Title: Unusual Inheritance
Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated
Spoilers: None
Rating: R
Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Susan, or Su Li, or Tracey, or... I would buy them all but I am broke.
Summary: While staying at the Leaky Cauldron after his 'incident' with Marge, Harry finds out that he has an unusual inheritance. One that could change the course of his life forever.
As the cold seeped into their bones, the worst experiences of their live were replayed in their minds. For Hannah and Lavender their worst experiences were not too bad, the usual kind scolding that parents gave their children or teasing that children experienced from other children. For Harry, Hermione and Su their experiences were much worse.
Hermione's was the mildest of the three and it was the memory of the last few minutes before and the first few minutes of the Troll Attack in their First Year. All of the loneliness and anguish of that day washed over her, and briefly she felt the same fatalistic moment that she had on that day and the overwhelming desire to end her own pain, and then the sound of the door opening and the smell of the Troll pushing adrenalin through her body and washing away her pervious mental state.
Su's experience was the most physically painful as it was of one of the toughest combat trails she had ever gone through. It had been an endurance trial with Quarterstaffs against a Master, and it was a brutal trial. By the end of the trial Su had her left leg broken in four places; her right shoulder dislocated; three broken ribs; a cracked skull and a hyper-extended left elbow. Each injury had been sustained at a different time in the fight but the memory of each hit Su in rapid succession. Her body visibly tensed in her seat from the memory of the pain.
Harry's experience was a feeling of confusion and helplessness punctuated the scream of a woman that seemed both visceral and distant. Though he did not consciously recognise the scream or the significance of the experience, a part of him deep down inside him did recognise what was happening and the experience was too much for that part of his mind and he lost consciousness.
When the door to the compartment rattled, Su pushed the memory of the pain to the side and struggled to her feet, a bit unsteady, but planted her feet, drew her sword in a swift movement and held it in both hands before her, facing the door. The blade of the sword was long and strait, with a constant width to the blade for most of the length before tapering to a point. It had a circular guard and two handed hilt. Su had known, and accepted, as long as she could remember that she could be required to die to protect Harry but she was trained to take any attacker with her.
The door rattled again, the wood splintering around the lock and the door slid open to reveal a Dementor. Su took a quick sideways glace at Harry's unconscious form, whose head was cradled in Hermione's lap, and Su was acutely aware of the others in the room. Even now, faced with having her Soul sucked out, her only regret was that she would fail in her duty and the others would suffer the same fate. Regardless, despite the hopelessness of the action, she stepped forward and slashed at the Dementor.
To her surprise the blow connected with the Dementor's arm and there was a resounding crack that sounded like breaking bone, though the strike severely jarred her arms. The Dementor moved back slightly, so Su ignored the pain and took another step forward and aimed her next strike at its shoulder. Again, a crack sounded out and Su lost all feeling in her arms and nearly dropped her sword. She was about to strike again when a bright light came from down the passageway and the Dementor fled.
Su dropped to the floor in the doorway, her sword slipping from her hands to clatter on the floor. A worn looking man came down the corridor. Su made to block the doorway, but the man knelt down to check on her, giving her chocolate to combat the effects of Dementor exposure.
"I'm Professor Lupin." The man introduced himself. "Are there any injuries?"
"No, we are ok, except Harry passed out." Hermione said.
"Here." Lupin said, handing a block to Hannah. "It's chocolate. It'll help. I need to speak to the driver."
With that Lupin left. Su sighed and looked up at Hermione.
"Thank you." Su said.
"He did not need to know." Hermione replied. "How are you?"
"Alive." Su said with a painful shrug. "My arms will be sore for the next week or so, but I'll be fine."
Harry started to stir and opened his eyes to look up into Hermione's face from her lap.
"What happened?" He asked. "Who screamed?"
"No one screamed. There was a Dementor." Hannah explained. "They make you relive your worst experiences. They can also suck out your Soul"
"I was back with the Troll." Hermione admitted.
"What happened to the Dementor?" Harry asked.
"Su fought it off with her Sword until the new Professor chased it away." Lavender supplied.
"Thank you, Su." Harry said, genuinely.
"It's my job, Sir." Su replied.
Harry got to his feet, helped Su to her own and then gave her a hug.
"I don't care if it is your job. Thank you." Harry reiterated.
"Interesting to know that physical attacks do influence Dementors." Hermione said. "I have a feeling no one else has ever tried that before."
The rest of the train trip was uneventful as the group tried to recover from the Dementor, eating the chocolate that the Professor has given them and Su trying to get feeling back into her jarred arms. Once they arrived in Hogsmeade they all packed into a single carriage, though it was a crowded fit, to take them up to the Castle.
"Mister Potter, Miss Granger. I need to see you." Professor McGonagall said as they entered the Castle.
The entire group followed McGonagall into a small general office near the Great Hall. When the Professor turned, and saw the other girls, a frown crossed her face.
"They are my Retainers." Harry reminded the Professor. "Anything you have to say to me, you can say in front of them."
"Same with me." Hermione added.
"Mister Potter, we have arranged for your private apartments on the fourth floor. I will show you to the apartment after dinner." The Professor explained, then after a pause added, "All of you."
"My schedule is to be identical to Heir Presumptive Potter's." Su informed McGonagall. "I will accompany him whenever he is in public."
"And what about Quidditch?" McGonagall asked.
"We'll work that out later, Professor." Harry interrupted.
"Right." McGonagall said cautiously. "Miss Granger, under normal circumstances I would require absolute secrecy in regards to what I am about to say, but in this case I am going to insist that Mister Potter, Miss Abbott, Miss Li and Miss Brown are aware and make sure you don't go overboard."
With that the Professor pulled a necklace from her pocket, which supported a small hourglass instead of a pendant.
"This is a Time Turner." The Professor explained. "Miss Granger has taken all the electives and as several of her classes occur at the same time, she has been approved to use this. It allows the wearer to go back in time up to twenty-four hours. Given her schedule, she should not need to turn back more than four hours a day to attend all her classes and have sufficient time for homework. No turns should be required on weekends. I will expect you all to keep an eye on her."
"We will Professor." Harry assured her, getting supporting nods from Su, Hannah and Lavender.
"Very well." McGonagall said with a nod. "Off to dinner, the lot of you. Miss Li, I will make sure all the Professors are aware you will be attending Gryffindor Core classes, but you will still gain and loose points for Ravenclaw."
The group made their way to the doors of the Great Hall.
"You all ready for this?" Harry asked.
They all nodded, and Su casually put her and on the hilt of her sword scabbarded at her waist. Harry opened the doors and they walked into the Great Hall.
TBC…