Disclaimer:
Not mine… I think we all knew that.
.:/*\:.
When Hermione finally emerged from Gringotts, the sun had already started its descent in the clear afternoon sky. The young witch took a long, shuddering breath, and her fingers came to brush against her seldra. She watched people walking past for a moment, talking and laughing as they went along, without a care in the world. A flash of anger coursed through the Gryffindor witch for a moment.
How dare they!? How dare they make me the scapegoat for their inefficiency? For their cowardice? Where were they when Voldemort was hunting me and my friends down? Where were they just two months ago when the biggest magic school in the country was under attack? When their children were directly threatened?
Hermione gritted her teeth and held her fists tightly closed as she fought to control her emotions. She fixed her eyes on the Leaky Cauldron, from where she could Floo back to the Three Broomsticks. But with a shake of her head and a sudden turn, she started to walk in the opposite direction. It took her less than a minute to get to Weasley Wizard Wheezes. The shop was busy, even with the new school year still many weeks away. But George saw her come in and immediately waved her to the back.
Hermione made her way to the apartment above the shop and sat, waiting for her honorary brother. It didn't take long, and George set about making tea as soon as he saw Hermione's face. He placed a cup in front of her and settled down in the seat opposite hers.
"I gather this is not just a friendly visit," the wizard said.
Hermione forced herself to breathe deep and unclench her hands. She studied the marks her fingernails had left in her palms for a few seconds, noticing that she had managed to draw blood on each hand.
"I'm sorry, brother. But I need your help."
"Anything at all, Hermione. You know that. Does it have anything to do with your parents? Has Lee found them already?"
Hermione sighed and shook her head. She then gave the Ministry's letter to George for him to read. He did so quickly, his frown becoming more pronounced as he neared the end of the parchment.
"They can't do this," he said as he finished.
"But they have."
"That's not what I meant, sis. They sent you this… this… letter. But we haven't got one!"
"You didn't bust Gringotts open."
"Ron did. Given he's in training with the Aurors, the letter would have been sent to our parents. And Dad is not too proud to come to me with this. They would have to."
Hermione shook her head as Ragnok's words were confirmed to her. But as George stood and made a grab for some Floo powder, Hermione stopped him with a hand on his arm.
"I have sorted it out already, George. I just left Gringotts."
"You went to the Goblins with this?"
"I have, and we have arranged everything. If you and Lord Ragnok are right and the letter was only sent to me, the Goblins will make sure nothing more comes of it. But now, I must call on my inheritance."
Hermione mumbled these last words, and George slowly sat back down.
"You've got an apprenticeship?"
"Not yet, but the Headmistress made the offer a while back already."
George frowned. "What has that got to do anything with the Goblins?"
"Their request. I have to start an Ancient Runes apprenticeship while a few other things get sorted out. Then I'll start a Wards apprenticeship with Gringotts. My problem is, it's not going to be a run-of-the-mill apprenticeship. The Goblins would like me to try and continue learning about other stuff as I go along, and I have no idea if Professor McGonagall will request more money in exchange for letting this happen."
"They don't do things by half, do they?" George scoffed. "Don't you worry about the money. I've got plenty of Galleons to make the Headmistress happy if needed. Just help me come up with a truly good prank one day, and we'll call it even. Now tell me this: how is you apprenticing repaying the Goblins?"
"I'm an experiment of sorts. Something to do with them getting the wrong kind of wards workers and wanting to see if they can get something better in me."
Hermione shrugged, but George narrowed his eyes at her.
"You're not telling me everything."
The Gryffindor witch shook her head once more, and George's eye widened before he shot out of his seat to stand in front of his little sister, holding her head to one side.
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that a seldra?"
"And how on earth would you know that?"
"My brother has worked for Gringotts for nearly as long as he's been out of Hogwarts. He's taught me a thing or two about Goblins." George leaned forward, his fingers ghosting over the dangling charms. "Don't actually know what it means, beyond that you've been adopted."
