Disclaimer: Harry Potter is owned by JK Rowling and her licensees.

Chapter - 4

The next morning at breakfast Harry and Hermione were exhausted. Neither had gotten a full night's sleep since Dumbledore's death and add the long hours away from their dorms so they wouldn't have to confront the Weasleys, they were both almost falling asleep where they sat.

"Who is that with Hermione?" asked Ron as Hermione took a seat that brought her as close as possible to the head table and far away from her friends.

"Someone she was put in charge of last night," replied Harry pretending to eat his breakfast. "Hermione is her host for the day."

"She has to stay with her all day?" asked Ron incredulously.

"That's what she was told. I wasn't there when the particulars were discussed," said Harry looking at his former friend, only said friend just didn't know about the past tense yet.

"I thought you two went off together," stated Ron with a strange tone.

"We did, but it doesn't mean we were together all night," supplied Harry. Granted they were together all night, but Ron didn't need to know that. It was all he could do to sit there and have a civil conversation to the two of them.

"So when do you get to come stay at the Burrow?" asked Ginny running her hands along Harry's thigh. It amused him that he was having no reaction which was obviously not what Ginny was hoping for.

Harry leaned over and said, "We are in a room full of people. That is not appropriate. Maybe on the train ride home." He knew full well that he wasn't going to be on the train. Ginny just looked at him and beamed.

"Wotcher Harry," came Tonks' voice.

He turned and smiled, "Hi Tonks, Remus, have a seat."

"Thank you Harry. Hello Ginny, Ron." Remus looked serious for a bit then said, "We've decided that it is a bit too risky for you to be alone on the grounds during the service, so Tonks and I will need to be sitting next to you the whole time. I am sure that Hermione, Ron, and Ginny will understand." He looked around and then asked, "Where is Hermione?"

Hoping that they would understand the reference, even if they didn't know the relationship Harry said, "McGonagall had a guest come to the castle last night and she asked Hermione to play host. McGonagall thinks that the two of them have quite a bit in common."

As Remus looked up to see the woman Hermione was speaking with, realization dawned and he nodded. "They are very similar. It is too bad really that they had to meet under these circumstances." Remus leaned over and under the guise of picking up his fallen napkin whispered, "Minerva's daughter?" Harry just nodded.

"Who is she?" asked Ron.

"Dignitary," said Tonks who had been watching Harry and Remus with interest and it was left at that.

The five of them trooped down to the grounds and took seats, but when Ginny tried to sit next to Harry ,Tonks said, "Sorry Ginny, but it's for Harry's safety."

She grumbled as she took her seat, "At least we'll have the train home."

"Oh, I'm sorry, we were speaking to Professor McGonagall just before we sat with you," said Remus, "and we all feel that it is not in anyone's best interest for Harry to ride the train, to be exposed at Kings Cross, or to ride unprotected in a Muggle car. Harry is leaving directly from the service."

Ginny began to splutter, "Well how long until he can leave his aunt and uncle's?"

Both Tonks and Remus looked at Harry who said, "Hermione thinks they will last until my birthday, so from there we will be able to make plans."

"And then you are coming to the Burrow, Harry," she said with a growl.

Harry just smiled and turned his attention to the service that was now starting. The merepeople had broken the surface, the centaurs had come to the edge of the clearing, wizards and witches from all stations were there to see Albus Dumbledore's final send off.

After it was over, Harry gave Ron a good-bye handshake and Ginny a kiss on the cheek, and then he turned to head into the castle alone.

"Harry!"

He turned. Rufus Scrimgeour was limping rapidly toward him using a walking stick.

"I've been hoping to have a word...do you mind if I walk a little with you?"

"No," said Harry indifferently, and set off again.

"Harry this is a dreadful tragedy," said Scrimgeour quietly. "I cannot tell you how appalled I was to hear of it. Dumbledore was a very great wizard. We had our disagreements, as you know, but no one knows better than I –"

Harry had had enough. With all the things that had happened to him over the last week, all of the lies and deceit, all of the things he knew to be true was shaken. Even Hermione's revelations about her actual identity had thrown him, he wasn't angry or upset about it, he knew why she and Heather had come to that decision, but still it changed who she was a bit. "What do you want?" asked Harry flatly.

"The word is that you were with him when he left the school the night he died."

"Whose word?" said Harry.

"Somebody stunned a Death Eater on top of the tower after Dumbledore died. There were also two broomsticks up there. The Ministry can add two and two, Harry."

