It was damn hard to feign indifference to the 500 pairs of eyes following my steps as soon as I entered the Great Hall the next morning with Hermione at my side. On our way I warned her about the risks she would face by taking openly my side, but she only waved away my concerns saying that being ostracized for associating with me was something she'd already got used to and couldn't care less about. So we just blocked out all noise as we strode towards the Hufflepuff table.
"Hermione, the Gryffindor table is here!"
"Thank you, Ronald, I'm very much aware of that," she spat back, not slowing down for a second. Upon reaching the Puffs' table, something unexpected happened. Cedric, until now in animated discussion with a classmate of his, abruptly stopped talking and stood, reaching out with his right hand toward me.
"I don't know how it had happened, Harry, but we're in it together."
"Thanks, Cedric," I nodded, feeling really thankful of the acceptance, and firmly shook his hand. Damned Hufflepuff loyalty."You are the one and only Hogwarts Champion, so when I get out of the Tournament, I'm going to root for you. I will even wear your Hufflepuff scarf twenty four-seven if that helps you secure first place before that snotty Française and wonder-Krum."
Amused, Diggory snorted, giving my hand a firm shake again. "Agreed. If I win, I'll buy you ice-cream, Harrikins. Miss Granger," he acknowledged Hermione, not unkindly, and the two of us found two empty spots that had just mysteriously appeared on Susan's right and got seated.
"Thanks for your letter, Susan," I leaned closer, trying to keep the conversation private.
" No sweat, Harry," she nodded back. "Hi Hermione. I guess the Hat sorted you into the wrong House."
She was right, of course, but not completely. Hermione was as much a Lion, as she was a Raven and a Badger at the same time.
"Hi Susan," Hermione smiled back. "I'm perfectly fine here, thank you."
"So, Auntie said that I wasn't supposed to tell you about this, but she said she knew that I would do so anyway and, being the awesome Auntie that she is, she couldn't deny anything from her favourite niece, yours truly," the strawberry blonde continued in one breath. "You will also be receiving a letter from her in a few moments if I'm not mistaken. Anyway, there will be an official Ministry inquiry as to last night's events. An Auror will be stationed permanently at Hogwarts to protect you." Of course, Hermione and I already knew about that, but Susan didn't have to know that we knew, as of yet.
"Not that he would be allowed to bring me to seventh-year level or attend the tasks himself in order to protect me," I played my part reasonably well, I guessed.
"Champions are not supposed to be aided during the tasks, of course, at least not by staff members," Hermione piped in.
"Of course not, but Auntie and Kingsley guessed that the person entering you is still at Hogwarts and might take a go at you any moment." What a nice perspective. "Hence the protective detail."
A huge dark brown, almost black owl chose this very moment to drop an official-looking envelope in front of me, dead right on my plate loaded with scrambled eggs and black pudding. I fished out a rash of bacon from under the envelope and fed it to the bird. When it took off again, I tore the envelope open.
"Dear Mr. Potter, Harry,
I'm writing you not only in my quality as Director of the DMLE, hence the somewhat informal tone of this letter. Following up on last night's events,I want to start an inquiry into the charges brought forward by you against one or more, as of yet unspecified persons.
This formal hearing will take place on November 5 at 10:00 at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Your protective detail will accompany you to and from the hearing and also will be present during the hearing. Normally I would advise you that you, as a minor, should also be accompanied by your magical guardian, but in this specific case you are allowed to bring your legal representative/counsellor Headmaster and the Hogwarts staff already have been informed of your absence from school.
For the sake of objectivity, please let me warn you that giving false statements during the hearing will be punishable by law up to the extent of a fine of one thousand Galleons. To secure the acceptance of your statements as genuine you may want to elect to testify under Veritaserum under the supervision of your legal representative/counsellor; two drops of Veritaserum, fifteen questions previously approved by your counsellor.
Harry, I want to find the culprit who did this and I also want address and solve the other alarming issues you mentioned yesterday. I of course knew your parents - I daresay we were sort of friends - and I knew they had other ideas about your upbringing in case anything happened to them, so, if your accusations are true, heads will roll, that one I can promise.
Don't worry, son, you haven't done anything wrong, no matter what people would tell you.
Sincerely,
Amelia Bones"
Casting a minor Privacy Charm – the one I knew – I let my two female companions read the letter as well.
