Author's Note: This one came to me really quickly and just seemed to flow from beginning to end. After writing this chapter, I may as well throw out my outline, or completely rewrite it, as I really deviated from my original plans. But to quote JRR Tolkein, "This tale grew in the telling." Please read and review. As always, suggestions are welcome, and I take them seriously. If you notice any spelling or grammatical errors, please let me know via PM. I am still looking for a beta for this story as well. I do not own Harry Potter.
Chapter 10
The Perfect Partner
Harry and Hermione had been sitting in their compartment aboard the Hogwarts express for only a few minutes before the door slid open to reveal Draco Malfoy. Hermione gave a small gasp as she saw him, and Harry quickly took a look at the newcomer. A large bruise was taking up the left side of his face, and continued down past his shirt collar.
"Merlin, Draco, what happened?" Harry asked, without a shred of tact.
"I, um…fell off of my broom the other day. Hurt pretty bad," he answered unconvincingly.
Naturally, Hermione, in her abundant knowledge, was not easily convinced. But she took his explanation at face value for now, and turned back to the book she had started to read.
"So, um, how was your summer, Draco?" Harry asked, trying to get the conversation onto safer ground.
"It was okay. Pretty boring actually. I think that your birthday was the highlight of my entire summer, Harry. How was yours?"
"Really good, actually. We got to meet our new DADA professor. Don't get your hopes up though, because you'll only be disappointed. Instead I have something I need to ask you."
"Shoot," Draco invited.
"Snape is your godfather, right?" Draco nodded. "Has he ever taught you Occlumency?"
"Yeah, a little bit. He said that it would be useful to protect my mind as there were people around me who could not be trusted. He wouldn't say who though."
"Well, then, there is something that I need to tell you…" Harry began, and he told Draco the entire story he had told Hermione. He had given both of them edited versions of the tale so as not to reveal too much. He would not tell them about the future he had lived, at least not yet. Nor would he tell them about Hermione's destiny. That would be saved for a future date.
The rest of the train ride was spent discussing the events of the summer, and Harry and Hermione had let Draco in on what they had done to get the diary away from Ginny. Finally, the train arrived and the Trio disembarked from the train and headed towards the waiting carriages while the new first years, including Ginny Weasley, went with Hagrid to the boats.
The carriages arrived first and the Trio, along with other students from second through seventh year entered the Great Hall for the start of year feast and sorting. Harry and Hermione parted ways with Draco at the doors, with the pair going to the Gryffindor table, and the blonde going to the unfriendly Slytherin table. After all of the students had sat down, Professor McGonagall led the new first years into the Hall. As the Professor picked up the Hat, Harry heard a familiar voice in his head. But he was not the only one.
"Ah, Mister Potter, you have returned. And Miss Granger, how nice to see you again." Harry stole a quick glance over at Hermione, whose eyes looked about ready to leap from their sockets.
"Who's talking to me?" she asked mentally, and Harry could hear her perfectly.
"Miss Granger, you are so bright, but yet you can't figure it out? Maybe he was right to put you in Gryffindor, even though I thought you would be better in Ravenclaw."
"Wait, you're the Sorting Hat? Then how are you talking to me? You aren't on my head!"
"I went through this with him last year, also. Suffice it to say that I have a telepathic connection with a very select group of individuals. You are one of those people. Now that you know about the changes to the timeline, it is time that we properly met"
"What do you mean 'he' and 'him?'" Hermione asked.
"Why young Mister Potter of course. He asked me to put you in Gryffindor, even though he and I both knew you were perfect for Ravenclaw. Right now I am acting as a conduit between the two of you so that we may have a conversation. If you ever have need of such a service again, simply summon me with your mind…"
"Hermione, it's not as bad as it sounds, trust me," Harry's voice suddenly entered her head and interrupted the Hat.
"Really, Harry? Because it doesn't look that great to me."
"Hermione, please. I can explain. I hadn't intended on doing this so soon. There are still some secrets I have kept from you, but not to hurt you. Please, trust me on this. After the sorting, we can find someplace private and I will explain everything, alright?" Harry pleaded.
"Fine," came the curt response from Hermione.
The was actually completely new for Harry, as he had missed it during his first life due to the flying car incident. As a result, he was very interested to see how it played out. One of the new students, Luna Lovegood, was still sorted into Ravenclaw. Despite the fact that they could both hear the Hat's musings, neither of them offered any input, but instead sat in silence. That is, until the last new student was called up.
