It's Manly Monday at Fanfict00bs!
Happy Monday! April is a great month: my baby turned four, my marriage turned five, and my wife turns…um…26 again. As you can guess, it’s also an expensive month.
It's also Cubs home opener today! Let the hope-that-borders-on-being-pathetic begin in earnest!
My next story has a few new qualities: it’s not in first person POV; and it’s actually been beta’ed! A big thanks to adamolupin for fixing up my fic, though I added a few lines here and there that don’t have the benefit of her beta. Also, thanks for correcting one fairly big mistake: for as long as I’ve known that Hermione had hot roommates, I’ve always thought that it was spelled Pavarti, and not Parvati. I’ve never spelled that name correctly, even when I wrote a fic that a whole chapter devoted to Harry speaking with her. Gah!
But one thing that hasn’t changed is my inability to come up with a good title.
Author: kyc639
Title: Waking Harry (part 1 of 2?)
Rating: PG
Summary: After the final battle, Harry lies in a coma. What will Hermione do to awaken him? No, not that, ya pervs! It’s rated PG, remember?
Waking Harry (part 1 of 2?)
Hermione Granger wasn’t among the prettiest of girls. Even if she had ever entertained the thought that she was, sharing a dorm room with Lavender and Parvati for years would’ve quickly dispelled her of that notion.
She also wasn’t especially gifted with any form of athleticism. This became obvious when the little sister of one of your best friends could fly circles around you with her eyes closed…and probably without a broom as well.
And finally, she wasn’t the most powerful of wizards either - compared to Dumbledore or Harry Potter, she was but a candle flame next to a blazing torch.
But Hermione Granger was smart, possibly the smartest there ever was.
Oh, she would never - ever - say so aloud. Hermione learned early on that other people, children especially, didn’t like it when she displayed her superior intelligence, despite it being as obvious as the nose on her face. Sure, no one would think twice if Harry remarked that he was a great flyer, but if Hermione mentioned that she was a genius, she would likely be mocked and insulted. It wasn’t fair, she knew, but it was reality.
Being the smartest - and extremely hard-working at that - came in handy plenty of times. Besides achieving the highest grades, she could out-duel practically anyone with her encyclopedic memory of spells and counterspells, and she could decipher any puzzle, unravel any mystery, and find the solution to any problem.
But Hermione was also a girl who respected her elders.
And so, when Harry came back victorious from the final battle with Voldemort, alive but unconscious, she was more than willing to let the healers do their job. After all, it was enough that he came back alive, so being unconscious seemed like such a trivial inconvenience when compared to the alternative of being dead.
But after the exhilaration wore off, she grew anxious. Harry was not only still unconscious, but he had fallen into a coma. Again, being respectful, Hermione nodded at all the explanations and murmured words of encouragement to the hapless healers, but she was growing increasingly impatient to talk to her best friend again. Finally, with a month passing and no appreciable difference in Harry’s condition, Hermione decided it was time to take matters into her own hands.
She spent the following two weeks practically ensconced amongst the familiar and comforting stacks of books in the Hogwarts and St. Mungo’s libraries. At first, Ron was faithfully by her side with Luna, Ginny, and Neville lending a hand when they could. And while they were helpful (in their own way), eventually Hermione had to forcibly eject them from the library to leave her in peace and quiet.
Over the two weeks, she had found, examined, and discarded countless potential solutions. While she could understand why Muggle science found comas to be so mysterious, she was amazed to find that there was little that Magical science (an oxymoron, if ever there was one) could do either. It seemed to her that beyond an “enervate” or two, the Healers were just as helpless as their Muggle counterparts. Finally, after displaying her legendary persistence, she hit upon a promising solution. She immediately saw why it took so long for her to find it: the book had been shelved in the Restricted Section, and it bordered on Dark Magic. That, and it would be dangerous not only to Harry, but also to those who attempted to rescue him
And a rescue it would be. The spell would involve someone actually entering Harry’s mind in order to save him from himself. But, it wouldn’t be as easy as just finding Harry and bringing him back. According to the ancient tome, by now Harry would have created several “defenses” in his mind - things that could not only hinder an invading mind, but also cause real harm, and even death.
But since when had the threat of death ever stopped her before?
***************
“Hermione! What happened? Are you okay?”
Hermione rushed into Harry’s private hospital room, slamming the door open in her haste and breathless with excitement. Of course, she probably should have been more somber, considering the danger involved with her spell, but she was far too excited by the possibility of having her Harry back. Hermione smiled widely at Ron, who had leapt to his feet at her entrance. “Never better, Ron.”
Ron’s eyes widened as he shared quick looks with Luna and Ginny, who had been playing a quiet game of Wizards Chess when she interrupted. “Did you - did you find something?”
Hermione nodded, but remembered to temper her enthusiasm. “I did, but it’s very dangerous, and might end up killing us all.”
Ron snorted. “Hmmm…” he said, scratching his chin. “Dangerous and kill us all? That is completely different and so unlike us. No, wait. That pretty much describes every thing I’ve ever done since I met you lot. What do we have to do?”
Hermione grinned as she laid the book across a table. The others quickly crowded around it, though none of them could decipher the runes within. “It’s an old and ancient spell-” she began.
“Aren’t they all? Doesn’t anyone even use a spell created in the last century?” Ron asked.
Hermione ignored him. “-that will allow me to enter Harry’s mind. Right here-” she said, pointing to a passage in the book that looked like random squiggles to the others, “-the book says that Harry’s retreated into himself, and I have to go in there and find him.”
