AN: Sorry about all the "hot off the press" chapters I have been posting. I'm just so eager to update that I fail to proofread. I probably won't have any typos this time since I'm going over.
To reviewer noxlupis (im disaponted not one refrence of sireus being and ass!): Umm.... could you repeat that, please? Sirius will not show for very obvious reasons. Is that what you're saying?
Thanks to all my coherent reviews! Moon Archer & Satern Mya
Disclaimer: As they say over in Athens, Οι χαρακτήρες δεν είναι ορυχείο. Μόνο η πλοκή.
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Last Chapter: As he was bent over, Remus asked, "Do you need me to stay or anything?"
Hermione, you're a big girl. "No, no. I'll be fine, honestly..."
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Glancing up at the brightly-lit windows, Hermione smiled at the old castle in front of her. Hogwarts. Her home, the place where it felt as if nothing could go awry and if it did Dumbledore could right it.
Thrill seizing her, she dashed across the green lawn and rushed up the stone steps. Hermione pushed open the heavy oaken doors and walked into the Main Hall. Seeing no one about, she queried into the silence, "Hello?"
Muffled voices began to emit from behind the Great Hall's doors. Feeling drawn to them, Hermione made her way to the dining hall and cracked open the doors to take a peek. To her, it seemed everyone was gathered for supper. She wondered how she had forgotten about it as she walked to the Gryffindor table.
Hermione's eyes traveled over the students. Oddly, all their heads were bent low over the golden flatware. She noticed Harry and Ron doing the same as she sat beside them. Up close to the tables, Hermione quickly observed no one was eating since there wasn't any food on the tables at all.
"Harry, what's going on?" Hermione whispered, suddenly aware the room went still at the sound of her voice.
Harry began lifting his head, as if to answer her. But as he did so, Hermione's eyes grew bigger at the sight of his face, her voice failing her for the first time. His face glowed chalk white, yet where his scar had been, a piece of flesh had been carved out, leaving it glistening red. Both eyes had been gouged out, leaving only bits of nerve-ending left dangling. Cuts had been made at the corners of his mouth and slit up into his cheeks.
Hermione was frozen to her spot and could not take her eyes away as Harry seemingly tried to answer her, but only blood gushed forth from his mouth, dripping out of the cuts in his cheeks. Regaining her voice, Hermione screamed and scrambled off the bench to stand horrified as the rest of the faces turned to look at her. She felt tears sting her eyes and bit back bile as each classmate of hers looked more grisly than the last.
"What happened?" she yelled, tears beginning to fall freely.
"You."
Her eyes shot to the previously unoccupied professor's table. Dumbledore stood, pointing at her, bones and sinew the only bits left of him. The rest of the teachers stood next to him, silent and staring like the rest. Unable to hold it in any longer, Hermione vomited onto the stone floor, her gags the only sound.
Shakily, she wiped her mouth off with her school robe. Her stomach rolled again and she averted her eyes from the people to the door. From her position, Hermione decided she had a clear run at the exit. She started toward it slowly then broke off into full run as she heard the rustle of robes and people standing.
The distance stretched on in front of her, taunting. She could her them begin to whisper, not hearing what they said, not caring. Hermione just wanted to get away from the hellish Hall. The noise grew louder like the angry buzz of an insect. She covered her ears to block out the sound.
Skidding to a stop in front of the closed doors, Hermione took her hands off her ears and pulled with all her strength on the wooden doors. With each tug, the din died down. Another pull. A bit quieter. This continued until a pressing silence settled over the room and Hermione, feeling the hairs on her neck prick up, stopped her fruitless escape attempt.
Slowly, she spun around and then promptly pushed herself up against the door. The entirety of Hogwarts was pressed in around her; their slack faces all trained toward her. Hermione felt herself begin to tremble. Neville Longbottom stepped forward, his scalp seared from his head. He pointed at Hermione and said, "It will destroy us."
Hermione's belly began to swell rapidly at his words. Her clothes stretched to accommodate the bulk. She stared, wide-eyed at her new, expansive waist. Cautiously, she put her hand on to it and quickly withdrew after feeling a flurry of movement. Hermione looked up, feeling dazed.
A fourth-year in Ravenclaw she had seen on a few occasions emerged from the gaunt crowd. Her arms were bent behind her, twisted in unnatural positions. "Look at what it has done to us."
The sea of people parted to let a tall figure through. Hermione bit her lip and held her breath as Remus came to stop in front of her. His curled, burnt skin sparkled with silver and holes pockmarked his face. He placed still warm hands on her shoulders and drew her towards him.
"Remus..." pleaded Hermione, sniffling.
"Look at what it will do," he whispered, looking down on her.
"No, it can't. It hasn't even been born yet!"
Remus leaned down to her ear. Hermione could smell his rotten flesh and could even feel heat radiating off of him. Faintly, he muttered, barely a breath on her ear, "But it will do it." With that he grasped her tighter, swinging her around toward the crowd.
Hermione let out a bloodcurdling scream.
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Remus pressed his palms against his forehead and let out a tired sigh. He had begun leafing through the apparently ordinary manila folder. The onslaught of memories and emotions the pages brought on him were overwhelming. It made Hermione's disappearance feel like yesterday, not months ago.
He leaned back, stretching over the back of the cloth-covered sofa. Since putting Hermione to bed, the house had once again regained its silence. Remus found this to be a blessing, a time for him to sort out his personal and professional parts in this. He had been as crushed as everyone to find out she was missing from the group back from Hogsmeade. Now to have her back brought such a relief and elation about him that he didn't know he could feel. Yet it also brought a deep simmering anger and desire for vengeance.
Shaking his head, Remus tried to clear his mind. He now, more than ever, had to be calm and collected as he always was to help Hermione through this. He could not loose control and risk them both. Remus blew his hair out of his eyes, and peered back over the folder again.
The top piece of paper had been a note from Dumbledore informing Remus that he would be their Secret Keeper and be over in the early morning hours to perform the Fidelius Charm. Though Remus knew the Headmaster was the safest choice for being the Keeper, he hated to place some more responsibility on the older man's already heavy load.
Next, a thick set of papers consisted of Order transcripts concerning Hermione, all written and hidden by Dumbledore himself. For most of those Remus had been there in person and knew the subject by heart. He only scanned those for things he might have missed than moved on to a short piece of parchment clipped to a few sheets of silvery paper.
Remus glowered down at Snape's handwriting on the first piece. He read it over twice, slightly puzzled. Instantly, Remus recognized the softly glowing papers as Pensive sheets. It was similar to the basin but instead of recounting the memory visually, instead it was recounted in words.
Reading over them, his face fell slightly. He had, at first, no idea what would drive Voldemort to impregnate Hermione. Remus assumed he was being the sick, demented wizard that he was. Now.... Remus rubbed his eyes; Hermione had become another victim of prophecy. He had seen what foretelling could do to people. Just look at Harry. A happy life had been cheated from him by a divination. That blasted prophecy had killed Lily and James!
His angst thoughts were cut short as his ears picked up slight noises above. Remus quietly reached for his wand, preparing for any number of attacks. As he slunk toward the stairway, a piercing sound caused him to grip his wand tighter and rush up the steps, taking them by threes. Hermione's desperate, frightened screams.