The Prime Princess

Hermione sat in Double Potions and brew one very difficult tonic. Professor Snape was watching her every move while ordering griffindors to stop wasting his time. Blaise measured dried toad powder into his cauldron and checked the notes before adding some lizard tails.

“So, what’s it gonna be?” asked Hermione to distract herself from the smell.

“Uh, well, a facial mask. Very good for the skin,” told Blaise and stirred the goo in his cauldron.

“I’m sure. Does it take the skin off completely?”

“Er, if you put it that way… I believe it’s a good treatment for the warts and all,” said Blaise and flinched when Snape suddenly materialized besides him.

“How is it going?” asked the Potion Master and glared at the gray substance.

“Fine.”

“It should be green. A very beautiful shade of green,” said Snape and went on with inspection looking at Hermione’s cauldron. “Ah, see, here’s something perfect for a change,” he grinned and congratulated Hermione who really didn’t want to look at him. She had received another letter from Lucius with loads of roses and gifts. She had meant to send it all back but had been too busy with too boyfriends attacking her in every possible moment.

“Uh, something perfect,” mocked Carmen and grinded her teeth, “Perfect? From which end?”

“Camme? Are you okay? You’ve been acting strange?” asked Harry.

“Oh, yes. I’m gonna be okay from now on. Just wait and see,” she giggled maniacally and poured something into her cauldron that did poof.

Hermione stirred her tonic that suddenly turned bright red and then started to bubble. Soon it was boiling over the edge and everything it touched, was scorched and burnt away. Some of it got onto her fingers and instantly they were disintegrated. Howling from pain, she pushed Blaise away from the oncoming acid potion that ate away the table and floorboards.

“Everyone out of the class!” yelled Hermione and rushed out.
***
In the Hospital Wing Hermione laid on a bed and wondered why her foresight hadn’t predicted that accident. Had she lost her gift? Madam Pomfrey patched up her hand and told her to stay there for a day at least so she could look how her hand was doing. Growing back limbs and missing body parts was painful and took some time.

“Sush, be quiet,” hissed someone from darkness. Hermione closed her eyes and pretended sleeping.

“You’re waking everyone up.”

“You want me to zap them?”

“No, just…”

“Ah, there she is!”

Hermione knew those voices. And she had dreaded to hear them again. From the shadows three figures appeared and stepped closer. Hermione opened her eyes and looked at her doppelgangers. Saga, Branwen and Hel. All three Marshal.

“Good evening,” murmured Saga and inspected her hand in bandages.

“What are you doing here?” demanded Hermione in a hushed voice.

“Oh, we wanted to see our little sister,” grinned Branwen and her sharp teeth sparkled in the dark.

“The world is ending again,” illuminated Hel gruffly.

“Ah,” made Hermione, “So that’s why you came here,” she snorted and lay back down. “Not interested.”

“You are the Rage Walker, the Reaper. You have obligations for the Multiverse,” announced Saga drastically.

“Still not interested,” said Hermione simply.

“Would you like to see the end?” asked the Wraith Walker and threatened to make her see horrible things.

“Or would you like to be the end?” asked Hel.

Hermione didn’t want to do anything with it. She was so exhausted from the idea that she’d be going into a battle again and fight for all the right reasons.

“So, what is it now?” she finally asked.

“Ancients have tracked down the whole Atlantis Fleet.”
***
Carmen and Ginny sneaked into the Hospital Wing and watched out for Madam Pomfrey. The ex-Head Girl couldn’t keep back her giggles.

“I can’t believe we are actually doing this,” hissed Ginny in excitement. Carmen crept on until she found the bed with Hermione in it. She was sleeping and that suited well. Carmen pulled out her wand and the handbook.

“Okay, this is going to be interesting,” murmured Carmen and pointed her wand at Hermione, ready to say the hex.

“NOOO!” screamed Hermione, waking up from her nightmare. Carmen froze and then ducked under her bed, pulling Ginny along. Crawling into hiding, Carmen cursed that moment.

Madam Pomfrey rushed to Hermione.
***
Harry and Ron sat in the Griffindor Common Room and played cards with Quinn twins. They should have been studying and writing essays but since Carmen wasn’t there to make them do that, they just hanged around.

“Where’s Camme anyway?” asked Ron who had finally noticed that the bushy haired witch was missing. Taira raised the bets by another ten Knuts.

“I don’t know. In the Library?” guessed Harry whose girlfriend was missing also.

“No,” said Tora and dealt some cards to her sister. “They went to the Hospital Wing.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know but they looked fine to me. So, perhaps they went to see someone,” said Tora and looked at her cards.

“But there’s no one there they could…” started Ron and calculated his chances to actually get his money back.

“Hermione!” snapped Harry.

“What? That snob?” asked Taira in confusion.

“Camme has a grudge,” said Harry and stood up, “I win.”

“What?”

“Full House. Read and weep,” announced Harry and put his cards on the table. Twins looked at them and tried to figure out a way to say he got it wrong. Somehow he had pulled it off and was shoving their money into his pockets.

“We want a rematch!” twins announced.

“Yeah,” said Harry and went up the stairs to retrieve his invisibility cloak. Ron waited him downstairs and when Harry came back, he went with him to the Hospital Wing.

“Do you think…”

“Oh, I don’t think, I know she’s up to something,” said Harry and unfolded his cloak and draped it over Ron and himself.
***