A/N: Here's another fic I'm working on. It's going to have a lot of historical stuff in it, so some of you might find it a little long and tedious. But I hope you like it!
Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognize.
Chapter 1:
"I really don't see what the point in this is," Draco Malfoy whined as the group of seventh years walked across the beautiful grounds of Whitehall Palace. "It's not like we're going to find anything! We've already been to so many!"
"Malfoy, if you've actually paid attention in class on these trips, you would have realized that we have already found evidence, just not information that is distinct and conclusive enough," Hermione Granger retorted. "If you ask me, the things that we found are amazing and quite fascinating."
"Well I didn't, Granger, so shut the hell up!" Malfoy snapped.
Hermione glared at him and walked faster, ahead of the group.
"OK class. You know what you are looking for: traces of magic from the times of King Henry VIII. All the places that we have been to so far are ones that haven't been used since King Henry." Professor Binns announced. "You will be split up into the following pairs:
"Parkinson, Weasley…"
"…Potter, Crabbe…"
"…Longbottom, Bulstrode…"
"…Granger, Malfoy…"
As Professor Binns continued reading off the pairs, Hermione and Draco sent each other death glares. "Malfoy, you better keep your mouth shut during this," Hermione whispered fiercely. "Aggravate me, and you will end up even less of a man than you already are."
"Done!" Malfoy replied, looking slightly frightened.
The two walked towards the palace, which Hogwarts students had been granted special access to, owing to the fact that Dumbledore now owned it.
Hermione and Draco walked into the castle in silence. They entered one of the more ornately decorated rooms. The wood paneling and doors were painted gold and the walls and the floors were covered with rich Persian tapestries, which gave the room a homey and slightly cozy feeling. As they walked through the room, their footsteps on the stone floor echoed.
"Incredible!" Hermione whispered. "Just incredible! Almost unbelievable."
"What are you going on about Granger?" Draco asked, annoyed and impatient, forgetting about his vow to not talk.
"It just seems almost impossible that we're standing a room where King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn once stood. Even Queen Elizabeth at one time. This was her favorite room."
"Anne Boleyn?" Draco questioned.
"Oh, come on Malfoy!" Hermione exclaimed, exasperated. "How can you not know who Anne Boleyn was? Are you really that ignorant?" She continued on before he could answer. "She was the second wife of King Henry VIII, and she was supposed to be absolutely beautiful –"
" – Like you wish you were, Granger?" Malfoy interrupted.
"Watch it Malfoy," Hermione glared at him, her wand pointing dangerously low. She continued on with the story. "She was absolutely clever and cunning, smart, and the only one who could get the stubborn king to bend absolutely to her will; his desire for her was that great. She was manipulative and really only interested in gaining power, which wasn't admirable, but she was strong, just like her predecessor, Katharine of Aragon. She was convicted falsely of treason and adultery just because she couldn't produce a male heir, which is completely chauvinistic, by the way."
Draco rolled his eyes at this.
"She was even accused of witchcraft – which was a horrible thing back then in the Muggle world, by the way- but I think there may have been a little bit of truth in that. She was sent to the Tower of London and awaited her death bravely. She was ready for her death, even though she knew she did nothing wrong. She peacefully succumbed to her fate," Hermione had a faraway look on her face.
"Ok then. Great. Moving on," Draco interrupted.
The two went on, searching the rooms that had once belonged to Anne Boleyn. Hermione walked to the privy chamber, and then into the private chamber, taking in the portraits and the ornate golden furnishings that adorned the rooms. She found a portrait of Anne Boleyn staring down at her. The frame had mysterious symbols that Hermione could not make out. "Malfoy!" Hermione called. "I think I found something!"
Malfoy came sauntering in at his own pace. "Took you long enough! Look at these symbols. I haven't seen anything like them before. I don't think they're Muggle symbols. There's something mysterious, almost eerie about them. They're too…weird." Hermione said.
"Weird, Granger? Is that the best you can come up with?" Draco looked at them closer. "As much as I hate to admit it, I think you're right. They seem like they've come from an ancient magical civilization." He pointed to one of the symbols. "That looks familiar though. I think I've seen this in one of the books at the manor. It means fertility or bewitched or something like that."
"Incredible," Hermione murmured. She absentmindedly stroked the symbols. "How I would have loved to meet the two of them."
"The two of whom?" Malfoy asked.
"Haven't you been paying attention Malfoy? Katharine of Aragon and Anne Boley- " Hermione was cut off as she felt a gust of wind hit her face. "What was that?" Hermione asked, scared.
"I don't know," Draco whimpered, cowering behind Hermione's back. "Wait- look!"
A hole in the floor had appeared, slowly enlarging and moving towards them. Hermione drew her wand, but couldn't do anything; she was frozen with fear.
"Do something Granger!" Malfoy yelled.
"I- I can't," Hermione whispered back.
Soon, the hole had grown large enough to take up half the room. The hole looked like a cyclone or a hurricane, ready to suck in whatever got in its way. The vortex-like hole slowly made its way towards Hermione and Draco, who were pressing up against the wall as much as they could. Soon however, they had nowhere to go. They tried to shield themselves, hoping the portal would pass them by, but soon, they found themselves falling into darkness.
A/N: There's the first chapter! I hope you like it! A couple of things: 1) I know some people don't really consider Anne Boleyn is beautiful, but go with it. And she's not really someone Hermione would admire, but oh well. 2) I know that Whitehall Palace burned down (parts of it) but it is in fine condition in this story. Lol. And the story might not be totally historically accurate- (just a couple of small things). Please Read and Review!