(Disclaimer: See beginning)
Thank you, everyone who reviewed! your comments and input made my day. As always thanks to my betas, McGonagall's Bola and Emilia Wolfe!
P.S. I have a one shot/deleted scene that takes place in chapter 15, where Hermione and Fera enjoy some sun by the lake. But it made the chapter too long, so I had to take it out. I also lengthened it a bit since I made it a one-shot. So check it out!
Last Time:
"Professor?"
"Welcome back, Miss Granger," was the only thing he could croak out before his head dropped back to the floor and he fell unconscious.
Chapter 16
A tight feeling clenched at her stomach. She took a step back, her eyes widened as the mirror glowed, roaring to life. The glass rippled like water, and suddenly Professor Snape was there, looking at her through the ornate, golden frame.
There was darkness about him. A hum of dangerous power that sparked in his once black eyes, now red and fiery.
The clenching on her abdominal muscles got stronger, and more painful.
It tugged her towards the mirror, her heels dragged across the stone floor. The professor's hand stretched out, and with a sudden lurch forward, she was falling…falling…falling.
She crashed into something hard and warm. The world spun around her and she finally looked up and saw focused dark eyes watching her.
"Professor?" she whispered, unsure and nauseous.
"Welcome back, Miss Granger."
With a groggy moan, Hermione blinked her eyes opened, immediately wishing that she could fall back into the blackness she had woken from. Then, maybe she could avoid the sudden headache, beating rhythmically against her skull.
She tried to peel her lids back further, but the sting that it caused clamped them shut. She tried again, slower this time, but it didn't change much. Everything was still a little hazy, clogged, like she was completely submerged in water and her vision was nothing more than shapes and colors. Sounds weren't much better, covered in a thin coat of white noise, the buzz ringing in her ears uncomfortably.
Her body was faring just as poorly. Her limbs felt lifeless and numb (except for the smallest patch of skin on the bottom of her left foot that itched like crazy) and each breath was wheezy and forced. She unconsciously swallowed, attempting to wash away the feeling of cotton balls coating her teeth and tongue with her saliva.
The clink of glass and metal beside her let her know that she was no longer alone. Something cool pressed against her mouth. Her lips fell apart and a thin, minty liquid slid down her throat. The tightness in her chest eased, and she was able to take a long gulp of air. She let out a pleased sigh.
"That's better," a matronly woman said, somewhere to her right. She knew that voice. Her head lolled in the direction. Her eyes squinted at the blur of white beside her. Was that Fera? It didn't seem like her.
"Who─" her voice cracked painfully, and then she was coughing, her chest squeezing with each harsh pull.
A warm hand pressed down on her stomach, and magic began settling around her, preventing her from thrashing about. "You shouldn't be trying to speak, Miss Granger. You're not ready for it, yet. Just rest your throat, and I'll take care of everything else. Here." Another vial was brought to her mouth, and more liquid moved down her throat, soothing away the cough. The smell of crushed thyme wafted up into her nose.
Coughing Tonic? she wondered, instinctually pulling on the Potions lessons that had been hammered into her brain. Professor Snape would be so proud.
Snape…there was something about Snape that she was supposed to remember. Something important, about how she got here. Something…the thought was gone, slipping its way back into the muddled waters of her thoughts.
"Miss Granger." The woman was back, her homey scent of lilacs and honey hovering over Hermione's nose. "Your body still hasn't fully recovered from your ordeal. I'm going to help you get to sleep, so you can recoup. Alright, dear?"
Too disoriented, Hermione could only give a small whimper, but it seemed to be enough for the woman, who whispered a Sleeping Spell above her, that finally sent Hermione back into the peaceful darkness.
When Hermione woke again, she was feeling infinitely better. The burning pain in her arms and legs was gone, her head was no longer swimming in dizzy circles and each breath was effortless. Her muscles were still a little achy, but she wasn't going to complain. She would take a bit of achiness over feeling like she was drowning at the bottom of the Black Lake any day.
Wiggling her fingers and toes, she made sure everything was in order. Then, satisfied with her physical perusal, she, on habit, turned her inspection inward, checking her Occlumency shields and making sure they were still in place.
A bit chipped, but otherwise fine, she determined, quickly repairing the damage, before she moved onto anything else─like figuring out where she was.
Her eyes cracked open, immediately blinking at the harsh light stinging her pupils. They watered as they tried to adjust. The biting light and blurred colors became solid lines and shapes once more, and she was finally able to observe her surroundings.
