Chapter 6
"Expecto Patronum!" Harry, Ron and Hermione had returned to practicing the patronus charm now that they were all friends again. It had felt too painful to keep trying without Ron there. But things were back to normal or as normal as they could be anyway, so they had picked up where they had left off and were making rapid progress.
'You're both getting close to a full corporeal patronus but I think what you need is to come up with another memory. The one you've been using just isn't enough. I had to try it with several different memories before I found the one that worked best" Harry instructed.
Ron and Hermione both closed their eyes and looked thoughtful for a while. Ron started grinning and Hermione was blushing furiously. Harry suddenly had a sneaking idea of which memory she was going to use. They hadn't talked about it since the first task, Harry wasn't even sure what there was to talk about but with Ron at their side again and the addition of Neville to their group, they simply hadn't had any alone time together. Harry had been feeling odd about this, because part of him missed that time they'd had when it was just him and Hermione even though at the time he had been missing Ron.
Harry wished he could figure out all these new emotions he'd been feeling lately. Everything had suddenly become so complicated in the last few months. He found himself wishing he could talk to Sirius again. He was expecting a letter from him any day now but it just wouldn't be the same as talking in person.
"Ok you have your new memory, let's try again" He told them. Ron and Hermione nodded and held their wands at the ready.
"Expecto Patronum!"
"Expecto Patronum!" A burst of light exploded from Hermione's wand.
"Harry look" Hermione pointed excitedly to the silvery from of an otter coming out of her wand.
"Wow Hermione you did it!" Harry exclaimed. He threw his arms around her and she hugged him back.
"Achem!" The two pulled away hurriedly and looked awkwardly at Ron.
"How'd you do Ron?" Harry asked, noting the strange look in his friend's eyes.
"I haven't managed it yet, not that you'd noticed" He grumbled.
"Sorry Ron. I was just so excited for Hermione and..."
"It's ok" He muttered but Harry didn't believe him.
"Please don't be upset with me, not again" Harry pleaded. Ron stood there quietly for a moment. Then he nodded and lost the strange look in his eyes.
"Right, ok."
"Why don't we take a break and you can try again later" Hermione suggested.
"No, I'm ready to try again" Ron said his face filling with determination.
"Expecto Patronum!"
"Expecto Patronum!"
"Expecto Patronum!"
"Expecto Patronum!" He fired again and again without pause. Harry had never seen him act so fierce, so determined to succeed before. It made him take a step back in surprise.
"Expecto Patronum!" Suddenly Ron was thrust backward by an unseen force. "Argh!" He grunted.
"Ron!" Hermione squealed. She and Harry rushed to his side.
"Y'ok mate?" He asked his friend.
"I'm fine" Ron said hoarsely before shoving himself to his feet. "Just fine" he said more firmly when they looked ready to protest.
"Listen Ron, you can't go at it with anger, you're supposed to be happy, blissful even" Hermione instructed.
"Hermione's right" Harry told him.
"Of course she is" He mumbled. "And she was right the first time, I need a break" With that he left the room before either could say another word.
"Do you think he'll be okay?" Hermione asked, worry in her big brown eyes.
"I hope so" Harry replied uncertainly. Something had changed between the three of them, he knew that. He just didn't know how to fix it. He didn't even think that he could. They were growing up, all experiencing new feelings and now everything was irreversibly different.
"We shouldn't have made such a big deal about my patronus I guess. He's feeling left out again now. Should we try to go and find him?"
"Let's give him some time alone" Harry answered.
"Ok" And the two were silent, both left to their own thoughts.
"Do you think this'll work?" Hermione asked Ron.
"I don't know, but we have to try." The two were waiting outside Dumbledore's office, standing by the giant griffin statue. Any minute now he would come to greet them and take them inside so they could talk.
"He wouldn't really insist Harry stay with the Dursleys after we tell him how bad it is, will he?" She tucked at a lock of hair nervously.
"What reason could he possibly have for saying no? There are plenty of people who would let him stay with them, my mum being the first to volunteer. And he'd be safer in an all wizard household anyway" Ron said.
"I hope you're right, I really do" But the bushy haired girl still looked anxious and fidgety.
"Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley" Came the address of the Headmaster. "I've been expecting you, follow me to my office" Dumbledore told them and led the way.
"So, you've requested a meeting with me which means it must be pretty important" He said once they were seated.
"It is, sir" Hermione said politely.
"Very" Ron added. Dumbledore nodded, his eyes twinkling. He motioned for them to continue.
"The thing is Professor, Harry's been really miserable living with his aunt and uncle. He's really uncomfortable talking about it but we know they're treating him poorly" Hermione began.
"I know" Dumbledore said calmly.
"So you see- wait what?" She asked, eyebrows knotted in confusion.
"Yes that's right, I know how he'd being treated. You think I don't know what's been happening but I do. I wouldn't be keeping a proper eye on him if I didn't."
"Then why are you keeping him with those rotten dirty-" Ron started angrily.
"Ron" Hermione reprimanded at his outburst.
"I'm afraid it's the safest place for him" The headmaster said gravely.
"But sir-" Hermione tried but Ron cut in even angrier now.
