May, 1995
Something had to happen. That was all there was to it. The year had been teetering between stressful and so painfully normal it wasn't even fun. Voldemort had been silent. Death Eaters were staying in Azkaban. If it weren't for the Tri-Wizard Tournament trying to kill Harry, Hermione would have thrown herself off the astronomy tower for boredom. That boredom was her true motivator on a lazy Sunday afternoon. There were things in her mind that needed out. So she set to getting at least some answers.
She started with animagi. She, Ron, and Harry had been trying to decide how Rita Skeeter was getting her information. Harry had mentioned something about her bugging the place. Ron said electronics were impossible and Harry knew that. Hermione, however, took the idea and ran with it. She already had information regarding animagi from the group's self-assigned homework. Now, all she had to figure out was if it were possible.
The other thing she had to research was this whole mess with Barty Crouch Jr. Something wasn't right there. Sirius had given them way too much information. Way too much. They didn't need to know about him dying. Not really. Gah. It was all so frustrating. She hit her head on the table in front of her.
"Think she gone round the bend?" Ron asked, approaching cautiously.
"Look at all the research, mate. It's the only answer." Harry replied, barely containing a snicker.
"I bet your parents treated poor Professor Lupin like this!" Hermione snarled.
"Prof-Prof- You-You." Harry stuttered before laughing very, very loudly for a very, very long time. Ron held out as long as he could before he caved and joined in Harry's mirth.
"What is the matter with you?" Hermione scowled.
"Moony!" Harry gasped between his laughs. Ron snorted loud enough to alert Madame Pince to their tiny gathering. She shot glares at them and gestured for Hermione to lead them away.
"Thanks a lot, wankers." Hermione pouted. The set Ron and Harry off on another round of giggles. Yes, giggles. "Could you two at least attempt not to sound like Ginny and Luna at a sleepover?"
"You three have sleepovers?" Harry asked, suddenly sober. "You have to invite me."
"That's my sister, you wanker!" Ron sobered, punching Harry in the arm.
"Ow! Not my fault she's gorgeous!" Harry cringed, holding his arm in pain.
"Mature!" Hermione scoffed. "The pair of you. Now what has got you in hysterics?"
"You think Moony was innocent! That's… That's… How?" Harry started laughing again.
"How what?" Hermione asked crossly. Both boys suddenly sobered, understanding that she was done being teased and would soon begin hexing.
"How on earth did you come to the conclusion that Moony was an innocent bystander?" Harry asked.
"He was our professor! He was a fantastic professor!" Hermione justified. "Plus, I'm sure he had to be super careful! Being a you-know-what."
"Yeah, he was careful. Careful to not get caught." Harry informed her. "There is a reason his name comes first on the Marauders Map."
"Why?" Hermione asked, intrigued.
"Because, he did all the initial research. And they did it for him. They did it to help get him out of the castle." Harry said, a bit of wonder in his voice.
"And all we've done is fight Voldemort off a couple of time, face the basilisk, and avoid the rat." Hermione deadpanned.
"Yeah… new generation of Marauders." Harry said happily.
"Hopefully without the traitor this time." Ron rolled his eyes.
"Neville is taking that roll up nicely right now." Harry's mood darkened again. "He's an Auror! He's just treating us like new Auror recruits because he doesn't know how to teach kids!"
"Oh yay." Hermione rolled her eyes. "Another episode of 'I swear this is how Aurors work.' It looks like it'll be a rerun."
"What the hell code did you just use?" Ron asked.
"I've got to get some muggleborn friends." Hermione declared, facepalming.
"I know exactly what you mean and, shut up, Hermione, you're just jealous." Harry pouted, crossing his arms.
"I'm not Pavarti, therefore I can't be jealous that all of your focus is on someone else." Hermione scoffed.
"'Mione, I haven't been with Pavarti since March." Harry cocked an eyebrow her direction.
"Oh, and does she know that?" Hermione asked, intrigued.
"I should hope so!" Harry cried.
"I haven't heard anything in the dorms. If she knew you two were broken up, I'm sure she'd be spitting some kind of vitriol my way." Hermione informed him.
"Naw, it was a whole mutual four way break-up thing." Ron explained. "We snuck up to the astronomy tower and were stargazing. Then we all decided that we were better off friends than dating. I think there was a teeny bit of resentment that I was in the lake and not Pavarti. She's a Gryffindor afterall."
"Only Gryffindors would be upset that they weren't spelled asleep underwater in February." Hermione said, shaking her head fondly for her beloved house. "Okay, boys, let's get to class."
