Hermione Snape and the Divergence Point: Mahoukatoro Interlude #2

Chapter 3

Drip, Drip, Drip...

Hermione awoke on a cold damp floor wondering where she was. Her eyes scanned the room as she tried to lift herself off the ground. She let out a pained scream as a searing pain travelled up her broken arm. Saiyaka and Momo were nowhere to be found and Hermione knew exactly where she was.

"Welcome back, Hermione," Riddle cackled, grinning with Ginny's face. "Don't bother looking, I still have your wand."

Hermione eyed the petite redhead and knew a broken arm was the least of the damage she needed to worry about. How—they saved Ginny! Riddle's diary, they destroyed it! This, this couldn't be real. Hermione took in deep breaths and dug her nails deep into the broken hand to no avail. She had lost all control, she would die in this snake themed chamber and Harry would be left to figure out the secret of the diary himself–-no, he could do that, I was useless last time, it'll be fine...I just-this isn't real. Control, regain–-

"Control?" Riddle spat grabbing her by the broken arm. "You'll never have control over anything! Least of all yourself. You're losing it, you stupid girl. I think Harry Potter and Ginny would have fared better without you mucking things up, don't you?"

3, 9, 15...This is a dream, wake up!

"You might as well cry out," Riddle shrugged. "If anyone can hear you, they won't care."

Regain control...you managed to reach Ginny once ...No, that doesn't matter this isn't real.

"Why didn't you help me earlier?!" Ginny-who was actually Ginny- cried. "The things I've done, the things I almost-and reaching out to me to make me aware of Riddle possessing me? I'll likely never recover, but I could have if you let me stay dormant!"

Harry appeared in the chamber holding a damaged diary and the sword of Gryffindor. "Riddle was right about one thing, you are absolutely useless."

"No, Harry-" Hermione pleaded.

"I fought the basilisk, I found the chamber. I don't care that you already had a theory, you did nothing with it! And I destroyed the diary! It was the troll all over again!" Harry seethed. "The only useful thing you did was determine the pipes were involved, and that's only because you were attacked!"

Her father appeared looming over her, glaring at her, even in the dim light she could feel his black eyes boring into her very soul. His mouth twisted and he folded his arms over his chest. "You little idiot! You could have ruined everything! I once accused you of having a martyr complex, but martyrs sacrifice themselves for the good of others. By not coming to me, by keeping this shit to yourself you've only managed to hurt the people you claim to care about! What is wrong with you? I thought I might be a failure as a parent, but you're the failure. There was no fixing you, and I frankly don't know why I bothered. You stupid piece of shit!"

Hermione dug her nails further into her broken hand, she tried to steady her breath but failed. She had to control herself, maintain composure but tears stung her eyes and sobs escaped her mouth.

"You're pathetic, weak, useless!" her father continued. "Please, tell me how lying to you to protect you is worse than what you've done?"

"Oh, Severus," Dumbledore sighed. "You must be thoroughly disappointed."

Luna knelt before Hermione and cupped her face in her hands. "Oh, Hermione," she whispered. "I liked you better as a cat."

A cold woman's laugh echoed through the chamber and the image Hermione had in her mind of her "mother" appeared before her. "This is precisely why I left! You're nothing but a disappointment!"