Wow, it's been a long time guys. Well, I'm finally on holidays and my mid-sems are over so I can finally focus on this story again! :) Hopefully I've made up for the long awaited chapter by lengthening the chapter's length, yes? :)
Thank you to all your reviews and alerts again! It still amazes me to this day that you're still following this :)
Reyna Rocks: thank you :) for dolohov - why yes, it would be a shame if he did find out. unfortunately he's a slytherin to heart *cackles madly* lol, soz, but i cant tell you anything about him cos id just be spoiling everything :P but for tom - ive always thought that there has to be a difference between a smart student and a potential dark lord. thats why ive made him this good at magic already :)
who-needs-a-hero12: thank you, thank you, thank you! your comments really do leave me blushing :P and lol, it isn't a grudge exactly - more like a burning curiosity to know why she was put into slytherin. all i can say is that he really does know that she's up to something and well, whether he's right or not in his guess is yet to be seen :P
As mad as one can get: i...kk, i feel really bad for how long ive made you wait, but it's extra long! :D :D :D hope that makes up for the long break :)
Adams: LOL, i just burst out laughing when i read your review! totally left me smiling for the rest of the day :P and i know! im like the biggest romance lover ever but they are in yr 2 so im gonna take it slow for now - but not for too much longer! cos they are both older than everyone else in the way they think and behave and it's already like they're grown ups! so dw, not too much longer now till some romance comes! and wow, kk, originally i hadnt even thought of that. but now...well, let's just say its got me thinking :P
Alassea Riddle: ...i quite honestly cant agree or disagree with you cos that would just spoil the entire thing but...yeah, thanks for reviewing :P
AlwaysthereforTaraxx: That is the second person who's asked me that :P lol, kk, well i am taking that into consideration truth be told so i guess you'll just have to wait and see! :P
KraZiiePyrozHavemoreFun: maybe :P
happygoluckyfull: aww! im glad it did :D
thank you also to JordanGoombette and angrypixels for reviewing! you guys are just amazing :D :D
without further ado, i give you chapter 22 :D :D
Chapter 22
"Hey," Hermione plopped herself into the seat beside Elaine in the library, her books smashing quite haphazardly all over the table.
"So I've heard you're having trouble with Transfiguration again. Need any help?" She asked, praying to Merlin that Elaine wouldn't reject her again. She had shown Hermione that she still cared for her, if running after her was any sign, and Hermione could only hope that she hadn't truly lost her friend yet.
"My friends are helping me, thank you. I have to go now, I was planning to meet up with them and I'm late you see."
Elaine avoided looking into her eyes, hastily throwing her books into her bags and getting up.
Just before she started to move towards the exit, Hermione grabbed her hand and pulled herself up too.
"I'm not asking you to be my friend again Elaine. I'm asking you if you need a tutor who most probably knows more than your current friends." She couldn't help but put emphasis on that last word, her lips curling at the mere idea of it. Elaine had shown nothing but a pure heart last year and she'd be damned if she let those vile creatures get to her.
"Like I said, I already have help. Now if you'll excuse me," Elaine tried to pull her hand away from Hermione's but she didn't let go. How could she?
"Elaine! Be serious! You came after me that day because inside you know you're still that same girl from last year! Don't lie to yourself!"
Elaine froze, her emotions melting away in an instant. It took Hermione aback and she stumbled a bit, her eyes widening in disbelief.
"I came because I was told to, by Dolohov," she added slowly, putting the tiniest of emphasis on his name.
She had to warn Hermione without seeming to because though she had no idea what he wanted from her, she'd bet her family's manor that it wasn't something pleasant.
Hermione didn't deserve whatever Dolohov had planned for her. She was still asking herself how she even came about to be in Slytherin truth be told. Hermione should've been in Ravenclaw, or better yet Gryffindor come to think of it.
"D-Dolohov?"
"Yes, now if you'll excuse me." She easily pulled her arm free this time, Hermione still frozen in shock and possibly fear.
