Chapter Thirty-Four
Arguments and Answers.

"It has to be somewhere!" Hermione sighed exasperatedly slamming a book and adding it to a huge pile on the table, picking up another one from an even bigger pile and beginning to read. Harry and Ron had just emerged from the boy's dormitory after a sleepless night in Harry's case. He knew Ron had slept well as every few seconds Harry had heard a loud snore or grunt from his direction. He saw Hermione looking extremely frustrated sitting on the end of an armchair in the empty common room her head buried in a book not even acknowledging Harry and Ron as they walked into the room.

"Someone's back to there old self." Ron muttered to Harry with a slight grin etched on his face. "Morning Hermione…Your up early." Harry and Ron sat down on the two chairs beside her, Harry trying to see what Hermione was reading; she looked up from the book in her hand for just a second to reply.

"So are you." She remarked.

"What're you doing?" Harry asked picking up a book from one of the piles and instantly knew this was a mistake as Hermione glared. He quickly put it back as if scolded.

"I'm trying to find something to make your hand at least...a little better than it is. But there's nothing. Of course I've only looked in the obvious ones." Hermione said finally giving up and closing the book in her hand putting it back on the table. "With your help it will be a lot easier."

"Our help?" Ron said looking startled. "But lessons are back on tomorrow aren't we going to do anything fun at all today?"

"I appreciate your trying to help, but my hand is fine really, it doesn't even…ow!" Hermione grabbed Harry's bandaged hand tightly and let go after a second. Harry feeling the familiar shooting pain go through it.

"You were saying?" Hermione said looking at Harry with raised eyebrows.

"She's got you their mate." Ron grinned.

"Shouldn't we be focusing on something else here?" Harry said hastily.

"Don't try and change the subject." Hermione said sternly but Harry was saved by an old grey owl flying in at the only just open window. It held out its leg for Harry who untied the letter and slowly opened it seeing Aberforth's writing. He read it aloud to Ron and Hermione not noticing the owl flying away almost immediately.

Harry,
I can't tell you how pleased I am to hear that you've done it. My brother would have been proud.
No, he never actually told me about his hand I'm sorry. I did ask, I will try to find out what's happened, but I doubt I would be able to. Now, obviously we only have two targets left. How you do it I don't know. You have to be fully prepared and ready, all three of you.
When you've thought this through, write back to me if you need any help.
I'll be seeing you soon.
A.D.

"Well that was helpful." Ron mumbled sarcastically leaning backwards in his chair.

"There's something I don't understand though. You said Dumbledore told you he didn't think Voldemort would know when one of his horcruxes were destroyed. The night you and Ginny did it he went round on a murdering rampage, so he must have known. How did he know?" Hermione thought aloud. Harry thought she made a good point and wondered why he didn't think of it himself.

"Well you know…maybe our connection or whatever." Harry suggested.

"No, I don't think he'd be able to see where you are and what your doing all the time." Hermione said. For some reason something popped up in Harry's mind and he knew he could put it off no longer. He had to tell his two best friends now what Aberforth had told him before. Who knows, maybe Hermione will know something that can make the idea of it not be able to be true. Harry thought to himself, and felt a flicker of hope appear inside him. He was not looking forward to seeing Ron and Hermione's horrified faces but knew he had to do it. "What's wrong Harry?" Hermione said concerned, stopping Harry's thoughts. He found he had lost the ability to talk.

"Yeah you look a bit pale." Ron observed. Harry cleared his throat.

"I'm fine, there's something I need to tell you both." Harry glanced from Ron to Hermione their faces were now deadly serious and almost worried. "Remember a lot of months ago when I spoke to Aberforth alone?" They both nodded their heads and Harry continued. "It sounds really stupid…" Harry laughed nervously.

"Go on." Hermione urged him impatiently.

"Er… he kind of said him and Dumbledore disagreed on whether I was you know…erm…one of them." Harry took a gasp of breath and waited for there reactions. He was surprised to see they both didn't have distraught looks as he had expected. They looked confused.

"One of what?" Ron said bewildered.

"You don't mean? Well that's just ridiculous." Hermione rolled her eyes. "And it's not funny either."

"I'm not laughing. I'm serious." Harry told them; if he'd had to guess how they would react this would have been his last guess.

"One of what?" Ron said again now looking slightly annoyed.

"A horcrux. Dumbledore didn't believe it, but Aberforth does." Harry said this so sincerely Ron and Hermione's faces both turned horror struck.

"That's ridiculous." Hermione repeated again, but this time she didn't look like she believed what she was saying.

"Is it?" Harry said hopefully sitting up in his chair.

"I don't actually know. Could you be?" Hermione said. The flicker of hope inside Harry died and his face fell. "Why are you just telling us now?" Hermione said heatedly. "After all were only your best friends, why should we need to know?" And with that Hermione got up from her chair grabbed as many books as she could carry off the table and went straight back up to the girl's dormitory. Harry turned to Ron stunned.

"I suppose you agree with her then?" Harry asked knowing regretting he hadn't told them sooner.

"Nah, she'll calm down. Got a lot on her mind hasn't she?" Ron turned to Harry who looked at him closely seeing the hidden panic in his eyes but hiding it well. " Dumbledore didn't believe it so let's not get too worked up, all we can do now is decide what to do next." Ron finished.

"Yeah. But we need Hermione for that don't we?" Harry said. "Have you done your Potions homework for tomorrow?" Ron shook his head. Glad to get off the subject Harry and Ron sat down to finish their essays.

