Chapter 2: Encounters in Diagon Alley
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In front of the Leaky Cauldron, Hermione Granger was fidgeting, not exactly knowing why she couldn't get herself to push the door. In fact, the woman knew exactly why. Pushing the door would mean that she was indeed going back to the wizarding world. Going back meant facing Voldemort again, with all it meant to her. It also meant getting to see her friends again. Friends who believed her dead for a bit more than a year now.
On the floor, Crookshanks was looking at his mistress with an obvious amusement while Silver, perched on the sign of the pub, seemed to get impatient. Hermione looked from her cat to her raven.
"If you think it's easy!" Hermione muttered.
The black raven took off and landed softly on her mistress's shoulder, her silver claws squeezing comfortingly Hermione through the silk of her top while the ginger cat nudge the young woman's booted leg, trying to push her forward. This made Hermione wonder about something totally different. She was wearing a grey, short-sleeved and silky top with a black leather mini-skirt and black, knee-length, 3-inch-heel boots. She had dressed up totally out of habit this morning and she realized now that it probably wasn't the best suit to wear to walk among wizards, except when you wanted to attract attention. Crookshanks emitted the long purr Hermione associated with laugh. The witch looked down to meet her cat's knowing eyes. She could feel both Silver and Crookshanks' amusements. And she realized that if she was worrying about wizard fashion, she was ready to go back.
"Has Albus secretly trained the both of you to read the minds of people?"
The orange cat just gave his mistress the cat equivalent of a smile and the raven swept down to settle next to her fellow pet in his basket, acting as if she didn't even heard the sarcastic question. Hermione smiled at them and resolutely walked to the door.
As she pushed the door open, the whole room went quiet. The only sound disturbing the eerie silence was her high heels clicking on the floor. Under all the astonished stares of the witches and wizards gathered here, Hermione felt herself switched to 'bitchy-mode'. And, sadly enough for him, Tom, the bartender who was now hurrying to this apparently out-of-place client, would be the first to suffer from it.
"Ah… May I help y-"
Hermione's icy stare made Tom stop dead in his tracks.
"Cut the crap. I know where I'm going. Just mind your own business."
With that, Hermione resumed walking toward the back of the bar, leaving behind her a gaping Tom. She opened the back door and stepped in the small, walled courtyard. The witch began to count bricks on the wall in front of her, but stopped when she heard the door opening again.
"Now what?" Hermione asked, turning round.
She nearly laughed at the sight: Severus Snape and Remus Lupin were there, wands out and directed straight at her. Clearly, none of them had recognized her.
"Who are you?" asked Lupin in an almost too casual manner.
Hermione ran appreciative eyes over the 2 men's bodies. They hadn't changed a bit. True, it was only one years for them since her death. It had been longer for her. Remus wasn't quite her type. As for Severus… Well, school girls were allowed crush on their Professors and older women were allowed to love the tall, dark and brooding type.
"I think my companion asked you a question."
Hermione shivered slightly as her ex-Professor made use of his silky voice. Damn him for that. In the basket, Crookshanks and Raven were listening intently but Hermione ordered them to stay put for the time being.
"And I don't recall England becoming a dictatorship."
With those words, Hermione turned her back to her ex-Professors and rapped her knuckles on a brick of the wall. The wall shivered under her magical touch and began to move out of her way, creating an archway leading to Diagon Alley. Hermione smiled as she heard small gasps behind her. Well, if she would have used her wand if she had it. But that was the one of the main reasons Hermione was here. She turned to face again the 2 men when she felt more than saw Silver taking off from the basket, Crookshanks hot on her trails.
"What the hell?!"
Hermione saw her cat pounce on the chest of a tall, white haired and bearded wizard, with sparkling blue eyes showing behind half-moon glasses, standing in the archway Hermione had just opened. Silver chose to settle on his shoulder.
"Professor Dumbledore!"
Funny how 2 voices could become one, when surprised. For her part, Hermione put her hands on her hips and began tapping a foot on the floor while Albus Dumbledore was stroking Silver and Crookshanks.
"I thought I told you to wait for me at Hogwarts."
"I thought I told you to put on robes."
Hermione threw her hands in the air and, with a laugh, launched herself in the waiting arms of the greatest wizard alive.
"It's good to see you, Hermione."
"It's good to be back, Albus."
Only then did Hermione remember that they had spectators. And only then did she realize that they had just blown her secret.
"Hermione?" Remus's voice was a mere whisper and sounded uncertain.
Severus Snape had put his mask on: no emotion was showing and Hermione was quite grateful for that. Albus took a step toward them while looking at the younger witch.
"You go and get what you need, Hermione. And do buy some robes for school."
"OK, but there's no way I'm going to put them on."
Hermione went through the archway and looked as the wall went back in place, hiding the 3 men from her eyes. With a slight sigh, Hermione began walking down Diagon Alley. The street was more that busy on this 31st of August, students making a quick last stop to buy supply or pranks. Hermione made her way straight for Gringotts. Apparently, she was awaited.
"Professor Dumbledore warned us of your arrival, Miss Granger. We have already made arrangements to transfer your money from your various banks accounts around the world to your vault here. What we need to know is, do you want to close all those bank accounts?"
"No, leave enough money on each of them to keep them running. Thanks."
