Chapter 38
“Hermione?” Dan asked, looking up from the breakfast table. “Is that you?”
Emma looked up as well, blinked, and smiled. “You’re up early,” she teased.
Hermione, who had just entered the room, grinned at both of her parents. “Yeah, I suppose it is early, isn’t it?” she asked. She’d spent the last seven days locked up in her bedroom, getting through the third and fourth stages of her Papa Tango- and just yesterday, it had finally given over to the fifth stage… and all the symptoms had gone with it. She’d then slept soundly for the first time in just over a week. “And yes, it’s me.” She pulled her gleaming, metallic red hair over one shoulder, so it could fall down her front with its gentle waviness and icy blue fringes. “Do I really look that different?”
Dan shrugged. “Almost. I mean, I could tell who you were, it’s just… I’m used to your hair looking more like, ahh…” He paused, searching for the right word.
“A haystack?” Hermione supplied.
He shook his head. “No, I was thinking it looked like your mother’s. Which that most definitely does not.” He gestured towards her.
Emma, whose hair almost perfectly matched Hermione’s old hair, chuckled, and held out a hand. “C’mere,” she prompted.
Hermione trotted around the table to her.
Emma promptly clamped her in a hug. “It’s good to see you moving about again,” she said. “Even if that means we’ve got that study coming.”
“Actually,” Hermione said, pulling herself free enough to speak clearly. “It hasn’t finished yet, and we can’t do the study until it has. The first four stages are over with- but I’ve still got five, six, and seven to go.” She shrugged. “Technically speaking, from the moment the seventh stage starts, we can do the study, but my magic will be changing rather rapidly throughout, so I’d rather not risk it.”
“What do these last stages do?” Dan asked.
Hermione shrugged. “We actually don’t know what happens throughout the fifth and sixth. When the fifth stage started, I turned back into… well, me, but I’m about as magically capable as a muggle. When the sixth starts, I’ll regain control of my Animagus magic- which will allow me to turn myself into an Equestrian. Not that that’ll be very useful.
“It’s the seventh that we are waiting for- that’s when my magic returns, but it does so gradually. Once it finishes, the whole Papa Tango is done.” She shrugged. “Basically, all the physical changes are done, we’re just waiting for the last few magical changes.” She smiled. “And since I’m not in constant pain any more, there’s no reason I can’t come eat with the rest of the family.” She grinned. “And be a normal girl.”
Emma chuckled. “You do know there’s nothing normal about you, right? Especially after that Papa Tango thing?”
She shrugged. “Yep. Doesn’t mean I have to act weird, though.”
“Hmm,” Emma mused, and put a hand on the top of Hermione’s head. “Is it just me, or are you shorter than you were a week ago?”
She blinked. “I- what?” She tilted her head. “That… I shouldn’t be, but…”
“We can measure after breakfast,” Dan announced.
“Oh, yes,” Hermione smiled, moving around to her seat. “It smells divine.” Then she paused, tilting her head. “Huh. Definitely smelling things a lot stronger than before… but Silver also got an acute sense of smell from her PT, so I guess it’s not unexpected.”
“... Right,” Dan muttered. “Anything else we should know about?”
She shrugged. “Not that I know about.”
After dinner, they measured her height- and found that she had, in fact, shrunk a couple of inches.
“That’s not right,” Hermione scowled, retrieving the phone that Lyra had given her from her nightstand. It took her only a few seconds to dial Lyra’s number, then she waited.
She didn’t need to wait for long. Lyra picked it up on the first ring. “Yessum?”
Hermione rolled her eyes. “Lyra, you might want to stop by.”
“Oh? Something happen?”
“Yes. Got into the fifth stage of the Papa Tango yesterday… Just found out, I shrank.”
“What-? But that-! Huh. Well, I’m chaperoning some tourists through London at the moment, so… Two hours, I think, and I can be there?”
“Works for me,” she answered.
