Chapter Eleven
School As Usual?
The first month or so of school passed uneventfully for the students. Then a rumor started, only a day or so after Harry had awoke to his scar stinging, people were saying that Narcissa Malfoy had been murdered. By Severus Snape. Whispers ran rapid-fire up and down halls, around classrooms, through common rooms. Stories ranged from Snape had accidentally killed her with bad meat to he had brutally beat her to death with a candlestick.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were in Potions, a class which had quickly became Ron's least favorite of all due to the fact that Hermione had developed a tendency to watch the handsome new professor. They were making veritiserum which Hermione had already perfected. Harry was a little behind Hermione but doing well, as was Ron, who seemed to be trying to get Hermione's attention, following his book perfectly and getting fairly good results.
When there was about twenty minutes left in class, Andrea, the small first year girl, came into the class nervously. "Sorry, Professor Byne,s for interrupting," she said in a small voice. When Bynes nodded his consent, she continued, "But Headmistress McGonagall asked to see Harry Potter in her office."
Professor Bynes sighed, "Mr. Potter, you may go. We are having an exam next class, so study." With that he waved his hand for Harry to go.
Harry hurriedly packed his things, said good-bye to his friends, and followed Andrea out the door. "Did McGonagall say what she wants?"
"No," Andrea panted, nearly running to keep up with Harry.
Harry looked down at her, "Sorry," he slowed down a little, "Don't you have a class?"
"Yeah, I'm in Transfiguration, I was finished with my work so Headmistress McGonagall sent me to get you."
Instead of trying to find three new professors, McGonagall had kept her old job as Transfiguration professor. With the large number of students whose parents had nod allowed to come to Hogwarts, the job was not so overbearing as it would be with a full school.
Harry nodded. "Ah, I see. You're the new Hermione." He grinned. "First one done?"
"Yep," Andrea said, smiling proudly. They got to the Transfiguration classroom and Andrea walked in, waving good-bye to Harry.
"Mr. Potter, please go to my office and wait," said McGonagall, who was at the door.
"The password is," she paused, "lemon drop." Harry smiled sadly and nodded out of the room, heading towards the gargoyle that guarded the Headmistress' office.
"Lemon drop," Harry said, the gargoyle jumped out of the way, revealing the moving staircase. Harry stepped on and rode to the office, becoming more nervous the higher he got.
Reaching the door, Harry took a deep breath and oh so slowly reached for the doorknob. He took another breath and opened the door. When Harry turned from shutting the door slowly and quietly, he saw that the office was much the same as it had been the last time he was in it. It was quiet, eerily so, except for the slight whirring of the many shining metal objects in their glass cases. It seemed as though McGonagall was afraid to move things, perhaps that it would dishonor Dumbledore's memory to do so.
Harry walked slowly around the room, seeing things he remembered from times past, Godric Gryffindor's sword from his second year, the device that had put forth the smoke that broke into snake forms from his sixth, the cabinet that may still hold the pensieve from his fourth, fifth, and sixth years, the portraits of the past headmasters and headmistresses hanging around the room. Some were sleeping, but one was watching Harry very closely.
"Harry," a wispy voice called from a frame. "I do hope you are enjoying your trip down memory's lane."
Harry turned to see the newest portrait, Dumbledore, looking at him, the look in his eyes both sad and amused. "Professor!"
"Yes, Harry. I woke up sometime over the summer, though it may have been better to stay asleep. It is dreadfully boring being a painting in this school, no one except dear old Phineus here to talk to." He waved his hand towards an empty portrait, Phineas Nigellus was Harry's godfather, Sirius', great-grandfather. There was another portrait of him in Grimmauld place, which he visited often.
Harry blinked, "Professor, can I ask you questions?"
"I believe you just did." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled.
"I mean about, about our lessons from last year." Dumbledore nodded slightly. "Is there anyone else who knows about the Horcruxes?"
The portrait Dumbledore sighed, "No, Harry, and you do not need to tell any others, Ron and Hermione know, Voldemort knows, I believe the less the better."
