Yes, two updates in several days. This chapter is mostly filler but there are some important revelations here.
The wise man can change his mind; the stubborn one, never - Immanuel Kant.
Do Not Go Gentle Chapter 21
Hermione hoped that she could push the thoughts of Regulus Black and Remus Lupin out of her head. It was N.E.W.T year, she had an overflow of work to do, and the newspapers were filled with mentions enough of death and disappearances to make her time pass quickly. On top of that she still had to find the time to research Tom Riddle more and figure out more about his horcruxes. A lingering feeling inside her, however, told her that something had shifted in the air.
Regulus Black, she had noticed, no longer spent time with Evan Rosier and Barty Crouch. Though she never ran into him in the library, when she saw him in the hall or spotted him at the Slytherin table, he was always by himself. She wondered what came first, the fallout or the Quidditch injury. Whatever the case, he still appeared to be avoiding her as well.
It was not in Hermione's nature to not feel uncomfortable at the thought that she was in any way responsible for this. She did not want to cause trouble for him, though if it kept him from getting in too deep with future Death Eaters, then perhaps it was as well. Pushing aside her qualms about meddling in time, she hoped that her influence at least caused him to rethink his future.
Pandora had done her best to discourage the rumors flying around about her and Regulus and her other friends helped as well. Eventually, seeing as Hermione was no longer talking to Regulus, the easily swayed student body had moved on to another topic of interest, much to Hermione's relief.
"I told you they would get over it in time," Pandora said as they sat in the Great Hall having breakfast one day. "They are very fickle."
Hermione spared a slight glance at the Slytherin table. Regulus Black was sitting at the end of the long table, a book open in front of him, his meal untouched. Barty Crouch and Evan Rosier were sitting towards the middle of the table. They were laughing together. Hermione wondered what, or rather who, they were laughing at.
"Since we can't go to Hogsmeade, we were planning a little party in the common room today," Aurora told her. "Last minute plan but we have a lot of sweets and we figure we can get more from the house elfs."
"The house elfs are already doing so much around here," Hermione said disapprovingly. "We shouldn't overwork them.
"They like to make food," Aurora said. "We won't ask for anything too hard. Just some cakes and pies."
Hermione sighed. It was like dealing with Ron and the Weasley twins all over again. "I'll be there," she said, giving up. She took another sip of her pumpkin juice and then stood up. "I have studying to do now," she said, grabbing her bag. "See you all later." She made her way to the library and settled in at her usual place. As she was pulling out her books, she caught sight of Regulus Black coming in.
The Slytherin headed in the opposite direction towards another stack of books far from her table. If he had noticed her at all, he didn't show it, his face an expressionless mask.
Hermione sighed. At war in her head was the conflicting desire to talk to him with the equally compelling desire not to get caught up in whatever drama he had going on with his friends. If he was rethinking his friendship with them, then it might be best to give him space to think. On the other hand, she thought he looked rather pitiful by himself and she could not help but feel that he needed encouragement. Though how to do so that it wouldn't be rebuffed? As she saw him emerge from behind the shelves with several books in hand, she suddenly had an idea.
"Merlin these books design makes no sense. How much easier if I could write with muggle paper instead of parchment."
Nothing. Though she had said it loud enough for him to hear her, he remained absorbed in his books. Settling at a table nearby, he started reading.
Hermione tried again. "The ink would make more sense used in a pen as well," she continued. "Wizards really do make life harder for themselves." It was hardly subtle but he had fallen for lesser attempts last year when he was goaded into reading muggle literature.
"But then wizards are creatures of habit, for better or worse." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him turn the page of his book. His expression seemed utterly absorbed in his reading.
While Hermione was always considered a gifted witch, subtlety and manipulation were never her key points. Though she made several more attempts, he remained caught up in his book. It was as though she didn't speak at all. Eventually she got up, gathered up her books and left. She figured she could take a hint.
The party in Ravenclaw was nowhere near as rowdy as the Gryffindor ones that the Weasley twins used to hold but it still was festive enough. Blue and bronze streamers were hung up and lots of food consumed. Hermione found herself wondering how much extra work the house elfs had to do to provide all of this. Her answer did not take long coming. Halfway through the evening she found herself heading to the kitchens with Pandora to get more pies.
"I tell you they like to cook," Pandora was saying as they neared the basement. "They are treated really well here, Rose, not like how some purebloods treat their house-elfs."
"It doesn't make it alright to have them enslaved," Hermione told her. "They wouldn't like it so much if they weren't uneducated as to their predicament."
