Chapter 31
25 June 2003
When Hermione stepped out into her flat, she knew Ron had already been there to collect his things. Photographs were missing from the living room and the place just felt…different somehow.
Harry followed her out of the Floo and siphoned the ash off his robes. "What's going on, Hermione?"
Hermione sighed. She grabbed Harry's hand and towed him to the couch, pulling him down next to her. "Ron and I, well, I broke things off last night."
Harry stared at her, mouth hanging open in surprise.
Hermione fidgeted, feeling the need to explain or something. "Things have been off for a long time now and I've been thinking about it for weeks. After he cancelled dinner with my parents, I tried to talk to him about it and we had a row. He just, I don't think he'll ever be comfortable around them. It's not just that." She paused and swallowed, looking up at Harry. "I love Ron but I'm not, I'm not in love with him anymore."
They stared at one another for a few moments, before Harry finally looked away, running a hand through his hair. "That's…not what I was expecting to hear today."
Hermione gave a wry laugh. "No, I suppose not. I'm surprised Ron didn't tell you, actually."
"He tried, I think. Came into the Ministry today during lunch but I was out following up on a case. He left a message for me with the department secretary."
"Oh, well, if you need to speak to him," Hermione began but Harry cut her off.
"I'll talk to him later. I'm worried about you right now."
"I'm fine, Harry."
"Are you?"
"I was the one that broke it off."
"Doesn't mean you can't be upset," Harry said.
"I shouldn't be. It was my idea."
"Hermione don't be daft. You and Ron were together for a long time. You can be upset, even if it is what you wanted."
Harry had moved closer to her and now put his arm around her. Hermione let her head rest against his shoulder. She wanted to curl up into him, wrap her arm around his waist and snuggle into his chest. But she didn't.
"He's moved out already?" Harry asked, looking around the room for the first time.
Hermione nodded. "He told me he was going to do it today while I was at work. I told him he could take his time, but he said it would be better this way." She sniffled.
Harry's arm tightened around her. They sat in silence for a few minutes until Hermione couldn't keep her curiosity at bay any longer. "What about you?"
"What about me?"
"Did you talk to Ginny?"
"We don't have to talk about that right now." Harry shook his head.
Hermione lifted her head and moved away from him a bit. His arm fell to the couch, and she took his hand. "If you want to talk about it, I want to listen."
"But you and Ron just-"
Hermione shook her head. "It will take my mind off it. Unless you don't want to tell me. You don't have to, of course."
"No, no that's not it," Harry said with a sigh. "I don't know what to do, Hermione."
"Did the two of you talk?"
"Yeah. I pressed her about having kids and she admitted that she wasn't ready. Which is fine, except she said that she didn't know when she might be ready, just that she didn't want to give up Quidditch. I told her that I thought we should both take some time off and go away somewhere, that we'd been so busy lately we hadn't had much time together. She agreed about our schedules but said that she couldn't take time off right now.
But it was just, I don't know, it seemed like she didn't really think there was a problem. That yes, we haven't spent much time together, but that wasn't an issue for her. It's almost like she's out there living her life, doing her thing, and just expects that I'll be waiting for her when she's ready to spend time with me. If she ever is." He sighed again and shook his head. "I don't know how we can move forward if she doesn't even think there's a problem."
This was almost the exact same conversation Hermione had had with Harry in the first universe. It was a bit disconcerting actually.
"Did you tell her that you think there's a problem?"
"She rolled her eyes and told me I was overreacting." Harry leaned forward on the couch, resting his elbows on his knees and pressing his fingers to his forehead. "I love her but, I don't know, we can't go on like this."
Hermione put a hand on his back. "I'm sorry, Harry." She bit her lip, hesitating. "Look, I'm not telling you what to do but I stayed with Ron far longer than I should have because I kept telling myself that things would get better if I just tried harder. But if the other person isn't trying too, well, it's never going to work."
"Yeah, I know," Harry said. He turned his head to look at her and gave her a sad smile. Hermione's heart quickened as he stared at her. He reached over and took her free hand, entwining their fingers. Neither said anything, they just looked at one another for a few moments. Finally, Hermione turned her head away before she did something stupid like kiss him.
"Tea?" she said as she stood from the couch.
"Oh, erm, yeah, sure."
