(A/N: A special thank you goes to Shanel and Bits, two very good friends who helped in the creative process of this chapter.)
Chapter 9
Freezing mist clouded the classroom. Harry sensed the presence of a dementor. What was Dumbledore thinking?
"Harry?" Hermione gasped. "She didn't? Please tell me she didn't?"
"I don't see it," Harry said. He clasped Hermione's hand giving it a squeeze before dropping it. "But that doesn't mean anything."
Harry, and Hermione slowly progressed into the room. They stuck close to the walls with their wands out. They drew curious stares from the rest of the students who traipsed into the class like normal. The marauders, and Lily mimicked Harry, and Hermione. Their breath was not supposed to be visible in the classroom. George caught up to them wand at the ready.
"Some of you have firsthand knowledge of an encounter with a dementor." Professor Caprise made her presence known. "Pay attention," she chastised, "the coldness should have served as a warning." She focused on the still standing Gryffindors. "There is no dementor. It is a specifically designed spell for you to experience the effects of a dementor. Take your seats."
Harry, and Hermione hesitated which had a ripple effect. None of them moved. The students who sat unconcerned at first were beginning to tremble. The seats were enchanted to further expose them to the effects of a dementor. Their happiness was being sucked away. They were left with their worst memories.
"Finite incantatem," Hermione shouted. The spell released the students.
Professor Caprise appraised them. "Take your seats." She ordered crossly.
"There is something wrong with her," Hermione said.
"Yep," Harry agreed.
Hermione shuddered at the thought of reliving her worst experiences. "What is she playing at?"
"Pay attention," Harry warned. "She's staring at us."
#
"The two of you will stay." Professor Caprise motioned forcefully to Harry, and Hermione at the end of class. "You ruined my lesson," she said coldly.
"It was cruel," Hermione retorted. She forgot to speak with the respect due a professor.
"I am preparing you for the real world. You need to be able to perform the correct spells in order to survive. As Mr. Barnes said, performing a spell in a well-lit classroom is one thing. When you are in real danger you must be able to keep a cool head, and remember which spell to cast as well as how to cast it." She looked at each of them in turn stressing her point.
"It wasn't harsh, and it wasn't cruel. It is my job to teach you how to protect yourself. I provided a warning at the end of our previous lesson. You, and the other students need to take heed of what I say. As it is you both have detention tomorrow night. You'll receive an owl with the details. You are dismissed."
#
"Detention!" Hermione ranted. She stomped her way to Gryffindor Tower.
"Dumbledore's magic is amazing," remarked Harry.
"Excuse me?" snapped Hermione.
Harry paused out of ear shot of the fat lady. "Finite incantatem. It puts an end to all spells in an area, but our appearances didn't change." Furious brown eyes stopped his raving.
"For your information, finite incantatem is a counter curse that terminates the effects of a spell. As with other spells it is guided by the caster's intentions."
"Oh."
She turned sharply on her heel to yell the password at the portrait. She threw herself into the common room.
"You can't be that upset," Harry said.
"Uncalled for," Hermione huffed. She slung her bag onto a table scattering the seated first years. She didn't apologize which told Harry more than enough.
"Problems?" George asked.
"Detention!" Hermione exclaimed. "It isn't funny." She rounded on James, and Sirius. Their amusement evaporated.
"Calm down," Sirius soothed. "Detention isn't so bad."
James snorted.
"It's not like it's your first," Harry reminded her.
"That was different. Acceptable even. This, this isn't fair. We were prepared. We are being punished for being prepared."
"She explained." Harry shrank under the glare of doom.
Hermione observed the stunned faces, the frightened first years. The injustice drained away.
"Oh, shut up." She plopped onto the couch beside George.
"Not used to breaking the rules, are you?" inquired James.
"Not used to getting caught," quipped George.
"Do tell," urged Sirius. He leaned forward; his interest piqued.
"Nothing to tell," Hermione muttered. She plucked nonexistent lint from her robe avoiding those blue eyes.
George's robes commenced flashing rainbow colors tinting his face in different hues. "Ooh fun." He jumped from the couch dancing.
