Trigger warnings for mentions of past trauma, mentions of genocide, prejudice, mass murder, invasion, the destruction of other cultures and mentions misogyny, homophobia and anti-Semitism.
Hermione has some very, very dark thoughts in this chapter.
This chapter is all about critical thinking. Deal with it.
The serpent's mates
Chapter eight
Who is the bigger threat? Us? Or them?
The first two times Hermione had used the time turner, she had been surprised, and disturbed at just how easy it had been.
She suddenly was very grateful that supposedly all the other time turners had been destroyed.
She had transported herself back only a few hours. Two hours for one class. Three hours for another class.
And all she had to do? Was make sure that no one noticed that she was in the other classes. Or rather…her past self was in the other classes. She understood immediately that this was going to get confusing. Incredibly fast.
Knowing which classes coincided helped.
She would be in one class then would go back in time, disappearing from the halls or room.
And would go off to another class.
This continued on for a few days. So far, none of her friends seemed to have noticed, much to her relief.
In Dumbledore's office, the headmaster and McGonagall were having a disclosed discussion.
The two magic users faced each other, Dumbledore behind his desk and McGonagall in front of it, looking at him.
"Are you sure this is wise, Albus?" She asked him, and they both knew what she was referring to.
Dumbledore smiled at McGonagall, "Ah, giving Ms. Granger the time turner and seeing what she'll do with it? I don't believe that that's a mistake. If I'm right? Then nothing will happen. She will simply use the time turner to go to different classes, and we'll know that we made the right choice. Don't forget about the prophecy."
McGonagall nodded. She hadn't forgotten about it.
But she was troubled. Hermione was dangerous. That went without question. No first year McGonagall had ever met-no eleven and a half-year-old, could ever master the killing curse on first try.
McGonagall supposed she agreed with Dumbledore's theory.
Contrary to what most people with noble intentions thought, it would not be the right thing to do to go back in time and kill Voldemort. What would something like that do to the world and time itself?
How many people would suffer from that paradox?
It was sparing potentially the entire planet from disaster, by letting several awful tragedies occur.
If Hermione didn't go back in time and do that, then to Dumbledore, that was a sign that he had chosen right.
Dumbledore added, "And I'm sure you know about Potter, don't you?"
McGonagall said, sighing, "I do. It's…it's terrible, how are we going to pull what You-know-who did to him, out?"
Dumbledore sighed, resting against his seat. "I don't think that there IS a way of stopping it, McGonagall," he said, "If Potter has some of Voldemort in him, there's nothing that can be done. It simply needs to be left alone and we have to see what will happen," he sighed again, "Ms. Granger and Mr. Potter both are saplings and we don't know yet what they will grow to be. We simply have to wait."
McGonagall nodded, though she withheld what she had wanted to say, which was to ask if Dumbledore recalled what happened the last two times he had just "waited."
The last two times?
Voldemort himself had risen.
And one of the three Black sisters had become one of the cruelest and darkest Death Eaters and followers of Voldemort, this world had ever seen.
But she supposed that yes, that was all they could do. Just wait.
Less they wished to harm two children who had shown no evidence yet of having potential for being dark magic users.
All they could do, was wait.
Today, as the classes began, one of Hermione's first classes, unfortunately, was her Divination class, taught by professor Trelawny. Hermione tried desperately not to roll her eyes every time the professor gave some big prediction. She almost growled when she saw how Trelawny said to Neville that he shouldn't be so sure that his grandmother was fine. Just because she was desperate for people to believe her bullshit, didn't mean that she should take it out on the more vulnerable students.
She then had said something or another about how that "thing" that Lavender Brown in Gryffindor, would happen this coming Friday.
Again, Hermione tried to hold in her groans. If Trelawny started moving in on either of her friends who she shared the class with, Millicent or Pansy, she would give that woman a piece of her damn mind.
She showed some big show of claiming that Harry Potter was going to die this year and said that the tea leaves in his cup were a sign of the "grim," a big black dog that symbolized death.
Hermione actually almost burst out laughing.
What a joke!
The next of the next set of classes-which was one of the classes she had travelled back in time to go to, had been to the Care of Magical Creatures. Taught by Hagrid.
The class with McGonagall had been a breath of relief, as McGonagall reassured Harry that he would be fine and that no student whom Trelawny had predicted would die, had died as of yet.
Then Hagrid's class was next.
She, Pansy, Astoria, Millicent and Daphne and the rest of the Slytherins in the class, went with the other students to the yard where Hagrid was.
At some point, Malfoy grunted, "How are we supposed to open our books?"
For a moment, Hermione was actually grateful for his loud mouth. She wondered that herself. In fact, she was positive everyone was questioning that.
Hagrid approached and upon hearing the students complain about the book, he said, "Well, stroke them of course!"
Hermione frowned, pulling out her book, still belted shut.
