Chapter 8: Truth Number Three
Saturday was to be the trip to Hogsmeade that the school would take before Christmas. Most people were talking about what they would get their friends for Christmas, but Kentarre, as she often did, said not a word. Some people were spreading a rumor that Dumbledore would hold a Secret Santa system, but Kentarre thought this utterly ridiculous; the Dumbledore that she had come to know just might do that sort of thing, and Kentarre absolutely hated that sort. Kentarre preferred, as she usually did, to sit back and watch for anything to happen to the big picture, while others focused in on their own little worlds. This, she had found, was usually the time when something outside of the festivities did happen, but no one noticed it until it was too late. *The most dangerous time of the year is when no one thinks that anything could go wrong. Everyone's guard is switched completely off. It's so frustrating.*
Kentarre leaned against the wall and stared at the floor. Harry and his friends were right around the corner, and she had a pretty good earful of what they were saying. Fred and George Weasley were making big plans for their trip to Hogsmeade the next day. "We have all kinds of things that we need to stock up on from Zonko's. But that's top secret; wouldn't want to ruin the surprise, now, would we?"
There was a pause, in which Kentarre was sure the Weasley twins looked at each other and everyone looked at them.
Just then, the bell sounded for them to get back to class. Everyone moved off, including Kentarre, who wanted to make sure not to arouse any suspicions. Harry, Ron, and Hermione caught up with her on her way. Harry was saying, "So, Kentarre, do you think that the Secret Santa thing is really going on?" Kentarre's mouth curled upward in a wry smile. "It's unfortunately possible," she replied. "Dumbledore seems the kind of teacher that would do that to his students."
Hermione said, "I think it's a waste of time, since you're going to get something for all of your friends anyway." Kentarre nodded. "It's definitely a waste of time... unless you get to give a present to your worst enemy. That would make it worth my while." The others laughed, and they continued the long way towards Divination.
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Hogsmeade was bustling with a mixed crowd, as was usual around Christmas. All kinds of people, both magical creatures and wizards, mingled in the slough of Hogwarts students that day. Harry had convinced Kentarre to come along with them so they could show her the sights, but Ron had thought she had come along for another reason. "She doesn't need you to show her around," he had said Friday night. "The way she sees it, she owes you one. You're going to go and listen to whatever it is she has to say to you on Sunday, so she's going to come along with us when we go to Hogsmeade."
Harry had thought perhaps that was true, but she had still told him straight out that she wanted to pay a visit to a few shops of her own- alone. "There are some things I want to buy, and I don't want anyone getting suspicious. Those stores are not exactly the kind you see a whole crowd of young people going into. I can usually get into these places without catching anyone's attention, but you three will just slow me down. I'll meet you back at Madam Rosmerta's for a butterbeer or two." Ron had asked, "Which stores might those be?" Kentarre had given him a withering glare that quite plainly told him he was being nosy, and he had not pursued the subject.
Hermione herself had also been interested in the location and nature of these shops, and she proposed to Harry that they follow her. She had stated quite plainly, "I want to know if she's planning anything illegal." Harry had replied, "I doubt it's anything that serious, but all the same, I agree; we should follow her."
So here they were; the sky had finally decided that it was winter, and the snow now came down on them with full force. The street that Kentarre had unwittingly taken them to was rather devoid of people. The shops looked very run-down, and the signs outside of them were worn and, for the most part, illegible. There were a few well-kept shops here and there, but they didn't seem to sell anything that interested their silver-capped friend.
The girl led them onwards through the snow-ridden streets, coming to what might have been a dirtier part of town had it not been for all the snow. The shop signs were now in such a condition that many of them swung from one hinge or did not swing at all, but had fallen to the ground. Harry wondered to himself what Kentarre could possibly want from this side of Hogsmeade, but the answers that came to him implied many things, so he shuddered away from the question and put his focus on not losing the black clad girl up ahead of them.
So far, the trio had been able to stick to the side of the street; the shops each had a small overhang, so the three friends had mainly walked under this, hoping to remain out of the snow and to avoid being caught by Kentarre or worse. However, now they could see that their refuge was coming to an end. A wall of stone now blocked their path under the eaves, forcing them to turn outwards into the growing blizzard. As they drew nearer to the wall, Harry heard the chatter of many voices coming from ahead and to their right. The wall seemed to come up right after the entrance to some central meeting place for the inhabitants of the area.
Hermione tugged on the two boys' sleeves, beckoning them to turn out into the snow now so as not to be caught at the entrance of such a place. Ron looked reluctant, as did Harry; he communicated that he wanted to go and have a quick look. Hermione shook her head firmly, but Harry whispered, "A quick look won't hurt. Let's just go and see what's inside." Harry continued to walk towards the sound of the talking, and Ron followed close behind him with a very disgruntled Hermione in tow.
The noise was coming from a wide double-doorway that was bordered on both sides by two tall, thin window panes. Harry peeked through one of these and saw what seemed to be a busy, populated tavern. And from the looks of it, it indeed was a central meeting place. There were several round wooden tables at which were seated the brunt of the wizarding community: hags, ogres, and a few people who looked as though they might be vampires. Some of the table groups were shouting drunkenly, but others did not speak at all, and stared around at the other occupants of the bar. A fiddler stood playing in one corner; a closer look told Harry that this fiddler was a wood elf. An even closer look revealed the shackles around the elf's ankles as she played that were attached to a ball and chain. The elf suddenly locked eyes with him, and the look she gave him was one that would have made even Malfoy's heart soften with pity.
Just then, someone else caught the boy wizard's eye. He was sitting in a corner at a table for one, sipping slowly at a tankard and watching the other tenants carefully. He was dressed in a black traveler's cloak, and the hood was pulled over his head. The figure turned his head towards the door, and Harry saw that it wasn't a he, it was a she! It was also not any she, it was Kentarre!! Harry quickly dashed back behind the wall, dragging Ron and Hermione with him by the backs of their robes. "What?" whispered Ron. Harry said, "Kentarre's in there. We should find someplace to hide where we can watch her." Hermione asked, "Are you sure?" Harry nodded. Hermione pursed her lips. "Here," she said, pointing to the side of the building, "let's go see if we can find a window down that alleyway."
