Author Note: Hermione's secret comes out and a cabal is formed to use her information to win the battle. This will be the last chapter told strictly from Harry's point of view. All subsequent chapters will have scenes of things Harry will not know or experience directly. This is to reduce exposition and to let the audience know what is going on beyond Harry and his friends. Thank you for reading and enjoying. I disavow any knowledge of writing or creating any of this. All subjects are owned by others and the intellectual rights are in a bank in the middle of Beverly Hills in somebody else's name.
The next morning Hermione nervously waited for the meeting to occur. Her, Harry, Neville and Susan had retired to a quiet corner of the library to try and do some research before the mid-morning meeting.
Some people claimed that Oliver Wood had been born with a Quidditch uniform on while others said he had been seeking the Snitch his entire life. Harry wasn't sure but in the brief time he had been on the team he did know Oliver lived, breathed and probably dreamed Quidditch. So when Harry approached him after breakfast to let him know about missing practice Harry had some trepidation.
Oliver greeted him warmly, "So Harry, you ready to go for it today?"
"Uh well. I sort of have to go to this meeting with the Headmaster." Harry said rubbing his neck. "So I'm not going to be at practice this afternoon."
"Wha?" Oliver replied eloquently, "And what did you do to get stuck with a meeting?"
"Uh its uh. Well rather personal. So. Kinda mandatory." Harry said.
Oliver sighed, "I do not suppose there is anyway this can be rescheduled?"
Harry shook his head, "Uh no."
Oliver looked like Harry had beat his kitten with his puppy, "Oh. Well I guess we can work on some basic drills and maneuvers."
"Thanks. I knew you'd understand." Harry said grinning.
Oliver looked askance at him, "Do I have a choice?"
Harry shrugged, "Not really."
Joining Hermione while Oliver sighed he took her hand.
"Well that went as I expected." He quipped.
"It could be worse. Wood once argued with Minerva about Quidditch when they canceled all the games." Hermione said.
"Why would they cancel all of the games?" Susan asked as they headed for the hospital wing.
Hermione frowned, "Because there was something very bad going on. Only I don't remember what."
"Oh joy." Neville sighed.
"Anyhow I never really understood Quidditch. All you do is hover around and try to grab the Snitch while everyone else does all of the work." Hermione grumped.
Harry took a deep breath before deciding not to argue. All he said was, "Yeah well its a lot of fun and exciting to be up on a broom, no matter what I'm doing."
Hermione shrugged, "I guess. I never really got into it much."
"Well maybe this time around you can try again?" Harry smiled at her.
She nodded, "Alright. I have to admit Ron wasn't the best or most patient teachers."
"He didn't seem to be a patient person at all." Neville observed.
"No he wasn't" Hermione agreed.
…...
Sitting in the hospital wing around a long table, with the adults on one side and his friends on the other, Harry looked at the person who was going to be joining the staff. IKT was the auror Muldoon he had met at the Ministry. He looked like a professor which was comforting he supposed. Short, graying hair, small silver glasses with a tweed suit and a sweater over it. He was smoking a small pipe that produce light green smoke.
"Ahh. Good afternoon to ye. Allow me to introduce meself. I am Francis Muldoon." He said in a light cheerful tone.
"Good afternoon sir." Harry replied looking at Hermione who looked confused.
"Now Miss Granger do ye remember me?" he asked looking at her curiously.
"No not really." She admitted.
With a heavy sigh he looked at Minerva who shrugged apologetically, "Ahh well at least I am not that notorious. Either that or I perished too soon for you to know."
"I don't know. I'm sorry sir." Hermione said sheepishly.
"Well none the bother, now. Minerva has told me all she could about the situation and I look forward to help you with this." he said with a small grin.
"Thank you sir." Hermione said politely.
Madam Bones knocked on the table, "We should begin by informing our young associates what we have learned from the information they have already given us."
"We just told you last night." Harry exclaimed.
Madam Bones smiled, "There are only so many hours in the day unless one cheats a bit."
