Venenum
By Koryander
This chapter was edited on July 24th (2020)by my beta-reader Kcarmeh. Please give her all the love for all the work she is doing in helping to edit the text to improve your reading.
Chapter 2. Bungarus - Time travel .
1943
Hermione awoke, feeling her head throb. She placed a hand on her temple in a pacifying gesture to relieve her headache. As soon as her eyes adjusted to the light, she rose abruptly as she recognized where she was.
Hogwarts. I am in the Hogwarts Hospital Wing.
She noticed apprehensively that her clothes had been changed to flannel pants and a shirt - hospital pyjamas - with the Hogwarts emblem on the upper left side of the shirt. After getting out of the bed, she looked around, a little surprised and startled to realize that nothing was as destroyed as she remembered it to be. The Wing was fairly empty and clean.
The school has been rebuilt. Did we win the war? Great Merlin, we won the war! The happiness she felt was extreme. Hermione had never felt so happy. They had won the war, otherwise, she would have been dead by now.
Without thinking twice, Hermione left the Hospital Wing, running through Hogwarts' corridors, down to the third floor, looking for her friends. The paintings moved, hiding from her, sometimes gossiping about her yet she didn't care. She didn't have the mind set in that moment to care about her clothes, nor the state of her hair nor the fact that she was barefoot. All she wanted was to see Harry, Ginny, Luna, and all the others. She wanted to see Ron, to hug him and feel his arms around her. To kiss him again. They had finally declared their love for each other.
Hermione entered the first classroom that she saw, opening the doors loudly in the hope of finding someone to tell her where her friends were. The smile on her face was slowly undone. The faces of several students turned to face her, whispering as they looked at her. Hermione frowned, shaking her head slightly not believing what she was seeing. She didn't recognise any of them.
"What...?" Hermione didn't understand. What is going on? She asked herself.
Hermione placed a hand on her head, trying to appease the throbbing pain in her head that started again, clouding her vision and echoing in her ears. Something was wrong. She turned and walked only to bump into someone.
"Forgive me, miss." The voice was masculine.
Hermione raised her gaze and exhaled the breath that was trapped in her lungs. She was surprised at what she saw.
"Sirius ...?" Her eyes filled with tears. Is this Sirius Black? He looks a lot like Sirius. The hair, the eyes, the face. He's just clearly younger.
As Hermione was confused she didn't notice the boy's glare. He scanned her from top to bottom, noticing the clothes she was wearing as a slight blush took over his cheeks.
"My lady, take this. I don't think it's right for a lady to walk around in such clothes." He handed her his Slytherin robe, putting it on her shoulders. Hermione accepted, still too confused and too surprised by how much the young man looked like Sirius Black to consider refusing Her eyes followed every move he made.
The students inside Galatea Merrythought's class stole furtive glances, putting their heads out of the classroom door, curiously trying to get a look at the strange girl who had invaded the classroom. The noises of Professor Galatea's shoes woke Hermione from her trance, standing by the young man who looked so much like Sirius, and in a swift movement she turned and grabbed the teacher's arms.
"Who won the war?" Hermione pleaded, shaking Professor Merrythought. Hermione's hair was wild, giving her a fierce appearance and the desperation in her voice was remarkable. Behind the teacher stood the most handsome young man Hermione had ever seen, who was approaching her position with suspicion written across his features. He was wearing Slytherin robes, although their cut differed slightly from what she was used to seeing. On that thought, Hermione noticed that the cloak draped around her was also fashioned in a different style, along with everyone else's that had failed to notice before. The majority of the male students were wearing a blazer, and few others wore a cloak.
Professor Merrythought's eyes widened in surprise when Hermione mentioned the word 'war'.
"My dear, were you at the war?"
"Yes!" Hermione replied quickly, glad to have found someone who understood what she was saying. "So, did we win the war?"
Professor Merrythought's gaze softened and she comforted Hermione with one hand, steering Hermione to walk next to her.
