Breach of Trust

by Hlpur

In the days following Dumbledore’s death nothing is as it seems and a second prophesy is discovered. Harry and Hermione learn who they can truly trust as they struggle to fulfill destiny.

2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling.

Chapter - 2

Harry watched Hermione storm out of the Great Hall. Sighing he turned around and saw Ginny smiling at him.

"She's just a bit sensitive right now, Harry," reassured Ginny. "Don't worry about her. Once we all get to the Burrow it will be better. Here have some pumpkin juice." She handed him a goblet.

Harry took it and set it down in front of him. "Ron, why did you say that about Muggles?"

"I don't think that all Muggles are stupid, just your relatives. I don't see why you would want to fuss and bother about them."

"She's my mother's sister, Ron, and as much as I dislike her. I don't want to willingly cause her harm and not looking into the protections on the house will." Harry ran his hands through his hair and said, "I should go help Hermione." Deciding that he was not about to risk taking the food on the table Harry headed down to the kitchens and was able to get several sandwiches.

"Potter," a voice called him as he left the portrait of the fruit bowl behind.

Harry looked up into the eyes of the acting headmistress and said, "Yes, Professor?"

"I received a note from Miss Granger stating that the two of you had several things that you wished to speak with me about and to let you know when Miss Tonks and Mr. Lupin would be available to join us."

"We would appreciate that. One thing I would like to know is if I can test early for my apparition license and just not use it until my birthday or at the least if it would be possible to test outside of the Ministry. There are several of us who either didn't pass or have birthdays after when the testing was done in April."

She nodded at him and said, "If things go how we fear, then getting a valid Apparition license to as many as possible would be a good idea. I will look into it."

"You wouldn't know anything about what my parents left me would you? I've been using a trust vault all these years and then I have no idea what Sirius left me."

"I will send an owl to the bank and make a formal inquiry. As far as I know, I don't have that information at hand." She was quiet then said, "Remus and Nymphadora will be here in the morning. We will conduct our meeting then."

"Thank you, Professor."

"Miss Granger said you should be able to find her with the help of the Marauders and she has the books the two of you need."

Harry smiled and watched the older woman leave. He pulled out the map and found Hermione in an area of the castle he wasn't sure he had ever been in. Throwing the cloak over his head he left to find her.

After he entered the unused classroom, Harry watched as Hermione quickly locked and sealed the door. He then looked over and saw both Crookshanks and Hedwig sitting near her. "Hermione?"

"I used Hedwig to send a message to Professor McGonagall a bit ago. I hope you don't mind, but all the school owls are gone. Students are using them to send letters home I suspect."

"I told you a long time ago that you can use her when you want. I guess she'll be yours too, anyway, so it doesn't matter." Harry sat next to her on a cushion and pulled out lunch for both of them.

Hermione picked up a sandwich and said, "Where did you get this? It isn't what was being served in the Great Hall."

"After you left and I asked Ron why he was being such a git, I thought it best not to risk the food that was sitting there. Ginny did say that once we all get to the Burrow that things will be better."

Hermione snorted and shook her head. "After we had more potions she means. You went to the kitchens?"

Harry shrugged. "Yeah. It seemed like the best idea. I asked Dobby point blank if he or any of the other elves had ever put anything in our food and he denied it completely. I strictly forbade him to without our direct consent, even if someone told him it was for our health or something. I saw McGonagall when I was down there. She said that Tonks and Remus are coming in tomorrow morning and we could all talk then. I asked about the assets and the apparition testing. She's looking into both."

Hermione nodded and said, "I think we need two plans. One if things basically don't change, if it stays the way it was this year and another for if... if he becomes more powerful, takes control of the Ministry."

"As much as I want to leave right now and start hunting Horcruxes, it isn't really an option. Do we even know how to destroy them?"

Harry watched as Hermione turned pink and blushed, "Well, I haven't had a chance to read them or anything, but last night I um, I summoned them."

"You what?"

"I went down to the common room after I was sure that everyone, including McGonagall would be asleep and opened a window. I said, 'Accio Dumbledore's books and notes on Horcruxes' and about five books and several notebooks flew in the window. He had written a note to me in one of them." She handed Harry the notebook and said, "It just gives an overview and his reasoning for thinking why the objects that he chose." She was still pink. "It isn't really stealing, I mean he obviously meant for me to have them and..."

Harry was looking at her in awe. "Hermione," he leaned forward and kissed her soundly. "You are brilliant. We can read over these after we solve our immediate issues."

Hermione looked around and asked, "Harry, is anyone in the head's office?"

He got out the map and said, "Um, no, McGonagall is on the grounds with Flitwick and several others I don't recognize. It's empty."

She stood up and walked over to the window. Opening it she said, "Accio information on Harry's protection at Privet Drive." A minute later a notebook flew through the open window and into her hand. She opened it and blinked. Picking up her wand again she said, "Accio anything of Professor Dumbledore's with notes in it to me." About ten additional notebooks and three textbooks flew in the window.

Harry sat there dumbfounded. "I reckon you have a bit of reading to do, Hermione." She looked at him with an annoyed expression. "I'll read what you tell me to, but we both know that you will want to look over it anyway. What is all of it?"

She quickly thumbed though the stacks in front of her and said, "We'll need separate piles. This one for known Horcrux information," she began to pile books and notebooks into the indicated area. "This is for information on the founders. Over here are spells and enchantments and this is the personal stuff. Um, this is a ledger that looks about a year old from Gringotts." She looked at it and her eyes went huge. "Harry, you should see this. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to look, it's not..."

"Hermione we are going to talk about this right now and then that is the end of it. I'm going to tell you how I feel about things and then you are going to tell me how you feel about things and then it will never come up again. Okay?" She nodded. "You are my best friend and I love you. Am I in love with you? I don't know, but I feel safe and warm when I am with you and I can't imagine not having you as a significant part of my life.

