Lost Secrets
Hermione's Plan
Summary: Hermione remembers a few of the ruins from the arch the Veil was placed in and searching through an Advanced Ancient Ruins book, she reveals a secret about the Veil no one knew of before. Might her discovery lead to Harry, Ron, and Hermione finding Sirius? Alive?
Disclamer: I only own the plot, everything else belongs to the wonderful J.K. Rowling
Harry sat in his windowsill and looked up at the cloudless night sky, taking in the feeling of peace the quiet night provided him with. It wasn't long however, before his thoughts turned to the most recent of events at Hogwarts.
Albus Dumbledore, the greatest wizard Harry had ever met, had died. Harry struggled with his thoughts, trying desperately to push them back into the corners of his mind, but to no avail, the memories refused to be pushed aside this time.
The images from that night took hold of him, and soon he was remembering everything from the horrible night. The potion he forced Dumbledore to drink, the Inferi crawling out of the water, arriving in Hogsmead only to be told the Dark Mark had been placed above Hogwarts itself, racing to the school in hopes of helping whomever they could, Malfoy disarming Dumbledore a split second after Dumbledore had immobilized Harry while he was under his invisibility cloak, Malfoy actually lowering his wand and accepting what Dumbledore had said, Snape killing Dumbledore…
"No!" He mentally chastised himself for letting his mind wander that far.
He stood up and walked over to his bed and picked up the note Hermione had sent him the previous day and re-read it.
Dear Harry,
I hope all is well with you and the Dursley's haven't been too horrible to you by making you spend an awful long time outside doing chores. After all, this heat wave is unbearable. Mum and Dad have turned the thermostat down another five degrees yet it hasn't seemed to make any difference. Anyway, I was sort of wondering if I could pop by tomorrow night around midnight or so to discuss a few matters of some importance. Please send me your response immediately. Just so you know, I may not have a chance to respond.
Hermione
P.S. Do you like my owl? She was my late birthday present from Mum and Dad and her name is Tink because when they gave her to me she had this adorable little bell around her leg and when I heard the bell chime it sounded so much like Tinkerbell from the movie Peter Pan.
"What is it with everyone always coming over in the dead of night? They must have better things to do like sleeping." He had mumbled to himself.
Coming back to his senses, he glanced to the clock and saw it was five minutes till midnight and knowing Hermione, she would be neither one minute late nor one minute early.
Harry had responded to her message almost immediately after he had received it. The owl, Tink, had taken a drink from Hedwig's water and the two birds seemed to get along well with each other. He had told Hermione that she could come over. It wasn't until after he had sent Tink off with his message that he realized that if she 'popped' over here, the sound of her apparating in his room would probably wake the entire neighborhood. It was too late however; Hedwig had flown off with Tink when she left so the two could do a double hunting trip.
After he realized that the noise would no doubt wake at least the Dursley's up, he had made a large attempt at sound proofing his room muggle style during the late afternoon. He closed his window and shut it tightly, took some of his Dudley hand-me-downs, rolled them up and then placed them around the sides of the window and taped them there with tape he had found in one of the kitchen drawers earlier that day while the Dursley's were out admiring their garden. He had then tried to do the same with his door after he was sure they were all asleep and wouldn't come barging in, taking old clothes that were once Dudley's and taping them all around the outside line of it and then used multiple shirts and pants to stuff underneath the door where the largest gap was.
When Harry looked at it now, it did in fact look like it might keep the noise out. His hopes were high as he sat on his bed and waited for the clock to strike twelve.
Those five minutes waiting for Hermione left him time to think. He remembered the last time he had been waiting for a certain wizard to come and he was starting to get an odd sense of Deja Vu and it made him somewhat queasy. He didn't really want reminders of those whom he had lost. His father, his mother, Sirius, Dumbledore, granted he really didn't have any memories of his parents to really miss, but he certainly had enough of Sirius and Dumbledore to make him miss them with a fresh wave of sorrow.
He was saved however, when his digital clock turned to twelve o'clock and Hermione, accompanied by Ron, apparated into his room. Harry gave a little jump at the silent appearance of Hermione and the unexpected appearance of Ron and wondered for a split second if he hadn't somehow managed to tape a shirt or two to his ears. He refrained from reaching up and making sure there was nothing there especially when Hermione raised her wand and performed a spell.
"Hello Harry-" began Hermione but was cut off abruptly by Harry who looked suddenly furious.
