Chapter Six
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Harry woke up to the greeting of the crisp, fresh air. He lingered for a moment before exiting his tent. The morning air was still cool enough to sting his cheeks and Harry wished he could go back to his tent. After glancing around a moment, he found Ron waiting for him near his own tent.
"About time," Ron muttered, handing Harry a cup of something hot. Ron's hair was still wet and fresh from washing up.
"Any news?" Harry asked.
"Moody says we have to leave tonight," Ron answered.
"Tonight?" Harry was slightly disappointed, though he had expected it.
"Dumbledore is afraid that someone will notice we've gone missing and try to find us. Not that I think they
would manage it, but it's best to be safe, I suppose. Don't want another attack." Ron looked away and
Harry sat with his cup warming his hand. Neither spoke for a minute and ten Ron asked, "Think we'll be allowed
to come back?"
"I doubt it," Harry said honestly. He saw the look of disappointment and he looked up, following his best friend's gaze. He saw that Ron was watching Hermione. She was on all fours, digging in a vegetable patch.
"Will I ever see her again?" Ron said.
"I don't know," Harry answered honestly.
When Ron went quiet, Harry took the chance to look at her. She was showing some of the older children how to pull weeds and Harry could tell by her firm grasp that it was a job she was accustomed to doing. He watched her hold it up to show the youngsters what the roots look like once they've been pulled up.
"I've hardly said anything decent to her," Ron mumbled and he caught Harry's attention. Ron was kicking at the dirt, still sitting. "I mean, who knows what will happen now. Anything, do you know what I mean?" he looked up at Harry.
"Yes," he answered honestly. "But Ron, anything can happen at anytime."
"Oh, thanks Harry, real comfort that is." Ron rolled his eyes in a way that reminded Harry of Hermione.
"So talk to her," Harry said.
"What would I say?" Ron asked, and looked slightly panicked. The familiar look made Harry smile.
"You've never had problems thinking about what to say to women before," Harry smirked.
"This is different." Ron mumbled and Harry glanced at him.
"What do you mean?" Harry asked, having trouble looking at Ron when he wanted to look Hermione.
"I just, I don't know what to say to her. It's like no line would ever work. That sounded stupid. I mean that I don't want to use a-," Ron stopped himself, looking embarrassed. "Just look at her!" he said and nodded in her direction.
"Sure," Harry agreed.
He looked over at Hermione. She was looking intently at a piece of wild flower that wouldn't let go. She had dirt all over her face and with a gloved hand she wiped her forehead from sweat.
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Harry looked up at the sky. The trees were close together and covered most of it, which he assumed was why it had been chosen as the camp site, but Harry could still see bits of the sky. It was beautiful.
Harry sat and worked on his dinner, chewing on a particularly hot potato, when he saw Ron waving frantically to someone. He didn't have to look up to see who it was. He quickly dropped the hot potato and straightened himself up. Indeed, Hermione was walking towards them, her plate filled and a glass in her hand.
She smiled gratefully at them and sat down next to Ron.
"Good evening," she said politely and Ron answered with the same greeting. Ron started talking immediately. He spoke so fast that Harry had given up on trying to keep up-he was just too exhausted.
"Harry?" Hermione suddenly asked. He looked up and their eyes met. Ron looked between them.
"I just want to thank you, you know, for yesterday," she said very quietly.
"Why? What happened?" Ron asked, concerned for Hermione, yet a little jealous of Harry. Harry had seen Ron jealous enough to know that tone of voice.
"Nothing," he answered and put a piece of hot potato in his mouth. Hermione frowned and looked at Harry.
"I was just a bit upset after Cedric explained what happened at the camp," she said softly and Ron nodded understandingly. "Harry was there and he…well, he made me feel better." Ron nodded before changing the subject.
"You look very pretty today," he stammered.
"You are so kind, Ron," she smiled. She meant it, though she knew he was just flirting with her. She hoped, that like with most men, it was just for fun. She looked over at Harry and saw that he had turned his face away.
