February 23rd, 1995 – Day before Second Task of Triwizard Tournament.
Harry Potter blinked his eyes open and looked around. He grinned when he saw the once familiar curtains around his four-poster bed in the Gryffindor dormitory. From Harry's perspective, it had been roughly a year and a half since he had seen a bed in the Gryffindor dormitory. He reached under his pillow and found his wand, where he had usually put it when he slept at Hogwarts.
"Tempus," Harry whispered.
On the ceiling of the four-poster bed, a date and time appeared:
Wednesday, February 23rd, 1995 – 5:45AM
Harry grinned. The ritual had worked! Hermione had been particularly worried about when they would return, but Harry had assured her that as long as they arrived several weeks or months before the Third Task of the Triwizard Tournament, everything they had planned would still work. If Harry remembered correctly, today was the day before the Second Task of the Triwizard Tournament. That evening – at least in the original timeline – Hermione would be summoned to Dumbledore's office by Professor McGonagall and find herself at the bottom of the lake the following morning, as a hostage for Viktor Krum to rescue.
Not this time, Harry vowed. Hermione will have no part in the Second Task.
That had already been agreed upon between Harry and Hermione, if they had arrived before the Second Task.
Note, Harry thought, Find Professor McGonagall sometime today, and tell her that we know Hermione will be one of the chosen hostages for the Second Task, and Hermione will tell her that she will take no part in the task. But first! Time to meet up with Hermione.
Harry sat up and opened the curtains of his bed. He frowned as he looked across to the neighboring bed where Ron Weasley was sound asleep, and snoring. The git hadn't even bothered to close his curtains, which were soundproof to prevent others from hearing the occupant's snoring.
We'll deal with you, your sister and your mother eventually, you bastard, Harry said, Just like we did last time. You think I was angry at you for your betrayal after the Choosing Ceremony, you haven't seen anything yet!
Ignoring the traitorous ex-best friend, Harry walked over to his school trunk and rummaged through his clothes. Knowing he would have to suffer classes that day, he took out one of his school outfits, which he proceeded to quickly change into. After checking his class schedule to remind himself of what classes he had that day, he placed the necessary books and items into his knapsack then walked out of his dormitory. He made his way downstairs, and found the Common Room mostly empty. It wasn't even six-o-clock yet, so most of the Gryffindors were likely still asleep. There was one person there, and it was the one person he was waiting for: his wife, fellow time traveler and the love of his life, Hermione Potter – or rather, Hermione Granger at this moment in time. She looked immediately in his direction and smiled in relief when she saw him.
"I am suddenly realizing how truly dumb I was at this age," Harry said, "How could I have been pining after Cho Chang, when a true vision of beauty stands in front of me?"
Hermione blushed and shook her head. "Doesn't matter, Harry. If I run into Viktor, I'll let him know that any kind of relationship we might have had is over."
"I didn't have any doubts," Harry said.
He walked over to Hermione, took her in his arms and kissed her soundly on the lips. Hermione hummed against his lips and kissed him back.
"We made it, Harry," Hermione whispered, after backing away from Harry's lips, "The ritual worked. We're here."
"We are," Harry said.
"However," Hermione said, frowning, "It is the day before the Second Task. I was rather hoping we'd either arrive after the Second Task or weeks before it."
"Doesn't matter," Harry said, "Doesn't change much. We have plenty of time before the Third Task. We'll go to the Room of Requirement, just as we planned. Discuss everything we need to do, and make sure we remember all of our plans. Then sometime today, we meet with Professor McGonagall, and tell her under no circumstances will you participate in the Second Task."
"Are you sure, Harry?" Hermione asked. "I don't need to be Viktor's hostage. I could be yours, instead of the Weasley git."
"No, Hermione," Harry said, "We've already theorized what could happen if that took place. Ron would get jealous that you are whom I'd miss the most, as would Ginny. It might cause them to contact their mother and have her brew Love Potions. Our plans would be completely ruined if that happened."
Hermione sighed and nodded. "You're right. We must let the timeline remain the same for a little while longer."
"Not exactly the same, especially when it comes to you and Krum," Harry said.
"Right," Hermione said, "But I doubt that will change anything too significant."
"True," Harry agreed, "Shall we go to the Room of Requirement then?"
Hermione agreed, and the two time travelers made their way out of the Common Room.
"You two are up rather early," the Fat Lady complained sleepily, as Harry and Hermione stepped into the corridor, "I usually have another half-hour before I have to deal with you Gryffindors."
