Ripple

Title: Ripple

Disclaimer: Refer to chapter one.

Rating: R

Chapter Summery: In which we learn a little bit more about Hermione's NEWT level project, the Ball arrives, and a kidnapping occurs...dum dum dum!

Authors Notes: Heres chapter two :) Thanks to my first reviewer Star-Angel23, I hope you like this chapter, maybe some of your questions will be answered.

Chapter 2: The Kidnapping

The arrow of change will blaze into the past,
Into the Dark Prince's arms.
She will not know him or any she meets in her travels,
Though she one knew their tales well.
From the collected prophesies of,
Morgana Le Fey

"Hermione," Harry called as Hermione descended the stairs from the girl's dormitories, waving from across the common room where he and Ron were sitting. Hermione shook her head at him as she hurried towards the portrait hole, it was the Thursday night before the Ball and probably the last chance she'd get to work on her research project, come Friday she just knew she wouldn't have a moments peace until the Ball was over.

"Not now Harry!" She called, "I'm going to the library to work on my project."

Harry and Ron exchanged a glance as she disappeared through the portrait hall at a near run.

"Mental that one," Ron said rolling his eyes. "She's been acting really odd though," he said thoughtfully "ever since she started her project. I mean she does realise it's not even November yet right? And we have the better part of two years to work on the stupid things?"

"Well you know Hermione," Harry shrugged. "She's always been like that about schoolwork. I guess it makes sense that she'd be even crazier now she's working on a NEWT level project."

"Yeah, I guess," Ron agreed, "I don't know though, I mean something just seems a little off, even for Hermione. I haven't even decided if I'm going to focus on defence or magical creatures yet!"

"I know, we've even been told by the professors not to worry about the projects to much at this point beyond settling on a topic and writing up an outline on what we want to research." Harry agreed, then he shrugged, "Still its not like it's really out of character for Hermione to be focused," Harry snorted in sudden amusement, "I'm surprised she's not already studying for NEWTS."

"That's just it!" Ginny exclaimed, suddenly appearing in front of Harry and Ron, who shrank back warily and the decidedly demented look in her eyes.

"Er, hi Ginny," Harry said cautiously. "You feeling okay?"

Ginny sat down on a chair and dragged it close to the couch they were sitting on, leaning forwards eyes shifting suspiciously from side to side, as if to ensure that nobody was listening.

"It's been bothering me since last week, I mean it just didn't make any sense, it's not possible, she's said so herself a thousand times..."

"Ginny!" Harry cut in after sharing confused glances with Ron. "What doesn't make any sense? What's been bothering you? What exactly is it you're talking about again?"

"What Hermione has been doing in the library of course." Ginny said while looking at him as if he was been particularly dense.

"Uh studying?" Her brother suggested sarcastically looking at her as if she'd completely lost it.

"That's just it. You said it yourselves, she's not studying!" Ginny exclaimed triumphantly. She looked excitedly between the two of them, her shoulders slumping when all they did was exchange more confused glances.

"Um Gin maybe you should go lie down." Harry suggested gently.

"I don't need to lie down you idiot." Ginny said, looking extremely annoyed. Honestly boys! They had to have everything spelt out for them.

"Hey," Ron said, starting to become irritated with his little sister. "You can't talk to Harry like that! It's not our fault you aren't making any sense."

Ginny sighed while rolling her eyes in exasperation; she then began to explain things to them very slowly, as if speaking to small children or else someone not very bright.

"Last week when I went looking for Hermione in the library, she disappeared, to put her books somewhere..."

"That's not so strange," Ron cut in. "Hermione must know that library better than almost anyone, I don't see what's so intere...offf!" Ron was cut off as Harry elbowed him in the gut, not liking the colour of red Ginny's face was slowly turning in rage at been interrupted.

"I wasn't finished," Ginny hissed. "Anyway as I was saying," She shot a death glare at Ron, "She couldn't have been gone for more than a few moments when she tapped me on the shoulder, and somehow she had appeared right behind me."

"Weird," Ron commented as Harry sat nodding beside him, privately Harry wondered if Hermione had started using a time-turner again. "Maybe," Ron said thoughtfully, "maybe she's learnt to apparate early and is testing it out." He finished excitedly.

