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Krystine- All I can say that Jamie is too young.
Chapter 4: Jamie meets Hermy
In front of Hermy stood (or was it floated?) a ghost. He was pearly white and slightly transparent and was wearing a ruff and tights.
"Who, who are you?" asked Hermy, her voice trembling.
"I am Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington." said the ghost and paused. "Although many students call me Nearly Headless Nick." he added.
Hermy didn't ask how he could be nearly headless, she had a feeling that she would regret if she asked.
Nick sighed and looked around the place sadly. "It's a shame to let you see this castle in this terrible state. In the past it used to be the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world."
"Witchcraft?" asked Hermy once she had gotten over her shock. "This school teaches witchcraft?"
"Yes." said Nick simply.
Hermy's mouth dropped open at the fact. For some reasons, she wasn't afraid that witchcraft and wizardry actually existed in this modern world, in fact, she felt slightly proud about it.
But then..... Hermy looked around at the messy common room. "What happened to this place?"
Nick's face saddened. "8 years ago, a fight between the Death Eaters and the people of Hogwarts broke out."
Hermy nodded as if she understood, but she had no idea what or who were the Death Eaters.
"Although my side won the fight, but we paid a terrible price in winning. All of the people on my side and the Death Eaters died during the fight."
"All?" whispered Hermy.
Nick stared at her. "Well, not all exactly. Actually, most of the students escaped, thanks to Dumbledore. He arranged a train ride just for them so that when trouble comes, they could escape by it."
Hermy suddenly had a bit of respect for this Dumbledore. "He's very brilliant, isn't he?"
For the first time of the conversation, Nearly Headless Nick smiled. "Yes. By the way, what are you doing here?"
"I'm just looking around." said Hermy.
"Well, have fun exploring. If you don't mind, I'm going to the Ravenclaw common room......"
Before Hermy could ask what Ravenclaw was, Nick had already drifted through the wall.
She got up and went out of the common room. She had enough of the room for a moment and decided to go somewhere else.
Hermy strolled back into the Entrance Hall hours later, her legs tired after so much walking in the castle. The place was so big and messy that Hermy couldn't believe that it used to be a school. First she went to the greenhouses (which looked creepy with their dead plants), then she went to the library, where she found loads of books on witchcraft. Then she went to the Astronomy Tower, where there were lots of telescopes.
She went to so many places that she had lost count of them. The strange thing was, she seemed to remember where to go, as if she had been here for a lot of times.
Hermy looked up at the high ceiling and around the huge, empty hall. Everything was so..... familiar.
"This place...... it's..... it's like a memory from a dream."
A tune came into Hermy's mind and she sang:
Flying brooms,
Magical Wands,
Things I almost remember.
And a song someone sings
Once upon a December.
Someone holds me safe and warm.
Horses prance through a silver storm.
Figures dancing gracefully
Across my memory...
Suddenly, Hermy could see people in colourful gowns, suits and dress robes appeared out of nowhere and started waltzing, right in front of her in the hall. Unlike Nearly Headless Nick, they looked solid. A couple smiled at Hermy and they greeted her. Hermy smiled and curtsied. She greeted another couple in the same way as well.
With these "people" around, Hermy didn't feel lonely, she felt like she had finally come home and these "people" were her life-long friends. Happily, she sang again:
Someone holds me safe and warm.
Horses prance through a silver storm.
Figures dancing gracefully
Across my memory...
Hermy saw herself dressed in a wonderful light blue gown and she went dancing with a boy in midnight blue dress robes.
Far away, long ago.
Glowing dim as an ember.
Things my heart
Used to know,
Things it yearns to remember...
The boy twirled her around and she faced someone who had long sliver hair and beard. His blue eyes twinkling behind his half-moon shape glasses as he offered her his hand for a dance. Hermy smiled and took it.
And a song
Someone sings
The dance ended quickly and the man kissed her hand politely. He let go and backed away slowly. Hermy looked around, everyone had stopped dancing and was looking at her. She had a feeling that all of them were leaving and never come back. Her knees felt weak and she sat on the floor. She looked longingly at all the familiar faces, she wanted to join and go with them. She didn't want to be alone again.....
Once upon a December
"Hey!" someone yelled and the crowd disappeared, so did Hermy's beautiful dress.
She turned her head around and saw two boys with coats that were too big for them, standing at the door. The one with blond hair looked furious. "What are you doing in here?!" he demanded.
Scared by his tone, Hermy got up and ran towards the marble steps. She heard him calling and chasing her but she didn't stop until he shouted, "Stop, stop! Hold on a minute, hold on!"
Hermy froze on her tracks at the top of the steps and slowly turned around. The boy was now a few steps below her and the other boy (with brown hair) was beside him as well. The blond boy had his hand on his knees as he tried to catch his breath.
Once he had calmed down, he looked up. "Now how did you get in......." he trailed off when he saw her face.
