A/N: I understand that some of you aren't quite enthused about Hermione's fate. And while I can understand that just fine, please do keep in mind that we are writing and reading fanfiction here. Things aren't supposed to go the way the books went and I believe that for my story, this was important to reach certain goals. I hope you get where I'm coming from.

No pleasant talk shall 'ere be told

Chapter 31

Dumbledore sat in front of the ruined hearth of Gryffindor tower. He had taken a seat in one of the chairs that looked the least destroyed, though it was still stained with soot, its upholstery frayed and burned terribly. The wooden frame creaked dangerously every time Dumbledore shifted. He could have fixed it, yes, but he was preserving every bit of his magical power to get to the bottom of this mystery.

How was the tower set ablaze? It was a mystery that had baffled him for months now. And without knowing the cause, it was unwise to start the actual rebuilding of the tower for the wards needed to be woven into every brick and piece of wood.

Dumbledore glanced at Fawkes who had nestled into a big pile of ash that had once been a staircase leading up to the girls' dormitories. At least the one attached to the boys' dormitories was only half-affected.

"Dear old friend, I imagine that you don't really have an idea either?" Dumbledore asked his familiar.

The phoenix chirped pleasantly and flapped its wings through the ashes a couple of times, though none of the soot stuck to his brightly coloured feathers.

Dumbledore chuckled. "My, I haven't seen you quite this playful for some time," he said. "Perhaps I would do well to periodically build you a bonfire. Now –" He raised his wand and drew an intricate pattern in the air with the practised grace of all his years. When he finally stopped, an enormous amount of glyphs appeared in front of him. His keen gaze swept over each and every one of them, reading the ancient glyphs with the same ease he would English. When he was done with several lines, he would banish them to the castle ledgers to make room for more that would sweep in with velocity and grace. It was truly an ostensively never-ending task. The grand arches in which he weaved his wand each time he eased a couple of phrases closer were tiring, indeed, but he needed to get to the bottom of this mystery. And much rather sooner than later.

It was a while that Dumbledore sat there, perusing message after meaningless message as he tried to decipher what happened when his eyebrows drew together. A casual flick of his wand stopped the endless ebb and flow of glowing glyphs, some of them vibrating in place in protest. He rose from his seat to step closer to what he had uncovered, almost fearful to accidentally banish the message if he used magic to levitate it closer to him. Not that the chances of that happening were very great but one could never be too cautious. Now this was proving to be interesting, indeed.

A series of distress signals seemed to be hidden quite deeply in the archives of the wards. However, Dumbledore was surprised to see that they were not warnings against a fire of any kind. No, instead they warned of a very dark artefact. One Dumbledore had had suspicions and even fears about but never dared imagine to be true, and definitely not present at Hogwarts.

No. Could it be?

What was even more unbelievable now was that someone – right in the heart of Gryffindor – had tried to integrate that artefact within the wards of Hogwarts.

Dumbledore released a breath he hadn't realised he was holding as a realisation dawned on him. The fire hadn't been offensive in nature at all. It was no attack on Hogwarts or the tower. No, it had been one of Godric Gryffindor's defences, implemented to protect the school against magic of the darkest sort. Something of a last resort, Dumbledore imagined.

Dumbledore lit up his wand as brightly as he could and looked around. Perhaps it was too much to hope for but if he could find… Hmmm, this might prove to be more difficult than he had initially wanted though he could appreciate the folly of his immediate thoughts. There was no way of finding anything within the chaos that were these ashes and charred remains.

Then, The shifting of some debris behind him had Dumbledore spinning on his heel as he raised his wand. A shiver down his spine had him on high alert before he even faced the black presence that had managed to sneak up on him. Not entirely able to stop himself, a small gasp escaped him when he came face to face with a big black dog that reminded him terribly of a grim. A spell was already waiting on his lips but there was a certain degree of intelligence in the dog's eyes that betrayed something more. Something that gave the aged wizard pause. Dumbledore frowned slightly but watched it calmly, waiting for it to move first.

