Riddle's Resolution


Hogwarts' students had a hard time. Their two weeks of Christmas holidays had passed way to fast.

Neville, Ron, and Harry were dragging their feet up to the Gryffindor's common room. The first day of classes after a holiday was always hard. For Neville, it had been even harder, since he had opted for riding home over Christmas.

"You should have stayed at Hogwarts." Ron quoted himself.

Neville sighed, "I had no say in it. My Grandma decided, that I would celebrate Christmas at home."

Ron shrugged his shoulders. "Just saying, you could have spared you one nasty ride on the train."

Harry intervened on Neville's behalf, "Ron, how was anyone supposed to know, that a snowstorm would elongate their train ride from an eight hour trip to eighteen hours?"

Ron fell quiet for a while. "Trelawny could have foreseen it!"

His friends had a good laugh at that one.

It was then, that Hermione came over them, like a hawk upon its prey. Neville, Ron, and Harry looked all equally startled when the witch came out of a secondary corridor. "I would like to exchange some words with Harry." When Neville and Ron stared dumbstruck at the witch, she added, "In privacy."

Hermione's gaze wandered between Ron and Neville. Since there was no room for misinterpretation left, both boys started to back off.

"See you." Ron waved halfheartedly.

Neville mumbled an unintelligible farewell.

Harry looked at the young witch. Her hair was back to bushy. But somehow, she did still look pretty and not exhausted at all. Even though she had been on the train as well.

Since Harry was – like always – out of neat and creative lines, he settled for the lame and polite course, "How were your holidays?"

Hermione crinkled her nose upon remembering, how she had been grilled by her parents. "It was kind of okayish. What about you?"

"Same for me." Harry shrugged his shoulders. "We were stuck in the castle, thanks to that snowstorm. How was it in...?" The wizard came to a standstill when he tried to remember, where Hermione came from. He knew where Seamus, Dean, Neville and obviously Ron lived. Feeling kind of sheepish he asked, "Where do you come from?"

"Aylesbury," Hermione answered looking straight into Harry's face. "That is a small town between Oxford and London."

Lacking options, Harry pushed their very boring conversation forward, "What was the Weather like in Aylesbury?"

"It did snow for a few hours on boxing day," Hermione informed the wizard and added dryly. "So naturally traffic did collapse and we were lucky to not starve to death in our very own home."

"That's something that could actually happen to my cousin and uncle," Harry mumbled darkly.

Hermione lifted a questioning eyebrow. But before she could ask, Harry choose to change the topic, "You got any remarkable presents?"

The witch thought the question over, before answering. "Books, but you would call none of them remarkable." Hermione snorted, "Like the Monster Book of Monsters. What about you?"

"Dungbombs. Some sweets. A jumper with a dragon on it. Socks and … stuff." Harry had the distinct feeling he should not tell Hermione of the magical penknife, he had received from Sirius. Just to keep the silence away, he asked, "Name me a title of one of your new books."

For whatever reason, he did not know, but that question earned Harry a guarded look. Hermione visibly pondered her answer, but finally said, "Theory of Inhuman Magical fields."

Harry pulled a face. "For which class is that book?"

"None. It is for my private amusement." The witch answered curtly. She choose that moment to change the topic of her own, "Did Fleur's hint help you out?"

Harry nodded vehemently, "Definitely! Ron and I submerged the Golden Egg in a bathtub. Turns out, that the screeching becomes a song, while the egg is underwater!"

"A song?" Hermione asked incredulously. Like every other Gryffindor, she had heard the sounds emitted from the Golden Egg when it was opened the first time.

"I know it's hard to believe, but the song has, in fact, a nice melody." Harry went forward with his explanation. "It's soothing."

Hermione could hardly believe that, "Really?"

"Really!" Harry persisted. "If you're interested - I could lend the egg to you."

Hermione was very tempted. "I may come back to that offer. For the moment it would sate my curiosity, if you told me, what the song was about."

"It's somewhat straightforward," Harry announced. "Something will be stolen from me and I'll have to get it back over the course of a single hour or I won't get it back."

"That is all?" Hermione's stare was very disapproving.

"Yes … No, it's not. The egg hints, that the getting back will have to be completed under water." Harry saw Hermione's frown become even more prominent. "I wrote the text of the song down." Harry stopped walking and took his the satchel off. He rummaged through its contents and finally pulled out a worn down piece of parchment.

Hermione snatched it out of Harry's hand. He watched her brown eyes rush over the lines of the song. He noticed her bushy hair bob when she nodded softly in regard to the conclusions he had noted next to the song's lines. "That seems about right."

"So you think, the task will be held inside of the lake?"

"That is a reasonable assumption."

"You think, I'll have to dive into the lake." Harry sighed dreadfully.

