The Deceiver's Distillation
by Jardyn39
Chapter 9: The Only Logical Course
Hermione took a deep, steadying breath before speaking. Looking up, still blinking back tears, she began.
"Actually, I suppose it all started during the last term of our Fifth Year. You see I'd just confiscated a number of very dubious items from Lavender and Parvati. One of the items was a phial of a home made love potion. Parvati was convinced it was perfect, but you know how hopeless at potions both of them are."
"Thankfully I stopped them before they had a chance to test the stuff. Anyway, we had quite a row about it. In the end Ginny had to intervene before we really came to blows.
"Anyway, Ginny dragged me off to calm down and we got to talking. First of all we just spoke in general terms. You know, what you'd need to make a proper love potion. Then we decided to have a go. Just to see if we could do it. After all, love potions weren't anything serious. It was all just a bit of fun.
"To be honest, our first effort turned out to be worse than Parvati's. Then Ginny remembered a book her Mum said she had used. It took us ages, but eventually a Seventh Year found it for us in the Restricted Section.
"Our second batch was much better, but it went off very quickly. It got too strong to use after only a very short while.
"Then, I had this idea. If the potion could be absorbed through the skin, then it wouldn't matter if it was too strong to ingest. We decided to try an assortment of things to hold the potion, but in the end we decided upon one of Fred and George's Skiving Snackboxes. They had developed a harmless porous base that was ideal for holding potions.
"This was all out of academic interest, you understand?"
Harry remained silent, not daring to speak his mind.
"Anyway, when I arrived at the Burrow last summer, Ginny and I had a long conversation. I confided one or two things to her and she confided in me. She, without realising it, persuaded me to take, er, some direct action.
"Harry, you have to believe me when I tell you that Ginny had no intention of actually using the potion. We just joked about it, but I realised it actually made perfect sense. We found out you were coming to the Burrow and that was when I decided to put the Skiving Snackbox under your pillow. It only became apparent later that we'd got the potion wrong somehow. I think Fred and George's original concoction may have affected it.
"After that, of course, I mostly stuck to Fred and George's Wonder Witch products. They worked much better, after a while."
"Hang on," said Ron. "How much of that stuff have you been putting around?"
"I only used it on Harry."
"Why?"
"I wanted us all to be happy. I knew how much Ginny cared for Harry and I was sure that he'd love her once he got past seeing her as your little sister. I also thought that once Harry was, er, taken, you'd finally pluck up enough courage to ask me out as well."
Ron looked quite lost for words for a moment.
"You doped Harry just to go out with me?" he asked incredulously.
"I know it sounds terrible, especially when you say it like that."
"No, Hermione, this isn't something that just sounds terrible," said Ron, his voice becoming angrier. "It is terrible."
"Ron," warned Harry. "Let's let Hermione tell us in her own way."
Hermione drew another long breath before continuing.
"It all went wrong almost straight away. Not only did Harry show none of the signs of being affected by the potions, Ginny carried on with Dean and you, Ron, took up with Lavender.
"I was furious with all of you, but I was quite convinced that my logic would prevail in the end. I kept on experimenting with the doses and I eventually brewed my own based upon my analysis of Fred and George's potions.
"I know you won't believe me, but Fred and George are actually being rather responsible with what they are selling. Their products are actually very mild and even expire if they are kept too long. They just revert to a harmless perfume.
"Anyway, I was almost at the point of giving up when you decided to use your Felix Felicis, Harry. I thought it was worth one more shot so I dosed you again that afternoon."
"When did you tell Ginny?"
"I wasn't going to, but she caught me adding something to your drink. This would have been some time after you'd been seeing her, Harry. She was furious. I tried to convince her that we should continue; that if we just stopped then you might behave unpredictably.
"Ginny didn't agree though. I almost had her convinced before we both saw Bill and Fleur in the Hospital Wing. After that, seeing what true love is, we both knew it had to stop."
Ron wiped his face with shaky hands.
"Hermione, you could go to prison for what you've done."
