TW: Panic Attack, talking about Death Eater activities in non-graphic detail
A few weeks later, it was the day of the night Samhain started. Hannah was sitting in Herbology, listening to Professor Sprout talk about Mandrake Roots and taking detailed notes. Strangely enough, Ron Weasley sat across from her. He had deliberately sat down at her table at the beginning of class. It didn't make much sense to Hannah, but it didn't really matter.
As the lesson ended, Ron turned to her and hissed, "So you're friends with them?"
"Friends with who?" Hannah asked.
"You sat at the Slytherin table for breakfast."
"Yeah. I mean it's not against the rules or anything. I was sitting with my friends in Slytherin."
"So you're friends with slimy snakes? " His face was red.
"Don't call them that!"
"They're all evil! The whole lot of them. You shouldn't be friends with them!"
"They're not evil!" Hannah said hotly, "And I've known them for forever. They're some of my best friends and I'm not going to stop just because some Gryffindor I've never spoken to before decides that I can't."
"But their parents are Death Eaters! If you associate with them willingly, you've got to be evil too. I bet you even wish that You-Know-Who was back!" he spat venomously.
"No I don't!" Hannah cried before storming off. At lunch, she sat next to Susan, and picked at her plate. She felt horrible. Most of Susan's whole family was killed off by You-Know-Who and his followers. And Mr. Malfoy couldn't be evil, he was so nice to her! But the pit in her stomach wouldn't settle, and she sat quietly for the rest of lunch before heading off to Charms.
In Charms, Hermione was sitting next to Hannah, who was uncharacteristically quiet and reserved. Hermione, as per usual, got the charm immediately, and was working on how many feathers she could float at one time. She was currently at six. When the bell rang, Hermione pulled Hannah into the nearest bathroom.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
Hannah sniffled, which leaked into a tear, which quickly turned into racking sobs with gasping breaths and shaking hands. Hermione realized Hannah was having a panic attack.
"Okay Hannah," she said in a soothing voice, "It's gonna be okay. You're going to be okay. Can you breathe with me? We're going to count to five and breath in and hold for five and breath out for five, okay?" Hannah nodded. "Breath in, one...two...three...four...five. Hold, one...two...three...four...five. Out one...two...three...four...five." She repeated the mantra until Hannah's shallow breaths deepened and her hands stopped shaking. Hannah finally was somewhat stabilized, and she hugged Hermione tightly, tears streaming down her face. "What happened?"
Hannah took in a shaky breath. "We had breakfast together this morning at the Slytherin table, remember? Well, you know how Hufflepuff has Herbology with Gryffindor?" Hermione nodded. "Well, Ron Weasley sat across from me. And then-and then-" the girl dissolved into tears again and her breathing quickened.
"Breathe with me, Hannah. In, one...two...three...four...five, hold, one...two...three...four...five out, one...two...three...four...five."
"So he sat across from me. And then he turned to me at the end of the lesson and he asked me why I sat with the Slytherins at breakfast this morning and I told him that I had friends in Slytherin, like you and Daphne and Pansy and Theo and Draco and he said 'you're friends with them?' and I said yeah, and then he said that if I associated with 'slimy snakes' then I had to be evil and that I want You-Know-Who back 'cause Pansy and Theo and Draco's dads are all Death Eaters. And I don't and Mr. Malfoy is really nice and I've never even really talked to Mr. Parkinson or Mr. Nott but Theo and Pansy are nice and they didn't seem evil and Susan's mom was killed by Voldemort and that's why Susan has to live with her Aunt Amelia and-and-and-" she burst into tears again.
Once Hermione had calmed Hannah down, she took in a deep breath. "Well Uncle Lucius was talking to me and Draco and Daphne about that over the summer. His father, Draco's grandfather, well he and You-Know-Who were friends back in school. You-Know-Who claimed that he was sent by Lady Magic to make the world better. And this was right around Grindelwald's time and right after, so it seemed plausible, you know? Plus he was really really really good at magic. He always got things on the first try. Like me." she mumbled the last part.
"Stop that train of thought right now, Hermione. You're nothing like You-Know-Who," Hannah whispered fiercely. Hermione shrugged and looked down. "You aren't. I promise. You're an amazing person. You're not like him. "
"Well anyways, he was really good at magic and it seemed like you know, everything lined up. So Draco's grandfather and Theo's father and Pansy's grandfather and a bunch of other people believed him. They ended up getting the Dark Mark, 'cause You-Know-Who said that they should. And when Uncle Lucius came of age, his father made him get marked, because at the time it was a symbol of being close to someone sent by Lady Magic. At first it was supporting various laws and attending certain galas if you wanted to. But around the seventies, it started getting bad. You had to support the cause in one way or another, and Uncle Lucius didn't want to murder people. So he would provide support through money."
"Did he ever have to kill anybody?"
