The Best Revenge
Note: Sorry about missing the Sunday posting date. Fanfiction dot net has taken a dislike to my home computer and makes it crash whenever I attempt to access the site. Until this situation is resolved, I'll be relying on the kindness of strangers and postings may become irregular. It's frustrating, but as of now I have no other solution.
Chapter 27
"Three heads?" Justin scoffed. "Are you having us on, Harry?"
Harry had immediately confided his adventures to his fellow Hufflepuffs in the Common Room Sunday night after dinner, feeling that if there were monsters in Hogwarts, it was something that his friends should know for their own protection.
"I swear, it was gigantic! Draco and Neville and Hermione saw it too!"
"A Cerberus," Ernie frowned. "It must have been."
"Who would keep a Cerberus in a school?" wondered Susan.
"That's pretty much what Draco said, Harry snorted, "but he was a lot more excited at the time."
"Well, Professor Dumbledore must have arranged it," Hannah pointed out. "He must know what he's doing."
"I hope so," said Sally, "but what could be important enough to risk students being hurt?"
"Hermione saw that it was chained over a trapdoor," Harry told them. "I reckon it could be guarding something."
"But what?" Justin asked.
For the moment, no one had a clue. Harry wondered if he should ask Professor Snape. The Professor undoubtedly knew, but asking about a three-headed dog would amount to a confession that Harry had been where he had been specifically instructed not to go. The Professor trusted Harry not to be a troublemaker. Harry decided that the Professor would just worry needlessly if heard about the accidental journey to the third floor. Better to keep quiet, and protect his guardian's peace of mind. It wouldn't do any harm for Harry to do a bit of research on his own.
Monday morning found them back in classes, but gossip and whispers were the order of the day. Zach Smith and Ron Weasley had been apprehended fleeing the second floor corridor and had lost Gryffindor twenty points each for their shocking destructiveness. An attempt to blame it all on Harry Potter only cost them more.
More painful to Ron than the loss of house points were the acid remarks of Fred and George.
"Not the cleverest of pranks, dear brother," said Fred.
"No wit, no style, no je-ne-sais-quoi," said George. "Besides, Potter saved your arse-"
"-during your first flying lesson."
"And worst of all, you were-"
"-caught."
"That will cost you-hmm-"
"-fifty Twin Points from Ronald Weasley's-"
"-life-time total."
Percy, too, shook his head in disappointment. "What were you thinking, Ron? The Wizarding World Explorers is an excellent idea-excellent. Instead of attending and sharing your knowledge of our world, you behave like a hooligan and attack innocent students."
"Potter nearly roasted me alive!" Ron exploded. "We just threw a few dungbombs. No call to shoot bloody great blasts of fire after us! He's the one who burned up the corridor!"
Percy only tutted, and the twins exchanged speculative looks.
Ron's remarks were overheard by older students from several houses, and by the end of the day awe-struck rumour had it that "Harry Potter can control Fiendfyre!"
The subject of all this admiration was oblivious to it, however. Harry was still thinking over the pleasures of the club meeting, and the surprising events afterward.
The Hufflepuff first years agreed that the existence of the Cerberus should be kept confidential, just as the four who had stumbled upon it had decided. Here was a real mystery, and blabbing about it could spoil their own attempts at solving it. Besides, Professor Dumbledore had obviously meant for it to be secret.
Draco was the most inclined to tell, longing to owl his father about the shocking state of Hogwarts security. After an appeal from the others, his owl had been limited to the success of the club meeting, the humble gratitude of his social inferiors, and the smoothness with which the slate of officers had been accepted. The excellent tea and the dancing were given their due. Foolish pranksters had attempted to waylay them and had been soundly defeated. All in all, quite a cheerful message was sent off to Malfoy Manor.
The excellent tea was gloated about to everyone not fortunate enough to have been there. That and the dancing resulted in a great upswell of interest in what had been a somewhat questionable venture.
Contrary to Draco's predictions, Pansy and Daphne did not kill themselves when they heard they had missed the dancing. However, they were determined never to miss it again.
Terry Boot was talking with uncommon animation to the other two Ravenclaw boys, Anthony Goldstein and Michael Corner, and they were listening with interest.
