Hello, I just wanted to let y'all know that I will be taking a two-week hiatus. I've got to work a lot and then I'll be out of town for a week.

More than ever Hermione wished Cedric was with her. Or, at least, was available to call. She'd been thinking about him ever since Basira wrote a letter asking her for Cedric's bank statements for taxes as Hermione was the only authorized user for his vault.

Evidently, he was still paying for Rosehill to sit there in ash. Most of the surrounding land had been sold off, no doubt to be debated by developers who had no idea how much the magic bureaucracy would block them from building anything so close to three magical families. Cedric could have easily made Fred and George handle the payments considering they had the deed to the damn place, but no. Most of his radio royalties went to that house he hated but his mother loved.

Mama's boy. Too nice for his own good. Well, if those deposits dried up, she'd do whatever it took to make sure the house wasn't removed entirely. She'd sell her handcrafted diamonds on the black market, buy the house from the twins and Basira, and restore it herself if she had to.

At least, that's what she told herself. Her frustration on this subject wasn't enough to distract her from everything else stressing her out.

This particular morning Hermione was training by herself and her music had not silenced her stewing thoughts. It was a good thing she had placed the protective covering on her scythe, for she wasn't doing a good job wielding it at the moment. After dropping it for the umpteenth time, she screamed and scratched at her arms.

"I don't know what I'm doing," she said. "I think people are believing I have all the answers and maybe I don't do them any favors by pretending I do… but nobody is really questioning me, are they? Not about anything important."

"I question you," said Hogwarts.

Hermione glared at her own cool expression in the mirror.

"We share a consciousness and you criticize yet don't tell me what I could be doing better," she spat. "Where were you when Cedric's life was in ruins?"

Hogwarts narrowed her eyes. "Where were you?"

Hermione sighed and plunked down on the ground. "I wasn't here for him."

"So how can you long for him to be here for you?"

"He didn't tell me what was happening to him!"

"Should he have had to?"

"Yes! If you only act on assumption, you might make a bigger mess of things than they already are!" Hermione rubbed the back of her neck. "I thought we'd always be together, but now he might as well be dead."

"Perhaps he is," said Hogwarts. "Why else would the letter have come back torn up? His only valuable returned to you?"

"I would know if he was," she said. "I think he's realized how much I failed him and wants nothing more to do with me. You didn't hear what he said. I was two vigilante acts away from being in the same boat as him."

"If everyone finds out what you and Draco are up to then you will be," said Hogwarts. "I allow Dumbledore as Headmaster because he was a good teacher. He was patient with his students and he encouraged them well. He didn't use to show favoritism."

"Then why are you letting me do this?"

"Because I believe you are right that he has grown out of touch." Hogwarts sighed heavily. "People are complex, Nia. You know this. None of the founders were the epitome of good. You and Cedric have done a lot for my students, but neither of you are the level of good some believe you are. No one is truly good or truly evil. Of course, some people are so awful that it doesn't matter if they saved a kitten from the Whomping Willow. It would never forgive certain actions."

Hermione rested her chin on her knees.

"It's not okay, Nia," said Hogwarts. "But I believe that it's the necessary catalyst. I think Dumbledore might actually agree with you. He understands that he is dying. That's why he's away so much. I have no idea what he's doing."

"Is he away now?"

"Yes. He left a few days ago."

"Then I should get the material while I can." Hermione put away her gear and brought out her cloak. She cast a disillusionment charm on it and slipped it on. She nearly disappeared, so unless some eagle eye spotted her, she would be just fine.

She left the Room of Things and headed toward the Headmaster's office. As she approached, the gargoyle stepped aside and allowed her up. She entered the office, which was quiet. The bric-a-brac seemed muted without the owner to show off for and perhaps they counted her more Hogwarts than human and didn't light up. Even when she pushed back her hood, the portraits scarcely stirred, though the ones that did murmured, "Welcome, my Lady."

Hermione looked around the room trying to think what might work best for her spell.

"Well, this is quite interesting."

She turned to face the Sorting Hat.

"It's been centuries since one has been able to play host to Hogwarts," it said. "Though, I sensed great power within you from the moment I sat on your head six years ago."

"Tell me," said Hermione. "Am I actually powerful or am I just harnessing Hogwarts' energy?"

