CHAPTER 24: The Scarlet Woman

A/N: Hey guys, welcome back. In this chapter you will learn a little bit about the scene at the end of first year with Dumbledore and 'Samantha'. Plus a little bit about Dumbledore's life and history. I don't want to keep you waiting any longer so without further ado...….

A small smile was playing at his lips as the hem of his burgundy robe brushed against the cobblestone ground, his eyes gazing at the scene ahead.

Shops are lined up to his left, mostly retail stores with a single grocery store sandwiched between an apothecary and a barber shop. A small park with only a handful of rides encompassed the area to his right, ending at the edge of the street.

His steps were measured, slow and leisurely, as he walked with his hands behind his back, gripping the wrist of his left arm with his right hand.

He loved the tranquillity of the night. It wasn't often that he had the opportunity to do this. Though there were many perks to his job, it sadly didn't afford him much time to take late night walks, at least not outside the castle.

He reached the end of the street and turned right. He came upon a residential street that was lined with quaint cottages.

Streetlights were lined on the front porch of every property, emanating a yellow hue on the ground.

He didn't encounter a single soul as he reached the end of the street before turning left. He walked past the graveyard and didn't bat an eye in its direction.

The road merged into an open area that was twice as wide and shaped like a square. In the middle stood a wooden sign. It read 'Village Sqaure'. Right next to the sign was an obelisk.

A family of three were standing before it as Dumbledore moved towards the stone structure. Dumbledore moved his hand over his body and a second later his robes were changed into a brown suit.

The family turned their head towards him once he reached them. He offered them a polite smile which the husband and the wife reciprocated. Their daughter, however, after taking one glance at him, hid behind her father's legs.

"Oh Emily!" laughed the woman as she picked her daughter up who clutched her mother tightly and hid her face in her chest. "I'm so sorry, she's just a little shy. But that wasn't very nice, was it sweety" she pulled back and arched an eyebrow at her daughter, who ignored her mother completely and went back to hiding her face in her bosom.

All three adults chuckled at her antics.

"Please, no need to apologise" smiled Dumbledore, raising his hand. "I'm admire her bravery; she didn't let her shyness stop her from acting honestly."

"I'm glad you see it that way" replied the mother before looking down at the back of her daughter's head. "But some people might consider this behaviour rude, what would you say then Ems?"

"I don't care" came a reply in a soft voice.

"Emily!" gasped her mother as a bemused smile came over her lips. She turned to her husband who let out a hearty laugh. "It's all your fault" she whispered in mock anger.

He wiped the tears out of his eyes as his laughter subsided. "Well, I guess we don't have to wait till she's a teenager to turn rebellious. We can start preparing for it now"

Dumbledore watched them banter with a fond smile on his face. Feeling he was prying on a private moment, he turned to the obelisk and bowed subtly before leaving.

"Oh, excuse me, sir!" Dumbledore stopped and turned back towards the family. "Please, you don't need to go. We were just about to leave anyway," said the woman.

Dumbledore walked back towards them.

"We would feel really bad if you couldn't get to pay your respects because of us." she smiled apologetically.

"Oh no please, you don't need to feel bad. I'm here often" he said with a smile before continuing. "You seemed to be simply visiting this beautiful village" he asked.

"Yes. Our daughter will be starting her first year very shortly, so we thought we'll take a short holiday before everything gets busy. Plus, it's her birthday today. So, we thought we'd take her on a small trip."

Dumbledore turned to Emily who was standing between her parents while holding her mother's hand. "Happy Birthday, Emily" he smiled.

"Thanks" she said, after her mother gently squeezed her fingers. An action that didn't go past Dumbledore.

"I'm Jessica by the way. This is my husband, Ben" she pointed towards her husband. "And our daughter, Emily, whom you are already familiar with"

"A pleasure to meet you, my name is Albus." He bowed in curtsey. His lips curved at the corner as he caught Emily's eyes as she stared at him from the gap between her father's legs.

"How old is little Emily?"

"Seven" said Ben.

Dumbledore moved in her direction. His eyes twinkled mischievously, not unlike than that of a child. "I would like to give Emily a treat"

Emily's eyes turned wide, but for a different reason and Dumbledore couldn't stop the full-blown smile that came over his lips.

"If that's okay with her parents" he shot her parents a playful smile, which they caught onto right away.

"Hmm...I don't know" Jessica tipped her chin with a contemplative look on her face. "What do you think honey?" She asked her husband.

Ben moved to look at his daughter and raised an eyebrow in her direction. "What do you say, Em?"

Emily looked up at him with a finger in her mouth as she nodded her head.

"Are you sure? Cause you won't be able to hide anymore, and you would have to say thank you"

"And apologise for your earlier behaviour," said Jessica.

