Unofficial Portkey Archive

Lies and Illusions Chp.12
Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling and her publishers.

Author's note: I'm sorry that it's taken so long for me to update, but I've had many and more pressing projects to deal with these past few months. To make up for this, I'm posting chapters 11 & 12 together.
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Chapter 12
The New Headmistress

Harry accidentally slept in the day after their trip to Godric's Hollow. Whether it was because of the emotional roller coaster he'd been through, or staying up late taking notes from the Rare Book with Hermione, he didn't know. Then again, he could have just have forgotten to set his alarm clock.

Seeing her on the stairs after he'd showered and dressed reminded him of last night. Having Hermione snuggled next to him with the old text spread across their legs made it the most enjoyable study session he'd ever had. It also proved to be very productive, as the information they'd uncovered had already answered some of their questions about this gift they shared.

As he reached her, Hermione covered his mouth and raised a finger to her lips. Below them, he could hear male and female voices carrying on a rather heated argument.

"Leave me alone, Ginny," Ron yelled. "There's nothing to tell."

His sister acidly replied, "Bollocks, you three are hiding something. I want to know what happened during those weeks you were gone. All of you have been acting strange ever since you got back, especially Harry -"

Ron snorted. "If you knew Harry half as well as you think, you'd know that he was acting weird all last term. Hell, Hermione noticed it the first day he was here last summer."

Ginny muttered something they couldn't catch.

"I wouldn't say things like that about her if I were you," Ron replied in a stern tone, "not if you ever want Harry to talk to you again."

"Excuse me?! Hermione's the one who stole -"

Ron cut his sister off. "She did nothing of the sort; Harry broke up with you a month before he started dating Hermione -- which is longer than you've waited between boyfriends!"

Ginny shot back, "Don't start with me, and the whole school knows that she's been after him for years!"

"Look who's talking," Ron said. "You shouldn't believe any of that gossip they spread around school, anyway. None of those idiots have a clue what they're talking about."

"And I suppose you do," Ginny responded sarcastically.

"Of course, they're my friends," Ron answered, clearly getting tired of this conversation. "Look, Ginny -- let him go. You got your chance to date the famous Harry Potter just like you've always wanted, now just let him go. He's a good guy, but there's a lot of stuff you don't know about Harry. Hell, Hermione and I are his best friends and we didn't know about it until a couple of months ago. And don't bother asking me what it is, because it's not my place to tell you."

"Could you at least tell me if it's why they got together?" Ginny pleaded.

Ron waited a minute before answering, "Not exactly, but I think it got them started. One other thing: if you're thinking of acting like Hermione now instead of a female version of the Boy Who Lived, forget it. You couldn't copy some of the things she does if you tried."

There was a long pause before Ginny replied: "Where did you get-?"

"Luna told me before she left. She's a very observant girl...and a good kisser too." Harry and Hermione were sure that Ron was smiling when he said that last part.

Sounding remarkably like her mother, Ginny said, "Oh, is she? And who told you that you could go around snogging my friend, Ronald Weasley?"

"Luna did!"

Hermione tugged on Harry's arm and led him back upstairs. They had heard enough, and weren't in the mood to get in the middle of yet another spat between Weasley siblings.

"Well, that was informative," Hermione ventured as they walked into her room. "It seems that neither of you was really being yourself this year."

"What are you on about? I haven't been -" Harry asked defensively.

"Oh yes, you have!" Hermione cut him off. "Just because you've been better lately, doesn't change the way you were acting before. Though I do admit that I didn't understand it until now. I thought that I did, but not really. Then I read that stupid prophecy yesterday and everything fell into place: your emotional distance, your reluctance to get that memory from Slughorn, the obsession with Malfoy -"

Harry sadly muttered, "For all the good it did. Nobody listened until it was too late."

"That was as much our fault as anything," Hermione said, guilt all but rolling off her. "We refused to believe that Voldemort would use a sixteen-year old in his plans, or that Malfoy could be anything but an obnoxious little ferret. Although I could tell that you were right about him being up to something, his being a Death Eater was simply too much for me to fathom."

"Funny, isn't it? You and I can read other people's emotions, but can't tell why they feel the way they do," Harry said, recalling something they'd read the night before.

