To TARYN: Thank you for your e-mail. I loved it. That was the best review I've ever gotten, even if it really wasn't a review.
To MARGARIT MOCHA: A very general idea for the Sentinels came from the Robert Jordan series called theWheel of Time. If you're interested in fantasy at all it is a must have. The first book is called the Eye of the World. If you ever read it, you have to tell me how you like it. But I'm warning you. There are eleven books in the series so far. And Jordan isn't done yet.
To HARLEM CHILD: No, I'm not from Montana. I just thought that if there was going to be a large wizarding school in this country, it had better be in somewhere pretty remote. And you don't get much more remote than Montana.
Harry paced his hotel room furiously. In fact, he had been doing little else for the past eight hours. He was alone again. The two people he loved more than anything else were gone. And though McGonagall had tried to assure him that the Brotherhood would bring them back after this test, Harry found little comfort in the news.
Harry felt completely useless. His friends were in trouble-deep trouble-, and he couldn't do a damn thing about it. So he had taken up pacing. Every few steps, Harry would grip the sword that still hung at his side. Its cold steel was a strange comfort to him. He traced the jewel encrusted hilt with one finger as he walked.
Every once in a while, Harry would glance at a piece of paper on his bed. Just the sight of it made him more angry. He had found it in the parking lot next to Ron's torn robe. Even before he had read it, he knew Ron was in trouble. Nearby, a car's windshield had been smashed. Harry had picked up the piece of paper with trembling hands.
To whom it may concern,
We have taken Mr. Weasley and his bonded. I all goes well, they will be returned safely to the hotel, once the test has been completed. Ms. Granger will not sustain anymore injury if Mr. Weasley is who he has been parading around to be.
Harry had given the note to McGonagall, but instead of getting scared or angry, she simply sighed and said, "Well, it was going to happen eventually."
The rest of the students had boarded the limo. They asked questions about Ron and Hermione, and McGonagall told them that they were staying behind to help clean the hall. She said they would be getting rides back to the hotel from the Stillwater school. Harry knew this was a lie, but he also knew that Ron and Hermione had wanted to keep Ron's Sentinelship a secret. It was almost funny that the entire Salem school knew what Ron was, but his own classmates were clueless.
Harry was brought out of his reverie by a soft tap at the door. He glanced over at his bed-side table, where a digital clock sat. It was four A.M. Who the hell would come to his room at four AM?
He walked over to the door and opened it. It was McGonagall. "What do want?" he asked gruffly.
McGonagall swept in to the room and walked over the window. She looked out at the ocean. She gave long sigh and turned back to Harry. "I want to explain a few things."
"I'm listening."
"Harry, we can't do anything about Ron and Hermione."
"Why the hell not?"
"The Brotherhood has them, Harry."
"I'm aware of that. I have the note, remember?"
"Nothing we could possibly do would make this situation better."
"Why?"
"The Brotherhood is dangerous. In general, they are good people. But they take being Sentinels more seriously than you can imagine. If they want to keep Ron for two or three days, we can't stop them."
Harry felt helpless. "But we have to do something!"
McGonagall shrugged. "There isn't anything we could do. We don't know where he is. He could be anywhere."
Harry thought back on the banquet. "What did Headmaster Corey say about Ron going mad? She said he should be put in chains and sent...I can't remember where."
A few seconds passed before McGonagall answered. "Ekthalia."
"Where is that?"
"I don't know. No one but he Brotherhood knows."
"Why would Ron have to go there?"
"I'm hoping he never will have to go there."
"Minerva, give me a straight answer."
McGonagall seemed shocked that Harry had addressed her using her first name. Like an equal. Harry barely noticed. He was too worried and he was too angry. She gave him the look she used to give him in his first-year at Hogwarts. The 'Your-Just-A-Child' look. Harry remembered how he used to practically tremble under that stare. Now, he just ignored it and stared back at her.
McGonagall sighed and took a deep breath. "Ekthalia is kind of like an insane asylum. Sentinels who lose their loved one almost always go insane. It's like they lose their soul, their humanity. Most wizards who go insane go to St. Mungo's, like Neville's parents. There, they take the wands away from the patients to prevent them from harming themselves and others. Unfortunately, when a Sentinel goes insane, taking away his wand doesn't help. Sentinels use wandless magic. They channel there magic through there bodies. St. Mungo's couldn't handle Sentinels. So they created Ekthalia. It's run by Aurors. They are the only type of wizard that could possibly handle a Sentinel. The Aurors put the Sentinels in tiny rooms that made of stone. There, they stay until the day they die. Which isn't very long. They usually stop eating. They just lose the will to live."
A few silent moments passed and then Harry said, "And this is what Ron has to look forward to. If Hermione dies, his final days will pass in a small stone room until he starves to death." The idea of either of his friends dying was almost too much to take.
