Chapter 5
Hermione was very perplexed when an owl she did not recognize arrived for her over the summer. She was so used to receiving owls from her friends that she was able to discern which owl was bringing which note from whom. The brown barn owl was Mary's, the spotted gray one was Dorcas's, and the proud screech owl was Marlene's (Hermione had to be careful to give Marlene's extra treats for fear he would bite her). So, when a dark spotted great horned owl arrived on her windowsill in the heat of a lazy afternoon, she was quite puzzled. She had just been mulling over her plan for the coming school year that involved searching for the diadem in the room of requirement and she did not take well to the pecking distraction tapping at her glass. Nevertheless, she threw herself up from her bed and allowed the owl entry.
He fluttered in and stuck out his foot so that she could accept the letter he was delivering.
Dear Over Evans,
As you are the only other Shakespeare fan I know (Remus said he hasn't read him, can you believe it? I wonder what he's actually been reading this whole time, then. My guess is self help books for sweater addicts but I'm open to discussion) I've decided to write you. I've been trying to read more, hold your gasp, but all I've got is a copy of Romeo and Juliet I've nicked from Professor Rueben and I can't keep rereading it, I just can't. James was very confused when he said he loved the thrill of eating Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans and I told him 'these violent delights have violent ends'. So, since I'm currently on house arrest (long story involving my house elf, a Dungbomb, and a very unhappy mum) I must beseech you to help your long sought after love and send his owl back with a Shakespeare play of your choice. I'll be forever in your debt.
Your love,
Sirius
Hermione couldn't help but laugh at the letter in her hands. So Sirius was the one writing to her, perhaps this meant that they truly were friends, no backing out now. And like she would do for any other friend, she was prepared to help him. She gave his owl a few treats and some water to feast on while she scoured her bookshelves for a work of Shakespeare he might like. Once she found one that might catch his fancy, she put her hand to her quill and began to write back.
Dear Sirius,
I think it only fair that since you're asking a favor of me, you call me by my actual name. Although I'd be surprised if you even knew it by now. While I think your thoughts on what Remus is reading are valid (he wears far too many sweaters than healthy) I think it's more likely he's reading a book called, "How To Make Better Friends". Now since I sympathize with your desires to read Shakespeare, I've consented to send you a copy of one of my favorites. It's called "A Midsummer's Night Dream" and I believe you will appreciate the character of Puck. However, I am not at all condoning your behavior towards your house-elf. I implore you to treat him with compassion.
Please take good care of my book, it's the only copy I have.
Sincerely,
Hermione
P.S I do not fancy you
She wrapped up the book carefully and tied it, along with her letter, to the owl who did not look pleased to be caring the extra weight. However, when she opened her window once more, he flew away with little trouble at all.
It would only be a week later that she caught sight of the great horned owl soaring towards her window again. This time, she opened her window before he had to peck at it to garner her attention. She was delighted to see he had returned with her book.
Dear Hermina,
I've considered what you said in your letter and have decided to address you by your actual name. I'm hurt that you think I don't know it! You're also right about Remus's book choice, Peter is certainly dragging him down. Now, down to business. I owe you my life for sending me that book in my time of need. It was a right laugh. You were entirely right about me liking Puck so maybe you do know me after all. Although I'd have to put that down to your obsession with me. And don't say you don't fancy me, you just sent me a play about a girl suffering from unrequited love. Don't worry I got the hint, you're Helena and I'm Demetrius. It's okay, you don't have to keep playing these silly games with me.
If you would be so kind, please send another play at your earliest convenience.
Your Demetrius,
Sirius
P.S I've thought about what you said and have decided to give my house-elf, Kreacher, a gift to apologize. Do you think he'll enjoy a nice hat?
"What are you smiling at?"
The voice broke Hermione out of her third reread of the letter and she looked up at once, startled. Her sister, Petunia, was staring down at her with a pointed glare.
