"Wait," a voice very much like Dumbledore's resounded at the door. All heads turned to see Aberforth, with his wand gripped tightly in his hand, standing there, his blue eyes flashing.
"Not going to start without me, are you?" he asked, a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth as he strode quickly to the spot where everyone else was standing.
"Of course not, Aberforth," Lupin replied, grinning grimly. They glanced down at the now shaking man on the floor.
"What are you doing here?" the Headmaster asked softly, lowering his wand. The others reluctantly followed.
"And don't bother lying," Snape added coldly.
"The Dark Lord has sent me to spy on Harry Potter," Peter answered, trembling.
"Why?" Lupin immediately asked.
"The Dark Lord wants Harry Potter to join him. In his inside circle," Peter explained.
"Why?" Snape repeated.
"So that he can learn of his weaknesses - that is why I am here - and then use them against him," Peter replied.
"So what are you supposed to do for your Lord?" Aberforth asked curiously.
"I am to fetch something of great importance that belongs to Harry Potter for my Lord," Peter answered. "I am also to do research on his everyday behavior and take notes on his secrets and weaknesses."
"Is that why you keep coming back? Because you haven't gathered enough information?" Ron asked shakily. Peter simply nodded.
"Is there anyone helping you?" Lupin asked slowly.
"One Draco Malfoy," was Wormtail's answer.
"Draco Malfoy?" Harry echoed, surprised.
"Yes, Draco Malfoy has been instructed by his father to spy on Harry Potter, so that he can learn of his behavioral patterns and study them. He is to report this information back to Lucius Malfoy so that it can be passed onto the Dark Lord," Peter explained.
"Harry!" Ron whispered urgently. "That's why Malfoy's been staring at you!" Harry only nodded, putting two and two together.
"What does he plan to do next?" Albus Dumbledore asked, voicing the question that was on everyone's mind.
"Once this information gets back to the Dark Lord, he will instigate the first part of his plan by ordering Mr. Malfoy to place an unexpected attack on Harry Potter. The Lord has said that he will do anything to make sure that the first part of his plan follows through smoothly. Even kill," Wormtail relayed.
"I think that is enough information for now," Dumbledore sighed heavily.
"What should we do with him, Albus?" Snape asked, looking at Wormtail with disgust clearly showing on his face.
"I think it would be best if we locked him up in one of the cells in the basement. For now, at least. And to place a locking charm on the door," Aberforth suggested. Every head turned to Dumbledore to see his reaction. After a moment of quiet, Dumbledore resignedly nodded and put his wand away.
"Yes, I think that should be good," he answered. "Immobilize him, Severus, please. And Remus, would you be so kind as to taking Mr. Pettigrew down to one of our cells and placing a locking charm on the door?" Dumbledore requested. The two teachers nodded curtly, and Snape cried, "Immobulus!" Wormtail went into slow motion again.
"Thank you," Dumbledore said and, without another word, exited the room, Aberforth on his heels.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"What are we going to do, Albus? Draco goes to SCHOOL with Harry! He has CLASSES with Harry!" Aberforth exclaimed, following his brother to his office.
"I think that we should be as subtle as possible in laying out security for Mr. Potter and his friends, in case Voldemort decides to get to him through them," Albus replied somewhat calmly.
"Ton-Tongue Toffee," he intoned and the eagle began to spin.
"What sort of security are you talking about?" Aberforth questioned, following Albus up the stairs.
"Enough that we know he's protected, but also enough that others don't suspect. Especially Draco Malfoy," Albus replied.
"I'll help," Aberforth offered briskly as they stepped into Albus' brightly-lit office. "I'll come into the castle and watch. With Hagrid, of course. If they ask, Hagrid can just say that I'm helping him with some errands."
"Good idea, Aberforth. Remus can also help. All the teachers can, I believe. Including me. We need to make sure," Albus said with a portly sigh, "that all the students at Hogwarts are safe. For they are in danger now."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"The Chudley Cannons are famous for their elaborate formations," Harry read for the thousandth time from the book Ron had given him three years ago. But his mind was elsewhere. After they had interrogated Wormtail, Harry and Ron had come back to the Gryffindor common room and sat in silence, taking it all in. Then, Ron had broken the stunned silence by announcing that he had to go to the library to finish his Potions essay and that he had to meet someone there.