When she hung up the phone, Emma raised an eyebrow. “Where’d you get the phone?”
She blinked, and looked at it. “Oh. Um… Lyra gave it to me. It’s… um…” She wasn’t sure what all she could tell her parents- it might have looked like a regular phone, but it was actually a specialized one, on an encrypted line and everything… and had been given to her not out of goodwill, but because she’d chosen to accept Bonbon’s offer.
Bonbon’s offer… to join their top-secret Equestrian organization, which would give her access to all the finest magical research there was, in Equestria at least, and all of the finest research tools. After all, she hadn’t joined as a ‘field agent’ like Bonbon, but as a scientist… like Lyra.
And it all was, of course, top secret. From everyone, including her own parents… and, for now at least, her ‘herdmates’, as Lyra had called them: Silversong, Harry, and Diamond. Lyra had assured her that they would eventually get her herdmates cleared to learn about it if at all possible, but it would take time.
“I thought technology didn’t work at Hogwarts?” Dan asked.
She grabbed at the opportunity. “Yeah! Me too! Then they just…” She shrugged. “I mean, it gets no reception at Hogwarts, but it still works just fine.” That was entirely true- it did get no cell reception at Hogwarts, even though Lyra had told her there was a cell tower with line-of-sight. She’d even pointed it out to her before they left for the summer. The thing was, in areas of no cell coverage, it went into ‘satellite mode’- so she could make and receive calls anywhere she could see the sky… which included Hogwarts. Even the Hogwarts dungeons- Lyra said something about the Hogwarts wards being on just the right frequency to amplify the satellite signals, instead of deadening them, like it did other kinds of signals.
“Interesting,” Dan muttered.
“Definitely,” Hermione agreed. “It makes me wonder what other tech works at Hogwarts- and where else wizarding common knowledge is wrong?”
About two hours after, Lyra knocked on the door, and Emma let her in. Dan had left for work; it so happened it was one of the days that he manned their dental practice alone.
“So,” Lyra began, when Hermione appeared at the door to the family room. “You said you… Yep, about three inches, too.” She scowled. “As a matter of fact, that’s about how tall you were on the train to Hogwarts.”
“Uh, what?” Emma asked.
Lyra blinked, looking up at her. “Oh, sorry.” She tapped the side of her head. “Perfect recall. I’m also using a bit of advanced magic to accelerate my calculations.”
“So, what’s that mean?” Hermione asked. “Have I been… frozen?”
“I don’t… Yeah, no, you haven’t been. Silver grew at least an inch since I first saw her. But…” She sighed. “What it could be doing is resetting you back to a certain age- specifically, the ‘Age of Synchronicity’, it’s called, between our worlds. Basically, whenever someone first travels from one world to another, they take on a form in that new world that is at- or below- the Age of Synchronicity between them. Since the Papa Tango gives you an Equestrian form, and that Equestrian form is technically based on the other side of the Gate, that Equestrian form is guaranteed to be produced at or below the Age of Synchronicity.”
“So, what is this Age of whatsits?” Emma asked. “How old?”
“Between this world and Equestra? Eleven years, exactly. Pretty sure that’s what tripped up Hogwarts’ spells, too- because any spell trying to determine your age in a world you’ve never been to will always see you at or below the Age of Synchronicity between that world and the one you happen to actually be in. As a result, according to Hogwarts last year, the entire population of Equestria- save a couple percentage points- was exactly eleven years old. We live well past three hundred years old, as a rule.” She let out a snort of laughter. “Which, coincidentally, means that you will as well.”
Hermione rolled her eyes. “Alright, alright. So, how would that make me shrink?”
“It’s… a bit complicated,” Lyra muttered. “But… Well, because of how the Papa Tango works. Basically, it recreates your primary form to be an Equestrian form- which would explain Stage Three. The fourth stage would be when it synchronizes your new magic with you, allowing your form to be affected by the dimension you happen to be in, and causing you to take a humanized Equestrian form- which is generated on the spot, and so at or before the Age of Synchronicity as well. Stage five would be once it finishes restabilizing your magic, and my identity restoration routines kick in.