"Weasley, Ginerva," McGonagall called. The young girl that they had both seen in Diagon Alley a few weeks prior stepped up to the stool and the Hat was placed on her head.
"Ah yes, another Weasley. There is great courage here, great courage indeed. But I sense something more. Something more…ambitious. Ambition that drives you to do whatever it takes to achieve your goals. I know the perfect place to put you…SLYTHERIN!" the Hat announced to a shocked audience. No Weasley in recent memory had been in any house other than Gryffindor.
Reluctantly, Ginny trudged over to the Slytherin table, and was immediately shunned by its inhabitants. Harry thought this was oddly fitting, as she had always been manipulative and cunning when he had known her. Now she was in a house that prized those traits above all else.
The end of the feast came quickly, and all students were dismissed from the Great Hall. Amidst the commotion, Harry pulled Hermione towards a staircase she had never been on before. Soon they found themselves on the seventh floor, across from a portrait of Barnabas the Barmy. Harry let go of Hermione's hand and began to pace in front of the painting.
"Harry, would you mind telling me what is going on?" Hermione asked impatiently.
Suddenly the outline of a door began to appear on the blank wall opposite the painting. When it had fully materialized, Harry beckoned for Hermione to follow him through the door. Inside, she found a comfortable sitting room, with two wing-backed chairs and a roaring fire in a large hearth against the wall. The walls were covered in a rich mahogany paneling that only added to the warmth of the room. Harry walked to one of the chairs and plopped himself down tiredly. He waited for Hermione to sit as well. She finally did so before tearing into Harry.
"What's going on Harry? What have you been hiding from me? This time I want the truth, not some half-baked story that you conjured up as an excuse!"
Harry just sighed. "Hermione, what I told you this summer, and what I told Draco on the train today was the truth. Just not all of it. I didn't want to do this for a few more years, but the Hat sorta forced my hand tonight. So now I will tell you everything.
Hermione, when I was twenty years old in my old life, I died. I died at the hands of Voldemort after I went off in a rage and killed a man. But it wasn't just any man, he was our best friend, and he had been for nine years. He was also your husband. What we didn't know was that he was a traitor to the cause of the light, and had been a spy for Voldemort for several years during the course of the war the wizarding world had been engaged in. However, the cost of finding out he was a spy was too high. I found out he had betrayed us when he fired the killing curse at me during the last battle. I would have died then and there had it not been for you throwing yourself in front of the curse. You died to save me." Harry was in tears at this point, and Hermione got up from her chair to go and comfort him. As she did so, the chair he was sitting in changed into a small couch to allow room for her.
She sat down next to Harry and pulled his head into her shoulder. He was crying over her, and her sacrifice. Thoughts like these kept popping into her mind, and she began to feel pity for him, but at the same time, she was reeling from just learning that she had died to save Harry.
The pair sat like that for several minutes before Harry calmed down. He then continued with his tale. "I was so angry that I just had to kill Ron." Harry stopped suddenly out of panic. He had just revealed who the traitor was.
"Ron? Ron Weasley?" Hermione asked. Harry nodded. "But he's such a jerk around us. He was our friend?"
"He was the first friend I ever met, but only by a few minutes. I met him on the Express at the beginning of first year, and we became friends instantly. While I met you just a few minutes later, we didn't really become friends until later that year, when the troll attacked you in the bathroom. For the next several years we were an inseparable trio, as we were all sorted into Gryffindor. Eventually you married Ron and, well, you know the rest. This is why I have been so eager to avoid him. I know what he is capable of, but I don't know how things will turn out this time. Instead, we befriended Draco, who was our greatest enemy in school in my original timeline. But I will get to that later.
As I was casting the curse on Ron, Voldemort apparated in behind me and fired the killing curse at me. Just as I killed Ron, Voldemort killed me, and my vision went black." Harry paused for a moment to collect his thoughts. After a moment, he continued.
"I woke in a white room that was completely empty. In front of me stood a figure that I had grown to love as a father figure. I won't reveal who it was yet, but they introduced themselves as God, who said that He had taken that form to comfort me. He explained that events had not transpired the way they were destined to. Years prior, an angel had grown discontented with his role in Heaven, and descended to Earth, taking the form of a newborn baby. That baby's name was Tom Riddle. With designs to rule the world, Riddle attended Hogwarts and grew more and more powerful. When he deemed himself powerful enough, he shed his name and adopted the name he had gone by in Heaven: Voldemort. God watched as Voldemort waged war on the wizarding world, and sent a savior to the Earth who would be destined to defeat Voldemort. He also sent a partner for that savior. Both were born in the same year and were the magical heirs of two of Hogwart's founders.
