It is more shameful to distrust one's friends than to be deceived by them.
-Duc De Francois La Rochefoucald, French writer
Hermione had been a fugitive for all of five minutes and so far she didn't like it. She had snuck around the castle with Harry and Ron dozens of times, but she had never felt so jumpy. Every squeak and rustle she heard made her tremble. Her heart was going to leap out of her chest any moment now.
She was also acutely aware that her best friends were breaking the rules and the law for her. This wasn't for Harry's or Hagrid's sake, but for hers. Harry and Ron would have been taking a huge risk if they were simply helping an ordinary prisoner escape, but sneaking out a suspected Death Eater was something else entirely. They could end up in Azkaban! Hopefully, they would have cells next to hers. Hermione tried to shake off her certain glumness.
The trio paused for a minute while Harry consulted the Marauder's Map, and Hermione took a quick moment to pull up her right sleeve. She felt an irrational stab of disappointment when she saw that the Mark was still there. It looked like she would have to throw out her short-sleeved shirts unless she wanted everyone to know that she was now part of a cult of rapists, serial killers, and madmen.
Hermione felt a wave of nausea pass through her. She had the sudden urge to peel the skin off her arm. She couldn't bear being associated with these monsters. Why should she have to go through her life fearful of being exposed for something she wasn't? It wasn't fair!
She looked over at Harry and felt ashamed. If anyone had cause to complain about the fairness of life, it was him. Yet despite everything, he was still a wonderful human being. And he was a true friend. She would treasure the memory of him hugging her after he released her from her chains forever.
They stopped again when they made it outside the castle. Hermione took a deep breath of the fresh evening air then she looked around to see what they were standing around for. She gasped when she saw what Harry pulled out from the bushes.
"Harry! Those are illegal!" she whispered fiercely. Then she blushed when she realized what she just said.
Harry gave her an amused glance as he finished unrolling the Persian carpet. He said, "I confiscated this from a sixth-year who was showing off to his friends. He said he borrowed it from his dad's collection. I told him I'd give it back at the end of term."
Hypocrisy or not, she had to say something. "You can't give it back! I'm not saying you should turn him in, but flying carpets are banned in Great Britain."
"Emphasis on flying. It's only illegal if the guy's dad was actually intending to fly the thing," Ron cut in with a sly grin. "My father wrote the law you know."
Hermione couldn't help smiling at that, but then she remembered how she came to be here and her smile faded. She and Ron stared at each other uncomfortably until Harry nervously cleared his throat.
They got on the carpet and then they were off. Harry cast a warming bubble around them and Hermione was forcibly reminded that she no longer had her wand, and there was no way she could save herself if she fell off the side.
Harry seemed to know what she was thinking. He whispered, "I wouldn't let you fall."
"I know," Hermione replied softly. As much she would have liked to see where this conversation would lead, her eyes couldn't help but be drawn to the redhead staring out at the stars with his knees against his chest. She needed to know.
Harry followed her eyes and nodded slightly. "I'll let you two talk. I need to take a nap anyway. I didn't get any sleep today unlike you. I can't believe you fell asleep in the dungeons."
"Because there was so much down there to occupy my attention," Hermione replied dryly. "I must speak with Professor Snape about improving the décor."
"It took being falsely accused, but you're finally lightening up," Harry replied shaking his head and smiling. "Wake me when we get there." With a tap of the wand to his head, he was asleep.
Harry looked so peaceful that Hermione had the sudden urge to ruffle his hair. She shook it off then slowly made her way over to Ron's side. They sat in silence for awhile and when it became clear that he wasn't going to acknowledge her, she said quietly, "Ron."
"Do we really have to do this?" Ron asked sounding weary. "You're not going to like what I have to say."
You were our friend, Hermione! How could you do this? Did he offer you knowledge? That was always your weakness. Is that why you helped Harry in the TriWizard Tournament? You and Krum were probably working together! Did you help Harry get into the Chamber of Secrets so You-Know-Who could kill him? Were you just pretending the whole time?
It was a little too late for that. She didn't see how anything else he said could be worse. She said, "Yeah, we do. What you said really hurt me. But it wasn't entirely because you thought I was a traitor. I can understand that. I don't like it, but I can understand that. You'd think being a Muggle-born would eliminate me from suspicion, but I know there are quislings in every war. But what I don't understand is..."
