"It's beautiful here," Hermione said as she stretched her head up to let the cool breeze brush through her feathers.
"I'm very pleased you like my favourite spot," cooed Lancelot, sitting close to her on the balustrade of Hogwarts' tallest tower. Hermione was glad that he no longer addressed her as Mistress after she had had to threaten him several times.
Lancelot was smaller than her when she was in her raven form, which was due to the difference in their raven species, as well as the fact that as an Animaga she took on some of the characteristics of the human form to the animal form. She cooed softly and enjoyed the view from the top of the astronomy tower. The two of them had settled down so that they could see the side of the castle that was not visible from the viewing platform of the tower.
Behind the castle, the snow-covered slopes of the mountains glistened in the moonlight, with the forbidden forest stretching out in front of them. Hermione was getting more and more used to her animal form, which felt like perfectly fitting clothes for her. The feeling of being able to fly without any aids, using only her own physical strength, continued to surpass anything non-magical she had experienced in her life so far.
"By the way, do you have a girlfriend here on the castle grounds?" asked Hermione, crowing with laughter as Lancelot hid his head under a wing. "I'll have a look around and see if I can find you a pretty raven wife when I'm out," she said, nudging him a little with her wing.
"No need, a raven of my standing can take care of his own fortune," he said, stretching his beak aloft.
"Okay, I'm sorry," she said, draping her wing over his back. Lancelot suggested they fly one more lap around the castle before they headed off on Hermione's quest. She pushed off from the balustrade where they had been sitting and glided through the cool night air with her wings spread wide.
Lancelot was beside her moments later and so they flew over the clock tower, through the courtyard and over the bridge to Hagrid's hut, from whose chimney smoke was rising in little curls. She landed on the top of the roof and waited for Lancelot.
"Remember what I showed you?" she asked, and Lancelot nodded. At breakfast, Hermione had shown him a cedar tree in the Herbology book with its distinctive features. "There must be lots of them close together, Hagrid was talking about a whole village," she said, rising into the air.
It would be hard to make out the cluster of trees at night, but Hagrid, as usual, had said a lot more than he actually would have liked. She had a rough idea where in the forest the Bowtruckle village was to be found, but it was easier said than done to actually spot it.
She had already circled three times over the patch of forest Hagrid had described when she heard a call from Lancelot. She flew a bow and swooped down to him. He fluttered in place over a cluster of trees that Hermione only recognised as cedars from close up.
She thanked Lancelot and settled on the top of one of the trees. The branch bent slightly under her weight but supported her. She looked down and could see a very ramified branch system growing criss-cross in all directions. She inched her way with her claws, trying to get deeper inside the foliage.
She looked for the thickest branch she could find. When she was relatively sure that the branch would support her, she changed back into her human form. The branch did not bend under her weight and she sat down on it, wide-legged, as if on her broom. She pulled the wand from her sleeve and lit it up.
"Hello, anyone home?" she whispered, pointing the wand at the tree trunk. She spotted several knotholes that looked like small balconies. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small bowl, which she held in the air in front of her with a levitation spell.
"Hello? I brought woodlice and I have a request," she whispered into the silence of the forest, which was occasionally interrupted by the call of an owl. She could make out movement in one of the knotholes. She concentrated on it and could read from it the feelings of suspicion and unease.
"I don't want to hurt you, I promise," she said softly, raising her wand a little higher so the Bowtruckles could see her better. "Hello! Look, I have woodlice for you," she said as the suspicious Bowtruckle stuck his head out of the knothole.
She lowered the wand and let the bowl float over to him. The little creature, which looked like a small green branch, with a face, arms and legs, tilted its head at the sight of the bowl. It emitted a high-pitched sound that melted Hermione's heart.
She smiled at the euphoria she could read from the little creature's emotions. The Bowtruckle bent over the edge of the bowl and began to ferry the woodlice to its little mouth with both twiggy hands. She could see glittering dots in the other branch holes. More bowtruckles emerged from their burrows and communicated with each other using the cute, high-pitched sounds.
The others were also beginning to eat the woodlice. Hermione watched them until the first one seemed to be full. Curious, he came waddling up to Hermione, who somewhat timidly held out her hand. Now that the Bowtruckles had actually come out of their dens, she was at her wits' end with her plan and had to improvise.
"I don't want to hurt you," she repeated, holding out her hand to the Bowtruckle like a dog wanting to sniff her hand. He kept looking back and forth from her hand to her face and Hermione could sense that he was confused. She pulled her hand back a little.
"I have a request for you. I need three of your leaves. But only if it's not painful for you to give me any," she said and the Bowtruckle tilted his little head as he looked at her. Hermione smiled cautiously. The little creature emitted another high-pitched sound, whereupon the others joined them.
They communicated with each other briefly and finally, they all raised one of their little arms. An oval leaf grew at the end of each of them. They waved their little arms and Hermione held out the flat of her hand. One by one, the Bowtruckles held the arm with the leaf over her palm, whereupon the leaves fell off the arm and landed in Hermione's hand.
"Thank you, sweeties," Hermione said with a smile, stowing the leaves in her pocket. "You're welcome to take the rest of the woodlice," she said, causing euphoria in the little creatures once more. It took them a little while to get the woodlice into their knotholes in several trips. Hermione watched the hustle and bustle of the Bowtruckles with fascination.
When they had stowed away all the woodlice, Hermione let the bowl float back to her and stowed it away in her bag again. The Bowtruckles waved goodbye to her and hid back in their knotholes. Hermione changed back into her raven form and hopped up over the branches to the top of the tree.
"Did it work?" asked Lancelot, who joined her halfway back to the castle. Hermione told him about the cute Bowtruckles and accompanied Lancelot to his nest before heading back to the window of her dormitory in Ravenclaw Tower. It took a lot of magical energy for her to unlock the window from the outside in her animal form, but she had practised it from the inside beforehand so that she wouldn't pass out while sitting outside her window as a raven.
Exhausted but happy, she dropped onto the bed. She managed to brush her teeth and put on her pyjamas before instantly falling asleep when her head hit the pillow.
The next day, before the first lesson, she made a detour to the girls' toilet on the second floor, where the Polyjuice Potion had been simmering for a fortnight. She had to be careful that no one saw her because Dumbledore's order still applied that no one was allowed to enter the corridors alone.
"Hello Myrtle, how are you today?" she asked, smiling at Myrtle who was looking at her with a played sad look.
"Very badly," she said, sobbing once. But Hermione could tell she was glad that Hermione had come over. Hermione threw her a pout, to which Myrtle giggled. She briefly checked the magical fire that was steadily supplying heat to the cauldron. After making sure the potion was as desired, she pulled out the Bowtruckle leaves and added them to the potion. Instantly, the potion turned green.
