Chapter Twenty-Seven
Due to the fact it was the Christmas Holidays, Hogwarts was almost empty. The only people to occupy the castle were the four Heads of Houses plus a couple of other Professors who had no holiday plans, the Headmaster himself of course and a couple of stray students who had nowhere else to go.
The four house tables in the Great Hall had vanished and in place was a large round table where students and Professors were able to chat amongst themselves at mealtimes.
It was on such a morning when one of Charlie Weasley's eagles came soaring into the Great Hall, with a letter tied around its leg. It circled above the students and staff twice before finally landing gracefully in front of Dumbledore's breakfast.
"Thank you my friend." He said taking the letter from the eagle's outstretched leg, before rewarding it with a couple of pieces of bacon and a sausage, as the long journey had made the bird ravenous and exhausted. "Go and have a rest somewhere before taking off back to your master." Dumbledore said stroking the bird lightly on the feathers before it finished its snack and flew off.
Dumbledore was not at all surprised at seeing Charlie's bird, after all they had been conversing with each other privately ever since he had found out about Hermione being in Romania. He had been both worried and curious and wanted to make sure that she was all right. Charlie's letters had eased his worries somewhat, but hadn't rid them completely.
But as he looked at his name written on the sealed envelope before him, he frowned, knowing that this letter was not from Charlie, but from Hermione herself.
Feeling curious he turned the envelope over and carefully opened the seal, before pulling out the piece of parchment and reading the words that were written on it.
'Dear Albus, I am so sorry for troubling you during the Christmas Holidays, I wouldn't write if it wasn't important. Please come to the Dragon Sanctuary in Romania, alone, as soon as you can. Please, I need your help urgently.
Yours faithfully
Hermione'
The letter was short, brief and to the point, and as he read it a second then a third time he could almost feel the desperate urgency coming from it. Hermione was in trouble and needed his help. Of course he would go to her.
He sat deep in thought, absentmindedly running his fingers through his beard, as he contemplated what could be so urgent for her to write to him and request his help.
Severus who sat on his right hand side, was silently watching him from the corner of his eye. He could see that the Headmaster was troubled about something, and knew at the sight of the bird, that the letter was from Charlie.
"Albus what's wrong." He asked in barely a whisper.
Remus who was sitting in between Severus and a heavily pregnant Dora, lifted his head to look at the Headmaster when he heard Severus's words.
"What new information does Charlie have for us?" Remus asked, sitting forward so that he could talk across Severus, who didn't seem to mind, for he too wanted to know the answer to that same question.
Both Severus and Remus knew that any letter Charlie wrote to Dumbledore was about the safety and wellbeing of Hermione. This and the fact that Dumbledore looked worried, didn't help ease either wizards concern. They both cared for Hermione and ever since Trelawney's new prophecy, they were more worried about her than ever before.
Dumbledore sighed heavily, knowing that he could not hide Hermione's letter from them. He also knew how unhappy both wizards would be at the fact that Hermione didn't want anyone else to go with him, and out of respect for her, he intended to keep it that way.
"The bird is indeed Charlie's, but on this occasion he did not write the letter."
Before either wizard could ask him any questions, Dumbledore simply passed the letter to Severus for the two of them to read.
Once finished, Severus could feel his heart beat rapidly in his chest, but tried to remain calm in front of his mentor and friend. He simply raised a curious eyebrow and turned to look at the Headmaster.
"What do you intend on doing Albus?" He asked quietly.
Dumbledore ran his fingers through his beard again before saying,
"I intend to leave as soon as I can of course. If Hermione is in trouble then I plan on doing anything I can to help her."
As if expecting that answer Severus nodded his head in agreement before saying,
"Then I shall accompany you to Romania."
Dumbledore sighed again expecting this response from Severus, but this time he would have to remain firm. Hermione obvious didn't want anyone else there and he would not break her trust.
"No Severus you and Remus-" He said knowing that the wolf would also want to go. "Will remain here."
"But Albus…." Remus began but was suddenly stopped by an irate looking Dumbledore.
"No Remus. You disregarded my orders last time and you will not do it again this time. Hermione has requested my company and mine alone, and I will go to her, but you will both stay here. That is not a request but an order." His tone was final and held a note of warning that left no room for argument. He would not tolerate their disrespect in such matters again.
Sensing that there would be no changing the Headmasters mind, Severus gritted his teeth together, seething that he would have to remain behind while Hermione was in need of help. There was nothing he could do and it left him feeling helpless, a feeling he detested more than anything.
"Very well." He hissed through clenched teeth, before rising from his chair and storming out of the Great Hall, his robes billowing angrily behind him.
Dumbledore turned to Remus putting a hand on his arm, as he too rose from his chair.
"Please Remus, make sure that he does not leave this time. Hermione doesn't want anyone else present and I intend to keep it that way. I will explain matters to you both when I come back."