"So I can't tell McGonagall?" Harry asked, desperately wanting someone more powerful than he to talk to about them.
"Headmistress or Professor McGonagall, Harry. You cannot, at this time. Perhaps later. Ah, here she is right now." He looked towards the door a moment before it opened, revealing Professor McGonagall. "Hello Minerva."
"Albus." She seemed to avoid looking at his eyes as she sat and motioned to Harry. "Sit."
Harry sat, trying to not stare at Dumbledore's portrait. When he realized this, Dumbledore stood and walked out of his portrait.
"He left," Harry said, somewhat disappointed.
"Yes, he must be visiting some of his various portraits throughout the school. Now," she said, putting her elbows on the large wooden desk and leaning forwards. "I am sure that you have heard rumors around the school about Narcissa Malfoy and, him," she screwed up her face.
"Yes, professor," Harry agreed. "Are they true?"
McGonagall pursed her lips. "Their general idea is. We have Lupin's account of what happened. He heard the story from Greyback. As you know, You-Know-Who ordered Lucius Malfoy to be killed after Draco failed in his attempt. Narcissa and Draco were being kept in a house along with, with Snape." Her face seemed tired, more than Harry could ever remember seeing it. "He ordered Snape to fix a poison, Snape then gave the poison to Draco, who in turn gave it to his mother, therefore killing her.
"Some say that Snape was happy to do it, some say that he hated it, that he did it reluctantly. The reports are mixed however."
"Professor, why are you telling me this?" Harry asked, confused.
McGonagall sighed long and slow. "Because Lupin helped Draco escape and he wants to keep him safe."
"What!" Harry nearly shouted. "Help him? He is a Death Eater! He was going to kill Dumbledore!" But, said a little voice in Harry's head, he was close to stopping and accepting Dumbledore's offer of safety up in the tower wasn't he?
"I know Harry, but if there is any chance of redeeming him," McGonagall said, looking over her glasses at Harry, "Harry, it is what Albus would have done."
Harry sighed and stood, pacing the room and running a hand through his hair. "Keep him then, why does it involve me?"
"They want him to be safe, but under supervision."
"They? As in there are more than Lupin that wants to help him?"
"Yes, they see that it is what Albus would have done and want to honor his memory. They want to keep him at Headquarters."
"Grimmauld Place? My house?" McGonagall nodded. Harry ruffled his hair. "I-" He paced around for a few more moments before stopping. With one last sigh he said, "Take him there. But check him for magical bugging devices, curses, anything that may feed them information. Give him veritiserum if you have to. If he screws this up..."
"I know Harry. Now, go back to your common room, I will inform the Order about your decision." Harry nodded and started out of the room, "Harry," McGonagall called out, Harry stopped, hand on the doorknob, "You're doing the right thing."
"I hope so," Harry said as he left, heading back towards Gryffindor Tower.
"Hermione, we've been studying for hours," Ron complained.
It was the Saturday after Harry's conversation with McGonagall, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione were in the Common room late, studying for their potions exam.
"Yes, and you haven't made any progress, unlike Harry, who is now able to make it just as good as I can!"
"Right, then we should take a break, say, three or four days' break, and then we can start back up," Ron said brightly.
"You're not giving up."
"Hermione, maybe we should take a break, just for a few minutes," Harry said and rubbed his eyes. "It's late, maybe we should stop and pick back up tomorrow." He waved his hand around the common room, which was empty save for a few pets.
"But, we have the exam Monday and-"
"Hermione!" Ron said, voice rising, "You know it! Good for you! Why should we have to study for hours on end!"
"Because someone has to care about your grades. Do you really think that I want to get out of this school and have you still here?" Hermione's voice was starting to rise along with Ron's.
The stress they were all going through in regards to the war and the news of Malfoy was coming out. Harry sat back and rubbed his eyes, they were blowing up at each other more and more the last few weeks and he had learned to just sit back and let it work itself out.
Harry stood and walked over to the fireplace, watching the embers glowing, the fight raging in the background.
