Kriogenix
patreon
BS - Chapter 26: The Test
🕑 Added 2025-07-14 10:41:23 +0000 UTCDisclaimer:
Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
I own nothing but the original characters I make.
“Dialogue”
‘Thoughts’
-Author notes-
Chapter 26: The Test
“Professor, the Head Girl told me you were looking for me.” Hermione walked down the stairs and found McGonagall waiting for her, along with Ron, Neville, and Seamus.
“Yes, Miss Granger. I’m sorry to have bothered you this late.” McGonagall knew how unusual this must have looked. It was already near curfew, and not a normal time to call for a student.
“It's no trouble at all, Professor. I imagine it must be something very important.” Hermione gave the boys a passing glance.
“Ehm… yes, why don’t we take a seat? This won’t take long.” McGonagall guided Hermione to one of the nearby tables.
While doing this, she was paying a lot of attention to the girl, and mostly to her eyes, looking for any signs that she was under the influence of some spell.
Hermione took a seat where the professor had told her and waited.
Ron and the other boys exchanged some looks and also sat down.
Professor McGonagall took a moment to think how to better approach the awkward subject. “I think it's best if we dive directly into it.”
Hermione tilted her head. “Did I do something wrong?”
“Not at all, Miss Granger. It's just… it has come to my attention that, well…” She glanced at Ron. “Your closest friends are worried about your sudden change of personality.”
“What change?” Hermione asked.
“What change?!” Ron exclaimed. “What about you suddenly becoming so cozy with Potter and ditching the rest of us?”
“Mister Weasley!” McGonagall scolded him. “We agreed that I would be conducting this conversation.”
“Right… sorry, Professor.” Ron lowered his head.
“But yes, your friends are concerned about you. They believe that Mister Potter has placed you under some kind of spell.” McGonagall said it, no matter how silly she thought it was.
“You think Harry put me under a spell?” Hermione raised an eyebrow. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “That’s outrageous! Harry would never do something like that. You should know it, Professor McGonagall. I thought he was one of your favorite students. You even bought him a broom so he could play Quidditch in the first year.”
Hermione truly believed what she was saying.
This was the power of the slave collar. It completely changed the perception of the user so that they became one hundred percent loyal to their Master.
As far as Hermione was concerned, there was no one more important to her than Harry Potter, and it had always been like that.
She would go to extremes to protect him, if necessary.
McGonagall was taken aback by the outburst. The Hermione she knew would never have talked like that to a professor. “Of course, Harry always had a special place for me, but… in this case, I must remain impartial.”
She took out the glass vial that Snape had given her.
“We can end this with a very simple and quick test.” The professor handed the vial to Hermione.
“Drink this potion. If you truly are under some magic that is influencing your behavior, then this will remove those effects and return you to your senses. If that is not the case, then nothing will happen and we will drop this subject for good.” She glanced at Ron for confirmation. “Are we clear on that?”
“Yes, Professor…” Ron said. It’s not like he could say anything else.
Hermione stared at the vial in her hands. “I just have to drink this?”
McGonagall nodded. “Correct.”
“Fine…” Hermione removed the cork and downed the entire potion in one big gulp.
They then waited for a bit, trying to see if there was any change.
“How do you feel, Hermione?” Neville asked her.
“Do you like me again?” Ron asked.
This made Hermione frown. “No, Ron… I do not like you. I only care about Harry.” She stood up from the chair. “You used to be a good friend to him, but now you ruined it, so stay away from him and me.”
“But Hermione… I—” Ron tried to approach her, and she responded by lifting her hand in defense.
“Stay away from me.” Hermione turned to the professor. “Are we done?”
“Yes… I believe we are.” McGonagall nodded. Part of her felt bad for Ron, but mostly she was relieved to learn that Harry Potter, the boy she had grown to care about almost like family, had not done something so awful as they claimed.
Hermione turned around and walked up the stairs to her bedroom.
“Professor! We can’t let her leave, th—”
“Mister Weasley!” McGonagall threw him a stern glare. “That is quite enough!”
“But…” Ron looked ready to start crying.
“No buts. And no more crazy accusations. You are going to have to get used to the fact that you are no longer friends with Mister Potter and Miss Granger. Now everyone, go back to your bedrooms. It is almost time for bed.”
“Yes, Professor.” Seamus and Neville had to drag Ron to their room.
Ron walked with reluctance up the long set of stairs that led to their room. “No way… I can’t believe this.”
“Yeah, it is very weird. How can she not be under the effect of a potion at least?” Seamus said.
Neville had to admit that he also found it too strange. Hermione’s change had been too sudden. “But, the evidence is there. She drank the potion that Professor Snape made and nothing happened. You two saw it as well.”
“I guess.” Seamus nodded.
“No, I will not believe this… this has to be Potter’s doing.” Ron clenched his fists with rage. “He took her away from me because I called him a cheater.”
“I don’t think Harry would do that… come on, Ron. You know him better than us.” Neville tried to make his friend come back to reason.
“No! I will not le—”
The door to their bedroom opened just then and interrupted Ron. “You guys are being very loud again.” Harry poked his head out of the room and looked at them with a tired expression. “ Did no one teach you to control the volume of your voice?."
