Disclaimer:
I do not own the world and characters featured in this Harry Potter fanfiction, nor do I have permission to use them. Harry Potter, his story, and the settings and characters involved in it, are owned and trademarked by JK Rowling and the many licensors of her work. I do not make money through this story.
.:/*\:.
Feet pounding on the shores of the Black Lake, Hermione watched the sun rise over the Black Forest and the surrounding mountains. The witch could feel small rivulets of sweat snaking down her spine and her her cleavage. She'd already been running for just over an hour, and exhaustion was quickly catching up with her. Keeping her head down, Hermione took a few deep breaths and accelerated once more, pushing hard to gather every bit of speed she had left.
"Imrae!"
The shout brought her head up and the young witch watched as a light-colored Centaur came out of the forest.
"Nyferial, can I help you?"
"We have a problem. Do you know if you have some flitterbloom or gurdyroot at the school?"
"I know for sure we have some gurdyroot."
"We need a piece. The size of a fist if possible. A foal got tangled in a snargaluff. The pods are poisonous to us."
Hermione immediately whistled sharply and Silfkil came to her call.
"Find Professor Snape. Stay with him until he gives you the package. Quickly!"
The falcon beat her wings hard and was moving away swiftly even as Hermione sent off her Patronus to the dark wizard, explaining the situation.
"Where is the little one?"
"Further in the forest."
Nyferial turned tail and galloped away, with Hermione running behind her as fast as she could to keep up. The herdmare stopped a couple of times to wait for the Goblin witch. It wasn't long before Hermione could hear the foal whinnying beyond the trees. The sound made Hermione's heart clench in her chest and filled the witch with a feeling akin to dread. They finally made it to a small clearing. The foal was surrounded by another three Centaurs, who danced out of the way as Nyferial skidded to a halt by the foal's side. Hermione wasn't far behind and she stopped by the herdmare. The young witch blinked. She had never thought young Centaurs would be so… small. She shook herself and knelt by the foal.
"Hi there. Name's Imrae. Let's see what we can do to get you out of this, shall we?"
Hermione kept her voice low and calm, even if she did not welcome the feeling in her heart at this moment. The foal was bleeding, cut by the vine he was entangled in, and several of the flower pods had been crushed open in his struggles to get out. A single look over her shoulder confirmed that Nyferial had seen this too. The herdmare looked badly conflicted between coming to comfort the foal and staying away from the deadly plant.
"Stay back, Nyferial. Just make sure this little one knows I'm only helping."
Hermione summoned Walnut to her left hand, away from the foal's sight but in plain view of the older Centaurs. Carefully, the witch started to cut through the tangles of vines. She could hear Nyferial and the others talking in soothing tones, but she blocked out their words, concentrating on her task. She sensed the arrival of Silfkil and the falcon landed beside her. The raptor attacked the cloth she was carrying, shredding it with her sharp talons and revealing several large chunks of gurdyroot. The herdmare immediately picked up a root and bit off a chunk before passing the morsel to the next Centaur as she started chewing. The sound of approaching heavy boots pounding the forest floor had Hermione turning her head slightly though her eyes remained on her task.
"We need to get this off the little one, Professor. Preferably without crushing any more of the pods than necessary."
The dark wizard nodded once and drew his wand. Together they got rid of the tangle of snargaluff rather quickly, carefully tossing every pod away from the Centaurs. By that time, Nyferial and the others had chewed the gurdyroot into a paste and slathered their hands with it. And they now took to apply the paste to each and every graze on the foal's body. Hermione and Severus set themselves to the same task without a word. Finally, two of the Centaurs harnessed themselves into a makeshift stretcher. Snape levitated the foal onto the canvas while Hermione made sure the paste had been applied everywhere. The Centaurs departed at a fast trot, but Nyferial lingered.
"My thanks, Imrae. And to you too, Master of Potions. You may both call on me if you have need in the Forest."
The witch and the wizard watched as the herdmare set off after the rest of the Centaurs. They then started on their own way back to the Castle.
"Since when are you friendly with the Centaurs?" Snape asked as they neared the Entrance Doors.
"I'm a Goblin. As tradition requires, I asked the Centaurs for permission to tread their lands when I first came back after being adopted."
Snape gave her a half nod of acknowledgment. Hermione found that she didn't mind those quiet moments with the taciturn man.
.:/*\:.
The tingle of the wards became more and more insistent, and Hermione ended up running back to her quarters, all the while wondering just what on earth was going on. She was not overly surprised to feel the wards snap shut as soon as she closed the door behind her. She didn't even bothered trying the door, knowing it would be sealed tight until such a time as the Castle decided to release her.
On her bookshelf, the Master Ward pulsed with a blue light in time with the beats of her heart. Hermione swallowed against her suddenly dry mouth. But she made her way to the small notebook. The blue glow disappeared as soon as her fingers brushed against the leather binding of the notebook. She picked up the Master Ward and went to sit at her desk, settling comfortably before opening the book.
