Okie dokie, the usual disclaimers apply. Ah… Milady Rowling… Don't you guys just love her? *lol*
Important note: I'm so *sorry*! I've just changed Hermione's birth date again as my conscience kept nagging at me to keep to the date Ms Rowling kept for Hermione birthday. So… prologue has been changed… again. *ducks flying pillows and bolsters* Once again, I'm sorry, Mya's b-day is changed to September 19th, this is in cannon with the original series, so I solemnly promise that I won't change it again. Therefore, three more days and it will be Herm's birthday. Quick, isn't it?
Also, I wanna thank pegase, for translating my fic into French. So those of you out there who understand it, go ahead and check it out!
It's on http://www.fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=965407
The Awakening of a Royal
SilverDawn
Chapter 17: Memories…
In just seconds, Azrael and Nikolai apparated into the room, both of whom looking very much disheveled, dressed only in their nightclothes. Apparently, the couple had been awakened from deep slumber by the earthquake and had no time to change when Silverdawn had called on her twin in a desperate manner. The princess breathed a small sigh of relief when the couple appeared, but she could not go to them, for her current connection with Hermione, linked by her hand, was the only bond that kept the untrained psychic's powers at bay.
Looking at the two almost identical silver heads, and the sigil that was flaring on Silverdawn's forehead, Azrael frowned, asking in a dark voice, "Now what happened?"
Nikolai looked pretty confused too, eyeing the twins in a tentative manner. Realizing that she was muddled by Hermione's state, Azrael shook his head at her, whispering, "You'll understand later."
Silverdawn had also wanted to explain what was going on, but a mist started gathering by the side of the bed, forming into two humanoid figures that looked opaque, yet surreal. Everyone eyed at it before it pulsed black briefly, dissipating slowly to reveal Pearlsong and Shadownight. The two couples moved to the bedside, with Shadownight going straight to Hermione, placing a hand on her forehead.
The sigil of the dragonkin appeared on his forehead as his silvery eyes unfocused for a moment, not looking at anything in particular. Everyone was silent whilst the eldar dragonkin checked the critical readings of the blank girl, thus when dark frown marred the dragonkin's features, the four people present felt indescribable dread. When Shadownight's eyes focused once more, the tone he spoke in was grim, "Backlash. She's lying in shock, and the last time I've seen such a case had been on Azrael… but how?"
"Dementor's Kiss on Mr. and Mrs. Granger." Silverdawn replied quietly, causing Nikolai to suck in her breath.
"Shit." Azrael cursed. Sitting down on the bedside, he took to looking at Hermione's real self without Glamourie for the first time, and should the situation be less tense than this, he would have smiled.
After all, should a person look at Silver and Hermione from afar when they're both in this state, it would not be surprising if they were mistaken as twins. Their hair were practically of the same length, though Silverdawn's was straight while Hermione's was slightly wavy. Their features were slightly different too, but that didn't matter much, for the eye color of the two girls were a dead giveaway that they weren't identical. Silver's was a pale amethyst violet, but Hermione's was more of an ultramarine blue.
Looking at those eyes, it reminded him of the painting of Athena he had seen in his father's room, one before her twelfth birthday, when her hair had still been silver instead of black…
God, they look so similar.
Snapping out of his musings, he looked at his twin, shaking his head in defeat, "She has the same case of backlash like me alright… But the problem is that Mother isn't here to call her back like she did me."
"Still, there's a way, though we'll need some help." Silverdawn started wearily, turning to Pearlsong for support. Looking at the dragonkin, she had not expected her grayish blue eyes to blaze with fury, and on seeing it; she flinched slightly, as did everyone else, including Shadownight. After all, Pearlsong was rarely angered by anything, but when she did, all hell usually breaks loose…
Noticing their fear, the female dragonkin calmed herself, murmuring quietly, "Get Lucifer and Harry."
"They're coming…" Nikolai said softly, her empathic powers signaling that two anxious people were heading for this room at breakneck speed. As predicted, in just a few minutes, Lucifer entered the room with Harry in two. Sweeping a glance at the bedside, he acknowledged his siblings before reporting, "Third degree quake. The head of houses are alerted and are currently in their Houses. Ron and Ginny has informed Minerva of Harry's absence. Salazar's checking on Slytherin, and the Court has taken charge of the UWIM students in their own common room. Now what?"
While Lucifer was reporting on the precautions Hogwarts was taking, Harry stared at the two silvan-haired girls on the bed, emerald-green eyes narrowing into slits behind those glasses. They looked almost like twins, but one was blue-eyed while the other was purple. Those bluish eyes looked very familiar though, and suddenly, realization dawned upon him as he walked over to the duo.
"Silver? Mya?"
Hearing her name, Silverdawn acknowledged Harry with a weak nod, but Hermione had a blank look on her face. Panicking at her reaction, Harry turned over to Pearlsong, asking urgently, "What happened to Hermione?"
For once, the blue-haired dragonkin looked upset, grayish blue eyes distressed, "We have a problem…" No one was willing to answer Harry's question, but finally, someone broke the ice
"Hermione's parents were given the Dementor's Kiss. Their house was raided by the Death Eaters and several Dementors…" Silverdawn said quietly, summarizing the events in two short sentences.
"When?"
"A few minutes ago…"
The girl tactfully left out who the Death Eaters were, but Azrael and Lucifer knew that she was keeping something from them, thus the girl shot them a 'tell you later' look before sighing – a thing that she was doing more often nowadays. Pearlsong, however, had seen parts of the dreams earlier on via the shared link between Hermione, and she knew that Severus was involved. Silverdawn knew of this too, and she had a look of pleading in her eyes when facing Pearlsong, hoping that somehow or rather, the female dragonkin would not be overtly furious with her godfather when he arrived.
