Chapter 27: Hippogriffs of a Feather - November 1993

In Potions class two days later, Harry was incredibly nervous that another memory charm was headed his way. Clumsy and distracted, his class performance was severely impacted. Professor Snape marked him down for his mistakes and poor results without comment or glare.

Harry thought he might never feel safe around Snape again. In a darker moment, he realized that he could have attempted to memory charm him back. But that sort of ruthlessness wasn't natural to Harry, and the possibility had occurred to him too late.

During their next secret meeting, Harry recapped the entire disastrous episode. His friends listened patiently until he brought up the memory charm.

Hermione shook her head vigorously, "I honestly don't think you have a memory charm in you. Have you even done one before?"

"No," Harry admitted.

"It's probably a good thing. Your sense of right and wrong is one of your best traits. Don't give that up," Ron coached.

At Ron's direction, Harry wrote copious notes about Pettigrew and Snape's conversation, as well as the conversation between Snape and Harry that followed. "That way, if he obliviates you later, you still have the information."

The notes were of little comfort to Harry. He asked tentatively, "Do you think Snape is a bad person?"

Ron said, "No. He probably had a net-positive impact on the previous timeline's war. But, not every war needs spies. With our actions, this war might not need him to play this role."

Hermione pointed out, "But we can't tell Snape that."

Ron nodded. "She's right. So, I wouldn't judge him on his impact in this timeline. Our plots have a well-above average chance of success, and yet would be wildly unlikely and unpredictable from his point of view."

Harry said flatly, "So… ?"

"I guess what I'm actually saying is that having a spy who subtly gets in Voldemort's way is probably generally good, even if it's not specifically good. So, I say he's doing important work."

Harry asked, "Even if he has to let people die?" Harry thought of Cedric in particular at that moment, but there were plenty other faces he could put to the idea as well.

Ron's face looked grim as he nodded.

Hermione tentatively asked, "Harry, is your primary interest with Snape to build a relationship? Or do you just want answers about why he's made certain choices?"

Harry pondered it, then said, "I want to understand him, so I know if I want a relationship."

Hermione said, "Being angry with him right now seems reasonable to me. He did try to wipe your memory, and he's a prickly one at the best of times. You can also be concerned that his actions are immoral."

Harry was despondent. "That's so depressing."

"Your thoughts and feelings are important to sort out. But, perhaps you can think of a specific question or next step. That might help you not get so bogged down. You said yourself that you don't have all of the facts. Remember that the war and school will both end at some point, and you'll never have a reason to talk to Snape again unless you make one."

"You have something of a deadline," Ron agreed.

Harry spoke more for himself than to his friends. "You're right. I need to focus. Your advice got me some answers from Snape already, albeit far slower than I would have liked."

Hermione pointed out, "Maybe you can focus on getting him to reveal his real identity to you? That would clear the way for a lot of other topics you've brought up in the past."

Ron's eyes lit up. "You could bait him with your current anger. I think Snape is jealous of Sirius, too."

Harry considered his friends' advice. "Well, I am frustrated with him."

The redhead moved the conversation along. "Consider it, Harry. Now, we have something else to talk about: we have a line on Wormtail and Voldemort's plans. So, we might be able to make some sort of plan against them now." Ron looked at Hermione as he spoke.

Harry summarized some of what they had learned from Wormtail. "We know that Voldemort is weak and doesn't have his full circle back."

Ron added, "Voldemort wanted the upper hand when he approached Snape for help, yet had to use Wormtail to do it. That sounds like dire straights, in my opinion."

The trio tossed around several ideas. Attempting to control Pettigrew with the Imperious Curse was rejected for being high-risk-low-reward. The same went for creating an identity for a fake follower that could spy for them. Damaging Riddle Manor or their potions ingredients stores was too imprecise.

Hermione proposed the best idea: killing Nagini. "She probably goes off on her own to hunt for food. Voldemort might not be strong enough to feel their connection at this point."

To Harry's ears, Ron sounded impressed. "That sounds perfect. Even if she isn't a horcrux yet, she's a target in her own right. As we've talked about before, her death might not even be seen as attacking either Voldemort or horcruxes. And with a careful plan, we can minimize the risk of provoking a full conflict with the residents of Riddle Manor."

Harry's face twisted into disgust. "I think her venom might also be supporting Voldemort's current body."

"All the more reason to make her our focus."

While Ron wouldn't ever tell his friends, a reminder of Harry's fundamental niceness and Hermione's brilliant idea of hunting Nagini were both pick-me-ups. The redhead had needed them to recover from a frustrating couple of months.

With those lifts, Ron had eagerly engaged Hermione in detailed planning. It only took them a single meeting to get the shape of a plan that he was optimistic about. Hermione would take the next steps of sneaking away from Hogwarts to gather information and confirm assumptions alone.