"Well… Draco's grandfather did like the way that things were going. And he bought into the whole Pureblood ideology thing. He got mad at Uncle Lucius for not going on the raids and trying to kill people, saying that he wasn't dedicated to the cause. He kept on pressuring Uncle Lucius to join him on the raids and Uncle Lucius was able to keep him off until September 19th, 1980. Abraxas Malfoy was so angry that Uncle Lucius kept on putting off something he viewed as an honor, so he Imperius'd his own son. They went into Muggle London, and he made Uncle Lucius kill the family. It was two Muggles and a little baby girl." Tears tracked down Hermione's face. "He's still so torn up over it even though it wasn't him doing it. The little girl was maybe a few months older than Daphne and I were at the time, and Draco had just been born that June. He goes to their grave every year and makes sure there's always fresh flowers there." She looked up to see Hannah silently crying. "Some people think that him getting off on his charges for being a Death Eater under the Imperius were just him trying to get out of Azkaban, but he told us that he had settled with the fact that he'd go to Azkaban. He thought that Draco and Aunt Cissy would be better off without him! He wasn't even going to put up a defense! Aunt Cissy and my parents were the only reason that he tried. They sent him to a Mind Healer so he could come to terms with himself."
"That's terrible ," whispered Hannah, "His own father making him kill a baby."
"Professor Snape also used to be a Death Eater, but it was because Dumbledore ," she spat the name, "Pressured him into doing it so he could spy. He didn't even get the mark until Dumbledore told him to. He only killed a few times in self defense. I've seen him and Uncle Lucius sometimes get really quiet on certain days of the year, and drink whiskey, just the two of them. Those are the days I know that something happened."
"That blood is on the Headmaster's hands," said Hannah quietly, "Not his."
"He was in the same state as Uncle Lucius over it all. They went to the same Mind Healer over it, and like I said, they bonded over it. I mean there are some things only a few people can understand."
"What about Pansy and Theo's dads?"
Hermione grimaced, "Well Pansy's father chases whatever side that he thinks will win. And he will do anything to rise in the ranks. And Theo's father was like Draco's grandfather. I know Pansy and Theo don't believe in any of that stuff though. I mean Pansy has a superiority complex, but I think that extends to everyone, regardless of bloodline."
Hannah wiped away her tears with the heels of her hands as a giggle escaped from her.
"You know, I'm really glad my father or his father didn't get swept up in any of it. But honestly, it's more through the luck that they didn't go to Hogwarts at the same time as You-Know-Who that they stayed neutral." She paused. "You know, Draco's Aunt Bellatrix was a complete Death Eater. Absolutely mental. Aunt Cissy once said that she thinks that Bella was in love with You-Know-Who." They both made faces.
"If he went to Hogwarts with Theo's dad, he had to be like thirty years older than her!" Hannah snorted.
"Maybe it's a generational thing. From what I remember about Theo's mum, she was young."
Hannah bit her lip, "I always feel so bad for him. I couldn't imagine growing up without my mum, and his dad seems distant."
"Yeah. He spends a lot of time with us though, and I know my parents try to fill in for what they can."
"I'm really glad our houses are close," said Hannah, "I couldn't imagine not being friends with you guys."
"Me neither." They sat in comfortable silence for a few moments. "Do you want to go to the feast now?"
"Sure," nodded Hannah, "Let me just wash out my eyes so I don't look awful." She looked in the mirror, "Gods, they're so red."
It was at that moment, they heard thundering footsteps. They both paused, and looked at each other.
"You heard that?" Hermione asked.
Hannah nodded. Hermione heard her fervently start murmuring a prayer to Lady Magic, and she quickly started whispering her own. The footsteps got louder and louder-they were dull and heavy, and decidedly not human. Hermione pulled Hannah with her to the back of the bathroom, both of them holding their wands. After an agonizingly long wait filled with thudding hearts and bated breaths, the source of the footsteps was finally apparent. A twelve foot mountain troll staggered into the bathroom, and Hermione was trying her best to not scream.
"Hannah," she whispered, "I don't know much about mountain trolls. Do you?"
Hannah shook her head. "Then I guess we'll have to use trial and error?"
"We can hopefully hold it off long enough for a Professor to arrive." Hannah nodded.
Hermione was suddenly incredibly grateful that her parents had taught her basic defense with a wand before Hogwarts. She lifted her wand. " Stupefy! " she cried out, watching the spell bounce off of the troll. "Great."
She and Hannah took turns firing spells at the troll, who was getting more and more angry. Hermione was casting spells that she didn't know and she didn't know how she knew, but they came to her as if she had used them a hundred times before. Avis created a flock of angry birds that pecked at the troll's eyes. That was followed rapidly by Hannah's jelly legs jinx, and then their combined cry of "Petrificus Totalus!"
