Basilisk Dreams by Hermione Starise
Chapter 1: The Dream's Return
*
Disclaimer- Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling and Warner Brothers.
*
She could barely see through the gloom. Eerie silver mist gathered around her. All she could see was a lighted candle in the distance. Not matter how far she walked forward, she couldn't reach this candle. Then a cold, malicious voice started speaking to her. Telling her she was dirt, grime, mudblood filth, not a proper witch, that she ought to be ashamed of her pathetic muggle parents.. The list was endless. She tried not to listen, but the voice laughed at and taunted her all the more. Then the snake came. It was long, deadly, vindictive, and it wanted her blood.
"It will come to finish you off," The voice told her.
The snake started encircling her, hissing drawing closer but she wouldn't look it in the eye. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut.she wouldn't let it kill her.she could feel the slipperiness of its skin.the slimy body drew closer.it would wrap round and suffocate her killing her in that way instead.she would die after all.why not open her eyes and have done with it..but she wouldn't..she wouldn't give in.
* Hermione Granger woke with a start, drenched in a cold sweat and shaking all over. She felt a knot of fear tighten in her chest: the dream! The dream that had went on and on during the time she had spent petrified in the hospital wing. It hadn't repeated itself in her normal sleep, only haunted her memory. She had thought about it often, but had never mentioned it to anyone. She had thought it had gone away when she had been revived. So why had it returned, four years later, to trouble her?
The wizard clock on the dormitory wall said it was only six o'clock. Frightened to close her eyes for fear of the dream's return she got up and walked to the window. Looking out on the winter landscape she temporarily forgot her terror: it was snowing! For the first day that winter Hogwarts' grounds lay under a quilt of white icing. The trees of the forbidden forest were topped with snow and Hagrid's hut looked like something from a muggle Christmas card. Delicate flakes of snow flew past the window, dancing their way down to Earth.
Hermione smiled. Dream or no dream, she was going to enjoy the first day of snow! It was Saturday and she had done all of her weekends homework on the previous night. Her best friends Harry and Ron hadn't been so smart and now they would have to spend at least some of the weekend in the library. Hermione knew they would wish that they had listened to her when she had nagged them to get their homework done before the weekend started.
She gathered her wash kit, and made for the Gryffindor girls seventh year bathroom. As a prefect (and head girl) she was permitted to use their special bathroom, but it would take too long and Hermione just couldn't be bothered. After a quick bath, in which she thought over the dream, she dressed warmly, putting on several layers and a thick pair of navy blue cords. On the top she wore her latest jumper from Mrs Weasley, an orange one. As she pulled a brush through her hair and tied it back she thought of how much she had changed since she had been petrified. Her hair for a start, it had grown even longer and now fell to her waist, it was more manageable and fell in dark haphazard ringlets rather than being bushy. Her dark coffee-brown eyes still shone with intelligence but also with something else- the wisdom- that which she had gained through her haunting experiences.
She was a far cry from that idealistic little girl who had only wanted to solve mysteries and right wrongs with her best friends. Now she could see that the world was much more complicated than that. The difference between good and evil was not always clear and not every wrong could be righted. She had been forced to grow up quickly with Voldemort's revival and return to power. Being friends with Harry Potter meant you could not ignore what was happening outside or bask in the safeness- the haven that was Hogwarts.
*
Professor Dumbledore regarded the hall of students sadly.
"I am afraid that we cannot allow you out into the snow." He said, and was met by disappointed groans and protests. "I am sorry. But it's dangerous, the extreme whether has damaged some on the protection spells on the castle, I can't allow anybody out of the castle walls till they have been fixed."
Hermione sighed. Normally it wouldn't have mattered so much that one protection spell was broken but they lived in a time of fear when every day brought more stories of people being killed, muggles being massacred ad He- Who-Must-Not-Be-Named growing ever stronger.
"Never mind," Ron Weasley, who sat beside her, said trying to sound bright and cheerful. Hermione smiled at her red-haired friend unhappily, he tried so hard to stay optimistic. Beside him, her other best friend Harry Potter looked pale and drawn. Hermione guessed that he had slept as badly as she had- Harry had spoke of his dreams before-Hermione was sure that they were getting worse.
"Protection Spell damaged?" Harry said almost to himself, "He's pushing at the boundaries."
There was no need to ask who He was, they all knew. Hermione shivered visibly, not from the cold but from the thought of Voldemort and the memory of her dream.
"Yes, but he hasn't got through," Ron said, sounding confident although uncertainty showed in his brilliant blue eyes.
