Chapter 32

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1995, UK

The tub was steaming with all sorts of herbs and salts, the scents swirling above the water. It should have been a relaxing bath but it wasn't.

Not while Harry remained in a near coma. That was what Severus had guessed he was in. No matter how hard they had tried to enter his mind, they hadn't been able to. He was absolutely healthy except for the fact that he wouldn't wake.

She had risen two days after destroying the Horcrux that had been inside of Harry and her body had taken in the stress and worry from months before and forced her to shut down. Her body now hurt and ached, the limbs tender most of the time yet it was to be expected.

Hermione had even tried to sense the Horcrux or even the slightest amount of Dark Magic but no whisper or trace was left of the Horcrux. He was safe yet he wasn't. She was interrupted from her bath and thoughts when Severus walked in with more potions.

She sat up and reached for one. He examined her over for any signs of illness and sat back when it all came back clear. Once she swallowed the potion and handed him the flask back, she asked the same question she had been asking for hours.

"He still hasn't woken, has he?"

"No. But Dimitry is staying with him while I take care of you. You haven't been sleeping. Why?"

Another thing that was hampering her healing. She wasn't sleeping and when she did try, it was for nothing. She had tried but nothing would relax her and she didn't want to take any sleeping potions.

She passed him the second flask and stood up, the water rushing down her body, as she wrung the water out of her hair. He turned and reached for her towel, a soft green one she always carried with her. After drying her body, she put on a bathrobe and walked off to the bedroom. Her bag was packed with everything so she made work of finding some clothes as Severus watched.

Waiting.

She pulled on some clothes and sat down after slipping some socks on. The silence in the room didn't bother her. Neither did it bother him. But she knew she couldn't avoid the situation anymore. With a heavy sigh, she curled her legs and hugged them to her chest.

"I saw his parents die. I saw how it all happened. Tom Riddle accidentally created the Horcrux that we found inside of Harry. But I think he doesn't know he did. He was destroyed before he could even understand what had happened. I saw Harry after. He was crying for his mother but something strange happened near the end. As I moved closer to baby Harry, other steps could be heard coming up the stairs. I felt the person close to me," she paused as she fisted the bed's sheets in her hands. "I felt somebody else's presence. Before I could turn to see, I was already gone. That isn't why I can't sleep through the night."

Not looking away from Severus, she continued on. "I saw both of his parents die. I think it's the root of my problem. The reason for my restlessness. I don't know why it's bothering me so much though. It just is. I have seen death. Have tasted it. I know it all too well. So, why?"

Severus had stood up the instant she had looked away and now came to stand in front of her. She waited but knew that he could stand there for hours if need be. Hermione pushed her wet hair back and looked up at him. His eyes held hers as he pulled her up into his arms. She looked away and laid her head on his chest.

"It only bothers you because he matters. Because for a brief time, you knew what it felt like to lose your parents. He is somebody that had to grow without them. I don't think I need to further explain it." he softly said. His hands rubbed her back when she didn't reply.

That night, as they sat down for dinner, Hermione told them in detail of what had happened. From the moment she had stepped into the memory, to what she had seen him do to the Potters and what had happened near the end of the vision. Dimitry sat back against his chair after she finished talking and stretched his body, bones popping as he did so. But even he didn't know what it meant, or how it could be used to bring Harry back. He soon left them to check on Harry.

Hermione got up as well with Severus and they both cleaned the dishes and dried them silently.

Afterward, she pushed the leftover plate inside the oven and followed Severus out of the kitchen. Neither one spoke as they sat down in front of the fire.

For the next few nights, it was the same routine, each one of them taking turns to watch over Harry or pack their things to leave. Every day she grew more worried and anxious. But nothing they did worked. Harry continued to sleep. Two days before they were supposed to go back, Hermione stood by Harry's bed and watched him. The others were outside, making sure that the wards fell as soon as they left. She reached for his hand, trying to notice any sign of change. He didn't look bad for somebody that was in a coma. Not that she had ever seen anybody in one before. She checked his vitals and tested his muscles but it all came back positive. With a sigh, she sat down on the bed and stared at the cut she had made on her arm from days before.

