Chapter seventeen (magazine)

Sarah and Hermione sat facing each other on two beds in the empty dorm room that was Sarah's. Neither spoke, Sarah fidgeted in the uncomfortable silence.
"Um, so what did you want to talk to me about?" Sarah asked

"That man." Hermione said.

"Oh my god, not you too! Listen, I don't know what you've heard…" Sarah was interrupted by Hermione

"Can I tell you a story? One time, when I was about eight, I watched this movie about a girl. Her father had remarried and had a son with his second wife. The girl was always left home with the baby. One night, while her parents were out, she did something horrible to her brother." Sarah had paled. Hermione continued.

"She was telling him a story, from her favourite book, one she knew by heart. But in doing so, she accidentally sent him away to a place that she never knew existed. He was taken away by the Goblin King, and to get him back, the girl had to run his maze in thirteen."

"Actually I made it in ten…" Sarah said "That is to say, didn't the girl do it in less? I think I've seen this movie…" She was trying to cover up what she'd just said, but it didn't really work on Hermione, Girl Genius of Hogwarts

"I knew it." Hermione said.

"Knew what?" Sarah asked, trying to sound innocent

"You're her, aren't you? You're that Sarah. You have a baby brother named Toby who you sent away to the Goblins."

"What made you come to this conclusion?" Sarah asked.

"Well, your name is exactly the same. And you seemed so scared of the Dark Arts professor, who I'm pretty sure is probably the Goblin King."

"His Royal Highness to you. And Sarah's brother's name is Boby, not Toby." Jareth said, appearing behind Sarah.

"His name is Toby!" Sarah said angrily. "And you aren't supposed to be up here."

"But I'm special!" He complained

"Special in the head…" Sarah muttered.

"So it really is you?" Hermione asked hopefully.

"In the flesh."

Hermione screamed and ran over to him, throwing her arms around him.

"OHMYGODOHMYGODMYGOD!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Why is it hugging me?" He asked uncomfortably.

"She. Her name is Hermione." Sarah replied.

"Whatever, just, get it off." He said, panicked.

"But you were trying to hug me; maybe she felt left out and so wanted to hug you herself." Sarah asked, stepping away from Hermione and Jareth

"But this isn't you. Why won't you love me Sarah?" She laughed at him

"I love you." Hermione said

"WHAT?" Jareth and Sarah cried

"What's all the commotion in here?" McGonagall asked, coming to do an inspection of the dorms. "Miss Granger! Please remove yourself from Professor Sidhe!"

Hermione just shook her head.

"Please, act like a proper young witch. Really. You should not be conducting yourself this. Imagine if we were in public, would you have hugged him then?" McGonagall said.

"Probably not." Sarah said, answering for Hermione.

"I have an idea!" Jareth said excitedly.

He conjured a crystal. Sarah groaned and covered her face with her hand. Jareth threw the crystal up, and he and Hermione disappeared.

They heard screams coming from the common room

Sarah and McGonagall ran down to see what was happening, as did any other students who were in their dorms.

Jareth's crystal had brought him and Hermione down into the centre of the common room. However, Hermione's grasp had not relented.

"I thought you said she'd let go if we were in public!" Jareth yelled at Sarah.

'I said she wouldn't have hugged you in the first place if you were in public." She replied

"Hermione, come on, your making a spectacle of yourself. Let the nice Dark Arts professor go." Ginny said.

"You're making me cry!" Ron said, jealous.

"You're probably making Professor Sidhe like you less, so he may pull your grades down." Harry said.

Hermione jumped away from the Goblin King.

"FREE AT LAST!" He cried, jumping into the air and clicking his heels. He looked at McGonagall who was glaring at him. "Uh, got to go!" He said, conjuring a crystal and disappearing.

"That professor, he is such a hassle. Maybe we should let him go." Sarah said

"I think if we did that, we'd lose our best student and not have a Dark Arts professor. Where would we find a teacher after the start of the term?" McGonagall.

"Right… Uh, Hermione? I think we need to talk." Sarah said. Hermione looked around the room, blushing.

She and Sarah walked up to the dorm room, only to find a certain Goblin King sitting on her bed

"HI SARAH!" He said happily (and loudly). Then, catching sight of Hermione, screamed, jumped up onto the bed, and yelled

"DEVIL RABBIT!!!!!!!. Sarah, keep her away from me!"

"GET OUT OF MY ROOM!" Sarah yelled, throwing a crystal at him. He screamed again. The crystal smashed into his chest with a loud thunk, and landed on the floor.

"Ha-ha, you're crystal no worky!" He said pointing at her

Sarah pulled out her wand and pointed it at him.

"Get. Out. Of. My. Room" She said, icily.

"Yes ma'am" He said sheepishly, using his own crystal to go back to his own rooms (or so they thought).

"Now, why on earth would you want to attach yourself to him" Sarah asked Hermione, her arms crossed.

"Umm. Well, I didn't really mention this, but… When I was little I was in love with the Goblin King."

"When you were little?" Sarah asked, raising an eyebrow

"Ok, I am still in love with the Goblin King."

"How could you even like that thing?" Sarah asked

"Oh, but isn't he just so cute and handsome and funny and clever and sexy!!!!!" Hermione said, blushing.

Sarah began to laugh uproariously.

"Oh. My. God. You were serious weren't you?"

"Maybe." The other girl said.

"Maybe you shouldn't tell people this." Sarah said nervously. "But Hermione, I don't get it. This only happened a week ago, Why is my story a movie from when you were a kid?"

"Actually, it was made in the eighties. It only happened a week ago?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah. Well. Just over a week from when I got to Diagon Alley. It's from the eighties?"

"Yeah. But I have to admit, the Sarah in this had lighter hair than you, and she was shorter." These characteristics both fitted Hermione. "That's weird." She said. "I found out recently that, around that time, my parents were trying for another baby. I mean, I was a little bit of a spoilt baby… and then I get this movie that's somehow mysteriously put in my mailbox as a 'freebie'"

"Well in my book, Sarah had dark hair and brown eyes, like me. Maybe it was…"

"What?" Hermione asked.

"Well, my Dad found the book in our attic when we moved in. It was practically brand new! I smell something fishy. I think we may need to go see a certain flame of yours."

Hermione blushed even harder.

"Let's go." Sarah said, storming out the door…