"It really suits you, you look like a cheeky little Slytherin," Tonks quipped, winking at Hermione. Tonks had been able to persuade her to have her hair magically coloured in Irish green after their toast to Hermione and her invention, and she had also accepted her green lipstick. Hermione recognised the compliment in the statement, which would have seemed a foul insult to a Gryffindor student. She walked next to Tonks across the campsite where witches and wizards of every nation imaginable were gathered, celebrating the atmosphere and the Quidditch World Cup together, which would be decided in the final match the next day.
"Harry, you need green hair too!" exclaimed Tonks with a grin, making a pout as he shook his head decisively. "Don't be such a killjoy, we all have green hair!"
"I have green eyes, that'll have to do," he retorted and the girls laughed. Dusk had already set in and they were still making their way to the stalls selling food as they met classmates at every other tent, most of whom wanted a quick word with Harry. Hermione noticed a familiar face a few rows away and sensed a good opportunity.
"Psst, Harry! Look who's sitting outside her tent, all alone and without her flock of friends. If you're lucky, she's still single," she said quietly to Harry as she pointed at Cho Chang. "Come on, here's your chance!" she followed up as Harry stopped frozen in place and, giggling, gave him a shove that propelled him into Cho's field of vision. Harry blushed horribly as Cho greeted him with a smile and they spoke a few sentences with each other. Hermione had to pull Tonks on, who was on the verge of teasing Harry and Cho.
"Hey, what?" she asked with an innocent tone, but her grin betrayed her.
"Give him a little break, at least with Cho," Hermione said and Tonks seemed to interpret her tone because she raised her eyebrows.
"Hmm, so that's how it is! And I thought that was a safe bet between you two," Tonks quipped and Hermione giggled. Harry rejoined them a few minutes later, looking like the conversation had gone well.
"Where did we lose Sirius, anyway?" asked Hermione after glancing over her shoulder and nowhere spotting the wavy hair, also dyed green, that Sirius wore because otherwise Tonks would probably only have let him out of the tent with a fight.
"He's probably gone philandering," Tonks said, giggling as Hermione and Harry exchanged a look that made Harry blush.
"Hello, Harry! Oh, it's you, Hermione!" they heard a voice next to Harry call out and recognised Neville, who broke away from the group of Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas and Ron Weasley, who were all sitting gathered around a game of cards in front of a tent. The other boys greeted them too and Harry went to join his friends while Neville stood up and joined Hermione and Tonks.
"Hi, Neville. This is Tonks. Tonks, this is Neville, he's in our year," Hermione said and Neville held out his hand in greeting. Tonks turned on all her charm and batted her eyelashes suggestively as she gently placed her hand in his like a lady, as if expecting him to kiss the back of her hand. Hermione felt for the overwhelmed Neville, who was blushing like a tomato.
"He's cute," Tonks whispered into Hermione's ear with her hand in front of it, deliberately speaking loud enough for Neville to still hear.
"Behave yourself, Tonks! Just don't listen to her, Neville," Hermione exclaimed, laughing when Tonks winked at him. "We were going to buy some food, are you coming?" asked Hermione and Neville nodded with his characteristic uncertain smile.
"Are you going to Hogwarts too?", Neville asked Tonks and she shook her head with a smile. Tonks, who had kept her younger features and freckles unchanged at Hermione's request, could thus still easily pass for a Hogwarts student in terms of her appearance. She told the astonished Neville about her training to become an Auror, while Harry was still talking to the other Gryffindors, who then stayed in their seats to finish their game. They eventually made it to the food stalls with only one more stop at the Weasley's tent, who had also partially dyed their hair green, much to Tonks' delight. As everything smelt wonderful and looked lovely, they decided to buy a variety of dishes and share everything to get a bit of everything. Neville eventually came out of his shell and continued to chat with Tonks about her training, which seemed to interest him a lot.
Hermione choked heavily on a bite of the german Currywurst they were sharing when she was nudged from behind and hugged. She recognised Susan immediately by her laughter and was glad that Tonks cleared her throat with a wave of her wand.
"Hey, Susan! Hey Ginny!" she greeted her best friends in a husky voice and then introduced them to Tonks. "These are the two Hufflepuff chasers I was telling you about."
"Oh, that's so cool! But your hair could use some more green, don't you think?" said Tonks and Hermione giggled because the two of them were looking at each other uncertainly while Tonks was already raising her wand. "Who wants to go first?"
"The green really suits you, Hermione," Ginny said with a smile as Tonks took care of Susan's hair.
"Thanks, that strand looks great on you too" Hermione returned the compliment and had to restrain herself from giving Susan an apologetic look. Susan had her hair dyed completely green by Tonks, just like Hermione, and her blonde base colour made the green pop even more than it did on Tonks and Hermione. When Tonks was satisfied with everyone - even Neville hadn't been able to escape her - they strolled on together across the campsite.
"Is Luna here yet too?" asked Hermione to Susan and Ginny, who grinned and nodded in response.
"She's been here for a week actually, her father and her were among the first to arrive at the campsite. We'll be passing their tent soon, brace yourself," Ginny told her with a grin. Hermione looked around and spotted a tent about ten rows away that stood out clearly from the others. It was at least five times the size of the rest of the tents and was shaped like a giant shamrock, with a large leprechaun dancing on top of it, throwing gold and shamrocks into the passing crowd. Hermione immediately recognised the Lovegoods' touch and rushed ahead to greet Luna. She was sitting outside the tent with her father and jumped up when she recognised Hermione.
Luna was wearing a headband in the shape of a shamrock and a green dress that also looked like the round leaves of the clover above her waist towards the hem. Hermione hugged Luna tightly and gave her a kiss on the forehead before also greeting Xenophilius Lovegood, whom she had only ever seen briefly on Platform 9 3/4.
"Will you join us for a butterbeer?" asked Luna to the group after introducing herself to the enthusiastic Tonks, and they all sat down with Luna and her father, who immediately engaged the unsuspecting Neville in conversation about the Crumple-Horned Snorkack.
"It's so good to see you all again!" exclaimed Hermione, toasting the round. They chatted about what they had been doing on holiday so far and Hermione was shocked to discover that Ginny had spent the whole summer so far at Susan's and the two of them had been training every day.
"Now that's what I call commitment!" exclaimed Tonks with a laugh, encouraging the girls to bring in as many Quidditch trophies to Hufflepuff as they could.
"You're really pretty," Luna said to Tonks, giving Hermione a knowing look. Hermione remembered that Luna could see her connection with Tonks and quickly looked back at Tonks, who beamed at Luna and returned the compliment.
"Hey, how about we meet in our tent and play some games?" suggested Tonks, which was met with great approval. Hermione, recognising the undertone in Tonks' voice, exchanged a glance with Harry, who looked concerned. Hermione grinned and pulled Neville and Harry along to the tent, where Dobby greeted them warmly and immediately supplied the round with drinks in overjoy.