It had actually closed up quicker than she had thought it would. With a finger, she traced it as her mind came to a complete stop. They had already run out of time and options. Hermione shook her head and stood up, not wanting to accept the answer. But her feet wouldn't move. Agitation filled her chest and with no other choice, sat back down. This had to work. She turned and grabbed the hand that she had been holding and with the tip of her wand, cut the center of his palm.

Leaving his open wound facing up, she used the same technique on her left arm. The cut burn and her blood began to ooze instantly. With a quick move, she placed his open wound on hers. At first, nothing happened. But within seconds of waiting, the veins around her wound began to pulse with magic, the blood singing.

She stared at Harry's face and would have used her other hand to touch his forehead but before she could, she was painfully shocked as her arm cramped with the amount of magic it was conjuring. Every second that passed, she could feel her arm become heavier and heavier. Outwardly, she didn't make a sound but inwardly, she screamed as she burned with power.

They must have heard her because seconds later, they barged in but she couldn't look away from Harry as his body jerked and spasmed. She arched her chest when something awoke inside of her, it filled her body with too much power, she screamed.

For a split second, she thought she had heard the Sphinx speaking to her. But she was shaken a moments later when Severus commanded her to open her eyes. Had she closed them?

She came to when she realized that she was literally being shaken, strong hands gripped her shoulders tightly. She opened her eyes fully and would have cringed at the rage she saw it building like molten black lava in Severus's eyes but was immediately drawn to Harry, who was standing a little to the left of him. Joy filled her but it was soon cut short as Dimitry pulled Harry back and out of sight. The sound of the door closing drew her eyes back to Severus.

He really was furious.

She raised an eyebrow in question and used her hands to cup his face. There was no need for him to tell her what he was feeling.

"I'm okay. I really am. I'm a bit weak but that is all."

With the way she was holding him, she felt him grind his teeth and closed his eyes. The vein across his temple pulsed with suppressed rage. Severus took a deep breath but that didn't seem to calm him as he released it. He let go of her, forcing her hands to drop away and stepped back from her as he stared out the window.

Finally cutting the eye connection.

Hermione looked outside too and watched the snowfall in gentle waves. It had been snowing for a day or two now. It made her aware of the lack of warmth in the room.

A shiver or two passed through her body and wasn't surprised when Severus turned towards the fireplace, his body language letting her know that he was still pissed off. Once he lit the fireplace, he walked back to her. Dark shadows swam in his eyes as he glared at her.

"When will you trust me? When will you stop acting recklessly? Did it not cross your mind to at least warn me?" His voice became gruff near the end as he continued to stare at her.

She swallowed and shook her head. "I wasn't thinking of it like that. I shouldn't have put the need to do something overcame everything else. I didn't mean to worry you. Don't doubt my trust in you, Severus. I do trust you."

Severus didn't move, his face still set in harsh lines. Yet, his eyes weren't as thunderous as before. She knew that the storm had passed and he had better control over his emotions now.

With a heavy sigh, she sat back down on the bed. "What happened after I passed out?"

"You fell into what I can only call a semi-coma. Something akin to what Potter was in before. It's been a couple of hours now. During the time that you were unconscious, you had a seizure."

That did not sound good at all. She brushed her hair back as she drew up a diagnostic test on herself. Nothing too bad. She was low on certain things but nothing too problematic. He read them too and frowned even deeper once he saw the way she shrugged in return. "I suggested you rest for the rest of the time we have here. You have to be at full strength when we get back," he said.

He turned to walk out but she reached out and grabbed the back of his shirt. "I really didn't mean to harm myself."

"I know."

As soon as he was out of the room, Harry walked in with a tray full of food. He had changed and showered, she thought, noticing the shaven jaw and clean hair. He set the tray on the table next to her and sat down beside her.