Harry was feeling drowsy. Divinations was not, in fact, his favorite class. It was, however, his easiest class. The worst part, of course, was the stupid bug buzzing around the room. Hermione had kept him up late the night before, helping him practice curses and hexes. She wasn't at Sirius' level, but she was so getting there. Therefore, Harry felt that Divinations was the perfect time to take a short nap.
He couldn't have been asleep for long when he started dreaming of Voldemort of all things. Of course, he was an owl in the dream, so he decided that it wasn't anything to worry about just yet. Voldemort was talking to the Rat Bastard, glorifying the recent death of 'that man.' Then, Voldemort said something that made Harry chill to the bone.
"Harry Potter will be next. And then we'll feed him to my lovely Nagini."
Harry vaulted out of the dream and panicked. He ran out of the classroom, dismissing himself with a "I think I saw my death." Trelawny, wonderful Trelawny, thought that was a perfectly acceptable reason to flee a classroom and allowed Ron to follow him.
"The hell, mate?" Ron asked, coming up behind him.
"We've got to get up to the dorm. I've got to talk to Sirius!" Harry rushed.
"Why?" Ron asked, following Harry.
"He's, he's, he's gonna… And, and, and… I'm gonna die!" Harry stammered, breaking into a run as the common room came into sight.
"Yeah, you're gonna die. That's what happens at the end of life." Ron said, speeding up to stay with Harry.
"I think Voldemort's trying to kill me." Harry slid into the fourth year boys dormitory.
"Great job getting us out of the rest of Divinations, but that's not exactly breaking news." Ron said, watching Harry rifle through his things in an attempt to find the two way mirror. He grasped it finally and did a tiny dance of victory, holding it aloft as he shook it around.
"Okay, okay. Sirius! Sirius, I've got to talk to you! Now!" Harry shouted, activating the mirror.
"What if he's not home?" Ron asked. "What if he isn't nearby?"
Harry was saved from answering when Sirius' voice rang out. "What's up, Prongslet?"
"Thank Merlin!" Harry cried. "Sirius, I think Voldemort is trying to kill me."
"Did… Did you just call me in the middle of class to tell me old news? I thought you knew that already?" Sirius asked, concerned. "You haven't gotten amnesia, have you?"
"No! I don't have amnesia!" Harry shouted. "I just had a dream about Voldemort and Wormtail! They were talking about someone being dead and me being next!"
"Shit." Sirius summed up nicely.
"That's what I was thinking." Harry replied.
"Knew that no good Rat Bastard was a damn Death Eater." Sirius groused.
"Talk about old news. What am I going to do, Padfoot?" Harry asked.
"I have no idea. I'll start digging on my end. You just try to make it through this tournament, yeah?" Sirius advised. "Now, get to class."
The connection ended and Harry and Ron looked at each other, unsure of what to do with the onslaught of new information.
"Alright. Where are we?" Hermione asked, convening a meeting of the the girls.
"No further on the animagus thing. There's no record of anyone being a bug in the last 100 years." Ginny sighed heavily. "Not that I would blame anyone for not registering that. That's worse than being a rat."
"What about the Map? What have we gleaned from it?" Hermione skipped ahead.
"The twins have been holding it hostage for most of the year, even though no one knows why." Ginny said, also having that bit of information.
"They're brewing secret potions and making gag sweets." Hermione said, checking that off of her list.
"Ooo. And how do you know that, Miss Granger?" Ginny teased.
"Now, now, Ginny. Hermione's head is already full of wrackspurts. Don't clutter her mental space more." Luna chastised. The other two girls just stared at her.
"Okay." Hermione said after an uncomfortable pause. "Next. Professor Moody. Yes or no?"
"He made us throw off the Imperius curse. Said if Harry Potter could do it, then we all could." Ginny said with a slight frown on her face.
"Harry argues that he's teaching the class as though we were Auror recruits." Hermione stated. "Neville says that no matter how stressful work is, Professor Moody has never treated him like this. I want to believe both of them, but I don't know how."
"I have to take Neville's word for it. His 'uncle' has been here all year, but hasn't sat down once for tea? That's strange to me." Ginny allowed.
"Harry does have a point, though." Luna found herself arguing in the opposite. "This is a professional institution, perhaps he's trying to remain professional. Like when Professor McGonagall docks points from you lot, even if she doesn't want to."
"But we still have tea with her sometimes!" Ginny shot back.
"Ladies, that's enough. We'll table that for later. What else is there?" Hermione asked.