Emily turned towards her mother with a scowl on her face who gave her a small smirk in return. "Fine!" she harrumphed.

Jessica gasped before replying. "I hope your apology is a lot politer, young lady."

"Hmph!" Emily shifted her gaze towards Dumbledore who shot her a wink. A few seconds passed by before she said "I'm sorry"

She turned her gaze down and started scuffling her shoe on the ground.

She got startled when a hand appeared out of nowhere, blocking her view and looked up into a pair of twinkling blue eyes.

A gasp left her lips as she stared at Dumbledore, who was kneeling before her, his gaze level with hers.

He motioned towards his hand with his eyes.

Emily looked at his empty hand and watched as he closed it into a fist. "Close your eyes" he whispered.

She hesitated for a moment before closing her eyes.

"Open" he said after a couple of seconds.

She opened her eyes, and her gaze went straight to his fist. She looked at his face and was bouncing on her heels in excitement.

Dumbledore slowly opened his fist with a hidden smirk playing at his lips. Emily's hopes deflated immensely as his palm came into view. Lying on top of his hand was a single white flower.

Dumbledore gently grasped her hand and lifted it up before placing the flower in it.

"Lily! look it's a beautiful Lily flower" gushed Jessica before her eyes went wide and she turned her shocked gaze towards Dumbledore. "Oh my god! How did you do that?"

Dumbledore stood up before he answered her. "I learnt it a long time ago. Actually, it was the first trick I ever learnt how to do properly"

"Oh!" Her expression turned jubilant. "Are you a magician?"

Dumbledore let out a small chuckle before his expression turned pensive. "A long time ago, yes. Now, I'm afraid I'm just an old clown"

"Oh, I beg to differ" scoffed Jessica before continuing. "That was amazing, what you just did. Right Honey"

"Absolutely" agreed Ben, nodding his head. "I'm still trying to rack my brain on how you managed that. Although, I'm sure there's a trick involved" he frowned at the end.

"There is always a trick, Ben. But as long as you don't decipher it, I've nothing to worry about" Dumbledore finished with a wink.

"Oh, you shouldn't have said that. Now, he's going to spend all his time thinking about it and turn me mad" Jessica harrumphed.

"Hey. I never do that" Ben protested feebly.

Jessica rolled her eyes before she looked at her daughter, who was still staring at the flower in her hand with a disappointed look on her face. "Emily, aren't you forgetting something."

Emily tore her gaze away and looked up at her. She heaved a long sigh before looking up at Dumbledore. "Thank you" she turned on her heel and walked towards the bench close by.

Jessica shook her head as she watched her back before turning towards Dumbledore. "Thank you, once again."

"You're welcome"

They all stood in silence for a moment, looking around.

"I wonder who made this" Dumbledore followed her gaze towards the obelisk. "It's beautiful. Must've taken long hours to complete it...carving all those names...Ben's grandfather served as well. Thankfully, he made it." she turned to him with a serious expression.

"We'll forever be in debt for their service. Please extend my thanks to your grandfather when you meet him next" Dumbledore said to Ben, who nodded his head.

"Will do"

"Do you know anyone..." Jessica trailed off, indicating with her head towards the obelisk.

Dumbledore gazed longingly at the structure. His eyes never once blinking as his gaze remained unwavered.

"You don't have to answer... I'm sorry I shouldn't have asked that" apologised Jessica.

Her voice broke him out of his reverie, and he turned his head in her direction, blinking twice. "Oh no that's alright. I just..." A wistful smile came over his lips. "got lost in the memories, I suppose"

She nodded her head in understanding before catching her husband's eye, who motioned with his head to leave. "Well, it was a pleasure meeting you" she said with a smile, turning towards Dumbledore.

"She is right, a pleasure indeed sir." Ben walked over to him and shook his hand.

"Likewise," replied Dumbledore, offering a smile to the couple. His gaze shifted towards Emily, who was staring at the flower he had given her. "Although, I think Emily doesn't share your view"

Ben and Jessica chuckled as they looked towards their daughter. "Emily! Say goodbye. We're leaving now," shouted Jessica.

They all saw her mouth move but didn't hear a sound.

"Guess she's still grumpy" sighed Jessica.

"I think I can change that" Dumbledore said in a cryptic manner as he made his towards Emily.

She looked up when he got close to her and saw her eyes go wide. A hint of a smile was playing at his lips as he knelt in front of her.

"I'm surprised you haven't found them yet. It shouldn't take a smart girl like you this long, should it?"

Emily looked at him confusedly. "Found what?"

His eyes dropped down to her trouser pocket before he looked back at her. He raised an eyebrow and watched with amusement as her eyes grew wide before she hastily stuffed her hand in her right-side pocket.

Her mouth was open in shock as she took her hand out which was closed in a tight grip. Her shocked gaze dropped from staring at his face to her hand as she slowly opened it.

