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The next morning George and Hermione woke up and went to their regular staff quarters to meet with Harry. They left the Chamber of Secrets while everyone else was playing a game of exploding snap to try and pass the time. Remus and Sirius had gotten over their grudge with Snape when Hermione explained what all Severus had done for Harry.
The mood in the Chamber was getting a little restless so George and Hermione knew they needed to get moving and get the rest of the people out of the archway quickly. They couldn't keep Remus and Tonks from Teddy for much longer. The same went with keeping Amelia from Susan, Sirius from Harry, and Colin from Dennis. Fred and Severus were ok waiting a bit, and Cedric just missed his family but didn't feel the need to rush back. He knew they had time to move on from his death and he was a bit nervous about how they would react to his return.
Exiting the Chamber of Secrets, George and Hermione walked out of the girls bathroom and up the stairs. Their staff quarters were conveniently next to each other so they separated at their portraits. George went to a portrait showing a quidditch pitch with a keeper in an old fashioned Gryffindor uniform and said his password "Fizzing Whizbangs" and waved to Hermione letting her know he'd be over in a few minutes.
Hermione continued to her portrait which showed a witch surrounded by books and told her the password "Golden Trio" before she went in. She was only inside long enough to change and tidy up a bit before she heard a the portrait say that Harry was outside. She let him in and George followed behind him.
Harry looked at her and smiled, hugging her close. "God, Mione I've missed you. I feel like I haven't seen you in years. What have you been up to? Do you like being the Muggle Studies professor? Neville says that all the kids love your class."
Hermione smiled at him and told him about Hogwarts, with George adding in his thoughts occasionally.
"Hey Harry, we have some things we need to talk to you about ok?" Hermione started. She could see that Harry was already suspicious of them from their stories about Hogwarts.
He nodded "Ok, I have to say, I'm curious about what you've really been up to, I'm having a hard time believing that my Hermione would be content to just teach Muggle Studies and not really be involved much more than that. Although, I do have to say you both seem pretty happy." He smiled. He trusted them, he was just curious.
"Ok well, first, we've been dating for awhile. We love each other." George said smiling and grabbing Hermione's hand. Harry smiled hugely and jumped up to hug them.
"I'm so happy for you guys, this is so great. Kinda weird cause you're like my brother and sister, haha, but I'm so glad you're happy. Does anyone else know yet?"
"No, you're actually the first. We'll probably keep it quiet a little longer, so please don't tell Ginny till we're ready. We have a few things to do in the next few days and we need to be able to focus. Just give us a few days and you can tell her. Or we can. She'll probably shriek pretty loud so it's up to you." Harry nodded, laughing because he knew this was totally true about his fiance.
"Ok what else do you need to tell me? You said that was just first…" He said trailing off.
"Ok well you can't repeat this to anyone else. Not even Ginny. We have special permission to tell you, not because you're our friend, but because you are Harry Potter and the head of the auror department. This is top secret information ok? We trust you, so does our boss, so you don't have to take any oaths." George started.
Harry was stunned. He knew something was going on with these two, but had no idea it was this important. He was completely intrigued about what his brother and sister were up to though so he nodded. "I promise, and while it will be hard to keep a secret from Ginny, she understands that I can't share everything with her because of my job. What's going on?"
Hermione continued "Well, um, we're Unspeakables. That's why we have easy jobs at Hogwarts. Being the muggle studies professor and flying instructor are just our cover stories. We spend the majority of our time working together as Unspeakables." She paused there to see if Harry had any questions they could answer.
He was shocked. "Wow. Unspeakables. Well, now I know why I can't tell anyone (he chuckled). Congratulations you two. That's amazing. Do you like it? I know you can't share much with me, but why are you allowed to tell me at all?"
George continued for Hermione. "Thanks Harry, we actually love it. We're partners and we work really well together. You're right, we can't share a lot of specifics with you, but we were allowed to tell you because we could tell you were getting suspicious and so could our boss. We all trust you and know that you could actually cause a bit of trouble if you wanted to investigate what we've really been doing. We didn't want any trouble, or for you to come to the wrong conclusion about us so we decided to just be honest with you. Also, we need your help with something we're working on."
"Ok that makes sense. I never can let go of a mystery and I can see how an auror investigation would kind of blow your cover. What do you need me to do?" Harry said, laughing again.
Hermione laughed with him. "Well we just need some information really. We're researching potions and kind of need some information about the potion that Voldemort used to protect the locket if that's ok with you. It won't leave the Department of Mysteries." Hermione saw Harry pale a bit before he nodded to indicate she could ask what she needed to know.
