A/N - I almost didn't publish this tonight due to a review on my latest one-shot Taking a Chance which has made my blood boil, but I don't want to let down my loyal readers. So onto this story, which one day will lead to yet another dark Harry story. But for now, enjoy Manipulations.
Manipulations.
It was getting late as Harry Potter wandered through the corridors of Hogwarts, but he felt no desire to head back to Gryffindor Tower. A couple of days ago he was on top of the world as he'd successfully completed the first task in the Triwizard Tournament and was welcomed back into the hearts of his fellow Gryffindors. Before that he'd been an outcast as he'd found himself entered in the deadly tournament as an underage wizard. In fact the only person he'd really had on his side was his best friend, Hermione Granger. Even his other best friend, Ron Weasley had been mad at him and was only now talking to him now he was a hero.
Initially Harry had just been happy for things to get back to normal, but now the euphoria of facing a dragon and emerging successful had faded and he was left to really think about what had happened. Try as he might, he just couldn't shake his anger at Ron for not believing him in the first place. Ron was supposed to be his best friend, and while Harry could understand other people being sceptical of how he'd been entered in the tournament, Ron should have believed him when he said he had no idea what had happened. Instead Ron had needed to see him in action and see how dangerous it was for Harry in the tournament before he came around and admitted that Harry hadn't put his own name into the Goblet of Fire.
Feeling sorry for himself, Harry found himself in a deserted classroom on the fourth floor. Noticing a shadowy window alcove at the far side of the room, Harry settled in the alcove and made himself as small as possible as he gazed out of the window at the dark grounds of the castle.
Where he was sitting Harry was virtually invisible unless someone really looked his way, which was how he wasn't spotted when two other students entered the classroom ten minutes later. Harry was shaken out of his contemplation by the other two students entering the room, but before he could make his presence known, he realised that he knew the two students. One of them was his best friend, Hermione, but the other one was a Slytherin in their year, Draco Malfoy. Curious as to why Hermione was with Draco, Harry remained curled up beside the window and tried his hardest to remain as silent as possible.
"I'm telling you, I can't do this anymore," Hermione said to Draco, clearly continuing a conversation they'd been having earlier.
"But it's so close," Draco argued. "Your father is so close to returning."
Harry frowned at the mention of Hermione's father returning. Where had he been? As far as Harry knew Hermione's father, Richard Granger, was at home with Hermione's mother, living his normal life as a dentist while his only daughter learnt magic miles away.
"I know, but it's so hard," Hermione cried. "I feel guilty every time I see him."
"Are you sure you're not developing feelings for him?" Draco asked, and Harry could virtually hear the pout in his tone of voice.
"For Merlin's sake Draco, I don't have time for your petty jealousness," Hermione snorted. "First Krum, now Harry."
"Krum fancies you," Draco retorted in a sharp voice. "Disgusting if you ask me."
"Excuse me?" Hermione's sharp voice could cut glass and Harry winced at the anger he could hear in her tone, even though he was totally baffled by the conversation and the mention of his name.
"I didn't mean it was disgusting fancying you," Draco said in a placating tone of voice. "You know how I feel. I'm talking about the age gap between you and Krum."
"Three years is nothing," Hermione replied with a shrug.
"It is when he's a randy, world famous eighteen year old, and you're just fifteen," Draco shot back. "He should be looking at witches his own age, not ones who are far too young for him."
Even though Harry was still confused, he found he agreed with Draco. He'd also noticed that his fellow champion had taken a liking to Hermione, and like Draco he'd found the age gap worrying. Hermione was a mature witch with a sensible head on her shoulders, but she was still just a child, whereas Krum was on the verge of adulthood.
"We've gotten completely off track here," Hermione said sharply. "This isn't about Krum."
"No, it's about you fancying Potter," Draco spat.
"I do not fancy Harry," Hermione all but yelled at the blond. "For some annoying reason, I fancy you."
