CHAPTER 20
Hermione fell back, open-eyed. Ginny looked towards the door with apprehension. Draco was the only one among them who was unruffled.
"Who is it?" he asked authoritatively.
A young woman, who seemed to be in her mid-twenties, stood at the threshold.
"I may ask the same of you, young man." She said, entering the room.
She took out her wand and muttered, "Lumos."
There was a flickering light and they could now see her face clearly.
She had long, gleaming black curls, which were left loose around her shoulders, and hypnotic blue eyes. Her face was unnaturally pale as if she had never gone outside and smelt the fresh air or felt the sun on her face.
She didn't wear the kind of robes that Rowena or Helga wore; Instead she had on a gown made of lace and satin, the kind that medieval English ladies used to wear.
She sat down on the bed and fixed all the three with a piercing gaze.
"I gather that all of you have come here as students?"
Hermione nodded. Ginny could only stare at her, while Draco seemed to be in a daze. He was hardly aware of his surroundings. The room seemed to be revolving around him, or maybe it was him who was doing the revolving.. He blinked and tried to see straight, but it was useless. He couldn't keep his eyes open. Everything seemed to be going round and round...He let out a moan and then passed out.
"Then what are you doing here?" continued the lady. "Shouldn't you be in your Common rooms?"
"Uh..it was Professor Helga who allotted this room to us." Said Hermione.
She was getting a little tired of being chased from one room to another. Everybody seemed to be questioning their presence in one or other of the rooms.
"Professor Helga said that when the term started-" She was cut off by a small shriek from Ginny.
She looked around and saw that Draco had fainted.
The lady took immediate charge of the situation. She knelt down beside him and laid her hand on his forehead.
"Don't touch me!" Draco spat without opening his eyes.
Hermione and Ginny jumped, startled. The woman made soothing noises. Draco writhed and wriggled, letting out agonising moans.
"Please father! I can't! Voldemort is..AAAAHHH!"
"Hush." Said the lady. She pointed her wand at him and said a few spells. He immediately fell silent, though his forehead was still wrinkled in a frown.
She looked at Hermione's and Ginny's scared faces. She smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry. Nothing is wrong with your friend. You have arrived from the future, is it not?"
They nodded.
"It's just the strain." she said. "First the journey and then the shock of being in the past...We'll soon have him up and about. Now, one of you call The Great Four and the other call a few house-elves. He will have to be carried to the sick-room."
Hermione and Ginny ran off obediently.
The lady pushed his platinum-blonde hair away from his brow, and gazed into his face.
She shook her head sadly. "This one has had a lot of suffering and there is still more to come."
~*~*~*~*~
"What do you think has happened to Draco?" asked Ginny worriedly.
Hermione shrugged. "Maybe it's just the shock of being transported to the past, as she said."
Ginny shook her head. "I don't think so, Hermione. Did you hear his screams? It was agonising. Suppose Slytherin put some kind of spell on him? He did take Draco somewhere alone."
"I really don't know what's going on here, Ginny. Rest assured that the Great Three (excluding Slytherin) will take good care of him." She started walking faster.
"Hermione, whom are you going to call?" asked Ginny breathlessly, trying to catch up.
"Professor Hufflepuff. We don't anybody else's room. Now, come on. We'd better hurry."
Ginny marveled at Hermione's superb sense of direction. She'd been here only a day and she knew where Helga's room was, even in the dark.
Hermione stopped suddenly.
"What is it?" asked Ginny.
Hermione put her finger to her lips. "Listen." She whispered.
They had come to halt beside a room.
"Is this Professor Hufflepuff's room?" questioned Ginny.
Hermione nodded, but motioned her to be quiet. She put her ears near the huge oak door and listened.
Ginny followed her example. At first, she couldn't hear anything. But after a few seconds, she heard someone talking. She strained to hear the words but it sounded like gibberish. She looked inquiringly at Hermione.
"Is Helga talking to somebody?"
Hermione didn't answer. She seemed to be trying to make sense of the gibberish. Ginny waited impatiently.
"Hermione, Draco needs-" Before she complete her sentence Hermione had grabbed her arms and begun to run.
"Hermione, what-?" But Hermione didn't explain, nor did she stop until they reached some kind of a closet. She pushed Ginny inside, climbed in herself and closed the door, leaving only a bit open for air.
"Now will you explain what is going on?" demanded Ginny.
