Love.
It was such a simple solution, but when they thought about it, none of their other theories had ever felt so right. How they hadn't seen it before, they didn't know, but they knew Ginny's guess made sense - if there was anything Voldemort didn't understand, it was love.
"What do we do now?" Hermione asked.
"We go straight to Dumbledore's office when we get back to Hogwarts after the holidays and have you two try on the rings," Ginny said at once. When Hermione merely stared at her in shock, Ginny added, "Come on, Herms - don't tell me your brilliant mind hasn't reached that conclusion yet? We need two romantically involved people who exhibit the qualities of a Gryffindor and a Slytherin - if you and Draco don't fit that description perfectly, then who does?" Hermione and Draco looked at each other.
"She's got a point, you know," Draco said as he gently squeezed Hermione's hand. "Gryffindor-Slytherin couples are hard enough to come by as it is." Hermione blinked slowly several times.
"I...wow," she said finally. "I just...I can't believe we're actually a part of this, Dragon. This is incredible!" She still looked as though she were having trouble processing the idea, but was pleased nevertheless.
"No kidding," Harry agreed, running his fingers through his hair. "My brother and my best friend...now we just have to get you in on it somehow, Gin, and we'll be golden."
"Well, I don't think I quite fit the bill for either of the remaining rings," Ginny said with a slight snort. "I get good marks and am near the top of my class, sure, but I'm not really true Ravenclaw material, and I'm far too impatient to be a Hufflepuff. But maybe I can help some other way - wield a secret one-of-a-kind weapon, or something."
"A secret one-of-a-kind weapon?" Harry said teasingly. "At least you've got an active imagination."
"Hey!" Ginny said indignantly. "We've already found four rings linked to the magic of Hogwarts itself - you never know what might still be out there."
"Sure, sure," Harry joked, but he wrapped an arm around her shoulders affectionately all the same.
Now that they'd deciphered the rings' clue, the four friends were anxious for the holidays to end - not that they wanted to leave the familiar warmth of family or return to piles of difficult homework, but they wanted to test their theory as soon as possible. Aboard the Hogwarts Express, they sought out Tracey and Blaise, the only others in their friend group who knew of the prophecy, and were happy to find the Slytherin couple alone.
"Hey," Harry said as he slid open their compartment door. "Can we talk?"
"Sure," Blaise replied with a shrug, setting aside the magazine he'd been reading. "Come in." Tracey, who'd been absentmindedly staring out the window, turned and gave them a smile, but it was very weak and didn't reach her eyes.
"You alright, Trace?" Hermione asked. "You look upset."
"It's nothing," Tracey said, brushing it off with a wave of her hand. "Rough holiday, that's all." Hermione gave her a sympathetic look - Tracey had had similar experiences before, most of them due to her father, who was an overbearing, intimidating individual whose ideals were very different from Tracey's own.
"This time's different," Blaise insisted in an undertone to Harry and Draco, taking care that Tracey couldn't hear him. "She's always at least told me what's going on, but she refuses to say anything about it now. Whatever it is, it's something big." The boys exchanged worried glances, but Tracey's troubles were put aside for the moment when Ginny began telling the story of their discovery and Blaise was forced to listen if he wanted to know what had happened.
"Wow," Blaise said once they'd finished. "So you two are actually part of the quartet - that's awesome."
"I know," Hermione agreed with a grin. "I can't wait to see what sort of power the rings channel - I'll bet it's amazing."
"Are you sure you're not meant to wear the Ravenclaw ring, Hermione?" Blaise joked. "Because it's usually only a Ravenclaw who would immediately comment on something so..."
"Nerdy?" Harry suggested teasingly.
"I was going to say academic, but I suppose that works too," Blaise said with a laugh. Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Thanks for the love, you two," she said sarcastically.
"Oh, you know we love you, Maya," Harry replied.
"So how do we want to do this?" Ginny asked. "Talk to Dumbledore, I mean."
"We should probably write him a note saying we want to meet," Harry said. "Chances are he's changed his password over the holidays - the man comes up with a new sweet every week, I swear - but even if he hasn't, we can't just go barging into the headmaster's office unannounced. We know he's busy, and sometimes I don't think he's even at the school to begin with."
