Chapter 13
"You did what?!" Ron exclaimed louder than he had intended, drawing a glare from Madam Pomfrey. For the most part he had remained quiet as she had recounted her active and bizarre afternoon but her last proclamation had truly shocked him.
Hermione glanced at Harry and saw that he was still sleeping peacefully despite Ron's outburst…still unconscious and healing from McLaggen's idiocy on the Quidditch pitch.
"I resigned as prefect," she repeated, still not quite believing the words that were coming out of her own mouth. "Harry was right. Dumbledore and Snape are protecting Draco. The headmaster kept trying to talk his way out of looking into whatever Draco was up to and I just couldn't take it any more…" she explained before drifting off, unable to form the proper words to convey the disappointment she felt regarding the man.
They sat in silence for several minutes as Ron absorbed everything that had happened. "What are you going to do now?" he finally asked.
"Help Harry," she answered immediately. "Help Harry and stop Draco from whatever he is plotting."
Ron nodded and bowed his head. "You've really put me in a bind here," he commented with a rueful smile.
"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked.
"Can you imagine the howler I'd get from Mum if I resigned my position?" he asked, horror evident on his face. "I mean…in what universe does it make sense that I'm the prefect out of the three of us?"
Despite everything that had happened that day Hermione snorted at the absurdity of it all. "I'm sorry, Ron," she replied, meaning it on several levels.
"S'all right," he mumbled, "I reckon you've been the responsible one for over five years now…I can handle it for at least a few months."
"It's weird," he continued, "I could hear Luna commenting on the match and was a bit happy about how bad it was going for Gryffindor if I'm being honest…about Cormac being such a mess as my replacement…but then Harry got hurt because of it and then I hear about everything you were going through while I was lying here enjoying myself…"
"You didn't know," she consoled.
"Yeah, but that's not really the point is it? With everything going on…everything we are dealing with…worrying about my spot seems a bit stupid," he commented absently.
"A bit," she muttered as she glanced at Harry once again. She knew that he needed to sleep to help with his recuperation but she desperately wanted to talk to him. She needed a change in topic. "What's going on with you and Lavender anyway?"
"We're still together if that's what you're asking," Ron answered, "at least I think we are.
After she made sure I was okay the other day she read me the riot act…said that I needed to decide if I was just in it for a bit of fun or I really cared about her."
"And?" she prompted.
"She stormed out before I could give a proper answer and hasn't been back since!" Ron replied in frustration. "I want to tell her that I've missed her but she's never bloody returned."
"If only she had some sort of device that would allow you to communicate with her," Hermione answered.
To his credit Ron looked properly ashamed. "Yeah…she told me she found out the truth about the mirrors. I panicked…it was stupid…"
"I can enchant her mirror to work with yours if you'd like. It would only take a few minutes," she offered.
"Yeah….yeah…that would be good. And I'm sorry…about what I said about you and Harry the other day…it's none of my business," he continued awkwardly.
She nodded her head in thanks and looked at Harry once again, losing herself in the peaceful rise and fall of his chest. He was so beautiful…
"Could you stop looking at Harry that way please? I've just had lunch," Ron commented.
As much as he tried to sound relaxed and unaffected she could sense a bit of discomfort as he said the words. She was grateful for the effort on Ron's part to move past his jealousies and suspected the events of the last few hours had contributed a bit to his newfound maturity. It was a good thing because she had no intention of hiding her affection towards Harry for his benefit. Besides, he was a massive hypocrite.
"As if we haven't had to watch you trying to inhale Lavender's face for the last few months," she laughed, punching him on the shoulder.
"Oi! I'm an injured man here…laid up in the hospital wing and everything," he protested.
"The last time I checked your shoulder wasn't poisoned," she countered as she playfully punched him again. It was nice having a bit of levity amongst all the awfulness that surrounded them.
"Hermione?" she heard Harry softly groan and quickly moved to his bedside.
"How are you feeling?" she asked as she brushed back his hair and placed a kiss on his forehead, desperately fighting the urge to climb into the bed beside him.
"You're okay," he mumbled with a weary smile. "I was worried."
"Wait until you hear what she's been up to, mate," Ron interjected.
After the requisite examination and fussing by Madam Pomfrey once she realized Harry had regained consciousness Hermione recounted the events of the day once again. She watched as Harry's anger seemed to grow until it morphed to shock when she informed him of her resignation as prefect.
"You didn't need to do that, Hermione," he answered somberly.
"Yes I did," she answered immediately. "The more I think about it it's obvious Draco resigned from the Quidditch team and his prefect position so he'd have more time and flexibility to work on his plan. If the headmaster is going to let him get away with it than we need to fight fire with fire."
He nodded his head and reached for her hand. "Fight fire with fire…I like it."
"We lost by the way," Ron interjected.
"What?" the pair replied in unison.
"You know…the match where your own teammate sent a bludger at your head and cracked your skull? We lost 300 to 260."
"Oh," Harry replied casually.
"Who are you and what have you done with Harry Potter?" Hermione asked.
"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked in confusion.
"I'd never thought you would care so little about losing a match," she joked. "Especially considering it was due to one of your own teammate's idiocy. I'm going to throttle McLaggen."
"Yeah, well considering I just decided I'd be resigning from the team it shouldn't be too shocking."
"What?" Hermione and Ron replied in unison.
"I'm resigning," he repeated.
"Harry," she replied softly. "You really don't need to do that. We can work around-"
"Yes I do. Just like you had to resign as prefect," he replied firmly before glancing at Ron.
"I'm going to cast Muffliato so I can talk to Hermione in private, Ron," he informed.
