Chapter 9
22 September 1991
Oliver,
I wanted to let you know that I will be a bit late to sit with you at breakfast — or might not even make it until lunch. I want to at least try and appease Ron. I won't actually sit with them, but will sit close — if that makes sense... at least close enough to hear if he says anything dumb or is still taking my greeting out on Harry. If he is, I plan on setting him straight, even if I have to do it in front of the whole school. I just wanted to let you know so that you weren't worried.
Hermione
Hermione tapped the parchment with her wand and it folded into a seagull. "Oliver Wood," she said. "Off you go."
Once she sent the letter, she finished getting dressed and went down to breakfast. She had decided to send Oliver the letter this morning after she'd not received a reply from her last one, though she expected that he just needed time to digest what she'd told him about finding the three headed dog on the third floor, and the fact that she, Harry and Ron nearly got themselves killed.
She ignored Harry and Ron this morning, sitting a few feet away and propped a book open before getting a bowl and filling it with oatmeal. She sat behind the book, not really paying attention, but rather listening to their conversation.
"Look at her," Ron scoffed
Harry sighed. "Ron, just leave her alone."
"What?" Ron said.
"Look," Harry said. "You got mad at her — and me — for her being nice and saying hello yesterday. You got mad at her for sitting somewhere else, instead of with us while all you've been doing is glaring at her or making snide comments, like she's just supposed to put up with it. Then, you get mad at her for sitting with your brothers and their friends when they're nicer to her than you are. I'm sick of it, just leave her alone."
"Fine." Ron huffed.
"And don't glare at me, either," Harry said. "I'm Switzerland."
"You're what?" Ron asked, confused.
"I'm Switzerland," Harry repeated. "It's a Muggle saying — it means I'm not taking sides."
"Whatever," Ron said. "Hey! Mail's here!"
Hermione glanced up as indeed the owls flew overhead. She wasn't expecting anything so she went back to listening from behind her book and spooned oatmeal into her mouth as she sat hunched over.
"Can I borrow this?" Harry asked someone. "Hey! Look at this!"
"What?" Ron asked.
"Believed to be the work of Dark wizards or witches unknown, Gringotts goblins, while acknowledging the breach, insist nothing was taken. The vault in question, number 713, had in fact, been emptied the very same day." Harry read aloud. "But we're not telling you what was in there, so keep your noses out if you know what's good for you, said a Gringotts spokesgoblin this afternoon."
Harry paused and took a drink from his pumpkin juice before continuing with interest, "Gringotts now need to readdress their security system. Goblin security specialists are combing the land for a better breed of security dragon to replace the now deemed useless existing ones. They are even going as far as examining Muggle security systems. Gringotts will need to get another security system in place before any more breaches occur. Wizards and witches all over the country are scratching their heads wondering how safe their money is in the so-called safest wizard bank. Gringotts Head Goblins are urging the wizarding community for calm," Harry finished.
"So?" Ron said, uninterested.
"Vault 713..." Harry said thoughtfully.
"Yeah, what about it?" Ron asked.
"That's the vault Hagrid and I visited," Harry said.
"Alright, and what's your point?" Ron asked.
"It says that the vault in question was emptied that same day..." Harry said. "Whatever was in that vault was important, Ron. So important that it had to be moved before someone stole it...which they tried to do... so important it would need to be guarded."
"You mean..." Ron asked and then lowered his voice though Hermione rolled her eyes as she could still hear him whisper, "the third floor?"
"Exactly," Harry said. "And what did Hermione say?"
"Who cares what that little know-it-all said?" Ron groused.
"Right now, I do!" Harry snapped back and Hermione blinked in surprise.
"Why?" Ron asked in irritation.
"Because she said there was a trap door," Harry said. "Whatever was in the vault has to be there."
"Yeah, so?" Ron asked, but Harry didn't answer.
Hermione rolled her eyes behind her book as she took another bite of oatmeal.