"Well, then let's write him," Hermione said, already pulling quill and ink from her bag. After carefully balancing her inkwell so it wouldn't tip over, she loaded up her quill and scrawled out a note:
Dear Professor Dumbledore, it said, We would like to request a meeting with you at your earliest convenience - we discovered something related to our summer excursions over the holidays and would like to discuss it as soon as possible.
"That's good," Ginny said. "It gets the point across, but it doesn't say anything we wouldn't want known if someone else happened to read it." The others agreed, and everyone signed the note, Harry tucking it in his pocket to send it off with Hedwig as soon as they reached Hogsmeade.
The interlude between Harry's sending of the note and Hedwig's return with a response was, in reality, less than a day, but it felt like an eternity to the impatient Gryffindor. He lost points in Defense when he seriously botched the lesson material and accidentally gave Ron sheep's horns, and Hermione only narrowly saved him from adding a key ingredient out of order during Potions class, the results of which would have caused an explosion large enough to land the entire class in the hospital wing. Having either witnessed or heard about Harry's distracted antics all day, the friends breathed a collective sigh of relief when Hedwig's snowy plumage appeared in the Great Hall at dinner.
"Tomorrow night at eight," Harry whispered to Hermione and Ginny as soon as he'd read the note. "He can see us tomorrow night at eight." Hermione scribbled a charmed parchment message to Draco so their Slytherin compatriots would know what was going on, and they finished dinner in the most peaceful state they'd known since their return to Hogwarts.
The next day's classes weren't nearly so bad, but Harry was still anxious to let the headmaster in on their latest discovery, and by the end of dinner, he was checking his watch so frequently that his fellow housemates probably thought the thing was broken. Finally, Hermione took pity on him and dragged him upstairs to the Room of Requirement for a duel, and it was a much calmer Harry that stood with his friends outside Dumbledore's office at eight o'clock.
"Acid pops," Draco said, and the gargoyle sprang to life.
"Ah, yes, do come in," Dumbledore said brightly when he saw who was waiting for him. "Please, have a seat." With a wave of his wand, there were enough squashy armchairs for everyone, and they sank into the thick cushions with murmurs of appreciation.
"Mmm," Ginny said with a sigh. "I hope I'm this good at furniture spells someday." Dumbledore chuckled.
"Yes, it is well worth the practice, isn't it?" he agreed. "Tea?" He gestured towards a silver tea service they hadn't previously noticed – or perhaps it had only just appeared; who really knew – and the teenagers helped themselves with a second round of murmurs, this time of thanks.
"Now, I understand that you had something important you wished to discuss?" Dumbledore asked as he stirred his tea. He set the little spoon on his saucer and looked expectantly at his visitors.
"We did," Harry said. "We think we've figured out the Gryffindor-Slytherin ring clue. D'you want to tell him, Gin, since it was your idea?" Ginny blushed deeply but nodded.
"Ok," she said, pausing to take a deep breath. "We…well, I…it's love, Professor. The enemy's ignorance – I think it's love."
"An astute observation, Miss Weasley," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling. "I do believe your conclusion is correct. And how would you suggest that relates to the rings' clue?"
"Well, if the Gryffindor and Slytherin rings are to be given in the name of love, that would suggest we need a couple," Ginny said. "A couple who exhibit the prized traits of a Gryffindor and a Slytherin – and I think that Draco and Hermione are the answer to that."
"Well done, indeed," Dumbledore said. His tone suggested that he'd already come to this conclusion long ago but had wanted the teenagers to figure it out for themselves – none of them would've been surprised if that were the case, as Harry distinctly recalled, back when they had first discussed the prophecy, the headmaster saying he had ideas of his own but wanted to see what they made of it.
"How are we going to achieve that, Professor?" Harry asked. "How are we going to make it clear to the rings that these two are wearing them in the name of love?" Dumbledore looked thoughtful.
"The most obvious solution, of course, would be a marriage," he said finally, but Hermione quickly cut him off.
"No." Everyone turned to stare at her, and she blushed.
"Go on, Miss Granger," Dumbledore encouraged, sensing she had more to say.
"I…that is…it's not that I don't want to marry you, Draco, because I…" Hermione faltered and turned even redder. "It's just that…well, I'd rather not do so just because something says we have to, you know? And we wouldn't even be able to keep the rings; they belong to Hogwarts, not us, and using them as a placeholder just doesn't feel right…" She was rambling now, her tone becoming increasingly anxious as she tried to justify her abrupt rejection of the idea.
