For centuries the rabbit-like men inhabited our land
Their blood to weak to really mean anything
Some tried to burn us, hurt us, cause us pain
And the weak of us succumbed to their torture
They tell tales now of witches warming their toes on the flames of salem
They tell tales of witches in disguise being burnt.
They forget to tell the tales of those who didn't know how to save themselves.
The children and innocents who were burnt;
the children of witches who found themselves without power
the children of pure lines who found themselves unaided.
the children who did not know the spells.
the women who simply knew medicine and who had minds of their own
the women who were leaders and could speak.
it was the death of these women that drove our world into an early acceptance of women right
for we did not want to be like them
- Kentagerna O'Connell's words on witches, women and burnings, translated by her young daughter.
Chapter Two: The Effect of the Hebecho
The Price of Youth
"Poppy, I told you I didn't put the Hebecho's in the sixth year classroom." Professor Sprout's voice echoed through the hospital ward and around Hermione's brain as she felt consciousness pull her back into reality and out of whatever dream world she had been in. They hadn't been pleasant dreams and had involved her at her cousins farms where she'd previously spent her holidays before her parents had began to take her overseas with them. She'd since then had had a slight aversion to both poultry and heights.
"So are you saying that the Hebecho's made their way onto school grounds and ended up in the classroom greenhouse?" Professor Sprout snorted uncharacteristically and laughed.
"No, Poppy. I was making a study of the Hebecho's in my private greenhouse, you might not do other things then nurse sick children but rest assured we all do. We publish articles and are very involved in the magical world." Hermione could feel Poppy's back stiffen and decided to concentrate on herself rather than what was going on elsewhere.
She had a headache similar in ferocity to that cursed by the consummation of too much alcohol to create a very happy time for one and everybody else around. She was sure she hadn't consumed that much alcohol within the last twenty-four hours and disregarded that comment. A sickly sweet tune still played within her head and her fingers felt completely numb like they radiated, or she'd burnt herself or she'd hit the funny bone in her arm. She groaned and was surprised at the soft, quiet tone that broke in her voice.
"Did anyone catch the number of that bus?" a voice said from her far left, cracking in places and a cheeping noise shifted which alerted everyone around that Hero had been reunited with his most beloved master. Hero never went to any class with Kevin. He locked the infant in his room for each class which meant it had either discovered the window or had been let out. The Chimera did have self-preservation tactics so it was most likely that a fellow Ravenclaw Male had opened the door and let the little scamp run.
"No, but it did have a health sign on the side: it read: Room is dark for a reason, don't ignore the warning signs." A voice close to the cheeps said and Hermione guessed it was Kevin Entwhistle's which meant the person who'd made the original comment had been either Paul Runcorn or Justin Finch-Fletchley. It was a muggle saying after all.
"Ha ha." A female voice croaked near her. "Let's all make fun of the girl who tried to make the room brighter." It was Millicent's voice, Hermione felt the headache fading and took the opportunity to gaze at the blue tinged roof. White was often very glaring and It seemed like Poppy had been in the mood for the colour change.
"Don't worry. I get to miss out on Snape's Potion lesson." One of the Michael's said from the far right and Hermione jerked up to a sitting position. The room spun dangerously and she took a deep breath.
"Oh, dammit… maybe I still I have time." Hermione jerked herself out of the bed and rushed to the door. She heard a comment behind her but ignored it. She was used to ignoring those sorts of comments.
"Bloody mental that one." She yanked open the door and ran straight into the warm eyes of Madame Poppy Pomfrey.
"Now, Miss Granger, your not trying to go to class now are you?" Hermione blinked and tried her sweetest smile.
"Now, Poppy, what would give you that idea?" The mediwitch glowered and grabbed Hermione's arm. The girl winced as her hand made contact with the fabric of her robes, rubbing against the skin underneath. Poppy glanced at her for a moment before directing her back to her hospital bed where the other nineteen students lay down, with the exception of Kevin who was sitting up and letting Hero mother him in an almost comical fashion.
"You do it every year. In first year with the shock after going into the 3rd floor corridor." Hermione scowled.
"There was not shock. Nothing really happen, I was perfectly fine and we had Transfiguration that day. I'd studied for it and everything." Pomfrey rolled her eyes as she forced her down on the bed and looked at the other students.
