Disclaimer: Don't own them at all, not a sausage.

Chapter 4

"Severus! Really! Is there any need for that?" Albus scolded the potions master as he unkindly dumped 'Miss Granger' on floor in front of the headmaster's desk.

"Until we find out her really identity there is plenty of need for it!"

"Identity? What do you mean? Putting a body-blind on her, really. Is that anyway to treat a student?" Albus tutted as he looked down at the remarkable beautiful woman, her eyes were looking pleadingly at him. Frowning Albus looked hard into her eyes, they was familiar to him but he had to admit he had not seen this student before and by the looks of it she was in her sixth or seventh year. "Who is this student?"

"She claims to be Miss Granger."

"Really now? Why that is very interesting. Finite Incantatum!" Albus released the spell and at once the girl was on her feet claiming her identity to be true. "Please don't work yourself into a bother. This matter can be easily sorted out. Now would you like Professor Snape or me to perform the Legilimens?"

"What? Legilimency? Your going to read my thoughts?" The girl stopped her pacing a stood staring opened mouthed at the aging Headmaster.

"If this matter is to be sorted at as quickly as possible and your identity made clear. Then yes."

"It seems to me Headmaster that this girl has something to hide." Severus was sitting in one of the two hardback winged chairs that were in front of the desk.

"I have nothing to hide!"

"Then you won't mind me looking into your mind will you?" Severus smirked at the woman.

"I do mind you looking in there! If it has to be done I would rather have the Headmaster to do it!"

"Then it is settled. Come sit down dear, I doubt it would be much comfortable for you to be standing through this." Albus' skill of Legilimency was a bit ruff around the edges but as the woman sat before him and the incantation past his lips he was pleased to find it would do the job. Visions of her childhood came forwards then went off to the sides, the sorting ceremony in her first year showed it to be the former bushy-haired Gryffindor. It was indeed Hermione Granger. More events went past, still like photos, each showing that the girl was Hermione. But why had she changed? Pushing harder to get past the next few years Albus skipped through the memories until he reached what he was hoping to find. The reason why she had changed. He saw still pictures of her throwing her self through the window, the poor girl was so depressed and after what Mr Malfoy had done to her, she had been desperate to find away out. Another image came into focus and it was one of a beautiful fair ghost. After this the pictures where showed in rapid sequence showing what had happened after that until she was meet by Professor Snape.

"Well?" Snape asked as soon as the connection was broken.

"This is indeed Miss Granger; it would seem she has made a deal with the Infelixicis." Albus Dumbledore regarded the girl softly. To have made a deal with something of such a dark nature as a Infelixicis, she must of thought her future to be bleak.

"I thought they were just a myth!" Snape stated still unsure if to believe the words of those who spoke them.

"It is true that very few of them exist but they are as real as you and I." Turning his attention back to Hermione Albus continued. "You have little time to succeed but I shall do all that is in my power to help. I am sure Professor Snape will help brew a potion which will reveal your sole mate. Lets just hope that he is within this lifetime and these walls."

"Sir, is that what it was? I've read about them, the Infelixicis that is, they only choose certain witches and wizards. Purebloods to be exact, why me?" Hermione had not spoken before as she was calculating her chance of success. At the moment her chances were slim.

"There hasn't been many people who have completed the deal and come off better for it. Those who did were indeed pureblood but this does not mean that they haven't chosen those of a different blood making." Albus smiled. "They make their decision based on the future of those who are self inflicting the end of their life. If they see the life as a waste the Infelixicis will try to replace the life with their own and live to do what the person did not."

"They take my place?"

"In a sense, they wont have your body or past but will have your future. It would seem yours hold great potential as your time is so imitated." Albus sighed and looked at the time. It was getting late and he had to speak to Severus alone about Miss Granger. She needed all the help she could get; he just hoped they both weren't too stubborn to see the truth. "Miss Granger, it would be best if you spent the night in the infirmary. It would be easier to explain if you was seen leaving there in the morning. Explain it to be a private potion you were working on. An improved disillusioning one that you've yet discovered how to reverse. As for Mr Malfoy, I shall deal with him myself."

"Urm…Thank you Headmaster. I'm sorry for the mess I've caused. Goodnight." Hermione walked out of the office and down the stairs to the corridor. Her mind was in such a state, was it a mistake to agree to the Infelixicis? Should have just fallen to her death? What had been spoken in the office was all still a blur. Would the others believe the excuse of it being a disillusioning potion? Numbly she made her way to the infirmary. She would not get much sleep tonight.

"Severus, I need you to work on the potion tonight. We can not afford to lose any time." Albus pushed his glasses up.

"I think we should just let her to solve this on herself. She was selfish another to take her life, why should help her redeem it?" Snape pulled his cloak around him as if straightening it out.

"We can not condemn another for past mistakes, if I was to do that where would you stand today?"

"Point taken Albus. I shall work on the souls revealed spell as soon as I return to the dungeon, I will need her help in the later stages, but I shall have the base ready for the morning. The potion takes 16hours to complete. Her soul mate should be known by dinner time. Is that all?" Severus asked stiffly, the idea of staying awake all night for some girl didn't really make him the happiest of men.

"Tell Mr Malfoy to come to my office before breakfast. It seems we have something to discus."

"What did the boy do?"

"He took her last will to life, the only thing she had prided herself about around her peers. Not her knowledge but her innocence. The boy had raped her." Albus in that moment looked his years. "She has repressed what he had done, not excepted what he has taken. You need to be prepared for when those walls break."

"I fear I have had enough for one night Albus. I shall start my work straight away." Severus stood from his chair and left the room. Once alone Albus let the sorrow come forth and he wept. Regaining his composer he informed Madam Pomfry about the arrival of the new Miss Granger and instructed her to give her the morning-after potion. This was a sad time indeed at Hogwarts school for witchcraft and wizardly.

A/N sorry its taken so long. Birthday is over but exams are starting, I should be revising but instead I'm writing. What do you think of the chapter and a big thank you to all those who reviewed!