Disclaimer: Alright all the Harry Potter characters belong to J.K. Rowlings, except for the plot, Zara, Jewel, Enrique, Jasmine, Ulrich, Torrin, Alina,, Leelee, Kai, Finley and Orvin. Those are mine. So please don't sue me because I don't have anything
Chapter 4-What Doth Lie Beneath.
The candle light in the library was bright enough for people to study, the second day of classes had been quite busy for six year students there was already a essay in charms due on Friday. So they were all busy reading, writing, scribbling hard. Instead of studying Draco had his head down on his book, sleeping peacefully.
Harry noticed the blonde head and looked over, he recalled the conversation that Draco and Hermione had in the potions class yesterday, he wondered what that was all about. Had they been secretly meeting, it sure seemed that way. Even Lavender seemed to know more about what was going on than he did. Why was Hermione keeping me in the dark? He thought. Harry heard Draco speaking in his sleep, he was probably dreaming of something horrible to do to people. He just ignored it and returned to his book.
Draco's head turned over and he remained asleep-"do you really think he can handle this responsibility."
"Certainly he has never let me down before, why should he start now. He has already given the Orb ahead of schedule." Lucious replied to a dark mysterious figure.
"You realize that if your boy doesn't fall through with the plan, I won't hesitate in my decision to eliminate him."
"He will not fail you." Lucious replied confident.
"He had better not for both your sakes," He sat down on a black hard thrown adorned by serpents with rubies for eyes. "I will not have the same mistake repeated, do I make myself clear."
"Yes." Lucious replied looking over at the other menacing dark figure standing by the thrown known to all as the dark lord himself Voldermort, who was smirking evilly. "My lord if I may, what does this plan have to do with your revenge?"
"It will all come together in the end, just make sure your son knows what he has to do." and if he wants to do a little extra, he is permitted." He replied with a hiss in his voice while looking towards the thrown, "Do you not agree?" He asked candidly. "Give him a little reward for his efforts?"
"Oh I agree, whatever he wants as long as the doubt has been placed." The three men laughed insanely at the thought of the plan- Draco sat up slowly rubbing his eyes, he looked over at Harry who was reading a book, he then stood and left the library.
Harry was bent over his book reading silently when a hand came down on his shoulder; he looked up to find Dumbledore smiling down at him his eyes twinkling. "Hallo Harry, how about you taking a walk with me?" Agreeing, Harry packed up his books and walked with Dumbledore out of the library.
They were quiet until they headed towards the front doors. "It's such a lovely day why don't we walk along the grounds." Dumbledore suggested looking over at Harry for approval. Getting it they walked out the main doors and out into the sun. Dumbledore looked up at the sun, "well it's nearing the end of summer, and autumn will be upon us very soon." He then smiled
"Is there something you wanted to talk to me about?" Harry asked trying not to sound rushed.
Dumbledore held the necklace out for Harry and watched him take it back, "I noticed you've been a friend short these days."
Harry knew who he was referring to, "yeah, it sure seems that way. But everything is all right." He lied.
If Dumbledore knew Harry was lying he didn't let on at all he just smiled, "I know this can be a difficult time for all of you, trying to grow up in a cold, unfriendly world. All you've really got is each other." He said with a serious expression.
Harry nodded.
"No hexes on the necklace?" Harry gazed at the necklace.
"Not a single one, but there is an energy coming off it." He then smiled, "not a harmful or dangerous energy, but an energy nonetheless." Thinking for a moment, Dumbledore then asked, "may I ask where you found it?"
"I didn't Hermione found it, why do you ask?" He looked up at Dumbledore.
"It's a very valuable piece as you might have guessed, and it belonged to a very important person in our history." Dumbledore said pleasantly.
"Really, who?" Harry didn't seem all that interested in history, but he might as well humor his headmaster who so very much loved history.
"It was Jasmine's necklace the daughter of one of our founders Rowena Ravenclaw."
Harry thought a moment, that name was very familiar but where did he know it from? He was sure he's heard that name before somewhere. But he shook his head trying to shake out the thought.