A lightbulb glowed in James's head. The perfect prank. "Hey, Padfoot, we'd better get going, or we'll be late for our discussion group."
"Almost forgot." Sirius recognized the coded message. Prongs's inspiration had struck.
"Later mates." They climbed through the portrait hole. Their real destination, a secret passageway where they could concoct their revenge.
#
Owls poured into the Great Hall carrying the morning post. Two small owls landed in front of Harry, and Hermione. The attached scrolls held their detention assignments.
"Could have been worse," Hermione said. She folded the note telling her to meet McGonagall at 9:00 PM sharp.
Harry scowled. He stuffed the parchment in his bag. Caprise would be overseeing his punishment. The scars on his hand tingled.
"Whose it with?" James asked.
"McGonagall," Hermione said. Sirius, and James shuddered. Neither envied Hermione having been on the receiving end of McGonagall's detentions.
"Is yours the same?" Remus questioned Harry. Professors usually deemed it necessary to separate friends in detention assignments.
"Caprise." The tingle became a sting. He rubbed the faint white lines. The remnants of using a blood quill. He flexed his hand dismissing memories of another detention from a different Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.
"She's an unknown," Sirius said. "We haven't had the pleasure." Sirius winked at James. "Tell us the gory details." Learning how she punished wayward students would be the determining factor on whether or not they could misbehave in her class.
A mere nod signaled. Four wands wove intricate spells. A surge of gasps and whispers. Rib prods, and elbow jabs had students craning their necks to see. Pointing and sniggers followed suit.
Harry noticed the odd behavior on the way to Charms.
"Hermione," he caught her arm, "is there something wrong with me?"
Hermione scanned him. "Not that I can see. Why?"
"It couldn't possibly be the people pointing and laughing."
Hermione observed the students. "It's not just you. It's me, George, and Lily." It dawned on them.
"The marauders."
"The prank."
"Ignore it," Hermione advised.
"But what is it?" He looked at Hermione giving her a thorough once over. "Why can't we see it?"
"A spell, or jinx. Ignore it," she repeated.
Harry's brain refused to ignore the gawking students. It was impossible especially when they burst into giggling heaps, or braying hoots. Some students tried to stifle, or camouflage their laughter. Others offered sympathetic shakes of the head, or pitying looks. But each, and every one knew exactly who had done this. The legendary marauders.
Humiliation warred with temper. So far, Harry and his friends kept their pranks low key with no audience. This, whatever it was, took things to another level. The marauders chose to broadcast their feat to the entire population of Hogwarts. Retribution would be swift and furious. As soon as he discovered what the prank entailed.
Professor Flitwick called their attention to the objects Mary passed around. Each student received two. The task was to change one object, and charm the other to mimic it. The Protean Charm.
Hermione quickly finished having mastered the charm in fifth year.
"How do you do that?" Lily pressed. Hermione seemed to excel in everything.
"I've done this before," divulged Hermione. She didn't like the exasperation leaking into Lily's tone. She thought of reigning in her skills, and underperforming, but it went against the grain. Here, or there she was smart, and she worked hard. She shouldn't have to hide that. She wouldn't.
"Well done, Miss Granger," Flitwick complimented. "Bravo, Miss Evans," he clucked as Lily performed the charm. By the end of the class everyone managed the charm except Peter. He was given extra practice.
A stray comment floated to Lily. A group of Ravenclaw girls clustered together. They were staring at Harry, and George. Their mouths moved miming words like they were reading something on Harry, and George's robes.
"Do you think it's true?" one asked.
"I hope not," another replied. They dissolved into a mass of giggles. Lily looked at Harry, and George. Their robes were the same black as usual.
In the hallway people gestured and catcalled.
"Frilly, are they?" a random Hufflepuff called to George.
"Pink, or red?" a Ravenclaw asked Harry. The taunts, and jibes followed them wherever they went.
"Lacey?" a Slytherin yelled at George.
"Hey, Granger, need a breath cleansing spell?" jeered a different Slytherin.
"What is going on?" demanded Lily. Students made kissing noises as she passed.
"The marauders," Hermione said simply.