Ron pantomimed that he was going to throw up as Harry cast the privacy charm and pulled her closer.
"I was probably going to do it anyway…you just made the choice obvious," he said quietly as he pulled her into a hug and sighed. She nestled into the small of his shoulder as he continued speaking softly in her ear.
"I've had a professor jinx my broom, a bludger cursed to injure me and a flock of dementors set on me during matches. All I thought about when those things happened was catching the snitch. Today all I could think about was you." She'd closed her eyes but she could feel him playing with her hair.
"I would have been ecstatic if Thornburg had caught the snitch today because it would have meant the match was over. I love Quidditch but it's not even in the same universe as how I feel about you.
It's weird saying these things out loud to you now instead of just thinking them," he confessed.
She chuckled and buried herself a bit further into his side, feeling the tension that had been building throughout the day instantly recede. "You're much better at convincing me of things now that you're my boyfriend," she replied affectionately.
He laughed in reply. "I've been trying to think more like you lately. I guess it's working."
He gave her a gentle squeeze and continued. "We fight fire with fire and we do it together. Okay?"
She nodded into his shoulder. "Okay."
"And besides, I'll still get to fly when I put you through your paces," he joked.
"Way to spoil the mood, Potter," she grumbled, not meaning a word of it.
After several more minutes/lifetimes Ron spoke up.
"Since you haven't said anything for the last fifteen minutes could you remove the charm?" he asked in annoyance.
Hermione reluctantly rose from her favorite position as Harry cancelled the spell and shot Ron her best mock glare.
"I'm sorry to interrupt what I'm sure was a very tender moment but it's time for supper and Madam Pomfrey wanted to know if you'd be eating with us in the hospital wing, Hermione. I reckoned you'd rather have me interrupt than her."
"Oh, yes," Hermione answered with a hint of embarrassment. She hadn't even realized Madam Pomfrey had stopped by while she 'talked' with Harry.
"Excellent," Ron replied before yelling "SHE WANTS TO EAT HERE" much louder than necessary, drawing a scowl from the matron. He leaned forward and continued speaking in a hush.
"I reckon the more I annoy her by being loud and boorish the more likely she is to let me out of here soon." He seemed to be very proud of his strategy.
"Playing to your strengths…that's smart," Harry replied.
"Right," Ron continued as he gave Harry a two finger salute, "what's the plan?"
"I've got no idea," she replied as an elf helpfully popped in with supper. "It's clear we can't rely on the staff to stop Draco from doing whatever he is doing in the Room of Requirement so we'll have to do it ourselves. The question is how…"
"It's obvious isn't it?" Ron interjected. "If we just camp out in the room he won't be able to get in. Simple."
"That's a great idea but there are those pesky things like classes and curfew that will make that a bit difficult," she answered.
"I've got an idea for after curfew," Harry replied before calling out "Dobby!"
At once the elf appeared, his eyes boggling in worry. "The great Harry Potter is injured!" he wept before leaping on him in a hug. Hermione felt a bit uncomfortable as she realized the elf was quite accurately replicating her position from a few minutes ago.
"It's fine, Dobby," Harry consoled as he patted the elf's back, "nothing Madam Pomfrey couldn't fix. I was actually hoping you could help me with something."
Instantly the elf stood at attention, anxious to hear what Harry needed.
"I was wondering what hours you work each day and what time you have off."
"Dobby negotiated with the headmaster that he would only work from six in the morning until eight at night!" The elf looked very proud of himself. Hermione did her best not to start shouting in outraged indignation at his ridiculous schedule.
"What do you do when you aren't working?" Harry continued.
"Dobby volunteers to help the other elves for four more hours unless he is feeling tired. Then Dobby only volunteers for three more hours. Dobby then sleeps before volunteering for an hour in the morning before starting to work."
Hermione pinched her eyes closed in frustration as she heard Ron chuckling in the periphery.
"So if I needed you to do something for me from eight at night until six in the morning you could do that?" Harry asked, drawing a furious nod from the elf.
"What night would Harry Potter need Dobby to help him?" the elf asked. His excitement was palpable.
"Err…every night…starting tonight if you can," Harry replied.
It was as if the elf had been waiting his entire life for such a request from Harry. "Dobby- would be- most honored- to serve- the great- Harry Potter-" he managed to spit out between his sobs.
"No more crying, Dobby," Harry interrupted firmly. "If you are going to help you need to compose yourself." It was clear Harry's weekly discussions with Kreacher were paying off.
Dobby stopped crying instantly and once again stood at attention. "What does Harry Potter require of Dobby?" he asked.
"We need you to stay in the Room of Requirement," Harry informed.
Dobby waited, expecting further instructions.
"Uhh…that's it," Harry concluded awkwardly, drawing a confused stare from the elf.
Hermione rolled her eyes…apparently there was still room for improvement with Harry's elf handling skills. She leaned down and put a hand on the elf's shoulder, drawing his attention.
"There is a bad wizard in the castle…your former master Draco Malfoy. He is planning something dangerous in the Room of Requirement and we need to prevent him from being able to work on his plan. We need you to stay in the room overnight so he won't be able to enter."
The elf looked slightly disappointed at the underwhelming and seemingly easy request but quickly nodded in agreement. "Dobby will start tonight. And if the great Harry Potter needs Dobby to do anything else while he is in the room…anything at all…Dobby will gladly help."
"Thanks Dobby," Harry replied before pausing in thought. "Could you ask the other elves to keep an eye on Draco as well and to let you know if he does anything suspicious?" he finished.