"Have you gotten permission from your parents to go to France, yet?" Ginny asked.
"Yeah, they think it'll be a great opportunity. I think they want me to transfer to Beauxbatons." Hermione rolled her eyes.
"It'd be better than Durmstrang. Although, you and Viktor." Ginny nudged.
"There is no me and Viktor anymore. We decided we're better off as friends." Hermione blushed.
"Oh, and why is that?" Luna needled.
"Because he's more interested in flying than I am in books. It's best if we just be friends." Hermione continued blushing.
"No! That's not all there is!" Ginny crowed. "Finish it! Finish the story!"
"It's Fred." Hermione whispered. "He thinks that I'll fall for Fred. Or that I have fallen. Sometimes his English isn't so clear."
"YES!" Ginny shouted. "Yes! You have my approval! Jumps his bones!"
"Um… What?" Hermione asked, intelligently.
"Fred also has romantic feelings for you, Hermione. Very romantic. And everyone knows that Weasley men commit for life. Once, of course, there are romantic feelings. Otherwise, they're manwhores." Luna summed up nicely.
Ginny looked angry for a split second before she nodded and said, "I'd disagree, but I've caught Charlie in no less than three foursomes."
"See?" Luna asked, as if Charlie's sex life was the key to understanding all Weasley males.
"Look, I don't know this, okay? So you never heard this from me, but Fred figured out about the time you were waltzing with Krum that he actually likes you likes you. That's why he was upset after the article. He wants you." Ginny tried to explain, getting serious.
"That makes perfect sense." Hermione rolled her eyes. "Or it would if I hadn't caught him in the library with his hand up Angelina's shirt."
"He's still with… What about the man code!?" Ginny shrieked. "Excuse me, ladies. I have a brother to hex."
"What's the man code?" Hermione asked, sounding panicked at the thought of not knowing a code of ethics. They both ignored Ginny as she stormed out of their meeting.
"A completely arbitrary list of rules that all men expect other men to live by while they ignore it for their own personal gain. For instance: According to the man code, since Fred has verbally expressed interest in you, all of his friends and brothers have to step aside and let him date you before they do. However, Fred is in violation of the same rule, as Lee Jordan has loudly and profusely expressed heavy interest in Angelina, and yet Fred chose to date her first." Luna explained.
"Oh." was all Hermione had to say in response. "I have to think about all of this."
"Oh, Hermione. What you need to do is think less. If you get out of your own head, this will be much easier." Luna said sympathetically.
"That's great advice, if I knew how to follow it." Hermione replied.
"Ah, the difficulty of the brain." Luna sighed.
"Thanks for helping, Luna. Or, at least trying to help." Hermione smiled, suddenly unsure of herself. "What do you think Ginny's up to?"
"Hexing, if her aura was anything to go off of." Luna said calmly.
"Poor Fred." Hermione sighed.
"Frederick Gideon Weasley! You get out here right now!" Ginny screeched at the door of the sixth year boys dorms.
"To what do I owe the pleasure, sister mine?" George asked, hoping to stall his twin's uneviable death.
"Where's Fred?" Ginny asked, pointing her wand at George's nose. George covered his nose and pointed straight to Fred.
"You're to be on my side, wanker." Fred explained slowly.
"Not when she's gonna bat-bogey me." George's voice was squeaky due to him not uncovering his nose.
"Angelina Johnson?!" Ginny screeched in Fred's face.
"What about her?" Fred asked, covering his ears and wincing.
"Did you or did you not have your hand up Angelina's shirt in the library the other night?" Ginny asked, glaring at Fred.
"Yeah, so what?" Fred retorted.
"So what? SO WHAT?! Hermione and Krum are over because of you! And the first thing she's got to see, assumably, is you with your hand up Lee Jordan's crush's shirt!" Ginny lectured, pointer finger in Fred's face.
"What do you mean Krum and 'Mione are done?" Fred asked, baffled.
"He broke up with her because he thinks she's in love with you!" Ginny explained.
"What?" Fred asked, feeling his world cave a little.
"You heard me!" Ginny said sharply. "And what's more! Luna and I had her on the verge of confessing she likes you! And you bloody ruined it!"
"How… How did I ruin it? And how do you know I made out with Angelina in the library? That's not your usual stomping ground." Fred asked skeptically.
"No, but it is Hermione's. She caught you." Ginny leveled a glare at her brother.
"Shit." Fred said.
"First things first." George commented, coming to Fred's rescue. "You break up with Angelina. Make it damn devastating. Give Lee a chance to swoop in and play hero. Extra points if he punches you."
