Chapter 73 – Curses without reversal

Hermione sat in the library and looked around, remembering all the hours she had spend here the last four months. Was it already that long?

She researched time travel, grieving and lately she even looked around for books on how to be a better mother.

That topic had been sparsely stocked, it was a school library after all, but even then she had found some books for pureblood daughters and what to expect, when your expecting. These had brought up the question if these girls were only been send to school to finish their NEWTs married and pregnant.

Going deeper into the topic Hermione had gained the knowledge that most marriages were still arranged and many purebloods wed upon their 17th birthday until the second wizarding war.

Some hadn't even taken their NEWTs to finish their education.

It made Hermione glad that times had changed and nearly no records could be found of such practices now. Still, it was something she kept looking in for more informations, as if to make sure that these things were really over, but deep down she knew she used it to avoid the informations she had sought out in the beginning. To think that her own son might had have been betrothed right after his birth, if he hadn't been hidden, made her ill. Or even worse if he was betrothed in this world. Either way, it didn't help her with being a parent for her kids, the way they needed her, whatever that meant.

The book she took everywhere with her remained blank, except for the small dedication she had written herself. Her biological son had nothing to say to her, much like her daughters. One looking at her with hate while she was awake, the other with betrayal when she was asleep, neither muttering a word. It made her heart clench when she saw the looks they gave her, and her lips were chewed open, because she worried. It was irrational, nothing could happen to Aquila, simply because she was never born, and it hurt because she missed her small sassy girl. Sometimes she could hear her daughter in her head, scolding her for her behaviour. It happened less and less, and made her hurt even more.

She knew somewhere along the way she had lost something important. She had been waiting for it to come back alive, waiting for the storm to hit her, but all she felt was sorrow over the injustice that she couldn't enjoy this nearly perfect world. Enjoy it for all the lifes that were lost to make it possible, including her daughters'.

Surrounded by all these books, her friends she had always relayed on to help her find answers, she sat utterly alone in the library of Hogwarts, at the age of 42 way to old to stay in a school, and felt helpless. At least she rarely got anxious here and that helper her to keep the panic attacks at bay.

Hermione signed and got up to gather some books on Defence against the Dark Arts. She could at least burry herself in preparations for her Master, if nothing else. The library was nearly empty on Friday evening and curfew was still an hour or two away, so she had time until she had to leave.

She hated to spend her time with nothing to do, as it made her thoughts wander.

XxX

When Delphi came out of her little toys mind, she slapped him against the wall, the small body of a bird he was trapped in making a sloshing sound, when he hit the wall, and fell down unmoving.

"Maybe.." She mussed and leaned back in her seat, as if nothing happened. "I think I can make use of their fallout."

Her wand was back in her hand and she whirled it around, while she thought about it. When she got no answer, she looked over at her companion, and rolled her eyes.

"Useless tool." With a flick of her wand she reanimated him from his blissful unaware unconsciousness. He made an awful sound, but Delphi simply floated him over, when he didn't come right away, and ignored his injuries. Setting the body down near her feet she ranted:

"It doesn't matter if you're human or animal, you prove to be quiet useless. Broken by a small outburst of rage."

The black bird at her feet blinked and tried to stand up, but didn't quiet manage. It caught and droplets of blood sprayed the floor near Delphi's feet. She crouched her nose and scourgifyed them away, whereas she ignored Crow's fight to stay conscious.

While she calculated her next steps to make sure Albus Potter wouldn't fail, she looked out the window. Her original plan already went down the hill, so she would have to adapt. It looked like the boys were not reliable, to caught up in their own problems to help her solve hers. Not even threats had the desired effect. They knew to much, just like Crow did.

She looked down on him and smiled, never a good sign.

"Kill the boys and bring the time turner back to me. Once it's in my hands, and the conditions are met, you can consider your life debt to be fulfilled."

The black crow tried to make a sound, but only a plaintive sound left his beak.

"Yes, I guess I need to heal your wings for that, don't I? Episkey."

The bird cried out and a cracking sound was heard.

"Oh, I guess I'm still rubbish at healing spells. Off you go."

While Delphi watched him take off through the window a thought crossed her mind.

Should she have told him, that to fail meant to be dead, or to be free, was to stay a bird for the rest of his pitiful life? She never looked up the counter spell to the curse she had put on him, and neither would she. Why waste time, if she had to kill him in the end anyway.

AN: I like the way Rowling lets us into Voldis plotting in some books, so I like to do the same with Delphi, even if it's really dark. You still read unbetaed stuff here, so bear with me.