“You said it would be dangerous?” Luna prodded.
Hermione nodded. “Harry’s likely set up defenses in his mind to stop anyone from entering. According to the book, there’ll be a series of ‘guardians’ in his mind which will have to be overcome one-by-one until I can reach Harry. These guardians are based on Harry’s own fears - essentially, I’ll be fighting the things that Harry fears the most.”
“Kind of like a ‘boss’ at the end of each level in a video game, right?” Ron asked.
Hermione nodded absently. “Yes, exactly. So, what do you guys think - wait. How do you know about video games?”
Ron looked indignant. “I’m not completely ignorant of Muggle culture, you know.”
“Yes. You are,” Hermione retorted. “You can’t even say ‘telephone’ properly.”
“Tel. E. Phone,” Ron said, clearly enunciating each syllable.
Hermione clapped slowly. “Oh, bravo Ron. You’re a-”
“Excuse me!” Ginny interrupted shrilly. “Can we please get back to Harry?”
Hermione colored slightly. “Oh, right. Um, as I was going to say, what do you think?”
“Well,” Ron said thoughtfully, “it sounds like a good plan, except for one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“You kept saying ‘I’ - as in ‘I’ will go into Harry’s mind, and ‘I’ will fight the bosses until ‘I’ reach Harry. You didn’t honestly think that I’d let you go in there alone, did you?”
Hermione smiled fondly at her best, albeit stubborn, frustrating, and immature, best friend. “Well, I didn’t want to assume.”
Ron put an arm around her shoulder and kissed her temple. “It’s never an assumption when it comes to you and Harry. So, when do we ... er … go?”
“Where are we going?” Heads swiveled to see Neville enter the room, hands full with cups of tea purchased from the cafeteria. He looked at each of them in turn, and said slowly, “Why do I have the feeling that I missed something important?” He sighed heavily. “You know, just once I’d like to be part of the planning session. I can have ideas too sometimes - good ideas at that!” he groused.
“It’s okay, Neville,” Ginny said, walking over to him and relieving him of the drinks. “I’ll fill you in once we get there.”
Hermione blinked. “We?”
Ginny smiled at her. “Of course. You didn’t think that you and Ron would have all the fun, did you?”
“Well, I-”
“Hermione,” Luna said calmly. “We’ve stood by your side ever since Dumbledore died; why would we abandon you now, at the very end?”
“Luna…” Ron said uncomfortably. “It’s dangerous. I don’t think you should-”
Luna effectively silenced his objections by kissing him on the mouth. “Hush. You know nothing you say can change our minds,” she said. Ron dutifully hushed.
“But … I was planning that the rest of you would let the healers know what we were doing. They wouldn’t … er, approve of the spell, so it’s best we cast it without their presence.”
Neville held up a quill and parchment. “Problem solved. Now, tell me what to write, and maybe I’ll be all caught up at the same time.”
Hermione looked at them, surprised - and touched - by their solidarity. She had counted on the fact that Ron would join her, but she hadn’t considered the others. For an instant she considered arguing that they should remain behind for safety’s sake, but Luna was right - they had been together this long…
She smiled. “Okay Neville, here’s what you should write…”
***************
“Why’s it so dark and misty?” Hermione heard Ginny ask uneasily.
“It’s just an after-effect of the spell. It should pass shortly,” she said, forcing a confident tone in her voice. However, the only thing she knew to expect was to expect anything, as Harry’s defenses could take the form of whatever he could imagine.
“I like it,” Luna said, to no one’s surprise.
Hermione held her wand and took a deep breath. Then, she whispered, “Lumos.” To her immense relief, the wand tip glowed brightly.
Ginny looked at her questioningly. “Magic works here?”
“We’re in a world that Harry’s created. As long as he built his world with magic in it, we can use magic.”
Ginny nodded and pulled out his wand, repeating her Lumos. Soon enough, five bright wand points cut through the darkness as they walked forward. After a few paces, the mist and darkness melted away to reveal an unexpected sight.
“We’re in the Forbidden Forest,” Neville said.
Hermione nodded, but didn’t speak as she viewed the familiar trees. All kinds of bad things could be in the Forbidden Forest, and any of them could be part of Harry’s defenses. “Be ready for anything,” she said quietly.
A few minutes later, Luna asked, “Should we call out for Harry?”
Hermione considered it. “No, I’m not sure he could hear us, and I don’t think we want to draw attention to ourselves. I think if we just follow the path, we should be able to find our way out of here.” The rest agreed, and they walked on through the Forest, wands held ready as they peer through the darkness.
Another minute later, there was a soft rustling sound. “Did you hear that?” Ginny said, swinging her wand around in an attempt to pinpoint the noise. The others stopped and listened. Silence followed, and then there was another rustling sound, slightly louder this time.
“What … what is that?” Neville asked.
Hermione shook her head slowly, squinting into the depths of the forest. “I’m not sure …”
“I know,” Ron said, his voice odd. She turned to look at him, ready to ask him what it was, but the question died in her throat. Ron was practically white, his limbs tensed and his eyes wide in an odd expression. It took a few seconds to decipher his expression, as she’d never seen him this way before: Ron was terrified.
Luna quickly appeared at his side, holding his free hand and rubbing his arm. “Ron, what’s the matter? What is it?” she asked softly. Ron just shook his head frantically, and he started trembling all over. He opened and closed his mouth several times, but no sound emerged. Finally, he was able to whisper one, single word:
“Spiders.”
