Disclaimers: See Chapter 1 for more info.
Patches of bright blue sky hung over the horizon, giving the signal that summer was well on its way. Hermione and Aria had barely spoken to each other over the last few months. Frodo honestly hoped they would resolve this. He'd never seen two girls go at it before, especially with the subject of voices. Worse, he was sometimes caught in the middle of their debate.
Sooner or later, someone had to break the ice, especially with their Apparition tests starting that day. All trace of their arguing seemed to have dissipated, or else they were waiting to start up another spat.
"Hermione," Harry intervened, "this has gone on long enough. Do you see us complaining about Luna Lovegood?"
"No. I've learned to accept Luna." Hermione admitted. "Besides, we both know that voices are a bad sign. Everyone knows that."
"I'm not dangerous, Hermione!" Aria fired back. "Have you seen me do anything dangerous?"
"No!" Hermione's eyes widened. "Oh!"
"Now you see my point?" Aria shook her head. "You know, sometimes I think you read in your sleep."
"That's enough!" Frodo fired at them, sharp and serious. "Now, I don't know how this argument broke out but Aria, you need to apologize. You're too bitter towards Hermione. And Hermione, you need to apologize and accept Aria for her voices. They aren't bad. Aria, how dare you say those things about Hermione!"
A heavy silence fell between the group. Frodo had enough of this. "Now, I want to see you two apologize and be friends again. It's no good seeing two friends, who are so close, argue over a simple matter as hearing voices. What made this complicated is the fact that no one believed the other person. Hermione, you are too logical for your own good, but sometimes I think you're blinded by mere facts, instead of just accepting someone for who they are."
"Now, I will not have you two arguing over this again." He said last, "And if I hear one more word from either of you over how voices are a bad omen—"
"There are positive voices, Frodo. Trust me." Aria said, calmer.
"I do trust you." Frodo sighed. "That's not the point. The point is you're way too bitter." He looked at Hermione. "And Hermione, you need to start having an open mind. These wounds you and Aria share are too great and they need to be mended." He told the two girls. "Now apologize, or do I have to make you apologize."
Hermione shrugged, smiling a little. "He does have a point."
"He's good at settling things." Aria said, smiling at Frodo. She looked at Hermione, asking her, "Truce? Or do you still think my voices are a bad omen?"
"Only if you let me see what I haven't seen." She said, her foot rubbing against the stone floor. "I'm sorry. If I had known you had good voices, too… look. I know little about hearing voices. It's new to me. I thought they were a bad omen. But if you say there are good voices, then maybe we can learn more about them. What do you say? Do you accept my apology?"
There was another silence, broken by Frodo when he spoke to his girlfriend. "Aria, do you have something you like to say to Hermione?"
"Well, I am still learning about people." Aria admitted, calmer. "I'm sorry. I don't know everything there is to know about people. I let my bitterness and my ego get in the way. I just want to be accepted, even by Hermione's standards. I need to learn how to trust people." She turned to Hermione, asking her, "If there's any way you can forgive me, I'll do my best to understand you. At the same time, you need to understand that my views aren't the same as yours and I do have voices, good and bad. I hope you can forgive me."
"I forgive you." Hermione said, smiling. "I just hope you can forgive me, too."
"I forgive you." Aria said, embracing her. "Just don't think for a second I would betray you."
"When is that ever going to happen?" Frodo asked with a warm smile. He waited until Aria and Hermione released, before telling them. "Let's get to our Apparition test."
"Good luck." Harry said to the trio. "I'll see you when you get out."
Frodo nodded. Well, he hoped his efforts at Apparition paid off. He was doing so well and Aria had improved. Sam did get the needed apology from Aria, much to Frodo's delight. Finally, his friends were back together again. Now, Hermione and Ron needed to make up. If only that were possible, what with Ron hanging around Lavender Brown all the time.
.
The Apparition test was much the same as it was during the practice lessons. Only this time, when Frodo entered the Great Hall, he found himself face to face with the proctor, a stout wizard wearing green robes. On a clipboard was a paper. A quill rested in his hands, which he dipped into a nearby ink bottle.
"Now, for this test, I want you to Apparate within the given time. From this spot—" the proctor showed him a space a few feet away from the hoop, "—to this hoop. On my count. Three, two – ONE!"
Frodo felt his body dissolve, but nothing happened. He looked again. He was inside the hoop. No disjointed bones. Nothing. He was good. He smiled, relieved that was over.
The proctor clapped. "Well done. You passed." He told the crowd. "Next!"
Frodo stood back, watching as Aria and then Sam did the same thing. Much to his surprise, Aria passed the test, too. Sam did as well, and Hermione. Ron was the only one who failed. Frodo clapped a hand against Ron's shoulder.