When it did, it slowly and carefully lowered its snout and started pushing an irregularly shaped ball towards Dumbledore, the dog's motions deliberate as if it knew better than to set Dumbledore on edge. The item it edged forward seemed to be made of some sort of metal, small specks of blue shining visibly throughout the lump. One final push with its nose and the ball rolled all the way up to the hem of Dumbledore's colourful robes.

"Well, I'll be," he said joyfully. "Could you believe that this is exactly what I was looking for?" Dumbledore picked up the lump that he knew was to be silver, the specks of blue within probably fragments of what once was a huge sapphire. "It does appear to have imploded rather spectacularly, doesn't it? It is a shame that there is no way to re-establish its original shape but knowing now what it has been used for, it's only for the best, don't you think?"

The dog stared at Dumbledore for a while longer before it turned and made to leave.

"I confess that I may not know precisely who lurks behind that furry mask of yours," Dumbledore spoke. "But I do know that you are an Animagus."

The dog stopped and looked over its shoulder at Dumbledore. Its stare was menacing, though it didn't growl nor bare its teeth. Dumbledore merely smiled in return. Neither the large dog, nor the person lurking behind it were likely to be able to cause him harm. Though it almost looked as if the animal was sulking.

Perhaps, it needed a tad more persuasion. "And since you gave me this particular trinket, you surely know what happened to the tower, don't you?" Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling merrily. "Perhaps you can tell me more? Unless it was your own actions that caused this particular er… destructive event."

It appeared as if the dog shook its head.

Dumbledore smiled kindly. "Please do reveal yourself," he said. "Because I cannot allow an unregistered Animagus to wander the school halls, you understand. Especially given the many circumstances."

The dog whined a bit and Fawkes perked up. It blinked its eyes a couple of times, then hopped over to the dog with a curious glint in its eyes. The dog took a step away from it but kept its eyes on Dumbledore.

Dumbledore could easily have this person reveal himself. There were spells for that sort of thing, after all. But whoever it was seemed to be aware of what had happened here. And be they culprit or not, this knowledge would prove quite valuable to restore the wards with.

"A bargain," Dumbledore proposed. "You reveal yourself and I'll give you a lifetime supply of lemon drops." He chuckled. "No? Very well, how about my guarantee that you won't come to any harm?"

The dog tilted its head as if to say that he didn't believe Dumbledore.

"You have my word," Dumbledore said. "As long as you don't harm a single person or pose a danger to them, I will listen to what you have to say." He smiled, recognising those eyes from a memory not too far in the past. "I already have my suspicions, as it is," he said. "Sirius, I will eat my hat if it's not you. Quite apt, if I think about it. You were named after the dog star, after all."

That did the trick. The dog transformed in front of his eyes, the effect more haggard and jumpy than when Minerva made the change but it was an Animagus transformation nonetheless.

Dumbledore wanted to be discreet and avert his eyes from the now naked man but he was not about to lose his advantage. No matter his personal beliefs, this person was still a convicted murderer.

"Foolish," Sirius mumbled. "Of me, I mean, of course. I couldn't possibly have believed that I was actually fooling you, could I? No matter, no matter. You said you'd listen, right? You'd hear me out. Albus, let me go get my cloak for a moment. This is decidedly uncomfortable."

Not ready to let the scruffy man out of his sight, Dumbledore flicked his wand once and the aforementioned cloak came sailing in their direction only to land softly into Sirius' hands.

"Thanks," he muttered. He draped the cloak around his shoulders and sat down on the floor. Fawkes didn't seem scared or cowed in any way. He regarded Sirius curiously and hopped a bit closer every now and then until he was close enough to touch the man if he so wanted. Sirius regarded him a bit warily, it seemed. As if he was scared that the bird was about to peck his eyes out. Instead, Fawkes stretched his wings before tucking his head underneath one of them. Regardless of everything else, earning a phoenix' trust was no small matter and it certainly put Dumbledore a bit more at ease.

"Now, Sirius," Dumbledore said, trying his best to keep his voice from betraying any emotions. "First things first. I cannot possibly believe you to have a good enough reason to have betrayed –"

"I betrayed no one!" Sirius yelled, exploding like a volatile cauldron at the lightest touch.