McGonagall walked slowly towards the door. About halfway there, she stopped and turned. "It isn't as bad as it seems. Most Sentinels die of old age, laying in bed next to the one they love more than anything in the world. The lives of Sentinels are usually like romance novels. Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger love each other immensely. When the Brotherhood sees that, they'll let Ron go." McGonagall smiled slightly. "They are a surprisingly romantic bunch." When she saw Harry wasn't going to smile she said, "Get some sleep. Your friends might even be back when you wake up."
She left the room quietly. Harry unbuckled the sword on his hip and threw it on Ron's bed. He took of his expensive robe and dropped it to the floor. He laid down on his bed, and stared at the ceiling. Hours later, sleep took him and he had horrible nightmares. Ron was being tortured by a black haired woman who, when she turned toward Harry, became Susan. She pointed at him and said, "You're nothing but a monster. You can't help your friends."
***
When Hermione woke up, her head was pounding. She felt the tender spot where the woman had punched her and winced. It still hurt. She looked around her and saw she was in a small room. She was laying on a comfortable bed, and someone had tucked her in.
She threw off the covers, brought her bare feet down to the cold floor and looked at her new surroundings. The walls were white, and they reminded Hermione of a hospital room. On the far side of the room, there was a sturdy wooden door.
She pushed herself off of the bed a walked over to the door and tried to open it. It was locked. She brought her hand up to pound on the door, but before she could bring her hand to touch it, it opened. It slid outwards into the hall.
A small woman was there in the hall. She was old and wrinkled, but she was very beautiful, in that 'old woman' way. She smiled at Hermione and said, "Good morning, lass. How's the head feeling today?"
Hermione backed away from the woman. She remembered the night before and how some woman attacked Ron and herself. She wasn't going to trust anyone. "Where am I?" she asked once she got control of her voice.
The small woman smiled sadly. "I'm afraid I can't tell you that. Not for me to do so. You learn in time. If your man passes the test."
"Test? The Brotherhood? That woman who attacked us is in the Brotherhood?"
"Who? Nia? Yes, she is in the Brotherhood." The woman shook her head slowly. "Nia has a rough hand, but she one of the best Retrievers we've ever had.." The woman gave a small laugh. "I heard all about the trouble you man gave her. She hasn't had that much trouble in years."
Hermione, who had been knocked out fairly quickly during the fight, had no idea what the woman was talking about. As far as she saw, the woman had pretty much been man-handling Ron. "What do you mean?" she asked. "I saw that woman break Ron's arm. Then she punched me. Things weren't looking favorable when I went down."
The woman walked slowly into the room. The way someone would walk towards a frightened animal. The woman knew Hermione would bolt if she made any sudden moves. "Well, as far I heard, your man went into a frenzy when he saw you go down. Most Sentinels do when their bond-mate gets hurt. Apparently, he threw Nia into a car's windshield."
"How could he have done that? One of his arms were broken."
"He only used on hand." Hermione could see something close to awe on the old woman's face. "Your man has created quite an uproar amongst the Sentinels. More excitement than I've seen in years."
"Is Ron OK now?" Hermione asked softly. She shuddered at the memory of Ron holding his shattered arm to his chest.
"Yes. Yes. I took good care of him. He should be fine. Which is what I came here to do. For you. Now lay down on the bed and let me have a look at you."
Hermione saw no reason to argue, so she laid down on the bed. The small woman walked over to her and pulled out her wand. She smiled when she saw Hermione flinch and said, "Relax, dear. This won't hurt a bit."
"How long will this test take?" Hermione asked.
"Oh, not long. Especially if your bond-mate is as good as they think." The woman ran her fingers over the tender spot in the side of her head. The pain slowly began to melt away.
"Bond-mate? What does that mean?"
The woman continued her ministrations as she spoke. "Most Sentinels and the one the bond with become lovers. Their love is so strong, that it almost always happens."
Hermione felt her face heat up. She was sure she was beet-red.
The woman noticed her rapid change in color and smiled. Then it seemed she looked at Hermione for the first time. "Then again, maybe not."
Hermione felt a strange sense of injury when the woman said this. "Not yet." she said harshly and felt extremely embarrassed once it came out. Hermione didn't know why she felt she had to defend her virginity. She had Ron had loved each other for years, but they had only admitted days ago. They had barely kissed, let alone...made love.
The woman recognized Hermione's defending tone. "I didn't mean it like that, dear. I've just never seen someone so young brought in here. I think it's a good thing that you haven't done it yet. Young kids these days seem to jump right into it."
Hermione felt the need to change the subject quickly. "What is your name?" she asked the small, wrinkled woman.
"Anne. Anne Hawshack." the woman said with a smile.
"What's your connection to the Brotherhood, Anne?"