The alleyway of which she spoke was rather cramped- so cramped, in fact, that they could only fit down in single file. Ron would go in first, because he was the tallest, to see if they could find a window that would look down on Kentarre. Hermione would be next, and lastly Harry, because he was skinniest and could get out the fastest. Ron told them to wait out there until he could get situated with his ventage spot, because he might not be tall enough to see through, and he might need something to stand on. The window was small, but just large enough, and Ron indeed was not quite tall enough to see their black-robed quarry. Harry found an empty beer keg and brought it to Ron for him to stand on. "I can see her," hissed Ron, and Hermione then took this opportunity to slide in after him. Harry, after looking around to make sure no one saw them, then backed into the small excuse for an alley.
The alleyway was absolutely filthy. Dust from the street coated the ground, and the walls were wearing away. A few empty beer bottles were at the rear, and there was graffiti even on the walls in this godforsaken place. Hermione sneezed once, and the entire company froze; Ron's eyes nearly bulged from trying to see if Kentarre had heard anything, but she apparently hadn't. All three of them breathed a collective sigh of relief, each trying not to stir up any more dirt.
Just then, Ron called out, "She's getting up. It looks like she's going to the exit." Harry took this time to poke one eye around the corner to see if Kentarre would indeed come out of the front door. Suddenly, there came a very loud shout from inside, followed by a deafening crash. More shouts came, and another crash, like the sound of splintering wood. Ron reported, "There's a brawl! I can't see a thing! Harry, did she come out yet?" Harry had watched the door throughout this entire making of noise, and he had not seen anyone leave by way of the front door, so he told the others so.
Meanwhile, Hermione was caught in the middle of this, and she didn't like it at all. "What do you see?" she asked Ron frantically. Ron replied without taking his eyes off the window, "Well, there's this big fellow who's beating the you-know-what out of some other guy, and there's a whole lot of people shouting and yelling- wait a minute, there she is!"
"What!" cried Harry, "You see her?"
"Yes!" continued Ron. "She's walking over towards the door!" Harry poked his head once more around the corner just in time to see a figure robed in black exit through the front. Harry whispered, "She's out. Let's go!" With that, he popped out of the alley and started off after her. After he had gone a few feet, he turned around to find that Hermione had caught her robe on something, trapping herself and Ron inside. Harry hurried back to help them, but he couldn't seem to get Hermione's robe untangled. "Hurry!" hissed Hermione. "We're making a big fuss! If we're not careful, she'll hear us!" Ron said sardonically, "Who could hear anything above the mess in there?" Even so, Harry tried and tried again. Finally, he got her robe unhooked. Hermione almost fell out of the tight space, followed closely by Ron. Harry went out to search the street. "She's nowhere in sight," he groaned. "Now what do we do?"
Ron caught up with him. "I don't see her anywhere," he announced. "She couldn't have gotten that far, though. Maybe she went into one of these shops. Let's have a look around. I'll take this one up here, and Harry, you and Hermione take the other side of the street." Harry warned, "Try not to let her see you, if you find her. If we're caught, this entire investigation will go up in smoke." Hermione came up behind them. "Enough chitchat!" she snapped. "It's too cold. Let's hurry up and get this over with." She marched off towards the other side of the street. Harry and Ron exchanged a look before Harry went off after her, leaving Ron to shake his head and start looking.
* * *
Hermione finally found Kentarre in a run-down pawn shop farther down the street. Kentarre was talking to the clerk at the counter; they seemed to be having a friendly conversation, because every once in a while Kentarre would smile and the shopkeeper would chuckle. Kentarre, it seemed, had not purchased anything yet, and she looked to be taking her time. Harry called Ron over, and the three of them crouched near the bottom of the shop window. Harry hissed, "Can you hear anything they're saying?"
"Nothing," replied Hermione. Ron shook his head. Then Ron's face became thoughtful. "What?" whispered Harry. Ron put a finger to his lips and began to crawl towards the door of the pawn shop. Harry and Hermione exchanged a look, and then their attention was drawn back to Ron when the red-haired boy whispered, "I can hear them. I can hear what they're saying." Harry looked at him. Ron had his ear pressed to the space between the door and the ground outside. He continued, "Kentarre is telling him that she isn't going to stay in this part of town too long... she's explaining about the one-day Hogsmeade trip from Hogwarts. He laughed at her and asked her why she bothered when she could come anytime... she told him that she has some business left to wrap up before she heads back... he asked her what she was doing here in the first place, and she said she was looking for some essentials and that she was hoping he'd have what she's looking for. He's now being the shopkeeper. She asked him what he had in the way of black fingerless gloves, and he's leading her away... I can't hear any more. They went into the back of the store."
Harry, Hermione, and Ron shared a moment of silence, in which unspoken questions buzzed like flies. Each one of them was certainly as lost as the others, but no one could seem to make any guesses. Hermione then seemed to come to herself, and she said in a rush, "Well, we should get out of here. They could be back at any time, and we want to be well out of here when Kentarre walks back out through that door." Ron asked, "Why? What if she goes to another store?" Hermione replied, "She said that she'd meet us back at Madam Rosmerta's, and I want to go look at some of the other stores before we have to leave. We've all got better things to do than to hang around this place for who knows how long." Harry had no choice but to agree with her, so the three of them got up, brushed the snow and dirt off of each other, and headed back down the street at a rather nervous pace, not wanting to be seen by any of the other frequents of this part of Hogsmeade. Harry vaguely wondered aloud, "I wonder why we've never found this part of Hogsmeade before? I wonder how no one else has found it?" Ron shrugged, but Hermione said informantly, "Well, I don't see why anyone from Hogwarts would have any kind of business down here, but apparently Kentarre does. And another thing, if anyone found this part, there wouldn't be much to tell, would there?" Harry and Ron exchanged a glance. Each of them knew that if they had been the first to find this corner, they both would have plenty to tell.
