Standard Disclaimer: I own nothing in regards to Harry Potter or Pirates of the Caribbean. All properties therein are those of their creators. I am only a writer working on my skills with worlds and characters that I love.

Note: Not gonna be a huge amount of Harry for a little while, but don't worry, he's gonna make a big impact when he does arrive.

Chapter Seven - The Curse of the Black Pearl Begins

Elizabeth Swann woke abruptly from a nightmare. It had been so real, so terrifying, and… she could no longer recall what it had been about. All she knew as she swept her long legs out of bed was that she found herself drawn to the golden amulet she kept locked in her bedside table's drawer. Something about it was just calming in her hand as her finger traced the thinly engraved lines of its face. She'd found the curiosity seven years ago during the crossing to the Americas. She'd noticed a boy floating in the water and had immediately reported his presence to the captain.

Once he was aboard she'd laid eyes on his distinctly piratey medallion and of course had removed it before Norrington could take note of its presence. The man had made it clear what his opinions on pirates were. She didn't even want her new friend Will to suffer his suspicion if it could be avoided. Once they were back under sail she'd tried to find time to return it to him, but he never seemed worried about it, and there was always at least one person watching her or him. Privacy didn't really exist on a crowded ship like theirs.

And then things had gotten crazier. They'd been attacked by pirates and then saved by more pirates. The golden haired young woman could still recall the handsome face of their rescuer. The suave motions of his feet, clear lines of his face, and the kind smile that had graced his lips as he spoke to her, not as a child, but an equal. Yes, she truly believed meeting Silent Harry to be one of the most fascinating moments of her life.

But one more event of interest had occurred not even a day after that memorable encounter. They'd found yet two more people cast adrift in the ocean, and what people they were… Her thoughts were interrupted as there came a rapid knocking at her door. Was it seven o'clock already? "Elizabeth?" A stern female voice called.

"Just a moment!" The blonde hurriedly called as she threw the amulet over her neck and nestled it safely out of sight between her breasts. She loved her friend dearly, but even she didn't know about this particular secret. "I'm not dressed!"

"Oh well that's perfect, I've come to help with that."

Elizabeth looked in the mirror to make sure the offending piece of jewelry was completely out of view and nodded. "You can come in now." At her words the doors leading from the second level of the governor's mansion to her rooms banged open and in marched Hermione Granger with the speed of a woman on a mission, a long box held securely in her arms.

"Good morning, Elizabeth." Hermione beamed at her friend as she closed the doors behind her and waved her wand at the windows to the balcony, causing them to open wide and fill the rooms with natural light. "James' promotion ceremony is this afternoon and your father says it's imperative that we both be present." Another wave of the wand and the box levitated into the air and unpacked to show a rather annoying amount of silk and lace in the form of an extremely poofy dress. "Ew, a corset. Sorry, girl, but this is going to suck for you."

Elizabeth groaned and moved to start putting the garment on. The two of them had become fast friends on the remainder of the trip to Port Royale, and upon learning the girl had no family or resources she'd implored her father to give Hermione a place in their household. He'd been only too happy to agree, as it was only right for his daughter to have a ladies maid. Except Hermione had not been content with just that appointment, no sir. She'd proven herself indispensable in many other ways. Upon learning that magic was more… recognized in high society than she first believed, she informed her employer and Elizabeth of her abilities, and then showed off the merits of her incredible brain by summoning their family account books and putting them into rapid order. The girl discovered eight separate places where merchants were either cheating or stealing from them in trade deals. Thus it was that her personal maid became the family accountant and her best friend.

What was more, Hermione's skills with math, literature, and science had become known to the other people of merit on their little slice of England and the governor had been fielding requests for her assistance left and right ever since. The bushy haired girl could have had any future she desired, except she chose to stay here, with her… not for the first time Elizabeth found herself grateful for whatever fate had brought them together. She could not imagine growing up in Port Royale without Hermione's shoulder to lean on, her ear to whisper fears and secrets to, and her stiff upper lip when she complained about stupid things that made her seem spoiled. Indeed, it was almost like having a big sister.

