Disclaimer: Not another evil Dumbledore fic.

Secrets

Harry was sitting alone in the Gryffindor Common room just enjoying the sensation of being alone. Privacy was a rare privilege for Harry, living as he did in both the magical and muggle worlds. At school he shared his living space with several other boys and during the summer he was subject to all manner of distractions at all manner of times, the locks were on the outside of the door after all.

Shattering the silence and ending his solitude, the portrait opened to admit a very distraught looking Hermione who made a bee line towards Harry.

"What is it?" Harry asked, the haunted look on his friend's face made him sick with fear.

"I didn't mean to," Hermione said in a small voice, "I just wanted to see it. I'd read about Pensives and all I wanted to do was look at it."

"Calm down," he said to his friend, "is this important."

"I . . . I think it's very important," Hermione said softly. She looked very close to tears as she mustered up the will to tell him the rest. "It's about your parents."

Harry looked around the Common Room. It looked empty but there were too many shadows, too many places to hide.

"Come on," he said. He took her by the hand and took her towards the exit. "We need to find some place more quiet."

The two students went through the castle and into the darker, unused sections until they'd found a classroom that hadn't been used in centuries if the thick layer of dust on the floor was any indication.

"So what's this all about Hermione," Harry asked calmly.

"I was in Professor Dumbledore's office to talk about my classes," Hermione began, "I had the top scores for our year and he wanted to tell me about it personally."

"Go on," Harry prompted gently. Headmaster or not, Dumbledore would pay if he'd harmed Harry's friend.

"He told me and I was very excited. The Headmaster laughed and told me that I could stay in his office until I'd managed to collect myself," Hermione continued, "I think . . . I think he made a joke about having to kick me out if I was still there when it was time for lights out."

"What happened next?"

"I was just about to leave when I saw it." Hermione's shoulders dropped. "I'd read about them of course but I'd never seen one, I didn't think it would hurt just to look at it. I . . . I didn't mean to . . ."

"Didn't mean to what?"

"I looked into the Headmaster's Pensieve," Hermione confessed, "the things in there . . . Harry, about your parents it was so horrible . . ."

"What about them?" Harry demanded. "Hermione you have to tell me."

"I know why Voldemort was after them," Hermione said, "I know . . . I know who told . . . I . . . Harry."

"It's okay Hermione." Harry had to take several deep calming breaths to avoid screaming at the girl until she spilled everything. "Just tell me, it'll all be okay."

"There was a prophecy made about you," Hermione said, "it says that you have to kill Voldemort . . . that you're the only one who can."

"That's why he wanted to kill me," Harry said dully.

"And Snape's the one who told him," Hermione said in disgust, "it was all there in Dumbledore's memories."

"His . . . memories?"

"A pensieve is a device for storing and replaying memories," Hermione lectured, "Dumbledore was keeping several memories stored in his and I saw everything. What are we gonna do Harry?"

"I...I... Surely he must have had a reason," Harry exclaimed, not quite willing to let go of the trust he had in the man who was responsible for getting him away from the Dursleys for most of the year.

Hermione fists clenched, in anger. Having learned young that some people would just pretend to be friends, only to betray you later, had made its mark on her personality and now finding out that there were people in authority, adults even, who were the same way... Mad Eye Moody would have approved of her newly formed mindset.

"There are always reasons Harry, but they're not always good ones. He's placed a know murdered and Death Eater in control of Slytherin, the one place where recruiting for dark wizards would be easy and we've seen how Snape encourages them along that path without Dumbledore interfering in anyway. Flamel's stone was guarded so lightly that WE managed to break in and get to it while Dumbledore was mysteriously called away. Dumbledore's every move seems to designed to help Voldemort. Who placed you with the Dursleys? Why haven't they gotten a stipend for raising you? Hagrid placed you there because Dumbledore asked him to and the money they should have gotten to raise you obviously never arrived, so they took it out on you. I think we're going to have to face facts, Harry. Dumbledore is as dark as Voldemort, he's just more subtle about it."

