Chapter 8
The next morning Harry was working on homework in the Ravenclaw common room near the unlit fireplace. From his position on the floor, he could see students 3rd year and up drifting down for breakfast before getting ready to go to Hogsmeade. Girls were giggling together in pairs and in small groups, while the boys clustered together in the corner discussing their upcoming dates and the new seeker from yesterday's tryouts.
Harry threw a scowl in the boys' direction before going back to work on his Time Turner homework for Professor Vector. He was making good progress with the mass to energy to time conversions, but he was no where near done. He predicted at least another month of fine tuning before calling it good and leaving the assignment alone. There were some things he wanted to verify and other things he needed to research for his algorithm before he could get to that point.
One thing Harry wanted to know about was multiple jumps. Could a person jump back again if they were already back in time? Would second and third and so on jumps be secure or would time travel become less and less stable the more a person jumped, and did that even account for the possibility of morethan one version of that person running about? If stable, could he find a way to combine these jumps into one equation to create a super Time Turner?
It was all very interesting and theoretical and at the moment largely rhetorical because Harry hadn't found anything substantial on the subject. Still, Harry was pretty sure his current equation could send a person back two hours. To make the equation more efficient he was sure he would have to alter the amounts of Anachromagus Powder used in the base mixture of magical sands.
Harry was just starting to write down a series of adjustment levels to test in full format when somebody tapped his shoulder. Straightening, Harry glanced behind him and stopped dead. At eye level were two long slender bare legs that kept going only to be stopped by a skirt so short it had to be against dress code regulation.
"Hello," Hermione said, looking pink and slightly embarrassed.
"Hello," Harry returned looking up at her.
She was wearing a luscious blue knit sweater and her bushy hair was tamed. On her face Hermione wore a light layer of makeup. Her lipstick was pink and sparkly, enhanced by magic to glitter like those muggle magazine ads. She fidgeted nervously under his penetrating stare before crossing her arms over her chest defensively.
"Well?"
"Well what?" Harry asked perplexed, still looking up at her.
"Are you ready to go?"
Harry shrugged and turned back to his work and started picking up after himself. He neatly stacked every sheet of paper ignoring Hermione's sigh of annoyance. He stood picking up his two reference books and slinging them into his arms before trotting upstairs to the boy's dormitory where he threw them on his bed. The books jostled Serion who opened an a eye and snarled something that made Harry grin and shake his head. Saying goodbye to the touchy snake, Harry grabbed his old grey cloak and left, heading back downstairs.
Hermione was where he left her, but she wasn't alone. Beside her stood Padma and Su who were gossiping with her and exchanging with one another their expectations for the day. Harry sidled up next to them and waited for Hermione to notice him so they could take off.
Harry learned stuff he was sure boys were not suppose to know. For instance he knew Padma was going with Dean Thomas of Gryffindor, and Su was going with Kevin from the Quidditch team. They both wanted to be kissed at the end of the date. The discussion of kissing had Harry on edge. When they started discussing hormonal stuff, his twitchiness was what finally caught Hermione's attention.
It wasn't a promising start, Harry thought walking out of the common room with her a few minutes later after she had wrapped up her conversation with the two girls. Hermione had her cloak in her arms and was fidgeting with it as they navigated the corridors to the entrance hall. They weren't really talking to one another and Harry was out of ideas on how to breech the silence.
Soon though, they reached the hall and waited. There was a line of students ahead of them handing off their permission forms to the caretaker, Argus Filch. Filch was looking at each kid trying to find an excuse to keep them in the castle as it was the ultimate punishment on a day like today.
When it was Harry's turn, he handed to Filch his forged permission slip for the year, confident in the knowledge that it would pass inspection. Filch nodded to him somewhat grudgingly and took Hermione's form running his eye up and down it several times. Filch then eyed the Headgirl badge on her sweater. He sneered at her for a moment before motioning her onward so he could terrorize the third year behind her.
"What an awful man," Hermione said once they were through the doors and on their way down past the Quidditch pitch to Hogsmeade.
Harry nodded, stuffing his hands into his pockets and looked straight ahead as they passed the pitch. "What do you want to do in Hogsmeade?"
"I was thinking about going to the bookstore. There's this book I want to buy to help with the Arithmancy project Professor Vector assigned to us."
"I could go to the Scrivenshaft's as well," Harry said, thinking he could look up dark arts books for the definition of a Horcrux.
"What are you looking for there?" Hermione asked, casting a sideways look at him.
Harry shrugged. "This and that."
"Well that was certainly informative, Harry. Please do try to be a little bit more vague."
Harry flashed her a wry grin and said, "I have to look up stuff."
