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Green flames roared to life just before Hermione steppped from the floo into the parlor at Grimauld Place. From the other room, she could hear the general rustlings of her friends setting up tea in the dining room.
“Hello, everyone!” Hermione pushed into the kitchen and embraced Ron, then Harry, before joining Luna at the table.
Luna smiled dreamily as she reached for the teapot Harry was about to place on the table. “Hello, Hermione. You’re looking well. May I pour your tea?”
“Yes, thanks, Luna. I am well. Actually, I have some news to share,” Hermione said, adding a splash of milk to her tea and taking a biscuit from the tray. “I’m going on a research trip to southern Germany. There’s a castle there whose ley lines have been corrupted but the cause is unknown. I’m hoping that I can find the reason for the corruption.”
Harry and Ron nodded along, as they usually did when Hermione began speaking about work. As an unspeakable, she was never able to divulge much of anything, so Ron and Harry’s lack of attention now was as irksome as it ever was at Hogwarts. Hermione had been fascinated by ancient magic and ancient rituals so when she received an offer from the Department of Mysteries a few years after graduating – and getting nowhere fast at her desk job in the DRCMC – she jumped at the chance. With access to resources she’d never before imagined, Hermione immersed herself in learning the old magics and how ritual circles were created to channel greater power.
Naturally, her dedication to her career left little time for meaningful romantic relationships, which suited Hermione just fine. She had a few dates with several agreeable wizards but hadn’t felt a true connection; that isn’t to say she didn’t occasionally enjoy the more physical aspect of those brief relationships, but she would rather wait until later in her career to seriously commit to anyone.
“I’ll only be able to communicate infrequently the next several months during my new assignment, which also means I won’t be able to visit,” Hermione declared before taking another bite of her biscuit.
Ron groaned. “Again? Blimey, ‘Mione.”
Hermione narrowed her eyes in a glare. “It’s my choice, Ronald. My career is very important to me and this opportunity is unlike any I’ve had so far. I’m going and that’s final.”
“I didn’t mean it like that,” Ron sighed. “It’s just, it feels like we’ve hardly gotten to see you and we miss you, is all.”
A tender smile replaced Hermione’s frown and she grasped Ron’s hand across the table. “I’m sorry for snapping. I know I’ve been gone a lot, and I always miss you all, but truly I don’t know if I’ll ever get such an opportunity again to study the old magic and ancient rituals. I have to go, or I’ll always wonder ‘what if’.”
Ron squeezed her hand affectionately. “I know. Just, try and let us know how you are.”
Suddenly, Hermione felt wetness spread over her hand and begin dripping on her lap. She shot her chair back, standing quickly, and saw Luna next to her with a faraway gaze, her teacup held loosely, spilling tea over her half-eaten biscuits.
With a swish of her wand, Hermione vanished the spilled tea and dried her and Luna’s clothes before she gently removed the cup from Luna’s grip. Ron had a grim look on his face and Harry pushed his glasses aside to rub at his eyes.
“What’s happening to Luna?”
Harry sighed. “She’s been having… well, truly I have no ruddy idea what to call them but maybe dissociative episodes?”
“For a few weeks now,” Ron added, knowing that would be Hermione’s next question.
“Well, has anyone looked into it? What if this happened while she was out running errands or, or, I don’t know, looking for crumple-horned snorkacks alone in the wilderness?” Hermione waved her hand in front of Luna’s face, watching for a reaction.
“Yes, of course, she has,” huffed Ron. Harry cleared away the tea things and let Ron explain. “They don’t last longer than five or so minutes, and afterward she says something loon– odd, and goes about as if nothing bloody happened. Mungos can’t find anything wrong so they just blame it on her Seer blood.”
Hermione furrowed her brow in concern and waited for Luna to snap out of it. She knew Luna’s maternal side had a history of Seers, but she wasn’t sure whether Luna had indeed inherited the Sight, or if she was simply more attuned to near-future events. Truly it was fascinating and Hermione regretted how easily she once dismissed all of Divination in her youth.
