Chapter 7
The implications of Harry and Hermione's second night off were immediately evident. Harry's flock of admirers were now splitting their time surreptitiously looking at Harry and glaring at her. Romilda Vane seemed particularly enraged at her existence these days. And although their looks were more benign Hermione noticed that Ron and Ginny seemed much more observant of their activities as well. Even Crookshanks had gotten in on the act, opting to sit in Harry's lap or at his feet whenever possible. From what she could gather, Harry, as usual, was oblivious to it all. As annoying as the resurgence in attention was she wasn't really bothered. It was well worth it.
Unfortunately nothing new had been learned regarding Professor Slughorn or Horcruxes. And although she had noticed how pale and distraught Draco seemed to look at all times in the last few weeks no progress had been made on that front either…at least until their first Apparition lesson. The conversation Harry had overheard between Draco and his goons was one more piece of evidence that something was definitely going on.
"I knew they were up to something…just like I've been saying," Harry informed confidently as they exited the Great Hall. She listened as Ron and Harry discussed the conversation and considered whether to take Harry to task for shooting off his mouth at Draco. Ultimately she knew the internal debate was pointless…she had never been able to keep her opinions to herself and Harry needed to be smarter going forward.
"I wish you'd held your tongue, Harry," she admonished after they split apart from Ron. "You let him know you overheard them…that will just make him more cautious going forward."
It was clear her comment had slightly taken the wind out of his sails as he initially remained silent. It wasn't until they were headed to dinner that the subject was broached again.
"I reckon you were right earlier…about me spouting off to Malfoy." Harry mumbled.
"Just remember next time," she comforted, "Draco really is looking awful these days and I'm worried what he might do if he thinks he's been found out."
"Besides," she continued, "it's not like I've been the paragon for controlling one's emotions."
"You've been pretty good the last month," Harry replied, "or have you been setting animals on people behind my back?"
"Anyway," Hermione trudged forward, "did you have any luck with Apparition?"
"Not a lick," he shared, "I wasn't really trying if I'm honest…and after Sue splinched herself I was really put off."
She'd done her best over the last month to stress how crucial learning Apparition could be. At best Harry listened half heartedly to humor her and now his casual dismissal of the actual lesson struck a nerve…something that she'd accepted in the past but knew needed to be addressed.
Despite the fact that she'd just got done criticizing his actions she was about to jump into the breach once again. She hoped what she was about to say wouldn't muck up all the progress they had made over the last month…but she'd done her part in admitting her faults with the Prince and now it was Harry's turn.
"I have something to say," she began hesitantly. "I'm not saying it to nag…but I need you to listen."
"Go on," Harry prodded as he gave her a wary look.
"I know getting good marks isn't as important to you as it is to me and that is fine…but you need to try harder."
"I'm doing my best. You don't understand what it's like-" he sputtered in surprised defiance.
"You aren't," she shot back as calmly as possible. "I don't care if you don't pay attention in Astronomy and I understand if you aren't interested in Arithmancy or Ancient Runes…but there are things being taught every day here that could help save your life. Learning how to Apparate could save your life…it could help you save my life…and you are wasting time by slagging things off."
Harry was seething now… a powder keg ready to blow. Clearly her comments had been unexpected and had touched a nerve. If she had said something similar last year Harry would have shot back with a loud insult and most likely stormed away. This year's version remained stubbornly silent and looked straight ahead…waiting for her to continue.
"You are one of the best in our year at practical magic…but only when you want to be. Not finding something interesting or being worried about other things isn't a good enough excuse to not try anymore."
"Fine," he finally replied dismissively, "tonight I'll hunker down and make sure I get all the etchings just right when I transfigure my apple into a goblet."
"Stop it," she replied, doing her best to tamp down her own building anger. "You know that isn't the type of lesson I was talking about. Stop being stupid and exaggerating so you can avoid the point."
Hermione wondered if she had gone too far with her last comment as Harry refused to look at her or speak again. As the seconds ticked by and Harry remained silent her heart began to sink.
Just think about what I said," she pleaded softly as they entered the Great Hall.
She'd hoped he'd say something…anything…as they ate their dinner. But the best Harry offered were mumbled replies when other people would speak directly to him.
For the first time since third year she was the outcast amongst the trio in the common room that night. Thankfully this time was much different…this time she knew they would eventually work it out. The only question was whether Harry would take her message to heart.
As she reviewed the supplemental reference materials she had borrowed from the library regarding Apparition she occasionally stole glances at Ron and Harry as they played chess. Her one consolation was Harry didn't seem angry at all and he didn't shoot her any nasty looks…he merely seemed pensive. And based on Ron's seemingly normal behavior she guessed Harry hadn't even told him about their disagreement.
She watched as her kneazle ally trooped down the girls' dormitory stairs and immediately made his way to Harry, unceremoniously jumping into his lap. Harry let out a small 'whoop' of surprise at Crookshanks' arrival and began scratching his neck. He then looked her way and smiled awkwardly as he realized she was watching the scene.
Her hope that they would talk after the conclusion of the chess match was dashed as Harry quickly escaped to his dormitory after yet another defeat. For the first time that she could recall Crookshanks followed him dutifully up the steps.
The next day Harry had joined her for meals but had remained relatively silent or absent as Quidditch practice and homework filled the rest of his Sunday. After he'd disappeared up the steps to his room early that night Hermione lost the desire to study entirely, opting instead to return to their couch and stare at the fire. It wasn't the same without Harry there. Not nearly the same.
She was about to retire for the evening when Harry plopped down beside her with Crookshanks in hand. "I think your cat is stalking me," he joked, not appearing to be bothered in the slightest by his recent companion.
Crookshanks made a noise of protest before hopping over to her lap. "Now you've done it," she joked, "he'll never forget that comment."
"Nah," he commented casually as he reached over and scratched Crookshanks head, "he's just like Hedwig…their bark is worse than their bite."
They sat quietly for several minutes before Harry finally broke the silence.
"After what you said the other day I've been thinking about all the things my dad and his friends did in school outside of their normal lessons…becoming Animagi for Remus…the Marauders Map. Did I tell you they figured out a way to enchant mirrors so they could communicate with each other?"
She shook her head, fascinated and impressed once again by The Marauders ingenuity.
"Last year…at Christmas…Sirius gave me this wrapped up bundle and told me I could use it at Hogwarts if I ever needed to talk to him. I chucked it in my trunk and forgot about it."
He pulled out something from his pocket…a cloth being used as makeshift bag. He placed it in his lap and unwrapped it, revealing several pieces of a broken mirror.
"What happen-"
"It turned out he'd given me one of the communication mirrors they made so I could talk to him. I didn't really pay attention at the time…didn't read the note he'd given me explaining what it was…just threw it in my trunk and forgot about it."
