This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Chapter 3
"Hunches and Triggers"
A few hours have past after Harry came from Dumbledore's office. He was alone in the common room, and after tossing and turning on his four-poster, sometimes staring at Ron's empty and undisturbed bed, he gave up on sleep and decided to sit down where he was now, on the squashy armchair in front of the common room fireplace.
Soon enough, he heard soft footsteps coming down the stairs, and he turned his head to see who made it. It was Hermione. She was shivering under her thick coat and walked towards the fire and knelt down beside it for warmth.
"Can't sleep, too?" said Harry.
"No," she replied quietly.
"Me neither."
There were a few moments silence as Harry and Hermione allowed themselves to plunge deep in thought about Ron, who was presently in the dungeons at the very moment. "How do you think he's feeling down there?" said Hermione slowly.
"Depressed. Afraid - I'd feel the same thing if I was in his shoes, too," replied Harry, and he pounded his fist on the side table. "I failed him tonight!"
"Failed him for what, Harry?" said Hermione gently and for the first time since she went down from her dorm, she looked at Harry. "We couldn't do anything up there in Dumbledore's office. The proof we saw - and McGonagall's testimony. They were all too much."
"I should have accompanied him to the dungeons…"
"Snape and Filch surely would've disagreed."
Harry breathed deeply. He thought Hermione was right, but he felt at least he should have insisted of going to the dungeons with Ron and he probably should have volunteered to be locked up with him. That would have made it easy for Ron than being alone there right now with no one to talk to. "I should have gone with him… but I still couldn't leave you in there alone, too…"
"I know it's my fault, Harry…I should have been very strong up there. He needed you more than I did, but I want to thank you for helping me get back here - I couldn't have done it myself, and I don't trust the Head Boy to do what you did…"
"Please don't blame yourself, Hermione, it's not your fault," said Harry sincerely. They both fell silent, not knowing what to talk about again.
"So, uh, are you thinking what I'm thinking about the Head Boy?" he added hesitantly afterwards, because he knew this was definitely not a good time to argue with Hermione. It normally irritated her when someone contradicts her too much because she stands by with her beliefs fiercely, and a new argument over a "trivial" thing like over the Head Boy won't be much of a big help.
There was a long pause before she answered Harry's question, and Harry himself was almost sure he made a wrong step. He then thought he'd had to go through with helping Ron alone.
From Hermione's point of view, her positive remarks about Jack Chadron in Hagrid's Hut today were surely fresh in Harry's mind, and she knew she had to eat her words sooner or later. Or maybe right now, she'll have to swallow her pride. She'll do this for Ron, she decided, but Harry saved her from that before she can talk. This was the amazing thing being best friends for many years.
"Hermione, I'm sorry for bringing that up. Whatever Jack Chadron is, we're gonna have to leave it for later," said Harry gently. "The important thing is I think we must stop feeling sorry for Ron and ourselves now - pull ourselves together, and start thinking of something we could do. So what d'you say we start first thing we wake up tomorrow morning, deal?"
Hermione looked at Harry gratefully and nodded, giving him her best smile. This, at least, allowed her to speak her piece about her doubts with the Head Boy, without ever needing to recant all the good things she talked about earlier today.
"Harry, I smell something fishy here - I've got a funny feeling Chadron has something to do with some of this, or maybe everything. I mean I know Ron and he can't even manage to do a simple thing like a banishing charm and when did he know how to do the Death Curse…and knowing him, he'd rather think about Dungbombs and the Chudley Cannons than practice his magic, of course, and you remember what Professor Moody - I mean Crouch - said last year?" Hermione said all of these furiously fast that Harry hadn't got the chance to hear everything. But he was positive Hermione sounded she didn't believe Ron tried to kill Dumbledore.
"Uh…I don't remember," said Harry, confused a little.
