~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Hermione, what's wrong with you?"
"Nothing's wrong with me, Harry!"
"Then why are you acting like this? You haven't been to meals, and you skipped class the other day."
"I didn't skip. I told you I wasn't feeling good."
"Parvati said you weren't in the dormitory. so where were you?"
"It's none of your business!"
"Yes it is my business! We're friends. Friends look out for each other, and I want to know why you're pushing me away!"
"Well maybe you don't need to know because we aren't friends anymore!"
". Hermione, you don't mean that."
"Yes I do! I'm not speaking to a nosy prat like you ever again!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Hermione?" A gentle whisper tickled her ear, breaking the echo of forgotten voices. "Hermione wake up."
She felt herself stir underneath a thin sheet and she slowly opened her eyes. The stony walls of the dungeon came into focus. Hermione shot up, looking at her surroundings. She was back in the dungeon. Her hands covered her mouth as she realized what had happened when her wand was tested.
"Harry!" she said through her fingers.
"Hermione, calm down," the voice said again. Hermione turned her attention to the person, who turned out to be an unfamiliar witch dressed in robes and a hat.
"Who are you?" Hermione asked, almost to herself because there was something vaguely recognizable about the young woman.
"It's just me," she answered. "It's okay, they let me come down here to be with you until you woke up."
Hermione stared at the woman's face. "I'm-I'm sorry but I don't know you. I mean, I feel like I've seen you before. but I don't know who you are."
The witch's eyes filled with an echo of hurt as her smooth face wrinkled faintly in uncertainty. "What do you mean you don't know me? Hermione, it's me, Professor Kinsley."
Hermione shook her head. "I'm sorry."
Professor Kinsley thought for a moment, then asked: "Hermione, what spell would you use to keep a Pogrebin away from you?"
"A Pogrebin?" Hermione said. "We don't learn how to deal with them until-" She abruptly stopped.
"Until when?" Professor Kinsley pressed.
"Fifth year," Hermione whispered, gazing at the ground. She glanced back up at the professor. "You're the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, aren't you? That's how I recognize you."
"Well, I'm not really new anymore. But yes, I was new at the beginning of this year." The teacher sighed. "It's true then. You did lose your memory."
"Finally, somebody believes me," Hermione said leaning closer to the young woman. "Professor Kinsley, I didn't kill Harry. I couldn't have! Someone else must have stolen my wand."
The professor looked at Hermione skeptically. "I have some things I should probably tell you," Professor Kinsley said. "Things that you've secretly told me this year, that you have most likely forgotten."
Hermione listened intently as Professor Kinsley described their relationship. How Hermione had made an instant impression on her new professor, but Professor Kinsley had sensed something bothering her student. Hermione and her teacher had become fast friends at the beginning of the year but when the news came that Viktor Krum, the famous Quidditch player, would be coaching the Hogwarts' teams that year, Hermione was instantly distressed.
"That day he had come, I'd never seen anybody so concerned as you were," Professor Kinsley said. "So I asked you, in private, to tell me what was really wrong. You told me how you went to his mansion that summer and had a wonderful time, but then you received an owl from him on the first week of school. It told you to meet him in the Forbidden Forest in secret the next day. You told me that you didn't really want to go, but went anyway, thinking it would be harmless. He showed up, evidently, with graphic pictures of abused house elves in Hogwarts; he told you it was Dumbledore who didn't let them eat until their work was done, or sleep at all. You said you didn't believe them at first, but Viktor swore to everything good that they were, and you trusted him. You told me about how you hated house elf enslavement, and this brought you to the edge. Viktor used his popularity and started a real committee against house elf enslavement, and you joined wholeheartedly."
"Wow," Hermione commented. "I can't believe some other people finally realized how horrible it was getting. Dumbledore abusing house elves? That's probably why he hired Dobby. to cover up all the other stuff he was doing."
"Well that's what you told yourself back in September, too," Professor Kinsley said. "You started to attend these meetings in secret, and grew distant from everyone, because they didn't share your passion." Professor Kinsley frowned and shook her head.
"What?" Hermione asked. "What is it?"
"The next part of the story. It's just. Well." She sighed. "You found out somehow that Viktor was lying. He had started working for Voldemort, and was using you to try to get rid of Dumbledore. You agreed, before you knew he was on the dark side, to try and get Dumbledore expelled from his position as headmaster because Viktor told you it was best to get him away from all those house elves. You did try, a good number of times, to get Dumbledore fired."