"Which is one of the biggest shortcomings of this ability. While it can give insight into their character, Empathy doesn't provide knowledge of a person's thoughts or motives," Hermione quoted from the book. "It also doesn't work very well when someone is suppressing their feelings."

Giving and inward groan, Harry tried not to react to her comment. They'd already touched on it last night.

"Don't be that way, Harry. I'm not trying to lecture you...we both know how well that works," Hermione said calmly. "I'm just saying that I couldn't help noticing how you react whenever Sirius -"

"I'm fine, Hermione," Harry said, hoping to end this conversation. "It's been over a year, and I've put it behind me."

"Then why do you clamp down on your feelings whenever you hear his name or see a picture of him? Not that I blame you -- we're lucky that your being a little emotionally repressed is the only side effect of how those miserable people you had to live with treated you." Harry felt the flash of anger from Hermione that always happened when she thought about the Dursleys. Calming herself, Hermione went on. "Look Harry...Sirius was your godfather and you loved him, that gives you every right to morn his passing. It isn't healthy for anyone to block out their emotions like this, and it can actually be dangerous for people like us. Without our own feelings to muffle them, everyone else's are able to come through more easily. Especially strong ones like the crush Ginny had on you," Hermione sighed.

"Or the frustration you felt when we argued," Harry quietly added, trying to change the subject.

Hermione said, with a little laugh, "Actually, I think that was from both of us. Even though it isn't apparent on the surface, you and I have quite a bit in common. We're both a bit shy and secretive, hiding our in-securities behind books or Quidditch."

"Not to mention how mad we get when someone refuses to listen to us," Harry said, wrapping an arm around her.

"Oh, most definitely." A small grin appeared on Hermione's lips, and then changed back into the frown she'd been wearing all this time. "All I'm trying to say is that you should at least try to come to terms with losing Sirius before we go to Grimmauld, for your own good. Now that that's said, I found some things after you went to bed -"

"You mean after you kicked me out of here," Harry gave Hermione a rakish smirk.

In the tone she often used when performing her prefect duties Hermione said, "That's what happens when your hands are caught wandering out of bounds without permission. Like they're doing now." She reached down and moved Harry's hand back to her waist, though her stern look didn't hide her amusement from him. "As I was saying, I started piecing together some exercises that might help us learn to control our power better -- if you're interested."

"Well...Mum did tell me that I should learn all I could," Harry said. "So let's see what you got."

Hermione gave him a quick peck on the lips and got up to retrieve the Rare Book and their enchanted parchment from her trunk.

**********

Those things lay forgotten at their feet an hour later, as Harry and Hermione had gotten deeply involved in a very different kind of exercise from the one she'd envisioned. It was doing wonders for their abilities to sense each other's feelings, particularly when it came to certain forms of pleasure they could indulge in.

Right now, Harry's left hand caressed Hermione's side as his right was tangled in her hair. Hermione's hands were currently stroking the back of his neck and lower spine, respectively. Ever so often, one of them would reach out to stop the other when their hands drifted into places they weren't comfortable with. These soon became the exception however, as they became adept at sensing the discomfort of the other. No words were spoken between them; the only communication they needed right now didn't require speech.

Of course, all good things must come to an end. Harry and Hermione eventually settled into a nice post-snog embrace, which ended when they heard someone clear their throat by the door.

"You have a visitor," Ginny told them impassively. "Professor Mcgonagall is waiting for you in the living room."

Hermione jumped off the bed and quickly straightened her clothes. Reassured of her appearance, she dragged Harry away without looking back.

Walking downstairs, they saw Mrs. Weasley go by, levitating a tea set. When she'd moved out of sight they heard: "Thank you Molly. Now, if you don't mind, there's some private business I need to conduct with Harry and Hermione."

"Of course. Come along, Ron, I'm sure -"

"That's okay, Mrs. Weasley. He can stay if he wants," Harry told her evenly as he entered the room.

Those words seemed to settle the matter as far as McGonagall was concerned, although Molly gave them an unpleasant look before she left. Taking their seats, Harry and Hermione saw several packages on the floor next to the professor.

Once they were alone, McGonagall got down to business.