"Lotte, hush," Draco soothed, taking her hand in his and stroking his thumb along the back in a calming motion. "I'm not offended, love, and I quite agree with you – when that happens, I want to do it properly too." At his use of the word 'when' as opposed to 'if', Hermione bit her lip shyly and Ginny let out a barely audible sigh.
"Love," the redhead murmured, so quietly it was almost to herself.
"Love, indeed," Dumbledore said with a slight chuckle. "Well, it's quite obvious you're both opposed to that plan, and so we need another. Are either of you familiar with the concept of promise rings?"
"Somewhat," Hermione said. "They can be given as a precursor to an engagement ring, symbolizing a couple's commitment to each other but without the added expectations of an actual marriage."
"Precisely," Dumbledore said with a nod. "Although the exchange doesn't necessarily have to involve a romantic relationship – they can also be given by close friends, or perhaps from a parent to a child – but in this case, the romantic component is what we need. There is a similar idea in the Wizarding world – a spell, actually – although it is not used all that often, simply because most people these days have never heard of it."
"How does it work?" Hermione asked, always eager for knowledge.
"The spell doesn't have a name – it is simply called 'The Promise' – and much like a wedding, it requires the two people making the promise, plus a witness to perform the bond. I would have to look into the particulars – I don't think I've witnessed a promise bonding in fifty or sixty years – but I think it would have the desired effect."
"I think that will work just fine," Draco agreed. "Thank you, Professor."
"You're very welcome, my dear boy. Now, was there anything else you wished to discuss this evening?" His eyes lingered on Blaise and Tracey, neither of whom had yet spoken.
"No, sir," Harry said. "That was all."
"Very well. I will look into the ceremony and let you know as soon as I find something," The teenagers thanked Dumbledore for the tea and the chat, and with a scraping of chairs, they left the headmaster's office.
"This just keeps getting more and more interesting, doesn't it?" Blaise commented as the gargoyle hopped back into place. "First you get to wear the rings, now you're having the headmaster read up on rare old ceremonies…maybe you were meant to wear the Gryffindor ring after all, Hermione – how many students can say they've made Dumbledore himself do research?" he joked.
"Oh, hush, Blaise," Hermione said exasperatedly as the others laughed. "Although I must admit I am curious about how the ceremony works…" she added with a sheepish grin.
"You wouldn't be Hermione if you weren't," the Slytherin replied, throwing an arm around her shoulder and giving her an affectionate squeeze. "Our resident bookworm."
"As much as I love watching you flirt with my girl, Blaise, don't you have a Charms essay to finish?" Draco asked sardonically. He raised an eyebrow at them in that imperious way he'd long ago perfected, and Harry and Ginny burst into laughter once more.
"Damn," Blaise muttered. "I was hoping you'd forgotten about that essay…"
"It's Charms, Blaise," Draco said with a smirk. "Not a chance, my friend. Not a chance."
In spite of the steep decline of its actual use, it appeared that the promise spell was rather well documented, as Dumbledore sent Harry another note just three days later – he had found all the details he needed, and the six friends were to meet him in his office that Sunday evening so they could test the spell. On Sunday after dinner, they did as they'd been asked and hurried to the gargoyle, which admitted them upon Harry's declaration of 'Licorice Wands'.
"Good evening, once again," Dumbledore greeted them. "Please take a seat." The teenagers wasted no time in reclaiming their comfortable chairs and eagerly waited for Dumbledore to speak.
"The spell is extremely simple and closely mirrors the structure of a marriage ceremony, although I promise it shan't bind you with those types of ties," Dumbledore began. "You will still be free to pursue such things at a later date, of your own choosing and of your own will."
"Thank you, Professor," Hermione said. She couldn't deny that she wanted that marriage someday, but she definitely didn't want it under such circumstances. She wanted it because she wanted it, plain and simple, and she knew Draco felt the same.
"Of course, my dear. Now, if you're both agreeable to the idea, I will be your bonder, as I am the only one here with the knowledge of how the spell works. Miss Granger and Mr. Black, you will stand here, facing each other." He pointed to a spot in front of his fireplace, and the couple complied.
