Dark Days

Dark Days Chapter – New York, New York

Hermione lay gasping for breath on the floor, willing herself to remain in human form and dreading another change that she could not control. She didn’t understand. The potion had been prepared exactly according to the instructions and besides her potions never went wrong, they just didn’t.

“What the fucking hell am I going to do?” she cursed out loud, forcing her aching body into an upright position and meticulously checking every inch of her body for feathers or scales.

The sky above her had begun to darken and the dark trees which surrounded her suddenly seemed to hide a thousand enemies rather than emitting the protection she had felt from them before. The darkening sky hung ominously over her head, and a thousand whispers from the trees murmured of murder, death and decay. She clamped her hands over her ears and pulled her knees up to her chest squeezing her eyes tightly shut against the horrible visions that she now saw.

“They’re not real,” she muttered, “All in your head. It’s all in your head it isn’t real!” Large tears welled up in the corners of her eyes and she longed for her mother to be there to wipe them away and hold her. Quickly she pushed that thought away from her mind and immediately all the ghouls and goblins that she had feared returned to haunt her.

She rose and half ran half staggered into the cave and cast a sealing spell over the entrance to prevent anything from coming inside, then she curled up on the makeshift bed of rags in the corner and tried to sleep. A thousand horrible pictures swam through her mind as she drifted into uneasy sleep.

It was cold and somewhere there were chains rattling ominously. She was in a long corridor with no end, it just wound on and on into ever deeper blackness. She did not want to go down that passage but something drew her ever on and on into it. Desperately she struggled against it but the chains wound themselves around her in a crushing embrace and pulled her forwards. She tried to scream but no sound came out. It seemed to take forever. An eternity of blackness with unseen horrors clutching at her heels and laughing mockingly from their unknown hiding places. But eventually it did end. And it ended with a huge barred door and a giant of a man with rattling keys on a chain. Ominously the door swung open to reveal a tiny, filthy cell. A man lay curled up on rags and hay in the corner. He looked up imploringly as she entered and she tried to squeeze her eyes shut but she couldn’t even look away. The man stood up on shaking legs and reached out to her, she glared at him and tried to scream but once again no sound came out. Then as she watched the hand he held out to her began to rot and decay. The decay spread across his body and face and soon only a skeleton was left and this soon crumbled into dust, until only one voice was left.

“You did this!” it intoned.

She span around but there was nothing there but glaring red eyes.

“Happy now?”

An enormous force pushed her back onto the pile of rags that the man had been on and the chains around her attached themselves to the wall keeping her there. A thousands hands began to paw at her. And cold voices called,

“Come to us, you didn’t help us, now it’s your turn. Come to us!”

Hermione sat up with a start, sweat covering her brow and her breathing coming in slow shallow gasps.

* * * * * *

Voldemort was sitting in a high backed ornate chair only half listening to the boring official standing nervously in front of him. Jai’mea lounged in her usual indolent manner in the corner and Keria had wound herself around a tall, young man. He was amused to note that it was Draco Malfoy, and that his expression was rather less sure of himself of late, and more smitten, the dark haired young woman seemed to have him completely wrapped around her little finger.

The official presenting the report coughed nervously and the papers in his hand rustled as his hands shook.

“A….As I was saying my Lord, the camps far north are becoming a liability. We have to leave too many people there to guard it and that is weakening our forces…”

“Decimate them,” commanded Voldemort shortly.

“And the muggles?”

“Either cram them into others or kill them I have no further use for them.”

“Ye…Yes my Lord.”

The long pause resonated in the room, seeming awkward and uncertain.

“Well?”

“My Lord, there was one more thing…”

Voldemort leaned forward in his seat glaring contemptuously at the man, “And?”

“The guards at the Lowden Manor reported hearing intruders two nights ago.”

“Two nights ago?” His voice was low and dangerous. “They heard an intruder in my most hidden dungeons TWO NIGHTS AGO AND YOU FAILED TO TELL ME?!”

The man shuddered and unconsciously took a step backwards. “I…I’m sorry my Lord, we…we did not think…”

“You never bloody think. I’m surrounded by imbeciles and incompetents.” He waved his wand almost idly at the man and seconds later his lifeless body was decorating the floor of the room. The guards at the door quickly moved forwards and removed him. Voldemort slumped back into the chair fuming with rage. Jai’mea sauntered forwards then her eyes alight and whispered something in his ears. Then silently they both left the room, leaving a less than stunned audience behind them.

“He’s doing that a lot lately,” murmured Keria.

“What?” asked Draco.

“Killing people for no reason.”

“He’s always done that. You may not have noticed but he doesn’t have the world’s greatest respect for human life. Besides, that particular idiot had it coming.”

