I do not own Harry Potter. This is my own idea. All rights are reserved
to JK Rowling
To the people who took the time to Review: I would like to express my gratitude for taking the time to let me know what you think of my story. It gave me the push I needed to continue.
PLEASE KEEP REVIEWING!!!
Chapter 4: Who am I?
Every head in the bar turned in the direction of the door as the young woman entered. Hollie looked at the people gawking at her and became very uncomfortable. These people were dressed in the same clothing that the man in her dream had been wearing. Remembering that she had been in similar attire when she was found, she relaxed. As she made her way to the bar every eye followed her.
"Hi, Miss," said the man behind the counter. He looked utterly bewildered. "What can I do for you?"
"I, uh, could I have a glass of water please?" Hollie was not sure how to go about asking her questions or what to ask for that matter. She needed some time to get her thoughts together. The bartender nodded and placed the glass of water in front of her. She sipped it and realized that no one in the bar had resumed their conversations; it was deadly quiet.
She turned around to face the people. Taking a deep breath and gathering her courage she addressed them. "Did I do something wrong?" At that the people turned away from her and began to converse.
"You didn't do anything wrong, Miss. We just aren't used to people dressed like you coming in here," the bartender answered her. She glanced down at her clothing. She was wearing faded blue jeans that she got from a second hand store and an old sweatshirt under her heavy tan winter coat. "I'm Jon. What's your name?"
"People call me Hollie," she said. She still had not gotten used to telling people her name was Hollie; it just made more sense to say that was what she was called. She noticed the kind look on Jon's face. He seemed to be in his early thirties with curly, brown hair and brown eyes. Even with a scar at the corner of his mouth his smile was reassuring and she decided that if she was going to ask someone it might as well be him. "Do you know a place called Hogwarts?"
Jon's eyes grew large and she could see him thinking about whether he was going to answer her question truthfully. She was not sure whether she had always been good at reading people or if it was a new trait she had obtained since her accident. Finally the bartender found his voice and replied, "Why do you ask?"
'Oh boy,' she thought. 'Now I have to explain my story.' Although this was not the first time she had to describe what happened to her, she had done so with the curious employees at Book Classics, she still felt uncomfortable talking about it. "Well, I have this ring," she lifted her right hand to allow Jon a closer look. "It has the name Hogwarts and the year 1998 engraved on it but no one has heard of such a place. I think it might be a school I attended but I am not certain."
"You don't know what school you went to?" She could see the concern in his eyes as he asked the question and she knew more explaining would be necessary if she was to get any answers out of this man.
"I, uh, I was in a coma for over three months and I have no recollection of anything before then," she could not believe she was telling this stranger she was that vulnerable. Then again, to her everyone was technically a stranger. "I was found in the alleyway next to this bar and in a dream I had, which I think was a memory really, I noticed the sign to this place and thought that this was a good place to start."
"Three months? That would mean you were found around the end of September or beginning of October." Hollie could tell he wanted to find out as much of her story as possible, and she could not blame him. If someone had asked Hollie these questions and told her this tale she would want to hear the whole thing as well.
"Actually, I was found a year ago today. I awoke in early April and after I finished my physical therapy I moved to a flat in London and have been on my own for the past eight months. This is the first time I have built up my courage enough to look for answers," she sighed. That had taken plenty out of her. She figured that since she had told him this much she might as well go all the way. "I have this charm on my necklace that I was also found with, it has the letters HRH," she clutched the charm for support. "Everyone at the hospital thought those were my initials and since I was found around Christmas they called me Hollie."
She heard the man gasp and start to back away from the bar. His eyes were once again wide and his mouth was hanging open in utter shock. Hollie's nerves started to quake at the sight and thought she had said something wrong. "Wait right here!" the man told her before walking out from behind the bar and exiting through the door at the back of the room.