Hermione stirred counter-clockwise as described in the recipe until it turned to a dark olive green. Then she covered the cauldron so it could finish infusing for the remaining two weeks. She magically closed the toilet cubicle again where the potion stood and said goodbye to Myrtle. She hurried so as not to be late for transfiguration class.
Professor McGonagall looked at her with a raised eyebrow, but it was still a minute before class started when Hermione sat down next to Neville. She suspected that the only reason she hadn't been asked by Professor McGonagall which teacher had accompanied her was because she knew about her abilities. There was no time to talk to Neville, but she could tell from his expression that something was wrong.
As the two of them went about making a pin disappear in the second part of the lesson, Hermione asked Neville what had happened.
"Harry found Justin Finch-Fletchley before breakfast, petrified," he said and Hermione's eyes widened in disbelief. Neville told her everything he knew, but there was something strange about the narrative.
"Nearly-Headless Nick wasn't petrified, he was smoking?" asked Hermione again and Neville nodded with a fear-filled look. Hermione frowned, for she could not explain why Justin had been petrified but not the ghost of Gryffindor House.
She resolved to ask Professor Dumbledore in the evening when she was with him for her next private lesson. The rest of the day passed quickly and the latest attack on a muggle-born student was the only topic of conversation in the school. Hermione was seriously worried for her own safety by now, as it was only a matter of time before she became the focus of the attacker.
After dinner, Hermione remained seated, as Professor Dumbledore had written in his invitation until the other students had been escorted out by the teachers. There were two teachers and Dumbledore still seated. Hermione rose and walked forward to the teacher's table.
She walked up to Hagrid, who was drinking from a pint of beer the size of a bucket, some of which was seeping into his beard.
"Hi, Hermione! Well did you find what you were looking for?" he asked with a twinkle in his eye after setting the mug down on the table. Hermione nodded eagerly.
"They're so cute! They were a little suspicious at first, but they quickly realised I wasn't going to hurt them," Hermione replied. Hagrid's beard wiggled as his mouth twisted into a smile. They talked some more about Bowtruckles and Hagrid's snail problem until Professor Dumbledore rose. She said goodbye to Hagrid and followed Dumbledore, who escorted her to the trophy room behind the teacher's desk.
Once there, he offered her his arm and disapparated with her into his office. It was still an uncomfortable feeling, however, this time Hermione managed to suppress the retching.
"That's very handy! Can you teach me Apparating?" asked Hermione, which made Dumbledore chuckle.
"Judging by your abilities, it shouldn't take long to learn, however, it won't do you any good here at Hogwarts because only I can Apparate within the school grounds," Dumbledore replied and sat down at his desk. He was about to raise his wand to conjure up a cosy armchair for Hermione when he caught sight of Hermione's raised hand.
Interested, he lowered his wand and nodded at Hermione with an encouraging smile. She concentrated and finally managed to conjure a small, three-legged stool.
"Very good!" said Dumbledore, and Hermione smiled proudly at him. Only the day before, in one of her own practice sessions, she had managed to conjure something that could actually be sat on. Since she would have been sitting on the stool at eye level with Dumbledore's desk drawers, she unceremoniously performed a bottom-up motion with her right hand, whereupon the stool grew to a size so that she could sit at a comfortable height.
Happily, she swung herself onto the oversized stool and smiled contentedly at Dumbledore, who chuckled again.
"You really are unlike any student I've ever had," Dumbledore said, now waving his wand to summon them both something to drink. Hermione sipped her pumpkin juice and levitated the goblet onto Dumbledore's desk.
"Any new leads on the attacker or attackers?" asked Hermione, glancing hopefully at Dumbledore, who, however, looked at her with a pained expression. He shook his head and sighed heavily. Hermione didn't even have to read his emotions to see that her headmaster was on the verge of despair.
"We search every corner of the school every night for the entrance to the chamber. We did the same back then when the first attacks took place. However, with the same result. No sign of monsters, entrances to chambers or heirs. There is a big difference from then though, you must know," Dumbledore said and Hermione looked at him questioningly.
"At the time of the first attacks, a certain Tom Riddle was just a student at Hogwarts," Dumbledore said and Hermione gasped.
"You mean Voldemort is the Heir of Slytherin? But how can he be doing the attacks, we know he's weakened. Has he possessed someone again? A teacher?" she gushed, to which Dumbledore raised his hand reassuringly.
"It was never proven, but I'm pretty sure he was responsible for the attacks at the time. Even if he did manage to throw someone else under the Erumpent for it," he said, looking down at his folded hands.
"Did you know that Harry Potter is a Parselmouth?" asked Hermione after a small pause, during which she had gone over the previous clues once more. Dumbledore nodded.
"Professor Snape told me after the first lesson at the Dueling Club," Dumbledore said.
"Do you think he had something to do with the attacks? I don't mean consciously, but perhaps Voldemort can possess him? No one knows what happened between Harry and Voldemort that night in the dungeons," Hermione asked.
"I don't think so. The fact that Harry can speak Parsel is, I believe, due to the fact that Voldemort transferred some of his own abilities to Harry during the failed Death Curse he used to mark Harry," Dumbledore explained to the astonished Hermione.
"I didn't know such a thing was possible!" she said and Dumbledore put on a face that signalled 'neither did I'.
"I don't know how it happened, but there is no way Harry could have inherited this ability from his parents. Parsel is only passed on by inheritance, you must know. Very few wizarding families have possessed the ability, and apart from Voldemort, no one is known to speak Parseltongue these days," Dumbledore explained. He stood up and began to walk up and down behind his desk with his arms folded behind his back. After a while, he slumped into his chair, somewhat resignedly.
"Since we're not getting anywhere here at the moment, I would suggest we continue working on your elemental conjurations," Dumbledore suggested and Hermione nodded. It had surprised her to see Dumbledore so clueless, but she could well empathise with him. It had been almost impossible to gather any clues, as the attacker or attackers hid well and left no traces.
The two rose and Dumbledore performed the protection spell on his office. Hermione made the large stool disappear again and stood in the middle of the room.
"I think it is best to train your element first, as you will find it easiest to conjure. That experience should then help you with conjuring other elements later," Dumbledore suggested and Hermione nodded before closing her eyes. She raised her wand and let a small amount of magic flow through it at first to begin the conjuring.
When she recognised the optimal path, she stayed there and released more magical energy into the incantation, whereupon she could feel a distinct breeze on her face. She opened her eyes and saw that the air around her wand was shimmering. Her hand with the wand was caught in a gust of wind and she tried to control the direction.
However, the moment she turned her concentration to the direction of the wind, the spell immediately snapped. She instantly tried again, having already realised her mistake. Again the air flickered around her wand and she continued to concentrate solely on the conjuration as she let the wand shoot forward.
