Chapter Text
She had not told anyone about what had happened in these woods nearly a year ago. Hermione Granger had always considered herself to be rational and not one to believe in anything without solid proof. At eleven, when she had first learned of magic, it had taken months for her new reality to settle in. For nearly her entire first year she had been convinced that she would wake up and it would all been a dream.
That was why this entire thing was so unlike her. Hermione was not one to disregard her common sense, and yet here she was obsessed with hunting for mythical creatures in the forbidden forest. Her eyes narrowed in on the patchwork of trees and dense woodland in front of her.
“Hermione,” she heard a farmilair voice say, “I’d think you’d be in the castle at this hour.”
It was Hagrid. She was always running into him these days. She spent too much time sitting by or wandering the forest not too. In the past year, she ran into him on his searches for magical creatures in need multiple times a week.
It was a miracle that he had not said anything about her odd behavior yet. But Hermione knew it was only a matter of time, her luck would be running out soon. She knew Hagrid suspected that something was up, or that he was even suspicious that she was getting herself caught up in some type of trouble.
When she turned to face him she could see that her fears were written on his face. The half-giant’s brows were furrowed in concern, his mouth set in a tight line. She watched as Hagrid opened his mouth to speak with anticipation.
Here we go.
“You’re spending a lot of time in the forest these days. So much that one might think you’d be looking for something.” he said.
Hermione was confused by his response. She had been expecting a lecture on her disregard for her safety, not Hadrid’s personal theory as to what she was doing out here.
“What if I was?” she said, “Are you going to tell the headmistress?”
He shook his head.
“No, I don’t think that’d be my place.” He paused, “You won a war, you’re hardly a child anymore.”
Hermione shook her head. That was not true because she had not won a war. Harry had won it, he had been the one to deliver the killing blow to Voldemort. She felt her chills taking her over just thinking about that moment. If it had not been for what had happened in this forest she would not have survived that day.
Her gaze moved back to the forest. She had always felt pulled to the forest, like there was something waiting for her deep within them.
“Hermione,” Hagrid spoke, pulling her from her thoughts, “Keep your wits about you, alright? Be smart about whatever it is you're doing out here.”
Hermione nodded, her eyes not moving from the woods. She heard Haegrid begin to walk, heavy footsteps crunching on the leaves.
Her thoughts began to circle back to the Care of Magical Creatures class that seemed like an eternity ago at this point. She remembered Hagrid’s retelling of the famous myth, that deep within the forbidden forest there was a gateway or portal of sorts to another realm, to Pyrinthian the land of the fae.
Nobody believed it. Malloy and Parkinson had mocked him mercilessly for that lecture. Even Harry, Ron, and herself had been struggling to contain their composure during that lesson. Because every witch and wizard knew that the land of faeries in the forbidden forest was just folklore. It was a story meant to scare first years from entering them.
But Hagrid had been convinced, warning them to be weary if they ever did encounter a fae. Other than Hagrid, Luna had been the only person Hermione had met who seemed to believe in the creatures. Hermione had never come close to believing in them. Not until her encounter with what she thinks might have been one during the final battle. The fae who saved her life…
Despite her best efforts, despite her scouring books there was so little information about the fae. Anything she had found was in ancient tombs and the runic symbols took ages to translate. It seemed impossible for her to get enough information about the creatures to satisfy her curiosity.
She whipped her head around urgently in the direction Hagrid had gone. He was still in sight, close enough that he would be able to hear her if she was loud enough.
“Hargird,” she called,”Hagrid, wait!”
The half-giant turned around. He began to make his way back to her. Barely able to contain herself, Hermione felt like she might burst. As soon as he was in earshot she immediately began questioning him.
“Do you remember that lesson you gave back in our third year? The one about the fae realm, Pyrinthain?” She asked.
Hargrid’s brows rose in a mix of both shock and worry.
“I didn’t take you as one to be interested in fae.” he sighed
“But what do you know about them? You seem to believe they’re more than a myth.” she says.
Hagrid’s face contorted even more, disapproval plainly written on it. Whatever it is he had suspected she might be searching for faeries were certainly the last thing. When he did not make an effort to say anything, Heroine questioned him more.
“I’ve read that sometimes…sometimes the fae cross the wall between our realms, and that you can find them deep within the forest.”
“Hermione, these arn’t creatures you want to get mixed up with,” he paused, “If you ever come across one you should do your best to ignore it.”
Hermione nodded. It was already a bit late for that.
“Have you ever seen one?” she asked.
Hagrid stood still for a moment seemingly lost in his thoughts. Perhaps, he was recalling the instance in his head.
“I have.” he finally said, “It was…you can feel the power—”
“You can feel it radiating off them.” Hermione finishes
“You’ve encountered one yourself then?” he questioned, “Is that what this is about?”
Her mind was drawn back to that night. She had death eater trailing her And she had been trying to loose them. She had been successful in getting rid lf most of them, but Yaxley was still chasing her, no matter what she seemed to do she could not get rid of him. Finally, Hermione had hit a dead end of trees and the death eater had cuaght up with her.
She threw a jinx his way, but he dodged it. His footsteps growing closer and suddenly he was upon her. His face was contorted into a wicked, twisted smile that made her feel ill. His fingers had even brushed her cheeks and than bile actually begun to rise in her throat. She screamed as loud as she could, in hopes that somebody might hear her and come to her rescue.
And as luck would have it somebody did. He had appeared seemingly out of nowhere, his feature hard to make out in the moonlight. But from what could tell he appeared to be a tall man with long blonde hair. His features so perfect, so eirly beautiful. But than she had seen his pointed ears, not human. The not-man had made quick work of Yaxley with a display of pure power that was unlike anything Hermilne had ever seen.
After that night, Hermione had been determined to find answers of what had happened. Of who or what she had encounter and owed her life too. And devery search ended up the same…her savior was one of the mythical fae.
“Worse,” Hermione said, “I owe a life-dept to one.”
Hermione paused taking a deep breath to garner some courage before she admitted the next part.
“And he’s intent on collecting it very soon.”
She watched as Hagrid’s eyes lit up in horror.