New Update (November 21,2004): I'll do my best effort to post an update by Wednesday. Aside from the current demands of my job, the next chapter is proving to be difficult to write because I'm still undecided what better path to follow for the story out of the old outline. The chapter has only passed the 4000-word mark as of today, though I'm still not happy with how the chapter is written yet (I think it's pretty sloppy for now). So please bear with me. Thanks!
Update: The event in the alleyways has been slightly expanded (I felt it was lacking). I'm definitely going to get busy, but don't worry, I'm still writing the next chapter even for just a few paragraphs at a time. Thanks for the reviews!
Author's Note: Thanks to - for their reviews! As always, every review is highly appreciated. I'm posting this chapter this early before something comes up again with my job - I'm going to get extra busy again this week so the next update after this might take a little longer. I'll let you know.
Just a note: I just noticed the last chapter was like the Order of the Pheonix when Dumbledore fought off Fudge in his office. No wonder it was easy to write (hee hee). Oh, well, too late to change it.
On with the show now!
Chapter 16
Date at Hogsmeade
Harry, Ron, and Hermione couldn't believe it. It felt so unreal for them Dumbledore had suddenly left - and worse he was now marked as a fugitive from law. They didn't know what would happen to Hogwarts now that he was gone. He was the only force around them that Voldemort or the Death Eaters had to reckon with, and it would then be natural for them to believe that they could now do everything they wanted to do in Hogwarts now that Dumbledore wasn't around to stop them. This was the latest of the string of troubles plaguing Harry and his friends, which started from Hermione's magical accident in class more than a month ago.
For Hermione who kept glancing edgily at Harry, it was him who'd be the most vulnerable without Dumbledore's protection. She didn't know if she and Ron could be powerful enough to stop any attempt to snatch Harry out of Hogwarts anymore.
The DADA teacher's office now looked very messy. Debris had about covered the floor. Seymour helped Harry, Ron, and Hermione to stand up and asked them to stay while he checked on Whipple and O'Grady. Dumbledore had merely stunned them in swift execution. Knowing that the Headmaster had disproved Harry, Ron, and Hermione's culpability to the murder of Russelpunk, he gave their wands back to them.
"S-Seymour," Fudge said, still shaking, "secure the evidence and send out word on the Ministry of Magic for an all-points bulletin for Albus Dumbledore. I want him arrested as soon as he's spotted, understood? Expedite your report to the Winzegamot - we will immediately issue a warrant for his arrest."
"Yes, Minister."
"And have someone clean them up and bring them new clothes," Fudge ordered Seymour, pointing at the still out-cold Whipple and O'Grady."
"Pardon me, sir," Seymour said tentatively, "But I believe Mr. Potter and his friends would like to be dismissed now, sir?"
Fudge gazed at Harry, Ron, and Hermione who still looked shaken, too. After a moment of thought, he then reluctantly told them, "Fine, you're dismissed…"
They quickly walked out, feeling no real enthusiasm of staying any longer in the presence of Cornelius Fudge. They didn't feel like talking to each other as they crossed the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, though they knew without saying that they will need to discuss their concerns later in a private place.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione emerged out of the classroom, still covered from head to toe with dust. Every student passing them by stopped to stare at them, wondering what happened. Some had asked questions - others were laughing at the way they looked - but they didn't care and they knew very well not to mind them. Harry was the most peculiar of the three because he was smeared with blood, and upon seeing him the students began whispering to their classmates.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked on, going to the general direction of the Gryffindor Tower to do the very first thing they thought of doing - to clean up. They got the same reaction like they had outdoors from their Gryffindor classmates in the common room when they saw them. The three friends went up the spiral staircase without answering any questions, but Hermione broke their silence when they were near the door towards the dormitories.
"Let's meet at the edge of the lake in an hour, okay?" she whispered.
Harry and Ron immediately nodded, and continued their way pensively towards the boys' room. Hermione could only watch them quietly enter their dormitory and then begin to get extremely get worried about Harry's wellbeing.
-o0o-
Despite being the person who suggested that they meet by the lake in an hour, Hermione was late. Ron conjured his own skates to try to entertain himself on the frozen lake, while Harry settled with sitting down under a tree to think deeply.
"She tells us to meet here in an hour - and it's almost two," grumbled Ron. "If she doesn't come in ten minutes, we're out of here."
Harry nodded his head absently, and scanned the grounds for any sign of Hermione. Soon, he spotted her walking over towards them from afar. "At last, she's here," he said, sighing.
As soon as she reached Harry and Ron, she said, "Wow, I thought I'd come here much earlier than you but you got here first - that's good."
Ron looked at Harry in bewilderment. "You're late for almost an hour, Hermione! How can you tell us you'd expect to be here ahead of us?"
"What?"
"That's right," Harry said. "Ron was getting tired of skating already…"
"Oh," Hermione said, rolling her eyes slowly to the side. "Uh, I guess I…took too long in the hot shower I lost track of time…"
But Harry looked skeptical. "Is it still happening yet? You probably had another of those memory lapses…"
Hermione closed here eyes in disgust. She walked closer to Harry, as if her feet weighed a ton, and sat down beside him on the snow, groaning. "But I've been taking my medicine! I was hoping it wouldn't happen again, but I think it did. Strange, I didn't faint, though. I should've known I suffered another attack then."
"Hey, you didn't feel anything at all?" Harry said patiently. "That's - different. I don't know what that means, but she did say the potions won't have an instant effect when you start taking them again, right? So, no need to worry for now, I guess."
"Does that mean I'm getting better now?"
"I hope. Looks like it." Harry smiled at her. As long as Hermione didn't deny she still had a problem, she'd surely take her medicine religiously.
"You know, I met Seymour again on the way here," she told Harry and Ron.
"Oh, what did he say to you?" asked Ron, moving closer to Harry and Hermione to listen.
"He looked genuinely sad and demoralized. He asked me how I felt and he wanted it very much to know how you two felt, too, after what happened."
"Tell him if you meet him the feeling is mutual," Harry groaned. "What else?"
"That was just about it, except that he wishes to see us before bed tonight to tell us something important," Hermione replied, thinking more about her meeting with Seymour. "He was just then muttering about to himself and apologized for doing so in front of me, said goodbye and then got back talking again to himself when he took off."
"Poor Seymour," Ron said. "I think he's okay, isn't he? To tell you the truth, he's growing up on me," he added, shrugging.