"Can't keep Lavender waiting, right?" Harry had asked coyly, grinning. Ron had simply resembled a beet and hurriedly left. An hour later, Harry was in the same spot in front of the fire, the book in his hands. But he wasn't concentrating on it. So Malfoy's father asked his git of a son to spy on me, he thought. Never thought THAT would happen. Should be more careful around him, he made a mental note of it.
"Guess who?" a voice whispered as a pair of hands wrapped around his eyes, making everything black. He took in a deep breath, recognizing the scent of lilac.
"Ron?!" he exclaimed, excited. "I thought you were out snogging Lavender! When'd you get back?"
"Oh, FINE. If Ron's more important to you than me," Hermione huffed, removing her hands and emerging from behind him. Harry laughed.
"I'm going up to my dorm. At least my BOOKS recognize me for who I am," she commented importantly and started to walk off when he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back.
"You can't take a joke, you know that?" he asked as she sat next to him.
"Oh, was that a JOKE? Forgive ME!" she replied dramatically, then burst out laughing. Harry joined, but stopped when events of earlier came back to plague his mind once more.
"What's wrong, Harry?" her voice was full of concern.
"Oh, um, nothing," he lied, flashing her a quick smile.
"Don't lie to me, Harry Potter. I can always tell when something's wrong," she answered, leaning an elbow against the arm of the seat.
"How?" he asked.
"Well, I can tell by looking in your eyes when something's troubling you. They get sort of clouded over," she replied. "Now, tell me."
So he did. He explained everything, every detail, and carefully watched her reaction during every part. She gasped every now and then, her eyes widened, and she even furrowed her eyebrows once or twice.
"So THAT'S why Malfoy's been spying on me," he finished and leaned against the back of the seat.
"We've always known Malfoy to be a rotten snitch," she finally replied, anger hinting her voice.
"Yeah," Harry said. "I just... I don't want to think about it anymore. It's starting to give me a headache." He rubbed his temples slowly.
"I'm sorry about all of this happening to you," she said.
"Don't apologize. It's not your fault," he answered, studying her as she toyed with the red upholstery.
"I know, but I still feel bad that you have to suffer through all of this," she answered. He pulled her close to him, her warmth radiating off her and into him. She gladly accepted as she leaned back against his sturdy chest, close to tears for her best friend, her boyfriend, suffering since the day he had been brought into this world.
"Why are you crying?" he asked, gently wiping the tears that started to spill out. She shook her head and helped him wipe the waterfalls away.
"Nothing," she replied, smiling. He kissed her forehead and rested his chin atop her head. She listened to his heartbeat, slow and steady.
"What are you thinking about right now?" she asked, staring straight into the fire.
"Wormtail," he sighed. "I can't believe it." She sat up and faced him.
"Maybe I help you take your mind off it," she grinned mischievously.
"Really, Ms. Granger? And how do you propose doing that?" he asked, grinning back. She shrugged, a small plan hatching in her mind.
She stood up, stretching luxuriously.
"Where are you going?" he asked, standing up as well.
"I'm going to get a book," she replied simply.
"A book? What for?" he asked, confused. She leaned in close to him, her lips inches from his, and whispered, "To take your mind off Wormtail." Then she backed up, laughing.
Harry looked confused, then his lips twisted into a smile. He would go along with this. He leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "That's very nice of you, but I was thinking we could do something a little more... fun." He heard her breathing quicken, and smiled as he stepped back.
"What did you have in mind?" she asked, stepping forward.
"Well, we could start with this," he said in a suggestive tone, and closed the gap between them with a breathtaking kiss. Her hands went to play with his hair as he pulled her closer to him, then stopped and looked into her eyes that glowed with a fire he had never seen before.
"Good idea," she voiced, struggling to breathe.
"I must be getting better at this. Seems every time I kiss you, its harder for you to breathe," Harry commented with an impish grin. Hermione blushed, but took hold of his tie and brought him close to her again.
"Then, maybe we could go on to this," she whispered and took his mouth once again, her arms circling around his neck. He hungrily kissed her back, his tongue slipping out of its home and exploring every corner of her mouth. In response, she pushed her tongue back against his, doing some exploring of her own.
