CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE: First Steps to Reconciliation
Hermione came to Harry during dinner the next day, telling him she had found the perfect place for them to practice in. They had been unable to talk for more than a minute when Ron sat down, and all conversation regarding 'tutoring' lessons stopped.
All plans for that night were postponed anyways when Lupin approached their table, something he very rarely did. "If the three of you aren't busy tonight, there's something I'd like to show you. Can you meet me in our classroom at eight o'clock?"
Harry and Hermione had no choice but to nod along with Ron. They would have to hold off their Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson for another night.
"What do you reckon Lupin wants to show us?" Ron asked on their way back to the common room.
"It's probably some more Dark Arts books he thinks we can use in our research," replied Hermione.
A few hours later they were heading back to their Dark Arts classroom, where Lupin was waiting for them. After a brief chorus of hellos, he lead them back out into the hallway.
Harry thought about asking where he was taking them, but knew Lupin would tell them when it became necessary.
Lupin came to a stop in front of one of Filch's broom cupboards. He opened the door and indicated for them to go inside. After checking the corridors to make sure no one was around, Lupin followed them inside.
Removing his wand from his robes, Lupin muttered, "lumos,"
He stood still for a moment, as if he were trying to remember something. Then, with a look of triumph, he grabbed one of the loose bricks out from behind the shelf of cleaning supplies, and tapped it with his wand twice before shoving it back in place.
Harry, Ron and Hermione stood and watched in amazement as the bricks on the near wall parted to form a doorway. Open-mouthed, they heeded to their professor's urging and followed him inside. The tunnel was completely dark, but before any of them could take out their wands, torches hanging on brackets overhead came to life, illuminating the path for them. After a short distance, they came to a door that Lupin pushed open.
The room they walked into appeared to be very similar to the Gryffindor common room. Squishy, comfortable-looking armchairs and sofas were neatly arranged in front of a roaring fire, and behind them was a long rectangular table, with three high backed wooden chairs.
"Welcome to the secret meeting place of Padfoot, Prongs, and Moony," announced Lupin, grinning at them.
It was brilliant in Harry's opinion, made even more so by the fact that it had been used by his father.
"It looks a lot like the common room," Hermione observed.
Lupin was still grinning, and his eyes were twinkling now as if he were remembering some fond memory. "It does, doesn't it? We never did figure out what it was used for originally. We used it to lounge around in, plan pranks, do homework – at least I used it for homework. As far as we knew, no one else at the time knew of its existence. And it won't show up on the Marauder's Map either."
Harry turned to his Professor. "Hang on, you said 'Padfoot, Prongs, and Moony', Wormtail doesn't know about this place?"
Lupin nodded. "This place was one of many secrets we didn't let him in on," he told Harry. "I talked it over with Sirius, and we both think you might benefit from using this room. You can bring whatever you need from Dumbledore's office here. You'll attract less attention this way."
Harry couldn't believe this room had been there all this time, and he had never known about it. He ran through a quick list in his mind of all the times it would have come in handy since he had first come to Hogwarts. He figured he was not the only one who was wondering if Lupin's decision to bring them had anything to do with the fact that he was hoping the room would help mend their friendships some more.
The following night Hermione brought Harry to the room she had discovered for them to practice in. It was on the fifth floor, down a deserted corridor. All the rooms in that wing Hermione had learned were only in use during NEWT examinations, so that students couldn't plant any cheating devices. There was nothing overly exciting about the room she had chosen. Its stone walls were a bleak gray and there weren't any windows. It felt rather confining to him.
Harry had secretly been hoping that after Professor Lupin's announcement that morning for any students who wanted extra Defense lessons to meet with him one night a week, that Hermione would want to join Lupin's group. Instead, she had seen it as a brilliant opportunity to would work with both him and Lupin.
