Dec 18
"You remember the plan?" Hermione asked for what seemed like the tenth time as the pair were walking where Hermione would meet the rest of the people going to Hogsmeade.
"Considering it's my plan, yes," responded Harry.
"Are you su-" started Hermione.
"Hermione," Harry cut in, stopping and putting his hands on her shoulders, causing Hermione to stop as well. Hermione's breath hitched, her face turning pink, "I remember it," said Harry. "Do you trust me?" He asked. Hermione nodded, seemingly not able to trust her voice. "Good, now, let's go," Harry said, leading them.
Harry bid goodbye to Hermione, who was wrapped in her cloak and scarf, then turned up the marble staircase alone and headed back toward Gryffindor Tower. Snow had started to fall outside the windows, and the castle was very still and quiet.
"Psst — Harry!"
He turned, halfway along the third-floor corridor, to see Fred and George peering out at him from behind a statue of a humpbacked, one-eyed witch.
"Fred? George? What'd you guys doing here?" Harry asked curiously. "Why aren't you going to Hogsmeade?"
"So many questions," George tutted. "He has been around Hermione quite a lot, hasn't he Forge?"
"Indeed he has, my dear brother!" Fred exclaimed. "If I didn't know any better, I'd dare say Harry fancies her!" Fred said with a wink.
"What?!" Harry blurted out. "She - she - no - we're just friends!" Harry sputtered out, his face turning scarlet red.
Fred and George shared disbelieving.
"That's not why we're here, come inside," Fred said, looking excited.
He nodded toward an empty classroom to the left of the one-eyed statue. Harry followed Fred and George inside. George closed the door quietly and then turned, beaming, to look at Harry. "Early Christmas present for you, Harry," he said. Fred pulled something from inside his cloak with a flourish and laid it on one of the desks. It was a large, square, very worn piece of parchment with nothing written on it. Harry, suspecting one of Fred and George's jokes, stared at it.
"What's this rubbish?" Harry asked incredulity.
"What's this rubbish, he says," George said, lightly scoffing. "This, Harry, is the secret of our success," said George, patting the parchment fondly.
Harry gave him a look.
"Hermione has really done a number on you, hasn't she?" Fred mumbled, causing Harry to flush. "It's a wrench, giving it to you," said Fred, "but we decided last night, your need's greater than ours."
"Anyway, we know it by heart," said George. "We bequeath it to you. We don't really need it anymore."
Harry was seriously thinking they were pranking him now. "This old bit of parchment is worth giving it to me?"
"A bit of old parchment!" said Fred, closing his eyes with a grimace as though Harry had mortally offended him. "Explain, George. Please."
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," said George, tapping the parchment with his wand.
Ink filled the parchment, surprising Harry. "Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs present you, The Marauders Map," Harry read out loud. He opened the parchment and it showed a map. "A map of Hogwarts?" Harry looked closer on the map and saw footsteps with a name on top of them. "Wait, does this map show-"
"Everyone," George cut in.
"Everyone?" Harry asked, not believing his ears.
"Everyone," Fred confirmed. "Where they are-"
"What they're doing-"
"Every minute-"
"Of every day!" George finished excitedly.
Harry looked at them and back at the map with a mixture of shock and awe. "Brilliant! Where'd you get it?" Harry asked.
"Nicked it from Filch's office, of course," Fred said, crossing his arms. "Our first year, a few dung bombs here and there-"
"He never knew what hit him-"
"Got into his office-"
"And nicked it!" George once again finished. Harry had a feeling they weren't telling him the full story. "We also heard your little plan to meet up with dear Hermione," George said, smirking, causing Harry to blush scarlet once again.
"You're making it sound like we're about to do something horrible," Harry mumbled.
"Maybe you are," Fred said. "We won't judge."
"Now, listen, there are seven passages out of the castle," George said, breaking from teasing Harry momentarily. "We'd recommend-"
"This one," The twins said simultaneously, pointing at the map.
"The One-eyed Witch passageway," Fred explained.
"It'll lead you to the straight to the Honeyduke's cellar," George said.
Fred suddenly had a grin on his face. "Now, we won't keep you away from seeing dear Hermione," He said.
"Oh, and don't forget to say-"
"Mischief managed," The twins once again said simultaneously. "Otherwise, anyone could read it."
"Don't forget to come out for air every once and a while," Fred teased once last time as he and George left.
Harry didn't know how long he walked until he reached the cellar, but once he got there, he had to move through a busy Honydukes carefully. When Harry got out there and into the open, he saw Hogsmeade for all its glory. It could give Diagon Alley a run of its money. Wizards and Witches alike smiling and laughing, stores having customers eagerly coming in, Hogsmeade radiated happiness.