"Mister Potter, Miss Granger, thank you for agreeing to see me. Normally the official matters I wish to discuss with you would be handled by owl, but these are special circumstances. Before we move on to those matters, perhaps we should get the personal ones out of the way."

Harry nodded and let her continue.

"To begin with, you may or may not be aware that Professor Dumbledore had been handling a number of legal issues on your behalf. With his passing and your coming of age, certain legal documents such as your parents' wills and the deed to their house in Godric's Hollow need to be passed into your possession." McGonagall picked up a flat box and handed it to Harry. "If you have any questions, I'm sure Miss Granger will be pleased to help. When you two aren't engaged in...other activities, of course."

The knowing gaze McGonagall gave them made Harry blush. Next to him, Hermione choked on her tea as she also turned red.

Adjusting her glasses, McGonagall stared Ron down. "Don't look at me like that, Mister Weasley. Believe it or not, I was young once myself and had my share of romantic encounters." Turning back to Harry and Hermione she added, "Forgive me if I've embarrassed you two. I just wanted to see if the Daily Prophet had written the truth for a change."

"We're not embarrassed, just a little surprised that you asked," Hermione told her. "Harry and I are dating, but we've haven't taken things as far as Rita Skeeter implied...not yet, anyway."

"Ah, I see. It makes no difference in any event. Teenage romances are as much a part of life at Hogwarts as attending class. The faculty, aside from Mr. Filch, seldom takes action against the couples in question so long as no one is harmed, they don't let it interfere with their studies, and a certain level of discretion is used...." McGonagall put extra emphasis on the word "discretion" and threw a hard look off to her side.

Now it was Ron's turn to look uncomfortable. He had been anything but discreet when dating Lavender Brown, and Harry wouldn't be surprised if they'd gotten a good lecture on the subject.

Hoping to get back on topic, Harry opened the box in his hands and started glancing over the parchment within. "I don't have anything to sign in all of this, do I Professor?" he asked distantly.

"I don't believe so," she told him. "Simply taking the objects, money, or appropriate documents into your possession is usually enough in the case of wizard estates. The complicated part is handled by the executor, who has to track down everyone named in the will. Speaking of which, here are the things Albus wanted you to have." Minerva pointed her wand at the packages beside her, and levitated them over to Harry. Reaching into her robes, she pulled out a slip of parchment. "He also left a message for you."

Taking a deep breath, Harry accepted the note and began to read.

Harry,

A.P.W.B.D.

Ron stared at the note over Harry's shoulder. "What the bloody hell is that about? The last part, I mean," he said.

Glancing at his friend, Harry muttered, "One way to find out." Even as he picked up the largest, and heaviest package, he had a good idea what it was....

...And he was right. Tucked carefully in the padded crate was Dumbledore's pensieve, with a solid metal lid clamped across its stone rim. Seeing it again immediately brought back the memories of the hours him and the professor had spent piecing together Voldemort's history. Opening another box reinforced this feeling, for it was filled with bottles labeled "Morfin", "Hokey", and so on.

"These are the ones you saw in your 'special lessons', aren't they? The memories you and Dumbledore collected to piece together Voldemort's history," Hermione whispered in his ear. Harry nodded back.

One long, thin package remained. Beneath the wrappings was a wooden case containing a silver longsword. Huge rubies glittered on the hilt, and the name Godric Gryffindor was proudly engraved on the blade. Next to it was a silvery sheath made to fit the ancient weapon.

Harry gently took the sword from its case. Watching the way the light reflected off its polished surface, he thought about the first time he'd seen and held it. It had felt rather heavy and clumsy when he was a twelve-year-old, but now it rested in his hand as if it belonged there. In a distant part of his mind, he heard Hermione ask about the sword's history.

"I'm afraid I have no idea how the sword came to be in the Sorting Hat," McGonagall explained. "However, I do know that most of the artifacts attributed to the Founders are rumored to be in the hands of their descendants. Gryffindor is a special case, for his line died out during the goblin rebellions...murdered through treachery and deception, by many accounts. At the same time, Godric's few surviving possessions were also destroyed -- except for this one." She pointed to the sword. "Needless to say, many in our world would consider its reappearance in these dark times to be a sign of great importance, and have considerable interest in whoever managed to recover it." Even though she kept her tone neutral, the professor couldn't hide her disdain for "signs" and all other things associated with Divination.

