The stars sparkled with extraordinary ominescience over the relatively small school of witchraft and wizardry that lay still below them. All was quiet on the grounds, for it was well past midnight, and every student and professor lay still in their beds. Though, one young man lay awake. He strolled out onto the grounds, and slipped past the lake unnoticed. From far away the character was a mere silhouette against the darkened landscape. He was not easily traced due to the camouflage of his surroundings. Yet he pressed on with his only light beaming from the half moon that shone high in the sky.
A closer look at this midnight walker revealed a small silver light shining from his right hand, a dagger. As he pressed on further, his destination was revealed. The hut lay glowing on the outskirts of a harsh and predatory forest. It's sole inhabitant seemed to be the only human awake on these grounds, spare the midnight walker himself. He crept ever closer towards the rounded door, looming outside of the window. His sight was greeted by the sleeping figure of a rather large and unkempt man, resting on a battered piece of cloth and stuffing that might have once been recognized as a couch.
Licking his lips victoriously, a wand escaped the young man's cloak and a few words were whispered in sadistic tone. The large man slept so loudly that his intruder was sure someone in the great castle would wake and dash to the cabin to find him there.
This is it, he thought to himself, it's now or never.
With a swift silent motion, the intruder lifted the dagger above the resting form, and wedged it deep into the man's chest. No sound emitted from his lips, he simply slumped further down into his couch than before. His fingers uncurling slowly upon his impending death. And just as quickly as he came, the midnight walker left, leaving no evidence of his arrival or departure.
------------
Potions class, just what she needed. It wasn't that she couldn't handle it. It was the fact that the whole day lay ahead of her and the vicious cycle had started yet again. She took a deep breath.
It's your seventh year, just get through this and you're out of here. Though these words could not end her contempt for the schedule she had chosen. First, O.W.L Potions, Second, O.W.L. Arithmancy, Third O.W.L Herbology, Fourth O.W.L Astronomy. What the bloody hell was I thinking?
" Hermione," a sullen voice protruded her thoughts. She jerked up, catching the man who had so rudely intruded upon her daydreams.
" Yes, Professor Snape?" she replied innocently.
" Do you have an answer?" he asked again in slightly different form. Leave it to Snape to call on me the only time I don't have the answer. Why, that half-witted bas--
" It seems that Miss Granger is not paying attention today. Maybe she thinks it's appropriate to slack off in her seventh year at Hogwarts. Would anyone like to correct Miss Granger's mistake?" A hand shot up as quick as lightning.
" Yes, Miss Parkinson?" A petite blonde girl lowered her hand gently and answered smartly.
" Mugwort, the answer is Mugwort." The girl's gaze swept over to Hermione and turned into a glare that could burn through even the strongest man's ego.
" Very good, Miss Parkinson. Ten points to Slytherin." The grim man showed a vacant smile and then quickly hid it again under the wrinkles and depressed features of his face. Hermione quickly shut-out the affrontary and slipped back into deep thoughts.
An hour went by before the class was finally let out. A sigh of relief escaped Hermione as she slipped out of the dungeon and onto the main floor. The dungeon was dreary and depressing, reminding Hermione of just how dramatically lifeless the man who lived there must be.
Hermione felt relieved that it was time for lunch, and that she could sit for an hour without interupption or interrogation. Though, the sight was much different as she entered the great hall. Groups of students were huddled everywhere, and no one sat still. Only a few teachers sat in their appropriate spots, watching the students closely for any sign of misconduct.
" What's going on?" she asked outloud. In response, a firm hand rested on her shoulder. Hermione spun around the see her Transfiguration Professor with red eyes and several handkercheifs hanging loosely from her robe pockets. Before she could say anything, the professor took her hand.
" Come with me, Hermione." McGonagal whisked her through the crowds of students and teachers and through several hallways before coming to a small statue. Hermione didn't recognize this statue as being a passageway, but McGonagal spoke a few words and the statue lifted to reveal a set of stairs leading down below the main floor of the school. The professor stepped onto the stairs and started to make her way down, and Hermione followed willingly; the door closing behind her.
As they descended the steps, an oval room came into view. Along with several familiar faces. Dumbledore, Snape, Flitwick, and several other professors. But along with the professors were several students she knew well, such as her best friends, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, including Neville Longbottom, Ginny Weasley, Seamus Finnagin, and a few others. As soon as Hermione took a seat by her friends, Dumbledore began to speak. His eyes, much like McGonagal were a very scarlet shade, which surprised Hermione greatly. She had thought the old man incapable of tears, they seemed so childish compared to his demeanor. Immediatley, Hermione sensed harsh news floating her way.
