Chapter Text
Hermione shook him awake. “Harry, come on, you need to wake up!”, she said firmly as he was shaken within an inch of his life.
“I’m up, I’m up”, he muttered. “What is it now?” He dreaded to think what new disaster awaited them now. Everything was so fucked. He felt like giving up every single day. Harry was tired. His head played a loop of why me why us why this why now why why why why why. Surviving each day was a miracle; waking up for a new day, a blessing. It never felt like it, though.
He could see Ron was already awake, standing with his arms crossed behind Hermione. He was looking around the room passively. Numb. And Harry knew it wasn’t just him. They were all tired. Spirits were at an all-time low and dread and fear consumed their every waking moment.
He started to look around, himself. Where were they? It was an alcove of some kind. Dark and dusty, and quite small, with a large wooden door that occupied most of the wall space. They fell asleep in their tent in the forest, like they had the past couple of nights. But now they woke up here, wherever here was. He tried to retrace the previous day’s events. There had been nothing special about the day before, at least not that Harry could remember. Were they kidnapped? Being held prisoners? Was it all over?
He was brought out of his catastrophizing by Hermione calling his name. He looked up at her. “Harry, focus. We need to find out where we are, who brought us here and most importantly, why.”
They shared a look. He could see it etched into their expressions – Whatever the reason may be, it can’t be good.
She raised her wand defensively and nodded to them to do the same. She very slowly pushed open the large door and gasped. Harry pushed the door further open. Huh? They were in Hogwarts. They exited the dusty space, right into the Great Hall. How was this possible? The alcove was just off to the side of the Great Hall’s leftmost wall, near the Slytherin table. How had they never noticed it before?
Harry was stunned. How were they in Hogwarts? They shared a heavy look, and stood for a moment, just taking it in. The Great Hall was grand and beautiful, soft morning sunlight coming in through the windows, the floating candles bouncing lightly near the clear roof. The long dining tables for the houses stood empty, as did the High Table near the back of the room. Hermione’s eyes shone with emotion, and he knew his must have looked just like hers. Even Ron’s numb look had softened into something akin to contentedness. It was home, at last. And whatever nefarious reason whoever brought them here had, he couldn’t help but feel relieved to be home, even if it might be the last time.
Wands still at the ready, they ventured out into the halls.
* * *
The castle was empty. Strangely, the tension he had felt during those last few months at Hogwarts was gone. The place felt peaceful and quiet. Quietness that came from comfort, rather than fear.
They hadn’t encountered anyone yet, but Harry could feel they weren’t alone and so he kept his wand on hand. Neither Ron and Hermione had lowered their wands as they walked through familiar corridors.
They had been wandering for a while when they reached the Clocktower Courtyard door, and they finally came across other students. A girl and a boy. The girl was sitting on the floor with her knees drawn up to her chest. She had her right hand knotted into the blades of grass beside her, alternating between caressing them and bunching them up, ripping them from the ground. Her head rested on her knees and was turned towards the boy. Her blonde hair fell in waves over her knees. He was also sitting on the floor, with his legs bent and most of his body weight resting on his right hand. His hair was a dirty blonde and his eyes were milky grey, his gaze lost as if looking out at nothing.
They seemed engrossed in their conversation and mostly unaware of their surroundings and the three students spying at them from the door. Harry considered them. The girl laughed softly and the boy smiled. They were too aloof to be their captors. They looked… well, normal. Their laughter was intimate and familiar, in a way that made Harry ache for better times.
They looked young as well, perhaps in the same year as Harry himself. But wouldn’t he know them if they were? Or at least had seen them before? They were completely unfamiliar to Harry, and looking over at Hermione and Ron, they weren’t ringing any bells for them either.
Once again, they retreated behind the Courtyard door.
Surprisingly, Ron spoke first. “What do we do now? Everything seems… fine.”
“Everything…?”, Hermione looked at him in complete disbelief. “Everything does not seem fine, Ron. Who were those people out there? Why is the castle empty?”
Harry interjected softly, “Why is it warm? It’s December.”
Ron and Hermione looked at him with wide eyes. They knew he was right. It really was unseasonably warm. In fact, it was not only warm, but sweltering. Just how long had they been unconscious?
“Maybe it’s a December heatwave, and maybe those kids are just students we happen not to know. I don’t know, maybe the war ended while we were in the forest. Is that really so unbelievable?” Ron argued, his eyes wild.
Yes, Harry thought. It was purely wishful thinking. And Ron knew it, too – even if he didn’t want to accept it. Harry could see he was already getting angry. His temper was shorter than usual these days. It was almost as if his emotional expression had been reduced to anger and numbness.
“Those are a lot of maybes, Ron,” Harry argued back. Everything he said lately seemed to earn a glare from Ron. He didn’t hold it against his oldest friend, though. They’ve all been under a lot of pressure.
Hermione’s voice was tentative and hesitant. “Harry’s right, Ron.”
She knew better than anyone that Ron was struggling. She held onto his shoulders delicately and searched his gaze. “It would be wonderful if those things were true. But the chances of that are slim. Deep down, you know that.”
