Work Text:
Erinyes
Dawn in the Great Hall slowly brightened the enormous room. Sunlight dimly shone through the enchanted ceiling, bringing the room to life. The four House tables ran the length of the Hall and glimmered in the light. The stone floor was worn smooth from many hundreds of years of use. The walls were hung with banners showcasing the four Founders – Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff and Salazar Slytherin.
The torches began to flicker out as the sun rose. At the Gryffindor table, a solitary figure sat reading a book, seemingly unaware of the room around her. As the other students and staff wandered into the Hall, several events happened simultaneously.
~~~
Headmaster Albus Dumbledore took his seat on the throne-like chair in the center of the Head table. He glanced down at the young first year Gryffindor reading at the table and could see the power eddying around her. His mouth watered at the display, and his covetous nature began scheming on how to acquire it for himself.
As the headmaster plotted, the Defense Against Dark Arts professor Quirinus Quirrell slunk into the Hall from the staff entrance. He was also drawn to the power surrounding Hermione Granger. As he slid into his seat, his master, Lord Voldemort, currently residing in the back of his head, began hissing instructions to him.
Potions Master professor Severus Snape wearily settled into his chair, uncomfortably sandwiched between the two treacherous men. He had been up most of the night brewing for the Hospital Wing, and he wished he could just sleep in. Between the Dark Mark tying him to one Master and an oath to another, he felt constantly stretched to his limits.
He noticed both Dumbledore and Quirrell were focused on a student, and he groaned internally when he realized it was the know-it-all Hermione Granger. However, the longer he observed the situation, the more confused he became. Granger’s appearance began to flicker subtly – he needed to watch closely to notice the changes taking place. Her bushy curls grew and shrank in a continuous cycle, looking like they were withering. They also glowed a luminous shade of honey before fading back into her normal chocolate curls. Snape blinked at the changes he observed, although most people in the Great Hall remained ignorant.
He could only hope the headmaster hadn’t noticed anything unusual, as Dumbledore would then demand that Severus obtain, maim or kill depending on the situation. His hopes were in vain, as Albus rose to stride determinedly towards the Gryffindor table.
~~~
“Miss Granger, a word, if you please,” Dumbledore tried to keep his voice polite and a twinkle visible in his eyes.
The little firstie sighed silently in annoyance that she would be unable to finish her reading. She looked up at the headmaster, eyes blazing gold instead of her normal amber. “No.” Hermione turned back to her book.
Albus gaped at her for a full moment. No one, no one, said ‘no’ to him.
“I really must insist,” he attempted to regain (in his mind), the upper hand.
Hermione closed her book gently and set it aside. She took a deep breath, “You have an appointment with my aunties, so I am afraid there just won’t be time for a chat.”
Dumbledore look confounded, “Your aunties?”
The Granger girl fluidly rose to her feet, looking less like a girl, and more like a fully grown woman. “The Erinyes, they wish to speak to you about your many sins and manipulations. And don’t try running, my Father’s hounds will just track you down. I don’t recommend it.”
With a scoff, Albus looked at the girl turned woman. “I don’t answer to anyone. And your father is a dentist, I doubt he can do much.”
By this point, both Severus and Quirinus had drifted closer to the conversation, each for their own reasons. Quirrell heard the last bit and jumped to the erroneous conclusion that Albus was successful in tapping into the girl’s power. Vexed, he began plotting on how to pull that power for himself. Severus was bound by oath to heed Dumbledore’s bidding and had been pulled to Albus’ side.
The doors to the Great Hall slammed open and two large hell-hounds bounded into the room. Hermione smiled, “Meet Barghest and Scylla, two of my Father’s hell-hounds. You may try to run, but you will not get very far.”
Albus was flummoxed for a moment, the in a loud voice called, “Fawkes.” There was burst of red and gold as his phoenix familiar flew into the Hall. Dumbledore grinned, he would be able to outwit these dogs, there was no way they were real hell-hounds.
