Chapter 15
As they made their way to the headmaster's office Hermione did her best to calm herself. Kreacher had been reluctant to accompany them but Harry's quick reassurance/order had done the trick. She couldn't remember seeing the aged elf look so energized and alive as he realized he may finally be able to accomplish his prior Master's final wish. Harry, however, looked uncomfortable…disturbed.
"You hold it the rest of the way, Kreacher," Harry informed as he handed Slytherin's treasure back to the aged elf.
"What's wrong?" she asked, confused that he wasn't as excited as she was about their discovery.
He shook his head as if he was trying to jiggle something back into place before speaking. "That thing is foul," he muttered, "it was like I could feel its heart beating."
It was clear to her that Kreacher holding the locket once again only because his master had requested it. The immediate unease it was causing was apparent.
"Are you all right, Kreacher?" she asked.
"Kreacher has not held the locket for many years," the elf replied gravely. "It makes Kreacher think about how he failed his Master…always thinking…always…" he spit out, becoming emotional once again. She needed to do something.
"I can try holding it," she volunteered. It was a measure of how negatively it still affected Kreacher that he quickly handed such a precious item over to her.
As they continued their walk she was surprised at the relatively benign affect that the locket was having on her. It was clear there was magic at play and she could feel the weight…the oppressiveness of it…but that was it. She felt no sinister beating hearts or had any miserable thoughts about failures and regret.
"Are you all right?" Harry asked in concern.
"I'm fine. I don't think it affects me as much," she answered honestly. I think I can carry it the rest of the way."
"Kreacher thanks Miss Granger for her help," the elf volunteered gratefully. She couldn't be sure as it looked wholly unnatural for him to do so but he appeared to be smiling at being relieved of his burden.
"Harry thanks you too," he supplied warmly, grabbing her free hand. She immediately felt something in the locket flare at his touch and pulled her hand away.
"What's wrong?" Harry asked.
"I don't know," she answered honestly, shooting him an apologetic look for her rejection. "When you grabbed my hand it seemed to come to life a bit."
Silence reigned at her disturbing revelation and the trio unconsciously quickened their pace. The sooner they took care of this abomination the better. It may have been her imagination but the heaviness she felt seemed to be growing with each step.
Thirty minutes later they were in the headmaster's office. Kreacher had once again recounted the sad and horrific back-story of the locket…how he had been used as a lamb being led to slaughter by Voldemort…Regulus Black's bravery and sacrifice…his countless fruitless attempts at destroying the necklace.
Throughout it all Kreacher looked to Harry when it became uncomfortable to continue…seemingly drawing support from the presence of his Master. Based on his expression it was clear that Dumbledore had picked up on the changing dynamic between the pair as well.
"You have been very brave, Kreacher. Master Regulus would be proud," Dumbledore supplied gently before turning his attention toward Harry. "It appears your elf has saved us from embarking on a fruitless journey. The cave he described was to be my next attempt at finding a Horcrux," he confirmed.
"We need to destroy it," Harry stated firmly, his eyes never leaving the locket as it lied on the headmaster's desk.
The headmaster nodded in affirmation before turning toward a nearby portrait. With a wave of his wand the portrait swung open, revealing a hidden compartment. He quickly pulled out the sword of Gryffindor.
"We can do it with that?" Harry asked dumbly.
The headmaster considered the sword in his hand before continuing. "The sword of Gryffindor takes on the attributes of anything it comes in contact with. Can you think of any unique attributes that it could have acquired recently that would allow it to destroy a Horcrux?"
"Basilisk venom," Hermione answered immediately.
"Correct, Miss Granger. The venom in this sword allowed me to destroy the prior Horcrux as well," he continued academically.
"Master Regulus said that the locket must be opened first," the elf intoned. "Kreacher tried many times…all attempts failed," he finished, the shame apparent in his voice.
"I believe we have another unique tool at our disposal for that task, Kreacher," Dumbledore continued before Harry interrupted.
"Parseltongue," he blurted automatically as he stared unblinkingly at Slytherin's treasure.
"Very good, Harry," he complimented as he moved in front of the locket and held the sword over it with both hands. "If you will do the honor of opening the locket I will destroy the Horcrux. Miss Granger, you and Kreacher should step away and protect yourself," he directed.
Once she and Kreacher had moved to the open doorway she quickly cast Protego, making sure it was large enough to protect them both. "Be careful, Harry," she pleaded.
Harry nodded determinedly before casting his own shield and hissing his instruction. She heard a click and watched the doors of the locket slowly open.
Hermione was too far away to see what had appeared but the look of abject fear on the headmaster's face was clear. She'd never seen him look so weak…almost childlike in his vulnerability.
Does he know? Does he know of your machinations?
"Headmaster!" Harry spoke loudly. It had no affect as Dumbledore continued to gaze in horror at the locket.
The great Albus Dumbledore. Always leading. Always lying. Always failing.
"Headmaster!" Harry yelled once again but Dumbledore continued to be entranced.
How many have trusted you? How many have suffered and died needlessly because of that trust? You've failed them just as you will fail him. He has suffered and he will die for nothing.
"It's like the ring! It's trying to trick you to protect itself!" Harry screamed. "Don't listen to it! Stab it! Please Headmaster!"
Harry's final words broke the spell as Dumbledore eyes flashed toward him in recognition and his expression morphed into one of determination and barely controlled fury. Despite his age it was clear to her at that moment why he was still considered by many to be the most powerful wizard alive.
"Protect yourself, Harry," he commanded before plunging the sword into the locket.
The scream emitted by the locket was like nothing Hermione had ever heard before and for the first time she felt the true wickedness that was Lord Voldemort. It was unearthly in its evil.
She quickly dropped her wand and ran to Harry, engulfing him in a hug and burying her head in his shoulder. The feelings of loss and desperation were quickly replaced by comfort and reassurance.
"Three more to go," she mumbled.
