Disclaimer: You know already. The song in this chapter doesn't belong to me either.
To flamers: I don't take kindly to flames, so back off, if you know what's good for you.
Thank you for your reviews!
Note: To avoid confusion, I will write down Jamie, Charles, Hermione and Harry's age here:
Jamie: 18
Charles: 12
Harry and Hermione: 25
Chapter 5: Preparing for Paris
"The first thing we have to do to you is to get you a dress." said Jamie that night at the castle, in the Slytherin common room. For some reasons, Hermy hated that place, although she couldn't explain why. "You can't go to Paris wearing like that."
"I can't wear a dress." said Hermy immediately.
"Why?" asked Charles.
Hermy swallowed and rolled up her sleeves and trousers' legs. "This. That's why. I'll look ugly in a dress."
Charles' eyes widened at the sight of Hermy's bruises while Jamie sucked in his breath. For a minute, nobody spoke as Hermy rolled back her sleeves and trousers' legs. Then Jamie said, "Not to worry, we'll make a potion to treat that."
Hermy looked at him and Charles. "You know how to make potions?"
"Sure we do," said Jamie proudly. "We don't have a wand, so we don't know charms and other kinds of magic that requires a wand. But we read up on potions at night, that's the only magic that doesn't need a wand."
"Why you two don't have a wand?" asked Hermy.
Jamie looked uncomfortable. "Too poor to buy one." he muttered.
"Oh." said Hermy quietly.
"Well, let's get down to work and do something to your bruises!" said Jamie, changing the topic. "Charles and I will go to the library to find the book for the potion, and then to an office for the ingredients. You just wait here."
"Where did you get those tickets?" asked Charles once they went out of the common room.
Jamie grinned. "Forged them, how else?"
"Let's see...... 2 bottles of phoenix tears." said Jamie, reading off from a thick book back in the Slytherin common room.
"Check." said Charles, holding up a bottle of clear liquid from a row of bottles of ingredients.
"1 bottle of unicorn horn, powdered."
"Check." said Charles and Hermy looked amazed at the sliver powder in the tiny bottle.
"2 bottles of Salamander blood."
Hermy looked disgusted at the words.
"Check."
"2 bottles of dried Flobberworms."
Hermy looked sick. "Am I going to drink all these?"
"Don't think so. Don't worry, we will help you when you are required to drink the finished product." said Jamie, without looking up from his book. "One bottle of crushed Angelica, Marigold, Verbena and Sage."
Hermy gulped.
"Check."
"What else......ok, that's it." said Jamie, closing his book. "Now let's get started."
Charles and Hermy watched as Jamie started to make his potion. Whistling, he poured everything in the tiny cauldron (which was no bigger than a crystal ball) in order. Sometimes they saw smoke coming out of the cauldron, but nothing was more unusual than that.
Finally, he threw the unicorn powder into the cauldron (with the bottle as well) and said, "Done!"
Hermy looked at it suspiciously. The potion was light green.
"Okay, now what we have to do is to pour the whole thing into the bath water and let the person to have a bath with it." read Jamie slowly from the book.
Charles blushed furiously at the words.
"Okay, I'll take the potion and bring you to the Prefects' bathroom......" started Jamie when Hermy held up her hand.
"It's okay, you just give me the potion and I will to go the bathroom, I know where it is."
Jamie blinked. "You do?"
Hermy was surprised at herself. How did she know where it was? She had no idea... "Yeah.... it's at the fourth door to the left of that statue of Boris the Bewildered on the fifth floor, right?"
Jamie stared. "Hm, yeah. Don't know which statue you are talking about, but yeah, there is a statue."
Quickly, he took the cauldron and handed it to Hermy.
"Thanks, see you later." said Hermy and left.
"How did she know where the bathroom is?" asked Charles.
Jamie just shrugged.
An hour later, Hermy came back with an empty cauldron, her face clean and body free of bruises. She smiled at the two boys. "Thanks, I feel much better now."
Charles blushed at her smile while Jamie smiled back. "You look much prettier with your face clean. Now, we must get some sleep, so that we could catch the Knight Bus tomorrow."
"We are going to take the Bus to Paris?" asked Hermy.
"No, the Knight Bus can't go across the Channel, so we will ride from Dover, then we will take a ship to Dieppe and then find a cab to Paris."
"That's nice." said Hermy.
As she lay on the bed, Hermy was getting excited at the thought of going to Paris. All her questions about her identity would be answered tomorrow. Maybe she wouldn't feel so lonely anymore after she knew who she was.