“Agreed,” she smiled. “And I’m sure our Jai’mea can manage to relieve some of that stress that he’s feeling.”

Draco smirked, “Oh I’m sure. I imagine she’d be quite good at that!”

“Well I suggest you stop imagining and I start showing you how good I can be!”

“That sounds distinctly interesting!”

She grinned, pulled him down to kiss him soundly on the lips and then led him out of the room.

* * * * * *

Hermione paced backwards and forwards about the tiny cave room that had been her home for the past three months. No matter how many times she tried she could not seem to become the same animal when she transformed. So far she’d managed an owl, a tiger, a horse and a fish. That one had been singularly unsuccessful as you can’t imagine how hard it is to concentrate on the change whilst you can’t breathe though lack of water. It had come unnervingly close to ending her whole career.

“Okay, think Hermione, think! There must be a reason for this, there must.”

The book which she had got the directions for the potion from lay open at her feet, she had scoured it from end to end in the search for anything that might possibly give her some clue as to why this had happened, but there was nothing, no hint that it had ever happened before an no explanation why.

“I need Dumbledore, maybe he can help.”

She considered that for a moment, but the thought of facing Harry and Ron and everyone turned her stomach, she just couldn’t face anyone, not yet. She sat with her back against the wall breathing deeply and trying to calm herself.

“Okay, so no Dumbledore, but I need information, which means I need books and books means a civilised place with actual people.” She thought about that for a minute and no terror set in, so maybe strangers would be okay. “New York! It’s perfect, nobody will know me there, it’ll be like I was invisible and I can go to the wizarding library there which is supposed to be excellent, and I’m talking to myself again, probably not good!”

Packing took a surprisingly long time considering she had very few possessions with her. She found that it would actually be quite hard to leave the cave, it had been her home, her sanctuary for the past three months and she had become quite attached to the place. She looked down at herself, her clothes once clean and well cut looked grubby and old, so she got out her wand and transfigured them into a pair of neat new jeans, a plain white shirt and black jacket. Her possessions she shrank and then slotted into a new leather bag which swung at her shoulders. Her hair twirled itself up into a neat bun, although a few stray hairs did slip out to frame her face.

A few deep breaths later she vanished from the cave and visualised New York. Fortunately it was late night there and she was able to apparate to an alley in which there was only a rather startled looking tramp. He clutched his bottle of whiskey closer to his chest rubbed his eyes with one grimy hand and took off down the alley at a drunken stagger. She debated for a moment whether or not to chase him and modify his memory, but decided she couldn’t be bothered. Besides who’d believe the ramblings of a drunken tramp?

She shivered and clutched her thin jacket closer around her; she had forgotten that in the northern hemisphere it would be winter and therefore cold. Casting a furtive glance around she transfigured her jacket into a thick grey coat with fake fur collar.

She walked briskly through the streets, hand close to her wand and eyes alert for muggers and strange people, for some reason all the bad stories she’d ever heard about every big city surfaced in her mind and she was feeling rather nervous. It didn’t help that she’d have no human contact in months. She passed several seedy rundown motels before she got into the centre, but she avoided those and continued on, on ever hurrying steps towards a more reputable looking establishment. She found it in the shape of the Ritz.

“What the hell?” she thought, “I’ve been living in a cave for months I deserve a bit of luxury.” Taking a furtive look around she altered the neat jeans she was wearing to a long black skirt and her bag into a large leather suitcase and stepped into the building.

It was all she could do not to gawk at her surroundings. She felt very much like a country bumpkin from the back of beyond who’d never seen even a comfortable semi-detached let alone something like this. She’d always thought Hogwart’s had been amazing, but even the high vaulted ceilings and beautiful carvings had nothing on this place. The floor was highly polished mahogany and everything was spotless in deep forest greens and gold. Huge chandeliers cast golden shadows about the huge hall and two sweeping staircases framed the mahogany reception desk. A huge Christmas tree graced one corner bedecked in red and gold baubles and tinsel. She blinked as she realised that it was nearly Christmas. She hadn’t had any idea that it was so close. Taking that in took about three seconds and then with all the elegance she could muster she approached the desk. The young woman behind immediately stopped what she was doing and looked up with a bright smile on her face.

“Good evening, may I help you?”

“Good evening. I realise this is very last minute but I was wondering if there was a room I could take.”

“I think we have on, just a moment and I’ll check for you.”

“Thank you.”

“Yes we do have one room free, how long would you like to take it for Ma’am?”

Hermione stopped; she hadn’t even considered how long it would take. Thinking quickly she said, “Three weeks please.” Hopefully it wouldn’t take that long to find an answer but she could always use the extra time for a holiday. Anything to delay returning to England and the life she was desperately trying to hide from.