"Three more to go," he repeated. He was so used to dealing with these horrific circumstances…it made her heart ache to think of how many times he'd experienced them alone. She would do everything in her power to ensure it never happened again.
She felt a slight tug on her sleeve and looked to see Kreacher now by her side.
"Mistress dropped her wand," the elf informed as he handed it to her.
"Thank you, Kreacher."
"Kreacher is grateful for Master Potter and mistress," the elf replied as he approached the desk and stood up on his toes, staring in awe at the now broken locket.
"It's definitely gone, right?" Harry asked, waiting for the headmaster's nod before picking up the locket and casting Reparo. The necklace still looked much worse off from its encounter with Gryffindor's sword but it was now back to its original shape and the doors were latched shut once again.
Harry handed the locket to the aged elf. "I think you should have this, Kreacher…to remember Master Regulus."
It was clear that Harry's act of generosity had shocked the elf as he stared at the gift in disbelief. "Thank you, Master," he replied reverently.
"You're welcome," Harry answered and Hermione could tell that he meant it.
"Does Master require anything else of Kreacher?" He appeared to be shaking in excitement at Harry's gift and what they had accomplished.
"No, I think that's enough for tonight," Harry chuckled. "Get some rest, yeah? We've all had an eventful night."
"Yes, Master," Kreacher replied as he bowed deeply to Harry. He then turned his attention to Hermione.
"Thank you for protecting Kreacher, mistress," he intoned, bowing once again before popping out of sight.
"You and Kreacher seem to be on much better terms," Dumbledore observed. He appeared to have composed himself from whatever the Horcrux showed him to protect itself.
"We've been working with him over the last few months," Harry replied before realizing what he'd admitted. "I hope that's not against the rules…calling him to Hogwarts."
"Technically students are required to get special permission from their Head of House before contacting a personal elf but given the spectacular results of the evening I believe I will overlook it this time.
Based on your absence from class this morning and Mr. Weasley and Miss Brown this afternoon am I correct in assuming we are in store for much more rule breaking over the next few weeks?" he asked bemusedly, a bit of color and life returning to his face.
"Yes sir," Harry answered simply, not offering any more information.
"I don't suppose it would do any good to ask once again for you to trust me," Dumbledore asked. He looked very tired.
"No sir, it wouldn't," Harry replied.
"Regulus Black was the same age as Draco when he joined the Dark Lord," Dumbledore observed, "a boy who made a mistake and learned to regret it."
"Then expel him," Harry replied. "Send him to serve his dark lord so he can learn to regret it instead of risking the other students' lives. Better yet, check him for the mark and if he has it have him arrested." Hermione wanted to cheer.
The headmaster nodded in defeat before grabbing a piece of parchment and quickly writing a note.
"I believe you two should head back to Gryffindor," he informed wearily as he handed over the parchment. "This note gives my permission to be out after hours should you be stopped."
"Thank you for coming to me with your discovery," he intoned as they moved to leave. "We've struck a great blow to Voldemort this night."
After walking in silence for several minutes Hermione spoke. "Could you see what the Horcrux showed Professor Dumbledore? He looked terrified."
She felt Harry tense before replying. "It was a girl…maybe a year or two younger than us. She was just lying there all sprawled out…like she was dead."
She could sense there was more to it that Harry did not want to share. "What is it Harry?" she prodded.
He stopped walking and turned to face her. The intensity of his stare as he considered what to share was at once mesmerizing and terrifying. His face eventually softened and he began playing with her hair as he spoke.
"Near the end it changed into me…still lying there…dead."
She instinctively grabbed him and held him close. As she buried her head into his shoulder she realized this was the precise reason he had stopped walking before delivering the news. Even faced with such a horrific image his thoughts were on her reaction. Her first instinct was to burst into tears but she pushed back at the urge. She needed to be strong for Harry.
"Like you said to the headmaster, it's a trick. You're here and nothing is going to happen to you," she proclaimed fiercely. "I won't let it."
She felt him nod against her. "I was actually more upset about what it said…about him lying," he continued.
Hermione didn't know how to respond so she remained quiet and buried herself in a bit more. It occurred to her that they were striking a very odd pose in the middle of the Hogwarts hallway but did not care. Besides, they had a note.
"I like your hair," he muttered inexplicably after several minutes.
"What?" she laughed.
"The color, the smell, the curls, it's unique. I don't know…it calms me. It's calming me right now."
She pulled back and kissed him. "Thank you for the most interesting compliment I've ever received. Ready to head back?"
As they continued their journey Hermione could not rid herself of the unease caused by her observations that night, specifically the reactions of the Horcrux to Harry and the words it spoke to the headmaster. She had a sickening hunch what the Horcrux was referring to but decided to hold her tongue for now. She needed to think on it more and have more facts before she mentioned it to Harry.
The common room was nearly empty by the time they arrived. She spotted Crookshanks poking his head around the side of the couch before settling back down, clearly expecting them to join him in a few minutes. She thought Crooks had an excellent idea and planned on spending the entire evening on the couch with Harry. Technically there was no rule forbidding students from spending all night together on a couch in the common room…or casting expansion spells to allow two people to comfortably lie down together on said couch. Before she could make the suggestion Harry spoke.
"I'll stow my things, get ready for bed, and meet you down here in ten minutes." It wasn't a question.
As a rule she wasn't comfortable with public displays of affection but at that moment she couldn't have cared less about their small audience of night owls. She kissed him very forcefully and for much longer than polite company would deem proper. Harry was her anti-Horcrux…full of hope and comfort and life.
In her periphery she heard a catcall from the crowd and dove back in for more. Sod the rabble…she needed to live. Eventually she disengaged from Harry and allowed herself to ask him something that had been on her mind for the last three years. His confession about her hair had emboldened her to finally make the request.
"Can I have one of your jerseys to sleep in?"
Harry chuckled. "I've got a few game and practice jerseys that don't fit me any more but would still be big on you. How many do you want?"
Hermione mumbled her reply.
