Legacy
by Jardyn39
Chapter 6 - Visitor
Harry looked up and saw the concerned face of Dumbledore. He realised he must have appeared in the Headmaster's office again and hadn't even noticed.
"You seem distracted, Harry."
"Um, yeah, I suppose I am," Harry admitted.
"Take a seat, won't you?"
"No, no," said Harry quickly. "We need to practise."
Dumbledore smiled and said, "Harry, a troubled mind rarely devotes a sufficient degree of concentration, whatever the task at hand. To tell the truth, I hadn't expected to see you at all this evening. Your exertions yesterday must have taken their toll."
"But we'll lose a whole day."
"It matters not, Harry. Come and sit with me a moment and then I will leave you to your sleep."
Harry hesitated but then went over and sat next to Dumbledore.
"Is it my unreasonable stance on the Dementors causing you anguish?"
"No, Professor," said Harry, adding quickly, "That doesn't mean you can't change your mind."
Dumbledore chuckled and said, "Thank you for clarifying that point, Harry. Was it the Charms work we began yesterday?"
"Only began?"
"Oh, yes. The relocation of Hogwarts towers isn't something one needs to do every day. However the same principle can be applied to a whole host of things. Can you guess what the single most useful thing might be?"
Harry shrugged and wiped his face. He was still tired, except now he was tired and worried about what was troubling Hermione.
"One thing did occur to me," said Harry. "My Muggle alarm clock is made up of lots of components."
"You are precisely correct, Harry. Muggle mechanical technology is usually comprised of small simpler components that work in unison. If one transfigures a clock most Wizards and Witches cannot understand why the thing stops working. Their magic fails to restore the delicate and precise components to their original state."
Harry nodded.
"Unfortunately, Harry, you will discover that large stone towers are much easier to move and transfigure than small Muggle clocks. However, once the techniques are properly mastered, other Muggle inventions can be adapted."
"Electrical things?" asked Harry.
"Alas, no," said Dumbledore. "Although I have speculated that in theory, electrical components are simply more complex mechanical engines that use electrons rather than cogs and springs. However, you will soon understand that a clock with less than a hundred components is about as complex as one can comfortably transfigure. Electronic devices commonly utilise thousands of tiny components."
"What about simple electrical things like kettles and toasters?"
"Well, they are easier but the magic usually destroys the working parts."
Harry nodded and they fell silent for a moment.
"Do you want to talk about it Harry?"
"No, thanks," said Harry quietly, looking down at the rich red carpet.
Dumbledore nodded and said, "I regret not enjoying the trust you had in my living counterpart. However I do understand. I do not know you, not really, and I certainly don't know your friends. The only sensible advice I am qualified to give you is this-"
Harry looked up.
"Sleep well, Harry."
Harry felt himself slipping away from Dumbledore's office. He usually woke briefly before falling asleep again, but this time he slept on.
*
At a little after ten o'clock the next morning the doorbell rang just as Harry was coming down the stairs on his way to rejoin Hermione in the garden. He had woken that morning feeling much better after a deep uninterrupted sleep.
He jumped the last couple of steps and opened the front door.
"Ron! It's great to see you. Come in!"
"Hi, Harry," said Ron, wiping his feet on the coir mat.
"No escort?"
"Moody is outside somewhere under his invisibility cloak. He said he wanted to keep watch."
"Oh, right," said Harry, closing the door. "Hermione said you might be dropping by. She's in the garden, but I wondered if we could have a chat before we join her. Come into the living room a moment?"
Ron looked at him suspiciously but followed Harry into the empty room.
"The thing is," began Harry quietly, "Hermione seems pretty set on not going to the wedding. I think she's upset about something, but she won't say what it is."
"That's why I came."
"Good. I tried to tell her that going to the Burrow would do her good, so maybe you can persuade her."
Ron nodded slowly.
"How have things been here?" he asked.
"About the same as usual," Harry replied in an undertone. "At least there's no Dudley this summer, and Hermione's been good company."
