Authorial Notes - Well people, here's another chapter! I hope you all enjoy.
Achin 2 Lick Clays Neck - Thanks for your comments, but the spectacularness has only just begun!
tris2 - You should feel loved. :p And yes, I sort of did have your voice in my head when I said that line. And I'm afraid you're gonna have to keep on "killing me" with the amount of cliffies I intend to drop throughout this story.
LuciusAndSnapeRock - My story says "Thanks for your love!" And I agree with it. :p And of course insanity beats normality... it's so much more fun!
Phire Phoenix - You better run for the hills before the armageddon comes. If you did miss something, you may want to re-check the middle section of chapter 6. And thanks for your praise of my story! :)
band camper - ...nice try, tris. :p
Chapter 8 – Theory and Investigation
Hermione shook her head fervently, spreading her bushy hair as she clambered up the staircase to the top of the tower, where the girls' dormitory lay. She burst open the door and was assaulted by a myriad of different colours. The room had been split into three vivid sections, each with their own contrasting colour schemes. When they had decoration in third year, it had seemed like a good idea, but now the girls were keeping it as it was simply out of habit.
Hermione cut across Parvati's bright pink segment of the doughnut shaped room, and entered her own. Instantly, she was surrounded by a fathom of soothing sky blue paint. A small nest of trained fairies, all of which who were emitting cyan light, hovered above Hermione's grand four-poster bed. Hermione stepped over a displaced pile of books on the floor, noting silently her need for a new bookcase. She stood in front of her mirror, which was affixed onto the central circular wall of the chamber.
"I don't know why I'm even bothering to say this, as you never listen," the Mirror complained in a loud abrasive voice, "But please, for the love of magic, do something with your hair!"
Hermione sighed. She wasn't paying attention. Thoughts of Ron kept on echoing around her head. What had she ever seen in him? I mean, apart from the fact that he could be so funny sometimes. And he had those cute freckles. And that red hair. And he always managed to be so... Annoying. Her common sense slapped back into place. Sometimes he could be so tactless; he never noticed anything of importance.
Still, she had no clue why she hadn't told the others what she had seen that slimy Slytherin Malfoy doing. A nagging voice in the back of her head wouldn't let her open her mouth. It wouldn't allow her to inform them. However, the voice did not raise any protests when she decided to fall into an argument with one of her best friends.
However, whether or not she was going to tell the others or not, she had definitely witnessed something. She needed to do further research and intelligence gathering. Malfoy had met with a robed figure just outside the castle grounds during the evening, and they had talked for a long time. Hermione was sure they weren't discussing the weather. She was still considering what action to take next when she was approached by Ginny.
"Are you OK?" She asked, stretching out a concerned hand onto Hermione's shoulder.
"Not really." Hermione sniffed.
Ginny was concise and to the point, yet she managed to render her question with a sympathetic tone of voice. "Is it about Ron?"
Hermione tensed slightly at the sound of his name. However, after a short pause she relaxed and conceded, "Not really. I guess the problem is with me."
This answer concerned Ginny. Hoping that Hermione hadn't fallen into a pit of self-loathing, she nervously asked, "What do you mean?"
"Well..." Hermione explained, "I kinda obsessed over something that never was; and to be honest something that I didn't really need. He's always been a good friend to me, and I'm grateful for just that."
Ginny smiled. "That's very mature of you."
"Not really." Hermione laughed feebly, "I'm just saying that - I hate his guts."
Ginny laughed along with her, before adding "You'll be OK, though?"
"Yeah." Hermione admitted, moving away from her mirror, and over to her bed. She slid a couple of open books off the duvet and they flopped onto the floor. She sat down in the newly freed space. Ginny surveyed the wreckage shrouding the rest of of Hermione's bed covers.
"Errr..." she started to ask, but Hermione gave a pre-emptive answer.
"Just chuck it all on the floor, if you want."
Ginny carefully gathered a few books from the bed, and arranged them in a neat pile on the carpet besides. She took a seat next to Hermione.