"But Viktor was lying!" Hermione groaned. "How could I be so stupid? Without Dumbledore, Voldemort could get to the school!" She shook her head, and then looked into Professor Kinsley's eyes. "Did I confront him?"
"Well, when you heard that Viktor was coming (this was after you found out he was lying) you were very worried because it meant he was going to try and get rid of Dumbledore himself, without you. You sent him an owl, threatening to expose his motives if he came."
"What happened?" Hermione asked, wide-eyed with dread.
"He threatened to kill you if you told."
Hermione gasped. "Well, I told you. and so you told Dumbledore, didn't you?"
"You begged me not to tell," Professor Kinsley said helplessly. "Begged me until you were in tears"
"I was so stupid," Hermione sighed.
"You were so scared," her teacher said. "Now, no matter what I tell Dumbledore, he won't listen. Apparently, he caught wind of the news that you were trying to get him sacked, and that the cover up story had to do with house elves. He didn't know that Krum was involved at all, and he's been through so much with Voldemort's followers lately, he won't listen to my explanations, especially since I kept your secrets from him for so long. It is quite unfortunate that this has happened just now, because a few weeks ago, a Death Eater was caught and tried to make himself look innocent by claiming to have lost his memory."
"What am I going to do?" Hermione groaned. "There's no way out of this!"
"I'm sorry," Professor Kinsley said quickly, looking at the dungeon door. "I really am, but I have to go. The guard is coming back and I'm only allowed here until you wake up."
"What will I do?" Hermione said. "You'll help me, won't you?"
"I'll try, Hermione, really I will. Goodbye." The guard's footsteps were heard in the hallway and he opened the door. Professor Kinsley left.
"Josh!" Hermione said when she saw his face, but he didn't smile or say anything to her.
"Josh, are you okay?" She asked timidly.
"You lied to me, Hermione," he said through a clenched jaw. "After everything I did for you."
"No, I didn't! Josh, someone stole my wand!"
"Be quiet!" he spat. "I listened to you once, and I won't make the same mistake again. I'm not doing anything else for you. You're a murderer!" He slammed the heavy door, leaving a metallic ring in Hermione's ears.
"I'm not a murderer!" she yelled feebly, remembering Harry's smoky form coming from her wand. 'I'm not.'
"Hermione, what's wrong with you?"
"Nothing's wrong with me, Harry!"
"Then why are you acting like this? You haven't been to meals, and you skipped class the other day."
"I didn't skip. I told you I wasn't feeling good."
"Parvati said you weren't in the dormitory. so where were you?"
"It's none of your business!"
"Yes it is my business! We're friends. Friends look out for each other, and I want to know why you're pushing me away!"
"Well maybe you don't need to know because we aren't friends anymore!"
". Hermione, you don't mean that."
"Yes I do! I'm not speaking to a nosy prat like you ever again!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Hermione?" A gentle whisper tickled her ear, breaking the echo of forgotten voices. "Hermione wake up."
She felt herself stir underneath a thin sheet and she slowly opened her eyes. The stony walls of the dungeon came into focus. Hermione shot up, looking at her surroundings. She was back in the dungeon. Her hands covered her mouth as she realized what had happened when her wand was tested.
"Harry!" she said through her fingers.
"Hermione, calm down," the voice said again. Hermione turned her attention to the person, who turned out to be an unfamiliar witch dressed in robes and a hat.
"Who are you?" Hermione asked, almost to herself because there was something vaguely recognizable about the young woman.
"It's just me," she answered. "It's okay, they let me come down here to be with you until you woke up."
Hermione stared at the woman's face. "I'm-I'm sorry but I don't know you. I mean, I feel like I've seen you before. but I don't know who you are."
The witch's eyes filled with an echo of hurt as her smooth face wrinkled faintly in uncertainty. "What do you mean you don't know me? Hermione, it's me, Professor Kinsley."
Hermione shook her head. "I'm sorry."
Professor Kinsley thought for a moment, then asked: "Hermione, what spell would you use to keep a Pogrebin away from you?"
"A Pogrebin?" Hermione said. "We don't learn how to deal with them until-" She abruptly stopped.
"Until when?" Professor Kinsley pressed.
"Fifth year," Hermione whispered, gazing at the ground. She glanced back up at the professor. "You're the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, aren't you? That's how I recognize you."
"Well, I'm not really new anymore. But yes, I was new at the beginning of this year." The teacher sighed. "It's true then. You did lose your memory."