"Let's leave it at that for now, brother. My life is about to get far too complicated."
George nodded once then stepped back as he Summoned parchment and quill to him.
"Luckily for you, with the exception of Bill himself, I'm the only Weasley who will get that."
Hermione looked up as George's voice caught on the words and she put her hand on his arm. Nothing would ease the pain right now, but she would offer what comfort she could to the lone twin. George gave her a sad smile before he started to pen his letter.
"Tell the Headmistress I trust her not to steal off me. For now. Whatever she says is needed to get the apprenticeship with Professor Babbling, I'll get. If it means paying enough so Hogwarts can hire an assistant for Professor Babbling so you can concentrate on whatever extra-curricular stuff the Goblins want you to do, so be it."
George finished his letter with his signature, before he rolled the parchment and sealed it magically. He handed the roll to Hermione who promptly shrunk it and stuck it in her pocket.
"Have you seen Snape at all the last couple of days?" George asked.
"Not since his trial. Why?"
"When you do, ask him if he could contact me. At his convenience, of course."
George now settled back into his seat, a strange little smile on his lips, and Hermione shook her head.
"I think I'd rather not know."
"Indeed, my darling little sister. However, now that I have you here, I want to make sure you don't leave without something that actually belongs to you."
Hermione frowned and George smiled before he waved his wand in the air in a rather intricate pattern. A glow appeared over the table and a large chest appeared there.
"I went to Gringotts just yesterday to get this for you."
"What is it?" Hermione frowned as she looked at the rather simple and non-descript wooden trunk in front of her. She knew very well that the twins' best pranks often looked innocuous.
"This, my darling sister, is the rest of your inheritance. Inside, you will find a copy of all the books we have ever consulted in the process of developing Weasley Wizard Wheezes. From the Hogwarts textbooks, to copies of a great many books that are in the Hogwarts Library, to a good number you cannot find there. There are a few we could not find another copy of, often because they went out of print or because, well… We're not really supposed to own a copy in the first place. There's a small list of those books in the chest, so you know what other books I have here that you can come consult at your leisure."
Hermione blinked a few times then remembered to close her mouth.
George chuckled at her reaction.
"Well, at least it's a good start towards your own library, isn't it? Inside the trunk is another box where I've put our research journals. I'd be grateful if you could keep them in that box. I've warded it as tightly as I could, so only you can open it. Some of the stuff in these journals hasn't been released yet. Oh, and just so you know, it won't hurt the books if you shrunk this trunk. It has been made especially for protecting shrunken treasures from damage."
Hermione released the breath she'd been holding and ran her fingers softly on the light-colored wood.
"You can keep the trunk too. I thought it might come in handy for your new year at Hogwarts."
Hermione laughed softly and made her way around the coffee table and into her brother's arms.
"Thanks, George."
"Anything for you, Hermione."
The witch buried her face against George's neck, fighting against the tears that threatened to escape her control. George said nothing, simply holding her until she was ready to let go.
"It's not right," Hermione sniffed. "I'm supposed to be the one offering you comfort."
"You are, 'Mione. By not treating me like I'm made of glass. I'm sure there'll come a point when I won't be able to take it anymore, and I'll blow up in your rooms."
"And I'll happily provide tea and targets when that time comes."
George chuckled and Hermione leaned up to give him a kiss before stepping away from his embrace.
"I need to get back to Hogwarts before McGonagall sends a search party."
"Remember to ask Professor Snape to owl me with a time."
Hermione nodded and went to the fireplace to grab some Floo powder.
"Take care, George."
"You too, Hermione."
The witch then stepped into the fireplace and disappeared in a flash of green fire.
.:/*\:.
Hermione Flooed from George's flat to the Three Broomsticks then Apparated outside the Hogwarts Gates. She looked up even as the gates opened in front of her and the Wards reached for her magic across the boundaries. Hermione let herself be welcomed back onto the grounds of Hogwarts, wondering as she walked just how far the Hogwarts Wards could reach to get to her. It wasn't something she would test, but it bore thinking about. What was it that made her so special in the eyes of the Castle and the Wards?
