Another pointless disclaimer: the characters, well most of them do not
belong to me. Do you get that? Not mine.
Chapter X: Halloween
Hermione slouched into her seat at the teacher's table in the staff room. She was very tired and a bit cranky. Sipping her pumpkin juice, Hermione left her gaze travel across the teachers' room.
'So, Hermione, how's the house team?' Remus queried from her side.
'Why?' she asked perplexed at the intrusion to her silent fuming.
'Probably because he made a bet and doesn't know if he can afforded it.' Snape's drawl came maliciously from somewhere behind her. She turned to gaze at him. He was wearing his usual black cloak and a very smug smirk, which, given her present mood, she wished to smack out of place.
He had been giving her a hard time with the whole reforming of the Gryffindor Quidditch team business. He had also given her a hard time during the hours spent in the lab on developing a cure. And he had also been highly inclined towards wiping the scoreboard clean out of Gryffindor house points. Overall, Hermione felt she would be more than justified in smacking more than just his smirk out of place. She had difficulty keeping her hand at her side.
'Professor Snape, have you managed to get a hold on some Amanita Muscaria? Or do we have to settle for the Amanita Pantherina.' Hermione asked composedly, proud of herself for keeping the anger out of her voice.
'Not yet, but in due time. I will have it by Monday and then we can resume the experimenting.' Snape said in a low voice, eyeing Lupin apprehensively.
Hermione supposed she should have felt bad for the delay in their work. The prospect of not being in the same room with Snape several hours that weekend however, was very pleasing. That, and the added bonus of the first Hogsmeade weekend made her smile. Being a teacher, she could have gone to Hogsmeade at any time if she needed something. Still, it was nice to know it would be all animated with all the students wandering the streets.
After the last class of Transfiguration where the students had completely sabotaged her class, transfigurating the cups in bats and spiders instead of rabbits she was prepared for a break. She soon left the teachers room, wanting to get to her room.
She needed rest to get through the next day. Being a teacher she had certain responsibilities over the students while she was in Hogsmeade. She knew she had to expect some sort of mischief to happen and she had to be prepared to fix things up.
Hermione took a flask off her night table. She unscrewed the cap to the flask and lifted it to her lips. She made a face as the liquid pored down her throat. But, she reflected sadly, there was no other way she could get a good night's sleep. Without this, she would be plagued by bad dreams and all kinds of nightmares. Even with drinking this potion she sometimes got some dreams in the morning when the effect was diminishing. By the looks of it, she would soon have to increase the dosage.
She didn't even want to think about what madam Pomfrey, or Dumbledore, or even Snape for that matter, would say about her frequent use of such a potion. But it was a vital as air for her. She had to lie down on her bed. The potion was rapidly making its effect and in a matter of minutes she was unconscious.
The next morning dawned bright and blustery, a beautiful October day. Not only was it Halloween but it also was the first Hogsmeade trip of the year.
Students had flooded the streets of Hogsmeade. It was quite a windy day but this did not stop any of the students from enjoying themselves. The place was packed with them. Students wandered around, chatting animatedly with their companions. Everyone seemed in high spirits, relaxed and having a very good time, replenishing their supplies of everything and anything.
Hermione herself had to pick some things up from Scrivenshift's Quill Shop, and of course she could not miss the bookshop. Stepping inside, to her dismay, she did not find as many students as she had hoped. Just a handful of Ravenclaws and a couple of the older Gryffindors. She rummaged a bit through the shop but ended up buying nothing.
She walked down the main street past Zonko's Wizarding Joke Shop and was not pleased at all with the crowd of people jammed in there. Especially since there was a banner announcing new jokes and tricks from the famous Weasley twins. This was not good news in her opinion.
By the time she worked her way to the Three Broomsticks, Hermione was more haggard than relaxed. She had already had to intervene several times between students that thought since they were out of school grounds they did not have to follow school rules any more.
While breaking up a duel, one of the kids had managed to hit her with a hex and she still had some difficulties keeping the hiccupping under control.
She entered the Three Broomsticks, whose large bar still gave the same impression of gleaming warmth and cleanliness. She got herself a butter bear from the bar. Madam Rosmerta recognised her immediately and was very happy to see her, but with all the clients she had no time to spear on chitchat. Hermione winded her way through the crowded pub towards the more secluded table she and her friends had always used in their schooldays.