"I am angry and upset that Ginny and who knows who else used potions on us, but what upsets me more is what could have happened between you and Ron, it wouldn't have been by choice and I am thankful that we found out before anything worse happened. I know what happened between you and Viktor and I'm okay with that. That was your choice.

"Now, I am confused about what this means for the two of us. Part of me is irritated that I don't get to choose, to decide for myself, who I will spend my life with, but maybe I did. Maybe when we became friends we chose. I'm not settling or feeling obligated.

"The way I see it, we can be happy together or miserable apart and it makes more sense to be happy together. So that means look over the ledgers and tell me how much money we have and yes I said we. It's going to be yours eventually anyway, might as well get use to it now and besides, I have a feeling that you are going to understand what is in there a bit better than I do. We are going to get married, have children, and hope that when they come to school here it is quite a bit safer than when we attended or I'm homeschooling." He looked at her dumbfounded expression and smirked.

"You're serious?"

"About the homeschooling? Absolutely. I don't want our kids around three headed dogs."

"No you prat." She swatted at his shoulder. "You really want me like that?"

He looked at her sadly and said, "I don't know what I've done in the last six years to make you doubt yourself, Hermione. It's just been so much clearer since last night." He looked away and said, "I started dreaming about you in third year. Not just guy dreams, um, well those too, but you know, other stuff too. I think it was Christmas and we were sitting around a huge dinner table. Your parents were there too, your mum has orange red hair doesn't she?" Hermione nodded. "The table was full Hermione and the kids were so excited that Father Christmas had come and..."

"How full was the table, Harry?"

"You know Trelawney predicted last year that I would have twelve children and become Minister of Magic," he teased.

"Then it is a good thing that people who loved you have seen to it that you are well taken care of." She pushed the ledger at him.

"What about you, Hermione? What do you make of all of it?"

Hermione stood and walked around the room for a bit. "I needed to know you Harry. That first day on the train. I needed to know you, that's why I never left the two of you alone. Even when you were quite clear that you wanted nothing to do with me. Something in me was drawn to you. I have been in love with you since third year, Harry James Potter, and we are going to get through this and then start on those twelve children." She looked at him and said, "A dozen? Really?" He smirked and she said, "We'll talk after you change a few nappies. I have a feeling that you will change your mind."

She was snuggled into his side. As Hermione picked up one of the notebooks on the protections Dumbledore had provided at Privet Drive she looked at Harry and asked, "What did you mean about Viktor?"

"Well, that you two were together, you know, I mean, that you had..." he sort of gestured into the air and looked away.

"No, I don't know. I wasn't sixteen yet. I was fifteen and he was eighteen. I went to the ball with Viktor and we spent a bit of time together. I kissed him and he kissed me and that's it. I've never been with anyone that way."

"You didn't? ... but she said that..."

"Who said that I had been with Viktor?"

"Ginny. She told Ron and me that the two of you had been together that way."

Hermione looked at him and said in half controlled anger, "Ginny might have been willing to shag someone her fourth year, but it was not something I even considered and he didn't ask. It was obvious come the second task that I could never be something to him other than a friend and we have remained so. She was with Michael Corner, Dean, and was pretty frustrated that you were a gentleman."

"I didn't know about Michael Corner, just Dean. Her birthday is after mine. She was fourteen all though her fourth year." Hermione just raised her eyebrows and nodded. "I thought fifteen was really pushing it with Dean. You know what, it doesn't matter. Enough about Ginny. Talk to me about the ledger."

Hermione pulled herself into his lap and the two of them spent the remainder of the afternoon and much of the night going through the information that she was able to summon. Harry sent a message with Hedwig to McGonagall informing her that they were still reading up on what they needed to do and their location should she need to find them. At just after dinner, Harry went down to the kitchens and picked up something for them to eat. As soon as he got back Hermione thrust a book at him and pointed to a paragraph. "Is this the only place that it says this?"

"No, the other two say it also."

"It's a bad reason to do it, Hermione. I want you to have everything that you dreamed of as a little girl. You don't get that if we do it before all of this is over."

"How long are we going to wait, Harry? Dumbledore took three years to find the ring and another to get a lead on where he thought the locket was. We could be at this for years, just like you said. I don't need a fairy tale."

"What about your parents? This is not something they would want for you."

"Probably true, but I'm a witch and my mum accepts that and understands what goes with it." Hermione shrugged and said, "Have you ever met my mum Harry?"

"Not really. I mean once before second year and then Mr. Weasley and Lucius Malfoy got into a fight at the bookstore, but Uncle Vernon is usually in a hurry at the train station."

Hermione nodded and took his hand in hers. "Those aren't my parents. That is my sister and her husband. My dad died before I was born and once I got into Hogwarts, my mum moved to France."

"That's why you spend so many holidays there."

Hermione nodded, "Being in Britain is hard for her so she stays there. Richard, that is my sister's husband, he moved in with my parents when he was eleven. His parents were killed. My parents took him in and he's been a member of the family ever since. Anyway, they've been sharing a room since Richard turned sixteen. They got married when they were both eighteen." Harry looked at her and blinked. "I don't think that they will say anything. They know all about you, mum too, and I've been as honest as I can about what has happened. I think that a frank conversation is in order, but ultimately there isn't really anything that they can do about it. I'm a witch. I'm of age and can Apparate. I'll be eighteen in three months as it is anyway, so at the minimum they will resign themselves to the situation and the best we can hope for is for them to be supportive."

Harry all of a sudden remembered a young girl waiting with Hermione's family at Kings Cross. "How old is your, er, niece?" Hermione looked at him and smiled. "I presume that she is your niece. We've never formally been introduced."

"Alwyne's six. She was born a few months before I started Hogwarts and before you ask, yes she is a witch."

"You know we might need to hide them, Hermione."

"I've thought about that, or have them leave the country. They could probably go stay with Mum. I'll give them a choice." Several hours later Hermione said, "We should head up, Harry, it's half past twelve and Ginny will be looking for you."