Hermione looked at him, wondering whether or not to tell him and Harry about the dream, but decided against it: they had enough to worry about- she needn't add to it. Instead she let her gaze wander to the staff table where many where missing. Professor Lupin- he had been teaching Defence against the Dark Arts, but he was sharing the job with other aurors and had gone- the new one was due to arrive the following Monday. Professor Snape was gone- no body knew where- well Dumbledore did Hermione suspected. Hagrid was away and Professor Trelawny was ill (not that her absence was particularly notable as she never came down to breakfast anyway) again, her replacement was due on Monday. Professor McGonagall sat next to the headmaster as ever, but she looked pale and distracted, Hermione knew it was only a matter of time before she too went off on some dangerous mission.
When they had eaten and were making their way out of the hall Professor McGonagall called them back.
"Ah! You three- I can trust you!" McGonagall said.
"Yes?" Hermione asked.
"Well I will be leaving this evening and will no be returning until Tuesday," She began. "I would like to leave you in charge of helping our new teachers."
"Yes certainly," Harry said.
"Well firstly, Mr Weasley I'd like you to send these letters off with owls, and Miss Granger if you could make sure the classrooms are in order and Mr Potter if you would see the house elves about their rooms, make sure they are clean and tidy?" She asked.
The three nodded- each taking in their own task.
"Miss Granger if you meet our new divination teacher who should arrive at two o'clock and Mr Potter if you meet the new defence against the dark arts teacher who should be arriving at five o'clock. Mr Weasley could you please be ready to inform the house elves when they arrive? Take them straight to Professor Dumbledore's office. Got that?"
"Yes Professor." Hermione said.
"Yes," Ron added.
"Yes." Harry added.
*
Hermione and Ron were head girl and head boy and Harry was senior prefect. All important posts within the school- but with the increasing threat of Voldemort their roles in the school where even more important.
At quarter to two Hermione made her way down to the entrance hall. It was cold and the wind blew in snow from beneath the Great solid oak doors. She shivered and drew her black school cloak tighter around her thin frame.
She had not been there two minutes when the doors flashed amber- a sign that someone was requesting entry, it was based on muggle traffic lights- green for go in, red for stop and amber for get ready. A second later they flashed green and the doors swung open.
A blast of snow came in, making Hermione shield her eyes- when she looked she saw a woman quite unlike what she had imagined her to be. She was not a Professor Trelawney at all: no there was nothing showy or false about the replacement divination teacher.
"Professor Vablatsky?" Hermione asked.
"Yes, that's me," The woman replied shaking the snow from her cloak.
Professor Vablatsky was a small petite woman with jet black hair and skin as pale as the snow that was falling outside. She had delicate cheekbones and deep blue eyes, a sort of deep indigo colour and she had a Russian look about her, not surprising with the name. She was very beautiful: in a dramatic sort of way.
"I'm Hermione Granger- head girl. I've been sent to take you to Professor Dumbledore's office." Hermione said, for some reason, a little nervous.
"Of course," The woman smiled, her speech containing only a slight Russian lilt, "It's many years since I've been here, I won't remember my way!"
Hermione smiled back uneasily, and began leading the way.
"You'll be getting a lot of new faces in the staff?" Professor Vablatsky asked.
"Yes, there's another Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher arriving this afternoon." Hermione replied.
"This place hasn't changed at all." The woman said.
"Really?" Hermione asked, "When where you here?"
"At an important time."
"Oh."
They had arrived outside of Dumbledore's office. Hermione knocked. The door was answered by an old and tired looking Dumbledore- Hermione could see up close how strained he was getting.
"Ah Cassandra my dear! How good it is to see you again! After all these years." Professor Dumbledore said beaming.
"It's good to see you again Professor Dumbledore," Professor Vablatsky said smiling warmly.
"Thank you Hermione my dear." Professor Dumbledore said turning his attention onto her, "See that Harry brings our other new arrival when he arrives."
"I will." Hermione said.
"You know Cassandra my dear, the Head Boy and Girl and prefects have so much responsibility in such times, as I'm sure you well know."
"Yes." Was Professor Vablatsky's reply- with a far off look in her eyes. "See you at dinner then Miss Granger." Professor Dumbledore said.
"Goodbye." Hermione replied, heading quickly back towards the common room and the warmth of a chair by the fire.
*
Dumbledore's office was not much changed from the last time Cassandra had seen it, although this had been during her own school days. The fire crackled away merrily in the grate and the Phoenix, Fakes, flew off his perch to rest on her shoulder.
"Ah, he remembers you then." Dumbledore chuckled, conjuring up two mugs of steaming tea.
