Breakfast at Hogsmeade
Hogsmeade – 19th of November
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It was a cold but sunny morning that greeted the quartet on their way to Hogsmeade. In five days, one of them would be forced to undertake his first tournament task with the rest watching him anxiously from the tribune. Forced because Harry hadn't wanted to be one of the Champions, hadn't wanted to besmirch the concept of the tournament being the youngest and fourth Champion.
Not many students – or teachers, adults, journalists – shared the deep trust his three friends shared, the belief that Harry Potter wasn't an 'attention-seeking cheater' as Ron Weasley had stated in such an ugly way. That Ron actually believed Harry would do this, that he would want to risk his life for a little fame, had been something Hermione was fully unable to understand even now, more than two weeks after their last shouting match. Had Ron ever listened to his supposed best mate in the past? It had been the reason for several very loud and angry discussions and in the end led to their breakup. There wasn't a golden trio anymore and in retrospect Hermione wasn't sure that she had ever known the real Ron. Now she was quite happy that he had never tried to become her boyfriend. But it still hurt a bit deep down.
"Another year without a Weasley jumper," had been Hermione's only comment. Despite the mocking tone Harry had noticed the slight hurt. Apparently Hermione had never felt as welcome as he did at the Weasley home.
While Hermione and Daphne were happily discussing their latest Ancient Runes assignment – something the boys really didn't want to hear, especially on their Hogsmeade day – Harry and Neville followed ten steps behind. Harry watched them deep in thoughts until he felt Neville's eyes on him. Glancing at his 'new best mate' he saw the amusement and blushed.
"I'm not ogling her," he insisted.
"Sure," Neville grinned.
"I… I was thinking," Harry continued hesitantly.
"It's called daydreaming," Neville countered with a hint of humor in his eyes.
"Really," Harry harrumphed. Staring at the village in front of them he explained: "I think… I think I'll tell her… yes."
Harry felt stupid but, to his surprise, Neville understood. No, it wasn't a real surprise. In the last months he had detected a new, hidden side of the boy, a side only visible now with nobody around to suppress his kind and understanding side… nobody like Ron.
"You want to tell Lady Greengrass that you agree with the adoption." It wasn't a question but a statement and his tone said clearly that Neville accepted the decision, even supported it.
"Yes," Harry agreed. He stayed silent while they finished the last distance to the village, watching Daphne again. He had been agreeable to the idea since their return. Certainly how Daphne had handled the poisoning attempt on Hermione had improved their relationship immensely. But the last straw had been the Boggart lesson. The women that had been attacked by Harry's Boggart had been images of Hermione and the Pinegrew ladies. Obviously his sub consciousness had been far ahead of his conscious reasoning. And if he had really needed a last push then he certainly got it through Daphne's fear and Astoria's reaction.
You can't lie to your Boggart and the vision of her fear had clearly proven Daphne's innermost feelings. Harry still disliked the younger Greengrass girl and her purist world view. But a Slytherin that showed her deep affection towards a family member in such a way wasn't all evil in his book. Perhaps Daphne and he could rescue her in a way despite her crush on Draco badmouth Malfoy.
"Harry?" Hermione snapped her fingers in front of Harry, startling him from his deep thoughts. Kind laughter greeted his return to the present. "Directly to the Three Broomsticks now?" she asked and he agreed.
Roxanne had wanted to spend the day with them in London, but Headmaster Dumbledore had forbidden the excursion: "It is too dangerous".
Bloody hell, Headmaster, ever noticed the Trolls, crazy teachers and Basilisks running amok at school? Harry grumbled. Not to mention the Dementors sent by the Ministry.
To enforce their stay in Hogsmeade they even had a watchdog now. In addition to the large number of Aurors watching the school since the delegations' arrival, one of them had been shadowing the quartet, a young woman with pink hair named Tonks. In their short conversation at the doors of Hogwarts, Harry had taken an instant liking to the young and beautiful woman, but still he resented the Headmaster's interference. They had arranged a breakfast meeting at the Three Broomsticks with Roxanne and afterwards… they would see.
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Rosmerta had ushered them into the backroom after their arrival at the tavern. Harry was conflicted about Tonks presence, especially when he realized that not only Roxanne and Agatha were waiting for them – and now greeting an overly enthusiastic Daphne – but also the small frame of the Pinegrew house-elf Ciddy and a large black dog.
While Roxanne greeted her guests and waved them to take a seat at the breakfast table, Agatha closed the door and casted some spells to ensure their privacy. Without putting her wand away she addressed Tonks in a very stern manner, showing clearly that she would react in an unpleasant way should she dislike Tonks' answers to her questions.