"Mr. Black, you're late for class. Enter the classroom immediately and wait with the other students, I will accompany this young woman to the Hospital Wing."
In reality, Merrythought didn't have to accompany Hermione because the matron Olga Derwent was running down the corridors looking for her missing patient. Hermione was advised to return with Mrs. Derwent to the Hospital Wing and this irked her a bit. Everyone was treating her like a fragile doll.
Where is Madam Pomfrey?
Unaware of what was going on, Hermione let herself be taken to the Hospital Wing more willingly for the headache she felt. Before following Mrs. Derwent on the path, Hermione glanced over her shoulder, looking at the handsome boy who made a curious eye contact with her Beside him were the young man who had a likening to Sirius and another, blond as ... Draco?
Sitting on the bed in the Hospital Wing, Hermione waited, her mind working to understand what's going on. Maybe it's my mind playing with me, it would not surprise me if I am going crazy and imagining all this. Not much really. In fact, she could be very well at Malfoy Manor, still being tortured by Bellatrix and as a protection mechanism to relieve her despair, her mind could be playing with her reality. This had happened to other people.
"My young lady, I am Olga Derwent, the matron of Hogwarts. I've been taking care of you." Derwent spoke calmly and passively as if Hermione were some kind of wild animal.
"Where is Madam. Pomfrey?" Hermione dared asked. She was afraid to know the answer.
"Who?" Mrs. Derwent frowned, confused.
Hermione narrowed her eyes, swallowing hard. As she tried to ask another question, the doors of the Wing opened, with Dumbledore entering. When Hermione saw Dumbledore, her eyes widened, not believing the image she saw.
I AM crazy.
"Headmaster Dumbledore?" She murmured. Dumbledore stopped, looking at her with intelligent and slightly curious eyes.
"I think you mean 'teacher.' Do you know me, child? "
" Yes, it's me, Hermione Granger! Don't you remember me? "
"Child, how did you manage to overcome the school's Anti-Apparation spells? "
When Dumbledore narrowed his eyes in an accusatory manner, Hermione froze She didn't understand at first what was happening. The pain in her head increased as the flashes of memory began. She began to remember what happened and in reflex Hermione touched her neck, feeling the locket trapped. Her breathing accelerated.
"Harry. Where's Harry?! "
"The boy who was accompanying you? "Dumbledore asked and Hermione confirmed, suddenly very tense. "I am afraid to say that he was sent to 's, our dear Mrs. Derwent could not help him from the kind of coma he entered. I must say I've never seen anything like it. "
"But will he be okay?" She was frightened and Dumbledore noticed.
"That, young lady, only time can tell."
Dumbledore also noticed how pale Hermione was and how his words seemed to affect her. He narrowed his eyes, trying to decide whether she was friend or foe and what were the reasons for her abrupt arrival. His gaze fell to the locket that the young lady touched and he felt magic radiating from it. It was strong, suggestively protective enchantments that could very well be dark magic.
"Miss Granger," Dumbledore said, attracting Hermione's attention which seemed momentarily lost. "I'll give you some time to get yourself in order and I'll wait for you in my office. Headmaster Dippet is currently waiting for the Aurors, who are heavily interested in your arrival. "
" Aurors ...?" There was a little alarm in Hermione's voice.
"I dare say, young lady, that yours and your friend's arrival warned the whole community. The Ministry of Magic has certainly sent Aurors to investigate what happened," Dumbledore explained, watching her swallow.
Without much else to say, he nodded before turning around and leaving. Hermione stood there, alone. She brought her hand to her mouth in a clear gesture radiating concern. Matron Derwent came shortly thereafter, carrying the neutral Hogwarts female uniform with none of the colors of the Hogwarts' Houses.
Hermione was quick to dress, she had no time, she needed to talk to Dumbledore before the Aurors reached her. Her hands were shaking, but she didn't really care. She needed to stay calm so she could get out of this situation. She was afraid of the question she was going to make to Mrs. Derwent. Her lower lip trembled, her heart beat hard against her chest and she took a deep breath, her legs jelly-like trembling with fear.