As the other girl began strapping her into the torture device that was her new dress, the governor's daughter distracted herself by commenting, "You must… ugh, be looking forward to seeing 'Captian' Norrington become…. Ow, 'Commodore' Norrington." The teasing tone of her voice was inescapable, regardless of the rib creaking pain the corset was giving her.

In a nearby mirror Elizabeth smirked at the deep blush that suddenly came to adorn her friend's face. It was well known that James Norrington was sweet on the witch, but what was far less known was just how interested Hermione was in return.

For her part, Hermione busied herself by tightening the corset even more and helping her best friend into the dress proper. When she'd arrived in Port Royale she'd still been heartsick over Harry, and yes, even now she still hurt a bit over his loss, but it was like a scar that had festered over and numbed. It would always be there in her mind, the knowledge of what she'd lost but her own actions, but she could recognize that she also deserved her own happiness even if making things right with him was still her primary goal in life.

It was shortly after she and Sirius had arrived in their new home that she'd begun asking questions about Silent Harry. She'd figured that if she had to wait to meet him again then she might as well learn what she could in the meantime. Her inquiries had apparently caught the attention of the Captain of the Fort and, interested in the Swann family's new maid/accountant/witch, he had descended from his cannons and formation drills to meet her and offer a walk on his arm.

Unable to deny the chance to learn, Hermione had accepted, and found herself on a casual stroll through the port in the company of a refined and gallant officer of the King's Navy. He was gentle, polite, insightful, and chivalrous to the extreme, everything she'd dreamed of as a little girl reading the works of Jane Austin. It wasn't until several months later that the conversations between them turned more romantic in nature, and Elizabeth had often commented on their age difference, but the bookworm did not really mind it. Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy had been eight years apart, and that was actually the same number between her and James. And age differences were not uncommon in this time. It also helped that Norrington was ever the gentlemen. He saw that her heart was healing from another and never pushed or pressured her. Merely he desired her company and conversation.

And through that conversation Hermione, and by extension her incredibly interested friend Elizabeth, learned much that the Navy knew about Silent Harry. They had been surprised to learn he had earned many names and unofficial titles over the years, though some not so flattering.

As they sat alone before the fireplace at night the two girls had discussed them at length. Silent Harry, the Dread Pirate Harry, Harry the Liberator, Harry the Pirate King, Harry the Harem king. That last one had been incredibly shocking. Apparently the Silent pirate was quite promiscuous, having been seen in the arms of numerous women and even apparently one man. (Hermione mentally wondered how she had had no idea he was bisexual! Then she began to wonder if it was simply propaganda by the navy to make him look bad.)

Almost as shocking as the names were his naval exploits. To hear James and his soldiers talk, Harry had the deadliest vessel in the ocean under his command. Immensely powerful in combat, silent as the grave on the water, and it seemed to always be accompanied by an unholy fog wherever it went. What frustrated England so heartily were his targets, and they were ones that Hermione understood heartily given his background. For the last several years the leader of Nassau had been terrorizing ships of the East India Company with a vengeance, liberating all manner of goods, cargo, and slaves in particular. As a result, they'd been forced to lean away from Africa as a source of labor and shift to trafficking transported prisoners meant to work the fields in the New World as they lived off their sentence, and of course Harry had almost immediately freed them to. Now thousands of Africans, Irishmen, and Scotsmen lived under his banner on Nassau.

When Hermione had heard of the mystical and forgotten island that could not be found except by those who already knew where it was, she'd at once understood the massive use of a Fidelius charm, and had been justly impressed at the scale of it. It did however reinforce Tia Dalma's orders. The only way to find her lost friend was to wait and be informed of the location. She of course told Norrington nothing of the goddesses advice. Potential romance aside, she couldn't inform the navy of anything that might potentially aid them in tracking down their quarry.

Coming back to reality, Hermione twisted the last line of lace into a knot and stepped back so Elizabeth could see herself fully in the mirror. "You look beautiful." She commented happily. "Like a noble lady of France.