The Ravenclaw girls, however, were sitting at some distance from Terry, and were whispering among themselves. Hermione was not with them. The four girls seemed angry and pleased all at once, and Harry wondered if they were sorry they hadn't come to the meeting.
Gryffindor was easier to read, or hear, at least, because the conversationS were anything but quiet. Zach was sulking over his sausages, and Ron was being raked over the coals by his brothers. Dean and Seamus were telling all the older students about the wonderful time they'd had. Neville was being congratulated by Percy Weasley on his new office. Neville seemed very happy, and told Percy he had owled his Gran last night with the news.
Lavender and Parvati were debating attending the next meeting, their voices growing ever more shrill. Lavender was very sorry she had not enjoyed the treats and the dancing and the socialising with all the other firsties at what sounded like a very nice party to her.
"It was silly not to go!" she complained. "What do I care who your sister likes and doesn't like? Everybody had a good time but us!"
Parvati was trying to agree with Lavender on the one hand and explain about not hurting her sister's feelings on the other. She saw other people looking their way and lowered her voice.
The owls arrived, and Harry was astonished to find that Hedwig was bringing him a letter. In his excitement, he dropped it on his plate, getting quite a bit of egg on it. He tore it open, and read the untidy scrawl:
Dear Harry,
I know you get Wednesday afternoons off, so would you like to come and have a cup of tea with me around three? I want to hear all about how you're settling in at Hogwarts. Send us an answer back with Hedwig.
Hagrid
Harry scribbled a quick
Yes, please. Thank you for the invitation.
on the back of the note and sent Hedwig off again.
"It's from Hagrid," he explained to the others. "Inviting me to tea on Wednesday."
There was a stir of whispers and giggles that made Harry look up. Hermione Granger was coming to breakfast, and looked as his she had been crying. She tried to find a place to sit at the Ravenclaw table, but somehow there was no room. Students moved closer together, grinning, and Mandy Brocklehurst tossed her hair, asking Hermione, "Aren't your feet cold? In the wizarding world we wear shoes."
"Shoooooessss," Morag drawled out sweetly. "Perhaps muggles haven't invented them yet."
Hermione stared at them, on the verge of tears, "I never did anything to you."
"You exist," Mandy smirked. The other first year girls giggled.
Harry was angry, and glanced up at the Head Table to see if they were aware of what was going on. No. They were talking among themselves, or reading the paper. He wanted to go to Hermione, but was on the wrong side of the table.
Susan Bones, however, was not. She slapped her hand on the table with a crack that made people around her stare. She stormed over to the Ravenclaws and caught Hermione by the arm.
"Come sit with us, Hermione." She narrowed her eyes and hissed at Mandy, "Shame on you!" She looked at all the girls in turn, and repeated quietly, "Shame on you."
Turning her back on them, she pulled Hermione along to sit with the Hufflepuffs. Hannah moved over, and patted the seat beside her. Ernie and Justin hardly knew what to say, but passed her the toast, as a sign of solidarity.
Sally asked angrily, "Did they take your shoes this time? They call themselves witches, but I think they don't know how to spell!"
The Hufflepuffs burst out laughing. Hermione sniffled, and then joined in the laughter a little weakly.
"You should talk to Professor Flitwick, Hermione," Hannah said. "I'm sure he'd make them stop."
Hermione shivered. "But he wouldn't be in the dorm with me at night. It might make them worse."
Harry tore his toast to pieces, feeling horribly guilty. Why had he ever opened his mouth to Hermione about the Houses?
"We'll make them give your shoes back." He shot a dark glare at the Ravenclaw girls, which quieted them down for all of five minutes.
Everyone at the Hufflepuff table was particularly nice to Hermione, passing her eggs and marmalade. Cedric asked if Hermione liked bacon or sausage better. Eloise Midgen wondered if Hermione would like some pumpkin juice. There were more angry looks cast at the Ravenclaws, and not all of them by first years.
The Gryffindor/Slytherin antagonism was so bitter that it generally overshadowed all other rivalries at Hogwarts. That did not mean that other rivalries did not exist. Now and then the Ravenclaw/Hufflepuff tensions boiled into real hostility, and this looked to be such a time.
"Anyway," Hermione said bravely, "I've got my essays and my books. I slept with them," she confessed, and smiled a little as the Hufflepuffs laughed again.