She slowly pulled back, positively gasping as his hands circled lazily on her back.
"A very good idea," he approved, leaning his forehead against hers, not stopping tracing shapes on her
back.
"Harry," she began as soon as she had regained some control of her brain, "Should we tell Ron?"
"I don't know," he replied, thinking. "I mean, he knows we're only friends now, right?"
"Um," Hermione blushed, looking down at her shoes, "I might've told him that we kissed once."
"Oh," was all Harry said. "Do you want to tell him?" he asked finally.
"I... don't know," she answered slowly. "When I told him then, he looked crushed."
"But then he didn't know he was falling for Lavender," Harry pointed out.
"Harry, I think it would be best if we didn't tell Ron. Or anyone for that matter," Hermione answered flatly.
"What's your reason?" he asked, wholeheartedly agreeing with her and showing it by nodding.
"With Wormtail and Voldemort after you, and Malfoy snaking around you, I... I don't want anything to happen to you," she whispered, one hand on his cheek.
"I promise," he leaned in to kiss her tenderly, "nothing will happen to me. Malfoy's a prat. He's got nothing on me." He grinned to ease her worries, and it seemed to have worked as she smiled back somewhat hesitantly.
"But don't for one minute think that I don't want the whole world to know," she breathed, reaching up to kiss him with force. He kissed back, tongue roaming around her mouth. They pulled back and hugged, pressing against each other, each afraid to lose the person they loved.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Hi, Hagrid!"
"'Arry! Ron! 'Ermione! Come on in!" Hagrid bellowed at the trio at his door. Beaming, they entered the hot hut, Fang on their heels. Once the door had been shut, Aberforth got up off all fours and settled himself in one of the chairs near the scrubbed table.
"'Aven't seen you in a while! What 'ave you been up to?" Hagrid asked as he poured them tea from a huge pot.
"Schoolwork. The O.W.L's are coming up," Hermione stated.
"Yeah, and we're dying with Hermione pestering us to study every waking minute," Ron groaned mockingly, receiving a glare from Hermione.
"And Aberforth's been following us around. Real invasion of privacy," Harry joked, grinning at the old man, who smiled back with a twinkle in his bright blue eyes.
"One can never have too much protection," he answered seriously.
"Aberforth's right, 'Arry. Yeh've got ter be careful," Hagrid warned.
"Why did you want to see us, Hagrid?" Harry voiced, accepting the cup of tea Hagrid offered, but declining the rock cakes, which matched their name very well.
"Jus' missed yeh, that's all," he replied warmly, grinning. "Don' get to see yeh out of me class, and what with Lucius sniffin' 'round," he added with a tone of disgust.
"Malfoy's father's come back?" Ron asked, sitting up straight.
"I shouldn' have said that," Hagrid muttered, shaking his head as he sat down in his big armchair.
"Its all right, Hagrid. Tell them, they have a right to know," Aberforth assured him. Hagrid gave him an uncertain glance, but with a nod from Aberforth, turned to the three and explained.
"Lucius Malfoy came to see me the other day. Wanted ter know whether his son was doin' well in me class. I said he was. Then he asked me whether I'd seen anything suspicious 'round the castle, and if that's why I was wanderin' around with Fang. I told him, I said, "That's none of your business, Malfoy. I can wander 'round the castle if I want." And he asked me if I knew somethin' he didn'. I went a bit stiff, but I said no. Then he told me that all sorts of people were lurkin' about, and I best be on alert if I don't want nothin' happenin' to me. I told him to leave everyone alone, but all he said was, if I knew what was good fer me, I'd stay out of people's business," Hagrid finished, his eyes darting around the hut as he spoke.
"He said that? He must've been talking about Wormtail," Harry concluded, glancing at Aberforth, who nodded.
"You're right, Harry. He was. He was also the one who advised Draco to spy on you, and has been helping the Dark Lord come up with the rest of the plan and a backup plan. I have learned that he has come to see Albus about Draco's grades, so apparently he thought he'd drop by for a visit," Aberforth explained. Harry only nodded.
"Onto more cheerful subjects!" Hagrid said after a moment's silence, clapping his hands.