"Hermione is one of my most regular patients, if you couldn't guess. Her and her three friends. That includes you Mr. Longbottom." Neville had the decency to look ashamed, the rest looked on in amusement as Hermione attempted to get up again.
"Then in second year as soon as your tail disappeared – how you managed to become a cat-woman still alludes me. You wanted to go to Charms that day. Then later as soon as you were awake." Hermione groaned as Pomfrey continued her tirade and mentioned all the incidents that had left her in the hospital ward for more than a week. The other's found the large-teeth fiasco in forth year amusing and Pomfrey managed to pull Hermione's sleeve up to her elbow. She clicked her tongue at the extensive bruising that was only now turning yellow with hints of purple and red veined through it. She grabbed barm as she moved through the fifth year incidents and rubbed it on Hermione's arm. Not asking questions but making mental notes to do so later in the privacy of her office. The bruises were far too old to be from Hogwarts. Hermione as she discovered early in her time at Hogwarts was a very slow healer, just like she was a slow grower. It took weeks what naturally took others days. She had only just hit her second growth spurt while others girls her age were coming out of it in the heights they'd keep for most of their lives.
"So can I go?" She asked quietly when Madame Pomfrey had gotten up to the present moment and Sophie exclaimed from her own bed and moved herself into a sitting up position.
"Hermione, if you go the teacher's will be expecting us to go as well and frankly I feel like I have drunken an entire lake full of Drowning Rum." Madame Pomfrey looked at her scornfully and Sophie had the sense to look mildly embarrassed.
"Not that I've ever touched the stuff, never! Only Butter Beer for me and the odd Fire Whisky to celebrate. Never touched Drowning Rum – can't stand the stuff. Has far too high alcohol levels for me!" Megan snorted from her bed and Sophie glared as the dark haired girl rolled over.
"But I bet Megan has! I bet her cousin Gwenogg lets her drink it to celebrate the Harpies Victories." Megan looked at her with scorn.
"Gwennog drinks Drowning Rum when they've lost. Hence the name bonehead." Sophie didn't look fazed at being insulted it, it often looked like she went out of her way to be so.
"What's it taste like? Anything like ordinary rum? I once tasted stuff that my father had imported from Australia and it tasted vile!" Justin said and Sophie rolled her eyes and was about to answer when Ernie let out a large moan from his bed. Madame Pomfrey gave Hermione a look that easily said: move and I will bring your worst nightmares to life. Hermione meekly pulled her legs under the woollen blanket. The mediwitch moved over to Ernie and dabbed the pompous looking Scotsmen's brow.
"Can I have a numbing draught!" Ernie proclaimed to the ceiling and Madame Pomfrey shook her head.
"No, and that goes for all of you. You are allowed no medication till the end of January – it might cause trauma to the effects of the Hebecho. The pain should recede the longer you're awake and moving." Sophie blinked and then blurted out something unintelligible.
"She says she can't do that." Qui said from the bed near the wall. She blinked owlishly at the room and the turned to look at Marianne who was also just waking up with a moan.
"Why not Miss Roper?" The mediwitch demanded and Sophie, for once in her life turned red.
"I can't say miss," She said quietly looking at the boys, and Madame Pompfrey cottoned on.
"Oh! I wouldn't worry about that dear. You all were exposed to large amounts of vulnerable Hebecho spores. That's at least one thing to clear your mind about." Sophie nodded, and it managed to process through Lisa's mind.
"What else won't we have to worry about?" The Ravenclaw demanded as the mediwitch moved towards the hospital door.
"I don't know, hopefully Professor Sprout and Professor Snape will return shortly. I know you all probably have at least eight hours before the properties begin to circulate throughout your bodies… but I would much rather they explained it." They all looked at her suspiciously when Millicent added.
"Does this have something to do with what Neville forgot about the properties of the… what did you call it? Hebecho?" Pomfrey looked decidedly stressed and she gazed out the clear seeming doors.
"Can I go to class after Snape and Sprout visit?" Hermione demanded from her bed and everyone shushed her as noise was heard outside. The mediwitch looked grateful and burst out of the doors.
