Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me but Ms. Harper
Ron was the first to get up the next morning. He had hardly slept the previous night, what with the feel of Hermione on top of him on his mind and all. He showered, dressed, made his bed early, and decided to wait for the other two down in the Common Room. He could use a bit of alone time anyways.
It would have worked out wonderfully...except that he wasn't alone.
Both Fred and George greeted him with a bright. "Good morning, baby brother."
"Morning," Ron said as he sat down on the sofa and pulled out Flying With Cannons. George immediately yanked the book down.
"What?" he asked with a grin. "Here we are, all alone, and you're reading a book?"
Ron groaned, irritated. "What do you two want?"
"Nothing...." Fred said. "Except to know what was going on with you and Hermione last night."
Ron glared at both of them and turned bright red. "Nothing. Leave me alone."
"Certainly didn't look like nothing from where we were standing, did it George?" Fred turned to his twin, ignoring his brother's demand.
"Nope, nope, nope," George agreed.
"Wait a minute," Ron said, laying the book aside. "No one was there last night."
"Quite contrary, dear brother," came Fred's smug reply.
"You-you mean you two were there?" Ron stood up, not sure whether to be angry or embarrassed.
"In the flesh."
"So, pray tell, baby brother, what was going on?" George asked with a buttery grin.
"Nothing," Ron stuttered. "We were just researching something." He started to leave, but was stopped at once by Fred's comment.
"Seemed like research in more than one subject if you know what I mean."
Ron looked ready to pounce. He grabbed his brother, of whom he had about an inch over, by the shoulders and raised an arm. Then, remembering how Hermione would have handled the situation, he put it down. "You two say you were there. If you were, then you'd know that nothing happened. Now leave me alone." He stressed the last sentence.
"G'morning, all," Harry said as he descended from the stairs.
"Good morning," Hermione said, close behind. She eyed the twins snickering and asked, "What's so funny?"
Ron glared at them once more before saying, "Never mind. They seem to find just plenty funny this morning." He quickly ushered his best friends out of the Common Room.
***********************
It was later that afternoon in their Study Hall period that the trio found time to meet in the Common Room. Hermione was anxious to tell Harry what they had found the previous night, and Harry was quite anxious to find out.
"Listen," Hermione said as she placed her books on the coffee table in front of her. "Last night, we found out exactly what we're looking for."
"It's a Muggle lock, then?" Harry asked.
"Well, if it's in a book of Muggle locks it must be magical, then, shouldn't it?" Ron's daily sarcasm had begun.
After shooting him a glare, Hermione said, "Yes." She opened the dark green book in front of her to page twenty five, revealing the picture they had found the previous night. "See, this is the key we've got," she said, pointing. "And this is the lock we're looking for. Model A25G6. From 1963."
"Gosh, that's old." Harry knew that it was nearly forty years.
"Exactly what I said!" Ron exclaimed. "But then Hermione figured out where we could find it."
Hermione blushed lightly before continuing. "The Shrieking Shack, Harry. The locks in there haven't been changed for a long time. Probably since Remus Lupin's day." She looked at him.
"Yes, you're probably right," Harry mused. "But how do we get in there? The cloak won't cover all three of us now." He eyed Ron's tall stature.
Hermione smiled smugly. "Figured that one, too."
"What, then?"
"Simple." She eyed them both. "Teleportation."
Harry's eyes grew wide. Why hadn't he thought of that? It was the obvious and best solution. But... "Hermione, it's a pretty long distance. Can we do that?"
She nodded quickly, and pushed her hair behind her ears. "I think we should be able to manage it."
"Well-well........" Harry couldn't think of something to say. "It sounds good to me, but....." his eyes darted to Ron. "You agreed to this?" He asked the question skeptically.
Ron nodded, reddening slightly.
Harry raised his eyebrows and let his head move quickly to Hermione. "How'd you do that?"