"It is both," said the Sorting Hat. "Your bond has created an amalgamation of you and Hogwarts. Unless you break the bond, you will constantly be in a symbiotic relationship. Drawing power from each other until you die or Hogwarts ceases to be. It won't matter how far you stray, you will still be drawn to each other, though admittedly when you are not on ley lines or their crossover points, the connection will be weaker."

Hermione hummed. "How come you didn't start accepting muggle-borns in Slytherin when the witch hunters stopped becoming a problem? That was Slytherin's fear and you know it."

"As he was dying, Godric asked me to never put a muggle-born in Slytherin. He feared the curse of the Chamber of Secrets would activate in that event. As Missy was killed, the curse is no longer an issue."

"So why me?"

"I felt you were strong enough to pave the path," said the Sorting Hat. "You have proven yourself worthy of Slytherin House and I have no qualms of putting other Muggle-borns in the House. I might be an enchanted object, but I still have a mind of my own, and if I decide it's time for progress, then I can make that decision."

Hermione slid over a ladder and climbed up so she was at the hat's level.

"I need something," she said.

"And what is that?"

"The Sword of Gryffindor."

"I will grant it gladly. However, I sense that you mean on a permanent basis."

"Not permanent just… for the foreseeable future."

"I'm afraid that wouldn't be impossible. True, if you have the scabbard the sword will not return to me, but those who expect the sword will come up empty and I cannot allow that."

"A trade then," she said and reached into her purse, removing her dagger. "Will this do?"

"Yes, but again, without the scabbard the Sword of Gryffindor will return to my possession."

"Gotcha." Hermione slid down the ladder and crossed over to the massive desk. She moved it out of the way with a wave of her hand and knelt down. By now, the portraits had woken up and were watching her with interest as she traced a rune onto a large stone slab. It rattled and moved to the side, revealing a stash of treasures. She brought out an empty case from her purse and carefully placed the items inside. She would send them to Gringotts and ask for them to be kept safe and conserved. There were glass jars, buckles, diaries, and jewelry made of fine beads. She lifted a threadbare cloth out and unwrapped it, the portraits crowding each other's frames to see what she had uncovered.

The scabbard was just as beautiful as the sword itself, though it was entirely made of silver and inlaid with rubies and opals. Hermione ran her fingers over it and brought it back to the Sorting Hat.

"Scabbard," she said and placed her dagger on the shelf. "Replacement. It's a goblin made weapon, stygian iron, and it's imbued with basilisk venom."

"Very well," said the Sorting Hat. "You have permission to retrieve the Sword of Gryffindor."

"Thank you." Hermione lifted the hat off its shelf and reached inside, grasping onto the hilt of the sword. She withdrew it and quickly placed her dagger inside, sensing it disappear into the netherworld. She sheathed the sword and the entire thing shrank down into a cloak pin. She pinned it to her cloak and it shuddered once before all traces of her spell disappeared, giving her a new cloak of invisibility. She pulled the hood up and looked in the mirror, finding it almost as good as Harry's. Just a small shimmer. His granted true invisibility.

She returned the desk to its place and brought out a handkerchief.

"If I were important to Dumbledore, where would I be?" she murmured and turned to the staircase leading to his quarters.

Keeping her hood on, she opened the door and hurried into his quarters, minding not to touch anything else without the handkerchief. She couldn't waste much time. Who knew when Dumbledore would return? The room was modestly furnished. Different from how he portrayed himself in dress. She poked around his wardrobe, which was filled with exquisite sets of robes and two classic cut suits. Nothing there. She perused his personal library, finding a copy of Beetle the Bard in its original text rather than the slightly anti-muggle versions that were in popular circulation.

One book was different from the rest. It was unmarked. She slid it out of the shelf and flipped it open, finding a diary in a mix of German and… was that Hungarian? She wasn't sure. She flipped through the pages and found that halfway through it had been hollowed out. Nestled in the pages was a small pendant looking much like a needle driven through a phial. The phial itself was beautiful with filigree surrounding a small window, which was dusty and contained something inside. It was brown.

Dumbledore was back. Stuffing the book back and stashing the pendant into her pocket, Hermione rushed downstairs and pressed herself into a corner. Dumbledore shambled into the room looking pallid and out of breath, Snape not far behind him.

"You are getting worse," said Snape.

"I know, Severus." Dumbledore collapsed into his office chair and gasped for breath. "Do you have the potion?"

"Of course, but as always I remind you that it only alleviates symptoms and is not a cure."

"And as always I understand." Dumbledore sipped the potion, unable to hold his breath long enough to down it in one gulp.