"My husband is a Sentinel. We're both a little too old to be running around, solving the world's problems. So we live here. I'm the healer and he kind of runs this place when no one from the Core is here."
"The Core?" Hermione asked.
"The Core is the most top ranking members of the Brotherhood."
"There are ranks in the Brotherhood?"
"Oh, yes. Status is one of the driving forces within the Brotherhood. Without the Core, the Brotherhood would be a shiftless group of superhumans getting into a lot of trouble."
Anne finished healing the bruise on Hermione's head and helped her up from the bed. "We might as well get started." she said and began walking to the door.
"Get what started?" Hermione asked.
"The test."
Anne led Hermione down a long hallway. There were large windows throughout the hall, and Hermione looked out them to try and find out where she was. The landscape was non-descript. They could have been anywhere in the world.
At the end of the hallway there was a door that Anne knocked politely on. There was a gruff "come in" and Anne and Hermione walked in.
Sitting around a large table were five people.
"The Core." Anne whispered as she and Hermione walked over to the table. "Members of the Core, I present to you, Miss Hermione Granger."
A man in his mid twenties stood up and smiled. "Thank you, Anne. You may go, now."
Anne curtsied and left the room quietly. Hermione got a good look at the man standing and had to admit she was impressed. The man was very handsome. He had short black hair and wire frame glasses. He looked more like a scholar than a warrior. He had a pleasant smile. "Welcome, Miss Granger." he said as he gestured to the seat next to him. "Have a seat."
Hermione sat and noticed that three of the men were not even looking in her direction. They stared intently at a large bowl of water that sat in the middle of the table. The one woman who sat at the table was staring at Hermione.
Hermione recognized her as the woman who had attacked her and Ron the night before. Hermione glared at the woman, but when the woman noticed, she only laughed. Anne had called the woman Nia.
The man who Hermione had been sitting next to noticed the looks the two females were giving each other and smiled. "You two have already met, I see." He turned to Hermione. "But we haven't." He extended his hand and said, "Name's Jared Langford."
Hermione shook his hand. She then looked at the other men sitting around the table. "Who are they?" she asked.
Jared looked over to the men and said, "Everyone at this table, with the exception of you of course, are members of the Core. I sit on the lowest seat of the Core. I am also the most recent addition." He gestured to Nia. "This is Nia Larivey. She is one step higher than myself in the Core. The three men at the end of the table are in accending rank: Colin Mead, Michael Sidey and Joseph Dent. Mr. Dent is the Master of the Brotherhood. He makes all decisions. The others in the Core are here only to advise him on the best course of action. The final decisions are always for him to decide."
Hermione glanced at the man at the heat of the table. While he was staring directly at the bowl of water on the table, Hermione had a feeling he knew exactly what was going on around him.
"Why are they looking at that bowl of water?" Hermione asked Jared.
"The bowl is a scrying pool. In the water, they see your bond-mate- Mr. Weasley."
Hermione had an urge to get up and look into the water, but she had a feeling she wouldn't be allowed to. "How is Ron?" she asked Jared.
"He's fine. He's not in the best of accommodations right now, but that will end once he has passed the test."
Hermione fell into silence. No one spoke for about ten minutes, so when a resounding voice addressed her, he head whipped toward the sound. "What kind of man is Mr. Weasley?"
Hermione looked and saw that Mr. Dent, the Master of the Brotherhood spoke to her. He had piercing blue eyes that seemed to scour her soul.
Hermione took a breath and settled her voice before she began. "Ron is the most loyal friend anyone could ever ask for."
Dent's eyebrows went up into his graying hair. "How so?"
"He has always defended his friends, even before he knew about this Sentinel business. He is very strong willed and stubborn even when he's wrong. Once you have gained his trust, he would do anything in his power to help. If you betray his trust, it is a long road to regain it. He is honest, friendly, bright, strong and I love him more than anything in the world. If you hurt a single hair on his head, I won't rest until everyone in this room has paid dearly."
At Hermione's bold words, a look of amusement flashed over Dent's face, but it was gone so fast that Hermione wasn't sure it was ever there. "We are not people to be threatened, Miss Granger." he said levelly. "But have no fear, Mr. Weasley's well being is our primary concern."
Hermione had her doubts about that, but she kept her mouth shut. After he saw that she wasn't going to say anything, Dent continued.
"You see, Miss Granger, your bond-mate-" Hermione felt the blush creep back. "has created quite a stir amongst the Sentinels and even amongst the Core. What he has done defies the ideas that the Brotherhood has been relying on for centuries. He is too young, first of all. There have been others as young as him before, but that was back in the early 17th century when young marriages were commonplace. These others were so weak, that they were barely considered Sentinels. Their Release came too early. It has always been the Brotherhood's belief that if a Sentinel has his first Release at too young of an age, it seriously impinges on his true potential. He'll never rise to what he could have been if he had his Release later on. But the puzzling thing about Ronald Weasley is that this truth doesn't seem to apply to him. He is barely sixteen years old, and yet the Release that we felt from him was enormous. He shouldn't be that strong. And that is why, for the first time in almost a decade, all five chairs of the Core are present at a testing."
