Chapter 11 – The Crystal of Invincibility
"Maybe it was a student." whispered Ron, tapping his wand on the fat rat lying on his table, causing it to vanish. They were in Transfiguration and Professor McGonagall had just started a new lesson on Conjuring. First they would be starting with minor objects like rats because Conjuring was advanced magic. As usual, Ron was having trouble with his rat and so was the rest of the class, which caused Professor McGonagall to separate the class into pairs so they could help each other. Hermione had to admit that even she was having trouble with Conjuring, although she had been able to do it once.
"No, it couldn't have been." replied Hermione in a soft voice so no one could hear them, "he was really tall and…muscular, now that I remember it."
Ron glared at her scornfully, "How do you know that."
She rolled her eyes, "Because I danced with him…and his voice sounded awfully familiar…I know I've heard it before. Now shut up and let me concentrate."
Hermione closed her eyes and tried to picture the image of a brown rat in her head…she could almost see the real thing in front of her with its wagging tail and coarse fur…
She raised her wand and yelled, "Inferorum animas!"
She opened her eyes. On the table was the exact rat she had visualized in her head. A wave of pride ran through her.
"Excellent Ms.Granger! Another five points to Gryffindor!"
However, other students weren't having as much success as Hermione. Harry, who had paired up with Neville, was causing chaos. First, he gently brandished his wand and said the spell, but nothing happened. Then, out of frustration, he stroke it violently and caused two of the desks near him to topple over sideways, making a racket of noise. One of them fell on Lavender, who screamed in pain. Professor McGonagall at once rushed to Lavender, first casting a spell to resituate the fallen desks, and then kneeled down to help her. With an angry look on her face, she barked, "Mr.Potter! What in the world are you doing? Detention for a deliberate attack on a student!"
"But I didn't-" Harry fumed in protest, but Professor McGonagall cut in, "Not another word! Ms.Granger, watch the class while I take Ms.Brown to the hospital wing."
They both left the room and Hermione could see that Lavender's knee was bleeding heavily. After Professor McGonagall was out of earshot, Harry yelled, "I didn't do it on purpose! It's this stupid spell!"
Parvati was looking daggers at him and the rest of the class was uncertain about the situation, but stared at Harry nevertheless.
"But why did you move your wand like that? You knew it would result in a disaster." said Hermione, hoping that Harry would realize his mistake.
Harry glared at her, and then suddenly, he yelped, "Ow!" He put his hand on his head. Then he sat down with his eyes closed. Ron and Hermione looked at each other, not knowing what to say. But they could both agree on one thing; there was definitely something wrong with Harry.
…
"We should be doing our homework, you know." said Hermione disapprovingly as they walked hand in hand across the Hogwarts grounds. It was late in the evening and Ron had talked her into walking outside even with the foot long essay about Enlargement Potions waiting for her. As usual, it was below freezing outside, and Hermione wished she had a huge mug of hot chocolate with her.
"Who cares about homework?" said Ron.
"Apparently, I do," Hermione pointed out, "and besides, it's freeeeezing." She said, her teeth jittering and her body shivering.
"Then how's this." said Ron, pushing her to him. Hermione laughed, "Much better."
"So, are you coming to the Burrow for Christmas vacation?" asked Ron, as they walked past the shimmering lake surrounded by old beech trees.
"I don't think so. Mum and Dad want me to spend the Christmas with them." Hermione had gotten a letter from Mum demanding her that she spend the holidays at home, which was a good point. For the past three years, she had spent almost all the summer vacations and Christmas holidays at either the Burrow or Grimmauld Place. Hermione felt a bit guilty about not being with her parents enough, but right now she was just too involved and absorbed in the wizarding world, and she had to admit that she wanted to spend the Christmas with Ron more than with her parents. One thing that never left her mind was how lucky she was to even go to Hogwarts. Her mother hadn't exactly been the happiest person in the world when Hermione got a letter from Hogwarts, saying that she had been accepted to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Sure, she was happy at first, but as she skimmed through the course books Hermione and her Dad had gotten from Diagon Alley, she turned skeptical and worried about her daughter. They had had a big argument whether they should let her go, and thankfully, her father had been on her side, saying that it was solely her decision. She had to admit that she had gotten much closer to him after that incident.