And Hermione instantly understood. She hadn’t been there, instead being petrified in the Hospital Wing at the time, but she knew enough from their stories and nightmares to know that Harry’s first line of defense would be Acromantulas.
“Quick!” she shouted as the rustling noise became louder. “Everyone get together! A swarm of giant spiders is heading this way. We’re just going to have to blast our way out! Don’t bother with stunning spells. Use Blasting Curses, Reductor Curses, and anything else you can think of. Use Banishing spells if they get to close to buy time. And remember, they’re not really alive, so don’t go easy on them!” The others nodded as they bunched together, wands at the ready. “Neville, keep an eye on the trees above us in case they come down from there. Luna, keep an eye on Ron and see if you can snap him out of it. We have to make it to the end of the path!”
Once they were together in formation, Ron in the center as he was the most vulnerable at the moment, the group began walking quickly down the path. Hermione was thankful for the hours of training and actual combat that the group had been through during the war, and while she was nervous, she was also confident that they could handle a bunch of spiders. The only thing she was really worried about was Ron.
That was, at least, until she actually saw them.
Her heart seemed to stop when the first spider dropped into view, a gigantic, disgusting thing that blocked their path. A sickening clicking and clattering sound filled the air, as other spiders appeared behind the first one. They quickly spread out, surrounding the small group. There seemed to be hundreds of them, and Hermione found herself paralyzed by the sight of the gigantic spiders. How were they to get through so many of them? None of the others seemed able to move either, each seemingly afflicted as Hermione was. Finally, the most unlikely person broke through their fear.
“REDUCTO!” shouted Ron, as a beam of energy leapt from his wand and struck the spiders blocking the path, effectively blasting the entire group into pieces. She gasped in surprise at the look on his face - whereas before Ron was terrified, now she’d never seen him look angrier in her life.
“REDUCTO! REDUCTO! REDUCTO!” he bellowed, the power of his emotion charging his magic and reducing dozens of spiders to small pieces before any of them had even moved. Hermione cast a banishing spell at a group of spiders behind them, flinging them back and giving her room to cast Blasting spells. A strange springing noise cut through the air, and Hermione looked up to see dozens of spiders being propelled off of Neville’s magical shield, protecting them from the spiders leaping from the trees.
With each spell cast, with each spider destroyed or banished, the group gained confidence. Despite their fearsome appearance that dredged up old childhood fears and nightmares, they were only spiders, after all, and Hermione and her friends had faced far worse during the last year of the war against Voldemort. With Ron leading the way, his voice roaring over the sound of spiders and spells, they quickly reached the end of the path, where a thick, opaque mist swirled in front of them. They paused in front of the mist, suddenly unsure as what to do.
“What now?” Neville asked as he created a stream of fire from his wand, driving back a group of spiders.
Hermione examined the mist quickly as she heard Ron yell something about teddy bears and jokes that weren’t funny. It was impossible to see what lay behind the mists, and anything could be hidden within its depths. Tentatively, she pushed a hand through the haze, quickly pulling it back to no ill effect.
“Well, that was scientific,” Ginny said.
Hermione was about to respond, but Luna said, “Hurry, they’re still coming.”
Hermione knew that staying here wasn’t an option - while they were holding their own at the moment, no doubt the sheer numbers of the spiders would eventually overwhelm them. So, there was nothing for it.
“Quick, through the fog,” she said. Neville nodded, and he pulled/pushed Ginny so that they went through the mists together. Luna had to pull Ron from his rage-induced spellcasting towards the mists. Once Hermione was sure that Ron would go through, she quickly stepped into the unknown.
***************
“Well, this certainly is a change.”
Hermione nodded in agreement as she took in her new surroundings. It seemed the very instant that she entered the mist, she was transported to this new place, which for all intents and purposes looked like downtown London in twilight. The only difference was that it was completely and utterly deserted of life, which really makes all the difference in the world. Hermione took a moment to gather her bearings, looking around for a clue as to which direction they should take.
“There!” Ginny cried, pointing off to the distance. “I may not be Muggleborn, but that doesn’t look right to me.” Hermione looked to where Ginny was pointing and couldn’t help but agree. ‘Big Ben’ was a landmark, one of the most recognizable features in all of London, but rather than displaying the time, there was a large lightning bolt emblazoned on the clock face. They immediately set off for the lightning bolt, and Hermione began to feel that something was amiss. The feeling wasn’t strong enough yet to alert the others, but her senses were in a heightened state, looking for signs of danger. Perhaps it was just creepy walking through the deserted city, or maybe she was just anticipating the next challenge.
Finally, after traveling down a street that looked remarkably similar to the one they’d just been on, she realized what was bothering her. It occurred to her that Harry probably hasn’t spent much, if any, time in London - since he wouldn’t know the exact geography, the London in his mind consisted of generic buildings and streets. And Hermione (who’d spent many an afternoon in London with her parents), subconsciously noticed the irregularity.
“It’s eerie, isn’t it,” Luna said softly.
“Yeah … where are all the people?” Ron asked.
Hermione was about to answer, a theory on the tip of her tongue, when she felt it. When they all felt it. Suddenly, the sky went black, the stars seemingly snuffed out in the sky. At the same time, a bitter cold seemed to grip at her heart, and a sense of despair threatened to overtake her. Hermione immediately knew what it meant.
Dementers.
She looked to the others and confirmed that they had all reached the same conclusion. They looked at each other, minds aligned, and it was Ron who spoke what they were all thinking: “Dementers? Seriously? Ha! This’ll be piece of cake!”