"No, no, no," Ginny said shaking her head frantically. "How many times has she told us herself that it's impossible to apparate on Hogwarts grounds? Its been bugging me all week and I've been trying to decide if Hermione is doing anything else out of character, I couldn't think of anything, that is until Harry made that joke about NEWTS."

"Oh, come on Ginny," Ron snorted. "Even Hermione's not that bad, it's not like she can revise, we haven't learnt anything to revise for yet!"

"That's just it," Ginny said. "She may not be revising, but she'd normally be studying the syllabuses and reading NEWT preparation books like mad."

"That's true Ron," Harry said frowning. "Hermione would usually be doing that; she'd be working on her project as well but not in exclusion to everything else."

"Well what exactly is it you think she's doing then?" Ron asked looking confused.

"I don't know, but whatever it is," Ginny said grimly. "It's in the library." With that portentous statement Ginny stood up and walked to the stairs leading to the girl's dormitories, leaving Harry and Ron sitting in silence on the couch behind her.

"I think she's cracked." Ron said, breaking the silence when he was sure his sister was out of earshot.

"Yeah," Harry agreed "She was acting a little strange."

"What does she think Hermione's doing in the library? Plotting to take over Hogwarts using an army of books?" Ron snorted and both boys laughed. "I haven't seen her act this paranoid since Fred and George charmed her shadow to play tricks on her!"

Meanwhile, Hermione happily sat in the small secret room within the library that Professor Dumbledore and Madam Pince had shown her, and as the room could only be accessed using a keyed wand, Hermione had been given the great honour of having her wand keyed to the entrance so she could use the room any time she liked.

The room held Hogwarts collection of ancient magical artefacts, such items, been both incredibly powerful and little understood, were only held in the most secure locations in the magical world. Hogwarts was one of those locations, and held twelve of Britain's collection of ancient magical artefacts.

No place was permitted to hold more than twelve of such items for security reasons, such items of power containing ancient magic's could be dangerous if they fell into the wrong hands. Which was why they were hidden and locked in this secret room, it was a secret room even by Hogwarts standards, it was not mentioned in Hogwarts a History nor did it appear on the marauders map.

Along with the magical artefacts, which sat on various heavily warded stands around the room, was all the information ever collected or written about the artefacts. No mention of the items would be found anywhere outside the room, and if by chance it was the information would immediately be relocated so it was in the room.

The remainder of the room was set up like a comfortable study, one such as you'd find in any richly appointed home. There was a blazing fire place, a large comfortable desk, and many lamps in order to provide adequate light and a comfortable couch if one wanted to read relaxed. The only thing the room lacked was any visible exists. To leave the room you had to tap your wand in exactly the right place and even then it would only work if your wand was keyed to the room.

Hermione had been absolutely thrilled when Dumbledore had allowed her to use the room for her NEWT level research project, she had been a little worried about her choice of project. As while in her reading she had frequently stumbled across the theoretical mention of such items of power, she had never read or heard about and specific examples.

It was when she had approached Professor Dumbledore with these concerns that he had, with a twinkle in his eye, taken her down to the library and revealed one of Hogwarts most secret and most private collections. Hermione still vividly recalled the conversation she had had with Professor Dumbledore that day.

:Flashback:

"But why?" Hermione asked after recovering from her shock and wonder. "Why is the very existence of these artefacts kept so quiet? They should be in museums! We should be learning about them in classes, why, they are the Magical World's heritage."

"Indeed they are my dear," Professor Dumbledore agreed gently. "Unfortunately, it is not that simple. To keep items such as this in the public eye is far too dangerous. They come from time and are created from a type of magic that is lost to us today. And many such items, it has to be said, very much have a mind of their own. They are all that remains of a forgotten world."

"But why? Why do we know so little about the time they come from? They're old yes, but not so old that we should know almost nothing certain about them, why that one over there says it dates from approximately 350AD."

"We know very little about our magical history in Britain before that point, in many ways our magical history dates from the time of Merlin, which is why he is such an important figure in out culture. The time of Merlin was a time of great upheaval, for both muggle and magical worlds. Empires were lost and formed, Christianity was sweeping the earth obliterating the old gods and old ways in its path. Indeed it was in Merlin's time that the magical society we live in today was formed."