"Sorry, I didn't catch that?"
"All of them. Please."
The remainder of the week was much less eventful as their time was either spent in front of the Room of Requirement, in class, or serving detention. To their pleasant surprise Professor McGonagall had supervised all of their detentions and allowed them to work on homework during their confinement. It wasn't as nice as her recent practice of leaning against Harry while she worked on her studies in the common room but it was miles better than scrubbing cauldron bottoms and dealing with Professor's Snape's sneering condescension.
The most amusing development of the week was the race to the bottom of the House Cup standings between Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. A bizarre honor system had quickly formed where other point deductions not related to the HDF were considered cheating and actually earning points was now discouraged. It appeared that she and Harry had thoroughly broken the Hogwarts merit system.
It was now Saturday and she and Harry were finishing up their daily early morning monitoring shift in front of the room. As they began to depart they were stopped by one of the new volunteers. It was the Hufflepuff who asked the questions in their introductory meeting.
"You left this on the desk, Hermione," the girl supplied as she handed her a piece of parchment before taking a seat.
"I don't think this is-"
"Thank you, Astoria," Harry interrupted, pulling her down the hall and out of sight before she could stop him.
"Harry, this isn't mine. I didn't even have any parchment out this morning," she protested.
"It's a message for us, Hermione," Harry said in a low voice, "I saw her take it out of her pocket."
"Why on earth would she be so secretive?" she asked.
"I've no idea…perhaps we should read it and find out," he suggested with a smirk. She playfully elbowed him in the ribs before reading the note.
Meet me in the classroom next to the statue of Baragorn the Aggressive at 7:00 tonight. If you are concerned that this is a trap feel free to bring as many friends as you'd like.
An Ally in Green
"Huh," Harry muttered, "looks like someone in Slytherin wants to have a chat. I wonder who it is."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Well it's obvious isn't it?"
"No?" Harry replied.
"We received the note from Astoria Greengrass…" she prompted.
"Right, still don't have a clue," Harry answered, clearly enjoying her frustration.
"You really should pay more attention, Harry," she playfully scolded. "Astoria's sister Daphne is in Slytherin…she's actually in our year."
"Oh right! Greengrass…," he exclaimed in recognition. "She's the fit- I mean, the serious one."
"Nice catch," she complimented. "Daphne has always seemed all right to me. She's actually cordial to me in Arithmancy and Runes away from Draco and his goons."
"So I reckon we should go as long as we take precautions," Harry surmised.
Hermione nodded in agreement, wondering what Daphne had to share. Whatever it was she was sure it wouldn't be good.
She suddenly realized Harry was still walking with her toward Slughorn's office instead of Gryffindor.
"I think you were meant to turn back there, Harry," she noted reluctantly.
He shook his head and continued walking. "I'm already up and I don't like the idea of you walking alone with everything going on."
His casual comment on her inability to protect herself touched a nerve. "So I can't handle myself but you are okay to walk alone once you escort me?"
Harry raised an eyebrow at her tone, clearly picking up on her annoyance. "No…that's why I planned on staying and helping Professor Slughorn as well."
"Really?" she asked, feeling a bit stupid at her defensiveness.
"Like I said, I'm already up and neither of us should be walking around by ourselves. Besides, I need to defend my spot as his favorite student, don't I?" he joked.
"And I'll get to spend time with you," he concluded absently.
She had thought the desire to kiss Harry would start receding a bit over time but it seemed to be growing exponentially. It was entirely his fault as he kept doing and saying things that made her want to kiss him. And now that she was allowed and he was right there the idea just kept popping into her head. All the time.
"Hermione, are you all right?"
After a rather distracting and satisfying five minute sojourn into a nearby classroom and an additional five minute walk they reached their destination.
"The leader of the rebellion has arrived!" Slughorn exclaimed joyfully, "and I see you've brought your partner in crime as well. Not planning on staging a coup on the potions lab I hope!" he joked.
"Just thought I could lend a hand as well, sir," Harry replied, still uncomfortable with Slughorn's enthusiastic approach.
As humorous as Harry's awkwardness was Hermione thought it best to put him out of his misery. "What would you like us to start with, Professor?"
Several hours later they were on the way to their clandestine meeting with Daphne Greengrass. As Harry consulted the map and she scanned the classroom's entrance for any spells or enchantments their invisible traveling companions spoke.
"So, how does it look?" Ron asked in a whisper under the cloak.
"There's still just the three of them. Daphne, Tracey Davis and…Zabini," Harry supplied. The last name was said with a bit of annoyance and concern.
"Everything looks clean," she imparted. "No tricks or traps as far as I can tell."
"Do you want us to go in with you?" Ron asked. "Even up the numbers?"
"You can follow us in under the cloak but keep your mouth shut unless they try something," Harry answered as he held out the map. "And watch this…make sure no-one tries to sneak in while we're talking."
She looked to the space where Ron's voice had been coming from and watched the map disappear. "That's a good idea, Harry," she confirmed. "Just stay quiet unless they actually try something."
"Good luck," she heard the disembodied voice of Lavender whisper…clearly excited and energized at being part of the 'team'.
They entered the room to find the Slytherin trio in the midst of a discussion, all jolting up immediately.
"I told you they would come," Tracey gloated. Based on his annoyed expression Blaise had not expected her or Harry to show up for the meeting.
"What's this about?" Harry began unceremoniously, his wand at the ready.
"Typical Potter," Blaise muttered in condescension. "He's here for ten seconds and he's already waving his wand around."
"Shut up, Blaise," Daphne admonished before gesturing toward a nearby desk.
"My apologies for Zabini and his mouth," she started, shooting her housemate another glare. "We've purposely set our wands on that desk to show you we are not a threat. We just want to talk."
Harry looked her way and Hermione gave him a nod of agreement. He quickly pulled her into two nearby chairs but continued to grasp his wand tightly. "Talk," he ordered.
"We want to warn you," Daphne stated simply.
