I am SO sorry about the delay in this chapter. Basically, I've been in a crabby mood because of college assignments and the like, and... I don't know what else to say, really...
Anyways, on with the chapter....
Chapter 5 - Hermione's Plans for the Summer
They stayed like that in each other's embrace for two full minutes, before breaking apart and looking at each other intensely.
Hermione's tear-stricken face broke into a watery smile and she started to speak ; her first words in months.
'So you guys figured it out,' she said, smiling broadly.
'Nope, you did,' Harry said softly, wiping away the last of her tears softly with his thumb. Remembering where he was, he quickly retracted his hand. This was a nearly fourteen year old Hermione, who was still his best friend ; not a seventeen year old who was his lover.
Hermione grinned at him, 'I just found out the nature of the monster in the Chamber, you guys did the rest.'
They made their way back to the Gryffindor common room. Harry noticed that Hermione's hand was quite close to his side. If he could just stretch out and take her hand in his...
'So who was responsible for all this in the first place?' Hermione asked, walking jauntily along the dark, deserted corridors.
'Tom Marvolo Riddle,' Harry said simply, turning to look at Hermione.
'Tom M-? But- Wasn't he the one who got an award for catching the culprit last time?' Hermione asked.
'No, he opened it last time too, he framed Hagrid for it. This time he possessed someone and made them call out the basilisk. It was him both times,' Harry replied.
'Wait a minute...' Hermione said, realisation dawning upon her, 'Marvolo...Volo.. Is that an anagram for Lord V-Vol- er- You-Know-Who?'
'His name is Lord Voldemort, Hermione,' Harry said seriously, 'And for the record, yes, they are one and the same.'
'Oh-but Harry, does that mean you met him down in the chamber?' Hermione asked worriedly.
'Yeah, I did, along with the basilisk and Ginny,' Harry said.
Hermione's eyes narrowed. 'Ginny?'
'Yeah, she was using that diary of Tom Riddle's too much, and at the end, she would have nearly died because of Voldemort's possession down in the Chamber.'
'And brave, heroic Harry Potter saved the damsel in distress and it all ends happily ever after, right?' Hermione asked frostily, although the smile was still present on her face.
'Yeah, no, wait... what?' Harry asked confusedly, wondering why Hermione's tone had changed so abruptly.
'N-Nothing Harry,' Hermione shook him off, and they walked through the portrait hole together.
They stopped underneath the sets of staircases leaading up to the boys and girls' dorms and turned towards each other.
Not knowing what to say, Harry ventured, 'Hermione... Is ev-everything alright?'
'Of course they are Harry,' Hermione snapped, 'I'm awake, everyone else's awake, the basilisk's dead, you like G- you saved Ginny, so pretty much everything's fine.'
'Hermione,' Harry said soothingly, knowing what Hermione had tried to cover up, 'I don't like Ginny.'
'What?'
Harry sighed. He took her hand in his and said, 'I mean... I care for her, because she's Ron's little sister, but that's it. I don't like her like that.'
'Oh,' Hermione blushed prettily, before looking away quickly. 'I just thought that maybe you and her-'
'I actually have my eyes on another girl,' Harry said boldly, looking meaningfully into her eyes.
'Hmm...l-lucky girl, Hermione muttered, willing herself not to sink into his gorgeous green eyes. She cleared her throat and moved away from him.
'Well, I'll see you in the morning, Harry,' she said casually at the foot of the staircase.
'Okay, g-goodnight,' Harry said, before smiling nervously at her and almost running up the stairs to his dormitory.
Hermione didn't know whether to smile or cry. She walked up the stairs to her dormitory slowly, analysing and replaying Harry's actions in her mind.
After having a quick shower and changing into a comfortable pair of pyjamas, she went to sleep, thoughts running rampant in her head.
'He was the one who initated physical contact both times. He hugged me first and then he was the one who took my hands in his. Not to mention the way he looked at me when he said that he had his eyes on another girl.'
Hermione sighed softly, things were getting pretty confusing. Harry's actions could have been purely platonic and signs of relief because he was seeing his best friend after such a long time. After all, Harry had never noticed her before in that way. She had never heard him or Ron expressing to her or anyone else that she, Hermione, was attractive. Hermione wondered for a moment whether they hadn't said anything because they probably didn't consider her as sexy, or that they did, but couldn't say something like that to their best friend.