She ran out of the library as fast as was possible for her, ignoring the librarian's yells.
A few corridors down she leaned heavily on the wall, holding herself up on her knees while her breaths came out in gasps.
She refused to let any tears out, her father's stern face fresh in her mind. She'd be strong, she'd lie, and they would live in the end. Standing up, she straightened her spine and walked the rest of the way to the Slytherin common room.
Her family meant the world to her and she'd be damned if she let anything happen to them.
Professor Robert was sitting in his office when someone knocked lightly on his door at lunch. Calling them in, he neatly packed away the essays he'd been marking, sighing at the thirty or so F's. Children were so ridiculously inept these days.
As Hermione walked through his doors he couldn't help but chuckle at her perplexed face.
"Sir, I'm sorry to disturb you but I'm here regarding the test you handed back to us today. You gave me a B but not one question was wrong sir! I've double and triple checked them and they're simply not wrong!"
He could've sworn there was a tear in her eye by then.
Sighing he linked his fingers together and leaned forward a bit.
"Miss Granger, do you know why I quit my job and came here to teach at Hogwarts?"
Puzzled by the change in subject, she shook her head.
"Any teacher would've done really, but I wanted to inspire you all, to push you to your limits to become the best you can be. You are the future of this world Miss Granger and I will not accept half-hearted answers.
"I want you to dig deep into the spell or cure that you're learning about. I want you to dig deep into its very heart, into the very heart of magic actually. To find its secrets and explore its unsolved mysteries.
"That is why I did not give you a perfect 10. You just gave me a text-book answer, and although your answer was pretty extensive, it simply wasn't good enough."
He stopped talking for a second and chuckled at her mesmerised face.
"I see a lot of potential in you Miss Granger and that is why I will give you a second chance. If you fill out that test again for me the way I want you to, then I will give you full marks."
With that he dismissed her and she stumbled back to the door in shock.
He couldn't actually be asking that of her, could he? She was to him a mere second year. How could he expect that much? She wasn't even sure how to go about doing what he had asked of her and had no idea where to start. The library was empty of such books and she highly doubted that even the other teachers could help her here.
Thinking hard she walked through the corridors absent-mindedly as she contemplated this new challenge.
Just as she turned the corner she walked straight into Tom who was marching straight to Robert's classroom, a furious snarl present on his face. As she apologised, he seemed not to hear her and marched right past her. Grabbing his hand she tried to stop him, fearing for his victim, but then she noticed the paper in his hand with a neat B at the very top right hand corner.
Laughing she took both his hands in hers and turned him around.
"I've already gone to him, don't bother." That seemed to stop him in his tracks as he stopped trying to free himself of her and instead focused on her eyes.
"What do you mean?"
Smiling, she explained.
"He apparently wants us to dig deep into the very heart of the magic we're studying." Her voice had lowered into an imitation of his at the end and her smile widened as his lips twitched infinitesimally.
"Personally I have no idea how to go about doing that but-"
"You don't?"
She stopped for a moment, gazing at him curiously as she saw the truth in his eyes. He wasn't trying to deceive or mock her. He was honestly mystified that she didn't know how to do that.
"I…No."
They gazed into each other's eyes for a second more before that thin line of innocence cracked and crumpled under their feet. His smirk suddenly made an appearance again as he broke eye contact and walked back the way he had come.
"Well, that's just too bad Granger."
She stood there shell-shocked for the rest of the evening until a teacher came and asked her if something was the matter.
Shaking her head she hastily made her way back down to the library to try and solve the puzzle.
"The heart of magic." She murmured to herself as she skimmed the shelves of books in the library.
Her eyes narrowed at each book's title, her mind deciphering each of their meanings and walking past those that would not help her.
An hour had passed and not one book seemed to be able to help her.
"The heart of magic," She whispered again and her eyes unintentionally flew to the restricted section of the library where the books called her with their secrets of darkness.
