The cool air around Hogwarts had always had a different smell about it than
any other place Hermione had ever been. It smelled of magic and good
times. The times that her and Ron had shared when at the school in their
youth. And even as Ron and Hermione walked up the path to the main
entrance, Hermione could still smell it.
They entered the school and looked around. It was the middle of the day and students were running about from place to place, not noticing the two strangers that had just walked in.
Ron nodded at Hermione and they began to walk down the corridor that would take them to Dumbledore's portrait and eventually up to his office. It was a ten minute walk, but they made it there in good time.
Ron gave the password that had been given in his letter and the portait swung open to let the two former students in. Tehy walked up a short flight of stairs and came to a great wooden door. Hermione tentatively reached up and knocked. An old, familiar voice answered and they let themselves in.
Dumbledore looked up from behind his halfmoon glasses and smiled. He stood up to go and embrace his former students. Even after all of the years, he still ahd a fierce life inside of him that didn't stop any of his movements or emotions from being exherted.
"I'm glad that you two decided to come. I wish that it was on better terms that I could see you, but nothing changes in the time of a crisis."
Dumbledore saw the look on their faces and then searched his head for why they looked like that. Then he remembered.
"I didn't tell you why I needed to see you, did I?" he asked with a nervous laugh. Ron and Hermione both shook their heads in the negative and Dumbledore rested his beared chin on his hands.
"Well I do believe that there is a problem in the wizarding world. I don't suppose either of you have spoken to Harry recently, have you?" Once again Ron and Hermione both shook their heads in the negative.
"Well none of us had either. And so we went to look for Mr. Potter. When we found him, we were astonished at what we had found."
"And what was that?" Hermione asked, genuinely interested.
"We found that no one had heard anything from him because he's been living life as a muggle for almost ten years! We sent someone from the ministry to speak to him, but Harry wouldn't say anything."
Ron looked nervously over at Hermione. It wasn't like Harry to just give up his wizarding life no matter how bad it was.
"Then why did you call us here?" Ron asked with an edge in his voice.
"I need you to go and talk to him. We need to find out what's wrong and why he hs chosen what he has. Neither of you may realize this, but the wizarding world needs Harry. He's our protector. Without him, anything could happen."
Hermione sat up and let out a shaky breath. She pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes.
"When do you want us to go talk to him?" Hermione asked.
"I hoped as soon as posible. Just between the three of us and some ministry people, there has been some activity with Voldemort's followers in northern Ireland."
"And you think that maybe Voldemort is trying to come back to power," Ron said in a slightly alarmed voice.
"Precisely. I don't mean to pressure either of you, but we need Harry to come back and soon."
"I don't see this being a problem," Hermione said as she stood up.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Hermione looked nervously over at Ron as she knocked on the door of Harry's muggle home in Scotland. They waited quietly for a few moments, giving each other reassuring glances that didn't seem to be working too well.
Ron looked up when the door opened. What they saw wasn't exactly what they thought.
It was Harry, but it wasn't. What they saw was a Harry with dark, sullen eyes and long, untamed hair that fell almost to his shoulder. He wore a baggy black shirt and loose-fitting blue jeans. The ten years had sharpened his facial features and he sported a small goatee at the base of his chin. A silver chain adorned his neck and he grabbed at it when he saw them standing on his doorstep.
"Wha...what are you guys doing here?" he asked softly in a rough voice that sounded like it hadn't spoken in years.
"Does it matter why we came? Would you like us to just turn around and apparte back home?" Hermione asked in a harsh tone. Ron noted that Harry flinched slightly at the mention of apparating.
"No, of course not. Come in," Harry said as he fully opened the door and let them walk past. He shut it as they were inside and locked it.
Hermione walked ahead of Ron and examined the room as she entered. It was a small, tidy home that Harry had aparently spent little money on. Hermione sat down on a wooden chair in the corner and Ron took the chair next to it. Harry chose to sit on the floor and he looked at them as he did so, waiting for them to start.
"Harry, what's happened?" Ron asked sternly. "Dumbledore said that you had been living as a muggle."
"I have. It's really not that bad. You should try it sometime."
