Hermione and the Radiant Chaos
Chapter 3
Gradual Recovery
Hermione groaned tiredly as she forced herself up. The eleven year old had her wand in one hand and was prepared for the worst. However, to her relief nothing happened. So used to being attacked by traps and ambushes Hermione never truly relaxed.
With a shrug the brown haired, young woman dressed and made her way down to the kitchen.
The kitchen wasn't what someone might expect from the home of dentists. It was a cluttered room. The stove had an assortment of spices and a couple pans on it and the table had a simple striped tablecloth.
The decor was simple, and yet tastefully done. There were a few collector plates lining the cream walls, and in one corner a small counter held an assortment of awards that Hermione and her parents had won.
"Good morning dear." Elaine said to her from the chair closest to the door.
"Morning Mum." Hermione smiled at her mother.
"Morning Ladies." David said as he entered the kitchen.
"Good Morning daddy." Hermione smiled at her father broadly.
The three of them sat down to a light breakfast and while her mother and father talked about the upcoming day and their appointments Hermione plotted internally.
This time, no evil will remain. I will crush anything that might hurt my Harry. First things first though, once my mother and father have left for work I'll check out what the Prophet says. If I need to, I'll cause some more havoc for the ministry tonight. Voldemort might be a threat, but he's nothing compared to the Ministry. Last time...They made a Wizarding World War break out. But this time...I'll crush them. I'll destroy the people's faith in the ministry. Perhaps by breaking into the Department of Mysteries tonight. I will continue to raid the Ministry's supplies and air their sins to the world. Again, and again, until they capitulate. The Shield Legion is going to be born far earlier this time.
After the ministry has fallen...Well, I'll have to clean out Hogwarts too. I also have to watch out for Harry when baby Volde tries to go for the stone.
Incidentally, I still need to check and see what the goblins were wanting to speak to me about...
While Hermione's thoughts flowed over everything that she needed to to her mother and father had risen from the wood chairs and gently kissed their daughter before heading out of the kitchen and the door leading outside.
"Bye Mum, bye Daddy. I've got work to do too." Hermione said once they were out of earshot.
With those words Hermione faded and an ancient woman emerged near Gringotts. The wise woman made her way to the Daily Prophet crier and purchased a single copy of the newspaper. The bold headlines on each article made Hermione smirk.
MINISTRY BUNGLES AGAIN!
SECURITY NONEXISTENT!
AZKABAN AND MINISTRY BROKEN INTO ON THE SAME NIGHT!
SIRIUS BLACK ABDUCTED!
PETER PETTIGREW FOUND IN THE DEPARTMENT OF MAGICAL LAW ENFORCEMENT!
It looks like you've outdone yourself this time Rita Skeeter. Well done.
Hermione decided to listen in to hear what the populace thought of these errors that the ministry had made. So, clutching her copy of the Prophet Hermione made her way into the Leaky Cauldron and took a corner booth. As she hid in the darkness, Hermione listened to the people and heard what they had to say.
"Morning Tom. Did you see the Prophet today?" A giant black man said as he entered.
"I did Dan. Surprising stuff isn't it?"
The bald man nodded as he shook the heavy dust off of his originally black cloak.
"That it is. I'm surprised that Fudge let them print this."
"Apparently he's having to take a sick day."
"That's convenient." Dan grinned tightly, showing his white teeth.
"So it is. Apparently his second in command is down and out right now too." Tom added.
"Couldn't happen to a better person." Dan laughed as his smile widened.
"What do you mean?" Tom asked curiously.
"Umbridge looks like a toad, is fatter than an obese blue whale, and so bigoted that she hates anything that isn't human, and 'pureblood', incidentally, there are only white purebloods." Dan replied.
"That bad huh?" Tom sighed.
Dan nodded seriously.
"I met her once. What was it she called me...? Oh yes, Filthy black mudblood." Dan said in disgust.
Hermione mentally filed his profile away in her mind for future reference. He might make a solid Legion member.
