Chapter 2
Hermione was trapped in her dreams again. The one place she couldn't steel herself against. She was reliving Voldemort killing Harry for the hundredth time in the catacombs of herself conscious. She saw the green streak of the killing curse rebound off Harry's Expeliarmus, and watched, Blindsided, as Walden Macnair, who had regained consciousness and had slipped by through the crowd unnoticed as Harry and Voldemort dueled. As Voldemort's curse rebounded off Harry's, Macnair's curse struck as fast as lightening. He had pulled his wand and sent his own killing curse so quickly, no one had time to even register what was happening. Harry had crumpled to the ground and Voldemort had yelled with such fury and rage; the great hall rocked on its foundation. Hermione watched the soupy, dream version of events melted away as her eyelids began to flutter.
Hermione opened her eyes slowly and was startled to see how bright the light around her was. The sounds of birds chirping filled her ears, and she lifted her a head a little to see the meadow she had passed out in. She sat up slowly and assessed herself. Great, my last jumper and it's covered in mud. She thought dismally and absentmindedly brushed at the dirt on her. She didn't feel different. Worry started to well up in her mind, and she recounted the process from last night. Where will I ever secure another mandrake leaf?! She thought dejectedly and she began to stand up.
How did Peter Pettigrew become an Animagus, and I can't? The thought barely escaped her mind before she felt her breath being cut short and her body turning very warm, very quickly. Suddenly, Hermione felt very light. Exceedingly light, so light that she felt she could raise her arms and float away. She turned to look at her arms, and her arms weren't there! In their place were two feathered wings, light, and tawny in the bright morning sun. She started to walk forward and felt herself hop instead. She hopped a little quicker and spread her arms and quite suddenly was air bound. She couldn't believe it. She flapped her wings and gained a little bit of height, suddenly landing on a branch of the oak tree she had sat under mere hours earlier. Hermione was filled with a feeling of accomplishment and pride such as she had never felt before. She was an Animagus! And some sort of bird at that. She felt positively giddy at the revelation. She quieted her mind and listened. She was able to hear more clearly than she ever imagined she would be able. She picked up the squeaking of some nearby field mice, and beyond that the squeak of some birds. She was able to hear human voices, very far away, which startled her slightly. She hadn't thought there had been any people for miles, muggles or otherwise. She picked her wings up and took off towards the human voices, she was guessing maybe two miles away from her. She couldn't help but be distracted by the world flying by around her. What beauty had been unleashed to her, now that she was privy to the bird's eye view. So, this must be the appeal of broomsticks. Now that she had no fear of falling, she could see the call of flying. The freedom it invoked, the power to be able to move like this. The oak trees and cypress trees seemed to move past her like cars on the highway, and the smell of the sky seemed to invigorate her more than any cup of coffee or pepper up potion ever could.
She came to a stop where the human voices were loudest and perched about ten feet off the ground on a young oak tree. She looked around and managed to spot two men, and older one and a younger one, walking through the forest floor with rifles. Probably hunting she thought dismissively. Good thing I had not turned into a deer, she thought and flew back to where she had left her bag.
As she was flying, she spotted a river, and flew down to it to catch a glimpse of what she was now. The water was beautiful, and she was tempted to turn back into her human self and take a dip. Alas, it was not safe to be seen by those two hunters, as she had no idea who to trust in this new world. She hopped close to the edge of the water and looked down to see a beautiful tawny barn owl, whose head feathers seemed suspiciously ruffled, almost reminiscent of the bushy hair she usually sported in her human form. In my human form! She thought giddily. I cannot believe I have pulled this off! Thank you, Merlin! She practically screamed inside her own head. An owl! Not only had she managed this most tricky bit of magic, but she had also become the most practical animal she could think of, for her plans on navigating the war ahead of her. Hermione felt as if she had swallowed a whole bottle of Felix Felicis. Whatever spirit is smiling on me from beyond the veil, Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! For surely, I must have had some ethereal help with this! She called out into her own mind.
Hermione flew down to the meadow she had passed out in the night before, and transformed back into herself. She grabbed her bag off the ground and slung it over her shoulder. Please let it transform with me! She sent a silent prayer out into the universe and transformed. It did transform with her! Oh, thank merlin! She called out. The bag didn't have much in it, but it did have Harry's invisibility cloak.
Where to now? Hermione asked herself. She hadn't told anyone where she was going, or what she was up to. Even Ron didn't know why she needed the mandrake leaf, he just blindly trusted Hermione when she told him she needed it for reasons she couldn't tell him. If any of them knew, and were caught, and a death eater was able to pull out that information, her chance of getting the Resurrection Stone out of the Forbidden Forest would disappear, and there truly would be no hope left for the wizarding world. Maybe even the rest of the world, too. Hermione shuddered to think of her parents, still hidden away in Australia, where she hoped they were still safe.
She could go to Grimmauld Place, where she knew at least some of the order would be passing in and out, she didn't necessarily need to tell them about her new ability. My new ability...Hermione thought to herself with wonder. Oh, How I wish I could show someone! It saddened Hermione greatly to think she had to keep it to herself for now. She pictured Ron and Harry clapping her on the back, telling her how proud they were and begging her to help them become on as well.
But Think of the information I could gather! I could even carry mail to the ministry, and intercept letters between ministry members and death eaters. And Hogwarts staff, too! That giddy feeling bubbled up in Hermione's stomach again, and for a few small minutes the pain of being on the consistently losing side of the war ebbed away. The waterlogged girl felt light, and free and valid for a short time as the morning sun shined down on her, making her brown hair shine, and her pale cheeks get a little rosy. She almost looked like her old self, sitting amid the lush Oak trees, marveling in the glow of a solidly earned accomplishment. She reveled in this feeling more so than when her first corporeal Patronus sprung forth from her wand, the embodiment of light and happiness.
If I can do this, I can do anything. Maybe, she added hastily, never one to rest on her laurels. Grimmauld Place for now, then.