"In case you haven't noticed we've already sorted out that Malfoy is a threat," Harry replied sarcastically. "Zabini here heard all about his service to the Dark Lord on the train ride to Hogwarts at the start of term. Isn't that right, Zabini?"
It was clear the Slytherin was ready with an angry retort but held his tongue at Daphne's withering glare. The girl was most definitely in charge.
"Potter…Harry…we are all on the same side," Daphne interjected calmly.
"Really?" Hermione asked in Harry's defense. "As I recall you've all seemed to enjoy Draco's nonsense over the years and were quite happy to wear those stupid Potter Stinks badges in fourth year. And what did you say Blaise called Ginny on the train, Harry? A blood traitor was it? Suppose you consider me a mudblood as well…"
"I understand your concern and you are right to be cautious," Daphne trudged on. "While you might not believe we are on the same side I can assure you we are most definitely not on You Know Who's side."
Harry slowly lowered his wand and motioned for her to continue, drawing a look of relief from Daphne.
"You mentioned Draco's boasting," Daphne began, "but what you need to understand is we've had to listen to his nonsense for years now…even before Hogwarts for some of us. We thought it was more of the same this year…just his normal blustering with nothing to back it up."
"It isn't just about the blustering and you know it, Hermione reprimanded, "he is cruel and foul. He has been since first year."
Daphne looked uncomfortable at Hermione's brutal honesty as she nodded in agreement. "You're right…it isn't just about his ego. But until this year we all thought he was harmless…" she trailed off, knowing it was a poor excuse for quietly sitting on the sidelines over the years.
"So you've finally cottoned on to what a threat he is?" Harry asked.
"Harry, give her a chance," Hermione pleaded softly as she saw the sincere regret on their faces. "Go on, Daphne," she prodded.
"Right. Well over the last few months Draco has changed. After Bell and Weasley were attacked he's become increasingly more withdrawn and since your group formed…" Daphne explained before trailing off.
"He's become desperate," Blaise continued, "except for classes and meals he never comes out of his room. He just-"
"Paces the floor," Harry interrupted, drawing stares from the Slytherins.
"How did you know that?" Blaise demanded.
"We aren't dumb enough to give away all of our secrets, Zabini," Harry replied forcefully.
"Stop! Just…please…stop." Daphne interrupted. "Both of you stop with the posturing. We aren't here to fight…we are here to help you."
Harry nodded in contrition. "Go on," he instructed.
"You Know Who has other allies in the castle, Potter," Blaise stated. "Did you really think your little group wouldn't anger them? That they wouldn't try to fight back to teach you a lesson?"
"You mean finish Draco's mission?"
Blaise shook his head. "No-one knows what he is up to and as far as we can tell he hasn't asked anyone else for help. We're saying these other folks are planning on coming after you two…Granger specifically…to teach you a lesson for fighting back so publicly against Draco."
"I'm confused," Hermione replied. "Why are they so concerned if they don't even know what Draco is supposed to be doing?"
Daphne smirked. "You are thinking like a rational human being, Hermione. It's about pride for them. The blood traitor and the mudblood are openly pushing back against the Dark Lord and need to be put in their place."
Daphne handed them two pages of parchment that appeared to be a listing of Hogwarts students. The first parchment was comprised solely of Slytherin names but the second page was a mixture of Slytherins, Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs and a few Gryffindors.
"The first page is a listing of those in Slytherin house that oppose You Know Who. We've formed an unofficial secondary division of your Hogwarts Defense Force. We want to help you keep an eye on Draco as well as the people on the second piece of parchment."
"So this is a list of death eaters in training?" Harry asked as he held up the second parchment.
"Not necessarily," Daphne continued. "It is a listing of students whose parents we know are sympathetic to You Know Who's cause."
"Some of the names are bolded," Hermione observed.
"Those are the death eaters in training," Blaise supplied bluntly.
Hermione reviewed the list…horrified at the sheer volume of bolded names. Roughly half of the fourth through seventh year Slytherins had been highlighted.
"Why should we trust you?" Harry asked.
"You shouldn't," Daphne continued. "If I were you I would take anything we say with a grain of salt. But consider this. If we wanted to injure you we could have done it already. We've got you outnumbered."
She could tell Harry wanted to correct the Slytherin but thankfully held his tongue. He was unable to wipe the smug look off of his face however.
"Did I say something funny?" Daphne asked upon spotting Harry's smirk.
"Let's just say we aren't as trusting and naïve as you think and leave it at that," Hermione replied, attempting to diffuse the situation as quickly as possible.
Daphne nodded in acknowledgement and continued. "Astoria has explained the coins you gave to everyone in your group. She and I have a way to communicate as well. If we need to warn you or meet again we will send a message through her."
Harry nodded in acknowledgement…his expression softening in consideration at the Slytherin's apparent sincerity.
"You said you don't think Draco has involved anyone else in his plan. How can you know that?" he asked.
"I was hoping you wouldn't ask that," Daphne murmured. Whatever she was going to admit was making her uncomfortable.
"My sister and Draco are…close. He confides in her," Daphne began. "When you caught him last week she confronted him and he admitted that he was responsible for what happened to Bell and Weasley but insisted that they weren't the intended targets. He doesn't want to do whatever he has been tasked with but he says he doesn't have a choice. If he fails his parents are to be killed. He is purposely not involving anyone else."
She apparently saw the disbelief on their faces and quickly put up her hands to stop their protest. "Let me finish, please." She waited for them both to calm before continuing.
"If you believe anything I've said you need to believe that Astoria and I are definitely on your side are being honest with you. I know my family isn't like the Weasleys or Longbottoms, that we've always associated with the…traditionalists. But we are on your side."
Hermione snorted in derision at Daphne's carefully selected phrasing.
"Using tradition as a justification for murder and oppression is-" she blurted.
"Granger," Blaise pleaded gently on Daphne's behalf, "just give Daphne a chance to explain."
