Hi everyone Clover here. And well I'm back with more of Mirror image. Once again this story is being coauthored by my friend and roommate Meggie182000 and DARKAMY1 over on deviant art. The original credit for the request for the story goes to DARKAMY1's friend Veronica who again, doesn't have a deviant art account. I know I take forever with updates Anyways Harry potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. Please remember that updates for this story will be slow.
Chapter 2: The astral plane
Several hours passed in the Hospital wing, the day was over and miss Pomfrey was making 1 final check up on Hyacinth and the petrified victims before leaving for dinner in the great hall with everyone else.
Its when she left that something strange happened to Hyacinth, her body remains still on the bed, but it now glows a pale blue light before a ghostly version of herself came out and sat up in bed to stretch her arms.
'Man, what a great sleep i just had, and i feel better then i had been in years, strange but very much welcomed.' Hyacinth thought with a happy smile, but then she noticed where she was, 'Wait, why am I in the hospital wing? Oh god, i hope its not because of one of my episodes and that Madam Pomfrey didn't discover anything.' Hyacinth thought, now in a small panic as she got up and eye search the room for the Midwitch or a teacher that came to investigate her sudden condition, but all she saw were the petrified victims on the beds, so she sight in relief.
"*Sigh* ok, the cost is clear, so maybe I can get back to the dorms without Madam Pomfrey seeing me and just tell her later that what ever got me here was just minor and nothing to be worried about. Yes, that's exactly what i'll do." Hyacinth said to herself, and its when she was going to leave that she noticed that her feet were almost transparent and glowing blue.
"What the hell?!" Hyacinth said as she left her head up in shock and saw herself lying in bed, hooked into in IV. "What the actual hell!?" Hyacinth exclaimed again as she walked a bit closer to what she thought was her corpse.
"OMG, that's it, i'm dead, i had to many sickness episodes for my body to take and now i'm dead." Hyacinth with tears in her and soon broke out into a heavy sobs and cried all over her body. But then she noticed the IV attached to her arm, 'why would they continue injecting fluids into a corpse?' she thought confused, then she noticed the study rising and lowering of her chest and understood.
''Oh thank god, i'm still alive." Hyacinth said in relief, but their are still several questions that remains to be answered: Why is she lying in a hospital as if in a coma? And how did she become a ghost if she's still alive?
'Ummmm, I know, i'll go find Hermione, she'll know what's going on.' Hyacinth thought as she headed towards the door. ' Sense its night time, she must either be in the Great Hall for dinner or in the Dorms sleeping, i'll go check the great hall first.' Hyacinth thought as she reached the door and tried to push it open, but discovered her hand just phased right through it.
'Wow, freaky, but kind of cool to. Huh i wonder...' Hyacinth thought in wonder of what just happened, then in idea crossed her mind. She back away from the door a bit and took a deep breath before sprinting towards the door and phasing through it completely, reappearing on the other side a bit disoriented.
"*Shivers* , well that was in interesting experience *dust off her clothes of imaginary dust*. Now to get to the great hall." Hyacinth thought as she regained her senses and flew down the corridor, 'Wait, I CAN FLY' Hyacinth thought as she abruptly stopped and let her feet touch the ground. "Okay, the phasing part was weird enough, but this is really freaky, its like i truly am a ghost." Hyacinth said as she continued to the great hall, this time making sure to walk instead of flying.
She went down a few floors until she reached the ground floor and that's when she saw Neville coming out of the boy's bathroom.
"I better get back or Ron's gonna eat the last baked potato again." Neville said to himself as he bagen walking.
"Hey Neville!" Hyacinth called out to her fellow second year, but he didn't respond. ''What the-?! Oi! Neville!" Hyacinth called out again, but again he just ignored her call. Now she was annoyed, she could take the other students ignoring her, even running away from her in fear after the Dueling Club incident, but having one of her friends ignore her, no way is she taking that.
So she immediately floated over to Neville, easily catching up and floating next to him and made several attempts to get his attention, but in vein, as such she came to the conclusion that he can't see or hear her.
