A/N: Thank you to the lovely BirdieMing for her beta work!
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~0o0~
I like the muted sounds, the shrouds of grey, and the silence that comes with fog.
-Om Malik
~0o0~
May 2022
~0o0~
Hermione rubbed her eyes as she stumbled into the living room. Harry was there already and in deep discussion with Sirius about the upcoming Quidditch season. She waved at them before she went to make coffee for the three of them. She and Sirius had been up late again the night before, discussing the Grey and the newest translations Sirius had made in the grimoire. They had finally decided it was indeed the Unseelie King's grimoire and that clearly he pulled a few cosmic strings in order for it to fall into Hermione's hands. She was still reluctant to summon him, hoping she could figure out exactly what was going on before getting to that point.
After her shower, she joined Sirius and Harry in the living room where Sirius was telling Harry about his dream-walking.
"Did you see my parents?" Harry asked. Hermione couldn't decipher the look on his face, confusion, and maybe something more.
"Do you think if I dream-walked with you, I could see them too?" Harry asked. Hermione thought he looked excited. Hermione was about to counsel him otherwise when Sirius beat her to it.
"I do, but dream-walking isn't safe. Especially in the Grey," Sirius said. "There's something wrong with it."
"The Grey?"
Hermione sighed and sat down next to Harry. "The Grey is where Sirius and your parents are at. It's not quite the afterlife. It's not Beyond the Veil, nor is it the Void, but something else entirely. We don't know what it is, or how it came to be, but it seems like it somehow falls under the purview of the Unseelie King."
"The Unseelie King?" Harry asked dubiously.
"I know. It sounds insane, doesn't it?" Hermione laughed softly. "But it's true. The Unseelie King is who sent Sirius back to the land of the living. He made Sirius my magical guardian, and it's the Unseelie King's grimoire that landed in my lap at work. We just don't know what the Grey is, how it came to be, or what to do about the fact that it seems to be failing somehow."
"Why not ask the Unseelie King?" Harry asked.
"That's what I've been saying!" Sirius exclaimed.
"Because! The Unseelie King is a god, you realize that? He's an all-powerful being that nobody on this earth could possibly understand. I get the arrogance that runs through the Potter and Black veins, but I'm not so arrogant to think that I can call a god to come and do my bidding."
"Okay, setting aside the Unseelie King issue for now, who else is in the Grey? How many people? And can you interact with them?" Harry asked.
"Loads," Sirius replied. "I know quite a few of them, but then it's strange, there are people I would expect to see and don't. Like how Remus is there, but Peter's not. Nor is Dora."
Hermione watched as Harry's face scrunched in confusion before a dawning horror came over him.
"What is it?" she asked.
"Nothing," Harry said quickly.
"Harry! If you know something or suspect something, you have to tell me!" Hermione said.
"I don't know anything," Harry insisted. "But I thought of something. I need to do some checking first. I don't want to alarm you needlessly."
Hermione glared at him. She didn't like it when Harry got this secretive look about him. It reminded her of their school days when he tried to keep information from her and Ron in order to not involve them.
"Just so we're perfectly clear," Hermione said. "This situation, with Sirius not quite back from the dead, is almost entirely my fault. I'm already involved, so whatever idiotic thing you are thinking about, you just keep that in mind. You won't fix this without me."
"Alright, I won't. Let me do some checking and I'll get back to you, Hermione. I promise." Harry sounded sincere, but Hermione was reluctant to believe him. He turned to Sirius. "You never answered my question. Can you interact with the people you see in the Grey?"
"Yes." Sirius nodded. He looked between Hermione and Harry. "Honestly, it's been a bit of a relief to be able to talk to someone there, anyone. Prior to the Unseelie King pulling me out of there, I thought I was there alone. Somehow, he seems to have broken down some sort of barrier. James and Remus have said the same thing, that they were there alone before now."
"Can you do me a favor?" Harry asked. When Sirius nodded, he went on, "Find someone you don't know personally. Ask them after they died if they came back, even briefly, because a loved one called them back."
"How would a loved one call them back?" Sirius asked. Hermione listened with dawning horror. There was only one way to call a loved one back. Was the Resurrection Stone responsible for the creation of the Grey?
"Don't worry about that, just ask the question. I'll be back in a few days." Harry stood and strode to the door.
"Harry," Hermione called out. She didn't know what she was going to say, but she was desperate to know if he thought the same thing she did.
