Chapter 35 - A Promise Renewed
"…so, my friend, that's the whole, hard-to-comprehend story." Professor McGonagall said to Madam Pomfrey. She had invited the healer to meet at the Three Broomsticks right after she had finished dealing with Moody's unorthodox method of discipline before dinner earlier that afternoon. They were seated in a back room, well-protected by extensive privacy charms - along with Madam Rosmerta guarding the entrance to the hallway. By this time, Minerva, with the help of a Pensieve, had been able to quickly retell Harmony's story and the events to this point. The head nurse watched and listened quietly, but saying nothing as she took in all the facts. Minerva smiled wryly at the nurse as she continued. "So, how does it feel, Poppy, to be part of an alternate reality - a 'time loop' as Albus refers to it? I for one don't feel any different, do you?"
Madam Pomfrey sat back in her chair, lost in thought as she swirled her glass of gillywater slowly in her hand. Finally, she said, sadly. "And, if only I hadn't told Mr. Potter the results of my examination, he would continue to remain confused, but clueless. Oh, Minerva, I apologize for that. I know now I should have checked with you or Albus first, but the results were just so…incomprehensible, I was hoping that Harry might have had a reasonable explanation for what I was seeing."
"Now, Poppy, don't go blaming yourself for any of this. Albus has been concerned for years that eventually you would have a reason to examine him, discover his secret, and given time, figure it out. We probably should have told you earlier, but now we need your help to solve a new problem. You see, Miss Granger, in her Harmony persona, is quite vocal in her opposition to a specific course of action related to Harry and Hermione. The ironic thing is that she jokingly brought up this very solution herself, and Albus and I began to seriously consider using a very selective memory charm on both Harry and Hermione. However, Harmony will not allow that to happen."
Pomfrey immediately nodded her agreement. "And, from what you've told me now about the boy's history, she's right to be concerned. Harry has already withstood what amounts to a complete mind-wipe of five years of memories immediately after being attacked by not one, but two full-force Cruciatus Curses in the space of less than a day. He's either very lucky or very powerful to survive that and still be able to speak coherently, not to mention fly a broom the way he does. I would recommend against any further use of the Obliviate spell on Harry Potter until he can be tested thoroughly in a few years. Besides, there is another complication you're probably not aware of," the healer said, looking slightly uncomfortable. "I alluded to this when I was talking to the two of them about my findings, but…"
Minerva's eyebrow rose slightly. "Don't tell me…they've already established the beginnings of a soul-bond, haven't they?"
"Yes, the process is well under way, so any kind of a spell cast on one of them will affect the other. Also, remember that spell resonances of any kind in a newly forming bond, especially one as complex as this one, can have unexpected, possibly dangerous side effects."
"But, why wasn't either Hermione or Harmony affected when Harry was attacked, then? Surely they would have felt a combined Full-Body-Bind attack?"
"I think it was all a matter of timing in Hermione's case," the nurse said after thinking for a minute about what happened the previous night. "When I was working on her, part of the examination spell includes some powerful shielding charms, because the patient's life force is exposed and can be vulnerable to attack during that time. By the way, that is when I knew that she was beginning to form a bond - the indicators were very obvious. Now that I think about it, I saw when Harry was attacked. I even mentioned it to Hermione - I saw a bright flare appear momentarily in her bonding indicators, and I said it didn't look quite normal or some such. She wanted to know if something was wrong with her at the time. And, besides, she was affected - it just happened later. When she came to tell me that Harry was awake, I found out that she blacked out for a while in the hospital wing. When I asked her what happened, she confessed that she had kissed him on his scar, and was able to see his memories of the attack before she fainted. It appears to me that she drew off a good portion of the spell energy from Harry into herself through the bond by doing that, which is why he came out of it so quickly. I'm surprised she didn't wake up with a terrible headache, but she didn't mention it to me. As to Harmony, I'll have to investigate that further."
