Yes, I know the last chapter was confusing, but this chapter will explain certain things, etc. Anyways, on with the chapter!! Again, Hermione makes several references to 'her father' in this chapter. She doesn't mean Remus.

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Surely you recognize your own Salazar…recognize your own Salazar…Salazar. I know I have changed Rowena…

"Rowena? No, no, you have the wrong person. My name is Hermione." Hermione stared at the wizard. He smiled slightly and reached out a gloved hand to stroke her hair. Hermione didn't move – she couldn't. His touch seemed to make her stiffen in…horror? No…delight? No, of course not…and yet…

"My beautiful Rowena, you do not realize who you are. I was afraid of this…Rowena…and now you call yourself…?"

"Hermione. Hermione Granger."

"So, you picked Hermione Granger…interesting choice…Hermione…" Hermione let the shiver she had been holding back run down her spine. The way he said her name…it was unlike anything she had ever heard. Unlike the brutal shouts of her father, and the constant worried sound her mother's high jabber always carried.

"I suppose I must explain then. Rowena, how could you have chosen someone so stubborn?" He tried to sound annoyed, but couldn't.  "It was you, you know. You brought me back. Like the prophecy said you would."

"I brought – but you're dead!" Hermione gasped as the wizard stamped his foot, and moved even closer towards her, so he was pressed right up against her, whispering in her ear.

"It hurts me to hear you say that, my love." His gloved hand caressed her cheek. "After so many years wandering through nothingness, you finally brought me back."

He stepped backwards, as if in shock from what he had just done. Hermione watched him warily. "Do you remember when I told you I would never truly die? No, you wouldn't, well then, I must start from the beginning." He began to pace in front of her. "We were children together, you and I. I have seen you at ever moment of your life – you never left my side. It was only at…fifteen, was it…that I told her I loved her more than my life. Of course, she told me that she had loved me all her life – like me.

"It unlocked something inside me. I could do anything while I was with her, anything. I could have mastered the world."

"But she didn't want you to master the world," Hermione said, moving towards him slightly, "Did she?"

"I did everything for her…anything she wanted; I was there for her every whim. But then, we had The Argument. She called my sly; said I had no clear intentions and she didn't feel safe when I was around her, as if I was using her for an experiment. I said some things I shouldn't have; I know that now. I told her she was right, she was only there so I could perform spells.

"I never spoke to her again. She had obviously been seeing Godric behind my back, as she seemed to be immediately with him. He was very protective of her. I was allowed nowhere near. He hated and distrusted me." He turned back to face Hermione, and beckoned her towards him. Hermione stayed firmly where she was, trying to ignore the guilt she felt as he sighed and continued.

"You cannot know how much that tortured me. He planted hate in her, a hate so vicious she would not even look at me. His smug look when they jumped apart alone was enough to drive anyone mad. I became a recluse, staying in my small room. They knew I had one, of course. Helga called it my 'Chamber of Secrets'. Rather pathetic if you ask me.

"Then she announced she was having Godric's child. Well, children, I should say. Twins. Brenna and Laveda. Brenna was the exact copy of Rowena – dark hair, pale skin; but Laveda was red-headed, with her mother's green eyes.

"I cursed Brenna. All her descendants would be male; until one female, a Gryffindor, would be so powerful it would overcome my descendant. She would see a true man, someone that loved her for who she was.  You are here, my Rowena. You are the female."

Hmm…well, let's see. Intelligence, oh yes, a lot of intelligence. Too much if I may say so. Ravenclaw would be my first choice, but…wait…what is this? Courage…yes… truthfulness. Well, you are the girl. GRYFFINDOR!

Hermione jumped at the memory of her sorting. So, that was why it had chosen Gryffindor. Well, you are the girl. A sudden sense of loss washed over her like she was getting into a cold bath. She had always prided herself in getting into Gryffindor – loved it because she saw it as the best of houses. Ravenclaw admittedly wasn't as bad as Slytherin – in her eyes nothing could be worse, sort of an irony, considering the man whose touch had made her shiver with pleasure, founded it.

Hermione…Hermione…are you there? If you can hear me, give me some sign…the voice disappeared as soon as it had come. Hermione flinched, and stared wildly around. Who had said that? Slytherin watched her disappointedly.

"You are leaving me, Rowena. You want to be away from here."

"Wh-What?"

"You heard him calling you back?" Hermione nodded, her forehead creased in a frown. "You are dead to him, Hermione. I did not bring your body to me, just your soul. We are both here in soul form. You, because I called you to me…and I…I am here in soul form because I cannot take any other. I am weak, Rowena. It took me all my efforts to get back here. And now you…you who released me…you leave me."

Hermione? HERMOINE? Merlin, Albus, I think she's dead…

The voice echoed around the room.

"Let me go." Hermione said quietly. "I will come back."

"You will?" His head perked up, and he looked happier than Hermione had seen him.

"I promise." Hermione didn't know what she was saying. The words were just saying themselves. She had no control. It wasn't her talking…

Her vision whirled as if she was traveling by floo powder, and she had the sudden feeling she was settling back into herself.

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Disclaimer: I would love to own Harry Potter, I really would. But for now I shall stop my life long ambition and just get back to writing.

Hello again. I said I would explain why I've been aaaaaages in updating…so I will. You all know about the twins and triplets yes? Well, the triplets have had to be taken back into intensive care. I'm trying to be there for Katy as mush as possible, but it's not easy. Secondly, I've got a new tutor, and she's appointed me head girl (yay!!), so now I've got to sort out the affairs of everyone in the school, not just me. Thirdly, my computer has blown up and I'm in the process of getting another, but I'm having to use my sister's at the moment, and as she's in university and has a flat around ten miles away, and I can't drive…you get the picture. Anyhoo, I've given this note to her to write, and told her that she can write the next few chapters. I'll inform you when I'm back again okay? But, be nice to her. And don't stop reading because it's her. I should stop jabbering.

Abu.

Merlin, she goes on. Okay, it's me now. Becky. The sister. Abu's a teensy bit preoccupied at the moment (teensy meaning a lot), so I'm writing for her. Yippee!! Okay, well I am actually planning on being a writer, and I'm just using this to practice a bit. I'm not scared of criticism either, so don't think I'm going to go all defensive over my chapters because you said something bad about them.

I'm trying not to turn into Abu, but I've been asked if we're twins before now, so there you go. And were not twins. Not everyone is having multiple births. But, I think there is something in the water. I will update more than her, never fear.

Becky.