A strong wind blew in the direction Hermione had pointed. She concentrated so as not to let the conjuration break off again with her glee. She made a circular motion with her wand, whereupon a small whirlwind formed in front of her. It was barely visible, as everything in Dumbledore's office remained in place and there was no dust to be kicked up either.
However, you could easily tell the wind was blowing by Dumbledore's beard and hair, which was sticking out from him at an almost right angle. The sight made Hermione laugh, which broke her concentration enough to interrupt the spell again. This time, however, she was not disappointed about it, as she had done nothing wrong.
Dumbledore smiled at her and congratulated her on the conjuration. Feeling the spells draining her energy, she decided to try just one more time, but this time without a wand. She wanted to see if she could do it better without a wand now. She tucked it into her robe and held out the flat of her hand in front of her. She closed her eyes and concentrated with all her capacity on starting the conjuring in her palm.
After a few moments she could see the path of the conjuration, but very faintly. She let some magic flow into it and could feel a breeze brushing her fingers. She did not let it distract her and tried to continue along the path. After a few seconds, however, it became harder and harder to make out the path and eventually the spell snapped again.
"That was a good try!" said Dumbledore, beaming his blue eyes at her. She smiled and nodded, but was also a little disappointed that she had not yet produced more. Dumbledore seemed to have noticed, for he said with a laugh, "Your ambition is remarkable, Hermione. Give yourself time to develop your skills."
Hermione sighed and conjured a stool again, growing it to an oversized size so she could see Dumbledore, who had settled back at his desk.
"Before we take you to Ravenclaw Tower, there is something I would like to ask of you," Dumbledore said with a serious look. "Since we teachers have fewer opportunities open to us to gather clues in some aspects, I would like to ask you to set out on your own in search of clues that are not as open to us teachers as they are to students," Dumbledore said.
"I am already doing so, Professor, however, I have not yet learned anything enlightening. But did you notice from the attack on Nearly-Headless Nick and Justin Finch-Fletchley that Sir Nicholas was not petrified but was said to have smoked black? That struck me as odd," Hermione said. Dumbledore looked at her thoughtfully over his half-moon spectacles. Hermione promised him she would look into that part more.
"Thank you, Hermione," Dumbledore said and she could see how much pressure their Headmaster was under. Dumbledore stood up and after Hermione had made her seat disappear, Dumbledore dropped her by side-by-side apparition in front of the entrance to the Ravenclaw common room.
The days flew by and Christmas was getting closer. Hermione gathered up the collar of her robe to protect her face from the chilly wind. She briefly checked to see if Lancelot, whom she was protecting from the cold under her robe, was doing well and if he was getting enough air. The raven crowed softly and closed his eyes sympathetically. It had been a lovely Sunday and the tea she'd had at Hagrid's warmed her from the inside as she trudged through the snow up to the castle entrance.
Her arrangement with Professor Dumbledore meant she could carry Lancelot on her shoulder inside the castle, which he took advantage of at almost every second. She hurried up the stairs to the 2nd floor and looked around briefly in front of an old wooden door before opening the lock with a circular hand movement. It smelled different from the weeks before, which made Hermione's heart beat faster with excitement.
She took quick steps towards the cubicle where she had been brewing the Polyjuice Potion for the past few weeks. Although she was sure she had done everything properly, she was very excited when she lifted the lid under which the sluggishly bubbling, slimy-looking potion she had hoped for was simmering. Hermione made a leap in the air that almost sent Lancelot into the potion.
Reproachfully, he looked at her from the toilet flush he had saved himself onto. Hermione apologised to him and pulled four sealable bottles from her bag. If she had calculated everything correctly, it would be enough for four hours of transformation. She carefully filled the viscous potion and sealed them tightly.
When she had stowed the bottles, she let the cauldron disappear along with the fireplace. Satisfied, she looked at the tiled floor, which now showed only a ring black with soot. Hermione left it there as a memento of the successful brewing attempt of such an advanced potion.
"Come on, Lancelot! Now come on, I'm sorry."
After her renewed apology, the still slightly offended raven hopped onto her outstretched arm. Leaving the girls' loo, she first poked her head through the door and glanced left and right. When she couldn't spot anyone, she stepped into the corridor and closed the door behind her.
She set off for dinner, although she was not very hungry after Hagrid's rock biscuits. However, her main concern was to get the potion to Harry as soon as possible so that he and Ron could investigate further. Things had been quieter in the castle over the past few weeks. Since the incident with Justin and Nearly-Headless Nick, there had been no more attacks.
The teachers had realised at some point that they could not monitor the students around the clock - let alone lock them up in their common rooms - and so the rules regarding staying in the castle had been relaxed again somewhat. Hermione still felt uneasy every time she turned a corner of a corridor alone.
The Great Hall was already packed and so Hermione sat down with Luna, who happily called her over with a spoon that still had some pudding clinging to it. Hermione smiled at her and sat down with her. Since her regular practice sessions, Luna had clearly gained confidence.
"How are you, Luna?" she asked, pouring herself some pumpkin juice.
"Very well, thank you!" said Luna, beaming and continuing to shovel pudding into herself.
"Any problems lately?" asked Hermione, pleased to see Luna shaking her head with a laugh.
"I haven't had any problems since I put the Bat Bogey Hex on Gemma Cracknor," Luna said, grinning at Hermione. Hermione looked at Luna with wide eyes.
"The Bat Bogey Hex? Did you get in trouble?" she asked, looking at Luna with a furrowed brow. The Hex was not without danger, as the bats could inflict severe damage on the face of the person affected. Luna nodded with a grin.
"I had detention, but it was just a bit of gardening with Hagrid, don't worry," Luna said, turning her attention back to her pudding. Hermione was reassured and also proud of Luna, for it wasn't Hermione who had taught her that curse. Hermione let Luna finish her food in peace and scribbled a few lines on a piece of parchment, which she enchanted into a memo with a spell Susan had shown her.
She glanced after the little paper plane that flew purposefully over to the Gryffindor table, where it flew a few laps around the head of a boy with tousled black hair until he snatched it out of the air in a flash. Hermione grinned at the nimble reflexes of a Seeker. Harry turned and looked for Hermione in the Great Hall. When he spotted her, Hermione nodded to him, to which he also nodded in response.
After Hermione left the Great Hall, she made her way to the Ravenclaw common room to safely stow the vials with her share of the Polyjuice Potion. Once the two vials were safely in her sealed trunk, she made her way to the library. Each of the last few evenings Hermione had been poring through books, searching for the monster from the Chamber of Secrets. So far, she hadn't found anything, however, with her obligations such as Quidditch practice, classes and homework, she hadn't really gotten around to extensive research.