Glancing at Shadownight and Nikolai, the princess asked tiredly, "Can the two of you cast a permanent Glamourie on her?" The duo nodded their heads, putting up the Glamourie successfully after one try, both of whom were vaguely satisfied that she looked the same as before, save the hair… It was difficult to manage the exact waves of her former chocolate brown hair, thus they let it be the wave style of her silver hair.
After finishing the Glamourie, Nikolai glanced at Silverdawn in a beseeching manner, an unspoken question evident in her eyes… Why was it that Hermione's eyes were sapphire, and why was her hair silver?
Silverdawn sighed, knowing that another explanation was in place. Admitting in mindspeech, she sent an answer, ::There's more to her than meets the eye.::
::Duh.:: Nikolai almost rolled her eyes at Silver's answer.
::Remember the uniform?::
::Mione's black one?::
::Only people of Kadamon lineage or those involved with their descendents in the future can inherit one.::
:: …Her hair… It was silver.::
::Uh huh…::
There was silence at the end of the connection as Nikolai put up the clues. Blue eyes, silver hair, black uniform, ability to understand Angelic…
Suddenly, everything made sense…
::She's also a Kadamon?:: Nikolai gasped.
::Took you long enough, Temperance.:: Silverdawn replied wryly. Nikolai's hand stopped halfway at what she was doing – maintaining Silver's vital stats (Pearlsong was doing Hermione's). In Angelic, Nikolai whispered softly, "She's your cousin."
"Direct one… And her 16th birthday is coming in three days time, if you count today in it." Silverdawn replied in the same language with dread. Blood drained from the healer's face when she realized what the girl was implying. Her voice trembling, Nikolai cursed under her breath, "Oh shit."
"Shit indeed." Silverdawn intoned cynically.
Meanwhile, Lucifer, Azrael and Shadownight were setting up various wards and shields around the entire room, causing Harry to go dazed.
"Why are they weaving such complex spells?" The boy asked Silverdawn as the girl replied grimly, "You'll understand later." Turning to Pearlsong, Silver then spoke, "Pearl, I need someone to ground."
"He'll come soon."
"Are you sure?"
"As much as I hate him now, he may be our only hope." Pearlsong said in finality, eyes grave on thinking of the sticky situation they're going to handle later.
As Pearlsong had predicted, Severus barged into the room, panting heavily as he placed his entire body weight against the door. He had taken down the Glamourie he often placed on himself, the silver Death Eater mask still in hand as he stumbled towards the group huddled at the bed.
Apparently, he had rushed here right after coming back to Hogwarts.
Glancing at the room, Severus looked at Shadownight in anguish, but the dragonkin just shook his head, looking sympathetic. He then looked at Hermione, feeling his heart drop on seeing the vacant look on Hermione's eyes. Somehow, those eyes reminded him of the ones he had seen on the Granger couple, and this twisted his gut in a way that he had never imagined.
He wanted to wallow in self-guilt, but was never able to… for a voice broke his train of thoughts.
"Severus, we're calling Hermione back. You have to Ground. Harry and I will Hold, Silver will Call." Pearlsong requested albeit too calmly. Turning to the others, she continued, "Temperance, note our stats. Shadow, pull us out if anything goes wrong."
Nikolai looked a little hesitant at her commands, for something kept nagging at the back of her brain, "Don't you think it's too risky to have Uncle Severus to Ground? He isn't even remotely related to her." Her sharp intuition made Pearlsong smile slightly, and the dragonkin looked at her with compelling eyes, "Nikolai, trust me." And the girl nodded mutely.
Monitors were magicked out as Nikolai and Lucifer helped place crystal beepers on all of their pulses. When the basic stats were constant, Silverdawn closed her eyes as she let down the shields that controlled her mage gift. Drawing a deep breath, she opened her eyes slowly, seeing colors all over the place.
Magic as its most raw level… she thought soberly. Concentrating slightly, a ghostly hand moved from her body, invisible to normal eyesight. It went over to Harry first, tugging out three scarlet, fiery strands of raw power to connect to Severus, Hermione and herself. Then, the 'hand' pulled three similar, bluish-green strands of magic from Pearlsong's core of power, connecting them like she did to Hermione. Then, from Severus, it pulled a pure, black strand of magic to bind to Hermione's body, before doing the same to herself – a silvery strand that bonded to Hermione almost immediately.
The preparation work done, Silverdawn's sigil flared brightly for three seconds as a pulsing seal appeared under the five of them, causing Harry to jump in shock. Ignoring his surprise, a mystical, almost surreal tone came out from Silverdawn's mouth.
"Ready?"
Grim nods were given from everyone, and Silverdawn and Severus closed their eyes, plunging into the depths of Hermione's soul…
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=Dreamscape=
They were in a wide expanse of land, where everything was enveloped in darkness. It was so dark that both Severus and Silverdawn could see nothing except their own glowing bodies, causing both of them to shudder. Taking in the place they were in, Severus murmured, "This is…?"
"Mya's mind." Silverdawn uttered softly, wondering how a person's mind could be so full of despair. She did not have time to explain further, for somehow, they got sucked into a whirlpool that appeared beneath them, entering into an entirely different dreamscape.
It was bright, the fluffy clouds adorning the sky as the sea stretched into the endless horizon. In front of them, a young girl was playing with her parents, building sandcastles by the Hawaiian beach. Squinting his eyes against the sun, Severus made out the two adult figures as the Granger couple, and therefore, the child must be Hermione.
"Mione…" Silverdawn called out to the child. The parents seemed not to have heard their calls, but Hermione did, and when she turned to face them, Severus had the shock of his life. Those eyes that were looking back at him weren't hazel brown… it was ultramarine blue! Smiling eerily, the young Hermione gave them a wave with those chubby hands, before disappearing from the sight, along with her parents, and the entire scene.