"Thanks." Hermione said.
"Why?"
"Well – you've always been like a sister to me."
Ginny giggled, "I've had a lot of practise!"
The two sat in a fragile happiness.
"So..." Ginny moved on, "Are you going to tell us what you saw Draco Malfoy doing?"
Instantly, the demanding voice returned to Hermione's mind. "No... It's nothing."
"But it may be important!" Hermione thought back at the voice.
"You do not want to talk about it..." the voice persuaded smoothly. "They'll all think you're being silly, and laugh at you. Plus; after your little rant, what makes you think they'll listen?"
"I must!" Hermione defied the voice. "I think it is necessary for them to know!"
"No!" The voice demanded.
"Yes!" Hermione shouted in defiance.
From Ginny's reaction, Hermione could tell that this exclamation must have been out loud. Instantly, the heavy presence lifted itself from her mind. She gasped in relief. It was as if she had been drowning in icy water, and then suddenly brought back to oxygen.
"Draco Malfoy was outside, talking with what looked like a Death Eater."
Ginny shot up in shock at this revelation.
"Death Eaters!? Here at Hogwarts? You'd better go down and tell the others."
Hermione gave a mischievous smile. "I'd rather not face that lot at the moment. Just pass the message on to them for me."
Harry and Ron were waiting downstairs in the common room. Ron was poking his wand feebly at a sand pit positioned on the oak table in front of him.
"Move. Damn. You." he cursed at the immobile powder.
"I don't think that's the correct incantation." Harry remarked, as his own sand tower grew larger and larger.
"Why don't you do it for me, then?" Ron asked icily.
"You want me to do your charms homework?" Harry laughed. "I hardly think it's worth trying to copy me. It'd be wiser to copy someone actually good at the subject."
Ron growled at this thought, but before he could reply, the messenger Ginny, joined them around the table. Worried looks were passed as she relayed what Hermione had seen.
"Malfoy scheming?" Ron commented dryly. That's hardly news."
"But about what, exactly." Harry wondered.
"I dunno." Ginny replied. "She was being rather cryptic."
"Still..." Ron began, "It's worth knowing..."
"She's got it under control, OK?" Ginny interrupted aggressively.
Fortunately, Ron was bitterly satisfied with this answer. "Well... if she doesn't need our help, I guess that's fine with me."
Ginny scowled, but Harry stepped in, not wanting any more arguments.
"What subjects have we got tomorrow, Ron?"
Ron thought about it for a second, "None... it's a Saturday."
All three of them were relieved to hear this news. Despite the fact that they had only attended a half-week since returning from their summer holidays, it was perhaps one of the most stressful they'd experienced at Hogwarts.
"Let's go to bed." Harry suggested.
Everyone was eager to listen to this advice.
"Harry!" a voice hissed in his ear.
Harry rolled over in his bed, and groaned.
"Wake up, Harry!"
That voice again. Was he asleep and dreaming? Did someone want him?
"Come on..."
For a dreamed voice, it was very persistent.
"What..." Harry spoke aloud, searching for a name for a couple of seconds before one eventually clicked into place, "Hermione?"
"Yeah. It's me." She whispered "Can I borrow your cloak?"
"My what?" Harry murmured, rolling back to the other side of his bed.
"Your invisibility cloak."
Harry opened his eyes a fraction, to glance the words 5:05am on his enchanted stone of a bedside clock.
"Whatever." he grunted, and then promptly fell back into much needed slumber.
When Harry finally woke up, his clock read 1pm. Slipping into his casual wear, he turned to look behind him. Ron's bed was abandoned. Wondering what had possessed his red-haired friend to get up and leave at such an ungodly hour, he made his own way down to the common room. Hermione was sitting in a chair waiting for him.
"It was no good!" She informed him.
"Err... what?" Harry asked. Memories of his awakening earlier in the morning groggily returned to him. "What? The invisibility cloak didn't work?"
"Not quite..." Hermione half-explained. "I just couldn't put it to any useful use."