"Thank goodness you're here Professors! Did Dumbledore tell you what to do now? I can't house twenty – my sick beds get full around this time anyway. It's October after all."
"Dumbledore has instructed us to use the hat to see who they belong with for the period of time that they will be indisposed. He tells me he sees it as a good exercise for the sixth years to participate; fostering life skills and such." The Young Potions master replied evenly as he entered the sickroom, holding a very ratty old hat with the Herbology Teacher on his heels. He glared at everybody, and met and broke eye contact with everyone.
"You will take the chain and dog tag that Professor Sprout has and you will wear then. You will not take them off till January and you will do as I say. Is that understood?" He replied in a dead even voice as Professor Sprout darted around the sickroom handing out metal chains attached to a long, blank pendant that as soon as touched the persons skin and was around a persons neck glowed for a moment then engraved itself with the persons name, house and, for some odd reason birth date and blood type, Hermione instantly tucked it within her robes, just in case. Snape addressed them again.
"This information is very important. Do not remove it or even lose it. I am talking to you Longbottom." Neville jumped and looked guilty as he fiddled with the chain. Professor Sprout looked on in amusement.
"I hope you've learnt your lesson for what happens when one alters an environment and that alteration's effect of plants." She said simply as the Potions Professor glared at her.
"I did not move your Hebecho's Pomona." Pomona raised an eyebrow.
"I believe you, Severus, as the honourable head of Slytherin." She said dismissively and Severus glared at her and summoned a hospital chair to the middle of the room and addressed the students again.
"You will sit on this chair, and take careful note over the name it tells you. Maybe approach them later, before the eight hours up." Severus looked at them all and called out a name, the last name on the alphabetical list.
"Miss. Turpin, if you will." Lisa blinked and walked woozily over to the stool. The hat went down and sat on her head and closed where it's eyes would be.
"Zachariah Smith, Hufflepuff." The tall blonde looked confusedly at the Professors but they showed no comment. Standing up and discarding the hat she walked back to her bed trying to figure out what was going on. The other student's didn't have the same attitude, and after five years of schooling (excluding the first few months of their sixth year) they did not have the nervousness or restraints that their first year selves had about the hat.
"Professor! What are you doing!"
"I thought I'd seen the last of that hat at the start of the year!"
"Why do we have to wear the insane thing again!"
"Why are we doing this professor?"
"What has Zach got to do with Lisa!"
"Are you matchmaking us? That is soo wrong." The professor ignored the remarksand simply called out the next name on the list
"Miss. Spinks." Marianne shyly approached the hat who wobbled on her head and ummed till it decided upon a name.
"Sally-Anne Perks. Hufflepuff." A lot of gasps filled the air as Marianne removed the hat and sat down on her bed between Seamus's and Quianna's.
"Way to go Mary!" Paul called out and Marianne turned red.
"That is going to be soo hot! Two girls together." Professor Sprout turned red at the insinuations and said in a slightly calm voice.
"You are not being match made. These are not to be your boyfriends or girlfriends in any degree of the matter. If Miss. Spinks choose to become acquainted with the her own sex then she will, the hat is not one to decide such things." Marianne at this turned red and looked like she wanted to fly out the window. Qui sent her a pitying look as she hid her head in her pillow.
"Mr. Runcorn." Snape began his role call again, and the dusty featured boy stood up and sauntered over the stool. The muggle grinned as the hat slipped over his head and dug within his mind for a few moments before calling out another female name. Paul's eyes widened and Kevin Entwhistle burst into laughter, with Chime adding little cheeps every now and then. The girl happened to have two very good, very mean looking friends who were not so pleased with him and their friend being paired. The whole group it seemed were not so believing of the fact that the hat wasn't trying to set them up, even though Marianne had received Sally-Anne.
"I'm doomed." He said melodramatically and Pomona affirmed again that it wasn't a matchmaking exercise. Snape continued his role call in reverse alphabetical order.
"Miss Roper." The straw haired girl took the stand and glowered as the hat told her the three words of her a girl who was entirely the opposite of the very unfeminine girl. She snorted as she laughed to prove her point and the role call continued till Padma took the stands and was awarded with the name of her younger, identical sister – although since they had hit puberty the resemblance between them had faded, both with hair cuts and other beauty products it was still very pronounced. It ruined however any idea that the hat was matches making anybody.
