This may be one of the longest chapters I've ever posted. It may not look like much, but it took an eternity to plan and write. Enjoy!
All Hermione could see were the Doctor's shoulders heaving up and down, as if he were gripped by some great emotion.
"Doctor," she said, "who on earth was that?"
He did not turn. "Donna Noble. She ... used to travel with me."
"Used to?" The Doctor spoke no words but turned to face her. He was breathing heavily, and for a moment she thought she saw his eyes shimmer with unshed tears.
"Nobody lasts for long," he said quietly. Hermione felt a jab of fear.
"Doctor, is she – " He turned swiftly.
"So!" he said in a falsely bright tone. "We've got a great big empty rift here just ripe for the picking. Whatever are we going to do with that, I wonder?"
"What's a rift?" Harry asked curiously.
"A rift! A rift is a...it's difficult to explain actually." He thought for a moment. "Think of
three sheets of paper lying on top of each other. One of them is time, the other is space, and on the very bottom is the vortex. It's not a perfect example, space and time actually weave in and out of each other, neither is dominant. But anyways, the vortex is always running underneath the other two layers, but it never rises to the surface because it's always suffocated by the others." He pushed one hand down with the other and made a swooshing noise. Harry blinked. "So all we normally experience is the time and space layers. But once in a while, those layers wear thin and tear, and we catch a glimpse of the vortex running rampant underneath." He spread his arms wide to encompass
the vortex behind him. "And those rips form rifts."
"And what is the vortex?" questioned Hermione.
He laughed. "Nobody knows! Isn't that wonderful? Nobody has ever gone through it and lived to tell the tale. In fact, on Gallifrey it's part of a young Timelord's initiation process to look into the Vortex."
Hermione was amazed. "Did you?"
"Yes."
"What did you see?"
"I saw everything. Everything that ever was, ever has been, ever will be, ever might be, ever might have been. The whole shibang! But before you ask, I don't remember most of it. Remember the layers?"
Harry and Hermione nodded.
"They reasserted dominance as soon as I stopped looking. Anything about my own timeline or those of people I come in contact with was erased from my mind."
Harry looked as fascinated as Hermione felt. "What did it feel like?"
"Like the flesh was being ripped from my bones, to put it mildly. The Vortex does something
to your body on a molecular level – rearranges it. Even just looking into it can drive you mad."
Hermione thought privately that that was probably true in the Doctor's case.
"Which is why we're going to do a swan-dive straight into it." He must have felt the shock emanating from the two people behind him, because he laughed. It sounded even madder than usual. Hermione wondered if the shock of seeing his former companion's face had driven him a little over the edge. "Sonic, check. Rift, check. Ronald Bilius Weasley – big empty space. So what do we do?"
"Something mad," muttered Harry.
"I will take that as a compliment, Harry!" the Doctor beamed.
"How exactly do you plan on getting us to Gallifrey through the rift?" Harry questioned, a
little apprehensively. "You said the vortex 'ran rampant'."
"And they said Hermione was the smart one," the Doctor said, winking to take the sting out of his words. But Hermione felt a little miffed all the same. "That's where the sonic comes in! I'll use it to focus the vortex stream so that we can go straight to Gallifrey, at the moment when Ron is there."
"Is it safe?"
"Safe-erific!" All three winced. "Yes, well, that sounded better in my head. Safer than safe. Weeeeell, mostly. Weeeeell, maybe ninety percent. Weeeell, sixty. Erm, on a scale of the Titanic to a Swiss vault, it's unsinkable."
Harry's eyes widened behind his glasses. "But the Titanic was unsink-"
"I haven't time for mundane concerns, Harry. It's time for science." The Doctor whipped out his screwdriver and pressed the button, pointing it at the rift and murmering to himself.
Harry edged closer to Hermione. "Is it just me," he muttered, "or does he seem...a little more off his rocker-ish than before?"
"Well, we've only known him for about twenty four hours, so maybe this is normal," whispered Hermione.
Harry sighed. "It's weird. I feel like I've known him before. For some reason I trust him, you know?"