For the next few hours Hermione listened to the various conversations that were in regards to her recent break ins of the prison and the Ministry.
After she had done so Hermione made her way out of Diagon Alley and back to the shrieking shack.
"Hello Sirius." The ancient woman smiled at the weary man.
"Hello lady." Sirius said weakly while he laid on the bed that Hermione had fixed for him less than a day ago.
Hermione drew her wand and with a few more flicks the room was cleaned.
"Here's something to help you get back on your feet." Hermione handed him a basket.
Sirius smiled at Hermione brightly before he opened the basket, and began to tear into a chicken leg with gusto.
"There's a bottle of water in there too, just be sure that you don't eat too fast." Hermione warned.
While Sirius nodded he tossed the chicken leg bone that used to have meat on it away from himself. Hermione chuckled as she banished the bone into a small can that she set beside Sirius' bed.
"Use the can for wastes. Once it fills, it will burn the wastes away. Still, you'll need to dump the ashes every once in a while." Hermione explained.
"Thank you. I need to ask though; why are you doing all of this for me?" Sirius asked after he swallowed an extremely large bite of bread.
"Because you are an innocent. Plus, Harry's going to need you."
"My godson..." Sirius murmured in between bites.
"That's right." Hermione agreed.
"By, the way Sirius, I won't be able to return until late tomorrow night. So you'll need to use the food supplies in that basket until I return alright?" Hermione asked gently.
Sirius nodded before he spoke.
"There's more than I can eat in here anyways." Sirius admitted before he took another bite.
Once Sirius had finished his meal Hermione promised to come back and see him again, left him with the newspaper, and departed.
Before Hermione left however, she extracted a promise from him that he wouldn't leave the shack.
With that complete Hermione made her way back home. Her parents would be home shortly.
It sounds like the ministry is facing some pressure. Letting up would be reckless so...I think I should strike them again tonight. Including Azkaban. With a continuous attack like this...They will have to make some changes. I guess I could go and get a couple time turners, and a leave a few 'gifts' for Fudge and his motley crew.
This is actually kind of fun!
Hermione smiled as she exited her room as her young self. She had work ahead of her, but she was going to enjoy it!
Plus, she would be seeing Harry in only a short amount of time and that was something that truly rose her spirits.
For the next ten minutes Hermione relaxed as she awaited her parents.
"Honey we're home!" Her mum called.
"Hi mum! Hi Daddy!" Hermione called as she pulled her mother into a hug.
"How was today Hermione?" Demetrius asked as he started setting the table in the kitchen.
"It was good." Hermione replied seriously as she started to help set the table.
"That's....nice Hermione." Her dad replied in an unsure, almost questioning voice.
"What about you daddy?" Hermione asked as she set the last cup on the square table.
"It was a tough one. I had three root canals today."
Hermione winced, it was a trying procedure for anyone, not just the patient unfortunate enough to receive one.
"Ouch." Hermione winced.
"You better believe it." Her dad groaned tiredly.
"Let me guess, mum, you were right there with him weren't you?" Hermione surmised.
"You are a genius." Elaine agreed.
Hermione blushed.
"Mum!" She protested.
Hermione's father pulled her into a hug.
"You truly are a brilliant young girl." Demetrius agreed with his wife.
"Daddy! You too?" Hermione whined; her face burning.
Her parents laughed gently and after her father let her go they began to fix dinner.
Originally, Hermione's talents did not include cooking; rather she was known to be rather...horrible at it. However, due to the fact that Hermione had been essentially alone for over a millenia, her cooking skills had improved through constant use.
She wasn't a brilliant cook, nor could she have any hope to be able to move through the kitchen half as naturally as Harry, but she was able to find her way and cook a decent dish, something that wouldn't leave her begging for better tasting food.
However, as she watched her parents she began to spot the nuances that they had gained from years spent in the kitchen.
Certainly, they weren't as good as Harry was either, but they were fairly skilled at the culinary arts; much better than Hermione had been even when she was at three hundred years of age.