"To whom does your loyalty belong today, Nymphadora Tonks – to the Ministry or the Order?" She demanded to know.
Puzzled, the teenagers watched the scene. Hermione mouthed silently 'Order?' but Harry only shrugged.
"Neither," Tonks responded, trying to sound calm. "Officially, I'm here for the Ministry to watch over one of the Champions. Unofficially, I'm here at Remus' request. I have to admit that the Headmaster isn't unhappy about my presence here, but I won't betray Remus' trust." She sounded serious enough and Agatha seemed to trust her word.
"You know Professor Lupin?" Harry asked fervently. He hadn't seen his former DADA teacher for months and was eager to hear about him.
"I do," Tonks smiled at him, before she addressed the dog: "Isn't it a bit dirty down there, Sirius?"
Harry and Hermione paled, but the dog instantly left his place and changed into his human form. A second later he had Harry's arms around his waist and tried to calm the boy under the warm smiles of everyone.
"Could we please start the breakfast? All these emotional greetings make me hungry." Agatha's attempt to break the mood caused the desired effect and everyone tried to spend the next hour eating and small-talking, to leave their problems and deep thoughts behind, at least for a short while.
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"So," Harry started hesitantly, looking thoughtfully towards Tonks, "you do know Remus? And you even know about Sirius and his form?"
The young woman picked at her food and didn't look up as she slowly started to answer: "My mother told me about Sirius. Andromeda… Andromeda Tonks, née Black… she is the sister of Narcissa Malfoy and Sirius' cousin. Perhaps you heard about her. She had been disowned by the family after marrying my Muggleborn father. She bade me to watch out for Sirius and told me about his Animagus form." With a rising blush she continued: "Remus is a good friend. He lives at…" with a confused look she stopped shortly.
"He lives in the house of my family," Sirius asked and Tonks nodded. "It is under a Fidelius charm."
"Fidelius?" Hermione asked.
"Kind of charm to hide a house," Daphne explained. "The house is hidden from view and you can't even tell the address. You need a slip of paper with the address written on it by the secret keeper of the charm to find and enter the house. It is a very advanced spell."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Hermione just wanted to drink some tea but stopped the motion as she noticed Harry's stare: "What?"
Harry blinked a few times and smiled before he fetched the planer from his pocket, the same planer Hermione had given him at the start of the school year as a late birthday gift. With emphasized gestures he wrote something, speaking to himself: "Hermione admitting that somebody knows more about a spell than her."
"Git," Hermione mockingly punched his shoulder, while Neville drily retorted: "Not somebody, but Daphne. Daphne is allowed to know more, especially about a charm. If you knew more about a spell, Harry, yes, that would be noteworthy."
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"How is he doing, Tonks?"
"Headmaster Dumbledore allowed Remus to live… there. He's kind of a housekeeper for the Order."
"What Order," Hermione interjected. "You already mentioned an Order, Agatha, but I have no idea what you mean."
"I don't know…" Tonks started but Agatha snarled: "Please, don't behave like that old Dumbledork." Sirius and Roxanne grinned, especially as Agatha continued with her best Dumbledore imitation: "They are too young to know."
Tonks shrugged: "He only wants to protect them. Without Moody I wouldn't know about the Order even now and I'm 21 and an Auror already."
"Moody belongs to this Order too?" Harry asked.
"Yes," Tonks responded. "And he has been my mentor since I started my training."
"And what's this about your house, Sirius?"
Sirius sighed. "Dumbledore asked me about using it for the Order. You must know that the Order had been a very important organization in the battle against you-know-who. Remus and I had been members, your parents too, Harry. Even Peter had been in the order. Most of the others died, but a few that are still with us you do know: Moody especially, Molly and Arthur Weasley, Minerva."
"The Order had been disbanded more or less," Tonks continued, "after… after your parents died, Harry, and you-know-who with them. As far as I know only around a dozen members still hold contact and meet regularly, kind of taking watch should he return. Headmaster Dumbledore is quite sure that one day he'll return and he wanted to be prepared or at least have a foundation for a new Order."
"He asked me to join to Order again," Sirius sighed, "but I declined. I don't want to see that house anymore so they can have it, but join the Order again? No." Seeing the frowns and looks of confusion he tried to explain: "I still believe in fighting him and most members of the Orders I trust, more or less. But I promised myself to never again allow others to hold dominion over me, to make decision I should do myself. Dumbledore's influence is too strong and all-encompassing in the Order. And most members accept his control without doubt."
"He's the most experienced and perhaps the only wizard able to defeat who-know-who," Tonks said with a deep frown. Her admiration for Dumbledore was obvious again.
