The Burning Pen

The Ring

by Ruth Solomon

The story content is adult in nature and can contain graphic sex and violence.  Those under the age of 18 are asked to leave this site immediately.  You are not welcome here.  The author is not responsible for those under-aged who view these works.

CHAPTER 10

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JKR. All situations are mine. No $$$ is being made from this fanfic.
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Chapter 10 ~ Hermione Gets Some Answers

Hermione and Raucous walked down the steps and were waved over to a table by Petra, who had two bowls of steaming fish stew and fresh bread waiting for them. Hermione hurried over, took a seat and sniffed appreciatively. Petra eyed Raucous.

“This is your bowl, Raucous,” she said. “It’s mostly fish and vegetables.”

Raucous fluttered from Hermione’s shoulder and landed on Petra’s. The witch froze up as Raucous preened her hair for a moment, then hopped down on the table and plucked a bit of fish out of the bowl. He gulped it down and looked up at Petra with a beady black eye.

“He likes it,” Hermione said. Petra smiled. Hermione spooned up a bit of the stew and ate it. A look of bliss crossed her face.

“It’s delicious, Petra,” she said, spooning up some more.

The innkeeper drew up a chair and watched both her guests eat. Her eyes idly drifted to Hermione’s hand, and the ring. She froze. She knew that ring. It was legend.

“Hermione, where did you get that ring?” the witch asked, her brown eyes wide.

“A friend gave it to me,” she said.

“A Snape?” Petra asked her excitedly.

“Yes. He was a fellow teacher at Hogwarts,” Hermione replied, “He’s dead now, but left me his ring.”

Petra looked Hermione over appraisingly. There must be something to this witch for the ring to be in her possessions. Only Snapes were to wear that ring. But she was definitely not a Snape.

“You aren’t supposed to return it are you?” Petra asked, her brow furrowed.

“No,” Hermione said, “I was told to keep it.”

Petra breathed a sigh of relief. But if she were not going to the Snapes home to return the ring, why was she going?

“Petra, what is the name of this island?” Hermione asked her.

“Mu,” Petra replied. “It’s said that we are the last of the Lemurians, and this island is a remnant of Lemuria. It was destroyed many thousands of years ago.”

“But I heard that Lemuria was a very technically advanced society. You are, if you beg my pardon, farmers and fisherman,” Hermione said.

“Every society has its workers. Our ancestors did the labor, provided the food for Lemuria and exported to Atlantis as well. When Lemuria sank, it was the mostly the technical areas that the ocean swallowed, though much farmland was taken too. Many millions of lives were lost. For some reason this small portion remained and the people survived. But we are isolated, and prefer to be so. We live simple lives here and are satisfied.”

“And the Snapes? Were they part of your community?” Hermione asked.

“No. They were supposed to be our overseers, but were more like our Masters. They oversaw production and shipping of the goods we produced. Our ancestors were little more than slaves and the Snapes ruled with an iron hand. They punished and killed many whenever we tried to assert ourselves and live freely.”

Raucous finished his stew, and with a squawk of thanks, flew out of the door to go exploring. Petra continued.

“The Snapes always ruled over us from the mountaintop. Their magic was much greater than ours. They had powerful, violent magic whereas our magic is only helpful and task-related. But when the ring was taken from the island, their magical powers were diminished, and we were able to live our lives freely, without fear and without oppression.”

“And your magic? It was always like this?” Hermione asked, finishing the last bit of stew and pushing the bowl aside.

“Yes, we are born with our magic. It is part of us and manifests when our children turn about three years old. Some have better powers than others, can do more. But we all have it,” Petra said.

Hermione thought about it. They were an old race, and isolated. Their magical powers did not develop like those in the rest of the world. That the workers would not have destructive magic made sense, or they could overthrow the leaders. So, Professor Snape was descended from tyrants. Hermione smirked. That was completely believable.

“If you are not here to return the ring, Hermione, why are you here?” Petra asked. Peter had already told the witch Hermione was going to deliver something.

Hermione decided to be honest with Petra. Maybe the witch could help her in some way.

“The wizard who gave me this ring is dead. He died serving the greater good. We never found his body. He was a very brave man who was never honored for his service. His last request was that an item be returned to his ancestral home, the tomb of his ancestors. He asked me to do it, and I am fulfilling his last wish to honor him,” Hermione said.

“A Snape serving the greater good?” Petra said disbelievingly. ”Snapes only work toward their own ends.”

“Not this one,” Hermione said, “This Snape lived a very perilous and pain-filled life in order to protect others. He was a very selfless and courageous man.” Hermione felt a tightening in her chest as she said this. Petra looked at the witch, and suspected she had felt more for this Snape than she was letting on.