The sheets that covered her were soft white cotton. They were similar to the ones in her room, but she knew for a fact that the bed she was currently laying in, a mundane thing that was too low to the ground, was not hers. In fact, from the gaudy, floral wallpapered walls, and dark wood furniture of the room, she could confidently guess that she wasn't in the librarian chambers that she had claimed two years ago.
Where on Earth am I?
She was about to call out to Fera and find out what the witch was planning, when a friendly voice stopped her.
"Miss Granger, I'm glad that you're awake."
Her head flopped gracelessly to the left, hitting her pillow with a soft thud.
Albus Dumbledore, her old headmaster, was sitting in a rickety chair by her bed, same as she always remembered him. He still wore those colorfully loud robes, still had a comically long beard, and a pair of round spectacles perched on his nose, and of course, his mouth was fixed in that all-knowing smile, she so fondly remembered.
Relief at seeing a familiar face flooded through her, followed shortly by confusion.
What was the Headmaster doing in the Soul Book? Or maybe they weren't in the Book, but rather on the Astral Plane…but that couldn't be right either. She didn't remember being summoned and the mysterious lack of glowing spirit aura covering them both only confirmed that thought. So what, then? A dream? It was possible, but if that were the case, then it was the most vivid dream she had ever experienced.
"Professor─" she croaked, swallowing against the dryness of her throat. A glass of water appeared in front of her. Sending a nod of thanks to Dumbledore, she greedily drank it down in a few hurried gulps.
"Better?" Professor Dumbledore asked.
"Yes, thank you," Hermione responded, placing the empty cup on the nightstand to her right.
"Good," he commented. "How are you feeling?"
Stretching her arms above her head, as if she needed to double check the status of her body, she gave the Headmaster a happy sigh. "Much better. Still a bit sore, but nothing too bad. Professor, what's…" She trailed off when words failed her. There were so many questions that had to be answered. Where were they? Why had she been in so much pain? How did he end up─wherever they were? And where on Earth was Fera?
Finally, she settled on, "What's going on?" hoping that the Headmaster would understand all that she was trying to say, to ask, in that simple question.
Thankfully, he did. "To sum it all up: three days ago, Professor Snape extracted you from the Soul Book. You became ill immediately after, which worried a great many people, but Severus assured us that it was a natural side effect. Your body's way of readjusting to a new atmosphere, as it were. You've only just started waking up last night."
"So, Professor Snape really did get me out. I thought it was a dream," she muttered. "But it was real. And Fera…" Her eyes shut as she tried to push down the guilt of leaving her friend behind. She knew it was the only way, and she certainly wasn't going to give up on finding a way to get her mentor out, but the guilt was still there. A sharp sting, like a drop of lemon juice over an open wound.
She nearly missed Dumbledore's imperceptible shift forward when she said Fera's name, camouflaged as it was in his sudden need to rearrange his robes, but she caught it.
"So, she is alive, then?" Hermione nodded in confirmation.
"I will admit, I was concerned that Headmaster Trimble's hopes were for naught, but I am glad to hear that Miss Rosier has survived," he said. "Tell me, how is she doing?"
Hermione could tell that the question, for all its simplicity and innocent appearance, was far more loaded than it sounded. Call it a product of living with a Slytherin and her coy, subtext-ridden comments for nearly two years, but Hermione could clearly read between the lines of the Headmaster's query.
Dumbledore wanted to know about Fera's research, and he was trying to subtly maneuver her into talking about it. It was a technique that Fera had practiced on her on one, too many occasions, only with more arrogance and veiled insults. Embarrassingly enough, it had taken Hermione longer than she wanted to admit, before she had caught onto the sneaky little blonde. Not that it mattered in the end. Her being prepared had never really stopped Fera from getting her way.
Still, she was a little shocked that the Headmaster would try the same thing with her. She wasn't expecting such a maneuver from him. Why, she couldn't say. Perhaps it was because it was so un-Gryffindor-like. Or maybe it was because it was so at odds with the persona of kind, grandfather that she was used to seeing.
Not that she was upset by this revelation, that Dumbledore was perhaps more manipulative than he let on. Slightly disappointed, yes, but no more than when she had learned that her mother had been secretly going to the restaurant down the street for years to buy her favorite Roast Beef dinner and passing it off as homemade. She had learned that her elders didn't belong on golden pedestals any more than she did.
