Chapter 9: Tag You're It

"Quick! Check the stalls!"

Hermione heard the familiar voice of Cho Chang order someone as they entered the girls' loo. She knew it must be something completely trivial or something very important. It struck Hermione odd that they didn't want to be overheard. Hermione had no choice at the moment, she Disillusioned herself waiting for them to talk. She stayed very still as Romilda Vane opened the stall Hermione had been about to exit when they had come in. Romilda turned back to Cho with a nod.

"Why isn't the bloody tag working, Vane?" Cho asked. "Did you do something wrong on the last batch?"

"No, Chang, I didn't," Romilda huffed. "There's only two things that can overwhelm the potion. True love and a counter-potion," she paused, looking like she was deep in thought. "Well, that and some kind of bond, but those are just a myth."

"Well, make another batch. Soak another tag," Cho ordered. "Harry hasn't given me the time of day since Christmas break and he's always around that redhead. Get someone in your House to distract her and I'll take care of Harry myself at the next DA meeting."

"Fine. But I want Ginny for myself," Romilda huffed. "The only reason I agreed to this is so you could get Potter away from her so I can try my hand with her. I can't do that with him around."

"Don't you think I know this?" Cho asked exasperated. "It works both ways, you know? I want Harry, you want Weasley. That's why we teamed up."

Hermione was having a hard time keeping any sounds from escaping her mouth that was hanging wide open. How could she have missed this? First, she missed the tag, now this!

"Yeah, I know," grumbled Romilda. "Come on, we can't spend too much time in here alone or we'll get caught. Meet me in the third-floor loo after dinner. I'll have it started by then and I'll need your hair and sweat again by then."

"Right, see you, then," Cho nodded as she left. Romilda waited for a few minutes before she left as well.

Hermione gave them a minute or two head start before canceling her charm. She took a deep breath trying to steady her breathing and nerves. She left the loo, trying not to look like she was not looking for either girl as she headed straight for her Head of House's office. Hermione made it there without encountering either of them again and knocked hurriedly on the door.

"Miss Granger," Professor McGonagall greeted her. "What may I do for you?"

"Please, Professor, I need to speak to you, immediately," Hermione said quickly as she glanced around behind her. McGonagall gave her a strange look. "It's important, Professor. It has to do with a tag," she added quietly.

"Come in," McGonagall ordered. She closed the door, sealing it with a wave of her wand. "I take it you are referring to the tag that was found on Mr. Potter over Christmas?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"I see. Do you know something new to add to my inquiry?" McGonagall asked.

"I was taking a break from some research I've been doing for Harry and Ginny," Hermione began.

"All well and good, Miss Granger," McGonagall said pointedly.

"Sorry, that's not important. I overheard who was behind it in the loo just now, Professor," Hermione told her, wringing her hands. "I think you may want to have Professor Flitwick here for this, ma'am. As well as Harry and Ginny, they have a right to know. And Professor Dumbledore's Penceive."

"I see," she nodded. She raised her wand sending a cat Patronus in one direction, then moving to her floo. After a short conversation, McGonagall pulled her head out of the floo, then looked back at Hermione. "Wait here, Miss Granger. I shall be back in a few moments. Oh, and let Professor Flitwick, Mr. Potter, and Ms. Weasley in when they arrive." She flicked her wand at the door, then stepped into the floo.

"Yes, Professor," Hermione nodded.

As the professor left Hermione's brain registered the difference in how she had referred to Ginny. She was not about to miss anything else. She prided herself in her observational abilities too much not to catch a subtle thing like the difference in "Miss" and "Ms." She would have to talk to Harry and Ginny to find out if they knew why.

Hermione kicked herself mentally for not being more observant before. That was why she had not wanted to believe Harry and Ginny when they had told her about the love potion tag and their suspicions about Cho being the one that had planted it on Harry. Now she had no choice but to believe them after hearing it straight from the girl herself. She was brought out of her thoughts by a knock at the door.

"Miss Granger?" Professor Flitwick asked a little confused.

"Professor McGonagall will be back in a few moments, sir," Hermione told him as she stepped aside to let him in. Harry and Ginny looked at her questioningly as they followed the little professor into the office. "You'll understand once Professor McGonagall returns."

McGonagall stepped out of the floo not two minutes later with Professor Dumbledore's Penceive. "Now, Miss Granger, I believe you would like to share a memory with us?"

"Memory? Memory of what?" asked Professor Flitwick more confused.

"I'm sorry, Filius, I should give you some background first," McGonagall stated. "Please, have a seat."

"Minerva, exactly what is going on?"

"This was found and removed from Mr. Potter over the Holidays," McGonagall answered as she pulled the tag out of a jar on her desk.

