Recommendation: This chapter's recommended fic is "The Best Way" by Maxtaf. One-shot in which Harry comes up with a safer, more Slytherin way of dealing with the second task of the Triwizard Tournament.
Chapter 26 - We Are the Champions
Saturday, January 16, 1995, Afternoon.
After meeting with Neville and Ginny to discuss the second task, Hermione and Jasmine headed to Professor McGonagall's classroom to fetch her for their spellcasting practice. Upon entering the Transfiguration classroom, the two witches were surprised to find not just Professor McGonagall, but also Professor Flitwick. "Uh, we're sorry for interrupting," Hermione stammered out. "We can come back later, it's not an emergency or..."
"It's alright," Professor McGonagall interrupted. "Earlier this week, after you left class, Professor Flitwick here came by to talk to me. It seems that he's observed a number of curious things about the way you two have been behaving...and casting your spells. He reached some interesting conclusions about what he observed, and he wanted to share it all with me to see what I thought."
Both younger witches stood there like deer caught in headlights, neither knowing what to do. They were caught! But Professor McGonagall was there and she wasn't worried! But Professor Flitwick was there and he shouldn't know!
Finally, Professor Flitwick took pity on them and said, "You can rest assured that Professor McGonagall didn't tell me much that I hadn't already figured out on my own. She said that there was more, but that it required your trust and an oath from me. Although she didn't spell it out in so many words, I have gotten the impression that you two are involved in something very difficult, something for which you need help — and not simply with the tournament. Since she has assured me that it doesn't involve anything illegal or contrary to the interests of the school, I'd be willing to give that oath if you'd be willing to accept it."
After giving them a moment to absorb that, he added, "Of course, it doesn't have to be this very minute. You should feel free to take your time to think about it. In the meantime, I understand that Professor McGonagall was going to supervise some spellcasting practice, and I didn't get the impression that that needed the oath. I'd be happy to assist, if you'd like? I spent several years on the duelling circuit and am quite skilled at wanded combat."
Hermione and Jasmine looked intently at each other. Hermione raised her eyebrows questioningly: What do you think? Should we trust him? Jasmine frowned and shook her head slightly: Not yet. Hermione flicked a glance in Flitwick's direction, then looked expectantly at her girlfriend: But the spellcasting, at least? Jasmine's frown relaxed at that, and Hermione nodded fractionally in agreement.
The two witches turned back to their professors to see Professor McGonagall smiling knowingly while Professor Flitwick's eyes were wide. "What?" they asked simultaneously.
"Nothing," said Professor McGonagall, shaking her head in amusement. "What's your decision?"
"It's true that we didn't ask for an oath for the spellcasting practice, but that doesn't mean we don't have any concerns," Hermione said. "If we can at least have your assurance that you won't tell others about our spell practice, especially Headmaster Dumbledore, then we'd be honored to have your help."
Professor Flitwick nodded, "I expected that. Professor McGonagall indicated that there were some problems with the Headmaster, but she didn't divulge any details. Providing there are no serious health and safety issues, I can promise that I won't tell anyone else about these sessions."
"Thanks," Jasmine answered. Then, looking at Professor McGonagall, she added, "Professor, I think you can show him the material regarding the Headmaster. The main person we're keeping that from is the Headmaster himself, and it might help Professor Flitwick understand our concerns."
Professor McGonagall nodded in agreement. "I can do that later after your practice session. So, shall we all go to this room of yours?
Instead of going to the commandeered classroom, they went to the Room of Requirement. The girls weren't entirely comfortable letting their professors in on the secret (assuming they didn't know about it already), but they were pretty sure this practice session was going to take more space — and more resistance to magical damage — than the classroom could provide. They just hoped they could trust their professors not to order them to stay away from it.
Both professors were astounded at what the room could do. After Jasmine walked back and forth three times, they were presented with a large room that had practice dummies at one end and large targets at the other. According to Professor Flitwick, these were common training items for both dueling and law enforcement professions. Upon examining them, he determined that they were constructed of very solid, magic-resistant materials.
"Miss Potter, why don't you go first," Professor McGonagall said. "Stand at the marks and cast a Diffindo at the practice dummy. Do it as you would normally do a spell — normally before we found this problem, I mean. Then we'll see how Miss Granger does with the same spell."
