Disclaimer: After watching HP7, I just realized my talent is nowhere near JK Rowling's. I mean, come on; let's face it. Nobody, not even the best, could ever beat our very own JK! So yeah, not mine, not yours, only JK Rowling's.
A/N: And, I'm back with the sixth chapter. I'm sincerely sorry I didn't update yesterday. Today, we just started our quarterly tests so yeah, I have to study. On a brighter note, I've finally watched HP and good Merlin, it was epic! I found myself screaming in frustration after the very last scene. Ugh, I wanna 'Accio' July now.
Haha, anyway, I'll stop here for now. Oh, be warned, this chapter is un-edit. My beta is also a busy bee so she couldn't edit it on my deadline. I just hope there aren't too much grammatical errors.
Enjoy!
Chapter Six: Unnoticed Listener
"Hermes!"
Hermione swiveled around, her eyes wide in curiosity. She was greeted by the sight of a smiling Teddy, enthusiastically waving his hand to and fro with Blaise, who was looking as dashing as before, armed with trademark, charming smile.
"Hey!" she replied as she gave them a huge smile.
"Let's go to lunch together," Teddy announced, swinging an arm over Hermione's shoulder. Blaise took his position beside Hermione.
"How was Ancient Runes?" Blaise asked as he followed the other two.
"Brilliant," she answered, breathless. Her eyes then sparkled, her smile growing wide. "Professor Flaxworth gave a new lesson and he said it would be part of the NEWTs. It was pretty challenging, you know. But I loved it. I can't wait to answer our NEWTs."
Teddy scowled. "Ancient Runes makes me feel stupid," he commented, removing his arm off her shoulders. "I can't believe you chose that subject. I mean… wow, you must be pretty intelligent to be able to understand all those weird numbers and symbols."
She laughed, shaking her head. "Well, at least it's way better than Divination," she used a subtle sarcastic tone on the last word. Apparently, she still hated Divination with all of her being. Like what she thought in their third year, Divination was a waste of time. "What happened to Divination, anyway?"
"Oh, you know, the usual," Teddy answered casually. "Oh, did you know that I predicted how I'd die in the future." He released a loud laugh, startling some passersby. "It was hilarious, really. I think that if I really died like that, it will be part of the headlines in the Daily Prophet. Oh, tell him, Blaise. I think I'll crack up before telling Hermes about my impending doom."
Hermione looked amused as she looked at Blaise expectantly, who, on the other hand, sighed in resignation. "He will stumble inside a cubicle. His face will land on a toilet bowl. He will accidentally flush the toilet with his flailing right hand. And then, he'll die because of drowning. The end."
Despite the bizarre death of Theodore Nott, Hermione laughed. It was funnier because Blaise used a monotonous voice as he told her about Teddy's prediction. It was funnier, too, because in the middle of Blaise's story, Teddy had burst into uncontrollable laughter. He was laughing so heartily he had to hold Hermione's shoulder for support.
"It was extremely hilarious when we saw Trelawney's face!" Teddy said.
"Let me guess; she thought it was a weird death, yeah?" Hermione answered.
"Au contraire," Blaise answered from beside her. He had this huge scowl on his face once Hermione looked back at him. "She actually thought it was the most creative prediction she had heard so far and even awarded Slytherin with twenty points… weird old bat."
Hermione looked genuinely surprised.
"Blaise? Insulting? Are pigs flying now?" Teddy exclaimed in mock surprise.
"Well, there are really flying pigs, you know. They are called" –
- "Hermes!" Teddy exclaimed, laughing. His laugh was infectious and soon, Hermione found herself laughing, too.
"Well, I can't help it," Blaise said, butting in. He had this troubled look on his face. "If I was as intelligent as you, Hermes, I will really choose Ancient Runes over Divination. I really think it's just a waste of time."
"EXACTLY!" Hermione loudly exclaimed. She blushed upon discovering her sudden outburst. "Exactly," she said in a softer tone, "I mean, how can Divination help you in the future? Unless you are going to be some seer or something."
"Do you study Divination in Durmstrang, too?" Teddy mused aloud.
