Extra Ordinary

“Viktor…”

His eyes glowed as he looked down at her, and she felt her soul reaching out to him. She could feel his heart beating and the agitation and mindlessness of him being there.  It wasn’t Viktor that had gotten him there so quickly but their bond and his magic. He was in his sleeping clothes beneath light armor for goodness sake.

How was this possible? They’d only met a handful of times. It shouldn’t have been possible to have such a connection.

What am I missing?

She took a step back, and the broom followed her. His eyes staring at her lost and dazed.

“Viktor,” she breathed. “You’re scaring me… S-say something.”

He floated closer to her as she tried to escape, she turned to run but he simply floated over her head and cut her path off. She was exhausted, but she had to escape now. It would only be a matter of time before he woke up out of that trance and had full faculties.

Hermione couldn't fight him, and she still had to wait to get her test results and license for another hour.

How was she going to evade him for an hour?

Run.

She turned and took off down the street and through alleyways. She heard him flying after her, but with each turn, he slowed. There wasn't enough space to maneuver on a broom in the narrower alleyways and she just had to escape him long enough to hide effectively.

She felt ridiculous. She was half asleep and running and he was asleep and flying. She ran into the forest and into a system of caves with a sigh before collapsing to the ground and praying that he wouldn't--

“Miss,” he said and Hermione slowly turned towards him.

He stood in front of her with his broom in hand and looked as confused as ever.

“Where are we?”

Hermione swallowed and made a decision as she stood and met his gaze. Something warm in her chest at their proximity. She had to get anything done, no matter the consequence.

Last resort and desperate measures, she thought and focused her magic to command him. Something close to a dark art long since banished, but not quite that. It was risky but near untraceable due to its subtlety and wandless nature.

“Ma’am--"

“Viktor Krum of Surtse,” she said and heard him gasp. His back straightened and his gaze remained focused on her. “You will return to your quarters in Surtse and tell no one you have seen me today. You will not remember this encounter nor will you remember coming here. You will pursue me no further. Now go.”

She felt the resistance but slowly his body mechanically mounted his broom as her strength gave out. The last thing she saw was him flying out of the cave.

*

She woke up alone in the cave and dizzy. She shivered and forced herself onto her hands and knees before crawling towards the exit. The sky was dark above her and her head swam.

Something caught in her throat; it burned like she drank acid and she coughed trying to clear it but nothing came.

She would have cried out if she had the faculty to do so. Lying still she prayed for it to be over sooner rather than later as time dragged on and burn did not lessen but spread through the rest of her body.

What's happening to me?

She wrapped a hand around her throat and dragged herself towards the exit. It seemed that little time had passed since she encountered Viktor but enough that the sun had moved through the sky noticeably.

She found a stream nearby and bent to drink from it. The water seemed to soothe her throat for reasons she didn't question and she lay there drinking until the burning had gone and she felt better.

Standing she checked her pockets for her magic map and found that she wasn't too far from town. She returned as quickly as she could to the wizarding office and found that she had passed her exam and had officially been granted her wizarding license.

“Congratulations dear.”

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief and with her license went to the nearest wand shop to find one.

The old wand maker smiled kindly at her and passed a hand over her head before her eyes widened.

“It has been a long time since one such as yourself has graced this shop,” she said, “You are in luck, my dear. I suppose all things happen for a reason. This way if you please.”

“What does that mean?”

“Which part dear girl?” she asked and turned a corner towards the back of the shop.

“One such as myself? When was the last time someone like me came here?”

“As I said dear, which part? A muggle-born, a dragon heart, a time-walker, or a siren?”

“Pardon me, I must have misheard you… did you say a siren?”

She turned, “Yes my dear, I did.”

“How did you know I was a muggle-born or any of that? Sirens exist? I thought they all died out during the war and…what are time-walkers?”

Hermione shook her head and the woman smiled, “It seems you have a lot of questions dear. Why don't you have a seat, and we’ll talk more when I've seen my last few customers off?”