She felt Harry's gentle squeeze of her hand and instantly calmed. She nodded for Daphne to continue.
"Have either of you heard of the Tales of Beedle the Bard?"
She and Harry both shook their head no.
"It is a collection of children's stories…think of them as the wizarding equivalent of Grimms' Fairy Tales," Daphne supplied. "It is believed by many that they are based on actual events…my family is the basis for one of the stories."
Hermione wanted to scoff at the girl's hubris…to accuse Daphne of being just another stuck up pureblood who thought the world revolved around them and their travails. But the look of devastation on the girl's face stopped her short. It was clear Daphne took no joy in her family's infamy.
"It's about a young wizard who falls in love with a muggle girl from a nearby village. The girl's parents were afraid of the boy…scared of the strange things he was able to do. They forbade the daughter from seeing him, convinced that he was evil and was corrupting her. When the daughter refused her father took matters into his own hands and killed the boy in his sleep. The boy's father then took revenge and killed her entire family…everyone except for the girl. He purposely spared the girl so she would experience a lifetime of suffering...so she would be tormented by the loss of her family as he was by the loss of his son."
Daphne paused to gather herself…clearly affected by having to share the story. The skeptical part of Hermione wanted to think it was all an act to gain their sympathies but the girl's expression was too real…too raw. It reminded her of Harry after the graveyard…after Sirius.
"What the boy's father didn't realize was that the girl was a muggleborn witch. This girl, driven by her grief and anger, cursed the boy's family. From that point on the family was cursed to have one family member from each generation suffer and die young as penance for the father's actions."
Hermione gasped. "Are you-"
"It's Astoria," Harry interrupted before she could finish her thought. "I remember her being in the Hospital Wing a few times when I've been there. She always looked so weak..."
Daphne nodded, stubbornly wiping away the few tears that had trickled out despite her best efforts. She schooled her features before continuing.
"The fairy tale has a happy ending. Eventually one of the cursed family members selflessly sacrifices themselves to save a family of muggles and ends the curse. The happy ending is the part that makes it a fairy tale. Astoria is sick…very sick," she mumbled, breaking down a bit as the tears started once again.
As touching as the story was Hermione's logical side kicked in, demanding answers. Purposely doing her best to tread lightly with her questioning.
"I would think such a curse would make you hate muggleborns even more," she interjected, "that you would blame them for your years of suffering."
"You are right…a lot of Purebloods teach their children that the moral of the story is that muggles and muggleborns are a threat and can't be trusted. Every generation of Greengrasses before my parents have felt that way and would have been fighting for V- Voldemort. Mother and father changed all that."
"Why?" Hermione asked.
Daphne continued. "Father was a prefect in fifth year and was asked to help shepherd a transfer student from Beauxbatons for the first week of term. He met her at Kings Cross and they rode the train together. According to my father it wasn't love at first sight but it was very near it…after an hour or so he was smitten. By the time she told him she was a muggleborn he was too far gone to care. From that point on everything changed for father and they started dating a week into term despite his parents' and housemates' objections. When they became engaged a few years later he was nearly cast out of the family."
"Reminds me of my godfather," Harry interjected.
"Sirius Black?" Daphne asked.
"How did you-" Harry began before stopping himself.
"When my Slytherin father started dating the muggleborn Hufflepuff transfer student it was quite the scandal at Hogwarts. His housemates ostracized him and he began eating most of his meals at the Hufflepuff table. Black and your dad decided to take up his cause and befriended him and my mother. It turns out he had a cousin who'd gone through something similar a few years before. From that point on mysterious things started happening to anyone who gave him or my mother grief for dating," she mused, smiling for the first time since she had begun her tale.
"Father was shocked when he betrayed your parents. He said he and your father were closer than-"
"He didn't," Harry interrupted uncomfortably. "Sirius was innocent."
"Was?" Blaise prompted.
"He was killed last year by death eaters," Hermione interjected, wanting to spare Harry from having to relive the memory. "The Ministry had it wrong. He was always loyal to the Potters…to Harry."
"But third year…the break in at Hogwarts-"
"He was trying to protect Harry," she continued, failing at hiding her own emotions. "He loved Harry and was trying to protect him…always."
A prolonged silence pervaded the room as both parties realized they had shared more than they'd ever imagined. Eventually Daphne resumed her story.
"Astoria has every right to be mad at both sides but she is the exact opposite. She is a Hufflepuff through and through. If you believe anything you need to believe that. As much as she wants to help Draco she will do everything in her power to stop him and has told him as much. Between his failures and your group Astoria thinks Draco is resigned to his fate and has given up on whatever he was working on.
Astoria has a blind spot for Draco and believes in him but we aren't so sure he's given up. Your group needs to keep at it and you need to protect yourself. I swear to you, we sincerely want to help. Too many people have died already."
"Would you be willing to sign something stating as much?" she asked.
"You want to give us the Edgecombe treatment?" Daphne joked. "As long as the wording of the agreement is fair we will all sign." It appeared that Blaise wanted to protest but remained silent at Daphne's pointed glare.
Hermione realized how long they had been talking and looked at her watch. "It's getting near curfew. Thank you for the information. I'm sorry about your sister…" she said, feeling stupid at how insignificant her words sounded.
Daphne nodded. "I'm sorry too. About…everything." She turned her focus toward Harry. "Is it all right if I tell father about Sirius Black's innocence?"
"Yeah," Harry muttered.
Daphne nodded her thanks as she picked up her wand and moved toward the exit. "Just do yourself a favor and don't let on to Astoria that you know about her condition. If she catches you feeling sorry for her she's liable to hex you. Then she'll hex me for telling you."
"We can meet in a week and sign your agreement…same time and place," Blaise informed as the group exited the room.
After the Slytherin trio departed Ron and Lavender appeared, handing the cloak back to Harry. Ron appeared to be deep in thought and it was clear Lavender had been crying. The group began their walk back to Gryffindor in silence before Lavender spoke.
