Absolute Power…

"So what have you decided to do?" Cedric asked Hermione.

"We're going to stay, for now." Hermione replied.

"And what about Minerva?" Cedric asked.

Hermione looked up at him, her face turning to stone. "I don't know what you mean."

"Oh bullocks, Hermione, of course you do. You still blame her, and are too stubborn to forgive. You need to talk to her – you need to find some closure and put it behind you. She loves you, bebe – she only brought you back out of love. And when you needed her the most while in the graveyard, she was there to bring you back again. You owe it to her." Cedric said.

Hermione didn't reply to that. She simply kissed Cedric on the nose and said "I have to go. I don't want mum to worry, and I think I'm going to take Poppy up on her offer of a pain potion. Hermione waved her hand and Cedric heard the lock on the door click open. Hermione left, with Cedric looking after her – concern and confusion in his eyes. She shouldn't have been able to unlock his door – especially without a wand.

Hermione entered the infirmary just as Poppy and Molly were waking up. Hermione went to Poppy's chamber and picked up Morgaine, who was stirring and making tiny grunting sounds. Hermione smiled, she sounded like a Billy-goat. Morgaine sleepily opened her eyes and blinked at her mother. Hermione placed her over her shoulder and roused Poppy. "Hermione, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, still tired though. I was hoping that I could get a pain potion, and a bottle of formula for Morgaine." Hermione replied.

"Absolutely." Poppy said, "I'll get them together and bring them out to you.

Hermione walked back into the infirmary, and over to the bed she was sleeping in. Molly felt the mattress move and she opened her eyes to see her daughter, smiling down at her new grandchild. "Morning, dear. Sleep well?"

"I dare say I did, for a few hours anyway – I still feel exhausted though." Hermione replied.

"Yes, childbirth can do that to you." Molly said with a smile on her face. "You are lucky though, Morgaine has tons of uncles and aunts, and grandparents who will help you take care of her. You may want to be careful though, you may never get her back once we get hold of her."

Hermione chuckled, but was grateful. She didn't know how she was going to go to classes, do her homework, and take care of an infant by herself…she didn't know how she was going to do all of that anyway – knowing full well she was miles from the border of stability.

"Arthur I are going to stay on for awhile, to watch after her while you are at class – or whenever you need." Molly said.

Hermione looked at her mother with a smile. "Thank you mum. I am so lucky to have you."

"No, dear. We are the lucky ones." Molly said.

"I'm worried, though. I know that the school knows about my attack, and that I was gone – but I don't think that I can handle anyone knowing about Morgaine. They would look at me differently – especially if they knew how she came about in the first place…and especially with Draco Malfoy being here. There is no way he can know that he has a "half-brother". I want to protect my baby." Hermione kissed the fuzzy hair on Morgaine's head.

"Do not worry, love. No one has to know – you can trust us, and you can trust your brothers and sister – and Harry." Molly said.

"I know that. In my heart, I know that." Hermione said.

Poppy came over and handed Hermione the bottle and she began feeding Morgaine.

Meanwhile, Cedric was still sitting on the edge of his bed, thinking about his next move. He decided to go and speak to Minerva. Cedric walked through the corridors until he reached her private quarters. He wearily knocked on the door. Several moments later, a very tired looking Minerva McGonagall opened the door. "Mister Diggory, what are you doing here? Is everything alright?"

"I'm not sure." Cedric began. "I was hoping that I could talk to you…about Hermione."

A small wave of fear coursed through Minerva as she stepped aside to allow Cedric entrance to her sitting room. Cedric sat down on the sofa, and Minerva sat on the chair facing him.

"What is troubling you?" Minerva asked.

Cedric looked down at his hands, not knowing where to begin – or even how to form the words. He was troubled and confused – Hermione's growth in power was unnatural, fueled by her emotions – anger, sadness…fury. Who knows what could happen if something else set her off?

"Cedric?" Minerva asked curiously.

"I'm afraid for her, professor…and myself…and Morgaine." Cedric began.

Minerva touched Cedric on his knee. He lifted his eyes up to meet hers as he said. "Not even 15 minutes ago…Hermione transformed into an animagus before my eyes."

Minerva was taken aback, "What?" she asked.

