Chapter 10: Two Places at Once

It was the first hogsmeade weekend of the new term, and Hermione's plan for Harry to be in two places at once was underway.

"Are you ready Hermione?" asked Harry, as he stood outside the girls bathroom.

"Just a moment" Hermione shouted back. She was changing her clothes and was almost finished. When she came out she was wearing a pair of blue jeans and a woolly jumper that Mrs Weasley had knitted.

"Ok, I'm ready" said Hermione "let's do this".

Harry nodded in agreement and pulled out a few of his hairs from his head, then gave them to Hermione. Hermione placed them into a silver flask that contained a particular potion that both she and Harry where very familiar with. She then put the lid back on the flask and gave it a quick shake before putting it to her lips. She hesitated, the last time she had taken this potion things hadn't gone to plan and she had ended up in the hospital wing.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" asked Harry, seeing the hesitation in her eyes. "We can still back out of this".

"Yes I'm sure" said Hermione. "What Cho has to tell you could be really important?" Then hesitating no longer she took a swig of Pollyjuice potion. It wasn't as bad as it was the last time she had taken it, but it was still awful stuff.

The transformation happened instantly and before long Harry was looking at his double.

"Has it worked?" asked Hermione.

"Yeah it has" Said Harry

"Good" Said Hermione, putting on a pair of glasses, that were the exact same as Harry's.

"Ok, so what do you want me to say to Cho, if she just wants to get back together with you?" asked Hermione.

"Tell her that I'm flattered, but I'm with Ginny now" said Harry.

"Ok" said Hermione, feeling a little bit disappointed. She had half hoped that Harry might want to get back together with Cho. But that wasn't the case it seemed.

Harry then handed Hermione his invisibility cloak; one of them had to remain unseen until they were out of Hogwarts, because they couldn't risk anyone ells finding out about their operation. Not even Ron, Who was preoccupied today because of the amount of homework he had neglected to do over the past two weeks.

It was a very snowy January, so once they were outside Hermione had to take off the invisibility cloak and hope that no one notice that there were two Harry Potters walking about. In hindsight it would have been a better idea for Hermione to have taken the Pollyjuice potion once they were in Hogsmeade village. That way they wouldn't have needed the invisibility cloak and Hermione would have had more time in case Cho wasn't there on time. But what was done was done and they had to just go along with what they had planned.

And so, through the snowfall they went, until they reached Hogsmeade village. Luckily noone had seen them and there wasn't many student's around because of the heavy snowfall.

"OK, this is where we part ways" said Hermione "I'll go see Cho and you go spend the day with Ginny"

"Ok, I'll see you later then" said Harry as he made his way to Honeydukes, where he was meeting Ginny.

Hermione then walked on through the now deepening snow, to the outskirts of the village to meet Cho. Once there she waited and waited for about fifth teen minutes. The temperature had now dropped considerably and Hermione shivered with cold.

She was about to give-up and go back to Hogwarts when out of nowhere Cho appeared from under an invisibility cloak. Hermione jumped with shock. She didn't know that Cho had an invisibility cloak. And where were her foot prints in the snow? Then she notice that Cho was hovering ever so slightly above the snow, so not too leave any foot prints. She must have been using a levitation charm on herself. because she then took her wand, and in one swift flick of it, she landed softly to the ground.

Hermione was now convinced that whatever Cho had to say, it was important. After all why would she go to all this trouble to remain unseen and undetected?

"Cho?" said Hermione in Harry's voice. "you startled me."

"I'm sorry Harry." said Cho nervously. "But I couldn't risk anyone seeing me here".

"Why?" asked Hermione. "What could be so important that you had to see me like this?"

"It's about the Death Eaters. They have a new weapon".

"Then why not go to Dumbledore? He knows more about fighting the Death Eaters than anyone".

"Because I don't trust Dumbledore, I trust you".

Hermione was really taken aback by this, Cho trusted Harry more than anyone. She didn't blame her of course, Harry had proven himself a hero on countless occasions. But still, she thought that what ever this new weapon was, she could have trusted Dumbledore.

"Ok" said Hermione "what is this new weapon?"

"It's a potion, a love potion that can last forever".

Hermione's blood went cold, she had invented that potion. And now it was being use as a weapon, but how? She was the only one who knew how to make it. Pansy Parkinson had been present when she had finished it, but she didn't know the full recipe. So how had the Death Eaters gotten their hands on it and how did they plan to use it as a weapon?

"How can that be used as a weapon?" asked Hermione

"Don't you see, they distribute it to the entire wizarding world. They could ensure that Witches and Wizards don't marry muggles"

"And keeping wizarding blood pure"

"Exactly"

"Oh my god" gasped Hermione. She had no idea that her potion could be used in such an evil and manipulating way. But that still didn't explain how they got a hold of it.

"How did they get a hold of this potion?" she then asked Cho.

"Their saying that a Death Eater's Daughter came up with it"

Hermione stomach clenched tight; she had a feeling whose daughter it was, and if she was right, then that meant that Dumbledore had been fooled.

"It wasn't a Death Eater named Parkinson by any chance was it?"

Cho pondered for a moment trying to remember, "Yes I think that was the name".

Oh no thought Hermione. Then it came to her. That was the Death Eaters plan all along.

The Death Eaters knew if anyone could invent a love potion that could last forever it would be Mudblood Hermione Granger, but how to get her to invent such a potion? Well first, you split up her parents. Then you pair her mother with the father of her most hated enemy. An unlikely alliance forms between the two enemies' with the mutual goal of splitting the parents up. And what better way by creating a love potion that lasts forever so it can be used to get the original couples back together.

But that still didn't explain how Pansy Parkinson knew how to make it. After all she hadn't seen every single step of the recipe. And then the answer came to her.

When Pansy Parkinson had attacked her the last day of term she had blacked out. Pansy could have easily read her mind when she was unconscious.

Yes it all made sense. She had to get back to Harry and Ron and tell them this, but there was just one more thing troubling her, one more thing she had to ask before she left.

"How do you know all this?" she asked Cho.

"Because I have been working with the Auror Department since I left Hogwarts" said Cho. "I Decided that I couldn't just sit back while others fought and died in this war"

Hermione was deeply moved by Cho's words. She couldn't help but respect her in that moment. She wanted to tell her that as well, but the pollyjuice potion would be wearing off soon, and she needed to get out of there before that happened,

"I have to go Cho, but if you learn of anymore information that can help please let me know"

Hermione then turned around and was about to run back to hogmeade village when she was stop by Cho.

"Harry wait" she said.

Hermione turned around to face Cho once again.

"One more thing before you go."

Cho quickly moved up to face Hermione (who she still thought was Harry) and kissed him on the lips.

"I want you to know I never stop thinking about you, about us. When this is all over I hope we can talk"

Hermione, slightly dazed and confused by the kiss remembered Harry's instructions on what to say if Cho wanted to get back together. But for some reason she just couldn't bring herself to say it.

"We'll see" said Hermione in Harry's voice, and with that she ran out of sight just in time for her to change back into her old self.