Thanks for all the support, alerts and what not! And a giant thanks to my beta who helped me bring this chapter, McGonagall's Bola, even though she was super busy with moving (you're awesome!)
Chapter 11
The second Hermione stepped over that ward line, a chill trickled down her spine. Her teeth chattered against the sudden cold, and her breath came out in icy puffs. Shivering, she waved her wand to cast a quick Warming Charm, then, looking up at the rapidly disappearing teal sky, she conjured her Blue-Bell Flames so she could see.
Now that she no longer had the benefit of the castle's height to help her look around, Hermione was having a hard time figuring out just where she needed to go. Since walking in a straight line never seemed to work in the movies, especially when the hero or heroine was lost in the woods, it probably wouldn't be wise to do that. The last thing she wanted to do was end up on the other side of the forest, and completely miss Fera.
So, curbing her urge to charge forward, in all her Gryffindor splendor, she calmly placed her wand on the flat surface of her open hand. Bringing forward all her memories of Fera, to use as fuel for her spell, she whispered, "Point me." Her wand swiveled on her palm in a tight circle, until it finally stopped, pointing towards the north-east. After rearranging her grip on it, Hermione was off.
As she followed the direction of her wand with careful steps, mindful of the overgrown tree roots and fallen branches that could easily twist her ankle, a troubling sensation, a feeling that she was being watched, fell over her. Try as she might to shake the feeling, it wouldn't go away. A covert look over both her shoulders showed that nothing was there.
Her dark surroundings and the twisted trees, that, while under the blue glow of her flames, looked creepy and malevolent, were making her increasingly nervous. The fact that the forest was eerily silent and missing the little noises of life and vitality, was not helping her frame of mind either. "Just keep going, Hermione. You'll be fine. You'll find Fera, then you'll both get out of here, before anything can see you."
She flinched when she heard a twig snap, unconsciously speeding up. There was another snap behind her, followed closely by another and another. With each sharp crack, her careful treading evolved into a brisk walk, then a slow jog and by the fifth snap, she was in an all-out sprint. Branches whipped at her face, as she pushed her way into the foliage. The need to be cautious and quiet was long forgotten in her panic.
"Such a pretty light you have," a gravelly voice hissed in her ear. There was a sharp sting on the back of her neck, as if someone were trailing a claw down her skin.
With a surprised shriek, Hermione shot a Stunning Hex blindly to her left, as she ducked behind the nearest tree for cover. The young witch grabbed at her neck, pushing through her thick curls to feel shockingly unmarred skin. Scooting to the edge of the tree, she took a small peek, but saw nothing more than dead leaves and tree trunks under the blue glow of her firelight.
Still unnerved, Hermione threw up the strongest Shield Charm she knew to cover her body. She placed her wand back on her now shaking palm, nearly dropping it in the process. "Point me," she breathed, desperately, her eyes nervously skittering around.
She nearly wept with tears of relief when her wand, not only pointed in the right direction again, but also vibrated energetically, signaling that Fera was near. "Thank God!"
Mindlessly stumbling forward in a frantic bid to complete this dangerously escalating rescue mission, she tripped her way through the rest of the trees, finally breaking through into a large clearing. It didn't take long for her to spot Fera, who was lying face down in the center of the empty field.
"Fera!" Hermione shouted. Her heels dug into the ground, getting ready to push forward, when a figure in a flowing white robe stepped out onto the field, moving in front of Fera's body. The new arrival's hood was up and their body was turned away from Hermione, so she had no idea who─or better yet, what─she was dealing with.
"Why do you act like you care when you don't?" the white-robed figure asked, in a very familiar voice that Hermione would know anywhere, since she heard it every time she opened her mouth.
"Who are you?" Hermione asked, her wand arm coming up, so she could be ready to fire a hex, if needed.
The stranger turned around, lowering their hood to reveal their face, which looked remarkably similar to Hermione's, only this fake Hermione had coal black eyes─no sclera, no iris or pupil─just smooth, lifeless, black bulbs lying in her eye sockets. She was so skinny that she was almost skeletal in her appearance, and her skin was also incredibly pale, so pale, in fact, that the real Hermione could see the stranger's black veins lying just beneath the surface. To top it all off, her hands were also tipped with black, curved claws.