"Just out for a private stroll before breakfast," Hermione said.
The Fat Lady raised her eyebrows as her portrait shut itself. Then she smirked as she looked at the pair of them.
"Well, it seems the two of you have finally figured out how compatible you are with each other," she said, grinning.
"We have," Hermione said, "But keep that to yourself, please. We're trying to keep it a secret for now."
"I promise," the Fat Lady said, "I won't even tell Violet. Merlin knows if I tell her, the news will be all over the castle in hours."
"Thank you, dear Lady," Hermione said.
"Enjoy your stroll," the Fat Lady said.
Harry and Hermione thanked her, then, hand-in-hand, made their way through the seventh floor corridors, before they finally reached the area near the portrait of Barnabus the Barmy. Harry stared at the familiar wall for a moment, frowning in contemplation.
"I know what you're thinking, Harry," Hermione said, "We can get the Diadem later."
Harry sighed and nodded. "I know. It isn't like it will go anywhere before we collect it. It just feels… real now, you know? We're a few feet from one of his Horcruxes. He's alive again, and we're fourth year students at Hogwarts again."
"He may be alive, that is true, Harry," Hermione said, "But so is Cedric, Sirius, Remus, Tonks and her family, Kingsley, and everyone else we lost."
"Right, yeah, I know," Harry said, "And alive they will remain. Right. Let's get this started."
He released Hermione's hand and walked over to the familiar blank wall.
I need a cozy, welcoming room for two to have a private conversation, Harry thought.
Harry repeated this request twice more, and a door appeared in the wall. Harry opened the door, and stepped into the room, followed by Hermione. The room was the size of the Gryffindor Common Room. Like the Common Room, it had a loveseat, two cozy chairs, and a coffee table near a roaring, warm fireplace. The rest of the room was mostly empty, but more could be added in the space if either occupants of the room had requested anything. Harry took Hermione's hand again, and they made their way over to the loveseat and sat down. Immediately, Hermione opened her knapsack and rummaged through it. She took out a quill, ink and a notepad of parchment.
"Shall we do this chronologically then?" Hermione asked.
"Sure," Harry agreed, "Less confusing that way."
"Right," Hermione said, "Alright, first things first. The Second Task."
"Sometime today, doesn't matter when as long as it is before dinner," Harry said, "We're going to meet with McGonagall. We're going to tell her we know you're going to be chosen as Viktor Krum's hostage."
"I'll raise a fuss about that," Hermione said, "I'll tell Professor McGonagall I refuse to have any part as a hostage in the Second Task."
"If she even has one objection," Harry said, "We'll tell her that Dumbledore and the other Tournament officials will have to find someone else either way for Krum. Because they won't be able to find you. You'll be hiding here between this evening until the end of the Second Task. We'll request to the room that nobody can enter the room but you and me until we say so otherwise. Not even Dumbledore would be able to find you."
"I like it," Hermione said, "It isn't like I won't have anything to do. I'll be busy cooking up the potions required for our Doppelgangers so that they can have a personality, and also crafting the Doppelgangers themselves."
The Doppelganger was something Hermione had come up with sometime after she and Harry had decided to travel back in time. In order for them to successfully complete their missions and tasks before the Third Task, they had to be away from Hogwarts, which was problematic in itself since they would be fourth year students again. So Hermione had come up with the Doppelganger plan. The Doppelgangers were magical constructs, identical to a person as long as you had a few drops of their blood. In this case, the Doppelgangers would look and act like the fourth-year versions of Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. The potion needed for this to work was rather complicated. The most complicated ingredient was memories. In this case, Harry and Hermione's memories of their fourth year in the days between the Second and Third Tasks. The reason for this, was so that the Doppelgangers would be controlled by the memories and experiences of Harry and Hermione's lives as fourth year students, while the real Harry and Hermione were away from Hogwarts completing their tasks and missions. Basically the Doppelgangers would act like the real Harry and Hermione did in the original timeline.
"Thankfully, the most complicated ingredients are the memories and blood," Hermione said, "I already have all the other ingredients on hand. But that is why I invented the potion this way – because I knew I couldn't just go out and buy ingredients. I needed ingredients I could find here in Hogwarts, or already had in my Potions kit. Everything I need to craft the Doppelgangers, I can probably request from this Room."
"We need the Doppelgangers to be ready by the time the initial hoot and holler of post-Second Task celebrations are done," Harry said, "so we can leave without notice while our Doppelgangers are living our lives here. The last thing we'll do before we leave Hogwarts is claim Ravenclaw's Diadem. Now, I suppose the next step is one of two options. Do we meet with Keeper Ragnok at Gringotts first, or seek out Sirius first?"