He picked up a piece and carefully twirled it in his fingers, staring at it fixedly before continuing. "I found it again in my trunk when we were packing to leave at the end of term…after we went to the Ministry. I read the note then and realized I could have used this to check with Sirius. I got upset and threw it…that's why it's broken...another time I didn't think things through. If I had done what you said the other day…just paid a bit more attention…Sirius wouldn't have died."
"Harry, no-" she began before once again being interrupted.
"It's all right, Hermione…it's the truth," he stated as he wrapped up the pieces and once again stowed them away in his pocket.
"I'll try harder at Apparition…and if there is anything else you think I'm sloughing off that can help tell me."
She felt tears forming and quickly swiped them away knowing how uncomfortable Harry was when she became emotional. "Okay. Thank you," she replied throatily.
She wanted to say so much more at that moment…how much she admired him and couldn't fathom the things he had to deal with…but she didn't trust herself to get the words out without devolving into tears. She settled for leaning into his side and rubbing his arm.
"I think we should try and make something like these mirrors…for us. Would you help me?"
"Of course," she managed to get out before her emotions got the best of her. "Of course."
"I was going to call Kreacher tomorrow and see if he could look for the other mirror at Grimmauld…I reckon it could make it easier to sort out how to do it."
She thought it was a brilliant idea. "Let's call him now."
"I need to do it in private and it's past curfew," he supplied.
"That's never stopped us before," she answered determinedly, "go get your cloak and meet me back here in five minutes."
She knew it could wait and that it was a silly excuse to break curfew. But while Prefect Hermione would and should rightfully object, Janey easily won out. Spending time with and encouraging Harry more than justified the excursion in her opinion. Besides, they'd become quite adept at sneaking around the castle over the years…the chances at getting caught were slim to none...and the risk of losing house points seemed trivial at this point.
She quickly made it to her dormitory to drop off her things and found Harry waiting for her near the door when she returned. As they made to leave they were stopped by a familiar voice.
"Right, what's going on and why didn't you invite me?" Ron asked in a hush.
Hermione couldn't help from smiling.
"Nothing life threatening," Harry replied quietly, "I just need to call Kreacher so he can look for something at Grimmauld."
"Cool," Ron replied exuberantly, clearly excited about having a bit of an adventure, "what is it?"
Harry suddenly became apprehensive and Hermione realized he more than likely did not want to have to share his failure in judgment once again.
"Sirius told Harry about some mirrors the Marauders had enchanted when they were in school so they could communicate with each other. We're going to try to make something similar for us and Harry thought Kreacher might be able to find Sirius' mirror at Grimmauld."
"You convinced her to break curfew for that?" Ron replied disbelievingly.
"She actually convinced me. I was going to wait until tomorrow morning," Harry beamed.
Ron let out a whoop of laughter before quieting himself. "Right, you lot don't get to do something foolish and irresponsible without me. Give me a minute," he commanded before quickly walking back to his girlfriend.
She watched as Ron whispered something to Lavender, presumably telling her why he was leaving for a bit. She expected an eruption from the girl but was met by the exact opposite as Lavender smiled and nodded her agreement before giving Ron a quick kiss.
Five minutes later the trio had made their way to a nearby abandoned classroom without incident. While Harry was busy placing a locking charm on the door, Hermione sought an answer to the riddle of Lavender Brown's reaction.
"What did you say to Lavender to convince her so easily?" she asked quietly.
"The truth, actually," he answered. "She knows we help out with secret Harry things from time to time and understands why she isn't included. She only gets upset when she thinks I'm excluding her from the other bits."
"Suppose I've got you and Harry to thank, actually," Ron continued as Harry finished up his casting, "she's been loads more relaxed since we included her for the Prince's spells."
As Hermione thought back to the last few weeks she had realized she had been much less annoyed by Lavender's behavior. She had chalked it up it to her own maturity and development but now realized Lavender may have equaled her efforts over the last month.
"We ready?" Harry asked as he bounded back to them. "Kreacher!"
A few seconds later, the weary elf popped into the room, clearly dreading having to listen to Harry once again.
"What can Kreacher do for Master and the Mudblood?" the elf spit out.
"Hey!" Ron interjected, "don't forget the blood traitor!" Based on the elf's expression he did not find the joke humorous, his scowl deepening as he remained silent.
"Right. First thing…you aren't allowed to call Hermione or Ron those names anymore, even under your breath or when we're not around. It's Miss Granger and Mister Weasley. All the time."
"You don't have to do that, Harry," Hermione interrupted. As much as she despised the name she didn't feel comfortable forcing such meaningless behavior.
"Yes, I do," Harry replied assuredly, never taking his eyes off the elf. "Got it?"
"Of course, Master," Kreacher replied through clenched teeth.
"I need you to look for something that belonged to Sirius. A square mirror about this big," Harry explained while miming the approximate size with his hands. "I'm guessing he would have carried it around a lot last year."
"Kreacher believes he knows the mirror Master is looking for," the elf answered dejectedly, clearly upset that such news would please Harry.
"Great!" Harry exclaimed. "Go get it and come back."
The trio waited in silence for several minutes before Kreacher popped back in the room, somehow even sadder than before after successfully accomplishing his task. "Will there be anything else, Master?" Kreacher asked, venom dripping from his voice.
"One more thing, you aren't allowed to tell anyone about the mirror. In fact you aren't allowed to talk to anyone else, including portraits, about anything, without my permission. And you aren't to leave Grimmauld Place unless I call you or tell you to. Got it?"
Hermione couldn't help herself and interrupted. She pulled Harry closer and whispered in Harry's ear. "That's not fair to Kreacher," she pleaded. "Part of his problem is how isolated he's been over the years."
Harry considered her words for several seconds before continuing. "You can talk to the portraits but you can't share anything about me or anything we talk about or what I have you do. And if Walburga Black insults my friends or Sirius you are to stop talking to her immediately."
Kreacher nodded angrily after several seconds of consideration. It was clear that he had been trying, and failing, to determine a loophole in Harry's direction.
Harry glanced her way before continuing. "That's it, Kreacher. Thanks for your help. I'll call you if I need anything else."
Harry's graciousness seemed to throw off the elf slightly. Clearly it had been a long time since he had been thanked properly. The elf remained silent, merely bowing slightly before popping out of sight.
"Well, that was slightly boring compared to our normal adventures," Ron commented sadly after their uneventful return to the Gryffindor common room.
"You seem disappointed that we didn't have to run for our lives," Hermione countered.
"Ahh…the good old days," Ron said in reminiscence. "Talk to you later," he replied before making his way back to his expectant girlfriend.
Hermione quickly pulled Harry back to their couch which had remained empty save for Crookshanks. Her companion seemed to be have sprawled himself out as much as physically possible in an effort to prevent anyone else from sitting down. Upon spotting the pair the kneazle quickly moved to his corner and allowed them space to join him.
