Chapter 11 – Catching Up
Hermione and George had helped McGonagall with some of the clearing up all afternoon which kept both of them very busy indeed. Hermione still hated her wand as it wasn't working for her as well as it could. McGonagall had managed to find Hermione another wand which just happened to have the same core as her old one. This wand worked much better than Bellatrix's old one.
"The first thing I do when Diagon Alley is safe, is get myself a new wand." She informed George and McGonagall.
"I think Ollivander will be very busy when he opens again." McGonagall answered.
McGonagall had been very keen to hear all about Hermione and George turning back the time. First they informed her all about what had actually happened during the battle where Fred had died then how Hermione had managed to get her hands on a time turner, followed by how they managed to make it out of the battle alive a second time without being seen and saving the lives of Fred, Lupin and Tonks.
McGonagall was pleasantly surprised that they had managed this but was very proud of her two ex students. She would have awarded them all the house points in the world if she could have. McGonagall was also keen to find out all about what had happened while Hermione, Ron and Harry were on the run so Hermione filled her in on what had happened. This was the first time that George had heard everything from Hermione properly. George too told McGonagall all about Potterwatch while she told the two of them all about what life at Hogwarts was like.
"I wanted to leave on so many occasions but I just couldn't. I had to stay and protect my students and I am very glad I did." McGonagall said.
"Was it worse than when Umbridge took over?" Hermione asked.
"Much, much worse and that is saying something." McGonagall answered.
"That must be saying something." George said.
"The two death eaters were absolutely horrible and enjoyed torturing the students. The younger students were completely petrified of them and Snape. The rest of us professors all secretly looked after the students and kept them all from getting in trouble." McGonagall stated.
"Umbridge liked to torture students too." George spoke.
"Yes but what the Carrows did was much worse. They actually used cruico on students and wanted the older ones to use it on the younger ones. Some of the Slytherin students were so horrible to other students just for the fun of it. Crabbe and Goyle were two of the worst." McGonagall said.
"That does not surprise me in the slightest." George seethed.
"Well Crabbe is dead now." Hermione said.
"Since when?" George asked.
"When we were in the Room of Requirement looking for the Ravenclaw diadem, Crabbe, Goyle and Draco came in after us and Crabbe set the place on fire using fiendfyre and it got out of hand. He and Draco climbed up a stack of tables and the one he was stood on collapsed and he fell to his death." Hermione answered.
"Bloody hell." George gasped.
"Oh my goodness." McGonagall gasped. "I had a very strong dislike for that boy but I would not wish that on anyone, no matter how horrible they were."
"Harry and Ron managed to save Draco and Goyle." Hermione stated.
"I wouldn't have bothered to be honest." George answered.
"George..." Hermione scolded. "Draco's Mother practically saved Harry's life."
"How come?" McGonagall wondered.
"When Harry went to the forest to meet you-know-who, Mrs Malfoy was asked to see if Harry was dead or alive and she lied to you-know-who that Harry was dead when he was actually alive." Hermione explained.
"Oh my goodness." McGonagall gasped. "There is so much to take in."
"You're telling me Professor." George said.
"So Narcissa Malfoy saved Harry's life and Vincent Crabbe burnt to death in the Room of Requirement?" McGonagall questioned.
"Yes." Hermione answered.
"I honestly cannot believe that all of this happened." McGonagall said.
"It all does seem very surreal but it all happened." Hermione answered.
"Never in my wildest years did I think that someone would ever make horcruxes, especially 7 of them." McGonagall stated, shaking her head.
"Do you think other people have made any?" George wondered.
"I'd like to hope not." McGonagall answered. "We never learnt about them here and we are not allowed to teach our students about them either."
"How did you-know-who find out about them?" George wondered.
"He was very close to Professor Slughorn during his time at Hogwarts and somehow managed to get some information out of him about them which lead him to make them." Hermione answered.
"They are mentioned very vaguely in a book in the restricted section but it doesn't go into great detail." McGonagall spoke.
"I have read many a book from the restricted section but never recall reading about horcruxes before." Hermione admitted.
"I was very surprised that you hadn't heard of them before, Hermione. Especially as you've probably read every book in the library." George said.
"Like I said, we are forbidden to teach students about horcruxes and there shouldn't be any proper information on them in the library." McGonagall said.
"So you-know-who made seven of them?" George asked.
"Yes he did." Hermione answered.
"What where they exactly?" McGonagall asked.
"Well he had an old school diary which was the one Ginny Weasley had in her first year. It actually processed her as she constantly wrote in it." Hermione answered.
"The old black diary?" McGonagall wondered.
