…Continuation

The Guild – Hermione's Freshman Year

Where Hogwarts was a majestic walled fortress, the Guild was an open palace. A marvel of marbled pavilions, villas and sprawling gardens. The air itself served as walls as Hermione could see glimmers of the potent shield that wrapped around every corner.

Beams of sunlight spilled through an amber glass ceiling, casting warm gold wherever Hermione looked. They were standing in the main entrance of what looked like a luxurious hotel lobby, complete with a white grand piano at the corner and a lounge on the other side. Fat armchairs and stuffed couches were occupied by students who spared no glance at Hermione as everyone was immersed in books, board games or twiddling with some odd looking instruments. A swath of red covered the aisle. At first Hermione thought it was an unruly carpet, but upon closer inspection she saw it was made of tiny flickering flames that people seemed to have no trouble walking on. At the end of the aisle is a grand staircase leading up to the rooms.

On the other end of the aisle, a wide expanse of gardens stretched beyond. Hermione could see a few wizards and witches whizzing a few feet above the tops of the grass without broomsticks, their reckless laughter flitted through the wind, filling her ears.

A wistful smile crossed Hermione's face, suddenly remembering Harry and Ron. An image of them stood on each side of her. Ron, ginger-haired and grinning, Harry tousled and steady, both reaching for her hands as they faced whatever life threw at them, be it Peeves' water balloons or curses hurled by Death Eaters.

The sudden longing for her two best friends felt so heavy, it was as if a giant's foot was pressing down against her chest. She thought she was past being sentimental. But here she was, her heart paralysed with nostalgia.

'Are you alright, Ms Granger?' The smooth enunciation of Agent Harris broke through Hermione's reverie.

She nodded silently and shifted her gaze away from the group of witches and wizards.

'It can be overwhelming, the novelty of everything. But soon you will find your stride and feel right where you belong,' Agent Harris consoled with a thin smile.

'Your room is up there at the staircase, the fifth one to the left. Your name is pinned on the door, can't miss it. Will convene here at the lobby in 30 minutes for your orientation.'

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Hermione was too nervous to pay her room any mind. A cursory glance would make anyone appreciate that the well-appointed quarters would not be out of place in a five-star suite. But Hermione didn't touch the silver tray of fruits and biscuits nor the bottle of mint water on her bedside table. She didn't traipse towards the bed to feel its goosefeather softness or open the magically extended wardrobe. All Hermione did was drop her beaded bag in one corner and sank down gratefully on an armchair behind a mahogany study desk. She couldn't wait to find out more about her course work at The Guild and the curiosity was eating at her.

So twenty-nine minutes on the dot, she found herself waiting a bit impatiently in the lobby with the other students. Some were nodding politely at each other, some were animatedly gabbing away. Each accent was so distinct from one another the sounds clashed like tiny chattering cymbals.

'Strange isn't it?' a voice on Hermione's left said.

She turned and saw a petite Asian girl with sun-bronzed skin and almond shaped eyes peering up at her. 'We are all so different but somehow magic made us the same,' the girl said as she offered a small thin hand. 'I'm Phomela.'

Hermione couldn't help but smile at the girl's earnestness and shook the girl's hand. 'I'm Hermione, nice to meet you. Where are you from?'

Before Phomela could reply a sudden hush filled the room. Students were pointing over at the wisps of silver smoke, swirling above their heads. It moved carefully and purposefully, rolling into a halt in front of the students. The smoke thickened in waves, solidifying into a human form.

In a second, the students were looking at an elderly witch whose power pulsed quietly across the room. She wore a white tunic that flowed at the edges as if it was submerged underwater. Her hair had vivid streaks of silver and black, framing a strong, Hispanic-looking face. Her deep-set eyes of flickering indigo regarded each student with bright interest.

'Welcome new students. I am Edra Azriel, Chief Agent of The Guild. You may call me Chief Edra,' the woman addressed them in a voice that was soft yet commanding. 'From this day forward, you are no longer just a witch or wizard from your country. You, future Guild Agents, are protectors of the world.