As you could probably guess, I am one of the two who were sent. I am the magical heir of Godric Gryffindor, which was why the Hat was so quick to put me in that house. Also, it is why I was given access to speak with the Hat telepathically, and why I was able to influence the sorting of students, to a certain degree. However, what you may not know is who the other savior is. It's you. You are the magical heir of Rowena Ravenclaw. That is why you have always been inherently curious and intelligent. The Hat originally wanted to place you in Ravenclaw, but I begged it to put you in Gryffindor. I knew that if you were in a different house than I was, we wouldn't be able to have the same relationship we have now. That is why you are now in Gryffindor instead of Ravenclaw. In my previous life, we were both in Gryffindor and had gotten along very well. I didn't know what I would do without your friendship and guidance this time around.
God gave me the opportunity to send my mind back in time to my younger body in an attempt to set things right. He told me that there would be new allies, enemies, and family members. I have already found all three. Draco and Snape are new allies, Ron is at least one new enemy, and Dumbledore is my new family. The pieces are all beginning to fall into place, and now you know everything. At least, everything I am comfortable telling you at this point."
Hermione sat in silence for several minutes absorbing everything she had just heard. But she was drawn out of her meditation by the one lingering question on her mind.
"What is it that you are still hiding from me, Harry?"
"I…I can't say yet. It has nothing to do with my story so much as…well…It's just, um, personal," he responded sheepishly.
Hermione nodded in acceptance before hugging Harry. "I'm sorry I judged you so quickly and got angry. I didn't have all the facts, and for that I'm sorry."
"Hermione Granger not having all the facts? Impossible!" Harry joked. Both shared a laugh at this, and neither noticed as a mirror materialized on the far wall of the room. It took a voice coming from the mirror to break them out of their laughing.
"Well done, Harry," the figure in the mirror said, as both Harry and Hermione jumped. They both got up and walked to the mirror to see the figure of James Potter looking back at them. Hermione was struck at the physical similarities between Harry and his father, but that was to be expected.
"Well done in telling Miss Granger the truth, Harry. I have been waiting for you to do so, as she will prove to be your most powerful ally in the fight ahead."
"Hermione, I would like to introduce you to God," Harry said in a tone that was almost hilariously casual, considering the who they were talking to.
Hermione almost fainted when Harry said this, but then she remembered that Harry had said that God appeared to him in a fatherly figure, so she figured that this must truly be Him. "Nice to meet you, sir," she squeaked out.
James gave a light chuckle before speaking. "Harry, Hermione, I designed both of you to be perfect for one another. Each of you have traits that balance the other, but neither of you realized how compatible you were in your previous life. You have many trials ahead, but you will never be able to rise to the occasion alone. You need each other. Harry, if you would excuse Hermione and I for a few moments?"
Harry nodded and walked to the other side of the room. He made himself look busy inspecting the wood paneling on the walls. Every now and then he would look over at Hermione, who was busy conversing with the image in the mirror. Suddenly, Hermione collapsed, and Harry ran over to her. He gently picked up her head and cradled it in his arms. Slowly, her eyes fluttered and then shot open.
"Harry!" she screamed, jumping up and grabbing him in a bone-crushing hug. "It's you! I remember now! I remember everything!"
Of course she knows everything, Harry thought as he reveled in her embrace, I just told her. The two were broken apart by the image of James Potter clearing His throat.
"Harry, I decided that the task of changing the destiny of the world was a task too great for one man. You will now have help. I have brought back the soul of the Hermione Granger that died and placed it in the one before you. The Hermione you are with now has the memories and abilities of her fully grown self as well as the memories of your time together in this life. She will make the perfect partner for you."
Harry took one look at Hermione and broke into a huge grin. "My Hermione…" he said softly, but loud enough for her to hear.
"Harry, Hermione, the two of you have before you a task more monumental than any attempted by mortal man. I would wish you luck, but there is no such thing as luck-only my will. Farewell for now. I will see you again. Oh, and Harry," Harry looked up, "I think it might be a good time to let her know about the last part of the story." With that, the image of James Potter vanished, as did the mirror. Harry led Hermione back to the couch and they both sat down.