Hermione bit her lip as she stared at her notepad.
"Sirius," Hermione said, "We know he's somewhere near Hogsmeade. We could send him a letter today and tell him to meet us at the cave outside Hogsmeade in the near future."
"Right," Harry said, then a memory sparked in his mind. "Wait… didn't Sirius send me a letter around this time? Damn it. Why didn't I check my trunk for it?"
"I do recall he sent you a letter before the Second Task," Hermione said, then shrugged. "I do remember you sent the letter with an owl that wasn't Hedwig. But Hedwig is pretty fast. So if your past self had sent him a letter recently, maybe Hedwig can get there with your new one faster?"
"Maybe," Harry said. "But… wait…"
"What?" Hermione asked.
"That would mean he isn't in Hogsmeade yet," Harry asked, "We may have to wait a few days before we can leave."
Hermione bit her lip again. "If he isn't in Hogsmeade at the moment, we could do one of two things. The first… would be rather illegal, but we will be doing some illegal things soon. We could make him a Portkey, so he could get to Hogsmeade faster."
"That's a possibility," Harry said, "What is the other option?"
"Well, if we have to wait for Sirius to get to Hogsmeade by himself," Hermione said, "we'll go to Gringotts first. Hmm… if that happens, we can always rent a room in the Three Broomsticks while waiting for Sirius, while our Doppelgangers are here. We're planning on getting the Metamorph Amulets from your Vault when we go to Gringotts anyway."
Metamorph Amulets were an invention of Lily Potter's, which she had created after completing her Hogwarts education, but before she and James moved to Godric's Hollow with baby Harry. It was basically Polyjuice Potion – or the Metamorphmagus ability – in an amulet. While wearing the amulet – be it on a bracelet or a necklace – the wearer would simply need to envision themselves having a different appearance and, due to the enchantments in the amulet, their body would morph into that appearance.
Harry had found this invention in one of his mother's diaries he had found in one of the Potter family Vaults. There were also actual Metamorph Amulets in the Vault as well. From what his mother had written in her diaries, Harry had deduced that she was planning on selling them eventually to the public, but had never had the opportunity before her death. Therefore, the Amulets in the Potter Vaults were the only ones in existence. Harry and Hermione planned to pose as a couple in their mid-twenties whilst their Doppelgangers were at Hogwarts.
"Well, then," Harry said, "Should we make a Portkey to send to Sirius?"
"We could," Hermione said, "and if Sirius doesn't feel safe using it, we'll just have to wait for him to arrive."
Harry nodded, "So Sirius and Gringotts. I suppose we'll have to just let those two tasks be interchangeable until we figure out which one will happen first."
"Right," Hermione said, and jotted something in her notepad. "So what do we tell Sirius?"
"Everything," Harry said, immediately.
"Everything?" Hermione asked, "I know we debated whether or not we should tell him everything. But do we really need to?"
"We're going to need his help to either speak to Kreacher, or go into Grimmauld Place itself to get the locket," Harry said. "We also have no idea what Dumbledore had to do to get to the Resurrection Stone in the Gaunt House. So we might need Sirius' help for that as well. I am also unsure about how Sirius feels about Dumbledore at this point in time. Whether or not he completely supports Dumbledore, or has his own doubts about the man. Therefore, we need to tell him about Dumbledore, and we might as well tell him about the Weasleys as well. Also…"
"We might need his help to find Dumbledore's Horcrux," Hermione said.
"Correct," Harry said, grimacing.
Out of all of their tasks they needed to do, finding Dumbledore's Horcrux appeared to be the most difficult. For one, they only had a few ideas about what it could actually be. They had never actually discovered what or where the Horcrux was before they came back in time. That was actually the main reason they had come back in time. So they could have another chance at finding Dumbledore's Horcrux, before he decided to reveal himself to Great Britain, and essentially the world, as the true Dark Lord he was.
Finding and destroying Voldemort's horcruxes, and defeating Voldemort in the Graveyard the night of the Third Task was quite simple in comparison to finding Dumbledore's Horcrux, destroying it, and defeating the man. Which was why they were focused on the former at the moment. After Voldemort was defeated, they could focus on Dumbledore and finding his Horcrux. Because after Harry defeated Voldemort without dying in the process, Dumbledore would likely repeat history, only this time three years earlier, but without the necessity of "coming back from the dead". He would likely accuse Harry of going down a Dark path because of killing Voldemort. In Dumbledore's words "when the Horcrux, which had been inside Harry's scar since that terrible Halloween night, was destroyed, it unleashed Voldemort's own Darkness into Harry himself. Harry Potter must be stopped before he becomes another Voldemort, another Dark Lord."