"Yeah," she answered back, distinctly remembering Viktor Krum's story of his life in Durmstrang. "Though, our teacher's saner than… the fraud."
"Ooh, why the insults?" was Teddy's carefree answer, laughing at the simultaneous frown that appeared on Hermione and Blaise's face. "Oh, whatever. Let's drop the subject about classes. I can't think properly when I'm this hungry." His whining was put into a stop when he looked around, as if searching for someone. "Where's Draco? I miss him so much."
Blaise rolled his eyes while Hermione shook her head. When Blaise said Teddy had this soft spot for Draco, he was not kidding at all. It was amusing that Teddy was looking up at Draco like an apprentice to his master. For Hermione, Malfoy was the one who should follow Teddy's carefree attitude.
'It will be more tolerable if Malfoy's like Teddy,' she pondered, wishfully thinking. 'But then again, if Malfoy's like Teddy, he will not be Draco Malfoy at all.'
"Draco had a free period," Blaise said, disrupting Hermione's thoughts. "He's probably in the Great Hall now."
"Aw, I told him to wait for me," Teddy said, pouting. "It's annoying. How he acts like now, I mean. I… actually miss the old him, you know."
'Hmm… interesting,' she thought, looking back at Blaise. To her surprise, he was sporting a very pensive look on his face.
"You know his circumstances, Nott," Blaise said, his voice surprisingly cold.
"Yeah," was his soft reply as he ruffled his hair.
Hermione looked from Teddy and Blaise, still thoughtful. Teddy had this sad look on his face and it seemed like the brightness around him disappeared. Blaise, on the other hand, looked older for his age.
'They're really worried for Malfoy, huh,' she thought, frowning. Of course she knew about his circumstances. He was a Death Eater. It just surprised her that he was having a hard time. She wondered if they knew about his position in the Order.
"Anyway, this conversation is depressing!" Teddy said. He rubbed his stomach and laughed. "There's an uprising inside my stomach already. Can we go faster, please?"
He was answered with a soft chuckle from Hermione and an eye-roll from Blaise.
Hermione briskly walked towards the library, fully aware that it was already past curfew.
Despite the privilege of roaming around Hogwarts after curfew, Hermione still felt apprehensive, looking over her shoulders once in a while to see if anyone was following her. She still felt uncomfortable breaking school rules even after years of doing shenanigans with Harry and Ron.
She glanced down at her right hand, fisted to hide the brief letter she received from the Headmaster early this morning. All it contained was for her to meet him in the Restricted Section of the library at precisely eleven o'clock in the evening, definitely past the curfew time.
Dumbledore's letter had surprised and worried her at the same time. The thought of news about her parents' welfare instantly popped inside her head. 'Are they all right? Where are they? Are they still… alive?' Those questions ran wildly inside the disguised Gryffindor's frazzled mind and she fervently wished the Headmaster's news would be a good one.
She finally reached the front door of the library, its brass doorknob gleaming even in the dark.
With a shaky hand, she reached for the knob and slowly opened it. A loud creaking noise was heard and once again, she looked over her shoulders to see if anyone had followed her. Thankfully, the corridor was still empty and without any hesitation, she slipped inside the library and allowed the door to close by itself.
A wave of comfort settled on the brunette. Books always had a calming effect on her. No matter how distraught and exhausted she was, they were still able to console her. And so, knowing that she was going to meet the Headmaster in the library was a comfort for the Slytherin. But then, it still made her wonder why they should meet in the library when Dumbledore had his own office.
With these thoughts in mind, she continued her small journey inside the room, trying to walk slowly to cease the noise her school shoes were making.
Finally, she arrived at the Restricted Section. As soon as she caught sight of the familiar section in the library, she saw the Headmaster of Hogwarts, seated on one of the chairs as he busily scribbled words on a parchment.
"Miss Granger," he softly addressed without looking up from his parchment. "Please sit down."
Slowly, Hermione followed the old man's orders and settled herself on a chair across from Dumbledore.
"Thank you, Blinky, I appreciate your help," was Blaise Zabini's final farewell before leaving the kitchen.
He heard the house-elf squeak "You are welcome, Blaise Zabini," before the portrait door completely closed.
