Hermione knew something was wrong the minute they stepped into the floo. Leaving Little Dean and Rowena's Manor behind had certainly caused a few tears, as the place of safety she and Harry had found was now gone like a winters frost. It was past her own birthday now, and well into November. They had spent as much time in their sanctuary as possible before the wards became to unstable to remain. The tension and anxiety about being caught or attacked was back full force. And as they stepped into the green flames with Crooks and Snuffles following behind, her instincts went haywire.
The trip was long, and seemingly one way. The numerous floo exits they passed were all blocked off. Only a single hearth was still left open, and Hermione knew she and Harry had been caught in the throngs of a trap. The girl had her wand in hand the minute they exited, exploding from a cloud of soot in a tangled, wobbling heap. She didn't wait for an attack to start, shouting stunners at the figures standing around waiting for them.
"Stupefy!"
Her wand tip flashed as the spell hit someone dead in the chest, causing them to fly backwards to the floor, "confringo!" There was a bang as two more figures scattered to escape the havoc that was a cornered Hermione Granger.
"Flipendo!"
The caster was fast as the knock back jinx struck her shoulder, causing her scar to prickle and burn. She hit a bookshelf hard, her skull making contact with the harsh mahogany corner. Everything went dizzy as her knees crumpled, and her ears rung like gongs. Snuffles was barking, Crooks had appeared by her side as though to protect her. There was a brilliant white glow as a grand Hippogriff appeared, startling the company as it reared angrily and flapped its wings, causing gasps of surprise.
"...'Mione?" Harry's voice was somewhere in the fog as Hermione clutched the back of her head, palm warm and sticky from a bleeding wound, "Hermione, can you hear me?"
The ringing faded as she swallowed thickly and nodded, feeling Harry pull her up into his arms and shield her with his body. She finally had a moment to look at the group who had been waiting for them at the end of the Floo. There were some she didn't recognize: a horrible man with scars and a false eye staring right at her, and a young woman with bright magenta hair was being assisted back to her feet from Hermione's stunner by a tall colored gentleman in funny robes. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley emerged from where they had taken shelter behind the large wooden desk, their own wands at the ready.
"Leave us alone!" Harry spat angrily.
"Harry, my boy, please relax." Albus Dumbledore looked exactly as he did in his photographs, down to the gold bangles tying his beard and the gaudy purple cloaks. Beside him, Smokey was holding back a scowling, greasy haired stranger. He's the one who cast the knock back jinx, Hermione thought, wincing as her hand brushed her scalp accidentally.
"Like hell I'll relax!" Harry seethed, squeezing her tighter as Snuffles continued to bark wildly, "you hurt her."
"Not intentionally," Dumbledore said, waving his hands as Harry grasped for the wands which were taken from them and caught in the old man's hand, "Severus is my Potions Master, and was merely defending himself against an attack from your friend."
"Bullocks!" Harry growled, "Hermione was defending me. We should've known it was a trap."
"Shoot first, ask questions later," the man with the fake eye announced, slamming his cane against the floor, "CONSTANT VIGILANCE!"
"Who the hell are you people?" Harry breathed, "why won't you leave us alone?
"You're only children," Smokey insisted, her eyebrows rising as her Scottish brogue upped a pitch, "it's dangerous for ones so young to be running around England by themselves. Let alone running away from home, and people who want to protect you."
"We've been doing fine on our own," Hermione managed to sniff, feeling a bit better but still a tad dizzy, "we don't need you or anyone else's help."
"You would've entered the magical world with guidance, Harry," Dumbledore frowned, "I'm disappointed in you, and Miss Granger. I thought you had better sense?"
"We have plenty of sense, headmaster." Harry jabbed, "enough sense to know that I would still be a prisoner in the Dursley home if I waited for you. That Hermione would've been Obliviated, and left with her horrible parents and I wouldn't ever see her again. I have enough sense, sir, to know that you don't care about us. You care about Voldemort,"
There was a hiss at the name as Harry scoffed, "you're all pathetic, placing your faith in a kid like me."
"You know of your past, Harry?" Mrs. Weasley squeaked, "you know what you did when you were only a baby?"
"Yeah, I do. Some sort of rebound magic that killed Voldemort. But I'm not your savior, ok? I was barely a year old."
"The Wizarding World needs Harry Potter," Dumbledore spoke, still irritatingly calm as Harry snorted like a furious bull.
"I don't give a damn about the Wizarding World!" he spat, causing everyone in the room to recoil except for the one with the fake eye, who was still staring at them, "you left me to die when I was a baby. Why would I want to help you?"
There was a tense silence, and a whole lot of awkward staring. Dumbledore sighed and shook his head, turning to the people in the room with him.
"Harry, Miss Granger, these are members of the Order of the Phoenix. My Deputy, Professor McGonagall, you already know Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt and his trainee Nymphadora Tonks, and our Defense Professor, Alastor Moody."
"VIGILANCE!" The man insisted loudly, walking around the desk with his cane clacking per every step, "yer friend wouldn't make a half-bad Auror, Potter," he said, pointing a finger at Hermione as — what looked like a smile — appeared on his lips, "she came out shooting and got Tonks right in the chest."
"Oi! I was caught off guard!" The magenta haired woman shrieked, still running a hand across her collar with a wince as she smiled awkwardly, "great shot though, Granger. Powerful too."
Nodding at the woman shyly, Harry gave her hand an encouraging squeeze. He returned to his scowling though, knowing well enough that they were outnumbered and stuck with the man they had been avoiding for the last three years.
"What are you going to do with us?"