"I know. I think what we have decided is the best. What do you want to do with all of this?" He gestured to the stacks of books and notebooks.

"I'll put them in my bag and keep them in my book trunk. No one goes through that and Ginny won't be able to override the lock if she gets nosey." Hermione kissed Harry and this time things were a bit more heated. A half hour later the two of them straightened themselves up and left the room.

Ron was once again waiting for Harry. "I'm sorry about what I said about your aunt and uncle, but, Harry, they locked you in your room and you had bars on the window. I just... I don't know. Did Hermione ever calm down?"

"She did, I think she's just uptight. She spent most of the day with her nose in a book, which always helps." Harry sighed. "Things with my aunt are hard, Ron. Still, not liking someone is no reason to facilitate their deaths and furthermore, considering Voldemort probably thinks that he has free reign now that Dumbledore is gone, I need to know if I'm safe there."

"Ginny's right. You could just come home with us. Hermione too."

"She will end up doing whatever it is that she wants and you know it. For me, if it is safer for me, and therefore everyone else, if I go back to Privet Drive one more time, then so be it."

"She figure out what you need?"

Harry looked at his friend and wished he knew what his involvement in the situation was. At the very least he was going to be jealous that Harry was with Hermione, still now was not the time to deal with it. That would come later. "I reckon we have all day tomorrow at it too, but we made good headway." Needing to change the subject Harry asked, "How did things go at Hagrid's?"

"We did a bit of work, but it needs more. It was good actually. It gave us something to think about other than what's going on."

The next morning found Harry and Hermione sitting at Gryffindor table eating breakfast. Ginny walked in and planted a big kiss on Harry's mouth and when he opened his mouth to protest she stuck her tongue in. Finally he pulled away. "Ginny, I'm trying to eat. That was really unnecessary."

"You ignored me all day yesterday, Harry. I just wanted to remind you of what you were missing."

He heard Hermione taking slow deep breaths and attempting to ignore what was happening next to her. "I told you yesterday, Ginny, I have very important things to do. You know that, you've been told that. The sooner that I get finished with this project the sooner I can have a bit of free time."

She huffed a bit, but could not really argue with him. "What are you working on?"

"I told you yesterday a bit of what it was about and some other stuff. Don't ask, I'm not saying anything more," hissed Harry.

"Potter," came a Scottish burr from behind him. "I would like to see you and Miss Granger in my regular office in a half hour's time." They both gave their assent and returned to breakfast.

Harry watched as a slow smile crept onto Ginny's face as Hermione brought her glass up to drink. Realizing what must have happened Harry said, "Hermione, that's my juice."

"No it isn't. Yours is over there." She pointed to the glass that was obviously his.

"No, that's Ginny's. I saw her holding it a bit ago."

Realizing what he was saying she immediately put down her goblet and said, "That's alright, beats a herd of angry centaurs." She brought the cup up to her mouth and acted like she took a drink.

As soon as she set the cup down Ginny said, "You know, Hermione, Ron was a bit upset that you didn't spend the day with him yesterday."

Hermione looked at the younger girl coldly and said, "Honestly, Ginny, Ron is a big boy and I think he can realize that what I am working on is far more important than having a row or two with him and today isn't going to be any better." Ginny looked at the goblet and then back at Hermione and frowned. "Are you ready, Harry? We should get that stuff from Professor Flitwick we discussed."

"Um, sure." He wasn't sure what just happened, but he was trying to figure out if he needed to take her back to the hospital wing for another flushing draft. As soon as they got out into the entrance hall he whispered, "Did you actually drink that?"

"Of course not. I banished it and then faked it. I didn't eat anything once she sat down. I've got all of our books and notes from yesterday in here," she gestured to her bag. "We can just go straight to meet her."

Several corridors and hallways later, Harry and Hermione were knocking on the Transfiguration professor's office. "Come," said the Professor.

The teens entered the room and took the seats that were offered them by Professor McGonagall. "Why don't you tell us why you have asked us here today, Mr. Potter?"

"Um, well," Harry turned in his chair and looked at Tonks and Remus, then said, "I need you to promise me that what we discuss won't leave the room and oh, Professor if you would put in Imperturbable Charm on the door, Ginny has some Extendable Ears. She just might be trying to follow us."

McGonagall sighed, but complied. "There you go, Potter. Tell Remus your news."

"Do the two of you promise?" asked Harry.

The older couple looked at each other then nodded. "We promise, Harry. What do you need to tell us?" said Remus.

"Um, first of all. Hermione and I have been given love potions for the past year. Madam Pomfrey sorted us out and we're free of them now, but-"

"Wait, who?" asked Tonks.

Before Harry could answer Remus looked at the two teens in horror but said, "Molly."

"And we think Ginny too," started Harry, "as someone needed to administer them to us while we were at school and we don't think that Ron is sneaky enough. The question there is did he know about it or not."

"I'm sorry Harry, Hermione. I didn't think anyone would do something like that," said Tonks shaking her head in disgust. "Should have been a bit more careful after all that time she spent telling us how she was sure that Harry and Ginny were fated though."

"Funny you should mention that," said Harry.

"You fated to Ginny, Harry?" asked Tonks.

"No, Hermione," he gestured to her and she pulled out the copy of McGonagall's parchment they had made the day before.

Remus stood and knelt down in front of Hermione. "Did anything happen between you and Ron? Anything physical?"

"No, we didn't even get together. Harry just started seeing Ginny a couple weeks ago, the day of the last Quidditch game and I've been close to giving up and just going out with Ron, but we don't really get along."

"Considering he thinks a good use for a book is a doorstop, it is no wonder," mumbled Tonks.

Remus looked at Harry and said, "Harry?"

"She offered, but it didn't feel right. We did snog quite a bit though." He frowned and looked at Hermione, "I'm sorry about you having to see that."