It hadn't been as difficult as he had thought to get away from Gryffindor Tower slightly before curfew. Hermione was extra prone to snapping people's heads off these days, that Ron barely registered a reply when she told him she was going to the library to study. Harry had faked going to talk to Sirius using the fireplace in Dumbledore's office. He was going to have to talk to Hermione about coming up with better excuses, otherwise Ron was bound to become suspicious. He had brought the invisibility cloak along to sneak them both back into the common room unnoticed.
Harry soon learned that Hermione wanted to practice every defensive and attack method Lupin had taught them in class. He was somewhat relieved by that because he really didn't want to jump into Dementor's and Patronus' on their first lesson together. He decided to start off with some simple disarming charms – all of which Hermione had already mastered, before starting on some of the more difficult curses and counter curses Lupin had showed them to break through an enemy's shield. After a bit of prodding, Hermione performed the curses on him, but was unable to break through his defensive shield. It only took Harry three tries before he broke through hers. By that time he decided they should take a short break.
"You know, I still don't understand why you want me to work with you. You know all the spells and everything already," said Harry, opening a flask of water.
Opening her own flask, she said, "but all that knowledge didn't help me break through your barriers, did it?" She said with a note of irritation in her voice.
Harry chose not to comment further. Hermione was so smart at everything that it must have been killing her there was one subject she hadn't yet mastered – actually two, but Divination didn't really count.
"I really am happy for you and Ron," he said quietly. "I know I was a real jerk before when you told me, but Ron must really love you if he thinks you two can still be together when you go away."
"I didn't tell him," she said her voice even lower then his had been.
Harry gave her a hard look. "Hermione, you should have told him."
"I know that – and don't think I don't feel guilty every time I think about it."
"He'll understand."
"Are we talking about the same person?" She said, feeling a sudden surge of anger. "He won't understand, Harry. He'll think I want to leave him."
Harry acknowledged that Ron would likely be devastated by the news, but he didn't tell her that. After all, he was the one trying to convince her to tell him. "It's not fair to him, you keeping this huge secret."
"Harry, I've tried telling him, but it's so hard," she said, her voice faltering slightly.
"It's supposed to be hard," he tried telling her. He couldn't really offer up anything more than that. He only had limited relationship experience, and nothing on the scale of what Hermione and Ron had. Putting the water flask away he turned to her, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze before saying, "I think that if Ron really loves you, he won't ask you to give up what you've spent the better part of seven years working towards."
Harry made it all sound so simple but she knew Ron, and she knew his reaction would be anything but logical and rational. She was sure that Harry felt the same, but he was refraining from saying so.
"How did you know Ron was the one you wanted to be with?"
Hermione fought to keep a look of surprise from crossing her features. Harry rarely ever asked her anything so personal regarding her relationship with Ron. She could see by the way he was fidgeting and playing with the cap on the flask, that it had been an extremely difficult and uncomfortable thing for him to ask. She never asked what he and Ron talked about when she wasn't around, but this was a line they had never crossed in their friendship before. She had never really felt comfortable opening up to him about Ron, partially because she never wanted to put him in the middle like she and Ron often tended to do when they fought. She wondered if his curiousity had anything to do with Ginny, even if it didn't it was significant progress for Harry to open himself up about what he was feeling.
"It's not something I can really describe," she said finally.
Harry's face went even redder. "It's all right, I shouldn't have asked," he said hurriedly. "I'm sorry."
"No, Harry, it's fine," she said to him. "After everything Ron and I have shared, I just know that I would never want to be with anyone else." She knew by now she must be blushing horribly, but it was only Harry, and he had asked. "Does that make any sense?"
He nodded, but didn't meet her gaze. Hermione would have given anything at that moment to know what was going on in that head of his for once.
"You could ask him to go with you," Harry said after several seconds had passed.
She really wished he would let that go. The guilt building inside her was growing unbearable. "I can't," she told him. "I can't ask Ron to give up his life here – his friends and family, any more than he can ask me to give up pursuing my own path."
