Hermione entered the large Hospital Wing in awe of the moving paintings and the many beds that lined the walls. A door was in the back that she figured that lead to the nurse's office. She didn't notice that Professor Dumbledore had left the wing to get Poppy from her office. Hermione bit her bottom lip as her nerves began to bundle in her stomach like little butterflies.
Severus felt like his stomach was doing flips of nerves, and he quickly realized that the emotions he was feeling did not belong him, but to the small witch that was biting her bottom lip.
"Hermione everything is going to be just fine." said Severus, "Here let's get you seated." He gently lifted her up and sat her down on the bed. He couldn't help but notice how light the girl was. "Now, listen carefully." He knelt down until he was eye level with doe like brown eyes. "Poppy, has fixed me up many times over the years. She knows what's she's doing. I promise."
"Minnie, Albus informed me that you have a young charge that you wish for me to examine." She had gray long hair that was pulled back in a low bun. She had fare skin, blue eyes, thin mouth and slender womanly figure. She wore gray robes and an apron. "Hello sweetie, I'm Madame Pomphery. What's your name?"
"Hermione Granger." said the young witch.
"It's nice to meet you. Now let's lay back and I'll run a full body scan that will tell past injuries and any ones that might be present. Ok?" said Poppy. "Severus please step aside."
"I'll speak with the Headmaster while you run the test." said the Potions Master. "I'll be on the other side of the wing Hermione." He told her when he had felt her fear rise and he got a nod from the young witch. "Something happened when I first met her Albus." he whispered as they walked away from the witches.
Albus listen very carefully to Severus tell. He looked over at the young witch with twinkling blue eyes. He ran his long fingers through his gray beard. He turned back to the Potions Master in thought.
"Very interesting in deed Severus. So your magic swirled around each other, very fascinating in deed. And a golden magical core. A very rare find too. She will be powerful Severus. You can feel her emotions. I wonder how deep the bond will go? We can only wait and see if it will become a soul bond or just a bond of protection."
Severus stood in thought, "Yes, she is very young and if it is to be a soul bond that would occur in her sixteenth year."
"Watch over her for now Severus. Please don't be harsh with her or turn her away, but do your duties as her professor." said Albus.
"Of course Headmaster." said Severus. "It will be done. She will need to be challenged I assure you. She is extremely bright."
Meanwhile, during the conversation between Potions Master and Headmaster Poppy had received the list for Hermione's past and present injuries. She held the long list in her hand and she couldn't believe the extent of the past injuries. She was surprised that Hermione had survived this long. She assumed that it had been her magic that healed the most deadly injuries.
Hermione Jean Granger Medical Exam
2 fractured skulls. 1 healed magically; 1 healed medically.
3 punctured lungs. 3 healed magically
4 broken right arms. 3 healed magically, 1 healed medically
1 broken ankle. 1 healed medically
4 fingers broken. 4 medically healed.
7 broken ribs. 7 healed magically.
Severally under weight.
Present injuries:
Hairline fracture in in the right thigh.
Under weight
Minerva looked over at Poppy when she heard the nurse gasp with her cat like ears. She squeezed Hermione's hand and rose to her full height from the chair she had been sitting in and walked over to the nurse. She pulled out her reading glasses and took the list. She read it carefully and tears welled up in her eyes. She couldn't believe what she was reading. She walked over to the men and handed it to the headmaster. She returned to Hermione's bedside and made a silent vow that no one was going to hurt her little girl again.
"Poppy take magical x rays of everything. I'll make sure Richard gets the information." said Albus forcefully.
"I'm nearly done now Albus." said the nurse as she grabbed another scan from her wand and slipped it into the folder. "There sweetie, now I'm going to magically fill your tummy so you won't get sick from the healing potions I'm going to give you. Then once you wake up from your healing sleep you can eat." Hermione only nodded her head and watched the nurse walk over to the large cabinet.
Minerva turned her head when she her saw husband's eagle patronus enter the wing. She heard Richard's voice say, "Minnie, the questioning is lasting longer then I expected. Please eat dinner without me and I will see you soon as I can," and the eagle vanished from view.
She sighed heavily and walked over to Hermione and sat back down and took a hold of Hermione's hand watching Poppy give her potion after potion until the small girl finally fell asleep. Minerva ran her fingers through Hermione's messy brown locks and hummed a sweet tune from her childhood.