"Not anything that can be done." Hermione turned to look at the room. "Harry and I have been doing some research but he has one more thing he has to tell you. It's about the prophesy."

McGonagall shook her head and said, "It was destroyed last year."

"Yes, but Trelawney made it to Dumbledore. That is why she needed to stay at the castle last year. She needs the protection." Harry launched into the story about how Dumbledore was interviewing Trelawney at the Hogs Head when she made the prediction, how Snape overheard and told Voldemort what he heard. Harry then told the three of them the entire prophesy.

The room was silent. Finally Hermione said, "Obviously that is not something that you are permitted to discuss with anyone. Not even the Order and since we don't really know who to trust right now, we... The Weasleys were beyond reproach in our minds until a day and a half ago and now up is down. Professor Dumbledore left me several notebooks and other things." Upon seeing McGonagall's raised eyebrows she said, "He even wrote me notes and left advice in the margins. See." Hermione handed one of the notebooks on protective charms to her head of house and indicated the message left explicitly to her on the front page.

"That appears to be the case, Miss Granger. Please continue."

"Right, well the first thing that needs to happen is that we need to redo the protections on Harry's house in London."

"Headquarters?"

"It can still be used as headquarters if you would like," said Hermione, "or a safe house of some sort and even called that, but for now, it's just Harry's house. Sirius left it to him and when a secret keeper dies, everyone that was told the secret becomes one. Harry and I aren't real comfortable with that. It needs to be changed and the sooner the better. I have instructions here on how to lift the charm, but Harry has to do it since he is the owner, then it can be recast with a new secret keeper."

"So far your thinking is sound, Miss Granger."

Harry nodded at Hermione for her to keep going. "We think that there are several interpretations of the 'power he knows not' in the prophesy. Dumbledore told Harry that it was love. Again, open to interpretation, but we... well Harry and I have decided that we are going to get married." Seeing the three of them about to protest she plunged forward. "I'm of age and Harry will be soon. Do any of the three of you realize what a soul bonding does to the people involved? Is this what it means? We don't know. But we're fated. Harry is my soul mate and I am his. We do love each other. At the end of fifth year we were going to start seeing each other, but someone else interfered. Once the potion was gone it was like looking at things though a clean window all of a sudden when you didn't realize that the one you were using was dirty. We can do this with your support or without it, but we would rather have it."

"Harry?" said McGonagall.

"Hermione's been my best friend for almost six years now. Do you really think we need to be closer first? Do you think that it is possible for us to know each other better?"

"Very well then. You have my support." She looked up at the other two and they were nodding. "And for your information, I am fairly aware of what a soul bond does."

McGonagall evaluated the pair across from her then nodded. "One of my late husband's cousins and his wife were killed many years ago and their son moved in with us. He was a bit over a year old at the time. He and my daughter were just a few months apart in age. The two of them were fated. It was… a difficult thing to adjust to, even with marriage between second or even first cousins fairly common in our society; it was at times hard to see." McGonagall closed her eyes and said, "You are quite a bit like my daughter, Miss Granger. I never thought I would meet another person who enjoyed spending as much time in the library as she did. Now, what is the timeline you are looking at here?"

"That depends on a lot of things," said Harry. "The most important is how stable the Ministry is."

Tonks shook her head. "I don't know what to tell you on that front. Umbridge is moving out into the open, there are also several others and Scrimgeour will be removed from office soon, one way or another. It's only been thirty-six hours since Professor Dumbledore's death, but things are starting to snowball. I'm not sure we'll make it to the end of summer, much less Christmas."

Remus cleared his throat and said, "No one will do anything until after the funeral, but after that, it will be only a matter of time."

Harry looked at Hermione and she nodded. With Tonks assessment a decision had just been made. "Even if I had the ability, there is no way I can challenge Voldemort right now. There are things that I need to learn about him first. Dumbledore was very specific. The way to defeat him is in a puzzle and it needs to be solved. Then and only then will that happen. The problem is that Dumbledore spent the last three years working on it and was a third the way through, so this could take a long time."

"And he can't be killed without this puzzle solved first?" asked McGonagall, her voice having risen in pitch.

"No ma'am."

"Remus. Nymphadora, I need to speak to Harry and Hermione alone for a moment. Will you give us five minutes, please?"

If either of them were offended by the request they didn't act like it. They stood and walked out the door. As soon as it closed McGonagall fired off several spells at the walls, Floo, door, window, and then did it again with what Harry reckoned was a different spell. She then turned a deadly serious eye to the two teens and asked, "How many did he make?"

"Professor," Harry began.

"Tell me, Potter. How many did he make? I considered it when he came back, but thought even he wouldn't have done something so dark and vile. My daughter, the one that I referred to earlier, told Albus years ago that he'd done it. She and her cousin were Aurors. They attended school with You-Know-Who and they kept an eye on him. He was their case and as he was rising to power the first time around, bringing uncaptured Grindlewald supporters into the fold, they were ignored by the Ministry. She was fit to be tied that Albus refuted her claims. Tell me, Potter, how many did he make?"

Harry looked at Hermione. Neither of them knew what to do. They had no way of knowing if McGonagall's daughter was trustworthy or not, but if she was the one that told Dumbledore in the first place, maybe she would be willing to help them. In a soft voice Hermione asked, "Can she help us?"

"It isn't that simple, Granger. The world thinks that she is dead and by telling you that she is alive, it is breaking a confidence. Her cousin was killed a few years before James and Lily. In an ambush of fifty Death Eaters and You-Know-Who himself they were captured. After several months of captivity, she was able to escape. Her husband was killed in the attempt. He took a killing curse for her. She's never been the same. Loosing half your soul is not easy to live with." She said to them with a raised eyebrow. Both teens nodded, understanding the double meaning. "You aren't coming back to school, are you," it wasn't a question.

"No, Professor," said Harry. "The sooner we are able to rid the world of Tom Riddle, the better. Will you ask her or at least ask her to meet with us? We won't tell a soul about her. Just... just don't give our names. At least not until you introduce us."

