"Hermione."
Hermione looks up from her breakfast, "Yes dad?"
"Is there anything you'd like to tell us about your new friends?"
"What do you mean?"
Henry just lifts up the glass that had her orange juice in it, and turns it around to show the gouges her fingernails put in it.
"Er."
"Er?"
"Arry said that I could experience what it was like to have claws and a tail and write a book about it. She also lives on a space ship which is on the other side of the galaxy and gave me computer so that I could take notes and make recordings easily. I'll just go and get it."
"Wait right there, and repeat that slowly."
"Arry said that I could experience what it was like to be like her. With claws and a tail, I could then write a book about it."
"Yes, go on, I heard something about a space ship too."
"She lives on a space ship, it's on the other side of the galaxy at the moment, but it's really cool, I'll show you."
She grabs her father's hand and flames them to the Hive, though not the laying room. Feeling around with her mind, she then flames them to T'o-Ba'sall, who was meditating until she arrived.
"Hermione, honey, where are we?"
"We're at the hive. Dad, I'd like you to meet T'o-Ba'sall. T'o-Ba'sall this is my father Henry Granger."
"I'd say I'm pleased to meet you but I can't see a bloody thing."
T'o-Ba'sall looks at Hermione, "Ermione, what have I told you about the hive?"
Hermione sulks as she replies, "Don't bring anyone here without letting you know ahead of time."
"And what have you just done?"
"Brought my father here, to you, to let you know I'm bringing him here."
"I don't suppose anyone would mind speaking English, so that the person, that can't see in the pitch black room, has some idea what's going on."
"Enry was it. I was just scolding Ermione for bringing you without informing me first. This can be a very dangerous place for non-hive members."
"I'm not sure whether to be happy to hear that or not."
"I am just turning on lights, one of the older hive members is also on their way."
Much later, and after a couple of glasses of beer, Henry will be very proud of the fact that, when the lights came up so that he could see, he only took 1 step backwards. With her crab like mouth, red eyes, claws, and tail, T'o-Ba'sall looked like something from a horror film. The sleek hunter that nudged him out of the way as he entered was the last straw and his legs gave way beneath him.
"Enry, Enry. Ermione, is your father unwell, as he just collapsed."
"What, no, I'm fine. I think. It was just the shock."
"I am just telling Rula here to come and find me if there is any trouble till I get back. Ermione will then return us to your home where we can talk without endangering you unnecessarily. I understand that Ermione also starts school today."
"Shit, she does. I forgot all about that."
After a couple more moments to gather his wits, Henry asks, "Why do you keep dropping the h's in some words?"
"We simply cannot speak that sound."
Henry peers at her mouth thoughtfully, "I suppose I can see that. What do you do about dental work?"
"We use a sterilising beam one a week, and we also grow new teeth if they fall out. Our tusks don't regrow though."
T'o-Ba'sall then speaks to Rula before saying something to Hermione.
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Vivian comes down after getting dressed to remind Henry and Hermione that she's due to go to school today. Looking into the dining room, she can see Hermione's cereal, half eaten.
"Where did they get to?"
Heading out to the garage to see if they're there, she misses Hermione transport her father and T'o-Ba'sall back into the dining room. When she comes back from the short trip through the kitchen to the garage, she stops and just stares at everyone in the room.
"Hermione, what did you do?"
"Why do you assume it was me?"
"Because you're the only one with magic, and Xeno teleported out of the house often enough for me to understand it's just something you can do with it."
Henry pulls his eyes away from T'o-Ba'sall, "Dear, I think we should leave the recriminations alone for the moment, get Hermione to the station and then talk to our guest."
T'o-Ba'sall shakes her head, causing her dreads to flick from side to side, "My Queen will be attending the school today, Ermione is more than capable of transporting herself and others to the station. If you feel the need to accompany her, I can transport you back afterwards. We only need to wait for my Queen to arrive at the station."
Vivian looks at T'o-Ba'sall in concern, "Who is your Queen and why do you call her such?"
"Arry is my Queen, and it is because she is the Queen of the hive."