Disturbed didn't even begin to describe Hermione's state of mind.
"Such a curious little thing," fake Hermione snickered, her mouth widening to impossible proportions, as she grinned maliciously, displaying her razor sharp teeth. "And so inappropriate. A stranger, with your likeness, steps out of the Forbidden Forest, and your first reaction is, not to protect yourself or your companion, but to throw worthless questions into the air?"
Fake Hermione tilted its head to the side in consideration. "You are not as intelligent as everyone makes you out to be, are you?"
"Excuse me?" Hermione sputtered. "How would you even know what everyone says about me?"
The imposter cocked her hip to the side, as she examined her nails nonchalantly. "Again, with the worthless questions. You are a veritable fount of them, aren't you? But, I guess I can answer you─I know, because I am you, your soul."
"W-what?" Hermione took a cautious step back, looking at the monstrosity in front of her with growing horror.
Seeing her repulsion, fake Hermione pouted. "Aw, someone's disappointed," she said in a singsong voice.
"Were you expecting me to be prettier?" She huffed, flipping her wild curls over her shoulder peevishly. "I'm afraid I only work with what I'm given, my dear, and YOUR soul was positively streaked with darkness and deception…Very unattractive."
"No, I don't believe you," Hermione objected in shock, squeezing her eyes shut and attempting to block out the monster in front of her. That can't be me. This must be some kind of trick, an illusion, like a Boggart or something. Wait! That's it. It must be a boggart!
Flicking her wand towards the fraud, she shouted, "Riddikulus!"
The spell bounced right off its intended target, filling the young witch with confusion and dread. Clearly amused by her attempts, the imposter threw back her head and laughed.
"Did you think I was a Boggart? Oh, how quaint!" she chittered, "I do love it when they go into denial. I would say that I'm surprised that you are so ardently lying to yourself, but I'm not. You are, after all, no stranger to manipulation or lies. In fact, you've become quite intimate with them over time, haven't you?" Fake Hermione gave her no time to answer. "But of course you have. Deceit and deviousness are practically second nature to you. It's no wonder I look this way!"
"No!" Hermione protested, "I'm nothing like you!"
The stranger smirked. "Oh? Then you've never stolen from your teacher or set him on fire?"
"It wasn't like that, it was the only way I could make Polyjuice Potion, and I wasn't trying to harm Professor Snape. I was just trying to save Harry! I needed to─"
"Create a distraction? Oh, I'm well aware of your intentions, and that's what makes it so much worse," fake Hermione said, clasping her hands behind her back as she skipped over to Hermione's side. The imitator began circling her prey, her eyes glinting cruelly. "You only needed to provide a distraction. You could have done anything! Made a loud noise, created a smoke screen, send off a flare─all good options, but no! You, instead, chose to set an innocent man on fire, using a spell that you had only just learned! You're lucky, Snape was able to contain the situation so quickly, or else he would have had an unpleasant stay in the infirmary."
"I didn't mean to do that! I didn't really think it through!"
"You're right. You didn't think it through. You acted on instinct, and your instincts told you to burn him," Fake-Hermione purred. "But being violent isn't an uncommon thing for you, is it? There was third year when you punched Draco in the face─"
"He was being a prat! What he was saying about Buckbeak was completely cruel!" Hermione defended herself through gritted teeth.
"Words," fake Hermione replied mockingly. "They were just words, hateful and mean, but completely harmless, little words…Sticks and stones, my dear…You should have walked away and ignored him, just as you were taught, but, instead, you chose to escalate the situation with physical violence. And why? Because you crave it, even subconsciously."
The fraud stood behind Hermione now, whispering in her ear, "Still don't believe me? How about we talk about how you humiliated Marietta Edgecombe by disfiguring her face, for nothing more than petty revenge, or how you lured Umbridge into centaur territory, knowing exactly what centaurs are capable of?"