"Shh. I can hear footsteps." Said Hermione. They stood quite still till the footsteps passed. Only after a few minutes, when Hermione was satisfied that there was nobody outside, did she put an end to Ginny's inquiries.
"Ginny, the person inside that room was not Helga."
"What? But you said you knew the way to Helga's room. Don't tell me you lost your way and-"
"No, I didn't. That was Helga's room all right. But Helga was not in it. There was somebody else inside, a man."
"Huh?" Ginny was bewildered.
"And I can make a pretty good guess as to who that man was."
"Who?" asked Ginny.
"Slytherin." Replied Hermione grimly.
"But what was Slytherin doing in Helga's room?" Ginny suddenly turned red. "Hermione, you don't think- Helga and Slytherin?"
Hermione, for a moment didn't understand what Ginny was driving at, but then she burst out laughing. "Oh Ginny, get your mind out of the gutter! It was nothing of that sort!"
Ginny flushed, embarassed.
"I think Slytherin was doing some kind of spells. Did you hear them Ginny?"
"Yeah, I heard something, but it all sounded gibberish to me."
Hermione nodded. "I tried to find out what spells he was doing, but before I had heard more than a few words, I heard footsteps and knew he was coming out. There was not a moment to be lost, so I dragged you here."
"Do you think he was doing Dark Magic?" asked Ginny.
"I honestly don't know. But I think we'd better warn Harry to be wary of Slytherin. And now," she said, pushing the closet door open, "we've got to do something about Draco."
Ginny followed her. "But whom do we call?"
Hermione stood still for a moment, undecided. Then she said, "The kithens."
"The kitchens?" asked Ginny puzzled.
"Yes, we'll get the house-elves. She said that she needed a few elves, and they can direct us to The Great Four's rooms."
"But do you know where the kitchens are?" asked Ginny, walking beside Hermione.
"Ginny, this is Hogwarts. I'm sure there can't be much difference between the location of the kitchens in the future Hogwarts and Hogwarts of the past. And I've had lots of experience in going to the kitchens."
Hermione felt a wave of nostalgia, as she thought of all the times she, Ron and Harry had sneaked up to the kitchens. And S.P.E.W. Oh, how she wished Ron was here!
But this was no time to dwell on the past of the future as the case may be. They had reached the potrait.
Hermione tickled the pear. The portrait swung open to reveal a passageway.
Ginny let out an exclamation. "So THAT'S how Fred and George have been sneaking in food!"
They both went inside. Sounds of snoring reached them.
Hermione looked around. "Lumos" she muttered. The kitchen was filled with a faint glow.
"You brought your wand?" asked Ginny incredulously.
Hermione nodded. "One of the basic things I've learnt is, Never go anywhere in the wizarding world without your wand. Didn't you bring yours?"
Ginny shook her head. "I clutched it tightly when I saw the whirlwind moving towards me, but I guess it just fell out of my hand."
"Never mind. All the others have got their wands. Now," she moved around, looking for the house-elf that had lead them to The Great Four. "There he is!" she knelt down beside the elf and gently shook it awake.
The house-elf opened it's eyes. As soon as it caught sight of Hermione and Ginny it stood up respectfully.
"Anything I can do for Miss Weasley and Miss Granger?" It asked, bowing.
"Yes. Send a few house-elves to Miss Weasley's room. Our friend, Malfoy, is not feeling well and-"
"It will be done immediately." Said the house-elf. It clapped it's hands and a few of the house-elves woke up, rubbing their eyes.
"What is it?" they asked groggily.
"Go to Miss Weasley's room and take charge of Master Malfoy." Said the house-elf authoritatively.
'Maybe he is the head house-elf.' Thought Ginny.
The other elves bowed and hurried out.
"And can I get Miss Granger and Miss Weasley something to eat?" asked the house-elf.
Ginny's stomach was rumbling, but Hermione said, "No, no. Could you just tell us where the Great Four's rooms are?"
"I'll escort you to their rooms, myself." Said the house-elf, for the first time speaking in second person.
Hermione and Ginny followed it.
~*~*~*~*~
A/N- Loooong wait, wasn't it? I doubt if there are people patient enough to have waited so long and read this chapter...
I hope this chapter is long enough to compensate for the delay...
CHAPTER 21 coming up soon (I hope)
And..Can anybody guess who that lady (who walked into Ginny's room) is?