She knew she wasn't arrogant or over-confident or anything, but she felt herself ruling out the former option. She was nearing fourteen now, she seemed to be growing more and more in the right places. Not to mention the slightly bigger bras her mum gave her as a Christmas present.
Maybe she would have to take the matter into her own hands and find out who Harry liked. If it was her, then she was one lucky girl. Hermioe blushed and allowed her seldom seen teenage daydreams to surface. Another memory surfaced, a memory of a conversation she had with Ginny at the beginning of the year on the Hogwarts Express...
'The stupid prats are going to kill themselves!' Hermione shrieked, looking out the window.
'No, they won't,' Ginny said from behind her.
Hermione turned away from the window and looked at Ginny. 'What makes you think that?' she asked, frowning.
'Harry's over there, he'll pull off something incredibly heroic,' Ginny said with utmost conviction.
'Yeah, of course he will, because last I checked, he was the reincarnation of Merlin, not a twelve year old boy,' Hermione said testily.
'He's a twelve-year old hero,' Ginny snapped back.
'All right, all right, if you want to fix the image of him as a God in your head, who am I to stop you?' Hermione replied, raising her eyebrows.
'You don't know all the things he's done,' Ginny said, refusing to be cowed down by the older girl.
'Oh, and I suppose you do?' Hermione asked.
'Yes, he killed You-Know-Who singlehandedly with the most powerful magic when he was just a year old. He also-'
'Okay, everyone in the world knows that. All you have to do is go to a bookstore and open the first book you see and presto, it's Harry Potter's biography!'
'You don't show Harry the respect he deserves,' Ginny shot venomously.
'You're right, I don't show the Boy Who Lived the respect he deserves ; I show Harry Potter, my BEST FRIEND, the respect he deserves,' Hermione said firmly, looking at the annoying girl right in the eyes.
Ginny glared at her for a moment, before looking back out the window.
'You have a crush on him, don't you?' Ginny suddenly asked.
'What?!' Hermione exclaimed.
'You heard me, I said you fancy him. Isn't that true?'
'No, it's not. However, considering the fact that you barely spoke a word around him the whole summer, and the fact that your face seemed to be the same colour as your hair all the bloody time, I would say YOU have a crush on him!' Hermione said.
'Whatever,' Ginny grumbled, her face going the exact colour Hermione had just described.
They sat like that for a couple of minutes, occasionally glancing out the window to check the Ford Anglia's progress. Then, Ginny broke the silence.
'All right, I fancy him a lot, and since you don't, can you tell me how to get him?' Ginny asked, in a much more pleasant tone than before.
Hermione now found herself in a bit of a dilemma. She was quite sure she didn't fancy Harry, but she wasn't sure. She always thought he was kinda cute, not to mention sweet and caring. Could she stand another girl getting Harry for herself? No, she thought firmly, she couldn't. She was the first girl in Harry's life and she was his best friend.
Hermione rolled over in her bed. She had been helpful that day because she didn't want to offend Ron's sister, but at the same time, she made sure Ginny didn't get too many ideas.
Which gave rise to another question : Did she want Harry going to the Burrow that summer and risk him spending a full month in the company of Ginny Weasley? No, she didn't think she did. But she certainly didn't want Harry spending any more time than necessary with his horrible relatives. But first of all, did she even fancy Harry Potter? That was hard to answer. She turned over again uneasily. Whether she did or didn't, there would still be hordes of girls who did, because along with being a Dark Lord slayer, he was now surely going to be dubbed a basilisk slayer. Regardless of whether she did or didn't, she didn't want Harry being with a 'fan-girl', who would just fawn over him and treat him like Merlin.
Maybe she could call him over and have him spend the summer at her place? She knew her parents' always wanted her to have a friend over, because she was a loner and barely had any friends while growing up till she came to Hogwarts. But bringing a boy over? She knew her parents wouldn't be too enthusiastic over the idea. Or more specifically, her father.
She sighed as she thought of the 'talk' she had with her parents before coming to Hogwarts for her second year. She was now thirteen years old, a teenager. Her parents, or more specifically her father, had delved into the topic too deeply for her liking. She had left them on speaking terms, but things were still a bit dicey between her and her father. She would have to send a letter to her parents asking them if it was alright for her to bring a friend over for the summer holidays. She frowned. Her father wouldn't mind at all, but when he found out that the friend was a boy, she wasn't particularly looking foward to his reaction.