Hermione huffed irritably causing Harry to laugh. The tension between them dissolved and while Harry still remained close-lipped about Horcruxes, Hermione started talking a mile a minute. He listened and injected a comment here and there, but mostly stayed quiet. His quietness didn't deter her in the slightest, in fact she seemed to relish it.
Harry took her inattention to him to study her more closely as they wandered into Hogsmeade. She was pretty in an unconventional way, he thought. A beauty you could only really see when her hair was pulled away from her face. He figured rightly most guys just saw her as a brain and not as a girl.
Hermione didn't normally challenge the conceptions boys had of her because she never dressed up. In fact, Harry would have described her as a girl who dressed down. She didn't dress down today though, Harry noticed. Her top was a little too tight and was probably Su's, and her skirt-- Harry took another moment to admire it-- was something Padma would wear.
He watched her movements as she talked. She used a lot of hand waving to punctuate her words. But occasionally, her hands would drift down and tug at the bottom of her skirt trying to lengthen it, or her fingers would find themselves in her hair trying to pull it forward only to be caught. Every time she noticed her hands wandering she would look annoyed and bring her hands back to her hips.
The sun's rays were caught and reflected in the lipstick she wore and every time she paused she would wet them unconsciously. In short, the Hermione beside him was fascinating, but Harry wondered if she was real. Would this distracting creature disappear behind a stack of books and homework the moment they got back to Hogwarts?
Harry opened the door for her when they reached Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop. Hermione thanked him as she walked by blushing. Immediately after he shut the door, she took off and disappeared into the stacks of books and writing supplies. Harry raised an eyebrow at her backside and shook himself.
Quickly, Harry made his way over to the defense section and started scouring the different books. He did not expect to find anything at all on the subject because the books were all newly published and Horcruxes was a Ministry banned subject. Probably the likewise at Hogwarts with Professor Dumbledore being Headmaster but Harry would keep looking until there were no more books left to check.
The first couple of titles were the newest texts on the market. Harry picked one up and skipped to the reference section in the back. There was an enchanted object section and Harry quickly skipped back to that chapter. He was disappointed to find that the only objects included were frequently cursed items such as shrinking keys and self-misplacing luggage bags.
He put the book back on the shelf and picked up another one that looked promising. Rifling through it, none of the subjects or subtitles stood out and he absently returned the book while searching for another one to glance through.
Harry had nearly reached the end of the defense section by the time Hermione came up to him. She was leaning to the left because she was being heavily weighed down by her purchases. Harry decided to help her out and cast a weightless charm on her packages relieving Hermione of the weight of her new books.
"Thanks. Did you find what you were looking for?" Hermione asked, taking her wand out and shrinking her packages.
Harry shook his head. "No such luck, though I see you got what you wanted and then some. Where to next, Hermione?"
Hermione smiled up at him, handing him her shrunken purchases. "Are you thirsty? We could grab a cold Butterbeer from Madam Rosmerta's."
"Sure," he replied easily, putting the tiny packages in his pockets. "After you."
Hermione walked out of the shop and down the street. Harry followed right behind her and took the chance to admire the sway of her hips. She looked over her shoulder at him and he jogged up to be alongside her.
"You're such a slow poke, Harry."
Harry wisely chose not to comment. Instead he moved in closer and accidentally bumped into her arm. Hermione blushed prettily and started babbling. She told him about her parents, who were muggle dentists, and how they wouldn't let her eat candy when she was growing up or allow her to shrink her overly large front teeth. She'd done the last in spite of them fourth year after Malfoy had hit her in the face with his enlarging potion.
Students were all around them. The younger ones were in large groups of friends going around having a good time. The older ones on dates were obviously at many different levels of comfort with each other. Some walked by holding hands and window shopping, while others alternated between talking and blushing at the same time.
When they reached the pub, Harry held the door open for her once again. Inside the noise level was near deafening. The expansion charm was sorely tested as more and more Hogwarts students entered behind them. It seemed that there were many students with the same idea that he and Hermione had about grabbing a cool draft of Butterbeer.
Harry led the way through the crowded interior to two empty barstools. On his way he noticed Daniel and Ron over in a corner booth trying to impress the two girls there with them. Megan Jones looked thoroughly bored with Ron and seemed to be fighting Susan Bones for Daniel's attention. Harry turned away from them and sat down as Hermione did the same.
"It sure is loud in here," Hermione yelled, trying to be heard over the volume. "I can hardly hear myself think!"
"I know what you mean," Harry shouted in return.
Hermione waved to Madam Rosmerta who finished serving another thirsty student before she came bustling over. She reached them and wiped her hands on her apron skirt, placing them on the bar top. She looked at both of them but Harry shook his head so she focused on Hermione.
"What can I do for you, Hermione, dear?"
"I'd love to have a Butterbeer," Hermione said loudly. "Cold, if you please."
"No other way on a day like today. I'll be back in a jiffy."
