Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Merlin knows I wish I did, but I don't. So, please don't sue me ....
Author's Note: This story is somewhat inspired by one of my favorite books, Lamb by Christopher Moore. I highly suggest you check it out. It a GREAT story. However, obviously, there are many things that are different.
Summary: Harry must go on a long journey to discover who and what he is and what he is capable of. Hermione tells what really happened during his long absence, leading up to the final battle and beyond.
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What is it that you know of the story of Harry Potter? Probably no more than anyone else knows. Let me guess, you know that he spent several years at Hogwarts and in his sixth year, he left? Disappeared? Came back about nine years later, to find his home in ruins? Rose up and destroyed the cause of such pain and suffering?
That figures. No one ever tries to find out more about the real story. No one ever cares about what happened when he left or where he went to. No one wants to know who went with him, if any one, or why. But the truth is, there is someone who knows. There is only one person who knows the whole story. I am that person.
So, I guess it is my turn to tell the story. I know many of you have heard it throughout the years, but they were all told by people who didn't really know him, people who only knew of him, heard his stories through second hand accounts. I guess it is time that you know the REAL story. This is the truth story of Harry Potter …
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"Harry, mate," Ron called from the end of the table in the Great Hall. "When are we going to play that game of Wizard's Chess that you promised me?" he asked Harry, who was still looking a bit down.
"Maybe later, mate," he replied quietly.
"C'mon Harry," I said. "Let's go take a walk around the lake. You always seem to enjoy that."
"I guess," he replied.
And with that, Harry and I set out for a nice walk around the lake, leaving Ron to talk to his girlfriend Luna, who had walked up to them. It was a very pleasant day, with the wind blowing gently, causing the grass to sway slightly to the south. The smells of spring were in the air, as was the case in early May. It was warm and sunny, but not overly so.
"So Harry," I asked softly as we sat on a soft patch of grass on the far side of the lake, "what are you thinking about?"
He sat there, looking at the lake, unable to answer me. He seemed deep in thought, as though he was pondering how to answer me. I wish I really knew what was going on in his head. It was so difficult to reach him these days. He finally sighed and looked over at me.
"Why?" he asked.
"I was just wond…" I started to answer, when he cut me off.
"Why do bad things always happen to those I care about?" he asked, quietly.
I wasn't sure how to answer his question. While it was true that so many bad things had happened to those he loved and cared about, there was good things too.
"Bad things happen to everyone, Harry", I responded. "And not just bad things happen to those you care about," I continued after a short pause.
"What good has ever happened to those I care about?" he asked me.
"Well, for one, we get to know you, and I mean really know you," I replied, reaching out to place a hand over his heart. "The chance to know the real Harry Potter, the one who always looks out for his friends, the one who is selfless, the one whose hair can't even be tamed by magic," I went on, smiling at him. The last thing I had said got a small smile from him. "That alone is totally worth anything we have to go through," I added.
He looked up at me with what I can only construe as a totally lost look in his eyes.
"How can you really know me, when I don't really know who I am?" he asked softly.
"Do you really think that is true?" I asked.
"What is true?" he asked me.
"That you don't know yourself?" I asked.
"I don't know," he replied. "I guess so."
"Or is it possible that you just don't know how to be yourself?" I asked, venturing forth on a whim.
"I …" he started.
"Perhaps, Harry, you just don't know how to be what you need to be, what you are, who you are," I suggested.
"Maybe," he responded, looking at the ground again. It was at this point in time that it started to rain. It wasn't heavy downpour, but enough that we decided to head inside.
"Talk to Dumbledore about it," I suggested. "Perhaps he will be able to help you with this?"
"Maybe," he replied vaguely.
We walked back up to the Common Room, and sat in front of the fire for a long while, not talking, just looking at each other and at the fire. After a short while, Ron had come over and sat with us for a little bit, before promptly falling asleep. When the clock in the Common Room gonged that it was now one o'clock in the morning, we decided to head off to bed. I watched as Harry woke Ron enough to help him upstairs to his bed.
I headed off to bed that night, thinking the next day would be a typical Saturday with a typical Hogsmeade visit. How wrong I was.
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I awoke in the morning at shortly after ten o'clock. I looked outside as saw that it was to be a bright sunny day. I thought to myself that perhaps the weather might help Harry cheer up a little. Perhaps just this once, he might actually smile a real smile. How I longed to see one of those smiles.
I got up and quickly showered, hoping to be able to catch at least a light breakfast before we planned to leave for Hogsmeade. I dressed in my standard school uniform, but decided against taking my school robes. It was too beautiful outside to be covered up with such a heavy set of robes.
I walked down the stairs and found Harry and Ron sitting around, playing a game of Wizard's Chess. Ron was winning, as usual, though Harry was doing really poorly, which was a bit off. Normally Harry would just barely loose against Ron, but for some reason he wasn't playing normally.
After the game was over, Harry stood up and walked over to me. He had this focused look on his face.
"I am going to talk to Dumbledore," he said, simply.
"Good," I said, smiling at him. "I will wait for you."
"You don't have to," he said.
"I want to," I replied.
"Ok," he answered. And with that, he walked out of the Common Room, and presumably up to see Dumbledore. I was confident that the Headmaster would be able to help Harry. He had always helped me when I was faced with a dilemma. Hopefully things would be simple to fix.
I sat down with a book and started to read when Ron approached me.
"You ready to go, Mione?" he asked.
