"Good morning Neville. Good morning Ron," Hermione announced as she sat down at the table.
Hermione reached under the table and surreptitiously squeezed Ron's hand. It recently became their morning routine. Two weeks ago she had pulled him into an empty classroom and what started out as an argument ended with their kissing and holding each other, vowing to keep their nascent relationship a secret as to not jeopardize or distract from their fight against the Dark Lord. She knew Ron was getting frustrated though. Her research tasks, combined with sentry rounds and correspondence with Harry had consumed the majority of her time. Aside from their morning routine, they've barely touched each other. She was irked as well. She wanted nothing more than to hold him and ride off into the sunset on their brooms. But there was too much work to do; the impending danger was too near.
"Have you heard from Harry recently?" Neville asked.
"No. Last I heard he was closing in on Jugson," Hermione replied.
"What a wanker," Ron interjected.
"Agreed," Hermione added with a grin.
She grabbed some pastries, opened a book on defensive charms, and started reading, relegating Ron and Neville's conversation to background noise mixed with the general din of the hall.
"What was the score of the Cannons match last night?" Neville asked.
Glumly, Ron responded, "The Kestrals clobbered them 270 to 30."
"Oy. That's rough."
"Yeah."
"What time do you want to meet to work out?" Neville asked.
"We can go after breakfast if you're up for it," Ron responded.
"That works," Neville said.
Hermione's ears perked up and a sly smile spread across her face. Before anyone could notice she straightened her face and kept her eyes on her book. But her mind now raced. For the last few months Ron's workouts have been more and more…fruitful. She noticed immediately when he started bulking up, but these last two weeks she's allowed herself to fantasize about being held by those muscular arms, by that sturdy chest.
As Hermione started squirming in her seat, a stream of owls flew into the Great Hall, interrupting her reverie. One by one they delivered letters and parcels. A tawny owl swooped and dropped a letter in Hermione's plate.
"Who's that from?" Ron asked.
"Looks to be from Harry," she answered.
Hermione opened the letter and read it aloud to Ron and Neville, "Dear Hermione, thanks for your advice about the Revealing Charm. Once we uttered Aparecium, the umbrella from their dead drop revealed that Jugson was going to Florence, Italy next. By the time we got there he had moved on. He was holed up in a magically concealed room within the Palazzo Vecchio. He must have skipped town quickly because we found some of his belongings behind. We found detailed instructions he was giving to wannabe Death Eaters on how to break out of Azkaban if they were to be captured. We're not sure where he's headed next, but we have some leads. We'll get him soon enough. Write back if you have any ideas. Thanks, Harry."
"Man, I thought Harry was going to get him," Neville said exasperatedly.
"He will. Harry's gettin' close," Ron replied.
Hermione didn't respond; she was thinking.
"I hope he gets thrown in Azkaban and rots there," Ron hissed.
"Yeah, me too. He hit me an Impediment Jinx during the battle at the Department of Mysteries," Neville added.
Noticing Hermione's silence Ron asked, "You alright Hermione?"
"Yeah, just thinking. What if…" she said and trailed off. She reached in her bag and grabbed a quill. "Ron, do you have a spare sheet of parchment?"
"Yeah, right here," he answered while handing her a sheet.
Hermione started writing, dictating out loud so the guys could follow, "Harry, that's great news. How about this though? Let him go. Stop going after Jugson. Meet with the officials at Azkaban and brief them on the escape strategies the Death Eaters are learning. This way they can fortify their weaknesses. Plus, as we track these Death Eaters down and apprehend them, they'll put up less of a fight if they think they'll be able to bust out once they get to Azkaban. Hope that helps. I'm still researching on my end for anything that can help. Hope to see you soon. Hermione"
"Brilliant," Ron said with a beaming smile.
"Yeah Hermione, that's a good idea," Neville added.
"Thanks. The others will catch on soon enough, but maybe we can get a few Death Eaters behind bars before they do."
Neville looked at Ron and asked, "You ready to get going with that workout?"
"Yeah, give me a minute though, okay? Need to ask Hermione something."
"Sure thing. I'll meet you out there."
"Thanks."
They watched as Neville walked away.
"You doing okay Mione?" Ron asked. "Did you get any sleep last night?"
"A little. I found something interesting though. I was reading about fungi when I came across something intriguing."
"Fungi?"
"Yes, fungi."
"Why were you reading about fungi?"
"Don't worry about that Ron. I found a reference to something that can increase my intelligence."
"What do you mean Mione? You're the smartest person I know."
"I appreciate that Ron, but what if I could be smarter? There was a reference to a potion that I could drink to expand my brain."
Ron chuckled.
Aggravated, Hermione asked, "Why are you laughing Ron?"
"Because there's no such thing as a brain expanding potion. That's something kids joke about while they're studying for their O.W.L.s. It isn't real."
"But this book I'm reading mentions it."
"It's not real Mione. Kids' stuff."
Irritated, Hermione stood up. Walking away she said, "Ok Ron, you go work out. I need to head to the Owlry to get this letter to Harry. I'll catch up with you later."
On her way back from the Owlry, Hermione took a detour and headed for the West Tower. After navigating the shifting Grand Staircase, she knocked on Professor Flitwick's office door.
The door swung open and the Professor's voice squeaked, "Good morning Miss Granger. Come on in."
Hermione stepped into his office and took a seat at his desk.
"Would you like a cupcake Miss Granger?"
"No thank you Professor. I just ate breakfast."
"Very good. What can I help you with today?"
"Sir, I wanted to ask you about something. I was reading a book about fungi when I came upon a reference to a potion that could expand someone's brain. I know there's Baruffio's Brain Elixir, but everyone knows that doesn't work. Is there actually a potion that can do that? A potion to make someone smarter?"
"My dear, it's a myth, something first years dream about after they've taken their first Potions class."
"But could it be real?" she asked with an air of annoyance.
The Professor sat back in his chair and his jocular tone shifted to one of caution. "Miss Granger, I don't know. I've never heard of one actually working. Even if it DID exist, it's not something with which you should be meddling. That would be dark magic. Unnatural magic."
Defensively, Hermione responded, "Of course Professor. I was just curious. You know I'm always careful."
His cheerful tone returned, "Of course you are. You sure you don't want to try one of my cupcakes? They're really quite delicious."
"I'm sure Professor. Thank you for your time."
Professor Filius Flitwick rubbed his hands by the warm fireplace in Professor McGonagall's office.
The seasoned Head of Gryffindor House questioned the Head of Ravenclaw House, "She asked about it?"
"Yes, she did," Flitwick replied solemnly.
"What exactly does she think she knows?"
"She was just asking if it exists. She doesn't know much. Not yet."
"You're right. We're talking about Granger here. Thanks for alerting me Filius."