Hermione knew it wasn’t false bravado, and though it’s not in her nature to say such things, she agreed completely. During their fight against Voldemort, Dementers were a common foe. She had mastered the Patronus charm ages ago, and Ron, Luna, Neville, and Ginny each had developed great proficiency with the charm. The only danger was being overwhelmed by a swarm of them, but with the five of them together, she believed they would have no problem.
And she was right. If anything, it was too easy. As she strolled along the street towards the clock face, her Patronus-otter running about causing havoc among the Dementors, she felt a little disappointed in Harry’s efforts. Honestly, couldn’t he think of something better than Dementers? With nary a worry, they reached the base of Big Ben to find a doorway leading to yet another misty darkness. This time the group wasted no time in entered through the doorway.
***************
The next two ‘levels’ (as Ron began to call them) were extremely anticlimactic when compared with the very first challenge of the Acromantulas. Once through the London stage, they found themselves in a series of caves, where the smell of salt air was strong. The obstacle there was Inferi - normally a frightening process, especially when trapped underground, but like the Dementors, they’d faced Inferi before. And really, a little fire and the Inferi became as harmless as newborn kittens. And even without the fire, it’s not to hard to run away from a zombie when you’re not wearing high heels.
The next level could have been disastrous, as they found themselves in the Forest again with Giants as the foe. Although these seemed of the especially-vicious variety, it was almost ridiculously easy getting past them. They disillusioned each other and cast a few misdirection and stealth-related charms, and then simply snuck past the rowdy giants.
As they carefully made their way past a group of giants, Hermione thought about the progression of challenges: Spiders, Dementors, Inferi, and then Giants. She realized that the challenges mimicked Harry’s years at Hogwarts. Spiders in second year, Dementors in third, Inferi in sixth, and Giants in seventh. It sort of made sense, since each year at Hogwarts seemed to be more frightening than the previous one. She was thankful that Harry hadn’t apparently found fourth year all that frightful, as that would mean either dragons, mermen, or a Voldemort-inhabited maze. She made this observation aloud as they stood before the next misty doorway.
Ginny paled. “But if we’re past the Giants now, then doesn’t that mean that Voldemort is next? And wouldn’t Voldemort be the thing that Harry feared the most?”
It was a thought that hadn’t occurred to Hermione, and yet she couldn’t deny the logic. Harry did face Voldemort after the Giant invasion, so it only stood to reason that Voldemort would be the next guardian. And maybe that was why there was no Voldemort-inhabited maze - Voldemort, the thing Harry feared the most - was the last of the challenges.
For the first time after the Dementors, Hermione grew worried. She hadn’t been there when Harry faced Voldemort. In fact, she’d never, ever, faced Voldemort before - none of them had. She didn’t know what to expect, she didn’t have a plan against him, and that scared her as much as anything else.
The others had grown quiet as they each thought about the implications behind Ginny’s question. The bravado and confidence that they had developed over the past two levels had quickly evaporated. Ron tried to make a joke to break the tension, but it failed miserably. No one seemed in any hurry to even approach the mists ahead of them.
Finally, Hermione thought of Harry, lying motionless in his hospital bed. She squared her shoulders and said firmly, “No use in standing about. There’s five of us, after all. If Harry could defeat Voldemort by himself, the five of us should have no problems. Let’s go.” The others nodded with varying degrees of confidence, and they approached the mists as a group. Taking a deep breath, Hermione plunged into the unknown yet again.
************
Hermione was confused, and that wasn’t something that happened often. Of all the places she’d expected to wind up next - the graveyard, a dungeon, the caves - she never would have expected that she would find herself in a library.
But that’s exactly what it was. Bookshelves as far as she could see, and small piles of books were lying about on the floor. The place was well-lit for reading, and she could smell the familiar scent of parchment. Splitting the room in half was a red carpet that led deeper into the library. It was difficult for Hermione to resist the impulse to start perusing the shelves.
They looked at each other in obvious confusion. “Why would Voldemort be in a library?” Neville asked.
“Maybe there’s a magazine he likes,” Ron said. “Something like Dark Arts Times or Torture and Mayhem Monthly.”
Neville looked thoughtful. “Maybe…maybe Harry’s greatest fear is taking a test, so he’s in here studying?” His eyes suddenly grew wide, a note of panic entering his voice. “Oh God, what if it’s a Potions test? I haven’t taken a Potions test in years!”
Ron just shook his head. “‘Good ideas,’ huh? This is why you’re not part of the planning, Neville.”
Ginny threw him a dirty look while Hermione rolled her eyes. “This way,” she said, following the red carpet as it led deeper amongst the stacks. They walked quietly through the library, wands at the ready. Hermione stopped suddenly, whispering, “I see something…looks like there’s someone reading at the table.” The other nodded, spotting the table that Hermione indicated. Dozens of books were arranged in stacks on the table, obscuring the reader from view. They approached slowly, fanning out as to have him surrounded.
Once they were in position, Hermione found herself in a bit of a quandary. Surely the reader would have heard them by now, unless he was so engrossed in his book that he didn’t notice. She considered various options, from blasting the book from his hands to simply clearing her throat, when the reader, apparently finished with the page, lowered the book.
Hermione gasped.
“Hermione!” Ron cried in surprise. Then, looking at Hermione in bewilderment, he repeated quizzically, “Uh…Hermione?”