Hermione listened to the headmaster speak with rapt fascination; it was, she reflected, the longest most comprehensible speech she had ever heard him make. He was revealing information, about the world Hermione had found herself thrust into at the age of eleven, which she had always wanted to know.

"Headmaster," she asked eagerly when he paused in his explanation. "Why aren't we taught this information about the magical world in History of Magic, from what your saying Merlin's time is vital to the history of our society?"

"Alas my dear, it is again not that simple. Our history beyond Merlin's time is deliberately kept shrouded in secrecy. The average witch or wizard knows nothing of Merlin other than that he was great Wizard who devised many of the spells and potions we use today. They assume that the society we live in has been around for far longer."

"I don't understand." Hermione confessed and briefly amused herself with the flabbergasted looks on her friends' faces if they had heard her make such a pronouncement.

"A number of reasons have been given my dear, in the great many debates there have been on the subject. It has always, however, in the end been decided that, what is that muggle saying? Ah yes, that 'ignorance is bliss'. The knowledge that has been lost to the past is both dangerous and shell we say rather controversial."

The headmaster began to wonder about the room, stopping to peer at the various artefacts on display. He paused at the one Hermione had previously indicated, a beautifully constructed Celtic torque.

"You see Hermione," Professor Dumbledore said not turning from his perusal of the torque. "The magical and muggle worlds were not always so separate. The separation began in Merlin's time and was encouraged by events such as the witch burnings muggle Christians were so found of. I believe that before, and to an extent, during Merlin's time, the magical and muggle worlds coexisted quite harmoniously."

"I see what you mean by controversial sir." Hermione said quietly, trying to picture the look on Malfoy's face if anyone tried to tell him that his ancestors had once 'coexisted' with muggles peacefully. Even Ron and his family, who were about the most tolerant example of the magical community when it came to muggles, would find what Professor Dumbledore was saying hard to believe.

"So you will also understand why everything you see and learn in this room must be kept strictly to yourself." He finally turned from his study of the torque and regarded her sternly from over his half-moon spectacles. "The magical world is not ready to hear of its past, and I am sure you can appreciate how dangerous it would be if any of these objects fell into the wrong hands."

"Yes sir, you can trust me." Hermione said firmly.

"I know I can my dear, I look forward to reading your finished project, I'm sure it will be fascinating."
:End Flashback:

That had been over a month ago now, a couple of weeks after the beginning of school, let it never be said that Hermione Granger wasted time when it came to preparing for a major project!

The room had proven just as fascinating as Hermione had thought, it was amazing the amount of thought and research that had gone into investigating these items of power and new things were always been discovered or theorized about them.

Hermione now understood the headmasters somewhat cryptic comment about the artefacts having minds of their own. At first she had assumed he was exaggerating perhaps using it as another example of their extreme power, a warning that if anyone attempted to use them they would find the power beyond their control.

Early on in her study of the material stored it the room she came to realise that Professor Dumbledore was been quiet literal. Unlike enchanted items found in modern times which had simply had spells placed on them, the items of power were magical in their own right.

They were all items of power equivalent to that of The Staff of Merlin, which Hermione learned, to her great disappointment, had never been recovered. The knowledge needed to create such items of power was long lost; the only thing that was known for certain about the process was that magic was involved in every single step.

Anyone with even a hint of magic in their blood could sense the aura of power surrounding all the artefacts; it could be distinctly felt even through the heavy wards that surrounded them. Hermione couldn't even imagine how overwhelming that aura would be without any wards in place.

Oddly enough, because all the artefacts were extremely interesting, Hermione had decided on a favourite from the minuet she had first walked into the room, the torque she had initially pointed out to Dumbledore.

It had become the focus of her intense research; it was delicate, leading Hermione to quickly decide that it was intended for a woman, a theory supported in many of the sources she had already read about it. There were also theories that it was one of a pair, the second torque intended for a male. It was silver twined into intricate Celtic knots and every single surface that she could see was covered in tiny runic inscriptions. Small different coloured jewels winked from various places among the knots. It was the most beautiful thing Hermione had ever seen.

Hermione knew, deep down, that there was something not quite right about her fascination with the torque, it went beyond scholarly interest and bordered almost on obsession. She thought about it all the time, hell she was pretty sure it had been in her dreams last night.

It made her think about Professor Dumbledore's comment about the items of power having minds of their own. Was the torque exerting some strange influence on her? She was afraid to tell the headmaster about her suspicions in case he stopped her from returning to the room.