She sat down at an abandoned table with a stack of tomes and opened the first book. After about an hour of fruitless research, she suddenly heard an almost inaudible clearing of a throat next to her. She smiled and reached into her bag, from which she pulled the two vials of Polyjuice Potion intended for Harry and Ron. She left her hand with the vials under the table where they were taken from her as if by magic.
She could see a brief flash from one vial before it disappeared under Harry's invisibility cloak. Harry breathed his thanks into her ear and she could hear him quietly moving away from her. She looked around briefly to see if anyone had noticed anything, but apart from her, only her prefect was in the library, seemingly engrossed in an essay.
Happy with the successful exchange, Hermione slammed shut the book in which she had found no clues. She rubbed her eyes in frustration. How could it be that she hadn't found one in any of the known books on magical creatures that matched what had happened in the last few months?
"Thank goodness it's almost Christmas," Hermione thought in a pang of helplessness. Briefly, she thought of the snowy cottage, her parents and Amelie and Philippe. A pleasant tingling sensation set in her body at the thought of the latter, but Hermione conquered her growing excitement at the thought of them and returned her thoughts to the more important subject.
While still rubbing her tired eyes, the attacks flashed past her mind's eye once more. A writing on the wall with a petrified cat hanging in front of it. A petrified boy with a camera. A boy and a ghost. The Heir of Slytherin. At the name, the house crest flew past her and Hermione's eyes snapped open.
How had she been so blind until now? Excitedly, she picked out her Blotts Book, on which she hastily selected 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'. She skimmed the chapter on the Horned Serpent, but couldn't find anything that matched the circumstances at Hogwarts. Hermione gasped when she finally spotted something she had dismissed as inappropriate when she first read it a few days ago.
"The Basilisk's death stare," Hermione whispered, slapping the flat of her hand against her forehead. But how did that fit with the petrified students? Once again Hermione recalled the victims of the Heir of Slytherin. Colin Creevy had looked through his camera with a frightened expression as he had been petrified and the film had been destroyed. Justin had been found next to Nearly-Headless Nick, who hadn't been petrified but had turned strangely black.
Had Justin only survived because he had caught the Basilisk's gaze through Nearly-Headless Nick? Hermione had no explanation for the cat, but she was sure that the only monster the Heir of Slytherin could command was a snake. Hermione frowned. A basilisk was several metres long, how could such a monster move around the castle unnoticed. She glanced around the room.
All the attacks had been made in corridors. There was enough room there for such a large snake, but it had to be noticeable when such a large animal snaked its way through half the school. So how did the monster get out of the chamber, whose location still no one knew, into the corridors and back as quickly as possible?
As her gaze fell to the ceiling, she briefly thought of snails or spiders that could wander along the wall, but nothing in the book gave any indication that a basilisk could cling to ceilings. As she pondered further, it suddenly hit her like a bolt of lightning. The snake had to travel in the school's pipe system.
Hermione read the entry about the basilisk again and became more and more sure that she was on the right track. She looked up when she noticed movement in the corner of her eye. Penelope was coming towards her.
"Hey Hermione, we have to be in the common room in ten minutes, will you come upstairs with me please?" she said, but Hermione looked at her with a look that startled Penelope. "What's wrong?" she asked, joining Hermione at the table.
"I can't, I have to see Professor Dumbledore right away! And you have to come with me, we're in more danger than we all assumed, Penelope. The petrified students were bloody lucky not to be dead!" said Hermione and Penelope's eyes widened in fear.
"Gemenio," Hermione said as she tapped the page of the book with her wand, whereupon an exact copy of the entry on the basilisk appeared beside the book. Hermione pulled ink and quill from her pocket and hastily scribbled 'pipes' on the page so that if they were attacked, someone else could convict the culprit. She took a deep breath and pulled Penelope by the hand behind her towards the library exit.
When they reached the door, Hermione stopped abruptly, causing Penelope to let out a frightened whoop.
"What's wrong?" she asked, drawing her wand.
"The basilisk can kill with its gaze. Do you have something like a mirror with you so we can look around corners to see if the coast is clear?" asked Hermione and Penelope looked at her with wide eyes. Hermione could understand her fear. She too was clearly more scared after finding out what danger they were in. She shook Penelope briefly to bring her out of her state of shock and repeated her question.
After Penelope had regained her composure somewhat, she rummaged in her school bag and finally pulled out a small pocket mirror. Hermione tried to take it from her hand but Penelope held it high above her head so Hermione couldn't reach it.
"I'll lead the way, I'm your prefect!" she said firmly and Hermione nodded, knowing how dutiful Penelope was and that there was no point in arguing with her.
"Be careful," Hermione said, watching Penelope make her way with the mirror, peering around the corners of the front door to the library. So they continued, Hermione getting more hope with each corner of a corridor they tackled that they would make it to Dumbledore unscathed.
However, when she could hear a loud hiss from an adjacent corridor that sounded exactly like when Harry had spoken Parseltongue in the Dueling Club, she knew it was over. She tried to pull Penelope away from the corner she was peering around through the mirror when she noticed that Penelope remained stiff in her hunched posture, staring blankly into the mirror.
Hermione's eyes filled with tears and she felt mortal fear rising within her. She could not stop her whole body from shaking. Panic-stricken, she went through her survival options and without further ado decided to escape the death stare and poisonous fangs in the same way as Penelope and the other petrified students.
It all happened within seconds. Hermione crumpled up the sheet with the Basilisk note and pressed her hand against the wall so that the Heir couldn't see what was inside when he passed her. Then she snatched the mirror from the petrified Penelope and held it against the corner to the next corridor. She closed her eyes briefly to gather all the courage she could muster.
With a gasp, she opened her eyes and looked into the mirror. For a split second, she could see something red that looked familiar. Then two yellow lamps stared back at her from the mirror. Hermione screamed, but no sound left her motionless lips. She fell through a white void that seemed strangely familiar. Even as she wondered where she was, she landed softly in the library in her mind. Her knees gave way and she sank to the floor breathing heavily.
"I made it! I'm still alive!" she thought and again her eyes filled with tears. It took her a few minutes to regain her composure. As she picked herself up, she thought about what this meant for her now. She was in her mind as her body was petrified, that much she had concluded. But what was the next step?
"I hope the heir doesn't find the note," she thought and dropped into her wing chair. If her petrified body fell forward, they would be able to see the note she had pressed against the wall with her hand. "I hope Dumbledore even finds the note," she thought the next moment and began to worry.
She tried to calm herself and decided to banish this unpleasant experience from her thoughts. She put the memory away in her Pensieve and with it a large part of her fear. She took a deep breath and looked around the library. After all, she now had time to go through all the knowledge she had accumulated over the last year and a half until Professor Sprout could make the Mandrake Potion.