A gasp escaped her lips as she saw different coloured beans in the palm of her small hand.

She whipped her head to towards him. "How..."

Dumbledore covered her tiny hand with his and closed it back. "It's our little secret. As long as you keep being honest, I assure you that you will never run out of them. You will always find them in your pocket whenever you feel like popping one in your mouth" He finished with a beaming smile.

"Really!" she gasped.

He nodded his head. "Go on, have a taste"

She popped a purple bean in her mouth and immediately her eyes turned comically wide. "That's sho gud!" She exclaimed while sucking on the candy.

A chuckle reverberated deep in Dumbledore's chest as he watched her enjoy the candy for several seconds.

He patted her knee twice before getting up. "Until we meet again, Emily" He bowed his head before looking her in the eye.

She jumped from the bench and walked couple of steps towards him. "When will I see you again?" She asked, looking up at him.

A smirk came over his lips as he answered. "Not too long, child"

"Ready to go, Ems?" asked Jessica as she stopped next to her before facing Dumbledore. "It was great to meet you. We just live in the next town. Not too far from here. If you ever have the chance to visit, please stop by to our house. We would love to host you"

"It would be my honour" Dumbledore answered with a single nod of his head.

"Here," Ben handed him a small cut out piece of paper that had an address written on it. "It's our address. Like my wife said, we would love to host you"

"Thank you. You are very kind." smiled Dumbledore.

"Mommy look, the statue waived at me" Emily pointed towards the obelisk.

Jessica rolled her eyes. "Emily, what did I say about lying" she said sternly.

"But I'm not lying! Why can't you see it! Look closely. There's a man and a woman. They are sitting and he's got his arm around her shoulder. He's the one who waived at me" she was bouncing on her toes, a frustrated expression on her face.

"Emily" Jessica said in a warning tone.

"I'm sure Em just needs to have a big old nap...plus a few cuddles with her dad, ain't it right sweety" said Ben lifting her up from behind.

"Daddy! Put me down!" she flailed her legs till her feet touched the ground.

She turned around and shot him a hopeful look. "You believe me right, daddy"

Ben glanced at his wife who shook her head at him and mouthed 'No'. "Of course!" he said happily.

Emily hugged him tightly as he mouthed 'Sorry' to his wife who gave him a dirty look.

"I believe you too, Emily"

They all looked at Dumbledore, whose eyes were shining mirthfully.

His expression and statement were taken quite dissimilarly by the parents and Emily. While Jessica and Ben believed he only said it to stop their daughter from ranting further on, although their way of thanking him was rather different, Jesscia gave another roll of her eyes while Ben grinned at him, Emily, on the other hand, shot him a winning smile as she was over the moon that there were now two people who believed her.

She demonstrated her triumph by sticking her tongue out towards her mother, who fondly shook her head.

"C'mon now, we're getting late. Let's get going" said Jessica, as she pulled Emily alongside her.

"Bye, Albus!" yelled Emily, waiving at him and giving him a large smile.

"Until we meet again, Emily" he said with a wink, that went unnoticed by her parents but widened Emily's smile even more.

His eyes lingered on them for a few seconds, particularly on the little girl walking between her parents with a small smile on his face.

He turned and looked at the statue. It was exactly how Emily had described it. A man and a woman were in a sitting position with his arm around her shoulder.

He walked over to it.

The faces were distinguish perfectly, brilliantly portraying the expression on the couple's face.

Dumbledore shook his head as he stared at the statue of the man. "You can't let go an opportunity can you?" He breathed a heavy sigh as a wry smile came over his lips. "I guess it's my fault anyway. If I didn't add the charm that mimicked your personality...oh well...I suppose it's all well and good as long as it brings a smile out of those who are lucky enough to witness it"

His eyes then shifted towards the statue of the woman, whose forehead had a few lines on it and her lips were pursed in a frown. "Although, I would keep it to a minimum if I were you" His lips curled at the corner as he finished.

He was suddenly overcome by emotion and exhaled through his nose as his eyes turned glossy. "Always a marauder..." he whispered.

He walked over to the statue and placed his hand on top of their interlocking fingers that were rested on top of the woman's knee before walking past it and towards the church.

He opened the door and walked in.

The church was mostly empty except an old woman, with pearly white hair tied in a long ponytail. She was in the middle of cleaning the seats of the benches in the first row.

Dumbledore snapped his fingers, the sound went all around the hall and echoed till it died.

All the benches were shining brightly and there wasn't a single speck of dust on any spot in the hall.

He saw the woman stand up straight, but she still didn't turn to face him.

A small smile came over his lips as he could almost see her let out an annoyed huff accompanied by a roll of her eyes.

"How many times have I told you that-"

"I'm just saving us time" he cut her off.