"What do we do?" Harry whispered. "Do we tell Ron?"

"Ron's family is too close to Dumbledore," Hermione said savagely. "Even assuming he really is our friend, we can't say too much in case he lets something slip at home. As for the rest . . . what do you want to do Harry?"

"I wanna avenge my parents," Harry said, "but not if it means that the Potter family doesn't survive. Mum wanted me to live."

"Then we have to escape," Hermione said firmly, "these things take time so the important thing is to pretend that everything in normal."

"How long?" Harry asked.

"Maybe we can get away next year," Hermione said hopefully.

"Where would we go?" Harry asked.

"I don't know," Hermione said. "I guess I'll have to do some research," she added with a weak smile. The two children sat in silence for a few minutes as they muddled over their situation.

"Hermione," Harry said suddenly, "I thought of something."

"What is it?"

"Why would Dumbledore help us save Sirius?" Harry asked in confusion. "Does that mean Sirius is in on it?"

"He might be," Hermione said slowly, "but it's more likely that Dumbledore just wanted to keep his nice guy image going. I think Dumbledore probably knew that Sirius was innocent the whole time. Think about it, who would you have lived with if Sirius hadn't gone to prison?"

"With Sirius," Harry agreed, "you're right. Wormtail has been living at Hogwarts most of the year since Percy's first came to Hogwarts. Dumbledore would have never overlooked that, he knows everything that happens at Hogwarts."

"I'll bet that was why Fudge was allowed to bring Dementors to guard the school," Hermione agreed, "and that's why they stayed after they attacked a student. After all, it was a student that Dumbledore wanted dead anyway."

"If anything happened to me then he could have blamed Sirius or the Ministry," Harry said with wide eyes, "

The two friends fell into silence as the portrait opened to admit several of their chattering housemates. They weren't able to find enough privacy to feel confortable continuing their conversation for several days.

"Let's talk about Ron," Hermione said seriously.

"Ok," Harry agreed, "what do you want to talk about?"

"We need to figure out if he's working for Dumbledore or if he's just an unwitting dupe," Hermione replied, "if he's a dupe then maybe we can take him with us."

"And if he's working for Dumbledore then we can use him to pass bad information to Dumbledore," Harry agreed.

"How did you meet any of the Weasleys?"

"It was when I was looking for platform nine and three quarters," Harry began, "I couldn't find it then Mrs. Weasley walked by looking for it too and . . ."

"Wait a minute," Hermione said with a frown, "what do you mean looking for it too?"

"She said something along the lines of what platform was it, nine and three quarters."

"Mrs. Weasley went to Hogwarts for seven years, then all the years for her older children. Why would she forget where the platform was on Ron's first year?" Not one of the numerous benin reasons occurred to the young girl.

"Maybe they changed it," Harry said charitably.

"It hasn't been changed since the mid eighteen hundreds," Hermione said with a wave, "why didn't you know how to get to the platform? Didn't Hagrid tell you?"

"He must have forgotten," Harry said.

"I can believe that Hagrid forgot to tell you," Hermione agreed, "but I can't agree that Mrs. Weasley did. Not after all the times she went anyway."

"So she was there on Dumbledore's orders," Harry said in dawning realization.

"All that proves is that Mrs. Weasley is in Dumbledore's back pocket," Hermione sighed, "it doesn't tell us anything about Ron."

"Well . . . I got on the train and sat there for a while until Ron arrived, he told me that all the other compartments were full and . . ."

"Wait," Hermione nearly shouted, "he said what?"

"That the other compartments were full," Harry repeated.

"But they weren't," Hermione said quickly, "I must have gone into a dozen compartments when I was looking for Neville's toad and there was plenty of room." She began hyperventilating and the idea that Ron may have simply wanted to sit next to the 'boy-who-lived' never entered her mind. "Ron must have been there on Dumbledore's orders too."

