Back from my trip. We only have a few more chapters left for Book Six, but I was thinking of posting a bit beyond that before going on hiatus to finish Book Seven. I'll let you know what I decide.
One part of this chapter is from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
"Are you mad?" Draco demanded during his and Hermione's patrol.
"Yes."
He sighed like he would enjoy nothing more in that moment than to hex her.
"Let me clarify," he said. "What were you thinking showing those Aurors the Room of Requirement?"
"I was thinking that if they knew about it and looked inside then we'd have a little misdirection," she replied. "It was a risky move. If they cleared it out entirely, we'd likely be screwed, but you could always blame me for the hold up and find another way. However, they're waiting until the summer to start inventory. There's going to be a team of Aurors poking around this upcoming weekend just to determine what sort of experts they'll need. That means that when the Death Eaters come through the Vanishing Cabinet, the Aurors will start pointing fingers at each other. Who saw it? Who talked about it? Is there a leak at the Ministry? Who is the mole? They're not very good at their jobs anyway, so I don't mind sending them on their own wild goose chase."
"I don't feel comfortable leaving so much up to chance," he said. "I mean… how are we going to get something from Dumbledore now? He's on high alert and no doubt has anti-theft measures."
Hermione looked at him and quirked an eyebrow. The dots connected and his jaw dropped.
"You did steal from him… but… but why not just keep your head low? Nobody would have suspected you!"
"What can I say? I live life on the edge." She stuffed her hands in her pockets. "That and I can't keep my mouth shut to save my life."
"That's not reassuring, Nia."
"Oh, calm your head, Duckie," she said. "I have you to talk to about it. Oh, by the way, I need you to cover for me on the new moon."
"What are you up to?"
"Stuff and things."
"Is it my mission?"
"No. Different mission. Also, try not to use the diarrhea thing again. I don't need Madam Pomfrey checking me over for food poisoning. Just… say I've got lady problems."
"Fine."
Hermione and Draco continued on in silence. They didn't really have much to talk about, but that was okay. By this hour, Hermione was all peopled out and didn't really want to interact. That was one of the bad things about bonding with Hogwarts. She wanted to speak to and befriend everyone. Which meant more human interaction than Hermione had the energy for and she often ended the day drained and cranky.
"I need to sit," she said and plunked down onto a window ledge.
"Everything okay?" Draco asked with uncharacteristic concern.
"Overstimulated." She waved her hand dismissively. "Just give me quiet."
He kept walking. Hermione pressed her forehead to the cold stone and sighed heavily. She was so tired.
So tired…
Whap!
Hermione jumped and smacked Char's wooden sword away with her own even though if it were an actual battle she would have collapsed.
"You're a million miles away, babe," said Char. "What's on your mind?"
Hermione rubbed her thigh where the flat end struck her.
"Sorry," she said. "I've just got a lot on my mind."
"Anything you want to talk about?"
"Yes, but I can't talk about it," she said.
Char furrowed her brow. "Why not?"
"Just can't."
Her girlfriend stared at her. "You know… keeping all these secrets to yourself isn't good for you."
"I'm not keeping them all to myself. I just compartmentalize them to the need-to-know group."
"Don't I count as the need to know group?"
"Not in this case."
Hurt flashed in her eyes and Hermione felt bad.
"I'm sorry, that came out harsher than I meant it to."
Char spun her sword in her hand and sat down on the bench; Hermione didn't think it was a good idea to follow and stayed where she was standing.
"We've been dating for a while," she said.
"Yes."
"What are we going to do at the end of the school year?" Char picked at her nails and bit her lip. "I mean… We could still have the summer. But I'm graduating and you're going back to school."
"I can't do long distance," said Hermione, shaking her head. "Not again. I'm sorry Char. I like you. I really like you. Maybe, when I'm not sharing my head with a being who does nothing but love, I could love you with my whole heart. It's a strange thing to say, I know, but I have to say it."
"You wouldn't love me like you do Cedric though."
Right to the point.
Hermione sighed and shook her head. "No. But you and I were barely friends and we have a mutual attraction. I've known Cedric since we were little and we loved each other for years before we also held romantic love. I'll never love anyone like I love him, but that doesn't mean I'll never love again or that it will be lesser than."
"I guess that's true. I mean, I think a part of me never stopped liking him either." Char leaned against the wall and sighed. "This is complicated."
"Relationships are always complicated," said Hermione. "I think… I think we might be better off calling it quits on the last day of school because… I do want to be with you. We expect it, it'll still hurt, but we don't run into the fear of 'where do we go from here' and then when I'm done with school we can revisit it. Assuming we still want to. For all I know you could find someone you like way more than me."
"Same could be said for you."
"Yeah, but you have an easier time getting genuine dates than I do. I can like a person all I want, but very few can handle my type of crazy."
Char smiled. "You're not crazy just… passionate."
Hermione put her wooden sword away and let her hair down.
"We better get ready for class," she said. "I'll see you at lunch?"
"Yeah. See you at lunch."
Hermione kissed her lightly and went down to the Prefect Bath. She'd already washed her hair that week and wrapped it in a bubble charm so she could dive deep into the pool and swim along the bottom.