George took out a piece of parchment to take notes as Hermione started asking Harry questions.
"Well we need to know what kind of reaction Dumbledore had to the potion. Do you think the potion would have killed him on its own? Also, do you think there's any way you could take us to the cave and let us know how to get in?"
"Um, Dumbledore's reaction seemed like the potion made him see something horrible. I think it made him see when he was fighting Grindelwald and was trying to protect his sister and couldn't. As for if it would have killed him. He was really thirsty after he drank it and you had to get water from the lake, which woke the inferi. I think Voldemort's plan was for you to have to wake the inferi and then they would kill you. He seemed ok till we got back to Hogwarts and he asked me to get Snape. Although at this point I'm not sure if he wanted Snape to kill him or if he thought Snape could help. I still think that the inferi were meant to kill him though. And, um I guess I could take you to the cave, but the boat to get to the island where the potion is only holds one wizard. It worked for us because I was underage and it worked for Regulus and Kreacher because Kreacher didn't count in Voldemort's mind."
Hermione and George sat quietly absorbing the new information. If they used the boat and one went in their animagus form it should work since animagus's aren't seen the same way as a human wizard. They could go to the island, then say the spell and go back to when Regulus would be there. If they did the spell under the invisibility cloak quickly and then transported back out quickly they should be ok. If the inferi attacked before they left, they could be seen because Regulus would die anyways.
"Thanks Harry, do you think we could meet tonight outside the gates at say, 8? We have some things we need to do before then, but 8 should be ok."
"Yeah I think that will work." Harry said as he finished his lunch. One of the house elves had brought it while they were discussing the potion.
"Thanks Harry, I promise you won't regret helping us. We actually will have to talk with you again in a few days. Is that ok?" George said. Everything was working out.
"Yeah that'll work. Can you guys check in with me when you get back though? I know I'll be worried that you'll be eaten by inferi. Ok so they don't actually eat people, but don't drown ok? Promise you'll protect each other?"
"With our lives Harry. Don't forget we love each other. We're not going to let each other get into to much danger. I promise. And we'll absolutely check in tonight when we get back. We don't plan to be there for long." George said, hugging Hermione tight to his side to get his point across.
"Alright, then I suppose I'll see you both tonight at 8. Oh hey, do you know anything about where my invisibility cloak might be? I can't find it anywhere and you know it's one of my most favorite possessions." Harry said as the thought popped into his head.
Hermione blushed and looked sheepish. "Yeah, um about that, we have it. We'll just need it for a few more days. I promise I'll give it back next time I see you. What we're doing is very sensitive and we can't be discovered. We needed the best protection. I'm sorry I took it." She looked at her feet, knowing it was important to him and how much he would have missed his dad's cloak.
"Mione, look at me." he pulled her chin up to look in his eyes "It's fine that you use it as long as it's keeping you safe. You matter much more to me than any cloak. Both of you do. Whatever I can do to keep you safe is fine. You should have let me know you had it, but I'm not mad. Keep it as long as you need ok? I love you." He said and pulled her into a tight hug to let her know there were no hard feelings. She felt a weight lifted from her shoulders knowing that he wasn't mad.
"Thanks Harry. I love you too, and I will give it back next time I see you. Hopefully we'll be able to tell you more about our project by then as well. It's something I'm dying to share with you." She smiled at him as he was leaving through the portrait hole.
"See you tonight lovebirds. Don't get in any trouble till then!" Harry called as he left.
"Alright love, I think we should try to help Sky now and then we can finish up our plan for Regulus once we get back. That should be enough time before we need to meet Harry. We'll make sure to tell Remus and Sirius that we need to check in when we get back tonight so we don't forget. Although Sirius will probably be absorbed in his brother." George said.
"Yeah I think you're right, but at least Remus will remind us to check in. Lets get going to help Sky if we can." Hermione said as they left to go back down to the Chamber and put on their disguises.
…...
Once they were ready to go, they concentrated on the Lovegood's front yard and put on Harry's invisibility cloak. They clasped hands and said the spell to take them to the time when Luna was nine.
They arrived in front of the round castle like building and looked in the front window to try to locate Sky and Luna. They knew Luna had witnessed her mother's death so wherever Sky was, Luna would be there as well.