Besides, she had already planned on asking Fera for permission to let Dumbledore, Professor Snape and maybe Professor Lupin know about what she was working on. She didn't delude herself into thinking she could do this all by herself. So, she decided to answer his question, or partly answer it for now.
"She's doing fine," Hermione said with a small smile, "but there was something extremely important that I wanted to speak with you about." She looked around the room, searching for something. "Have you seen my bag? I had it on me when I came through the Book."
A shabby burlap bag came floating towards her, landing on her bed with a muted thump. Her eyes darted to Dumbledore, as she gathered her bag closer, her hands subtly running over the surface of the metal buckles holding the flap closed. Her wards tickled the tips of her fingers.
They were perfectly intact.
With new aspects of the Headmaster's character come to life, a small part of her, the cynical part perhaps, worried that he might have tried to get into her bag, to the notes that he so obviously wanted, but she knew that was highly unlikely.
There were layers of charms woven into her wards that would alert her if they had been broken by anyone other than herself, and of course, her added Extendable Charm made it impossible for just anyone to easily reach their hand in and grab what they wanted. Aside from all that, she knew the professor wanted her full cooperation, and he was intelligent enough to know that digging through her personal belongings might deter that.
Letting her magic press against the paint-chipped front buckle, she waited for the telltale click of her bag opening. With her mind she thought about Fera's notebook and a second later, her fingers were sliding over the care-worn leather cover. She pulled the book out, placing it in her lap for the Headmaster to see.
"This is Fera's journal," she began, her fingers curling protectively around the edges of the notebook. "It's a detailed account of her research─the research we talked about before my…trip."
Sharp blue eyes dropped to the little brown journal with interest. "The one that her father was after, you mean," he said, proving that he knew more about Fera than he had let on the last time they spoke. It was a small gesture of trust, tipping his hand for her to see, but Hermione greatly appreciated it.
"Yes, and for good reason. She managed to create, well, a weapon, really─a rather dangerous and powerful weapon, although unintentional. And because of that I've made a vow," she explained, "a wand oath for Fera, that I would keep her research and anything I create from it a secret."
"I see." His disappointment was obvious.
"There are exceptions," she said in a rush, "but I'd have to get Fera's approval first, before I brought anyone else on. I had already thought of a couple people that I wanted to help me, you being one."
"And the other?"
"I'm still thinking on that one," she lied. She knew she was going to ask Snape as well, because she couldn't think of anyone who would be better suited to helping her. She would have to deal with his more…prickly temperament, but they had seemed to do fine when they talked on the Astral Plane. Or fine-ish, if she ignored the way he had constantly looked as if he were a minute away from strangling her.
Even still, it couldn't hurt to ask him, and she was sure his desire to end the war was greater than his desire to keep a castle width of space between them, but she wanted to be the one to talk to him. She didn't want him to be forced into it by the Headmaster, which was likely to happen if Dumbledore went to him first. More importantly, she did NOT want to deal with a cranky Snape that resented her because his hand had been forced.
No, SHE would talk to him later…once she gathered the courage to actually do so.
"Very well, then. I can understand the need for secrecy," Dumbledore remarked with a sigh. "However, it has recently come to our attention that Voldemort has become aware of Fera's predicament and her research. How? We don't know yet, but he's searching for the Soul Book and anyone who could be connected to it." He gave her a pointed look. "Because of this, the Order will need to know what we're facing, at least. Is there any information you can give me? Details withstanding, of course."
Biting her lip, Hermione thought over his request. He made a fair point. She could hardly expect the Order to help her protect something that they knew nothing about. On the other hand, she couldn't─wouldn't break her vow to Fera, but maybe she could find some middle ground.
"Well," she finally began, measuring her words carefully, "I can't tell you how she did it, or go into any details, but I can at least tell you that Fera's research lead her to create a tool that could…steal another being's magical energy."
Dumbledore froze in his chair, his gaze turning bleak at the implication of her statement. "I believe I understand why Miss Rosier would demand your silence on the matter, now."
Hermione nodded morosely. "Exactly. It was originally supposed to be a tool that helped witches and wizards share their magic harmlessly, but she doesn't know where it went wrong. I'm hoping that I'll be able to fix it, so Harry can use it."
You could hear a pin drop in the heavy silence of the room that followed her words.
