Shado of the Covenant

Chapter 25

Sliding Doors

It had been two weeks already, and the school had settled down with a substitute taking over potions. It came as a surprise how many people really didn't give a crap about Snape's life, as so many people, teachers included, congratulated Shado on doing the world a favour. Dumbledore was forbidden under the courts to interact with her on any level, especially for what she had done, or risk a few weeks in jail, which would lower his rep even more, so she was okay making chatter.

However, Dumbledore looked like he was not as whole as he used to be with the news that Alice and Frank Longbottom had been under years of assault via poisons to keep them mentally ill, and in hospital had come to light and they were now getting the help they needed to recover with the assistance of the Covenant of the Witches. Poor Lucinda Longbottom was finding school difficult to concentrate on, both nervous and horrified by the revelation, as she could not remember her parents, and it had been so long; she was scared to see them, but Rose had been a darling, and spent plenty of free time snuggling her friend with plenty of comfort.

Dumbledore was worse though, as he had to get in a substitute arithmancy teacher, as Professor Lily Potter had disappeared after the hearing at the ministry, and he suspected that the Covenant had used the opportunity to snatch her, as Dumbledore had been more concerned with watching over James, and misplaced her. That had also made James look more ill than he had since Ivy Potter's return, and it would take a moron to think he wasn't fighting against magic, but while Dumbledore was in the way it would be difficult to get him help.

Snape's obsession with their mother, made it fairly-easy for Shado to kill him herself without any hesitation. Shado and Rose spent that night alone together, just the two of them, to have some time to talk, and just relish in their victory. It was a wonderful night for the sisters to bath in their love and lust for each other, and just spend some time away from everyone and everything else. That had been an amazing night for the pair of them, and brought them closer than ever before.

However, the strangest thing to happen, was walking through the halls wondering where she was heading because she was with that small Parkinson girl while she looked embarrassed, and Shado didn't make matters better for the small girl, as she sent a few teasing looks. Pansy was rather adorable when she was flustered and embarrassed, and she was of an old pure-blood, bloodline, and held great respect for old institutions, even those like the Covenant of Witches that took in all witches no matter their bloodline.

"Okay..." Pansy said blushing brightly. Shado smiled a little as she thought she looked kind of sweet with her little bob hairdo, and her self-inflicted embarrassment. Her hair was black and she looked frail and weaker than Shado was sure she was, as Shado hadn't broken any of Pansy's bones when she was throwing her around when she was saving her from being trampled, and being hexed by Snape when her familiar saved her.

"Thank you for saving my life, okay?!" she said quickly in a rush, and Shado smiled, patting her shoulder.

"No worries Pansy!" she replied, not letting her get away as she-shield away from her touch and she pulled her robe aside at the collar, and she flinched. "Who the hell hit you, girl!" Shado demanded and Pansy pouted, looking away as she didn't stop Shado from seeing the bruise on her lower neck to the left shoulder.

"Malfoy, okay!" she said and Shado knew she had called him by his first name before, but they had obviously fallen out. "I told him I wanted to thank you for saving me the other week, and he smacked me, but he missed my face because he doesn't know how to throw a punch like a muggle... or you!" she said shaking her head as Shado let her go. "Snape was his godfather, and you not only sentenced him to death, but executed him. I honestly don't care anymore. I've been such an idiot. I was following the crowd, and... I don't know, but I wish I could have been friends with nicer people or something."

Shado grinned as she patted her head like she would pat an adorable little puppy she was really that small, and Shado was certain Tabitha would be taller than she was when she was older. "Hey, no worries, girl. I'll give you a hint!" Shado said, smirking as she thought of something. "Find a girl you think might have something fun in common with you that doesn't hurt anyone else. If you've been mean to her before drop to your knees and kiss her feet if you need to because I think somewhere, a friendship like that could know no boundaries, because what Slytherins tend to not realise is to them, loyalty is fleeting.

"I could conquer the whole of Slytherin House, and most in it would be quick to bow down to me and call me master. If they already don't. But if you and your friend don't, and protect each other with everything you've got including your lives, then that is what I respect, that is what real friendship is. But the rest of them Slytherins would run and cry if someone came charging.