Hermy and Charles stood outside Gringotts, waiting for Jamie to withdraw his money for the Knight Bus's ride. Hermy was still wearing her clothes from yesterday while Charles was wearing his best robes (which still had a few patches on). He also had an old backpack with books in it. Hermy figured that he probably wanted to read them during the trip.
Jamie strolled out of the bank, with a small bag in his hands. He was also in his so-called best robes.
"How much did you withdraw?" asked Charles.
"All of them." said Jamie as they walked out of Diagon Alley. "I got to have money for food and the ride from Dieppe to Paris. Right? And I still need to buy a dress for Hermy. I mean, look at her. She can't look like that in front of Mr Weasley."
Hermy looked sharply at him. "What is the name did you just say?"
Jamie and Charles froze.
"Oops." whispered Charles.
"Mr Weasley." said Jamie slowly. "Ronald Weasley."
"And who is that?" asked Hermy, finding the name familiar but couldn't remember where she had hear it before.
"Mr Potter's best friend." said Jamie quietly.
"But, I thought we are going to see Mr Potter himself, why are we seeing his best friend?" asked Hermy, confused.
Charles swallowed and said, "Well, nobody gets near Mr Potter without convincing Mr Weasley first."
Hermy thought for a while, then her mouth dropped open. She looked at Charles (who had his head low), then at Jamie.
"Oh no, not me," she said, shaking her head. "No, no, no, nobody ever told me that I have to PROVE that I'm Miss Hermione Granger!"
Charles suddenly became very interested in his fingernails. Seeing that Charles didn't want to answer, Hermy turned to Jamie.
"Show up, yes. Look nice, fine. But lie?"
Jamie looked slightly annoyed. "You don 't have to lie, what if it's true?" he challenged.
Hermy looked frustrated in return. Seemed like this thing was not as simple as she thought.
"But look at me, Jamie!" she said loudly, tugging her coat. "From what I have heard, Mr Potter is the youngest, best and most handsome Auror around! Do I look suitable for him?!"
Without waiting for Jamie to answer, Hermy stormed off to the far side of a road and sat there. Jamie looked at Charles, who had finally looked up from his nails.
"Talk to her, will you?" asked Jamie.
Charles, who was a good talker, nodded and went off. He stopped beside Hermy and asked, "May I sit down?"
Hermy didn't respond.
Charles sat down slowly. "Hermy, we are sorry that we didn't tell you this earlier. But since we have already decided to go to Paris, why don't you just try to be Hermione Granger?"
"Why should I?" snapped Hermy.
"If you can't even convince Mr Weasley, then you can't get near Mr Potter, and you will never know who you are." said Charles patiently. "You can't stay here either. There's nothing here left for you. Everything is in Paris."
Hermy thought carefully.
"Please Hermy." begged Charles.
Hermy looked at his chocolate brown eyes for a while before she smiled. "Okay. I'll try to be Hermione."
Charles gave one of his sweet smile and gave a thumbs up to Jamie. Jamie ran to them.
"Well, start your teaching then." said Hermy. "What was I like?"
"I remember reading about you in the Daily Prophet." started Charles.
Charles:
You were born on September the 19th.
Hermy:
September the 19th.
Could it be?
Charles:
Yes, that's right.
You learnt witchcraft when you are 10.
Hermy:
Witchcraft? Me?
Charles:
And you are...
Jamie (joining in):
The know-it-all!
Charles:
You hated the Divination teacher of all!
Jamie:
Storm out during her class!
Hermy:
Was I wild?
Jamie:
Not really
Charles (giving Hermy a serious look):
You always behave when the teachers gave that look!
Jamie:
Imagine how it was!
Charles:
Your long-forgotten past!
Charles, Jamie:
We've lots and lots to teach you and the time is going fast!
Hermy (standing up):
All right. I'm ready!
Jamie held out his right arm and BANG the Knight Bus appeared. With two words "to Dover" , he handed Stan 2 Galleons and got 1 Sickle as change. He led Charles and Hermy upstairs to the highest part of the Bus, where there was empty. As the bus went, Charles sat down beside Hermy.
Charles:
Now, sit up straight to have your lessons.
Jamie:
And never bother Divination.
Hermy:
I never cared for Divination!
Charles (to Jamie):
She said that like Hermione!
Jamie:
Transfiguration.
Charles:
Potions.
Hermy:
Dessert and then goodnight?
Charles, Jamie:
Not until you get this right!
Charles:
If I can learn to do it
Jamie:
If he can learn to do it
Charles:
You can learn to do it!