Hermione watched the Headmaster, waiting for a reaction and a little surprised that he wasn't happier about what she was telling him. True, the Reservoir Stone was dangerous and would need to be kept under constant watch, but she had just handed him the key to winning the war, to giving Harry the final edge he needed to face Voldemort. You would think he would be more pleased. Instead, he looked troubled, strained, as he looked down at his clasped hands in thought.
"It's not exactly what I was expecting you to bring back," he admitted, "Then again, I'm not sure what I was expecting, but I can definitely see the potential." He raised his head. What looked like guilt and fear quickly flashed across his face, then they were gone.
"I'm afraid I can't personally be much help to you. My attentions are needed elsewhere, with the school and the Order. Never fear, you'll still have access to the Order's resources, and I'll make sure I'm available to answer any questions you might have, if that is alright with you."
"Um, okay," Hermione replied, a little puzzled as to why Dumbledore was suddenly less enthusiastic about Fera's work. Just a minute ago, he had seemed very curious, eager to get a peak at the journal. Now, out of the blue, he wanted no part in it?
Was it something I said?
Dumbledore stood abruptly, pacing across the small strip of floor in front of the door. His eyebrows furrowed in concentration as a hundred thoughts sped through his mind.
He stopped, looking at Hermione carefully, before coming to some kind of conclusion. "Are you well enough to get up?" he asked, briskly.
"I─ah, yes. I can move. Why? Are we going somewhere?" Hermione asked, scooting out from under her covers. Thankfully, she was already dressed, in a simple pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. She looked around for her shoes, wandlessly calling them to her when she couldn't find them.
Dumbledore watched her effortless spell casting curiously, but didn't remark on it or the two white sneakers that had landed gently in her hand. "You don't have to worry. We won't be going far, only downstairs to the study," he told her. "When Madame Pomfrey informed me you were awake, I called the Order together for a meeting. I was going to leave you to rest, but now I think it would be more prudent to have you present."
"Sir?" Hermione looked up from tying her laces, the shock plain on her face.
"You heard correctly, Miss Granger. I want you to attend the Order meeting tonight. The others need to be prepared as well, and before you ask, I'm not expecting you to share everything either, but they need to know the bare minimum, at least. Especially since Voldemort has already found out too much." There was the smallest hesitation as the Headmaster opened the door for her. Another snap decision being made. "Actually, I believe we should have you attend the other meetings as well. Not counting your time in the Soul Book, you have been considered a legal adult for a while now, anyway."
"A─alright, then. I can do that," Hermione said, swallowing nervously, some of her early confidence shrinking away. Attending the meetings would make her practically a full-fledged Order member, and that would mean she'd have an Order member's full burden of responsibility to deal with as well.
Was she ready for that? Or would she just let everyone down? Her deal with Fera suddenly seemed so much more complicated now.
"Splendid!" Dumbledore cheered, gifting her with a fond smile as he lead the way down to the study and the group of witches and wizards that were eagerly waiting for them.
Standing in front of the Order, was just as nerve racking as Hermione thought it would be. Which was ridiculous, since she knew nearly everyone here personally.
How many hugs had she received from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley? How many laughs had she shared with Fred, George, Tonks, Bill and Fleur? How many times had she been patched up by Madam Pomfrey, or gone to Professor McGonagall and Professor Lupin for advice?
The only people that she could say she wasn't familiar with were Kingsley, and Moody (the real Moody), but neither man inspired fear. And Snape, who was sitting in the corner away from the group, as always had a fierce presence, but after six years of dealing with him in a classroom, she was used to it.
Still, for whatever reason, there was something about facing them all collectively, in such an official manner, that added some unexplainable pressure to impress and prove her worth─her right to be apart of their inner circle.
She shifted uncomfortably beside Dumbledore at the front of the room. All eyes were on them.
Dumbledore, with much more experience with these sort of things, folded his hands in front of him, and cleared his voice. A signal that the meeting was starting.
"You are probably wondering why I've called you here tonight, aside from welcoming Miss Granger back, of course." He nodded towards her, his beard lifting with the corners of his mouth. A light chuckle spread around the group and warm eyes rested upon Hermione briefly before returning to the Headmaster.
"Do you all recall the circumstances surrounding the Soul Book that Miss Granger found herself trapped in?"
Tonks spoke up, answering for the room. "It was a prison for a pureblood witch, right? Stuck there by her father."
"Fera Rosier," Lupin added.
"Right. That one," Tonks acknowledged.