"Maybe," Harry concurred. "I guess you're right. Come to think of it, he tried to buy us time by telling Fudge we shouldn't be arrested first until an investigation is over. I couldn't forget the look on Seymour when he lifted up the fingerprint from that knife, and then after he said it matched Dumbledore's."
"I saw that, too," Hermione said. "Then I guess he's really on our side, huh?"
"Probably," Harry nodded after looking at Ron for his opinion (he was nodding, too, but still with a hint of reservation). "Let's just try to see how he can help us even more."
"We need all the help that we could get - even from Seymour," Ron said gloomily. "We're gonna be swamped by Death Eaters next then, I suspect. Without Dumbledore, Hogwarts is fair game."
"I really can't believe Dumbledore could do such a thing as to kill a Hogwarts teacher," Hermione said shaking her head. "It's just so incredible! There's got to be some kind of explanation for all this."
"Someone else did it - I'm willing to bet everything I have!" Ron said hotly. "Well, I really don't have anything good to bet…"
"That's what I'm thinking, too, all along," Harry said. "I refuse believe he could kill anyone in cold blood. Let's think of something - some kind of theory. Maybe we could help clear Dumbledore's name if we can."
"Yeah," agreed Hermione. "We better use of our free time to help Dumbledore. We could begin now…"
"All right…who could it be, then?" Ron asked. "It could be anyone at Hogwarts - well, except of course, us."
"Whipple," Hermione proposed at once. "It's got to be Whipple. You know it's him."
"Okay, let's say it's Whipple," Harry said, looking at both Hermione and Ron. "Why would he kill Russelpunk? What would be his most likely motive?" He didn't get an instant answer because he allowed everyone to think to about.
Ron spoke first. "How about this - Russelpunk owed him lots of money, and he couldn't pay Whipple a Knut, so he killed him…"
Hermione scowled and shook her head, making Ron stop and think of another more likely scenario.
Harry was the next to chip in his own theory. "Let's try Whipple was going to steal something in the office and Russelpunk caught him, leading to a powerful struggle and Whipple won him over - stabbed him on the heart and stuffed him in the closet!"
Hermione felt that still wasn't it. "The office looked very tidy when we got in, Harry…and besides, we didn't see the dots on the map when he got in Whipple's office to suggest any fight was going on inside. Russelpunk came in and out without incident. It goes against our theory he's taking instructions from Whipple."
"Whipple cleaned the office up!" Ron added brightly.
"After a fight when you'd end up killing somebody," Harry thought, "would you ever like to stay longer in crime scene, Ron?"
"You're right…" Ron said, dropping his shoulder, "I'd vamoose!"
"There was no sign of a struggle," Hermione said next. "That means Russelpunk let his killer in. He should be someone he trusted, or in close contact with."
"Then it boils down to Whipple!" Harry exclaimed. "He let Whipple in. Then we're back to our first question: why would he want to kill Russelpunk?"
"How about this…" Ron started, though Harry and Hermione expected him to think of another bad theory. "Whipple knew Seymour had collected some kind of evidence to prove there were really Death Eaters in Hogwarts - something he and Fudge strongly denies. Seymour told us that in his office before, right? Whipple is a Death Eater, and so is Russelpunk. Seymour might have stolen something they wanted back real bad, and he locked it in his chest while he looked for more. Whipple ordered Russelpunk to break in at Seymour's office and steal back the evidence, whatever it was.
"Now, Russelpunk did what he was told to do and got the evidence back to his possession. Whipple knew Seymour was on to him but he lacked proof. It was only a matter of time when Seymour had enough proof to identify Russelpunk as a Death Eater. Whipple needed to silence Russelpunk or else he'd be linked, so he killed him…does that make any sense?"
Harry and Hermione looked at each while they considered Ron's theory. It sounded wild and out of whack, but they noted it jibed well with real events.
"Seymour did take out something from Russelpunk's office when he checked the crime scene," Harry mused. "Some white cloth and a silver thing - I swear I've seen that somewhere before - but where?"
"Possibly a Death Eater mask and robe…I've seen one of those, too, in You-Know-What," Ron suggested, and his eyes went round along with Harry's then it dawned upon them what it meant.
"Then do you think," Hermione said, a little breathless, "it was Russelpunk's Death Eater robe and mask that he stole back from Seymour's chest?"
"Most probably," said Harry excitedly. "Russelpunk knew it was the most damning evidence against him. If he got caught alive with it, Whipple knew he'd sing like a canary! Seymour was on to Russelpunk, right? He murdered him before anyone could arrest and ask him questions. That makes sense to me!"
Ron nodded. "And that's probably why Whipple wanted to arrest us at once without conducting any investigation back at the DADA teacher's office. He tried to seize the opportunity to pin us to the crime and he'll go scot-free! Then why did he leave the robe and mask when he could?"
"It was well hidden," Hermione said. "If I were Whipple who got stressed out after killing Russelpunk, I'd never find the very thing I wanted to get in time even if it stared right in front of me. Seymour instead found it after he thoroughly searched for more clues…WCSI's are trained for that…"
Harry suddenly looked extremely sad and guilty, and Hermione noticed it. "Harry, what's wrong?" she asked concernedly.
"It's all my fault…" he groaned.
"What's your fault?" Ron asked, frowning.
Harry glanced at Hermione and Ron then stared back down on the snow. "Dumbledore planted his fingerprint on the knife to save us - I'm now sure of it. He didn't have to walk to the knife and handle it, he did it by magic. Seymour didn't see the print the first time, but in the second, he did. That explains it. If I didn't insist on taking a look inside Russelpunk's office, Dumbledore wouldn't have smeared his own name just to bail us out of a bad situation…and he'd still be with us…"
Hermione and Ron looked at each other sadly, knowing Harry was right. But they didn't want to blame him further and they searched for a way to ease Harry's feelings. There was no point to make anybody else feel down at a time like this.
"We didn't know that was going to happen at all, Harry," Hermione said soothingly. "Please don't blame yourself - we would have wanted to know everything we could about the mystery that's happening around us, and I agree there's no other way we can know other than looking for all the clues ourselves."
"I - I should have listened to you, Hermione," he said, shaking his head.
"What's done is done, Harry," she said softly, leaning her chin on his shoulder, looking up at him. "We'll do what we can to keep ourselves safe from now on - Dumbledore would want us to do that. We've never seen the last of him, I'm sure of that. He'll be back…"
"You think so?" Harry said, turning his head towards her.
"Yeah, I know so," she smiled and rested her head slowly on his shoulder, making Harry feel a little better and hopeful that Dumbledore's absence was just temporary.
