Breaking Hermione

Escape

There's a moment just before sleep fades out and you reawaken, a brief moment, much like the drawing of a stage curtain which reveals your world to you. If your reality is good, then waking up would be a happy experience. However if your reality is anything like Hermione Granger's at this point, then you'd probably never want to wake up ever again.

This is exactly what had happened as she opened her eyes after a long night of tormenting dreams. Carefully she turned, and as she curled herself into a fetal position in the filmsy hospital bed sheets a small moan of pain escaped her lips. Whatever curse Tom had used had felt like a knife wound near her lungs. It made almost everything she did seem like a mission on top of another. Slowly, she sat up, swinging her legs over the side of the bed so her bare feet touched the floor. She stretched. Well, she tried to.

It was morning. According to the Time Turner it was about breakfast time in the great hall. In her minds eye she could see Tom, Shalini and Jade laughing about her while enjoying a mouth watering breakfast of sizzling pancakes, eggs, bacon, pumpkin juice and hash browns. It wasn't fair at all she thought bitterly, to be trapped in here because of these wretched people. All she had to eat here had been a sort of concoction resembling old porridge that had been Madam Pomfrey's own attempt to stabise her. It didn't work.

Neither Headmaster Dippet nor Madam Pomfrey had known what was wrong with her, and to no surprise at all the pair of them had become brainwashed by Tom Riddle, who'd skilfully woven a tale of deceit downplaying the scenario significantly and what manner would be best way to tackle the situation at hand. Of course, as the main curator of the disaster itself he'd instantly wanted to brush all the truth under the rug and build a domain of lies. Hermione had watched him mere days ago explaining seriously to both Headmaster and Nurse through the peep hole of the locked door she was trapped behind what should happen to her.

"Personally I think it would be best if Granger stayed confined until we all had a better understanding of what has happened to her." He had said smoothly. "After all, can this school really afford another controversy?"

Dippet and Pomfrey had exchanged troubled looks. Riddle was right, and they knew it.

"I will personally see to it that she is cared for," Madam Pomfrey had said hastily as though trying to compensate for her lack of expertise in the situation, "but I am afraid Riddle you are quite right. Putting her near the other students would be a risk, and one that I am afraid could be costly. To both her and everyone around her. We don't know what we are dealing with here. I had tried to talk to the girl but she was adamant you were a liar. It's really a pity how much of of her mind has been scattered."

Angrily, Hermione had strode around the room not wanting to see Tom's satisfied look. She'd tried to tell the truth, but there was only so much she could reveal before her mind seized with pain, unable to grasp all of its memories. She knew there was more to the situation than she understood. The curse Tom had used against her had impacted everything, all she was aware of were the people in the present day. All the future had been stolen from her mind. Most interactions with Tom, Jade and Shalini were forgotten. Headmaster Dippet and speaking to Dumbledore, but if she tried to remember what they'd spoken about, that's when the pain would hit.

In the quietness, she had a lot of time to think about what method would be best used for a situation like this. She'd never studied Time Lore, but she had a feeling Professor Dumbledore might have.

Apparently he had not been informed of what was going on. No one had thought to tell him, Hermione realised, and she couldn't wait until he knew.

Try as she might, her mind could only repeat what little it knew, most of which was Riddle.

"You can't ignore medical protocol, Tom." She had argued. "Madam Pomfrey will have something to cure me. And if not, she'll send me to St. Mungos. Then all of your filthy lies will be exposed."