Remus sighed, he agreed completely with Albus's decision and respected him, but like Severus it didn't mean he had to like it. He too felt helpless and wanted nothing more than to help his best friend. But unlike Severus, he understood Albus's reasoning.
"I'll try but we both know when it comes to Hermione, his emotions get the better of him." Remus said, a hint of sadness in his knowing eyes.
Dumbledore sighed and gave him a small reluctant smile.
"Yes and that is exactly why I do not want him to come with me."
With a nod of his head Remus turned and whispered something into Dora's ear, kissing her cheek affectionately before turning to follow Severus out of the Great Hall. He wasn't sure how he was going to stop him from leaving the castle but he had to do something.
Dumbledore followed the wizard out and headed straight to his office. He didn't want to waste any precious time in helping Hermione. After packing a small bag, he sent off a patronus to Minerva informing her of where he was going before flooing straight into the Minister of Magic's office. He needed a portkey and he needed one now, time was of the essence.
Back in Romania Hermione had now been waiting for Dumbledore for four days and was beginning to get restless, believing he was not coming. He hadn't written a reply to her nor had he shown up.
Morvin's behavior was becoming more and more difficult as she lashed out at everyone including her, and Hermione didn't know how to help the girl. The only time she seemed to settle was when it was just her, Hermione and Nafeesa in the safety of the enclosure, away from everyone else.
Even the female members of staff were getting screamed and shouted at and Hermione had never felt more helpless or at a loss than what she did now.
Demetri didn't help matters either, as he kept reminding her of the time slipping by. And the fact that they would eventually have to leave returning back to Volterra, with or without Morvin.
Every new day that passed, Hermione felt her heart breaking a little bit more at the thought of what might happen to Morvin. She knew that if Dumbledore didn't come, then there was no way she could leave with the little girl and take her back to Volterra. She was far too volatile to be around.
Every time Demetri gave her that look, she kept repeating the same mantra in her head, Dumbledore will come, over and over again. She had to stay positive for both her sake and Morvin's.
Hermione left Morvin with Nafeesa one morning, knowing that the little girl was safe and protected with her familiar. Nafeesa had adopted Morvin as one of her own and cared for her just like she did Hermione. The fact that the little girls heart didn't beat, wasn't an issue to her like it was with Felix and Demetri, she knew the difference between an innocent child and adults.
Charlie wanted to speak to her about something and she had been so busy with Nafeesa, Morvin and spying with Felix and Demetri that she had completely forgotten about it until he sent an impatient patronus to her.
When she arrived at the office building, he was in a deep animated conversation with Felix and Demetri. Just seeing the sight of the three of them was enough to bring a small smile to her face.
She also felt incredibly guilty because ever since Morvin had come into her life she had been neglecting all three of her friends, and seeing them now sitting chatting together, only reminded her of that fact.
"Hey you three." She said in greeting, as she came and sat in the chair across from them. She stretched out her legs and closed her eyes shut for a moment, savoring the peace and quiet. That was just another thing that made her feel guilty, the fact that she was spending all her time with an uncontrollable child, she was glad to get some respite for a while.
"Hey yourself stranger." Charlie said, beaming at her.
"I know and I'm so sorry guys. It's just been- well you know how it's been." She sighed as her gaze drifted over all three of them.
"How is the little spitfire today?" Charlie asked with genuine concern.
Hermione's eyebrow rose as she gave him a small smile.
"Which one of my girls are you talking about Charlie?" She teased causing him to laugh.
"Touché my friend." He grinned back with that happy go lucky Weasley charm he had inherited.
Hermione laughed at him before sitting up, her arms folded on top of her knees as if she was preparing herself for business.
"So what was this important thing that you wanted to discuss with me then?" She asked curiously.
Charlie's face turned slightly red, the same thing Ron's used to do when he was embarrassed or trying to hide something from her or Harry.
"Ah well you see it's not that I want to talk to you about something in particular, it's more a case that I- well that Phil and I have something for you." He pulled out a black blindfold from his pocket before turning his gaze back to Hermione, his cheeks turning a darker shade of red. "May I?" He asked in an embarrassed voice.
Hermione tried to refrain from laughing at the reaction she was getting from her friend. Obviously he hadn't had much experience of doing this type of thing with a woman.
"If I let you put that on me are you going to chain me up next and have your wicked way with me?" Hermione asked teasingly, trying not to laugh at seeing Charlie squirm and look so uncomfortable. Felix and Demetri were obviously struggling to hold back their laughter, as one made a horrible snorting noise, while the other coughed into their hand. She smiled reassuringly back at Charlie and shook her head. "Honestly the look on your face was priceless. You can of course put that on me, I trust you."
"Witch." Charlie hissed out, though he was grinning from ear to ear. He had been missing this banter with her. Felix and Demetri were nice, though a little too serious for his taste, but Hermione, well she was and would always be like family to him.
He got up from his chair and walked behind Hermione, before tying the blindfold over her eyes.