"None of your business," Hermione replied, quickly moving to hide her letter.
Her relations with her sister had been dreadful ever since she had started attending Hogwarts. To have a conversation with Petunia was like entering into a battle and Hermione found she had hardly the energy for it. Lily was the only one who still attempted some civilness with their sister, but even her patience was beginning to thin.
Petunia was quicker than Hermione for she had snatched the letter right from out of her hand. Before even reading it, she let out a cackle.
"I'll never understand why you people write letters. It's so outdated. Did your kind discover electricity yet or are they still stuck in the dark ages?" Petunia japed.
"Petunia," Hermione said, trying to remain calm, "give me back my letter."
"Or what, you'll bewitch me? Who's this letter even from anyway?"
Hermione made a grab and Petunia side-stepped, her brow furrowing as she tried to read it. Now getting up up from her bed, Hermione made another grab which Petunia evaded again. Hermione's mind had gone into panic, worried just how odd the letter might seem without context. The last thing she wanted was Petunia to use this as ammunition in her taunts. As she grabbed ahold of the arm holding the letter, Petunia tried to get away and ended up dragging Hermione into the hall with her.
"Geffow of me!" she cried.
"Give me back my letter!" Hermione cried back.
It only took the continued sound of their scuffing and hissed ow's from both for their father to enter into the fold.
"Girls what's going on up there!" he called from the bottom of the stairs.
"Hermione is writing love notes with some boy named Sirius!" Petunia said to Hermione's horror.
"No I'm not!" she quickly denied, "Petunia is going through my things!"
It only took for their dad to coming running up the stairs and for Lily to peek her head out from her room to increase Hermione's embarrassment. Their dad pulled Petunia away from Hermione while Hermione felt her own self being pulled away by her twin. They stood for a moment, breaths laboring before their father spoke up again.
"Did Petunia say something about love notes?" he asked and Hermione wanted to wring her sister's neck again.
"No!" Hermione cried over her sister's "Yes!"
"Some boy named Sirius wrote to her. Listen to this 'Don't say you don't fancy me, you just sent me--"
"Shut up!" Hermione screeched, cheeks burning. "Dad please, that's personal."
"Alright," he said, "Petunia give your sister back her letter."
Petunia did so with great reluctance. Hermione was sad to now find her letter greatly crinkled. She was going to have to see if she knew a charm that would return it to normality.
"And Hermione," her dad said, "Don't go fancying boys unless they're the right sort and actually deserve you." And then he winked at her, as if the situation wasn't already humiliating enough.
"I don't fancy him," she mumbled under her breath.
But her father hadn't heard her for he was already walking back downstairs, chuckling and saying, "my little girl has her first crush". Hermione turned from her father to look at Lily's surprised face. Great, now she was going to have to do damage control.
"Mione," her twin said, "you don't really fancy Sirius, do you?"
"No I--" she began, but stopped once she saw Petunia watching with an avid expression. She then took her sister's hand and pulled her along until the were locked safely in Hermione's room, away from Petunia's prying eye.
"I do not fancy Sirius," Hermione stated at once, looking her twin in the eyes.
"But it sounded like . . ."
"Here, read it if you want," Hermione said, holding the letter out to her twin. "I just lent him a play by Shakespeare because he asked, that's all. I was just being a friend."
Lily carefully took the letter and began to read. Her brows furrowed at once.
"But then what's this bit? 'You're Helena and I'm Demetrius'?" Lily recited.
"Oh that's just Sirius. He likes to joke around y'know, get me annoyed. He'll say I fancy him, but he knows I actually don't."
"Hermione that's flirting."
Hermione let out a laugh, but then stopped when she realized her twin was looking at her with a completely serious expression. Lily just didn't get it that's all. This is just how Sirius was.
"No it's not. You're taking it out of context. Here, look at the first letter he sent me, then you'll get it."