Jasmine stood at the mark, which looked to be about ten meters from the target, and firmly incanted "Diffindo!" Not only was the target sliced cleanly in half, but a slight mark was left in the wall behind it.
The two professors just stared wide-eyed at the results of Jasmine's spell. They were no less shocked when Hermione's Diffindo did about the same amount of damage. Fortunately Professor Flitwick's Reparo was strong enough to put both target dummies back together.
"Well," he said, after repairing the dummies and the wall, "I'm very glad you were holding back in class the other day. I'd hate to see what would have happened to my classroom if you two had let loose."
"What other spells were you looking to test today?" Professor McGonagall asked, a bit of trepidation creeping into her voice.
"Since this is the first time," Hermione answered, "we were hoping to just do Diffindo, Relashio, and Reducto. They seemed like decent, all-purpose spells that would help in a lot of different situations and environments."
"Indeed they would," Professor Flitwick said with a subtle wink. "Let's try Relashio next. That's a good spell for driving off someone or something that is attacking you without necessarily doing them much harm. It can, though, damage inanimate objects."
Standing once again at her mark, Jasmine incanted "Relashio!" at her target. A bright stream of sparks flew out from her want, knocking the dummy over and leaving numerous scorch marks on its surface. Once again, Hermione's spell did much the same.
"That is definitely more damage than the spell would normally cause," Professor Flitwick observed as he proceeded to make repairs again. "You could seriously hurt someone if you were to use that at very close range. At more of a distance, any damage you caused would be painful, but easily fixed. So I think that's a good spell to use if you are trying to avoid causing very serious injuries."
"Unlike with Diffindo," Jasmine muttered, while Hermione appeared to be a bit disturbed at how much damage she had caused with what should have been a simple spell.
"I guess we'll look at Reducto next," continued Professor Flitwick, not hearing Jasmine's comment, "and then we'll talk about how to best use these spells and how to control their power."
Standing at her mark, Jasmine incanted "Reducto!" and hit the dummy so hard that it went flying back against the wall with pieces breaking off, flying in every direction. Jasmine threw up her hand in front of herself to protect her face, but she didn't feel anything strike her. When she lowered her hand slightly and looked, she saw that a large shield had been raised between her and the dummy.
"Oh, thank you, Professor Flitwick," she said, "I guess that spell is a bit too dangerous to use against a target that close."
"Don't thank me, my dear," answered her professor, surprise evident on his face, "I didn't do anything. That shield is yours, not mine."
"But… I didn't cast a shield," she objected.
"Not with your wand," observed Professor McGonagall, looking a little less surprised. "I think you cast it wandlessly in your panic over getting hit by debris.
"So it's accidental magic?" Hermione asked.
"Not quite," Professor Flitwick answered as the shield shimmered out of existence. "That was a bit too deliberate and controlled to be true accidental magic. Unexpected, perhaps, but not accidental. It looks like the boost to Miss Potter's magic has given her enough power to do at least a few wandless spells."
"I thought wandless magic was almost impossible, except for simple spells," Hermione said.
"Generally speaking, that's true," Professor McGonagall answered. "Wandless magic, since it's produced without a focus, is horribly inefficient. It requires much more power to accomplish something, and you can never get precision work done with it. Basic spells like summoning, banishing, and a shield all lack 'details,' for want of a better word. They are produced by very simple concepts in our minds."
"This is very good news, Miss Potter," Professor Flitwick said. "Even a mediocre shield cast wandlessly can give you a huge advantage in a fight. A wand can only cast one spell at a time, so normally a person has to choose between an offensive or a defensive spell. You, however, can block at least some attacks wandlessly, freeing up your wand for more offensive measures."
Hermione and Jasmine both looked at each other with a bright gleam in their eyes.
"Well, it looks like we have a bit more to do than we anticipated," announced Professor McGonagall. "First, we need to help you find ways to control the power you put behind spells. Second, we need to help you practice your ability to cast a couple of useful spells wandlessly."
The rest of the afternoon passed far too quickly, at least in the girls' minds. They soon determined that Hermione could cast wandlessly just as well as Jasmine, and that both witches could summon, banish, shield, and create a light wandlessly, at least some of the time. Not every attempt succeeded, but enough did to keep the witches from giving up hope.
Flitwick told them that they should practice every night, if possible. The more they practiced, the more their off-hand would get accustomed to casting spells and the more efficient those spells would grow to be.