She smiled smugly again, leaning back, and pretending to pay a great deal of attention to her nail tips. "Oh, I have my ways, Harry, I have my ways."
Harry could only shake his head aside from being dumbfounded. "Okay, so when do we go?"
"Well, not this weekend because I-" Hermione was cut off by Ron.
"You're tutoring Neville, you've told us five times already, damnit!"
Harry, who was not quite ready for a bickering session just yet, decided to settle the matter quickly. "How about next weekend, then?"
This seemed to agree with everyone quite well, as Quidditch practice was usually not held on weekends, and Hermione had no intention of tutoring again. Then Ron asked something they'd all been wondering for a while.
"Why do we have to find the stupid lock anyhow?"
Harry and Hermione glanced at one another, but it was Hermione who took the initiative to speak.
"Isn't it obvious?"
"No, not really, if you ask me," Ron said stubbornly.
Hermione sighed. "Well, behind every lock must be a door, right? Ron, this key was given to us for a reason. There's something behind whatever door its lock is in front of. And we've got to find out what it is."
"I wish that old man hadn't given us the stupid key. Everything always happens to us." Ron had on his sulky face.
"But that's life," Hermione remarked wistfully.
"I guess so," was Harry's almost mute reply.
The three looked at each other. What could they do?
************************
It was the last time that week that Harry had Quidditch practice, and he head off to the field straight after dinner as usual. This left Ron and Hermione very much to themselves once more, and as there were no plans, they took their time in walking back to Gryffindor Tower. Ron was actually very much all right with their aloneness, and for some reason didn't seem quite nervous this evening. Things were going quite well, as a matter of fact. Ron was telling Hermione some story he had heard Dean telling Seamus about a Muggle, and she was laughing in all the right places. She always did that. In fact, things were almost perfect....
Until they were interrupted.
"Hello, Weasley," an unmistakably cold voice said.
Ron turned to face Malfoy with fierce eyes. "What do you want, Malfoy?"
"Only to pay you back for what you did to me on the train," came his reply.
"Certainly took your time, didn't you?" Hermione asked sardonically.
Malfoy glared. "I'd watch that mouth, bitch. God knows what trouble it could land you into." And without another word, he outstretched his arms and shoved Hermione forcefully to the ground.
"Get your fucking hands off her!" Ron lunged at Malfoy, but Hermione raised herself just in time to stop him.
Malfoy seemed to find this amusing. "Looks like your Mudblood whore of a girlfriend finally got some sense."
They both tinged a horrible red, but Hermione was quick to reply. "No, I just didn't want him to waste his energy on you."
A haze blew over Malfoy's cold gray eyes. "Never mind that. You've all got the same fortune as Potter- dead."
Hermione moved closer to him, even through Ron's tugging against it. "How dare you insult Harry after what he's been through. You have no idea, do you, just keep trying to make that huge ego of yours bigger-"
Malfoy actually laughed in her face. "Egos, Granger? Shall we have a chat about egos? All right." His face hardened. "You, Mudblood, have the biggest ego I have ever seen. You seem to think you know everything, don't you? Answering questions all the time, being a little teacher's pet. And you think I have a big ego? Ha!" he spat. "Yes, Granger, you can pass an exam, but what you really are is nothing but a common, filthy, Muggle."
A look Ron had never seen crossed Hermione's face. He wasn't quite sure what to think, so he decided to stick to his gut reaction: attack.
"You know what, Malfoy?" he started, but Hermione cut him off by pulling on his robes.
"Never mind, Ron," she said, her voice suddenly void of all emotion. She had the same strange look on her face as she said, "Let's just go."
Ron was torn between his worst enemy and his best friend. After a quick internal battle, he chose Hermione. He shot one last glare at a hysterically laughing Malfoy before following her down the hall.
They walked together quietly to the Common Roon, and after a few minutes, Ron heard what he might choose to describe as a sniffle. A look of concern crossed his face as he asked, "Hermione, are you all right?"