Hermione then rummaged through her desk, ignoring Lily's comment of "you kept his letter?", and produced the small scroll of parchment he had first sent, handing it to her skeptical twin. Lily read this one even faster than the last.
"He signed it 'your love', Hermione," she pointed out.
And Hermione had to shake her head. Lily still wasn't getting it.
"That's just Sirius, I'm telling you. If he's flirting with me then he's flirting with everyone he comes into contact with," Hermione tried to explain.
Now it was Lily's turn to shake her head. Apparently she thought Hermione still wasn't getting it. But Hermione didn't want to hear it. She didn't want to have to explain herself anymore. She and Lily used to agree on everything. They were best friends. Lily was the one person Hermione could go to and she never had to fear judgment. They knew each other better than the back of their hands. But ever since Hermione had become friends with James and Sirius, there grew a rift. Although Lily would never forbid Hermione from being friends with somebody, she certainly wasn't shy in voicing her disapproval. And Hermione hated the guilty feeling gnawing away at her every time Lily gave her the look.
This look that she was giving her know, one not so different from Petunia's pointed glare.
"Lily please don't look at me like that," Hermione whispered. Immediately, Lily's eyes softened.
"I'm just worried about you, that's all," she said, voice comforting, "I don't want you to get hurt."
"I won't Lils, I promise, and if I do you'll get to tell me I told you so."
Hermione waited until late that night to write back. She wanted to make absolute certain no one would intrude again, especially Petunia. That's why it was near midnight when Hermione had finally employed Sirius's owl who had just received food, water, and some much needed rest. He didn't seem nearly as annoyed to be carrying another large parcel as the last time and even gave Hermione an affectionate nip as she bid him ado.
The letter he was carrying wrote:
Dear Sirius,
I'm glad you enjoyed the play I sent. Funny you should think us like Helena and Demetrius, I had rather thought we were like Titania and Nick Bottom. "Methought I was enamor'd of an ass". And if I ever were to fancy you please know it was a trick of a flower and not at all of my own accord.
I am sending you two plays this time so take extra care with both of them. They're two parts to "Henry IV". I hope you'll enjoy these as well. Shakespeare wrote many plays based upon Kings of England and I find them all rather intriguing reads. Maybe if you're nice and call me by my actual name and don't set poor Kreacher free against his will, I'll consider sending those to you as well.
Your Titania,
Hermione
P.S There's no love story in these so don't get any ideas
It was with great relief that Hermione arrived at Hogwarts. For the rest of the summer, she had to dodge Petunia at every corner just to keep up her correspondence with Sirius. Petunia was constantly trying to catch Hermione with another letter in her hands so that she could humiliate her once more. It had become her new favorite sport. And when Hermione wasn't avoiding Petunia, she was averting her eyes from Lily's worried ones. It was as though Lily was waiting for the moment Hermione would come running into her arms, crying over something Sirius had done. But if she was waiting on it, she would have to wait a bit longer because Sirius and Hermione had only continued their banter while Hermione sent him a new Shakespeare play with each letter. It was all going so well that she was actually looking forward to seeing him at Hogwarts.
The train ride had been uneventful, Lily and Hermione had sat with their usual group of friends and talked over summer experiences. They had only glimpsed Severus once as they were carrying their trunks onto the train and he had offered them hardly more than a grimace. Lily was greatly disheartened. And then they arrived at Hogwarts and ate their full of food, heading into the common room with heavy eyes and drowsy minds. At least until Hermione was startled awake at her first step into the Gryffindor common room where she was suddenly ambushed.
"Other Evans!" she heard Sirius yell as he came sprinting over to her. "My savior!"
He had grown so tall over the summer, he was nearly a head taller than her. His features were beginning to reveal themselves as exceedingly handsome, his dark hair reaching just past his chin. She had barely any time to brace herself before he attacked her with a hug.
"Er-- you're welcome?"
"Don't act so modest Mione, you kept me sane while I was locked up in that house all summer," Sirius said.