"What?" said Ron disappointedly, making Hermione come out of her reverie, "You have to come! It won't be fun without you!"
"My parents want me at home this holiday, and I don't blame them. And of course it'll be fun! Harry will be there!"
He laughed, "Just wonderful. That's just what I need, a madman near me in my vacation for two weeks. I'll be lucky if he doesn't curse me."
"He has been acting strange lately, hasn't he?"
"Strange? He's gone crazy."
Hermione frowned at him, "But I can't blame him. He has the toughest life out of anyone. Do you think he's having funny dreams again?"
"Probably," said Ron, ripping out a leaf off the oak tree, "I heard him mumbling in his sleep the other day. I think he said, 'Move Grawp' and then another time I heard him say something like 'I can't open it'".
"Grawp?" said Hermione, surprised, "Why would Grawp be in his dreams?"
"I dunno, but I reckon you should ask him about it. I already did, but he wouldn't tell me anything."
She was definitely going to ask him. "Do you think…"
"What?"
"Do you think Harry can…kill Voldemort?"
Ron flinched.
"That's getting really old, you know. Just call him Voldemort."
"Hush!"
"Voldemort!"
"Oh, alright. Vol-Volde-Voldemort." stuttered Ron, shivering all over but not because of the cold.
"Good boy," she said with a smirk, "so do you think Harry can kill him?"
"I don't know about that, but he has to, or we're all dead."
Thoughts were swimming inside Hermione's head. Harry needed to be trained how to duel perfectly so he would have a good defense when the time came for him to fight Voldemort…but how were they going to do that themselves? Unless…
"I think we should start the DA again." said Hermione abruptly.
Ron stopped with a halt, "What? That's mad. Do you have any idea how much trouble we'd get in?"
"Not if we got Dumbledore's permission first. And we could use the Room of Requirement again, because it was perfect, wasn't it?"
"Yeah, but you think Harry will agree to it?" said Ron doubtfully.
"He has to, if he wants to survive." It was the perfect idea, and maybe this time they could get Tonks to supervise it or something.
"Well, let's just hope he doesn't run off to the Department of Mysteries again."
"Yeah…" They started walking again, "when should be start it, though?"
"After Christmas. There's no use starting before it, since we only have a week or so left."
"I guess so…" They strolled in silence for a minute, until Ron said, "So, what do you want for Christmas?"
"Hmmm…you." said Hermione playfully, tickling him in the stomach.
"Hmmm…good choice." He smiled at her, "but no, really, what?"
"Surprise me." She said, gazing mysteriously at him, "and what do you want?"
"It doesn't matter, as long as it isn't another homework planner."
Hermione scowled, "It was magnificent! What did you do with it anyway?"
"Burned it to ashes in the fireplace." said Ron truthfully. Hermione gave him a malicious look, and Ron said. "What? So did Harry. It was the most annoying thing ever."
Hermione made a mental note to toss the charm bracelet (Ron had given it to her last Christmas) in the fire in front of him. She didn't really mind that he hadn't liked the present, but to burn it into ashes wasn't necessary.
"It's freezing!" said Hermione, shaking with the cold. She squeezed Ron's big nose with her hand, "and your nose is red. Red-nosed reindeer."
"Haha." He came closer and kissed her on the lips. A wave of wonderful warmness spread throughout her body and she was no longer cold. Ron's soft lips felt smooth against her own like glossy lip gloss smearing on her lips.
They let go after what seemed an eternity to Hermione. She gasped for breath and said, "Mmm…yummy."
Ron licked his lips in response and said, "Come on, let's go back so you can do that homework."
They turned back to the castle holding hands, and Ron spoke, "You know, walking has become one of my favorite hobbies, after Quidditch of course."
"It should be your first." She said sarcastically.
"You're my first. Well, the first in who's special to me." said Ron, then added as an afterthought, "after myself, of course."
Hermione punched him playfully in the chest, "Ron!"
He laughed, "No, really. You are. You've always been, and I can promise you that you always will be."
"Awww…" she sang, "how sweet! You've always been important to me, ever since first year anyways. Do you remember how rude you were to me then?"
