Epilogue
The Doctor was lost. He had been chasing The Body but couldn't keep up. The effects of the Crusiatus Curse still fresh.
The Doctor was breathing hard and leaned against a tree.
Then The Doctor saw a green flash. The Doctor ran toward it, leading him out of the forest.
As he stepped into the clearing, his hearts sank.
The Body was standing over Harry's body.
The Doctor yelled, "No!" and ran toward the Body.
The Body looked up, sneered and yelled, "Crucio!"
The Doctor screamed in pain. Where at first The Doctor had just received a small burst of the curse, now he was experiencing it in full swing.
After a few minutes of torture, The Body let up, and The Doctor collapsed, his body spazing on the ground.
The Doctor tried to push himself up, but The Body kicked him down.
The Doctor moaned in pain.
He gasped, "I can help you."
The Body kneeled down, licked his lips and sneered, "I'll have to decline. I seem to be doing fine on my own thanks."
He then kicked the Doctor on his back.
He then back away and keyed a code into the Time Bracelet. The device started to crackle with energy.
The Body smirked and waved at the Doctor.
Before The Body teleported, The Doctor managed to stand up, a look of intense determination, and his sonic screwdriver pointed straight up and extending. It produced a high pitched screech and The Body's time bracelet started to short circuit.
The Body screamed, "NO!" as he disappeared.
And then The Doctor collapsed unconscious.
Hermione blinked. She could move. She looked around the Tardis, but couldn't find The Doctor. She noticed that the Tardis doors were opened. She ran out into the night, frantically searching for the Doctor.
Hermione ran through the entire forest at a past that would have impressed her if she wasn't so worried.
She made it to the clearing and saw the school on fire. It hurt her in a way she couldn't imagine, the school, her home away from home of so many years, burning. And she watched it burn she saw the Doctor sprawled out on the ground.
She ran to him, cradling his body. Only when she felt his hearts beat did she let out the breath she didn't even notice she had been holding. His breathing was irregular, and his body was spazing from the aftershocks of the curse, but otherwise he would be alright.
Only then did she notice Harry's body. And Hermione felt the one and only thing keeping her tied down to the only world she had ever known die.
She crawled to his body, terrified to even check for a pulse. When she did, her fears where confirmed. He was already stone cold.
After the shock passed, she sobbed, rocking his cold body.
The Doctor's eyes opened. He hadn't felt this bad since the time since the time he was exposed to large amounts of radiation to defeat The Spiders of Metebelis III. He raised a hand to stare at it. Well….. he thought, At least I didn't regenerate while unconscious. That would have been embarrassing.
Only then did he hear the sound of Hermione's sob. And it broke his hearts. He turned onto his stomach, and it took all of his strength to sit up.
Hermione doesn't notice him. She is too caught up in her own sorrow.
The Doctor crawls to her and gently wraps his arm around her in a hug.
She flinches for a moment, and then lets one hand off of Harry and grabs the Doctor's arm.
He gently rocks her with whispers of, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
After a few minutes of consoling her, the Doctor's mind kicked back into high gear.
He took Hermione by her shoulders and said, "Hermione I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. But we need to talk about this."
Hermione didn't look him in the eyes, they never left Harry's body.
The Doctor said, "Hermione, you recognized him. You called him a name. How do you know him?"
Hermione sniffed, "He was our 4th year Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."
The Doctor exclaimed, "What?"
Hermione quickly explained Barty Crouch Jr. and his significance during her 4th year, and the Dark Lord's resurrection.
The Doctor eyes widened as he took a leaned back, "It was me. I did it. I caused your war. I'm to blame."
This snapped Hermione out of her daze. She put her hand on the Doctor's face, and made him look at her as she said, "No. It was him and him alone. Never forget that Doctor. It its anyone's fault it's mine. He had my memories. My power." Her voice cracked, "I killed him."
The Doctor hugged her in an enormous bear hug.
At that moment a rock fell out of Harry's pocket.