Hermione stared at him. "You mean you weren't listening to Moody…oh, never mind… Anyway, he said we were all too young to know how to do it properly, and I presume no one is supposed to teach us how to kill while we're at Hogwarts. Ron couldn't have done it, I'm sure of it now."
"But, still, it all goes down to McGonagall's word that she saw Ron try and kill Dumbledore, and Ron's wand…" Harry thought aloud for Hermione. "I dunno how we could challenge that. McGonagall is one very credible teacher…"
"Yes, we all heard what Professor McGonagall said, apparently from what we've seen so far it might be the truth. But there must be something else going around here that we don't know. Remember, Harry, we're in the magical world now, and sometimes it's not totally different to the Muggle world. For all we know, she might be lying, too."
"I don't see any reason what would make McGonagall pin Ron down for something. She's strict but pretty fair and impartial. I don't think she's lying, Hermione," said Harry, feeling disappointed of pointing that out. However, he also had other theories. "But, do you think McGonagall has some mad conspiracy to take over the Headmaster duty? I know it sounds crazy because I always thought she's the loyal and trustworthy right-hand person type for Dumbledore."
Hermione thought hard. "McGonagall all behind this? Well…that's a possibility. I hate to think about that but my Aunt Charlotte says when Uncle Ben goes investigating, he likes to keep all angles open. He's with the Muggle Police, you know. That's why it's important we have to find out very soon, Harry. I think that's what we can do to help Ron. But if everything we learn about the incident turns out the same in the end…"
Harry shuddered. He dreaded to come to the point to discover Ron as the guilty one, but they had to find out the real truth about the incident. Not just simply the truth, but the real truth.
"You're right," said Harry, exhaling a lot of air. "We gotta find out for ourselves, the sooner the better. No one around here might be too interested to re-investigate…Snape was absolutely convinced Ron tried to kill Dumbledore."
Hermione snorted. "Hmph. Snape. He was having the time of his life pinning down Ron on the murder attempt. I know he won't be much of a help even if we find out something to incriminate somebody else than Ron."
"So, when do you think Ministry Wizards would arrive here to take away Ron?"
"If they travel by broomsticks, they'll probably arrive by tomorrow morning," Hermione said thoughtfully. "But my guess is they'll take the Hogwarts Express when they'd transport a prisoner from Hogwarts. It makes sense because broomsticks aren't at all that secure. If they're thinking what I'm guessing now, I reckon they'll ride the train 11 o'clock the day after tomorrow. It won't leave until Wednesday if it follows the schedule."
"So we have to find out everything by morning on Wednesday. I refuse to let him set foot in Azkaban even if he'd be cleared in the end, Hermione. You heard what Hagrid said about the place, and remember how it felt when surrounded by those Dementors. They don't care if you're innocent or not."
That gave Hermione more chills. "Brrr. That's right, and hopefully we will, Harry. We have to," she said with a hint of desperation in her voice.
"Let's visit Ron tomorrow morning as soon as we can, okay?"
Hermione nodded. She was ready to skip classes if needed in order to hear the side of Ron. She still felt very guilty of accusing him back in Dumbledore's office, and she owes this to Ron. Even is she hadn't done that, she'd still do anything for her best friend like Harry, even at the cost of her life (or worse her future in Hogwarts). She remembers very vividly how Harry and Ron risked their lives early in the term to save her from a monster called an "Oarling".
"It's almost two. We gotta get some sleep, but I doubt if we can…" said Harry.
-o0o-
Harry actually did fall asleep, but he had made it a point to wake up before six to be able to do things before classes, and visiting Ron as soon as possible was his first order of the day. Somehow he managed to wake up without the help of an alarm clock. He stood up sleepily ahead of everyone else inside the dorm, fixed himself up before going down the spiral staircase, and headed toward the portrait hole.
"Harry, wait for me!" said Hermione as she hurried to catch up from behind. "I knew you've been thinking of going to the dungeons this early, too."
Harry smiled at her and they both walked out of the common room together. Nobody else was out around the grounds except for Peeves who fortunately did not spot Harry and Hermione.