Suddenly unwilling to face the inquisition that was no doubt waiting for her at the Castle, Hermione dawdled along the path, stopping here and there to observe a unicorn grazing in a clearing, or to watch the play of the sunset lights over Black Lake. Too many things had happened over the last few days, and she relished the peace and quiet while it lasted. Eventually, she reached the Castle itself as dusk fell over Hogwarts and the first stars lit up the approaching night. Hermione watched as the doors opened and the Headmistress stepped outside, waiting for her at the top of the steps.
"I have just received a rather large package for you, Miss Granger. It came from Gringotts."
Hermione smiled slightly and nodded. It seemed that Hagdar was working quickly. She followed McGonagall as the older witch led her back to the Great Hall. There, Hermione was quite surprised to find many of the staff standing around. Professor Flitwick was nearest to the indeed very large package on the table, waving his wand around and checking for dark magic.
"It's fine, Professor Flitwick," Hermione said as she approached the table. "I was expecting this. Although not that quick, to be certain."
The other professors let their favorite student and the Headmistress through, and Hermione took the sealed scroll Professor Babbling handed her. Unlike most letters she had received over her years in the wizarding world, this scroll was made of leather rather than parchment. It was held by a black ribbon and the wax seal showed a crossed katana and hammer over the background of a spiderweb. Hermione could guess who had sent the message. She broke the seal and looked over the message:
Imrae,
You will find in my care package everything I thought you might need. Whatever happens in the near or distant future, everything in this package is yours. I have already talked with Ragnok and we will work out a contract this evening. You should receive it in the morning. Please make sure you speak with your Headmistress about apprenticing in Runes as soon as possible.
Hagdar
Hermione re-rolled the message and stuck it inside one of her pockets. As she stepped closer to the package, it glowed softly, seemingly reacting to her presence. The outside melted away, revealing several stacks of books, a large bag, and a sheathed sword.
Correction, a katana, Hermione thought as she ran a hand against the lacquered wood of the scabbard. She carefully took the weapon, surprised at its rather light weight, although she suspected that it would feel heavy before long if she had to swing it about in combat.
"What is all this, Miss Granger?"
Hermione turned slightly to look at the Headmistress standing by her side as she looked over the books and the rather unusual weapon - at least in the Wizarding World. The younger Gryffindor spared a glance at Professor Flitwick, whose gaze was fixed on her seldra. Well, someone knew what was going on, at least. Hermione herself wasn't entirely sure anymore.
"I will need to speak with you, Headmistress. It is rather urgent."
The older witch immediately gestured for her favorite student to walk with her. Hermione quickly shrunk the books to carry them more easily in her pocket. She grabbed the katana and carried it as is, all the way to the Headmistress's office.
It didn't take long for the two witches to get to where they were going.
Minerva settled behind her desk, looking at Hermione rather expectantly. The younger witch took a seat opposite the Headmistress and huffed a breath, not really sure where to start now that she was here. McGonagall smiled and waved a hand over her desk, summoning tea for two.
"Why don't you start with your meeting with Ragnok? What did he have to say about that letter?"
Hermione sighed again and shook her head. "The Goblins were told that the Ministry would not pay for the damages the boys and I caused during our break-in. Not a Knut. The Goblins ultimately accepted this, considering this as their part for the war effort."
"Then why have you, Harry, and Ron been asked to pay by the Ministry?"
"Not all three of us, Headmistress. Just me." The older witch gaped at her, and Hermione nodded slowly. "Lord Ragnok put the thought in my head. I went to see George before I came back, and he confirmed that the Weasleys have not received a letter like mine. Of course, we can't ask Harry and Ron directly if they've been contacted because they're in Auror training right now…"
Hermione sat back in her seat, shaking her head as she went.
"This is precisely what we fought against," the Headmistress suddenly said as she stood and started toward her fireplace.