"Thank you," She said, "I'm chilled to the bone!"
"It's lovely you know," Dumbledore said, "To see old faces again. The old crowd mixing with the new one."
"The new one?" Cassandra asked confused.
"Oh yes, there is most certainly a new one. And they are every bit as much troublesome as the old one." Dumbledore said a far off look in his twinkling blue eyes.
"Harry." She said realising what he meant. The last time she had seen him- he was an infant in his mother's arms.
*
Harry had gone to meet the new Defence against the Dark Arts teacher, and Hermione was left alone with Ron in the common room. For a moment she considered telling him about the dream but didn't- it probably didn't mean anything anyway.
"I better go and remind the House elves that another new teacher is about to arrive." Ron said, sighing.
"I'll come." She offered as the common room seemed extremely cramped: everyone was irritable at being shut up indoors.
The house elves were pleased to see them but didn't talk to them for long. They were always really busy- what with all the aurors who stayed in the castle.
On their way back to the common room they found Harry looking a lot more cheerful than when he had left them in the common room.
"You'll never guess who the new Defence against the Dark Arts teacher is!" He exclaimed happily.
"Nope." Ron said shaking his head.
"Sirius!" Harry said.
Hermione frowned, "Is that wise? I mean I know his name's been cleared officially now but people are bound to object."
"I don't care! Let them think what they want to! It doesn't matter!" Harry said.
Ron and Hermione shared a worried glance. Sirius Black would not go down well with the parents of Hogwarts Pupils.
"Come on, let's go to dinner." Ron said.
*
Sirius sat at the staff table feeling extremely weird. The staff had more or less accepted him; Professor Flitwick was perfectly at ease talking to him while other teachers gave him suspicious looks.
He spotted his god-son Harry sitting at the Gryffindor table with his best friends: Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. They had all grown up so fast!
"So how has Harry been?" Sirius asked Dumbledore.
"Bearing it all extremely well." He replied.
"Sometimes I think he bears things too well," Sirius said.
"You may be right there my friend. Indeed you may be right." Dumbledore said. "Ah Minerva! Cassandra- how are you settling in?"
Sirius started in astonishment at the woman who had just arrived with Minerva McGonagall. Why was she here? At the same time as him? Why hadn't someone warned him? But she was.
*
AN- Ok, so what do you think? Please review and tell me!
She could barely see through the gloom. Eerie silver mist gathered around her. All she could see was a lighted candle in the distance. Not matter how far she walked forward, she couldn't reach this candle. Then a cold, malicious voice started speaking to her. Telling her she was dirt, grime, mudblood filth, not a proper witch, that she ought to be ashamed of her pathetic muggle parents.. The list was endless. She tried not to listen, but the voice laughed at and taunted her all the more. Then the snake came. It was long, deadly, vindictive, and it wanted her blood.
"It will come to finish you off," The voice told her.
The snake started encircling her, hissing drawing closer but she wouldn't look it in the eye. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut.she wouldn't let it kill her.she could feel the slipperiness of its skin.the slimy body drew closer.it would wrap round and suffocate her killing her in that way instead.she would die after all.why not open her eyes and have done with it..but she wouldn't..she wouldn't give in.
* Hermione Granger woke with a start, drenched in a cold sweat and shaking all over. She felt a knot of fear tighten in her chest: the dream! The dream that had went on and on during the time she had spent petrified in the hospital wing. It hadn't repeated itself in her normal sleep, only haunted her memory. She had thought about it often, but had never mentioned it to anyone. She had thought it had gone away when she had been revived. So why had it returned, four years later, to trouble her?
The wizard clock on the dormitory wall said it was only six o'clock. Frightened to close her eyes for fear of the dream's return she got up and walked to the window. Looking out on the winter landscape she temporarily forgot her terror: it was snowing! For the first day that winter Hogwarts' grounds lay under a quilt of white icing. The trees of the forbidden forest were topped with snow and Hagrid's hut looked like something from a muggle Christmas card. Delicate flakes of snow flew past the window, dancing their way down to Earth.
Hermione smiled. Dream or no dream, she was going to enjoy the first day of snow! It was Saturday and she had done all of her weekends homework on the previous night. Her best friends Harry and Ron hadn't been so smart and now they would have to spend at least some of the weekend in the library. Hermione knew they would wish that they had listened to her when she had nagged them to get their homework done before the weekend started.
