Chapter 19 - A Rumor and a Spell
The morning came to find Harry sitting in the common room again trying to decipher the manuscript only he could read, as he carefully jotted notes on the text. It was a most interesting volume, from what he could tell, there were no less then three different authors contributing to the prose. Each addition seemed to span a lifetime.
The first author was by far the most intriguing, as he talked about distant lands and a people long forgotten. Even the language and dialects in the written volume seemed different then normal written English, as the other sections seemed to follow. None of the names or places made any sense and he could not translate them into any meaningful language. These he listed in the native tongue of the book, and kept that sheet inside the cover. Some of the stories he read were too far fetched to be real, tales of a warrior race of monks that acted as the guardians of peace and justice. Tales included fantastic conquests and battles, encompassing tens of thousands of warriors and far away lands whose names have been long forgotten. These tales, as best Harry could determine, must have been long before muggles began recording history. What was most intriguing was the lack of malice or prejudice between the races.
'A noble group' he thought as he moved to the next author, obviously Salazar Slytherin, by his loathing of non-magical people being taught in the castle they had just built. He listed many dark spells that had been long forgotten, many were incomplete. There were several references to the Chamber of Secrets, detailing the entrance and hazards found within. Harry took extra care to translate these passages about the Chamber, to give to Professor Dumbledore. The details included passageways in the chamber as yet unexplored.
The third author was far more violent in nature as well as the most recent. Grizzly acts of violence was depicted on those of non-magical heritage. 'Must be Riddle's work,' he thought as he finished re-reading the book for what seemed like the hundredth time. He closed the book to see his friend finally wake up that Saturday morning.
"Ron, it's about time you finally got up, if you hurry you might make breakfast."
"Funny man, I still have fifteen minutes. You've been down already?"
"Hours ago. I got up quite early this morning for some reason craving a corn muffin. I felt a bit weird and couldn't get back to sleep."
"Thinking too much about yesterday, mate?"
"No. That never crossed my mind. I just couldn't sleep."
"I'm going to grab some breakfast. You want to come along, mate?"
"Nah, I'm going to wait for Hermione, Luna's been asking for you all morning, though. She may still be in the Great Hall."
"Wicked… See 'ya mate."
Ron pulled his sweater over his head, and ran for the portrait doors. Harry sat in the common room thinking about his book. He was so lost in thought; he never noticed the giggling from the stairs.
"So who do you think she was dreaming about?"
"Don't know, think it was Krum? Couldn't be Weasley, he's with Lovegood."
"Maybe it was Malfoy or Snape!"
"Eewwww! Lav! That's manky."
Harry half listened to the giggling and obvious gossiping of his female classmates. He resumed his work on the book, and waited for Hermione. He wanted her to review some of the new passages he translated, and maybe try to decipher the list of words he compiled.
"Hey Pavarti, seen Hermione today?" Harry asked as they passed.
"Shh... you don't think?"
"Nah…"
"No, Harry, she's still in bed." Pavarti giggled again. "You might want to wait 'til she's showered."
"A cold one I bet!"
He looked quite puzzled as he dismissed the giggling as he sat on the corner sofa by the warm fire with his book, continuing to translate one of the earlier passages:
A noble order of protectors unified by their belief and observance of their power hearkened back to a more civilized, classical time in history. Their order is ancient, spanning over a thousand generations. As the Republic throve and grew over the centuries, these knights came to serve as guardians of peace and justice.
Headquartered on Crescent, the knights trained, studied, and planned from their impressive Temple, a towering edifice rising high above the surrounding structures in the city. They are governed by the High Council of Twelve - all of them Masters - who contemplate the very nature of their power.
The origins of the order are forever lost to time, but much of their early history has been recorded in specialized information modules that can only be activated by those so talented, and exploring its deepest confines requires the skill of a trained Knight.
He put down his quill, rubbed the stiffness out of his hand when he noticed she finally came down. "Hermione, thought you'd never get up today. I think I found something."
She looked at him, as she pulled her mask over her face to hide her emotions. She walked over and sat across from him, avoiding direct eye contact.
"What's wrong, you look awful, like you didn't sleep at all. Was last night too much exercise? Did we go too far?" He asked innocently.
Shocked, and still replaying the images of her dreams, she looked as him, and was totally speechless, as if he knew her dreams. "WHAT? How DARE you… What did those cows tell you?"
"Hermione? What's wrong? What are you talking about?" He had a genuine puzzled look across his brow. She then noticed his scar through his parted hair.
Slightly breathless, she forced a reply. "Nothing, I thought someone told you… Oh never mind. I really didn't get much sleep. I guess I had a bad dream."
"Do you want to talk about it?"
She thought deeply for a moment, and noticing no sensation from her hand, realized he really couldn't know. "No. I'm fine. Now what did you find?"
