Chapter # 12
September 8th, 9:30 A.M.
Hermione sat nervously wringing her hands in the headmasters' office. How did Snape know she was in the forest? There was no way to tell where one was at Hogwarts. Well, there was the map, but. Hermione let out a little gasp. The map! Oh, if someone got a hold of that thing, James would be caught, and she might even get in trouble for not telling anyone!
"Well, good morning, Ms. Granger." Hermione looked up at Dumbledore. He looked quite amused.
"Good morning, Professor Dumbledore." She stuttered. He smiled.
"I believe you have something to tell me?" Dumbledore was shuffling through papers while he asked her.
"No, sir. I don't." Hermione answered slowly. Dumbledore looked up.
"You seem very resentful to tell me what is going on, Hermione." He said quietly.
"It's something."
"Ms. Granger, it's perfectly understandable to want to keep some things secret. However, there are many things that should not be kept secret." The old headmaster replied. Hermione shrugged.
"It's something personal, Professor Dumbledore, and I don't want to talk about it." Hermione said as politely as possible. Dumbledore shook his head.
"You are smart enough to know that there are many ways in the wizarding world to get one to tell the truth." He said solemnly. Hermione stared at him in defiance.
"I'm not telling." She said simply. Dumbledore sighed in frustration. This was a lot harder than he thought. Not even Harry would keep such an important secret, if it was even very important. According to Severus, someone was in the forbidden forest. Maybe it was a death eater? Possibly. But Hermione wouldn't be seeing a death eater, would she? Easy answer. No way, Hermione had more brains than that!
"Are you seeing someone?" He asked finally. Hermione shook her head stubbornly.
"I'm not telling." She repeated. There were no tears in her eyes this time, though she did look slightly upset. At that moment Harry burst into the office, panting. Dumbledore and Hermione looked at him in surprise.
"Professor, I would appreciate it if you didn't meddle in the affairs of me and my. ern, girlfriend." Harry stated quickly. Hermione stared at him in shock. Dumbledore blinked in surprise.
"Your girlfriend?" He asked slowly.
"Yes. Me and Hermione have been going out since the start of the school year." Harry replied quickly. Dumbledore shook his head in amazement.
"Well, I'm very sorry, Harry. I didn't know you and Hermione were going out. You two may leave, but stay out of trouble, okay?" He replied quickly. Hermione nodded silently. Harry took Hermione by the hand and led her out of Dumbledores' office. Hermione glanced at Harry in surprise.
"Why did you do that?" She asked.
"To get you out of troubled. Look, breakfast is over, so we better get some food from the kitchens. I'm sure Dobby won't mind, considering the fact that I haven't seen him yet." Harry said thoughtfully, and the two walked towards the kitchens, Hermione feeling as though the whole world was against her. Without even realizing it, Harry had put another load of stress onto Hermiones' already sagging shoulders.
Dumbledore sighed when Hermione had left the office. Just then, Ginny Weasley burst into the office.
"Professor!" She sputtered. Ron raced right in after her and handed Dumbledore the Daily Prophet. It said,
GRAVEYARD TERRORIZED, ONE BODY MISSING!
In Godric Hollow cemetery, a whole section of the crypt has been blown into pieces by what is presumed to be a death eater attack. Ministry's' aurors say, "We have no clue who did it, but whoever did it meant to let the wizarding world know that they would go to any lengths to prove their point. A single body is missing, identified as James Malcolm Potter, the father of Harry Potter. It's strange though. Who in their right mind would take one single body and leave the rest of the graveyard untouched?" Friends of James Potter say they are utterly disgusted. Mad-eye-Moody quoted. "They just can't leave that family alone, can they? It makes me sick to think about what little Harrys' reaction will be when he finds out." Moody says it is plainly an act of terrorism.
Professor Dumbledore shook his head in disgust.
