A/N: actually, I do believe that Filch had permission to whip those that
did horrible, horrible things...... Students that had done something so
bad, but just barely not bad enough to get expelled. I do believe that's
possible, and of course, Filch would take advantage of that.
.
.
.
~
"I can't believe it, though!" Peter complained. "She gave you detention on a /weekend/ Padfoot!"
"Totally unfair." James confirmed. Sirius shrugged as they entered the school.
"Yeah, well, I hate to admit I've seen enough of Filch and his whip to know that I'm accepting detention when I get it." He sighed. The halls were empty because kids were either still at Hogsmeade or outside.
"Yeah, I guess. But she was just walking out there, and you smiled at her, and she gave you detention! I mean, that's low for even the potions master!"
A few minutes later, safely hidden in a bathroom where Remus was, the werewolf nodded his consent.
"Yeah, it's unfair. But at least Filch taught you a lesson."
"Plenty of them," Sirius muttered.
They left about ten minutes later, going up to the common room.
A bit later, Sirius left to go down to the kitchens, to grab something sweet off the house elves.
It was there that he saw her.
Hermione was leaning heavily against a wall, dragging herself slowly along. The back of her robes stuck to her back, and Sirius felt his heart stop momentarily. She was hurt; badly it looked like, judging by her ragged breathing. He fell into step with her quickly.
"You okay?" he asked, and she stopped, and looked at him. She'd been crying. Hard. "I'll take that as a no. What happened?"
"Used an unforgivable curse on Peeves and Filch caught me. He's off to try and get me thrown in Azkaban, now." Hermione muttered, more tears brimming her eyes.
"Ah. You got the whip, didn't you?"
She nodded, biting her lip.
"Well, come on, I'm guessing that you've never gotten that before, huh?"
"Where I come from, that's illegal, it's called child abuse. Have /you/ ever gotten it?"
"Has Filch ever flogged me? Oh, yes. I've learned my lesson, too."
He watched her try to take a few steps, then moved forward and gingerly lifted her up like a child.
"Hey!" she hissed.
"Oh, shut up," Sirius mumbled, careful to touch only her sides.
In this manner, they made their way slowly to the hospital wing.
Madame Pomfrey was absent.
"Here. Can you sit down, or was it more than just your back?"
She nodded again, tears spilling. He managed to get her on her stomach on an empty bed, then jogged off in search of Pomfrey. He found her in her office.
"Oy, ma dame," he said. "Hermione's hurt. She needs some salves and stuff."
"What?" Pomfrey was on her feet in an instant. "What did you do to her?"
"I didn't do anything." Sirius said briskly, following the young woman put to where Hermione was.
"Oh, goodness, what happened? Hermione, dear, what happened?" she cried, after one look at the brunette.
"She got the whip," Sirius explained. "for using an unforgivable curse on Peeves."
"WHAT?!?" Pomfrey thundered, and forced herself to take a few deep breathes.
"It's true," Hermione said softly, more tears falling. "I didn't hurt him, I just scratched a nearby statue....."
"Calm down, now," Pomfrey grumbled. She looked at Sirius. "Shoo! We don't need you in here!"
Sirius stuffed his hands in his pockets.
"Fine. Oh, and there's something wrong with her leg, too." He stalked out. But instead of going anywhere, he waited outside the door, listening.
~
Hermione was in a state similar to shock. She knew Filch wasn't exactly the best teacher around, but never, ever in her life.... How could Dumbledore even allow...? She winced as Pomfrey mended her ankle (yeah, it was broken) and began on her back, behind, and upper thighs, muttering to herself.
"We'll have to tell the headmaster about this," she grumbled. "Magical whip. These won't heal very quickly, dear, there's not much I can do other than try to numb the pain a bit."
"He can't do that," Hermione said, small voice breaking as more tears began to flow. "And it's called 'Child Abuse' in the normal world, everybody knows that... I was just so stressed out... I didn't hurt Peeves, and I probably wouldn't have, I missed him, and the worst I did was scratch a statue.... I'm too stressed out... I'm never going to get home, and I can't life with the aftermath effects, and I'm going to get killed in a few years anyway. And even if I /do/ manage to survive all of that, the time I die will only be a little while after that. I hate this place, I can't take it anymore. I want to go home!"