Ron gave half a nod and Harry had the uncomfortable feeling that Ron was assessing him. He didn't think his friend had taken his eyes off him once since they had entered the room.
"Did she say why she preferred to come here rather than stay with us at the Burrow?" Ron asked.
"No, and I didn't really push her for an answer. I suppose she made up her mind not to go to the wedding earlier than she let on."
Ron sighed and said, "I'd better go and speak to her."
Harry didn't know what it was exactly, but although Ron had sounded and acted calmly enough he was sure he was spoiling for an argument. Perhaps he was too calm, he wondered.
Harry decided he should say something.
"Ron, you'll be tactful, won't you? Hermione seemed very upset last night. Having a row won't help, but a few kind words might just convince her to come back to the Burrow with you."
"Yeah, well a good row might be what she needs," Ron said darkly.
"What do you mean?"
"Didn't she tell you about her letter?"
"No. She did mention something about being afraid she's upset you."
They were quiet for a moment. Ron was clearly thinking hard and Harry was wondering what to say for the best.
Finally, Ron asked, "Is there anything you want to tell me, Harry?"
This question completely threw him.
"Sorry?"
"I wasn't very pleased when I found out that the two of you were staying here."
"Ron, you were invited too, remember?" said Harry angrily, finally realising what Ron was intimating.
"So what? You had a convenient opportunity, that's all. Anyway, I'm not blaming you entirely. I know it can't have been easy for you staying here even if it is only this one last time."
"Why don't you just come out say it, Ron?"
"I think she started planning from the moment you broke it off with Ginny. Yes, there was a distinct coolness from then, even before the letters arrived."
Harry just shook his head in disbelief. No wonder Hermione was upset, he thought.
"As far as I am concerned, Hermione has done nothing to deserve your mistrust," Harry said through gritted teeth.
"So, nothing has happened?"
"I can't believe you even asked me that. Whatever I say I'm not sure you'd believe me, but for your information, nothing has happened. But that can't be much reassurance, can it? After all, if you think Hermione has some plan to seduce me, why wouldn't the plan come to fruition later in the week?"
"You're even beginning to talk like her, Harry. When did you ever say fruition before?"
"Stop changing the subject," Harry said seriously, his voice growing louder. "All Hermione has done is act like a true friend. She's put up with the dreadful treatment the Dursleys have given her and managed to help me through this. That's not to mention-"
Harry stopped abruptly hearing a soft cough from the doorway. Hermione was standing there, looking like she would rather be anywhere else but determined to deal with the matter.
"Your voices were beginning to carry," she said simply, before adding rather coldly, "Hello, Ron."
"I'll go and put the kettle on," said Harry, saying the first thing that entered his head as he moved for the door. Hermione stood aside for him and he hurried out.
The door clicked shut as he reached the kitchen.
Harry didn't bother to go anywhere near the kettle and instead headed straight outside into the back garden. They had been doing a little light weeding and as the back flower bed was as far as he could get without actually leaving the property, he settled on continuing with that.
He picked up the small trowel that Hermione had been using and began attacking the soil. He was quite determined not to hear any part of the argument that he was sure was about to reach his ears.
Gradually, however, he slowed. Not to listen, but to consider Ron's words.
Although Ron was Harry's best friend, he also knew him to be irrational; particularly when it came to girls.
Harry paused to reconsider this thought. No, he decided, that wasn't entirely fair. Ron might have appeared to have acted irrationally in the past, but he was actually just reacting when his feelings were hurt.
From what Ron had just said, it was highly likely that Hermione had decided any romantic attachments would be put on hold for the foreseeable future. He wondered if his breaking things off with Ginny had really prompted this.
He supposed he couldn't really blame Ron for becoming suspicious. After all, Moody had jumped to the same conclusion.
Harry shook his head slowly, feeling annoyed that Hermione should suffer such speculation about herself. After all, it was nobody else's business, was it?
A shadow moved across the flower bed and he squinted up.
It was Hermione and she was alone.
"I'm afraid I asked Ron to go," she said quietly.