"Hermione…"

For an hour, they spoke in quiet voices. When their words ran out, they sat in silence as both of them held each other's hands. Once night touched the sky, Hermione sat up, she had been laying on Harry's lap as he sat against the headboard.

"Harry, you can't be suddenly attached to the hip to me. You have to say by Ron's side like before."

"But what if you need me?"

"I know where to find you. Harry, I'm not Dumbledore. I won't push you away and forget about you."

That seemed to reassure him. They both left the room and found the others in the kitchen, arguing over food. Hermione took the chance and hugged Dimitry from behind. He felt tense but it somewhat lessened as she continued to hug him.

She knew she had also frightened him. But sometimes, there was nothing she could do about it. They ate their food with chuckles here and there as the mood lifted. Harry ate what she couldn't finish. Afterward, they gathered around the first living room and sat in front of the fireplace. It chased the chill in the room away and once they were all seated, Hermione addressed the issues that were on everybody's mind.

"I think that I have completely gotten rid of the Horcrux and any Dark Magic left behind. Unlike some of the items I have destroyed, some still had traces. For Harry, I don't sense anything. We at least know that now. But what does concern and bother me, is that when I was unconscious, I heard the Sphinx speaking to me. I wasn't sure what it said at the time yet, the words are there, somewhere in my mind they are there." she said quietly.

That had all three of them freezing. Harry stared at her in open surprise but beneath it was concern and tiredness. Dimitry and Severus scowled a the same time. They had obviously thought the same thing as her. Why had she heard it and why couldn't she remember it. Severus sat back, crossing his legs and stared at the fire as he mused out loud.

"We don't know much about the bond between the Sphinx and you but one thing is for certain; whatever was that it said must be very important. Its soul is attached to yours," he said, his deep voice stroking her with the comfort that the others wouldn't understand or see.

But he was right. The soul and magic of the Sphinx were tied to hers. She would probably never find out what exactly that meant. She glanced at Dimitry, who was nonchalantly twirling his wand but she knew he was worried.

"Try and remember every single thing that the Sphinx told you. If it's important; we must know what it said. I don't want to take chances. We need to know."

Hermione stared at the embers of the fire and nodded. Yet, how to actually remember?

o0o

Hermione watched as Harry walked out of her room. The sunlight that came with morning spreading across his back just as he closed the door. She had made sure he knew how to apply the charms and enchantments that were necessary for himself. There were a few things that had needed to be hidden so she had spent the day before teaching him everything he needed to know. Over time, he would be letting go of each one until his image wasn't too drastically different.

It wasn't as bad as the mental stability that he had lack when they had first left; which now was painfully obvious he had in abundance.

Hermione, on her part, had already been doing the same thing but she had quite a bit to go before she could drop it altogether.

With swift movements, she switched into her school uniform and wrote to the others that needed to be prepared for later that night. Taking a deep breath, she opened her door and walked out to meet up with the others.

During breakfast, she sat with Harry and Adalene. The young girl gushed about the letter that her parents had sent and kept telling Hermione that they were going to see her for Christmas. That alone drew the attention of the old man sitting with the rest of the professors. Dumbledore's keen eyes were centered on the girl. She knew that he was still trying to locate Adalene's parents.

Merlin knew why.

Harry ate his breakfast as Ron drilled on about their upcoming Quidditch match. What did catch her attention, aside from Dumbledore, was Neville. The boy was quiet and wasn't touching the food that Ginny had set in front of him. He was aimlessly staring at it as Ginny tried to ask him something.

Neville didn't answer her question and soon was left alone. Hermione would have asked him what was wrong but didn't want to bring attention to him.

After breakfast, classes were a bore. For Potions, Slughorn avoided Hermione and instead stood by Harry for most of the class. Defence was a nightmare for everybody as Severus paired them up with the Slytherins. Hermione was put with Theodore while Harry was paired with Daphne. Ron was paired with Malfoy. It was horrible since Malfoy was in a sour mood and he took it out on Ron.