"Hogwarts house elves will only perform tasks on behalf of the school," the elf informed. "What should Dobby tell them to get their help?"
"You tell them the truth," Hermione interjected, now seeing their path forward. "That Draco and the students working with him are a threat to the school."
"You just want to broadcast what we are doing like that?" Ron asked.
"Yes," Harry jumped back in. He'd cottoned onto her idea and now looked as confident and determined as she now felt. "Tell anyone who will listen what you are doing and why."
She had been worried that Harry wouldn't have wanted to go against the headmaster but she knew it was her own insecurities talking. She and Ron…Ginny, Neville and Luna, that's where his loyalties and more importantly his trust lied.
"So we've got the nights sorted," Ron stated after Dobby popped away, "how do we handle the other fourteen hours?"
"I've got an idea," Hermione replied, excited and a bit shocked by what she was about to propose.
Hogwarts students were allowed to begin roaming the halls at six in the morning and that was precisely the time Hermione exited the common room and set out for the seventh floor. She'd had to wake up thirty minutes earlier than normal and she didn't spend the now standard additional time taming her hair but that was fine. She was most likely not going to see Harry that day and his was the only opinion that mattered at this point.
She had considered leaving a few minutes earlier so she could take over the watch immediately when Dobby had to report for duty at six but thought better of it. It was easy enough to use the map to ensure Draco was still safely tucked into his bed and arrive at her destination at a quarter past instead. Besides, she was most likely going to be breaking many rules over the next few months…it would be best to avoid doing so when she could avoid it. Unless Harry asked her to do so of course. With what they had planned she was going to need as many nights off as possible to relieve the stress.
Once she reached her destination she pulled out the miniaturized chair and desk, expanded them to full size, and pulled out her bag of 'galleons'. If everything worked out as she hoped they were going to need a lot more communication coins.
Despite a few curious onlookers that passed by as she worked and a visit from Dobby delivering a light breakfast her morning was relatively uninterrupted. When the alarm on her watch chimed at five to ten she stowed her materials away and waited on the anticipated arrival of her head of house.
As expected Professor McGonagall came into view right on time, a mix of concern and disappointment on her face. Apparently Dobby had successfully relayed the message that a change in venue would be needed for the requested meeting. She quickly conjured her own chair and began speaking.
"When I asked Miss Matthews to relay my request I was hoping to speak to you in my office, Miss Granger," she began. "I'm not sure such a public place is appropriate-"
"That wasn't feasible, professor," Hermione interrupted, "I need to prevent Draco Malfoy from working on whatever he is planning since the staff isn't interested in stopping him." She wasn't sure who was more shocked by her boldness.
"Miss Granger," McGonagall spoke in a tone remarkably similar to the Headmaster's condescension from the prior day, "I realize you are worried and upset but this isn't the way."
"Am I breaking a rule?" she asked, already knowing the answer. She had double checked the school rules and regulations to confirm there were no specific edicts prohibiting sitting in a hallway. Besides, students camped out in hallways all the time between classes and it had never been a problem. Even Umbridge hadn't prevented it during her brief draconian tenure overseeing the school. The rule breaking would start in full force tomorrow but McGonagall didn't need to know that.
The deputy headmistress shook her head in disappointment before continuing. "You know as well I as I do the answer to that question so we will do this your way, Miss Granger. Now that you've had a few additional hours to process and think on your decision I'm hoping you've reconsidered your resignation."
She wanted to reply that the hours of contemplation had only reinforced the decision in her mind but she held her tongue. The trio had decided that it was important that they didn't speak out in anger or volunteer any more information than what was needed to the staff. She stuck to the plan.
"What were the punishments for Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle?" she asked unceremoniously.
"Mr. Crabbe and Mr. Goyle will be serving detentions three nights a week for the remainder of term and have each lost one hundred points."
"And Draco?" she prompted.
McGonagall pursed her lips in discomfort before answering. It was clear she did not agree with the headmaster's decision. "With the exception of classes and meals Mr. Malfoy is restricted to Slytherin house."
"That's it?" Hermione blurted.
"Mr. Malfoy said he was studying the enchantments of the room for academic purposes. Without any proof of wrongdoing there was nothing more the headmaster could do."
"And how did they explain Crabbe and Goyle using polyjuice?" she continued.
She didn't think it was possible but McGonagall's look of annoyance grew. "Mr. Crabbe and Mr. Goyle said they were experimenting with the potion and it was purely coincidental that they were on the seventh floor hallway when Mr. Malfoy was in the room."
Hermione desperately pushed back on the urge to scream at her professor. It wouldn't do any good and she had a few more questions to ask.
"Why didn't you or the headmaster tell any of us that messages could be sent using a Patronus?" she asked.
It was clear that Hermione's reserved tone and the change in subject had taken McGonagall off guard. She ploughed on.
"Many of us can manage a corporeal patronus now thanks to Harry. With the dangers we are facing why didn't anyone think that would be a useful thing for us to know?"
"I wasn't aware Mr. Potter had taught you the charm and I assumed the headmaster had shared the information with him. Clearly I was incorrect."
"Would you teach me?" she asked quickly.
"I will check with…," the deputy headmistress began before pausing, apparently reconsidering her answer. "Yes, of course."
"Thank you," Hermione replied honestly. She decided to push her luck and get an answer for something that had niggled at her brain since last year.
"Why wasn't Harry asked to be a prefect?"
She'd taken the professor off guard once again. "Has Mr. Weasley been shirking his duties?" she asked with a quirked eyebrow.