Her heart was pounding behind her ribs and her hands were beginning to sweat, especially the one clutching her charm. She had a tendency to hold onto that charm for dear life whenever she felt nervous or afraid, as if the charm itself would protect her. She shook her head slightly at her own stupidity, removing her hand from its perch, 'This charm cannot protect me! How foolish can I be?'
Hearing the sound of many hurried feet at the back of the room she turned her head to see Jon approaching with three men at his heals. She furrowed her brow thinking, 'It isn't as if I did anything wrong. All he had to do was ask me to leave, not bring in his bouncers to do the job.' But as she got a closer look at the men, actually two men and a woman, she noticed that these were most certainly no bouncers.
The first man was tall and looked extremely old, with a long, silvery-white beard and a mustache and hair to match. He had small half-moon spectacles perched on his long, crooked nose and a twinkle in his eye that was uncommon for a man his age. The second man was surly looking, with jet- black hair that she could tell was greasy even from this distance, and black, bottomless eyes. He also had a hooked nose and sallow skin. The woman next to him was not as young as the second man nor did she seem as old as the first. Her black hair was pulled up into a tight bun, which seemed to severely stretch the skin on her face. Her robes of emerald green seemed to accentuate her height and her glasses gave her a dignified look.
Deciding that staring at the three people, as well as the bartender, was impolite she turned away and began sipping her water. Subconsciously her right hand traveled up to her throat to once again grasp the charm on the necklace she wore.
When she looked up from her water Jon was standing in front of her, but instead of looking shocked like he had when he hurried off, he looked pleased and was grinning broadly. The hairs on the back of her neck began to stand on end as realization dawned on her that she was being watched.
Slowly swiveling on her stool and tucking her bushy locks behind her ears with her free hand she found herself facing the three people that arrived with Jon just moments before. All three looked shocked, happy, and nervous at the same time while they ogled her intensely. "I told you it was her," she heard the bartender behind her utter.
"You, you know who I am?" she stuttered. But the three people did not seem to have found their voices yet and all six eyes were on the hand that clutched the charm at her throat.
"May we see your charm?" the woman asked softly. Her lips were thin and her spectacles were about to fall off the end of her nose. She seemed kindly and Hollie thought that if they had any clue as to her identity she would show them her precious charm.
Removing her hand she spoke, "I, ah, never take it off, so if it is alright with you, er, you can take a look at it where it lies." There was no power in the universe that could make Hollie remove her necklace, not even death itself. It was the only thing that mattered to her in the slightest because it gave her the feeling that she was loved and cared for at some point in her mysterious past.
The woman slowly lifted her hand to the ornament and rubbed her thumb over the letters repeatedly as if they might change shape under her touch. After what seemed like an eternity with the woman's hand all over her most prized possession, she heard the woman mumble, "HRH," and let the trinket slide from her fingers to come back into contact with Hollie's skin. The woman then turned to the man with the silvery-white beard, "Its her, Dumbledore," she said with the utmost conviction.
'Dumbledore,' she thought. 'That name certainly sounds familiar.' "I'm sorry, but if you know who I am I would very much appreciate it if you would address me." After she said it her hand flew to her mouth. "I, ah, didn't mean to sound rude," she mumbled through her fingers. Removing her hand from her face she decided to change strategies, "Would you mind telling me who you are?" As she said this she noticed the smile fade from the woman's mouth and her eyes begin to water. The man with the black hair creased his brow, but the older man's eyes were still sparkling and he continued to smile at her.
'My name is Albus Dumbledore and I work as head master at Hogwarts,' he paused and she could tell he was leaving something out. He had an uncanny ability to make her feel comfortable. 'These two people are Professor Snape," he pointed to the surly looking man on his left. "And Professor McGonagall," he said as he motioned to the woman of the group. "They both work with me at the school you once attended."