Hermione knew she should be impressed or shocked, but she was too worried about Ron to care about some stupid Core and their laws and truths.
"Well," Dent said. "it's time to begin the test. Jared, if you would be so kind as to bring Miss Granger over here, we can start."
Jared stood and motioned for Hermione to follow him. They both made their way down the large table until they were standing next to Dent. From this angle, Hermione could see clearly into the water bowl. The images in the bowl wavered and rippled, but Hermione could clearly see Ron. She felt tears spring to her eyes as she saw what conditions he was in. Ron was leaning against a stone wall with both of his hands chained up above his hands. He was shirtless, and the dress pants that he had been wearing under his robes were torn off just below the knee. He was dirty and blood ran down from his wrists where the chains bit into his wrists. Hermione couldn't see his face, because his head was hanging limply, his shaggy hair blocking any view of the rest of his head.
"Oh, God!" Hermione screamed. "Look at him! You're killing him! He needs to get out of there!"
Dent nodded calmy and said, "That's what we trying to do, Miss Granger." He reached into his coat and pulled out a long, wicked looking knife. He reached out and grabbed Hermione's arm in a vice-like grip. Hermione tried to pull away, but Dent was too strong.
Dent brought the knife to Hermione's arm and touched the sharp tip to her skin.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Hermione screamed.
Dent motioned the bowl at the center of the table. "Look. Your bond-mate stirs."
Hermione looked into the bowl and saw that Dent was right. Ron was moving. Hermione could see Ron taking huge gasps of air. His head came up instantly and what Hermione saw in his honest face would have scared her if she didn't know the cause. Ron's face was contorted into a mask of rage. He was reacting to the bond. He had perceived that Hermione was in physical danger, and the magic had begun coursing through his body.
Dent pushed the dagger harder against Hermione's skin. She felt the dagger break the skin and a drop of blood ran down her arm, but she never took her eyes off of Ron.
With a grunt, Ron tore the chains from the wall as if they were made of paper.
Hermione heard Jared mumble from beside her. "Bloody hell." She glanced at him and saw that all the blood had left his face and he stared into the bowl with slightly scared eyes. "No one has ever broken the chains before."
"What normally happens?" Hermione asked, not taking her eyes from the bowl.
"They usually thrash around for a while, trying to get out. But they never do. Once they've proven themselves to be Sentinels, as your mate just did, we go in and let them out." Jared shook his head slowly. "I have a feeling if we don't do something soon, he's going to get out on his own. Which is unheard of."
Sure enough, without taking a moment to think, Ron launched himself at the wooden door of his cell. "Hermione!" The door splintered after one kick and completely broke after the second. Ron ran through the door and they lost sight of him. The image didn't move. Apparently, the bowl only showed images of that particular room.
Jared turned to Dent. "He can feel the girl through the bond. He won't stop until he gets here. Send someone out to stop him."
Dent never lost the calm look on his face. "The only people who can stop him are in this room. Let him come."
Within seconds, they heard a scream come from down the hallway.
"The guards are trying to stop him." Jared said.
"They won't." Dent said. "Lock the door. I want to see him break it down."
Nia stood up quickly and went to the door. She locked it and backed away from it. After a moment, the was a loud scream from the other side. "Hermione!"
Hermione cried at the anguish in his voice. "Ron!" she screamed, wanting this horrible test to be done with. If only Ron knew that he had an audience watching his every move.
The door burst inward as Ron threw his entire body into it. Hermione could see the splinters tear into his skin. Ron rolled once and got to his feet. He saw the knife stabbing into Hermione's arm and began to run forward.
At that moment, Hermione felt the knife leave her skin and Dent release his grip. She took the opportunity and ran towards Ron. She threw her arms around his neck and felt him envelope her in his long arm. She could feel his heart beet rapidly in his chest.
Crying with relief, Ron sank to the floor. He looked up at her with tear filled ayes and said, "I thought you were dying."
Hermione was going to reply when she was cut off by Dent, who had walked forward to stand next to Hermione. "No, Mr. Weasley, Ms. Granger is not dying."
Ron looked up at Dent with a look of pure hatred.
Jared came forward. "I don't think there is any doubt as to the results."
"No, Jared, I don't think there is." Dent said. "Mr. Weasley you have passed you test. Welcome to the Brotherhood." he said with a smile.
"Fuck you. You can keep your Brotherhood. We just want to go back."
Dent's face suddenly became sad. "Miss Granger will be leaving now. I'm sorry to say that you. Mr. Weasley, will be staying with us for a long time."
