Sorry for the delay this week. My internet is stupid and hatesme. I still own nothing. Especially not the novel Hermione is reading in this chapter, the amazing The Color of Magic by the late, great Terry Pratchett. If you have never read it- go do that. This will still be here.
Chapter Eight.
Hermione leaned her head against the train windows. She vaguely listened as Harry and Neville compared breaks. She idly wondered if they would be invaded by Weasleys. She doubted the twins would seek them out, but the younger two might. Her presence could potentially deter Ron, or he might have cooled enough to realize he needed to tolerate her to keep Harry. Ginny remained a wild card. Cynically, Hermione acknowledged that the redhead might decide a friendship with her could be a fast track to Harry. She also acknowledged that she had no idea if Harry wanted to date Ginny. It was possible. She needed to keep his desires under consideration. Once the school year ended they needed to talk. That would require him surviving that long. Mentally she began compiling a list of defensive spells to work on.
They disembarked the train before the first Weasley spotting. Ron suddenly appeared behind Harry as he climbed into a carriage, cutting Hermione off. She glared at the back of his head as he knowingly stole the last seat in the carriage.
An assistive hand appeared as she began to enter another. It belonged to a seventh year Slytherin she knew by appearance. He played chaser for the quidditch team. "Please don't judge pureblood manners by that oaf, Miss Malfoy."
She gave him a small smile. "I won't. But thank you, Mr," she paused her unspoken question hovering in the air.
"Montague, Graham Montague." Hermione took his and hand and settled herself into the corner seat of the carriage. Montague took the spot opposite her. Before he could say anything Draco and Blaise popped in. Montague shot them a dirty look, which Draco returned. Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Where's Potter?" demanded Draco.
"In the carriage ahead. Weasley inserted himself, forcing Potter and Longbottom to abandon poor Hermione." Montague answered.
At the same time all three replied. "Hermione?" Draco raised his eyebrow.
"Poor?" snorted Blaise
"Abandoned?" Hermione crossed her arms. "First, I have not given you leave to be informal, Mr Montague. Second, I am more than capable of looking after myself. Third, I am not some pathetic damsel in need of rescue. Do not mistake grace and good breeding for weakness." She glared at all three of them.
"What do you mean by good breeding? You just learned you were a pureblood a few months ago. And you don't seem the type to fall back on the family name." Blaise asked.
She rolled her eyes again. "Pureblooded wizards do not have a monopoly on manners and good upbringing. My adoptive parents taught me to be polite, and which fancy fork to use for which course."
"Sorry."
"You should be, but apology accepted." When the carriage stopped at the front doors Hermione jumped out before the others even moved. She grinned to see Harry standing outside of the door, making a show of waiting for her. He shook his head at her questioning look. She knew they would talk later.
Inside the Great Hall she waved at Viktor and sat so Harry was between herself and Neville. The twins flung themselves across from them, grinning ear to ear. Ron sat further down clearly fuming. Fred and George made a show of greeting her warmly. She began to suspect she had been a frequent, and negative, topic of conversation at the Burrow over the last two weeks. She smiled in greeting and told them of her idea for wizarding board games.
"Brilliant!" exclaimed Dean Thomas. "Change the locations in Monopoly, though. Instead of Mr Black's mansion the Cluedo murder house should be somewhere like Hogwarts."
"And change his name to the American version of Mr. Boddy." Hermione suggested. "Though Sirius might get a kick out the idea of his father being a murder victim."
"You could create a quidditch game." Harry's eyes lit up. George and Fred eagerly grasped the ideas with all four hands. Hermione promised to take them shopping for their own copies of the muggle games over the summer.
"We can offer the originals for muggleborns and enthusiasts like Dad." The twins grinned at Hermione, their eyes bright with excitement.
She smiled back shrugging. "Even Lucius enjoyed them."
"Malfoy approved even!" The boys high fived. "Do you think he'll let us quote him?"
"Who knows?" Hermione laughed, "You can always ask him."
Alone in the common room, Harry confessed Ron told him he was ready to forgive Harry for siding with Hermione. Everything could go back to the way it was suppose to be.
"And how exactly is that? I though you all ready made up?"
