Author's note: Hermione is a 17yr old in real life so she doesn't have the trace on her anymore and the ministry being the bumbling fools they are, haven't noticed.

Chapter 10

'Miss Granger, if you would stay behind.' Hermione looked up from packing her bag to find Dumbledore's twinkling eyes looking kindly down at her.

'Of course sir.' She noticed Tom's gaze from beside her but determinedly looked anywhere but at him.

As everyone left the classroom she made her way towards the Transfiguration teacher and waited patiently for him to speak.

'Miss Granger, Christmas is fast approaching and I've come to realise that you don't have a place to stay.

'Of course you can stay here for the Christmas holidays but what in the long run Miss Granger? You cannot stay here in July.'

'I could rent a room sir. I did so before coming here.'

Dumbledore regarded her in amusement and she nervously bit her lip.

'You mean without casting magic at the owners, don't you?'

He chuckled before replying yes.

'I-I don't know then sir.'

'May I suggest an orphanage Miss Granger?'

She froze in surprise before whispering, 'That would work.'

'Excellent. I'll make a list of all orphanages both muggle and non-muggle for you to look over at another time. You may choose whichever one you like.'

'Thank you professor.'

Walking out she had a gut feeling that he knew what her mission was. It was impossible as she hadn't told a soul but he always did know what was going on somehow.

'Who would have thought that you were an orphan Granger? You hid it quite spectacularly I must say.'

Whipping around she came face-to-face with Tom who had apparently eavesdropped on the whole conversation.

'And?' she replied vehemently.

'Nothing.' He replied with a smirk before walking off to potions.

As he waited for Abraxas to arrive his thoughts drifted back to the annoyance that came in the shape of Hermione.

She had power. He knew that now. No first year had that level of power yet, enough to confund a grown wizard into submission.

Not only that but she had been acting a lot more serious for the past month or so. Surprisingly enough though he believed it to be her real self. The only thing though that truly surprised him was her attitude towards him now. She was still determined to spend all her free time with him but she kept her distance at the same time, as if forcing herself to stand next to him. This was the most puzzling thing he had to admit. He'd noticed her hardening her jaw only the other day when he smiled 'modestly' at Slughorn when the professor rewarded him 10 points for the potion he had made to perfection. It wasn't even because he had beaten her; she had received 10 points for her potion too. It was more like she had seen through him, the side that only Abraxas now knew of.

He'd have to reconsider his plan now. Was she friend or foe?

His musings were interrupted when the door opened to reveal Abraxas, Avery in tow.

Ah, time to have some fun.

His men stood around him in a circle, their arms linked together, their voices whispering the ritual's magic. He stood in the middle of the circle, arms outstretched, beckoning the shadows towards him.

As the air before him ripped apart he was overwhelmed with the darkness that surged through him in a rush, burning his blood and tainting his organs with black magic.

He stood there, beckoning the darkness with the promise of a vessel, until there was no more and without preamble he caged it all inside, dominating it and forcing its submission.

'Tell me who,' he whispered in the magic's language and watched in drunk bliss as the darkness obeyed him and hastily broke through the ground, following the most ancient roots towards Hogwarts.

'So I was right.'