"Sisterly Love!" Exclaimed Seamus and Padma raised an eyebrow.
"Aren't you going out with my sister?" She asked in a quiet voice and Seamus blinked, tilted his head for a moment thinking.
"Possibly… but I always thought she was more interested in Dean. The stud!" Padma rolled her eyes and said in a short voice.
"I hope this proves to everyone else that this is no attempt at matchmaking." Her scary voice echoed along the hall reminding everyone why it was she'd been make Prefect of the Ravenclaw house. They felt compelled to obey. No more reactions from either the audience or the participants occurred till Ernie MacMillan sat down, torn between being pleased that he'd be with a Ravenclaw and doubtful about whether they'd actually get along.
"Mr. Longbottom" Neville moved from his secure place in the hospital bed and sat under the hat. His eyes wide as it moved over his head and hummed and hated.
"Pansy Parkinson, Slytherin." Neville eeped and his eyes rolled into the back of his head and Justin, who was closest to the teacher's and the stool was just quick enough out of bed to catch him. Hero tried to contribute from opposite by flying against Neville's back. Snape slapped the boy once and he blinked back into consciousness.
"Remember Parkinson. Slytherin. Longbottom." The boy nodded and got off the stool with as much dignity as he had left and wandered back to the bed, the role call continued unfazed again, till it reached Seamus who turned slightly green, in tribute to his destined partner. Professor Sprout had her wand out to assist him but he shook his head and asked for a bucket. His request wasn't answered and he was forced to sit back down. Marianne looked at him with pity.
"Remember they aren't matchmaking." She said slowly and Seamus nodded, sitting down and began to pay attention to the role call again, they'd advanced to Kevin Entwistle who was grinning, when the hat went on his head.
"Blaise Zabini, Slytherin." Hero chirped loudly and a feral grin appeared on Kevin's face.
"Are we going to spend long amounts of time with our so called pairs?" He asked the potions teacher as the hat came off. The Herbology teacher nodded.
"Most of your time till the plants effects wear off will be spent with your partner." She said enthusiastically. Kevin smirked and rubbed his hands together.
"Blaise! You are going to rue the day you set fire to Hero's fur!" He laughed evilly and Paul rolled his eyes and Snape continued monotonously till he reached the final name and Miss. Bulstrode was partnered with Lavender Brown, Gryffindor to which the banshee-like girl snorted as she took off the hat and Professor Snape looked around at them all.
"You can see that the dog tags that I gave you earlier have been modified to read on the flip side your 'partner's name, house and present location.' The colours are simple." Hermione watched as Millicent flipped her golden dog tag over to read the names Lavender B. Brown, in elegant calligraphy, and under that Gryffindor, but it was the third line made her stomach turn. R. of Requirement with R.W, best be to wait in the Great Hall for Lunch. It didn't take a leap of knowledge to know who R.W was and she looked away and back at Snape. She wasn't going to look at her tag till she was sure nobody could look or question. Snape coughed and looked at them all.
"You have about seven hours before the herbs effects kick in. I do not recommend reading up about it if you don't know. It will only waste the precious time you have; the only way to cope or cure it is to wait it out. It's only till January. You are free to go." And with that goodbye he turned and with Pomona Sprout left the hospital ward. Hermione got out of bed to follow them.
"Don't tell me your going to Potions now?" Asked Sophie groaning and Hermione shot her a: are you kidding look.
"I want to know what happens!" Hermione stated and exited the hospital doors, everyone else in the ward looked at each other, remembered that they had 7 hours till something actually happened, six hours to say goodbye? Talk to their partners? And other such things. A mad rush occurred within moments for the door.
… A few minutes later…Hermione was glad of the quiet hallways as she almost made it to the library doors before she was intercepted Ron and steered cheerfully to the great hall and Lunch. Malfoy was snickering with Goyle when the doors were thrown open and the rest of her Herbology class entered, followed shortly by the fifth year potions class. Hermione found herself grinning as Ginny pushed herself onto the bench.
"That was awful!" The red head stated and everyone gave inquisitive glances at her. She was late afterall.