"Hermione, may I ask you something?" Ron said and she saw that Harry looked at her again. Without breaking eye contact she answered, "Sure," and Harry began to stand up.
"Your parents?" Ron asked and Harry stopped his infinitesimal movement, so small that Ron hadn't even noticed. The intense look she had shared with Harry was broken. She couldn't keep it at the mention of her parents. "What happened?" he continued, and then he flushed, obviously realizing that it was none of his business. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to pry…" Ron added quickly.
Hermione smiled kindly at him and looked down at her hands. She was used to being asked about it, but she hated to talk about her parents.
"The deaths of my parents have nothing to do with the rebellion," she answered as always.
"Then…" Ron started before she interrupted him.
"My parents…" Hermione looked around at the busy camp. She had told the story so many times in this very camp. "Were dentists, actually. Just normal, ordinary people-Muggles," she laughed a bit, not knowing why. She found the idea of anything normal in her abnormal life absurd. "Well we got the letter from Improbus, telling me that I was a witch, that I had to attend Improbus, and that I could return to them afterwards. Summers and Christmas could be spent with them of course…" She looked away again, she couldn't really believe that it was so hard to speak of after all these years. "So I started school, and I longed to leave it, return to my life…as most Muggle-borns do. But then…" she looked up and met their eyes again. "Then my parents were hit by a drunk driver."
"Death Eaters," Ron breathed, taking her hand. Hermione couldn't stop herself from laughing a bit.
"No, not Death Eaters. It was a drunk driver-he also died in the crash. But that was when this journey started. Since I had no one to go to and I was still was forced to attend Improbus by law, I had no choice…"
Hermione looked up, still holding Ron's hand but meeting Harry's eyes. Harry tensed up, she seemed finished but he knew there was more. "My principal-Professor McGonagall, who you both know I believe-felt I could handle this mission. We were smuggled out during the summers. Given lessons by trustworthy teachers." Harry and Ron looked at each other. They had now idea.
"I can't believe it!" Ron stated
"I can!" Harry said, "But who, where?"
"Many, and mostly at Hogwarts."
"Hogwarts?" both Ron and Harry all but shouted. Hermione looked around and they both gathered their composure.
"So you've been to Hogwarts?" Harry asked. Hogwarts had been his second home. He had been raised by Sirius but they had moved around a lot during summer and winter breaks.
"Hard to believe, huh?" Hermione laughed, not able to stop herself. She rarely told anyone about this-she tended to keep her life a secret. And she was just dying to share just one or two secrets with someone-and who better than two people Dumbledore trusted? "Most of the professors didn't know, of course. Most are under Voldemort's rule. But my principal, Professor McGonagall, smuggled us in every summer, with Dumbledore's help. They taught us everything we'd need to know…prepared us for the inevitable war against Voldemort."
"So you know magic beyond…?" Ron started but Hermione cut him off again.
"I imagine I could name more spells than the two of you put together," she hissed and Ron nodded without argument.
Hermione looked over at Harry, who hadn't said much. Harry looked back at her and smiled slightly.
"What are you smiling about?" she hissed.
"Harry's mom was a Muggle-born and the smartest in her class. He won't disagree," Ron said and Hermione looked surprised.
"Your mother was a Muggle-born?" she asked. He nodded.
"You never told me."
"You never asked."
Hermione was shocked. Information about Harry Potter was very hard to find. This meant someone had bought the records and destroyed them, or maybe kept them for blackmail. Hermione looked into his face again, but it was emotionless. She was finding him extremely difficult to read.
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Hermione was knee deep in her vegetables again. It was her favorite place. The familiar smell of the dirt soothed her. A small pebble was crammed painfully against her knee, but she didn't care. Life in a vegetable patch was very simple compared to living under cover as a Muggle-born slave, kicked, spat on, and swore at everyday.
"You know, I know nothing about vegetables," she didn't need to look up. She knew who that voice belonged to.
"That's life," she answered and yanked at a radish.
