Chapter 31 - Repercussions
(A/N - Again, this chapter will be more alternate scenes than rewrites of canon sections. I originally intended to start it near the end of the match, but the more I thought about it, the more I liked this starting point, which would fit right at the beginning of Chapter Nine - The Dark Mark…yes, the chapter that generated the following quote from JKR that I found on HP-Lexicon.org: "The worst ever [rewriting] was thirteen different versions of one chapter (chapter nine in Goblet of Fire). I hated that chapter so much; at one point, I thought of missing it out altogether and just putting in a page saying 'Chapter Nine was too difficult' and going straight to Chapter Ten." (CR) (emphasis added). Yeah…now that I have been writing for a while, I am starting to relate. Some chapters are just stinkers to write! Hope this one isn't a stinker to read!
By the way, I do have to respond to one of my reviews for the last chapter which honestly had me worried for a while. The review said that since Harry wasn't affected by the veelas, "...(t)his means that Barty Crouch Junior has no chance to steal Harry's wand, ergo no dark mark and Winky probably won't be dismissed by Barty Crouch Senior. Does this mean no SPEW either? Anyway quite a major time-line change…" I almost panicked for a minute, but I grabbed my copy of GOF to verify a certain scene, and I can assure you that there is no indication in canon that Harry lost his wand because he was distracted by the veelas. Read carefully what Barty Jr. said when he was captured about how he got the wand! But, thanks, jatkinson, for making me check a few facts again!)
As they walked slowly back to the campsite, trying to avoid being crushed by the merry-makers streaming back from the stadium, both Harry and Hermione were experiencing a wide range of emotions. They were excited and surprised at how quickly the match had ended, all things considered; impressed by the courage and skill that was shown by players on both teams, but especially Viktor Krum; and happy to have been able to witness such an important event. But, on a more personal note, as the two began to consider just how much time the quick end to the match was going to free up for their "evening plans," they began to get excited for a different reason. The "secret couple" were finding it very hard to keep from holding hands as they walked in such a public venue, especially as they were repeatedly jostled and pressed into each other by the crowd. Harry found himself instinctively shielding Hermione's body from the throng, keeping the tightly-packed crowd at bay as best as he could. With his seeker reflexes, he was able to successfully intercept a "grope" of his girlfriend by a very embarrassed-looking older wizard who had tripped over a rock in the trail and had apparently reached out to steady himself. After Harry helped the man to his feet and dusted him off, Hermione smiled gratefully at her rescuer. "Thanks, Harry…I'd rather not get introduced to a stranger in quite that way! Uh, oh! It looks like his wife didn't think it was an accident!" she chuckled as they saw and heard the man being berated by his spouse as they drifted away from the pair. <Besides, there's only one wizard I want that close to me…>
"Oi, Harry! Hermione, there you are!" Harmony's yell interrupted her before she could finish her thought. "I've been looking all over for you. Arthur said you were back here somewhere. Let's get out of this pack for a minute," and she pulled the two of them off to the side of the path from the stadium. When they got far enough away from the din of the masses that they could, Miss Puckle smiled at them and said, "How did you like the match, you two? Quite exciting, eh? So, Hermione, what did you think of Viktor Krum?"
"Well, I don't know, really. I did think he was very brave doing that last maneuver, though…what did you call it, Harry?"
"Oh, the Wronski Feint, you mean?" he said as he smiled back at her. "Yeah, that was brilliant! I can't wait to get up on my Firebolt and try it!"
She frowned slightly back at him as she thought of what had happened to him the previous year. "Just be careful, Harry! I don't want to have to visit you in the Hospital Wing again like last year! Promise me you'll only practice it when I'm flying with you so I can keep an eye on you, okay?"
"But Hermione, I didn't think you…well, enjoyed flying all that much!" As soon as he said this, he saw from the fire in her eyes that he had made a mistake. "Erm…well, I do remember your first flying lesson, and…"
"Potter, you'd better quit while you're behind!" Harmony said with a chuckle. "Hermione performs quite well when she rides a broom. She just doesn't spend as much time on one as you do, you know. She did pass her individual flying test during first year, or didn't you know that part of the story? That broom she tried to ride that first day was found to have been inadvertently damaged during a previous class, wasn't it? Madame Hooch had it destroyed because she felt it was no longer safe for beginning students to use."