“The ancestral tomb is on top of the mountain. And the protections the Snapes placed on it years ago, still function. It is impossible to travel to the top. There are creatures and traps that will prevent you. Your Snape has given you an impossible task. Better that you go home and bury what he has given you to place in the tomb,” Petra said.

Hermione scowled.

“I don’t believe the Professor would send me on a quest he didn’t believe I could complete. There must be a way that I can do it. I have to try. I’m not even sure if I can leave here until I do,” the witch said.

“How did you get here? The old magic of the Lemurians prevents visitors from apparating. Visitors had to come through a sentry gate. No one can just pop in,” Petra said. “And it is almost impossible to come by sea because the water dashes ships upon the rocks surrounding the island. Those rocks are what’s left of the continent.”

“The ring brought me,” Hermione said, “At first I thought it was a port key, but it can’t be, because a port key only takes you between two places. There is some other power working here.” She looked at the ring, which sat there doing the ring thing. Looking pretty.

Petra didn’t know what a port key was, so she kept silent.

Hermione looked thoughtful.

“No one has ever tried to reach your island by broom?” Hermione asked Petra.

The stout witch dissolved into laughter.

“Brooms? Oh my no. How would they get here by brooms? Brooms don’t fly,” the witch said, gasping for breath.

“Where I’m from they do,” Hermione replied smiling. Petra stopped laughing.

“What a wondrous place you must come from. Magical items and flying brooms. Amazing,” Petra said.

“No more amazing than Mu. Where the people do wandless, spell-less magic, and children apparate without splinching,” Hermione said.

“What is splinching?” Petra asked

“When you apparated and part of you is left behind,” Hermione said.

Petra looked at her in disbelief.

“They die?” she asked.

“No, but someone has to go get the parts and put them back together,” Hermione said, not exactly sure how it was done.

“A very strange world you come from indeed,” Petra said.

The two witches sat talking for hours, with Petra getting up only when a customer came in for a bite to eat. She welcomed the man and escorted him to a table. He nodded at Hermione when he passed and sat down several tables away. Hermione thought he looked like a pirate with that patch over his eye.

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Ketri looked at Hermione with interest, and nodded as he passed. He looked down at her hands. Yes! She wore the ring! He took a table at some distance from her and studied her as he waited for Petra to bring him some fish stew.

She did not look like the women of the island. Her hair was a bright, light brown where as everyone’s hair, with the exception of the Snapes, was dark brown. Her eyes were very light also, almost gold. She was rather slim too, but curvy still. Ketri stroked his beard as he looked at her. She was different, and that made her attractive. Ketri liked attractive. Maybe the ring wasn’t the only thing he’d take from her tonight.

Petra brought him his stew. He sniffed it appreciatively.

“No one makes fish stew like you do, Petra,” Ketri said, smiling up at her.

Petra slapped him on the shoulder playfully.

“Ketri, you always try to charm me. Still full price,” she said saucily, then turned and went to rejoin Hermione.

“Interesting looking wizard,” Hermione commented when Petra sat down. “What happened to his eye?”

“Fishing accident. A hook got him,” Petra said.

“The patch makes him look a little wicked,” Hermione observed, looking at the man as he ate.

Petra grinned. “He is wicked. Ask any of the younger women on Mu.”

Hermione smirked, then said “Petra, what can you tell me about the mountain?”

Petra looked at her thoughtfully. The witch was very brave but very foolish to want to make the journey. No one who tried ever came back.

“Well, all of what I know is legend except this, the mountain path spirals around the mountain and leads to the mansion on top where the Snapes live. They never come down. Deliveries are taken to the foot of the mountain and a large bird carries them to the top, then returns with payment.” Petra said in a low voice.

“What about the protections?” Hermione asked.

“I don’t know what they are, but it is said that the rocks and trees move, and there are creatures that roam the path to stop intruders. You are traveling without magic. How do you think to protect yourself? It would take almost two days to reach the top of the mountain unhindered. There is no telling how long it will take even if you can get by the protections. I wish you would think about this, Hermione,” Petra said.

“I am thinking about it,” Hermione said, looking at the ring. “The Professor said it would protect me,” Hermione thought. Maybe the ring would help her past the protections.

“I’m thinking that I will start the journey tomorrow morning. The sooner I get started, the sooner I can get back home,” she said.

Petra looked at the witch with sad eyes.

“I see you are a stubborn one,” Petra said, “May the gods have mercy on you if you take this journey.”

Hermione looked at the Lemurian.

“Maybe they will,” she replied.

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A/N: So, Hermione’s on the island of Mu, remnant of Lemuria. Cool beans. Ketri isn’t very savory is he? Likes what he sees. Snape descended from tyrants. Lol Yep, really believable. Some Snape coming up next chapter. Should be interesting. Please review.

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