"Marietta betrayed the DA and Umbridge was a foul woman, who enjoyed torturing children! She got what she deserved!"
Fake Hermione clapped her hands happily. "So bloodthirsty! Do you see now? This is who you are! Someone who will happily lead an unsuspecting woman into centaur territory, who will mutilate the face of a school rival, who will attack her professors, and easily lie to her friends and parents. You are petty, vindictive, violent, and a liar!" She hissed.
"No! No, no, no, no…" Hermione stepped back, tripping over her feet. She clenched her stomach, fighting against the sudden headache and nausea that was rising within her.
This wasn't her. It couldn't be. Yes, she had done those things, but it had never been with malicious intent. Well, maybe the thing with Umbridge had been, and perhaps the altercation with Draco hadn't needed to become so violent, and she SHOULD have found a better way to distract Professor Snape…
Oh, God, maybe that thing is right…maybe my soul really is like that...
"Stop fighting it. Stop fighting me and just accept who you are─"
A hoarse shout of, "INCENDIO!" came from behind the pair, followed shortly by two arms of fire, that wrapped around fake Hermione's body, like Devil's Snare.
"No!" the imposter cried, her voice becoming a pained, high-pitch squeak, as she desperately reached towards Hermione, as if to drag the witch down with her, but the Gryffindor managed to jerk back just in time, and avoid her deadly claws. Mesmerized and frightened, Hermione watched her doppelganger become consumed by the angry flames, until there was nothing left but ash.
So shocked by the turn of events, she nearly missed Fera, who was now conscious, limping towards her with an expression of murderous rage. The older witch grabbed her shoulders and gave her a fierce shake, as she bellowed. "Get a hold of yourself, you silly girl! This is no time to be staring off into space. We need to get moving and by Merlin's name, keep your shields up, so none of them can get inside your head again, fool! I do not know why you badgered me into teaching you Occlumency, if you were just going to throw what you learned away, the first time a repellent charlatan with your face tries to chat you up!"
Hermione snapped to attention, latching on to one particular part of Fera's rant. "What do you mean, get in my head again? Who would try to get in my head?" The younger witch lengthened her stride to match the blonde's furious pace, the blonde who was now out-stripping her, even with a bad limp.
Fera stopped to glare at Hermione. "Were you not paying attention moments ago? Surely you were not sleeping through the entire conversation you had with the Soul Creature!"
"That thing that was talking to me was one of the Soul-Suckers you were talking about─wait, it was in my head?" Hermione asked, incredulously. She had been talking to a Soul-Sucker. Standing right there, right next to it, within arms' reach, and had nearly died, completely clueless.
Fera looked at her in complete exasperation, continuing in a patronizing tone, "Of course it was in your head, girl! How else would it know about your life? Which, I might add, would not have been possible, had you. Kept. Your. Occlumency. Shields. Up! Do you not realize how close you came to having the life siphoned from you?"
Hermione flinched, her eyes dropping to her moving feet. "I'm sorry," she said in a soft mumble.
With a tired sigh, Fera nodded. "It is of little consequence now, but do remember to keep them in place. That was not the only 'Soul-Sucker', as you say, lurking around, and I fear the others will be upon us very soon."
"Then we should hurry up," Hermione suggested, boldly throwing Fera's arm over her shoulders so they could get to safety faster.
"It may not matter in a moment. Have your wand ready," Fera panted as they wobbled along. As if summoned by her words, three robed figures stepped out onto their path ahead of them. Unlike the first Soul-Sucker, these were modeled after Fera, though they were just as skeletal and grotesque.
"Still trying to escape, Fera?" they cackled, their claws and fangs lengthening, as they crept forward. "No matter how hard you try, you know it is too late for you."
Slashing her wand in a wide arc, Hermione shot a Stunning Spell at the closest one. The spell barely upset the hissing beast, which only fell back momentarily, before righting itself, with a grin, and continuing forward. Taking advantage of the witches' distraction, the third creature, lunged to the side, its claws swiping at Fera's side. The witch was too slow to pull up a shield or dodge out of the way before four, dark claws pierced her side in a savage twist.
