JK Rowling Owns Harry Potter

FASA Owns Earthdawn

Chapter Two: Nightmares

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

The Great Hall

May 3, 1998

Late in the Evening, Almost Midnight

The mood in the great hall of Hogwarts was grim. Harry Potter had just showed himself and had driven off Snape after dueling the Carrow siblings. Voldemort's voice was heard telling the school to give up Harry Potter or everyone would die. There was fear and terror in the room so thick you could taste it. Daphne could not see above the crowd of students around her, but she knew it was pandemonium. The Slytherins were being sent to the dungeons and all seventh years were given the choice of escaping with the other students or staying and fighting. As adults, they were allowed to choose.

Daphne looked over at her best friend, Tracey Davis. Tracey was attractive, athletic, smart, and fun. Unfortunately, she had one horrific flaw that continued to hold her back. She was a half blood. Because of this small but limiting failure, she was passed over for the quidditch team, forced to give up her seat whenever a pureblood asked for it, and the boys in Slytherin acted like they had a right to treat her as an object. It had not always been like this in Slytherin house, but all the children of death eaters in recent years had made things far worse than in previous generations.

Daphne had seen her friend undergo constant torment from their housemates over the years. Hexes and put downs were common. She was able to shield Tracy from most of the harassment, but not all. The worst was personal. In her third year, she failed to make the quidditch team for the second time. That was when the team captain, Marcus Flint, had convinced her he could help. He made her feel special. Initially, he said he could get her on the quidditch team and said he would train with her until she was ready. But he was really only after one thing.

Once he didn't get what he wanted, he spread vicious rumors and made sure she knew that she was nothing special. Tracey was utterly crushed. Daphne had consoled her, but the ridicule had been awful. In the end, they had to turn to the biggest bully in their year to make it stop. Only Pansy Parkinson had to clout and the viciousness to end the whispers. Boys still harassed Tracey, but at least the girls dorms was peaceful. However, there was a price. Both Daphne and Tracey were required to be become part of Pansy's entourage. That ended five minutes ago.

Five minutes ago, Pansy Parkinson loudly proclaimed that the school should hand Harry Potter over to the Dark Lord. It was the safe bet. The sure bet for survival. The coward's way out. The way that would lead to Tracey being treated like garbage for the rest of her life. The way that would doom an innocent teenage boy to a horrific death. Daphne's father was playing a long con game. He was staying neutral and avoiding controversial Wizengamot votes by claiming health issues. They were essentially banking on Potter winning, but not throwing themselves into battle. Another cowardly way out.

Daphne locked eyes with Tracey. They would not go to the dungeon. They would not be led through the tunnels to Hogsmeade. She was tired of being neutral. Tired of taking the coward's path. She would stay and fight. She might die, but she would die doing something she believed in. The two young women firmed their resolve and approached McGonagall.

"Professor, we want to stay and fight."

Professor McGonagall looked intently at them both, then assigned them to help defend a quadrant of the castle. They weren't alone. They were with three other wizards, none of which they recognized. They set themselves up into their position and waited. Time seemed to creep along until the wards suddenly fell and all hell broke loose.

Tracey looked over at her and said, "Stay close to me, Daph. Stick to Hexes you know, but show no mercy."

Daphne knew what Tracey was saying. She was not as good at combat as Tracey was. Not even close. Tracey had made a point to learn a number of nasty spells to protect herself. Tracey was a naturally athletic girl who could duel with the best of them. Tracey had been one of Professor Snape's favorites when he was the DADA teacher. Daphne, on the other hand, excelled at non-combat magic. Ancient runes, Arithmancy, and Potions. As well as the non-magical electives she had taken. Estate management and Political Science were subjects she found fascinating.

Daphne was good at Charms and Transfiguration, but not in any way that was combat oriented. In the last year, under the Carrows, she had refused to use the cruciatus curse on any of the other students and that had earned her detentions and even less training. Only her blood status and the fact that her father had been approached for a marriage contract with an influential Deatheater had spared her a brutal punishment. She only knew what Professors Lupin and Snape had taught her. It wasn't really very much. Still, it could make a difference. She could manage a shield charm, a Stunning curse, a Disarming hex, a Severing charm, and a Piercing hex. That was all she could reliably cast under pressure. In combat.