"No, Ron," said Harry. "The only real evidence is the test results done by Professor Slughorn. Those samples have been destroyed and, frankly, he was rather confused by the variation in the potions used. I only needed him to confirm it was only a love potion that I was given. For some time I was worried it was something worse."
"Like something to transform you into Voldemort?" asked Hermione.
"We now know that was a side effect of the Deceiver's Distillation, because of my link with Voldemort."
Harry noticed Hermione's slight frown and wondered if she knew he had just lied. Much to his relief, her face relaxed again and appeared to be content to let it pass though. He wasn't quite ready to admit the truth about that just yet.
"But, Hermione, what if You-Know-Who found out what you were doing?" asked Ron, the volume of his voice rising. "He could have used you to slip something more lethal to Harry. You do realise that? Harry has been careful about what he eats and drinks all year. The only reason you were successful was that he trusted you. He never questioned that anything you gave him to eat or drink," Ron finished angrily making Hermione wince in response.
As Ron spoke these words of anger, Harry felt the last of his own anger with Hermione slipping away. He really hadn't been sure how he would react.
Ron stood with his hands balled into fists and said, "I need to get out of here before I say or do something I'll regret later."
The other two did not stop Ron leaving and sat in silence for some time.
"Hermione," said Harry eventually, "You started S.P.E.W. on the strength of your conviction that it was wrong for the house elves to be enslaved, and yet you somehow justified to yourself that it was acceptable for me to be enslaved.
"I don't think I'll ever understand that, but do I forgive you. I've had some time to think about this, and I have to believe that you thought you were acting for the best."
"Thank you, Harry."
"The thing is, Hermione, I honestly can't think of anything worse than making someone, anyone, act against his or her own free will. A love potion is really the same as an Imperious Curse, if you think about it."
Hermione nodded and said thickly, "I know. That's why I dropped the SPEW campaigning. It was an uncomfortable reminder that what I was doing was wrong."
"There's one thing I really can't figure out, though."
Hermione looked up.
"Why didn't you just give Ron the love potion? Wouldn't that have saved you an awful lot of trouble?"
Hermione grimaced.
"I suppose I owe you the truth. I'd rather Ron doesn't find out, though."
"Go on," Harry urged, crossing his arms.
"This will sound awful. The truth is, although Victor was nice, I really didn't fancy him that much. I was terribly flattered by his attentions, but I was never seriously attracted to him. Ron was the only other boy who ever showed any interest in me, Harry."
"I still don't get it."
Hermione hesitated.
"I was utterly convinced that you and Ginny would get together anyway. I was only helping you both along a bit. I was far less certain with Ron."
"But you just said, you've known for ages that Ron liked you."
Hermione looked down.
"Oh, no," breathed Harry. "That's not what you meant, is it?"
Hermione shook her head slowly.
"You're weren't sure that you even wanted Ron? Was that because of his reaction to Fleur or was it just Lavender?"
Hermione mouthed timidly, "Neither."
"Hermione, I really can't believe this of you!" exclaimed Harry. "Are you seriously telling me that the only reason you went out with Ron was that you thought no one else wanted you? And to think how appalled I was at the lengths you were prepared to go to get Ron jealous."
Hermione looked down, her face reddening again.
"You just thought you'd end up alone?" he said gently.
She nodded, apparently unable to look him in the face.
Harry got up and moved towards the door. Placing a hand gently on her shoulder, he said, "No more trying to manipulate people, right?"
Hermione shook her head.
"We leave in an hour. Get your things and meet us in the Great Hall."
"What?" she said, jerking her head up.
"Well, we all make mistakes, Hermione. I'm very glad you told me. As terrible as your actions were, I really couldn't face setting out without you."
"Thanks, Harry," she replied thickly.
Harry snorted to himself and said, "You know what the real irony in all this is? Now I know your real motives, and the depths you'd go to, to help me, I actually feel I trust you more. Mind you, that's probably just another potion you've slipped me."
Hermione immediately blurted, "No, Harry! I promise-," but stopped when she saw the half grin on his face.
"Now, I'd better go and find Ron. You are going to have to find a way to let him down easy, if that's what you really want to do. If you are going to have a problem with me asking him along as well, I need to hear it now."