Dumbledore's eyes turned cold. He hadn't flinched back nor made any sudden movements but now he was carefully raising his wand. He had heard the words, though. "I wouldn't mind further explanation," he said, keeping his voice friendly. "But I would appreciate it if you adapted a more docile appearance, Sirius."

Looking somewhat chastened like a small child, Sirius nodded, clasped his hands into his lap and stared at them. "I apologise, Albus," he said. "It's been some time since I had… human contact, I'll say. I think I just need to… yeah. Look, what you need to know is that it wasn't me. I convinced James and Lily to make Peter their secret keeper in the end, instead of me. I thought it could fool You-know-who. I thought…"

"Peter?" Dumbledore asked. "Peter Pettigrew?" He shook his head. "A convenient story, to be sure. Since you killed him, there is no way to verify your claim."

"I didn't kill him," Sirius spat, his voice bitter. "I wish I did. I should have. But the little rat got away. Albus, I didn't even get a trial, did I? Otherwise, I would have taken veritaserum. I would have pensieved my memories. Anything! If you want to read my mind right now, go ahead. I have nothing to hide. Though I'll warn you that those years among the dementors were anything but pleasant."

Dumbledore watched the man for a while, careful to keep his internal struggle hidden. He wanted to believe him. He had always loved Sirius. He was a Gryffindor through and through. A lovable and charming young chap that could raise spirits wherever he went. This hollowed husk of a man was not him. And if he had become this while innocent…

It would not do to condemn the man without any further investigation. He had already made too many mistakes of late.

"Very well," he said. "I will accept your offer. Please don't resist."

"I couldn't even if I wanted to," Sirius grinned, his smirk showing signs of the boy he once was.

Within mere minutes, Dumbledore had seen the truth as the whole story opened up for him, as easy to read as any book. There was no way that Sirius had altered his memories in any way for he could not have done so without Dumbledore noticing. Not without being an even more accomplished occlumens than Severus Snape. And that didn't seem likely.

"Unbelievable," Dumbledore muttered. He put his wand away then peered into Sirius' eyes, though this time without the Legilimency. He smiled. "You'll understand that this is quite a lot to digest," he said. "Quite a lot indeed."

They sat in silence for a couple of minutes. It was obvious that Sirius was nervous because he kept twitching with his foot. Though perhaps he was just a bit cold underneath nothing but a cloak. Dumbledore raised his hand and cast a simple warming charm on the man while he mulled things over in his mind.

Pettigrew – Animagi – The whole secret keeper business

It was a lot.

"Very well," Dumbledore then said resolutely. "I believe you, my boy. This story is far too convoluted for you to be making up."

Sirius snorted. "Are you calling me dumb, Albus?" he asked.

"No such thing," Dumbledore said kindly, smiling as he took in Sirius' appearance again, though in a different light this time. "I'm saying you're a Gryffindor rather than a Slytherin."

"Ah," Sirius said. "A compliment then. Thanks, Albus."

Dumbledore inclined his head. "As for the wards," he said. "I'm afraid that your recent memories are just a tad too ingrained in what I can only perceive is a deep, animalistic view of things. It is rather alarming to sense your desire to rip Peter to shreds like that, though understandable after all you've endured."

Dumbledore spelled a patch on the floor to be clean and sat down as well, facing Sirius in a more equal sort of way. "As such, I can't reliably understand just what has happened here. Please do illuminate me."

Sirius nodded. "It's Pettigrew," he spat the name as if he had found a worm in an apple. "That little parasitic rat. He found that thing you're holding in the room of requirement."

"You know about the room?" Dumbledore asked.

Sirius looked at him as if to say, 'What did you expect.' "Did you really think the Marauders didn't know all there was to know about Hogwarts?" he asked. "In fact, we spent a lot of time there. And we also hid a few things in there over the years. That's how we – all of us – discovered that er... trinket, I suppose."

"Ah," Dumbledore nodded sagely. "I confess that I was aware of its whereabouts though not of its alterations."