"I'll be back," Harry said, shutting the door softly behind him.
Hermione felt a sense of horror wash over her at the idea that the Resurrection Stone was responsible for the Grey. How long ago had the Peverells created it? How many people were stuck in the Grey for a thousand years or more? It was bad enough that Sirius and Harry's parents were there for the last forty years or so. It was much worse to think about someone's soul being trapped there for more than a millennium.
~0o0~
Ever since the conversation with Harry and Sirius a week ago, Hermione couldn't get thoughts of the Resurrection Stone out of her mind. She felt more and more sure that her hunch was right. The Resurrection Stone was responsible for the Grey. She felt sick when she thought about it and decided that there was no way that Sirius was going back there without her. She needed to see for herself what was going on.
It took her two days of research, but she found what she was looking for. She knew there was a potion for almost everything. There had to be one for dream-walking too. She stared at the ingredients list for a few minutes, and it wasn't a hard recipe, not even in the least. She'd left Sirius in her office, working on grimoire translations, while she spent her time in the Ministry archives. It strained Sirius' leash, but if she stayed in the northwest corner, then Sirius could stay safe in her office.
That evening, she and Sirius stopped at an apothecary. Hermione told him she was low on some common supplies, and she hurried around the small shop gathering everything she needed for the Dream-Walking Inducement potion as well as a few other odds and ends. She didn't think Sirius would know about the potion, but she felt like she needed to cover her tracks. Instinctively, she knew that Sirius would be horrified if he knew she planned to dream-walk with him.
Hermione picked a fight with Sirius when they reached her cottage. She didn't want to stay up with him for hours, dissecting everything they'd gone over already. She wanted to get working on the Dream-Walking Inducement, which needed to be done without Sirius hovering over her.
"Merlin's sake, can't I get any fucking space," she muttered under her breath after tripping over Sirius' boots.
"Buy a bigger house." Sirius smirked at her, and Hermione found she didn't actually have to fake her anger.
"What for? You're leaving. My children are growing up. Soon it'll just be me," Hermione snapped.
"I'm not leaving," Sirius ground out. "If anything you are pushing me away. You have been pushing me away for months."
"Because you don't belong here!" Hermione shouted. "You don't belong here with me. You belong Beyond the Veil. You are dead, and there's no bringing you back. That's not how the world works, Sirius! I wish you'd grow the fuck up."
A hurt look crossed Sirius' face, and Hermione felt awful as he stormed out of the cottage. The door slamming sounded like a cannon in her ears, and she held back the tears that threatened to fall. She didn't have time for this. She had a potion to make.
The Dream-Walking Inducement took a couple of hours to make, and by the time Sirius had cooled off enough to come back inside the cottage, it was ready. Hermione cleaned up and retreated to her bedroom before Sirius came back. She heard the door slam again and him shuffling out in the living room for a few minutes before everything went quiet. She let out the breath she didn't know she was holding when the light that crept in under her door went out. She gave it another thirty minutes and then downed the potion.
Hermione settled herself in bed and closed her eyes. She took a few deep breaths and began meditating lightly. Meditation almost always put her to sleep and moments later her breathing evened out entirely and she was asleep.
When she opened her eyes she was greeted with a hellscape. Everything was grey. She held her hand up in front of her face to see that even her skin was grey. Looking down, so were her clothes. All she could see was grey everywhere. It was like being in a giant grey box, but the floor wasn't flat, it undulated like a meadow. A low mist rolled across the ground and swirled when Hermione moved forward.
"Hello?" she called out. There was no one.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" someone spat from behind her. Hermione whirled around to find Sirius standing there. His hands were on his hips, and he glared at her.
"I needed to see for myself, Sirius," Hermione tried to explain. Sirius strode forward and gripped her wrist tightly, pulling her against him.
"What you need is to mind your own fucking business," he hissed into her face.
"This is my business!" Hermione insisted. "The Unseeli—"
"Don't say his fucking name!" Sirius shouted, covering her mouth with his hand. "You'll conjure him!"
Hermione tore Sirius' hand from her mouth. "Fine. But I still needed to see for myself." She softened her voice and said, "Is this where you spent twenty-five years? By yourself?"
Sirius dropped his hold on her wrist, and Hermione could see his Adam's apple bob. "Yes," he whispered.