Hermione just shook her head mutely; after all, Ron had described the situation quite efficiently. For there, sitting at the table, surrounded by books, sat Hermione Granger.
It's also Cubs home opener today! Let the hope-that-borders-on-being-pathetic begin in earnest!
My next story has a few new qualities: it’s not in first person POV; and it’s actually been beta’ed! A big thanks to adamolupin for fixing up my fic, though I added a few lines here and there that don’t have the benefit of her beta. Also, thanks for correcting one fairly big mistake: for as long as I’ve known that Hermione had hot roommates, I’ve always thought that it was spelled Pavarti, and not Parvati. I’ve never spelled that name correctly, even when I wrote a fic that a whole chapter devoted to Harry speaking with her. Gah!
But one thing that hasn’t changed is my inability to come up with a good title.
Author: kyc639
Title: Waking Harry (part 1 of 2?)
Rating: PG
Summary: After the final battle, Harry lies in a coma. What will Hermione do to awaken him? No, not that, ya pervs! It’s rated PG, remember?
Waking Harry (part 1 of 2?)
Hermione Granger wasn’t among the prettiest of girls. Even if she had ever entertained the thought that she was, sharing a dorm room with Lavender and Parvati for years would’ve quickly dispelled her of that notion.
She also wasn’t especially gifted with any form of athleticism. This became obvious when the little sister of one of your best friends could fly circles around you with her eyes closed…and probably without a broom as well.
And finally, she wasn’t the most powerful of wizards either - compared to Dumbledore or Harry Potter, she was but a candle flame next to a blazing torch.
But Hermione Granger was smart, possibly the smartest there ever was.
Oh, she would never - ever - say so aloud. Hermione learned early on that other people, children especially, didn’t like it when she displayed her superior intelligence, despite it being as obvious as the nose on her face. Sure, no one would think twice if Harry remarked that he was a great flyer, but if Hermione mentioned that she was a genius, she would likely be mocked and insulted. It wasn’t fair, she knew, but it was reality.
Being the smartest - and extremely hard-working at that - came in handy plenty of times. Besides achieving the highest grades, she could out-duel practically anyone with her encyclopedic memory of spells and counterspells, and she could decipher any puzzle, unravel any mystery, and find the solution to any problem.
But Hermione was also a girl who respected her elders.
And so, when Harry came back victorious from the final battle with Voldemort, alive but unconscious, she was more than willing to let the healers do their job. After all, it was enough that he came back alive, so being unconscious seemed like such a trivial inconvenience when compared to the alternative of being dead.
But after the exhilaration wore off, she grew anxious. Harry was not only still unconscious, but he had fallen into a coma. Again, being respectful, Hermione nodded at all the explanations and murmured words of encouragement to the hapless healers, but she was growing increasingly impatient to talk to her best friend again. Finally, with a month passing and no appreciable difference in Harry’s condition, Hermione decided it was time to take matters into her own hands.
She spent the following two weeks practically ensconced amongst the familiar and comforting stacks of books in the Hogwarts and St. Mungo’s libraries. At first, Ron was faithfully by her side with Luna, Ginny, and Neville lending a hand when they could. And while they were helpful (in their own way), eventually Hermione had to forcibly eject them from the library to leave her in peace and quiet.
Over the two weeks, she had found, examined, and discarded countless potential solutions. While she could understand why Muggle science found comas to be so mysterious, she was amazed to find that there was little that Magical science (an oxymoron, if ever there was one) could do either. It seemed to her that beyond an “enervate” or two, the Healers were just as helpless as their Muggle counterparts. Finally, after displaying her legendary persistence, she hit upon a promising solution. She immediately saw why it took so long for her to find it: the book had been shelved in the Restricted Section, and it bordered on Dark Magic. That, and it would be dangerous not only to Harry, but also to those who attempted to rescue him
And a rescue it would be. The spell would involve someone actually entering Harry’s mind in order to save him from himself. But, it wouldn’t be as easy as just finding Harry and bringing him back. According to the ancient tome, by now Harry would have created several “defenses” in his mind - things that could not only hinder an invading mind, but also cause real harm, and even death.
But since when had the threat of death ever stopped her before?
***************
“Hermione! What happened? Are you okay?”
Hermione rushed into Harry’s private hospital room, slamming the door open in her haste and breathless with excitement. Of course, she probably should have been more somber, considering the danger involved with her spell, but she was far too excited by the possibility of having her Harry back. Hermione smiled widely at Ron, who had leapt to his feet at her entrance. “Never better, Ron.”
Ron’s eyes widened as he shared quick looks with Luna and Ginny, who had been playing a quiet game of Wizards Chess when she interrupted. “Did you - did you find something?”
Hermione nodded, but remembered to temper her enthusiasm. “I did, but it’s very dangerous, and might end up killing us all.”
Ron snorted. “Hmmm…” he said, scratching his chin. “Dangerous and kill us all? That is completely different and so unlike us. No, wait. That pretty much describes every thing I’ve ever done since I met you lot. What do we have to do?”
Hermione grinned as she laid the book across a table. The others quickly crowded around it, though none of them could decipher the runes within. “It’s an old and ancient spell-” she began.
“Aren’t they all? Doesn’t anyone even use a spell created in the last century?” Ron asked.
Hermione ignored him. “-that will allow me to enter Harry’s mind. Right here-” she said, pointing to a passage in the book that looked like random squiggles to the others, “-the book says that Harry’s retreated into himself, and I have to go in there and find him.”
“You said it would be dangerous?” Luna prodded.