"What were you trying to do?" Harry inquired, now interested.
Hermione flashed a cheeky smile. "I was trying to break into the Slytherin common room."
Harry was impressed by this act of rebellion, and was already halfway through a turn to see what Ron's reaction was, before he remembered that Ron wasn't there.
"So what went wrong?" he asked, concerned for both the well being of his friend and his prized possession.
"They had some form of Repulsus Charm on the doorway - nothing unseen can pass. But don't worry... I have another plan!"
Hermione whipped out a paper plate full of crisp golden chocolate chip cookies, covered in a thin layer of clingfilm.
"You're going to throw cookies at them until they let you in?" Harry asked, in confusion.
"No – you'll see." Hermione replied, and then checked her wristwatch. "Come on; we're running out of time!"
"What about Ron?" Harry asked, still wondering where his friend had disappeared to.
Hermione's mood bended into darkness for a split second. "Oh, forget him! Let's go before it's too late."
Harry was still confused, but it was blatantly obvious to him that he didn't have a say in the matter. Grasped by the arm, Harry was abducted through the portrait hole. Within a few minutes they were both standing underground, outside the blank stretch of wall leading to the Slytherins' lair. Despite the gloomy darkness, the air was not damp. Hermione carefully placed the plate of cookies on the floor, right in front of where the invisible door lay.
"OK - What's going on?" Harry asked, his empty belly vibrating at the vicious buttery scent that the cookies had begun emitting.
"Soon Crabbe and Goyle will be coming back from their weekly collection of 'Entrance Hall Tax' from first years." Hermione explained.
"Those cookies are drugged?" asked Harry, worried that he may have just been roped into another invasion of the Slytherin common room.
"Hmm..." Hermione replied mysteriously, "Drugged? No. They're not drugged."
"Then what did you..." Harry started but Hermione clapped her hand over his mouth.
The sounds of heavy footsteps, chinking of money bags, and guffawing echoed along the corridor. The two Gryffindors instantly backed away ten feet into an unilluminated section of the dank dungeon-esque passageway.
"Mmm!" Crabbe called out in glee. "What's this?"
"Mysterious cookies!" replied Goyle happily, "Left conveniently outside the common room where we would be sure to find them!"
"Shall we eat them?" Crabbe asked.
"Why not!" Goyle replied, "What could possibly go wrong?"
Crabbe ripped off the clingfilm sheet protecting their bounty, and stuffed into his pocket, not bothering to search for a bin. Within half a minute, the gift had been completely devoured. Only an empty, crumb-filled plate remained. Satisfied, Crabbe and Goyle called out the password, "Morbidicus" and entered the Slytherin hall.
"Now what?" Harry asked in a hushed voice.
"Shh!" Hermione whispered, as she bent over and picked up the plate. She beckoned Harry closer to her, and held up the plate next to their ears. The sounds of the Slytherin common room could be heard, from the perspective of a piece of clingfilm stuffed into Crabbe's pocket. A roaring fire was crackling in the background, and a small group of people were laughing.
"Ahhh... Crabbe! Goyle!"
Harry turned around. He was sure Malfoy was standing right next to him.
"It's just my magical bugging device!" Hermione hissed. Harry turned back to the plate.
"I was just about to go over the next stage of our plan!" Malfoy drawled.
Harry laughed silently at the bitter irony of this. "Gryffindors were easy" according to Malfoy, yet he was so predictably boastful.
Malfoy continued, "I'm going to go down to the gift-chamber again tonight. It should be a success... again!"
There was a whooping catcall from Pansy Parkinson.
Malfoy elaborated. This was clearly as story he enjoyed retelling. "I still can't believe how easy that mudblood Granger was. To think, it only took a few well placed words into the back of her head, and she was all ready to anything for her Ickle-Sevvikins."
Pansy Parkinson's laughter was now almost drowning out the rest of the noise. Harry turned to Hermione, who was scowling once more. Her fists were clenched tight.
"So yeah..." Malfoy declared. "I'm paying another visit soon. I think it's time there's another surprise for the Gryffindors."