Suddenly, Snape and Silver found themselves caught in another whirlpool once again…
…This time, they were in a concert hall. Hermione, whose hair was plaited neatly behind, wearing a velvet pink dress, was performing on stage. Aged six, the young girl bore an uncanny resemblance to someone Severus could not really put a finger to. Hermione was playing a violin, performing toccata and fugue in D minor with an ease of a professional. Her soul was behind the music, her life force practically seeping into the notes that made a deep impact into the hearts of the listeners. Gazing at the young girl, Severus spoke softly, "She has the same talent as yours, Silver."
The now silver-haired girl nodded her head, remarking, "No doubt another child prodigy…" At that, her godfather nodded his head whilst resplendent applause sounded throughout the hall – Hermione had ended the concerto. On the stage, Hermione gave a small smile whilst her father – Benedict Granger went up, handing the child a bouquet of violet lilacs. She gave her father a huge grin, planting an enthusiastic kiss on his cheek as everything went dark once again…
It was vaguely confusing to see bits and pieces of memories from Hermione's mind, but thankfully, after several more memories, they finally reached an ornate gate, where an arcane language was engraved on the rails. Leading Severus along, Silverdawn pushed past the gate, saying quietly, "We're entering sealed memories, uncle. Be prepared for what you see."
When both their feet touched the ground within the Gates itself, they found themselves in yet another memory.
"Here they go again…" Silverdawn muttered under her breath, bracing herself for what was to come.
Aged five, Hermione was running towards her parents, her pigtails trailing behind her back. They were in a park of sorts, this much was evident by the trees and bushes. A garland of flowers was held carefully in her hands as she ran, but somehow, Hermione accidentally tripped over some stones, falling in the process. Alarmed, Rachel rushed to her daughter's side, looking at the bad cut on her knee in a worried manner. Hermione started to tear, and pained, Rachel enfolded the girl in a deep hug, whispering words of comfort. However, she trailed off abruptly on seeing the cut heal by itself… at an amazing speed.
"Mione?" Rachel called to the crying girl. Hermione lifted her head, and Rachel was shocked to see her eyes turning blue whilst a pale sigil flared on her forehead. This scene stunned Severus, thoughts racing through his mind as he uttered, "She's not muggle-born?"
Silver smiled at his incredulity, replying with conviction, "No, she's a blue-blooded witch."
"That ability," The potions master murmured, "It's of one of the highest order of mages – self healing without knowledge." Silverdawn wanted to volunteer some information to cure him of his doubts, but was interrupted as they entered another memory.
Aged ten, Hermione had received the Hogwarts admission letter.
She had received it alone, totally stunned by the realization that she was a witch. Inwardly, she was worried that her parents would vehemently disagree, but when her parents saw the troubled look when she came downstairs for dinner, Rachel asked her child what was wrong and Hermione poured out the information given in the letter. Surprisingly, her parents had taken it very easily, permitting her to enter into the magic school.
When Hermione happily went upstairs to write the letter of consent back to Hogwarts, Rachel and Benedict smiled sadly, much to the bafflement of Severus Snape. What was more intriguing was what the couple had said…
"Do you think she'll find out about her mother?" Benedict asked in a quiet tone.
"I hope not… It may be too much for her…" Rachel whispered, before seeking assurance from her husband.
… Then, they were sucked into another memory…
They were now at Severus' station that safeguarded the Philosopher's Stone, seeing a slightly battered Harry and Hermione looking at the row of seven potions. The brunette was smiling, causing Harry to be incredulous. Standing at a distance from them, Severus and Silverdawn heard the girl say, "Brilliant. This isn't magic – it's logic – a puzzle. A lot of the greatest wizards haven't got an ounce of logic, they'd be stuck in here for ever."
"But so will we, won't we?"
"Of course not – " Hermione looked pretty indignant here, causing Severus to smile a little, " – Everything we need is here on this paper. Seven bottles: three are poison; two are wine; one will get us safely through the black fire and one will get us back through the purple."
"But how do we know which to drink?"
"Give me a minute."
There, Hermione read the paper several times to herself. Walking up to the row of potions, an angel appeared beside her, one that seemed invisible to Harry, but visible to both Severus and Silverdawn.
"Met?" Severus gasped in disbelief, totally taken aback by the knowledge that the blonde angel – one of the seven highest archangels, was guardian to Hermione Granger. Silverdawn just nodded her head absently, unsurprised by the angel's presence, as she pulled her godfather nearer towards the young girl, hearing snatches of conversation the human and angel had.
"The ones at either ends are different potions… but moving in on both ends, neither is your friend. So, the second right and left are poison, that'll make sense out of the third clue – poison twins. Then, by default, the one on each of their right would be nettle's wine." Hermione spoke quietly to the angel to her right, pointing out the two poisons. The angel nodded slightly, reminding her, "Take heed, child. What we term right is the potion's left, and what we term left is the potion's right."
At this, Hermione frowned a little before pointing to the potion farthest left, "If you say so, then this one should be nettle wine, and the third from our right would be nettle wine too." Once again, Metatron nodded, a smile on his handsome face. Continuing the hypothesis, Hermione mumbled, "Four bottles out, three left. Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides. Since both nettle wine bottles are neither giant nor dwarf, we can safely assume that those are the ones for passage…"
Finally, she trailed off, frowning a little, "But how would you know if which is for which?" Turning a little to Metatron, she pleaded with her eyes. Slightly amused, the angel reminded her, "Remember the starting phrase and clue two?"
"Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind…Second, different are those who stand at either end, but if you move onwards, neither is your friend." Hermione muttered softly, repeating, "…If you move onwards, neither is your friend… danger." Slowly, a grin slipped into her face, "The rounded bottle – the giant one – will bring me back to safety, through the purple fire…" Realization dawned into her as she clapped her hands.
"Got it, the smallest bottle will get us through the black fire – towards the Stone."
Harry looked at the tiny bottle, saying, "There's only enough there for one of us. That's hardly one swallow."
