"I'm sorry, but I'm still not processing this."

Instead of staying in the relative openness of the hallway, fearful that Matthew would rear his head at any moment, Hermione dragged Harry into the nearest abandoned room. That earned them a fair few catcalls and wolf whistles as the other students revelled in the potential gossip. If their imagination had been accurate, it would have been one of the major stories to hit the school, which explained the fervent chatter that steadily greeted their hasty retreat.

It was safe to say that Harry knew they should have been lucky that Hermione was too busy to hex them into the next week.

Even though only a short length of time had passed and nothing had been done to her physically, Hermione's hair was taken on a life of its own thanks to the stress of the situation. Over the years, her brown mane had grown to be less unruly, but it was a true return to form now. It was like her body was reacting to the sheer absurdity of what Harry was saying, and Hermione was left with no other option but to pace in front of him before the nervous energy was expelled from her body.

"I don't know how else I can put it," Harry said with a sigh.

"Run through it for me again."

He let out a groan, which resulted in a deep glare being sent his way. "Trust me, I was just as surprised as you are now. I woke up in a room that was occupied by all the people you can imagine, including Voldemort and…Enola was there. I didn't know that that was who she was at the time because she was going by her last name. It was only later…a lot later…that she explained her backstory. In the end, she was the one who helped me escape. I'd probably still be locked away if it wasn't for her. Not that I want to take away anything from what you did for me, 'Mione."

"That's the last thing I'm worried about right now."

"If Matthew was able to travel through time, then that at least means she'd have the same ability, right? That's how she's here in the present day."

"Possibly. Although it doesn't explain why she's chosen now to come. Or why she's working with Voldemort."

"That last bit is probably the easiest bit to outline. He was basically the first person who found her, providing her shelter when she had nowhere else to come. I…I thought that she might have come with me during the attack, but she seemed to think that she'd be more useful to me by remaining there. It's something she reiterated in her latest message."

Harry would occasionally replay that particular incident over and over in his head. He wondered how different things would have been if he'd been able to convince her to make a different choice. He lost sleep over whether he was supposed to have put his foot down, or at least to have fought more strongly to change her mind. Her presence would have made it easier to answer the inevitable questions, though the fallout with Matthew would have happened much sooner.

Every cloud had a silver lining.

Thanks to her beleaguered state, Hermione snatched the note from his hand with little grace. At the moment, she apparently had no time for pleasantries. She would no doubt be mortified about her behaviour once she returned to her senses, but Harry could understand the level of her stress. He'd roped her into a lie, or at least a secret, that directly impacted her boyfriend, one that dredged up the past he very rarely spoke about.

It was always going to result in some tension.

"Well, she's right about that."

"She is?" Harry asked.

Hermione gave him a sharp look, as if he shouldn't have been questioning her at that moment in time. "If she was at Hogwarts, she'd presumably be a powerful ally, if she has close to the same level of power as Matthew."

"I think she does. I only saw glimpses of it…but yeah, it was imposing."

He only had to think back to the way she'd easily pressed him up against the wall. Her magic had been fuelled by such untapped rage that he'd been more fearful of her than Voldemort. At least he understood how the Dark Lord operated. There was still so much to learn about Enola Karstark, a mystery that was coming back to bite him.

"But we've already got plenty of people who can hold their own in a fight. She wouldn't swing the balance in our favour. If she's on the inside, however, she could potentially work as a spy, feeding us information about Voldemort's plans, forever keeping us one step ahead of him."

"Which might prove beneficial, seeing as Malfoy seemed to think Snape will no longer be able to play that role, thanks to the fact he saved me."

"Yes, well, that's an entirely different can of worms that I don't have the mental space to deal with currently. You've got one major problem, Harry, and that's the fact that you've kept this to yourself for so long."

"I've got a major problem. I thought by telling you that I was making this just as much your problem. You know, partners in crime. Matthew's anger will be diluted if it's directed at the two of us."

"I'll be sure to plead ignorance if and when you tell him. I'm not going down with the ship when you drove it into an iceberg."

"I really appreciate your support at this trying time."

"You're very welcome."

"I want to tell him. But how do I possibly go about that? His best friend from his childhood has, for all intents and purposes, come back from the dead, and is now technically under the banner of the one guy we're all trying to kill. This was after the fact that he's just come back from the dead. There was never a good moment."

"Then you blurt it out, just like you did with me. And then you hope he treats you reasonably, just like I'm doing. Because I'm very close to banging your head against the wall, Harry James Potter, but the noise would only reinforce what those childish people outside were thinking when we came in here."