"Why did you just do magic?" He demanded in a rather hushed tone. "You are going to get me expelled from Hogwarts!"
Hermione smiled and Ron said, "So you are planning on going back to school then, eh?"
Harry huffed, "That's not the point! Why did you just perform magic? I may not be going to school but I'd still like to keep my wand!"
This time Hermione frowned but Ron saved her from answering by replying again, "Hermione sorted it all out with the Ministry. Owl'd 'em and said we'd be apparating over here and would have to do one of those silencing charm things among with a few others to make sure the muggles didn't overhear us. They said it was 'k so long as only silencing charms were done and said they'd be watching carefully to make sure it was only silencing charms and the like."
"Oh okay then."
He felt his anger quickly deflate at the offhand tone of Ron's voice and instantly felt like an idiot for even thinking Hermione would forget about the restrictions on underage magic.
Realizing he was standing from probably jumping up from his bed at his friends' arrival, he quickly sat back down and motioned for them to do the same. They both sat towards the foot of the bed on either side, Hermione on the side closest to the door and Ron on the side closest to the window.
Ron was staring at the window strangely and so Harry followed his gaze and understood he was probably wondering what all the clothes were doing taped to the wall.
"Er- I was trying to soundproof the room. Knew the sound from you two apparating would wake the whole neighborhood so I tried my best to sound proof it the muggle way since I'm not quite 17 yet. Did the same thing to the door." He motioned towards the door and Ron looked over towards it.
"If you didn't do magic, how are the clothes staying up?" Ron stood up and walked towards the door. "And what is this shiny stuff."
Hermione and Harry looked at each other and shook their heads.
"It's called tape Ronald," Hermione said exasperatedly. "It's sticky and holds things in place. It's a muggle creation of course."
"Oh, right."
Ron lowered his head slightly embarrassed and sat back down on Harry's bed.
Harry snickered before starting up the conversation, "How have you two been doing?"
Ron and Hermione began to tell Harry how their summer was going so far and what events have already transpired.
"Fleur is starting to get annoying now. Constantly pulling me aside and talking about what sort of robes I'd look best in and occasionally slipping into French. Bill can't get enough of her though, so I… tolerate her."
Hermione snorted, "Tolerate her? You have no choice, Ron. She's there to stay whether you like it or not."
Ron mumbled a little under his breath before Harry said, "So how is Bill doing?"
"Oh, he's doing as well as to be expected. It was like we thought right after it happened. He just likes really rare steaks and on the full moon he just has a strange urge to go out and party a bit. Fleur doesn't mind of course, she seems to enjoy clubs. Thought she was a bit more proper than that." He shrugged.
"Well I'm glad to know that they are fine and that you all are doing well. Oh, and Hermione, I think Hedwig has a new friend. Hedwig left when Tink did and I think once Tink delivered the letter the two of them were going to go out to a double hunt or something."
"Hmm," Hermione said thoughtfully, "I was wondering what Hedwig was doing there."
They lapsed into silence for a few minutes before Harry asked, "So what was the 'matter of great imp-"
Hermione swiftly cut him off and spoke in a hurried voice, "You mean that matter with Scrimgeour, Harry? With all that's been happening since school let out? What with Dumbledore gone, how has the Ministry been running now that their most powerful… for lack of a better word, ally is gone?"
He didn't understand why Hermione had swiftly cut him off before he had even finished speaking. Her eyes, however, kept darting to the window then back to Harry. He caught on quickly; they were being listened in on. But by whom?
"So, Voldemort's supporters? Or… our allies? Who's been… more active?"
Harry made so his eyes also swiftly looked to the window then back to Hermione, in other words, asking her who was eavesdropping.
"I would have to say… hmm, both sides have been quite active, but I'd say probably our allies."
"Oh, so what have both sides been doing lately."
He reluctantly agreed to play along with the little game of keep the Order member or possibly members clueless. Ron seemed to catch on with Hermione and Harry's worried glances at him.
Ron knew that they might have been followed, that Hermione's owl may have been intercepted so that they could read what Harry may have been planning or even doing.
For nearly an hour, Hermione and Ron told Harry everything they dared. All from Voldemort's seemingly vigorous attacks on muggles and wizards, which were leaving body counts in the multiple dozens weekly. Then to what their allies were doing, which included renewed efforts at getting new members to join, reinforcing and re-establishing old safe houses for those wizards and witches who had been marked as targets.