Hermione fell back, open-eyed. Ginny looked towards the door with apprehension. Draco was the only one among them who was unruffled.
"Who is it?" he asked authoritatively.
A young woman, who seemed to be in her mid-twenties, stood at the threshold.
"I may ask the same of you, young man." She said, entering the room.
She took out her wand and muttered, "Lumos."
There was a flickering light and they could now see her face clearly.
She had long, gleaming black curls, which were left loose around her shoulders, and hypnotic blue eyes. Her face was unnaturally pale as if she had never gone outside and smelt the fresh air or felt the sun on her face.
She didn't wear the kind of robes that Rowena or Helga wore; Instead she had on a gown made of lace and satin, the kind that medieval English ladies used to wear.
She sat down on the bed and fixed all the three with a piercing gaze.
"I gather that all of you have come here as students?"
Hermione nodded. Ginny could only stare at her, while Draco seemed to be in a daze. He was hardly aware of his surroundings. The room seemed to be revolving around him, or maybe it was him who was doing the revolving.. He blinked and tried to see straight, but it was useless. He couldn't keep his eyes open. Everything seemed to be going round and round...He let out a moan and then passed out.
"Then what are you doing here?" continued the lady. "Shouldn't you be in your Common rooms?"
"Uh..it was Professor Helga who allotted this room to us." Said Hermione.
She was getting a little tired of being chased from one room to another. Everybody seemed to be questioning their presence in one or other of the rooms.
"Professor Helga said that when the term started-" She was cut off by a small shriek from Ginny.
She looked around and saw that Draco had fainted.
The lady took immediate charge of the situation. She knelt down beside him and laid her hand on his forehead.
"Don't touch me!" Draco spat without opening his eyes.
Hermione and Ginny jumped, startled. The woman made soothing noises. Draco writhed and wriggled, letting out agonising moans.
"Please father! I can't! Voldemort is..AAAAHHH!"
"Hush." Said the lady. She pointed her wand at him and said a few spells. He immediately fell silent, though his forehead was still wrinkled in a frown.
She looked at Hermione's and Ginny's scared faces. She smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry. Nothing is wrong with your friend. You have arrived from the future, is it not?"
They nodded.
"It's just the strain." she said. "First the journey and then the shock of being in the past...We'll soon have him up and about. Now, one of you call The Great Four and the other call a few house-elves. He will have to be carried to the sick-room."
Hermione and Ginny ran off obediently.
The lady pushed his platinum-blonde hair away from his brow, and gazed into his face.
She shook her head sadly. "This one has had a lot of suffering and there is still more to come."
~*~*~*~*~
"What do you think has happened to Draco?" asked Ginny worriedly.
Hermione shrugged. "Maybe it's just the shock of being transported to the past, as she said."
Ginny shook her head. "I don't think so, Hermione. Did you hear his screams? It was agonising. Suppose Slytherin put some kind of spell on him? He did take Draco somewhere alone."
"I really don't know what's going on here, Ginny. Rest assured that the Great Three (excluding Slytherin) will take good care of him." She started walking faster.
"Hermione, whom are you going to call?" asked Ginny breathlessly, trying to catch up.
"Professor Hufflepuff. We don't anybody else's room. Now, come on. We'd better hurry."
Ginny marveled at Hermione's superb sense of direction. She'd been here only a day and she knew where Helga's room was, even in the dark.
Hermione stopped suddenly.
"What is it?" asked Ginny.
Hermione put her finger to her lips. "Listen." She whispered.
They had come to halt beside a room.
"Is this Professor Hufflepuff's room?" questioned Ginny.
Hermione nodded, but motioned her to be quiet. She put her ears near the huge oak door and listened.
Ginny followed her example. At first, she couldn't hear anything. But after a few seconds, she heard someone talking. She strained to hear the words but it sounded like gibberish. She looked inquiringly at Hermione.
"Is Helga talking to somebody?"
Hermione didn't answer. She seemed to be trying to make sense of the gibberish. Ginny waited impatiently.
"Hermione, Draco needs-" Before she complete her sentence Hermione had grabbed her arms and begun to run.
"Hermione, what-?" But Hermione didn't explain, nor did she stop until they reached some kind of a closet. She pushed Ginny inside, climbed in herself and closed the door, leaving only a bit open for air.
"Now will you explain what is going on?" demanded Ginny.
