparing for the grave, "He's sooo decent."
Marlene said, "He's a lug. I should know, I practically grew up with him!"
Ada said, "Ah," she held up a finger. "He's a genius when it comes to walking away from fights."
Mary said, "Sure enough, that. He also gives great advice I've heard- Turpin was talking about it and he's one year above Dearborn."
Marlene sighed, "I think Black and Potter actually came to him when he was helping me study, late last year."
Lily helplessly and resentfully curious, "About what?"
Mary said, "About a girl they upset, as it usually is."
Darla was mild, "Dearborn gives advice to boys?"
Ada aired, "Surely we can see that the evidence of his skills in conflict resolution are recognised by his peers."
Mary sighed, "Oh Ada, you're so pure."
Hermione bit the inside of her lip remembering Black muttering, 'You're not dirty any one eejit can see that.'
Darla added thoughtfully, "He hangs 'round an awful lot with Jilly."
Lily crunched her face together, thinking of the gruff Gryffindor prefect. "She doesn't strike me as the sensitive heart behind the operation."
No one in the carriage could come up with anything to say to that. Marlene, Lily and Mary chattered back and forth about music and hols, Lily telling them about Led Zeppelin's new album and disco. When the carriage ride was done, Dearborn was there to escort Maisy around the Thestrals, which were invisible to everyone else in the carriage.
When Hermione startled at the Thestral that stuck its snout near her pocket to sniff at Crookshanks, she thought Dearborn drew his brows together but the mess of students on the steps quickly blotted him and Maisy away.
The student population was quite a bit taller than Hermione, and making their way to the Gryffindor table was an exercise in trying not to get sidelined into people. Many of the first years clumped together, simply due to their size, and Mary and Ada split off from their Gryffindor friends.
As they settled into the table they saw Frank in a fit. He was loudly complaining to any one who would listen, "They're going to hang Sirius up by his ankles! His ankles-at least my mum says I can be hung up by my thumbs! I can't believe it- what's next, flogging?"
Hermione sharply cut across the ten or so Gryffindors all gathered waiting for the food to appear, "What's this?"
Sirius glared with his hands on the table, "Frank- shut your jaw."
Frank flailed, his short brown hair in disarray, his pale face, pink, "I can't!"
A first year boy, Lance, clapped a hand on Frank's shoulder, "He really can't, he's my roommate, I should know." His brown eyes were sparkling with fake irritation.
Killian Andrews chuckled to another second year seated right next to him, listening in with amusement, "He's a riot alright."
Then, Killian leaned down past Lance and shared the wisdom of a second year, as Dumbledore stood at the high table, "Filch can only hang up Black by his ankles if the detention letter from his parents said so."
The boy next to Killian nodded, like it was unfortunate, but true.
Remus and Peter's face mirrored each other in horror, but James looked grim. Sirius crossed his arms and leaned back, giving out a short roar of frustration.
Hermione glanced behind her, sensing the impending speech traditionally given by Dumbledore whenever the student body reconvened. She had to do a double take when she saw two guests seated by Lugaid, near the Headmaster.
Lily whispered, glancing at the high table, "Oh my god, is that-? Is that true?"
Lily was not talking about the handsome black haired Kage, sitting on the chair stiffly with a barely there secretive smile. Next to her was a woman with luminous chestnut skin and white locks draping past her elbows.
Dumbledore said in the hush of the hall, "I hear the sounds of hunger from our student body, so without further nonsense, I will first introduce two guests from esteemed fellow and contemporary schools of magic before we feed those hunger sounds." Dumbledore raised his hand swathed in bright green lace, under a painfully shimmery gold robe, to the two sitting in the spots of honor.
Dumbledore announced, "Minister Motokiyo of the Japanese Ministry of Magic." Kage was wearing what looked like a very crisp traditional robe jacket and rose to bow lightly at the Hogwarts students. Hermione snorted and raised an eyebrow as Kage shifted her gaze to Hermione. Lugaid looked pink around the cheeks and did not look at either of them, instead drinking from a goblet.
The 'Minister' of Magic tilted their head to the silent audience, and Hermione could swear she heard Mary swoon three meters away from her at the Ravenclaw table.
Kage sent her words to Hermione, 'I told you I retained everything but the title.'
Dumbledore said, "And the esteemed Headmistress Rwamirama of the ancient school of Uagadu, a rare visit we are privileged to host."