"What year are we?"
"1943, my dear." Mrs. Derwent replied, for a moment the matron thought that the girl had a concussion or loss of memory.
The matron observed the expression of terror that took over Hermione's face, her eyes widening and her skin turning pale and for a moment, she thought the girl might faint. In the blink of an eye, Hermione grabbed the locket around her neck as if the object was choking her. Without thinking twice, she tried to turn the Time-Turner's hourglass, but was locked. Impossible to turn.
It was an unthinkable act of despair. In her defense, she would have never turned the Time-Turner in her right mind, but in her situation, all she was overwhelmed by the horrible realisation of being in the past.
Dumbledore. She needed to urgently talk with Dumbledore.
Mrs. Derwent was trying to convince Hermione to stay a little longer in the Hospital Wing so she calmed down before she met with Dumbledore, but Hermione didn't want to wait. She couldn't afford to wait.
As she walked along the halls, Hermione silently thanked them for being empty. The students were still in the classrooms or in the courtyard. She only stopped when she stood face-to-face with the door of the Transfiguration teacher's office. She took a deep breath and when she closed her fist to knock on the door, the door opened itself. Hermione entered slowly, with soft steps, watching Dumbledore who was sitting at his desk reading a book. She stopped in the middle of the room and Dumbledore still had not taken his eyes off the pages. Silence set in and the only noise that could be heard was the ticking of the clock. At a glance, Hermione noticed the crimson red of the bird's feathers. He flew around her before finally settling on his perch. The size of a swan, the Phoenix opened his wings to her and nodded in acknowledgment.
"Fawkes!" Hermione smiled, walking toward the perch. The last time she had seen the Phoenix, Fawkes had left Hogwarts. The bird's black eyes watched her as he tilted his head to the side. Recognizing Hermione's pure heart, Fawkes lowered his head as if bowing, introducing himself.
Dumbledore watched with fascination Fawkes' interaction with the girl. He knew that Fawkes was an extremely intelligent bird, able to see good and evil in people. To discern between those who wanted to do good and those who wanted to do evil. A great judge of character. Then, watching Fawkes being so inclined to accept the young lady removed the initial mistrust he had.
Dumbledore made a sound in his throat, drawing Hermione and Fawkes's attention. Gently, he said:
"Lemon drops, Miss Granger?" He offered. She refused.
Hermione took a deep breath and ran her tongue over her dry lips. She did not know what to say to Dumbledore, but he needed to know that she was not an enemy.
"Headmaster Dumbledore... I mean, Professor Dumbledore." She began, remembering that during this time, Dumbledore was a teacher. She glanced at her clasped hands, without the courage to face him. "I'm not evil," she says. "I don't want to hurt you or anyone. Neither does my friend. What happened was an accident. We don't know how we got here, we were running away and ... And we got caught- "
"That is a very interesting locket, Miss Granger. "
Dumbledore was closer to her. Slowly, Hermione raised her gaze to face him. She felt his fingers pick up the locket that was laying around her neck.
"A Time-Turner?" It was not really a question, it was more of an affirmation. Dumbledore looked at her over his half-moon glasses, raising an eyebrow. "They are controlled by the Ministry of Magic. However, this seems a little different, doesn't it? "
"It's stuck. See?" Hermione tried to turn the Time-Turner's hourglass right in front of Dumbledore, but she couldn't. "My friend and I didn't want to use it. Merlin knows we did not want to go back fifty-five years into the past."
"If the Ministry of Magic knows about the illegal use of a Time-Turner, you will go to Azkaban. If what you say - going back fifty-five years - is true, you and your friend will be in big trouble. "
"I need to help my friend and try to find a way to get back to our time. "
"You'll have to be careful with what you will be doing here, young lady. Messing with the past can bring consequences for the future. But I suppose the future is not so safe, is it? Who was the man who attacked you? "
Hermione knew that Dumbledore probably had a notion of what was going on, but maybe he wanted to hear her account of the event.