Harry thought the confession would lead to the couple sharing some moment of passion, one he had no desire to be a witness to, but Draco just laughed and cockily told Hermione he was fully aware of her feelings for him. Harry couldn't see Hermione's face clearly, but he felt more than saw her roll her eyes at the Slytherin.
"So if you don't fancy Potter, what's the problem?" Draco asked.
"I hate lying to him," Hermione confessed with a sigh. "Every single person in his life is either using him or has an agenda, and I'm no better."
"I have to admit, even I feel sorry for him," Draco admitted. "The poor sod's being manipulated his entire life and he's too dumb to see it."
"He's not dumb," Hermione protested quickly. "Harry's just got a good heart, and he trusts people. It's not his fault everyone in his life is lying to him. I just hate that I'm also one of those people. He deserves better."
"So what, you're just going to tell him the truth?" Draco snorted. "Or are you just going to end your friendship with him? Because that won't look at all suspicious if you walk away from him mere months before your father returns."
"Maybe I should tell him the truth," Hermione replied. "Maybe if he knows the truth he can make his own mind up about certain things."
"And you really think that will work?" Draco questioned with a disbelieving laugh. "You really think you telling him the truth will open his eyes?"
"It could do," Hermione argued. "As I said, he's not stupid. It might be just what he needs to become his own person."
"Or it could be just what he needs to bring you down," Draco countered. "He'll not accept the truth, Hermione. Trust me, if he knew who you really were, he would hate you."
Harry had almost been holding his breath throughout the last portion of the conversation, and even though he still had no idea what was going on, he decided that the time was right to get some answers. Quietly he got to his feet and with a low cough, he stepped into a pool of light coming from another window and made his presence felt.
"Maybe you should try me with the truth," he said quietly.
"Harry, how long have you been there?" Hermione gasped.
"The entire time," Harry replied. "Which was long enough to discover that you two fancy each other and are pretty friendly. And of course there were mentions of your father, you lying to me and not being who I thought. So do you want to tell me Hermione, what's your big secret?"
"Don't," Draco warned in a low voice. "You tell him the truth and he'll go running straight to Dumbledore."
"It's a chance I have to take Draco," Hermione whispered. "I need to tell him the truth. And if he does go to Dumbledore, we can get to Severus and he can get me to safety."
"You hope," Draco retorted. "Father will not be happy about this."
"I can talk Lucius around," Hermione shot back. "I've always had him wrapped around my little finger. Just like you are. So be quiet and let me tell Harry the truth."
"Okay, but just for the record when he goes crying to Dumbledore, I will be saying I told you so," Draco grumbled as he settled himself on a nearby desk.
"Come on then Hermione, tell me the truth," Harry urged, even though a bad feeling was growing in the pit of his stomach.
"I'm not who you think I am," Hermione began.
"Yeah, I got that," Harry snorted. "It sounds like you're pretty well entrenched with the Slytherins."
"That's because my father is a Slytherin," Hermione answered.
"Your father's a muggle," Harry pointed out with a frown.
"No, Richard Granger is merely a muggle who happens to have the same surname as my mother," Hermione answered. "And before you ask, my mother is the woman you know as my mother. Only she's not a muggle, she's a witch."
"Then why the pretence?"
"To keep me safe," Hermione answered.
"Which you're totally blowing by telling him the truth," Draco interjected.
"Quiet," Hermione ordered with a glare, before turning back to Harry. "It's to keep me safe from Dumbledore, and what he might do to me if he ever discovered I was the daughter of The Dark Lord."
"No," Harry gasped, stumbling backwards and putting several desks between himself and the girl he'd known and trusted since first year.
"There's no need to look so horrified, I won't hurt you Harry," Hermione said with a sad smile. "You may not believe this, but I like you."
"Yeah right," Harry snorted.
"It's true," Draco said with a sigh. "You have no idea how much she beats herself up over the fact she has to lie to you. You've gotten under her skin, Potter."