"Hermione, are you okay?" Harry asked.
"I'm fine, really I am. The last thing I remember is the battle on the grounds of the school. Ron had just fired the curse at you and I ran in front of it. That's all I remember. But as I concentrate, I can also remember the last year. Being friends with Malfoy-that's what I'm going to have to get used to though."
"So you remember me telling you the entire story of what happened to me after I died?" Hermione nodded. "Well, there is one more detail I left out, because I wasn't sure how to put it or how you would respond. To put it simply, Hermione…I'm in love with you. I have been for years, even before you married Ron, that traitorous bastard. Sorry, forgive my language. This isn't going nearly as well as I imagined it would. Suffice it to say that I never thought you were interested, and when you went and married Ron, I knew I was right. But now, I feel like I have a second chance, and I just wanted you to know how I truly felt."
Hermione's eyes were glistening with unshed tears. "Harry, I don't know what to say, except that I love you too. I spent several years pining after you. Not as the Boy-Who-Lived, but just Harry. But you never showed any interest in me either, at least not that I could see. So I gave up and married Ron. I was never really happy with him, and as a result of what I refused to give him, he was never happy with me either."
"I know," Harry said simply, to Hermione's surprise. "Well, not about that last part, but about how you felt about me. When I died, God told me that He had created us for each other, and that we were destined to love each other. But due to the manipulations of Voldemort along with various other changes to the timeline, that never happened. But here we are now…"
Harry just stared into Hermione's eyes, lost in their sparkling beauty for several moments. He then leaned forward and, for the first time ever, their lips touched. Then they pressed together, releasing years of pent-up passion that had never found an escape.
Several minutes later, the two broke apart, gasping for breath, but with huge smiles on their faces. Hermione spoke first.
"What now, Harry?" she asked.
"We should keep this a secret for as long as possible. A few weeks ago I heard your parents having a chat after they thought we were asleep. They were placing bets on when we would get together. The farthest one out was for the end of third year. I was hoping to make it so neither of them won, but that will be really hard. Besides, we're both "too young" to be dating, physically, I mean. But that aside, Hermione Granger, will you be my…"
"Of course I will!" she interrupted. "You didn't even have to ask Harry Potter! Of course I will be your girlfriend."
After another several minutes of heavy snogging, Hermione looked at the clock that had appeared on the wall and jumped.
"Harry! It's past one in the morning. Curfew was several hours ago!" she panicked.
Harry, for his part, just chuckled and pulled out a familiar piece of cloth from his robe. He enlarged it and Hermione immediately recognized it as his invisibility cloak. "Can't say I didn't come prepared, can you?" he asked with a sly smile.
The two huddled under the cloak, a task that was much easier for them now than it was when they were bigger, and headed back towards Gryffindor Tower. When they had safely arrived, Harry bid Hermione goodnight at the base of the girls stairs and both went to bed, excited about what lay ahead of them in their second year…again.
Harry and Hermione awoke early the next morning, earlier than any of their dorm-mates. They had an errand they had to run before breakfast that morning, so they both quickly got ready and met each other at the portrait. Hand-in-hand, they traveled through the corridors of Hogwarts before arriving at the gargoyle statue that guarded the entrance to the Headmaster's office.
"Sugar Quills," Harry said and the statue began to move, revealing the stairs to Dumbledore's office. As they reached the door at the top of the stairs, Harry dropped Hermione's hand and clutched the package he had brought with him tightly. He then gently knocked on the door.
"Come in, my boy." Harry heard from the other side of the door. He opened it to reveal Dumbledore sitting at his desk with a pile of paperwork before him.
"Ah, Harry, Miss Granger. To what do I owe this unexpected, and if I may say so, early visit?" the Headmaster asked.
"Well, Grandpa," Harry began with a smile, "we've come to deliver an item of particular importance to you. I know that you have had your suspicions for years, but we have stumbled across one of Voldemort's Horcruxes."
Dumbledore's head shot up, his eyes large with astonishment. "Harry, you mean to tell me that Tom did make Horcruxes? And that in that parcel you have one? Please, Harry, pass it over. Carefully now."
Harry did as he was asked. Dumbledore gingerly unwrapped the package to reveal the diary that Hermione had managed to swipe from Ginny's cauldron a few weeks earlier.