"What about the Troll," Harry asked, unwilling to think the worst of his friend.

"Which one of you decided to rescue me? It wasn't Ron was it?"

"No."

"And I don't remember him jumping in until after he was in danger," Hermione said savagely, "I don't think this was an attempt at you though."

"Then it was just a distraction while Voldemort went after the stone?"

"Maybe that too," Hermione agreed, "but do you really think that Dumbledore didn't know the second the Troll came through the wards? What did he do after Quirrell gave the warning?"

"He had the Prefects take students back to their rooms . . . but . . . wait."

"Exactly," Hermione said quickly, "everyone was safe in the Great Hall and there were a limited number of entrances to cover. The smart thing would have been to stay and take a head count but if they had done that . . ."

"Then you would have been missed right away," Harry said with a look of horror on his face, "Dumbledore wasn't trying to kill me with the troll."

"He was after me," Hermione whispered, "why?"

"You are the smartest student in our year," Harry said slowly, "maybe the smartest in Hogwarts."

"So?"

"You're also a muggle born," Harry said, "maybe he didn't want someone that he couldn't control influencing me . . . or . . . or maybe he just doesn't like 'mudbloods' like Voldemort."

"Maybe," Hermione agreed with a shaky frown.

"It doesn't matter," Harry said quickly. He'd forgotten what it was like to suddenly find that there were people in the world that wanted you dead. "All that matters is that he won't succeed."

"We can't beat him Harry," Hermione said in a small voice, "he's the greatest wizard of our age."

"But he won't live forever," Harry said, "all we have to do is is hide until it's safe again."

"Just another year," Hermione sighed, "what do you think it'll be like?"

"Better then it is now."

IIIIIIIIII

Ron was feeling down. His two best friends hadn't been spending much time around him lately, always disappearing together to do god knows what.

"How are you doing tonight Mister Weasley?" Dumbledore asked kindly. "And what are you doing outside your dorms at this time of night."

"Professor Dumbledore," Ron gasped. "Sorry, I just needed to have some time alone."

"Worried about the way your friends have seemed to be distant lately?"

"Yeah," Ron agreed.

"I wouldn't worry about it," Dumbledore said with his best grandfatherly smile, "it's normal for boys and girls your age to pair off and forget everything that used to seem important."

"But they're just . . ."

"Your friends have just." The Headmaster paused. "Decided to explore some new feelings with each other. It's not that they don't wish to be your friend anymore, they're just wrapped up in the novelty of trying something new." Dumbledore was thrilled that Harry was getting a chance to participate in a normal part of teenaged life and glad that it was with his friend rather then a giggling fan that would take advantage of him.

"What should I do?"

"I'd recommend that you give them your support," Dumbledore said warmly, "and try not to worry so much when they disappear off together."

"Thanks Professor," Ron said in relief.

"Not at all," Dumbledore said, "do you need more time alone or would you rather get back to your dorm."

"Would . . . would it be alright if I stayed here for a little while longer?" Ron asked hesitantly.

"For as long as you need to," Dumbledore agreed. He pulled out a bit of parchment and jotted down a quick note. "If anyone else stopps you, show them this."

"Thank you Professor."

"Not at all. Just remember that my door is always open if you have any more issues."

IIIIIIIIII

Harry and Hermione were crouched over the Marauder's Map with identical looks of sorrow on their faces. They'd wondered where Ron had been going at night, they'd suspected that he and his family had been working for Dumbledore, but to have proof.

"Guess this is it then," Harry said. He felt hollow. "We can't trust any of them."

"It's just you and me," Hermione agreed, "one more year."

"One more year," Harry said dully, "and we're out of here."