Hermione then presented the goblin with her little golden key and he led her to her vault. She filled a pouch with gold Galleons. Back in Diagon Alley, the witch made her way to Ollivanders. And again, her ex-Headmaster had come before her.
"Yes, Miss Granger. I took the liberty to increase the length of your wand. Fourteen inches, now. And, my, by the look of you, it was a very good thing to do."
Hermione had to agree that she had grown far taller than she was when she first came here.
"Willow and unicorn hair, supple," commented Ollivander as Hermione took hold of her wand.
Like that day, seven years ago, Hermione felt a warmth coursing through her fingers and the length of her arm. She flicked it a bit and blue and white sparks erupted from the tip of hr wand. Ollivander nodded and went to pack Hermione's wand when the witch held up her empty hand in the air.
"I need a second wand. One I can use with both hands. And one Dumbledore won't know about."
Ollivander plunged his silver eyes into Hermione's deep brown ones. The witch didn't even flinch under his stare. Without a word, the old wizard went to take another wand.
"Mahogany and unicorn hair, springy. Fourteen inches."
Hermione waved the wand but Ollivander snatched it back in mid-move.
"No. Beechwood and phoenix feather, pliable, thirteen inches. Give it a try."
Hermione did take the wand but didn't bother to wave it. No warm feeling.
"Well…" And the witch's eyes shot up as she caught a feeling in the older man. Ollivander caught Hermione's eyes once again and once again, Hermione did nothing to avoid the pale stare. Then, the wizard went in the back of his shop to take out another wand and came back with a black box.
"Ebony and dragon heartstring, rigid, fourteen inches," he announced as he unwrapped the wand and presented it to his client.
But Hermione kept her eyes on the wizard. He was presenting her with the exact opposite to her first wand. This meant that he knew what she intended to do with them. Silently, Hermione took hold of her new wand. And there was the warm feeling. As Hermione waved it, black and red sparks flew in the air. Without a word, Ollivander took back both wands and wrapped them. He looked gloomy. The wizard presented Hermione with her wands but when she went to take them, he didn't release them right away.
"Two totally opposite wands. You're playing a very dangerous game, Miss Granger."
"It ain't a game." Hermione replied darkly.
Ollivander surrendered the wands and Hermione put then in her basket before nodding farewell to the old wizard.
On her way back, Hermione made a quick stop at Flourish and Blotts to look at some books. She thought about buying robes for school as Dumbledore had told her to but decided against it once again. She wouldn't really need it and she could always transfigure some of her clothes into robes if Albus decided to throw a Ball. Finally, she walked down Knockturn Alley. If she had been stared at in Diagon Alley, here she would have been dead in less than 2 seconds if those glares could kill. Again, Hermione put on her 'bitchy attitude', standing straighter, chin held high, heels clicking firmly on the floor, contemptuous eyes looking at everyone and everything as if they weren't even worthy of that honor. She made it straight for the Black Dragon, a popular tavern among those one could find in Knockturn Alley. There, if some clients glared at her, the bartender nodded respectfully and prepared a shot of vodka that he brought to her table himself.
"Welcome back, Dark Lady."
"Are the others ready?" Hermione kept her voice down so only the bartender could hear her.
The old man nodded slightly and Hermione gulped her drink in one swift motion. She threw a Galleon on the table and stood up.
"Wait for my word."
With those muttered words, Hermione went out. Back in Knockturn Alley, she began walking back to Diagon Alley and the Leaky Cauldron, stopping now and then to look at some items displayed by the shops. She was nearly back to the 'light side' of this place when loud cracks told her of people apparating next to her. From the corner of her eyes, could see black robes and silver masks. Her reflexes kicked in before any of the Death Eaters could move: her left hand shot up and grabbed the throat of the nearest of her foes and she moved so that his body was shielding her from his buddies. Crookshanks leapt from his basket and sank his sharp teeth into the prisoner's hand holding his wand while Silver kept the others busy enough so none of them had a chance to threaten her mistress before she finished her move. Casually, Hermione unsheathed her dagger from her waistband and placed it against the silver mask.
"I was beginning to wonder where you were."
Crookshanks and Silver settled on each side of their mistress, too far to be caught in an exchange of spells but near enough to help if needed. As the teammates of her captive Death Eaters were trying to close in on her, Hermione let her blade slide from the mask to the throat of her prisoner.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you."
The Death Eaters stopped in their tracks and Hermione smirked at them.
"I have a message for your master. Tell him that I've been given the charge of Hogwarts's protection. Tell him that I'm to train the new generation of Aurors. Tell him that I remember what he has done to me. Tell him that I will see that he suffers the most excruciating death. And tell him that I will duel with him, whenever he wants, no rules."
"And who is sending this message?"
Hermione's smirk grew wider.
"The Dark Lady of the Sith."
Profiting of the confusion brought by her last words, Hermione shoved her prisoner away from her and onto his comrades. Silver and Crookshanks were back in the basket before she finished her move and Hermione disapparated with them.
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A/N
Here comes the second chapter. Hope you'll like it.
I'm still wondering who should go out with whom. Knowing that Severus and Hermione will end up together, maybe you, readers, have views about that question… Tell me in your reviews.
And special thought to Tisha24, my first reviewer.