"You won't learn about her until next year, but I'll tell you this she helped establish order in the council and convinced them to conceal our world from the muggles world. She was very wise for being so young, much like her mother."
"Do you think I should give it back to Hermione?" Harry asked changing the subject.
"I don't know this necklace is a huge responsibility. Do you think she can handle it?" Dumbledore's eye brows met in the middle with his question
"She's the most responsible person I know, sure I think she could handle just about anything."
Dumbledore put his finger to his chin, "I'm going to ask has she worn it yet?"
"Yes, I found it around her neck. We thought it might be something to do with dark magic."
"What did you do after that?" there was another question hidden in that question.
"We took it off her what else would we do?"
"Who's we?" Dumbledore was getting specific.
"Well actually it was me, Ron and Ginny tried but they got injured in doing so." He remembered quickly.
"Interesting," caution seemed to run through Dumbledore's voice. He then looked up towards the castle, "well if you think Hermione should have the necklace back, then give it to her. Like you said she's responsible, so she should have no problems with it." He paused a moment. "Harry, have you had any nightmares about Voldermort?"
Harry thought a moment, "no, I haven't had any nightmares at all recently. I was kinda hoping he might be dead." He said half teasing.
Dumbledore chuckled lightly, "sorry Harry, he's still alive. He just hasn't been giving the killing curse lately. Which is not his pattern at all." Dumbledore replied looking around and then back at the castle, "well thanks for the talk Harry, we should do it again sometime." He patted Harry on the back once as they walked into the castle. Harry watched Dumbledore climb the stairs he was clearly deep in thought. He heard a small faint voice coming from a gap under the stairwell, he saw a blonde head that was shaking back and forth, it was Draco Malfoy's head and he was talking to someone but was blocking the view of who it was.
Harry saw a foot kick Draco hard in the ankle and Draco yelled in pain and bent down to try and sooth the burning ache, after that he saw Hermione come out from behind him and turn to look at Draco's bent frame, "stay away from me or you'll never get it back."
Draco turned, looking up at her "you're just putting off the inevitable you know." He dropped his foot, " oh and don't you ever kick me again or you will regret it."
"Don't you dare threaten me Draco Malfoy, or I might not ever give it back and you know what that means." With those words she turned and found Harry staring at her with confusion, and possibly even jealousy, no stop seeing things Hermione, she said to herself dismissing it. She started to pass him, "what?!"
"I'm just trying to figure out what is going on." Harry said exasperated.
"It really doesn't concern you," And she walked quickly past him.
Harry was about to say something else but she was gone too fast, he turned and found Draco straightening his hair and his robes. "What are you doing with Hermione?" He asked in anger trying not to sound jealous, but it was really hard not to.
"Like she said it really doesn't concern you." Draco smirked wickedly.
Harry really wanted to smash his face in but he restrained himself, "Yes it does." He said through gritted teeth.
"Do you really want me to spell it out for you, she's got something I want. And I'm sure you've noticed." Draco sounded crude and he really wanted to make Harry mad just to see what he would do, "Of course it's taking her awhile to warm up to me. Boy if you asked me two years ago if I would ever be after Granger's tail I would-" Draco was interrupted by Harry grabbing him by the front of his robes.
"Shut up Malfoy, don't talk about her like that!" He was almost beyond control, so enraged that he had no idea that he had lifted Draco a few inches off the ground and had slammed him against the wall holding him in place.
Draco laughed wickedly, "Aren't we a little touchy," he was sarcastic but still laughing, "what's the matter you're not in love with the witch are you?" He was still laughing.
Harry dropped him "no!" He shouted immediately, something in the back of his head told him to say yes but he ignored it. "She is my friend I will not have you talking about her like that, in fact you shouldn't be talking to her at all." Harry crossed his arms firmly, "stay away from her if you know what's good for you."
"Oh that's rich Potter, you ordering me to stay away from her." He looked at his neatly trimmed fingernails. "I don't think so, besides she wants me around she just would never tell you that. And if you're not in love with her then you have no right to tell me to stay away. I mean I could understand as one guy to another even though I hate your sodding guts, when they have a claim on someone. But you have no such claim do you?" Draco shook his head back and forth as he walked away with Harry just staring at him.