She sat for some time in the corner, watching the rambunctious teenagers bicker, flirt and laugh back and forth. Sipping her butterbeer from time to time and looking through a tabloid she had picked up from a shop, she managed to pass quite a bit of time. Some noise and a burst of laughter from the door made her look up. Her gaze froze to a point near the door of the pub.
A tall man with sleek blond hair and a pointed pale face that Hermione immediately recognized as Lucius Malfoy, walked in. His son, who still appeared to be an exact replica of his father, closely followed him. Same height, same posture, same length, hair colour, same pale face, and same cold green-grey eyes.
To her further surprise, Snape swooped through the doorway of the pub, making his way to the bar, together with the two Malfoys, the usual dour expression planted firmly on his harsh features as he skirted tables and patrons.
She could hardly believe she was seeing this. She had hoped she would not see Snape's, or Draco's face, for the matter, at least till the Halloween feast was this evening. She had also wished to never see Lucius Malfoy again. And yet there they were. The perfect representation of what the Slytherin house meant, Hermione thought scornfully.
She saw, with muted horror that they were heading for a table near her. Thankfully, the place was crammed with people, and all sorts of silly Halloween decorations were obscuring her from sight. She did not wish for any of them to notice her. She even considered a dissimulating charm as an option, but was afraid that someone would sit on her if she did that.
Fortunately, they all seemed oblivious to all others. They seemed to be having fun, telling jokes, Hermione realized incredulously.
'Have you heard the one with the mudblood brain?' said Lucius, raising his eyebrows.
'No. Enlighten us.' said Snape, his lip curling.
'What do you call a mudblood with half a brain?' asked Lucius. After a moment of silence he finished, grinning 'Gifted.'
'Good one.' said Draco smirking. 'But do you know how many Harry Potters it takes to stir a potion?'
'From my experience as his professor, I would say it's a bad idea to let Potter anywhere near a cauldron, but indulge yourself, Draco. How many?' said Snape, sounding cold and unconcerned.
'One. He holds the ladle, and the world revolves around him.' Draco responded. Hermione reflected that it was ironic Draco would tell a joke about someone being self-absorbed, when he would be a wonderful poster boy for the cause.
Well, this was definitely not something she was pleased to hear continue. She was quite surprised to see these people indulging in this type of sub- moronic fun. She tried not to listen to them anymore, but soon enough found herself rethinking that decision. It seemed once Madam Rosmerta had brought their drinks, they settled for some more serious business. Hermione tried to hear their business; realizing eavesdropping could be as sub-moronic as their jokes if she were to be found out.
'...not only that, but Potter's been messing around in that department as well. I think he found out about the...' she heard Malfoy Sr.'s drawl, but was distracted before the ending.
'Another butterbeer, Hermione?' a voice called. Hermione could hardly resist glaring at the woman. She ordered another butterbeer quickly, just to get back to eavesdropping on the three dark wizards.
'I heard you have a new professor.' Lucius said coolly while sipping from his glass of port. So they had changed the subject again, Hermione thought, becoming more interested.
'Several, as a matter of fact.' Snape said dryly.
'I was referring to one in particular, that does not quite stand up to the standards set by one of the school's founders.' The older Malfoy said, sneering.
'There are several teachers that do not quite stand up to the standards and ideals set by the Hogwarts founders, Lucius. You'll have to be more precise.' Snape answered contemptuously.
'You know I'm referring to that little mudblood Granger. I can hardly believe she managed to slip through my fingers. I had her, Severus. If it wasn't for that relic Dumbledore...'
'Here you go, dear. Fresh butterbeer. Just as you ordered.' Said Madam Rosmerta, plopping down a fresh tankard on the table in front of Hermione. This time Hermione almost screamed at her. She settled for grinding her teeth as the woman wove her way back to the bar.
'... we had to settle with that, Severus. But don't worry it's all planed. They'll soon have a surprise.' Hermione caught.
'Some surprise.' Draco muttered after swallowing a large gulp of his rumpleminz and grimaced. Hermione thought she could smell the mint rolling off of him from her seat.