Harry seemed to accept that answer, but the reality that she had to tell Ron was weighing more heavily in her mind then ever before.
When they began sparring again, she thought about telling him she still wasn't sure if going to Switzerland was what she wanted. But it would have been a pointless attempt because he wasn't any more likely to believe it now then he had during the Christmas holidays. She wasn't so sure she would have believed herself either.
"I took the liberty of making schedules for the three of us to ensure we have enough time to do homework, study for N.E.W.T.S and continue with the research."
Hermione handed a piece of parchment to Ron and Harry, while the three of them were on their way to their Charms classroom. Normally, the halls would be crowded with students on the way to their next class, but more and more lately the halls seemed to be thinning out as parents pulled their children out.
Ron didn't even look the parchment before shoving it in his school bag. "Hermione, you don't need to make a schedule for everything."
She threw him an irritated look. "I don't make schedules for everything. I just want to make sure we don't forget anything."
"Maybe you should go see Madame Pomfrey about one of those stress relief potions," Harry suggested.
It was obviously the wrong thing to say because Hermione turned on him next. "Maybe I wouldn't be so stressed out if I didn't have to worry about making sure you two study enough and pass your N.E.W.T.S with decent marks. Excuse me for caring about your future," she huffed.
Harry wanted to ask Ron if she had been like this during the weeks when they had not been speaking, but thought better of it.
"Hey, Ginny!" Ron shouted to be heard above the crowd of students.
She was heading in the opposite direction but when Ron beckoned her over, she changed course.
"Listen, Harry, I've been thinking that we should tell Ginny about the room Lupin showed us," Hermione said in a hushed tone. "I think it's only fair because she was helping us before. But I wanted to check with you first."
"I've been thinking about it too," he admitted, keeping his voice low enough so it wouldn't carry. "I've been meaning to ask her but I haven't got around to it."
When Ginny had almost reached them, she touched his arm and whispered, "it's all right to still care, Harry."
He wanted to say that he didn't, but somehow didn't think his voice would sound all that convincing.
Ron pulled out a letter from his bag and handed it to his sister. "It's from mum. You'd already left when the post arrived."
The paper had barely touched her hand when Hermione was dragging Ron away, saying, "we should get going so we're not late for class."
"You coming, Harry?" Ron asked.
Harry opened his mouth but Hermione answered for him. "He'll be along in a minute."
"What was that all about?" Ginny asked watching her brother being hauled away by Hermione.
"Nothing," Harry answered a bit too quickly. "I think all the pressure is finally getting to her."
Ginny felt inclined to agree. She shoved the letter in her robe pocket and made as if to start walking again.
"Er, there's something I wanted to tell you," Harry said before she could take more than a step. "I know you have to get to class and I don't want to make you late, so I just need a second."
She couldn't remember the last time he had acted so nervous around her. That in itself made her curious enough to hang around to hear what he had to say. They had only spoken very little since she had joined the trio in their research, and even then the conversation seemed forced to her.
"Potter and the littlest Weasley are smoothing things over I see."
Harry tensed, but he didn't turn around. He didn't need this from Malfoy right now. He steered Ginny down the corridor, hoping to find a bit more private spot.
"Lupin showed me something that I wanted to –"
"I thought you had more self-respect then that, Potter," Malfoy taunted.
"Malfoy, I'm warning you, sod off!" Harry said through clenched teeth.
"Or maybe you just have a thing for sluts. First there was that Cho Chang, and now Weasley – "
Harry's fist connected with Malfoy's jaw the millisecond after the word 'Weasley' was out of his mouth. Malfoy stumbled back, and not waiting for him to regain his balance, Harry hit him again. This time he connected with the Slytherin's nose. Malfoy dropped to the floor, clutching his nose, which was gushing an enormous amount of blood. Harry refused to let up. He kept pounding Malfoy mercilessly, again and again in a sort of blind rage, until someone grabbed the scruff of his robes and threw him off.