"So did I. Apparently, that was before I snubbed the Burrow to go wallow in the Malfoy's dirty money."
"He didn't invite you. They never invited you before. How is that your fault?"
"The way Ron talks his ideal of our friendship is that I stop spending any time with anyone not him. Other people can be around sometimes, if Ron approves. He said he understood I needed you to help me train and do my homework." Harry spat out bitterly. He ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "Those weren't his exact words, but that's what he meant."
Hermione leaned back on the couch. "You know what sucks?" Harry flopped back next to her. "He can be an amazing friend when he wants to."
"As long as things go the way he wants."
"Harry, I'm trying to be the peacekeeper. Explain to him that you can no longer limit your social circle. Invite him to expand his own, either with your new friends or his own."
Harry slowly nodded. "You're usually right about these things."
Hermione beamed. "I know." They both laughed.
The students quickly fell back into the routine. Hermione no longer startled when someone called her Miss Malfoy, or just Malfoy. She worked to balance revising for exams, training with Harry, and spending time with friends. Fortunately, often she could combine the three.
With the third task approaching, Harry frequently received owls from Sirius and Remus with advice or spells to consider. Sometimes they sent the owl to Hermione. "Apparently, they fret you might not take them seriously." she quipped one morning. Harry groaned at the sight of another regal eagle owl winging towards them. Hermione giggled, earning a few confused looks. "Relax, that's Lucius's owl, not Sirius's." She took the missive and offered the owl a rasher of bacon. He gulped it down in two bites and took off again.
My Darling Treasure,
Before I get to my true reason for writing, may I ask why the matched set of Mr Weasleys have begun inquiring to my opinions of muggle board games? Do I wish to know?
Irregardless, I hope this letter finds you well and not overwhelmed by your self appointed responsibilities. I am writing to inform you I believe I have discovered the ritual Lord Voldemort intends to use, or rather the precursor to it. Whomever entered Mr Potter into this tournament intends for him to be incapacitated so they can abduct him for the ritual. It calls for the flesh of the servant, bone of the father, and blood of the enemy. Who better to name as Voldemort's enemy than the person responsible for ending his physical body last time? Along with the idea that in taking his blood it would overcome Lady Potter's protections on Harry. I will endeavor to learn as much as I can. I have enclosed a list of possible research materials.
Your loving father,
Lucius.
She handed the letter to Harry once she finished with it. Closing her eyes, she considered their options. Personally, she favored letting the wizarding world fend for themselves and taking off for Fiji or Bali. Or getting a gun. One to the head would finish off even the most powerful of wizards. She smiled as she imagined the shocked faces of wizards afterwards. Then grimaced, that would just reinforce the idea that they should kill all the muggles. If they went down that route it would have to be in secret, or look like a new kind of spell.
Harry set the letter down. "So, the twins want Lucius to endorse their board games, huh?"
"That was your take away? Seriously?"
"No, but I preferred that part of the letter to the part about someone wanting to use me in a ritual. Does knowing about it really change anything?"
"Since I doubt you'll agree to head for the hills and leave them to their mess, no, not really. We'll continue training and contemplate ideas to thwart him."
Professor Moody often implied he would be willing to bend the rules to help Harry, so Hermione had him sign a pass for the restricted section in the library. Shamelessly, she swiped the book she wanted for in depth study.
Days later, Harry dragged her out of the library to join Neville on the shore of Black Lake. "You need fresh air, Mione." She glared at him, and kept analyzing each step of the ritual from every angle. Draco and Theo joined them when they came upon them lounging under a tree.
"Is that a library book, Miss Malfoy?" Theo questioned, plopping down next to her, his tone teasing.
"Moreover, is that book on dark rituals? Shouldn't that be in the restricted section?" Draco exclaimed.
"Yes to all three. Now, hush, I'm reading.
Both boys stared at her shocked. "Since when does the Gryffindor Goody-Two Shoes break school rules?" asked Draco.
Harry and Neville exchanged a look and began laughing. "If you think Mione doesn't break rules you haven't been paying attention." Harry howled.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "I follow rules, unless dire circumstances dictate otherwise." She primly brushed imaginary dust from her skirt. Pointedly, she raised the book in front of her face and continued to read. Wisely, Harry and Neville avoided answering too many questions about the rules Hermione had broken, and steered the conversation to the new Nimbus broom release versus the Firebolt.