"When you say Queen of the hive, do you mean like bees?"
Hermione mutters, "More like ants."
"What was that dear?"
"I said, more like ants."
After thinking back to her ancient biology lessons, Vivian asks, "How often do you go to war?"
T'o-Ba'sall shakes her head, "Hopefully never. Arry does not like the loss of control it causes. Especially in her. Those of us that are not born of the hive are able to resist the instincts somewhat. So far, it has happened 3 times since I joined the hive. Two of those times we were able to save a child that was being used as an incubator by the hive. It is one of the things I was going to talk about later, Arry isn't ooman, and neither Ermione, at least not entirely anymore. My Queen, Arry, is learning to be more ooman, but until she saved me from a life of servitude, she was a lone R'ka Queen. I remember the first time I showed her how to use the ships computer properly."
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"My Queen, this is important."
"Why, I've been doing fine so far."
"But now the location of your ship is known. We need to change course so that they have to work to find you."
"I don't get it."
"Watch, you have been starting the ship and stopping it. As well as using the communications."
"Well, yes. I'm not stupid."
"The ship is still following the original course set. See here, this is the local Galactic map. We are here and the ship is heading here. If it was in full repair, you would have already arrived. However, most of the systems have been heavily damaged, as you can see here."
"How are you doing that?"
"It is part of the functions in the computer. I'm going to change our course, and then I'll show you how to learn how to use the computer. This text here says the name of our location."
"What's text?"
"Writing, language drawn out."
"I had no idea."
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Blinking at the memory, T'o-Ba'sall continues, "Arry learns fast, all R'ka queens do. Also, every hive member has access to the ancestral memories, and contributes to them. I was the first non-R'ka to join a hive, and it was hard. Ermione will have her own difficulties, as there is a lot that oomans don't seem to experience. Owever, she will not have to be worried about becoming lost in those memories like I was."
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"T'o-Ba'sall, T'o-Ba'sall, what are you doing?"
"The hive is not big enough, the Queen almost wiped us out. These will make fine hosts."
"T'o-Ba'sall, you know that's not what I want. I only keep those eggs for boarders and pirates. Let them go, you're better than that."
"Queen, you are the hive, and your safety must be assured. I can only do that with more bodies."
"No, remember, we talked about this. Your tactics allowed us to win against the Queen, that's why I gave you the new seed, to give you more freedom. To have more freedom, not less."
"You did, and now I understand. You are the life of the hive, and without you we are all dead. As such you need as many workers and warriors as possible to hold back your enemies."
"I am taking you back to the hive until you are yourself again. I'm really sorry about this, we normally try to just rescue you from pirates, not turn into a different set of kidnappers. T'o-Ba'sall, Hive Now!"
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Arry appears in a flash of fire, "T'o-Ba'sall you felt distressed. Oh, hello, sorry for barging in like this."
Vivian says faintly "Oh, no, don't worry."
T'o-Ba'sall shakes her head, "I was just talking to Ermione's bearers, and remembering my early periods as part of your hive."
"Hermione's taught me this human thing called a hug, it helps." Arry barely finishes talking before she pulls T'o-Ba'sall into a hug.
"My Queen, we're in company."
"Meh, they're as good as hive members anyway. Minva is trying to work out how to get the three of us to the station, so why don't we just all head over to the school and maybe that will help her decide."
Vivian retreats to organisation to help her cope, "What about Hermione's luggage?"
"Do you have your bookbag?"
Hermione disappears and reappears with a couple of pops, "Yep."
"Then it doesn't matter, she can just come back to get anything she needs." Vivian finds out that it doesn't help.
"But…"
"Right, that's decided then." – Arry takes hold of Henry and Vivian – "Follow me to the school."
Vivian and Henry have a brief moment of panic as they feel like they've left the oven on, and they're standing in midair, then they're standing in a stone office surrounded by sheets of parchment everywhere. Professor McGonagall looks up from her desk as a young woman drops the paperwork she was carrying with a thud and a slight shriek.
Minerva shakes her head, "Well that solves that problem. Priya are you alright?"