"I'm sorry about your godfather, Harry," she offered, her voice choking on the words.
"S'all right," he managed.
"Mum has a copy of the book Gree- Daphne was talking about, Hermione," Ron interjected. "I could ask her to send it if you'd like."
"I'd like that," Hermione replied. "So I take it you believe her?"
Ron shrugged. "She looked pretty miserable. I'm not sure how you could fake that.
Mum said the point of the story was fear and ignorance caused the conflict…not magic," he muttered, "and that both sides were so focused on their own problems and grief they didn't consider that the other side was suffering just as much or more."
"The grass is always greener…" Hermione mumbled to herself as they quietly trekked back to Gryffindor.
Chapter 16
The next week was busy as Hermione focused all of her free time on finishing the mirrors. After the revelations from the Emerald Trio it was now more imperative than ever to have as many ways of communicating as possible.
The Slytherins had barraged them with so much information that the breadth of what was shared did not fully sink in until the next day at breakfast. She looked across the hall and spotted multiple faces…many of which she had interacted with over the years…who now actively meant her harm. The tangibility was unsettling.
While Hermione worked on putting the final touches on the mirror project Harry seemed to be obsessed with protecting her…insistently remaining at her side whenever possible as he did his best to put the faces to all the names on the list and monitor their behaviors and patterns. The good news was that none of the death eaters in training had attempted to infiltrate the Hogwarts Defense Force. The bad news was a few of the maybes had signed up for duty.
So while she worked on the mirrors Harry wondered how much more the Marauder's Map was capable of doing. A quick missive was sent off to Remus asking whether the map could be modified to track specific people. A few days later they received a cryptic reply.
Just ask the map. Make sure to mention who your dad is. You may have to be a bit patient…
So that is how it came to be that she and Harry snuck out of the Gryffindor common room (again) after curfew (again) and into a nearby classroom. Hermione's time spent as a rule enforcing prefect seemed like so long ago.
"Er..." Harry began after tapping the map with his wand, "this is the son of Prongs and I'd like to track a few specific people on the map."
Mr. Padfoot would like to know if you are a specky git like Mr. Prongs? And what girl would be desperate enough to conceive Mr. Prongs' spawn?
"Uh…yeah…I wear glasses too. My mum is Lily Potter…Lily Evans."
There was a longer pause before more writing appeared.
The girl that Mr. Prongs insists on calling Mrs. Prongs actually became Mrs. Prongs? Mr. Moony doesn't believe you.
Neither does Mr. Wormtail.
Or Mr. Padfoot.
Mr. Prongs never had a doubt.
Hermione felt her patience wearing thin. It was like talking to four versions of the Weasley twins. She wasn't sure how Harry's mother put up with it, let alone decided to marry one. She quickly tapped the map and began speaking.
"This is the girlfriend of Mr. Prongs' son. We need your help and don't have time to mess around proving who we are. Mr. Prongs is James Potter. Mr. Moony is Remus Lupin. Mr. Padfoot is Sirius Black. Mr. Wormtail is Peter Pettigrew. Remus is a werewolf and the other nicknames are based on your animagus forms."
After a long pause the map once again sprung to life.
Mr. Prongs suggests you take a breath. Also, he is glad to see his son has carried on the tradition of courting strong willed women.
And by 'strong willed' Mr. Prongs actually means slightly ins-
"Are you going to help us or not?" Hermione interrupted, fully grinning now.
Mr. Moony apologizes on behalf of the Marauders and asks for you to speak the names you would like tracked slowly and clearly. The names will be listed in red until you cancel the enchantment.
"Thank you," Hermione replied in relief. As Harry began reciting the names Hermione wondered what other knowledge the map held. Remus unfortunately had not been too involved with creating the mirrors and there were a few small things she needed to tweak before they were ready to go. She waited until Harry completed listing the names before changing the topic.
"Can you answer questions about the communication mirrors you created?" she asked hopefully.
Mr. Padfoot can.
"Really?"
Mr. Prongs was there and still finds it hard to comprehend that Mr. Padfoot was the one to sort out the mirrors.
Mr. Padfoot is now sticking two fingers-
"Anyway," Hermione interrupted forcefully, "can you explain how you were able to synchronize the image and sound…"
With the mirrors now fully functional Ron and Lavender were dispatched to a nearby classroom instead of under the invisibility cloak for their follow up meeting with the Slytherins. Surprisingly there was one additional student waiting for them when they arrived. Hermione was reminded of Ron and Ginny at their worst as she watched the two sisters glaring daggers at each other.
Hermione wasn't sure what to say to the Hufflepuff…now knowing her horrific secret. She imagined this was how most people felt when meeting Harry for the first time. Thankfully the young girl quickly initiated the conversation before she or Harry could say anything.
"I know Daphne told you about my condition and relationship with Draco and I'm willing to sign whatever you've prepared to prove I'm on your side," she blurted, never taking her eyes off of Daphne.
Daphne looked supremely irritated. "You shouldn't be here, Tori. It isn't safe-"
While Daphne's glare had been highly effective with Zabini it only seemed to spur her sister on even more.
"And you shouldn't have told them about my condition, Daphne," Astoria replied, matching her glare.
"Just calm down," Tracey interrupted brusquely. It was clear that she had been stuck in the middle of the two multiple times in the past. She wondered if this was what Harry felt like having to manage her petty squabbles with Ron.
"We didn't tell anyone else," Harry assured.
"Are you sure about that?" Astoria replied, shooting him a slightly muted version of the glare saved for her sister. "I only sorted it out that you knew because Hermione and Lavender Brown keep staring at me at every meal."
Hermione felt her face warm in embarrassment. She thought she had been subtle…clearly she was incorrect.
"I told you that in confidence," Daphne interjected as she stared at them, betrayal evident in her voice.
"Harry isn't lying," Hermione replied in an effort to calm the situation as much as possible. She realized what a personal risk Daphne had taken last week and that she and Harry needed to reciprocate.