“What customers--”

The bell above the shop's door rang.

“Hello?”

Hermione's eyes widened as the woman guided her, dumbfounded to a seat. She placed a teapot and a mug in front of her.

“It should help with the burning.”

“Burning?”

Hermione winced as a flare of that same burn from the cave rose up through her throat and spread. She coughed and grabbed for the tea only to find it cold as the woman left to tend to her customers.

She heard them leave sometime after her fifth cup and remained panting in her seat. The tea did in fact help, but it answered no questions as to why her throat was burning at all. She’d used a low-level hypnosis technique, hadn’t she? It said nothing about burning in her throat. The technique actually had nothing to do with her throat or her voice at all!

“Goodness child you have quite the resilience, or perhaps your dragonheart comes from a very pure line.”

Hermione gasped and looked up at her, “Please… explain. Who are you?”

“My name is Anati Telos,” she said with a beaming smile. In her face, she saw Selena, her mother and the name shot through her like lightning.

Her body tensed, and she leaned forward; her eyes widened, and she searched every angle of the woman’s face, “Telos?”

“Yes,” she said, “I take it the name is familiar to you?”

“Selena… Telos.”

“Yes, what about her?” she asked, “Selena Telos of the Secrets of Telos?”

“Yes.”

“She was my cousin, what about her?”

“I…” Hermione remained quiet and stared at the woman. She swallowed. “I…”

The woman frowned, “What’s wrong dear?”

“I… my name is Hermione Granger.”

Her frown deepened and her eyes widened, “Hermione?”

She nodded.
“Daughter of William Granger?”

She nodded again.

She gasped and stood up rushing to the windows to close all the blinds.

“What is it?”

“You’ve inherited the gift full-swing. my dear cousin,” she said, “That is not something that we can take lightly. Tell me, have you ever used that Time Turner?”

Hermione shook her head and took it in her hand, “No. I just like to have it with me.”

“Good,” she said, "And your voice. Who did you use it on?”

“MY voice?”Hermione asked, “You’re not making any sense.”

“You used your voice to command someone or something to do something, who was it? When was it? What did you tell them to do?”

“How could you possibly--”

Anati grabbed her by the shoulder and cupped her face, “Please focus, Hermione. Answer my questions. Who was it?”

“Viktor… Viktor Krum.”

She gasped, “Of Surtse?”

She nodded.

“Whatever for-- Why would you--”

Anati pushed her towards the wall and lifted her wand to Hermione’s throat. Hermione raised her hand, her eyes widened.

“Are you in contact with wizards of Marvolo?”

“What? No! Why would you ask me that?”

“Has anyone contact you with a history? Have you been near them?”

“Not that I know of, I don’t--”

“Think carefully, Hermione. There are many families in Surtse who have a dark history and many more who know things about us that would put us all in danger. Think carefully. Dolohov?”

“Who?”

“Lestrange?”

“I’ve never heard of them.”

“Karkaroff?”

“I’ve never heard of them--”

“Malfoy.”

Hermione gasped and Anati’s eyes narrowed, “You’ve had contact with the Malfoys? Who else? The Prince family?”

She shook her head, “I’ve never heard of the Princes, but… my father was with Narcissa Malfoy.”

“Sweet heavens,” she thought, “You father was a cunning one, wasn’t he? Hiding you in plain sight? Hiding you with them of all people.”

“Are you going to tell me what all this is about?” she asked, “Or keep pointing your wand at my throat.”

Anati’s lips twitched, and in her eyes, Hermione could almost see her considering casting the spell on the tip of her tongue.

“Come with me,” Anati said, “There is much to explain and little time to do it in.”

Hermione nodded and followed Anati out the back door with her bag. She walked quickly through the shadows as Hermione hurried after her. She knew that there were things that she had never known about her mother’s family, but she had never imagined that it would be this serious.

