Disclaimer: rights belong to their respected owners. A/N: Apologies for the delay. Enjoy! x
Who Said it Was Fiction
Part IV
Somewhere down the hall they meet Cheshire cat, floating serenely, bored almost, but his large toothy grin lit up the whole of the dark corridor. Hermione lets Hatter discuss a deal, and worried that Alice was in trouble, though it was clear she could handle herself. The Red Queen is shouting orders to capture them through the keyhole of her prison, and Hermione can hear the Queen of Heart's soldiers running up the stairs, clanking their swords.
Cheshire took the Hatter's hat from his orange hair, and put it on, turning from cat, to man.
"The tapestries: there's a door to the cellar," Cheshire tells Hatter, before giving Hermione a reassuring glance. "Keep out of sight," he warns him. They watch the tapestry fall back into place and Hermione squeezes the Cheshire's hand - it's warm and feels furry, Crookshanks would be jealous, she thought.
Jabberwocky! The Red Queen's screams unsettle Hermione, and there's a hush among her guards.
Rodolphus swaggers into the hall, followed by what is left of his army: they are bruised and battered but still determined. He demands the return of the key, which he snatches from Hermione's outstretched hand, smirking when she winces. Once the Queen is free, the guards arrest Cheshire and Hermione, shoving them to their knees in a forced bow to their so-called Queen.
Hermione feels the cold blade against her neck and sees the Cheshire out of the corner of her eye, she clenches her fists forgetting all about her wand, which clattered to the ground.
"What is this?" Rodolphus touches it with the tip of his blade in disgust, however it dawns on him.
"It's a wand," Hermione said matter of factly.
"A wand? A WAND?" Bellatrix stood flabbergasted. "You... a, a WITCH?" she spat, aghast.
"Yes," Hermione said, raising her head to see Bellatrix clutching her heart.
Hermione listened to Bellatrix ranting to herself, occasionally Rodolphus would nod in agreement to everything she said. "Just like my sister...Daddy loved her most, because of her special gift! Well, I had to intervene, didn't I? He was a horrible, father. I taught him a lesson in the end. Come," and Hermione and Cheshire were taken to the courtyard where there was no sign of the Bandysnatch, Dormouse, Bayard or Alice. Had they escaped? Because Hermione could not remember this part of the book.
With the heavy steps of the guards following behind, they were led across the courtyard where Hermione realized the floor was made of marble, and resembled a chessboard. Cheshire climbed the stairs first, they creak with each step, and Hermione sees the axeman waiting patiently for their arrival, clad in black and silently sharpening his blade. Hermione eyed the council, but they did not move, instead they were waiting for Bellatrix's speech which came shortly afterwards.
"These two criminals have broken into my personal quarters and destroyed all my hats. For their lies and treachery, they shall lose their heads! You, Hatter, shall go first, followed by you, witch!"
Hermione felt Cheshire brush her arm as he walked passed, calmly and astutely, and Hermione had nobody to turn to for comfort but herself, she could see her wand sticking out of Rodolphus' trouser pockets and Bellatrix was yelling for the axeman, Macnair, to take position. Her ropes were digging into her wrists and she could hear Ron's frustrated voice in her ear telling her to do something - 'you're a witch for Merlin's sake!'
Taking a steady breath, Hermione raised her index finger and jabbed it sharply forward, thinking 'Accio wand!' But it was too late, as she caught her wand, Macnair's axe came crashing down upon Cheshire's head, and the Queen and Rodolphus cheered and clapped, hooting with glee at Hermione's horrified face...then, Cheshire, still pretending to be the Hatter, made his head float up into the air - he was grinning, the top hat suited him nicely, the ribbon rippling in the breeze. The council were pointing fingers and 'ohing' and 'ahing' and Bellatrix stamped her feet, she had quite the temper. Hermione felt relieved, and when Rodolphus tried to disarm her -
"Stupefy!" Hermione stunned him. He fell in a heap nearby a shocked Bellatrix. Hermione pointed her wand at the Queen, who jumped behind her council members for safety, and Hermione kept sending spells her way until every member of the council had collapsed - not dead- just a little bruised - she explained to the desperate Queen. Cheshire had floated down to sit on Hermione's shoulder, and twisted his face around to look at her with a fixed grin.
"Sister, that's enough!" Andromeda glided towards them in a white ball gown. Behind her, Hermione was impressed to see soldiers, dressed in white cotton with chess figures for heads. Alice rode the Bandysnatch and Bellatrix hissed. "Call off your Jabberwocky, this instance!" Andromeda instructed.
