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-Five: Hermione the Terrible
Harry pulled the Marauders Map from his trunk and located Hermione as she patrolled. He picked up his staff, took a deep breath, and headed in her general direction.
He could hear her from a couple of corridors away, Ron and Ginny were right, he had never heard her voice sound quite so harsh before. He turned the corner into the passage leading to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.
Hermione had three students from Ravenclaw lined up, two girls and a boy. The boy, Harry recognized was in his first year. The girls were in their second or third, and all three looked scared to death. Harry smiled inwardly, Hermione sounded remarkably like Percy had, and it seemed like ages ago now.
"… You realize how bad this looks! Bringing a boy into the girl's toilet! What were you thinking? What were you doing?"
"Miss Granger, Martin is doing research on ghosts-,"
"You haven't found the library," Hermione snapped. "It's that big room full of books where most people find out what they want to know, without worrying about whether it is proper to be in there."
"No, Miss Granger, you don't understand, he's needs to do interviews. All we were doing was trying to introduce him to Myrtle," the girl said desperately.
"Well, perhaps you will come up with a better plan while you are doing your detentions."
"That's not necessary, Hermione." interrupted Harry, "I think you made your point." Harry rounded on the boy. "You realize you shouldn't be in the girl's bathroom, don't you?"
"Yes, sir," Martin managed to stammer. He was trying to look Harry in the eye when he noticed Harry's scar and he realized who he was talking to. His eyes grew even wider and Harry thought he might faint.
"I know Myrtle. She will talk to anyone about her death, if you show the least bit of interest. I will see if I can arrange something, go on back to your common room." Martin did not need to be told twice, to his credit he did not start running until he got close to the corner.
Hermione began to make indignant noises. Harry turned toward her, "Hermione, I wasn't talking to you. I know your parents taught you better, you aren't going to be rude, are you?" he wheedled.
Harry stopped Hermione dead in her tracks, her parents had always taught her to use manners, no matter how angry she was. He turned back to the girls, "Why didn't you just talk to Myrtle, get her to meet Martin in an empty classroom, rather than drag him into the girl's bathroom?"
"We didn't think-,"
"Exactly," Harry interrupted. "Next time ask for some advice before you jump into something that looks improper. Now get on back to your common room."
"What about our detention?"
"I will do your detention for you. Off you go." Harry pointed down the corridor. He could hear them as one told the other, "Do you know who that was? It was Harry Potter!"
Hermione's lips were as thin as Professor McGonagall's, "Harry, how dare you interfere? I'm a prefect and they were doing something wrong. They need to realize how bad it looks for a boy to be with them in the girl's toilet."
"And you punished them, Hermione. You need to make the punishment fit the crime, or you will become as big a bully as Malfoy. Even Percy only threatened us with detention because Ron was being cheeky. As far as what looks bad, how about one girl in there with a couple of boys? I understand, since you recovered your memory this hits close to home. You're only trying to keep them safe, just like you've always done, but the way you were going about it is a little overboard."
Hermione looked like she wanted to yell at him, but she just could not bring herself to do it. "Hermione, don't be angry at them when you're angry with me. It's because of me your parents died."
"That's not your fault, the blame belongs to Voldemort," she hissed.
"Then, if you are angry at Voldemort, why take it out on everyone around you?" Harry asked. "If you think your anger is going to help you against him, you're wrong."
Hermione made tutting noise, and crossed her arms over her chest. "Don't you try to side track me, Harry Potter. I still haven't decided if I'm going to report you to Professor McGonagall for interfering with my duties as a prefect."
"It's your anger that's interfering with your duties as a prefect, Hermione," he snapped. "If you keep bullying people you're going to lose your badge." His own anger was stirring, in spite of himself. "Since you don't believe me, I'll prove it. Draw your wand."
"I'm not going to-," began Hermione angrily.
Harry had pulled his wand, he pointed it at her and commanded, "Stupefy!" Harry did not put a great deal of power into the stunner, but it did push her into the wall.