She whipped her head around and raised a questioning brow. "Time for what? If I remember correctly, you weren't perfectly keen on speaking with me when we last met"

His dropped his gaze to the floor for a moment before looking back at her. "I wasn't ready...I am now"

There gazes were locked in a fierce battle. She gave a nod after she accepted that he wasn't going to back down this time like he did previously.

…...

"Here" she stopped in front of an old looking cottage.

Dumbledore scrunched his eyebrows in confusion as he turned towards her. "I remember Aberforth telling me that your residence was protected with a Fidelius charm"

"It was...for a week, but then I made some friends, some of whom are muggles and I figured it wasn't worth it. I would rather enjoy the company of a friend than to live whatever remaining life I have in solidarity but knowing that I wouldn't be harmed"

"Samantha-"

She cut him off with her hand. "I've lived in fear all my life. I want to live the last few years the way life should've been lived. Plus, Aberforth secured every inch with wards."

"The wards won't protect you from-"

"I don't want to talk about this anymore" she said in a cold voice.

Dumbledore averted her pointed stare and gave a nod.

"As you wish" he said looking at the small garden in front of the house.

He walked behind her as they made their way towards the front door. She took out her key and unlocked it before opening the door and stepping inside.

He followed her and closed the door behind him. They walked into the living room.

"I'll put on the kettle." she announced turning towards him. Concern grew on her face as her eyes landed on him. His face had turned ashen white, and he didn't seem to be breathing.

Her eyes went wide once she realized the reason behind the cause of his state. "Albus-"

She was cut off by the sound of him apparating away, which normally emanated no sound at all but on this occasion, she feared if the entire town heard it. Her shoulders deflated as a sob escaped her mouth.

She dropped down on to the couch as her body shook with gut wrenching cries. She wiped at her eyes after she regained some control over her emotions and instantly her eyes sought out the frames that were lined up on top of the granite shelf.

…...

Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts Castle

A loud pop went around in the otherwise silent room, signalling Dumbledore's presence. The moment his feet touched the ground, he dropped to his knees. His breathing was coming in shallow bursts as he remained his balance by leaning on his hands.

Sweat was dripping from his forehead in large beads as he straightened his back and with great urgency pulled the ring off his left hand. He closed his eyes and started rotating the ring in his hand.

"Keep calm, keep calm, keep calm, keep calm" He kept murmuring those two words like a mantra.

Slowly, his breathing returned to normal.

"Keep calm, keep calm. You got this." He heard a voice say. His vision was blindsided by light, and he shut his eyes immediately.

"Slowly, no need to hurry" The voice kept getting louder.

His eyelashes fluttered as he tried once more.

Clear blue sky. That was the first thing he saw.

"I got you"

He turned his head and his eyes fell upon a concern filled gaze of a young woman. Slowly, with her help, he sat up straight.

He looked down at his clothes and noticed he was wearing a white oxford shirt along with black trousers.

She thrust a goblet filled with water in his hands and he gulped it all down in one breath. He handed the empty glass to her which she laid on the grass.

"I thought the panic attacks were long gone. You haven't had one in years" she said in a worried tone.

He released a long sigh before responding. "Oh, they never left." His mouth lifted at the corners as he continued. "I just kept it hidden from you"

She shoved him hard on the shoulder. "Why would you do that!" she glared at him.

He shrugged his shoulder in response. "I didn't want to bother you"

"And where did that get you" she finished with a harrumph.

"Nowhere...but it did its job"

"And what job would that be may I ask" she arched an eyebrow while folding her arms across her chest.

"Unloading some of your stress" he replied.

She scoffed before answering "As if...I had countless other things to worry about that losing one didn't even register to me"

"I'm sorry I couldn't take all of them away" he brushed his brown locks that were falling in front of his eye before doing the same with hers.

Her eyes closed briefly at his touch before she opened them again.

"How could you...all my worries revolved around you"

They both shared a small smile before she sat alongside him, their shoulders brushing each other as he put his arm around her shoulder.

"What is it this time?" she craned her neck to look up at him. "I wasn't expecting you to visit so soon"

He looked down at her. "Why?"

"Because last time you took more than a year"

He nodded his head before looking straight. They were facing the stream. The water was sparkling because of the sunlight.

"So..." she trailed off.

He let out a sigh. "I'm just lost" he said before looking back at her. "And I don't have you to guide me back on the right path"

She shifted in her position and sat on her knees, facing him. She placed her right hand over his heart and the left hand over hers. "I'm always with you"

"It's not the same thing" he shook his head and turned his head away.

Her eyes turned wide for a moment before her expression turned furious. She took hold of his chin and levelled his gaze with her own.