You have rendered assistance to the Centaurs living in the Forbidden Forest.
Hermione blinked several times.
"Err… Yes. Is there something wrong with that?"
No. But this is one of the Dragon's duties, and your gesture has been noted.
"Noted? By whom?"
The Wards. The Castle. This Master Ward.
Hermione frowned and rubbed at a temple. It was getting slightly confusing for her. At times she thought of those three things as one and the same. And at others, it sounded almost as if all three were completely separate. Just like the holy trinity of the catholic church. Hermione shook the strange thought out of her mind.
Your presence has been requested. Please make your way to the Room of Requirement.
"What? Why?"
Your presence has been requested.
Hermione sighed. When the Master Ward started to repeat itself, it either couldn't or wouldn't say more.
"Fine, but I can't go if I'm locked in."
She had barely finished her sentence that Hermione felt the wards vibrate for a moment. They shimmered into view and she saw them unlock — the stands of light moving through the air, rearranging from one pattern to another — before the door opened. With a shake of her head, Hermione gathered the Wards Map and the Master Ward. She went off for the Seventh Floor, pacing three times before the blank piece of wall that hid the entrance to the Room of Requirement. The door that appeared for her was made of plain oak, with no carvings or ornament. Hermione pushed it open, frowning as she looked at the inky darkness beyond. As if in response to her thought, a fireplace flickered to life lighting the room up. Wall-to-ceiling bookshelves lines the walls and six comfortable-looking armchairs sat around a low coffee table in front of the fireplace.
"Welcome, Miss Granger."
Hermione blinked as five forms ghosted into view. The five people, three men and two women, smiled at her and waved her forward from their seats.
"Let me guess," Hermione said as she pointed to each of them in turn. "Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, Salazar Slytherin, Godric Gryffindor and Perseus Draconis."
The five of them smiled. Hermione couldn't help but notice that, unlike normal ghosts, these appeared both in full colors and physical enough to actually touch.
"Come and take a seat," Draconis said as he waved the living witch toward the empty chair.
The Gryffindor witch did as she was told, and watched the Founders in turn. The apparitions exchanged looks and Draconis finally leaned forward.
"First of all, please note we are only illusions brought about by the Castle and the Wards to facilitate the conversation that will follow. Each of us has the personality of a Founder, but we are not them."
Hermione nodded.
"I just would like to know why I am here."
"I was the first and only Dragon of Hogwarts," Draconis said. "My role was to protect the school and its residents, including the tenants of the grounds."
"You mean the Centaurs?"
"And the Merpeople, yes," Gryffindor's apparition agreed. "Back when we, that is to say the four Founders, were looking for a site for our school, we came across this place. It was isolated, from Muggles and wizards alike. The soil was rich enough to grow our food supplies, the forest offered plenty of game, and the lake provided us with fresh water. The forest and the lake were already settled. We struck a deal with the Centaurs and the Merpeople. We, wielders of wands, would draw the magic of the ley lines below for the use of the lake and forest denizens. In exchange, they would provide us with some of the fruits of their labor: nuts and herbs, game and fish, and whatever else we might need and they could provide. And together, we would protect each other against invaders, mundane and magical alike."
Hermione blinked at the House of the Lions' founder.
"I think some of that got lost over the years," the younger witch couldn't help but comment.
"Indeed," Perseus Draconis nodded. "Though through no fault of our allies. The situation now is… delicate. Hogwarts currently has no Dragon, who is the castle's commander in time of war and who is generally also in charge of dealing with the Centaurs and the Merpeople. These responsibilities as protector and go-between have fallen to the entirety of the staff but they ever knew of half the job. And with the damages from the war, the staff is stretched thin. We understand this. And we agree with the Headmistress's decision to delegate to whoever was available. However, never before have the wards been passed along."
"And in theory," Hermione said, "only the Head, the Deputy Head, and the Dragon have any kind of access to them."
"Exactly," Draconis said.
"Hence the delicate part," Slytherin said from his seat. "You, a third party in this matter, have been given charge of the School Wards. Being that there is currently no Dragon, this effectively makes you it."
"Except that the Headmistress didn't know about this," Hermione interjected.
"That is irrelevant," Slytherin continued. "The Charter is clear, whether or not the Ministry and the current staff believe it is relevant. By assigning you the Wards, the Headmistress has nominated you for the role of Dragon of Hogwarts."
Hermione stared at the Founders in turn, mouth hanging open. They were nodding, all five of them.
"You can't be serious. I'm a student. I don't know anything about the Wards. Hell, I don't know anything about warding in general."
"So you will learn," Rowena Ravenclaw spoke up. "We have no doubt you can. Although we agree that you will need help. And time."
"This is why we have convened this meeting," Helga Hufflepuff said as she leaned forward. "We will name you the Dragon of Hogwarts, as per the Charter. As such, you will have access to all of the Wards' features. Including the reset ward. Although, it should be noted that to simply reset the wards will create a few conflicts."
Hermione finally managed to close her mouth and she let out a long sigh.
