alt_draco | Entries tagged with hermione

Hey, Hermione said you two came round earlier today looking for me? I was out at Moddey demonstrating the new brooms. Except for the Selwyn kids, most have never experienced what a real racing broom can do, so those who want to use them are going to need a few lessons first - otherwise, the new brooms will be smashed before they're ever properly broken in.

Oh, and speaking of, did you get your broom back in one piece, Weasley? Thanks for the thought, it was generous of you. Only while I was out replacing the one half-way decent (but basically rubbish) Moddey broom I wrecked, I figured why not get one for myself, right?

Anyway, was there something you wanted to see me about? Oh, and Hermione says she's sorry, and that she would have welcomed you in herself if Mr Snape hadn't had her occupied with some complicated brewing.

Hi.

Sorry about sending that letter through the colocation box so late. It must've been what, 2 or 3 in the morning? I couldn't sleep until I wrote it.

I should probably also confess that I was still a bit pissed from the party punch when I wrote it. But even so, I meant everything I wrote. It just wasn't necessarily as eloquent as it ought to have been, and possibly had a few misspellings.

I'm not sure what we do now, but talking seems first in order of things.

As you're surely aware by now, Transfiguration is my weakest and most loathed subject. I blame it on the fact that I was a child who was never denied anything material, and thus saw no value in transfiguring porcupines into pincushions (and really, how often does one come across a porcupine? Aren't pincushions far more common, in addition to being less costly?). Also, I don't sew. And who uses pins? That's what sticking spells are for.

You see why I don't much care for it.

So I've no clue why I've gone and had the bright idea to transfigure my colocation box into a ring. Similar to the poison rings, except that I need to make the opening expandable, so that something large could potentially fit into it.

I guess I was thinking that it could be handy next year, when I'm on the council. If I ever get a chance to nick something that could be valuable to the Order, I could send it along to you or Harry straight off, rather than trying to smuggle it out under my robes or something.

I think I'll work on it for a little while in the secret room. If you're not brewing or doing something for Harry and want to take a look, I'll probably just stay there through supper.

Well then?

I know you've spoken to her by now, I saw your private message go up.

I don't want you to betray her confidence in any way. I just want to know that she's alright.

So.

14 months, 6 days,

or 426 days.

So how did the questioning with Raz really go? (It would seem others are too busy welcoming Ginny Weasley to ask for more details.)

Any idea what he'll do to him? Teddy, that is. Because I can't imagine he's pleased about the whole thing. And as genial as Raz typically is, he's still not someone to cross.

Look - I've been thinking about it and I don't even know how you jumped to the conclusions you jumped to, the other day.

It's important for me to know what happened to make you believe I had feelings for Hermione. So if you can specify that for me, I'd appreciate it.

Also, I know how tight you are with Pansy and Weasley, and always have been, since the beginning of this lock. I would also appreciate you not sharing your speculations with them, however tempting it might be.

I thought you should know that Teddy commented on your "unusually bright" demeanor today, even going so far as to suggest that Raz must have accidentally smiled at you when he passed you in the corridors. I told him that Harry had leant you out to Madam Pince to repair books, and that the glue must have addled your head.

I don't have to tell you that you're lucky that he made his observations to me, and not to Blaise or Vince or someone else who would have encouraged his speculations. His macabre sort of intrigue in you doesn't seem to have waned despite Harry's interference - who knows, knowing Teddy, it might have even made it even stronger.

I've been meaning to tell you both about a few things that happened over Hols. On the night of the Gala, Teddy told me that Ned Pennifold made it clear to him that the Lord Protector is keeping an eye out for more young recruits to the council. You know how Teds is, though - I couldn't be sure it wasn't a brag or a trap, so I let it lie. But then, at Blaison on Sunday morning, before Daphs and I went to Kings Cross, Alfred Montague told me that his brother, Jason, told him the same thing: start proving your worth, the Lord Protector is watching.

Harry, if your Father is casting his net over Hogwarts, then I'm going to make myself into a fish he can't refuse.

On Saturday I more or less implied to my Father that I will be distancing myself from him publicly. Though we didn't speak of his slipping social position directly, he knew why I was warning him. He told me that he didn't want me to put myself in danger to save him, and when I pointed out to him that I've never really not been in danger, he argued that I didn't need to put myself in the Lord Protector's service so completely. He made it clear that the last thing he wants is for me to bind myself to the Lord Protector.

After a time, I think he saw that he couldn't sway me, and he said that whatever I do, don't do it for my family's standing.

Of course, he thinks that's exactly why I'm doing it.

I think it's time I ask Snape if it's possible for him to train me in legilimency.

Hermione, we're back in New London. I don't know if you've heard, but Mother will have to be Hydra's chaperone for the remainder of the summer, so we've had to cut our holiday short. Shame it had to happen before Barty Crouch made one of his "surprise arrivals" at the weekend to liven up the party.