Shaking her head she made her way past them and back to her chair by the window.
Looking across the grounds she saw the faint glimmer of water as the squid broke its surface lazily.
Some first years were there and from what she could tell, they were trying to dare each other into jumping into the lake with the squid. Laughing she looked past them to the Forbidden Forest, its leaves shaking in the light wind that rode across the earth that night.
Sighing she left the library for her dorms, confident that she'd figure it out tomorrow.
As she left, she once again missed the eyes that flashed wickedly as the torchlight flickered for a second into the alcove.
When she awoke the next morning she could feel almost instantly that something was amiss in the air.
Jumping up she forced her eyes awake and analysed everything around her.
Nothing seemed to be out of place and she cautiously made her way to her trunk to gather her clothes.
And that was where the problem was.
Her clothes were simply not there.
Rolling her eyes at her roommates who were unsuccessfully trying to act innocent, she simply transformed her clothes into their uniform and scourgified them for good measure.
Walking out as if nothing had happened she made her way to the Great Hall, a tiny smirk present on her face as she heard Rachelle's infuriated shrieks from behind her.
As she reached Tom, she attempted to sit down beside him but suddenly found herself on the floor instead. Laughs erupted all along the table but yet again she straightened herself up and got back on her stool, a bored yawn escaping her as she pointedly ate her bacon indifferently.
That entire week things went wrong for Hermione; Her dinner had fallen onto her skirt a minimum of three times, her bag ripped innumerous times in-between classes and she had pretty much resorted to living in her pajamas as she never found any of her other clothing. She took this all in her stride though, never missing a beat until Friday evening where she simply cracked.
"Now class, take out your books and begin reading chapter 4. Specifically pages 45 to 49."
As everyone grabbed their books she froze, pure anger roaring through her veins as she noticed her books were missing from her bag.
"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM?" She yelled to the class at large, slamming her bag down onto the desk and glaring at every student there.
"Miss Granger! 10 points from Slytherin and a detention tonight! Now sit back down!" The professor called out from the front of the classroom but Hermione ignored her, shaking her head furiously.
"I HAVE HAD IT WITH ALL YOUR IMMATURITY! GROW. UP!" With that she viciously accio-ed all her books back and stormed out of the classroom without a second glance.
She could hear the snickers behind her and savagely yelled "OPPUGNO" at the fast disappearing classroom.
The students' yells were music to her ears as she rounded the corridor.
That would teach them all a lesson.
And if it didn't, she had a lot more of that up her sleeves.
She hadn't included Tom or the professor in her attack though as she knew Tom had nothing to do with the previous pranks pulled on her.
"Bloody hell," she whispered under her breath.
As she sat eating her lunch peacefully later on, Slughorn nervously approached her.
"Miss Granger, if I could speak with you for a moment please?"
Nodding she got up and followed him out of the Great Hall. Leading her to his office he sat down behind his desk as she pulled up a chair.
"Miss Granger, this is the second attack that you've made against your fellow Slytherins and you are starting to concern many teachers, myself included. Now you already have a detention for today's display and I won't add to that, but be warned Miss Granger. If you attack one more student you will be facing disciplinary actions such as suspension from the school."
Shocked, she nodded her head and mentally berated herself for acting so foolishly.
"You are dismissed."
Just as she reached the doorway he stopped her again.
"Oh, and Miss Granger? Although I'm sure it was not you, I'd like to point out that the teachers are still looking for Mr. Greengrass' assailant from last year. If you continue to act like this you will indeed become a suspect in their eyes, especially since the level of magic you displayed before is that of a sixth year rather than a second year. Now off you go." Nodding, she made her way back to the Great Hall to see that lunch had finished already.
Sighing she made her way to Transfiguration where most of the class was already waiting for Professor Dumbledore to enter.
Passing the rest of the students who were currently glaring at her, she made her way to her seat and dejectedly sat down next to Tom.
