Chapter 17
To Seek And To Find
Hermione remained still as the main door opened and closed, silence once more descending back over the room. The darkness seemed to crowd into the room, as if the figure at blotted out light with its presence. Once she was sure that the danger hand passed, she knew that revealing herself would have been a bad move, she let out the breath that she had not realised she was holding.
Talking a step into the common room, her wand flying into her hand, Hermione looked over at Harry's open door. Moving quickly, she stood on the threshold, looking in, seeing his bed clothes rumpled but the bed empty. A quick scan of the interior revealed the young wizard to be missing. She rushed through the door, seeking and searching, but she could find no trace of a struggle. Her eyes returned to the door of the room, as if she could see in her mind what had happened.
She groaned loudly, as it all became clear. She got to her feet and ran over to the chest, where Harry kept all their notes on the trail of the Horcruxes. Pulling open the lid, she jumped slightly as the wood cracked against the wall, but it did not distract her too long from her task. She rummaged through the scrolls and parchment until she found the one she was seeking.
Unwinding the parchment, her eyes scanned over the familiar page, even though she had only caught a brief look of it the previous day. Her eyes scanned downwards, taking in the diagram and words that lay before her. She frowned and mentally kicked herself for being so stupid.
"What are you doing, Harry?" She asked the night, as she rose from the floor, her hand gripping tightly to the scroll.
Rushing back over to the door, she ran through the common room and headed back to her own room. Flinging the scroll onto her bed, she pulled open the wardrobe and grabbed the first clothes that came to hand. Pulling on a pair of jeans and a dark coloured jumper, she reached for her cloak and picked up the unrolled parchment from the bed. She shook her head as she scrambled around for her shoes.
Once she returned to the common room, she pulled her cloak around her and then stopped suddenly as she stood before the door, her hand already outstretched to open it. Her thoughts finally caught up with her as she realised there was no way that she could follow Harry without being seen. He had taken the cloak, and if she took a step outside the door there was a good chance that Filch would catch her sneaking around. And she did not have the time to explain herself if she wanted to stop Harry doing whatever it was he was planning on doing.
But she knew that she did not have any choice, she had to follow him. He had not been in his right mind lately. He had become withdrawn. The last time they had spoken he had told her that the search could wait. Oh, she had been foolish to have fallen for such a line. Harry give up on his quest? She had been too wrapped up in herself to realise what was happening around her.
Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she pulled open the door and looked about for signs of life. She listened for a moment, and when she could not distinguish any sounds of movement, she took a careful step outside into the corridor, and pulled the door carefully closed behind her. It was a moment or two later that she took the first tentative step out into the open, feeling an air of nervousness sweep over her.
Eyes searching and ears listening intently, Hermione began her walk, unsure where she was going. She wanted more than anything to follow where Harry had gone, but it would be impossible for her to go that far without being see. Filch almost had a sixth sense as to where the trio had left the grounds and was always lurking nearby. Her only hope was to find another way to get out unseen, and that meant only one thing, she would have to find the spell to turn herself invisible, which was going to be no easy task considering what Professor Slughorn had told them.
Making her way down the corridor, Hermione was pleasantly surprised or more precisely, shocked to find that she had managed to go so far without being caught. She paused as she came to a corner, and fell silent as she listened for footsteps or other signs of people walking around. Once she decided that she could hear nothing, she peeked around the edge of the wall, her eyes taking in every detail of the path before her. Certain that it was safe for her to proceed, she stepped into the new hallway and continued on her way, gaining courage with each step. But despite her progress, she was annoyed that it was taking so long. Harry could get himself into serious trouble while she was creeping around the school.
She picked up her pace, while trying to keep her footsteps light. She was grateful that she had managed to pick out a pair of trainers, which kept the noise down as she walked. Fighting the urge to run, she moved carefully through the darkened school, her goal of the library fixed firmly in her head.
As if her luck was making her careless, Hermione's thoughts turned away from what could happen on her journey and instead focused on what Harry was doing or at least trying to do. He had obviously continued working through their notes while she and Ron were busy dealing with their own problems. A pang of guilt spread over her as she realised how selfish she had been, and now she was feeling even worse as she thought about Harry out there on his own. She berated herself silently, as she continued on her way.
"Miss Granger?" A voice broke through the silent corridor, echoing in the quietness.
Hermione did not need to turn to know who the owner of the voice was. She closed her eyes and frowned, before turning slowly to meet the gaze of her captor. Her eyes opened as she stared into the face of Professor Stygian.
The Professor and the student stood looking at each other. Hermione could feel her cheeks reddening at being caught so openly by the one teacher who unnerved her. Stygian kept her gaze on the young witch's eyes, as if she could read her inner thoughts.