'The whole thing is rather risky, Lucius, don't you think?' Snape asked, his black eyes narrowing.
'Severus, my boy, you would always wish to err on the side of caution. Yes, you always liked to keep low. Not make yourself noticed, while you notice everything.' Lucius said grinning. 'However, the time to act has come. They have to see how wrong it was to think they could stop us. They don't really think they can keep that away...'
'You know, it's not often that Professor Snape comes here.' Hermione's head snapped up and she looked at the woman who had again appeared in front of her, as if mentally placing a strangle hold on her. It seemed Madam Rosmerta was intent upon keeping her from listening to the plotting that was going on.
'Not even as a student did I see him often.' The woman continued. 'Suppose it had something to do with the fact that James Potter and the whole group of merry Gryffindors were hanging around here. Not too popular in those days.' sighed. 'Well, not too popular now, either. Just heard some students talk about how he...' and it went on like this. Hermione was frustrated beyond words. She just stayed there nodding to all the inane comments that kept spilling out of Madam Rosmerta's mouth.
She tried hard to concentrate on what Malfoy was saying, and not on Rosmerta's blabbering. It was difficult to catch anything. However, she did catch something about potions ingredients. So, this was how Snape got his more exotic ingredients. Well, Lucius Malfoy was very good at getting those sorts of substances with all his relations.
After a while, the three men gathered their cloaks and left The Three Broomsticks'. Hermione cursed her luck. She could have found out a whole lot more if it hadn't been for the wench, who was still telling her all sorts of stories from the marauders era. Things Hermione hoped none of her students overheard. Otherwise, in a few days time in intense planning, she was sure it would mean havoc at the castle.
After some time Hermione made her excuses and left the bar. She hoped not to encounter any one of the three wizards that had left before her. She greatly hoped she had waited enough for them to leave the scene. She fervently hoped Malfoy was not intending on visiting Hogwarts as well. She left the crowded streets of Hogsmeade, filled with excited students, and headed back to the old castle. She still had some essays to correct and she had to prepare herself for the Halloween feast as well.
The feast promised to be good. Dumbledore had turned the Halloween feast into a real ball since Hermione's school days. The last days of preparation had been total chaos. There were only about two hours until the Great Hall would be filled with partying students. Everyone was preparing, putting on their festive robes and perfecting their makeup. The professors had retreated to their quarters for the final moments of peace before anarchy reigned supreme.
Hermione was confined to the solitude of her room to prepare. For this occasion, she had prepared an outfit that reminded her of the way muggles thought of witches. It was a black dress like-robe, with a pointy hat that resembled Dumbledore's. She slipped red and white stripy shocks on her legs, and black high-heeled shoes on her feet. Before finally deciding to go down, she took one last glance at the mirror. She most definitely liked what she was seeing. With some added makeup and her hair a little more tame- she looked her best. (Thinking 'Practical Magic', you now that one with Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman. The scene at the end, when they fly of the roof.)
The Great Hall looked fantastic, Hermione thought. There were live bats fluttering near the ceiling over the tables. Glowing pumpkin heads had replaced the usual candles. All the children were more boisterous than usual, having a wonderful evening, while all the teachers reminded her of Mad Eye Moody, their head's swivelling this way and that, grimaces on their faces.
The food exceeded all expectations; it was so good, she thought she would gain a few pounds just by looking at it.
Hermione was truly enjoying herself, when suddenly; she felt a little sick and her left arm hurt. She got up and left the hall, all the noise around her making her feel more nauseous. She was running by now, out of the Great Hall, but it was hard. It was getting difficult to coordinate her movements. Her legs felt weak. She fell to the ground, trying desperately to keep a grasp on the stony wall, but her body wasn't listening to her; she was shaking all over and then everything went black.
An excruciating pain was still emanating from her left forearm. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. Not being able to stand the pain she fainted and fell to the ground. The impact with the cold, hard, stony floor should have been enough to wake her up, but the pain was too great for her body to register it.
Footsteps were heard in the corridor; somebody was in a hurry. Turning the corner, the figure spied the sprawled form of Hermione. She was lying there, on the cold stone flour, as if dead. She had collapsed on her side with her hair falling on her face.
