Chapter 19: Preparations
"Potter," Snape greets with a small tilt of head. The sneer is missing from his face and voice.
"Professor," Harry chokes out over his surprise. Hermione's lips pull up in the corners against her will. They, Harry, Ron and Hermione, didn't expect to find Snape when they were called to the Headmaster's office.
"Number 12 Grimmauld Place," Snape replies easily. "Goodnight." With a swish of his cloak he disappears down the stairs. Three sets of eyes turn to the headmaster behind his desk.
"What the bloody hell was that about?" Ron asks, shortly followed by an, "Oi," when Hermione smacks his head.
"Manners," she mumbles. Dumbledore chuckles.
"Professor Snape has been made the secret keeper for the Black house," Dumbledore says. "It helps limit the people who know of the house. While those who did know of it were order members, I would rather that be limited only to the people living in the house. Also, I have this for you, Miss Granger." He hands her a small leather pouch containing a scroll of parchment.
"That," Dumbledore indicates the pouch, "is all the information known about the Fidelius Charm. Once read, the scroll will be engulfed by flames. The information is carefully guarded, as I'm sure you understand, and can only be kept in written form for so long. Once read, you will not be able to forget. The knowledge can also not be taken forcefully from you mind, it can only be freely given. Miss Granger, I believe there may be some points to improve upon to account for all eventualities." She nods and looks down at the scroll. All eventualities? Yes, they must be prepared for everyone's deaths and how to keep the survivors safe.
"Thank you," she says. He tilts his head in a nod, but does not reply. He sees this knowledge as a burden instead of a gift, but it is necessary that she bare it. The headmaster wonders how many burden will be forced upon her young shoulders, how many he must lay there. That spell alone that brought her here is too much, and yet, he can't lighten her load.
"We will meet once more after the exams," Dumbledore says, his smile tight and eyes dim. "You will need to have everything packed in your trunks at that time."
The students leave and head back to the common room. They've entered June. Exams will cover the the next two weeks, but then they only have one more week before the term is over. Hermione clutches the scroll as they head to the Gryffindor tower. She will need to figure this out before then.
The next night Hermione sits in the Room of Requirement with Draco. She pours over the Fidelius Charm, while Draco listlessly completes both of our essays. Perhaps she should feel bad, but the war on the horizon takes up her whole mind.
"Did you know that if the secret keeper dies, each of the people he or she told, in turns becomes the secret keepers?" she tells Draco. Her eyebrows pull down low and she frowns. Draco looks up with a sigh.
"What are you thinking?" he replies.
"If one of the original people should not be trusted and is the reason for the secret keeper's death, that puts everyone at danger." Draco sits up straighter.
"Is there any way to make it so that no one can reveal the secret keeper?"
"Yes, I've been looking at spells for that, but it still leaves the issue that even if a person does not cause the secret keepers death, they could still capitalize on the misfortune and switch sides." He freezes beside her.
"Do you think anyone would?" he whispers. She turns to face a Draco who is looking away.
"No," she says firmly, "but I have to prepare for every possibility, voluntary, involuntary and possible additions to the house that we would not be able to spend a school year vetting." Hermione nudges him with her elbow. Draco rolls his eyes, but relaxes at her words.
"Is there a way to modify that portion to put in a replacement secret keeper upon the death of the first?" She pulls Draco into an excited hug.
"You are brilliant," she tells him.
"I know," he smirks, hugging her back, considerably less awkward than it once was. She roll my eyes.
"Well that is two of three," Hermione says.
"Three?"
"Issues I could think of. One: stopping people from revealing the secret keeper. Two: death of the secret keeper. And three: letting new people into the house without either Snape coming and yet not allow for it to fall into the wrong hand."
"Such as a note?"
"Yes."
"There is an old pureblood method that you may find useful," he says casually, turning back to the essays.
"Pray tell, Mr. Malfoy," she asks with a smirk. He looks up with his own patented smirk in place.
"It's similar to invisible ink or the like except that only a specific person or phrase could make it visible."
"Like the map," she think aloud.
"The map?"
"It is only visible after a phrase is spoken, otherwise it's blank."
"That would be it. It's a tricky charm, but worth it," Draco concludes.
"I guess we have our work cut out for us," she says.
"Three weeks?"
"Yes." He sighs.
"Okay."
A week and half later finds Draco and Hermione in the headmaster's office once more.
"What did you wish to speak about Miss Granger?" Dumbledore asks.
"Draco and I have found a few issues that may arise with the Fidelius Charm. I wanted to run the solutions by you," she says. He nods, and she continues, "If we cue the Mimblewimble curse to the secret keeper of the house, it should stop anyone from revealing who the secret keeper is even if it has shifted. This parchment," she pulls a page out of her bag, "has been charmed so only either the current secret keeper or the next in line can alter it. I need you to key it into the Fidelius charm. It should make it so only one or two people can be secret keeper at a time. The succession of the secret keeper is dictated by the names on the page. Currently it is: Harry, Ron and I, Draco, and then his mother. So if Snape dies, Harry is the secret keeper. If Snape and Harry are dead, it is Ron and me. And so on. The spell should look for the next in line that is still living."