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"It's really none of your business in the first place," Kentarre scolded Harry. Harry replied, "Well, what else were we supposed to do? I mean, you practically told us to follow along behind and see what you were up to! Or at least, that's what I got from it!" Ron nodded, but Hermione looked away. *How could we not have seen this?* Hermione asked herself. *She wanted us to follow her! We should have known. But... what did she want us to see? I'm fairly sure she didn't drag us along so we could see a fistfight in a bar, but... what else?*
Kentarre said, "Well, what's done is done. I guess I should have expected it. You didn't see much, did you?" Ron shook his head. "Not unless you count a bar brawl and you buying something from a pawn shop. By the way, what did you buy?"
Kentarre pulled her hands out of her pockets. On them were a pair of worn but still intact black fingerless thin leather gloves. Ron looked closer. They were good-looking gloves, considering the type that one normally finds in a pawn shop. Harry thought he saw a few drops of something red on them before Kentarre shoved her hands back in her pockets. Ron asked, "And what's in the bag?" Kentarre replied shortly, "A few of the essentials. It's just some things I thought I might need later." She made no move to bring up the bag, so Ron, Harry, and Hermione all exchanged a look, but none of them said any more.
Harry took a sip of his butterbeer. Kentarre had chosen the table that was the most secluded; it was located away from the central business area, and was tucked away in a corner that was almost hidden by one corner of the counter. Harry marveled that they hadn't found this table already, but then he told himself that if other customers hadn't noticed it, there was a perfectly good reason that they hadn't either.
Kentarre looked up from her tankard and locked eyes with Harry. After a few seconds she dropped her eyes to the table and said in an offhand way, "Hey, I'd kinda appreciate it if you didn't mention to any of the other students that I went to that part of Hogsmeade. Strictly speaking, students aren't supposed to be going in there, but I finagled Dumbledore into allowing me to get in. They don't sell these in any other store here." She held up one hand, indicating the glove that encased it. "Not to mention," she added with a smile, "that I know the shopkeeper of the shop I knew would have what I needed."
Harry considered this. He had really hoped that he could use this as one up on Malfoy, but he told himself that Kentarre could always tell Dumbledore that they had followed her. He said finally, "All right. We'll keep it under wraps." Ron's glance was one of mild shock, but he said nothing. Hermione looked quizzically at him, and he gave her a look in return that said 'later.'
Kentarre was not aware of the transfer that was going on. She was still staring at the table, lost in deep thought. *Tomorrow's Sunday... and I still don't know how I'm going to put this to him. Granted, he doesn't need a whole long explanation just yet, so all I have to tell him is what he needs to know to get him to help me. After Tuesday, if he has any questions, I'll answer them to a certain extent. If he asks.*
"Hey, Kentarre," said a familar drawling voice. Kentarre didn't look up from the table. "What do you want, Malfoy?" she grated back. She could sense him leaning in closer, but she still would not look at him. "I want to talk to you a minute. Now, outside." Kentarre replied waspishly, "Why should I?" She could almost feel the smirk spread across his face. "Because if you don't, I'll tell Dumbledore where you've been."
"Dumbledore already knows, twerp. What interests me is how you found out."
"I saw you go around the corner. I figured out from there where you were going."
"Very good. So the shell has a brain after all. I must congratulate you on that stroke of genius. Must have been a real strain."
Malfoy scowled at her. "I'll see you outside, then?" he murmured, and walked off towards the door, followed closely by his two oversized cronies. Kentarre made to get up. Harry asked, "Where are you going? You're not actually going to go talk to him, are you?" Kentarre shrugged. "The way I see it, if it was worth being humiliated, then it's worth hearing. He knew that I would tell him off, and he came up anyway. Stupid, but he must have a real cause for that." Harry spoke again. "You don't know Malfoy, Kentarre," he warned. "It's probably some kind of threat, or something awful." Kentarre said shortly, "Potter, don't you know by now that there's nothing that Malfoy can hold over me, and that I can take care of myself?" Without another word, she left the table and headed for the exit.
When she got outside, she walked up to Malfoy, who had turned around and seemed to be waiting for her. "Okay, what's so important that it couldn't be said in there?" she snapped, and folded her arms across her chest. Malfoy looked her coolly in the face. "Why are you hanging around Potter and his goons?" he asked her accusingly. Kentarre did the smallest of doubletakes. "Why should it bother you?" she replied coldly. His eyes narrowed. "Because you could have a friend like me. I offered it to you once, but you wouldn't take it. And now I'm offering it again. Just to be diplomatic." Kentarre cocked an eyebrow. "Oh, that's all, is is? Diplomacy? Give me a break. What's the real reason, Malfoy?"
Malfoy's jaw tensed, and his eyes flashed furiously. "Because you're not supposed to be with him, you're supposed to be with me!!" he exploded, keeping his voice to a low minimum. Kentarre almost laughed in his face. "And what makes you think I'm 'with' Potter, eh, Malfoy? And why am I supposed to be 'with' you?" Kentarre was doing it on purpose. She knew his real reason, but she wanted to make him say it. It was cruel and unusual punishment at its worst, but hey, it got him back for all the times he was nasty to her... well, she usually beat him in their battles of wits anyway, but this was still way more fun.
Malfoy said in reply, "Everyone says that you and Potter have a thing going on." Kentarre tsk-tsked at him. "Never assume anything that you haven't seen with your own eyes. Remember that, Malfoy, and say that again." Malfoy narrowed his eyes. "Let's just get to the point, shall we?" he suggested. Kentarre said, "But wait, Malfoy, you haven't answered my other question. Why am I supposed to be 'with' you?" Malfoy's pale cheeks, for the first time in Kentarre's sight, took on a very faint shade of rouge. "Because I want you to, that's why," he said bluntly. "There, I said it. What are you going to do now?" For a moment, Kentarre was very tempted to burst out laughing right in his pasty face, but she resisted it. *The poor kid's already been through enough just getting himself to come out and say it. I'll give him a break- just this once.* Kentarre inhaled sharply. "All right, Malfoy, I'll play along. But don't start getting any ideas, all right? This is just to surprise Potter." Malfoy's eyes glinted a kind of surprised relief. "You'll go steady with me?" he asked incredulously. Kentarre replied, "That's what I said, isn't it? But I have one question. What happened to that girl, Parkinson? Didn't you and she have a thing?" Malfoy's cheeks turned just a shade darker. "Well..." he began, but Kentarre held up a hand. "Say no more, Draco," she said, and walked back into the shop without looking back.