Hermione, too busy stunning the other two to get to her companion's side to help, shouted over her shoulder, "Hang on!"
A pained grunt was the only answer Fera could supply. Staggering back, the blonde witch leaned up against a tree, clutching her bleeding side. The Soul-Sucker prowled closer, purposely stepping on Fera's wand, which was knocked out of her hand during the scuffle, and snapping it in two. This didn't deter the older witch at all, as she conjured a large ball of fire between her hands, and threw it towards her attacker, turning them to ash.
"Fire! Fire is the only thing that can hurt them," Fera informed her partner, straightening herself as best as she could. Hermione nodded, blanketing the two creatures in front of her in flame. "Now wand up, there are more coming!"
Sure enough, more Soul Creatures came rushing towards them, this time wearing the faces from a variety of individuals, their now dead victims. Men, women, even children that looked no older than six, came at them aggressively.
Seeing that they were outnumbered, Fera picked up her robes, snatching Hermione's hand, and took off.
"Wait!" Hermione called, looking over her shoulder at the discarded remains of Fera's wand. "What about your wand?"
"Leave it! We have other things to worry about at present!"
"But─"
"Leave it!" Fera repeated, yanking on the brunette's arm.
The two witches ran through the forest as best as they could, considering Hermione's mental exhaustion and Fera's injuries. They wildly threw fire spells and hexes behind them, but that didn't seem to stop the stampede from gaining on them.
Hermione could feel her heartbeat thundering in her chest as they ran. Beside her, Fera's breathing was already becoming labored, and her steps clumsy, leading Hermione to wonder if they were going to make it to the ward line in time. "How much longer?" she asked, flinging another hex behind her.
Fera seemed to contemplate her answer for only a second before she answered somberly, "We won't make it."
She abruptly stopped, grabbing Hermione's arm to halt her. "Stay at my back," she ordered her, yanking the younger witch behind her as they turned to face the oncoming horde.
Throwing up her arms, Fera tapped into her magical reserves and cast the Fiendfyre spell. It was risky and desperate, since she had no wand to control the dark fire's movement, and her exhaustion did little to help either, but it was their only chance at getting out of this mess.
The bright flames flew out, needing no more guidance from the witch and with a life of their own, they viciously rose like a tidal wave and crashed down onto the group of Soul-Suckers. With every individual it consumed, the Fiendfyre grew larger and hungrier, its fiery tendrils starting to move boldly out, searching for their next victim. Fera fell to her hands and knees, completely wiped out.
"Fera, stop the spell! It's going to burn down the forest!" Hermione watched, wide-eyed, as the fire twined around the trees, turning them into blazing pyres. She knew that if they didn't find a way out soon, they would be completely surrounded by the burning heat in a matter of minutes.
"Fera?" Hermione repeated, turning around to see the older witch wheezing on the ground. She was becoming paler by the second, and the wound on her side was creating a small puddle of blood beneath her.
A blackened branch fell to the ground, with a heavy thud, nearby. At the rate the fire was spreading, they wouldn't make it out in time, not if she had to drag Fera with her. There was only one option: she had to stop the Fiendfyre herself.
Now if only I knew how to do that…the young witch thought, kneeling beside her companion and shaking her shoulder until her blue eyes blinked open. "Fera, wake up! We need to get out of here, and I can't get us past the Fiendfyre. How do I stop it?"
Groaning, Fera attempted to sit up, but quit halfway through. "Clear your mind," she croaked, "and when you call the fire to you, immediately exert your will over it before it has a chance to consume you."
"Lovely," Hermione muttered sarcastically, standing back up and facing the flames. This'll be easy…Okay, Hermione, take a deep breath and clear your thoughts. You can do this. Sucking in a lungful of air, she went through her meditation steps, slowly calming her thoughts, tucking them away until her mind was nothing more than a blank space.
Feeling ready, she raised her wand and called the Fiendfyre to her. Had her Occlumency walls not been up, and her mind not been cleared, the surge of energy and heat that rushed at her would have quickly killed her, but she was ready for it. The second that chaotic energy touched her, she pushed her will onto it, beating it into submission with her own magic until each flickering flame died out.