"That can wait, do you want to grab some..." He glanced at his watch, "Lunch? You've missed breakfast."
"Lunch? No, I'm really not hungry. What time is it anyway?"
"Quarter past one. If you're not hungry, then how about joining me, I'm starved. I've waited for you to get up all morning. Come on, let's go."
"I, uhhh, think I…" She stuttered, unsure what to say.
"Come on sleepy head… unless you want to go back to what ever you were dreaming about. Personally, I'd be happy if I never have one again."
"No, that's ok. I, ummm, oh ok, fine." She replied nervously
"Are you feeling ok? I've never seen you so rattled before."
"No, I'm fine, let's just get this over with." She mumbled, looking down at her shoes.
She stood and grabbed his arm, nearly pulling it from its socket. "Owww, take it easy. I was the one that wanted to go eat, remember?"
"Sorry, guess I'm a bit preoccupied. Now tell me what's so bloody important."
He proceeded to tell her of his translations and his deduction that this volume was a journal passed down since long before Hogwarts. About how the book only mentioned that ancient order, a name he couldn't make out, as if it were deliberately removed from the book. He also detailed all he knew of the "information modules" and how they may be the answer they were looking for. He finished his review of his translations just as they reached the Great Hall.
"So, you think these modules are the answer? Where do you think we can find them?"
They entered the Great Hall and walked toward the Gryffindor table. They joined Ron and Luna who were sitting near the middle having a quite lunch.
"Hermione? Are you ok?" Ron asked sincerely, trying to keep the smirk off his face.
"I'm fine. Why?"
"Lavender and Pavarti were saying you were up most of the night. Are you sure you're ok, I mean if something's eating at you, I'd like to help," he said as Luna bit her tongue.
"You can tell those, those… children to mind their own bloody business and STOP butting in other people's affairs."
"To hear them say it, 'affair' is quite correct…" Luna added while trying to stifle her giggles.
"They said you were snoggin' your pillow pretty good last night." Ron teased.
SLAP… "Leave it alone Weasley!" she spat, as she turned to leave the hall.
"Owww, Hermione, you didn't have to do that…" Ron called back, as he rubbed his cheek.
Harry watched the event in mild shock and amusement. As she left the table in an outright rage, he no longer saw the humor in the teasing, he stood to catch her.
"Hermione, is that what's bothering you?" he asked as he caught up to her outside the Great Hall.
"Forget it Harry, Malfoy would understand better then you or Ron." She said bitterly as sheturned to face him, teary eyed.
"Oh? So you have a dream about some bloke? So it was a rather racy dream? So what? I'm happy for you, really. At least you can have those dreams. At least you've got someone you fancy. If I were you I'd be cheering and shouting it through the halls. I think it's really wonderful." He wiped the moisture from her cheeks as he spoke.
"You just can't be serious. You just don't understand." She said, still avoiding his eyes.
"You're right, I don't and can't. I'm envious that you can know what love feels like, it's something... I've... never known." He replied, letting his voice trail into a whisper. "Who is he? Or do you want to keep it private?" He added to cheer up his best friend.
"Look, can we just forget about it? It's no one. It was just a guy with out a face."
"No face? Are you sure? Did you see his face or was it blank or can't you remember? It could be important. THINK, Hermione… That's how Voldemort got to me in the chamber, through a dream as if he were a friend. He could be…"
"No, Harry. I know it's not 'him'. I did see his face and I do know him… and well… you've… never met him."
"Sigh… Good. I thought for a minute…"
"I know." She held her hand to his face and began rubbing the sting from it. "This is starting to get to me. You really need to control your emotions."
He put his arm around her shoulders and she laid her cheek to his shoulder, "I know. I'll work on it, I really don't want you to worry every time I lose my temper; maybe you should just keep your hand on ice when we have potions."
He lifted her chin and wiped the last tear from her cheek, "You know when I start getting depressed, but I don't ever know how you feel. Let's make a pact; I'll talk things out with you if you'll come to me too. Deal? Even if you want to talk about your mystery guy."
"Yeah, Harry, deal."
"Now, you want to have lunch or go back to those books?"
"I'm a bit hungry, but if I see Weasley or Lovegood right now, I'll…" she said with a vicious snarl.
"Well you'll have to sooner or later. I'll go back and have Dobby pack a sack lunch for us."
"Then I'll wait in the prefect's lounge. But so help me if either one shows up…"
"See you in ten minutes, ok?"
He left her to retrieve some sandwiches and deal with his other friends' lack of compassion. Ron and Luna were still sitting where he left them at the table, with less then a jovial look on their faces.
"Mate, is she pissed off? We were just having a bit o' fun."