"What do you think Harry will say to that?" Ron asked. "Oh yeah, Professor, have you seen Hermione?" Dumbledore sighed in frustration. The two Weasleys backed up uncertainly. The last thing they wanted to do was to be around when Dumbledore blew it.
"Hermione was just here. I'm guessing she went to the kitchens. Even though that is out of bounds to all students." He replied quietly.
"Oh, have you seen Harry?" Ginny asked anxiously. Dumbledore nodded.
"Yes. Harry went with Hermione. Why?"
"Well, you see, me and Harry were down at the lake last night, you know, because we're going out, and he tripped and sprained his ankle. I was just wondering if he was okay. He said he was going to see Madam Pomfrey." Ginny said with a shrug.
"You're going out with Harry? That can't be right. Harry was with Hermione last night." Dumbledore said slowly. Ginny blinked.
"That's impossible! Harry and Ginny, they slept together last night!" Ron burst out suddenly. "I know because they were in Harrys' bed, and their moans were kinda audible. Everyone slept in the common room." He added with a snigger.
"Ron!" Ginny cried, kicking him in the ankle.
"It's the hard truth." Ron replied, shrugging. Dumbledore sighed.
"Yet another rule broken. But I guess that's why they're here, to be broken." He said with a smile.
"Who said Harry was with Hermione last night?" Ginny asked curiously.
"That's what Harry told me. Strange." Dumbledore answered slowly. Ginny sighed.
"See you later Ron. I've gotta go get that nasty boyfriend of mine. See what he's up to." She stated, walking out of the office. Ron sighed.
"I really pity Harry, having to put up with her. Then again, who's gonna put up with Harry?" He muttered. "See you Professor." With that he raced out the door. Dumbledore shook his head and picked up the paper. Something caught his eye in the picture of the blown up coffin of James Potter. Hoofprints. The kind made by a deer. It looked like some deer had climbed right out of the coffin and trotted away. The ministry wouldn't suspect anything, of course, but Dumbledore sure did. Deerprints. Strange. How very strange.
END OF CHAPTER
September 8th, 9:30 A.M.
Hermione sat nervously wringing her hands in the headmasters' office. How did Snape know she was in the forest? There was no way to tell where one was at Hogwarts. Well, there was the map, but. Hermione let out a little gasp. The map! Oh, if someone got a hold of that thing, James would be caught, and she might even get in trouble for not telling anyone!
"Well, good morning, Ms. Granger." Hermione looked up at Dumbledore. He looked quite amused.
"Good morning, Professor Dumbledore." She stuttered. He smiled.
"I believe you have something to tell me?" Dumbledore was shuffling through papers while he asked her.
"No, sir. I don't." Hermione answered slowly. Dumbledore looked up.
"You seem very resentful to tell me what is going on, Hermione." He said quietly.
"It's something."
"Ms. Granger, it's perfectly understandable to want to keep some things secret. However, there are many things that should not be kept secret." The old headmaster replied. Hermione shrugged.
"It's something personal, Professor Dumbledore, and I don't want to talk about it." Hermione said as politely as possible. Dumbledore shook his head.
"You are smart enough to know that there are many ways in the wizarding world to get one to tell the truth." He said solemnly. Hermione stared at him in defiance.
"I'm not telling." She said simply. Dumbledore sighed in frustration. This was a lot harder than he thought. Not even Harry would keep such an important secret, if it was even very important. According to Severus, someone was in the forbidden forest. Maybe it was a death eater? Possibly. But Hermione wouldn't be seeing a death eater, would she? Easy answer. No way, Hermione had more brains than that!
"Are you seeing someone?" He asked finally. Hermione shook her head stubbornly.
"I'm not telling." She repeated. There were no tears in her eyes this time, though she did look slightly upset. At that moment Harry burst into the office, panting. Dumbledore and Hermione looked at him in surprise.
"Professor, I would appreciate it if you didn't meddle in the affairs of me and my. ern, girlfriend." Harry stated quickly. Hermione stared at him in shock. Dumbledore blinked in surprise.