When she was sure that even the embers were extinguished, she released the spell and fell to her knees. Weariness pulled at every muscle, as she struggled to stay conscious. She slowly crawled over to Fera, who had managed to prop herself up against a tree. "We need to go," she told the witch tiredly.
"Yes, before more find us," Fera agreed.
Getting up was a trial for them both, but they managed, by clinging to one another. Upright, they were able to continue their hobbling travel, though at a much more sedate pace. It probably only took them no more than ten minutes to finally get to the ward line, but to Hermione it felt like hours.
Pushing forward, they fell through the wards, collapsing into a heap of limbs.
"We made it!" Hermione laughed, hugging the Earth beneath her in gratitude. She had never been so happy to see the Hogwarts castle in her life, even if it was a fake version.
Still high on their fabulous get-away, Hermione turned to Fera, ready to bask in their mutual relief, only to find the witch nearly unconscious and deathly feverish. Staggering to her knees, she crawled over to the blonde witch.
"Fera, wake up!" Hermione yelled, running her wand down Fera's injured side. The tip of her wand came back an ominous bright red─immediate danger.
"Damn!" The Gryffindor cursed, peeling back part of her robes to get a better look, gasping when she saw the festering gash there. The wound itself looked slightly burned, and angry. Snaking out from the edges of it were thousands of black veiny strands, that were slinking across Fera's skin at a sluggish pace. It almost reminded Hermione of the black veins that ran through the Soul-Suckers.
She tried a few basic healing spells, then some of the more advanced spells, and when none of those worked, she shrugged out of her robe, bunching them up to push against her bleeding side. That done, she shook Fera awake again. "Fera, I need you to wake up," she pleaded. "How do I heal this thing?"
"Pardon?" Fera replied sluggishly, bleary eyes barely opening.
"Your wound, the one that the Soul-Sucker gave you. It won't heal!" Hermione cried frantically, "What do I do?"
"Purple vial…in my lab…put it on the wound…" she told her, breathing heavily. With her directions given, she finally succumbed to her weariness and passed out.
"Purple vial─got it," Hermione repeated, and getting up, she used the last bit of her energy to levitate Fera's body and make her way back to the castle. She was tired, her head was still pounding and she was covered in soot, but her day wasn't over yet, and something told her that it wouldn't end anytime soon.
Dumbledore looked down at the small glass orb within his hands, willing the black, opaque tint to return to its usual and preferable state, of clear crystal. It was nothing more than a small trinket created by Trimble after he recovered Rosier's Soul Book, to keep track of Fera's physical health, since he had no way of making contact with the witch, but it was invaluable.
So far, Albus had seen it change into a multitude of colors, some good and some bad, but only twice had he seen it fade into black─an indication that Fera was close to death. The first time, the murky, dark color had only lasted for five minutes, maybe less, a good sign since he knew that time moved faster in a Soul Book. This time, the second time, proved to be slightly more distressing. It had already been nearly twenty minutes and the orb had yet to lighten.
"It's never taken this long before," he remarked, turning to address the portrait of Headmaster Trimble, who had moved to the frame behind his desk. "Miss Rosier must have run into a very dangerous obstacle."
The painted wizard gazed at the orb solemnly. "No matter how much I extended that book, it is still a very dangerous place for Fera. Rosier made sure of that, the twisted bastard."
"I know." Dumbledore tugged at his beard in thought. "I fear that Miss Granger might be in a similar position as your Fera…I worry for her, for both of them…I thought Miss Granger would have found her way out by now."
Dumbledore swiveled his chair back around, letting his head fall into his hands. He was suddenly feeling every year of his age. "Perhaps I should have stopped her from going…"
Behind him, Trimble snorted. "You could have locked her in an ivory tower and I guarantee she would have still ended up right were she is. The minute that girl let the book absorb some of her blood, there was no going back for her. There was absolutely nothing you could have done to stop it."