Sirius shrugged. "You-know-who probably did it when he went to school here," he said. "None of us ever touched the thing. It didn't feel right, you know?" Sirius stretched his legs and leaned back on his palms. "Honestly, I'm still not sure what it does. What I do know is that Pettigrew swiped it and brought it here. I'm not sure why, though."

"He attempted to fuse it to the castle," Dumbledore said. "I can't tell you what the artefact was, only that doing so would have been especially dire in the event of Voldemort's return.

Sirius shuddered. "Well, that plan went up in flames," he said. "Ridiculous rat."

Dumbledore shook his head. "What I can't figure out is how he even got this far in the first place," he said. "It takes masterful knowledge of the wards to bypass all of the preliminary defences. Especially in the dormitories that enjoy the most dense and powerful wards of the castle."

Sirius shrugged again, showing his lack of maturity. "Familiarity, I suppose," he said. "We did some of our best work right here. Our experimentation –"

At Dumbledore's intent gaze, he swallowed his words. "Geez, Albus," he said. "You can't give me a detention anymore, can you? We weren't really er… up to something. Just a spot of mischief."

"A spot of mischief," Dumbledore repeated, his eyebrows raised high in curiosity. "Please do explain how the wards played a part in this… mischief."

Sirius sighed. "If you're going to have me scrubbing cauldrons after this… really, it was James' idea, alright? Though I can't believe you never came across it. Listen, we made a map."

"A map?"

Sirius nodded, a grin slowly creeping up on his face. "It is fantastic, really. It shows everyone on it. It shows where people are and it can't be fooled by Polyjuice or Animagi. Really, it was quite brilliant, if I say so myself."

Indeed, if the map functioned as Sirius said it did, it was quite brilliant.

"It was quite useful for sneaking around, I'll say," Sirius continued, clearly feeling proud of himself. "But, in order to bypass the privacy bindings of the castle, we needed to understand the wards so we did a bit of research, so to speak."

Sirius sighed. "Suffice to say that even if Pettigrew didn't really do a whole lot to help with the map, he is no idiot. I know that he understood as well as any of us how they work and he probably tried to use that knowledge to his advantage." Sirius shook his head at himself. "Merlin, to think that we could have triggered a fire like that with our experimentation."

"For what it's worth, I don't think you could have," Dumbledore said kindly. "It was the introduction of this artefact that called forth the fire." He put a hand on Sirius' shoulder. "Thank you for your insight, dear boy," he said. "I must do some more research but I very well cannot leave you here alone."

"I am no threat, Albus," Sirius said. "Except for Pettigrew."

"I realise that now," Dumbledore said. "But it is you I need to keep safe. I just wonder –"

His eyes glimmered when he got a brilliant idea. "Say, Sirius, how would you feel about becoming my familiar for a while?"

Snape didn't exactly know what to think of the latest addition to Dumbledore's menagerie. The phoenix was agreeable enough, he supposed but that mutt… the way it looked at Snape made him feel like a light snack.

"You were saying, Severus?" Dumbledore asked, mirth in his eyes as he undoubtedly noticed the confusion in Snape.

"Albus," Snape said. "You are aware, I hope, of the mongrel currently lying at your feet?"

"My old age has not taken my eyesight just yet," Dumbledore chuckled. "Nor my senses."

Could have fooled me.

Snape stared at it for a while longer as the beast stared back. He suppressed a shudder and refocused his attention on the headmaster.

"A dementor infiltrated Hogwarts."

There, that wiped that childish smile off of Dumbledore's face. Alright, so maybe it had been nice to see the man happy again, even if Snape would never admit it. And he certainly didn't want to bring the man down after finding some glee but he was also not about to lie.

"A dementor?" Dumbledore sighed. "The wards must be in worse shape than I imagined."

Snape nodded, doing his best to ignore the dog that was much too alert to his liking. "Mr Potter encountered one in the dungeons and I also found one outside near the greenhouses." Snape sat down, dog be damned, and leaned forward on Dumbledore's desk. "I believe that there's something more serious going on, Albus. The damage clearly isn't limited to Gryffindor tower. And even with Ms Granger's effect on the wards, it doesn't quite explain the small intrusions I have come to notice."