"Just because Professor Sprout burst into the classroom he put three essay questions at the end of the paper and we had to answer them while he went off – probably to snog Professor Sprout." Ginny's knife slit through the chicken in front of menacingly as she pictured Professor Snape's own prone body. Everyone else within hearing distance turned slightly green. Seamus, after sitting next to his bestfriend – still near Marianne – laughed.
"No such luck, we were in Professor's Sprout class!" They all looked towards him – and Hermione who shook her head.
"The Slytherin Hag - " She pointed crudely to Millicent who was standing at the far end of the table scanning for Pansy, "Managed to put us all in the hospital ward for adding light to a darkened room. So we could see!" Ron snorted.
"Sounds like something a Slytherin would do! Probably knew you'd end up in the hospital ward." Hermione rolled her eyes at this.
"Honestly Ronald, we all ended up in the hospital ward. Why would Millicent do something that would endanger herself?" Seamus nodded and picked two pieces of bread, the butter, and two pieces of ham off the table infront of him and proceeded to make a sandwich.
"Besides she seemed pretty scared. Did you find out what the Hebecho's do? I mean your having lunch now so it must've been in the first book you glanced at." Hermione shook her head.
"These two," She said indicating the boys and looking at the Herbology Gryffindors. "Interrupted me before I could even set foot inside." Ron snorted.
"We saved you! Sometimes I wonder if you don't have a brain or a heart but simply a book placed there!" Hermione opened her mouth to say something when Lavender decided to have something to contribute to the conversation.
"I know what Hebecho is!" She said in triumph, and very loudly. Every face in the hall turned to look at her and her face went red.
"The ingredient's like super expensive; mum uses it in her anti-wrinkle cream and I know it's used in conditioners and dyes that are used to cover grey hair. It has anti-aging properties." Hermione glowered.
"And that's going to effect me how?" She said looking at the girl who had taken her hair out of the plaits it had been in the day before and was looking very stylish; light brown with gold streaks with controlled waves and kinks.
"You all should have skin smoother than a baby's bottom! No pimples or acne for you lot!" Lavender declared and everyone rolled their eyes.
…6 ½ Hours later…Hermione yawned as she moved towards the Gryffindor tower after what felt like the longest day of her life. Unfortunately Malfoy and his pet cronies stood in the way. She looked at them through bleary eyes and told them in a quiet, serious voice.
"Malfoy. Move." Malfoy didn't move, instead he sneered in a childish manner. Hermione glared.
"Oh, Mudblood can't think of anything else to say: My father always said that Mudblood's only had four braincells now I'm finally having evidence." Too tired to listen Hermione ignored him and continued down the corridor. Crabbe laughed as his hand snaked out to grab her hand and delay her. The contact made her scream. It felt like her entire skeleton was breaking apart. Her teeth jarred and her skull felt like it was cracking along with the bones in her legs. She screamed at the contact and Malfoy's eyes widened.
"Mudblood? Now your realising my power? How-" he didn't have time to complete the sense as she rushed past him ignoring the pain determined to get to her dormitory and lie down. She did not want to go back to the infirmary. Malfoy went to follow her when Goyle touched his shoulder and pointed to Crabbe who was staring at his own body and his teeth barred as if he was in pain.
"Crabbe? Vin?" Crabbe's dark brown eyes met his and he could see the tears forming from the internal pain.
"Slytherin dorms." The big man croaked and Malfoy motioned to Goyle to help them take their friend back down the stairs and underground. Goyle and Malfoy were not of equal height by any stretch, Goyle was built for defence and Malfoy to be pampered. His hands promised growth but he had yet to witness it and when he looked in the mirror he saw an uglier, much smaller version of his father. He always groaned and continued on.