Hagrid took her book, causing Hermione to raise her head and look at him. Hagrid took the belt off from around the book and stroked the spine instantly. Hermione's book shivered and then purred in content as it relaxed, the book opening up.
Hagrid then handed the book to Hermione.
Hermione's eyes widened as she saw how completely obedient the book was now.
"Oh, that's how we get them to calm down," Daphne said, stunned and taking off the belt on her own book.
"Oh, how silly I am," Malfoy grunted, "Why couldn't I guess that?"
Malfoy's voice dripped with sarcasm.
Again, Hermione was surprised that she actually agreed with Malfoy. How the bloody hell could anyone guess that the way of getting a book like that calm was to stroke its spine?!
Hagrid said, now looking less confident than before, "Well, I thought they were funny."
Hermione winced. She liked Hagrid. She felt bad for him. He was big and naïve and often misunderstood.
It was just that he tended to bite off more than he could chew with a lot of the dangerous creatures he took into his care.
Harry Potter thankfully spoke up, getting Hagrid's attention, "So, what are we being taught today, Hagrid?"
Hagrid brightened up and nodded. "Yes," he said, "I'll go get the creatures for today." He went off to get whatever it was he wanted to show to them today.
Hermione desperately hoped, for Hagrid's sake, that it wasn't too dangerous a creature.
Malfoy, as always, couldn't keep his mouth shut. He sneered, "This place has really gone to the dogs, hasn't it? Can't believe this oaf is teaching classes."
"Shut up, Malfoy," both Hermione and Harry said at the same time.
Hermione looked at Harry, startled, and he looked at her, also surprised.
She then looked back at where Hagrid had disappeared off to.
Malfoy wasn't done, though. He grumbled, "Wait till my father hears about how this oaf is teaching the classes-"
"Shut up!" Hermione snapped this time, glaring at him, "Merlin, Malfoy, you can't ever fucking leave anything well enough alone, can you?!"
Whether it was the look in her eye or the tone in her voice or the vulgarity she had just said, but Hermione saw with satisfaction that Malfoy had looked startled. So startled that he lacked any retort.
The other students looked around, from Hermione to Malfoy. They were wondering what would happen next. Hermione turned away from Malfoy, not willing to do anymore. She just said, "You sound like the most entitled, spoiled little bitch I've ever met," Hermione said simply, stating it as fact, "You never had to work for anything, did you? Mommy and daddy always got you everything. Merlin forbid you ever work for anything, right, you sack of shit?!" She glared at Malfoy and something in how she looked at him must have scared him, because he backed away and Hermione felt satisfaction at the flicker of fear in his eyes.
A good portion of the Slytherins and Gryffindors alike, stared at her, shocked and some horrified.
Hermione heard Lavender Brown gasp and she looked at where the Gryffindor was pointing.
Hagrid came back, but this time? He had a bunch of leashes in his hands, guiding several large, very dangerous looking creatures over.
Hermione's eyes didn't leave these creatures for a second.
Apart from that baby dragon she had seen in her first year and the body of that dead unicorn she had seen in the same year? The creatures she saw Hagrid leading over, were the most beautiful creatures she had ever seen.
Large, feathered creatures. Big beaks. Wings on their backs. Claws. And horse-like.
Hermione stared at those creatures. What the hell were those things?
One was gray. Another was chestnut brown. Another was reddish. Others were gold and almost green, black, orange and bright blue.
"What-?" Harry asked.
Hagrid said, "These are hippogriffs. Aren't they beautiful?"
Hermione couldn't help but wholly agree.
They WERE beautiful.
She watched as Hagrid untethered the gray hippogriff from the others and brought it over.
"This is Buckbeak," Hagrid said, "So, anyone want to come over and say 'hello?'"
Hermione walked forward, stepping closer to the fence surrounding where the hippogriffs were standing.
Hermione heard her friends gasping.
"Mione!" Pansy whispered, fearful. Hermione glanced back over her right shoulder, seeing all five Pansy, Astoria, Daphne and Millicent stared at her, terror all over their faces.
Hermione gave them a reassuring smile.
She was confident. After all, she wasn't a moron like Malfoy was.
She reached the fence and noticed that Harry had also stepped forward.
"Good!" Hagrid said, smiling, "Granger, Harry, if you want to come closer, you need to bow and do not blink a lot. Do not offend any hippogriff. They are very, very proud creatures. Insulting them may be the last thing that you ever do."
This didn't deter Hermione. She stepped closer. And so did Harry.
She heard some of the girls in Gryffindor whimper, "Harry, be careful! Remember your tea leaves!"
Hermione almost snorted, fighting the urge to roll her eyes.
She got closer to where the single hippogriff stood and she bowed at the waist, never breaking eye contact with the creature. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Harry doing the same.