Hermione hurried to the kitchen, bracing her hands against the counter and blowing out a breath. She needed to get herself under control. This wasn't the Harry from the last universe. This was her Harry, the Harry that was still married to Ginny, regardless of the problems he was having with his marriage right now.
She filled the kettle and put it on the hob, needing to do it the Muggle way to give her time to collect herself. She pulled the tea leaves from the cupboard and heard Harry come into the kitchen.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Yes, fine," she said not turning to look at him. She opened another cupboard to take out mugs and froze. Ron's favorite mug was gone. It was a Chudley Cannons mug that Hermione had bought him for Christmas in their fifth year. There was a chip in the handle from where he'd dropped it once and when he'd done a 'reparo' on it, discovered that one small piece had been crushed under his shoe and couldn't be fixed. She'd offered to replace it for him, but he'd told her he liked the chipped one.
Of course he would have taken it, it was his mug. Still, the finality of it hit her all at once and she burst into tears.
"Hey, it's all right," Harry said, gathering her into his arms. He held her to him, one hand rubbing her back soothingly. "It's all right, Hermione. I've got you."
His lips ghosted over her forehead near her hairline and Hermione let go a shuddering breath. She clung to him, wishing with everything she had that she could have this, have Harry, that the kiss he'd just bestowed on her was real. For now, though, he was only her friend and so she let him comfort her. If that were all she could have, it would have to be enough.
Once again, they were sitting on the couch in Hermione's living room, drinking their tea. This time, though, she'd tucked herself into one corner, staying well away from Harry.
"You can go see Ron, you know."
"I will," Harry replied. "But not just yet." He studied her for a few moments, an odd look on his face.
"What?" Hermione asked.
"I don't know," he said, shaking his head. "I just feel like, like I've missed you, like I haven't seen you for a while or something. Which is mental because we just had lunch the other day. It's just, I don't know, I can't explain it."
Hermione forced herself not to react. But she couldn't discount this, not after what Padma had said to her about the Universe Hopper.
"It's why I don't want to leave yet, I think." Harry frowned, brow furrowed in concentration.
Hermione decided to try and distract him. "I think you should. I don't want to put you in the middle. I know Ron is your best mate."
"You're my best friend too. I'm not going to leave until I'm sure you're all right."
"I am, I promise."
"Somehow I don't believe that," Harry said giving her a pointed look. She had cried on his shoulder for quite a while.
She chuckled. "All right, I'm not fine. But if you plan to stay until I am, you might want to go home and get some extra clothes because you'll have to move in." She froze. She couldn't believe she'd just said that. Her eyes flicked to Harry, and she tried to put a smile on her face that looked teasing instead of horrified.
Harry didn't seem to notice. He just laughed. Then he shook his head and smiled wryly. "You might regret making that offer. I'd rather be here than anywhere else right now."
Hermione knew that he was just referring to his issues with Ginny. She knew that. But it didn't stop her heart from speeding up or her hands from gripping her mug tighter.
"You know you're always welcome here, Harry," she said softly.
He gave her a genuine smile. "I know." He sighed. "But you're right. I should probably go and see Ron."
Hermione nodded. She set her mug on the side table and stood from the couch. Harry did the same, then walked towards her and took her hands in his. "You sure you'll be all right?"
"I will," she said, squeezing his hands.
Harry dropped one of her hands and reached up to tug gently on one of her curls. "You know I love you right?"
"I do. I love you too."
Harry drew her into his arms, and she hugged him tightly. He kissed her cheek and then released her. Hermione immediately missed him.
"If you need anything, Floo. It doesn't matter what time it is."
Hermione nodded unable to say anything. Harry moved to the fireplace, taking a bit of Floo powder from the pot and throwing it into the grate.
"Night, Hermione."
"Good night, Harry."
He called out for the shop and disappeared. Hermione stared at the empty fireplace for a long time after he'd left.
26 June 2003
"Granger," Croaker said as he walked into her office.
Hermione looked up from her book. She had finished her written report on her travels right after lunch. As Croaker hadn't assigned her anything new, she'd been doing a bit of research on Time travel, trying to find any information on what Padma and Harry might be experiencing. "Yes, sir?"
"We're leaving for Azkaban in an hour."
Hermione looked at him in surprise. She hadn't realized they would be able to question Rookwood so soon. Normally, it took a few days to see an inmate at the prison, unless it was part of an official DMLE investigation.