Hermione hesitated. She had a great deal of time to turn Ron's words over in her head and to torture herself with them. Maybe she was reading things that weren't there, but there was an implication in his words that made her stomach squirm.
"What I don't understand is that you seem to think I'm a coward."
Ron didn't reply and he still wouldn't look at her. Hermione stared at him sadly then continued, "Even Harry, the person I supposedly betrayed, believed that if I was a Death Eater I would at least confront him directly before turning him over to Voldemort. But in the two instances you brought up, I was nowhere nearby. I can understand you believing me evil, but I can not accept that you think I'm the type of person who wouldn't even stay around to look Harry in the eye while I put the knife in his back. That I would sit back in my comfy armchair after I sent Harry scurrying off to the Chamber or the labyrinth so I wouldn't get my hands dirty. After everything we've been through-"
"That's just it," Ron interrupted, turning to face her for the first time. "We haven't been through all that much. It's always been you and Harry! You and Harry snuck out Norbert, rescued Sirius, saw Grawp, and fought together in the Department of Mysteries. The only real adventure we've all been on was in first year and what I remember is you looking for firewood while we were trapped in the Devil's Snare!"
"What's your point?" Hermione asked taken aback.
"My point is that I've never gotten to see you be all that brave. Hearing about it from Harry afterwards isn't the same and the bloke's a bit biased when it comes to you if you haven't noticed. Oh, you're stubborn enough to stand up to the likes of Trelawny and Umbridge, but you panic when things get really hairy."
"It's nice to see that you have such a low opinion of me," Hermione said stiffly.
Ron ran a hand through his hair, obviously frustrated. "I'm just telling you my thought process, okay? I'm not insulting you. I'm not saying that you can't be brave at times, just... Look, what you are is smart. That's your thing. If you could come up with a way to throw Harry to the wolves without having to see the end result I could see that happening. I mean, you jinxed the DA list fifth year without telling any of us. And you turned in Harry's Firebolt without even talking to him about it first!"
"That was in third year!" Hermione protested angrily.
"My point still stands," Ron replied. "If you were a traitor, you'd be indirect about it. It wouldn't be personal for you. You wouldn't have to see Harry die. You'd just have to know that it happened. Can't you understand why that made me so mad? To think that my best friend had even less honor than You-Know-Who?"
Hermione took a deep, calming breath. She tried to objectively consider Ron's points and to her dismay, she found some merit to them. She still felt like socking the boy though. In a tense voice, she said, "So you don't think I'm a coward. You just think I'm sneaky and underhanded."
"Yes!" Ron said sounding relieved. Then noticing Hermione's reddening face, he held up both hands in a warding gesture and said, "Damn it, Hermione, those aren't necessarily bad things to be! Your sneakiness has helped us make Polyjuice and kept Harry from being hit with the Cruciatus Curse. And you kept the secret of your Time Turner from us for an entire year! Are you going to tell me that you're not sneaky?"
Hermione grudgingly conceded the point with a terse nod. She crossed her arms and glared at the patterns on the carpet. In a certain light, many of the actions she had taken for the greater good could be seen as conniving. But her motives had always been good. Still, it wouldn't take much of a leap for someone to see her actions as indicative of a malignant character.
A thought occurred to her. She peered suspiciously at Ron and said, "Those are rather complex thoughts for someone who only had thirty seconds to absorb the situation. What are you not telling me?"
"I was afraid you were going to ask that," Ron said with a sigh. He shifted to face her completely then spread his hands with a shrug. "You know that I've always been jealous of Harry. So you shouldn't be surprised that I was also jealous of you. For being smarter than me, for being a better friend to Harry, and a dozen other things."
He raised a hand to stop Hermione's protest. "I know that it's stupid. I know that Harry's life is hell on earth and that I'm not competing with you for anything. I'm an ungrateful bastard about what I have and I should know better, but logic doesn't make the feelings go away. It doesn't work like that!"
"So for years you've resented Harry and me?" Hermione asked faintly.