As she did, she ran over her list for that evening. Today was the apparition exam for anyone who had turned seventeen. This evening, Harry would be using Felix Felicis to try and get the memory from Slughorn. On his way back, she would intercept him and bring him down to the anchor stones where her coven would be waiting. So much could go wrong. They might not have enough epsom salt, Fleur, Tonks, and Ceci might get caught on their way in, the Felix Felicis might steer Harry away from her, the ritual could go wrong. She could die. Harry could die. If she were found out, she'd be expelled and then where would Draco be? Of course, she could try and wait until the summer holiday, but what if it was too late? The horcrux was gaining strength inside Harry with each passing day and she couldn't risk Voldemort resurrecting through him again. He could theoretically perform that ritual over and over (or at least as many bones as his father had in his grave) or the soul would gain traction and take a consciousness within Harry.
"Fuck," she said aloud.
"Ooh, such language!"
Hermione looked over at Myrtle. "I know I got nothing you haven't seen, but it really is a privacy violation, you know."
"Cedric didn't seem to mind," said the ghost girl, giggling to herself. "He even kissed me once."
"Not in the bath, though." Hermione crossed her arms and sighed heavily. "He kissed me loads of times. Not in the bath, either. Well, we did kiss underwater once. He got water up his nose."
"Ooh, I sure gave Umbridge a lot to cry about," said Myrtle, growing angry. "Chasing away a gem like him. She had to start using the toilet at the Three Broomsticks in the end."
"I don't want to talk about him," said Hermione. "Did you need something? I have thoughts to think."
"No, not at all. I was just seeing who said a naughty word."
Hermione hummed and dove back under.
It was too late to turn back now though. Everyone was expecting it tonight and she couldn't wait for the next new moon, it might be much more difficult.
No, her best option was to try while Harry was lucky. It's too bad she used up her own Felix Felicis, but saving her family was more important.
She dressed in her brightest, most colorful outfit, hoping it would at least help her pretend she was in a good mood. Everyone would be going for their apparition exam after lunch and that was all anyone could talk about during classes. After lunch, she sat with Harry and Ron in the courtyard. All the sixth years were out there waiting to go to Hogsmeade. Hermione, Harry, Draco, and Ernie would be the only ones not in attendance.
"I'm going to fail," Ron sighed. "I know I am. I've had the hardest time learning to apparate."
"Gee, I wonder why," said Hermione. "You spent the first several lessons recovering from a poisoning and you're in the middle of a growth spurt. Most people who can apparate without getting sick can't actually get it done consistently until they're done growing."
"C'mon, Ron," said Harry. "If you grow any taller I'll need a bullhorn just to have a conversation with you."
Ron rolled his eyes but smiled.
"I wish it was over and done with for me," said Daphne. "Or that I could skip it entirely. I haven't done it once without spewing."
A girl walked in with the rest of the CKMC class and approached their group. The kids all looked a little shell shocked and jumpy.
"I'm meant to give you this," she said shakily, giving Harry a note.
"Thank you." He opened it up to a tear stained piece of parchment.
Hermione read over his shoulder:
Dear Harry, Ron, and Hermione,
Aragog died last night. Harry and Ron, you met him, and you know how special he was. Hermione, I know you'd have liked him. It would mean a lot to me if you'd nip down for the burial later this evening. I'm planning on doing it round dusk, that was his favorite time of day. I know you're not supposed to be out that late, but you can use the cloak. Wouldn't ask, but I can't face it alone.
Hagrid
"Oh, poor Hagrid," said Hermione, thinking an acromantula corpse might explain the reaction of those third years. "Losing Aragog."
"He's mental!" said Ron furiously. "That thing told its mates to eat Harry and me! Told them to help themselves! And now Hagrid expects us to go down there and cry over its horrible hairy body!"
"Ron, you ignorant slut," said Daphne crossly. "It's not about the tears for Aragog, whoever that is, it's about being there to support Hagrid."
"Yeah, but he has a fear of spiders," said Hermione. "Cedric told me about Acromantulas. He didn't mind spiders, he found them in the barn all the time, but when they're the size of a car, they're scary to anyone."
"Oh… Yeah, I guess that's understandable." Daphne worked her jaw. "It's unlikely you'd be able to go even with an invisibility cloak. If in fact you actually have one and Fred and George didn't make it up."
"I've got prior commitments anyhow," said Hermione. "I wouldn't make you go down there Ron, even though Hagrid's our friend. He should respect your arachnophobia."
"Did you call me an ignorant slut?" asked Ron.
"I was going to try to corner Slughorn today," said Harry. He didn't mind talking secret mission stuff in front of Daphne as she never asked clarifying questions or even seemed to care. "Maybe I could try during class?"
"Mm, better not," said Hermione. "You really want to handle something so delicate in front of Duckie and Ernie? It'll probably be easier after dinner. You'll know where he'll be at least."
"I wish I hadn't eaten so much at lunch," said Daphne. "If I spew after apparating in front of everyone, I'll have to fake my death. Though, I'm mostly worried I'll overshoot my mark."
"You'll do just fine," said Hermione. "I'm told they have a three foot allowance."
