Disclaimer: Everything concerning Harry Potter belongs to J. K. Rowling. I own nothing, nor is this done for any purpose except my own enjoyment and the enjoyment of anyone reading this. There is no attempt to make any profit.
The Most Ancient Magic
Chapter Twenty-Two: Trouble in Paradise
Hermione picked up her suitcase and trudged toward the train. "Hermione, wait!" Turning she saw Ron and Ginny hurrying to catch her. She waited until they caught up and they walked to the train together. Ron kept turning around looking for Luna.
"Where is Harry?" asked Ginny.
"He left early this morning with Professor McGonagall. I guess he's at St. Mungo's."
They could find no place in the last carriage so they moved up to the next one. Luna was standing in the corridor waiting for them, "There are a couple of compartments open in this carriage," she informed them.
They were trying to decide which compartment to take as an-all-too familiar voice rang out, "Well, well, well, if it isn't Loony and the Weasels."
"Malfoy, keep your opinions to yourself. No one invited you," Hermione scolded.
"Of course, Granger would be here too-," he caught sight of Hermione's locket, gleaming softly at her throat. A look of stunned disbelief crossed his face. He reached for it, "Where did a Mudblood like you get something like-,"
"Mr. Malfoy! How dare you use such foul and abusive language toward another student and a fellow prefect at that. If I ever hear you doing anything like this again, I'll have your badge." Professor McGonagall stepped out of an empty compartment with Harry in tow.
Draco whirled around to face an irate Professor McGonagall. He usually made sure there were no teachers around before he insulted someone. Now, not only had he been caught red handed, but by Professor McGonagall no less. Ron, Ginny, and Luna exchanged triumphant grins, Malfoy wasn't caught like this often. He scurried back toward the front of the train.
McGonagall's face softened slightly, "Miss Granger, may I please have a word with you?"
Hermione nodded and went into the compartment followed by McGonagall. The door slid shut, Harry was looking hopefully after them.
"What did they say at St. Mungo's, Harry?" asked Ron.
Harry didn't look at Ron but he said, "They are monitoring my progress. I'm making some improvement, it's just not as fast as I'd like."
After about ten minutes McGonagall left the compartment, she nodded to them and left the train. Ginny, Luna, Ron, and Harry entered the compartment. They were arranging themselves so that Harry could sit next to Hermione.
Hermione looked at Harry, her expression was one of cold fury. "Get out, Harry! Get out now!" her voice was venomous. "And never speak to me again."
"Uh oh, is there trouble in paradise?" chimed Ron, he was watching Luna and saw neither Hermione's expression or the color drain from Harry's face.
Ginny reacted immediately. "Shut up, Ron! This is serious." The measure of just how serious occurred when Hermione stood, crossed to Harry and slapped his face with all her might. His glasses flew, he staggered, nearly falling. Ron and Luna were stunned. Ginny grabbed Harry's arm and pushed him out of the compartment, retrieving Harry's glasses from Luna on the way out.
Ginny and Harry moved to the next empty compartment. "Harry, what happened? Hermione looked so happy at Christmas."
Harry looked as if Hermione's words had stabbed him to the heart. "I can't say, Ginny. Hermione will have to tell you. Just give her some time, everything will be ok. In the meantime just treat her the way you always have, she needs you to be her friend," his voice was quiet, and desperate. He winced as he touched the red imprint of Hermione's hand. The redness would soon disappear but she left a bruise on his cheekbone.
"Will you be all right here alone?" she asked. Harry nodded. As she was leaving Neville came along looking for somewhere to sit.
"Do you mind?" he asked Harry. Harry shook his head no. Neville noticed the hand print on Harry's face.
"Don't ask," Ginny whispered. "Just sit with him, he needs a friend." Ginny went back to try to talk to Hermione.
Ron and Luna were watching over Hermione. She was still sitting with her back toward them. Ginny sat beside her and gently touched her shoulder. "What happened between you and Harry, Hermione?"
Hermione's voice was barely above a whisper, "I don't believe it. He betrayed me, I trusted him, and he betrayed me." She took a small, square object from her pocket and hurled it with all her strength out of the compartment. Ron, his reflexes honed by his Quidditch training deftly caught it, he was surprised that is was only a cheap mirror.
Hermione reached up and removed her locket, before they could stop her she opened the window and threw it out. Her expression fell and she turned toward the corner and began to cry silently.
Luna drew her wand, "Accio Hermione's locket," she said quietly. A few moments later she had Hermione's locket safely in hand, the goblin-wrought gold hadn't even been scratched.
An hour or so later Ron rose, "I'll give these to Harry," he whispered as he left the compartment.