Then something unexpected happened. The hippogriff, Buckbeak, stared at both children approaching him and he slowly bowed his head. Hermione gasped.
Hagrid let out a chuckle of glee. "Oh, excellent," he said, "Now I think if you keep doing that, he'll let you get close enough to pet him."
Hermione smiled and happily went forward, still bowing, still staring at Buckbeak's orange eyes.
She could see harry start to falter. He was nervous. He didn't want to get any closer.
That was fine with her.
She stepped closer and reached her right hand out, showing Buckbeak that she wanted to pet him.
To her surprise, Buckbeak lifted his head, allowing his feathers to brush up against her palm, nuzzling Hermione's hand.
She gasped, eyes widening and grinned.
All around her and Harry, there was an applause of cheering and clapping.
"You're beautiful," Hermione whispered to Buckbeak and she was positive that Buckbeak knew what she was saying as he leaned further into her hand, and let out an almost crooning noise, making Hermione's grin widened.
As Buckbeak allowed her to pet him, she glanced back to see Malfoy and his buddies. They were glaring at her and Harry. Most likely hoping to see the hippogriff attack them and was disappointed that that wasn't what had happened.
If Hermione had felt any appreciation for the slimy little brat? She felt none now.
She wondered if she could get away with putting a hex on him, or if anyone would suspect hers specifically.
"Well," Hagrid said, "Very good, Ms. Granger. Now, I think Buckbeak will let you ride him."
Hermione froze. Um, wait, what?
That was a lot more than she was ready for.
Before she could protest, Hagrid had picked Hermione up and placed her down onto Buckbeak's back.
"Grab onto his feathers," Hagrid said, "But don't pull 'em out, because he won't thank you for that!"
He then, to Hermione's surprise, smacked the hippogriff's arse, and Hermione had to grip Buckbeak's feathers hard, as the hippogriff lunged forward, running across the ground and his wings spread, leaping up into the air and flying off with Hermione on his back.
Hermione wound her arms around Buckbeak's neck, tight, her legs clenching around Buckbeak's horse-like body.
She could feel several curses getting ready to launch themselves out of her mouth as the wind whipped her hair and against her skin.
What the bloody hell had she been thinking?!
She wasn't even good at riding a broomstick!
Let alone something that had a mind of its own and could fly of its own free will.
Buckbeak flew around above the yard and eventually swung back down to the yard, landing gracefully, despite the feathers that was being pulled as he dropped down. Hermione almost laughed in relief as Hagrid reached up and pulled her off of Buckbeak and lowered her back to the ground.
She swore she could feel all her hairs along her arms standing up on end.
She gasped as she walked along the ground floor, legs shaking. Wow.
Her friends came over, all four of them bowing to Buckbeak, so as to appease the creature.
Buckbeak bowed to them and Pansy, Millicent, Astoria and Daphne, and the four girls rushed over to Hermione, hugging her.
"That was great, Hermione!" Astoria said, grinning, "I know you don't like flying. But how was it?"
Hermione gave her four friends an aggravated look and all four of them laughed, seeing the "what the hell do you think?" in that look.
Pansy patted Hermione's back and Millicent, who had her left hand on Hermione's right arm, squeezed reassuringly.
"You did a great job, Hermione," Daphne assured Hermione.
Hermione smiled. "Thanks," she said, "All of you. Do you want to pet him?"
She chuckled at the nervous looks that Astoria and Pansy sent Buckbeak. Daphne and Millicent looked less hesitant.
Millicent and Daphne both bowed and Buckbeak allowed them near, and they began petting him.
Some of the other students came forward, emboldened by Hermione's success.
The students began bowing and creeping forward to the hippogriffs that bowed as well.
Hermione didn't miss how the remaining hippogriffs thrashed in their bonds. They didn't like being leashed like this. Hermione sent a glare to Hagrid, wondering what he was doing, keeping them locked up.
Hagrid might have liked magical creatures.
But Hermione was beginning to get the uncomfortable feeling that he liked them when they were in chains and were obeying him.
She pushed that thought away. She could just be looking too deeply into that. After all, one needed the control over magical creatures so that they could be taught about in class.
Then Malfoy and his friends came over.
Hermione tensed as Malfoy came close to her and her friends, bowing.
As he did, Buckbeak bowed his head.
Malfoy stuck his hand out and started petting the hippogriff.
Malfoy then said something that made Hermione grab the back of Millicent's clothing and the back of Daphne's clothing, pulling them back.
Malfoy said, "This isn't too hard at all. If that lowly mudblood, Granger can do it, anyone can. And you're not so bad, are you, you ugly chicken?"
And it was a good thing Hermione had pulled Millicent and Daphne away, because a second later, Buckbeak leapt up and swung his front talons forward, slicing Malfoy's arm open.
Malfoy cried out, howling in pain, blood all over his slashed opened arm.