"No, it's nothing like that," Hermione reassured honestly. "Ron has been fine but it was obvious to everyone that Harry was more deserving. He's done more for the school, his grades are better, and Ron has broken just as many rules as Harry over the years."
The silence dragged on as it appeared the deputy headmistress was considering what she could and should say.
"Mr. Potter was my first choice for the position but the headmaster thought he already had enough on his plate and it wouldn't be fair to burden him with the additional responsibility," McGonagall finally replied.
"What did Harry think?" Hermione asked, her annoyance growing as she thought about the myriad missteps of the prior term.
"I don't believe Mr. Potter was consulted for his thoughts on the matter," McGonagall said in a clipped tone, now clearly uncomfortable at the verbal dressing down she was receiving. Hermione decided she had pressed her far enough.
"I'm sorry professor but I won't be changing my mind. I also need to relay a message to you," she informed.
"Go on," McGonagall commanded tiredly.
"Harry would like you to stop by the hospital wing today if possible. He and Ron have something to talk to you about."
"Is it safe to say I won't be happy after my meeting with Potter and Weasley?"
"Probably not," Hermione answered. Finding out that the captain and keeper of the Gryffindor squad were both resigning from the team would definitely dampen her mood further. She'd let them deliver that particular bit of bad news themselves, however.
"Very well," she replied as she stood and banished her chair. "I will teach you the messaging spell before I pay them a visit. You can then use it to inform them that I am on my way."
"Thank you, professor," Hermione replied honestly. "I'm sorry it has come to this…"
"As am I, Miss Granger…as am I…"
She was initially surprised at the low turnout for her impromptu meeting before realizing it made sense. Most of Dumbledore's Army had most likely stowed away their coins and didn't get the message on such short notice. The room had helpfully supplied a multitude of chairs but only three were necessary. She decided it was only right that these three were the first to know of their plan.
"It looks like it's just us so I suppose we can get started," she began. "There have been a few developments over the last couple of days and we need to get the group together and hopefully expand on it a bit."
"What's going on?" Neville asked seriously. It was clear he was ready to do whatever was necessary.
"It's going to be a bit boring," she warned. "And you are most likely going to get a few detentions out of it if you agree to help…not to mention your housemates being furious for the points you are going to lose…"
Neville appeared unfazed by her warning while Ginny looked intrigued. Luna, as always, wore a pleasant smile, patiently waiting for her to continue.
As she recounted what had happened and what they were planning she was struck again by their varied reactions. Neville listened intently and unemotionally while Ginny's anger spiked when she relayed what happened during her meeting with Dumbledore. Luna's smile remained steady throughout, growing when Hermione explained her plan to have groups of students sitting outside the Room of Requirement at all times to prevent Draco entering.
"Having other people to talk to will be nice," the Ravenclaw exclaimed dreamily. "When do we start?"
"Yeah, when do we start?" Neville repeated.
"I've actually already started," Hermione explained. "I planned on staying here all day today. We've got a house elf who will be taking over each evening at eight. I was actually hoping for a better turnout so we could have more volunteers and start setting up a schedule…"
"We can take care of that," Neville volunteered. "I'll talk to the Gryffindors, Luna can talk to the Ravenclaws, and I can let Hannah and Sue know what's going on so they can talk to the Puffs. What do you reckon…fourth years and up?"
"We can have another meeting tomorrow night after everyone knows," Ginny interjected, drawing a happy nod from Luna.
"We need another name though," Ginny continued, the annoyance clear in her voice. "Dumbledore's Army doesn't seem to fit anymore."
"I've had a thought on that," Hermione continued. "I thought we could call ourselves the Hogwarts Advanced Guard."
"HAG?" Ginny said disbelievingly, drawing a chuckle from Neville.
"Not HAG,' Hermione protested, "the Hogwarts Advanced Guard."
"Yeah, I'm with Ginny. That's an awful name," Neville replied
"Hag," Luna repeated dreamily as she considered Hermione's suggestion. "I like it."
"Thank you, Luna," Hermione replied defiantly.
"What about the Hogwarts Defense Force?" Neville offered. "It gets the same point across."
"And no-one will be calling us HAGs," Ginny smirked.
"Hogwarts Defence Force," Luna repeated, "I like it."
"Fine!" Hermione acquiesced, "Hogwarts Defense Force it is."
"Thank Merlin," Ginny replied.
The rest of her day passed quietly as Neville and Luna began spreading the word to the masses. Ginny had sat with her for a few hours and chatted amiably, talking about anything but her and Harry's relationship. As news spread more and more students stopped by throughout the day, asking questions and promising they would be at tomorrow's meeting. Each time she checked the map to confirm Draco's whereabouts he seemed to be pacing in his bedroom.
Ginny had just left to inform McGonagall of her own resignation when her mirror warmed.
How was your first day inciting a revolution?
Very boring. And I missed you, she quickly tapped back.
Pomfrey said Ron and I could get out of here first thing tomorrow morning so we'll be able to get in trouble for skiving off classes with you.
Looking forward to it, she replied. Her mirror warmed once again.
McGonagall taught me the messaging spell. You aren't going to believe this.
She waited in vain for a follow up message before she spotted a silver object scamper around the corner and head her way. It looked very much like her patronus but a bit brighter and slightly larger. As the otter bounded up to her she couldn't help but smile. It opened its mouth and began to speak in Harry's voice.
"I hope you appreciate this because Ron's never going to let me hear the end of it."
Chapter 14
Hermione arrived at the Room of Requirement precisely at 6:00 am the next morning. Rising so early hadn't been a struggle as the nerves associated with what was about to happen coupled with her thinking about Harry and his new patronus had made it very difficult to sleep. She'd even had the requisite additional time required to tame her hair.
