Chapter Seven
In which Hermione prepares for the Inquiry
That night Hermione could not afford to take her potion. She would need her wits about her for the inquiry, though she would be doing little more than perhaps objecting to biased or unfair questions and introducing those making statements on behalf of her client, or rather, Ron Weasley, who was the only person she had found to do so. As legal counsel for the defendant she could not make a statement herself. So that night she went to bed without her dreamless sleep potion and hoped that her dreams would be not be too unpleasant ...
She was there again, in the corridor leading to the courtroom. This time she was almost certain that she was alone before she even neared the exit of the horrible, dark tunnel. And she could feel herself running. Was she late? Was she too late? Hermione could feel her heart pounding in her chest and her feet hitting the hard stone floor as she dashed toward the grayish light.
She skidded to a halt when the chair and its occupant came into view. She could hear an unpleasant murmuring in the galleries above her. Disapproval rained down upon her. She didn't look up. She didn't want to, didn't need to. She could only look at him, the man with black hair and alabaster skin, slumped in the chair, motionless and silent, but somehow beautiful and serene.
Her feet, and her heart, forced her to move toward him, though she feared what she would find.
A heavily robed and hooded figure appeared between them. It gestured for her to stop, and she obeyed involuntarily. Her will was suddenly sapped. The figure turned, and she watched as it lifted Severus's chin, much as she had done in an earlier dream, and leaned down toward him.
"No!" she cried out weakly as the dementor gave him its kiss.
Hermione awoke in a cold sweat, but managed not to scream. She rubbed her eyes and waited for her breathing to slow before looking at the clock on her night stand. A magical clock, it said simply, 'half an hour until you must get up, Hermione.' She crawled out of bed and glanced out the window. It was overcast and abysmal looking outside. She could almost tell that it was going to rain.
"Bright and early indeed." she growled, making her way to the bath where she splashed some cold water on her face. "Rubbish." she told her reflection, thinking of the dream. "Nothing more than that."
Hermione spent the rest of the early morning hours, those quiet hours of sunrise and solitude, getting ready to face the event she had been dreading for the better part of the week. She put on her trial robes, black affairs that reminded her of her Hogwarts students' robes only heavier and a bit tighter around the throat, and glanced at herself in the mirror.
"I dare say I look like the very grim reaper." she sighed, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face.
"I'll say." said a familiar voice behind her.
Hermione felt for a moment as though her heart was going to explode from joy as she turned to see Harry Potter settling into one of her more comfortable chairs.
"What on earth! Harry! I had almost given up on you arriving in time." she laughed, forgetting her hair and rushing to greet him.
He rose and gave her a bone crushing hug before pulling her into the chair with him.
"Hedwig had a devil of a time finding me, but that bird never gives up on anything, ever. And I had a hard time believing the message, until I got a follow-up from Cho, insisting that I return to London. I just arrived last night. Had a lovely flight, though it is getting deucedly cold." he explained to her.
"But, Harry, if you're going to speak at the inquiry ... we must get you down to the Ministry! There's so much ..." she began to say.
"I know. That's why I dragged Percy, Fred, and Ron out of bed last night. We got that all taken care of. Promise. I haven't had a wink of sleep yet, you know."
Hermione relaxed and smiled as she said, "I knew I could depend on you, Harry."
"Yeah? Then why'd you look so surprised when I apparated in, hmmm?" he questioned.
"You usually knock."
"I wanted it to be a surprise."
"Ah ha!" she chuckled.
"Point taken. Now when are you going to explain to me just how you got into this pickle? I know you were a bit soft on the professor, but still ..." he shrugged, making a face.
"I guess I'm still a bit. But when he asked, I just couldn't turn him down. I mean, Azkaban, Harry, even after all the good he did."
"Like saving my life. I'll ... I'll never forget that as long as I live." said Harry, swallowing hard. "He must have taken seven or eight curses for me. It was ... Well, you know, after all."
"Exactly." she nodded, patting his shoulder gently.
"I guess we should be on our way. I hear the inquiry begins at eight o'clock sharp and it wouldn't do to be late."
After Hermione collected her things, the pair apparated to the entrance of the great wizarding court. She glanced around before spotting Severus, who was waiting a discreet distance away. He was dressed more formally than when she had last seen him.
"I told Ron that I'd meet him here. You might want a word with your client." said Harry.
"Yes, of course." she said, walking over to join Severus.
"I see that the famous Mister Potter has shown up. Maybe your faith in him was not so ill-placed as I had imagined." he said quietly.
"He didn't come just to watch, you know. He is speaking on your behalf." she pointed out, reaching to straighten the collar of his robes. He caught her hand and held it for a moment.
"I am relieved." he said, though his face gave no sign of it.
"Are you ... afraid?" she asked almost in a whisper.
"Transparent again, am I?"
"I would be too. Just remember to keep your temper and keep your head. Don't elaborate anymore than you need to. Don't sound surly. They hate that. They absolutely hate it. And ... remember, you have me on your side and Harry and Ron." she told him, giving him some last minute advice.
"That's a lot to remember."
"You will manage."
Hermione watched his eyes drifted over her shoulder and turned to see Ron and Harry watching them.
"They're waiting." said Severus.
"Let's go then." she said before walking to join her friends.
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A/N: Question of the day: Isn't everyone glad to see Harry? What is a Harry Potter story without Harry?
Thanks to everyone who reviewed, Lyansidde, Talon DragonFriend, Kiwi, linnetjo, EireVerde, Arinya, Jenni, and spud snape! You are all so encouraging and nice! It's unbelievable.
There was a question about the dementors (kind of). If they don't have eyes, how do they see? And it was just an expression, one that maybe I need to reconsider. But, thanks for pointing that out, Kiwi!