"Never mind, Headmistress. I have already sorted everything with the Goblins. I think I got a rather good deal, actually. But I must remind you of a conversation we had several weeks back."
Minerva McGonagall turned round, watching her favorite cub as she sat there.
"You will just let them get away with this?"
"No. I won't. But I need your help to make sure of it. Do you remember the conversation we had in this office, about my apprenticing here, at Hogwarts?"
"I do," the Headmistress confirmed as she went back behind her desk.
"I need to start an Ancient Runes apprenticeship, if Professor Babbling will have me. Lord Ragnok has also asked if I could continue to learn with Professors Vector, Flitwick, and Snape if they were willing."
"Ragnok asked?"
"It's part of my deal with the Goblins. I need to start an Ancient Runes apprenticeship. Come next year, Gringotts will pick me up for twelve months, so I can start a Warding apprenticeship with them. Then they'll let me finish my Ancient Runes apprenticeship before they decide if it's worth it to continue teaching me or if I should just start working off my debt."
The Headmistress blinked a few times, obviously not sure what to say to all this, and Hermione smiled.
"Don't worry, Professor. I'm getting a very good deal here. But I will need to be able to go to Gringotts once in a while, because Master Hagdar – my soon-to-be Wards Master – wants to teach me a few things ahead of time."
"This is highly unusual," the Headmistress finally said. "Apprenticeships should not be interrupted this way. And Wards Masters usually learn Defense, not Runes."
"Lord Ragnok says I'm an experiment on Gringotts's part. They've had some troubles with their wards workers not being flexible enough, magic-wise, and they think it's because of the Defense emphasis during their training."
"They want you to train in Runes so… what? They can see if it would work out better for them to request Runes as a requirement for their wards masters?" McGonagall asked as she tapped two fingers to her lips.
"I think that's the general idea," Hermione replied "I got the feeling that Lord Ragnok knew a bit about me and my 'know-it-all' tendencies, as Professor Snape would say, and he knew the results would be slightly skewed. But he apparently still wanted to try."
"And you're sure this wasn't just a set up by the Goblins?"
Hermione shrugged. "I suppose it's not entirely impossible. But Lord Ragnok is going to write a letter to the Ministry about all of this. I'm not sure what he will say, but he seemed quite confident that he would be able to stop any and all demands from them."
The Headmistress sat back in her seat, watching Hermione, before she finally nodded once.
"I will talk to Professor Babbling and let her know what has been asked of you. You will be expected to pass your Ancient Runes NEWT before you can officially start your apprenticeship. Because your situation is slightly… unusual, we will see if we can accommodate as many of your needs as possible. Is there anything you need to add?"
"How likely is it that I could get Professor Snape to tutor me on top of my apprenticeship?"
"Well, first you and I both would need to ask. Why Professor Snape?"
"I know that Professors Flitwick and Vector are Masters in their own fields, but I don't need master-level comprehension of Charms and Arithmancy. Or Potions, or Defense, for that matter. I only need someone who will be able to push me along just a bit further than NEWT-level. Given that Professor Snape has been creating spells and potions since before he was my age, and he was the Order's spy for over a decade, I think he would fit the bill rather nicely."
"I see you have already started to think through this situation, Miss Granger."
Hermione could only return her mentor's smile, and the Headmistress picked up her quill.
"As long as you understand that, if Severus agrees to help you, he will need you to help him out in return… His time will be at a serious premium, between supervising either Potions or Defense, depending which post I can fill, teaching the left-over class, and his new duties as Deputy Head…"
Hermione nodded quickly.
"I'll be happy to take over marking the younger years, or even teaching them if things get to difficult. But I have something here that might also be useful to Hogwarts."
Hermione handed over George's letter to the Headmistress. McGonagall took it and read it quickly, huffing a small laugh as she finished.