"That is quite the spellwork, Miss Granger," Dumbledore compliments. She blushes slightly.
"It still needs you and Professor Snape to connect it to the Fidelius," she says.
"Brightest witch of her age," Draco says under his breath.
"Anyways, the last issue we were looking at was introducing new members to the house, if needed," Hermione starts once more. "We'll need Snape to write the information on the parchment, but it should be invisible unless a specific phrase is used. Another Mimblewimble would be used so that only a couple of the housemates could speak the phrase at one time. However, once one member passes on another will be able to use it."
"As always, you have exceeded my expectations, Miss Granger," Dumbledore praises.
"I couldn't have done it without Draco," she replies, turning to her friend. Dumbledore smiles.
"I could not be more pleased with the progress you have made, Mr. Malfoy. And I am eternally grateful for the help you have given Miss Granger." Draco nods stiffly, but doesn't reply.
"You have two more days left of exams," Dumbledore speaks once more. "The weekend following those exams should be left to rest. I will meet with the both of you as well as Mr. Potter on Monday evening to finish our preparations. Until then, take care." The students bid the headmaster goodnight and head back to their common rooms.
As Hermione turns in her exam to Professor Snape, she slips in another note. He nods to her and slips the parchment into his pocket. She had written the letter last night and it has been burning in her mind ever since.
Dark Lord,
I have done my best to end Headmaster Dumbledore through other means to no avail. To spite the unpleasantness of the situation, I cannot simply choose death now anymore than I could in August. I will dispose of the Headmaster on June 30th. I expect the result of those efforts will be quite evident.
-Hermione Granger
Snape will deliver the note that night. This is the last weekend before the war and it will spent it with friends.
"Do you regret it?" Draco asks as he and Hermione lay in the Room of Requirement for the last Friday.
"Regret what?" she asks, looking into the stars.
"Anything."
"No," she says, her voice wavering in that single syllable. "I miss my parents, but things were already so hard there. I tried to protect them."
"I know," he whispers back. The warmth of his skin spreads over her arm as his touches it lightly.
"I didn't tell them much. I mean the magical world can be dangerous and they couldn't protect me. What was the point of them knowing? They would have only worried. I stayed as close to them as I could. But I couldn't protect them any more than they could me." Her voice fades.
"I'm sorry."
"For what?" She looks at Draco who is still staring at the stars above them.
"For what you went through. For you parents murder. For your torture...both times," he whispers.
"It's not your fault," she replies.
"I could have done something," he grumbles, his words rough with anger and self-hate.
"Draco," she props herself up to look at him properly. "I could tell you a million reasons why none of that was your fault and how you couldn't stop it, at least not without causing your own death. But all I'm going to say is, I forgive you. I don't believe you knew any better or had options. Still, you do, so know that I don't hold a moment of it against you."
His eyes slide close. She watch his features, emotions clear for once. The anger melts away into agony and then peace. He takes a shuddered breath and then nods.
"Okay," he breaths, before opening his eyes once more. The gray orbs stare into her honeyed eyes. The center of Hermione's chest shakes for a moment, but she doesn't acknowledge it as she lays back down next to him.
"Hey," Harry says as he catches up to Hermione walking around the grounds.
"What's on your mind?" she asks. His lips lift on one side.
"That obvious?" She shrugs. He frowns slightly, all joking aside. "I wanted to know about Luna, what happened to her last time."
"Harry…"
"I need to know, Hermione," he says. She sits down on a bench.
"I'm not sure about all of the time," Hermione replies slowly. "About a year and a half in, we were captured and taken to Malfoy Manor. Luna was in the dungeon there. She wasn't more than skin and bones by that point. She didn't know how long she'd been there and wasn't very coherent. We took her with us when we left, but she never really got better. She'd been taken hostage to manipulate her father and he had tried to capture us at one point which left her feeling betrayed. He then was killed upon her escape. She was stuck between wasting away and wanting to fight back at those who caused her pain. We did what we could," she looks into his eyes.
"How...how did she die?" Hermione's eyes fall to her hands in her lap.
"We had left her at our hideout, not much more than a tent really, while we went to gather information. Turned out to be an ambush. You were badly injured. I thought we had lost in that moment. Then Luna appeared. She thrust my bag into my hands with all our supplies. 'I'll see you again,' she said, pushing away. She fought like a demon among them. And then she went down in...in a blaze of green and black curses," Hermione chokes out around a sob. The pain tears at her chest. Harry wraps an arm around her.
"You have seen her again," he whispers. "She's here with us now." She nods, burrowing her head into his chest.
"It hurt watching her go through all that, you know," she says quietly.
"I know."
"Watching her grow weak and fight to be stronger and give up all at the same time." She looks up into Harry's eyes, searching. "I can't do that again," she says softly.
"We won't let her be taken again," Harry says fiercely.
"I don't know when or how they took her. She would never say...or she couldn't remember…"
"Then we will take her to the safe house with us, her and her dad. This time will be different. We'll keep them all safe," he insists. She nods through the tears slipping silently down her face.
"Okay," she replies, but knows that they cannot protect everyone. War has casualties.