Blaise, satisfied, started his walk to the library. He was currently carrying a parcel containing treacle tarts and steaming tea prepared faithful by Blinky, a house-elf that previously served the Zabinis before his mother freed her and she sought comfort in the kitchen of Hogwarts.
He was doing his nightly ritual: get his usual treats in the kitchen from Blinky, thank the said house-elf, and then continue his trip by walking to the library to read one of his favorite books whilst eating.
Draco and Teddy found his ritual amusing, especially his strange addiction to tea. Blaise had claimed tea had a calming effect on him and so, he thought that the perfect way to end an exhausting day was to drink a steaming cup of tea.
He had been doing this routine ever since he was in first year. It started when he received a letter from his mother, telling him some good news about a new suitor she wished to marry. He had forgotten the name of his mother's new boy toy that time. All he knew was that he was so upset about this horriblenews from his mother and sought comfort in the kitchen, which he accidentally discovered after following a bunch of house-elves.
After that, he just continued this strange ritual of his every night. On the first few years, he was always caught by a prefect or a teacher and he often landed himself in detention. But despite the continued warnings he received, they all fell into deaf ears and Blaise continued to do his nightly habit.
Now that he was seventeen-years-old and he knew more spells, he used it to his own advantage and used the Disillusionment Charm on himself to ward away possible patrollers in the corridor.
Suddenly, a soft meow alerted him. He smirked upon seeing Mrs. Norris perked up, indicating that she could sense a rule-breaker.
"Is something wrong, sweetie?" Blaise looked up and saw Argus Filch, limping towards his pet cat.
Slowly, the Slytherin backed away from the master and pet until his back made contact with the wall. His Disillusionment Charm was not that strong. It was, after all, a difficult spell and Blaise knew he still hadn't mastered it at all. He just thanked Merlin that the Hogwarts caretaker's eyes were turning blurry because of old age.
"Come out, rule-breaker," he announced to the silent corridor, his head moving wildly around to seek for the student out of bed.
Blaise watched in amusement as Mrs. Norris continued to meow in his direction while the caretaker was oblivious to his pet's pleas.
'Sneaky cat,' he thought, now slowly moving away from the patrollers and towards the library.
"Argus."
Blaise looked towards the direction of the new voice. At the corner of his eyes, he could see that Filch did the same.
It turned out it was Professor McGonagall, wearing her usual stern look on her face.
"I need your help, Argus," the Transfiguration teacher continued. "Please find Peeves for me while I fix the Headmaster's office." McGonagall closed her eyes in exhaustion. "And please, for the love of Gryffindor, capture Peeves."
"Gladly, Professor! Gladly!" was his enthusiastic reply as he ushered Mrs. Norris to follow him and Professor McGonagall, forgetting the rule-breaker.
Once their footsteps were not heard anymore, Blaise stepped out of the shadow, shaking his head in disbelief. He couldn't believe that of all being that could save him from landing himself on his first detention for the school-year, Peeves was his savior.
He took a mental note to thank the poltergeist.
Blaise continued his trip, now walking briskly. He planned to go back to his room before midnight. After all, sleep was precious to him, especially now that he was in seventh year.
Finally, he arrived at the front door of the library. He balanced the parcel on his left hand; the other pulled his wand from his pocket and charmed the door to open noiselessly. Years of sneaking around were really beneficial, especially with his knowledge of spells and hexes.
Proud with himself, he stepped inside the library and strode towards a far section in the library, just beside the Restricted Section, and settled himself comfortably on his favorite chair. He placed the parcel on the top, removed his treacle tarts and tea from the inside, and grabbed his favorite book hidden inside his robe.
'How peaceful,' he thought, nonchalantly opening the book whilst sipping his tea.
But just then, he heard the squeaky opening of the library door and he perked up. 'Another rule-breaker,' he reckoned, amused. For him, rules were meant to be broken and he was glad someone thought so, too.
He unconsciously mused that the rule-breaker would have been roaming around the library now, probably a lazy git who forgot to do his homework or something.
Amused, he continued reading his book until he heard soft footsteps going into his direction. Cautiously, he placed the Disillusionment Charm around him once again and hid behind the shadows, waiting for the sudden intruder.