"Yes, but he always thought too highly of himself and his abilities," Agatha interjected with a bad grace. "He sees himself as infallible. Think about how it ended the first time. Without his decisions… Harry, your parents trusted him. They wanted to leave the country for a while, but Dumbledore convinced them that the Fidelius Charm on their house would protect them. He was wrong."
"He couldn't know that…" Tonks started but Agatha slapped the table with her open hand to interrupt her: "Correct: he couldn't know that Pettigrew would be a traitor, that he would lead the Deatheaters to the house and allow him to kill Harry's parents. He couldn't know that Sirius would end in Azkaban for something he never did." Slowly the small lady got enraged and all listeners shrank back in their seats to avoid her temper. "He couldn't know that even after you-know-who's death some of his followers would continue, that Bellatrix would pay a visit to House Longbottom and drive Neville's parents into insanity."
She suddenly stopped, clasping her mouth shut, staring at Neville and only continued in a whisper: "I'm so sorry, Neville. It wasn't my place to speak about that. I'm so sorry…"
For a while Daphne glared at her beloved Grandma but relaxed as she noticed how Hermione approached Neville and hugged him. Struggling to be brave he calmed the troubled Agatha: "It is okay. I understand what you wanted to explain: Nobody is infallible, irrespective of might, mind or experience."
"Correct," Agatha sighed with relief. "He always acted too omniscient, too 'I-know-better-than-you-what-is-good-in-the-end'… I didn't want to be his chess piece. In the Wizarding chess pieces get destroyed so that the king may win."
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"So Remus is living in my house," Sirius asked again. "How is he doing?"
"Not well," Tonks replied. "At least he has a place to live but it is a very dark place. Many rooms and items in that house are dangerous. He's bored and he has no money to spare. He has enough for food but not much else. It is the typical fate of a werewolf."
Harry felt a bit depressed to hear that news, even more as he saw the heavy-hearted expressions on the faces of the adults in the rooms. He had heard about the problems to get a real job for a werewolf and had experienced the reactions as Lupin's 'furry problem' became well-known a few months ago. Even Dumbledore hadn't been able to secure Remus' position as a teacher. Startled Harry looked up as he heard the angry growls of Daphne and Hermione.
"Do you really listen to your own blathering?" Daphne asked to everybody around, ignoring the scolding stare of her mother.
"How can you say something like that and tell us – more or less – that this is his fate?" Hermione continued.
Slowly a grin appeared on Harry's face while he listened to the girls. Both got more agitated by the second about the stupidity and short-sightedness of the adults in the room. "He had been best friend of Harry's father and Sirius," Hermione declared.
"And he had been a fabulous DADA teacher, the best so far," Daphne nodded.
"He even taught Harry how to cast a full corporal Patronus," Hermione added.
"Something you have to teach us this year by the way, Harry," Daphne demanded. Harry nodded with wide eyes. He was too fascinated to answer coherently.
"Professor Lupin won't ask for help, that's for sure," Hermione pondered.
"So we have to find a way to help him help himself," Daphne continued.
The girls reminded him immensely of the Weasley twins in the moment and a single look in Neville's face told him that his mate thought the same. It was kind of creepy to listen to them.
"You should renovate your house, Sirius," Daphne demanded.
"Perhaps Bill Weasley could help," Hermione agreed. "He's a curse breaker. Together they should be able to purge your house."
Sirius smiled at them happily. "That's an idea. Tonks, could you speak with Bill? I have enough money to cover it but I'm a bit… restricted." Tonks nodded equally excited.
"I think I have an idea regarding a job," Agatha said. "But I have to speak with someone beforehand. I'll tell you later."
"That would be fantastic," Tonks sighed. "With a job he would be able to pay for Wolfsbane again, too."
All conversation stopped, the happiness brushed away in a second. More than one faced paled and Agatha's furious glare could melt ice within seconds: "Please repeat that last statement, Tonks." The young Auror hesitated and slowly sank back into her seat. With fully fury Agatha demanded to know: "You don't want to tell us that Remus has no Wolfsbane now; that Dumbledore doesn't provide him with his monthly potion?"
Very meekly Tonks explained: "Wolfsbane is a very complex and expensive potion. He has only sporadic…"
"Arg…" Agatha's fist hit the table hard enough to send Roxanne's mug crashing to the ground. Furious she started to scribe something on a slip of paper and shoved it towards Tonks. "I expect him tomorrow at that address for a full medical examination and his first batch of Wolfsbane. He better show up else I'll pay him a visit and drag his hairy ass over. There's no excuse to live without that potion. We'll find a way to pay for them, but he'll start to use it again instantly, understood?"
