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So far... The reborn Hermione launched the secret Cathesis League to fight corruption. Now at Hogwarts, she formed CREST from the trusted members of the old D.A. After Christmas 1991, Hermione found Steff Daggard (Harry's ex-bodyguard) dying in Devil's Deep, a victim of the demon she, herself, had summoned. And Neville's portrait friend was finally removed by McGonagall – leaving him very bitter. Now read on...
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Chapter 46
Dark Ascension
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The Gremlin
A week passed during which the snow departed from Hogwarts Castle, yet Neville still remained rather icy towards Hermione. He wasn't avoiding her utterly but tended to speak mostly to Harry and Ron in their little foursome, and then with a rather mournful expression and tone. He also dragged along behind them, lost in his own thoughts, as they made their way to lessons and meals.
"Merlin's bony corset!" Ron forgot the spoonful of breakfast cereal in his right hand as his left swept over the headline on the Daily Prophet which an owl had just delivered. "They got the hag!"
"Daggard?" Harry blinked and opened his mouth again while he leaned over to stare at the paper, wondering if he'd heard right. "I hope they cursed her good. Did she put up a fight?"
Hermione was looking across at the Slytherin table but it didn't appear that Zabini – or anyone there – had yet seen the newspaper.
"Not really," said Ron, trying to read and speak and eat all at the same time. Reluctantly, he put down his spoon. "She was dead when they found her. ... Portsmouth docks. ... Probably trying to escape to the continent. ... Rats had a go at the body they reckon." He grimaced, "Bit her all over ... but not her ugly mug by the looks of the photo. Even rats couldn't stomach that face." He pushed the Prophet over to Harry to finish reading.
Hermione, trying to hide her relief that the body had been so promptly found where she'd left it, said, "Well, at least the Aurors won't have to waste any more time searching for her." Nor Madame Zabini, she thought to herself. The formidable widow had quite a reputation for disposing of her several rich husbands, though nobody knew for sure. Likely she would have begun inquiries to avenge her son. Hermione leaned over and noticed a smaller article headed:
INGLETON PROMOTED
Squinting at the tiny print, she found he'd been elevated to a more senior post within the Magical Law Enforcement Department. She nodded to herself with approval. Jop Gair and probably Barty Crouch had no doubt helped get Paul further up the ladder where he belonged. "Can I borrow the diary for a few minutes?"
Ron, who was just about to bite into a sausage sandwich, rolled his eyes then kicked his bag over to her before completing his munch. Hermione fished out the journal and began scribbling away, sure that Luna would be pleased to hear of Paul's advancement.
Amidst the general hubbub of the Great Hall, she heard a faint startled cry from the Slytherin table. Blaise Zabini had finally been shown a copy of the morning's newspaper, and his grimly-satisfied expression was quite evident.
The incident was soon forgotten as lessons began for the day. That morning, as the four headed up the back stairs shortcut to their History class, Ron and Harry were slightly in front, heads together, chatting. Neville, finding himself walking uncomfortably beside Hermione slowed back a pace, but this only resulted in Hermione politely slowing down to keep with him.
"Uuh... forgot my Tutomee," muttered Neville, turning to head for the Gryffindor Tower.
"Take mine," said Hermione, pulling it out of her bag and handing it over. As Neville turned back, his face showed surprise, but he was looking past her, up the stair. A few steps above, Ron was drawing his wand.
"Harry... Potter..." hissed a high, cold voice.
"Relashio!" roared Ron, and Harry was flung sideways where he stumbled back into Hermione who was already rushing upwards.
"That ruddy Mandrake!" shouted Ron, pointing. "Tried to bite Harry."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "A Mandrake couldn't have got up here from the lower dungeon, Ron!" Her gaze swerved back and forth. "Where'd it go to?"
"That was no Mandrake," said Neville solemnly, as he joined them. "It was reddish – eyes as well."
"You saw it too, Neville?"
He nodded. "More like a gremlin in a children's book or..."
Harry muttered from between gritted teeth, "That's what Pucey said. He told Hannah it was a gremlin – and he's still in the hospital wing."
"He's not, you know," said Hermione. "They sent him to St. Mungo's two days ago."
Ron pulled a face. "Luna says there's no proof that gremlins exist at all."
"Who?" said Neville.
"My sister's friend – you never met her. They live mostly in France now," said Ron. "She's a bit uumm... unusual."
Hermione groaned with both amusement and exasperation. "Oh, right, gremlins must be real then if there's no proof is what Luna means." She opened a door but it turned out to be an almost empty cupboard. "Which way did it go, did you say?" She looked up and down the shelves and in the corners.
