Title:
The Point Of All Emotions
Author:
ThePhantomsRedRose
Disclaimer:
I do not own Harry Potter or the Phantom of the Opera.
Summary:
AU, 7thYear. The war looms in everyone's thoughts. To take their
mind away they begin work on a Musical. Strong partnerships are
established, but are they strong enough to win the war?
Authors
Note: Wicked lyrics do not belong to me! Nor
do the Les Miserables lyrics belong to me
The hours seemed like days, and the days went by so slowly. Things had gotten progressively worse after the dance. Hermione was unable to talk to Harry because he was always with Ron. She had tried to pull him aside a few times but Maureen wouldn't have the attention taken off of her.
Her inability to speak to Harry was the least of her worries. Severus had been called to Voldemort's side the day after the ball. She had not been there when it happened, but she found out later when she went to his empty quarters. Examining the note that she found on the kitchen table, she knew it would be bad. No doubt, Draco had confided their relationship to his father.
Hermione was able to talk to Ginny about such things but she was now dating Harry leaving little time for a worried Hermione. It had been a week now since Severus had left. What if he is injured or dead? It would all be my fault. What do I do? Let his flesh not be torn, let his blood leave no stain, will they beat him? Let him feel no pain. Let his bones never break and however they try to destroy him let him never die! Hermione flung herself to her knees and began praying to the text of Les Miserables. God on high! Hear my prayer, in my need you have always been there, Bring him home! Bring him home. Hermione had never been very religious but in desperate times of need, she would throw herself into prayer.
She heard a knock from the dressing room but ignored it as she continued crying into her pillow. The portrait swung open and admitted Albus Dumbledore "Miss. Granger… Hermione, I haven't seen you in the Great Hall for a week. Minerva has informed me of yours and Severus's relationship. How are you faring?" He asked with concern.
"When will he be back Professor?" She asked, raising her head from the pillow.
"I do not know Hermione, I have not had any contact with him," Dumbledore said while pacing the suite, examining the broken picture frames that at one point had contained Ron's picture. There were only four pictures that still had a trace of him in it. The pictures that contained him pictured Ron cowering behind something to avoid being blasted by Hermione's wand.
"I understand your anger towards Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore said flicking his wand at the frames urging them to piece together. "But don't you understand that You, Harry, and Ron are meant to fight in this war side by side? Have you noticed the correlation between your forms?"
Hermione's brain working could be seen on her face. "A dragon, phoenix, and unicorn? Oh yes how could I be so blind! They are the three main wand cores of the wizarding world!"
"Precisely Ms. Granger! Now if you would come with me, Hagrid is receiving the shipment of dragon eggs. I hope ten will not be too much for you to handle," He added. "I will meet you in the Entrance Hall in ten minutes so you can freshen up a bit," Dumbledore said heading out of the portrait.
"There will be no need of that Professor, I am ready she said running to catch up to him.
They walked down to Hagrid's Hut in silence. Hermione kept glancing over to the edge of the forest hoping to pick up a sight of black. When they reached the hut, she was quickly able to identify the species by the egg color.
There were two pale gray eggs, which were common to her own breed of Antipodean Opaleye. Next, she saw one egg that was vivid crimson speckled with gold, a trademark of the Chinese Fireball. There were three earthy brown eggs speckled with green, proving to be Welsh Green's. There were two very familiar looking black eggs that she immediately recognized as Norwegian Ridgeback eggs. The final two in the line up looked like balls of cement, which she recognized as Hungarian Horntail eggs.
"Aren't they beauties?" Hagrid said showing her each one individually.
"They are," She said with a lot more appreciation for them than she did in her first year.
"I want to get another shipment in, but Dumbledore wants to see how Ye will fare first I suppose," Hagrid said.
"Now how are we going to go about moving the eggs?" Dumbledore asked.
"Well there's the food shoot in the kitchen," Hermione supplied.
"Too much chance of breaking them," Dumbledore replied.
"What about the trough of water for the lions, that must be supplied by the lake," Hermione thought.
"Hmmm. Let me ask," Dumbledore said walking towards the lake. He called upon Merchieftainess Murcus from the side of the water. She came up, looking as wild as ever. Dumbledore spoke to her for a while and then nodded while Murcus went back into the water.
