The next day in the afternoon the exam results came in. Harry was a little surprised, knew he would do better this time, but he had not expected to have done as well as he had. He had marks like Hermione. Ron had done quite better as well. Harry looks across the room and sees Hermione looking over her results and beaming.
Hermione looked up and saw Harry. She smiled and headed over to where he was.
Harry was not sure what she was going to do, he tried to brace for what ever it could be.
Hermione walked right up to Harry and gave him a hug.
"Thank you for your help and I will try not to ever doubt you."
As hard as Harry tried not to look over at Ron, it was impossible. Harry just shook his head from side to side. Ron's expression was the look of 'don't you dare snog her, I'm right here.'
That evening Harry went to talk to Dumbledore. On his way there McGonagall stopped him.
"Mr. Potter is there something I can help with?"
"Yes, I was wondering if Professor Dumbledore is around?"
"He is not at the school right now."
"Do you know when he will be back?"
"I do not know. He had to take care of something. Could I help you?"
"Well, I wanted to know if there was a way for me to go to Diagon Alley before leaving. I want to pick up some books and get some money out of my vault and exchange it for Muggle money. I know the Dursley's will not take me and there is no way I would be able to do it until I need to shop for my books and what all else I'll need for next year. I just can't wait that long. It won't help me while I'm at the Dursley's."
"I shall see what I can do, if anything."
Thank you Professor."
Harry went back to the common room, plopped into an armchair and sulked.
Hermione and Ron watched Harry take off out of the portrait hole and then back shortly after. They looked at each other as Harry plopped into the armchair and seemed to be sulking.
"Hermione, why don't you go talk to him?"
"What's wrong with you? You are just as able as I am to go talk to him."
"Well, I just thought…"
"Let's both go over and talk to him." Hermione said ignoring where Ron was about to go.
Harry looks over and sees Ron and Hermione heading over.
"Harry, you okay?"
"Yes, Ron I'm just fine."
"Then why do you look so down, borderline depressed?" Asked Hermione.
Ron started to say something but Harry cut him off, "I just wanted to talk to Dumbledore about something and he's not here at the school. McGonagall said she was going to try and help but I don't think that she'll be ale to."
"What did you want to talk to Dumbledore about?"
"I want to go Diagon Alley before we leave for the summer."
"Like what? And what about your Aunt and Uncle?'
"As far as they are concerned, what they don't know won't hurt them. I was thinking about picking up some books to help me understand about the underage-tracking monitor, and about magic and emotions. I also wanted to pull out some money from my vault and have it changed over to Muggle money so that I have something over the summer."
"Give McGonagall a chance. She could come through for you." Hermione encouraged.
"Hey, where did Ron go?"
"Probably left so that we could have some more time alone." Hermione grumbled.
* * * * * * *
Later that evening McGonagall entered the common room.
"Mr. Potter, please come with me."
Harry followed McGonagall to her office.
"Let me guess Professor, it can't be done."
"Actually, Harry I will be taking you."
"When?" Harry asked mildly excited.
"Now. Unless there is something else you need to do before hand."
"No. Now is great."
"We will be apparating there. Well, for you it will be side-along.
"I thought that you can't apparate into to and out of Hogwarts? And isn't it only the Headmaster with the perk of being able to do that?"
"You know more than most of your classmates do about Hogwarts. Since Dumbledore is not here at the moment the perk, as you call it, is granted to me. Now we don't have all day, you will be leaving for the train shortly so come here."
Harry walked over to McGonagall with a little reluctance. He hated apparating, weather it be on his own or even side-along. But he sucked it up.
McGonagall grabbed hold of Harry's hand.
Once in Diagon Alley Harry first went to Flourish and Blotts to see if there were any books on what he was after. He still had some money on him.
Harry quickly found a book on underage-tracking monitors and a book with magic and emotions. On his way to check out he saw a medium sized book bag and grabbed it. Harry had just enough on him to cover the cost of everything.
At Gringotts Harry pulled out Twenty Galleons and had it converted to Muggle money.