"Harry, don't you know what is going to happen to the wizarding world if you don't come back?" Hermione asked in a pleading tone.
"What does it matter to me? I chose to leave and I don't wish to come back."
"Harry!" Ron yelled as he stood up. "You're going to be the fall of our world. -Your- world. Don't you see that?!"
Harry stood up and matched Ron's stance and voice tone. "If I didn't know, then I wouldn't have left! There's so much that you don't understand. That I can't explain to you!"
"Why don't you try?" Hermione asked from her chair.
Harry looked at her with lifeless green eyes. He grew quiet and let down his guard, stepping away frm a very defensive Ron. He averted his eyes from the two people and let out a heavy sigh.
"I just can't," Harry said inaudibly.
"Hermione, this is obviously getting us nowhere. Let's go," Ron said as he strode to the door. He unlocked it and walked outside, waiting for Hermione.
Hermione walked up to Harry and touched his cheek softly. She turned his face to look at her. She saw in his eyes a decades' worth the hurt. And it killed her inside.
"Harry, you can't tell me that after everything we shared in our last term, you can't talk to me. Not after all of those nights," Hermione said with a smile. She got a small response from Harry, but it was gone seconds later. "And after all the times we shared."
Harry let his head drop and he closed his eyes, blocking out the sight of her. He left out a shaky breath and looked back up to see that she was already walking out the door.
Hermione stepped out into the sunlight with Ron. He raised a questioning eyebrow at her and she shook her head in response. He shrugged it off and they looked around to make sure that no one was watching. They apparated out and found themselves back in Dumbledore's office.
"How did it go?" Dumbledore asked as he popped a lemon drop in his mouth. "Did he tell you anything?"
Hermione shook her head and frowned. "He wouldn't even tell -me- anything. That right there is saying something. I just wish that I knew what it was that is on his mind."
"Well one thing's for sure. He's awful defensive about something. We've got to get inside his mind and find out tthe problem," Ron added.
"Well, we'll work things out next time. Why don't you two go home and I'll owl you the next time you're needed."
Ron and Hermione nodded and said their goodbyes as they disapparted out of the office and back to their homes for the rest of the day.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
END CHAP TWO
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
They entered the school and looked around. It was the middle of the day and students were running about from place to place, not noticing the two strangers that had just walked in.
Ron nodded at Hermione and they began to walk down the corridor that would take them to Dumbledore's portrait and eventually up to his office. It was a ten minute walk, but they made it there in good time.
Ron gave the password that had been given in his letter and the portait swung open to let the two former students in. Tehy walked up a short flight of stairs and came to a great wooden door. Hermione tentatively reached up and knocked. An old, familiar voice answered and they let themselves in.
Dumbledore looked up from behind his halfmoon glasses and smiled. He stood up to go and embrace his former students. Even after all of the years, he still ahd a fierce life inside of him that didn't stop any of his movements or emotions from being exherted.
"I'm glad that you two decided to come. I wish that it was on better terms that I could see you, but nothing changes in the time of a crisis."
Dumbledore saw the look on their faces and then searched his head for why they looked like that. Then he remembered.
"I didn't tell you why I needed to see you, did I?" he asked with a nervous laugh. Ron and Hermione both shook their heads in the negative and Dumbledore rested his beared chin on his hands.
"Well I do believe that there is a problem in the wizarding world. I don't suppose either of you have spoken to Harry recently, have you?" Once again Ron and Hermione both shook their heads in the negative.
"Well none of us had either. And so we went to look for Mr. Potter. When we found him, we were astonished at what we had found."
"And what was that?" Hermione asked, genuinely interested.
"We found that no one had heard anything from him because he's been living life as a muggle for almost ten years! We sent someone from the ministry to speak to him, but Harry wouldn't say anything."
Ron looked nervously over at Hermione. It wasn't like Harry to just give up his wizarding life no matter how bad it was.
"Then why did you call us here?" Ron asked with an edge in his voice.
"I need you to go and talk to him. We need to find out what's wrong and why he hs chosen what he has. Neither of you may realize this, but the wizarding world needs Harry. He's our protector. Without him, anything could happen."