Harry glanced at Hermione for an explanation but she looked as blankly at Madam Bones as the other did.
"Moving along. I have learned that Quirrel visited eastern Europe over the summer. As the muggle governments are going through some rather chaotic events right now our counterparts among their magical governments are not able to keep track of things so that is all I was able to find out. That cannot be when he was infected as you came into contact with him just before school. We also have other people who stated his behavior did not seem altered. So in the week, at most, before school began he was possessed by the spirit." Madam Bones frowned, "Which means that the spirit was if not brought onto our shores was able to travel here."
"Maybe it hitched a ride with someone else?" Susan suggested.
"That is something we are investigating. I want all of you to begin working with Mr Muldoon on spiritual and mental hardening exercises to resist mind tampering and possession."
Hermione sighed, "I've already been trying to work on that, as messed up as my mind is I don't need anyone else getting in here."
Poppy leaned forward, "Good. I reviewed the test yesterday with my friend and Healer Bricker would like to examine you as well as Harry when he gets here later."
"Is there a problem with her?" Harry asked worriedly.
"Not entirely. He has only heard of some theories about the transfer of memories and information through time and wanted to see someone who ahd actually done so." Poppy said. "He is not going to do anything invasive on either of you, nor is he going to involve anyone else."
"Because after some very due consideration of past events and connection of the dots we agree certain people absolutely cannot be trusted with this information." Madam Bones stated.
"Oh. Okay. So what are we supposed to do?" Harry asked.
"Exactly what we discussed last night. Miss Granger is to keep notes on anything she recalls from her previous life. Any detail may be a vital clue to our enemies plans." Madam Bones leaned forward urgently, "Beyond that you are to enjoy your childhood as much as possible."
"In other words you and yer friends Miss Granger are to be an intelligence and advisory council. You will give me a weekly look at your memory diary, and then we will go from there."
Hermione nodded as she slid the notebook across the table. "I've not really remembered a pattern of anything. Aside from what I've already told you I remembered some uh personal things."
"Well I don't think you need to share those aroudn the table." Minerva said looking at the others who nodded their agreement, "We are only going to be interested in things that may relate to our adversary or the battle against him."
Muldoon used his finger to slide the diary back at her, "I'm sure you can sort out what might be pertinent and what might not."
"Okay. Maybe I give you a weekly report unless there is something immediately useful?" Hermione suggested.
"I believe that would be quite appropriate." Madam Bones agreed.
"Okay. I marked the things I've already told you about the future but there are a few things that I recognize but don't understand why they are important yet. But they were really really important."
"Well just try to tell us what they are and we can try to figure it out." Madam Bones said.
"Well one of them is a locket. It was really old. Heavy made of gold with these green stones in the shape of a snake on it, hanging from a thick gold wire chain. It made us feel so horrible. So unclean and, and tried to whisper things into her mind." Hermione had closed her eyes as she spoke. Her voice taking on a sad, pained tone. "I didn't know what it was until I looked in Hogwart's a History again. And saw it hanging around the neck of Slytherin. I guess it was his locket."
Madam Bones frowned but took a note. Muldoon's pipe had gone out but he did nothing with it.
Hermione had taken a deep breath before continuing, "There are multiple memories about dragons and one of them in some deep cave filled with doors all around the chamber. A small creature that's really sort of odd. Stands only a few feet tall and wearing a really dirty dish towel around their waist. And I wasn't sure what this last one was but it turned out to be Hufflepuff's cup. For some reason I remember holding it and having this desire to drink from it but knowing it was a very bad idea to do so."
When she stopped talking Harry reached over to squeeze her hand. She opened her eyes to looked around and give Harry a brief bashful smile.
"Well two items from the founders of Hogwarts. Verra interesting." Muldoon observed as he pulled an ashtray out of his pocket and knocked his pipe on it. Reloading it with a thoughtful expression on his face.
"The description of the mental effects sounds like they've been cursed." Poppy pointed out, "A compulsion placed upon the cup for certain."
