Harry and Ron glanced at each other over the top of the, small of stature Hermione who had her head slightly bent to keep the wind from her face. Their usually lively friend's face was ashen gray, the eyes were dry, her face was drawn and her hair hung in limp clusters against her shoulders. Harry felt like even the weather sensed her grief and had pulled a shroud over its ambivalence. Distant storm clouds gathered throwing the turrets of Hogwarts Castle in relief. Harry drew his cloak tighter around him as the wind howled through the empty corridors to come whipping his cloak around his feet.
Gently ushering Hermione they left their luggage to be collected by the house-elves and went into Hogwarts. Professor McGonagall was waiting for them in the front hall. On sighting Hermione she embraced the girl in her arms.
"Oh my dear... you are home now." she whispered into Hermione's hair. The severe lines of the professor's face had softened in compassion. Hermione remained quiet. Her face was blank and drawn. Professor Sprout came forward and took Hermione by the arms and led her away promising her a soothing brew and something to help her sleep. She followed without protest limp and without life.
Harry and Ron were still standing at the entrance. Professor McGonagall's face was furrowed in worry. The boys were equally dismayed. Hermione looked so fragile. It looked to Harry like she was going o break any minute.
The transfiguration teacher turned towards them sighing. Her face held respect to the friends who had come when their friend needed them the most.
"Come Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Professor Dumbledore will see you in his office."
Harry and Ron followed mutely walking close together. "Gum drops" Professor McGonagall muttered. The winding stone passageway came into view and the boys followed the professor into the Headmaster's circular office. Harry watched McGonagall slip away quietly presumably to check up on Hermione.
Dumbledore sat behind the desk, his eyes grave behind the half-moon glasses.
"Harry, Ron, I apologize for the grievous circumstance under which you have been called to Hogwarts during your summer holidays." He paused for a moment eyeing the unnaturally silent boys before him.
"The tragic events of the summer have been partially the Order's fault. We should have been aware of Voldemort's strength" Dumbledore noted with satisfaction that Ron had not shuddered at the dark lord's name as he was prone to do but instead looked grimly determined. His eyes like Harry's had turned stony.
"But retribution will be swift. Muggle killings have begun again and we will see to it that those who are held responsible will pay." Dumbledore's voice was precise and strong. Power tangibly snapped and crackled around him. Harry now saw the man that even the Dark Lord feared.
Then almost abruptly he softened, the power collapsing inwards, not dissipated but weary.
"However there are matters that cannot be solved with the wand" Dumbledore said looking at the boys somberly. "Miss Granger witnessed the death of her parents, to what extent was the pain I cannot contemplate. Now more than ever she will need her friends."
Harry and Ron nodded in agreement.
"We don't know what to do. She dosen't eat, dosen't talk and she keeps everything bottled up inside" Harry said wearily rubbing the back of his neck. Ron nodded his head.
"She's always been so strong and she loves to talk. Now she's..." Ron trailed off miserably. "I want to call mom in but I'm afraid it might hurt her more"
"She can't take anymore pressure. She hasn't cried once. Ever since Professor Lupin and Tonks brought her to the burrow, me and Ron have been taking turns staying with her when she slept and she hasn't cried. Not once" Harry said, words stumbling in his distress.
"Yes I understand, people deal with grief in different ways but Hermione will make herself sick if she continues on like this. You two must understand that she might be...pushed to the brink in a sense and... her mind will justify any method to escape". Dumbledore said softly, his heart constricting at the thought of any child suffering what Hermione and her friends had to and will go through.
Harry and Ron widened their eyes as the implication sunk in. Harry felt misery clawing at his gut. This was his fault, it was because of him Hermione's family had been targeted and now he was putting his best friend's life in danger. Harry jumped up knocking his chair over, eyes bright and flushed.
"Professor, there must be something we can do... Its not even her fault...Its mine I should have kept away from her... Oh God...what have I done?" Harry said clearly distraught as he backed away.
"Harry..." Dumbledore started. But Ron interrupted him. Standing up and taking Harry by the shoulders "Harry...Hermione chooses her own friends..."
"Ron ... keep away! First Sirius, then 'mione and I'm not going to hurt you too!" Harry shouted pushing Ron away. Ron grabbed him by the shoulders even more firmly shaking him.
"Harry listen to me it wasn't your fault. If the positions were reversed would you have left Hermione or me because we might be dangerous? Look mate this is what friends are for. We stick together no matter what. And now is not the time to blame yourself. Us two need to stay together, Hermione needs us and if we break apart she won't have anything. Are you understanding me Harry?" Ron demanded. Both Boys faces were drawn with pain. Harry stopped clawing his cloak and sighed.
