It was the last Tuesday in November, and Harry was sitting at breakfast when the mail came. The owl delivering the Daily Prophet dropped it carelessly into a plate of buttered toast in front of Hermione. Harry reached from the other side of the table and retrieved it, opening to a scowling picture of a face from his past, Thomas Nott. He quickly scanned the headline and the article, and then handed the paper to Hermione.
She began to read, and then started reading aloud.
"While only Nott was captured, Auror Nymphadora Tonks reported that he was initially accompanied by at least two others whom she could not identify. Nott was immediately brought before the Wizengamot for trial and sentenced to Azkaban for an indefinite term. According to Gringott's spokesgoblin Ragnok, nothing was taken from any vault, and it was unclear what the intruders were seeking. He further stated that he is unaware of anything on deposit with the bank belonging to Nott. Ministry officials who were contacted stated that all accounts of identified supporters of You-Know-Who have been seized."
"What could he be looking for?" She whispered loudly, addressing both Harry and Ron.
"Could be just money, from anyone…like a robbery in the muggle world. I mean, he doesn't have a job anymore and he's got to live somehow."
Harry considered the idea. "No, I'll bet he wants something specific. He could get money easier by hexing somebody on the street and robbing them. He could even do that to a muggle, and then exchange the currency, although he might be spotted in Gringott's."
Hermione finally spoke. "I don't think anybody knows. There might still be something specific he wants at Gringott's, but it could be anything."
After breakfast, it was off to the library and the never-ending search for knowledge. Harry went back into the restricted section once again, searching all the shelves for anything they might have missed. He skipped the potions section since they had read every book there, some several times. That section now looked like poor-quality swiss cheese, since they had many of the books checked out for further study and cross-reference.
On the back shelf, where the books were not organized by topics, he started at the top, pulling every book and scanning it quickly. He also checked behind to insure he missed nothing. On the second shelf, he found a small pocket-sized book without a title. He opened it, almost mechanically, expecting a field guide to magical creatures, or one hundred ways to cook leeks. He was wrong. "Avoiding the Inevitable, Cheating Death"
He quickly ran to the table where Hermione was working, knocking over Madam Pince and two students along the way. His whispered apologies were not appreciated, and Madam Pince followed him to the table, seeking something more. When she arrived, she saw the look on Hermione's face and decided to change her approach.
"What did you find that was important enough to nearly kill the librarian?" she asked.
Hermione held up the book, showing her the title. Since she was involved in their program of study, she immediately recognized the importance of the find. Smiling, she patted Harry on the shoulder. "Well, I guess no permanent damage was done. Where was it?"
"Back in the last row, on a shelf in the last bay." he said breathlessly.
"I've never seen it before. Wonder how long it's been hiding there?" Neither Harry nor Hermione responded. They were already buried in the pages, reading as fast as they could to see if what they needed was there. Shortly, they left the library, carrying even more books back to their common room, where they laid everything out on the table and began to reference information from multiple sources.
"So, Danegold said you add asphodel and it will slow the action, but over here, it says that if you use dried aril from nutmeg, it would be quicker, so are they opposites?"
"Persimmon said that it gets added first, so it can blend with the lace wings…but I wonder if you wait…"
"Dilly thought it worked the other way, with more having less effect."
"This is the one that Tonks said didn't work when she tried it…but if we added this…"
"There's something over here…I remember reading that it wouldn't if you…"
"But Merlin supposedly didn't use it, and he could have….I mean they had it in his time."
"Does that mean you could get more protection if you included both the foot and the leg?"
"I've never seen anyone say you have to use spores from more than one plant. Does that matter?"
The room was a blur as they worked back and forth, trying to reconcile information from multiple sources. Finally, after several hours and no lunch or dinner, they summarized what they had. There were still two big questions, and one difficult ingredient, but they seemed a lot closer to knowing if it could be done. Hermione left to talk with Snape, since they had long recognized that he was much more helpful if Harry wasn't there to stir old memories.
In the dungeon, Snape studied their work very carefully. Hermione brought three books with her, pointing out where the information originated and why they thought as they did. He took a long time, studying each conclusion and making some notes for himself. In all, Hermione thought this was completely unlike the Snape she knew, and said so.
"Professor, please excuse me for asking, but you seem very different today. Is everything all right?"
Snape looked at her, wearing a very odd expression. To her, he almost looked human and his tone of voice was also much softer than usual. "I just returned from a trip to see some old friends," he started. "Although I would normally relate this information only to Professor Dumbledore, I know he will immediately share it with you anyway."