She was strong enough to resist whatever lure the torque had for her, heavily warded as it was it could hardly exert any truly overpowering compulsion within her. She would just have to be more careful about sneaking away to research, her friends were becoming suspicious especially Ginny and it wasn't like she could tell them where she was going all the time.

But for now she had a whole evening to focus on the beautiful torque, she intended to stay in the room until just before curfew; maybe she would discover a reason for the strange lure the torque seemed to hold for her. With that thought in mind Hermione wandered over to the section of shelves around the torque scanning the books, looking for her next source to focus on.

"Hermione!" Lavender and Parvati chimed in creepy unison. Hermione stiffened in dread and turned to face her two roommates. The girls were armed with an assortment of brushes, hair products, books detailing cosmetic charms, clips, ribbons and who knows what else.

It was the Friday afternoon of the Ball and Hermione's time of reckoning had come, why had she agreed to let Lavender and Parvati do her hair and makeup again? Oh yes, that's right, she hadn't been given a choice.

"We thought we'd get you ready before we did ourselves." Parvati said, smiling like a kid who'd been let loose in a candy store.

"Yes," Lavender agreed. "We're pretty much ready anyway; we couldn't wait, so we started doing our hair and later our makeup just after breakfast. All we have to do is change into our costumes."

"Which, means we have even more time to focus on you!" Parvati squealed. "Isn't that exciting Hermione."

"Positively thrilling." Hermione drawled, and then kicked herself for sounding even the slightest bit like Malfoy. Drawling, really, she must be even more anxious about letting Lavender and Parvati have free reign on her person than she thought. Next thing she knew she'd be sneering and threatening to 'tell her father about this!'

"Don't be silly Hermione," Lavender chided causing Hermione to start and wonder when Lavender had developed the ability to read minds. "We promise to have you looking beautiful, we won't do anything you don't like, we've been sharing a dorm with you for six years now, and we do have some idea of what you like. Now go and have a shower and wash your hair with this and don't do anything else." She shoved Hermione in the direction of the bathroom while Hermione sighed internally in relief; of course Lavender couldn't read minds! But she really needed to stop thinking about Malfoy so much, even if it only was insultingly.

It seemed that ever since she had started sixth year all any girl could talk about was Malfoy. About how handsome he'd become and how he'd changed and was charming now and could you believe he was going out with Cho? While Hermione could personally see no difference in the little ferret, other than the fact he wasn't so little now due to his growth spurt, it was hard to not think about him when everyone was mentioning him to her every two seconds.

Sure enough, as Hermione emerged from the bathroom in a robe with dripping wet hair, she caught Parvati and Lavender discussing, who else, Malfoy.

"I still can't believe how gorgeous Malfoy's turned out to be." Lavender gushed. "I mean who would have thought that that spoiled rich prat would grow up looking so nice, he looks like a real life angel."

"Yeah Lucifer." Hermione muttered to herself, which went unheard as the girls had yet to notice her, to busy gushing about Malfoy.

"I know," Parvati agreed. "I still can't believe he's going out with Cho Chang, I almost feel sorry for her, I mean everyone knows that he's only going out with her to get back at Harry. Also I hear she puts out and you know how promiscuous Slytherin's are."

"Ewww," Hermione cut in. "Enough about Malfoy's sex life please!"

"Oh, Hermione," Lavender said turning to face her. "You're out, good, sit down and we shell begin!" She gestured to the chair in front of the small dressing table the dorm contained, Hermione noticed with no small amount of trepidation that the chair was facing away from the mirror.

"Now we've found the perfect charm and potion combo for your hair." Pavarti said imperiously while smearing liberal amounts of gloop through Hermione's wet hair. The words 'charm and potion combo' did nothing to reassure Hermione.

"Are you sure it's safe to combine a charm and a potion?" She asked as Parvati continued to smear gloop through her hair and Lavender muttered over a copy of Witch Weekly while practising wand movements.

"Oh sure," Parvati said nonchalantly. "My cousin, who has hair a bit like yours, swears by it and Witch weekly approved the combination in their article 'Combinations: Fact and Fiction – Stories of Success and Tragedy.'"

"Just relax Hermione; we know what we're doing. Now time for the charm," Lavender stepped forwards with her wand raised as Parvati stepped aside, apparently finished with the gloop.