"Even if you argue you should still stand before hell for her because that is what real friends would do for each other, because that is what love is about. Otherwise, without that kind of friendship, you will always be alone with nobody to hold your hand through all of the pain or happiness life has to offer. I guess before I came here and made connections, I never understood that, but at least I had a reason. I raised myself, alone, but if I can feel love and companionship then so can you, and you don't need to look in your house, be sincere and you can find some happiness too."

Shado gave Pansy's nose a poke, laughing as she was watching her in thought, and started blushing lightly while they passed through the Entrance Hall when Shado grabbed Draco Malfoy by the throat, as he didn't see them coming, as he had been making Hermione Granger cry in near hysterics, and slammed him into the wall while he peed himself.

"Don't ever hit Pansy again!" Shado demanded coolly. "In fact, if I ever hear that you hit a girl again, I'll upset your mother as she'll be forced to let your prick of a father artificially inseminate her again because he was born with no dick!" she said before rolling her eyes. He was that stupid. She threw him to the side where he scurried away and she nodded to Pansy as she had watched in awe before hurrying away into the Great Hall before Shado finally turned to acknowledge Hermione.

"Are you ready yet, Hermione?" she asked her while she looked away and Shado knew she was stubborn. Shado knew that Hermione regretted not walking away from the trap she was in. "You could at least thank me for saving your life girl, or at least my familiar!" she said before turning to walk into the Great Hall for breakfast.

"Thank you!" Hermione muttered, and Shado pulled to a stop looking back at her, as she stood there, uncomfortable. "I said thank you okay!" she hissed out nearly in tears again. "I don't know what to do, and I'm lost, and books don't help, but make me more confused because they contradict the muggle world, and the magical worlds just believes someone because they're supposed to be clever or something, or good at magic without any proof while muggles and science, and-."

"HERMIONE!" Ronald Weasley roared out startling her as he came down the stairs looking so smug, she looked around, and Shado could see the fear she had. That bastard was mentally bullying her and she didn't know away out because she was afraid of being alone.

Hermione wasn't the confident, happy research bunny she could have been with Shado and her girls. Shado felt bad for her.

"Why are you doing talking to this murderer…?!" he demanded, outraged. "… when you could be helping me with my homework!" he said stuffing a parchment roll, book, and quill into her hands.

Shado wondered what could have happened, to Hermione since joining the magical world that she would let Ronal selfishly and spitefully take advantage of her. She suspected she was putting too much faith in something as ridiculous as ancestry, and Ronald was the closest to an 'ancient' family whop would give her the time of day, even though that crap didn't matter, as she was a much better mage than him, and that mattered so much more.

Ron sneered at Shado before he smirked smugly as he went into the Great Hall for breakfast while Shado was tempted to strangle the prick, she let him go, and looked back at the girl. She had bruises from lack of sleep around her eyes, and looked ill.

Shado reached out, and Hermione flinched, as Shado flicked her forehead while looking her over carefully. Shado threw the crap that the filthy boy dumped on her to the floor, and Hermione was so out of it she didn't say anything against it. Not for littering or getting rid of her 'friends' homework, and Shado was certain that Hermione looked relieved.

Hermione had a golden chain around her neck that led to something magical, and maybe, combined with Ron it was making her ill. Shado wasn't the only one to realise that Hermione managed to get to more than one class at the same time, and had done since electives her third year, and other than a duplication charm of some kind that Shado wasn't sure existed, she could only think of time travel, and how dangerous that would be. There were multiple types of possible time travel, and the easiest and most likely was slipping back along your own timeline by a few hours. You would need some powerful artifact for that, but it was technically the safest way, and least likely to damage any main stream of time. Thankfully, other forms of time travel were much vaster, and a billion times harder, to impossible, and tended towards the theoretical concept of splitting off a divergent timeline.

If Shado hadn't been such an observant person, she wouldn't have noticed or cared, and Hermione looked so ill, which was why Shado grabbed her, and dragged her to the side, into a secret passage before she realised what she was doing.

Hermione surprisingly struggled in a panic when Shado grabbed her chain pulling the small gold hourglass from her robes. Hermione panicked before Shado slapped her face, and Hermione broke down in tears, and Shado knew from how broken the girl looked that this was years in the making. Shado wondered how long until Hermione had a heart attack and died, but then, Hermione finally let Shado take it from her.