"Isn't it a way little too early to visit him?" said Hermione as they made their way to the dungeons.
"Forget being too early," Harry replied, sounding worried. "The question is if they would let us see him."
Finding the right dungeon where Ron proved to be difficult for the two of them. They searched, now slightly sweating, for more than fifteen minutes. "No, Harry, I think we've been here before," said Hermione as she peered around a corner. "See, it's the same old painting." Harry had the horrible feeling they would never be able to find Ron until they heard a loud snort coming from an opposite corridor.
Hoping they found the right dungeon they rounded the next corner and saw a prefect sleeping and seated on a school desk, his chin resting on his hand. It was Jude Chamberlain of Hufflepuff on sentry, and he looked like he was here the whole night. Behind him was a magically locked wooden door, and two security trolls who looked like they wanted to clobber somebody already with their clubs. The door possibly went to another room, and Harry was sure this time Ron was in there.
"Uhm, Jude?" approached Hermione slowly.
"Uh, hmmm, yeah?" he said sleepily, but his face lit up broadly like he was witnessing some kind of a miracle when he saw Hermione. "Oh, thank the stars it's you! What time is it?"
"Just turned six…" she said, and looked at Harry for some encouragement. He nodded vigorously at her. "Is Ron still in there?" Hermione said timidly. "Can we go in and meet him?"
"Gladly! I've been wondering when you'd come by - I couldn't sleep with all the moaning from there," Jude complained, jerking his thumb towards the door. "He's been calling your name and Harry's all night."
Harry and Hermione looked at each other and felt more guiltily than ever.
"First you have to sign here and you got to give me your wands," Jude said, pushing a piece of parchment on top of the desk and an inkbottle with a quill. Harry signed his name first and Hermione went next. Then Jude kept their wands.
"Good, but I'm afraid you only have about fifteen minutes to talk to him, and be sure you don't have one of the 559 banned objects with you when you get in the room. It's bewitched to throw you out immediately when one's detected. Here's the list…" Jude gave Harry a thick roll of parchment. Harry knew he didn't have time to go through the list and he made sure he had nothing inside his pockets anymore - this seemed sensible for him. He suddenly had a dreadful thought of what might happen if eyeglasses were also included in the list. Hermione removed her hairpin to be safe.
"Some security measures you have here," said Hermione, glancing nervously at the two trolls who were surveying her and Harry very intently. "Never thought they already had made up plans for this."
"Heh, you tell me," replied Jude "This was Snape's idea. I think he has in it for the three of you, an' you might suspect he'd already thought of this out of a daydream a long time ago. I'll be glad to get out of here soon - these trolls here really stink. Next shift's up in less than an hour…you're just the second one in my shift who got near at least five feet from me…"
"Uh, someone was here before us?" said Hermione.
"The Head Boy," Jude answered. "But he didn't get inside the cell - he just asked if you have already been around to visit, Harry."
Harry and Hermione found that odd. "Did he say why?" asked Harry.
Jude just shrugged and shook his head. "Maybe he knew how such good friends you were."
"Thanks, Jude," said Hermione. She and Harry both started towards the door and it opened by itself. Stepping in, and relieved that they weren't forcefully rejected at all, they looked for Ron inside the dark room. Sunlight was now making itself in from the small and barred window at the opposite wall, and they saw a small mound on the floor in a corner. It was Ron.
Harry and Hermione slowly walked towards him, but before they could call his name, they heard his voice that was woefully small and sounded tired. "I was thinking you two already abandoned me," he said very slowly.
"Oh, Ron, we're very sorry," Hermione said guiltily. She quickly ran and knelt down beside him, helping him sit up. Without waiting for a second, she hugged him and howled. Harry also knelt down opposite Hermione and hugged Ron, too. "I'm very sorry, Ron."
