Chapter 23

Secret No More

…no one. The corridor was completely empty from what Harry and Ron saw. The walked completely around and still found nothing.

"Who do you suppose Hermione was talking too, then?" Ron asked as he looked around.

Harry shook his head questioningly. Who was Hermione talking too about him? The voice sounded so familiar to Harry, as if he'd heard day in and day out but that wouldn't be possible, she said that they couldn't hide this from him. What was she talking about?

"I dunno, maybe we should just go back before we get caught," Harry told Ron. He agreed and the two boys walked in silence back to the Gryffindor common room.

The following day Harry found it quite irritating that Hermione hadn't said anything to him about her conversation with the mystery man the night before.

When Harry, Hermione, and Ron were making their way towards the dark arts classroom, Ron blatantly expressed his aggravation.

"Where were you last night?"

Hermione's face went completely white, her chocolate brown eyes widened and her pupils grew wide with fear.

"I was… in the library Ron," she choked out. They had stopped outside the classroom.

Ron's face grew slightly red, "I know you weren't Hermione, Harry does too! Tell me Hermione."

Hermione's face seemed to flush even more at the mention of Harry. She looked at him and Harry embarrassingly shuffled his feet nodding that he had indeed, knew that she wasn't in the library.

"Please, I don't want to talk about it," she pleaded. At the comment, Ron grew even redder.

"Hermione! I heard you; Harry heard you! Tell us Hermione please! I'm your boyfriend and best friend; Harry's your best friend as well!"

Hermione seemed close to tears. Her eyes glazed over and she looked at Harry.

"Look, if you don't want to say anything Hermione, I'll understand; Ron'll understand as well," Harry said to her trying to calm her down.

Hermione shook her head, "no. No. You deserve to know. Harry, this is going to come as a shock to you but I've been researching some stuff about ---," Hermione never managed to finish.

"Excuse me, I'm sorry to bother you all but class is about to start," Professor Hund called from the classroom. He looked slightly different but Harry and Ron didn't quite know why.

They quietly walked into the classroom and took their seats.

"Mr. Potter, a word," Professor Hund asked after the lesson. They had studied the patronous charm that day so Harry was able to help everyone else.

Harry obediently walked over and stood behind the teacher's desk.

"You have gotten quite good at wandless magic, Mr. Potter and I just wanted to congratulate you. Ten points to Gryffindor. You just graduated third year," Professor Hund exclaimed, a playful glint in his eyes.

Every time Harry would pass a grade level of magic, he would be rewarded with house points and each time the professor would say that same thing.

Harry chuckled and thanked him before moving to leave. Just as he went to the door, a purring sound came from behind him.

Harry turned around and saw a beautiful red cat purring at him.

The cat slowly walked up to him and rubbed itself against his leg. Harry knelt down to pet the animal.

"Is this your cat professor?" Harry asked. He looked up at Hund and saw that he looked quite anxious.

"Yes, Yes. This is my cat, Rosy. It's my friend's cat actually, they needed someone to watch her while they were on business trip and I grew attached even though she didn't like me at first so I kept her," Hund explained petting the cat.

Harry nodded and continued to look at the cat.

"You know, it reminds me of my mum," Harry said absentmindedly. He missed Hund's initial reaction but when he looked up he was smiling, "obviously you knew her since you were friends with my dad and all. It's weird how anything red makes me think about her."

"Well, it must be the same way for Sirius or Remus with you I suppose. I guess you are annoyed with being told this Harry but you look so much like… like… your father Harry, it's truly remarkable to tell you the truth," Hund said to Harry. Harry smiled and got up to leave.

"I've been told that," Harry reached the door and turned to his professor once again, "but I don't mind it."

The following day, Gryffindor played their second match against Hufflepuff House. The game was remarkably done and was a record-breaker for Gryffindor. The final score came to 250-10. Hufflepuff had never lost such a lose and a party broke out in Gryffindor house as Harry caught the snitch in almost 20 minutes.

"HARRY! That was amazing!" Seamus yelled to Harry, patting him on the back at the Gryffindor party in the common room.

Harry couldn't help but beam at the victory party. His friends watched him happily as he smiled the whole party.

The only thing that was dampening the mood of the victory was Hermione who was sitting quietly in the corner of the common room.

Harry who had been sitting with Ginny on the couch decided to walk over. Ron had gotten there first and was not making the situation any better.