"I have connections," he said wryly.
"Of course," she said. She supposed that a request from the Head Unspeakable would be honored quickly.
"You'll probably want to transfigure whatever you're wearing under your robes into something warmer. Warming spells only go so far on that godforsaken rock." He made a face of disgust.
While Azkaban conditions were better than they had been before the war, they'd managed to get rid of the Dementors and Kingsley had ordered a myriad of repairs and upgrades, it was still a desolate place in the middle of the North Sea. The wind still cut through you like a knife and no matter how many charms and spells they cast on the prison walls, it was always cold there. Not as cold as it had been but still cold.
"Yes, sir."
"Be in my office at five minutes before three. The warden is only opening the Floo for a few minutes and I don't fancy having to take that damn boat."
"Of course, sir," Hermione said.
Croaker grunted and left her office. Hermione wasn't looking forward to going to Azkaban either, but she was interested to hear what Rookwood would have to say.
She and Rookwood stepped out of the Floo into the Warden's office in Azkaban. The man greeted them both and then Croaker pulled up his hood, indicating that Hermione should do the same. The spells to obscure their faces activated as soon as their hoods were up. The Warden then led them up two flights of stairs to one of the meeting rooms, turning them over to one of the guards. Before they went inside, they had to relinquish their wands as well as submit to a scan to ensure they weren't trying to smuggle anything in.
Rookwood was already inside, magical suppression cuffs on his wrists and ankles. He was bound to the chair he sat in, and Hermione could make out the shimmering edges of a containment field around him. Given what had happened with Sirius and his Animagus ability, Kingsley had ordered that all cells were warded with containment fields to prevent an Animagus shift. When a prisoner wasn't in their cell, the spell was cast on their person. Not that anyone knew if Rookwood was an Animagus or not but better safe than sorry.
This Rookwood was nothing like the one she'd met in the previous universe. He was gaunt, his hair greasy and lank, his eyes hard and cold. Hermione suppressed a shiver at the look on his face when they came into the room. Utter and complete hatred.
Croaker had told her earlier that he would be doing the questioning, and she was to merely observe, unless he directed her otherwise. Hermione was more than fine with that.
"We found your hidey-hole, Rookwood," Croaker said. "Your little cottage in the woods."
Rookwood sneered but said nothing.
"Found a lot of interesting things as well. If you weren't already in here for life, you would be now."
Hermione wondered what else they'd found. Croaker had never said beyond the fact that the DMLE had confiscated Dark objects along with the Universe Hopper.
"Thing is, one of those things we found didn't belong to you, did it?"
Rookwood laughed. "You're accusing me of theft now, Croaker? Seems like a waste of your time given my sentence."
Hermione wasn't surprised that he knew it was Croaker. The two men had worked together for several years before Karkaroff had outed Rookwood as a spy for Voldemort.
"Exactly. So no reason why you shouldn't cooperate, is there?" Croaker lowered his hood, giving Rookwood a chilling smile. Hermione stayed silent and still on the other side of the table.
Rookwood snorted. "Actually, I think you should go fuck yourself."
Croaker sighed, shaking his head as if he were disappointed. He put his hand in his pocket and withdrew a photograph of the Universe Hopper, then tossed it in front of Rookwood. "Care to tell me about that?"
Hermione watched Rookwood closely as he leaned forward to look at the photo. He looked at it passively as if he couldn't care less what it was, but Hermione saw a tiny twitch of his eye and a slight tightening of his jaw. He sat back in his seat and shrugged. "Never saw it before."
"Are we going to play this game, Rookwood?"
Rookwood shrugged again.
"It might interest you to know that I've gotten special dispensation from the Minister to use Veritaserum on you. Magical security reasons and all that," Croaker said with a wave of his hand.
Rookwood's jaw tightened again.
"So, it's in your best interest just to tell us what you know about that. I'm sure you still have secrets you don't want known."
"Even if you use Veritaserum on me, you can only ask questions about this," Rookwood said, nodding to the photograph. "I know the law as well as you do, Croaker."
"Thing about Veritaserum is, it's not always a precise medium, is it? I might ask something pertaining to that device that leads to something else. Happens all the time, doesn't it?"