In which Hermione prepares for the Inquiry
That night Hermione could not afford to take her potion. She would need her wits about her for the inquiry, though she would be doing little more than perhaps objecting to biased or unfair questions and introducing those making statements on behalf of her client, or rather, Ron Weasley, who was the only person she had found to do so. As legal counsel for the defendant she could not make a statement herself. So that night she went to bed without her dreamless sleep potion and hoped that her dreams would be not be too unpleasant ...
She was there again, in the corridor leading to the courtroom. This time she was almost certain that she was alone before she even neared the exit of the horrible, dark tunnel. And she could feel herself running. Was she late? Was she too late? Hermione could feel her heart pounding in her chest and her feet hitting the hard stone floor as she dashed toward the grayish light.
She skidded to a halt when the chair and its occupant came into view. She could hear an unpleasant murmuring in the galleries above her. Disapproval rained down upon her. She didn't look up. She didn't want to, didn't need to. She could only look at him, the man with black hair and alabaster skin, slumped in the chair, motionless and silent, but somehow beautiful and serene.
Her feet, and her heart, forced her to move toward him, though she feared what she would find.
A heavily robed and hooded figure appeared between them. It gestured for her to stop, and she obeyed involuntarily. Her will was suddenly sapped. The figure turned, and she watched as it lifted Severus's chin, much as she had done in an earlier dream, and leaned down toward him.
"No!" she cried out weakly as the dementor gave him its kiss.
Hermione awoke in a cold sweat, but managed not to scream. She rubbed her eyes and waited for her breathing to slow before looking at the clock on her night stand. A magical clock, it said simply, 'half an hour until you must get up, Hermione.' She crawled out of bed and glanced out the window. It was overcast and abysmal looking outside. She could almost tell that it was going to rain.
"Bright and early indeed." she growled, making her way to the bath where she splashed some cold water on her face. "Rubbish." she told her reflection, thinking of the dream. "Nothing more than that."
Hermione spent the rest of the early morning hours, those quiet hours of sunrise and solitude, getting ready to face the event she had been dreading for the better part of the week. She put on her trial robes, black affairs that reminded her of her Hogwarts students' robes only heavier and a bit tighter around the throat, and glanced at herself in the mirror.
"I dare say I look like the very grim reaper." she sighed, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face.
"I'll say." said a familiar voice behind her.
Hermione felt for a moment as though her heart was going to explode from joy as she turned to see Harry Potter settling into one of her more comfortable chairs.
"What on earth! Harry! I had almost given up on you arriving in time." she laughed, forgetting her hair and rushing to greet him.
He rose and gave her a bone crushing hug before pulling her into the chair with him.
"Hedwig had a devil of a time finding me, but that bird never gives up on anything, ever. And I had a hard time believing the message, until I got a follow-up from Cho, insisting that I return to London. I just arrived last night. Had a lovely flight, though it is getting deucedly cold." he explained to her.
"But, Harry, if you're going to speak at the inquiry ... we must get you down to the Ministry! There's so much ..." she began to say.
"I know. That's why I dragged Percy, Fred, and Ron out of bed last night. We got that all taken care of. Promise. I haven't had a wink of sleep yet, you know."
Hermione relaxed and smiled as she said, "I knew I could depend on you, Harry."
"Yeah? Then why'd you look so surprised when I apparated in, hmmm?" he questioned.
"You usually knock."
"I wanted it to be a surprise."
"Ah ha!" she chuckled.
"Point taken. Now when are you going to explain to me just how you got into this pickle? I know you were a bit soft on the professor, but still ..." he shrugged, making a face.
"I guess I'm still a bit. But when he asked, I just couldn't turn him down. I mean, Azkaban, Harry, even after all the good he did."
"Like saving my life. I'll ... I'll never forget that as long as I live." said Harry, swallowing hard. "He must have taken seven or eight curses for me. It was ... Well, you know, after all."
"Exactly." she nodded, patting his shoulder gently.
"I guess we should be on our way. I hear the inquiry begins at eight o'clock sharp and it wouldn't do to be late."
After Hermione collected her things, the pair apparated to the entrance of the great wizarding court. She glanced around before spotting Severus, who was waiting a discreet distance away. He was dressed more formally than when she had last seen him.
"I told Ron that I'd meet him here. You might want a word with your client." said Harry.
"Yes, of course." she said, walking over to join Severus.
"I see that the famous Mister Potter has shown up. Maybe your faith in him was not so ill-placed as I had imagined." he said quietly.
"He didn't come just to watch, you know. He is speaking on your behalf." she pointed out, reaching to straighten the collar of his robes. He caught her hand and held it for a moment.
"I am relieved." he said, though his face gave no sign of it.
"Are you ... afraid?" she asked almost in a whisper.
"Transparent again, am I?"
"I would be too. Just remember to keep your temper and keep your head. Don't elaborate anymore than you need to. Don't sound surly. They hate that. They absolutely hate it. And ... remember, you have me on your side and Harry and Ron." she told him, giving him some last minute advice.
"That's a lot to remember."
"You will manage."
Hermione watched his eyes drifted over her shoulder and turned to see Ron and Harry watching them.
"They're waiting." said Severus.
"Let's go then." she said before walking to join her friends.
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A/N: Question of the day: Isn't everyone glad to see Harry? What is a Harry Potter story without Harry?
Thanks to everyone who reviewed, Lyansidde, Talon DragonFriend, Kiwi, linnetjo, EireVerde, Arinya, Jenni, and spud snape! You are all so encouraging and nice! It's unbelievable.
There was a question about the dementors (kind of). If they don't have eyes, how do they see? And it was just an expression, one that maybe I need to reconsider. But, thanks for pointing that out, Kiwi!