She fell into an uneasy sleep, trying to word out the contents of her letter in her head.
Hermione woke up very early the next morning and scribbled down her letter trying not to emphasise the fact that she was bringing over a boy, rather mentioning the words 'best friend' again and again.
After giving her letter to a dark brown barn owl in the Owlery, she made her way to the Headmaster's office, intent on talking to him about Harry's summer plans. She stopped in front of the gargoyle statue, looking at it uncertainly for a moment, before spouting out a bunch of historical names that she had come across in Hogwarts, A History which could serve as likely passwords.
Eventually stomping her foot in frustration, she was interrupted by the very person she wanted to meet, a calm, pleasant voice.
'Breaking and entering, Miss Granger?' Professor Dumbledore asked, his eyes twinkling madly.
'Uh-er-no, sir, the p-password,' Hermione blushed, looking at her feet.
'Try Bertie Bott's Earwax,' Dumbledore said, coming to a still beside Hermione.
Hermione gasped, the greatest and most powerful wizard of his time, had a flavoured bean as his password?!
Dumbledore only chuckled at Hermione's gobsmacked expression and gestured for her to enter first.
Hermione took a seat in front of Dumbledore's desk and looked around curiously, having never been there before.
'Sherbet Lemon, Miss Granger?' Dumbledore offered kindly, holding out a small, decorated box, nearly filled to the brim with the aforementioned candy.
'What?' Hermione blurted, 'Umm.. No, I don't think, that's all right Professor, I-I'm fine,' Hermione said.
Dumbledore only smiled mysteriously before popping one piece into his mouth.
'Miss Granger,' Dumbledore spoke softly, settling down into the ornate chair behind his desk, I assure you that there were many people who pushed for the conduction of examinations, but I must say, a great evil has departed and the staff in general are in favour of the cancellationn. Of course, separate arrangements have been made for the fifth and seventh year students. Although may I ask how you found out even before I've announced it to the school?'
'What?!' Hermione shrieked, temporarily forgetting the reason she had come there in the first place.
'You didn't know?' Dumbledore said, clearly surprised.
'No,' was all Hermione said.
'Indeed,' Dumbledore replied gravely, 'So what seems to be the problem?'
'Oh, sir, it's about um - Harry's summer arrangements,' Hermione said, willing herself with every ounce of restraint she possessed to not launch into a tirade about the benefits of conducting exams, no matter what.
'Harry's summer arrangements?' Dumbledore repeated, his eyebrows going up.
'Yes sir, I was wondering, well, I know Harry goes to his uncle's for the summer, but...' Hermione trailed off.
'Yes, I know what you are referring to Miss Granger, but I'm afraid to say it's necessary for him to reside there every summer,' Dumbledore said.
'But why? I mean, they are his relatives and all, but why is it compulsory for him to do so?' Hermione asked.
Here Dumbledore hesitated for a moment. He had never given Harry the answer before and he didn't know how to respond to the young witch's query.
'Professor, why does he have to stay there every year?' Hermione insisted, feeling nervous and also a little angry at the same time. She had never confronted a teacher in this manner before.
Dumbledore sighed deeply before answering.
'Might I ask you to not repeat what I am about to say to anyone?' Dumbledore said, peering down at her through the rim of his spectacles.
'Uh-yes, of course,' Hermione replied, then she added, 'Although if it's so secretive, I wonder why Harry's never brought it up with me or Ron before.'
Dumbledore faltered slightly, a bare hint of guilt forming itself upon his face. Hermione didn't miss it.
'You didn't tell him, did you?' Hermione frowned, her words coming out more as a statement than a question.
'I can't lie to you Miss Granger, but yes, or rather no, I did not.'
'Why, what-'
'I decided to tell him the reason when he grows a bit older, along with a few other things, perhaps when he's fifteen or sixteen,' Dumbledore interrupted calmly.
'Professor, I know it's none of my business, but it's probably only your business to tell him important things about his life, and not to decide when to tell him. He has a right to know,' Hermione said, wondering if she was going to get into trouble for the way she was mincing words with the Headmaster.
'Miss Granger, you are right on all counts, but some of it is what I deem very sensitive information. It should probably wait for a couple of years. I have every intention of telling him things he needs to know.'