"So, I was right. I did attend this school." She smiled to herself and grasped at her throat again. "Then how come no one has heard of it? Everyone at the hospital had no idea what it was or where it was located. Actually, come to think of it, the same is true for this bar." She spoke the next part more to herself than the three people in her presence. "Hogwarts must be a private school and this tavern has to be exclusive as well, it is the only logical explanation."
Hollie noticed Dumbledore's eyes were still sparkling behind his glasses and his smile seemed to widen. "You certainly are the smartest witch we ever had graduate from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Now she was certain she was hearing things. Witch! But even though it seemed odd it also seemed to make some sense as she thought back on the events of her nightmare.
After thinking for a few moments she voiced her opinion. "So the sticks in my dream, the one that I was holding and the one the man was pointing at me, were wands then?" she questioned even though she already knew the answer.
"Yes," Snape replied. "Do you know the identity of your attacker?" He obviously wanted to get straight to the point. He did not seem the type of person to beat around the bush. He wiped some of his greasy hair out of his eyes and she could see the beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
"I remember, in fact it came back to me in a dream, that he was wearing a dark robe and had a hood over his face but I could see whiffs of blonde hair protruding from the hood," she paused.
"Lucius!" she heard Snape murmur. "Did he speak at all?" he questioned. Although his voice was rough there was a kindness in it that she could hear. His eyes glittered with unshed tears that did not seem to suit his demeanor in the slightest. She could feel his misty eyes boring into her and she felt as if he could see right through her strong façade, right to her weak core.
She took a deep breath and looked away from Snape before she continued, "He said that he wanted to make the three of us pay and that getting rid of me would make each of us suffer. But I was the only one there and I don't know the other two he was talking about."
"That low-down, good for nothing," Snape started but was interrupted by Dumbledore.
"Severus, now is not the time."
Hollie was thoughtful for a moment as she considered what to say next. "I think I came across someone from my past a few months ago. Even though I only saw him from behind he looked vaguely familiar and definitely reminded me of the man I saw last night in my nightmare, only younger."
"What happened when you saw this man?" McGonagall inquired.
Hollie blushed profusely as she remembered how cowardly she had acted. Her eyes lowered their gaze to the floor. "I hid. It didn't feel right to me so I hid. I work at a bookstore and when he came in I was stocking the shelves in the back. My boss helped him find what he needed; apparently he bought a book about the most common types of death. He said it was a gift for his father. I thought maybe his father might have been the person who attacked me," she paused for reflection. "But that sounds stupid!" she quickly added waving her hand dismissively.
"No it does not, my dear," McGonagall comforted. "It is always a good policy to go by one's instincts because most of the time they are correct, especially if you are a witch." She smiled at the girl seated in front of her.
Hollie decided to once again ask the question that was of the utmost importance to her, "I'm sorry, but, er, you do know who I am, right?" They still had yet to tell her what her name was and she thought that might trigger some sort of memory. "I have been called Hollie now for nearly a year but I have no idea what my real name is. Are HRH my initials?"
"Your name is Hermione, my dear," Dumbledore soothed. "Hermione Granger."
"Hermione Granger?" now she was confused. "What does HRH stand for then?" She just had to know the answer. If it wasn't her initials then it had to be something important, at least it had to be important to her.
She heard Dumbledore take a breath before he spoke. "HRH stands for Harry, Ron and Hermione. The three of you have been best friends since you were eleven and they bought you that charm for graduation. We have never known you to take it off, and obviously that is still the case." He paused and looked at the two professors standing beside him questioningly. She could tell he was considering how to say, or even whether to say the next part. "We now feel that your charm is what saved your life. Ron and Harry told us that as long as you wore it you would be kept from serious harm. They placed a spell on it to protect you because they were concerned for your safety. When you disappeared a year ago those two never gave up the hope that you were alive; they were well aware that you never took off the necklace."
"Ron and Harry?" she mumbled under her breath. As soon as the names left her lips it was as if thunder had crashed in her brain. She felt weak and saw everything around her go black as she collapsed to the floor, unconscious once again.