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"Okay then, why don't you start, since it was your idea in the first place?" Midnight on Sunday had come quicker than Harry or the others had expected, but for Kentarre, it had crept at a snail's pace. And unfortunately for her, she still had no idea how she was going to break this to him, but she told herself that she would just wing it from there. Now Harry was looking at her expectantly, waiting for her to begin.
"Well, Potter," she began, "I wanted to talk to you here and alone because I have some business that I need some help with. It's okay that those two are here, but the one that I really wanted to talk to about this was you." She paused to make sure that they were following her so far; Kentarre saw three pairs of expectant eyes that seemed like lamps. She continued, "This business is not what you might call business. It's more in the way of... a fight." Hermione said, "You're going to fight someone? Do you know how much trouble you could get in for that?" Kentarre held her hand up. "I'm not going to fight a student, Hermione. I have received a challenge from outside of the castle. However, it was not brought to me by the person I'm going to fight. It was brought to me by a creature that I cannot see.
"I have thought this over for a while, and I've realized that I cannot do this alone. I've wanted to know for a long time what this creature is and why I cannot see it. I have searched through every treatise, record, and information compilation, but there is no written evidence of any such creature existing. I have concluded that in order to see this creature, someone else must look for me. That is where you come in, Potter. While I am fighting my challenger, I want you to try to see this thing, whatever it is. Do you understand? Know that I cannot force you to do this; all I can do is ask."
Kentarre gave Harry an expectant stare, as if waiting for some kind of statement from him. Harry found himself gazing intently at the floor. "I... I don't know," he said slowly. Kentarre took a breath. "The fight is set for Tuesday night. It will take place on the roof of the South Tower."
"The roof of the South Tower?" Harry echoed. "And just how are you planning to get up there?" asked Hermione. Kentarre smirked. "Fly, of course. You remember that package that I bought from the pawn shop, right? Well, that was one of the essentials: a broom. I am not incorrect in assuming that you also have a broom, am I, Potter?" Harry shook his head, and Kentarre smiled slightly. "Well then," she said, "what do you say, Potter? I have to tell you that I cannot force you to do this for me, but if you do, I can promise that we won't get caught."
Harry looked up sharply. "How can you do that?" he asked suspiciously. Kentarre's smile stayed put, and her eyes looked mysterious as she said, "Just trust me on this one. We won't get caught." Harry looked doubtful, but not as doubtful as Hermione. Kentarre glanced at Hermione's face. The dirty blonde girl was looking at her with eyes that were most distrusting, and her mouth was set in a position that said I- don't-like-this-at-all and why-are-you-asking-Harry-to-do-this. Kentarre looked back to Harry to see what his reaction was. He was looking at Ron, who shrugged. Then Harry went back to staring off into space for a moment, and Kentarre leaned slightly back in her chair, waiting. After a pause, Harry said, "I don't know why, but all right." Hermione cried out, "Harry!", and Harry said in reply, "Maybe this will answer some of the questions we've been wanting answered. Besides, what harm can it do? She said we won't get caught. I'm not sure if I trust her or not, but I'm going to go." Kentarre bowed her head. "Thank you, Potter. I'm sure that your help will be needed, in one way or another."
Hermione opened her mouth to say something, but after a warning glance from Ron, she shut it. Harry looked at Ron, who looked as though he wasn't sure what to do. Harry looked back at Kentarre, who was eyeing him with an odd gleam in her eye. "Potter," she said after a spell, "there are some things I would like to tell you. These things are all true, and you will need to know them if you are to get through this year alive." All three of them perked up in their chairs, watching her intently. Ron started to ask, "What do you mean by that?" but Kentarre stopped him with a hand. "Please, let me finish. There are three things you should know. One, I'm not quite sure you fully understand who we're up against, so I'm going to give you a hint." Harry interrupted, "I thought you said you didn't know who you were going to fight."
Kentarre shook her head. "No, no. I'm not talking about Tuesday. I'm speaking of the fight that you engage in even now, that is going on outside of these walls even as we speak, that you have no knowledge of until now. Your fight against the one you call Voldemort goes on, Potter. This is but another stage. However, some other elements have come into play that you were not aware of before now. One of these elements is that something about Voldemort will be revealed to you very soon. I cannot tell you what it is at the moment, but you will know of it when you are ready to accept it." Kentarre noticed that Ron had winced just barely when she said the name 'Voldemort', but she did not bring it to the others' attention. Harry was looking at her with the tiniest bit of surprise. Hermione was looking interested and rather breathless, and she seemed to be on the edge of her seat. Kentarre tried not to smile and continued.
"Secondly, I will tell you something else about Voldemort. I have received word from outside of the castle that he is mobilized- and heading for Hogwarts." At this, Hermione gasped, Ron looked petrified, and Harry's face showed complete shock. "I thought he wasn't strong enough to attack the castle," breathed Harry. Kentarre declined her face a little. "I know, but somehow when he regained his powers, something else came to him, something that he had never been able to access before that is now within his grasp. I dare not speak its name here, for to do so would risk being overheard or worse, but I tell you now: expect the worst." She paused to give them time to gather themselves once more before she continued. "Thirdly," she began again, "there is something you should know about me." Once again, all three of their expressions changed to identical ones of captivated interest. Kentarre took a deep breath and went on. "I cannot say much, but you need to know this if I am to do this thing right. After all, I do have a duty to Dumbledore and a responsibility to you. I owe you this, Potter, for consenting to help me. I am not who you think I am at all. In fact, I don't think you can even fathom how much you don't know about me. But that is all I will say; my obligation has compelled me to say this much, and no more."