The woman with silvery dreadlocks stood and raised her hands, "To many more international cooperatives, and may we open our minds as we share each other's bounty!" Her voice was jubilant and matched Dumbledore's commanding presence in a very different way. Professor McGonagall was tight lipped, as Dumbledore was usually the only one to speak but Dumbledore was clapping, beaming.
The attention of the students gave them a cursory applause. Dumbledore with a flourish turned to the students and said, "Let us eat."
Food blossomed onto shared plates and James nudged Sirius just as the volume of the hall increased, "I'll be hanging right up with you."
Sirius was steadfastly not looking at anyone at the table. "No, you won't!"
Frank was yelling over the speculative conversation. "You too? You can't be willing to get strung up in Filches dungeon!"
James said, "Yes, I will, I'll write them tonight!"
Hermione muttered, resting her elbows on the table and covering her eyes, "I can't believe this."
Lily was shocked, "I know! Caning is one thing, but-"
Professor McGonagall appeared behind the girls and Lily startled. Hermione twisted to look at the Professor warily.
"Miss Hermione Evans, please come to the Headmasters office after dinner."
Hermione nodded, "Yes, Professor McGonagall."
Potter was shooting suspicious glances at Hermione and Hermione glared back at him, trying to tell him to mind his own business with just her eyes.
Kage's voice was in her head. 'You look diminished my pupil.'
Hermione piled steamed squash onto her plate and helped herself to soup, muttering, "Thanks." She had checked her glamour that morning, but Alphard had reassured her that it would hold until the stone he tied it to cracked. Yet her hair seemed to have escaped the bindings regardless after this afternoon.
Lily gave her a pointed look.
Hermione shook then tilted her head in Kage's direction, "That was my teacher I told you about."
Lily popped open her mouth and whipped her long hair into Hermione's face, then back. Hermione spat out Lily's hair.
Lily hissed, "That's your teacher? You never told me it was the Minister of Magic!"
Hermione hissed back, "Shut up! I didn't realise!" but she had an idea, and really it was obvious that the translation would be as such looking at it now.
She rankled under Kage's amusement.
Professor McGonagall and Lugaid were standing near the Headmaster's doorway when Hermione arrived. She had put off going to the Common Room until she saw Dumbledore escort his guests out of the Hall. She parried away questions from Lily and the others as she departed and said she'd explain later, looking sternly at Lily when she said it.
Lugaid drew himself up with a quick breath when he saw her. She waved at him and Professor McGonagall quickly spoke the password and said, "Come child."
Hermione climbed the swivelling stair and the office of Dumbledore, filled with strange artifacts and books and the Sorting Hat shone in glitzy display beyond his open door.
Kage was looking quite dashing, in trim suit pants, shiny leather spatted oxfords and a stiff kimono jacket. One hand was resting at the crest of a Dumbledore summoned chaise and the other was extended to Fawkes.
Headmistress Rwamirama was sharing in a laugh and a cup of tea with Dumbledore, whom nodded to Hermione and the other two Professors.
Hermione noted with interest that Kage turned slowly, as if exiting a conversation with Fawkes.
"Ah! Hermione!" Headmistress Rwamirama set her tea cup down and rose from her seated position, swathed in red and white robes.
Hermione out of habit, stuck out her hand and said, "Yes, it's a pleasure to meet you Headmistress Rwamirama."
She tilted her head, and Hermione could see that the woman, despite her apparent age, only had smile lines around her eyes. Her voice was rich and she spoke with an accent that Hermione couldn't identify, "I've met you before, last night, but you were very hard to reach." She grasped Hermione's hand with two hands, "I tried to come into your dreams last night mtoto, but there was some great force that flung me out."
Kage said, "Is that so?"
Dumbledore rose his brows very high, and peered down at Hermione past his half moon glasses.
Hermione explained, "From what I've read of the admission process to Uagadou, there is a dream messenger that is usually sent with a token that allows me entrance to the school. I think… I saw someone last night in my dream."
Headmistress Rwamirama clapped her hands, "Exactly, yes."
Hermione slid her eyes to Kage, "Not...exactly."
Kage bent her head, her tightly bound hair did not slither across her shoulders like last she wore that expression.
Lugaid asked, "You prepared her for admission already?"
Headmistress Rwamirama flapped her hand, "As soon as Kage," she easily smoothed over the familiarity, "Minister Motokiyo, communicated with me I knew that I would like to begin preparations for the study exchange as soon as possible. From what I have heard, she has excellent dedication and is quite knowledgeable but-" the Headmistress set her hand on her strong hip and considered Hermione.