Selena Telos had a charm about her. That much was true, but to talk about sirens and time-turners as if they were real and Hermione should have known about them all this time had her mind wheeling.

They arrived at a small cottage and Anati escorted her in. A group of women about Anati’s age all looked up as they entered. In their faces, she could see her mother and her heart raced.

“What…”

“Alua, Laki cast up every privacy charm we have and let everyone know to stay away for the night. We’ll have to cancel dinner.”

“What? Why?” one of the women asked, “Have you any idea how long I’ve been peeling potatoes?”

“Would you rather put the potatoes in stasis or have your head put in stasis as a Marvolo remnant?”

her eyes widened and she looked at Hermione who shook her head unknowingly.

“What’s going on, Anati?” An older woman came out of the back and Hermione froze seeing her. The woman’s eyes were a blind blue, yet she looked right at Hermione and gasped.

“Hermione Granger,” the woman greeted, “It has been… a long time coming. Laki, Alua, Yoli, do as Anati has asked.”

The women move along with Anati and Hermione watched them cast spell after spell around the small house and Hermione feels more caged by the moment. The old woman sat down at the table with a sigh and smiled at Hermione.

“You have been running for a long time dear,” she said, “Come sit down at the table. There is much to discuss.”

Hermione swallowed and did as she asked as the women continued to work.

“Do you know how to peel potatoes?’

“Y-Yes ma’am,” she said.

“Good,” she said. “That’s a good skill to have. We could use another hand.”

Cautiously, she picked up a knife as the rest of the women came back to join them at the table. Their expressions were serious but they each picked up a knife and began to peel potatoes as if they hadn’t turned the small cottage into a type of ultra-secure prison.

Hermione swallowed ut held her tongue as the anxiety continued to rise and the old woman watched her with her blind-blue eyes.

“The Malfoys have treated you terribly,” she said, “You have the potato peeling skill of a serving girl.”

Hermione bit her lip and looked down at the spiral of potato peel.

The old woman laughed, “It has been a long time since so many of my descendants were at a table together. Anati, why have you frightened this poor girl?”

“It wasn’t on purpose, grandma, she frightened me!”

Hermione flinched and the old woman chuckled, “She does have the gift…. that much is true. Who was it that you used your voice on?”

“Viktor Krum of Surtse.”

The old woman blinked and burst into laughter a moment later as the other four women look at her in horror.

“Are you crazy?”

“Are you trying to get us all killed?”

“The war hero? So close to the memorial celebration of the end of the war? Have you lost it?”

The old woman whacked one of them in the head, “Yoli, be kind to your niece.”

“Neice?” Hermione breathed and looked at the woman named Yoli as she snorted.

“Selena is no sister of mine,” she said. “She ran off to Surtse and started all of this mess that we have to clean up now!”

The old woman shook her head, “You have to let go of your jealousy, dear. She did what she thought was best.”

“And look at where it’s landed us with her daughter right back here and us all in danger. That power should have died a long time ago with him, yet it’s still here cursing us all!”

The old woman shook her head, “Forgive her, Hermione. She and your mother had their own issues which apparently she plans to take out on you.”

Yoli flinched and ducked her head and continued peeling her potatoes.

“You’re Selena’s daughter?”

Hermione nodded.

The woman smiled and as Hermione looked at her she could at least tell that she was older than Yoli and older than Anati, but there wasn’t much else she could glean.

“Though I wish that I could have met you under better circumstances,” she began, “It is nice to meet you, little Hermione.”

“Hello, ma’am.”

“I’m Laki,” she said, “I’m Selena’s mother.”

Hermione swallowed and nodded before frowning, “You’re… the woman in the yellow dress.”

Laki chuckled, “Yes, I am surprised that she still had that photo.”

Hermione worried her lip, “I remember seeing it in her photo album once. She never told me who it was but… I got the feeling that it was important.”