He strode towards the body. There was no movement. He crouched and gently got her hair of her face. She was deathly pale and looked extremely thin. Just a few minutes ago she had been much better. Something was truly wrong with her.
He gingerly picked her up. She wasn't heavy; she was actually light, too light for her height. He would have used a Levitating Charm but that way Dumbledore would have known immediately, and he wasn't sure why, but it didn't seem as the best thing to do right now.
Hermione felt she was trapped in a strange place. Probably a cellar or something. Her hands must have been bound at her back tightly for she could only feel acute pain if she tried to move them.
Several black clad figures appeared into her field of vision. One of them yanked her off the floor and carried her to a place where more of them had gathered. It was some sort of a meeting. They were talking animatedly, but she could not hear what they were saying. It was as if their voices were coming from a badly tuned radio. She felt herself almost slip out of consciousness.
That's when one of the figures approached her, his wand out.
She had been roughly pushed down on her knees, and though she struggled to free herself, rough hands held her steady.
The man with the wand cast some sort of curse on her and she felt such pain, as she had never experienced. The pain was so strong she practically leaped out off her body, only to find out that it had truly not been her body. No, this was not her. It was Ron. She was sure of it. Ron had been cursed. Probably had been killed. And the pain she had felt had been his.
She woke up, bolting upright in bed, her hands clutching the white sheets. Sweat was running down her temples, mixing with the tears on her cheeks. She still felt a pain just as strong as in her dream that would not stop. Breathing was almost impossible; every gasp of air was a struggle.
A.N.: So do I need to ask you one more time?
Please review me. Otherwise you won't get to know what happens next.
I mean I'm sure you're wondering what's happened to Hermione. I bet each of you has his own theory. If you do, please share it with me. I want to see what you think of it.
Oh and let's not forget. I have to thank my beta-reader Bena Glinney, for helping me with this. There would have been a lot more mistakes in this chapter had it not been for her. And I also have to credit her with the choice of the beverages (I'm 16, I don't drink, so I don't even know what she's talking about, well didn't know until she explained.)
Any other questions, please ask. I'm open to everything.
Ah almost forgot. Thanks to all those that reviewed me. And thanks to all those that are now going to push that button on your left and review me.
Chapter X: Halloween
Hermione slouched into her seat at the teacher's table in the staff room. She was very tired and a bit cranky. Sipping her pumpkin juice, Hermione left her gaze travel across the teachers' room.
'So, Hermione, how's the house team?' Remus queried from her side.
'Why?' she asked perplexed at the intrusion to her silent fuming.
'Probably because he made a bet and doesn't know if he can afforded it.' Snape's drawl came maliciously from somewhere behind her. She turned to gaze at him. He was wearing his usual black cloak and a very smug smirk, which, given her present mood, she wished to smack out of place.
He had been giving her a hard time with the whole reforming of the Gryffindor Quidditch team business. He had also given her a hard time during the hours spent in the lab on developing a cure. And he had also been highly inclined towards wiping the scoreboard clean out of Gryffindor house points. Overall, Hermione felt she would be more than justified in smacking more than just his smirk out of place. She had difficulty keeping her hand at her side.
'Professor Snape, have you managed to get a hold on some Amanita Muscaria? Or do we have to settle for the Amanita Pantherina.' Hermione asked composedly, proud of herself for keeping the anger out of her voice.
'Not yet, but in due time. I will have it by Monday and then we can resume the experimenting.' Snape said in a low voice, eyeing Lupin apprehensively.
Hermione supposed she should have felt bad for the delay in their work. The prospect of not being in the same room with Snape several hours that weekend however, was very pleasing. That, and the added bonus of the first Hogsmeade weekend made her smile. Being a teacher, she could have gone to Hogsmeade at any time if she needed something. Still, it was nice to know it would be all animated with all the students wandering the streets.
After the last class of Transfiguration where the students had completely sabotaged her class, transfigurating the cups in bats and spiders instead of rabbits she was prepared for a break. She soon left the teachers room, wanting to get to her room.
She needed rest to get through the next day. Being a teacher she had certain responsibilities over the students while she was in Hogsmeade. She knew she had to expect some sort of mischief to happen and she had to be prepared to fix things up.