Opening the door they managed to get Crabbe to his bed and Malfoy was going to make his way back to the Slytherin Common Room when Goyle pointed out something in shock. He spun and watched in grim fascination as Crabbe's bones snapped and shrunk. His skin changing and reforming; becoming younger losing his stubble and gristle; first becoming the sturdy fourteen year old, then the brutish thirteen year old, then the hungry twelve year old, and then the naïve eleven year old. But it didn't stop there Crabbe backtracked during his slumber to the appearance of four or five year old. His robes were left behind, followed by his trousers, belt, and finally a four year old boy, with blonde-grey hair lay in an oversized sweater and white shirt, green tie lose. Arms barely coming to the elbows. He looked so small and vunerable. Something had happened to Crabbe, he remembered Millicent talking a deep breath and sighing for happiness when Lavender announced the effects of the Hebecho – she told them that it would help skin and hair. Unless it was the know-it-all Gryffindors never got anything right. He looked and Crabbe as the now six year old boy rolled over and his hand – covered with his sweater went directly eyelevel. For a moment Draco wondered if the boy would suck it but shook of the thought. It was disgusting! Slytherin's did not suck their thumbs even though they were six or asleep. Then something caught his eye, something that had fallen out of Crabbe's shirt as he had rolled over. A necklace.
Draco felt even more disgusted – Crabbe wore a necklace? till the Bronze Dogtag his friend was wearing pulsed for a moment and shone. Curiously Draco leant forward and tried to take the unfamiliar piece of jewellery off. When it didn't budge Draco realised it would be helpful.
He looked down at the details in amusement. Mandy Brocklehurst, Ravenclaw, located in the Ravenclaw Dorms, studying: do not disturb. Stay where you are. He looked at Goyle and remarked with a raised brow.
"We'll do this tomorrow." Then he heard another shriek downstairs and went downstairs wondering if it was the other Herbology students. Lilith's eyes were – huge green eyes with red flicks dancing through them. She'd taken out her contacts and she kept gasping for air, her hand grounding into the couch and he heard the familiar snap of bones breaking a reforming.
He heard a groan from the floor and Theodore Nott lay there writhing as more bones reformed themselves. Daphne blinked stupidly at the scene in front of her and Tracey's eyes widened. She realised the connection at once. Millicent ran over to her.
"Tracey! I think it's got something - " Tracey and Millicent's skin touched a moment later and Millicent said a very bad word as the sound of bones breaking filled that corner of the room. The first years shrieked and ran upstairs and Draco felt sick.
"Goyle you get Nott - " He said slowly and glared a pair of fifth years, Daphne and the depressing Pansy into submission.
"Take Lilith, Millicent and Tracey upstairs." Pansy nodded and looked at a similiarly shaped fifth year.
"Athena, can you help me with Tracey?" She asked in a subtle voice and Athena nodded and the black haired witch and the brunette dragged Tracey upstairs. Once, when he was young Draco would've assumed that it was because she liked Tracey, or she wanted to win Tracey's favours but now he knew she'd choosen Tracey because Tracey was the smallest and lightest. She didn't carry Millicent's tall, banshee-like frame and muscles that came with running through the moors, and wasn't Lilith, the irish demon, the tomboyish loner able to whip any other the other boys in shape wether on a broom or with a wand. Lilith had solid muscle and it was easy to see why the slight, almost food deprived girl had appealed to Pansy's Slytherin ways.
Daphne and another girl picked up Lilith but the other girls looked at Millicent's body and at him. Draco glared and looked at Goyle who glowered and set Millicent on the couch. They watched in the sickening fascination that had happened before as Millicent shrunk to become her six year old self, smothered in her uniform. She looked almost sweet with chubby cheeks and a short, straight bob with a furiously cut fringe. The key word was almost.
"Should we get Snape?" asked one of the remaining fifth year girls. He nodded and two of them left together. He noticed a gold tag around Millicent's neck and flipped the golden tag over.
Lavender Brown, Gryffindor. R. of Requirement with R. W… best be to stay where you are.
That was far too much information and as he looked at Severus Snape in the doorway he knew if he wanted answers he'd get them in the morning.
"I want you to get the five students effected," He said in a tight, clipped voice,
"To their beds, in the morning they will wake and the five remaining six years will take them to the Quidditch Pitch. Is that understood?" Pansy, Blaise (who'd entered behind Snape), Daphne, Gregory and himself nodded and Snape smirked, waved his wand and Millicent and Millicent's clothes went straight up to her dormitory.
"Clothes for them should be found in the common room trunk. Good night." He said with a raised eyebrow and left.