"Nah, forget about it, you two - I knew you wouldn't, and thanks," said Ron, with a weak smile, trying to look brave in front of his best friends. When he sat upright, the sunlight hitting his face revealed someone who had been feeling miserable and depressed the whole night. His eyes were extremely bloodshot.
"We came here as soon as we can," said Harry. "We don't believe you tried to kill Dumbledore, Ron. We'll find out the truth - Hermione and I talked about it last night."
"Thanks, you two," said Ron gratefully. "You don't know how much what you said means to me…"
"And I shouldn't have accused you back there, too, Ron," Hermione said, sobbing.
"Don' worry, I didn't blame you one bit, Hermione," Ron assured. "I didn't hear anything everyone talked about when I was out cold, but whatever it was could have been very believable for you. Snape told me about what I did, and all the facts seem to point the finger at me." He grunted as he rubbed his sore backside.
"I hate Snape, he told me everything with relish, can you believe that?" Ron continued. "He was too glad I was going to rot in this bloody cell tonight. I have a strong feeling this was all his idea, that git."
"What do you remember about all of this, Ron?" asked Harry slowly but firmly. The first thing he really wanted to know now is what Ron had got to say about everything.
"Like I said back there, nothing at all, Harry. I know this sounds incredible to you, but I absolutely have no memory of the whole thing, except right after I met Dumbledore in front of his desk."
"What did Dumbledore do, if you remember anything, Ron?" asked Hermione this time.
"I think he nodded at me and told me to wait until he finished writing something on a sheet of parchment."
"The expulsion note?"
"Hmmm, couldn't have been," Ron thought aloud. "An owl came in and took it. Could've been a letter for someone. He was then talking to me about what I did wrong, but I don't recall what he said; I think everything went black after then, and that's all I can remember, because the next thing I knew you were all inside the office already."
Hermione and Harry gave each other a nervous glance. He was betting that Hermione might have thought exactly what that meant like he did. Did Ron have a bout of temporary insanity back there? "Ron, how did you feel when you entered Dumbledore's office?" Hermione asked wisely.
"Amazingly relaxed," Ron replied. "Like I was ready to face the music."
That didn't fit someone who was on the verge of a nervous breakdown, Harry thought. He hoped that meant Ron didn't turn mad all of a sudden.
"I know what I'm telling you isn't helping…" said Ron. "But Harry, I really don't want to get into Azkaban a minute too long! It scares the hell out of me. You know I'm innocent. At least you can feel it, right? Look, I don't even know how to do the curse, how do you explain that? Please, you gotta find a way to get me out of here."
"We can't promise that we'll solve this right away," Hermione told Ron before Harry could say anything. "But we'll do the best we can to clear everything up while you're here, isn't that right, Harry?" It was that look in her eyes again that suggested Hermione didn't like what Harry might be planning to do for Ron, and in this case, he was thinking of breaking him out.
A knock on the door signaled their time was up. "We'll be back soon, Ron. Please hang on," said Harry still wishing not to leave Ron all alone again.
"Please remember what I said, and thanks for coming, both of you," said Ron calmly. "I think I'll be alright until tomorrow, as long as I'm not in Azkaban."
Hermione took a neatly packed paper napkin out of her pocket - it wrapped two pieces of chicken legs and a couple of croissants for Ron. "Luckily this isn't a banned item, or else I would've flown out," she said. "I had to risk it; I didn't want you to get hungry, Ron. And here's a small flask, I've put a spell on it - it won't run out of water."
"Oh, don' worry. They're not starving me," said Ron as he gratefully took the food and water. "But I'm hungry and thirsty now. This'll do, thanks a lot!"
Hermione gave him another strong hug and Harry squeezed Ron's hind neck gently. Ron was in tears again as his two best friends were clearing the doorway. After logging off and claiming their wands from Jude, Harry and Hermione headed for the Great Hall because it was time for breakfast. They walked together silently for a few minutes, their hearts still left in the dungeon with Ron.