“Certainly, if you’ll just wait one moment I’ll ring for William to show you to your room. You’re lucky we had anything at all this close to Christmas, we had a cancellation this morning or you’d never have stood a chance!”

“I know, I’m ever so grateful. Thank you.” She put down her case and began to admire her surrongs ngs more fully, however it was not long until ‘William’ arrived and she followed him to a large and elaborately decorated elevator. It seemed to take forever to get to her floor and the counter kept ticking over, first floor, second floor, third floor. It finally stopped on the ninth floor, just below the penthouse suites, and she followed the tall young man down a wide, airy corridor. Her room when she entered it was large and comfortable. It was decorated in crimson and gold so she immediately felt at home and there was a large en suite bathroom also in those colours. She tipped the bellhop and ran a huge bubble bath, planning to wallow in it for as long as humanly possible.

* * * * * *

Harry sat slumped on a rather uncomfortable rock by the lake watching a very boring bird who was out long after dark. He felt distinctly miserable and cold, and decided that winter was probably not the best time if year for outdoor sitting. For years Sirius had been the only friend he had, they had been like family to each other, the only family either of them had had and now he’d have to share him. But he was beginning to feel rather sheepish about the whole affair, after all he did have Cho, and Sirius hadn’t sulked when that had happened. So he was starting to think that he should probably stop being childish and just be pleased for Sirius.

“Harry,” a voice called to him from the well kept lawn in front of the castle. It was Ron. “There you are,” he called spying Harry and making his way towards him. “Is this where you’ve been since you left?”

Harry nodded. “How come you left?” asked Ron.

“Didn’t feel like staying there,” he answered shortly.

“You should have done, Jo’s a laugh and Sirius is on his way to being really, really drunk. I was tempted to join him on the route to insensibility but I decided I should probably find you.”

Harry grunted.

“You don’t like her do you?” Ron asked knowingly.

“What gave you that idea?” he growled.

“Erm, let me see. You hardly said two words to her, didn’t even finish your firewhiskey and left within a few minutes as if your arse was on fire.”

“Was it that obvious?”

“Blindingly so, I think you offended the poor girl!”

Harry grunted, clearly unconcerned.

“Hey you should give her a chance. She’s really nice,” he paused and looked thoughtful, “Cute too…”

“Padma’ll carve out your tripes if she hears you talking like that.”

“Padma isn’t here,” he grinned.

“That’s a good point actually where us she?”

“At her parents, it should have been Parvati’s birthday today.”

“I’m sorry,”

Ron nodded. “Anyway, don’t change the subject this was about you being massively jealous of Joanne.”

“I am not…”

Ron just stared at him, the unspoken challenge lying open before them.

“Okay, so maybe a little. I’ve just never had to share him before.”

“But you have Cho though; doesn’t he deserve a little female company too?”

“Look I didn’t say it was rational okay?”

They sat there for a while in silence. The bird had returned and was now watching them curiously out of one eye, its head on one side disapprovingly as though they were disturbing it, before flying off again to join his family in a neat nest up in the tree behind them. It started to get colder and Ron began to shiver uncontrollably.

“Can we please go inside now, its bloody freezing out here?”

“Where do you suppose Hermione is right now?

“Somewhere warmer than this if she’s any sense, can we continue this inside?”

“You make it sound like you don’t even care what happens to her, she could be dead for all we know,” Harry snapped.

Ron looked startled, “Harry how can you say that? You know that I care for Hermione and am worried about her but right now there’s nothing we can do! And if we freeze to death then we can never do anything.”

Harry looked sullen. “Are you coming in or not?” Asked Ron, Harry shook his head. “Fine be like that, stay out here and sulk.” With that he turned his back and began to walk towards the castle.

“She should be here for Christmas.”

“I know,” Ron said without turning round, “But unless she turns up in the next week then she won’t be, and unfortunately there’s nothing we can do about it.”

“What if she’s dead?”

He turned to look at Harry, “She’s not dead and we both know it. Now are you coming in or not?”

Harry rose and silently followed Ron down to the glimmering lights of the castle.

* * * * * *

Hermione rose early next morning after an uneasy nights sleep, it had been a long time since she had slept in a soft bed and she wasn’t used to it. So she’d tossed and turned for hours before finally drifting off. She pulled back the heavy curtains and gazed down at the busy street far below. The New Yorkers were already out and about, heavy wrapped up against the bitter cold of the winter morning. Her hot breath steamed up the glass and she idly doodled patterns in it before crossing to the wardrobe to select some clothes that she had conjured up the night before. She selected a long black skirt and red blouse, with black knee high boots. Pulling them on quickly she left the room to get some breakfast, but found herself rather bemused by the splendour of the place and decided just to grab a snack from a deli on the way to the library.