Then he took out a piece of newspaper clipping out of his coat and looked at Hermy, then back at the newspaper again. He sucked in his breath and held it for a while before let it out excitedly, he turned to the other boy and asked, "Charles, did you see what I see?"
Charles looked at the newspaper, which had Hermione's picture on it, then at Hermy. "Yes...... yes!" He smiled in delight.
"I'm...... really sorry." said Hermy wondering what were the boys so excited about. "I was told that nobody comes here."
Jamie and Charles rushed up to her, still staring at her face. Jamie then walked around her, examining her with his eyes from head to toe.
Hermy got a bit annoyed at his actions. "Hey, why are you circling me, what were you, a vulture in your previous life?"
Jamie raised one eyebrow at her annoyance and said slowly. "I'm sorry. It's just that you look a lot like.....hm, never mind. So Miss......"
"Hermy, people called me Hermy." said Hermy.
Jamie raised his other eyebrow. "Hermy, is it?"
Hermy nodded.
"Is there any last name that goes with that?"
Hermy looked sad and shook her head. "I don't know my last name. I was found wandering in the woods 8 years ago and I don't remember anything before that."
"That's perfect." whispered Jamie to Charles.
"I do have one clue however, and that is to find someone who give me this." said Hermy, showing Jamie and Charles her necklace.
"Together forever." Charles read.
Jamie grinned at her and said, "Well, Miss? How about coming with us to Paris?"
"Paris?" asked Hermy, looking at the boys' shabby attires.
"Hey, don't look at us like that." snapped Jamie. "We have the tickets to Paris already."
Charles looked surprised. "We have?"
Jamie stared at him and Charles got the message.
"Err..... yeah! We have." said Charles quickly.
Jamie took out three tickets out of his pocket. "In fact, I have three tickets here," he said, waving in front of Hermy's face. "Unfortunately, the last ticket is for her." he ended and showed Hermy the newspaper. "Hermione Granger."
"Oh." said Hermy.
"We are going to reunited Miss Hermione Granger with her lover." said Charles, excitedly.
"You do kind of resemble her, you know." said Jamie.
"The same brown eyes." said Charles, looking at Hermy's eyes.
"The bushy brown hair."
"The beautiful set of teeth that she got in her fourth year at Hogwarts."
"The pretty face."
"Oh my, even her voice sounds like the type."
"Yep, she's the same age, the same physical type....."
"Are you trying to tell me that you think I'm Hermione Granger?" interrupted Hermy.
Jamie looked at her seriously. "All I'm telling you that I have seen thousand of girls all over the country and not one of them looks as much as Miss Granger as you. I mean, look at the picture!"
He tried to show Hermy the picture but Hermy pushed his hand away. "I think you both are nuts."
She walked past them and walked down the stairs. Jamie, who was not going to give up easily, went after her, saying, "Why? You don't remember what happened to you."
"Nobody knows what happened to Miss Granger." said Charles, who followed them.
"You are looking for your close ones."
"And Mr Potter is looking for his lover as well."
Jamie and Charles caught up with Hermy and stood right in front of her, blocking her way. "Have you ever thought of the possibility?" asked Jamie.
Hermy stared at him for a while before she said, "That I could be Hermione Granger?"
The boys nodded. "Hmm-mm."
Hermy thought for a while and shook her head. "Well, I don't know. It's hard to think yourself as someone's girlfriend when you are sleeping alone in an attic......." she paused. "But sure..... yeah, I guess every lonely woman would hope that she has the man of her dreams by her side."
Charles leaned forward and said softly, "And, somewhere, one woman has."
Jamie suddenly looked very impatient, pushed Charles aside gently and said, "We really wish we can help, but the third ticket is for Miss Granger. Good bye."
Without any word, he put his arm around Charles' shoulders, turned him around and they walked down together on the steps, leaving Hermy alone.
"What did you do that for?" hissed Charles to Jamie.
"Don't worry, I got it all under control. Wait...3, 2, 1..."
"Hey boy!" called Hermy. "Wait!"
Jamie gave a victorious grin at Charles before turning around, looking confused. "Are you calling me?"
Hermy ran down the steps and arrived in front of him. "If I don't remember who I am, then who is to say that I'm not Hermione Granger, right?"
Jamie nodded. "Hm-mm."
"Yeah, and if I'm not Miss Granger, Mr...... what do you call him again?"
"Potter." said Charles helpfully.
"Yeah, I mean, Mr Potter will certain know right away and it is just an honest mistake." said Hermy.
"Sounds possible." said Jamie.
"But if you are Miss Granger, then you will know who you are and be together with Mr Potter again."
Jamie smiled proudly at Charles at his good talking and said, "You know, he's right."
He held his hand to Hermy. "I'm Jamie. He's Charles, my best friend."
Hermy shook it. "Well, you know me."
"Who knows, if you are not Miss Garnger, maybe Mr Potter can help you to find your real family. He's the best and youngest Auror around." said Charles.
Hermy looked at him blankly. "What's an Auror?"
"She has a lot to learn." Jamie muttered to Charles.