"Yes," The blonde gasped, trying to find some way to maintain some measure of even breathing, "well noble french ladies must have learned how to survive without oxygen. Where's yours?"

"Oh I'm not wearing one." Hermione smugly waved off the suggestion. "I have a fine dress ready from the tailors and waiting for me in my room. Your father gave me a bonus for tallying his accounts again last week." Indeed, thanks to her, the Swanns had become the wealthiest trading family on the island.

"Why must I suffer alone!" Elizabeth sarcastically wailed, earning a sharp slap to the shoulder for her trouble.

"Suck it up. Your father gave you a gift, and it's a nice one. What's the worst that'll happen? You catch the eye of a fine gentleman who wants to ask you for an evening stroll?"

"The worst would be my chest caving in from the pressure." Elizabeth grumbled. "And I have no interest in the men on this island. You know that."

"Then who 'do' you have an interest in. Come on, Liz, you can't lie to me. You've got someone in mind."

"I-I don't know what you're talking about."

The younger woman turned away to busy herself with her hair, and Hermione decided to drop the subject. She'd known that Liz had a crush on someone for a while now, and she was sure she'd explain it in her own time, but it galled her not to know. "Here, let me handle that." The bookworm took her friend's hair in her hands and began tying it back and adding curls where effective. Just because her own locks refused to cooperate didn't mean she didn't enjoy playing with someone else's.

In short order the Swann daughter was looking absolutely breathtaking, and insisted on helping her with the same. By the end Hermione was dressed in a lavender number that fitted her slim frame perfectly while displaying a bit more of her cleavage than she was normally comfortable with. But a mixture of Elizabeth's encouragement, and her own desire to impress James had her employing it to dazzling effect. Her hair was resistant to straightening as ever, but it at least had turned into a semi-orderly mane instead of sticking off in all directions as it normally did.

They were met at the top of the stairs afterward by the governor, who stared at each with pride and compassion. His daughter, the light of his life, was growing ever more beautiful and confident every day. And Hermione, a girl that had become as beloved as a favored niece stood at her side, equally resplendent and eager to impress. Yes, he was a proud man to have had a hand in raising such a fine pair of young women.

"You ladies look sublime. Are you ready to head up to the fort?"

"Yes, father."

"Yes, Governor Swann."

"Good, but we must accept a delivery first. Our gift for the soon-to-be Commodore."

That raised some eyes. "You didn't get the gift ahead of time?" Elizabeth wanted to know.

A slight twitch of annoyance began to build in Weatherby's eye as he answered, "I made the order two months ago, and it has only just been completed. Additionally, the maker requested to deliver it in person as he wanted to say hello to Ms. Granger while he did so."

"The maker…. Sirius!" Hermione squealed before racing down the stairs to where a pair of men were waiting with a thin box, and throwing herself into the arms of the taller of them.

He too laughed as he spun her around a few times. "Hey there, Mione. You look amazing. Is all this for the man of the hour then?" Sirius the 'Black'smith waved his eyebrows knowingly at the girl earning a fresh blush and punch to the shoulder for his troubles. Neither of them noticed his apprentice, Will Turner's, grimace at those words, but Elizabeth who was standing at the top of the stairs did. She'd been friends with the both of them long enough to know that Will had a bit of a crush on Hermione, but the other girl had no idea.

Beside her, Elizabeth heard her father give a sarcastic huff of disapproval. He was not a fan of public displays of affection, and yet he could not deny it was warranted here. Sirius Black was known to be a family friend of the Granger girl, and they had gone through a life threatening event together to be cast adrift as they were, so a little affection could be allowed. When the scoundrel of a blacksmith finally put her down again he approached and asked, "You have the order?"

"Yes, Mr. Governor, sir, it is right here." Sirius opened the box in his apprentice's arms and passed over a sheathed rapier. "As requested, I made you my finest work. A one-handed, straight-bladed, sword of 'excellent' quality." The governor nodded his head to show that he understood the implied use of magic in the forging. There was a reason Sirius Black had quickly become the favored smith of Port Royale. All of his creations were charmed to be unbreakable and his weapons never required sharpening or maintenance. "You may be delighted to know it is incredibly light of weight, one meter in length, and was crafted with folded steel and gold filigree in the handle. Truly the weapon of a man of action."