"Well, I personally think that it's a wonderful idea that they have an ADVANCED level in each class for the O.W.L's..." Hermione started.
"Maybe you didn't hear him, Hermione. He said CHEERFUL subjects!" Ron interrupted, the result being that she reached across Harry and slapped Ron hard on his arm.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Honestly, HOW much homework can ONE teacher heap on us!?" Ron cried exasperatedly. Him, Lavender, Dean, Harry and Hermione sat in the common room, finishing their homework for the night. Since the O.W.L's were nearing, the teachers had unanimously decided to pile on the homework. Snape had assigned them a four-foot long essay on the ups and downs of a Love Potion, to create a list of potions dangerous for the mind, and, given a potion and its ingredients, to determine the procedure.
"Hey, Harry, can I see your essay? Mine is still four inches short," Ron complained, looking up from his parchment.
"Sure," Harry replied distractedly, concentrating on figuring out the procedure for the Duresius Potion.
"Harry!" Hermione said in a reprimanding tone. "Ron, you should use YOUR brain to do your homework, not Harry's."
"He hasn't GOT a brain of his own!" Dean cracked, which made everyone, even Hermione, laugh. Ron, however, was not amused.
"Ha ha ha," he said dryly. "Let's all make fun of Ron. What a hoot."
"If you insist," Harry replied, grinning. "After all, that carrot top of yours hides nothing except an empty home."
"I don't have to stay here and take this abuse!" Ron exclaimed, standing up with his things under his arm. Harry laughed, joined by the others, even Lavender.
"I'M going to the library!" he announced triumphantly.
"Are you sure you know the way?" Hermione couldn't help adding. He stared daggers at her for a second
before walking off in a huff.
"I've got to go," Lavender said resignedly. "Duties." She waved and left.
"Enough of Potions, I say!" Dean said, throwing down his quill and standing up. "I'm revolting!"
"You sure are!" Harry answered, getting a shocked look from Dean.
"Sorry, Dean. You walked right into that," he said through a fit of laughter.
"Now I know how Ron feels," he said in a mock hurt way, gathering his things. "I'm going back up to my dorm, where people think I actually look GOOD."
"Like your mirror?" Hermione yelled after his retreating back. He turned around and gave her a glare to match Ron's, and not looking at where he was going, bumped headlong into Neville's approaching form. Both boys fell to the ground with an "Oof!"
Harry was rolling on the floor and Hermione was doubled over with laughter now. Neville and Dean got up, brushed themselves off, and set off in opposite directions.
"It's always me, isn't it?" Neville muttered. "And on top, I've got to go to Snape's detention." Still muttering under his breath, he exited the room.
"In conclusion, there are many ups as there are downs to a Love Potion," Harry finished with a flourish of his quill.
"DONE!" he cried triumphantly, raising his hands high above his head and stretching. Hermione stood up and read his essay over his shoulder.
"Nice concluding sentence," she said sarcastically.
"Thanks... hang on. What's wrong with it?" he asked, furrowing his brows. He was still getting used to Hermione's sarcasm. Besides, he thought it was a perfectly good concluding sentence.
"Its just a little bland, that's all. I'll help you this one time," she said with a heavy sigh. She waved her wand at the paper and his concluding sentence changed into: "In conclusion, while the Love Potion can deter one's mind into a false imprisonment of love, a matching negative is that it leads to the victim's mind to be free of worries or distress, causing them to lead their consciousness into a temporary suspension. For every positive, there is a matching negative."
"That's better, isn't it?" she asked, smiling and putting her wand away. "Don't want to
lose any points for Gryffindor." The last sentence was whispered in Harry's ear.
Harry brought his hands up and pulled her face down to his.
"Harry, I don't think this is..." he cut her off with a kiss. After a moment of resisting, she finally gave in, deepening the kiss by snaking her tongue into Harry's mouth and wrapping her arms around Harry's neck.
"Pimply Pumpkin Juice!" someone outside the common frantically screamed, causing Harry and Hermione to break away and stand up bolt upright.
The portrait door swung open and a frenzied Neville charged in, panic written on his face.
"Hagrid's hut's been attacked!" he exclaimed.