"That all sounds like a logical explanation for the younger Miss Granger, and seems to confirm that they are bonding. However, it does complicate matters. How are we going to keep the two of them from asking too many questions this year? Dumbledore is convinced that the safest course is to try as much as possible to re-establish the events of the original time line. This, unfortunately, includes getting Harry and Hermione back to a 'good friend' status, if possible. He's concerned that 'You-Know-Who' would be very interested to find out that Harry is forming a soul-bond, based on Harmony's description of what happens this year to Harry. That also means we have to not interfere with the other, horrible things I told you about, too. Poor Cedric…I can hardly bear to look at him since I heard his fate."
"Minerva," Poppy said, sadly, "remember, from the perspective of our Miss Puckle, he's been dead for many years now. Don't you think it's probably as hard on her to see him alive again? Think how difficult this whole experience must be on Harmony mentally and emotionally - knowing what will happen and who will be hurt or killed…watching her younger self with Harry - that has to be especially tough on her, even with her knowledge of the situation. Has someone been looking out after her well-being during all this?"
"Yes, Poppy, both Albus and I have been extremely concerned. So, at his suggestion, I have been meeting with her informally to just talk things over for many years now, and I haven't noticed any major emotional problems, although I admit I'm not an expert. But, you…you've had training in this area, haven't you? Maybe it would be a good idea for you to have a chat with our time-traveler."
"That is just what I was thinking. I'll meet with her as soon as I can - maybe in this very room. It might allow our Harmony to loosen up a little if she were away from the castle when we talk. I'd also like to examine her aura if she'll agree. I have some concerns of a different kind about her that I'd like to investigate."
"Yes, I'm sure that she'd agree to that. But, we still don't have a solution to our problem now that you agree we shouldn't memory charm Mr. Potter, at least. Do you have any ideas?"
"Well, there is one way…we could give them a forgetfulness potion. It's less damaging, obviously, and I could adjust the dosage so they will not remember much of the time in question in detail. I can also add something to temporarily deaden their forming soul- bond, which may just keep a certain Dark Lord from noticing it and taking action against Miss Granger…or Harmony, for that matter. However, the potion will wear off eventually, in less than a year most certainly, and they will remember everything again- and I doubt they'll be too happy with us when they do."
"Hmmm…well, let's discuss it with Harmony and Albus. It's not a perfect solution, but it may be the best option we have. You know, as long as they are all still alive at the end of this year to be mad at us, I'll live with that. Let's Floo back to the castle. It's not too late to get this done tonight if we hurry!"
. . . . .
"Harmony, you have the final say on this decision. Not to put any pressure on you, but for the potion to be completely effective in only affecting the memories in question, it would be best if it were given to them tonight." Albus said quietly.
"Yes sir, I understand. Now that you have passed on Madam Pomfrey's assurance that neither one's memory nor the soul-bond will be permanently damaged, I know that this is the only way to address your concerns about Voldemort. By the way, before I came here I talked to Hermione and she confirmed that only Ron and Ginny have been told about their relationship now, so you'll only need four doses. We'll have to get permission from Arthur and Molly, I suppose."
"I'll see to that personally via the Floo Network. I've already thought of a reasonable explanation, which I won't go into now. Now, Minerva, I suppose it is time to gather the four of them. Now make sure you don't mix the potions up when Poppy brings them to you - we wouldn't want the wrong couple to get the soul-bond suppressant."
. . . . .
"Welcome, all of you, to my office. Sorry that I called you in so late, but it was the only time I could fit you in. So, how are the four of you enjoying the year so far? Yes, I know it's a bit early to evaluate the year after only one day of classes, Miss Granger. In case you're curious, Mr. Malfoy will suffer no lasting damage. Oh, honestly, Mr. Weasley, that remark was uncalled for! Regardless of your feelings for him personally, he is a fellow student at Hogwarts. Mr. Potter, are you settling in to your new accommodations? Mr. Weasley is taking care of you, then? That's great news. I admit I've been concerned about your safety for quite some time now. I just had a thought… I'd like to propose a toast to your new status. Here's some freshly chilled pumpkin juice. Hermione, why don't you take that one…that's right, everyone raise their glass… To Harry, our new seeker - may he bring the Quidditch cup to Gryffindor! That's right, drink it down… good…What's that you say, you're not feeling too well? All four of you? That's strange…maybe you should head back to your dormitories right away. Oh, that's quite alright, Miss Weasley - you can come back some other time. See you in the morning!"