'Our world faces magical threats every day. Some threats fester quickly and visibly. Some are slow and well concealed, a thought that gnaws at the minds of the darkest wizard. A skilled Guild Agent detects the subtlest threats and averts them before they manifest. In here, knowing is not just half the battle. It is winning before it's begun.

'Your training requires mental agility, emotional resilience and physical stamina. The first year is especially crucial to start your foundation right. This is why before you commence classes tomorrow, each of you will be assigned a mentor. Your mentor will orient you about the finer points of The Guild's culture, philosophy and discipline. Though they are your fellow students, you are expected to give your mentors respect, as they will help your transition here run smoothly. Questions?'

Hermione glanced at the other students. Most of them were, like her, processing what was said. Hermione hoped she would have a kind, patient mentor who won't be as intimidating as Chief Edra. She pictured someone amiable, like Prof Flitwick, or maybe even a gentler version of Prof McGonagall.

'Excelente! Now, follow me to the gardens where you will meet your mentors.' Chief Edra said with a cryptic smile. 'Be sure to have your wands at the ready.'

Hermione and the other students shuffled outside the main hall after Chief Edra. She exchanged a puzzled look with Phomela.

'You think she wants us to fight our mentors?' Hermione inquired.

Phomela shrugged and gingerly took out her wand that seemed to be made of hewn bamboo. 'Maybe. But I for one don't want to be knocked unconscious on my first day.'

Hermione agreed wholeheartedly and clutched Ferus tightly in her palm.

The gardens looked like an Impressionist's painting. The colours dappled and shifted at the lightest touch of the sun. The grass were tufts of emeralds that tickled the ankles. An orchard of assorted trees clustered around several ponds and gurgling brooks. Tropical coloured birds swooped in and out, their cries where musical notes that pleasantly filled the air.

'Students, your task is simple. We are to assemble at the Pavilion at the other end of this garden,' Chief Edra said, pointing towards north. 'On the way you will encounter our senior students. Each of them will attempt to know your wand's name. They will use spells and stealth to get this information against your will. The mark of a good Guilder is their ability to keep secrets and the skill in which they extract them. Protect your wand's name as much as you can. If you fail, the student who unlocks your wand's name will be your mentor. If you succeed in keeping it secret, you will get to choose your mentor among our senior students and staff members. Understood?'

There was a collective 'yes' and nods among the students. Hermione nodded absently, her mind going a mile a minute about what she could remember about Occlumency from Harry. She vaguely recalled about keeping one's mind blank, but nothing else. She now wished she paid more attention to what her friend said instead of constantly nagging him about it.

'Okay, spread out. Give each other a wide berth. Move along. At my signal. Ready…Go!'

Without a second to spare, students shot off towards the northern direction.

Competitive much? This isn't a race. This is about being careful.

Hermione thought as she wended her way through a copse of palm trees and cherry blossoms. She pointed her wand at her clothes and muttered 'Colos'. Immediately, her dress shirt and skirt changed to the same hue as the tree bark. Hermione considered smearing a handful of mud on her face to complete the look when she heard a voice behind her.

'An amateurish camouflage, but still admirable for a freshman.' A deep baritone rumbled behind Hermione.

Hermione whirled around and ducked as she saw a flash of red. The spell exploded against the palm tree where her head was a second ago.

Without pausing for breath, Hermione raised her wand and shot a spell at the direction she perceived the red flash came from. Petrificus Totalus!

A six-foot man suddenly materialised out of thin air. His look of barely registered surprise was frozen on his bearded face as he lurched forwards like a falling tree.

'Sorry,' Hermione said as she dashed onward and ran alongside the brook that led north. She made a mental note that these senior students apparently can make themselves invisible without a cloak. I better be careful and observe my surroundings more.

Hermione spied a cluster of large rocks and she swiftly flattened herself behind it.

The only problem was, somebody was already hiding behind the rocks.

The brunette didn't know who was surprised more. The girl, nay, woman–judging from the ample chest that was now cushioning Hermione- or the brunette herself who was dumbstruck at the sight of two, startlingly blue eyes gazing at her in wild surprise.