Ron sighed heavily again. "No, I don't lie in bed at night thinking about what horrible people you are but sometimes after we've had a row I'd grumble about how arrogant and controlling you can be. How your constant need to be right is the most annoying thing in the world. How Spew, sorry, S.P.E.W is a perfect example of how you can care more about a cause than for people's feelings.
"When I stop being angry, I feel bad about thinking such things about my friends, but that doesn't mean those thoughts aren't still there somehow. You can't tell me that you've never thought about what an insensitive git I can be so you understand what I mean. So when I saw that Mark all those horrible, awful thoughts came bursting out. Harry was just another damn project to you. A means to an end. He didn't matter to you as a person at all."
Hermione reared back like she had been slapped. Trembling with repressed rage, she asked, "How dare you think even for a second that I wouldn't give a damn about Harry?"
"I suppose it was in the same second when I believed you were capable of being a Death Eater," Ron said unflinchingly. Then a note of sorrow entered into his voice. "I had to think that. There's no way I could have handled the thought that you betrayed us and that you actually cared about us at one point. Harry and his 'saving people thing' would make him believe he caused you to do this. I had to believe that you never cared in the first place."
Ron stared at his hands. He said softly, "I know you don't think I use my brain most of the time, but I want you to know that I had reasons for doubting you. It wasn't just a spur of the moment thing. I know that's a strange kind of apology, but I think you would prefer knowing that than believing that I blew my stack just on impulse."
Hermione let out the breath she didn't know she had been holding. She didn't know what to say. Harry had feared that he had driven her into being evil. Ron seemed to think that she had always had a potential for it deep down. A part of her wished that Ron had been acting purely out of irrational anger. That was something she was used to from the redhead and could have gotten over. She knew Ron had trust issues (probably stemming from when Fred and George turned his teddy bear into a spider), but this...
The worst part was, objectively, Ron had justification for believing her to be a traitor. She was vastly ambitious, maybe too much. She had little trouble making ends justify the means when the situation called for it. It was a wonder that the Sorting Hat never considered her for Slytherin.
Ron was right about another thing. Logic didn't change anything. Ron hadn't trusted her. This was different from him believing she was a cackling criminal mastermind. He distrusted her because of actual aspects of her character. How could she not be insulted by that?
Hermione closed her eyes wishing that this horrible day had never happened. She said, "Ron, I'm not going to tell you that I'm okay with this. I'm incredibly hurt right now. I appreciate you being brave enough to tell me this, but I'm feeling inclined to push you off this carpet right now. In the interest of fairness though, I realize that obviously something happened between then and now that I should know about. So what made you change your mind?"
Ron gave a hollow laugh and looked at her with pained eyes. He replied, "What changed my mind? I guess you could say it was habit. Usually, after we yell at each other I go stomp and rage until I calm down. Then I'll realize that I was an ass and that you were right as always and while I certainly won't apologize maybe I should go do my homework in front of you as a peace offering."
"The inner workings of the mind of Ron Weasley terrify me," Hermione teased gently. She was still upset, but she couldn't bear seeing him so miserable.
Ron gave her a tentative smile then said, "This time I realized that I would probably never see you again. That just hit me, you know? My dad told me something once. You don't become friends with someone despite their flaws. You accept them, warts and all. I was so busy focusing on all of your negatives, I forgot why we were friends in the first place. You're a great person, Hermione. Better than me. You always have been. You know it. I know it. Heck, Harry never had any doubts, especially after fourth year. You love rules, but you have always kept our secrets. I don't think you have a disloyal bone in your body.
"I said earlier that I thought that it wouldn't be personal for you, that you were some kind of emotionless monster. I decided that I was wrong." Ron sat motionless for a long moment then asked, "Do you remember the troll?"
Hermione blinked at the non sequitur. She asked, "How could I forget?"
She was surprised at the fondness in her voice. It was strange but she looked back at that incident with a certain amount of nostalgia. It was when her life changed for the better after all and when she begun to believe that she had a place at Hogwarts. She wasn't doomed to a life of loneliness.