"As long as we're together, no one can touch you, mate," Ron assured, and Hermione seconded it.
"Thanks, both of you," Harry told them gratefully. "I don't know what to do without you."
They didn't talk further for a few minutes, allowing themselves to think more about what they had discussed in their own.
"Are you both thinking of going to Hogsmeade tomorrow?" Harry asked Ron and Hermione later.
"I will if you would," Ron answered uncertainly. "Why, do you have second thoughts?"
"Well, sort of," Harry admitted slowly. "I don't know…how about you Hermione?"
Hermione removed her head on Harry's shoulder and looked back at him gently with a hint of disappointment on her face. Slowly, she replied, "Yes…well, I was still kind of hoping our, uhm, you know…date will still…"
Harry slapped his forehead.
"How can you think of that after what happened, Hermione?" Ron blurted out suddenly, but he fell silent when Harry restrained him from talking further with a hand over his arm.
"Hermione, I'm sorry…" Harry said guiltily. "I'm so sorry if I forgot all about it! After what happened with Dumbledore, it just got lost in my mind…"
Hermione, however, suddenly felt ashamed. "Harry - I never meant to…" she said quickly. "We can call if off if you say so…I won't mind at all - honest! Your safety is more important than a mere get-together…"
"How can we be sure if we'll be safer alone in Hogwarts when everybody else is in Hogsmeade, right?" Harry said, smiling.
"Oh…I don't know…"
It was Harry's turn to look disappointed. He personally believed that the Hogsmeade day was entirely Fudge's idea to repair his failing image, and staying in Hogwarts with no one else around but the Ministry wizards/Death Eaters was more likely dangerous.
"Hermione, do I have to ask you again for a date?" he asked slowly. "I'm sure we're better off with the whole school there - no one will try to take me away when there are too many people around, right? I was really looking forward for tomorrow - I only forgot about it for a while…please?"
Hermione just stared at him indecisively. Harry began to regret ever asking Ron and Hermione if they'd really go to Hogsmeade the same day.
Ron, sensing that Harry really did want to go on a date with Hermione and the Hogsmeade day was the best time for it, he said "We've seen the announcement on the board - all teachers and students are required to attend. I don't know what they will do to us if we don't, then why'd we want to find out the hard way, huh? Looks like we have no choice. You two go on a date. Have fun for a change. We need all the fun that we could get…" he smiled at both of them.
"Hogsmeade is safe from external attack, too," Hermione thought loudly.
"Then you'll go with me?" Harry asked hopefully.
Hermione finally smiled, and nodded her head. "Okay…are you sure you're…"
"Yes, I'm sure," Harry laughed. "We've been deprived of having some fun for a long time - we need a break, don't you agree? Let's not worry about anything else for a day, can we?"
"Okay, as long as we remember what Dumbledore told us…" Hermione started.
"Constant Vigilance!" Ron growled in an over-acting manner, shaking his fist in mid-air.
"That's Moody's…I mean Crouch's," Harry reminded him.
"Close…"
-o0o-
Fudge immediately filled the post of Hogwarts Headmaster, Officer-in-Charge, by self appointment until the School Governors had decided on whom to appoint now that Dumbledore was a fugitive. Supposedly it was McGonagall (who'd automatically ascend to the post because she was the Deputy Headmistress) except that she was also under detention in London for her previous "crime". Everyone in Hogwarts had learned about what happened in Russelpunk's office late that afternoon. As expected, it came to everyone as a shock. Fudge had announced it but in a way that Harry, Ron, and Hermione knew wasn't true. Fudge told Hogwarts that Horace Whipple had caught Dumbledore in the act of stabbing Russelpunk tried to kill him, too, when he tried to save the professor. For that, he would also be charged with frustrated murder on top of first-degree murder.
Fudge's takeover of the Headmaster's post didn't come without the usual conspiracy theories from the students, of course. Since it was unsurprisingly incredible that Dumbledore could do such a thing as to murder a person in cold blood, many believed it was another one of Fudge's ploy to wrest control of Hogwarts - being a power hungry megalomaniac was impressed upon him ever since he declared the State of Emergency for no other reason but to save his own job. Even though they thought of these theories, the students could still do nothing and just go on with the flow.
"What's going to happen to Hogwarts?" was the most common question Harry, Ron, and Hermione heard from most of their schoolmates around the Great Hall at dinner that night. Nobody knew of the answer, of course; "Ask Trelawny" was the quip of the day.
Fudge, who visibly looked excited with his temporary assignment as Headmaster, seemed to have been enjoying the novelty of doing dull speeches in front of the student body. For the whole time at dinner, he would suddenly stand up from Dumbledore's chair out of the blue and say something, even though not everyone cared to listen to him (except most of the Slytherins). The only thing that earned the attention of the students was his talk about the special Hogsmeade day scheduled for the next morning.
"I do hope you recognize the significance of this event, dear ladies and gentlemen," he recited loudly. "It proves that things have gone rapidly back to normal, not that the state of affairs were abnormal to begin with, but the wizard population has fortunately learned about the dire effects of listening in to and making false stories about You-Know-Who's return - the rumor mongering and unrest among militants has died down. They have finally understood how it affects the peace. This, I can say, was the rationale behind the decision of your Minister of Magic to declare the State of Emergency. Its purpose to preserve and maintain order has born fruit. History will judge me kindly, I assure you. I shall lift the State of Emergency in a few days when we find that the threat has passed."
Fudge expected the Great Hall to make a thunderous applause, but the result was too far from what he had imagined. Only a few students clapped their hands, and none of the teachers. He acted as if he didn't mind, but his face betrayed his feelings. What he said next even suggested his temper was rising - his reddening face said so.
"Whether you like it or not, everybody - I mean everybody - must participate in tomorrow's Hogsmeade day. Anyone caught left at Hogwarts will be punished severely by either suspension or expulsion. I am the acting Headmaster now. This is my decree, and I have the absolute power to impose these measures to guarantee compliance! My Ministry Wizards here will patrol the school grounds and detain those who are caught not in Hogsmeade - you have no reason not to be there. Furthermore, your attire must be your Type-A uniforms with winter apparel like scarves, winter cloaks, robes, and gloves. No exceptions."
Seeing that nobody was reacting, he furrowed his eyebrows.
"Look, isn't that what you all want? I'm giving you a very big favor to have the time of your lives and it will look bad if we're not united. Please appreciate what I'm trying to give to you. I…" he looked down at Whipple who was sitting on McGonagall's chair and yanking his coat for attention. Whipple whispered something to him.