"Do you remember when Harry told you we weren't as outnumbered as you thought last week? Lavender and Ron Weasley were listening in and heard everything we talked about."
All three Slytherins quickly cast Hominum Revelio…immediately becoming frustrated and confused at their fruitless efforts.
Daphne folded her arms and glared. "I don't believe you. I cast several silencing charms before you arrived last week so unless someone was in the room no-one could have heard a thing. If we are going to work together we need to be hon-"
Her speech was interrupted as a silvery Jack Russell Terrier bounded into the room and began speaking. "Hermione is telling the truth and Lavender is sorry about the staring," the voice of Ron Weasley informed dully.
Silence reigned as the Slytherins' jaws threatened to break through the floor. It was clear that they were having difficulty reconciling the fact that they'd been outwitted by a group of Gryffindors.
"Was that…a Patronus?" Blaise asked dumbly.
Harry nodded.
"And it…talked?" Daphne mumbled, all semblance of her normal composure gone.
"They've sorted out how to send messages with them," Astoria answered.
Eventually Tracey began laughing…very loudly. Astoria seemed torn between staying angry at her secret being revealed and amused at her sister being so thoroughly flummoxed. Blaise looked contemplative…pondering this bizarre new reality.
"I don't suppose you'd be willing to share how Weasley and Brown are listening in?" Blaise asked as Daphne began stalking the room with her wand outstretched…desperately attempting to solve the mystery. As she continued to mutter incantations her non-wand hand remained outstretched, trying to feel for invisible eavesdroppers.
"No," Harry replied, now amused. "All I will say is we didn't cast any enchantments and there is no-one else in the room, Daphne, so you can stop searching." He turned to look at Astoria.
"No-one besides the four of us knows your secret and I swear to you we will keep it that way," he declared.
"Thank you," Astoria replied with a nod, "just do me a favor and stop looking at me like you want to burst into tears on my behalf. I get enough of that from my family."
"If you stopped being so pigheaded we wouldn't-"
"So let's see this agreement you want us to sign," Tracey smoothly interrupted…not wanting to let the two sisters build up a head of steam again. Hermione made a mental note to apologize to Harry later for having to deal with her and Ron's nonsense.
After a few minor adjustments all four quickly signed. They were all set to leave before Astoria stopped them.
"He's given up," she declared dully. The he in question was obvious.
"Astoria, that's just your heart talking…hoping that he's finally-" Daphne interjected before her sister forcefully ploughed on.
"It's got nothing to do with that," she continued. "Whatever he was working on was the only plan he had left and our group has made it impossible for him to continue without involving others and endangering other students. He doesn't want that."
"Such a humanitarian…" Harry grumbled sarcastically. Hermione knew she should scold him but couldn't manage it as she felt the same way. It was too little too late and it felt like he was only quitting because they had forced him into it.
Astoria ignored the comment. "I think he is going to leave Hogwarts soon but he is worried for his parents. They will be punished for his failure."
She felt like saying good or about time but pushed back on the urge.
"Why are you telling us this?" Harry asked. "It isn't our fault."
"I know," Astoria replied…her annoyance growing. "In case you've forgotten I've just signed a magical document vowing my allegiance," she replied fiercely.
"It's my fault," she eventually continued, her voice now wavering. "I convinced him to run…that he didn't owe his parents anything. I just wanted you to know when he disappeared that it wasn't a trick."
"If you're trying to make me feel sorry for him-"
"I'm not!" she replied…the fire in her voice returning. "Draco is selfish and immature and I know he's been awful to you…" she drifted off, unwilling or unable to explain.
"He used to be nice," Daphne supplied, "but that was a long time ago. Draco's father was, is, awful…and his mother is a coward. He's inherited the worst of his parents. It's not all his fault that-"
"Yes it is," Astoria interrupted sadly. She suddenly looked very weak…tired.
"When he runs it will be the last you see of him," she continued matter of factly. "He's terrified and wants nothing to do with V- Voldemort. He's going to flee the country or die trying."
A coward to the end, Hermione mused. She wasn't surprised in the least.
As they skulked back to Gryffindor the next day Hermione fought the urge to destroy anything and everything in their path. "He didn't even care!" she repeated angrily for what felt like the millionth time during their journey from Dumbledore's office. Harry remained calm which only served to aggravate her more.
"He did care. It's fine," Harry finally responded.
"It's not fine," she admonished. "He barely acknowledged the list we gave him! Why aren't you angrier?"
Harry shrugged. "You wouldn't know because you haven't talked to him as much this year…but he's different now. He used to sound disappointed in me….like I wasn't doing enough. Now it's…different."
"Different how?" she demanded.
"Like he's disappointed in himself. We found a Horcrux…we are fighting back against Malfoy and have other people helping us…we're messing with his plans…" he offered before trailing off.
"Why doesn't he just tell us his plan then?" she asked indignantly.
Harry shrugged again and gave a sad chuckle. "I have no idea."
"It's so infuriating!" she protested once again. Harry was smirking now. "What's so funny?"
"You sound like me last year. Like a smarter version of me," he quickly added at her pointed glare. "Its weird…me trying to calm you down," he added as he pulled her closer.
She shrunk into his side and relaxed…not quite wanting to vocalize how well it was working.
"I think we should work on your flying this afternoon," he interjected as they approached Gryffindor.
In one sentence Harry had destroyed all of his hard work in calming her nerves.
"Why on earth do you think I would want to do that now?"
Or ever, she silently finished her thought.
"It's relaxing," he answered with a shrug. "It will be a good way to get your mind off Dumbledore. You'll see," he said reassuringly as they stepped into the common room. "Besides it isn't about doing what you want…it's about being practical and doing the smart thing."
She really hated when Harry used her own speeches against her because not only was he right she couldn't even get properly annoyed with him…because his stupid speech was always followed with a grin. She really loved it when he grinned.
