Hermione and the Radiant Chaos

Chapter 11

Delirium

Hermione slowly and wearily opened her dry eyes. Her mouth felt dry and filled crusted blood and she tasted bile in her throat. As her vision reoriented she saw a shadowy figure looming over the desk that she laid upon.

Her mind felt as though she was in a fog.

"Cut the act Harry." Hermione muttered wearily.

Her voice came out quiet and harsh from her cracked lips.

The figure faded and her beloved husband appeared.

"Hermione. What did you do?" Harry asked without preamble, his voice was grim.

"You're alive...Where have you been my love?" Hermione asked.

"Hermione, what are you talking about?" Harry asked quietly.

"Voldemort...How'd you win?...Tried to get up... curses...too strong...I' 'rry..." Hermione mumbled.

"Take it easy there Hermione. Slow down please." Harry urged.

"Fought...for...so....long...love...you..." Hermione said as she closed her eyes wearily.

In her injured delirium she believed that it was her husband in front of her, not the time traveler whom thought that she had betrayed him.

The next time she awoke she was inside of the classroom. An eleven year old Harry was sitting not far from her, watching closely.

"Harry?" Hermione asked.

"What were you talking about?" He asked.

Hermione blinked.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"You said stuff like 'love you' and 'where have you been my love?' It was really confusing."

Hermione paled.

"It was nothing!" She hastily assured.

"If that's the case then why is your blood all over, and why were you comatose, and also, why would you say what you did?" Harry asked with raised eyebrows.

Hermione's mouth opened and shut comically.

"Flies Hermione." Harry chided.

Hermione's shoulder's slumped. Her secret was now 'out of the bag'.

"Okay, you've got me." Hermione conceded.

"I figured that much out. However, it doesn't explain your odd actions." Harry replied.

And so, Hermione began her tale. It started haltingly, but as she progressed her words began to flow, like a torrent rising from her agony. Soon she had to continue, and tell her story and it just poured out of her. However, at one point Harry interrupted her.

"It's shocking, and hard to believe but...The evidence is right in front of me. I've seen the ministry fall in a day I also saw how different you were acting...But, why?" Harry's eyes shone with agony.

"Harry?"

Harry's face turned away from her.

"Why did you leave me? Why? When I needed you!" Harry said as she saw tears fall from him.

"Oh Harry..." Hermione pulled him into a hug, and poured all of her love into it.

He clung to her.

"I needed you...So...so much and when I woke up...you...you...were g-gone, and my only...hint...why was..." Tears trailed down Harry's normally stoic face.

"A piece of rubbish paper..." Hermione provided.

Harry nodded.

"I didn't write that Harry." Hermione said.

"What?" Harry looked at her as if he had been slapped.

"Besides you, Ron knew my handwriting better than anyone else. It didn't take much for him to forge it." Hermione said bitterly.

"That...but why were you...?" Harry asked weakly.

"It was in a life that I have never lived but I saw the memories of what happened and apparently, I was drugged." Hermione replied.

"Drugged?" Harry asked in a baffled tone.

"It's a little more than that but that's what it came down to. Ron stunned me, and drugged me so I would be 'safe' and it ended up killing that version of me. I would never betray you Harry. I swear it." Hermione glowed for a moment as her oath took effect.

"You-swore on your magic?" Harry looked stunned.

"I trust you Harry, I gave my heart to you a thousand years ago and it's still yours if you decide to claim it." Hermione whispered as she held onto him.

Harry's vibrant green eyes had become blank. His entire existence had changed in a matter of minutes.

"But...why? Why me?" Harry asked weakly.

"I have a plethora of reasons Harry. But the biggest one is because I chose to love you, both the bad and the good alike." Hermione explained.

Harry leaned against her weakly.

"I'll admit...I'm mentally shell shocked." Harry whispered.

"I'm not surprised Harry. Why don't you take some time to think about everything that we've talked about? No matter what you do decide though...please keep holding onto the light." Hermione pleaded.

"I..."

"It's okay...I need to rest anyways." Hermione translated his hesitance as she closed her eyes.

Sleep claimed her quickly once more.

On Monday She awoke and quickly got ready for classes.

"Hey! Hermy! Where've you been?" Lavender asked immediately when she saw Hermione enter the First year girls Gyffindor dorms.

Parvati Patil added her two cents as well as the two of them rushed up to Hermione.

"Yeah! We were worried about you!"

Susan then spoke up.

"Girls, give the poor witch some breathing room."

The two other girls reluctantly gave Hermione some room.

"Thanks Susan." Hermione smiled in relief.

"Now talk, where have you been?" Susan asked in concern.

"It was a personal thing that I needed to take care of. I'd appreciate it if you three didn't go around trying to figure out what exactly it was though."

Lavender and Parvati pouted at that but nodded their agreement.

Susan on the other hand wasn't so willing to let the 'sleeping dog lie' and protested.

"Hermione, we're friends aren't we?" She asked.

"That's true, but it was something personal enough that not even friends are privy to it. Sorry, Susan." Hermione apologized.

Susan sighed.

"I'm just worried about you." She whispered.

Hermione hugged her friend.

"Don't worry Susan. I'm alright." She breathed back.

"Anyway, we better get ready for the show!" Hermione said.

"Oh?" Parvati asked curiously as she tied one of her trainers.

"The Hippie's class is first this morning isn't it?"

The group of girls; including Hermione broke down into gales of laughter at that.

Later when the first year students were assembled in the Potions classroom and the professor hadn't come in yet Hermione conspired with Nevile, Susan, and surprisingly her still numb friend, Harry.

