Standard Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story; they all belong to JK Rowling. This is a work of fan fiction, produced solely for enjoyment. No infringement of rights is intended.
– CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE –
Reconciliation and Consolidation
The next thing Harry knew, he was lying in a remarkably warm and comfortable bed and looking up at a lamp that was throwing a circle of golden light onto a shadowy ceiling. He raised his head awkwardly. There on his left was a familiar-looking, freckly, red-haired person.
'Harry, how are you feeling?' Ginny asked him worriedly.
Harry blinked and looked around. Of course, he was in the Hospital Wing. The sky outside was dark and gloomy, the day's lessons must have finished hours ago … as would have dinner. Harry's head felt strangely heavy; he raised his hand and felt a stiff turban of bandages.
'Harry, are you alright, do you want me to fetch Madam Pomfrey?' Ginny asked again, getting up to find the matron.
'No, I think I'm alright.' He answered hastily. 'What happened?'
'Cracked skull,' said Madam Pomfrey, who, upon hearing her name, came bustling over and pushed him against his pillows. 'Don't worry Potter, I mended it in a trice, but I'm keeping you in overnight. You shouldn't over exert yourself for a few hours.'
Harry, knowing he wasn't going to be able to avoid a night in the Hospital Wing, didn't resist. Instead he turned to Ginny. 'Ginny, what happened to Hermione?' He asked, remembering how he had ended up bed ridden.
'She got a detention with Professor Moody.' She replied grimly. 'She's serving it tonight.' As she said this, Harry had the unnerving impression that Ginny wasn't in the least bit sympathetic to Hermione's punishment.
'Look Ginny, I really did deserve this, I shouldn't –' But Ginny interrupted him.
'You did not deserve this. Nothing you could have done would have warranted Hermione cracking your skull open. Honestly, being turned into a pillow is rather mean,' Harry cringed, 'but she had no right to split your head open for it.' Ginny looked positively murderous, and Harry hastened to try and placate her, putting his hands up in surrender.
'Alright, I didn't deserve it, but isn't a detention a bit harsh?' Ginny seemed to swell with indignation. 'I mean, it's not like any permanent damage was done.'
'Harry,' Ginny answered in an impatient tone, 'Hermione is the Head Girl, she has to set a good example, and transfiguring her fellow students as retaliation and causing them serious harm is not the example she should be setting. Especially as you two are meant to be best friends, it could become acceptable now for disputes to be settled using magic instead of words. Honestly, I'm surprised she didn't lose her badge.'
Harry was gob smacked at the seriousness of the situation, and couldn't even articulate his surprise. 'Hermione must feel awful, she won't get over this for ages.' Ginny took his silence as acknowledgment of Hermione's irresponsible behaviour and got up.
'I need to go back to the Common Room now Harry, it's almost nine, but I'll come around tomorrow morning with some clothes for you, ok?' Harry nodded, and Ginny leaned forward to kiss him gently, whispering in his ear that she was glad that he was already getting better, but that she was going to plan some kind of revenge for Hermione anyway. Harry groaned inwardly, but didn't voice his doubts, knowing that this would only lead to angering Ginny further, which wouldn't help Hermione, or him.
A few minutes after Ginny left, Madam Pomfrey told Harry that she was going to bed and after getting all the curtains to close themselves, and dimming all the lamps, she returned to her office. But Harry couldn't sleep, and it did not take long for his thoughts to slide back to his primary activity for the last few weeks. Even that though, couldn't keep him awake for long anymore, he'd mulled over the same small snippets of information for too long, and it wasn't long before his mind slipped into that boredom induce stupor which lies between deep sleep and consciousness.
It seemed like an eternity later, when the doors to the Hospital Wing creaked open slowly, but Harry didn't pay attention to it. It was probably some student who'd eaten one of the twins' products and the effects hadn't worn off yet.
'Harry?' Someone whispered into the silent room. Harry rolled over and squinted towards the doors.