Hermione grinned and turned back to Harry to find him pulling her purchases out of his pockets and setting them on the counter top.
"Did you want to order a drink, Harry? Madam Rosmerta should be back shortly with my Butterbeer and you could order then."
Harry knowing he didn't have the means to pay for the drink, shook his head. "I'm good, I don't need anything to drink."
Hermione lost her grin and gave him a frown. "I thought you wanted to come and have a drink, that's why we're here."
Just as Harry was about to respond, Daniel loudly boasted about his triumph over Voldemort in sixth year. This outburst distracted Harry who turned around to give his brother a disgusted look. In Sixth year, Daniel had not found triumph in the Gaunt house. It was Harry who had rescued Daniel from his suicide mission just outside of Little Hangleton to get that blasted family ring.
He had found Daniel much like he'd found Ginny second year; Daniel's life force was apparently being drained by a ring around his finger. It was the only thing out of place in the decrepit surroundings, and Daniel always boasted about wearing the Potter ring. The signet on his middle finger was most assuredly not it. The sixteen year old Tom Riddle that he'd fought before was nowhere to be seen, instead he saw an older version of what must have been Voldemort after he finished Hogwarts; complete with a slightly snake-like visage and bloodshot eyes, calling the shots. Destroying the ring took more effort than the diary and Harry ended up poisoned and passed out over Daniel, who had recovered quickly once the ring was destroyed. Daniel got all the credit because he was found kneeling over Harry when Dumbledore finally came rushing into the house.
A hand shot in front of his face and a disembodied voice was shouting, "Harry, hello? Earth to Harry!"
Harry shook himself and focused on the hand in front of him following the line of arm attached to it and settled on Hermione's face. "Sorry. Got lost in my own thoughts for a minute."
"Some thoughts there, Harry," Hermione said slowly studying his face. "You looked quite murderous."
"What can I say?" Harry said dismissively as he watched his brother look up and send a smug grin in his direction. "Daniel grates on my every nerve."
"Why is that?" Hermione asked, accepting her drink from Madam Rosmerta and taking a sip.
Harry turned back to the bar and sighed. "He's just a prat, that's all."
"How could you say that?" Hermione asked, sparing one last glance back at Daniel and the others. "He deserves our respect. He is the Boy-Who-Lived and it rests on his shoulders to stand against You-Know-Who."
"Lord Voldemort," Harry said sternly causing her to jump. "The megalomaniac's name is Voldemort--" Hermione jumped again, but Harry ignored her reaction and pressed onward, "--Voldemort, and if you can't stand that, call the bastard by his real name… after all he's not immortal."
"Then how do you explain how he returned?" Hermione asked, putting her Butterbeer down on the counter and facing Harry.
Harry glowered at her. "How else would Tommy return but by magic?"
"Well you don't have to sound so cavalier about it. You do realize that your brother is the only one besides Professor Dumbledore to stand up to Lord--Lord Thingy."
"Lord Thingy?" Harry scoffed. "Come now, you can't be that silly. I thought you had a brain."
"I have a brain," Hermione said crossly.
"Prove it," Harry challenged. "Use it."
"Fine, Lord Vol--Volde--Voldemort," she stammered, grabbing her drink and taking several deep gulps.
"Congratulations you have just joined the ranks of those not too scared to say the wizard's name."
Hermione glared up over her tankard. "You happy?"
"Infinitely," Harry deadpanned, sitting back and leaning against the wall.
Hermione raised her chin. "It's an honor to be in the group Dumbledore and Daniel--"
"Wrong," Harry interjected. "Daniel has never called Tommy by his real name or by his anagram calling card."
"Then who? You said those and that implies more than one."
"Myself and Dumbledore."
"Surely, Daniel has said Vold--Voldemort? He's the Boy-Who-Lived!"
"Sure," Harry said agreeably, watching Hermione with no small amount of amusement. "In an alternate universe perhaps, but not here. Not ever. Daniel is just a scared teenager with too much fame and not enough common sense."
"Then what about you?" Hermione demanded. "Why do you say his name?"
"Because I've earned the right to call him anything I choose."
Hermione shook her head and sat forward, her brows knitted in a puzzled frown. "And Daniel hasn't?"
"You sure do ask a lot of questions," Harry said casually as Madam Rosmerta brought back Hermione another Butterbeer, his gaze never leaving her face.
Hermione seemed nervous under the attention as she took the proffered drink and sipped it. "That's me, Miss Granger, The-Know-It-All. Still you didn't answer my question about Daniel."
Harry forced a sickly smile on his face. "Funny, how all of them seem to be about Daniel in some way or another. I thought you asked me out because you wanted to get to know me, not my brother."
"Harry," Hermione said, grabbing his sleeve as he stood to stop him from leaving.
"Next time ask Daniel out," he said grabbing her hand and removing it from his arm.