Rookwood looked furious. Although, given he was already serving a life sentence, Hermione couldn't fathom why he would care. Nothing they learned from him would change anything. With the Dementors gone, the Kiss was no longer an option. Unless Rookwood's answers might implicate someone else. Someone who hadn't been investigated.
"All I have to do is call for the guard outside the door," Croaker said.
They stared at one another in silence for a few moments. Hermione could see the moment that Rookwood capitulated, leaning back slightly in his chair, his jaw ticking as he ground his teeth.
"Ask your questions," he said gruffly.
"Where did you get it?"
"I made it."
Croaker snorted. "I know that isn't true."
"Don't think me capable?" Rookwood sneered.
"No, I'm sure you're capable. I just know that you didn't make this."
Rookwood glanced toward where Hermione sat, then looked back at the photo. "What do you know?"
"I'm not answering questions, Rookwood, I'm asking. Where did you get it?"
"Took it off a bloke."
"What bloke?"
"Me."
There was silence for a few moments.
"You stole it from yourself. How? Did you go back in time?"
Rookwood shrugged. "Something like that."
"Either you tell me exactly how you obtained this device or I'm calling for the Veritaserum."
Rookwood clenched his jaw again. "It wasn't time," he said through gritted teeth. "It was space."
"I'm going to need you to be more specific."
Rookwood's eyes flicked to Hermione again. "I'm not sure you're going to want a witness to this conversation."
"Don't worry about them," Croaker said waving a hand towards her. "Just tell me what happened."
The two men stared at one another for a few more moments until Rookwood finally began to speak. He told them how Augustus had shown up in his bedroom, how he'd come to discover what the device actually was and decided to use it himself. He'd jumped universes and ended up here.
"What happened to your other self? The one from this universe," Croaker asked.
"He intended to remain neutral," Rookwood scoffed. "As if a Pureblood could. Either you were with the Dark Lord, or you were a blood traitor. There wasn't any in between."
"What happened to him?" Croaker asked again, more forcefully.
"I thought about Obliviating him and sending him to the States. But there was always a chance someone would find the charms and reverse them. I could have bound his magic as well and made him live like a Muggle, which would have made it less likely the memory charm would be found, but that seemed like a lot of work. So, I killed him instead." Rookwood said all this matter-of-factly, as if he were talking about the weather. "Then I took his place, and no one ever knew. My brother was surprised when I took the Mark since I'd kept saying that I wouldn't. But he didn't suspect anything untoward. He joined shortly after I did. My parents were pleased."
"Bit cold don't you think?"
Rookwood shrugged. "We couldn't both exist here, and the other one told me what happened when he shared a body. Seemed the most efficient way to deal with things."
Hermione was horrified by what she was hearing. Not that she thought that this Rookwood was anywhere near a decent person. But still, to murder your other self in cold blood because it was 'efficient'?
"Did you ever try to alter the device? Work on it in any way?" Croaker asked.
"No. I got what I wanted didn't I? Served the Dark Lord and kept my inheritance." He snorted. "Fat lot of good it did me in the end."
"You didn't think about using it to escape?" Croaker asked. Hermione had been wondering the same thing.
"Didn't have it with me and I was arrested as soon as the Dark Lord fell."
"Would you have used it if you'd had it?"
Rookwood looked at Croaker as if he were stupid. "Of course I would have. I'm sure there's a universe where the Dark Lord won. Probably more than one." He glanced Hermione's way again. "Maybe that one's seen one of them."
Hermione froze and Rookwood laughed. "Come now, Croaker. You know what the device is, you have since you walked in here. Which can only mean that someone used it. I doubt you'd have been able to figure it out just by studying it. I know I couldn't while I kept the other me stunned for a week while I investigated it. If it'd been you that used it, you wouldn't have brought another Unspeakable with you. Only reason for you to bring them with you is if they have first-hand knowledge of how it works. This isn't the kind of thing you'd want getting out."
Croaker didn't reply, just pulled the photograph of the Universe Hopper back towards him, stowing it in his pocket and pulling on his hood. Then he called for the guard. Hermione stood from the table and walked over to join Croaker at the door as he stood talking to the guard. Before she could step out into the corridor, Croaker had his wand in hand. He pointed it at Rookwood. "Obliviate."
Rookwood's face went slack, and Croaker grabbed Hermione's arm and pulled her out the door. The guard handed Hermione her wand and the two of them made their way back to the warden's office.
"What-" Hermione began but Croaker cut her off.