Hermione and Ron then looked at each other and made faces. They both thought Fudge was really losing it now - he looked like he was pleading his case in front of everybody it was pathetic.
Fudge let out a silly smile. "As I was saying - tomorrow, I want you all to have fun - forget about what had happened in the past month and look towards the future. Remember, everybody must be in Hogsmeade - no excuses. We must now rest for a wonderful day tomorrow. Good night." When he stopped his speech, his face suddenly fell into a frown and he angrily beckoned Whipple to follow him out of the side access door.
"Now we know what he'll do to us if we get caught behind," Ron hissed. "Forced fun, Hogsmeade is tomorrow…who wants to get expelled for not getting some fun, right?"
Hermione, meanwhile, looked rattled. The term "expulsion" had always been one of her worst nightmares.
"What is it to him if anyone chooses not to go, huh, like us?" Harry asked as he walked with Ron and Hermione together along the corridors to his detention. "Just asking, Hermione," he said quickly, seeing her extremely anxious face.
"I don't know - but is it really a compelling reason to be expelled?" Ron said. "That's too harsh! I'm sure parents will sue him mercilessly for it he'll grow poor."
"Let's not test it, please?" Hermione pleaded.
Harry's tenth detention tonight was barely halfway through the total of all boys' lavatories he was ordered to clean up. Up to now he still didn't know it, but since the beginning Hermione had helped him magically to lessen his effort (Flitwick had taught her so). With Ron now was their good friend again and free to join in after the ill-conceived two-man rule had been cancelled, detention seemed more like a little party for the three friends.
Nearing the end of detention, they heard a knock on the door.
"I guess that's Seymour," Hermione said, and she let him in after opening the door.
"How're you doing, Mr. Potter?" he asked politely after he settled down on a stool.
"Okay, I guess," Harry answered slowly, mopping the tiled floor.
"I'm very sorry about what happened to the Headmaster today, Mr. Potter," Seymour sighed. "I'm anxious to explain to you my side about all this, if you'll let me…"
Hermione turned her gaze at Harry, who smiled slightly and nodded his head. "You can call me Harry, sir, and this is Hermione and Ron. They're my best friends."
"Thank you…nice to know you, Harry, Hermione, and Ron," Seymour said. "You can call me Henry if you want. About what happened in the office today, I'm certain there was nothing on the knife when I first examined it. It was thoroughly clear of any prints, but I found it shocking to say the least to find a very well-defined one the second time. It's…it's just impossible."
"Have you figured out why?" Hermione asked him.
"I think so - I suspect Professor Dumbledore imprinted it himself to save you from being taken away by Whipple and Fudge. I don't believe Dumbledore killed Russelpunk. He has no clear motive - but Fudge seems to have invented it for him already…"
"Who do you think killed Russelpunk then, Henry?" Harry asked next. This very thing was what he was most interested about, and there was nothing better than to listen to the opinion from the investigator himself.
"It's unethical to point to a culprit whilst the investigation is still fresh, but I have a strong hunch it's Whipple. My reason, you may ask? Have you seen me take out something near Russelpunk's body?"
Harry nodded his head. "Yeah, it was a white cloth and something silvery - we suspect it was some Death Eater robe and mask."
Seymour regarded Harry for a moment, and he smiled. He looked to be impressed of how observant Harry was. "That's right. It was a Death Eater robe and mask."
"Whose was it?" asked Ron.
"Russelpunk's," Seymour answered immediately. "He probably found out that I already had it and that's why he broke in to my office a few nights ago, you know, when I found you and your friends in there."
"Wait a minute," said Ron, looking bright in the face. "I bet Russelpunk was killed by Whipple because you were on to him, and he didn't want Russelpunk to spill the beans on Whipple if you arrested him, right?"
Seymour again looked at Ron for a moment, also with a sign of being impressed with his deductive skills. "That's absolutely right, Ron," he said, grinning. "That's the same theory I've been working on. You have what it takes to be an investigator when you leave school. Good work."
"Hear that? I thought of that theory myself, too," Ron said, nudging his elbow at Hermione and looked at her wearing a silly smirk, feeling proud of being praised by a professional WCSI. She, however, was more annoyed of him than feeling proud for him, too.
"Then why can't you arrest Whipple?" Harry said. "You have a strong theory…"
"It's just circumstantial, I'm afraid," Seymour sighed heavily. "We don't just arrest people out of a hunch - we need strong evidence. Unfortunately Professor Dumbledore presented himself as the murderer to save you from being arrested, and what's done is done. It's quite - heroic for him to that, I admire it. Well, if there's anything I could do for you to ease your pain, please ask."
Harry smiled. "Thank you, Henry, but we can handle our pain ourselves, thanks. We only need to be extra careful - maybe you could give us an insider what the Death Eaters you know may be up to…it could at least help us avoid them."
"Of course, but I can't make any promises since I'm not a part of them," Seymour said, "though we mingle every now and then I could relay to you what's going on in their minds. But there's one thing I heard that you'll be interested in. I have to make it a point to share this to you."
"What is it?" Hermione asked interestedly.
Seymour looked around nervously as if there were other people around who might be within earshot of their conversation. "There's talk from people inside the Ministry that someone important had suggested the Hogsmeade day to Fudge to take everybody out of Hogwarts except you, Harry."
"What?" Harry, Ron, and Hermione said at the same time.
"You mean to say this Hogsmeade day was meant for me again?" Harry groaned.
"Yes - that's more likely so. It's just a conspiracy theory from my closest aides there. They usually are right, but the story is still fresh it's sketchy. From what I've heard, part of the alleged `plan' was to detain you here in Hogwarts while everybody was outdoors. For me, it makes a lot of sense. Whipple is strangely assigning all the Death Eater wizards to guard the school tomorrow, and everybody else I know who's clean, including me, will be posted in Hogsmeade. That, I believe, would make it easy for Whipple and his men to do what they want and kidnap Harry without being stopped. Dumbledore's unexpected leave is a big bonus for them…"
"Whoa!" Ron exclaimed. "That sounds bad - Harry's going to Hogsmeade, right, Harry?"
"Yeah, then by all means!" Harry said, looking scared.
"You have to make sure you do, Harry, I ask you for your sake - Burton and I will be around to watch you. They won't try anything when there are a lot of people around. I'll give you protection, even if it causes to me to be fired from my job…I have to warn you though - Whipple is a very crafty man. He might find you tonight and slap you with a trumped-up charge and you can't do anything to contest it."