To MARGARIT MOCHA: A very general idea for the Sentinels came from the Robert Jordan series called theWheel of Time. If you're interested in fantasy at all it is a must have. The first book is called the Eye of the World. If you ever read it, you have to tell me how you like it. But I'm warning you. There are eleven books in the series so far. And Jordan isn't done yet.
To HARLEM CHILD: No, I'm not from Montana. I just thought that if there was going to be a large wizarding school in this country, it had better be in somewhere pretty remote. And you don't get much more remote than Montana.
Harry paced his hotel room furiously. In fact, he had been doing little else for the past eight hours. He was alone again. The two people he loved more than anything else were gone. And though McGonagall had tried to assure him that the Brotherhood would bring them back after this test, Harry found little comfort in the news.
Harry felt completely useless. His friends were in trouble-deep trouble-, and he couldn't do a damn thing about it. So he had taken up pacing. Every few steps, Harry would grip the sword that still hung at his side. Its cold steel was a strange comfort to him. He traced the jewel encrusted hilt with one finger as he walked.
Every once in a while, Harry would glance at a piece of paper on his bed. Just the sight of it made him more angry. He had found it in the parking lot next to Ron's torn robe. Even before he had read it, he knew Ron was in trouble. Nearby, a car's windshield had been smashed. Harry had picked up the piece of paper with trembling hands.
To whom it may concern,
We have taken Mr. Weasley and his bonded. I all goes well, they will be returned safely to the hotel, once the test has been completed. Ms. Granger will not sustain anymore injury if Mr. Weasley is who he has been parading around to be.
Harry had given the note to McGonagall, but instead of getting scared or angry, she simply sighed and said, "Well, it was going to happen eventually."
The rest of the students had boarded the limo. They asked questions about Ron and Hermione, and McGonagall told them that they were staying behind to help clean the hall. She said they would be getting rides back to the hotel from the Stillwater school. Harry knew this was a lie, but he also knew that Ron and Hermione had wanted to keep Ron's Sentinelship a secret. It was almost funny that the entire Salem school knew what Ron was, but his own classmates were clueless.
Harry was brought out of his reverie by a soft tap at the door. He glanced over at his bed-side table, where a digital clock sat. It was four A.M. Who the hell would come to his room at four AM?
He walked over to the door and opened it. It was McGonagall. "What do want?" he asked gruffly.
McGonagall swept in to the room and walked over the window. She looked out at the ocean. She gave long sigh and turned back to Harry. "I want to explain a few things."
"I'm listening."
"Harry, we can't do anything about Ron and Hermione."
"Why the hell not?"
"The Brotherhood has them, Harry."
"I'm aware of that. I have the note, remember?"
"Nothing we could possibly do would make this situation better."
"Why?"
"The Brotherhood is dangerous. In general, they are good people. But they take being Sentinels more seriously than you can imagine. If they want to keep Ron for two or three days, we can't stop them."
Harry felt helpless. "But we have to do something!"
McGonagall shrugged. "There isn't anything we could do. We don't know where he is. He could be anywhere."
Harry thought back on the banquet. "What did Headmaster Corey say about Ron going mad? She said he should be put in chains and sent...I can't remember where."
A few seconds passed before McGonagall answered. "Ekthalia."
"Where is that?"
"I don't know. No one but he Brotherhood knows."
"Why would Ron have to go there?"
"I'm hoping he never will have to go there."
"Minerva, give me a straight answer."
McGonagall seemed shocked that Harry had addressed her using her first name. Like an equal. Harry barely noticed. He was too worried and he was too angry. She gave him the look she used to give him in his first-year at Hogwarts. The 'Your-Just-A-Child' look. Harry remembered how he used to practically tremble under that stare. Now, he just ignored it and stared back at her.
McGonagall sighed and took a deep breath. "Ekthalia is kind of like an insane asylum. Sentinels who lose their loved one almost always go insane. It's like they lose their soul, their humanity. Most wizards who go insane go to St. Mungo's, like Neville's parents. There, they take the wands away from the patients to prevent them from harming themselves and others. Unfortunately, when a Sentinel goes insane, taking away his wand doesn't help. Sentinels use wandless magic. They channel there magic through there bodies. St. Mungo's couldn't handle Sentinels. So they created Ekthalia. It's run by Aurors. They are the only type of wizard that could possibly handle a Sentinel. The Aurors put the Sentinels in tiny rooms that made of stone. There, they stay until the day they die. Which isn't very long. They usually stop eating. They just lose the will to live."
A few silent moments passed and then Harry said, "And this is what Ron has to look forward to. If Hermione dies, his final days will pass in a small stone room until he starves to death." The idea of either of his friends dying was almost too much to take.