"Hermione! COME ON! We just won another game!" Ron yelled as quietly as he could,
avoiding attention.

Hermione looked up at him teary eyed before she burst into tears.

The loudness of the party was a good thing at the moment; no one noticed Hermione's balling.

Ron knelt down and wrapped his arms around Hermione who cried into his shoulder.

"Hermione, you can tell us what's the matter you know, don't worry," he said soothingly.

Harry and Ginny stood awkwardly at the side watching.

"Okay," Hermione said as she settled down. She pulled away from Ron and Ginny and Harry came closer.

"That night I was actually in the library. I left pretty late and I met up with someone and I couldn't believe it… Harry, it was—, "Hermione once again never finished. Dumbledore's head immediately popped into the fireplace.

"Miss. Granger, if you may please come to my office. Thank you and go Gryffindor!" Dumbledore called to the common room before his head disappeared.

Everyone laughed at the elder headmaster but Hermione's face flushed. She stiffly stood up and walked out of the portrait hole.

Hermione returned well after the festivities. Ginny, Ron, and Harry had willingly stayed up waiting for her.

She came back once again pale and drawn in the face. When she walked in through the portrait hole, she was surprised when Ron came running up to her along with Harry and Ginny.

"Hermione, what happened?" he asked fervently.

Hermione stared for a minute before answering, "Dumbledore just needed to speak to me about Arithmacy. He thinks that I can get put up a level!"

They hadn't been expecting that.

"Hermione, about what you were going to tell us before?" Ginny asked softly trying to ease into the conversation but it didn't seem to faze Hermione.

"Oh that! That was nothing actually! I'm sorry I had worried you all! Well, I'm tired, goodnight." She gave Ron a kiss on the lips and ran up the stairs of the girl's dormitory.

"Well," Harry started, "that was… nice. Obviously nothing's wrong so I am going to go to sleep."

With a fitful kiss on the lips for Ginny and pat on the back for Ron, Harry ran up the stairs and to bed.

"She's obviously fine Ron, don't worry! If she seems to be getting weird, I'll just talk to her!" Ginny assured Ron as she led him up the stairs. He nodded and said goodnight before walking into his dormitory.

Ginny suspiciously walked up her stairs to her own dorm thinking about her best friend. What was up with her lately?

Ginny opened her dorm door and almost screamed when she saw Hermione sitting on her bed with her eyes all teary. Ginny hesitantly walked over and pulled Hermione to her. Once a silencing charm was put over her bed, she let her friend cry freely.

Hermione was babbling on and on into Ginny's shoulder. She couldn't understand what she was saying.

"Hermione settle down, I can't understand one thing you're saying," Ginny soothed. Hermione slowly began to stop her sobbing and looked Ginny straight in the eyes.

"Ginny, you have to promise me, please, not to tell Ron or anybody---especially Harry," Hermione begged. She seemed desperate to say what she was going to say.

Ginny nodded and agreed, urging Hermione to continue.

"It started when Professor Hund wasn't in class a couple of weeks ago. Professor McGonagall gave the class an assignment about polyjuice potion. At first I thought it was just a stupid assignment that they had made up so we could have something to do that class but when I began to read it… it was… familiar to me; it all sort of lead up to some things! When class ended, I was reading the book and I thought I had found the final clue to my thinking. I've been in the library since then, researching polyjuice potions and its affects and you won't believe what I found Ginny...," Hermione trailed off looking into the distance beyond the curtains.

"Hermione, please tell me what you were thinking of," Ginny urged her wondering what was going on.

"Ginny, the night Harry and Ron heard me talking to someone was the night I found out the biggest secret at Hogwarts. He was standing there… looking at me… and I couldn't believe it. Do you remember that cat you saw outside that one time? You told me about it," Hermione asked.

Ginny nodded.

"That was not a cat. The red hair, the eyes, the name…" Hermione chuckled, "The difference in appearance, the weird ease Harry felt around him, the days he was gone, all those time we made polyjuice potion in potions! HOW STUPID COULD I HAVE BEEN GINNY?"

Ginny was taken aback at Hermione's actions. What was she talking about?!

"Hermione! Tell me! What did you find out?"

Hermione was misty eyed when she looked at Ginny, her eyes filling with tears again.

"Ginny, Harry's parents are alive, living in Hogwarts castle as Professor Ernst Hund and Rosy the cat."

Silence.