"If you wish to prolong your life I suggest you stop going on these trips," Snape continued.

"You know I cannot. I might not be able to perform magic as I used to, but the least I can do is find the location of these horcruxes."

"If you are able to find them then why push Potter to ask Horace for the memory?"

"We don't know how many Voldemort made and Harry is our best option."

"Why not ask Granger? She may be insubordinate, but Horace dotes on her. He would be likely to tell her if she asked correctly."

"Miss Granger is still a child. She shouldn't have to worry about such things."

Snape's expression turned cold. "And yet you let her son carry the burden of believing he has to die!"

"Severus, do you care for the boy?"

"The boy means nothing to me," he growled. "But she meant everything. You have to find another way."

"The best I can do at this time is to prepare him," said Dumbledore. "Until he finds out how many horcruxes there are, there is nothing more I can teach him. Of course, you could try your hand at it."

"Is it my fault that he is too thick-headed and stubborn to take in my teachings? You should have seen the essay on dementors he turned in!"

"The boy who fought off a hundred dementors at once disagreeing with the best way to handle them?" Dumbledore chuckled. "Imagine that."

Hermione slowly adjusted and sat down, silently praying that the invisibility spell on the cloak pin was long-lasting. She didn't want to be listening in on this conversation, but now she was.

"All of this… is madness," said Snape. "The position is cursed. We both know that. The Dark Lord expressed that he wishes I hadn't taken on the role at all."

"Is that compassion?"

"Certainly not, I am his best spy and he hates losing an asset."

Dumbledore steepled his fingers and closed his eyes. For a heart dropping moment, his magic faded entirely, but then returned a moment later.

"After finals," he said. "The day finals end, we will enact our plan. I don't like it anymore than you do, but I hope Harry will understand and forgive me. Please, Severus. Things must happen this way. Fifteen years ago, you made a promise and I expect you to keep it."

"If you had been able to keep yours, we might not be in this mess."

For once, Hermione had to agree with Snape. She didn't like the man and despite all this, she would never trust him with her plan. She and Draco would just have to enact their own plan before Snape and Dumbledore could begin theirs. She didn't know what it was. Perhaps they were leading Harry to die. If there were only four, Harry being the last one, Voldemort would be vulnerable if his last horcrux was destroyed. Hermione couldn't allow that to happen. She needed to act soon.

Madam Pomfrey entered the office looking entirely flummoxed.

"Albus," she said. "Severus. I need a second opinion."

"What's happened, Poppy?" asked Professor Dumbledore.

"Well, it's Astoria Greengrass. I had checked my chart and realized she hadn't been to my office lately for her potions. Her parents have contacted me asking for an update, so I called Miss Greengrass into my office for a check up."

"And?" said Snape.

"And nothing. She's perfectly fine," said Madam Pomfrey. "Her cheeks are rosy, her energy and breathing are normal. It's as if she's been cured. I asked her about it and she said she thought she was having a good day. It seems to have come on gradually. I thought you might have some ideas as to why this might be."

"Miss Greengrass has a blood curse, does she not?" said Dumbledore. "Perhaps someone could have broken it."

"But how? Without her or her sister knowing?"

"Perhaps she knows more than she lets on," said Severus.

"Go and speak to Miss Greengrass," said Dumbledore. "I'm afraid I'm rather exhausted from my journey, Poppy, but I trust Severus to help with your investigation."

Very well, sir."

Hermione lay in wait. She half expected Dumbledore to call her out. Instead he rubbed his face with trembling hands and worked himself to a standing position. She breathed quietly through her mouth so her nose wouldn't whistle and watched him creak up the stairs. She moved quickly out of the office and booked it down the corridor. He wouldn't be missing the pendant for long. She needed a place to hide it. She needed to free Harry from the horcrux soon as well.

She went to the last secret place in the castle. The anchor stones. She entered the sanctum and released a deep breath as she made her way down the stone steps. The way felt more alive than ever breathing in tandem with her. Here she felt herself… disappear a little. Like when she slipped into memories. She didn't dare look down at herself, certain that she would find herself fading away into nothing. Instead, she kept her eyes straight ahead to the light she knew would eventually appear.

The anchor stones were as bright as ever, but Hermione didn't pay attention to them. Instead, she made her way to the back of the cavern. She had to mind her step, here the crystals jutted out all over the place. She found a small hole and crawled into it. At first, she thought it might have been a dead end, but then it finally opened up and she needed her wand. The walls glittered with crystal and there was a deep pool of water. Deep enough for Professor Slughorn to lay in up to his chin.