"Through that wall beside the door – well, it wriggled half through the wall and the floor."
"T'uh! It couldn't have Ron! Good shot by the way. You probably saved Harry from a cursed bite if Pucey's state is anything to go by."
"I tell you it did bore through! Didn't it Harry?"
"Erm... I was too busy being knocked down the stairs by your Revulsion jinx, mate." He went dramatically through the motions of dusting off his robes with his hands. "Thanks, though – seriously, thanks."
"Yes, I saw it go through as well," said Neville.
"Thank you, Nev." Ron smirked at Hermione's puzzlement. "It squirmed through the stone like you do," said Ron.
"I do NOT squirm, Ronald; I glide gracefully."
"Oh, pardon me, your duchessness."
Hermione finished examining every crevice in the cupboard and shut the door. Then she peered under the stone bench against the opposite wall of the corridor but found nothing. "The thing is, what are we going to do?"
"Tell Sprout for starters," said Harry.
"It wasn't any kind of magical plant," insisted Neville with a shake of his head.
"Okay, Hagrid or McGonagall then," said Harry. "Who's coming with me?"
"It should be Neville," said Hermione, looking at the boy with approval, though he cringed somewhat. "If he says it isn't a Mandrake then it isn't, so you can be more assertive – right, Neville? Oh, and, Harry, have you got your multi-diary with you?"
Harry pointed at Ron. "He's got it as usual. Ginny always keeps in touch. They still miss us, you know."
"Ron, can you ask Luna to tell us everything she knows about gremlins – what they look like and so on."
"Seriously?" Ron's eyebrows rose, and so did the corners of his mouth. "You want me to ask Luna about an imaginary creature?"
"Or you could search the library...?" Hermione's eyes twinkled.
"I think I should ask Luna," said Ron, grabbing the diary from Harry's outstretched hand. "She's the expert on non-existent beasts, after all."
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Evil Rising
Hermione's hope to promote Neville's confidence backfired.
"McGonagall didn't believe me," he muttered when they next had a chance to talk properly just before lunch. "She pulled that funny frown-smile face and said she'd look into it, but then went off in the direction of the greenhouses. She thinks I'm a pathetic, useless prat without the sense or courage to–"
"If she thought that then she'd be wrong!" stormed Hermione. "I KNOW what you are, Neville. Believe me and believe in your own worth." Determined to prove Neville's excellence to himself she said, "We must go back up and find evidence on our own. We've at least half an hour before we need to go to the Great Hall."
Despite Hermione's encouragement, Neville, head-down, lingered behind the other three as they walked back – he still in deep depression over his loss. As they climbed the stairs where they'd seen the creature, Harry glanced back at Neville and murmured, "Nev's getting worse. What's up with him, Hermione? Is he scared? I can't believe he's not brave enough for this tiddly gremlin."
She took a breath but at the top of the steps, Ron held up his hand. "Listen..."
They could hear a scratching sound.
"Bet you it's Luna," said Harry.
Ron sat down on the stone bench and the others clustered around him as he pulled out the diary. There was time to study not just Luna's vivid and flowery descriptions of the many types of gremlin she suspected lurked mischievously in dark corners, but also the several animated drawings she was still sketching from afar. Even Neville was drawn out of curiosity to inspect these malevolent creatures as they crept about, weakening chair legs and bending sprockets inside clocks.
Ron laughed after getting over his initial astonishment. "That one's pulling out twigs from the back of someone's broom! A regular Peeves."
Neville's finger stabbed at one in the middle. "That's the most similar." Haltingly, he read out Luna's words, "The Macedonian Limpet is obsessively demonic in the way it loosens carriage wheels travelling along on bumpy, cobbled roads. By hanging under the coach's chassis using rubber suckers soaked in whale oil, the Macedonian uses a deviously-curved screwdriver that can poke between moving spokes to loosen the buckle pins."
Ron sniggered and set Harry laughing too.
"What did you say? About it being obsessive?" said Hermione.
"obsessively demonic"
Hermione's blood ran cold. "That voice... I'd almost forgotten. Ron, I thought you whispered Harry's name – just before you pushed him out of harm's way..."
"No, I was too busy aiming my wand."
Hermione muttered, "Oh, dear God! It was him!"
"Him, who?" said Harry.
"Voldemort!" She stared at the others and they stared back. "Harry, you must never be alone. The danger is far greater than anyone knows. Never travel by yourself."
"You can't be serious, Hermione," said Ron, "Harry finished off You-know-who ten years ago!"
"Exactly. It's dead. It cannot be killed. Hardly any spells work except indirectly. We have to warn Dumbledore – but how? What on Earth can I tell him?"