Professor McGonagall, trying to be polite despite a great annoyance, "Please elaborate. I find myself quite unsure of the current proceedings."
Dumbledore said loftily, "Miss Evans has shown an excellent disposition for a particular type of magic that, sadly, Hogwarts has either lost or-" he spread his hands from their anchor on his desk, "-never known. It's such a wonderful surprise that her mentor was well travelled enough to have identified this-" Dumbledore twinkled at her, pleased and clearly recalling their conversation over his proffered bean. "-particular strain."
McGonagall turned, fixing her intense disapproval onto Lugaid.
Lugaid cleared his throat, "Er, yes,"
Kage looked into Hermione, "May I?"
Hermione huffed, "I suppose it would be easier than explaining."
She brought what she remembered of waking from the dream to the forefront of her mind. Kage stood in her room as her sisters and mother panicked, the starry excretion sizzling by Kage's polished shoes. Kage's face was carefully controlled but her head turned sharply.
While this was re-playing out, the Headmistress continued her observation, "As I was explaining to the Headmaster, I visited Hermione to determine if she would make a good fit and to deliver the token of entry. Yet as I entered, into her mind, there was another presence. It was an overwhelming thing, something I've only ever encountered once- in my spirit quest."
Kage stepped forward, hands out towards Hermione's head. "May I-?"
Professor McGonagall took a step towards Hermione protectively, "May you what? Rummage around her head?"
Kage curled her fingers back and twitched a smile at McGonagall, "Madam Professor, it would benefit us greatly if we could see more of the dream beyond what was lost to sleep."
Professor McGonagall said, "Surely the Headmistress in her...dream message could explain-"
The Headmistress laughed, full bodied, throwing her head back and revealing very white if somewhat crooked teeth. "I could, but that would not tell us what our mtoto saw!"
Lugaid asked gently, "Do you remember anything of the dream?"
Hermione said, "I remember, I felt like I was...drowning. No, that's not exactly it-" having been at the bottom of the Lake and being pulled up by Krum and out of the shore by Sirius was similar but- "-I was being crushed."
Professor McGonagall's lips were in a thin white line and she looked to Dumbledore, attempting to plea with him silently the absurdity of putting a student through this.
Lugaid shared a worried look with a stoic Kage.
Kage said, "There are certain things that our pupil is more sensitive to." Kage looked at the Headmistress, "My friend, did it feel like a malevolent spirit?"
Professor McGonagall looked sharply to the side, dangerously close to an eye roll, "Spirit." The word 'nonsense' clear under her disbelief.
Headmistress Rwamirama pushed her lips together and said thoughtfully, "The ocean is powerful, but not malevolent." She ran a finger under her jaw. "I saw only the sands of dreams at the borders and then solid land slipped between my feet. I was pushed away from Hermione's core." She made a sound like trying to express the power she had encountered took her breath away.
Hermione nodded to Kage. "I remember a landscape shifting. It's been a normal dream but it was faster this time. I was turning… turning and then I was stopped." Hermione wasn't sure she wanted to share the starry expulsion with anyone except Kage. She tried to focus, "I don't want anyone to know about the expulsion yet, I have a vague idea of what it was- but my previous dreams I think are about the animagus transformation. That's what it felt like at first. We could start there."
Lugaid and Dumbledore were talking again when she finished delivering her message to Kage, who had possibly relayed this to Lugaid.
"-there's a few side effects to the shift in magical practices."
"Of course," Dumbledore stroked his beard, looking wistful, "Such interesting disciplines."
Professor McGonagall cut through, "The question at hand is the stability and academic development of Miss. Evans, you cannot possibly intend-"
Lugaid said, matching McGonagall's force, "I understand your concerns, but the priority is to help Miss Evans with realising her potential in magic, not ensuring that her academic record is easily-"
"How you're a Professor when you don't understand my literal words despite your insistence in understanding my concern is quite a mystery!" McGonagall was reddening, her hands tightly laced together.
Dumbledore stood up but Hermione stepped out from Professor McGonagall's protective shield.
"When will I begin my studies at Uagadou?"
Headmistress Rwamirama said, "May, mtoto. And let me assure you," she turned to Professor McGonagall, "I do not open this offer lightly." Traces of her smile were gone, serious but not pleading.
McGonagall drew in a breath, her lips pursed.