She held his jaw and raised his head. “I know you know.”
And just like that, the illusion was broken. Ron’s face lost expression. His gaze turned lost and he subtly shrugged off Hermione’s hands. She looked at him for a moment longer, before sighing and turning back to Harry.
“Someone brought us here. They took us and kept us who knows where for months and now they've brought us back to Hogwarts.” She looked between them. “No matter how harmless it all may seem now, remember where we were last night. Someone did this to us.”
“Maybe it’s a dream,” Harry said softly. “A collective dream or a fantasy of sorts, and we’re back at the camp site, just… asleep.” Even Ron looked consideringly at Harry, but his expression remained flat. “Or… What if we’re dead? We were ambushed and killed and this is the afterlife.”
Would it really be so bad? No more hiding, no more fighting. Just frolicking around Hogwarts for eternity. Wouldn’t that be nice…
Hermione’s stare turned fierce and she raised her voice, “We’re not dead.” Harry looked back at the people outside. They were still talking in quiet voices, unaware of them.
“Listen,” Harry started, “We need to do something. We can’t keep standing here forever. Let’s talk to those students. Either they attack us or they talk to us, and either of those outcomes can shed some light onto whatever is going on.” Ron shrugged and Hermione seemed to consider him.
She tilted her head side to side and mouthed silent words to herself, as if weighing our options. After a long pause, she sighed. It seemed, she too felt as bone tired as Harry did. “You’re right. Maybe they know something. If nothing else, even their reactions could be helpful. If we really have been missing for 6 months, Harry’s disappearance would have been all over the Daily Prophet. If that’s the case, they’ll be surprised to see us. Right?”
Harry nodded vigorously. “Definitely, we only have things to gain from going over there. Just keep your wands close and be ready for a fight.”
Harry and Ron put their wands up their sleeves; Hermione put hers inside her jacket pocket and kept her hand inside. They approached the duo with soft footsteps. The boy, who had been mid-sentence, stopped talking and tilted his head. He turned to them, but his eyes looked through them, unseeing. Eyes that were not only grey, as he surmised from a distance, but completely hazy. He’s blind.
Harry couldn’t help but be surprised. The only blindness he’d been exposed to was Mad-Eye Moody, and even still, he could see to some extent. What would life as a wizard be like for this boy, being completely blind?
The girl, noticing her companion’s sudden silence, turned golden hazel eyes in their direction. She startled, as if not expecting anyone to actually be there.
“Oh, hello there,” she said softly. Her voice was light and airy and pleasantly melodic.
“We’ve barely run into anyone these past few days. I seem to have forgotten Ominis and I aren’t completely alone.” She motioned to the boy beside her. Ominis? What sort of name was that? Who named their child Ominis? The boy beside her remained silent, and Harry had a nagging feeling that he was being assessed.
Harry looked over her face. She looked friendly, if a bit puzzled by their presence. Her eyes scanned over them with a slightly furrowed brow. He knew they looked rough. Clothes rumpled and dirty, hair frizzy and dry, the bags under their eyes mottled purple.
He couldn’t sense any maliciousness behind her eyes. Strangely enough though, he couldn’t see any recognition from her.
She continued with a nervous laugh, “I was under the impression we knew all the students present at Hogwarts during Summer holidays, but it seems there is more to discover,” she finished with a bemused smile.
Summer holidays? So it was summer. They were unaccounted for for 6 whole months. Harry felt oddly devastated. Anything could have happened in half a year. He already felt that he had sunk so much time into literally fighting the forces of evil and not living his life, but getting 6 months taken away from him hurt. And no one was allowed to stay in Hogwarts during the summer. He knew this better than anyone, as he would have chosen to stay every year. Maybe they changed the rules after the events of the past year?
More importantly though, what happened in those 6 months? Everything seemed calm. The pair in front of them didn’t look particularly stressed. Maybe their wishful thinking wasn’t so wishful? Was the war over? Had the Order found a way to defeat Voldemort without the Deathly Hallows?
He frowned and opened his mouth to ask, but Hermione cut him off, speaking first.
“Well, we debated whether we should stay… It’s been an eventful year,” she said pointedly. The girl nodded, agreeing with her. “We thought it might be relaxing to stay together for the summer break.” Hermione smiled. Harry knew it was a fake smile, a bit watery and trembling around the edges, but he hoped it wasn’t too noticeable for the blonde duo.
“Quite right… There is something comforting about Hogwarts, do you not think? As long as one does not venture out too far from the castle, of course.” She said mischievously with a wink in their direction. The boy beside her narrowed his eyes. He looked disapproving, as if he wanted to say something, but refrained.
“Unfortunately, I was not left with much choice. As much as I have attempted to get up to speed, I am still leagues behind my classmates. The professors believe I need to follow a more aggressive lesson plan, or I will not be able to keep up. Some of them have graciously stayed at Hogwarts this summer to assist me in this matter,” she finished sheepishly. Her companion extended his arm and landed his hand on the girl’s shoulder, squeezing comfortingly. She sent a quick smile in his direction.