Chiming in, Mrs. Weasley said with a grimace, "That poor girl─Imagine having such a horrid father!"
"Yes," Albus agreed. "And due to the sensitive nature of her research, relatively nothing was known about it. However, thanks to Headmaster Trimble, we were able to confirm that the research had great potential, both dangerous and otherwise."
"And now, Voldemort is looking for the book," Moody grumbled, a deep frown burrowing into his cheeks. His magical eye swiveled to Snape momentarily.
"So what's this research about then?" Arthur asked, "And why is Voldemort interested in it?"
"If Voldemort wants it than it most be evil," Moody stated. "We know next to nothing about this Fera woman, only that she created something that TWO Pureblood fanatics have wanted. How do we know that we can trust her, or anything she's made?"
"Who's saying we're trusting anything or anyone. It's not like we have access to her research, or even know what it's about," Lupin argued. "Nor do we have a way to get to it, so we can't just check."
"Hermione was in the book," Fred joined in, George seamlessly finishing his sentence.
"So, she might have seen something."
"Touching anything attached to a Black Artifact, is a death wish. She wouldn't have been able to interact with whatever secrets that book was hiding without it effecting her soul," Moody barked out, while his magical eye rolled around to rake down Hermione's body, as if checking for any harmful residue.
"But Hermione was sucked into the book, right?" Tonks wondered out loud. "So, wouldn't she be negatively affected already?"
"Nonsense, I gave her a proper examination upon her arrival. I would have picked up on something, if that were the case," Madame Pomfrey assured them.
Hermione watched as the others argued over what they thought had happened, none of them getting around to actually asking her. She was tempted to interrupt them, but she wasn't sure what the protocol was for this type of thing. So far, she had been working off of Dumbledore's cues, but he was silent at the moment, looking almost amused by the other's speculation.
"Look, why─" Bill tried to make a point, but was cut off by a deep, and highly annoyed voice.
"Seeing as none of you know a thing about Soul Books, the only thing all of your pointless theories are doing is filling the room with hot air," Professor Snape told them sharply, with a sneer. "Now, ordinarily, being in a Soul Book does have a negative affect on you, but only if you should encounter one of the Sacrifices in there, or if you stay for extended periods of time. However, due to Trimble's interference, Miss Granger was not as affected by the book's influence. She's fine."
The sudden defense was welcomed, though also startling (considering the source it had come from). Hermione looked at her Potions professor, giving him a small smile in thanks. To which he cut his eyes at her and glared in reply. She quickly looked down at her shoes.
So he wasn't really defending me, just looking for a way to shut everyone else up─Makes more sense. But, that was alright, because the Professor's words had given her just the boost she needed to finally speak up.
"I don't know much about what Headmaster Trimble did to the book, but I didn't feel much influence coming from it. He also lessened the effect on Fera as well."
"Wait a minute─Fera's alive? How in Hades name is she still kicking, it's been like over two-hundred years. Not even magic folks live that long," Tonks interrupted.
Snape answered the pink-haired witch before she could. "It was actually longer than that. I suspect she's been in there for about eight-hundred or so years."
Tonks blinked owlishly. "But that's not possible!"
"I assure you, it is," he drawled, waving his hand at her dismissively, "Her soul is trapped there, preserved as it was the moment her father performed the ritual. As long as the book remains unchanged, so will she. Unless, of course, she dies."
"Or, unless she gets freed, which I plan to do," Hermione countered, shooting her eyes at the Potions Master defiantly. He held her stare, his face impassive except for the smallest twitch in his left eyebrow. "In any case, Fera's still alive."
"And," Dumbledore interjected, finally taking back control of the meeting, "She has agreed, under certain conditions, to allow us to use her research."
"So you know what the research is?" Mr. Weasley asked.
Dumbledore turned to Hermione, nodding that she should take the floor.
"Right," the she mumbled, clearing her throat as she faced her audience. "Well…um, for reasons you'll soon see, I can't give any details. I've already taken a vow to prevent me from doing that. And it's for everyone's safety that the specifics of Fera's project be kept secret." She glanced around the room, making sure everyone understood. Moody seemed a little displeased, but he held his tongue, motioning for her to continue.
"Good. Now, first, I should explain that what Fera created─it wasn't meant to be a weapon, or meant to harm anyone. It was supposed to be a tool to help Aurors in the field, for when they were low on energy. But it didn't work like she wanted to and what she ended up creating was a weapon that could steal another's magical energy." She said the words in rush, hoping to get it over with. Like ripping a Band-Aid off.