"Glad to hear it," said Harry. "Well where I went with Dumbledore and what we did is my business. He didn't want people to know."

"Such loyalty is admirable, of course, but he's gone Harry. He's gone."

Harry turned to look at the man and then shook his head. "The Ministry can offer you all sorts of protection, you know. Harry I could be delighted to place a couple of my Aurors at your service –"

Harry began to laugh. "Voldemort wants to kill me himself, and Aurors won't stop him. So thanks for the offer, but no thanks."

Harry looked at the Minister as he turned a shade of purple that Uncle Vernon would be proud of and then walked off as fast as he could. He rounded a corner and threw his cloak over himself.

A gentle voice from behind said, "Hermione told me that you had one of those. It is probably a good idea for you to carry it with you at all times, if you don't already. Now what did the Minister want?"

"Heather?" Harry asked tentatively. The voice sounded familiar, but he didn't see anyone.

"I'm disillusioned Harry. Hermione is waiting for Ron to finish speaking to his parents before telling him goodbye."

"You don't use a cloak?"

"I don't need a cloak to appear invisible Harry, still it is best not to be shortsighted."

"Dumbledore told me that once."

"Who do you think taught that lesson to me? Did Rufus have anything of interest to offer?"

"No, he just wants the Chosen One to tell everyone that the Ministry has everything under control and if I'm a good boy and publicly support him, he'll give me a couple of Aurors to protect me when Voldemort comes after me."

"A couple of Aurors against Tom and his legions of Death Eaters, I don't think so, that is the Ministry's problem. React instead of act." She sighed. "In my second act as your guardian, I refuse to permit you to be used in this manner, especially for a cause as hopeless as this one. You putting a good face on things will not ensure the stability of the Ministry. Now listen this should be interesting." She pointed to a spot a couple meters away where Ron was walking up to Hermione.

"Did you see Harry?" Ron asked her.

"Um, no. Is he around here somewhere?" she began to scan the crowd but figured that he would be under his cloak by now.

"No and Ginny's going spare. She was counting on the train ride, but Tonks and Lupin are bringing him back, said that the train is too risky. Mum doesn't like it, but as it is for his safety, she doesn't have a choice, especially now that McGonagall is his guardian. Mum tried to get it herself, but Dumbledore named McGonagall ages ago if anything happened to him. Well, at least we'll be able to spend time alone together," Ron had taken her hand.

Hermione pulled her hand out of his and looked at him. "I'm not going home on the train, Ron. I'm not expected home yet, I'd planned on Apparating straight from the station so I told my mum not to get me from Kings Cross. I've been given permission to stay at Hogwarts a while, to do a bit of research on our project."

He took her hand again and said, "I'll stay with you and then we can go to the Burrow and plan what we are going to do."

Again she pulled her hand from his and frowned. "No Ron, it would look odd to your family if you stayed here, you have no reason to. I can say I am continuing on that same project for McGonagall, from there I need to go home and spend time with my family. I didn't get to last summer because your mother was insistent that it wasn't safe for me at home, so I only spent three weeks with them. Now, I'm seventeen and can use a wand to stun a Death Eater if one comes to call. I am even legally allowed to Apparate." This last comment was particularly low as Ron had failed his second test by leaving all of his fingernails behind. Harry on the other hand passed with flying colors. "It's time for me to be with my family."

Ron leaned forward and attempted to kiss Hermione. She stepped back and frowned at him. "Hermione?"

"Please don't Ron. I've never felt anything more for you than a friend. Please don't try for something more."

"But..." he looked at his sister who was watching him intently.

"Why Ron? What makes you think that you like me as more than a friend? You've made it clear that you don't think that I'm pretty, you make fun of the things that I enjoy doing, you dislike books, and are unwilling to try anything Muggle. Why would you want to be in a relationship with someone who wants to spend her free time in the library or curled up with a book? When all of this is over, I plan on taking my N.E.W.T.'s and a Muggle test that is equivalent. I want to attend university, Muggle or at Salem where I can study advanced Transfiguration, maybe I will go for Auror training."

"You want to work? Married witches don't work Hermione."

"Of course they do, half of the staff at St Mungo's and the Ministry would have to quit if that was the case. Your mum stayed home and that made her happy, but I want a career and I want to continue to learn." She looked up at him sadly and said, "Sometimes people are just meant to be friends and if someone tries to make them into something else, it ruins everything. Goodbye Ron."

"Hermione!"

She walked away as he continued to call to her. As she passed a group of trees, Harry tossed his cloak over her and the two of them and Hermione's mum headed off to the castle.