Motivated by this opportunity, she immediately started going through her bookshelves on the numerous magical disciplines. When she had finished, she visited her memories in her Pensieve. Time and again she found herself returning to the salacious memories with Dumbledore and her other teachers, in addition to the naughty ones, which she only filed away in the Pensieve so that Professor Snape wouldn't happen to see them during one of his checks on her mental barrier.
Soon she was returning regularly to the memory of the trip to the Scottish Isles, enjoying the sight of the aurora borealis anew each time, even as she repeatedly watched Professor Snape, and also increasingly ogled him.
She was just opening her eyes again after a visited memory when she found an unexpected darkness before her eyes. Quickly, she turned her head to the side and realised that she was lying in a bed in the hospital wing.
"Calm down, my dear," said an empathetic voice on the other side of her bed. Hermione took a deep breath, enjoying the oxygen that filled her lungs. She closed her eyes, which filled with tears of joy. Then an idea struck her and she closed her right hand into a fist. It was empty.
She sobbed and rolled to her side when she felt Madam Pomfrey's warm hand on her cheek. She didn't know exactly why she was crying, but it was probably a mixture of joy over being alive and concern for her classmates.
"Were there any other victims?" she asked through sobs, soaking up the careful warmth Madam Pomfrey's hand radiated on her cheek.
"No, my dear. The haunting has ended, thank Merlin!" said Madam Pomfrey, stroking Hermione's face until she had calmed down to some extent. Occasionally she was still shaken by sobs, but she was feeling better by the minute. Finally, she took a deep breath and sat up in her bed. Madam Pomfrey allowed her to do so, and Hermione noticed that it felt as if time had stopped for her since the night of the attack.
She wasn't hungry, didn't need to go to the bathroom, and had no other physical discomfort.
"How long was I petrified?" she asked, looking down at her hands illuminated by the light of the candles.
"Four months," Madam Pomfrey said quietly after a small pause.
"Four?" thundered Hermione louder than she had intended. "So it's - March?" she asked incredulously, turning her head towards the window, out of which, however, she could not make out a season in the cloudless night sky. In disbelief, she looked up at Madam Pomfrey, who was looking at her with a somewhat embarrassed, almost pitying smile.
Hermione turned her head and realised she was in the only occupied bed.
"Are the others cured too?" she asked and relief flooded through her when Madam Pomfrey nodded. "I feel fine, can I go?" she asked, scowling at Madam Pomfrey as she shook her head. But she quickly gave up, knowing that Madam Pomfrey couldn't even be persuaded by Dumbledore except in exceptional situations when it came to sick students.
Frustrated, she slumped back into the pillows. "Has the attacker been caught?" she asked Madam Pomfrey, who had just stood up. Madam Pomfrey nodded curtly and looked towards the entrance to the hospital wing. As Hermione followed her gaze, she was pleased to see the unmistakable silhouette of Professor Dumbledore in the dark entranceway. At least now she would get answers to the questions that were nagging at her.
"Good evening, Hermione. I am indescribably pleased to see you well. And I see you have lost none of your drive," Dumbledore said quietly, but his voice seemed to fill the room in a pleasant way. Hermione felt her face grow hot and smiled mischievously at Dumbledore.
Madam Pomfrey disappeared into her chamber and Professor Dumbledore sat down on the bed next to Hermione's bed. She sat up and turned to face him so that she was now sitting cross-legged. She was about to start her questions, but Dumbledore raised his hand.
"I will give you a summary of what has happened since you and Miss Clearwater were attacked. Rest assured, no one was harmed in the end. Physically at least," he said and Hermione looked at him questioningly at his last comment.
"Once again, I must praise you first and foremost, because as Harry told me, it was thanks to your clue that he got on the trail of the basilisk. In fact, Harry and Mister Weasley deserve full credit for saving the school, as well as myself, because I'm afraid I had no part in that success," he said, and Hermione could see in his face how much Dumbledore was annoyed by the fact that he hadn't been able to contribute enough help.
He went on about how Harry and Ron had infiltrated the Slytherin common room as Crabbe and Goyle but hadn't found out anything new about the Heir of Slytherin. Hermione gasped when she learned that Dumbledore had been temporarily suspended and Hagrid had once again been held accountable for the attacks.
Harry and Ron had only discovered her message in February and had entered the Chamber of Secrets when Ginny, who had been controlled by Tom Riddle's diary, had gone missing in the chamber. Hermione's eyes widened when Dumbledore told of Harry hunting down the Basilisk with Fawke's help and rescuing Ginny.
"So it was Voldemort again in the end," Hermione said and Dumbledore nodded. "You said everyone was at least physically unharmed. What does that mean?" she asked impatiently, though she was sure Dumbledore would have come around to that.
"Well, unfortunately, Professor Lockhart erased his entire memory with a failed memory charm. He had got hold of Mr Weasley's wand in the heat of the moment, which must have had its quirks since the beginning of term," he said, and Hermione couldn't muster much sympathy for Lockhart.
"Anyway, unfortunately, it's only been in the last few days that we were able to brew a healing potion for petrification from the mandrakes, but I'm sure you'll be able to compensate for that well with your skills. The rest I'm sure your friends and relatives can tell you. They have been informed that you are well and will visit you tomorrow," Dumbledore concluded his summary of the last few months and Hermione sighed.
"I will ask you to come to my office for a special appointment in the next few days, as there are still important matters to discuss. However, I ask you to enjoy your reunion with us here at Hogwarts until then," he said and stood up. Hermione nodded with a smile and dropped back into the pillows.
She followed Dumbledore with her gaze and cocked an eyebrow when she heard a strange noise as the door swung shut behind Dumbledore. She gazed intently into the darkness, but she could detect no movement.
"Hermione, don't scream, it's us," it whispered from the end of her bed out of the darkness and Hermione gasped. A moment later she was looking radiantly into the faces of Harry, Ron, Susan and Ginny. It was hard for Hermione not to cry out in joy, but she held out her arms because Susan and Ginny had already pounced on her. Giggling, she hugged them both tightly and pulled Harry and Ron into a brief embrace as well.
"Are you all right?" asked Harry and Hermione nodded radiantly, still overwhelmed by the sneaky visit from her friends. "We could never have done this without your clue, you're brilliant!" he said and Hermione could feel the blood rushing to her face again.
"From what I hear, you guys had the biggest part in making sure everyone was okay, especially Ginny," she said and Ginny nodded with a serious face.
"Don't mention it," Ron said and everyone laughed.
"Has anyone looked after Lancelot?" asked Hermione worriedly, breathing a sigh of relief when Susan told her that he had been with Hagrid all this time. Harry and Ron told her again in great detail the story of what had happened since she had been petrified, which Susan and Ginny also listened to eagerly.