Saturday was to be the trip to Hogsmeade that the school would take before Christmas. Most people were talking about what they would get their friends for Christmas, but Kentarre, as she often did, said not a word. Some people were spreading a rumor that Dumbledore would hold a Secret Santa system, but Kentarre thought this utterly ridiculous; the Dumbledore that she had come to know just might do that sort of thing, and Kentarre absolutely hated that sort. Kentarre preferred, as she usually did, to sit back and watch for anything to happen to the big picture, while others focused in on their own little worlds. This, she had found, was usually the time when something outside of the festivities did happen, but no one noticed it until it was too late. *The most dangerous time of the year is when no one thinks that anything could go wrong. Everyone's guard is switched completely off. It's so frustrating.*
Kentarre leaned against the wall and stared at the floor. Harry and his friends were right around the corner, and she had a pretty good earful of what they were saying. Fred and George Weasley were making big plans for their trip to Hogsmeade the next day. "We have all kinds of things that we need to stock up on from Zonko's. But that's top secret; wouldn't want to ruin the surprise, now, would we?"
There was a pause, in which Kentarre was sure the Weasley twins looked at each other and everyone looked at them.
Just then, the bell sounded for them to get back to class. Everyone moved off, including Kentarre, who wanted to make sure not to arouse any suspicions. Harry, Ron, and Hermione caught up with her on her way. Harry was saying, "So, Kentarre, do you think that the Secret Santa thing is really going on?" Kentarre's mouth curled upward in a wry smile. "It's unfortunately possible," she replied. "Dumbledore seems the kind of teacher that would do that to his students."
Hermione said, "I think it's a waste of time, since you're going to get something for all of your friends anyway." Kentarre nodded. "It's definitely a waste of time... unless you get to give a present to your worst enemy. That would make it worth my while." The others laughed, and they continued the long way towards Divination.
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Hogsmeade was bustling with a mixed crowd, as was usual around Christmas. All kinds of people, both magical creatures and wizards, mingled in the slough of Hogwarts students that day. Harry had convinced Kentarre to come along with them so they could show her the sights, but Ron had thought she had come along for another reason. "She doesn't need you to show her around," he had said Friday night. "The way she sees it, she owes you one. You're going to go and listen to whatever it is she has to say to you on Sunday, so she's going to come along with us when we go to Hogsmeade."
Harry had thought perhaps that was true, but she had still told him straight out that she wanted to pay a visit to a few shops of her own- alone. "There are some things I want to buy, and I don't want anyone getting suspicious. Those stores are not exactly the kind you see a whole crowd of young people going into. I can usually get into these places without catching anyone's attention, but you three will just slow me down. I'll meet you back at Madam Rosmerta's for a butterbeer or two." Ron had asked, "Which stores might those be?" Kentarre had given him a withering glare that quite plainly told him he was being nosy, and he had not pursued the subject.
Hermione herself had also been interested in the location and nature of these shops, and she proposed to Harry that they follow her. She had stated quite plainly, "I want to know if she's planning anything illegal." Harry had replied, "I doubt it's anything that serious, but all the same, I agree; we should follow her."
So here they were; the sky had finally decided that it was winter, and the snow now came down on them with full force. The street that Kentarre had unwittingly taken them to was rather devoid of people. The shops looked very run-down, and the signs outside of them were worn and, for the most part, illegible. There were a few well-kept shops here and there, but they didn't seem to sell anything that interested their silver-capped friend.
The girl led them onwards through the snow-ridden streets, coming to what might have been a dirtier part of town had it not been for all the snow. The shop signs were now in such a condition that many of them swung from one hinge or did not swing at all, but had fallen to the ground. Harry wondered to himself what Kentarre could possibly want from this side of Hogsmeade, but the answers that came to him implied many things, so he shuddered away from the question and put his focus on not losing the black clad girl up ahead of them.
So far, the trio had been able to stick to the side of the street; the shops each had a small overhang, so the three friends had mainly walked under this, hoping to remain out of the snow and to avoid being caught by Kentarre or worse. However, now they could see that their refuge was coming to an end. A wall of stone now blocked their path under the eaves, forcing them to turn outwards into the growing blizzard. As they drew nearer to the wall, Harry heard the chatter of many voices coming from ahead and to their right. The wall seemed to come up right after the entrance to some central meeting place for the inhabitants of the area.
Hermione tugged on the two boys' sleeves, beckoning them to turn out into the snow now so as not to be caught at the entrance of such a place. Ron looked reluctant, as did Harry; he communicated that he wanted to go and have a quick look. Hermione shook her head firmly, but Harry whispered, "A quick look won't hurt. Let's just go and see what's inside." Harry continued to walk towards the sound of the talking, and Ron followed close behind him with a very disgruntled Hermione in tow.
The noise was coming from a wide double-doorway that was bordered on both sides by two tall, thin window panes. Harry peeked through one of these and saw what seemed to be a busy, populated tavern. And from the looks of it, it indeed was a central meeting place. There were several round wooden tables at which were seated the brunt of the wizarding community: hags, ogres, and a few people who looked as though they might be vampires. Some of the table groups were shouting drunkenly, but others did not speak at all, and stared around at the other occupants of the bar. A fiddler stood playing in one corner; a closer look told Harry that this fiddler was a wood elf. An even closer look revealed the shackles around the elf's ankles as she played that were attached to a ball and chain. The elf suddenly locked eyes with him, and the look she gave him was one that would have made even Malfoy's heart soften with pity.
Just then, someone else caught the boy wizard's eye. He was sitting in a corner at a table for one, sipping slowly at a tankard and watching the other tenants carefully. He was dressed in a black traveler's cloak, and the hood was pulled over his head. The figure turned his head towards the door, and Harry saw that it wasn't a he, it was a she! It was also not any she, it was Kentarre!! Harry quickly dashed back behind the wall, dragging Ron and Hermione with him by the backs of their robes. "What?" whispered Ron. Harry said, "Kentarre's in there. We should find someplace to hide where we can watch her." Hermione asked, "Are you sure?" Harry nodded. Hermione pursed her lips. "Here," she said, pointing to the side of the building, "let's go see if we can find a window down that alleyway."