Hermione sat up and let out a shaky breath. She pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes.
"When do you want us to go talk to him?" Hermione asked.
"I hoped as soon as posible. Just between the three of us and some ministry people, there has been some activity with Voldemort's followers in northern Ireland."
"And you think that maybe Voldemort is trying to come back to power," Ron said in a slightly alarmed voice.
"Precisely. I don't mean to pressure either of you, but we need Harry to come back and soon."
"I don't see this being a problem," Hermione said as she stood up.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Hermione looked nervously over at Ron as she knocked on the door of Harry's muggle home in Scotland. They waited quietly for a few moments, giving each other reassuring glances that didn't seem to be working too well.
Ron looked up when the door opened. What they saw wasn't exactly what they thought.
It was Harry, but it wasn't. What they saw was a Harry with dark, sullen eyes and long, untamed hair that fell almost to his shoulder. He wore a baggy black shirt and loose-fitting blue jeans. The ten years had sharpened his facial features and he sported a small goatee at the base of his chin. A silver chain adorned his neck and he grabbed at it when he saw them standing on his doorstep.
"Wha...what are you guys doing here?" he asked softly in a rough voice that sounded like it hadn't spoken in years.
"Does it matter why we came? Would you like us to just turn around and apparte back home?" Hermione asked in a harsh tone. Ron noted that Harry flinched slightly at the mention of apparating.
"No, of course not. Come in," Harry said as he fully opened the door and let them walk past. He shut it as they were inside and locked it.
Hermione walked ahead of Ron and examined the room as she entered. It was a small, tidy home that Harry had aparently spent little money on. Hermione sat down on a wooden chair in the corner and Ron took the chair next to it. Harry chose to sit on the floor and he looked at them as he did so, waiting for them to start.
"Harry, what's happened?" Ron asked sternly. "Dumbledore said that you had been living as a muggle."
"I have. It's really not that bad. You should try it sometime."
"Harry, don't you know what is going to happen to the wizarding world if you don't come back?" Hermione asked in a pleading tone.
"What does it matter to me? I chose to leave and I don't wish to come back."
"Harry!" Ron yelled as he stood up. "You're going to be the fall of our world. -Your- world. Don't you see that?!"
Harry stood up and matched Ron's stance and voice tone. "If I didn't know, then I wouldn't have left! There's so much that you don't understand. That I can't explain to you!"
"Why don't you try?" Hermione asked from her chair.
Harry looked at her with lifeless green eyes. He grew quiet and let down his guard, stepping away frm a very defensive Ron. He averted his eyes from the two people and let out a heavy sigh.
"I just can't," Harry said inaudibly.
"Hermione, this is obviously getting us nowhere. Let's go," Ron said as he strode to the door. He unlocked it and walked outside, waiting for Hermione.
Hermione walked up to Harry and touched his cheek softly. She turned his face to look at her. She saw in his eyes a decades' worth the hurt. And it killed her inside.
"Harry, you can't tell me that after everything we shared in our last term, you can't talk to me. Not after all of those nights," Hermione said with a smile. She got a small response from Harry, but it was gone seconds later. "And after all the times we shared."
Harry let his head drop and he closed his eyes, blocking out the sight of her. He left out a shaky breath and looked back up to see that she was already walking out the door.
Hermione stepped out into the sunlight with Ron. He raised a questioning eyebrow at her and she shook her head in response. He shrugged it off and they looked around to make sure that no one was watching. They apparated out and found themselves back in Dumbledore's office.
"How did it go?" Dumbledore asked as he popped a lemon drop in his mouth. "Did he tell you anything?"
Hermione shook her head and frowned. "He wouldn't even tell -me- anything. That right there is saying something. I just wish that I knew what it was that is on his mind."
"Well one thing's for sure. He's awful defensive about something. We've got to get inside his mind and find out tthe problem," Ron added.
"Well, we'll work things out next time. Why don't you two go home and I'll owl you the next time you're needed."
Ron and Hermione nodded and said their goodbyes as they disapparted out of the office and back to their homes for the rest of the day.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
END CHAP TWO
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-