Harry got to his feet and asked gently, "You okay?"
"I'll be fine, Harry. I'm sorry to have embarrassed you like that."
"Hermione, you have nothing to apologise for."
"Yes, I do," she said, pulling out a small lace handkerchief and refolding it. "I knew Ron would be upset, but I really didn't think he'd jump to the conclusion that I was dumping him for you. I just wanted us to take things a little slower, that's all."
"I had the impression that you broke up with him," admitted Harry.
"Well, we were hardly ever an item. It seemed foolish to describe it as a break."
"Hermione, have you really been fair with Ron? Doesn't he at least deserve a chance?"
"It would have been less fair to lead him on and let him believe he was the reason it ended."
"Last night you claimed that Ron wasn't the main reason you didn't want to go to the Burrow," began Harry.
"I'm not ready to share that with you, Harry, so don't ask."
"I wasn't going to," he countered. "I was going to say that Ron is bound to think he is the main reason. It's going to be difficult for us to track down those Horcruxes if you two aren't talking. Remember, only the three of us know what we have to do."
Hermione looked down.
"You want me to go?" she asked tentatively.
"No, but we'll both have to try harder to make Ron feel included again. Did he say when he'd be back?"
"He didn't, but Tonks told me before that they planned to escort him back here Thursday morning."
"The day before my birthday? Okay, so he'll probably only be staying over the one night?"
"Well, yes, assuming we leave on Friday."
"Oh, there's no assuming about it," he replied with a grin. "Come on, I want to read Dumbledore's latest textbook. Have you read any of it yet?"
"No," she admitted, as they walked towards the house. "I started but I couldn't concentrate."
"Good, we can read it together," he replied.
"Harry, aren't you worried what Ron might say?"
"I'm more worried that you'll hog the only comfortable bit of the floor as usual," he replied, earning himself a playful swipe at his arm. "Hey, you can see me out here now?"
Hermione tutted him.
"Harry, I've been able to see you all morning."
"I thought you were only hitting me by accident when you were throwing those weeds over into the basket!"
"Well, I didn't think it would take you so long to catch on."
*
Harry had to admit to himself that he thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the day. He felt a little guilty that he was almost relieved that Ron hadn't stayed or, worse, taken Hermione away to the Burrow. Hermione herself showed no sign of regret either and Harry had decided to follow her lead and not mention Ron.
They spent most of the time lying side-by-side on his threadbare bedroom rug and reading Dumbledore's heavy book. They occasionally tussled over when to turn the pages, but Harry became convinced that Hermione was just playing with him.
His suspicions that Hermione had in fact already read most of the book were confirmed when she abandoned the last chapter and turned over to stare up at the ceiling.
Harry closed the book and turned onto his side. He had intended to lie back down, but he stopped at the sight of Hermione.
Her eyes were closed and she looked utterly relaxed.
The frown that had so often been directed at him over the last few months was nowhere to be seen. Her face had thinned ever so slightly too, but her nose and mouth were just the same. Her hair was, well, everywhere.
The sudden noise of beating wings at the open window made him jump and look towards the window. An unfamiliar Barn Owl flew into the room and onto the bedcovers.
Harry looked down again to see Hermione sitting up, brushing her hair back.
He wondered if she had seen him looking at her. He also wondered what he would say if she had indeed caught him.
Hermione reached out and untied the message from the owl's leg.
"It's from Alastor Moody," she said. "He says he's found Fudge and wants to arrange a meeting. The owl will take our reply back to him."
Harry scrambled through the debris on his desk until he found a spare scrap of parchment to write his reply.
"Why not write on this?" Hermione asked, holding out Moody's note.
"No, it might be intercepted. You never know do you?"
Harry showed Hermione his scribbled reply before tying it to the owl and carrying it over to the window.
He turned back to see that a slight frown had returned to Hermione's face.
"What is it?" he asked.
"I should have thought of that, Harry. I mean, if they knew the question as well as the answer of course they would stand a greater chance of understanding the message."
"So?"