"I called you a nightmare," Ron said, looking a little sheepish. "But Harry saw something in you that I didn't. And it wasn't until you lied to McGonagall for us that I saw it too. I don't care what kind of person you are. After what happened, you have to give a damn one way or the other about us. You've deceived and hidden things from us before, but you've never outright lied to us. I trust in the Trio and I trust that if you had really hated us, you would have told us at some point. Especially when you got caught. You'd want us to know why you did it. Because there's you, me, and Harry then there's the rest of the world. And that's how it's always been. Even if you were evil, we would still be the most important people in your life. You would have told us."
"It can't be that simple for you," Hermione said, touched by the depth of feeling the Ron was displaying. Was this the same Weasley she accused of having the emotional range of a teaspoon?
"I'm a simple guy. Black and white thinking and all that. I decided that it was more shameful for me to distrust you than for you to deceive me. If I was wrong about you, then I threw away seven years of friendship. If I was right, then at least I'd have a clear conscience." Ron traced a circle on the fabric with his finger. He said hoarsely, "I know being sorry never changes anything, but I am sorry. Hermione, I didn't let a stupid tattoo stop me from being your best friend. It's just that I thought that you stopped being mine."
"I'd never stop being your friend," Hermione said with no hesitation. She reached out and squeezed his arm gently.
"Even now?" Ron asked with a hint of disbelief. "After all the horrible stuff I've told you?"
"Even now," Hermione said with a reassuring smile. "You may be a paranoid, selfish, jealous jerk of a friend, but you're my paranoid, selfish, jealous jerk of a friend. You've said and done many stupid things to me over the years, but you're a good person and my life would be poorer not having known you. You're my friend, Ron, warts and all."
Ron's eyes were suspiciously bright. He turned his head away and rubbed them quickly muttering, "Damn allergies."
Hermione laughed and hugged him. To reject Ron or Harry would be to reject a part of herself. It might seem awfully co-dependent to an outsider, but she didn't know how to be Hermione without the two of them. That was the truth for better or worse.
There were still wounds between them that only time could heal, but they would be okay. She wouldn't allow them to be otherwise.
~*~
Hermione gazed around the run-down street with some interest. The vandalized telephone booth appeared the same as the last time she saw it. There was new graffiti on the walls behind the broken dumpster and all of the surrounding offices appeared to be closed, which would certainly make their mission easier. She drifted toward the dumpster trying to dredge up the bit of information that was niggling at her brain about this place.
Harry and Ron came over to her having successfully Disillusioned the carpet. Ron turned to Harry with an expectant air and asked, "So how do you want to get in? Going through the visitor's entrance might not be the best idea you know."
Harry rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. He replied, "I didn't really think this far. I was a little bit more concerned about leaving the dungeons alive. Er, no offense, Hermione."
Hermione rolled her eyes. And she thought that Ron lacked tact. Bemused, she said, "None taken. I suppose that I'll have to be responsible for the planning portion of proving my innocence?"
Ron snorted. "Like you would have it any other way."
Hermione crossed her arms and glared at the redhead before she turned to Harry and said, "Since we can't get in through any of the obvious methods, we need to go through the equivalent of the back door. If I remember correctly, the Ministry should have an emergency exit for when mass escapes are needed and they don't want to clog up the fireplaces. It's in the blueprints."
"That's a bit of a security leak, isn't it?" Ron asked slowly.
Hermione shrugged. "Not really. Unless somebody's really into reading Design and Construction of British Wizarding Landmarks."
"You mean like you?" Harry asked, obviously trying and failing to hide his grin.
"Anyway," Hermione said with a sniff. "I don't think that it's ever been used. Obviously, anything strong enough to cut off the magical transportation systems would also shatter the Apparation wards and you could just get out that way."
"Thank goodness for bureaucracy," Harry muttered. He looked at Hermione, then at the dumpster, and seemed to arrive at the same conclusion she had. He rolled up his sleeves then said, "Ron, help me push this out of the way."
Ron gave him an amused look. "Or we could do this. Wingardium Leviosa!" The dumpster rose and wobbled a few feet down the alley.
Harry's ears turned red. "Yes, that would work as well."
Hermione squeezed his shoulder as she walked by and whispered, "Don't feel bad. I didn't think of it either. Once a Muggle and all that, right?"
Harry smiled gratefully at her.
