Disclaimer: Not mine. A/N: Enjoy.
Who Said It Was Fiction
Part II
Hermione stopped, a large nostril towered above her. The person scratched his nose and straightened his hat. "HEY!" Hermione bellowed, waving her arms above her head, but the Mad Hatter heard nothing, her voice was too tiny. His voice boomer and reverberated above her, like a hurricane. She watched him pour himself a cup of tea through a broken tea-cup.
It was the Dormouse who found her half way up a flower stalk with sap all over her hands and legs. There had also been a giant bee which had tried to sting her three times.
"What are you doing?" The Dormouse asked, intrigued.
"I was trying to talk to the Hatter," Hermione blushed. The mouse looked amused. "Can you please tell him to come down here?" Hermione asked.
"And why should he do that?" The Dormouse had attitude. Great, just what she needed.
"Because I'm trying to find the White Rabbit and I've already spoken to Absolem and the Cheshire Cat and my feet a sore and -"
"-and you might need a cuppa?" The Mad Hatter offered her his hand.
Hermione climbed onto it much to the Dormouse's surprise. The Hatter brought her up to his face where he could see her better. He had a nice handsome face with dark green eyes that looked like they were changing colour.
"Actually, I need to find the White Rabbit," Hermione pressed.
"You just missed him," the Mad Hatter smiled. "He was late." The Hatter explained.
"So I heard," she murmured.
"You will feel better once you've had some tea," he said.
Hermione was instantly reminded of Seamus Finnegan, mostly because of his accent. This Hatter was young and handsome - "Hare - more tea!" The Hare poured tea into an odd set of tea-cups and sauces and Hermione watched in awe as the Mad Hatter lowered her onto the table and passed her some tea in a thimble and a crumb of teacake, which was plenty - she was hungry after all.
Hermione was about to take a bite of the tea cake when she noticed one side had the words. 'EAT ME. GROW' and on the other 'EAT ME. SHRINK.' She took a nibble of the grow side and the Mad Hatter winked when she grew to her original size.
She sang Happy Un-birthday at the top of her lungs; she threw tea cups at chairs, drowned in the delicious scones with jam and cream and drank lots and lots of tea. She was obviously on a sugar high as she giggled her way through stories of the Hare's first job and the Dormouse's adventures and the Hatter's life story and then she grew with fear as she heard her voice.
"Bellatrix Lestrange?"
"Who?" The Dormouse laughed outright and threw a scone at the Queen's party.
The Hatter's hair had changed from a fiery orange to a dark blue and he forced a piece of the 'shrink me' cake into Hermione's mouth. The Hatter swept her up safely in his hand, popping her into a teapot for safe keeping. He started sipping his Irish Breakfast as though he was not afraid of the impending challenge.
"I thought I told you not to have any parties unless they are about me!" Hermione didn't need to see the Queen to see her. She had seen the illustrations and she was as fierce as she remembered. Hermione whispered the same protection spell as before but projected it across their little table, including the Hatter and his friends. She drowned out the neighing of horses and the barking dog, concentrating only on her magic.
"Is this a new rule?" The Dormouse asked.
"This has always been a rule," a deep husky voice stated, darkly.
"Not when the White Witch ruled." The Hare laughed, and then there was a scuffle and a yell.
"The White Witch is banished! I am Queen and you are not to mention my sister's name!" Hermione was reminded of a child's tantrum, she tried not to break her concentration. "Arrest that Hare!"
"Don't you dare touch him!" The Dormouse had intervened, and somebody screamed.
"Come now Queen, we meant no harm. Let us be," the Hatter stated calmly.
"You are harming the Queen with this get-together," the husky voice replied, sounding closer.
"My apologies, I thought trivial matters like a Tea Party would be beneath such a powerful Queen? Why don't you join us?" He seemed to be smiling through these words. Hermione smiled too. She knew her protection spell was working, they were going to be ok. Just a little longer.
"We don't want fat-face to join us," The Dormouse complained, "do we Hare?" The Hare burst into laughter and there was a clang, which Hermione presumed was the Hare throwing something at the Knights. The Queen screamed and there were clanging of chairs and tea cups then Husky voice: "Arrest them - Long live the Queen of Hearts!"