Based on Harry's message he hadn't minded his patronus changing but the hours since had allowed for her insecurities to start seeping to the forefront. Would he be scared that they were moving too fast? Was he disappointed at losing such a personal connection to his father?
Stop over thinking things, she mentally commanded to herself as she set up shop for the day in front of the Room of Requirement.
But what if she wasn't over thinking? What if she had cause for concern? There had to be a reason he hadn't actually said the words 'I love you' to her yet. Despite herself she thought of how much Harry had retreated into himself last year when he was confused and uncertain. Would he do the same now?
Stop. Over. Thinking. Things. She yelled internally as she pulled out her Defence text and began reviewing the chapter to be covered that morning. Given that she wouldn't be actually attending the class in question it seemed the most prudent thing to do. She thought it fitting that Professor Snape would be the first professor they would be annoying with their plan.
Fifteen minutes after her arrival Dobby popped back with a light breakfast. "Dobby likes Hermione Granger's hair!" he complimented enthusiastically before disappearing from sight. She picked at her food before giving it up as a lost cause. Her stomach didn't want to eat…it wanted to see Harry and calm her irrational fears.
As she saw Harry round the corner with Ron an hour later she realized how silly she was being. He looked just as happy and excited as she was at the moment. She instantly decided the ten seconds it would take for him to reach her was entirely too long. She took off in a near sprint and enveloped him in a hug, reducing the time by at least six seconds. She buried herself into the small of Harry's shoulder and closed her eyes.
"Told you she would love it, mate," she heard Ron mumble awkwardly in her periphery. "I'll be back to take over after lunch," he informed before leaving. At least she thought that was what he had said. She was too engrossed in enjoying Harry's shoulder to pay much attention.
"Are you all right?" he asked worriedly. "Did something happen?"
"I just missed you," she replied before pulling him toward the table and chairs. A quick call to Dobby resulted in a breakfast delivery for Harry and Hermione finally dug into her own food as well after applying a quick warming charm. She was suddenly starving.
"What did Ron tell you I would love?" she eventually asked, remembering her friend's comment from earlier.
Harry stopped eating…looking a bit hesitant. "I was worried about my patronus changing. I thought you might be embarrassed by it or something," he answered as he shook his head. "It was stupid."
"I loved it," she blurted. "Mine swims but I like how your version scampered up to me," she gushed. It was a bit shocking to hear the words coming out of her mouth because as a rule she most definitely did not gush. But Harry was different. He deserved as much gushing as she could manage.
"I hate swimming," Harry said with a slight grimace, clearly relieved and soothed by her gushing. "And he doesn't scamper. He strides majestically," he protested feebly.
She thought about how Harry's stag really did stride majestically and a bit of worry creeped back in.
"Does it bother you?" she asked as casually as possible. "Your patronus changing?"
Harry looked confused. "Why would it bother me?"
"I don't know…because it's not like your dad's any more. Or you might not like Ron's teasing."
Harry rolled his eyes and smiled. "Why wouldn't I like it? We've got a matching set!" he answered immediately as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Besides," he continued, Ron didn't have any room to talk. Lavender visited that morning and he spent thirty minutes begging for forgiveness before she let him off the hook. I couldn't hear what he was saying but he looked a bit pathetic."
"Did he give her the mirror?" she asked, pleased to hear of the reconciliation.
"Yeah, that was what did the trick actually…she kind of attacked him after that. Set Madam Pomfrey off let me tell you."
Hermione smiled at the visual in her head before Harry continued.
"Ron did come up with a name for him: Harry Otter."
Hermione burst out laughing.
"Even McGonagall smiled at that," he offered.
"How did she take the news?" she asked.
"Not as bad I thought she would," Harry replied. "I thought she'd be angry but she just seemed a bit sad…and like she was expecting it. Seeing my patronus had changed to be like yours cheered her up a bit. She said we reminded her of my mum and dad."
Hermione smiled to herself before continuing. "Ginny resigned last night. She said she thought the rest of the team would follow suit once they knew what was going on."
"Really?"
Hermione chuckled at his surprise. Typical Harry.
"Honestly, you can be incredibly thick sometimes. All I had to do was tell her what we were planning and she immediately joined in. Neville was so excited to help I think he may try out for the squad just so he can resign as well. Either of them would do anything you asked and they despise Draco."
As he pondered her last statement she continued on.
"Neville and Luna spent yesterday telling as many people as possible what we were planning. We've got another meeting scheduled for tonight to see who else is interested in helping."
"How many people do you reckon will show up?" he asked.
"I have no idea. Most of Dumbledore's Army I would imagine…probably a few others. Our new name is the Hogwarts Defence Force by the way," she informed, trying and failing to stifle a frown.
Harry nodded with a smirk. "So they hated HAG as much as Ron and I did?"
"It wasn't HAG-" she began to protest before spotting someone new rounding the corner. The Slytherin prefect looked as pleased as Harry had been when he had arrived but Hermione suspected the girl's excitement was related to the punishment she was about to assign.
"It's really her," Harry confirmed after a quick glance at the Marauder's Map before stowing it away.
"I've been sent by Professor Snape," Pansy informed. "He's assigned you detention for being late to Defence. You've got five minutes to get to class or you'll both be serving detention for the rest of the week." She was so smug.
Hermione was all set to respond but Harry beat her to the punch.
"Please let Professor Snape know we won't be attending his class today," he began. "We need to stay here and ensure your boyfriend can't work on his plan to murder students."