Hagrid ran over and grabbed Buckbeak's collar, pushing the Hippogriff. "Buckbeak!" He yelled.
Pansy cried out, looking at Malfoy forlornly, "Oh, no! Draco!"
When Hagrid got Buckbeak under control, he turned around and kneeled down, scooping Malfoy up.
"Take him to Madam Pomfrey," Hermione yelled to him, "She'll heal him up fast!"
Hagrid carried Malfoy off with a group of students following, all chattering fearfully.
"Will he be alright?!" Pansy wailed.
Hermione tried to be comforting to her, even though she felt like Malfoy had deserved it.
"It'll be alright, Pansy," she said, "Pomfrey is an excellent healer, you know that."
Pansy nodded, sniffling.
Hermione bristled when she heard Crabbe say that Hagrid should be sacked.
"It was Malfoy's fault!" One Gryffindor student, Dean Thomas protested, and Hermione tensed when she noticed both Crabbe and Goyle flexing their muscles, getting ready for a fight. She then noticed something that startled her. Blaize. Blaize Zabini. He had tears in his eyes. He was wiping them, either because he had been taught strict gender roles, and had been taught the toxic myth that boys "shouldn't cry," or because he was trying to keep more drama from spilling out into the situation.
Hermione pushed the thought away. It was good to see that not all boys conformed to the unhealthy belief that "boys don't cry." It was a very unhealthy belief. And it led to unhealthy coping mechanisms when boys grew into adulthood.
Then one more thing caught her attention. Crabbe did something very uncharacteristic and turned to Blaize and said gently, "It'll be alright, Zabini. Malfoy will be alright. He'll be fine."
Zabini nodded weakly and quietly thanked Crabbe.
Hermione frowned, curious. But she decided to ignore the questions that were being raised and followed after her friends and Hagrid.
Draco was brought to the hospital wing and looked after.
Hermione had no doubt that Malfoy would be milking his injury for weeks-if not months to come.
That night, Hermione and the others spoke with Tom.
When all the other Slytherins had gone off to bed, including a wounded and patched up Malfoy, moaning his head off about "how horrible it was" and how "he had almost died," Hermione and the others spoke to Tom.
Tom stood before them out of the diary, in the Slytherin Common Room.
Daphne and Pansy told him everything.
Well, not everything. After all, Hermione's friends didn't know about the time turner. Or about the sorcerer's stone. Or about Cromwell and the labs. Not yet.
But they told Tom about Trelawny's bullshit. And about how Hermione had ridden a hippogriff and that that same hippogriff had attacked Malfoy because of the boy's foolishness.
Tom absorbed all of this and nodded, smiling.
"I can't say I'm surprised to hear of such hubris from someone like Abraxas's grandson," he said, "I presume he'll be alright."
"Of course," Hermione chuckled, earning a slight glare from Pansy, "He'll be fine. But he's going to be milking this injury for a while. As long as it gets him attention. I swear, if Malfoy ever gets a patronus, I'm betting it would be a peacock."
This actually earned a small giggle from Pansy and a smirk from all three Daphne, Astoria and Tom.
Millicent looked troubled though. "You know," She said, "Malfoy's not just going to let this go."
Hermione nodded, trying not to grimace. "I know," she agreed, "I'm worried about Hagrid's position."
"And about Buckbeak," Daphne said, "What if he gets Buckbeak hurt?"
"We don't know that yet," Astoria said gently, "We just have to wait for now."
An exasperated shared groan filled the room. No one liked just waiting. But apparently? That was all they could do as of right now.
Hermione shook her head, "Yeah, wait for a corrupt Ministry to make the choices. You know? Sometimes witch and wizard politics really suck."
Daphne, Millicent and Pansy all chuckled. They knew she wasn't wrong. And Hermione had told them what the word "suck" meant in muggle terms when it referred to something bad, almost a year ago.
It was more of an American muggle word, than anything else, but it had made its way over to Britain too.
"Well," Tom said, smiling sadly at Hermione, "I think we both know that muggle politics are bad on their own, as well."
Hermione winced. Well, he wasn't wrong. "You have that right," Hermione confessed, "You know, it makes me worried about this world sometimes. The witch and wizarding world, I mean."
Tom tilted his head, curious. "What do you mean?" He asked, "You're concerned about how witch and wizarding politics might affect the witch and wizarding world?"
"Well, that, yes," Hermione confessed, "But also, how muggle politics will affect it."
This caught everyone's attention.
"Mione?" Astoria asked, confused, "What do you mean?"
Hermione hesitated, unsure if she should give voice to her worries. She didn't want any of her friends to think that she, a muggle-born was speaking ill of her own world, of the people she had come from, but she knew she needed to be honest. Or at least, as honest as she could be, with as many secrets as she was keeping.