"I don't know him. Not personally," she said. "He is one of the many who defend the purity of blood and the death of Muggle-borns. What has happened to him? "
"This man was accused of practicing the Dark Arts, with no scruples in using the unforgivable curses. He claims to be Edmund Pyrites. The Pyrites family denies any involvement with him, the Ministry of Magic believes he is a helper of Grindelwald, for his ideological similarities." Dumbledore looked thoughtful for a moment. "He was sent to Azkaban."
"Professor Dumbledore, please..." Her voice was suffocated by the tears she tried to contain. "Help us."
She felt Dumbledore's forefinger and thumb on her chin, raising her face so that he could see her eyes.
In the brown color of her eyes, Dumbledore saw suffering, sadness, despair, and truth, plus a fierce glow of determination.
"I believe we had the honor of meeting in the future, I presume."
Hermione blinked, confirming. He ran his fingers back through the locket tied around her neck and narrowed his eyes to the letters around the circle that held the Time-Turner. In a swift movement, he hid the locket in her sweater, right before the door opened. Hermione gasped as she saw Dippet with two Aurors, one a man, and the other a woman.
"Dumbledore, I see you're already with the intruder," Dippet said, looking closely at Hermione.
"I'm afraid there's been a misunderstanding."
"Mr. Dumbledore, I'm Leeza Zabini and this is my partner, Ronan Travers." Hermione swallowed, as the dark-haired lady with almond-shaped eyes introduced herself. If she depended on the help of a Zabini and a Travers, Hermione would already be one foot inside Azkaban. "We were sent here to ascertain the magical disturbance that the arrival of two young people caused and obviously their involvement with the self-declared Edmund Pyrites, who is imprisoned in Azkaban for practicing the Dark Arts."
"This young lady" Dumbledore put a hand on Hermione's shoulder "Was in contact with me for some time before her arrival from France. Grindelwald's recent attacks forced her and her friend to move and I offered shelter. In fact, they arrived earlier. I hoped they'd get to the Hogwarts Express next semester to start their sixth-grade classes, but the war seems to have caused an unexpected."
At every word from Dumbledore, Hermione's eyes burned, she tried to keep her composure and hold her tears, but she could not hold it together and found herself crying when realising that Dumbledore was not only saving her life, but also Harry's.
"Forgive me, Dippet, I should have told you before. The disturbance we felt in magic was caused by a Portkey. "
"And the dark wizard who was with you?" Leeza Zabini directed her question to Hermione.
"He attacked us. He tried to kill us. He grabbed us when we were about to be transported." It wasn't a lie at all. In fact, this really had happened.
"Why was he chasing you?" Travers asked.
Feeling a kind of judgment, Hermione knew she needed to give credible information that would satisfy the Aurors. She had to give personal information that satisfied the reasons for being pursued. It wasn't the information that would change everything, yet it was significant enough for her to have a sense of the game she would be playing from there on.
"Because I'm a Muggle-born," she murmured. Her tone was cold.
Hermione noticed the slight wrinkling of Zabini's nose, just as she noticed she lifted her upper lip slightly. Disgust. An expression of disgust.
Corrupt. Corrupt Aurors. How in their right mind did they dare proclaim to be defenders of law when they shared the same ideals that led the war? HerBut Hermione was fooled for even a moment. She had expected nothing less from a Zabini.
Leeza Zabini glared at Hermione, ready to absorb the lie Hermione had professed. Her gaze switched to Dumbledore. He was an exceptional wizard and a very influential figure. He was the Albus Dumbledore. Who could accuse him of lying?
"I understand." She eased her glare. "But we'll take the Portkey that was used. It will be taken to the Department of Magical Transport and will be destroyed. "
Dumbledore removed his hands from Hermione's shoulders and headed towards his desk, and from one of the drawers he took out a letter opener. Carefully, he handed Travers the Portkey.
