The Tale of Dark Hermione

Year 5 - The Hearing

"Potter remember to not say anything stupid if you want to be able to go back to Hogwarts with everyone tomorrow. I would come with you to help remind you, but unfortunately, it seems that everyone believes us to be crazy and two crazies they may be able to handle there. I wouldn't push three," Hermione was talking to Harry as he was getting ready to go to his hearing.

"Yes yes Hermione I know...don't say anything stupid...don't say anything they don't agree with no matter how much they bother me...don't say a word about Voldemort...don't say anything about Cedric...what else I'm pretty sure we've covered the list a thousand times!" Harry ranted pushing back his hair tired of being told the same thing over and over again.

Mr. Weasley apparated in, "Harry we have to go we are late...they changed the meeting time!" 

"WHAT!" Harry yelled and Mr. Weasley didn't explain further just grabbed Harry and ran out the door with the boy trailing behind him.

Once the door closed Hermione sighed and looked back up the stairs to where the others were most likely still sleeping since it was very early in the morning. She decided to do some exploring and started looking everywhere that she already hasn't looked in. The first room she opened was empty except the walls were covered with faces and names. She got closer and read them...she didn't notice another figure come in and only spoke to her as she read his name and looked at the burnt face on the wall.

"My mother did that when I was sixteen when I ran away to the Potters. Harry questioned about it a week ago..."

Hermione continued looking through the faces, "There are a lot more burnt faces in the later years..."

"Ahh...yes...all those also done by my mother...my cousin strong woman, Andromeda, Tonk's mother...cast out for marrying a muggle-born, Ted...for me it was for being a Gryffindor. After all, almost all of the Black family has been Slytherin for many generations."

"I'm surprised that all Slytherins aren't related by now..." Hermione mumbled.

Sirius laughed at that, "I can't see why you would say that, but honestly there have been some inbreeding over the years, but overall it's not that close. Inbreeding was the biggest problem in the Slytherin line...they started marrying brothers and sisters just to keep the pure line only Slytherin...no outsiders...I suppose that is why the line is dead now..." 

"It's not dead!" Hermione was to forward with that and backtracked a bit, "it's just a feeling, but I don't think it's dead..."

Sirius looked thoughtful at that and smiled. Hermione then changed the subject, "is Slytherin really that bad of a house..."

Sirius patter her shoulder, "no it's not, just some bad apples can ruin a single reputation...you know Merlin was a Slytherin back in his time. The Bloody Baron and a Black that was a Slytherin became headmaster...Phineus. I wouldn't be proud of that though he was hated my most during his time in Hogwarts as the headmaster."

Hermione smiled knowing that the conversation was over and soon another thought popped up, "Sirius, I was just exploring and I couldn't help but notice that objects keep disappearing around the house, just small things, but I was reading a book from the library here and I left it just for the night and it was gone...it wasn't even back on the shelves in the library." 

"That must have been Creature then...he keeps taking and hiding objects to keep it away from dirt. If you want it back just go to Creatures little hole and get it...it's where he's taking them," Sirius waved her off and she nodded.

"Where would I find this hole?"

"A room over from the kitchen and behind the plate cabinet!" 

Hermione nodded in reply and turned around leaving to get the book back in the library to make sure no one questioned her why she was reading that type of book. She quickly reached the hole in the wall behind the cabinet. She mufflioed around the room knowing that Creature would put up a fight. She crouched inside the hole and reached a horribly cramped and filled room. Objects were covering from floor to the ceiling of the small room. Creature let out a screech at the sight of her.

"DIRTY BLOOD IN MY SPACE! TRYING TO TAKE MY MASTERS AND MISTRESSES THINGS!"

"Shut up, I only want to get the stupid book you took from me..." Hermione said angrily and dug through the piles of objects. He was punching her back as she was looking, it didn't hurt just annoyed her.

"Will you stop I'll leave soon as soon as I find it..." Hermione tried and her hand touched something that made her pause. She clasped her hand and pulled out a necklace with a pendant of a snake on it. Creature sunk back at the sight of it.

"Don't that was master Regulus's please put it back!" 

"What is it?" She held it up to his face and he jumped back more. "I don't know...just filled with dark magic...it's an heirloom from the Slytherin line..." He yelled making sure to be as far away from her as possible.

She was just looking at his and it's beauty, "You know what Creature I believe I'm going to keep this now...here's the deal put the book back where it's supposed to be and I won't bring this back near you...got it." She slid it around her neck and hid it in her shirt for some reason she was attached to it.

Creature just nodded and Hermione left the horrible room quickly and she dropped the silencing spell. Once it was dropped, she heard footsteps and people coming inside.

"Harry, how did the hearing go?" she heard Ron question and she decided to go join everyone.

"I'm not expelled...Ms. Fig came in and testified and then Dumbledore came in a bit late, but still was able to get his point across." Harry talked and explained about the hearing. Once he was going into details Hermione swooped in and listened intently with the others.

"I think Dumbledore is avoiding me..." Harry said as soon as he finished his story.

"What? Why would he do that?" Ginny questioned.

Harry looked out the window where they were, "I have no idea..."

Hermione breathed in the silence overwhelming the group...she really couldn't wait till she was back at Hogwarts...