"There, there, now," Pomfrey comforted.
"Is what Mr. Filch tells me true?" Dumbledore's voice said, making them all jump. Behind him was none other than Sirius Black. "Did you use an unforgivable curse, miss Granger?"
Hermione promptly broke down into harder tears and shouted out the whole story between her arms, the pillow, the drugs she had been given to still the pain, and her sobs.
~
A little bit after she had finished, Dumbledore requested that Sirius go and find his friends, please. Grudgingly, Sirius caught the hint and left. However, he waited outside the door again, listening.
"I want to go home!" Hermione was repeating to Dumbledore. "I hate it here, I want to go home now! This does it, even if I have to /climb/ up those steps, I want to go home!"
"I understand that you're stressed out and hurt, miss Granger," Dumbledore said sharply. "Once we get this matter over with, I'll let you in on what I've been doing about your predicament. Now, you understand that the three unforgivable curses - all three of them - are illegal, right?"
"Y- yes, sir."
"And you used one?"
"The Cruciatus Curse, sir."
"This is a very important matter, miss Granger. You could very well be imprisoned for it."
"I am aware of that, sir."
"Then why did you do it?"
"I wasn't thinking, sir. I was stressed out, and I was just... angry... I'm very sorry, sir." Hermione took a deep, shaking breath. "Please, sir, don't put me in Azkaban, sir, I didn't mean to... I knew and know I wouldn't have been able to hurt him, sir..."
Dumbledore gave a heavy sigh. There was a moment of silence before he called, "Are you quite finished, Mr. Black?"
Sirius swore (not bothering to lower his voice) and stomped off as Pomfrey scurried over, scowled at his retreating back, and slammed the door shut.
~
"Now, that we've gotten that taken care of," Dumbledore said, taking a seat next to Hermione. "I've been leaving little notes. Time capsules, is what I believe Muggles call them. In my office. Such as, 'don't open until this specific date and time.' So either way, the me from your timeline knows you're missing, and I'm certain I'm doing everything I can. Otherwise, there isn't much we can do... though; perhaps you should drop a subject or two. And tell somebody the truth. I understand that you're far enough back, that, when you get back to your own timeline, everybody here including myself will forget about you."
"I'd rather not tell anybody. Rumor travels fast, you know." Hermione grimaced as she adjusted herself, then sighed heavily. "I don't want people asking what it's like in the future, if I know their kids, who are they going to marry, and that stuff."
"Oh, I quite understand. It all depends on who you tell, and where you tell them." Dumbledore smiled warmly at her. "Surely, your best friend's parents, or..."
Hermione snorted.
"Yes?" he asked pleasantly while Pomfrey sat on Hermione's other side.
"I've already associated with my crush's parents, who seem to hate each other, his godfather, my defense against dark arts teacher, and plenty of students' family members. It's just, my friend... he doesn't know, I mean, he's never really met his parents before, and here I am, and I couldn't bear to befriend..."
"Ah, I see. I quite understand. But there are plenty of other trustworthy students here, and you need a friend, miss Granger. I don't believe Madame Pomfrey and I are very good excuses, hmm?"
Hermione offered a small smile. "No, not really."
"Right," he said, standing up and beaming. "Which four classes would you like to be dropping?"
"I'm only taking /four/ other classes," Hermione pointed out.
"Ah, yes. I'll alert your teachers, then. Good evening." He stood up and turned to leave, but Hermione pushed herself up then fell back on her stomach with a small gasp.
"Wait, professor!" she called. He stopped, turned around, and raised an eyebrow. "First, can you tell me how long I've been here?"
"A month and a half," he replied.
"And you are going to ban Filch from whipping, aren't you?"
He only gave her another smile, winked, and then left. Hermione fell back into her pillow, sighing.
"You'll be spending the rest of the weekend here, then," Pomfrey said briskly. "Even so, sitting may be a bit painful for a week or two..."