"You can borrow a pair of my shoes, Hermione," Sally offered.
"They wouldn't fit," Susan said sensibly. She told Hermione, "You can borrow mine. Auntie taught me a way to adjust shoes a bit. Sally has such itsy-bitsy baby feet that no way could anyone else wear her shoes."
"I do not have baby feet," Sally contradicted.
"Tiny, adorable, petite doll feet," Hannah cooed.
"Oh, stop!" Sally complained, flicking breadcrumbs at her.
"There's no time anyway," Hermione said in despair. "We've got to get to Transfiguration. It wouldn't do to be late to Professor McGonagall's class, on top of everything else!"
"After class, then," Susan soothed. "We'll get through this class and then you can come with us afterwards!"
They bustled to class, and Hermione sat between Harry and Sally.
No sooner had class begun, than Mandy Brocklehurst raised her hand and said primly, "Professor, Hermione Granger isn t wearing shoes!"
Minerva McGonagall stared at the girl unblinkingly. She hated tattle-tales.
"Isn't she, Miss Brocklehurst?" she asked. "I would never have noticed had you not shared that valuable piece of information. Miss Granger," she said, turning to Hermione, "in future, obey the Hogwarts dress code. The stone floors are chilly, and we don't want our students catching their deaths."
"Yes, Professor," Hermione whispered. The smothered sniggers from the Ravenclaw girls caused McGonagall to fix them with an icy look. They subsided, and class was soon underway.
The lesson involved transfiguring a glass marble into a rubber ball. Hermione's single-minded efforts earned her ten points and some warm praise from her teacher. By the end of the class, she seemed more herself. The Hufflepuffs left, taking Hermione with them.
All but Harry, who stood waiting in front of Minerva's desk, his expression very serious.
"Yes, Mr Potter?" she asked, peering at him over her spectacles.
"Professor, I need to talk to you about Hermione."
Minerva looked at him in concern. "Do you happen to know why Miss Granger came to class without her shoes?"
Thinking he was being accused, Harry protested, "It wasn't me, Professor! It's the girls in Ravenclaw. They're taking her things and being rotten to her. Jealous of her, I think. Hermione's really smart and works hard. I know I promised never to teach that runic ward to anyone else, but would you give me permission to teach it to Hermione so she can protect herself?"
"I'd rather you didn't Mr. Potter," she said, with a quick shake of her head. "I expect you to keep your promise. However, don't think I'm being unhelpful. That warding I taught you doesn't work well with personal possessions. I take it you used it on your trunk?"
"Well-yes," he admitted.
"That's quite all right. A trunk would work, but using it on a pair of shoes or a homework assignment might cause other problems. There is an excellent anti-theft jinx that would be just the thing for Miss Granger. I shall have a talk with her Head of House, and see to that he teaches it to her."
"Thanks, Professor, it's really important to me. " Harry shuffled and fidgeted, and then confessed, "I feel horrible about Hermione. The trouble she's having in Ravenclaw is all my fault!"
Minerva was too experienced to laugh at him. "How could the behaviour of her housemates possibly be your fault, Harry?" she asked.
"She wanted to be in Gryffindor and I talked her out of it!" Harry burst out. "I told her on the train about how you had to let the Hat decide and that you needed to go where it wanted to put you. If she'd gone to Gryffindor the way she wanted, she wouldn't be so miserable!"
"You take too much upon yourself!" Minerva told him sternly. "You are in no way responsible for her Sorting, nor for the spiteful conduct of others. You cannot know that she would ever have been sorted into Gryffindor, nor can you know how life would have been for her had she been sorted there. I shall talk to Professor Flitwick about Miss Granger, and she will learn that jinx. Your only task, as I see it, is to be a good friend. I heard that she was chosen secretary of your club. She obviously has some good friends, even if they may not be in her own house at the moment."
Hermione Granger sat at meals with the Hufflepuffs all that day. The following morning, however, she came down to breakfast with Lisa Turpin and Padma Patil, and sat between them. The Ravenclaw table was rather subdued in the wake of an emergency staff meeting that resulted in some quick and decisive action.
Flitwick had been upset and embarrassed, and above all ashamed that this unpleasant Ravenclaw custom still manifested itself when he believed he had stamped it out.