"What I mean is, I'm not unaware of how muggles would treat witches and wizards. How they HAVE treated witches and wizards in the past," she said, trying not to shudder as she remembered what Percival Cromwell had done to her and the other kids at his labs, "Anyone remember the witch trials and the witch hunts?"
As soon as she said that, everyone in the room, including Tom, tensed up. Oh, they all knew THOSE stories. Who in the witch and wizarding world didn't? The burnings and the hangings. The pressings with stones. The drownings.
People here liked to say that if any real witches or wizards had been caught, they would have easily apparated away. But that wasn't the case.
If these were witches and wizards in muggle villages? It was unlikely they had been familiar with spells able to do that.
So, many genuine witches and wizards most likely had been burned, drowned, hanged and pressed to death.
And those that hadn't been genuine witches and wizards? Had been caught in the crossfire and had been victims too.
"I'm just wondering," Hermione said, staring at the fire roaring in the fireplace, memories of Percival Cromwell and his cronies running through her mind, remembering the carnage at the labs, before her mother had killed Cromwell's followers, "Who is the bigger threat? Witches and wizards? Or muggles? And who do the laws against us showing our magic to muggles protecting? Them, or us?"
She heard a sharp intake of breath all around her.
From where she sat, Daphne stared at Hermione, mouth dropping. She had never heard Hermione talk like this before. She wondered if the story of what had happened to Tom and his mate had caused Hermione to have such pessimistic thoughts.
Then Daphne noticed something. To the right of her. A look on Tom's face as he looked at Hermione.
Daphne turned to him, and looked, her heart almost catching in her throat at what she saw.
Tom was looking at Hermione as if he had never seen her before. As if he was looking at her in a new light and he looked intrigued. And for just a second, Daphne could have sworn she saw a smirk on his face as he looked at Hermione, and she could have sworn she saw a look of triumph in his eyes, before his face went blank and impassive again.
Daphne almost blanched. Had…she really just seen that right now?
Daphne's attention was pulled away from Tom, when she heard Millicent start to speak. "Hermione," Millicent said, "You're…starting to sound like Grindelwald. And not just Grindelwald. You're starting to sound like Him."
Daphne, Pansy and Astoria all snapped their heads to stare at Millicent. She was being too harsh.
Had Grindelwald believed that muggles were dangerous to magic users? Yes. But what he had done that Hermione would never do? Had been so twisted. Terrible experiments had been used by him on students and attempted genocide.
And Voldemort? He had been even worse.
Hermione winced, but shook her head. "I know," she confessed, "I know, Millicent. But I have to wonder, who would be in more danger? I mean, yes, there are cases like Grindelwald. And Voldemort and his followers. But haven't muggles always hurt those that have used magic? Ever since…," Hermione looked up at Tom, "Ever since Christianity began to spread throughout the world by European invaders?"
Tom nodded. "I've noticed that," he said, voice solemn, "Ever since Christianity? Witches and wizards have never known peace from muggles."
Daphne nodded, trying to ignore the unease at what she was sure she had seen on Tom's face.
What both Hermione and Tom had said was true. Before Christianity? There had been all kinds of religions allowed. Today, they were called "pagan religions," by the pious Christians. Celtic religions, Nordic religions, Indigenous religions, and so on. And Christians? They had caused so much damage to those cultures and those religions.
And had put all magic users in danger.
So, the question was, were muggles really to blame? Or just the Christian ones?
"You're saying," Tom said, looking at Hermione, "That you think that only Christian muggles are to blame."
Hermione nodded. "I might just be trying to simplify it," she confessed, "But it makes sense, doesn't it?"
Daphne nodded. It did. The timing fit. When had magic been more or less accepted? When there had been religions governing it before Christianity. Even one of the other two Abrahamic religions, Judaism had included magic. Creating creatures like Golems and bringing plagues against those that would enslave and kill Jews.
Christianity had magic in it too. Something about someone turning water into wine. But Christians? They were too bigoted to think about that too hard. So, they cut out what they didn't accept and crushed and killed anyone who didn't conform to their religion.
And after Christians began invading different lands, conquering and committing genocide wherever they touched? Magic had begun to be weeded out.
From all around Europe itself, to North America, to South America.
And then there was how misogynistic and homophobic Christians tended to be. Perhaps not all of them. But enough of them that it had caused a good amount of harm to women, Jews and anyone LGBTQ and so on.
Christianity was why so many countries had as strict gender roles as they did. And why women were so oppressed in many countries and why anyone so much as daring to go outside of heteronormativity tended to be punished severely.
If Christianity wasn't such a worldwide religion, it would be called what it was. Terrorism.
It fit. Hermione's theory fit.
Hermione stared into the fire, and again, she wondered-who was the bigger threat? Witches and wizards? Or muggles? Especially Christian muggles?
What then? What did they do then?
Hermione's mind flashed to Percival Cromwell, and all of those who had worked for him.