"Yes, the next broom I tried worked much better. I can fly just fine, Harry!" she said with a slightly put-out expression. Then she realized something wasn't right. "But, how did you know about that, Harmony?" Hermione asked quickly. "Madam Hooch told me that in private during our Gryffindors-only lesson the next day. She was trying to encourage me so I wouldn't give up, and I didn't!
<Uh, oh…think fast, Granger> Harmony recovered quickly. "Remember, dear, I am responsible for keeping an eye on all the first-year Muggle-born students, and Madam Hooch would have included that as part of her regular report to me your first year." <Phew…I'm going to HAVE to be more careful! Albus isn't going to be happy if I let the cat out of the bag now!>
Hermione nodded, apparently accepting the logical explanation from her teacher and friend. "Now, what was it you wanted to talk to us about, Harmony? It sounded important." she said with a hint of concern.
"Yes, it is, but don't worry, it's not dangerous. Harry, why don't you wait over by that tree for a minute? I need to talk to Hermione first, and then you." Harry followed Miss Puckle's instructions and tried to look inconspicuous as thousands of Quidditch fans continued to stream past. One wizard with a strong accent yelled over at him in passing, " 'Ang on, mate, tha's no place to go for a jimmy, right in front of us and all! Don' you know nuffink? Tha's disgusting, that is!"
Meanwhile, Harmony had found a semi-secluded spot and cast a quick silencing charm around them. "Since we're in the open, this charm won't last too long, but it should serve its purpose. Hermione, I have a message for you from the Headmaster. He sent it to me when he asked me to meet him in London next week. Apparently, Miss Granger, you didn't quite follow the rules you agreed to when you borrowed his time-turner last year. Remember, you were supposed to limit your usage to only allow you to attend and study for your two additional classes last year - up to a limit of about 20 hours a week, am I correct?" Hermione nodded slowly in agreement, immediately looking guilty as she did so. "According to what Albus learned after examining that device more closely this summer, you used it MUCH more than that, now didn't you! Why, Hermione? Did you really need to spend that much time doing every POSSIBLE Muggle Studies extra-credit assignment? Was getting a three-hundred and twenty percent score really necessary?"
Hermione grimaced, not saying a word but beginning to look very nervous as she remembered the sanctions that she had agreed to when she took possession of the time-turner.
At her worried look, Harmony moved to reassure her. "Oh, don't worry, my dear. Albus would never report you to the Ministry under the circumstances. But, he and I are very concerned about one thing - the after-effects on your body. He would like you to report to Madam Pomfrey as soon as possible after you arrive at Hogwarts to undergo a complete physical and magical powers evaluation. After the welcoming feast and announcements are over, you need to report to the hospital wing. Be prepared to spend the night there. Your housemates will be given a reasonable explanation for your absence."
Harry, who was getting quite tired of the whole "leaning against a tree" act he had been trying to pull off, was more interested in keeping an eye on his girlfriend. Even though he couldn't hear what Miss Puckle was telling her, he could see as Hermione's expression fell the more they talked that she was not happy with what she was hearing. Finally, he could stand it no longer, and walked towards the two just as Miss Puckle cancelled the silencing charm.
"Oh, good timing, Mr. Potter!" she said, smiling at him. "Now, before you say anything, don't worry - I've just given Hermione a bit of a dressing-down for something she did that she knew she shouldn't. Please, Harry, don't pester us about it, either. I'm sure she'll fill you in on the details AFTER (and she looked directly at Hermione as she emphasized this) she takes care of something her first evening back. Now, however, it's her turn to go get acquainted with that tree whilst you and I discuss a few things."
Hermione, still looking quite downcast, walked slowly towards the tree while Harmony re-established the private zone around Harry and herself. "First things first. What's wrong with Hermione, Miss Puckle?" Harry said forcefully. "I am finding I don't like being kept in the dark about things, especially if they concern her! And you better not give me any excuses about it being none of my business, or that I'm too young to worry about things, or that kind of rot!" When he finished speaking, she noticed that his fists were clenched tightly and he seemed quite agitated.