"All summer?" Hermione asked, aghast, "you mean you were on house arrest all summer over a dungbomb?"
Sirius laughed. "Mum loves any excuse she has to keep me from seeing James," he explained.
"Yeah this summer has been hell," James said, coming to stand beside his best friend, "and I didn't have an Evans to send me books to help pass the time." Hermione didn't miss the wistful glance he cast the retreating Lily Evans as she went up the stairs to the girls dormitory.
Now Remus had arrived, snorting, Peter just behind him. "As if you'd read them anyway," he said and then turned his attention to Hermione, "by the way I've been meaning to thank you. You worked a miracle getting Sirius to read."
"He reads more than Remus now," Peter added.
"Yeah what's that about, other Evans? You're changing my best friend! Look at him, he's already growing his hair out longer than usual! You're being such a Yoko Ono," James said.
"I'm being a what now?"
"Listen, Yoko is my wife and if you can't accept it, I'm out of the band," Sirius said in an awful John Lennon impression as he put an arm around Hermione's shoulder.
"You guys know about The Beatles?" Hermione asked, bewildered.
"You act like we don't have taste," James said.
"But they're a muggle band," Hermione pointed out.
"They were a muggle band, until Yoko Ono broke them up," James said. He then sighed, looking off into the distance. "And they were the best muggle band there ever was."
He received a whack from Sirius. "You're forgetting about Zeppelin, you hippie."
"And the Bee Gees!" Peter exclaimed.
All three boys turned to him in horror. His face became very, very pale.
"O-only joking," he wheezed.
"Peter, sometimes it's better to be quiet," Remus said.
"If I ever, ever find out you do roller disco I'm chucking you in the Black Lake and leaving you to the Giant Squid," Sirius told him.
"I-I didn't mean it," Peter tried again.
"Yeah okay Pete, just keep your grooviness to yourself," James said.
Deciding this was the best time to leave, Hermione dipped out from under the arm of Sirius who had conveniently left it there all while they had been talking, and headed up to her dorm. She just caught Peter's cry of "I'm not groovy!" as she ascended the stairs.
She found all of her friends already had their pajamas on and were settled into bed, hardly offering her more than yawned hello's as she entered. With a quick change, Hermione settled in as well and wished her friends their first good night of the new school year before pulling her hangings shut and falling into a sudden sleep.
The beginning of the year had gone by smoothly. Hermione had gotten back into the swing of attending classes with little trouble and had her knife ready for the moment she was to venture into the Room of Requirement. This objective would prove much less perilous than entering into the Chamber of Secrets and since that had gone so well last year, Hermione wasn't at all worried this time around. In fact, she was excited to have at least one horcrux out of the way.
Her relations with her friends were going just as well. Marlene was performing just as splendidly in Quidditch as always and had even started dating. Her current boyfriend was Willem Hike, a 5th year Ravenclaw. Although Hermione wasn't sure how long that would last as Marlene's changeful nature had her already eying the next boy. Mary had taken to her favorite class of Divination (to Hermione's displeasure) and was beginning to predict the girls' future. So far, she had predicted Marlene's breakup to happen on the 12th of December and Dorcas was to have a life-altering change in the coming month. What that change was, she hadn't specified.
The only issue that Hermione noticed was that Dorcas had begun to grow quieter than usual and more often than not, she caught Dorcas sporting looks of forlorn. Hermione was greatly worried for her friend, but whenever she asked, Dorcas would simply wave her off. "I'm fine," she'd say with a fixed smile, leaving Hermione entirely unconvinced.
While Dorcas was suffering silently, the Marauders seemed much more boisterous than usual. At the beginning of the year, she had caught them many times huddled around a table in the common room, deep in conversation. This, however, didn't last long. For barely a month into their first year, the boys were seen laughing loudly in the common room and were clapping each other on the back, seemingly celebrating a triumph. Hermione wondered if they had begun their planning to become animagi yet.
