Chapter 11- Questions and Truths
"Why is it always you, Potter? Why does everywhere you go end up like this?" Professor McGonagall was going on as she paced in front of them back in the main hall of the library.
"I wish I knew Professor. If I did, maybe I could prevent it," Harry muttered. She gave him a stern look but he caught the hint of a twinkle in her eye.
"To be fair, we don't usually find dead bodies," Hermione offered up.
"Let us be thankful for that," McGonagall scoffed.
"I take it this is a common occurrence for you both?" Tim whispered to Harry.
"More common then you would think," Harry muttered back running a hand through his hair.
"So…" Hermione paused before asking the question that was plaguing all their minds, "Is it Professor Hepburn?"
"I do not know at this time. Now shoo, the lot of you. Go do something else while we sort this out."
"We'll still get to look around after you're done though, right?"
"Perhaps, Potter. Now go," She dismissed them before departing to Madam Pomfrey who was dealing with the body.
"Well, now what? No papers to grade, no classes to teach, what do we do?" Harry huffed, looking to Hermione and knitting his eyebrows when he saw the slight smirk on her face. "What?"
"Well, I did get this from the woman's hand before we got the professor," Hermione said holding up crumpled paper.
"You're brilliant, Hermione," Harry smiled and she flushed.
"Come on, let's look at it elsewhere. I'd rather McGonagall not catch us with that," Tim whispered. With nods all around they quickly departed the library to Harry's living quarters.
Sitting around his couch, Hermione flattened the paper out on her lap and began to read aloud,
"'I have made it passed the door. This area of the library seems less inviting than the others though I am unsure of why at this time. Perhaps something is hiding in here or is hiding away. It does feel like something is watching me from the dark-'"
"I felt that too," Harry said.
"Same," Tim nodded in agreement.
"I did too…" Hermione looked concerned as she turned back to the page, "'I will not stay in here long tonight. I feel it would be unwise but rather I will return to the main hall and-'"
"And? And what?" Tim asked coming around the back of the couch to look over Hermione's shoulder.
"That's it. It stops there. Let me try some revealing charms," Hermione said pulling out her wand and cast every spell she could think of before finally huffing in defeat, "Nothing… there's nothing else there. That doesn't make any sense."
"Unless that was Hepburn we found," Tim offered.
"But Hermione said it couldn't have been, that body would have been around ninety years old and wouldn't have looked like that," Harry countered.
"I need another look at that body. Perhaps there was magic involved in preserving it. Maybe there's more clues, something to tell us why," Hermione said, her expression determined.
"It's probably in the hospital wing with Madam Pomfrey by now."
"Do you still have your invisibility cloak?" She asked him.
"Yes…" Harry answered wearily.
"Then let's use it tonight, get into the hospital wing and have a look."
"Um… why can't we just wait for Professor McGonagall to give us access?" Tim asked confused.
"Because by then any traces of what might have happened to her could've been tampered with, Timothy! We have to hurry if we're going to find anything!" Hermione insisted.
"Hermione," Harry said, drawing her attention quickly back to him, the worry evident in his voice. She was becoming frantic. "Why is this so important?"
"Harry, don't you see? This woman has been missing for nearly a century. She had family who were looking for her, maybe relatives that still are. They were told she had a psychotic break and ran off never to be seen again, but that's not what happened. Something happened to her, and I want to find out what it is. I want to reveal the truth."
With the passion in her voice all Harry could do was nod, "Alright, I'm in. Tim?"
He smiled a bit with a breath of a laugh, "What's the plan?"
Soon enough Harry, Hermione, and Tim were crowded under Harry's cloak as they walked towards the hospital wing in the middle of the night. Harry just hoping their feet weren't too obvious even with the precaution of wearing dark matte shoes.
Harry reached out a hand and slowly pushed open the wing's heavy door, cringing as it creaked. Glancing around he saw all the beds empty, with very few kids around to be sick, except for one at the end with the curtains pulled. Exchanging a look with his companions they all knew that's where they needed to go.
They had barely begun to step inside when Madam Pomfrey's voice came from her office, "Who could be up at this hour?" She muttered before calling out, "Is someone there?"
Before Harry had any time to react he found himself and Hermione being shoved forward and Tim sliding himself out from under the cloak to stand in the doorway.
"It's just me Madam Pomfrey, you know, Timothy Cohen?" Tim started talking as their school matron came around the corner. With his eyes he signaled them to keep going.
"Ah, Mr. Cohen, what has you up at this hour?" Madam Pomfrey said, turning her back to them to talk to Tim. Harry and Hermione exchanged a quick look before starting further into the wing.
"Oh cough, head ache, upset stomach, the works. Too much holiday food, am I right?" Tim was saying behind them.
"Hmph. I suppose. Right this way, Mr. Cohen. I'll get you a Pepperup Potion and then a good night's rest should clear that all right up."
Harry glanced back and watched as Madam Pomfrey lead Tim into her office. Once she disappeared Harry pulled back the curtain and slipped inside behind Hermione.
"We don't have much time, not sure how else Tim can stall her," Harry whispered, pulling off the cloak and going to the opposite side of the bed from his best friend. Looking down, it was definitely the woman and her disturbing glossy white eyes from the library lying there. Harry found himself feeling a bit nauseous.