When she saw Harry's strong reaction, Harmony indulged herself in a small memory flashback of her own. It involved an older version of Harry, at a place that the Harry standing in front of him didn't know about … yet. <BUT WHY SHOULD I KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON? WHY SHOULD ANYONE BOTHER TO TELL ME WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING?>.
She started to answer him much like she did on that occasion. "Harry, I do want to tell you… I really do…but there won't be much to tell for a while. As soon as I can, I promise Hermione and I will fill you in...on everything." And then she did something that she had scrupulously tried to avoid doing for nearly four years now. Miss Puckle gently put her hands on each side of Harry's face, turned his head so she had his full attention, and looked deeply in his beautiful green eyes. "Harry, all I ask is that you trust me…trust US…and things will work out for the best." At the same time, (again for the first time in years) she re-established her bonding link with him in her mind just long enough to calm him, but hopefully not long enough for him to get suspicious or to cause her to want to do something to him that would most assuredly get her sacked.
At this, he relaxed immediately. "Sss…sure, Miss Puckle. Of course I trust you…I don't really know why, but I do…almost as much as I trust Hermione."
At this, Harmony's heart seemed to flutter in her chest. <Better not do that again…wouldn't look good if my knees gave out on me right now! It's been so long since I've felt…>
Harry snapped her out of her pleasant thoughts. "So, what is it you wanted to talk to me about? Before you start, though, I want you to know that if it involves Hermione's health and well-being in any way, I will tell her about it immediately unless you can explain to me why I shouldn't!"
By this time she had taken a deep breath to steady herself, and "Slow down, Harry…I am just passing on a few messages from the Headmaster, some of which do involve Hermione, actually. First, he wanted to again send his congratulations about your new relationship, but he wants to admonish you to exercise self-control when you are around her. In fact, he would like you to meet with him after the welcoming feast to discuss a few related personal matters. He agrees that you should keep things quiet about the two of you, especially at school. He also asked me to inform you that your new housing arrangements in Gryffindor tower have been completed, and you will be in the same room as Mr. Weasley, Seamus Finnegan, Dean Thomas, and Neville Longbottom."
Harry nodded in recognition, having been in classes with all of them over the years. However, when he heard Neville's name, he gasped audibly. He had a strange feeling of panic and fear come over him. He thought he saw Neville with an obviously broken and bloody nose, holding what looked like Hermione's wand, shouting "STUBEFY!"…but then it was gone.
Harmony, still feeling the residual effects of her earlier link with Harry, detected his panic immediately and deduced what must have just happened. "Is there something wrong, Harry? Do you foresee a problem sharing a room with Mr. Longbottom, or any of the other boys, for that matter?"
"No, of course not…they all seem to be fine blokes, from what I know, and Ron and I get along already. I'm pretty sure that Seamus doesn't care too much for me, but I hope that was based on my association with Slytherin. But, compared to the people I've had to put up with the past few years, it'll be a piece of cake!"
"I do hope you're right!" she said with worry in her voice. "Obviously, this switching of houses mid-stream has never been done before, so I want to warn you to be careful. It may take a while for your fellow fourth-year students, in all the houses, for that matter, to get used to the new situation. Be prepared to face more than your normal allotment of gossip this year, Harry!"
"Yeah, I'm sure that the Slytherins are going to be even more insufferable this year when the word's out…but why would the other houses care?" he said with a puzzled look on his face.
"Well, I want to be wrong about my concerns, but all I'll say is watch your back, Harry… wherever you go."
"I already do - that's the only way I survived my former house, you know!" he said with a rueful expression on his face, remembering both the hexes he had dodged or blocked (and, painfully, the ones he didn't) over the years. "Is that all?"
"Yes, Harry, that's all. Remember, when everyone's dismissed after the announcements, please go see Dumbledore at the head table. He'll take it from there. Now, it's time for you to get back to the campground. I'm sure the Weasley's are wondering where you two got off too, so I'd better escort you back to the tents to help quell their suspicions. And, Harry, a word to the wise…please don't go wandering off alone with Hermione. I have a strange feeling that it would be best if you put off your plans for a rendezvous. Stay near the camp, okay?"