"I will ask, but I make no promises. How many, Potter?"

"Six. He made six and the final piece that is in him."

"And two are destroyed then?"

"Yes. The diary that Ginny Weasley was writing in when the Chamber was opened was the first one. Then the Professor destroyed one last summer. That's how he injured his hand."

"Very well. Do not. I repeat do not even breathe about this to anyone else. If word got out that he knew we were looking for them, who knows how many more he would make."

"Ron knows. Dumbledore said I should tell him, Ron and Hermione."

McGonagall nodded then said, "We will decide what to do with Mr. Weasley another day. We still have a bit of time. No more talk of puzzles, Potter. Miss Granger, please collect Remus and Nymphadora."

Hermione stood and opened the door for Remus and Tonks. She saw them standing in the hall speaking with Ginny. McGonagall frowned, "Miss Weasley, what is your business in this hall?"

"I'm just waiting for Harry, professor."

"Mr. Potter will be occupied all day and well into the evening taking care of business for me. Tomorrow as well. I suggest you find some other activity to occupy your time. Perhaps studying for your exams would be a good idea."

Ginny sighed the sigh of the long suffering and left. Once the door closed McGonagall raised a finger in silence and again repeated the charms she had done previously. "I suspect that she will be attempting to listen in for a while. Her first exam is not for another hour." All students except those in fifth and seventh years were exempt from end of term exams. At first Hermione has been irritated at the announcement, but it freed so much of her time to devote to the new task that she appreciated it. "Now I did speak with Mr. Twycross at the Ministry and he will be out at the school tomorrow afternoon to test any sixth year and above student that has not received his or her apparition license. Those that are under the age of seventeen will of course be required to wait until their seventeenth birthdays. Also," she pulled out a large tome sized book and started to hand it to Harry then changed her mind and gave it to Hermione. "This is the information we spoke about yesterday from the bank. It would be wise to review all of its contents before any final decisions are made."

"Yes ma'am. Hermione was able to find a smaller, probably older copy of my ledger, but it is no where this size."

"This is all of your assets Potter and the details on your accounts since 31 October, 1981. A good portion of them you will not be able to access until you are of age."

Hermione nodded and slipped the book into her bag. It would be something else she would need to read. "We figured that now you have a bit of background information we should start at the beginning. We have two plans and for the most part, they are the same. Which one we use depends on how long it takes before the Ministry falls."

The three adults nodded and the girl continued. "This is the information on Petunia Dursley's house." Hermione displayed a notebook and showed them a rough drawing of Privet Drive. "The protections extend from here to here in all directions. There is an apparition point across the street at number seven, as you all know. Mrs. Figg does not have an active Floo connection. Professor Dumbledore believed that the blood protection that he enacted was like a bubble and that is true, to a certain extent, but they are not as solid as he believed them to be. From what reading I was able to do, Harry and his cousin should not have been able to be attacked by dementors that close to home, nor should the Ministry be able to sense magic done there. The protections operate under three assumptions. First, the person that shares blood with the person who sacrificed him or herself must consider the location home. As far as I know Petunia Dursley is Lily Evans Potter's sister. Second the person being protected must consider it home. I'm not sure he does."

Harry looked at her and gently shook his head. "Not since I came here for the first time."

Remus just swallowed hard and nodded for Hermione to continue. "Lastly, for them to really work, Petunia needed to have loved Harry as his mother did. That condition was never met."

"Still, better spending summers with Aunt Petunia than being given love potions by Mrs. Weasley. At least my aunt wasn't a wolf in sheep's clothing."

"We know, Harry, and she won't keep us apart again. We found out in time."

"So what are you saying, Hermione, that they don't work?" asked Tonks.

"No, I didn't say that. I think they do, at least as well as those on better protected wizarding dwellings, such as the Burrow, but most importantly, Voldemort thinks they work and that is the biggest advantage we have. But once they break you can bet that there will be a dozen Death Eaters swarming. We need to get Harry's aunt out. We are hoping that a member of the Order would be willing to, if not hide her, at least impress upon the fact that Dudley will be roasted like a stuffed pig if they get a hold of him and since Snape knows that Mrs. Figg is a squib, and has been keeping an eye on Harry for the last fifteen and a half years, she is liable to be targeted too."

"Tonks and I will pay Petunia a visit this afternoon and see what we can arrange," said Remus. "What kind of timeline are we working on?"

McGonagall said, "We will need to get Potter out before the Ministry falls. Give them until the fifteenth of July. That is three weeks. We should have a good gauge as to what is going to happen and how soon it will happen by then, but impress upon them that we might be asking them to leave as early as tomorrow."

"Hermione and I want to be clear on something, nothing involving my plans, or I should say exact or real plans, should be discussed with the Order. The only people the two of us implicitly trust are in this room right now." Harry sighed and took Hermione's hand in his own. "The Order is big on the show of force, but sometimes it is better to just let the Quaffle slip through the hoop. When you came to pick me up two years ago, Remus, why did you bring all those people with you?"

"They wanted to come and Dumbledore and Mad-Eye thought it would be a good idea."

"Why didn't one of you just tell me to meet you at Mrs. Figg's wearing my cloak and then side-along me to headquarters? I don't understand why we had to fly across England for a several hours using some convoluted route of Mad-Eye's." All three of them just looked at each other and blinked. "Like I said, subtlety. There is a restaurant about a kilometer from my aunt's house. I am hoping that Tonks will disguise herself to look like someone else and then escort me while I'm under my invisibility cloak. There, she will meet Hermione, who will have her car. The three of us will then leave and move to a safe location. Let Mad-Eye and whoever meet and arrange some elaborate plan with ten different moving parts, but this is the one that we are going to do. I don't care if Dumbledore walks out of his portrait and gives the Order an order, only the five of us will know. I can just imagine the entire Order showing up in my aunt's back garden and then we'd have to explain to everyone why there is no chance in hell that I'm going to the Burrow."