Hermione felt like somebody had thrown her into the black lake, she shivered, and saw a black cloud descend over them. Cheshire looked up to the sky and Hermione saw Bellatrix's men surround her, pointing their swords into the air and she too, looked up to see a Hungarian Horntail, it's barbed tail pounded and cracked the end of the chessboard, and it roared, agitated and blood-thirsty.
"Your champion, versus mine," Bellatrix stated, regaining her confidence. Rodolphus stirred, groaning loudly. Hatter walked straight over to Hermione, picked up his hat from Cheshire's head, and fixed it over his bright orange hair. "Alice," he said, like a gentleman, and crossed the board to help Luna's cousin down from her stead, though more menacing than a horse, Hermione thought.
Cheshire's tail wrapped itself around Hermione's neck as he drifted near her. "I have things to do, and places to be, you will be alright, won't you?" Hermione raised her wand, with a nod. "Yes, of course, you are a Hogwarts' witch, after all." Cheshire grinned, and soon all but his smile had disappeared. She blinked, and then even that, had gone. Hermione wondered where Cheshire had to be that was more important than fighting a Hungarian horntail, but she had been grateful to him.
Hermione wished she had Harry's firebolt broomstick - she thought of summoning it, then remembered Harry and Ron had quidditch practice most afternoons and didn't feel like breaking anymore of Harry's bones by suddenly taking his broom from him, mid-air. Alice was wearing silver armour and a grim smile, leaning against her sword - and Andromeda's chess figures had taken to the squares, while the Red Queen's, took to theirs.
"Are you ready Alice?" Andromeda asked in her sweet but gentle voice.
Alice nodded, catching Hermione's alarmed expression and sharing a small smile - Hermione could not watch and do nothing - but it seemed the fight was between Alice, the Champion and the Horntail - Bellatrix was pouting nearby, arms crossed, and Rodolphus, Hermione noticed had his hand on his sword's sheath. Keeping a close eye on him, she watched Alice bravely cross to the centre of the chessboard, and Hermione felt Andromeda lay a hand on her shoulder in comfort.
The Horntail roared and Alice reciprocated by waving her sword back and forth. Hermione bit her lip, nervously as the Hatter, the dormouse, bayard and the tamed bandysnatch grew quiet, watching. Alice lured the dragon away from them, and up a rocky precipice. Bellatrix seemed gleeful, raising her fist she yelled "OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!" and the soldiers charged forward - their swords clashed and suddenly Hatter's sword came inches to her face, stopping Rodolphus' from cutting her in two. They duelled, and Hermione was thankful, but he had left Andromeda defenceless, as cards were swarming over Bandysnatch's fur and digging their swords into his howling body - Dormouse and Bayard ripped into them, keeping them back, and the beast's paw scattered hundreds more.
"Bombarda!" Hermione yelled, running forwards as a castle had his head knocked off by a card's two swords. Andromeda stepped over the dazed cards, whispered a thank you and blew into the palm of her hand. Hermione was surprised to see a small ball of fire hovering there. "Go help, Hatter."
Hermione looked over her shoulder to see Hatter on the ground in a tight spot - Rodolphus picks up a fallen knight's horse head and raises it - Hermione intervened, this time the head stayed mid-air then it fell on his head, knocking him out, again. She felt some satisfaction in seeing him keel over, and went to help the Hatter stand. Alice was still fighting the Horntail and Andromeda, she glimpsed, blew into her palm once more, and the flames twisted and grew into long ropes that bound her sister - "No, I banned magic, how are you doing that? Let me go!" Andromeda shook her head.
Alice, Hermione saw, had nowhere else to run, the horntail's wings outstretched like a storm cloud and it reared its huge head, another terrifying roar and it lunged for Alice! She jumped off the cliff, throwing down the blade and chopped off its head. Its body tumbled, rolled and crashed through the rocks, tearing them down with it - Alice slid down its headless neck, blood had turned to chessboard green and blue, and she hopped from it before she got her shoes dirty.
Hermione wondered what Charlie would think about Alice killing a dragon, and Andromeda surprised her when she blew yet another substance over the dragon: a red powder... the jabberwocky was no longer a beast, its head, now human, rolled across the chessboard and glued itself to its body. He wore a crown, had grey hair and a tired smile. Even Alice looked surprised to see a man where a Hungarian Horntail had been seconds before.
"Daddy, daddy... Andromeda's not playing by the rules!" Bellatrix shouted.
The man cracked his neck and noticed Alice and her bloodied sword. "Thank you," he said, clasping her spared hand in his. "I had the biggest migraine, let me tell you." Andromeda left Bellatrix to her tantrum while she hugged her father. "The balance is restored, father. Magic has come back to Wonderland - thanks to you," she said turning to Hermione. "And of course, to my champion, and my valiant heroes," Andromeda said to everyone including the Hatter, who was rebuilding a fallen comrade piece by piece.