"Here," Harry said. "Thanks for letting me borrow that."
"No problem," someone answered. "Keep it."
"Thanks!" Harry said.
Hermione sighed heavily, but covered her mouth, faking a yawn. She knew Harry wasn't going to let this go...
Finishing her oatmeal, she set the empty bowl aside before packing up her book and then headed out of the Great Hall.
Oliver, the twins and Lee Jordan had been watching. Oliver had shared the fact that Hermione might not be sitting with them that morning, and why.
"Well," Oliver said. "I better go see how she's doing."
"Alright," Lee said.
"Yep," Fred said.
"See ya later," George followed up as Oliver got up and headed out of the hall after Hermione.
Oliver exited the hall just in time to see Hermione head outside. Following her out, he saw her heading toward the lake. "Hermione?" he called.
Hermione stopped and turned. After she'd gotten out of the Great Hall, she'd lost the battle with her tears at Ron's hurtful words, and they were streaming down her face. Seeing that it was Oliver, she ran up to him, burying her face in his robes as she clung to him and cried.
Oliver was startled for a moment, as she crashed against him, but wrapped his arms around her once he recovered. "Hey, Hermione?" Oliver asked again. "Are you alright? What happened?"
Hermione shook her head and sniffed.
"Alright, lass," he said again, and held her as she cried.
After a few moments, she pulled back, sniffing and drying her eyes with her sleeve.
"You want to go to the lake and talk about it?" Oliver asked.
"Yeah," Hermione answered and nodded, wiping at her eyes again.
"Alright, let's go... there's still some time before classes."
Hermione sighed, squinting out across the water for a few moments when they reached the lake, before she sighed and sat down by Oliver on the bank.
"Harry chewed him out," she said after a few minutes.
"Well, that's good," Oliver said. "At least it's not just the twins."
"He told him that he was Switzerland — that he wasn't taking sides, but to quit glaring at him," Hermione explained.
"That's sensible I suppose," Oliver said. "That means he wants to be friends with both of you."
"After that, the mail came..." Hermione said. "You saw the headline of the Daily Prophet?"
"Yeah," Oliver said. "Another article about the break in at Gringotts."
Hermione nodded. "Harry reminded him of what I had said... and he got mad again."
"What happened?"
"He said 'Who cares what that little know-it-all said', Harry defended me of course, saying that right now he did, referencing the article, but still..." she said trailing off.
"It hurt," Oliver supplied.
Hermione nodded, but was silent for a moment. "I knew it," she said, gazing across the lake. "I knew he wasn't going to let it go."
"What do you mean?" Oliver asked.
"When Harry told Ron that he cared what I had said, he reminded him that I'd said the... thing...in...the place... there was a trap door."
Oliver nodded.
Hermione sighed. "He's still thinking about it. Now, with the article appearing, he's wondering what's down there... what was in the vault that he told Ron that he and Hagrid had been to..."
Oliver sighed. "Maybe..." he began hesitantly. "Maybe you should just let it be. Let them do what they're going to do. You're always welcome with us... either way, lass, if what's down there is so bloody important to move on the same day there's a robbery... it sounds bloody dangerous."
"I know," Hermione said and turned to look at him, meeting his eyes. "But I can't. If it is dangerous... Harry seems the type of person to run into it head first without regard to his own safety..."
"Yeah, I know," Oliver said and smiled. "I at least had to try."
"I know," Hermione said and gave him a soft smile. "Thank you."
"You're welcome, lass," Oliver said. "I'm always here to listen, if you need me to."
"Except for now," Hermione said with a laugh as she pushed herself up and dusted off her uniform. "We don't need to be late for class."
Oliver grinned and got to his feet as well. "That's true," he murmured and drew her into a brief hug before they headed back to the castle. "I'm glad you're okay though, and I hope you have a good day despite having to deal with him in your classes."
"Thank you," Hermione replied.