Born From Madness (Harry Potter Fanfic)

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Harry was starting to get worried about Hermione. It has been a couple of days now since she had gone missing. He and Ron reported her disappearance straight to McGonagall, who proceeded to do everything in her power to search for Hermione from top to bottom. Harry, Ron, and Ginny were concern for her. They were fearful that either Death Eaters had somehow gotten to her or worse, Barty finally got his hands on her. 

Even the crazy pranks that were happening around the school did nothing to cheer them up. Like how someone had snuck a niffler into her office, which tore it to shreds in a heartbeat. Then people were flinging dungbombs and stinkpellets all over the corridors so much that people had to perform the bubble-head charm to avoid smelling the horrible stench of the hallway. Filch attempt to capture the miscreants doing it, but there were so many he didn't know where to start looking. The Inquisitorial Squad tried to help, but odd things kept happening to them like Pansy had sprouted antlers or Warrington due to his skin looking like it was coated in cornflakes. 

"Where could Hermione be? I hope she just happened to be at home with her Grandmother or something along those lines." Ginny asked in Transfiguration while they watched their teacups crawling across the desk with their morphed legs. 

"I hate to admit this... but I miss Hermione being her to correct me with my projects." Ron said, looking at his own teacup had smash to pieces and couldn't recall the spell needed to repair it. 

"You don't think... Barty has somehow gotten her? Do you?" Harry asked. 

"I doubt it. He's pretty lousy at catching her after all. Perhaps she's on the run from him, though." Ron suggested to Harry. Harry sighed while he lightly tapped his wand against the teacup. I hope you're safe, Hermione. Harry thought just as the class was dismissed. 

They were walking down the corridor when they ran into Hagrid. 

"Hey Hagrid, what's going on?" Harry asked seeing he was a little more tense than ever. 

"Listen you guys... can you come with me? Now?" He whispered, darting his gaze around like he was searching to see if anyone was listening in. 

"Hagrid... what's going on?"Ron repeated again. Hagrid hushed them as he motioned for them to follow behind him. The three of them took a look at each other before following behind him as they pondered where they were going off to. 

Hermione groaned as she woke from a pounding headache rushing throughout her entire head. She lifted herself up onto her elbows, feeling slightly stronger than before. She looked around to see she was still in the same room; however, it strangely wasn't as heated as before. She pushed herself back onto her feet. She swayed a bit then her hands clung tightly to the edge of the table. She darted her eyes. She noticed that a stone path was now across the lava moat with an opening across from her. 

Grunting in pain, she tumbled across the bridge towards the opening. She walked into another room almost similar to the last one. Instead of carvings of dragons in the walls, there were tons of dragons statues standing on their hind legs as their clawed hands were held out to hold floating amber that lit the room. 

She moved forward towards a flood of light near the end of the hallway. When she reached the end, she could see a message carved into the wall. It read... 

What is yours shall be mine,

what is mine shall be yours. 

Hermione didn't understand what it meant until she lifted her head up a little further to see a carving of a wand. Does it want me to give up my wand? Hermione thought to herself while she lifted her wand towards her face, wondering if she should risk giving up her wand. She listened to see as an opening in the wall began to form with a little tray inside it. However, her desire to get out of this damn place overweighed her keeping her wand. Carefully, she set the wand down on the tray. As soon as she removed her hand away, the hole began to be covered up, taking her wand with it. 

Suddenly she heard what sounded like stone turning from behind her. She turned and watched an opening in the floor growing as something began floating upward. Hermione's eyes widened when she saw an elongated gold key with an amber attached to the end. I gave up my wand for this? Hermione asked while she walked over towards it. She reached up and picked it up when she noticed a floating dish bowl, but not any dish bowl... but a pensieve. 

After shoving the key into her pocket, she took her hands onto the bowl before dunking her head into the bowl. She watched as the black smoke swirled around her eyes until she could see a huge woodland clearing. She could see an older woman walking across the clearing wearing fiery red silk robes with floral designs inked into the fabric. Her long onyx-black hair was braided into bun on top of her head where a royal gold crown with gems of ambers and garnets. Her eyes were filled with concern as she scanned the clearing like she was expecting trouble to pop out of nowhere. 

"Hydra!?" a voice called out. The trees parted as Hermione watched a young Betty White make her way into the clearing, "I got your owl. What troubles you?" 

"Thank you for coming Betty. I must tell you, I have deep concern for my well-being. I fear someone shall come for my head sooner or later." Hydra told Betty. Betty gasped. 

"Merlin's beard! Who?" Betty asked. 

"I do not know who, but I fear they come for my wand, Betty." Hydra said lifting up her wand. It wasn't like any wand Hermione had ever seen. It was a wand made entirely of garnet and amber merged to appear like a fire with golden vines wrapped around it with a hand made of leopard skin jasper that had been carved to appear like a dragon head. "Since it is a powerful wand, I had to battle many people to keep a hold of it. No one has bested me yet, but I fear there will be a time I cannot beat someone... and it will be the wrong person to have this." 

"What do you wish to do?" Betty asked. Hydra then took hold of Betty's hand and laid her wand into Betty's hand. 

"I need you to hide it. Don't tell a soul... not even me. Then once you hid it, destroy that memory so no one can find it. I cannot bare the thought that this wand will end up in the wrong hands Betty." Hydra informed Betty. 

Soon the world around them melted away into black smoke to let her know the memory was done. Hermione lifted her head as she realized why she was sent here. Barty had sent her here so she could get this key, which most likely is what Iracebeth is looking for, and if she finds her way out, Barty will be waiting to steal it from her. And now that Hermione is wandless, Barty could beat her without any trouble. 

Before Hermione could think on it further, She listened as the wall separated to reveal a silvery-wave like portal in between the parted sides. She sigh, knowing she will have to hide the key so Iracebeth and Barty were going to find it, as she hurried towards the portal. She held her hands out in front of her, feeling the coldest of the portal course through her before stepping forward. 

When she emerged from the portal, she found herself in a little campsite in the middle of the woods. Where am I now, Hermione thought as she moved into the center near a billowing fire. She searched for any sign of life to try and figure out where she was when the air was filled with the galloping of hooves. Her eyes widened when she saw centaurs moving in her direction. Bloody hell, she screamed to herself, I'm in the centaur's camp! 

Hermione made a turn to try and run for it but found herself surrounded by the centaurs in a heartbeat. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw them readying their bows, pointing their arrows directly at her.