The Queen screamed in frustration making the Hatter laugh. Hermione heard Husky shouting orders, then the Dormouse sounded confused, and then running feet. Hermione was so focused on her magic she almost forgot where she was.
"Come along," the Hatter whispered into the tea pot. "Don't exhaust yourself with whatever you are doing." How had he guessed she was doing something? She held onto the side of the pot and listened to the Hatter's feet pounding along. The Dormouse was shushing the Hare who was still laughing, maniacally.
"What's happening?" she hissed to the Hatter.
"We are on the run. They tried to arrest us, but whatever you did stunned them. There was some sort of protective spell around us. This is wonderland but I've never seen anything it, so I'm presuming it was you who intervened?"
"Yes," Hermione grinned. "Wandless magic. Newt level."
"Thank you, my dear."
"How can she arrest you for having a party?"
"She is the Queen, she can do anything."
She slipped down the tea pot's sides wondering when it would be safe to come out. The Hare had stopped laughing, but the Hatter was still running.
"Where's Alice?" Hermione asked.
"The Queen has her, did the White Rabbit not tell you?"
"The White Rabbit ran away before I could ask," Hermione frowned. It was all his fault that she was stuck in Wonderland instead of being at Hogwarts, she thought.
"He has a tendency to do that," the Hatter replied.
"Can you take me out of this tea pot please - I'm getting a bit bruised." Hermione said as she slipped onto her knees for the second time. The Hatter's hand opened the top of the pot and she was free. "What's your plan?" Hermione asked, looking at the Hatter and then at the Dormouse, the Hare nibbled its own ear.
"The White Witch can help us," The Hatter said.
"Where does she live?" Hermione sighed. Would she ever see the White Rabbit?
"In the Valley of Darkness where the Queen banished her."
"Do you know who Alice's cousin is?" Hermione asked, suddenly.
"I believe her name is Luna, she loves this little wonderland." Hermione could have slapped herself for not thinking of her in the first place! The Hatter set her down and gave her the 'Grow me' cake.
"I think it would be easier on both of us if you regained your normal size. We don't have much time so my plan is to get you to the White Witch."
"Is that where the White Rabbit is?" Hermione asked as she took a bite of cake and felt herself growing taller. It felt nice to stand beside the Hatter again. She was glad her clothes did not break off this time, instead they expanded to fit her. She smiled as the Hatter offered her his hand, again.
She forgot how old fashioned they were in the book. It was nice. Neither Harry nor Ron would ever think to do that. She smiled and they hurried through the long grass and into a clearing.
"We're trapped," The Dormouse squeaked, holding up her sword. The Hare stared at Hermione as if just realising she was there and the Hatter smiled, pointing over their heads.
"See that black castle down there, it should be white but when the Queen took the crown it was forced into darkness and decay. The White Witch is trapped there, unable to use magic. I believe Luna was recruited to help free her magic and once Alice killed the Jabberwock, they could bring peace to Wonderland."
Hermione swallowed, and now she would have to find a way in Luna's place, and how was she to know which spell had taken the White Witch's magic, and who was the White Witch if Bellatrix Lestrange was her sister?
The Hatter, Dormouse and Hare were watching her expectantly, like she knew what she was doing.
"My wand is in Hogwarts, I dropped it before I fell," she explained.
"You mean this thing?" The Hatter smirked, and handed it to her. Hermione was temporarily speechless, taking it and testing it against her hand. A bunch of daisies spurted through the air and landed on top of the Hare's head. "I'm not all mad, I also like an adventure from time to time. Follow the Hare, he knows the way and Dormouse and I will fend off the Queen's knights, won't we?"
"You bet we will!"
Hermione only had a minute to stare at the Hatter as the Hare took her hand and talking to himself all the way, led her down the hill and towards the Black or was it White, castle. Hermione had no time to fear the Queen and her army - instead she was focussed on meeting the White Witch. She wondered what the White Witch looked like.
A/N: Extending this story so as not to cram the chapter with too many things. Please review.