Harry quickly took a seat beside her, sporting a relieved grin. "Should have thought of that ages ago," he declared.
Hermione nodded in agreement. "We can start working on this tomorrow night after we finish our normal work. I can get up early and skip lunch to start my research. I think they may have used something similar to the Protean charm I used for the coins last-"
"No," Harry interrupted. "We should work on this together starting tomorrow night. We can talk about how we can split up the work then."
"I really don't mind. It's honestly fascin-"
She was stopped once again as Harry softly placed a hand over her mouth. "Tomorrow night, Hermione," he commanded gently.
"All right," she replied dumbly after Harry removed his hand, stunned by the intimacy of his act. Harry looked quite pleased with himself as he gazed at the fire.
After a few minutes of silence she gathered herself and made another attempt. "If you let me see the mirror ahead of time I could-"
"Tomorrow night," Harry repeated, never taking his eyes off the fire.
"Fine," she replied grudgingly before changing topics. "Thank you for listening to me about Kreacher."
He frowned and nodded in acknowledgement. "Dumbledore said part of the reason Kreacher betrayed Sirius last year was because of how he'd been treated. I reckon you both are right…but it's hard to forget what happened."
"I know," she commiserated as an idea sprung forth. "I met the Head of the Department for Control of Magical Creatures at Professor Slughorn's party and he was very nice."
"That bloke you wrote all those letters to? I'm surprised he didn't run screaming from the room."
"Some people appreciate passionate advocacy," she replied, lightly punching Harry in the side and drawing an amused wince.
"As I was saying," she continued, "would you mind if I asked him about how we should deal with Kreacher?"
Harry raised an eyebrow in concern and Hermione quickly answered the unspoken question. "I won't give any details…I'll just explain I have a friend who inherited a bigoted elf. I can ask for advice without giving any specifics."
"Sure," he agreed after considering the request for several moments.
She smiled her thanks but remained silent for the next few minutes as she considered whether to go to bed or stay with Harry for a bit longer. As if on cue Crookshanks jumped back in her lap, effectively making the choice for her. If she was honest with herself she would admit the choice had been obvious.
She leaned into Harry and laid her head on his shoulder. She felt his arm rise over her head and nuzzled into the small of his shoulder once again, never opening her eyes.
The muggle phrase 'Once is a mistake, twice is a pattern, three times is a habit,' sprang to mind as she relaxed further into Harry's side. It had been almost a month since instance number one and she was now on instance number two. She knew this could become a particularly difficult habit to break.
Chapter 8
Hermione arose earlier than normal the next day but kept to her promise in delaying her mirror research until after they met as a group. Instead she used the time to pen a letter to Klaus Dagworth asking for his advice regarding Kreacher. Harry had offered Hedwig's services the night prior and the owl seemed particularly willing to help the next day when she called her down from the roost, giving her an overly affectionate nibble on the ear before taking flight. Hermione idly wondered what Crookshanks and Hedwig were up to.
The remainder of the day seemed to pass at an excruciatingly slow pace as she forced herself not to work on the mirror project beyond brainstorming topics for their planned discussion that night. It was very frustrating and Harry seemed to pick up on her irritation. He seemed to find it quite humorous.
Finally it was time to meet and she and Harry were ensconced in a corner of the Gryffindor common room, waiting on Ron's arrival.
"All right there, Hermione?" Harry asked in amusement after she had checked her watch for what felt like the millionth time. They had agreed to meet at 7:00 and it was now…she checked again…7:05. She idly wondered if Ron was purposely late to annoy her.
"Shut up, Harry," she replied, "if Dunderhead doesn't show up in the next few minutes I'm starting without him."
Harry nodded in agreement, smiling at her behavior. "I forgot to tell you, he asked if Lavender could join us and I said it was all right."
Her annoyance level rose at the news of the girl's inclusion. Unlike the Prince's spells this needed to be as secret as possible…and as well as they'd been getting on lately Hermione couldn't think of a thing the girl could possibly add to the discussion.
"Don't worry," Harry consoled as if he could read her thoughts, "I told Ron she will have to keep what we are doing confidential. Ron said he would have a word and I'll mention it when they get here."
Hermione nodded in thanks and tamped down the anxiety that was now growing in her consciousness. 'Be careful what you wish for,' she mused, realizing she was the one who had encouraged Harry to take a more active role in their projects. Losing even a bit of control over the trio's planning efforts had turned out to be much more maddening than she had anticipated.
"Here they come," Hermione advised as she spotted the couple entering the common room. Whatever Ron had said seemed to have worked as Lavender looked very nervous.
The pair quickly took seats and Harry discreetly cast Muffliatobefore speaking.
"Right, we all know what we are here to work on but I just want to make it clear to everyone that this isn't like the spells we worked through. This needs to remain a secret between us four. Everyone agree?"
Hermione thought it was a nice touch by Harry to address the comment to the entire group even though it was really meant for Lavender. The girl was nervous enough already and directing his comments solely toward her would only have made it worse. Not for the first time she thought about what a natural leader Harry was…especially after getting some experience at it with Dumbledore's Army. He was so charismatic and genuine…you couldn't help but l-…want to follow him.
While she and Ron methodically nodded their agreement, Lavender looked a bit confused.
"Are we just promising? I thought we'd need to sign something like Dumbledore's Army?" Lavender questioned in surprised disbelief.
It wasn't a bad idea, Hermione mused. Maybe it would be good to write up something so there would be consequences…nothing as severe or permanent as the DA agreement…maybe-
Her thoughts were interrupted by Harry's quick reply. "That won't be necessary," he answered kindly. "We didn't know everyone who joined the DA well enough to trust them. We trust you to keep it a secret…isn't that right, Hermione?"
What had she done to herself? She hated not being in control. So much.
"Of course," she answered, doing her best to act perfectly fine with the decision. The surprised and pleased look on Lavender's face at Harry's words and her subsequent agreement went a long way toward easing her concern.
"Great," Harry continued, "Hermione, I'm guessing you have a few ideas already on what needs to be done?"
She heard Ron's muffled chuckle and reflexively shot him a glare as she pulled out her notes.
"In addition to examining the mirror we have I thought we should do some independent research. My guess is the magic they used is similar to the Protean charm used for the coins the last year so that will be a good place to start. I also think it would be helpful to look into the magic behind the Mirror of Erised as far as how images and sound can be projected-"
She was interrupted from continuing by, of all people, Ron. "Lav and I can look into the Mirror of Erised- oh don't look so shocked, Hermione. I've been known to look at a book willingly from time to time."
"Umm…okay," she mumbled in agreement. Apparently Harry had given a speech to Ron about trying harder as well. She remained silent for several seconds as she pondered this new, slightly bizarre reality.
