A/N: I know I am killing you with the suspense surrounding Air's identity, but I'm afraid you'll just have to wait a bit longer. I'm finally settled in back at school, but the upcoming week is going to be real busy, maybe over labor I can write some more. Anyway, hope you enjoy the next segment, a little look into the mind of Earth.
Chapter Five
She was the only daughter of two non-magical mortals, yet was somehow proclaimed as the smartest, and in some ways, most powerful witch of her generation, aside from Harry Potter that is. Hermione Granger took her usual place beside her best friend Ginny, and across from her other best friends: Ron and Harry. Thinking back to Ginny's earlier predicament, Hermione pondered the situation at hand.
'Fire has always been drawn to water, and vice versa, even to the sister goddesses Fire and Water were always the closest,' she quoted from one of her great-grandmothers bedtime stories.
Hermione Granger has always told everyone that she was the first witch in her entire family, but that wasn't exactly true. Her ancestors had wizarding blood in them, yet over the years as they married Muggles and lived simple Muggle lives, the power only showed up in certain generations. Her great-grandmother, Belle, was a very strong witch, but her powers came more from Earth and the religion she practiced. From the time of her birth, she had taught Hermione everything she knew about the Goddesses and their powers, and the rituals for honoring them. She never saw Belle often, usually for a period of two weeks during a summer trip west to stay with her grandson (Hermione's father) and family.
Her parents were hesitant about Belle, thinking she was filling their daughter's head with loads of nonsense, but Grandma Belle always gave her grandson a stern look and a snappy answer.
"She's as powerful a witch as they come in our generation line. Why I wouldn't be surprised if one of them Wizarding schools had a letter for her in the mail this very instant. Who are you to deny and forbid her rightful heritage?" That comment usually shut her dad up until the next summer when Belle would visit again.
On her tenth birthday, exactly one year before she would get her acceptance to Hogwarts, her great-grandmother let her in on the family secret.
"Hermione dear," she started off in her raspy kind old voice she had, "our family has had witches and wizards in it for generations back, as long as time. We aren't always born with the power, in time it fades, then replenishes itself in a new generation." I nodded to show I understood what she was saying.
"Now you, my dear, have a power that goes back to the great Goddess Earth." Now Hermione twisted her face in confusion.
"I have told you the stories of the goddesses since you were very little, however, I have not told you the prophecy that was foretold the very moment the goddesses left this Earth. You see, each goddess sent a seed of power into an expecting mother, and with through that seed their powers would live on throughout the generations to come. However, this power would only emerge again in a time of great need, when the Chosen Four would reunite the goddesses power to help fight off an incoming evil. Do you understand me so far?" She asked.
Hermione nodded slightly.
"Our family carries the powers of the oldest goddess, Earth. 'Earth stepped forward first, her brown hair billowing around her like a cape. She rose her hands far above her head and called upon her power to bring structure to one of the planets, which she decided to name Earth. And so forests and valleys and plains covered the small sphere and she who was called Earth smiled at her amazing work.'" She quoted, the same lines Ginny would read to her 7 years later.
"You will be the wisest Witch in your generation, wise and clever and strong. You will nurture and you will lead, those around you will look to you for help and guidance, you must do your best for them." She finished slowly.
"But who are the others?" The young girl asked.
"You will find out when the time is right, child."
She died two days later of heart failure.
She took the death pretty hard, locking herself up in her room, reading and gaining as much knowledge as she could about anything and everything. When her acceptance to Hogwarts arrived, she merely shrugged as if it was nothing at all. That very afternoon she begged her parents to take her to Diagon Alley for her school supplies, and on their arrival home, Hermione once again shut her self back up in her room, now gaining as much knowledge as she could about the world of magic.
Hermione glanced over at her two male friends and gave a slight smile. 'Boys,' she thought, 'they never grow up.'
But thinking back to those sometimes troublesome boys, made her thank the goddesses that, though they could get on her nerves at times, she did owe them her life. They saved her from becoming a hermit, although their method of gaining friendship was an odd one, the whole troll affair and all, they truly saved her by becoming their friend. And sadly, if it wasn't for Ron's friendship, she never would have gotten so close to his younger sister, Ginny. The boys were great friends, but sometimes she needed a female ear to talk to over a male one. Glancing over at Ginny, Hermione tried to hide her worry.
'Belle said I was to nurture, to provide, to shelter and to lead, for those are the qualities that Earth possesses. But Ginny, if she were to turn to the dark, she could destroy the world. Earth could tremble, Air could knock over, and Water could drown, but Fire could destroy anything into a small pile of burning ash within mere seconds. Voldemort would gladly give up Draco's power of Water just to have Ginny's Fire power on his side. True being that the circle is weakened if one power is missing, more so if one power turns against, but would that power be Fire, the remaining three would have to sacrifice their lives just to ensure the complete destruction of the fourth. But it was a price,' Hermione thought sadly, 'that she would have to pay in order to protect the millions of others out there.'
"What's got you so worked up Hermione?" Ron asked as Harry shot over a questioning look with his deep green eyes.
"Just thinking about the upcoming exams," Hermione sighed in response, she knew Ginny didn't buy her thrown together but seeing the disgusted look on the boys' faces told her they bought it at least. 'Boys are so gullible,' she inwardly laughed.
The rest of the train ride was uneventful. Hermione and Ginny continued to stay in the back of the train even though with the Head Girl and Prefect honors bestowed upon them, should have made them sit up front with the other honored students. Hermione's excuse was due to the paining fact that Draco Malfoy was named Head Boy, and there was no way she could stand such a long train ride listening to him call her a Mudblood, even if it was supposed to be her duty. Ginny's excuse was the lack of entertainment in the front compartments, all the other prefects talked about were recent books and boring conventions they last attended too. Though Ginny enjoyed to read, loved it in fact, there was no way she could stand talking to those annoyances for any length of time.
Hermione excused herself, needing to walk up and down the aisle a bit to clear her head. As soon as she opened the door she caught Ginny's curious eyes quickly before exiting the small compartment entirely. After walking a few feet down she suddenly felt another presence near her.
"We know who you are, Malfoy." She said as she turned to face her stalker.
"Mudblood, I don't have a clue as to what you're talking about." He smirked in reply, knowing exactly what she was referring to.
"Stay away from her."
"And if I don't want to?"
"I still have a slight higher up on your power, I can force you. Just because you chose the dark path…"
"There is no dark, Granger, I am not dark. I am powerful, and with her, we can destroy you and your cause."
"You can't have her, you won't have her. I'll see to it."
"Just wait, Granger, wait and see, then cower." His voice trailed off as he stalked off down the aisle and towards the front of the train. As Hermione turned to go back to her compartment, she didn't see the pair of amber colored eyes that followed her every move.
"Earth and Water, how…interesting." The one known as Air whispered before turning around and going back to his train compartment.