The alleyway of which she spoke was rather cramped- so cramped, in fact, that they could only fit down in single file. Ron would go in first, because he was the tallest, to see if they could find a window that would look down on Kentarre. Hermione would be next, and lastly Harry, because he was skinniest and could get out the fastest. Ron told them to wait out there until he could get situated with his ventage spot, because he might not be tall enough to see through, and he might need something to stand on. The window was small, but just large enough, and Ron indeed was not quite tall enough to see their black-robed quarry. Harry found an empty beer keg and brought it to Ron for him to stand on. "I can see her," hissed Ron, and Hermione then took this opportunity to slide in after him. Harry, after looking around to make sure no one saw them, then backed into the small excuse for an alley.
The alleyway was absolutely filthy. Dust from the street coated the ground, and the walls were wearing away. A few empty beer bottles were at the rear, and there was graffiti even on the walls in this godforsaken place. Hermione sneezed once, and the entire company froze; Ron's eyes nearly bulged from trying to see if Kentarre had heard anything, but she apparently hadn't. All three of them breathed a collective sigh of relief, each trying not to stir up any more dirt.
Just then, Ron called out, "She's getting up. It looks like she's going to the exit." Harry took this time to poke one eye around the corner to see if Kentarre would indeed come out of the front door. Suddenly, there came a very loud shout from inside, followed by a deafening crash. More shouts came, and another crash, like the sound of splintering wood. Ron reported, "There's a brawl! I can't see a thing! Harry, did she come out yet?" Harry had watched the door throughout this entire making of noise, and he had not seen anyone leave by way of the front door, so he told the others so.
Meanwhile, Hermione was caught in the middle of this, and she didn't like it at all. "What do you see?" she asked Ron frantically. Ron replied without taking his eyes off the window, "Well, there's this big fellow who's beating the you-know-what out of some other guy, and there's a whole lot of people shouting and yelling- wait a minute, there she is!"
"What!" cried Harry, "You see her?"
"Yes!" continued Ron. "She's walking over towards the door!" Harry poked his head once more around the corner just in time to see a figure robed in black exit through the front. Harry whispered, "She's out. Let's go!" With that, he popped out of the alley and started off after her. After he had gone a few feet, he turned around to find that Hermione had caught her robe on something, trapping herself and Ron inside. Harry hurried back to help them, but he couldn't seem to get Hermione's robe untangled. "Hurry!" hissed Hermione. "We're making a big fuss! If we're not careful, she'll hear us!" Ron said sardonically, "Who could hear anything above the mess in there?" Even so, Harry tried and tried again. Finally, he got her robe unhooked. Hermione almost fell out of the tight space, followed closely by Ron. Harry went out to search the street. "She's nowhere in sight," he groaned. "Now what do we do?"
Ron caught up with him. "I don't see her anywhere," he announced. "She couldn't have gotten that far, though. Maybe she went into one of these shops. Let's have a look around. I'll take this one up here, and Harry, you and Hermione take the other side of the street." Harry warned, "Try not to let her see you, if you find her. If we're caught, this entire investigation will go up in smoke." Hermione came up behind them. "Enough chitchat!" she snapped. "It's too cold. Let's hurry up and get this over with." She marched off towards the other side of the street. Harry and Ron exchanged a look before Harry went off after her, leaving Ron to shake his head and start looking.
* * *
Hermione finally found Kentarre in a run-down pawn shop farther down the street. Kentarre was talking to the clerk at the counter; they seemed to be having a friendly conversation, because every once in a while Kentarre would smile and the shopkeeper would chuckle. Kentarre, it seemed, had not purchased anything yet, and she looked to be taking her time. Harry called Ron over, and the three of them crouched near the bottom of the shop window. Harry hissed, "Can you hear anything they're saying?"
"Nothing," replied Hermione. Ron shook his head. Then Ron's face became thoughtful. "What?" whispered Harry. Ron put a finger to his lips and began to crawl towards the door of the pawn shop. Harry and Hermione exchanged a look, and then their attention was drawn back to Ron when the red-haired boy whispered, "I can hear them. I can hear what they're saying." Harry looked at him. Ron had his ear pressed to the space between the door and the ground outside. He continued, "Kentarre is telling him that she isn't going to stay in this part of town too long... she's explaining about the one-day Hogsmeade trip from Hogwarts. He laughed at her and asked her why she bothered when she could come anytime... she told him that she has some business left to wrap up before she heads back... he asked her what she was doing here in the first place, and she said she was looking for some essentials and that she was hoping he'd have what she's looking for. He's now being the shopkeeper. She asked him what he had in the way of black fingerless gloves, and he's leading her away... I can't hear any more. They went into the back of the store."
Harry, Hermione, and Ron shared a moment of silence, in which unspoken questions buzzed like flies. Each one of them was certainly as lost as the others, but no one could seem to make any guesses. Hermione then seemed to come to herself, and she said in a rush, "Well, we should get out of here. They could be back at any time, and we want to be well out of here when Kentarre walks back out through that door." Ron asked, "Why? What if she goes to another store?" Hermione replied, "She said that she'd meet us back at Madam Rosmerta's, and I want to go look at some of the other stores before we have to leave. We've all got better things to do than to hang around this place for who knows how long." Harry had no choice but to agree with her, so the three of them got up, brushed the snow and dirt off of each other, and headed back down the street at a rather nervous pace, not wanting to be seen by any of the other frequents of this part of Hogsmeade. Harry vaguely wondered aloud, "I wonder why we've never found this part of Hogsmeade before? I wonder how no one else has found it?" Ron shrugged, but Hermione said informantly, "Well, I don't see why anyone from Hogwarts would have any kind of business down here, but apparently Kentarre does. And another thing, if anyone found this part, there wouldn't be much to tell, would there?" Harry and Ron exchanged a glance. Each of them knew that if they had been the first to find this corner, they both would have plenty to tell.