Tonks was nearly in tears of joy: "Thank you. I'll make sure… thank you."
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While Tonks was arguing with Agatha about the Order and Sirius used every minute he had to speak with Harry, Roxanne used the moment to drag Daphne, Hermione and Neville aside to have a little talk with them: "About this tournament… I assume the students weren't especially pleased by the news?"
"No," Hermione answered. "The other Champions, most of the students and even a few of the teachers assume that Harry cheated somehow. They don't know how he could have managed but they assume so nonetheless. Minerva… Professor McGonagall… she fears that someone put his name in the Goblet to… I don't know… to do him wrong."
"I agree," Roxanne said. "Harry would never put his name in the Goblet. He is uneasy about his fame, he wouldn't ask for more attention. And I'm certain that none of you would be even able to pull this trick. It has to be one of the teachers or someone similar qualified; someone with enough knowledge about the Goblet and its working."
Nobody liked the assumption but likewise they couldn't deny the reasoning behind it. Quietly Neville said: "There's a rumor: That it was Dumbledore who put Harry's name into the Goblet."
"No," Hermione denied. "I can't believe that. He wouldn't endanger Harry. He always had Harry's interests…" She hesitated, pondering about her own words. Dumbledore had been, aside from Minerva, the one Professor she always adored, always trusted. But her trust had been chipped at in the last months.
"I don't know, Hermione," Neville said with obvious uneasiness. "The Headmaster has been a bit odd this year. He has been… he asked me to stop seeing you, you know?"
"WHAT?" Hermione cried out loud. "What?" she repeated a tad calmer.
"Yes," Neville continued quite unhappy. "He said something about Ron and you being destined for each other and that my presence would hurt Ron's feeling."
"Ron hasn't got anymore feelings than a log," Daphne grumbled and her friends relaxed, grinning slightly. Even Hermione had to admit that Ron wasn't the most sensible one, at least regarding the feelings of others.
"I shouldn't be surprised," Hermione sighed. "He asked Minerva to… Dumbledore doesn't like this adoption idea." She sighed again equally unhappy. "He wanted for Minerva to try to convince Harry to spend more times with Gryffindors, especially the girls. Apparently he's thinking…"
Hermione hesitated under Daphne's furious stare. In that moment it became obvious again how similar the Pinegrew ladies were, not only in appearance but in temper too.
"Ginny," Daphne hissed.
Hermione nodded: "Apparently he thinks that Ginny would be the most… appropriate… match for Harry. Ginny has denied several invitations to the Ball. She's waiting for Harry, I assume."
"He should ask Daphne," Neville uttered thoughtfully.
"Pardon?" Daphne death-glared him, ignorant to the soft smile on her mother's lips.
"I… I mean as a friend… sister," Neville hastily back-paddled.
"Oh," Daphne relaxed a bit. "Yes, that would be… okay… I suppose." Luckily she didn't see the quick exchange of smiling looks between Hermione and Neville. She hadn't been asked so far. Her housemates didn't like her very much at the moment aside from Blaise who was already going with Tracey.
"Back to the tournament," Roxanne called them back. "We agree that someone put his name in the Goblet and that it was difficult enough to exclude a simple prank as the reason – no Weasley twin conspiration. Either it is a kind of test for him, or someone wants to use the tournament to hurt him. People died in the tournament, it's nothing like simple games. We have to watch him, help prepare him. Daphne… I'll put Ciddy to work in the kitchen of Hogwarts. She'll work there but you can call her should you need her. Ciddy… you'll react should one of these three call your name, do you understand?"
The small elf nodded eagerly, her long ears flapping wildly.
"I'll expect weekly updates from you, Daphne. I'll try to find a better way for communication but for the moment Ciddy will play mail owl. Don't trust the normal owls, they can be intercepted."
To watch over Harry without annoying him: That will be a full-time job, Hermione groaned.
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"We haven't any new hints about the poison attack," Tonks explained crestfallen. "We found the poison trader. He confirmed that Miss Bones bought the poison and was alone. We have a list of his customers but don't expect it to be complete. By the way Lady Pinegrew, according to the Healers at St. Mungo, there hadn't been a case of hand replacement in the last months. So we still have no idea who that attacker could have been."
"I've been spending more time with the friends of my dear husband since the summer break," Roxanne declared, "but none of his Slytherin friends was missing his right hand or had it replaced as far as I was able to detect. A few of his outer political circle I haven't met so far but the usual suspects had been there."
For a while all stayed silent, deep in their own thoughts as Hermione suddenly sighed and pulled a letter from her pocket. "I got this letter," she started hesitantly. "It is unsigned but I think…" she pushed it in the direction of Daphne: "Do you know the handwriting?"