Another sniffle. "Yes, yes of course." Her voice sounded nasal and a tad raspy.
Ron didn't believe her, but wasn't sure whether to push her or just leave her be. He used his logic to decide. If she would let him know what was wrong, he might be able to stop her crying, and, God, he was in so much pain when she cried. But if she became mad and closed off (which Hermione could very well be), she'd be mad at him, too... Finally, he turned to Hermione and stopped her. He put his hands on her shoulders and looked straight at her.
"Hermione," he said softly. She was still looking at the ground and sniffling. He could see, even though it was a very limited view, her eyes were unusually shiny. "Look at me." He put a finger to her chin and lifted it up, willing her to look at him. Now he could see her eyes were really welling up with tears, and her cheeks were already a bit tear streaked and flushed.
She sniffled again. "What?" It was almost a whisper.
"What's wrong?" Ron wanted to know where on earth he was getting the courage to be so...controlled. It was strange. "Why are you crying?"
She stayed silent for several minutes before speaking very softly. "Malfoy...." She barely had time to finish the sentence.
"You actually believe what that ruddy bastard says?" Ron was astonished. His sudden reaction prodded a sob from Hermione, and when Ron realized his mistake, he decided to stick to being gentle. "Look, Hermione, you're way better than-"
"No, Ron!" Her sudden outburst caused him to widen his eyes. "It's not that. I know some of the things Malfoy says aren't true. I know that I'm not a whore. I know that being Muggle born isn't horrible. It's today he said something.... something I think might be true." A tear fell.
Ron quietly racked his brain. "About your having a big ego?" When she nodded, he shook his head. "Hermione, you do not have a big ego."
She protested at once. "But he's right! I do answer every question, and you cannot deny I am a teacher's pet." She looked miserable.
"Hermione!" Ron was shocked. "Doing all that doesn't mean you have a big ego." He looked her in the eye again. "It means you're smart. Look," he said, starting on a new tactic. "Do you know what it means to have a big ego? To have a big ego you've got to brag a lot." He paused. "And not once in my life have I ever seen you brag. You-you-" Ron hesitated. "You're the most humble person I know."
She blushed, so he said, "See? I knew it." He lifted her chin again and looked at her smiling. "Now," he said, and instinctively reached for her hand, "are you all right?"
She smiled and nodded. She felt his hand lightly on hers, their fingers gently brushing, and it was all the assurance she needed. But before she could start walking, she felt his arms wrap around her. She put her arms around him, and quietly melted into his embrace. She felt, quite honestly, relieved. She was glad Ron had been the one to be here, glad they were alone. She knew that situation would have been quite awkward (and definitely not as....wonderful?) if it were Harry. But Ron had been the one here, and it had seemed he had known exactly what she needed to hear. Even though she had never seen this behavior out of him, she had a feeling it had always been there. For now, however, she was just happy to be with him. She felt very safe with him, and had the feeling she could stay this way forever.
Ron closed his eyes and exhaled. He wondered what could have possessed him to have the courage to say all that. But if this was the result, he didn't exactly mind. He wrapped him arms just noticeably tighter around her waist. Holding her felt like the most natural thing in the world for him. Suddenly, he realized they were in the middle of a Hogwarts hallway, and could be spied by anyone. He slowly, very reluctantly, pulled away.
"We should be getting back," he lied.
She nodded, and they walked on.
*******************************
Meanwhile, across the castle, in Dumbledore's office, the Hogwarts headmaster was meeting with the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.
"How do you know?" he asked her. His voice was weary.
"Listen," Ms. Harper said in a quietly rushed voice. "I saw them this morning talking about some kind of a lock. They had a book of some kind."
"Angelique," Dumbledore said. "I'm not quite sure that is valid proof that they know anything."
"Dumbldore, look. They have a book on locks. They're talking about a key. They've got to know something about what's going on!"