Hermione's voice was cold and somewhat dead sounding when she spoke next, "It seems like now that Dumbledore gone, V-Voldemort believes that nothing can stop him now. Not that anything could before really, but he was a little more hesitant in his actions. Now he's outright rubbing it in the Ministry's face that they can't stop him. The Ministry deserve to feel helpless, after all they put you through Harry, and Dumbledore, what with calling you both liars and such, but… I've heard some conversations from the… allies. I've caught a few things. They still won't let Ron or I join, but we still catch some things sometimes. And Harry… it scares me…" Hermione's voice cracked and she began to cry.
"I don't want to d-die. I'm too young, I've too many more y-years worth of memories to f-fill. It's n-not f-fair."
Hermione broke down, unable to continue if she had been planning on it. Harry and Ron looked at one another, not fully comfortable with the situation, but knowing it's what Hermione needed, Harry and Ron scooted closer to her and both hugged her.
"It's alright Hermione, we'll get through this. We know what needs to be done and it will get done, I promise you. I won't rest until either Voldemort or I am defeated."
Apparently that was the wrong thing to say and Harry quickly regretted it when Hermione began to shake even harder.
"I don't want either of you to die!"
Ron spoke up, "Come on Hermione, do you honestly think we're going to let some stupid little Death Eater off us? Come on now, you know it'll take a hell of a lot more to do us in than some little Death Eater."
Hermione pulled back sharply.
"Ronald Weasly. What if you came up against Bellatrix Lestrange, or Lucius Malfoy? They are more powerful than you and are more than twice your age! If you went up against one of them they could easily catch you off guard with a nonverbal spell and could kill you! You haven't even begun to get the hang of spells said nonverbally! And here you are, boasting that one far more experienced then yourself can't kill you! Do I need to actually knock some sense into you? Yes, I do!"
And with that, Hermione slapped Ron right across the face, hard. The sound reverberated throughout the room.
Harry sniggered at Ron's face and was met with an equally hard smack.
"What was that for? I didn't say anything?"
"You may not have said anything, but I know you and Ron think along the exact same lines."
"Yes well, I really can't be kil-"
She slapped him again but this time he knew why. If he had finished the sentence, the Order members outside would have heard and would have forced the information out of him as to why exactly he couldn't be killed.
"Damn it, Hermione!" Harry practically shouted and was rewarded with the Dursley's snores quieting down.
Harry held his breath but was relieved when they continued up again.
"Nice one mate." Ron said.
Hermione slapped him again.
"Stop slapping us Hermione! Honestly, you can pack a real wallop and I would rather not have to explain a bruise tomorrow by Mum." Ron said now hiding behind is upraised arms in an attempt to shield himself.
Hermione was on her full-blown tangent. She had had enough of their immature attitudes. "Well then shut up and stop making stupid remarks. You both are far too arrogant for your own good. Thinking nothing can stop either of you!" She looked sharply at Harry. "And I would have thought you Harry, would have known better. Your father, as described repeatedly by Sirius and Lupin, was arrogant just like that, and look what happened to him! And Sirius! Fighting Bellatrix and egging her on all the more! I'm not surprised he's dead."
Harry had grabbed his wand without even thinking. Ron lunged at him and collided with him into the wall.
"Harry, mate, put down the wand. You know she's just stating facts. Just please, put it down." Ron said in a panicky voice.
Harry slowly lowered his wand. Hermione was against the opposite side of the wall breathing hard and looking rather scared.
"Sorry Hermione," Harry said softly, but then his voice hardened, "but don't let me ever heard you talk about Dad and Sirius that way again."
"I was just trying to make a point." Hermione squeaked out.
Harry's eyebrows knitted together. "What's wrong?"
Neither Ron nor Hermione spoke for a few seconds. Ron had managed to let go of Harry and walked over to Hermione in an attempt to make her leave the wall.
Hermione finally found her voice when she was seated on Harry's bed again, "Your eyes turned red, Harry."
Harry sat heavily on his bed, followed by Ron. "Oh… well… it's not the first, nor is it the last time that happens. I'm just… warning you Hermione, don't make me mad. I can't control my temper anymore. Granted I never was really good at controlling it, but now… it's just lurking there, beneath the surface… easily brought forth by the simplest of things. That is what happened two weeks ago with Uncle Vernon, he was yelling at me, calling me worthless and whatnot. I'm used to that, but he started to go on about Sirius and I felt my temper rise and next thing you know, he's screaming like a girl and running into the living room, all the while saying about how my eyes went red. Gave him a right scare there. Haven't had to do a chore since."