Hermione took a flask off her night table. She unscrewed the cap to the flask and lifted it to her lips. She made a face as the liquid pored down her throat. But, she reflected sadly, there was no other way she could get a good night's sleep. Without this, she would be plagued by bad dreams and all kinds of nightmares. Even with drinking this potion she sometimes got some dreams in the morning when the effect was diminishing. By the looks of it, she would soon have to increase the dosage.
She didn't even want to think about what madam Pomfrey, or Dumbledore, or even Snape for that matter, would say about her frequent use of such a potion. But it was a vital as air for her. She had to lie down on her bed. The potion was rapidly making its effect and in a matter of minutes she was unconscious.
The next morning dawned bright and blustery, a beautiful October day. Not only was it Halloween but it also was the first Hogsmeade trip of the year.
Students had flooded the streets of Hogsmeade. It was quite a windy day but this did not stop any of the students from enjoying themselves. The place was packed with them. Students wandered around, chatting animatedly with their companions. Everyone seemed in high spirits, relaxed and having a very good time, replenishing their supplies of everything and anything.
Hermione herself had to pick some things up from Scrivenshift's Quill Shop, and of course she could not miss the bookshop. Stepping inside, to her dismay, she did not find as many students as she had hoped. Just a handful of Ravenclaws and a couple of the older Gryffindors. She rummaged a bit through the shop but ended up buying nothing.
She walked down the main street past Zonko's Wizarding Joke Shop and was not pleased at all with the crowd of people jammed in there. Especially since there was a banner announcing new jokes and tricks from the famous Weasley twins. This was not good news in her opinion.
By the time she worked her way to the Three Broomsticks, Hermione was more haggard than relaxed. She had already had to intervene several times between students that thought since they were out of school grounds they did not have to follow school rules any more.
While breaking up a duel, one of the kids had managed to hit her with a hex and she still had some difficulties keeping the hiccupping under control.
She entered the Three Broomsticks, whose large bar still gave the same impression of gleaming warmth and cleanliness. She got herself a butter bear from the bar. Madam Rosmerta recognised her immediately and was very happy to see her, but with all the clients she had no time to spear on chitchat. Hermione winded her way through the crowded pub towards the more secluded table she and her friends had always used in their schooldays.
She sat for some time in the corner, watching the rambunctious teenagers bicker, flirt and laugh back and forth. Sipping her butterbeer from time to time and looking through a tabloid she had picked up from a shop, she managed to pass quite a bit of time. Some noise and a burst of laughter from the door made her look up. Her gaze froze to a point near the door of the pub.
A tall man with sleek blond hair and a pointed pale face that Hermione immediately recognized as Lucius Malfoy, walked in. His son, who still appeared to be an exact replica of his father, closely followed him. Same height, same posture, same length, hair colour, same pale face, and same cold green-grey eyes.
To her further surprise, Snape swooped through the doorway of the pub, making his way to the bar, together with the two Malfoys, the usual dour expression planted firmly on his harsh features as he skirted tables and patrons.
She could hardly believe she was seeing this. She had hoped she would not see Snape's, or Draco's face, for the matter, at least till the Halloween feast was this evening. She had also wished to never see Lucius Malfoy again. And yet there they were. The perfect representation of what the Slytherin house meant, Hermione thought scornfully.
She saw, with muted horror that they were heading for a table near her. Thankfully, the place was crammed with people, and all sorts of silly Halloween decorations were obscuring her from sight. She did not wish for any of them to notice her. She even considered a dissimulating charm as an option, but was afraid that someone would sit on her if she did that.
Fortunately, they all seemed oblivious to all others. They seemed to be having fun, telling jokes, Hermione realized incredulously.
'Have you heard the one with the mudblood brain?' said Lucius, raising his eyebrows.
'No. Enlighten us.' said Snape, his lip curling.
'What do you call a mudblood with half a brain?' asked Lucius. After a moment of silence he finished, grinning 'Gifted.'
'Good one.' said Draco smirking. 'But do you know how many Harry Potters it takes to stir a potion?'
'From my experience as his professor, I would say it's a bad idea to let Potter anywhere near a cauldron, but indulge yourself, Draco. How many?' said Snape, sounding cold and unconcerned.