They didn't see anyone on the first floor so they went around to the back of the house, seeking a way in. That's when they saw Luna and her mum out back. Luna was playing by the creek, probably catching plimpies Hermione thought. Her mum was waving her wand trying to do who knows what. It seemed like she was trying to combine a few charms, ones that shouldn't really be combined.
Hermione knew that this was probably going to blow up pretty soon so she focused on Luna's love for her mum, as well as Xeno's love for his wife. She tried to focus on the bravery Sky was showing by trying to combine the charms, and she cast the spell to protect her. The translucent otter ran at Sky and hit her about 30 seconds before her wand blew up and knocked her back into the house. From under the invisibility cloak Hermione and George could see the blood dripping from the back of her head and knew that she was dead. They saw Luna run up to her mum crying and start shaking her.
They didn't know where Xeno was and didn't want to leave Luna until they knew she wouldn't be alone with her mum's body. She was just nine years old, she didn't realize what had really happened.
Hermione looked at George and he nodded. She transformed into Slick and George transfigured her fur into a purple color and gave her a horn like a unicorn only shorter, curved and glittery. He also cast a cheering charm just on her fur so that Luna would be calmed a bit when she touched her. She left the invisibility cloak and walked toward Luna.
Luna looked at her and reached her hand out with tears running down her face. Slick rubber her face against Luna's hand and let her pet her and hold her for comfort until Xeno walked around from the front of the house. When he saw his wife he shouted out and paled considerably. He picked Luna up and pulled her away with Slick in her arms.
"Luna baby, stay over here for a minute ok? Daddy needs to check and see what happened to mummy. How long has she been like this?" He said very lovingly to his daughter. This Xeno was nothing like the one Hermione knew, but he did always love his daughter.
"Um I dunno daddy, I was catching plimpies and I heard a big noise and saw a bright light. Then I looked over and mummy was laying by the house and she was sleeping. She hasn't woken up yet. I was so scared but then this crumple horned snorkack came and made me feel better." Luna explained. Hermione almost snorted when she realized that she was the inspiration for Luna's favorite creature.
Xeno nodded and walked over to check his wife, letting out a sob when he realized she was gone. He went over to Luna. Looked at Hermione and had Luna let her go when he picked up his daughter. "We'll find the snorcack again later sweetheart, daddy needs to talk to you and call the aurors ok?" Then he walked into the house and Hermione saw the green flash indicating he was using the floo.
She walked back over to George and slipped under the invisibility cloak, not noticing that Luna was looking out the window. George did see their young friend and couldn't help but chuckle. When Hermione had turned back into a human he hugged her and whispered in her ear.
"Mione, you just showed Luna that the crumple horned snorcack could become invisible. As much as you argued that they don't exist you were the actual thing." George said trying not to laugh. Then he looked back over at Sky and sobered immediately. He didn't think they'd be able to retrieve her. Sure, Luna and her dad loved Sky, but nothing about that situation was brave or courageous.
"Let's go back and see if we can bring her back ok? It was so hard trying to console Luna. She was so… normal at this point in her life, although I guess she already loved creatures." Hermione said while they got ready to go.
They transported themselves back to the DOM and proceeded to try the charm to get Sky Lovegood back. When a half hour had passed without any indication that she was returning, they knew she wouldn't come back. Heartbroken, they started to leave the ministry.
They decided to apparate to Hogsmeade and walk back to Hogwarts to try and prepare for their next mission. On their walk back, they ran into Luna who had been visiting Neville at the school.
Hermione ran up and gave her a big hug, something she'd been wishing she could do since she saw her in the past. Luna hugged her back just as tightly and whispered "You tried Mione and that's what matters. My mum loved me, and that's enough for me. Thank you. And thanks for trying to comfort me, it really helped me, your crumple horned snorcack animagus was amazing. You're one of my best friends and I love you, promise I won't tell your secrets." She let go of Hermione and ignored the flabbergasted look on her friends face.
She hugged George next and said "Congratulations George, you and Mione were meant to be, I'm glad you both realized it. Oh and thanks for trying earlier. It means a lot that you would." With that she walked off toward the Three Broomsticks to take the floo back to Diagon Alley.
George and Hermione looked at each other and just started laughing. "She knew everything. I knew she was brilliant. I'm glad she's not upset that it didn't work though, I feel a bit better now." Hermione said. She should have expected this from her Ravenclaw friend.
"You know Mione, I bet we could sell Crumple Horned Snorcack plushies at the store. It would be great. They could go invisible occasionally. I think they'd sell really well. Let's go tell Fred!" George said with a grin.