“I put those in because your original form- like Silver’s blonde-haired form- is actually incompatible with your new magic matrix, so you won’t be able to hold it for long, or use Equestrian magic at all while in that form. It shouldn’t have been touched by the Age of Synchronicity… but the new form the identity routines produce might be. They create a duplicate of that original form, and modify it just enough to be fully compatible with your new magic matrix, then they push you into that form- that’d be the form you’re in now. Which… it’s possible it has to modify it far enough it counts as coming from the other side, causing the Age of Synchronicity to apply to it as well. Mind if I check for the indicators of biological age?”
“Sure,” Hermione muttered. “And… When you say ‘at or before the Age of Synchronicity’, what do you mean?”
“Mm? Oh, that. Basically, since you’re over the Age, you’re going to be at the Age of Synchronicity. Had you been under the Age- and, say, eight- your new forms would’ve matched your true age exactly.” She paused. “And… yeah, biologically, you’re almost exactly eleven years and one day old. So yes, it must have been enough to be hit by the Age of Synchronicity.” She sighed. “Well, that’s certainly good to know. I can’t be putting any adults through that thing until I find a way around the Age of Synchronicity.” Another pause. “Hmm… A good age spell ought to do it, to alter the apparent biological age to match the original, until… Yeah. Gonna be a bear to build, though.”
Hermione breathed out a sigh. “So what happens if I try to cross an age line?”
“Oh, those will go off your true age, not biological. If I used it to turn Dumbledore into an eleven-year-old- that would be amusing, I daresay- he could still cross just about any age line on the planet without issue.” She shrugged. “Considering how close your new biological age and your true age are, I want to say there’s really no point in trying to ‘fix’, quote unquote, the age issue for you- it will really only affect things like biological processes. Magic will still see your true age- and I haven’t been able to find anything in this world, magical or otherwise, capable of measuring biological age very precisely at all.”
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So this chapter = "Hermione has almost finished her conversion process and will soon be ready to do the muggle study and more importantly check out how horrible a time her friends are having!"
Aha, I like that you built out an actual reason for it this time, and one that even keeps the EqG portal shenanigans as "canon" too, neat.
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Well, that and "Lyra learns about the age discrepancy inherent to the current implementation of the PT."
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So if the presence of Equestrian Magic is making everyone more powerful, then this should have been noted somewhere.
Teachers realizing that almost everyone in year one seems to be doing better than first years normally -- and even upper level classmates are improving better than would be expected.
Quirrel!Voldy would see that all the students in the entire school have gotten more powerful. Even if our trio is at the extreme end, he would be expecting stronger resistance from any school children he found -- heck, if there's a big change in the power level of the magic in the school, ** try to find out what has happened, and how to make use of that power! **
Can you imagine what would happen if he learned of the existence of the PT?
Who needs a PS. Find a way to take control of someone that goes through PT.
Yes, his current body may be on the way out. Whatever has caused the increase in power level is worth investigating. More important than just this body/PS.
If there was a reason that it was only this three, that's one thing.
If it's everyone, that's a significant plot change that should show up as a major deviation from cannon.
What is the impact across the entire wizarding community of overpowered first years and improved power in all years?
EDIT: Hold on, this got tagged as chapter 38? NEW CHAPTER!
Another great chapter, can't wait to see the next!
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Yep, right about. This chapter is mostly just a transition chapter, after all... Come to think of it, that kinda describes a lot of the summer chapters- mostly just transition chapters, cleaning up a few minor plot points, up until we launch into the next major plot point with Diagon Alley...
Not unlike how the summer chapters in canon were basically just filler (and Harry-Hunting) for the first few years at least, up until the Weasleys visited each time, because that was generally when the plot really got moving...