"Listen, you fool. I can't believe you just said that! God you're so thick in the head. Now, listen carefully because I don't want to ever hear you say that again and next time, I won't be kind enough to explain it to you"

"You were never kind, dear. At least not towards me" he replied cheekily.

"AAAAH!" She screamed in frustration. "Stop being facetious and get serious for once. It might do you some good. You won't always have your wit and power to rely back on"

He gave a roll of his eyes before saying "Fine. Go on"

"Thank you" she huffed, before taking a deep breath and placing her hand back over his heart.

He watched her close her eyes and brought his right hand over his chest and laid it on top of hers. His lips curled at the corner as a small smile came over her mouth.

She opened her eyes, which he noticed were shining.

"I need to believe that this is working" she started. "I need to believe that my life was worth something and..." A tear rolled down her cheek which she didn't bother to wipe. The smile still intact on her face as she continued.

"And the only way I know that it was is through you. Maybe, the answers you've been looking for aren't here" she pulled her hand from his chest and touched his forehead. "Maybe, they have always been here" she brought her hand back to his chest, right over his heart. "And you just haven't looked into it" she finished as another tear escaped her eyes.

He nodded before giving her a lopsided grin. "What..." she asked apprehensively.

"Nothing" he shook his head as his smile got wider. "It's just that you said those same words to me 50 years ago" he nodded his head as he continued. "Yes, you're not the only one who's good with dates and numbers"

She let out a hearty laugh that filled his heart with warmth. It was music to his ears. The best kind.

After several moments of carefree laughter, during which he simply stared at her with nothing but love shining in his eyes, it eventually died. She wiped at her eyes as a few chuckles escaped at her lips before looking at him.

Her eyes turned mirthful as she leaned towards him. Her lips were almost touching his ear before she whispered. "Well, then you also must remember what happened after that" she leaned back and grinned at him.

He raised an eyebrow in question as his lips curved at the corner. He looked around before facing her again. "You're getting more daring with every passing second, dear. I always knew you were a scarlet woman. My father even warned me about you"

"Oh really..." she arched an eyebrow. "I think you've got me mixed up with someone else, good sir"

"No, I'm pretty sure it's you"

Her gaze dropped to the ground as she let out a bitter laugh. "Then you need to work a lot more on remembering your numbers and dates correctly"

He stared at her in a perplex manner, there was no hint of levity on his face anymore. "I don't understand-"

He stopped when she lifted her head back and felt a chill run down his spine. She was staring at him with an evil grin on her face. "Because from what I remember, you murdered me and family right after I said those words to you."

His eyes turned wide and in a blink of a second, everything turned dark around them. The only source of light was the moon. He looked back at her and a shocked gasp left his lips. He crawled back to get away from the person in front of him but felt like he couldn't move.

Her once white dress was covered in blood, and not just that but every inch of her skin was covered in blood.

"Oh, your father wasn't wrong" her voice was shrill and pierced through his heart. No longer the melodious sound he felt he could listen to every waking second. "I am a scarlet woman! Infact, I'm THE SCARLET WOMAN!"

She held her arms wide before screaming "LOOK AT ME"

He wanted to shut his eyes but was helpless against it. "Honey, please not now...I need you at this moment" he said in a cracking voice.

"I DON'T CARE! I needed you...WE NEEDED YOU! You're nothing but a pathetic, vile, murderous piece of human trash, who murdered his own family because-"

"NO!"

His breathing was coming in ragged breaths and his heart was thumping so loudly he feared it might burst OUT of his chest any second.

He opened his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief seeing that he was back in his office.

He felt something cold in his left hand and looked at it to see the ring sitting on his palm. He put it back on his finger as his breathing slowly returned to normal.

He shifted in his position and stared out the large, oval shaped window that overlooked the waterfall.

"And you wonder why I only visit once every year"

…...

Second year Boys Dormitory, Gryffindor, Night

Harry closed the door behind him before removing his cloak. He turned around and stopped in his tracks when his eyes fell upon his redhead friend, who was sitting on his bed, cross-legged, staring right at him. A quidditch magazine was lying on his lap.

"You need to stop this," said Ron. He placed the quidditch magazine on the table next to his bed before removing the covers off him and shifting till he was sitting on the edge, his feet touching the ground.

Harry ignored him and walked towards his trunk. He folded the cloak and stacked it in the trunk before heading towards his bed.

"I'm serious mate" whispered Ron, aware of the other three boys sleeping.

"Give it up, Ron" came Harry's reply in a tired voice as he crawled on the bed and pulled the covers over him.

He rolled on to his side and turned his back on his friend. He heard Ron release a deep sigh and heard the sound of his movements, hoping that he was going to drop this and go back to sleep.

"Hermione is a mess"

He closed his eyes and forced himself to not say anything because he knew nothing good was going to come out of his mouth at this moment of time.