This was something the witches agreed to immediately. Professor McGonagall gave them permission to begin a routine of practicing basic — and relatively harmless — wandless spells every night, such as summoning and banishing pillows back and forth behind their bed curtains. She also agreed that practicing silent spells such as Lumos was safe enough to do unsupervised.
Less progress was made in power control, however. Both witches demonstrated an ability to weaken their spells by whispering, but the problem was consistency: though weaker, there was still a large variation in just how strong the spells were. Neither of the girls had enough of a feel for their magic yet to tell how much they were using or how best to regulate it.
Unfortunately, there was no quick or easy fix for that. All they could do was keep using their magic over and over until they started to recognize the feeling when magic was gathered, focused, and expelled from their bodies. Meditation and concentration would help, but nothing could make up for experience.
"You know," Professor Flitwick pointed out near the end of their time that day, "there's a way for you to kill two birds with one stone here. I recommend regular target practice with a variety of spells. Doing this will improve accuracy, speed, and eventually your ability to feel and sense your magic. If you do this with, say, a stinging hex, we shouldn't need to worry about supervising you — you should still be careful, of course."
"Indeed," Professor McGonagall added, "It doesn't matter how powerful a spell is if you don't hit anything with it. A weak but accurate spell is preferable to a powerful spell that hits the wrong target."
"Oh, quite right, Minerva," Professor Flitwick said excitedly. "That principle is drilled into the heads of all aspiring duelists. Accuracy must come first, then the ability to use powerful or unusual spells."
Hermione and Jasmine took this to heart. They decided to try to use the Room of Requirement at least three times a week for accuracy practice with stinging hexes and once or twice a week for supervised practice with other spells that they were learning in their classes. In the meantime, McGonagall and Flitwick promised that one or both would spend time with them every Saturday so they could learn and practice new spells that they might need in the near future.
Sunday, January 17, 1995, Morning.
When Fleur, Viktor, and Cedric joined Jasmine, Hermione, Neville, and Ginny in the old classroom which the Gryffindors had commandeered for training, it was the first time since the first task that all four champions had been together.
"OK," announced Hermione, taking charge of the meeting as she frequently did, "just so we're all clear, we're meeting like this to compare notes and possibly plan out a joint response in case actual hostages are taken for the Second Task."
All the champions nodded, with Viktor adding, "Absolutely. Like you, I also guessed that the clue vas probably about a person, but I didn't realize how likely it vas that there would be danger for a hostage. That is vhy I am agreeing to this. Ve accept the dangers when ve submit our names, but no one else should be endangered." This, too, elicited agreement from everyone present.
"First thing, then," Hermione said, "is what can be done to protect and prepare potential hostages before the task. We can't protect everyone, but we can protect some. Maybe those most at risk? What has everyone come up with for that?"
The only idea that anyone had been able to come up with was some sort of tracking charm, though everyone suggested a different one. In the end, most agreed that the tracking charm which Hermione had discovered was probably best. Since it was designed for parents to use with children, it included a health-monitoring component. They also agreed that likely candidates for being taken hostage should be taught how to apply a tracking charm to themselves, just in case.
"One option we haven't discussed and probably should," Jasmine said after that, "is hiding potential hostages."
The other champions looked confused at this, and Fleur said, "But 'ow can zat be done? Cannot your 'eadmaster find anyone in ze castle?"
"Normally, yes," Jasmine answered, "but we have access to one place that neither he nor anyone else can get to — well, nobody except me. I can get people down there and I can get them out. But we need to decide soon because… well… it's a right mess, and it will need to be cleaned and fixed up first."
Cedric's eyes widened as he said, "You're talking about the Chamber of Secrets, aren't you?" Jasmine just nodded.
"What eez zis Chamber of Zecrets?" Fleur asked. Jasmine and Hermione proceeded to explain to the others what happened during their second year. Fleur and Viktor knew none of it and were alternately horrified and impressed. Cedric was aware of some of the story, but much of what he thought he knew turned out to be wrong.
"So," Hermione concluded, "hiding people is possible. It will take some advance work, and Professor McGonagall thinks it would be a bad idea, but it can be done. Should we go that route? If they are determined to take hostages, then I assume they will find someone to pick if they cannot track down their preferred candidates."
No one looked happy about this, but Viktor suggested, "Is this really our decision to make — to put people in danger or not?"