"I am sure you have a perfectly good explanation for walking around the school at this time of night?" Professor Stygian's eyebrow rose questioningly, indicating that she in fact knew that Hermione did not.
Hermione paused for a moment, her mind in a whirl. "I was going to the library." She admitted, knowing there was not point lying, at least not yet anyway.
"The library. I see." The Professor once more sounded as if she did not mean what she said. "And what in the library is so important that you find yourself sneaking around in order to retrieve it?"
Fidgeting slightly, Hermione paused again. "I needed a book for my homework. I've been so busy all day that I did not get the chance to go earlier." She swallowed hard, knowing before she had even finished that the Professor would not believe her. She sounded unconvincing to her own ears. "I wanted to get it while I remembered."
Professor Stygian smiled, the death's head appearing again, sending a shiver down Hermione's spine. "You know that you should have asked permission to wander around the halls this late, Miss Granger. Being Head Girl, you more than anyone must know the rules." The smile disappeared as she indicated back down the passage that Hermione had come. "Follow me."
Without exchanging another word, the Professor and young witch retraced Hermione's steps, at least part of the way, as they walked to Professor Stygian's office.
* * * * *
The Professor's office was dark, lit only by a single candle that rested on the desk. Scattered around beneath it were a pile of books at various stages of reading. Some were open at the first page, while others were halfway completed. The flickering flame danced, sending strange patterns across the pages, making the symbols on the pages move eerily.
Stepping slightly to one side, the professor let Hermione enter the room, before following her inside. She pointed to a chair within the circle of the candle light for the young woman to sit on, then she moved over to her own seat and made herself comfortable.
"Miss Granger, I am sorely disappointed in seeing you wandering around tonight." Professor Stygian's eyes glared, almost as if they shone with a light of their own making. "If you are having trouble with your work, you know that as your House Head, I am available to offer any help that I can." She paused, letting her words sink in. "It is not strictly speaking encouraged, but I could have written you a pass to allow you some added time in the library. Madam Pince would have been acceptable to this, I am sure, given advanced warning."
Hermione looked guiltily at the professor. "I was not thinking, Professor Stygian."
"That is blatantly obvious, Miss Granger." Suddenly she smiled, as if she had said something funny. "I trust that you will think more in future. Not thinking can lead you into great trouble, even that which we may not see at first."
Hermione nodded as a thought came into her head. She had not seen the professor as she had been walking, and she had not heard her either. It was as if she had suddenly appeared out of the air. Shaking her head, Hermione tried to replay the series of events that had transpired before. She was not concentrating, that was for sure, but she would have heard something. No one could walk that quiet. She lowered her gaze to her lap, before flicking her attention briefly at the professor's feet, spotting the traditional shoes that Stygian wore. Those were the kind that tended to echo as they hit the bare floor of the school corridors.
Returning her gaze to Stygian's face, she nodded. "I will, Professor Stygian."
The death's head reappeared. "Good. People who learn from their mistakes are wise; those that do not are fools." She turned away from Hermione and looked at the candle, the flame appearing to dance in her gaze. "Even this meeting is a lesson, Miss Granger." she said as she once more stared at Hermione's face. "If you learn from it, then this conversation is not wasted. But if you do not learn, who knows where your foolishness might lead you."
Hermione stared at the professor, more than a little confused by what she was saying. As if something in Stygian's words had brought about a thought, Hermione suddenly remembered Harry, and she grew impatient. She needed to get out of the office and find the spell that she needed. The professor, if she noticed the difference in the young witch, did not reveal anything.
Professor Stygian looked at Hermione, making the young woman feel more than a little awkward, there was something about the older witch's stare that made Hermione imagine that the professor could read her, not just her expression but actually read what was going inside her. Looking as if she was about to speak again, Stygian opened her mouth, when a ruckus outside her office drew her attention.
"Excuse me, Miss Granger." The Professor smiled apologetically before she left the room, not looking back as she did.
Hermione remained where she was, it would have been wrong of her to leave without the professor's permission. She gazed around the room, as if she was looking for clues about Professor Stygian, trying to grasp what made the woman the way she was. But a quick glance revealed no personal belongings at all. Nothing that revealed Stygian's likes or hobbies, or anything to do with her life outside of teaching.
On the desk, the open books finally caught the young witch's attention. Looking briefly at the door to see if the professor was coming back, Hermione leant forward and ran her eyes over the page. It was a book of spells, which did not surprise Hermione in the least. What else would the professor have been reading? Hermione surmised that she was working on her next class.