Dumbledore nodded sagely. "As you say, Severus. I too have noticed something amiss. I believe that we have been infiltrated."

Snape frowned. "Are you saying that someone is doing this deliberately from the inside out?" He clenched his fist. "Surely, we can't go through with Granger's funeral now. With all the damage that's already been done –"

"It is far too late to retract my promise, Severus," Dumbledore said softly. "Though I admit that this situation is less than ideal. It is a good thing that several staff members know how to summon patroni."

"Dementors will likely not be the only problem," Snape interjected.

"Does it truly matter at this point?" Dumbledore asked. "We need to find the insurgent or the wards will keep being damaged. I don't know what their purpose is but I am certain that it is nefarious in nature."

Snape scoffed. "Do you have any idea who it is?" he asked.

"Yes," Dumbledore replied but Snape could already tell that the headmaster was not going to fill him in on every detail. "I have good reason to believe that a rat animagus is the perpetrator. Though I cannot divulge his probable identity just yet."

Snape knew better than to angle for information he was not privy to.

"Very well," he said. "Wouldn't it be wise to explain this to Minerva as well? As she's a cat Animagus –"

The dog actually snorted in such a way that Snape frowned. It almost sounded like it laughed.

"Are you suggesting Minerva eat the animagus?" Dumbledore asked, mock surprise in his eyes. "Severus, that is quite dark of you."

"It was merely a suggestion," Snape said, though he couldn't help the small quirk of his lips. "Though as far as rats go, there's truly no shortage of them in the dungeons. Is there anything I should be keeping an eye out for. Something to distinguish this one from the rest of them?"

Dumbledore nodded sagely. "It's likely missing a toe."

"A toe," Snape repeated slowly. "Albus, I can't very well go inspecting every single rat closely enough to count their toes."

"You did ask," Dumbledore pointed out.

"Yes," Snape conceded. "Now, I will go make some preparations on the grounds."

"I will see you at Ms Granger's funeral, I expect," Dumbledore asked.

"Indeed," Snape told him. "Mr Potter expects me there."

Snape realised he had said too much when Dumbledore's eyes showcased that infernal twinkle of his. It was a good thing that the man made no further comment. He merely bowed his head as a sign that Snape was allowed to leave. He glanced one last time at the dog that was yawning in such a way that it almost seemed… theatrical.

Dumbledore and his ridiculous pets. Really.

Trusting the headmaster's sanity against better judgement he left the office.

It was cold. Harry drew his arms around himself almost as if in reflex, though he realised that the fancy coat Malfoy bought him provided more than enough warmth. Perhaps it wasn't the weather then, that chilled him to the bone.

Harry glanced at Hermione's parents. He hadn't really talked to them all that much in the last years. He had said hi to them on the train platform a couple of times but never much more than that. Yet they had still hugged him tightly when they had arrived, Hermione's mom taking a very long time to let go. On the other hand, Harry hadn't wanted her to, anyway.

Now, they sat underneath one of the snow-covered trees, their branches charmed to not let any of the snow drop down on the people underneath. A small crowd of people was gathered around an oaken casket, none of them talking much. Ron was there. And so was his family. He had tried to talk to Harry when he arrived not too long ago but all that he managed were small choking sounds that broke Harry's heart all over again. Mrs Weasley had drawn him into a warm hug in response and had beckoned for Harry to join them, but he felt too awkward to intrude so he had just smiled a bit at the Weasley matriarch, shaking his head slightly.

"We are very sorry, Harry," the Weasley twins had told him. They were mostly there to support their brother, Harry suspected. As were the other Weasleys. Their Christmas had been disrupted in a most cruel manner; Harry knew. He just hoped that this wouldn't influence their future celebrations too much.

The castle looked quite small when they were all standing so far away and it was sort of odd to see the twinkling Christmas lights merrily shining away across the numerous windows and towers of the school. The contrast was striking and made their own little gathering all the more melancholic.