"Your girlfriend?" He asked slowly.
"Yes. Me and Hermione have been going out since the start of the school year." Harry replied quickly. Dumbledore shook his head in amazement.
"Well, I'm very sorry, Harry. I didn't know you and Hermione were going out. You two may leave, but stay out of trouble, okay?" He replied quickly. Hermione nodded silently. Harry took Hermione by the hand and led her out of Dumbledores' office. Hermione glanced at Harry in surprise.
"Why did you do that?" She asked.
"To get you out of troubled. Look, breakfast is over, so we better get some food from the kitchens. I'm sure Dobby won't mind, considering the fact that I haven't seen him yet." Harry said thoughtfully, and the two walked towards the kitchens, Hermione feeling as though the whole world was against her. Without even realizing it, Harry had put another load of stress onto Hermiones' already sagging shoulders.
Dumbledore sighed when Hermione had left the office. Just then, Ginny Weasley burst into the office.
"Professor!" She sputtered. Ron raced right in after her and handed Dumbledore the Daily Prophet. It said,
GRAVEYARD TERRORIZED, ONE BODY MISSING!
In Godric Hollow cemetery, a whole section of the crypt has been blown into pieces by what is presumed to be a death eater attack. Ministry's' aurors say, "We have no clue who did it, but whoever did it meant to let the wizarding world know that they would go to any lengths to prove their point. A single body is missing, identified as James Malcolm Potter, the father of Harry Potter. It's strange though. Who in their right mind would take one single body and leave the rest of the graveyard untouched?" Friends of James Potter say they are utterly disgusted. Mad-eye-Moody quoted. "They just can't leave that family alone, can they? It makes me sick to think about what little Harrys' reaction will be when he finds out." Moody says it is plainly an act of terrorism.
Professor Dumbledore shook his head in disgust.
"What do you think Harry will say to that?" Ron asked. "Oh yeah, Professor, have you seen Hermione?" Dumbledore sighed in frustration. The two Weasleys backed up uncertainly. The last thing they wanted to do was to be around when Dumbledore blew it.
"Hermione was just here. I'm guessing she went to the kitchens. Even though that is out of bounds to all students." He replied quietly.
"Oh, have you seen Harry?" Ginny asked anxiously. Dumbledore nodded.
"Yes. Harry went with Hermione. Why?"
"Well, you see, me and Harry were down at the lake last night, you know, because we're going out, and he tripped and sprained his ankle. I was just wondering if he was okay. He said he was going to see Madam Pomfrey." Ginny said with a shrug.
"You're going out with Harry? That can't be right. Harry was with Hermione last night." Dumbledore said slowly. Ginny blinked.
"That's impossible! Harry and Ginny, they slept together last night!" Ron burst out suddenly. "I know because they were in Harrys' bed, and their moans were kinda audible. Everyone slept in the common room." He added with a snigger.
"Ron!" Ginny cried, kicking him in the ankle.
"It's the hard truth." Ron replied, shrugging. Dumbledore sighed.
"Yet another rule broken. But I guess that's why they're here, to be broken." He said with a smile.
"Who said Harry was with Hermione last night?" Ginny asked curiously.
"That's what Harry told me. Strange." Dumbledore answered slowly. Ginny sighed.
"See you later Ron. I've gotta go get that nasty boyfriend of mine. See what he's up to." She stated, walking out of the office. Ron sighed.
"I really pity Harry, having to put up with her. Then again, who's gonna put up with Harry?" He muttered. "See you Professor." With that he raced out the door. Dumbledore shook his head and picked up the paper. Something caught his eye in the picture of the blown up coffin of James Potter. Hoofprints. The kind made by a deer. It looked like some deer had climbed right out of the coffin and trotted away. The ministry wouldn't suspect anything, of course, but Dumbledore sure did. Deerprints. Strange. How very strange.
END OF CHAPTER