'Gah! Dam it, this just got so much harder, if he can't see me, then neither well Hermione or Ron. Oooooooh, what well i do.' she thought while pulling at her hair with tears of frustration and despair running down her face that lasted for a few minutes before she calmed down and whipped her face, after all plunging into panic and despair won't help her solve this problem. Instead she took a few minutes to gather her thoughts and think of a solution, and a ludicrous yet smart idea popped out: If she can be invisible like a ghost, pass through walls like a ghost and fly like a ghost, then maybe...
"Sorry in advance for this Neville." Hyacinth said before she took a deep breath and flew straight to Neville, entering his body in one go, but that sudden intrusion accidentally knocked the boy unconscious, causing Neville to fall face first on the floor like a sack of bricks.
Hyacinth winced for poor Neville, falling face first on the floor must hurt, but this may actually make it easier for her to take control.
Waisting no time, she focused her strength and will to make Neville's body stand up.
'Okay, this is definitively weird.' Hyacinth thought as she clenched and unclenched Neville's hands, to try and get use to the feeling. She then tried o take a step forward, but ended up falling over, she tried a second time, the same thing happened. The Third time, she tripped but manage to stay up. It was only after 3 or 4 more tries that she got enough hang of it to walk properly, and so she walked the rest of the way to the great hall without any more problems.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Hyacinth was right, the great hall was the place to go to find Hermione and Ron, and pretty much everyone else sense it was diner time. So pretending to be tying up his/her shoe, Neville/Hyacinth discreetly scanned Gryffindor table to find them. Once he/she spotted them, Hyacinth made Neville get up and headed to the table, sat down right across Hermione and next to Ron and started eating in order to appear normal.
After he/she swallowed his/her last bite of roast beef and roasted potatoes, he/she looked up to face Hermione. 'Ok, now I just need to ask her about my situation. But how do i do that?' thought Hyacinth/ Neville as he/she tries to find the right words to present the subject to his/her friend.
"Um Hermione, can i ask you something?" Hyacinth/Neville said finally, gaining the Muggleborn's attention. "Sure Neville, what is it?" Hermione asked. "Well, i was wondering if you knew anything about a person being in a coma, but can come out of their body in a ghost-like state? Its just, i've overheard a few Ravenclaws talk about something like that earlier in the library, but i didn't get the whole conversation, so i was hoping you could fell in the blanks." Hyacinth/Neville lied to his/her best friend, he/she was not proud of it, but he/she had to know.
"You heard that? Strange, i didn't know that Ravenclaws were interested in astral Projection, or that they even knew the concept existed." Hermione said surprised.
"Well of course Ravenclaw would know something like that Hermione, I mean the whole house is composed of almost all the smartest people at Hogwarts." Ron said through a mouthful of fried chicken. "Ron seriously, don't talk with your mouth full, it's disgusting." Hyacinth/Neville said while scrunching his/her face in disgust, that was a serious habit that annoyed Hyacinth to no end.
"He's right Ron you should stop that. And what do you mean almost all the smartest people at Hogwarts?" Hermione asked "Well, they don't have you, don't they." Ron said while shoveling another spoonful of potatoes into his mouth, making Hermione blush and Hyacinth/Neville smile teasingly, someone has a bit of a crush here.
"Anyhow, what even is astral projection anyway?" Hyacinth/Neville asked, turning the conversation back to his/her question. "Yeah I've never even heard about it." Ron said "That's quit normal Ron, astral projection isn't a branch of wizarding magic, it's actually a branch of muggle parapsychology, which is the study of supernatural stuff through muggle science, so I'm surprised that Ravenclaw would even know about it, even Muggleborns.''
"But how does astral projection work exactly? That's what i want to know." Hyacinth/Neville asked, getting very curious and impatient now.
"I'm not sure exactly. There have been numerous studies done on the subject but, all have been deemed inconclusive. All that i really know is that its the ability to project a ghost-like version of your own body, out of your body, allowing the user of the ability to go anywhere they go without restrains, but without the ability to interact with anything physically and leaving the user's body in a comatose and vulnerable state." Hermione explained, letting out a sigh. "I'm truly sorry Neville, that's all the info i can give you, which i think its sad that there isn't much more information on the subject, in ability like that seem Intresting and useful in many ways i'm sure." Hermione said, leaving Hyacinth/Neville very disappointed, he/she was so hoping his/her friend had the answer, but he/she sometimes forget that Hermione was only 12 years old, she can't have all the answers, '*Sigh* i guess i'll have to search for the answers else were' Hyacinth/Neville thought as he/she got up.