Rwamirama continued, looking at Dumbledore "While I may be the first Headmistress in one hundred and nine years to allow entry for a student not born on the soil of our continent, it is my belief international cooperation goes beyond the protection of the Statute of Secrecy."
Kage lightly spoke, "There are others that seek out our schools, regardless of our traditional boundaries."
Hermione thought for a moment while Dumbledore nodded his assent and McGonagall was shifting her folded arms, still likely irritated about the disregard for honest procedure.
Hermione asked, "Could there be others? Could it be a program that would open exchange between students?"
Dumbledore tugged on his beard. "This is a delicate matter with the school board's recent involvement, but the Ministry has no power over what Hogwarts does as long as it does not broach past educational plans."
Headmistress Rwamirama laughed and said, "What would the British Ministry have to fear from Uagadou?"
Kage added evenly, "Traditionalists and isolationism are ingredients for fear."
Professor McGonagall chuffed, "We are discussing the stability, consistency and development of Miss. Evans- she does not need to be here for a theoretical explanation of international politics."
Hermione said, "Actually,"
Lugaid stiffened and Kage reclined her hand along the chaise with some amount of pride. Dumbledore folded his fingers and looked over his hands.
"I would like to discuss several possible explorations for my advancement in the context of the current state of affairs." Hermione widened her stance and crossed her arms. She was very aware of her children's school robes, and that there was likely a better way to do this but she was going to have to sleep tonight, and she was not going to bed without having done something.
"First, Professor McGonagall, I can take my exams early- if it's allowed." She chewed the inside of her lip but tried to meet McGonagall's eyes as shame yawned inside her. "I am actually uncertain about my practical demonstration of magic, but I will be able to pass the tests, whenever you deem appropriate for me to take them, before May."
Professor McGonagall said gently, "Miss Evans, this is an enormously difficult undertaking. Your family must already be under grave pressure as it is your first year away from your muggle home. You must develop one foundation strongly before attempting to build another."
Hermione shook her head, "Would you agree that if I am able to pass the tests, then your primary argument is merely about the fact that I am a child and that you are certain I can't make decisions in my own interest?"
The Professor held up a hand over her chest, "You are-"
Hermione turned to Dumbledore, "Additionally, the fact that there are corporal punishments for the students of this school, rather than addressing the problems which cause these issues, indicates that Hogwarts itself poses more of a danger to its own student body than the stability of academic rigour." Hermione felt her arms tighten, her voice shake.
Kage raised her head.
Hermione focused on her breath, as Dumbledore looked at her anew with the gravity she had seen in his later years.
Dearborn, Marlene, Aidene and their quick intervention was strong in her mind. She turned to look squarely at McGonagall and Lugaid, "Developing a school program that prevents issues that allow parents to sign away their children to getting strung up by their thumbs and ankles is of far more concern to me than my academic stability. Even more pressing-" she felt her hair raising around her, "-is the continual abuse which children unduly suffer from their guardians and Hogwarts allows."
Headmistress Rwamirama clicked her tongue, "Society shapes our schools and it is hardly fair to place the blame at the feet of it's institution. But!" She raised her finger and looked at Dumbledore, "We do what we can, we must do what we can."
Hermione wanted to know if Headmistress Rwamirama was being diplomatically disapproving, but she had no idea of the practices of punishment or the philosophies which governed an entirely separate Ministry and School of magic. Hogwarts, a selective history which glosses over the nastier aspects of the school did, in fact, gloss over whippings and other dungeon formed punishments and the years in which they had been phased out of the school.
Lugaid said, scratching his head, "It took me two years to even get a hearing to change the school curriculum to include Muggle Studies, and even then, there are so many restrictions...it's becoming difficult for me to hold a candle of optimism of what I can do."
McGonagall pushed her shoulders back, "Change is unfortunately a procedure that requires several slow moving-."
Hermione firmly said, "No." Then when the adults in the room shifted, she planted her stance more firmly.
Kage turned to a trilling Fawkes and held out her hand to stroke the side of his cheek. Hermione almost missed Kage's smile.
"Miss Evans-" Dumbledore began.
Hermione said, "No! I think it's completely legitimate-"
"Please- Miss Evans, what do you suggest? Let us hear you." Dumbledore calmingly, soothingly, opened his hands.
Hermione wasn't sure if it was a tactic to calm her so that they could move on with their decisions, or if he would actually listen. She took in a breath. "I'd like to start a ...club, which organises the students to speak with other students. It would identify and work to address problems of home and school life- problems that lead to recruitment by dangerous ideologies and subsequently exploitation of their insecurity."