The group waited as the sounds of combat grew closer. Daphne started to tremble. Where had her bravery gone? 'Why didn't she leave when she had the chance? Why… NO! Be strong!' She looked over and saw Tracy was set in a dueling stance. She mirrored her friend's stance and set her resolve.

"Tracey, I want you to know you are the best friend I have ever had."

Tracey looked over at her and smiled. No smirk present. "Ditto, Ice Queen! Let's give 'em hell!"

Daphne smiled and waited… The floor suddenly shook as the far wall exploded and five Deatheaters stormed through. The attackers were not bothering to wear masks, they were now the law. Two of the defending wizards fell to spells she did not recognize. The third defending wizard got up a Protego, as did Tracey and Daphne. Five against three were not ideal odds. Of the three defenders, Tracey appeared to be the only real combatant.

Daphne fired off a few 'Stupefy' stunners, but spent most of her time behind a 'Protego' shield. Daphne lacked the athleticism to dodge curses, so Protego was her only defense. Unfortunately, the spell was exhausting to maintain. She fired a few more stunners, but they were all blocked. Easily. Daphne realized the Deatheaters were playing with her. She recognized three of them as old schoolmates.

Tracey had the speed to dodge, so she did not have to maintain a Protego the way Daphne did. That meant she was more effective offensively. Tracey managed to catch one Deatheater with a 'Confringo' Blasting curse that ended the man in an explosive burst of fire and gore. That got her more attention. The lead Deatheater, Thorfinn Rowle, hit the remaining defending wizard with the 'Avada Kedavra' killing curse and turned to Tracey. At the same time, Daphne was distracted watching one Deatheater and the other disarmed her. She was abruptly struck with an incarcerous spell, stringing her up in conjured ropes. She was immobilized near the exterior wall, beside a window, and suspended a foot off the floor. One Deatheater went the extra mile and affixed a gag on her. She could only watch as Rowle dueled Tracey.

The other Deatheaters stood and watched as well. This was one of the most powerful and influential Deatheaters dueling her friend. He was toying with her. Tracey put up a good fight, but she was tiring quickly. Good as she was, this was not something she was really trained for. Rowle frequently snuck in stinging hexes around her shields to motivate her. When he grew tired of stinging hexes, he turned to 'Diffindo' cutting charms. Each drawing blood, but never in a critical way. He was toying with her like a cat does a mouse. Daphne was crying, watching it all unfold. Tracey then did something unexpected. She pointed her wand at Rowle and yelled out 'Crucio!' just like the Carrows had taught her. Rowle pivoted out of the way and hit her with a stunner. She dropped unconscious.

Rowle collected Tracey's wand and walked over to Daphne. "Miss Greengrass. Let me formally introduce myself. My name is Thorfinn Rowle. I am in discussion with your father for your hand. I see I'll have to add a few extra stipulations in the contract to keep you in line… but all will be well." Pausing and thinking a moment, he added, "I don't really hold this against you. You were obviously influenced by that filthy half blood." Daphne's blood turned to ice. NO! NO! She tried to scream, but the gag absorbed all sound. Her tears were flowing down her cheeks now. Rowle just looked at her. He gave her a small smile. "It's all right Daphne. I have to punish her, but I won't let anyone hurt YOU." His eyes were so mild. Like he was comforting a child. My god, is this the face of evil? Did he actually think he was being… kind?

Rowle walked over to Tracey with the three death eaters behind him. He woke her up with 'Crucio!'. Tracey screamed and screamed. She twisted and turned painfully on the stone floor. Rowle was ever so calm as he applied and reapplied the curse. Again and again. Only pausing to give Tracy time to slightly recover.

Finally, he grew bored. "String her up" he commanded. The Deatheaters used incarcerous and did the same to Tracey as they had done to Daphne. But without a gag. They wanted to hear her scream.

"You filthy half-blood. Don't you dare look at me like that!" Pausing a moment, he added, "Well, if you're going to roll your eyes…"

Rowle held his wand up to the side of her face, right in front of her left eye. He whispered a spell Daphne could not quite make out… and a black mass leaped from his wand to Tracey's face. Then the screaming began again. As much as she wanted to look away, Daphne forced herself to keep watching. She owed that much to her friend.

Over the sound of the screams, a different sound was rising. It sounded like a bomb whistle. Then, a dark haired wizard burst in through the window to Daphne's left, shattering the glass.