However, she couldn't spend all her time pondering over her friends' happenings, she had a job to do. That's why, well in to her second month of her fourth year, Hermione had stayed up long past the snores of her friends before sneaking out of the dorm, knife in hand, and out of the common room. The walk to the Room of Requirement was a simple one. There was little wandering the corridors at night save the few silvery forms of house ghosts drifting by. Hermione hadn't even run into Mrs. Norris on her walk.
When she reached her destination, she walked back and forth across the empty expanse of wall, opposite the Barnabas the Barmy tapestry, repeating the mantra in her mind of I need a place to hide something. On her third try, the door flourished upon the wall and Hermione entered without pause.
But upon entering, she remembered why it had taken so long to find the diadem in the first place. The room was flooded with various items all hidden by the many students that had passed through Hogwarts over the many years since its opening. Although they was not as many items as last time Hermione had found her way inside, it was still going to take her nearly all night just to find one stupid diadem. She set out at once.
Hermione tried to recall just where Harry had said he had hidden the Half-Blood Prince's copy of Advanced Potions. He said he had passed the bust of an old warlock on which he placed the diadem which meant it had to be near there. He had also mentioned a cupboard he had used to hide the book. She began searching for this two items, but oh, there were just so many cupboards in this blasted room. She was going to have to focus on spotting the old warlock first.
Many long minutes Hermione spent scouring the many items hidden within the room, but she still felt she had covered hardly a quarter of the room. This was taking ages and her eyes were beginning to droop, her limbs becoming heavy as she dragged them along yet another row of hidden objects. The things Hogwarts students hid was enough to make her head spin. Random diaries and books, various pieces of broken furniture, but the weirdest objects of all were the wholly unique ones. Like a seemingly unused mandolin or a nicely painted portrait of a troll who was swinging his club in and out of the frame.
Finally she caught sight of an ugly old warlock and was awakened, her blood pumping as she took off sprinting towards it. She took a left and spotted a funny looking cupboard that was rattling as though something living within. Could this be the cupboard Harry had hidden the book? She took a pause. Should she open it and let the creature out? Her heart broke at the thought of any living thing suffering. But she quickly shook her head, she needed to focus. Looking around the cupboard, she spotted the glint of silver and her heart jumped. Sitting lonely upon a crate, the lost Diadem of Ravenclaw resided.
She held it in her hands, triumphant. She had enough experience in this category not to allow the horcrux time to realize it imminent death. At once, she brought the knife high up with her other hand and brought it down upon the diadem, puncturing its silver stone pendent. A great puff of dark smoke released and Hermione was left choking, having been temporary blinded. She had done it, she had destroyed a horcrux, so then why did her hand burn so keenly?
Once the smoke dissipated, Hermione took a look at her throbbing hand and gasped. The horcrux lay destroyed, but her knife, having cut cleaning through the stone, punctured the very palm of her hand. She had just unknowingly infected herself with deadly basilisk venom. She gasped for air, panic soaring through her lungs and she tried to think, but it was so very hard when the venom was quickly spreading, paralyzing her arm. All she could think to do was sprint out of the room before she no longer could.
Upon reaching the door, she collapsed upon the floor outside, the entire right side of her body felt as though it were set a flame. Tears were leaking out of her eyes, she had never felt a pain so intense as this, she could hardly string a thought together in her mind. Think Hermione think, what's the cure to basilisk venom? But the fact there was hardly a cure is what had made it such a key component to destroying horcruxes. She couldn't believe it. How had she been so stupid. Why had she stabbed the horcrux while it was still in her hand, why not place it upon the floor? But it hardly mattered now, for the venom was spreading and she was laying against the cool stone walls of Hogwarts, on the brink of her second death, and Hermione wasn't so sure the fates would allow her a third go at life.