Harry, apparently taking her prolonged silence as an indication that she was finished speaking, jumped in.
"I thought I'd write Lupin a letter asking about the mirrors and seeing if he had anything he could share."
"Professor Lupin?" Lavender asked. "What does he have to do with this?"
"He was one of my Dad's mates in school," Harry answered. "He was the organized one in Dad's group…I'm guessing he would have been the one most likely to have actually taken notes when they came up with their version.
How had she not thought of that? That could potentially save them loads of time. She quickly made a note of it on her planning parchment before moving onto her next topic.
"Okay, I think that gives everyone something to do for now," she continued. We can meet again in a few days and share what we've learned."
"Then we can switch research topics," Harry added. "Ron and Lavender can look at the Protean Charm books and you and I can look at their reference material for the Mirror of Erised…to make sure we don't overlook anything."
"It's okay, Harry, you can say it out loud," Ron joked. "Hermione should check our work to make sure we didn't miss anything."
"That too," Harry replied, smiling and nudging her foot under the table.
She noticed Lavender looking back and forth between the group, unclear whether they were really arguing or having a laugh.
"You know I was going to do that anyway," she replied easily, laying Lavender's confusion to rest before moving on to the next topic.
"We also need to decide what type of mirrors to use. I couldn't think of anything better than what Harry's Dad used but if anyone else has any ideas we can talk about it."
She was met with silence before Ron purposely cleared his throat and nudged Lavender on the arm. "Go on, it's brilliant," she heard him mutter encouragingly.
Lavender looked to be fighting the urge to sprint from the room, clearly worried that whatever idea she had shared with Ron would be laughed at by her and Harry. She slowly reached into her pocket and pulled out a small, square, plastic object and placed it on the table. It was less than half the size of Sirius' mirror.
Hermione was suddenly ecstatic that Lavender had joined the meeting. How had she not thought of that?
"That looks familiar," Harry commented, clearly intrigued by whatever the object was. "What is it?"
"Umm…it's a compact mirror. Muggle women use them to check their face and apply makeup when they're out and about," Lavender tentatively replied as she opened the clamshell device. "The top section has a mirror and the bottom has powdered makeup."
"That's it!" Harry replied in recognition. "My Aunt always carries one of those around!"
"I thought it would be more convenient to carry and easier to keep a secret than what your Dad used since it's smaller and can be closed up quickly," Lavender continued, still nervous but emboldened by Harry's excitement.
Hermione wanted to say something but remained silent, shocked at the simple yet elegant solution the girl had come up with. Apparently being so focused on one's appearance did have a practical use.
Lavender waited a few beats before continuing, clearly expecting Hermione to give her thoughts. At her continued silence the girl continued.
"Maybe…if you thought it was a good idea and had the time…you could take out the makeup part in the bottom section and enchant it to send messages instead…like the D.A. coins from last year. You know…for when the message wasn't as urgent or you needed to be more discreet."
"What do you think, Hermione?" Harry asked. Based on his excited expression his opinion was clear.
"Perfect," she answered honestly. "We should still try to think of other options over the next few days but I can't imagine coming up with something better."
Lavender beamed at her praise as Ron pulled her close. "Told you," he declared happily.
Having a front row seat to the couple's affection should have bothered her…would have bothered her a few weeks ago…now it seemed to have the opposite affect. She looked at Harry and his encouraging smile caused her stomach to stubbornly flip once again.
Everything had changed so much for her recently…had reverted back to what she knew her heart truly desired…that it was a bit overwhelming at times. She desperately wished the same had happened for Harry as well but she couldn't quite convince herself that such a thing was possible. The multiple years of friendly but platonic affection on Harry's part were too much to overcome despite his recent behavior.
"I can send a letter to Mum asking to send me three more," Lavender continued. "Ron suggested I could just say I showed a few pureblood girls mine and they wanted their own to use."
"Perfect," Hermione responded once again. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Lavender replied. "It's the least I can do after…it's the least I can do."
Breakfast the next day passed uneventfully as she, frustratingly, did not receive any owl post. She knew it had been wishful thinking to expect Mr. Dagworth to respond so quickly but was still disappointed when nothing had arrived.
She was busy packing up after a slightly mundane Potions lesson when she received the answer she had hoped for.
"Miss Granger," Professor Slughorn chimed in as she was set to leave, "I need to speak with you privately for a moment if that's all right. It will just take a moment"
"We'll wait for you," Harry commented reassuringly as he and Ron left her alone with the portly Professor. Quickly her paranoia kicked in as she ran through the last few days in her mind thinking of anything she had done that could get her in trouble.
"Nothing to worry about, my dear," the Professor said kindly as he waved her up to his desk. "Klaus Dagworth stopped by briefly last night…said you had some questions about how to handle a rather troublesome elf," he informed as he handed her an envelope. "He asked if I could deliver this to you personally."
She looked at the envelope dumbly, never expecting such a cloak and dagger reply.
"That's all I needed," Slughorn continued cheerfully as he waved her away. "I will see you Saturday morning. It is always helpful to have students volunteer to help with ingredient preparation."
At her questioning look he continued. "Just read the letter and you will understand."
Given how secretive Dagworth and Professor Slughorn had been she decided it would be best to wait until after lunch to read his reply away from prying eyes. She and Harry ducked into an abandoned classroom once their bellies were full and read the letter.
Miss Granger,
It was good to hear from you again. I was afraid that I'd scared you off after our discussion at the party but I'm happy to see that isn't the case. I should have known based on our prior correspondence that you would not be put off that easily.
You should know, the only place secrets and gossip travel faster than at Hogwarts is the Ministry. Although it was never made public it is an open secret here that Sirius Black was involved and died during your excursion to the Ministry last summer. Given your description of the elf, how he had been treated, and his pureblood beliefs it was fairly easy for me to connect the dots and determine that Mr. Potter was your 'friend' and that the elf served Mr. Black's family.
You should also know that it was already widely speculated that Mr. Black was more than likely innocent of the charges he was imprisoned for. The fact that he showed up that night on Mr. Potter's behalf essentially confirmed to everyone here with a working brain that his innocence wasn't just speculation but a fact.
Given what a popular topic Mr. Potter is these days I thought it would be best to handle our discussion privately, in person. Horace has graciously offered the use of his classroom this Saturday morning at 8:00 a.m. for 'potions ingredient preparation.' Given your high standing in his class this seemed like an excellent excuse for you to be visiting the Professor on Saturday. You are welcome to invite Mr. Potter to join us as well.
He also informed me that you have an Apparition lesson scheduled for 10:00 that day, hopefully I can answer any questions you have in the time available. If not, I will be happy to pay another visit.