"You noticed that too, huh?"

"You better hope that the rumours don't make it back to Matthew, otherwise he'll have two reasons to strike you down."

Harry gulped. "You don't think he'd do that, do you? He'd hear me out, right?"

"I'm sure he'll give you the benefit of the doubt…and then throw some spells at you."

"Great. Just what I wanted. I managed to get my friend back, and now I'm going to lose him in a completely different way."

"Matthew cares far too much about you to throw your friendship away over this, as long as you make things right."

"You're going to say that I can only do that by telling him, aren't you?"

"It's nice to see that you still have a brain inside that head of yours. Even if you haven't shown it with this latest decision."

"Alright, I get it."

"Do you believe her?"

Harry paused for a second. "What do you mean?"

"Do you really think that it is Enola?"

"I mean, she definitely looks like her, based on the glimpses I've had thanks to the horcrux."

"There are plenty of spells that could change someone's appearance to suit an agenda."

"Do you think that's what's going on? Do you think I'm being manipulated? To what end? Wouldn't it have been easier for the Death Eaters to just…you know, keep me there?"

"I honestly don't know, Harry. I'd imagine it is Enola that you've met, even if that raises a whole host of questions. But…"

"...you don't want to get Matthew's hopes up."

"Exactly."

"I think that's one of the reasons why I haven't told him."

"Besides protecting yourself."

"I won't disagree that that was one of the key reasons. But this doesn't have to paint me in a solely terrible light. I was looking out for him. Because if I got this wrong, if it isn't actually Enola, then it'd crush him to go through losing her again. And that'd be my fault."

"I understand why you did it. I'm just not necessarily agreeing that it was the right port of call."

"Is this…how you reacted…when you found out about Matthew and the Tardis?"

Harry knew that he shouldn't have been bringing that up, that it was only going to get him into further trouble. But it was hard not to draw comparisons between the two situations. Back then, his friends had chosen to keep an almighty secret away from him, largely because the time was never right and they wanted to protect him. Those were exactly the same arguments he was using to support his actions, now the shoe was on the other foot.

"Why are you bringing that up now? Do we really need to dredge up the past?"

"Well, the past has had an uncanny ability of coming back itself recently. I'd just…like to know. It'd help. Is this the same advice you gave Matthew when he broke the news to you?"

Hermione's sigh was a soft and weary one. "Honestly, I wish there was just one time where the two of you would confide in one another, instead of placing me in the middle of things."

Harry smirked. "It just shows that we both think you're the smartest person we know."

She narrowed her eyes. "Are you trying to butter me up?"

"It works so well when Matthew does it."

"He also does a lot of things, many of which I presume you won't be doing."

"Will it help my cause?"

She hit him on the shoulder. "Definitely not! But if you must know…I remember telling Matthew that the best way to solve the problem was to tell you as soon as possible. The problem was that, with Sirius still lurking in the shadows when we thought he was a mass murderer, Matthew never wanted to unload something else on you. And I know, before you start, that you'll give me the same spiel, that you're looking out for his best interests and that there's too much going on. Frankly, Harry, this is probably as calm the waters are going to be for quite some time. School is gradually gearing us up for NEWTS, Voldemort is recovering, and Enola is apparently planning on keeping her distance. You're not going to get a better opportunity."

"I was worried that you were going to say that."

"As long as there's nothing else? No other secrets?"

He'd been given an opening, perhaps inadvertently by Hermione. Harry doubted that she knew about his hidden horcrux truth, although there might have been a chance that she'd come to the same conclusion without having to be expressly told. Was she testing him? Was she trying to evaluate whether he was truly willing to share things with them? Or was he just reading far too much into the question because he was so concerned about what was to come for him?

He knew that, if he wanted to make things right, if he wanted to give them all a clean slate, then telling Hermione about his fears was the only option. That didn't make things any easier. He didn't want her to worry. He didn't want anyone to worry, especially when there was nothing they could do about it. If Harry had a horcrux within him, then there was no alternative other than death, so what was the point in making the likes of Hermione fret?

He plastered a small smile on his face. "Nothing."

xxxxxxxxxx

Understandably, Harry's thoughts were largely preoccupied throughout the day. Nothing that happened in any classes was powerful enough to distract him from the cloud hanging over his head. Matthew was rightfully suspicious of his sudden exit and the mystery surrounding the anonymous note, but he chose not to pursue it too strongly. Perhaps he'd been advised by Hermione to wait for Harry to make the first move. Perhaps he was simply leaving the ball in Harry's court.

