Chapter 9

Hermione had circled the Great Hall of the third time, looking for the Doctor, when his tall frame ran into her. Judging from his worried expression, she didn't bring up the pain of the collision to him.

Hermione asked, "Doctor, what's wrong?"

The Doctor said, "Tell me about Professor Slugghorn."

She answered, "He's the Potions teacher, why?"

He said, "He's not of this planet."

"What?"

But the Doctor had already run to the middle of the Hall. He leaped atop a table. He yelled to get people's attention, but no one could hear him.

Finally Hermione took out her want and enlarged the Doctor's voice as he yelled, "Voldemort!"

The word echoed thru the room. Throughout the room people grimaced, and some dropped their glasses, one large women fainted.

As all eyes turned to the Doctor, he smiled at Hermione and said, "That was fun"

But then he regained his serious composure and he yelled, "People, you are all in danger."

The Great Hall erupted into laughter. The Doctor, confounded at the exact opposite reaction he had anticipated.

He turned to Hermione and mouthed the words, "Did I make a funny?"

Hermione shrugged

The Doctor continued, "This school has been breached on an exterestrial level."

Ron Wesley, being the biggest skeptic, and in the Doctor's opinion git, in the room, said, "Says who?"

Hermione yelled, "Ronald!"

Ron pushed aside Hermione and said, "What exactly are we in danger from…. I'm sorry what was your name again?"

The Doctor, growing desperate, said, "Doctor, I'm the Doctor. Your potions teacher, Professor Slugghorn, is not of this world."

The Great Hall erupted in half laughter, and half shouts of outrage.

One pompous looking guy yelled, "How dare you. Professor Slugghorn has taught almost everyone in this room."

The Doctor, not losing a beat, said, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. But the Professor Slugghorn you all know is dead. Something killed him and is now running around in his body. Well… judging from the last time I saw him, he's probably waddling."

Ron laughed, not at his joke, but at the ridicules statement and said, "Not of this world? You mean those aliens muggles go on about?"

The Doctor winced and said, "Technically"

Ron, enjoying this more and more, said, "Can you prove this "Doctor?"" he put air quotes around his name.

The Doctor yelled, "Yes I can prove it. If the professor is what I think he is, then he will have a zipper on his head."

Ron said, "That's ridicules…."

And then they all heard loud ominous clapping. Professor Slugghorn entered the room, and walked to the center. Slugghorn removed his hat and brushed back his hair, revealing a zipper across his forehead.

He said, "Very insightful Doctor. But I wonder, can you guess how long I've had this?"

The answer immediately came to Hermione.

She said, "During the battle one year ago. At one point during the fight there was a blue light, then we lost track of you. We all counted you dead until you appeared after the battle unscathed."

Slugghorn laughed and said, "Very ingenious Miss Granger. You really are the brightest witch of your age"

And with that Slugghorn reached for the zipper, and slowly unzipped it. As he did The Great Hall was bathed in blue light and a metallic noise sounded throughout the room. Then Slugghorn shed his human skin and his alien body showed. He was 6 feet tall, skin was yellowish green, his arms were giant claws, and a metal device around his neck. His face looked somewhat like a baby.

Everyone in the Great Hall except The Doctor, Hermione, Harry, and Ginny screamed. Hermione almost grinned at how Ron screamed the loudest, but the seriousness on the Doctor's face banished that thought.

Then three more of these creatures entered the Hall.

Slugghorn roared, "It fells so much better to be naked again."

Hermione breathed, "What are they?"

The Doctor answered, "Slitheen"

Slugghorn said, "Brothers and Sister, how long since we've had so much prey trapped in one place?"

A group of people ran for the door to escape, but was blocked by a silver blond man and a small group of others.

Harry Potter yelled, "Malfoy what the bloody hell?"

The man, Malfoy apparently, smirked, "Like I said when we first met Potter, being on the right side and all."

Then he pointed his wand at Harry and yelled, "Stuplify!"

Then a red light hit Harry and he was knocked out.

Slugghorn yelled, "Get Potter out of here, we need him alive."

There was a shout form Ginny, who raised her wand to defend Harry, but Malfoy silenced her with, "Avada Kadavra"

Ron yelled again as his sister's dead body fell to the ground.

Hermione sensing a fight she knew they couldn't win, yelled, "Slitheen"

Slugghorn turned his head to her.

She continued, "Why do you need Harry alive?" Then her eyes widened, "You need him for the ritual…."

Slugghorn interrupted her, "You really are too smart for your own good Miss Granger. And oh how very long I've waited to shed blood by my own claws."

He raised his hand to strike, and as he brought it down, Ron, having watched intently, stepped in front of Hermione, in his final act to protect her.

Hermione didn't even realize what happened until Ron's blood splattered all over her. His body fell, and Hermione screamed. As Hermione cradled his body, she noticed Neville, Luna, and the rest of Dumbledore's Army attacked Malfoy and the rest of Slitheren.

While all of the Slitheen's attention was on the D.A., The Doctor knelt down next to Hermione, hugged her, and whispered, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. But we can't help him. When I distract everyone, gather up everyone and just run. Don't think just run."

Hermione whispered back, "Doctor I'm scared."

The Doctor smiled, "Good, I like being scared. Scared keeps you alive. Now, forget me, just run. Save as many as you can."

Hermione nodded

The Doctor ran to the far side of the Hall, away from the doors and yelled, "Oi, Slitheen!"

All heads in the room turned to The Doctor.

The Doctor said, "How's the family? Doing well? I hear its hunting season on Raxacoricofallapatorius. Oh wait, I forgot, your family have all been exiled." He laughed.

The shortest of the Slitheen stalked over to the Doctor, raging.

Slugghorn halfway across the room yelled, "What are you to have such knowledge?"

The Doctor answered, "Time Lord and I've defeated your family before."

Slugghorn said, "You lie. The Time Lords all died in their Great War."

The Doctor said, "I survived. I'm the only survivor on both sides. I'm the last of the Time Lords."

Suddenly Hermione understood The Doctor's earlier depression.

The Doctor said, "According to Condition 15 of the Shadow Proclamation, you are trespassing on foreign planetary soil, having taken blood, I order you to leave." His words had so much power behind them Hermione almost trembled.

Slugghorn laughed, "Shadow Proclamation? We're wanted men. We've been on the run from our own planet for centuries. What are you going do Doctor? Report us?"

The Doctor spoke in a tone that scared Hermione, "Slugghorn, I'm giving you a chance. One chance, to leave now."

Slugghorn asked, "Or what?"

The Doctor said, "Or I'll have to stop you."

The shortest Slitheen charged at the Doctor, but he put up his hands and yelled, "Wait wait wait. Before you kill me, killing off the last of the oldest, mighty race, earning you great honor and prestige. Can't the last of his won race have one more drink?"

The Doctor grabbed a goblet, spoke quietly into it, held up the glass and said, "To your health." Then dumped all of its contents on the Slitheen. The Slitheen screamed as the liquid attacked him on a molecular level.

The Doctor screamed, "RUN!"