Of course, I could be entirely wrong about the friend in question being Mr. Potter and if that is the case there is no need for him to attend. Regardless, please share with Mr. Potter that although it might be hard to believe given his recent treatment, there are many of us here at the Ministry who appreciate and support his efforts.
Arthur Weasley in particular has been a rather outspoken, passionate, and convincing advocate of Mr. Potter (and you) over the years. I personally find Arthur a much more credible source of information than the Daily Prophet or our dear, departed Minister, Cornelius Fudge.
Looking forward to seeing you on Saturday.
Sincerely,
Klaus Dagworth
P.S. Mr. Potter's owl is very distinctive and well known at the Ministry. Unless you want to openly broadcast you are writing about Harry Potter I would strongly suggest you use a Hogwarts owl in the future.
Hermione handed the letter to Harry for him to read, dreading his reaction once he was finished. She had promised Harry that she would be discreet and had thoroughly bungled it up in every way possible. She scrutinized Harry's facial expressions as he read, fearing the inevitable eruption of emotion due to her carelessness. Infuriatingly, he didn't seem upset at all. If anything he seemed pleased.
"This Dagworth bloke seems pretty sharp," he finally commented.
"I'm so sorry, Harry!" she exclaimed. "I should have known he would sort it out."
"Hermione," Harry attempted to interject. She wasn't finished. Not nearly.
"And I can't believe I was stupid enough to use Hedwig!"
"Hermione," Harry tried once again. She would not be deterred.
"The Headmaster even warned us about how distinctive Hedwig was last summer. How could I have forgotten that?"
"Hermione!" Harry nearly shouted in an effort to silence her. "I was the one who suggested using Hedwig so if anyone is at fault it's me," he continued in a much quieter voice, "it's really okay."
"No it's not! I just lectured you the other day about being smarter and I'm not following my own advice!"
"Obviously Professor Slughorn trusts him, and you do to. He seems genuine to me…plus he knows what a bell-end Fudge was. What's the worst that could happen?"
"He could try to murder you!" she answered, much more hysterically than she had intended.
Harry laughed out loud. The fact that he didn't seem to be bothered at all by her slip up was infuriating.
At her pointed glare Harry pulled her into a hug. "Sorry, I know it's not funny," he mumbled.
As much as she wanted to stay annoyed the physical contact and Harry's contrition did the trick, calming her instantly.
"If you are really worried you should go to the meeting by yourself," he continued. "And I honestly don't think there is any real harm in him knowing it was Sirius' elf. Okay?"
She nodded her agreement.
"I know it's probably irrational but I think I should go alone just in case," she mumbled into his shoulder.
"Okay," he replied as he released her. She forcefully resisted the urge to pull him back into a hug. She had enjoyed the consoling and could have stood for it lasting a few more seconds. Or minutes. Or hours.
As she approached Professor Slughorn's classroom Hermione felt inordinately nervous…not because she thought Dagworth posed any sort of threat…but because she felt so stupid. Dagworth didn't seem to be the sort to boast about figuring out she was talking about Harry and Kreacher but that was beside the point. Sheknew…and it was infuriating.
She entered the room to find Klaus had already arrived. He appeared to be disappointed that Harry was not with her.
"Miss Granger," he greeted, "it is good to see you again."
"You too, Mr. Dagworth. I appreciate you taking the time…and please call me Hermione."
"Not a problem," he assured. "I meant what I said at the party. It's refreshing to see someone so concerned about house elves…particularly one as surly as the one you described."
"Did you really think you scared me off at the party?" Hermione asked.
Dagworth shook his head in remembrance of their prior conversation. "I can be a bit overbearing when people criticize Sluggy. I think I may have been a bit over the top in my defense."
"No," she replied, "it was good to see him from a different perspective. When I think about what you said I agree with most of it."
"Most?" he inquired, clearly curious where there was still disagreement.
"Well I agree with what you said…that he does care about us as people…that it isn't just about getting to stand on the shoulders of giants…"
"But…" he prodded.
"He is a coward," she stated bluntly. "I won't go into details but there are things he knows…things that could help against Voldemort…but he refuses because he is scared."
"Ahh…you've sorted out the one thing I can't defend," he replied. "I know we have limited time but can I waste a few minutes on a personal story that may help explain?"
He took a seat beside her and mimicked her action…staring straight ahead at the blackboard. "I told you I was the head of the least respected Department at the Ministry but that was an exaggeration. Care to guess which department wears that crown?
"Misuse of Muggle Artifacts," she replied immediately.
"Right in one," he confirmed. "Now, I've always reveled in my martyrdom. I love the work and it is important, but I also like the sense of superiority I feel…like I'm less shallow than the other sycophants as I toil away quietly and humbly in defense of the oppressed. But my courage only goes so far. I keep my mouth shut whenever possible…don't make waves…and do my best politically to make a difference."
"But Arthur Weasley…he is better than me…not a better politician mind you…but better. He doesn't care about himself…but he cares about everything else. His family…muggles…wizards…me…you and Harry Potter. He cares deeply and has the courage not to hide it. I, unfortunately, am like Sluggy…a coward. I care about many of the same things but I hide it whenever possible."
"But you're here," she countered, "that counts for something."
"Excellent point," he complimented, "and no-one is more surprised than me at that fact…but I'll get there."
"I wasn't exaggerating about everyone knowing Mr. Potter's owl. As soon as it winged its way to my office the Ministry rumor mill kicked into overdrive. 'Dagworth is consorting with Harry Potter!''"
"Incidentally…let Mr. Potter know he has a bloody smart owl. There are wards in place to direct post owls to the mail room but that owl was having none of it. It dodged Ministry security, pecked at my office door until my assistant opened it, landed on my desk and proceeded to stare at me until I took the letter. First time it's happened to me at the Ministry."
Hermione couldn't wait to pass along Mr. Dagworth's compliments and imagined Hedwig haughtily puffing up her chest at the news.
"Anyway," Dagworth returned to his story, "within minutes Minister Scrimgour was sitting across from me asking if there was anything he could do for my department. When I went to lunch half of the room was staring at me in admiration and the other half looked like they wanted to pull their wand out and end me then and there. My lunch took twice as long to eat due to the number of people…people who'd barely given me the time of day before…stopping by for casual chit chat. It was clear at that point that everyone in the room wanted something from me."
Dagworth stood and paced to the front of the room and leaned on the desk once again. "As I mentioned I am a coward and wanted nothing to do with the attention that came with any real association with your Mr. Potter. I returned to my desk and wrote a formal letter with paragraph after paragraph of generic advice with an identical post script so you'd know never to send another letter to me using Mr. Potter's owl."
"I was all set to send you my horrible letter when yet another visitor showed up…Arthur Weasley. He didn't say anything of significance…didn't ask for anything. He just sat, made a bit of small talk, and then thanked me. He said your friend Mr. Potter doesn't trust or reach out to others easily and the fact that he had sent me a letter confirmed what Arthur had always known…that I was a good person…a brave person. So he thanked me in advance for helping Mr. Potter and left."