"Oh, Sirius," Hermione sighed and placed her hand inside one of his, squeezing his fingers. Sirius squeezed back, and they turned to gaze at the landscape before them. Slowly, bit-by-bit, Hermione could see shapes moving in the grey of the fog, though nothing was distinguishable.
"Is that... are they?" Hermione couldn't finish the question. Suddenly, James Potter broke through the fog.
"Padfoot!" James shouted and was before them sooner than Hermione could have been prepared for. "Who's this?" James pointed at Hermione.
Hermione swallowed hard. He looked so much like Harry had when they were younger. Harry was... her heart lurched, Harry was older than his father now. Her stomach rolled, and Hermione thought she'd get sick when she felt Sirius' arm around her waist, anchoring her to him. She was more grateful than she realized for the support.
"She's leaving," Sirius growled. Hermione stamped her foot in response and was startled when the fog at their feet was kicked up and swirled around them.
"James? Where are you?" A woman's voice came from behind James.
"Sirius is here Lils," James called over his shoulder.
"I shouldn't be here," Hermione muttered to Sirius.
"No shit," Sirius hissed.
"No, I mean, I should be investigating this place. Not chit-chatting. I'll be back," Hermione whispered and slipped from underneath Sirius' arm.
It didn't take her very many steps to find herself lost in the sea of mist once more.
She took a deep breath to steady her nerves. Seeing James Potter had shaken her more than she had ever assumed it would. The last thing she wanted to see was Harry's eyes staring out at her from Lily's face. Her heart clenched, and she pushed thoughts of Sirius and the Potters out of her mind. She needed to know what the Grey was and how it came to be. It was clearly not natural, not if the Unseelie King wanted to be rid of it. Was Harry's theory about the Resurrection Stone right? How could she find out?
She wandered around for a bit, not running into anyone when she started to hear voices. One seemed so familiar, it made her feel safe and she found her feet carrying her closer and closer.
"And what happens when you do that?" the familiar voice said.
"Nothing," another voice spat. "That's the problem. How are we going to get out of here?"
"We're brilliant wizards, Gellie, we'll figure something out."
"It's been months, Albie! We haven't found anything so far. And who knows how long it was before we 'woke up.' The world has likely changed and moved on by now. And I for one am anxious to get back to it."
"Even after all these years? You're dead. It's time you start—"
The other voice snorted, interrupting the voice Hermione recognized. "Like you wouldn't do anything to get back topside."
"What I want is to see my sister," the familiar voice hissed in a tone so unfamiliar and angry, that Hermione found herself drawing back from the two men. She still couldn't see them, but there was something so familiar about the one called Albie. Albie.
Oh, holy fucking Merlin, Hermione thought as she slapped her forehead. Albie was obviously Albus fucking Dumbledore. Which could only mean that Gellie was Gellert bleeding Grindelwald. How in the world...? She shook her head as she heard them talking more.
"The only option is to bring the whole thing down," Grindelwald said. "It's the only way."
"And if we vanish everyone here, including ourselves, to the Void instead of Beyond the Veil?" Dumbledore asked. A very valid question, Hermione thought.
"Don't you see? That's the point! If we get this place in enough flux we can bring the Void and Beyond the Veil together that we should be able to propel ourselves to Beyond the Veil, instead of the Void."
"And what about everyone else here?" Dumbledore asked calmly. Hermione could just see him in her mind's eye, casting a hand out, indicating the space around them. Her heart clenched, her thoughts on Dumbledore had changed and muddied over the years since his death, but, in general, she had considered him a force for good in the world. The thought that he would abandon or consign everyone in the Grey to certain death in the Void just so he could get himself Beyond the Veil made her sick to her stomach. The nausea she had begun feeling upon seeing James Potter was only increasing.
"And how do we get from Beyond the Veil and into the land of the living?" Dumbledore asked.
"Isn't there an archway at the British Ministry? I'm assuming it's still there, that would be very convenient, indeed." Grindelwald sounded smug, and Hermione wished she was brave enough to show herself so she could give him the smacking he so clearly deserved. But Grindelwald and Dumbledore were among some of the greatest wizards who had ever lived, and Hermione didn't trust that they wouldn't just kill her on the spot. Dumbledore probably wouldn't even recognize her, so it's not like she could rely on her relationship with her former Headmaster to protect her.