"Do you see anything?" He asked, adjusting it slightly.
"Only the darkness." She replied.
"Good." He placed one hand in hers and the other on the small of her back, before helping her to stand. "Then follow me. You two as well." He said to Felix and Demetri who simply watched on in curiosity.
Charlie led Hermione out of the room they occupied and into a long narrow corridor. They walked the length of the corridor until Charlie stopped at a door with a sign that read 'Warning- beware of the heat. Experiments in progress.' Before ushering the three vampires inside.
When the dragonologists weren't out working in the enclosures they were usually found in this room doing research. Working with dragons was incredibly dangerous, and they came in here to find new ways to further develop things in order to help keep them safe. This was where they came to test items and help make them fireproof. Whenever someone came up with a new way to improve upon something, they would take it into this room, put it behind the fireproof window, and then press a button which would spit scorching fire at it. If it burnt, melted or disintegrated then the item was useless to them. If it was still intact or had the minimal amount of damage to it then it was kept and further developed.
Charlie directed Hermione to stand in front of the fireproof window. The light was turned off so no-one could see what lay beyond the room.
"Are you ready?" He asked her, excitement clearly sounding in his voice.
She hesitated for a moment, taking in the new smells and sounds in the room before answering him with a steady,
"Yes."
He grinned before pulling off her blindfold and gestured to the darkened room.
Hermione looked around the room with confusion, unsure what it was she was supposed to be looking at. Turning her gaze towards Charlie, her confusion must have been evident on her face as he blushed and leaned over to push a button, turning the lights on.
"Oops." He said turning a deeper shade of red.
Hermione turned to look into the room beyond the window and gasped at the sight before them. Taking a small step forward she asked,
"Charlie what is this?"
He was unable to hide the ear splitting grin forming on his face as he watched Hermione's reaction. He noted with satisfaction at seeing the curious but pleased look on her face.
"I got the idea the day you three went off to the small village that was under attack, when you changed your outfit into what I assumed was your fighting gear. And because you are now a dragonrider as well, I thought I would make you something that reflected your new position." He smiled at her as she gasped in surprise.
"You made this for me." She asked turning soft eyes to him.
He grinned while nodding his head.
"The outfit is flexible giving you room to fight or fly in. It's black and red, so it's the same colours as what the Volturi wears. It will also make you look like the warrior and commander that you are. Plus-" He said as his grin grew even wider. "Watch this." He said gesturing to the window as he flicked on a switch that caused fire to spit out at the outfit.
All three vampires were surprised by that and reflectively jumped back in shock.
Charlie flicked the switch again turning the fire off and when they looked back through the window, the outfit that was on the mannequin was still intact. There were no scorch marks and no burning flames of the sort adorning it. It was exactly the same as it had been before the raging fire.
"Amazing." Hermione said with awe.
"It's my best work yet." Charlie admitted with a proud grin. He moved over to the side door and opened it before stepping into the room and magically taking the clothes off of the mannequin. He came back out again making sure that the door was firmly shut behind him, before handing them to Hermione. "Would you do me the honor of wearing these, only when you need them for battle?" He said, his voice and demeanor more serious than Hermione had ever seen on him.
If she didn't know any better she would have thought that he had known about the vision she had, but there was no way of him knowing about that. Unbeknownst to her however, Dumbledore had already mentioned to Charlie about Trelawney's new prophecy in a letter he had written. And so he had taken it upon himself to help her in any way that he could. He didn't know how he could help her, not until that day when he saw her magically change her clothes. That's when the idea for the outfit came to him.
"Thank you so much, I honestly don't know what to say." She said, humbled at his thoughtfulness.
Charlie grinned at her again before saying,
"Perhaps you could try them on to make sure they fit before thanking me. Then if you wanted to, you could take Nafeesa for a fly and see how they feel."
She laughed before quickly pulling him to her for a hug.
"Thanks Charlie." She said again before leaving the three males alone to chat.
The three men wandered back into the seating area where they had been sitting previously in discussion. This time they were silent however, as all three of them sat in thought, all of them thinking about Hermione.
So lost were they that they didn't hear her come into the room until she gave a small cough to announce her presence.
Turning to look at her all three of them openly stared as they took her in. Charlie, in his design of the outfit had been spot on. Standing before them now was not the Hermione they all knew and loved. Before them now was a strong, confident, warrior, a commander, their leader.
She stood tall and proud with her hands firmly set on her hips, as she gave them a little coy smile.
"Well what do you think?" She asked tensing her shoulders slightly at the silence that greeted her.
She had on a fitted pair of black trousers that were tucked into black knee high leather boots. She wore a jumper made of surprisingly light, black chainmail. On top of that she wore a long black leather jacket that just scraped across the ground. It was synched in at the waist by a thick leather belt with three buckles that showed off her petite figure and was opened in a way to display her long slender legs. On her shoulders were metal pads, also black in color. Her hands were covered in black fingerless gloves and draped over one shoulder was a red cape, matching with the theme of the Volturi. Her hair which was usually either up in a ponytail or tumbling down her back in waves, was gathered at the sides, pulling it away from her face as it gracefully cascaded down her back. She looked everything like what Charlie had imagined, but still something was missing. Then he remembered.