'One. He holds the ladle, and the world revolves around him.' Draco responded. Hermione reflected that it was ironic Draco would tell a joke about someone being self-absorbed, when he would be a wonderful poster boy for the cause.
Well, this was definitely not something she was pleased to hear continue. She was quite surprised to see these people indulging in this type of sub- moronic fun. She tried not to listen to them anymore, but soon enough found herself rethinking that decision. It seemed once Madam Rosmerta had brought their drinks, they settled for some more serious business. Hermione tried to hear their business; realizing eavesdropping could be as sub-moronic as their jokes if she were to be found out.
'...not only that, but Potter's been messing around in that department as well. I think he found out about the...' she heard Malfoy Sr.'s drawl, but was distracted before the ending.
'Another butterbeer, Hermione?' a voice called. Hermione could hardly resist glaring at the woman. She ordered another butterbeer quickly, just to get back to eavesdropping on the three dark wizards.
'I heard you have a new professor.' Lucius said coolly while sipping from his glass of port. So they had changed the subject again, Hermione thought, becoming more interested.
'Several, as a matter of fact.' Snape said dryly.
'I was referring to one in particular, that does not quite stand up to the standards set by one of the school's founders.' The older Malfoy said, sneering.
'There are several teachers that do not quite stand up to the standards and ideals set by the Hogwarts founders, Lucius. You'll have to be more precise.' Snape answered contemptuously.
'You know I'm referring to that little mudblood Granger. I can hardly believe she managed to slip through my fingers. I had her, Severus. If it wasn't for that relic Dumbledore...'
'Here you go, dear. Fresh butterbeer. Just as you ordered.' Said Madam Rosmerta, plopping down a fresh tankard on the table in front of Hermione. This time Hermione almost screamed at her. She settled for grinding her teeth as the woman wove her way back to the bar.
'... we had to settle with that, Severus. But don't worry it's all planed. They'll soon have a surprise.' Hermione caught.
'Some surprise.' Draco muttered after swallowing a large gulp of his rumpleminz and grimaced. Hermione thought she could smell the mint rolling off of him from her seat.
'The whole thing is rather risky, Lucius, don't you think?' Snape asked, his black eyes narrowing.
'Severus, my boy, you would always wish to err on the side of caution. Yes, you always liked to keep low. Not make yourself noticed, while you notice everything.' Lucius said grinning. 'However, the time to act has come. They have to see how wrong it was to think they could stop us. They don't really think they can keep that away...'
'You know, it's not often that Professor Snape comes here.' Hermione's head snapped up and she looked at the woman who had again appeared in front of her, as if mentally placing a strangle hold on her. It seemed Madam Rosmerta was intent upon keeping her from listening to the plotting that was going on.
'Not even as a student did I see him often.' The woman continued. 'Suppose it had something to do with the fact that James Potter and the whole group of merry Gryffindors were hanging around here. Not too popular in those days.' sighed. 'Well, not too popular now, either. Just heard some students talk about how he...' and it went on like this. Hermione was frustrated beyond words. She just stayed there nodding to all the inane comments that kept spilling out of Madam Rosmerta's mouth.
She tried hard to concentrate on what Malfoy was saying, and not on Rosmerta's blabbering. It was difficult to catch anything. However, she did catch something about potions ingredients. So, this was how Snape got his more exotic ingredients. Well, Lucius Malfoy was very good at getting those sorts of substances with all his relations.
After a while, the three men gathered their cloaks and left The Three Broomsticks'. Hermione cursed her luck. She could have found out a whole lot more if it hadn't been for the wench, who was still telling her all sorts of stories from the marauders era. Things Hermione hoped none of her students overheard. Otherwise, in a few days time in intense planning, she was sure it would mean havoc at the castle.
After some time Hermione made her excuses and left the bar. She hoped not to encounter any one of the three wizards that had left before her. She greatly hoped she had waited enough for them to leave the scene. She fervently hoped Malfoy was not intending on visiting Hogwarts as well. She left the crowded streets of Hogsmeade, filled with excited students, and headed back to the old castle. She still had some essays to correct and she had to prepare herself for the Halloween feast as well.