" My friends," he started, " Professors and students alike. There was discovered this morning a great and tragic loss to the school and to all of us. While your fellow students may be spreading false rumors around the great hall at this very moment, you have been chosen to know the truth, since you few were so closely tied to the loss in question. This morning at exactly eleven o'clock, a dead body was found in a cabin on the grounds of Hogwarts. This body belonged to a dear man named Rubeus Hagrid,"
The old man left room for pause as the entire room lit up with gasps and sharp cries. Hermione sat in utter shock and denial as, for the first time, she viewed small clear specs emitting from the wise man's eyes; along with the dormant Potions professor beside him. Shifting her view to her best friends sitting beside her, she caught glimpses of the same shock and denile coursing through her mind at the moment.
" A public funeral is to be held on school grounds for the entirity of Hogwarts, then a more exclusive showing shall be held at the mentioned burial place in Hagrid's will. All of you present in this room are hereby invited to the private funeral and will be notified as to the time and date and departure information as soon as possible,
" I have decided to cancel any classes for the remainder of the day in place of mourning. I hope that all of you will use this time to sit in memory of Rubeus Hagrid. And, if any of you know of anyone who might be involved in the crime commited, please let me know," the old man's eyes drifted distinctively over to the three Gryffyndors seated next to each other, and Hermione felt a chill upon her spine, " as soon as humanely possible."
As the headmaster's speech concluded, the room slowly flooded out and back into the main school area, leaving a shocked and disentangled trio to themselves. At that moment, Hermione felt a burning desire; growing in the pit of her stomach. A strong lust for the tasteful blood of a murderer. Her eyes, darkened in color, and her cheeks flushed the shade of a winter's rose. All that was before, was now a memory. A figmentation of some better time, in some better place. It wasn't real anymore; this moment was real. Now was real. And now, all she needed was a dagger in a killer's heart and a strong sensation of revenge playing on her mind. As all of these thoughts and ragings collected inside of her, the two left on the exterior were becoming extremely shattered. Tears formed at the pit of the red headed boy's eyes, and the boy-who-lived was holding his head menacingly in his hands.
Though, another figure lay beyond the shadows of the room, watching them, waiting for them.
A closer look at this midnight walker revealed a small silver light shining from his right hand, a dagger. As he pressed on further, his destination was revealed. The hut lay glowing on the outskirts of a harsh and predatory forest. It's sole inhabitant seemed to be the only human awake on these grounds, spare the midnight walker himself. He crept ever closer towards the rounded door, looming outside of the window. His sight was greeted by the sleeping figure of a rather large and unkempt man, resting on a battered piece of cloth and stuffing that might have once been recognized as a couch.
Licking his lips victoriously, a wand escaped the young man's cloak and a few words were whispered in sadistic tone. The large man slept so loudly that his intruder was sure someone in the great castle would wake and dash to the cabin to find him there.
This is it, he thought to himself, it's now or never.
With a swift silent motion, the intruder lifted the dagger above the resting form, and wedged it deep into the man's chest. No sound emitted from his lips, he simply slumped further down into his couch than before. His fingers uncurling slowly upon his impending death. And just as quickly as he came, the midnight walker left, leaving no evidence of his arrival or departure.
------------
Potions class, just what she needed. It wasn't that she couldn't handle it. It was the fact that the whole day lay ahead of her and the vicious cycle had started yet again. She took a deep breath.
It's your seventh year, just get through this and you're out of here. Though these words could not end her contempt for the schedule she had chosen. First, O.W.L Potions, Second, O.W.L. Arithmancy, Third O.W.L Herbology, Fourth O.W.L Astronomy. What the bloody hell was I thinking?
" Hermione," a sullen voice protruded her thoughts. She jerked up, catching the man who had so rudely intruded upon her daydreams.
" Yes, Professor Snape?" she replied innocently.
" Do you have an answer?" he asked again in slightly different form. Leave it to Snape to call on me the only time I don't have the answer. Why, that half-witted bas--
" It seems that Miss Granger is not paying attention today. Maybe she thinks it's appropriate to slack off in her seventh year at Hogwarts. Would anyone like to correct Miss Granger's mistake?" A hand shot up as quick as lightning.