Hermione watched the two of them work together sadly as she thought of Harry.
Her parents had something special that at one point Hermione had also experienced and she missed it. Hermione didn't just miss it she longed for him. Her heart ached thinking about it. He was the one that she had given everything for, and she would do it again in a heartbeat if it would help Harry.
After dinner had ended Hermione noticed that her mother was looking at her strangely.
"Hermione, dear, are you alright?"
Hermione smiled weakly at her mother and nodded her head.
"Hermione, what's wrong?" Elaine asked seriously.
"It's nothing mum, honest." Hermione replied quickly.
Her mum didn't look convinced. Elaine pulled Hermione into her arms and held her before she spoke.
"Dear, please tell me. What's the matter?" Her mum said gently.
"It's nothing. I'm just thinking is all." Hermione replied.
"I know you too well dear, I see the sadness in your eyes, and I've seen it since yesterday."
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.
"Are you scared of going to the new school?" Elaine asked.
Hermione shook her head.
"It's not that at all." Hermione answered.
"Then what is it?" Her mum asked gently.
"I need some more time to think about it ok?" Hermione pleaded.
"Alright dear." Her mum relented at last.
Once they had settled down for the night and Hermione confirmed that her parents were asleep she made her way out again.
Cloaking herself in the illusions of the ancient woman she once was she faded to the ministry of magic and entered from the telephone booth.
Hermione chocked back a laugh when she saw that they hadn't upped their security at all. With a silent shrug Hermione freely waltzed into the department of mysteries, took a handful of time turners, added a few pranks to the department. (Generally they would turn the victim into a chicken or something similar for a few minutes before they'd revert to their normal selves.)
To add insult to injury Hermione placed a few notes around the department; most of the notes chiding them for such lax security. Then Hermione left their department, with several nice items to help her out should she need it.
Hermione smiled as she pocketed three different invisibility cloaks.
After doing so she entered the minister's office and put a few more spells down in his office. One was a listening charm that allowed people to hear whatever was said in the office. Another was a prank spell, one that would turn the minister into a bar of fudge for thirty seconds. Was it petty? Yes. Was it worth it? Definitely.
Next, she put buried several tacks in the minister's chair.
She was going to humiliate Fudge, and she would ensure that he would become the laughing stock of wizarding kind. If any purebloods decided to continue on with their nonsense as well, Hermione would destroy their power base too.
After she had ensured his very humiliating return to office, Hermione created a repeat performance for one Delores Umbridge.
With that done, Hermione dropped off another packet revealing more of Fudge's corruption to the Department of Magical Law enforcement, and sent a few letters to the Prophet again, and this time Hermione sent one to the Quibbler as well.
It was going to be a bad day to be Fudge once tomorrow came.
He was going to face a large press corps armed with knowledge of his corruption, an office full of pranks and humiliation, and a second in command suffering the same difficulties.
This was turning out to be a very bad week for the Minister. Hermione thought as she left the building.
With that done, Hermione made a quick stop to Azkaban, magicked a 'kick me' sign on a dementor, and hit the prisoners with a spell that made each of them insult the wardens in strange ways. (One would say that he was the warden's father.)
Purely non-harmful pranks but they would get the world's attention, and that was what Hermione wanted.
After she managed to cause another healthy dose of chaos in Magical England Hermione returned home. After all, Tomorrow was September 1st and she was going to need to be alert for Harry's sake.
She was going to see her love once again.
Waaaiiiit!!!! What about the goblins?!?!? Easy there, they will show up here soon. However, that will be in a little while, Hermione's been too busy causing bedlam for the Ministry of Magic for her to talk to them right now...
It may seem like only a little is happening right now, and you'd be right but this is probably one of the last 'build up chapters' (if not the last)
Hermione's having fun with her pranks to create a coup d'etat isn't she?...
Lastly, you probably noticed a reference from something outside of HP... A pound of Fanfic Gold(FG) to whomever figures it out!
(Disclaimer: FG has no monetary value)