"And?" Lily pushed. She didn't see anything. And there had to be something to see, because everyone was on the same page. Gossip at Hogwarts spread fast, and far. But it tended to get garbled. It changed with each telling so that by the time it spread throughout the student body, there were at least ten different versions of it. But not this. No, these people had access to the original gossip, an exclusive tidbit. Their taunts were too similar, too closely linked.
"They've done something," Hermione elaborated, "to prevent us seeing it."
"Why don't we ask someone?" Lily posed. The logical solution as more students stopped, stared, teased, and hooted. "I do not like this," Lily said in a quiet cold voice.
#
Frustrated Lily charged through the halls of Hogwarts. She tracked her prey waiting for the opportune time to pounce. None of the students she approached would talk. Unknown to her each of the marauders stalked their appointed targets. They displayed their wands sending a clear message. If you spill the beans, you will regret it.
Lily resorted to cornering lone students who trembled, and stuttered until they could escape.
"I'm sorry, Lily," Mary wailed. She chanced a look at Sirius. He aimed his wand. "I can't." She dashed away.
"No one," Lily growled, "not one single person will tell me." She slapped the table as she sat. She refused to go to lunch. Harry, George, and Hermione joined her in the common room. They were fed up as well.
"We've worked out that we each have some kind of saying on our backs that everyone, but us can read."
"Obvious, isn't it," Lily snarled at Hermione. "Sorry," she amended quickly. "I hate this. Should we try a revealing spell?"
"It won't work," Harry warned. He remembered Sirius, and Remus rehashing old times when they thought no one was there.
"It's a thorough job," George added. "Our next one has to be even better."
"Next one?" Lily asked a note of fear evident in her voice. Another one? Then the marauders would get them back. It would never end. She doubted she could handle another day like this.
"We can't back down," George said. "They were clever, but we have the two smartest, most brilliant witches on our side. Why would we give up?"
The flattery served its purpose. Lily's ego soared. She would help plan their next attack. She would prove to Mr. James Potter what she was made of. She would not wilt.
#
"How long are we going to continue with this?" Remus asked. Guilt bogged his conscience. Their friends skipped lunch. The gossip horde buzzed while the victims remained clueless.
Matching smirks met him. "Don't be such a softy," Sirius scolded.
"We have to teach them a lesson," boasted James. "Protect our status. Our reputations cannot be tarnished."
Sirius nodded. Peter clapped gleefully bouncing in his seat.
"Besides, Moony," James continued, "they shouldn't have retaliated if they weren't prepared for the consequences."
"Fair point, Prongs," Sirius said. He gave Remus a thumbs up. The subjects of their evil plot came into class, and ignored them completely. They took their seats, their backs ramrod straight.
"Sirius," hissed James. He read Lily's robe for the first time. Puppy dog eyes begged with a charismatic plea diverting the ire.
"No, it isn't going to work," muttered James sternly. "She'll think I wrote that. She'll never go out with me."
"This is why we couldn't jeopardize our mission by letting you jinx Lily. Remember, we have to defend our reputation." A roguish grin accompanied a saucy wink.
"She'll hate me for eternity."
Professor McGonagall entered ensuring silence reigned supreme. Sirius crushed his retort. Lily already detested James. This prank wasn't going to change that fact.
"Silently performing human transfigurations is difficult. It is not to be taken lightly." The lecture began. Manic note taking ensued.
"The four of you will remain," McGonagall indicated the victims of the joke. The Gryffindor boys stayed behind, "The rest of you may go." The warning in her voice rushed them out of the room.
"Would one of you care to tell me about the ridiculous disturbance you caused in my class."
"Well," Lily said lost for words. How might she explain without tattling?
"Um…" tried Hermione. She met the same conundrum. Neither girl wanted to confess to being involved in a prank war.
"The thing is," Harry faltered under that stare.
"Professor," George said in a solemn voice. He was accustomed to this procedure. "We don't understand. Is something wrong?"
"The four of you are parading around with words flashing on your robes leaving chaos in your wake. And I am to believe you don't know what I am referring to?" she asked skeptically.
"Professor, we don't know," Hermione said. She fished for how to phrase the question. Lily beat her to it.
"Could you possibly inform us as to what we are flashing?" Pink blossomed on Lily's cheeks. Intimidation meant nothing to Minerva McGonagall.