A tingle raced up his fingers from the contact. Stopping, he looked down at her before he shot one last look in Daniel's direction. Daniel was watching them intently from the booth he shared with his friends. Harry sneered at him and received a familiar smug one in return. Shifting his gaze Harry caught Hermione looking at him with confusion written all over her face.
As Harry walked away from Hermione's feeble protests he watched his brother through the corner of his eye and saw him straighten up and make his way over to Hermione at the bar. Megan and Susan were looking murderous, their attention focused on Hermione as Daniel made his way to her.
Something heavy fell into the pit of Harry's stomach as he watched Hermione turn away from him to face his brother. It wasn't a very pleasant feeling, Harry thought, walking out of the Three Broomsticks feeling somewhat nauseated. There wasn't much he could do about it though. Harry licked his suddenly dry lips and started hurrying back towards Hogwarts.
He had too many things he had to do, and worrying about some girl wasn't one of them. There was less than a week left of work for his potion; he had to practice drawing the runes for the accompanying ritual; and he had to research Horcruxes. With so much to do, when would he ever have time to think about Hermi-- a girl? No, it was good that it… whatever it was… ended here and now.
"Harry!"
Harry stopped in the middle of the pathway. The buzzing of insects suddenly echoed in his ears and the gravel by his feet became very interesting. He couldn't bare to turn around and find Daniel standing next to her looking like a cat who caught the canary. So instead Harry focused on the goals of the Quidditch pitch and waited a second or two.
"Harry! Wait!"
Hermione came running up the pathway her cheeks flushed as she skidded to a stop next to him. She grabbed his arms for balance and quickly let go after righting herself. Harry watched her shift uneasily beside him looking nearly as ill as he felt.
"I'm sorry!" Hermione blurted. "I wasn't-- I didn't mean to-- it wasn't about Daniel. I swear! At least not really. I mean, he's your brother, isn't he? I was just trying to learn how you guys were together. Padma rarely has anything good to say about Parvati and I was wondering if it was the same between you and Daniel."
"Got any breath left?" Harry asked as he took in her bedraggled appearance.
"Barely," Hermione answered with a sheepish grin. "Do you forgive me? I was just trying to get to know you! Honest!"
"What about Daniel? I saw him walk over to you as I was leaving."
Hermione put her hands on her hips and gave him a look that said he was being a guy. "I ran after you."
"Oh."
"Yeah, oh."
"So, er…"
Hermione took pity on him and latch her arm through his. "Walk me back to Hogwarts, Harry."
"Right."
As they walked back, Hermione asked him about his home life and what he liked to do and which subjects he liked best. Harry answered them all, most of his answers truthful but some were still glossed over in the vaguest way possible. The walk back was more enjoyable than the walk to Hogsmeade and Harry found himself opening up to the witch on his arm.
They climbed the walkway to the entrance hall passing a very grumpy Filch on the way inside. Meandering the halls brought them inevitably to their common room and Harry felt reluctant to let her go. Hermione seemed to feel the same way and asked if he wanted to join her in the library to work on schoolwork for their upcoming lessons. Harry agreed readily and they gathered their stuff and met again underneath Madam Pince's nose.
Hermione, at one point, ran and got a signed permission slip from Professor Babbling to get into the restricted section. Harry eagerly joined her and was in the process of reading his third book from the dark arts section when Hermione snorted.
Harry stopped reading his book mid-sentence to look at her with a wry grin he asked, "Did you just snort?"
She glanced around the corner to see if Madam Pince was near before responding in a loud whisper. "I can't understand magical authors and publishers. They write the most boring and dry stuff ever and when they get to something good they say they will write no more on it."
"What is so interesting?"
Hermione read aloud from the tome. "'Of the Horcrux, wickedest of magical inventions, we shall not speak nor give direction,' --- I mean, why mention it then?"
Harry's eye widened as he made a grab for the book. "Are you sure there's no further mention of Horcruxes in the book?"
Hermione handed the book over and Harry glanced at the cover and mentally rolled his eyes. Go figure that what he was looking for was in a book entitled Magick Most Evile.
Hermione raised an eyebrow at him. "What on earth is a Horcrux, Harry, and why are you so interested in them anyway? The introduction said it was evil."
"Your whole book is about evil, Hermione," Harry responded, reading the introduction intently.
"Do you know what it is?"
Harry shut the book with a loud sigh. "Damn, you probably found the only book in the whole library about Horcruxes."
"Is this what you were looking for in Scrivenshaft's, Harry?"
"Yeah," Harry said shoving his book to the side. "I've been looking to find something on them for ages now. Figures you'd find it before me without even trying."
"What is it?"
"I don't know," Harry replied honestly, looking around at the bookshelves for another title to pull down and go through. "But I intend to find out."