Dumbledore tilted his head and his blue eyes were sharpening. "If you're speaking on the current pushback on magical students with muggle lineage- that is a radical, polarised group that will not reach many-"
Hermione stomped, "It will! That is the basis of their recruitment!" She tossed her hands up. "Find ignorance, then find uncertainty, and find fear. With promises of power make a completely malleable powerbase. It stops here. It starts here. You must do something before it's too late. You must know this- you must take -it- him seriously!"
Dumbledore aired, looking a little unsettled. "I do. I understand."
The Professors and Headmistress were not in her peripheral vision as she stared at Dumbledore. He raised Harry as a sacrifice, let Voldemort rise to power because he thought he could reach him- waited for how many years before taking action. "You don't! You didn't! You've not done anything!"
Professor McGonagall came and tried to reach out to her, "You're frightened- we'll not let anything-"
"I'm not frightened!"
Dumbledore came down from his desk, his voice an even timbre. "Miss Evans, I assure you. I am working, and have been. There are things that lie in the way of convincing people."
Hermione felt cold, "Yes, there seems to be many things in the way of convincing people, isn't there." She turned to McGonagall and Lugaid, "Will you let me create this club legitimately through the school or will I start it on my own?" She turned to Headmistress Rwamirama, "Will you allow for the exchange program or-" she spat at Dumbledore, "- will you keep working?"
"Miss Evans!" Professor McGonagall said indignantly, "I understand you are quite upset, but your tone-"
Hermione snapped, "My tone is non-negotiable. String me up by my ankles as well for all I care."
Headmistress Rwamirama said, "This is clearly Hogwarts business, but Professor if I may-?"
Professor McGonagall looked like she'd very much like to disagree, but Dumbledore waved his hand in a polite rejoinder.
"Uagadou will begin preparations for an international study exchange program, which will be open to Mahōtokoro as well. A small pool of applicants will be open to everyone. I think that it is an excellent idea. Prepared with enough focus, it should be reasonably presented to our governing seats." Headmistress Rwamirama raised her expression and tilted her chin up looking down at Hermione, "We will present recommendations in regards to discipline and punishment before finalising this undertaking."
She smiled and held out her hand, a white stone with a shimmer of a rune. "Your token. You are welcome at Uagadou no matter this mess. And Miss Evans-"
Hermione accepted the stone, it was cool and softly sang against her palm. Hermione looked to the charismatic woman.
Rwamirama reassured, with emphasis, her eyes a herbal brown, "You are not the only one in the world who wishes to change it. You're not alone." She laid a hand on her shoulder, and Hermione felt as if she should have been better anchored by the gesture. Rwamirama vowed, "I promise."
Lugaid offered, coming to stand nearer to Dumbledore, "I'd be glad to be the Professor responsible for the administration of your club."
Hermione clutched at the stone, "I am sorry Professor Lugaid, but we will need another sponsor- one not tied directly to the promotion of education regarding muggles." She twitched an appreciative smile at him. He moved his face in a strangely approving and abashed way, looking at his feet momentarily and then at Kage.
Kage said, her thumbnail under her lip, "By criticising that which we are unaware of, it creates no room for solutions. We must have room to observe." Hermione bit her lip recognising the statement for what it was, a reprimand.
Kage lowered her lids and then stepped to turn her body. "Perhaps, Miss Evans could better understand what it is that you're doing, Headmaster Dumbledore, with observation."
Dumbledore voiced, "Forgive me, but I understood that you were coming as a representative of Mahōtokoro." His face was no less pleasant but there was a coolness to his expression that ill fit his lime green and gold robes. "I am finding it difficult to understand your interest on what is an isolated cell of radicalists." He looked benevolently at Hermione, "And what that has to do with Miss Evans."
Kage replied, tipping her head to Rwamirama, "As I informed Headmistress Rwamirama, her school may be next to receive a visit from this individual who has began this… 'isolated cell' as you say. It has already become an international problem, and the ideas are easily able to take root. It was she who identified this interloper."
Professor McGonagall, "That is something to be discussed after our conversation with Miss Evans as I have repeatedly said. Miss Evan's I fully expect you to apologise."
She turned to McGonagall and said, "I am not sorry for being angry. I'll apologise for criticizing something I do not have the full understanding of, and will try to remain respectful when the circumstances call for it." Hermione felt that the circumstances called for it, but she tilted her head to Dumbledore. "To answer your question, Tom Riddle's group concerns me, because I am concerned with it."