Under the dirt and grime, there was the faint outline of a trap door. If one wasn't specifically looking for it, they could easily overlook it. A quick unsealing spell and five minutes later, they were down the stairs and walking through a very narrow and very dusty tunnel.
Ron was biting his lip and his hands were fidgeting. "Looks like the cleaning crew missed a few spots," he said with a forced laugh.
"Don't worry, Ron, I don't think there are too many spiders," Hermione said with a mischievous smirk. Just because she forgave him didn't mean she wasn't going to make him pay for his stinging words.
"You mean like the one on your shoulder?" Harry asked from behind her.
Hermione jumped and brushed frantically at her robes. She asked, "Did I get it?" Then she saw Harry trying to contain his sniggering with his hand.
"You prat!" Hermione cried. She took a swipe at him which Harry easily dodged then he and Ron laughed at her.
Hermione's lips curved into a small grin, but she quickly made it vanish. She was pleased that her friends felt comfortable enough with her to tease her but she wasn't about to tell them that!
The three of them soon came upon a metal door. Hermione took a deep breath. This was it. She gestured for Harry to cover them with the Cloak. Then she took on a haughty tone she knew from experience would convey how serious she was to the boys. It also annoyed the hell out of them, but at least they were paying attention. She said, "Now that everyone's awake, this is what we need to do. We have to find the Records Office without being seen."
She opened the door and squinted at the bright light. A narrow, austere hallway was in front of them with doors spaced apart every ten feet. They slowly walked to the end watching carefully for anyone to suddenly step out of an office. The floorboards on this level squeaked every so often and they'd freeze in place for a few terse seconds before moving on again.
The snail-like pace obviously frustrated Ron. He whispered, "I don't see why we need all the secrecy. If anyone asks, we could say we're here to see my dad. Nobody in their right minds would think that Hermione kidnapped us and took us to the Ministry!"
Hermione stomped on his foot and hissed, "Ssh!"
Ron was probably right. Even if McGonagall had called in her escape, no one outside Auror Headquarters would even know what was going on, but there was no point taking unnecessary risks. Still, even she breathed a deep sigh of relief when after twists and turns that seemed to go on forever, they finally saw the sign that told them they had arrived at their destination.
Office of Records and Administrative Files
Hermione quickly outlined the rest of her plan. Ron gave her a resigned glare then walked off grumbling that she had a strange definition of forgiveness treating him like this. Harry merely nodded then left the confines of the Invisibility Cloak leaving her under it by herself.'
Harry twisted the doorknob and let himself inside. Hermione quietly followed him inside. The room was sparse and filled with rows of plain wooden desks. One file cabinet sat in a dark corner in the back. Considering the tricks that wizards could play with spatial dimensions, the single cabinet was probably all that was needed. Everyone seemed to have gone home for the night except for one.
Harry walked up to the desk where a sleepy-looking young woman sat scribbling on some parchment. Her nametag said Gladys. He said politely, "Hello, madam. I need a copy of my fifth year hearing file. I know that it's after hours, but I was hoping that you could help me."
An annoyed expression came over the woman's face. She pushed up her glasses with a finger then looked up at Harry. She suddenly looked like she was about to go into epileptic shock.
Hermione slammed a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing.
"Mis… mister Potter!" Gladys stammered. "I never expected... My word! If I had known you were coming... Er, how can I help you, sir?"
Harry patiently repeated his request. Unfortunately, as star-struck as the woman was, she seemed torn over helping him. She was clearly about to refuse when Harry quickly grabbed Gladys's hand and brought it to his lips.
Hermione's jaw dropped.
Apparently invoking the memory of Gilderoy Lockhart, Harry smiled widely and leaned over the desk toward a dreamily smiling Gladys. He said in a low baritone, "I know a clearly dedicated woman such as yourself would never dream of breaking the rules, but I hope you understand that I have a sensitive situation and I would rather that the Daily Prophet not get wind of it. Celebrities such as myself have to be careful you know. That's why I couldn't come in during regular business hours."
Gladys nodded wisely. She said, "Legal troubles, isn't it? I get a lot of those. Well, I suppose I can make a tiny exception just this once. I mean, you're Harry Potter!"
