Soooo sorry about the delay! I was obsessing over reading the next book! And it is fabulous, I might add. To everyone reading this who has read the book - wasn't it great? To everyone reading this who hasn't read the book - what are you reading fanfics for? Get out there and get the book!
Can people who read the last version remind me of what I did with Blaise Zabini? I remember that the prefects are Hermione, Draco, Hannah Abbott and Terry Boot. And I think the Head Girl is either Angelina or Katie from Gryffindor. Please help with the rest!
~ * ~
Disclaimer: I've read the next book. But I don't think, somehow, that JK Rowling is gonna sell the rights to Harry Potter for £18.99. So, I still don't own them.
"..." = talking
'Italics' = thinking
Italics = dreaming
Italics = singing/song
~ * ~
Hermione stared at the door. She had just been told, by a Malfoy under Veritaserum, that she was being chased by Voldemort, and that the youngest Malfoy loved her!
"This is too weird. I'm going back to the others," she muttered, shoving this thought to the back of her mind. She wandered into the compartment with the others in and froze.
"What's going on in here?"
Lavender and Ron were on the floor, while Harry and Ginny were standing above them, wands pointed. They all stopped and the smirks left them as they saw her.
"Hi Hermione," said Ginny loudly, drowning out Ron's cries of 'Help!'
"Hi. Get up, all of you," she ordered, waving her hand. A gust of wind blew them gently back onto the seats, leaving a space for Hermione between Lavender and Ginny.
"Wow, 'Mione! You have some explaining to do!" exclaimed Ron. "That was bloody brilliant!"
Hermione sighed. "Can it wait until we're at Hogwarts? I need to finish reading my book." She reached into her small bag and produced a book on Myths and Legends. "I really need to finish this, okay? I'll explain everything later, promise." She sat down and opened the book, a sign that no one was to disturb her. She stared blankly at the page as the conversation started around her. 'Why did I say those things to Draco? He was being honest, and I pushed him away. I had a chance to make him my friend, have him stop insulting me, and maybe have him help me find this prince. The legend says that the prince is evil, dark, and a serpent.'
"Serpent?! Slytherin!" she announced excitedly to the group. They stopped dealing out cards and stared at her.
"Wonderful deduction, Hermione. Now get to the part where it says dirty, lying, scheming, conniving, slimy serpent-y evil gits," said Ron. Everyone stared at him, except Ginny, who just laughed.
"Ronnie-kins," she teased, "got fed up of looking stupid next to Malfoy. So he looked up some new words to insult them with. And a few more words to make him seem smarter. Except, hmm, Hermione, would you say 'serpent-y' was a word?" They all laughed at Ron, who started to resemble a beetroot.
"Why did you say that?" asked Harry. "Why would you care about Slytherin?" His emerald eyes pierced hers, and even though she watched him from new eyes, she knew he could read her expressions. She decided to be honest.
"Who here has heard of the Elementals?" she asked. Lavender shyly put up her hand.
"I have. I was reading through a book for Divination, and it said that the best Seers come from the Elemental race. So I looked up about them. They are an ancient race that have the ability to control the various elements, and draw on the planet's force to heal. The best Healers are Elementals too." Everyone stared in shock.
"I am so gonna fail Divination," groaned Ron, hanging his head. Harry laughed at him.
"Ron mate, I see a big fat D in your future," he teased. "And mine, too." He then stared at Lavender. "We didn't have to do that, did we?"
"No, I was just reading, you know," said Lavender, turning pink. "The story is so romantic." She sighed happily, and Hermione looked up sharply.
"What story?"
"The story of the Elementals. They have a Queen, and a Princess. How cool is that?" she asked, staring dreamily into space. "According to the book I read, the Elemental Queen died sixteen years ago, giving birth to the Princess. The Queen was killed by You-Know-Who." She shook herself back to reality. "Anyway, You-Know-Who captured all the Elementals and put them in prisons where they would be weak. Like, the fire ones in the Arctic, and the Healers underground where they couldn't access the light." She scowled. "They are waiting for their hidden Prince and Princess, who, when they 'unite in their love' - it actually said that - will defeat You-Know-Who and free the others. They will then marry and unite the world of Elementals and Wizards once more."
Hermione sat stunned. Lavender had more information than she did! How was that possible?
"What does their Princess look like?" asked Harry suspiciously, glancing at Hermione. Ginny caught on to what Harry was implying and stared at Hermione intently. Lavender opened the book.
"Well, like her mother, I assume. Here's a picture." She turned the book around, and showed a painting of a tall woman, with long midnight-blue hair and sad eyes. Harry and Ginny looked from Hermione, to the picture, and back again.
"Hermione, did you know?" asked Ginny quietly. Hermione nodded miserably.
"Yes, I found out over the summer. This is what I was going to explain."
"Explain what?" asked Ron crossly. He looked to see what Harry and Ginny, and now Lavender, were staring at. His face paled.