It was a tribute to Neville's sensitivity that he didn't pry allowing Harry to brood about what had happened with Hermione. Harry was angry with himself as he realized what he had done wrong. He told Lupin about going to Professor McGonagall but he hadn't talked about it with Hermione. He remembered telling her he would get help, but didn't tell her how he planned to get it.
He couldn't imagine how it must have been for her having McGonagall know her secret. It had been hard enough telling the stern professor at St. Mungo's. McGonagall hadn't asked a lot of questions but watching her mouth contract into that thin line made him glad the healers had called him into the examining room. When they had finished McGonagall had told him that she had arranged help for Hermione and not to discuss the matter with anyone else. Her tone had been sharp and her words terse.
Ron found Harry sitting alone in the compartment. "You by yourself, Harry?"
"Neville went to the loo. How is Hermione?"
"She's in a right state, mate. She tried to chuck these, then cried herself to sleep. We thought you'd like to keep them for her."
Harry groaned as he took his gifts back.
"Harry, Hermione said you betrayed her, did you two sleep to-,"
"No! Ron," Harry's was stung by Ron's question, but Neville returning to the compartment saved him from further inquiry. Harry, trying to change the subject, asked, "Are you glad to get back to school, Ron?"
"Yeah, Harry, I'm anxious to start working with Madam Pomfrey, we'll need to get back to Quidditch practice too, the match against Ravenclaw will be coming up soon.
Harry was glad to turn the subject to something other than his love life. Talking Quidditch was about the only thing that could have distracted him even though his heart wasn't in the discussion. The only comfort came from McGonagall's promise that Hermione would receive all the help she needed to deal with the shadow that had come out of her past.
When the train arrived, Harry had to act like he was still crippled. By the time he got off the train Hermione had bolted. She hadn't even changed into her robes and was heading toward the first carriage. A couple of students had tried the door but it would not open for them. Hermione got right in and the carriage left immediately for the school. Harry was heartened that McGonagall was trying to provide help for her as soon as possible.
Harry watched for Hermione the rest of the weekend, but she was nowhere to be found. On Monday he tried to keep to the schedule he used before the holidays so that Hermione would know where he was. He knew she could either join or avoid him, to his disappointment, but not his surprise, she chose the latter. His first major disappointment came when she did not come to study Occlumency. Dumbledore did not seem surprised by Hermione's absence, since he asked no questions, Harry figured McGonagall had told him something of what had happened. Harry knew that she would be disappointed as well, Dumbledore chose that evening to begin his lessons on Legilimency.
During the ensuing week Harry caught several glimpses of her as he made his way between classes. He arrived in class early so she could sit with him but she always sat in the back and left as soon as class was over, these days she didn't even answer questions in class, denying him even the sound of her voice. As each day passed he missed her more.
Thursday brought a chance encounter, Harry exited the library as Hermione and two girls he did not know were coming up the hall. Hermione was deep in conversation as her foot and Harry's staff came down in the same place at the same time. It was most unfortunate that he was hitching up his book bag. He was already off balance and as his staff skittered out from under him he fell heavily to the floor. His books and papers spilled into the hall. Hermione stood horrorstruck as her friends quickly bent to gather Harry's things.
To make things worse for Hermione, to those following Harry, it appeared that she had kicked Harry's staff and was now refusing to help. Several made angry comments as they came to try to help Harry. Hearing the angry voices she began to back away. Harry could see the conflicting emotions on her face. He tried to reassure her, "Hermione, it's all right. It was an accident, I'm ok." Hermione turned and ran back down the hall, followed by one of the girls who had been with her.
Justin Finch-Fletchley gave Harry a hand up. He kept looking back and forth between Harry and the hallway, to him something was not adding up. "I thought you and Hermione were friends, why didn't she help?"
"She's going through a bad time right now, she's not herself. In time she'll be ok," he answered hopefully.
"You're being awfully forgiving, Harry."
"I can't help it, Justin. I love her," he said looking wistfully down the hall.
Justin and the girl both stared at him. "You're Harry Potter," she said in amazement, staring at his scar.
"Yes, I am," he looked at her. She was from Ravenclaw and appeared to be in her third or fourth year.
"You're Hermione's boyfriend?" she gasped. Harry nodded. Her expression became troubled, "Oh my," she said as she turned away, "Oh my."
Harry's last class on Fridays was double Herbology. As he was finishing up Professor Sprout came over to him. "May I have a word after class?" Harry nodded assent.
As everyone was leaving, Harry followed her into her office. To his surprise Professor McGonagall was sitting there. Professor Sprout took a pitcher of water and poured it into an ewer, turning she poured water into a second, "Have a bit of a wash, Mr. Potter."