The ground was stone, so she used the gouging spell to carve a hole and rested her horcrux hunting box, her cloak, the pendant, weapons, and the journals containing her spells inside. She always kept them in her purse, but she didn't trust anyone to not ask her to open it up and she couldn't risk anyone finding it out now.

"Nia? Cielita Nia? Bueno?"

Hermione picked through her mirrors and finally opened the right one.

"Bueno?"

"Nia!" said Tía Manola. "Where are you? I can hardly see you."

"Spelunking. ¿Qué lo que?"

"I have the solution for Harry," she said. "Are you able to write this down?"

"Yeah, yeah. Give me a moment." Hermione opened the first non-messaging notebook she found to a fresh page and summoned a pen. She scribbled out the spell, the timing, the circle, and everything she would need. "When do I need to do it again?"

"New moon. There is one next week. That is the optimal time, but if you have to do it on another night it's okay."

"Er, no, it should be fine. Should I select people I trust the most or who Harry trusts the most?"

"You will be performing the spell, so choose people you trust. Harry is the vessel and the horcrux will protect him at all costs."

"Okay. How many should I get?"

"Same as any ritual. Three would do the trick, seven is better, divisible by threes are best."

"Alright. Thank you, Tía. I'll let you know if I'm successful."

"And if you aren't?"

"I'll either be dead or in Azkaban. The clock will tell you then."

Manola sighed. "Be careful, mija. I know you're tough and you've got experience, but these things are volatile."

"Yeah, I know. I'll triple check everything. I'll call soon, okay?"

"Okay. Te quiero."

"Te quiero." Hermione hung up and heaved a rock on top of her things.

She crawled out of the cave and hurried back into the main section of the castle. She tried to act casual, going outside with a bat and ball. She pretended to be busy, tossing the ball in the air and swinging with the bat. She missed quite a bit, but when she did hit it, it went pretty far. She was happy she had the summoning charm.

"Oi! You know, people are going to think you're suspicious hanging 'round outside so much," said Tonks, approaching her. "What are you doing?"

"Working on my aim," said Hermione. "I swear this dead eye will get me killed one day."

"Don't be so dramatic."

Hermione tossed the ball in the air and hit it hard, watching it fly clear into the Forbidden Forest.

"Next new moon," she said. "You, Ceci, and Fleur. Fleur can charm her way out of anything. Ceci is my cousin and will have an excuse to be checking up on me."

"Oh, okay. Is this another one of those… things?"

"Yeah."

"What is it anyway?"

"Can't say just yet."

"Who else you bringing in?"

"Ron, Ginny, and Luna."

"Really? I can see Ginny, but Ron and Luna? Why don't we bring Bill, Fred, and George again?"

"I don't want to bring too many into the castle, people will ask questions. I don't think Daphne and Padma want anything to do with it again. I don't trust Draco and Ron not to fight. I think I'll ask Professor Lupin to help."

"What about Harry?"

Hermione pursed her lips and gave her a look. Tonks' face fell.

"No…"

"I'm afraid so."

"No… no, no. When? How?"

"When he was a baby. He's aware of it now and we're going to help him."

"Okay. Okay, okay. Can I help with anything?"

"I need… Epsom salt. Lots of it."

"How much?"

"Five hundred pounds, about two hundred and twenty-seven kilos. By the next new moon."

"Circe of Aeaea. Why so much?"

"Not here. I just need you to trust that that is how much I need. Tell Sirius."

"Okay. New moon. When and where?"

"Portrait hall. Midnight. It's the same day at the Apparition test, so I think it'd be the best time for you to sneak in. Maybe come in early and hide out in the Room of Things."

"Yeah, how do we get in?"

"Pace three times and ask for what you want."

"Any students out on the grounds, please return to the castle," Professor McGonagall announced.

Hermione clicked her tongue and summoned her baseball. She tucked it in her pocket and slung her bat across her shoulders. She entered the castle and the Hufflepuff boys in her year did a double take.

"What are you carrying?" asked Ernie.

"A baseball bat."

"This is the U.K.," said Justin. "You have to play cricket. Nobody plays baseball."

"Justin, you ignorant slut." Hermione rolled her eyes and stomped into the Great Hall for dinner. She found Char and kissed her cheek before sitting down.