Achin 2 Lick Clays Neck - Thanks for your comments, but the spectacularness has only just begun!
tris2 - You should feel loved. :p And yes, I sort of did have your voice in my head when I said that line. And I'm afraid you're gonna have to keep on "killing me" with the amount of cliffies I intend to drop throughout this story.
LuciusAndSnapeRock - My story says "Thanks for your love!" And I agree with it. :p And of course insanity beats normality... it's so much more fun!
Phire Phoenix - You better run for the hills before the armageddon comes. If you did miss something, you may want to re-check the middle section of chapter 6. And thanks for your praise of my story! :)
band camper - ...nice try, tris. :p
Chapter 8 – Theory and Investigation
Hermione shook her head fervently, spreading her bushy hair as she clambered up the staircase to the top of the tower, where the girls' dormitory lay. She burst open the door and was assaulted by a myriad of different colours. The room had been split into three vivid sections, each with their own contrasting colour schemes. When they had decoration in third year, it had seemed like a good idea, but now the girls were keeping it as it was simply out of habit.
Hermione cut across Parvati's bright pink segment of the doughnut shaped room, and entered her own. Instantly, she was surrounded by a fathom of soothing sky blue paint. A small nest of trained fairies, all of which who were emitting cyan light, hovered above Hermione's grand four-poster bed. Hermione stepped over a displaced pile of books on the floor, noting silently her need for a new bookcase. She stood in front of her mirror, which was affixed onto the central circular wall of the chamber.
"I don't know why I'm even bothering to say this, as you never listen," the Mirror complained in a loud abrasive voice, "But please, for the love of magic, do something with your hair!"
Hermione sighed. She wasn't paying attention. Thoughts of Ron kept on echoing around her head. What had she ever seen in him? I mean, apart from the fact that he could be so funny sometimes. And he had those cute freckles. And that red hair. And he always managed to be so... Annoying. Her common sense slapped back into place. Sometimes he could be so tactless; he never noticed anything of importance.
Still, she had no clue why she hadn't told the others what she had seen that slimy Slytherin Malfoy doing. A nagging voice in the back of her head wouldn't let her open her mouth. It wouldn't allow her to inform them. However, the voice did not raise any protests when she decided to fall into an argument with one of her best friends.
However, whether or not she was going to tell the others or not, she had definitely witnessed something. She needed to do further research and intelligence gathering. Malfoy had met with a robed figure just outside the castle grounds during the evening, and they had talked for a long time. Hermione was sure they weren't discussing the weather. She was still considering what action to take next when she was approached by Ginny.
"Are you OK?" She asked, stretching out a concerned hand onto Hermione's shoulder.
"Not really." Hermione sniffed.
Ginny was concise and to the point, yet she managed to render her question with a sympathetic tone of voice. "Is it about Ron?"
Hermione tensed slightly at the sound of his name. However, after a short pause she relaxed and conceded, "Not really. I guess the problem is with me."
This answer concerned Ginny. Hoping that Hermione hadn't fallen into a pit of self-loathing, she nervously asked, "What do you mean?"
"Well..." Hermione explained, "I kinda obsessed over something that never was; and to be honest something that I didn't really need. He's always been a good friend to me, and I'm grateful for just that."
Ginny smiled. "That's very mature of you."
"Not really." Hermione laughed feebly, "I'm just saying that - I hate his guts."
Ginny laughed along with her, before adding "You'll be OK, though?"
"Yeah." Hermione admitted, moving away from her mirror, and over to her bed. She slid a couple of open books off the duvet and they flopped onto the floor. She sat down in the newly freed space. Ginny surveyed the wreckage shrouding the rest of of Hermione's bed covers.
"Errr..." she started to ask, but Hermione gave a pre-emptive answer.
"Just chuck it all on the floor, if you want."
Ginny carefully gathered a few books from the bed, and arranged them in a neat pile on the carpet besides. She took a seat next to Hermione.
"Thanks." Hermione said.
"Why?"