"If I recall the cup is a magical item that was supposed to purify and enhance the quality of any beverage placed within it." Madam Bones asked looking at Minerva.
"I think that's what I recall from history as well. We could ask Binns or Pomona." Minerva nodded making notes.
"Aye. They might know something useful. Now this house elf ye described. Sounds like one of the ones from a family that doesn't take verra good care o them." Muldoon had repacked his pipe as he talked, "Might narrow it down. I don't suppose ye could recall anything else about him?"
"I could try to force it." Hermione offered but Poppy shook her head.
"No. Trying to force one of the implanted memories to come forward without more control could cause you to get injured. The energies inside your head are a jumbled mess that is trying to become organized along natural pathways. You need to just let them do their job."
"I know you want to help. And that is a fine thing, a fine thing indeed," Muldoon smiled sympathetically at Hermione, "However ye are carrying a terrible burden with this knowledge. A burden that no child should ever carry."
Hermione stiffened slightly, "I obviously thought I could handle it, Or the future me did. She must have felt that Harry could help me. Otherwise why would I send this back to myself?"
"Because she may not have had another option." Poppy said, "She knew her own mind. She knew the feel of her own magic. Maybe she had to send it back to you because she had no other options."
"That makes sense." Muldoon agreed, "Magic dooesn't work like science does. Since she is you, just an older version, the magic she used would have required her to send this information back to a younger her. Like calls to like. Her mind called to your mind."
Madam Bones cleared her throat, "We are not trying to dismiss your importance. You and the knowledge you have are vitally important. You are also an individual deserving respect. Which is why we are being as transparent about everything that we can."
"They are trying to help Hermione. I don't mind letting the adults handle all of the dangerous stuff." Harry said with a grin, "I'm just a kid."
Minerva smiled, "Mr Potter is correct. You and your friends will be trained because I have the distinctly unpleasant feeling that you may be forced by fate to become more involved at some point regardless of our wishes but until then enjoy your childhood, learn all you can and allow us to take the risks."
"And after all she must have known that there would be some of us who would be willing to help you. I seriously doubt that she expected you and your friends to do all of this by yourselves." Madam Bones added.
Hermione's stubborn expression softened, "I suppose you're right. I just feel bad not doing more to help."
Neville frowned, "All of the stuff you've already changed and its not enough?"
Hermione gave a bashful shrug, "I'm an over achiever and high strung. One reason Ron and I got a divorce."
Everyone looked at her in surprise. "Was that part of why he killed me?" Harry asked.
Hermione shook her head, "Not really. Although it finished your friendship. Which had been rocky since you divorced Ginny."
Poppy was watching Hermione as she twirled her finger on the table.
Susan though asked, "So Harry had divorced Ginny. Ron's sister"
Hermione looked up and blinked several times, "Yeah. He had. I was Ginny's Maid of Honor, Luna was one of the bridesmaids. Some girl named Abigail was there too. I remember. Ron got drunk and I went home alone."
"Wow you just remembered a whole bunch of stuff." Susan exclaimed.
"Yeah a bunch of useless stuff." Hermione countered in annoyance.
"It is important though as it shows if yer not thinking about it a memory can float to the surface. Especially if someone gives you a prompt." Muldoon observed lighting his pipe as he thought. "That could be useful."
"Yeah but what good does remembering that Harry and Ginny got married in the summer and a year later got divorced. What good does it matter that I remember there was chocolate tarts served with rumcakes." Hermione huffed.
"I dunno." Muldoon replied looking at the ceiling, "Same reason why wearing the locket felt so good."
"It didn't feel good. It felt bad. Very bad. It almost caused Ron and Harry to kill each other." Hermione said looking off over Muldoon's shoulder, "That was just before Ron left us alone to die in the woods."
"The Forbidden Forest?" Muldoon asked politely.
Hermione shook her head with a wince, "No. Some place from when I was little. Some place I used to go with mum and dad."
"Okay. That's enough of that. Go lay down and take a nap Miss Granger. You're trying to force it or we've reached a limit. I don't know which." Poppy ordered firmly glaring at Muldoon who was passively watching Hermione.