Jamie:
You can learn to do it
Charles:
Pull yourself together
Charles, Jamie:
And you'll pull through it!
Charles:
Tell yourself it's easy
Charles, Jamie:
And it's true! You can learn to do it too!
By the time the Knight Bus reached Dover, Hermy had her head filled with Hermione Granger's personal info and some of the lessons that she had learned in Hogwarts. As she tried to memorize the Switching Spell while on the ship (Jamie's fake tickets worked beautifully), Charles took out a book entitled: "Hogwarts: The Last Year". He turned to Hermy, opened his book and flipped to the page featuring the Hogwarts staff.
Charles:
Next, you must memorize the names of your teachers.
Now here we have Snape
Jamie:
Who snaps
Charles:
At everyone.
Hermy:
Oh!
Charles:
And dear old Dumbledore who loved humming
Jamie:
Got it Hermy?
Hermy:
No!
Charles:
Professor McGonagall
Hermy:
She was?
Jamie:
Stern!
Charles:
Madam Hooch
Hermy:
Had a...
Jamie:
Pair of sharp eyes!
Charles:
Professor Sprout
Jamie:
Wore an old hat.
Charles:
I hear she was very fat.
Hermione:
And I recall her deadly plants...
Jamie (to Charles):
I don't believe we told her that.
As they walked together on the boat deck, Charles and Jamie taught Hermy on the 12 uses of dragon blood and were amazed that she could actually memorized it in half an hour. Then she could memorized the whole of Dumbledore's life story and all of Professor Umbridge's Decrees.
"Hermy," said Charles. "You are amazing!"
Hermy smiled at him and said:
Hermy:
If I can learn to do it, I can learn to do it!
Charles:
Don't know how you knew it.
Hermy:
I simply knew it! Suddenly I feel like someone new...
Charles, Jamie:
Hermy, you're a dream come true!
If I can learn to do it,
Hermy:
If I can learn to do it
Charles, Jamie:
You can learn to do it!
Hermy:
You can learn to do it.
Charles, Jamie:
Pull yourself together
All Three:
And you'll pull though it!
Jamie:
Tell yourself it's easy,
All Three:
And it's true--
Charles, Jamie:
You can learn to do it,
Hermy:
Nothing to it!
All Three:
You can learn to do it too!
"Paris, here we come!" said Hermy happily.
To flamers: I don't take kindly to flames, so back off, if you know what's good for you.
Thank you for your reviews!
Note: To avoid confusion, I will write down Jamie, Charles, Hermione and Harry's age here:
Jamie: 18
Charles: 12
Harry and Hermione: 25
Chapter 5: Preparing for Paris
"The first thing we have to do to you is to get you a dress." said Jamie that night at the castle, in the Slytherin common room. For some reasons, Hermy hated that place, although she couldn't explain why. "You can't go to Paris wearing like that."
"I can't wear a dress." said Hermy immediately.
"Why?" asked Charles.
Hermy swallowed and rolled up her sleeves and trousers' legs. "This. That's why. I'll look ugly in a dress."
Charles' eyes widened at the sight of Hermy's bruises while Jamie sucked in his breath. For a minute, nobody spoke as Hermy rolled back her sleeves and trousers' legs. Then Jamie said, "Not to worry, we'll make a potion to treat that."
Hermy looked at him and Charles. "You know how to make potions?"
"Sure we do," said Jamie proudly. "We don't have a wand, so we don't know charms and other kinds of magic that requires a wand. But we read up on potions at night, that's the only magic that doesn't need a wand."
"Why you two don't have a wand?" asked Hermy.
Jamie looked uncomfortable. "Too poor to buy one." he muttered.
"Oh." said Hermy quietly.
"Well, let's get down to work and do something to your bruises!" said Jamie, changing the topic. "Charles and I will go to the library to find the book for the potion, and then to an office for the ingredients. You just wait here."
"Where did you get those tickets?" asked Charles once they went out of the common room.
Jamie grinned. "Forged them, how else?"
"Let's see...... 2 bottles of phoenix tears." said Jamie, reading off from a thick book back in the Slytherin common room.
"Check." said Charles, holding up a bottle of clear liquid from a row of bottles of ingredients.
"1 bottle of unicorn horn, powdered."
"Check." said Charles and Hermy looked amazed at the sliver powder in the tiny bottle.
"2 bottles of Salamander blood."
Hermy looked disgusted at the words.
"Check."
"2 bottles of dried Flobberworms."
Hermy looked sick. "Am I going to drink all these?"