Hermione nodded. “Harry’s likely set up defenses in his mind to stop anyone from entering. According to the book, there’ll be a series of ‘guardians’ in his mind which will have to be overcome one-by-one until I can reach Harry. These guardians are based on Harry’s own fears - essentially, I’ll be fighting the things that Harry fears the most.”
“Kind of like a ‘boss’ at the end of each level in a video game, right?” Ron asked.
Hermione nodded absently. “Yes, exactly. So, what do you guys think - wait. How do you know about video games?”
Ron looked indignant. “I’m not completely ignorant of Muggle culture, you know.”
“Yes. You are,” Hermione retorted. “You can’t even say ‘telephone’ properly.”
“Tel. E. Phone,” Ron said, clearly enunciating each syllable.
Hermione clapped slowly. “Oh, bravo Ron. You’re a-”
“Excuse me!” Ginny interrupted shrilly. “Can we please get back to Harry?”
Hermione colored slightly. “Oh, right. Um, as I was going to say, what do you think?”
“Well,” Ron said thoughtfully, “it sounds like a good plan, except for one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“You kept saying ‘I’ - as in ‘I’ will go into Harry’s mind, and ‘I’ will fight the bosses until ‘I’ reach Harry. You didn’t honestly think that I’d let you go in there alone, did you?”
Hermione smiled fondly at her best, albeit stubborn, frustrating, and immature, best friend. “Well, I didn’t want to assume.”
Ron put an arm around her shoulder and kissed her temple. “It’s never an assumption when it comes to you and Harry. So, when do we ... er … go?”
“Where are we going?” Heads swiveled to see Neville enter the room, hands full with cups of tea purchased from the cafeteria. He looked at each of them in turn, and said slowly, “Why do I have the feeling that I missed something important?” He sighed heavily. “You know, just once I’d like to be part of the planning session. I can have ideas too sometimes - good ideas at that!” he groused.
“It’s okay, Neville,” Ginny said, walking over to him and relieving him of the drinks. “I’ll fill you in once we get there.”
Hermione blinked. “We?”
Ginny smiled at her. “Of course. You didn’t think that you and Ron would have all the fun, did you?”
“Well, I-”
“Hermione,” Luna said calmly. “We’ve stood by your side ever since Dumbledore died; why would we abandon you now, at the very end?”
“Luna…” Ron said uncomfortably. “It’s dangerous. I don’t think you should-”
Luna effectively silenced his objections by kissing him on the mouth. “Hush. You know nothing you say can change our minds,” she said. Ron dutifully hushed.
“But … I was planning that the rest of you would let the healers know what we were doing. They wouldn’t … er, approve of the spell, so it’s best we cast it without their presence.”
Neville held up a quill and parchment. “Problem solved. Now, tell me what to write, and maybe I’ll be all caught up at the same time.”
Hermione looked at them, surprised - and touched - by their solidarity. She had counted on the fact that Ron would join her, but she hadn’t considered the others. For an instant she considered arguing that they should remain behind for safety’s sake, but Luna was right - they had been together this long…
She smiled. “Okay Neville, here’s what you should write…”
***************
“Why’s it so dark and misty?” Hermione heard Ginny ask uneasily.
“It’s just an after-effect of the spell. It should pass shortly,” she said, forcing a confident tone in her voice. However, the only thing she knew to expect was to expect anything, as Harry’s defenses could take the form of whatever he could imagine.
“I like it,” Luna said, to no one’s surprise.
Hermione held her wand and took a deep breath. Then, she whispered, “Lumos.” To her immense relief, the wand tip glowed brightly.
Ginny looked at her questioningly. “Magic works here?”
“We’re in a world that Harry’s created. As long as he built his world with magic in it, we can use magic.”
Ginny nodded and pulled out his wand, repeating her Lumos. Soon enough, five bright wand points cut through the darkness as they walked forward. After a few paces, the mist and darkness melted away to reveal an unexpected sight.
“We’re in the Forbidden Forest,” Neville said.
Hermione nodded, but didn’t speak as she viewed the familiar trees. All kinds of bad things could be in the Forbidden Forest, and any of them could be part of Harry’s defenses. “Be ready for anything,” she said quietly.
A few minutes later, Luna asked, “Should we call out for Harry?”
Hermione considered it. “No, I’m not sure he could hear us, and I don’t think we want to draw attention to ourselves. I think if we just follow the path, we should be able to find our way out of here.” The rest agreed, and they walked on through the Forest, wands held ready as they peer through the darkness.
Another minute later, there was a soft rustling sound. “Did you hear that?” Ginny said, swinging her wand around in an attempt to pinpoint the noise. The others stopped and listened. Silence followed, and then there was another rustling sound, slightly louder this time.
“What … what is that?” Neville asked.
Hermione shook her head slowly, squinting into the depths of the forest. “I’m not sure …”
“I know,” Ron said, his voice odd. She turned to look at him, ready to ask him what it was, but the question died in her throat. Ron was practically white, his limbs tensed and his eyes wide in an odd expression. It took a few seconds to decipher his expression, as she’d never seen him this way before: Ron was terrified.
Luna quickly appeared at his side, holding his free hand and rubbing his arm. “Ron, what’s the matter? What is it?” she asked softly. Ron just shook his head frantically, and he started trembling all over. He opened and closed his mouth several times, but no sound emerged. Finally, he was able to whisper one, single word:
“Spiders.”