Both of them looked at one another.
"Which one will get you back through the purple flames?"
Hermione pointed at a rounded bottle at the right end of the line.
"You drink that," said Harry. "No, listen – get back and get Ron – grab brooms from the flying-key room, they'll get you out of the trapdoor and past Fluffy – go straight to the owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore, we need him. I might be able to hold Snape off for a while, but I'm no match for him really."
At this, Severus snorted as the duo continued to talk, with Harry trying to persuade Hermione over to go quickly. When she went over through the purple fire, everything went dark once more.
"I'm impressed," Severus spoke up as they were in darkness once more, "Although Met did help her with the puzzle, she was able to solve the majority of it by herself… in a few minutes no less."
"She has one of the greatest minds, inherited from her parents." Silverdawn replied as they entered into yet another scene.
They were at the foot of the marble staircase of Hogwarts, with Harry, Ron and Hermione. Metatron had appeared once more in front of Hermione when they were about to climb the stairs, whispering urgently, "Child, you need to learn soon…"
"I know, I just need to figure out what Harry keeps hearing."
"Your gift, the ones you wanted me to seal years ago, they will help…" the angel whispered again, "by your leave, I'll take down one particular shield, and you'll understand."
"Oh all right." Hermione sighed as Metatron took down one of the seals he had put on her. Immediately, she understood the reason why Metatron had said what he did.
"Kill this time… let me rip… tear…"
"The voice!" said Harry, looking over his shoulder. "I just heard it again – didn't you."
Ron shook his head, wide-eyed. Hermione, however, clapped a hand to her forehead.
That voice… it was so cold… Parseltongue!
"Harry – I think I've just understood something! I've got to go to the library!"
And she sprinted away, up the stairs.
The scene dissolved again, and they were brought to the library, where Hermione had her head buried in a huge tome, muttering, "serpents. Serpents… Ah! There!" Skimming through the page, Hermione tore the page out of the volume, turning over to her guardian, asking in an almost accusing manner, "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
Metatron shook his head, midnight blue eyes apologetic, "I'm not allowed to divulge any information of the future."
"Then why did you tell me now?"
"I don't want to see you die." Metatron whispered, leaving a pale-faced Hermione. When they left the library, Hermione saw Penelope Clearwater and warned her to look round corners with a mirror first…
… And that was were tragedy struck…
Once again, they got sucked into another scene, fairly quickly.
In the hospital ward, Poppy was talking Albus Dumbledore at her desk about the number of patients and how she wished the mandrakes would be ready soon. Severus and Silverdawn heard a little of the conversation, but they were distracted by a bright light emanating from Hermione.
Surprisingly, no one else seemed to see it, but it was pretty amusing to see Metatron try to cover up the light. In fact, he had to get several other Virtues to help control the light that pulsed regularly from her body. The pure pearly light made Severus raise an eyebrow at Silverdawn, and the girl replied his unanswered question, "Her magick within her is fighting to free her from the paralyzed state. She could have woken up by herself in just minutes, but this would rouse the suspicions of Uncle Albus and the other professors, no doubt, you will be interested in it too."
"Indeed." Severus murmured as they entered another dream.
They were in a compartment of the Hogwarts Express. Hermione, Ron and Harry were in there, and Professor Lupin was sleeping in the seat next to the window. Glancing at him, a weird look was plastered on her face. In a very small tone, she whispered, "Auroris." Slowly, the shields she built over herself broke down, and all sorts of colors assaulted her vision. Clearing most of them, she saw the coppery aura around Remus Lupin and her brows contorted into a narrow vee.
"He's not human?" She whispered to Metatron softly, earning a slight nod from the ever-present angel.
"No, he's not."
This time, the scene melted slowly, and they were brought through several more escapades she had with Harry and Ron before finally landing into another library, this time, it seemed like a personal one, instead of the huge Hogwarts library.
Hermione was sitting in front of the fire, ensconced in a comfortable wing-backed chair with her eyes glued to a book.
"Hermione…" Silverdawn called out as the duo moved nearer to the unknowing girl. Hermione seemed not to have heard anything, but instead, mumbled something in angelic.
"An eagle soars, wings stretched wide,
a phoenix burns, from ashes rise.
Wings of feathers, soft and alluring,
Astounds me still, ne'er foregoing.
An angel fallen, an angel born
'It's the circle of Time', or so Chronos forewarns,
'Till the prophecy end, the world comes to rest
Peace reigns again, and Gaia protects.'
But with all these done,
Will I see you again?
For you'll have go back,
And I'll be alone…
Again."
Hearing this passage, an excerpt from the book of prophecies, Silverdawn choked back a sob. Severus shook his head at this piece too, knowing full well who wrote it for whom this was for. In the usual professorial tone, he started, "Miss Granger, we're bringing you back."
Looking up from her book, Hermione shook her head, sorrow evident in those hazel-brown eyes, "Mom and dad aren't there anymore. I don't want to go back."
Hearing this, Severus felt very guilty. He had inadvertently been the one to wreck her formerly perfect family, and now, the best mind of Hogwarts has lost the will to live because of him. Dumbly, he stared at the girl's lowered head and softened his tone, continuing in a somewhat hoarse voice, "There are others who're still there for you."
Hermione went silent at what his statement implied, whereas Silverdawn went over to hug the girl in a maternal manner, stroking her back gently to sooth the upset girl. In a hypnotic lull, the silver-haired girl took over from her godfather, prodding, "What will happen to Pearlsong? She will always be there for you… I know I will miss your companion, the others will too! Ron, Ginny, your friends, the Court, even Blaise and Draco! And what about Harry?"
The mention of the names of those so dear to her brought tears into Hermione's eyes. The dam that refused to break when she was in her own, secluded mind world broke, and she sobbed, shuddering convulsively. Sighing, Severus walked over to the two girls, lifting Hermione into his arms, cradling the girl in a protective manner.
