Chapter Six : Unleashed Shadows
Disclaimer: Me no own. You no sue. Characters all belong to JK Rowling, I am just . . . borrowing.
**Author's Notes: Apology for taking so long to post this chapter. Changes have also been made to the previous chapter (chapter five) and if they're wrong, will someone PLEASE tell me? Thanks.
Also, I've been wondering, did JK Rowling use "Mione" as a nickname for Hermione? Or is it just an overused name an author thought up? I've read too many fanfics and I seem to confuse a lot of things from the books and fanfiction. If anyone wants me to use "Mione" as a nick for her, do tell me.
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"Hey Hermione."
Hermione answered with a cheerful wave and a glance up at the hot and flustered Harry.
"Quidditch training?" She guessed.
"Nope," Ron answered without looking at her, "Harry's trunk."
"Oh. OH. You're out, aren't you?"
"Yeah. Thanks for noticing Hermione."
"Well at least now I don't have to get your homework for you." She replied, her eyes scanning the page in front of her at the same time. Harry could've sworn there was a note of disappointment in her voice.
"Lucky you."
Hermione smiled a little and then looked up, examining Harry more closely this time. "A trunk can't do that to you."
"I'll bet it can. I can't imagine it didn't break."
"That's what magic's for." Hermione answered automatically and immediately immerged herself back in the book she was reading.
"By the way, you know we have Potions with Snape and the Slytherins right?"
Hermione looked up confused and slightly annoyed, "I've had them for the two months, since school started. Besides, you have Divination with Trelawney. Same deal."
Harry paused. This was unlike Hermione. Hermione didn't ignore them for a book (unless it was the month before exams) and she didn't usually act the way she was acting now, which was almost on the edge of being rude.
"What's wrong, Hermione?" Harry asked cautiously.
Hermione sighed and dropped the book on the floor next to her.
"I don't know. Not enough sleep I guess."
"It's FIFTEEN WEEKS 'till the exams!" Ron had exclaimed, earning him one of Madame Pince's famous stares.
Hermione glared at him and Ron's mouth snapped shut. Hermione turned back to Harry. "I've been researching. I thought maybe I could find some information on you scar and if there's a link from it to your nightmares."
Harry opened his mouth, ready to protest at her help but changed his mind. It would be better if he didn't disagree to her work, that way, at least she wouldn't think he was against her helping him.
"What have you found?" Harry asked gingerly, subconsciously wondering why he wasn't afraid of the answer.
"Not much actually. For instance, I found that scars were a sign of powerful magic, on muggles and wizards alike, but since only proper wizards are taught to channel this magic, it became a sign of a powerful wizard. Since your scar was caused by You-Know-Who and not under birth-circumstances, I don't know if it applies to you. Why it took the form of a lightning-bolt im not sure either, but I found some strange stuff on the lightning symbol. Supposedly, (and this is SUPPOSEDLY, considering this comes from a book of divination readings I found), lightning bolts account for dark happenings--"
"No surprise there," Ron interrupted.
Both Hermione and Harry looked up at him angrily and Ron closed his mouth again. Hermione continued.
"And the mark of the lightning glows when danger is near — which I'm sure you can relate to — but it was also known to connect a human with other life-forms."
Harry had understood Hermione until that very moment and shot her a puzzled look. Ron's face held exactly the same expression.
"This doesn't refer to scars, just lightning bolts."
"Oh."
"Like, for example: There were flashes of light in the sky that resemble the form of lightning bolts when a dark wizard attacked during the reign of Grindelwald. Now, it is the Dark Mark of You-Know-Who."
Harry nodded and Hermione assumed he and Ron understood what she was talking about.
"So, why else do you think the Death-Eaters are afraid of wandering around and killing people at random? The Aurors are trained to see, sense and track these magical events and go after the ones who cause it."
"Okay, so I understand the lightning bolt thing, but what's that got to do with connecting?"
"Well, apparently, the lightning bolt, similar to the dark mark used by You-Know-Who, was used by Grindelwald to call his supporters. He couldn't hurt them with the Mark, like You-Know-Who can now, and it was used to call them. But people say that he held an advantage over his followers even You-Know-Who's power-through-pain couldn't stand up to. Here. Read this."
Hermione lifted the book from the floor and placed it back on her lap. She flipped each delicate page back until she reached a double page with a non-moving picture on one side and a long paragraph of writing on the other. Hermione pointed to about halfway.
"It's talking about Grindelwald."
**After his reign as the Dark Lord was extinguished by former-Auror Albus Dumbledore, ex-followers of Grindelward had been put under truth serum by Aurors under the permission of the Ministry of Magic. They said – **
"Cut to here." Hermione said and pointed to about three lines down.
["I never knew Dumbledore was a former-Auror," Ron remarked.]
**. . . Contacted by a glowing lightning shaped mark on their wrists, Grindelwald called and the thin cut in the shape of a lightning bolt the follower received at his initiation flashed once or twice, alerting the bearer. Orders were not ignored. Grindelwald was not betrayed, as it was literally impossible. The Dark Lord's life-force was bound to the scars he caused and he had the power to see through the eyes of any supporter he suspected was betraying him. The only disadvantage was the drain of health and power it caused him. **
"Isn't it more than a little suspicious?" Hermione was staring intently at Harry face.
"I guess," he answered uncertainly, "But the fact that Grindelwald could basically see what he's followers were doing would make him very powerful as a leader."
"Mmhmm." Hermione answered, "Except he wouldn't be able to control or harm that person in any way. They might not even know that another person was literally seeing what they saw at the same moment."
Ron eyes suddenly widened. "You mean, You-Know-Who could be watching us telling this to Harry at THIS VERY MOMENT?"
Another stare from Madame Pince.
"Yes and no," Hermione said slowly. "He may as well could be, but then I doubt he would've been able to uncover Grindelwald's spells and secrets in the first place and then discover known how to use them to his advantage."
"What I want to know," Harry said suddenly, "is how I could somehow use this to my advantage."
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Next chapter will probably be up in a few days.
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