… later…"Excuse me?" asked a very quiet voice near the stairwell that led up towards the combined bedrooms. Harry jumped, ever since the night before when Seamus and Marianne Spinks had collapsed when he'd touched her shoulder wanting to know something and Qui and Neville had to be brought up from the library by the professor's he'd been a bit jumping. After all watching ones mates becoming children - or Halflings [1: Lord of the Rings Reference as Dean had joked (nobody else really understood but Harry had laughed for Dean's sake) – tended to make one a little jumpy. They'd already put together the puzzle pieces and figured that had to do with the Herbology incident. Lavender had been wrong. Not that it wasn't that much of a surprise.
"I'm lost." Said the little voice again and Harry turned to see a small girl standing at the entrance way just beyond the light. Her hair was brown, thick, all over the place and very bushy especially about the top. She looked at him with two sets of owlish eyes and he raised an eyebrow at her.
"Really? And why would you think that?" he asked in the kindest voice he could manage. She winced and he decided that it wasn't kind enough.
"Well, I don't know where I am." The little girl said tilting her head to the right as if that was the obvious answer. He frowned, there shouldn't be who wasn't a student around and a student should know the answer..
"You're at Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Her eyes grew wide and her tongue wet her lips. He could see by her eyes she was trying to get her brain around it which was decidedly odd. Most children under ten would be ecstatic that they were in this place, till of course the wonders of the lack of imagination caught up to them than. Normally a child would've accepted it and moved on.
"Are you sure?" She asked and walked closer to him. He could now see a few freckles on her cheeks as well as the fact that she was wearing an oversized t-shirt. He nodded.
"of course, I'm a student, name's Harry Potter… and you are?" He asked although he had a feeling he already knew. Qui had black hair, and Marianne was blonde and the only other Herbology student which could be in the Gryffindor Tower would be…
"Hermione Granger." She said testing the words on her tongue like she wasn't used to saying the name but younger children weren't. Most children went by their nicknames or what there parents called them at that age. She then smiled nervously at him and the large shirt slipped off her shoulder.
"Would you like some other clothes?" He asked cautiously and she hesitated before nodding and he walked over to the chest that Professor McGonagall had indicated earlier that night as he opened it he noticed it was full of a variety of robes as well as many other clothing items. A pair of pink flannelette slip with love hearts decorated over the cloth caught his eyes and with amusement he picked them out and handed them to the young girl. The Hermione he knew wouldn't touch the items with a stick, although she was not what one would call an extroverted girl, she was not the opposite. Hermione Granger preferred subtle girl fashions that came in quiet colours preferring to be noticed by her other self imposed qualities. This Hermione was no different. She groaned and shook her head walking over to the chest and digging her hands into the thing and finding what she was looking for. A set of plain, red and yellow striped flannelette pyjama's.
"Don't look." She said slowly and he smiled - the first smile in a while - at her and closed his eyes, and put a hand comically over his eyes. He could hear her changing and going Oh once or twice.
"You can look now." He blinked his eyes open at her face which was centimetres from his.
"That's better." He whispered and she bit her lip.
"Excuse me Mister Potter - " She began but her interrupted her.
"Harry."
"Harry," she began again and looked at him. "Can I go home now? I've been very good." He blinked at her and her imploring eyes and wondered what to tell her. The Professor had said something about the quidditch pitch and everything being sorted out there.
"No." He said and shrugged. What were they possibly going to tell the Grangers? That now instead of a three year old and a sixteen year old their children would be closer in age than could be conceived. Her eyes widened and they began to dart around the room and he saw the beginning of a panic attack.
"I have to get home. Mummy and Daddy will be so worried. I don't know where I am. Grandpa told me to say where I was. What do I do? Maybe Grandpa will come? Daddy says the world isn't safe? I-" She burst into a hiccups and Harry gathered his arms around her and picked her up. He had enough problems. He was up, at four o'clock in the morning, on a day before school because he didn't want to take lessons that gave him headaches and when he went to sleep he slept the dreams of a deranged lunatic. The one that awoken him so early involved knives, snakes and cats, and many kittens.
"Shhh, you'll be safe with me." She hugged him and cried hiccupping into his shirt. He smiled at the how ironic the situation was. She was the person who comforted him, who advised him and gave him the answers for anything he needed – he needed her to do things he couldn't, in a purely platonic way and yet now he was comforting her. She was the one who had told him that everyone had felt safe around him although he had known that the reality was the complete opposite. Nobody affiliated with him was safe.