Harry wiped at his eyes, trying desperately not to let any tears flow. He had cried too much lately. There was no need to draw any more attention to himself. But then someone put an arm around his shoulders.

Slightly startled, he looked up to see Daphne there. He frowned and opened his mouth to say something when Daphne put a finger to her lips before retrieving her wand from her white fur coat and casting a silencing charm around the two of them.

"Best not disturb everyone here, don't you think?" She said softly.

Harry opened and closed his mouth a couple of times as he searched for the right words. All that came out in the end was, "What are you doing here?" Harry glanced at the rest of the crowd to see their reactions but most of them were too engrossed in their own grief to even care. Only Snape looked at him with a modicum of interest.

"I received your owl," Daphne told him. "I came as fast as I could, of course. Oh, Harry, I'm so sorry." She hugged Harry tight, dispelling some of the cold that had permeated his soul.

"But you didn't know her," he protested. "Not really."

"I'm here for you," she said, her voice muffled by the collar of his coat. "You need someone to lean on as well, don't you?"

"I-" Harry's voice cracked a bit as he processed her gesture. He didn't want to cry.

"It's alright, Harry," she said, her voice soothing and warm. She finally released him and took his hand. "You are not alone."

Harry's heart made a weird tumble when he heard those words. His free hand grasped the locket that now hung around his neck. Hearing Hermione's words echoed like that gave her just a little bit of life. It would expire again, and it was small but it was also a comfort. Daphne squeezed his hand and cancelled the silencing charm when Dumbledore stepped forward from the circle to address the small crowd.

In truth, while Harry did his best to look as if he was paying attention, he wasn't. Dumbledore's words droned in his ears, but it seemed more like a buzz than anything else. Though Harry was sure that whatever it was that he had to say was nice.

He focused on the oaken casket. It was surrounded by all kinds of flowers, their colours bright and magically enhanced. Though it was cold, the sun shone brightly today, bathing the casket in rays of light and bouncing off the snow in a way that was an entirely different kind of magic. Daphne squeezed his hand a few more times and Harry squeezed back. He still couldn't really believe that she had come back early just for him. It was a gesture he really appreciated. He glanced at her to see her paying solemn attention to Dumbledore's words. Her expression and stance were the epitome of respect and grace.

Harry noticed that Snape's glance swept over the grounds in a methodical fashion, his wand hand kept close to his pockets. Maybe the man expected more dementors. Harry could imagine that this sort of scene was the perfect kind of attraction for them, after all. He didn't worry too much, though. Snape's patronus had been very powerful. They would be safe.

Harry vaguely wondered if Dumbledore could also cast a patronus but quickly decided that there was no doubt that he could. That's when the man in question stopped speaking. He approached Mr and Mrs Granger and in turn clasped each of their hands with both of his in a warm, comforting gesture.

The oaken casket then floated, higher and higher until it hovered above the trees. Harry swallowed thickly while Daphne's arm snaked around his waist in comfort. A silent incantation from Dumbledore set the casket on fire, then. The flames coloured red, orange and yellow as they licked the wood. The warm blaze was so thick and ravenous that soon, the people standing below it couldn't even see the casket anymore. It didn't last very long at all but at the same time, it felt like it went on forever.

As the fire seemed to grow smaller and smaller still when it ate away at the casket and Hermione waiting within, Harry couldn't help but feel a tiny bit lighter. Even if he didn't want to say goodbye to her, this was in essence just that. It made everything feel more real and finite. As if this was a chapter in a book that could now be concluded.

And then, the fire vanished and all that remained was ash.

"May she be a part of Hogwarts forever," Dumbledore said regally. "To never be forgotten."

He made a wide yet elegant gesture with his wand when wind came and picked up the ashes still waiting in the air. Harry would have expected it to feel cold, but it felt more like a gentle spring breeze. As the wind hit his face, he realised that he had been crying after all because his cheeks were wet.

And then the ashes scattered in the breeze, in more directions than Harry could count. He closed his eyes and exhaled heavily, feeling a small weight lift off his shoulders as he did.

"Goodbye, Hermione," he whispered.

A/N: Please don't forget to review ;)