"Indeed." Hermione lifted a brow as Harry performed a minor deed in chivalry. He held the door to the library open.

After an awkward moment, Hermione said, "Thank you."

"So basically I've to learn how to hold my breath for an hour," Harry grumbled, as Hermione passed by him.

"Sure, you could try that," Hermione answered mockingly. "But maybe you should aim for growing yourself some gills."

Harry glowered at Hermione's retreating back. After releasing the door handle he hurried to her side, saying in an excited way, "You did not mean that in an ironic way!"

"No." Hermione blinked. "And no, since it would have been sarcastic, as I made fun of you."

"Whatever." Harry hurried to stop this particular lecture. "I meant, that you meant, I should really grow myself some gills!"

"That would be an option," Hermione confirmed.

"So you know a spell, that can grow me gills?"

"No. Or better said: Not yet." Hermione made a gesture, which engulfed numerous shelves of the library. "The answers for your problems can be found somewhere here."

"Where should I start looking?" Harry requested and grabbed the closest book. It was labeled, "Magical Mediterranean Water-Plants and Their Properties."

"Do not waste your time with a book about Herbology!" Hermione rolled her eyes. "If you want some gills, you will have to search the shelves about Transfiguration! Or maybe Charms. There might be even a potion. But Herbology will not help you with this."

"Okay." Harry put the book back.

"Having gills would solve your first problem."

"One moment." Harry stared at Hermione. "First? Is there another problem?"

"Is it not obvious?"

Harry thought everything over. "Not that I can see."

"You will have to dive through the Great Lake. For an hour. In February."

Harry scrunched his nose up, "Yeah, that's where gills would come in handy."

After a deep calming breath Hermione revealed, "The water will be freezing cold!"

Harry's eyes went wide and he gasped, "I'd not thought of that!"

"And how are you supposed to find anything in the Great Lake?"

"You're right! It's huge. And who knows how deep it is?"

"And have you ever tried to swim for a full hour? It is no less taxing than running for the same time."

Harry paled just a little bit, "So I need to learn four charms?"

"You could always increase your stamina via sports."

"I am playing Quidditch," Harry argued.

One of Hermione's eyebrows rose at a glacial pace. "There are always potions. They could give you an edge."

"Okay, so I need to learn three charms."

Hermione gave a decisive nod. "Let us search for a spell that keeps you warm."

"Shouldn't we start with the one, that'll allow me to breathe underwater? It sounds more important to me."

"It is," Hermione confirmed.

Harry watched Hermione. She was reading the titles of books' spines. He objected, "Those are about warmth."

"Thank you for telling me." Hermione scoffed. "You will start learning the charm that keeps you warm because it is easier to locate. I have only a very vague idea, where to find a spell, that will give you gills."

They went over two dozen books dedicated to staying warm. Wizards liked the lush life and they most definitely disliked being cold! Harry had no chance at keeping up with Hermione's operating speed. He managed to check only three books and even those were double checked by the witch. He did not dare to reciprocate this.

Once it became obvious, that Hermione was working alone, Harry settled for being her sidekick. He carried books around and noted side numbers and bullet points.

Most the time Hermione skimmed registries. Only after going over half of the books did she actually bother to check one of the spells. Mostly she read descriptions. Overall she studied only five magical formulas and their corresponding wand movements.

The task was finished in roundabout one hour. Hermione pushed one book in front of Harry and pointed at the charm she had chosen.

The young wizard was impressed. Hermione had chosen a spell which appeared to be made for his upcoming situation. It had a short incantation, an easy wand movement and it seemed to be powerful enough to keep him warm in freezing water.

"It would be best if you started practicing today," Hermione announced.

"You're probably right." Harry marked the page. He raised from his chair and placed it carefully back under the table. "So you'll keep on searching for a transfiguration or spell, that allows me to breathe underwater?"

"Or a charm," Hermione added. She had stood up as well.

"Thank you. I don't know, what I would be doing without you."

"Well..." Hermione said and before Harry knew what hit him, she leaned forward and planted a kiss on his lips.

„That was not, what I was aiming for." Hermione frowned.

Harry felt as though both he and time had frozen. He had not moved at all when Hermione placed her hands on his shoulders and kissed him once more.

This time she was not aiming for a simple peck onto his lips though. Harry felt her soft lips move and out of some sort of reflex or a subliminal decision he did the same. A tongue licked at his bottom lip and without thinking about it he mirrored it.

When they parted from their second kiss, significantly more time had passed and there was a gleam in Hermione's eyes. She radiated pure happiness. Harry was reminded of the Yule Ball. It was so different from her usual demeanor, but it suited her so well.

"Well, that was way better." Hermione beamed. "We will have to work on that part, but for now I will be busy. Off you go!"

Moments later Harry left the library rather stiffly. He was not sure what exactly had happened just now.