Without saying a word, he quickly left the room for a few moments before returning back with a red box in his hands.
"You look wonderful except for one thing. Please take a seat." He asked in awe of the woman before him. She smiled at him shyly before sitting on the chair he had indicated. Carefully he opened the box to reveal a bronze circlet, its intricate pattern weaved in a way that looked suspiciously like Nafeesa's crown of horns. It was small and delicate looking and in the middle a small teardrop ruby hung down. Gently, glad Hermione had her hair the way she had, Charlie placed it around her head, so that the stone sat perfectly between her eyebrows. He adjusted it slightly before stepping back and admiring his work. "Perfect." He hummed with satisfaction.
"Isn't this too much?" Hermione asked letting her finger stroke over the soft metal of the circlet.
Charlie shook his head at her and smiled.
"No it's perfect. You look like everything I imagined. Now why don't you go and see what Nafeesa thinks."
Hermione smiled then looked at Felix and Demetri, who simply stood in a stunned silence. They both agreed with Charlie, in the fact that she looked perfect. They knew her to be strong and powerful, and he had captured all of that in one outfit. They knew then that they would willingly follow her into battle, they would defend her to the death.
"You look wonderful Hermione." Felix said patting her shoulder reassuringly.
"Yes my little witchling, you are simply amazing." Demetri whispered honestly.
She gave them both a small smile and thanked them before leaving to go back to Nafeesa's enclosure. If she had stayed only a couple of minutes longer, she would have seen the timely arrival of one Albus Dumbledore.
Arriving at Nafeesa's enclosure she walked through the wards and was instantly greeted by a playful yowling sound, followed by a little girl's hearty laugh. Smiling at the noise, she made her way over to where the sound was coming from only to suddenly stop at the sight that met her.
Nafeesa was chasing Morvin who ducked and hid from sight, running between the dragon's legs and hiding behind her large tail, while Nafeesa pretended to try and find her. As if giving up on the task, Nafeesa fell to the ground and rolled over as Morvin lay down on top of her belly, her arms outstretched covering as much as the dragon as she could. With a flick of her long forked tongue, she licked Morvin's small oval face, before laying her head back down. Only then did she catch the sight of her non-human watching from the distance.
Her head shot up as she took in the appearance of her non-human, who did not look like that before she left. Gently nudging the small child from her body, she stood slowly to her feet and walked gracefully over to her non-human. Taking in the sight of her as she grew closer. Her yellow knowing eyes stopped at the sight of the circlet on her non-humans' head and all at once she knew. She threw back her head and let out the loudest happiest sounding yowling noise she had ever made, as she accepted her new role, cementing her relationship further with her non-human. The dragons in the other enclosures, returned her gesture, as each one answered her back in reply.
Just like that first time Nafeesa ran to Hermione grabbing her red cape with her mouth, pulling her up onto her back before taking off into the air.
Hermione smiled before realizing they had forgotten someone down below.
"Nafeesa we have to go back for Morvin." She said as Nafeesa flew lower to the ground before circling again, until they were close enough to Morvin. With her arms outstretched Hermione picked up the little girl and sat her between her legs, with her arms circling protectively around Morvin's tiny little waist.
"It's alright sweetie we have you." Hermione said, suddenly aware that Morvin had never flew with her on Nafeesa's back before. She must have been so scared, Hermione thought suddenly feeling guilty.
"I know." The little voice said in her mind, sounding excited and happy.
Moving her head slightly to the side Hermione was able to see the big smile plastered on Morvin's face, making her look so young and carefree.
Satisfied that she wasn't scared she held on tighter to the child and relished this moment for what it was. Nafeesa flew around her own enclosure gliding and soaring through the air, feeling more complete and settled than she had ever felt before. Things with her non-human were progressing just as they should be, and she knew that with the new arrival at the Dragon Sanctuary, that things were about to change further. It was after all her non-humans' destiny. In fact, it was now all three of their destinies, as they were now all weaved and linked in together. This was her family and she was proud, but at the same time she was sad for she knew that it wouldn't be long until they had to go. Sadly, she could not fight with destiny.
Feeling the magic of the new person in the sanctuary, she carefully glided back around and headed towards the wards of her enclosure, where she knew they would be waiting. She landed with graceful agility, a safe distance away from the wards for she knew that if they were any closer the child would get upset.
"Why did you stop?" Hermione asked Nafeesa, who simply nodded her head to the front of them. Lifting her head up, she gazed in the direction that Nafeesa indicated, her eyes training on the welcome sight of Dumbledore, who stood smiling broadly at her, his blue eyes twinkling madly even from this distance.
