Chapter 13 - Two Meetings and a Détente
(A/N -On to "unlucky" chapter 13 - well, for one person anyway!)
"Miss Puckle, what seems to be the trouble? You look a bit frazzled! Is something wrong? Have you been hurt? Do you need to see Madam Pomfrey?"
Harmony was relieved to hear the voice of the Assistant Headmistress as she left the corridor leading from the staff quarters. She looked up into the Minerva's concerned face, and said, angrily. "No, I'm fine now - but if he EVER tries that again, I swear he will regret it! OOOH! He better stay away from me if he wants to keep his…life!" She almost said something else, but thought better of it considering who she was talking to.
"To whom are you referring, Harmony?", McGonagall said calmly, "although I dare say that I have a good idea based on where you came from just now and the condition you are in. Why don't we continue this discussion in my office where it's a little more private?"
They walked in silence (except for the occasional half-muttered threat coming from a certain dark-haired witch as she attempted to straighten her slightly disheveled robes) back to Minerva's office. By the time the door closed and the two of them were seated, Harmony was outwardly much calmer, but her eyes were still fiery. Minerva began quietly, "As I was saying, I assume from what just happened that you had an unpleasant experience with our resident Casanova, or should I say, Lothario? I hope, of course, that you had completely different business in mind when you went to visit him in his quarters?"
"PROFESSOR McGONAGALL! Please don't even THINK that I would EVER…do such a thing! The very thought of him…touching me…wanting to do…THINGS…to me! I feel like I want to go take a shower for hours just to wash his…slimy …touch…away!" As she was saying this, her adrenaline rush subsided and she started crying, mostly in relief, but with some fear as she realized what could have happened. "If I hadn't been able to push him away and slam the door, if he hadn't been a little slow because he was drunk…what would he have done? Minerva, I should never have…what was I thinking? I could have…"
"HARMONY! Don't you start blaming yourself for this attack on your person!" Minerva's eyes were now just as fiery. "You DID NOT do anything to cause this! Now, tell me, from the start, what happened."
Minerva listened quietly, but with increasing anger apparent on her face as Harmony explained the purpose of her visit to Gilderoy, and what had happened after she had knocked on the door.
"…And then, he tried to kiss me! He had grabbed me pretty tightly around the waist, and pulled me towards him. I could smell the firewhiskey on his breath…I couldn't get to my wand, or else things would have been different, I can tell you!" Harmony's eyes took on a cold look as she thought of what she could have done to him. "But, then I realized I had to do something quickly. I told him that I wasn't that kind of a witch, told him to never call me by anything but my title and last name again, and then I pushed him away hard enough that I was able to get out of there. I could hear him begging for me to come back as I ran down the hall, and then I saw you."
"Miss Puckle…I mean, Hermione," Minerva said with genuine sorrow in her voice, "I want you to know that this …horrible attack will not be ignored. I assure you that Albus and I will do whatever we can to address this! Unfortunately, Wizarding law is still based on older customs and times. I am sad to say that there is not much official recourse that can be done under the circumstances. Since you were 'unharmed' by your encounter, and you were the one who 'initiated' the contact…"
Hermione immediately started to say something at this, but Minerva held up her hand. "Calm down, dear. I am just telling you what would happen if this ever went before a wizarding court. Please let me finish before you say anything. Now, where was I? Oh, yes…since you went to talk to Gilderoy in his quarters, during non-instructional hours, on a weekend, in fact, there would be the appearance that you were not there to discuss teaching business. This is especially true considering Lockhart's well-known reputation with the many female fans he has and his 'charming good looks'. I am sure that a picture of you in the front row at his book-signing would be on the front page of the next edition of the Daily Prophet if you were to go public with this, and the Wizarding world would immediately think of you as a 'fan girl' who wanted some money or publicity or both. I warned the Headmaster when I found out that he was bringing that…poor excuse for a wizard on to teach this year that he would cause trouble! I'm just sorry that you got involved with it."