****
Ron saw a purple head bent over a sheet of paper she was scribbling quickly with her quill. He slowly walked over to the table she seemed so involved in her writing that she didn't see him. He glanced down as Zara was writing and scratching out what was wrong, she lifted her quill and dabbed it into her inkwell. "Well are you going to sit down or just stand there with your mouth hanging open?" She looked up at him her eyes smiling.
Feeling embarrassed he took a seat next to her, "I've been meaning to ask you something."
Zara looked right at him, "what is it?"
Ron thought a moment, "It's just you seemed so different when I met you on the train and yesterday in Potions class it was like you were a totally different person."
She sat her quill down and looked at him, "I somehow knew this was coming." Zara sighed deeply, "on the train you only met me for a moment. The person who hit Draco without so much as a thought is more of who I am. And well if you're thinking of what I did in Potions and what I had said to Jocko, he's a big jerk and he deserves that. But I'm not a bad girl in the sense of hurting people, I just don't take anything lying down, no one hurts me without getting hurt themselves. But Jewel and Enrique that's a whole nother story. They are mean to the core." She smiled.
"I could have figured that out by what house they were placed in." Ron smiled to himself thinking that this girl was okay.
"I heard around that you're the Quidditch captain do you need any more players?"
Now Ron stared, "you play Quidditch?" His eyes glittered brightly he had never heard something so wonderful in his life.
"Oh yeah, I was the best damn beater on my school team," Zara beamed with pride.
Well our first practice is tomorrow, you can come down to the pitch and see if we can use you. I'll run it by Harry." He smiled.
Fred and George walked into the library and immediately saw Ron talking with Zara and they quickly made their way over to them, both of the twins smiled. "So you're the new transfer everyone is talking about." Fred was smiling. "I am very honored to meet you. I've heard about your insulting exploits and have come to commend you for you're great work and we both hope to see more of it before the year is out." He bowed before her.
"Thanks, I think." Looking confused she turned to Ron, "um do you know these guys?"
Ron sighed "sadly yes, they are my brothers."
Zara put her hand on Ron's shoulder, "I'm sorry." She said sincerely with a smile.
He couldn't help from laughing as Fred and George sat down next to Ron and Zara, George looked up the moment Harry walked in, he looked madder than he had ever seen him. "Hey what's with him?" He pointed and the other three looked up as Harry went straight to a table and threw his bag down loudly, hearing the shhhs. Harry crossed his arms and glared into nowhere.
The four of them got up and walked over to Harry's table, "Hey what's up?" Fred asked cautiously
Harry glared up at him, "I'm going to kill him." His tone was dead serious.
The four of them sat down at Harry's table looking at him alarmed and wide-eyed, "kill who?" Ron asked as he had never seen his friend so enraged before, and it wasn't a good feeling.
"Malfoy, I'm going to kill him." He stared at the table
Everyone nodded, "I agree lets string him up by his thumbs and dangle him over a pit of crocodiles." Fred laughed at his vision.
"I'm serious." Harry just about burst into laughter just thinking about that, which made him feel a little better.
"Everyone's been serious when it comes to thinking about how we're going to kill Malfoy," George said with a smile. "But the question is why do you want to kill him?"
"He's going after," Harry paused and then shuddered "Hermione."
"Like she would ever consider-" Fred started to say but was interrupted by Harry saying, "I've found them together twice already, who knows how many other times they have met. Although from what I hear she's not happy about it." At least Harry hoped she wasn't happy about it.
"What if she is, and she's just putting on an act in case someone did walk in on them in a rather incriminating position? I mean she is a woman with womanly needs." George replied as both Ron and Harry shuddered just thinking about her getting her womanly needs from an ass like Draco Malfoy.
"She has been keeping quiet these days," Ron offered, "and very secretive, not to mention rude as hell. I think if she is spending time with Malfoy it's rubbing off on her."
Fred and George both looked at each other nodded and smirked, "I have an idea." Fred said with a smile.
Ron and Harry both turned to Fred, "what?" They both said.
"It's a little invention of ours," George said smugly.