She looks familiar. Shit, it's-

'Fleur?'

''Ermione?'

For a full quiet minute, all that Hermione registered was how absolutely soft and firm the blonde felt pressed against her. And that Fleur was heartbreakingly stunning up close. She had never noticed how long those lashes really were, how they cast a shadow over the sapphire pupils underneath. How Fleur's lips were slightly heart-shaped, a full plump bottom lip, framed by a thin, curvy upper lip which was now currently lifting ever so slightly at the corners into the tiniest of grins.

'We might az well cut to ze chase and tell me your wand's name, hmm?' Fleur murmured. 'After all, 'oo better to mentor you zan zomeone you know, ma cherie?' Her delicate scent of almond and vanilla cradled Hermione lightly, easing all her thoughts away. An elegant hand perched on Hermione's shoulders, resting almost innocently if not for the heat that permeated the brunette's skin. At the back of the younger witch's mind, she recognised the early signs of a Veela's thrall about to be unleashed.

The brunette almost nodded her head in agreement with the blonde's proposal when her rational mind kicked in. Ofcourse! Fleur would use her natural charms first before she fights. I am not giving in that easily.

Hermione pried herself apart from Fleur, like iron trying valiantly to escape a magnetic field that pulled her in.

No. I will not succumb to your thrall. Hermione thought as she forcefully stood away from Fleur. Expelliarmus!

The blonde must've cast a shield charm in advance as Hermione's disarming spell did absolutely nothing to her. Not even ruffle the perfect hair of Fleur Delacour.

The part-Veela smiled gamely at the younger witch, before she gracefully leapt from the rocks and sprinted to another direction.

For a moment, Hermione was puzzled as to why the blonde would retreat so easily from battle. If she knew anything about the former Tri-Wizard champion, is that she was haughty and proud and-

Hermione paid dearly for her brief lapse. An invisible force hurled her towards a nearby apple tree, knocking the breath out of her. Her wand fell to the grass as her back was pinned in place against rough bark.

Fleur stepped into view, her wand triumphantly directed towards Hermione's heart.

'Je suis desolee 'Ermione. You should've just told me your wand's name when we were so cosy, chatting behind ze rock. Surely, that waz a more comfortable positione zan zis one, mm?' the blonde chuckled with deep amusement.

Hermione didn't give Fleur another chance to form another thought. She screamed in her mind..Ferus!

The moment her fallen wand jumped to her hand, Hermione broke free from Fleur's binding spell. And in one swift motion she jabbed the wand towards Fleur with a loud 'Expelliarmus!'

Fleur momentarily opened her mouth in surprise as her wand flew violently away from her grasp. She narrowed her eyes at the brunette and enunciated clearly. 'Ferus.'

Hermione was flabbergasted. Her wand.. her ol' faithful wand slipped away from hand like wet soap and arced through the air towards Fleur. With a triumphant grin, Fleur easily caught Hermione's wand. And in the next second, she summoned her own wand in her other hand.

Two wands and a pair of twinkling sapphires pointed at Hermione.

'Do you surrender now, mon étudiante?'

Hermione couldn't believe Fleur could easily uncover her wand's name. Did she read her mind? Did she use the Legilimens spell? Whatever it was, the blonde obviously knew what she was doing. Maybe, just maybe, she was the perfect mentor for her after all.

The brunette nodded once at Fleur and ducked her head in reluctant defeat.

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A/N: A little holler to 'Tux' who looked forward to doing laundry and waiting patiently for this update. To kilcher and monkgirl, as it is my custom to give the first few reviewers a little grin and a hey. Again thank you for following and favouriting. I am not my boss's favourite as of now as my mind kept drifting during office hours to all the things I wanted to include in this chapter. It was incredibly long, I wanted to snip it some more but I realised that would take a lot more time. Will be doing one more flashback chapter, then after that will swing back to the present day. In case I don't see you around, I wish you and your family a merry yuletide. :-)

A follow is a pat.

A review is a pet.

Merry petting everyone! (yes i don't make much sense right now, need to get back to work. arg)