So ... Even if Silver wants to look "normal" like old Draco, she can't? At least not for long?
Yet she was, at least some times, showing her Draco form. Didn't run into this limit? No comments about it?
So, lets see what forms seem to exist now:
1. The original form, or a copy of it subject to the age limit.
2. A humanized version of the equestrian form -- new hair, new height, age 11 as of the change.
3. Pony form.
4.
Going back:
Phase 1: You're a pony, and the original form is non-accessible.
Chapter 18:
So phase one is the DESTRUCTION of your old form. It's not just inaccessible?
... and this is what Lyra considers to be full of safeties?
How in the HECK did any of the princesses approve this for testing? ... They did get princess approval, right? They're not just testing at random on foreigners without approval, right?
Right? I mean, Lyra DID get permission from her superiors? She did at least get them to sign off, and went over what would be done, right? Bonbon knows about it, and even Hermione could determine what this would do. Right?
...
Phase 1: The allergic reaction (chp 18-19)
Phase 2: Pony (pure equestrian) form (chp 19-20) (and house curse broken) (this seems to be the destruction of the base form phase)
Phase 3: Appearance of the equestrian-human vegitarian form. (chp 20) (Silversong).
Phase 4: Recreation of original form with equestrian hair. Not quite human. No magic. (chp 21).
Phase 5: Begin of return of magic to new H-E form (chp 23)
Phase 6: Full return of overpowered non-british magic/equestrian core (chp 24)
(includes ability to transform others ... speaking of which, did we ever see anything more about Pomfrey's new form?)
Then comes the transform back from Draco to Silversong going up the girl's staircase (also chp 24)
If there was a 7th phase, I didn't see it.
Ok, so going over the stages: What I have as the 4th stage (H-E, new hair, no magic) is what Hermione is going through now as the 5th stage. So which stage did I miss?
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It is a 7-stage process, and they end it with 4 distinct forms:
1. Pure Equestrian form- pony.
2. Humanized Equestrian form- basically, what they would've looked like had they only had the Equestrian form and stepped through the Gate. This is Silversong's "me" form.
3. Modified original form. This is the form Hermione is in now.
4. Pure original form, exempt from the Age of Synchronicity. This form is actually preserved- but thanks to the form being unable to handle the extra facets added to their magic, they will "fall" out of it into the local default form (1 for Equestria, 2 for Britain) as soon as they lose concentration on holding the transformation. So long as concentration is maintained, there is no hard limit on how long this form can be maintained.
5. Animagus form, if present (neither Hermione nor Silver have one), remains unaffected. If not present, they retain the ability to obtain one via the same effort & stuffs any new animagus requires.
This is how Draco turned into Silversong the first time. When he saw them coming to take his hat, he (unknowingly) shifted from form 3 to form 4... then held that. He lost his concentration on it halfway up the stairs to the girl's dorm, resulting in a reset into form 2, Silversong.
Also- When Draco transformed Madam Pomfrey, it wasn't an ability conferred by the PT. It was his new Raeth magic pulling a Crusader act on his wand, and going "rampant"- yet still responding to his thankfulness to her, so focusing on giving her something helpful. She ended up becoming some kind of cyborg with a lot of medical technology... that was all magic compatible, and probably magic powered as well.
As for the 7 stages of the Papa Tango, each lasting exactly 3 days (72 hours):
1. Rejection- the initial "alergic" reaction, when their body/core is rejecting the change.
2. Compliance- Rejection failed, the magic is starting to force its way in. This is where the magical changes begin.
3. Equestrian- The core is now primarily Equestrian, so they are pushed into Equestrian form (#1). Note that it is not their true Equestrian form- tribal magic is still just forming, so horn/wings/etc are absent during this stage. The Equestrian Form gains these features during the 6th stage.
4. Adjustment- The core has adapted enough to the new changes to allow the local universe to affect the form; they are pushed into the Humanized Equestrian form (#2).