She remembered the three preachers that had occasionally shown up at Cromwell's labs and had told Cromwell that he had been doing "god's work."
What a crock of hogwash.
She was glad that those three preachers had been amongst the number that her mother had killed.
But it definitely made her wonder.
As far as she knew, none of the different sects of witches and wizards were Christian. Some of them worshipped no gods. Some of them worshipped gods that "pagans" would be familiar with and more Christians came into the witch and wizarding world, what would that mean?
Would the many different cultures of the witch and wizarding world be in danger of losing their culture?
How many cultures within the magical world would be in danger, should more muggles, especially Christian muggles, or muggles who followed other Abrahamic religions enter this world?
Hermione's troubled thoughts went to a very, very dark area.
She didn't want to think like this.
But a question popped up in her mind before she could help it.
Had there been a good reason for Salazar Slytherin not wanting muggle-borns and half-bloods here at Hogwarts?
If one was a wizard and responsible for the safety of over millions of students, young, naïve and vulnerable students-and other students, children or grandchildren of the witch hunters during the period Salazar Slytherin lived, tried to apply to the school that wizard was supposed to protect, what would that wizard do to protect their students?
Students that might be hunted by the parents or grandparents of the muggle-borns or half-bloods?
Hermione felt her throat go dry as she had contemplated that.
That was a truly disturbing thing for her to question.
Was Salazar Slytherin truly without grounds for his bigotry? Had it only been bigotry? Or understandable caution?
She pushed that thought away. Caution or not, there was no reason to take any wrongs that a muggle-born's family or a half-blood's family might have done on a child who simply had come to a school to learn.
She turned to her friends, pushing her dark thoughts away. "It's alright," she said, forcing out a small laugh, "I'm fine. I'm sorry. I got kind of dark there, I know."
"It's okay, Hermione," Pansy said, nodding, "We're all worried about things. And it's hard not to think about dark stuff when it comes to politics."
Daphne said quietly, unable to help but glance nervously at Tom and thankfully he hadn't seen her, "What time is it? I think maybe we should get to bed."
Millicent checked over her shoulder at the grandfather clock against the wall.
She turned back to her friends, "It's almost 12. Yeah, we should head off to bed."
Hermione nodded. She looked at Tom. "Okay, sorry, Tom," she said, "But I'm going to have to say goodnight."
Tom nodded, smiling. "It's quite alright," he said, "Goodnight, Hermione." He turned to the other girls and bid each of them goodnight and they did the same and Daphne tried very, very hard not to let her unease show as she told him goodnight. Then Hermione closed up the diary and Tom disappeared.
Only then did Daphne release the tight breath that she had been holding.
Hermione sighed and got up, obviously trying to shake the dark thoughts from her mind, Daphne suspected.
As they headed off to their room, it was only when Hermione stuffed the diary under her mattress and the other girls went to use the washroom to brush their teeth that she asked Hermione to come over to her.
Hermione frowned and did as she was asked, going back over to Daphne in the common room.
"Daphne?" She asked, "You okay?"
Daphne nodded. "Yeah," she said, "It's just…I don't know, I feel like I saw something weird about Tom when we were talking just now."
"Weird about him?" Hermione echoed, "What was weird?"
Daphne took a breath and said, looking right at Hermione's eyes, knowing she was about to take a very big risk with her friendship with Hermione here, "When you were asking who was a bigger threat? When you asked whether us witches and wizards were a bigger threat or the muggles were a bigger threat? Tom looked funny. He…he looked at you like he was really pleased. Like he had an advantage or something."
"And advantage?" Hermione asked, "Over what?"
Daphne shook her head, "I don't know," she confessed, "It just made me feel very uneasy."
Daphne didn't like suspecting Tom like this. He was her friend too, as well as Hermione's.
"I'm sorry," she said, earning a confused look from Hermione, "For talking about Tom like this. He's our friend, after all."
Hermione nodded. "I understand," she said, "But I'm sure it's nothing. He probably just felt a little vindicated because of what happened to his mate, you know?"
Daphne nodded. But something felt off about that.
Tom's reaction? It had felt too strong for it to just be that.
Still, Daphne decided not to push it.
"Let's get to bed," Hermione said, nodding to their room.
Daphne nodded. "By the way," she said, "Please don't tell Tom what I said? You know, if it's nothing, then it will be a big deal over nothing. But if it's not nothing? Then…"
Hermione nodded.
If it wasn't nothing, then it would be very, very bad if it got back to Tom.
"Don't worry," she said, "I won't mention it."
Daphne smiled and thanked Hermione.
They got ready for bed and got under the covers of their beds and as they rested, Hermione felt Crookshanks jump up onto her bed, meowing quietly as he curled up on Hermione's legs and as she rested against her pillow, Daphne's words drifted to the front of her mind. Had Tom's reaction really been nothing?