"For now? Nothing. I don't wish to imprison you, Harry. I want you to be able to trust me. You may go anywhere on the grounds you'd like, but the wards will not let you leave."
"That still makes us prisoners," Hermione stated dryly, fingering her scalp which had stopped bleeding but was now aching lightly, "where are we anyway?"
"Hogwarts Castle of course," Dumbledore said cheekily as Harry and Hermione glanced at one another, a mix of awe and worry on their features. Of course they knew of Hogwarts, but never believed they'd ever see it in person. Especially not Hermione, being a Muggleborn and all, "you do know of Hogwarts, don't you? Ah, it's a place of higher learning; I thought you might enjoy it here."
He's baiting us, Hermione thought, frowning as she shifted further into Harry's side, we can't get to comfortable here...but...
"Is there a Library?" She blurted out, causing Harry to blink at her in wonder as Dumbledore nodded and Smokey's eyes crinkled in a little smile.
"Yes indeed. One of the largest magical archives next to the Ministry of Magic. You're welcome to it, Miss Granger. Naturally."
"And classes?" She continued wearily as Dumbledore looked to his second hand who gave a little shrug.
"It can be arranged, I'm sure. You will have Order supervision for any that you take however."
Pursing her lips, Hermione sighed and glanced at Harry, who was still glowering around the room, "I wish a moment to speak with Harry in private." She announced, "please."
"If you feel it is necessary. But alas, I cannot let you anywhere alone for the moment. But I will cast a privacy ward, so you may discuss in quiet."
Waving his long hand, Hermione saw the whitish spell envelop them inside its embrace. The adults apparently decided on holding their own impromptu meeting, but neither she nor Harry could hear them. Turning back to the boy, she gave him a watery smile.
"Harry, I...I think it may be prudent to stay."
"What?" Harry appeared shocked, "but it's Dumbledore. He won't let us leave, we're prisoners again! What about the ocean..."
"I'm not saying forever, Harry." Hermione cut him off quickly, "I want to leave as much as you do. But we are in a place filled with magical knowledge, some of the most powerful in the world. And we are surrounded by people who can teach us properly. It would be a waste not to take advantage of this opportunity."
"But Hermione, you're a Muggleborn. What if they..."
"They would be fools to Obliviate me now," She admitted, shaking her head, "don't you realize, Harry? When we were eleven, it would've been easy. We were young; impressionable. But we've been through so much together. You'd know right away if something happened to me..."
"And I'd make Dumbledore's life a living hell," Harry nodded in understanding, "so they won't touch you, since they need me?"
"Exactly. We use their dependence on you as leverage. We'll be safe here from Death Eaters and Voldemort, we'll be housed and fed, and while I study Hogwarts and the wards, we learn everything we can before escaping."
"You're brilliant Hermione," Harry breathed, cradling her head as she winced slightly, "you should see someone about your head."
"Later," Hermione waved off, "we have to plan. We have to pretend to go along with Dumbledore until we come up with something better."
"I'm not being separated from you." He hissed, pulling Hermione against his broad chest in a tight embrace and kissing the crown of her forehead, "I promise we'll see the ocean soon."
"I know, Harry. They're all watching us," glancing outside their little bubble wearily, Hermione sighed, "I guess our time is up."
Nodding is head in agreement, Hermione gave the Headmaster a little wave as he brought down the enchantment, and sound once again returned to their world.
"We...we won't give you any trouble, Headmaster." She told him delicately, surprising many in the room. The Potion Master's eyes narrowed, but he said nothing as Hermione picked up Crookshanks who had rubbed against her leg, "but we want to have access to the library, and attend some classes while we're here."
"I also want to keep Snuffles with me," Harry added, patting the black dog lovingly who merely looked stupid with his tongue hanging out, "he's my familiar. Crooks too, for Hermione."
"Of course, children. Of course. I'm glad you've had a change of heart. Hogwarts, I'm sure, has just gained two very bright students. Minerva will make up a class schedule for you, and you may start after the weeks end. As for rooms, it's traditional that all students are sorted into houses. This tradition will not die here."
Once again waiving his hand, a crooked old hat appeared on the desk as he lifted it with a hand, "ladies first, Miss Granger. Please come."
Receiving a little nudge from Harry as their hands broke apart, Hermione missed the contact immediately as the Headmaster dropped the old burlap thing across her brow. She leapt in fright as it spoke in her ear.
"Eh? A Muggleborn witch at Hogwarts? I never thought I'd never sort a witch of your kind again. Let's see...bright, clever, very quick witted. But you're also loyal and brave. Oh yes, defying the old Headmaster as you did. Taking the savior of the Wizarding World along for the ride."
"I didn't take him," Hermione spat unhappily at the hat, "he came with me. We left together."
"So you did. That was very Gryffindor of you, girl. But where to sort you...hm. I see you want little beyond the family you have made for yourself. With Mr. Potter, your familiars and...oh? Yes, I think I understand now. Best be...RAVENCLAW!"
Hermione released the breath she didn't know she'd been holding as the hat was removed from her head.
"Very good, very good indeed. You'll do well in Ravenclaw, I think, Miss Granger."
Mumbling an awkward thanks, Harry passed Crookshanks back into her awaiting arms as he too was summoned by the Headmaster to be sorted. Hermione watched intently as his brow became hidden, and the hat shifted on his head. They were clearly conversing about something, and Harry was very tense. The adults in the room were watching with bated breath. After all, runaway or not, this was Harry Potter.
"RAVENCLAW!"
Jumping at the yell of the hat, clearly the adults in the room had been thinking something else as many brows furrowed in confusion. Harry relaxed and grinned as Hermione welcomed him back with an excited hug. At least we won't be separated.