"Yeah," Ron interjected. "They'll be saying only some long-lost heir of Godric Gryffindor could have pulled his sword out of the hat."

"Especially since Riddle puts so much on his being 'The Heir of Slytherin'. Not that it matters. Who you're related to isn't as important as who you are," Harry replied as he put the sword back in its case.

"A very wise attitude, if you ask me. One that makes me feel even better about the other matter I wish to discuss with you," McGonagall said in her normal business-like tone of voice. "Before we move on to that, however, I believe this also belongs to you." She drew a book out of her robes, and held it out to Harry.

He stared at this all-too-familiar copy of Advanced Potion-Making for a time, unsure if he even wanted to touch it again. Finally, Harry took the book and said, "Thank you, Professor. I know just what to do with it."

Without another word, Harry stood up and crossed the room. Reaching the Weasleys' fireplace; he dropped the book in, drew his wand, and cast a loud Incendio charm. Only when the Half-Blood Prince's book had been reduced to a pile of ash did Harry resume his place next to Hermione -- who was beaming at him for permanently getting rid of that particular book.

"Okay, Professor," Harry said brightly. "Now that that's finished, I believe you had some official business you wanted to discuss?"

"Yes, of course." McGonagall, who was also rather pleased with him at the moment, settled back into her normal demeanor. "As you can no doubt guess, Hogwarts is currently in a very precarious position. Not only due to our late headmaster's death, but because of the events surrounding it. It is for this reason that I'm talking to you now.

"Following a long debate and numerous inspections of the castle, the board of governors has decided to reopen Hogwarts this fall. This decision was not made lightly nor is it set in stone. Many things still need to be done before September first. Among these is the filling of a couple of prominent positions in the school." She made a point of singling out Harry and Hermione. "Which is where you two come in."

The young couple looked at each other. Before Harry (or Ron) could open his mouth, Hermione answered for them. "Of course Professor. We're willing to help in any way we can."

"Excellent, I knew I could count on you," McGonagall told her. "Now you should understand how important this is. Parents will have some very deep concerns about sending their children back to Hogwarts after what happened, and we need to alleviate as many of their fears as possible. The two of you are among the most prominent students in your year and you have the respect of many of your classmates. With this in mind, the other teachers and I have decided that you are the best choices for our new Head Boy and Head Girl."

One didn't need any sort of empathic ability to sense Hermione's excitement. Being named as Head Girl was something she'd been working for since their first day at Hogwarts. It was one of the few things she could share with her parents without having to explain its meaning.

Harry, on the other hand, didn't know what to think about this offer. Attending school would get in the way of his Horcrux hunt, and hadn't really taught him anything useful when it came to fighting Voldemort. On the other hand, it would make Hermione happy (which was a good thing -- snogging her was far more fun than arguing) and McGonagall had come all this way to offer him the Head Boy position. Head Boy...that was something he hardly ever gave a thought to, certainly not since....

"Um, Professor...how can I be Head Boy? I'm not even a prefect," he said without thinking.

A smile appeared on Minerva McGonagall's face. "Neither was your father, and he proved to be a very capable Head Boy -- despite his frequent lapses in discipline and the controversy over his appointment. Our new Head Girl at the time was among the most vocal in her opinion of this decision. Just before the welcoming feast, she marched up to Albus and asked him quite bluntly if he'd lost his mind. Then she demanded to know why he had appointed what she called a 'self-centered miscreant' to the job."

"I wish that I could've seen that," Ron said, laughing. "Who was she?'

McGonagall smiled and said, "Lily Evans, or I should say, the future Lily Potter. The whole incident was quite amusing at the time, and became even more so when her and James got married a year later."

With a sigh, the professor brought herself out of the past.

"In any event, I do not have the concerns over your appointment that I felt over your father's. You've grown into a most capable wizard and have earned the respect of both myself and the rest of the faculty. Also, I've heard that quite a few people are very impressed by the reports of your recent battle with the Death Eaters. Some are now claiming that the ones who attacked Hogwarts fled solely because you entered the battle."