Ron made an apologetic face, "Sorry! But to tell you the truth, I thought you were really annoying." He mimicked his voice like Hermione's, ""of course I've memorized all the course books by heart, I hope that'll be enough.'" He laughed again and Hermione punched him again.
"So what? I didn't know anything about the magic world then, so I read everything that I could lay my hands on. And what about you?"
"What about me?" said Ron.
"You were a bit…stupid. You couldn't even do simple spells and you were from a wizarding family. And I didn't even mention how mean you were. Do you remember that troll incident?"
Ron smirked, "Oh yeah. How could I forget? Didn't I say something to tick you off and you ended up in the bathroom crying?"
"Wow, I can't believe you remember. Do you know, you never apologized for that?"
"What? Yes I did!"
"Not that I can remember."
"Ok then. I'm sorry?"
"Ha."
"Do I have to get on my knees again?"
"Yes. Now." She said in mischief, pointing commandingly to the snowy ground.
"No way!" They both laughed.
"And what about in our third year when you yelled at me when you thought Scabbers died? You were just awful to me..." said Hermione, pretending to make a sad face.
"What about Crookshanks? That mad cat was after Scabbers all along!"
Hermione looked at him, as though she'd been offended, but then picked up some snow and heaved it at Ron. He ran for it and gathered up some snow for himself and threw it across Hermione's direction. She ducked and it missed by inches.
"And you're on the Quidditch team?" She laughed loudly and threw more snow at him.
It took them a few minutes to settle down, and finally, they walked back to the castle.
"Do your realize we were supposedly fighting over Scabbers, who wasn't even a rat?" said Hermione.
"Oh." said Ron, coming into realization, and then snorted.
They went up the spiral staircase leading to the Common Room and faced the Fat Lady who was snoozing.
"Godric Gryffindor." said Hermione, but the Fat Lady laid still.
She repeated herself, louder this time, and the Fat Lady jerked her eyes open, "Sorry." she mumbled and opened the door. The Common Room was still quite full and Hermione saw that it was only eight o' clock. No one seemed to notice them come in because they were all immersed in their homework. They found Harry sitting on a squishing armchair, staring blankly at a piece of parchment in front of him. He looked up and sprang with excitement.
"Finally, you're here!" he said, looking at Hermione, "tell me everything about Enlarging Potions."
"Enlargement Potions," she corrected him, "and how many times do I have to tell you to learn to do your own homework?"
Harry shot a dirty look at her. She opened her bag and took out her own half finished Potions essay and book containing information Enlargement Potions. She threw it to Harry since she already knew all about the potion by heart. Harry muttered a thanks and went back to his essay.
A couple of hours passed and gradually the Common Room emptied one by one until the three of them were left. Hermione realized that they were always the last ones in the room. She had been done her essay an hour ago and now was reading an even bigger book about Animagi than she had up in her dormitory. This was because she was thinking about becoming an Animagi herself. She hadn't told anyone yet, not even Ron, because she wasn't completely sure about the idea. It would be so fascinating to transform completely into an animal and she knew somewhat the feeling of it since she had transfigured into a cat in their second year where she'd drank the Polyjuice Potion. And also, there would be plenty of advantages of being able to transfigure into an animal.
She glanced at the clock hanging on the dim wall across her and saw that it was almost eleven o'clock. She beckoned to Harry and Ron's essays, "Here. I'll fix them."
"Will you?" said Harry, sighing with relief, "Hermione, you're the bestest bestest friend I've ever had and I love you for it-"
"Oh, stop sucking up." said Hermione, and began to read Harry's essay first. Even by Harry's standards, it was horrid. There were grammar mistakes all over and the information in the beginning of the essay was not at all accurate.
"Harry," said Ron, his head lying comfortably on a pillow on the bare floor, "are you gonna tell us about the dreams you've been having?"
Hermione looked over the essay curiously at Harry. He had an annoyed look on his face.
"What dreams?" said Harry, trying to keep an innocent face.
"Oh, don't lie Harry," stated Hermione, putting Harry's essay down for a minute, "Ron told me you were muttering in your sleep."
Harry glared at Ron and snorted, "Should've known you tell her everything."
"That doesn't matter," said Hermione, coming to Ron's rescue, "what matters is you need to tell us what's going on. How else are we supposed to help you?"