To the people who took the time to Review: I would like to express my gratitude for taking the time to let me know what you think of my story. It gave me the push I needed to continue.
PLEASE KEEP REVIEWING!!!
Chapter 4: Who am I?
Every head in the bar turned in the direction of the door as the young woman entered. Hollie looked at the people gawking at her and became very uncomfortable. These people were dressed in the same clothing that the man in her dream had been wearing. Remembering that she had been in similar attire when she was found, she relaxed. As she made her way to the bar every eye followed her.
"Hi, Miss," said the man behind the counter. He looked utterly bewildered. "What can I do for you?"
"I, uh, could I have a glass of water please?" Hollie was not sure how to go about asking her questions or what to ask for that matter. She needed some time to get her thoughts together. The bartender nodded and placed the glass of water in front of her. She sipped it and realized that no one in the bar had resumed their conversations; it was deadly quiet.
She turned around to face the people. Taking a deep breath and gathering her courage she addressed them. "Did I do something wrong?" At that the people turned away from her and began to converse.
"You didn't do anything wrong, Miss. We just aren't used to people dressed like you coming in here," the bartender answered her. She glanced down at her clothing. She was wearing faded blue jeans that she got from a second hand store and an old sweatshirt under her heavy tan winter coat. "I'm Jon. What's your name?"
"People call me Hollie," she said. She still had not gotten used to telling people her name was Hollie; it just made more sense to say that was what she was called. She noticed the kind look on Jon's face. He seemed to be in his early thirties with curly, brown hair and brown eyes. Even with a scar at the corner of his mouth his smile was reassuring and she decided that if she was going to ask someone it might as well be him. "Do you know a place called Hogwarts?"
Jon's eyes grew large and she could see him thinking about whether he was going to answer her question truthfully. She was not sure whether she had always been good at reading people or if it was a new trait she had obtained since her accident. Finally the bartender found his voice and replied, "Why do you ask?"
'Oh boy,' she thought. 'Now I have to explain my story.' Although this was not the first time she had to describe what happened to her, she had done so with the curious employees at Book Classics, she still felt uncomfortable talking about it. "Well, I have this ring," she lifted her right hand to allow Jon a closer look. "It has the name Hogwarts and the year 1998 engraved on it but no one has heard of such a place. I think it might be a school I attended but I am not certain."
"You don't know what school you went to?" She could see the concern in his eyes as he asked the question and she knew more explaining would be necessary if she was to get any answers out of this man.
"I, uh, I was in a coma for over three months and I have no recollection of anything before then," she could not believe she was telling this stranger she was that vulnerable. Then again, to her everyone was technically a stranger. "I was found in the alleyway next to this bar and in a dream I had, which I think was a memory really, I noticed the sign to this place and thought that this was a good place to start."
"Three months? That would mean you were found around the end of September or beginning of October." Hollie could tell he wanted to find out as much of her story as possible, and she could not blame him. If someone had asked Hollie these questions and told her this tale she would want to hear the whole thing as well.
"Actually, I was found a year ago today. I awoke in early April and after I finished my physical therapy I moved to a flat in London and have been on my own for the past eight months. This is the first time I have built up my courage enough to look for answers," she sighed. That had taken plenty out of her. She figured that since she had told him this much she might as well go all the way. "I have this charm on my necklace that I was also found with, it has the letters HRH," she clutched the charm for support. "Everyone at the hospital thought those were my initials and since I was found around Christmas they called me Hollie."
She heard the man gasp and start to back away from the bar. His eyes were once again wide and his mouth was hanging open in utter shock. Hollie's nerves started to quake at the sight and thought she had said something wrong. "Wait right here!" the man told her before walking out from behind the bar and exiting through the door at the back of the room.