"It was with her, as a precaution I kept it with me until your arrived." Dumbledore lied. Hermione noticed how Travers looked at the letter opener, inspecting it to see if it was somehow special. Confirming, Travers turned to Zabini.
"Before you go, I would ask that the condition of our new students be kept confidential," Dumbledore asked, aware of the exchange of looks between Zabini and Travers. "In the face of recent events and ideological positions, we wouldn't want Miss Granger and her friend to suffer more. "
It wasn't really a request and couldn't even be considered a threat, it was more of a warning that if details on the circumstances of Hermione and Harry left this room and fell on the wrong ears, he would know who had spread them.
"Of course, Mr. Dumbledore. Our duty is to protect. We understand the delicate situation. "
It was understood that the Ministry didn't want any more conflict than the already ongoing. Dumbledore knew that they would protect Hermione's "secret", because from the moment that the public was made aware that Grindelwald's followers were hunting muggle-borns and apparating inside of the school, chaos would be installed. It would be impossible to withstand the pressure of the people, and the Daily Prophet would love to spread and fuel such information. Considering also Myrtle Warren's death before the holidays, the students' parents would certainly ask Hogwarts to be closed.
"I will accompany the Aurors, I hope to have the opportunity to talk with Miss Granger later." Dippet intervened, leaving with the Aurors out of the room of the Deputy Headmaster and Transfiguration teacher.
Hermione smiled at Dippet before he left, noting that he did not look like a bad person. In fact, he could certainly remind her of someone's gentle grandfather, just by his way of speaking.
"Thank you," she murmured to Dumbledore. "Thank you, Professor Dumbledore." Surprising Dumbledore, she hugged him, and Fawkes, on his perch tilted his head to the side, watching.
"Would you like to stay for tea, Miss Granger?" Dumbledore offered. "Maybe we can talk more about what happened."
Hermione accepted with a smile, the first smile she had allowed since everything happened. A little quieter, she sat in one of the armchairs and watched as Dumbledore served tea on a coffee table, Fawkes distracted on his perch, wiping his crimson feathers with his beak.
He sat on the armchair in front of her, after giving her a tea-cup and serving some biscuits. It provided for a cozy, warm feeling as if someone had placed a blanket over her shoulders, a calm and peaceful environment she had missed for a long while. Hermione knew that this feeling would not last long. After taking a deep breath, Hermione raised her gaze.
"I don't know where to start and I admit I'm afraid," she said. "Not afraid of you, far from it, but I'm afraid of what I'm doing. I'm scared to be in the past with my best friend at St. Mungo's and how that leaves us. If all the books I've read about time travel are correct, I'm afraid of what I should not do or not talk about. Certainly, it was not like in the third year when I used a Time-Turner to be able to watch as many classes as I could. It's a lot more complex than that. "
She paused, taking a deep breath, watching Dumbledore's reaction. Hermione ran her tongue over her lips because they were dry again and it is also a pacifying gesture for the anxiety that begins to emerge in her.
"In the future... There will be a war. A war that many say is worse than this, which is happening now. A dark wizard will appear, probably more powerful than Grindelwald and everyone will be afraid to say his name. He shares an idea similar to Grindelwald's, which is the extermination of the Muggle-borns and Muggles. He propagates the ideals of pure blood. Nothing can stop him, no Aurors, no laws, no Ministry, except for my friend, who was sent to St Mungo's and I care a lot about him. Harry, perhaps, can be considered the heart of the whole problem and also, the only thing that prevents this wizard from taking control of the wizarding world. Before we got here, we were in what could be considered the final battle." Hermione clasped her hands together. "It was us or them. It was about fighting for what we believed in. We've seen friends battle with us, sacrifice themselves and die for what they believed in."
She looked intensely at Dumbledore.