"It's a potion that makes the person tell the truth when they are asleep, they cannot lie. We use it on Ron all the time." Fred said candidly
"What?!" Ron shouted, he heard the shhhs all around him and he ducked his head. "what?" He was quieter but still angry.
"The best thing about it they don't remember saying anything at all." George chuckled as he saw the horrified look on Ron's face twist in embarrassment.
Heaven only knew what George and Fred knew about him, Ron was glaring but he turned looking at Zara who was trying to contain her laughter. "Alright that's a wonderful invention of yours but how do we get Hermione to take it?"
"We'll have to slip it into her drink or put it in something that she might eat tonight." Fred suggested.
Harry and Ron nodded, "it would help us get to the bottom of her behavior." Harry said but feeling a little twinge of guilt. He somehow knew this was wrong, but he just had to know.
Zara gasped, "are you sure that's a smart thing to do?" She felt awkward as they all turned to stare at her with a of-course-it's-a-good-idea look. "I know I don't know you guys very well, but playing in someone's head can have consequences. You have no idea what truths are going to come out. What if you don't like what you hear? She won't remember, but that doesn't mean you wont."
"We are out of options Zara, I think it would be alright." Ron replied with a smile.
Zara shook her head and picked up her book, "I sure hope you guys know what you're doing?" Disappointment surged through her voice as she left the library.
****
Ron, Harry, Fred and George ran as fast as he could down to the kitchens, Ron tickled the pear on the painting and they were able to get into the kitchens, four house elves popped in front of them. "Can we have two hot chocolates?" Ron asked. And two hot chocolates topped with whipped cream and multicolored sprinkles popped into the elves hands. Ron and Harry took the chocolates in there hands while they walked from the kitchen, careful not to spill it. When they climbed the stairs to the Gryffindor tower George and Fred stopped them. "We need to put the potion in now."
Fred pulled out a vile of reddish brown liquid from a pocket in his robe and opened it, he put it up to his nose inhaling the chocolate scent. They had to make sure that it smelled and tasted just like the beverage they were putting it in. Both Ron and Harry knew of Hermione's keen sense of taste and smell. She would know something is up if it didn't smell or taste quite right. Fred then poured the contents of the vile in both cups of hot chocolate careful not to disturb the whipped cream.
"Now we should take it because we have been fighting over her and she still talks to both of us." George said with a smirk.
"Yeah, if it came from you guys she would think something was wrong." Fred grinned.
Ron and Harry both nodded their heads as Fred and George took the cups of hot chocolate.
Ron looked up at the portrait that led into the tower and said "Honor bound." The portrait swung aside allowing them entrance to their common room. Harry and Ron went past Hermione who was on the sofa reading her Ancient Egyptian wizards works text book. They noticed the common room was still filled with students of all ages laughing and having a good time. Ron and Harry immediately went over to the chess board and started setting up their pieces, Fred and George came in a few moments later carrying the hot chocolate.
After the chess pieces were set up, Ron made the first move. He moved the little white pawn right in front of the Bishop two steps. Harry made the same move, the piece cursed him for copying saying that he should come up with his own strategy not stealing someone else's. Harry shushed the piece, "quiet I know what I'm doing." Harry's pawn shook its head knowing that this game was lost already. Harry looked to his right as Fred and George rushed up to Hermione with big smiles plastered across their faces.
"Hermione look I've brought you hot chocolate." Fred said.
"No I did." George tried to push his way in front of Fred.
Hermione looked up at them, "look guys I don't want you fighting, that is really hot and I don't want it spilled on me. Do you understand?" She glared up warningly, remembering what happened at the lake.
"You do want mine though don't you Hermione." George said in a whine.
Hermione smiled falsely, but she loved hot chocolate and would drink it of the Dark Lord himself was giving it to her, "tell you what guys, I'll take both of them. Of course it doesn't mean I'm going to drink both of them." She looked at each of the twins and they brought their hands down together at the same time. With both hands she took the drinks and sat them down on the table behind her. For a minute there she turned her head and stared and the drinks. She sighed with anticipation, oh the white whipped cream with the yummy multicolored sprinkles not to mention the rich tasting chocolate that was in the cup. It was a hard combination to resist.