Their time in the common room that same evening wasn't exactly awkward, but it bordered upon uncomfortableness. All three of them knew that there was something else to be talking about, and yet they discussed more menial topics, skirting around the main issue. Matthew looked to be oblivious to the growing situation, but Hermione would send him the occasional glare in an attempt to silently kick him into gear.

She wanted him to blurt it out, to rip the plaster off, but Harry had come to the decision that it required more tact than that. With so many people in the same space as them, enjoying the respite from lessons, he was never going to start that conversation. It'd only lead to a public confrontation, Matthew exploding at the news whilst the other Gryffindors watched on, preparing to spread the gossip throughout the school the next morning. And so Harry kept his mouth firmly shut, much to Hermione's increased annoyance.

By the time they were planning on heading up to bed, her looks were growing to be exceedingly pointed. Matthew stretched, signalling that the day had finally caught up to him, and Hermione shifted, beginning her approach to the staircase as well. Only for her to hold back briefly as Harry dawdled. He'd hoped that his delaying tactics would be enough to get him off scot free, but she'd quickly seen through his cunning ruse.

"You coming, Harry?" Matthew asked, propped up against the wall.

"Yeah…in a minute," he replied. "I'll meet you up there."

"Fine by me. I might be able to nod off before your snoring starts in that case."

Harry rolled his eyes at his friend's witty comment, but any slight enjoyment he'd been feeling quickly dissipated when he was met with the impatient tapping of Hermione's foot. It was remarkable just how daunting an opponent she could be. It was clear how someone as domineering and confident as Matthew suitably cowered at her feet whenever she crooked her finger. No one in their right mind was willing to mess with her.

"Tell him," she said sharply in a low hiss. "Tonight."

"I will. As soon as I go up there."

Her expression mellowed somewhat, presumably surprised by his quick agreement. "You promise?"

"Cross my heart and all that. I just…need to prepare myself."

"I think that's understandable. And…good luck. If I get any wind of fighting, I'll try to get there as soon as possible."

"You might be too late by that point."

She'd gone as far as resting a comforting hand on his shoulder, and he found that he greatly missed the presence once she was moving away. It exemplified that he was on his own when it came to this particular fight. If he was able to face down Voldemort, then Matthew Mormont didn't need to be a formidable prospect. But, at the hands of the Dark Lord, only Harry's life had been on the line. Now there was something much more important at stake.

It was precisely because of that Harry continued to come up with reasons as to why he needed to stay downstairs. Even though Hermione wasn't there, he could still feel her eyes boring into the back of his skull, judging him for his inaction. He'd sit down for a few moments, fiddling with his hands, before standing up and circling the sofa in nervous agitation. It was just a good job that there was no one else left in the common room, otherwise they would have thought that the fabled Harry Potter had lost his marbles.

One way he was able to have a worthwhile cause to lag behind was by unveiling the note Enola had sent him, as if scanning it once more would make it easier to comprehend. Much to his begrudging annoyance, the letter was still frustratingly light when it came to details. Harry questioned what the purpose of the missive truly was when it barely enlightened him on the situation. In truth, all it had done was send him deeper into the quagmire he now found himself in.

I also hope this letter sheds some light on the choice I made. Your confusion and anger was clear to see, though I must admit that I find it cute that you worry so much after such little time together. He is on the move. There is little more that I can say without suffering the scorch of fire and flames. Stay safe. Your survival has angered him to no end.

Harry felt like he didn't require any extra proof that Enola was, in some fashion, linked to Matthew. Her incessant use of riddles and cryptic words were right up his friend's street, as if she were playing a game rather than actually alerting Harry to her plans. What was the purpose in writing to him, in putting her life potentially in danger, only to tell him that his grand escape had infuriated Voldemort? When that was naturally clear as day?

He is on the move.

It was a rather daunting line, the only proper indication she'd given as to what the Dark Lord was doing. Matthew had transported him to some unknown place, which could have been thousands of miles away. The thought that he'd returned to British shores was an unwelcome one, albeit not an unexpected one. Again, he'd already reached the conclusion that Voldemort would have to find a new base of operations now that Malfoy Manor was compromised. So he was left once more pondering why Enola had wasted her time telling him.

There is little more that I can say without suffering the scorch of fire and flames.

It was a strange turn of phase and quite easily the part of the letter that attracted Harry's attention the most. If Enola was having to act in secret, was she trying to convey a hidden message, one that her current suitors wouldn't understand if they intercepted the owl? The problem, naturally, was that Harry also didn't have a clue what she was referring to, or if she was referring to anything at all.