"Professor, this is Tom Riddle's diary that he wrote in during his time here at Hogwarts," Hermione explained. "He made it into a Horcrux and had one of his followers place it amongst the belongings of a student a few weeks ago in the hope that it would possess her. The goal was to get her to open the Chamber of Secrets and let loose the monster within."
Dumbledore eyed Hermione carefully. "Miss Granger, you seem…different today. May I ask where this change came from or how you know all of this?" he asked slowly.
"I can answer that, Grandpa." Harry had been reminded to only use that form of address when the two were in an informal setting. Otherwise traditional rules of address still applied. "You see, this is my Hermione. The one that saved me. She was sent back last night to help me set things straight."
"I see. Well then, welcome back, Miss Granger. Now Harry, what are we to do with this diary? I am unfamiliar with many ways to destroy them, and most of the ways that I know of would involve very dark magic."
"Well, we could always use the way I destroyed it the first time around," Harry suggested. "But in order to do that we would need to open the Chamber of Secrets and go down there. The first time I went down there, I defeated a Basilisk and used one of its fangs to destroy the diary. That should work again."
Dumbledore seemed to ponder this for a long moment.
"That could work, Harry. But I am apprehensive about sending you down there to face a Basilisk. I believe that I would be the better choice for the task."
"Sir," Harry began, immediately adopting a more formal tone, "you forget that I have already slain a Basilisk in my second year. My abilities and skills now far exceed what I was capable then. Besides, we shall simply use one of Hagrid's roosters to kill the snake before it can do any real damage."
"We, Harry?" Dumbledore inquired.
"Yes, sir. We meaning Harry and I," Hermione interjected. "Harry killed the Basilisk before and he can do it again. And I was petrified by it for months, so I want my chance as well. Besides, we have power beyond what we appear."
"Very well," Dumbledore said in a resigned fashion. "But I trust you will make careful plans before you run recklessly into the chamber? I also hope that you will inform me of your plans before you go, in case my assistance is needed."
"Of course, sir," Hermione answered. She and Harry turned to leave the office, but Harry stopped and turned back around.
"One last thing, Grandpa. I've always been curious; why did you hire Lockhart to teach Defense? He's completely incompetent. He once removed the bones from my arm while attempting to heal it."
"Ah, you see Harry, he was not my first choice. Nor was he one of my choices at all. Suffice it to say that various members of the Board of Governors have read of his, shall we say, exploits, and thought that he would be the perfect Professor. I had no say in the matter." Suddenly Dumbledore's eyes lit up with inspiration. "Perhaps it would be a good idea if the two of you took Professor Lockhart down to the Chamber with you. I believe that his…expertise will prove useful? I dare say he would jump at the opportunity to be in the Prophet the next day."
"You're probably right," Harry responded. "We'll ask him first. I just hope that nothing terrible happens to him down in the Chamber though," Harry added with a smile. Seeing that the conversation was finished, Harry took Hermione's hand and led her out of the office towards the Great Hall for breakfast.
Harry and Hermione stepped into Defense Against the Dark Arts with the second-year Slytherins later that day for their first class under the renowned Gilderoy Lockhart. The secret couple took a seat near their friend, Draco and waited for the class to begin.
"Hey Harry, hey Hermione," Draco greeted.
"Hi Draco," Harry answered.
"Malfoy," Hermione responded with a curt nod. Harry shot her a warning glance that immediately struck home.
"Did I do something wrong?" Draco asked, perplexed by Hermione's sudden coolness to him.
Harry spoke for Hermione in this case, wanting to keep the two of them apart until they had had time to address the issue in private. Hermione was still not used to being friends with Draco. While she had all of her memories from the past year, older Hermione was dominant in her mind, making her remember all of Malfoy's transgressions over the years.
"She's just not feeling like herself today. We'll talk about it later, okay?" Draco just nodded as the door from the Professor's office opened and Lockhart entered, dressed in a flashy green set of robes that looked as though they were covered in sequins.
"Good afternoon class. I trust you all can see me perfectly? Good," he said, flashing his smile at his trapped audience. "You are in for a special treat this year. The Board of Governors and Headmaster Dumbledore thought it prudent to correct your…inadequate Defense education from last year. So naturally their minds immediately came to rest on me, Gilderoy Lockhart, your humble new Professor. Now before we begin, how many of you have begun to read your textbooks for the year?"