"Well, if someone apparated and came back with three feet I'd pass them too," said Harry.
Daphne chortled and covered her face with her hands. The bell tolled and almost everyone jumped to their feet looking terrified.
"Good luck," said Harry to Ron and Daphne.
"Thanks."
Daphne jogged over to tag onto Padma who had been sitting with Parvati and Lavender. Ron pointedly avoided eye contact with his ex-girlfriend.
Hermione hummed to herself as she, Harry, Draco, and Ernie headed into Potions.
"Don't matter what you do, I just wanna be with you, Wanna be with you, yeah…"
"Isn't that Esperanza's new song?" said Harry. "Some girls in the Common Room were singing it."
"What can I say, it's catchy."
"You seem to be in a good mood, Granger," said Ernie as they entered the classroom.
"Nah, just faking it. I'm held together by rubber bands and glitter glue."
"Same," said Draco.
"All too young to Apparate just yet?" said Slughorn genially. "Not turned seventeen yet? Except for you Miss Sanchez y Granger, I know you've got your license."
"Yerp."
"Ah well," he said cheerily, "as we're so few, we'll do something fun. I want you all to brew me up something amusing!"
"Something that induces amusement or something that creates an effect we personally find amusing?" Hermione asked.
"Oh… surprise me."
"If you say so." Hermione brought out her cauldron and Ernie sidled up next to her.
"So, Granger, whatsay we get together? I mean… you and Chang aren't serious, right? Just waiting for the right bloke to come around?"
Several cutting remarks rose in the back of her throat. Instead, she picked up her cauldron and went over to Draco's table, setting up next to him. She raised her hand.
"Yes?"
"May I listen to music while I work?" she asked.
"Certainly. I daresay a little upbeat music will get us all into the spirit."
Hermione brought out her boombox and looked at Draco.
"Any requests?"
"What for? You're only going to play Selena."
"She was a gem, but I think today is a Gloria Trevi day." Hermione stuck her tape in and pressed play before going about mixing up her concoction. She danced in place as she poured in and mixed the ingredients. Draco glanced at her and furrowed his brow as she poured in a tube of glitter and then brought out a bottle of dish soap.
"Mind your cauldron," she said.
He huffed and continued stirring his hiccoughing solution. He was getting more nervous by the day. His skin was starting to look grey and Astoria mentioned that he was growing distant and she was worried about him. Hermione and Shaylyn were helping to keep him out of detention by making sure he was at least turning in his homework. The vanishing cabinet was almost fixed and Draco assured her that they wouldn't be coming through until the day finals ended. Though he was concerned as to why that had to be the exact day their plan unfolded, she couldn't tell him what she had overheard in Dumbledore's office. If he knew Snape and Dumbledore were planning something, he might act rashly and try doing something stupid to take Dumbledore out before then. Hermione was trying not to think about it herself out of fear of doing the same.
When time was up, she had a galaxy colored, chalky cluster at the bottom of her cauldron. Professor Slughorn went over to Harry and Ernie first. Ernie had a "stroke of genius" and tried coming up with his own potion like he assumed Hermione had, but ended up with something similar to her mess at the bottom of his cauldron that didn't actually do anything. Professor Slughorn barely spared him a glance, choosing instead to gush over Harry's "Elixir to Induce Euphoria."
"Well, now, this looks absolutely wonderful," he said, clapping his hands together as he stared into the sunny contents of Harry's cauldron. "Euphoria, I take it? And what's that I smell? Mmm… you've added just a sprig of peppermint, haven't you? Unorthodox, but what a stroke of inspiration, Harry, of course, that would tend to counterbalance the occasional side effects of excessive singing and nose-tweaking… I really don't know where you get these brain waves, my boy… unless it's just your mother's genes coming out in you!"
"Oh… yeah, maybe," said Harry, not mentioning Hermione had the exact note in her Potion's book. His potions hadn't been the best since he'd gotten rid of the Prince's textbook, but Slughorn doted on him enough to not make a big deal.
Hermione had asked him what he'd done with it, but he just shook his head and asked to copy her corrections in a new book Sirius bought him. He was still doing well in class and she didn't push the issue.
Professor Slughorn made his way over to her and Draco.
"What have we here?" he asked.
"Hiccoughing solution, sir," said Draco.
"Hm… not very amusing though is it?" said Professor Slughorn. "Though, I suppose it's passable. And Miss Sanchez y Granger. Oh, dear! Did you try inventing one yourself like Mr. Macmillan?"
"Oh no, sir," said Hermione, picking up a vial of solution. "I call this Elephant Toothpaste."
Harry backed up towards the door, which she closed with a flick of her wrist. She grinned toothily and poured the solution into her cauldron. It fizzed and exploded, a pillar of goo shooting up in the middle of the classroom before tentacling out and landing on the ground with a splat. Hermione shrieked with laughter and threw her hands in the air as the majority of them were coated in glitter.
Draco, who amazingly went unscathed, pointed at Harry and Ernie and laughed derisively.
"Elephant toothpaste you say," said Professor Slughorn, looking flabbergasted. "Oh, how will I clean this mess up?"