As Harry walked through Hogsmeade, something caught his eye, the Minister for Magic walked through a store, Harry followed him. Wondering why the Minister was here. He saw him talking to what Harry assumed was the owner of the store of the Three Broomsticks. Harry saw the owner, Madam Rosmerta, Harry heard, follow the Minister into a room with Professor McGonagall, who Harry didn't see until now as he followed them. As soon as the Minister closed the door, Madam Rosmerta whirled at him.
"Why are the Dementors coming inside my pub every other week?!" She demanded.
"It's business, Rosmerta. Surely you must understand," Cornelius said nervously.
Rosmerta glared at the Minister. "Those bloody Dementors coming inside my pub is bad for business. They're scaring off the customers."
"This relates to Sirius Black," McGonagall said. "Have you heard about his break-in yet?"
"There were some rumors," Rosmerta answered, confused. "What does this have to with him?"
Cornelius glanced at McGonagall. "Not so much Sirius Black but Harry Potter."
"Harry Potter?"
"Yes, yes," said McGonagall. "I'm sure you remember Sirius Black and James Potter back then?"
Madam Rosmerta gave a little laugh while Harry was trying hard not to make any noise. His dad and Sirius were friends?
"How can I forget those two? Always making trouble, those two," Rosmerta said. "I thought they were brothers when I first saw them."
"A lot of people did," McGonagall said.
Harry's jaw dropped with shock. They were that close people thought that they were brothers? What happened?
"It's too bad what he did," Rosmerta said sadly.
The Minister gulped. "Well… It's not so much what he did. It's who he did it too."
"Not so much what he did?" Rosmerta repeated. "What can be worse than that?"
"When Harry was born, James and Lily made Sirius Harry's godfather," McGonagall said bluntly, causing Madam Rosmerta to gasp with shock. Somehow, Harry's jaw dropped further. His dad made Sirius Black his godfather, the same Sirius Black that is after him. "And when James and Lily went into hiding, they used the Fidelius charm -"
"How does that work?" Rosmerta asked.
"From what Filius tells me, it's an immensely complex spell, involving the magical concealment of a secret inside a single, living soul. You-Know-Who couldn't have found the Potter's even if he was in the same town as them," McGonagall explained.
"Anyway, the Potters made Sirius their secret keeper, next thing anyone knows, Sirius betrays them out to You-Know-Who," For the first time, Harry Potter saw Professor McGonagall with tears in her eyes. Harry wasn't doing any better as he tried his hardest to not sob on the spot. Harry wanted to get out of this godforsaken room, he wanted to get out and meet Hermione, he regretted following Fudge, he regretted ever insisting on coming to Hogsmeade. He was so stupid into thinking he could be a normal thirteen-year-old. Harry ignored his tears and went to find Hermione.
After fifteen minutes, Harry found her, gazing at the shrieking shack. She must've heard his footsteps because she turned around. "Harry?" She asked. "Is that you?"
Harry threw off his invisibility and dropped to his knees. His eyes were teary-eyed and red. But what caused Hermione from running to Harry right away was that his eyes were devoid of any light; They were dark and gloomy.
Hermione looked at his face and hitched her breath. She'd never seen Harry looked so defeated, so lost. She ran to Harry after shaking off the shock, cupping his face, "Harry, what happened?" Hermione asked softly, a little scared of what could cause Harry to look like this.
Harry opened his mouth a few times, but nothing came out, he opted to cry his heart out instead.
Hermione pulled Harry into an embrace and rocked him. Letting him cry on her shoulder. She was honestly getting scared of what happened with Harry.
Harry has no idea what he's crying about. Maybe he's crying about all the times the Dursleys abused him, maybe he's crying about how he lost his family, maybe he's crying about how Sirius Black, a person who his dad trusted, betrayed his mum and dad. Maybe he's crying about how Black has made him an orphan who had to live with Dursleys. He didn't know, which made him cling to Hermione even more.
The pair didn't know how long they spent there before Harry finally pulled back, eyes bloodshot. "Sorry," he croaked out.
"Don't be," Hermione said matter-of-factly, eyes darkening with concern. She had her hands on his shoulders, just in case. "Harry…. What happened?" She softly repeated.
Harry stood silent for a moment. "Sirius Black is my godfather," Harry said, causing Hermione's eyes to widen with shock. "Sirius and my dad were best mates during their stay at Hogwarts, and he betrayed them," Harry said in a whisper. "He was their friend, Hermione, and he betrayed them."He said. "Why, Hermione?" Harry asked her, brokenly.
