CHAPTER 9 – THE EYE OF
THE TIGER
Hermione was at the
library, standing behind a closed book: "IDENTIFYING PREMONITORY GIFTS", that
she finally managed to find there. Something made her not wish even a bit to
open it… at this moment, something she was already expecting happened. Sheeba
entered the library and sat opposite to her at her table. "Hello, Hermione."
"Er… hi, Sheeba."
"I think, and it isn't
a foreboding, that you have a silly jealousy of me."
"Jealousy? No, I…"
"You don't know if you
like me or not, isn't it?"
"Actually, I like you,
but you disturb me… ever since you arrived here, you're doing your best to
touch the greater number of people and discover something about who cast that
spell at Harry…"
"Even though you think
it's strange, since whoever cast this spell won't let me touch him or her
without an identical Confusion Spell. And you are right. I didn't come here
just for this."
"Didn't you?"
"Nope. I've come here
to give you this," Sheeba took of her wrist a jewel, which had two huge yellow gems
with a black center, that resembled eyes, and those gems were joined by two
rows of thick silver chains. Sheeba separated those eyes and now she had in her
hands two identical bracelets. She put one of them her the top of her own
wrist, and put the other on Hermione's wrists (the eye was turned to the
inferior part of her forearm), "Look into the gem, Hermione."
Hermione looked at the
gem, fascinated… she saw herself, but from another angle… Sheeba was at the
first level, as if she could only see what the gem could reflect.
"Using this jewel,
Hermione, you'll always know where I am and what I am doing. When my reflection
isn't visible, it will be because I'm doing something that doesn't concern on
you, and I turned off my gem. To turn off your own gem, you just need to turn
it like this," Sheeba turned it to the mounting's right, "and then, I won't be
able to see you."
"Why are you giving me
this? Harry is your godson, shouldn't you give this jewel to him?"
"I could say that I'm
not giving it to him because he already has many things to worry about, what
isn't a lie. Or maybe, I'm doing this because I want to conquer your
friendship, what's true too… or that I'm giving this jewel to you because
you're a girl, and girls get mature before boys do… you aren't a little girl
anymore, are you? But actually, Hermione, I choose you to give this gem as I
received it from Viviane Lake when I was exactly your age because I know you
were the first one to realize Sirius wasn't guilty, as you looked at him, even
though you were struggling against what your sense was telling you. Do you
remember you were the first one to notice that Sybil Trelawney was a faker?…
when Harry got that Firebolt for his birthday, you knew it was from Sirius, and
you also saw in Lupin's eyes that he was hiding something, and you found out
what it was… people say you're clever… and you are. But you know there's
something else, don't you? When you look into one's eyes, you know, and you're
exactly in the age when this gift grow up…"
Hermione looked into
Sheeba's eyes and realized. Looking serious, she awaited for Sheeba to say what
she already knew, "Hermione, you're a Truth Sniffer."
Hermione glared at
Sheeba with big brown eyes. The worse thing was that, everything made so much
sense, it was not just intelligence. Hermione really knew she had the gift.
"Sheeba, what about
when I thought Professor Snape was trying to kill Harry?"
"Actually, you still
didn't know how to use this gift, but you knew Snape was trying to hide
something, didn't you?"
"I think I knew, but…
now I don't know what to do about it."
"Hermione, I'm at
Hogwarts to tell you what you'll do about this gift. I'll be your mentor."
"Are you going to
teach here?"
"Actually not. You're
going to have particular classes with me. Your gift isn't like mine. In a few
time, I believe it'll be totally developed, and then you'll be ready. For now,
I want to ask you something: open this book that is just in front of you.
Search for the chapter 'Seers by Categories', and then, go to 'Sniffers', letter
'G'".
Hermione shrieked.
'Granger, Hermione', her name, had just sprung up on the book.