AN: Dumbledore as close to Canon as I can write him. Yes things are taken out of context, that's the whole point of the story. Dumbledore is doing his (shoddy in my opinion) best and Hermione gets enough information to become convinced that he's the darkest of dark wizards, doesn't mean she's correct. Scenes and polish by dogbertcarroll

Omake: Deleted Scene

"I don't know," Harry admitted. He collapsed as his legs could no longer hold his weight. "Snape is responsible for what happened to my parents and Dumbledore knew?"

"Dumbledore didn't just know," Hermione said in outrage, "he's been protecting him. Snape would have gone to Azkaban if it weren't for Dumbledore. How could the Headmaster do something like that?" Hermione asked in confusion. "He's supposed to be a great light wizard. I . . . whatever you want to do, I'll support you Harry. From now until the end of time."

Omake: How this would go

"Ms. Granger, of all people I never expected that . . ." McGonagall trailed off.

"I know," Hermione said forlornly. She refused to take her eyes off her shoes. "I don't understand why I reacted that way to Fleur. I just got so mad . . . but that doesn't matter does it?"

"It certainly begins to explain things," Dumbledore spoke up for the first time, "girls your age often times have extreme reactions to Veela and in light of that I don't see the need to impose any punishments . . . Minerva?"

"Well." Minerva sighed. She really didn't want to have to do anything to her favorite student.

"I should at least have to apologize," Hermione said firmly. Everything was playing out the way she thought it would. "And shouldn't Madame Maxime decide if I should be reprimanded? It was her student I er assaulted."

"I think that's a wonderful idea," Minerva said warmly, "I'm glad to see you taking responsibility for your actions."

"Thank you Professor," Hermione said sweetly, "would you please escort me down to the Beauxbatons carriage and formally introduce me?"

"I would be delighted to do so," Minerva agreed, "would you like me to stay with you?"

"I really think that it would be best if I took care of things myself Professor," Hermione said honestly, "this is my problem and I must take care of it myself."

IIIIIIIIII

"Well?" Olympe demanded harshly. "Minerva tells me you 'ave something to tell me?"

"I am here on behalf of Harry Potter," Hermione said firmly, "he would like to transfer to your school and I would like to accompany him."

"What?" Olympe asked in shock.

"My fight with Fleur was a ruse," Hermione explained, "I needed an opportunity to get an audience with you alone. I read that females undergoing puberty will occasionally have strong and negative reactions to Veela allure and I used that as an excuse to assault Fleur . . . I will of course offer a full apology and explanation to Fleur after we are safely in France."

"Why didn't young 'arrie come to me 'imself?" The Headmistress asked mildly. Her heart beat faster at the prospect of Harry Potter himself coming to her school and the prestige that he would bring with him.

"Do you honestly think that Dumbledore would allow Harry to slip out of his fingers?" Hermione asked. "Or his top student?"

"I 'ad 'eard that 'arrie's studies were in the 'igh average?"

"I was talking about myself," Hermione said with a tight smile, "my scores are the highest that Hogwarts has seen in decades. Where Harry goes, I go."

"How are you planning to deal with the language issue?"

"I speak fluent French," Hermione replied, "my mother insisted I learn . . . I would assume that it is overly formal and archaic, which is why after the harsh punishments you assign me for my actions against Fleur that you will allow me to practice my language and I will drag Harry along against his will."

"You are acting with 'arre's full knowledge and support?"

"Yes," Hermione said simply.

IIIIIIIIII

"Grab the trophy," Harry screamed, "run Ced." Harry waited a split second after the other boy left before activating his own emergency Portkey.

To Harry's immense satisfaction, the other boy grabbed the trophy and disappeared.

"Harry's still there," Cedric screamed, "we have to go back for him."

"No," Hermione cried. Sobbing, the girl ran from the crowd. Her tears stopped after she was out of sight and after confirming that she was alone, she activated her own Portkey and disappeared to begin her new life.

AN: And they changed their names and moved to another country. Maxime is too close to Dumbledore to be trusted, they were laying a false trail.