'No offense professor, this is just my opinion, but basically you're thinking he's too immature and kiddish to deal with all this, right?'
Dumbledore sighed again, he seemed to be doing that a lot in the last ten minutes.
'None taken, Miss Granger,' he said sofltly, before continuing, 'By no means do I think he's immature, but-'
'So why don't you tell him?' Hermione interrupted, 'He'll probably hate having things kept from him, especially things about himself. He faced V-Vol - You-Know-Who three times, he's dealed with so much pressure this year. I mean all the idiots thought he was the heir of Slytherin and he was subject to their ridicule and now everyone will probably be hiding their dirty faces in shame because he trumped through and proved himself, despite the odds. He's-'
'Miss Granger, Miss Granger,' Dumbledore said softly, holding up a hand for her to stop. Hermione stopped mid-rant.
'All I can say is I definitely will consider it. You have enlightened me to an extent. That's all I can offer at this moment. Now, please tell me what you wanted to ask me when you arrived here?'
Hermione looked at him for a moment but knew that was as good as she was going to get for the time being, so she plowed forward.
'I remember last year Harry stayed at his uncle's place for some time, but then the Weasleys flew h- took him to their house, and... and that seemed to be alright. So... So I was wondering if Harry could visit my house for the summer this year?' Hermione asked softly.
Dumbledore peered down seriously at Hermione, his half-moon spectacles falling down to his nose.
'That.. might be acceptable, if he has no problems, that is,' Dumbledore finally responded.
'Great!!' Hermione squealed, then immediately covered her mouth with her hand, blushing furiously. Dumbledore smiled down knowingly at her.
'Well, I've already written a letter to my parents asking if it's okay with them, although I'm sure they'd have no problems, and I'll ask Harry today at breakfast,' Hermione said, her face returning to its normal colour.
'That is reasonable, Miss Granger. However, I must insist that he stay at his relatives' for a week or so before going to your house. I know he'll probably be disappointed at the idea, but it is essential,' Dumbledore said.
Hermione's smile dimmed a fraction, though she was still jubilant. From an initial period of two months, she had brought Harry's certain-to-be unpleasant stay down to barely two weeks.
'Thank you professor,' Hermione beamed, getting up.
'Not at all, Miss Granger. Although it is necessary, I resent the idea of him staying there,' Dumbledore said, a hint of sadness evident in his voice. 'Is that all?'
'Yes Professor, that-that's the reason I came,' Hermione said, walking toward the door, Dumbledore striding along side her.
'Well, off you go then, Miss Granger, I'm sorry about the examinations once again. Good morning.'
'Bye Professor,' Hermione responded, before she made her way down the rotating staircase.
Dumbledore sat back in his chair wearily. The girl had certainly opened his eyes and now he was beginning to wonder whether his plan was as foolproof as he thought it to be.
Harry was mature and he had a right to know all the secrets concerning himself. His mother's sacrifice, the prophecy, his scar...
Yet, the old part of Dumbledore, the part that held secrets close to himself, afraid to share, afraid to trust freely ; saw no reason in diverting from the plan. Everything would turn out well and good after all, no need to disturb the equilibrium, stick to the plan and things would be good...
'Ah, for the greater good, after all,' Dumbledore thought bitterly, his head in his hands, as memories of a hundred years flashed by in his mind.
Was he doing the right thing, manipulating people for their own benefit, for the greater good?
He frowned, he had felt the same way at the end of last year when Harry had done so magnificently, but now Hermione's short outburst brought these feelings to the surface again.
He probably wasn't manipulating them, but yet he knew his plan rendered many good people at a disadvantage.
A small, soothing chirp aroused him from his melancholic thoughts.
He looked intently at Fawkes for a moment, feeling the entire hundred and twenty odd years of his age, not knowing how to proceed..
'Maybe I am going about things the wrong way,' he said uncertainly to himself, 'After all it wouldn't be the first time,' he finished in shame.
Vowing to think about his actions further, for now he settled himself to reaching over and putting three pieces of his favourite candy into his mouth.
Fawkes chirped pleasantly again.
I hope you liked this chapter and hopefully I'll update much sooner than I did this time.
Please review, although I'm not able to respond to all reviews, I DO read and appreciate every single one, so hit the review button guys!!