One incantation later and Hermione felt the gloop on her head sink in and the hair on her scalp shift and start to rearrange itself along with a sensation of heat. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a lock of hair lengthen as the usual bush and frizz was taken out of it and then spring back into a smooth, gently flowing and shiny loose curl.

"Oh," Parvati breathed. "That looks even better than I thought it would, you really should consider having your hair like this all the time Hermione." Lavender was looking smug and nodding in agreement.

Hermione twisted around in her seat and looked at her reflection in the mirror, the girl who looked back had not one hint of frizz on her entire head. Her long chestnut brown hair that normally bushed up and went every which way was tamed into long loose gentle spiral curls. And they were so shiny and smooth; her hair was also a good couple of inches longer with all the bush and frizz taken out of it.

"Oh, yes dear, that is such an improvement." The mirror said, "Much better than that dreadful mess you had on your head before." Hermione scowled at the enchanted mirror brought back to earth from admiring herself.

"Now we'll do your makeup before we style your hair I think." Lavender said thoughtfully. "Don't worry, we know, not too much! Besides with your costume it will look much more authentic with minimal makeup. We'll have you ready in no time!"

"Where is that girl?" Ron grumbled to Harry shifting uncomfortably in his Druid costume. "She's taking forever!" Harry knew Ron had picked the Druid costume to impress Hermione, to show he paid attention to her interest in Ancient runes and magical artefacts. Harry questioned, not for the first time, wether he'd made the right decision by agreeing with Ron's plan for the three of them to go as friends. Maybe he should have tried harder to persuade Ron to just ask Hermione to the Ball himself.

Harry shifted uncomfortably himself, although by rights he should have felt right at home, in his costume of the first Quidditch player. He had given in so easily to Ron's idea because he didn't want to have to go through the trouble of finding himself a date, ever since the whole Cho thing and the Cho and Malfoy thing he'd found in difficult to trust girls when it came to anything romantic.

"I'm sure she'll be down soon, remember Lavender and Parvati were helping her get ready so they're probably taking their time." Harry reminded his agitated friend.

"That's right," Ron grunted. "Hope they don't do anything two horrible to her."

"I'm sure she'll look fine..." Harry started to say but was cut of by his friends shocked gasp as he looked towards the stairs to the girls' dormitories. Harry turned to see what had caught his friends' attention and was arrested by the sight of Hermione descending the stairs.

Parvati and Lavender came with her giggling and brushed past the stunned figures of Harry and Ron.

"See you down there Hermione." They called in unison, "We have to go meet our dates." They hurried out of the portrait hole giggling all the way.

Hermione was left standing in front of her two speechless friends; Harry could hardly take his eyes off her and could hardly even imagine how Ron must be feeling. Their bookish best friend was wearing a pre-medieval style gown in various shades of green, it was almost but not quite floor length revealing what looked like green velvet riding boots underneath. The dress had long tight sleeves the ends edged in silvery green lace, the long skirt was artfully slashed in places revealing a lighter green underskirt, and the bodice was low cut revealing a generous amount of cleavage that was emphasised by enchanted costume jewellery that was charmed to resemble a large emerald pendant.

Her hair, miraculously free of frizz, was drawn half back by what appeared to be a simple headdress a knotted silver band with a small emerald at its centre was across her forehead, this disappeared into her hair that was held up with clips fashioned to resemble jewelled leaves. The costume was finished off a dark, almost black, green riding cloak that nearly swept the ground at Hermione's feet.

"Wow, Hermione," Harry said awed. "You look absolutely brilliant, you put our costumes to shame."

"Thanks Harry." Hermione said, blushing uncharacteristically, she then looked at Ron shyly from beneath her eyelashes. "What do you think Ron?" She asked hopefully.

"I think you look like your trying to become some bloody honorary member of Slytherin! That's what I think!" Ron's face had gone very red in what Harry had at first thought was embarrassed appreciation but now recognised as anger. Though why his hot tempered friend was angry Harry couldn't begin to imagine.

Hermione looked shocked and not a little hurt by Ron's accusation, it didn't take long, however, for her eyes to narrow in anger and her temper flare up, as it always did, to match Ron's.