Hermione nodded. She wasn't one to just go with her gut feeling, but she understood what he meant. "Me too. He reminds me of – of Dumbledore. A little insane, but brilliant." But despite that feeling of trust, she couldn't help but replay the Doctor's words in her head. Nobody lasts for long...Ron Weasley, the love of her life, was already gone – and she and Harry were about to risk their lives plunging into a mysterious rift in time and space. How long would they last? And she couldn't help but think that perhaps the Doctor had another motive for wanting to get through the rift: he wanted to pursue his lost companion, the mysterious Donna.
"Hermione," the Doctor said over his shoulder, "would you do me the favor of repeating that spell you used earlier? The sonic's having a hard time focusing."
She moved forward and pointed her wand. "Amplifico." The odd noise emitting from the screwdriver increased.
The Doctor stared at her wand, fascinated. "Amazing. The properties are so very sonic-like. It seems to enlarge the properties of the up and down quarks. But that's science. Hermione Granger, has it ever occurred to the brightest witch of this age that magic may just be extremely advanced science?"
She smiled. "All the time! The warlock Mopsus discovered distinct proof that the Wingardium spell, for example, simply adjusts gravity to the same level as that of space – "
All of a sudden an unearthly scream split the quiet forest air. The edges of the rift stopped flickering rainbow and turned blood-red; the scenes depicted in the center started shifting faster than ever before until it was nearly impossible to discern a single one clearly.
"This is it!" The Doctor roared. He grabbed their hands."Hold on and pray to Rassilon that we don't get eaten by Vortex Wraiths!"
"Wha – " Hermione started. And then the Doctor leapt forward into oblivion and there was no more sound.
(hopefully the linebreak thingy inserted itself. I cannot for the life of me figure out how it works.)
The Vortex combined the discomfort of Apparition with the disorientation of dreaming.
It felt like being squeezed through a too small tube. There was no oxygen, but Hermione did not need to breathe. There was no space, but she couldn't feel anything around her. She tried to scream. She heard nothing. But there wasn't silence either. There was nothing to see, yet there was no darkness.
Total sensory deprivation, she thought in terror.
Then her senses rushed back like the weight of the ocean flooding over her and she gasped. With a start she realized she had heard the sharp intake of air. She was still gripping the Doctor's hand.
"Is this Gallifrey?" she whispered. It felt like they were looking through a window. The view before them was blurry, and the edges shimmered in rainbow hues just as those of the rift had done. It was a richly furnished room covered in ornate wallpaper, with delicate little tables holding fragile-looking artifacts. Bookcases covered the walls. Hermione recognized a few of the titles – written by wizards. They were in a wizarding house, then? An opulent carpet covered the floor, but Hermione could not feel it. When she looked down she was shocked to see that her feet were translucent.
"Are we ghosts?" asked Harry, his voice remarkably steady. Hermione glanced at him and almost shrieked when she saw that he and the Doctor were opaque as fog. Looking down at herself, she saw that she looked identical.
"No," said the Doctor dully. "This is still earth. I failed. And we aren't ghosts. We exist, but it's like we're behind glass, viewing a film. We cannot interfere in whatever happens. And whatever you do, don't touch the glass. It could crack the space/time continuum and send us right back to where we were before." Even excepting his spectral appearance, he looked awful. There was no lively light in his eyes, and his head was lowered.
"Are you all right?"
"Never been through the vortex without my TARDIS before," he mumbled. "I feel awful. Why, how do you feel?"
"My stomach hurts a little, but I'm fine," answered Harry.
The Doctor raised his head incredulously. "You're joking."
Hermione tentatively voiced a thought she'd been nursing almost since they'd climbed aboard the TARDIS. "Doctor, what you said before...I think magic and science are more closely related than people realize. Traveling through the vortex felt just like Apparition. The Time Turners and the TARDIS have obvious similarities. And what you said about wands and the sonic screwdriver having similar properties...maybe that's not just coincidence. Maybe wands are like advanced sonic screwdrivers."
"Well, that explains why the traveling affected me more than you," said the Doctor. "You two are used to traveling through the space continuum exposed. But I don't see how wands and screwdrivers could possibly be related. Sonic technology is too far in Earth's future."
