Chapter 1
Hermione POV
She was out near the forest line, picking up the worm-mushrooms—tiny mushrooms that grew just after rains, and could be used as an antipyretic, besides the more common use in cooking. As she picked up the last of the mushrooms, she realized she had indeed come far deeper than she should have. Luckily, Crookshanks, her familiar was with her, and she could rely on him to get her back to the trails to her town.
"Crooks, come here boy. We gotta get home."
The ginger-cat jumped down from a tree behind her, stretched on its haunches, and giving her a small purr, as if to say 'follow me', walked to the left, and without hesitation Hermione went after him—Crooks had never led her astray.
Walking two minutes behind Crooks, she saw the trees thinning and they were out on the dirt track which led to their town, Grendrift. Grendrift was the capital city of Briarwood. It was in Grendrift that the royal palace was situated, and that is why Grendrift was a place of hustle-bustle. But here, on the outskirts, the place was calmer with few residents and much more greenery, and Hermione preferred the outskirts—it was perfect for foraging, to practice herbology and make her potions. Some potions which required ingredients that had to be plucked at just the right time, were greatly more effective when they were made near the source of their ingredients, and the quiet of the outer part of the city suited Hermione just fine.
But the quiet was broken by the clopping hooves of many horses. Hermione paused and called Crooks to her, lest he fall in harm's way in front of the horses. She needn't have worried for Crooks, who quite readily jumped into her arms, where she held him, drawing back her satchel which contained the mushrooms.
The horses thundered to a stop in front of her.
A man with long blonde hair jumped down and addressed her.
"Do you know the way to the Castle of House Gryffindor?"
These must be some dignitaries. Their saddles were well appointed and the silver snake insignia on all of their coats was unmistakable—they were from the neighbouring country of Silverhaven.
However, before she could even answer, another small cavalry of horses from the main road converged upon them. The lion insignia of the royal family boldly displayed on the red uniforms of the riders. She recognized Sir Ronald, heading the small group.
It was Sir Ronald who spoke first. "Anybody from Silverhaven has been disallowed in our country. If you don't go back on your own, we'll be forced to spill your blood on our soil."
The long blonde-haired man bristled at the provocation—but Hermione did not have the luxury to wait around as Crookshanks had started struggling in her arms and broken free from her hold, heading towards the back of the dirt-path. Despite her shout, Crookshanks did not stop running till he reached the end of the road, but this type another horse rider was nearly upon the ginger-tabby.
Hermione was not given much time to react.
In the following moments, her quick shouts of crescere and tenere had green shoots springing from the ground and tightening around the four legs of the horse, barely stopping the mammoth black charger. The shoots had barely managed to stop the horse but it was enough to slow the horse, enough time for Crooks to get out of the way.
She did not notice anything else till she had Crooks in her arms again.
Sensing a stare, she finally glanced up at the rider. When she noticed the man, she startled, for crimson red eyes stared at her. The person atop the black mount was particularly noticeable with alabaster pale skin, and no color other than the unearthly red eyes. Wearing black clothes, this man's snake insignia was far more ornate than the rest of the people who she had seen before.
The man just stared at her, not venturing a single word. When she had caught her breath back after her sprint, she voiced, "Pardon me, sir. I had to stop your horse. My familiar would've been hurt otherwise."
The unusually white man turned away from her without saying anything to her explanation. He took a white wand with a hooked handle out of his arm holster, and small flashes of red severed the shoots stopping the horse. The moment the horse got free, it galloped towards the group of soldiers who had gathered down the road.
Hermione didn't venture down there again. But she observed the red-eyed man hand over a scroll to Sir Ronald, who sent a messenger with that scroll to the Castle.
Small pangs of anxiety shot down her spine. Whoever these soldiers were, she felt they were definitely trouble, but since she could not do anything here, she did not linger around to watch anymore. Clutching Crookshanks securely, she rushed back home.