Finally, as the bell rang a man whose reputation was shredded to ribbons entered the classroom.

"Today we are going to be-"

His words were interrupted by the class greeting him. (The Gryffindor half.)

"Good morning Professor Dude!"

Snape flushed in shame.

Hermione felt particularly pleased at his response. However, today she decided to end class early and flicked her smallest finger on her right hand.

The movement was only noticed by Harry.

Suddenly, Snape's breathing became labored.

"I find you lack of faith disturbing." Snape said in an unusual tone.

Snape raised his curved right hand and extended it toward Hermione. Hermione grasped her neck and acted as though something was choking her. She clawed at an invisible hand and at the same time made her face look as though it was becoming pale.

Unsurprisingly, the professor paled and fled at the scene of him choking a student.

Eventually Snape would be called into Dumbledore's office in regards to his forceful choking of a star student.

But by lunch of that day Snape was proclaimed the world's first hippie dark lord, who oddly 'taught' students.

However, the fun day of tormenting Snape, and enjoying the company of her friends took a turn for the worse that night. At dinner Dumbledore stood up.

"Last Saturday Nemesis attacked and destroyed the Ministry of Magic. Originally, I had planned to wait to also be able to tell you good news so that you could rest easy that our world was alright. However, today at noon the International Wizarding Community has decided to let us fend for ourselves. They don't want to get involved in a nation that has such a powerful being paying such close attention to it. In other words, the majority of the magical world of Great Britain is suspended in anarchy. Nemesis may have had good reasons to do what she did, however, we now no longer have the protection that a government offers. The school will remain open, and in fact will become a small governmental center for itself and the area's around Hogsmede as well."

Dumbledore drew a deep, heavy breath.

"I urge all students to travel in groups of three or more from now on. After all, this is a danger our world has never known. Student's remember, that the only operable 'government' is Hogwarts itself, and we aren't prepared to offer protection past the boarders of the school."

Dumbledore took a deep drink from his goblet.

"At this time, there is no one stepping up to help organize a new government either so frankly, it will be an indefinite amount of time until there is a new ministry of magic."

Dumbledore continued for a few minutes longer but Hermione was no longer listening, but instead she was deep in thought.

Her gamble that the other nations would step in and help had backfired and now instead of a corrupt government there was no government. She was pretty sure that this was going to turn out badly.

As a side note, Hermione threw an unseen stinging hex at Ron. He yelped and glared at the students next to him.

What an idiot. Who would be stupid enough to date the brat? The only way he'd ever get someone to like him would be several thousand gallons of love potions.

Harry just looked at her with a slightly chiding, and slightly smiling face.

Hermione unwillingly blushed at his gentle reprimand.

Once they had finished eating and headed back up to the common room Hermione, Harry, Susan, and Neville gathered in their corner and began to talk about current events.

"So, with Nemesis destroying the ministry d'you think that the you-know-what is safe?" Neville asked.

Hermione shook her head in reply.

"Not a chance. It's still extremely valuable. Odds are he'll still go after it."

Susan groaned.

"Great, we just had to get involved." She muttered.

"Are you getting scared?" Hermione questioned.

"'Course I am. I just wanted a normal Hogwarts experience, grow up and protect people."

"Then think of it as getting a head start." Hermione replied dryly.

Susan's mouth twitched upwards.

"I suppose." Susan said with a faint smile.

Once Susan and Neville turned in for the night Harry turned and stared at her intensely.

She felt a subtle, yet extraordinarily powerful mental probe test her mental shields. His probe was more subtle than Dumbledore's and almost as powerful as Voldemort's.

Hermione smiled at Harry.

"The one who taught me how to defend my mind...was you." She said as she lowered her barriers for him.

She felt her memories wash over Harry.

Eventually, he pulled out and stumbled.

"It's all true?" Harry asked in wonder.

Hermione wanted to kiss him but instead settled for a hug.

"Absolutely. I'd never lie to you." Hermione assured him.

"Then why didn't you tell me?" Harry demanded.

Hermione gave him a chiding look.

"If I'd told you that you'd have considered me a nutcase. I wasn't willing to be 'locked up' in a mental institution. Even if they couldn't keep me there it would have really curtailed my movements." Hermione answered dryly.

Harry flushed.

"W-well..." He started.

Hermione gave him an incredulous look and he dropped his argument.

Hermione braced herself the the questions he was bound to ask and ask them he did indeed.

2213 words. Meh, this chappie was a bit of a pain to construct. But I'm excited for a certain upcoming chapter. ^.^ I'd foreshadow in the actual story but it'd give too much away there...Ah well...

I guess the only thing I could reveal is...a Chapter title (Probable title for one of the future chapters: The Dance of Elysium...this could change...)

This will be picking up shortly. (If they already weren't intense......)

Hermione, accidentally seems to reveal more than she should O.O; (the semi colon's trying to represent a 'sweat drop' or whatever those things are called in the animes...)

Anyhow, I'm focusing on Snapey a quite a bit. Is he a good guy? Or a bad guy?

In this he'll be bit more around snarky guy that wants to see the Dark Lord 6 Miles under.

Right Now, Hermione's focusing on getting Him kicked out of Hogwarts (as a teacher)

Gringotts is still in operation too. The Goblins didn't get hurt from the attack on the ministry (directly...they'll lose a bit of cash from the loss though)

Actually...They might be considered one of the strongest powers in England now....Hmm....

Has Harry forgiven Hermione? (She might not have been at fault but we humans are funny that way...)

Maybe. I'll probably answer that next chapter. ^.^