"And just what does this have to do with me?" asked a very irritated sounding Flitwick as he examined the tag.

"Professor, may I?" asked Hermione. McGonagall nodded once. "It was a Ravenclaw and a Gryffindor involved, sir."

"One of my Claws?"

"I believe it's time we viewed this memory, Miss Granger," McGonagall stated sternly.


"Vane, what the bloody hell is going on?" Cho growled as they met in front of Professor McGonagall's office after being summoned from class by a silver cat.

"I don't know," Romilda answered looking worried. "I was in Herbology when it came."

"Lucky you. I was in Potions. Snape about blew his top," Cho huffed. Cho knocked on the door.

"Ladies," A very stern looking McGonagall answered the door. "Do come in."

As Cho and Romilda entered they were greeted by a very grumpy looking Professor Flitwick, and three people they really didn't want to be in the same office with at the same time as two professors. Harry and Ginny sat on one of the sofas by the fire. Harry looked like he was holding Ginny back as they walked in. Then there was Hermione Granger. Cho glanced at Romilda with a concerned flash in her eyes. This was not going to end well for them.

"Sit!" McGonagall ordered.

"Miss Chang, Miss Vane, you have one chance to tell me the truth before I replay the memory in this basin," McGonagall told them. She paused looking at each in turn with a penetrating stare.

"Either of you?" She paused again with pinched lips. The girls remained silent but looked very uncomfortable. "No? Very well."

McGonagall tapped the basin with her wand. A silvery image of the girl's lavatory began to take shape. They heard their earlier conversation about the love potion tag. They saw their images floating in the small picture. Their faces turned white as they realized they had been caught and there was now no way out of it. It was as good as a confession. The memory sank back into the basin.

"Miss Granger, this memory is now evidence. Thank you," McGonagall told her. "You may go."

"Yes, Professor," Hermione nodded as she left. McGonagall waited until the door was closed again before addressing the matter further.

"Miss Chang, I am very disappointed in you," McGonagall stated. "Miss Vane, I expect much better from my Gryffindors," the words were like a knife to Romilda, and the tone was as sharp as any blade could be.

"Miss Vane, your Charms work has always been very good, and from what I gather you're a gifted student," Professor Flitwick squeaked out in a tone that was very unlike the cheerful professor. "Miss Chang, a member of my House, doing something not even a Slytherin has done in over a century? I am ashamed and disgusted."

"There are several reasons why your plan failed, ladies," McGonagall started again. "The first is Mr. Potter and Ms. Weasley are indeed very much in love with each other. Second, the tag that was removed from Mr. Potter over the Holidays was, in fact, a defective tag. There are other reasons, however, Mr. Potter and Ms. Weasley have asked for those to remain private. And honestly, not only do they have that right, but their reasons are more complex than a simple explanation could give.

"Before I dismiss them, I will state this: neither of you are to have any contact with them for the rest of this school year, am I clear?" Cho and Romilda nodded. "Mr. Potter, Ms. Weasley, if they do try to make contact with you in any way, come straight to myself or Professor Flitwick."

"Yes, Professor," they said in unison.

"You may go," she dismissed them. They nodded to both professors as they left.

"Now, as to your punishments," began Flitwick. "First and foremost, your Prefect's badge, Miss Chang." He held out his hand waiting. Cho slowly unpinned the badge from her robes. "Next your Captain's pin." Cho handed the pin over reluctantly. "And you are no longer on the House Quidditch team."

"But, Professor…" Cho started.

"Did give you permission to speak, yet?" Flitwick snapped.

"No, sir," Cho hung her head. "Sorry, sir."

"Your behavior has been deplorable! I will not have that on my House team! Nor will I have a Prefect that has contributed to this and other such behavior. Yes, Miss Chang, I now know of your treatment of Miss Lovegood in the Common Room and in the rest of the school."

"Yes, sir," Cho hung her head further.

"Do not believe for one moment you or Miss Vane are finished with your punishments, Miss Chang, because I assure you that you are not," McGonagall announced. "That is your House punishment, Miss Chang, not your Hogwarts punishment. We will return to that in a moment. Miss Vane, as you are neither Prefect nor Quidditch player, I can only give one punishment as far as our House is concerned. Henceforth, throughout the rest of your years here at Hogwarts, you will have no chance to earn a Prefect's badge whatsoever. This will be noted in both of your permeant records.