"How?" Harry asked Hermione. "How did this happen?"
"To cut a long story short, my mother and Lucius decided me attending Hogwarts as a muggleborn was for the best when I was nine. I then had a couple of years to master the art of a muggleborn before starting Hogwarts."
"So what, you then deliberately set out to befriend me?" Harry asked.
"No, if anything I had no intention of becoming your friend," Hermione answered. "Like you, I asked the hat not to place me in Slytherin, and I honestly thought I would end up in Ravenclaw."
"I could have told you that you were a Gryffindor," Draco snorted. "You've always been braver than anyone I've ever met, not to mention reckless."
"Even when we ended up in the same house, I didn't try and befriend you," Hermione continued, after bestowing a quick smile on Draco. "I admit, I sought you out on the Hogwarts Express because I was curious about you, but once we started school, I didn't make any moves towards you. You initiated our friendship, Harry."
"I did," Harry admitted with a nod. "But are you saying, you didn't engineer that troll incident? Because I don't understand why Ron would have upset you given who you are."
"Ron didn't upset me," Hermione replied. "I wasn't crying over him, I was crying over how hard I was finding things. I'd been so sure I could cope, yet I hadn't even gotten to the end of my first term and I was miserable. I thought Draco and I would be able to be friends in secret, but it was so hard sneaking around to see each other. I was lonely and I didn't think I was going to last. Then you came along with Ron and saved me from the troll. You also saved me from my loneliness by offering your friendship."
"Why take it though, given who you are?" Harry demanded. "Why befriend me when you knew your father had murdered my parents?"
"I thought about not accepting your friendship, and the truth is, I know I shouldn't have befriended you. But I was lonely and I couldn't help myself. Several times I've told myself I should end our friendship, but I can't. The truth is, I really like you Harry. Like it or not, you're my friend and I care for you."
"Sorry, I don't believe you," Harry sneered. "I find it hard to trust someone who's lied to me for over three years."
"Yet you worship someone who's lied to you your entire life," Draco remarked. "All Hermione's done is lie about who her father is. Everyone else is your life has done much worse."
"All these liars and manipulators I'm surrounded by?" Harry questioned, recalling the initial conversation he'd overheard between the pair. Part of him knew he should leave and go straight to Dumbledore, but he honestly didn't think Hermione wanted to hurt him and he needed to know what she had to say.
"Do you want to know the truth, Harry?" Hermione asked.
"I'll hear your version of the truth," Harry replied. "But don't expect me to believe you."
"All I ask is that you listen to me and think about what I've said," Hermione said. "Just think on what we're going to say overnight, and by the morning if you don't want to believe me and want to turn me into Dumbledore, I'll understand."
"Deal," Harry said, pulling out a chair and sitting down. "So come on, enlighten me. How have I been manipulated all my life?"
"I guess the first thing to clear up is what happened the night your parents died," Hermione said as she sat down on a chair and Draco slid into the one next to her. "I won't insult you by telling you that my father knew nothing of the prophecy, or that he wanted to eliminate the danger you posed to him. But he never meant to kill you. When Pettigrew told him where to find your parents, my father intended to go and see them and offer them a deal."
"What sort of a deal?" Harry asked.
"They left the country with you, and never let you return, and he wouldn't chase after them," Hermione answered. "He even offered to fake their deaths so that no-one else would go after them and persuade them to return."
"My parents wouldn't have agreed to that though," Harry said. "They wouldn't have abandoned the wizarding world to your father's darkness."
"They did agree though," Hermione replied. "Halloween night wasn't the first time my father was at your house. He'd been visiting your parents for weeks, making the arrangements for them to leave and for their deaths to be faked. You were more important to them than anything else, Harry. They were doing the right thing for you. They were going to give you the perfect life."
"So what went wrong?" Harry asked. He didn't know if he believed what Hermione was saying, but he did find her story pretty compelling.