"Rule number one, when Voldemort says it's time to duel, you better duel. If I were Voldemort, that spell would have been a killing curse and you'd be dead," he snapped. "I'll see you in the Room of Requirement in fifteen minutes. While you are reporting my interference be sure to mention I asked Hanna Abbot to fill in for you while you miss the rest of your shift."
Harry climbed the stairs to the seventh floor, he wasn't thinking as he drew closer to the Room of Requirement, he was striding purposefully with his staff clunking loudly against the floor at regular intervals.
Ron and Luna were walking in the halls together. Ron was waiting to hear the results of Harry's talk with Hermione. They heard the sound of his staff and hurried to catch up with him. They stopped in amazement as they saw him marching toward the Room of Requirement, his cloak billowing behind him. He reached it, wrenched the door open, and disappeared into it. "Did you see?" Ron asked Luna incredulously.
Before Luna could answer Hermione stormed passed them. The air seemed to crackle around her as she swept toward the Room of Requirement, swiping angry tears from her face. She followed Harry into the room. Ron and Luna hurried after them. They could hear Hermione's angry voice as they approached.
"HARRY! HOW DARE YOU-! WHERE ARE YOU? PROFESSOR McGONAGALL IS GOING TO HEAR OF THIS!"
"Along with all the rest of the school," Ron whispered to Luna.
The Room of Requirement was long and dimly lit, with padded walls, ceiling, and floor. There was a double row of columns running down the center. Ron and Luna entered and stood by the door. Hermione was standing in the center of the room, her wand in her hand, but her hands were on her hips.
"HARRY!! I WON'T STAND FOR YOUR INTERFERENCE ANY MO-,"
Harry stepped from between the columns, quickly pointed his wand and cried, "Petrificus Totalus!" Hermione's arms snapped to her sides, her wand dropped from her hand, rolling away across the floor. Her legs sprang together and she fell, flat on her face to the floor.
Harry walked over to her. He put the toe of his sneaker under her shoulder and unceremoniously rolled her onto her back. Hermione's eyes glared at him. She had hit the floor pretty hard and despite the padding, blood was trickling from her nose and her lip.
Harry squatted down and told her, "Rule number two, If you are going after Voldemort you need to keep your mind on what you're doing. If you let your anger at anyone or anything interfere you will be dead. I told you I'd meet you here to duel, your anger made you forget rule number one."
He stood up, and walked a short distance, and performed some spell, which Hermione was unable to overhear. A short time later he cried, "Finate Incatatem," releasing her from the Body-Bind curse.
Hermione took Harry's words to heart and scrambled for her wand. Her hair seemed to stand on end as she heard him hissing in parseltongue. She had made it to her wand, as she reached for it the snake struck. A huge, green-golden constrictor threw a heavy coil around her wrist as her fingers closed around her wand. With a supreme effort she stood, but the weight of the serpent prevented her from raising her wand. The red flash of Harry's stunner took the strength from her knees and she sat down again. The snake coiled around her waist and shoulders, then it was looking her in the eye, its tongue flicking at her. She knew immediately that Harry must have conjured it. She had never thought to see pity in the eye of a snake.
"Rule number three, Voldemort is seldom alone, always suspect Nagini is somewhere nearby. She is swift as lightning and deadly poisonous. You are now dead-again."
Harry ordered the snake to release Hermione, she felt it's rough, scaly body slide over hers as it slithered toward a corner. Hermione only hesitated for a moment before she destroyed the snake that Harry had conjured, but by the time she turned toward him he was ready.
Hermione unleashed a barrage of spells. Ron and Luna stared in amazement. Harry either dodged with the fluid grace of his Tai Chi conditioned reflexes or deflected all her spells with shields or counter spells. For nearly fifteen minutes they went back and forth, spell and counter-spell, hexes against shields or quick dodges, it was almost like swordplay, their spells flashing in the dim light like fireworks.