The Doctor looked at it, "What is that?"
Hermione stared at it. "That the Resection Stone. One of the Deathly Hallows."
Hermione quickly explained the Hollows and how they brought an end to the war.
The Doctor, depression aside, put on his brainy specs and examined the rock.
"Well" he said, "It appears to possess low psychic levels. You saw the people have a ghost like appearance?"
Hermione nodded. She was too emotionally tired to figure any of this out for herself with her new knowledge.
The Doctor continued, "If I had to guess, I would say that the stone establishes a empathy link in the form of energy with the holder. How does it work?"
Hermione said, "Harry said that you turn it around in your hand three times and the ghost would appear."
The Doctor gave a grim smile and tossed the stone to Hermione.
She caught it out of reflex and looked at the Doctor with a puzzled look.
The Doctor said, "I got to say goodbye to my friend. But I never told her how I felt. You can."
Hermione looked at the Stone, "I can't. I could never tell him in life, what point is there telling him in death?"
The Doctor said, "The last words she ever told me where how she felt. The transmission cut off before I could answer. I'll never get a sense of closure. But you can. If you don't you regret it forever."
Hermione voice cracked, "But what will I say to him?"
The Doctor said, "Just tell him…." He broke eye contact, before looking back at her, "Tell him how you feel."
Hermione nodded. She turned to stone over once, and then stopped, "That friend of yours. The one you lost. What was her name?"
The Doctor blinked back tears, "Her name was Rose."
She nodded then turned the stone over trice.
A specter of Harry Potter appeared before them.
The specter said, "Hermione"
Hermione said in a voice barley audible, "Harry"
Harry said, "I know what happen to me Hermione and I don't blame you. I dodged death to many times. I was too slow this time. Just too slow. I'm just sorry this leaves you all alone."
Hermione said, "I have The Doctor."
Harry said, "The Doctor?"
Hermione said, "He wasn't the one to kill you. It was Barty Crouch Jr."
"But…"
Hermione said in a stern bossy voice that brought a smile to Harry and The Doctor face, "We don't have time. Just know that he didn't do it and I trust the Doctor."
Harry said, "Well I guess this means goodbye Hermione. Live a good life. Don't take this the wrong way but I don't want to see you again for many years."
Hermione cried, "Before you go, I have to tell you something."
Harry said, "Anything Hermione. You know that."
Hermione said her voice crackling, "I…love you"
Harry smiled, "And I you. I just didn't realize it soon enough. I was blind Hermione. So blind. I couldn't see the treasure that was right in front of me."
Hermione sobbed, "If only I had told you sooner."
Harry said, "Then you wouldn't be who you are. The brightest witch of our age, trying to get me to catch up."
Harry looked back, "I have to go Hermione."
Hermione said, "No"
Harry said, "It's dangerous for someone who has passed on to stay too long. It could cause you to go mad. And I'm not worth it. You could do so much good in the world Hermione with that brain of yours. Don't waste it on a ghost."
Hermione said, "But it's my fault you died."
Harry said, "Don't you dare. You've saved my life more ways then you know. I have no regrets."
Hermione just nodded, no words could describe what she was feeling
Harry said, "That Doctor better take care of you. I swear if I see you again before it is your time I will haunt him for the rest of his days." The Doctor smiled
Hermione then said, "Goodbye Harry. Thank you for being my first friend."
Harry said, "Thank you for sitting across from me on the train and fixing my glasses all those years ago." And then with a smile, he was gone.
When he left, Hermione let out a breath. It had gone better then she had thought. Harry was more in peace in death then he ever had been in life.
The Doctor smiled. She got to say the goodbye he'd never had. She deserves it.
He walked over to her and grabbed her hand. She gripped it and gave him a sad smile.
They then made there way back to the Tardis.
The Doctor closed the doors to the Tardis and leaned against a Tardis Coral. This would be the hardest thing he's ever done.
Hermione was working on the Tardis Consol.