Hermione brought out the special sponge and dropped it in the center of the mass. It pulled all the foam back in, leaving only the glitter behind. Hermione tossed her locs over her shoulder, releasing a cloud of glitter that floated in the beams of sunlight that streamed in through the high windows.
"You could have just said no!" said Ernie. "I just wanted a date!"
"You should have known better than to ask."
"Now, Mr. Macmillan," said Professor Slughorn. "When a lady is already in a relationship, it is quite rude to continue vying for her affections."
"But she's dating a girl, sir!"
"How astute." He looked more cold than he ever had towards anyone. "Suppose I should write my sister and tell her that she and her partner of sixty years is null and void simply because a young boy thinks it's invalid?"
Ernie turned as pink as the glitter now dusting him and looked down at his shoes.
"I think we've all had enough excitement for one day," said Professor Slughorn. "Is the glitter permanent, my dear?"
"No, sir. It's made of seaweed, it will decompose in a few days." She disposed of the sponge and cleaned up her work station. "We'll just all look very pretty."
"Very well, though I would appreciate no repeats next year."
"No promises. I'm not banned from the club, am I?"
"Not at all!"
"I've figured it out," said Draco as they left the classroom. "I know who you've been acting like! Why everybody loves you all of a sudden, how you got so popular!"
"Yeah?" said Hermione. "Who am I acting like?"
"Cedric Diggory."
She pursed her lips. "So what if I am? I've been telling people all along our personalities were intertwined."
"Nia," said Harry. "I know you miss him, but that's no reason to do a complete personality change. Plenty of people liked you as yourself."
"No they didn't," she spat. "Don't you got your own self to worry about?" She huffed so hard she snorted. "I'm gonna go meditate."
Of all the things she had done that term, covering a few people in glitter wasn't the most noteworthy. Though, Hermione wasn't really listening to the grape vine. Instead, she was focusing on what she was going to do. That evening, she sat on her bed and focused on where Harry was.
He had taken the lucky potion, just a small bit good for a few hours, and went on his way. When he came across Professor Slughorn, Hermione trained on Tonks, Fleur, Ceci, and Sirius who were hiding out in the Room of Things. Time to get to work. She stood up and grabbed her cloak.
"Where are you going?" asked Daphne.
"I have a mission. Don't worry about it."
"Nia… I want to help."
Hermione looked at her friend. More was better.
"Okay," she said. "But if this goes wrong… you were never there. You had no idea what I was up to."
"Alright."
Hermione covered Daphne in her cloak and they went out with Draco. He said nothing and waved them along. Up on the seventh floor, Hermione collected her coven. They had been sitting in a makeshift Common Room talking quietly amongst themselves.
"Hey," she said. "We have to move quickly while the patrols are distracted by Peeves."
They hurried down her secret passages all the way to the portrait hall. Ron, Ginny, and Professor Lupin were already there, waiting.
Hermione waved at Morgan le Fay and they entered, moving down to the anchor stones.
"Oh, we haven't been down here in years," said Sirius. "Not since we completed the Marauders Map."
"What brings you here, Sirius?" Hermione asked.
"This is my godson we're talking about," he said. "Whatever we're going to do, I want to be there to help."
"I understand. This way, please. It may seem tight, but it's just for a moment."
She led them into the cavern where the pool sat. It was big enough for them to stand up and move around in.
"What's all this about?" asked Daphne.
"Remember Ravenclaw's diadem?"
She nodded.
"Well, something like what was in that is inside Harry," she said. "Dumbledore is convinced that Harry must die in order for it to be removed, but I found another way. Or rather, my aunt found it and passed the knowledge onto me."
"So… what do we do?" asked Tonks.
"First, we need to create a sensory deprivation tank," said Hermione. "This pool should be about 200 gallons. I already tested it and it's pure. Guys, did you remember the salt?"
"Yeah, epsom right?"
"Yes. Ocean water also works, but only in its natural environment. Epsom won't harm Harry and will give the same effect."
"Are you certain this will work?" asked Professor Lupin.
"It will be successful," said Hermione, removing her horcrux hunting kit from its hiding place. "One way or another. If… if something does go wrong, Harry will likely live. He's a vessel, his safety comes first. I will warn you though. Doing this will remove all protective enchantments on him. He will be as mortal as any of us, but he's tough and good at defense, so I'm not too worried about him. At least it will sever his connection to our good friend Morty."
"Does he know what's going on?" asked Professor Lupin.
"That he has that thing in him? Yes. Does he know we're removing it tonight? No."
"I didn't tell him," said Ron. "Nia thought the thing might make him avoid us."
"So we're capturing him and dragging him down here," said Hermione.
"He was supposed to meet Slughorn, but he went down to Hagrid's instead for Aragog's funeral."
"He's with Professor Slughorn too," said Hermione. "Found him outside the greenhouses. I'm not sure how long we have, but we should still take our time setting up. We want it done right."
Tonks and Sirius worked together taking bag after bag out of a backpack with an extension charm on it. Hermione and the rest worked together cutting them open and pouring them into the pool. She stopped every so often to test the salinity. They used almost all of it. Hermione churned the water with a spell to make sure it would mix itself until they were ready to put Harry in. She would warm the water up when he got there, as the experience was meant to be calming up to a certain point.