Roughly half of the girls in the class raised their hands excitedly, but none of the boys did. Hermione was one of the girls who did not raise her hand, which surprised most of the other students, including Harry. But he had a good idea why she hadn't read the books yet.
"Excellent! We'll start off with a short quiz so that I can find out what you already know. This test will not count for your grade, but please do your best, just as I would." He began to pass out the pieces of parchment manually, instead of simply waving his wand like other professors did. This did not go unnoticed by Harry or Hermione. When they received their tests, the two exchanged a look and smiled at each other. Last time, Hermione had done her best and gotten a perfect score on the quiz. This time would be different.
"You have thirty minutes, beginning…now," Lockhart announced, as the class began to scribble furiously.
Harry and Hermione took the opportunity to flex their creative muscle with their answers. Harry had the most fun with his answers:
What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favorite color?
Black, just like his heart
What is Gilderoy Lockhart's secret ambition?
To grow his own set of hair and not have to wear a toupee
What, in your opinion, is Gilderoy Lockhart's greatest achievement to date?
Getting the public to eat out of his hand without actually doing anything
When is Gilderoy Lockhart's birthday, and what would his ideal gift be?
Wait, he wasn't spawned from a puddle of ooze? His ideal gift would be another vat of sequins for his robes
How many times has Gilderoy Lockhart won Witch Weekley's Most Charming Smile Award?
Who cares?
The test went on like this for several dozen more questions. Harry almost ran out of material trying to come up with his answers, but as he looked over at Hermione's parchment, she was still going strong. Finally, Lockhart announced that time was up and collected everyone's test. Harry and Hermione's tests ended up at the bottom of the stack. He then took the pile to the front of the room and began to sift through the quizzes. When he reached the end, Lockhart looked up in alarm before regaining his composure.
"Dear, dear. It looks like someone hasn't read their books yet. For everyone's information, the title of my autobiography is Magical Me not Moronic Me." Hermione snorted at this. Obviously, that was one of her answers.
"Ah well, now I know where to begin our lessons…" Lockhart began. He eventually ended up releasing the Cornish Pixies as he did the first time around, and the event transpired exactly as before, with Hermione freezing them in place. The class ended early and the students retreated to their dorms. All students except for Harry, Hermione, and Draco. Harry led the other two into a classroom that was not in use near the Defense classroom and closed the door and set up a silencing charm.
"So are you going to tell me what I did wrong?" Draco asked, somewhat irritated at Hermione.
"Draco, once again, you didn't do anything wrong. Remember yesterday on the train when I told you how my mind was sent back in time to my younger body?" Draco nodded apprehensively. "Well, last night the same thing happened to Hermione. She still has the memories of our friendship from the last year, but she mainly has her twenty year old mind."
Hermione interjected at this point. "Malfoy-I mean, Draco, most of my memories of you are negative. You were a great prat during my first time through Hogwarts. Most of the other students thought that you were a Death Eater in training all along. You were Harry's and my worst enemy here at school. Now I know that things are different, but it will take me some time to get used to this change. Please bear with me for a while I adjust, okay?"
"That's okay, Hermione. Just for the record, I'll never be a Death Eater. The things my father brags about at home are downright disgusting, and I will never be a part of it. Father preaches that Malfoys are superior to other wizarding families, but yet he bows at the feet of another. He is nothing but a big hypocrite."
With the bond of their friendship repaired, or in the process of being repaired, the trio split along house lines and returned to their respective dormitories. Harry and Hermione sat in the common room studying the material from their first day, even though they could both take their final exams and ace them easily, until the other students retired. Harry then escorted Hermione to the girls stairs and gave her a kiss goodnight before climbing the stairs to the boys dorm.
The next several weeks passed quickly for the Duo. They had asked Professor Lockhart to accompany them on an expedition to find the Chamber of Secrets, and the phony teacher had accepted immediately, knowing that if he were to 'discover' the Chamber of Secrets, it would make for an excellent book. Harry and Hermione informed Dumbledore of their plan to go down to the Chamber on the last Saturday before Halloween, which happened to be a Hogsmeade weekend, so most of the student population would be gone from the school. Dumbledore had agreed with their plan but warned them one last time to be careful, and not to let anything happen to Professor Lockhart. That last part was added with a touch of sarcasm.