She gathered her wash kit, and made for the Gryffindor girls seventh year bathroom. As a prefect (and head girl) she was permitted to use their special bathroom, but it would take too long and Hermione just couldn't be bothered. After a quick bath, in which she thought over the dream, she dressed warmly, putting on several layers and a thick pair of navy blue cords. On the top she wore her latest jumper from Mrs Weasley, an orange one. As she pulled a brush through her hair and tied it back she thought of how much she had changed since she had been petrified. Her hair for a start, it had grown even longer and now fell to her waist, it was more manageable and fell in dark haphazard ringlets rather than being bushy. Her dark coffee-brown eyes still shone with intelligence but also with something else- the wisdom- that which she had gained through her haunting experiences.
She was a far cry from that idealistic little girl who had only wanted to solve mysteries and right wrongs with her best friends. Now she could see that the world was much more complicated than that. The difference between good and evil was not always clear and not every wrong could be righted. She had been forced to grow up quickly with Voldemort's revival and return to power. Being friends with Harry Potter meant you could not ignore what was happening outside or bask in the safeness- the haven that was Hogwarts.
*
Professor Dumbledore regarded the hall of students sadly.
"I am afraid that we cannot allow you out into the snow." He said, and was met by disappointed groans and protests. "I am sorry. But it's dangerous, the extreme whether has damaged some on the protection spells on the castle, I can't allow anybody out of the castle walls till they have been fixed."
Hermione sighed. Normally it wouldn't have mattered so much that one protection spell was broken but they lived in a time of fear when every day brought more stories of people being killed, muggles being massacred ad He- Who-Must-Not-Be-Named growing ever stronger.
"Never mind," Ron Weasley, who sat beside her, said trying to sound bright and cheerful. Hermione smiled at her red-haired friend unhappily, he tried so hard to stay optimistic. Beside him, her other best friend Harry Potter looked pale and drawn. Hermione guessed that he had slept as badly as she had- Harry had spoke of his dreams before-Hermione was sure that they were getting worse.
"Protection Spell damaged?" Harry said almost to himself, "He's pushing at the boundaries."
There was no need to ask who He was, they all knew. Hermione shivered visibly, not from the cold but from the thought of Voldemort and the memory of her dream.
"Yes, but he hasn't got through," Ron said, sounding confident although uncertainty showed in his brilliant blue eyes.
Hermione looked at him, wondering whether or not to tell him and Harry about the dream, but decided against it: they had enough to worry about- she needn't add to it. Instead she let her gaze wander to the staff table where many where missing. Professor Lupin- he had been teaching Defence against the Dark Arts, but he was sharing the job with other aurors and had gone- the new one was due to arrive the following Monday. Professor Snape was gone- no body knew where- well Dumbledore did Hermione suspected. Hagrid was away and Professor Trelawny was ill (not that her absence was particularly notable as she never came down to breakfast anyway) again, her replacement was due on Monday. Professor McGonagall sat next to the headmaster as ever, but she looked pale and distracted, Hermione knew it was only a matter of time before she too went off on some dangerous mission.
When they had eaten and were making their way out of the hall Professor McGonagall called them back.
"Ah! You three- I can trust you!" McGonagall said.
"Yes?" Hermione asked.
"Well I will be leaving this evening and will no be returning until Tuesday," She began. "I would like to leave you in charge of helping our new teachers."
"Yes certainly," Harry said.
"Well firstly, Mr Weasley I'd like you to send these letters off with owls, and Miss Granger if you could make sure the classrooms are in order and Mr Potter if you would see the house elves about their rooms, make sure they are clean and tidy?" She asked.
The three nodded- each taking in their own task.
"Miss Granger if you meet our new divination teacher who should arrive at two o'clock and Mr Potter if you meet the new defence against the dark arts teacher who should be arriving at five o'clock. Mr Weasley could you please be ready to inform the house elves when they arrive? Take them straight to Professor Dumbledore's office. Got that?"
"Yes Professor." Hermione said.
"Yes," Ron added.
"Yes." Harry added.
*
Hermione and Ron were head girl and head boy and Harry was senior prefect. All important posts within the school- but with the increasing threat of Voldemort their roles in the school where even more important.
At quarter to two Hermione made her way down to the entrance hall. It was cold and the wind blew in snow from beneath the Great solid oak doors. She shivered and drew her black school cloak tighter around her thin frame.
She had not been there two minutes when the doors flashed amber- a sign that someone was requesting entry, it was based on muggle traffic lights- green for go in, red for stop and amber for get ready. A second later they flashed green and the doors swung open.
A blast of snow came in, making Hermione shield her eyes- when she looked she saw a woman quite unlike what she had imagined her to be. She was not a Professor Trelawney at all: no there was nothing showy or false about the replacement divination teacher.