"I understand," Hermione muttered. "Thank you."
"Mmm," Pomfrey muttered.
.
.
.
~
"I can't believe it, though!" Peter complained. "She gave you detention on a /weekend/ Padfoot!"
"Totally unfair." James confirmed. Sirius shrugged as they entered the school.
"Yeah, well, I hate to admit I've seen enough of Filch and his whip to know that I'm accepting detention when I get it." He sighed. The halls were empty because kids were either still at Hogsmeade or outside.
"Yeah, I guess. But she was just walking out there, and you smiled at her, and she gave you detention! I mean, that's low for even the potions master!"
A few minutes later, safely hidden in a bathroom where Remus was, the werewolf nodded his consent.
"Yeah, it's unfair. But at least Filch taught you a lesson."
"Plenty of them," Sirius muttered.
They left about ten minutes later, going up to the common room.
A bit later, Sirius left to go down to the kitchens, to grab something sweet off the house elves.
It was there that he saw her.
Hermione was leaning heavily against a wall, dragging herself slowly along. The back of her robes stuck to her back, and Sirius felt his heart stop momentarily. She was hurt; badly it looked like, judging by her ragged breathing. He fell into step with her quickly.
"You okay?" he asked, and she stopped, and looked at him. She'd been crying. Hard. "I'll take that as a no. What happened?"
"Used an unforgivable curse on Peeves and Filch caught me. He's off to try and get me thrown in Azkaban, now." Hermione muttered, more tears brimming her eyes.
"Ah. You got the whip, didn't you?"
She nodded, biting her lip.
"Well, come on, I'm guessing that you've never gotten that before, huh?"
"Where I come from, that's illegal, it's called child abuse. Have /you/ ever gotten it?"
"Has Filch ever flogged me? Oh, yes. I've learned my lesson, too."
He watched her try to take a few steps, then moved forward and gingerly lifted her up like a child.
"Hey!" she hissed.
"Oh, shut up," Sirius mumbled, careful to touch only her sides.
In this manner, they made their way slowly to the hospital wing.
Madame Pomfrey was absent.
"Here. Can you sit down, or was it more than just your back?"
She nodded again, tears spilling. He managed to get her on her stomach on an empty bed, then jogged off in search of Pomfrey. He found her in her office.
"Oy, ma dame," he said. "Hermione's hurt. She needs some salves and stuff."
"What?" Pomfrey was on her feet in an instant. "What did you do to her?"
"I didn't do anything." Sirius said briskly, following the young woman put to where Hermione was.
"Oh, goodness, what happened? Hermione, dear, what happened?" she cried, after one look at the brunette.
"She got the whip," Sirius explained. "for using an unforgivable curse on Peeves."
"WHAT?!?" Pomfrey thundered, and forced herself to take a few deep breathes.
"It's true," Hermione said softly, more tears falling. "I didn't hurt him, I just scratched a nearby statue....."
"Calm down, now," Pomfrey grumbled. She looked at Sirius. "Shoo! We don't need you in here!"
Sirius stuffed his hands in his pockets.
"Fine. Oh, and there's something wrong with her leg, too." He stalked out. But instead of going anywhere, he waited outside the door, listening.
~
Hermione was in a state similar to shock. She knew Filch wasn't exactly the best teacher around, but never, ever in her life.... How could Dumbledore even allow...? She winced as Pomfrey mended her ankle (yeah, it was broken) and began on her back, behind, and upper thighs, muttering to herself.
"We'll have to tell the headmaster about this," she grumbled. "Magical whip. These won't heal very quickly, dear, there's not much I can do other than try to numb the pain a bit."
"He can't do that," Hermione said, small voice breaking as more tears began to flow. "And it's called 'Child Abuse' in the normal world, everybody knows that... I was just so stressed out... I didn't hurt Peeves, and I probably wouldn't have, I missed him, and the worst I did was scratch a statue.... I'm too stressed out... I'm never going to get home, and I can't life with the aftermath effects, and I'm going to get killed in a few years anyway. And even if I /do/ manage to survive all of that, the time I die will only be a little while after that. I hate this place, I can't take it anymore. I want to go home!"