"Hmm, still no sign of Sirius, either he hasn't had any success or great success," Tonks said and Hermione laughed at the questioning faces of the others and Harry's embarrassed expression. "Make yourselves comfortable," she said, waving her wand, whereupon the sofa slid aside and a circle of seat cushions appeared. They settled down and played a few rounds of the card game Hermione had played with Susan and her parents two years before. Tonks also set the mood with her jukebox, which she had brought along shrunk and from which music now resounded magically amplified. The later it got, the more exuberant the atmosphere in the tent became and Hermione and Tonks were the first to start dancing to the music. It wasn't long before they pulled the others into the middle of the tent as well.
"Oh my god! That was really cool!" sighed Tonks when they had settled back on the comfortable seat cushions a few songs later and Dobby had taken care of drink supplies. Neville had been coming out of his shell more and more as the evening went on and had brought some very cheeky and funny comments that Hermione would never have thought him capable of. "How about we play a different game?" asked Tonks to the group.
"How about Truth or Dare?" asked Susan with a grin and Tonks threw her arms up in the air.
"That's the best idea I've ever heard! But we should spice it up a bit and combine it with Spin the Bottle! Any objections? Very good!" she exclaimed before anyone could even say anything and Hermione and Susan laughed at the stunned faces of Neville, Luna and Ginny. Harry had his face buried in his hands and was making it seem as if he knew what they were talking about. Tonks explained the rules to the rest of the round and laughed cheekily as they all blushed. But there was no escaping Tonks. She managed perfectly to capture Luna and Neville, who seemed a little unsure and shy, and entice them to play. "We'll lay down a few more rules. No one HAS to do anything if they don't like it at all, but the point is to muster up the courage. Also, let's limit ourselves to those present here and not ask for things that will embarrass the other person in public. We are here to have fun. Okay, I'll start. I'll spin the bottle and whoever it points to has to take either truth or dare," she explained, spinning the bottle. "Hermione. Truth or dare?"
"Truth," Hermione replied, looking Tonks in the eye, who grinned cheekily at her. It was one of those looks that still sometimes made Hermione's stomach tingle. She felt the tense attention of the round on her and tried to remain calm.
"Have you had your first time yet?" asked Tonks with a grin. She got in spicy immediately. Hermione nodded, trying not to blush as the girls giggled and Harry and Neville looked at her with wide eyes. Tonks winked at her unnoticed by the others. It was Hermione's turn now and she spun the bottle.
"Ginny. Truth or dare?"
"Dare."
"Give Harry a kiss," she said and while Tonks cheered and while both Harry and Ginny blushed, Hermione exchanged a look with Luna. Ginny giggled and scrambled forward to Harry, who looked like he wanted to sink into the ground.
"Come on, Harry! You don't get to kiss such a beautiful girl every day!" exclaimed Tonks, cheering as Ginny boldly leaned forward and gave Harry a small kiss on the mouth. Hermione joined in Tonks' cheers and everyone present laughed.
"Wasn't so bad, was it?" exclaimed Tonks, pointing to Ginny whose turn it was. Neville was next and also took dare. Ginny thought for a few seconds and then smirked.
"Kiss the person you find most attractive," she said and everyone grinned as Neville looked around uncertainly.
"Don't look at me like that," Harry said with a laugh, which made Neville laugh too. He seemed to have found his courage because he smiled at Tonks and with his index finger instructed her to come to him. The girls cheered and Tonks playfully fanned herself with her hand before leaning towards Neville. He gave her a kiss on the cheek and blushed when he saw Tonks' pout. She had obviously expected more enthusiasm.
"Neville's turn ... Harry!"
"Truth."
"Do you fancy anyone at Hogwarts?"
"Hmm, well there is one girl I find interesting," Harry replied, spinning the bottle. It went on for a few rounds and after Tonks asked Hermione to take off her T-shirt, under which she was still wearing a bra, no one wanted to take dare for a while.
"Luna. Truth or dare?"
"Truth."
"Hmm, do you like boys, or girls? Or both?"
"Boys," Luna said, turning the bottle with a cute smile. This time it was Ginny's turn.
"Dare, but not my top!" said Ginny and Luna nodded with a grin.
"Kiss Hermione. With tongue," she said and everyone in the round except Tonks gasped. Hermione cast a sideways glance at Luna, who had put on her 'Trust me, I know what I'm doing' look. Ginny sheepishly brushed a strand of her red hair behind her ear and glanced at Hermione. She nodded at her encouragingly and smiled as Ginny took heart and scrambled to her. She closed her eyes as Ginny approached and felt a slight shiver run down her spine as Ginny kissed her gently with her soft lips before knocking with her tongue. For a moment Hermione thought of nothing but Ginny kissing her, tentatively at first, then passionately.
"What in Merlin's name?!" an angry voice called from behind them and Hermione's head snapped around. "Ginny! What are you doing?" shouted Ron, who was standing at the entrance to the tent, staring at them with a horrified expression.
"Oh! Looks like we've got a straggler, grab a butterbeer and sit down!" exclaimed Tonks cheerfully, but Ron shook his head with a disgusted expression.
"Ginny, come with me right now. What are you even thinking?"
"Ron, calm down, it's just a game!" exclaimed Harry, but Ron paid no attention to him at all and continued to stare angrily at his sister.
"Bugger off, Ron!" shouted Ginny, glaring angrily at him, still bent over Hermione, who was becoming uncomfortable with the situation.
"Are you insane? You're left alone for a few hours and you act like a..."
"Spit it out, Ronald! I've been looking for a chance to punch you in the face for a long time," Ginny shouted and jumped up, but Tonks was quicker. She cast a Silencio on both Weasleys and summoned Dobby.
"Dobby, please escort this uninvited guest outside and make sure Ronald McDonald here doesn't bother us again. Thank you," Tonks said and the elf manoeuvred the still silently gesticulating Ron out through the tent entrance. Except for the smirking Tonks, everyone looked confusedly at Harry and Hermione, who had laughed out loud at the name of the clown well-known among Muggles. Tonks finished the silencio and took a breath. "We won't let it ruin our mood!" she said with a smile and floated over a round of drinks from the magical fridge.
"Thanks for the help, Tonks. I'll get back to it in a second, but I wasn't finished," Ginny said and Hermione moaned in surprise as Ginny pressed her soft lips to her mouth again. When they broke away, Ginny looked at her with a grin and Hermione gave Susan a quick glance, who was a moment too late in hiding her disappointment. Hermione looked into Luna's eyes, who was still smiling encouragingly. It was Ginny's turn now and the bottle landed back on Luna, who chose dare.
"If I had to, so do you! Kiss Harry on the mouth," Ginny said with a grin and Luna gave her a glare for a split second before looking insecurely at Harry and sitting up. She knelt in front of him and looked intensely into Harry's eyes for a moment before gently placing her hand on his cheek and pulling him into the most romantic kiss Hermione had ever seen. It was such a tender and loving touch that even Tonks paused for a moment. As Luna dropped back into her seat, her head red, she smiled shyly at Harry, who looked like someone had hit him on the head with a hammer.
"I think you broke Harry, Luna," Tonks said with a laugh, waving her hand in front of his eyes. The others laughed too as Harry turned bright red and blinked. Hermione watched Luna, who seemed very pleased with herself and she now had a strong suspicion of who her secret crush was.
"Luna's turn ... Hermione!"
"Dare," Hermione said and regretted it the moment she saw the mischievous expression on Luna's face.