* * * * * * *
Harry and McGonagall arrived back at her office. Harry did not have a lot of time. He sprinted to the common room, up the stairs, to the boys' dormitories. Harry put the books and the money in the book bag and shrunk it. The size of it was no larger than a wallet. Harry quickly changed into his Muggle clothes and put the wallet looking item in his back pocket. He stuffed the last bit of things into his trunk and closed it.
Once Harry was sure he had everything, he turned to have one last look at the whole room. He then saw Ron.
"Ron, you all ready to go?"
"Yeah. You?"
"Just finished."
"Hermione will be up shortly. You still haven't told us what Dumbledore had asked you. Also, what did McGonagall want?"
"Hey, I would have been up here sooner but people kept talking to me. It was not easy getting up here."
"Dumbledore wanted to know if I am a seer?"
"What did you tell him?" Hermione asked
"That I wouldn't call it being a seer and that I only know what could happen about my life and those that I care about. He also asked about the spell I used on Quirrell, where I found it. I vaguely gave some clues about the book. I do plan on telling Dumbledore about what happened. If anyone could help me sort this out, it's Dumbledore and if he can't then I'll just have to deal with it."
"When do you plan on telling Dumbledore?"
"After I know what's going on with my Godfather. And then I'll go from there."
"How are you going to be able to find out anything? And what if there is no way to get him out?"
"I have a plan as to how to find out. There has to be a way. I can't live with the Dursleys until I'm seventeen "
"What is your plan?"
"Well, I've already asked someone to look into it. This summer I am going to use Hedwig and send another letter to the same person. But I'm gong to have Hedwig stay until she has a response to bring me. I'm not saying any more on the subject. At least not until I know more."
Ron looked confused. Harry realized that he hadn't told Ron about Sirius. All Harry could think was 'Oh great! Something else to delude Ron even more.'
Ron seeing the look on Harry's face, the look of 'oh shit I didn't tell him' had him looking wide eyed from Harry to Hermione, back and forth a couple times and then quietly said, "Uh hu…. that's what I thought." And then looked out the window.
"Ron." Hermione and Harry said.
"Don't mind me."
"Hey Ron, Harry told me that you were looking for me. What did you want?"
"It doesn't matter."
"Yes it does!"
"Harry can tell you." Ron then got up and left the dormitory.
"Is he ever going to believe us?"
"I don't know if anyone is ever going to believe us. At least not without a little help."
"What do you mean?"
"Veritaserum."
"That's the potion that will make a person tell the truth no matter what?"
"That would be the one. The other thing I can think of is to teach Ron the spell I used on Hagrid."
"There must be something else we can do."
Harry looked up and saw tears running down Hermione's face.
"What's wrong?"
"If he doesn't believe that you and I are just friends, then how am I supposed to do anything about how I feel?"
Harry didn't know what to say. The only thing he could of to do was pull her into his arms, hold her close while comforting her. She was so upset she was shaking so bad that it did not look like she could hold herself up.
********
Neither one had noticed that Dean had walk in as Harry pulled Hermione into his arms. Dean went back down to the common room. He stopped Neville and Seamus from going up the stairs.
"Hey! Let us go up, we need to finish packing. There's not much time left until we have to go."
"Trust me. You don't want to go up there just yet."
"And why is that?"
"Yeah. You were just up there."
"Yeah, but not for long. From what I could tell there was a tearful good bye going on. By now I would be surprised if they weren't snogging."
*********
Harry and Hermione made their way from the boys' dormitories and down to the point where the girls' dormitories were. Hermione went through the door to get her stuff together. Harry proceeded on down the stairs to the common room. Harry looked around the room and noticed that there was a strange mood.
"Ron, what's going on?"
"Uh…Dean saw you and Hermione…."
"She was crying and I was just comforting her."
"It's only for a few months and you'll see each other when school resumes. Didn't you tell her that?"
"Ron it's not like that." Harry sighs, "I'm too tired for this right now."
*******
Hermione finished packing her things and went down to the common room. She noticed how everyone down there were acting strangely. When she saw Ron and Harry she just about screamed.
"What the bloody hell is going on?"
"It seems that when I was comforting you while you were crying, Dean saw us. And I am sure you can guess that he told everyone else."
"Ron, you know it wasn't anything like what Dean said."
"I don't know. Did Harry pull you into his arms and hold you?"