He stared at her for a moment and then said, "Oh, fine then. I've had plenty of dreams of the Department of Mysteries, but this time I'm trying to get through that locked door, but I can't get it open. And I had a few other dreams where I was in the Forbidden Forest and I saw Grawp and there was this tunnel thing and I tried to go in it but the dream ended."
Hermione's heart was racing. She had had the same dream a week ago but had dismissed it to be something insignificant. She also had been standing in the Forbidden Forest close to Grawp and a passageway had materialized in front of her, but just like Harry's dream, hers had ended at that precise moment as well. Now that she came to think of it, she had had the same dream on the night of the Halloween dance but had forgotten it because of all the drama that had been going on.
"Harry…" said Hermione, looking at Harry in a mystified expression, "I had the same dream."
There was a definite silence in the circular room. Finally, Harry spoke, "That's impossible."
"It's so strange…why am I having these dreams, though? I don't have anything to do with this whole situation about you and Voldemort and the prophecy…right?"
Neither Ron nor Harry said a thing. The dream situation was too peculiar, even for them.
"What do you think is in that room that I tried to get in?" wondered Harry out loud.
Hermione shrugged but Ron breathed, "The Crystal of Invincibility."
"The what?" said Harry, looking puzzled. Hermione didn't know what he was talking about either. Ron pulled out a heavy book out of his bag and on the front cover was written The Ministry of Magic: Inside and Out. He flipped through the pages until he found what he was looking for and motioned them to come closer. They went near Ron and read the small passage he was pointing at:
The Crystal of Invincibility is one of the most mysterious objects located in the Department of Mysteries inside the Ministry of Magic. It has the power of life, death, knowledge, love, and a powerful yet dangerous force to this world. This room has been locked ever since the Keeper of the Crystal decided to close it, due to its power, eight hundred years ago. No further research has taken place since 1979 when the famous wizard Albus Dumbledore banned the study of the Crystal of Invincibility due to its exquisite power to punish the evil, become immortal, and mythically resurrect the dead.
"Resurrect the dead?" said Harry, "is that even possible?"
Hermione looked at him, and at once she knew he was thinking about Sirius, "It says 'mythically', so there probably haven't been accounts of people coming back to life, or we would know, and besides, that room has been locked up at all times. I can't believe I've never read about this…it seems almost impossible…"
"Why didn't you tell me about this crystal before?" said Harry, glaring at Ron.
"Because we just started learning about the Department of Mysteries a couple of days ago in Mysteries of the Magical World class. How was I supposed to know before then?" said Ron.
"I guess so…how do I get into that room?" said Harry, gazing fixedly at the passage in the book.
"YOU don't get into that room. It's way too dangerous." stated Hermione.
"Hermz, this could be it!" said Ron excitedly, "that's why Dumbledore locked it up, because he knew that Harry would need that power one day-"
"First of all, Dumbledore didn't lock it up. The Keeper of the Crystal did, whoever that is. And second, didn't you read what it said?" she reread part of the passage, "'it has the power of life, death, knowledge, love and the Keeper locked it because it's dangerous. Do you really think Harry ought to mess around with that?
"No, probably not." Ron agreed.
"I wonder who made it…" She said and turned the page to scan for more information.
"Who knows." said Ron.
"But that brings up my question again. What do I have to do with all of this?"
Harry had a dreamy look on his face. "What if…what if Dumbledore moved this crystal object to the Forbidden Forest? Maybe that's what's in the tunnel…I mean, first I had the dreams at the Department of Mysteries, and now I've been having dreams of the Forbidden Forest…what if it was moved?"
"Well, that would make sense," said Ron, "no one would even try to go near Grawp, and most people don't even know about him…so it would be well protected."
"What if the Death Eaters are after it?" said Harry, "Voldemort probably wants it for immortality."
"Yeah. I think they're trying to lure us there by showing it in our dreams, or at least they are in your dreams…" said Hermione in a mystified voice.
"Then we're not going to fall for it this time. Let's just watch our backs." said Harry.
"Speaking of watching our backs," started Hermione, "I had an idea when Ron and I were walking."
"What?"
"I think we should start the DA again." Hermione blurted out.