“Erased from history, an evil done. Blackest mystery and darkness won,” Luna said airily. With that, she picked up her cup once more and finished the last of her tea.
“What do you mean, Luna?” Hermione placed a comforting hand over Luna’s which was unusually cold to the touch.
Luna shrugged. “I’m not sure, Hermione, but it was important that you heard it. Please be careful on your trip.”
“I will.” She squeezed Luna’s hand reassuringly.
Ron and Harry had been silent up to that point, but Ron broke in, “We should probably be going. Luna gets a bit worn out after an episode.” He guided her up out of the chair and tucked her hand into his elbow. “Take care, ‘Mione.”
She gave Ron a weak smile. “You know I am.”
After the floo swept Ron and Luna away, Harry turned to Hermione. “Take your galleon with you.”
“What?”
“Your DA galleon. You said things like the floo won’t work, and I’m worried about you there alone. Take the galleon, just in case you need help.”
“Oh, Harry,” Hermione sighed, wrapping her arms around him in a fierce hug. “I didn’t want to say while Ron was here – really it’s not a big deal or even important, really – but Malfoy and Derek Smythe are coming with me. Don’t, Harry,” Hermione cut him off from what was sure to be a stern lecture on the trustworthiness of Malfoy’s character. “Malfoy and I have worked together for years and have a well-developed professional relationship. He’s respectful, and has some great input on my projects if I ever ask for it.”
Harry scrubbed his face again. “Fine. Malfoy’s all grown up or whatever. Just, be careful, Hermione. I don’t know what Luna meant, but it wasn’t nonsense.”
Giving him a final squeeze, Hermione stepped back and gathered her beaded bag. “I believe you, Harry. I’ve come to realize that Luna has never been as nonsensical as I thought back in Hogwarts. Just because I can’t see half the things she’s talking about, doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Being an unspeakable has opened my eyes to that truth.”
Emerald flames crackled to life as Hermione threw in the floo powder and she turned to give Harry one more look. “I’ll let you know how it’s going when I can. We’ll need to venture to the surrounding villages for supplies occasionally so I’m sure I can let an owl. The galleon is only for emergencies, agreed?”
“Agreed,” Harry confirmed, releasing her hand.
With that, Hermione disappeared into the flames, headed for home.
HGDMHGDM
After returning from Grimauld Place, Hermione went straight to her desk to record what Luna had said. She didn’t know what it might mean but better to have more information than not enough. She studied the words carefully, unsure what to make of them. Much of the old magic and ancient rituals were gray, their outcomes depending entirely on what intentions the casters had when preparing and completing the spell or ritual. Corrupting a ley line was almost unheard of which is why Hermione was so excited to begin her research. What might she find at the ancient site? Surely a ritual of immense power was used to have such grave consequences on the flow of magic in that region, but what?
Hermione had a sinking feeling in her stomach that Luna’s words were more important than Harry or Ron could imagine.
Lost in thought, Hermione didn’t hear the floo roar to life. She finally snapped out of her reverie when a booming and annoyed “GRANGER” echoed through her flat. Jumping from her seat, she flew to the living room to see the disgruntled face of Malfoy floating in her fireplace.
“What is it, Unspeakable Malfoy?”
“Finally,” Draco groused. “I’ve not got all night. I wanted to confirm our meeting place for tomorrow.”
Hermione sighed and knelt down on a cushion she snagged from the couch. “I’ve told you, Malfoy. I’ll be just outside the Leaky Cauldron on the Muggle side at half past eight. Look for a red car with me in it. Honestly, it’s not difficult.”
“Ridiculous that we can’t just apparate or fly,” Draco muttered.
“You know as well as I do that magical travel to the site or surrounding area is risky at best and deadly at worst, Malfoy. Corrupted ley lines are nothing to mess about with. I don’t fancy splinching myself in half down the middle just to save several hours drive in a car, do you?”
