Chapter Seven

"The Tenures?" Hermione said, her eyes scanning the rows and rows of books in the caverns of the Hogwart's Library.

"Yeah we already told you, 'Tenures'," Ron said a little annoyed at having to repeat himself so many times.

Hermione just ignored him, tapping a finger against the shelves she passed. Sarah went the other way, trying to scan everything as hawk-like as Hermione was. They were surrounded by thousands of books and Sarah thought dejectedly that the likelihood of finding what they were looking for quickly was very unlikely.

Many minutes later it was Ron that came up with a solution.

"This is a waste of time!" Ron groaned. Hermione shot him a vitriolic look.

"Well if your best friend is a 'pointless waste of time', you're welcome to leave," she said irritably. Hermione took out her frustration differently to Ron.

Sarah sighed inwardly as she settled herself for what would be another tennis match of wits between the two,

"I didn't say that, did I?" Ron said starting to get angry. Sarah could see him trying to control himself, and she thought this anger might be pent up.

It's because you're not here Harry, she thought, everyone's so worried about you.

"You might as well have," Hermione snapped. "You're no help at all, you just sit there yapping away!"

"Well you're the clever one!" Ron said, "You think of something. We only keep you for the brains!"

Hermione drew to a halt. "What?" she said so dangerously Ron immediately took a step back. "What?"

"Herms, I didn't – " he stuttered.

"Don't call me Herms," Hermione said shakily, fighting back tears. She was gripping her wand tightly over her robes. This was starting to get much worse than their normal squabbles, and Sarah felt she should intervene.

"You know what? Maybe we should leave it for today," she said hastily.

"No," Ron said, "We won't. You want to know about the 'Tenures'?" he said rhetorically.

He raised his wand and Sarah and Hermione both flinched. He didn't pay any attention to them and just shouted, "Accio the 'Tenures'."

About a dozen books flew from nearby shelves, some of them knocking other books off shelves to get to Ron. Sarah saw his eyes widen as he realized his mistake. He only had time to cover his head as books painfully crashed into him. Sarah and Hermione both jumped out of the way in time.

The commotion they caused had the entire library quieted and staring at them, until Madam Pinch broke the silence.

"Out of my library!" she screeched. "Out! Out! OUT!"

Sarah and Hermione immediately grabbed as many of the accioed books as they could carry, pulled on their bags and ran out of the library. Ron, who was still recovering from his spell, was slower and Madam Pince enchanted his bag to hit him repeatedly as he rushed out.

"Well done Ronald," Hermione said breathlessly, once they were safe they were safe in the corridor. "We can't go in there for a while now."

"Well, we have the books," Ron said impatiently, gesturing to the ones Sarah and Hermione were holding.

"They might not even be helpful," Hermione snapped back. "There could only be a few mentions of what we want."

"It's because it was my idea that you're in such a snit," Ron said angrily. "I got you the books!"

"Excuse me? Last time I looked you weren't the 'brains' of this group!" Hermione yelled. Sarah was immensely glad this was a deserted corridor.

"You're still mad about that? I'm sorry, okay Hermione? I'm sorry!" Ron said exasperatedly. "Why is everything I do not good enough for you?"

"Leave me alone!" she said through tears.

"Fine," Ron snapped, whirling around and storming in the other direction.

"Sarah – " she mumbled turning to me.

"Not a word Herms," Sarah said gently. She took the books from Hermione's shaking arms. "I can look at them tonight."

Hermione gave her a wobbly smile and they walked in silence until they parted. Hermione went to the Gryffindor common room, and Sarah went to the Slytherin common room.

As she walked she glanced down at the titles. The Mysteries of Time Travel and Goldfinch's Guide to Gallivanting Through Time were among the horde. Sarah had a sinking feeling that Harry was far, far away at the moment.

As soon as she had brushed her teeth and gotten dressed in her silk pyjamas, she crawled into her four-poster poster bed and opened The Mysteries of Time Travel.

She yawned as she flicked through page after page of complicated diagrams and even more complicated explanations. She moved into the common room, with a dark green bathrobe wrapped around her when her dorm mates started showing up for bed and looking at her suspiciously.

It was after many hours and pages later that Sarah found any mention of the 'Tenures' and it was even further on from that that she found an explanation. She read it carefully, her eyes widening with every word. She took a deep breath. This was not good.

She scrambled to her feet and walked with a quickening pace to the Gryffindor common room.

"Tapeworm," she said to the portrait. The Fat Lady looked down at her sniffily.

"The password's changed," she said. "Or didn't your Gryffindor friends tell you?"

Sarah gave a cry of frustration. She needed to tell Ron and Hermione what she found out. They would have to completely change the way they approached this problem.

"Sar?" Ron came stumbling into view. She looked at him surprised. He was in a terrible state. His red hair was a mess and his whole figure was dejected.

"Ron what happened?" she asked.

"Just been walking about," he mumbled. He looked completely wilted.

"She'll come 'round," Sarah said comfortingly.

"You think so?" Ron asked hopefully.

"Yeah," Sarah said.

"So what're you here for Sar?" Ron asked.

"Nothing," Sarah said. She couldn't burden him when he was like this. "I just came to say goodnight."

"Oh how sweet. Am I going to wait for the password all night?" the Fat Lady asked wapishly.

"G'night Sar," Ron said tiredly. "Bumble Bee," he said to the Fat Lady who swung open with a scowl. "Are you coming in?"

Sarah shook her head and walked away with a little wave at Ron. Telling them will only make their stress worse.

Her findings weighed heavily in her mind as she climbed into bed. Whichever way they got Harry back, it would cost them.