Through the corner of his eye Harry watched Hermione dip her pinkie finger into the whipped cream and place it in her mouth, closing her eyes in utter delight. He then felt really bad, this was a joy to her one that she really loved, and if something went wrong it would be ruined for her. Should I get up and take it away? He thought to himself.
Ron looked up from the chess board as if he heard Harry's thoughts, he shook his head no. He must have been having second thoughts also Harry thought, but it was too late now anyway for she was already drinking some of it. And what made him feel even worse was watching her look into the cup and drinking the rest of it. She would never forgive him if she found out what was actually in there and that he wanted to give it to her. He had never felt so bad in his entire life. But this is for her own good he thought, as if trying to find justification in what he had just done. He watched her as she sat the cup down on the table and went back to her reading.
The common room quieted down as students emptied the room making their way towards their rooms for sleep. Yawning, Zara came down the stairs holding a water glass in her hand Ron looked up at her as two children passed her on the stairs, they stopped and stared at her. Zara looked down at them with a smile "yes?"
One of them was really shy but she opened her mouth to speak, "is that real?" She asked in a small voice.
"Is what real?" Zara looked between the two children.
One of them lightly touched her hair, "that, is your hair real?"
Zara smiled lightly, "yes it is, do you want a piece?"
The two children stared at her at Zara pulled a few tiny strands from her head and handed them to the children.
The youngest one nudged her friend, "see I told you it was real." And they continued to argue all the way into their first year's room. Zara laughed to herself as she continued on down the stairs walking into the practically empty common room except for Fred, George, Ron and Harry, then she realized oh yeah they were going to do that tonight. She thought to herself. She looked over at the clock it was ten till midnight. Zara looked over to the sofa finding Hermione drifting off to sleep, her hand was resting in the crease of the book, as her head fell back against the cushion.
She walked over to Ron and Harry, "well guys your victim for the evening has gone to dreamland, but just remember what I said earlier." It sounded like a warning.
Ron and Harry looked around, past Zara at Hermione who was in fact asleep, they stood and slowly walked over to the sofa, Fred and George followed. Zara did too, even though this was wrong she still wanted to see it. She sat down against the couch looking up at Hermione. Ron, Harry, Fred and George just stood around looking at her.
"How do we know if she's really asleep?" Harry asked in a whisper just in case Hermione wasn't asleep.
"Well ask her a question and see," Fred cleared his throat. He leaned closer to Hermione looking down at her pretty face, "Hermione are you asleep?"
"Yes." Her tone was colorless and her eyes were closed.
Fred nodded, "that's what Ron used to say when we started asking him interesting things," He said looking around at them, he then put all his attention on Hermione, "Hermione, who do you like better, me Fred or my brother George?"
"Neither, you are both annoying and need to get a life." Hermione answered.
Zara covered her mouth with her hand suppressing a giggle "I told you so." She said muffled. while everyone else couldn't help their fits of laughter. Fred embarrassed quieted everyone, "you know she can wake up and then she might be pretty angry and wondering why we're all standing around her like this? So keep it quiet."
Harry moved around to the other side of the sofa and sat down next to Hermione, "I'll ask her if you guys don't mind?"
"Not at all, just when you're done I have a few questions of my own I would like to ask?" Ron replied as he went to sit down on the floor next to Zara.
Putting a finger to his chin Harry thought of a question, "Hermione are you angry with me?"
"No." She answered.
"Are you angry with Ron?" He was cautious
"Always."
Ron rolled his eyes, he looked down at Zara, "we are always at each others throats, but it's part of our friendship." He smiled and Zara nodded in understanding
Harry shook his head, "are you angry with Ron now?"
"No." Hermione said
"Are you angry with Ginny?"
"No."
Harry thought harder, "then why are you avoiding Ron, Ginny and I?"
"If I don't you'll all be hurt." She answered.
"Hurt by who?" Harry was confused.
"By me, I'm afraid I will kill all of you." She answered sadly.
Harry looked wide eyed up at everyone, and then back down at Hermione "why would you think that?"
"I've seen it in Draco Malfoy's orb of Ellia." She said.