The feast promised to be good. Dumbledore had turned the Halloween feast into a real ball since Hermione's school days. The last days of preparation had been total chaos. There were only about two hours until the Great Hall would be filled with partying students. Everyone was preparing, putting on their festive robes and perfecting their makeup. The professors had retreated to their quarters for the final moments of peace before anarchy reigned supreme.
Hermione was confined to the solitude of her room to prepare. For this occasion, she had prepared an outfit that reminded her of the way muggles thought of witches. It was a black dress like-robe, with a pointy hat that resembled Dumbledore's. She slipped red and white stripy shocks on her legs, and black high-heeled shoes on her feet. Before finally deciding to go down, she took one last glance at the mirror. She most definitely liked what she was seeing. With some added makeup and her hair a little more tame- she looked her best. (Thinking 'Practical Magic', you now that one with Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman. The scene at the end, when they fly of the roof.)
The Great Hall looked fantastic, Hermione thought. There were live bats fluttering near the ceiling over the tables. Glowing pumpkin heads had replaced the usual candles. All the children were more boisterous than usual, having a wonderful evening, while all the teachers reminded her of Mad Eye Moody, their head's swivelling this way and that, grimaces on their faces.
The food exceeded all expectations; it was so good, she thought she would gain a few pounds just by looking at it.
Hermione was truly enjoying herself, when suddenly; she felt a little sick and her left arm hurt. She got up and left the hall, all the noise around her making her feel more nauseous. She was running by now, out of the Great Hall, but it was hard. It was getting difficult to coordinate her movements. Her legs felt weak. She fell to the ground, trying desperately to keep a grasp on the stony wall, but her body wasn't listening to her; she was shaking all over and then everything went black.
An excruciating pain was still emanating from her left forearm. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. Not being able to stand the pain she fainted and fell to the ground. The impact with the cold, hard, stony floor should have been enough to wake her up, but the pain was too great for her body to register it.
Footsteps were heard in the corridor; somebody was in a hurry. Turning the corner, the figure spied the sprawled form of Hermione. She was lying there, on the cold stone flour, as if dead. She had collapsed on her side with her hair falling on her face.
He strode towards the body. There was no movement. He crouched and gently got her hair of her face. She was deathly pale and looked extremely thin. Just a few minutes ago she had been much better. Something was truly wrong with her.
He gingerly picked her up. She wasn't heavy; she was actually light, too light for her height. He would have used a Levitating Charm but that way Dumbledore would have known immediately, and he wasn't sure why, but it didn't seem as the best thing to do right now.
Hermione felt she was trapped in a strange place. Probably a cellar or something. Her hands must have been bound at her back tightly for she could only feel acute pain if she tried to move them.
Several black clad figures appeared into her field of vision. One of them yanked her off the floor and carried her to a place where more of them had gathered. It was some sort of a meeting. They were talking animatedly, but she could not hear what they were saying. It was as if their voices were coming from a badly tuned radio. She felt herself almost slip out of consciousness.
That's when one of the figures approached her, his wand out.
She had been roughly pushed down on her knees, and though she struggled to free herself, rough hands held her steady.
The man with the wand cast some sort of curse on her and she felt such pain, as she had never experienced. The pain was so strong she practically leaped out off her body, only to find out that it had truly not been her body. No, this was not her. It was Ron. She was sure of it. Ron had been cursed. Probably had been killed. And the pain she had felt had been his.
She woke up, bolting upright in bed, her hands clutching the white sheets. Sweat was running down her temples, mixing with the tears on her cheeks. She still felt a pain just as strong as in her dream that would not stop. Breathing was almost impossible; every gasp of air was a struggle.
A.N.: So do I need to ask you one more time?
Please review me. Otherwise you won't get to know what happens next.
I mean I'm sure you're wondering what's happened to Hermione. I bet each of you has his own theory. If you do, please share it with me. I want to see what you think of it.
Oh and let's not forget. I have to thank my beta-reader Bena Glinney, for helping me with this. There would have been a lot more mistakes in this chapter had it not been for her. And I also have to credit her with the choice of the beverages (I'm 16, I don't drink, so I don't even know what she's talking about, well didn't know until she explained.)
Any other questions, please ask. I'm open to everything.
Ah almost forgot. Thanks to all those that reviewed me. And thanks to all those that are now going to push that button on your left and review me.