Oh what would poor Dumbledore think when he caught sight of his student dead upon the floor, holding a cracked diadem. And then it hit her. Dumbledore had a Phoenix; Phoenix tears heal. She needed to get to him quick, but she wasn't so sure her feet would carry her very far. She was going to have to get a message to him the only way left.
With new determination she lifted her wand in her left hand and said the incantation, "expecto patronum." But only a feeble wisp sprouted before quickly failing. How was she supposed to think happy thoughts now, when she was only seconds away from death and the pain was so very, very overwhelming, infecting all other senses.
She thought about Harry and Ron, their lazy afternoons spent relaxing in the common room. "Expecto Patronum!" Only a shadow of a patronus rose before disappearing.
Think, think. She thought about Lily, her laughter and wit. "Expecto Patronum!" A patronus rose, more substantial this time, but swam only a foot before falling. This was the only spell she ever had trouble with.
And then in her wild desperation an image of Sirius rose, his handsome face leaned back as a bark of laughter erupted from his soft lips. "Expecto Patronum!". A fully formed otter came swimming from her wand, illuminating the dimmed hallway. It swam over to its creator, awaiting her instructions.
"Go to Dumbledore," she whispered, voice weak, "give him this message: Bring Fawkes to the Barnabas the Barmy tapestry. Hurry, I don't have much time."
She watched as the otter swam down the corridor and disappeared. Hermione was left alone, the image of Barnabas the Barmy attempting to teach trolls ballet growing fuzzing as her eyesight failed. The pain was everywhere now, she couldn't move an inch. It would be a miracle if Dumbledore made it in time.
I'm sorry Harry she thought as Barnabas the Barmy faded entirely from view.
It came as a shock to Hermione to awaken on the surface of a plush bed. For a moment, she entertained a wild thought that she had died and been reborn again. She wondered what identity she would be now, maybe she'd be a cousin of Dumbledore or a sister of Professor Flitwick. But then she opened her eyes and found herself laying in one of the many beds in the infirmary, still very much Hermione Evans. She entertained an even wilder thought, Dumbledore had gotten there in time.
It was with great relief that she glanced down at her right hand to see not a mark marring it. She hadn't died! Oh, she could cry with happiness. For she had very much come to enjoy this life and was not at all prepared to part with it.
Her happiness faltered, however, when she spotted the long white beard and half-moon spectacles of Albus Dumbledore sitting in a chair beside her bed. He was watching her with silence, his face betraying high interest. At once, dread wrung through her insides. How on earth was she supposed to explain herself?
"Professor Dumbledore," she said, voice high in anxiety, "you got my message."
"Yes I did and might I say I was very surprised to find a corporeal patronus at my bedside in the early hours of morning. It was quite an unusual sight. What was even more unusual was following this patronus's instructions and finding the unconscious body of my young fourth year student holding the lost Diadem of Ravenclaw in her hands, irrevocably destroyed."
Hermione opened her mouth to explain, but found she didn't know how and let it shut. Dumbledore didn't seem angry or even as confused as others in his situation should. He was merely watching her, his eyes piercingly blue and his face now impassive.
"You were infected with the very rare and very deadly venom of a basilisk, Ms. Evans. I must know if the lives of my students are in danger."
"No one is in danger," Hermione said at once, assuaging his worries.
"Good. Now that we have that matter settled, I believe I still have yet to have to hear of the circumstances which lead to the situation I found you in."
Hermione attempted to find a way as best to explain without making herself sound like a lunatic. He would think her mad, surely. For who could live two lives and remember them both with perfect clarity? She was a rarity and even someone as open-minded as Dumbledore was find her so.
"I don't know if you'll believe me, Professor," Hermione told him, looking down at her hands.
His eyes were twinkling with humor now. "I think, Ms. Evans, you'll find I believe in anything that is honest and comes from the true of heart."
With a deep steadying breath, Hermione turned to the form of headmaster and began to tell the very strange and rather peculiar tale of her two lives.