He was a bit blunter with his explanation than she would have been but based on Pansy's gob smacked expression it got the point across splendidly. She decided to join in.
"Please tell Professor Snape we won't be able to attend detention tonight either. We've scheduled a meeting to organize more students to stop Draco and it would be rude to miss it."
"What are you talking about?" Pansy asked after she had recovered from the shock of their blatant honesty.
"Oh, come on now," Harry interjected. "Did you really think other students wouldn't want to join in to help once they found out what your boyfriend was up to?"
"Typical Potter," Pansy replied…a bit of her normal fire having now returned, "making up stories for attention again."
"She's sorted out the plan, Hermione," Harry confirmed joyfully. "That's exactly right, Parkinson. The more attention the better. As of today Dracie Poo is going to be getting even more attention than me whether he wants it or not. We think the added attention will make his murder attempts a bit more difficult you see…"
"You have no idea what you are up against," she spit back in defiance. Despite her harsh words it was clear that a bit of worry and uncertainty was seeping through. Draco and his friends were used to being on the attack and she was not enjoying this new dynamic.
"Funny, I was about to say the same thing," Harry replied pleasantly.
Harry's words had the intended affect as the girl shot them both a scowl before storming off.
"Does that mean you won't be coming to the meeting?" Harry called out as she disappeared from sight. Despite herself Hermione laughed. As petty as it was it felt good to be pushing back against the morons.
"I hope a few people show up tonight or I'm going to look like a proper idiot," Harry added, causing another nervous chuckle from Hermione.
"I'm sure it will be fine," she reassured as much for herself as it was for Harry.
After several additional moments of soaking in their small victory Hermione returned to her original plan for the morning. She checked the map one more time to make sure Draco was safely ensconced in the Defence classroom before standing.
"So today's Defence lesson is on silent casting of stunning spells," Hermione began. "I think we should practice on our own."
"Yeah, I read through the chapter a few times last night because I knew we wouldn't be there," Harry commented absently.
Hermione fought the urge to ditch her plan in order to snog Harry senseless for his pragmatism and preparation. It was a difficult urge to resist.
Harry levitated the table and chairs to the side before casting cushioning charms on the nearby walls and floor. "Go easy on me, Hermione," he requested, "I've just gotten out of hospital. If you send me back there this soon Pomfrey will murder me."
Her afternoon had been infinitely less peaceful as Hermione realized their concern about a lack of volunteers was entirely unfounded. Ron and Lavender had taken over the Draco watch at lunchtime and Hermione had been harassed for details by seemingly her entire Arithmancy class that afternoon. Between Neville and Luna spreading the word and their skiving off of Defence class that morning it seemed the entire castle was taking an interest in what was going on.
As she and Harry ate supper before their planned meeting she noticed one pair of eyes purposely avoided looking their way, however. Despite the fact that Draco purposely kept his gaze on his food Hermione could tell how panicked he was at the current happenings. Anyone not looking at her or Harry seemed to be staring at him suspiciously and it was clear the unwanted attention was already having an impact on the boy's mental state. Only his most loyal of sycophants seemed to want to be associated with him at the moment as the other Slytherins seemed to be making an effort to sit as far away from him as possible.
The staff table all wore looks of concern save for the headmaster and Professor Snape. The former looked severely disappointed while the latter simply wore a slightly more pronounced sneer. Harry had enjoyed Ron's retelling of that morning's Defence class…particularly Snape's reaction once Parkinson had returned with the news that they wouldn't be joining and why. Professor Snape had been particularly adept and adamant about deducting points from Gryffindor for the remainder of the session.
She was so busy musing on the day and reviewing her notes for their upcoming meeting that it took a forceful nudge from Harry to get her attention. He pointed at the gathering crowd and she gasped. There was still fifteen minutes before the meeting was scheduled to start but it was already standing room only with more students pouring in by the moment.
"I think we're going to need more chairs," she muttered bemusedly, drawing grateful cheers from the assembled masses as the room immediately fulfilled her request.
Despite the amount of people the crowd had remained relatively silent during her introduction and explanation of what would be happening. Any untoward comments were quickly quashed by D.A. members sitting amongst the crowd. After finishing her planned soliloquy she took a breath and prepared for the onslaught. "Any questions?"
Hermione was thoroughly unsurprised by the first question and fought the urge to roll her eyes in annoyance. "What about Quidditch?"
"We won't be making any accommodations for Quidditch practices or matches," she answered calmly. "If you sign up to help you are agreeing that this will be your top priority. Above classes, Quidditch, clubs, everything."
As expected her reply caused loud murmurs throughout the crowd as another questioner spoke up. "What are we supposed to say to our housemates when we start losing points?"
Before she could answer Ron piped in. "If you are worried about Quidditch or losing the house cup you might as well save yourself the trouble and leave now," he declared, drawing a proud squeeze from Lavender.
"The entire Gryffindor team has already resigned their positions," Ginny interjected, drawing yet more murmurs.
"What do we tell our parents when we get detentions?" a younger Hufflepuff piped in nervously.
"You tell them the truth," Harry answered. "The more people who know what we are doing and why the better."
"Why isn't the Headmaster doing more to stop Draco?" the same girl queried.
Harry smiled. "That is a really good question, Miss-"
"Greengrass," the girl supplied. "Astoria Greengrass."
"Well, Astoria, as I said that is a really good question and I wish I had the answer. I would urge you and your parents to ask him. Maybe you will have better luck."
"Like Ron said if any of you aren't interested at this point there is no shame in leaving," Harry declared. To Hermione's shock only a few people exited the room. Excluding Slytherins she estimated that at least three quarters of the remaining students from fourth year and up had effectively signed up for duty.