'Hermes?' he thought, surprised upon seeing his roommate walking towards the Restricted Section, seemingly apprehensive. 'What is he doing here?'
He could still see him from the shadows, faint moonlight washing over his face.
And then a voice… a voice he knew so well spoke and he froze on his spot, astonished beyond comprehension.
"Miss Granger," Professor Dumbledore's voice said. "Please sit down."
"Umm… may I ask why we should meet here, Professor?" she started. "I do know the direction to your office."
The Headmaster chuckled, eyes still trained on his unfinished letter. "Ah, once again, our beloved poltergeist wrecked havoc. Unfortunately, he chose to do his hobby in my office. So, Miss Granger, my office is currently under maintenance and I had no choice but to ask you to meet me here in the library."
"But this is sudden, Professor Dumbledore," Hermione continued, her eyebrows knitting together. "Did something happen to my… parents?" Her voice faltered, her face grew worried. Out of habit, she started to worry her bottom lip, eyes trained intently on the aged Headmaster across from her.
Dumbledore finally looked away from his parchment to Hermione, a tired look on his face. The twinkle he had in his cerulean eyes a while ago was gone. 'Oh no,' she apprehensively thought. 'That's not a good sign.'
The Headmaster shifted on his seat and leaned slightly forward, his arms placed on the table for support. He joined both of his hands in a pensive manner. A wistful sigh escaped from his lips as he watched his student, who was growing more apprehensive as more minutes ticked by.
"They are, shall we say, fine, Miss Granger," he started, carefully choosing his words. "According to our spies, your parents are currently residing in the Malfoy Manor somewhere in the West Wing."
"Malfoy Manor?" she squeaked, her blood running cold.
Dumbledore nodded, absentmindedly stroking his beard. "Miss Granger, you do know that they are too valuable for Voldemort to kill," he said in an assuring tone, frowning at the sudden paleness of the disguised brunette in front of him.
Hermione merely nodded, eyes now downcast. "It's just that… they are still in danger," she said, almost inaudibly.
His only answer was a tired sigh. He unlaced his hands and allowed his back to touch the backrest of his chair, truly exhausted. "I can't say the news I am about to deliver is a good one, Miss Granger." He paused, noticing as Hermione bristled on her seat. "But, I assure you that we are still doing our best to do something about your parents' current predicament."
She hated herself for the next thing she did – she started to cry. Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment, knowing that she looked like a fool, crying in front of her Headmaster. But her tears seemed stubborn today as they steadily fell down from her eyes down to her chin.
"I'm sorry," she said, releasing a wet chuckle. Hermione haphazardly brushed a hand through her face and tried to hide her face from Dumbledore.
"It's perfectly understandable," Dumbledore asked, looking at her in concern. "I admit that I'm also at fault here. I should have been more cautious…"
"Don't blame yourself, Professor," she interjected. Her eyes, despite her tears, disagreed to what he had said. "I also committed a mistake… we should not blame anybody."
He cracked a small smile, pushing his half-moon spectacles up the bridge of his nose. "Anyway," he started, giving her his handkerchief for her tears. Hermione gratefully accepted it and gave Dumbledore a small smile of her own. "This news I'm about to tell you is a bit… distressing, Miss Granger. Please brace yourself."
"It had come to my knowledge that Voldemort already discovered a charm that can break the spell and reveal the secrets of the Order."
"Already discovered a ch" –
- "Miss Granger, I'll appreciate it if you let me speak first." Upon receiving a curt nod from Hermione, he continued. "Totus specialis ostendo sum [1]. Ever heard of that?"
The brunette knitted her eyebrows, deep in thought. "It sounds familiar…" Her voice trailed off, trying to remember about the pieces of information she had gathered through her readings. "I'm sorry but all I can remember is that you have to perform a really complicated wand movement for the spell to be activated."
"Indeed," Dumbledore said, nodding in confirmation. "This is an extremely advanced magic. Even Rowena Ravenclaw herself had a hard time performing this spell."