"Oh, I'll have to disagree with you on that, Angelique. Harry Potter may be famous, but he is guaranteed just as clueless as you or I."
Ms. Harper raised an eyebrow skeptically. "You sure?" He looked at her, and she replied with a short, "Fine."
"He knows, most likely, close to nothing. Hardly anyone over here knows. But I never expected this. After last year, we were aware that Voldemort was after Harry, and I realize he is in great danger." He stressed the last two words. "And I do know it is completely up to him to face whatever it is that he must. But I never could have thought Voldemort's next move would be this. So I cannot let Harry, nor either one of his friends, for that matter, do this alone." Dumbledore's blue eyes looked up.
"I'm not saying he has to do it alone," Ms. Harper replied. "In fact, I am completely willing to help."
"Really?" Now it was Dumbledore's turn to look skeptical. But as the look on the young teacher's face remained the same, his voice grew weary once more. "If you insist...."
Ms. Harper looked up almost haughtily. "Well, I do insist. Harry, Ron, and Hermione won't do this alone; I'll be there. God knows Voldemort deserves everything he gets. That son of a bitch-"
"Actually," Ms. Harper was interrupted by a lemon-drop sucking Dumbledore. "Voldemort's mum, Harriet, was a good student and very friendly during all her Hogwarts years."
"Then God knows how he turned out so fucked up," Ms. Harper muttered under her breath.
Dumbledore instantly looked up, causing Ms. Harper to tinge red. "Sorry," she whispered.
Dumbledore merely shook his head. "Well, if you'd excuse me Angelique, it's my bedtime, so I should be heading off. Thank you for coming."
They bid one another farewell, and Ms. Harper showed herself the door.
Well, she though as she walked toward her bedroom. This was bound to be an interesting prospect. ************************
WEEEE I'M BACK! I know, I was gone for two weeks, but I will make up for it, I promise. I've gotten all the way to thirteen written, so there is so much more coming! PLEASE REVIEW OR I MIGHT NOT CONTINUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ron was the first to get up the next morning. He had hardly slept the previous night, what with the feel of Hermione on top of him on his mind and all. He showered, dressed, made his bed early, and decided to wait for the other two down in the Common Room. He could use a bit of alone time anyways.
It would have worked out wonderfully...except that he wasn't alone.
Both Fred and George greeted him with a bright. "Good morning, baby brother."
"Morning," Ron said as he sat down on the sofa and pulled out Flying With Cannons. George immediately yanked the book down.
"What?" he asked with a grin. "Here we are, all alone, and you're reading a book?"
Ron groaned, irritated. "What do you two want?"
"Nothing...." Fred said. "Except to know what was going on with you and Hermione last night."
Ron glared at both of them and turned bright red. "Nothing. Leave me alone."
"Certainly didn't look like nothing from where we were standing, did it George?" Fred turned to his twin, ignoring his brother's demand.
"Nope, nope, nope," George agreed.
"Wait a minute," Ron said, laying the book aside. "No one was there last night."
"Quite contrary, dear brother," came Fred's smug reply.
"You-you mean you two were there?" Ron stood up, not sure whether to be angry or embarrassed.
"In the flesh."
"So, pray tell, baby brother, what was going on?" George asked with a buttery grin.
"Nothing," Ron stuttered. "We were just researching something." He started to leave, but was stopped at once by Fred's comment.
"Seemed like research in more than one subject if you know what I mean."
Ron looked ready to pounce. He grabbed his brother, of whom he had about an inch over, by the shoulders and raised an arm. Then, remembering how Hermione would have handled the situation, he put it down. "You two say you were there. If you were, then you'd know that nothing happened. Now leave me alone." He stressed the last sentence.
"G'morning, all," Harry said as he descended from the stairs.
"Good morning," Hermione said, close behind. She eyed the twins snickering and asked, "What's so funny?"
Ron glared at them once more before saying, "Never mind. They seem to find just plenty funny this morning." He quickly ushered his best friends out of the Common Room.