"The safest place for him!? You're barking mad!"
"Ron!" She exclaimed again.
"He's not safe there, far from it! Bars on his window, cat flap on the door, dozens of locks to keep him inside. You should've seen the way his uncle came barreling in after him, screaming like a banshee that he wasn't going to get away from him! I was there, I saw how dangerous that muggle is with my own two eyes and you claim it's the safest place for him! You're either lying or just plain crazy" He shouted, hands clenched into fists as he stood up.
Hermione grabbed the back of his robe and pulled him back down to his chair. She was shaking, positively trembling at the way he had spoken to Dumbledore. "We're sorry, sir" She squeaked.
"It's quite alright Miss Granger" Dumbledore soothed. "I've been on the receiving end of the famous Weasley temper before" His lips twitched as if they would smile. "In fact it was from your mother when she herself tried to convince me of the same thing" he said to Ron.
"I'm sorry but my decision remains. Harry must stay with his relatives if he is to be kept safe from Voldemort, yes Voldemort" He repeated when they both paled at the name.
"He's still out there. Sooner or later he'll find a way back to life and he'll come for Harry again. Blood magic is the only thing that can protect Harry from him. I've spoken to the Dursleys about their behavior towards him but that is all I can do about it at the present. I am sorry" And he truly looked it.
"I can't believe he won't do a thing about it" Ron expressed once they had been dismissed.
"I know and to think that he's known all this time how much Harry's been suffering" Normally Hermione defended Dumbledore without question but for once she was finally disagreeing.
"We have to do something about it" He said fiercely.
"What more can we do?" She asked. "If someone as powerful and intelligent as Dumbledore can't do anything about it, what hope could two fourteen year old students have?"
"We've got to find Pettigrew. That's the only way we're getting Harry out of there. Not even Dumbledore can deny Sirius who was made his legal guardian, but he can't take him in until he's a free man" He said thoughtfully.
"Ron" Hermione gave him a pitying look. "You know I want to help Harry but Pettigrew could be anywhere by now. The odds of finding him are-"
"I know where he is. With you-know-who. You heard Dumbledore, sooner or later he'll make a move to come back. Then he'll come for Harry, but we'll be ready for him when does and we'll finally catch that rat. If it's the last thing I do, I'll catch that rat" Ron said determinedly.
"And until then?" She asked, not in the mood to argue for a change.
"We do what we can to make Harry's time with us as happy as it can be."
"Are you going to ask her?" Was the first thing Hermione said to Harry after the announcement of the yule ball.
"Ask who what?" He replied warily. Hermione rolled her eyes at him.
"Cho of course. C'mon Harry I know you like her."
"That doesn't mean I can just walk up to her and ask her to be my date for the Yule ball."
"Why not?"
"Because we've barely spoken two words to each other for one. And for another everyone outside of Gryffindor house think I'm nothing but a lying, attention seeking prat" Harry reminded.
"That's not true. You said that Luna girl believed you" Hermione pointed out.
"She also said she believed in something called wrackspurts along with a bunch of other rubbish."
"You won't know until you try, what've you got to lose by asking her?" She asked.
"Her saying no and laughing me off the face of the earth" He muttered darkly.
"Cho wouldn't do that."
"How do you know? And why are you so keen for me to ask her anyway?" Harry wondered. The truth was he had thought of asking Hermione to the dance when it was first announced. But now she was urging him to ask Cho.
"Because any girl who would turn you down would have to be crazy" She said matter of factly. "And um...look Harry I just want you to be happy. I know this whole tournament thing has been one big mess for you, this is a chance for something positive to come out of it. I know you're scared to ask her, but wouldn't it be worse to not ask her and end up regretting it?"
She was right. He knew she was. But that didn't make it any easier. And besides it was obvious sheherself didn't want to go with him, so he might as well ask Cho. "Alright, I'll try" He mumbled. And so before he lost his nerve Harry got up and went to find the raven haired girl.
"You can do it Harry" Hermione encouraged with a smile.
"Er, excuse me?" He had found her in the library, not an uncommon place to go looking for a Ravenclaw after all. The girl in question turned and gazed at him curiously.
"Yes?" She asked softly.
"Would you-" He felt his throat tighten, he couldn't get the words out. "Wouldyougotothedancewithme?" He finally spat out in a rush.
"Huh?" Her eyebrows furrowed.
"The dance...go...with me?" He asked again this time slower.
"Me with you?" She asked puzzled and Harry froze on the spot. "I'd love to!" She finished when she saw his expression. He couldn't think what to say so he just nodded and smiled before hurrying away.
Harry couldn't believe it. She had actually said yes. The girl of his dreams, the one he'd been crushing on since last year! He was going to the ball with Cho! So why wasn't he happy about it?
A/N: It would be way too easy to just have Harry and Hermione go together like most stories but I decided to go with this instead. Meanwhile poor Ron is feeling like a third wheel around them and still hasn't managed to cast his patronus. And Dumbledore as usual won't budge and move Harry to a better home. I love him but he sure can be difficult when it comes to the blood relative thing. So far I've been following canon as closely as I can but things are about to start deviating from the original storyline so be prepared for some changes next chapter!