. . . . .
After barely making it back to their respective beds, all four Gryffindors experienced a very restless, but dreamless, sleep that night. They woke up the next morning not even remembering that they had been in Minerva's office the previous night. Truth be told, they could barely remember that they had already been through their first day of classes except for an incident involving a ferret and Professor Moody which still brought a smile to their faces.
The next two days passed without great incident, unless you counted Neville melting his sixth cauldron in Potions. Professor Snape, who seemed to have attained new levels of vindictiveness, not only against Harry but against all Gryffindor students over the summer, gave Neville a horrible detention. Neville returned from it in a state of both nervous and physical collapse, having been made to disembowel a barrel full of horned toads and scrub the floor of the potions dungeon with a toothbrush.
"Any ideas why Snape's in such a bad mood?" said Ron to Harry as they watched Hermione teaching Neville a Scouring Charm to remove the frog guts from under his fingernails. "I know that he's not too happy about you transferring out of his house, but is there anything else that you can think of that might set him off?"
"Yeah, said Harry. "Moody."
*****
"Ah…there you are, Miss Puckle! Thanks for canceling your evening class on such short notice to meet with me down here. Rosmerta, could you bring me my usual gillywater, and…what would you like, my dear?" Poppy said, cheerfully.
"Oh, just a butterbeer, if you please. I've never developed much of a taste for anything stronger." Harmony admitted to Rosmerta as she magically filled their orders.
"Remember," the proprietor said, smiling as she moved towards the door, "if you want a refill, just tap your wand twice on your empty glass. If you want to change your order, or you need something to eat, just tap on this menu next to what you want. Albus is picking up the tab, so don't worry about that. And, now, I'll leave you to it!" and with that, she closed the door.
"Harmony, if you please, could you arrange for a little more privacy for our conversation?" the nurse said, putting her finger to her lips.
"Surely, Madam Pomfrey," and she performed the charms to make the room secure from eavesdroppers, either intentional or inadvertent.
"Poppy, if you please, Harmony. No need to stand on formality, is there? I'm sure you're wondering why I asked you here this evening. First, as you know, Minerva has told me your story, and I just want to tell you how wonderful I think you are for taking on this difficult task. But, since I've never been one to pull any punches, I'll be frank with you. I am very concerned about you, my dear. Extended time-travel takes its toll, no matter how powerful of a witch you are, and I would like to examine you to make sure that you haven't already suffered permanent damage. I'd like to run a diagnostic exam on you, just like the one I did for your younger self recently, and then I'd like to talk to you about some other concerns I have."
"You do get right to the point, don't you, Poppy. I was just realizing the other day that I hadn't had any kind of medical evaluation for…well, YEARS now, and I thought I should probably ask you about it. So, that would be fine. What would you like me to do?" she said as Pomfrey transfigured the room to look just like her exam room at Hogwarts, complete with privacy curtains.
"Just change into this examination gown over there, and we can get started right away," the healer said. "Oh, and by the way, you'll need to release your appearance charms. They'll interfere with my tests, and I'm sure you could use the rest, besides. They must be very draining to maintain all the time. I'll need to compensate for the aging potion effects, though…how long did you say you shifted? You're still taking the maintenance dose every night, of course?"
"Yes, every night. And it's a ten year shift, Poppy", Hermione winced at the memory of her nightly ritual as she started to change out of her faculty robes into the hospital-style gown. "You know, I doubt I'll ever get used to that particular taste. It's very unpleasant."