As pleased as Hermione was to see him, she feared Morvin's reaction to their new guest, so quickly jumped off Nafeesa before looking into her alert yellow eyes.
"Take Morvin away for now, I will find you when I'm done." She whispered, so that Morvin could not hear.
With a nod of her head and a flick of her tongue Nafeesa was off, flying through the air until she could no longer be seen. A feeling of relief washed over Hermione as she turned to look back at Dumbledore who was gazing back at her, although he was deep in conversation with Charlie.
Hermione smiled at him once, before using her vampire speed to pass through the wards and embrace him, happy in the knowledge that he was here, that he had finally came.
"Hermione my dear, I would ask how you are but it seems quite obvious." He said with a small chuckle. She looked better than what he had imagined, in fact she looked better than he had ever seen her. Which made him curious to know why he was even here.
"Albus thank you so much for coming. To be honest I was getting rather worried when I heard no reply from you. I didn't think you would get here in time." She admitted, knowing how foolish that sounded because she knew Dumbledore would never let anyone down.
"Ahh I do apologize my dear girl but trying to procure a portkey was more difficult than I thought. Romania isn't safe at the moment, as you well know due to all the trouble brewing. Even witches and wizards have felt such a negative change." He said with a frown. As far as the Ministry were aware no witches or wizards had been turned or attacked by any vampires, but they were asked to take safety precautions. Some were even forced to evacuate from certain areas due to violence against unsuspecting muggles by vampire groups.
Hermione sighed heavily and nodded her head in understanding.
"Yes I can imagine. Since coming here Demetri, Felix and I have saw innocent vampires running from the Romanian Covens soldiers. They don't want to be a part of it but are being forced and threatened to join. Albus, we've seen them wipe out a whole village. They are creating newborn armies and training them in the Hoia-Baciu forest, where our battle will take place. We've been there and seen it for ourselves." She looked momentarily angry as the memories hit her again. "They are evil barbaric monsters." She hissed out.
Seeing the tension on her face Dumbledore held out his arm to her and smiled sadly.
"Would you care to go for a walk with me? I think we have some things to discuss do we not?" His eyebrow rose in question and she couldn't help but smile fondly at him as she took his arm.
"Yes we do I suppose." She agreed.
They turned to say their goodbyes to the rest of the group before turning to walk through the safe parts of the sanctuary. They walked in silence as Dumbledore looked around him in wonderment at the sights that greeted him. He of course knew about the Romanian Dragon Sanctuary and heard stories about it from Hagrid and other people who had visited over the years, but unfortunately for him had never visited himself until now. The stories he had heard never done the place justice as he couldn't believe the sheer beauty and tranquility of the place.
After having his fill of the sights surrounding him, he glanced down at Hermione who appeared to be deep in thought herself.
"Now my dear I must confess about having been extremely worried about the urgency of your letter. But having seen you now looking so well and happy, I can't help feel befuddled about why you would request my presence."
Hermione sighed and let go of his arm to walk a little bit ahead, taking a moment to compose her thoughts. Now that he was here she found herself to be at a complete loss of where to begin. There were so many questions and thoughts running through her mind at the moment, but she knew she would start with the topic that was most important to her, the real reason why he was here and that was Morvin.
She stopped walking and turned to look at him with eyes that were both filled with sadness and hope. Clasping her hands together she finally said,
"As I mentioned to you before Felix, Demetri and I saw a whole village being wiped out. They killed the elderly and the young, keeping those men and women who they felt could be used as soldiers. We got into a big fight and killed those Romanian vampires and all those who were going through the change. It was awful." She said remembering the small village and all those poor people lying in an undignified row, as they went through the worst pain in their lives. "We couldn't save them Albus it was too late, they were too far gone and even if we could, the vampire race would have been exposed to muggles. We couldn't let that happen." She said softly hoping that he would understand. "While I was fighting with the leader of the group, I performed legilimency on him to see what he knew, if there was anything that we could use to help us. It was like a metal wall had been placed around his memories I've never seen anything quite like it before. I couldn't penetrate it."
Dumbledore frowned as he listened to her intently and watched as all the emotions played across her face ranging from anger, to sadness, to helplessness. He knew that she felt guilty about not being able to save those poor people but she was right, there was nothing they could have done to save them. As he listened to what she said about reading the leader's mind, he grew concerned by this piece of information. He had never heard of anything quite like this before, not even with those who were experts in legilimency, and that thought was incredibly disturbing.
"Please carry on." He said softly, as she stopped speaking letting him think over everything he had just heard.
"Not all of his thoughts were hidden however." She said with such hatred and disgust. "He was a monster Albus. I saw images of him turning small girls into vampires, not just any small girl but young virgins. He abused them sexually, mentally and physically. The images I saw are ingrained in my mind and they make me feel ill." She turned away from him to compose herself, as she felt the same tingling sensation of her magic course through her body. She did not want to discuss this new development to him at the moment, so waited until she had calmed down enough before turning back to look at him.