"What I should be doing, Miss Evans, is assigning detention for the havoc caused in my class. However, your utter confusion has convinced me to stay my hand. Turn around."
They obeyed. Embarrassment flooded their systems. It was humiliating to have their Head of House let them in on the joke.
"I'm afraid I can't oblige," McGonagall announced.
"But you must," insisted Hermione. She spun to beseech her favorite professor. A desperate look of raw pleading etched on her features.
"I can't, Miss Granger, because the words are no longer there."
#
Fuming, absolutely furious Lily approached Gryffindor Tower with a single-minded purpose. To find, punish, and maim the bane of her existence.
"Phoenix feathers!" She yelled the password at the Fat Lady. She tapped her toes impatiently.
"I always wondered where your temper came from," mused George. He gave Harry a half-smile.
"I wish someone would tell us," Hermione said climbing into the common room.
"They're not here," Lily stated. "They know better. Fine," she nearly shouted. Her face hardened with determination. She leveled a fierce look directly at George. "It's our turn." But first they really needed to discover what had been written on their backs.
#
"Remus Lupin!"
Books clattered to the floor. The boys separated to avoid their victims. Unfortunately, the library had been a necessity for him. He regretted his foolish attempt at hiding. An enraged Lily Evans advanced. Her wand drawn, and aimed. Heat radiated from her emerald orbs.
The transfer students slowly circled. He knew as his adrenaline spiked; they had been searching for him. They singled out the most likely to cave. He was the soft one in the bunch. It wasn't fair. James and Sirius were steel and iron. Six years of experience hadn't built a strong core. He raised his arms signaling defeat.
"You will," Lily demanded, "tell us who and what." The tip of her wand dug into his chin.
"Okay," he capitulated, "the pairings were as follows, George and Peter, Sirius and Lily, James and Hermione, and Harry and I."
She jabbed him when he stopped speaking. Taking a ragged breath he continued, "George's said he wears lady's knickers." Remus kept his eyes trained on Lily. The safe option. Well mostly safe. Okay, not safe at all, but it was his only option due to the position of her wand.
"Hermione snogs goats. Lipstick makes Harry feel pretty."
"And?" Lily urged.
Remus swallowed to buy time. He wished Sirius were in his place. Sirius deserved this. Lily exerted more pressure.
"And." He moistened his lips. It was hard to speak. "It was a Muggle saying." He begged for it to end here. Please, don't make me. Please, don't make me.
"Last chance, Remus. I will hex you."
"Okay, okay," utterly defeated he mumbled, "Potter, and Evans sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g. First comes marriage, then comes Potter pushing the baby carriage."
Words failed Lily. Rage didn't even cover it. "Run," she whispered. Remus fled leaving his books on the floor. Sirius should hide. Big trouble. They were in big trouble.
Harry, Hermione, and George tried to stay in control, but the slightest chuckle escaped George. He immediately covered the offending sound. He bit down hard on his hand as Lily's wand fixed on him.
"I could make yours come true."
"No, please, I'm sorry." He gulped. "But you've got to admit the prank was magnificent." The absurdity of it deepened his respect for the map making marauders.
The dam burst. Laughter flowed freely. Sirius had made a prophecy. An accurate prophecy in the form of a Muggle children's song. There would be marriage, and a baby carriage. Who would have thought a pureblood wizard capable of something so silly, and have it be so true?
#
"Come on," pleaded George. "We missed lunch. We have to go to dinner." He patted his stomach. It obligingly rumbled in response.
"Please," Harry cajoled. His stomach joined George's in conversation. They grumbled, and growled in turn.
"You can go without me," huffed Lily. She crossed her arms over her chest barricading her body further into the chair. She had no intention of subjecting herself to more ridicule. She would not budge.
"Fine," Hermione said. "Give them exactly what they want."
"Excuse me?" Lily asked.
"If you hide," Hermione said with appropriate disdain, "they will know without a doubt they got to you. That you couldn't handle a prank."
"Are you saying —"
"Yes, I am," Hermione interrupted. "You are proving them right."