"Just the properties, though," persisted Hermione. "Think about it. The sonic amplifies objects' abilities; the wand amplifies abilities. The sonic can unlock doors and the Alohomora charm does the same."
"Wait just a moment," he said excitedly. She could see the earlier enthusiasm he had first exhibited towards magic return. "What was it you said about the Wingardium spell?"
"It changes the field of gravity around an object."
"Exactly. What if it causes a rift in the space layer? Not the time, just the space. What if it changes the area dimensions around the object so that the gravity is not that of earth but that of space?"
She was entranced by the idea. "That could be it. But how would the field of dimension be contained around the object? Nothing else floats around it."
"A protective field. A container of sorts that keeps the magic specific to that one object."
"But how – "
"People," warned Harry.
Hermione looked around. There were indeed people entering the room. Four of them, to be precise.
Five if you counted Donna Noble following them, a look of weary confusion written on her face.
"Doctor," said Harry.
"I see her," said the Doctor. "Donna?" he called softly. She did not acknowledge him, but watched the other occupants of the room with a lost look in her eyes. "She's in a different rift loop," he said wistfully, almost to himself. "Still behind the glass, but in a separate room."
They watched as the four people arranged themselves around one of the lavish tables. On it resided a glass display case with a golden locket and chain. Beside the Doctor, Harry leaned forward.
"Here is the artifact, my lords," said the oldest-looking. "My son will remove it from the display for you."
One of the others, a young man who appeared resentful at being ordered around, tapped the case with his wand. It opened, and the necklace flew into the air like a freed bird. It revolved slowly around the room.
Harry got a funny look on his face. "I know that locket." He met Hermione's eyes, and recognition hit her like a freight train.
"That's Slytherin's locket," she whispered. She felt a phantom weight around her neck as she remembered carrying the loathsome Horcrux around for months. The Doctor twitched in recognition, but his eyes remained fixed on Donna.
"What in the name of Merlin is it doing here?" he cried. "We destroyed the bloody thing months ago – "
The old man continued to speak. "I think you'll find, my lords, that it is a genuine artifact, with Slytherin's clear mark on it. You may examine it for yourselves."
"We shall take your word for it, Mr. Gaunt," said one of the other wizards.
Hermione felt shell-shocked. "Gaunt – "
"Voldemort's ancestors," said Harry.
"Consider the Wizengamot position yours," said the last wizard. "It shall be an honor to have a wizard with so prestigious a bloodline counsel us."
"As well as one with so hefty a purse," added his friend smoothly. He slipped his hand into his robes, and Hermione heard the clink of coins. "Your...donation to the Wizengamot is certainly appreciated."
"Snake," said the Doctor. "Bribery seems to come easily to him – DONNA, NO!"
He shouted the last part and Harry and Hermione cringed as a loud, reverberating crack shook the house. Donna froze with outstretched hand.
"What's happening?" cried Hermione.
"She touched the glass," moaned the Doctor. "Oh, Donna, no!"
Fragments started materializing in the air. Judging by the cries of the four men, they were visible to the material world as well. The air shimmered disconcertingly, and with an ominous sense of deja vu Hermione was reminded of the Department of Mysteries, where the time barrier had shattered. She could see scenes shimmering to life in the fragments, just like in the rift.
The old man gave a sudden scream. One of the time fragments had buried itself in his chest, but instead of blood, golden light spurted out. He fell to the ground. His son shrieked too as he was bathed in the light. The other two wizards ran as the younger Gaunt fell to his knees beside his dying father, apparently heedless of the blinding golden rays now coating him.
One of the fragments zoomed towards Harry, Hermione and the Doctor. Harry shouted and threw his hand out in front of them in protection – and then they were writhing away again through the suffocating vortex.
Adios and Aloha. That is a wrap! For now.
And before you ask, no, Harry is not a Timelord. Neither is Donna. Just the Doctor.
Reviewwww! I'll post regardless, but it's like opening a Christmas present every time I get a notification. And it's not just pajamas from my Gran either. It's a bicycle, guys. With a bell and tassels on the handles.
Thanks to all the lovelies who reviewed last chapter! I'd love to hit 85 if possible :)
love,
americanathogwarts