He of course had felt the frizzle of her magic in the air, but didn't want draw any attention to it, knowing that she would discuss it with him when she was ready and not before.
"It was because of these images that I was able to find her." She said warmly, her eyes instantly softening.
"Her." Dumbledore queried.
She smiled and nodded her head.
"Yes Morvin a small beautiful little girl. She was chained up like an animal, starving, dirty, hurt and broken. Demetri and Felix wanted to end her life but I couldn't let them do that. She is just an innocent little girl Albus, who needed someone to care for her. So I took her under my wing." She sighed wearily and rubbed her eyes. "She trusts me Albus, but the problem is she is so broken from what that man done to her, she becomes angry or terrified in the face of men. I-I don't know how to help her and I'm struggling. We're returning back to Volterra soon and unless things change drastically she will be killed. Which is why I need your help?" She turned pleading eyes onto him and stepped closer. "Severus was able to obliviate Marcus's memories of Didyme, I thought maybe you could obliviate her memories of what happened."
The hope shone from her eyes and he could see just how much she had come to care for the small child she spoke of. As much as it warmed his heart to see her like this, he knew that he could not do what she had just asked.
"Hermione as much as I want to help you with this, I cannot. She is just a child and although she has gone through the change her mind is still growing. To obliviate her mind could destroy it. You do not want that." He said sadly as all the hope drained from her eyes, replaced by pain and anguish.
"Is there nothing that can be done?" She asked, her voice breaking at the thought of losing the little girl who she had come to care about.
He sighed, rubbing his beard as he thought over everything that could be of use in this situation. Finally he said,
"There could be another way, but I warn you there will be aftereffects."
"What, what is it?" She asked, not wanting to raise her hopes up.
"Instead of a full obliviate I could apply a strong memory charm to her mind. It will contain all the bad memories but not permanently erase them, which means they could come back at some point in her life. And as I already said there could be some aftereffects. She might still show some behavioral problems; certain things may trigger a specific behavior or a certain memory. She may also get the feeling that she's forgetting something but won't know what. It may or may not help her but it's the only thing I can think of at the moment." He said grimly.
Hermione knew she would do whatever it took to try and give Morvin a chance. If it worked then great, if it didn't then at least she could say she had tried. This was their only hope and she could do nothing more than pray to Merlin that it worked. If her memories did come back, then they could deal with that together. And Hermione hoped that by that time Morvin would feel loved and cared enough about, that her behavior wouldn't be as unpredictable as it was now.
With her mind made up, she turned to Dumbledore and nodded.
"Let's try it Albus. I want her happy and safe and I, at least, owe her this chance."
Dumbledore gave her a small smile of understanding.
"Where is the child just now?" He asked.
She smiled broadly at him this time, a smile that was both full of warmth and pride.
"She is being looked after by Nafeesa at the moment, don't worry she is in safe hands."
Dumbledore chuckled slightly at her words. He could not believe the sight that had greeted him when he first peered into Nafeesa's enclosure. Charlie had filled him in briefly when he first arrived, and so he knew that Hermione had befriended a dragon, the same dragon from the Triwizard Tournament not that long ago. But he had no idea how close Hermione and the dragon were. While he stood stunned watching as Hermione flew on Nafeesa's back, Charlie quickly filled him in on all the other details, which he found simply astounding. He was looking forward to seeing the two of them interacting for himself.
"Charlie spoke a little about you and Nafeesa, it came as a rather pleasant surprise. I wonder how Harry will feel knowing that you are friends with his old rival." He said again with a chuckle.
Hermione laughed at his words and sniggered.
"I think he will have a fit when he finds out. Really she's not as scary as she appeared back them. She's actually a big softy but don't tell her I said that. She'll just go into a strop. Nafeesa is incredibly stubborn and doesn't like anyone knocking her pride." She said with a giggle.
Albus couldn't help but watch her with amazement. She truly was a remarkable woman and despite the smiles and warmth, he could feel that she was still holding something back from him.
"Hermione forgive an old man his curiosity but I sense Morvin is not the only thing that worries you at the moment. Do you wish to talk about it?"
The smile instantly fell from her face and she sighed heavily.
"It's true there is something else. The day that I found Morvin, when I was using legilimency on that vile monster, I felt my anger snap and my magic take over. I did something awful Albus, and I couldn't control it. It made me feel powerful beyond belief, I felt unstoppable and so angry. It scared me so much. What if I can't control this power? What if it makes me turn dark?"
"Hermione." He whispered a small smile on his face. "Even the most powerful people in the world have a choice of whether they are good or bad. Voldemort used his powers for evil, I used my powers for good, and when I look at you all I see is goodness." She went to speak but he quickly stopped her. "Hermione my girl we all do some terrible things at dangerous times, unfortunately it is unavoidable. But you have goodness in your heart. You love, you care, you have a soul, you know the difference between good and bad, and as long as you keep all of those things, you will never fall into darkness."