***********************
It was later that afternoon in their Study Hall period that the trio found time to meet in the Common Room. Hermione was anxious to tell Harry what they had found the previous night, and Harry was quite anxious to find out.
"Listen," Hermione said as she placed her books on the coffee table in front of her. "Last night, we found out exactly what we're looking for."
"It's a Muggle lock, then?" Harry asked.
"Well, if it's in a book of Muggle locks it must be magical, then, shouldn't it?" Ron's daily sarcasm had begun.
After shooting him a glare, Hermione said, "Yes." She opened the dark green book in front of her to page twenty five, revealing the picture they had found the previous night. "See, this is the key we've got," she said, pointing. "And this is the lock we're looking for. Model A25G6. From 1963."
"Gosh, that's old." Harry knew that it was nearly forty years.
"Exactly what I said!" Ron exclaimed. "But then Hermione figured out where we could find it."
Hermione blushed lightly before continuing. "The Shrieking Shack, Harry. The locks in there haven't been changed for a long time. Probably since Remus Lupin's day." She looked at him.
"Yes, you're probably right," Harry mused. "But how do we get in there? The cloak won't cover all three of us now." He eyed Ron's tall stature.
Hermione smiled smugly. "Figured that one, too."
"What, then?"
"Simple." She eyed them both. "Teleportation."
Harry's eyes grew wide. Why hadn't he thought of that? It was the obvious and best solution. But... "Hermione, it's a pretty long distance. Can we do that?"
She nodded quickly, and pushed her hair behind her ears. "I think we should be able to manage it."
"Well-well........" Harry couldn't think of something to say. "It sounds good to me, but....." his eyes darted to Ron. "You agreed to this?" He asked the question skeptically.
Ron nodded, reddening slightly.
Harry raised his eyebrows and let his head move quickly to Hermione. "How'd you do that?"
She smiled smugly again, leaning back, and pretending to pay a great deal of attention to her nail tips. "Oh, I have my ways, Harry, I have my ways."
Harry could only shake his head aside from being dumbfounded. "Okay, so when do we go?"
"Well, not this weekend because I-" Hermione was cut off by Ron.
"You're tutoring Neville, you've told us five times already, damnit!"
Harry, who was not quite ready for a bickering session just yet, decided to settle the matter quickly. "How about next weekend, then?"
This seemed to agree with everyone quite well, as Quidditch practice was usually not held on weekends, and Hermione had no intention of tutoring again. Then Ron asked something they'd all been wondering for a while.
"Why do we have to find the stupid lock anyhow?"
Harry and Hermione glanced at one another, but it was Hermione who took the initiative to speak.
"Isn't it obvious?"
"No, not really, if you ask me," Ron said stubbornly.
Hermione sighed. "Well, behind every lock must be a door, right? Ron, this key was given to us for a reason. There's something behind whatever door its lock is in front of. And we've got to find out what it is."
"I wish that old man hadn't given us the stupid key. Everything always happens to us." Ron had on his sulky face.
"But that's life," Hermione remarked wistfully.
"I guess so," was Harry's almost mute reply.
The three looked at each other. What could they do?
************************
It was the last time that week that Harry had Quidditch practice, and he head off to the field straight after dinner as usual. This left Ron and Hermione very much to themselves once more, and as there were no plans, they took their time in walking back to Gryffindor Tower. Ron was actually very much all right with their aloneness, and for some reason didn't seem quite nervous this evening. Things were going quite well, as a matter of fact. Ron was telling Hermione some story he had heard Dean telling Seamus about a Muggle, and she was laughing in all the right places. She always did that. In fact, things were almost perfect....
Until they were interrupted.
"Hello, Weasley," an unmistakably cold voice said.
Ron turned to face Malfoy with fierce eyes. "What do you want, Malfoy?"
"Only to pay you back for what you did to me on the train," came his reply.