Dumbledore considered her for a moment and said, "Thank you for bringing this to my attention Miss Evans. We will discuss preparations and you can begin with establishing your club with my full approval. I trust you will handle finding the Professor to sponsor it?"
Hermione nodded and swallowed, her throat tight with relief.
He smiled, twinkling muted, "I'm sure you've had a very long day and we will be in contact with you after we have negotiated the details."
Dear Hermione,
I have started school without you and the library really feels too large. Mostly I feel most empty when I look up and expect to see you reading beside me. I begin to regret the silences and miss terribly all of the small words of comfort you provided.
Regina lunches with me on occasion, but her new friends - while much better than Petty Patty and Clara- are quite loud and my silences are heavier to carry.
What are your new friends like?
Best,
Emily Allende
Dear Friend,
My letter has been returned from the address Lily provided. I am worried that I've gotten the address wrong, but I hope that this next trip will make it to you. It's silly that your school can't use phones but then again, we've never been very talkative.
Regina sends her best as well- her parents and yours have developed some kind of bond, I think, what with all the talk of America's war, and the miners' treatment. People are talking of strikes, but we're told to not speak of it at school. I want to know your thoughts on it- you were very well read in those books you always changed the covers of.
Best, and hopeful,
Emily
P.S. Here is a drawing of my new reading place.
Dear Hermione,
It seems that there is no address to send to you, and with my pocket money being spent on stamps [Crossed out section] I don't see reason to buy stamps but I think I will need to continue to write to you.
I've been ousted from my reading place and been called [Scribbled out section] I won't tell you here, but apparently my interests are not [something peer/liked?] approved. Regina's spent more time with her other friends and I'm becoming more resentful of my classmates. The teachers here are awful, I have no idea if they've read anything other than our textbooks. I wonder what your teachers are like and if you've found a nice reading area.
Your friend,
Emily
Dear Hermione,
I picked up your reading list from your parents and I hope that when I read them, it will suffice as some kind of response from you. They were most strange when I asked them about where to address my letters, and I am beginning to suspect a mystery.
I've found I like mystery novels, most keen on the ones that have been banned for reading by the library.
I can't be found with contraband or a list so I can't write them here, but I get a fierce sort of pleasure from it and I think you would too.
Your friend, still
Dear Hermione,
It's been a while since I've last written to you. My letter was ripped up- [blotted out section] terrible. I've found less time and less place to hide my letters, (we can't keep journals around anywhere either, my mother would surely read them).
Emily
P.S. Please enjoy my terrible rendition of the school approved art subject on back.
Dear Friend,
Furious- Regina's been smoking! Can you believe it? I can't be mad at Regina I feel, because it's she and her friends that stopped the book slapping. But now, now her friend group acknowledges me in strange ways. Completely different from how you and I used to read or do work together.
They're quite angry- but I can't blame them. Have you heard from your father recently?
Emily
Dear Mum,
Thank you for the lovely snacks, they were perfect. Please don't be too hard on yourself or Petunia. If you could deliver the enclosed letter to Emily, I'd be much appreciative.
We got you and Petunia snacks from the snack cart- don't open the frog one without some preparation- but it won't be jumpy for long! It's not a real frog.
It's a chocolate frog and pixie wing dust- they're the most exciting.
Love,
Hermione & Lily XOXO
P.S. Mummy I left the mug you like and the sugar cube selector on my nightstand table, I'm sorry. Please tell us when Da is coming back. Also, Hermione met with Headmaster Dumbledore and said the dream was normal enough I guess.
Dear Emily,
It's been so much to get used to. I have a lovely spot in a very old library. There's high windows everywhere and when it rains, it's soothing- you'd love it.
I have a few new friends, I think. I can't seem to quite connect with them except maybe Ada. While she chats, she knows when quiet is appreciated. She likes to read but is terrible at concentrating on homework- she only studies subjects she likes. The girls are concerned with sports v boys v they have very different circumstances from mine. There might be a few others, but I can't tell if they're my friends, if I'm quite honest. I feel displaced so much of the time but Lily has been received very well and I think as a result I am tolerated.
I'm very lucky to have several good teachers but I find it hard to trust their decisions completely. They try though.