Harry was quite disappointed since he had been anticipating the evening's activities ever since he heard about Hermione's plans, but he nodded his head. "Do me a favor, if you haven't already…could you tell her the same thing? I sure wouldn't want her to think I wasn't interested in her anymore or something…"
"Sure, Harry, I'd be glad to let her know. But, between you and me, let's just say I don't think you have to worry about her losing interest in you any time soon!" she said with a sly wink which caused him to blush slightly.
"Thanks, Miss Puckle! Ah!, here she is now!" he smiled as he saw Hermione walk directly towards him with a determined look on her face as she saw him blushing.
She whirled on her teacher. "All right, you two, you've been talking in secret long enough…what's going on?"
"Nothing, Hermione. I was just passing on a few messages to Harry from the Headmaster related to this next year. Why don't we start heading back to camp? Looks like the crowd has thinned out considerably while we've been talking. Harry, you go on ahead for a second, we'll catch up after I have a quick word with Hermione."
When they finally reached the tents, they found that nobody felt like sleeping at all, and given the level of noise around them, Mr. Weasley agreed that they could all have one last cup of cocoa together before turning in. Miss Puckle begged off, saying she needed to get back to her own tent, and waved good-bye to Harry and Hermione. "Remember, stay close to your tents tonight and don't wander off! You'll have other opportunities to be alone!"
*********
The following Sunday morning, Miss Puckle sat at a table in the Leaky Cauldron watching the rain pour down in sheets while waiting to meet with her friend and employer. She had already finished all of her packing in preparation for her return to the castle the next morning on the Hogwarts Express, so she had arrived early. Tom the Bartender greeted her warmly, and told everyone in earshot how generous she was. "Aye, she's the one I've told you all about…paid me a whole galleon just to carry her bags, right Miss Puckle? How come the rest of you lot never give me a tip like that, eh? Especially in weather like this!"
"Hello, Harmony", Albus's kind voice interrupted the bartender's story and the unhappy stares of the patrons in the pub. "I apologize if I've kept you waiting too long. I was unavoidably detained at the Ministry. But, since the subject of that meeting is directly relevant to this one, I hope you'll forgive me."
"Actually, I've only been here for a few minutes myself," she said while she stood and warmly shook his hand. Quietly, she added in an aside to Albus, "I would have preferred to not be the subject of so much attention from everyone else since I've been here, thanks to Tom. I don't see how Harry can stand it - he draws this kind of attention wherever he goes."
As they moved towards a reserved private meeting room in the back of the pub, Albus said, sadly, "I'm sure he'd prefer not to be a 'marked man' so to speak. Especially considering the circumstances of how he received that mark. Which, indirectly, leads me to the news I received today at the ministry. I think you may already know something about this, Harmony, but a little over a week ago, the body of a Muggle named Frank Bryce was found at an old mansion in Little Hangleton. He had died, according to the Muggle doctors, of "mysterious causes", which they have ended up explaining away as being caused by his age and disabilities. However, my sources in the ministry indicate that he was struck by a killing curse. We have Aurors monitoring that particular house regularly, and… Ah…I see that you do remember something about this incident!"
"Yes, unfortunately. I do remember his name. I also know just where he was found, and a little of his history. But, worst of all, I know what this incident leads to."
"Actually, Miss Puckle, I'm not sure that you do. And that, my dear, is what I needed to talk to you about. Let me be direct with you. Harmony, why are you changing the timeline so much?"
Harmony was completely caught off guard at the strong accusation. "B...but sir…what do you mean? You know that I have been very careful not to do anything that would endanger our goals here! Remember, both Harry's and my future happiness, not to mention my very existence, probably, is based on me not making things worse!"
"Then, I must insist that you stop meddling in Mr. Potter's personal relationship with your younger self. While I think I understand your motivation for pushing things in that direction, especially considering that they have been in different houses up until now, I fear that you have encouraged them too much."
Harmony was still somewhat defiant as she responded. "But sir, you must admit, I have a rather unique and personal view when it comes to 'my' feelings this coming year, not to mention the feelings of others that will be involved with Harry this year. I also know what is coming soon, so I wanted to make sure that both Harry and Hermione survive this year alive and reasonably well. You can't imagine what is coming up as a result of the Triwizard Tournament this year. I am very concerned that his transition into Gryffindor will not be as smooth as we all would hope, and he is going to need some personal support from Hermione as a result!"