"Hey, where've you been?" Char asked.

"Out and about. Needed some me time."

"Ah, I understand."

"ALL STUDENTS TO THE GREAT HALL NOW!" an angry voice thundered, sending a few kids to the ground.

Uh oh.

Hermione tried to act casual.

"What do you think that's about?" asked Blaise, looking to her.

"Beats me," she said.

Professor McGonagall strode into the Great Hall wearing a fierce expression.

"All students, please sit at your proper House tables and by year," she said.

There was much muttering as everyone got up and moved around. The food was brought back below. Dumbledore was the last of the teachers to arrive, doing a good job pretending he wasn't a stiff breeze away from toppling over. He stood at his podium and glowered at all of them, which made the crowd uneasy.

"I am uncertain how," he said. "Or why, but someone had been in my quarters. This person has stolen something very important to me. The Aurors are on their way to search your quarters and your teachers and I will be inquiring all of you right here and now. If anyone has any information I encourage you to step forward now. I also encourage the thief to own up, or the consequences may be harsh."

Be cool, Hermione told herself. She has been practicing controlling her emotions for months. She could bring up false memories if needed. She imagined walking along the lake for most of the day before playing baseball, which Tonks would be able to confirm.

"I wonder what was stolen," she said. "It must be important if Dumbledore is this angry."

Hermione played as aloof as she could. Pretending to be someone with nothing to hide, someone who was concerned about what it could possibly be. Professor Slughorn, Professor Vector, and Snape went along the Slytherin table asking students of their whereabouts and asking them to turn out their pockets. Filch bounced in with his secrecy sensor-looking eager.

"You know, this goes against our rights," said Hermione. "We shouldn't have to submit to search and seizure just because something is supposedly stolen."

"Oh?" said Professor Snape. "And why, pray tell, would you resist to a search if you had nothing to hide?"

"Because I believe everyone has the right to privacy and that 'only guilty people hide things' is propaganda perpetuated by crime shows."

"Hand over your purse, Granger."

"I refuse," said Hermione. "First it's our bags, next you're going to be hauling us out one-by-one for strip searches!"

"Miss Sanchez y Granger," said Professor Slughorn. "It would speed things along if you complied."

"I'm a lawyer, sir, not a cop," she replied. "My mission in life is to make things difficult for others except for me and my clients, the clients being my fellow students. How can we guarantee that students won't have to relinquish items that might be considered contraband over stricter rules that have been instated over the year that wouldn't have caused harm otherwise? Things that bring them happiness? Look! Filch has already collected several Weasley Wizard Wheezes items despite the fact those are clearly not belonging to Dumbledore!"

Her fuss was bringing the teachers over. She had no incriminating evidence on her person. She hoped she wasn't sweating.

"This is an item," she continued. "I can understand the searches like when I was attacked by Barty Crouch Jr., but those were simple revealing spells to make sure everyone was who they said they were. Is this item dangerous?"

"No, Miss Granger," said Professor McGonagall.

"Then why all the fuss? Yes, I would be upset if, say, my necklace was taken. And when it was you didn't see me shaking down the whole school for it back. Luna gets xyr things stolen all the time, where is this fury for xyr belongings? Or do we, as students, not matter? Did you check every other possible place for its whereabouts before shaking us down?"

Dumbledore approached her and stared her in the eye.

"I hope you understand that eye contact is painful," said Hermione, keeping it steady. "Always has been that way. Ask my parents. Are you looking for something in particular?"

"Look me in the eye and tell me what you did today," said Dumbledore.

Hermione thought the lie, letting him see it. "I did my training. You know, lifting weights, running, obstacle courses. I wanna get yoked." She flexed to show off her muscles. Char pretended to swoon and she grinned. "Then I took a walk. Spent some time alone with my thoughts. Didn't like that, so I played baseball. Spoke to Tonks, she checks in with me when Ceci can't."

"Alright missy," said Savage, head of the Auror team at Hogwarts. "You're coming with us."

"Get your hands off me!" Hermione snapped, when he grabbed her arm. "I see how it goes. I make an excellent point and suddenly everyone thinks I'm the prime suspect."

"Well, don't act suspicious!" said Proudfoot.

"What evidence do you have?" Hermione demanded placing her hands on her hips. "Was I found around Dumbledore's office at the time he suspected the crime took place?"

"I don't like how you look or your attitude," said Savage. "Now come along!"