5. Animagus- Enough of their human magic has reintegrated with their being to restore Animagus magic functionality; Lyra's "identity restoration routines" snatch this opportunity to create (and push them into) the New Human Form (#3), a "stable" version of their Original Form (#4). This is the stage Hermione is in at the moment, and the one in which Draco was first released from the Hospital Wing.
6. Acceptance- The body/core finally accepts the changes. They regain control of their Animagus magic- and their pony magic becomes active.
7. Final Touches- It all comes to a close. Wand magic comes back to operability; as it does so, their Equestrian and Human magics merge together more fully, and end up amplifying each other; this is why all the PTs (so, Silver & Hermione right now) are so much more powerful.
I might do an interlude sometime, or a blog post, for the full 2 pages of how-it-works I have in my story bible...
That may just be the castle humoring you...
Does anyone else read this line, and get that "the Demon Murphy has just noticed you" vibe?
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Well of course, dental records (Hermione's parents are dentists, remember) are one of those ways...
The issue with "biological age" is that different people age, physically, at different rates. And there's a number of different factors, not just genetic ones, that can affect it. There isn't much variance on it, but there is variance.
As for what Lyra was doing? She was asking the universe how old she was, biologically. Via a subset of the spellwork in her Gate... which required direct, active spellwork, and no doubt a lot of power... and a direct connection to her standing Gate.
And the reason she's so confident when she says that, is because "exactly 11 years old, biologically" actually describes a range of different states, which will be unique to the person. What is exactly 11 years old to one person might even be 12 to another, though I doubt it'd go very much past that without focusing on edge cases... if that isn't already one.
Hence why all the "age detect" magics look to the age of the magical core, which is fairly easy to measure... and not interfered with by the Age of Synchronicity.
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Something to keep in mind was that Draco(before gaining to name Silversong but after the transformation) was wearing a hat and
wig combo(actually looking back it was just a hat, got confused since he had to wear a wig due to family curse before transformation). So while he(while he still considered himself a he, this is getting confusing) looked like pre-transformation, it was merely a disguise.10374708
It actually was a hat/wig combo, even post-transform. Pre-transform, it was because the hair had to be shaven off against the Family Curse; post-transform, he didn't want anyone to see the shiny silver hair, so it was done up under his hat, and he wore a wig (presumably one with a hole in it) under the hat, probably attached to the hat.
I personally find it easiest to think of Silversong and Draco as two different people, even if they're technically one and the same.
So I had missed the first two parts being different / had them mashed together.
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Yeah, something like that.
Did I hear it right? Does Hermione powerful enough to cast Papa Tango on her own - on herself?
So Lyra take a side-line job as a tour guide during the summer break? Did both Ministries know about this event?
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... No, Lyra did the PT on her just before she went home for the summer.
And yes, apparently, Lyra has been showing Equestrians around the various Diagon Alley/London regions. Do the Ministries know about it? Maybe.
So, what you are saying Hermione would look like an 11 years old for years and years while she is in the human world thanks to the inconvenience of the PT. I am all for the looking younger than you actually are trope but that's just pushing a legal gray area to its limit. Speaking of her parents, I don't believe that Grangers would be that comfortable with some extra dimensional magical alien experimenting on their daughter, Sorry.
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Well no, the reset was momentary, she'll continue aging normally.
... And they were told that it was perfectly safe. They didn't know it qualified as experimenting... (Remember a few chapters ago: "Yes, it's normal for Hermione to forget to tell us something.") You can bet they weren't happy when they found out.
Do you have any idea how big a satellite phone is?
Do you know how much power it takes to send a signal to geo-synch? Or the sensitivity needed to receive such a signal?
I can't help but feel that we are seeing more of the whole "Ponies make british magic obsolete" issue. We're already seeing the presence of Equestrian magic making children over powered, and what happens to Hermione next chapter is "out of this world" :-).