Chapter three
Memories pounded Hermione. Memories she did not even know she possessed. Suddenly one shot out from the ray of confusion.Hermione recognised her mother, except now she was much younger.
"Hermione? Hermione?" her mother called out.
"In here mum!" came the reply, and Hermione followed her mother has she walked into a room. Hermione could hardly place her surroundings, yet it all seemed very familiar to her, as if she had been here many times before. Sure indeed, in the room which Hermione's mother entered, Hermione following slightly behind, Hermione came face to face with herself. To be exact it was a much younger Hermione.
Hermione gasped in surprise. There she was, as a child, sitting in this peculiar place with such ease, that it was hard to believe that Hermione had never been here before. Hermione looked around. The walls were of stone, similar to the old castles she had seen in the countryside. Yet the room had a feeling of warmth, as if it was used often and was filled with life, unlike the dead and dreary castles she had seen. In this room particular books lined the shelves which covered the walls.
It was her ideal haven, one which the younger Hermione seem to agree with. Hermione stopped observing the room and turned her attention back to her mother and her younger self. To her astonishment, the younger Hermione opened her mouth and spoke a torrent of words, in a language Hermione had never heard of before. What was even more surprising was that Hermione could understand those words and she followed with ease the conversation between her mother and her younger self.
The younger Hermione and her mother then started to busy themselves with clearing the room, picking up the various books Hermione (her younger self) had read and placed on the floor. While they occupied themselves, Hermione glanced at a book which lay open on a table. The page was open to a gruesome creature with large teeth and fins, it had three slits, which seemed to serve for eyes and three tail like propellers. At the bottom of the page, Hermione read the caption.
"Gumboaz, a distant cousin of the normal deep water Grinylow" She gasped in shock. Here she was, a child which seemed no younger than 7, and she was reading about Grinylows. Hermione shook her head in confusion. She was quite sure that she had not learned about Grinylows till her fourth year in Hogwarts and she had only finished Gumboaz in fifth year.
Hermione sighed and followed her mother and her self out of the room. They then crossed the corridor, and entered a curving stairway. As they ascended the step steps, Hermione and her mother chatted pleasantly in the same foreign language. The younger Hermione sometimes reverted back to English, on which her mother would frown gently at her, and Hermione would hurriedly repeat her sentence in the unknown language.
They finally reached the top of the stairway where Hermione's mother disappeared into the next room. This was probably a common occurrence as the younger Hermione waited patiently outside, rocking on her heels, and humming a dismal tune.
By now, Hermione had realised that they could not see or hear her, so she stood right next to her younger self, observing herself. Minutes later, Hermione's mother appeared from the room, with a large book under her arm. She passed the book to the anticipating younger Hermione, who flipped through it. It was then that Hermione realised that the book she held was none other than her own 'book'.
Out of the corner of her eye, she observed her mother locking the door, she was quite sure that she had used a spell, but as the younger Hermione had chose not to observe that, Hermione could only presume.
Hermione followed the duo down the stairs and out of the building.
Hermione looked back, to observe the building. Indeed it looked like a castle, a tall stone building with turrets. Hermione's mother signalled for the younger Hermione to carry on, and Hermione followed her younger self as she walked down on the slope on which the castle stood on and turned the corner, till the castle could no longer be seen. Her younger self was ardently reading the book and thus she did not hear the shouts which ensued.
Hermione heard them, and hurriedly ran towards them. They were coming from the direction of the castle. The sight which met her almost made her scream. Her mother was lying on her knees, her face upturned to a hooded figure. Blood ran from her temples and her lip was cut.
"I'll say it one more time, where is the bloody book woman?"
Hermione heard a short gasp, and turned in that direction. Her younger self had crept around the corner and had arrived just in time to hear the man's warnings. Hermione watched as her younger self glanced down at the book in her arms, putting two and two together.
"You'll never find it! Ohdungal ain papa!" Hermione's mother's voice echoed through the surroundings.
Hermione understood. It meant run my child.
She watched as her younger self did not move, but instead lay in a depression, burying the book under some hedge, as softly as she could.
"Shut up bitch!" Hermione gasped as the man punched her mother, blood seeped from her cut lip, mixing from the river trickling from her temple.
It was then that Hermione realised that the castle had vanished. She looked around in surprise. Suddenly from over the hill four other men appeared.
"We can't find any sign of it, the building as well." they uttered.
"Damn it!" the hooded man exclaimed throwing a hard punch to her mother. Hermione silently screamed as her mother collapsed to the floor. She turned to her younger self who was observing all this silently, her eyes wide and vacant. Hermione tried to send her some reassurance, before running to her mother's side. She couldn't do anything to help, except try to send emotional supportive vibes. Hermione, both young and current watched helplessly as their mother lay wounded on the ground.
Then as suddenly as they had arrived, the five men disappeared, not without delivering a parting blow. The apparent leader drew out his wand and cast "Crucio" on her mother. Hermione screamed in pain.