"Oh don't be ridiculous Ronald. Do you really expect me to avoid the colours green and silver for the rest of my life just because they're Slytherin's house colours?"

"Well you could at least try to look a little less like one of Malfoy's groupies while we're at school." Ron hissed back and Harry suddenly understood, Ron was jealous; Hermione looked so good that he was afraid of all the other guys that would notice her tonight. The green and silver had just reminded him of Malfoy, and the sickening wave of Draco Malfoy mania that had swept the schools female population ever since school had started this year.

"Malfoy!" Hermione exclaimed. "What does that ferret have to do with anything?" Thankfully Hermione seemed to remain as unaffected when it came to Draco Malfoy as ever.

"Where are you even keeping your wand?" Ron asked ignoring the question. "If anything happens you'd be defenceless!"

Hermione jerked up something that was hanging from the chain connected to the silver girdle that was cinched around her waist that Harry hadn't noticed before. It was a long velvet green sheath that seemed to contain her wand.

"I have got my wand!" Hermione said in a dangerously quiet voice. "I am not staying to listen to this a moment longer, I am going to the Ball and frankly I don't care whether you join me or not." She turned away from them and swept out through the portrait hole, leaving Harry and Ron standing together in silence.

"I really messed up this time didn't I?" Ron asked Harry miserably.

"Yeah," Harry agreed then noticing the downcast look on his friends face said, "But I'm sure she'll forgive you if you apologise, come on lets go down to the Ball and find her."

"It is time." Said the old and powerful voice, "I shell send you through the portal, you must fetch her and return through the portal as soon as possible, the less time you are there the better. When you have returned with her through the portal travel with her to my citadel I will meet you there."

"Why can you not wait for me here, I thought you said she would be close to the gateway?" The younger more impatient voice demanded.

"Time flows differently on either side of the portal, she is after all from many years in the future, an hour there will be several days here and as you know I do not have that time to waste. Your escort of men will stay and await your return, and then escort you on your journey to me; it is far too dangerous a place for a single man and woman to travel alone."

"Never fear great sorcerer, I shell not fail you!" The young man said with a flash of white teeth.

"I know you will not Gawain, I want her unharmed lad do you understand me." The old man said sternly causing the grin the young knight was wearing to falter and be replaced with a sullen frown. "I shell know Gawain! Do not disobey me on this; it is important that she remain whole until we know more. Now step into the centre of the standing stones and I shell send you on your way. Do you have the amulet?"

"Yes." Was the sullen reply, as Gawain lifted the softly glowing pendent for the old man to see.

"Good, now all you have to do in order to return is to stand in the centre of the stones on the other side of the portal with the girl and repeat the incantation I taught you. It will bring you back and bring the spell in a full circle neatly closing the portal. None will be able to follow."

The old man herded Gawain into the centre of the standing stones, before fixing him with a powerful stare; "Is their anything else you need to know my friend? For we can not speak once I begin the spell."

"Nothing Merlin, all shell go according to plan. I shell have the girl within my hands within the hour and you shell have her within the week." He laughed earlier good humour restored.

Merlin smiled at the young knight, he knew he would succeed in his mission, with that the sorcerer planted his staff of power in the earth and began to draw upon the magic he would need to complete the spell that would transport the young knight through time. And more importantly, bring him back again, along with his precious cargo.

Hermione stormed through the halls towards the Ball furious, how dare he? She fumed, what was his problem anyway? Hermione still didn't even understand where the whole argument had even come from.

She was at the entrance hall now and she paused at the foot of the stairs, she could hear music and laughter coming from the entrance to the great hall which had its doors slightly ajar. She didn't feel quite up to going in there just yet, so she moved over to the great doors leading outside, which were also slightly ajar, for a breath of fresh air.

Ron made her so mad sometimes, why couldn't he just admit that they both had feelings for each other? Was the thought of been in a relationship with her really so repulsive? Suddenly Hermione was startled from her thoughts as she heard footsteps approaching from behind her, turning around she was surprised to see Ron without Harry approaching her.

"Ron?" She asked surprised, maybe he was coming to apologise. It was then through her confusion that she began to notice things about the person approaching her that didn't make sense. Hadn't Ron been wearing a Druids costume? The redhead approaching her was dressed like an ancient soldier wearing leather mail, why he was even carrying a sword.

