Chapter 9 - Dumbledore's Advice
It was late in the Gryffindor common room later that evening when Harry returned from an unexpected meeting with Dumbledore. He wandered over to Ron and the twins who were playing exploding snap in a corner.
"Hey, what did Dumbledore want?" asked Ron, laying down his next card. Harry looked at the twins. Quickly deciding that he could trust them (seeing as they knew about the Order), he told the three red heads about his meeting with the Headmaster.
"He didn't say much that I could understand apart from the fact I'm to stay close to Hermione and listen to her. That she'll be useful when Voldemort decides to show himself," Harry said. Ron and the twins looked at him expectantly, the twins and Ron visibly shuddering at the name.
"That's all," said Harry. "He wouldn't go into detail and explain why, no matter how many times I asked him."
"That's strange," said Ron. "Surely he should have told you why?"
"No one told Harry why Sirius was looking for him in third year," inserted George.
"So what difference does this make?" asked Fred.
"Why didn't Dumbledore tell you to stay close to me?" asked Ron, hurt.
"Oh come on Ron, we all know Hermione's magic is far better than yours," said Fred.
"She is the brightest witch of her age after all," said George.
"Probably even better than us," shrugged Fred.
"Now Fred, that's going too far," said George, holding up his hand.
"Maybe just a little bit then," Fred said, putting down a card.
"Ever so slightly," agreed George, playing his hand.
Harry laughed at the twins just as the portrait swung open and Hermione climbed in. Spotting the group she made her way over and threw herself into a nearby chair.
"I can't believe how much studying there is to do this year!" she exclaimed, putting her school bag down with a heavy thump. "I'm stressed out enough as it is with Umbridge not teaching us properly, I don't need all the extra homework the teachers are giving out!"
"Getting too much for you Books?" Fred asked, winking at George.
"We did warn you," said George.
"Fancy a bit of Puking Pastilles on the cheap?" asked Fred, innocently.
"Ugh, I don't think so, I'm not desperate," Hermione groaned, wrinkling her nose in disgust.
"Did you hear that George?" asked Fred, his eyes widened with shock.
"I did Fred, I did!" said George. "Only if she was desperate!"
"That hurt, Books," said Fred, clutching his chest dramatically.
"As much as this little," Harry indicated between Hermione and the twins, looking for the right words, "exchange is interesting; I'd rather know why Dumbledore told me that you would be useful when Voldemort comes." All four boys turned to look at Hermione. She looked at Harry, her eyes big with shock and her mouth open.
"Stop catching flies Books, and tell us," said Fred. Hermione blinked a few times then concentrated on a very interesting thread on her chair. She shifted uncomfortably a bit before answering.
"Everyone will have their uses Harry, when the time comes we'll stand and fight as one. " And before they knew it she had grabbed her school bag and flew up the stairs to bed.
Fred stretched and said, "Well I'm not an expert in body language but I think she knows what Dumbledore was trying to tell you Harry; although she won't tell you."
"Why though?" asked Ron, puzzled.
"I don't know, but I'm sure she'll tell us before long. She tells us everything," Harry stated confidently.
Fred remained silent, knowing Harry's statement wasn't true. However, as the card game continued, his thoughts were going a mile a minute while his two brothers and Harry chatted.
It was starting to irritate Fred that Hermione was keeping secrets not only from him but her supposedly best friends.
"Is she having secret meetings with Dumbledore? Is that how she knows who the "weapon" is? Does she have information about You-know-who that Harry doesn't know about? Why would Dumbledore insist that Harry keep Hermione close by? Is it something to do with the fact she has to be there to "protect" him? But how can she protect Harry more than Dumbledore himself? Surely Harry should be protected more by Dumbledore than Hermione?" Fred could feel the beginnings of a headache coming along. "Bloody women", he thought. "More trouble than they're worth".
Long before breakfast the next morning, the twins had spotted Hermione slipping out of the common room.
"Perfect time to play that prank on her George," said Fred. "Come on, before we lose her." The twins followed Hermione down the stairs and along the corridor, having to stop and hide every now and then as she was often glancing over her shoulder.
"Obviously doesn't want to be followed!" whispered George. Fred nodded in agreement.