Hermione slinked away, hopefully without outing herself to the two wizards. She needed now more than ever to figure out a way to get Sirius back to the Grey and dissipate the Grey entirely so that everyone could move Beyond the Veil. Once that was done, then maybe she could converse with Aggie about what could be done to block the arch in the Death Chamber.
~0o0~
"Fucking reckless, Hermione," Sirius snapped at her early the next morning. "Can't fucking believe that you would do something so bloody stupid!"
"Sirius," Hermione tried to placate him, but he was too angry. She hadn't even had a chance to tell him about the conversation she'd overheard between Dumbledore and Grindelwald. And she knew she had to tell him. Sirius needed to know what the repercussions were. He needed to know of the dangers in the Grey, and Hermione had resolved to tell him immediately.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door to her cabin. "Hope you are both decent!" Harry called from the door as he opened it and came inside. Hermione was still in her dressing gown, Sirius in his sweats as they argued in the living room. Hermione hadn't even had time to begin water for tea or coffee yet.
"I'll make tea," Hermione muttered and left for the kitchen.
"I want coffee!" Sirius shouted after her. She waved her hand, indicating she'd heard.
"Same!" Harry said.
"Bloody nuisances, the both of them," Hermione muttered under her breath.
She flicked her wand at the cooker and filled the teapot with water, setting it to boil as she dug through her cabinet for her French press. How would she make Sirius understand the seriousness of what Dumbledore and Grindelwald were planning? Would he get it if she relayed the conversation? It wasn't just Sirius who was in trouble, but everyone in the Grey. Harry's parents. Remus. Hermione's stomach rolled again, and she just barely kept her nausea at bay just as the teapot began screaming.
She busied herself making the coffee, trying to keep her hands busy and her mind blank. She wasn't entirely successful, but she levitated the mugs along with a tray of condiments to the small sitting room. Harry and Sirius had their heads together and were in a deep discussion when she came in.
"Thanks, love," Sirius said absentmindedly as he picked up his mug and sipped. Hermione's heart clenched, and she turned to rub her eyes. She wouldn't bloody cry about it this morning. She wondered why Harry was here and worried that it didn't bode well.
"Harry was just telling me his theory," Sirius began.
"The Resurrection Stone," Hermione responded. Sirius' eyebrows rose slightly, but Harry didn't look surprised. He nodded grimly.
"Yes. Sirius said he was able to talk to a few people, and everyone he spoke with had been summoned back by a loved one at some point. I think the Resurrection Stone is what created the Grey."
"And summoning people with it traps them there," Hermione whispered. "That's why Remus is there but Tonks isn't. Who else would we think would be there, but isn't?" Hermione asked.
"Colin Creevey," Harry said, "Lavender Brown, Snape, Pettigrew. None of them are there."
Sirius nodded. "Right, they aren't. But then there are people there who weren't killed in the last two wars. Some in very old-fashioned dress."
"That would be the Resurrection Stone." Hermione nodded. "Has to be, but, who summoned Dumbledore? Grindelwald? They both died during the war? Who would have had access...?" she trailed off as the realization hit her. She stared at Harry in horror.
Harry, at least, looked sheepish.
"You didn't," Hermione said. She couldn't believe it of him, but the look on his face said it all. "Merlin, Harry. How could you be so stupid?"
"Like I knew what the consequences were going to be?" Harry half-laughed as if this was all some big fucking joke, and Hermione completely lost her cool.
"That's the point, Harry! You never fucking think about the consequences. Fucking Godric. You bloody Gryffindor wizards. Never fucking thinking!"
"Woah, Hermione, calm down," Sirius said.
"Don't fucking tell me to calm down, Black," Hermione hissed. "Do you know what I overheard last night?"
Sirius shook his head, staring at her with wide eyes. Hermione stood from her spot on the sofa and began pacing the small space. She had to tell them, she knew that, but Merlin, she was so fucking angry at Harry for his stupidity. Even if it was incidental stupidity. It felt like half her life she'd been cleaning up after Harry's stupidity, and suddenly, she was fucking sick of it.
"Dumbledore and Grindelwald are attempting to leave the Grey. By any means necessary. Sacrificing all of the people there if they have to in order to get Beyond the Veil. And after that? They plan to come through the archway in the Death Chamber and walk the earth once again."
"What? No." Harry shook his head. "Dumbledore wouldn't do that."
"Really?" Hermione asked. "You think he wouldn't? How much did you ever even know about Dumbledore, Harry?"