"I'm assuming he wanted to talk to you about your ridiculous behaviour before?" His smirk irked her to no ends but she only nodded her head glumly.
"Personally I think they had it coming," he whispered to her just as Dumbledore called the room to silence.
For the rest of the lesson a small smile played on her lips even when her inkpot exploded just as she touched it.
Walking into the common room at night, the only thought swimming in her head was sleep.
Her tired eyes could barely take her across the empty room and up the stairs to her dorm, her yawns quite frequent as she reached for the door handle.
Just as she stepped in, she was greeted with Rachelle and Mary's screams.
"Who do you think you are mudblood? Attacking us purebloods like that! You should be thankful you only got a detention for…"
She zoned out their voices almost immediately, having no wish to listen to those mad girls. Just as she passed Elaine's bed she heard a sniffle from behind the curtains and immediately froze in regret.
She had forgotten to exclude Elaine from her assault against the students.
Rushing to her side, she flung the curtains aside and threw herself against the still crying girl.
"I'm so sorry Elaine! I didn't mean to hurt you! I-"
"Stay away from her mudblood!" Rachelle screamed, stomping up to her and pulling her hair back.
"Ow! Let go!" Hermione swung her hand around in a punch but missed by an inch as Mary too lunged at Hermione.
"You are pathetic, you know that! You-"
"Oh for Merlin's sake!" Pulling out her wand she stupefied the two of them and left them lying on the floor.
"Grow up, you idiots."
She made her way to her bed, whispering a small, "I really am sorry Elaine," before pulling her curtains closed and locking them.
Professor Robert was enjoying his tea a few days later when Hermione stormed into his office unannounced and fuming.
"How in Merlin's beard am I supposed to get to the heart of the magic?" She yelled, slamming down her test paper on his desk.
His pointedly raised eyebrow sent her blushing as she hastily murmured a small sorry.
"Not to worry, Miss Granger. I thought you would have some problems finding the answer so I've dug up this old book of mine that I've had for nearly 10 years now. My father gave it to me, you see, and it's been passed down from father to son for a few generations now, but I think I'll let you borrow it for a while since I've memorised everything in it anyway." Smiling he tugged open his drawer and handed her the book inside.
"Thank you," her eyes glittered as she carefully accepted the old and torn tome from him; its magic already calling to her.
"I'll expect it back by the end of the week Miss Granger, as well as your test paper. Now off you go," He waved her away and she hugged the book closely to her chest before skipping out.
"What's that you're reading?" Tom asked her as he sat down beside her in the common room, quizzically trying to read the title of the book in her hand.
"I've never seen it in the library before."
"Hmm?" Hermione looked up at him before handing him the book.
"Professor Robert lent it to me."
Tom cautiously took the book from her and flipped to the first page. Almost instantly, his nostrils flared with the sour smell of magic exuding from the book.
"Something the matter?" She asked as she noticed his stiffened posture.
He didn't answer, simply handing the book back to her.
"Of course not. Seems useless to me."
Laughing she flipped back to the page she was on.
"That's because you only opened to the first page Tom. It's quite fascinating really."
He didn't know what to make of her distant eyes as her eyes ran across the words inside.
"Mm." He muttered before pulling out his own homework and starting it.
Hermione was mesmerised by the book Robert had given her. So mesmerised that she began to forget herself little by little.
"Hermione!" Raven called out to her as she made her way down to potions.
Turning around she found him yet again running to catch her and waited patiently for him to do so.
"I thought you were going to tutor me yesterday, unless I mixed up the dates?" Her eyes widened briefly as she suddenly remembered her promise.
"Oh, I'm so sorry Raven! It slipped my mind. How about Saturday night? Is that okay?"
"Er, sure."
"Great!" She turned back round, the conversation already out of her head.
"Wait! Hermione!" He suddenly grabbed her by her shoulder and turned to meet her.
"I-Are you alright?"
"Of course." She answered him perplexed.
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"I heard your classmates kept pranking you. Not to mention some of the older students too. Are they still at it or something?"