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"Granger's just not talking." said Richard once they had left the room where John was held. "We might have to try something else." He was interrupted when Fawkes appeared in the room with a large folder in his beak. "Hermione's records. Thank you Fawkes," and he took the large folder and the phoenix was gone with a flash of flames. "Let's see what we have here." He opened the folder but nothing had prepared him for the information. "Oh, sweet Merlin," he whispered as he slowly sat down in the chair behind him. "I haven't seen it this bad in along time." He looked up at Kingsely and said, "I want Jane Granger in that room with John. Let's see how they react together."
"Yes, sir." said the auror and he quickly left the room to get the woman from the holding cell.
"Hermione would be dead if her magic hadn't intervened." said Richard to Beth. "Here read this." He handed the folder over to the muggle.
Beth flipped it opened and her eyes widen at the information. "How did they get away with this Richard?" He shook his head. "They must know someone on the force to cover this up."
Kingsely walked back into the observation room after putting Jane in the room with her husband. He crossed his arms and watched the couple.
"We have never been in questioning John, why now?" whispered Jane. "We have friends take care of this sort of thing. Free cleanings and dental work and our records are supposed to be cleaned."
"Shut up woman." hissed John. "I don't know what these freak's laws are. They might be different then our laws. So keep your large trap shut."
"So the wife is the chatter box." said Beth. "We could get what need out of her. She might pin it all on John just to get a lighter sentence."
Richard shook his head. "We don't do that sort of thing here Beth. The penalty is harsh here. But we can tell her that just to get her talking."
"Of course sir. Do you want me to take her to her different room?" asked the woman. Richard nodded in agreement. "Sir, will do," and Beth retrieved Jane and took her to different room.
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"Jane, I'm not a witch. I'm normal just like you." said Beth, "See no wand here." She sat down. "Now, we've been discussing a few things. Are you willing to help us? You can find yourself with a lighter sentence. Say 8 years instead of 20 years for the danger of a magical child."
"Why should I?" said Jane. "Hermione's a freak. She's only good at her chores."
"Ah I see. You had a child to do the house work. So tell me when did the over working of Hermione begin?"
Jane pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lit one. She took a long drag of it. She began her story. "I was so happy the day I found out about Hermione. We had tried for years to have a baby. Guess the resentment started when she started to be able to move things. She was one when it first started."
"Magic started at one?" asked Beth. "Go on."
"I told John and he didn't believe until he saw it for himself. Then it just grew until it was…it's not. That's not human. She's a freak."
Beth sat back in wonder. "You didn't always believe that, did you Jane? John drilled that into your head." She said now understanding how controlling the man was. She could see the fear seeping through. "He made you believe it. Then to the point that you beat and starved your own daughter."
Jane shook her head. She put out the cigarette and lit another one. "John always had a controlling side. You just had to do things his way and everything was fine. I love him and I knew I couldn't live on my own."
Beth listened to Jane's story. She learned through her own life that controlling husbands could suck the life out of someone and make them change. She saw that in Jane. But she could tell that it ran deeper then that. Jane had been abused all her life. It was all in her personality. She didn't know better. But it still didn't make the matter better to inflict the pain on Hermione.
Beth opened the folder and slid the pictures of Hermione's breaks and near death reports over to Jane. "So, you thought you will help John beat the magic out of Hermione?"
Jane took the papers and x rays. She read over the reports. "It was worth a try. I wanted a normal daughter. Not a freak, but I will say this she made my flowers the most beautiful."
Beth raised a brow, "Your flowers, that's all you cared about? Not the wellbeing of your only child. You so badly wanted."
Jane shrugged her shoulders. "You learned to change. John's idea and all."
'Now, we're getting somewhere.' thought Beth. "What was John's idea Jane?"
"It was John's idea to make her do the chores around the house. I was spending so much money on a house keeper. We saved thousands. Then well, the beatings and stuff happened when Hermione didn't do anything correctly."
"So you just decided to help with the beatings?" said Beth.
Jane laughed, "It turned John on. The sex was amazing."
Beth hid her shock well. She couldn't believe it all boiled down to the sex. She mentally shook her head. "Thank you. I'll see what I can do about a lighter sentence," and she walked out of the room.
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"I thought it couldn't get worse." whispered Richard, who had seen the questioning through the other side of the glass. "Now we can arrest both of them. Thank you for coming in Beth. They will be serving along time in Azkaban for this."
"Of course sir. I always enjoy working. But this one was a little rough around the edges for me." said Beth.
Kingsely smiled, "How about a drink, on me?"
"Sure Kingsely. Good luck Mr. McGonagall," and Beth stepped out of the room followed by Kingsely.
Richard motioned for the auror guards to arrest John and Jane Granger and take them to Azkaban to await trial. He sighed heavily and left the room for Hogwarts since he hadn't heard from his wife that they had made it home.
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