Hermione praised Harry and Ron for their courage and gave them both a small kiss on the cheek as a sign of thanks. Both turned scarlet, which sent the girls into a fit of giggles.
All three pressed their hands over their mouths so that Madam Pomfrey would not hear them and it took a while for them to calm down. Hermione was overjoyed that her friends had come to see her. As Harry and Ron were about to leave, Ginny told the three of them to wait for them outside. Susan patted her on the shoulder and pushed Harry and Ron towards the exit. Ginny looked a little more distressed than before and sat down on the bed with Hermione.
"I know," Hermione said and sat up. Ginny looked up at her with moist eyes and Hermione shook her head. "I know perfectly well that you're not to blame for any of this, Ginny. You don't have to apologise to anyone. And if anyone tries to blame you for this, they'll have me to deal with."
In the pale moonlight, she saw the flood of tears running down Ginny's cheeks. Hermione pulled her to her and hugged her tightly to her chest. Ginny cried bitterly into her nightgown and Hermione gently stroked through her hair. All this time she had been reading Ginny's emotions and now she knew that that was exactly what she needed right now. Crying. Without inhibitions and without anyone judging her for it or feigning understanding.
The two of them remained sitting on Hermione's hospital bed like that until Ginny's sobs became less and less frequent and she finally looked up at her with red and puffy eyes.
"It's over. No one's going to make you do anything anymore," she said softly and Ginny nodded, her body still shaken by occasional sobs.
"Thank you, Hermione. I needed that," she finally said in a hoarse voice and pulled Hermione into a tight hug. Hermione hugged Ginny tightly and patted her back encouragingly.
"How's Luna doing? Has she been bullied again?" asked Hermione. Ginny snorted loudly and Hermione looked towards the door to Madam Pomfrey's bedroom with an anxious expression.
"No one would dare approach Luna anymore. She's got so much confidence since you practised spells with her," she said and Hermione could feel a sense of happiness and pride welling up inside her. "She actually wanted to come too, but there wasn't room for five under Harry's cloak, so she let me go first," Ginny said with a smile.
Hermione was glad that all her friends were alright. She said goodbye to Ginny and let herself fall back into her pillows with relief as Ginny quietly closed the door behind her. Before she fell asleep, she thought long and hard back to the events of the night before the attack in which she had been petrified.
"If I had read Ginny's thoughts or feelings more often, I would have realised much sooner that something was wrong," she thought to herself and decided that in future she would not follow Dumbledore's rules on the use of her abilities as strictly as before. She knew Dumbledore probably wouldn't like it, but she wanted to trust her own judgement more in the future.
Eventually, she put herself into a trance, for with all the excitement she was too wound up and thoughtful to fall asleep normally. When Madam Pomfrey woke her for breakfast the next morning, her hunger pangs were also back. Immediately afterwards, there was a tearful reunion with her parents. They had taken up residence at the Three Broomsticks for two nights and Hermione promised to show them around her school.
Immediately after her parents had left the hospital wing, Luna came through the door and Hermione burst into tears again when she realised Lancelot was sitting on her shoulder. Happily, she kissed his beak as he fluttered tumultuously onto her lap. Luna was also hugged warmly and pulled onto her bed.
"Greetings from Hagrid, he wanted to visit you but said that Madam Pomfrey didn't like him so much in the hospital wing," Luna said and Hermione laughed as she imagined Hagrid squeezing through the front door of the hospital wing. "How are you?"
"Fine, thanks! It feels a little strange because it was just like a long sleep for me. For me, virtually no time has passed. I feel like I just saw you all yesterday at dinner in the Great Hall, but you haven't been able to talk to me for months," Hermione said and Luna looked at her in amazement.
"You haven't noticed anything that's been going on around you?" she asked, her eyes wide. Hermione shook her head and stroked Lancelot, who had made himself comfortable in her lap and was cooing softly. Luna then brought her up to date.
After Professor Lockhart was no longer able to teach, Professor Dumbledore had once again stepped in for him and so Luna had also been able to enjoy his exceptionally good teaching. Hermione was already looking forward to the remaining weeks of school with her Headmaster as her teacher.
"I definitely want to see all you've learned in the meantime," Hermione said and Luna nodded with a smile. She lifted Lancelot onto the little table beside her bed and held out her arms to Luna.
"I missed you so much," she said after being hugged tightly by Hermione. Hermione stroked her velvety blonde hair and gave her a small kiss on the top of her head.
"I'm proud of you," Hermione said in a choked voice, pulling Luna tightly against her chest once more before letting her go. Luna beamed at her with moist eyes and as was her nature, she thanked Hermione for her words.
She said goodbye a little later and also took Lancelot back with her before Madam Pomfrey could spot him. Hermione was delighted when she was finally released that afternoon and spent it at the lake by the big oak tree with her parents and Lancelot.
It was nice to see her parents again. Hermione was a little sad that the Christmas holiday had not come about, but was overwhelmed when her mother told her that Amelie and Philippe had invited her to France. Her parents had then decided to travel around France with her for the whole holiday, dropping her off at Amelie and Philippe's for the last two weeks.
Hermione's lap began to tingle a little as she thought about spending two weeks on holiday with Amelie and Philippe alone. She decided to write to Amelie that very evening and asked her parents to send the letter for her by Muggle mail.
Hermione's parents were completely overwhelmed by Hogwarts. She enjoyed every second with them, especially at Hogsmeade, but at the same time, she was looking forward to when the school routine started again. During dinner, her eyes kept falling on Professor Snape, who seemed to be busy with his food every time she sought his gaze. Finally, she gave him a little mental nudge, reading his emotions for a moment. His head snapped up and his black eyes met hers, making Hermione shiver slightly. She smiled and gave him an almost imperceptible wave.
She knew he was trying to maintain his mask in public in the Great Hall, but his stern look was interrupted in a tiny moment by a fleeting smile that sent another shiver down Hermione's spine. Like Professor Snape, she turned her attention back to her food and a short while later got up to return to the common room.
On the grand staircase, however, she was caught up by Susan, who slipped her a small scroll of parchment on which was written the current password to Dumbledore's office. Hermione assured her that she would spend time with her the next day and immediately went up to the Headmaster's Tower. As usual, the door opened on its own, as if it knew someone was about to knock.
"Good evening, Hermione! Have you re-acclimatised to some extent?" asked Dumbledore and Hermione nodded, beaming. Euphorically, she performed a circular motion with her index finger to conjure and then enlarge the small stool, just like the last time she had visited Dumbledore.