"Now the circle," she said, bringing out her chalk. "I ordered in some liquid chalk so if any water splashes onto it it won't wipe away. Remember: go slowly, get it right. No mistakes."
She made copies of the circle and passed them out along with the chalk. Sirius, Professor Lupin, Tonks, and Cecilia each started working on a quadrant. Hermione ran through her check list and set up everything Tía Manola told her to.
"Okay," said Ron. "Now what?"
"Now… we wait." Hermione sat cross-legged on the ground and took a deep breath, relaxing her hands on her knees.
"So…" said Ginny. "How's dueling life, Fleur?"
"It is fine," she said. "So far I am just part of the local circuit. One-on-one duels until the team gets used to my allure. The longer you are around it, the more immune you become."
"Oh… is that why you hung around our house so much?" said Ginny.
"My house," said Sirius.
"Yes. There are two girls on the team that I get on well with."
"Ooh, should I be worried about my Maid of Honor status?" Hermione teased.
"No. I do not see us becoming close enough to be part of my wedding party," said Fleur. "Perhaps as guests, but I can still sense a bit of… resentment? That the boys on our team try harder and perform better when they know I am watching. I try not to hold it against them anymore."
"Society has a way of pitting women against each other, don't they?" said Hermione.
"Enough about me," said Fleur. "Ginny, tell me all about your… girlfriend?"
"Actually Luna asked me to refer to xem as my 'joyfriend.'"
"Oh, that's cute," said Cecilia. "You know, I never entirely felt like a girl either, but Spanish is a gendered language."
"Todes," said Hermione. "Elle. Use an 'e'. That's what a few people at Castelobruxo started using, but not everyone sees the point in neutralizing a romance language and I get that and they just default to él and 'todos'. It really just depends on the person. Not sure about Portuguese. When Trolls speak Spanish they use neutral form of todes because they have five genders."
"How do you differentiate the genders?" asked Sirius.
"I dunno. I just accept it for what it is. Everyone introduces themselves with their pronouns there anyway, and if you're uncertain you use 'they.'" Hermione lifted her head to the ceiling. "They're burying Aragog now. Close to Bailey Todd, but not too close in case the Acromantulas come to fetch their leader."
"What are they saying?" Ron whispered.
She tipped her head side-to-side. "I'm not sure… I need… I need darkness."
Fleur flicked her wand and all the lights went out, leaving them in pitch black. Hermione embraced it and inhaled deeply. A gust of wind in the cavern breathed with her. She could see it now. Sort of. The grounds were always a bit more difficult. Hagrid had been there for so long now though. It was fuzzy. Sharpen. The hut was blurred, shifting between sight and sense. Harry, Horace, and Rubeus were pillars of energy. The horcrux within Harry was growing. Rather than concentrate in his, scar it had begun to creep and twist down towards his heart. It wasn't there yet, but they couldn't wait until it did.
Harry sat across from Horace and Rubeus who were having a lovely discussion about creatures. There wasn't very much happening and the golden Felix Felicis was slowly draining away. She still couldn't see the scene but that wasn't as important as listening.
"Aaargh, the good die young," muttered Rubeus, while Horace continued to warble the refrain of a drinking song. "Me dad was no age ter go . . . nor were yer mum an' dad, Harry. . . Bes' wiz and witchard o' their age I ever knew . . . Terrible thing . . . terrible thing . . ."
"And Odo the hero, they bore him back home
To the place that he'd known as a lad,"sang Horace plaintively.
"They laid him to rest with his hat inside out
And his wand snapped in two, which was sad."
". . . terrible," Rubeus grunted, and his great shaggy head rolled sideways onto his arms and he fell asleep, snoring deeply.
"Sorry," said Horace with a hiccup. "Can't carry a tune to save my life."
"Hagrid wasn't talking about your singing," said Harry quietly. "He was talking about my mum and dad dying."
"Oh," said Horace, repressing a large belch. "Oh dear. Yes, that was—was terrible indeed. Terrible . . . terrible . . ."
He paused for a long moment.
"I don't—don't suppose you remember it, Harry?" he asked awkwardly.
"No—well, I was only one when they died," said Harry. "But I've found out pretty much what happened since. My dad died first. Did you know that?"
"I—I didn't," said Horace in a hushed voice.
"Yeah . . . Voldemort murdered him and then stepped over his body toward my mum," said Harry.
Horace shuddered audibly.
"He told her to get out of the way," said Harry plainly. "He told me she needn't have died. He only wanted me. She could have run."
"Oh dear," breathed Horace. "She could have . . . she needn't . . . That's awful. . . ."
"It is, isn't it?" said Harry, in a voice barely more than a whisper. "But she didn't move. Dad was already dead, but she didn't want me to go, too. She tried to plead with Voldemort . . . but he just laughed. . . ."
"That's enough!" said Horace suddenly. "Really, my dear boy, enough . . . I'm an old man . . . I don't need to hear . . . I don't want to hear . . ."
"I forgot," lied Harry. "You liked her, didn't you?"
"Liked her?" said Horace, wavering with tears. "I don't imagine anyone who met her wouldn't have liked her. . . . Very brave . . . Very funny . . . It was the most horrible thing. . . ."