Remus nodded and said, "I would like to accompany the two of you. I will take Polyjuice and we will be a couple out for an evening stroll to get dinner. Harry? I'd like the wand power if necessary. Once we're far enough away from the house, I think we'll be fine, but it's that first block that makes me nervous."

Hermione nodded then said, "Just the two of you. Anymore and it will look strange, but that will work. Harry's Muggle guardianship needs to be signed over to someone else. He won't be of age until he's eighteen. I'll talk to my mum about it. She usually comes back to Britain the day after I get home. If she won't do it my sister might. If all else fails, didn't you say your father was Muggle-born?" Hermione looked at Tonks, who nodded. "We'll need someone with a Muggle birth record and such."

"Let me know, I don't see why he wouldn't do it."

"We also need to get Hermione's family protected. With us being fated becoming a matter of public record on my birthday, it would stand to reason that someone will find out sooner or later and then make Hermione's family a bigger target then they already are," said Harry.

"My mum lives on the continent, so we are thinking that maybe my sister and her family would go stay with her for a while. If not, then," she pulled out the small ledger and pointed to two properties, "we were hoping that one of these might work."

Remus pulled the ledger to him and pointed to the second one. "This one. This was Lily's. James and Lily lived there until they went into hiding. The other hasn't been modernized. It's a Potter property and I don't see Muggles being able to live there comfortably. This one she inherited from her parents. Unfortunately, they were killed in a car accident before Harry was born. It's mostly Muggle, and is plenty large enough for the two of you, Hermione's family, and a few other people who if the Ministry does indeed fall, might need to be hidden as well." Remus looked at McGonagall and said, "He is liable to use you to get to her. With Dumbledore gone she's the only one left he was a bit afraid of. There is a reason that Amelia and Emmaline were taken out early."

"She says that's why she left the country. She said that if she isn't making noise, that he'll think that she's dead and as long as he continues to think that, no one she loves will be used."

Tonks looked over the teens and said, "What do you want us to say to the Weasleys, Harry?"

"Nothing. Carry on as usual. As far as Molly Weasley is concerned as soon as I'm leaving my aunt's house I will spend the rest of the summer at the Burrow getting soused on love potions. Just know that things are very different. Hermione and I are going to get married as soon as it can be arranged, but she would like to talk to her family about it first and we of course would like them there and the three of you, if you are able. Because we are fated, we don't have to be of age, just over thirteen and really it is irrelevant to us if the Ministry recognizes our marriage. Once things get back to normal if we have to do it again, then so be it. What we need is for Gringotts to recognize it and since we are fated, they just require that we both be above thirteen."

"Why the bank, Harry?" asked Remus with trepidation.

"If the Ministry falls he will go after the bank. He wanted it last time and he almost got it." Harry handed over another one of the notebooks Dumbledore left for Hermione. "Other Gringotts branches will no longer acknowledge London. If we pull it out and don't use it, then so be it, but better safe than sorry. The average wizard isn't going to have a problem getting his money out, but mine will be one of the first vaults they get control of. We want to look it over, take out any heirlooms, and pull out enough gold to live on for quite a while and also convert a bit to Muggle currency too. We're less likely to be recognized in a Muggle market and it isn't likely some place the Death Eaters congregate. If we are asking Hermione's sister and brother-in-law to give up their jobs and move somewhere else, the least we can do is feed them."

Remus looked at the girl near him and said, "France is not all that far away and it is possible that this will spread to the continent."

"I know, but I can't force them. Unless I Obliviate them without consent and sent them off to Australia, I don't know how else to do it."

"Why not just get married on Harry's birthday?" asked Tonks. "When is it by the way?"

"Five weeks, 31 July," supplied Harry.

"The protections break absolutely at midnight, we need to have things cleaned up by then and getting married and heading into the bank on the same day that us being fated becomes public record seems a bit risky. I looked though old Prophets and about once every ten years there is an announcement of a fated couple and it is done the day of the younger of the pair's seventeenth birthday. Since the Chosen One is involved, it very well might be on the front page." They all nodded and Hermione continued. "Once we are married and the proper documents provided to Gringotts, the goblins will consider Harry to be of age for the most part."

"Does anyone know what they require as far as proper documents?" asked Remus.

Again Hermione pulled out a notebook, this one her own and said, "According to a statute that they imposed in 1741 and I can't find anything more recent to refute it, the marriage must be legal by some form of government, Muggle counts. However if we do use a Muggle ceremony, we are required to have at least one magical witness and there must be a bonding by a cleric."

"I won't be able to act as your witness, but both Tonks and Minerva should be recognized and as far as finding a cleric, Minerva?" said Remus.

"I have a cousin who is a priestess, she will fit the bill."

"Are you sure she is willing and will keep it quiet?" asked Harry.

McGonagall took a deep breath and said, "I realize that you don't know much about me personally Potter and as you are my student, it is necessary, but there are few families that were untouched by You-Know-Who's regime last time. My brother's granddaughter was married to Gideon Prewett, he was..."

"Mrs. Weasley's brother. He and his brother, Fabian, were in the Order. Mad-Eye said that they were killed by Dolohov." He finished the last quietly as he looked at Hermione.

"That is correct Potter. Before that however, in late 1979, as punishment for my brother and niece's and their spouses' open defiance of him, for mine, Miranda, and Gideon's support of Albus, our membership in the Order, my niece, her husband, my brother and sister-in-law, and my parents were killed to send a message. I assure you Potter, my mother's niece will assist us and she will do it quietly."

"It doesn't look like it needs to be done before we take possession of these two properties. It's like London, but there are other odd references. I don't know if there are other properties and he won't get those until he is of age or if this is just some odd sort of Goblin accounting symbol. There is absolutely nothing in the library on it."

"If I may, Hermione," said Remus holding out his hands for the ledger.

"Sure," she handed it over to him.