Surprised by her statement, Harry shouted, "You can't be serious! The only reason they left the castle was because they finished what they came to do!" He pointed to Ron and Hermione. "And the press has blown the fight we had here so far out of proportion it's ridiculous."

"True, very true. However; it is what people believe, and we may be better off allowing them to do so," McGonagall replied. "Whether or not the accounts of your battles are completely accurate, they have given people a source of hope and inspiration. In times like these, those can be more important than any of the magic at our disposal. Trust me, Harry, trying to dispel these misconceptions would do far more harm than good under the circumstances."

"Is that why you're asking me to do this? Because everyone will think I can keep Hogwarts safe?" Harry already knew the answer, but he needed to hear it with his own ears.

Returning his stare, McGonagall firmly said, "No, even though some of the governors are supporting your appointment for that very reason. I myself have considered you to be a likely candidate for this position for some time, which is why I recommended that you be made a prefect two years ago -- a recommendation that, regrettably, was not followed. No offense, Mister Weasley."

"None taken," Ron replied.

McGonagall gave Ron a nod, then picked up where she had left off with Harry. "Now, I admit to having some doubts after that incident between you and Draco Malfoy, but they were put to rest by your actions during the planning of Professor Dumbledore's funeral. You acted as the voice of Hogwarts' student body in that meeting, and in so doing, proved yourself worthy of becoming Head Boy in the eyes of everyone there."

Harry looked away and thought about what McGonagall had said. Their talk had been unusually open and informal, almost like they were equals. She honestly believed he deserved this job and was worried that he'd turn her down. His gaze wandered to Hermione, who was trying to bury her own feelings deep enough not to affect his judgment. Still, he knew she was fond of McGonagall and it would break her heart to turn her down and though she'd stand by him no matter what Hermione reallywantedtobecome -

"All right," Harry yelled, bringing his babbling thoughts to an abrupt end. "I'll do it."

The relief he felt from McGonagall, and the joy from Hermione, ebbed somewhat when Harry added, "But I need you to agree to a few things first."

"What are they?" McGonagall asked cautiously.

Closing the boxes holding the pensieve and the hard-won memories of Voldemort's past, Harry said, "Take these back to Hogwarts and put them somewhere safe. The information they hold is very valuable, and can't be allowed to fall into the wrong hands."

"Each house has rooms set aside for the Head Boy and Girl's use," Hermione said hurriedly. "Access to them is restricted, so the pensieve should be safe there. That way, we'll still be able to use it if we need to."

"I can also arrange for the cabinet these were held in to be transferred to your new room. Is there anything else?" McGonagall asked.

Harry pondered this for a moment, unsure of how much to tell her. On one hand, it was best not to tell too many people about the Horcruxes; but as the new headmistress, Minerva McGonagall would be vital in hiding their activities.

Choosing his words carefully, he said, "Yes.... There's...something Dumbledore and I were doing before he died, something for the war effort."

"Is this why you two were away from Hogwarts when it was attacked?" McGonagall inquired. She always was a sharp one.

"Yes, and it's vital that I finish what we started. I can't go into details -- not here, not now; but Hermione, Ron, and I will have to leave school from time to time so we can take care if it. We'll try to keep our activities quiet -- in fact, it's best if no one knows when we're away -- but it has to be done. Believe me, I wouldn't be asking this if there was any other way to stop Voldemort."

McGonagall winced at the name. "This is a very unusual request," she said, "but then again, these are very unusual times. Very well, I'll agree to your conditions...provided that we discuss these things more fully when school starts." Harry nodded. "Also, I would like to talk to you about the secret club you ran during your fifth year -"

"You mean Dumbledore's Army," Harry said.

McGonagall nodded. "Yes. In return for granting your requests, I would like you to restart this club -- this time with the full approval and support of the school. Self-defense is a vital skill these days, and the former members of your group have shown a marked improvement on the O.W.L and N.E.W.T. tests they've taken for Defense Against the Dark Arts. It may also make up for some of the activities which will, almost certainly, be canceled for the duration of the war."

Harry looked to his friends for a time, and quietly agreed to his part of the deal.

