Chapter 23: Sidelining a Friend
Thanks for all the reviews.
Hphphp
The next day, Hermione came. She arrived around noon. Sirius had to go and pick her up and give her the secret. She was impressed with the Fidelius Charm and asked a million questions. Sirius just laughed and told her he didn't cast it and didn't have the answers. However, he had a book she could read. For which she was grateful.
Harry met her at the door, and he was very glad his friend was there. "Hermione, I'm glad you're here," he told her with a hug.
"I'm glad to be here," she said, returning the hug. They let go and started walking up the stairs. "With my parents going to conferences, it would have been boring for me. I did that once and wasn't allowed to leave the hotel rooms. So, I'm glad you invited me to stay here," she stated, following him to the next floor.
"You'll be sleeping here," Harry said, when he showed her a room on the first floor. It was a nice room done up in green and blue. There was a bed, a chair, a desk, some books on a shelf, and a wardrobe.
"Why here? I thought I was sleeping on the fourth floor," she asked, looking around the room and finding no fault with it. She put her bag on the bed and sat on it, testing the softness. It was quite firm, just like she liked it. She was glad the room wasn't overly girly. She preferred neutral tones.
"That was when the Weasleys were going to stay. They moved out after the first day. Sirius says the fourth floor is for family," Harry said, not telling the full truth. He would leave that to Sirius. Or maybe they would just leave Hermione out of the group altogether. It wasn't something she needed to know about anyway. It wasn't like they were going to tell any of Harry's other friends.
"Oh," she said, sounding disappointed, but resigned. "Can I still read from the library?" she asked instead.
"If you ask, I'm sure Sirius will let the house elves get you whatever book you want," the teenage boy said, wary of her reaction to that comment.
"There are house elves here?" she asked, her tone dangerously low. She knew Harry knew how she felt about the plight of the elves. She had started S.P.E.W last year after all. He had heard her rants and even agreed with her.
"Yes, but," he said, holding out his hand to stop her tirade. Then he decided to cut out the middleman. "Dobby," he called.
The little elf popped in; this time dressed in a green and yellow polka dotted jumpsuit with bright pink trainers on his feet.
"Harry Potter is calling Dobby?" he asked, then noted Hermione. "And Harry Potter's Hermy is here," he said with glee. Even if the other elves didn't like Harry Potter's Hermy, Dobby thought her heart was in the right place.
"Can you tell Hermione why you needed me to bond with you and what is happening to Winky," Harry requested in a gentle tone. He knew that Dobby would tell it straight.
"Oh, you is being one of those peoples," Dobby said with a sage nod. He already knew that, but he felt the need to let her know that she was not the first to try and free the house elves.
"What do you mean one of those people?" Hermione asked, affronted. She had never been called out for being prejudice in any way before. She thought herself above such pettiness.
"One of those that thinks theys be being helpful, when theys is not," Dobby said, still nodding wisely. "Yous see, Dobby is being needing to be bonded to live," he stated in a no-nonsense manner.
"Tell her about Winky," Harry suggested, knowing that would have more of an impact.
"Winky is being dying without being bonded," Dobby said, looking from Hermione to Harry, "and Harry Potter is being hoping that his Hermy is being a kind enough person to be bonding to her and saving her life. If she is not, then Harry Potter wills." He nodded his head and shot Harry a proud smile.
"Dying?" Hermione said in a small voice.
"Yes, Miss Hermy, she wills not last the summer," Dobby said, sadness laced his tone. There were tears in his eyes.
"Why? Why would she be dying?" the teen asked as tears formed in her eyes as well. This can't be correct. Nothing she read indicated that the bond was necessary. Only that it was done at birth, and that all elves were required to have one. That was the word used 'required'. It made it sound like an order, not a necessity.
"Elves needs bonds to live, and she is not being finding a family. She was let go and disgraced. No one is being wanting a disgraced elf," Dobby explained, not touching on the fact that Winky was also drinking butterbeer and no one wanted a drunk elf either.
"Can you rescue her?" was Hermione's next question. Even as she asked it, she knew the answer from the looks on Harry's and Dobby's faces.
"Only a witch or wizard can," the elf answered, looking at Harry like he would do the right thing.
"If Hermione says no, I will bond with her today," Harry said, making it a promise. He really didn't need another elf. He had Dobby, and he had little enough for him to do.
"Thank you, Harry Potter, sir," Dobby said, beaming at him. He was happy that his master would take care of his friend. She would be happy to serve the Great Harry Potter. Though he really wished that Harry Potter's Hermy would.