"There there. Everything will be all right somehow." The man whispered into the girl's ear. Hermione settled her head against the potions master's chest, sobs subsiding as he rubbed her back in a comforting manner. In a gentle tone, Severus continued, "reality is something you have to face, Hermione. Let's go home."
The brunette nodded weakly in Severus's arm, and Silverdawn went started to walk out of the room. However, an invisible barrier blocked their path, and the girl frowned, placing a hand at the smooth barrier.
"What is it?" Severus asked, frowning as the girl touched the barrier cautiously.
"The central node in the Forbidden Forest had set up a barrier to shield Hermione…" Silverdawn called back, "I'll try to break it…"
Murmuring a charm, the barrier suddenly pulsated for a second, as hairline cracks formed all over the place, turning into larger ones rapidly. It broke apart very soon, shards of glass-like crystal falling everywhere. Outside the barrier, a blonde angel stood, relieved that the duo had gotten his ward out of her self-induced retreat. Seeing the trio, Metatron gave a thankful smile, bowing at his liege.
"Mashiaere."
He disappeared in a bright light, transporting them out of the dreamscape in a wink.
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Back in the Kadamon Suite, Dumbledore had arrived into the room, Poppy in tow as they eyed the complicated spell surreptitiously. The seal was still glowing, throbbing at a regular pace whilst sigils flared on most of their foreheads. Madame Pomfrey's eyes widened at the runes of the seal, whispering in a shaky voice, "This method of healing is dangerous."
"But it's the only way." Lucifer, now standing at Dumbledore's side, replied grimly. None of them could say anything after that, for once again, the castle experienced a very strong level earthquake. The people in the shielded room also felt a mild quake, and instinctively, Shadownight held on to the two people Holding the spell – Harry and Pearlsong, commenting to the boy wryly after the quake stopped.
"Now you understand the reason for those shields…"
The elder dragonkin trailed off then, automatically shielding his eyes as a bright light shone from the three comatose figures. The others squinted against the sudden illumination too, seeing bright stars in their vision as the light dimmed.
"I hate such kinds of light show." Azrael muttered as Lucifer gave a smirk, replying, "You perform such kinds of light show more often than not too."
At that, Azrael gave his brother an annoyed look, but did not comment further for the trio were starting to wake up. hurriedly, Nikolai took off the monitoring spells and beepers as Pomfrey helped check if all of them were all right. Severus shrugged away from the beepers impatiently, searching for Hermione in fear that the girl might not have come back with them.
Obsidian met caramel, causing the Potions Master to sigh in relief before hugging the girl, who in turn, promptly dissolved into tears.
The sight of Hermione crying her heart out wasn't one that anyone of them were able to take, and this caused everyone to go teary-eyed. In a quiet manner, Silverdawn ushered all of them out of the room, leaving the professor and student alone. Severus continued to hug the girl, rocking her gently, not caring if his shirt was soaked by her tears. Instead, he whispered softly in Angelic, "Hush, you're home now. I'm here… I'm here…"
Comforted, Hermione slowly went to sleep…
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He had stayed with her for several hours, until Pearlsong motioned for them to go to his room.
There, the usually scowling, evil git Snape looked fairly forlorn as he repeated the sequence of events that led to the raid of the home of the Grangers.
"… I only knew that it was Ms. Granger's home until I saw those photographs. By then, it was too late. The Dementors had already finished giving the Kiss." Severus ended dully as Shadownight handed the grief-stricken man a goblet of brandy. Giving the dragonkin a grateful nod, Severus downed the spirit in one gulp, thankful that the alcohol managed to soothe his frazzled nerves.
"The Grangers are now in St Mungo's. Anael has seen to it, and I've a feeling that they'll be looked after by both wizarding medics and angels… Oh Merlin, what have I done." The black-haired man groaned, putting his head in his hands in defeat.
At his crushed look, Pearlsong sighed, "Severus, it's difficult to hate you when I know you suffer as much, and even more than we do. Take heed though, Hermione is very vulnerable now, and it seems that you are the only one besides Silver who can help her now. The persons Grounding and Calling have a permanent, close link with the one being roused."
Her understanding made Severus vastly relieved, and somehow, the former weight that laid heavily on his shoulders seemed to be lifted out. A ghost of a smile graced his wreary face, and the tone was lighter when he gave the lady thanks, "You're a sweet lady, Pearl. But I don't have the patience to deal with children…"
"Nonsense!" Dumbledore interrupted indignantly, "you did well with Silver."
'That's different." Severus replied in a glum tone. The Headmaster's eyes dimmed, the usual twinkle gone from those clear, blue orbs as he spoke in a serious manner, "Severus, I need a guardian for Hermione now, Her parents were both only children of their family, and her grandparents are all dead already. If one of us don't step in to be her guardian, she'll be under the ward of the ministry, which frankly, isn't trustworthy under Fudge. Please?"
The room went silent as Dumbledore, Shadownight and Pearlsong waited for the man's answer. Severus' eyes were a little glazed as he thought of the memories he had seen in her mind, those happy times that were lost to her forever. Somehow, these resolved his will, and finally, he nodded his head, saying, "All right. That's the least I can do now…"
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Breakfast was yet another solemn affair. No one had gotten over the quakes yet, and the Court, Ginny, Ron and Blaise had been informed of Hermione's parents being served with the Dementor's Kiss. The Daily Prophet had also reported a mild quake in Hogsmeade but it seems that Fudge had covered up on the news of the Dementors being freed from Azkaban in a feeble attempt to salvage his post.
Looking at Hermione's empty seat, many of the Gryffindors were worried, and Tristan muttered, "Man, this is getting bad…"
His statement was agreed by all who heard. Harry, who had been silently munching his toast, abruptly raised his head at the Head Table, and on seeing the empty seats of Lucifer, Salazar, and Snape, he was reminded by his unanswered questions earlier on in the morning.