Pandora shook her head. "Don't go insulting them," she replied. "And yes Rose, they will take what you are saying as an insult."
Hermione had a rebuttal all prepared as they entered the spacious kitchen and she was bombarded by the kitchen's occupants. The various elfs came forward and bowing, began asking what they wanted. Hermione felt a pang of sadness when she remembered that cheerful little Dobby would not be among them. "Hello," she said timidly. "I don't want to trouble any of you too much."
Pandora rolled her eyes. Hermione, however, had completely lost her train of thought. For sitting in a chair towards the back of the kitchen, a steaming mug in front of him and both of his eyes purple in color, was Regulus Black.
'He looks like I did after Fred and George's invention punched me,' she thought. Though Pandora had not noticed him yet, Regulus had realized he was no longer the only human in the kitchen. His features tensed for a moment before his usual cold and haughty expression took over. Finishing his drink, he got to his feet.
"Thank you for the drink, Tillie," he told a tiny house elf who was waiting on him. "I think I will skip the second one."
"Master Regulus liked Tillie's chocolate?" the elf asked eagerly.
"Of course," he told her. I always do." He looked almost fondly towards her, much to Hermione's shock. Wizards in her estimation, rarely took the time to speak to house elfs, let alone be kindly towards them. He gathered his bag off the floor and started out, brushing past Hermione without a glance. At that she made up her mind.
"Excuse me," Hermione told a confused looking Pandora as she headed out after him. He was already halfway down the hall and headed towards the stairs when she caught up with him.
"Regulus!"
To her surprise he turned around. "Go back to your party, Perkins."
'How did he?' "Regulus, wait, I just want to speak with you."
"Exactly what do you have to say to me?" he asked. "You made it pretty clear last summer how things stood."
"I thought, well, that maybe you could use a friend."
"Your kind of friendship has caused me nothing but trouble," he told her.
"Have people been giving you trouble over it?" Hermione asked anxiously.
"Don't flatter yourself," Regulus said coldly. "You aren't that important."
"Then what has been happening? Why were you hurt?"
"If you haven't been told this before, then let me be the first one to say it. Mind your own business."
"You are my business," Hermione said. "We are friends." He glared at her. "We ARE friends," she repeated more emphatically.
"If I say we aren't?" he asked her.
"I don't care," she replied. "I tried to give you space but I can't see you hurting."
"I am not hurting," he replied haughtily. "There is nothing you can do to help me. In fact, for your own sake, you should stay away from me."
"Wait what?" Hermione felt confusion at his words.
"Stay away from me Perkins," he continued coldly. "In fact, stay away from Slytherin's in general. Keep yourself away from trouble and out of my business."
"I am right then," Hermione said. "You have been harassed because of me."
There was an uncomfortable silence. "I have not," he replied. "I told you that you are not that important."
"Then why…"
"Just stay away from me, Rose Perkins," he said. "For both our sakes." He then turned and walked away without another word.
Hermione found Pandora waiting for her outside the kitchen, several cakes and pies with her and a look of bewilderment on her face. "I thought you said you weren't friends?" she asked Hermione.
"I just don't know anymore," Hermione told her. "And I hate not knowing the answer to things."
"I wouldn't worry too much about him, Rose. He isn't worth all the aggravation."
Hermione bit back a sharp retort to that. She did not want to fight with Pandora. "Let's just get back to the common room."
Hermione found herself paying keen attention to Regulus Black over the next few weeks. He kept to himself, neither speaking to or looking at her nor to his own former Slytherin friends. That a falling out had happened with them she was sure but he said it was not over her. What then could it be? She wondered if her methods last year had finally worked and he had come to regret his pureblood prejudices. If he had, would he actually tell that to the likes of Barty Crouch Jr. and Evan Rosier? It seemed extremely unlikely and yet something had definitely shifted.
Hermione was not the only one who had noticed. She caught Sirius one day looking at his brother's retreating form as he left the Slytherin table. Sirius's face was mildly curious looking. She wondered what he thought of his brother's new loner statis? He had disliked his friendship with her, at least for Remus Lupin's sake but what Sirius really thought inside about his estranged brother she did not know. Hermione had no brother or sister and could only speculate on what a sibling relationship would be like, even a dysfunctional one.
Once again she found herself seeking out Lily Evans. She had once had a Slytherin for a friend and though Hermione was tactful enough not to bring that up, she still thought Lily would be a good choice to talk to.
"I just don't know what to do," she told Lily as they once again strolled the grounds. It was colder than ever and Lily had cast a heating charm to warm them as they stepped through the remaining fallen leaves. "If he is being harassed because of me then I feel sort of responsible."