"If you've slept with someone in this room, kiss that person," Luna said and Hermione's jaw dropped. Luna smiled at her in a posed innocent way and shrugged. Hermione narrowed her eyes to slits and feverishly considered whether Luna's request meant she had to kiss both Susan and Tonks.
"I'll get you back for that one," Hermione whispered, scrambling to Tonks first, who nodded at her encouragingly. She kissed Tonks, who grabbed hold of Hermione's braids and pulled her closer. She took her time letting go of them and Hermione felt a strong tingle in her stomach as she looked into Tonks' neon green eyes.
"What the heck's happening here?" murmured Harry to Neville, who looked as incredulous as he did. Susan and Ginny also looked at each other in astonishment and Hermione was glad to see that Luna looked pleased. She dropped back onto her seat cushion, reassured that she hadn't had to reveal her sexual relationship to Susan as well. She pressed her lips together sheepishly and looked around. All eyes were still on her. She spun the bottle without another word and laughed triumphantly as it stopped at Luna. Luna looked at her, smiling calmly, head tilted, and Hermione knew she was weighing which option would have worse consequences for her.
"Dare," she finally said and didn't bat an eyelid when Hermione grinned at her triumphantly.
"Take off your dress for three rounds. You may cover your breasts with your hands if you like," Hermione said, grinning as Luna blushed. But then she shrugged and stood up.
"Alright, you guys close your eyes until I say it's okay," she said and Hermione raised her eyebrows appreciatively. She closed her eyes and after a few moments of hearing the soft rustle of the dress beside them, Luna gave the green light. She was sitting cross-legged on her pillow just as before, wearing only a green bikini bottom and covering her breasts with her hands.
"I took the bikini top off too, otherwise I would have had to listen to this forever," she said, smiling at Hermione, who nodded with a grin. Since everyone present except Tonks had already seen Luna in a bikini by the lake at Hogwarts, it wasn't really news to her and she motioned to Hermione with a nod of her head to turn the bottle for her, which stopped at Susan.
"Dare," Susan said, which was cheered by the rest of the round. Hermione was glad that Ron's invasion hadn't turned the mood upside down. Luna smirked and challenged her to kiss Ginny. Susan wasted no time and flipped Ginny, who was sitting next to her, over so that she was on her back and bent over her. Luna gave Hermione a satisfied look as Susan kissed Ginny so passionately that it made the kiss between Ginny and Hermione look like a peck on the cheek.
"Wow!" exclaimed Tonks, seeming to remind Susan that she wasn't alone with Ginny. Without blushing, she gave Ginny another kiss, tugging lightly at her lower lip with her teeth, and then pulled her back into an upright sitting position. Ginny looked at Susan with wide eyes and blushed as she looked around and saw that all eyes were on her. "Don't get too excited, boys," Tonks said, glancing at Neville and Harry, who immediately ruffled their robes over their laps, causing the girls to burst out laughing.
They played for a while longer and the game calmed down a bit. Luna got to put her dress back on and Tonks finally got her kiss with Neville as she chose dare with Hermione. Neville blushed, but Hermione got the impression that it also gave him confidence when Tonks smiled at him with a wink and told him he was a good kisser. Hermione checked the young witch's feelings out of curiosity and realised that she was simply enjoying her time and felt as young again as the rest of the teenagers.
"Here you are!" shouted Sirius delightedly from the tent entrance and all eyes turned to him. He looked curiously at the bottle in the middle between them and waved his wand, whereupon another seat cushion appeared for him.
"Where have you been? Just leaves me here alone with a bunch of premature teenagers!" said Tonks in feigned indignation, putting her hands on her hips. "I've lived up to my role as legal guardian, haven't I?" she asked around the room and Sirius laughed as they all blushed and nodded.
"I spotted some potential business partners and talked to them a bit. Thank you, Tonks, but it looks like you had a lot of fun with your friends."
Tonks nodded with a grin and made the bottle disappear with a wave of her wand. Susan yawned heartily and they all stretched.
"I didn't mean to break up the round," Sirius said, puzzled, but they had all been infected by Susan's yawn and Hermione, Harry and Tonks went to escort the others to their tents. Hermione smiled as Susan gave her a look and pulled Ginny a little away from the group.
"If I've done everything right, I'll see a new line between them soon," Luna said and Hermione smiled broadly at her.
"So you planned all this, including Ginny kissing me first?" she asked and Luna nodded with a grin.
"I figured it would be a good opportunity to satisfy her longing for you and show her that there's someone who really likes her. If everything goes well, she won't think she's missing out on anything with you and she can focus on Susan," she said and Hermione put an arm around Luna's waist as they made their way through the crowd of boisterously celebrating Quidditch fans. "And it was a good thing you didn't kiss Susan."
"Thanks for that by the way, you little minx," Hermione said and Luna looked at her with a mischievous grin.
"That was also planned to show Ginny that you're interested in others and living it up."
"That's what I would have said."
"Hey. Tonks doesn't mind either and you should have seen the boys' faces when you were kissing. Robes were lifted as if by magic!"
"Luna!" exclaimed Hermione laughing and pulling her friend closer. "Seems like Ginny hit the spot with you as well, hmm?" she asked Luna softly in her ear, pleased when she nodded happily. "That was a really nice kiss," she added, winking at her.
"It felt so good," Luna said with red cheeks and the two giggled. Hermione interrogated Luna the rest of the way to their clover-shaped tent about how she felt about Harry and was sure he would see Luna in a different light from now on. Hermione hugged her goodbye and they arranged to meet the next afternoon before she headed back towards the tent group of the Weasleys, Bones and Neville's grandmother.
"Hey there, gorgeous lady!" a familiar voice called from beside her and Hermione laughed as Tonks gently nudged her with her hip. "Seems like we've successfully played Blind Date tonight," she said and Hermione grinned at the mention of the Muggle TV show. "Do you think Harry will ever recover?" asked Tonks and they both laughed.
"It really was a great night, you did a brilliant job."
"Thanks, it was really fun. Even if Ginny's brother almost ruined the mood. Do you know why he's got such a stick up his arse?" asked Tonks and Hermione shrugged.
"Maybe he's jealous? Or maybe he's just not used to it? I quite often get the impression that wizarding society is very prudish and old-fashioned."
"You're right about that, you're really lucky to have such great friends," Tonks said and Hermione could detect a spark of melancholy in her voice. She checked Tonks' emotions and once again felt her fragile side come out.
"Hey, you're as much a part of us as I am, if you want to be. Believe me, everyone thinks you're great. And I'm pretty sure Neville thinks you're even a little more than great," she said, giggling as Tonks grinned.
"Oh, that one's a real cutie. But he's a little young for me," she said. "And speaking of cute, how great is Luna, by the way?"
"She's truly great, my little sister," Hermione said, beaming, and Tonks gave her a smile.
"It's been showing all evening how much you like being around her. Not even her dare really pissed you off, you looked really cute when you gave her your 'evil look'," Tonks said and laughed when Hermione looked at her dumbfounded.
"I thought I gave her an evil look," she said musingly, and Tonks shook her head with a laugh.