He had been a wreck the last couple of days ever since the big fight, as the entire school named it. The teasing and threats had doubled down, plus the added factor that now even those who were on his side before saw him as nothing better than trash after word got around of how he treated Hermione. Including his housemates.

"She asks about you every minute. She's worried about you, Harry, even after how badly you treated her." There was a long pause before he said "And she's been crying too. She doesn't say but I can tell. The only good thing is that everyone is super nice to her. Except the Slytherins of course. Today, a group of sixth year Ravenclaw girls came and sat next to her during dinner."

"Like I care" He couldn't help it. The words were out of his mouth before he could think about them. The last bit of information pushed him over the edge. He didn't need another reminder of the fact that how practically everyone in the school had taken Hermione's side, treating her like she was a fragile little thing who was to be protected from a monster like him. He was extremely bitter about it and the worse part was that he was aware of it.

He would've been a fool if he wasn't, and probably could've excused his actions or the words pouring out of his mouth because of his lack of understanding or ignorance. But, by acknowledging the fact that he knew why he was acting this way, or what was turning him into a despicable human being was even worse.

A sharp gasp cut through the silence of the room, and he knew it didn't come from Ron.

It seemed that he wasn't the only one good at pretending to be asleep.

…...

Astronomy tower

"Alright class, that's it for today. Please remember to complete your essay by next lesson. There will be no more extension as I will be moving on to the next chapter, which is about the Lunar phase." announced Professor Sinistra as everyone started gathering their things.

Hermione kept glancing at Harry who was busy packing his things. She was biting her bottom lip nervously as she slung her heavy bag over her shoulder and nearly dropped to the ground because of the weight.

"Easy there, Hermione" Dean helped steady her, his hand on her shoulders. "What are you carrying in that bag?" he chuckled.

She smiled in embarrassment, turning her head to the side so he couldn't see the blush on her cheeks. "Just my books" she said softly.

"Really?" She looked up to him to see his eyebrow raised in question and a teasing smile on his lips. "Because I got books too, but my bag doesn't pull me to the ground"

She shrugged her shoulders, not knowing how else to response to that.

"Well, do you need help carrying that"

"No-"

"How about this, you carry mine since it's a lot lighter and I'll carry yours. How about that?"

"No, it's alright-" She couldn't finish the sentence as he dropped his bag to the ground and started pulling hers of her shoulder. Before she knew what was happening, he was putting her bag over his shoulders.

"Oh boy! It is heavy" he chuckled, swaying a little under the weight before standing straight. He bent and picked his bag from the floor before handing it to her.

"There you go" he held his bag up for her to take.

She looked at it hesitantly before lifting her gaze towards his face. He nodded enthusiastically.

She grabbed the bag from him and instantly compared it to hers. She was flabbergasted by how light it was. "It barely weighs anything!" she gasped.

"That's because I only take the books I need for that particular class. I mean just look at the size of the castle" He flailed his arms widely. "It's massive and our classes stretch from one corner to another. Carrying all the books all day would just kill me." A cheeky grin enveloped his face before he continued. "Plus, I charmed my bag with a spell that makes it weightless"

Her mouth opened in shock. "Wha- how-, I don't know that spell!" she whined petulantly.

He laughed before answering "I learnt it from Ron' brothers, Fred and George. But I don't know how to properly cast the spell because you can still feel some weight. For some reason I can't get the arm movement correct" He frowned at the end.

"Oh, I would love to try. Could you teach me?" she asked as they started heading for the gate.

"Sure" he said happily. She beamed at him as they crossed the gate and started going down the stairs. "But you have to teach me some of the spells you know as well"

"Sure" They both shared a smile.

Ron had a small smile on his face as he watched Hermione leave with Dean. He felt it made his job easier since he knew Hermione wouldn't be alone and had some company to talk with. Plus, it was nice to see her smile, something she hadn't done since the fight.

So, with his mind at ease, for the moment, he walked over to his other friend.

"Hey mate, ready to go" he asked as they headed towards the exit.

"Could you take my bag to the dormitory?" Harry stopped on the top of the stairs and turned around to face him. He looked around and saw that no one was around. "I'm going to follow Malfoy" He took out his invisibility cloak from inside the bag before zipping it back up.

"Harry! No, remember you've already done this. Twice, I might add and failed both times" protested Ron, putting his hands on his shoulders.

Harry angrily shoved his hands away. "Well, I don't care! I'm not going to stop till I find what he's hiding" he said angrily.

"But you've already snooped through his stuff too remember, and you found nothing and like I said yesterday, you're not going to hear him just randomly have a conversation about the chamber, and that's if he knows something. He isn't stupid enough to just talk about that stuff in the common room, hell even the Slytherins might suspect him then. Like Hermione said, the only people he would talk that stuff with would be Crabbe and Goyle, and she even doubts that since-"

"I don't care what she thinks alright!" He snapped. His nostrils were flaring, and he was breathing heavily. "If you don't want to help than just say it and get out of my way but don't tell me what she thinks. I don't want to hear anything about her, you hear me!"