"Well – you've always been like a sister to me."
Ginny giggled, "I've had a lot of practise!"
The two sat in a fragile happiness.
"So..." Ginny moved on, "Are you going to tell us what you saw Draco Malfoy doing?"
Instantly, the demanding voice returned to Hermione's mind. "No... It's nothing."
"But it may be important!" Hermione thought back at the voice.
"You do not want to talk about it..." the voice persuaded smoothly. "They'll all think you're being silly, and laugh at you. Plus; after your little rant, what makes you think they'll listen?"
"I must!" Hermione defied the voice. "I think it is necessary for them to know!"
"No!" The voice demanded.
"Yes!" Hermione shouted in defiance.
From Ginny's reaction, Hermione could tell that this exclamation must have been out loud. Instantly, the heavy presence lifted itself from her mind. She gasped in relief. It was as if she had been drowning in icy water, and then suddenly brought back to oxygen.
"Draco Malfoy was outside, talking with what looked like a Death Eater."
Ginny shot up in shock at this revelation.
"Death Eaters!? Here at Hogwarts? You'd better go down and tell the others."
Hermione gave a mischievous smile. "I'd rather not face that lot at the moment. Just pass the message on to them for me."
Harry and Ron were waiting downstairs in the common room. Ron was poking his wand feebly at a sand pit positioned on the oak table in front of him.
"Move. Damn. You." he cursed at the immobile powder.
"I don't think that's the correct incantation." Harry remarked, as his own sand tower grew larger and larger.
"Why don't you do it for me, then?" Ron asked icily.
"You want me to do your charms homework?" Harry laughed. "I hardly think it's worth trying to copy me. It'd be wiser to copy someone actually good at the subject."
Ron growled at this thought, but before he could reply, the messenger Ginny, joined them around the table. Worried looks were passed as she relayed what Hermione had seen.
"Malfoy scheming?" Ron commented dryly. That's hardly news."
"But about what, exactly." Harry wondered.
"I dunno." Ginny replied. "She was being rather cryptic."
"Still..." Ron began, "It's worth knowing..."
"She's got it under control, OK?" Ginny interrupted aggressively.
Fortunately, Ron was bitterly satisfied with this answer. "Well... if she doesn't need our help, I guess that's fine with me."
Ginny scowled, but Harry stepped in, not wanting any more arguments.
"What subjects have we got tomorrow, Ron?"
Ron thought about it for a second, "None... it's a Saturday."
All three of them were relieved to hear this news. Despite the fact that they had only attended a half-week since returning from their summer holidays, it was perhaps one of the most stressful they'd experienced at Hogwarts.
"Let's go to bed." Harry suggested.
Everyone was eager to listen to this advice.
"Harry!" a voice hissed in his ear.
Harry rolled over in his bed, and groaned.
"Wake up, Harry!"
That voice again. Was he asleep and dreaming? Did someone want him?
"Come on..."
For a dreamed voice, it was very persistent.
"What..." Harry spoke aloud, searching for a name for a couple of seconds before one eventually clicked into place, "Hermione?"
"Yeah. It's me." She whispered "Can I borrow your cloak?"
"My what?" Harry murmured, rolling back to the other side of his bed.
"Your invisibility cloak."
Harry opened his eyes a fraction, to glance the words 5:05am on his enchanted stone of a bedside clock.
"Whatever." he grunted, and then promptly fell back into much needed slumber.
When Harry finally woke up, his clock read 1pm. Slipping into his casual wear, he turned to look behind him. Ron's bed was abandoned. Wondering what had possessed his red-haired friend to get up and leave at such an ungodly hour, he made his own way down to the common room. Hermione was sitting in a chair waiting for him.
"It was no good!" She informed him.
"Err... what?" Harry asked. Memories of his awakening earlier in the morning groggily returned to him. "What? The invisibility cloak didn't work?"
"Not quite..." Hermione half-explained. "I just couldn't put it to any useful use."
"What were you trying to do?" Harry inquired, now interested.