"Take out the other that Minerva gave you and see if you can quickly find the Potter properties. If not, we have a bit of time to look over this, but these two houses were James and Lily's, there were a couple of other's. I am guessing that Harry has access to these two and will have to wait until he is of age to obtain the deeds to the others. There should be a house in Brighton and something in Marseille, but those were Potter."

Hermione pulled out the ledger and quickly looked at the table of contents and located the Potter section; from there she made quick work of the inventory and said, "There are a few Potter family properties. Oh..." Hermione's eyes got wide and she said, "Remus is right. Brighton, Marseille, St. Thomas, a cottage in Ireland, a cottage in Godric's, well the house your parents hid in, and a... a large castle in the Scottish highlands that you have an anonymous contract with the ministry to use as a school."

McGonagall blanched and she stood quickly and walked over to where Hermione was looking. "That is not possible. The castle was originally Godric Gryffindor's."

Hermione was turning pink in concentration. She pulled Harry's cloak out of her bag and slipped it over her head. "I'll be right back." She sprinted from the room and left them standing there in awe. Ten minutes later she ran back into the room breathing hard and said in a strangled voice, "Professor if you would redo the door please."

"Very well, Miss Granger, but it would be best not to get caught running in the halls." She charmed the walls and door then looked at Hermione expectantly.

Hermione pulled out a well read copy of Hogwarts: A History and quickly turned it to a section on the founding of the school. "Here. See, the castle, which was home to Godric Gryffindor and Rowena Ravenclaw, was thought to be the perfect site for the school, near the village of Hogsmeade and far from any established Muggle communities."

"Home of Godric and Rowena?" asked Harry confused.

Hermione rolled her eyes and said, "They were married, Harry, or I guess handfasted in those days. After Rowena died, Godric eventually remarried and he and his second wife, um, Rhonwen, declared that even though the castle and grounds were to be left to Godric and Rowena's descendents it was to be used as a school admitting and educating all of Britain's magical children. Ownership of the property is passed down to the eldest male child, but as it is obvious that Harry's last name is not Gryffindor, that the male line has died out."

Harry was looking around the room wildly and then his eyes settled on Hermione once again, "What?"

"You are the many great grandson of Godric Gryffindor and Rowena Ravenclaw." She was quiet for a minute then said, "The sword Harry. It was lost to the ages and then it appeared for you as you fought against Slytherin's descendent too."

"Blimey," said Tonks. "I think this is also one of those things that we need to not get around. Rita Skeeter would love this story. I can just see the headline now. Heir of Salazar Slytherin prophesized to meet heir of Godric Gryffindor to decide fate of wizarding Britain. Not something anyone needs to know. Makes sense that your lives are intertwined like this."

"I wonder if the Grey Lady knows you are her many great nephew, Harry," wondered Hermione.

"The Grey Lady? Isn't she that unfriendly ghost that hangs around the library?"

Exchanging an exasperated look with McGonagall, Hermione flipped open her book and pointed to a portrait. "The Grey Lady is the ghost of Ravenclaw tower and she was, in life, the daughter of Rowena Ravenclaw."

"Gryffindor too then," observed Harry.

"It worked differently back then. You were your father's son and your mother's daughter," explained Hermione.

Tonks was looking at the pair in awe and asked, "I wonder if Ravenclaw has any descendents. I mean other than Harry. But like Hermione said, one that would be considered hers."

No one except Harry saw McGonagall's lip twitch as if there was some private joke she was not sharing with the rest of them. "Yes, she has one left, but as she is childless, the line will end soon."

Harry finally broke a five minute silence by asking, "What were we talking about before all of this started?"

"Properties, Harry. If we can take possession of any of the properties and get things started before we get married or before your birthday. Can Remus leave here and go check on the one he is suggesting and make sure that it is fit to live in? I think so, just like I think that London is yours now too. We don't have to wait to secure them, specifically London."

McGonagall sighed and said, "I find it unlikely that I will have time in my schedule to meet with you tomorrow for a progress report. Let's schedule the day after, after dinner. I should be able to tell you if I am able to arrange that meeting for you. Granger, once you are confident that Potter is able to perform the charms required to reestablish Grimmauld Place as a secure location, please have Remus escort you both along with whomever Potter chooses as secret keeper. You both have permission to leave the school grounds for this endeavor and at that time, you may make a trip to whatever bookstores you deem necessary to acquire more specific information on the topics that you have been looking into. It also might be prudent to visit the bank and withdrawal quite a bit of gold, just in case we have underestimated how quickly things will change. I do request that you send me your owl. You may also continue to use the classroom in the Arithmancy wing for your reading."

Harry looked over at Hermione and asked, "Arithmancy wing?"

"Do you really think that Ron and Ginny can find it?"

"I'd never been there before, personally."

"Exactly. Come on. I think Professor McGonagall has just dismissed us." The teens loaded up all the books and notebooks into Hermione's bag and then slipped under the cloak.

Two days later Ginny cornered Hermione in a corridor while Harry was under the cloak. After several irritating conversations with Ron and Ginny the two of them made it a point to be seen without the other in order to ward off suspicion. "Hermione, where's Harry?"

"I'm not sure at the moment. Professor McGonagall sent him and Remus out earlier to secure headquarters. I understand it was expected to be a long trip."

"Headquarters? Oh you mean... um... I don't remember where it is." She shook her head trying to find the information.

"Exactly. Harry, Remus, and the new secret keeper had business to take care of. We have to clean up before the Death Eaters and Voldemort find out what we've been up to. Snape, Ginny."

"Why do you know where Harry went?" she asked in an accusatory fashion.

"I was in the room with McGonagall when she made arrangements with Remus." Hermione looked around. She could feel Harry standing nearby. "We'll be finished soon. I know that I should be finished after dinner, I presume Harry will too. So hopefully you can spend some time together tonight and then there is the train after the funeral tomorrow."