"No, no. They've stopped."
"Oh. Okay, then. Are you sure you're alright? You can talk to me if you have no one else to go to, you know."
Hugging him fleetingly, she replied.
"Thank you, but I'm good. Just been a bit busy recently."
"Well, if you're sure," he still wasn't convinced truth be told. She seemed…detached in all honesty.
"I am," she replied smiling, and with that continued on her way, tightening her hands around the book she had been carrying.
"Today, you will be brewing the Hair-Raising Potion. Now I don't think I need to tell you what it does as it's quite self-explanatory. You'll find the ingredients on page 23 in your books and whoever completes their potion first to perfection will receive 15 points to their house."
Without even bothering to open her book, she made her way to the ingredients cabinet and pulled out the necessary ingredients.
Her mind was still focused on the mind-enthralling words of the book given to her by the professor, but she never missed a step and was second only to Tom in finishing her potion.
"Well done, Miss Granger. 5 points to Slytherin." Nodding, she waited for the rest of the class to finish, pulling out her book again and continuing to read its many secrets.
"Are you never going to finish that?" Tom asked her but she didn't hear him and continued to memorise every word she saw.
Tom looked at her reading and felt the faintest trace of worry within him.
He didn't really know what to make of the tome and the fact that it had been given to her by Professor Robert irked him for some reason.
No, he was only curious, he reassured himself. Nothing else. Just before the class was dismissed he spared her one more glance, his stomach churning unpleasantly inside of him.
As the week drew to an end she sadly made her way to Professor Robert's classroom to return the book.
"Ah, Miss Granger. How did you find it?"
"Most enlightening sir, although I still have some questions." She answered as she handed in her test paper again.
"Of course," he smiled kindly down at her. "Did you want to discuss them at some time?"
"Of course!" She jumped at the chance to further explore this new world that she had found.
Robert chuckled at her enthusiasm.
"Would this Saturday do Miss Granger? Say around 7pm?"
"Yes!" She answered in glee, her eyes lighting up with happiness.
"Well, I'll see you then. Off you go now," he waved her away and she happily made her way out of the classroom.
"Ah, finally rid of that book I see. How was it?" Tom asked her that night as she completed her charms homework.
"Very illuminating." She spared him no glance though as she continued to write her essay absent-mindedly.
"Do you even know what you're writing?" He asked her quizzically when he noticed that not even her eyes were on the parchment.
"Of course," she murmured.
Clicking his fingers in front of her, he huffed when she didn't respond.
"Granger!" No answer.
"Mudblood!" He yelled, getting impatient.
"Hm?" She finally locked eyes with his curiously.
"Do you mind not calling me such pathetic names?" She asked him before once again zooming out of focus.
"Oh for Merlin's sake!" Getting up he left his seat beside her to look for Dolohov or Avery. Anyone really would do right now.
"She's been acting quite odd for the past few days, I must say," Dolohov whispered in that sly voice of his as he joined him across the room.
"Yes, she has." He agreed but hastily changed the subject.
"We'll meet tonight. Alert the others. There's something important I'd like to share with you all." His eyes had turned into those of a killer within that one second and Dolohov bowed his head in such a way that someone watching them would never take it to be a bow.
"Of course."
Hermione practically ran to his office the following evening after dinner. Her eyes, still distant as they'd been this entire week, did not see Dumbledore as she ran straight into him when she turned the corner.
"Sorry, sir."
His calm blue eyes twinkled quietly over his half-moon spectacles as he took in her anxious state.
"Not to worry, Miss Granger. Although I must say I'm curious about where you're heading to in such a rush."
"I'm off to see Professor Jones." She quickly told him, her smile broadening at the very prospect. "We are to talk of my answers to his quiz and I really don't want to be late professor," she added in a rush, unconsciously tapping her foot against the floor impatiently.