He knew something about being the outsider at Hogwarts, though it was very long ago and only Albus remembered it. The boys and girls who had tormented him and called him stupid, foul names were all long dead. He had compensated by the being the best of them: by using his intellect like a rapier, by proving that physical height was not the measure of magic, by becoming a dueling champion, by becoming a Hogwarts professor. However, it was not easy (and Severus Snape also acknowledged it) for a male Head of House to keep an eye on what went on in the girls dormitories-not without being something of a pervert, at least. Sprout and McGonagall confessed to similar problems with their male students.
"At least it has come to light early in the year, Filius," Dumbledore remarked optimistically. "You can deal with the problem before it festers."
"-and before the Granger girl is badly injured, or simply leaves Hogwarts," Snape observed.
Flitwick knew Snape had suffered some ugly treatment himself at Hogwarts: not just from Potter and Black, but from members of Snape's own house. Snape certainly understood what it was like to be in constant danger, in a place where one ought to feel protected. Perhaps if Snape had had anywhere else to go he might well have turned his back on the wizarding world himself.
"It would have been a shame," Pomona Sprout declared. "A hard-working, diligent student. I really don't know why those girls are targeting her. She seems perfectly nice to me, if a little-"
"-overzealous?" Snape drawled.
"Harry Potter brought this to my attention, I'm glad to say," Minerva told the staff. "So many boys would have been indifferent or willfully blind. And he did it not to tattle, but to help a friend. He had promised me not to divulge some runic magic I taught him, and came to me to ask permission to teach Miss Granger how to ward her things, rather than break his word. Of course, the jinx is better in this situation."
"H-H-Harry P-P-Potter," stammered Quirrell. "Q-Q-Quite the young l-l-leader. Starts a club for the mu-mu-mu-mu-"
"-muggleborn," Minerva muttered impatiently.
"Th-th-thank you, M-M-Minerva," Quirrell said, his voice rising with the effort of speech. "S-S-S-S-S-Starts a club and rescues a damsel in d-d-distress, practically s-s-s-s-s-s-simultaneously!"
Sprout eyed Quirrell with a displeased, puzzled look. "Yes, he is a young leader, and I, for one, am very proud of him!"
"-And all of this does nothing to deal with students who do appear to dislike the idea of the Explorers' Club itself. Zacharias Smith and Ronald Weasley," Snape sneered, "will bear watching, in my opinion."
"I don't think Ron Weasley is at all like the Smith boy," Sinistra objected. "He doesn't instigate any of the confrontations. I think he's simply made the wrong friend. Perhaps if he were encouraged to join the club himself-"
Charity Burbage shook her head. "I think it would be a mistake to force any of the students to participate. Let the children continue to have a good time and talk about it. That will do the work better than making it a punishment."
Hooch, sitting in her usual place by the window, surprised them all by speaking up. "Potter saved Weasley from a nasty fall the other day, and Weasley said thanks to Potter. I'd give it time, as Charity says."
It was decided keep a discreet watch on the students who had not participated in the club-especially Smith- but to do nothing more at the present time. The immediate problem in Ravenclaw was considered far more pressing.
That very evening, Flitwick counselled Hermione: he made it plain that her welfare was of importance to her teachers, and he taught her the anti-theft jinx. She learned it quickly, confirming his opinion that she was a remarkably talented young witch.
He also spoke to each of the other Ravenclaw first-year girls individually, and then had it out with the prefects. He discovered which of the first-year girls had real animus against the muggleborn Miss Granger, and which were simply following along. He wanted to break up that little clique as quickly and decisively as possible, since that was a situation, which given time, could only grow worse.
After these interviews, Flitwick judged that Lisa Turpin had the least personal dislike of Hermione Granger, and that Lisa's friend Padma would support Lisa, rather than attempt to bond with Morag and Mandy. Flitwick was not sure why Mandy Brocklehurst had taken such a fierce dislike to the new student. Very likely, there was no logical cause at all. Sometimes the dynamics of certain groups developed in a negative way, and a small clique was formed that as a group behaved in ways that would be otherwise unthinkable for each of the individuals who were part of it. Four pureblood girls-two close friendships-no place for an outsider. It had gone wrong from the beginning, and he should have been on the watch.
He did not demand that Lisa and Padma pretend that the Granger girl was their best and dearest friend. He did, however, expect the members of his house to behave like gentlewitches and gentlewizards: civil, well-spoken, and above all, rational.