Harry stepped in. He wasn't sure if it was the best move, but he understood what Hermione was doing. She had used the same tactic on him. "The best thing we can do is go to dinner. We act normal like nothing happened."
"You expect me to go to dinner, and what? Be friendly and chat with those scoundrels?" Lily asked incredulously.
"Yes," exploded from all three of them.
"Since you are new to the world of pranking, allow me to bestow my wisdom." George bowed. "Nothing hurts a prankster more than realizing their prank did no damage." He kneeled by her chair. "My lady, going to dinner is the perfect choice at this juncture. We cannot let them claim an undisputed victory." He stood and raised his arm in a valiant gesture, "We must fight!" He extended a hand. She took it.
Harry and Hermione followed them through the portrait hole. George was loose and lanky. Lily was tight and controlled.
"Maybe we should skip dinner," Harry said.
"No," Hermione disagreed.
"She's on edge, and if she hexes on of them…"
"We can't be held accountable," Hermione countered. "If she hides now, it'll make things worse."
"You've seen my temper," Harry said.
"We won't let her jeopardize her standing as Head Girl."
"Hey, Evans," someone shouted. A girl dashed past Harry and Hermione toward Lily. Lily whirled and aimed. The girl recoiled.
"I was told to give you this." She extended a trembling hand. Clutched inside was a wrinkled note.
"Thank you," Lily said to the girl's retreating back.
Harry arched an eyebrow at Hermione. "Still think it's fine?"
Hermione pursed her lips in response.
"This is no good," Lily complained. "I'm too tense." She gave a hollow laugh. "I almost understand their moronic need to hex unassuming people."
Her wand danced in a complicated pattern. Harry, Hermione, and George were plastered to the nearest wall. Their arms and legs akimbo. Shocked and terrified, unable to move, they stared at the Head Girl.
Lily rolled her shoulders and neck. She stretched her arms, flexed her fingers, and read her note. She looked at her friends. A smug half-smile greeted her handy work.
"It's your fault I'm in this mess." She removed the jinx. Harry's reflexes helped him land on his feet. He saved Hermione from a face plant with a firm grip on the back of her robes. George stumbled into the pair. Lily turned on her heel. She continued on to the Great Hall. The time-travelers lagged behind afraid to get too close.
"Hermione," Lily hissed, "get up here. I'm not going in alone." A hand reached back. Hermione faltered. She looked to Harry and George. The silent plea clear. The boys leaned away. They shooed her. Lily tapped her foot once. George helped Hermione with a shove. Lily linked their arms when Hermione stumbled to her side.
Snide comments, and rude gestures announced their arrival. It stopped with a cleared throat from the head table. Dumbledore smiled at them. McGonagall's hawk-eyed stare reinforced the unspoken decree.
Fake smiles in place they sat next to the marauders. Three of those idiots grinned manically. Remus must not have disclosed the ambush.
"Please, can I hex Sirius," Lily said from the corner of her mouth. "A tiny jinx." She itched to wipe that self-satisfied grin from his arrogant face.
"No," George said. He leaned in to whisper nonsense words. A good distraction. He murmured the weirdest things. Blibbering humdingers, wrackspurts, gulping plimpies, and dabberblimps. Lily cracked. Her laugh was a cool breeze of relief.
"Yes, that's it," George encouraged. "Like water off a duck's back. And without crumple-horned snorkacks." He dug into the casserole in front of him. Lily accepted the offered dish with a bright smile.
The grins faltered. Harry, Hermione, George, and Lily did not look like four teenagers who spent their day being humiliated.
"They're pretending," declared Sirius.
"Right," James agreed. He stabbed his fork into his shepherd's pie. He mushed it into an unrecognizable blob. Jealousy twisted his gut. He snarled.
"Prongs," cautioned Remus.
"Half the school thinks he wears lady's knickers." Sirius snickered. The undisguised hatred boring into him drew his attention. "You know," he said his voice harsh, "with the hassle of this prank war we've forgotten the snakes."
"Ooh, how could we have forgotten that," Peter greedily added.
"Does seem a waste," James said. "Snivellus deserves a more distinguished welcome."
Remus abstained from commenting. It would be futile to try and change their minds. He felt the vehemence.