"He told you that he wasn't though," Lily replied. "Some sort of falling out with those friends of his. It could be over anything. That lot don't seem to take friendship as very important."
"Well," Hermione paused for a moment before continuing. "I sort of made a pet project of him last year. I gave him books to read during our detentions together, books on muggle things and muggle literature."
"He read them?" Lily looked surprised.
Hermione nodded. "He read them, he complained about them, but he read them. I read wizarding fairy tales that he suggested in turn. We both like to read and I thought it could be common ground. Not I am not so sure. I wonder if he did have his friends go after him because of this, even if indirectly. If he took to heart what I said in those meetings…"
"If your friendship changed his mind about wanting to be a Death Eater?" Lily finished for her. At Hermione's nod, she continued. "It is possible that you did. I don't know him at all but it seems like you got under his skin a lot."
"Sounds about right," Hermione said. "He resented me for that."
Lily was quiet for a moment. "Sometimes people do resent us when we try to help them. Sometimes we are successful and sometimes not but all we can do is try. Fighting something like the prejudices of this world is hard but it's important that we do so. If we can sway anyone at all away from You Know Who, then it makes it all worth it."
They weren't just talking about Regulus Black anymore. For a moment Hermione debated with herself over whether to bring up Severus Snape. Would Lily want to talk about her old friend or would she resent the intrusion on her personal life?
"I just don't know what to do," she finally said. "He doesn't want me to interfere but that seems to be all I have been doing so far."
"Sometimes it's all we can do for someone we care for," Lily told her. At Hermione's look of discomfort, she smiled. "You can't tell me you don't care at all for him?"
"I guess I do," Hermione replied. "We had an odd sort of friendship last year." 'I even miss it so', she thought to herself.
"Maybe give him some time," Lily suggested. "You know boys can be stubborn. If he really cares about you, he'll come around."
"If he really cares," Hermione repeated. Somehow, she was not finding it likely that he would open up to her anytime soon. But she had found it hard to believe she would make this much progress with him. "I just don't know Lily."
"Give it time," Lily told her. "If he is having a hard time with his friends then maybe just make it known that you will be there when he is ready."
Hermione had her doubts about that day ever coming.
Hermione gave him his time. In the meantime, she continued to go over what she had learned about Voldemort. She was no closer to figuring out about his horcruxes than she was at the start of the year. That the diary was one she was sure, but what if he had more than one? The locket probably would be one and maybe the cup? Was it even possible to make multiple ones? How might that wreck havoc with a person's physical and mental state?
"I need a clue," she thought in frustration. "Would he perhaps have artifacts of the other founders as well and if so, what were they? The only things of Gryffindor's she knew to exist were the sword and hat in Dumbledore's office. Of Ravenclaw she knew even less. She did wonder if the house ghost would be able to tell her anything. The tall stately looking ghost was cordial enough to Ravenclaw's who approached her for help but would she be able to help in Hermione finding out more about Ravenclaw? Would she even want to?
It was with this thought in mind that Hermione refused Pandora's kind offer for her to accompany her home over the Christmas holiday. She passed it off as needing to study and that was technically true. She waved off Pandora, Aurora and Emmeline as they all headed off for their homes. If this went well, maybe she would have a chance in later years to make up for it.
The Ravenclaw ghost was rather elusive at times. For the first day of her holiday she could not find her anywhere. It was on Christmas Eve that she finally spotted the ghost near the Charms corridor.
"I suppose you know it's rude to stalk someone," was the cold greeting she was given.
"I…" Hermione could only stare at the stately looking grey witch. She was tall and beautiful, yet so cold compared to the likes of the Fat Frior and Nearly Headless Nick. "I just wondered…." She paused again. "Have you…"
"You are a truly stimulating conversationist," the ghost replied scathingly. "I have not had such a fascinating discussion since the Renaissance."
Hermione flushed. "I just wanted to know if you knew of any Ravenclaw artifacts still around?" She felt even more annoyed to find the witch turn her most derisive look on her yet.
"You are hardly the first student greedy for information on objects that don't belong to you," she was told. "I can assure you that you won't be the last." She turned then, her ghostly form seeming to glide away from Hermione.
"Wait!" She ignored Hermione as she continued down the hall, her hair and robes seeming to stream after her.
"I wanted to know if there were any that Lord Voldemort might go after," it was a wild chance, a shot in the dark maybe, but she took it. She seemed to hit her mark also. The ghost turned back to regard her with something other than dismissal.