"She learned how to do it in two weeks." Cedric continued.

"No, Cedric, I seriously doubt that." Minerva said.

"Do you, professor?" Cedric asked. "You have seen firsthand how her powers have grown. She is using wandless magic – putting up barrier spells, cloaking spells, dueling…and…breaking through my spells without a wand."

"What are you saying?" Minerva asked.

"We were having a row, and I locked the door with my wand. I should have been the only one able to open it – yet with barely a wave of her hand, the door opened before her…after she transfigured back to her human form…" Cedric said, anticipating what question would come next.

"What is her animagus form?" Minerva asked. Cedric didn't respond – he looked into Minerva's eyes, and she could see that he was frightened. For a moment he did not look like the 18 year old boy she watched grow into a confident young man – he looked like a lost child, afraid and unsure. Minerva repeated her question once more, this time with the stern voice typical of Minerva McGonagall, "Cedric. I asked you, what is her animagus form?"

Cedric took a deep breath, and without looking away, he whispered "A Phoenix."

Minerva's jaw dropped so low that it could have hit the floor – her eyes wide in disbelief. "Cedric, are you quite sure you saw what you think you did? There are many types of birds out there…"

"I know what I saw, professor. I know what a Phoenix looks like, and…they way she transformed left no doubt in my mind that it is definitely the animagus form of a Phoenix." Cedric replied, Minerva still looked dumbfounded, waiting for Cedric to continue. "We were kissing…it was getting a little intense…"

'Oh, this is not what I need to hear right now.' Minerva thought. She stood, and walked to the window – holding her forehead with her left hand.

"As the intensity increased, she began to be…more forceful." Cedric continued.

Minerva felt herself blushing, felt heat rising from the collar of her robes and into her face. "Cedric, I don't think…"

"No, please, you need to know this." Cedric begged. "At first I was happy, I thought we had come back together as a couple…but…after awhile, it didn't even feel like Hermione – like she was not there. She began to grow hot…"

Minerva was growing hot.

"…and then she began to glow – her magic was crackling and sparking around her. When I pulled back, her eyes were as red as fire – yet empty, as though something else was controlling her – it was no longer Hermione that I was kissing…" Cedric said.

Minerva turned around and looked at Cedric.

"Then in a flash of gold, she was suddenly there – as a Phoenix. In another flash, she was Hermione again." Cedric said.

"Mister Diggory, I'm not sure if you are aware of this, but never in wizarding history has any witch or wizard taken the animagus form of a Phoenix - ever." Minerva said, shaking her head.

"I was not aware of that, professor – but that is what I saw. What causes a person to have one animagus form over another.

Minerva sighed and sat down in the chair once more. "It comes from inside. No one has a choice as to which animagus he or she will eventually turn into, but it comes from character and personality traits from within. However, a Phoenix has been completely unheard of – and thought to have been impossible."

"Then you are going to have to see it for yourself, professor." Cedric said.

"Yes…" Minerva replied. "If in fact her animagus is a Phoenix, maybe it is a good sign regarding her physical and emotional welfare for the future – they do, after all, rise up out of the ashes to be born again."

"But not before bursting into flames…" Cedric replied.

Minerva was quiet as she watched the expression change on Cedric's face. "I'm not totally convinced that it is so much of her rising out of the ashes, as it is her being consumed by fire…that was not Hermione who was kissing me – that was something feral, something fierce. I never would have anticipated her being so comfortable with the…type…of contact that we were having – I knew it would take time for her to be comfortable before being…physical again – other than light kissing – yet there she was, controlling the show. She has been so broken since being raped, and she just gave birth – yet there was something animal going on. Hermione was not there – I didn't recognize the person I saw behind those eyes."

Minerva hated conjuring images of Hermione and Cedric being physically passionate…it bothered her beyond measure – but she chose not to think about it. "Cedric, I don't think…"

"No! You can't push this under the rug anymore, professor!' Cedric stood as he yelled. "You know as well as everyone else that her magic is completely unstable right now – just as unstable as she is, and for whatever reason – no one seems willing to admit it! I don't know if it's your sense of guilt, or whatever, but open your eyes Minerva!"

