In the Midst of Love and Evil

By the Empress of Chaos

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Chapter 2 - Your First Fight, Pretty Soldier of Gryffindor, Part 1/2

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Hermione pulled Estelle to a side corridor after class. "What do you mean there's something special about me?"

Dreams are gateways into one's mind. They tell us if something happened in a past life or what a person is really like deep within their souls. Among the Telepaths are what we call Soul Readers for they are able to tell you almost everything about a particular dream. Some non-Telepaths and Muggles, though very little, have caught on to the trade. I have had minimal training in that area of Magic and Telepathy.

"Is there anything else you can tell me about that dream?"

It is about you, that much is certain. Now that I have your dream in my consciousness, I may be able to pass it on to a good friend of mine who is a Soul Reader. She will be able to tell us what it is that makes you special.

"That's good," Hermione stared at the ground as she absorbed this new information.

Do not worry about it now, you will be distracted from your work. I will go now to contact my friend. Estelle bowed, then left.

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An entire week zoomed passed before they heard anything from Estelle's friend. In the meantime, Hermione tried to keep her mind off the strange dreams, but often found that when you have a dream every night, it's hard not to think about it. Estelle attached herself to Hermione, Ron, and Harry, and followed them around.

Each morning grew a little colder, although it wasn't noticeable, and wouldn't until the winter months. It was a comfortable cold for the middle of fall.

Hermione sat in her usual seat at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall, pondering if they'd ever hear from Estelle's friend.

It will be here.

Estelle wandered over and sat next to Hermione.

"Good morning," Harry and Ron chimed as they ate.

"Good morning, Estelle," Hermione added.

Good morning... It does seem to be a good morning, indeed. I had a vision before I woke that we would get a response today or sometime soon for that matter. That, and I have not seen Magus, which makes this morning an even better morning.

"What's up with you and Magus, anyway?" inquired Harry, taking a bite of bacon.

We are rivals, much like you and Draco, Harry. His ego is the first thing any Telepath or non-Telepath would notice, if that tells you anything.

The upper part of the Great Hall soon filled with the feathery mass that was the owls who delivered the mail. One Screech Owl zoomed from the mass, and dropped something from it's beak onto Estelle's breakfast; it zoomed down the Gryffindor Table, finally pulling up before it hit Dean's goblet.

Estelle picked up the strange object that had fallen into her breakfast. It looked like a bronze three-dimensional octagon, with a purple gem on each side.

A series of "What's that?" echoed in a small section of the table.

It is how Telepaths send messages to each other, like how you would write a message. We find it takes too long to write out a message. She gazed at the gemmed object, This must be the one they just came out with... They say that you can send pictures with it... Anyway, Hermione, this would most likely be Kharma's response...

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I do not suppose that you two have heard of the Legend of the Moon?

Hermione and Estelle sat in the girl's dorm in the Gryffindor Tower , watching, and "listening", Kharma explain Hermione's dream. The strange object Estelle had received that morning lay on Hermione's bed, a picture of a rather plump lady in purple robes hovered above it.

There is not much I can tell you, the plump woman continued, If you were here, it would be a different story... I could tell you all you wanted about that dream. Since it was sent to me, rather than me reading it out of your mind, I do not have all the details and can not explain it's full meaning to you.

Anyway, here is what I know about your dream: it is about you, obviously, and has something to do with the Moon. I will be sending a book that has a section about the Legend of the Moon. You can keep it, I have too many books as it is. It should be there this night. Hopefully, that will help you more than my rambling.

Good luck on whatever it is your doing, little ones.

The picture fizzled and blinked out. Neither of them moved their gaze away from the strange object, nor spoke for awhile.

The long silence was broken by Lavender, whose expression seemed worried. "Hermione, you didn't eat much. You okay?"

"Yes, Lavender," Hermione said smoothly, "I'm fine. I just had... things... to take care of."

"Oh," Lavender's face seemed to relax a bit. "Well, then, I'm going to the library." She turned and left.

"So..." Hermione eyed Estelle.

What?

"What's this 'Legend of the Moon' thing about, anyway?"

Oh, it is a wonderful legend. It is about guardians on the Moon who watch over the Earth. My mother read it to me as a small child. I am sure you will find it interesting.

Hermione thought about that for a moment. She hadn't read anything except schoolbooks (even if she did read!) in the last couple of months. She smiled at the thought of actually getting some reading time in... for her own purposes.

Estelle Dracon! A new voice, which was that of another Telepath, shot through the air. You have a package from Kharma. Please, come get it before I drop it!