"She will send an escort party by hippocampus chariot," Dumbledore explained. "Let's put some cushioning charms on the egg crates for transport and some depressureisers on the eggs since they will be going down deep" He said as everyone began to pack the eggs away. When the chariot came up from the water they loaded the precious cargo in carefully and told the Merpeople that they would meet them by the trough.
They headed to the Library causing mass destruction among the books with Hagrid trying to fit into the nook. Hermione took the plunge first, followed by Dumbledore and Hagrid.
The lions were all lounging about by the side of the lake. Some were sipping water. The cubs playing on the sidelines. "Hermione!" Aslan roared welcoming her back to the cave.
"Hello Aslan. This is Hagrid, and you remember Dumbledore," She said motioning to the two that had fallen behind her.
"Nice to see you again Dumbledore! Please tell Hagrid that I am pleased to make his acquaintance," Aslan said to Dumbledore. Dumbledore was able to understand him because of his animagus form.
"Aslan being cooped up down here must not suit your pride well. Why don't we change the scenery around here? It would also be better to raise the dragons in a warmer environment," He said while casting silently at the pit changing it to look like the African Savannah.
"Thank you Dumbledore!" Aslan roared as the cubs frolicked around on the sand.
"It's the least I can do for your assistance in the war. This will help train your men for battle.
Hermione noticed a mountain on the side wall with a nest, which she assumed would be for her dragonlings. The Merpeople came out of the trough handing up the eggs to the three wizards who placed them up into the nest. They thanked the Merpeople as they sunk back into the trough.
"Hermione could you show me your form please?" Hagrid asked, unable to hide his excitement of the dragons. Hermione changed and perched on the rock that held her nest. She took great care not to crack the eggs while she sat on them.
Dumbledore scaled the mountain and approached Hermione. "Hermione I am going to cast some permanent warming charms on the nest so you can attend classes until they hatch. I have no doubt that you realize once they hatch you will be living down here in your dragon form," He said with a questioning tonality.
"Yes I do realize that, How does it fit into my schooling?" Hermione asked after taking human form
"Providing Severus comes back," Dumbledore said grimly, "You will be tutored by him at night as the dragonlings will need human contact as well to make them work well in this war. He will be staying down here also when he is not teaching class.
"Now I will need to summon Harry, Ron and Ginny down here to discuss plans, are you alright with that?" Dumbledore asked out of courtesy.
"I suppose I have to face him at some point," Hermione sighed turning back to dragon form to watch over her nest. Her alert eyes watched as Dumbledore's patronus acceding back up to the library.
"I can't believe that is our little Mione, sitting up there on those eggs!" Hagrid said tears staining his face.
Half an hour later Harry, Ron, and Ginny dropped from the library. "That git-loving-know-it-all isn't here is she?" Ron asked. Within an instant Hermione swooped down from her nest and scorched Ron's robes. "Oh – um sorry Hermione," Ron said, turning away from her. Hermione would not have that attitude so she picked him up with her tail and brought him right to her face, her eye pierced into his flesh with anger.
"Miss Granger, I think it would be wise if you changed back now," Dumbledore said.
She released Ron and changed back to human form looking rather frazzled. "Look, Hermione, I really am sorry. I just couldn't watch him hurt you. I was just worried about you. Whatever you choose to do with your life I will support," Ron said.
"Okay Ronald, I will need you to prove your words with actions, but I believe we should be friends again.
"Miss Granger, care to explain your new discovery?" Dumbledore asked.
"Well for one its not really a discovery, more of a connection. What are the three wand cores?" Hermione asked
Harry began to count them off on his fingers, "Phoenix feather, Unicorn hair and Dragon Heartstring-" Harry trailed off.
"So you guys are the three wand cores?" Ginny gasped. "Oh that must mean something,"
Out of the corner of Hermione's eye, she saw a silver whisp of smoke. "That's a non-corporeal patronus!" It approached her and delivered its message. "That was from Severus! He needs help outside. Lets go!" Hermione said. She quickly changed into her pair of wings and charmed them invisible and set out through the Library passage. Everyone else exited through the Gryffindor common room.
Once Hermione was in the Library, she flicked the latch on the window and flung it open. She crawled onto the windowsill. A few students tried to stop her, thinking she was committing suicide. It shocked them when she carelessly glided down to the ground and continued flying until she was found over a mound of tattered robes.