"Why do you want to know this girl?"
"Because…" she took a breath and then continued. "He went after other artifacts; of the founders I mean. A locket of Slytherin and a cup of Hufflepuff's. I just wanted to know if he also found something of Ravenclaw's as well."
There was a moment of uncomfortable silence. "What good would it do to know of this?" she was finally asked.
"He did something with them," Hermione said. "Poured some of his dark magic into them, I think, and he might be weaker if we get rid of them."
The look she was given was pure disdain. "A student thinks she will get rid of him so easily as that."
"I don't know," Hermione replied. "It is worth a try though. If for nothing else." The silence was more uncomfortable than ever. "I thought maybe you knew something of Ravenclaw."
"You might say that," the witch replied. "Seeing as I am her daughter."
Hermione froze.
"I was in life Helena Ravenclaw," the stately witch continued. "I left my home when I was sixteen years old. My mother was always said to be a great witch, people admired her for her cleverness and wit and it was said to be a great honor to be her daughter, but they never considered the burden a daughter of hers would have to live up to. I wished to be cleverer than my mother, to no longer live in her shadow, but I also wished for freedom. I took something precious to her and I ran. It was a diadem that was enchanted to enhance the wearers wisdom."
Her face had lost none of its haughtiness but it had a distant sound to it as she continued. "There I was far from home with the diadem. I had it with me and I traveled to what is now Albania. My mother sent a young man after me to convince me to come home. I hid it when I saw him coming. The man, who haunts this castle as the Bloody Baron, stabbed me when I refused to come home with him and then took his own life out of remorse. I kept it hidden for years but he knows where."
"He?"
"The one you call Lord Voldemort," Helena continued. "I told him my life and death story, how I was ruthlessly hunted down and stabbed by that awful Baron after I refused him. I told him about my mother's diadem. He seemed so sympathetic; he understood what it was like to be alone with less than satisfactory parents."
Hermione didn't answer. A diadem, she had to look for a diadem. "Do you know if he still has it?"
"Oh yes," Helena replied with scorn. "He took it from where I hid it in Albania. He doesn't know this but I know he had it on him when he came to this school twenty years ago to ask for a job. I could sense the lingering magic of the thing. He left it here somewhere, but Merlin knows where."
Hermione froze. Could it be that the very thing she was looking for was in this school? Another Hogwarts artifact, one maybe containing his very soul? Her heart sank as she realized that this was over twenty years and she had no idea where to look for it in a castle this large. For all she knew he might have put it in the Chamber of Secrets where not being a parselmouth she could never enter.
"Thank you," she told Helena. "You have been very helpful."
"I doubt very much whether what I have told you is in any way going to affect the outcome of the war," Helena replied dismissively. "You are welcome to the diadem if you find it though. It certainly has given me enough trouble."
A diadem, a cup and a locket, the diary, could he have made horcruxes of all of these? The idea was nauseating but somehow not beyond what Hermione knew of him. Yet how to find any of them was beyond her, even the diadem being in the school was on flimsy evidence and in a school this large, nearly impossible to find. She would need way more to go on in order to manage to find it at all.
She woke up Christmas morning feeling groggy and downbeat. The sight of a small pile of gifts at the foot of her bed cheered her up. Pandora, Aurora and Emmeline had all chipped in it seems to get her a very large and old book on the origins of most spells, Lily had gotten her sweets and even Remus had given her a small box of chocolate frogs. She thought back to the scarf he had given her last year that she still owned with a pang of regret. There was no gift from Regulus this year but she had sent him a small box of sweets.
He had stayed over during the holiday; she had noticed him in the hall at the near empty Slytherin table. He remained buried in books as usual but she could sense the tension whenever she passed by him. She had no idea what to say to him or even what he was thinking. Would he rebuff her if she tried again? She didn't know but she wanted to try, though she was out of ideas. He looked haughtier than ever lately but also more tired and haunted.
She felt forlorn as she sat at the Ravenclaw table for the Christmas meal. Even the past year there had been at least some students there but this year it seemed almost everyone had gone home. Perhaps the war had made most people take advantage of what time they could get with their families.
Did she ever have any hope to get home to her family and friends? She didn't know and it haunted her badly. Did her going back in time already have dire consequences for the future or had it managed to make things better? She had her misgivings and guilt about the meddling she had already done but it was too late. Yet if she could find any of Voldemort's horcruxes it might make it all worth it.
From one table over sat a forlorn young man who was barely touching his food. The pair remained lost in contemplation, both caught in their own moral dilemma.