"We had to flee, hide and fight. Before we came here, I believe one of the followers of this dark wizard activated the Time-Turner with some kind of spell that I'm not familiar with. I ran, fleeing, into the Forbidden Forest, trying to find my friend Harry, when another of the followers pulled me by my hair. Harry went to my aid and Time-Turner fully activated and brought us into the Hogwarts courtyard and then, you know what happened from there."
Hermione tried to find the best words to continue.
"I know that if I say the name of this dark wizard you can probably defeat him and it's probably the right thing to do, but ...What's going to happen when we get back? If I say this, how much of what Harry and I know can change, Professor Dumbledore? "
"This is a delicate situation, Miss Granger. I certainly understand your affliction. In fact, the idea of being able to avoid future conflicts is tempting, however I dare say that a simple disturbance in the timeline is crucial to existence. Some believe that even interfering, whatever has to happen, will happen. And that nothing can change what is marked to happen, so is destiny. However, others say that if a time traveler moves a simple glass of water from its place, a chain of events will happen and may even threaten existence itself. I'm afraid I've never seen anyone travel so long into the past. "
"So you think I should let things happen, even though I have the power to change the future? "
"My advice to you, Miss Granger, is for you to be very careful about what you do here... Not only for the timeline, but also for you and your friend's life. If the information that you are from the future falls on the wrong ears, you will be in great danger. Both, by the Ministry, and by a dark wizard. "
"You mean Grindelwald." Hermione deduced and Dumbledore confirmed. "It's really annoying to have to run away from dark wizards."
She said seriously, but soon she opened a smile that turned into a laugh and against all seriousness of the conversation, Dumbledore also smiled, sharing her sense of humor. Hermione wiped a tear from her eyes, still laughing, but another soon fell as well and then another and another. Dumbledore had already stopped smiling, realizing that the girl was crying and hiding her crying in her laughter.
"I'm sorry," she said, wiping her tears with her hand. "It's just that it's so hard." She sniffed. "But I'm very happy to see you again."
Although not apparent, Dumbledore understood the suggestion behind the choice of words she used. Of course, he would not question her for more information, but he noted the drastic change in the mood she had. Remembering something, Dumbledore got up from his chair and went to his desk, and from his drawer he removed two wands and a purse.
"I believe this is yours and your friend's." He offered her the two wands and the bag.
"Our wands!" Hermione took the wand that was Bellatrix's and Harry's.
When she touched Bellatrix's wand, she felt the magic along with a flash of rejection as if to say 'do not touch me'. It was just like its original owner - a wand that felt deranged, snobbish, discriminating. Hermione knew it was overly peculiar to describe a wand in such a manner, but she found no better way to describe it. Angry at its rejection, she grabbed Bellatrix's wand, and she began to bend the wood that was already slightly curved, but Hermione bent it further past its limits - dividing the wand in two parts. She broke it. And it was relieving, freeing.
Dumbledore witnessed the scene cautiously, watching closely the behaviour of the young girl before him.
Hermione looked back at Dumbledore.
"This wand shouldn't be used by anyone. You have no idea what the real owner did with that wand." She tried to justify herself and Dumbledore accepted the vague reasoning, still looking at Hermione as she tossed her wand into the fire.
She sat down in the armchair again, this time touching Harry's wand.
"This is my friend's wand," she explained, running her hand over the war-battered wood.
Harry's wand responded to her touch as if saying 'I know you. A friend' and complied to Hermione's magic by accepting her. This did not mean in any way that the wand had abandoned Harry, rather it was as if it knew that at this point it needed to join forces with Hermione until its real owner returned. Hermione did not dismiss the possibility of a wand being sentient, on the contrary, if a wand did not understand what was happening, how would it choose its wizard? Was there a better example than the Bellatrix's wand, who hated and refused to obey her? Wands understood in their own way, and at this moment Harry's wand understood that it was better to stay with Hermione and await the return of his owner. And luckily, the wand let Hermione's magic run smoothly, serving as a filter and control.
Then, Hermione picked up her beaded handbag, which she knew had all the things needed for survival, some books and some galleons. She breathed in relief at its familiar weight.