"Harry," Hermione said, aghast. Even with what she just heard; it was hard to break the conditioning that she had given herself over the last year. Perhaps, she had been brainwashing herself.
"Didn't you hear what he said? She's dying. Of course, I will save her life," he said sharply. He only spoke so abruptly because Hermione needed to be rebuked into thinking. Sometimes she got caught up in her own thoughts that she didn't see what was before her. That was one of the reasons he was going to talk to Sirius about leaving her out of the whole 'war' thing. That and the teenagers didn't need to be in the 'fight'. That was better left to the adults.
"There has to be a better way," the bushy-haired girl said, looking around the room like an answer would appear. It didn't. There was no fairy godmother to come and make it right, for all they lived in the magical world. Even she knew that the waving of the wand didn't solve all of their problems.
"I will do the right thing, whether you like it or not," Harry said, adamantly. "Dobby, go get Winky." Perhaps seeing the harsh reality of the situation would snap her out of it.
Dobby popped away and was back within seconds with a very drunk and sick Winky. She was weak and couldn't stand. She sat on the floor swaying in a small circle. She was wearing a very stained, once yellow, sundress. Her skin was pale and uncared for. She was a complete mess.
"Oh, Winky," Hermione said, falling to her knees. She put her arm around the elf that sat swaying on the floor. The elf looked at the girl calling her name.
"I know yous," she said, squinting her eyes. "Yous was there when Master Crouch fired Winky," she slurred, swaying a bit more. Then her eyes rolled in the back of her head, and she fell back on the floor giggling.
"What is wrong with her?" Hermione asked, taken aback by the elf's reaction. She removed her arm and let the elf lay there laughing.
"She's very sick and very, very drunk," Harry said, not one to hold back. He had only seen Winky once, a week ago. She was very much the same then as she was today. It was why he wanted to wait. It was a reality check to get Hermione to see that she was not always right.
"Drunk? I didn't know elves could get drunk," she said, staring at the female elf with new eyes.
"They cans if they is being drinking butterbeer," Dobby informed her, looking at Winky with pity and hope. It was a strange combination of emotions to be displayed on one face.
"It's one of the reasons she's fading faster than most elves," Harry said, also staring at the drunk elf. His face was blank though. "Anyway, there's not much we can do accept bond with her. It's up to you who does it. I was hoping it would be you, but she will be bonded in the next five minutes." He folded his arms in a manner that said he wasn't going to budge.
"I don't like being pressured," Hermione said, getting up and folding her arms in a similar manner. She was wavering though. She didn't like to see any sentient being in such a state. And the fact that Winky was dying was tugging at her heart strings.
"It's not my life on the line," Harry said, being stubborn about it.
"Please, Miss Hermy," Dobby said, looking at her with puppy dog eyes which were emphasized with his larger eyes. "Winky will die," he added, tears forming again. While he liked Winky, there was something about being Harry Potter's only elf that he liked more. He would be happy and proud to have Winky as part of the family, but there was just something about being the only elf.
Hermione looked at the weak giggling elf again and then folded. She asked, "How do I bond with her?" She wasn't sure what she was going to do with an elf, but she was going to treat her right.
"You has to ask her if she is wanting to bes your elf," Dobby instructed, kindly.
Hermione walked over and sat the female elf up and looked into those bloodshot eyes and when they focused on her, she asked, "Winky, do you want to be my elf?"
Winky blinked, and then grinned, grabbed Hermione's hand clumsily. "I accept," she said, and then passed out. There was a smile on her face that didn't look like a drunken one.
"She will be fine," Dobby assured the panicked Hermione. "She is being needing to rest now," he added, patting the teen's hand. He could feel the magic starting to heal his friend.
Hermione picked Winky up and put her on the bed and then glared at Harry. "I blame you," she hissed. She wasn't sure if she was angry or not. However, she wasn't going to let Harry off the hook just yet.
"You'll do fine," Harry said with a small smirk as if he knew what she was thinking. "Winky will live now, and you will have a friend for life." He nodded to Dobby who took his cue and left. "Come on, lunch is ready and Winky needs to rest," he said, taking her arm and leading her to the kitchen.
"Don't think this talk is over, mister," his friend groused as they made their way to lunch. She decided that she wasn't mad that he made her bond with Winky, so much as she was mad that he had to force her to see that she was wrong. She hated being wrong.