"But, Minerva," Harmony said, sadly. "I just wanted to have a word with him about his unprofessional treatment of …well, my younger self and I didn't even think…"
McGonagall interrupted, gently. "Yes, my dear, you didn't think that a teacher at Hogwarts would do such a thing. We all sometimes forget that you are really just an almost 18-year old student doing an admirable job of pretending to be a nearly 28-year old faculty member. You have still not experienced some things that women of your 'apparent' age have generally faced by this time - the fact that some men are incapable of controlling themselves, especially someone like Lockhart. He is told regularly, by his agent, his publisher, and his 'adoring fans' that he is above all those silly little rules the rest of us try to follow. And, I'd say many of those female fans would have had no problem taking him up on the invitation you declined just now. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if you weren't one of the first that did turn him down under those circumstances. Now, before I contact the Headmaster, are you SURE that he did nothing more than grab you around the waist roughly and attempt to kiss you, while making it very clear that he was interested in more than that? Do you have any bruises or marks that you know of that could be examined?"
"Well, not that I can tell, he mainly just wrinkled my robes when he grabbed me, as you saw afterwards. If there are any bruises or scrapes, I wouldn't know - I don't feel anything so far, but they may not show up for a while. I suppose I should have Madam Pomfrey check me over to make sure." Harmony said, resignedly.
"Yes, Hermione, that would be a good idea. Poppy can be trusted to keep things quiet, but she will do a thorough job of making sure you are uninjured. I'll save some time and tell Albus to meet us in the Hospital Wing so we can fill him in and get you checked out at the same time. It should be relatively empty today, being the weekend and all."
******
Anyone observing the Headmaster of Hogwarts and the Head Healer would have found it an interesting wager as to who was going to lose control first. Dumbledore did have an advantage in the end because of the natural camouflage caused by his long beard and mustache, but anyone who knew him at all would have been able to see the struggle he was having. Madam Pomfrey, however, had resorted to putting on her "clinical" face, so her professional training could mask her feelings about the situation. But, it was obvious that if Gilderoy Lockhart ever found himself in need of any medical attention from that point forward, he would be well-served to find a healer in Hogsmeade, or even better, at St. Mungo's. Not that she would actually do anything to him that would violate her healer's oath, but he might find that any treatment he did get would include the most unpleasant treatments possible.
As soon as Poppy was finished with her examination (finding that Miss Puckle, while still emotionally upset, was not physically harmed by Gilderoy), Dumbledore was finally able to speak. "Miss Puckle, I assure you, from the bottom of my heart that I deeply regret what one of my senior staff has done to you. I assure you that I will be meeting with him in my office as soon as we are finished here and he will also be… regretting a few things before he leaves. Unfortunately, as Minerva has explained, we are limited in what we can do beyond a few sanctions at Hogwarts. While I completely disagree with our current laws on the subject, and have worked over the years to modernize them, I feel that it would be best to leave the punishment for this abhorrent act to Minerva and myself. If, however, Poppy had discovered any injuries to your person, I fear that I would not have been so forgiving."
Harmony looked at her mentor and friend, and realized once again why Dumbledore was the only one that Voldemort feared. There was a powerful anger flashing in his eyes, smoldering just barely under the surface, that was truly frightening. She knew that Gilderoy would be adequately disciplined, but she also knew that if he so much as looked at her again with any hint of interest, she would take matters into her own hand…er…wand. "Thank you, sir. I would like to ask one question, just in case I need to know this in the future. What are my rights as a witch in this situation while at Hogwarts or elsewhere? Am I allowed to protect myself in whatever matter I see fit? Do I need witnesses to back up my story, or what?"
Dumbledore had a hint of a smile on his face as he answered. "Harmony, if he is ever foolish enough to try anything like that again with you or anyone else while at Hogwarts, I will trust your judgment, and your magical abilities, in whatever you choose to do. As part of our meeting today, I will make sure he is aware that you have no limitations on your response, short of an Unforgivable Curse. However, outside of Hogwarts, I would recommend that you try to avoid places and people you don't feel comfortable around. If you think that you might find yourself faced with that decision, I suggest that you read the applicable Wizarding statutes relating to self-defense and protective use of magic to help you plan your response. I think you will find it interesting reading. But, as for me, I have some staff business to attend to, and I will leave you in the capable care of Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall. Please excuse me." And with that, he left, striding purposefully towards the staff quarters.