The other classes were about the same as before, she sat in them, raised her hand often and acted like a regular student. What people didn't notice was the way she often looked at Severus or the random times Luna would be seen talking to her alone, or Theodore staring at her as they spoke privately or so she thought.

After classes were over, she separated from Harry and Ron. She let Harry know she was going to be in her room preparing her notes for exams and studying. But in fact, it meant she wasn't going to in her quarters and to keep others from bothering her.

Closing the door, she changed into some dark clothing items and grabbed a thick wool coat that would protect her from snow if need be. With her beaded bag strapped to her body, she also reached for the notebook that connected her to the others. She left her room using her own floo and stepped out of it a second later into Severus's room. He wasn't in them since he was probably being held up by Dumbledore or one of his students from his house. He would follow her later she supposed.

She took a second to change into Smith. She had almost forgotten about Xenophillius staying with them now.

Taking some floo powder, she used his floo to leave Hogwarts and arrived at the Villa. The first person she saw was Gabe, who had his back to her and was being lectured by his beautiful wife, Heidi.

Gabe turned to look at Hermione. He shot her a lopsided grin and waved his hand. She shook her head in mild amusement. Beside him, Heidi lost her scowl and now greeted her warmly. Hermione greeted both of them briefly and was told that the others were outside, trying to decide where to place the extra housing.

The door leading outside was closed to keep the cold air out and Hermione opened it. Zeph was the first person she saw. The late afternoon light played gently with Zeph's features. Hermione rushed over to her, leaving the door open and wrapped her arms around the regal figure of the woman who meant so much to her. Dimitry came over a second later and touched Hermione's hair; which must have come undone earlier. Hermione pulled back, conscious of the people staring.

"I know that it has only been a while for you, Zeph, but not for me. I missed you a lot."

"Both of you missed me. Next time, bring me along."

"That's a wonderful idea, love." Dimitry cut in as he wrapped an arm casually around his wife's waist. Zeph glowed with love as she laid her head on his shoulder.

Hermione smiled at their show of affection and turned away to see the others. Xenophilius was sitting on a bench that somebody must have conjured up or transfigured since she had never seen it before and was reading what had to be the next main piece for the Quibbler. Beside him were Heidi and Gabe. She knew that they had followed her out when she had spotted Zeph.

Looking past them, she saw the lack of snow in a large area beside the Villa. She figured that it had been made clear for the building and they had chosen a spot perfectly placed beside the Villa.

For the next hour, all of them used wood from fallen trees in the surrounding forest and additional tools that Gabe had brought to build the four extra rooms. The Villa itself had rooms but not enough for the couples and singles who were going to be living in the house. The kitchen and living were big enough so it was left alone.

They were almost done with the fourth room when Severus appeared with Remus and Sirius. They all waked slightly apart from each other. It should have been hilarious. It also made Dimitry make a sly remark that had Zeph frowning and Hermione shaking her head in dark amusement.

Boys.

While the others checked out the living quarters, Hermione was pulled back by Severus. He took her inside and into their private room. He closed the door behind them and told her that Dumbledore had asked to see him. Hermione frowned as she stared at him.

"What did he want?"

"He came by to tell me that the Order is only using four members to guard the Department of Mysteries. Moody, Arthur, Tonks, Kingsley, and sometimes Bill Weasley. But I doubt he can since he is on rotation with Lupin. Tonight, Moody will be there." Severus stated. Hermione leaned her hip to the side of the bed and thought of what that meant. If Moody was there then they would have to change it up a bit.

"Have you been told to let it slip to Riddle?" she asked him.

Severus nodded and pulled his wand out. Whatever words were going to come out of her mouth faded when she saw what he was making. With a high arch of his wand, he created his Death Eater mask. It glinted in the light as he grabbed it with his other hand. It had been created from the tip of his wand in swells of smoke. She strode over and used just one finger to touch it. It was cold and dark. He would have to go and inform Riddle of the news. It would have no grand effect on Hermione's side.