Hermione watched in amusement as Malfoy rolled his eyes and sighed. “No, I dare say halving myself would negatively impact my chances at winning most eligible bachelor in Witch Weekly this year.”
Hermione laughed. “Definitely not. Quite worrying, and make sure you have David with you tomorrow morning. We’ve a long way to travel and I’m quite eager to get there.”
“Fine. See you tomorrow, Granger.” Draco cut the floo connection before Hermione could admonish him for not using her title. Again.
Standing, Hermione began readying herself for bed, having packed everything earlier that day. She packed her toiletries and chucked them in her beaded bag, double-checking she had all the necessary books she would need, as well as extra notebooks and pens. She smiled to herself thinking of all the time and hassle she’d saved herself by tweaking a transfiguration spell to turn her notebook pages into parchment once she’d finished taking notes on them. No muss and fuss with parchment and quills, and notebooks and pens were much easier to store and take on the go.
In her favorite old quidditch jersey from Ron, she was about to tuck into bed when Hermione remembered the promise she made to Harry earlier that day. Scooting out of bed, Hermione pulled out the chair at her vanity and reached into the drawer to retrieve her DA galleon. She was still quite proud of the protean charm she’d been able to place on the coins in fifth year and she smiled.
As she looked up at her reflection in the vanity mirror, Hermione went rigid. Her breathing shallow and loud. She no longer saw her reflection in the mirror. She saw a long stone corridor leading to an enormous, heavy wooden door. A terrible rushing noise filled her ears as she saw a great torrent of red water gush through the cracks in the door, gysering into the corridor. A man and woman in mideaval garb flashed past her vision before she was back in the rapidly flooding corridor. As it splashed up the walls, Hermione realized with terror that it wasn’t water but blood surging through the door. It swept towards her in a deadly rush, crashing over her, red consuming her vision.
Hermione groaned as she opened her eyes, rolling painfully over to see she was on the floor of her room, her chair overturned beside her. Remnants of her vision flashed through her mind and she scrambled backward, her back hitting the bed as she breathed hard. Wordlessly calling her wand to her hand, she lit the tip and took stock of her surroundings. She cast several detection and warding charms as a safety measure before she stood and approached the mirror again. As she gazed at her reflection, nothing happened. Touching the mirror, Hermione decided all she could do at that point was record what she’d seen in great detail to examine later.
Done with that, Hermione tucked the notebook with the details of her vision and Luna’s mysterious warning back into her beaded bag and did a last sweep to ensure she had everything for her extended research trip. Satisfied, she resolved to have a long, hot shower and a strong cup of coffee before setting out to pick up Malfoy and Derek.
DRACO’S POV
Draco was apprehensive about his upcoming trip with Granger and Smythe. Not to say he didn’t have a working professional relationship with both of them, but Smythe was a pompous git – and that was really saying something coming from a Malfoy – and Granger… Well, she appeared to be the same know-it-all swot from Hogwarts but with better hair and a big girl wardrobe. The pencil skirts – Draco cut off that dangerous thought before it could take shape. If he was to be marooned in the mountains with a Gilderoy-Lockhart wanna-be and the brightest witch of her age then Draco would need to keep a healthy professional distance with the two.
Flipping open his pocket watch, Draco grimly observed it was about time he stepped through to the Muggle side of London to await Granger’s arrival in her car. Taking one last glance around for Smythe, Draco slipped his watch back into his pocket, tugged on the lapels of his pea coat, and pushed through the door of the Leaky Caldron.
Draco did his best to avoid Muggle London. Not because he still held the bigoted beliefs of his youth but because of the sheer number of people always bustling around and the loud vehicles cramming the rest of the available space. He’d come to learn through his mandated Muggle Studies courses after the war that there were many incredible inventions that Muggles had created in the absence of magic. And while he could deeply appreciate the sleek, fast-paced sports cars, he couldn’t see the appeal in being surrounded all the time by so many other beings.