::Silver?:: He mindspoke hesitantly.
::Hmm…?:: Silverdawn's voice was fatigue tinged, causing Harry to be a little contrite at interrupting her breakfast. Apparently, she had an even rougher night… er, morning, that he did.
::Why was Mya's hair silver. And those two quakes, plus the light. Why…?::
There was silence at the other end as Silverdawn took a sip of her creamed mocha.
::Hermione's true features had been hidden under Glamourie for more time than you can think of. That was her real self. Those quakes happened because of her inability to control her psychic abilities, she's a seer too, Harry.::
::What!?!:: Harry choked on the dry piece of toast at her explanation, gulping down some iced water to soothe his throat.
::It's rather complicated. You'll understand later… As for the light, I'm afraid I can't really explain it. It just happens sometime.:: Silverdawn continued, skimming the headlines of the Daily Prophet with a derisive snort.
::Will she be alright?:: Harry finally asked. Silverdawn kept silent for a while, before finally answering.
::For her sake and ours, I hope so.::
The duo continued with their meals at the separate tables, each with different thoughts until Dumbledore interrupted their reveries.
"Students," the Headmaster's tone was solemn, "I regret to announce that three muggle houses have been raided last night, and one of your fellow schoolmate's parents have been rendered the Dementor's Kiss."
Several shocked gasps could be heard, whilst others shuddered or shook their heads.
"Therefore, I urge all of you to be prepared for the worst, both wizard and muggle-born alike." Dumbledore finished as he nodded to Minerva. At this, Millicent smiled smugly, whispering loudly to Pansy, "It was that know-it-all mudblood's parents, wasn't it?" Several students who heard this stiffened slightly, eyes filled with concealed anger. Crabbe nodded his head, grinning crookedly, "It's about time somebody took care of those mudbloods."
Lawrence scowled at the pudgy boy's statement, fists clenched tightly to prevent him from punching the boy. Goyle, who's mouth was still stuffed with cereal, spoke, "The Dark Lord will, Crabbe." Pansy smiled at them, turning to see the passive face of the person she hated most. In a coy tone, she purred, "Be careful Langford. Your family might be next."
Lawrence, Ashteroth, Nikolai, Draco, Blaise and the other UWIM students scowled at what she said whilst the girl being insulted shrugged impassively, replying in an idle tone that caused Pansy to fume literally, "It's not possible. My mother's already dead, and my father? Let's just say that security is ultra-tight around him." Daddy's already powerful, not to mention the Mage Duelist and two leaders of the Universal Elite guarding him 24/7. It's almost impossible to harm one hair on his head.
Irritated, Pansy retorted, "Avada Kedavra is enough to kill him."
The mention of the Killing Curse made the entire table go silent. Her arrogance was grating on Blaise's nerves, and in a curt tone, she ordered, "Pansy, shut up."
"Why should I? And Blaise, why are you caring for a mudblood?"
Someone punched the table, hard, in an attempt to channel his anger through a less harmful output whilst a small knife whizzed through the air, cutting away several strands of Pansy's black hair before embedding deeply into the stone wall. Several people sucked in their breath as they turned to face the thrower – Silverdawn, who was toying with several crystal shurikens – a type of dagger that japanese ninjas often used. In a deadly voice, Silver started, "Pansy, my patience is wearing thin."
Pansy swallowed her fear, taunting, "Want to fight?"
No longer able to stand her arrogance, Nikolai stood up, walked in front of the bitchy Slytherin, and threw a punch into her abdomen…
…And all hell breaks loose.
Millicent pulled the Healer's hair as Blaise just over the table to give Millicent a backhand. Pansy slashed out at Nikolai's face, arousing the fury of several people sitting at the Gryffindor table. They too entered the fray, punching the Crabbe, Goyle and soon, a group of Slytherins rose to support Pansy and co. against Nikolai, Blaise, Harry, Ron, Ginny and the avenging Court. However, the Court controlled the weight they put behind their kicks and punches for fear of actually killing someone in the process, and this resulted in their sustaining bruises and cuts.
The professors at the Head Table noticed the fight too, but none of them were able to enter into the region of the Slytherin table – there had been a barrier shields placed by Ashteroth. Try as they might, none of them could counter the strong wards that the boy placed. Not surprising, the fallen angel was best at shielding wards, second only to the Kadamon family, and even Dumbledore had not much of a luck with them.
The fight was getting more disastrous. The entire corner where their table was situated was totally messed up as Slytherins fought against one another, in favor of Pansy or Silver, no one knew. However, Silverdawn never entered the fight. She just sat there, painfully aware that Draco and herself were the only seniors still sitting down. Third years and above were all in the fight, and the younger Slytherins were huddled at one end of the table, far away from the fighting 'arena'. The students from the other tables were shocked by the sudden brawl too, and all of them were following it closely.
The black-haired girl rubbed her temple tiredly, aware that she was getting yet another headache whilst Draco looked at her in a worried manner. Noting his concern, Silverdawn gave the boy a reassuring smile, causing him to kiss her forehead, murmuring softly, "Don't tire yourself by getting into the fight."
"I won't. just stopping the fight before Uncle Severus and Lucifer slaughter us." Silverdawn replied as she stood up. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath to calm herself before opening them, silver turning into a blazing amethyst. In mindspeech, she ordered the entire mob…
::All of you, back down now.::
With the order came a sudden surge of gravity that forced all of them, save Azrael (he's immune to time magic), to stop. The UWIM students and the entire Court, with the exception of her twin, bowed at the fuming girl, fearful that she might blow how top. That could most like be the end of all of them.
Azrael, however, did not bother to care, but instead, pulled Nikolai into his arms, examining her bruises and a particularly nasty slash caused by Millicent Bulstrode. The slash caused Azrael to become livid, and he was on the verge of slapping the fat girl when Silverdawn's icy tone commanded, "Azrael, enough."