Prior to going to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, Harry and Hermione paid a visit to Hagrid's hut and snuck one of his pet roosters away. They put a silencing charm on the bird so as not to attract too much attention, then met up with Lockhart outside of his office.
Harry produced a piece of parchment from his robe. "Professor, before we go, could I get your autograph on this piece of parchment? If we discover the Chamber today, it will be much harder to get your autograph as you'll be much more famous." Harry was employing the same trick he had used to get passes into the Restricted Section his first time around-not telling the Professor what he was really signing.
"Of course, young Harry. But you don't have to worry about getting my autograph. I'll always be available for you. After all, heroes like us have to stick together, right?" He then signed the parchment without even giving it a glance. Harry placed it back in his robe.
The three then made their way to Myrtle's bathroom, where Harry commanded the sink to open in Parseltongue. Harry pushed Lockhart down the newly opened passage, and the two students heard a painful shout as he landed. Hermione followed next and landed gracefully on her feet next to the prone Lockhart, and Harry was not far behind. When he arrived, he saw that Lockhart had landed on his leg, and it was badly broken.
Not wanting to leave their professor behind, Harry and Hermione helped Lockhart passed the skin of a giant snake, and to the next door, which Harry also commanded to open. They were finally in the Chamber of Secrets. Harry helped carry Lockhart to the base of the statue of Slytherin, while Hermione held onto the rooster. Harry strategically placed Lockhart facing away from the opening from which the Basilisk would emerge and placed a silencing charm on him, then returned to his girlfriend. Hermione released the rooster from its cage and she turned away to face the wall opposite the opening. Harry then called forth the Basilisk in Parseltongue before hiding his eyes with Hermione.
Soon they could hear the slithering of the giant snake as it slid from its ages old prison. The Basilisk began to look around for the person who had awoken it from its slumber. Harry quickly cancelled the silencing charm on the rooster, which instantly began to crow. An ear-splitting screech pierced the air of the Chamber as the Basilisk died, collapsing with a thud near the hole from which it emerged. Harry cautiously opened his eyes and looked at the snake. Certain that he was still alive, he approached their fallen adversary to inspect its carcass.
Hermione joined him by his side and recaptured the frightened rooster. She then transfigured a piece of rubble into a dragonhide pouch to hold one of the dead creature's fangs. Harry carefully removed it, being careful to not touch the venom itself, and placed the tooth in the bag, closing it securely.
Satisfied that their task was complete, Harry and Hermione stole a glance at the spot where Harry had placed Lockhart. They both chuckled to see that he was petrified, having seen the gaze of the Basilisk through the reflection of the pool of water at the base of the statue. Harry cast a levitating charm at the still figure of their professor and carried him back to their entry point.
Harry muttered "stairs" in Parseltongue and a series of stairs appeared allowing the group to exit through the same entry they had originally used. They carried Lockhart to the hospital wing where Madame Pomfrey informed them that she had no potion to restore the professor, and that she wouldn't for several months. Harry and Hermione remarked that that was a real shame, but quickly left and ventured towards the Headmaster's office.
As soon as they entered, Harry threw the bag with the fang in it down on Dumbledore's desk. "It's done," he said simply.
"How did things go, Harry?" Dumbledore asked, very interested.
"Actually, quite well sir. We managed to kill two birds with one stone as well. I would say three, but one of those birds was actually a Basilisk."
"Harry, that was a terrible joke," Hermione admonished, seeing Harry's sheepish grin.
Dumbledore chuckled. "It's quite alright, Harry. We all tell bad jokes now and again. Just make sure it doesn't happen again."
"I can't promise that, Grandpa," Harry answered honestly.
"Anyway, back to the subject at hand. I trust this is the Basilisk fang you spoke about?"
"Yeah, all we have to do is stab the diary with it several times and that should do the trick," Harry said.
"And what of Professor Lockhart, Harry?" Dumbledore asked with a twinkle in his eye.
"Petrified, sir," Hermione said, speaking for Harry. "He was unfortunate enough to indirectly make eye contact with the Basilisk, and was immediately petrified. Fortunately, before we left, he signed one last document. I believe he thought that if anything were to happen to him, this would need to go public."
Harry handed Dumbledore the parchment that Lockhart had signed earlier. The Headmaster looked it over before taking on a faux stern look. "I see. I will make sure this gets out as soon as possible. Now then, back to the Horcrux."