Hermione looked at her best friend sadly. "I don't know, Harry. I truly don't," She responded softly. Hermione didn't know what else to do except give Harry another hug. "What'd you say we get out of here?" She murmured in his ear. Feeling him nod, she pulled back and stood up, bringing Harry up with her.
Hermione stared at Harry's face. "We can't you have looking miserable," She said, ignoring Harry's plea about wanting to look miserable. Hermione cradled Harry's head and wiped his remaining tears, and took off her scarf, putting it on Harry covering his tear-tracked cheeks, once again ignoring his pleas about being her scarf. "Comfy?" She asked, and Harry reluctantly nodded. "Good. Let's get out of here. Put on your invisibility cloak, just in case."
It turns out it was good timing as Hermione saw the first carriage, and she immediately jumped on it. Harry was close by as he also jumped on the carriage, closing the door. Pulling off his invisibility cloak, he took off Hermione's scarf and handed it to her. "Thanks," Harry said, sincere.
"Of course," Hermione said.
A moment by before Harry frowned and rubbed his temples. "Is it normal to have a headache when you cry that hard?" He mumbled.
"Well," Hermione started in her lecture tone. "Sometimes the emotions you feel when you cry can be so intense that they lead to physical symptoms, like a headache."
Harry stared at her, making her fidget with her shirt. "You're brilliant. You know that?" He said with a smile, making her blush, momentarily forgetting that Sirius Black sold out his parents.
"I just read it from a book, that's all," Hermione said, meekly.
Harry chuckled. "Just acknowledge it, will you?" He teasingly said. "Honestly, how many times will I have to say that before you believe it?" Harry said, raising an eyebrow.
Hermione blushed even more before cheekily replying with. "Oh, I don't know, give it another year." Causing the two-third years to burst out laughing.
"You are brilliant," Harry wheezed before the pair calmed down. "Thank you," He said, seriously.
"What for?" Hermione asked, tilting her head.
Harry sighed, "I don't know, for always being there, I guess?" He said, unsurely. "That cry was the first time I remember having without getting yelled at, and I'm glad it was you to comforted me," Harry said, rambling with nerves. "What- what I'm trying to say is… you mean a lot to me, Hermione. And you visiting me in Diagon Alley is something I won't forget. As much as I liked staying there, it was nice having a friend to talk to, laugh around with and let's not forget the homework," He said, causing the pair to fall into small laughter. "You made my stay at Diagon Alley even better."
Hermione beamed at Harry before throwing herself at him into a tight hug. "Hermione!" Harry sputtered out.
Hermione pulled back slightly to look Harry in the eye. "You don't get to pour your heart out and not expect something like that, Harry Potter!" Hermione said, before throwing herself at Hary again, Harry was more prepared and hugged her back. "That was the nicest thing anyone has said to me," She mumbled against Harry's ear. Harry tightened his arms around her.
"You deserved it and then some," Harry replied as she pulled back, her eyes glistening with tears but a big smile on her face.
"Now you're going to me make cry, Harry," She mumbled.
"Sorry," Harry said, a grin on his face.
The pair enjoyed the rest of the ride back to Hogwarts in comfortable silence. As the carriage stopped, Hermione looked at Harry, "Put on your cloak, quickly!" She hissed. Harry nodded and put it on. As Hermione was walking to the castle, Professor McGonagall was calling her. " ! !"
Hermione spun around, confused, "Professor?"
"Have you seen, ?" McGonagall asked.
"Harry?" Hermione blinked.
"Yes, have you seen him? I asked the Gryffindor first-years, and they said they haven't seen him."
"And you were hoping I seen him in Hogsmeade?" Hermione asked defensively.
McGonagall raised an eyebrow. "I'm merely asking a question, No one has seen him in the castle."
"No need to fret!" Harry called out, walking to the courtyard as Hermione opened her mouth. "I'm right here, Professor! Hello, Hermione," He said with a boyish grin.
"Where have you been?" McGonagall asked with slightly narrowed eyes.
"There was a place called the Artifact room, some kid named Ben Copper used to hide there, apparently," Harry said, shrugging his shoulders.
McGonagall sighed. "Yes, that room. Of course," She mumbled to herself. "Next time, please tell one of the staff where you are. With Sirius Black on the loose, we need to be careful."
Harry's whole demeanor changed. "Yeah, I'll try and remember," He said flatly.
"That's all I ask, Enjoy your day," Professor McGonagall said, walking off.
Harry stood there, gazing at the ground. Oh, how he wished Sirius Black showed his face right now. Harry didn't know what he'll do first if he saw Black. Maybe he'll demand why he betrayed a friend that was basically his brother before killing him. Maybe Harry would beat Sirius into a pulp and then demand why he betrayed them. Maybe he -
"Harry?" Hermione's voice cut through Harry's murderous thoughts.