"The Dark Lord has apparently created a plan for his next actions. He has decided that he cannot reach Potter at Hogwarts, so his plan will seek to confront him after graduation. He does not know where Potter will be, so he is planning something to bring him out in the open. He talked about Christmas time, but has decided against it, because he does not know if Potter is leaving the school during the holiday."
Hermione slowly exhaled, absorbing all he had said. Assuming it was correct, this gave them a date and a place to work towards. It also confirmed their worst fears.
"Thank you, Professor," she managed, not knowing what else to say to someone she struggled to like.
"Ms. Granger, I believe you have found something significant here. If you can identify the missing elements, please let me know and I will assist you further in the preparation of the potion."
"Thank you, again, Professor." She said, again not knowing what else to say or how to react, and gathered her books to go. As she got to the door, he spoke once more.
"Please tell Potter that I hope this works out… for both of you." She nodded, not knowing how to respond to an earnest wish of good luck from Snape. She was still in shock when she returned to their common room, finding Harry gone, completing his rounds. Hermione just sat on the couch, waiting for his return and wondering what happened that caused the change in Snape.
Nearby, and unknown to Hermione, Harry encountered something almost as unbelievable. He was passing the Potions dungeon when Lavender came out of the room next door and started down the hall, walking away from him. It wasn't after curfew, so she had every right to be there, but Harry was intrigued…what was she doing.
"Lavender," he called, and she jumped, not realizing he was there. She turned around and walked back slowly, reacting as if she had been caught doing something wrong. Harry caught up with her.
"What are you doing down here?" he asked, not accusing her but sounding curious.
"I…I…was meeting some friends. We meet, er met down here because…because…no one…no one bothers us here." Harry thought the answer didn't make much sense, and he was sure she was hiding something, but he didn't really have a reason to pry further…she wasn't doing anything wrong. She seemed very nervous.
"Oh," he said. "Are you all right?'
"Yes," she responded, a little too quickly and slightly too loud. Harry was about to let her go and continue on his rounds when she spoke again.
"Harry, could I ask you a question?" She sounded very tentative, and Harry assumed either she wanted to know about Voldemort, or about his relationship with Hermione.
"Sure."
"Last year, I heard that you knew some very special spells…some spells that no one else knows." She stopped, obviously gathering some courage. Harry suspected he knew what she was talking about, but had no idea where she was going. He started to smile a little.
"Ah, you've heard that rumor too, huh?"
"Well, I thought it was just a rumor, but then I thought it might be true, like I know you can talk to snakes, so maybe you can do other things." Harry was still mystified by what she wanted.
"Yes, I can speak Parseltongue, but I got that skill by accident. It's not really all that useful most of the time."
"Last year, I heard…well…I heard you could do things that m…m…made…that made people different. I heard that…you could…change people."
"You mean the things we learned in Transfiguration?" Harry wanted her to be more specific before he answered. And he still wasn't sure why she was asking
Lavender didn't speak immediately, and Harry could see her collecting her courage. "Not the things we learned in class. They said you could…you could…make…make a girl's breasts bigger."
Harry grinned. "Lavender, if I could do that, I'd probably be the most popular wizard in the world. I'd certainly be the most popular at Hogwarts."
"Can you?" Oops, Harry thought. She noticed I didn't say I can't.
"That sounds like a really great story…one of the best I've ever heard. If I may ask, where did you hear it?"
She looked like she didn't want to tell him, and he wasn't going to push her. "I heard it from…somebody in Slytherian."
"Ah ha! Well, you know how much I'm loved and appreciated by Slytherian House." She laughed, but then went right back to being tentative.
"But if you could, I mean, would you…well…I mean…." She almost looked like she might start to cry, and then settled down again. "Harry, I only asked because I wanted to see if you could help me."
Harry now thought he knew where she was going. "Of course I would help you Lavender. If I can. What do you need?"
"Oh Harry, I don't know how to say…," she paused and started to tear, and Harry was now certain what she wanted.
"Just tell me what you need," he said softly, keeping some distance to make her feel more comfortable, but trying to help her.
"My…my…my breasts are really small, and wondered if you could….if you….could make them bigger."
Harry smiled gently. He wasn't about to reveal what he knew, but he had to help her somehow. He took her hand and spoke gently.