"Maybe this summer you'll pass." Frodo said, smiling.
"I hope so. That was so terrifying." Ron said, overwhelmed.
"I passed!" Aria grinned with joy. "I can't wait to try this when we leave Hogwarts."
"You'll be lucky if anything happens today. Getting Slughorn's memory won't be easy." Hermione told the group, as soon as they were reunited with Harry.
"Luck." Frodo perked up. "Of course. We need a bit of luck to get Slughorn's memory."
"Meet me on the seventh floor, Frodo." Harry said, smiling. "I've got an idea."
"Felix Felicis." Frodo answered, agreeing.
"Felix Felicis." Harry said.
"Good luck." Aria said, joining in on their conversation.
"We'll need luck." Frodo said, waving his hand to make a vial of Felix Felicis rest in the palm of his hand. He gestured to Aria. "Come on. Hagrid's waiting with Aragog, too."
"Yes, but you're supposed to find Slughorn." Hermione said, as they walked away.
Frodo waited until the Ravenclaw common room was clear before drinking his vial of Felix Felicis. The gold liquid went down smoothly. He corked the vial, but already felt one hundred percent lucky.
"Slughorn's usually having tea by now." Aria told Frodo, helping him remember.
"That's great. I think I'll head down to Hagrid's." Frodo said, making his way out of the common room.
"Frodo!" Aria got his attention. "Remember the plan!"
"Well, it wouldn't hurt to go down to Hagrid's." Frodo said, confident. "I feel like I need to be there! Luck's on my side, or – well – Felix is." He ran off, straight down the stairs and right into Harry. Lucky for him, he didn't bump into him, and yet he felt light as a feather.
Harry asked, also hyped up, "So you're going down to—"
"—to Hagrid's!" Frodo and Harry said at the same time.
"Yeah. I feel like it's the right spot." Frodo said, smiling.
"I've got that feeling, too. Let's go!" Harry said, leading the way.
"I sure feel lucky right now." Frodo said, accompanying him. He nearly skipped on his way towards the Grand Staircase. He looked down at his hands. They were invisible and Harry was under the Invisibility Cloak. Luck was on their side after all.
They passed by a few people here and there, even made their way to the Herbology greenhouses. There was Slughorn chatting with Professor Sprout about plants. Well, there was no stopping him now from revealing himself. Just as Harry took off the invisibility cloak, he went ahead and made himself visible. He would have chosen to transfigure himself into a lion, now that he got the hang of it. But what use was that tonight? It was a splendid night to go for a walk!
"Merlin's beard, Harry! Frodo, you scared me!" Slughorn said, shaken in his boots.
"Sorry about that, professor." Harry said, cheerful.
"What are you doing out of the castle at this hour?" Slughorn asked them.
"Well, we're going down to Hagrid's." Harry said.
"His spider died and we thought we'd give it a proper farewell." Frodo said, cheery eyed.
"You know I can't let you go wandering about the school at this late hour." Slughorn told them, concerned.
"Then, by all means, sir, come along." Harry said, encouraging their professor.
"Acromantula venom is quite valuable. I might as well. Let me just run up to my office and get a few bottles to celebrate." Slughorn took off back to the castle. Now was Frodo's turn to follow Harry towards Hagrid's hut. Felix told him to do just that.
.
The walk to the hut didn't take long. Only a couple of minutes tops. In time, Slughorn returned with few bottles of oak matured mead. A fresh few bottles, poison free. It was their lucky day! They celebrated with Hagrid over the loss of Aragog. Frodo remembered too well what that spider did to him, Harry, Ron and Sam. Nearly ate them, too.
"We celebrate a life with Aragog, a spider known to many." Slughorn gave his speech. "But your spirit remains faithful to the friends you carry with you."
They made their way inside the hut after the burial. Frodo wanted to say something, but Felix told him to wait for the right moment. There was plenty of drinking to go around. Frodo couldn't afford to drink a whole lot. He was still under the influence of the luck potion. But thanks to Harry's efforts, Slughorn was ready to talk.
"I know why you're here. Why you came, but I can't do it. That memory would ruin me." Slughorn insisted.
"My parents gave their lives so I could be here." Frodo insisted. "I wouldn't be where I am today if it weren't for them. They would want to see Sauron defeated."
"And it's true. We are the Chosen Ones." Harry told Slughorn. "Only we can defeat Sauron and Voldemort, but we need that memory. We need to know what you told Voldemort and Sauron all those years ago. Be brave for my mother. Be brave, sir. We must stop them."
Slughorn understood. He pressed his wand to his forehead. Silvery strands flew into the tip of the wand, landing in an empty vial. Harry and Frodo now had the memory. Now they just needed to return to the school, before Felix wore off on them.
Thanks for reading. :)