"Well, I would hate to delay you. On your way then Miss Granger," he dismissed her, smiling as she rounded the corner. That girl had such a thirst for knowledge that he couldn't help but remember himself all those years ago when he was a child.
It would explain her vagueness in our lessons this week, he added to himself, smiling as he solved that mystery.
Walking away, he quietly hummed a muggle tune under his breath, his fingers tapping out the tune against his robes.
"Ah, Miss Granger. Punctual as ever I see."
Smiling, her eyes finally focused on the world around her.
"Yes, sir."
"Would you like a cup of tea?" He asked her, offering her a plain white cup from a tray sitting on his desk.
"No thanks." She quickly declined, beginning to jump in her chair in excitement.
"Well then, what's your first question?"
"The book you gave me talked of understanding ones own magic as the first step to understanding how the world around us works. It talked of spells that would let you see inside yourself to the magic that exists there. I've tried it myself of course but it hasn't worked for me and I don't know why!"
"Miss Granger. The spells mentioned are not meant for twelve year olds, you must understand."
"But sir, I have already mastered spells not meant for my age and I do not see why this should be an exception. I've triple checked the wand movement and incantation and it's simply not working."
He gave her a calculating look before sighing.
"Very well. Would you like me to help you?"
"Yes please!" She exclaimed, jumping out of her seat.
"How about tomorrow evening? I'm not quite feeling up to it tonight." He said, laughing at her eagerness.
A blush quickly spread across her cheeks as she restrained her energetic self.
"That's fine, sir."
"Excellent. Now was there any part of the theory that confused you? I know that the book contained information only meant for an adult but-"
"Oh no," she interrupted him. "I understood most of it. One part though in particular I had trouble with. It didn't fully explain the concept behind its words."
"Which chapter would that be?" He asked her, his exterior face all too curious about what she was confused about considering she had understood the rest of the text.
"It was chapter 5."
"Ah, the link between yourself and nature, yes?"
"Yes. It spoke of the link and what one can do once linked, but it didn't exactly say how to link yourself with nature."
"Miss Granger…that is really beyond your years. I was only ever expecting you to understand chapter 1, and only just. Secondly, you cannot possibly know how until you've mastered that first spell to see within yourself."
"Sir, please!" She really was begging him now. She wanted to explore this branch of magic more so than ever.
After a second of silence he slowly nodded his head.
"Very well, Miss Granger. I see potential in you and so I will teach you. Tomorrow at 7 then."
"Thank you sir!" She could hug him, she really could, but instead walked away smiling.
"Hermione! There you are! I was beginning to think you'd forgotten me again!" Teased Raven as she entered the library.
Stopping in her tracks her mind instantly shot to their previous conversation and her promise to tutor him.
"Oh, of course! Sorry I'm late. I was…delayed."
"Not to worry." He smiled up at her kindly, patting the seat next to him.
Amused, she forced herself to forget about Robert and his new magic for an hour.
"And where have you been for the past few hours my dear friend." She walked into the common room to find Tom sitting on 'his' chair in front of the fire, patiently waiting for her.
He was really getting better at the whole 'friend' thing, she thought to herself absent-mindedly.
"Study," she murmured, walking past him to the couch a few metres away.
She ruffled through her bag and pulled out her Transfiguration homework with the purpose of finishing it tonight.
"You seem more…alive today," he commented idly, watching her for her reaction.
"Really?" She looked up at him to see his narrowed eyes searching her own for some clue or something.
Shaking her head, she went back to her homework.
"I feel the same."
"Of course," and with that he leapt out of his chair and out of the common room.
Now that she was out of the way, he could focus once more on the castle.
Walking the corridors, he forced himself to concentrate on his magic and any slight bumps it might feel.
Passing the second floor corridor he instantly remembered that retched girl vomiting from before and instantly felt sick. Hurrying along he felt his magic tug unpleasantly as he walked closer and closer.
Stopping in his tracks, he slowly turned his head to the bathroom in amazement.
Could it be?
R&R :D :D