The dark haired wizard had his back to Daphne, but she could see he was slight of build and moved incredibly quickly. His hair was dark, but matted down with what she could only assume was blood. In fact, he was covered in blood. Based on the easy way he was moving, it could not have been his own. The new wizard had two wands. The one in his left hand was straight and looked like a normal wand. It sung with power. Pure and primal. The one in his right hand looked anything but normal. It resembled the Gregorovitch designs so common in Eastern Europe, jagged and curved like a living tree limb, nothing straight about it. It was black and covered in barbed thorns.

The dark haired wizard cut down two of the Deatheaters so fast Daphne was barely able to make out what had happened. By the immense thunderclap and flash of light, it must have been a massive lightning bolt. Her ears were ringing and she had spots in her eyes. Rowle and the other Deatheater began throwing spells at him. Powerful spells. His wands blurred as he just volleyed and parried each one back at them while closing the distance. Meanwhile, Tracey was still screaming. Rowle sent a killing curse, but the attacking wizard easily and effortlessly pivoted his upper body out of the way, while catching Rowle's companion with a Confringo. The Deatheater exploded into a cloud of gore. Rowle launched another killing curse at the wizard only to have that one also dodged. Rowle became desperate and fired curses as fast as possible. Daphne could see his face, and it was alight with fear. Rowle then tried to assume the 'smoke form' Deatheaters used to fly around. He was making a break for it.

The wizard extended his arm and aimed his straight wand at the smoke and actually pulled Rowle back to earth in human form. He landed painfully. The wizard then flicked his barbed wand and cast a spell causing Rowles screams to mix with Tracey's. Rowle's wand exploded while the Deatheater screamed in agony. Daphne noticed Rowle's skin was peeling away. He was being flayed alive. The wizard casually flicked his wand and Rowle's screams were silenced. He was still screaming, but no sound was heard.

The wizard then quickly approached to Tracey, Daphne could make out a bit of his side now, but that was all. He held up the straight wand, right in front of Tracey's face, just as Rowle had. The wand glowed with power. Unlike the barbed wand, it gave a feeling of warmth and protection. Immense power. The dark mass Rowle had cursed her with was slowly pulled from Tracey's face. Daphne could see her friends face and it was horrible. Her eye was… oh my god.

Once the curse was completely extracted, Tracey's head slumped down and she passed out with a whimper. The dark mass was floating between the wizard and Tracey, but with a flick of the barbed wand, it burst into flames and was consumed. Rowle was still thrashing about, silently screaming while his skin was being peeled off. The wizard flicked his wand once more at Rowle and a powerful piercing hex leapt from the barbed wand and straight through the Deatheater's head. It was a mercy killing for a man who did not deserve it. Daphne could only watch helplessly while bound, gagged, and suspended from the ceiling.

The wizard turned back to Tracey and held his barbed wand in between his thumb and his forefinger. Turning his hand palm up, he raised her head with the tips of his other three fingers. With his left hand, he passed the straight wand slowly in front of Tracey's face. The bleeding stopped and much of the damage appeared to be gently healing… Then, once he had done as much as he could, the wizard slowly turned toward Daphne. For the first time, she could see his face.

His eyes were faintly glowing a bright green and he had a lightning bolt scar in the middle of his forehead….

Greengrass Manor

July 26, 2001 - The Present

Very Early in the Morning

AAAHHHHH!

Daphne woke up with a gasp, her heart was beating at full speed. She was shaking and drenched in sweat. She had not had that dream in months. It was August 2001, not 1998. There was no going back to sleep now, too much adrenaline. Best to get up and have a good breakfast. She did not need to wonder what had brought that specific nightmare back, she knew the trigger. She had a meeting scheduled with Lady Black. And if you work with Lady Black, you also work with Lord Black.

Aka, Harry Potter.

—CS—

Ministry of Magic

Level 4

Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures

July 27, 2001

1:15 PM

Hermione Granger sat proudly at her desk and looked over her proposals. They were flawless. This would change the way Garden Gnomes are treated in wizarding Britain. Yes, it would be expensive and would require extensive amount of land to relocate them, but they would live a life free of abuse. It was her forty third attempt at improving the life of Garden Gnomes, and she was getting discouraged. No one seemed to care.