Draco had only been waiting a few minutes when Granger and her car appeared down the way, hampered by the early-morning commuters. As she pulled to the curb, Draco wondered where on Earth Smythe was. He huffed in annoyance and opened the passenger door before sliding into the seat. He slammed the door shut harder than intended and saw Granger jump from the sudden noise.
“Apologies,” Draco said rather gruffly, “It’s been some time since my last drive.”
Hermione waved her hand in dismissal. “It’s fine, Malfoy. I just didn’t sleep well last night. Where’s Unspeakable Smythe?”
“I have no idea. I tried looking for him while waiting in the Leaky but no sign.”
Granger tried to keep her frown hidden as she craned to look out the window towards the Leaky Cauldron’s entrance. “Well if he’s not here soon, I’ll have to loop around again.”
“Loop around?”
“Yes, this area isn’t meant for parking, Malfoy. I’ll have to continue driving and go around the block so I don’t impede the flow of traffic.”
Draco sighed and nodded. He didn’t have a strong understanding of the driving laws but agreed that Granger was likely right. He shot an annoyed glance towards the leaky, silently cursing Smythe and his perturbing ability to get under his skin. How difficult was it to arrive on time?
On the second turn around the block, Granger spotted Smythe exiting the Leaky and was able to pull to the curb for a hasty pick-up.
“My apologies, Unspeakable Granger. The best-laid plans oft go awry, as they say!” Smythe chirped jovially as he closed the back passenger door.
“Indeed. Well, you’re here now so we can get a move on,” Granger said tightly. As she pulled away from the curb she added, “Please put your seatbelt on, Unspeakable Smythe.”
“Right you are, Unspeakable Granger! Let’s be off!”
Draco felt like bashing Smythe’s head against the window already. That did not bode well for the rest of the months-long trip ahead. As they drove out of London, Smythe nattered on about his goals for the trip, his thoughts generally about Muggle cars and other inventions, and the beauty of the countryside – “nothing like it, really!” Smythe opined – Draco snuck glances at Granger from the corner of his eye.
Though she generally had a rather haughty air, nose stuck in a book, Granger would usually have taken any opportunity to expound on her current project with anyone who would listen. Today, however, she barely engaged with Smythe, eyes fixed straight ahead and hands gripping the wheel tightly. The dark circles under her eyes and the somewhat ashen pallor of her skin gave Draco pause. Granger mentioned she hadn’t slept well last night, but the signs he saw pointed to something more harrowing than a bit of tossing and turning. Draco resolved to keep a closer eye on her the next day or so. Wouldn’t do any of them any good if Granger bungled some important detail and offed herself by accident when working with the volatile magic of the place.
Hours later, they had finally made it to mainland Europe via something Granger called the “Channel Tunnel” – a dreadful experience, in Draco’s opinion – and were almost through France on their way to the long-abandoned castle in southern Germany.
They drove for hours, winding through tall pine forests and dipping to low valleys, and Draco saw fewer and fewer vehicles. Smythe had gone silent after the first few hours when he got no response from either himself or engagement from Granger, each sinking into themselves the closer they got to the corrupted ley lines. A heaviness had descended and Draco began to feel an unpleasant swirling in his gut. Pinpricks flickered in his fingertips and a low, unpleasant buzzing pressed on his ears.
Abruptly, the unpleasant sensations ceased and Granger slowed the car to pull off the road. She stepped out of the vehicle, Draco watching from the passenger seat, and she waved her wand in a quick but complex motion to reveal a cramped road – closer to a trail, than a road, honestly – before hopping back behind the wheel.
“This is it. We should see the castle come into view in the next several minutes,” Hermione said in a hushed voice. She gripped the wheel so tightly Draco could see her knuckles had gone white. Perhaps she had also felt the unwelcome presence from moments ago. He hoped he wasn’t alone.
“Talley ho!” chortled Smythe and Draco ground his teeth.
Did the man not feel the eerie prickling sensation on his neck? Something was most assuredly wrong about this place.
Creeping forward, Granger entered the forbidding crush of trees and they disappeared into the gloom.