Reluctantly, the prince pulled his hand down, but this did not stop him to snarl at the girl, ultramarine eyes blazing, "Watch out for your family, Bulstrode."
With that, he walked out of the dome with Nikolai in tow, intent on bring her back to the Suite for healing. His ability to depart from the shield effortlessly shocked the professors, and Silverdawn continued, "Strength, take down those shields."
"Yes, milady." Ashteroth bowed before snapping his fingers twice.
With the wards down, Professor McGonagall entered in a state of fury, eyes blazing behind her spectacles. Dumbledore placed a restraining hand over her shoulder, intervening in a sober manner, "Fifty points will be taken from Gryffindor and Slytherin each. Your punishments shall be settled by your Head of Houses. Now, go see Pomfrey, or go to class."
The assembly of Slytherins dispersed, grumbling as they made their way out of the Hall. Dumbledore then turned to the Court and their Gryffindor friends, "Go to the suite for healing. I don't want another fight to take place in the hospital wing."
The lot of them nodded as Hideaki waved his wand at the mess on the side of the table they had fought at. The mess cleared up in a second, and he went out of the Hall, immersed deep in thoughts like the others were. Seeing them leave, Silverdawn gave the Headmaster a bow in apology before going out of the Hall with Draco.
When all those involved in the fight were out of the Hall, McGonagall shook her head at the fight. As they made their way to the door leading to the staff room, Albus started absently, "Minerva, can you help me tell this to Severus? He's with Miss Granger."
At this, the transfiguration mistress groaned.
"Merlin. I dread telling him this…"
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
End of chapter 17
Okay, I know this chapter is short and messy, but I really don't have the time to continue as I'm still having my exams, sorry ^_^!
Actually, I wasn't intending to write this until after my exams, yet the guilt of not updating was so great that I rushed out this chapter, leaving the preparation for my art exams to be delayed… again.
*gulps* I'm supposed to finish my A-Z drawings, cubism piece, tic-tac toe assignment, plus a self-portrait in three days. *groans* And I have a reading on Sunday! I feel as if the next few days will be hell… Pray for me guys!
Anyways, ramblings aside, I hope that this chapter is to your liking. Actually, I took quite some time to figure the logic puzzle of the first book, and my hypothesis might be wrong. I've had quite a few solutions, and since this was the most possible among them, I've used it instead. Any ideas what the real solution was?
Then, there's this small tit bit I've forgotten to add last chapter. In the mindspeech conversation with Mikael, what Silverdawn had meant in the last phrase, 'wakatta, aniki.' means, 'I know/will, brother.'
Alright, review time!
CloakofDarkness ~ I've read from several somewheres that Harry's name was Harold Potter. No very sure though… *sheepish grin*
*anonymous* ~ Okie, I've updated again! Though it's pretty late…
Orange ~ Sorry about the cliffhanger. I've a feeling that this is the worst one that I've put up for you guys, but hey! That will make you guys wanna read more, eh? *I'm evil, can't help it. Hehe* However, I'm sorry to have dampened your mood after the raid. *chagrin* This chapter isn't much better, is it?
Madame Padfoot ~ *grins* Thanks! Severus is engaged to Athena, but they weren't married yet. Sev never actually knew that Athena was pregnant… Also, Athena is Silverdawn's aunt from her father's side. Israfil was an only child. And nope, only Severus is an angel in the Snape family. The reason will be explained later =þ
ilovespike-02 ~ Don't worry, Snape is starting to get suspicious. I mean, he'll find out soon, it's just three days to Herm's birthday! However, he never knew about the uniform… that would make him more than shocked.
Zilent1 ~ *laughs uncontrollably* You don't have to censor your review. But seeing you write Pansy being a 'bi… er… female dog' I couldn't stop laughing. I agree with you though, she really is what you term her as!
bubblegum*girl ~ Sorry about the constant delaying in this fic… Yup, Hermione is starting is show the obvious signs – she can no longer control the psychic powers now that the dormant channel has opened. Hopefully, Met will seal it until someone deems it fit to teach her control.
Zara ~ Aww… at least this chapter wasn't a cliffhanger… I hope!
mow wow ~ I agree with you. Last chapter was rather good, in comparison, this chapter is too untidy and has several loopholes. *sighs* It's difficult to keep up!
Azrael ~ Thanks! I'm glad that someone is able to keep up with the constant popping up of new characters and different beings. It was really fun to mix everything up in a place that was already specified in Ms. Rowling's world!
ElvenFaerie ~ Glad you like the addition of anime ideas. I like manga very much, so there's some derivations from various manga. Angel Sanctuary is one of the main influences, cos' I've loved angels since a long time ago!
As de corazones ~ *beams* I suppose all of your questions have been answered. Nikolai is finally being let on about Hermione's true identity, and Sev is warming up on her. Don't worry, Hermione will awake on her birthday, three days later. Soon lady, soon =)
Anne K. Letoile ~ ::intrigued:: From your review, I know that you write well too. Serious! You have eloquence too, and the way you've written this review makes me feel… well… immature. I don't know how to explain it, but it does. Nonetheless, thank you for your compliment, I'll definitely continue this story. I'm too far involved not to.
Aemos ~ Thanks! Hermione is distressed all right, but there will be people there for her. For one, Harry is more than worried for her, and Silver + Severus will be there to help too.
EvilFireWitch ~ You'll be even sadder in the upcoming chapters. And nope, I'm not going to reveal further for now. About the slow updating, sorry!
Omni ~ Glad that last chapter was up to your expectations. About your questions, both of the girls' hair were silver by the end of the chapter, and Belial placed wards on them so that they would be safe in the fire until they extricate the couple out. After all, they are to be sent to St Mungo's – Sev has no intention of letting them burn to death. Is this explanation alright?
cherrity ~ Thanks. I'll ask you if I don't know any questions. Btw, sorry that this chapter is albeit short, the reasons were given above. *rueful*
KT*CUP ~ The delay for this chapter was imminent. Hope you don't mind!
