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"Ok, Hermione. I need you to snap out of it, alright. We are safe and not in danger anymore." I whisper to Hermione as we sit in a corner of the dorm room quietly.
The warmth from the fire place helps to reduce the shivers that Hermione was feeling.
"You just killed a troll, and you expect me to calm down. That was a mountain troll. An adult one at that. I read it takes about 5 highly trained specialised Aurors to take it down. The last documented record about mountain troll hunting was from 3 years, when a rampaging tribe attacked in France. 3 Aurors died, and almost a dozen more were injured heavily.
You expect me to calm down after you just did what should be impossible for your age." She snaps her head towards me and looks me in the eyes. Her shivering reduced and the shock slowly wearing off.
"Yes, well, I told you. I'm special. I noticed the troll's left leg was injured, so it slipped due to a weaker leg and impaled itself on rock spikes." I explain.
"Yeah, and what was with that dangerous spell. I have never seen it in any of my textbooks nor the books in the library so far. You didn't even use your wand. Explain yourself." She demanded.
"Let's just say that I created a new spell. Enough about that. We need a cover story. We cant let people know that we killed the troll. People will be looking for us, and I don't like it when I'm still not strong enough to protect myself, understand.
Listen closely." I say firmly when I see her nod slightly.
"We were late to the feast, and just as we were about to enter the great hall, the prefects led all the students out. Curiously, we followed the crowd and listened to what the other students were talking about. That's how we understood the situation. Understood."
"But…"
"No buts. Understood." I stopped her reluctance of the plan and ask again.
"..Yes." She nods and closes her eyes as she leans back and tries to forget the events that transpired moments ago.
"Harry. There you are. Where were you? I tried looking for you in the great hall, but you weren't there." Ron walked over from the other side of the common room when he spotted us.
"We were just late to the feast. We came just as everyone was being evacuated." I answer with a smile that didn't reach my eyes.
"Oh. Wait what do you mean we. Don't tell me you were with this book worm."
SNAP.
As soon as the words escape his mouth, a cold chill envelops the common room, and a feeling of death looms over the students.
SILENCE
"I would appreciate if you apologised to my friend here. Do not call her a bookworm, you dumb git. You aren't worthy to speak to her." In a low voice only Ron and Hermione could here, I speak to Ron with a slight curl of my lips.
With Ron being the epicentre of the killing intent being emitted from me, he felt as if he was stuck in an ice cave, slowly drowning and freezing, as his breath hitched and got stuck in his throat.
"Apologise." I repeat.
"i-i-I'm s-sorry." He stuttered out with difficulty.
"Not to me, to her." I point to Hermione sitting beside me with a cold glint in her eyes.
"i-i-I'm s-sorry, Hermione." With continued difficulty, he uttered the words.
"Go away. Don't talk to me, don't look at me, and don't even think about me. Understand." With a chilling voice, Hermione ordered like a regal queen ordering her subjects.
With a terrified nod, the red head scrambled away as the students were looking around for what caused the sudden cold, when they saw Ron run away terrified and crying to his room.
"What just happened. Why did the room turn so cold and terrifying? Did another creature broke inside the castle." A few Gryffindors asked each other and ignored the crying kid.
Only Percy, the 'responsible' brother, ran after the child.
"Why was he so terrified of us. And what's this about a sudden chill. I didn't feel anything." Hermione asked as she overheard the conversations around her.
"Don't know. Must be some effect of the castle or something." I sidestep the topic and pull out a small book from my book bag.
"Here. Remember how I told you that I would help you be stronger. Well, this is the first step towards strength. A strong body with a weak mind will never prevail. Practice the method in the book and then we'll go ahead from there." I pass the thin notebook containing a variation of my heaven's path occlumency technique to Hermione.
"Don't let anyone read it. Burn it after you memorise it." I continue after seeing her take the book.
"Thank you, Harry." She nodded her head and went upstairs to head t her bedroom.
.
The following week, various rumours about the troll attack started to spread, but no one was aware of its death or how it even by-passed the castle's security.
Hermione and I kept our heads down and passed the days quietly, while continuing training ourselves.
The effect of the occlumency training showed very quick effects.
Every day, her mind started moving faster, her critical thinking skills showed improvements, her memory improved, and her mental processing speed went through substantial changes.
However, the most visible change that occurred was her subtle change in personality. At first, her changes were unconscious, out of her control, making the people around her a bit intimidated without any rhyme or reason.
However, after a few weeks, Hermione herself noticed these changes and reined in her 'aura', which removed the intimidation.
She slowly learned how to blend in with people, while developing her abilities.
If one were to probe her mind, people would be surprised to notice occlumency shields equivalent to a novice ministry worker.
If one wants to even think of climbing the political ladder in the magical world, occlumency was a must.
While a person experienced in the mind arts would easily break through her defences, a novice Legilimens would find it tricky.
However, the feat was still impressive considering she had only practiced for a few weeks.
.
Soon, winter rolled in, and white snow covered the bare trees. Many students went home to spend the winter holidays with their families, while a few chose to spend time in the castle.
Hermione went back home to spend time with her parents while letting herself take a well-deserved break from all the craziness.
.
The Weasley's had gone back to the burrow, as this time, Ron was not very keen on being close to me.
Ever since the incident on Halloween when I blasted remnants of Madara's killing intent at the young boy, he had grown terrified of me and Hermione. It seems his brain associated death with me and Hermione.
Quite sad thing for a child to go through, but I wasn't complaining. He had to grow up someday.
.
Looking at the falling snow, I reminisce about my past life.
I remember the day when I was working a late shift at the hospital, when my superior pulled me to the side and sent me on a break.
At first, I was confused. Why pull me away when a stream of ambulances was pulling into the ER.
But a few minutes later, I got the answer.
Turns out, the party my parents attended that evening caught fire. An outdoor gas heater exploded, killing 5 people and severely injuring a dozen others.
The next few days had been a blur. I remember the funeral was a closed casket, their bodies burnt beyond recognition.
The cold winter breeze sent their spirits off to the next world, as I drowned myself into my work.
.
Unknowingly, a tear escaped my eye as it dropped on the window ledge.
"The holidays can bring out a lot of memories. The good, the bad, and the ugly.
It is how we work with them that drives our growth as a person."
.
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