He shot him one last glare before pulling his bag over his shoulder and leaving. Ron watched him go with a solemn look on his face.

…...

Library

"Wow!" whispered Dean as his eyes followed the huge stack of books Hermione was levitating beside her before she gently placed them on the table.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it" said Ron, who was sitting to his left before a frown formed at his lips. "Wait, I thought you said that you searched through all the books" he looked at Hermione who took a seat in front of him.

"This is from the restricted section" she said without looking up as she grabbed the book from the top of the pile and opened it.

"But-"

"I got a note from Professor Lockhart"

"Oh...well that makes sense"

"Wait, what are we looking for again?" asked Dean, looking between them.

Hermione let out a sigh before looking at him. "We need to find a potion that can help us learn information from Malfoy about where he was the night Mrs. Norris was petrified and if he knows more about the chamber of secrets" she said before dropping her gaze back to the book.

Dean looked in shock at her before turning his gaze to Ron, who nodded his head.

He was unable to speak for a while but finally found his voice. "But why..."

"To help Harry, of course" she said casually, her eyes locked on the page before her.

Dean's eyebrows raised to the top of his forehead as he stared at her in disbelief. He turned to Ron and saw him searching through another book. He shrugged his shoulders and grabbed a book and opened it to the front page.

"I found it!" shouted Hermione after an hour had passed.

"Miss Granger, please keep your voice low!" came Madam Pince's sharp voice.

"Sorry" Hermione apologized, her cheeks red due to embarrassment.

"What did you find?" whispered Ron.

Hermione shot him a beaming smile. "The Polyjuice potion. Look" she turned the book towards them and pointed at a passage written in the book. "The Polyjuice potion allows the drinker to assume the form of someone else"

"Okay..." said Ron slowly. He looked at her in confusion.

She rolled her eyes. "Honestly Ron, how can you not get it" She scolded him before continuing. "With the help of the potion we can transform into Malfoy's friends and ask him everything. That way he wouldn't suspect anything. It is the safest way since no one would know it was us"

Ron's eyes grew wide before realization dawned upon his face.

"You're brilliant, Hermione" said Dean in awe. She gave him a huge smile before turning back towards Ron.

"You are brilliant" he nodded while smiling.

She blushed. "Thanks. The only problem is that it will take a month to brew the potion" she frowned.

"That's not that long. In the meantime, we could figure out how to plan everything," said Ron.

Hermione and Dean nodded their heads.

'You're right" she said before the smile fell from her face, replaced by a nervous look. "But there is still one more thing left to do..." she trailed off and looked at Ron.

He nodded his head. "Tell Harry"

They all sat in silence for a moment before Hermione spoke. "I'll do it"

Ron and Dean whipped their heads in her direction.

"I don't think that's a good idea," said Ron.

"I agree, after what he said about you the night before yesterday," said Dean.

"So, it was you!" exclaimed Ron, staring at him wide eyed.

Dean gave a sheepish nod. "I didn't want to pry but-" he shrugged his shoulders.

Ron gave him in an understanding nod before he turned towards Hermione who was in a deep thought.

"I don't care" she started before looking up at them. "Harry's angry with me, so I should be the one to tell him and maybe we could-"

"Yeah, but you shouldn't be the one to apologize," said Ron.

"I was at fault too-"

"No Hermione" Dean cut her off. "He had no right treating you like that"

She looked at him for a moment. "Well...he's my friend and he's going through a real bad time right now. I know that he would be there for me if I was in his situation" she said resolutely.

"But how can you be sure" asked Dean, flabbergasted that she was the one going to apologize.

She fixed him with a pointed stare, her eyes never blinking as she said "I just know"

Dean and Ron looked at each other before turning towards her.

"Okay than" sighed Dean. "If you think so...but you better hurry because the quidditch match is about to start in less than an hour and Harry might've already gone to the locker room"

"Don't worry" she smiled, standing up. "I'm going right now. Could you both put the books back in their spots please" she turned around and almost ran out of the library.

She sprinted through the halls. She felt energized with hope that she and Harry could rebuild their friendship back to normal after she gave him the good news.

She turned the corner that led to the great hall and continued her speed. Her eyes turned wide for a second when she saw Harry walk out of the great hall and head towards the grand staircase. He was dressed in his quidditch outfit. She quickened her pace as he reached the staircase.

"HARRY!"

He stopped and turned towards her. A shocked look came over his face as he stood rooted to the spot and his eyes locked on her face.