Snape also factored into Ron and Hermione's plan, but neither would bring it up in front of Harry if they could help it. It wasn't simply an aversion to twisting a knife — Ron and Hermoine were both unsure if Harry and his mother would ever work things out between them, so they were both dedicated to making sure he felt supported and loved regardless.

To assist in their plans, Ron used the Marauder's Map to get a sense of when and how often Snape was visiting Voldemort. The pair would also make sure that Snape was at the school when they made their move on the snake.

With the Nagini plot taking shape, Ron's attention turned to quidditch.

Like last timeline, the first quidditch match of the year for Gryffindor would be played in awful weather. Ginny, Fred, George, Angelina, Alicia, Katie, and Oliver were all shivering and wet moments after leaving their changing room.

Ron was privately glad that he was only a reserve and wouldn't be playing that day. He sat in the stands with Harry and Luna per usual. Harry surrounded the three of them with warming and waterproofing charms.

Unlike the previous timeline, Gryffindor would be playing Slytherin. Malfoy wasn't fake-injured by a hippogriff, so there was no need for Hufflepuff to fill in.

While Ginny had claimed to be on fair terms with Draco Malfoy over the summer, Ron still worried about his penchant for trash talk and unsportsmanlike tactics in quidditch. Unfortunately, Ron couldn't see that or much of anything at all because of the wind and rain.

Madam Hooch probably blew the whistle, because 14 brownish blobs rose into the air.

Ron was comfortable if bored for the half-hour-long game.

"What was the score?" Ron asked Lee Jordan when the players had lowered back to the ground.

"250-30 to Gryffindor! Ginny played really well. She might be better than you, Harry." Lee punched Harry on the arm.

"I'm happy to be bested by anyone who actually wants to play." Harry gave a calm smile. "And I wasn't envious of today's playing conditions. The storm was no joke!"

"Ominous," Luna agreed.

Back at Gryffindor tower, Ginny was practically glowing, "I won my first match ever!"

"You did!" Ron offered heartfelt congratulations to his little sister. "Say, did Malfoy do anything he shouldn't have? I know he used to give Harry a hard time."

"Nope." Ginny shook her head, causing her long locks of wet hair to spread droplets.

"You did that on purpose!"

The little sister gave a smile that said, Who, me?

"Hey, Luna."

"Oh. Hello, Hermione." Luna stopped walking abruptly amidst a crowd of people leaving the Great Hall.

Hermione pulled her gently to stand beside her next to the wall. "Harry told me that you might like Potions or Herbology help. Do you know what your weaknesses are?"

"I don't expect that you can help me with my real problem, which is that the classes get so boring. I can't get the timing right on potions, and the plants strangle me." Luna lifted up a sleeve to show a welt around her wrist.

"That looks painful. Maybe bring that to Madam Pomfrey?"

Luna shrugged. "My essays and written tests are averaging Exceeds Expectations. I was hoping to make those Outstandings so my practicals don't drag me down so low."

That wasn't how Hermione would approach that problem, but she agreed anyway. "Meet us in the unused classroom by Defense after dinner."

Neville was clearly excited to have Luna join their little group. They went over her work first. Then Hermione and Neville talked as they usually did about the next Potions class.

Neville explained to Luna, "I used to get really nervous in class, but Hermione pointed out that the class proceeds sequentially through the syllabus. We look at it and the textbook together, and Hermione helps me write notes in a system that keeps me from relying too much on memory as I brew."

Luna tipped her head to the side. "I guess I don't remember things well either, but it's more that I remember the wrong things. Like what kinds of shapes the potion fumes make, and what I thought about as I chopped up the frog livers."

Hermione wondered if Luna and Neville had opposite problems. "Do you think you might stay more focused if you used your memory more? Like, try to memorize the recipe before class, then recall it as you make the potion. You can check before you do each step. It's just a thought."

Luna didn't address Hermione's suggestion at that time, but she brought it up a week later. "I tried your idea, and it worked a little!"

"That's great, Luna!"

"I was able to memorize the recipes pretty easily, so I also memorized the textbook's guide to each ingredient as well as their common properties, the origins of the ingredient name, and seasonal price variations. Then I listed it all in my head as I brewed. No explosions today!"

Hermione and Neville both nodded uncertainly. If it works for her….

Hermione refrained from giving further advice, though she did ask Harry to take Luna to the hospital wing for her wrists.

A few weeks later, Hermione asked Luna for her actual marks.

She studied them for a while, concern growing. "Luna, are you sure you're doing better in classes?"