"Well, I expected anything but this from the Director of Magical Law Enforcement," I cast a quick glance around, carefully observing the girls' reaction. "A fine of 500 G for blowing up my aunt, using my wand in a Muggle neighbourhood to call the Knight Bus, or just breathing loud, but not this."
"Obviously, the director of the DMLE should be upholding the law and ideally be unbiased," my dear bookworm-Hermione piped in – and I simply failed to find anything illogical in her comment , but I felt there was a big...
"Buuut," she stopped, pausing for effect, and I swore the first time I got out to Muggle England I would be buying at least a dozen lottery tickets, "with you being a celebrity, Mr. Potter..."
She balled her small fist and took a playful hit at my shoulder. "I mean, any accusations about conspiracy to murder as well as Professor Dumbledore's obvious inaptitude to protect those put into his care by one or another obscure law should ring a bell with just about any law enforcement and what with you uttering those charges just added the extra weight to be taken really seriously."
I stared at her, incredulous. "One day, hopefully in the not-so-distant future, you will tell me how you can utter so many smart words and build and soundly defend any compex theory without even breathing, Ms. Granger."
Ouch. This time it was two fists, one redhead, one brunette, and far from playful as both my aching shoulders would witness.
"Down boy," Susan lovingly chided me, "it's Hermione Granger, future Minister of Magic you are talking about."
"Woe to anyone crossing her path, I would say," a new voice broke through the privacy charm. I questioningly raised my head.
"Sloppy wandwork, Potter, with that Privacy Charm. It would have taken a second-year about two seconds to break through it," the newcomer heavily plopped down on a chair opposite us. "Hello me, hi Hermione!"
Two sets of eyes – one green, one chocolate brown – grew saucer-size and two sets of – rather kissable, I would say – plump, soft, pink lips formed a perfect "O" at the sight of the newcomer. Down boy indeed.
"Hello... me, I guess," the Susan on my left broke out of the stupor first.
I had a fairly good idea as to what was happening, so I leaned back on my chair and decided to enjoy the show. It was quite enjoyable, thank you very much, watching Hermione - for once at a loss for words - gasping for breath, her eyes darting to and fro between the two Susans.
"You are not Susan Bones," she finally blurted out, reaching for her wand. "Who the hell are you?"
"Why do you think I am not Susan Bones?"
"I simply know, right?"
"Hermione, put that thing away before you poke out someone's eye," I reached over, placing my hand on hers – God it felt soft and warm and alive – and gently lowered it. "I'm sure there's a completely reasonable explanation as to whe have two Susan Boneses at the Hufflepuff table at this very moment."
"Sure there is," faux-Susan snorted, casting an imperceptible wink in my direction. "I am the real Susan Bones and the one on Harry's left is an impostor."
"The Hell it is!" The temperature started to rise dangerously around the table. "This is the real Susan Bones and if you don't tell me this instant who you are and what you want from us, I will curse you to Jupiter and backwards! Let go of me, Harry!" She struggled a bit but didn't remove her hand from mine which was still a good sign. I winked back at her tormentor, as if trying to say "Stop torturing her!"
"Guilty as charged," faux-Susan reached under her robe and produced an Auror badge, placing it on the table in front of Hermione. "What gave me away?"
Unfortunately, this time Hermione did withdraw her hand and picked up the badge, examining it very carefully. Then, she resignedly sighed and passed the badge back to faux-Susan. "At first I thought you had taken Polyjuice Potion, which would explain the 100% similarity from the outside as I simply can't tell the two of you apart. However, the original you is a female who is older than us, at least a few inches higher and much better developed than a teenager; I saw you walk towards the table and you seemed quite incomfortable with your body as if you weren't used to walking on your own legs."
Hell yeah, those well-developed C-cups were pressed against me in a goodbye hug last night, tell me all about it.
"However," Hermione continued, "your voice slightly being different from Susans would suggest otherwise, as the Polyjuice Potion would create a 100% perfect copy of the original. So, my best bet is some incredibly sophisticated Transfiguration charms, quite possibly beyond the capabilities of Professor McGonagall, I even dare say the Headmaster."
"Right and wrong," Tonks finally took pity on my slightly hyperventillating best female friend and her still dumbstruck alter ego – or rather original ego, morphing her hair into an exact copy of Hermione's untameable bush.
"A METAMORPHMAGUS!" The excited shriek from both channels of my female stereo system left my ears ringing for a few seconds.