She had strangely missed casting spells without a wand, and she noticed that she was casting more intuitively after the long trance and the renewed study of the books in her mind library. It was as if, with the spells she had already learned, she didn't have to think at all to perform them perfectly.
"I'm looking forward to Monday, I hear you've stepped in as a teacher again."
"Indeed, tragically Professor Lockhart has had to swallow his own medicine, and not too little of it," Dumbledore said.
"Will he be back to his old self?" asked Hermione a little more worriedly after reading Dumbledore's expression.
"Right now, it looks like he'll have to spend a long time in St. Mungo's before he can even be released back into society," he said, and Hermione grimaced. Her sympathy was limited, but she had not wished Professor Lockhart such a harsh punishment for his fraud.
"I've asked you here to talk about this," Dumbledore said, pointing with his hand to a vintage yellowed book that had been pierced with something and was covered all over with ink. "Feel free to pick it up, it's completely harmless now."
Hermione grabbed the book and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up as she touched it for the first time. She looked at Dumbledore with wide eyes, to which he nodded.
"There was strong black magic on this book. I don't know what kind of curse it is yet, but it's nothing common," Dumbledore said and Hermione opened the book. Surprised, she flicked through it once, but apart from the spilt black ink, there was nothing in it.
"This was the diary of Tom Riddle, whose spirit possessed Miss Weasley. He almost managed to use her life energy to create a body of his own, according to Harry," Dumbledore explained, at which Hermione dropped the book on the table in disgust.
"How can a spirit live in a book? Did Voldemort control the diary?" she asked and Dumbledore frowned thoughtfully.
"I can't really make sense of it yet, but Harry reported that the Tom Riddle from the book was the image of Voldemort as a student. He had nothing in common with the something that lived in Professor Quirrell's body last year. It seemed to be its own entity, but still a part of Voldemort."
Hermione looked thoughtfully at the book that had caused Ginny to unleash the Basilisk on Muggle-born students.
"Whatever this magic is, we need to find out more about it. This could open the door for us to the mystery of why Lord Voldemort didn't die from his own killing curse nearly thirteen years ago but was able to continue to exist in the shadows."
"And Harry broke the curse by stabbing the book?" asked Hermione in confusion. It was highly unusual that a spell or curse could be broken by something as mundane as a pointed object. Especially considering that Voldemort had placed the curse on the book.
"I don't think it was so much the stab that broke the curse, but what was used to stab with. Basilisk venom is one of the most destructive substances known to us wizards. Harry unwittingly did exactly the right thing and shattered the curse with this powerful poison."
"Typical Harry," Hermione thought, letting her eyes wander over the desk. "What is that sword, Professor?" she asked, pointing to a short, silver sword that looked to be of high-quality workmanship and was studded with rubies.
"This is the legendary sword of Gryffindor. It's what Harry used to slay the basilisk."
Hermione pulled her bottom lip up appreciatively and bent down to look at the sword more closely. It was beautiful and Hermione was impressed by the flawlessness of the elegant weapon.
"I can't shake the feeling that this book is the first step to airing Voldemort's secret that allowed him to escape death," Dumbledore directed her attention back to the diary.
"You said the spirit acted and 'lived' independently of Voldemort?" asked Hermione and Dumbledore nodded. Hermione picked up the book and again all the hairs on the back of her neck stood up as she touched it. An idea had occurred to her. She closed her eyes and a moment later was pulled through the black tunnel she had hoped for. As her feet touched the ground, a large cloud of dust was kicked up in the debris field she had landed in.
She looked around and could see that she was standing in the rubble and ashes of Hogwarts. In fact, she was standing where the Entrance Hall must have been. She gasped as she caught sight of a half-decomposed body of a young Slytherin student. There wasn't much of his face left, but Hermione could still tell that Tom Riddle had been a beautiful boy before he had turned into a monster.
Hermione turned away in disgust and looked at the field of rubble that must once have been a reflection of Hogwarts. Since there was nothing left of the spirit she had entered, except its literal skeletons, she decided to move back out of it. Once again she was pulled through the tunnel and a moment later looked into the expectant eyes of her headmaster.
"This spirit, it is dead. But the remains of him are still there. There was a body there, but that's really unusual for the mind of an object, isn't it? Its representation seems to have been Hogwarts, but there is only rubble and ashes left of it, not a single soul would have found anything left there," Hermione recounted her excursion into the remains of the spirit of the diary.
At her last sentence, Hermione had noticed a change in Dumbledore's gaze. It seemed as if he had had a flash of inspiration. He jumped up from his chair surprisingly quickly and asked Hermione to wait a moment. Then he hastily climbed the small spiral staircase that led to his chamber and balcony.
It took him a while to return, but he seemed to have found something. He placed the large tome with its faded and brittle cover on the table in front of him and began to leaf through it. Suddenly, without a word, he turned the book towards Hermione and instantly began to pace up and down behind his desk.
Hermione pulled the book closer to her with interest and began to read. As her eyes wandered over the lines, they grew larger and larger and her mouth dropped open after reading the paragraph.
"You - you mean this diary was a Horcrux? Part of Voldemort's soul?" asked Hermione in shock.
"There's a lot of evidence to suggest that, don't you think?"
"Yes, would that also explain why Voldemort didn't die from his Death Curse ricocheting back?" asked Hermione and Dumbledore nodded as if a light had dawned on him.
He dropped back into his chair. "You understand how a Horcrux is created?" he asked and Hermione nodded curtly, wrinkling her nose. This black magic disgusted her. "Part of the soul is tucked away in a vessel. Part of Voldemort lived in that diary and had a mind of his own, trying to gain a body of his own. The more I talk about it, the more I think there is no doubt that Voldemort made Horcruxes."
"Horcruxes? You mean there are more?" she asked incredulously.
"Anyone who knew Tom Riddle knows that he wanted to stand out from the crowd. Wanted to achieve more than all the other wizards and witches. I'm afraid he succeeded," he said, looking up in surprise as Hermione gasped loudly.
"Harry!" she exclaimed, shaking her head in disbelief. Dumbledore looked at her questioningly.
"Harry speaks Parseltongue. Voldemort speaks Parsel. Parsel can only be obtained through inheritance. You yourself said that it should be impossible for Harry to have inherited the ability! And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal!" she cried. Her eyes filled with tears.
It seemed as if all the blood drained from Dumbledore's face, making him look like a ghost for a brief moment. He closed his eyes and propped his head on his arm.
"If that's true, we have a significantly bigger problem than I previously thought," Dumbledore said. Hermione didn't want to believe it, but everything pointed to it. Voldemort, in trying to murder Harry, had split off a part of his soul that now lived in Harry. "Harry told me that last year his scar reacted to the presence of Voldemort whenever he was in Harry's direct sight."