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Hermione woke up screaming. Tears trickled from her eyes as she recalled her mother's pain. She felt a pair of arms encircle her and she turned to them, her body wracking with sobs as she cried into his chest. He patted her head awkwardly. Hermione cried her heart out, and slowly she grew tired, drained, as if she had not slept for ages, slowly she fell asleep, her head cuddled against his chest.
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The sun shined into Hermione's face, awakening her. Slowly she woke, to find herself in the hospital wing. Harry was snoozing on an armchair drawn to her bedside and Ron and Pansy were sharing a love seat, opposite her bead. Hermione raised her eyebrow at the two, they certainly seemed close, she thought to herself.
Her gaze then travelled across the room, where she was met with a sight she could hardly believe. Draco Malfoy was curled in an arm chair directly opposite her bed. Hermione stared at him, he was last person she had expected to see in that room. She rubbed her eyes in disbelief. Draco, feeling her eyes on him awoke. Hermione hurriedly turned to Harry on her right, a frown sketched on her face.
"Don't worry Granger, I won't tell Scar head and Weasley that you were staring at me, while I was sleeping." Hermione turned to him and frowned deeper.
"Don't get your hopes up Malfoy."
"Admit it Granger you find me irresistible" Draco stated raising his eyebrows suggestively.
She rolled her eyes. "Yes, just about as irresistible as Sirius's mother."
Malfoy simply snorted.
"Idiot" she whispered under her breathe, turning to her right, where Harry was showing signs of awakening.
She nudged him slightly, hoping to wake him up further."Five more minutes…mhhmmh." Harry murmured, swatting Hermione's hand away.
"See Granger nobody wants you." Malfoy added upon seeing, Harry's reaction.
She ignored him. "Harry, wake up!" She said, a bit more assertively, prodding his shoulder.Harry lifted his head slightly and his eyes met with Hermione's. "Hermione!" he shouted hurriedly jumping to his feet, all effects of sleep washed from his face.
"The one and only." She replied with a smile.
"You're awake." Harry added his eyes speaking volumes. Looking at the lines of worry etched across his forehead, Hermione felt guilty. He had obviously been very worried about her. Trying to lift the mood, Hermione questioned in a light hearted tone, "How long was I out, did I miss much?"
Harry let out a chuckle, "Nah, Hermione, it's the school break, there are no lessons so there is nothing to miss- what happened to you anyway? When you spoke those words the entire room lit up and when it cleared, you were out stone cold."
"Was I?" Hermione questioned, rubbing the back of her head.
"Yes-"
"I am here!!!" A red head came screaming down the hallways and rushed into the hospital room.
"Ginny?"
"Oh no, not more weasels." Malfoy whispered under his breathe.
Ginny ignored him. "Hermione! you're awake!" She gave her an impulsive hug. "I was awfully worried, Harry told me everything and I rushed down as soon as mum allowed it. What's Ferret boy doing here?" She questioned.
Hermione shrugged nonchalantly, she was not going to tell Ginny that that very same question had been troubling her ever since she woke. Instead, she turned around to face Pansy, who was awaking probably due to Ginny's loud arrival.
She smiled at Hermione before retrieving herself from Ron's singular arm and coming to sit by Hermione's bedside, next to Malfoy.She nodded in greeting to Harry and Ginny. Ginny smiled awkwardly, shooting Hermione a questioning look. "Later" Hermione mouthed. Ginny nodded in assent.
"Oh, before I forget, I bumped into Professor Dumbledore, and he told me to tell you, all, to go to the great hall for breakfast. That's queer, he mentioned all six of us, so I suppose he knew that Hermione would be awakening today."
Upon hearing that, Draco sauntered out of the Hospital wing without a word, Pansy following his lead shortly after.Ginny rolled her eyes. "Slytherins" she muttered, shaking her head.
"Shall we wake Ron?" Hermione questioned, eyeing her best friend who was currently slumped in the opposite love seat, in deep sleep.
"Leave it to me!" Ginny smiled, a mischievous twinkle in her eye.
Peering over her brother, she conjured a bucket of water and poured it over him, at the same time yelling for him to get up. Ron woke up with a start. Seeing Hermione bent over with laughter opposite him, he assumed it was all her doing. Jumping to his feet he bellowed her name and chased after her as Hermione ran out of the Hospital wing, insisting she had nothing to do with it.
Harry doubled over with laughter as he heard their footfalls fade down the hall. "Ginny, you can come out now, they are gone."
"Finally!" Ginny exclaimed jumping out from behind the curtain where she had hidden, coming to Harry's side.
"Are red heads always this mischievous or is it just something you ate today" Harry baited her, his green eyes smiling.
"Harry!" Ginny exclaimed, punching his arm lightly.
"Not to mention extremely abusive as well." He added, rubbing his shoulder.
Ginny huffed and turned her back to him, pouting slightly.
Harry cracked a grin and placed his arm around her shoulder. "I missed you" he whispered into her ear.
"That tickles." Ginny murmured as his breath warmed her ear. She then turned her face up to kiss her boyfriend, a smile on her lips. "You too." She added, as his arm slipped down to her waist and they sauntered out of the Hospital wing together.
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