"Dumbledore showed up," Hermione replied. "I don't know how he found out what was going on, but he had. A fight broke out between him and my father. My father was severely injured in the battle and only just made it home to my mother before his body failed him and he ended up in the mess he's in right now. Before he went, he managed to tell my mother what had happened and he was adamant that your family were alive when he left."
"If that's true, what happened to my Mum and Dad then?" Harry asked with a frown.
"No-one but Dumbledore knows," Hermione answered.
"The next day the rumours were already spreading that your parents had been killed, and The Dark Lord was being blamed," Draco explained.
"But he wasn't around to defend himself," Hermione added. "Dumbledore said it was true, so everyone believed him."
"So basically it's Dumbledore's word against your father's," Harry scoffed. "Funny enough, I won't be believing Voldemort."
"That's your prerogative, I'm merely telling you our side of the story," Hermione said with a shrug. "But everything else we're about to say isn't a story, its fact. And I'm sure deep down you know all of this, you just don't want to admit it."
"Admit what?" Harry asked warily.
"That you've been manipulated and used your entire life," Draco said. "Let's take Dumbledore for example. How you can worship the man is beyond me, when he's the reason you've grown up with your mother's relatives."
"You said you were going to tell me facts, not harp on about the fact you think he killed my parents," Harry protested.
"We didn't mean because he likely killed James and Lily," Hermione said. "We're talking about the fact he alone decided to dump you with the Dursleys. Everyone thought you were the baby who defeated my father, Harry, you were a hero. Anyone in the wizarding world would have welcomed you with open arms. Instead he leaves you with a family who was at best neglectful, and at worst, abusive."
"He didn't know how bad they are," Harry argued.
"Didn't he?" Hermione snorted. "Do you think he just left you there and didn't keep an eye on you? He's got a squib friend that lives near you, a Mrs Figg. She reports back to him, which means he's known about your life with the Dursleys the entire time, Harry."
"Mrs Figg is a squib?" Harry gasped. "How do you know this?"
"Father has his sources," Draco answered with a shrug. "Defend Dumbledore all you want, Potter, but the truth is, he knew what he was leaving you to and he knew how you grew up. He just didn't care. He still doesn't care."
"That's not true, he does care," Harry protested. He was still trying to get his head around the fact Mrs Figg was a squib, and even though he wanted to say they were lying, he didn't know how either Hermione or Draco would have known about her as he'd never mentioned the old woman.
"If he cared you wouldn't be in the Triwizard Tournament," Draco argued. "I'm sure you were given some guff about being in an unbreakable contract, but that's not true. You're not seventeen, therefore it's impossible for you to enter into a legally binding contract of any sort. Your age was the get out clause, Potter. Dumbledore could have freed you in a snap of his fingers."
"But why would he want me in this tournament?" Harry asked.
"To gain you some support," Hermione replied. "I'm sure he doesn't intend to let any harm come to you, but every feat you pull off in this tournament draws more attention to you. He'll find it easy to rally people behind you because they've seen what you're capable of as a fourteen year old."
"I still don't believe Dumbledore would be that manipulative," Harry muttered with a shake of his head.
"Please, everything he does is manipulative," Draco snorted. "Isn't it funny that in your very first year here, he brings the Philosopher's Stone here, which attracts The Dark Lord? Straight away, he's reminding you of your enemy and the fact he's not quite as gone as people would like to believe. I'm sure if you thought about it yourself, you could see his actions for the manipulations they truly are."
"And Dumbledore isn't the only one using you, Harry," Hermione said softly. "I'm not saying they don't care about you, but think about how the Weasleys have accepted you into their lives. They've all but submerged you into their family. They're nice enough to me, but they don't treat me like that."
"Yes, but you don't have anything to offer them," Draco drawled. "Potter is the Boy-Who-Lived. It's prestigious being his friend, and just think what will happen if he ever becomes part of the family. I bet they're already foisting Weaselette on you."