"Don't think so. Don't worry, we will help you when you are required to drink the finished product." said Jamie, without looking up from his book. "One bottle of crushed Angelica, Marigold, Verbena and Sage."
Hermy gulped.
"Check."
"What else......ok, that's it." said Jamie, closing his book. "Now let's get started."
Charles and Hermy watched as Jamie started to make his potion. Whistling, he poured everything in the tiny cauldron (which was no bigger than a crystal ball) in order. Sometimes they saw smoke coming out of the cauldron, but nothing was more unusual than that.
Finally, he threw the unicorn powder into the cauldron (with the bottle as well) and said, "Done!"
Hermy looked at it suspiciously. The potion was light green.
"Okay, now what we have to do is to pour the whole thing into the bath water and let the person to have a bath with it." read Jamie slowly from the book.
Charles blushed furiously at the words.
"Okay, I'll take the potion and bring you to the Prefects' bathroom......" started Jamie when Hermy held up her hand.
"It's okay, you just give me the potion and I will to go the bathroom, I know where it is."
Jamie blinked. "You do?"
Hermy was surprised at herself. How did she know where it was? She had no idea... "Yeah.... it's at the fourth door to the left of that statue of Boris the Bewildered on the fifth floor, right?"
Jamie stared. "Hm, yeah. Don't know which statue you are talking about, but yeah, there is a statue."
Quickly, he took the cauldron and handed it to Hermy.
"Thanks, see you later." said Hermy and left.
"How did she know where the bathroom is?" asked Charles.
Jamie just shrugged.
An hour later, Hermy came back with an empty cauldron, her face clean and body free of bruises. She smiled at the two boys. "Thanks, I feel much better now."
Charles blushed at her smile while Jamie smiled back. "You look much prettier with your face clean. Now, we must get some sleep, so that we could catch the Knight Bus tomorrow."
"We are going to take the Bus to Paris?" asked Hermy.
"No, the Knight Bus can't go across the Channel, so we will ride from Dover, then we will take a ship to Dieppe and then find a cab to Paris."
"That's nice." said Hermy.
As she lay on the bed, Hermy was getting excited at the thought of going to Paris. All her questions about her identity would be answered tomorrow. Maybe she wouldn't feel so lonely anymore after she knew who she was.
Hermy and Charles stood outside Gringotts, waiting for Jamie to withdraw his money for the Knight Bus's ride. Hermy was still wearing her clothes from yesterday while Charles was wearing his best robes (which still had a few patches on). He also had an old backpack with books in it. Hermy figured that he probably wanted to read them during the trip.
Jamie strolled out of the bank, with a small bag in his hands. He was also in his so-called best robes.
"How much did you withdraw?" asked Charles.
"All of them." said Jamie as they walked out of Diagon Alley. "I got to have money for food and the ride from Dieppe to Paris. Right? And I still need to buy a dress for Hermy. I mean, look at her. She can't look like that in front of Mr Weasley."
Hermy looked sharply at him. "What is the name did you just say?"
Jamie and Charles froze.
"Oops." whispered Charles.
"Mr Weasley." said Jamie slowly. "Ronald Weasley."
"And who is that?" asked Hermy, finding the name familiar but couldn't remember where she had hear it before.
"Mr Potter's best friend." said Jamie quietly.
"But, I thought we are going to see Mr Potter himself, why are we seeing his best friend?" asked Hermy, confused.
Charles swallowed and said, "Well, nobody gets near Mr Potter without convincing Mr Weasley first."
Hermy thought for a while, then her mouth dropped open. She looked at Charles (who had his head low), then at Jamie.
"Oh no, not me," she said, shaking her head. "No, no, no, nobody ever told me that I have to PROVE that I'm Miss Hermione Granger!"
Charles suddenly became very interested in his fingernails. Seeing that Charles didn't want to answer, Hermy turned to Jamie.
"Show up, yes. Look nice, fine. But lie?"
Jamie looked slightly annoyed. "You don 't have to lie, what if it's true?" he challenged.
Hermy looked frustrated in return. Seemed like this thing was not as simple as she thought.
"But look at me, Jamie!" she said loudly, tugging her coat. "From what I have heard, Mr Potter is the youngest, best and most handsome Auror around! Do I look suitable for him?!"
Without waiting for Jamie to answer, Hermy stormed off to the far side of a road and sat there. Jamie looked at Charles, who had finally looked up from his nails.
"Talk to her, will you?" asked Jamie.
Charles, who was a good talker, nodded and went off. He stopped beside Hermy and asked, "May I sit down?"
Hermy didn't respond.
