Sounds drifted around Hermione like seaweed on an ocean, although she
couldn't distinguish whether they where noises or voices. She sat up and
forced her eyes open. Dark figures gathered around her as spots danced
infront of her eyes.
"Herm? Are you alright?" That sounded like Harry.
"I think." I just can't see clearly yet. Hold on a second." She worked her eyes as he vision smoothed out. She was in the Hospital Wing. Harry and Ron stood by her bedside watching her anxiously. "What happened?"
"What happened!? You fell and hit your head on the floor!" Ron said angrily.
"I...I did?" She touched her head and winced as a sharp pain shot through it like lightening.
"Yes. You did." Ron mocked.
"Ron." Harry warned as Hermione started to glare at him. "Hermione what happened to you? First you looked like you were gonna tear Neville in half, then you just doubled over clutching your head and then you fell."
Hermione blinked. "The pan...the frying pan Neville dropped! I dropped the potion on it and it started...screaming or something really shrilly." Harry and Ron stared at her. "Didn't you see it!?"
Ron shook his head, "The flying pan looked normal. Except for a little crack in it. It screamed?" He asked skeptically.
"Maybe it was some 2nd year screaming as she ran up and down the corridor and when you hit your head it just seemed louder."
Hermione glared slamming back against her pillow "That's not it. It screamed before I hit my head. I remember."
"I'm sure you remember it like that Hermione." Ron said quietly. "But-" He broke of as the curtain around Hermione's bed slid back and Professor Dumbledor stepped in. His eyes shone behind a pair of half moon spectacles.
"Oh....ah....ello Head Master." Ron said sheepishly.
Dumbledor smiled, "Mr. Weasley, Mr. Potter." He said then looked at Hermione. "Ms. Granger." Hermione sat up bolt upright blushing.
"Professor, we were just telling Hermione how that frying pan couldn't have caused her hitting her head. Right?" Harry asked confidently.
"Actually Mr. Potter, the frying pan was the reason." Ron and Harry gapped and Hermione glared at them her eyes blazing with the words 'told you'.
"But, but, but how!?"
"I've gone over the potion which Professor Morgaine had given Hermione."
"The 'Glow in Danger" one?" Hermione asked.
Dumbledor nodded. "Although the potion she gave you instructions for was not the same. It was a, in laments terms I suppose, a 'Death and Destruction' enchantment potion. She intending for Hermione to make the spell for her and enchant her sword with it."
Harry stared. "Death and Destruction?"
"Yes. Had it enchanted the sword, it would have been an unstoppable magical weapon. Not only unbreakable but able, to summon up vast amounts of magical power."
"That sounds handy." Ron muttered.
"But, the power would only destroy. And what it destroyed could never be fixed, regrown, or reborn again. And each time the sword was used it would destroy a bit of the wielder as well, destroy him inside till he was as dark and demonic as the sword."
"Always a catch isn't there."
"So what are you gonna do?" Hermione asked after throwing a quick glare at Harry.
"Nothing. Nothing at all."
"WHAT!?"
"I can't do anything," Dumbledor continued. "The weapon can only be picked up by the one who made it." He looked pointedly at Hermione. "Ms. Granger."
"Me!?" Hermione shook her head. "Can't you just destroy it?"
"No. I can't. The only way to take get rid of it is with star fire. The only place you can find star fire is among the Lieriel 'the sky people'. It's quite far from here which means you'll have to get packed soon." Dumbledor said standing.
"WHAT!?" Hermione screamed and heard someone shushing her from outside the curtain. "Professor. I can't....I couldn't....why don't we just hide it?"
"Because it would call out to everyone within thousands of miles of it, to be used and wielded."
"But they wouldn't be able to."
"No. But it would drive them crazy from WANTING and NEEDING to have it. Even muggles."
Hermione shivered. "But, but....I can't do it. I'm the one who researches. Harry's always been the adventuring one. The hero. Not me."
"In times, we all do what we're least expected to." Dumbledor smiled, eyes sparkling. "You'll have to pack. I'll be waiting for you in my office. I'm sure Harry knows where it is. The password is Candy Apple pie." He strolled out. Hermione shook her head in disbelief staring out at nothing.
"Well congratulations Hermione." Harry said brightly.