That's not so important, though. Father's informed me that Yaxley put in some kind of request to access my Private Messages. He didn't get what he wanted - Father said he could be looking for anything, be it indiscretions, family secrets, or whatnot. And while Father didn't necessarily say as much I don't imagine that Yaxley has any grudge against me. It's more politics and jockeying for power, no doubt. Still, if he had got his eyes on our writings...well, I shan't finish that unlovely thought. Hardly worth it, is it? Terrible things would have happened... Odd how a person can almost get used to living with a certain kind of constant uncertainty.

Anyway, I already told Harry about all of this, but you ought to know, too. I thought it was Auntie Bella we'd have to be worried about, but I ought to have known she would have shouldered the journals onto somebody else. Hopefully, the Aurors can keep Yaxley out. Better yet, perhaps someone will squash him permanently - and soon.

Also.

I've been thinking about what Hydra's told me about her father - how he must have tracked her or spied on her with one of his devices.

Now, what a lucky thing that it was only her virtue in question, and not her loyalty.

My parents aren't invasive as Hydra's, fortunately, but nevertheless it's a turn of events that, paired with Yaxley's inquiry, has convinced me more than ever that I must maintain an impeccable charade of tow-row-row. Harry, I'll be going to the next Slytherin social, no matter who hosts it. I reckon I'll take Daphs along as my plus-one again, since it worked well enough last time. Might be good if you made an appearance now and then, too. Or else I can tell everyone that you're very busy working closely with your "Dad," if you prefer - that'd certainly stop any questions.

So. By my count I have less than a week to prepare myself to face Father and Mother as a new, twice-made traitor. Granted, it isn't the first time I'll be lying to their faces, but it's never been about something quite so big as this.

How strange to think that in one fell swoop I could tell them everything I know and bring MLE down on everyone.

And now I know that Father's "star seems to be falling." Of course, I can't ask about that without them wondering how I even know that in the first place. I already know what answer they'll give me, anyway.

Tell me then, what are you two most looking forward to when you get back to Buckingham? Aside from the fabulous parties, of course.

Everyone - Bumbridge stormed in before the rest of us were out. She was practically spitting bile at Harry. Cedric, too. Weasley almost raised his wand to her, but I stopped him. Somehow, he failed to notice she was using Hermione as a human shield - that's how Bumbridge found us, she has Hermione under Imperius.

Because of that, Harry and Cedric had no choice but to go with her to her office. She ordered the rest of us to stay put, threatened to toss us into the camps, but was daft enough to only confiscate Harry and Cedric's wands.

She's very puffed up and pleased right now, having caught the Tri-wizard Champion and the Head Boy in the middle of rule-breaking. I'm not sure if that makes her more dangerous, or less so.

We can't give her the opportunity to question them at length or get MLE involved. Two groups, right now: one for a diversion and the other to hide near her office for the extraction. I'll lead the extraction. Weasley will take the diversion.

So did you end up lending the cloak out to Hydra? And did she finally tell you what she wanted it for?

Seems a bit odd, wanting to use it while most of the castle is out at Hogsmeade for the day.

Granger, don't suppose she said anything to you?

I'll be coming along to the Tea Appreciation group today. I've told Harry he ought to come along as well, if he's able.

You know the boxes that I gave to Hermione to experiment with? Well I started to have second thoughts about modifying them or using them for much, because considering that they came from Auntie Bella, it might not be such a clever idea to muck about with them, for a variety of reasons.

But then, last night, I came across something I forgot that I owned.

I was directing the elf - we were clearing out my wardrobe of all the robes that no longer fit - and I was coming across all sorts of random things, like old comics, exploding snap cards, and the like. Even found an old orange that was dried up to a hard stone. And then I found a box, almost exactly like the one Auntie Bella gave me and Harry this year. This one has a shape is a little more square, and the carvings on the lid are different, but I'm sure it was made by the same craftsman. It was given to me for Christmas when I was twelve, and Harry got one, as well. Obviously, we were both to dim back then to figure out that the boxes actually did something and weren't just for stashing odds and ends into.

So we don't just have two boxes, we have four. And two of them probably safer to use, because they didn't come from my Aunt - they came from someone else. Regulus.

Harry, I know I was non-committable on Hydra's invitation yesterday, mostly because I still don't much fancy the idea of having tea in some ramshackle Camden shop with a relation I scarcely know, but see here, I've had second thoughts. I think we ought to go.

Do you think you can get leave from Buckingham? And bring Granger? I have something else to give to her, but if you don't think you should bring her then I suppose I'll just give it to you to give to her.

Okay, I've been looking at this thing all day waiting for something to happen. I know you said it was for secret messages, Harry, but what sort, exactly?

Are we meant to use it to take the mick on Bumbridge behind her (huge) back?

Or - Granger, since you helped come up with it, does that mean were meant to use it to summon her to us with fresh biccies and tea and things?

No, somehow I doubt that.

So Pansy's got one and Sally Anne and Hydra and who all else, exactly?

Sure loves to hear himself talk, that one. All that rot about teachers not noticing and taking action when it came to Finch-Fletchley, when really, if Finch-Fletchley had been taught any sort of decent lessons in dark arts or practical dueling, he would have been able to defend himself properly. But that one can't seem to fathom that when some bastard is coming at you with a deadly hex, your first thought probably isn't going to be about the "cultural structures" or "coercive powers" that made the bastard that way, but how to get him out of your face, and quickly. Sorry, but I'll hex first, think about the rest later.

