(Author's Note: It is getting strange. Ideas starting to stream into my worn out mind. Yay me. Well dearies, here's the first chapter of The Enchantress. Why did I start writing a Harry Potter fanfic? Other than boredom, I've been hooked on the Harry Potter movies - The Sorcerer's Stone and the Chamber of Secrets. I was secretly fascinated with Basilisk, since I've been a reptilian-lover. So I might include something snaky in here anyway. And no, I'm not turning Harry Potter into an Animagus snake. _ Yeah, I know he speaks the slithery language. x_X)
Chapter 1: The New Professor
The classroom was dead as usual, expecting Professor Snape to turn up
any minute and start making their lives miserable, especially Harry Potter and
gang, for he always had a natural dislike towards those three. Unexpectedly,
instead of Snape's usual tall, dark, brooding form, a lady walked to the front
of the class gracefully and smiled.
"Good morning, I'm your new Potions teacher, Ivy Subleinsky. Please address me as Professor Sublein, if you find my name quite a mouthful. Professor Snape is away on leave... he has to tend to some family matters for quite some time. I was a trainee teacher at the Ministry of Magic until I was called up by Hogwarts a week before the term started. Well, without any further ado, let's start today's lesson... please flip to page 345..."
Every boy in the room stared at her. It was no surprise really, for the teacher was a ravishing beauty, wearing a long maroon dress that accented her curves well with a moderately low-cut cleavage. Her auburn tresses reached her waist, and her skin was fair, and looked velvety. Even Draco Malfoy looked at her admiringly. Of course, everyone heaved a sigh of relief, pleased that Snape had to take the whole term off for "family matters".
"What could it be, I wonder..." Harry thought to himself. It was strange enough that he had "family business" and the stranger part was that he took the whole term off just for that. Severus Snape almost never took leave. Overall, the lesson was rather fun, although Professor Sublein turned out a laugh for a wrong concoction that made the test tube rack explode into blue dust and Neville Longbottom into a piece of pebble. Ron was smitten with her, and talked nothing other than her the whole day.
"Ron, stop that. We heard enough..." Harry groaned as Ron proceeded to comment about how Sublein's gorgeous red hair resembled the Weasleys. "But she's lovely..." Ron grinned. Hermione had not talked nearly the whole day, other than answering questions she was asked. Her eyes were dead, and her expression was a total blank.
"Hermione, are you alright? What happened?" Harry asked, his forehead (with the scar, of course) creasing with worry. Hermione shook her head and walked away, disappearing down the hall. Ron and Harry looked at each other and stared at the disappearing figure of their friend. "I wonder what's wrong with her." Ron whispered. Harry did not blink. "Whatever it is... it is seriously wrong. Very wrong."
Hermione went back into the silent common room and sat by the fireplace, thinking. She didn't know the reason, but she did realize that she felt extreme sadness tightening in her heart after her first class that day. It was depressing... she hardly eaten either. All she could think of was her dreams, her dreams and her dreams... and nothing else... She tucked a stray hair behind her ear and stared into the fire. It was blazing with life, crackling, with the warmth surrounding the whole place. Yet in her mind, it was dark and dreary. At the end of the class, Professor Sublein had looked at Hermione and told her, "An advice, girl. When the fire starts to scatter and the water starts to circle... your veins will cleanse, and all shall be won. I trust you to listen." Slowly, she rose and retreated upstairs to her bed, crying into her pillow to sleep.
Hermione...
Her eyes flew open at the call of her name. What she saw, was mere darkness. It was a female's voice. It was from a stranger, yet oddly familiar. A light appeared in the distance, silently calling out to her.
Come home... Hermione... please come home...
As if heeding the call, she walked towards the light... It got closer, and closer... until she entered the small round door... When she saw the other side of the door, she shrieked and woke up immediately, panting. Cold sweat trickled down her temples, as she once again fell into her covers. She didn't dare to sleep again, and could only wait for dawn, which shouldn't be far away. Shocked, warm tears brimmed in her eyes and she hugged herself, not daring to do anything else other than wait...
On the other hand, a fair, delicate hand waved over a crystal orb, looking straight at Hermione. "The girl's scared... very scared indeed."
-END-
(Ending Note: Ack. Whatever. I just write and write and don't care. Lol. I'm just -way- too bored. *grin* Well, watch out for a pairing in future! Nothing slashy yet. Just Hermione and someone. Haven't decided. Any ideas? =3 What did Hermione see that made her so frightened? Why is she suffering from sudden depression? Who is that overlooking Hermione from a crystal orb? Find out in the next chapter. Stay tuned. XD)