"Blimey Hermione, either you really like her style or," he gulped, "you're the Princess."
*WHACK*
Ron blinked and fell to the ground. Hermione dropped the book. "Ron, thank you for that. You could have been a bit more sensitive, you know!" Hermione had tears in her eyes. "It's not like I asked for this! I was happy being Hermione Granger, Muggle-born witch extrodinaire. Now I'm Princess Hermione, destined to marry a Slytherin and defeat Voldemort!" Everyone, except Harry, flinched at the name. Usually Hermione didn't use his name, but she was getting a bit carried away, getting all the anger out of her system. "Before this happened, the only thing I worried about was the NEWTS! Now I have to worry about saving the world!" She sat down, and wiped her eyes.
"Hermione, we're sorry. We didn't know," said Ginny quietly. "I wish you'd told us. Maybe we could have helped."
Hermione reached over and hugged the concerned redhead. "I'm sorry I shouted, but it's just been so stressful. Although, I did roast Snape over the holidays." She giggled, and caught everyone's attention.
"You toasted the greasy git?" asked Ron, climbing back into his seat. His face was full of awe, wonder, and laughter. "Tell us! Come on! You should have taken a picture!" And with shouts of laughter, Hermione told what happened in the Library.
~ * ~
Draco kicked his trunk in frustration. Why had he given in? He cursed the voices that Hermione had placed in his head. 'I shouldn't have done it, I shouldn't have done it,' he repeated like a mantra in his head. "She hates me. Nothing can ever change it," he complained. "Why did I think it would? One lousy summer and I think the world changes. Some things never change, and Granger is one of them."
'But she has changed,' piped up one of the voices. 'You saw her. She looks nothing like Hermione Granger. She looks more like Aurora of the Elementals.'
"Who the hell is Aurora of the Elementals?" asked Draco curiously, disturbed that a voice in his mind knew more than he did. He cast his mind back to what his mother had told him over the summer.
~*Flashback*~
"Mum, it did it again!" Draco ran into the lounge. "Mum, my quill has just frozen and my parchment burst into flames! Has anyone been messing in my room?"
"No Draco, it's just you." Narcissa Malfoy sat reading a book, not even looking up.
"But, that's the fifth time this week! Why am I doing it? And why can't I tell Father?" Draco insisted, not letting it rest this time. He wanted answers.
"Draco, if your father found out, he would either kill you, or give you to Voldemort, so either way you would end up dead." Narcissa reached over to her wand and shouted, "Accio Aurora!" A small book flew into her hands, and she gave it to Draco. "Don't read it until you're safe and back at Hogwarts. Don't come home for the Christmas holidays. Don't date Pansy." Narcissa returned to her book, and Draco stormed out of the room.
~*End Flashback*~
"Mum called the book Aurora...maybe that's got something to do with it!" he shouted excitedly. Rummaging in his luggage, he wondered why he was so excited.
'Draco....you're excited over a girl? And a muggle-born no less? You should be ashamed,' chided a voice. Draco scowled.
"Screw you," he said calmly, as Pansy walked into the compartment.
"What? Drakie, you don't mean it?" she asked tearfully, running over. "I know that the new girl is using magic to attract all those guys, so don't worry. Finite Incantatem!" She pointed her wand at Draco. He glowed.
"Uh-oh," muttered Pansy. She turned and ran as Draco collapsed, still glowing.
"Who's a prefect here?" she shrieked, running through the train. Three heads popped out of different compartments; Hannah Abbott, Terry Boot, and Hermione.
"What's wrong? Parkinson, what is it?" asked Terry, clearly annoyed. Pansy turned around and stopped shrieking.
"You three have to come with me! It's Draco! Somethings wrong! I only did - YOU!" Pansy shouted the last word at Hermione. Terry and Hannah looked at her, and then back to Pansy. Pansy was glaring at Hermione.
"I'm assuming that you're talking about Hermione," said Hannah calmly. "She's the Gryffindor prefect. Hermione, you wanna come check it out?" Hannah started to walk up the train, to Draco's compartment. Hermione rushed after her. What if Draco had done something silly because of her?
~ * ~
"Oh Merlin! Go get a Professor! We need to get him to the Hospital Wing as soon as possible!"
~ * ~
Hermione returned to the compartment with a worried look on her face. She sank into her seat and stared at the floor. Harry and Ginny, seeing this, both clamped their hands over Ron's mouth. He gave them a reproachful look and shook his head, indicating that he wouldn't say anything. They all sat in silence, until Hermione looked at them with panic on her face.
"It's my fault, you know."
Everyone looked up at her in shock.
"It's my fault. I didn't listen to him. I should have, but I just turned him away and accused him of horrible things."
Ginny and Lavender exchanged significant looks. They were beginning to understand.