"Your revenge wasn't really mean either. I could have thought of much more embarrassing things. And the way she kissed Harry, you could really tell she took her chance and played it all on one card. And if you ask me, she's a much better match for Harry than this Cho."
"Yes! I only found out about that tonight too. I'd be really happy if things work out between them, but knowing Harry, she's going to have to work hard. I think he understood less than we did," Hermione said and Tonks nodded with a laugh. They continued to joke about the evening and ran into Harry, who had accompanied Neville. The three of them stopped for a little while at a gazebo from which music by The Weird Sisters was blaring loudly and danced boisterously until Hermione could barely keep on her feet from exhaustion. They were greeted by a cheerful Sirius outside their tent, who thanked Tonks again for looking after Harry and Hermione. They wished him a good night and Hermione dropped wearily into her bed. She only just managed to charm herself into a trance before her eyes fell shut, despite the loud celebratory noises outside the tent.
Hermione yawned as she came out of her room of the big tent into the round entrance area. She smiled briefly as she caught sight of the spot where they had played the night before and looked around. The doors to Tonks, Sirius and Harry's rooms were open, but there was no sign of them. It was only when she heard Tonks' unmistakable laugh from outside that she curiously left the tent.
"Good morning, sleepyhead!" called Tonks and those present laughed as Hermione rubbed her eyes sleepily and held her hand over her eyes to shield them from the sun.
"Morning," Hermione said with a smile and sat down next to Tonks who poured her a cup of tea. She glanced at Tonks' wristwatch and was surprised to find that she had slept in a trance almost until noon. Usually, she woke up on her own before most rolled over once more. She noticed during breakfast that Harry kept eyeing her and Tonks, quickly looking away when either of them met his gaze.
"I think he's imagining us having sex," Tonks whispered in Hermione's ear after a while. They both looked over to Harry and giggled, which he seemed to understand because he turned tomato red in the face and then engaged Sirius in conversation about the Irish Quidditch team. They spent lunchtime outside the tent, enjoying the late summer warmth, and kept getting visits from their friends and foreign wizards and witches who were interested in Harry. Some also seemed to recognise Hermione and congratulated her on her performance in the exams, but Harry, as always, was the unwanted centre of attention.
"Harry, shall we go and visit Luna?" asked Hermione as he sank exhausted into his armchair after signing autographs for an enormous Bulgarian family. Apparently, word had spread to the foreign wizards and witches that Harry was famous. He nodded in relief and Hermione, by clever shortcuts, managed to get through the tent alleys to Luna's tent with Harry and Tonks unnoticed.
Luna's father was sitting outside and invited them to have a lemonade inside the tent. Luna sat in the climatised interior and was relaxing, reading a book. She was very happy to see them and smiled shyly at Harry, who blushed in response. Hermione thought a few times about dragging Tonks outside and leaving them alone, but she thought it better that the two of them got to know each other better in a casual and laid-back atmosphere. After all, they had only exchanged a few words with each other so far. Sometime later, they were joined by Ginny and Susan, who also looked very happy and relaxed. Luna beamed at the sight of them and gave Hermione a look that signalled she could see a new line between them.
"Did you tell her how you felt about her yesterday?" whispered Hermione into Susan's ear as Harry was discussing with Ginny whether Viktor Krum or the Irish Seeker would catch the Snitch later in the game. Susan nodded with a smile and looked so happy that Hermione was almost in tears.
"What did she say?"
"She was surprised because I was usually so chummy and I never told her about liking women. But the kiss yesterday was really good," she said, turning pink around the tip of her nose.
"Did you kiss again in the tent?"
"Yes," Susan said dreamily. "Ginny first said she had to sleep on it for a night. I was really nervous and couldn't fall asleep, but then she came into my room later in the night and we cuddled. Don't give me that look, we just snogged a bit. But it was really nice."
"I'm so happy for you," Hermione said, stroking Susan's shoulder.
"So, you and Tonks, hmm?" asked Susan and Hermione nodded confidently, making Susan giggle. "Just the thought of it is incredibly sexy, you both look so amazing."
"Give me a break, nobody of us has to hide," she said and looked round. She only now noticed that they were being observed by Tonks, who winked at them. Hermione and Susan blushed and giggled, which also drew the attention of the rest of the group. They talked some more about the night before and made a lap around the campsite, where they met more Hogwarts students and Ministry officials, who Tonks introduced to them. Before they all got ready for the evening's game, Hermione wrote a little with Severus. He seemed pleased that she was having so much fun, but Hermione could tell from his written words that something was troubling him.
Severus Snape
Severus: I can't really put my finger on it, the mark has become stronger in the last few days. Just take care of yourself. I haven't heard anything from the Death Eaters, but there are a lot of ex-Death Eaters in the audience. It's not out of the question that something will happen.
Hermione: I'll keep my eyes open, thanks for your warning. I miss you and wish you could be here with me.
Severus: I wish that too. Even though I can't stand so many people in one bunch, I like the idea of watching the game with you. Have fun and be safe.
Hermione: Thank you.
Hermione paused for a second, feeling the need to tell him how she felt about him, but before her quill touched the parchment, she changed her mind. She would rather say such words face to face.
Hermione: Kiss
Hermione had already been overwhelmed by the atmosphere at her first Quidditch match at Hogwarts, but the chants, drums and trumpets of the fans supporting Ireland took everything to a whole new level. Magically enhanced drums permeated her body, sending comforting shivers down her spine and the sea of green colours brought tears to her eyes. The Minister's speech and the introductions of the mascots did the rest to get Hermione fired up for the game. Luna, giggling, held Tonks and Hermione back while Sirius had to grab Harry so they didn't fall under the spell of the Veela that the Bulgarians had brought as mascots. Hermione and Tonks were glad that Luna had held them back soon enough because Harry had almost jumped over the balustrade.
It was turning out to be a very exciting game of Quidditch and Hermione was able to see for the first time what it meant to play her sport at the international professional level. The tricks and manoeuvres of the chasers particularly captivated her as each team had a completely different philosophy and Ireland bombarded the Bulgarian keeper with goals, giving them a 170-point lead when Viktor Krum went for a vicious dive, following a barely visible glinting golden orb on his Firebolt. The Bulgarian chasers, meanwhile, did their utmost to close the gap while Krum shielded the Irish seeker from the snitch for as long as possible. When the Irish seeker almost caught the snitch, Krum had to act. The stadium erupted into a cacophony of groans and cheers as Krum thrust his fist into the air and the referee's whistle rang through the stadium.
Looking around, Hermione could see the pure excitement of the spectacle on her friends' faces, catapulted even higher by the Irish victory. Together they celebrated the Irish and Bulgarian teams at the podium ceremony and rode the wave of euphoria back to their tents, where the Irish supporters were celebrating in a frenzy of victory.
They spent a lovely evening in front of Luna and her father's tent, during which Hermione had the impression that Luna and Harry were looking into each other's eyes more often than before. By now, they were all so numbed by the background noise that they perceived the loud explosion that shook the campsite as fireworks. It wasn't until Tonks, across from Hermione, craned her neck in alarm to see something over her head that Hermione also turned to see what was going on. She couldn't make out much, but the cheering cries of the crowd were increasingly replaced by panicked screams, and Hermione's eyes widened when she saw four people levitating in the air a few rows of tents away, obviously not by choice.