"Yes." Hermione replied.
"She was always writing in that blasted diary. Always had her nose stuck in it. Fred and I thought she was writing about how much she loved Harry." George said.
"What were the other ones?" McGonagall asked.
"Then there was a ring that belonged to you-know-who's mother or father, the Slytherin necklace, Ravenclaw Diadem, Hufflepuff cup, his snake Nagini and then Harry himself." Hermione explained.
"How on earth was Harry one?" McGonagall wondered.
"I think a part of you-know-who's soul latched itself onto Harry the night his parent's were murdered." Hermione answered.
****
Hermione had been filling McGonagall and George in about all that had happened while on the run for several hours. McGonagall could not believe what she was hearing and wished that she could have helped the trio, especially as she was part of the Order. She felt guilty that they had been on the run with nearly no help whatsoever.
"I really do not know how you all made it out alive." McGonagall sniffed.
"I don't know either Professor." Hermione answered.
"To be honest, I don't know how all of us made it out of this war alive." McGonagall said. "When I say 'all' I am aware we did loose quite a lot of lives last night, sadly."
"How many people died?" George wondered.
"I think around 40 but I'm not overly sure. Quite a few death eaters were killed too." McGonagall answered.
"Oh that is horrible." Hermione cried.
"Little Colin Creevey was one of them, one of our Gryffindors." McGonagall sniffed. "He shouldn't have been fighting."
"Mum tried to stop Ginny from fighting too." George said.
"Luna shouldn't have been fighting either." Hermione added.
"I saw Miss Weasley at one point and she is a very, very strong fighter and blocking curses with ease." McGonagall said.
"I am very proud of my sister." George grinned.
"And so you should. I am very proud of all of my students past and present who stayed to fight." McGonagall admitted. "You both should be proud of yourselves."
Hermione never replied, just looked down at her hands nervously.
"Do you think we did the right thing, Professor? Going back in time?" George asked.
"It was a huge risk, the two of you going back in time and as you both know, so many things could have gone wrong but you managed to save three lives in doing so which was what your aims were." McGonagall answered.
"I just have a feeling that something is going to go horribly wrong." Hermione admitted.
"Like what?" George wondered.
"I don't actually know. I've just got this really bad gut feeling." Hermione answered. "Maybe it's because every time Harry, Ron and I planned something while on the run, it went wrong."
"As long as the two of you stay here until tomorrow evening, then nothing will go wrong." McGonagall said.
"How will we get back to the burrow?" George asked. "The protective wards will still be up."
"Oh shoot. I hadn't thought about that." Hermione shrieked. "We might not get past them without your family thinking we're imposters."
"I might be able to help you both with that." McGonagall spoke.
"You can?" George asked, his blue eyes wide.
"I will pay your family a visit tomorrow night and both of you will come with me under Harry's cloak. That way we can apparate to inside the wards without both of you being seen." McGonagall explained.
"Sounds good to me." George grinned.
"We didn't actually use the time turner though until we arrived here." Hermione shrieked. "That means we're going to have to be back at the burrow slightly later."
"We're going to have to get back to my room as well as that was where we were before we left for here." George said.
"Well I will apparate to the burrow with both of you. If you can sneak in the house under the cloak and get yourselves to George's bedroom then you'll be fine." McGonagall answered.
"What about Fred?" George asked. "He could be in our room."
"Oh there is going to be so many complications." Hermione moaned. "Why didn't I think all of this through?"
"Would you like me to go and spy on your family in my cat form?" McGonagall suggested. "That way I'll be able to see where everyone is and somehow I'll try and get the other George and Hermione into your bedroom while keeping Fred away."
"That would be a brilliant idea, Professor." George answered.
"Oh that would work really well." Hermione said.
"We just need to keep Fred out of our bedroom." George said.
"And try and persuade Hermione to go with George." Hermione said.
"I think George or me can be quite persuasive when he needs to be." George replied with a wink.
"True. You did talk me into coming here with you." Hermione answered.
"Tomorrow evening I will go to the burrow and keep a close watch on what your family are up too." McGonagall spoke. "You two will stay outside the wards until it is safe for you to return."
"Sounds good to me." George smiled.
"I could slip George and Hermione little notes which asks them to meet in your bedroom, George." McGonagall suggested. "We will need to get rid of them though."
"What do you mean?" Hermione wondered. "Does that mean they have to be persuaded to go back in time too?"
"Yes." McGonagall answered. "But do not worry, I will have it all covered."
"How?" George asked.
"Please leave it too me. I will leave the time-turner in your room along with a message." McGonagall answered.