Hermione flashed a cheeky smile. "I was trying to break into the Slytherin common room."
Harry was impressed by this act of rebellion, and was already halfway through a turn to see what Ron's reaction was, before he remembered that Ron wasn't there.
"So what went wrong?" he asked, concerned for both the well being of his friend and his prized possession.
"They had some form of Repulsus Charm on the doorway - nothing unseen can pass. But don't worry... I have another plan!"
Hermione whipped out a paper plate full of crisp golden chocolate chip cookies, covered in a thin layer of clingfilm.
"You're going to throw cookies at them until they let you in?" Harry asked, in confusion.
"No – you'll see." Hermione replied, and then checked her wristwatch. "Come on; we're running out of time!"
"What about Ron?" Harry asked, still wondering where his friend had disappeared to.
Hermione's mood bended into darkness for a split second. "Oh, forget him! Let's go before it's too late."
Harry was still confused, but it was blatantly obvious to him that he didn't have a say in the matter. Grasped by the arm, Harry was abducted through the portrait hole. Within a few minutes they were both standing underground, outside the blank stretch of wall leading to the Slytherins' lair. Despite the gloomy darkness, the air was not damp. Hermione carefully placed the plate of cookies on the floor, right in front of where the invisible door lay.
"OK - What's going on?" Harry asked, his empty belly vibrating at the vicious buttery scent that the cookies had begun emitting.
"Soon Crabbe and Goyle will be coming back from their weekly collection of 'Entrance Hall Tax' from first years." Hermione explained.
"Those cookies are drugged?" asked Harry, worried that he may have just been roped into another invasion of the Slytherin common room.
"Hmm..." Hermione replied mysteriously, "Drugged? No. They're not drugged."
"Then what did you..." Harry started but Hermione clapped her hand over his mouth.
The sounds of heavy footsteps, chinking of money bags, and guffawing echoed along the corridor. The two Gryffindors instantly backed away ten feet into an unilluminated section of the dank dungeon-esque passageway.
"Mmm!" Crabbe called out in glee. "What's this?"
"Mysterious cookies!" replied Goyle happily, "Left conveniently outside the common room where we would be sure to find them!"
"Shall we eat them?" Crabbe asked.
"Why not!" Goyle replied, "What could possibly go wrong?"
Crabbe ripped off the clingfilm sheet protecting their bounty, and stuffed into his pocket, not bothering to search for a bin. Within half a minute, the gift had been completely devoured. Only an empty, crumb-filled plate remained. Satisfied, Crabbe and Goyle called out the password, "Morbidicus" and entered the Slytherin hall.
"Now what?" Harry asked in a hushed voice.
"Shh!" Hermione whispered, as she bent over and picked up the plate. She beckoned Harry closer to her, and held up the plate next to their ears. The sounds of the Slytherin common room could be heard, from the perspective of a piece of clingfilm stuffed into Crabbe's pocket. A roaring fire was crackling in the background, and a small group of people were laughing.
"Ahhh... Crabbe! Goyle!"
Harry turned around. He was sure Malfoy was standing right next to him.
"It's just my magical bugging device!" Hermione hissed. Harry turned back to the plate.
"I was just about to go over the next stage of our plan!" Malfoy drawled.
Harry laughed silently at the bitter irony of this. "Gryffindors were easy" according to Malfoy, yet he was so predictably boastful.
Malfoy continued, "I'm going to go down to the gift-chamber again tonight. It should be a success... again!"
There was a whooping catcall from Pansy Parkinson.
Malfoy elaborated. This was clearly as story he enjoyed retelling. "I still can't believe how easy that mudblood Granger was. To think, it only took a few well placed words into the back of her head, and she was all ready to anything for her Ickle-Sevvikins."
Pansy Parkinson's laughter was now almost drowning out the rest of the noise. Harry turned to Hermione, who was scowling once more. Her fists were clenched tight.
"So yeah..." Malfoy declared. "I'm paying another visit soon. I think it's time there's another surprise for the Gryffindors."