"He did, but I was upset about something."
"Yeah, but you'll see each other when school resumes."
"Ron I was upset because of you."
"Me?"
"Yes. No matter what we say you don't believe us. Harry and I are just friends. Just because…oh never mind."
******
Dumbledore had left the school to get a drink at the Hogs Head. While there an owl landed on the table where he was sitting. It was from the Ministry of Magic. Dumbledore opened the letter and read it.
Dear Albus Dumbledore,
I do not know why you want to do this. But the fact that Harry Potter may find out about Sirius Black, I suppose I could make an arrangement for you to speak to Black using Veritaserum and with witnesses. The date is set for July 15th at 10 am.
Yours, Bartemius Crouch
Dumbledore asked the barman if he had some parchment and a quill that he could barrow. The barman handed the items over to Albus. He wrote a letter to Remus to let him know the news. He took the letter and went back up to the school to see Severus.
"Severus, have been able to make the Wolfsbane potion?"
"Yes, I have. Would like me to get it for you?'
"Yes please."
Several minutes had passed before Severus returned with a small box.
"Thank you Severus."
*********
Dumbledore put the letter he wrote on top of the box and had Fawkes deliver the items to Remus, then he apparated out of his office and right into the living room of the Dursley's. Now it was late, but not late enough that the Dursley's would be asleep. Dumbledore walked around the house ensuring no one on the outside could hear what will be going on inside the house.
Dumbledore points his wand at hit throat, and says, "Sonorus". To the silent house he says "DURSELY'S GET UP! DON'T MAKE ME COME UP THERE AND DRAG YOU DOWN HERE." Dumbledore then as quietly as possible said, "Quietus"
Upstairs the Dursley's jumped at the booming voice that sounded as though it was through a megaphone. Dudley ran to his parents shaking uncontrollably. Petunia took him into her arms to calm him.
"You two stay up here." Vernon quietly bellowed at his wife and son.
Vernon grabs a shotgun and went down the stairs. When he saw Dumbledore standing in his living room again, he got pissed and yelled, "WHAT DO YOU WANT?"
"There is no need to yell. I just wanted to stop by and remind you that Harry will be back here tomorrow for the summer holidays. And yes, I will still be having you watched. You best treat him as though he is your son. If I hear of any mistreatment I will send your authorities to this house. One last thing, if Harry feels the need to defend himself, he will be allowed to do so by whatever means he feels is necessary. Good day to you."
Dumbledore arrived back at Hogwarts in time to see most of the students off.
*******
On the train Harry, Ron and Hermione were in the same compartment. Harry pulled out a quill and some parchment and wrote another letter to Remus. He then gave Hedwig the letter and attached a small pouch with treats in it. "Hedwig do not return unless you have a response for me" and he set her off in flight.
"What was that about?" asked Hermione
"Sending a letter to someone that might have been able to help my Godfather."
"Who is your Godfather?" Asked Ron.
"First let me say that he is in Azkaban, but for something he did not do. I know he didn't do it, don't you remember that I have lived through most of this once already. My Godfather's name is Sirius Black. He didn't do what he was so called found guilty of. There was no trial at all, no one thought to use Veritaserum on him, and no one questioned him. Just because my Godfather was the only one on there, oh and Peter Pettigrew's finger, it was decided right then and there that he was guilty of all those horrible murders. Oh just do not lose your rat. I will explain more another time."
"Wow. So he's really innocent?"
"Yes. And I am trying to get him out. Even after all the time he has spent in Azkaban, I would rather live with him. Hell I'd rather be in Azkaban than to have to stay with my Aunt and Uncle. Yes it's that bad, or was…. any way I am going to do whatever I can to keep from it being as bad as it was. I know I can't make it perfect."
"Will you both write to me this summer?"
"Not likely from me." Ron said
"I'll try, no promises. Not sure if I will be able to sneak letters out much. I just hope that they don't find out that I will be sending messages and receiving them."
"Harry be careful okay."
"I will be just fine. Ron quit it already. Don't get me wrong I'm glad your not saying it, but come one, we are just friends. I'll be writing to you too, even though you are being a git."
Ron said nothing and looked out the window the whole ride back.