"No, Harry. I'll find a way. I promise."
Harry paused at the door and looked back.
"I did think of one more motive you might have had," he admitted. "I assumed you thought I was running out of time to discover the power he knows not."
*
"These kits must cost a fortune!" exclaimed Ron as walked and rummaged at the same time. "I've always wanted an invisibility cloak of my own. And we've got some of those potions that Slughorn kept on about. They're supposed to be really expensive."
Ron tripped slightly, still totally engrossed by the contents of his rucksack.
Harry turned back and said, "Ron, there'll be plenty of time later to look through that stuff. Hagland and Smith have enough to worry about without watching to see if you're going to fall into ditches."
"Yeah, Harry. What ditches?" Ron asked before adding, "Woah," before stopping abruptly at the edge of a deep ditch at the side of the road. Ron had walked on rather than follow the road around.
Ron looked up with an annoyed expression on his face.
"Some bodyguards you two are. Why didn't you warn me?"
"Ron! How many more times?!" said Hermione, sounding distinctly put out. "They are not here to influence what we do or where we go, no matter how stupid you are."
"But still," complained Ron, turning and hurrying to catch the others up. "I mean, really. What's the point?"
Harry just hoisted his rucksack higher and marched on up the hillside.
*
That evening, as the three of them sat around the campfire, Harry contemplated their first day away from Hogwarts.
Unfortunately, Ron and Hermione's squabbles had escalated to the point where they were no longer talking. Ron hadn't mentioned Hermione's dosing Harry with love potion again, but Harry knew he was still greatly troubled by what he had just learned.
Ron also appeared to be put out by the compliments the others had given Hermione. Hope had been fascinated by the smokeless and invisible fire she had conjured, which was undeniably useful for remaining undetected.
Harry wondered where the others were. He knew they were still out there, in the darkness, watching over them. They had declined to camp with them. Harry knew this was only sensible, in case they were disturbed, but he would have liked to have their company.
He smiled remembering their surprise when Hermione had summoned Ron's rucksack back to them after it had been accidentally kicked down the hill. Duke had been so impressed he had thrown it back down again just so she could show them again.
Harry had taken them aside and rebuked them for that, telling them how childish they were. Yes, Ron was being a pain, but Harry knew his moaning was just a reflection of his troubled mood.
Upon reflection, Harry realised that they were like children in many ways. Duke might be an experienced and deadly soldier, but his sense of humour was definitely childish. They were also, Harry realised, rather dependent upon being told what to do. He was sure that if Bateman hadn't been off meeting Kingsley Shacklebolt, Ron wouldn't have had his rucksack kicked down the hill.
As he thought that, he wondered if Bateman wouldn't just have kicked Ron down the hill instead.
He snorted to himself, making the others look up.
Realising he didn't really want to explain his mirth, Harry cleared his throat and said, "I think I'll turn in."
*
Initially, the next morning appeared to bring a truce between Ron and Hermione along with a dry, gentle breeze.
They packed up the camp and vanished every sign they could see that they had been there, and Harry was relieved that Hermione and Ron were again talking and things appeared to be less strained.
They set off again, and Harry thought everything was fine until around lunchtime.
He really had no idea what set them off, but what started as good natured banter rather quickly descended into waspish sniping.
He really didn't want to get involved in having the same argument yet again, and was keen to be waiting at the place and time they had agreed to meet Bateman at.
Harry new it was probably a little stupid, but he felt he needed to push himself. At his side again, Duke and Careem quickened their pace to match his without complaint.
Bateman had instructed his men to provide any tuition, training and advice to the three of them as required or asked for. His one condition was that they had to actually do everything for themselves. Harry could and did ask about map reading, making camp, preparing food and rations and such like, but it was up to him to actually get everyone there.
Harry knew that he'd already made a couple of mistakes, one of which was his selection of campsite on the first night. Although he wasn't about to blame them, he knew that he had been wrong to allow Ron and Hermione a vote in where they camped. It was becoming clear to Harry that democracy was a luxury his forthcoming campaign would need to do without.