"I'll be quick," Hermione promised quietly, "Lumos Minima," She casted, causing the smallest of lights to appear at the end of her wand.
"Be careful," Harry told her and she glanced up at him with a soft reassuring smile.
"I will."
She quickly and efficiently checked for any spells or curses placed over the body, and finding none, she began a closer examination. She scanned the body's face and neck, then down her arms. When she turned over the arm to check the inside her quick movements ceased.
"Harry look at this," She said, pointing her wand at a symbol on the woman's arm. It was some sort of curved oval, pointed at the ends, with a center line going down the middle and little lines coming off each side of the line like Vs.
"What is it?"
"I-"
"No, Mr. Cohen, you cannot have more than one." The two looked up at the return of Madam Pomfrey's voice.
"Nox!" Hermione whispered quickly before pulling Harry over to her side, taking the cloak from his hand, and throwing it over them.
"But what if it comes back?" Tim complained.
"Then you will just have to come back here to me," Madam Pomfrey barked, clearly irritated.
Crash!
Harry and Hermione jumped at the sound of a tray with, from the sound, a number of tools and instruments on it falling to the ground.
"Oh wow, I am so sorry!" Tim said loudly, giving them a chance to duck out from behind the curtain unnoticed. "Here, let me help."
He knelt down and reached to help but Madam Pomfrey slapped his hand, "You've done enough for tonight thank you. Now go."
Tim walked over to the door and pulled it open. He was about to walk out before he stopped and stepped back, hand still keeping the door wide.
"Are you sure I can't help at all?"
"Now," Hermione whispered to Harry and they began to move quickly towards the door.
"I am positive!"
"You know, I've actually had something of an interest in learning healing magics. Maybe I could-"
"Good night, Mr. Cohen!" Madam Pomfrey dismissed him heatedly just as Hermione and Harry passed behind him through the open door. Hermione poked his back to single they were through.
"Right, sorry to bother you. Night!" Tim said quickly, shutting the door behind them.
They quickly walked around the corner before Harry pulled the cloak off and grinned at Tim, "Nice job."
"Well, I hope it worked. I don't think I'm allowed in the hospital wing ever again," Tim said with a laugh.
"Well there were no spells or curses placed on her, just a strange mark on her arm and that could be from anything," Hermione explained with a sigh before her face broke out into a smile. "That was ridiculous, Timothy. Do you know that?"
"Oh yeah," He smiled.
"I'm surprised it actually worked." Harry laughed a bit as they started walking back to their quarters.
Soon they were gathered back around Harry's couch as Hermione drew the symbol she'd seen on a scrap of parchment to show Tim.
"Looks like a leaf to me," Tim shrugged.
"Why would it be a leaf?" Harry asked, confused, though he really had no better guesses.
"Hmm… I've seen symbols like this before, simple shapes but with more complex internal patterns that stand for different things. I have an Ancient Runes book in my room, maybe it's in there. I'll be right back," Hermione said quickly, her mind working fast. She popped off the couch and departed the room quickly.
Harry watched her go with a smile, then looked back at the fireplace still smiling to himself.
"So… when are you going to tell her?" Tim asked with a raised brow after a few moments of silence.
"Oh, I don't know," Harry scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably. "It's been a little hectic."
"You said that before Christmas too."
"Yeah well, now there's a body involved. That would qualify as hectic too."
"A fair point, but you still need to tell her."
"What am I going to say?"
"The truth is a good start."
"I don't know what the truth is, Tim… I can't figure it out." Harry sighed and rubbed his forehead.
"Sure you can. You know exactly what to say."
"What? That I like her? That I like her as more than just a friend? That she's… everything to me? Do I admit that I think about her all the time? That her smile spins me in circles? Her laugh knocks me off my feet? I don't know what I'm feeling but it's driving me mad. Is that what I'm supposed to tell her? That I'm crazy about her? Is that what I say?"
Harry stopped his rant and waited for Tim to answer, but his friend remained silent, his eyes wide and looking over Harry's shoulder. Harry felt his heart drop straight down though his chest as he slowly turned around. Hermione was standing there, book in hand.
"I…I got halfway down the hall and t-then remembered I could just summon the book…" She explained shakily, looking like she'd seen a ghost.
"You—you heard all that?" Harry asked standing slowly; turning to face her as nervously rubbed his hands on his trousers.
"E-Every word," She trembled out.
Harry felt his hands begin to shake, his chest tightened making his breaths short and shallow, his stomach lurching uneasily and tying itself in knots. He didn't have a clue what to do next. He knew by the look on her face that things had changed, and a small voice in the back of his head was telling him it wasn't for the better. He just knew couldn't stand here and have his best friend reject him, he wouldn't be able to take it. So he darted for the door.
"Harry, wait," Hermione called, trying to grab his arm, but he was moving too fast. The fabric of his coat slipped through her fingers as he rushed passed her.
He didn't hear her follow as he walked briskly down the hall. The moment he entered the main corridor he broke out into a run.
AN: Oh Harry… always has a bit of tough luck doesn't he?