"Yes Minerva. They just surprised me. (I should be expecting it by now)"
"You've only been here a week, give yourself time."
"I still can't believe how good your hearing is."
Arry says brightly, "You too could have equally good hearing. All you have to do is volunteer to join my hive. Side effects may include claws, a tail, and violent memories that don't belong to you. Did I get that right Hermione?"
Hermione sighs, "Yes Arry, it sounds just like one of the TV adverts that you've never seen. What she failed to mention is that if you don't have magic, then you gain magic. You also gain the same innate abilities as Ptiana, such as flame travel and healing tears. You become part of a family that will never reject you or push you away. Oh, and you can access the communal memories, such as the ability to read and speak the language used on those computers you've got there."
Tilly pops in, "Did Tilly hears right, you's give new family?"
Arry looks down at her, "Er, yes?"
Tilly disappears with a pop, and Arry looks up, "Well that happened."
With a sigh, and a wave of her wand, Minerva covers all of the paperwork in the office with boxes. Not a moment later, with a sound like popcorn cooking, every single surface is filled with poorly looking house-elves wearing cleanish tea-towels. Tilly reappears perched on the corner of the desk.
"Queenie, all theses house-elves need new family. Hoggywarts does her best, but it not the same as have family."
Minerva surveys her office, "Is this all the elves in Hogwarts?"
"Oh noes, these are the ones not bound to the school. Head whiskers wouldn't accept their bond. Said school couldn't handle it."
Arry looks around, "I'm going to need my ovipositor, I'll meet everyone in the big room by the entrance. Oh, and I'll need a lot to eat too, so if you could get some of those acromantula that would be great. Those large slabs of meat with the black and white fur will do if you can't." That said she disappears in a flash of fire.
Minerva looks at T'o-Ba'sall, "She never even considered saying no, did she."
"Our Queen has a generous heart and a small hive."
There's the sound of cooking popcorn, and the jarring sensation of their eyes catching up with the fact they're in the Great Hall, the tables and decorations all set up for the evening feast. Seeing that Arry isn't back yet, Hermione jumps onto the teachers table.
"Everyone, Arry is about to come back and look really scary. Don't worry, she's the same person, just like Minva is the same person when she's the cat xenomorph. She will be laying eggs, and a creature will come out and attach to a face. If it's yours, relax as best as you can. If you don't fight it, it will stay with you for around an hour and then come off. If you do fight it, it will knock you out, then stay with you for an hour before falling off. It's not distressing once your body accepts it's not dying, which takes a minute or so."
A couple of pops occur and 3 sides of beef are laid out on the floor behind the teachers table. It's only a minute after that when Arry reappears with her ovipositor attached. Clumsily she scarfs down the beef before climbing the wall, between the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw hourglasses, and spitting out some resin to hold the ovipositor. When they recognise her species, all of the house elves freeze instinctively and turn invisible to visible light. Which prevents 3 people from being able to still see them.
Over the next two hours, Arry lays egg after egg, getting so into the process that she forgets that it's only the house elves she's supposed to be laying for, excluding Tilly who is frozen with the rest of them. As 4 more eggs pop out, Priya, Vivian, and Henry's eyes widen in shocked realisation, and they turn to run as the flaps on top of the eggs open. Exhausted, Arry disengages from the Ovipositor as a final egg slides down the tube and stops unnoticed at the end. Shrinking down into her more human form, Arry says, "Is that everyone? Minerva, I think we need to get the train. If you or Pomona can go to the platform, I'll tell Ne-stbei and Ce'jaun to find you. Hermione," – Arry yawns – "could you help me to the platform, and maybe bring some more food too."
A picnic basket appears on the table, "Oh, hey, thank you house elves."
Minerva disappears in a flash of fire. With a last look around at the elves that were able to not panic mutely tending the ones that did, Hermione follows Minerva to the platform carrying the picnic basket.
T'o-Ba'sall shakes her head at the sounds of the three humans trying to outrun the face huggers, as the empty eggs start disappearing as the Hogwarts elves tidy up the hall again.