I've also been the subject of unwanted attention -but that will change very quickly. Don't be afraid to shove back- I'm planning to. Turning the other cheek hasn't exactly worked. Have you looked into why they're targeting people? Often they're compensating for something. If you can't talk to them as a friend, perhaps with Regina's friends (what are they angry about anyway, I know you said you were painting signs but-?), I hope you can find at least one person at the school that can help them.
Of course, some people can't be reached through others. But keep hope Emily.
Your friend,
Hermione
Dear Miss Evans,
I received notification from L that you have been accepted into Uagadou (many congratulations) and our venerable Headmaster is in the process of contacting your parents. I am pleased that the next determined step in your academic career is taking you (quite literally) to far places.
However, from what I understand, the term will extend into mid-summer. I will certainly work on my connection at Flourish and Blotts after your term. I sigh, dismally, again, because from what I understand of you, you're quite fine to waste your youth away, so I shall toil unto this end until ye send alternate word.
At your service,
Lord Uncle Alphard
To the address of one Lord Alphard Black, guardian and apparent Uncle,
There seems to be several things that you have done for me at great personal cost. I am not sure what or why you have placed yourself in political pincers for my sake but I have learned information you have neglected to inform me of.
To show my appreciation, I have enclosed a list of several economic decisions that might assist your funds within the year- at the dates indicated- to cover any monetary costs of my tuition that you might have extended. Please excuse the lack of explanatory addendum- I'm writing this between classes- but if you need clarification, ask. If you have concerns with any of the plans listed, please contact a goblin named Thistlepit and discuss prior agreements. If necessary, we can arrange something through my vault at Gringotts.
I was hoping to do something similar with my own wages in the future, but I gather, if you've taken me under your official guardianship, this is the least that I can offer in return. I understand that you did not wish for me to feel indebted but remain so.
Regards,
Hermione
"What's that then?" Lily asked, trying to read over Hermione's shoulder.
Hermione shoved Alphards letter into her bag, muttering, "Information about Uagadou."
Lily sucked on her teeth and then said, "When are you going to be leaving?" Hermione had told Lily that she was accepted into Uagadou last night, before reading the letters from Emily.
"Leaving?" Remus asked looking up from his brimming plate. Hermione had suspected with Lily's narrowed eyes, she may have told Remus if Potter hadn't dropped his interest in why she was seeing the Headmaster. She hoped Lily hadn't told him about the dream- but she had told her over their letter to their Mum that Kage was there and it was all fine.
Frank, popped his head from the prop of his hand, and said with his eyes closed, "M'kay I'm up."
Hermione said, "In May."
Lily furrowed her brow and blinked. "But exams-"
Hermione nodded, "I'll likely be taking them early."
Remus asked, "Er- Hermione, but how's… you know?"
Hermione shouldered her bag, "I'm going to run to the library before Transfiguration." She hadn't slept very well the night before, being too nervous that her dreams would suffocate her again, but she remembered very little except for the fact they were restless.
Remus and Lily got up, Hermione's eyes widened. Remus said, "We're coming with you. Right Lily?"
"Yes." Lily looked determined.
Hermione looked to the Great Hall doors and then back at the two of them. Frank was slipping into his tea and woke.
"Wassat-"
Remus tsked, "Frank- did you listen to James this morning?"
Frank furrowed his brow, "Why?"
Remus sighed and said, "One second." He drew his wand, twisted his wrist, settled his position and then with concentration plain on his face, "Aberguerturth."
Frank got hit in the face with what looked like a ghost of cold water from Remus' wand.
Frank sputtered and asked, "What-what was that?!"
"Feel more awake?"
Frank shook his head and wiggled his nose around.
Lily was frowning with Hermione, they asked, "What was that?"
Remus said, "Er, Potter told us about a lullaby spell… a while ago." Remus trailed off, as if he were remembering something more but wouldn't speak of it. His face smoothed out as he shrunk his shoulders.
Hermione blew out a breath and Lily said, "That doesn't seem very responsible, casting it on unsuspecting people."
Lupin looked sheepish and Hermione asked, "Where are they anyway?" Remus was hardly ever without the others.
Frank groaned, then rushed out the Hall, shouting angrily, "Potter's watching Quidditch training!"
Lily asked, "He's an absolute terror, that boy."
Remus shrugged his assent collecting his things to follow Hermione. "Peter's with James. Sirius is sleeping in."
"Why are you going to the library?" Lily demanded.