Unless Voldemort had truly threatened her with fire. Guilt washed over him as he considered the fact that she might have already been punished in his name. Perhaps him receiving the letter served as the final confirmation of her betrayal, Harry acting as an unwitting accomplice to Voldemort. Would his acceptance of the note lead to her suffering? Was he worrying about someone who'd already been cruelly taken from him? He did well not to scrunch up the parchment as his stomach churned at the images he concocted in his head.

I also hope this letter sheds some light on the choice I made.

He realised that it was probably best if he carried on believing that Enola was safe and sound, or as much as she could be given who she was staying with. If he started to think negatively, then there was no reason to have the mounting discussion with Matthew, as tempting as it was to avoid that confrontation. Harry looked more closely at her words, wondering whether there was a connection between light and the fire and flames she mentioned. Did she just have a penchant for fiery word play, or was there something else that she was hinting at?

His first instinct was to start fretting, his mind instantly wandering to the various possibilities. If fire and flames were involved, then there was surely only one natural conclusion. If Voldemort had gotten himself a dragon, then the chances of them winning the war weren't looking exceptionally good. The magical beasts were resistant to most magic, making the impossible job of killing Voldemort even more difficult. The image of the Dark Lord flying over Hogwarts on the back of one of them wasn't a thought he wanted to ponder.

He'd had enough of dragons ever since the brief encounter during the Triwizard Tournament.

Choosing to look in a more positive direction, Harry considered the notion that Enola was being more literal than he'd first thought. Knowing that it was just another excuse to waste time, Harry strode towards the nearest flickering candle, gently hovering the letter over the burning flame. He'd heard stories of people leaving secret messages that had to be unlocked in such a fashion, so maybe she'd gone old school with her plan.

He should have known that it was never going to be that easy.

For a few seconds, nothing worthy of note happened, making Harry feel rather foolish as he stood there, wafting the paper dangerously close to the candle. But then the letter started to glow, warming in his hands which had nothing to do with the small flame. He'd envisaged new words appearing on the parchment, a whole new dimension to the message that made the effort all worthwhile. He'd never expected for one moment that it would conjure Enola herself.

It wasn't technically her. It was more like a hologram from one of those old science fiction movies Hermione's dad seemed to like. She was ethereal, the blue glow of her form somehow accentuating her beauty as she stared at Harry. His mouth was hanging open, probably not making a great impression on the girl. But then how was he supposed to react when someone managed to appear out of thin air, even when he was used to the magical world?

"You figured it out then?" she said in greeting. "I'm impressed."

Harry struggled to return to his senses. "Did you doubt me?"

"I was worried that it'd be too subtle for you."

"I'm glad that I proved you wrong. Even if I don't know how you're doing this."

"Just a dash of my magical signature, embedded into the paper. Obviously, it needed a catalyst to be activated."

"Obviously."

"I thought using fire would be suitably dramatic. I haven't done this before, so I wanted to make sure that I made the most of it."

"How did you know that it'd work?"

She gave him an affronted look. "Are you the one who's doubting me now?"

Harry sputtered. "I wouldn't dream of it."

"That's what I thought. And, this may sound disconcerting, but you're helping me to power this conversation. It draws upon your magic just as much as mine. We're connected, you and I."

Enola moved around, twisting her head to take in the room, though she remained quite close to the parchment, as if it was the one thing tethering her to the realm. Harry wanted to learn more about the intricacies of the magic on display, knowing that Hermione would expect a lecture on the topic if she found out. He also wanted to know exactly what she meant by the connection they shared. But if Enola was trying it for the first time, then there was no telling for how long the moment would last. He didn't want to waste this extra time with her.

"So…this is Hogwarts?" she asked. "It's nice. Maybe a bit homely for my tastes, but I haven't exactly had a home for a while."

"Where are you now?"

"With him. With the others, the ones who survived both the attack and his wrath. You're the sole owner of my consciousness at the moment. Right now, it's like I'm asleep, experiencing a dream that is all too real."
"What if someone wants you? What if someone spots you?"

"Then I'll wake up. I've told you in the past that you don't need to worry about me, Harry Potter."

"That isn't going to make me stop."

Whereas she'd been staring at the walls, taking in what Gryffindor common room had to offer, her gaze returned to him. Enola sported a smile and Harry felt the heat rise on his face as she closed the distance, placing a hand on his cheeks. It was an oddly cool sensation, highlighting the fact that she truly wasn't there. And still Harry was drawn into her piercing eyes, a hypnotising concoction of beauty and swirling magic.