"Is that what you have that belongs to Draco Malfoy?" Harry asked carefully.
"Yes." She answered.
"What is the Orb of Ellia." Harry asked.
"It shows you your future."
"How did you get this Orb from Draco Malfoy?"
"I had a gotten a job over last spring break for the upcoming summer at the library in Diagon Alley you know how much I love going to libraries. Draco Malfoy came in looking for a book and since I was in training I had to help him. I didn't want to but I did it because it was my job. He said he was looking for a book on rare orbs and crystals he pulled the orb out of his bag he was holding and showed it to me."
Hermione took a breath and then continued. "The orb turned from black to clear with vibrant colors, I had to hold it. I asked him if I could see it. With out talking to me he put it in my hand and I stared directly into it, it mesmerized me I wanted to keep it. I asked him if he would consider giving it to me, yeah right I thought. But he said he would loan it to me for however long I wanted it. I asked him what the deal was, because I know how much he loathes the very sight of me. He said to offer him something, I told him I really didn't have anything that he would consider something, so I looked into the orb instead of listening to him, I wasn't paying attention to him at all. Which was a very big mistake on my part," she paused a moment and then took another breath.
"He said something about a flower, and I didn't really hear exactly what he said, I said fine and he said deal. Then I snapped out of my daze and asked him what I had just agreed to." Harry knew what the deal was for and his eyes shut tightly, he didn't need a grand explanation about it, he could hear ringing in his ears when she continued and only heard "He only gets it when I give the orb back to him."
Harry stood, "What happens if you don't give it back to him." He asked
"If I don't give it back to him the more I see. The more I see the more I hurt." She answered.
"How long are you going to keep the orb?" He sat down again.
"I can't keep it much longer, It's driving me insane. I can feel it. I will hurt all of you if I don't give it back."
"You don't have to give him yourself you know, Can't you just say no?" Harry's question came out in pains. He didn't like thinking about her with someone else like that.
"No I have to, he said if it's not a willing act then it will have to be an unwilling act and he would find me no matter where I went." She replied with fear in her voice.
"Do you feel that you have been tricked?" Harry asked carefully
"Yes."
Ron stood up "Is there a way out of your arrangement with Draco Malfoy other than you having sex with him?" Harry didn't like that idea but Ron was more blunt with questions and he would probably get to a solution faster. Harry let him continue.
"Yes." She answered
"Well why don't you use the alternate exit?" Ron asked
"I was trying, but it didn't work and I'm not going to push it."
"Why didn't it work Hermione?" He sat down
"Someone has to have a claim on me, No claim no out." She said.
"Someone, Can it be anyone?"
"No."
"Who does it have to be?"
"Harry." She answered
Their mouths dropped and they looked at each other, Ron closed his mouth and looked at Hermione still sleeping. "Why does it have to be Harry, and why did Draco Malfoy leave that as an option of getting out of the arrangement?" Ron asked as Harry waited for what seemed like ages for the answer.
"Somehow Draco Malfoy knew that I am in love with him and he also knows that my feelings will never be returned. So that's why he made that an option of getting out of the arrangement."
Zara and Ron looked up at Harry, "what are you going to do Harry?" Ron asked.
"What do you think I'm going to do, I'm going to get her out of this-this arrangement." He sounded heroic.
"Sounds like a good plan to me." Ron said, "just how are you going to go about it. You can't just walk up to her tomorrow and say I'm putting a claim on you to save you from that evil sinister Draco Malfoy." Ron said half serious.
"Look Ron I know that, I'm not stupid. I figure out a plan of action." Harry sounded confident.
Ron darted his eyebrows, " a plan of action huh, I bet."
Harry rolled his eyes knowing he knew better, he walked right into that one. He turned to Zara, "see this was a good idea, now that I know the truth I'll be able to help her better."
"I don't know about that, it sure seems you're pretty confident now. But she would never have said anything, so if you think about it you kind of tricked her into a confession. In a way you are no different that Draco Malfoy."
"I am not in any way like Malfoy." Harry was disgusted.