"Help! Help! I'm being oppressed!" Hermione yelled as he shook her. "I'm being profiled!"

"Oh, honestly," said Tonks. "Nia, would you steal from Dumbledore?"

"What reason would I have to?" Hermione huffed, the lie coming surprisingly easy. "Professor Dumbledore, how long have you been gone?"

"Three days," he said.

"And who all has access to your office while you are away?"

"Anyone with the password."

"That could be a variety of people from teachers to students to Aurors. How often do you change the password?"

"Once a week."

"And the item, can I have some clue as to what it is? Is it bigger than a breadbox?"

"No."

"Smaller than a baseball?"

"Quite."

"Shiny?"

"Well, yes."

"Have any teachers been in your office this past week?"

"I have," said Professor McGonagall. "To handle certain Deputy duties while Professor Dumbledore was… away."

Hermione snapped her fingers. "Ah! Hagrid! You had a Niffler lesson this week, didn't you?"

"Er, yes, s'pose I did," he said. "Slippery little buggers they are."

"Could it not be possible that one of them snuck into the castle?"

"Well, yes, but wouldn't other items have been missing?" said Professor McGonagall.

Hermione hummed and furrowed her brow. "I suppose that's true. Have you checked the Lost and Found? I can't tell you how many lost socks ended up in there. It's an absolute nightmare to those of us with autism or ADHD. You set an item down just for a second and then poof!"

"Hogwarts doesn't have a Lost and Found Miss Granger," said Professor McGonagall.

"Yes it does." Hermione looked at all of them and rolled her eyes at their disbelief. "Okay, come on."

She glanced at her peers. Draco gave her a terrified look but she knew what she was doing. Sort of. She had half of a plan. Or maybe a third. She led the little parade up to the seventh floor and summoned the Lost and Found but requested the vanishing cabinet remain hidden. She pushed open the door and the adults' faces fell slack.

"Blimey that's a lot of stuff," said Tonks, pretending for Hermione's sake that she had never seen this room before.

"Lots of things end up here," said Hermione. "Left shoes, socks without a pair, pens, things left alone for a second too long." She paused. "What are we looking for again?"

"A pendant," said Dumbledore. "Silver."

"Alright." She ushered them out, snapped her fingers, and opened the door again. This time everything with just a bit of silver was piled around the room. It was still quite a chore to sort through. "It might be in here. Or maybe it was stolen by a student. Did you dust for prints?"

"Yeah," said Tonks. "Only Dumbledore's and house-elves."

"And we know the elves wouldn't steal," said Hermione, not keen on letting them go as a scapegoat. "They've gained freedom so they wouldn't even do it under orders. What about magical signatures? The portraits?"

Wait, no, that was incriminating.

"Unfortunately, the miasma of the castle hides specific signatures," said Proudfoot. "The portraits say someone was there, but they could not say who. So we would have no leads."

She tried not to sigh with relief.

"I'm all out of ideas," she huffed. "I still stand by what I said though. Unless there's probable cause that a student stole it I don't think we should be expected to have our things gone through."

"I'm sorry, Miss Granger," said Professor McGonagall. "But as students you are under the care of the teachers and according to the law we have the right to search if theft or dark artifacts are suspected. However, I will make sure that nothing is seized if it is not Professor Dumbledore's."

"Well, don't I feel sheepish," she said and dumped her purse over.

Books, makeup, school supplies, clothes, shoes, and food spilled onto the floor. Tonks poked through it and shrugged.

"Just stuff and things," she said. "Ooh, corn nuts!"

"Am I free to go?" Hermione asked, giving Tonks the snack.

"Yes, Miss Granger," said Professor McGonagall. "Though something must be done about this mess."

"We'll send Aurors in," said Savage. "Just to have a look, but I don't see us being able to do much until the summer. If there are dark artifacts in there, we don't want students getting a hold of them."

"Should we stage a guard outside?" asked Tonks.

Hermione gave her a look.

"Er, or maybe not. I mean, how many students would want to poke through the Lost and Found?"

"Who else knows of this Lost and Found?" asked Professor McGonagall.

"Dumbledore's Army and me," said Hermione. "It's the Room of Requirement, señora. It seems a bit unfair to withhold its use from the general public. I use it for training." She snapped her fingers and showed them her workout room. "Taekwondo, Krav Maga, tai chi. All that good stuff. I mean, considering my rep I can't work out at the Quidditch Pitch anymore…"

"Oh, is that what the outfit is for?" said Tonks, pointing to Hermione's armor.