"Lavender, there are some wizards who only look for physical beauty and never see the person inside. They don't understand that beauty is not measured by the eye, it is not measured by the hand…it is measured by the heart. Do not spend too much time worrying about appearances, worry about what is inside. Your true beauty is inside; it is there for anyone willing to look." Harry gave her a hug, and patted her back. "I wouldn't worry about your breast size… things like that have a way of working themselves out.
"Thank you, Harry," she said through her tears, and started to walk away. Then she turned back and kissed his cheek. "Sometimes I'm so jealous of Hermione," she whispered, and then walked off.
Harry took out his wand and pointed towards her back. "Engorgio Latica," he whispered, and silently promised her he'd do that again…several times again.
When Harry got back to their common room, he found Hermione dozing on the couch, surrounded and buried under books and parchment. He quietly picked up the room, piling their study material on the table and desks, and then sat down next to her. She stirred slightly and then awoke, jumping when she found him next to her.
"Harry! When did you get here?"
"A few minutes ago. I didn't want to wake you."
"You'll never guess what Snape told me," she started. Before he could answer, she launched into the information about Voldemort's plans and Snape's attitude.
"What about the potion?" Harry asked, noting that she hadn't even mentioned his response to what they'd found.
"He thinks we might have found it. He even offered to help brew it if we can find the rest." She got up, stretched a little, then walked to the progress chart on the wall. "We can mark this off and this off, and this, and this too. We can even mark this down. Harry, we're ahead!" she cried out.
Harry smiled and walked over to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and pointing at an item listed right after graduation. "I think we can begin thinking about this, too." Then he went to his desk and pulled a book from a drawer. "Here," he said, and tossed it to her. "You might want to look at this." She glanced at the cover and gasped as she read the title, The Wizard Wedding from Merlin to Modern. Harry just grinned. "I've never been to a wizard wedding…I have no idea what happens." Hermione just stared at him, realizing that she didn't have a clue either.
"Well, since we're ahead, we have time to learn some other things," she said with a giggle, and pulled him to her, kissing him with fire and passion. "It's late…we need to get to bed," she said and pulled him toward her room.
Since it was her room, she got to make the rules, and she started by slowly undressing herself, teasing Harry with every move. She could sense his reaction as she removed her bra, keeping her hands strategically placed to deny his view of her breasts. She leaned over, teasing him further. Next, she turned away, slowly dropping her knickers but allowing only brief glimpses of what he wanted to see. Finally, she turned to face him, placing her hands to cover anything interesting. He started to rise, reaching for her, and she finally relented.
Harry pulled her to the bed. He knew what she wanted, and reached over to the dresser, picking up a bottle of oil and warming it with a charm before he began. He poured a small pool into her navel depression, and then dribbled more between her legs and up between her breasts. Then he set the bottle aside and began.
Hermione melted as he slowly rubbed and massaged the most tender areas of her body. After her first orgasm, he moved his hands to her breasts, slowly kneading them and pulling gently on her rings. She came again, and then again as he refused to quit, finding every one of her sensitive spots and using each to great advantage. Finally, he turned her over, and massaged her shoulders and back. When he reached her bum, he opened her legs and continued. She came again as he worked his fingers within her while squeezing her legs and thighs. He finished with her feet, which he knew would drive her wild.
The soles of her feet were very ticklish, but she also became very aroused when he handled and rubbed her toes, and she came yet again as he slowly finished up and eased her back down to earth, kissing her gently and nibbling on her ear. She just mewed, and sighed contentment. Harry stood up for a moment, just looking, and then undressed, joining her on the bed and wrapping his arms around her, cupping her breasts and snuggling close. He thought briefly about setting the alarm, but decided tomorrow would take care of itself. After all, they were ahead of schedule for the first time.
A short time later, Hermione decided it was now her turn. She rolled Harry onto his back, and began to rub his chest, getting him thoroughly awake, and thoroughly aroused. She leaned over his smiling face and kissed him lightly, murmuring in his ear "Now I will remind you why I am called the Head Girl."
Harry just grinned as she moved her mouth to his erection and began licking and sucking. Slowly she moved up and down, bringing every possible sensation alive. Harry wanted her to finish but she wanted to go on forever. Finally, when he was completely exhausted, she allowed him to come, drinking every drop. As she moved back up to him, she whispered in his ear. "It is the ultimate potion. You have now met the fourth condition."
Harry just smiled and fell asleep, his arms wrapped around his love.