While their performance was far beyond what most of the other students could do, it was not up to the way the Order had battled the Death Eaters in the ministry nearly a year before, Harry couldn't help noticing. When it came to dueling he had a long way to go. He finally caught Hermione with a summoning charm that snatched her wand from her hand. She was defenseless. He brought her down with another Body-Bind spell, but levitated her before she could hit the floor.
Hermione glared at Harry, but there was nothing she could do. "That was better," he panted. Harry tried not to sound condescending, he wanted to complement her performance. He released her and returned her wand.
He was backing away from Hermione, when she screamed like she had when she found her parents wedding album, the cry that reminded Harry of a falcon. She pointed her wand at him and cried, "Stupefy!" He countered with a shield charm, but, in her anger, she poured so much power into the stunner that she shattered the shield. Harry was blasted into the padded wall, hitting it about three feet above the floor. For a long moment he was impaled there, held by the force of the spell.
Harry fell to the floor, landing on his hands and knees. He was fighting the effects of the stunner as he placed a shaking hand to the back of his head. When he took his hand away it was covered in blood. "Good … one … Herm … ne," he said as he passed out, collapsing to the floor.
Hermione's anger evaporated as she experienced a flashback to the previous November. "Harree!" she cried running to him. Ron and Luna followed her. As Hermione knelt beside him, Ron ran his wand over Harry's body.
"No sign of spinal injury," he told Luna. He touched his wand to the back of Harry's head, "Cauterio," he commanded. Luna performed the same spell, gently stopping Hermione's nosebleed and fixing her lip. Ron and Luna gently rolled Harry onto his back, Ron quickly checked Harry over, his movements were quick and sure. It was Hermione's turn to watch in wonder as Ron worked on Harry.
"When did you learn all this, Ron?" she asked.
"Been working with Madam Pomfrey since we came back after Christmas and we got some good practice after the last Quidditch match. Slytherin versus Hufflepuff was the most brutal I've seen in a while," Ron smiled. "Don't worry, Hermione, he doesn't even have a concussion, his hard head saved him. Ennervate!"
Harry opened his eyes. "Just lie there for a minute, mate," Ron ordered. "You'll feel better if you take it easy for a while. That was some performance, Harry," said Ron. "Thanks for the show. You feeling ok, Hermione?"
"Yes, Ron," she answered quietly. Without her anger she seemed empty once more. She roused herself to ask, "Please don't tell anybody about what you've seen Harry do.
We're keeping it a secret to help him against You-Know-Who."
Luna tugged on Ron's sleeve, "Let's go, it's getting late."
Ron got up and followed, "See you guys later." He and Luna left, whispering excitedly about what they had seen. They hadn't gone far when the voice stopped them, "Mr. Weasley, Miss Lovegood, a word please." They stopped and turned to face Professor Dumbledore, he was standing quietly, his wand drawn.
"How can we help, Professor?" asked Ron.
"For your own protection, I'm going to modify your memories. What you just witnessed must remain a secret until after Voldemort is destroyed and I need to shield you from those who are learning Legilimancy. When Voldemort is gone you will remember what you have seen, so you will be able to tell people how much Harry has sacrificed for us. For now you will remember only that Mr. Potter and Miss Granger talked and Miss Granger was less angry for it. Obliviate."
Hermione helped Harry sit up. He moved backwards until his back rested against the padded wall, where Hermione sat next to him.
"I'm sorry, Hermione," be began, "it was a harsh lesson. I hope that you understand that your anger will hinder more than it will help when you encounter Voldemort. Anger will cloud your mind, and impair your judgment, the only helpful thing it will do is put some power into your spells. Too bad you were only dead four times before you got me."
"When I encounter Voldemort?" she asked.
"I believe so, Hermione. You swore you'd get Rita Skeeter and you did. I think it's just a matter of time until you cross paths with Voldemort, and I think you will have your revenge too," answered Harry.
"So what do we do now?" asked Hermione, her voice flat.
