Chapter 3

A/n: Here's Chapter 3, or as I like to call it, 'the chapter where I confuse you guys to the point where you hate me, but can't help reviewing and waiting with bated breath until the next chapter is posted'. But seriously, I'm just joking. I'm not THAT mean… I'm only SOMEWHAT mean. Heh heh.

Honestly, there IS a point to this story, which will all become clear in the next few chapters. Things to watch for in the next few: Over-protective friends, suspicious family ties, crazy attempted murders and ambiguous relationships. Enough to keep you reading? Good.

First off, I'd like to give props to Yamwam, also known as the ingenious Julia, who I snuck a tribute to in the last chapter. Points to those who caught it. Anyone who wants an abundance of freakin' amazing fic should read her fan-epic. I swear she's working for JK.

If anyone can tell me where I lifted my assortment of names from, I'll give you a thousand dollars. Not really. But I'll be impressed.

Thanks go to the following kick-ass reviewers:

Juno (Glad I got you to board the ship, if only for a while… oh, and if you think she's a bastard now, you're going to have fun guessing what happens next…)

TheExecutioner (Patience… the romance will come, like everything else, in time)

Person (Sorry, this chapter's a bit shorter. But not without it's charms…)

Sweetspontaneous (Pacing is hard when you have no patience… so hard… glad someone appreciates it!)

Becca Asry (I'm getting to it, don't worry…)

Ocztobi (it's hard to spell, I know. I kept having to scroll back while I was writing.)

Mereschino (Wow… one of my friends actually reviewing my stuff? I love that *Hint hint Meg and CC*. Sorry about the shippage, Lis… I AM writing same-gen het now, though. And it's your fault. So damn you, Lisa, damn you!)

Flamegrrl (Haha, cool bananas! That sounds like something I'd say.)

Cassie (Patience is a virtue… they'll get together eventually.)

Pan-52 (Thanks for reassuring me about the pacing. No-one's ever described my pacing as 'oerfect' before. That's a lift and a half!)

And all the rest of you… tisk tisk. Get reviewing, already!

Well, I hope you like it. More soon.

Chapter 3

At two thirty in the morning, unable to bear laying still and silent any longer, Ginny slide out from underneath the covers and snuck out of her bedroom. After making herself a mug of herbal tea, she sat down on the couch to think over the events of the past twenty-four hours. It was while she was sitting there that she noticed Hermione's open duffle bag sitting by the door. The corner of an absolutely enormous volume was sticking out of the top. Ginny's curiosity got the better of her and she tiptoed over to the bag, pulling the huge book out of the suitcase slightly to get a better look. She had to smother a laugh at the title… 'Towenaar: A History'.

I should have known, She thought to herself before pulling the book out and starting back towards the couch. She wanted to find out more about this mysterious school of Hermione's.

Ginny was soon bored with the early history of the school, and she found herself skipping ahead to more recent times. Ginny read about how the school had been anti-apartheid, and had encouraged unity and diversity amongst witches and wizards of all races in South Africa. Near the back of the book was a section that contained the names, pictures and biographies of every teacher at Towenaar up until very recent years. Ginny noted with some interest that Hermione was not included, but Zuri Oudendaal was. Ginny read Zuri's biographical sketch.

Born to Swahili tribal matriarch Asha Mandoma and notorious wizard Jaapie Oudendaal, Professor Oudendaal has devoted her entire life to potions and the preservation of the native arts. The descendant of two very ancient wizarding bloodlines, Professor Oudendaal is the only known descendant of the Oudendaal family. A potions master at twenty-one, Professor Oudendaal is one of the youngest and most accomplished potions masters in the wizarding world. Professor Oudendaal grew up with her father in Capetown, and now resides at Towenaar Academy.