"I think what Henry means," said Hermione, "is that we must not give Whipple any reason to detain you, Harry, isn't that what you're trying to say, Henry?"
"That's right, Hermione," Seymour answered. "Please do think about what I told you, okay?"
"Okay, thanks," said Harry.
"I'll have to go now - at least I can sleep better now that I've told you my side, though I'll still be anxious about seeing you in Hogsmeade tomorrow," Seymour said, standing up from his school. "I hope to see you then…and be careful, the three of you," He bid goodbye to them and went out of the door.
Harry then faced Hermione and said, "So what do you think?"
Hermione heave a sigh. "If the rumor is true about the plan to hold you back in Hogwarts while the rest of us are out and away, then the most logical thing to do is make sure Whipple doesn't catch up on you before then…"
"I agree with Hermione," Ron said. "Let's make sure we'll get to Hogsmeade tomorrow with Harry. I'll breathe easier if we make it there."
"Okay, fine," Harry grinned. "Thanks for your concern, both of you."
"You're welcome, Harry," Hermione replied. "I think it's getting late - let's go back to the Gryffindor tower now."
A little later after gathering up all their cleaning instruments, Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked back to the Gryffindor tower at half past nine. The corridors were deserted as the curfew still has not been lifted yet. Because of what Seymour had suggested to them, Harry was anxious to reach their destination soon otherwise they'd probably be seen by none other Whipple who, if the conspiracy theory in the Ministry of Magic was true, was probably out to make sure he wouldn't make it to Hogsmeade the next day. Hermione and Ron shared Harry's feelings; they walked a little faster than usual.
The very thing that they feared to happen did come. Just as they rounded up the second to the last corner towards the tower, Whipple eerily came out from nowhere.
"What're you three doing walking around this late at night?" he growled behind them. Harry, Ron, and Hermione jumped, and they froze in the middle of the corridor not knowing what to answer him.
"Oh, it's the three of you again," Whipple said, looking irritated but amused. "Well?"
"Er, Harry Potter here, sir," said Hermione, "just came from serving detention and I've been assigned to make sure he does it and escort him, sir."
"I see," he said quietly. "Then what's this red-haired one doing out, too? Is he also serving detention?"
"Y-yes, sir, I am," Ron lied. Hermione shot a look at him.
"Then where are your clearance ID's? I don't see you wearing them."
Harry closed his eyes, disgusted with himself. He realized he forgot to bring his tonight, and it's like giving Whipple a very good excuse to hold him now. Ron shouldn't have lied, too, because he never had been issued one.
"Harry, where's your ID?" Hermione asked incredulously.
Whipple then lectured Hermione. "It's supposed to be your responsibility as a prefect to ensure they're wearing their ID's, miss. Since I don't see that they have, I'm afraid I have to bring you in my office to detain them." He moved closer to Harry.
"No!" Harry exclaimed.
"What?" Whipple said, irked with Harry's defiance. "You have to follow the rules, Potter, you're still under the rules of the curfew!"
"Sorry, sir," Hermione said, "but I think he means that he has his ID somewhere in his pocket, isn't that right, Harry?"
Harry gazed at Hermione guiltily. He knew his ID wasn't in his pocket for sure, but maybe it could buy him just a few seconds to allow him to think of another way out. "Uh, yes, I have it here somewhere." He acted as if he was looking for it in all his pockets, but he was quickly running out of them.
Whipple knew Harry was merely acting, so he shook his head and grabbed Harry and Ron's arm. "Stop wasting my time and come with me!" he snarled.
Hermione held Harry and Ron back, to Whipple's extreme annoyance. "No, please, sir, no!" she pleaded.
"Out of my way, prefect!" he shouted. There would have become a very serious altercation between the four of them if Seymour hadn't appeared from another corridor.
"Oh, there you are, you three!" Seymour yelled. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Whipple stopped what they were doing and looked around at him. "I was looking for you - when I checked the lavatory to see if it was clean, I found this lying on the floor." He handed Harry and Ron each a clearance ID as soon as he reached them.
Harry and Ron looked at each other, both surprised but relieved, and they decided to play along.
"So that's why I couldn't find my ID's in my pockets!" Harry laughed artificially.
"Yeah!" Ron said, slapping his own face. "How stupid of us!"
Whipple looked visibly foiled, He grabbed the ID's, and seeing Harry and Ron's face and name on them, he gave them back to them. He gazed at Seymour, who was smiling back at him satisfactorily.
"Saved again by somebody, you lucky little monsters," Whipple said severely, looking at Harry, Ron, and Hermione one by one. "Seymour, I thought it's very clear that we're not supposed to help students - we're here to discipline them."
"Actually, sir, I do find these three students very disciplined - only that they just left their ID's unintentionally at their place of work. But I assure you, it will only be for this time and shall detain them if I catch them violating the rules."
"Very well, move on if you will… I'll let you go this time. Just so you know, you've all earned my ire - you've gotten away the last time, and this time, too. But next time, I'm sure you won't be able to. You'll be sorry if you cross me again in a bad mood - mark my words."
Ron and Hermione stared at Whipple, feeling threatened by what he head said. But for Harry, it was clear that Whipple was bent on preventing him from ever stepping out of Hogwarts tomorrow, he was now sure of it. Whipple then walked off out of sight.
"Thanks for bailing us out again, Henry," Ron said, blowing air out of his lungs. Seymour looked pale, and he was sweating profusely. He took out a folded wash cloth and wiped his sweaty face with it.
"That was a close call," he wheezed. "He could have fired me right then…"
"Come again?" Hermione said.
"He could have fired me - and I won't be able to look after you tomorrow…"
"But he would've had put us in the dungeons if we wanted to tonight," Harry pointed out, "then it wouldn't have mattered if you weren't in Hogsmeade for tomorrow - we wouldn't be there at all…"
"Yeah, of course," Seymour laughed.
Hermione chuckled along with him. "Henry, I think you're so stressed out you're confused with your priorities - you should relax a little…"
"Yes, I think you're right," Seymour said, still having a miniature nervous breakdown. "Stress does get the most out of me…"
"But look at the bright side," Ron added. "This shows that your friends' theory about Whipple trying to hold on to Harry might be true, isn't it?"
"Yeah…yeah," Seymour said, thinking about it. "Fortunately. I mean….Ohhhh, I'm so hopeless when I'm stressed out. I got to ask you to go off - the sooner you get to your dormitories, the better. I'll see you tomorrow, I hope," he said walking off.
"Henry, thanks again, okay?" Harry called.
"Y-You're welcome," Seymour replied.