Harry washed and sat down in the chair Professor Sprout indicated. "Mr. Potter," she began, "you came to Professor McGonagall because of Miss Granger's recovered memories. I coordinate a support group of girls who have experienced incidents of this nature. Unfortunately, she has been evasive when we have tried find out what precipitated the return of this memory."
He was rankled by Sprout's referring to what had happened to Hermione as an 'incident', but he tried to listen to what she was saying.
Professor McGonagall interrupted, "Mr. Potter, when an incident like this occurs-,"
It was more than Harry could take. His worry and frustration burst out, "How can you call a vicious, brutal assault by an… an…" he faltered when he could not come up with a name bad enough for the one who had hurt Hermione.
Professor McGonagall, usually patient with students, reacted to Harry's outburst with anger. "Mr. Potter, kindly control yourself. I will not have you-,"
"Silence, the both of you," ordered Professor Sprout.
Harry was surprised by the look of steely determination he saw in Professor Sprout's eyes. He had always considered her a rather dotty old lady puttering among her plants. His nascent ability with Legilimency was telling him that there was more in McGonagall's attitude than she was letting on.
"Minerva, I'm surprised at you, we need this information. If you can't help I shall require that you leave.
"Mr. Potter, please calm down, I know you are concerned, but you don't understand. The terms we use are in no way intended to minimize the fact that Miss Granger has suffered a brutal assault. Our goal is to create a dialogue that will help the victims come to terms with all the anger, fear, pain, and humiliation caused by the attack. To that end we use neutral terms so that we have a place to begin. Professor McGonagall is trying to use the same technique with you."
Professor McGonagall took a moment to compose herself then began again. "We don't expect that you know, you won't study memory charms until next year. Mr. Potter, when an attack like this occurs a record of what happened and how the victim's memory was modified is created. Usually the memory modification remains undisturbed. At such time as the witch applies to the ministry for a marriage license the record is opened and healers that specialize in wounds to the emotions and spirit come to her and gently help her and her fiancé with the memories and deal with the situation.
"However, if a second assault occurs, the memory comes back immediately, with full force. The reason for this is so the 'Fight or Flight' response is triggered. This response enables the victim to fight more effectively or create a disturbance so help will come. With law enforcement involvement, either magic or Muggle, the records come to light and the healers can deal with the situation. The obvious conclusion for us is that Miss Granger has suffered a second attack. What is unusual is that the police have not been involved. We need to know what has happened, and as Professor Sprout has said, Miss Granger is not being very forthcoming with the events that triggered her memory." Professor McGonagall appeared to steel herself, "I must ask you, Mr. Potter, have you and Miss Granger been engaging in sexual intercourse?"
Harry was taken aback by Professor McGonagall's question, but his mind was whirling because of the statement she had made. His touch had caused her memory to return, the fact that she was holding his hand made little difference as a wave of guilt overwhelmed him. "N-no, Professor we haven't had s-sex." He told them, haltingly, about what had happened that awful night, how he had touched her accidentally, and how Hermione had responded. He explained how they had worked to keep her parents from noticing anything was wrong, although he did not tell them why Hermione was so desperate to keep from hurting them again. He told them how he had contacted his guardian and how Lupin had approved of his plan to go to Professor McGonagall.
McGonagall began indignantly, "Mr. Potter, I'm surprised at you, I expected better behavior from the students in my house! I don't understand her parent's lack of attention. Frankly, if this sort of thing occurs at Hogwarts, I must warn you that you will be facing serious discipline, if not outright expulsion-,"
The slam of Professor Sprout's hand on her desk made Harry and McGonagall both jump. "NOT-ONE-MORE-WORD, Minerva!" her eyes were blazing. "I warned you! I told you what I suspected, and although I respect your special interest in this case, I will not have you add to this boy's burdens. Look at him, he's been half-sick with worry about Miss Granger ever since they got back to Hogwarts. He has been honest and helpful. He realized the seriousness of what has happened and his own limitations and has sought help. His actions have been wise and show nothing but concern for Miss Granger. Your condemnations are out of place here. We have met to get information we desperately need. I will not allow you to hinder that process. If you cannot abide my rules-THEN LEAVE!" She pointed imperiously at the door to her office.
Harry's respect for Professor Sprout was growing by leaps and bounds. He never in his life could have imagined that anyone could make Professor McGonagall back down, but she quailed before Sprout's fury. In a minute or two she said, "You're right, Lavinia,"
Professor Sprout's voice calmed somewhat, "Minerva, their behavior was foolish, but they are young and young people make mistakes, it's our job to guide them, and if it were to have happened at Hogwarts we would have had more warning.