Twirling a curl around her finger, Hermione's mind spun with possibilities. Without knowing who put Harry's name in the Goblet they couldn't be certain of stopping the ritual. At some point that person intended to take Harry's blood. The ritual allowed for numerous variables. Harry as the enemy needed to remain the constant for her calculations. But which other variable could they sabotage? A willing servant? No, anyone seeking Voldemort right now would be fanatical in their loyalty. That left the bones of the father, unknowingly given. For it to be an unknown gift it would have to be from a deceased paternal ancestor.
Hermione reread that section. The wording suggested it needed to be no more than three generations past, the closer the better. Now, who to take the information to? Could Dumbledore be trusted to move fast enough? Hermione suspected the headmaster didn't like it when he didn't control events. He might know who Tom Riddle's father was, but he might dismiss her concerns and plans out of hand, confident in his own ability to keep Harry safe and deal with any fallout. If Lucius had a plan he would have told her he had it handled. Perhaps foiling this would take a more mischievous touch, a marauder's touch. She closed the book and placed it on her lap.
Her movements caught Harry's attention. "Yes, General Malfoy?"
"No one lets a sixteen year old be general."
"Oh, sorry, do you have a plan, Mastermind Malfoy?"
"Did you bring your mirror back to school?" Harry nodded. Hermione smiled and looked at Neville.
"Yeah, yeah, plausible deniability and all that." Neville stood up and motioned for the Slytherins to join him.
"Why are we leaving?" asked Theo.
"That way when the shite hits the fan we can truthfully say we had no clue what they planned."
Draco's eyes narrowed. "And just what do you have planned?"
"Ask me no questions, I'll tell you no lies."
"Hermione." He said her name warningly.
"No, Draco. I promise no wild shenanigans. I merely want to ask a dog and wolf some questions. Depending on their answers I may have a small errand for them. Then I'll return my library book. After that I might see if Viktor wants to go for a walk around the lake." She brushed grass from the back of her skirt.
Theo looked concerned, "I thought you two were just friends?"
"We are." She smiled sweetly. "And friends go for walks. Plus, I enjoy tweaking his fan club's noses. The international quidditch star likes me, the plain know-it-all bookworm, best." She sniffed.
"Don't you mean the know-it-all book bug?" Harry snorted.
"I'm sorry, Harry, what did you just say? You don't want my help with the third task? That training with me like this is cheating?"
Harry's smile slid from his face. "Just kidding, sorry, Hermione."
"That's what I thought. Go get the mirror. I'll meet you in the common room."
Draco cocked an eyebrow, "Book bug?"
Hermione huffed, "Viktor mixed up his phrasing. And if you tease him about it every girl I encounter will hear about your fourth birthday." Draco pantomimed zipping his lips. "Wise decision."
Looking around as she climbed through the portrait hole she saw Harry sitting in front of the fire chatting with Ron. She gave him a small wave and went to sit at a study table. If Ron thought Harry was ditching him in favor of her it would result in a tantrum of epic proportion. Fred and George quickly moved to engage her in conversation. Dean Thomas had had his mum send his Cluedo game. The twins wanted to discuss the pros and cons of animated playing pieces.
"Go with moving pictures on the clue cards. Playing pieces using little weapons is creepy." They nodded in agreement. "And if you want Lucius's endorsement of the games, wait until you have finished products to show him. He's a businessman, he'll respond best to results he can see and measure."
The twins looked at one another then Hermione. "By chance, Miss Malfoy." started one.
"Are you suggesting."
"The great."
"And powerful."
"Lucius Malfoy might be interested in investing?"
She shrugged, "Anything is possible. You might also approach Sirius. As a Marauder he adores a good prank." She kept glancing over at Harry. He jerked his head towards the steps to the dorms. "Speaking of Marauders, I need to talk to a dog about a bone. Do me a favor and distract your brother would you?"
"We live to serve, my lady." The twins bowed, grinning like the Cheshire cat. Hermione made her way to the staircase before the chaos began.