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"It's really none of your business in the first place," Kentarre scolded Harry. Harry replied, "Well, what else were we supposed to do? I mean, you practically told us to follow along behind and see what you were up to! Or at least, that's what I got from it!" Ron nodded, but Hermione looked away. *How could we not have seen this?* Hermione asked herself. *She wanted us to follow her! We should have known. But... what did she want us to see? I'm fairly sure she didn't drag us along so we could see a fistfight in a bar, but... what else?*
Kentarre said, "Well, what's done is done. I guess I should have expected it. You didn't see much, did you?" Ron shook his head. "Not unless you count a bar brawl and you buying something from a pawn shop. By the way, what did you buy?"
Kentarre pulled her hands out of her pockets. On them were a pair of worn but still intact black fingerless thin leather gloves. Ron looked closer. They were good-looking gloves, considering the type that one normally finds in a pawn shop. Harry thought he saw a few drops of something red on them before Kentarre shoved her hands back in her pockets. Ron asked, "And what's in the bag?" Kentarre replied shortly, "A few of the essentials. It's just some things I thought I might need later." She made no move to bring up the bag, so Ron, Harry, and Hermione all exchanged a look, but none of them said any more.
Harry took a sip of his butterbeer. Kentarre had chosen the table that was the most secluded; it was located away from the central business area, and was tucked away in a corner that was almost hidden by one corner of the counter. Harry marveled that they hadn't found this table already, but then he told himself that if other customers hadn't noticed it, there was a perfectly good reason that they hadn't either.
Kentarre looked up from her tankard and locked eyes with Harry. After a few seconds she dropped her eyes to the table and said in an offhand way, "Hey, I'd kinda appreciate it if you didn't mention to any of the other students that I went to that part of Hogsmeade. Strictly speaking, students aren't supposed to be going in there, but I finagled Dumbledore into allowing me to get in. They don't sell these in any other store here." She held up one hand, indicating the glove that encased it. "Not to mention," she added with a smile, "that I know the shopkeeper of the shop I knew would have what I needed."
Harry considered this. He had really hoped that he could use this as one up on Malfoy, but he told himself that Kentarre could always tell Dumbledore that they had followed her. He said finally, "All right. We'll keep it under wraps." Ron's glance was one of mild shock, but he said nothing. Hermione looked quizzically at him, and he gave her a look in return that said 'later.'
Kentarre was not aware of the transfer that was going on. She was still staring at the table, lost in deep thought. *Tomorrow's Sunday... and I still don't know how I'm going to put this to him. Granted, he doesn't need a whole long explanation just yet, so all I have to tell him is what he needs to know to get him to help me. After Tuesday, if he has any questions, I'll answer them to a certain extent. If he asks.*
"Hey, Kentarre," said a familar drawling voice. Kentarre didn't look up from the table. "What do you want, Malfoy?" she grated back. She could sense him leaning in closer, but she still would not look at him. "I want to talk to you a minute. Now, outside." Kentarre replied waspishly, "Why should I?" She could almost feel the smirk spread across his face. "Because if you don't, I'll tell Dumbledore where you've been."
"Dumbledore already knows, twerp. What interests me is how you found out."
"I saw you go around the corner. I figured out from there where you were going."
"Very good. So the shell has a brain after all. I must congratulate you on that stroke of genius. Must have been a real strain."
Malfoy scowled at her. "I'll see you outside, then?" he murmured, and walked off towards the door, followed closely by his two oversized cronies. Kentarre made to get up. Harry asked, "Where are you going? You're not actually going to go talk to him, are you?" Kentarre shrugged. "The way I see it, if it was worth being humiliated, then it's worth hearing. He knew that I would tell him off, and he came up anyway. Stupid, but he must have a real cause for that." Harry spoke again. "You don't know Malfoy, Kentarre," he warned. "It's probably some kind of threat, or something awful." Kentarre said shortly, "Potter, don't you know by now that there's nothing that Malfoy can hold over me, and that I can take care of myself?" Without another word, she left the table and headed for the exit.
When she got outside, she walked up to Malfoy, who had turned around and seemed to be waiting for her. "Okay, what's so important that it couldn't be said in there?" she snapped, and folded her arms across her chest. Malfoy looked her coolly in the face. "Why are you hanging around Potter and his goons?" he asked her accusingly. Kentarre did the smallest of doubletakes. "Why should it bother you?" she replied coldly. His eyes narrowed. "Because you could have a friend like me. I offered it to you once, but you wouldn't take it. And now I'm offering it again. Just to be diplomatic." Kentarre cocked an eyebrow. "Oh, that's all, is is? Diplomacy? Give me a break. What's the real reason, Malfoy?"
Malfoy's jaw tensed, and his eyes flashed furiously. "Because you're not supposed to be with him, you're supposed to be with me!!" he exploded, keeping his voice to a low minimum. Kentarre almost laughed in his face. "And what makes you think I'm 'with' Potter, eh, Malfoy? And why am I supposed to be 'with' you?" Kentarre was doing it on purpose. She knew his real reason, but she wanted to make him say it. It was cruel and unusual punishment at its worst, but hey, it got him back for all the times he was nasty to her... well, she usually beat him in their battles of wits anyway, but this was still way more fun.
Malfoy said in reply, "Everyone says that you and Potter have a thing going on." Kentarre tsk-tsked at him. "Never assume anything that you haven't seen with your own eyes. Remember that, Malfoy, and say that again." Malfoy narrowed his eyes. "Let's just get to the point, shall we?" he suggested. Kentarre said, "But wait, Malfoy, you haven't answered my other question. Why am I supposed to be 'with' you?" Malfoy's pale cheeks, for the first time in Kentarre's sight, took on a very faint shade of rouge. "Because I want you to, that's why," he said bluntly. "There, I said it. What are you going to do now?" For a moment, Kentarre was very tempted to burst out laughing right in his pasty face, but she resisted it. *The poor kid's already been through enough just getting himself to come out and say it. I'll give him a break- just this once.* Kentarre inhaled sharply. "All right, Malfoy, I'll play along. But don't start getting any ideas, all right? This is just to surprise Potter." Malfoy's eyes glinted a kind of surprised relief. "You'll go steady with me?" he asked incredulously. Kentarre replied, "That's what I said, isn't it? But I have one question. What happened to that girl, Parkinson? Didn't you and she have a thing?" Malfoy's cheeks turned just a shade darker. "Well..." he began, but Kentarre held up a hand. "Say no more, Draco," she said, and walked back into the shop without looking back.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Okay then, why don't you start, since it was your idea in the first place?" Midnight on Sunday had come quicker than Harry or the others had expected, but for Kentarre, it had crept at a snail's pace. And unfortunately for her, she still had no idea how she was going to break this to him, but she told herself that she would just wing it from there. Now Harry was looking at her expectantly, waiting for her to begin.