"Did you really mean what you said about detaining us the next time?"
Seymour smiled and said, "Of course not." He vanished from sight after he rounded up the next corner to the right.
"That doesn't look encouraging," Ron thought audibly when they resumed their trek back to the Gryffindor tower.
"What is?" Harry asked.
"Seymour - it looked like he couldn't stand to face Whipple back there. How much more could he protect you and us when a situation gets even more serious?"
"Yeah, I get your point," Hermione said. "But let's credit him by doing his best to make sure Whipple didn't have an excuse to arrest us tonight. After hearing Whipple talk tonight, I'm now quite convinced the rumor might be true. They're doing all sorts of ingenious things so that they can snatch Harry away from us…we won't let `em."
Ron agreed with Hermione. "Then if we make it Hogsmeade tomorrow, I'm sure they wouldn't do anything there - that will allow us to find out what they're up to next. After all, we have Seymour now. He's getting pretty handy - look, he even invented my own detention ID!"
"You feel okay Harry?" Hermione asked him.
"Yeah, don't worry about me," Harry assured. "I'm not afraid of Whipple."
Ron told the Fat Lady the password and they entered the Common Room.
"Let's meet at the courtyard for assembly tomorrow, okay?" Hermione said as they passed by the fireplace. "Harry?"
"Sure, looking forward to it," he said to her, smiling. "I know a good place where we can have our date…You're gonna like it, if we can find seats…"
Hermione smiled back, and she blushed. "I will. Sweet dreams, Harry." She then walked up the spiral staircase and entered the girls' dormitory.
"Yeah, sweet dreams," Harry sighed.
-o0o-
Literally everyone in Hogwarts occupied the courtyard that was usually used as an assembly point during every Hogsmeade day the next morning. It took longer than usual for Argus Filch to call out the names of every known student in Hogwarts it took two hours (the students and faculty became bored to death waiting for him to finish). When Filch at last hoarsely announced the name "Zultz, Bernard", Hogwarts erupted into cheers. Everyone was accounted for, including anyone who was suffering from a cold (Fudge was serious about not to exempt anyone from Hogsmeade today), much to Madam Pomfrey's extreme disapproval.
Hogsmeade was naturally overcrowded this time, and the presence of the unruly first and second years didn't help. Harry, Ron, and Hermione found it enormously difficult to punch through the thick group of bodies squeezing against each other to have a chance to shop, and the restaurants were always full with a huge waiting list. It took anyone ten-fold more times to just buy a single lemon drop in Honeydukes because the helpless but happy witch who owned the store was simply overwhelmed giving attention to every customer she saw.
"You call this fun?" Ron groaned to Harry as he stood for half an hour trying to pay for his basketful of sweets. "My stomach's growling already."
Harry placed his own selection of candies in Ron's basket and gave him three Galleons. "Ron, please do me favor and could you please pay for the candies? I think I'm running out of time to have a proper date with Hermione."
"Hey," Ron said, his mouth hanging open as he stared at the Galleons. "But, Harry, you're leaving me more than what you're candies are worth…"
"It's to pay for yours, too," Harry shrugged.
"Oh, Harry, I shouldn't…"
"Please?" Harry pleaded.
"Well, okay! Thanks a lot. Where're you going then?"
"Anywhere with a table and two empty seats!" Harry said, fighting his way out through an ever-increasing flood of customers and waving at Ron goodbye.
"See you around then!" Ron called just as he drowned in a sea of bodies.
Hermione was waiting patiently outside Honeydukes for Harry. "Had success shopping inside there?" she giggled.
"I didn't," Harry replied, smiling, "but Ron will soon - in about a couple of hours. Now I know why Dumbledore prefers us to have different Hogsmeade days with the other years…this is crazy!" He looked around, whistling at the flow of human traffic around him.
"Fudge doesn't seem to mind, though," Hermione said darkly, looking up at the Minister of Magic who was on a balcony sipping some tea and being interviewed by a reporter from the Daily Prophet. He looked jolly and proud for this day.
"He's just about the only person who doesn't have to fight through the crowd - he's got his own servants to do everything for him," Harry replied, seeing a haggard-looking wizard bring him a paper bag full of Honeydukes sweets.
"Where to?" Hermione asked Harry.
"C'mon, let's try to find someplace peaceful," Harry said as he held her hand. "How about Hog's Head?"
"Are you kidding?" Hermione goggled at him. "No student ever goes in there - it's too dodgy!"
"That's the idea," Harry said, grinning. "Do we have much choice? Hog's Head's about our only hope for a proper date."
Hermione looked around her. All the other restaurants were packed with waiting customers. Shrugging and smiling, she said, "Sure, lead the way!"
Hog's Head was located at the other end of Hogsmeade from they were, and Harry pulled Hermione through the tide of students on the way there. After ten minutes and fifty yards later, he said, "Judging from our speed, we'd be in Hog's Head early tonight."
"What're we going to do?" Hermione asked.
Harry then saw Hagrid's giant back just fifty feet ahead of them as he emerged out from a store. Harry observed that everyone on his path didn't dare to get trampled by the walking giant and always went out of his way to give him space to walk ahead.
"I have an idea," Harry said, facing at Hermione again. She nodded at him, looking bewildered.
"Oy, Hagrid!" Harry yelled, waving his hand in the air. Hagrid had heard him and turned around - students who were behind him before that immediately stayed clear off in front of him.
"'Lo, Harry! How yer doin?" Hagrid shouted jovially.
"Wait for us! We're coming!" Harry said, and Hagrid nodded his head. Harry turned to Hermione again and smiled. "Hold tight - this is going to be a wild ride."
"What do you mean?" she said. Hermione was startled when Harry wrapped his left arm around her waist and pressed her closer to him securely. He took out his wand and pointed it up towards a steel horizontal flagpole halfway between them and Hagrid.
"Oh, no…" she said, and embraced Harry's body tightly knowing what he was about to do.
"Carpe Retractum!" Harry bellowed. A whip-like strand of shimmering rope whooshed out the tip of his wand and grappled the pole. Harry and Hermione felt a tug; they were lifted off their feet and zipped towards it.
The sight of Harry and Hermione above as they swung the glowing rope all the way to Hagrid's made more than a few students scream in awe. Hagrid caught Harry and Hermione gently as they landed softly on his chest.
"That's was fantastic!" Hermione exclaimed with glee as Hagrid gently settled her and Harry on the ground. Students laughed, cheered, and clapped their hands at them - even Cornelius Fudge from far away raised his tea cup at them as a form of salute.