Her heart was pounding behind her ribs and her hands were beginning to sweat, especially the one clutching her charm. She had a tendency to hold onto that charm for dear life whenever she felt nervous or afraid, as if the charm itself would protect her. She shook her head slightly at her own stupidity, removing her hand from its perch, 'This charm cannot protect me! How foolish can I be?'
Hearing the sound of many hurried feet at the back of the room she turned her head to see Jon approaching with three men at his heals. She furrowed her brow thinking, 'It isn't as if I did anything wrong. All he had to do was ask me to leave, not bring in his bouncers to do the job.' But as she got a closer look at the men, actually two men and a woman, she noticed that these were most certainly no bouncers.
The first man was tall and looked extremely old, with a long, silvery-white beard and a mustache and hair to match. He had small half-moon spectacles perched on his long, crooked nose and a twinkle in his eye that was uncommon for a man his age. The second man was surly looking, with jet- black hair that she could tell was greasy even from this distance, and black, bottomless eyes. He also had a hooked nose and sallow skin. The woman next to him was not as young as the second man nor did she seem as old as the first. Her black hair was pulled up into a tight bun, which seemed to severely stretch the skin on her face. Her robes of emerald green seemed to accentuate her height and her glasses gave her a dignified look.
Deciding that staring at the three people, as well as the bartender, was impolite she turned away and began sipping her water. Subconsciously her right hand traveled up to her throat to once again grasp the charm on the necklace she wore.
When she looked up from her water Jon was standing in front of her, but instead of looking shocked like he had when he hurried off, he looked pleased and was grinning broadly. The hairs on the back of her neck began to stand on end as realization dawned on her that she was being watched.
Slowly swiveling on her stool and tucking her bushy locks behind her ears with her free hand she found herself facing the three people that arrived with Jon just moments before. All three looked shocked, happy, and nervous at the same time while they ogled her intensely. "I told you it was her," she heard the bartender behind her utter.
"You, you know who I am?" she stuttered. But the three people did not seem to have found their voices yet and all six eyes were on the hand that clutched the charm at her throat.
"May we see your charm?" the woman asked softly. Her lips were thin and her spectacles were about to fall off the end of her nose. She seemed kindly and Hollie thought that if they had any clue as to her identity she would show them her precious charm.
Removing her hand she spoke, "I, ah, never take it off, so if it is alright with you, er, you can take a look at it where it lies." There was no power in the universe that could make Hollie remove her necklace, not even death itself. It was the only thing that mattered to her in the slightest because it gave her the feeling that she was loved and cared for at some point in her mysterious past.
The woman slowly lifted her hand to the ornament and rubbed her thumb over the letters repeatedly as if they might change shape under her touch. After what seemed like an eternity with the woman's hand all over her most prized possession, she heard the woman mumble, "HRH," and let the trinket slide from her fingers to come back into contact with Hollie's skin. The woman then turned to the man with the silvery-white beard, "Its her, Dumbledore," she said with the utmost conviction.
'Dumbledore,' she thought. 'That name certainly sounds familiar.' "I'm sorry, but if you know who I am I would very much appreciate it if you would address me." After she said it her hand flew to her mouth. "I, ah, didn't mean to sound rude," she mumbled through her fingers. Removing her hand from her face she decided to change strategies, "Would you mind telling me who you are?" As she said this she noticed the smile fade from the woman's mouth and her eyes begin to water. The man with the black hair creased his brow, but the older man's eyes were still sparkling and he continued to smile at her.
'My name is Albus Dumbledore and I work as head master at Hogwarts,' he paused and she could tell he was leaving something out. He had an uncanny ability to make her feel comfortable. 'These two people are Professor Snape," he pointed to the surly looking man on his left. "And Professor McGonagall," he said as he motioned to the woman of the group. "They both work with me at the school you once attended."