"Auror Tonks of the DMLE, at your service," she morphed back into her gorgeous self - fully fitting into Hermione's description that I was rather pleased to see, even if she was my cousin and much older and, as such, no possible dating material - only her quick glance at my direction suggesting that the girls didn't need to knew her first name if I wanted to live another day. "Damn, I never managed to get that voice stem part straight."
"Other than that, you did a marvellous job," Susan admitted. "For a moment, I did believe I was seeing double. But you, Mr. Potter, on the other hand..."
"Yes, you, Mr. Potter," Hermione piped in, threateningly drawing her brows together, " you weren't surprised for the slightest bit. You knew all about this, didn't you, that's why you were sitting here all so calm and didn't say a single word?"
I pulled my neck into my sholders, trying to make myself as small and invisible as possible. Winding up one female could sometimes be damaging to one's health, but angering two of the smartest and most powerful Hogwarts witches of our age I was at present bookended by could only be classified as something akin to suicide. So I just silently prayed that whatever punishment would come it would be quick and relatively painless.
The symmetrical, ugly, blackish bruises on my shoulders would remain visible even after a week and at least two pints of Dittany essence.
After my punishment had properly been dealt with, and, in Hermione's case, immediately been kissed better after warning me of all possible consequencies of angering the future Minister of Magic – Susan promptly refused saying in a dark voice that it was her that had been pranked and such pranks needed to be washed by blood and preferably lots of it – it was time to finish breakfast and start classes. I carefully voiced my opinion to the girls, only to have been delivered the biggest surprise of my short life yet.
"Screw classes," my bushy-haired friend declared as-a-matter-of-factly." She could not miss the incredulous expression appering on my face, how could she?
"Are you sure you are not a Polyjuiced Ron Weasley" I managed to blurt out when my initial shock wore off.
"Oh, seriously, Harry," Hermione huffed annoyedly, "you have a hearing in a few days that we have to prepare you for, we have to find a legal counsellor for you, we have to agree on the questions we want them to ask you if you choose to testify under Veritaserum, ..."
"Down girl," I put my arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer, burying my face in her hair. "It will all be fine. I got you, Tonks, Susan; we will figure things out together," I whispered into her ear.
I felt her almost imperceptible shiver as my hot breath brushed her skin but she didn't drew away; on the contrary, she turned towards me in the uncomfortable chair and threw her arms around my neck.
"Hey lovebirds," the soft mezzosoprano of Tonks swam into my ear, "I know just the right place for you to practice your lovemaking,"
"NYMPHADORA!"
"She is right, Harry. Let's move to our new 'quarters' and start planning. I'm just going to talk to Professor McGonagall; she will understand, and I will ask her to inform the other teachers as well. Give me a sec." Hermione rose and made her way towards the staff table, engaging in vivid conversation with our head of House. I did make out a few barely imperceptible wand gestures as she cast a privacy bubble around themselves and this time even Tonks seemed impressed.
"Damn, Harry, you got yourself a looker who's mad about you and on top of all this she's got the best set of brains this fine school can offer. I'm really proud of you, scrawny cousin of mine."
"Wait... wh... what... how..."
"BOYS!" Tonks and Susan spoke in unison in that specific tone that must have been used for centuries by members of the fair sex to describe clueless males. Yes, I was clueless, alright? How could I even expect or hope for anything like that when I didn't even manage to figure out my own feelings towards Hermione? Hell, until last night even I didn't know I was having feelings for her, feelings beyond that deep friendship that had cemented us together precisely three years ago on Halloween night, and now I was outright scared that these new feelings would ruin that friendship if we didn't work out. We did have an awkward conversation hanging above our heads as a sort of Damocles' sword, that's for sure.
"Hermione is right, Mr. Celebrity," Susan spoke in an unexpectedly serious tone. "You have been marked; school and classes should be your least concern now."
"Tell me something I don't know, Sue dear," I lowered my head, resigned. Somehow, when someone not even in the least interested in me said those words, they suddenly started to weigh much heavier on my chest, making me even more realize exactly in how deep shit I had been landed.
She flushed prettily at hearing the sudden term of endearment. Yeah, about this time everyone standing on my side and not on the opposite one was dear to me – even though I could count them on two hands perhaps, but somehow these three lovely ladies and I were bound to form a strong team and, as such, stood much closer to me than any of my other supporters might have. Hermione, of course, even closer; we just had to make up our minds about just precisely how close.