"Professor Vablatsky?" Hermione asked.
"Yes, that's me," The woman replied shaking the snow from her cloak.
Professor Vablatsky was a small petite woman with jet black hair and skin as pale as the snow that was falling outside. She had delicate cheekbones and deep blue eyes, a sort of deep indigo colour and she had a Russian look about her, not surprising with the name. She was very beautiful: in a dramatic sort of way.
"I'm Hermione Granger- head girl. I've been sent to take you to Professor Dumbledore's office." Hermione said, for some reason, a little nervous.
"Of course," The woman smiled, her speech containing only a slight Russian lilt, "It's many years since I've been here, I won't remember my way!"
Hermione smiled back uneasily, and began leading the way.
"You'll be getting a lot of new faces in the staff?" Professor Vablatsky asked.
"Yes, there's another Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher arriving this afternoon." Hermione replied.
"This place hasn't changed at all." The woman said.
"Really?" Hermione asked, "When where you here?"
"At an important time."
"Oh."
They had arrived outside of Dumbledore's office. Hermione knocked. The door was answered by an old and tired looking Dumbledore- Hermione could see up close how strained he was getting.
"Ah Cassandra my dear! How good it is to see you again! After all these years." Professor Dumbledore said beaming.
"It's good to see you again Professor Dumbledore," Professor Vablatsky said smiling warmly.
"Thank you Hermione my dear." Professor Dumbledore said turning his attention onto her, "See that Harry brings our other new arrival when he arrives."
"I will." Hermione said.
"You know Cassandra my dear, the Head Boy and Girl and prefects have so much responsibility in such times, as I'm sure you well know."
"Yes." Was Professor Vablatsky's reply- with a far off look in her eyes. "See you at dinner then Miss Granger." Professor Dumbledore said.
"Goodbye." Hermione replied, heading quickly back towards the common room and the warmth of a chair by the fire.
*
Dumbledore's office was not much changed from the last time Cassandra had seen it, although this had been during her own school days. The fire crackled away merrily in the grate and the Phoenix, Fakes, flew off his perch to rest on her shoulder.
"Ah, he remembers you then." Dumbledore chuckled, conjuring up two mugs of steaming tea.
"Thank you," She said, "I'm chilled to the bone!"
"It's lovely you know," Dumbledore said, "To see old faces again. The old crowd mixing with the new one."
"The new one?" Cassandra asked confused.
"Oh yes, there is most certainly a new one. And they are every bit as much troublesome as the old one." Dumbledore said a far off look in his twinkling blue eyes.
"Harry." She said realising what he meant. The last time she had seen him- he was an infant in his mother's arms.
*
Harry had gone to meet the new Defence against the Dark Arts teacher, and Hermione was left alone with Ron in the common room. For a moment she considered telling him about the dream but didn't- it probably didn't mean anything anyway.
"I better go and remind the House elves that another new teacher is about to arrive." Ron said, sighing.
"I'll come." She offered as the common room seemed extremely cramped: everyone was irritable at being shut up indoors.
The house elves were pleased to see them but didn't talk to them for long. They were always really busy- what with all the aurors who stayed in the castle.
On their way back to the common room they found Harry looking a lot more cheerful than when he had left them in the common room.
"You'll never guess who the new Defence against the Dark Arts teacher is!" He exclaimed happily.
"Nope." Ron said shaking his head.
"Sirius!" Harry said.
Hermione frowned, "Is that wise? I mean I know his name's been cleared officially now but people are bound to object."
"I don't care! Let them think what they want to! It doesn't matter!" Harry said.
Ron and Hermione shared a worried glance. Sirius Black would not go down well with the parents of Hogwarts Pupils.
"Come on, let's go to dinner." Ron said.
*
Sirius sat at the staff table feeling extremely weird. The staff had more or less accepted him; Professor Flitwick was perfectly at ease talking to him while other teachers gave him suspicious looks.
He spotted his god-son Harry sitting at the Gryffindor table with his best friends: Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. They had all grown up so fast!
"So how has Harry been?" Sirius asked Dumbledore.
"Bearing it all extremely well." He replied.
"Sometimes I think he bears things too well," Sirius said.
"You may be right there my friend. Indeed you may be right." Dumbledore said. "Ah Minerva! Cassandra- how are you settling in?"
Sirius started in astonishment at the woman who had just arrived with Minerva McGonagall. Why was she here? At the same time as him? Why hadn't someone warned him? But she was.
*
AN- Ok, so what do you think? Please review and tell me!