The morning after that first night, the troupe walked through another campsite, the one selected by Duke and from where they had watched over the three of them that night. Apart from the vicinity to fresh water, relative protection from the weather, it also afforded excellent views of all the approaches.
It was a lesson that Harry would learn well. Duke confided to him later later that he'd made the same mistakes too the first time he'd been on a survival course. He wasn't trying to annoy Harry by doing this. Rather, he was gently reminding Harry of all the things he'd been telling him.
Harry paused at the crest of the hill to check his map. The meeting point was just below. He quickly scanned the area below using his Omnioculars. It was clear.
Harry waited for the others to catch up but when he heard their bickering he turned and hurried down the steep path.
He arrived at the fallen tree a little out of breath, but happy that at least they had beaten Bateman there.
"Well done, Harry," said Bateman.
Harry spun around to see Bateman grinning at him from the top of the fallen tree trunk.
"You were hiding under an invisibility cloak?"
"Nope, but I was hiding," he replied nonchalantly, looking up the path at the others. "Did you learn much from your little jaunt?"
"Only that I should listen to what Duke tells me," Harry replied flatly. Duke winked at him and Bateman smiled and nodded.
"Why are you so far ahead of the others?"
"I, er, got fed up of listening to them argue," Harry admitted in an undertone as Ron and Hermione joined them.
"Well, I'd just tell them to shut up. There are occasions when instead of chattering and bickering, you'd be better watching out for each other. I've been stalking the three of you since yesterday morning. I got close enough to touch you two," he said to Ron and Hermione. "I'm just glad you didn't fall into that ditch I was hiding in."
Ron snorted.
"On the plus side," continued Bateman, "I can see that you are all getting used to a little physical exertion. I also think that Harry's getting sufficiently good at this survival command to give one of you responsibility for selecting and setting up camp for this evening."
Ron and Hermione looked horrified. They had decided it would be best to leave such decisions entirely to Harry after their previous disastrous advice.
"Who's it going to be, Harry?"
"Ron, this time."
"Okay," said Bateman. "I need to fill Harry in on a couple of things, but then we'll both be available to follow your orders, Ron."
He turned and ushered Harry further down the path.
"Why did you choose Ron?" asked Bateman quietly. "He's only going to get Hermione to tell him what to do."
"Well, hopefully Hermione will realise that Ron needs to take some responsibility for himself."
"Mm?" said Bateman, as they watched Ron follow Hermione down to a small stream, clearly planning on pleading for assistance out of their earshot.
Harry sighed and turned his back on them before walking on a couple of steps. Bateman smiled and joined him.
"What did you want to tell me?" asked Harry.
"We've had some intelligence. We think we know where they are."
"Really?" said Harry with interest.
"Yes. There was a sighting two days ago which was confirmed yesterday."
"What happened? Is it far? When can we go?" said Harry eagerly.
"Hang on," said Bateman raising his hands. "There's a lot that we still don't know. We think we know where the arena is, but that's only because it vanished. We have teams on standby in the area but so far no one has carried out a proper reconnaissance for fear of scaring them away."
"I understand. What did you mean by arena? Is that a soldiering term?"
"Sometimes, but in this context, I'm afraid it isn't. They really have built themselves what looks like an arena. We've had people checking the satellite photographs for any large structure that appeared or disappeared between passes. That's how we located it."
"How detailed are the photographs?"
"Detailed enough for us to think they are holding gladiatorial contests there."
"No way," breathed Harry.
"One thing, though. Kingsley thought it strange that we could see the arena at all. He thinks that either they are getting overconfident and lazy, or we were allowed to see it to lure us into a trap. Personally, I think it was the former. The location is rather remote and the satellite coverage over that area is classified Top Secret."
Harry nodded.
"Can they really be still alive?" Harry asked after a moment.
"I honestly don't know, but I think that's too much to hope for. It's just been too long. However, I also think it's time you told your friends exactly what happened. I'm assuming they will be coming with us?"
"Yes, but I'm going to insist they stay out of the fighting. I was going to tell them before we left Hogwarts, and then again last night. The moment never seemed to be right though."