"Go."

o0o

Allen Skinner stood in front of the door that would lead him to the Department of Mysteries. It had been so easy to get to it. He hadn't been stopped. The words that Yaxley had spoken still rang in his ears. It had been what had motivated him to do this. The Prophecy, the Potter boy. Allen wasn't sure why they didn't just ask the Ministry for help. But it wouldn't matter now that he was here. He would get it and get praised for it.

Not Yaxley.

He glanced around once more but didn't see anybody. He opened the door and swiftly stepped inside. He froze for a second, he thought he had heard something but shook his head. He was just paranoid. With careful and quiet steps he closed the door behind him. Allen nervously wiped the sweat from his brow and turned to look up at the towering shelves that contained millions of small dusty orbs that shimmered in the darkness. The darkness held hints of blue as the torches in every shelve held blue flames that did nothing to fight the darkness.

An involuntary shiver escaped him as he walked down the aisles of shelves. He pulled his wand out, the end crooked from years of mistreatment, and held it out in front of him, the tip glowing with the smallest light possible. Near the end of aisle ninety-six, he grew nervous and excited when he saw that he was close to his goal. He began to walk faster and faster. He nearly bumped the corner of the shelve and he gasped, jerked back and tripped over his own feet.

A loud thump and yelp echoed through the aisles as he sat on his arse with a large goose on his head. With a curse, he stood and limped over to the next aisle. He stopped once he was between both aisles and began to search with hurried steps. Near the end, desperation set in. His eyes frantically searched for the Prophecy with the boy's name. The half-blood boy that should have been dead yet had somehow survived the killing curse. Allen froze when he came across the boy's name.

Harry Potter

The dusty yellow label bore the name of the boy that the Dark Lord desperately hated. But the most confusing thing about it was that right beside the boy's name lay the name 'Dark Lord'.

Allen frowned but nevertheless reached for it. The tip of his fingers went near it…

o0o

Amelia walked alongside Percy Weasley, the young man was keeping his eyes on Allen Skinner, the man they had been sent after. They had arrived right after Skinner had and now watched from afar as the man lumbered towards the row Smith had told them he would venture to. They didn't know why they had to stop him but either way, he was breaking a Ministry law at the moment.

That was something she could not allow.

Smith had also let it slip at the last minute that Alastor Moody would be after Smith the instant he spotted him. Percy had confirmed it with his father. Now they watched as Moody swooped down on the man and wrenched him back in what could only have been a painful grip. But it had been a tad too late. For the enchantments had been awoken. They attacked the man, chains and ropes slithered out and wrapped around the man. Skinner screamed and the smell of burning flesh assaulted their noses.

She knew that they had to leave so she signed to Percy and they both walked back out, making sure that once out of the Department they were not seen by others that had stayed after hours. Once they were a far away, they waited a few minutes before turning back and acting like they had been arguing. Percy waved the prewritten note around as he used his hands to show his frustration and alarm. They came to a sudden stop when Moody limped out of the lift, the body of Allen Skinner floating in front of him.

With a frown, Amelia raised a hand so that Percy would hold his tongue.

"What are you doing, Alastor?"

The serious look didn't waver from his face as he raised an eyebrow at her questioning tone. "He has been cursed for trying to steal a Prophecy from the Department of Mysteries."

Percy made a surprised sound and Amelia made sure she also appeared to be shocked. That had Moody scowling somewhat fiercely. "What the devil is it? I don't have time for silly games so out with it, Bones."

o0o

Percy passed the note to Amelia but kept an eye on Skinner. The man had begun to moan in pain but wasn't completely awake. He heard Amelia tell Mad-Eye the contents of the note. That seemed to rattle him for he grunted and with a snarl, commanded them to follow him. Percy didn't glance at Amelia as they followed him. Hermione had been spot on. Moody had bitten the bait. The last-minute warning from her hadn't changed the plan. The sound of their footsteps faded with them as the Shadow watched them, his presence a mask of darkness.

o0o

Hermione took another piece of parchment paper and read it over. It was a report from Remus that she had to decode and it had taken her precious minutes to do so.