"Really, I'm very thankful for your support, and not because of your aunt being who she is, Sue."
"No sweat, loverboy," she came back at me; honestly, just where on Merlin's saggy underwear could she have picked up those Muggle phrases? "Come on, your girlfriend is on a mission, so it seems. I have double Potions first, and I don't want to get on Snape's wrong side, so..."
"Why, he has a good side too?"
"Touché," Sue cackled pleasantly. "Anyway, after Potions I will look you up, maybe I can help with something too."
Hermione, who in the meantime had rejoined us at the table and poured herself a last cup of coffee, emptying it in one gulp, Tonks and I shared a quick glance, then the two girls nodded in unison.
"Meet us in two hours in the Astronomy Tower, we will have quite a few things to discuss," I decided quickly. I stood quickly, and boldly planted a quick kiss on Sue's red locks; yes, I allowed myself this much luxury hoping this minor display of friendship would not spoil any possible relationships that might or might not develop between Hermione and myself.
"Where do I sign up for bragging rights about having been kissed by the Boy-who-lived?" Tonks interjected, winking at Sue.
"You are family, Tonks, you don't count. 'Family' kisses on the cheek are acceptable; you two snogging, however, would have a high 'EWH' factor in my book," Hermione brushed her away, claiming my hand and pulling me up in one swift motion. Tonks stood as well joining us, and we waved Sue goodbye as we left the Great Hall, making our way towards the staircase.
"How about... this?" Tonks innocently asked, briefly morphing her hair into a short black carre and her features into one certain Slytherin's.
Hermione stopped, and thought for a while. "Technically, it would be still 'EWH', but... a poor woman like me does have to make some sacrifices for the Greater Good sometimes," she finished with a faux theatrical gesture.
"Do I get a saying in this?" I asked.
"NO!" both girl answered in unison. "You will get instead the snog of your lifetime, Tonks her bragging rights, I – hopefully - a sort of boyfriend with more snogging experience than I have and a certain someone in Slytherin, well, a very bad day indeed. So I'm afraid, my dear Harry, that you will have to make this one sacrifice. I will make it up for you, don't worry," Hermione squeezed my hand, drawing me closer until our shoulders brushed against each other.
"Dear me," I fanned my face with my free hand. "The things I have to suffer for the Greater Good." Inside, however, my heart was beating a wild sarabande. Which healthy 14-year old boy wouldn't be excited in my place about the perspective of being snogged senseless by a gorgeous young woman?
It took us quite some time to get to the seventh floor as we wanted to avoid students and teachers alike, so we took again the same shortcuts Tonks and I had taken last night. A door hidden behind a tapestry depicting an idyllic pastoral scene took us from the second floor directly to the fifth, at least judging by the classrooms we had seen on our way. And, as I could judge from Hermione's body language – we held hands all the way – she marvelled at those tiny miracles magic could provide no less than myself.
"Wait a sec, guv'nor," Tonks stood abruptly as we arrived at the corridor section leading to the Come-and-Go Room. She pulled her wand – thank God this time not from her cleavage - and etched a few runes into the left wall, the floor and the ceiling, ending on the opposite wall. Then she pronounced a short incantation – not Latin, I could figure out that, rather something slightly resembling Germanic, Norse perhaps – and four bright blue rays of light slammed into the runes which shimmered faintly for a few seconds, then vanished, as did the whole corridor section in front of us. I walked up to the closest wall and examined the places where the runes had been drawn, Hermione of course following closely, but could find no sign of the runes ever having been there.
"Nope, not telling," Tonks singsonged, feeling that Hermione was just about to burst with a dozen questions. "Down lass, what you don't know can't hurt you. Suffice it to say that there are only about five people in Great Britain who could break through this privacy shield. Nobody will EVER find this corridor section again, until..."
Suddenly, I felt as if my stomach had been stung by a gigantic wasp. The pain, however, went as it came and the corridor came into existence again before my eyes. Tonks, finally, replaced her wand and I emitted a mental sigh.
"I keyed the ward to you, cuz, so that only you and those in direct physical contact with you can pass through the illusion. Other people will feel a very much real solid wall, and so will their heads, I'm afraid." She grabbed my hand and I led the two girls across the barrier, and in a few moments we were already inside the room that I suddenly came to think of as a sort of Headquarters to Operation-Make-Harry-Survive-The-Tournament.