"But you won't help her son," said Harry. "She gave me her life, my dad too, but you won't give me a memory."
Rubeus' rumbling snores filled the cabin.
"Don't say that," Horace whispered. "It isn't a question . . . If it were to help you, of course . . . but no purpose can be served . . ."
"It can," said Harry clearly. "If you give me this information, it can very well save a lot of lives. Nia has been destroying Horcruxes. She knows what they are but the question is how many. She got three of them destroyed, but fears there are more. She might be making it easier, but I am the Chosen One. I hold the key to killing him. I need that memory."
"You are the Chosen One?"
"Of course I am," said Harry calmly.
"But then . . . my dear boy . . . you're asking a great deal . . . you're asking me, in fact, to aid you in your attempt to destroy—"
"You don't want to get rid of the wizard who killed Lily Evans?"
"Harry, Harry, of course I do, but—"
"You're scared he'll find out you helped me?"
Horace said nothing.
"Be brave like my mother, Professor. . . ."
"I am not proud . . ." he whispered. "I am ashamed of what—of what that memory shows. . . . I think I may have done great damage that day. . . ."
"You'd cancel out anything you did by giving me the memory," said Harry. "It would be a very brave and noble thing to do."
The image finally sharpened.
Rubeus twitched in his sleep and snored on. Horace and Harry stared at each other over the guttering candle. There was a long, long silence, but Harry did not break it.
Then, very slowly, Horace put his hand in his pocket and pulled out his wand. He put his other hand inside his cloak and took out a small, empty bottle. Still looking into Harry's eyes, Slughorn touched the tip of his wand to his temple and withdrew it, so that a long, silver thread of memory came away too, clinging to the wand tip. Longer and longer the memory stretched until it broke and swung, silvery bright, from the wand. Horace lowered it into the bottle where it coiled, then spread, swirling like gas. He corked the bottle with a trembling hand and then passed it across the table to Harry.
The words were muffled, but Hermione didn't need to hear them.
And Horace too put his head on his arms, gave a deep sigh, and fell asleep.
Hermione waved her hand and baubles of light drifted to the ceiling.
"Show time," she said. "Fleur, come with me, I need someone who can keep Harry calm."
"Ok."
"The rest of you, wait here. We won't be long."
Hermione and Fleur crawled through the tunnel then ran as fast as they could back to the Portrait Hall. Peeves had spread pitch on the main staircase, which meant Harry would have to go this way. Hermione and Fleur stood in the shadows, the only way they would be seen is if someone stepped right into the hall and pointed their wand light at them. Harry had entered the castle. He noticed the pitch. He was heading their way. Hermione moved her eyepatch over to her other eye and watched his signature head down the corridor. Ten feet. Five feet.
"Now." She jumped out and wrapped her arms around him, pressing her hand over his mouth and dragging him back into the portrait hall. Fleur came in and rubbed her hand over where she (accurately) guessed his head would be.
"Shh…"
Harry stopped kicking and went limp. Hermione pulled the hood back and his head and front became visible while the cloak still attempted to blend with the surroundings. Fleur picked up Harry's feet and helped get him down to the anchor stones. Once there, Hermione patted his cheek.
"Come on," she said. "Up, up."
"What the hell, Hermione?!" Harry snapped.
"Sorry," she said. "I worried if you knew, you might find an excuse." She tapped his scar and his eyes widened.
"Oh… already? Are… are you sure? I mean… do you really have it all prepared?" he asked.
"I'm sure," she said.
"I got the memory. Why don't we watch it first?"
"Harry, you're stalling." She brought out a pair of swim trunks. "You can either change into these or I'll throw you in fully clothed. I'd petrify you but I don't know how that'd affect the spell.
"Come on, mate," said Ron, poking his head out of the tunnel. "You want that thing out of your head, don't you?"
Harry sighed. "Yeah. Sorry, I don't know what's going on."
"I do." Hermione turned her back. "Go on and change. I'm only standing like this so you don't try to run."
Fleur stood nearby and crossed her arms.
Harry quickly changed and piled his clothes into a ball.
"Okay," he said. "Now what?"
"Go into the tunnel. Don't worry your friends and family are in there," said Hermione.
He nodded and crawled in. It occurred to Hermione that he didn't know what to expect. She never showed him the video. He wasn't there for the locket or the diadem or even when Ginny destroyed the diary. Though he was a living person and this horcrux was incomplete. How would it affect him?
She entered the room to find him hugging Sirius.
"It's going to be alright, pup," he said. "I'll be right here the whole time."
Hermione waved her wand over the water, swirling the mixture and then warming it up to a comfortable temperature.
"Erm… here's the memory," said Harry, handing her the vial.
"You gonna give it to Dumbledore?"
"Not sure yet. Let's see how this goes." He stepped into the pool and shuddered as the warmth shot up his legs and mixing with the cold air of the cavern. He settled down and immediately floated, suspended in the middle of the water. "How is this happening?"