"WHAT!" Moody bellowed, his voice, only one of many that were steadily rising in concern. Everyone had something to say, and none of it was positive.
"─No wonder, the old Snake-face wants that research."
"─Oh, dear, oh, dear."
"─We should just destroy the book. We can't let Voldemort get to it."
"─It's not that simple. You can't just throw fire on it and be done with it!"
"─Then what do you suggest? We can't just leave it there for anyone to get their hands on!"
"─He'll be able to wipe out the entire Wizarding World if he wanted! No witch or wizard would be safe."
Hermione shrank back, moving closer to the Headmaster, who seemed to be the only one who had remained calm. "I believe," Dumbledore said, his words resonating with a power that easily washed over the others, "that Miss Granger wasn't finished, yet. If you will leave your comments until the end, so we can get a better grasp of the situation, that would be appreciated."
Taking back the floor, Hermione looked nervously around the room. If the others didn't like the first part, then they certainly wouldn't like what she had to say next, but she reminded herself that they needed to be aware of how bad this could go. "Right…Unfortunately, witches and wizards wouldn't be the only people in danger. You see, Fera discovered that Muggles actually have magical energy in them as well."
Not able to help himself, Lupin asked, "What do you mean?"
"The same energy that we have, Muggles have. It's just that their energy is finite and dormant, while ours is regenerative. So if, hypothetically speaking, Voldemort were to get ahold of Fera's weapon/tool then he would be able to use Muggles just as he would Magical Beings."
"And they're defenseless," Remus pointed out. "Gods, he'd be able to go through them like batteries."
"Are we sure we should even be messing with this?" Madam Pomfrey looked at the others.
Kingsley sighed tiredly. "Poppy makes a good point. This cannot end well. The safest route would be to probably destroy the book. Which is unfortunate, especially since we know that Miss Rosier is still alive, but can we allow such a risk to continue? All those lives that could be wiped out…"
"The book is in a secure location, which is only known by three people including myself and Miss Granger. I've also taken the liberty of heavily warding it and setting up a number of defenses. Aside from that, Miss Granger informed me that Miss Rosier and her had already begun fixing the project, so it could be steered back to its original purpose."
"And we've nearly got it," Hermione jumped in. "Fera was on the verge of fixing it by herself, before her father came for her. I'm sure I'll be able to finish it."
McGonagall pursed her lips displeased. "We cannot expect Miss Granger to take on a large task like this by herself. She's still a student for Heaven's sake!"
"It has to be me. Fera wants her research to remain as private as possible. I had planned on bringing one or two people in to help, but they need to be approved by Fera, first."
"That's all well and good, but the minute the Dark Lord gets his hands on Miss Granger all your wards and approvals will mean nothing," Snape's dry tone, cut in.
"That's why I'll be continuing my Occlumency training. I won't be a risk," Hermione assured the group.
Snape was not so easily swayed. "This is the Dark Lord we're talking about, girl. Whatever paltry defenses you've managed to push together, won't stop him. He'll cut through them like butter."
A small barely-there pressure, pressed against her mind, as he said this. She instantly knew where it was coming from and glared at the culprit. Instinctively, she sent a mental shock, as her walls clamped down. Snape didn't even wince at her mental reprimand, and that just irritated her further.
Her head raised a little higher, a challenge clearly ringing through her words. "I'll be able to keep him out. And if not, I have a fail-safe in place."
She knew that the majority of the room wouldn't understand what that meant. Could tell by their uninterested faces, that they didn't know what a fail-safe even was, but Snape knew, as was proven by a single raised eyebrow. He eyed her appraisingly, as if seeing her for the first time, and Hermione could almost swear she saw a hint of approval.
She may have preened a bit under the silent, meager praise, before she stopped herself.
"The risk level is still high," he warned. "Even if he can't get to your mind, there are other ways to make you talk. Your parents for example."
An icy finger of fear trailed down her back. How could she have forgotten about that? Of course Voldemort would stoop that low. He had no problem with killing babies for Godsakes. Why would he have trouble murdering full-grown adults?
What was she going to do? Her parents were practically sitting ducks.
"That will not be a problem," the Headmaster declared. "Mr. and Mrs. Granger were moved to a secure location after Miss Granger's disappearance. They are currently hiding in one of our safe houses, and have agreed to remain under Order watch until the threat is dealt with."