She reached him and took a couple of seconds to gather her breath. Her hands were on her knees and her breathing was coming in shallow spurts.

She looked up and warmth came filled her insides when she saw him staring at her with concern shining in his eyes. It didn't last long, and he quickly schooled his features back to neutral. But she saw it and it only grew the hope in her heart.

She gave him a beaming smile. "Harry! We've found it. Me, Ron and Dean. The Polyjuice potion. It is perfect for us to get any information Malfoy holds from him without raising suspicion. Though there is still risk involved but it is the safest and most effective way" she finished breathlessly.

Her hopes deflated a little when she saw his expression unchanged. Anxiety started to fill her insides and she took a step forward but stopped when he took a step back.

"Did I ask you to do any of that?" he asked coolly. "I don't think so. I don't know what you are playing at, is this part of your act too. First you tell me that I don't know how to be a friend and that ultimately everyone is going to leave me, then to feel better about yourself you try and help me and make yourself good in everyone's eyes. Also, you could hang out with Dean or anyone you want but don't tell them my business, cause it's none of yours. Next thing you know, the entire school knows what I'm trying to do, which means so would Malfoy. So, you can stop already before you mess everything up, even more"

She stared at him speechless. Her mouth was half open and her mind was in a limbo. Empty. She felt something cold run down her cheek and realized that she was crying.

Harry's expression contorted to despair, and he willed himself to not break down. He never hated anyone as he hated himself in this moment. He didn't know what was happening to him. He was feeling really confused which in turn made him feel terribly scared.

He took a step forward but stopped as she took a step back.

She wiped at her face before speaking in a trembling voice. "I'm sorry you feel this way. Bu- but I'm not going to stop helping you-u. I made the biggest mistake when I said you didn't know how to be a good friend..." she sniffled before continuing. "Because you do...I realize I shouldn't have pushed you to tell me where you were every night...but I only did it because I care about you" Tears were now continuously streaming down her face. "You and Ron became my friends when no one did. But we are different...you and I...like me you didn't have any friends too...and I know trust is a big issue with you...I was the same, I was afraid to trust other people...afraid they would only hurt me...but you and Ron changed that...I only wish we could've done the same for you... you're going through so much...but we want to help you. We are your friends, Harry and whether you admit it or not...you need us..." She smiled at him through her tears. "But I guess if anyone can do this without anyone's help...it's you...You're the bravest and strongest person I know, Harry...and I just want you to know that I believe you" Her face scrunched as a sob escaped her lips.

She hastily turned around and ran the way she came from.

She almost dropped to the ground when she felt a pair of arms envelop her from behind and pull her close.

She turned around and saw Harry staring at her with tears running down his cheeks. Another sob left her lips before she pulled him into a tight hug.

The clutched each other tightly as both their bodies shook with heavy sobs.

"I'm- I'm so-sorry" said Harry in between sobs. Hermione nodded her head, knowing she wouldn't be able to speak.

They stayed in that embrace for what felt like eternity to them but in reality, was only a couple of minutes.

"Harry?"

They broke apart and turned to see Dumbledore watching them. He had a hidden smile on his face and his eyes were twinkling brightly.

"Professor" said Harry in a hoarse voice as he wiped at his eyes. Confusion came over his feature when Dumbledore didn't say anything, except that his smile kept getting wider.

"The wait is over"

Harry furrowed his eyebrows as he turned towards Hermione to see if she understood what he meant but she had the same expression on her face.

He turned back to face Dumbledore to see him raise an eyebrow at him and tilt his head a little.

Harry's eyes grew wide as realization dawned upon him. His mouth opened in shock.

Dumbledore let out a chuckle before he nodded his head.

"YES!" Harry jumped in the air and did multiple fist pumps, screaming all the while. He ran towards Dumbledore but halted when he remembered something. He turned around and saw Hermione staring at him while looking a little lost, the crease on her forehead still present.

He turned back towards Dumbledore and asked him the question with his eyes he was too afraid to voice.

He watched as Dumbledore's gaze shifted from him to Hermione before dropping back to him.

He was praying that he would agree. He felt his hopes soar when one corner of the headmaster's lips curved upwards before he gave him a single nod.

He almost wanted to cry again; he was so happy. But he kept them at bay since he knew that he would be bawling like a baby in a short time.

Instead, he turned towards Hermione with the happiest smile on his face and spoke. "C'mon Hermione" He lifted his hand towards her. "There is someone I would like you to meet"

A/N: Well guys, as always post your comments and let me know your thoughts. I know like the previous chapter there will be a lot of varying and conflicting opinions but I'm open to anything. So hit me with it and I'll respond to them all. Till next chapter how about you guys take a guess who Harry is taking Hermione to meet. I have a hunch that almost all of you would guess correctly. Take care, and I'll catch you on the flip side.