"You go ahead with Luna," I replied. "Harry went to talk to Dumbledore and I am going to wait for him, so he doesn't have to go down to Hogsmeade alone."
"Ok," Ron said. "We will meet you at the Three Broomsticks at one, alright?"
"Sure," I said. "See you then."
Ron got up and headed for the portrait. I turned my attention back to my book, "Wizardry in Fifth Century Britain", waiting for Harry to return. It turned out to be a longer wait than I anticipated. I knew he would be a short while, but after two hours, Harry returned to the Common Room. He had a disturbed, but determined expression on his face.
"Welcome back," I said, smiling at him. He looked at me and the smile immediately faded from my face. "What's wrong?"
"I need to leave," he simply stated.
"What?" I said, shocked. "To go where?"
"I am not sure," he answered. "All I know is that I will find the answer to that in London."
"I see," I said, tears welling up in my eyes.
"I want you to come with me," he said, staring at me.
"Me?" I asked, tentatively.
"Yes, you," he replied.
"What about Ron?" I asked.
"Ron … well … Ron hasn't been there for me like you have," Harry answered. "He is like a brother, but he is needed here. I need you with me. I can't do this alone."
"I don't know Harry," I answered. "I mean, I want to be there for you, but what about my parents? What about school? How safe is it?"
"Well, we will be traveling in disguise," he answered. "No one will recognize us. So it is pretty safe."
"Can I sleep on it?" I asked timidly.
"I leave tomorrow afternoon, so if you need to, yeah," he replied.
"I will let you know tomorrow morning. I just want to owl my parents," I said, looking deep into his eyes.
"I understand," Harry said. "I need to talk to Ron anyways."
"Oh, that reminds me," I suddenly remembered. "We are supposed to meet Ron and Luna at The Three Broomsticks in, like, twenty minutes."
"Then I suggest we go," Harry said, feigning a smile.
We then left and walked into town. We got to the Three Broomsticks with moments to spare, and looked around, not finding Ron or Luna anywhere. We walked around the main sitting area, not seeing them, until Harry snorted with mirth, seeing two pairs of legs hanging off the end of a booth, wearing what looked to be Ron's and Luna's shoes.
"I think we found them," he said, pointing.
"Oy, you two! Get a room!" I called out, watching as one of the pairs of legs (the pair wearing Ron's shoes) suddenly jerked and fell off the booth and under the table. I giggled, and looked at Harry, whose eyes shone for the first time in months. It was a brief moment, but they still shone like they once did. I was determined to see them shine again, if it took all my being.
"Sorry," Ron said, looking embarrassed.
"Oh, Harry, let me go send that owl," I said, looking at him.
"Ok," Harry said. "Try to be quick."
I ran out of the pub and towards the Owl Post Office as quickly as I could. As soon as I got there, I doubled over to catch my breath. It was true that I wasn't in the best of shape, but I never thought that the three block run from the Three Broomsticks to the Owl Post Office would leave me this winded. I made a note to myself to start exercising.
I walked up and got a piece of parchment and a quill from the man behind the desk and walked over to a table to start writing. As soon as I sat down, I was filled with a profound thought.
What if Harry goes away and is gone for a really long time, like years? What if he forgets us? What if he never comes back?
And suddenly, I couldn't imagine myself not going with him. Damned be school. My parents would certainly understand the need. Heck, they would probably even help me as much as they could. So, with my mind made up, the tone of my post changed drastically from asking advice and permission, to merely letting them know what was happening. After all, at 16 I was a legal adult in the wizarding world.
And so, that is how my letter was written.
Dear Mum and Dad,
All is well here at school, thus far. I am writing to let you know of
some rather important news. It turns out that Harry needs to take
a trip and has asked me to join him on his journey. We are not sure
where it will lead, or how long it will take, but rest assured that it
will be a safe journey. From what I have been told, we will be
disguised the entire time and under the supervision of a qualified
teacher, as well. I just needed you to know that this is important
and it is something I must do. If we are to win this war, it is
something I must help with. I do hope you can understand. I will
write you again in the future. Take care.
Love, your daughter,
Hermione
A few minutes later, I stood looking at the sky as the owl carried that fateful piece of parchment off to my parents. I always wondered how they had reacted when they first read it. I always imagined that it was something akin to shock and sadness, but who knows. Perhaps they were proud that I was so fiercely loyal and supportive of my best friend? Perhaps they knew something I wasn't admitting to myself at the time? Who knows but them?
As I watched the owl leave, I filled with a sense of anticipation. I was excited and anxious. I didn't know what the future held, but I knew everything would be alright because I would be with Harry. Harry had that effect on me then. He was strangely comforting and calming, even in the direst of situations. It was then that I remembered that I had left them at the Three Broomsticks. I raced back, my heart beating loudly and wildly in my chest the entire way.
I got back shortly after I raced from the Owl Post Office and found the three people I had left just sitting down at a table, each with a butterbeer in their hands, Harry holding two.
"I got you a Butterbeer," he said, holding his hand out to me.
"Thank you, Harry," I said, smiling at him. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Ron giving Luna a strange look. Not understanding it, I pushed it from my mind.
"Anyways, Ron," Harry started. "As I was saying, I talked to Dumbledore and he helped me realize something. He helped me realize that I am not ready for what is to come and that more specialized training is required elsewhere. That is why I …" he started.
"That is why we are going on a trip," I interjected, cutting Harry off. Harry looked at me, realizing that I had obviously made up my mind, and really smiling at me for the first time since Sirius died. It warmed my heart to know that I could make him smile again.