What if it really WAS something?
Hermione pushed that thought away. She couldn't think about that as a possibility. Not right now. She just needed sleep.
She closed her eyes and her mind eventually was lulled to sleep, thoughts of the muggle world, Tom and what Daphne had said beginning to be buried under a layer of sleep.
The next day, Hermione had grabbed her stuff, including her time turner and headed to her first couple of classes. They had gone smoothly, more or less.
Then the class with Severus Snape came.
Snape as usual, tormented Neville Longbottom. When Neville made a mistake, Snape threatened to poison Neville's toad, Trevor.
Hermione bristled. It was bad enough watching Malfoy milk all the attention and sympathy he was getting for his so-called injury, and getting Snape to make Weasley cut up his nettles into little pieces for Malfoy, but she could feel her blood boil at Snape threatening Neville's toad.
So, she had decided to help Neville. She sent him some notes, telling him exactly what ingredients to put in and what amount to use.
But because Neville got them exactly right? Snape had known that Hermione had helped Neville.
And oh, he couldn't let that go, could he?
Snape had then taken the potion and had dropped some of it onto Trevor the toad, and Hermione had whispered reassuringly to Neville as she watched the panicking boy tremble. She knew nothing bad would happen to Trevor, as it had been the right amount of ingredients, but it was still an incredibly cruel thing to do to Neville.
When Trevor had turned into a tad pole, all of the students of the Slytherin House, save for Hermione and her friends, burst out laughing.
Then when Snape gave Trevor the other potion, and Trevor went right back to normal, Hermione felt Neville breathe out in relief and she could detect the disappointment from the other Slytherins that were not her friends.
Her jaw tightened. She glared at Snape.
She was really, really beginning to hate him.
When poor Neville had gotten Trevor back, they had headed to the Great Hall. After that, would be Remus's class.
However, Hermione had planned to go to some other classes between then. She said to the others when they were halfway in the hallway, close to the Great Hall that Hermione made her excuse.
"I forgot something back at Snape's class," she lied and turned and quickly left her friends in the hall, running to a secluded part of the halls and pulled out the time turner.
When she had finished the two classes she had gone to, using the time turner, that was hours before Snape's class, she brought along her bag full of books and regrouped with her friends in the hall, only a few minutes after she had left them-a few minutes for them, anyway.
Pansy frowned, seeing Hermione's bulging bag.
"Why do you have so many books?" She asked.
Hermione smiled. "Because I wanted the right books for class," she answered, then her eyes went wide when she saw a split going down the bag. Crud. How had she missed that?
One of the books spilled out of the bag and Astoria leaned down, picking it up and looking at it, frowning. "Hermione?" She said, "You're not even taking this class. Why do you have a book for it?"
Hermione snatched the book quickly from Astoria.
"Never mind it," Hermione said, tired out from her last couple of classes, "Now, let's get some food, I'm starved." That wasn't a lie. The last two classes had felt incredibly long.
She walked off to the Great Hall, and caught Astoria saying to the others, "Um, is it just me or does it feel like she's hiding something from us?"
Hermione sighed, securing her bag and using her wand to repair the bag, hoping that her friends didn't question her further.
They had gotten food from the Great Hall, thankfully talking about other subjects.
They then had gone off to Remus's class and had met up with him there with the rest of the class.
Remus had done something quite impressive, which was got a piece of gum out from a keyhole of the door that the ghost, Peeves had stuck it into, and sent it magically flying into Peeves's throat.
Peeves had glowered at Lupin and had left.
Hermione was beginning to like Remus more and more.
Then Remus had done something strange. He had said that they would be getting a practical class today. Hermione and the others had looked at each other, startled. A practical class? Well, they all knew what the last practical class had led to multiple Cornish pixies flooding the room, but okay.
So, they reached a room with a wardrobe in it. Unfortunately, Snape was there.
Snape sneered that Remus should be careful of doing anything involving Neville, unless Hermione was helping him.
Hermione glared at Snape, disgusted. She was really, really beginning to hate him.
She noticed out of the corner of her eye that Harry was glaring at Snape too and couldn't help but feel relieved. Different houses or not, her and Harry seemed to be of the same mind as Snape.
Remus then had smiled and had informed Snape very calmly that he intended to have Neville help him and that he had no doubt that Neville would pull off the act with great skill.
Hermione couldn't hold back her smile at how red Neville got at the praise. And her smile turned into a grin when Snape scowled again and whirled around and left.
Hermione turned back to the middle of the room where Remus stood.
To the students' surprise, that wardrobe that was in the middle of the room, began knocking around wildly.
"What's in that?" Pansy asked cautiously, moving forward.
Hermione shrugged. "I have no idea," she confessed.
"Professor?" Neville asked Lupin, "What's in that wardrobe?"