Harry's smile grew wider. He said, "You have no idea how much this means to me. Let me give you a couple autographs as a sign of my appreciation." The two continued to chat while Gladys took down his information. He still hadn't released her hand.
Hermione didn't know whether to laugh or seethe at Harry's, for lack of a better word, flirtation. He's just acting, she told herself with gritted teeth. He had better be! She blinked at her thoughts. When had she gotten so possessive? And why was she?
But she snapped back into focus when she saw Gladys pull a leather-bound tome from her desk. Hermione quickly maneuvered herself behind the woman and watched as Gladys placed her palm on top of the front cover and the book glowed then there was a click before it opened.
Hermione's heart sank. As she had expected, the book required fingerprint verification. The plan was hinged on Ron's success then.
Gladys said in a crisp tone, "Search parameters: Potter, Harry James. Parents: Potter, James and Potter, Lily neé Evans. Birth date: July 31, 1980. Aliases: Boy-Who-Lived. Find: August 1995 disciplinary hearing. Key words: Ministry of Magic vs. Harry James Potter, Decree of Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery, International Statue of Secrecy."
Lines of black, flowing script surfaced onto the blank pages. Gladys quickly Duplicated them and handed the copy to Harry. She said, "Here you are, Mister Potter. If there is anything more I can do for you then you need only ask."
It may have been her imagination but Hermione could have sworn the Gladys winked. No, that was not a come-on! I am not that paranoid! I will not club that woman to death with the book. It might damage the book. Focus!
She watched Harry thank the young woman then started walking toward the door. The timing at this point was critical. Hermione held her breath hoping Ron would show before Gladys closed the book. She didn't want to have to resort to Stunning or Memory Charming the woman since that would probably set off all types of alarms, but she'd do it if necessary.
The door flung open and a green-hued Ron ran in with his right hand clapped over his mouth.
"Young man, what are doing... Oh, Merlin!"
Gladys stumbled out of her seat and pressed herself against the back wall as Ron started throwing up slugs.
Harry quickly intervened. He grabbed Ron's arm and said, "We need to get him to a doctor! Gladys, I need your help!"
"But... but... slugs..." Gladys replied weakly. Then seeming to remember who she was talking to, she straightened up and said, "Oh, all right. We'll take him to Medical. Give me a moment." She made a half-turn toward her desk.
As if on cue, Ron vomited another pile of slimy, oozing slugs at Gladys's feet. She shuddered and practically ran around to Harry's other side. They quickly left the room.
Hermione smirked. How's that for sneaky? And Ron thought she didn't know how to have fun. She didn't know how, but she could have sworn that Ron had glared directly at her.
She sat down at the desk still wearing the Invisibility Cloak and stared at the book a little nervously. She had gotten a sense of how the archives were set up so hopefully, she knew what she was doing because she didn't have much time.
"Search parameters: Dumbledore, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian," Hermione began. She didn't know the names of headmaster's parents or his date of birth, but that shouldn't matter. There was no way in the world that there was more than one Albus P.W.B Dumbledore! The next command was just an educated guess on her part. She said, "Find: Most recent update."
Travel arrangements, a map, and an itinerary quickly filled the pages in front of her. She read the pages as quickly as she could. Without her wand, she would have to rely on her memory to retain all the information.
She was halfway down the guest list for the meeting that Dumbledore and Snape were attending when her eyes stumbled over a name and came to a dead stop.
Lucius Malfoy.
What the he-
Hermione's head whipped around at the sound of approaching footsteps. She looked at the book in panic. Did she have everything read? Yes. Did she know how to reset the book? Oh, crap.
"Go back!" Hermione whispered frantically. "Find the last entry! Look, I don't know the proper commands, but I know that you understand me and I'm not asking for anything complex. Just please go back to the entry on Harry Potter!"
The pages shimmered and the words Ministry of Magic vs. Harry James Potter appeared.
Hermione blinked in surprise. She had hoped that like many magical objects, the book would be semi-aware, but she hadn't really expected her pleads to work. But there was no time to ponder the manner. She crept over to a corner just as the door swung open.
It was only Ron and Harry.
"What are you doing here?" Hermione asked, feeling both relieved and frustrated. "You were supposed to wait for me in the infirmary!"