"Certainly took your time, didn't you?" Hermione asked sardonically.
Malfoy glared. "I'd watch that mouth, bitch. God knows what trouble it could land you into." And without another word, he outstretched his arms and shoved Hermione forcefully to the ground.
"Get your fucking hands off her!" Ron lunged at Malfoy, but Hermione raised herself just in time to stop him.
Malfoy seemed to find this amusing. "Looks like your Mudblood whore of a girlfriend finally got some sense."
They both tinged a horrible red, but Hermione was quick to reply. "No, I just didn't want him to waste his energy on you."
A haze blew over Malfoy's cold gray eyes. "Never mind that. You've all got the same fortune as Potter- dead."
Hermione moved closer to him, even through Ron's tugging against it. "How dare you insult Harry after what he's been through. You have no idea, do you, just keep trying to make that huge ego of yours bigger-"
Malfoy actually laughed in her face. "Egos, Granger? Shall we have a chat about egos? All right." His face hardened. "You, Mudblood, have the biggest ego I have ever seen. You seem to think you know everything, don't you? Answering questions all the time, being a little teacher's pet. And you think I have a big ego? Ha!" he spat. "Yes, Granger, you can pass an exam, but what you really are is nothing but a common, filthy, Muggle."
A look Ron had never seen crossed Hermione's face. He wasn't quite sure what to think, so he decided to stick to his gut reaction: attack.
"You know what, Malfoy?" he started, but Hermione cut him off by pulling on his robes.
"Never mind, Ron," she said, her voice suddenly void of all emotion. She had the same strange look on her face as she said, "Let's just go."
Ron was torn between his worst enemy and his best friend. After a quick internal battle, he chose Hermione. He shot one last glare at a hysterically laughing Malfoy before following her down the hall.
They walked together quietly to the Common Roon, and after a few minutes, Ron heard what he might choose to describe as a sniffle. A look of concern crossed his face as he asked, "Hermione, are you all right?"
Another sniffle. "Yes, yes of course." Her voice sounded nasal and a tad raspy.
Ron didn't believe her, but wasn't sure whether to push her or just leave her be. He used his logic to decide. If she would let him know what was wrong, he might be able to stop her crying, and, God, he was in so much pain when she cried. But if she became mad and closed off (which Hermione could very well be), she'd be mad at him, too... Finally, he turned to Hermione and stopped her. He put his hands on her shoulders and looked straight at her.
"Hermione," he said softly. She was still looking at the ground and sniffling. He could see, even though it was a very limited view, her eyes were unusually shiny. "Look at me." He put a finger to her chin and lifted it up, willing her to look at him. Now he could see her eyes were really welling up with tears, and her cheeks were already a bit tear streaked and flushed.
She sniffled again. "What?" It was almost a whisper.
"What's wrong?" Ron wanted to know where on earth he was getting the courage to be so...controlled. It was strange. "Why are you crying?"
She stayed silent for several minutes before speaking very softly. "Malfoy...." She barely had time to finish the sentence.
"You actually believe what that ruddy bastard says?" Ron was astonished. His sudden reaction prodded a sob from Hermione, and when Ron realized his mistake, he decided to stick to being gentle. "Look, Hermione, you're way better than-"
"No, Ron!" Her sudden outburst caused him to widen his eyes. "It's not that. I know some of the things Malfoy says aren't true. I know that I'm not a whore. I know that being Muggle born isn't horrible. It's today he said something.... something I think might be true." A tear fell.
Ron quietly racked his brain. "About your having a big ego?" When she nodded, he shook his head. "Hermione, you do not have a big ego."
She protested at once. "But he's right! I do answer every question, and you cannot deny I am a teacher's pet." She looked miserable.
"Hermione!" Ron was shocked. "Doing all that doesn't mean you have a big ego." He looked her in the eye again. "It means you're smart. Look," he said, starting on a new tactic. "Do you know what it means to have a big ego? To have a big ego you've got to brag a lot." He paused. "And not once in my life have I ever seen you brag. You-you-" Ron hesitated. "You're the most humble person I know."