Harry smiled proudly and snickered, glad that something had finally scared them into leaving him alone yet not locked into his room.
"As wicked as that sounds mate, that's not exactly a good thing."
"I know Ron, but at least that's one good thing about having a low restraint on my temper."
Harry tried to smile wryly at them but the smile didn't rub off on them. They still looked at him worriedly.
He sighed before asking, "So Hermione," he cleared his throat, "the subject, you know," he looked out the window, "You said you had clearance?"
She nodded quickly before silently producing a silencing charm on the room and making it so it was impertubal.
"Right, now we can talk freely."
Hermione still looked slightly shaken at what had transpired. Especially since the Order members had no doubt heard all that was said. She just hopped that they took it as the unique connection Harry had with Voldemort and wouldn't think anything more of it since Dumbledore had mentioned something along those lines, just not into too much detail.
"Good, so now do please tell me, what exactly was so important that you couldn't discuss it via owl post?"
Hermione looked at Ron. They apparently had time to discuss things.
"Okay, well I'll just start off sort of in the middle. Hope you don't mind."
"Not at all, so long as you do in fact start."
She smiled slightly, "Right, well I've been waiting for this summer to come for about two years now. Since this is my first summer where I am legally and adult and can come and go in the Wizarding world as I please, I can do magic, and I can buy things that are restricted for Underage Wizards."
"Keep rubbing it in my face why don't you?"
She smiled, "Sorry Harry. Not trying to rub it in your face. Just trying to get a point across. Any way, why I've been waiting for this summer for two years is because I've been dying to buy this book…"
"Hermione, why the bloody hell do you need-"
"Well if you'd stop interrupting me every five seconds maybe I could tell you!" She snapped angrily at him and glowered.
"Sorry. I'll keep quiet unless I'm really really confused."
She nodded. "As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted. I've been dying to get my hands on the book. Actually, I'm not even sure what it's called. There are probably a few on the subject of Runes but the only ones that would have been of any help would be in the 'dangerous' section of the bookstore so I wouldn't have been allowed in there. This book, it's all about old and well… ancient Ancient Runes," Harry rolled his eyes but Hermione continued on, "and their meanings or certain words and what the Ancient Runes would look like for it. Now, this book is considered… well dark because many of the Runes inside are used solely for the practice of Dark Arts. But this book or more like these books may hold the key to what I want."
Hermione stood up and started to pace, a pensive expression on her face.
"Now, since there are very dangerous things in these books, I needed to be an adult to buy them since no adult that I know in their right mind would have let me buy it or bought it for me in fact. That," she looked at Harry sharply, "is why I wasn't capable of getting it until this point in time. Plus if anyone knew my reasoning behind it, well, they'd've shipped me off to St. Mungo's probably. And yes Harry, I will tell you what the purpose these books possess in due time."
She sat down on the bed and faced Harry. She met him with a steady gaze before continuing.
"I've already asked Ron if he would accompany me to the book store in Diagon Alley and he agreed he would. Now I'm asking you, would you accompany me to Diagon Alley?"
Harry stared at her for a few moments in thought before saying, "If anyone saw us, three students from Hogwarts, adults or not, we could be in big trouble since they'd probably go and tell McGonagall. The worst that could happen is that a Death Eater or multiple Death Eaters would show up, kill you two, take me to Voldemort, and then kill me. Unless of course you know of a way to get into Diagon Alley, buy the books in the adult section of the book store, without arising suspicion since you would be buying such a dark book, make it out of there without the book store owner alerting the Ministry to potential Death Eaters, make it home and keeping the book safe from prying eyes and do whatever else it is that you are planning on doing? All without being caught by the Ministry, by Voldemort, by the Order, or by your Parents since I assume neither of your parents would willingly let you go? Which makes me ask you also, how am I going to get out of here without bringing about suspicion since someone is almost more than likely always watching me and what excuse do you two have for leaving Headquarters or the Borrow?"
Hermione looked finally relaxed and smiled a bright smile, "Why Harry, it seems as if I was mistaken, you have grown up quite a bit. Thinking thoroughly before acting and all. I'm proud of you."
He grinned and urged her to tell him what she had planned.
"Well, first off, in order to get you out of here, I plan to tell the Order that Ron and I are planning a special event for just the three of us for your birthday, so we would be doing this on your birthday if you had no objections of course."
Harry shook his head no.