"Change of plans," Harry replied tersely. "We had the misfortune of running into Moody on the way up. I think we have a few minutes before the Aurors get here. We managed to lose him a couple floors back."
"The guy's pretty fast for someone with a wooden leg," Ron said with a queasy grin.
Why couldn't things ever be simple? Hermione bit her lip as she glanced around the room for a means of escape. There was no fireplace and the wards made Apparation out of the question. There was one option then. She muttered, "I'm already a wanted criminal. What's one more crime?"
Hermione grabbed a quill off the desk, borrowed Harry's wand, visualized the coordinates in her mind and the activation time, and then said, "Portus."
Ron and Harry looked at the quill uncertainly.
"No, it's not taking you directly into the hands of Voldemort!" Hermione snapped.
"I wasn't thinking that!" Ron snapped back. "I was questioning your Portkey skills! I've never seen you make one before."
"Oh... okay then," Hermione said unsure if she should still be angry or not. "Sorry."
She turned to Harry to apologize only to see him turn away with a hurt expression... and a guilty look?
What had Harry been thinking? Was Ron lying to her?
No, she couldn't think like that! She couldn't analyze every move her friends made trying to figure out what they really thought of her. That way led to madness.
Harry probably had been thinking the same thing as Ron and even if he hadn't been...
She swallowed hard. It wasn't fair to resent them for wondering. It was human and completely uncontrollable. When someone stood on top of a building, they would often get the urge to jump off. That didn't mean they really wanted to kill themselves or even meant to think such a thing. It was just a thought they couldn't help but think. The product of random sparks between brain cells that resulted in irrational feelings.
It was normal. He didn't mean it.
But she couldn't bring herself to ask. And in the space of one instant, there was a wall between her and them again and the camaraderie of the last few hours seemed remote.
God, she hated Voldemort so much for that.
At last, with a lump in her throat, she said, "Thank you for everything. I'm sure I can take it-"
Harry's hand shot out and took hold of a feather. He said gruffly, "Don't be ridiculous. Adventures aren't done alone you know. What would you do without us?"
Hermione was so touched that she decided not to point out that Harry usually ended up by himself at some point in their adventures. It was the sentiment that counted after all.
"Besides, it wouldn't be proper to let a lady ride into danger while the chaps stayed behind. Think of the scandal!" Ron said with a playful grin.
Hermione wanted to hug them and tell them how much she loved them both, but she had the feeling (judging from their rigid, exaggeratedly masculine postures) that Harry and Ron couldn't take any more displays of emotion this evening.
Boys can be so silly, Hermione thought with deep affection before they were all whirled away.
~*~
When her sight came back, Hermione quickly glanced around looking for some sign that they were where they were supposed to be. They only had minutes before the Ministry traced them, so they had to get to Dumbledore before that happened. She found herself and her friends in the middle of an empty conference room.
"I'm sure that you're all tired after your journey. Would any of you care for a lemon drop?" a deep voice asked from the left corner of the room.
Okay, maybe the room wasn't quite as empty as she thought.
Hermione raised an eyebrow at the Headmaster and asked, "Were you expecting us or do you make a habit of sitting in empty conference rooms?"
She blushed when she realized that she may have been a little too cheeky. To her relief, Dumbledore chuckled then he replied, "After Professor McGonagall contacted me, I knew it was only a matter of time before you met up with me. I must commend the three of you on your resourcefulness."
"And how did you know that we would come here?" Hermione asked.
"I presumed that Misters Potter and Weasley would wish to prove your innocence," Dumbledore replied, his gaze never leaving Hermione's eyes.
Something in the way he said those words caused her to bristle.
"Not you too," Hermione said softly.
Dumbledore looked apologetic. "I'm sure you understand my position. The Order of the Phoenix can not afford to take chances in these dark times."
He rose from his seat and strode toward Hermione only to find his way blocked by Harry and Ron. They looked incredibly nervous but stood defiant against him.
Dumbledore looked surprised then chagrined. He said, sounding sheepish, "Perhaps I sounded more ominous than I intended. Be at ease. I have no intention of harming Hogwarts' best student, but I must look at the evidence for myself. Miss Granger, if you would so kindly pull up your sleeve."