"There, there, now," Pomfrey comforted.
"Is what Mr. Filch tells me true?" Dumbledore's voice said, making them all jump. Behind him was none other than Sirius Black. "Did you use an unforgivable curse, miss Granger?"
Hermione promptly broke down into harder tears and shouted out the whole story between her arms, the pillow, the drugs she had been given to still the pain, and her sobs.
~
A little bit after she had finished, Dumbledore requested that Sirius go and find his friends, please. Grudgingly, Sirius caught the hint and left. However, he waited outside the door again, listening.
"I want to go home!" Hermione was repeating to Dumbledore. "I hate it here, I want to go home now! This does it, even if I have to /climb/ up those steps, I want to go home!"
"I understand that you're stressed out and hurt, miss Granger," Dumbledore said sharply. "Once we get this matter over with, I'll let you in on what I've been doing about your predicament. Now, you understand that the three unforgivable curses - all three of them - are illegal, right?"
"Y- yes, sir."
"And you used one?"
"The Cruciatus Curse, sir."
"This is a very important matter, miss Granger. You could very well be imprisoned for it."
"I am aware of that, sir."
"Then why did you do it?"
"I wasn't thinking, sir. I was stressed out, and I was just... angry... I'm very sorry, sir." Hermione took a deep, shaking breath. "Please, sir, don't put me in Azkaban, sir, I didn't mean to... I knew and know I wouldn't have been able to hurt him, sir..."
Dumbledore gave a heavy sigh. There was a moment of silence before he called, "Are you quite finished, Mr. Black?"
Sirius swore (not bothering to lower his voice) and stomped off as Pomfrey scurried over, scowled at his retreating back, and slammed the door shut.
~
"Now, that we've gotten that taken care of," Dumbledore said, taking a seat next to Hermione. "I've been leaving little notes. Time capsules, is what I believe Muggles call them. In my office. Such as, 'don't open until this specific date and time.' So either way, the me from your timeline knows you're missing, and I'm certain I'm doing everything I can. Otherwise, there isn't much we can do... though; perhaps you should drop a subject or two. And tell somebody the truth. I understand that you're far enough back, that, when you get back to your own timeline, everybody here including myself will forget about you."
"I'd rather not tell anybody. Rumor travels fast, you know." Hermione grimaced as she adjusted herself, then sighed heavily. "I don't want people asking what it's like in the future, if I know their kids, who are they going to marry, and that stuff."
"Oh, I quite understand. It all depends on who you tell, and where you tell them." Dumbledore smiled warmly at her. "Surely, your best friend's parents, or..."
Hermione snorted.
"Yes?" he asked pleasantly while Pomfrey sat on Hermione's other side.
"I've already associated with my crush's parents, who seem to hate each other, his godfather, my defense against dark arts teacher, and plenty of students' family members. It's just, my friend... he doesn't know, I mean, he's never really met his parents before, and here I am, and I couldn't bear to befriend..."
"Ah, I see. I quite understand. But there are plenty of other trustworthy students here, and you need a friend, miss Granger. I don't believe Madame Pomfrey and I are very good excuses, hmm?"
Hermione offered a small smile. "No, not really."
"Right," he said, standing up and beaming. "Which four classes would you like to be dropping?"
"I'm only taking /four/ other classes," Hermione pointed out.
"Ah, yes. I'll alert your teachers, then. Good evening." He stood up and turned to leave, but Hermione pushed herself up then fell back on her stomach with a small gasp.
"Wait, professor!" she called. He stopped, turned around, and raised an eyebrow. "First, can you tell me how long I've been here?"
"A month and a half," he replied.
"And you are going to ban Filch from whipping, aren't you?"
He only gave her another smile, winked, and then left. Hermione fell back into her pillow, sighing.
"You'll be spending the rest of the weekend here, then," Pomfrey said briskly. "Even so, sitting may be a bit painful for a week or two..."
"I understand," Hermione muttered. "Thank you."
"Mmm," Pomfrey muttered.