Dumbledore sighed. "Still…"
A knock on his office door interrupted their conversation. He swished his wand at the door, unlocking it, so that Minerva, Filius and Severus could step inside. He didn't bother hiding Trimble's orb from them, since the spring holidays were winding up, they would find out about Miss Granger's situation sooner or later.
"Albus, you sent for us?" Minerva asked, taking one of the available chairs.
"Yes, Albus, what did you want? I still have preparations to make for the little vipers coming back in two days," Severus said, taking a spot by the fireplace, leaning against the mantle and looking both bored and irritated to be there. Filius, who came in behind Severus, simply took the other chair and waited patiently.
"There has been a situation that you all need to be aware of. We won't have much time to prepare before the students come back, but I'm sure if we work together, we can create a suitable arrangement between the four of us," Albus stated, ignoring the skeptic look Severus was sending him.
"And just what, pray tell, is this situation that we need to hear about?" Severus inquired in clip tones.
"Severus, really," Minerva chided her younger colleague. "Let the man speak first, before you go throwing your suspicions around."
Giving a slight bow, Severus replied with a straight face, "Very well, Minerva. I shall withhold my accusations until he has finished speaking."
"Oh, honestly!" She huffed as Severus waved his hand gallantly towards Albus and said, "You may proceed, Albus."
A small smile played on the headmaster's lips as he watched the playful interaction. "Yes, well, I called you here to talk about Miss Granger."
"Oh, yes, I haven't seen her in the Great Hall once, this entire week! She's probably lost somewhere in the library, the poor girl. She really does take her academic work too seriously," Minerva commented.
Filius nodded emphatically. "I think she's worried about her apprenticeship. She's been working herself into the ground this semester, trying to get ready for it, though I don't know why. I'm sure she could take her NEWTS next week and get a perfect score."
Severus scoffed. "Speak for yourself. The girl has the creativity of a Flobberworm when it comes to potions. She'll be lucky if she gets an E in the subject."
"Oh, you're just jealous that it's Gryffindor claiming one of Hogwarts most promising students and not Slytherin," Minerva crowed, grinning at the younger man like a proud Mama.
"I assure you, Madame, I have not one envious bone in my body when it comes to that overzealous Know-It-All. You may keep her, with my blessing," Severus quipped, his prominent nose stuck in the air.
"She is not a─"
"Please," Dumbledore interjected, raising his hands in a placating manner. "That is quite enough. We all know Miss Granger is a very capable and promising student, but that is not what I wanted to talk to about…Something happened to Miss Granger, and certain actions need to be taken."
"Albus," Minerva began, a hint of worry in her voice, "what are you going on about?"
The Headmaster sighed, pausing to group his thoughts. There really was no easy way to explain this. "Before I can tell you what happened to Miss Granger, I need to tell you about another student that passed through these halls named, Fera Rosier."
"Fera Rosier," Severus repeated, "the one the Dark Lord is interested in?"
"Yes," Albus said, carefully. "She was another student who showed exceptional promise, before and after she left Hogwarts. She was there during Headmaster Trimble's tenor. Perhaps, he can explain it best." Dumbledore turned around, directing Trimble to take over the conversation. "Quentin, if you would."
"Of course," the portrait cleared his throat. "Fera had come to me after her graduation to share one of her research ideas. I can't go into detail about it, since I had my portrait self charmed to keep it private, but I can tell you that it was…revolutionary. Had she been able to complete it, her project would have changed the Wizarding World as we know it." He sighed. "Unfortunately, the research took a…negative turn and produced unexpected and potentially dangerous results. She planned to correct it, but her father, Colten Rosier, an advocate for Pureblood supremacy, found out about it and she had to destroy all of it."
"Why would it matter if her father discovered what she was doing? Just how dangerous was this 'research' of hers?" Minerva questioned.
Trimble frowned, as he looked off into the distance. "Again, I cannot go into specifics, but I can tell you that if Colten had gotten his hands on it, he could have decimated the Muggle-born population."
Minerva gasped, clutching her chest. She glanced at Albus, asking skeptically, "Is that even possible?"
"I'm afraid, Fera found a way," he replied, sadly.