"Ouch. What have I ever done to you?" Fred asked, eyebrow going up.
"Nothing to me. This is about my friend Lee. Who, if you remember, had dibs and you violated that. He's allowed one free punch. Better make it count." George allowed and Fred nodded his head in realized agreement. "Second. You have to devote your focus to Hermione. This is your future, Gred. Ignore exams and focus on her."
"What about the last task? We're set to make a pile of cash off of it." Fred asked, committing the plan to memory.
"I'll worry about that. You worry about your big break up scene." George advised.
"Right." Fred said, dread in his voice.
June, 1995
"Angie, we gotta talk." Fred announced one night in the middle of the Gryffindor common room. The fifth and seventh years tried to hush him, but he ignored them.
"What's this about, Freddie?" Angelina asked.
"Yeah…. I'm bored. With you. So, we're done." Fred announced indelicately.
"What?" Angelina asked, tears in her eyes.
"You heard me." Fred said with attitude.
"Why… Why would you say that?" Angelina asked as Alicia and Katie came to her aid.
"Because it's true?" Fred asked, unsure where to go. He hadn't expected Angelina to actually get teary eyed.
"But-but-but." Angelina stuttered as the portrait hole opened. That's when Fred figured out his fatal mistake- or at least what should have been the fatal mistake. Lee wasn't in the common room to witness the break up. But he did witness the aftermath.
Lee looked between the confused Fred and the crying Angelina and made his own conclusions. Without saying a word he stalked over and punched Fred square in the nose. Fred allowed that he deserved that. Then, Lee went to comfort the poor girl, who looked like she was enjoying the company of one Lee Jordan. Fred nodded to himself, a bit surprised that Angie hadn't noticed that sooner.
"You know," George started as Fred joined him in the corridor, "You'll have to apologize to her for the bad break up. Hermione saw all of that."
"I really, really hate you." Fred growled, punching his brother in the arm.
June 24, 1995
"Fred's not an arse, I promise, 'Mione." Ginny petitioned.
"I heard what he said! 'I'm bored.' That was harsh." Hermione glared at her friend.
"Look, it was all a show. For Lee. Fred had to let him be the white knight and defend her honor. For the man code." Ginny explained.
"Hang the man code! It's not even real!" Hermione shouted.
"The man code is very real, Hermione." Ginny said in mock seriousness. "I have six brothers. You have to trust my knowledge. I am the authority."
"Damn you." Hermione groused. "You're right."
"Yes!" Ginny squealed.
"What's got her all excited this morning?" Ron asked as he and Harry plopped down for breakfast.
"Michael Corner." Hermione smirked as Ginny blushed.
"Oh! Ew! I did not need to know that! Hermione! There is food here!" Ron blanched.
"Why?" Harry asked, suddenly alert.
"He's pretty." Hermione added, still smirking. Ginny quit blushing and started throwing bits of food. Hermione just laughed and guarded herself.
"I never said he was pretty." Ginny said through gritted teeth. Harry let out a breath of relief before Ginny added. "I said he's got a nice arse."
"Gross, Ginny." Ron said as he and Harry fake gagged. Any more fun was ruined by Neville storming up to them.
"I thought that you should know this is going around." Neville informed Harry as he plopped the latest Daily Prophet down.
"What the-" Harry started before reading the first few lines of the article.
"What does it say, Harry?" Hermione asked, concerned.
"Says he's gone bat-shit, essentially." Neville informed her before turning to leave. Just before he got too far away, he added. "Still not my uncle."
"Whatever, wanker." Harry replied half-heartedly. "How could Rita Skeeter know all of this stuff? She definitely wasn't in Divinations. She definitely shouldn't know about all this."
"What?" Hermione exclaimed, before grabbing the paper and speed-reading. "I've got to go. Research."
"And she's off." Ginny commented as Hermione swept away. "Wonder what she figured out."
"Guess we'll find out eventually. She always tells us in the end." Ron allowed, taking a big bite of breakfast.
"Are we not talking about this article?" Harry asked, slightly distressed.
"Of course not. She's trying to throw you off your game. We're focusing on the third task. That's all that matters now." Ginny said with finality. And she was right. The third task was the only thing that mattered. It was focus time.
Gabs: 1) Kat isn't feeling well so I'm handling this update solo. 2) That means this is mostly filler to further our own plots. We own nothing. Don't forget to review this and tell us if you want us to keep going. Also, check out our new Animagus Training story. Comment on that one and tell us if it's worth continuing.