Neville said, "You mean a demon? It can't be! What I saw was tiny."
"It's forming. It's new. Voldemort died only ten years ago – that's recent in terms of everlasting hell. We have to stop it before it gains strength or it will be as unstoppable as one of the ancient demons."
Ron snorted. "Hermione, have you gone mental? It's–"
"What's going on here?" Quirrell was calling up as he ascended the stairs. "Why aren't you at lunch?"
"We saw it!" cried Harry, "that–"
"Mandrake!" shrieked Hermione, banging her elbow against Harry's arm to shut him up. She was still unsure about Quirrell, and the idea of him becoming enamoured with a demonic Voldemort was unthinkable. "That thing which bit Pucey tried to bite Harry!" she continued in a frightened wail. "Maybe it's cursed."
Quirrell hurried the rest of the way up the steps with his wand drawn. His head jerked around worriedly as he searched for the creature.
Hermione cried, "It scurried off along the corridor. We should tell the Headmaster."
The other three stared at Hermione but had the sense to keep their mouths shut.
"I'll speak to him at once," said Quirrell. He sounded extremely concerned. "Meanwhile keep well away from this area, it's certainly dangerous." He paused. "Professor Dumbledore is to make an announcement at lunch. You should know that Pucey..." He tailed off, searching for the right words to tell eleven-year-olds.
Hermione gasped. "He can't be dead, surely?"
Quirrell bit his lip grimly. "He lost the lower part of his leg. Everything below the knee was terribly cursed and they couldn't save it. The Ministry is getting concerned. Even Mr Fudge has had strong words with the Headmaster. He's demanding results. They're sending someone over from the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures."
Her eyes widened. "Not...?" She couldn't face seeing Walden Macnair again without wanting him to die painfully – not Luna's and Charlie's butcher – not here at Hogwarts. "You mean the... executioner?" She immediately wished she'd not said the word.
Quirrell raised an eyebrow. "Not immediately. But he may be required if the head of that department decides. Come away down now, children, and find another way." He conjured a large warning sign to block the corridor then walked along it to seal off the other end.
As the kids descended, Hermione got in first to circumvent the others' questions. "There's no way I can explain how I know it's Voldemort in demonic form! Back me up in this, please. We'll–"
She grabbed the diary from Ron and with her wand made a copy of the page containing Luna's drawing of the gremlin most-closely resembling what Ron and Neville had seen. The duplicate was no longer magically animated but Hermione saw that as an advantage. "Neville, you drew this, right?" She thrust it at him.
He took it but his mouth gaped at her claim.
She countered, "You draw wonderful sketches of magical plants – leafery and suchlike! Uumm... I mean, you will, that is... you can, if you try – so why not this?" When he still did not speak she persisted, "Look, no one's going to question who drew the bloody thing, are they!"
Ron spluttered, "Hermione! Language, please!"
"And, Harry, I'm sleeping with you tonight," she added forcefully.
All three boys gawped at her.
She rolled her eyes. "I don't mean... I mean with all of you, of course!" Her eyes looked up to the heavens once again at her bad choice of words and she sighed. "What I mean is, I'll be staying overnight in your dorm to keep watch. I have reason to believe the demon is seeking out Harry."
"What reason!" burst out Neville. "You're always poking your nose into our affairs! Now you'll be..." His voice tailed off as he visualised himself having to undress with a girl in the bedroom.
Harry snorted. "Our dorm's high up in the Gryffindor Tower, Hermione! Surely you don't expect it to get up there!"
"Look, it was first sighted in the lowest dungeon – that's where it bit Pucey. Then it must have pushed up that slab near the Hufflepuff common room – the one that Hannah tripped over. Now we've seen it on the first floor."
They stared at her.
"Well, isn't it obvious? It's slowly working its way upwards as it becomes stronger."
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True Grit
Neville need not have worried. Hermione sent Aculus up to the boys' dorm early, and only joined the raven after she judged the boys had long been in their beds. Despite her concerns, however, there were no alerts. Relying on the bird's sharp senses, she managed to get several hours of sleep invisibly each night on a conjured camp bed, ready to strike at a moment's notice.
Much more visible was the Ministerial presence. Two Aurors had also been drafted in and Hagrid was helping with the search too. The staff were agitated and snippy. Snape in particular was angry at the intrusion, kicking at suits of armour as he passed and slashing with his wand at a portrait that had only exclaimed, "Well, really!" Filch grumbled double and even Flitwick seemed distracted.
Almost an entire week passed without incident and everyone began to relax again – except for Hermione. She alone knew how serious was the danger. Could even the expert team from the Ministry banish a demon?