"This is time travel magic, isn't it?" Shado demanded while Hermione sobbed and nodded her head while Shado pulled it on and hid it in her robes. "Hermione, this is freaking dangerous. And I'm not talking me dangerous, I'm talking end of time, as we know it dangerous, in the wrong hands! Probably. You haven't even been using it to get any extra sleep you idiot! Is this so you can do extra classes, because if it is, here's all five years of muggle studies 'duh... what's a pen do', but would probably call it a hen, and you should know divination is bull crap, the woman's a freaking lonely disparate drunk. You can even ask Lavender and Parvati if you want and they love her class!"

"B-but Professor McGonagall said and, umm..." she trailed off blinking back furious tears.

"McGonagall didn't want you to have this did she?" Shado asked and Hermione shook her head, "Dumbledore pushed for you to have it didn't he?" she asked, already knowing the answer. Hermione whimpered as she nodded and broke down crying into Shado's chest where Shado cursed her good nature and rubbed her back as Hermione had obviously had very little sleep, maybe getting a few hours a day as with classes, Ron, and his, and her own homework, along with his bullying.

"Electra!" Shado called and she appeared in human form, beautiful and smiling. "Get McGonagall and lead her to the infirmary for me please, love!" she said with a smile as her beautiful pet nodded and flashed away. Shado let Hermione lean on her as she took her to the infirmary in silence, apart from her sniffles.

"Lady Umbra," the nurse said in worry as they entered the room. She was in her late forties to early fifties, but still looked good with a red cross on her chest, and short-cropped brown hair. Shado saw her Covenant chain hanging down her white robes, which surprised her when she found out she was a member, and underling a short while back, and was pleased she was now able to wear her symbol as a covenant witch openly and proudly, and it was a happy coincidence when plotting vengeance against Dumbledore.

"She has barely slept at all since term started, I don't know about her home life, but since third year she's been like this at school, and it seems to be getting harder on her!" Shado said while she helped the medi-witch take Hermione behind a bed screen and strip her naked and into a pair of hospital PJ's before into bed where she was out like a light. They pushed back the screen as McGonagall rushed in with Electra tugging her along hurriedly.

"Miss. Umbra… what is the problem with Miss. Granger?" the teacher asked and checked her clothes, paling before she looked relieved when Shado showed her the necklace before she made her hide it away. "Don't… that is dangerous. I don't want anyone knowing about it, thank the gods you found her… what's wrong?"

"Sever fatigue," the nurse commented as McGonagall looked relieved at the last two words. "She has not had more than a few hours all month… and has been putting quite a lot of strain on her body for the past two plus years… Lady Shado, what happened?"

"Seal the room," Shado replied, and it was done in seconds with her more curious than ever while McGonagall was surprised that the nurse took her order without question, but it was obvious now that more hidden members of the covenant were coming out to light. They answered to Shado above all else, as she was like there queen from what the teacher knew. "Dumbledore allowed her to go to every class, including all electives using reverse-timeline-time travel," Shado finished showing Pomfrey the time thing, which caused her to glare at McGonagall.

"I didn't want her to have it," the deputy head of the school said in her defence. "But still, I know I told her not to abuse the trust, or the time turner. She must have taken that too literal. She could have used it to catch some extra sleep, and I wouldn't have known, nor cared if I did find out. Albus thought it was a wonderful idea for her to have it, and..."

"Ever thought about a banana skin, the top of the stairs from his office?" Pomfrey surprisingly asked with raised eyebrow. "Believe me, he won't have survived if he passed through here after what he let Snape get away with, even if we did provoke him, he still tortured poor Miss. Bones."

"Go to sleep, Hermione, and forget you heard anything!" Shado interrupted, as Hermione's blurry hazel bloodshot eyes were open looking at Shado. Shado pat her head, stroking her hair and she frizzled and was out. "That should keep her out for several hours, hopefully, and that should be a good long rest."

"Don't worry," Pomfrey said glaring at the girl. "I'll dope her up with REM potion to make her dream, and if she says anything when she wakes, I'll modify her memory if I have to."

"So, if I fry this time turner thing will the time-sand magic..." Shado paused slowly with thought. "Will the Sands of Time blow up and do something screwed up?"

"Probably," McGonagall said with a sigh. "Once Christmas is here, maybe you can you leave for a day and put it in your family's main vault, or get the goblins to get you a high security vault? It could be a handy tool if used sparingly, and we can always blame Ronald for its disappearance."