"I know what you're thinking, Harry," said Hermione quietly without looking at him. "Please don't. Breaking him out will be more trouble than you think - especially for Ron."
"If all comes to worse, what else can we do?" reasoned Harry. "You don't want Ron to feel what's it like in Azkaban as much as I do, right, Hermione?"
"That's true. But I still don't think it's a good idea at this time. I reckon we still have some time to look for clues, though I admit it's starting to look difficult." Hermione saw Jack Chadron walk ahead of them casually from behind and held up a hand for Harry to tell him to slow down. When Jack was out of earshot, Hermione hissed, "You know, he's starting to give me the creeps - do you think he was eavesdropping while we were talking?"
"Maybe, but it's hard hearing what someone is talking about from behind," replied Harry as he stared at Chadron walking away.
"I say, let's call him suspect number one," said Hermione, with fresh determination dawning on her face.
"Okay. How about McGonagall?"
"Number two."
"And Snape?"
"Ohhh, I'd love to put something on him," Hermione said, her ears turning pink. "Suspect number one and a half."
The mood in the Great Hall this morning was somber. Missing was the sense of security brought about by Dumbledore's presence as his high chair was empty. The house elves in the kitchen might have been feeling sad, too, because the taste of all the food (including the bacon) were woefully bland. The most subdued of all the houses was Gryffindor. Everybody from Slytherin, on the other hand, was getting cockier. Oddly, Professor McGonagall was nowhere to be seen - her plate full of food was untouched.
"Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff aren't speaking to us now," said Neville gloomily. "They find anyone from Gryffindor very dishonorable." Ginny and the Weasley twins did not come for breakfast today, too. Harry thought they might be feeling too ashamed because of what their brother did. He was feeling very sorry for the Weasley kids, but the arrival of Owl Post made him feel especially more sorry for two other people in mind.
Hermione was taking out a subscription with the Daily Prophet, and the look on her face after what she saw in the headlines worried Harry.
"Think of Dungbombs hitting the fan," throwing the paper at Harry. "Take a look! Oh, I hope Mr. and Mrs. Weasley would be okay."
The paper read:
Youngest Son of Weasley Linked to Attempted Murder of Albus Dumbledore!
Hogwarts - Tragedy struck last night in this fine School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The distinguished Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, is reported to be in very perilous condition after Professor Minerva McGonagall aborted an attempt for his life in the hands of fifth-year student Ronald Weasley, under the Gryffindor House and the youngest son of Arthur and Molly Weasley.
The motive for the murder attempt was the alleged impending expulsion of the student who was earlier caught committing a serious offence. "The Headmaster was signing the expulsion order of Ron Weasley when he used the Death Curse on him," said Draco Malfoy, also a student of the school. "That's cold-blooded treachery, and he should be locked up in Azkaban." It isn't clear how the student learned to use the Death Curse, an unforgivable crime enough to sentence a wizard with a life term in Azkaban.
The Daily Prophet will publish further developments as soon as more reports from Hogwarts come in.
Harry looked around for Draco Malfoy, who was seated in the Slytherin table. He was smirking in a very satisfied way as Slytherin girls swooned over him. Apparently Malfoy thought his name being mentioned in the Daily Prophet made him a star overnight. Harry suddenly had the strong urge to run straight over to where Malfoy sat and punch him on the nose, but he quickly returned to his senses when he felt Hermione's hand shake his arm.
"I suppose we won't have Herbology after Care of Magical Creatures," said Hermione, biting her lower lip. "Sixth years are complaining Professor Sprout refuses to let any Gryffindors near the Greenhouses. I do hope this doesn't get worse for us or else we might all be packing up for home early." That thought made Harry turn pale.
And Harry, Hermione, and the rest of their classmates didn't have Care of Magical Creatures after breakfast either. They waited for Hagrid to get out of his hut for class but they only heard him howling all the time from inside. After a good half hour of waiting, all of the students turned their backs to go back to the castle, the Gryffindors giving up on having something to learn for the rest of the morning. Except, of course, Harry and Hermione. They stayed behind to visit and see how Hagrid was.