" Yes, Miss Parkinson?" A petite blonde girl lowered her hand gently and answered smartly.
" Mugwort, the answer is Mugwort." The girl's gaze swept over to Hermione and turned into a glare that could burn through even the strongest man's ego.
" Very good, Miss Parkinson. Ten points to Slytherin." The grim man showed a vacant smile and then quickly hid it again under the wrinkles and depressed features of his face. Hermione quickly shut-out the affrontary and slipped back into deep thoughts.
An hour went by before the class was finally let out. A sigh of relief escaped Hermione as she slipped out of the dungeon and onto the main floor. The dungeon was dreary and depressing, reminding Hermione of just how dramatically lifeless the man who lived there must be.
Hermione felt relieved that it was time for lunch, and that she could sit for an hour without interupption or interrogation. Though, the sight was much different as she entered the great hall. Groups of students were huddled everywhere, and no one sat still. Only a few teachers sat in their appropriate spots, watching the students closely for any sign of misconduct.
" What's going on?" she asked outloud. In response, a firm hand rested on her shoulder. Hermione spun around the see her Transfiguration Professor with red eyes and several handkercheifs hanging loosely from her robe pockets. Before she could say anything, the professor took her hand.
" Come with me, Hermione." McGonagal whisked her through the crowds of students and teachers and through several hallways before coming to a small statue. Hermione didn't recognize this statue as being a passageway, but McGonagal spoke a few words and the statue lifted to reveal a set of stairs leading down below the main floor of the school. The professor stepped onto the stairs and started to make her way down, and Hermione followed willingly; the door closing behind her.
As they descended the steps, an oval room came into view. Along with several familiar faces. Dumbledore, Snape, Flitwick, and several other professors. But along with the professors were several students she knew well, such as her best friends, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, including Neville Longbottom, Ginny Weasley, Seamus Finnagin, and a few others. As soon as Hermione took a seat by her friends, Dumbledore began to speak. His eyes, much like McGonagal were a very scarlet shade, which surprised Hermione greatly. She had thought the old man incapable of tears, they seemed so childish compared to his demeanor. Immediatley, Hermione sensed harsh news floating her way.
" My friends," he started, " Professors and students alike. There was discovered this morning a great and tragic loss to the school and to all of us. While your fellow students may be spreading false rumors around the great hall at this very moment, you have been chosen to know the truth, since you few were so closely tied to the loss in question. This morning at exactly eleven o'clock, a dead body was found in a cabin on the grounds of Hogwarts. This body belonged to a dear man named Rubeus Hagrid,"
The old man left room for pause as the entire room lit up with gasps and sharp cries. Hermione sat in utter shock and denial as, for the first time, she viewed small clear specs emitting from the wise man's eyes; along with the dormant Potions professor beside him. Shifting her view to her best friends sitting beside her, she caught glimpses of the same shock and denile coursing through her mind at the moment.
" A public funeral is to be held on school grounds for the entirity of Hogwarts, then a more exclusive showing shall be held at the mentioned burial place in Hagrid's will. All of you present in this room are hereby invited to the private funeral and will be notified as to the time and date and departure information as soon as possible,
" I have decided to cancel any classes for the remainder of the day in place of mourning. I hope that all of you will use this time to sit in memory of Rubeus Hagrid. And, if any of you know of anyone who might be involved in the crime commited, please let me know," the old man's eyes drifted distinctively over to the three Gryffyndors seated next to each other, and Hermione felt a chill upon her spine, " as soon as humanely possible."
As the headmaster's speech concluded, the room slowly flooded out and back into the main school area, leaving a shocked and disentangled trio to themselves. At that moment, Hermione felt a burning desire; growing in the pit of her stomach. A strong lust for the tasteful blood of a murderer. Her eyes, darkened in color, and her cheeks flushed the shade of a winter's rose. All that was before, was now a memory. A figmentation of some better time, in some better place. It wasn't real anymore; this moment was real. Now was real. And now, all she needed was a dagger in a killer's heart and a strong sensation of revenge playing on her mind. As all of these thoughts and ragings collected inside of her, the two left on the exterior were becoming extremely shattered. Tears formed at the pit of the red headed boy's eyes, and the boy-who-lived was holding his head menacingly in his hands.
Though, another figure lay beyond the shadows of the room, watching them, waiting for them.