"To you, Harry. It's relaxing to you. Besides…it's not safe," she countered. "We'd be sitting ducks out on the pitch by ourselves." She was exceedingly proud of herself at coming up with an excuse based solely on logic. Her reluctance definitely had nothing to do with her abject fear of those cursed sticks of wood. Definitely.
"Good point," Harry agreed before spotting Ron and Lavender. "Oi! Can you two come with us down to the Quidditch pitch in a few minutes? I'm going to help Hermione with her flying."
Shit.
It was as if Harry had provided Ron with the greatest gift imaginable. "Absolutely!" he exclaimed, pulling Lavender up from the couch.
Before she could protest that only having two people as backup would still be risky Ron began circling the common room, speaking to the other sixth year students milling about. As they looked her way and nodded she knew she was doomed. They were all too pleased at the prospect of helping. She fought the urge to curse them all.
Everything seemed to start moving in slow motion as she watched Harry discreetly hand the map over to a now beaming Ron. Lavender shot her a piteous look of sympathy and she realized her day of reckoning had come.
"This is really happening isn't it?" she muttered in defeat.
"You'll be fine, I promise," Harry reassured once again. "I've got it all sorted."
"That's what worries me," she mumbled.
Harry had been right about one thing. As she hovered in the air, desperately clutching Harry's broom, Dumbledore was the furthest thing from her mind. Unfortunately her thoughts were now consumed with the ground that she was positive they would be plunging into very soon. The Gryffindors scattered in the stands that were most assuredly smirking at her ineptitude only added to the annoyance. Even having Harry sitting behind her on the broom and only being a few feet off the ground weren't helping.
He'd let her try taking a few laps without instruction and it had been a disaster. Full of stuttering stops and starts…uneasiness and failure. She really hated failure.
"Start teaching," she finally ordered, desperate to start failing slightly less.
"Close your eyes," he eventually instructed in a tone that brooked no argument. It reminded her of what she sounded like when helping Harry. She immediately complied.
"I've been trying to think of the best way to explain how to fly and the closest feeling I could come up with is when you and I are alone…together-"
She knew immediately what he meant by together. She loved it when they were together. So much. She snapped herself out of her daydreaming.
"Harry, this isn't the time or place," she replied, trying to think of anything but Harry's hands that were now lightly gripping her waist.
She'd read a book once with a similar scene…the grip had been described as being a bit tighter and the characters hadn't been on a broom, they were- She forced herself to focus.
Harry ignored her and continued. "Sometimes we take our time…sometimes we are more…aggressive…but it still feels the same…brilliant but…different. When it's happening I don't think about anything else."
Despite her nerves Hermione felt herself leaning into Harry a bit more as she briefly lost herself in Harry's description. After several blessed moments of contemplation she once again remembered that she was floating on a stick and immediately sat a bit straighter.
"Harry, I don't-"
"Flying is the same way, Hermione. You're having trouble because you keep wanting to stop. You need to stop worrying about the ground below you and focus on the air in front of you. Just focus on what you are doing and where you are headed. Now open your eyes and try again," he instructed.
Hermione opened her eyes and thought over Harry's words. She leaned back into Harry and allowed herself once again to briefly think about his hands gripping her protectively. While her pace was slow and she remained near the ground the jerking and hesitancy had ceased.
"Brilliant," she heard Harry softly murmur in her ear. "Now a little bit higher and faster," he gently commanded. She gulped and did her best to comply. As she slowly increased her speed and elevation Harry continued his instruction.
"Can you feel the breeze on your face now? In your hair? It's nice isn't it?" he asked.
He was right…it was rather nice. She focused on the sensation…how it felt a bit like when Harry played with her hair…the beautiful view of Hogwarts in front of her. She pushed herself a bit higher…a bit faster.
She vaguely heard the congratulatory cheering from the stands but purposely avoided looking down…doing her best to heed Harry's instructions and focus on what was ahead of her. As they circled the pitch she spotted a familiar tower in her periphery and grinned despite herself…remembering another flight a few years ago where she had hung on to Harry for dear life. She had been terrified at the time yet somehow knew she was perfectly safe…because she was with Harry and they had a goal in front of them that was more important.
She stared at the tower and reveled in the safety and reassurance of Harry's hands on her waist…the feel of the breeze on her face…and finally started flying.
Harry's whoop of excitement spurred her on. She knew that her speed was nothing compared to Harry's normal pace but that was beside the point. The tower…their tower…was getting closer…because she had listened to and trusted Harry.
Before she knew it…before she lost her nerve…she had made it. They had landed and were now sitting together…hand in hand…their legs dangling over the edge. She put her head on his shoulder and let herself daydream about flying with Harry…nothing fast or outrageous…just flying…maybe teaching their children someday. It felt so unreal…an impossible and unfathomable goal…but so had the idea of her managing to get them up here on her own.
"You did really well," he complimented.
"You're a good teacher," she mumbled…closing her eyes and focusing on the feel of the breeze.
Emboldened by her success Hermione brought up something that had been niggling at her brain recently.
"Harry. Do you know how you were talking about us being together?" she asked.
"Yeah?" he offered…unsure of where she was headed.
"I think I'm ready for us to be together. Really together. Do you know what I mean by really together?"
"Yes," he managed to squeak out before clearing his throat. "I just figured…you'd want to wait awhile for that…so it would be special."
"You mean like candles and rose petals?" she asked with a giggle.
"Something like that," he muttered.
"I don't care about that," she informed, "and I don't think we need to plan anything out. I just mean the next time we're together and it feels right I think we should-"
"Be together," he nearly breathed. "That sounds…great. Really great."
She fought the urge to giggle again and looked out into the horizon…reveling in this final bit of peace.
"We should probably head back down…the others will be wondering where we've gone to," Harry eventually mumbled, reluctance clear in his voice.
She nodded into his shoulder before finally allowing herself to look down. Her stomach lurched.
"You can take us back down," she murmured before pulling his face toward her. As successful as the lesson had been she still much preferred being together over flying.