Hermione tilted her head back and laughed, “Boys, fetch.” The hounds leaped forward as Dumbledore held his arm out for Fawkes to land on. However, the phoenix instead flew to Hermione to perch on her shoulder. She made a gesture and Albus was encased in a clear bubble, which he pounded on uselessly from the inside. Barghest and Scylla leaped up to place their large paws on the bubble and in a flash, the hounds, the bubble and Dumbledore disappeared with a soft pop.
The other professors ran up, gibbering over one another.
“Miss Granger, what is the meaning of this?” demanded Professor Minerva McGonagall. Then she comprehended Hermione’s altered appearance. “Child, what has happened to you?”
“Yes, Miss Granger, explain yourself,” Severus drawled.
Hermione glanced between her professors. “Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore has been summoned by the Erinyes for judgement.”
Professor McGonagall’s legs threatened to give out, “The Erinyes? Judgement? Surely not, Albus is the leader of the light.”
Severus snorted, “He was no saint.” He would have said more, but he was still bound by his vow.
A quirk of a smile flashed across Hermione’s face, “Very true.” She turned back to McGonagall, “This is my truest form here on Earth, professor. And I still have some business to attend to.”
Chattering broke out amongst the other professors and Quirrell decided to retreat and try another day. He started to edge away, when the girl made another gesture and his turban went flying. Screams filled the air as the people around him realized he had two faces – one on the front and one on the back of his head.
Students at each House table were pointing at Quirrell as questions were shouted out from all sides.
“He has two faces!” someone called from Hufflepuff.
A Ravenclaw wanted to know, “What happened to him?”
One of the Slytherins heckled, “I didn’t think he was capable of anything!”
“How did this happen?” came from Gryffindor.
Hermione straightened up, “Tom Marvolo Riddle, you are hereby summoned by my Lord Father, Hades, King of the Underworld to face judgement for your many sins.”
The face on the back of Quirrell’s head began to hiss, hoping to summon help from his snake Nagini or the basilisk sleeping under the castle. Hermione clenched her fist, and Quirinus Quirrell was raised up in the air choking and the hissing ended abruptly. However, he still managed to rasp, “I will return, Death cannot hold me.”
When Hermione smiled at him, it was not a kind smile. “You mean your horcruxes?” She twisted her fist and a pile of items appeared – a locket, a cup, a diadem, a diary, a ring, a large snake and an astounded Harry Potter. He winced and rubbed his forehead where his infamous scar resided. Smoke oozed from the pile and his scar as Potter screamed.
Riddle cackled, “I have more than those trinkets to aide me!” He tried to twist towards the Potions Master. “Snape, kill her.”
Before Severus could even raise his wand, golden light washed over him. Hermione began to chant in Ancient Greek, “Lord Father, I beseech thee to hear my prayer. I beg of you to release these unsightly blemishes from this man. I humbly request your assistance in removing his vows, that he might be free to choose his own path.”
Severus arched his back in soundless agony as his Dark Mark and vows to both Riddle and Dumbledore were purged from him. At the same time, Voldemort was shouting obscenities and promising retribution.
Barghest and Scylla came bounding back into the Great Hall, just as ropes bound Quirrell, and they latched onto the ends of the rope and pulled his screaming form into the Abyss.
As the dust settled, Potter looked around at the smoking remains of Voldemort’s horcruxes, then up at Hermione, “What the hell, Hermione?” he shouted and then fainted.
Hermione smiled gently at Severus, “Shall we take a walk, Professor? I have an offer for you from my Lord Father.”
The Potions Professor looked gobsmacked, “Me?”
With a bell-like laugh, Hermione replied, “Yes, you!”
“If it pleases you, My Lady,” Severus offered smoothly.
“Please, call me Hermione,” she winked at him.
“Then, it is Severus,” he was flustered – had any witch ever winked at him?
He held out his hand gallantly and Hermione placed hers in his grip. They walked away from the mess in the Great Hall, leaving the other professors to figure out how to clean up.
End