"At her expense; how would you feel if Dean or Seamus joked about every time YOU woke us up with your moaning? 'Oh Luna… harder… harder…faster... faster...' Not so funny, is it? You BOTH owe her an apology. And I always thought you were her friends."
"Com'on, I said it was all in fun. I'm sorry mate, really."
"Tell her, not me. Dobby, two sack lunches, please!"
A pop greeted the request, "Yes master Harry Potter, Dobby is ready with two lunches as you wished. Dobby hopes it is to your satisfaction."
"Dobby, you've never disappointed me yet. Thank you."
"Sniff… Dobby still cannot get use to Master Harry Potter's kindness."
Harry picked up the sandwiches and left the Great Hall to finish his research with Hermione.
-
"Damn it Harry," she said while chewing her sandwich, "none of this makes any sense. There's no other written history of any of this. It's almost like someone is making a joke."
"If it's a joke, then it's a really good one. I tried a couple of those spells I think Salazar Slytherin wrote, and although most of them weren't finished, some of them worked. Watch…"
He opened the book to a page he had marked, raised his wand, and uttered an incantation she'd never heard. A bolt of bluish lightning erupted from his wand, striking a vase in the corner. Instead of shattering, the vase distorted and melted into a puddle of glass on the table.
"So this isn't a joke?"
"No. I want to figure out these others. But most seem incomplete. That's where I need you to help me."
"Do you think this is that 'power he lacks'?"
"No, I don't. The last bit of this book I think he wrote. He must have been able to figure some of these out. He's not stupid, you know."
"I know. How much have you translated?"
"I did some of the first bits about the history stuff during Christmas and some more the other day. And I did these spells when you were in the hospital last week. I worked out some historical bits that talked about a secret code. It doesn't make sense; it just talks about stuff like peace and knowledge and stuff. I think whoever wrote it mixed it up, because it just contradicts itself. Here, read them and see if they make any sense to you."
She studied the transcriptions carefully, making corrections and notes to the margins as she went. He watched her work, and this year, more then any other, he became fascinated with the intensity and passion she poured into her efforts. He rested his chin on his arm, and watched her every stroke, fascinated when she chewed the end of her quill, the way she kept twisting a stray strand of hair around a finger as she read. In the years he's know her, and all the hours they spent working together, he never noticed these little traits. As if on cue, she felt that same pleasant tingle in her hand, and let a slight smile escape while she kept working.
"Harry, I can't concentrate with you watching me," she said without lifting her head.
"Huh? Oh, I guess I was daydreaming." He opened his potions texts to work on the three scrolls they were assigned.
The clock's seconds ticked to minutes and then into hours, while the pair worked their separate tasks. Just as Harry felt his stomach cry for dinner, she put her quill down and shuffled through the stack of parchments she had written.
"I think I have something. First I think you mixed up these bits, and I heard this one about this code before somewhere. These spells seem to be different then what we've been taught. I tried to reorder everything so they would make sense. Here, read this spell and wave your wand in a circle."
He raised his wand, and uttered the incantation neither had heard before and a blue orb formed hovering over the table.
"Now watch this, Harry, if I understand it correctly the quill will… just watch..." She picked up a quill and poked the orb with the tip. The spot she touched popped and singed the end of the quill.
"Now, I'll try to destroy it."
"Finite Incantatem!" she said while waving her wand, red sparks flew from the end of her wand at the orb and bounced off.
Nothing.
"FINITE INCANTATEM!" she shouted and waved her wand again, more red sparks flew from her wand, striking the orb, this time being absorbed.
Still nothing.
"Hermione, that's BRILLIANT. An energy field that can't be broken. But how can…"
"Repeat the next incantation…" She said rolling her eyes.
He waved his wand over the orb while repeating the verse she had written and it vanished in a violent flash, scorching the table. He stood at the spot, as the both stared at the spot. His excitement at the new spells and the adrenaline that pumped through his veins was the only thing holding him up; he collapsed to his chair in total exhaustion and dropped his arms to his side.
"Hermi…" he didn't have the strength to even finish her name; his head dropped to the table with a thud.
"Sorry, Harry. I guess I didn't think it would be that stressful. Here, I still have a bit of chocolate from lunch, it may help."
He cracked an eye and gratefully accepted the morsel. "Next time I try that one," he panted, "I better be more rested. I need to eat, come on; it's nearly past dinner time."
She packed their books and papers, letting him rest for a moment and carried their things back to her room, figuring she'd get his things to him after dinner. She returned to find him still sitting at the table, moving, but slowly.
"Oww. I feel like I've been drained by a vampire," he groaned as he stood.
"Come on you big baby, I'll hand feed you if that's what you need."
They left the prefect's lounge together bound for the Great Hall and a warm meal.