"Since I'm going to
give you some lessons, I need to give you my home's key," said Sheeba, handing
Hermione an identical key as the one she had, "All the Saturdays, at half past
eight, whirl this key at the lock, and you'll be transported. Obviously, you
have to leave Hogwarts to do this, you've read 'Hogwarts, a history', and you
know you can't leave this school using an artifact such as this one. Ask Hagrid
to escort you out of the grounds, okay? I've already talked to him, and when
it's time for you to go back, he'll be waiting for you. We can start this
weekend. Now, let's get out of here. I need to meet Harry."
"Have you read
'Hogwarts, a history' too, Sheeba?"
"Yep, I have. Ron has
too, but he pretends he hasn't just to annoys you."
"I'd like to know why
does he do those things…"
"Are you sure you
don't know, Hermione?"
They went quickly
downstairs to meet Ron and Harry, who were going upstairs to the library.
"Harry, we need to
talk," Sheeba was serious now, as Sirius always was when he needed to say
something important, "Hermione and Ron, you may come too. Let's go to that
empty room there."
They entered a room at
the Great Hall's left side. Sheeba started telling them what she had just found
out, "Some students are under Confusion Spells, as one could have expected:
Crabbe, Goyle, Malfoy…"
"So Malfoy won't be
impotent at the age of thirty?," Ron looked disappointed, Sheeba laughed and
went on, "So are some people from the staff who I really didn't expect to do
it, did it: McGonagall, Sprout, Madam Pomfrey… and even Hagrid! I guess nobody
here really trusts on me…"
"What about Snape?"
asked Harry.
"He's also under the
spell. I honestly didn't expect it from him. I think he's going to London,
that's the only thing I could perceive…"
"So it was him the one
who was at the Pensieve!" Hermione pointed out.
"I don't know. I'll
tell my bosses that the investigation isn't accomplished. Meanwhile, stay here
and keep watching… just one more thing… Harry, where do you cut your hair?"
"Here at Hogwarts,
Madam Pomfrey does it. Why?"
"Do you know where
your hair goes after it's cut?"
"To the waste bin, I
guess."
"Ron, Hermione… have
you been cutting your hairs here?"
"Well, it's been more
than two months since I last cut my hair… it doesn't grow as Harry's does… what
about you, Hermione?"
"I want my hair
longer, so it's been a while since I last cut it. What's the matter with
haircuts, Sheeba?"
"That's what need to
be watched: to prepare a Confusion Spell, one needs a lock of hair, not just a
strand, like in a Polyjuice Potion."
"This makes Madam
Pomfrey our suspect number one," said Ron, "How's a Confusion Spell prepared,
Sheeba?"
"Do you remember when
I said it has some durability? The Spell basically consists in freezing a lock
of hair into a special potion. This ice isn't like normal ice; it takes much
longer to defrost, and depending on the size of the spell, it can take even ten
years, in atmosphere temperature. When the ice finishes melting, the Spell is
over."
"If it's like you're
saying, where's the Spell with my hair?"
"It can be anywhere,
but I believe it's here, Harry. I'm going home, anything you want, just ask
Hermione; she knows where to find me, okay?"
Harry and Ron looked
suspiciously at Hermione, who looked back in a new way.
When they bade
farewell to Sheeba at the Great Hall, she kissed the trio on the cheek, and, at
the very moment she was kissing Harry, Cho Chang passed before them, and Harry
noticed grimly that she was the only girl at Hogwarts who did not take notice
of Sheeba's presence.
"Take care, and don't
get into trouble!"
"You aren't the best
person to give this sort of advice, Sheeba," said Hermione without noticing.
Sheeba grinned and
turned on her heels to go, her cloak flitted behind her shadow. A group of
Slytherins afforded her passage the moment she passed past them.
"Well," said Harry, "I
guess Malfoy has already talked about her to his mates at Slytherin… let's wave
goodbye to my godmother's good popularity…"
"What a woman," said
Ron, just in time to be shoved by Hermione.
When Sheeba arrived at
the castle's gateway, she met Albus Dumbledore, who had just arrived from
London. Harry, Ron and Hermione watched from afar as he and Sheeba talked for a
couple of minutes, and then, as Sheeba ran hastily towards somewhere out of
Hogwarts.
To be continued…