''I'm going to the dorm to get some sleep now. Thanks for your help Hermione, and please don't feel bad for not giving me any useful answers, its not your fault.'' Hyacinth/Neville said with a smile, making Hermione smile to and not feel bad for not being more useful.
Hyacinth/Neville was then about to leave when Malfoy came over. "Well, Well, Well if it isn't the freak show. Where's your parseltounge ring leader?" Malfoy said while looking around. "Oh wait, she's in the hospital wing because of an upset stomach. Who knows maybe she'll be sent away forever." Malfoy finished with a nasty grin, his words making several members of his house laugh and Hyacinth's friends look at him hatefully, Hyacinth/Neville especially, he looked about ready to kill the git.
"Will you for once in your life, *clenches fist* SHUT THE FUCK UP?!" Hyacinth/Neville yelled the last part as she/he punched Malfoy in the the gut, forcing the blond to bend over and hold both his stomach like he was going to be violently sick.
Everyone was stunned by this sudden display of courage from Hyacinth/Neville, so much so the whole great hall was silent, even Hyacinth/Neville was shocked, but not because he/she punched Malfoy, that actually made him/her feel good, no what shocked him/her was that he/she never really touched Malfoy, some invisible rush of power came out of his/her fist just before it made contact with his stomach.
Suddenly, in other burst of that invisible force came out of his/her body and rippled all around the room, causing several trays of food to move on their own and hit several students from all 4 houses, Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall.
"FOOD FIGHT!" Fred and George Weasly yelled while throwing food of their own at Slytherin's table, which of course compelled the Slytherins to throw food at the Gryffindors.
Pretty soon, everyone started throwing food at each other and a full out food fight broke out.
While the teachers tried to stop the fight, Hyacinth slip out of Neville's body, leaving him with the memory of the conversation Hyacinth said he over heard, and the memory of him walking back to the great hall and the events up until the food fight. "Oh man, Gran's gonna kill me." Neville said as Ron pulled him down in order to avoid a huge glob of mashed potatoes flying towards him.
Meanwhile
Hyacinth breathed hard as she flew at high speed back to the Hospital wing and phased through the door. "Oh man, oh man oh man!" Hyacinth said as she went to her body and sat next to it on the bed, with her knees to her forehead, "I can't believe I just sparked a food fight because I got angry and wanted to get even with Malfoy. All this is the fault of that weird force that came out of me, what is it anyway!?" Hyacinth said, knowing what she did wasn't accidental magic at all, but something else entirely.
3 weeks later...
Choosing to seek out answers instead of staying in her corner waiting to wake up, Hyacinth spent the first 2 weeks of her body's treatment trying to seek out information about her powers, reluctantly using Hermione's body to do so.
She began by asking their professor in muggle study, Charity Burbage, if she had any books in muggle parapsychology on the shelves of her class, but she didn't even know what Parapsychology means, so she had no such books.
Going to plan B, she wrote a letter to Hermione's parents, asking them to send her some books on parapsychology, under the pretense that the DADA class is starting a new lesson involving Muggle Parapsychology soon and the teacher asked for the muggleborns to order books on the subject that they well share with the rest of the class. 2 days later, Hermione's parents wrote back saying that they well send her what they can find, but it may take a couple of days, maybe a week or 2.
The idea of waiting did not make Hyacinth happy at all, but she had no choice alas, so until the books arrived, she left Hermione's body be, making sure to leave the right memories implanted in her brain as usual.
So for in other 10 days, Hyacinth explored every room of the beautiful castle, discovering new things about it she was sure even Dumbledore himself doesn't even know, like the secret passage under the one-eyed witch's statue and the one behind a mirror on the 4th floor, both leading to different parts of Hogsmeade village were they take the train in and out of Hogwarts. Upon awakening, she must remember to share this information with Fred and George.
But exploring is not all that she did, she also took to taking revenge on the people that wronged her, both those in general and new ones this year for believing she's the next dark lord, not in a malicious way, but in a humiliating and often hilarious way. And the best part of it all was, sense she's possessing different bodies (mostly slytherin and some teachers) each time she takes her revenge, its the body that's blamed instead of her, awesome right?