"What are you talking about, my dear? Surely…no, don't tell me that Albus is having you use the maintenance potion with the knotgrass and nettles in it? You're right…that IS nasty. Before you go, I'll tell you how to brew a newer formula that is just as effective but completely tasteless. Albus tends to stick with tried and true methods, you know. How are you coming in there?"
"Oh, I'm fine, although this gown is…well, a bit skimpy, isn't it?" she said shyly from behind the curtains as she noticed the thin material and the open back held closed with a single tie.
"Ah…you're just like your younger self was the other day. She seemed to be a bit shy at first around me, and she was even wearing her own night clothes, which, I dare say, cover much more than what you have on now. Funny, though, when she thought Harry was in danger, she was ready to go find him right then, no matter who might have seen her." The old healer chuckled at the memory. "Fortunately, you brought Mr. Potter in right then, or else I'm sure Hogwarts' rumor mill would have had quite a lot to talk about! Now, come on out. There's no need to be modest around me."
When Poppy saw her emerge from behind the screen, she gasped in amazement. "Hello, Hermione! It's a pleasure to finally see you…although you are obviously a grown woman, you're definitely Hermione Granger. I'll have to hand it to you - those appearance charms you have been using are quite effective. If I didn't know your story, I would never suspect the masquerade. But, from looking at how you'll turn out, I'd say that Mr. Potter will be quite the lucky wizard to have you on his arm when the time comes!"
Immediately, tears formed in Hermione's eyes as she heard this. "Oh, Poppy…why did you have to say that?" and she broke down, sobbing into her hands.
"Whatever did I say, Hermione?" Pomfrey said as she rushed to comfort her in a hug. "I meant that to cheer you up, you know…what's wrong?"
Hermione sniffled loudly as she tried to regain her composure for a moment. "I know it's s…silly for me to be…jealous, but it's…just… so… hard…. sometimes… to see them…together…and me, with no one whom I…" and she let out another piteous cry.
As she continued to pat Hermione's back, Poppy smiled knowingly. "Oh…I see. Well, I was afraid of that as soon as I heard your tale from Minerva. That's one of the things I wanted to talk to you about, actually. I wasn't sure how I was going to bring up the subject, and you've made it easy for me! Now, tell me all about it. That's right, blow your nose and wipe your eyes, and let's see if we can figure things out. Let me guess…you're wondering just which one of you is going to end up with Harry in the end, aren't you?"
Hermione nodded weakly as she continued to sob. "Uh, huh…sometimes, it's all I can do to keep me from going over and slapping her, telling her that he's MY bond-mate…For the first time in a long time, I made the stupid mistake recently of reaching out to his mind through the bond to calm him down. Now all I want to do is tell her to go away and leave us alone because I saw him first! Dumbledore has tried to explain it all to me and he even had Remus try, but the more I think about it, the more confused I get…" and once again, tears ran down her cheeks, this time silently.
"There, there, my dear…never fear. I think I know just the thing to help you. But first, I'd like to get this examination over with before you get chilled standing there wearing so little. Is that okay with you? It shouldn't take long."
Hermione nodded, still choking back a few sobs, but held still while the nurse conducted the magical examination. "Hmmmm…yes, well, that's not surprising…but that definitely isn't normal…" Poppy muttered under her breath as she observed Hermione's aura in detail, until she discovered a unique pattern. "So…you have been injured, haven't you?" Poppy walked around behind her patient and undid the tie on Hermione's gown so she could get a better look. "Ah….there it is. Hermione, how'd you come by this scar? I saw this same pattern recently, but I didn't have time to investigate further. It looks like you got it quite some time ago, but that may be related to the effects of the aging potion."
Hermione craned her head over her shoulder trying, but failing, to see what Poppy was referring to. "What does it look like?"
"Oh, here. Take a look in this mirror. Do you see it? Right here, in the middle of your lower back?"