"Good thinkin', Harry," Hagrid said, patting him on the shoulder and making his knees collapse on the snow. "Oh, sorry `bout that. Where're yeh both headed teh?"
"Hog's Head," Hermione replied, helping Harry stand up.
"No kiddin'!" Hagrid exclaimed, smiling down on her. "I'm headin' there, too. Wanna come?"
"Yeah," Harry. "I was hoping you clear the way for us, you know. The crowd's too much to handle."
"Sure, I know what yeh mean," Hagrid laughed and winked. "Just don't stay teh near under me belly because I can't see anything' under it I migh' step on yeh…"
Like Harry had hoped, their path towards Hog's Head was clear, thanks to Hagrid's daunting size. As they stood by the entrance, they saw the pub was devoid of students as Harry had expected - only that there were some scruffy looking wizards getting drunk already this early on the day though they looked harmless. The bartender looked at Harry and Hermione suspiciously, but they didn't mind him, although Hermione grabbed Harry's arm and inched back behind him because she felt very uneasy with all the eyes staring at them.
"Don' worry `bout `em, you two," Hagrid told them. "They won' touch yeh when I'm around'. I'll be at the table beside the back wall. They have butterbeers here, too, and I `spect they're abou' ten years old. So much the better, I say! Just don't try the Firewhiskey or yeh migh' get in ter a lot `o trouble."
Harry and Hermione smiled edgily at Hagrid, chose a small round table near the exit, and settled themselves down on the chairs. The bartender went over to them and demanded their orders.
"Uh, two Butterbeers, please," Harry said. "And do you have anything to eat around here?"
"Yes, if you could take it," the bartended replied.
"Sorry, but what do you mean by that?" Hermione asked.
"Jus' give `em two tuna sandwiches, Marty," Hagrid called from the back. "And absolutely no earth worms!"
Marty the Bartender whipped around and walked back to the kitchen to prepare their orders. Hermione swallowed hard.
"Sorry if our date isn't the way you imagined it to be, Hermione," Harry apologized sheepishly. "I promise to make it up to you sometime - maybe in London or the next Hogsmeade day - I'm sure it'll be less crowded then…"
Hermione smiled. "Oh, Harry, don't worry about this, this is great," she said sincerely. "What matters is we're together on our first date and I'll never, ever, forget this." She held both of Harry's hands above the table.
Harry smiled back. "Yeah, it's unforgettable because our first date was at Hog's Head with Earthworm and Tuna sandwich," he joked, and Hermione laughed. "You know, Hermione, I've been dreaming about having a date with you for a long time…"
"Oh?" she said brightly.
"Yeah, since before Christmas…"
"Oh," she giggled. "That long ago, huh?" She giggled again. "Actually, I've been wishing you'd go and ask me for a date, too, a long time ago …"
"Really?" he smiled.
"Yes," she replied, staring down on the table top, blushing. "Since…since our first year…" She gazed back at Harry.
Harry hung his mouth slightly upon hearing what Hermione had said. It meant that she was secretly smitten with him ever since they first knew each other. When Hermione saw Harry's expression on his face, she smiled again at him and blushed even further.
"I - I didn't notice…" Harry said slowly.
"Of course you didn't notice," she laughed gently, leaning over closer to him. "You're a boy! Always talking about Quidditch…"
"Oh…Oh yeah, th-that's why," Harry said, laughing. He fell silent when he stared at Hermione's brown eyes. He felt another big tug in his heart.
It's now or never, Harry! he told himself. You can do it!
"You know, Hermione, I've been wanting to tell you this…"
"Yes?"
"…but I hope you won't get mad at me for saying it - that's what's holding me back for ages to tell you…"
Hermione's eyes glowed with expectation of what Harry had wanted to tell her. "Harry, I promise I won't," she said breathlessly. "Please tell me…"
Harry hesitated for a while, and he looked back at Hermione's eyes. Her eyes gave him strength. "I - I really like you…more than a best friend…"
"Awww…" Hermione said, squeezing Harry's hands tighter. "I like you, too, Harry, very much. Ever since we met in the train, I already have…all these years, I've waited for this moment…"
Harry smiled broadly. "Then you won't get mad at me if I ask you to be my…you know, my girlfriend?"
Hermione then went into a fit of giggles. "Yes!" she said happily. "I - I mean, no - I'm not mad of you for asking - but yes!" She leaned over towards Harry and kissed him on his lips, slightly surprising him but he then sighed deeply as if he was floating on cloud nine. Harry was totally speechless. He felt wonderful - Hermione had finally accepted him after months of wondering how she'd take it.
Harry thanked her profusely, and it felt weird as it was wonderful when Hermione moved her chair beside his, and pressed herself against him. At first he was scared of putting his arm around her shoulder, but Hermione encouraged him to do so by pulling his forearm even tighter around her neck and resting her head under his. Harry was now sure this was now a start of a new romance, and he was now beginning to learn how not to worry too much about doing this.
Marty the bartender had arrived with their orders - two Butterbeers and a couple of Tuna sandwiches. He assured them that it only contained tuna, because if Hagrid knew it had earthworms inside, he'd break his neck
Before Harry could feed Hermione with her sandwich, she frowned upon looking out the window
"Hermione, what is it?" Harry asked and looked out of the window himself.
Henry Seymour and Peter Burton came towards them and said from outside over the window, "Sorry if I disturb your little date for a second, Harry," he said, "but I need to talk to Hermione the prefect for a while in private, is that okay?"
"Er…" Harry started, but Hermione said, "I'll just beout for a minute, Harry," she said smiling. "You stay put…" she stood up, kissed him again on his lips, and ran out through the door towards Seymour, who had shifted towards another spot on the sidewalk away from Harry.
Harry couldn't remove the smile on his face just thinking about Hermione as he shook his Butterbeer to froth. Hermione's meeting with Seymour only lasted for a minute, and she walked back inside Hog's Head and sat down beside Harry, placing something inside her robe pocket.
"So what was that all about?" Harry asked her.
"Nothing."
"Huh?"
"I said nothing!" she said a little forcefully, making Harry jerk back slightly to get a wider view of her. She looked very serious, and it made Harry feel uneasy.
"It's okay to tell, Hermione," Harry said quietly, "It's only me…"
"Didn't you hear what I just said?" she said irritably. "It's nothing!"
Harry nodded and kept quiet. He was worried his little romance with her was starting to get sour, and he didn't know why.
"Oh, Harry, I'm sorry…"
"No, it's okay," he lied, looking straightly ahead and gulping his Butterbeer.
