Chapter 11

Lies and Deceit

Throughout the next couple weeks, Harry doubled his efforts in his classes. He finished his homework a week in advance, he studied for hours at a time for his tests, and he even was doing well in Potions. Even Hermione was impressed at his effort.

"Harry, I've never seen someone work so hard before," she said in awe. "Why the sudden change of pace?"

Looking up at her from behind an immensely tall stack of books, Harry remained silent. He didn't want to share Neville's burden just yet. Especially not without Neville's permission. Harry managed a wry smile. "You know, have to keep up with my classes!" He chuckled, excused himself from the conversation, and pored over his books again. Hermione gave him a strange look, and Ron was unable to hold his comments in.

"You're working harder than even Hermione, Harry! Don't you think it's time for a break?" His face hopeful, the redhead held out a deck of Exploding Snap cards. Hermione shot him a leave-him-alone-he's-just-trying-to-study look. "What? Just trying to cheer him up, that's all…" With that, Ron turned to Seamus and Dean to start a game of cards.

When Harry refused to go to Hogsmeade the next weekend because he was going to study his Auror stuff, even Hermione looked worried. "Look, Harry," she said, "there will be time to study later. Why don't we just take a trip down to Honeydukes this morning and then we can come back this afternoon and you can continue studying?" Hermione cooed.

"No can do, Hermione. After this I have to look over my Quidditch stuff to make some new plays for the team to practice. Then I have a Potions paper that I should get started on…"

Evidently, Harry's two best friends weren't going to take no for an answer. Ron physically dragged him off of his chair and Hermione shut his books and put them in neat piles as Ron dragged an unwilling Harry out the portrait hole. "You need to have some fun in your life, mate. I never thought I'd live to see the day when you would pass up Honeydukes for Potions."

In the end, Harry was glad that Hermione and Ron dragged him away from his workload. He hadn't realized how much he was disengaging himself from them. Stretching his legs beneath their table in the Three Broomsticks, he laughed good-naturedly at Ron's sarcastic comments and relaxed with a flask of butterbeer sitting in front of him. Ron glanced over at Hermione who had stiffened. "Anything wrong, Hermione?" he asked, taking a long draw from his flask.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news, guys," she said, her eyes narrowing as she watched four figures make their way across the pub and towards the corner of the room. Looking closer, Harry noticed that it was Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, and Malfoy's father, Lucius.

"What are they doing here?" Ron asked loudly.

"Shh, Ron," Hermione cautioned. "I'm going to slip over there and see what they're up to," she said as she slipped off her chair and across the crowded room.

"Hermione, you're mad!" Harry whispered frantically after her. She just waved halfheartedly back at him as they watched in anguish as she crossed the room towards the newcomers.

"She'll be caught trying to listen to their conversation!" Ron squeaked in Harry's general direction. Harry shook his head.

"She's too smart, too cunning to be caught. Like an Auror." He watched as his friend mingled among their classmates as she struck up conversation with Lavender Brown and Parvati and Padma Patil. She appeared to be talking animatedly with them as she sat down in the chair closest to the table next to her. Harry saw her chuckle and adjust her seat so that she could be closer to Malfoy. One falter in her apparently glowing face gave Harry a sinking feeling. It could only mean one thing: something bad was about to happen. Hermione began chatting with Lavender and the Patil twins again briefly before standing up and excusing herself from their table. She quickly maneuvered through the crowd to get to Ron and Harry. Her ashen face told them all they had to know.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: A rather short chapter for me, but I've been doing a bit of experimenting lately. Took me a while to crank out this puppy since I've been up to my ears in homework and other school stuff with barely enough time to sleep. Hope I left you hanging enough to keep you intrigued…and, as always, please send reviews my way.