"Right, well, we walk to the outskirts of Little Whinging we'll disapparate to the Leaky Cauldron, hoods up of course, go into the back room and put on some very mild glamour charms to disguise ourselves. We will look sufficiently old enough so that the bookstore owner doesn't question our age when we try to purchase the books. Before we leave, we are to Obliviate him, sadly. I'm not the best at them, but I think I am proficient enough."
"That part I really like." Ron interjected. "Think about it Harry, when we first met her, she was as strict as McGonagall when it came to the rules, now she's even breaking the Ministry rules! I'd say we've corrupted her alright haven't we mate?"
Harry barely suppressed a laugh. "Yeah, I'd say so."
Hermione scowled at them, "This isn't funny you two!"
"Neither of us said it was funny. We're just admiring how you are so willing to break rules when you used to try to keep em firmly in place."
"Ronald." She warned softly.
Sensing he may get hit again, he shut up.
"Right, well, where was I? Oh yes, after we Obliviate him, we need to quickly shrink the books and put them in our pockets, then after maybe 20 seconds he should come around so we'd need to give him some false alibi as to how we just appeared before him. I will say something along the lines of how he seemed to be dozing a bit and nodded off before we entered the store. It's simple yet quite believable. After that, we leave saying we just remember we'd forgotten our money or something, then leave. We will go back into the Leaky Cauldron and exit from there by means of Apparation. We will go to a discreet location in the woods, Ron knows where so you'll have to travel with one of us since we can't mention it for safety measures. Once we're at that location, we'll lower our glamour's then disapparate to the outskirts of Little Winging and we'll walk back to your place. Sound good?"
"Very." Harry agreed eagerly.
Hermione stood up and was quickly followed by Ron. Harry, sensing she was about to lower the charms she placed on his bedroom, quickly spoke up.
"Why do you need these Ancient Rune books? Surely not for school?"
Hermione froze. She had hopped he wouldn't ask her again.
"Harry, it's getting late and both Ron and I are quite tired. We need to be going but I promise, when we come to pick you up, I'll place… well come to think of it you could place the charm up since you'll be an adult!" She smiled brightly, "But any way, the charms will be placed and I will tell you in full. We'll come around nine in the morning. Sound good?"
"Yeah, bit early but I can deal with it."
"Good."
Hermione raised her wand again before Harry interrupted her once more.
"Nice plan Hermione. You truly are the brains behind our operations."
Hermione turned pink. "Nonsense, you two can be clever when you need to be. You just tend to act on impulse more, but you two, if you could control your impulses, you come up with this stuff yourselves as well. It's not that difficult."
Harry nodded and she lowered the charms.
"Oh dear, Harry! Seems as if we dozed off doesn't it?"
Harry cleared his throat and made it somewhat lower. "Hmm? Oh, why look at the time! I suppose we have dozed a bit. Oi! Ron! Get up, you lazy bum. You're drooling on my bed!"
"Oh, right right. Sorry bout that mate. Well it is a bit late so what d'you expect? I suppose we should go back home now Hermione. What d'you think?"
"It would be a good idea to head back before we lose too much concentration and end up splinching ourselves."
Ron grimaced. "Right. Time to go!" He said rather hurriedly.
Harry grinned. "Thanks for coming to see me guys. It may have been only two or three weeks since schools been out, but I've missed the both of you something terrible."
"Aww, Harry!"
She made her way over to Harry and hugged him.
"You'd better go. I suppose I'll see you later."
"Yeah, bye mate. If the Dursley's cause any trouble, owl me. I bet Fred, George and myself wouldn't mind coming over to uh… mess with them a bit."
Harry grinned. "I don't think they will, but if they do, I'll owl."
Hermione cast the silencing charms on Ron as well as herself right after they both said goodbye.
Hermione silently disapparated first with a single turn, and Ron followed suite with a nod and the motion of something that looked like a bird so he assumed he was reminding him to owl him if he needed anything, Harry nodded and then Ron silently disapparated as well. Harry quickly slid into bed, eager for sleep to consume him.
"Maybe this summer won't be as bad as I thought it would be." He thought to himself just before he drifted off into sleep.
AN// Okay, having another go at writing an HP fic. Each one has seemed to just fall apart on me. I don't think this one will though, I'm doing something a bit different, I'm keeping an outline! xD. Well, I do hope you enjoyed this chappie and it would be awesome if you could also leave me a review. Thanks again for reading!
Oh, one more thing, I was wondering if anyone would be interested in being my beta for this story. If so, just send me a message or something. Thanks.