"They gave you back your things, then?" Harry asked Hermione, as soon as they had a moment before History began on Tuesday.
Draco, on his other side, eavesdropped shamelessly. Having their club secretary put upon by her own house would affect the prestige of their club as a whole. And Granger wasn t so bad, after all. She listened to him very respectfully during their flying lessons. Almost as importantly, she was reading ahead in Defense against the Dark Arts, and had caught out that fool Quirrell in repeated mistakes.
It was becoming something of a game for the two of them, seeing who could prove that sorry excuse for a Defense professor wrong the most times in class. Common muggleborns, he had heard, were always weak in Defense, not understanding the importance-the majesty-of the subject. Hermione Granger was taking it very seriously, and learning all she could. Father had told him that it was important to be flexible when one met that rare, exceptional muggleborn like Harry Potter's mother.
Harry thought Hermione seemed in better spirits than usual, as she told him, "Yes-and they apologised. They said it was meant as a joke, but they realised that it hadn't been very clever. I don't know how sincere they were, but Professor Flitwick made it clear that I was to come to him immediately if I ever had any trouble again. He's very nice-and quite brilliant, you know- he thinks our club is a wonderful idea-"
"He's no fool, certainly," Draco broke in. "You know he was a dueling champion. It's a shame he doesn't teach Defense, in place of that turbaned poser!"
"I'm sure Professor Quirrell is doing his best, Draco," Hermione said primly.
Draco smirked, "I'm sure you're right!"
Harry choked back a laugh.
"Sshhhh!" Sally hushed them. "Professor Binns is here!"
"Oh, spare me," Draco sneered.
Another hour of utter boredom. Harry tried to pay attention, but found himself doodling in his notebook, drawing stick figures of his friends: Hermione with masses of curls, Draco with a pointed nose and superior expression, Neville with a toad, Sally dancing on her toes, Ernie sitting in thought, chin on his fist, Susan with her long plait, Hannah with her pigtails, Justin leaning on a sports car with the word "Lamborghini," on it.
At the end of the class, Hermione said, "I've completed writing up the minutes of the first meeting, and I've learned a replicating charm, so each of the officers will have a copy." She distributed them, to Harry's astonishment, and then she suggested, "Perhaps we should get together before the next meeting, to plan things out."
"I'm free tomorrow afternoon," Draco told them, "and so are you, Harry."
Harry shook his head. "I promised to have tea with Hagrid."
"Tea? With the groundskeeper?" Draco grimaced.
"I told you. He's very nice. Professor Snape says he knows all about the forest and its creatures."
"Do you suppose," Hermione asked slowly, "that he might know about three-headed dogs?"
A pause, and Draco said, "Well done, Granger! I daresay that's just up his alley. Harry, I'll go along with you and we'll pump this Hagrid for information!"
Hermione protested, "But I want to go, too! Perhaps we should all go, and we can make some plans for the club on the way there and back."
Neville had listened in, and suggested, "Maybe we could have Hagrid come and talk to our club sometime, and tell everybody what's really in the Forest. I heard he goes there more than anyone."
The idea was approved, and at five minutes to three on Wednesday, the four of them left the castle and made their way across the grounds.
Hagrid lived in a small wooden house on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. A crossbow and a pair of galoshes were outside the front door.
"How very-rustic," Draco observed.
Harry elbowed him, and then knocked at the door. Inside there was a frantic scrabbling and several booming barks.
Then Hagrid's voice rang out, saving, "Back, Fang, back!"
Draco"s eyes widened, and he moved away from the door. "You don't suppose-"
"Fang?" Neville faltered.
"It couldn t be," Hermione said anxiously. "I mean, the house is just too small!"
The door opened a crack, and Hagrid peered down at them.
"Hang on," he said. "Back, Fang."
"Fang?" Neville repeated.
Hagrid let them in, struggling to hold on to the collar of an enormous black boarhound. Draco blew out a relieved breath, and drew himself up. Harry grinned at him.
There was only one room inside. Hams and pheasants were hanging from the ceiling, a copper kettle was boiling on the open fire, and in the corner stood a massive bed with a patchwork quilt over it. Hermione looked around her, fascinated.