"Yeah, Ron... look I'm sorry...I"
"Harry.... shut up"
"Fine mate. This is it then. We'll be strong for Hermione after all remember that night in the shrieking shack..."
"Hermione told us we had to survive no matter what happened to each other... but we didn't think ... no matter now, we'll pull 'mione out if it's the last thing we do"
"Well Mr. Weasley, Mr. Potter let me just add that Ms Granger might benefit if she was to in a sense unbottle her emotions." Dumbledore said looking intently at them before giving them a warm smile "I'll see you at dinner".
They were dismissed.
"Yes Professor" They whisked out of the office barely registering their potions master by the entrance.
"Exhausting these young people are wouldn't you say Severus?" Dumbledore questioned settling into his chair and motioning for the potions master to take a seat.
Severus remained silent, somewhat unsettled by the intimate scene of friendship that he had been witness to.
"You are of course aware of the circumstances under which the three students have been called to Hogwarts?" Dumbledore questioned.
Severus nodded. "I think Albus that perhaps the Dark Lord has been aware of my double life"
Dumbledore nodded sagely. "You are right Severus. It would seem that Voldemort has been feeding the Order the wrong information. As you know we had not anticipated attacks to begin this early. It would seem the schedule you were given and the real one differed greatly in timing. Of course I am officially relieving you of your duties as a spy to the inner sanctum of Death Eaters."
Severus looked up sharply.
"We will discuss the implications of this in the upcoming Order meeting. You will be there of course." It was not a question.
Severus nodded. As he got up to walk away Dumbledore's slightly amused voice cut in.
"Severus I do believe that Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley will pay you a visit tonight. Do not take too much offence to what they suggest." Severus looked back puzzled but Dumbledore simply smiled at him and went back to his papers.
Harry's POV
As Harry left Dumbledore's office his mind was spinning. There had to be someway to get Hermione to unbottle her emotions as the Headmaster had put it.
He went in the direction of the Gryffindor tower where Hermione had been taken. Ron followed him in silence.
"Password please" the Fat Lady asked.
"Damn I forgot to ask for the password." Harry muttered.
"Maybe it's the same one as the one at the end of last term." Ron said. "Peeves is a Slytherin"
The Fat Lady smiled as the portrait swung open to reveal the passage to the Gryffindor common room.
Harry saw McGonagall and Sprout talking by the fire place but there was no sign of Hermione.
Spotting Harry and Ron, Mcgonagall motioned them over.
"Hermione's been given a sleeping draught. She will probably sleep through dinner. So I advise that you have dinner and bring back some for her as she will undoubtably be hungry" Mcgonagall informed them.
Harry settled into the armchair across from Ron to play wizard's chess soon after the two professors had left.
He watched Ron pensively as he set up the chess board, his mind running in an effort to come up with a solution to Hermione's problem.
Ron looked up at him quizzically. "You know how ironic this is? We need this problem solved and probably Hermione is the one that can find the answer but it's for her that we need to solve the problem"
Harry looked back at him blankly.
"You know what I mean" Ron replied exasperated.
"All I know is we've got to get 'mione out of her shell. And right now I can't see any conceivable way of doing it" Harry said. "I mean we have to get her to feel something so that she can drop all those walls she's erected to stop her from feeling".
Ron looked back at him "Maybe if you dropped Crookshanks off the Astronomy Tower Hermione will hate you and ...."
Harry scowled at him as he nonchalantly threw a chocolate frog box at Ron who in turn caught it in reflex developed after two years of goal keeping in quidditch.
"You know Weasley, you might be onto something here" Harry said thoughtfully. "I mean 'mione's a level headed girl but she can feel hate like all of us."
"Maybe prompted by a few well placed insults..." Ron added catching on.
"But who is sadistic enough to indult her at this time"
"Snape" Ron answered easily.
Harry wasn't surprised. After all everyone knew that Snape felt nothing but animosity for the trio including the supposed bane of his potions class Hermione. He also knew that the fact that Snape continually insulted her was something which hurt Hermione more than she let on.
"You know I think we have an idea. But somehow in retrospect we're gonna regret asking Snape for his help" Harry said leaning back.
"What do you mean we? YOU are going to ask for his help. I mean just spout all that stuff about walls and he'll fall for it. Furthermore insulting 'mione is right up his lane. He wouldn't even have to go to great lengths." Ron said
"So much for staying together Weasley." Harry raised his eyes sardonically.
"So when do we go see Snape" Ron asked sighing in defeat.
Question 2)