"Harry, I would have sent a reply back before even realising how risky it was."
"It hardly matters, does it? Mad-Eye didn't actually name Fudge, did he?"
"That's only because he's paranoid."
Harry chuckled and nodded, but Hermione didn't smile. If anything, he realised, she was looking more annoyed with herself.
"Hermione, don't beat yourself up over nothing," he said reassuringly. "I'm sure you would have realised before sending the owl off again. In fact, I'm more than just sure. You would have thought long and hard about your response, wouldn't you?"
Hermione shook her head slowly and said, "I'd like to think that, Harry. I'm just not sure."
He was about to say something more when she continued.
"I just haven't been able to concentrate lately," she said quietly. "Even Professor Dumbledore's books haven't grabbed me like they should have."
"Hermione, you've read each of them cover to cover," he reminded her gently.
She looked up at him, and Harry saw something in her eyes.
"What's the matter?" he asked in a whisper. "What's eating at you like this?"
Hermione bit her lower lip, clearly wondering whether to tell him when there was a loud crack immediately outside the door.
Harry spun around and quickly pulled open the door. Tonks was standing there, clearly taken aback at the two wands now pointed straight at her.
"I just can't get used to Apparating inside this house," she said. "That time was worse than ever. It's almost as if the wards are growing in strength and resisting my coming in."
"You could have just rung the doorbell," suggested Harry, pocketing his wand.
"No, I didn't want to be seen."
"Why are you here?" asked Hermione. "We weren't expecting another visit so soon. Is anything wrong?"
"Well, Mad-Eye asked me to set up the living room. I understand you have a reluctant guest coming later."
"Reluctant?"
"Yes," replied Tonks, turning and heading down the stairs. "I had the impression that Mad-Eye won't be giving your guest much choice in the matter."
They followed Tonks down and into the living room.
"Yes, this room ought to be big enough," said Tonks, raising her wand.
"Just a minute!" called Harry. "What are you going to do?"
"Harry, Fudge mustn't know where he's being interviewed."
"But he knows where I live," protested Harry. "This address was read out at my hearing."
"Harry, please give Dumbledore some credit. The Wizengamot and Ministry records do not show where you really live."
"How is that done?" asked Hermione.
"Simple, really. The address is charmed so that people reading 4 Privet Drive actually think of somewhere else. Even copying the address to a piece of parchment is impossible. Anyone trying to find you would arrive at a place controlled by the Order. Owls and the like are allowed to continue onto here only when we are satisfied the messages are safe."
Harry looked at Hermione who had a small frown on her face. He was about to ask her what she had thought of when something else occurred to him.
"You read my mail?" Harry said indignantly.
"No, we only make sure it isn't hexed and such. Dumbledore did screen out your fan mail, though. You've had about a ton a year since you were three, apparently."
"But-"
"Can I please get on with this?" said Tonks, not waiting for an answer. With a long slow swish of her wand the room was instantly transformed.
They were plunged into darkness the moment the window vanished.
"Blast!" said Tonks. "I always forget to light a lantern before I vanish the windows. Lumos!"
The narrow beam of bright light scanned the rough stone wall where the chimney had been a moment ago until it found a torch bracket.
Tonks flicked her wand again and several torches flamed into life.
"That's better," she said, looking around at her handiwork with some satisfaction. "Oh, you'll be needing a couple of chairs too."
"How about a door?" asked Harry.
"Door?" asked Tonks, looking around. "Well a door would give away the fact that this isn't really a damp castle cellar, wouldn't it? You'll just have to Apparate in."
"So, what will stop Mr Fudge from Disapparating right back out again?" asked Hermione.
"Oh, Mad-Eye will have that covered. He won't release him until you agree with a pre-agreed signal."
"What's the signal?"
"I've no idea! Would you like some torture instruments on the walls? How about a rack or a grate with red-hot pokers in?"
"No thanks," said Harry dryly. "It might give my Uncle some good ideas about how he's going to punish me for doing this to his living room."
Tonks just grinned at him.