After the crowd settled down once again the questioning resumed.
"I heard they were using Polyjuice potion as a disguise," a Ravenclaw stated more than asked, "he could pretend to be one of us to get in again." The fourth year, Richard Pembleton if Hermione remembered correctly, seemed very proud of himself for coming up with such an ingenious strategy.
"You are right. That is why you only will be notified thirty minutes prior to when you will be needed to guard the room," she answered. "The less time anyone knows who will be on guard the less time they will have to react."
"I also have another…tool…that allows me to check where anyone is in the castle and it isn't fooled by polyjuice," Harry interjected. "The plan is to have someone monitoring where Draco is throughout the day at all times."
It was a testament to the ridiculous stories they had heard about Harry that the group seemed to accept the news about this mysterious magical device unquestioningly.
"You said you want to have three or four people in front of the room at all times. What if Malfoy or his friends ambush us?"
That was Harry's cue to start handing out the coins as she took back over.
"There is always going to be a risk if you volunteer to help but it will be up to all of us working together to minimize it as much as possible," Hermione answered. "Draco is restricted to Slytherin House except for classes and meals. You will be able to use the coin Harry is handing out to let everyone else know if you spot him anywhere besides class or in the Great Hall. If he is late or leaves class unexpectedly you can let everyone know to be on the lookout as well. You can also use it at any time to call for help. This is also how we will be notifying you when it's your time to stand guard." She quickly explained how the coins worked before continuing. She could feel the excitement growing in the room as the group collectively realized that she and Harry actually seemed to have a plan and knew what they were doing.
"We will also be trying to make sure every group includes at least one seventh year student or a member of our defense group from last year. Show of hands…how many people here can manage a corporeal patronus?"
The look of unfettered shock from most of the assembled at the multiple hands that shot up in the air was amusing. "We've learned a way to send messages using a patronus," she continued. "If you stay after the meeting we can show you how to do it. We thought it would be a good public way to show people what is happening if we used them to send messages whenever possible."
"I want to learn how to cast a patronus!" someone exclaimed, drawing multiple confirmations amongst the crowd.
"I'm sorry but with everything going on we aren't going to have the time for that sort of instruction. Harry and I already have detention for the rest of the week and-" she replied before being interrupted.
"The rest of us can do it," Neville volunteered. "We can even use the Room of Requirement like we did for the D.A. meetings…using the room will provide a bit more protection." Neville looked around to see several D.A. members nodding in agreement and stood to address the group.
"Anyone who is interested in practicing Defence, including learning how to cast a Patronus, come back here tomorrow night at the same time and we'll get it organized," he declared before sitting back down and nodding for her to continue. Things had escalated well beyond anything she or Harry had imagined.
"Are you as terrified as I am right now?" Harry asked her quietly as they waited for the crowd noise to die down. He was doing his best to not look terrified.
"Thoroughly and utterly," she responded as she attempted to remain outwardly calm and composed. She and Harry were meant to be in charge…or something.
She glanced at Harry and could tell he was relieved not to be the only one a bit intimidated by what was happening in front of their eyes. As she waited for the excited rumbling to die down Harry leaned into her ear and whispered. "Let the revolution begin…"
"It's about time," she muttered back as she reached for his hand under the table.
Because of the size and the rapidly expanding scope the meeting lasted much longer than expected. It was only thanks to Dobby's friendly reminder that Hermione was aware that time had gotten away from her and curfew was looming. She and Harry waited for everyone to leave before they began their quiet trek…hand in hand…back to the Gryffindor common room. She reveled in the feel of Harry's hand and the blessed silence as her brain slowly stopped spinning from the day's events. This quiet time with Harry was doing a wonderful job in calming her and she couldn't wait for more once they plopped down on their couch with Crookshanks.
"Shit," Harry muttered as he stopped walking, "it's Monday. We still need to talk to Kreacher."
Hermione simultaneously wanted to complain at the extra task and scream in exultation at how much Harry's relationship had evolved with the elf. As mentally exhausted as she was Harry's growing camaraderie and sense of duty toward Kreacher restored a bit of her energy. She quickly cast Expecto Patronum and sent a message off to Ron.
"What did you do?" Harry asked.
"I sent a message to Ron letting him know that we would be out after curfew and asked him to cover for us," she explained.
"You are so much better at breaking the rules and not getting caught," Harry exclaimed as he pulled her into the nearest classroom.
As Harry began the now standard script with the elf, Hermione allowed her mind to wander to how much the Hogwarts Defence Force had expanded beyond her expectations. She had anticipated having to miss several classes each week to protect the room but the reality was much different. If everyone stuck to their commitment the Defence class she had missed that morning would be her only absence from tuition. They were now overflowing with volunteers and Harry and she had volunteered to cover the daily time period from six to eight in the morning to avoid any grumbling from the rest of the group about having to get up so early.
When she had volunteered for the early time slot the assumption was that she'd be handling it alone but Harry quickly disavowed her of that notion. It had been difficult for her not to get visibly emotional when he quickly modified her "I" to "we" in front of everyone. She could practically feel the girls in the crowd sighing wistfully at the romanticism of it all.
Hermione forcefully turned her attention back to the conversation taking place between Harry and his elf. She could resume the ruminating on the wonderfulness of Harry once she was back in the Gryffindor common room, staring into the fire and buried into his side. She couldn't wait.
"Kreacher has finished cleaning the library and thinks he is ready to begin working on the second floor," the elf intoned proudly.