"Harry, it's just that…" Hermione tried to explain, but she never got to say what she had to say when they felt their table shaking, and their bottles of Butterbeer edging towards the end of the table because of the vibration.
"Wh-What's happening?" Harry said, staring at his bottle. "Some kind of an earthquake?"
The table shook more violently, and Harry could hear something thundering just west of them. He looked around in confusion with Hermione, and then they heard students starting to scream. Their screams turned into shrieks, and from inside Harry saw the students running away from something in panic. They didn't scatter unlike during a real earthquake, but they seem to have seen something coming from the west that they ran away towards an opposite direction.
The sound of thunder became louder, and it became much clearer by the second that it wasn't the earth that was making it. They more sounded like hooves - a stampede.
Harry grabbed Hermione's hand and started to get out of the pub. "Hermione, I think we got to get out of here," he said, and Hermione nodded grimly.
Then they saw them.
Black dogs the size of bulls came bearing down towards them. They looked like colossal wolves, but with much larger body mass, red fiery eyes, enormous paws, and multiple sets of sharp fangs. The giant dogs barked deafeningly as they searched for their victims. An unlucky drunkard strayed directly in their path and was trampled to death - a fleeing goblin had been bit whole thrown to the side like a rag doll. There was total pandemonium outside and Harry knew very well not to watch a second too long and get out of the pub or else they will be trapped.
As the dogs came dangerously too close to the Hog's Head for anyone to evacuate, Hagrid shouted, "Harry - Hermione! Don't get out of the door!"
"What're we going to do???" Harry yelled back.
"Get through the back door - right here!" Hagrid pointed towards the kitchen, and Harry pulled Hermione along with him. When they had crossed the doorway, he heard a loud crash coming from the front window - a dog had forced itself inside. Hagrid could not fit in the "tiny" door and prodded Harry to go on without him.
"Don' worry abou' me, go!" Hagrid said when Harry was reluctant to leave him trapped inside the Hog's Head. "Remember they look jus' like puppies to me!"
Harry and Hermione had gone out an empty alleyway between some buildings. Nobody seemed to have strayed into this part of Hogsmeade, though Harry didn't know where the alleyways headed to. They could see at one end some fleeing students and wizards running at a street and followed by the huge dogs. About a hundred feet away, one of the dogs had entered the alleyway right at Harry and Hermione's path ahead! It stared at them for a while and slowly inched towards them, considering them as their next victims. The massive dog literally filled the whole width of the alleyway with its whole body Harry could not see what was behind it. Harry knew its mouth could chew him easily and it was drooling profusely. Then it pounced and sprinted to their direction!
"Run!" Harry yelled, making an about-face along with Hermione. The alleyway looked endless and narrow, and they didn't know if they could clear the other end of it. They ran for their lives; the dog was quickly gaining on them, barking piercingly. Harry looked back, and he saw the dog opened its mouth wide as it closed its distance between Harry and Hermione.
"Turn left! Left!" Harry told Hermione urgently, as he spotted a connecting alleyway up ahead. The huge dog overshot the turn and screeched to a halt, but due to its large body almost as wide as the alleyways, it had a very difficult time turning around at once thus giving Harry and Hermione the opportunity to escape. The new alley ended up in an empty space void of people and dogs at the edge of Hogsmeade. Just ahead of them was the edge of a forest that looked like a good place to hide in.
"Shall we go there?" Harry asked Hermione breathlessly, and she nodded. They ran full out, crawling under a barbed wire fence and hid behind a tree as they reached the edge of the forest. They could hear more screaming the cracks of defensive magic coming from Hogsmeade. They didn't know what was happening at the streets - they saw some students running out of the limits of the village to look for refuge at another forest or the mountains. The dog that chased them had now cleared the out of the alleyway, and sniffed the air for any sign of Harry and Hermione. Then a few more black dogs had joined in. Sniffing collectively now, they knew where they had hidden and thundered towards their direction, snapping the wire fence without feeling pain!
"C'mon, follow me!" Hermione told Harry, and she ran deeper into the forest. Harry followed her, running up and down the roots and around the trees. Harry took a look behind he could see some trees falling like being cut down (the dogs merely smashed themselves unto them). The dogs gave the impression to have no real sense of pain as they plowed through the thick line of trees of ahead of them. Harry knew this wasn't good.
Harry and Hermione had gotten out of a small clearing at the opposite side of the small forest - to the bank of a river of thin ice. If they swam to cross it, the ice might break and they would surely freeze to death. They whipped around and faced the forest again, and the giant dogs - now more than thirty of them, emerged out of the trees and formed themselves in a semi-circle, looked down on Harry and Hermione threateningly, growling, salivating for the chance to pounce. The dogs have covered every escape route Harry and Hermione could see!
They were trapped.
Harry and Hermione took out their wands. Harry didn't know if he was powerful enough to fend off even one of these gigantic dogs in front of him and Hermione. The dogs just stood on their spot, staring down at them wildly, as if they were waiting for something before they moved in for the kill.
Under their legs, several white-robed and masked men had emerged and walked slowly towards Harry and Hermione. They were Death Eaters. Strangely, one of men's robes had blood soaked all over.
Harry pointed his wand at them. If he couldn't handle the dogs, he thought, he could still gallantly fight the Death Eaters before he'd die.
Harry raised his wand to curse them, but Hermione beat him to it.
"Expelliarmus!" Hermione bellowed, but it was Harry's wand that flew out of his grasp.
Harry dropped his breath, and looked at Hermione. She had moved back away, pointed her wand at him, her face expressionless, and was ready to curse him if he moved abruptly.
"Hermione…what?" he said incredulously.
Two of the Death Eaters removed their mask and Harry gasped. It was Henry Seymour and Peter Burton. Their faces were filled with triumph.
"At last, the plan had worked," Seymour said, pointing his wand at an unbelieving Harry, moving over to Hermione, and placing a hand over her shoulder.
"The Dark Lord will be pleased that we have you again at last, Harry Potter. Thanks to Hermione here - she'd been a big help to us ever since."
-o0o-
Chapter 17 coming soon.
Author's note: Shocked? Confused? Well, I do hope this came as a surprise, though I think some of you had figured this out already ever since, so please tell me how surprising or how predictable this story has been by leaving a review. I really need to know. Thanks!
What made Hermione to betray Harry? How could she do such a treacherous thing? The answers, of course, will come in the next chapters.
Please check the top of this chapter from time to time in order to know when to expect another update. Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
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