"Shh. I can hear footsteps." Said Hermione. They stood quite still till the footsteps passed. Only after a few minutes, when Hermione was satisfied that there was nobody outside, did she put an end to Ginny's inquiries.
"Ginny, the person inside that room was not Helga."
"What? But you said you knew the way to Helga's room. Don't tell me you lost your way and-"
"No, I didn't. That was Helga's room all right. But Helga was not in it. There was somebody else inside, a man."
"Huh?" Ginny was bewildered.
"And I can make a pretty good guess as to who that man was."
"Who?" asked Ginny.
"Slytherin." Replied Hermione grimly.
"But what was Slytherin doing in Helga's room?" Ginny suddenly turned red. "Hermione, you don't think- Helga and Slytherin?"
Hermione, for a moment didn't understand what Ginny was driving at, but then she burst out laughing. "Oh Ginny, get your mind out of the gutter! It was nothing of that sort!"
Ginny flushed, embarassed.
"I think Slytherin was doing some kind of spells. Did you hear them Ginny?"
"Yeah, I heard something, but it all sounded gibberish to me."
Hermione nodded. "I tried to find out what spells he was doing, but before I had heard more than a few words, I heard footsteps and knew he was coming out. There was not a moment to be lost, so I dragged you here."
"Do you think he was doing Dark Magic?" asked Ginny.
"I honestly don't know. But I think we'd better warn Harry to be wary of Slytherin. And now," she said, pushing the closet door open, "we've got to do something about Draco."
Ginny followed her. "But whom do we call?"
Hermione stood still for a moment, undecided. Then she said, "The kithens."
"The kitchens?" asked Ginny puzzled.
"Yes, we'll get the house-elves. She said that she needed a few elves, and they can direct us to The Great Four's rooms."
"But do you know where the kitchens are?" asked Ginny, walking beside Hermione.
"Ginny, this is Hogwarts. I'm sure there can't be much difference between the location of the kitchens in the future Hogwarts and Hogwarts of the past. And I've had lots of experience in going to the kitchens."
Hermione felt a wave of nostalgia, as she thought of all the times she, Ron and Harry had sneaked up to the kitchens. And S.P.E.W. Oh, how she wished Ron was here!
But this was no time to dwell on the past of the future as the case may be. They had reached the potrait.
Hermione tickled the pear. The portrait swung open to reveal a passageway.
Ginny let out an exclamation. "So THAT'S how Fred and George have been sneaking in food!"
They both went inside. Sounds of snoring reached them.
Hermione looked around. "Lumos" she muttered. The kitchen was filled with a faint glow.
"You brought your wand?" asked Ginny incredulously.
Hermione nodded. "One of the basic things I've learnt is, Never go anywhere in the wizarding world without your wand. Didn't you bring yours?"
Ginny shook her head. "I clutched it tightly when I saw the whirlwind moving towards me, but I guess it just fell out of my hand."
"Never mind. All the others have got their wands. Now," she moved around, looking for the house-elf that had lead them to The Great Four. "There he is!" she knelt down beside the elf and gently shook it awake.
The house-elf opened it's eyes. As soon as it caught sight of Hermione and Ginny it stood up respectfully.
"Anything I can do for Miss Weasley and Miss Granger?" It asked, bowing.
"Yes. Send a few house-elves to Miss Weasley's room. Our friend, Malfoy, is not feeling well and-"
"It will be done immediately." Said the house-elf. It clapped it's hands and a few of the house-elves woke up, rubbing their eyes.
"What is it?" they asked groggily.
"Go to Miss Weasley's room and take charge of Master Malfoy." Said the house-elf authoritatively.
'Maybe he is the head house-elf.' Thought Ginny.
The other elves bowed and hurried out.
"And can I get Miss Granger and Miss Weasley something to eat?" asked the house-elf.
Ginny's stomach was rumbling, but Hermione said, "No, no. Could you just tell us where the Great Four's rooms are?"
"I'll escort you to their rooms, myself." Said the house-elf, for the first time speaking in second person.
Hermione and Ginny followed it.
~*~*~*~*~
A/N- Loooong wait, wasn't it? I doubt if there are people patient enough to have waited so long and read this chapter...
I hope this chapter is long enough to compensate for the delay...
CHAPTER 21 coming up soon (I hope)
And..Can anybody guess who that lady (who walked into Ginny's room) is?