"Yes, well," Weatherby passed the weapon over to Hermione with a wink, "I'm sure the Commodore will love it. Now we must be off. You've received payment, yes?"

"Oh yes, your footman delivered it this morning. Come along, Will, and shut that gaping maw, you'll get no lassie's like that and we've three more orders that need filling today."

The younger man bloomed red in the face and practically ran for the door with a laughing Sirius trailing after him. Deciding to make light of the moment Hermione commented to Elizabeth, "You know, I think Will likes you."

"What!?" The governor and his daughter shared a look of shock that the bookworm hadn't noticed the boy staring directly at her since arriving, but in the end decided not to bother with it. The lad would get over it. Together they marched out to where a carriage was waiting for them and carted up to the fort where a procession of fully liveried and uniformed soldiers were lined up for inspection and a multitude of the well-to-do citizens of the Port were mulling around aimlessly in cliques and conversations.

This was the part that Hermione knew Elizabeth hated the most. The socializing and politicking. Honestly these upper class girls reminded the witch of the pureblood heiresses of her former timeline. Stuck up bitches who thought the world revolved around them because they had money. That was something she loved about her friend. Liz took nothing about her life for granted. Apparently she'd had quite the wake-up call shortly before meeting her with a band of pirates who opened her eyes to both the truth of slavery and the real world. Discovering that those pirates had been led by Harry had been quite the shock to say the least. Hermione couldn't hope to count the number of late nights she'd spent with Elizabeth in the governor's library because the younger girl had desired a firmer grasp of numbers, reading, and mathematics. She wanted to be a force in the world regardless of her name or station and it was certainly impressive to see.

Time passed, and the girls entertained themselves by watching the soldiers move about in pristine uniforms and walking the battlements to observe the cannons. It was from that high point that they watched the procession of the actual ceremony as it began because it offered the finest view.

The guns fired in a ceremonial salute, Governor Swann presented the newly minted Commodore Norrington with his new blade, and the band started playing as the crowd cheered. It seemed everyone wanted the officer's attention after that, and the girls were content to stare out at the ocean for a while and perhaps raid the refreshment and snack table. So it was with rather great surprise that the two were interrupted by the clearing of someone's throat.

They turned and there was Norrington, standing with his hands clasped behind his back and a surprisingly nervous expression on his face. "Ms. Granger, might I have the pleasure of your company for but a moment or two?"

The girls shared a look before Hermione nodded and took the arm he offered. Elizabeth elected to stay where she had the best view of both the sea and her friend. The officer and the witch didn't go far, merely pacing a bit along the sea wall as the man built up the courage for whatever it was he wanted to say. "Ms. Granger… Hermione, I have not made my feelings in regards to you too vague, I hope?"

Blushing more than a little bit, Hermione shook her head. "No, James. You've been very up front with them and I have appreciated that."

"Good, I have always strived to follow the proper way of things, but sometimes I feel that I do not always impart my emotions as I would like as a result. I have been told before that I am far too rigid for my own good. I have achieved much in my life so far. A commission in the navy, my own command, and now, I have become a commodore. To many, this would seem like a truly full life with my current honors being the capstone of a great career. However, that is not the case in my opinion."

"What do you mean?" Hermione stopped and stared Norrington in the eyes, hardly breathing.

Visibly gathering his courage, the commodore finally got out, "There is one thing that I have yet to achieve. The most important thing a man can in my opinion. A marriage to a fine woman. You are a fine woman, Hermione, and I would count myself truly blessed by god if you could find it in yourself to agree to be my wife."

"James, are you… proposing?"

Eyes wide, the man hastily dropped down to one knee, "I knew I forgot something, as I said, I don't always make my points as well as I would like." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring with a fine gem in the center. "Yes, I am proposing. Hermione Granger, will you marry me?"