Chavi ~ *looks glum* Poor Hermione indeed. The upcoming events will make her even more upset…
*anonymous* ~ My favorite chapter too! Next chapter might be a little late too… hope you wouldn't mind!
Faith ~ *beams* Thanks for the compliment! Still, my writing isn't very good – I keep repeating some words over and over again! Guess I'll have to read more books… Hmm, Hermione has several statuses she inherited from her mother, but she won't be the ruler of anywhere. However, she will still termed princess due to her direct linkage with the Kadamon family. Hope this answers your question!
littlemandyralph ~ it was your review that made me wish to change the date of Hermione's birthday again. Thanks for the reminder! Also, I've read your fic, Darkness be my Friend. It's good, seeing the angst that Hermione exude made me shiver… she's so cynical. Nonetheless, I've loved it, so please, update soon! I felt betrayed by that invisible chapter!
starbrite ~ oops! I've updated late again. *defends myself* But I've got my exams! And I've a feeling that I'm going to get retained this year. Uh oh.
Loves_Kiss ~ I'm afraid I'll have to update rather irregularly. Some problems with homework and home. Sorry!
howling wolf ~ yeah! *does a little dance* I've gotten this chapter up. hope you'll review it too, and tell me what I can improve on =)
Colibi ~ *thoughtful* Chapter 17 is up, but chapter 18 will be on hold until I've settled some stuff and finished writing the 3rd chapter of Salvation…
EclypsCC1 ~ The updating is kinda difficult, so I'll introduce some fics instead. Those that I've posted in my favorite fics page are rather good, especially Midnight Blue's 'Mirror of Maybe'. However, the updates are rather irregular too… *sigh* Oh, the fics by neutral are all rather good. You should go check it out. And if you like Slytherins, go check out J L Matthews fics, they are really good!
Tracy ~ *cheekily* You're forgiven. Thanks for your constant support lady!
Lily_Cat ~ Okie, this fic is mainly based on Hermione's past. Hope it's up to your standards!
Melodie ~ *shakes head in a panicky manner* Oh no no no no no… I'm will never try for 20000 words. Just thinking about it gives me the creeps… I'll faint by then! *lol* Er… sorry for being stupid, but what does it mean by 'rocks the casbar'?
goosepimple ~ Here, chapter 17 hot from the oven. Sorry if it's a tad bit late (more like very late)…
Dark Angel ~ Hermione's hair is about the same length as Silver's – waist length usually. However, one interesting thing about the Kadamons is that they can will their hair to be of whatever length they want. It they want it ankle length, they will be in just seconds! And I had to stop writing cos' my mother's threatening me to delete my works if I don't sleep now.
arcee ~ *dismayed* You don't like the uniforms? … Nevermind. I'm glad you like the shopping though =) Hope this chapter is alright with you…
Rebuky ~ Thanks! Well, this chapter is posted quite late, and it isn't as lengthy. Still, I hope you've liked it.
Eliza ~ Chapter 17's out! We'll be seeing more of Sev and Hermione in the next chapter, so keep a lookout for that!
Li-chan ~ Perceptive of you… Well, Hermione's parents meeting with Death Eaters was imminent, what with Hermione being tops in school and all. Her heritage will be revealed very soon, although it won't be in the next two-three chapters. Plus, I'm glad that the game went well.
janmmci ~ the color was exclusively for the Kadamon family. That's why Nikolai was able to find out that Hermione was indeed a Kadamon. Pansy and the others will get it soon, and of course, the girl will complain to Lucius. Wanna see Draco get disowned? I'm sorry if I made Severus a bit too soft, but he's tired, I am too. *grins unrepentantly* Glad you liked Salvation too. That story would not have a happy ending though. Beware! P/s: Hope your research papers go well! I know mine didn't. *glum*
salinia ~ I'm sorry, but I don't really know French. However, I really thank you for your review, irregardless of whether it was good or not!
pegase ~ thanks for translating my fic into French. I've read it, but can't really understand cos' I'm totally clueless at French! *sheepish and embarrassed*
Donna ~ Aww… at least I've updated now, though it isn't really up to my usual standards.
Feich ~ You like Draco, don't you? Thanks for reading this fic!
CloakofDarkness ~ Oops! I'd forgotten to add the word 'not'. Er… the mistake was quite drastic, wasn't it?
PunkyPrincess ~ Hermione's paired with Harry. I know, it's a pairing that's used too often, but it can be rather sweet too, doesn't it?
Qrakie ~ Hermione's father? It's pretty obvious, isn't it? Er… maybe not. You'll just have to wait to get the answer… Sorry!
Jade Dagger ~ I've updated!!! Thank god!
Angel Malfoy ~ Ooh! I'm glad I've changed your mind about it being weird to have Snape as Hermione's father. What do you think about Snape being the father of Harry? Several of the stories I've read about such pairings come out great too!
Necrosia of the Moon and Night ~ Thanks for adding me into your favorites list! You have a good plot in your hands, so update your fic soon too!
Aemos ~ You've reviewed twice, I'll reply twice. Thanks! Your review and exclamation about it made me laugh ^_-
bubblegum*girl ~ your plea was the reason I wrote this chapter before finishing my exams. So if I failed my art, *menacing* I am so gonna kill you! *just kidding*
lilabeth ~ updating… updating… Jeez, I've finally updated!
DarkQueenofShair ~ Severus is gonna find out on her birthday, and boy, will he be furious!
Okie, that's all for reviews. I hope I haven't left anyone out 6_^
Any flames, suggestions, questions are welcome. So do review!
Toodles,
Josephine
aka
Silverdawn