"Would you teach me?" Harry asked sincerely. He figured that way he could spend time with Hermione…and growing food was important to survival.
"Well, you should really learn about mushrooms and berries," she started to explain, but he interrupted her.
"Teach me," he repeated. He was squatting next to the ditch were she was crawling. He would honestly have said anything just to stay and watch her. To speak to her was even better and beyond his wish. He noticed that Hermione was gathering her vegetables in a very small basket that she kept between her legs. He looked at the basket, not listening to what she said next. He looked at her spread thighs and all thought was lost for just a moment.
"…in the fall," he heard her say. He couldn't answer. He looked down at her hands, which were almost black from the dirt. They looked so small, but still he saw her yank the vegetables from the ground with unfathomable force.
"…these ones…" he heard from somewhere above him, far from outside his reality. He watched her delicate hand grab a bunch of green leafy stems and yank. They wouldn't let go and she yanked again. She yanked again and they came loose. She quickly tossed them in her basket. Harry looked at it again, that small basket she kept between her legs.
"So?" she asked.
"Huh?" Harry said and snapped out of it.
"Will you be able to help or not? We have countless vegetable patches around these camps. Or you could pick fruit, if you'd prefer," she suggested and smiled.
"Fruit?" he stuttered.
"You do know what that is, don't you? They did teach you that at Hogwarts didn't they?" she snickered. Harry stuttered a little and looked embarrassed.
"I was just thinking about how life would be easier with a wand," he said thinking aloud. He wasn't prepared for her reaction.
"Having a wand would certainly change everything, Harry," she pronounced his name with obvious annoyance. "We wouldn't have to be here digging. We could defend ourselves."
"Hermione, I didn't mean-."
"I know!" she stated and held up her hand. "No harm. But this is our reality, Harry. Wands can't be
used here. I have learned the spells, too, and I wish I could use them, but I, unlike you, have been forbidden. Just
like everyone else here."
Harry saw the frustration on her face and wanted to change the subject. She stood and walked over to him, grabbing his hand.
"Stop thinking of wands, you're holding your hand wrong," she ordered.
"I'm not thinking of wands!" he answered defiantly. She laughed.
"You are grabbing the leaves at the top, but if you do that the roots are left. Look!" she said and grabbed the bunch of weeds next to them. "The weeds are even more important than the vegetables," she whispered. They were standing very close now. "Things can be done without wands you know," she said. Harry spun around and their bodies were flush, as close as they could be. The fact that Hermione didn't move an inch did not go unnoticed by Harry.
"We have a lot of weeds in our society, too," Harry whispered.
"I know," she breathed back, close. Too very close for her own comfort.
"I want to learn," Harry whispered so close to Hermione's mouth that she could taste his breath.
"Learn?" she managed to whisper, her voice stuck somewhere deep within him.
"Without a wand," Harry breathed back. Her eyes darted down to his lips and her heart fluttered again.
"Meeting!" Mad-Eye Moody called out from afar. Hermione took a breath and looked at Harry. They smiled nervously at each other.
"That's us…" Harry said. He watched Hermione drop the weeds she was holding and look at the pile she had gathered.
"Someone else will collect it," Harry said.
"Who? An elf?" she snapped. "Sorry!" she added, sometimes her tongue really did get the best of her. Her heart was still beating quickly, and she felt warm all over. They started walking side by side. Hermione grabbed him by the elbow and stopped him. He stopped without hesitation and met her brown eyes.
"Cedric!" she said. Harry felt his hairs stand again, although for a different reason this time.
"What about him?" he asked in as gentle voice as he could muster.
"I should get him," she said and turned around quickly. "Dumbledore will want to see him!"
"Yeah, you do that," Harry mumbled as he walked alone towards the tent. He looked up at the entrance and saw Mad-Eye Moody eyeing him suspiciously. "What?" he asked as he approached. Moody didn't answer, but just continued to eye him.