Harry raised an eyebrow, "Has your memory been erased? Don't you remember what happened last time?"
"But we can get Dumbledore's permission, and I'm sure he will say yes. There's nothing more important now than learning to defend yourself, Harry, even more important than Occlumency."
"Don't remind me." said Harry, nastily."
"So you're agreeing to the idea?" said Ron hopefully.
"I guess so, but I reckon we should start it after Christmas vacation."
"That's what we were thinking." said Hermione, now happy that Harry had agreed.
"Are you done?" said Ron to Hermione, yawning.
"Not yet. Let me finish it so I can get some sleep."
The three sat there in still silence, with the Crystal of Invincibility floating in their heads.
…
Hermione felt groggy the next morning as she at her breakfast. Clearly she hadn't gotten enough sleep because of the homework and because last night, she had tried to trigger a dream in her sleep but it hadn't worked. And now, in this early morning, she was paying the price of her curiosity. Ron and Harry didn't look any better than her, with their droopy eyes falling at times as they ate their breakfast without the slightest enthusiasm.
"I have an idea," said Harry tiredly, "why don't we go visit Hagrid after classes end. He should know something about the-thing, shouldn't he?" Harry changed his last words just in case someone overheard what he was talking about.
"Yeah, I reckon so. What about Quidditch practice, eh?" said Ron, munching on his muffin.
"It won't take long. You up for it, Hermione?"
She nodded. Hermione had been thinking the same thing and she was sure that they would be able to squeeze some information out of Hagrid.
…
Hermione, Ron, and Harry made their way to Hagrid's hut without eating dinner first. Strangely, curiosity had filled their stomachs s much that there wasn't any space left for food.
They reached the hut and Hermione went to knock on the wooden, but Harry held his hand out and opened the unlocked door. They stepped inside. It was as dark as midnight inside that they couldn't see anything. Hermione heard Fang's barking and then Hagrid muttering something along the lines of "the protection shouldn't wear off, Snape said that-"
But at that moment, Harry said, "Lumos!" and the room came into view. The large figure of Hagrid was sitting on a black chair with an old tea kettle clutched in his hand. He stopped talking immediately as he saw them standing in front of him.
"Oh, hello!" said Hagrid, smiling and putting the kettle down on the table, "Nice of yeh ter come. Haven't seen yeh three in a while."
"Who were you talking to, Hagrid?" Hermione asked curiously. Ron and Harry seemed to be wondering the same thing."
"No one!" said Hagrid a little quickly, "come, sit down. So, how's it going, eh? Yeh classes alrigh'?"
The three of them observed him mysteriously as they sat down but didn't ask anymore about who he'd been talking to.
"Classes are fine." said Ron.
"Let's cut to the point," said Harry, looking at Hagrid, "We came to ask you something, Hagrid."
Hagrid raised an eyebrow, "like what?"
"Er-what do you know about the Crystal of Invincibility?" Harry blurted out.
At once, Hagrid's hairy face grew warmer to a color crimson red, "My word! How do yeh three know 'bout that?"
"Never mind how we know," said Hermione quickly, "but it's been moved to the Forbidden Forest, hasn't it? Harry and I've been having dreams about it."
Hagrid looked flabbergasted, "How-but where-whatadaya know 'bout it?"
"That it's really dangerous and it's locked up."
"It's in the Forbidden Forest, isn't it?" said Harry.
"Yeah, it is but-"
"Look Hagrid." Hermione cut in before he had another chance to interrogate them, "weird things have been going on lately. Harry and I are having dreams about it and there's been someone following us for weeks and we think it's a Death Eater-"
"Oh yea, I know all 'bout that."
"Then you should move that crystal object because we reckon the Death Eaters are after it." said Harry.
"Don' yeh worry. No one can get ter it as long as it's under Dumbledore's protection. It's impossible ter get inter cuz its heavily guarded an' only the Keeper of the Crystal-" He stopped with a jolt, horrified at what he had just slipped.
"We already know about that." said Ron.
"Then yeh three betta stop findin' out mo' than yeh oughta know. Could be dangerous."
"But Hagrid-" Hermione said in protest, but Hagrid said, "I'm serious. Just forget 'bout if for now."
But they could never forget about it. Never.