"Much like a marriage vow, each of you will take a turn making your promise – something simple will do, not to worry," Dumbledore said. "After that, you shall put on the rings, and because you will have completed this promise, the rings should recognize that bond even if you remove them directly after the ceremony – which, for safekeeping purposes, I'm sure you'll agree is a necessary precaution." The teenagers nodded in agreement.
"Excellent. You both understand what you need to do? Good. Let's get started, then. Join hands, please." Draco and Hermione did as they were told, and Dumbledore touched his wand to their clasped hands.
"Let the promise be spoken," he said. A ribbon of soft purple light twisted from his wand and snaked around the couple's hands. "Ladies first, Miss Granger." Hermione swallowed hard and nodded.
"Let these words be a promise of my love for you," she said, her words clear in spite of her obvious nerves.
"Mr. Black?"
"With these words, I promise that my heart belongs to you," Draco said. A second thread of light, this one gold, joined the first, the effect dazzling in the firelight.
"Let the promise ring true forevermore," Dumbledore finished. He held open his free hand, revealing the Gryffindor and Slytherin rings sitting on his palm, and motioned for Draco to take one. Draco picked up the Gryffindor ring and slid it onto Hermione's finger.
Nothing happened. The ring stayed in its plastic-like disguise, far too large for Hermione's slender finger.
"Why didn't it work?" Blaise asked, looking puzzled. They all merely stared at the ring for a long moment.
"Wait," Ginny said suddenly. "That's not right."
"No, Miss Weasley?" Dumbledore asked.
"No. We all agree that the Gryffindor ring is Hermione's and the Slytherin ring is Draco's, yes?" The others nodded and mumbled their agreement. "But the line in the prophecy says 'given freely' – might that imply that though, for instance, Hermione gets the Gryffindor ring, she's supposed to 'give' it to Draco, and vice versa? Take the rings they represent and swap them in the name of love?"
"I think you might be on to something, Gin," Harry said with a nod. "It can't hurt to try, can it?"
"No, I wouldn't think so," Dumbledore agreed. "It might be best to repeat the promise, just to be safe, but Miss Weasley's suggestion does merit some thought." Hermione removed the unchanged Gryffindor ring and gave it back to Dumbledore, and the trio repeated the promise spell. This time, Draco picked up the Slytherin ring. When he made to put it on Hermione's finger, however, he found that he couldn't move it any further than just past her first knuckle – no matter what he tried, it was like a magical barrier prevented him from putting the ring on fully. The ring sparked, and they saw a flash of the emerald and platinum hidden beneath the plastic, but it refused to go any further.
"What now?" Harry muttered. "Professor, what's going on?"
"I'm not sure," Dumbledore admitted. "Miss Granger, will you try?" He held out the Gryffindor ring, and Hermione took it. Seconds later, she found herself facing the same problem – the ring sparked and showed a flash of its ruby and gold makeup, but it wouldn't slide more than a fraction of the way onto Draco's hand.
"Could it be that these rings have too much of their own magic?" Hermione asked uncertainly. "Perhaps they're too powerful in their own right to be bound in such a way?"
"I'm not sure, but I don't think so," Dumbledore said. "The prophecy is worded that way for a reason, after all – if exchanging the rings in such a way was impossible, it would not have…"
"I know why it didn't work," Tracey blurted suddenly. All eyes turned to her, and she flushed pink.
"Trace?" Draco asked. "What's wrong?" He'd seen Tracey biting her lip apprehensively from the minute they'd stepped into Dumbledore's office, and now she looked ready to cry.
"I've been trying to figure out how to tell you," Tracey said, her tone miserable and her eyes beginning to cloud over. "Merlin, you have no idea how much I don't want to tell you. You have no idea how much I don't want it to be true…" A few tears spilled over and ran down her still-pink cheeks.
"Tracey, what's wrong?" Hermione repeated soothingly. "Why didn't the spell work?" Tracey sniffed loudly and wiped her face with her fingers.
"It didn't work," she said, clearly struggling with the words, "because the spell is recognizing another bond. I…oh, Salazar, Draco, I'm so sorry…you have no idea… The spell didn't work because Draco is already engaged…to me."
A/N: Wouldn't be fun without a new problem every few chapters, would it...oh man. How are they going to get around this one?
Thank you, as always, for the follows/faves/reviews, & for reading! Hope you're still all liking the story - lots more to go!
JKR owns all things Potter, I just play. Please R&R, & enjoy! :)