"Miss Granger's parents only mistake was under estimating their only child's resistance to temptation.
"You can't blame Mr. Potter for all of this, Miss Granger must take some of the responsibility, from the way it sounds she was sharing her most intimate possession with someone she loves very much. She had no way of knowing her memory had been modified and they walked blindfolded into a hornet's nest.
"If you want to persecute someone, find out who was lazy enough to place a memory charm designed for wizards on someone who was Muggle-born. Mr. Potter was also reared by Muggles so in this case it was a recipe for disaster. Muggles are culturally more prone to this kind of behavior because they don't have as much to lose.
"Mr. Potter, may I call you Harry?" Harry nodded. "Do you know about what happens when wizards marry?"
"Yes, Professor," Harry said quietly, he didn't want Professor Sprout to be angry with him too. "Mr. and Mrs. Weasley explained it to us."
"Then you realize the mechanism of the blending of your powers?"
"Sex," he answered thoughtfully, it was dawning on him why they were all upset.
"Then you understand that it is unwise to create a powerful physical bond before you are sure you wish to unite your spirits and lives as well. You could be trapped into an unhappy relationship in order to maintain your powers."
Harry nodded. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"
"Not now, Harry," she answered with a small smile, "do you have any questions?"
"How is Hermione?" he blurted, looking anxiously at her.
"She's struggling, Harry. On top of trying to deal with her attack, she feels guilty because she let you touch her and I suspect there is something else too. We explained to her about what broke the memory charm. She has not told us what happened the night she got her memory back. Hermione is trying to protect you. On the positive side healers from St. Mungo's have helped her with the memory issues. It reduced a great deal of her stress to realize the attack was years ago."
"Why didn't she scream? She acted like she wanted to?" he asked.
Professor Sprout sighed, "I believe it was because she allowed your touch and you stopped when you realized something was wrong. She was able to get away from you before the memory made her lose all control."
"Professor Sprout, what would have happened to her powers if … she … she had … been … " Harry's voice faltered. The thought was still too terrible.
"If she had been raped? Nothing if he had been a Muggle, he had no power to blend. If he was a wizard and married, nothing if his spouse were alive, the blending can only be undone by death. If he had no spouse then their powers would have blended and she would be trapped. That is why the penalty for rape can be death. I don't mean to be harsh Harry, but I do want you to understand some of the consequences of your behavior. Love relationships are fun, exciting, and wonderful, but there is a serious side to it as well. As with all human endeavor, the possibility for abuse exists, that is why we stress personal responsibility."
Harry sighed, "What is going to happen to Hermione, Professor?"
"She will learn to cope with what has happened to her. Everyone is different, there is no predicting how long it will take her to accept this incident and come to terms with it. She shared with the group what you told her, about how it motivates what she does and how much you admire her for it, that was a wonderful thing to say, Harry, I have hope it will help her."
Professor Sprout hesitated for a few moments, "How all of this will affect your relationship with her is unknown, I'm afraid I must inform you of the worst that could happen." She sighed heavily, "The memory of her attack is now superimposed, if you will, on the memory of your touching her. How willing she is to get close to you will be the result of how completely she can separate her memories of you and her attacker. I believe she will be able to, but the mind is a funny thing, and if she cannot, for her own peace of mind she will abandon your relationship, and if you really love her you will let her go.
"I have heard how you have been giving her space, waiting for her to come to you. That is very commendable, keep up the good work."
Professor Sprout's warnings stunned Harry. He couldn't help but feel that he had been hit by something heavy and the ache in his heart increased. Hard as he tried to stop it, a tear slid down his face.
"Potter," said Professor McGonagall quietly, "I regret losing my temper with you, please forgive me." Harry nodded his forgiveness. McGonagall placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, "Buck up, Harry. Miss Granger couldn't be under better care anywhere in the world." She made her way out of Sprout's office.
Harry rose to go, "Thank you for answering my questions, Professor."
"You're welcome, Harry. I'm sorry that Hogwarts doesn't have a similar group for the boyfriends of our group members. We aren't geared for couples here, which means you have fallen through the cracks, as it were. I want you to know that I recognize your pain is as real as Miss Granger's, my office door is open to you anytime you need to talk."
"Thank you, Professor," Harry said as he rose to leave.
"When I said anytime, Mr. Potter, I mean anytime, day or night, no matter what class is in session, just come and knock and I will be here shortly. Professor Dumbledore has approved it."
Harry left Professor Sprout's office with a heavy heart. He did not want to believe he could lose Hermione, it did not seem fair she had suffered so much in trying to be together with him, even wanting to marry him to protect him from Voldemort.
As he headed back to the castle he was caught between hope and dread.