"Who was that?" Hermione asked.

Professor Isabelle, my Headmistress. Please excuse me. Estelle bowed, then left.

Hermione settled back onto her bed, and gazed out the window at the nearly half moon. It reminded her of the amulet Draco had given her; the gold around the stone was decorated with the moon and a few stars. "It just shouted your name," Draco had explained when she had thanked him again. She'd read something somewhere that magical items will do that sometimes. And then... And then there was that strange aura it got when the moon's light hit it. Hermione hadn't seen it do that any other time. It was a pale silver color, and it hovered around the amulet like a bank of fog.

It wasn't long before Estelle got back with the package. This is the book, she explained, handing it to Hermione before leaving to get ready to sleep.

Hermione started to read it as the other girls enter the room and fell asleep in their beds. She read about the people of the Moon Kingdom and what they did for the Earth; she read about Queen Serenity; she read about the war with Beryl (which seemed familiar, but Hermione couldn't place it); then she read of the rebirth of the Queen's daughter and her court. At that point, she fell asleep, book on her lap, open to the chapter entitled 'The Fall of Queen Beryl'.

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The light of the sun slowly disappeared. Night would fall upon the Moon Kingdom soon. It wouldn't help either party win the fight, but there wasn't much they could do about that.

"Well, this is it, isn't it?" one of the guardians, that of Ravenclaw, spoke.

"Sure looks like it," spoke the guardian of Hufflepuff .

"If only those wizards and witches didn't join Beryl's side..." the guardian of Gryffindor shook her head on disgust.

"I just want to get it over with," snarled the guardian of Slytherin. "Why do we have to wait?"

"Queen Serenity doesn't want to fight the people of Earth, and, frankly, neither do I! But I will do what I am told, and protect the Moon Kingdom at any cost," Gryffindor gave each of the other three stern looks. They nodded in agreement.

"Then we should be ready, in case the Queen needs us," suggested Ravenclaw.

With that, each of the four took out an amulet of some sort. Gryffindor's held a stone of red with a gold glow, which was set in gold. She held hers in both hands, sighed, then said, "Gryffindor power!"

A bright light elapsed around Gryffindor's body, as did the other three when they did the some thing. When the light faded, she took a look at what the process had done to her body. Her red gown had changed into a sailor's outfit with a short skirt. The main part of the outfit was a scarlet red, and the skirt and cape were a golden color, along with a bow that attached itself onto the front of her. The others had changed into similar outfits, but of different colors.

"Hermione!" a strange, but somewhat familiar voice, echoed through the halls of the palace. It didn't seem to phase the other three, like they didn't hear it or something.

"Hermione!" it called again. It seemed almost closer somehow.

"Wake up, Hermione!"

Wake up? Was she asleep? But...

Suddenly, she understood, and closed her eyes-

"Herm-"

"I'm up!" Hermione said, still half-asleep. She opened one eye, and halfway glared at Lavender. "But, I guess you want me all the way up and dressed?"

Lavender nodded. "If you don't, than you'll be eating breakfast looking like you are!"

"Fine," Hermione rolled out of bed, moving the now closed book off her lap.

After Lavender and the other girls left, Hermione got dressed and headed down stairs, through the Common room, and out the portal before anyone could stop her. Once outside, she made her way to a point outside where she knew she wouldn't be bothered. Draco and her had determined that spot to be "their spot" after they were kicked out of that room close to Transfigurations.

The morning air was cool and crisp, but not so cool that one's breath could be seen. Slowly, yet surely, the sun peaked over the mountains, hills, and trees at the school of magic.

The dream Hermione had had that night gave her an idea, and who ever tried to stop her was going to be in a lot of trouble, that much was certain. Upon reaching the spot she'd been traveling to, she put her bag down near the entrance of the clearing, and picked up her amulet.

This is going to work! She tried to convince herself, and her conscience agreed. Hermione took a deep breath and held it. Then, trying to be as quiet as possible (as not to attract attention from someone passing by), she whispered to the amulet, "Gryffindor Power!" just as "she" had in that dream.

The changes came slowly, but soon enough, her body was enveloped in a bright light. It started with the amulet, then the light moved to her arms, then her body, legs, and her head was last. The light only lasted a few seconds, then resided.

Hermione look down at what she was wearing. She was no longer wearing her school robes, but what "she'd" worn in her dream. The only difference was that her amulet was now the centerpiece for the bow, and the colors on the outfit had switched.

At that time, she saw it. She wasn't sure what, but her insides told her it was trouble.