"Look I didn't say you were like him, believe me he's the biggest bastard to ever walk the planet I know literally from first hand experience. I think that you should have just asked her straight out how she felt about you, it would have saved you all her explanation about that orb and her arrangement, if you would have just said something, anything." Zara's voice was very firm.
"What do you know, you barely know me or Hermione?" Harry sounded bitter.
"I know cowardice when I see it, you are afraid of your affections and she's afraid she's not good enough to recieve your affections." Zara stood and glared angrily at Harry, "I think the two of you, Ron and you should go up to bed so that I can wake Hermione and get her up to her bed away from her misbehaving friends. A true friend would never have done this."
"Look, I already feel bad enough as it is, but you're right." Harry sighed, "I don't know how you are right, but we should not have done that. And nothing will take that guilt away even if I did tell her what we did, it wouldn't make the situation any better because-"
"Didn't I say that it was a bad idea? You never know what you're going to hear. And the truth can hurt even if it is for a good cause. Now get up stairs before I change my mind and tell your friend what you did to her." Zara said meaning every word she said.
Ron and Harry nodded and walked up the stairs to the six year boy dormitories after a much needed visit to the bathroom they prepared for bed. Harry and Ron got out of their clothing and both changed into a tee shirt and cotton sleeping pants, and slipped under their covers.
Harry tossed and turned he looked up at the ceiling, it was true he couldn't believe his fortune. He would never have thought that his friend Hermione would actually have feelings for him. And why not? he smiled to himself, but now was the plan of how to actually say or do something about it. He turned over on his side looking at the dresser near his bed, he reached over and pulled a skinny drawer open. There was that necklace again, he felt compelled to pick it up. He did. Harry held it in his hand looking at the opal, it looked a little different tonight he thought, it's not so frosty looking, more like clear. Oh well his eyes were probably just playing tricks on him. He removed his glasses sitting them on the desk next to his bed. Still holding the necklace in his hand he turned over on his side and his eyes gently closed.
"Where is she Ulrich?" He said in disgust.
Ulrich smirked "don't worry she's safe, for now. My father won't hurt her if she agrees."
"Agrees to what?" Torrin's clinched his fists tightly at his sides.
"You know my father has been trying to get Jasmine to be mine." Ulrich smiled
Torrin felt ill he wanted to do nothing more than rip out Ulrich's throat, He grabbed him and threw him up against the wall holding him in place. "You have been conspiring with you're father over her, why?"
"Look I don't want her," Ulrich yelled " trust me on that." His voice was wavering between anger and fear. "You know whoever has control of Merlin's scepter has control over us all. And well Jasmine is the only one who can use it. He left it to her, it's got a part of her in it. My father wants that control, you know that."
Torrin dropped him. He recalled when Jasmine went off just this past summer to study with Merlin who prolonged his life to give his knowledge to the most worthy. Torrin looked at Ulrich and knew that he was angry for not being selected. "How do I know that this is the truth, I know you wanted Merlin's knowledge and he chose Jasmine, and you would do anything to get even with her."
Ulrich shook his head, "I wouldn't subject her to the ruthlessness of my father, I'm not that heartless."
Torrin knew he was getting nowhere, "I need to get to her, do you know where she is? Ulrich if you have ever cared or do care about her, tell me where she is?"
Looking down Ulrich sighed, "I can't tell you," He paused and then looked up at Torrin, "I can't tell you that she's in the lower dungeons of our castle in the countryside."
Torrin didn't smile but he wanted to, instead he turned and walked swiftly from Ulrich. He so wished he had spent more time in studying how to apparate, he was going to have to do this the hard way, actually getting there on horseback. He went to fetch his horse.-Harry sat straight up looking down at the necklace still clutched in his hand, worried that he might break it he set it back in the drawer and closed it. He would try to give it back to Hermione tomorrow that is if she even considered talking to him. He would get her to talk to him tomorrow no matter what she said or did. With that he nodded and closed his eyes again, hoping another happy dream was on its way.
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So many problems, poor Hermione maybe she should pay more attention to deals in the future, huh people? ;) Well stay tuned for chapter 5-- Quidditch and Quarrels. Please read and review thanks, Ryoko.