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Hermione wasn't allowed inside the tent and she kicked the ground angrily. She paced outside the opening and when it was finally was opened to her she stormed in. She found Dumbledore, Moody, Shacklebolt, Ron, Sirius, Lupin, and Harry sitting there. She heaved an annoyed sigh before sitting down and looking over at Dumbledore. She was even more annoyed to see that he was chuckling.
"You need to learn patience, Hermione," he said gently and she felt her cheeks turn red. Shacklebolt laughed from beside her.
"I have never disappointed you, have I? You have never complained. Now you laugh at me?" she demanded, tears filling her eyes but not out of sadness, only of pure anger. Everyone went quiet and Harry looked back and forth between her and Shacklebolt, obviously confused.
"Full of fire, that one," Sirius whispered to Harry, good-naturedly.
"Hermione," Dumbledore said kindly. "No one is laughing at you." Hermione flushed a little and nodded. "We have a mission for you." She nodded again, more confidently. She was ready for what ever they threw at her. "It will be a difficult one." He stopped talking and looked around at his friends. Hermione followed his gaze and noticed that he never met Harry's. When she looked at him, he hastily looked the other way. Something was wrong. Everyone was looking at Dumbledore, waiting for him to continue. "I need you to travel abroad."
"Of course," she nodded.
"You need to travel as a Muggle," Dumbledore continued.
"No problem," she said confidently.
"I want to send someone with you-."
Dumbledore wasn't allowed to finish before Ron called out, "I'll go!" Harry looked over at Ron, who now had his hand high in the air. Harry looked at Hermione and saw that she was smiling at Ron.
"Not this time, Ron," Dumbledore said and Ron slowly pulled his hand down.
"Why not?" he asked, though he immediately regretted it.
"I need someone who is used to traveling as a Muggle, someone who also needs to meet our source abroad." Dumbledore turned and looked at Harry.
"Yeah, sure," Harry agreed, but his heart started beating faster.
"We will discuss the details later, in private," Dumbledore finished and gestured to a tray of wine-filled goblets.
As everyone reached for a glass, Hermione couldn't help but bask in her good-fortune. She was finally being trusted with something important. Not that gathering information wasn't important, but this felt like so much more. And she would be going with Harry. Part of her was excited, the other part didn't know how to feel.
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Hermione and Harry were alone in the tent with Dumbledore, Moody, and Shacklebolt an hour later. Hermione held her glass of wine tightly in her hand, glad to have something to concentrate on.
"How will I be able to travel without anyone knowing I'm gone?" Harry asked.
"You have just bought another yacht," Dumbledore answered and nodded to Kingsley.
"Yes, a boat has been purchased in your name, it is in the Caribbean's and a member of the Order will be on it, drinking Polyjuice Potion, pretending to be you. He'll make sure to stop at different harbors, make himself see. Maybe you seen." Harry nodded.
"Where exactly are we going?" Hermione asked.
"You will be going to Bulgaria in search of Victor Krum," Moody answered.
"Krum?" Harry asked, surprised.
"Do you know him?" Hermione asked.
"He stayed at Hogwarts for the Triwizard Tournament. I've never spoken to him, but he is a famous Quidditch player."
"A very rich Quidditch player who has given multiple donations to our cause," Moody explained.
"You will be boarding a passenger ship between Dover and Calais. After that you need to travel by land as Muggles. You must try not to be seen," Dumbledore said and peered over his glassed at him. "So you'll have to be careful." They both nodded and looked at each other.
"I bought two tickets for the ferry and I have arranged for fake passports. You should be weary of trusting anyone else in Krum's camp," Moody said sternly.
"Do they know our names?" Harry asked.
"They believe you are brother and sister, you need to travel as such," Dumbledore asked.
"So what do you need from Krum?" Hermione asked.
"We have had difficulty getting in touch with him. You need to tell him all we know about Voldemort's plans for advancement in Europe. All of it!" Dumbledore answered. "He needs to gather his troops, and those of his allies, and prepare for battle! The war is starting!"
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I'll try to keep updating frequently… but what keeps a writer motivated? Reviews : - )
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