Hermione Granger hit the books from the curio shop at Holborn hard again after she got home from Ottery St-Catchpole.

From the sixth book in the series, she noticed that Headmaster Dumbledore became much more cooperative after he realised he was dying. She chose not to focus on that part; it was gratifying just to realise the wizard was actually capable of cooperating. She also noted in his favour in one of the books that the arch-villain Voldemort claimed he'd protected Harry "better than he realised." While she had issues with that passage - first, how did the author know, second, that flew in the face of the countless times Dumbledore bragged about that protection to justify his behaviour. The most she would grant was that it was probably a half-truth. Probably Snape was the source.

It was probably time to discuss which house she wanted herself and Harry in. She was leaning toward either Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff. She still wondered why the hat had suggested Slytherin. She had never met a less ambitious child than Harry. Maybe, she mused, that was the Headmaster's interference. Everyone in the book accepted that he wanted Harry in Gryffindor, but why? It would break the pattern established by his captivity at the Dursleys. On the other hand, being thrown to the wolves in Slytherin, and giving the sadist Snape free reign to continue the abuse where they left off would be very Dumbledorian.

Alternately, if Harry's scar really was a piece of Voldemort's soul, the hat could have been reading that. It would explain the "striving for greatness." If you wanted to claim Harry was a Slytherin because he was cagey and guarded, fine. But thirsting for greatness? She snorted at the thought. That would be way down there after peace, security and a family. And it was a flat out, undiluted lie that being in Slytherin would help Harry with his goals. He'd be harassed on a daily or hourly basis and be a lonely, bitter pariah all seven years. That sounded like Dumbledore wrote the script the Hat was reciting, to Hermione. Alternately, it also fit the Horcrux theory like a glove.

At any rate, they were still massively outgunned. Hermione was in the back garden, and she'd adorned her strawman goalie with an old jacket of her father's. She had a pink stuffed mouse and a blue one, and she was trying to switch the blue one in and the pink one out without a wand. In a pinch, she would be willing to say "Commutandum" as long as it wasn't so loud Percy Weasley would twig. Then, all she would need to ask the Lovegoods for was information about when Percy would be out of the house. She didn't much relish carrying a live rat around, but it was a small sacrifice to make to start adjusting the balance of forces towards her and Harry.

However, try as she might, out loud or thinking, and no matter how desperate she tried to make herself, she couldn't even feel it start to work. It was probably simply too precise a spell to be cast "half-accidentally." She might be able to practice it, and cast it, in Diagon Alley. But getting two different opportunities there was going to take too much time, and be too risky. She guessed she would first try to throw herself on the mercy of the Lovegoods. If one of them would switch a rat in for Scabbers, she'd be on her way to enlisting Sirius Black's help, which, she could remind them, they had agreed was her logical next step. They were the only wizards or witches she could really count on, since she had to operate in secrecy. Or were they?

She would try them first, then Aberforth. Both the Lovegoods and the Headmaster's brother were already doing them favours, unfortunately, so assistance wasn't guaranteed. Practising and casting in Diagon Alley would be the last resort.

The stray thought occurred to her that she could swap that last resort out for another: enlisting Amelia Bones, who should already be the head of the magical police. Of course, she'd have to operate anonymously, and that brought its own headaches. If she saw an easy way to do it, however, it might be better than owing more favours to the Lovegoods or the innkeeper. Done carefully, she could say "Percy Weasley will be out shopping today, he has Peter Pettigrew with him, try to detect him and if you find him, swap a rat in for him and he can tell you Sirius Black is innocent." She could even sign it "A Friend," so those in the know would later realise she'd done it.

Then, she had yet another realisation: she could lay out all her alternatives to the Lovegoods, and they'd, no doubt, volunteer advice. Dumbledore himself had advised them to tell the Lovegoods about their encounter with him at the curio shop. She could detail the options she'd considered, admit she couldn't do a wandless Commutandum any time soon, and see what they thought. She didn't even have to mention them helping her as an alternative. As a compromise, she decided to list that option last.

With that decided, she felt as if she'd gotten a second wind, as trying to cast Commutandum had tired her out. She came to her senses and looked stupidly at her strawman goalie, who'd turned a bright pink. She felt an extra weight on her arms, and when she looked down, she discovered she was wearing the jacket, which had turned a solid blue. Moreover, the two stuffed mice were nowhere to be found.

She resolved to spend the time up until the weekend reading, and making notes.