She slipped into the fourth year boys' dorm. Harry joined her seconds later. "If I had known we were going to end up here, I would have just waited for you. Ron just kept going on and on about me staying at the Burrow this summer. I tried to remind him I would be living with Sirius by then, but he just kept on about playing quidditch and the swimming hole."
"I'm sure you could visit for a bit if you wanted. Sirius wouldn't be upset. I expect you to visit me."
Harry sighed. "If he started acting like my friend Ron, I would love to. But he keeps trying to isolate me. He's acting like he's the only person I can be friends with. And he keeps making little digs at you."
"What about Ginny?"
"Huh? What about her?"
"What do you think about Ginny's behavior?"
"I didn't realize she'd been acting different."
"She hasn't been. She really wants to date you. She's been getting less subtle as the year has gone on."
"Me? Or Harry, the boy who lived?"
"No clue. Do you like her that way?"
"I don't know. I thought I liked Cho Chang, but she's dating Cedric Diggory."
"They do seem to be pretty hot and heavy. Just be thinking about it. I intend to keep her at arm's length right now. But that's my deal. We've never been the best of friends anyway, and right now we have bigger fish to fry."
Harry held up his mirror, "Padfoot."
Moments later a healthy looking Sirius Black appeared. "Hello, pup."
"Hermione's here, too." Harry tilted the mirror so she could wave.
Hello, Kitten. Stirring up trouble as ordered?"
"Something like that. I have an idea I want to run past you and Remus."
"Well, as luck would have it, Moony is here." He turned his mirror to reveal the sandy haired werewolf. "So lay it on us."
Hermione explained what Lucius found and what her research suggested. "We know his father is named Tom Riddle, and his mother was Merope Gaunt. That should give you somewhere to start."
"Are you suggesting removing the bodies?" Remus asked.
She wrinkled her nose. "Only as a last resort. It feels disrespectful. My first suggestion is to switch the headstones. All of them. Flip one side of the cemetery for the other. That way Riddle will think everything is going to plan until it is too late."
Remus looked thoughtful. "That may work. We'll see if we can find his ancestors. And look into his father. He could still be alive. He'd be somewhere between eighty-five and ninety years old. Not uncommon for a muggle. Should we worry about half siblings?"
"Thanks, and no. The ritual is clear- it has to be a direct line ancestor."
Harry replaced the mirror in his trunk. "Do I really have to let him steal my blood?"
She sighed, "I've thought about all the angles. His follower will just keep coming after you. Better to allow it now, and know it's coming, than lose the advantage of surprise. Harry frowned, "Right now the Death Eaters have no idea anyone outside of the marked have a clue Riddle's return is imminent. Let's keep it that way." She moved to the window and looked out over the grounds. "After the tournament I want to look into how he survived."
"Why do you keep calling Voldemort, Riddle?"
"For the same reason you call him Voldemort not You-Know-Who or He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. He invented the name to spread fear. People knew Tom Riddle. Professor McGonagall went to school with him. He renamed himself to create a sense of mystery, to create awe. I'm taking Voldemort's idea even further. Saying Voldemort takes away the power of fear. Calling him Riddle steals the mystique."
Harry nodded, "Very logical. Right, Riddle it is then."
Hermione encouraged Harry to go enjoy hanging out with the boys after that. She intended to curl up in the common room with a good book. She felt they both had been neglecting their housemates as of late. "Spend some time with Neville, the twins, or Ron." Harry gave her a confused look. "Neither of us had friends before Hogwarts. We shouldn't shove away the first ones we ever made."
What she meant was Harry shouldn't ignore his first friends. She never really connected with the female Gryffindors in their year. Fay Dunbar and Sally-Anne Perks knew each other since before Hogwarts. Lavender Brown and Pavarti Patil bonded over their mutual love of fashion and boys. Awkward, frumpy, bookworm Hermione never fit in with either couple. Hence, her plan was to just be with her house.
By the time she collected her book and went back downstairs, Harry had joined Ron, Seamus, and Dean testing a game for the twins. She settled herself in an armchair next to the fire ignoring Ron's smug smirk. She sighed and immersed herself in the adventures of Rincewind the wizard. Death had just had a near Rincewind experience when the clearing of a throat interrupted her. She looked up to see several of her female housemates grinning madly. "Err, can I help you?"