"That sounds good," Harry informed with an approving nod. "Go ahead and start with the master bedroom. Once you think it is acceptable move to the next room. Just remember to rest as much as you need to, okay?" Harry asked, drawing a sincere nod from the elf.
It had been fascinating to watch the aged elf's resistance to Harry's charm gradually wane over the last several weeks. It had been weeks since she'd seen the elf look uncomfortable or angry at being summoned and despite his best intentions it appeared to Hermione that Kreacher was enjoying Harry's attention and concern lately. It could have been her hopeful imagination but as the weeks had progressed it seemed that the elf's skin had sagged a bit less, his tunic seemed to be a bit less dirty, and his disdain for her existence had virtually disappeared.
"Great!" Harry answered with false enthusiasm. "I think that's it for tonight. Is there anything I can do to help you?" he asked.
Although the elf had consistently declined assistance each week Mr. Dagworth was adamant that Harry should keep asking. It was important to continually remind Kreacher that Harry was concerned for him if they were going to combat the elf's years of abuse.
Hermione was all set for Kreacher's standard negative response but it didn't come. Instead the elf remained silent…silent and pensive. He was clearly considering something.
"Kreacher would like Master's help but Kreacher is worried," the elf finally muttered.
"Worried?" Harry replied in confusion.
The elf nodded gravely, still unsure if he should continue. After several uncomfortable moments of silence he appeared to come to a decision. "Kreacher has an important task that his former Master asked him to fulfill many years ago but Kreacher has been unable to do so. Kreacher would like Master Potter to help him," the elf croaked out. He was trembling now…seemingly terrified at sharing the information with Harry.
"I don't think I want to help you with anything Walburga Black-"
"Not Mistress…Master," Kreacher corrected…the urgency and desperation clear in his voice. Despite his obvious fear he plowed ahead. "Master Regulus."
"Regulus Black?" Harry asked, confusing Hermione even more. Who was Regulus Black?
The elf nodded before pulling out a square necklace from his worn and ragged tunic.
Harry's eyes bulged in recognition and she felt the hairs on her arm instantly stand on end. Something was happening. Something monumental.
"What is it Harry?" she demanded.
"I think that's a Horcrux."
A/N: My responses to the most common patronus comments are below. I typically dislike long author notes but given the COVID-19 nonsense going on I figure a lot of folks are looking for anything to distract themselves so the more words I can post the better. Besides, I put a LOT of thought into this and thought some of you would enjoy reading my justification. So enjoy my ramblings/serious insights into my character portrayal.
Having Harry's patronus change to be like Hermione's takes away some of his personality and uniqueness.
- A stag doesn't represent Harry's uniqueness…it represents his father's uniqueness. The only reason Harry's patronus is a stag in my opinion is because it represents his love and longing for his father...for family. His parents are what he sees in the Mirror of Erised because they are what he associates with love. If the Harry in my story looked into the mirror now I think he would see himself and an older Hermione with two or three kids…because Hermione is what he now associates with love and happiness. If his patronus represents his personality in any way it is in his capacity to and desire for love…that desire has now shifted toward Hermione. In other words Hermione isn't the only person experiencing a paradigm shift in this story (layers!).
Harry's patronus changing to an otter shows he is subjugating himself in an unhealthy way to his love interest similar to Snape and Tonks.
- Snape's doe and Tonks' wolf were NOT the male/female counterpart patronus of their love interest, rather they were literal manifestations of who they loved and longed for. It didn't represent a partnership…it represented one sided affection. Lily Potter, who by all accounts is 100% her own person and who would never subjugate herself to her spouse, has a doe patronus. The doe isn't a copy of James' patronus…it is a partner to his stag. They are a unified, loving team and their Stag/Doe patronuses (patroni?) represent that. I purposely made a point of noting that Harry's otter is slightly bigger than Hermione's to (hopefully) indicate his was the male partner to Hermione's female otter.
It would have been better if Hermione's patronus changed to a doe to be a partner to Harry's stag.
Besides me thinking this is a bit sexist there are a few more reasons why I didn't go this route.
As much as I use some fanon tropes and clichés in my writing I try my best to avoid the most obvious and repeated plot beats repeated in fan fiction. Harry's love interest having her patronus be a doe has been done a million times and isn't interesting or original to me to read or write. I wrote another story centered around Daphne Greengrass and although I leaned into some of the "Ice Queen" tropes (quiet, guarded, a small circle of friends) I purposely avoided anyone calling her that name because it has been done to death and can signal to the reader that the story they are reading isn't as original as it could be. Having Harry's patronus change as opposed to Hermione's subverts the readers expectations and resonates more for me. The important thing for a twist to work is it needs to make sense in the context of the story…I think mine does.
One of the biggest goals in a romance for me is to portray that it is an actual partnership…that both parties learn to support each other, are growing together, and are a team. At the beginning of this story Harry and Hermione were dysfunctional members of Team Dumbledore but as of the last chapter they are now the founding members of Team Potter/Granger and I wanted to symbolize this as much as possible without going overboard. In chapter 11 Hermione showed this by handing in her prefect badge. Harry's patronus changing in chapter 12 is a symbol of this as well and seemed like a good way to end Part 1 of this story. Spoiler Alert: They are in this together from here on out.
Having Harry's patronus change instead of Hermione's made for a funny ending to the chapter. I love ending chapters on something amusing…it is in many ways my story telling kryptonite. And once I realized I could use the nickname 'Harry Otter™' it was a done deal.
See? I really think a lot about this stuff. And Harry Otter™ is funny. Why aren't you laughing?