"Well, Potter," she began, "I wanted to talk to you here and alone because I have some business that I need some help with. It's okay that those two are here, but the one that I really wanted to talk to about this was you." She paused to make sure that they were following her so far; Kentarre saw three pairs of expectant eyes that seemed like lamps. She continued, "This business is not what you might call business. It's more in the way of... a fight." Hermione said, "You're going to fight someone? Do you know how much trouble you could get in for that?" Kentarre held her hand up. "I'm not going to fight a student, Hermione. I have received a challenge from outside of the castle. However, it was not brought to me by the person I'm going to fight. It was brought to me by a creature that I cannot see.
"I have thought this over for a while, and I've realized that I cannot do this alone. I've wanted to know for a long time what this creature is and why I cannot see it. I have searched through every treatise, record, and information compilation, but there is no written evidence of any such creature existing. I have concluded that in order to see this creature, someone else must look for me. That is where you come in, Potter. While I am fighting my challenger, I want you to try to see this thing, whatever it is. Do you understand? Know that I cannot force you to do this; all I can do is ask."
Kentarre gave Harry an expectant stare, as if waiting for some kind of statement from him. Harry found himself gazing intently at the floor. "I... I don't know," he said slowly. Kentarre took a breath. "The fight is set for Tuesday night. It will take place on the roof of the South Tower."
"The roof of the South Tower?" Harry echoed. "And just how are you planning to get up there?" asked Hermione. Kentarre smirked. "Fly, of course. You remember that package that I bought from the pawn shop, right? Well, that was one of the essentials: a broom. I am not incorrect in assuming that you also have a broom, am I, Potter?" Harry shook his head, and Kentarre smiled slightly. "Well then," she said, "what do you say, Potter? I have to tell you that I cannot force you to do this for me, but if you do, I can promise that we won't get caught."
Harry looked up sharply. "How can you do that?" he asked suspiciously. Kentarre's smile stayed put, and her eyes looked mysterious as she said, "Just trust me on this one. We won't get caught." Harry looked doubtful, but not as doubtful as Hermione. Kentarre glanced at Hermione's face. The dirty blonde girl was looking at her with eyes that were most distrusting, and her mouth was set in a position that said I- don't-like-this-at-all and why-are-you-asking-Harry-to-do-this. Kentarre looked back to Harry to see what his reaction was. He was looking at Ron, who shrugged. Then Harry went back to staring off into space for a moment, and Kentarre leaned slightly back in her chair, waiting. After a pause, Harry said, "I don't know why, but all right." Hermione cried out, "Harry!", and Harry said in reply, "Maybe this will answer some of the questions we've been wanting answered. Besides, what harm can it do? She said we won't get caught. I'm not sure if I trust her or not, but I'm going to go." Kentarre bowed her head. "Thank you, Potter. I'm sure that your help will be needed, in one way or another."
Hermione opened her mouth to say something, but after a warning glance from Ron, she shut it. Harry looked at Ron, who looked as though he wasn't sure what to do. Harry looked back at Kentarre, who was eyeing him with an odd gleam in her eye. "Potter," she said after a spell, "there are some things I would like to tell you. These things are all true, and you will need to know them if you are to get through this year alive." All three of them perked up in their chairs, watching her intently. Ron started to ask, "What do you mean by that?" but Kentarre stopped him with a hand. "Please, let me finish. There are three things you should know. One, I'm not quite sure you fully understand who we're up against, so I'm going to give you a hint." Harry interrupted, "I thought you said you didn't know who you were going to fight."
Kentarre shook her head. "No, no. I'm not talking about Tuesday. I'm speaking of the fight that you engage in even now, that is going on outside of these walls even as we speak, that you have no knowledge of until now. Your fight against the one you call Voldemort goes on, Potter. This is but another stage. However, some other elements have come into play that you were not aware of before now. One of these elements is that something about Voldemort will be revealed to you very soon. I cannot tell you what it is at the moment, but you will know of it when you are ready to accept it." Kentarre noticed that Ron had winced just barely when she said the name 'Voldemort', but she did not bring it to the others' attention. Harry was looking at her with the tiniest bit of surprise. Hermione was looking interested and rather breathless, and she seemed to be on the edge of her seat. Kentarre tried not to smile and continued.
"Secondly, I will tell you something else about Voldemort. I have received word from outside of the castle that he is mobilized- and heading for Hogwarts." At this, Hermione gasped, Ron looked petrified, and Harry's face showed complete shock. "I thought he wasn't strong enough to attack the castle," breathed Harry. Kentarre declined her face a little. "I know, but somehow when he regained his powers, something else came to him, something that he had never been able to access before that is now within his grasp. I dare not speak its name here, for to do so would risk being overheard or worse, but I tell you now: expect the worst." She paused to give them time to gather themselves once more before she continued. "Thirdly," she began again, "there is something you should know about me." Once again, all three of their expressions changed to identical ones of captivated interest. Kentarre took a deep breath and went on. "I cannot say much, but you need to know this if I am to do this thing right. After all, I do have a duty to Dumbledore and a responsibility to you. I owe you this, Potter, for consenting to help me. I am not who you think I am at all. In fact, I don't think you can even fathom how much you don't know about me. But that is all I will say; my obligation has compelled me to say this much, and no more."