A weighty sigh of relief, left her. "Thank you, sir."
"Do not worry about your parents, Miss Granger. They're in good hands."
"Can I talk to them?"
"I'll set up a meeting for you later," he replied as he turned his attention back to the room. "Above all, it is imperative that Tom be kept in the dark for as long as possible. Right now, he only has suspicions about Miss Granger's disappearance. We must make sure that he cannot prove them."
"So, we should continue our current story─that Miss Granger left for Australia in order to work for apprenticeship," McGonagall recommended.
"Yes," Dumbledore agreed. "But I would be remiss to not take advantage of the opportunity Miss Granger's trip has afforded us."
"Opportunity?" Hermione asked. What else could there be?
"Precisely. You mentioned that the two weeks you were gone translated to two years for you. So you would be around twenty now, yes?"
"Well, yes. I suppose."
"Good, good. I suggest that we legally verify your age, so that you can claim independence in both the Muggle and Wizarding World. We could use that as the reason why your parents are no longer in England. With their daughter no longer dependent on them, they were free to move and travel as they wished. And it will also prevent Tom's men in the Ministry from trying to take you."
"How could they get away with taking me? That's not legal is it?"
"It's not strictly legal," Kingsley informed her, "but they could claim that it was for your protection. That your Muggle parents wouldn't be able to protect you, and being Harry Potter's friend…"
"But won't Voldemort be suspicious that she's suddenly gained so many years?" questioned Lupin, cutting in.
"The paperwork can be done covertly, and moved into the Ministry files. We are fortunate that the Age Verification process is largely ignored. As for an explanation, Miss Granger has been a registered Time-Turner user since her third year. It is a simple matter to change the school records, and switch around her previous class schedules, and claim that she's been using a Time-turner every year since─enough so that she has gained three extra years."
"Then you could say that she took the extra classes so that she could graduate early, and start her apprenticeship a year ahead of schedule," Kingsley stated, seeing where the Headmaster was going. "It would be believable. Miss Granger's academic standing and drive is a well-known fact in the Ministry since her OWLs. We'll have to talk to a few people, convince them to look the other way, but it can be done."
McGonagall was not as optimistic. "Graduate a year early? She's not allowed to do that. Is she?"
"There have been a few cases, where a student graduated early. The last occurred around three-hundred years ago," Dumbledore responded. "But it would give Miss Granger more freedom to work on Fera's project, under the guise of working with Filius."
Hermione looked between the Headmaster, Kingsley, and McGonagall in disbelief. This plan was completely insane, and it sounded like dozens of laws would be broken in the process. She tried to inject some sanity into the conversation.
"What about my NEWTs? I can't just skip them!"
Dumbledore thought for a moment. "You will have to take them around the end of the summer, summertime in August, if you wish to take them."
"But, I can't just take my NEWTs so soon, I'm not prepared!" she cried, incredulously.
George snorted. "Please Mione."
"You could take your NEWTs tomorrow if you wanted," Fred added.
"Blindfolded, and─"
"With your hands tied behind your back─"
"While sitting on a dragon's head─"
"Backwards."
Hermione, with nothing to say to such colorful words of confidence, quieted. Her cheeks turning a bright pink.
"I don't mean to poke any holes in your plan. But it depends entirely on making sure Voldy DOESN'T figure out Hermione's his girl. Which is fin, but I'll eat my left foot, if anyone believes that she looks the same as she did two weeks ago. Call me crazy, but the other students will definitely wonder how she managed to grow a pair of hips and a set of boobs over the course of a few days. Australia is nice, but it's not that nice," Tonks joked. Several heads nodded, including the twins who waggled their eyebrows at her suggestively, causing her blush to deepen.
"Tonks is right, but we should be able to cover it with glamour,"McGonagall responded, her eyes raking over Hermione's body critically. She let out a long sigh. "This will be a very long week."
Hermione nearly laughed at that extreme understatement. Moody must have shared her thoughts because he chuckled gruffly. "A long week doesn't even begin to cover it. You mark my words," he said, turning to pin her with his magical eye, "a storm's coming, and you'll be right in the center, girl."
A/N: and there goes another chapter. Hope you enjoyed it!
Up Next: Hermione is finally reunited with Harry and Ron and she gets a new wand!
Thanks for reading and don't forget to review! They keep me inspired :D