"He was unconscious when we reached his cabin. He must have hit his head when he fell, because there was blood. Pansy hit him with 'Finite Incantatem' and knocked him out. Hannah did the best she could, but she couldn't bring him round. Hannah wants to be a Healer, you know," she added. "She said that something was affecting his mind too. But Madam Pomfrey will be able to heal him."
Ron looked at Harry cluelessly. He shrugged and looked out of the window, indicating that it was up to Harry to say something. Harry sighed.
"Hermione, we're sorry," he said gently. Hermione stared at him, her eyes filled with tears. She flung herself at him, and started crying.
"Harry I should have listened to him! He was telling the truth, he had no choice but to! And I ignored him and turned him away, and accused him of horrible things, and he can never forgive me! Maybe this is because of the hex I put on him last year! I should take it off!" Hermione sat up and fumbled for her wand. "I hope he's going to be alright, if he dies, then it's all my fault!"
"Hermione, it's not your fault," said Harry gently. "You cry over everyone who dies. You can't blame yourself for this. Pansy hit him with the spell, and it probably knocked him over because he wasn't expecting it. That's all."
"But you don't understand, Harry." Hermione stared at him in annoyance. "He had just taken a load of Veritaserum. You know that any person's defence is weakened after taking Veritaserum. It's all the ingredients. It makes them more vulnerable. And, there was something strange about him, too." Hermione grabbed her wand and whispered a charm.
"What did you do?" asked Ginny cautiously. Hermione smiled wanly.
"I took off the spell that I put on him last year." She put her wand away. "You know, I could have made friends with him. He hates Death Eaters. Did you know that?" She stared at her hands. "He wanted to - be friends with me. He even apologised, under Veritaserum, for calling me a Mudblood."
"Hermione, what else did he say?" Lavender, being unusually perceptive, reached out and hugged Hermione. "He said something else, didn't he." It was a statement, not a question, and Hermione nodded.
"He said-" She started speaking but was cut off by the announcement saying that they would soon be at Hogwarts. Standing up, they gathered their wands and cleared their games up.
"What did he say?" asked Ron, as they joined the crowd on the platform. Hermione smiled weakly as she saw Draco's body being levitated up to Hogwarts on a stretcher.
"He said he loved me."
~ * ~
"Put him down there. Gently, Headmaster." Poppy Pomfrey bustled around the Hospital Wing, preparing a bed for Draco. "I wasn't expecting anyone up here so soon. What happened, Albus? A fight with Potter?" She pulled out her wand as Draco was lowered onto the bed and froze in shock.
"It would appear, Poppy, that he had taken Veritaserum. I do not know why, yet. And then Miss Parkinson, believing that he was under a spell, cast 'Finite Incantatem' on him." Dumbledore sat down heavily. "I sincerely hope that Lucius Malfoy is not alerted. It could mean death for the boy." They both stared down at Draco's face. It was almost the same as before he had been hit, but now his hair had grown slightly and fell over his eyes in wispy bangs. His closed eyes would, when he opened them, be the same colour as Hermione's.
"So the Concealment charm has been removed. And the spell blocking his powers, I assume." Poppy covered Draco up. "And the Memory charm." She sighed. "Narcissa did such a good job of hiding her powers from Lucius as well. Now they may both be killed."
"Yes, I fear so. He is now gaining all the memories transferred to him at birth. When he awakes, he will be Prince Draco. He will have all the powers of the Elementals."
~ * ~
Finite Incantatem is the spell to stop all other spells, right? Well, Draco has a spell to hide his true identity, and Pansy accidentally removes it. Silly bint. ^_^
Like it? Hate it? I thought it was a bit better this way, developing their emotions, and revealing Hermione's guilt which, if I can write it right, will turn to love. ^_^ It's better than Draco receiving an owl and going from hate to love in one day.
Ice Sprite - Thanks! Glad you like the Harry/Ginny pairing. And I'm glad you think the characters are not too OOC. That might change with this chapter though.
Diana Faeroe - I'm glad you like the idea of Draco having a thing for Hermione. It makes it so much easier to develop the relationship. And I'm glad my exams are over too. I can try and write lots more of this story. ^_^
Slytherin Angel - Yup! I spent days celebrating that my exams are over. In fact, I'm still celebrating. 'Cause I don't ever have to go back to that school! Woohoo! And here's an update in celebration ^_^
val (gordicgriffindor_91@hotmail.com) - The first one did start better, I must admit, but I hope to develop this more. The first one went too fast, and I wasn't happy with it. But I'm glad that you liked the first one.
Blue-Dreamz - Thanks! I've never seen anything similar to this, apart from the first version that I posted and took down. But people are welcome to use the idea, so I hope to see more ones where Hermione turns out to have super-cool powers ^_^
Next chapter may take a few days, 'cause I'm trying to make them longer. And I have to write a song for the Sorting Hat. That'll be difficult.