Harry glared at Draco, but sadly he couldn't refute the remarks about Ginny. He wasn't sure he would say her parents encouraged her crush on him, but they certainly did nothing to put an end to it. Which of course would have been fine if Ginny was older, but the truth was she'd been obsessed with him before she'd even met him, and even Harry had to admit it was weird for a girl of ten to be crushing so hard on a boy she'd never met. Of course she was now a few years older, but her crush continued and still Harry would say that she didn't really know him.
"And let's not forget Black and Lupin," Draco continued. "Your parents' best friends, both of whom saw fit to abandon you for over a decade."
"They didn't abandon me," Harry argued. "Sirius was in Azkaban and Lupin was hardly in a position to come and find me."
"All Lupin had to do was look you up and check in on you from time to time," Draco said. "No-one was saying he should have raised you, but he could have been there for you."
"Draco's right, if he wanted he could have been there for you," Hermione said softly. "And Sirius certainly could have been there for you. Look at how easily he escaped from Azkaban. He could have done that years earlier. He could have taken you Harry, and given you the childhood you deserved. Although even if he didn't want to take you out of the country, he still could have checked up on you. If he really cared about you Harry, he would have broken out of Azkaban years ago. He didn't break out to protect you from Pettigrew, he broke out for revenge. He doesn't care about you."
"Enough," Harry cried as he got to his feet. "All you're trying to do is turn me against the people who care for me. And guess what, you're not one of them. You've been lying to me, Hermione."
"I have," Hermione said quietly. "But I've also told you the truth, Harry. I've shared my deepest secret with you, a secret which could get me in serious trouble. I've put myself at your mercy because you're my friend and I can't live a lie anymore. All I'm asking is that you take the night to think over what we've just said."
"And then what?" Harry asked. "I join forces with you and turn on everyone else?"
"If that's what you want," Hermione replied. "I can guarantee your safety, Harry. If you keep following Dumbledore down his path, you'll end up fighting my father and I won't be able to help you. But if you stop now, I can make sure no harm comes to you. It's time to choose a side Harry, only this time you've got all the facts at your disposal. You don't have to blindly follow anyone. Take your time and make your own mind up."
"I will make up my own mind," Harry vowed.
Still reeling from what he'd heard, Harry departed the room without a second glance at either Hermione or Draco. However, as he left, he heard Draco ask Hermione if she'd done the right thing in telling him everything.
"I certainly hope so," was Hermione's response and Harry could hear the hopefulness in her voice.
Truth be told, Harry didn't know what to think or what he was going to do. But he did know that Hermione had given him some serious food for thought, and even if what she'd told him about the night his parents had died were all lies, several other points she'd made were true. He certainly had a lot of thinking to do, and Harry knew that whatever decision he came to wouldn't only affect his life, but the lives of everyone he knew and cared about. Although one thing was certain, whatever he did decide to do would be his own choice. He was the only person in control of his destiny, and he intended to do what was right for him.
A few years later.
Hermione's attention was pulled from the book she was studying by the sound of Molly Weasley screaming. Across the table from where she was sitting, Ron and Ginny, slammed shut their books at the sound of their mother and jumped to their feet.
"What on earth do you think is going on?" Hermione asked as she shut her own book.
"I have no idea, but let's go and find out," Ron replied as he pulled his wand from his pocket. "Be careful, both of you," he warned as he led the way from the library.
Hermione and Ginny pulled out their wands as they followed Ron from the library in Grimmauld Place, which was the official Order of the Phoenix headquarters. The trio carefully made their way down the stairs and towards the kitchen, where most of the action took place. Entering the kitchen, they were momentarily stunned to see a bloody Harry sitting at the table while Molly and Sirius fussed over him.
"Harry, what the hell happened?" Ron asked as he and Ginny rushed towards the dark haired wizard.
