Hermione Granger and the Displaced Sorting

Chapter 17

Hermione Granger and the Displaced Sorting

Harry Potter Fanfiction

Chapter 17

A/N: This is going to be a running author's note, but if you read on fanfiction and enjoy this story, I post on AO3 and Wattpad as well under the same name and try to reply to all comments on there if I'm able 😊Also if you like my writing, check out miasmantz(dot)com

New A/N: Another update for you lovely readers! Thank you for all the support. I'm procrastinating hardcore on my original works, but you guys make it worth it 😉

October 15th, 1992

Hermione's breath released in a cold plume, drawing her from her fitful sleep. Disorientation struck her as moonlight filtered in silvery beams through the wall of windows. Considering she normally kept her bed curtains drawn, and, oh yeah, lived in the windowless dungeon dorms with the other second year Slytherins, it was an odd sight to say the least.

After a few moments of acclimation, recalling where she was and why, she hissed in pain at her shoulder. Pulling down the hospital gown at the shoulder and shifting aside the bandaging, the lack of lighting did little to hide the fact that her shoulder had yet to get better, despite Pomfrey's best efforts.

In fact, she could feel every heartbeat pulse with red hot pain where Davis's hex had struck.

Was that what woke her?

She shivered, using her good arm to shift the blankets around her higher before she paused. This time, she was fully awake when she noted her breath swirling in the cool air.

Great. Just what she needed was a ghost visitor.

In the middle of the Hospital Wing.

Casting a nervous glance in the direction of the closed office door, she blinked into her metavision, surprised by the sight of a familiar face hovering nearby.

"Baron Bernard?" she whispered in disbelief. "What are you doing here?"

The Slytherin ghost floated in a reclined posture in the bedside chair Lee had dragged over earlier for ease of access when his dreadlock tentacles had forced the tall boy to stoop over. "Miss Granger, sometimes I forget you can see us," he acknowledged, sitting—well, leaning forward. He grew brighter, so she switched to her normal vision to see him in his normal, monochromatic glory. "How are you?"

Hermione smiled. "Oh, I'm... I'm fine. How did you know I was here?"

In all the time they'd been talking off and on, Hermione had picked up on the fact that not many people knew Baron Bernard beyond being the terrifying and mostly unapproachable Bloody Baron. Oftentimes, he and she would be in the middle of discussing something from his past or comparing how things had changed, when he'd get this look of disbelief like he couldn't figure out why he bothered.

Hermione hadn't the heart to tell him it was probably just because of her affinity with the dead. Their conversations were a source of warmth for her in the, not literally but figuratively, cold dungeons, and she didn't want to see him go.

"I was overseeing the Slytherin common areas, as is my job as the ghost of Slytherin, when I overheard those two seventh year students that mentor you wondering where you could be."

Hermione's eyes rounded, realizing she'd missed her "Slytherin Business" session with Farley and Sallow. She put her hand over her face and fell back on the lumpy Hospital Wing pillow. "Oh, in all of the chaos, I forgot to send word..." She uncovered one eye and glanced at him, catching his raised brow at her antics. "Do they think I stood them up?"