"I don't think you quite understand what it is you are offering when you say you will help with teaching and/or grading," the Headmistress said. "Luckily for you, Mister Weasley has made it clear in his letter of sponsorship that he will happily pay for an additional member of staff to be brought in, so you can have access to the Professors you need."
Hermione closed her eyes and silently thanked her honorary brother for apparently thinking of everything.
"I will speak with both Professor Babbling and Professor Snape about this," McGonagall said as she started to make a few notes. "Your apprenticeship is more or less assured already, since Professor Babbling had already talked to me about it. We will let you know more over the next few days."
"I'm supposed to receive a contract from Ragnok tomorrow morning, detailing what the Gringotts will be expecting. I think it will show Professor Babbling exactly what my responsibilities to the Goblins will be."
"Then if you show me this before you sign it, I think between Professors Babbling, Snape, and myself, we can make sure you are not taken advantage of and that your Runes apprenticeship will not be jeopardized by the duties the Goblins require from you."
Hermione very nearly told her old Head of House that Hagdar and Ragnok both would have looked at the contract from her Clan Leaders' viewpoint already, but she kept quiet. The Goblins never did anything without a good reason, and the Headmistress did not need the worry of wondering what they wanted with her favorite cub.
"Now, it seems you have missed dinner today…" McGonagall said with a pointed look in the younger witch's direction.
Hermione smiled. "I'm going to go over what Hagdar has sent for me tonight. I'll eat in my room."
The Headmistress simply nodded and waved the younger witch away.
"Just make sure you do eat and get plenty of rest."
Hermione smiled as she closed the door to the Head office behind her. She had a feeling a plate of food would find its way to her quarters soon enough, and Shiny would probably be dispatched to make sure she ate and slept again.
Hermione made her way back to her quarters at a slower pace than usual. She held her new katana in her hand, admiring the finish of the scabbard. She knew just about enough to know that the Japanese were masters at creating this particular type of weapon, and Goblins were master smiths themselves. She wondered how a Goblin Clan would have adopted the katana as part of their emblem.
The Gryffindor witch resisted the temptation to draw the blade, though her fingers were itching to. She had only held the Sword of Gryffindor a few times, but she'd had enough time to admire the craftsmanship. She may not be able to judge the quality of the blade, but she could admire the motifs the maker had etched into the sword.
She finally entered her quarters and stopped at the entrance, wondering for a moment if she would be expected to move to a different set of rooms if she became Professor Babbling's apprentice. Wouldn't it make sense if she had to be able to answer her Mistress's summons on short notice? Hermione brought her free hand to her forehead, rubbing small circles across the bridge of her nose in an attempt to quell the headache she felt forming. With a deep breath and a sigh, Hermione went to sit in her favorite armchair. She pulled the books from Hagdar and the trunk from George from her pocket and restored them to their rightful size with a flick from Quebracho.
Her love of the written word had Hermione gently setting each stack onto her coffee table. She left George's trunk and Hagdar's bag on the floor for now. She noticed that Hagdar had taken the time to tie each stack together with a length of silk ribbon.
Altogether, Hermione had ended up with six stacks of books, each with a varying number of books and tied with a different color. At the top of the smallest stack was a scrawled note in what Hermione could already recognize as Hagdar's handwriting. She drew that pile of books to her and pulled on the black ribbon before taking the note.
Imrae,
We – that is, Ragnok and I – have had an informal meeting with the Ukerim Leaders. Everyone was quite happy to learn we now have an Udur among us. As soon as possible, we will try to organize a Feast. I'll leave you to discover what that entails by researching, as is your preference I am told. The katana is a spare I had lying around. Until we make your own, you will have to use that one. I have to ask you to read through more of the Goblin customs. It appears that our walk through Uzugarg has already made it back to several other Clans and Ukerim has been asked about the new Udur by a number of people.
We have gathered some books you might have need of in the immediate future. To make things easier for you, we have grouped them by subjects. Those tied in the black ribbon are the books on Goblin culture. There are several dictionaries, better than the simple phrasebook Igave you earlier, a few journals written by other Udur, and a few books about general Goblin culture. Most of the latter are in Gobbledygook, so you will need to learn our language first. Also there's a small guide to care for your weapons.