"Do I get a choice?"
"Only to a point, witch of my House," Gryffindor said after a beat. "After resetting the School Wards, you will need to review the changes that were introduced over the centuries. Some will need to be reimplemented. Others not, or at least not in the fashion they were set. Once this is done, you will need to update the reset ward. Once you have done all of this, you may be able to step down if you can present the School with a suitable replacement for your post, or you can prove to us that The Head and Deputy Head can handle everything from then on."
Hermione leaned forward, elbows on thighs and head in hands.
"School won't be able to open if I don't do it, will it?"
Her mumbled words were still understood by the apparitions.
"I believe," Hufflepuff started, "that you would do everything in your power for that not to happen. However, we have all seen the current Ministry of Magic attacking both you personally, and the school. I would hate to think what they would do if they realized that the school re-opening depended almost solely on you."
"I can tell you what they would do," Slytherin spat. "They would deluge you with useless pieces of mail, attempts on your life and/or well-being, attacks on your reputation… Anything to stop you from completing the task the Headmistress has set you. Anything. The fact that they would ruin your life in the process would probably be considered a bonus by them."
At this, Hermione huffed a laugh, knowing the Snake House's original Head had it right.
"So, what will I need to do?"
"You will be given full access to the School Wards," Draconis said as he stood and pointed at her bag.
Hermione blinked and pulled her bag onto the coffee table. She took out the Master Ward, guessing this was what the apparition was after.
"Okay, but what will I need to do?"
Salazar snickered at Perseus and turned to Godric.
"I like that lioness. She has a touch of snake in her."
Godric huffed a laugh, and Hermione wondered just how close to the real things these apparitions were.
"This is what will happen, child," Rowena said. "Once you become the Dragon, you will need to use the reset ward. Given your age and your current level of skill in warding, it would be too dangerous to do this on your own. Instead, you will request the help of the staff. They will provide the power while you will provide direction with the help of the Master Ward. Over the course of the next year, you will update the wards, as Godric as mentioned. Given your deadline with the Goblins, you will need to be finished before you start working for them."
"Why?"
"We have nothing against the Goblins, Hermione," Helga then said. "But the Dragon should not be away from Hogwarts while the Castle is at less than a hundred per cent."
"Once you have finished updating the wards, you would be free to go and pursue your apprenticeship. Whether or not you remain the Dragon," Salazar finished.
Hermione looked at the Founders in turn.
"So if I decide to stay as the Dragon, it doesn't mean I have to stay here."
"As long as you keep in mind that Hogwarts' needs would come first in your life, no, you don't have to stay at the Castle," Godric confirmed.
Hermione looked at the faces of old watching her and she nodded at the still standing Perseus. The Dragon nodded back at her.
"Please place a drop of blood onto the Master Ward. By doing this, you are accepting your new role as Dragon of Hogwarts. You are becoming the protector of the school. You will stand as its first and last defender. You swear to do your best in this duty, or to find someone at least equally qualified to handle the job should you need to step down. Swear this with the Castle as your witness."
Hermione swallowed hard. She summoned Quebracho to her right hand. A quick and small Cutting hex produced the blood required.
"I am the Dragon. And I swear to protect Hogwarts."
As her blood fell and stained the cover of the Master Ward, it flicked itself open. Its pages glowed gold, silver, bronze, and finally black in quick succession. Then words appeared on the page.
Hogwarts recognized Hermione Granger as its protector. May her roar be heard far and wide and may it strike fear in the hearts of our enemies. May her venomous fangs bring all trespassers to their knees. May her wings shield and shelter all who live on these grounds — whether permanently or only through part of the year. May your claws — ferocious to our enemies and gentle to our friends — teach the same to our children.
The words faded away, and the Master Ward flicked itself back close.
"It is done. Fare thee well, Dragon."
Hermione sat back in her seat, watching the apparitions of the Founders disappear slowly and she sighed loudly. Now she knew how Harry must have felt all these years. She just couldn't catch a break…
.:/*\:.
AN: I think this year is going to be my annus horribilis. Suffice to say that my personal and professional lives are not going the way I want them to. And there's not that much I can do about it at this moment as I find myself at the mercy of various people and of Time.
I am working on fanfiction as and when I find the time and the will. As I may have mentioned before, it is a creative outlet when I get blocked but circumstances are conspiring to even take this away from me. However, I won't give up without a damn good fight. Some of you have taken the time to contact me to see how things are going. And I thank you. I will finish this story, whether it takes me a year, or another ten (though I hope not).
I'm planning to carve out half an hour or so each week away from the sights, smells, and even thoughts of hospital rooms to sit down and write. I'm afraid that means we'll be lucky if I manage to update this story more than once every two or three months. I guess it will depend on how the other fanfic I've just started to post is received. Yes, I know. I probably shouldn't start another fanfic. I have to go where the inspiration takes me or it'll just make my creative block worse…
Feel free to let me know what you think via PM or the review box. Hope you guys still enjoy this!