Ginny raised an eyebrow. That didn't tell her much. She still had a bad feeling about this Zuri, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was. Something about the biographical paragraph had bothered her though… she searched it again. There. Zuri's father was mentioned almost as much as Zuri herself. Ginny wondered why. He must be pretty important. Ginny closed the book thoughtfully, leaning back against the pillows on the couch, deep in thought.

It was like this that Harry found her an hour later, fast asleep.

"Hey," He said, shaking her awake gently. "What are you doing out here? Bedbugs?"

Ginny smiled sleepily. "Nope… Hermione."

Harry's brow creased momentarily before he shrugged it off and laughed. "What's this?" He said, picking up the book. This time Ginny didn't bother to smother her laughter at the look on Harry's face.

"Guess who that belongs to."

Harry flipped through the volume. "Some pretty wild stuff in here." Ginny was reminded of something.

"Hey, Harry? Can I ask a favor?" He eyed her suspiciously.

"What is it?"

Ginny twined her fingers together. "I know you're not supposed to do this, but I really need some information on a wizard, and I thought maybe you could access some of the ministry files and look him up for me." She gave him her sweetest smile. "Please?"

Harry shook his head. "Can't do it, Ginny. You know I'm not allowed to show anyone the information in there."

Ginny wrinkled her nose. "I know… but maybe if YOU looked, you could tell me a couple things."

"I can't, Ginny." She gave him a pleading look. "No. Gin, do you want me to get fired?"

Ginny scowled a her friend. "Oh fine. But what use is being an Auror if you can't even get secret dirt on people from time to time?"

"Oh, I can get dirt on people… I just can't tell you about it." Ginny slapped Harry's arm lightly.

"Fine. I'll just find out my own way."

*****

"Good morning." Ginny looked up at Hermione and smiled. The other girl was still in her pyjamas, and her curly brown hair stuck out in all directions.

"Morning. You slept well." It wasn't a question so much as a statement; Ginny had been awake all night and knew exactly how Hermione had slept.

"Like a baby." Then Hermione frowned. "Oh no… I didn't keep you up, did I? Sometimes I…"

"Kick, I know." Ginny smiled fondly. "Don't worry, you didn't bruise me or anything… I just had a little too much energy." She looked down at her lap. "I borrowed some reading material. Hope you don't mind."

Hermione laughed with delight. "And here I was thinking I'd taught you nothing."

"Well there you go, you don't know everything." Hermione sighed and sat down beside Ginny on the couch.

"I missed this," She said, smiling. "I missed all of you so much." All of a sudden she looked as if she was about to cry. Ginny turned to face her best friend, concerned.

"Hermione?" The other girl waved her hand dismissively.

"Oh, don't… I'm just being silly. It's just… I think I have to go back soon."

Ginny felt something in her chest tighten. "How soon?" She asked tensely. Hermione shrugged.

"Today or tomorrow… Zuri will worry about me. I should really go set things right."

Ginny suddenly felt like she was the one who might cry. She'd just started feeling like she'd gotten her old friend back, and now she was leaving again, and who knew how long it would take for her to come back this time. "Well, I suppose that makes sense… but we'll miss you."

"Of course we will." Both girls looked up to see Harry standing in the doorway to the kitchen. "But then, you knew that."

Hermione smiled a little sadly. "I'll visit all the time. I mean it."

"We'll hold you to it," Ginny said sternly. Hermione grinned.

"Yes ma'am." Ginny mock-glared and stuck out her tongue. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Now children…" Ginny laughed at him.

"You shut up."

Hermione stood up, stretching. "Well, as much as I hate it, I really should get dressed and pack up. It's four different floo trips to Towenaar." Ginny wrinkled her nose.

"Eew. What a long trip," she remarked. Harry looked slightly green at the thought of that much floo travel. He was still slightly leery of that mode of transportation.

Hermione retreated into the bathroom, and Harry turned to Ginny. "Okay, spill."

"What?"

Harry stood in front of her, arms crossed. "Something's up with you, and I want to know what it is."