"It never crossed my mind," he said, smiling the whole while. When they got to the kitchen, Harry called Sirius over after he escorted Hermione to the table. They went to the hall and put up a privacy ward. "How about we just don't tell Hermione anything? We're not going to tell any of my other friends. And, frankly, I don't want to have the argument."
He had been thinking about it for a while, and while Remus came to his epiphany, Hermione hadn't questioned the headmaster like Lupin had. It would be an uphill battle the whole time. A complete waste of time, for something that wasn't really needed.
"That's not a bad idea," Sirius said, liking the idea of keeping the kids out of the 'fight'. He'd keep Harry out if he could. "What are you going to tell her when you have to meet Tom?" he asked, looking down the hall to make sure they weren't going to be interrupted.
"That I have to go and meet someone. She doesn't have to know who it is," Harry said with a shrug.
"I hope that works for you. We still need to get her to St. Mungo's," he said, dropping the ward.
"We can go tomorrow," Harry said, following him back to the kitchen.
"Go where?" Remus asked from his place at the left of the head of the table.
"Taking Hermione to the hospital," Sirius said, looking at the witch in question.
"Yes, please. I want to add my name to those students that have been potioned. I hope they find out who did it soon," she said, dishing up some of the cottage pie. It smelled divine.
"I'm sure you still have some trace, but there is a likelihood that it has been too long," Remus pointed out. He received a shake of the head from Sirius, so he knew to keep the talks neutral.
"Truly? Drat," Hermione said, digging into her meal. She wondered who was the one potioning the students. She had thought it was just her. The girl Luna had made it sound like it had been just her and Harry. Then again, what did some third-year girl they had never met know?
Hphphp
Meanwhile, Voldemort was having a meeting of a different kind. He was surrounded by his Death Eaters and Greyback and his supporters. The receiving room was full of bloodthirsty people who were revving up to attack something. Having the werewolves among them, seemed to rile up the Death Eaters more. There was a lot of loud conversations going on about how they were finally going to get to go out and kill things.
"Silence," Tom said, his voice never raising. Those in front fell silent first, and then the rest of the crowd soon followed. "You all seem to be under the impression that you are in control of when and where we do raids. You are wrong. I am still in control of this group. Unless there are some among you that think you can best me in a duel. Are there?" he asked, looking around at the people before him.
He looked powerful sitting in his 'throne', like the kings of old. Though, he didn't have a crown, he just sat exuding power. There wasn't a person in that room that thought they could best him. There were around twenty-five men and women, and none of them took up his challenge. Though Greyback growled at him.
"I thought not," Tom purred, he got up from his 'throne' and wandered to the far side of the room. He picked up a glass of firewhiskey from the sidebar and sipped it. He then turned back to his followers, who had followed his movements with their heads. "In one week's time, we raze Azkaban," he said, his voice still soft.
That got the crowd to cheering. They were clapping each other on their backs, like they had already won the fight.
"Not all of you will be participating," Tom said, going back to his chair, but not sitting. He put his arm over the top of the chair and posed regally. "Those of you that have a high position in the ministry will have to bow out of this fight," he ordered.
"But, my lord," Yaxley said, wanting to kill things. "I will be useful there. I know how to subdue the dementors."
"Perhaps," Voldemort conceded with a wave of his hand. Yaxley was one of his most bloodthirsty men. That and he would be too busy planning to notice that Tom was talking to anyone. Not that Tom wanted to be seen at the ministry too often, but he needed to make sure the minister was behaving. "Very well, you may attend. The rest of you may as well," he said, thinking that he might not need them at the ministry. He would tell Bones that the attacking force was twenty-five strong. She could plan accordingly.
"What is the plan?" Greyback asked, ready and raring to get going. He wasn't much for planning, but something this big needed to be planned.
"We need to rescue my loyal ones. They will have felt their dark marks fade and will have thought that I have forsaken them. I have not, but there was a reason for me making their marks fade, which I will not tell you. That being said, they will be desperate to leave. Go to them and ensure that they are capable of being freed. If their minds have snapped, then put them out of their misery. This is my command," the Dark Lord stated, in full dark lord mode. His aura filled the room and everyone, bar Greyback, dropped to their knees.
"Yes, my lord," they all intoned, happy to finally be doing something. It had been weeks since the master had been back and they had all been waiting for him to order them to do something, anything.
"Until then, go home and train. I will expect you back here in one week's time to free our brethren. Go!" he ordered. And they all left, laughing, and talking as if they had just come from a party.
Greyback stayed behind. "Why do I smell my cub?" he asked with a growl. His fists were clenched.