"I'm going to kill him," Harry said after a moment in a low voice.
Hermione gasped slightly and grabbed his hand. "No, Harry, you can't mean that," She said as Harry didn't look at her.
"I can and I will," Harry growled as angry tears filled his vision.
Hermione was now getting very worried. "No, you won't. Look at me," She demanded. Harry made no move. "Look. At. Me," Hermione again demanded. Harry once again made no move. Sighing with frustration, she cupped his face and forced him to look at her. She saw the angry tears but chose to ignore them for now. "You can't and won't kill him, Harry Potter. You are far too kind-hearted to do something like that. It's your anger talking right now an-"
"No, it's not," Harry snarled.
Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Then look at me and say you want to kill Sirus Black. Look into my eyes and say it."
Harry stared into Hermione's chocolate orbed eyes and opened his mouth…. But nothing came out. Hermione looked at Harry expectantly, silently telling him to say it. But he couldn't, Harry couldn't say it, and closed his eyes, shaking his head. A tear escaped Harry's eyes.
"You are not a killer, and that's a good thing," Hermione softly said. "You can't be like Sirius Black and kill thirteen people without your guilt eating you up. You can't, in good conscience kill anyone, without something eating you up inside," Hermione said in a soft voice.
Harry opened his eyes and saw Hermione looking at him softly as if he didn't just say he was about to murder someone, and Harry felt a pang of guilt run through him. Hermione looked at Harry before shifting into a sheepish look. Harry opened his mouth, but Hermione lowered his head as she shyly kissed his forehead, making Harry feel warm and safe. As she pulled away, Harry looked at her, bemused. Her face was scarlet red, and she had a shy smile.
"Better?" Hermione asked in a quiet voice, wiping Harry's eyes.
"Loads," Harry answered automatically, making her smile wider.
"What'd you say we head into the caste?" Hermione asked, no longer cupping Harry's face. Harry felt a bit colder at the loss of her touch, though he put it on the both of them being outside.
"Yeah, that's a good idea," Harry responded- and lead the way.
Giving the password to the fat lady, the two walked into the common room where Neville ran into him. "Harry! There you are," Neville panted.
"Here I am?" Harry repeated confusedly.
"Remember the butterbeer Ron and I talked about last Hogsmeade trip?" Neville questioned.
"Yeah…." Harry drawled.
"I brought some for you to drink!" Neville said excitedly. He reached onto his bag and brought two mugs with butterbeer. "You can have too, Hermione, if you want."
Harry and Hermione grabbed the butterbeer and looked at each other. "Bottoms up," Harry said, clinking Hermione's mug and drank it. Harry was instantly filled with a cool sensation, he shivered slightly, not expecting it. The butterbeer tasted like cream soda but with less carbonation. "Blimey," Harry blinked, "This is really good. Thanks, Neville," Harry said sincerely, making Neville beam at him.
"I agree," Hermione said. "This was nice of you, Neville."
Neville flushed. "You guys are my friends, and since Harry can't go to Hogsmeade, it's the least I can do," He said sheepishly.
"Still, mate, thank you," Harry said, patting Neville on the shoulder.
"Can I still study with you guys?" Neville asked.
Hermione looked offended he needed to ask. "Of course you can, Neville!" Hermione exclaimed. "You don't have to ask. We'll be happy to help you."
"That answers that then," Harry said.
The trio studied until dinner.
"My head hurts," mumbled Neville.
"I don't mind studying but blimey, Hermione. Four hours of studying?" Harry said.
Hermione rolled her eyes, "All of your assignments are done for the next three days, aren't they?"
"True," Harry said.
"At least we have dinner," Neville mumbled as they got to the doors of the Great Hall.
Harry made a grunting noise.
"Oh, stop your whining. It wasn't that bad!" Hermione said, shaking her head.
"Hermione, not all of us are as smart as you are," Harry stated, sitting next to Hermione and with Neville across the pair.
Hermione flushed. "I guess that is the case," She mused.
The trio quickly fell into the Christmas cheer and discussed light-hearted conversation. Harry forgot about traitorous godfathers and enjoyed the Christmas atmosphere for the day.
I know I said that this chapter was going to be longer but I guess that was a lie.
Next up would be about the Buckbeak defense and Christmas! The whole reason for this fic is because of Christmas. You may ask yourself why I didn't start the fic at Christmas, and that is a good question. One which I do not have the answer to, but alas, here we are.
I'm kind of proud of this chapter title, not gonna lie.
Ah, Neville, you absolute cinnamon roll
Thank you guys for the follows and favorites. It means a lot to me that you guys spend time reading this fic.