"Cute, right?" she said, posing.

"We will leave it as is until summer," said Professor Dumbledore. "However, if my item is in here I will allow a team of Aurors and Curse-Breakers to poke around next weekend. My mind would be laid to rest if we searched the rest of the castle for it today."

"Very well," said Hermione. "I'll just go back to the Great Hall with everyone else."

She funneled everything back into her bag and returned to the Great Hall.

"Are you finally expelled?" asked Pansy.

"Nah. They're not gonna expel me unless I kill someone," said Hermione. She made a face. "Let me amend that. If I kill a fellow student."

Blaise huffed softly and shook their head.

"Well, you're not boring," said Millicent. "I can appreciate that."

"Oh, not you too!" said Pansy. "She's got you tricked."

Hermione stared at her with what she hoped was a creepy smile. "You're next, Parkinson."

"No."

"We're gonna be the bestest of friends. We'll braid each other's hair and paint our nails and fill out friendship quizzes in magazines!"

Pansy groaned and turned away from her. Hermione grinned.

"I still bet I'm stronger than you," said Millicent.

"Wanna arm wrestle?" said Hermione. "I'll be clear now, my finger splints don't give or detract strength, they're just so my fingers don't dislocate."

"I don't believe that," said Goyle.

"Oh, no." Daphne covered her eyes.

Hermione worked off the splints and showed her fingers warp. Everyone watching exclaimed in disgust. Millicent shrieked, "Cover it up! Cover it up!"

She slid them back on and wiggled her fingers. Millicent checked then set up and grasped her hand. Hermione was surprised at the lack of hesitation, but would proceed with cautious optimism.

"Ready… set… go!" said Theo.

Hermione and Millicent strained against each other, biceps swelling. Everyone around them cheered or jeered. Hermione's hand was soon forced down. She groaned and rubbed her shoulder while Millicent pumped her fists in the air triumphantly.

"In my defense, I focus more on leg day," said Hermione. "What's your routine, Mil?"

"Oh, you know. Weights. Push-ups. Tricep dips. I lean against a chair and kinda push myself up and down like a backwards push-up."

Hermione pretended to be writing everything down. "Mmhm, mmhm, go on."

"I also do archery," she said with a friendliness she had never afforded Hermione before. "I use a seventy pound longbow."

"The bow is seventy pounds or…"

"Actually it's how much force you use to draw back," she explained, looking happy to be talking about an interest. "Most people start around thirty pounds, but I worked my way up."

"Can you shoot farther with more weight?"

"It depends. See, I can group pretty accurately at sixty yards and some archers can do that with a lighter bow. The larger bows used to be for bigger targets in hunting. You can't take a dragon down with a tiny bolt, see."

"Oh, I get it. Archery sounds interesting. I'm more fond of sword-fighting, but I can't exactly eyeball a target since my dominant eye is blind."

Millicent looked at her eye patch. "That would be a problem wouldn't it? Though, my Uncle Reginald was half-blind and he gained accuracy through practice and muscle-memory."

"Why are you even talking to the Mudblood?" Pansy demanded.

"Because all we do is make fun of people!" said Millicent. "It's getting a little old, Pan."

Pansy spluttered. "She's got you under some spell! All of you are eating out of the palm of her hand! She's got you fooled into thinking she's the next Dumbledore!"

"That's ridiculous, Dumbledore has way more respect than I've ever been given," said Hermione. "He barely had to earn it. I've been fighting all of you for it since I stepped foot in this school."

"She's got a point," said Daphne.

"Still, I know you Millicent," said Hermione. "You wouldn't associate with me unless you wanted something, so what is it?"

Millicent went pink in the cheeks. "Er… Can you put on the Addams' Family again? It reminds me of my own family."

Hermione chuckled. "Sure. I'll set up a special showing in the Common Room tonight. Double feature. Addams Family and Addams Family Values."

"I missed that one," said Gracie. "Can I invite my friends from Hufflepuff to watch?"

"I'm alright with it," said Hermione, turning to look at Pansy. "Is that alright by you, your highness?"

Pansy rolled her eyes. "I have no quarrel with most Hufflepuffs."

"Attention all students," said Professor McGonagall. "All searches have turned up clear. Dinner will resume and all of you are free to return to your activities, though please remain within the castle."