McGonagall walked slowly towards the door. About halfway there, she stopped and turned. "It isn't as bad as it seems. Most Sentinels die of old age, laying in bed next to the one they love more than anything in the world. The lives of Sentinels are usually like romance novels. Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger love each other immensely. When the Brotherhood sees that, they'll let Ron go." McGonagall smiled slightly. "They are a surprisingly romantic bunch." When she saw Harry wasn't going to smile she said, "Get some sleep. Your friends might even be back when you wake up."
She left the room quietly. Harry unbuckled the sword on his hip and threw it on Ron's bed. He took of his expensive robe and dropped it to the floor. He laid down on his bed, and stared at the ceiling. Hours later, sleep took him and he had horrible nightmares. Ron was being tortured by a black haired woman who, when she turned toward Harry, became Susan. She pointed at him and said, "You're nothing but a monster. You can't help your friends."
***
When Hermione woke up, her head was pounding. She felt the tender spot where the woman had punched her and winced. It still hurt. She looked around her and saw she was in a small room. She was laying on a comfortable bed, and someone had tucked her in.
She threw off the covers, brought her bare feet down to the cold floor and looked at her new surroundings. The walls were white, and they reminded Hermione of a hospital room. On the far side of the room, there was a sturdy wooden door.
She pushed herself off of the bed a walked over to the door and tried to open it. It was locked. She brought her hand up to pound on the door, but before she could bring her hand to touch it, it opened. It slid outwards into the hall.
A small woman was there in the hall. She was old and wrinkled, but she was very beautiful, in that 'old woman' way. She smiled at Hermione and said, "Good morning, lass. How's the head feeling today?"
Hermione backed away from the woman. She remembered the night before and how some woman attacked Ron and herself. She wasn't going to trust anyone. "Where am I?" she asked once she got control of her voice.
The small woman smiled sadly. "I'm afraid I can't tell you that. Not for me to do so. You learn in time. If your man passes the test."
"Test? The Brotherhood? That woman who attacked us is in the Brotherhood?"
"Who? Nia? Yes, she is in the Brotherhood." The woman shook her head slowly. "Nia has a rough hand, but she one of the best Retrievers we've ever had.." The woman gave a small laugh. "I heard all about the trouble you man gave her. She hasn't had that much trouble in years."
Hermione, who had been knocked out fairly quickly during the fight, had no idea what the woman was talking about. As far as she saw, the woman had pretty much been man-handling Ron. "What do you mean?" she asked. "I saw that woman break Ron's arm. Then she punched me. Things weren't looking favorable when I went down."
The woman walked slowly into the room. The way someone would walk towards a frightened animal. The woman knew Hermione would bolt if she made any sudden moves. "Well, as far I heard, your man went into a frenzy when he saw you go down. Most Sentinels do when their bond-mate gets hurt. Apparently, he threw Nia into a car's windshield."
"How could he have done that? One of his arms were broken."
"He only used on hand." Hermione could see something close to awe on the old woman's face. "Your man has created quite an uproar amongst the Sentinels. More excitement than I've seen in years."
"Is Ron OK now?" Hermione asked softly. She shuddered at the memory of Ron holding his shattered arm to his chest.
"Yes. Yes. I took good care of him. He should be fine. Which is what I came here to do. For you. Now lay down on the bed and let me have a look at you."
Hermione saw no reason to argue, so she laid down on the bed. The small woman walked over to her and pulled out her wand. She smiled when she saw Hermione flinch and said, "Relax, dear. This won't hurt a bit."
"How long will this test take?" Hermione asked.
"Oh, not long. Especially if your bond-mate is as good as they think." The woman ran her fingers over the tender spot in the side of her head. The pain slowly began to melt away.
"Bond-mate? What does that mean?"
The woman continued her ministrations as she spoke. "Most Sentinels and the one the bond with become lovers. Their love is so strong, that it almost always happens."
Hermione felt her face heat up. She was sure she was beet-red.
The woman noticed her rapid change in color and smiled. Then it seemed she looked at Hermione for the first time. "Then again, maybe not."
Hermione felt a strange sense of injury when the woman said this. "Not yet." she said harshly and felt extremely embarrassed once it came out. Hermione didn't know why she felt she had to defend her virginity. She had Ron had loved each other for years, but they had only admitted days ago. They had barely kissed, let alone...made love.
The woman recognized Hermione's defending tone. "I didn't mean it like that, dear. I've just never seen someone so young brought in here. I think it's a good thing that you haven't done it yet. Young kids these days seem to jump right into it."
Hermione felt the need to change the subject quickly. "What is your name?" she asked the small, wrinkled woman.
"Anne. Anne Hawshack." the woman said with a smile.
"What's your connection to the Brotherhood, Anne?"
"My husband is a Sentinel. We're both a little too old to be running around, solving the world's problems. So we live here. I'm the healer and he kind of runs this place when no one from the Core is here."