Turning the pages, Hermione flicked her gaze over each of the spells, nothing that she saw was outstandingly different from the items they had been informed about or tested in class. Listening for a moment, she could hear the Professor's voice calling out to whatever it was that had called her away from her office. About to give up her reading, Hermione turned the page, and there right before here was something that made her gasp with surprise.
She pulled the book closer for a better look, totally focused on the spell laid out before her. Her eyes took on an intenseness that seemed to make her eyes grow several shades darker. Hermione mouthed the words as she read, as if testing them for size, repeating them silently to herself, until they fixed themselves into her mind.
A sound from outside the door, indicated the return of the professor, and flicking back the pages to the one that the book had originally been opened on, Hermione sat back in her chair, and let out a long breath, trying to calm her now rapidly beating heart. The door opened to reveal the Professor, her brow creased with frustration.
"Something really needs to be done about that Peeves." Professor Stygian remarked as she pulled her door closed and retook her seat. "I thought the school was falling down and it turns out that the ghost is having some 'fun'" She gaze Hermione another look at the death's head grin, and once more focused on the young witch. "I hope that you made the most of my absence, Miss Granger. Time to dwell on one's wrongdoings is always beneficial. And now to bed." She looked at Hermione. "I shall write you a hall pass for your return to your room. I would not like to see you get into any more trouble."
Hermione smiled nervously. "Thank you, Professor Stygian."
The Professor wrote a quick note and handed it to the young witch, a look in her eyes that Hermione could not quite make out. There was something there, as if she knew that her note would not be used for getting back to the Head Girl's quarters.
"Make sure you watch your step, Miss Granger. I would hate for us to have to go through a repeat of tonight." The Professor got up from her seat and held open her door. "Remember, learn from your mistakes so you do not make them again."
Hermione rose from her own chair and passed the Professor, heading back out into the corridor. She walked a short distance down the route towards her room, before stopping as she heard Stygian's door close. Flicking her eyes up and down the corridor, she pulled out her wand and spoke softly. "Oculus Non Animadverto."
The young Hogwart's student pointed her wand and frowned as she looked down at her hand, still able to see it before her face. She sighed loudly and shook her head. "How could I have forgotten the words already? The Professor's book definitely gave that as the invisibility spell." She once more raised her hand to her face, seeing her fingers wriggling before her.
She looked around her again and moved closer to the wall, hoping that if she heard someone coming, she would have time to disappear into one of the alcoves or behind one of the statues that were peppered around the school. She had to get to the library. If the spell book that Professor Stygian had on her desk could not help Hermione get to Harry, she would have to find one that could. She just hoped that she could get to Harry before he did something stupid. The time that she had spent in the professor's room had made a dent in the precious time that she had.
Sneaking quietly and speedily towards the library, Hermione stopped suddenly as she heard the familiar footsteps of Filch, wandering around the school corridors. She let out a frustrated sigh, which drew the caretaker's gaze right in her direction. In fact, the man was staring right at her. She got ready to pull out the note that she had been given by Professor Stygian, when Filch's actions made her cease her movements.
"Who's there?" Filch's voice echoed around the corridor, his head moving as if searching for something or someone.
Hermione, who was standing right in the line of his sight, once more looked down at her body, seeing herself as plain as day. She took a step into the middle of the corridor, putting herself very obviously in front of the caretaker, but he merely looked passed her, searching the length of the passageway.
I don't understand, Hermione thought for a moment, before the penny dropped. He can't see me. The spell worked. Taking a slow step towards Filch, she paused again, making sure that he was unsure of her presence. Then carefully, making sure not to make any noise, she passed right passed the caretaker, holding her breath so as not to draw attention to herself.
When she had managed to put a safe distance between herself and Filch, she stopped and turned back to look at him, as he continued to search around him, until eventually he gave up and continued down the corridor, the way that Hermione had come. She smiled to herself and continued on her way, making a slight detour in her destination, no longer needing the library.
* * * * *
Hermione stood in the darkness, a smile playing at her lips, as she watched for a moment, waiting to find the right time to make her move. She felt oddly conscious about her surroundings, which caused her to feel a little anxious as she stood silent, just the sound of soft breathing filling the air around her. Her gaze worked slowly around the room, making one last check, before she leant over, her mouth close to a visible ear.
"Spiders," she whispered as she gently traced her finger down the sleeping Ron's cheek, then stepped back as he woke up suddenly.
"Ahhhh! Spiders!" Ron's voice rang out around the quiet room, as his hands moved to his face, brushing away the creepy crawlies that he believed to be walking over his skin. "Get them off! Get them off!" He sat up in bed, still working frantically at his face, as another voice joined in the chorus of sound.