"Oh…now I can see it…there it is…rather rough-looking, isn't it? I remember now…when I was little, maybe four or five at the most, I was down at the play park near my home one summer and I fell backwards out of a swing when I was going pretty high and fast. My foot got caught in the chains and I was dragged back and forth across the gravel a few times. Some of the rocks must have been sharp, because I remember I was bleeding something awful when my dad picked me up and took me home. I think he was more scared than I was. Fortunately, it wasn't serious - even though that scar does look pretty horrid once you look at it closely. Should I be worried?"
"Of course not, Hermione. I'm sure we all have 'war wounds' like that from when we were little. Mine happens to be a burn scar in a most embarrassing location…I lost my balance and fell backwards onto a lit woodstove when I was about two - sat right on the grill - left some very interesting X-shaped burn scars. My family teased me for many years about my "Hot Cross Buns… Quite the painful memory, even now," she said with a grin. Then, Pomfrey's tone had turned serious. "Enough of that. I'm finished with the examination - go get dressed, and then we need to talk."
Hermione went back behind the screen and began to dress, doffing the gown and, pulling her robes quickly over her head as she talked, completely caught up in her "student" persona. "What is it, Poppy? Did you see something wrong just now? I'm not coming down with something, am I? I'd hate to have to miss any time teaching this first week of class. I assumed you wouldn't have a diagnosis for me until tomorrow, after you've had a chance to analyze the data."
"You are correct, my dear. But, remember, that's not exactly what I want to discuss with you. I seem to remember a rather emotional display coming from you a while ago and as I said then, I think I may just be able to help."
Hermione came out into the room, which Poppy had restored back to its original appearance. "Yes, well, I admit I have a bit of a problem when it comes to that subject. I just wish I knew why."
Pomfrey answered in a matter-of-fact tone. "It's simple…you're still deeply in love with Harry Potter, and since you can't do anything about it, it's literally tearing you apart. By the way, even though I don't need to analyze any data to confirm this, your aura shows that you have been deliberately blocking the bond, which is why you weren't affected when Harry was attacked - that clears that question up. Also, I imagine that besides everything you are going through with Harry and Hermione, your emotional state in other areas is pretty fragile with all the other things you've had to face these past few years. The death and pain you know about and are unable to share, with no really close friends to unburden yourself to."
"But, Albus and Minerva…" Hermione started to say in protest, but Poppy interrupted her.
"…have been wonderful, I'm sure. But, they aren't who you need, are they, Hermione?"
After a moment's pause, the tears again started to flow silently down her cheeks. "No, Poppy, they aren't…You know who I need, as do I…but, she needs him, too. And that is my problem - I can't see how both of us can have what we need…and I fear it may kill me if I have to give him up to my younger self. But, if…that's what I have to do to fulfill my promise to keep Harry safe…and happy, there's no question that I will do that…for him." she said, as her eyes flashed brightly.
"Hermione, that was a beautifully expressed sentiment, and I can tell that you are sincere, but what if I told you that any sacrifice of that nature was completely unnecessary?" At Hermione's stunned look, Pomfrey smiled and continued with a phrase that would be part of Hermione's favorite memories for years to come. "Let me explain…"
*******
The students of Hogwarts quickly settled into a normal routine for the term, although some did notice that Miss Puckle seemed to be particularly happy no matter what she was doing. She always had a smile on her face, and was usually found humming a happy tune when she wasn't teaching. Some speculated that she must have found a new "someone special" earlier in the year at Hogsmeade, because she was seen walking back from the village that first week looking for all the world like she was walking on air. The Headmaster, his assistant, and the school nurse all knew that her love interest, while quite special to all of them, was no one new to her.