"What do you mean?" Cedric asked.
"Ve should ask people vat they prefer — to risk being a hostage or to be kept somvere safe," Viktor explained.
"That's a good point," Neville responded. "You'll have to tell people anyway if you want to put tracking charms on them. You certainly can't kidnap them and take them down to the Chamber."
"I can go along with that," Jasmine said, "but the fact remains that they will have to decide soon. I don't think that the Chamber of Secrets will be a fun place to hang out in even after it's cleaned up. Right now, the access tunnel is half-caved in, and I assume there's still whatever's left of a massive basilisk corpse sitting in the middle of the Chamber itself."
"The corpse is still there?" Viktor asked.
"Sure, why wouldn't it be?" Jasmine answered.
"Vell, the laws may differ in different countries," Viktor explained, "but in most places I think you can claim the corpse of such a creature if you kill it. It vill be vorth a lot of gold."
Jasmine, Hermione, and Neville all looked at each other with interest. "OK, please don't mention that to anyone else," Hermione suddenly said, writing something down. "We'll obviously need to look into that one way or the other."
"Are there any other options for protecting the hostages?" Cedric asked.
"Well, we can try hiding them somewhere other than the Chamber," Jasmine replied, "but there isn't anywhere nearly as secure. The chances of trouble would be a lot lower, but the chances of success would be as well."
"I don't see the point," Viktor said. "if ve are going to hide hostages, we should do so in the safest place. All or nothing."
"I agree," Cedric chimed in. "Anything else?"
"Yes," Hermione replied. "We can have the parents or guardians of potential hostages write letters absolutely prohibiting their children from taking part in the Triwizard Tournament in any way except as a spectator."
"We call them anti-permission letters," Jasmine added.
"The advantage is that no one can get into trouble for that because no rules are being broken," Hermione said. "The disadvantage, and why I didn't mention it until the end, is that once the letters are submitted, we reveal that we're trying to protect hostages, and the organizers might then be on the lookout for other measures we might take. Basically, we'd be tipping our hand."
"Do we have to show them in advance?" Fleur asked.
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.
"Well," Fleur said slowly, working it out as she spoke, "why not 'ave ze likely hostages carry ze letter with zem, and show whomever comes to ask zem to be a hostage?"
"Right," said Viktor, perking up a bit. "They von't be taking the hostages away days before the task. They vill be doing it only hours before the task — too late for them to demand the parents give permission anyvay. So they vill be forced to get someone else. Those vith the letters should be safe."
"That would work," Hermione said, nodding now. "We may not be able to apply tracking charms to whomever they do end up picking, in that case, but that was a problem with hiding potential hostages as well. If the trackers aren't an option, I have a map of the Black Lake that might help locate the merpeople village."
"One other issue we need to deal with," Cedric said, "is whether we act together or not. I say that if it turns out that they do take an object, then we don't do anything special — we follow our own, individual strategies. But if they do take hostages, then I say we work together because that would provide all the hostages with the best chance of coming out of this safely. Competing against each other wouldn't be in the hostages' best interests."
Jasmine smiled, saying, "That sounds like a very Hufflepuff way of looking at things, Cedric, and I'm in complete agreement. To be fair, though, I never wanted to be in this competition, and winning isn't as important to me as it is to the rest of you who did volunteer, so maybe my vote shouldn't count as much."
"I agree with Cedric," Fleur declared. "I do not wish to compete at the expense of others' lives or safety."
"Then it's unanimous," said Viktor. "Ve just need to create a strategy to vork as a team." Turning to Hermione, he continued, "My headmaster vill be having me swim in the lake for practice. Give me the map, and I will check it against what I find underwater." Smiling brightly at this, Hermione pulled out her map and handed it over to the Durmstrang champion.
"We should meet again," suggested Jasmine. "We all have a few things to look into anyway. Next time, each of us should come with things we can excel at, at least when it comes to moving and fighting underwater."
Everyone accepted this, and the champions all looked a little more confident: the problem of hostages hadn't been solved, but they now knew they wouldn't be alone in trying to protect whomever was chosen for them.
Sunday, January 17, 1995, Late Morning.
When they were alone later, Jasmine asked Hermione, "I was wondering — can you feel Fleur's allure?"
"Sometimes," Hermione admitted. "I guess it depends on how tightly she's holding it in."