As soon as he was out of sight, Minerva observed, "Poppy, for a second there, I almost felt sorry for that…prat, but, it's gone now. You know, I think that today would be a good day to close down the Hospital Wing so the house elves can do a thorough cleaning. I seem to remember hearing that there might be a surprise inspection coming up soon, and I wouldn't want Hogwarts' medical facilities to be found wanting. You don't have any patients here, it's a weekend, and any possible patients that may be coming here in the next hour or so will just have to make an appointment with St. Mungo's, I dare say. Unfortunately, I'm sure they will be booked solid for, oh, two or three days at least, at least that's what I'll tell the elf I leave in charge. How about it, ladies? I think that this calls for a trip to The Three Broomsticks, just the three of us!"
*****
After Blaise had agreed to gauge the interest of the Slytherin "outcasts" and let him know as soon as he could, Harry just had to share the news with Miss Puckle. As he was walking towards her office, not quite sure where to find her, he thought, <She'll be so happy! She's been trying to do something like this since she got here, and now it may just be starting to go that way. I bet she'll be excited when I tell her, and I love to see her smile. She looks so pretty when she smiles. Maybe she'll give me a hug, now, that would be nice.> Harry caught himself. <Potter, get a grip…she's over twice your age, you know! I've heard about schoolboy crushes on their teachers, but this is just silly.> But, as hard as he might, he couldn't get the thought of hugging her out of his mind. Without warning, another "flash" occurred.
Harry crossed a dingy landing in a place that felt very familiar. He turned the doorknob, shaped like a serpent's head, and opened what he knew was a bedroom door. He caught a brief glimpse of a gloomy, high-ceilinged, twin-bedded room, then there was a loud twittering noise, followed by an even louder shriek, and his vision was completely obscured by a large quantity of very bushy hair. Someone, (Miss Puckle, maybe? Now why would she be here?), had thrown herself onto him in a hug that nearly knocked him flat.
<Potter, you are going to HAVE to talk to someone about this!> he thought, completely embarrassed at the feelings he had just had for…a teacher? But, the more he thought about it, he wasn't sure it was Miss Puckle in his memory. He couldn't quite put his finger on who it was, it was almost as if that specific face had been removed from his mind. He did remember feeling that he was …older, somehow, in the dream. He knew he was taller for one thing, and he definitely remembered feeling…beard stubble, maybe?, when he hugged whoever it was. <Just great, Potter, now I'm either remembering someone else's life, or I'm seeing the future. I know that wasn't me, I don't have a beard yet! But it felt so real! It was almost as if…I was hugging… ->
"Harry, is that you? What are you doing down here? Are you lost?" a voice (now, why does she sound so familiar?) startled him out of his thoughts.
"-Hermione? Wha…what are YOU doing down here?" And, with one voice, they both said "I was looking for Miss Puckle!" "You, too?" Why do you want to...?" Finally, Harry had enough. "Okay, one of us is going to have to stop this! You go first!" and they both giggled a little.
"I was just coming down here to see if Miss Puckle was back here from her visit with…well, she said she was going to check on something for me, and I wanted to see how it went. She said she'd let me know what he…I mean, what happened. It's been quite a while since she left, and I'm beginning to get a little worried. What about you? What business do you have with Miss Puckle? Or, are you just coming here to flirt with her, like some of your older housemates have started doing?" Hermione said this last with more than a hint of disapproval in her voice.
"Whoa, wait a minute; don't accuse me of that stuff!" Harry was more than a little upset, partially because there was a little truth to what she had said. "And besides, it's not just Slytherins doing it, you know! We're not the only house that can see…" As soon as he said that, he realized he was in trouble.
"Hmmm, I'm surprised, Potter." Hermione said. "I thought you might be different, for some reason. Harmony told me…well, never mind. I guess she was wrong."
Harry started to feel a bit angry with her. "Before you jump to any more conclusions, Miss Granger, I'll have you know that I have been working with Miss Puckle this year to try to get some of my housemates to take her extra Charms class. She thought this would be a good idea, and would help reduce some of the tension between houses while giving our house a chance to compete better for the House cup. At the time, I agreed with her, but after I see from your attitude that Slytherins may not be welcome, I'm not sure it will be worth it!"