Ginny took a softer tone when she thought Hermione was trying to help her find time with Harry. "I know Ron is looking forward to being able to spend some time with you too, Hermione."

"I really wish you would stop trying to get me with Ron," snapped Hermione. "We just got back on track at being friends and I have no desire for anything else. Ron asked me last year and I was as clear as I could be about how I felt about him. I'm sorry, but that is the way it is", Hermione just waved to the younger girl and walked away as she saw Ron out of the corner of her eye running towards them. Ducking into a hidden corridor Harry threw the cloak over Hermione and the two of them eased back out to listen to the siblings.

Ron walked up to Ginny and said, "I thought I saw you talking to Hermione."

"You did, she took off towards the fourth floor."

"She with Harry?"

"No. She said that Harry is somewhere with Professor Lupin redoing the protections on, um, that place we stayed at one summer."

Ron looked confused and then nodded. "Right I can't remember it, but yeah. At least they aren't together." Ron looked around then once he ascertained they were alone, he leaned in and said, "I don't think that it's working Ginny. Either you aren't giving her enough or Mum isn't making it right."

"Maybe if you would stop being such an idiot and making comments about 'stupid Muggles', she wouldn't fight it so much. It's worked on Harry and it will work on Hermione, eventually. Just give it time."

"It's been a year. We shouldn't have done it in the first place."

"You need to decide. First you were whinging last year that they were going to get together and now you are saying that it shouldn't have been done. It's too late now anyway, I'm not giving Harry up. Mum says we're fated, that she just has a feeling."

"You know what is going to happen if they ever find out?"

"They won't. I'm not going to tell, Mum isn't going to tell, and you aren't going to tell. We'll be able to give her more once she comes for the summer. Maybe if you're lucky, you two will be shagging like bunnies by the end of the first week." No one missed the goofy grin that crossed Ron's face when he imagined doing just the activity that Ginny was suggesting.

Ginny snorted, "Go find her and offer to help her read or carry books back and forth to the library or something."

Harry felt a damp spot on his shirt appear where Hermione was leaning in to him. He took her by the hand and led her to the classroom they had basically moved in to over the last few days. Once he charmed the door and made it so the Extendable Ears wouldn't work, he pulled Hermione to him and held her as she cried out all of her hurt and betrayal. "I'm sorry, Hermione."

"What did we do to deserve this, Harry? Why did they want to take you from me? I don't understand how someone who said she cared about us, how Mrs. Weasley who says she loves you like she was your mum, could do this to us. That isn't love Harry. I don't know what it is, but it isn't love."

The pair just held each other for several hours reeling in the shock of listening to Ron's betrayal. At half past six they headed down for dinner. Hermione entering first and Harry a few minutes behind her. Sitting next to Hermione he scooped several things on to his plate and began to move them around. "Aren't you going to eat, Hermione?" asked Ron. She was doing the same thing as Harry.

"No, not hungry. Just thinking about the funeral tomorrow."

Ginny sat herself down and practically crawled into Harry's lap. "Hermione said you were finished with your project. We could go for a walk or spend a bit of time on the common room couch." She said as she reached over and tried to squeeze his leg.

"Ginny, I've asked you to stop. I've had other things to do and you know what, you're right we haven't spent any time together in the last week. Why don't you finish eating and then we will go for a walk," said Harry. Ginny just looked at him and beamed.

A few minutes later McGonagall came up to the table and said, "Potter, Granger, please follow me. We have a bit more business to attend to." She saw the expression on Ginny's face and said, "Miss Weasley, rest assured that they will be occupied all evening. Don't forget the train leaves tomorrow after the service, it might serve you and your dorm mates well to pack."

Harry and Hermione obediently stood and followed the acting headmistress out. As soon as they cleared the doors she said, "Head down to the kitchens and get something for yourselves and my guest to eat."

"Guest?" Harry looked at her oddly.

"You did ask me to bring someone into the castle to meet with you, did you not Potter? She hasn't had dinner yet either. I will wait for you at the entrance to the Arithmancy corridor."

Fifteen minutes later the pair had a baked chicken and related side dishes with them along with a flask of pumpkin juice, crockery, cutlery, and goblets.

Hermione looked at the headmistress and said, "Normally, we just get sandwiches for ourselves, but since you are feeding company, we thought a bacon and egg sandwich might not really be appreciated."

"You are fine, Miss Granger. She has until tomorrow when the Hogwarts Express is scheduled at arrive in London to speak with you, after that she has a pressing obligation, but is more than willing to meet on a regular basis to discuss the situation."

"Is she riding the train back with us?" asked Hermione.

"No, Miss Granger, your trunks can be sent to your residences. I trust you are able to Apparate home from Hogsmeade, bypassing your need to take the train altogether. I will take Mr. Potter to his aunt and uncle's personally. I should introduce myself as it is."

Harry stopped and looked at McGonagall, "Professor, something that you should know, and you may pass it along to Tonks and Remus as you see fit. We, um, we overheard a conversation between Ron and Ginny just after lunch this afternoon. Ron knew about the potions and it is Mrs. Weasley that is sending them. After saying that he didn't think that they were working on Hermione, Ron questioned whether using them was a good idea. He is supposed to be our best friend and Mrs. Weasley..." Harry shook his head and looked at his head of house, "we just wanted to let you know, ma'am."

"It is a prosecutable offence, Potter."

"I think confronting them like we discussed and then never having anything more to do with them will be best. I don't really need the publicity."

"That is one thing you truly don't need, Potter. She's in here." McGonagall opened a classroom door to find a young woman with thick curly orange red hair reading a book. When the door opened she had come to a stand and was smiling at them as they walked in. Harry took in the woman's appearance and thought she looked more like McGonagall's granddaughter than daughter. This woman couldn't be Bill Weasley's age. He had just convinced himself that he heard the story wrong; that she was in school last time he was in power and somehow learned about the Horcruxes, when a voice behind him said, "Mum?"