"Shut up, Ron!" Dean called from his bed. "You're just having a silly dream." The sound of three bodies returning to a comfortable position, accompanied by the sound of annoyed tutting took over from Ron's cries.
As the others settled back into sleep, Ron remained sitting, his hands still checking for signs, although they had slowed down from their frantic search. He lay back down in his bed, his head hitting the pillow as Hermione reached out to touch his arm.
"Ah!" Another scream rented through the air.
"Damn it, Ron!" Dean called out once more. "If you can't sleep go downstairs so the rest of us can."
Muttering to himself, and suddenly not in the mood for closing his eyes, Ron climbed out of the bed and grabbed his dressing gown, and pulled it around his body as he moved over to the room's door. He looked back at his bed, as if he was expecting to see a giant spider lying in his place. Turning, he moved down the stairway to the common room, grateful to have a little light.
"Ron?" Hermione's voice reached him, causing him to spin around suddenly, looking for the source.
"Who's there?" Ron looked around nervously.
"It's me. Hermione."
Ron looked around the room, scanning for the young witch, frowning as his eyes found no sign of her. "Where are you? I'm not in the mood for playing games."
"I'm by the staircase." Hermione took a couple of steps forward, making sure that her footsteps could be heard.
"I can't see you." Ron declared, not at all surprising Hermione.
Hermione laughed lightly, as she continued to walk towards him. "I'm invisible." She reached out a hand and laid it lightly on Ron's arm, making him jump.
Ron raised his arm in front on his carefully, moving it slowly as he moved it in front of him, gasping as his hand touched her. "Hermione? How did you…? What are you doing here?"
"Ron, it's Harry." Hermione looked at Ron, watching the expression on his face, saddened to see that it held a look of hatred.
Ron huffed. "Like it isn't always." He spat, and moved away from where she was standing, turning his back on her. "For a moment, I thought you might have come here to talk to me, but no…it's always Harry."
"Listen, Ron," Hermione moved quickly so that she was standing in front of him, stretching her hand out to stop his movements. "Harry's left Hogwarts. He's gone after the next Horcrux on his own. We've got to help him."
Ron came to a sudden stop as he walked into Hermione's unseen hand. "Will you stop that?" He grumbled, as he looked right through her. "How can I talk to you if I can't see you?"
"We don't have time, Ron. We've got to go after him." Hermione's voice rose with frustration. "He needs our help."
"I don't care." Ron's voice was filled with anger. "I've had enough of living my life around Harry Potter. Harry does something stupid, so I have to come running. Has he once thought about me? No. Did he care that he took you away from me? No. As far as I'm concerned, if he wants to do something stupid and get himself killed, he can. But he can do it without me."
"Ron!" Hermione's hand flicked out suddenly, catching the young wizard by surprise, as he had not seen the slap coming. "How can you say that? Harry is our friend."
Ron laughed bitterly. "No, friends do not sneak off in the middle of the night without telling their friends where they are going." He practically spat each word. "Friends do not keep secrets from their friends. And they most definitely don't chase their friends' girlfriends."
"Grow up, Ron! This is not about you and me!" Hermione was now shouting as loudly as Ron was. "Harry Potter is out there trying to stop Lord Voldemort, and you are worried about losing a little snogging opportunity!" She took a step away from him, sighing loudly, her anger allowing her to use the dark lord's name. "This is what broke us up, not Harry."
"What did?" Ron's voice lowered, as he sounded confused.
"You did." Hermione's voice was little more than a whisper. "You stopped caring about what we had to do, and you put yourself first, all the time."
Ron let out a loud laugh, which did not sound at all pleasant to Hermione's ears. "Always putting myself first? That's rich coming from you, who never put me first at all. It was all Harry this and Harry that. You even stopped letting us have time together because you were afraid of upsetting him." He dramatically pointed, as if he knew where Harry was. "When did you ever think about how I felt? Or what I wanted?"
"We don't have time for this, Ron!" Hermione screamed once more, not sure if she was angry because his words were telling her what she was afraid of hearing or because he was unwilling to help her help Harry. "Are you coming?"
Silence fell between the two, both standing still. Hermione stared at Ron, while Ron looked at a piece of wall, being unable to see the young witch. The sound of their angered breath filled the room, mingled with the creaks of the old building and the gentle ticking of the mantle clock.
"Please, Ron, don't give up on the quest now." Hermione took a step towards Ron, her voice low and almost begging in its tone. "He can't do this on his own. He's gone out blind, Ron, and he'll end up getting himself killed. Do you want He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named to win?"