Just as she set it down, Severus walked in. He shook his robes off and laid them over the armchair that sat in front of her desk. She pushed back her chair and stood. She hadn't expected to see him back so soon. Not that she didn't welcome him.

"How did it go?" she asked him as she walked around the desk. He pushed his hair back and sat down on the armchair that was by the window. His dark features seemingly blending with the darkness of the night. Which wasn't hard to do since Hermione only had two candles lit.

"It all went according to what you said. They are probably being questioned at this very moment while Skinner is treated for his wounds. Bones will let you know what will happen after Dumbledore is called away."

"I know. They will all be busy now that I have presented them with something new and distracting. Like throwing a brand new and shiny toy to a bunch of toddlers."

Severus smirked at her play with words.

She continued on. "This way, when they do become aware of me, no wait, let me rephrase that. When Riddle becomes aware of me 'the extra player' he will hunt me. Dumbledore is doing a poor job but he will soon begin taking it more seriously. The question will be as to who actually gets to me first."

o0o

For several days, Hogwarts was left alone. Dumbledore was nowhere to be found and McGonagall was left in charge while the Headmaster was otherwise occupied with the Ministry. Hermione had spent most of her time apart from Harry and Ron, she was too busy to entertain them. But she had let Harry know what was going on. He also shared news of his own. He wasn't having dreams and his scar had stopped hurting. That also meant that Riddle wasn't in direct contact with Harry; which could be good or bad. Not that it mattered now.

Hermione was busy receiving reports every couple of hours from Percy and Amelia. They were keeping her well informed of the situation in the Ministry. Allen Skinner was being questioned every hour of every day since he had been taken. Mad-Eye stood in the trials since he had been the one to catch him but Percy had said that he had looked impatient and had been instead using his energy to find the writer of the note.

But he too was being kept busy so he had little time to do so since Amelia had been well prepared and had many in the Ministry on her side and they all demanded Skinner be questioned further. It also helped that Percy had been acting the secretary role and had filled Fudge with delusional ideas that would no doubt work. The man couldn't resist the idea of proving those on Amelia's side wrong and making his image even greater.

But Hermione was waiting for the second task to be unleashed. Soon, they would find the next man.

Hermione now stood with Luna on the outskirts of the Forest. Hagrid hadn't seen them slip by since he was somewhere off with Harry and Ron.

The forest was coated in snow, the tall thick trees blending with the mountains in the background. Hermione kicked the snow, knowing she had to wait until Luna spoke her mind. The girl was wearing the thinnest sweater with bright sunny boots. They stood out starkly in the white snow. Luna jumped off a rock that sat beside a smaller tree, her hair flying as she did so. With no care whatsoever, she pulled her wand out and began to swirl soft lights in the air. They had come to a full stop now, their bodies covered by the trees, the snow gently falling on their heads. Hermione leaned back on an old oak and waited.

Waiting wasn't a problem. At least not in Luna's eyes. Within twenty minutes of silence.

Luna spoke quietly. "They have decided not to side with anybody. To do so would change many things they wish not to change. They wish to be left in peace. They will not move against you, Hermione Granger. But one of them, the oldest in the forest wished for me to say something to you."

That wasn't at all what she had been expecting. But then again, most of the beasts and beings in the forest detested Wizards. Hermione raised an eyebrow and motioned for Luna to continue. The girl paused and in a blur of gentle snow, came to stop in front of Hermione's boots. Luna stared deeply into her eyes, seeing too much and too little.

"They have seen the planets, they have seen the stars, they have seen the message, they have seen change, and they have seen your destiny."

o0o

Those words rang in her ears for days. Hermione hadn't told Severus or anybody else for that matter. She had kept it to herself and now stood in her dormitory with several books on centaurs and the stars. But she couldn't see what they had seen. Couldn't figure out what they had meant.

