Belief
Disclaimer: I don't own HP. Obviously.
Hermione walked into the room which Harry and Ron had shared the summer before their fifth year at Hogwarts. She walked to the bookcase on the far wall of the room and began to thumb through the books. Tomorrow was the day she, Harry, and Ron had planned as their big break into the Ministry of Magic to steal the Horcrux from Umbridge. She shuddered at the very thought of that mean and nasty toad woman. Today she had decided to go through the books left in Grimmauld Place in hopes of finding something more that could help them on their mission to destroy Horcruxes. So far, she had only found a few useful books on Dark magic in the Black family library. Harry and Ron might laugh at her, or call her mental for looking for more books; but finding a logical solution from books soothed Hermione and made good use of her intellect.
"Hermione!" Harry shouted.
"I'm up here!" Hermione called down to him.
She could hear Harry running up the stairs swiftly taking the stairs by twos and Ron following behind. Hermione reached for a book and read through it before finding it useless for their cause shoved it back onto the bookcase.
"Hermione!" Harry shouted again.
"Mate, settle down," Ron said.
"Hermione!" Harry yelled.
Hermione groaned and walked to the door and poked her head out.
"Right here, Harry," Hermione said.
Harry locked eyes with Hermione and ran up the rest of the stairs to meet her. He looked absolutely livid and Ron even looked a little intimidated by him. With a look of confusion on her face she stumbled for words. Ron and Harry had been at the entrance to the Ministry of Magic, staking it out and getting information for their plot tomorrow. What could possibly have went wrong in the few hours they'd been gone?
"What's wrong?" Hermione asked.
"This is what's wrong!" Harry shouted.
Harry thrust a rolled-up copy of the Daily Prophet into Hermione's hands and walked past her to sit on the bed. Hermione looked to Ron for an explanation, so he lowered his head close to Hermione's ear.
"Cattermole dropped it on his way in this morning," Ron shrugged.
Ron also walked past Hermione to sit beside Harry on the bed.
"I'm sure it's not true, mate. Remember when the Prophet spread those lies about you?" Ron said.
"The evidence is saying the contrary!" Harry hissed.
"Harry, I'm sure whatever it is, you shouldn't read this much into it," Hermione agreed.
"Read the damn paper, Hermione, and then talk to me!" Harry shouted.
Hermione opened the paper Harry had shoved at her and gasped in horror. The front page of the paper was plastered with a picture of Leila, looking rather thin, and Draco Malfoy down on one knee. A smile was even on Leila's face. As her eyes scanned the photograph for any evidence to prove this was fake she bit her lip. No wonder Harry was pissed. She then turned her attention to the article beside the picture.
Leila Potter to Marry Draco Malfoy
Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy (nee Black) announce the engagement of their son Draco Lucius Malfoy, age seventeen, to Leila Mae Potter, age seventeen. Rumors have swirled for the past month about the relationship status of the childhood sweethearts. Yesterday, those rumors were confirmed by a very public proposal in Diagon Alley. Draco is heir to the Malfoy estate. No word yet on how Harry Potter, Undesirable Number One, is taking his sister's latest betrayal. Mr. Potter has yet to be seen since a skirmish at a muggle establishment on the night of August 1st and is wanted for questioning by the Ministry of Magic. The couple has yet to set a date for their special day.
Hermione scanned the paper once more trying to make some sense of the article. In her heart, she knew that this couldn't be true. Leila would never betray Harry. He was all that she had in this world. She and Leila had this conversation more than once, and Leila would do anything to protect her brother. With that much figured out, she looked up to Harry and Ron, who were both waiting for her response.
"It can't be true," Hermione said.
"It looks pretty true to me!" Harry shouted.
"I'm sure there's a perfectly logical explanation…"Hermione began.
"She's engaged to him! What more is there?" Harry questioned.
"We don't know that for sure, mate," Ron said.
"She's betrayed us!" Harry hissed.
"Stop right there, Harry Potter. Leila would never do that. If she's engaged to him, and I mean if, then it has to do something with protecting you," Hermione said.
"Everyone is saying otherwise," Harry muttered.
"Don't you see? That's just what Voldemort wants you to think. He wants you to think that Leila betrayed you. You know the saying: united we stand, divided they fall," Hermione responded.
"But what if it isn't Voldemort's plan?" Harry questioned.
"I'm certain it is. You're the thing Leila cherishes most in this world. She would never betray you, so I don't know why you're questioning it," Hermione argued.
Silence overcame them as Harry began to think things over. He knew that Leila wasn't fully over Draco Malfoy. Even though they were broken up, she still harbored feelings for him just like he still had feelings for Ginny. He had hoped that Fred would help Leila get over Draco, but it was a dumb thing to hope. One doesn't forget someone they love just like that. He of all people should know that. Fred was to Leila, what he was to Cho Chang after Cedric's death: a rebound. Leila had been so broken-up over the summer because of Draco and now she was engaged to him? He knew he shouldn't believe it, but it didn't seem that far-fetched to him. Harry took his glasses off his face and rubbed the bridge of his nose; but Hermione had a point. The Daily Prophet had been known to turn things against him and his sister. Leila had always stood by him through the entire ordeal. Granted, she had been with him the whole time and knew for certain the truth of the matter; but she still never abandoned him.
"Say you're right, what's next?" Harry asked.
"Well, we know where she is," Ron said.