"So, I was right. I did attend this school." She smiled to herself and grasped at her throat again. "Then how come no one has heard of it? Everyone at the hospital had no idea what it was or where it was located. Actually, come to think of it, the same is true for this bar." She spoke the next part more to herself than the three people in her presence. "Hogwarts must be a private school and this tavern has to be exclusive as well, it is the only logical explanation."
Hollie noticed Dumbledore's eyes were still sparkling behind his glasses and his smile seemed to widen. "You certainly are the smartest witch we ever had graduate from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Now she was certain she was hearing things. Witch! But even though it seemed odd it also seemed to make some sense as she thought back on the events of her nightmare.
After thinking for a few moments she voiced her opinion. "So the sticks in my dream, the one that I was holding and the one the man was pointing at me, were wands then?" she questioned even though she already knew the answer.
"Yes," Snape replied. "Do you know the identity of your attacker?" He obviously wanted to get straight to the point. He did not seem the type of person to beat around the bush. He wiped some of his greasy hair out of his eyes and she could see the beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
"I remember, in fact it came back to me in a dream, that he was wearing a dark robe and had a hood over his face but I could see whiffs of blonde hair protruding from the hood," she paused.
"Lucius!" she heard Snape murmur. "Did he speak at all?" he questioned. Although his voice was rough there was a kindness in it that she could hear. His eyes glittered with unshed tears that did not seem to suit his demeanor in the slightest. She could feel his misty eyes boring into her and she felt as if he could see right through her strong façade, right to her weak core.
She took a deep breath and looked away from Snape before she continued, "He said that he wanted to make the three of us pay and that getting rid of me would make each of us suffer. But I was the only one there and I don't know the other two he was talking about."
"That low-down, good for nothing," Snape started but was interrupted by Dumbledore.
"Severus, now is not the time."
Hollie was thoughtful for a moment as she considered what to say next. "I think I came across someone from my past a few months ago. Even though I only saw him from behind he looked vaguely familiar and definitely reminded me of the man I saw last night in my nightmare, only younger."
"What happened when you saw this man?" McGonagall inquired.
Hollie blushed profusely as she remembered how cowardly she had acted. Her eyes lowered their gaze to the floor. "I hid. It didn't feel right to me so I hid. I work at a bookstore and when he came in I was stocking the shelves in the back. My boss helped him find what he needed; apparently he bought a book about the most common types of death. He said it was a gift for his father. I thought maybe his father might have been the person who attacked me," she paused for reflection. "But that sounds stupid!" she quickly added waving her hand dismissively.
"No it does not, my dear," McGonagall comforted. "It is always a good policy to go by one's instincts because most of the time they are correct, especially if you are a witch." She smiled at the girl seated in front of her.
Hollie decided to once again ask the question that was of the utmost importance to her, "I'm sorry, but, er, you do know who I am, right?" They still had yet to tell her what her name was and she thought that might trigger some sort of memory. "I have been called Hollie now for nearly a year but I have no idea what my real name is. Are HRH my initials?"
"Your name is Hermione, my dear," Dumbledore soothed. "Hermione Granger."
"Hermione Granger?" now she was confused. "What does HRH stand for then?" She just had to know the answer. If it wasn't her initials then it had to be something important, at least it had to be important to her.
She heard Dumbledore take a breath before he spoke. "HRH stands for Harry, Ron and Hermione. The three of you have been best friends since you were eleven and they bought you that charm for graduation. We have never known you to take it off, and obviously that is still the case." He paused and looked at the two professors standing beside him questioningly. She could tell he was considering how to say, or even whether to say the next part. "We now feel that your charm is what saved your life. Ron and Harry told us that as long as you wore it you would be kept from serious harm. They placed a spell on it to protect you because they were concerned for your safety. When you disappeared a year ago those two never gave up the hope that you were alive; they were well aware that you never took off the necklace."
"Ron and Harry?" she mumbled under her breath. As soon as the names left her lips it was as if thunder had crashed in her brain. She felt weak and saw everything around her go black as she collapsed to the floor, unconscious once again.