"I have to return some books, and then I will find books on other international schools, possibly legal policies when it comes to protections for children." Hermione answered honestly, unsure of the sudden interest Lily and Remus had in accompanying her. "Which actually, remember what I was telling you last night, about the organization I'm starting?"
Remus eyed Hermione's bag as he ran to catch up with her.
Lily said squinting in the morning light, "Yes- but, I'm still sort of confused about what it is that you think you're going to be able to do."
Hermione said, "I was hoping to have your help-"
Lily leapt on her shoulder, "No! No, I will - I was!"
Remus asked, "Is this about Sirius' detention?"
"A little. A part of it." Hermione patted Lily's hands, the heavy weight of her bag unbalancing her. She really should try a feather light charm. She bit her lip, thinking of the classes for the day. "I was also hoping maybe to just, try out a spell before class. See what it was like. I've not used my wand since…"
Lily said, excited, "Oh yes- let's do that first!"
Remus asked, "So you're really leaving for Uagadou?" So, he had gotten to Lily. Hermione was fondly exasperated.
Lily flounced pulling Hermione towards a classroom. She opened it to a confused Professor at a desk. Abruptly, she apologised, "Sorry,"
Lily tugged her to another alcove and Hermione felt she didn't so much mind being pulled around by Lily. Hermione explained to Remus, "There's going to be a study exchange program starting between Uagadou and Mahōtokoro."
He looked out the window onto the grounds, the sunny morning light of the alcove catching his honey eyes, round with sadness. "That sounds...really fascinating." Remus' voice was longing.
Lily paused, "D'you mean- I could go with you? Wait, but isn't it really expensive? I don't think Da could afford it on strike pay…"
Hermione pressed her lips together, reminded of Lugaid explaining to her mother how Alphard had taken care of tuition. Lily shook her crimson hair as if shaking things off. Then quickly bent around the corners, looking at a cluster of Ravenclaws and shooting a glance at a Hufflepuff jogging by. "Well c'mon- quickly, where's your wand? You have to keep your wand on you Hermione!"
Hermione reaching into her bag for the wand case, "Why are you coming to the Library with me? You hardly ever get up this early."
Lily pinched her lips together and raised her eyebrows, "Oh- that's… my new hobby."
Remus coughed. Hermione opened her wands lacquered home, darting to catch Lupins tremble at his mouth. He straightened and said, "Well, er remember the exercises I gave you? Yeah, that's-"
Hermione nearly slapped her head, "Oh, yes- I do!"
Remus drew his pale brows together, "Did you even look at them?"
Hermione looked at her wand, the straw and ebony wood melding together, a comfortable chaos. "I did, but it was admittedly difficult to do on my own."
Lily said overly bright, "Yes, the exercises that Lupin gave me- gotta be fit!"
Hermione chided Lily, "I know that's not what you're up to- it's the wrong kind of exercise, Lily."
Lily placed her hands on her hips, flustered, "Nevermind that! Try a spell!"
Hermione turned to Remus, "I was thinking I should try to do some morning exercises that you suggested, now that I know a little more about it." Hermione set her bag down and scooped out her wand. It came into her hand magnetically, as if expressing it's desire to not be separated again.
Lily was adamant, "Try out a spell!"
Hermione smiled and with energy repeated that set of movements with pleasure, a swish, twist, sideways flick, featherlight. The current that she had dipped into while casting Transfiguration so long ago pulsed behind the movements. With some difficulty she withdrew before getting swept away in the turgid undercurrent. Her attention focused, hardened and like tearing through a veil on an anchor in an ocean, she leapt.
Her bag shimmered lightly.
Lily let out a breath she had been holding. "Ah, Hermione. I'm so sorry." She gave her a hug.
Hermione met Remus' eyes over Lily's shoulder, both confused.
Remus was thoughtful, "Was that Leviosa? You didn't say anything."
Lily said, "Oh she tried, it was a little strange but...wait, you corrected me on my form."
Hermione bent to pick up her bag- weightless. She grinned and turned to the other two, "It worked!"
Lily and Remus shared a glance. Lily said slowly, "It's alright Hermione."
Hermione held out her bag, rolling her eyes.
Lily hesitantly took it. Then her eyes popped wide. She shouted, "YES!"
"Yes?!" Remus said reaching for it.
Hermione said, "Yes." laughing with them all the way to the library.
AN: Would love feedback, critical commentary. I really thought Hermione would be at Uagadou by now but I think these little scenes are important to the 'defeat' of Voldemort.
mtoto- child in Swahili.