"Is it true, then?" she asked in a whisper. "Is Matthew back from the dead?"

"Technically."

"Technically? It's not a technical situation. You're either dead or you're not."

"Your boss is the perfect example of how that doesn't necessarily have to be the case."

Her nostrils flared for an instant. "Voldemort isn't my boss. And Matthew hasn't been messing with horcruxes. He wouldn't be that foolish."

"No, he hasn't. He and his Tardis were…summoned. I guess that's the easiest way of putting it. Hermione accidentally brought him to this time period. He had no clue about what was going on or what's bound to happen to him. So…"

"...he'll still die. He can just go about it the long way round. I always knew that a little stumbling block like death wouldn't stand in his way. He's too stubborn for that. Too foolhardy."

"It's not as if he planned for this to happen. It was a mistake, one I'm very glad that happened. Even if it raises a few problems."

"Such as little old me and how I fit into the equation?"

"I didn't want to brand you as a problem…but, yeah, basically."

"How did Matthew react when he found out?"

"Well…that's the thing…"

Enola furrowed her brow. "You haven't told him."

"Don't give me that look! I was about to do exactly that before you rudely interrupted."

"I can leave if you'd prefer…"

She threatened to move and Harry instinctively reached out for her hand, which was an absurd thing to do given the fact that she wasn't in any physical form. Yet their fingers laced together all the same, the extent of the magic on show amazing Harry to no end. Enola was smirking, as if she'd purposefully given the warning to mess with him. It had proven to be spectacularly successful, seeing as Harry had clearly shown how desperate he was to see her.

"Don't," he said. "There must be a reason for you to go to all this effort. Don't waste it because I'm an idiot."

"It's nice to talk to someone who's willing to insult themselves. You can imagine what sort of vanity permeates through Death Eaters."

"Your letter didn't give much away."

"Just in case anyone read it who wasn't supposed to. It was a difficult line to toe, giving enough information to entice you, whilst not revealing too much to leave me facing the killing curse."

"So there is more for you to tell me?"

"Maybe I just wanted an excuse to see you."

Harry blushed "Is that what's going on?"

"Partly. You're the first person in this time period who's intrigued me, and I'm looking forward to finding out more. It helps that you're rather easy on the eye, though I'm sure you hear that all the time from your devoted fans."

"You know about them?"

"Believe it or not, but Voldemort has a subscription to the Daily Prophet, largely so that he can keep abreast of any development concerning you. It doesn't please him when most of the stories are about people fawning over you."

"Well, I can tell you that that's an exaggeration. And it means more to hear it coming from you."

"The articles never said that you're sweet."

"There's plenty more for you to learn about me."

She arched an eyebrow. "And a hidden confidence? Consider me hooked."

"Are you going to tell me what Voldemort is up to? Before our time runs out?"

"His attempts to breach the Tardis seemingly sent him to a remote part of the Amazon Rainforest. Whilst the fallout diminished his powers briefly, it wasn't long before he was apparating back to Malfoy Manor. By that point, the mess was being cleaned away, with your friends nowhere to be seen. I can't count how many Crucios he used that night."

"Did he…did he use it on you?"

"No. For now, it appears that he's still wary of the magic I possess. And hungry for what I can offer him. He's suffered back-to-back defeats after originally thinking that he had you captured for good. You were supposed to die, Harry, and the fact you're still walking around Hogwarts boils his blood with every passing day. Attempts to extract you from the school have, up to this point, failed, so he's attempting a different tact. He's looking for ways to get into Hogwarts. If an attack starts from the inside, hundreds will die, and you won't stand a chance."

"But…the school is impenetrable."

"You might believe that. You might even be right. But it's not going to stop the Dark Lord from figuring out a possible avenue. What that is…well, I haven't been told yet. I don't think anyone has. I'd advise you to increase the security around the school. And be wary of insiders, Harry."

"Insiders?"

"Not everyone flocked to his side. As you have me, he'll no doubt have other people pretending to be on your side. Be mindful of that."

"What's taking you so long? I thought we might…"

The new voice entering the fray came from behind Harry, with his back facing the staircase to the dorm rooms. Enola's eyes widened, one of the few displays of surprise he'd seen from the girl. Harry could understand the sentiment as he slowly spun to look at Matthew, who was wiping at his eyes as he stood there in his dressing gown. The other boy was left turning his head between the two of them, his mind evidently trying to keep up with what his eyes were telling him.

"Harry?"

And that was, without a doubt, the smallest he'd ever heard Matthew's voice.