"Later."
"Did you get what you needed?" the warden asked.
"Yes, thank you," Croaker said. "Can you reopen the Floo?"
"Yes, of course," the warden said, waving his wand at the fireplace. Croaker thanked him and ushered Hermione through, quickly following behind her.
Hermione lowered her hood as Croaker stepped out of the Floo into his office. "What was that?"
Croaker snorted. "I'm not leaving that knowledge in his head. He might never be getting out, but you never know who he's going to tell, especially now that he knows we have it."
"How did you get your wand back? We weren't supposed to have them."
"As I said, I have connections," Croaker said.
Hermione pressed her lips together. After everything that had happened with her parents, she hated memory spells. Even on someone like Rookwood. Not to mention the fact that Croaker had obviously worked something out with the guard to get his wand back in order to cast the spell.
He had a point, she knew that. She wouldn't want Rookwood to tell anyone else about the device either. Although, that meant that –
"You're not going to destroy it are you?"
Croaker looked at her for several seconds. "Not right now."
Hermione wanted to scream. "How can you not? After everything I told you? After everything Rookwood told you? He killed his other self. Like it was nothing!"
"I understand all that, Granger. But think of what we could do with it. Think of what we could learn from other universes. There might be cures we don't know about, someone might have figured out a way to unlock Squib's magic, maybe there are worlds where we live in peace with the Muggles instead of having to hide from them. Their technology is only getting better. How much longer do you think it will be before they find us? Think about the possibilities."
"Think of the abuses!" she exclaimed. "What if someone steals the device from you like Rookwood did? Think of the havoc they could wreak! Not to mention that you'd be trapped where you were. This is not something to mess with! When I came back you questioned me about what kind of effect my presence might have had on the worlds I'd been in. And now you want to go on purpose?"
"There would have to be rules, yes. Of course, there would. But what we might be able to discover-"
"No," Hermione said, holding up a hand. She knew she was bordering on insubordination, but she didn't care. "You know what happens when you share a body with your other self. You can't do it indefinitely or even as long as you would probably need to get the information you wanted. And if you jump and end up with your other self, you won't be able to keep from being noticed. That's not how the magic works. Sir, I understand why you want to do this but it's not as simple as you're making it out to be and it certainly isn't safe.
That's not what it was made for either. Augustus was trying to find his wife again. To find his destiny, so to speak."
"Perhaps my destiny is to find more information on problems we haven't been able to solve," Croaker retorted, although Hermione didn't think that he believed in anything like that.
"If you want to solve any of those problems you mentioned, then try. But don't think you're going to find all the answers jumping from universe to universe. Remember what happened when time travel first started, why there are now rules in place and we don't travel back more than a few hours at a time. I realize this isn't the same thing but there are so many things that could go wrong. Please reconsider."
"You jumped through seven universes," Croaker said. "And still came back with no ill effects. I don't see what the problem is. I can't imagine my other self wouldn't want me to bring back any cures or other information I might discover."
"You were dead in almost every universe I was in." Hermione hadn't told him this when she'd recounted her experiences. She hadn't seen the need, and he hadn't asked why she hadn't contacted his counterparts.
Croaker stared at her, clearly shocked into silence.
"I have no idea if you could jump into a world where you don't exist. Augustus didn't either. But if you can, imagine what would happen if someone saw you when you were supposed to be dead. How would you explain that? And even if you can't jump that way, you have absolutely no idea how your other self would react. I was disarmed and had a wand in my face immediately in the first two universes I jumped to. I'm just lucky that they were both willing to hear me out. What if your other selves aren't as accommodating?"
Given Croaker's prickly nature, she wouldn't be surprised if what she'd asked were true.
"And yes, I don't appear to have any ill effects from my travels, but we don't know that for sure. What if something happens later? Or what if there's a limit how many times you can jump. Seven might be all right but eight too many. There's no way to know. This is dangerous."
"We study dangerous artifacts and theories all the time. It's part of the job."
Hermione sighed in frustration. "Obviously, you're the head of this department and you'll do what you see fit. But there are so many things that could go wrong, so many ways this could backfire. Getting home isn't easy. It's not just a matter of turning the rings the proper way. You really have to want it. And if all you're focused on is finding new information, you could end up jumping indefinitely. I am begging you to think about this long and hard before you decide it's a good idea. Please."
