The Prime Princess

Two house-elves went up the stairs and knocked on two bedroom doors. From one room Mushu heard a shout and from the other Sashu heard a squeal. It wasn’t a happy squeal. More like a yelp of surprise when discovering that time had run past so fast you hadn’t even noticed it.

Hermione stormed out into the corridor and almost stumbled over the house-elves. From the opposite door Harry burst out and tripped over Sashu.

“Aw!” complained Harry and got up.

“Breakfast,” said Mushu with a regal tone and snapped his fingers.
***
Master Balthazar didn’t accompany them but sent his house-elf Sashu with them. Hermione was quite upset when he only sent an owl to take a message of their arrival to Aristons and didn’t come with them personally to clear up everything.

Stepping outside into the snowstorm, Hermione looked back to the Vervain castle and spotted Draco Malfoy waltzing down the stairs. He wore a long white fur coat that made him almost invisible in the snow.

“What’s he doing here?” asked Harry through gritted teeth.

“He is coming with you,” snapped Draco and pulled the door of the coach open. “To see that you don’t screw anything up.”

“Ah, that’s lovely,” muttered Hermione and was about to get into the carriage when Draco shoved her aside.

“Mudbloods don’t get to ride in carriages,” sneered Draco and climbed inside.

“Argh! I hate you!” barked Hermione.
***
The ride through different Gates to a secluded area in a godforsaken place lasted long. Draco picked on Hermione for about two hours before he got bored and decided to get some sleep with a dozen of spells protecting him.

The twilight was fading when the coach stopped in front of a white tower growing out of a sharp mount of dark rocks. It went all the way up into the sky and seemed to support it like a pillar. A lone sentinel.

“We here now,” said the little house-elf and looked out of the window into the dark where the fort tower stood over them.

Hermione peered outside and caught Harry staring at her for a second or two.

“Aristons… your parents live here?” he asked in astonishment and cringed when the cold air hit his face when Sashu opened the door.

“I guess,” said Hermione who didn’t had any recollection of that place. Perhaps after loosing their daughter, Aristons had escaped from the rest of the world and moved to live in that… that prison! Then again they might have been locked up there to keep the world safe from Aristons wrath.

Hermione didn’t know why the carriage had brought them there but she was starting to realize that she wasn’t going to find her parents. Not those who she used to know.

Harry stepped out of the coach and helped Hermione out. Draco only poked his head out of the open door, huffed and pulled the door shut. He was not going to freeze his ass over them. Sashu waited for Harry and Hermione and started to move closer to the white tower.

“You know, Mione, this is a bit spooky,” said Harry and shivered from the cold. Tower glowed sinisterly in the dark and Harry really didn’t want to look at it.

“What is? It’s just a…” and she stumbled over house-elf who had stopped in his tracks.

“What?” asked Hermione and held out a hand to get Harry pulling her up but the hero was stunned. “Harry!” she yelled in annoyance and struggled out of the snow.

“Dragon!!!” squealed Sashu and hide behind Harry. Hermione turned around and looked at the white tower and then up into the dark sky.

“Bloody big dragon!!!” screamed Hermione over the deafening roar that was followed by a big fireball. A pale gray dragon stooped from the sky and swooped over their heads. Dragon’s scales shined like mercury in the light of its breath of fire.

“RUN!” shouted Harry who had some experiences with real dragons and that hadn’t been pleasant.

The silvery dragon returned for a second sweep and once again spitted fire on them. The snow sizzled from the heat and melted all around them when Harry and Hermione tried to escape from the dragon with the little squealing house-elf. The smell of burnt hair and clothes was strong and it made Hermione nauseas from the fear and not knowing why the dragon was attacking them.

Looking back at the white tower, tears came rolling down her cheeks from the smoke and from all the chaotic feelings that ran through her mind and body when running for her dear life. The dragon rose up into the sky and with a sharp twirl it came down again for the last time.

“YOU CAN NOT PASS!!!” bellowed the dragon and the puff of fire threw them away.
***
Rita Skeeter was looking for a new and striking story to write. She needed money and fast. Her days of writing gibberish were over but she still tended to write implausible stuff. The Quibbler was still that sort of magazine that would buy her stories. So she strolled around in Wizarding London and looked for something that would earn her some Galleons.

