Unofficial Portkey Archive

By: FayeValentine00

Chapter 13

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"I trust that you know why I've called you here," his eyes met Harry's with that knowing expression that said he already knew his answer.

Harry shifted his gaze to the window and spoke softly. "Hermione?"

"Exactly right, Harry. Exactly right," Dumbledore answered but to Harry's surprise, he didn't sound happy at all.

"Bill and Charlie already spoke to me about this," he muttered, already knowing where this conversation would lead.

"Which is precisely why I called you here today."

"Sorry to sound rude, Professor, but I'll tell you what I told them. I am not going to just push Hermione aside like she doesn't matter."

"Harry, what do you think would happen to Hermione if Voldemort caught her?" Dumbledore asked in a soft voice, causing Harry's whole body to go rigid.

That was the question that Harry had been avoiding since this whole thing started. He'd sworn to everyone that he'd protect Hermione with his life but deep down Harry had always known that things weren't that simple. Try as he might, Harry knew that if Voldemort got his hands on Hermione that she would die just like Ron had.

His eyes turned from the window and locked with those of his Headmaster. He didn't want to say the words outloud but it was clear that Dumbledore wasn't going to continue speaking until Harry admitted the truth to himself.

"He would kill her," Harry finally spoke in a near whisper.

Dumbledore's eyes softened and he bowed his head in a slight nod. "Yes, Harry, he would. Voldemort would kill Hermione but I think there is something else that you might not realize yet."

"What is that?" The question slipped out of Harry's mouth before he could stop it. He wasn't really sure he wanted to know. Dumbledore was almost always right in matters like these and Harry could feel his stomach beginning to turn.

"Voldemort knows how important Hermione Granger is to you. He, I am sure, has seen the papers and will realize that she is your greatest weakness. He will use that to his advantage, Harry. However awful it may seem, she won't be killed quickly as Ron was. By torturing Hermione, he'll know that in return, he will be torturing you."

"I won't let him hurt her," Harry spoke in a cold voice, staring at Dumbledore with all the rage in his soul.

"If only it were that easy. There are many people that have been lost to Voldemort who'd sworn to protect the ones they loved," Dumbledore said with a distant look in his eyes. It seemed like he was thinking about a few certain people in particular. When he snapped back from his thoughts, he looked at Harry with tired eyes.

"The world is not black and white, Harry. Good doesn't always triumph aganist evil. Pride shouldn't overpower your common sense."

"What are you saying, Professor?"

"I am saying that if you continue to allow Voldemort to know your weaknesses then you are willingly risking your life as well as the life of Hermione Granger. You, above anyone else, should know that their are no rules in Voldemorts mind. He'll use any means to achive his desired end."

Harry didn't speak for a long time. Dumbledore's words and the words of Bill and Charlie Weasley played over and over in his head. He felt like his heart was being ripped in two. One part of Harry knew that the men were right. He had no right to knowingly put Hermione in danger, even if under the guise of protection, yet he also knew that he'd never denounce his love for her. No matter how much the Order hated it, Harry would not tell Hermione that he didn't care. Somehow he'd have to make her understand that this was for the best.

"So, you are saying that I shouldn't even remain friends with Hermione?"

"I think it would be best to avoid being seen with her at all costs. No matter how much I'd like to deny it, this school is being watched, as you have already learned first hand. If Voldemort is to believe that Hermione is no longer important to you then he will have to recieve the word from his spies."

Harry nodded sliently and stood up to leave the room. Just as his hand reached the doorknob, he turned and faced Dumbledore one last time before leaving. There were so many thoughts and curses running through his mind that he didn't even realize the words he spoke until they were already out in the open.

"You know what, Sir? Sometimes I wish Voldemort would have suceeded in killing me all those years ago. I mean, honestly, what's the point of living when everyone important to you is either killed or in grave danger?" Without waiting for a responce, Harry left the room with a heavy heart.

Since the first class of the morning would be ending in a few minutes, Harry took advantage of the quiet and headed outdoors to get some fresh air. He thought over what to say to Hermione and how she would react. No matter what was said, the outcome was always the same. Hermione was going to be angry, very angry to say the least.

All too soon, the classes ended and a steady stream of students began to make their way out of the building. Harry knew it was only a matter of time before Hermione found him so he stayed put. Hopefully speaking outside would keep them from being overheard by quite as many people.

"Excuse me, Harry Potter?"

Harry looked up to see a young girl who he recognized as Jessica Fields, a first year Gryffindor who'd always seemed a bit shy. She stood about 5 feet from him, hands shaking nervously.

"What can I do for you?" Harry wasn't quite sure why her nervousness seemed to calm him but it was a nice change from all the thoughts currently in his head.

"Well, ummm, you see..." She took a deep breath and then managed to get her words out in a meek voice. "I have to do a report for the History of Magic and we are supposed to write about a person who made a differance in any battle of our choice. Ummm, I wanted to write about you. I wondered if I can ask you a few questions?"