"Witches and wizards live in all sorts of extraordinary ways."
Draco muttered, "The most extraordinary thing is that I'm here to have tea!"
"Make yerselves at home," said Hagrid, letting go of Fang, who bounded straight at an astonished Neville and started licking his ears.
"This is Neville Longbottom," Harry told Hagrid, who was pouring boiling water into a large teapot and putting rock cakes onto a plate. "And this is Hermione Granger. And this is Draco Malfoy."
Hagrid glanced uneasily at Draco's pale, pointed face.
"A Malfoy, eh?" He gave Draco a grudging nod. "Well, if yer a friend o' Harry's, yer welcome here!"
The rock cakes were shapeless lumps with raisins that almost broke their teeth. Harry belatedly remembered that Professor Snape had warned him about them. However, Neville discovered that dunking them in the tea softened them enough to eat. Hermione sniffed, but Draco shrugged and dunked along with the rest of the boys. The cakes were not half bad, after all.
"Professor Snape said you know all about the forest, Hagrid," Harry said, thinking himself very subtle. "I'll bet there aren't many creatures you can't tell us about. We're in a first-year club for learning about the wizarding world, and maybe sometime you could come and tell us all about the creatures in the Forbidden Forest."
"Be glad to, Harry! Can't go wrong with learnin' about animals. Fascinatin' creatures in the Forest- Acromantulae, Unicorns-"
"Any Cerberuses?" Neville blurted out.
"Cerberi," Hermione corrected him. "Cerberi is the correct plural form."
"Cerberuses-Cerberi-Three-headed dogs-whatever-" Draco muttered impatiently.
"Here, now!" Hagrid rumbled. "How do you lot know about Fluffy?"
"Fluffy?" Harry asked incredulously. "Is that his name? We got chased upstairs by Peeves and there was this three-headed dog there. His name is Fluffy?"
Draco demanded, "Why is there a three-headed dog at Hogwarts, anyway?"
"He's mine," Hagrid told them, slurping his tea. "Bought him off a Greek chappie I met in the pub las' year. I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the-"
"What?" Harry asked eagerly.
"Now don't ask me anymore," Hagrid said gruffly. "That's top secret, that is."
"It looked like it was guarding a trapdoor," Hermione put in. "We were all wondering-"
Hagrid waved at them, "Drink yer tea, you lot. Now you listen to me. Don't you go meddlin' in things that don' concern yeh. It's dangerous. You forget that dog, an' you forget what it's guardin'. That's between Professor Dumbledore an' Nicholas Flamel, and don' you forget it!"
He got up to refill the pot.
"Oh, I won't," Harry assured him earnestly. "Not for a minute."
Draco muffled a snort. "Good one, Harry," he whispered.
He jerked his head in a minute nod, and Harry saw what Draco meant. There was a piece of paper lying on the table under the tea cozy. It was a cutting from the Daily Prophet:
Gringotts Break-In Latest!
Investigations continue into the break-in at Gringotts on August ninth, widely believed...
"Isn't that the date we met at Diagon Alley, Harry? I heard about the break-in, but I didn't realize that it happened that very day!"
Hermione leaned over to look at the cutting while Hagrid's back was turned.
"'The vault that was searched had in fact been emptied earlier that same day,'" she read.
Harry whispered, "That was the day I met Hagrid, too. He was on his way to Gringotts, on important Hogwarts business, and he was being followed-"
His three companions were waiting breathlessly.
"- by Professor Quirrell."
Note: No, I'm not shipping Hermione/Draco. They re just little kids. However, Draco's parents are likely to be as watchful as any passionate Dramione shipper. Draco will no doubt refer to her as "Granger" when writing to his parents, and it may be some time before Lucius and Narcissa know that his muggleborn associate is female. Of more moment is that fact that Draco is doing that vexing thing that embarrasses the life out of parents: he is taking literally a throwaway remark that Lucius made as a sop to decency. When he told Draco to be flexible about outstanding muggleborns, he simply meant that there was no reason to insult Lily Evans Potter, who after all is conveniently dead. Draco, however, took the remark at face value, and since Hermione is the most outstanding muggleborn of his year, he thinks his father meant people like her. Someday Lucius will have to decide whether he wants to stick to his hard-line blood principles, or if he would rather his son not think him a liar and a hypocrite.