Hermione could feel a single tear run down her cheek as she absorbed his words, feeling like a heavy weight had been lifted off of her. She swiped at the tear before pulling herself together.
"Thank you." She whispered with relief.
"There is nothing to thank me for Hermione, I was only stating the truth. Now, if you don't mind would you care to demonstrate this new power so I can see it for myself." He asked as once more curiosity got the better of him.
Nodding her head, she cast a protective charm over him, just in case, before moving to stand in front of him with her back to him.
She closed her eyes and thought about all the things she had seen and felt that first time. She thought of Morvin and the state she was in when she had just found her, then she saw the sneering laughing face of the monster. Just like before the magic coursed through her body, and she felt the similar tingling sensation run down her arms to the tips of her fingers. She opened her eyes to see the blue white ball of light appear in her hand and marveled at it for a second before firing it at a tree. They watched as the light disappeared into the thick trunk, and just as before cracks appeared with the light shining through, before the tree exploded and disintegrated turning into dust.
They both stood in silence, as they stared openly at the place the tree had just been. Turning back to Dumbledore she cancelled the protective shield and turned shy eyes to meet his gaze.
"The first time I done that, the weather changed. It became windy and there was thunder and lightning, before a bolt hit the ground. It seemed to grow worse the angrier I became. It didn't do that this time." She said quietly.
Once again Dumbledore was both amazed and at loss to what he had just seen. It was unlike anything he had ever witnessed before. He had felt the magic crackle in the air, and felt the sheer force as she expelled the light from her hands into the tree. It was both magnificent and terrifying at the same time. And he could fully understand her fear at turning dark.
"Remarkable." He whispered out loud. "I can understand why you are wary of such a power, but if it is indeed caused by your emotions it means that you have the power to control and wield it. It is only dangerous if you use it for the wrong reasons."
Hermione nodded at him in understanding before asking,
"What should I do then?"
He smiled at her, the twinkle firmly back in his eyes.
"That's easy, you practice your new power until you are able to control it as you wish. A bit like waving a wand and using that as a conductor for your magic. I think from what you just described, you had this power back when you first changed, I remember seeing you angry a couple of times that it brought a change in the weather, like you said. You just needed something to give you that final push for it to properly manifest and I think little Morvin was the thing that gave you that push." Without even knowing it, Dumbledore had just answered several question that she had been wanting to ask him. "Now shall we go and see to Morvin?" He asked with a smile as he extended his arm out to her once more.
"Yes please." She replied happily, taking his arm eagerly.
It didn't take them long to arrive back in Nafeesa's enclosure. Hermione felt it best that Dumbledore remained outside of the wards, just in case Nafeesa didn't take to him well. After all she was stubborn and might not forgive him for his role during the Triwizard Tournament. Luckily however, she didn't have to worry.
Hermione wasn't in the enclosure long before Nafeesa's familiar yowl sounded, and she came flying over to them, once again stopping at a safe distance for she still had Morvin on her back.
Hermione went to check on Morvin who smiled broadly back down at her, she hadn't yet noticed the elderly wizard watching them from afar. Then she turned back to Nafeesa and stroked her lovingly, before she was rewarded with a long lick from her tongue. As always she giggled at the sign of affection.
Moving to stand in front of her friend, away from Morvin she whispered,
"Outside is Albus Dumbledore, you might remember him from the Triwizard Tournament, but please don't scare him off. He's here to help me with Morvin." She whispered cautiously.
Nafeesa's head rose as she looked at the wizard, knowing who he was before her non-human even said a word. She wasn't going to do anything negative for she knew how important he was to both her non-human and the child. They needed him and so she wouldn't hold a grudge against him.
She made a mewling noise of understanding, before rubbing her large muzzle against Hermione letting her know she would not pose a threat to the wizard. Taking that as a sign Hermione turned to Dumbledore and smiled broadly at him before walking over to escort him through the wards.
Walking in front of the dragon he bowed his head in respect, before she let out a small yowl in return.
"Nafeesa it is so lovely to meet you again, under better circumstances this time. I would however like to apologize for the reason behind our last meeting. I didn't know about that task and if I did I would have put a stop to what they did to you. For that I am truly sorry."
Nafeesa knew that he was sincere and gently licked him with her long forked tongue. To say Dumbledore was surprised was an understatement.
He chuckled and reached out a hand to her, before looking into her yellow eyes to ask for permission. She closed the gap between them and rubbed her cool scaly black skin against his slightly trembling hand.
His heart lurched with excitement and for the first time in many years he felt like a young boy again. This was the closest he had ever come to a real live dragon and it was simply awe-inspiring.
"You have made me the happiest wizard alive. Thank you Nafeesa for your kindness and your forgiveness. It is much more than I could have imagined."