Jasmine nodded. "I think I first noticed it while we were waiting for the Yule Ball. Roger was a drooling zombie half the time."
Hermione giggled at the memory. "Oh, Merlin, he was so pathetic! But yeah, I think I noticed it then, too. It feels like… well, it's hard to describe, isn't it? It's like warm happiness. It's as if I'm ready to float away, or at least I would if I gave in to it."
Jasmine nodded, then asked, "Do you suppose we notice it because we, well, you know, like girls?"
Hermione stopped for a moment and bit her bottom lip in thought. Finally, she answered, "I hadn't thought of that, but I suspect you're right. Though I haven't noticed any girls at school who react like the boys do, and I'd expect there to be at least one."
"Why aren't we drooling all over ourselves when she's around, then?" Jasmine asked with a frown.
Hermione leaned over and gave Jasmine a kiss. "I think it's because we're in a relationship. If you let yourself, you might be affected… well, then again, maybe not, since you can throw off the Imperius curse. So I might be affected, if I let myself go. But since we're in a relationship, we don't really feel tempted to do so — we notice the allure, but it doesn't draw us in."
"Oh," Jasmine said, not having considered that. Then she smiled and kissed Hermione back. "I like the sound of that."
Sunday, January 17, 1995, Afternoon.
After Professor McGonagall had served tea, she chose to focus on the most recently important issue: the two witches' spellcasting. "How are you feeling about yesterday's practice session?" she asked.
"We're both really pleased," Hermione answered. "Jasmine and I talked last night, and we agreed that these practice sessions will help us a lot. We know it will take time and work, but we're optimistic about making progress." She paused, then added wistfully, "We only wish we had some idea of why this has happened to us and what to expect in the future..."
Minerva didn't take the bait to talk about things she knew she had to remain silent about; instead, she moved on, saying, "I'm glad to hear it. Just take extra care when practicing alone. Now, how are things between the two of you? Don't feel that you have to talk about anything too personal, and I'm not trying to pry; but I also know that you can't really go to anyone else to discuss your relationship, and I want you to know that I'm available."
"Um… things are good, I guess," Jasmine said, not really sure how to answer that sort of question. "I honestly don't have anything to compare it to. But I'm happy, so... that's good, right?"
"Indeed, Miss Potter," Minerva said with a smile. "Philosophers and scholars have been debating for millennia what makes for a good relationship, but being happy is certainly a central component. The other, of course, is that your partner is happy."
At that, Jasmine quickly looked over at Hermione with a questioning look in her eyes. Hermione simply put her hand on Jasmine's arm and said, "Yes, Jas, I'm happy too."
"Excellent," Minerva said. "How far have you two gotten with the book? Do you have any questions about it?"
"Well..." Hermione started to answer, looking very embarrassed.
"I was letting Hermione focus on it," Jasmine jumped in to answer. "That's how we've handled a lot of extra-curricular texts, like those we've used while preparing for the first task. She can read and process faster than I do, so she reads the whole book and either gives me the little bit I really need or points me to the sections that I need to focus on."
"But while that might work while looking for ways to deal with dragons," Hermione interrupted, "last week we learned that that was a poor choice for the material in a book like the one you gave us."
Minerva nodded, understanding now why Hermione looked ashamed. "You're quite right, Miss Granger. Another factor in a good relationship is that both partners must grow together. If one grows or matures significantly faster than the other, a rift may be created."
"That's why I'm having Jasmine read portions of the book..." Hermione started.
"Unfortunately," Jasmine said, "that may always be an issue because Hermione reads so much faster than I do. I'll never be able to catch up." This caused Hermione to get a stricken look on her face as she suddenly feared that the two of them would never be compatible.
"I wouldn't necessarily worry about that," said Minerva reassuringly. "There are different ways to grow and mature. Miss Granger is a natural scholar. She thrives on books and the written word. You, Miss Potter, are a doer. An actor. You thrive on physical action. While Miss Granger will probably always read more than you, it can be argued that personal growth is better achieved through going out into the world and doing things rather than sitting in a library and reading."
Neither of the two young witches were sure whether this was a good thing or a bad thing. "What about the book, though, and the fact that I'm so much farther ahead?" asked Hermione, trying to focus on at least something she could grasp.