When she first joined the department, she was hailed as a hero. All of her proposals were reviewed enthusiastically. She actually made great strides in preventing House Elf abuse. But the more she tried to build on those changes, the less they were taken seriously. To make matters worse, she had become a bit of a pariah. She tried to help her coworkers, but they just seemed to resent her. When she played 'devils advocate' with her coworkers ideas, they thought she was just arguing with them. When she checked their work and offered improvements, they took it the wrong way. She was just trying to help…

At first, they all wanted to be friends with one of the Heroes of the war. She was Harry Potter's BEST FRIEND! But, that slowly changed. It was gradual, starting with fewer and fewer invitations to lunch, no more after work drinks, Christmas Parties, etc. Lately she found it easier and less painful to just skip lunch. No one wanted to sit at her table and hear her thoughts on the abuses of magical creatures. It was 1:15 and the rest of the department was not back from lunch yet. They had obviously gone out to eat somewhere. Together as a team. Without her. Excluding her.

She had not felt this way in years. Harry and Ron were her first real friends and she never realized how much that meant to her. But those days were so long ago. Ron had finished Auror training, but he was rarely in the office. Always something about a big case.

Ron had really blossomed since the end of the war. Sure, she helped him study during the classroom portion of his Auror training, but he came alive in the practical portion. He was doing so well and living up to his potential. In the Auror force, he had found his calling. She was proud of him, but a little envious, too.

Her mother has always said she tries too hard. 'Just relax and make friends', she used to say. But Hermione could not 'just relax'. She was going to change the Wizarding World and she had no time for frivolous activities or distractions. She had to get her ideas out there. Make a difference. She knew she was brilliant, why couldn't anyone see how good her ideas were? She was beginning to suspect it was because she was a Muggle Born.

There are so few Muggleborns in the ministry. Hermione was beginning to realize that she may have only been hired because she was famous. She was also discovering that no one really wants her to change anything. If it isn't broke… why fix it…? Maintain the status quo... Keep the cogs turning... It was enough to make her scream. She thought she would change the world, but lately, all she was changing were the coffee filters.

She looked up as her coworkers finally returned. They came in as a group, confirming that they had gone out together. None of them made eye contact as they settled back in. That's fine, she had better things to focus on. Like Garden Gnomes. Her meeting with the department head was in fifteen minutes, 1:30 PM Sharp. She reviewed her proposal for the ninth time and knew it was good. She honestly could not come up with a counter argument for any of her points. This was a tight proposal.

Hermione got up to get a glass of water and use the loo before the meeting. When she came back to get her notes, she noticed a few of her coworkers looked up briefly at her and stopped talking. Happens frequently enough. They were either talking about her or they were planning something they did not want her to know about. Focus past it. She smiled at the few coworkers who looked her way, picked up her notes, and proceeded to the office of her Department Head.

—CS—

Ministry of Magic

Amos Diggory's Office

Head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures

Hermione presented her proposal to Amos Diggory, the Department Head of the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. She hit every bullet. She broke the proposal down to understandable elements. She then presented counter arguments and proceeded to overcome each of them. She expanded her proposal to draw parallels across multiple species and how protections were in place for the other species, but not gnomes. She was on fire. Her passion was showing through and her intelligence was carrying her forward. She closed her presentation an hour and fifteen minutes after she began. As she took a breath, she looked at Mr. Diggory and noted something was… off. He seemed almost sad… Had her impassioned speech really affected him so?

"Ms. Granger," he had said with true compassion, "No one really cares about Garden Gnomes."

There was a long moment of silence. She slowly realized he was right. At that moment, her eyes watered up and she had to hold back her emotions. He was right.

No one cared….

He continued, "You have done an amazing job with this proposal, but it's about 'Garden Gnomes'." He was trying so hard to be kind. "They are a pest to most magical families and your proposal would result in land appropriations and taxation to essentially help… 'Pests'. How on earth would I tell land owners that we were going to take large areas of land from them and give it to Garden Gnomes? The very same pests that steal their food and torment their pets. Even if we could manage this, Garden Gnomes would never stay on the reservations. They would leave to find human settlements. They enjoy stealing food and tormenting cats."

Amos was speaking in the kindest voice he could. "Please, Ms. Granger, sit down and let's talk." He rose and pulled out a chair for her at a small conference table in the corner of his office. "Did you read about the Gnome re-location act of 1873?"

"Yes sir. Garden Gnomes were captured, herded up and sent to a remote location. Against their will and with no means of helping themselves. My proposal is not like that at all…" Mr. Diggory held up his hand to quiet her.