"Arthur's visit did a number on me, let me tell you. I realized you and Mr. Potter deserved more than my generic letter so I miraculously summoned up a bit of bravery and here I am," he concluded, pulling himself up to sit on the desk.
"My point, Hermione, is Sluggy is a good person. He is a good person that is afraid…like me. Sluggy wants to do the right thing but it will probably take good people who aren't afraid…people like Arthur...like you…like Mr. Potter…to inspire him to do so."
"So you're saying we should make him feel guilty?" she asked.
"I'm saying you need to be honest and if honesty causes him to feel guilty enough to help than all the better. I know it worked on me."
"Seeing as Mr. Potter isn't here I must admit I feel a bit foolish, though. I was positive the elf you asked about was somehow related to him."
"No, you were right. The elf is bonded to Harry now. But we thought it best if Harry didn't attend. There have been several threats to his life over the years and we don't know you very well…not that we think you would do such a thing but-"
Dagworth held up his hands to stop her explanation. "I understand and it is a perfectly reasonable precaution. It's embarrassing the things you children have to deal with. You should be sleeping in on a Saturday morning…not having to deal with this nonsense."
"Right," Dagworth continued, clapping his hands and jumping off of the desk. "Let's talk about this pesky elf of yours."
Precisely one week after their last conversation with Kreacher, Hermione and Harry were back in the same classroom. Mr. Dagworth had advised it was important to keep a schedule with Kreacher so this would be the new routine.
"I can't believe I agreed to this," Harry muttered in annoyance.
"Just remember what I told you," Hermione admonished, confident Dagworth's advice would work eventually.
"Kreacher!" Harry called.
It may have been her hopeful imagination but it seemed to Hermione that the creature arrived slightly faster than the last time.
"Master called Kreacher?" the elf asked, his usual annoyance front and center.
"Yes," Harry began, "I just wanted to check in…see how you were doing with my orders."
"Kreacher has followed Master's orders" he replied in disgust.
"Thank you," Harry replied just like Dagworth suggested. So far so good.
"Is there anything I can do to help you?" Harry grit out.
The elf's look of disgust turned to confusion. "Kreacher does not understand."
"Do you need anything at the house? Would you like me to modify one of my orders? Basically is there anything that is bothering you that I can help with?"
The elf considered his words for several minutes. Clearly this had never happened before.
"Kreacher would like to call Miss Granger a Mudblood,"
Hermione stifled a laugh at Kreacher's comment. At least he was honest.
"Sorry," Harry replied, "that order stays."
"Kreacher would like to call Mr. Weasley a blood traitor."
It looked like Harry was now struggling not to laugh. "That one stays as well, I'm afraid," he eventually spit out.
"Kreacher would like to be able to talk to Mistress Black once again," the elf continued.
"I told you last week you were allowed to talk to her," Harry answered in confusion.
"Master ordered Kreacher to stop talking to Mistress Black if she insulted Master's friends. Mistress Black insulted Miss Granger five minutes after Kreacher's last visit and Kreacher followed Master's order. Mistress Black now screams at Kreacher for not speaking to her. Kreacher is getting many headaches due to all of the yelling."
"Okay, you are allowed to explain to the portrait why you were forbidden to talk to her. Once you explain it to her you can continue speaking to her unless she insults one of my friends again. Make sure you explain that it is up to her holding her tongue if she wants you to speak to her. Understand?"
"Yes, Master," Kreacher replied.
"Good," Harry continued, clearly relieved that the conversation was nearing its conclusion. ""I'd like you to spend your time cleaning the kitchen this week. Don't overwork yourself but do the job to the best of your abilities."
The elf's eyes bulged at the request…clearly not expecting such a specific and mundane order. "Yes, Master Potter," he eventually replied.
"I'll call you again next week around this time to check in on how things are going and give you your orders for the week."
Hermione leaned in and whispered one final bit of advice.
"Good point, thanks Hermione," Harry acknowledged. "If Mistress Black's yelling becomes a problem again before I call you next week come see me right away. I don't want you to have to keep suffering if I can help it."
"Yes, Master Potter," Kreacher replied, still confused at their new dynamic.
"Great! Thanks for coming. See you next week."
After the elf popped away Harry sank down into a chair and ran a hand through his hair in frustration.
"How long did Dagworth reckon it would take to sort Kreacher out?"
"No more than two years, probably. Three years at the most," she said, trying and failing to suppress a grin at Harry's horrified reaction.
"So one hundred and four weeks," Harry muttered.
"One hundred fifty six at the most," she added through her laughter.
"Maybe I should order him to call you Sinclair from now on. Or even better, Janey!"
Within seconds of his comment Harry was dangling in the air, desperately reaching for the wand he had casually placed on a nearby desk.
"You know I've really come around on Levicorpus, Harry," Hermione gloated as Harry continued to futilely try and reach for his wand. "It can really come in handy in the right situation."
HGPS – Chapter 9
It had been a busy and exceedingly fascinating several weeks since the first mirror meeting. They had made significant progress on the project…mainly due to her and…to her immense joy…Harry's contribution. She was still responsible for a majority of the work but Harry had really made a difference. Having him intently listening to her ramblings and adding his own thoughts when he could was everything. Slughorn had been onto something in mentioning how well they complimented each other.
Most amazingly he had begun spending virtually all of his free time with her. Even Quidditch didn't seem to be a major focus as Harry spent very little time working on or talking about Quidditch outside of the mandatory practices. On more than one occasion Quidditch members had attempted to start a conversation on potential strategies only to be put off by Harry…saying they would talk about it later. Only there was never any later…because the later was spent with her in the library or the common room…or in the kitchens…or studying outside when the weather cooperated. She felt a bit bad about how much she was enjoying monopolizing so much of Harry's time but reminded herself that it was Harry's choice.
But while Harry had done his part in creating the mirrors the contributions of the other two initial participants had become virtually nonexistent.
Ron's lack of sustained impact on the project was most likely because he was…well...Ron. As good as his intentions were at the beginning, the fact remained that sitting and poring through books was not his strength…and it was certainly not something they could have expected him to do in the long term. So while he still showed up for their discussions he remained relatively silent and spent most of his time doodling on his parchment. Unlike in the past he never complained or made jokes at her expense…which was a nice change.
After supplying the mirrors at their second meeting Lavender's contribution to the cause now was non-existent. She had not shown up for the last two meetings…had not even spoken to Hermione recently despite the fact that they shared a room. Hermione had racked her brain trying to think of anything she had said or done over that could have set the girl off but came up with nothing.