As for the others, the largest pile with the blue ribbonhas everything to do with runes. You will find some you might know, such as Phoenician, Egyptian, Elder and Younger Futhark, and others you might not. We hope they will be useful to your Runes apprenticeship. We've put Arithmancy in red, Charms and Hexes in yellow, Potions in green, and of course Wards in white. In the bag, you'll find a few traditional Goblin garbs, two sets of basic leather armor, as well as a full kit to care for your weapon.
You may ask Professor Flitwick if you have any questions. He is Dratagu, Light Lion, through his mother. The Dratagu are long-time allies of the Ukerim. I would advise showing him respect even when he is not wearing his seldra. He is, after all, your elder in the wizarding world as well as within the Goblin Nation.
I will spare you the traditional Goblin partings until you learn more about your new family.
Hagdar
Hermione laughed softly as she looked over the books quickly. She peeked inside the bag to see lots of furs, silks, leathers, and a small box that contained a set of what Hermione assumed were whetstones, small bottles of oil, a small set of brass awl and hammer, and several soft cloths.
A soft popping sound announced the arrival of a House Elf. Hermione turned to see Shiny putting a tray on her side table.
"Shiny, I'm glad to see you. May I ask for a favor?"
The House Elf bowed slightly. "I's live to serve."
"I've just been given lots of books, but I don't have a good place to put them. Could you clear the bookshelf and store the Hogwarts books back in the Library? I'll deal with putting my books away after I finish my meal."
The small Elf nodded and went off to the bookcase while Hermione settled down with her meal. The witch watched Shiny clear the bookshelf with a few snaps of her fingers before she popped away. Hermione ate her small dinner of steak and mash before levitating all her books to the bookshelf. She spent the next hour or so organizing her books. She kept the Goblin culture and Runes tomes at eye-level, with the Wards books just above.
George's trunk revealed more books than Hermione would readily believe the Twins had actually used for their research. She suspected they had augmented this collection to cater to her reading habits. But this was the kind of present she would not argue over. She was pleasantly surprised to see that she owned only eleven duplicate texts, a couple in the fields of Potions and Charms, and a few more when it came to Defense and Arithmancy, and only one on Runes. She finally set the Master Ward among the books on warding, safe in the knowledge that no one but her would be able to set their hands on it.
With a sigh, Hermione levitated Hagdar's bag and George's special box into her bedroom. She would deal with these in the morning. Weariness crept slowly over the young witch as she carefully took care of the wound on her left arm. The scar had lost its red and puffy look over the past few weeks, and Hermione wondered if it would ever get any better than that. Her skin was a lighter shade on those places where the knife had cut.
Hermione ran her fingers against the word etched on her skin. The scar tissue looked shiny and felt softer. Finally, the young witch shook her head and finished cleaning her arm. She got dressed for bed and fell on her mattress, quickly finding her way under the blankets and wondering on the way just what would happen in the morning.
.:/*\:.
Author's Notes:
I've been trying to post once a week, but this chapter is late coming because I now have a beta for this story. All hail the wonderful Windsong who has gone through the previous chapters and had a peak at the outline to make the story better. Any mistakes that remain in this story are my own.
To SSHG Fan:
I'm afraid you might be disappointed. Hermione and Severus will eventually get together, but not before Book 3 and under some slightly bizarre circumstances. Book 1 will see them become friends, and Book 2 something more. I believe they belong together, but between their pasts, his honor, and her current and forthcoming problems, nothing more than friendship will happen this year. That's why I classified Path of Power Drama/Angst rather than Romance/Drama.
To amr:
Thank for another review. I give you one guess who's behind it? Go on, I dare you :)
And to everyone who reads, favs, follows, and reviews, thanks a lot. You have no idea how much you guys are helping with the writing of the stuff that actually makes me money… if that makes any sense.