"Yes ma'am." Hermione stood up then fell sideways into Harry passing out.
…...
Hermione woke up with a tall sandy blonde haired man with gold rimmed glasses looking at her through a magnifying lens.
"Ahh. Welcome back Miss Granger. How are you feeling?"
"A little bit confused and ashamed. I pushed myself too hard to remember things." She admitted. "Uh who are you?"
"Ah. Healer Adam Bricker. At your service milady." He theatrically stepped back and took a courtly bow to her. She giggled briefly as she struggled to sit up. Harry was soon by her side helping her. She say the Matron and the healer both look at her worriedly.
"Be careful. I agree with Poppy that you need to be careful and let the memories sort themselves out." Bricker said studying her again. "The amount of energy dumped into your brain was quite a lot. Generally more than I recommend trying to absorb in a single dose."
Hermione wryly grimaced, "I'll make a note about. Try not to absorb energy fields larger than my head."
"Generally a good idea. I think you'll be okay so let's check out your boyfriend eh?" Bricker said walking around the bed.
Hermione started blushing as she accepted the chocolate bar Poppy handed her. The matron looked at her with a knowing smile before Hermione nodded.
"Alright Mr Potter." Bricker said missing the by-play between the two females confirming that Hermione had now claimed the title of Harry's Girlfriend, heaven help him. "Let's see what's so interesting about that scar."
Harry stood still as the healer examined the scar with his fingers then the magnifying lens. He made some humming noises at first then a slow drawn out hmmm.
"Well is it a problem?" Harry asked.
"I need to get something out of my bag. If you and Miss Granger would exchange places that would be helpful." Bricker said as he stepped out.
Harry and Hermione traded places as he sat on the bed and she sat in the chair. A glass of water arriving for her. The healer came back with something that looked like an electrical probe connected to a large transistor radio.
"Uh what is that and what are you going to do with it?" Harry asked quickly concerned.
"Well there are some rather interesting energy patterns involving that scar. Residual energies that seem to be tied into your very magical weave and weft. Plus a component from two other auras, neither of which I recognize." he explained holding the device up. "Unfortunately the other auras are so blurred and mingled with your own that I cannot identify them. This device should help me separate them from yours."
"Could it be something my mum did to protect me that night?" Harry asked.
"That is possible." Bricker said as he placed the probe against Harry's forehead. Several of the needles on the gauges shifted and settled on numbers while some of the gems along the top lit up. A thin stream of paper began to issue from the side with a gagging whir sound.
He tapped several other spots along Harry's forehead, outside of the scar. "The problem is there is no record of your mother's thaumic pattern. We didn't discover the concept until recently."
"Oh." Harry frowned. Hermione looked like she was taking notes. "Why not?"
"Excuse me?" Bricker said looking at Hermione.
"Why didn't anyone discover that until recently?" she asked.
"Well mainly because the concept of applying scientific principles to magic is rather distasteful to a great many of our people." Bricker chuckled.
"Oh. Yeah." Hermione frowned. "The purity movements."
"So what else could be causing the mess up here?" Harry asked trying to distract from Hermione's comment.
"Well there are several curses and disease that could cause it but as healthy as you are I'm going to rule them out. You would be far more debilitated by them at this point. Aside from that there are not very many known causes of an entangled magical cyst if you will." Bricker said rubbing Harry's scar with his thumbs.
"So why not just pop it or remove it?" Hermione asked. "Lance it like a boil."
"Well two main reasons. One it is entangled with Mr Potter's magic. So cyst might be the wrong analogy, more like a tumor or growth. And two I am reluctant to go poking into things that are not causing a problem without making sure I don't cause a bigger problem."
"Good idea. I appreciate that." Harry chuckled
"I hope you don't mind. You are not having any problems with it are you?" Bricker asked.
"No not really. Just a few odd twinges of pain now and again. But mainly around Quirrel." Harry stated.