"Sorry to bring this up again mate, but were u ever planning on telling my sister?" Ron said.

"After how Hermione took it? I don't think so." Harry joked. But Ron's face remained grim and he pulled out his quill.

"Your choice I guess." Ron said bluntly.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Harry said defensively. Feeling like Ron and Hermione were taking all this the wrong way Harry stood up. "I think I'll go to the library." Harry strolled over to the portrait hole and climbed out walking down the corridor fighting his feelings of resentment to his friends. At least Ron and Hermione can be happy together, doesn't he know I want to tell Ginny. This is stupid, getting worked up over something that might not even be true. If I didn't know any better I'd say they were acting like this is all my fault. Harry walked faster unaware of where he was going, finally deciding on visiting Hagrid. Harry arrived at Hagrid's hut still in a fierce temper and banged on the door a bit harder than he had meant to.

"Allrigh' I'm comin'! Don' 'ave ter bang so bloomin' loud" Hagrid's booming voice came from behind the door as he pulled it open. "Ah it's you 'arry, come in." Hagrid looked down at Harry with half a toothy grin on his face and stepped out of the doorway as Harry walked inside and sat down looking around and seeing no Fang at all in Hagrid's hut.

"Hagrid where's Fang?" Harry asked thinking he already knew the answer.

"Gone." Hagrid said slamming a mug of tea in front of Harry so hard that half of it spilled out and went onto the tablecloth.

"Why didn't you tell us, we would have come as soon as we found out." Harry said alarmed.

"O' course yer would. 'ow's 'ermione doin?" Hagrid said sitting down and taking a huge gulp of his own tea.

"She's doing ok." Harry said.

"Course she is, strong girl is 'ermione. If I ever fin' the scum tha' did it I'll…" Hagrid made a violent gesture in mid-air. "Other two not comin' down then?"

"No, they had…homework."

" You 'ear bou' tha' boy, think Smith's his name."

"No, what about him?" Harry said looking up curiously.

"Bin under the imperius curse since the star' o' the year. No-one knows why…or how." Hagrid informed him.

"What?" Harry gasped accidentally spraying his tea all over the table. "But, how did they find out?"

"Mcgonagall caught 'im doin' somethin' didn' mention wha' now I come ter think o' it. Anyway, 'is dad took 'im 'ome, weren' too 'appy at all. Sayin' 'e didn' wan' 'is son ter come ter Hogwarts in the firs' place an' now this."

"How come we didn't see it in the Prophet?" Harry said his mind racing. I'd bet my right arm he's been here to spy on me.

"Jus' found out a few hours ago didn' we. Be glad when this war is over eh?" Hagrid said sounding worn down.

"Yeah, yeah I will." Harry agreed finishing the last of his tea. After a while Harry finally left Hagrid's walking slowly back up to the castle and bumping into Ginny on the way back to the common room.

"I've been looking for you everywhere." Ginny exclaimed.

"I was at Hagrid's. What's up?" Harry asked.

"Oh, nothing. Just wondering if you knew what was wrong with Hermione. Probably had a fight with Ron or something." Ginny rolled her eyes. "I said I'd meet Luna in the library…last minute catch up of homework. Too bad we have lessons tomorrow. You wanna come?"

"Sorry, homework isn't top of my list of things to do right now." Harry muttered. "I got a letter back off Aberforth."

"What did he say?"

"Not much actually." Harry said indifferently.

"Oh, well I'll talk to you later then ok." Ginny said quickly kissing Harry and rushing off towards the library. As Harry entered the common room, it was practically empty as it always was these days, a few sixth years in the corner and Parvarti and Lavender sitting as far away from Ron as they could. Ron was still in the same spot he was when Harry had left, bent over the table holding a quill he caught sight of Harry who sat opposite him and looked up.

"Done!" Ron beamed happily holding up his now finished essay. "And with no help from Hermione, you know I think her intelligence has rubbed off on me." Harry raised his eyebrows.

"Has Hermione been down?"

"No. Just so you know, I wasn't being a prat earlier. Well I was…but that's not the point."

"Its fine." Harry said interrupting what he thought was supposed to be an apology from Ron. "We need Hermione down here, I've got something to tell you both." As if on cue Hermione marched into the common room and sat herself down next to Harry.

"I think I may have finally found something to help you…. not that your business is anything to do with me." Hermione said coldly.

"I know your upset I didn't tell you, but don't you think you're over reacting a bit. I don't see Ron acting like this." Harry laughed.

"You should be taking this more seriously." Hermione scowled at him.

"Believe me I am, why do you think it took me so long to tell you?" Harry said starting to feel slightly angry again.

"Is there anything else you haven't told us?" Hermione asked, her angry look now fading away.

"No, and if there's ever anything else I will tell you both straight away." Harry told them honestly.

"You'd better, or I think Hermione might actually kill you." Ron snickered. Harry privately agreed.

"Can we drop this now, I have something to tell you." Harry filled Ron and Hermione in about what Hagrid had told him about Smith earlier.

"There's my answer…I think." Hermione concluded.

"What?" Ron frowned.

"He's obviously been spying on Harry. I wondered why he turned into such an imbosile this year, not that he wasn't before. Are you sure he didn't follow you when you and Ginny destroyed that horcrux. Because that may be how Voldemort knew." Hermione said.

"I'm not sure, I guess there are ways he could have." Harry answered thoughtfully.

"Sorry I've got to go! We'll have to talk about this later." Hermione glanced at her watch and leapt up from her chair grabbing her bag. Leaving Harry and Ron taken aback she left the common room.