With a huff, she set the book in her hand aside and stood. Her knee popped with an obscenely loud sound. She shook her head and began to pack her things. Christmas break was two days from now and she didn't want to do it later. It would be suspicious if she walked out of her dorm with only her beaded bag. Everything that was important to her was in the bag. The trunk was just for show.

Once she was done, she changed into some cotton pants with a shirt she had stolen from Severus weeks ago. It still smelled of his aftershave. She picked up her notebook and used the floo. The cold air in the room alerted her of his absence. He had either been called or was seeing Dumbledore.

She set about cleaning, the room not untidy yet she needed something to do. With complete concentration, she set about making tea, grinding the full leaves and adding pure honey. The work calmed her heart. But the bad feeling she had been carrying didn't leave her. She set her cup down when her notebook began to flash with a warning. She summoned it wandless with idle fingers and noticed the bold words from Amelia instantly.

ARTHUR WEASLEY HAS BEEN ATTACKED. FOUND BY PERCY HIMSELF. HE MIGHT NOT MAKE IT. A SNAKE BITE.

The last part hit her hard. The snake? As in Nagini? The floo lit up just as she stood up. He briskly walked out and faced her, a phial in his hands that didn't look like anything she had ever seen. He didn't look surprised to see her. But he did walk by her and towards his private lab.

With quick and practiced flicks, he had several things flying towards his table. His cauldron turned on a second later. Hermione pulled her hair into a bun and asked him what he needed from her. They worked in sync with each other. She took over when he was called to make an update. She soon figured out what they were making.

A cure for Nagini's bite. Something that Severus had figured out how to do when he had milked Nagini for Riddle.

After three hours of working nonstop, they had it ready for Arthur.

Neither of them spoke but she did brush his back gently as he stepped forward into the floo. Hermione knew he was hog tired but she also knew that he had to see it work. Knowing that there was no other choice but to leave his rooms, she went back to her room. But she didn't stay alone for long.

McGonagall had been sent to retrieve all of the Weasley children. Harry informed her of that when he came knocking a few minutes after McGonagall had left with Ron. Harry now sat with Hermione on her bed as she waited for more news.

"Severus has gone to cure Arthur. It took us a while to make it but he should be taking it now. He will be okay."

Harry agreed with her and soon fell into a restless sleep. She played with his hair until the wee hours of the morning when Severus came back and used the floo to ask her to come with him. Hermione let Harry's hair slip from her fingers and covered him with the blanket Severus had bought her long ago. She pulled down the drapes to her bed and left him sleeping.

Severus was waiting for her. Dimitry was there as well. They both were standing by the small kitchen table. Dimitry glanced up at her with a small smile. She greeted him warmly before turning to Severus. She didn't have to ask.

"I was with Dumbledore when he received the news. I left when I heard that it was a snake. Riddle has become secretive about several things. Even I wasn't told that he was sending Nagini to steal the Prophecy. But it has worked against his favor. In doing so, it has pushed the others that have heard of the attack to side with Amelia. They want Skinner to be questioned with veritaserum. Something that is not done usually. They want to know who he is working for and why he needs it. Fudge has been trying to fill the head of those that will listen with ideas that Potter has been wanting to get it. He is getting desperate. His refusal of Riddle being back is going to bring him down." Severus stated as he laid the front page of the Quibbler on the table.

It had become a household name for some time now, the Quibbler read by everybody. It trashed the Minister by bringing up every single thing he had ever said and had others give their own opinions.

"That is an unexpected turn but we will roll with it. Now, we shall wait for Picket. He will be the finishing touch. We will talk more about it when I leave school for the holidays."

They had so much work to do. But this time, Hermione didn't have to do it all. Riddle and Dumbledore would do it for her without knowing they were.

To play such a game, Hermione had to be three steps ahead. Dimitry than handed her the note he had been given from Zephrine who had gotten it from Narcissa.

It was time for the next Horcrux.

...o0o0o0o...

Thank you for waiting! I hope this isn't too short. I had to cut it again. We are near the end.

Maybe

Vanee

Editing 7/5/19