And Hermione instantly understood. She hadn’t been there, instead being petrified in the Hospital Wing at the time, but she knew enough from their stories and nightmares to know that Harry’s first line of defense would be Acromantulas.
“Quick!” she shouted as the rustling noise became louder. “Everyone get together! A swarm of giant spiders is heading this way. We’re just going to have to blast our way out! Don’t bother with stunning spells. Use Blasting Curses, Reductor Curses, and anything else you can think of. Use Banishing spells if they get to close to buy time. And remember, they’re not really alive, so don’t go easy on them!” The others nodded as they bunched together, wands at the ready. “Neville, keep an eye on the trees above us in case they come down from there. Luna, keep an eye on Ron and see if you can snap him out of it. We have to make it to the end of the path!”
Once they were together in formation, Ron in the center as he was the most vulnerable at the moment, the group began walking quickly down the path. Hermione was thankful for the hours of training and actual combat that the group had been through during the war, and while she was nervous, she was also confident that they could handle a bunch of spiders. The only thing she was really worried about was Ron.
That was, at least, until she actually saw them.
Her heart seemed to stop when the first spider dropped into view, a gigantic, disgusting thing that blocked their path. A sickening clicking and clattering sound filled the air, as other spiders appeared behind the first one. They quickly spread out, surrounding the small group. There seemed to be hundreds of them, and Hermione found herself paralyzed by the sight of the gigantic spiders. How were they to get through so many of them? None of the others seemed able to move either, each seemingly afflicted as Hermione was. Finally, the most unlikely person broke through their fear.
“REDUCTO!” shouted Ron, as a beam of energy leapt from his wand and struck the spiders blocking the path, effectively blasting the entire group into pieces. She gasped in surprise at the look on his face - whereas before Ron was terrified, now she’d never seen him look angrier in her life.
“REDUCTO! REDUCTO! REDUCTO!” he bellowed, the power of his emotion charging his magic and reducing dozens of spiders to small pieces before any of them had even moved. Hermione cast a banishing spell at a group of spiders behind them, flinging them back and giving her room to cast Blasting spells. A strange springing noise cut through the air, and Hermione looked up to see dozens of spiders being propelled off of Neville’s magical shield, protecting them from the spiders leaping from the trees.
With each spell cast, with each spider destroyed or banished, the group gained confidence. Despite their fearsome appearance that dredged up old childhood fears and nightmares, they were only spiders, after all, and Hermione and her friends had faced far worse during the last year of the war against Voldemort. With Ron leading the way, his voice roaring over the sound of spiders and spells, they quickly reached the end of the path, where a thick, opaque mist swirled in front of them. They paused in front of the mist, suddenly unsure as what to do.
“What now?” Neville asked as he created a stream of fire from his wand, driving back a group of spiders.
Hermione examined the mist quickly as she heard Ron yell something about teddy bears and jokes that weren’t funny. It was impossible to see what lay behind the mists, and anything could be hidden within its depths. Tentatively, she pushed a hand through the haze, quickly pulling it back to no ill effect.
“Well, that was scientific,” Ginny said.
Hermione was about to respond, but Luna said, “Hurry, they’re still coming.”
Hermione knew that staying here wasn’t an option - while they were holding their own at the moment, no doubt the sheer numbers of the spiders would eventually overwhelm them. So, there was nothing for it.
“Quick, through the fog,” she said. Neville nodded, and he pulled/pushed Ginny so that they went through the mists together. Luna had to pull Ron from his rage-induced spellcasting towards the mists. Once Hermione was sure that Ron would go through, she quickly stepped into the unknown.
***************
“Well, this certainly is a change.”
Hermione nodded in agreement as she took in her new surroundings. It seemed the very instant that she entered the mist, she was transported to this new place, which for all intents and purposes looked like downtown London in twilight. The only difference was that it was completely and utterly deserted of life, which really makes all the difference in the world. Hermione took a moment to gather her bearings, looking around for a clue as to which direction they should take.
“There!” Ginny cried, pointing off to the distance. “I may not be Muggleborn, but that doesn’t look right to me.” Hermione looked to where Ginny was pointing and couldn’t help but agree. ‘Big Ben’ was a landmark, one of the most recognizable features in all of London, but rather than displaying the time, there was a large lightning bolt emblazoned on the clock face. They immediately set off for the lightning bolt, and Hermione began to feel that something was amiss. The feeling wasn’t strong enough yet to alert the others, but her senses were in a heightened state, looking for signs of danger. Perhaps it was just creepy walking through the deserted city, or maybe she was just anticipating the next challenge.
Finally, after traveling down a street that looked remarkably similar to the one they’d just been on, she realized what was bothering her. It occurred to her that Harry probably hasn’t spent much, if any, time in London - since he wouldn’t know the exact geography, the London in his mind consisted of generic buildings and streets. And Hermione (who’d spent many an afternoon in London with her parents), subconsciously noticed the irregularity.
“It’s eerie, isn’t it,” Luna said softly.
“Yeah … where are all the people?” Ron asked.
Hermione was about to answer, a theory on the tip of her tongue, when she felt it. When they all felt it. Suddenly, the sky went black, the stars seemingly snuffed out in the sky. At the same time, a bitter cold seemed to grip at her heart, and a sense of despair threatened to overtake her. Hermione immediately knew what it meant.
Dementers.
She looked to the others and confirmed that they had all reached the same conclusion. They looked at each other, minds aligned, and it was Ron who spoke what they were all thinking: “Dementers? Seriously? Ha! This’ll be piece of cake!”