"The Core?" Hermione asked.
"The Core is the most top ranking members of the Brotherhood."
"There are ranks in the Brotherhood?"
"Oh, yes. Status is one of the driving forces within the Brotherhood. Without the Core, the Brotherhood would be a shiftless group of superhumans getting into a lot of trouble."
Anne finished healing the bruise on Hermione's head and helped her up from the bed. "We might as well get started." she said and began walking to the door.
"Get what started?" Hermione asked.
"The test."
Anne led Hermione down a long hallway. There were large windows throughout the hall, and Hermione looked out them to try and find out where she was. The landscape was non-descript. They could have been anywhere in the world.
At the end of the hallway there was a door that Anne knocked politely on. There was a gruff "come in" and Anne and Hermione walked in.
Sitting around a large table were five people.
"The Core." Anne whispered as she and Hermione walked over to the table. "Members of the Core, I present to you, Miss Hermione Granger."
A man in his mid twenties stood up and smiled. "Thank you, Anne. You may go, now."
Anne curtsied and left the room quietly. Hermione got a good look at the man standing and had to admit she was impressed. The man was very handsome. He had short black hair and wire frame glasses. He looked more like a scholar than a warrior. He had a pleasant smile. "Welcome, Miss Granger." he said as he gestured to the seat next to him. "Have a seat."
Hermione sat and noticed that three of the men were not even looking in her direction. They stared intently at a large bowl of water that sat in the middle of the table. The one woman who sat at the table was staring at Hermione.
Hermione recognized her as the woman who had attacked her and Ron the night before. Hermione glared at the woman, but when the woman noticed, she only laughed. Anne had called the woman Nia.
The man who Hermione had been sitting next to noticed the looks the two females were giving each other and smiled. "You two have already met, I see." He turned to Hermione. "But we haven't." He extended his hand and said, "Name's Jared Langford."
Hermione shook his hand. She then looked at the other men sitting around the table. "Who are they?" she asked.
Jared looked over to the men and said, "Everyone at this table, with the exception of you of course, are members of the Core. I sit on the lowest seat of the Core. I am also the most recent addition." He gestured to Nia. "This is Nia Larivey. She is one step higher than myself in the Core. The three men at the end of the table are in accending rank: Colin Mead, Michael Sidey and Joseph Dent. Mr. Dent is the Master of the Brotherhood. He makes all decisions. The others in the Core are here only to advise him on the best course of action. The final decisions are always for him to decide."
Hermione glanced at the man at the heat of the table. While he was staring directly at the bowl of water on the table, Hermione had a feeling he knew exactly what was going on around him.
"Why are they looking at that bowl of water?" Hermione asked Jared.
"The bowl is a scrying pool. In the water, they see your bond-mate- Mr. Weasley."
Hermione had an urge to get up and look into the water, but she had a feeling she wouldn't be allowed to. "How is Ron?" she asked Jared.
"He's fine. He's not in the best of accommodations right now, but that will end once he has passed the test."
Hermione fell into silence. No one spoke for about ten minutes, so when a resounding voice addressed her, he head whipped toward the sound. "What kind of man is Mr. Weasley?"
Hermione looked and saw that Mr. Dent, the Master of the Brotherhood spoke to her. He had piercing blue eyes that seemed to scour her soul.
Hermione took a breath and settled her voice before she began. "Ron is the most loyal friend anyone could ever ask for."
Dent's eyebrows went up into his graying hair. "How so?"
"He has always defended his friends, even before he knew about this Sentinel business. He is very strong willed and stubborn even when he's wrong. Once you have gained his trust, he would do anything in his power to help. If you betray his trust, it is a long road to regain it. He is honest, friendly, bright, strong and I love him more than anything in the world. If you hurt a single hair on his head, I won't rest until everyone in this room has paid dearly."
At Hermione's bold words, a look of amusement flashed over Dent's face, but it was gone so fast that Hermione wasn't sure it was ever there. "We are not people to be threatened, Miss Granger." he said levelly. "But have no fear, Mr. Weasley's well being is our primary concern."
Hermione had her doubts about that, but she kept her mouth shut. After he saw that she wasn't going to say anything, Dent continued.
"You see, Miss Granger, your bond-mate-" Hermione felt the blush creep back. "has created quite a stir amongst the Sentinels and even amongst the Core. What he has done defies the ideas that the Brotherhood has been relying on for centuries. He is too young, first of all. There have been others as young as him before, but that was back in the early 17th century when young marriages were commonplace. These others were so weak, that they were barely considered Sentinels. Their Release came too early. It has always been the Brotherhood's belief that if a Sentinel has his first Release at too young of an age, it seriously impinges on his true potential. He'll never rise to what he could have been if he had his Release later on. But the puzzling thing about Ronald Weasley is that this truth doesn't seem to apply to him. He is barely sixteen years old, and yet the Release that we felt from him was enormous. He shouldn't be that strong. And that is why, for the first time in almost a decade, all five chairs of the Core are present at a testing."