Did he change? Hermione wondered in further confusion, it was then that she noticed that rather than coming from the direction of the staircase as he should have been Ron was approaching from the direction of the dungeons.

It was only when he was a few metres away, that Hermione noticed certain physical differences, and began to seriously consider the possibility that the person approaching her wasn't Ron.

And by then it was too late.

The stranger and he was a stranger lunged for her, muffling the scream that started to come from her throat with a large rough hand. The he grabbed her wand, ripping it from the chain on her girdle; he stashed it on his person, somewhere out of her reach. The stranger with the incredible resemblance to Ron started dragging her towards the steps leading to the dungeon.

Hermione started to struggle fiercely in his hold, adrenalin starting to pump frantically through her veins. It didn't make a bit of a difference the man holding her was strong far stronger and bulkier than Ron.

"Hermione!" She heard her name shouted in panic, she twisted in her attackers grasp to see her two best friends frantically racing down the stairs towards her while drawing their wands. It was too late for them to fire off any hexes though as her attacker had already pulled her down the steps to the dungeons and started dragging her down a corridor.

Hermione began struggling even more strongly, if she could just delay her attacker long enough for Harry and Ron to reach her! Her attacker stopped abruptly to struggle with her writhing body and threw her against a wall while keeping hold of her arm.

"Be still woman!" He roared in her face. Hermione ignored his command and tried to kick him where it would hurt, hampered by her long skirts. He swore again as he dodged her clumsy attack, then he drew back his arm and viciously backhanded her across the face.

Hermione saw stars, and distantly felt her body slump against the wall, her attacker immediately began hustling her now placid body down the corridor again. I'm in shock a distant part of Hermione observed, the part not occupied with the pulsing waves of agony radiating from her left cheek.

The rest of the confusing journey through the dungeons passed in a blur for Hermione as she struggled to remain conscious. Hermione's attacker pulled them both to an abrupt stop facing a blank section of wall, he held up a glowing amulet and a section of wall slid aside.

He quickly dragged her through the opening just as Hermione weakly started struggling again, the room he had dragged her into was round but that wasn't what caught Hermione's attention and caused her to go limp again. The room contained a circle of standing stones glowing with a faint luminescence, standing stones buried in the very bowels of Hogwarts.

Her attacker hauled her into the centre of the stones and Hermione started struggling again, she didn't know what was happening but she knew it was bad. Standing stones were only used in the ancient forgotten magic's and, if Hermione was sure of one thing at that moment, it was that she didn't want to trapped in the centre of one with a lunatic.

"Hermione!" She heard shouted again and looked up to see Harry and Ron framed in the opening to the strange room. Ron raised his wand and fired a hex at her attacker through the stones. The hex was repelled in an arch of blue light that leapt from the stones; Ron was thrown backwards against the wall and slumped, unconscious, to the ground.

"Ron!" Hermione screamed desperately lunging towards his crumpled body only to be harshly hauled back by her attacker. Her attacker tightly holding the amulet began to chant in a strange tongue and luminescence that surrounded the stones brightened to dancing blue flames.

Hermione helplessly maintained eye-contact with Harry through the blue fire as the chanting reached its crescendo, his green eyes were wide and frantic and angry at his how helpless he was to help her.

Suddenly the blue fire leapt in towards the centre of the circle, right at Hermione and her attacker. Hermione screamed as her world was bathed in blue. She felt like her body was seared away and her consciousness was left floating in blue fire. So this is what it is like to die she thought vaguely.

Slowly the blue fire faded away and Hermione became aware of her body again, she was still standing in the centre of the standing stones, still held cruelly by her attacker. But she was no longer at Hogwarts.

She was out in the open; no sign of human habitation was in sight although she could see a lake that looked almost exactly like the one at Hogwarts. The sun was gently breaching the horizon bathing everything in early morning light.

Hermione was reminded of her attacker when he jerked her back against his body and cruelly pried her mouth open, forcing her to swallow some foul tasting potion.

"Time for a nap." She heard him sneer as the potion took effect and everything faded to black and she knew no more.

AN: Okay that was chapter two, I hope you liked it, sorry about the cliff hanger. Just in case it wasn't clear with the Merlin reference, Hermione has been taken to the past, to the time of Merlin.
Please, Please, PLAESE! Review, I'll love you forever. Next chapter ASAP.