Chapter 9: A Blast from the Past
Christmas and New Year came and went, and with it the start of a new school term. When Hermione arrived at Platform 9 ¾, she was reunited with Harry and Ron. The rest of the holidays had been uneventful, so Hermione was feeling much less stressed. However the mystery of the untouched letters from Victor Krum was still something that concerned her.
If Pansy Parkinson had found those letters, why hadn't she simply taken all of them? After all if your going to blackmail someone, wouldn't you get as much evidence as you could to use against them? And if Hermione had simply left that one letter out to be found, (and she didn't think she did) why hadn't Pansy searched the room for the others? Her bedroom hadn't been disturbed since the day she left . Even if Pansy had ransacked the room, and her mother had come in and cleared up after, there would still be some differences, things slightly out-of-place, that sort of thing, but there wasn't.
She intended to discuss this with Harry only. Because she knew, the very mention of those letters from Victor would only set Ron off. But since Harry and Ron where best friends and pretty much in separable when it came to riding on the Hogwarts express, she would have to await awhile.
But as she, Harry and Ron were riding along in a compartment through the country side, the opportunity to talk to Harry alone presented itself. The trio was playing a game of explosive snap when the compartment door opened, and Ginny Weasley's face popped in, Hermione had found it strange that she and Harry weren't sitting together like a normal couple.
"Ron can I have a word" asked Ginny.
"Sure go ahead" said Ron idly.
"No I mean a word in private "reply Ginny.
Ron looked confused by this, what could be so private that it couldn't be shared in front of Harry and Hermione?
"Oh, ok" said Ron, getting up from his seat and leaving the compartment. "I'll be back soon guys". And with that he closed the door and left with Ginny to talk somewhere private.
Hermione waited until they were out of sight before talking with Harry
"I need to talk to you about something"
"I need to talk to you about something"
Both Hermione and Harry had spoken at the same time, they were both taken aback by the fact they each had something they needed to talk about, but couldn't in front of Ron.
"You first said Harry"
Hermione paused for a moment, she wondered if she should go first, after all Harry's problem could be more serious because it might have something to do with Voldermort.
"No you first" said Hermione, "is it something to do with Voldermort?
Harry shook his head. "No it's nothing to do with him. It's more of a personal matter. But I can't discuss it with Ron"
"Why?" asked Hermione.
Harry took a breath and reached for his trunk in the overhead compartment. He pulled out a peace of parchment and sat back down.
"I got a letter from Cho over the holidays"
Hermione understood now, Cho was Harry's ex-girlfriend, she had graduated from Hogwarts last year, yet in that final year she and Harry hadn't said two words to each other. And Ginny was Ron sister, there was no way of knowing if he wouldn't tell Ginny out of loyalty to his family, or kept it a secret and advice is best friend. Either way, Ron would be betraying someone and that wasn't fair to him.
"What does it say?" asked Hermione.
Harry handed her the letter and Hermione read it.
Dear Harry
I know it's been a long time, and that things didn't end well between us. But I need to see you. There's something I need to talk to you about, and it's too important to be wrote in this letter. I know I have no right to ask this of you, but please meet me on the outskirts of Hogsmeade village, near the Shrieking Shack on the next Hogsmeade weekend.
Love Cho.
p.s. I would not ask this of you if it wasn't really important
Hermione finished reading the letter and handed it back to Harry. "Wow" she gasped.
"I know" said Harry in agreement.
"Well, are you going to do?" asked Hermione.
"I don't know" said Harry.
"Are you going to write back to her?" Hermione asked.
"I will as soon as I figure out what it is I'm going to do" said Harry, "what do you think she wants to talk to me about?"
Hermione pondered that for a moment, the only thing she could think of was that Cho wanted to get back together with Harry.
"Well… maybe she wants to get back together with you" she said offhandedly.
Harry didn't look surprise by this answer, and Hermione figure that he must have come to that conclusion as well. Perhaps he was hoping that Hermione would have a different answer, one that didn't involve a betrayal.
"Well I guess I know what I have to do then" said Harry.
"What do you mean?" asked Hermione.
"I have to write back to her, telling her I won't be there at the next Hogmeade weekend and that she shouldn't waste her time" said Harry
"No wait a minute" said Hermione abruptly. "we can't just dismiss this, this letter from Cho. What if it really is important? What if she has information about some Death Eaters or something and doesn't know who to trust".
"Then why wouldn't she contact Dumbledore?" asked Harry.
"Because she knows you personally, Harry, she knows how brave you are, and that you can be trusted"
Harry thought about that for a moment. It seemed to Hermione, that by the look on his face that he agreed with her.
"Ok" he said. He then sighed "oh… there is going to be hell to pay, when I tell Ginny that I have to go see Cho on the next Hogsmeade visit"
"I sure she'll understand once you explain to her" said Hermione, not believing her own words.
"No she won't" Harry said glumly.
Hermione could see that Harry didn't want to be on Ginny Wealsey's bad side; she had a temper like her mother after all.
"Well, maybe there is a way you could meet Cho and be with Ginny at the same time"
Harry Listened as Hermione told him of her plan for him to be in two places at once.
After Hermione finished explaining her plan, she told Harry about the mystery of the untouched letters from Victor. Harry understood why she hadn't wanted to discuss this in front of Ron.
"Wow" said Harry,"that is strange, why would Pansy only take one letter?"
"I know" said Hermione "I have been asking myself the same question all Christmas"
Just then the door to the compartment opened, both Harry and Hermione turn their heads to see who it was, they had been so deep in their conversation that they had forgotten that Ron would be returning. It was only now that he was back they had realized that he had been gone for quite awhile.
"Asking what all Christmas?" asked Ron as he sat down.
"Oh… how I'm going to cope with Pansy Parkinson?" lied Hermione
"Oh that" said Ron "yeah, that is a tough one. I still can't believe you're going to let her get away with what she did to you"
"I told you Ron, I couldn't risked her spilling the beans, about the forever lasting love potion"
"That doesn't mean we can't give her a little taste of her own medicine"
Hermione liked the idea of kicking Pansy Parking's ass muggle style, but the way Pansy fought last time, it wouldn't surprise her if she managed to take on all three of them at the same time.
In abid to change the subject, Hermione asked "what did Ginny want?"
"Oh that" said Ron "apparently Percy sent her a letter this morning. It was basically the same letter he wrote me back in our fifth year, can you believe that git"
"That still doesn't explain why she wanted to talk in private. Surely she is ok with talking about it in front of us" asked Harry.
"I asked her that myself. She said that she thought you guy's might not understand"
Might not understand! thought Hermione. God, Ginny Weasley was arrogant, of course she and Harry would understand. A letter from an estranged sibling would be emotional no doubt; to say she and Harry wouldn't understand was just insulting. What is wrong with her?
Hermione felt like saying that, but she didn't. She sat back and looked out of the window and watched the country side passed by. She thought to herself wouldn't it be great if Cho did want to get back together with Harry, and they actually did. That would knock Ginny Weasleys ego down a bit.