"I guess try to focus your anger so it can help you fight without clouding your judgment. Your anger isn't wrong, it's just misplaced. It is a natural part of the grieving process. Let me know if it is overwhelming you, we can do something."
"Like what?" she asked curiously.
"We can duel some more, practice Tai Chi, juggle, or get together and knit violently, anything you want," Harry gave her a small smile. She giggled at the thought of violent knitting.
Harry reached out and caressed her cheek, "That's better," he said.
Hermione took his arm and rested her forehead against his shoulder. They sat there in silence each enjoying the company of the other.
At last Harry drew a deep breath. "Hermione?"
"Yes, Harry."
"Would … would you mind … if … if I started calling you One?"
Hermione looked at him. "I don't mind… you can if you want. I think it might feel kind of weird though, the only people who called me One were my family."
Harry sighed, Hermione thought he was looking very nervous all of a sudden. "That's kind of what I'm asking … I want you to be my family, … please, Hermione, marry me."
"What did you say? You want me to … marry…" Hermione looked at him, trying to process what he had said. She continued, her voice barely above a whisper, "Harry, two months ago I was really hoping you'd ask me. Now my life is in ruins, every decision is such an effort, why ask me now?"
Harry hesitated for a few minutes, "Because, I'm selfish and … greedy."
She looked at him. It wasn't the answer she expected. Her questioning look prompted him to explain.
"Two months ago I didn't know what I wanted," he sighed. "Two months ago I wasn't so afraid of Voldemort. I knew he was there, but I didn't appreciate his power, the way he could strike without warning. I'm so sorry about your parents, Hermione." Tears pooled in the corners of his eyes and his tears sparked hers. They cried holding on to each other for long minutes.
At last he found his voice, "Two months ago I didn't know what it was like, not to have you as a part of my life, and I was so lonesome. I don't want to be apart from you. I'm so tired of being alone. I'd like to spare you what I've felt over the years. I know it's not the same, I never knew my parents, but I would like to be your family … I don't want you to hurt anymore. I want more than anything to see you happy again like you were at Christmas." He wiped away his tears.
Hermione tried to smile at him, she couldn't quite succeed, but her tears stopped.
"I don't know if I'll survive my confrontation with Voldemort," Harry continued. "I'd like to belong to a family even if it's just for a little while. I know the Weasleys consider me part of their family, and your parents tried to include me in yours, but it's just not the same. I'd like us to be a family. It would be ours. I love you, Hermione, and I would like to have all of you that I can have for as long as I can have it. I don't mean to be so greedy, but it's just the way I feel."
"Harry, I don't know what to say, you know my parents wanted us to wait until we finished school. I thought you agreed with them."
"I did agree with them, until Voldemort killed them. I thought the Order would protect them and us. I know they try, but now I know that there are no guarantees, I want to live, Hermione, not just for me, but I want to be there for you so you won't be lonely like I was. If being married will give me an advantage, I want that advantage. The prophecy talked about me being the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord. If we marry, won't we become one, maybe you can have that power too."
"That sounds like the answer I needed at Christmas. I just don't know, Harry. Decisions are so hard for me now. I don't know what to do or say."
"Then don't say anything. Take all the time you need to make your decision. You've waited until today for the question you asked me on Boxing Day. For a decision this important, I'll wait until you are ready. You know my heart, and what I want for us. When you decide let me know. Come on, I'll escort you back to the common room."
They walked back to the common room Hermione was on Harry's arm. They saw no one as they made their way. "Life is so strange, Harry. I always thought that when someone asked me to marry him it would be a day that would be one of the happiest days of my life, instead I cried like a baby."
"I tried not to cry after Sirius died. Professor Dumbledore tried to teach me that the pain made me human. I felt real crying with you, Hermione, this is a time for grief, there will be a time for joy later.
As he left her at the common room, Harry knew that whatever happened to their relationship, at least "Hermione the Terrible" was no more.