The girl looked embarrassed, and Harry couldn’t blame her. He imagined one must be a truly atrocious student to have teachers stay over the summer to tutor you. His brain provided a gnarly image of a one-on-one study session with Snape screaming instructions in rapid succession and Harry cringed. Nightmare.
Harry noted her speech was prim and proper. Posh, but not necessarily snobbish.
“I must admit I am content with the outcome, regardless.” She continued softly. “I think I have spent enough time out of Hogwarts, and every opportunity to be here should be taken advantage of.”
“Why have you spent time out of Hogwarts?” Harry blurted out. He knew it was a mistake as soon as he said it. Hermione tensed next to him. This pulled a frown on the blonde boy’s face and a look of surprise on the girl.
“Well, Eloise, you’ve finally found someone who hasn’t been regaled with tales of the new fifth year,” the boy drawled haughtily. If Harry didn’t know better, it almost sounded derisive, but the pair was obviously close as she didn’t take offense. He was fishing for a reaction from them, and Harry wished he could surmise what reaction that was.
She chuckled nervously. An awkward silence settled over them, but Harry was lost in thought. A new fifth year? Surely, they would have heard something about a new fifth year student? Though, Harry thought, with being out of Hogwarts and a whole war going on, this is small potatoes. Had that ever happened before? He scoured his brain for answers, only to come up short.
“It’s no matter. I’m Eloise, and this is Ominis. We’re pleased to make your acquaintance. What are your names?”
It was Harry’s turn to be surprised. He didn’t get asked his name often.
“I’m Harry.” There was no reaction at all. Their faces showed blank politeness. “Harry Potter?” he inquired.
There was no reaction at all. Their faces showed blank politeness. “And this is Hermione and Ron”, he finished while gesturing to his friends. If they were surprised by the lack of recognition, they didn’t show it. Ron still sported a furrowed brow and a frown, while Hermione still had a fake smile plastered on her face. Merlin, they must have looked insane. Straight out of the Mental ward at St. Mungo’s.
The girl, Eloise, nodded to them with a smile. Her companion nodded his head once in acknowledgment. She offered them a seat on the pebbled floor. “Join us. I was just telling Ominis about my last trip to Irondale.”
Hermione sat with her legs crossed. “Oh?”
Harry and Ron followed suit.
“As I was saying, a merchant gentleman, Pádraic Haggarty, was sure that his sister Catrin was behind the theft of a family heirloom, so I promised I would take charge and look into the issue for him. It turns out, the thief was the Irondale Pilferer, which was of course none other than a Niffler.” She flourished her hands.
Harry stole a glance over at Hermione. Her mouth was pursed in confusion. Harry couldn’t help but commiserate. Irondale was miles away from Hogwarts. He wasn’t even sure if they were allowed that far from the castle. Even getting to Hogsmeade was a highly supervised affair. Maybe the girl was one of those people who exaggerated everything. Like Malfoy or even Gilderoy Lockhart.
Now that he thought about it, he didn't really explore much beyond Hogwarts. He wondered if that would be the same, under different circumstances.
He tuned back into her story. She talked animatedly, with small hand gestures she used to emphasize her points.
“…Of course, finding it required decimating an Ashwinder camp and honing into my capturing skills, but it was well worth it. Haggarty was shocked Catrin wasn’t responsible, and I didn’t have the heart to tell him I had encountered her with at an Ashwinder tent weeks back. Not only had they kidnapped a child and killed his father, but were holding clandestine Dragon fights, of all things.”
Her smug grin turned lopsided.
The boy, Ominis, snorted beside her. “Well, one thing is certain – Haggarty won’t have problems with his sister any longer, if she was left in your capable hands.”
Harry noticed that the boy’s tone was often sarcastic. That must get annoying over time. The girl didn’t seem to mind.
“Oh, and I was able to acquire a Phoenix feather at a greatly discounted price. Which I then gifted to Professor Hecat for consideration on my detention for catching me arriving back at the Castle after curfew.” She finished, looking satisfied with herself.
“Detention? I was under the impression Professor Hecat so was taken with your duelling skills that a detention was completely off the table.”
Harry was sure he had lost the plot. Maybe he really was dead.
“Quite.” She nodded, but seemed suddenly distracted. She didn’t address him further.
She turned to them with an inquisitive look. “Do you enjoy Professor Hecat’s Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons?”
Who? Harry was more weirded out by the minute. What were these people talking about?
Hermione and Ron were at a loss for words.
Harry decided to go with the flow, instead of outright saying the truth. He sensed something was up, something was wrong… different. Out of place. Out of joint. It was all wrong wrong wrong.
“Defense has always been my favorite subject,” he said slowly, choosing his words carefully. “And Professor… Hecat is a very good teacher. He’s just really great.” Did he say the name right?
“I see.” She lifted her eyebrow and regarded him for what felt like a long time. Her companion was silent beside her and gave away nothing with his expression. Had he said something wrong?
The silence was charged. Harry felt on edge.
Her expression softened, and she looked at each of them in the eye.
“I think you should tell us the truth. About who you are.”
They froze.
The jig was officially up.