"We were attacked," Harry answered in a shaky voice. "They came from nowhere, and there was nothing I could do. I couldn't stop them, and they killed him. They killed Dumbledore!"
Ron and Ginny let out twin cries of dismay at the news that Dumbledore was gone. Still standing beside the door, Hermione did her best to look saddened by the news, when all she really wanted to do was find out the details of how the old man had suffered.
"It's not your fault, Harry," Sirius assured his godson as Harry quickly explained to his friends how he and Dumbledore had been taken by surprise and how it was just sheer luck that he'd managed to get away.
"I just wish I could have done more," Harry said with a sigh. "But I stood no chance, they outnumbered us."
"It's a miracle you got away," Molly said. "I'm sure that what Dumbledore would have wanted."
"Of course it is," Sirius agreed. "Not to take anything away from Dumbledore, but you're the hero Harry. You're our only hope of defeating You-Know-Who."
"The Death Eaters didn't seem to think so, they were taunting me about how I'm useless without Dumbledore," Harry replied. "Maybe they're right. Maybe I'm nothing without him. Maybe everything will fall apart now he's gone."
"Don't talk like that Harry, we all believe in you," Ginny said, trying to take hold of Harry's hand. "You can win this war for us, I know you can."
"Ginny's right," Ron agreed. "We all believe in you, Harry."
"That's nice, but right now I don't want to be a hero," Harry said, pulling his hand away from where Ginny was trying to grab onto it and rising to his feet. "I just want to be alone."
"But I haven't finished cleaning your wounds," Molly argued. "We don't want you getting an infection."
"Why don't I do it?" Hermione offered. "I can finish cleaning Harry up in his room, and then he can get some rest."
"That sounds like a plan," Harry said, quickly grabbing the medical supplies from the table before Molly could protest.
To ensure no-one followed him, Harry assured the others he was fine and just needed some time alone, he even suggested they spread the word around the rest of the Order that Dumbledore was dead. With everyone then busy updating the Order, Harry scurried off with Hermione to the room Sirius had given him. Once inside the room the pair locked the door and Hermione threw her arms around Harry.
Following her revelations in fourth year it had taken Harry several months to decide what to do. He'd kept Hermione's secret, although he'd been reluctant to believe her version of what had happened the night his parents died. However, he had thought about everything else she'd said and he'd had to admit it was true. He may not have liked it, but once it was pointed out to him he could see that everyone he knew and trusted had some sort of ulterior motive where he was concerned.
Harry's indecision had lasted until nearly the end of the year, when Hermione had informed him that the Triwizard Cup was a portkey and it would take him to a graveyard where her father was going to perform a ritual that would restore him to full health. Hermione had then given him a locket to give to Voldemort, and she'd promised him that if he gave her father the locket, he wouldn't be killed. Sure enough, Harry did give the locket to Voldemort and rather than kill him, Voldemort let him go with a promise that as long as Hermione wished it, he would survive.
During the summer, Harry had once again being dumped back at the Dursleys and he'd used the chance of being away from Dumbledore to meet up with Hermione and learn more about her father. Voldemort had shown him memories of his interactions with his parents, and they matched everything that Hermione had told him. Voldemort also made it clear that he had no grudge against Harry, and unless he was going to align himself against him, he wouldn't be making any attempt to kill him.
By the end of the summer, Harry was well and truly swayed onto the dark and he promised Hermione and Voldemort he would stand with them. His initial anger at Hermione lying to him had faded as she'd then been honest with him, and had trusted him with her biggest secret even though it could have gotten her into trouble. Now there was nothing in the world that could have dragged her secret from his lips as his loyalty was with Hermione and her father.
"I can't believe it's done," Hermione crowed as she squeezed Harry tightly. "I want to know all about it."
"Okay, but at the same time, patch me up," Harry said with a wince as he extracted himself from Hermione's embrace.