"We do?" Harry and Hermione asked simultaneously.
"She's probably at Malfoy Manor," Ron said as if he was stating the obvious.
"Ron, that actually makes sense," Hermione gasped.
"It's been known to happen," Ron grinned.
"I mean, Voldemort needs a place to keep his prisoners and Malfoy Manor must certainly be large enough, not to mention their ties to him. Besides, if she was photographed with Draco, then she has to be near enough to him and I can't imagine Voldemort letting the Malfoys out of his sight much," Hermione rambled.
"Then we go and get her," Harry said.
"What about tomorrow?" Hermione asked.
"My sister is more important to me," Harry stated.
"Just a minute ago you were saying that she betrayed you!" Hermione hissed.
"She's still my sister," Harry stated.
"But we need to focus on Horcruxes," Hermione stated.
"Even if she's engaged to him, it doesn't mean that she's married him yet. I need to save her from him!" Harry said.
"But we've worked so hard on this plan," Ron added.
"We'll do it once we have Leila with us," Harry said.
Hermione moved across the room and sat on the other side of Harry. As much as she hated to admit it, things would probably be a little smoother if Leila was with them. Leila was usually the one to spot the holes in their plans and fix them. Leila always thought things through more than once and found what was missing and made sure they knew it. She knew that she had made Leila a promise that she would keep Harry focused on hunting Horcruxes, but even she wanted Leila with them.
"Say that we do this, Harry…"Hermione began.
"We go now," Harry interrupted.
"No! We need to plan this! I mean, we don't even know where Malfoy Manor is," Hermione said.
"We have Polyjuice potion, we could impersonate Death Eaters and Floo to Malfoy Manor," Ron suggested.
"I highly doubt that they're still connected to the Floo network if that's where Leila is," Hermione said.
"Ron's onto something, we do have the Polyjuice potion ready to go…" Harry began.
A voice began to snicker, but it wasn't coming from Hermione, Ron, or Harry. The three looked at each other, when Harry pulled out his wand. He walked to the door.
"Stay behind me," Harry commanded.
Hermione and Ron quickly pulled out their wands and moved to follow Harry when the voice began to laugh harder.
"Being an idiot must run in the family," the voice howled.
The three of them quickly turned around when they realized that the voice was coming from inside the same room they were.
"Who said that?" Hermione questioned.
"And she told me that you were the brightest in your class," the voice scoffed.
"It's just the portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black," Hermione groaned.
Hermione lowered her wand and was followed by Harry and Ron.
"Bloody portrait," Ron muttered.
"And you three are bloody idiots," Phineas responded.
"Why do you say that?" Harry asked.
"When your sister was here, before they moved her, she always asked stupid things, just like you, Potter," Phineas said.
"Leila? You've seen Leila?" Harry asked.
"Of course, Potter," Phineas Nigellus chuckled.
"Where is she?" Harry hissed.
"I don't know," Phineas shrugged.
"Tell me where the hell she is!" Harry shouted.
"You won't get anything out of me with that tone," Phineas Nigellus sneered.
"Wait! Harry, he said 'was here.' Does that mean she isn't anymore?" Hermione asked.
"I'm not going to tell the likes of you," Phineas Nigellus scoffed.
"Then tell me," Ron added.
"A blood-traitor like you? I think not," Phineas Nigellus answered.
"Answer them!" Harry shouted.
"You're not going to find her with your plan unless you want to meet your end and that's all I'm saying. I'm going back to Hogwarts where I won't be annoyed any further," Phineas sneered.
With that Phineas Nigellus walked out of the portrait. Harry, Hermione, and Ron stared at the blank portrait for a few minutes; trying to process the information they had just been given. Hermione walked past Ron and Harry to sit on the bed.
"He's bloody mental," Ron said.
"Ron, quiet! Just let me think. So there's a third portrait," Hermione thought aloud. "He said that he didn't want to be annoyed so he was going to Hogwarts and it makes sense that it would be at Malfoy Manor. Mrs. Malfoy belongs to the House of Black."
"Then we were just told where she is!" Harry said.
"Was," Hermione groaned. "He specifically said the word was."
"Maybe it was a slip of the tongue," Ron suggested.
"Didn't you hear what he said? 'You're not going to find her with your plan unless you want to meet your end' It's all a trap, Harry," Hermione said.
"Then where is she?" Harry hissed.
"I don't know, but she's not at Malfoy Manor," Hermione said.
"Do—do you think," Ron said stumbling for words.
"Think what Ron?" Harry hissed.
"You know, that she's dead?" Ron whispered.
"Ron! Of course she isn't dead. We already deduced that Voldemort can't kill her," Hermione said.
"Yeah, he can't; but there are plenty of other nutters following him that could," Ron added.
"I think I would know if my own sister was dead," Harry muttered.
"Either way, I think we know where to go from here. We continue with our Ministry plan. We need to get rid of those Horcruxes. Harry you said that you would go after Leila, if, we knew where she was. We aren't any closer to finding her, so we go back to our original plan. We find Voldemort's Horcruxes and we destroy him," Hermione said.
"We'll do it for Leila," Harry said hoarsely.
"For Leila," Ron and Hermione said together.
Ron and Harry left the room going over their plan once again for tomorrow. Hermione looked at the empty portrait of Phineas Nigellus and took it off the wall. She shoved it in her beaded bag. This could be their only form of communication with Leila and she wasn't going to abandon it.