He turned to leave, but he heard Hermione's sad voice behind him. "I'm…really sorry, Harry! I know a little about that, you know. She told me that she was working with someone in Slytherin to see if she could work with them, she just didn't tell me it was you. Please forgive me! I would love to see…well; at least SOME Slytherins join us in the class. I'm hoping that they're not all as bad as - well, you know."
"Oh, you mean, the Gruesome Threesome?" Harry grinned.
Hermione gasped, and then nodded sheepishly. "So, you've heard their nickname, then. So much for the plan to try to keep it to ourselves."
Harry laughed as he caught a glimpse of a mischievous grin on Hermione's face. "Actually, I only heard it right before I came here, and from a Slytherin friend of mine, no less. He's who I came here to talk to Miss Puckle about. He knows a few Slytherins who aren't too happy with what is happening at Hogwarts, and he's going to try to convince them to give her a chance. It'll have to be pretty low-key, though. We don't want to rub Malfoy's face in the fact that some of us aren't doing everything he says."
Hermione grinned back at him, and Harry had the strangest feeling that he had done this before. It was almost as if he had spent hours upon hours talking to Hermione, as if it were the most natural and familiar thing in the world. But, he couldn't remember when he would have done that. <Surely not since I met her last year, that's for sure, he thought to himself. "Must be one of those memory things. Hmm, now there's an idea!> "Hermione, do you mind if I ask you something? It may sound silly, but I understand you know a lot about magic, considering you're a m-"
"Watch what you are saying, Potter!" Hermione's tone was immediately angry. "That's not very polite, you know, calling me a Mudblood!"
"NOW JUST A MINUTE!" Harry was livid at her accusations. "Please let me finish my sentence before you jump down my throat! All I was going to say was 'considering you're a muggle-raised witch.' I would never call you a …Mudblood! I'm not Draco, you know! I have always admired the fact that you know so much about magic even though you weren't exposed to it, just almost like me. I don't remember anything about my parents, even though I hear they were both magical. So, I'm just about as much Muggle-raised as you were!"
Hermione's voice was even more subdued. "There I go again, jumping into the battle before I even know what's going on. Guess that's why I'm in Gryffindor and not Ravenclaw! We've been talking just a few minutes, and I've already had to apologize to you twice. Can we just start over again, this time without the accusations on my part?"
Harry saw from her face that she was truly sorry, and extended his hand. "Truce, then?"
"Actually, in this case, I think the correct word is détente!" she smiled, shaking his hand firmly. "You know, 'A relaxing or easing, as of tension between rivals'. The word truce means 'A temporary cessation or suspension of hostilities by agreement of the opposing sides' and I really hope that this isn't just temporary."
"So, Hermione," he asked, chuckling. "Are the rumors about you true? Did you really swallow a dictionary when you were younger, or do you just sleep with one strapped to your head so it can sink in?"
"Honestly, Harry, how many times do you think I've heard that one?" she giggled back at him. "You're going to have to do better than that! Where's that well-known Slytherin ability to insult people?"
And, before they returned to their respective rooms that night, Harry and Hermione were well on the way to becoming, well, not the closest of friends yet, but at least they were capable of being pleasant to each other.
When he went up to his room, he saw that Draco was still in a very bad mood after his detention. Blaise had drawn the curtains around his bed to avoid hearing Malfoy whinge repeatedly to Crabbe and Goyle about the foul, disgusting work he had to do. "That's house elf work, that is! Look, my hands are still bleeding from all that scrubbing. I'm going to write my father straightaway and tell him how his friend Snape has been treating me, all because of him!" he said, pointing directly at Harry. He had attempted to sneak in quietly to his bed when he heard what was happening. "Professor Snape's little favorite, he is! And, that Mudblood-loving Dumbledore's, too! Potter, for such an idiot, you sure know how to kiss up to the right people. No wonder you're in Slytherin!"
"But I shouldn't be…"the thought came out of the blue. And, confused, Harry managed to close the curtains and perform a silencing charm so he wouldn't have to hear Malfoy the rest of the night. Harry didn't realize that he never got around to asking Hermione if she knew anything about the memory flashes until he was nearly asleep. "Well, I'll have to ask her some other time. If she doesn't know, I'm sure she'll be able to find it in the library…"and with that, he drifted off, with an unusual smile on his face.
(A/N -By the way, Hermione's definitions of truce and détente were both from Answers.com.)