"What happened to Harry?" She asked worriedly.
"You two collapsed after the battle in the courtyard and were unconscious for three days. Your consciousness was coming and going, but you responded to Mrs. Derwent's healing, while your friend apparently went into a deep coma, which our beloved matron could not help. We preferred to send him to St. Mungo's. "
"Do you think he will recover? "
" I'm sure the mediwizards will do all they can to help him. "
" Will I be able to visit him?"
" As soon as possible. "
" Professor Dumbledore ... Can we stay here? You know, until we get a way back to our time? Hogwarts is our home and the only safe place we know. "
"Of course, my young lady. Hogwarts will be open for you and I will help you with everything I can. You've been to Hogwarts, haven't you? "
" Gryffindor. "Hermione laughed, drinking some more tea and Dumbledore smiled to find someone from his House.
"I'm afraid to say, Miss Granger, we're in the final exam phase prior to the holidays. It would only be fair to allow you to also partake to keep up appearances. Tonight, at dinner, you will participate in the sorting of the Sorting Hat. A little unusual for a student transferred to participate in the classification shortly before the holidays, and this will not go unnoticed, but this cannot be helped. "
"I understand, Professor. "
o0o
After talking with Dumbledore, Hermione felt a little more relieved and safer; Surely there was no better place than Hogwarts and close to Dumbledore to find the answer of how to get back to her time - the future. Even if she had to sit through all classes again to integrate, she was safer there than outside.
In fact, she was more relaxed and peaceful now, as she watched the setting sun from above between the clouds peeking through the trees of the Forbidden Forest.
She walked toward the Hospital Wing because she remembered that she left the Slytherin robe that the boy so much like Sirius lent to her. A Slytherin loaning something to a stranger? She could almost laugh at that thought if she had not witnessed it. But she supposed it had something to do with chivalry from the 1940s.
With her handbag in one hand and holding Harry's wand in the other, Hermione entered the Hospital Wing. Mrs. Derwent's eyes were expectant when she saw her. There was no sign of Mrs. Pomfrey, she thought with regret, but knew that for then on she had to get used to it. Mrs. Derwent smiled at her when Hermione confirmed that she was a new Hogwarts student, relaying the whole story that was concocted by Dumbledore. It was certainly better to keep a single version of the story. And Mrs. Derwent very sweetly said she was sorry for Hermione and her friend coming from the war -'People are not as they used to be. You see, the whole world is at war. What is the need for wars? '. Hermione internally understood that it was something that all doctors, whether Muggles or Wizards thought about given the start of World War II and Grindewald's regime.
Oh, if she knew that in the future there will be a worse war, how saddened would she have been then... Hermione thinks.
Hermione asked her for the Slytherin robes that she had left there and with a smile, the matron retrieved it for her, but she had little time to pay any futher attention to Hermione as two first-year Hufflepuff students came in, one of them surely having been hit, and quite successfully at that, by a Pimple Jinx or in other words, Furnunculus. As they passed by, their eyes widened, something between fright and awe. I'm probably the school gossip.
She smiled at them because they looked cute with their child-like hairstyle typical of the 1940s, and in response to her smile they were delighted with her.
With her wand and loaned Slytherin robe in her hands, Hermione threw a Scourgify, not because the robe was dirty, but she thought it was polite to deliver a clean robe and she does not wish any grounds for enmity, especially with the Slytherins. Even though they did like to create messy conflicts, she thought with some irony.. If she wanted her and Harry's existence to remain neutral in the past, she had to avoid being the center of intrigue. After the robe was cleaned, she folded it.
She didn't know where she'd find the boy and she certainly wouldn't go to the dungeons to wait, Merlin free her to be near of that place. However, Hermione was certain that at some point she would find him.