And that bit about "inventing justification for deeds to the point of absurdity?" I don't know, but it reminded me of when we were five or six, Harry. Remember, they were still restoring Buckingham and parts of it were closed off to everyone, even you. And it was the first time my Father ever Cruciated me.

Granger, you weren't there then, so I'll explain. I'm talking about those semi-state rooms in the lower levels - I'm pretty sure that they're so heavily warded now that no one but Harry's Father can get into them, but back then they still didn't have everything set up, so all we knew was that if we wandered into that area, we'd get into terrible trouble.

So of course, that's exactly what we did. Harry wanted to explore and I was perfectly happy to go along with that sort of thing, back then. We ended up playing green ghost in some kind of trophy room, and I was wearing the blanket and Harry was hiding somewhere. I was bumbling around, blind as anything, and I tripped into a display case. A glass goblet fell over inside and smashed to pieces. It must have set off some kind of alarm spell, because we were trying to put the goblet back together when Yaxley caught us. Bloody nightshade, he scared me down to my toes back then. Still does, if I'm honest.

He marched us both off to the Lord Protector's chambers and both of our Fathers were clearly annoyed at being interrupted. There was a lot of questioning and hard words like "How could you be so disobedient?" Between that and Yaxley's dark expression, it was all terrible enough. But then, when the Lord Protector said that I needed to be punished for both of us, my Father almost seemed...well, I didn't know what to call it then, but I think "shocked" is what I'd call it now. Just that by the expression on his face I didn't expect him to do what he ended up doing. I thought he might pick me up and take me out of there - I even remember being sad, Harry, thinking I might not be able to play with you again for a long time.

But he didn't pick me up and take me out of there. Instead he sat me in the middle of the room and he Cruciated me.

I don't have to tell you how horrible it was. Well, not you at least, Granger. But the pain and the shakes and the tremors, none of it compared to how awful it felt to know that my own Father had just done that to me. And a few nights later I was crying to Mother about just that, and she said that Father had done it because he wanted to spare me what the Lord Protector would do to me if he hadn't.

I didn't believe it for a long time. But I believe it now. And my Father wasn't just inventing justification... there was, in fact, someone else who would have enjoyed it more, would have been more cruel, more vicious, and would have felt less remorse. No remorse, actually.

I don't know. I don't know what to say about "breaking the cycle" (and neither does that one, apparently - never gives a set of instructions, does he?). But it's pointless to sit and ponder change and the future when there are more important things bearing down now. There is no way out of anything when you're a kid.

So, what are you going to do when my Father expects you to cruciate Granger at the second task, Harry? Are you going to be able to do it?

Seems odd that so much of his post is relevant to that very question.

Current Location: Moving staircase

Harry, since you've sent her a private message, I'm assuming that Granger has her journal back and can now speak, too.

Granger, that means I'm supposed to Imperius you to say "Master" after every sentence you say or write.

Sorry, but you know there's no choice about this. I figure that making the curse last a few days should be enough, and then it'll be over.

We can do it after breakfast, before our first lesson.

Current Location: en route to Breakfast

Is it all alright?

Granger I think you went first and if he'd learnt something, he probably wouldn't have acted like I was wasting his time so much.

So. We got lucky.

I think we might need some help here.

We weren't trying to rescue anyone, I swear, only we overheard the teachers say that Professor Lockhart should go out and try to kill the monster in the chamber since he's done so many heroic deeds and such, and then we tried to track him down because we'd learned from Granger that the monster was probably a basilisk and it was living in the pipes somewhere. We thought the information might help him kill the monster, you see. And Weasley was along because he thought it was his sister who was in danger, so he came along with us to Professor Lockhart's office. Only Professor Lockhart wasn't getting ready to fight a monster, he was packing all of his purple frocks into a trunk and getting ready to leave! And then he told us--well, it will take too long to write, but he's a complete fraud, that one, and he tried to ERASE Harry's memories but Harry was really quick and got his wand away from him!

So we had to find the chamber of secrets and make Professor Lockhart kill the monster, but he really didn't want to and he kept trying to escape, so Harry got his wand out and ordered him to get a move on! He was really angry. We found the chamber in the whinging ghost's bathroom, and it took Harry a long time to get it right but he finally said the right parseltongue words and the sink opened up and it was a deep passageway to a part of the castle I didn't even know existed. We were just trying to get Professor Lockhart to go down there and do what all the other teachers said he should do, but when we got to the bottom he snatched Weasley's wand and tried to erase our memories again! But Weasley's wand is rubbish and so the spell didn't work, and some rocks came crashing down and now me, Weasley, and Professor Lockhart are on one side of the rocks, and Harry is on the other. Harry shouted that he was all right and that he was going to have a look around on his own--I tried to tell him not too. But he hasn't said anything for a while now and we're trying to clear away the rocks but there's an awful lot of them, and Professor Lockhart has gone mental and thinks he's a student again and that we're all members of a spelunking club.