Ginny looked up at him, eyes wide. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Like hell. Tell me."

Ginny sighed. "Fine… I guess I'm just sad she's leaving. Happy now?"

Harry furrowed his brow. "Maybe it's for the best," He said quietly. Ginny frowned at him.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at her friend. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Nothing, Gin. I just think maybe Hermione should go home… She has a life there, she can't just leave that because we want her to." Ginny's eyes were stormy.

"She could if it was what she wanted. I didn't even get the sense that she was looking forward to going back to South Africa. It sound to me like she's doing what's best for everyone else, not what's best for her."

"I've never known Hermione to consciously disregard her own best interests, Ginny. She seems perfectly happy there to me."

Ginny scowled. "You haven't talked to her much about it, then." Harry sat down beside her, and she turned to face him. "Harry, something doesn't feel right about this whole situation… something's way off kilter."

"I don't pretend to know what you're talking about, but maybe you can enlighten me." Harry was afraid that he knew exactly what Ginny was about to say.

"Well, this may sound funny, but… I think there's something fishy about Zuri. Something just doesn't seem right. It's the way she talks about her… it's just not the way I'd expect someone to talk about the person they love. It's strange."

Harry closed his eyes momentarily, steeling himself for what he was about to do. This had to stop before it began… he couldn't bear to see either of his friends get hurt. "That's funny," He said, feeling about as low as dirt. "When she was talking to me about Zuri, she seemed almost blissful. It sounded to me like they really love each other. Maybe they have their problems, but then again, don't all couples?"

Ginny shrugged. "I guess you're right." Half of Harry wanted to tell Ginny that no, he wasn't right, that there was something strange going on. But the other half could see as clearly as day the thoughts going around in his friend's head, and he wanted to protect her from the impending revelations that he wasn't sure she could handle yet. He swore to himself that he would figure out what was going on with Hermione later, but right now he had to help Ginny.

Half an hour later, the two roommates bid farewell to their best friend, none of them knowing for sure when they would meet again.

*****

Hermione fell out of the floo in the Towenaar staff room three hours later, exhausted from the horribly long journey (complete with three mandatory half-hour stopovers). She stood up, brushed to soot off of her black robes and shook her head to clear it. Around her wrist, Nuada loosened his grip.

"Thank you," Hermione said sarcastically. The Quetzalcoetal had been squeezing her arm uncomfortably all throughout the last leg of her journey. Hermione started down the halls towards her chambers, her shrunken luggage in the pocket of her robes. As she got nearer to her rooms, she could feel Nuada tightening again. By the time she reached the door to the bedroom she shared with Zuri, the serpent was squeezing her arm so hard that Hermione could barely move her fingers. "Hey, cut it out!" She said, attempting to pry Nuada from her arm. "That hurts!" The serpent immediately let up, slithering over her fingers and out of her hands, sliding to a stop on the doorknob to the room. Hermione furrowed her brow as the Quetzalcoetl hissed menacingly.

"What the hell…" she muttered, reaching towards the handle. The serpent reared it's head and lunged forward, bumping it's closed mouth against Hermione's hand. Hermione shook her head in bewilderment. "What's wrong with you? I have to get in there!" She reached forwards again, with the same results. Suddenly, Hermione felt something prickling in the back of her mind, but she couldn't grasp hold of the thought. She reached out and stroked one finger over the serpent's head thoughtfully, and suddenly she knew exactly what the creature was feeling. "I can't go in," she whispered to herself. "But why?" She looked down at Nuada. "Why? What is it?" The serpent wound itself around her wrist again when she offered her arm, and then crawled up into her robes, sliding into the inside pocket, where she kept her wand. The creature wrapped around the wand, and Hermione pulled it out of her robes, after which Nuada quickly slid back onto her wrist. She looked down at her wand, and then at the door. After a moment's thought, she raised her wand and cast an invisibility spell on the door.

Upon which she promptly fainted.