While walking in the halls of Hogwarts students were looking at her as they were on their way to the Great Hall for dinner. They whispered and Hermione knew it was about her, hearing the hushes and whispers at her back. She had already gotten used to it, partially because she was a mudblood as the Slytherins loved to kindly remind her and also because of the adventures she had had with Ron and Harry. Somehow it was strange to witness the style of the '40s. It did not really fit her character. The boys were with hair gel and the girls with styled pin-up coifs. All of them carried an air of styled perfection. It did not fit her at all.
For her luck or misfortune, she found the boy who was looking outside the door of the Great Hall with a group of Slytherins talking, probably all from the same year.
Don't go there. Don't go there. Don't go there . She repeated like a mantra in her head. Never walk alone towards a group of Slytherins, but there was a lot of Gryffindor courage in her to be able to ignore her own advice.
He has his back to her as she walks toward him. A blond boy soon looks at her, narrowing his eyes at her sudden approach. When she's close enough, she makes a sound with her throat, trying to attract attention. I do not need to talk to others, I just need to hand over the robe.
"Hello, princess, what can I do for you?" The blond takes a step toward her, a side smile on his face.
"Rosier, please don't scare the girl." Said the most handsome boy she saw. His features are vaguely familiar for some reason.
The blonde, Rosier, snorts and retracts a few steps, raising his hands.
"Yes?" The boy who looks like Sirius now turns to her, staring at her intently.
Hermione takes a deep breath, she is more mature than that. Wiser than playing with teenagers.
"I would like to return this to you. Thank you for helping me earlier. I appreciate it," she says, looking into his eyes and handing over the robe. It's just strange how much he looks like Sirius.
"You're welcome." He smiles, in a flirtatious way almost as if flirting with her. "Alphard Black, at your service." Before she can stop him, he is taking her hand and kissing the back of it.
She noticed how all his friends snicker, watching him with amusement at how he flirted with the school's newcomer. All but one. This one rolls his eyes and watches closely how quickly she pulls her hand away from Alphard's uninvited lips.
"Forgive my friends, they do not know how to behave," another boy says, putting his hand on her shoulder. He has dark brown curly hair with black eyes. "Allow me to properly introduce them - this is Alphard Black, as you already know."
He points to the boy who resembles Sirius and she nods in acknowledgment. She notices how his hair is reaching all the way down the neck, conveying a rebellious style breaking that which is suitable for the 40's.
"This is Angus Nott." He points to a boy who has wavy hair neatly cut, split aside and with a caramel tone. Freckles dust his nose and he dons a lateral smile. Hermione catches the smart and malicious look underneath the eyelashes.
It can't be.
"This is John Avery." He points to a green-eyed blonde, who smiles confidently at her.
It can't be.
"This is Polumetis Mulciber." He points at the shortest boy amongst all, with hair that was a medium between blond and brown and who was scratching the back of his head like he was feeling awkwardly.
It can't be .
"This is Adrien Rosier." He points to the boy who called her 'princess.'
It can't be.
" I'm Lestrange." He points to himself. "Radalphus Lestrange II."
It can't be!
She wants to get away from him and clean her shoulder that he touched, as if he has some contagious disease, but she just can't. She's paralyzed.
"Is it true that you were fighting in the war?" The handsome boy asks, cutting off Lestrange's introduction. Hermione only has the strength to confirm with her head. "Oh!"
"And this is your savior. He helped you in the battle in the courtyard." Lestrange smiled while pointing to a handsome boy.
"Will you attend Hogwarts?" He asks, and again Hermione nods. He cannot be who she thinks he is. "How curious, a transferred student," he observes. "Anyway, what we saw in the courtyard was impressive. I hope that you will be selected in Slytherin, we will certainly welcome you. "
It can't be! When he spoke, all Hermione could imagine were snakes looking at her with a sly grin on a face with piercing eyes.
"Oh, forgive me for not introducing myself. Tom Riddle, at your service." He motions his head forward and slightly tilts it downwards, looking at her from under his eyelashes with a piercing look. Never really bowing.
Her insides did a somersault.
Bungarus candidus also known as Krait Malasiana, is the third most poisonous snake in the world.