Charles sat down slowly. "Hermy, we are sorry that we didn't tell you this earlier. But since we have already decided to go to Paris, why don't you just try to be Hermione Granger?"
"Why should I?" snapped Hermy.
"If you can't even convince Mr Weasley, then you can't get near Mr Potter, and you will never know who you are." said Charles patiently. "You can't stay here either. There's nothing here left for you. Everything is in Paris."
Hermy thought carefully.
"Please Hermy." begged Charles.
Hermy looked at his chocolate brown eyes for a while before she smiled. "Okay. I'll try to be Hermione."
Charles gave one of his sweet smile and gave a thumbs up to Jamie. Jamie ran to them.
"Well, start your teaching then." said Hermy. "What was I like?"
"I remember reading about you in the Daily Prophet." started Charles.
Charles:
You were born on September the 19th.
Hermy:
September the 19th.
Could it be?
Charles:
Yes, that's right.
You learnt witchcraft when you are 10.
Hermy:
Witchcraft? Me?
Charles:
And you are...
Jamie (joining in):
The know-it-all!
Charles:
You hated the Divination teacher of all!
Jamie:
Storm out during her class!
Hermy:
Was I wild?
Jamie:
Not really
Charles (giving Hermy a serious look):
You always behave when the teachers gave that look!
Jamie:
Imagine how it was!
Charles:
Your long-forgotten past!
Charles, Jamie:
We've lots and lots to teach you and the time is going fast!
Hermy (standing up):
All right. I'm ready!
Jamie held out his right arm and BANG the Knight Bus appeared. With two words "to Dover" , he handed Stan 2 Galleons and got 1 Sickle as change. He led Charles and Hermy upstairs to the highest part of the Bus, where there was empty. As the bus went, Charles sat down beside Hermy.
Charles:
Now, sit up straight to have your lessons.
Jamie:
And never bother Divination.
Hermy:
I never cared for Divination!
Charles (to Jamie):
She said that like Hermione!
Jamie:
Transfiguration.
Charles:
Potions.
Hermy:
Dessert and then goodnight?
Charles, Jamie:
Not until you get this right!
Charles:
If I can learn to do it
Jamie:
If he can learn to do it
Charles:
You can learn to do it!
Jamie:
You can learn to do it
Charles:
Pull yourself together
Charles, Jamie:
And you'll pull through it!
Charles:
Tell yourself it's easy
Charles, Jamie:
And it's true! You can learn to do it too!
By the time the Knight Bus reached Dover, Hermy had her head filled with Hermione Granger's personal info and some of the lessons that she had learned in Hogwarts. As she tried to memorize the Switching Spell while on the ship (Jamie's fake tickets worked beautifully), Charles took out a book entitled: "Hogwarts: The Last Year". He turned to Hermy, opened his book and flipped to the page featuring the Hogwarts staff.
Charles:
Next, you must memorize the names of your teachers.
Now here we have Snape
Jamie:
Who snaps
Charles:
At everyone.
Hermy:
Oh!
Charles:
And dear old Dumbledore who loved humming
Jamie:
Got it Hermy?
Hermy:
No!
Charles:
Professor McGonagall
Hermy:
She was?
Jamie:
Stern!
Charles:
Madam Hooch
Hermy:
Had a...
Jamie:
Pair of sharp eyes!
Charles:
Professor Sprout
Jamie:
Wore an old hat.
Charles:
I hear she was very fat.
Hermione:
And I recall her deadly plants...
Jamie (to Charles):
I don't believe we told her that.
As they walked together on the boat deck, Charles and Jamie taught Hermy on the 12 uses of dragon blood and were amazed that she could actually memorized it in half an hour. Then she could memorized the whole of Dumbledore's life story and all of Professor Umbridge's Decrees.
"Hermy," said Charles. "You are amazing!"
Hermy smiled at him and said:
Hermy:
If I can learn to do it, I can learn to do it!
Charles:
Don't know how you knew it.
Hermy:
I simply knew it! Suddenly I feel like someone new...
Charles, Jamie:
Hermy, you're a dream come true!
If I can learn to do it,
Hermy:
If I can learn to do it
Charles, Jamie:
You can learn to do it!
Hermy:
You can learn to do it.
Charles, Jamie:
Pull yourself together
All Three:
And you'll pull though it!
Jamie:
Tell yourself it's easy,
All Three:
And it's true--
Charles, Jamie:
You can learn to do it,
Hermy:
Nothing to it!
All Three:
You can learn to do it too!
"Paris, here we come!" said Hermy happily.