She said, "I thought we'd try the planet Fellspoon. What a great name Fellspoon. They've got mountains that sway in the breeze. Mountains that move. Can you imagine?"
The Doctor asked, "And how do you know that?"
Hermione answered, "Because it's in you head. And if it's in your head it's in mine."
The Doctor asked in a solemn tone, "And how does that feel?"
Hermione said, "Brilliant. Fantastic. Molto Bene. Great big universe packed right into my brain. You know you can fix that Chameleon Circuit if you just hotwire into the fragment links into sealing the binary binary binary binary binary binary." She then took a deep breath and said, "I'm fine."
She then went back to the Consol, "Never mind about Fellspoon. You know who'd I like to meet? Charley Chaplin. I bet he's great Charley Chaplin. Charley Brown. No he's fiction friction fixing mixing." She then takes another deep breath.
The Doctor is watching all this, his hearts breaking. He knew he was about to be alone all over again.
Hermione said, "Oh my god."
The Doctor asked, "Do you know what's happening?"
Hermione looked up and said in a defeated tone, "Yeah"
The Doctor said, "There never been a Human-Time Lord Meta Crisis before now. And you know why."
Hermione said, "Because there can't be."
She went back to work on the Consol, "I want to stay."
The Doctor leaned over to her, "Look at me. Hermione look at me."
Hermione said, "Please. I have nothing else. No one else."
The Doctor said, "I know."
The Doctor had never felt sadder. His face the definition of sadness.
Hermione said, "I can't go back."
The Doctor gently gripped her shoulders.
Hermione pleaded, "Don't make me go back. Doctor please."
The Doctor finally said, "Hermione. Oh Hermione Granger. I am so sorry. We would have had the best of times."
Hermione was shaking.
The Doctor finally said, "Goodbye"
Hermione yelled, "No. No please. Don't make me…."
And then The Doctor placed his hands on her temples.
And went to wipe her mind. Take away the knowledge that would burn her up inside. He would have to take away her memory. If she remembered, just for a bit, then she would burn up. And no matter how much it pains him, he could not let that happen.
But there was something wrong.
There was a part of her mind. The Karria Knight part. It was overriding his mind wipe. Hermione was unconscious but in a burst of light, The Doctor was thrown off her with a force shooting out of her being.
The Doctor stared in horror as Hermione lifted off the ground. The Doctor could sense the psychic energy passing through her. In a way, she was regenerating. She then fell to the floor, unconscious.
The Doctor ran to her and cradled her body. He placed his hands on her temples again, not to mindwipe but to read her mind. The Human Side was still intact. All of her memories where there. The Time Lord side too. She doesn't have the vase knowledge she did, thank goodness, but she still had the Time Lord. The Karria Knight side on the other hand was gone.
It seems that while he attempted to wipe her mind, the Karria Knight side protected her. It completely healed her from frying. It made it possible for the Meta-Crisis to exist and not kill her. But the Karria Knight side is gone. Couldn't take it.
So basically, Hermione had all her memories. She has the ability of a Time Lord.
He smiled, she's perfect.
He scooped her up and carried her into one of the many bedrooms aboard the Tardis.
Hermione woke up. For a moment she thought she was back in the little apartment she shared with Ronald. But then she could hear the sound of the Tardis Engines. Then all the memory of the past day came rushing back to her.
The last thing she remembered was the Doctor taking away her memories. But seeing how that didn't work, maybe he had second thoughts. But now she didn't have the vast knowledge of the universe. What happened?
She got out of the bed and survived the room. She had been lying on an extravagant Victorian Age King Size bed. The room looked like it came right out of 18th Century England.
She open the door to find that her room was next to a giant spiral stair case going up and down as far as the eye could see.
She chose up and made her way up the stairs.
About five floors up, she found the Doctor. He was leaning against a wall staring at a door.
She walked up to him and leaned against the wall next to him.
She asked, "What's in there?"
The Doctor not breaking eye contact of the door, said, "Rose's room."
Hermione asked, "Are you alright?"
