"Harry, what does this mean?" asked Hermione.
"It means that I am not going back to Hogwarts if Dumbledore's there," said Harry in a slightly disbelieving tone.
How could this happen? Why would Dumbledore be out to kill me? This can't be real. I'm going to have Hermione hit me and I'm going to wake up in my room at Privet Drive and it's going to be the beginning of the summer holidays.
"Hermione," said Harry," Hit me. Hit me hard."
Hermione just stared in wonderment for a moment and then said,
"No, Harry. Maybe we're not looking at this the right way. Maybe we're missing something. I can guarantee that this isn't a dream, too."
"How?" asked Harry.
"With this."
Hermione then kissed Harry before he could stop her.
"OK," said Harry, "So I'm not dreaming. But why would that be of any comfort to me?" He had said the last bit with a little bit more ice than he had wanted to. Hermione didn't seem to notice this and continued to say,
"Because maybe we're wrong. Look at the letters. Yes, the handwriting is close now that I look at it, but it isn't exact."
Harry looked at them again and saw that Hermione had a pretty fair point. One of them (the killer's) was much more jagged than the other one. Dumbledore's handwriting was smoother and loopier. Harry also had to admit that at first glance they did look exactly the same. They were a little bit different, but he was still a little bit uneasy...
Then something clicked in Harry's mind-the prophecy! According to that no one except for Voldemort personally could end his life. Harry hoped that the prophecy was true. It must because at least three-quarters of it had become real already; the marking of his equal, the parents escaping, and the birth at the exact time stated. Harry realized that the only way to subdue Hermione's worrying about him he had to tell her about the prophecy.
"Hermione, there's something I need to tell you...something I haven't told anyone else."
Harry then continued, without interruption, to explain what had happened the night in the Department of Mysteries after Hermione had passed out and didn't stop until he had told her in full what had happened all the way up to when he had left Dumbledore's office that night. Hermione gasped after hearing what had been foretold in the prophecy about the fact that Voldemort or Harry would either kill, or be killed by, the other.
"Harry, why didn't you tell anyone?" asked Hermione with a look of true terror in her eyes.
"I don't know...it's just that I didn't feel like sharing it with anyone. I would have told Sirius, but it seems that the only reason that I know about it is because he died. I sometimes feel like I killed Sirius. No! Don't interrupt yet. I have good reason to believe this," Harry then took a long breath and continued, "Back in our third year when we were in the Shrieking Shack with Pettigrew between our fingers, I could have had him killed. But I didn't. Instead I resorted to my useless "saving-people- thing" and let him slip through our grasp and help Voldemort back to power. If I had stopped that from happening then Voldemort couldn't have pretended to have Sirius hostage and I wouldn't have gone stupidly to save him when he wasn't there." Harry stopped talking and looked down at his feet. He didn't know what else to say.
Hermione just stared for a moment before saying, "Harry...I didn't know that you felt that way. You know that it wasn't your fault; you were only doing the right thing; the thing that your parents would have wanted you to do."
Harry just broke down right there. For a moment he considered going as far as telling Hermione about what he had seen in the pensieve concerning Snape in his childhood. Hermione didn't even know about the pensieve. Harry thought better about contradicting her statement by saying how cruel his father had been just out of sheer boredom. How he would probably have killed Pettigrew on the spot and thought it all a laughing matter in a couple of months. Instead Harry simply replied,
"You're probably right."
"Look Harry," said Hermione in a calming voice," About Dumbledore. If that prophecy is true, then it sounds as though you shouldn't worry too much. We should still be cautious around him, though. If he has intentions to kill you then the prophecy may have all been a hoax. But that doesn't seem likely because even Voldemort knew about the prophecy. When we get to Hogwarts step with care. If this killer even is Dumbledore then we still have time before he acts, according to the letter."
"But what happens when time runs out, Hermione, what happens then?" asked Harry in a slightly annoyed tone because she seemed to be taking all of this news lightly. She didn't really seem to care that much that the one she loved was threatened to be killed.
"Well, Harry, after looking this over, it doesn't seem likely that Dumbledore is after you at all. There are lots of people with the same handwriting. Dumbledore happens to write with a loopy handwriting that is easily copied and is commonly used. Maybe someone is impersonating Dumbledore."
"But who else has been watching me for years except for Dumbledore or Voldemort, and we know it's not Voldemort."
"Harry, if this person is pulling a hoax they may not be being entirely truthful with you about things. Let's face it, how many people would tell you that they're going to kill you, Harry?"
This made Harry remember something," Hermione, in the letter this person says that they tell all of their victims that he's going to kill them. That means that this person is experienced at killing."
"And how many people has Dumbledore killed that we know of...and who's the last one he warned before killing?" perplexed Hermione.
"That's the point, Hermione. We don't know who and how Dumbledore has killed.
"Harry, listen to yourself! You're talking insanity! Why would Dumbledore kill anyone? Just look on the back of his chocolate frog card to see that he's a good guy!"
At this Hermione pulled out a Dumbledore chocolate frog card from her pocket. They had stopped by a sweet shop while in Diagon Alley. Harry took it and read, as he had almost five years ago,
Currently Headmaster of Hogwarts
Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times,
Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the
dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the
twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy
with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore
enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling."
"OK, I guess that I was overreacting to this whole thing," said Harry. "He can't be a bad guy if he's done so much good already. I can't believe that that the poor guy has had to deal with two major dark wizards in one century, though, huh?"
Hermione looked lost in thought (as she did often), but came back to her senses to say, "Yeah...I can't believe his luck."