"Yes!" declared Alicia Spinnet, grabbing Hermione's hand. "We're having girl time and we aren't taking no for an answer." Hermione scrunched her forehead. "You're always busy researching something, or helping someone with homework. Harry all ready declared himself free, so you're free." The older girl pulled Hermione to her feet. The crowd hustled her up to the sixth year girls' dorm. Alicia escorted her to one of the beds and sat next to her. Angelina Johnson settled on her bed. Katie Bell beat Ginny to the spot next to Hermione. Pouting she perched next to Angelina. Fay, Sally-Anne, and Pavarti climbed onto the other beds. Lavender stretched out on the floor hugging a pillow. She kicked her feet in the air.
Alicia flashed Hermione a feral grin. "So, Miss Malfoy, do tell, how was Easter break?"
"Nothing like easing into it, eh, Spinnet?" Hermione chuckled at their slightly guilty looks. "It was fine. We had family time and Harry met some of this parents' school friends."
"He could have done that at the Burrow." Ginny pointed out in a sulky tone.
"That is very true." Hermione agreed. "Maybe your parents could organize that over the summer for him."
"What do you mean family time?" asked Pavarti.
Hermione looked at her confused. "We spent time together as a family. We looked at photo albums, discussed growing up the muggle world versus the wizarding world, and played games..." She trailed off.
Lavender snorted, "You expect us to believe Lucius Malfoy played Exploding Snap?"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "We played board games like Cluedo and Monopoly. And before you ask, he preferred Monopoly. He also took me horseback riding."
Pavarti grinned, giving Fay and Sally-Anne a side eye glance. "Ernie Macmillan told some of us Lord Malfoy recognized Draco as his Heir."
"Um, yeah, when we had Harry acknowledged as the Potter Heir."
"What!" exclaimed Ginny and Lavender, the latter sitting up.
"Are you serious?" demanded Ginny.
"No, that would be the lord of my house." quipped Hermione. Everyone stared at her blankly. "Sirius Black named me his Heir. That's how I got his name cleared.
Lavender tossed her long blonde hair over her shoulder, folding her arms across her chest. "You're the Black Scion?" Her tone clearly disbelieving.
"Yes, that's sort of why Lucius went ahead and named Draco the Malfoy Scion." Hermione shrugged.
Ginny stared at her with calculating eyes, "You seriously don't know how big of a deal this is, do you?"
"Both Lucius and Sirius acted like it wasn't a big deal. All the noble houses have one."
"Sure," Angelina agreed, "but most aren't recognized until after graduation. It's a way of announcing you trust your heir. They're mature enough to make responsible decisions."
"Oh."
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Oh? Is that all you have to say?" Several of the girls shook their heads laughing.
Hermione stiffened. She remembered the many times before that this kind of laughter had been directed at her. "If the only reason you included me in girl time was to interrogate me and poke fun at my cultural ignorance, I think I'll return to my book. I despise being gossiped about and don't appreciate being conned into giving you more fodder under the guise of friendship." She stood up. Several of the girls looked down, guilt written across their faces. Lavender opened her mouth to respond. "Sod off, I don't want to hear it. I'm the same person I was before. Only this time I don't think I'll ignore the slight. Please don't speak to me, as I don't intend to speak to you." She gave her hair a regal toss and stormed out.
Growling, Hermione stomped back towards her room. Why had she been so naive? Why would those girls suddenly want to be her friend?
"Hermione! Hermione! Wait!" She whirled, her hair flying out wildly. Angelina, Fay, Katie, and Sally-Anne hurried after her. "You are absolutely right. No one should hide an interrogation in the guise of friendship." Angelina smiled shyly. "The four of us want to be friends."
Fay stepped closer, "We won't lie. We're all terribly curious about everything. But, only what you want to share."
"And we'll share gossip with you." Sally-Anne offered.
Katie took Hermione's hand, "We'll even go first."
