To All,
I apologize for not having quicker updates but I finally wrote a chapter. This is not a dead story but the updates might not be swift. Thank you for your support.
Alex
P.S. cliffhanger chapter
It was not often, but she found a pit in her stomach and her hands clammy from anticipation. Minerva McGonagall was anxious to meet the girl that plagued her thoughts. After her second tumbler of whisky and countless moments glaring at a happily dancing fire, she had to admit she was worried. No, she was partially petrified of the young woman. She was more than she was telling people, and Minerva, however brave she was, did not want to find out who this girl was. Curiosity killed the cat, and she was making a conscious choice not to get caught in the crossfire of that enigma.
Before she opened the doors that led to the top of the steps where she knew Hagrid would usher the kids, she took a deep breath.
"Showtime," she mumbled and then slipped her severe Assistant Headmistress façade over her features, opened the door, and walked forward, holding her hands before her. She stood still as a gargoyle as she watched the younglings filter ahead. She looked out, she tried to see, and thank Merlin she didn't see the girl. She let a deep breath escape slowly so as not to bring attention to her relief.
A shock of red hair and loud. He must be one of Molly's boys, closely accompanied by a dark-haired boy with glasses. It took her no time at all to see his scar, and her eyes narrowed. Harry Potter stood before her, oblivious.
"You should align yourself with those who are better. I can help you with that. Malfoy, Draco Malfoy," spoke a boy that could only belong to that ass Lucious Malfoy. She opened her mouth to speak, but a voice beat her to it.
"Who decides who is better?"
Minerva's eyes drifted over to the voice and then watched at the girl who gave a boy a frog and muttered that he should get a leash for him if he cant keep track of it. It was brisque but not malicious. She watched as Hermione Granger leveled one of Brittian's wizarding worlds elite sneered at her.
"Power and money do the deciding. A Mudblood wouldn't understand, and they are nothing more than the trash under my boot," Malfoy jabbed back with a smirk.
"If a Mudblood, as you have called me, doesn't know anything of wizarding society, how can a mudblood understand your pompous claims at being better?" She answered calmly, never taking her eyes from the blonde boy.
"If you were pure, you would know. If you were pure, you would know these things. Now we have these… people, with not a care in the world on how they could change my world coming from the outside," Draco sneered.
"I see," Hemione said and shook her head and sighed, "Fear is the downfall of empires, societies, and simple pockets of wizarding worlds. Fear, for the unknown, for change, and fear that you are just as common as a mudblood," Hermione said and then turned away, seemingly bored, and her eyes clashed with Minerva's.
"How dare you? I'll tell my father about this," Draco threatened but all that came from Hermione was a wisened chuckle as she looked back at Malfoy.
"Do that. I bet he would love to know that his little boy is so scared of a mudbloods words on the first night of being at Hogwarts that he will turn and run to daddy. What many on this planet don't understand is that there is one equalizer on this planet the pure and muddy, good and evil can not escape," Hermione said, looking off.
"Oh yeah, what's that?" asked Molly's boy condescendingly. Hermione shook her head, bored of him, and looked to Minerva.
"Death," Hermione replied and began to walk towards the professor, "I believe this is enough entertainment, and we have instructions."
Minerva cleared her throat as the students faced her with surprise and gave her their undivided attention.
"Quite right, Miss Granger. Now…" Minerva gave the children a speech about houses being families. Once finished, she led them through the door in a line and then told them to wait. She walked to the platform and began to call names. The entire time she called names, she could not shake that she was being watched. When she turned her head to see the line, she always seemed to catch astonishingly deep brown eyes.
"Hermione Granger," she called and watched as the girl came forward and sat on the stool. She placed the hat on her head and was surprised as it seemed to WANT to be placed on her head.
Under the hat and Beyond…
"Well, well. As I live and breathe, well, sort of. The other daughter of the first Black sister" spoke the hat to Hermione. Hermione was about to stand, but the cap wiggled, "Quiet, ancient one, I keep more secrets than the vaults of Gringotts. You must realize you belong to the house of Slytherin with your, ahem, lineage, but I have a feeling you would cause more trouble than its worth if I were to place you there."
"Why?" Hermione asked the hat.
"However much cunning you have, you cant tell that den of vipers the truth. Best to keep the mudblood appearance alive as long as possible."
"So what do you suggest?' Hermione asked, entertaining the hat with a chuckle, silently thanking it for understanding.
"Gryffindor is the easiest way of accomplishing your task," it said, thinking.
"What do you know of it?" he asked instantly on guard, and the hat laughed, making her head move.
"It is all here in your mind," it said, slightly squeezing her head and then loosened up, "I also believe there is something else of a benefit you stay in that house, and you will need an ally."
"I trust no one, and I need no one," Hermione scoffed, but yet again, the hat laughed.
"Oh but you will, ancient one, oh but you will. When I shout your house, go to them and when the professor takes the hat off your head, tell her that she and I need a chat later," it instructed.
"Why would I do that when you have far too much information, and I should simply torch your sorry threads?" Hermione gritted her question in a warning.
"I will tell her to be on her guard and not from you. IF you are here, that means others are on their way. Now GRYFFINDOR!" the hat shouted before Hermione replied. Hermione glared at the cap and then felt it leave her head. She stood but turned to the professor and leaned forward slightly.