Hermione knew it wasn’t false bravado, and though it’s not in her nature to say such things, she agreed completely. During their fight against Voldemort, Dementers were a common foe. She had mastered the Patronus charm ages ago, and Ron, Luna, Neville, and Ginny each had developed great proficiency with the charm. The only danger was being overwhelmed by a swarm of them, but with the five of them together, she believed they would have no problem.
And she was right. If anything, it was too easy. As she strolled along the street towards the clock face, her Patronus-otter running about causing havoc among the Dementors, she felt a little disappointed in Harry’s efforts. Honestly, couldn’t he think of something better than Dementers? With nary a worry, they reached the base of Big Ben to find a doorway leading to yet another misty darkness. This time the group wasted no time in entered through the doorway.
***************
The next two ‘levels’ (as Ron began to call them) were extremely anticlimactic when compared with the very first challenge of the Acromantulas. Once through the London stage, they found themselves in a series of caves, where the smell of salt air was strong. The obstacle there was Inferi - normally a frightening process, especially when trapped underground, but like the Dementors, they’d faced Inferi before. And really, a little fire and the Inferi became as harmless as newborn kittens. And even without the fire, it’s not to hard to run away from a zombie when you’re not wearing high heels.
The next level could have been disastrous, as they found themselves in the Forest again with Giants as the foe. Although these seemed of the especially-vicious variety, it was almost ridiculously easy getting past them. They disillusioned each other and cast a few misdirection and stealth-related charms, and then simply snuck past the rowdy giants.
As they carefully made their way past a group of giants, Hermione thought about the progression of challenges: Spiders, Dementors, Inferi, and then Giants. She realized that the challenges mimicked Harry’s years at Hogwarts. Spiders in second year, Dementors in third, Inferi in sixth, and Giants in seventh. It sort of made sense, since each year at Hogwarts seemed to be more frightening than the previous one. She was thankful that Harry hadn’t apparently found fourth year all that frightful, as that would mean either dragons, mermen, or a Voldemort-inhabited maze. She made this observation aloud as they stood before the next misty doorway.
Ginny paled. “But if we’re past the Giants now, then doesn’t that mean that Voldemort is next? And wouldn’t Voldemort be the thing that Harry feared the most?”
It was a thought that hadn’t occurred to Hermione, and yet she couldn’t deny the logic. Harry did face Voldemort after the Giant invasion, so it only stood to reason that Voldemort would be the next guardian. And maybe that was why there was no Voldemort-inhabited maze - Voldemort, the thing Harry feared the most - was the last of the challenges.
For the first time after the Dementors, Hermione grew worried. She hadn’t been there when Harry faced Voldemort. In fact, she’d never, ever, faced Voldemort before - none of them had. She didn’t know what to expect, she didn’t have a plan against him, and that scared her as much as anything else.
The others had grown quiet as they each thought about the implications behind Ginny’s question. The bravado and confidence that they had developed over the past two levels had quickly evaporated. Ron tried to make a joke to break the tension, but it failed miserably. No one seemed in any hurry to even approach the mists ahead of them.
Finally, Hermione thought of Harry, lying motionless in his hospital bed. She squared her shoulders and said firmly, “No use in standing about. There’s five of us, after all. If Harry could defeat Voldemort by himself, the five of us should have no problems. Let’s go.” The others nodded with varying degrees of confidence, and they approached the mists as a group. Taking a deep breath, Hermione plunged into the unknown yet again.
************
Hermione was confused, and that wasn’t something that happened often. Of all the places she’d expected to wind up next - the graveyard, a dungeon, the caves - she never would have expected that she would find herself in a library.
But that’s exactly what it was. Bookshelves as far as she could see, and small piles of books were lying about on the floor. The place was well-lit for reading, and she could smell the familiar scent of parchment. Splitting the room in half was a red carpet that led deeper into the library. It was difficult for Hermione to resist the impulse to start perusing the shelves.
They looked at each other in obvious confusion. “Why would Voldemort be in a library?” Neville asked.
“Maybe there’s a magazine he likes,” Ron said. “Something like Dark Arts Times or Torture and Mayhem Monthly.”
Neville looked thoughtful. “Maybe…maybe Harry’s greatest fear is taking a test, so he’s in here studying?” His eyes suddenly grew wide, a note of panic entering his voice. “Oh God, what if it’s a Potions test? I haven’t taken a Potions test in years!”
Ron just shook his head. “‘Good ideas,’ huh? This is why you’re not part of the planning, Neville.”
Ginny threw him a dirty look while Hermione rolled her eyes. “This way,” she said, following the red carpet as it led deeper amongst the stacks. They walked quietly through the library, wands at the ready. Hermione stopped suddenly, whispering, “I see something…looks like there’s someone reading at the table.” The other nodded, spotting the table that Hermione indicated. Dozens of books were arranged in stacks on the table, obscuring the reader from view. They approached slowly, fanning out as to have him surrounded.
Once they were in position, Hermione found herself in a bit of a quandary. Surely the reader would have heard them by now, unless he was so engrossed in his book that he didn’t notice. She considered various options, from blasting the book from his hands to simply clearing her throat, when the reader, apparently finished with the page, lowered the book.
Hermione gasped.
“Hermione!” Ron cried in surprise. Then, looking at Hermione in bewilderment, he repeated quizzically, “Uh…Hermione?”
Hermione just shook her head mutely; after all, Ron had described the situation quite efficiently. For there, sitting at the table, surrounded by books, sat Hermione Granger.