A lone owl soared through the common room window to land on the back of the couch, where it perched and waited for him to untie the message around its leg. He didn't move for a while for the hiccups soon became sniffles into his shirt and slowly returned to the steady breathing that only can happen in the unconscious state that one calls sleep. Slowly Harry reached over and untied the string a message falling onto the cushion below. It's burden removed the bird of prey took flight out of the window.
Again, with timely movements Harry leant over to pick up the scroll.
"Master Harry Potter.
Eternally I hope that Horatio has found you, he always tends to find whom I write to however the wards surrounding Hogwarts are great and the directional spells always send every owl via the principal and Horatio always gets lost with letters that need to be received by somebody in the Mother Kingdom's Academy of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Enough of that though, Mister Potter, an intelligent friend of yours who calls herself Miss. Green, has written to inform me of your Parseltongue abilities due to the fact that I have written the most recent study of that certain magical gift – in my writings: Animals and their Tongues, Miss Green also informs me that my knowledge on various snakes might help you. Tell her my definitive encyclopaedia on reptiles, both magical and non-magical, will aid her in the understanding of breeds, I recommend the REPTILE ENCYCLOPEIA version, as it is in the spelled form of a snake and not as heavy as the other edition, but I digress. My interest in your abilities is not just out of professional curiousity; I am told you wish to further your understanding of these abilities but I warn you right now without the proper tutelage this procedure could be dangerous.
Earnestly I wish you not to be discouraged, although Voldemort and Lord Slytherin are the last recorded Parseltongue's in European History I am beginning to believe that we ignored the wild people, the aboriginal savages who lived on the southern continent without good reason. Although their magic to us, who use refined wands, does seem a little crude most of the native tribe are taught from a young age to use this and many other strange abilities. Truthfully though, I do not know and I fear we shall never know the extent of this magic; they do not speak well to outsiders and most wizards, recognised wizards, hate those from England far more than anybody else. However all is not lost, my guide informs me of a speaker to the East who is willing to teach to one who wishes to learn. Evermore your reply is needed if you wish to develop such abilities for if I journey east I will run into large amounts of sea air. Shamefully I am allergic. Hives. Rashes. I hate the air that comes straight from the poles.
Eric. Kingsby.
I must admit I've forgotten to send you my present contact address, forgive me. Northern Territory. Gallah Bay, small house with made of dirt. Shamefully though I must admit that you should try to find another bird to carry the post on as owls are not common in this country. Heath, my guide, tells me the best birds to use are cockatoos and galla's as they are common and much less noticeable. Annoyingly I cannot see the point, but I am considered old fashioned. Contact me on this address before TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20th, as that is the date that I intend leave.
Kindly contact me, Harry, if you want to develop this skill as Miss Green has lead me to believe.
Harry blinked at the letter and tried to read the long winded letter again, but the forth read provided no sense although he had realised that Miss Green was obviously Hermione but how would she know? He hadn't told anyone that he wanted to develop his Parseltongue abilities so he could evenly match the Dark Lord on that front. But Hermione had known. He smiled at the most serious of his best friends and realised that he was finally tired, knowing that to return Hermione to the girl's dormitory would be far more difficult than the hour provided he picked up the small girl and carried her upstairs, shut his curtains and spelled them and lay down to sleep. He wouldn't admit to anyone and was sure that the reason he had no dreams that night was due to his exhaustion of staying awake so late into the night.
It didn't change the fact that when Harry slept next to Hermione he did not dream nor did he wander.
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REVIEWS ARE GOOD.
I know this story seems abnormally long at the moment. It was the longest few chapters I've ever written, so please bare with me. I don't think I won't ever write chapters this long again. I can't go through them and edit them because I lose my train of thought and get confused... Plus it seems like it annoys people (... it annoys me when I see very long chapters... should've taken the hit but my fingers wouldn't stop moving... and I advise people this length is is too long.) so I decided to post again and hopefully it will be okay.
PS: There is a code in the letter. Find it and a virtual cookie belongs to you.