Hermione's eyes widened, now familiar with the spell. "Wait," she said, her eyebrows knitting once again, "It's not just a mere one-worded spell, Professor. It's an incantation… a really long one. That's why they called it Totus specialis ostendo sum to be shorter. You have to be both precise and fluent in Latin for the spell to be activated."
Once again, Dumbledore nodded in confirmation. "Severus had told me that Voldemort had already performed this spell on your parents" –
- "WHAT?" –
- "But," he interjected with an emphasis. Hermione clamped her mouth, bottling up all the panic and anger she was feeling inside. "But," Dumbledore continued, "the spell will have its full effect for a long span of time. Approximately ten months. It is not precisely the best option for Voldemort, Miss Granger. But it is the most sensible one since the other option is for Voldemort to kill himself to break the spell."
The brunette scoffed. "As if," she spat. Upon seeing the look on the Headmaster's face, she quickly apologized.
"And so, I give you this advice, my dear student," he said. "You have ten months to save your parents. A whole school-year. I am asking you to do your very best, Miss Granger. And, if you are having a hard time, please, do not hesitate to approach me and ask for help. Even the bravest and most intelligent person in the whole world needs someone to battle the trials of life with him."
Hermione nodded with conviction. "Yes," she said. "Yes, I will take that by heart, Professor Dumbledore." She stood up and humbly bowed. "I'm really thankful for your help, Headmaster. Without you, I would have done something rash right now just to save my parents."
Dumbledore chuckled and waved a dismissive hand. "You do not need to thank me, Miss Granger," he said as Hermione straightened up. "I am the Headmaster of Hogwarts. It is a pleasure for me to help my students in need."
"Thank you, Professor," she said, despite what he had said a while ago. "This really means so much to me."
"Ah," he started. "Now, I think if it's best for you to retire back to your room. I am aware of the exhausting activities you'd undergone this morning."
Hermione nodded. "Thank you," she said once again, a huge smile on her face. "Goodnight, Professor Dumbledore."
"Goodnight, Miss Granger."
"Goodnight, Miss Granger."
Blaise immediately hid in the shadows once again, slightly crouching as his roommate strode away from the Restricted Section.
'Hermione Granger, huh?' he thought, amused, as he resumed his previous position on the chair.
His tea, he forlornly thought, had gone cold now after his negligence. But for now, he did not care. His mind was filled with the new information he had gathered.
He had always suspected that Hermes Austen was hiding something… fishy. That was why he always walked beside him ('Or should I say her?' he thought) just to unravel the mystery surrounding the transfer student.
But he never expected this… bizarre situation. Knowing that Hermes Austen was really Hermione Granger in disguise was beyond amusing.
When he first heard that Hermione Granger died after an attack from the Death Eaters, he was in disbelief. She was Hermione Granger, for Merlin's sake, and she, of all people, should be able to save herself from Voldemort's minions.
And now, knowing that his roommate was actually a disguised female brought a huge grin on his face. His past few years had not really been that eventful. And now, he had a feeling he would be enjoying his seventh year.
"Mister Zabini."
His musings were cut off when Professor Dumbledore suddenly appeared in front of him, his eyebrows raised until they hid behind his white fringes. "Another nightly ritual of yours, I suppose."
Blaise gave a sheepish smile. The Headmaster had caught him a million times roaming around Hogwarts after curfew. Most of the time, he caught him on this particular table, doing his nightly rituals. He was never that stern, unlike, let's just say, Professor McGonagall. Instead of a detention, he would only deduct five points from Slytherin and allowed him to finish his tea and his snack before he returned to his dormitory.
"I believe you should go back to your room, my dear boy," he said, his blue eyes once again twinkling. "Five points from Slytherin."
"Yes, sir," he said, making the plate of treacle tart and his tea disappear with just a wave of his wand. "Goodnight, Professor."
"Goodnight, Mister Zabini," was his farewell before turning around and leaving the library.
Blaise swore he saw the Headmaster wink at him. And as the Italian trudged back to the Slytherin common room (after dodging annoying Mrs. Norris and her caretaker once again), he couldn't help but think that maybe, maybe Professor Dumbledore chose that spot, knowing that Blaise would be near the Restricted Section, and purposely allowed him to hear the secret of Hermes Austen.