Silently Daphne read the letter before she slowly nodded. "Pansy Parkinson… I'm sure that's her handwriting. But why…"
"I don't know," Hermione shook her head. "I really don't know and that has been the reasoning that I didn't tell you so far. Why would she warn me? Is this warning serious? Or could it be her intent to blame an innocent?"
"What… ?" Tonks asked with a frown.
"She writes… she writes that the culprit isn't a Slytherin… that he's a Hufflepuff. Apparently he tried to poison me because it had been his father who lost his hand back then."
"A Hufflepuff?" Harry asked blinking heavily.
"That's hard to believe," Tonks stated. Being a Hufflepuff herself and with the well-known reputation of her house her doubts were understandable.
"There have been Deatheaters from all houses serving you-know-who," Agatha countered. "And not everyone wearing a Deatheater costume at the Quidditch finals really was one. Precious Cyrus had been there too and – at least until now – he had been reasonable enough not to take the mark."
"He never will," Roxanne confirmed with an iron voice. "It is part of our marriage contract. Should he ever take the mark we'll be divorced and he would lose his beloved wealth. The Greengrasses aren't rich. It is my money – mother's money – that allows him to play the man of the world."
Harry wasn't really surprised to hear this detail. It was very 'Agatha-ic' to protect her daughter like this even in the worst of times. She had told him before how her deceased husband had been adamant that their family needed the protection of the Greengrass-Malfoy connection and how unhappy she had been about the marriage. Only the birth of Daphne and Astoria had been the reason that she was able to forgive him years later.
"And… and might this mysterious Hufflepuffian killer be?" Harry asked.
Hermione started several times, before Daphne took over: "Zacharias Smith."
"Zacharias Smith?" Neville asked in wonder. "I know that he's an ass sometimes and we had…" He suddenly stopped, a deep frown showing on his brow.
"You had what?" Harry asked his friend calmly.
Neville sighed and glanced at Hermione: "We had a few disputes last year after the examinations."
"Disputes about what?" Harry asked again, gesturing Neville to continue.
Another sigh: "About Hermione," Neville continued. Under the confused stares of his friends he explained while he tried to avoid Hermione's eyes: "He suggested that Hermione somehow cheated, that no Mu… Muggleborn could be that good. I think he was only envious. We all know he's quite good and tries hard to be one of the best students."
"He's a typical Hufflepuff: very studious but not intelligent enough to be at the top," Daphne uttered. A mix of glares and smiles greeted her exclamation. "What? It isn't meant as an insult. I'm similar. I spend at least as much time in the library as Hermione but the last shred of intelligence is missing to be on par."
"It is good to know your own strengths and faults," Agatha agreed with an appreciative smile. "And someone has to be the brightest witch."
Hermione blushed because of the praise.
"Luckily we like her enough to overlook that fault," Harry stated, trying to look serious, "despite feeling a bit overwhelmed by her intelligence sometimes."
While Hermione punched his shoulder again, Daphne continued: "At least she is Gryffindor enough to act contrary to her intelligence sometimes. You know: being brave, impulsive, reckless…"
"Gracious, beautiful," Neville complemented, his face's color allowing him to claim honorary Weasley-ship for the moment.
To his relief Roxanne rescued him from embarrassment: "I know his father. He's in Malfoy's outer circle, not very important but trying hard to impress them. I assume he's hoping to gain their support when he makes his move to be the next head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation after Crouch senior. He's the typical pureblood supremacist but so far I thought him to be relatively harmless."
"I thought the same about Zacharias," Daphne agreed. "There are other students I think more likely to try something… Theodore Nott especially. He hasn't been far behind Hermione since first year and he's an even greater prat than Malfoy, only less outspoken. But a poison attack…?"
"Perhaps Pansy is laying a false trail," Harry supposed with a shrug. "Despite her little outbreak she still hates Hermione and barely tolerates Daphne."
"Pansy is a bitch," Daphne interjected, "but a bitch with honor. She would certainly hex Hermione or poison her with a laxative but nothing more serious."
"Then she's quite different to her parents," Roxanne commented. "Cyrus had to outbid them to get that marriage contract for Astoria and they weren't pleased."
Pansy's parents wanted to engage her daughter with Draco, Harry shuddered. Bitch and prat… what a pair they would have made.
"At least it is a hint," Tonks summarized. "I'll try to speak with his colleagues. I haven't seen him in a while. I'm curious about what I'll discover about him."
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A/N
Is Pansy's warning a true hint or a false trail, what do you think?