magic_to_do: A request
Hermione walked down the corridor of Moonstar Academy, the occupants of the portraits hanging on each side just beginning to wake up. "Morning," she greeted them at she went.
"You're up early," former Potions Master Jefferson Blackfelt mentioned.
"Wanted to get a jump on reorganizing the library," she said, stopping for a moment.
"The students haven't even been gone a day and you're already worrying about getting the library in order. All the other teachers and staff are taking at least a week off before worrying about next year. You should too."
Hermione shooke her and chuckled a bit. Blackfelt was always worried about her working too much, staying in the library until late at night and then getting up early each morning to make sure everything was ready before the students came in to study. "Well, if I get it done now, then I can go on holiday and not have to worry about it unlike everyone else."
She gave Blackfelt's frame a pat and continued toward the library. She always rather liked the first day after Moonstar's spring semester had ended - everything was so quiet. And unlike in the UK, where the holiday break was only about a month and a half, the Americans took almost three months. It gave her plenty of time to get lost in the new books that always arrived for the next school year.
Entering the library, she went over to her desk and had just pulled out her ledger scroll when suddenly, she heard some crackling in the fireplace. Looking over, she saw the tell-tale green flames of the floo network being activated appear. A moment later, a familiar face appeared, smiling when he saw her.
"Hello, Hermione. I was hoping I'd catch you here," he said.
"Rupert!" she replied in surprise, hurrying over to the fireplace and kneeling down. Rupert Giles tilted his head up so he could see her better now that she was closer. "Why are you contacting me through the floo? It's been ages since we last spoke."
"I know. And I wish I could say that I was simply wanting to catch up with you, but I can't. You remember last time we spoke, I told you about Wesley?"
She nodded. "Is everything all right with him?"
"Between us, yes. It's difficult being in different countries, but we're managing. However, he and his friends in Los Angeles need some help." He paused for a moment. "A child, the son of his friend Angel, been kidnapped and taken to another dimension - the darkest of the dark dimensions, in fact."
"I'm so sorry, Rupert, but why are you...?"
"I'm telling you because they need your help. Getting Connor back is going to requite a great deal of magic, so I was hoping you'd agree to go to Los Angeles and help them retrieve him."
Hermione closed her eyes for a moment. She had been afraid of that. "But you know that I--ever since Ron--."
"I know," Giles said softly, not needing to be reminded of what had happened back four years before. He left Sunnydale and had gone back to England for a few weeks at the time when the Council had assisted in the aftermath clean-up. "But, Hermione, despite the career path you've chosen for yourself, you're still undoubtedly the most powerful witch this generation of the Wizarding world has seen. If anyone has a chance of bringing that child home without resorting to using black magic, it's you."
She sighed. She hadn't done anything like what he was asking her to do in a long time, not since the battle. But this was a child. She couldn't let a child suffer because of what had happened to her, could she? "All right. Tell your friends I'll be there. Can you owl me all the information?"
"I'll send it immediately." He smiled at her. "Thank you, Hermione."
She shook her head. "Don't thank me unless I can actually help."
Once Giles had pulled out of the floo network, Hermione sat on the floor for a moment with her eyes closed. Then, finally, she picked herself up and left the library to go to Director Omertz's office. She had a lot to do if she was going to go to Los Angeles.
"You're up early," former Potions Master Jefferson Blackfelt mentioned.
"Wanted to get a jump on reorganizing the library," she said, stopping for a moment.
"The students haven't even been gone a day and you're already worrying about getting the library in order. All the other teachers and staff are taking at least a week off before worrying about next year. You should too."
Hermione shooke her and chuckled a bit. Blackfelt was always worried about her working too much, staying in the library until late at night and then getting up early each morning to make sure everything was ready before the students came in to study. "Well, if I get it done now, then I can go on holiday and not have to worry about it unlike everyone else."
She gave Blackfelt's frame a pat and continued toward the library. She always rather liked the first day after Moonstar's spring semester had ended - everything was so quiet. And unlike in the UK, where the holiday break was only about a month and a half, the Americans took almost three months. It gave her plenty of time to get lost in the new books that always arrived for the next school year.
Entering the library, she went over to her desk and had just pulled out her ledger scroll when suddenly, she heard some crackling in the fireplace. Looking over, she saw the tell-tale green flames of the floo network being activated appear. A moment later, a familiar face appeared, smiling when he saw her.
"Hello, Hermione. I was hoping I'd catch you here," he said.
"Rupert!" she replied in surprise, hurrying over to the fireplace and kneeling down. Rupert Giles tilted his head up so he could see her better now that she was closer. "Why are you contacting me through the floo? It's been ages since we last spoke."
"I know. And I wish I could say that I was simply wanting to catch up with you, but I can't. You remember last time we spoke, I told you about Wesley?"
She nodded. "Is everything all right with him?"
"Between us, yes. It's difficult being in different countries, but we're managing. However, he and his friends in Los Angeles need some help." He paused for a moment. "A child, the son of his friend Angel, been kidnapped and taken to another dimension - the darkest of the dark dimensions, in fact."
"I'm so sorry, Rupert, but why are you...?"
"I'm telling you because they need your help. Getting Connor back is going to requite a great deal of magic, so I was hoping you'd agree to go to Los Angeles and help them retrieve him."
Hermione closed her eyes for a moment. She had been afraid of that. "But you know that I--ever since Ron--."
"I know," Giles said softly, not needing to be reminded of what had happened back four years before. He left Sunnydale and had gone back to England for a few weeks at the time when the Council had assisted in the aftermath clean-up. "But, Hermione, despite the career path you've chosen for yourself, you're still undoubtedly the most powerful witch this generation of the Wizarding world has seen. If anyone has a chance of bringing that child home without resorting to using black magic, it's you."
She sighed. She hadn't done anything like what he was asking her to do in a long time, not since the battle. But this was a child. She couldn't let a child suffer because of what had happened to her, could she? "All right. Tell your friends I'll be there. Can you owl me all the information?"
"I'll send it immediately." He smiled at her. "Thank you, Hermione."
She shook her head. "Don't thank me unless I can actually help."
Once Giles had pulled out of the floo network, Hermione sat on the floor for a moment with her eyes closed. Then, finally, she picked herself up and left the library to go to Director Omertz's office. She had a lot to do if she was going to go to Los Angeles.