"Right. Well, it is more like it than you know. The remote area they were relocated to was very fertile. It was capable of supporting the entire colony. In theory. But, how do you train a Garden Gnome to farm the land? To support themselves? Attempts were made, but they all failed. So, they steal. In 1873, the wizarding society realized this, so they would hand over food and supplies to keep the Gnomes in their reservation. The prevailing thought was: 'If you keep them well fed and safe, they will be happy and stay put.' Problem solved."

Mr. Diggory continued, "But it didn't work. The Gnomes would eat, but they slowly found ways off the reservation, regardless of the food. They wanted to leave. They enjoyed stealing food, not having it just... given to them. They liked tormenting pets. They were not happy on the reservation. They're not being evil or vicious, they were just following their nature"

Hermione had read the Relocation act of 1873 multiple times, but she never saw it from this perspective. She had put hundreds of hours into her proposal. Evenings and weekends sacrificed, but no good came from it because no one cared. Because, the last time it was attempted, it failed. And because… they really are pests.

"Ms. Granger, as impressed as I am with the thoroughness of this proposal, I have to admit that I am a bit disappointed. You have so much passion and intelligence, but you are focusing on the wrong things. It's not a matter of intelligence or ability, it's a matter of perspective. You stood up to the most feared wizard of our age, saving many lives and preserving our freedom. But you now have decided to save… Garden Gnomes." Seeing her devastated and depressed was not something Amos wanted. "I tell you what, I'll clear my schedule and let's review the proposal together in detail. Let's discuss different perspectives and how the elements of your work can be fine-tuned and applied to other magical creatures. You see, we're not here to save magical creatures, we're here to regulate and control. Some creatures, like Gnomes, just need to be managed. Controlled. Other creatures, like House Elves, needed protections from abuse…Regulated. Do you see the difference, Ms. Granger?" He was trying so hard, but Hermione was still reeling from the sting of his rejection. Amos hoped it would sink in.

Mr. Diggory was very kind about the rejection. He spent the next hour and a half reviewing the proposal and mentoring her. He agreed her work was brilliant and hoped she would apply the same level of quality and passion to other proposals. Ones that mattered. The man was kind and intelligent, he made her feel like she could accomplish great things. He even offered to help her find proposals that would have a more reliable impact on magical Britain. This was very much appreciated.

—CS—

By four o'clock, Hermione was back at her desk. She was coming to terms with the fact that, after many hours of hard work, her proposal had been rejected. Her Department Head was very nice about it, but it still hurt. The primary counter he gave was one that she had not anticipated. 'No one cares'.

As hard as that was to hear, she had to admit it was true. Unlike house elves, who most families actually loved and cared for, Garden Gnomes were viewed as pests. Vermin. Thieves that torment the family pets. She appreciated the extra time he spent helping her and showing her ways to approach similar proposals in the future. She liked the man in spite of his rejection.

Looking down at her desk, she saw a memo had been delivered. Apparently Parvati Patil had just been promoted. She was now a 'team lead' in the Department of International Magical Cooperation. Hermione was happy for her, but a bit stunned. Parvati had always been more concerned with her hair and shoes than with studying. Hermione could run circles around her in nearly any class. Yet, she was promoted and Hermione was struggling…

Suddenly, she noticed she was alone in the department. Her coworkers had all packed up and left early while she was with Mr. Diggory. On a Friday. Hermione recalled the way the team was avoiding her before her meeting. How they stopped talking when she was near.

They had all gone out for a fun evening. Without her. Again.

That was the final straw. She put her face in her hands and quietly cried. She missed Hogwarts. She missed being appreciated. She missed having a best friend who cared about her. She missed Harry. She missed having a worthwhile cause to fight for… She missed being relevant. Now, she is a bureaucrat. Trying to save Garden Gnomes. She was neither liked nor respected. A pariah within her own department. How on earth did this happen? More importantly, what could she do to rekindle her inner fires?

Drying her eyes, Hermione finally admitted to herself that she hated her job. The monotony of it all. It just seemed so pointless. Her job was supposed to enable her dreams, but instead it had become her own personal hell.

It had become a Nightmare… It was time for a change.

Authors Note:

I hope you enjoyed Chapter two. Daphne is haunted by nightmares and Hermione is working in a job that is like a nightmare. They both will be a part of the story. Daphne sooner and Hermione a bit later.

Special thanks to KrisB-71854 for the collaborative discussion that helped define the Hermione portion of this chapter.

Let me know your thoughts - Thanks