"Oh, I think it's been about the same. But I knew it would make you happy if your idea worked. You also don't seem to value honesty as much as Harry or Ron."

"Not that it's a bad thing," Neville added on.

Hermione was taken aback. "Do you still want to work with us?"

"Oh yes, it's good fun."

Hermione was more bothered that she wasn't bothered by Luna's white lie. Perhaps she's right. Hermione also hadn't forgotten that Luna might have some form of Sight. Hermione would never tell anyone that, but it did lend the girl's odd comments a heavier weight.

While Hermione didn't quite understand Harry's friendship with her, Luna was growing on her in her own way. The blonde witch had lots of unusual thoughts and opinions, many of which Hermione had never heard of or seen in books.

Later that day, Hermione noted that she was doing very well on all of her plans and plots. She'd even gotten away to Riddle Manor several times in the past two weeks.

Therefore, Hermione decided that it was time to try out the cassette player that her parents gave her at Hogwarts. In digging around to find all of her tapes, she also found the souvenirs from her parents that she kept packed in her trunk.

After some experimentation, she determined that her tape player only worked when it was by a window. That was enough to delight her.

Hermione listened to Phil Collins and held a snow globe from a zoo. She wondered if she could create a snow globe effect and tie it to the object. Shaking the snow globe would create fake snow that would fall all around her (and hopefully disappear shortly after). What runes would work for this?

The November chill nipped at Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Luna as they walked down to Hagrid's. The large man jovially welcomed the group in and offered them a steaming mug of tea and rock cakes. Harry warmed from both the fire and nostalgia.

Luna and Hagrid filled the others in about the herd of thestrals, the hippogriffs, and the merpeople.

Luna only had to say "beaky friend" to elicit peals of laughter from Hagrid. For the others' benefit, Luna explained that was Colin Creevey's name for Buckbeak.

Harry listened attentively, but couldn't help but feel left out. He'd been too busy lately to join her creature visits.

When Hagrid asked about their classes, Ron grumbled about Arithmancy. "I like that it gives firm answers, but it's so complicated…."

Harry agreed with Ron's complaints. He was doing only slightly better than the redhead in that class, and both work working hard.

Earlier that week when the pair were alone, Ron had implied to Harry that it was disheartening to be shown up by actual fourteen-year-olds when they were secretly in their twenties, even if they were the only ones who knew. Harry had honestly not put that together until he mentioned it.

Hermione asked Harry, "How's Ancient Runes now that you've been taking the class for a few months?"

Since they had time traveled, Hermione had greatly reduced her micromanaging of their studies. She usually helped only when asked. Both Ron and Harry appreciated both the more relaxed attitude and her help, though they generally only vocalized the latter.

Harry said, "That class is an uphill climb, but I'm doing okay I suppose. I've made cards with each of the symbols to help me review them more often. I've also used dozens of pieces of parchment to practice writing them. And they have lots of cool applications, like your snow globe project."

Hermione pulled it out of her space-enhanced bag to show Hagrid and Luna.

"Mighty impressive," Hagrid complimented.

Once Hermione had thanked Hagrid, Harry said, "Even without quidditch, I'm probably doing too much. My head is full of treacle some days."

Hagrid's chair groaned as he leaned forward. "Eh, look. I know you like Kettleburn's class, and I love having you there. Don't get me wrong."

"But?" Harry asked.

"Yeh might consider dropping it. I might o' said this last spring, but yeh probably can study on yer own in summer and with me. Take the OWL with your year, even."

Ron groaned, "Please don't leave me with Malfoy!"

Luna pointed out, "You said he was fine now."

"Fine, but weird. Not, like, up-to-something weird. I'm just… confused."

The blonde witch pouted a little. "But Harry could study Care with me. Being in different years, we'll never get a class together otherwise."

Ron caved. "I suppose that can be your thing together. We three have Arithmancy and Runes, besides."

Harry said brightly, "Thanks, Hagrid and Ron. I'd miss the class, but it would let me focus on the other things. I think I learn better from getting to move around and do things myself, which Hagrid lets me."

Hagrid rolled his eyes. "That Kettleburn." But, he didn't articulate an actual grievance.

Hermione squeezed Harry's arm. "I'm glad you're making the right choice for you."

Harry was glad to hear her say it, since he had been trying to live up to her expectations in the first place.

The curly-haired witch added, "You should make a list of what you need to learn for the OWL before you tell Professor McGonagall that you'd like to drop the class. That way, she'll take your request more seriously."

Harry saw her point. Ron and Hermione walked back up to the castle together while Luna and Harry stayed to plan their studies.

Since Harry had already taken the exam before, he wasn't concerned.

Or, he hadn't been concerned until Luna said that she wanted to consult the acromantula colony for ideas to improve the curriculum.