Bricker made another one of his humming sounds.
"So can you figure this out?" Harry asked.
"Sadly not right now. You my dear boy are a puzzle wrapped in an enigma with a cherry on top." Bricker shook his head, "I am going to have to go talk to the silverfish about this."
"The what?" Harry and Hermione both asked.
"Ahh. Sorry. Unspeakables from the Department of Mysteries. They wear as part of their official uniform a full face mask that is a featureless smooth mirror. So one of their nicknames is silverfish. That and they are odd ducks all of them."
Hermione nodded, "Tell me about it. You never know who they are or if you talk to the same one twice."
"Another memory?" Harry asked.
"Yeah. She encountered them sometimes when she worked at the Ministry." Hermioen said.
"Not uncommon. And I wholly agree with you." He grinned. Turnign back to Harry he said, "So. Don't fret about your scar. I don't think its something too harmful. It has some positive and negative energies associated with it but the positive is far stronger."
"Oh that's nice." Harry observed with a relieved sigh.
"Oh yes. There was a lot of magical energy expended that night so its not surprising there was a little bit of an effect on you."
"Can we go now?" Harry asked.
"I suppose. It has turned out to be a fairly decent day so you should try to enjoy as much of it as you can." Poppy said, "Dinner will be in an hour."
"Thank you." Harry said hopping down. Hermione joining him as they left, holding hands.
Poppy looked at Bricker who was examining the paper in front of him, "Is it as harmless as you told him?"
"I don't know. This is something beyond anything I've encountered before. I'm as in the dark as you are." he admitted.
…...
Harry and the others had gone outside to sit in a courtyard outside of the walls. The sun was sinking behind the nearby ridges as they looked out across the lake.
"You know this is the first time I have really felt like any adults are listening to me." Harry sighed.
"I know." Neville agreed.
Hermione nodded thoughtfully, "Still there is some reason why I feel like we have to be invovled. Like why we can't let the adults do everything. And it is wrapped around Harry. Harry is the entire key to all of this. You, me, the future her. It wasn't just because she fell in love with him. Only I can't pin the memory down."
"Well don't push it. I'm sure that we'll figure it out soon enough." Harry declared emphatically. "I'm not worried."
"But." Hermione protested.
Harry put his hand up to stop her talking, "Sh. No. I'm not going to worry about it. The adults are taking care of things. Okay? Your information got the adults to get me away from the Dursleys, got Snape to calm down and not be such a jerk. Got my godfather out of Azkaban. Let them deal with the big stuff. I'm sure Draco and his cronies will still keep us plenty entertained."
Hermione looked at Susan and Neville who were nodding in agreement with Harry. She huffed as she leaned back with her arms crossed over her chest. "Alright. I suppose. But I still want to work on this puzzle."
Susan threw her hands up, "I swear you're like a niffler in a jewelry store."
Hermione scowled but with a wry smile said, "I thought it was like a dog with a bone."
"You can distract a dog." Neville said grinning.
Hermione shook her head, "Okay. I admit I may be a little bit obsessed with this."
"But we still like you anyhow." Harry said with a smile.
Hermione looked softly at him, "You better mister. I burned the Sun for you."
"True. Can't ask for a more impressive proof. Although I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to top that one." Harry looked thoughtfully, "You do put a lot of pressure on a guy."
Hermione shrugged as she said cheerfully, "Yeah but it'll be worth it when we grow up. You'll see."
…...(Review Responses)
katmom: oh yeah. Unlike canon where adults are useless. Harry and crew will still get involved in things and have their own adventures but the adults will be the ones to do most of the heavy lifting whenever possible.
Bahnnannah: Thank you for the compliment. I try. And yeah the Weasleys are just not quite right. Why there are so many people loving them is odd but oh well. Reddit has a limited connection to reality on a good day...
Yaw613: I am working as swiftly as I can.
Northmanlv: Jeremy Clarkson as Prime Minister could be an interesting thing to happen. At the very least it would be different. Thank you for the compliment.
Smithback: Thank you.