On the other hand, Harry and Hermione's relationship seemed to change about the same time. After they had been seen sharing a compartment on the school train both at the end of third year AND at the beginning of fourth, the rumor mill was actively speculating on how long it would be before they were caught snogging in the common room. But, the day after Moody's legendary transformation of Malfoy, they seemed to go back to being just close friends. Miss Granger, of course, was seen quite frequently in his company, but they were joined just as frequently by Ron Weasley, even after she started her S.P.E.W. campaign. From time to time, a careful observer might have noticed Harry looking quite wistfully at Hermione as she sat across from him in the Great Hall, but then he would shake his head slowly and return to his meal. The three of them were nearly inseparable, and some even started referring to them as 'the trio…" When Miss Puckle overheard this in class one time, she quickly turned away so her students would not see the big grin on her face she thought to herself, <Yes, things are getting back on track in this timeline…Oh, I hope that Poppy is right! She just has to be!>
******
Time seemed to pass very quickly from then on. At the end of October the delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang arrived. This was followed by the shocking events that led to a second champion from Hogwarts, resulting in a major rift developing between Harry and Ron and an equally strong show of support from Hermione. From then on, the two of them were once again the subject of a few rumors linking them romantically, since they were seen together frequently walking around the lake in deep conversation. But, it was also known that Hermione spent time alone with Ron, too, apparently trying to talk some sense into him.
Finally, it was the Sunday morning before the first task. Harry had just awoken after spending the night out, first with Hagrid who had shown him the dragons, and then talking with Sirius in the fireplace until they were interrupted by Ron. He was still quite upset with his roommate, but he didn't say anything to Hermione or Ginny when he joined them at the Gryffindor table. Feeling too queasy to eat, Harry waited until Hermione had swallowed her last spoonful of porridge, and then dragged her out onto the grounds. There, he told her all about the dragons, and about everything Sirius had said, while they took another long walk around the lake, the first of three they would do that day as they tried to think of a simple spell that would subdue a dragon.
The next day, Harry found himself running quickly to Herbology from Professor Moody's office. Moody, after declaring that he wasn't going to show favoritism, had finally given Harry the hint that he needed to succeed the next day. He was best at flying. He needed to pass the dragon in the air. For that, he needed his Firebolt. And for his Firebolt, he needed -
"Hermione," Harry whispered, when he had sped into the greenhouse three minutes later, uttering a hurried apology to Professor Sprout as he passed her. "Hermione - I need you to help me."
"What d'you think I've been trying to do, Harry?" she whispered back, her eyes round with anxiety over the top of the quivering Flutterby Bush she was pruning.
"Hermione, I need to learn how to do a Summoning Charm properly by tomorrow afternoon."
And so they practiced. They didn't have lunch, but headed for a free classroom, where Harry tried with all his might to make various objects fly across the room…He wanted to skip Divination to keep practicing, but Hermione refused point-blank to skive off Arithmancy, and there was no point in staying without her.
*****
"That's better, Harry, that's loads better," Hermione said, looking exhausted but very pleased…He raised his wand once more. "Accio Dictionary!"
The heavy book soared out of Hermione's hand, flew across the room, and Harry caught it.
"Harry, I really think you've got it!" said Hermione delightedly.
*****
"Harry, you were brilliant!" Hermione said squeakily. There were fingernail marks on her face where she had been clutching it in fear. "You were amazing! You really were!"
But Harry was looking at Ron, who was very white and staring at Harry as though he were a ghost.
"Harry," he said, very seriously, "whoever put your name in that goblet - I - I reckon they're trying to do you in!"
*****
"Potter! Weasley! Will you pay attention?"
Professor McGonagall's irritated voice cracked like a whip through the Transfiguration class. With an angry glare at the pair, she continued. "Now that Potter and Weasley have been kind enough to act their age, I have something to say to you all."
(A/N - As you noticed, I covered a LOT of canon chapters from GOF in this one, only highlighting some key moments that I think are important. By the way, when I was researching a throwaway joke I wanted to use in this chapter, I came across a VERY interesting article titled A history of hot cross buns. I didn't realize that they have been around for many centuries, and span many cultures, but now I know!)