The girl looked ready to faint dead away and although Harry usually found the trait annoying, something about the young girls' mannerisms made him a bit kinder. "The thing is, I don't remember a thing about what happened when I was a baby."

"A baby?" Jessica gave him an odd look before realization crossed her face. "Oh! That's not what I meant at all! I wasn't thinking about that at all. My parents are Muggles so I don't know as much about those days as some of the other students. I wanted to ask about the Defense Aganist the Dark Arts class that you ran a couple of years ago."

"The DA?" The thought that someone was interested in his recent history was so shocking that he was sure his face showed it.

"Exactly!" The girls confidence seemed to grow when Harry didn't send her off immediatly, as he was known to do.

"Are you sure you want to write about the DA? Surely there has to be something more exciting to write about then that."

"No way! Everything else happened a long time ago or in far away lands but the DA was something recent. You actually made a differance. You proved to the world that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named had really returned. I figure you've saved loads of lives by giving people the chance to be prepared!"

"Well, I guess I can tell you a bit of what we did in those meetings if you'd really like but don't you think it'd be best to invite some of the other members to give their input too?"

"Really?" Jessica's eyes lit up like flashlights at the thought.

"Do I get to help too?" Hermione's voice spoke up from behind Harry and when he turned to look at her, he knew she'd heard the whole conversation. "I mean, the whole thing was my idea anyway."

"Of course! Thank you so much! I'm sure to get a good grade for once! Do you think we could all meet after dinner tonight?"

"Sure, we'll try to get some others to come too," Harry agreed, unable to keep the smile off his face as the girl ran off to tell her friends about her good news.

"Another satisfied fan of Harry Potter," Hermione said with a laugh before sitting down next to him. "How did it go with Dumbledore?"

That question wiped the smile right off Harry's face, causing Hermione to look apprehensive. "Lets talk about it tonight, okay?"

"Harry, I---"

"Please Hermione, let's talk about it tonight, after the interview."

"Alright." The worried look at she cast at Harry when she thought he wasn't looking nearly broke his heart. Something told him that she already had an idea about what was going on but now was not the time. They'd already agreed to help Jessica so the conversation had to wait.

The rest of the day seemed to drag on for weeks. Every single teacher seemed to drone on about the most useless topics but Harry was sure that it was mostly due to his current state of mind. In every class they shared, Hermione would sneek worried glances at Harry. It became so bad that even McGonagall had to tell her to pay closer attention.

When the last class ended, the knot in Harry's stomach seemed to triple in size. If he could've avoided the sitsuation, he would have but deep down Harry knew that Hermione's life was worth more then his selfish happiness.

By dinnertime, Harry and Hermione had managed to gather Ginny, Neville, and Luna to attend the interview for the young Gryffindor girl. They'd decided that the members who'd gone into the Ministry of Magic would probably be the most useful considering that her report was going to be about that night. The only person missing was Ron but everyone had agreed to make sure that Ron was given just as much credit as the rest.

The group made use of one of the empty classrooms on the bottom floor of the castle. They had a seat near the fireplace and once it was raging, they settled back to talk. The younger girl looked up at the 6th and 7th year students as if they were celebrities. "Thank you so much for helping me everyone."

"Oh wait!" Hermione jumped up and pulled some old parchment out of her pocket. "This is a list of everyone who was a member of the DA. It's a copy but as you can see, it's the signatures that everyone wrote on the original paper."

Jessica took the paper in her hands and stared at it. "T-Thank you."

"What kind of information are you looking for?" Ginny asked, giving the young girl a reassuring smile.

"Well, I'd just like to hear your side of the story regaurding what happened that night in the Ministry."

With the five former DA members all speaking at once, it took about 2 hours to tell the girl everything they could remember from start to finish. Now that it was all over and their fear of the sitsuation was gone, the story did sound more exciting then it had felt but it still didn't prepare them for the expression that the young girl wore.

"D-Did you guys really do all of those things?" She asked, her pen slipping slowly out of her fingers.

"Yes, that is exactly what happened." Hermione answered quickly with a smile to the shocked child.

"But one thing is certain, we never would have gotten through that night if we hadn't worked together. We were a team," Harry added.

"Wow. I-Is it really okay to put all of this in my report."

"Do we get to have a copy of it?" Harry asked, teasing the girl before Ginny could.

"Of course, that is if you want one."

"Well, it is all settled then. If we get a copy, then you can write all that you've heard." Ginny smiled again, holding back her amusement at this little girl who seemed more innocent then any of them possibly could have been in their first year.

When the meeting ended, everyone was walking out the room when Hermione took Harry by the arm to hold him back.

"I think it's time to talk," Hermione said with a look that told him shewouldn't be taking no for an answer. The moment for truth had finally come. There was no going back.