And although Lavender and Ron were still together Ron seemed to be doing his best to spend more and more time elsewhere than at her side. He had even volunteered to take additional after hour patrols at the last Prefect meeting. She felt bad at looking so shocked at his pronouncement until she realized everyone else in attendance was equally as surprised. It was such an odd role reversal. Volunteering for extra patrols was something she would never even consider at this point because it would mean less time spent with Harry
Perhaps the most startling occurrence had happened thirty minutes ago at their third Apparition lesson. As she dug into her lunch she did her best to stifle the slight pang of jealousy she was now feeling. Thankfully her feelings of pride and admiration successfully drowned it out. In the end she realized that being jealous of Harry accomplishing something before her was like being jealous of the sun rising every morning. It was infinitely better when she focused on the warmth it provided.
"It isn't fair!" Ron exclaimed good naturedly before enthusiastically digging into his lunch. "You're the only one in our year whose side along Apparated and now you're the first to do it on your own! What was it like?"
"Slightly less awful since I knew the awful feeling was coming," Harry muttered, uncomfortable with the attention his success had garnered.
"Well we've got two weeks until the next lesson and you have to teach me how you did it," Ron instructed.
All of the Gryffindors seated around them were waiting with bated breath on Harry's answer. She noticed a few stray Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws had taken nearby seats as well. It seemed like everyone always waited on Harry for guidance and their reliance seemed to grow every year.
"It's not that simple, Ron," she interjected. "Apparating is extremely complex. If you really want to learn it by the next lesson I have several-"
"Determination," Harry interrupted. He glanced at her before continuing.
"I tricked myself into thinking that I had to be successful or the worst thing I could imagine would happen if I didn't land in that hoop."
"Like you were going to die?" Ron asked, clearly intrigued.
"Something like that," Harry mumbled before looking down at his meal.
The table became unnaturally quiet as everyone seemed to focus on their own food. Hermione guessed they were all thinking along the same lines…speculating on the horrible thing Harry had forced himself to think about to be successful. Given the myriad awful things Harry had actually experienced whatever he had imagined would have been truly horrific.
She and Ginny seemed to be the only ones not eating. The admiration, fondness and worry on Ginny's face as she stared unabashedly at Harry was palpable and mirrored what Hermione was feeling inside. She'd noticed that Ginny affection for her boyfriend seemed to be waning and her glances toward Harry had been on the rise lately. Unlike with Cho, Hermione was not going to bow out gracefully this time.
This time she'd allowed herself to think that she could make Harry even happier and more fulfilled than anyone else. Most importantly she now had over two months worth of proof to back up her hope. Not a hope she mentally corrected…a hypothesis. Hypothesis made it sound much more reasoned and possible than the word hope.
Before she began eating she nudged Harry and whispered "Thank you for trying." For the first time since the Apparition lesson Harry smiled.
Harry was much more despondent when he slumped through the portrait hole later that night and dropped into the chair across from her.
"It actually went worse than the last time," Harry spit out in frustration. "I'd barely gotten a few sentences out before Slughorn chucked me."
"Did you take Dagworth's advice?" she asked.
"I tried!" he pleaded, "I tried to talk about myself but I just sounded like I was showing off! He saw right through it. I'm just going to use the Felix Felicis."
"No!" she pleaded louder than she'd intended. They'd both agreed the potion would be much better served to saved for something more life threatening if at all possible..
"No," she repeated again after calming herself, "not yet. Let me try first."
"You have to have a plan, Hermione," Harry recited in his best imitation of twelve year old Hermione at her most obnoxious.
"Don't make me use Levicorpus again, Harry," she joked before discreetly casting Muffliato. "Dagworth was convinced because Mr. Weasley had talked about you…maybe he will listen to me."
"That's all well and good, Harry said, "but how are you even going to get that far? He knows you're my best friend…I'm sure he'll suss out what you are up to."
"I'm going to play to my strengths," she explained.
"Rewriting my essays?" Harry speculated.
"Endearing myself to the professors," she corrected before returning to her work, "and if that doesn't work I'll start crying."
He chuckled at her plan. "I know the professors love you but I didn't know you could pretend to cry."
She could have ignored his comment…she could have made a joke or deflected…but she wanted him to know the truth. Besides, if she was ever going to summon the courage and admit her true feelings this would serve as a good baby step before the big leap.
"I'll be talking about you, Harry. I won't need to pretend," she answered quietly, never looking up from her work.
She continued to focus on her essay and heard Harry pulling out his own work. They worked in silence for several minutes before Harry spoke.
"I thought about you…being cursed in the Department of Mysteries…that if I could get there in time I could stop the curse from hitting you. That's how I Apparated."
She dropped her quill and placed a hand over his. "Harry…"
"I tried thinking about Sirius first but it didn't work," Harry continued, "because he's already gone I think."
She felt tears forming. "See?" she chuckled, wiping her eyes. "No pretending necessary."
Hermione was positive she would successfully Apparate at the next lesson.
Hermione gazed at her watch. She'd spent sixty minutes dutifully dicing bat entrails while listening to Slughorn give fascinating tips on ingredient preparation and waxing rhapsodically about his favorite students over the years. It seemed that Harry and…to her surprise…she were rapidly rising in the ranks. She hated to spoil Slughorn's nostalgic fun but she only had an hour left to get what she came for.
"If I'd known setting up clandestine meetings would actually lead to students helping me with ingredient preparation I'd have started scheming and plotting decades ago!" Slughorn enthused as he happily scooped up her tray and gave her a fresh batch to work on.
"It's well worth getting up so early on a Saturday." he continued in mirth as he set to work on his own batch.
Hermione took a deep breath and thought about Dagworth's advice. Just be honest. Time to start failing miserably.
"It's the least I could do, sir," she began, "especially considering your problems with Harry lately."
"Well…yes," he stammered, "I know Mr. Potter's heart is in the right place but he can be a bit forward."
"He can't help it," she continued on, focusing on her work. "He's faced Voldemort four times since he's been at Hogwarts. Did you know that?"
"You can't be serious," Slughorn scoffed, the disbelief and horror evident in his voice.
"It's true," she continued on. "He saved me from a troll in my first year too. I was in the loo when they announced to everyone that it was loose in the school so I didn't know. Everyone was supposed to go back to their dormitories but Harry didn't. He came to find me and risked his life because he was worried about me...he didn't even flinch…jumped right on its back. We weren't even friends then."
She let the silence linger a bit…letting the weight of Harry's bravery at eleven sink in to Slughorn. It had been over five years and she still didn't quite believe the memory that she knew to be real…seeing that Harry had not only come to find her but had leaped without hesitating on the beast.
"Do you remember a few years back…the Chamber of Secrets being opened…that was real. There was a basilisk being let loose by a diary enchanted with the spirit of Voldemort I was one of the students who was petrified."
She'd expected Slughorn to interrupt her by now but he remained silent…she ploughed on.