"Stay behind me," said Tonks, who had stood up and drawn her wand. Xenophilius had also jumped up in alarm and was looking at the scene about fifty metres away from them. They were all startled when Dobby appeared behind them with a loud bang, his googly eyes bulging out in fear.
"Dobby must be taking Master Potter, Miss Granger and Miss Tonks," he said, grabbing the hem of their robes and dresses.
"No, Dobby!" cried Tonks, but a moment later they were Disapparated with the sensation of being squeezed through a narrow tube and landed in the drawing room of Black Manor.
"Dobby! We need to make sure our friends are alright!" shouted Hermione as Tonks cursed and tried to Apparate back. Dobby, who had obviously been tasked by Sirius to protect them, stopped her attempt with a snap of his fingers.
"Dobby won't let them leave here! These are evil wizards who do evil things! Dobby will not allow any of you to come to harm."
"What was going on there anyway?" asked Harry, worry written all over his face, as it was on the other two.
"I don't know, but those people hanging in the air weren't there by choice. And the noises were probably Blasting Curses," said Tonks, who had been the first to see what had been going on behind Hermione and Harry.
"We can't just sit here!" shouted Harry, but Hermione pulled him onto the couch where she was already sitting.
"We can't help either. We're not allowed to do magic."
"Except in an emergency. Don't you think this is an emergency? Luna and the others are still there and we don't know if they're okay!"
"Calm down, Harry. Hermione's right," Tonks said in frustration, dropping into an armchair. "Even though I'd rather be there with the Aurors right now, it's more important that you're here. And don't worry, Xenophilius may be a little strange, but he's a capable wizard and will hopefully get everyone else out of there."
"Dobby wanted to take more children, but the Fidelius charm forbade Dobby," the elf said with an apologetic look.
"That's very kind of you, Dobby! Thank you for getting us out of danger so quickly," Hermione said as Harry jumped back up and paced the drawing room. Hermione thought of the words she had written to Severus just before the match. He had specifically warned her and it seemed to have come to pass exactly what his gut had predicted. She was annoyed that she hadn't sent Susan, Ginny and Luna a parchment yet. It might have put them all at ease if they could have quickly written to each other to see if everything was all right. Once again, the realisation hit her that her invention would add great value to wizarding society. After what felt like an eternity, during which Harry had been pacing incessantly in front of the fireplace, the front door opened and Sirius came in. He bore no marks of a fight and Harry rushed towards him. He pulled Sirius into a tight hug and followed up by asking about the whereabouts of their friends.
"The two girls are with Xenophilius and his daughter. Arthur and I collected his children who were spread across the campsite, everyone is safe," Sirius said in an exhausted voice and asked Dobby for a glass of firewhiskey. It was a load off their minds, but Sirius's tales afterwards sent a shiver down everyone's spine. The attackers had worn Death Eater robes and masks and had tortured the Muggle family who owned the field, hovering over their work of destruction.
"They left in one fell swoop, though, when the Dark Mark appeared in the sky," Sirius said, and Hermione and Tonks gasped as Harry looked at them questioningly.
"The Dark Mark in the sky was the sign at the time of You Know Who that a Death Eater had murdered someone and was only conjured when someone was murdered. No one has been found yet though, Crouch and the Aurors are currently assuming it was meant as a message."
"But why did the Death Eaters disappear when they saw her mark?" asked Hermione and Sirius raised his shoulders to show that he couldn't explain it himself.
"Anyway, the most important thing is that everyone is alright!" said Sirius and he also hugged Tonks and Hermione. Hermione felt the tension only fall away from her at the fatherly touch. They continued to discuss for the rest of the evening and when Hermione entered her guest room later, she reached for one of the parchments on the desk.
Severus Snape
Hermione: I need to speak to Dumbledore. Can you tell him tomorrow that I'm coming to Spinner's End?
Hermione waited a few minutes for an answer, but apparently, Severus had already gone to bed, because when she went to conjure herself into a trance five minutes later, the parchment was still in its original colour on the bedside table. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw another parchment change to green just as she was about to extinguish the candles. She put on her glasses, stood up and took the parchment, on which, after touching it, 'Harry Potter' appeared at the top.
Harry Potter
Harry: Do you have a few more minutes to talk?
Hermione: Sure, come on over!
There was a knock on her door a few seconds later and Hermione giggled at the fact that he knocked politely despite her invitation. He entered and she could guess by the look on his face that something was bothering him. She hugged him and looked up into his green eyes.
"I need to tell you something."
"Okay, sit down."
"I think I'm having visions."
"Of what?" asked Hermione, who, glancing briefly at his scar, didn't question whether it was really a vision Harry was talking about.
"Voldemort. He - he's getting stronger. I haven't been able to make out much in the visions I had so far, but just now... I think I'd been asleep for a few minutes when suddenly everything changed. It was like that before."
"How long have you been having visions like that? And why are you only telling me about them now?"
"Since the beginning of the summer. I've long believed they were just nightmares, but not after today."
"What happened?"
"One of his servants returned to him. They were talking about how he escaped his chains at the Final and he conjured the Dark Mark. I was - Voldemort was very happy about that."
"You see it as if you were Voldemort?"
"Yes. It's not a nice feeling," Harry said, and Hermione pulled him into a long hug, thinking about what she'd heard meant for the future. She had known about the connection between Harry and Voldemort for over a year and Dumbledore had suggested several times that one might see things that the other did. She resolved to continue to be careful so that Voldemort didn't accidentally find out through Harry who she was and what powers she had. Even if that meant keeping one of her best friends in the dark.
"They've been talking about coming up with a plan and working in secret for as long as possible," Harry snapped her out of her thoughts and Hermione pressed her lips together thoughtfully.
"Thank you for trusting me with this. I'm sure it's not easy."
"Thank you for not thinking I'm crazy," Harry replied and Hermione shook her head.
"You can always come to me if there's anything. Or write to me," she said, pointing to the parchment on the desk. Harry nodded with a smile and Hermione was glad that he was visibly feeling better. "Will you stay a little longer?" she asked after a brief pause.
"Sure, or we can go over to my room and look at the stars for a bit."
"Oh, I'd love to!" said Hermione, following Harry to his room, where they lay side by side under the enchanted ceiling of his four-poster bed and gazed silently at the millions of shining points for a while, arms folded behind their heads. She thought of her trip with Severus where they had seen the Aurora and a wave of longing washed over her.
Without thinking and without asking if it was okay with him, she turned onto her side and rested her head on Harry's chest. She sighed softly as she felt his arm wrap around her back and pull Hermione a little closer still. They both lay there breathing quietly, enjoying the physical closeness to each other that made them both feel safe, like a hug. She had been chosen by the Elder to protect Harry from Lord Voldemort, but at that moment she felt protected by Harry, whose mental strength never ceased to amaze her. Hermione could not and would not imagine what it must be like to have visions and look through the eyes of the man, the creature, who had murdered his parents. She had already made acquaintance with a part of him and was reminded of it every night she didn't protect herself with a trance.