A Gate opened in midair and spewed out two figures onto the street into a heap of smoking bodies. A big screeching sign yelling: “IMPOSTERS!” was hovering above them and that got Rita’s attention.

“Oh, this is so gonna sell!” sang Rita with glee and danced closer. “So, what do we have here?” she asked and pulled Harry up. Seeing it was The-Boy-Who-Lived, Rita’s smile broadened even wider.

“Harry Potter! And who is your little friend?” inquired Rita and heaved Hermione to her feet. Examining her sooty face, she finally recognized her as Hermione Granger.

“Oh, this is just fabulous! Come on, come on, lets get you cleaned up and you can tell me everything why you went to bother Aristons. You did go to look for them, didn’t you? I saw the crest on that Gate so don’t try to deny that. So, darlings, I believe Mad Moocher is the right place,” babbled Rita Skeeter and dragged them into the nearest tavern.

After getting cleaned up and healed, Harry and Hermione sat into a table with Rita and ordered something light to eat and something strong to drink.

“I am the lost Ariston heir!” couldn’t Hermione hold her tongue after few drinks and just blurted it out. Rita watched her carefully and then took out her notepad and a quill.

“And how do you know that?” she asked sweetly and scribbled down every word Hermione said.

“Do you know anything about parallel universes and alternative lives?” asked Hermione for starters, “Well, I’m not exactly from around. I’m from another world where I was Ariston. I was beautiful and engaged to Lucius Malfoy.”

Rita put her quill down and gawked at Hermione who went on describing her life as an Ariston.

“Engaged? Twice?” asked Rita to confirm the answer Hermione had given. Harry next to her was silent and prayed Rita wouldn’t take her seriously because her fairytale started to sound a lot like lunatic fantasy.

“Ah-ah, and you really did that? Interestingly fabulous. In what galaxy exactly?” The interview went on and on until all the guests of Mad Moocher had got up to their rented rooms and four house-elves started to clean up the place.

“The dragon attacked us and we ended up here,” finished Hermione telling her story and looked at Rita who was grinning like a Cheshire cat.

“Oh, you poor soul,” cooed Rita and patted her hand, “I’m sure this article will catch your real parents’ attention and make them believe in your authenticity.”
***
On the next morning an owl tapped onto the window of Mad Moocher’s room number 5. Hermione got up with a hangover and opened the window to let the postal owl inside. The Quibbler was wrapped around the bird’s leg. Hermione untied it and put some money into the pouch owl was carrying and send the bird on its way.

“Harry! The mail came!” called Hermione out and rolled the magazine open. On the cover was some snooty wizard followed by large article on the first and second page. Then came something boring about some unheard creatures living under the floorboards. Getting to the page 15 she found the article she was looking for.

“Oh my god,” whispered Hermione in shock as she let eyes drift over words. Harry stepped into the room and spotted Hermione gasping under the window and holding a magazine with shaking hands.

“So, what’s it say?” he asked and wanted to see the article but Hermione hided it behind her back.

“Nothing,” said Hermione and was about to run off with the magazine but Harry was swifter and snatched it from her hand.


SANE INSANITY

Written by Rita Skeeter

On yesterday late evening two our most famous heroes were thrown out the Gate of Aristons into Wizarding London gutter. Harry Potter (17) and Hermione Granger (17) had attempted to get an audience with Aristons but the Guard of the White Tower saw through their deception and threw them out.

To get some insight of their crazy plan, I, Rita Skeeter (32), got them off the street and into a cozy tavern to look after the poor souls. The Guard had injured them greatly but I was able to save their lives. Later on Hermione Granger told me her story of why they had gone to meet the Aristons.

The war with He Who Must Not Be Named left the world and Hermione Granger’s mind into wreckages. She was in St. Mungo for over five months and only a week ago she finally woke up from the coma she was in.

Coming to her senses after so long sleep, she convinced herself and her best friend Harry Potter that she is the lost heir of Aristons. She truly thinks she is an Ariston come here from another world to save the humankind from the danger of Ancients.

Hermione Granger even went so far that she arranged a meeting with Balthazar, the 7th. She successfully fooled him and got him to organize an appointment with the Aristons. Sadly there our heroes’ crusade ended.