After a moment, Minerva suggested, "Perhaps you can just cut back on your own study of it while Jasmine catches up? There's a lot of information there that you will both be able to use. Unfortunately, I'm not aware of any ready alternatives for getting that information in this case other than by reading it."
"Oh, speaking of books," Hermione said, "back when we started all of this I wanted to learn more about our headmaster. I wanted some context for the things he's done with Jasmine — something beyond what we read on his Chocolate Frog card, I mean. Unfortunately, I can't find what I'm looking for."
"What do you mean?" Minerva asked.
"I'd like to read a more neutral and unbiased account of his early years," Hermione explained, "up through his fight with Grindelwald. Unfortunately, there is very little — except for the fight, of course. And everything I have found seems completely uncritical because they are in books that do nothing but praise him. Don't get me wrong — I'm not saying he's never done anything good, but no one is perfect. He must have made mistakes during his life. So if a book never mentions any, I can't trust that it's truly objective."
Minerva nodded and responded, "That's a very good observation. What's sadly ironic is that Professor Dumbledore himself would be the first to admit that he makes mistakes." She paused, then added, "Sometimes I have to wonder if he ever actually learns from his mistakes, but as a general rule he does not present himself as infallible, and I don't think he approves of books that treat him as such."
"That's good to hear, at least," Jasmine said, "but do you know of any books that explain his life in a more objective way?"
"No, not off the top of my head," Minerva said, "but I know a couple of historians who might have more insight. Bathilda Bagshot in particular might be a good person to contact."
"You know her?" Hermione asked excitedly.
"Yes, I do indeed," Minerva said, smiling slightly at Hermione's reaction. "In fact, I think she may have even known the Headmaster when he was young."
"Wait, who's Bathilda Bagshot?" Jasmine asked.
Hermione turned on her girlfriend with a horrified look on her face. "Who's Bathilda Bagshot?" she asked, her voice rising, "Who's Bathilda Bagshot? She's only the foremost living historian of magical Britain, that's who! She's also the author of the current edition of Hogwarts: A History! I can't believe that you didn't know that!"
Jasmine sunk back in her chair, trying desperately to get out of the path of Hurricane Hermione.
Sunday, January 17, 1995, Evening.
After their meeting with Professor McGonagall, Jasmine and Hermione headed to the library. This was not the least bit unusual, but what was unusual was the fact that Jasmine was taking the lead: it was her idea to go to the library, and she was directing the research for the first time in over three years. What was more, they headed to a part of the library that Hermione had never bothered with before: back issues of newspapers and periodicals.
"I came here back in second year while you were petrified," Jasmine explained. "Even though I spent the majority of my free time sitting by your bed in the hospital wing, sometimes I came here. At first it was just to research what was published the first time the Chamber of Secrets was opened, but later I started reading about what happened during the 1970s when Voldemort was active. I figured that between meeting what was left of him at the end of first year and dealing with the heir of Slytherin through second year, I should learn more about this nutter and what he and his merry band of minions actually did."
"Really, Jasmine?" Hermione responded with a teasing voice. "You, doing research all on your own?"
"Prat," Jasmine said. "Sit here. I can probably find the most relevant editions of the Daily Prophet fastest so you can spend your time reading. I have to warn you, though, these stories will not be pleasant."
"So that's why you insisted that I not eat too much at dinner?" Hermione asked, suddenly feeling a bit apprehensive.
"Yep," Jasmine said as she moved into shelves to start pulling out bound sets of the Daily Prophet.
For the next three hours, right up until the library closed and the two witches had to run to make it back to the common room before curfew, Hermione read. Jasmine brought her dozens of bound volumes of Britain's biggest magical newspaper, each with dozens of issues with stories Hermione had to read. Most weren't very long, which made it possible for her to read so many, but what they lacked in length they more than made up for in gruesomeness.
Hermione had already known that Voldemort and his Death Eaters had been a blight on magical Britain. She had known that they were awful people who did awful things. It was mostly an intellectual understanding, though. Aside from Jasmine, she had no personal contact with people who bore any obvious scars from that time and from those events, so she was never forced to face what had really happened.
At least, not until Jasmine pushed those stories in front of her.
She read about entire families being slaughtered in the dead of night. She read about women and even children being raped in front of the rest of their families before being killed. She read about people being tortured in a wide variety of horrible ways — it turned out that the cruciatus curse which they had learned about in Defense class wasn't the only way to torture someone. She read about people being put under the imperius and forced to rape, torture, and murder their own families.