She was glad that she had at least managed to rid Harry of his toxic relatives by stopping Sirius from killing Pettigrew. But how long would it be before all that no longer mattered, but only whether it was Harry or Voldemort who survived in the end. Neither could live while the other survived. As so often, Sybille Trelawny's raspy Seer voice echoed in Hermione's mind. She winced slightly as Harry snored softly and she had to suppress a giggle. She considered getting up and returning to her bed, but at that moment Harry pulled her a little closer to him in his sleep. She smiled and carefully floated her glasses onto Harry's bedside table before she put herself into a trance.
Severus Snape
Severus: You can't just walk into Spinner's End, not after last night.
Hermione: Good morning to you too...
Severus: Good morning. Happy? What if someone comes to my door to see if I'm still loyal to the Dark Lord?
Hermione: All right, all right. I'll stay here, then. What does Dumbledore say about what's happened?
Severus: Nothing yet, I have my instructions for this case.
Hermione: So we're all just going to sit at home and wait for more Muggles to be tortured?
Severus: Hermione, I know you want to take action and I agree, but for now we need to keep our feet still.
Hermione: Can I at least send Lancelot over to you? Sirius gave me the first version of the contract for the rights to sell the parchment after breakfast. It would be great if you could take a look at it.
Severus: Shouldn't your parents do that? You're not of age yet. Although you're most likely fine to decide for yourself.
Hermione: My parents don't get back from Canada for another week, and Muggles don't have the right to make decisions in the magical world after they agree to their children becoming part of it. So Muggle-borns can, or rather have to, decide for themselves.
Severus: Sounds like a hole in the system.
Hermione: I don't really understand it either, and I don't want to decide completely on my own until someone with experience has looked at it.
Severus: All right. But Lancelot has to be discreet.
Hermione: He always is! It'll take him about an hour to get to you, Black Manor isn't far from you. And don't feed him too much!
Severus: It would never have occurred to me...
Hermione: I looked in his memories, last time you made him a huge omelette!
Severus: So you're spying on me in your pet's memories?
Hermione: With good reason! Enough jokes now, thanks for looking at it. I'll send him off in a minute.
Severus: You're welcome, I miss you too. It's just too dangerous.
Hermione: I know, I'm looking forward to Hogwarts.
Severus: At least we can communicate with each other like this. Being with a genius does have its advantages.
Hermione: You're a genius!
Hermione grinned when she saw the heart Severus had drawn on the parchment. It was clearly meant ironically, but at the same time, she knew it expressed how much he missed her. She scribbled a goodbye on the parchment and immediately sent Lancelot off with a copy of the contract Sirius had placed in front of her, rolled up, after breakfast. She had been a little surprised to be presented with a contract the very next morning after the Quidditch World Cup, but Sirius had only replied with a grin that his lawyers weren't big Quidditch fans.
"Have you read it through?" asked Sirius as Hermione came into the dining room for lunch. She nodded with a scowl and Sirius raised his hands in surprise as if she had pointed her wand at him.
"Forty percent of revenue is way too much! How are you going to pay for everything?"
"Hermione, you're talking to the last male descendant of one of the oldest houses in the wizarding world. I could give you a hundred percent and I wouldn't make a loss overall," Sirius said, glancing at his fingernails.
"That doesn't justify you giving me that much of a cut!" she said. Severus had immediately read through the contract when Lancelot had arrived at his house and his only comment had been, 'Black's an idiot if he's paying you that much. Sign it immediately'. "And don't give me any of that Muggle-born bullshit!' Just because I started without gold doesn't mean I need it."
"Wow, I didn't intend it that way."
"I know that, but I'm not signing the contract like that. Ten per cent is the upper margin," she said.
"Not going to happen. I'm not going below thirty!" exclaimed Sirius angrily and they glared at each other for a moment.
"Are you really having this discussion right now?" asked Harry with an amused tone in his voice.
"No remarks from the peanut gallery!" shouted Hermione and Sirius in unison, easing the tension in the room. They laughed and Sirius shook his head.
"I wouldn't have thought you'd trade down your own value."
"You don't know Hermione very well then," Harry said, snorting in amusement as she folded her arms and slumped back in her chair.
"I'm not even doing anything! Remus does all the work. Add the ten percent on his salary."
"Remus gets more than enough, believe me. The whole production team gets paid according to expected revenue. Thirty percent, my final offer. Otherwise, you'll have to find someone else to distribute your parchments."
Hermione pressed her lips together and scowled at Sirius. He, on the other hand, twitched his eyebrows and grinned mischievously at her. Hermione couldn't maintain her scowl for long because Harry was grinning at them both and finally nodded, rolling her eyes.
"Perfect! Dobby! Champagne!" exclaimed Sirius, clapping his hands together. The house-elf appeared smiling with a bottle of the noble drink and three glasses on a tray. After Sirius corrected the paragraph with her share of the sales, Hermione signed the contract. As soon as the tip of the quill left the parchment of the contract, she felt the magic woven into it begin to work. The parchment rolled up on its own and disappeared.
"Here's to a grand idea!" exclaimed Sirius as they toasted. Harry screwed up his face as he had last time and passed his glass to Dobby, who declined gratefully. "Fine, I'll go check on the shop then. If all has gone to plan, we'll be ready for production in an hour."
"Sirius, how did you get it all done so quickly?"
"By paying capable people to do it," Sirius replied with a grin, waving at them before disappearing before their eyes.
"What did I do?" she asked with a sigh, which made Harry laugh.
"You gave him a purpose. I couldn't be more grateful," Harry said, smiling broadly at her. "Hey, um, sorry I fell asleep last night," Harry said, but Hermione shook her head with a smile.
"It was really nice. I can't wait to tell Tonks about snuggling with you under the stars," she said with a grin.
"Don't you dare!" exclaimed Harry and they both laughed. Hermione came up to him and hugged him tightly. She felt that she and Harry had grown closer in the last few days and it felt good.
"Fancy a game of Quidditch? Ginny and Susan must be back in training by now," Harry interrupted her thoughts. Her head shot up and she looked up at him with wide eyes. Then she stormed ahead without a word and Harry followed her to the broom cupboard, laughing. They trained for the rest of the afternoon and Hermione was glad to clear her head on the broom.
"How do you actually make sure that none of the production staff share my idea? Not that I think so, just in case?" asked Hermione at dinner two days later, when an excellently tempered Sirius told them about the progress of the business. Hermione had added a few days to her visit to Black Manor after the final at Sirius' invitation because it really did her good to spend time with Harry and Sirius.
"Magic Contract. Think of an Unbreakable Vow."
"WHAT?! People die if they break the contract?"
"No, not like that. You can only talk about production with people who have signed the same contract. And with you," Sirius replied and Remus, sitting next to him, gave Hermione a reassuring look.
"Oh, that's clever," Hermione said, relaxing. Remus confirmed that Sirius was ensuring perfect working conditions and told how he had already pre-produced with his team for the opening the next day.
"The calm before the storm," Sirius said cheerfully, rubbing his hands together. "The Daily Prophet is running out of Quidditch World Cup stories just now. Perfect time to revolutionise the wizarding world's communications."