She came to an abrupt halt on the third floor outside Dumbledore's office and stood staring at the gargoyle for a few minutes. The twins stole behind a suit of armour and watched as Hermione stood very, very still.
"Has she lost the plot?" Fred asked his brother.
"Shh," said George, indicating towards Hermione, who had started to pace and mutter to herself.
"Have you got any Extendable Ears on you?" George asked.
"Like you have to even ask," said Fred, pulling out the flesh coloured string from his pocket. Just as it had reached within feet of Hermione, the gargoyle came to life, and Dumbledore stepped out of his office. Fred and George quickly put the end of the Extendable Ear to their own ears to listen.
"Ah, Miss Granger," Dumbledore said, making Hermione jump. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Hello Professor. I was just….I mean…..I umm." Hermione stumbled over her words.
"You are here to ask me about my conversation with Mr Potter," he stated. Hermione sighed.
"Yes, Professor. You know Harry tells me and Ron everything. He wants answers that I can't give to him." She cocked her head to one side and studied the Headmaster.
"What you said to him last night….You know, don't you? What I am?"
"Yes," said Dumbledore. "I knew in your first year when I saw you. Your eyes gave you away. Therefore I promptly wrote to your Father and he came to me in person to confirm it."
"He came here…to Hogwarts?" Hermione asked, raising her eyebrows in surprise.
"Yes, Miss Granger. I had a delightful chat with him and I understand everything," Dumbledore confirmed. Hermione paused and studied the Headmaster.
Before she could speak, Dumbledore opened his mouth.
"You have a very special gift Miss Granger, but you must remember to control yourself. Try not to let your emotions get the better of you and give you way. You will be in the most dangerous position if you do," he warned.
"I only use it when necessary Sir. When the time comes…..I'll stand by Harry. I can't guarantee I can protect him from You Know Who, but I'll do my best. My loyalty is to him. "
"And Mr Weasley?"
"I know he'll stand by Harry as well. I'll protect him as much as I can also. In fact the whole Weasley family. It won't be easy; there are a lot of them. I can't be around them all at the same time." She smiled, but it faded quickly.
"I couldn't protect Harry during the summer. From the Dementors." Hermione's eyes filled with tears at the memory.
"You weren't to know. You need to be there at the time. It's not your fault and you shouldn't blame yourself," Dumbledore said kindly. Hermione nodded unconvincingly.
"You are quite fond of the Weasleys'." Again it was a statement, not a question.
"They're like my family," she confirmed.
"Very well Miss Granger, I trust you will do what you can. In the meantime, there are OWLs to be studied for," he smiled at her.
"Yes sir" she said, starting to walk away.
"Oh and Miss Granger," Dumbledore called. Hermione turned to face him again.
"You do belong here, no matter what anyone else says. You have your gift, but you are also a witch, and a very good one at that," he winked at her.
Hermione beamed. "Thank you Sir," she said, before skipping off towards the Great Hall for breakfast.
As Dumbledore wandered off in the opposite direction and with the corridor now empty, Fred and George deemed it safe to speak.
"What was that?!" asked Fred.
"I don't know," said George, confused. "Dumbledore said she had a "gift"! What could that be?"
"That could be her cleverness," dismissed Fred. "She knows everything."
"But he said, she was also a witch!" exclaimed George. "Is she a werewolf? A vampire?" he guessed. Fred shook his head.
"Can't be, Dumbledore said she had her "gift", and that it was her eyes that gave her away. There's nothing strange about her eyes, except they are really lovely chocolate brown." George's head snapped up to look at his twin.
"Really Fred, have you looked at her that closely?" teased George. Fred shrugged.
"Hard to miss those chocolate browns, Bro," Fred replied. "She has to be there to protect a person so she can't be a werewolf or vampire; they aim to mane or kill.
"Dumbledore said she had to control her emotions though, so maybe she is? Like Lupin she can't control it, she has to change," George interrupted.
Fred continued, "She did go on an awful lot over the summer about how if she was with Harry he wouldn't have had to fight the Dementors'. And Dumbledore just verified that, didn't he?"
"I don't think so," replied George. "Not in so many words. We need to sit down and think this over. Come on, let's go." He jumped out from behind the armour and lead Fred down the corridor towards the Great Hall.