"Oh James, of course I- Elizabeth!" Hermione had just seen her dearest friend fall over the side of the battlements on the sea wall and immediately rushed after her, reaching the wall just in time to see the splash of her impact in the water. "Elizabeth!" She shrieked, before tossing off her outer petticoat and climbing onto the battlement to leap off after her, only to be dragged back by Norrington.

"Stop, Hermione, the rocks! It's a miracle she missed them. Come on, we'll get to the horses and if we hurry we might still save her."

The girl nodded reluctantly, hiked up her skirts (damn dresses), and raced off to the horses as fast as her legs would take her. Times like these she hated the fact she hadn't had time to learn apparition before leaving her doomed timeline. It took longer than she liked to race down to the docks, but when they arrived she found herself both relieved and worried. Relieved because her friend was safely out of the water and coughing and hacking on the dock itself next to the Interceptor, and worried because there was a dirty man with a bandana over his head leaning over her with a knife.

Acting on instinct she hopped off her horse, pulled her wand from her sleeve, and cast a low grade banishing charm that sent the man stumbling back several steps which allowed her to slide to her friend's side and drag her back to safety as James and his soldiers arrived. Muskets were quickly leveled and a shawl was thrown over the coughing blonde's shoulders to try and warm her up.

"Clap that man in irons!" The governor was a bit late to the show, having arrived in a carriage, but he was quick on the uptake.

"No!" Elizabeth belayed that order effusively. "Father, he saved my life. That bloody corset choked the air and the life out of me and the lightheadedness made me fall. That man dove in to rescue me and once he had me out of the water he cut the damned thing off so I could actually breathe!"

For a moment the musketeers didn't seem to know what to do, so James waved them down and approached the grimy looking man. "It seems thanks are in order." He reached out a hand to shake before latching onto that of the other man and hiking his sleeve up to reveal a brand in the shape of a capitol P. "Had a little run-in with the East India Company did we? Pirate." Pushing the sleeve up further revealed a tattoo of a particular bird in flight. "Jack Sparrow isn't it?"

"That's Captain Jack Sparrow, if you please."

"Captain?" Norrignton frisked the man and came up with several items. "I don't see a ship for you to command? And what is all this? A pistol with only one shot and no spare ammunition or powder, a compass that doesn't point north, and a cutlass in rather abysmal repair? You are without doubt the worst pirate that I've ever heard of."

"But you have heard of me." Jack shot back, as if it were the highest form of praise in the world.

The governor gave the stranger an annoyed glare. What fate had he pissed off to have a miscreant like this show up today of all days? "Hang him."

"Father!"

"I wouldn't be doing that if I were you." Sparrow cut in smugly. "I think you all know how Silent Harry feels about hanging pirates these days." That shut everyone up at once. They'd all heard the horror stories of the fleet of black flag bearing ships attacking towns, forts, and settlements that tried to hang sea-living miscreants. Innocent casualties were near nonexistent, but damage to the town's structures and ports was extensive, and it took months to recover every time.

Then Norrington responded. "Silent Harry has no problem with simple imprisonment however, and he only responds when pirates of good standing, ergo those who have not broken his rules are captured." A slow grin worked its way across the officer's face, "Just as I've heard your name, I've also heard that you were banished from Nassau under very unsavory circumstances. Should I really expect a rescue attempt for one such as you?"

The pirate thought about it for a moment before shrugging as if he had no cares in the world. "Does seem unlikely when you put it like that."

"Clap the man in irons." James ordered before moving back to his group. He was delighted to see how relieved Hermione was to have her friend safe once more. That delight turned to annoyance when that same friend broke away from the group to stand between them and the pirate.

"This man just saved my life, and you are going to imprison him?"

Sighing blandly, the officer responded, "He is a criminal who has broken the law several times over. That brand alone is a literal death sentence once applied."

The clinking of the manacles snapped closed, and Sparrow spoke up. "It seems enough to condemn a man, for sure." He jingled his wrists as the soldier moved back, "Finally!" Then with a sudden rush of movement he turned and wrapped the irons around Elizabeth's throat. "Now let's start this little parlay over."