Hermione knew she should be impressed or shocked, but she was too worried about Ron to care about some stupid Core and their laws and truths.
"Well," Dent said. "it's time to begin the test. Jared, if you would be so kind as to bring Miss Granger over here, we can start."
Jared stood and motioned for Hermione to follow him. They both made their way down the large table until they were standing next to Dent. From this angle, Hermione could see clearly into the water bowl. The images in the bowl wavered and rippled, but Hermione could clearly see Ron. She felt tears spring to her eyes as she saw what conditions he was in. Ron was leaning against a stone wall with both of his hands chained up above his hands. He was shirtless, and the dress pants that he had been wearing under his robes were torn off just below the knee. He was dirty and blood ran down from his wrists where the chains bit into his wrists. Hermione couldn't see his face, because his head was hanging limply, his shaggy hair blocking any view of the rest of his head.
"Oh, God!" Hermione screamed. "Look at him! You're killing him! He needs to get out of there!"
Dent nodded calmy and said, "That's what we trying to do, Miss Granger." He reached into his coat and pulled out a long, wicked looking knife. He reached out and grabbed Hermione's arm in a vice-like grip. Hermione tried to pull away, but Dent was too strong.
Dent brought the knife to Hermione's arm and touched the sharp tip to her skin.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Hermione screamed.
Dent motioned the bowl at the center of the table. "Look. Your bond-mate stirs."
Hermione looked into the bowl and saw that Dent was right. Ron was moving. Hermione could see Ron taking huge gasps of air. His head came up instantly and what Hermione saw in his honest face would have scared her if she didn't know the cause. Ron's face was contorted into a mask of rage. He was reacting to the bond. He had perceived that Hermione was in physical danger, and the magic had begun coursing through his body.
Dent pushed the dagger harder against Hermione's skin. She felt the dagger break the skin and a drop of blood ran down her arm, but she never took her eyes off of Ron.
With a grunt, Ron tore the chains from the wall as if they were made of paper.
Hermione heard Jared mumble from beside her. "Bloody hell." She glanced at him and saw that all the blood had left his face and he stared into the bowl with slightly scared eyes. "No one has ever broken the chains before."
"What normally happens?" Hermione asked, not taking her eyes from the bowl.
"They usually thrash around for a while, trying to get out. But they never do. Once they've proven themselves to be Sentinels, as your mate just did, we go in and let them out." Jared shook his head slowly. "I have a feeling if we don't do something soon, he's going to get out on his own. Which is unheard of."
Sure enough, without taking a moment to think, Ron launched himself at the wooden door of his cell. "Hermione!" The door splintered after one kick and completely broke after the second. Ron ran through the door and they lost sight of him. The image didn't move. Apparently, the bowl only showed images of that particular room.
Jared turned to Dent. "He can feel the girl through the bond. He won't stop until he gets here. Send someone out to stop him."
Dent never lost the calm look on his face. "The only people who can stop him are in this room. Let him come."
Within seconds, they heard a scream come from down the hallway.
"The guards are trying to stop him." Jared said.
"They won't." Dent said. "Lock the door. I want to see him break it down."
Nia stood up quickly and went to the door. She locked it and backed away from it. After a moment, the was a loud scream from the other side. "Hermione!"
Hermione cried at the anguish in his voice. "Ron!" she screamed, wanting this horrible test to be done with. If only Ron knew that he had an audience watching his every move.
The door burst inward as Ron threw his entire body into it. Hermione could see the splinters tear into his skin. Ron rolled once and got to his feet. He saw the knife stabbing into Hermione's arm and began to run forward.
At that moment, Hermione felt the knife leave her skin and Dent release his grip. She took the opportunity and ran towards Ron. She threw her arms around his neck and felt him envelope her in his long arm. She could feel his heart beet rapidly in his chest.
Crying with relief, Ron sank to the floor. He looked up at her with tear filled ayes and said, "I thought you were dying."
Hermione was going to reply when she was cut off by Dent, who had walked forward to stand next to Hermione. "No, Mr. Weasley, Ms. Granger is not dying."
Ron looked up at Dent with a look of pure hatred.
Jared came forward. "I don't think there is any doubt as to the results."
"No, Jared, I don't think there is." Dent said. "Mr. Weasley you have passed you test. Welcome to the Brotherhood." he said with a smile.
"Fuck you. You can keep your Brotherhood. We just want to go back."
Dent's face suddenly became sad. "Miss Granger will be leaving now. I'm sorry to say that you. Mr. Weasley, will be staying with us for a long time."