Not all of this was spelled out explicitly in the articles and obituaries — the Daily Prophet wasn't quite that callous. It didn't take long for Hermione to learn how to read between the lines, though, because the reporters had clearly learned to communicate the truth without having to be explicit. The mere fact that such a skill had needed to be learned at all was horrifying in and of itself. Between what was said and what was unsaid, Hermione gained a detailed understanding of the atrocities committed by the bigots and blood purists who joined the Death Eaters.
She wanted to be sick.
Hermione was well aware of violence in the world, even if most of what she knew about was muggle-based. She knew about wars, police actions, murders, and so forth. She had not, however, read or seen anything in the muggle world that came close to the organized, monstrous cruelties which the Death Eaters treated like sport. The closest analogy she could think of was how the Nazis behaved, especially against the Jews, and the thought that such people not only existed in the magical world, but were still active and would gleefully target her, made her want to be sick yet again.
It was a very subdued Hermione Granger who entered the common room just shy of curfew. Rather than sit on one of the couches, she trudged up to bed with Jasmine following close behind, concerned about how her girlfriend was handling this. She continued to follow Hermione right into her bed, and after she silenced and sealed the curtains, she grabbed Hermione's hand and asked, "Are you going to be alright?"
She sighed and in a very soft voice said, "I don't know, Jas. I don't know if I'll ever be alright again. I mean, it was awful reading about all those things, but even worse is the fact that many of those responsible were never punished. Some are even still powerful and influential in government, or even our own school! Not only haven't they given up the beliefs which inspired them to commit all of those atrocities, but they must be passing them along to their kids!" Taking a deep breath, she then added, "Merlin, no wonder you hate Malfoy so much. I'll never be able to look at him the same way again."
Jasmine nodded and said, "Yeah, my reaction was similar to yours. I guess I wasn't very surprised, but it still made me sick and mad. Now you know what my parents faced. What they were fighting against. Now you know what we will be facing, sooner or later, and what I'm determined to defend myself from. What you need to decide is what you're going to do to prepare yourself for when they come back."
"I don't know, Jas," Hermione said, clearly struggling with the issues. "It's one thing to use violence in the heat of the moment, and even that bothers me. Well, I guess I should say that it bothers me how good it felt the one time I did that. It's another, though, to deliberately learn how to hurt others and then enter a fight with the intention of causing grievous physical harm to others."
"You're right," Jasmine said. "There is a difference. Just about anyone is capable of the first, and not everyone can or should do the second. However, the former is what happens when you're faced with a fight without warning. It's not something you plan out, it's something that happens to you. The latter is something you do have to make a choice about when you know that a fight is coming."
Hermione nodded. "We can be pretty sure that a fight is coming, and we probably can't prevent it. So we can either stick our heads in the sand, pretend that we're surprised when it arrives, and hope for the best, or we can prepare in advance by learning how to defend ourselves."
"And how to hurt others," Jasmine added. "Shields and stunners won't be enough — you saw that."
Hermione nodded again, though a little more slowly. "There's a price to be paid either way, isn't there?"
"Yeah," Jasmine said. "Sirius was right about that. If we volunteer to pay the price now by learning how to hurt others, maybe there won't be as much of a price to pay later on by us and our loved ones getting injured or killed."
Hermione thought about that price and realized that while her parents may not have intended to raise her to be an idealist, her upbringing had had that effect. She had never learned to regard violence as a good solution to problems. She had never learned to use violence to solve her own problems, not even when harassed and bullied in muggle school. Instead, she had learned that she lived in a civilized society where teachers, police, and other authority figures could be trusted to take care of things.
Now, though, she was living in a society that was turning out to be rather less civilized than she was accustomed to.
Hermione sighed. "Intellectually, I guess you've convinced me — it seems pretty clear that this needs to be done. Emotionally, though... I think I may always struggle with my emotional reaction to causing pain like that, unless I can find some way to wall off my feelings. And if I do manage to... to harden myself like that, will I still like who I become?" She looked very troubled, concluding, "It's something I worry about."
"I know," Jasmine replied gently. "You wouldn't be you if you didn't." She leaned forward, kissed her girlfriend softly, and exited the bed, leaving Hermione with her thoughts.