'Hermione?' He asked curiously, putting on his glasses. 'What are you doing here?' Hermione tip toed up to his bed.
'I just wanted to see how you were feeling; Ginny practically banned me from visiting you.' Harry snorted, but otherwise didn't answer, knowing that Hermione had something she needed to get off her chest. 'Harry, I'm –' she hesitated, wringing her hands in anxiety, 'I'm really, really sorry for hurting you so badly. I swear, I never meant –'
'Forget it Hermione.' Harry grunted. 'It wasn't that big a deal, I've had a lot worse.' But that seemed to be the wrong thing to say, for Hermione promptly burst into tears, and Harry had to point his wand at the door to Madam Pomfrey's office and mutter a hurried 'Muffliato!' before Hermione was discovered.
'Oh Harry!' Hermione flung her arms around Harry's neck and broke down completely.
Harry was caught completely by surprise by her collapse, and barely had time to register that Hermione's eyes were bloodshot before she buried her face in his shoulder. Not knowing what to do with his arms, he eventually settled for rubbing small circles on her back.
'I'm so sorry; I never meant to hurt you like that!' She wailed 'I just snapped! The last few weeks have been so stressful with everything going on, it was just too much!' Harry just whispered to her that everything was alright, while she continued sobbing into his shoulder. Finally, Hermione lifted herself off Harry.
'Harry, I'm really, really sorry about your head. Just because you've had worse, doesn't give me the right …' she sobbed.
'It's all right Hermione, I deserved it. I shouldn't have tried to turn you into a pink, fluffy pillow. Next time it'll be white and rock hard.' He joked weakly. Hermione made a small hiccup, and then sniffed, wiping her bloodshot eyes with her sleeves.
'I really am sorry Harry,' she repeated, pushing herself up off Harry, 'I wasn't thinking clearly, and I really could have done you lasting harm. Harry scoffed.
'Rubbish, there's practically nothing you could have done to me that Madam Pomfrey couldn't have healed. Short of unleashing Greyback on me that is.' He joked, although it wasn't really a joke, as Bill's face still hadn't healed, and there wasn't anything anyone could do for him. Although slightly better, his face had still been an ugly patchwork of torn skin at his wedding several months after the attack on Hogwarts.
Hermione sat up immediately, looking horrified.
'Harry, I would never do that to you,' she exclaimed, 'and anyway, you shouldn't joke about that kind of thing.'
'Alright, alright, I won't mention that again, as long as you stop apologising for putting me in here. I know you didn't mean to do it, and anyway, it was rather funny.' Hermione had a shocked look plastered on her face, and looked like she was about to protest. 'Although I'm glad that Malfoy wasn't around to see it.' He added.
Hermione snorted and slid off Harry's lap, sitting down in the chair Ginny had vacated.
'Oh Harry, while I remember, have you been telling Professor Moody what we've been, uh, doing?' Harry sat up, frowning a little.
'Yeah I have, why?' Hermione nodded and said that he'd told her to go and do some research in the Library for her detention. She only asked Harry because Moody had mentioned something about it being the best way to make it up to Harry. 'Oh right, well I haven't been telling him what we've been researching. Only, since he's leading the Order now, I felt like I should tell him that we're looking at ways to defeat Voldemort. He's gotten quite friendly in our training sessions and afterwards we just chat sometimes about stuff.'
'Oh Harry,' Hermione said, looking rather exasperated, 'that's all well and good, but the less people know about what we're doing, the safer the secret is. I mean, what happens if Voldemort gets wind about what we've been searching for?'
'Hermione, no one's going to find out. I haven't told him anything apart from that we're looking at ways to defeat Voldemort. Anyway, it's Moody, the head of the Order, and possibly the most paranoid wizard in Britain. Who is he going to tell? And what could he tell? He doesn't know anything, I swear.' Hermione looked pacified, but still looked a bit doubtful.
'Alright, just don't go telling him anything substantial in your sessions, we never know who he might talk to in his free time.' Harry nodded in agreement, and then remembered what had brought on this new conversation.