"Let's get you some tea," Andromeda said as she walked back to the castle, helping her father walk.
Hermione joined Alice, and Hatter hurried up behind her, shoving a flask into his jacket pocket.
"Hey? What about me? I'd like some tea?" Bellatrix shouted, and then Hermione saw Rodolphus crawl over to her side and burn his hands on her fiery ropes, then the Hare, who had been picking vegetables this whole time threw a carrot at his head for laughs. Hermione did what Harry would have done and extinguished the ropes, giving them both a second chance.
"It's not too late for you to apologise," she said, aware of the soldiers helping each other to their feet, white and red. Hermione turned her back and took a few steps... Rodolphus was arguing with Bellatrix and then he yelled, an agonising cry that made everyone in the vicinity look up.
"She stabbed me?! Me? Her most faithful knight?!" he spluttered, his hand on his wound.
Bellatrix was standing now. She raised her knife and Hermione summoned it to her, leaving the Queen defenceless. Andromeda was hurrying down the castle stairs, leaving beauty in her wake. The crown from her sister's head suddenly rose up into the air, and Hermione saw Cheshire beneath it, retrieving it like a loveable pet. Hatter was waiting nearby and called her to him. Alice came over as soon as Andromeda had called Bayard and the dormouse to escort her sister and Rodolphus to their new chambers, a prison tower with small cells where they would each punish the other with their existence, and finally where Andromeda could get some peace.
"What is it?" Hermione asked, taking the phial, and staring and the glowing blue and green liquid.
"Dragon's blood," Hatter smiled. "It has medicinal purposes, but right now, it's your way home."
Alice steadied Hermione before she could faint at the thought of drinking Andromeda's father's blood, but she had not thought of home for a long time, and they would probably be missing her. She wondered how mad McGonagall was going to be, and then if Dumbledore would believe it.
Andromeda was by her side whispering kind words of wisdom, then she thanked Hermione for all her help. Alice, she hadn't noticed before to that, held up a magazine upside down - "The Quibbler," she stated. "Luna leant me a copy, but I've finished reading it and I don't want it to get lost." Hermione promised to return it, and felt a little sad to be going. Hermione thanked the Cheshire and the Hare, who had offered her a carrot in passing, and told Alice to give Bayard and the Dormouse a hug for her. Hatter offered to walk her back to the forest, as she said she had one last person to say goodbye to.
Absolem was hanging from a tree branch in his cocoon when she arrived, and Hatter let her have a moment with him, keeping an eye out for the mischievous Tweedle brothers. He was calm, morose almost, as he explained, "I've come to the end of this life." Hermione understood, she felt like everything she had learnt and witnessed in Wonderland had transformed her and like Absolem she would be better for it. "Fairfarren, Hermione, perhaps I'll see you in another life...' and he disappeared beneath the cocoon.
Hermione and the Hatter walked the rest of the way beneath the glow of her wand light and some of the woodland creatures came to say goodbye. Hermione fixed the glasses of one and finally, although regretfully they reached the entrance to the rabbit hole. 'Nox,' she said to her wand. She was grateful to Hatter for his friendship and company. "Fairfarren, Hermione," Hatter said, taking off his hat and offering her his hand to shake. "We shall meet again."
She shook it, but could not leave things between them so formal, and so she hugged him tight, and sniffed back tears, half wanting to stay but she had exams to do and friends to take care of, and Luna to find. Hatter smiled, detaching himself, and wiping the tears from her cheeks. Hermione sighed, flicking open the lid to the dragon's blood and drank it all - it tasted like cranberries and Hermione found herself thinking it was a perfectly acceptable thing for it to taste like - then she was climbing from the hole with - she was sure - twigs and roots stuck in her already horrendous hair, and saw Luna Lovegood reading one of her Quibbler magazine nearby - and in her lap lay the white rabbit.
"Where have you been?" Hermione demanded, dusting off her clothes. "We've been looking for you everywhere!" Luna looked up dreamily. With a hospitable smile, she put her magazine aside to assist Hermione and the rabbit disappeared down its burrow. "I have so much to tell you! Oh - this is from Alice," Hermione gave Luna a crumpled magazine, suddenly apologetic. Luna smiled when Hermione asked her what day it was, and to her puzzled expression, answered:
"Time travels differently in Wonderland to here," Luna explained. "You can tell me all about your adventures, but first we're late for a very important date." Hermione heard Luna's words echo through her mind and she recalled the white rabbit, the drink me potion and Hatter's tea party...and she smiled to herself, gathering her books and hurrying after Luna - perhaps she wasn't mad after all.
A/N: Please review! Hope you enjoyed this, it's been fun. Thanks everybody for your support by either reading, RT'ing, favouriting or reviewing - it means a lot x