"And that's roughly what you think you saw?" Madam Hoddle, the Head of Creature Disposals, raised a greying eyebrow but did not scoff at Ron and Neville. She had spoken to all four of the children, but only in a rather informal way. She seemed to regard the drawing Neville offered her as rather fanciful and that the beast, though a serious threat to the unwary and inexperienced, to be a routine matter. She creased it up and casually vanished the page with her wand – which greatly annoyed Hermione who was watching closely.
"Young Erkling, you think, Mathers? Possibly a stranded Kappa... Merlin, it could even be a stripped-off Leprechaun gone rogue – or a foreign Pixie-variant?" She shook her head. "How Dumbledore couldn't deal with this matter himself is beyond me," she muttered to her underling. "Bats in the belfry, I ask you!"
Without a sighting, Macnair had not even been called in, and by Sunday afternoon, the Ministry team was reduced to one man: Mathers. 'To keep an eye on things.'
On the Wednesday, everyone noticed that he too had gone, and as people do, without any visible threat, most everyone's concerns were blown away by the early winds of March. Harry led the way to the more normal seventh floor entrance to the Room of Requirement:
"It's much quicker than walking down to 4J, then we can pop out of that alcove and let the other Crestors in."
Ron and Hermione followed him closely, with the dispirited Neville some way behind as was common now.
As they passed the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy, all their thoughts were dwelling on what spells they'd be practising.
"AAH!"
Hermione whirled around at Neville's cry, wand out instantly. Beyond him, a red, scaly creature, half-human, half-hound was bounding silently towards them from way down the passageway. One ferocious upward glance from its terrible glare shattered and flung down a chandelier at Neville, though Hermione swiftly managed to send its shards of glass hurtling back towards the fiend, startling and stalling its advance for a few moments – then it was racing onwards once more.
"RON! GET HARRY IN THE ROOM!" shrieked Hermione and she leapt right through Neville to defend him better. A long heavy table she conjured, overturning it as a barrier:
CRASH!
But this only delayed the beast a few more seconds while it wormed snarling through. Hermione began unleashing unheard of power in every form of which she could think – though merely delaying its inevitable attack.
"GO, NEVILLE! RUN!"
But Neville no longer seemed to have the will to save his sorry self. He'd leapt beside Hermione, drawn out his own wand, and was casting every hex and curse he knew, mixing with hers: flashes of colour, blasts of pressure, crackles like high voltage switches – all diverted the demonic hound only briefly as it neared, lowered in its stride, and sprang at him, slathering jaws agape.
As the horror leapt, Hermione screeched all of her last hope, "EVANESCO!"
Air both hot and cold brushed over Neville – nothing more. He staggered, spun around, still wildly hurling spells, but the creature had disappeared. "You vanished it? You vanished a living being that big?"
He felt over his arms and chest to confirm he was not injured then turned back to Hermione. She was on her knees, gasping weakly for air.
"Wasn't living – that's wh–" Hermione resumed panting.
"Even so..." He knelt down beside her, unsure what to do. "You saved me!"
"Of ... course," gasped Hermione, "tha's wha' ... friends ... do." She stared at him, seeing in her mind's eye how he'd stood unyieldingly with her against hopeless odds. No courage? Neville Longbottom? Not much!
Neville tried to absorb the magnitude of what had taken place. Looking behind, he noted that Ron had done his duty and both he and Harry must have gone into the Room. Awkwardly, he murmured, "Thanks, Hermione."
He stood up, then crouched again, feeling useless. "You were right – about it growing stronger, I mean," he added quickly. "Do you think you finished it off?"
"Let's hope so," puffed Hermione. "I really do hope so." Within, she was very uncertain. Vanishing normal objects into non-being was always final, but who knew what would happen with hell-spawn that had come from nothing in the first place?
Recovering, she had just cleared away the debris and repaired the chandelier when they heard shouts of alarm coming up the stair. "What's all the commotion up there?"
Grabbing Neville's arm, they rushed themselves into the Room of Requirement out of reach. Ron was still wrestling with Harry, his greater size too much for the wiry youth who had been too restricted to pull out his wand.
"Don't EVER do that to me again, Hermione!" shouted Harry. "I fight my own battles!"
"You don't need to prove yourself to me, Harry," she said wearily. "Thanks, Ron."
"What happened out there?" nodded Ron, releasing Harry who pushed him away with a huff.
"Hermione banished it! Or vanished it! Not sure which!" Neville was more animated and excited than they'd seen him in a while.
"You're alright?" Harry's eyes scanned over Hermione, looking for any signs of injury.