"That's not fair, Hermione." Harry stood to face her, and Hermione hated that he towered over her. "Dumbledore believed in the greater good, he wouldn't do something to essentially kill so many souls!"
"You know nothing about Albus Dumbledore and the shit he is capable of." Hermione glared at him. "Or, actually, that's not quite right. You should know all about it, but you're too fucking blind to see how flawed he truly was, Harry. Merlin, don't you get it? Dumbledore raised you like a sheep for slaughter, and you still defend him!"
"That's not true!" Harry shouted at her. Suddenly, his wand was in his hand and Hermione laughed bitterly.
"You going to hex me, Potter?"
Harry flushed and tucked his wand away again.
"Mate, Hermione, maybe you should cool it," Sirius said, standing between the two friends.
"Sirius, tell Hermione that Dumbledore was a good guy," Harry pleaded with his godfather.
Sirius rubbed the back of his neck. "Wish I could, but I'm with Hermione here."
"What?"
"Dumbledore wasn't the guy you are making him out to be," Sirius sighed. "His overall goal in bringing down Voldemort was good, but the way he went about it? The things he deemed sacrificable? I don't agree with them," Sirius said. His voice was as grave as Hermione had ever heard it. She backed up a little. Perhaps Sirius could get through to Harry where Hermione couldn't. Merlin only knew that this was a conversation someone needed to have with Harry at some point in the last twenty years.
"I know, but he had hard decisions to make. It was war, and some things had to be done in order to win," Harry insisted.
"And if your parents didn't have to die?" Sirius asked. "If Dumbledore knew something that could have saved their lives?"
"But he didn't." Harry shook his head.
"Harry, he knew about the Horcruxes back during the first war," Sirius said.
"What?" Harry breathed. "That's not possible. Why didn't he do anything about them?"
"He didn't know what they were, but he knew about them. We discussed it quite heavily in the Order at the time."
"Well, there you go then," Harry said.
"Harry." Sirius shook his head and Hermione felt terrible for both of them. Sirius clearly didn't want to have this conversation, and Harry wasn't going to listen to anyone saying anything about Dumbledore.
"What about Snape?" Hermione asked. "How do you condone what Dumbledore did to him?"
"Snivellus? What does he—"
"Shut up, Sirius," Hermione snapped. "Don't call him that. Not in my presence."
"Sorry." Sirius looked actually contrite for once, and Harry gave them both a considered look that Hermione chose to ignore.
"Harry?" she prompted.
"Snape had it more difficult than most, and Dumbledore did take advantage of him," Harry conceded. "But still, it was a war."
"Fine, forget everyone else," Hermione said. "What about what Dumbledore did to you?"
"Me? He didn't do anything to me, Hermione."
"Harry. Do you really think that leaving you with the Dursleys was in your best interests?"
"Of course, the blood wards—"
"Harry, please. The blood wards could be duplicated anywhere. You could have grown up with Sirius and Remus instead of the Dursleys. Dumbledore had it in his power, but he did nothing about it. Hell, he let Sirius rot in jail for a dozen years because it suited his needs. If Sirius was behind bars then he wasn't checking up on you at the Dursleys. He wasn't under Dumbledore's feet, begging to have you placed in his care. Where you'd actually be cared for.
"No, Dumbledore left you at the Dursleys because it left you vulnerable. You were just begging for someone, anyone, to look up to when you got to Hogwarts, and then lo and behold, there's Dumbledore, swooping in to take that mantle up."
"No." Harry shook his head. "No, I can't—"
"Harry," Sirius said. "I was innocent. Not given a trial. Dumbledore was Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. You don't think he could have gotten me a trial?"
A dawning look of horror came over Harry's face, and Hermione felt her heart lurch for her friend.
"Harry, I'm sorry, but you have to realize, Dumbledore isn't the knight in shining armor that you seem to think he is. You need to know so you don't get your hopes up. Sirius has to go back to the Grey, regardless of anything else that happens, and hopefully back to Beyond the Veil. But regardless of any of that, we have to stop Dumbledore and Grindelwald, or we're consigning your parents, Sirius, Remus and everyone else in the Grey to soul-death in the Void."
"Not only that," Sirius said. "But whatever Dumbledore and Grindelwald are doing, they're making the Grey unstable."
"What does that mean?" Harry asked.
"It means the Void will overtake the Grey and take everyone in the Grey with it. We have to stop it," Hermione said. "No matter what it takes, we have to stop it."