"He's become a megalomaniac," Hermione said, shaking her head.
"What do you mean 'become'? He always was," Remus said, chuckling, and everyone laughed. "But I must say you've done a really good job, Padfoot," he said, nodding appreciatively at his childhood friend, "I'm looking forward to giving you a little tour tomorrow."
"I'm looking forward to it too," Hermione said, smiling at Sirius, who beamed proudly at her. Two of the parchments on the table in front of them turned green at the same time and Hermione and Harry grinned at each other. Remus had made several parchments for them the day before and Hermione had sent Lancelot to her friends one by one.
As well as a parchment for one-on-one conversations, she had sent each of them a group parchment so that the same group that had played Spin the Bottle a few nights before could now communicate together. It was great fun. Tonks, in particular, kept everyone in a good mood throughout. It felt like they were all sitting together again in the tent at the Quidditch World Cup.
Hermione and Harry had been spending every spare minute on the broom since Ginny and Susan had written that they had practised so long the day before that Mrs Weasley had banned them from it for the next two days.
From her one-on-one conversation with Ginny, Hermione learned that she and Susan had grown closer by the day and had told her parents that they were now a couple. To Hermione's surprise, Mrs Weasley, who Hermione had previously known to be a very conservative witch, had reacted extremely positively. Susan's parents were less surprised, as Susan had already told them a lot about Ginny before they had become closer.
Only Ron seemed not to be particularly fond of their relationship, which had caused heated discussion and speculation in their parchment group. The group also discussed what had happened after the final match of the World Cup.
"I really like how you decorated the parchment, by the way," Hermione said to Remus, who smiled at her. He had added a curved frame around the edges of the parchment and had written instructions on how to use it, which appeared the first time they were used and could always be called up again.
"Pleased to hear that. I can't wait to hear what you have to say when the whole design is on display from tomorrow," he said, grinning at Sirius. The two of them looked like schoolboys planning a silly joke. Sirius had kept it a secret until the very end what he wanted to call the shop in Diagon Alley and the parchment as a product.
"You have NOT done that!" exclaimed Hermione, wide-eyed.
"Yes, I did," exclaimed Sirius, falling into peals of laughter like Harry. Hermione gazed in disbelief at the large shop sign, which displayed in large, curved letters the name of the shop, in front of which onlookers and a reporter from the Daily Prophet had already gathered to witness the opening.
The sign read 'Black Mail' in large letters. Hermione clutched her head and started laughing as well when Harry patted her shoulder.
"What have I done?" she whispered.
"You can blackmail me anytime," Harry said and all three laughed. "That's brilliant, Sirius"
"I knew you'd like it, Harry. Come on, we're expected at the opening. Barnabas doesn't have all day" Sirius said and pushed them towards the crowd of people who made way for them with interest.
Sirius gave a short speech and, along with a few jokes, summed up very well why Black Mail was so important to their society. He put Hermione's achievement in the spotlight and let her answer the reporter's and people's questions before cutting the symbolic ribbon in front of the shop door together with her and inviting the onlookers to become the first customers.
Hermione, along with Harry, was the first to see the inside of the shop and she marvelled at the décor, which was very modern for a wizarding shop. The product was displayed unenchanted in several display cases so that it was obvious what one was buying. Sirius, in consultation with Hermione and Remus, had also had a version produced that did not contain any identity spells and could therefore be offered at a lower price.
They were greeted kindly by the shop assistants and saleswomen, but Hermione quickly found the hustle and bustle of the salesroom too much. She was glad that Remus led her and Harry through a curtain to the back of the shop, where a large and perfectly quiet workshop provided a pleasant working atmosphere for the twelve employed witches and wizards. They all applauded Hermione as they entered the workshop and she beamed when she recognised Penelope Clearwater.
"I knew you'd do something great one day!" she said, smiling and hugging Hermione. Penelope explained to her that she had found the perfect job here to earn some extra money on top of her Master's training in Enchantment. Hermione was happy to see her former prefect again, introduced herself briefly to the rest of the staff and exchanged a few words with them. They were all enthusiastic about her invention and also praised the work process and conditions. Sirius had instructed Remus to continue researching the field of communication in order to support the parchment with other enchanted objects or to make his own creations. Remus was thus always able to assign different employees to research, which increased variety and inventiveness.
"It was very nice to meet you all!" exclaimed Hermione, waving to the witches and wizards in the workshop before returning to Sirius in the shop, who was selling parchment after parchment with his employees. As he had predicted, word of the new product spread even before the article in the Evening Prophet, causing a real rush to the new shop in Diagon Alley. Hermione was glad to escape the madness with Harry and have ice cream at Florean Fortescue.
"Black Mail, only Sirius could think of that," Hermione giggled as she looked over her ice cream cup at the shop's sign, an ever-growing queue forming in front of it. Harry grinned and nodded. They were both approached several times by customers of the shop and Hermione got more attention for the first time in Harry's presence, which he seemed to like very much. They met a few Hogwarts classmates who couldn't get out of praising Hermione and she hoped that the euphoria would die down by the start of the school year or she would have to make a statement. At that moment, however, she was enjoying the success of her invention.
Severus Snape
Severus: Congratulations, I'm pleased it's been received so well.
Hermione: Thank you. I'm glad too, but it really has been a busy day.
Severus: Dumbledore sends his regards. He wasn't really surprised. Knowing him, you'll be getting a copy from him soon.
Hermione: I could have made him one, too.
Severus: Albus is a collector, I think he would prefer to pay you for your work. Minerva immediately drew up a school rule banning the use of Black Mail in class.
Hermione: Hehe, that's to be expected. I'm all for it too though. You should be paying attention in class.
Severus: Fifty points for Ravenclaw.
Hermione: Go ahead and make fun. I'm expected for dinner. I miss you and hope to see you again soon.
Severus: I miss you too, but that will have to wait until the beginning of the school year, I'm afraid.
Hermione: Have you told Dumbledore about Harry's visions?
Severus: Yes, he thanked me for the information but, as usual, kept a low profile. Enjoy your meal.
Hermione: Thank you
"You did what?" her father asked in surprise as Hermione made herself comfortable in the living room after her reunion barbecue with her parents and told them about her summer.
"I invented a parchment that allows you to communicate with whoever has the other piece of the pair," Hermione repeated her explanation.
"But, you're not allowed to do magic, I thought?" her mother asked, and Hermione could sense that her mother suspected that she could circumvent the Ministry's system. Hermione was ashamed of what she had to do next, but it was too dangerous to tell her parents too much. They were too easy a target and had nothing to counter a Legilimency attack.
"Sirius and Professor Lupin did the spell casting, I contributed the idea and theory," she explained the official version to anyone who questioned that Hermione was within the law with her spell casting.
"That's impressive, no question, but I'm really surprised you did it without our consent," her father said and Hermione sighed inwardly. She had expected that her father, at least, would not be happy at first that she had signed a contract without their consent. She took the parchment with the contract out of her bag, which was lying next to the sofa, and handed it to him.
"In the wizarding world, I'm afraid your word isn't worth much, I'm sorry. Once I can do something about it, I will work to integrate the parents of Muggle-borns more into our world," she said and was glad when her mother nodded in understanding.