"But that would mean that the Horcrux in Harry would have to be destroyed in order for Voldemort to be dealt with. How would Harry survive that?" she asked in exasperation.
"There are many things we need to find out. I will look into Voldemort's past in the near future. Thank you, Hermione. You gave me the idea," he said and Hermione could take little positive from those words.
"How can I help you?" asked Hermione.
"For now, you'll help me most by continuing your life where it took an involuntary pause just before Christmas. I will continue to give you private lessons if you wish. If I have any new insights into this theory, I will share them with you."
"Good, of course, I want to continue to take private lessons from you and Professor Snape. If we have to destroy those Horcruxes, I want to be ready," she said, a little surprised herself at how grown up her words sounded.
"So be it, I will inform Severus accordingly. I think that was enough for your first weekend back. Have a good night," Dumbledore said goodbye and the door behind Hermione swung open. She wished him a good night too, made her oversized stool disappear and left Dumbledore's office. She was unable to see Dumbledore collapse on his desk and bury his head in his arms.
Tears also ran down Hermione's face when she thought of Harry. He had already had to experience so much suffering in his life without being in the least bit responsible for it. He was the boy from the prophecy about Voldemort and now probably also a Horcrux of the most powerful black wizard of all time.
Arriving outside the Ravenclaw common room, she unceremoniously decided to take another trip over the castle and went up to the Astronomy Tower, from where she could launch wonderfully in her raven form. She looked around briefly and transformed when she was sure the coast was clear.
She fluttered up onto the balustrade and spread her wings to let the balmy breeze of this glorious spring evening glide through her feathers. It still took some getting used to, as her body was still anticipating the harsh temperatures and conditions of the northern Scottish winter. But she wasn't complaining either, for she had always preferred the warm part of the year to the dark winters.
She dropped forward and glided silently like a black phantom across the castle grounds. After about a minute, she called out to Lancelot. By now it didn't feel quite so strange to use her own voice but to hear in her ears the call of the animal form.
When Lancelot didn't show up, however, she decided to visit him at his oak tree by the lake. When she landed next to the knothole where Lancelot had made his home so far, she was astonished to see two raven heads peering out at her from it.
"Good evening," Lancelot said delightedly, and the other raven looked briefly back and forth between him and Hermione. "Allow me to introduce you to my partner," he said, nudging the raven at his side forward a little with his wing.
"Pleased to meet you!" exclaimed Hermione, curtsying. She could sense uncertainty in the female raven's emotions. "I'm very pleased you've found someone, Lancelot! I expect lots of little ravens!" she said, laughing.
"So are we," Lancelot said dryly and Hermione was amazed when he lifted his wing to reveal four little raven eggs. Hermione congratulated them both and promised to always get a double portion of egg from now on, which Lancelot and his partner accepted with euphoria.
Hermione noticed that she could not communicate with the female raven without her mental powers. Unlike Lancelot or Fawkes, who had a clear voice, it was like the early days with Lancelot when she could only sense his feelings. Hermione left them alone again after another congratulation in Lancelot's direction and decided to return to the Astronomy Tower after a lap around the lake.
She circled once over the tower, enjoying the fresh air once more, before heading in for a landing. She made a half-crash landing, for it was still the most difficult part of flying in animal form. Quick as a flash, she turned her head when she heard a soft voice.
"What was that?" it whispered from a corner below the parapet.
"Just a raven," a second voice whispered back and Hermione's eyes widened as she spotted the two students. Lying on a couple of cushions were two students, Hermione guessed them to be seventh-years, wearing very little of their school cloaks on their bodies. The black-haired student looked around and eyed Hermione suspiciously, who felt the blood rush to her head.
Glad of her animal form, she tried to act as natural as possible for a raven and fluttered to another ledge a little higher up. The two had lost sight of her as they continued their lovemaking only a moment later.
Hermione felt very warm and she immediately felt transported back to the cottage in France where she had watched Amelie and Philippe having sex. Like back then, she could not look away. The girl now turned her attention to her companion's pants and freed him from it.
Hermione felt the arousal rise in her like a pool flooded with vast quantities of water. It wasn't long before the girl took a seat on him and the moans of both of them filled the night air. Passionately, the two kissed as their pelvises clashed again and again.
The student made it seem as if he knew what he was doing, for with one fluid movement and without leaving his partner, he turned her onto her back. She encircled his pelvis with her legs, supporting him to thrust harder and harder.
Hermione felt as if she would melt with lust at any moment, bound to her animal form, unable to satisfy her desire. It wasn't long before the student came to a moaning halt and was pressed tightly against her by his partner's legs.
Passionately, the two kissed and he rolled next to her where his hand immediately roamed over her body. Hermione was pleased to see that the student also cared about his partner's climax, for he managed to push her over the edge with his fingers a short time later.
Hermione, who had been sharing in the student's feelings all along, was filled with tingles all over her body. The two kissed and caressed each other some more. Hermione was sure, given their tenderness and familiarity, that they were a couple. There were many parallels with Amelie and Philippe.
As the two put their school uniforms back on, Hermione realised that they were both from Gryffindor. Hermione waited a few more minutes before she was sure she could transform back without being disturbed. As she crept back to the Ravenclaw tower under the protection of the Disillusionment Charm, she could feel it growing wetter between her legs.
She couldn't wait to give her pent-up lust release. She made it without further incident and unnoticed to her dormitory, where she instantly tore off her clothes and threw herself onto her bed. Her thoughts drifted back to the scenes on the astronomy tower and the mountain hut.
She imagined herself, instead of the girl, lying under the student, lying under Philippe, lying under Professor Snape. As her thoughts drifted to her crush, she could feel it growing wetter on her fingers once more. She imagined herself riding his body under the light of the aurora outdoors, her hands clutching his chest. Trembling, she came closer and closer to her climax.
She moaned softly and was shaken violently as she was caught and carried by the wave. A pleasant tingling sensation spread through her body and she enjoyed every second of it. When she came down from her high, her eyes filled with tears.
"Why?" she asked herself in her mind and there were several situations for which this question could be asked. Why did Harry, who was already punished enough by the death of his parents and the prophecy, also have to bear the burden of being a Horcrux? Why did she have to fall in love with someone, of all people, who was unreachable for her? Why couldn't she just be in love with Roger Davies and wait for him to ask her out as a normal girl might? "Because I'm not a normal girl," she answered herself in thought and snorted. Hermione lost herself in thought, wondering if she would be happier if she wasn't the Daughter of the Raven.
"Never," she whispered and with a smile on her lips, she cast herself into a trance.
Author's Note: Hey everyone, I hope you are all doing great and that you enjoyed the new chapter!
If you liked it, I would be happy to read a few lines from you. Also thank you to all the people that already reviewed, it really means a lot!
See you next time!