The troll roared and staggered around the bathroom wildly until it was petrified. That was when it started to fall. Unfortunately, it started falling towards Hermione and Hannah. Hannah grabbed Hermione's hands and they made a mad dash, narrowly escaping the body of the fallen troll. The birds that Hermione had conjured continued to swirl around the Troll's head, pecking at his eyes, but the troll couldn't move his arms to shoo them away. Hermione, feeling almost sorry for the troll, waved her wand, and the birds disappeared.
They were both breathing hard, bent over and trying to catch their breath. They looked at each other, and started giggling. The giggles turned into hysterical laughter with heads thrown back.
"I can't believe we just did that!" Hermione gasped out.
It was at that moment, Draco, Pansy, Daphne, and Theo ran into the bathroom, followed by Professor Snape, Professor McGonagall, and Dumbledore. Once they each saw the troll, they stopped short.
"Holy shite ," said Pansy. The professors were too dumbfounded to dock points.
Hannah wasn't though. "Language, Pansy."
"You're going to get on me about my language when you just successfully fought a mountain troll? What are your priorities here?"
"What...happened?" Professor McGonagall said, her ability to speak finally returned.
Hermione spoke up first. "Well, it started in Hannah's Herbology class when Ronald Weasley ," she spat his name, "Decided to call her evil for hanging out with people in Slytherin, among some other ridiculously horribly mean and untrue things. I sat next to Hannah in Charms, which was her class after that, and I could tell she was upset. So at the end of class, I pulled her into the bathroom so she could tell me what happened."
"What about the Halloween Feast?" Dumbledore asked.
Hannah scowled, "I wasn't in the mood to be celebrating, sir."
"Yes, but shouldn't you have still come to dinner to be with your h-?"
He was cut off by twin "Albus!"s by the two Professors.
Professor McGonagall said, "The girl hardly needed to go to a feast when she was so upset. 5 points to Slytherin for being a good friend, Miss Greengrass." She gestured for them to continue.
"Well, we were in here talking about stuff, and Hermione was calming me down, 'cos I had a panic attack," Hannah mumbled. Professor Snape's face darkened. "And when I was okay again, we were getting ready to go to the feast."
"Then we heard footsteps, and the troll came into the bathroom," Hermione explained. "We first tried to stun it, but it bounced off of the troll's skin. I think we threw every spell we knew at it. Eventually, Hannah got it with a Jelly-Legs-Jinx, and then we both cast a Full-Body-Bind on the troll. And then you guys showed up."
Hermione felt a subtle Legilimancy probe hit her defenses and spoke coldly, "Headmaster, you'll find that everybody in this room is trained in Occlumency. Do keep that in mind before you try to go prodding about."
Everyone stilled. Professor McGonagall looked scandalized. Professor Snape's mouth was slightly pulled up at the corner. All of her friends were shaking in silent laughter. Professor Dumbledore's eyes twinkled, though Hermione wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. "I was just checking, Miss Greengrass, to make sure you didn't leave out any details." He paused. "Well, I ought to be on my way. Severus, Minerva, please make sure this matter is resolved." The old man walked off.
Hermione wanted to scoff in disapproval, but she held herself back.
"Fifteen points to Hufflepuff and Slytherin each for a combination of sheer luck and skill," Professor Snape said.
"Sir, can we go to our dormitories?" Hannah asked. With a stiff nod from each professor, Hermione and Hannah practically raced out of the bathroom. When they were a few hallways down and sure they were out of earshot, they finally slowed their pace.
"How in Merlin's name were you allowed to come along with the Professors?" Hermione asked.
"Well," said Draco, "We were the only ones who had any idea where you guys could be. So we might've used that to our advantage." He paused. "How in the hell did you defeat a Mountain Troll?"
The girls shrugged their shoulders. "Sheer luck and talent," said Hannah in a deep voice. She and Hermione burst out into laughter, while the others stared at them.
"So was the story you were telling true?" Daphne asked.
Hermione bit her lip, "I left some bits out. Weasley decided to bring up You-Know-Who and Uncle Lucius and Mr. Nott and Mr. Parkinson."
"Oh."
"I filled Hannah in on Uncle Lucius's story," said Hermione, "I'm really sorry-"
Draco cut her off, "It's okay. She was the only one out of us who didn't know yet anyways, and I was planning to tell her sometime. I didn't think it would be fair to keep her out of the loop."
"If she told you my dad's alright, that was a lie," said Pansy, "He's a right bastard."
"So's mine," said Theo.
"I'm sorry," said Hannah.
Pansy shrugged, "Not your fault, don't apologize for it."
"Anything else?" Draco asked.
"Well, Hermione conjured this flock of birds and got them to peck out the Troll's eyes," said Hannah.
"I didn't know the spell before, either," Hermione added.
"It was Lady Magic," said Theo simply.
"I think we're missing the most important part of this all," said Draco suddenly. Pansy seemed to follow his line of reasoning and grinned evilly.
"Time to get back at Weasley."