"Finally, somebody believes me," Hermione said leaning closer to the young woman. "Professor Kinsley, I didn't kill Harry. I couldn't have! Someone else must have stolen my wand."
The professor looked at Hermione skeptically. "I have some things I should probably tell you," Professor Kinsley said. "Things that you've secretly told me this year, that you have most likely forgotten."
Hermione listened intently as Professor Kinsley described their relationship. How Hermione had made an instant impression on her new professor, but Professor Kinsley had sensed something bothering her student. Hermione and her teacher had become fast friends at the beginning of the year but when the news came that Viktor Krum, the famous Quidditch player, would be coaching the Hogwarts' teams that year, Hermione was instantly distressed.
"That day he had come, I'd never seen anybody so concerned as you were," Professor Kinsley said. "So I asked you, in private, to tell me what was really wrong. You told me how you went to his mansion that summer and had a wonderful time, but then you received an owl from him on the first week of school. It told you to meet him in the Forbidden Forest in secret the next day. You told me that you didn't really want to go, but went anyway, thinking it would be harmless. He showed up, evidently, with graphic pictures of abused house elves in Hogwarts; he told you it was Dumbledore who didn't let them eat until their work was done, or sleep at all. You said you didn't believe them at first, but Viktor swore to everything good that they were, and you trusted him. You told me about how you hated house elf enslavement, and this brought you to the edge. Viktor used his popularity and started a real committee against house elf enslavement, and you joined wholeheartedly."
"Wow," Hermione commented. "I can't believe some other people finally realized how horrible it was getting. Dumbledore abusing house elves? That's probably why he hired Dobby. to cover up all the other stuff he was doing."
"Well that's what you told yourself back in September, too," Professor Kinsley said. "You started to attend these meetings in secret, and grew distant from everyone, because they didn't share your passion." Professor Kinsley frowned and shook her head.
"What?" Hermione asked. "What is it?"
"The next part of the story. It's just. Well." She sighed. "You found out somehow that Viktor was lying. He had started working for Voldemort, and was using you to try to get rid of Dumbledore. You agreed, before you knew he was on the dark side, to try and get Dumbledore expelled from his position as headmaster because Viktor told you it was best to get him away from all those house elves. You did try, a good number of times, to get Dumbledore fired."
"But Viktor was lying!" Hermione groaned. "How could I be so stupid? Without Dumbledore, Voldemort could get to the school!" She shook her head, and then looked into Professor Kinsley's eyes. "Did I confront him?"
"Well, when you heard that Viktor was coming (this was after you found out he was lying) you were very worried because it meant he was going to try and get rid of Dumbledore himself, without you. You sent him an owl, threatening to expose his motives if he came."
"What happened?" Hermione asked, wide-eyed with dread.
"He threatened to kill you if you told."
Hermione gasped. "Well, I told you. and so you told Dumbledore, didn't you?"
"You begged me not to tell," Professor Kinsley said helplessly. "Begged me until you were in tears"
"I was so stupid," Hermione sighed.
"You were so scared," her teacher said. "Now, no matter what I tell Dumbledore, he won't listen. Apparently, he caught wind of the news that you were trying to get him sacked, and that the cover up story had to do with house elves. He didn't know that Krum was involved at all, and he's been through so much with Voldemort's followers lately, he won't listen to my explanations, especially since I kept your secrets from him for so long. It is quite unfortunate that this has happened just now, because a few weeks ago, a Death Eater was caught and tried to make himself look innocent by claiming to have lost his memory."
"What am I going to do?" Hermione groaned. "There's no way out of this!"
"I'm sorry," Professor Kinsley said quickly, looking at the dungeon door. "I really am, but I have to go. The guard is coming back and I'm only allowed here until you wake up."
"What will I do?" Hermione said. "You'll help me, won't you?"
"I'll try, Hermione, really I will. Goodbye." The guard's footsteps were heard in the hallway and he opened the door. Professor Kinsley left.
"Josh!" Hermione said when she saw his face, but he didn't smile or say anything to her.
"Josh, are you okay?" She asked timidly.
"You lied to me, Hermione," he said through a clenched jaw. "After everything I did for you."
"No, I didn't! Josh, someone stole my wand!"
"Be quiet!" he spat. "I listened to you once, and I won't make the same mistake again. I'm not doing anything else for you. You're a murderer!" He slammed the heavy door, leaving a metallic ring in Hermione's ears.
"I'm not a murderer!" she yelled feebly, remembering Harry's smoky form coming from her wand. 'I'm not.'