Snape was grasping his robes, holding him back as he struggled to break free.
"I'm warning you, Potter," Snape said icily, taking his wand out of his robes. "You've already given me more than enough reason to use this."
McGonagall had appeared amidst the commotion and was bent over a barely conscious Draco Malfoy, who was moaning loudly.
"Severus, help me get him to the hospital wing," she said to him. Then she turned her steely gaze on Harry. "Potter, go to my office right now, and wait for me there!"
While Snape conjured up an invisible stretcher for Malfoy, Harry finally noticed the huge crowd that had formed. Everybody was staring at him and his blood covered knuckles. Even Ginny was staring at him, a mixture of horror and dismay on her face. Without offering up any explanations, he took off for McGonagall's office.
McGonagall didn't keep Harry waiting long. She stormed into the office, slamming the door shut behind her with such force everything in the room shook. She handed him a wet washcloth so he could clean his blood-crusted knuckles, but that was the extent of her kindness.
"Potter I do not have the words to express how much trouble you are in. Mr. Malfoy has suffered severe injuries as the result of your attack. Even if you were provoked – which I have no doubt you were – that does not give you the right to beat a student within an inch of his life, is that understood?"
Harry managed a weak nod. McGonagall's expression did not change. Harry's response seemed to neither satisfy her nor enrage her more.
"I'm afraid that I have no choice but to punish you severely," she continued. "The kind of behaviour you have demonstrated today is grounds for expulsion, Potter."
Harry gripped the arms of his chair so tight his knuckles were turning white. How could he have allowed himself to do something so completely and utterly stupid? How was he supposed to defend Hogwarts if he wasn't even allowed on its grounds?
"However, these are not normal circumstances," she continued. "I will not expel you this time, but Potter I'm warning you, if you pull a stunt like this again I wouldn't be able to protect you."
Despite the severity of her words, Harry suddenly found himself comparing her to Dumbledore. He would have done the same thing probably.
"For two weeks, you will not be allowed any contact with any of your fellow students. You will be given a private lesson with each of your professors whenever it is convenient for them. All meals will be brought to a room that well be made up specifically for you. You will not speak to anyone who is not a teacher during that time. Is that understood?"
It was funny that the first thought that came to mind was that Hermione was going to kill him. For two weeks he wouldn't be able to work with her – at least she still had Lupin.
"Potter, please remember what I said about staying in line," said McGonagall in a slightly softer tone. "Next time, you will be dealing with the new Headmaster. Unfortunately, I have no say in the school governor's voting on a new Headmaster, and there is a good chance that Lucious Malfoy will take Dumbledore's spot."
"Professor, you can't let that happen!" Harry blurted out. Lucious Malfoy was a Death Eater. All they needed was one of Voldemort's personal servants controlling the school.
"Potter, I have no more control over who becomes Headmaster, then from making the sun rise every morning. I, along with every other teacher in this school has lodged a formal protest, but that is all we can do, without risking our jobs. If we're fired then someone else on Lucious Malfoy's payroll we'll take our teaching positions – one of the few things we still have control over."
"Why can't you take Dumbledore's place?"
McGonagall scowled. "Lucious has succeeded in convincing the governors that I can not take on the roll of Headmaster and adequately continue to prepare my students for O.W.L.'s and N.E.W.T.s."
There was no way Harry was going to ever accept Malfoy's father as the next Headmaster. But given the position he was in at the moment, there was nothing he could do to stop it – except get himself in even deeper trouble.
McGonagall seemed finished with talking about Lucious Malfoy, for she said, "please pack up what you need from your dormitory, and meet me back here in one hour where I'll show you to your new room."
Harry left her office fully dreading the next two weeks. It wasn't so much because of his punishment – Malfoy had deserved every blow he had given him – but because the next time he walked in the Headmaster's office it wouldn't be Dumbledore's anymore.