"I held him prisoner to help him find his inner wolf," Tom said, telling a variant of the truth.
"Did it work?" the alpha asked, releasing his fists. He flexed the tension from his hands. It was something he wanted for Lupin after all.
"Yes. He is no longer Dumbledore's lapdog," Voldemort said, leaving out that he was no one's lapdog. Harry had written him a thank you letter to express how impressed he was over the new and improved Remus Lupin.
"Then for that, you have my thanks," Greyback growled out, then he turned and ran out of the house.
"Well," was all Tom said, not sure what to make of that. He snapped his fingers and Topsy appeared. "Tell Narcissa to call Snape for me," he ordered the elf in a kind-ish tone.
"Yes, Darky Lord, sir," Topsy said, popping away.
Tom just waited, going over what he was going to tell Snape to tell Black. Who in turn would tell Bones. Maybe he should write a letter. That way nothing got lost in the translation. With that thought, he went to the only desk in the room and searched for ink, quill, and parchment.
Snape came when he was halfway through with his missive.
"You have need of me, my lord," Severus said, not sitting until invited. He just waited until the man had picked up his quill.
"Sit, Severus. I will be done in a moment," he said, scribbling away. It wasn't an overly long letter. He was just putting a lot of thought into what to write.
"Yes, my lord," Snape said, taking a seat in his usual place. There was no tea, so he just sat.
Soon enough, Tom was done. He powdered the letter and blew off the loose powder. He waved it about for a few seconds and then folded it. He sealed it with his ring and some melted wax. He then went to the chair he usually occupied when talking to Snape.
"Take this letter to Sirius tonight and make sure he knows it must get to Bones by no later than tomorrow morning," he said, handing the missive to his spy. "The raid will be in a week. You will have nothing to do with it," he stated, effectively sidelining the man.
"Yes, my lord," Snape said, taking the parchment and tucking it in his robes. There was a pocket inside that was there for just such missives. He was glad to be left out of the raid. He didn't want to fight in this 'war'. He would leave that up to the two 'lords'. Let them duke it out. "Did you want me to let Dumbledore know about the raid?" he asked, looking at Tom.
"Yes, tell him about it. I am curious to see what he'll do," Tom said, then remembered that Snape didn't have the mark. "Just tell him you heard a rumor from one of your old friends," he added, thinking that over a moment.
"Yes, my lord," Snape said, thinking that was a good idea.
"Tell me of the Order meeting," the Dark Lord instructed. He wanted to be kept abreast on what was going on around Harry. And the meetings would let him know what the people around the boy were doing.
So, Snape told him of what had been said before, during and after. It had been an eye-opening meeting. He didn't leave anything out. Not even the expressions of those that were talking afterwards.
"Did you see Harry?" Tom asked, hoping for some news on the teen.
"No, my lord, he was sequestered in his room, and was asleep when I left," the potions master said, not the least upset that he hadn't seen the boy. For all he had come to accept that he was not the spoiled brat he had thought he was, Snape still didn't like children.
"Pity. Speaking of the headmaster, have you heard from Albus?" Tom asked, changing the subject to a prior one, getting up and going to the sidebar, pouring some firewhiskey for both of them.
"No, now that I think about it, he has not bothered me this day," Severus said, his brow furrowed in worry. He didn't like it when things changed without warning. Well, it was still early, he might still get in contact before the day was over.
"Hmmm, look into that, would you? Ask the other teachers if they have heard from him," Tom said, handing him a glass. It was only early in the afternoon, but one small glass would not hurt them. "We need to keep tabs on him," he added, not liking that Dumbledore had done a disappearing act. Well, it was only a day, but after what he had heard about the meeting, Albus might be reacting uncharacteristically. It didn't bode well for them if they could not predict how the headmaster would react.
"Yes, my lord," Snape said, drinking his firewhiskey in one shot. He then breathed fire in a belch. "Pardon me," he said with little remorse. It was the meaning of drinking firewhiskey in such a manner.
"Nice fire," was all Tom said, sipping his firewhiskey. He never liked to breathe fire. "Be on your way then," he said, shooing the potions master to do his task.
"Yes, my lord," Snape said as he rose from his chair and leaving with a nod of respect to his lord. He had a mission to fulfill and potions to get back to.
This left Tom to his thoughts. He would write to Harry about what was going on. Even if the teen wasn't going to be participating in the raid, he liked to be kept in the loop. That and he could tell his godfather anything that Snape might forget. It would be better coming from two fronts.