"Well, I don't want to stay here any more than you do, Hermione, but I'm happy to get by with barely passing!" Ron said, standing, "I don't have to have perfect grades like you!"
Hermione looked to be holding back a frustrated scream. She sputtered, "Perfect grades? Perfect grades! I thought that you were the one wanting to be an auror."
"Well, it looks to me like you and Harry are the ones gonna get that position, I don't stand a chance!" Ron said, "This is your thing, not mine, if you're so worried about my grades, why don't you do my homework for me?"
"What do you think I do? Checking your homework," she scoffed, "I do do your homework." Her voice was rising shrilly.
"Only after I've begged and pleaded for an hour!"
"Guys!" Harry said tiredly, "Can we just-"
"Shut up, Harry!" they both said in unison. Harry sighed and laid on a loveseat in front of the fireplace, closing his eyes and beginning to doze. Suddenly he was jerked awake by Hermione yelling at Ron.
"Oh, Ron!" she shouted in a very high-pitched voice, "If I didn't love you so much I would smack you!" Harry looked over the back of the couch to see Hermione storming up the stairs to the girls' dorm, summoning her belongings after her, an ink bottle hitting Ron on the head.
Ron stared after her, seemingly not noticing the glass bottle hitting him rather hard on the back of the head, a very stunned look on his face.
"Ron?" Harry asked.
Ron slowly looked back at Harry, mouthing soundlessly. He shook his head and walked up the stairs to the boys' dorm. Harry sighed, maybe this was what his two friends needed to finally get over what had been obvious for years. Instead of going up to the dorm, he stayed where he was and slept through the night.
The next evening, Harry and Ron were sitting by the lake, Harry studying, Ron staring out over the lake. "Harry," Ron said, the first thing he had said all day.
"Yeah," he answered, not looking up.
"Do you think Hermione meant what she said, you know, last night?" Ron asked, slowly and slightly nervously.
"I dunno, you'll have to ask her that," Harry said, uncomfortable, he was not used to being asked that question. "What do you think?" He looked up but Ron was looking past him, towards the castle. Harry turned and saw Ginny and Hermione walking towards them.
"Hey Harry!" Ginny said, coming up to him and sitting.
Hermione looked at Ron, clearly trying to mask the fact she was uncomfortable by crossing her arms and tapping a foot.
Ron pushed himself up and brushed the dirt off his seat. "Hermione, um…" He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. "Could we, er…"
"I believe 'talk' is the word you're looking for, Ron," Ginny said, grinning.
Ron glared at his sister, "Yeah, that."
Hermione nodded silently and they walked off and stood under a tree far enough away to where Harry and Ginny couldn't hear what was being said.
"What I wouldn't give for a pair of extendables right now." Ginny said, grinning at Harry.
Harry laughed and put his books down. "So she told you what happened?"
"Yeah. It looks like there's going to be at least one happy couple in Gryffindor," Ginny said, looking away from Harry.
He sighed, "Ginny," he started, but didn't finish his sentence.
"Listen, Harry, we're all in danger, why can't we just be together an happy?" Ginny asked softly but forcefully, "I mean, it would make it all easier to have someone to relax with, wouldn't it?"
Harry couldn't speak for a moment, but put his hand under Ginny's chin, making her look at him. "Ginny, I would love for that to happen, but…" He shook his head, clearing away his protests. "What am I talking about? You're smarter than me, I know you're right." He leaned over and kissed her forehead, "How about this, if Hermione and Ron come back a couple, then we'll follow their lead." Ginny grinned, knowing the probability was high for that to happen.
"Deal." They both glanced up in time to see Ron and Hermione break apart from each other and start to walk back to them, Ron had his arm around Hermione's waist and Hermione was resting her head on Ron's shoulder.
"I see you two made up," Harry said, grinning.
Hermione blushed, "Well, we can't stay mad in these times now can we?" They both sat down, Hermione leaning against Ron. "So, can I see your book, Harry?"
Ron groaned as Harry laughed, no matter what happened, it looked as though they wouldn't get out of studying.