She huffed in response causing him to chuckle more.
So lost were they in the moment, that little Morvin had been completely forgotten about. It wasn't until she had dropped to the ground and let out a loud scream at the sight of Dumbledore, that they remembered. She bared her teeth and snarled before charging towards him. He instantly took a step back, as Hermione grabbed her. She pulled the girl into her body and wrapped her arms securely around her, as Morvin thrashed about. She was so much stronger than Hermione, but not once did Hermione's grip slacken.
"Ssh sweetie. Its ok, its ok. I'm here, I won't let anyone hurt you." She pulled the little girl down onto her lap and kissed her head affectionately, while muttering soothing words into her ear. Morvin snarled and tried to hit and scratch Hermione, but all she did was hold on tighter. "This is Albus Dumbledore, he is my friend and he is going to help you. He's going to remove all the bad memories from you and help you forget. I promise he won't hurt you. I'm here, I've got you and I'm never going to let you go." She soothed.
At her words Morvin began to relax a little in Hermione's embrace, although her scared eyes never once left Dumbledore. He watched as Nafeesa lay behind them, wrapping her large tail protectively around them both, which helped calm the little girl further.
Dumbledore simply stood patiently, the little twinkle in his eye almost blinding, as he gazed at the tender scene before him.
Finally after some time, Morvin turned to look at Hermione as her voice sounded in her mind.
"How do you know that funny old man?" She asked causing Hermione to laugh out loud.
"He is a wizard sweetie and is the Headmaster at the school I attended as a witch." She stroked Morvin's hair lovingly and waited for the next question, just like her, there was always a next question.
"Why is he wearing such strange clothes?" She asked after a moment's pause.
Again Hermione giggled.
"The clothes he is wearing are called robes, which is the clothing we wear in the magical world."
After another moment she said,
"I do like his hat though."
Hermione laughed and turned her head to look at her old Headmaster.
"Professor, Morvin says that she likes your hat." She tried so hard not to giggle at the words but couldn't stop herself.
Dumbledore quirked an eyebrow and smiled. He wasn't sure how Hermione knew all of that, as he had just witnessed her having a conversation with herself, but he didn't judge. After all there was always an answer for everything and now was not the time to question anything. Not when the little girl seemed so relaxed sitting in the safety of Hermione's arms.
"Is that so?" He said taking off his hat and waving his wand to duplicate it.
He took a couple of steps forward, before realizing the fear etched once again on the little girl's face. He stopped walking at once, taking a seat on the ground before them. Using his wand, he cast a silent spell making the duplicated hat float over to her. "Please have this Morvin." He said with a genuine smile.
Morvin looked hesitantly at him, not knowing whether to trust him or not. He didn't seem to be too scary and Hermione trusted him, so if she did then perhaps she could too. She reached out and took the hat from thin air, giving the elderly man the briefest of shy smiles.
He gasped when he suddenly heard her small voice in his head saying,
"Thank you for the hat."
Smiling through his shock he said,
"You are most welcome my dear."
For the rest of the afternoon the four of them done nothing but sit and chat, in a relaxed calm environment as Morvin got to know Dumbledore better. She was shy at first yet incredibly curious about him. He used his magic to make flowers dance and float around her, he cast his phoenix patronus letting her and Nafeesa chase it. He performed various magic tricks for her amusement, and answered any questions that she had for him.
The funniest part of their time together was when she had asked him how old he was. When he replied that he was 117 years old, she couldn't believe it and said,
"That's really old."
He couldn't help but laugh at her innocence. What really surprised and pleased him was the relationship she seemed to have with Hermione. It was clear that Hermione cared deeply for the girl, but it was also clear that the girl returned those sentiments. They were so alike in both looks and in personality that anyone who didn't know them would have thought them to be mother and daughter. It warmed his heart to see.
As the night wore on she began to move freely around him, and at one point even touched the gold embroidery on his robes. She was also fascinated by the beads that were tied around his beard.
Hermione was getting antsy and he knew that time was ticking by. Soon he would have to cast a strong memory charm, and after seeing her interact with Hermione, he really hoped it worked. For both their sakes. Although she was such a delightful child he knew Hermione couldn't risk exposing her to other vampires. Not when her behavior was so erratic.
"I think it's time Professor." Hermione said not wanting to put things off any longer.
Morvin was settled in her arms, her hand lying on top of Hermione's beating heart, something that seemed to relax and soothe her. So fixated was she on the sound and the vibration it made, that she did not see Dumbledore come up behind them with his wand out and pointing straight towards her.
He pointed it to the little girl's head and whispered,
"Forgive me my child." Before casting the memory charm with Hermione's enhanced power.
All at once her world turned to darkness as she slumped over in Hermione's arms. It would be a couple of hours until she woke, and a couple of days to see if the spell had worked. Time was now against them as they would be leaving the safety of the sanctuary in three days. All they could do now was hope and pray that it worked.