Even though she hadn't been dismissed, Hermione didn't wait for a response. She wasn't sure she could keep her head if he argued with her further. She left his office and went to her own, slumping down into her desk chair. She put her head down on her desk and cursed the insatiable curiosity of Unspeakables, her boss in particular.
"Hermione?"
Hermione lifted her head to see Padma standing in her doorway looking concerned.
"What's wrong?"
Hermione sighed and waved her friend inside. Padma closed the door behind her and sat down in the chair in front of Hermione's desk.
"I had a disagreement with Croaker."
"About the project that got shelved?" Padma asked.
"Sort of," Hermione hedged. She really wanted to talk to Padma about the Universe Hopper. She wanted to explain everything that had happened to her and how all of the other Padmas had helped her eventually get home. Hermione wanted to tell her what the other Padma had said about getting rid of Ernie. She knew she wasn't supposed to though, Croaker had made that clear. But Hermione just wanted to be able to confide in someone. Someone other than her boss who obviously wasn't going to give her any emotional support. She needed Padma to know.
And Padma had taken the same oaths as Hermione. It's not as if she would talk to anyone outside the DOM about it. Hermione had always done what Croaker told her, but she couldn't this time. If she didn't tell Padma she felt like she was going to explode.
"Come to mine after work. I need to talk to you."
"Are you sure? I thought you weren't supposed to tell me anything."
"I just, I have to, Padma."
"All right," Padma agreed.
Hermione and Padma sat on Hermione's couch, each with glasses of wine in hand. Padma had gone home first to change and then Flooed to Hermione's.
"Are you sure you want to tell me?" Padma asked. "I've never known you to go against what Croaker's directed before."
"I have to," Hermione said. "Everything that's happened, it's just eating away at me. I need to talk about it and to someone besides Croaker."
"I don't understand," Padma said.
Hermione took a deep breath. "While I was inspecting the device there was an accident. It activated and I disappeared from the DOM. I was gone for a month and a half."
Padma just stared at her. "That's impossible. You weren't gone at all. Unless it was it a Time-turner?"
"No," Hermione said. "I didn't go back in time, well not right away anyway. I went to a parallel universe."
"I'm sorry, what?"
"A parallel universe. Seven of them actually."
"That's, what are you saying, Hermione? This is-"
"Mad, I know. But it happened."
"You went to, you, I, seven?"
Hermione nodded with a slightly manic laugh. "You have no idea." Then she sobered and reached over to take Padma's hand. "But I sought you out in every universe, even the ones where we weren't close friends. You always helped me. You were ultimately the reason I got back."
Hermione told her everything. Every single thing that happened in every universe. They went through the entire bottle of wine. And when she was finished, Padma threw her arms around her and hugged her as tightly as she could. "I'm so sorry that you had to go through all of that. And I'm so glad that all the other mes were able to help you."
She sat back and studied Hermione for a moment. "So, Harry huh?"
Hermione felt her cheeks heat and nodded.
"I can't say I'm entirely surprised."
"No?" Hermione asked.
Padma shook her head. "It's the way the two of you are when you're together. You're so in tune with one another. It's sort of hard to explain but if I didn't know you, I'd probably think you were together."
"Yes, well, he's married so," Hermione shrugged.
"There is that, yeah. Have you spoken to him, by the way? Since you've been back."
"Yes, last night," Hermione said.
"And?"
"And what? I told him that I broke things off with Ron." Hermione shrugged.
"How did he take it?"
"He was surprised. Worried about both of us. He went and saw Ron after he left here."
Padma opened her mouth to say something, then closed it.
"What?" Hermione asked.
"Nothing, it's just," Padma sighed and set her wine glass down on the table, then leaned forward toward Hermione. "I want you to be happy."
Hermione gave her a sad smile. "He's married, Padma. I'm not, I can't say anything to him while he's married. I can't do that."
"I know, I know you can't," Padma said. She reached over and took Hermione's hand, giving it a squeeze.
"I love him too much to come between him and Ginny if she's who he really wants. He's my best friend and if that's all I get then that's enough."
Padma nodded and then hugged her. Hermione hugged her back, holding back the tears that wanted to escape.
When they separated, Hermione changed the subject. "Croaker wants to use it, the Universe Hopper," Hermione said.
"You're not serious?"