The tension riveting the air attracted interest. Hermione rolled her eyes. Things hadn't changed much in twenty years. Feigning cluelessness she asked, "Why are the Slytherins glaring at us?"
"There's a huge house rivalry between us, and the Slytherins. It's childish, but some people," she indicated their housemates, "are religious about it." The malevolence radiating from the Slytherin table said rivalry was the wrong word choice.
Hermione, and Harry studied the young faces. Future death eaters. Knowing the fate of those seated stole Harry's appetite. Some were just kids. Innocent. The violent adults they would become a far-off reality. At the end of the table Snape ate mechanically. His eyes glued to James and Sirius.
"Lily," Mary squealed. She squashed in beside Harry's mother. George barely kept his fork from flying as she elbowed him aside. "Guess what was in the Dailey Prophet."
"What?" Lily asked. She had no doubt it was some type of juicy gossip. Mary loved gossip. She loved to hear it, read it, and spread it. Lily quashed the uncharitable thought. Mary was her dear friend.
"Lucious Malfoy and Narcissa Black got married," she simpered. She brandished a newspaper. "Look at that dress! And the peacocks!" She sighed dramatically. "As if their wedding wasn't spectacle enough, Bellatrix and her husband hosted a massive party to celebrate their five-year anniversary."
The picture showed an eloquent bride and groom. The stiff formal pose precluded joy and happiness. Beside the not glowing bride Bellatrix LeStrange stood alive and well. Sirius cursed Mary for ruining his dinner with this filth.
Harry's fist clenched. His nails gouged his palms until they stung. Slytherins. Glowering evil Slytherins who become murderous vicious death eaters.
"I'm finished," Harry said. The ice in the low tone froze those in the near vicinity. He shoved away from the table. His movements jerky, and barely controlled.
"Wait, Harry," cried Hermione. Her legs got tangled as she tried to extricate herself.
"Hermione?" questioned George. He glanced at the paper then to her.
"I got it."
The Slytherins and Mary were forgotten in this mini-drama. George ran his tongue over his teeth. He didn't enjoy the scrutiny thrust upon him. He shrugged.
"He's moody." He scooped an enormous bite of something and shoved it in his mouth. A full mouth discouraged awkward questions. He swallowed the food, and roiling emotions. Anger, pain, sadness. It came flooding in with the name Bellatrix LeStrange. Unconsciously, he looked at Sirius. The boy accidentally on purpose knocked his cup to spill on the Dailey Prophet. The black and white figures blurred in the juice.
#
"Wait!" Hermione panted up the stairs. The stitch in her side throbbed which surprised her. She thought she was in better shape.
"I can't do this anymore." His voice trembled. His hands shook.
"You have to."
"Did you see her?" he bellowed. "She's not dead! She's not locked up. She's roaming free doing Merlin knows what." He kicked the wall. "He was sitting there. His own cousin murders him and we can't tell him. We can't warn him. We can't do ANTYHING!" His throat hurt from the roar of it. Fury barreled into his legs spurring him on.
Hermione raced along silently. She mulled the situation. Harry needed to rage. To roar. She hadn't let herself contemplate the full extent of their predicament. The evil shrew was only the tip of the ice burg. Hermione had her own demons to come to terms with, but she would make Harry her priority, because that's what she did.
Harry ducked behind a tapestry. He threw his back against the wall and slid down. He bent his head to his knees. For the tiniest instant she thought he was crying. He wasn't. It was uncontrollable fury shaking him. He vibrated with it.
"That loathsome hag. We have the power to change things. He doesn't have to die. None of them have to die. And we can't do shite about it because of the law. Who effing made a time travel law?"
Hermione cast muffilato. No one else should hear this.
"Are you finished?"
"No. I am a long way from finished. This is…is…is," he spluttered not finding the word to encompass his feelings.
"Unfair," Hermione supplied.
"They're living their lives. Going to class, laughing, playing Quidditch. They have no idea what's coming. We know it all. We know they get married, and have a child. They get that life for a moment." He measured a small space between his thumb and finger. "Then it's gone. They're murdered because a greasy haired git gives the vilest wizard ever a half-heard prophecy. That same git is in love with my mother and foolishly thinks she'll be spared. She died for me." Pain hollowed his voice. "My mother and my father died for me. Sirius died because of me. Remus, Tonks, Fred. Even Peter. All because of me." And so many more. Too many names.