She blushed, so he said, "See? I knew it." He lifted her chin again and looked at her smiling. "Now," he said, and instinctively reached for her hand, "are you all right?"
She smiled and nodded. She felt his hand lightly on hers, their fingers gently brushing, and it was all the assurance she needed. But before she could start walking, she felt his arms wrap around her. She put her arms around him, and quietly melted into his embrace. She felt, quite honestly, relieved. She was glad Ron had been the one to be here, glad they were alone. She knew that situation would have been quite awkward (and definitely not as....wonderful?) if it were Harry. But Ron had been the one here, and it had seemed he had known exactly what she needed to hear. Even though she had never seen this behavior out of him, she had a feeling it had always been there. For now, however, she was just happy to be with him. She felt very safe with him, and had the feeling she could stay this way forever.
Ron closed his eyes and exhaled. He wondered what could have possessed him to have the courage to say all that. But if this was the result, he didn't exactly mind. He wrapped him arms just noticeably tighter around her waist. Holding her felt like the most natural thing in the world for him. Suddenly, he realized they were in the middle of a Hogwarts hallway, and could be spied by anyone. He slowly, very reluctantly, pulled away.
"We should be getting back," he lied.
She nodded, and they walked on.
*******************************
Meanwhile, across the castle, in Dumbledore's office, the Hogwarts headmaster was meeting with the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.
"How do you know?" he asked her. His voice was weary.
"Listen," Ms. Harper said in a quietly rushed voice. "I saw them this morning talking about some kind of a lock. They had a book of some kind."
"Angelique," Dumbledore said. "I'm not quite sure that is valid proof that they know anything."
"Dumbldore, look. They have a book on locks. They're talking about a key. They've got to know something about what's going on!"
"Oh, I'll have to disagree with you on that, Angelique. Harry Potter may be famous, but he is guaranteed just as clueless as you or I."
Ms. Harper raised an eyebrow skeptically. "You sure?" He looked at her, and she replied with a short, "Fine."
"He knows, most likely, close to nothing. Hardly anyone over here knows. But I never expected this. After last year, we were aware that Voldemort was after Harry, and I realize he is in great danger." He stressed the last two words. "And I do know it is completely up to him to face whatever it is that he must. But I never could have thought Voldemort's next move would be this. So I cannot let Harry, nor either one of his friends, for that matter, do this alone." Dumbledore's blue eyes looked up.
"I'm not saying he has to do it alone," Ms. Harper replied. "In fact, I am completely willing to help."
"Really?" Now it was Dumbledore's turn to look skeptical. But as the look on the young teacher's face remained the same, his voice grew weary once more. "If you insist...."
Ms. Harper looked up almost haughtily. "Well, I do insist. Harry, Ron, and Hermione won't do this alone; I'll be there. God knows Voldemort deserves everything he gets. That son of a bitch-"
"Actually," Ms. Harper was interrupted by a lemon-drop sucking Dumbledore. "Voldemort's mum, Harriet, was a good student and very friendly during all her Hogwarts years."
"Then God knows how he turned out so fucked up," Ms. Harper muttered under her breath.
Dumbledore instantly looked up, causing Ms. Harper to tinge red. "Sorry," she whispered.
Dumbledore merely shook his head. "Well, if you'd excuse me Angelique, it's my bedtime, so I should be heading off. Thank you for coming."
They bid one another farewell, and Ms. Harper showed herself the door.
Well, she though as she walked toward her bedroom. This was bound to be an interesting prospect. ************************
WEEEE I'M BACK! I know, I was gone for two weeks, but I will make up for it, I promise. I've gotten all the way to thirteen written, so there is so much more coming! PLEASE REVIEW OR I MIGHT NOT CONTINUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!