A half hour later all that remained of the diary was a charred shell. After stabbing the book several times, a horrific scream began to emerge from the diary, and it burst into flames. When the screaming died down, the three in the office knew that their task was done. Dumbledore promised to dispose of the remainder of the diary as soon as he had checked it over for residual dark magic, and bid the two students good day.
Lockhart Admits to Stealing Glory from Others!
By Rita Skeeter, Staff Reporter
In an unexpected move, renowned wizard and current Hogwarts Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor has admitted that he did not accomplish any of the tasks he claimed in his works. In a signed confession, Mr. Lockhart announced that he would learn of the accomplishments of others and learn the entire story before erasing their memory. He would then claim the stories as his own. When asked for further comment, this reporter was told that Mr. Lockhart was currently recovering in St. Mungo's Hospital from a recent petrification incident…
When Harry and Hermione walked into the Great Hall the next morning, it appeared as though every student in the room was holding a copy of the Daily Prophet, reading the headline story. After a few minutes of speculation about the story, Headmaster Dumbledore rose to speak.
"As many of you are aware, Professor Lockhart has recently admitted to being less than truthful about his accomplishments. In light of these recent events, the Board of Governors has decided to suspend his position as Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor. For the remainder of the year, the class will be taught by a new Professor. Let's all give a warm welcome to Professor Remus Lupin, who has been kind enough to join us on such short notice."
The Hall erupted in applause, but the loudest of it came from Harry and Hermione. They had succeeded in getting their best DADA professor ever to the school almost a year early, and for that, they were proud of themselves.
The rest of the year passed by in a flash. With no mystery hanging over their heads, Harry and Hermione were free to actually enjoy nearly a full year of uneventful schooling at Hogwarts. Professor Lupin's classes were just as good as they remembered, favoring practical application over theory. As a result of this as well as their great knowledge, Harry and Hermione were once again at the top of their class. The only problem either of them had run into was the incessant fan girl personality of Ginny Weasley. No matter where Harry went in the halls between classes, she was always there, trying to get a piece of the Boy-Who-Lived. As annoying as it was, Harry and Hermione agreed that if this was as bad as she got, they would be just fine with it.
Eventually, Professor Lupin began to notice the inherent skills of Harry and Hermione. One day, during class, he confronted them about it.
"Harry, Hermione, can you stay after class for a while?" he asked. Both exchanged a confused look before nodding.
After the class had been dismissed, the pair followed Lupin into his office, where he sat down behind his desk, motioning for the students to also take a seat.
Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, I have noticed that you both have skills in this class that far exceed those of your peers. But what I have seen is not just pure skill, but a demonstration of knowledge far beyond that of your year. Would you care to explain?"
Harry spoke first. "Professor, perhaps I should begin my explanation with a statement: I know about your furry little problem Uncle Moony."
Lupin almost fell over in his chair. He hadn't been called Moony in over a decade, since James and Lily had died and Sirius was sent to Azkaban.
"Harry, how do you know about that?" Lupin asked in a dangerous tone.
"What I am going to tell you must remain in this room, is that understood?"
"Harry, I have kept many secrets in my life, including a number of your father's, so I think I can be trusted on this matter."
Harry nodded, knowing how trustworthy the Marauder was. "You see, Uncle Moony, my mind was sent back in time after I died several years from now…" Harry went on to tell the whole story again. He really was getting tired of this particular tale. Perhaps in the future he should just record himself telling it so that he could play it for everyone.
In the end, Lupin believed what Harry said, but not before Harry showed him his Patronus as proof that Lupin had taught it to him the following year. Harry and Hermione had gained another ally in the fight, and this time they were not going to let him leave their side during school due to discrimination. He would stay in his position at Hogwarts.
All too quickly the end of their second year at Hogwarts came to a close, and once again Harry and Hermione found themselves bound for home aboard the Hogwarts Express. Harry figured that he had accomplished a number of things this year, from getting his best friend back to saving an innocent girl from being possessed. However, as he looked forward, he realized that the greatest changes were yet to come, and that the future would be much more challenging than the last two years had been.
A/N: You may think that I am taking things rather quickly. That much is true. However, there is a reason behind this. I want to lay a foundation for what will happen later. The ideas that I have for later portions of the story are more involved and will be more interesting. For now I am just skimming through some of the less important events while focusing on things that have really changed or are more interesting. Things will change eventually, I promise.