Hermione couldn't speak. Tears cascaded down her cheeks. He was still dry eyed, but grief poured from him.
"Don't you understand? I can fix it. It doesn't have to happen. I don't have to be an orphan. Teddy doesn't have to be an orphan. Sirius doesn't have to fall into the veil. It doesn't have to happen."
"Harry." She choked. "We can't. We have to —"
"Don't." The quiet vehemence silenced her. "Sirius is locked in Azkaban for twelve years for something he didn't do. He escapes. But he's imprisoned in his hellish childhood home. Bellatrix murders him. Does he deserve that life? What about my mum and dad? Remus and Tonks? What about Peter? He has one twinge of mercy. A taste of regret. He's strangled with his own hand. What about Snape? You were there, Hermione."
"I know."
"No, you don't. Because if you did, you would help me change it. You would help me."
"I am."
"NO! YOU ARE NOT!" He took a ragged breath. "They're taken away from me. How can I sit by and do nothing? How can I live with myself? How can you live with yourself? How do we do this? How?" Those emerald eyes burned into her. She shook her head helplessly. Her mouth opened and closed uselessly.
"TELL ME!" he roared.
"I DON'T KNOW!" She screamed. She didn't know. "I don't have the answer."
No. Hermione was the know-it-all. She had all the solutions. He couldn't comprehend. She always figured it out. She saved him time and time again. In Godric's Hollow, at Lovegood's house. She was brilliant. Cleverest witch of her age.
"Figure it out." His voice was empty. It scared her.
"I can't. I don't know what to do. I never imagined we'd be in this situation. I am not prepared for this. I wanted to go back to school. I wanted to get my N.E.W.T.s. I didn't send us here." She jumped to her feet. She had to move. The small corridor concealed behind the tapestry didn't give much room to pace. She made the best of it.
"If I let myself think about it, it will drive me insane. They're my friends. Our friends. We're getting to know them. Your mother is kind and caring. She accepted us straight away. I'm living in the same room, going to the same classes. We study together for Merlin's sake. But it doesn't change anything. It's too dangerous to meddle with time. I know what happens to them. I was with you in Godric's Hollow. I know what you saw, what you felt."
"Hermione." Her name had never been said with such hopeless defeat.
She stopped pacing. She kneeled in front of him. "I am not immune to any of this. And you are not the only one who suffered." She exposed the scar on her neck from Bellatrix's knife. "That whore tortured me, almost killed me. If you for one second think I don't want to end her, here and now, you are wrong. But we can't." Her tears fell again. She wiped them away angrily.
Instinct screamed at him to wrap his arms around her. Console her. Give comfort, take comfort. He couldn't. Fury and rage burned away his empathy and compassion.
#
Harry sprinted down the hall. He skidded to a halt outside the D.A.D.A. classroom. He heaved a steadying breath. His throat ached. His limbs were heavy with fatigue. He'd forgotten his detention. If George hadn't warned them through their strange telepathic connection, they'd have been in more trouble for ditching their punishment. He knocked.
"Cutting it close, Mr. Barnes." Professor Caprise said in lieu of a proper greeting.
"Sorry, I…" His apology died. Losing track of time because he was yelling at his best friend wasn't an acceptable excuse for tardiness. Besides he wasn't late. And they weren't alone in the room. A pretty Ravenclaw girl stood at attention next to the teacher's desk. She gave him a tight-lipped smile. He returned it with one of his own.
"Let's get started." There was something in her voice that did not bode well for them. He scratched at his scars again. "Considering this is the first time I've had to administer a detention, and not to one, but to two students a certain level of thought had to be applied. If the punishment was too light, other students might feel entitled to disrupt my classes. So, I found myself setting a scale of too easy to deplorably harsh. Which is the better choice?" she mused. As she explained she led them to their fate. The path and destination familiar to Harry.
"The middle ground would be a perfectly sound option, but I have never been friends with the middle ground."
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