The Doctor said, "Oh I'm always alright."
Hermione tried to smile, "I know I'm new to being a Time Lord, but is Alright special Time Lord talk for Really Not Alright?"
The Doctor asked, "Why?"
She answered, "Because I'm alright too."
The Doctor looked at her, took her hand, and led her up the stairs to the Tardis Consol Room.
On the way he explained what happened to her. She was overjoyed that she could travel with him. Until she thought of something.
"Doctor, what about my magic?"
The Doctor looked at her, "I'm sorry. When you healed yourself, you lost all your magical power."
She blinked back tears; magic had been a huge part of her life for the better part of eight years.
She asked, "Is it permanent?"
"I don't know."
She gave a sad nod, and they continued up the stair case that would have made her old school jealous.
When they reached the top, Hermione asked, "What now?"
"Well…. same old life. Travel in the Tardis. My offer still stands if you'd like to come." He asked in a hopeful tone.
Hermione smiled, "Yes Doctor, I would love to come."
He smiled and hugged her, "Brilliant."
Hermione felt happy, truly happy for the first time in a long time. She asked, "Where to first?"
The Doctor smiled, "Well….. I think we need a nice vacation. I know of this brilliant spa. In a different galaxy. It's got an Anti Gravity Restaurant."
Hermione grinned, "That sounds wonderful."
The Doctor worked the controls, and then grabbed her hand while his other gripped the Tardis Lever.
He said, "And it is going to be Fantastic."
The Tardis started to shake, as they teleported away off on there first adventure.
In the clearing near Harry's body, two wizards in black hoods apparated onto the field.
One wizard said, "Wow that's a big fire."
The other said, "Yeah"
They looked at Harry's body
One said, "I can't believe that Potter finally got snuffed out."
The other said, "Well let's get to our assignment before we get snuffed out."
The first one kneeled down next to Harry and took out a long knife.
The second said, "Why does the Minister want this?"
The first made a cut on Harry right arm, where a Death Eaters Dark Mark would have been. He said, "I don't know. But whatever Mr. Saxon wants, Mr. Saxon gets."
He put the blood he extracted into a phial.
He said, "There that should be enough for The Minister."
He put it in his robes and they both apparated. Leaving Harry's body lying on the grass. His blood seeping out on the ground.
To be continued….
This season on Doctor Who...
"I'm the Doctor. I'm a Time Lord. I'm from the planet Galifrey in the constilation of Kasterberus. I'm 903 years old. I'm going to save your life and the lives of of the 6 billion people below. Got a problem with that? In that case... Allonz-y" The Doctor says in a broken down ship to a group of survivors.
A tall man in a hood hiding his face with a bow and arrow pointed in the Doctor's face said, "We are Men of the Hood. Merry at your expense."
Three witches laughed next to a potion showing Hermione's face in it.
The Doctor walked up to three Golden Angels saying, "Take me to your leader."
The Doctor said, "Taking a big space trip with a bunch of strangers across a diamond planet called Midnight. What could possibly go wrong?"
The Doctor gripping Hermione hand as they ran from a pack of Lycans
A man grabbes Hermione from behind pointing a gun at The Doctor while The Doctor yells, "LET HER GO!"
Hermione and The Doctor are trapped when a metallic voice says, "EXTERMINATE"
The Doctor frantically searches the rubble for Hermione until he hears the laughter of a mad man long thought dead
As the world burns around it, The Tardis doors open, as The Doctor leans out with a hand extended saying, "Come with me"
And so ends Witch Doctor. I would like to thank everyone who ever reviewed or subscribed to this story. This started out as half a page i wrote when bored and thanks to the wonderful feedback i've gotten has sprawned into the story. This story is for all of you. This is the first story i've ever completed in my entire life and I am very proud of it. The story continues in my next story, Doctor Who: The Time Lord, The Witch, and The Policebox. Coming Soon...
Please review and tell me what everyone thinks. Thanks again
Dexter Kelso