"That," Lupin said, "Is a bogart."
Hermione's eyes widened. That would explain why it was kept away. Didn't want to scare all the students or startle them by watching the bogart try desperately to figure out what to turn into in order to scare off multiple humans.
"Today," Lupin continued, "We will be learning how to prevent a bogart from attacking you."
The class went on. There was a way of fending off a bogart. Hermione knew of both ways, as she had read of them. One of those ways was having more than one person with you when facing that bogart, and so the bogart would get confused and not know what to turn into. The other way was through a spell called, "riddikulus." To turn the thing that you were scared of, into something you found funny.
Hermione couldn't help but feel apprehensive.
Because what would a bogart facing off with her show of her fears?
Cromwell? The dead muggle-born kids from Cromwell's labs? Quirrell? Voldemort? Aragog, Hagrid's pet? The dementor that she and Daphne had seen on the train?
The dementor or Aragog would be frightening-but a good thing.
It would be better than if she saw Quirrell, Voldemort or Cromwell.
If it was Cromwell she saw? Or the dead bodies of the other muggle-born kids? Someone that no one but her knew the identity of? Then there would be questions. A lot of questions.
If it was Quirrell or Voldemort? There would be other questions. The more personal kind of questions.
Hermione half suspected that she would be better off abstaining from participating.
Thankfully there were a lot of other kids in front of her, going first.
The first three that went, were Gryffindors.
The next three were two Gryffindors and a Ravenclaw. The Patil sisters were in this set of three. One of them, Parvati being in Gryffindor and Padma being in Ravenclaw.
Different fears came popping up out of the woodwork. Neville's fear was Snape. And it ended with Snape being dressed up in Neville's grandmother's clothes. Other horrors appeared left and right as the students approached the bogart. Frightening clowns, giant snakes, giant spiders-Ronald Weasley's personal fear, sea serpents, krakens, giant centipedes, and each of them were spelled away with some new form of amusement.
Then Harry Potter's turn came along.
Things happened very quickly after that.
Remus jumped in front of Harry, as the bogart took the form of a dementor.
The bogart's form changed from a dementor, into…
Hermione frowned when she saw what was in front of Remus, after the bogart had changed.
A perfectly spherical, pale ball of light, surrounded by moving dark clouds. It occurred to Hermione immediately what she was seeing. If those shapes around the ball of light were clouds, then the sphere was the full moon.
But why would Remus Lupin be afraid of a moon?
Remus turned the bogart into a deflating balloon that let loose a farting noise as it was deflating and Remus sent it flying back into the wardrobe, closing the wardrobe up.
Hermione watched as Remus let out a relieved sigh and said that the class was dismissed early.
Hermione couldn't help but be grateful for that.
Phew.
However, she was left with a question.
Why was Remus Lupin scared of a full moon?
As she and her friends walked away from class, Millicent asked, "Hermione? What's wrong?"
Hermione said, "You all saw what was in front of Lupin, right? That moon?"
Astoria nodded. "We saw," she said, "Why?"
"Well," Hermione said, "Why would he be scared of a full moon? What's to be scared of?"
"Who knows?" Pansy said, shrugging, "People have all types of different fears. Who knows?"
Hermione nodded, but it itched at her for some reason. She then remembered what Lupin's patronus was.
She had seen it on the train, when he had gotten rid of the dementor. It had been a wolf.
Hermione tried not to look too deeply into that. But she couldn't help it.
There was a word forming in the back of her mind, but she didn't want to jump to conclusions, both because it was an extreme conclusion, and it could potentially be dangerous for Lupin if anyone found out.
But that word was there, nonetheless.
Werewolf.
She didn't want to think that that was a possibility. Because what if she was wrong? She could potentially be putting Lupin's job at risk if she pushed this line of logic.
And if it was true? So what? Lupin hadn't harmed anyone yet.
The prejudice that tended to be exhibited against werewolves was one of the many, many issues that Hermione had with the magical world. So, if Lupin was a werewolf and people found out, or if anyone suspected that he might be a werewolf, there would be no gentility offered to him. No one would give him a chance to prove that he wasn't a threat.
It would be decided before Lupin even got a chance to defend himself. No one would even bother offering him a chance. It would be decided before he got to do anything.
Remus would be demanded by the parents of students to be removed from Hogwarts before you could say, "riddikulus."
So, no, Hermione knew that she couldn't pursue this line of logic. Not without caution, she couldn't.
For his sake, she would let it go, for now.
As she would have to let go of what Daphne had told her about Tom last night.
But both those pieces of information would be something she'd need to keep in mind, if she saw other signs.
Author's note
This chapter was all about "critical thinking." Looking at how the world has changed since Christianity became much more worldwide and how much damage it's caused. If you can't handle that, can't handle critical thinking, then get out. If you're offended by this chapter, then leave. No one's making you read this.