Alua sighed, “Since we’re doing this, I’m Alua. Yoli’s mother. As my sister said, I wish it was under better circumstances than this, but I am glad to have met you.”

The oldest woman smiled, “And I am the grand vizier of the Telos family.”

Yoli rolled her eyes as Laki and Alua laughed, “Really mom?”

“Really,” she said with a smile, “I’m your great-grandmother, Hermiona. I am glad that someone named their child after me.”

Hermione chuckled at that, “It is wonderful to meet you all, but if you are all in danger by my being here, I--”

“Nonsense,” Hermiona said, “This is a very different age than then and you have questions that only we can answer, but answer me this, Hermione… Viktor is your Dragonheart, isn’t he?”

Hermione nodded and Yoli grit her teeth, “Of course.”

“Well my dear, you have a very long road ahead of you,” Hermiona said seriously.

“I only asked him to return home and forget having seen me today. To not pursue me any longer... “

“Well that is a start,” she said with a laugh, “Though an impossible command for even a powerful siren to have obeyed.”

“What does that mean? I thought I was just using basic hypnotism.”

“Selena had the gift,” she said, “And it has passed to you from your grandfather.”

Laki nodded and shuddered, “Yes, it has.”

Hermione worried her lip, “What happened?”

Laki sighed. Hermione’s grandfather, Selena’s father, was from Marvolo. He charmed Laki had children with her until Selena was born as neither of their other children had inherited either gift.

Hermiona was a time-turned, so her children should have had more than just longevity going for them, yet they hadn’t. Hermione’s grandfather wanted a child that had both his siren gifts and the gift of time to offer up to the ruler of Marvolo as a tool of war.

“A strong enough siren could have turned the war,” Laki said, “Selena had the gift, but she fought it and fought him…”

Laki lowered her head, “In the end…. he killed our son and Selena lost it.”

Hermione gasped and thought back to the album. There was a photo just one. Yoli grit her teeth.

“She killed him,” Yoli said.

“Yoli--”

“No,” Yoli said, glaring at her mother, “You can’t sugar coat it. She killed our brother.”

Laki shook her head, “It wasn’t her fault.”

Hermione swallowed as Yoli glared at her, “You always say that about it. We both know they never really got along.”

“Stop it.”

“What if she just used it as an excuse?”

“Stop it!” Laki said slamming her knife down, “That is not true. Selena loved Talan. They fought. Of course, they fought, but they loved each other.”

“Of course you think so,” she said, “You have no idea. There’s no siren’s voice that could make you do something like that.”

Hermiona shook her head, “You have a grave misunderstanding of how powerful your father was…. Selena was just a child.”

Yoli snorted, “Not child enough to be unable to do it.”

Laki sighed and looked at Hermione, “He forced her to and she… when she came around she lost it.”

Laki shuddered. it had been so dark that night. Laki and Yoli had been held outside the clearing and made to watch the encounter. Yoli didn’t remember it clearly, but Laki did. He’d commanded Talan to kill Selena and had given her no choice while commanding her to kill him. It was supposed to break her and it did. She’d killed Talan and turned full of a fury of a siren and screeched his head off. She’d tapped into her harpy relations that night and had cut off all ties to that part of her heritage as far as she could tell.

Hermione reached out and took her hand gently. their eyes met and she smiled weakly.

“She killed her father that night too,” she said finally, “And that was the last time we saw her.”

Yoli snorted, “Before the Death Eaters came.”

They ended up running hard and fast until they’d settled in this small town and kept to themselves. They’d been hiding there ever since and had never heard from Selena again. They had only felt her passing as she appeared on the family tree year prior.

“And now you’re here,” Laki said with a smile. “You are welcome to stay.”

“I can’t,” she said, “They left me their businesses and I have to protect them. I have friends and promises waiting for me.”

Laki nodded, “Well at least stay for a while. You must have questions.”

“I do,” Hermione said.

But she wasn’t really sure if she wanted the answers to them.