Hermione nodded. "When we got back from Azkaban after questioning Rookwood, he admitted it. I sort of lost it and am still wondering if I'll have a job tomorrow, but I don't regret what I said. It's completely ludicrous that he's thinking of doing anything other than destroying it."
"Did you actually yell at him?" Padma asked, smirk on her face.
"Yes," Hermione said with a laugh. "The same way I used to yell at Harry and Ron when we were at school."
Padma grinned. "I would have loved to have seen that."
Hermione sighed. "I understand where he's coming from, and I know that it's likely possible he could find some of the things he's looking for. All the things that Malfoy Industries managed to do alone were more than impressive. But all the things that could go wrong, I just," he shook her head.
"My concern is that he was dead in so many of the universes you were in. I realize there must be thousands, if not millions, more worlds than the few you visited but can you even jump to a universe where you don't exist?" Padma asked.
"I have no idea. I would think not since you either end up with your other self or in your other self's body. The same if you never existed at all. I wouldn't think you could get to those universes either. I'm worried that he won't be able to get back. I was setting the device properly in two universes before the last one and I still didn't get home because I didn't believe I could. You have to really want to get home to return. If he's more worried about finding the next cure or next new artifact or whatever, he could be jumping forever.
Not to mention, what if he ends up with a Croaker that's not an Unspeakable or evil or something? The same thing that happened to Augustus could happen to him. Imagine if a Death Eater Croaker or a Dark Wizard Croaker got hold of it. Or someone else entirely. There's no guarantee someone else might not steal it.
And I don't know if he could even do what he wants to do. That's not what the device was designed for. There are so many things that could go wrong."
"You could go to the Minister," Padma said after a few minutes of silence. "The oaths allow it in an emergency. And I think this qualifies."
"I've thought of that," Hermione said with another sigh. "And I may have to. I just wish Croaker would realize that we're better off without this thing existing."
They were silent for a few minutes.
"Although," Padma finally said with a sly grin on her face. "You wouldn't have gotten to shag your way through the universes if he'd gotten rid of it from the off."
Hermione immediately colored. "Padma! I didn't plan to."
Padma laughed. "Honestly, Hermione, I'm not judging you. Far from it. I'm a bit jealous to be honest."
Hermione looked at her sharply.
"You can't deny that every single one of them are fit, even Malfoy."
"I didn't shag Malfoy," Hermione muttered.
Padma snorted. "I might have."
"Padma!"
"What? Don't deny that you've had thoughts about some, if not all of them. If you say you haven't, I won't believe you."
Hermione huffed. "All right, fine, yes. I am aware of how fit some of them were."
"All of them," Padma amended.
"Fine, all of them. But it was, I didn't, I didn't plan it."
"I know you didn't. I'm sure you tried to avoid it, actually. Well, except with Harry."
Hermione's cheeks heated again. "Yeah, except with Harry."
Padma reached over and squeezed her hand again.
"That reminds me, we need to talk about you and Ernie," Hermione said.
"What about us?"
"Well, more than one of your other selves think you should get dump him, permanently this time. The Padma from the second universe said, and I quote, "it's clear he's never going to commit'," Hermione said echoing the Theo universe's Padma.
Padma laughed and shook her head. "Parvati tells me the same thing."
"So, what's stopping you?"
"I don't know," Padma sighed. "When we're not together, I always think, that's it, it's over. But then we'll run into one another or he'll Floo and it's just…easy, I guess, to fall back into being with him." She sighed and downed the last of her wine. "Dating is exhausting. It's not like that with Ernie." She shrugged her shoulders.
"If that's all you want, then great," Hermione said. "I say carry on. But if you want something serious or something that you know is going somewhere, then you have a different decision to make."
"I know," Padma said with a sigh. "Sometimes I just want a shag though, you know? He's good for that."
Hermione laughed. "Well, then like I said, carry on."
"But you're right. It's never going to be serious. And honestly, I don't even think I want it to be. Not with him, anyway."
"Whatever you want, you know I'll support. I just want you to be happy too."
Padma smiled. "I know. And if there's anything I can do to help with Harry, you know I will."
"Harry needs to figure out things with Ginny," Hermione said. "And I won't do anything that might interfere in that decision."
Padma nodded. "Well, whatever happens, I'm here for you. Don't forget that."
"I couldn't possibly," Hermione said with a smile.