Three hours later she knew all about Fred Weasley's kissing technique, as well as Oliver Wood's. Sally-Anne had tightly braided her hair in crowns, and Fay had painted her fingernails and toenails coordinating colors. She learned about Fay's disastrous second date with a boy from Beaubatons. "I think he confused my head for a lollipop." Hermione had giggled along with the other girls. It felt good to be included. "Okay, Hermione, I have to ask." Fay said when the laughter died down. "How are you okay with Harry still being friends with Ron after everything he's said about you?"
"Ron was Harry's first friend in the wizarding world. If they grow apart that has to be between them. I will never ask anyone choose me over someone else." She sighed. "If Ron Weasley loses Harry's friendship, it won't be because of me telling him to do it."
"Even after everything he's said?" Angelina looked her in the eye. "I mean, Fred and George are on the verge of disowning him."
Hermione closed her eyes imaging Molly's reaction. She began laughing so hard she fell back onto her bed. Tears began streaming down her cheeks. "Oh, I can just see Mrs Weasley. Fredrick Gideon! George Fabian! You cannot just disown your baby brother like that! I don't care what he said about that dreadful Malfoy girl! You apologize right now! Now, who wants pudding?" She wiped her eyes. "Even before the kidnapping came out, she never really seemed to like me much. I was always an afterthought." She let out a deep breath. "Kind of feels like the story of my life."
"Geez, gloomy much? No frowns or deep philosophical discussions during girl time, only silly frivolous nonsense. Like, how good of a kisser is Krum?" Angelina waggled her eyebrows suggestively.
Hermione blushed, "Pretty good, actually."
"Really? Spill." demanded Katie.
"We've only kissed a few times. But, yeah." she smiled fondly. "More Oliver style than Fred, I would say." The girls laughed.
"Your first kiss?" questioned Sally-Anne.
Hermione shook her head, "No, my neighbor's nephew visited last summer. We, uh, decided to, um, practice with each other. You know, get the awkward fumbling part over with." Sally-Anne nodded at her. "And no, he wasn't all that great when we started. But he got better. I'm sure I did, too. It might sound crazy, but it helped to get feedback."
There was a moment of silence before Fay burst out laughing. "I'm sorry, I just realized how perfectly you that sounds. Only Hermione could find a way to revise kissing." She paused, "I think I'm jealous. May I borrow your neighbor's nephew?"
The girls laughed again. "I don't know if I'll ever see him again." She smiled wistfully.
Sensing the possibility of a return to melancholy seriousness, Sally-Anne jumped in. "So, indulge us, how serious are you and Krum?"
"Not at all." Sally-Anne frowned at her. "We agreed that we are in different places in our lives right now, and we should keep things light. I still have school, he's going to play professional quidditch. Neither of us really likes the idea of a long distance relationship."
Angelina made a rude noise. "You are both too young and good looking to behave this rationally."
Hermione smirked, "Who said we behaved?" Angelina stared at her in shock, until Katie smacked Angelina in the face with a pillow. Startled, Angelina fell backwards off the bed. She popped up, grabbed a pillow and charged at Katie, swinging wildly as she came. The ensuing free-for-all ended with feathers everywhere. Once Katie and Angelina left, the fourth years put the room back to rights.
While Fay and Sally-Anne dressed for bed, Hermione wrote to Narcissa and Lucius. She told them of Harry's preparations, spending time with Draco, and bonding with her housemates. Sometimes, she answered questions about her younger years Narcissa asked. She knew they were in the honeymoon period, and therefore on their best behavior. She wondered sometimes what their first fight would be about. She knew Lucius still held a lot of traditional values. It was inevitable, really, that something would set one of them off.
The second weekend of May, Sirius contacted Harry. After tireless investigation, Remus found Tom Riddle, Sr and his parents in a cemetery outside of Little Hangleton. All three had been deceased since 1942. The cemetery lay on uneven ground making the switching of tombstones a herculean task, even with magic. But the Marauders rose to the challenge. Upon request, Narcissa sent Hermione information about the tracking charm placed on her and Draco's rings. Hermione placed a tracking charm on several items. She mailed one to Sirius, had the twins mail one to the Burrow, and asked Viktor to send one home. She wanted to determine the range of the spell. She planned on placing the charm on Harry's glasses before the final task. They had no guarantee the Death Eaters would take Harry to the cemetery. Sirius and Remus would need a way to find him quickly.