The issue of Harry's murderer pretty much died down over the next few days. Harry came to the conclusion that it was a very bad joke that could have been played by Malfoy or any other sick wizard that might have been angry with Harry for "Bringing Back Voldemort", as Harry had seen on one of the headlines of a wizard tabloid that was along the same lines as the Quiddler. Apparently some crazed people thought that Harry had brought back Voldemort to sustain his position of fame a bit longer. This was, of course, a small number after what had happened in June, but there were still some crazies out there.
It was the morning of departure and Harry and Hermione were already packed and ready for the train when her parents woke up. They were OK with Harry and Hermione going out because they were both practically sixteen (or at least Harry was and Hermione was very close). They felt that they were old enough to date.
It was a rather cramped car ride with the two trunks in the trunk and Hedwig and Crookshanks between Harry and Hermione in the backseat. There was little talk between them all as they were all very tired. When they finally got to King's Cross station they practically burst from the car. They all got out, Harry and Hermione grabbed their things (Harry got the trunks and Hermione got the pets). They all walked up to the space between platforms nine and ten. They had to say their goodbyes to Mr. and Mrs. Granger before they went through the wall because they, being Muggles, were obviously incapable of following them. Hermione hugged both of her parents before Mr. Granger said to Harry,
"You will be good to my daughter, you hear?"
"Yes sir," said Harry smiling.
"Good. Now, off you two. You don't want to miss the train!" cried Mrs. Granger.
"Thanks again for having me this summer," said Harry in all sincerity.
"Oh, you're welcome. Now go."
The two did as they were told and slipped as inconspicuously through the barrier as they could without drawing too much attention to themselves. Once on the other side they were met by the familiar bustle of the crowd of people on the departing platform. Harry almost immediately spotted Mrs. Weasley among everyone with her great, red hair. They went up to her and,
"Oh, Harry! Hermione! How have you been?" she cried once she saw them.
"We're fine. How was your summer Mrs. Weasley?" asked Harry.
"It was fine dear, just fine," said Mrs. Weasley. Then she pulled them both into a huge hug. She said to them both so that no one else could hear her," I want you two to stay out of trouble, OK?"
"Yes Mrs. Weasley."
"Uh-huh."
"Now go, you two. Ron and Ginny are already on the train. Hurry, they're getting ready to blow the last whistle!"
"Bye!" said Hermione and Harry together in unison.
"Yes dears. I may see you over the Christmas holidays. Go!"
They listened and made their way towards the train. Harry was about to make it when he was stopped from behind. He turned around to find himself face-to-face with Remus Lupin and Mad-eye Moody.
"Almost thought we'd lost you, there, Harry! Why didn't you write every three days?" growled Moody, but Harry could see that he was only teasing.
"Had a good summer, Harry?" asked Lupin.
"For the most part. How are you guys doing at the order?" asked Harry.
"Oh, we're doing well," said Lupin." Much better than we would be doing if we hadn't gotten the head start that you gave us when he first returned."
"That's good to know," said Harry as he spotted the train starting to move. "Look, I've got to go. Thanks for coming here."
"No problem," said Moody. "Just keep in touch and watch out- Dumbledore's been acting a bit strange ever since the incident at the Ministry."
Before Harry could react to that statement Moody thrust him on to the train before it was moving too fast for him to board it. Harry waved out the from the train to Moody, Lupin, and Mrs. Weasley as they soared away behind him.
"Get in yer compartment," said the train attendant behind him who wanted to close the door Harry was standing in.
Harry went off in search of a compartment (it would be difficult now that he was the last one on the train. He would be sharing a compartment with someone...). As he walked down the corridor, checking the compartments as he went by and looking for someone that he recognized, he couldn't help but think of what Moody had just said to him. Was it coincidence that Dumbledore had been acting strange around the same time he had received a letter from a killer with handwriting that was very close to that of Dumbledore's?
"No," said that voice in his head, but Harry tried to shrug it off and kept looking for a compartment. Then behind him he heard Ron's voice,
"Hey, Harry! Come back here. Hermione and I have found a compartment to ourselves."
Harry turned around to greet his friend and said, "Cool. I'm coming."
Harry walked the short distance and Ron let Harry walk past him and into the compartment. Inside he found Hermione already sitting down with Crookshanks in her lap.
"Hello. What did Lupin and Moody want?" she asked.
"Nothing," Harry lied." They just wanted to see me onto the train. I guess that I've still got people from the Order watching me, but they're getting good at it. I haven't seen a single one." Then Harry really did wonder if there were still people guarding him, but changed the subject by asking,
"Aren't you two supposed to be on Prefect duty right now?"
"Oh no. We will have to later, I suppose. But right now they're giving us a break," said Ron.
"Who's 'they'?" inquired Harry.
"The teachers," said Hermione.
"Since when do the teachers ride on the train with us?" asked Harry, who was now very confused.
"Since it's been made official that V-voldemort's back," said Ron. "They have to up the security measures due to many complaint letters from angry parents about the safety of their children."
"Oh," said Harry, comprehension drawing across his face.
Ron and Harry had taken seats opposite each other with Harry next to Hermione and Ron by his lonesome. Hermione looked up and thought it the opportune moment to tell Ron of Harry and her feelings for each other, so she said while choosing her words carefully,
"Ron, Harry and I have been meaning to tell you something. We...erm...have been...going out for a couple of weeks now and thought that you should know." Hermione said all of this rather fast and then started blushing and looked out the window. Ron just stared for a good two minutes with no expression on his face while Harry sat uncomfortably in the silence until Ron said,
"Umm, that's...umm...great." Then he seemed to come to his senses, and said," Yeah, that's wonderful. I think that that's absolutely grand...just grand!"
Harry could see the hurt look in his friend's eyes and knew then that Ron had liked Hermione. Part of Harry said to take Hermione and run with her, while the other half felt bad for his best friend. It was a very uneventful train ride to Hogwarts that day.