"Can' believe this is all happening!" he wailed, slamming a large tankard of old scotch whiskey on his table inside the hut. "I reckon Hogwarts is now breaking apart from all it's been through! An' it all happened on me Birthday!"
Harry and Hermione were being distracted by a small, tired-looking, and grumpy owl which was making loud hoots at Hagrid, a purple envelope still tied on one of its legs. A small stack of unopened envelopes lay on another table beside him. It looked like Hagrid didn't feel like reading and writing letters after what's happened. "I can' imagine life at Hogwarts without Dumbledore and…" said Hagrid, but he just stopped talking.
"Er, aren't you going to open your letters, Hagrid?" said Harry. The owl, upon hearing him, gratefully fluttered its wings vigorously, hoping to be noticed.
"Nah, who cares about letters at a time like this?" said Hagrid in a resigned voice, but he took out a pair of scissors and cut the string loose from the owl. Without waiting for anything the owl flew out quickly, but not without making a mess out of Hagrid's hair. Hagrid didn't seem to mind that at all and just threw the letter to the other table, adding another unopened envelope to the stack.
"You look terrible, Hagrid," said a deeply concerned Hermione. "I think you had too much to drink again - I'll take that…" she took the tankard and went outside to empty it. She lost count of how many times she'd done this already.
"An' the news that poor ol' Ron tried to kill him - that's Codswollop!" Hagrid snarled.
"Then you don't believe Ron did it, do you, Hagrid?" said Harry.
"Of course I don'! Now why do you think he'd do a thing like that after what Dumbledore has done fer him?" Hagrid reasoned, and he took a large tablecloth and blew his nose on it.
"So who do you think did it, Hagrid?" asked Hermione when she returned inside, hoping to find a lead out of Hagrid's opinion. "We're trying to prove it wasn't Ron but everything seems to point to him from what we know now."
"Been wonderin' the same thing meself," said Hagrid, finally calming down and looking sober. "Okay, who do ye think did it, you two?"
"We think the Head Boy has something to do with this," said Harry. "He's one of our suspects, but we don't have anything on him yet."
"Because he was there in Dumbledore's office when it all happened," added Hermione while wiping the used tankard with a small towel with her back turned away from Hagrid.
A big smile lit Hagrid's face. "Ar, an' there got ter be others behind this, too, but I bet my pumpkin patch this Chadron guy has got a lot ter do with this. I don' trust him at all, not even Dumbledore."
Hermione whipped around, surprised. "Dumbledore doesn't trust the Head Boy? I didn't know that."
"No one's supposed ter. Just between me and Dumbledore. But I think he'd don't mind I told ye now after what's happened…I was givin' ye three a hint yesterday without spilling our secret. Now ye know why I told especially Hermione here not to ter trust him, ar?"
"I was already beginning to this morning," said Hermione, frowning. "Now that you said it, he's not going to take anything from me from now on."
"Do you know any reason why Dumbledore wouldn't trust Jack Chadron, Hagrid?" said Harry, now full of interest.
"Sorry te tell ye, Harry, but I don' know why," said Hagrid with a look of disappointment on his face. "But whatever Dumbledore thinks about 'im I agree with him two hundred percent."
"I know this might shock you, Hagrid," said Harry carefully. "But we also think McGonagall might have something to do with this, too." Hagrid didn't look surprised, but oddly sad. "Yeah, I know it's sad to think that Hogwarts is breaking apart…"
"What's wrong, Hagrid?" said Hermione, cutting Harry off because she read Hagrid's face.
"Professor McGonagall…" Hagrid said, his voice gradually shaking. "Somebody found her in her office early this mornin'. They brought her to the hospital wing - I think she…she…might have been too upset an'…an' tried to kill herself with some kind of a potion."