"Harry found the Chamber and faced the basilisk and Voldemort alone. My parents took me on holiday to France that summer so I could visit Beauxbautons…after the troll and the petrification they wanted me to transfer…actually they demanded that I transfer."
Slughorn was staring straight ahead now…his own work now forgotten. Still silent.
"I refused and until recently kept all of the horrible things that have happened since from them. I told them the only way I wouldn't be at Hogwarts was if Harry wasn't there."
"I suppose you've heard a bit about Voldemort's resurrection at the Tri Wizard Tournament?" she asked.
"Just the basics from that Quibbler article and what the headmaster has shared…horrible business," he muttered.
"Did you know the cup was-"
"A portkey, yes," Slughorn interrupted uncomfortably. "Mr. Potter summoned it to escape as I understand it. Remarkable presence of mind..."
Her stomach clenched at the memory she was dredging up. She hated imagining what he had gone through…Harry had shared bits and pieces but she knew it was infinitely worse than he had let on.
"He'd survived that horrid maze…watched Cedric murdered in front of his eyes…been tortured with Cruciatus …he was all alone…against Voldemort and his most loyal followers. Not only did he escape but he brought Cedric Diggory's body back."
Those torturous minutes after Harry and Cedric had disappeared from the maze had been the worst of her life. She had been sure that he was dead…that she had failed him. She knew she would never return to Hogwarts if it had been the case.
She shook her head and felt her eyes moistening before forcing herself to continue
"A few days after…after he'd recovered… I lectured Harry…said as brave as it was he shouldn't have worried about bringing Cedric back….that it was too risky. He said he had to…I'm not sure what the spell was but the spirits of the people Voldemort had murdered came out of his wand when they were dueling…including Cedric and Harry's parents."
"Lily and James?" Slughorn breathed in stunned disbelief.
"Harry told me spirit of Cedric asked him to bring his body back. I told him that wasn't a good enough reason to risk his own safety and he got mad. We rowed a bit but I didn't change my mind until that summer…when I realized that I was just the same. Coming back to Hogwarts was a risk. Being his friend is a risk. Following your heart…doing what's right…it isn't rational. If Harry had done the rational thing I would have died five years ago in a Hogwarts bathroom. One of our friends would have died in the Chamber. Cedric's parents wouldn't have been able to bury their son."
She looked up to see that Slughorn now seemed a bit lost, most likely awash in his own memories of Harry's parents…or maybe his fateful discussion with Riddle. She'd skipped past half of the things that she'd included on her outline of talking points but it was too late to turn back now.
"Last year…the incident at the Department of Mysteries…it was a trap that Harry fell for and his godfather died because of it. With all of the other awful things he has to deal with he knows his poor decision caused his godfather to be killed."
She had to stop working and look up as her tears had started falling into her pan. She quickly pulled off her gloves and wiped them away.
"He loved Sirius more than anything else in his life and it was his fault he was dead. He should have given up. Everyone else wouldhave given up"
The tears were coming faster than she could wipe them away now. It felt good to let them out for once…away from Harry's uncomfortable reaction. She hoped they were making Slughorn uncomfortable.
"But he came back and he keeps trying," she spit out through her tears. She took a deep breath and gathered herself before continuing.
"So that's why I'm now going to ask you for that memory…the same reason I refused to go to Beauxbatons. Harry isn't going to give up and he can't do it alone. He needs everyone and everything possible that can help. Your memory can help."
Her last sentence broke him out of his trance and his eyes shot to her. "You don't understand what you are asking," he sputtered.
Time for one final bit of honesty to truly make the man feel guilty. It had been Harry's suggestion and it was a good one.
"Harry was going to use the Felix Felicis he won but I asked him to let me try first. I know Harry will be…we will be…in a life or death situation again…probably multiple times. That potion is too valuable to waste on this. I need it…I need anything I can find…to keep Harry alive. Because he won't stop trying."
She looked down, uncomfortable at the depth of Slughorn's agony. "Mr. Dagworth said you are a good man and I think he is right. I don't think we need the potion to have you do the right thing. All I'm asking is for you to be a little brave…to take a risk. For Harry. For me."
She'd done it…she'd said her piece. As the minutes of silence ticked by she feared that the message had not registered as much as she'd hoped. She heard Slughorn moving about a bit but didn't dare look to see what he was doing.
"These are done, Profess-"
She looked up to see Slughorn standing beside her, holding a vial filled with a milky cloud like substance.
"Harry may look like his father but he is truly his mother's son. Lily never stopped trying," Slughorn commented as he shot her a sad smile.
"Your Apparition instruction is due to start in a few minutes so you'd best be off. Thank you for your help today, Miss Granger," he informed, handing her the vial. He sounded very tired.
"Thank you," she quickly replied, not wanting to give him a chance to change his mind. "Same time next week?"
"That would be lovely," Slughorn said wearily as he walked away.
"Where would you like me to put my tray?" she asked, doing her best to remain calm. Professor Slughorn looked very troubled and celebrating didn't feel appropriate at the time. She would save that for when she talked to Harry.
"Over there," he instructed, pointing lazily to an empty space near several boiling cauldrons.
She placed the pan down and a familiar scent wafted into her senses. "Are you planning another party, sir?" she asked hopefully. Having an excuse to have a few more fruity drinks and dance with Harry sounded lovely.
Her question drew him out of his musings as he cast a confused stare her way. "That isn't my party potion. That is pure Amortentia…I'm covering it in my seventh year class on Monday."
She inhaled deeply, taking in the scent once again to confirm her senses hadn't deceived her before giving a sad smile at the result. Amortentia no longer smelled like the broom polish she'd given Harry as part of his thirteenth birthday present…now it smelled like the party…her party spent with Harry. Amortentia used to smell like the hope of a thirteen year old girl fantasizing about a mythical future but now it felt real and tangible...like something she had actually experienced...that they had experienced.
The universe seemed to be telling her to stop ignoring or denying facts and really talk to Harry. It had been easy to ignore when she had smelled Amortentia earlier in the year…now she knew it was a losing battle. A bit of the excitement caused by obtaining Slughorn's memory seeped away as she thought about Harry's potential rejection.
That was something to be dealt with soon but Slughorn's memory would and should be their next conversation. She told herself she would admit her feelings soon but helping Harry was more important. Letting him share the memory with Dumbledore and absorbing and analyzing the ramifications was much more important. She pushed back on the niggling part of her brain telling her she was making another excuse before quickly moving toward the exit, wanting to tell Harry the good news as soon as possible.
She thrust open Slughorn's door to find, inexplicably, Harry, preparing to knock. Before she could speak Ron's head popped out from behind, looking very excited. His expression fell immediately upon spotting her, turning into a mixture of anger and disappointment.
"That's not Romilda!"