"I would have signed that one too!" her father exclaimed after reading through the contract, throwing his head back with a laugh. "Thirty per cent? If this parchment goes down as well as you say, you must be drowning in money."
"I haven't looked in my vault yet, but Sirius says all sales records ever recorded in magical Britain were broken in the first week alone. And the orders aren't slowing down," she said, blushing as she realised what that meant for her.
"I know we've raised a responsible young woman and I'm sure you don't need the talk about handling money," her mother said firmly, placing a hand on her husband's thigh, who had just taken a breath with a serious look on his face. He looked at her and his features softened instantly.
"We're proud of you, Hermione," he said, handing the contract back to her.
"Thank you, I'm really glad you're my parents. And now I want to see pictures of Canada!"
The Grangers made themselves comfortable and Hermione got wanderlust as she looked at the freshly developed photos her parents had taken on their long trip across Canada. What she would give to fly through the Rocky Mountains with Lancelot one day. When she returned to her room a little later, she immediately noticed the large tawny owl that had landed on her window sill and was staring at her with its amber eyes. She let it in and transformed a pencil into a mouse for it before reaching with interest for the letter the great owl had brought. She smiled when she read the return address and shook her head when she realised that the envelope contained only a piece of Black Mail.
Albus Percival Wolfrick Bryan Dumbledore
Albus: Good afternoon Hermione, I hereby offer you my greatest compliments on this achievement.
Hermione: Good evening, Professor. Thank you very much. Is this the first time you've used it?
Albus: Indeed, truly magical. I have already ordered a group copy for the teaching staff. However, I sent this copy to you before the end of the holidays because I want to talk to you.
Hermione: Is there any news about the Horcruxes?
Albus: I'm afraid not, but I would like to talk to you about Harry's connection to Voldemort. Would it be all right if I picked you up and apparated back home afterwards?
Hermione: Of course, I'll just go and tell my parents, would you like to stay for tea?
Albus: I'd love to, I'll see you in a minute.
Hermione jumped up from her desk and ran down the stairs to announce her headmaster's visit and put the water on for tea. Just a minute later there was a knock at the door and Hermione let in Professor Dumbledore who, with a wave of his wand, made a couple of cupcakes appear on the table.
Over tea, Dumbledore praised Hermione generously and confirmed to her parents that Sirius was trustworthy. They had an animated discussion about how the parents of Muggle-borns were virtually non-existent in the magical world and Muggle-born children had been led to believe for ten years that they were strange Muggles. Dumbledore then said goodbye and apparated to Hogwarts with Hermione. She smiled as she caught sight of the view from the Headmaster's balcony in the setting sun and her anticipation of the coming school year grew enormously.
"Would you explain to me again how Harry described the connection? I have a feeling that Severus wasn't able to pick up on everything that might be important through your Black Mail conversation."
"We can have a look at it," Hermione said, pointing to the Pensieve in Albus Dumbledore's display case. He nodded and Hermione briefly put herself into a trance, accessing the memory of her conversation with Harry in Black Manor after the Quidditch World Cup.
"Do you think Voldemort could exploit this connection?" asked Hermione after they had returned from the memory. Dumbledore looked at her thoughtfully and stroked a hand through his long beard.
"I'm not sure that's what he really wants. I think Voldemort is afraid of Harry."
"Afraid?"
"Not of Harry as a person, but of what has happened. He doesn't know why his own Death Curse rebounded on him back then. He also doesn't know the whole prophecy. I think he'll be wary of using that connection, if he knows about it at all."
"From what Harry tells me, he's all about getting back to his old strength for now anyway, without causing much of a stir."
"Right. I think we can assume for the moment that Harry has no danger to fear from that side. However, I'm not sure what Voldemort's plan is. Since not much is known about Horcruxes, I can't make any guesses as to how he'll come back, but anyone who knows his skills knows he will."
Hermione slumped a little in her chair in response. It felt like after all the research and knowledge on the Horcruxes, for the first time in a long time, they had lost the knowledge advantage over Voldemort.
"But we must do everything we can! Severus must try to contact the Death Eaters who perpetrated the attack on the campsite."
"Severus cannot help us until he is back in Voldemort's favour. He is not in good standing with the Death Eaters because he pledged himself to me after Voldemort's downfall and I publicly defended him. Voldemort will see his value as a spy and disregard his caution because the opportunity is too good."
"Fine, but we can't just sit there and wait for Voldemort to return! We have to prepare ourselves. You told me last year that if Voldemort returned, there would surely be war."
"You are absolutely right. In light of what happened at the Quidditch World Cup, I've been rekindling some old contacts. Ah, speaking of which," Dumbledore said with a smile and waved his wand. Behind Hermione, the office door swung open and she heard the new arrival before she saw him. With a rhythmic 'clonk' of his wooden leg, a gruff, dangerous-looking wizard stepped into the office. His face was covered all over with scars and he was missing a large chunk of his nose. Hermione recognised Mad-Eye Moody immediately, for he had been in the archived Daily Prophets of the 70s and 80s on an almost daily basis. She glanced at the bright blue magical eye that fixed her firmly.
"Good evening, Alastor. Is your office to your satisfaction?" asked Dumbledore and Moody nodded with a growl before holding out his hand to Hermione in greeting.
"Good evening. Heard a lot about you," he said and Hermione shook Moody's hand. She felt an attack on her mind bounce off her mental barrier and instantly read her counterpart's mind to know why he wanted to invade her mind. She felt it pass his barrier, also intact, as she read his mind.
"Impressive," Moody said with an expression on his face that was close to a smile. Hermione had a sigh of relief when she realised in his mind that he had merely wanted to verify for himself what Dumbledore had told him about. Moody's blue eye remained fixed on her as he turned his head to Dumbledore, who chuckled.
"Alastor will be teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts this term. I've already told him about you, and let's just say you made a good case for his return."
"What do you mean?" asked Hermione, glancing back and forth between the wizards.
"I spent the longest part of my life training talented witches and wizards to be Aurors. A simple teaching job seemed too boring, but you..."
"Alastor's point is that he will only work here if he can train you in private lessons."
"Oh, of course!" said Hermione in surprise, buzzing with anticipation at being taught by the most famous Auror of the century, even if he was still a little scary to her. From his thoughts and feelings, however, she had received only positive signals. "I will work hard," she said and Moody nodded.
"Please keep it down until the school year starts," Dumbledore said and Hermione was already nodding when she realised he hadn't spoken to her at all. She glanced at Moody, who growled sullenly and nodded. Hermione giggled.
"Constant vigilance!" shouted Moody and Hermione, momentarily startled, nodded as she was transfixed by his piercing gaze. It was going to be an interesting time, she thought to herself as she later followed Dumbledore to his balcony. He apparated her back to London and wished her a good rest of the week until the holidays were over. Hermione resolved to enjoy the rest of the holiday after all the stress and work and wrote to the group in the evening to see if Harry, Susan and Ginny were up for Quidditch the next day.
Author's Notes: Hey everyone, I hope you are doing well and that you enjoyed reading this Chapter! As always, thank you for reading and also thank you to all the people that already left favorites, follows and reviews!
See you next time!
Kasing