Albus answered somewhat sympathetically. "Be that as it may, Harmony, while you have had the best of intentions with your actions, I fear that you have put Harry, you, and your younger version in great danger by what you have done this past year. Since you already know that Tom Riddle has returned to this country with the assistance of Peter Pettigrew, I will dispense with that part of the story. However, you may not be aware of what we discovered when we investigated the mansion where Mr. Bryce's body was found. A disguised Auror team uncovered some written evidence in the room where the murder occurred that Tom has somehow received detailed information from your time concerning the changes that should have occurred by now in this version of events. Since he is not seeing them happening, he has begun to investigate what has caused the difference. Knowing Tom's analytical skills as well as I do, I am sure that it won't take him long to realize that a Muggle-born witch named Hermione Granger should have died in a tragic accident during her first year, and Harry should still be happily ensconced in Slytherin House, under the direct tutelage and watchful eyes of both Lucius and Draco Malfoy. It won't take a wizard as intelligent as Tom long to realize that the other major anomaly in the timeline, namely a young assistant professor of Charms that should not be at Hogwarts, may somehow be involved. Remember, Peter saw you regularly at Hogwarts while in disguise as Wormtail, and it is only a matter of time before he mentions you to his master and the pieces will begin to fit together in his mind. For all we know, he's already figured some of it out. Also, now that your efforts have resulted in a significant acceleration of Harry's mental connection to Miss Granger before it was supposed to happen, Tom will soon realize how this closeness may be used as a way to influence Harry. Even though I know he is beginning to remember many things from before, he is still in many ways a maturing, struggling, 14-year old wizard who may not always choose the right path, especially if Hermione's welfare is at stake."
Harmony sat back, stunned, as she began to digest this information. Finally, she said, with tears rapidly forming in her eyes, "Oh, Albus! What have I done? Why did I interfere?" and she lay her head down on the table and sobbed..
After a moment, Albus patted her gently on the shoulder. "Hermione, I'm sorry that you had to hear this, but you need to be made aware of the repercussions of your actions. I promise, though, that I will do all I can to help set things back on track again. But, to do this, I will have to violate one of my own rules and ask you to share with me ALL of your memories from this year in your timeline. Under the circumstances, I MUST know as many details as you can give me so we can plan a strategy to recover. Anything you leave out may put our plans at risk, so I must ask you to agree to a very unpleasant procedure. I have obtained some Veritaserum from Professor Snape's stores, and as you can see I have brought my Pensieve. Do you understand what I have in mind?"
"You…you mean to interrogate me…just like you did to Bellatrix during her trial."
"Yes…unfortunately, you are correct. I assume my older self must have told you about that before you came here, eh? There will be one important difference, though. Bella was quite the unwilling participant, and I assume you will be a lot more cooperative under the circumstances. This should make the procedure less physically painful, I admit, although the mental impact is bad enough. If it would make you feel more comfortable, Minerva can join us to make sure my questioning is above-board and proper."
"Not that I am worried about that, sir, but I think it would be a good idea to have Minerva there anyway. Her analytical skills may be useful to you as you work on a solution to the problems I have caused…Oh, how could I have been so stupid!" Hermione said sadly, her eyes glistening with tears. "In my zeal to help Harry and my younger self get together without going through all the problems we went through in my time, I have put all of us at risk. I promise, sir, I will do all I can to help restore things the way they should be. When and where do you want to perform the procedure?"
"The sooner, the better, I suppose, and if we can trouble Tom for the use of this room the rest of the day, here is as good as any place. I'll contact Minerva via the Floo network and as soon as she can get here, we'll begin."
(A/N - The canon break in this chapter, marked with the *********, actually covers nearly forty pages of text in the US edition, from the bottom of page 117 to near the end of Chapter 10. In this story, then, the Dark Mark incident, including meeting with Malfoy, etc. happened just as in canon, along with all the other scenes when they return to the Burrow in the morning.
By the way, if you are wondering where the expression "go for a jimmy" came from, I found the following reference on BBC America's British-American Dictionary : jimmy, noun, Jimmy Riddle=piddle, pee, urination. Cockney Rhyming Slang. ('Ang on, I need to go for a jimmy.)