"─But," Trimble cut in, "it was not Fera's intention for her research to be used for such dark purposes. That's why she destroyed it all, so her father couldn't warp it for his own twisted aspirations. Unfortunately, Rosier was not a man to be denied, and when Fera destroyed her work, he attacked her."
"Oh, dear," Filius murmured.
"When interrogation didn't work, he tried a different method, and he…" Trimble paused, his eyes glistening with tears, "he trapped her in a Soul Book."
"Pardon?" Severus' jaw dropped in astonishment. "You have got to be kidding me."
Headmaster Trimble gave a sad laugh. "I wish I was, alas, I'm telling you the truth."
"What?" Minerva looked around the room, completely lost. She shared a look with Filius, who seemed to be the only other person who didn't understand what the late Headmaster was saying. "What on Earth is a Soul Book, and why is it so bad?"
"It's nothing that you want to deal with, trust me," the Potions professor assured her, raking a hand through his hair. "I assume, since the Muggle-born population has suffered no indefinite losses in the past couple hundred years, that you managed to recover the book, before Rosier could break her."
"That is correct. With her mother's help, we managed to take the book away, but I couldn't free Fera. We found out that Colten had cursed the book, so that if it was stolen from him, it would lock her inside."
"And so you just broke the curse, right?" Severus said, though his tone was doubtful.
"No, he locked it with blood chains. We believe Colten used the blood of Fera's Muggle lover, but Fera never introduced the boy to us, so we had no idea who he was. I ended up bringing the book to the school and tried my best to expand the prison as much as possible, so Fera could have a chance at survival, but I was not able to do much."
Severus pinched the bridge of his nose, and took a deep breath. "Just allow me to clarify this for you; you brought a Soul Book, one of the darkest relics in the Magical World, to a school full of children? Are you insane?" he bit out, his dark eyes narrowing dangerously at Trimble's portrait.
"What is wrong with keeping the book here? It would not be the first time Hogwarts guarded something dangerous," Filius added.
Severus pinned him with a glare. "Because a Soul Book is not just a prison or random dark artifact. It is a LIVING, breathing relic that subsists off the souls from any individual fool enough to get close to it. It's like a parasite, a deadly, nearly uncontrollable and destructive parasite, that is only concerned with survival…"
"Now," the Potions professor continued, "Imagine such a thing, surrounded by unsuspecting and defenseless children."
McGonagall paled at the thought. "Dear God, why on Earth would you bring such a thing here?"
Trimble slumped his shoulders in defeat. "Yes, I know. It was a desperate and foolhardy ploy, but it was the only place Rosier had no access to, and there was enough magic on the grounds to keep the blasted thing contained."
Severus sneered disdainfully at the former Headmaster. "Trust me, it was not in the least bit contained. It is probably only bidding its time, waiting for the right moment to strike. You need to tell us where you kept this book, so we can destroy it. I know you were fond of this Fera girl, but with the amount of time that has passed, her soul has probably already been absorbed into the book, and her body withered away to dust anyway."
"We cannot destroy the book," Albus announced, sternly. "That is not an option."
"Albus…" Severus began in a dark tone.
"No, Severus, it is vital that the book not be destroyed yet!"
"Why? What reason could you possibly have, for putting this entire castle in danger?" Magic began crackling in the air around the dark wizard, as his anger rose.
"Because, it was brought to my attention that Fera's Muggle lover had children, and one of his descendants is a student here at Hogwarts." Albus met the eye of each professor, then continued in a grim voice. "I believe said descendant is Miss Granger."
"Shit!" Severus cursed, turning away from the others. He gripped the mantle of the fireplace painfully, as he stared angrily into the flames.
A shaky hand covered Minerva's horrified gasp. "Are you telling us, the reason we have not seen Miss Granger, is because her soul was─was…" The Head of Gryffindor choked on the rest of her words, valiantly trying to fight back her sudden tears.
"No, not yet," Albus reassured them, before they could become too distraught. "We believe, that she was lured to the book after she broke the seal, yes, but that she's also still alive."