"Now, as Deputy Headmistress, it is my duty to express just how serious this offense is. These tags were banned from Hogwarts over a century ago because one mistake in the brewing can and has caused irreversible damage to someone in the past. Therefore, you both will serve detention with me for the rest of this school year. You are both put on restriction for the brewing of Potions for the rest of your school careers. You will only be allowed to be around any potion ingredients or a cauldron when Professor Snape or another member of the faculty is in the same room. Should that teacher have to leave for any reason you must stop your brewing and wait in the corridor until they return. You need a signed permission slip for the purchase of all ingredients and you will need to owl order said purchases only after you are here at school. Am I clear?"

"Yes, Professor."

"In your first detention, this evening, you will be preparing a confession Howler for your parents. You will state what you have done, what your punishment is, including the confession and restrictions on your Potion brewing and purchases," McGonagall stated.

"In addition, your parents will be receiving letters from both of us outlining the same," Flitwick told them. "They will know if you have left anything out."

"Any infraction from now until the day either of you graduates shall be scrutinized and considered as a possible expulsion offense. Am I clear?" McGonagall asked.

"Yes, Professor."

"Professor Flitwick will escort you to dinner," McGonagall waved them away. "I will escort you back here afterward."


Harry and Ginny were gathering their things after the DA meeting that night when Hermione approached them. She knew there was something more to what Professor McGonagall had said. Hermione was sure of it. Harry glanced at her a couple of times, but Hermione just shook her head, waiting. She remained quiet until they were the only three left in the Room of Requirement. As the door closed behind the last student to leave, Hermione finally turned to them.

"First, I owe you both an apology," she began.

"No, you don't, Hermione," Ginny smiled. "We all make mistakes. We all have opinions. You had no reason to think that we were right about the tag."

"But I should have seen…"

"Hermione, stop," Harry soothed. "You can't see everything."

"Stop blaming yourself," Ginny smiled impishly. "That's Harry's thing," she teased.

"Yeah…Hey," Harry complained as Ginny giggled.

"Love you," she said innocently.

"Love you," Harry grinned, shaking his head.

"Fine," Hermione rolled her eyes. "There was something else…"

"You finished the research?" asked Ginny as she hugged Harry.

"Well, no. Not yet," Hermione frowned. "But the books from Sirius are helping. You weren't joking about them being very dark," she shivered slightly.

"Than what?" asked Harry.

"It was something Professor McGonagall said."

"Oh," Harry looked at her curiously, but Ginny tightened her grip on his waist. "What was it?"

"Maybe it's nothing, but…" Hermione trailed off.

"Out with it, Hermione," Ginny frowned.

"She referred to Ginny as 'Ms. Weasley', not 'Miss Weasley'," Hermione answered. Harry and Ginny looked at each other. It was a strange look that Hermione had never seen on either of their faces' before. It was the look of uncertainty of what to say or how to say it to someone who should not know something yet. "You know something, don't you?"

"You could say that," Harry tried to avoid an answer as they started for the door.

"Well, what is it?" asked Hermione impatiently.

"Well…" Harry stammered as they stopped.

"We…uh…you see…um…that is…um…" Ginny tried.

"We'll have to wait," Harry finally got out.

"Oh, Merlin, you're pregnant!" Hermione gasped, covering her mouth.

"What? No!" Ginny yelled. "We haven't…yet."

"Then why…oh, I'm so confused," Hermione groaned.

"Look, 'Mione," sighed Harry, "it's not that we don't trust you…"

"Because we do," Ginny added.

"But we don't want this getting out just yet," Harry said.

"Want what out?" she asked exasperated. "Everyone knows you're together."

"We know that. It's just…well," Harry offered running a hand through his hair.

"You'll have to wait until the Hogsmeade visit like Ron and the twins," Ginny patted Hermione on the shoulder as she guided Harry out.

Hermione stared after them more confused than she was earlier. Just what was going on with her friends? What had she missed this time? What were they hiding? Nothing made sense. She started for the door to go back to Gryffindor Tower lost in her thoughts again.

Hermione stopped suddenly. Wait. Something Romilda had said earlier came back to her suddenly. The love potion tag failed. Yes, Harry and Ginny were in love. No, they didn't use a counter-potion. Hermione thought back over the events of the Holidays.

From what Ron had told her, Harry and Ginny had shared a sweet moment on Christmas Eve. They had talked constantly after that until Harry had admitted he had forgotten Ginny's first year. Ginny had been so angry she had stormed out…Wait! Ginny's first year! Something about a bond counteracting the tag! Hermione's eyes widened. Could they have formed some kind of bond in the Chamber of Secrets?

Hermione ran out of the Room of Requirement to check one of the books Sirius had sent her.


A/N: This is a completely original chapter. From here on all of the chapters will be completely original to this book. Tomorrow I will working on the next chapter of Birth Bond. So that one will be up some time next week. As Always thanks for the R/Rs.