Minerva leaned back in the chair – shocked at Cedric's outburst towards her. She didn't scold him though, because she knew that there was truth to his words.

Cedric slammed his fist into the stone wall of the sitting room as he raged on, "Look at the evidence, Minerva: she is using powerful wandless magic at 17, she put up a barrier spell that took 5 witches and wizards twenty minutes to bring down. She kept up a cloaking charm for over 8 months, she was able to duel with Death Eaters without a wand, she communicated to you and Molly when she needed your help – hell, she even gave you her location! And now…she has become a Phoenix animagus after only 2 weeks of training – training which she did on her own, without an instructor."

"I'm aware of all of this, Cedric." Minerva said quietly.

"You are aware, Minerva. But you have done nothing about it. Have you spoken to Hermione about her magic? Have you, Albus, Tonks, Remus or the Weasleys even talked to each other about it?" Cedric asked.

Minerva thought about talking to Hermione…

"I don't talk about it. Because I don't LIKE talking about it. And I know full well that if I DID start talking about it, you would go so far underground that no one would be able to hear your cries for help if you needed it."

Minerva looked down at the floor. She recalled something that Albus said the day that Hermione ran away after placing the barrier charm. He said "That girl is running on pure fury. I've never seen anything like it."

"She isn't in control of her magic, Minerva – her emotions are. That kind of power does nothing but consume until there is nothing left. You may not want to admit it, but you've seen it before…many many years ago." Cedric said.

Minerva knew exactly who Cedric was talking about. The only other student Minerva knew who could conjure that type of power at that age…Tom Riddle Jr.

Cedric walked up to Minerva, "She will never listen to me about this. You need to speak with her."

"Why me?" Minerva asked.

"I'm not blind Minerva. Hermione is more than a student and mentee to you – and you are more than a professor and mentor to her. I have seen the way you are when you are close to her, I see the way she relaxes at your touch – the powerful bond your able to share with each other through your minds. I don't know what it means anymore than you do, if it means anything more at all…but you have been able to get through to her in ways that no one else can – I have witnessed it first hand, which gives me reason to believe that there is more to your bond than mother/daughter affection. Even if the two of you haven't admitted it to yourselves yet." Cedric said.

Minerva shook her head in disbelief. Her cheeks were hot and she felt as though she were naked before Cedric. She didn't know what to think, didn't know what to do. She shook her head and said, "Cedric, I have never seen anyone love the way that you and Hermione do, you two are soul mates, you are to be married."

"I know she loves me, I know we are meant to be together – but you two have a different kind of bond – one that I don't think she and I will ever have together. Part of me is glad – that she has someone else who loves her as much as I do, who will look out for her…the other part of me is furious. We have been each other's worlds for the past 5 years…best friends, soul mates, and lovers, Minerva." Cedric emphasized. He walked up to her, his eyes almost black, as he said, "I don't know what kind of power you hold over her that she clings to, but believe me when I tell you that there is room for no one else in regards to Hermione's and my relationship. She may be your cub, you may have taken her under your wing…but I am the one she will be flying away with." Cedric was seething.

"Cedric, I think you misunderstand." Minerva said – never in her life had she felt so vulnerable and exposed…and frightened.

"I misunderstand nothing – and I miss nothing, Minerva –I am far more observant than most. Just something to think about." He began to walk towards the door. He looked back and said, "You need to do something about her magic now, Minerva. You've all been sitting around, twiddling your thumbs, pretending this isn't happening – while I am watching my fiancé burn to ash from the inside, out."

The second that Cedric slammed the door to her quarters, Minerva collapsed to the ground – sobbing. She was so confused – how could he know what she was feeling when she didn't even know. 'No'. She thought. 'No, I do not have those types of feelings towards my student – my mentee…my cub. And Hermione would never have those types of feelings towards me…we made a promise to help each other…to bring each other back to life – of course that can get intense, but reawakening always is. It is nothing more…nothing more...nothing more.' Minerva thought, as she rocked herself back and forth, trying to calm down and determine her next move.

TBC! Comments please! This isn't where I was originally intending to go, but it sort of popped into my head and I couldn't resist the multiple themes regarding power and corruption. COMMENTS PLZ! Suggestions?