Taming The Serpent [Tom Riddle/Tomione]

O2. Nurmengard

Hermione walked out the Hospital Wing after being released by Madam Fuchsia Matilda; her Ravenclaw robes stained in blood had been replaced by brand new ones. The headmaster Dippet had been warned about her recent awakening, and took liberty of filling Hermione with all important details.

"Miss Lockhart, I hope you understand your sixth year is long gone. But due to your outstanding grades Hogwarts is willing to let you take a final exam and if you pass, which I'm sure you will, you will begin your seventh year with your classmates." He had said, a week ago.

It was now September 15th 1945, the year Grindelwald supposedly murdered Albus Dumbledore and rose to power, according to Ron and Harry in her dream, or vision - She wasn't sure what it was that happened while she was in a coma. Hermione was still very confused; how could they be in year 1944 in her dream and wake up in late 1945? It took her a year dreaming about it? She dully took in the new faces of first year students as she walked, a few staring confusingly at her.

Hermione reached the Ravenclaw Tower, sighing in relief. The familiar bronze knocker in the shape of an eagle, opened its mouth and immediately set Hermione's rusty brain into work. "The eight of us go forth not back to protect our king from a foes attack."

Her mind drove back to one of those unbearable Chess talks, Ronald would casually make with her and Harry when bored. She had found it extremely annoying, yet it fascinated her how much the red haired loved Chess and how he had such good knowledge about it. She even remembered thinking that if he had that determination and passion about school he'd be a better student. "Chess pawns." She mumbled, thanking her best friend quietly.

She entered the blue and bronze circular room, staring around absentmindedly. It felt like she was there just a day ago, but it had been almost a whole year. The statue of Rowena Ravenclaw stared at her as she ascended the steps to her dormitory. She instantly walked toward a mirror, looking at her reflection. Lifting her shirt up, she traced the scar just below her ribs, on her right side, with her fingers.

She would be marked forever.

A single tear rolled down her eyes and she angrily rolled her shirt back down, hugging her robes closer to her mid-section. How could be she be so unwary, so weak? She dropped down on her four poster bed, sobbing slightly to herself. So many things had gone wrong with the task that, Hermione was beginning to think if things would be even worse now, with her intervention. Dumbledore had always been right. People shouldn't meddle with time. And now he'll be killed by Grindelwald, never meeting Harry or helping protect him in the alternative future.

"Hermione?"

Everything seemed fuzzy, slow. Hermione jumped to her feet and charged toward Penelope, embracing the stunned girl into a long, warm embrace. "By Merlin!" Penelope cried.

As they pushed apart, Hermione's eyes landed on the Head Girl badge pinned to the blonde's chest. Penelope caught the small flash of disappointment in the brunette's eyes and cleared her throat awkwardly. "It would've been yours, you know? If you-" She stopped midsentence, thinking it would be better to avoid the subject, as it was still very recent for Hermione. "Anyway, it probably won't be such a shock to you, when I tell you who the Head Boy is."

"Tom Riddle." Said Hermione's voice. It clearly wasn't a shock, she had known all along. Penelope nodded her head in a repulsive way; clearly she was not looking forward to work alongside the most mysterious boy Hogwarts has ever seen.

"I'm so glad you're finally awake." Squealed Penelope, patting Hermione on her shoulder and walking toward her bed. She grabbed her trunk, the initials 'P.C.' neatly engraved in it, and retrieved a frame from inside, glancing down at the picture in her hands with cold, dull eyes. "At least one of you is here for me now."

Hermione furrowed her eyebrows, taking small steps toward the girl. She glanced cautiously at the picture, immediately recognizing the people in it; it was Cepheus Crux, waving happily at the camera; Penelope was smiling at him, and Cepheus' brother, Brevis was winking at a girl behind them. They were standing in a Quidditch Stadium, Brevis was dressed in Tutshill Tornados' uniform. "It was almost three years ago," Began Penelope with a gloomy voice. "My first Quidditch game. I fell in love after watching it."

"I don't understand," Hermione said, her eyes boring to the bright green ones in the photograph. "Why did you say at least one of us is here now? Where's Cepheus?"

Penelope stood in a haste, the frame held tightly in a wand, her wand firmly in the other. She began to cast the Imperturbable Charm, creating a magical barrier around the room to prevent anyone from eavesdropping or entering.

"Hermione, what I'm about to tell you must strictly stay between us," Hermione's ears perked up at the blonde's words. She nodded her head apprehensively, sitting straight in Penelope's bed.

"There's a Dark Wizard by the name of Grindelwald--" Hermione's heart did a somersault, her breath was caught in her throat. "He's trying to rise to power, recruiting wizards for an army, killing innocents..."

"His parents were captured for being against his way of thinking, Hermione. We're at war." Cried Penelope. "He took them an-and Cepheus has gone into hiding, no one knows his whereabouts. He only owled me once to say good bye. This is all I know about m-my best friend."

"Where does he take them?" Croaked Hermione. She knew the answer, she remembers reading about it in one of her many light readings back in the future.

"The Daily Prophet calls it Nurmengard." Penelope confirmed her thoughts. Nurmengard is a wizarding prison possibly near Germany or Bulgaria, - no one knows its right location. In terms of magical defenses, its specific protective enchantments remain unknown, but it is known to have anti- Apparition wards (similar to Hogwarts). Non-magical defenses include high walls for the fortress and it may have had a guard population, similar to Dementors once guarding Azkaban.

She also remembers that in a display of irony, Grindelwald was collared in the top-most cell inside his own prison, rather than killed, after his defeat against Dumbledore; but that wouldn't happen if he kills him now. She must prevent it from ever happening! "Where's Dumbledore?"

"Erm-Teaching Transfiguration to the 3rd Years, I think. Why?" asked Penelope,perplexed. Hermione struggled to raise herselfout of the bed, her hand pressed firmly against the scar. It burns.

"I must speak to him," the brown haired girl said, releasing the charm that had engulfed them for the previous ten minutes with a wave of her wand. "The entire Wizarding world depends on him."

A very confused Penelope followed behind the determined girl out the Ravenclaw Tower; she kept asking questions to which she wouldn't receive a proper answer. Hermione was entirely focused on finding the blue eyed man, with greasy hair and heartwarming smile. She was too focused, however, to even notice a second pair of feet following her around.

"Look who's decided to finally awake," Hermione's head was swimming. She stopped dead in her tracks, causing Penelope to bump into her with a loud groan. Hermione's brown eyes stared astonishingly at the dark ones in front of her. 

Sure enough, the Head Boy badge gleamed proudly where the 'Prefect' one used to be pinned against his chest. The Slytherin gave her a small nod in acknowledge, taking long, elegant strides toward the other Hall.

What didn't slip from her, however, was the small smile Tom threw her way before disappearing into darkness.