Her Favorite revenge victim is of course Draco Malfoy, that she possesses more often then others to make him do the most stupid and humiliating things before as big of in audience as possible, things that got him so far up to 2 months of detention, now 4 months if you count what she made him do recently: Make him admit that he was purposely sabotaging the Gryffindors potions, call Snape a greasy bat and splash some of the potion he was working on in Snape's face, all of this effectively killing two birds with 1 stone as it was almost as humiliating for Snape and the whole of Slytherin that Draco would behave in such a manner.
Needles to say, Snape was not happy at all, and neither well Mommy and Daddy Malfoy when they hear about this.
Wee have now reached the middle of the second week, and are phantom heroine was floating around in the great hall, not far from Hermione's body, as she knew the post owls would be arriving soon.
And they did, a large great horned owl flew towards Hermione and Hyacinth immediately took over her body to receive the package it carried.
A letter accompanied the package, from Hermione's parents, saying that they hope the books they god for her well be enough for the lesson and they wish her good luck with it. Then Hyacinth/Hermione opened the package to find 4 books inside that definitively looked Interesting.
Thankfully, today was a half day, so Hyacinth/Hermione has time to read the books and maybe find the answers she needs. She was actually about to grab the book on top the stack and read it when a boy with light blondish brown hair and hazel brown eyes wearing the colors of Hufflepuff and a pair of black gloves walked over and sat next to Hyacinth/Hermione. He seemed annoyed as he rubbed his shoulder.
"It's gonna rain." The boy said, earning him a weird look from Ron, "What are you talking about? The sky's clear." the redhead said while glancing at the enchanted ceiling. "If my shoulder is aching, then It's gonna rain today friend." The boy repeated, then he saw Hyacinth/Hermione's new books from the corner of his eye and looked down her shoulder to see them better, "Parapsychology and the Paranormal by Sam Vaknin, Telepathy Training with Chris Zanetti, Understanding the Psychic Powers of Man by Jaime T. Licauco and Moving objects with your mind: The Power of Psychokinesis by Carl Llewellyn Weschchke." The boy read off the covers.
"Heh, i didn't know you were interested in parapsychology, Hermione." The boy said while taking a bite from an apple. "I just recently got into the subject after a conversation with-", "I heard all about it, i was just behind Longbottom when he asked you about Astral Projection. I'm Axel by the way, Axel Creek, a fellow second year just like you two" The boy introduced himself while extending his hands to both Gryffindor.
Hyacinth/Hermione and Ron took his offer and shook his hands, but they shook them a bit to hard and the result was that his sleeves went up a bit, revealing not flesh, but metal on his right arm.
"Hey Axel, are you wearing a bracelet or something?" Ron asked while pointing at the metal on his arm. "Uh no, actually my entire right arm is made of metal." Axel said while taking his gloves off and rolling up his sleeve a bit more, revealing a prosthetic arm which went all the way to his shoulder.
"Bloody hell. How'd that happen?" Ron exclaimed, earning himself in elbow struck in the chest and a harsh glare from Hyacinth/Hermione, ''What my really impolite friend meant Axel, is what happened to your arm?" Hyacinth/Hermione said, trying to be a bit more sensitive to the subject then Ron.
"I lost my arm in a train wreck when I was eight. All I remember is the train going really fast, then tipping, and then everything went white. When I came to, my parents were crying and asking if I was okay. My arm was wrapped in my mom's coat. It hurt like hell and I had to have it amputated. Unfortunately, we couldn't afford an actual prosthetic, but my dad's friend is a mechanic so he built my arm and his wife is a doctor so she was able to connect the nerve ends to the wires." Axel said while rolling his sleeve back down and putting his gloves back on.
"That sounds awful." Hyacinth/Hermione said. "It was, but I've gotten used to it. Granted the monthly adjustments are a pain, but what are going to do with it, right?" Axel said while getting up.
"Well, it was nice to meet you Ron, Hermione, but It's time to get back to my table. Bye" Axel said while walking away, taking his apple with him. "Bye Axel." Hyacinth/Hermione said back, "See ya." Ron said while taking a bite of porridge.