'Nah,' he thought, dismissing the fact. He released a wide yawn upon reaching the Slytherin common room. 'Why would he?'
Shrugging, he just walked inside his room, smirked at Hermione's form on her bed, and slipped under the comforter of his own bed just across hers, allowing sleep to take over him.
Review Responses
fantasia-49: *bows* Thank you. Haha, chapter five had not really been one of my favorites (there are others I absolutely love, which I hope you'll love, too). But, thanks, nonetheless.
leyleybballloco: well, here's the next chapter! Do tell me what you thought about it.
Isabella120: I KNOW! Draco's screen time was too little… eh, well, he's not exactly the main character in JK Rowling's HARRY POTTER SERIES. Haha, anyway, but I promise this story will have more of him, him, and him alone. :D Thanks for the review!
Kathy T: Eh, I really wanted to make Theodore… ahem… Teddy childish. Actually, at first, I'm not planning on including him in this story. But then, I saw the name 'Theo Nott', who we really don't encounter too much in the book, and thought "Hey, why not?" and TADA! Our beloved Teddy Nott emerged. Truth be told, I always wanted to know a person that has the same attitude like Teddy's. Anyway, thanks for the review!
Karate Chic: Haha, Hermione needs to be VERY optimistic if she has to accomplish this seemingly huge task. Anyway, thanks for the review!
laugh-out-loud94: Yay, me, too! I love it when Teddy's an adorable one, not the bastard-y one. Haha, thanks for the lovely review!
flamingbunnies: Hahaha, me, too. Aww, I actually based Teddy's huge stomach for sweets with my own. Yep, just give me some sweets, especially my favorite ones, and I'll be happy for the rest of the day. Anyway, thanks for the review!
TLy: Aww, thanks for the compliment. *blushes* Aww, and I do love the Teddy and Blaise in this story! And, come on, not all Slytherins are THAT bad. There are actually good ones that can act like the normal Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, and Hufflepuffs. Anyway, thanks for the great review!
Bbyebiebercozoftattoo: Teddy is so cute… and he's mine! Yeah, well, JK never called him 'Teddy' in her story so I think it's perfectly legal for me to say that Teddy's mine. As for your previous question, well, it actually depends. If we both live in the Philippines or countries that have the same time blahs, then, I mostly update on Thursdays. If not, then most probably you receive my update in late Wednesdays. AND, if I'm actually very, very busy, I might update on Friday (like now) or Saturday. Anyway, thanks for your review!
Krabby Patties: Keep waiting if you want to be more entertained! Thanks for the review! :D
Toxi-Tortured Suicidal Screams: Even before I was introduced to the fanfiction world, I've always wanted to live in Hogwarts! I mean, I think it'll be totally awesome to be carrying a wand anywhere, everywhere and attending magical subjects and such. But, too bad we're merely MUGGLES! Meh, I still want to believe that Hogwarts is real and the owl carrying my Acceptance Letter died from a tragic airplane crash *sob* HAHAHA. Anyway, thanks for the review!
[1] Totus specialis ostendo sum: "All secrets revealed"
A/N: Uh-oh, Blaise already knows! Then that means… OaP is close to its impending end… NOT. Haha, yeah, well, like what I've said before, this will have forty-one chapters with an epilogue. REVIEW PLEASE, okay? Make me a happy person today since I had an extremely rough day.
OH, anyway, I have an announcement to make. I'm currently formulating a new story and all and it's not entirely done yet. I mean, I'm still writing the outlines and all. The catch is, this time, it won't be Dramione AND this time, it'll be a crossover between Harry Potter and NARNIA. I've always loved Narnia; it's close to my heart. So, what do you think? Oh, and of course there'll be romance. If a lot voiced out their interest, I'll reveal the pair in the next chapter. BUT, be warned that I won't be able to post it sooner. Like what I've said, I'm still in the process of coming up of the entire plot and I have this feeling it might take a while. I'm still jotting down ideas and all so there.
That's about it, I think. AGAIN, don't forget to review. And please include in your reviews your opinions about my announcement.
Hence, ciao for now!
With love,
2booklover4