'Hermione, did you find anything in those old papers then?' Hermione immediately sat up and grinning, she nodded enthusiastically.
'Oh Harry, I almost forgot. I found out exactly where the trip was, look.' She fished an old piece of newsprint out of her pocket and handed it to Harry.
He stared at it for a few seconds, holding the parchment gingerly in his hands, without taking in any of the words. If Hermione and he were right, he was potentially holding the key to destroying one of Voldemort's Horcruxes. Shaking his head a bit, he focused on the headline.
UPROAR AT THE MINISTRY
Yesterday, pandemonium broke out in Levels Two and Three of the Ministry when a Hogwarts student in his first year accidentally banished a Muggle in front of a hall full of other Muggles. The student in question, a Master Tom Marvolo Riddle, spends his summers in a Muggle orphanage, where we at the Prophet have heard he is regularly bullied and mistreated. Yesterday, at approximately one o'clock, Master Riddle was assaulted by a Muggle named William Harding while eating his lunch. Unable to defend himself physically, Master Riddle inadvertently banished said Muggle from the lunch hall.
Moments later, Ministry officials apparated to the building to question Master Riddle in order to find the banished Muggle, only to find over one hundred orphans watching Master Riddle in shock. Reinforcements from the Obliviator department had to be called immediately to deal with the number of Muggles exposed to magic caused by such a serious breech of the International Confederation of Warlocks' Statutes of Secrecy. To avoid a stampede of panicked Muggles, and to ensure that all the Muggles were obliviated, the Obliviators had to petrify the entire hall before starting. This leads to the interesting question asked by some of us at the Prophet, whether it is lawful to enchant Muggles before obliviating them to make our life a little easier, or indeed if it is even moral.
After all the Muggles had been obliviated, Master Riddle was interrogated at length by members of the Magical Law Enforcement Squad, until a list of probable sites was determined for William Harding's location. All of the Magical Law Enforcement Squad and a large number of Aurors had to be employed in the search, and the lost Muggle was eventually found wandering confused around Winchfield, a small town in Hampshire where the orphanage had taken the children that summer.
This incident has caused a lot of stress for the Ministry and especially the Muggle Liaison Office, and the repercussions for young Master Riddle, who performed a complex spell on a Muggle, could be serious, although not everyone at the Ministry agrees what form his punishment should take. Mr Hawkthorne, one of the Aurors asked to help in the search, suggested -
Harry looked up, and grinned at Hermione, who was smiling shyly at him.
'I think you've found it Hermione. This is great, really, really great!' He exclaimed happily, sitting up. Hermione's smile broadened and Harry reached forward to pat her on the shoulder. 'Well done Hermione.' He said. 'Though, I think we should both get some sleep now,' the smile slid off Hermione's face, 'it is pretty late.' He added quickly. Hermione looked at her watch, and jumped.
'Oh my God! I didn't notice the time, I've got to go!' She exclaimed, jumping up and snatching the sheet of yellowing parchment out of Harry's hands. 'Good night Harry! See you tomorrow.' She gave him a quick hug and a peck on the cheek, before hurrying from the Hospital Wing.
Harry slid back onto the cushions and sighed. Hermione's discovery suddenly brought their task into sharp focus, and Harry wasn't sure if he was really ready for it. 'It has to be done,' part of him argued, while another part of him wanted to scream, 'let someone older and more experienced do it.' At the same time he remembered his conversion with Dumbledore at the end of last year. His own words resonated through his mind, the desire stronger now than ever before, "I'd want him finished, and I'd want to do it."
He thought of his parents, Sirius, Cedric, Dumbledore, Dorcas Meadowes, even the Dursleys, and knew that he had to kill Voldemort; for them. Even though he knew that he was far less powerful than Voldemort, and even less experienced, he'd find a way, he had to find a way.
He closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep, but slumber was long in coming. When he woke up the next morning, he didn't feel in the least bit refreshed, and could barely focus on getting his legs in the right trouser leg. Eventually, he asked Ginny for a hand, much to her amusement, and after a few minutes spent trying to put the right body part in the right hole, they left the Hospital Wing.
As they entered the Great Hall, Harry immediately spotted Hermione sitting with Neville, and headed in their direction, but to his surprise, Ginny tried to pull him away from them, towards a group of sixth years. Harry sighed and stopped, pulling Ginny close to him to avoid eavesdroppers.
'Ginny, please don't be silly about this. I've already talked to Hermione, and we've sorted it out. It was an accident, and I've forgiven her.' As Harry said this, Ginny's face turned a rather alarming shade of red, so Harry pressed on before she exploded. 'Please don't make this harder than it already is, she's already finding it hard with Ron not talking to us.' But before he could say anything else, Ginny's self-control broke.
'She turned you into a ferret.' She hissed angrily. 'She bounced you up and down on a stone floor, and she cracked your skull open; and you forgive her?' She asked incredulously. 'Just like that?'
All Harry could do was nod, but it seemed to be enough. Ginny's anger seemed to deflate before his eyes, and before he knew it, she'd thrown her arms around him.
'That's what I love about you Harry,' he heard her mumble into his hair; 'you forgive so easily.' Harry wasn't sure he agreed with her, but he wasn't about to interrupt her and get her all angered up again. 'First me, then Ron, then Dumbledore. I would never have been able to forgive him for what he did to you.'
Harry looked up, and realised virtually everyone was watching them intently. 'Err Ginny; would you like to continue this somewhere else?' Ginny looked up and blushed furiously.
'No, it's ok, let's go eat.' She took Harry's hand and dragged him towards Hermione and Neville. Harry shook his head; he would never understand girls.
As they approached Hermione, Neville waved cheerfully at them.
'Hey Harry, how's your head? Did Pomfrey manage to fix you up?' Harry grinned, and nodded. Hermione seemed to shrink into her seat, almost willing the ground to swallow her up. 'Well at least it'll teach you not to mess with Hermione; she knows far too many ways to make to suffer!' Harry laughed, but Hermione sank even further into her seat, and Ginny glowered. Harry turned to Hermione, but failed to make eye contact, Hermione was studiously avoid looking at him.
'Good morning Hermione.' He said cheerfully.
'Hello Harry, Ginny.' She mumbled, still looking at the floor.
'Hermione.' Ginny replied coolly. Harry sat down opposite Hermione, and nudged her leg gently. Hermione looked up, startled, but Harry only grinned at her. She smiled weakly at him, but then pulled a book out of her bag, and hid behind it.
Neville looked at Hermione, then Harry and Ginny, looking puzzled. Harry shrugged, and pulled a plate of toast towards them. Soon everyone was eating quietly, although Harry noticed that there quite a few people casting curious glances at him every so often. Some of them seemed rather calculating too, although most of these came from girls, and Harry ignored them.
After breakfast, Harry left Hermione and Ginny in the Entrance Hall and made his way up to the Library, intent on researching ways to detect magic. He remembered Dumbledore's fingers caressing the walls of the cave, almost lovingly, and knew that even though he couldn't manage such advanced magic, there must be other ways of detecting residual magic.
Upon reaching the Library, he immediately set off in search of useful books, working through his entire free period and break time. He read several guides on the subject, making notes on any spell that seemed relevant.
After break, he hurried down to the dungeons for Potions, and found Hermione waiting outside Slughorn's door with Susan Bones and Terry Boot. He pulled her to one side and showed her his notes, asking her is she knew any other spells that may come in handy. She gazed intently at the list, murmuring incantations under her breath and mimicking wand movements, before telling him that there might be one of two other helpful spells, but that he'd found most of them.
They agreed to practise the spells in their free period before Sparring, and that evening after Harry's Defence session with Moody, before rejoining the rest of the class, which was now filing into the classroom. Sitting down with Hermione at the back of the class, Harry idly wondered how soon Hermione and he could go to Winchfield.