Ron remained silent for a moment, still gazing off at the wall, before he finally found his voice. "Okay, I'll help. But I'm not doing this for you or for Harry. I'm doing this to stop Him from winning. Is that clear?"
"I don't care why you are doing it, Ron, just as long as you help." Hermione sounded disappointed just the same, but she was not going to argue. They really did not have the time.
"I'll just put on some clothes," Ron said, as he turned towards the stairs. "You stay there."
Ron disappeared up to his room, as Hermione turned to look at the clock, hoping that Harry was still alright. It was taking an age for her to get after him, and she would hate herself if she arrived too late to do any good.
* * * * *
"Are you sure you know the spell to make us visible?" Ron asked quietly, as he and Hermione dashed along the corridor that would lead them to the secret exit.
Hermione nodded, even though Ron could not see her do so. "Yes, Ron, I know the spell." She reached a corner in their route and stopped suddenly, and was bashed into for the umpteenth time by Ron, as he failed to be aware of her intention to stop. "Would you be careful?" She hissed at him.
"If you told me you were stopping…" Ron began, then fell silent as he listened for signs of people walking about. The corridor was silent, as they had all been. "I think I preferred the cloak better, at least we could see each other."
Poking her head around the corner, Hermione saw that the way was clear, and she smiled to herself as she noted that the secret door they wanted was just up ahead. She took a careful step into the new corridor, and whispered for Ron to follow. Two soft footfalls made their way down the passageway and they stopped without incident in front of the door.
"Ready?" Hermione asked, as she gently pulled the latch that revealed the entrance.
"Yeah, I'm ready," Ron replied, sounding a little nervous like he tended to when they had to sneak out of the school. It reminded Hermione how unlike his twin brothers he was, which was not entirely a bad thing.
Stepping through the door, the two continued on their way until finally they emerged in the more than familiar surroundings of Hogsmeade. Hermione looked about her, not sure what she was expecting to see, but years of sneaking around in places they were not supposed to be, had made her cautious.
"Are you sure this is where he was coming?" Ron suddenly sounded unsure, as if he thought this was some trick of Hermione's.
Hermione took a few steps forward, her gaze taking in each of the buildings that littered both sides of the tiny street. "Yes, I'm sure." She reached back, searching for Ron with her outstretched hand. "Where are you?"
"Here." His voice came from her left.
Reaching out she grabbed his arm, and pulled him slightly towards one of the buildings. "We'll go around the back. If Harry's notes are correct, he should be just along the road. I just hope we haven't missed him."
"If he's back in bed and you've dragged me out here…" Ron began, but was silenced with a 'hush' from Hermione. He muttered something under his breath, which was too quiet for the young witch to hear.
Walking in silence, the two moved behind the row of buildings, carefully making their way towards the address that Harry had scrawled down on the top of the parchment. Hermione led, with Ron following close behind, her hand now holding his, so that they would not lose each other. As they edged closer, their steps became slower, as if she was afraid that moving them forward too fast would draw attention to them both.
She stopped in front of a window, pulling Ron to stand beside her. There through the window, basking in the light of a candle was Harry Potter, a book resting in his lap, as he sat in a high backed chair. He looked up, his mouth moving as he talked to someone that sat in the chair opposite him, unable to be seen from Hermione's view point.
Before either Hermione or Ron could say anything, a white haired figure rose from the seat and looked directly at the window. He stared for a moment, his familiar face breaking into a small smile. He turned away and addressed Harry, before leaving the young wizard, who returned his attention back to the book he was looking at.
Suddenly to their right, Hermione and Ron saw a low light break into the dark night air, as the shape of the old man appeared. They remained very still, trying not to make a noise, not even with their breath.
"There's not point you both getting cold," Aberforth Dumbledore smiled, looking directly at the place Hermione and Ron stood. "Come in to the warm."
Knowing that they could not pretend they were not there, Hermione and Ron walked over to the door and slipped passed Aberforth, realising just how cold it had been outside. They looked back at the old wizard, who pointed them into the room where they had seen Harry.
As the three entered the room, Aberforth looked at Harry. "Looks like there are people here to see you."
Harry looked at Aberforth and then towards the door, looking a little puzzled as he saw no one. "Who?"
Raising his wand, Aberforth pointed it at Ron and Hermione, who appeared before a startled Harry seconds later.
"What are you doing here?" Harry asked, as he rose from the seat, staring at the two new arrivals.
"More importantly, what are you doing here?" Ron replied, not looking or sounding the tiniest bit happy.
[Author's Note: Oculus Non Animadverto means Eye Does Not See, (although there could be some verb confusion as I used an online translator. If anyone knows Latin, I am open to correction).]