The room was silent as they all contemplated this news. It was Severus who broke the silence with a stiff "When?"
"When what?"
"When did this occur, Albus?" The tension within the Potions' master was palpable.
Albus answered him softly. "You recall finding her outside of your door, last week?" Snape's head jerked in a short nod, he still refused to look at his mentor. "I believe that she was lured back to the book the next night. She has been in the book ever since."
"DAMN IT, ALBUS!" Severus roared, snatching one of the many trinkets off of the mantle and throwing it across the room, in a fit of rage. Minerva and Filius jumped in unison at the sudden crash of glass against the stone wall, while Albus remained calm, watching his spy passively. He had expected such a reaction from him. Actually, he had expected much worse.
"Why did you not tell us sooner?" Severus demanded, storming up to the Headmaster's desk and slamming his hands down on the desk. "Do you have any idea the danger you put your precious Gryffindor in? Time moves incredibly faster in a Soul Book. Eighty years could have passed in there while you were sitting here twiddling your thumbs! And in that time, Miss Granger could have been driven insane by now─Merlin's balls! She could be DEAD!"
"I thought she would have found a way out by now…" Albus tried to explain.
"It's a PRISON, Albus, not a fucking vacation home! She wouldn't be able to get herself out, even if she tried. It's what prisons do─they keep their prisoners locked up!"
"Severus, please," Albus attempted to calm him down. "I have been keeping an eye on Miss Granger and Miss Rosier."
He lifted the dark globe to show the others. "Headmaster Trimble created this to monitor Miss Rossier while she was trapped in the book. That's how I know Fera has not been lost to the book's pull, and with Miss Rosier around, I'm sure Miss Granger has been adequately protected."
"It's black," Severus commented flatly.
"Yes, this is the darkest it has been yet." Albus stared at the crystal, turning it over in his hands. "It has been like this for over a half an hour, but I believe Miss Granger is still alright."
He dug into his desk drawer and pulled out a scroll that contained the names of all of the sixth year students─an aid that every Headmaster is afforded. Listed near the top of the paper, Hermione's name was glowing a bright gold, just like the rest of her peers.
Minerva scanned the scroll, then collapsed into her chair in relief. "Oh, thank Merlin for that!"
After checking the scroll for himself, Severus straightened and turned towards the door without a word. Filius called after him. "Severus, where are you going?"
"I'm going to clean up this mess that─" he eyes swung to the Headmaster, accusingly, "─you propagated. I am going to try contacting Miss Granger, then I'm going to get her out and set that damn book on fire!" He stormed out of the room, slamming the door shut as he went.
In the ensuing silence, Minerva turned to Albus with hard eyes. "I am relieved that Miss Granger is okay, and that you have been keeping an eye on my cub. However, do not make the mistake of thinking I am not just as upset about all this as Severus is," she snapped. "I should have been informed sooner, Albus."
"I know, Minnie. I know."
Filius, ever the voice of reason, spoke up. "Albus, the children are returning in a couple of days. Miss Granger's absence will be noticed, and I doubt Severus will be able to get her out so soon."
Albus steepled his fingers, leaning back into his chair. "I had a plan for that." Minerva scoffed at this. Dumbledore cut his eyes at her in irritation, then turned back to his Charms professor. "I want you to get a hold of Alexei for me. He still lives in Australia, correct?"
Confused, Filius nodded. "Good," Albus said, "Since it's widely known that Miss Granger is preparing to become your apprentice when she graduates, we'll say that she is doing a special project for you and working with one of your colleagues in Australia, to observe his work."
"That should work," Filius agreed, already thinking about what he would say to his old friend.
"I'll draw up the paper work and have it in place tonight."
"Just one question, Albus," Minerva started.
Dumbledore looked at her tiredly, "Yes?"
The old witch arched an eyebrow, standing up to leave. "What in Morgana's name are you going to tell Mr. Potter?"
A/N: And there we are! Finally a return to the real world and a few more answers. Don't be too mad at Albus! Severus pretty much already put him in his place. heh heh ;)
Up Next: Severus tracks down Hermione
As always, let me know what you think.