She smiled feebly. "No harm done."
"Nev?"
"Yeah." He had started to cool down, still absorbing the unbelievable experience and checking himself out again. No cuts, not even a rip in his clothing. He pulled out a single fragment of crystal that had tangled in the fabric of his robe and it flew off – presumably to rejoin the chandelier that Hermione had repaired. "It could do magic spells as well," he murmured, then more loudly, "It was unstoppable – yet you stopped it." He shook his head in amazement.
"It puzzles me too, Neville," said Hermione.
"Do we tell anyone?" said Ron.
Hermione frowned, thinking.
Harry said, "Why? If it's gone, and the Ministry people have left, let's not get involved again."
With a nod of agreement, Hermione said, "Let's go out the alcove way into 4J and start the meeting – that's our perfect cover. We were never even on the seventh floor, right?"
"Right," came back the chorus of relief.
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Neither Here Nor There
Almost an entire day of quiet normality passed after Neville's narrow escape from the demon. He'd returned to brooding when not occupied with lessons or homework. "What do you suppose happens to things like... like that demon? If you vanish it into nothing?"
Hermione paused as a couple of Ravenclaws passed them while the four friends were walking down to dinner. "That's all it is: nothing, not being, non-existence. Nobody really knows what it means to not exist. You'd go crazy thinking about it."
"But you're talking about it like it's something."
Entering the Great Hall, they both fell silent and took their places at the Gryffindor table. A buzz of chatter followed them in soon after as more students arrived, and there was an odd note to it which caught Hermione's attention. Harry has sensed it too and trotted off to the entrance where he tried to peer out against the flow of kids pouring in.
"Fudge is here!" he cried in a loud whisper on his return. "And that woman from the Creatures Disposal. They're angry. Dumbledore looks really worried."
"Oh, not again!" moaned Ron. "Why can't we have dinner on time for once."
Several minutes passed. The twins had arrived and further up the table, other Gryffindors were leaning in to listen to their animated gossip. Neville was nearest and caught a few words. "That last man never turned up."
"What man?" said Harry.
"You mean Mathers?" guessed Hermione, with sudden alarm. "That man who was here last?"
"Yes," said Neville. "They thought he was still here. Dumbledore thought he'd gone. He's neither here nor there."
"They're starting a search!" George's voice was loud enough this time that the whole table could hear.
Ron toyed with his knife and fork, staring glumly at the empty plates. He looked up hopefully when the Headmaster strode in and stood himself at the top table – very few other staff were there. With a sweep of his hand, the food appeared, steaming hot and filling the air with enticing aromas then, with a few words to Flitwick, he departed as swiftly as he had arrived.
"Good man!" said Ron.
It wasn't until breakfast the next morning that McGonagall, an Auror by her side, announced that the remains of 'a man from the Ministry' had been discovered in a fifth-floor store cupboard and that 'this gentleman' (indicating the man at her side) would be routinely interviewing students and that they need not worr–
BANG!
McGonagall's final word was dashed from her lips as a mighty object from above shattered on the ground before the head table with a thunderous crash. Cracked and splintered oak planks sprayed and bounced along the central aisle amidst screams from the nearest students.
Still standing, McGonagall called for calm and followed the Auror to investigate, looking upward to try to determine from where the missile might have come, and faintly cringing at the prospect of another.
"Where did it fall from, and what in Merlin's name is it?" the Auror was heard to ask the Deputy Headmistress.
Hermione knew. She recognised the table she had conjured up on the seventh floor as a barricade. A clutch on her arm told her that Neville had also realised what it was. "That's..." he hissed softly. "But I thought you vanished it – you did," he added as he recalled the occasion of her clearing away the debris more vividly.
As Dumbledore and Fudge rushed in the door, Hermione whispered to her friends, "We need to talk..."
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—oOo—
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Author's Notes
I've been ill over two weeks so not fit for anything let alone managing this story. On the good side, without even the strength to read a book in bed, my feverish mind was inspired with the main concepts (and many details) of Book 2 of this fic. Meanwhile, Book 1 is in good shape, so, if I keep recovering, we're good to go. :)
bexis1 drew my attention to a continuity error. While immaterial, Hermione drew her wand in Chapter 21 but couldn't in Chapter 22! Well, she CAN move and somewhat interact with her own immaterial possessions in the same way as moving herself – it's part of the same enchantment. Therefore I have changed the sentence in Chapter 22. :)
Many thanks for all comments and reviews. These are most welcome and very encouraging. Let me know of any weaknesses or faults – I'm always trying to improve my writing so feedback is really useful. :)
– Hippothestrowl
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