"Your hat wishes to speak to you later," Hermione whispered and then walked off to the table, leaving a dumbfounded Dumbledore and a stunned professor.
Once to the table, Hermione watched the proceeding with minimal interest, wishing she had brought a book. When the boy that smelled of blood and sweet raspberry wine was sorted into her house, she let a flicker of a smile grace her lips as she softly clapped. HE sat next to her and smiled. She watched as the annoying redhead sat on the stool, and the boy's face turned white.
"HUFFLEPUFF!"
The boy known as Ron looked to his entire family and then cast his eyes down when he walked to his seat at the table.
"Wow, a Weasley not sorted in Griffyndor is unfounded."
"What the bloody hell?"
"Ronnikins is all by himself."
"Right, Gred, and more than fair game."
There was a whispered of chatter about the boy. Still, Hermione only looked from the redhead boy who seemed to keep eyeing the Potter boy who was oblivious. Now she wondered at the reasons behind the sorting, but it was not her problem. Neither was the boy seated next to her smiling nicely and chatting as food filled their plates.
Beyond Into the Night….
Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonnagal walked to his office, and once the door was closed, he spun on her.
"Why does the hat wish to speak with you?"
"I don't know and would know if you gave me the hat," hissed Minerva.
"Minerva, I must know what is going on in this school," growled the grandfatherly man letting his mask drop.
"Not this time, headmaster," the hat interrupted the rant the headmaster was about to receive. Albus Dumbledore, Leader of the Light, Defeater of Grindelwald, was placated by a sentient hat and a daggerlike gaze coming from Minerva. He turned to walk toward his desk.
"Alone," said the hat.
"This is my office, and it is my right to be here," Albus argued. The hat seemed to sigh.
"Put me on then, Minerva," the hat ordered, and Minerva reached for it but was interrupted.
"You will not keep things from me, Minerva," gritted. She stared at him. Let her fiery scotch blood pump through her veins.
"It is between you and the hat on what is known or not known. I am simply following instructions," she rebuked, and before he could reply, she slammed the hat on her head.
"Ouch, Minvera, not so rough," the hat chided.
"Apologies," she said in her thoughts.
"You might want to close your eyes. He is trying Legilimency. The fool," the hat gritted and then sighed once he felt Minerva entirely within her own mind.
"First, make sure your Occlumency shields are so high not never Voldemort can breakthrough. I suggest picking up training daily," the hat instructed.
"I will, and if that is your first warning, then this matter with the Granger girl is imperative. I know Albus, and I are not always eye to eye, and in recent years we seem to butt heads, but he does deserve…."
"No, he doesn't since he is one of the ones keeping the very items from Hermione," the hat interjected.
"I don't understand," Minerva confessed, confused.
"The Hallows," the hat said and felt her body stiffen, "Yes, they are real, and she is here for them," the cap confided.
"Assuming you are correct and they exist, no one can have them. That is too much power. We must stop her," Minerva began to rally her resolve.
"No, she is here to collect them and return them to their rightful owner," the hat said.
Minerva sat with her mind spinning. The mystery of Hermione Granger thickened, the Hallows were real, and she was working for the rightful owner.
"That means she is working for Death. This is preposterous!" Minerva argued.
"Believe what you will, but I placed her in your house because of the House Heads; you are the most honorable and would do everything to see the children in your house never hurt or fail. I gave her to you to be an ally, a mentor, and down the road, a friend. Merlin knows you some of those," the hat snipped back.
Minerva sighed as she digested the information.
"Why can't Albus know of this?" she asked. However much she was beginning to lose faith in her once upon a time friend, she was ever loyal.
"He has two in his possession right now," the hat informed, and Minerva gasped.
"Let the girl find them," the hat paused. When he spoke, he seemed to whisper solemnly, "What I saw in her head, in her memories, she needs to live a life Minerva. She needs to be human," the hat spoke with such earnestness it tugged at a small part of her heart for the girl. She was about to ask about his last phrase when he told her they were finished; all she needed was to call on him if she needed guidance. She nodded and removed the hat, opening her eyes.
She was hit with the tiny tendrils of invasion.
"NEVER PRESUME TO INVADE MY MIND AGAIN!" Minerva growled, forcing Albus back, physically making him recoil.
"I am sorry, but I will not be kept in the dark about the goings-on in my own castle," Albus said softly, hoping to temper the fire of her rage.
"I said before, it is between you and the hat," she gritted back and then turned for the door. Her hand was on the door when she paused. "I used to trust you, Albus. I used to be your comrade in arms, your friend, but just now, you proved you have changed too much. You have gone too far," with her parting words, she walked from a man she used to know. A man she used to respect.
Once to her chambers, she went to her quarters. She jabbed her wand at the fire, and the logs trembled from the force of her magic as she lit them.
"Damn, Minerva, who pissed off the kitty cat?"
Minerva spun around, and there in the corner, lounging in a chair, was beauty personified with dark tresses and glowing eyes. A mischievous smirk adorned blood-red lips, and alabaster skin seemed to glow from the firelight.
"So, how is my daughter?"