"Professor," Shado reprimanded but had a wicked grin. "You're catching my bad habits, but yes. I'll see what I can do," she said laughing as she snuck out of the hospital wing of the school and found her sister and Ginny to play with.

It was later that evening when Shado finally found Rose and Ginny, as it was a weekend and Shado knew that Ginny and Rose had been with Luna and Cassy doing some homework, as they had lots to catch up on that they had ignored in favour of other pursuits.

Ginny unfortunately had slacked off too much, so had to stay with Luna and Cassy for their expert tutelage, but Rose had finished, and smirking smugly she gave her beloved Ginny a snog before leaving with her sister.

Later, Rose and Shado were hanging out with Aria, their mergirl friend, giggling and swimming in the lake, along with some kissing. Shado was in a half wetsuit, well it was all wetsuit, but short sleeved and legged while Rose wore her black one piece, and shorts with tee. They invited the mergirl within the domain of the covenant, so she would be allowed within the wards of the Hogwarts Stronghold, so they would have a fun space to play with her at, during more, night-time pursuits.

However, it was getting late that Aria was holding them both above the water, giggling when they looked over to shore, as they were out fairly-deep during twilight, and spotted the ginger twat, Ronald Weasley being dragged away by a giant-sized black dog, and disappearing into a tree. Then they watched as they saw Hermione chasing after him, and the tree move, thwacking her in the face and she wasn't getting up from wherever she fell.

"Why is that girl out of bed?" Shado asked herself rather than her girls and sighed as she removed her fingers from within her panting mergirl, which made her pout, but she understood, kissed their lips each and slid under the water leaving them to swim back to shore in annoyance to see what was going down.

They climbed out by the huge tree that apparently attacked people, but Hermione wasn't anywhere in sight and the tree took a swing at Shado, and was soon on fire whaling its limbs after she had blasted it in a boom, but it should have known better than to mess with her. However, they heard a chocking cough, and Rose pointed it out; the large gap in the roots of the tree.

"Hermione must have fallen down that hole!" Rose said quickly.

"Come on!" Shado said as she pulled her sister with her, and slid into the hole after pulling their breathers down from on top of their heads. They were pretty-simple to make-actually. They were designed to recycle air by turning CO2 into Oxygen, as well as other things. It had Plexiglas that went over their eyes with spells to see through mucky water, and smoke apparently while a sealed tight black piece went over their mouths.

They had lights on each side by their eyes so they could see through the dark under water, and then they would use magic to help them sink. Shado's was blue rimmed while Rose's was red. They had gotten Professor Strife to help with them, as a new way to breath under water, but they were working as well in the smoke. They didn't have the eye shields at first when Shado took the things to the professor, but she added them so they could see in the dark lake. The Professor made them within just a couple days, as they were that simple, and she was surprised nobody else thought about a device like them before, but shrugged that off as the muggles obviously did, and the magical world could be a little slow with some things.

Shado and Rose found Hermione chocking in the dirt under the tree. Shado pulled out her wand and made a bubble head charm, which Ginny had originally suggested they could use to hang out with cute mergirls, but Shado wanted better, and less breakable. Shado used the charm on Hermione, and the air around her head cleared, allowing Hermione to gasp for clear breath. Shado then dragged the girl from the flames, down the secret tunnel, she knew was under the tree while Rose collapsed the tunnel at Shado's nod, blocking out the smoke.

Shado looked at Hermione with the lights of her mask and rolled her eyes as she pulled it down, and pulling some clips and folding it to hang around her neck so she could use the lights with Rose copying with hers. Shado popped the idiot Granger girls bubble and she almost broke down in tears and had a huge bruise forming on the left side of her face.

"So, you ran back to hanging around that useless loser!?" Shado asked even though she knew it was true, and Hermione nodded her head before wincing, as it was no bet that Hermione's head was throbbing. Shado sighed in annoyance as she led the way through the tunnel. "Come along you two; that idiot Black will be in the Shrieking Shack by the look of things, along with that idiot boy!" she said as they followed her, but Hermione did seem reluctant, but whatever.

"I would have thought you would have learnt to stay away from Ronald. He's a bad influence!" Shado said and she was sure Hermione knew that, but she was friendless and lonely, but all she had to do was bow down before Shado or Rose at least, and admit she regretted not ditching him before, and ask for forgiveness, and she wouldn't be alone any longer.

to be continued…