"Your injuries are genuine? I thought they were faked," Hermione gasped.
"We decided it would be better if my injuries were genuine," Harry replied. "But don't worry, Malfoy didn't go too hard on me."
"Draco did this?" Hermione asked as she ordered Harry to remove his clothes so she could fully assess the damage.
"As we agreed," Harry answered. "There's no need to be mad with him."
"If I didn't know any better, I would swear you're softening towards him," Hermione chuckled.
"I have to admit, he's not that bad," Harry confessed. "But only in small portions," he added with a smirk.
"There's nothing small about Draco's portions," Hermione returned with a cheeky wink.
"I did not need to know that Hermione," Harry groaned.
Hermione chuckled lightly, before urging Harry to tell her everything. Harry told her all about the ambush by Voldemort and a select few of his Death Eaters. It had been pre-arranged and Harry himself had told Voldemort where he would be able to find him and Dumbledore.
"What happened when Dumbledore realised you were in on the ambush?" Hermione asked.
"The look on his face was priceless," Harry laughed. "He stuttered and stammered in disbelief, before trying to convince me I was being manipulated."
"That's a good one coming from him," Hermione snorted.
"That's what I said," Harry said. "I pointed out all his manipulations, and he looked gutted to find I'd been able to see through him."
"And what about your parents?" Hermione asked. "Did you find out the truth about that night?"
"Eventually," Harry replied quietly. "Your father is pretty brutal, Hermione. He really laid into Dumbledore to make him talk."
"He knows how much it means to you to get to the truth," Hermione replied. "I don't think he's ever though you believed his version of events, even though you've seen his memories."
"It was hard to believe," Harry confessed. "But I believe it now."
"Dumbledore confessed?"
"Sort of," Harry answered. "According to him, Pettigrew got cold feet and told Dumbledore that he'd told your father where to find my parents. However, this was several weeks after he'd spoken to your father and Dumbledore was suspicious as to why he hadn't attacked. He turned up at my parents' house to talk about moving them, and found your father there. Instead of making himself known, he listened and realised my parents had done a deal and were planning on leaving the country. Knowing he needed me to defeat your father he burst in and a fight broke out."
"Leaving my father severely compromised," Hermione finished. "But what happened next? How did your parents end up dead?"
"Dumbledore got into an argument with my father," Harry explained. "He was trying to persuade him that I was the saviour and they couldn't just run off with me. My Dad told him that I was their son, and he and Mum were going to do what was best for me. Things got violent, and somehow my Dad ended up dead. Dumbledore insisted it was an accident, but after all the lies he's told, I don't know if I should believe him."
"I wouldn't believe him," Hermione said with a shrug. "But what about your Mum? Surely he's not claiming to have killed her by accident as well."
"He is," Harry snorted. "After Dad died, he tried to persuade her to go with him. The way he talked, I think he thought of her as a soft touch. But she refused and again they ended up fighting. Dumbledore said he lashed out, hoping to knock her out so he could take her and talk some sense into her later, but he hit her too hard and she died from the blow. He cried, begged my forgiveness and swore he'd spent the rest of his life looking out for me."
"I do hope you didn't forgive him," Hermione said with a scowl.
"Of course not," Harry replied fiercely. "I told him I hoped he rotted in hell, and then I let your father finish him off. He got what he deserved."
"And now all we have to do is let the rest of the Order know who's side you're really on and watch all their hopes fade away," Hermione said with a wicked cackle.
"And I for one, can't wait," Harry said, flashing his friend a grin.
Hugging her friend, Hermione was ever so grateful that he'd overheard her talk with Draco and she'd chosen to confide in him. Aside from Draco, she'd never made friends easily, and it was great to still have Harry in her life. He really was a good friend, and she couldn't imagine them on opposite sides of the war. Luckily she didn't have to, and she knew that she would always have both Draco and Harry by her side as her father took control of the wizarding world and asserted his authority on the people of magical Britain.