The doorman hailed her a cab and she clambered in gratefully out of the cold, clutching her scarf to her face and her black purse to her chest.

“Where you goin’ ma’am?” asked the driver.

“The library please.”

“No problem,” he pulled slowly out into the hectic traffic of a city on the way to work.

It took about twenty minutes to get to what was probably the largest library that Hermione and ever seen, and that was saying something. The ornate entrance looked almost palatial and the seven floors were large enough to be basket ball courts if not bigger. She stepped inside and walked with what she hoped was an air of dignity rather than awed amazement. How many happy hours she could spend lost in here, buried under a vast pile of books and knowledge to obtain, and she hadn’t even reached the wizarding library yet. She promised herself that another time when she had found the answers to her questions she would return here and spend a few happy weeks or months dust gathering and obtaining knowledge.

More quickly now, having a great desire to begin her search for answers she made her way to the back of the library, hoping desperately that she could remember the instructions of how to get into the wizards library from here. Walking casually into the unisex toilets of the ground floor she went to the final cubicle which had an ‘Out of order’ notice on it. There were two women in there fixing their make-up and chatting, Hermione approached the cubicle but one stopped her.

“That one’s out of order hon,” she purred.

“Oh, so it is I hadn’t noticed. Thanks,”

“No problem, I don’t know when they’re going to fix it; it’s been like that for years. I guess the cheapskates just can’t be bothered.”

Hermione pulled a brush out of her back, forcing herself to make polite small-talk until the women went away. “You obviously come here a lot then?”

“I work here, and so does Genie, I’m Kate by the way.”

“Hermione.”

“So what you doing here?”

“Research,” she replied, this was turning out to be harder than she’d expected.

“Oh really, are you writing a book?”

Hermione nodded, forcing her mouth into a smile.

“Wow! I’d never be able to do that. I’ll look out for it!”

“Thanks.”

Finally the two women seemed happy with their (rather overdone in Hermione’s opinion) make-up. “Anyway, we’d best be getting back to work. Good luck with your book!”

“Thank you,” Hermione smiled again thinking, ‘God could I sound more retarded all I could say was thank you!’

The women finally gone Hermione stepped into the end cubicle and looked around, trying to remember what to do next. She drew her wand and tapped the wall before her, pale silver letters scrawled across the wall, ‘Please step forward and place you wand hand in the circle before you for admittance.’ She followed the instructions and seconds later the wall slid back revealing a spacious elevator which she quickly stepped into. The wall slid silently closed behind her and the lift began to move down. Seconds later the door opened again to reveal a library which was if possible more fantastical than the muggle one above. A small balding wizard stepped forward to greet her.

“Good Morning Ma’am, how may I assist you today?”

“Hello, I’m looking for information on the animagus transformation, but I’ve never been here before and I’m a little daunted.”

“Yes it is a rather off-putting place at first,” he said beginning to move and beckoning Hermione to follow, “Rather like a maze I always say. So looking into becoming an animagus are we?”

“Yes,” Hermione replied shortly.

“Well so long as everything is done properly you should have no problems, and there are several books detailing how to go about registering and everything too.”

“Thank you,” said Hermione.

“Well here we are,” said the librarian then. “The books about registration are down on the fifth floor. “Ar “Are all of these about the process?” asked Hermione looking rather daunted at the size of the aisle.”

“Factual ones on that side and fiction on the left,” he indicated. “I don’t know why they organise it like that it only confuses people, but I don’t go around telling the bosses what to do, I’m just the paid help and I keep my mouth shut. Anyway I’ll leave you to your work; there are desks just round the corner if you need them and comfy chairs in the quiet room to your right. Good luck.”

The talkative little man left then and Hermione looked at shelves in mournful resignation. She scanned the shelves to see if anything jumped out at her as being the right book.
Amazing Animagi of our time by Angelina Albatross
Secrets of the shape-change by Sophia Snail
Mastering the transfiguration of humans Christopher Moss
The Animagus: A complete history by Dave White
The A-Z of becoming an Animagus by Keith Ashley
None of them looked right but she grabbed the A-Z and the complete history and settled herself at a desk with a pen and paper determined to find something that would explain her erratic changes.



AN – Okay I’ve never been to New York so I have no idea if there is actually a hotel called the Ritz there or if the library is anything like I described, but it suited my purposes to have it so and that’s all that matters. Sorry it’s taken so long again but hopefully the next one will be quicker, although as I have exams now I can’t guarantee it, sorry!!!