Professor McGonagall talked with them for some time afterwards about the proposed changes for the new school year and how they might affect their new duties. Canceling Quidditch and Hogsmeade visits was all but assured at this point, and numerous other measures were being considered as they spoke. The board of governors promised to have it worked out before the start of term, at which point Harry and Hermione would be informed by owl.

Before she left, McGonagall's talk turned to the subject of the faculty. Professor Flitwick had taken on the job of deputy headmaster, but no one had yet been chosen to replace McGonagall as head of Gryffindor house. Unfortunately, Slughorn had decided to stay on and had also taken up his old position as head of Slytherin house.

"I am no more fond of him than you are, and would toss him and his 'Slug Club' out in an instant if he gave me the cause to. Unfortunately, he operates completely within the rules and I already have two teaching positions to fill." There was a bitterness in McGonagall's voice that even Ron noticed. "Pardon my outburst. Horace Slughorn is not an evil man, per se...greedy, manipulative, and self-serving perhaps -- but not truly evil. Unfortunately I've seen him hurt far too many people with his schemes to ever trust him. But as I said before, as a new headmistress, I'm not in a position to dismiss him without a very good reason. At the same time, however, I have no way of stopping any students from telling their classmates everything they may know about their Potions professor and his little club."

Checking an old pocket watch, Minerva gathered up her things to leave. As a final gesture, she handed four envelopes to Hermione.

"Here are your Hogwarts letters, along with Miss Weasley's. You will find your new badges inside. The other letters will be sent out on Monday to coincide with the official announcement. Until we meet again, have a good summer and try not to do anything too dangerous." With a flick of her wand, Minerva McGonagall levitated the boxes before her and left the Burrow. It was common courtesy in the magical world not to Apparate or Disapparate within someone else's home, and McGonagall was nothing if not courteous.

When McGonagall had gone, Hermione suddenly wrapped Harry in a bone-crushing hug. "Can you believe this! Mum and Dad will be so proud. I can't wait to tell them...." she said, bouncing with excitement.

"Honey, you're babbling," Harry told her.

"No I'm not." Hermione thumped him on the chest. "I'm just happy! Aren't you?"

"I guess. It'll be hard juggling everything; but then again, Voldemort might start wondering what we're up to if we don't go back," Harry said half to himself. Changing the subject, he asked Ron, "What about you? Are you okay with this?"

Ron quickly joked, "Are you mental? This way I don't have to tell Mum I'm not going back to school! Oh, you mean the Head Boy thing. Nah, it's the last thing I want...I'm not a big enough prat for the job." He gave them a wicked grin more commonly seen on Fred or George and ducked as his friends started to go for their wands.

"You could have fooled us," Ginny told them, coming down the stairs

Harry looked at her. "You heard?"

"How else do I learn anything around here?" Ginny told him sheepishly. Taking a deep breath she added, "Congratulations, to both of you. You deserve it."

She turned to leave, but was stopped by Hermione.

"Ginny, wait." Hermione took a letter out of the pile she was holding. "Here's your Hogwarts letter, McGonagall dropped it off."

"Thanks," Ginny said quietly as she accepted the parchment from Hermione. "By the way, what was with all that stuff McGonagall said about Slughorn?"

Taking a deep breath, Hermione said as calmly as possible, "Professor Slughorn likes to collect and use people to make himself look important, and Harry was his most recent target."

Ginny listened impassively to Harry, Ron and Hermione's explanation of what Slughorn did and what his "club" was really about. When they'd finished, Ginny off-handedly said, "Figures, always knew there was something dodgy about the git," and walked away.

Harry exchanged a look with Hermione before heading upstairs. Both of them had sensed something odd from Ginny. She still wasn't happy about them being together; yet she had carried on a civilized, though tense, conversation with them. This wasn't the Ginny Weasley they had overheard this morning, and they couldn't tell what changed her attitude.

Entering Hermione's room, they got their explanation. Lying open at the top of the bed was the Rare Book of Rare and Unusual Magic with their enchanted parchment, displaying all their notes about the Horcruxes, Voldemort, and Harry and Hermione's particular gift sitting next to it. They had been so distracted earlier that they had forgotten to put them away.

"She knows," Harry said quietly.

All they could do now was hope that Ginny Weasley would keep her new knowledge to herself.

**********

end chapter 12

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