For many years young witches have presented themselves as the lost Ariston but never gotten further than any of their successors until Hermione Granger proved to be a cunning imposter. Her insanity probably fooled everyone by displaying a great knowledge of Aristons’ family history but her big fantasy took her even farther. Hermione Granger invented a whole world where she was Hermione Electra Rhiannon Ariston and people worshipped her. In that little world of hers she was a princess getting married with Lucius Malfoy and saving the world in far galaxies. She calls herself Rage Walker and the Reaper who has the power to stop the end of the world.

Harry Potter showed up the most concern for his friend and confirmed that he only went along with her insane plan to keep an eye on her and protect her from danger.

“That’s what best friends do,” said Harry and promised to get some psychological help for Hermione. –

Hermione couldn’t look at Harry when he read the article with a wry impression on his pale face. Rita Skeeter had written it like she really was insane and belonged into a madhouse. She felt horrible that she had taken Harry with her into that mess and soiled his good reputation after it had cleansed from all the lunacy signs displayed in media.

“Harry, I’m so sorry,” whispered Hermione, “I thought this could help but I only made it all worse.”

“No,” said Harry and Saga in unison.

“No, you didn’t,” said Saga stepping out of Void. Hel stood in shadows behind her with Branwen.

“You only made it easier for us to find you,” told Saga with a soft smile. Harry stared at the Time Walker and dropped the magazine.

“You… you look just like Mione!” gasped Harry. Saga turned to look at him and her smile turned icy. She already saw the future and past changing before her eyes.

“I’m sorry for your loss,” she said and turned to Hermione who was happy to see her for once in her life. Saga being there only proved she wasn’t insane after all.

“Excuse me?”

“Hermione, we lost all of you,” said Saga and hided her sadness when she recalled the battle where everything had gone wrong.

“Titan?” asked Hermione with growing fear.

“Ancients devoured all on board.”

“Death lurks in your footsteps, Hermione,” said Hel with her ragged voice from the dark, “So be careful where you step.”

“Then take me to when I lost my Switcher,” told Hermione without hesitation.
***
Darkness was filled with growling, barking and hissing. The cold crept into her mind and froze all her thoughts when Hermione stepped out of the Void.

A Mirkhound launched at her with open jaws full of sharp teeth.

“Caedo!” came a shout and a red flash killed the Cu Sith. Hermione looked around and recognized the interior of an Ancients’ ship. And suddenly there were all the Ancients themselves. Hermione help up her wand and charged through the mass of life sucking creatures to the blond fighting alone.

There it was! The gap why she had lost him!

“Draco!” yelled Hermione and cleared her way from Mirkhounds and Ancients. Draco raised his eyes from one of his targets and noticed Hermione approaching him. She looked weird.

“What?” mumbled Draco when she reached to him and grabbed at his wrist.

“Where am I? I mean Hermione. And Blaise?” she demanded and Draco pointed over the thick wall of Ancients surrounding them.

“Somewhere there,” he said but didn’t sound very sure.

“Come on!” tugged Hermione and dragged him with her in the direction he had just showed. A bright blue wave of old magic brushed past them and all the Ancients coming onto them fell to the ground and turned into dust but new ones took over their place.

“It’s not enough,” muttered Hermione and shot half a dozen of powerful Killing Curses to clear their path and braced herself for another wave of magic that almost blew her off of her feet.

“Draco! Get a move on!”

Finally getting into the great chamber where the Reaper and Blaise stood backs together and fought off the Ancients. Hermione remembered that and also what came.

Draco wanted to yank himself free of her grip but seeing the Reaper in trouble made him change his mind.

“Come!” barked Hermione and with Draco they rushed shooting curses through the crowd to the Reaper and Blaise. Another surge of crisp magic flashed over them giving them a clear homerun.

Hermione held tightly at Draco’s wrist when she reached to her own self and grabbed at her breastplate. The Reaper looked down on her with astonishment.

“You, me, them – one,” hissed Hermione and felt the link being reconnected. The Reaper no longer lost. She no longer died and her soul never left to find another empty body. Hermione smiled when the history rewrite itself and she dissolved into nothingness.

Hermione Granger died in St. Mungo at 1.43 AM on January 5th. She was buried next to her parents.