"The epsom salt makes you buoyant," said Hermione, resting her scythe at her side. "Like the Dead Sea. Everyone, get in a circle. Professor Lupin on my left, Sirius on my right, stay out of range of my weapon. You two are Harry's guardians and will provide the anchor to the circle. Ron, Ginny, sit at his feet. You will keep him grounded. Everyone sit equidistant apart. I will be casting silencing charms on all of you, don't worry if you speak the spell it will still work as long as you put the effort behind it." They nodded and she cast the spell on each of them. "Now, I will change the lights." She wiggled her fingers and the baubles of light turned turquoise, violet, and electric blue. "Breathe, Harry. In… two… three… out… two… three… four. Again. In… two… three… out… two… three… four." She waved her hands to create a tide in the pool. "Feel the waves push and pull. Breathe in… and out with the waves."
The faces around them seemed to almost disappear until only Harry was illuminated.
"Feel the self wash away," she continued. "First your fingers, then your toes. The body is temporary. Breathe in… breathe out. You are your own person, Harry. Breathe in… out… You have your own strengths and thoughts and a wonderful soul. In… out… You are now just a torso and a head. Though you can no longer sense them, your family and friends are here with you. In… out… I am your sister, Harry. As long as I'm alive, I will protect you. In… out." She lowered her hands to the sides of his head without touching him. "Do you feel the soul that does not belong?"
"Yes," Harry whispered, staring up unseeing at the lights.
"I will now speak the ancient words." Hermione whispered the old Atlantean and saw the light of cast spells around her.
Harry shuddered, then convulsed his back arching. He screamed and his eyes glowed a horrific red. Sirius grabbed Hermione's shoulder.
"You think you can defeat me?" he hissed in a voice not belonging to him. "I've been growing inside this boy for years! Whispering to him. Helping him become great! You would sooner see him become truly mediocre."
Hermione ignored this and cancelled the spells on the others so their voices joined hers.
"Your friends and family are here, Harry," she said. "The body is temporary, but the bond you have with them is forever."
"Sentiment!" Harry thrashed, splashing water everywhere.
She chanted the spell that would separate the horcrux from Harry. Her brother screamed and kicked.
"Help me!" he cried. "She's tricked all of you! She's going to kill me." He turned to Sirius. "Please! Sirius! Don't let her hurt me!"
"Keep chanting!" said Hermione. "It will do whatever it takes to survive. The real Harry would suffer in silence."
Harry, or rather the Horcrux, smirked. "Worth a shot. They all seem pretty helpless without your guidance, you're so powerful, it was only a matter of time before I could convince you to resurrect me."
Harry, the real Harry, screamed horrifically as a cloud burst from his scar. It threw everyone into the walls, blotted out the lights, then wrapped around Hermione's head with sharp fingers and pulled her into the water. She didn't even get a chance to take a breath. She struggled and braced her hands on the bottom trying to push herself up, which only served it to push her deeper in.
Plan B.
She felt the blade of her khopesh and grabbed it. She swung it, the sharp blade cutting the horcrux. It shrieked and let her go. Hermione surfaced and gasped for breath, adjusting her grip. She could see the demonic face of what was left of Tom Riddle before he split his soul for the last time. He grinned and tackled her, pinning her to the ground. He seemed to be concentrating all of his energy to his hands. Harry had spent years being loved and feeling happy, which gave this thing strength. She would never take that back to make this job easier.
"Do you seriously think a little girl like yourself could defeat someone as powerful as me?" he hissed, his breath stinking of death. "You can put on this fancy armor and train all you like, but you will never stop the greatest and most powerful wizard of all time!"
"You got beat by a toddler!" Hermione spat. "I think I can take you."
She aimed her khopesh and poked the bubble that billowed out of Harry's scar, the odd weight shift clonking him on the head with the flat of the blade but not causing serious harm. The horcrux shrieked and retreated.
"BACK AWAY!" she yelled and swung the sword. It whooshed through the air, severing the horcrux from Harry's scar.
The soul shrieked and dissipated into nothing, the horrible signature gone, leaving only the gold energy of Harry's own magic. As one, the baubles lit the room back up. Hermione willed them to a warm light so everyone could see each other clearly. Harry was still in the middle of the pool, and for a heart stopping moment, Hermione thought she had sent him into a coma, until he opened his eyes.
"That was intense," he said.
Hermione laughed and fell back onto her butt. She sheathed the khopesh and stashed it away.
"Everyone alright?" she asked.
"I'm fine," said Daphne. "You're going to have a heck of a time explaining how you look, though."
Hermione touched her face and looked at her hand to find ribbons of blood. She couldn't quite feel them yet, but she was sure she had puncture wounds all over her face and head. For now, they only buzzed.
"Harry!" Sirius splashed into the pool and hugged him tightly. "How do you feel? Are you alright? You weren't really hurt, were you?"
"No, no. I'm alright," said Harry. "I feel… I feel good. Like… like a burden I didn't know I had has been lifted. I don't think I even have our good friend Morty in my head anymore."
"Either way, he probably knows what I'm up to by now," Hermione panted and pushed herself up. "Harry… take the vial to Dumbledore. Okay? I don't have the energy to peek in. Just… tell me what's on it."
"Alright." He climbed out of the pool and shivered. "Nia."
"Hm?"