Hermione looked at him. "Huh?"
"You have managed what no one else has ever done. You've made a frying pan of doom."
"Herm? Are you alright?" That sounded like Harry.
"I think." I just can't see clearly yet. Hold on a second." She worked her eyes as he vision smoothed out. She was in the Hospital Wing. Harry and Ron stood by her bedside watching her anxiously. "What happened?"
"What happened!? You fell and hit your head on the floor!" Ron said angrily.
"I...I did?" She touched her head and winced as a sharp pain shot through it like lightening.
"Yes. You did." Ron mocked.
"Ron." Harry warned as Hermione started to glare at him. "Hermione what happened to you? First you looked like you were gonna tear Neville in half, then you just doubled over clutching your head and then you fell."
Hermione blinked. "The pan...the frying pan Neville dropped! I dropped the potion on it and it started...screaming or something really shrilly." Harry and Ron stared at her. "Didn't you see it!?"
Ron shook his head, "The flying pan looked normal. Except for a little crack in it. It screamed?" He asked skeptically.
"Maybe it was some 2nd year screaming as she ran up and down the corridor and when you hit your head it just seemed louder."
Hermione glared slamming back against her pillow "That's not it. It screamed before I hit my head. I remember."
"I'm sure you remember it like that Hermione." Ron said quietly. "But-" He broke of as the curtain around Hermione's bed slid back and Professor Dumbledor stepped in. His eyes shone behind a pair of half moon spectacles.
"Oh....ah....ello Head Master." Ron said sheepishly.
Dumbledor smiled, "Mr. Weasley, Mr. Potter." He said then looked at Hermione. "Ms. Granger." Hermione sat up bolt upright blushing.
"Professor, we were just telling Hermione how that frying pan couldn't have caused her hitting her head. Right?" Harry asked confidently.
"Actually Mr. Potter, the frying pan was the reason." Ron and Harry gapped and Hermione glared at them her eyes blazing with the words 'told you'.
"But, but, but how!?"
"I've gone over the potion which Professor Morgaine had given Hermione."
"The 'Glow in Danger" one?" Hermione asked.
Dumbledor nodded. "Although the potion she gave you instructions for was not the same. It was a, in laments terms I suppose, a 'Death and Destruction' enchantment potion. She intending for Hermione to make the spell for her and enchant her sword with it."
Harry stared. "Death and Destruction?"
"Yes. Had it enchanted the sword, it would have been an unstoppable magical weapon. Not only unbreakable but able, to summon up vast amounts of magical power."
"That sounds handy." Ron muttered.
"But, the power would only destroy. And what it destroyed could never be fixed, regrown, or reborn again. And each time the sword was used it would destroy a bit of the wielder as well, destroy him inside till he was as dark and demonic as the sword."
"Always a catch isn't there."
"So what are you gonna do?" Hermione asked after throwing a quick glare at Harry.
"Nothing. Nothing at all."
"WHAT!?"
"I can't do anything," Dumbledor continued. "The weapon can only be picked up by the one who made it." He looked pointedly at Hermione. "Ms. Granger."
"Me!?" Hermione shook her head. "Can't you just destroy it?"
"No. I can't. The only way to take get rid of it is with star fire. The only place you can find star fire is among the Lieriel 'the sky people'. It's quite far from here which means you'll have to get packed soon." Dumbledor said standing.
"WHAT!?" Hermione screamed and heard someone shushing her from outside the curtain. "Professor. I can't....I couldn't....why don't we just hide it?"
"Because it would call out to everyone within thousands of miles of it, to be used and wielded."
"But they wouldn't be able to."
"No. But it would drive them crazy from WANTING and NEEDING to have it. Even muggles."
Hermione shivered. "But, but....I can't do it. I'm the one who researches. Harry's always been the adventuring one. The hero. Not me."
"In times, we all do what we're least expected to." Dumbledor smiled, eyes sparkling. "You'll have to pack. I'll be waiting for you in my office. I'm sure Harry knows where it is. The password is Candy Apple pie." He strolled out. Hermione shook her head in disbelief staring out at nothing.
"Well congratulations Hermione." Harry said brightly.
Hermione looked at him. "Huh?"
"You have managed what no one else has ever done. You've made a frying pan of doom."