Hermione reluctantly bared her arm and revealed the inky black skull that was ruining her life.
The Headmaster adjusted his spectacles to get a better look then he gave a heavy sigh and his shoulders slumped. He said morosely, "It is authentic. I had hoped..."
Hermione felt a rush of panic. Had he already decided her fate? She asked anxiously, "Professor, shouldn't you check my thoughts first or something? There's no need to be hasty here!"
"I have already done so," Dumbledore informed her. "A surface gaze of your thoughts reveal no duplicity, but your mental discipline is renowned, Miss Granger, and not something to be underestimated. I'm afraid a more in-depth scan is required before I can say anything with certainty. I need your permission to shift through your entire mind."
The emphasis was not lost on Hermione. She bit her lip nervously at the implications. It was one thing to let Dumbledore check if she was lying or had been Memory Charmed, but quite another to allow the man to see every private thought and emotion. She suddenly had much sympathy for what Harry went through with his Occlumency lessons. Her situation was worse though because she didn't have the option of kicking Dumbledore out of her mind when it became too invasive. But what was the alternative?
"Okay," she said meekly. She made a move to step forward and Harry moved to block her.
"No, this isn't right," Harry said. He turned to Dumbledore. "She shouldn't have to do this. It's not fair. What happened to innocent until proven guilty and all that? The tattoo doesn't prove anything!"
"And you would have me risk the lives in the Order and countless others on that belief?" Dumbledore asked, tilting his head slightly.
"There is no risk because she's not a Death Eater!" Harry yelled stubbornly.
He looked like he was about to jump on the old man, so Hermione pulled him back. She grabbed his shoulders and said sharply, "Harry, where's the clear thinking you showed me earlier? There's another aspect here that you haven't considered. Professor Dumbledore is not just checking to see if I'm a Death Eater or not. He's looking for how I got the Mark in the first place. Isn't that worth knowing? We obviously have a hole in our defenses if Voldemort can just stroll in and brand anyone he wants. If that's the case, we need that information."
"I just don't want you to think that if you didn't do this, we'd think less of you," Harry said sounding helpless.
Hermione pulled Harry into a tight hug. She said, "That's so sweet, Harry, but I need to do this. It's nice that you don't need proof, but I don't like the what-ifs. You trust me, but not the way you did before all this happened. Now, whether you want to or not you're asking yourself if I'm going to be the cause of your death before the day is over. You shouldn't have to wonder. Trusting me shouldn't have to be a risk. You used to be able to look at me and not have to wonder if you're being stupid about me. I want that again."
Hermione suddenly remembered that they had an audience and swiveled her head toward the others. Ron was staring intently out a window with a look of embarrassment on his face while Dumbledore appeared to be meditating.
She gently released Harry then cleared her throat. "I'm ready."
"Very well," Dumbledore said, opening his eyes and sitting down at the table. "Please sit down and clear your mind as best as you can. I need you keep constant eye contact with me. You may blink, but do not turn away. What I'm doing is the equivalent of surgery as I slowly peel back each of your mental layers." He looked at Harry and Ron and said sternly, "There are to be no interruptions."
Dumbledore looked into Hermione's eyes and said, "Legilimency."
As the images flashed through her mind, Hermione thought for one shining instant that everything would be okay. Then a shadow passed through her mind and she realized...
Hermione watched in frozen fascination as Dumbledore fell from his chair with an agonizing groan. His complexion grew grey and his chest stopped moving.
Harry and Ron stared at her in horror.
To be continued...
~*~
Author's Notes:
Once again, thanks to hearingdr for taking time out of her busy schedule to help me.
YHABM had always been intended to be a oneshot, but popular demand has inspired me to tie up my loose ends and solve the mystery. I'm a little worried though since sequels are usually not considered as good as the original. And now that I find that I have to write another 'final' chapter, I'm worried about middle-episode syndrome! But I'm proud of how this chapter came out and I'm willing to take that risk.
I'll try to get the next chapter out as soon as possible, but with my finals and Christmas break coming up, I'll probably won't see you all until we've reached the new year. So I guess my gift to you is agonizing suspense. Enjoy.
Happy Holidays!
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