Harry hugged her tightly. "Thank you for saving my life."
"Yeah, yeah, don't go getting sappy on me now," she said and pushed a towel at him. "Go on and get changed. Holler at us when you're done."
As he did, Hermione stashed her horcrux hunting kit away in her purse, leaving only Dumbledore's pendant beneath the rock. She could worry about that another day.
"There's a shift change soon," said Tonks. "We'll have a hell of a time getting out."
"I'm dressed!" Harry called.
The rest of them crawled out into the main cavern. Ron clapped Harry on the back.
"Good job, mate!" he said. "On getting that memory and for finally getting rid of the horcrux."
"I think we more have Nia to thank for that."
"Well, she is a Sanchez," said Cecilia proudly, supporting her cousin. "We always have been badass broads, but we knew Nia could be the greatest of us all when she was born. She shook the earth."
Hermione shook her head, knowing that if that were true it would have been in her mother's letter.
"I have to leave," said Sirius, hugging Harry tightly. "But if you need anything, just call okay?"
"Yes, Sirius. I will."
They quickly made their way out of the caverns once Harry had changed back into his clothes. In the portrait hall, Hermione grabbed Sirius and Ron, hauling them back. Unfortunately, Harry and Daphne were already out in the corridor where they were spotted by a still drunk Professor Slughorn.
"Harry? Is that you?" he called.
Harry grabbed, dipped, and kissed Daphne.
"Harry!"
"Er… sorry, Professor!" said Harry breathlessly. "Um… you know how it is. Gryffindor… Slytherin… mortal enemies. What would everyone say?"
"Yes…" he slurred. "It's very late you two. I hate to break up a lovely couple, but I suggest you get off to bed before you're given detention."
"Yes, sir," said Harry. "On it."
"Why did you kiss me?" Daphne asked when Professor Slughorn had gone. "I think Professor Lupin might have vouched for us."
"I dunno," he said. "It seemed like a good idea at the time."
Daphne frowned. "I think I'm going to bed now."
As she hurried down the corridor to get to the dungeons, Sirius slapped his palm over his eyes.
"Oh, Harry," Remus sighed.
"You are James' son," Sirius muttered.
"The prefects are distracted by Peeves again," said Hermione. "Let's move. Harry, Dumbledore is sitting up in his office, if he asks why you didn't go to bed say Rose locked you out. I mean—the Fat Lady."
"Got it," he said. "Is Daphne mad about me kissing her?"
"I think she's more mad that she has a crush on you and you only kissed her so Professor Slughorn wouldn't question you being out and about," said Hermione. "Blowing it off like that? Wrong move."
"Even I knew that," said Ron.
His face fell. "Oh, no…"
"Come on," said Professor Lupin. "I still am a teacher, and if we are caught I will have to act like it."
Hermione led the way, telling them when to stop and go so they wouldn't get caught. They finally sent Ron and Ginny to Gryffindor and Harry to Dumbledore's office before the rest went into the Room of Things. Hermione summoned an entry area of sorts that would have the tunnel lead to the Hog's Head. She sensed the foundations moving and changing to create the passage.
"Nia…" said Cecilia. "It was so dark before but… you're bleeding really bad."
Hermione turned to face the others and saw the horror on their faces.
"It's fine," she said. "I'm sure it looks worse than it feels."
"Have you looked in the mirror?" asked Fleur, summoning an emergency kit out of her bag.
"Of course not, I might freak out. Look, you need to go before you're discovered. I've dealt with worse than this."
"Alright." Cecilia squeezed her hand. "Be safe. Call if you need help with the next one."
"Okay. I'll probably see you on the last day of school."
"Yeah, see you."
Hermione and Professor Lupin left the Room of Things and the door disappeared.
"Come on, Nia," said Professor Lupin. "I'll take you to Madam Pomfrey."
"Okay."
On their way back down, they ran into Draco, who screamed upon looking at her.
"Wow, Duckie," said Hermione. "That was pretty close to a Monstrous Nightmare shriek. You could probably get adopted by one."
"What the hell happened to you?" he whispered and looked nervously at Professor Lupin. "Er… I thought you, um, had a stomach ache."
"She got attacked on our mission," said Professor Lupin. "When we reach the hospital wing, tell Madam Pomfrey that you got me for help when you found Nia like this."
"What should I tell her?"
They thought about it along the way. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Hermione twitched her hand and a suit of armor collapsed. She slid the mace so it was closer to the staircase.
"I tripped here," she said, dabbing blood onto the points. "Landed face first. Now can we please take the lift the rest of the way down?"
As it would turn out, they wouldn't need to use the lie to Madam Pomfrey. When she was roused from her sleep, she just sighed and had Hermione sit down so she could tend to her injuries.
"Too many injuries for one nurse," she muttered to herself. "The elves have the right idea unionizing." After patching up the injuries, she helped wash the blood out of Hermione's hair, clucking her tongue when she found a few more injuries missed.
"Do you need to keep me overnight?" Hermione asked.
"Mm… well, do you feel like you might faint?"
"No, but I am really tired. It's… it's been a long day."
"Well, I think you'll get better rest in your own dorm. Remus, can you lead her there?"
"Of course, Poppy."