In truth, Dumbledore was the real Dark Lord, and in fact he was the Dark Lord that Trelawney had, via Prophecy, predicted that the One would vanquish. It wasn't Voldemort – Dumbledore had chosen Voldemort as a scapegoat so that Harry wouldn't realize that Dumbledore was the one he needed to vanquish. To prove that, they needed something they didn't have last time because it was destroyed – the prophecy orb in the Department of Mysteries. If the Prophecy was still lit up after Voldemort was defeated, then that meant Dumbledore was the true Dark Lord of the Prophecy. So it went without saying that a visit to the Department of Mysteries was on the list of their many tasks to accomplish.
"I suppose we will have to tell him everything then," Hermione said, nodding. "I guess I would feel a bit better if we had someone 'in the know' when it came to our secret, so we had somebody to talk to about it. Sirius does seem like the perfect person for that."
"On the subject of Sirius, since it will likely come up when we speak to him," Harry said, "Should we wait until we have a chance to bring Peter Pettigrew back from the graveyard after the Third Task, in order to prove Sirius' innocent? Or should we attempt to prove his innocence between now and the Third Task?"
"It wouldn't hurt to attempt to prove his innocence before the Third Task," Hermione said, "If all else fails, we'll use Pettigrew as the proof. Proving his innocence beforehand and getting him his freedom would be beneficial for one reason specifically… Dumbledore."
Harry immediately knew what she was referring to. "Dumbledore will try to harm us by harming Sirius. He would use his position as Chief Warlock to convince the other members of the Wizengamot to prevent Sirius from obtaining his freedom. But that might happen either way wouldn't it?"
"Dumbledore doesn't want you to see him as an enemy before Voldemort is defeated," Hermione said. "We'll have a better chance of Sirius obtaining his freedom before Dumbledore decides we're the bad guys."
Harry nodded. That was a good point. "Suppose we'll have to try our best to get him free before we defeat Voldemort then."
Over the next several minutes, Harry and Hermione discussed more of their plans, making sure they had everything perfectly prepared. When they were satisfied that there was nothing left to discuss, Harry cast another Tempus. It was a quarter-to-seven. By the time they arrived in the Great Hall for breakfast, it would be around seven-o-clock.
"Hopefully Professor McGonagall will be in the Great Hall when we arrive," Hermione said, as she and Harry left the Room of Requirement – thankfully the corridor outside the Room was empty, "We can give her a message, and maybe we can have that meeting before we have to get to class."
Harry agreed with his girlfriend/wife – that was rather confusing, he realized; they would have to discuss exactly what they were to each other at the moment.
It was roughly seven when they stepped into the Great Hall. There weren't very many students present yet, however, several Professors were present at the Head Table, including McGonagall, and thankfully not Dumbledore nor Snape. Instead of heading for the Gryffindor table, Harry and Hermione walked up to the Head Table and over to McGonagall. The Deputy Headmistress looked up from her breakfast with raised eyebrows and looked at the pair.
"Good morning, Miss Granger, Mr. Potter," she said, "What can I do for you?"
"We would like to speak to you in private before class begins, Professor," Hermione said, "The subject of our conversation isn't an emergency, but it is important."
McGonagall stared at Hermione, then looked at Harry, then looked back at Hermione.
"Very well," McGonagall said, "If you can wait for thirty minutes – I suggest you take that time to eat breakfast – I will escort the two of you to my office, and we can discuss whatever is on your mind."
"Thank you, Professor," Hermione said.
Harry thanked her as well, and McGonagall excused them. They headed toward the Gryffindor Table and sat down, then prepared plates of food. As Harry began to eat, he looked around the Hall. He had been in the Great Hall a few times after the Battle of Hogwarts, before and after he and Hermione had gone to Australia. After the Battle of Hogwarts, the Great Hall never looked as magnificent as it had before that fateful Battle between the forces of good and Dark. Now, sitting here in the Great Hall that had yet to see any kind of battle, it was still as magnificent as Harry once remembered it. It nearly brought a tear to his eye to see it in its splendor once again.
"Harry," Hermione whispered; her voice was slightly hoarse, and she was looking toward the entrance of the Great Hall, "Look…"
Harry turned toward the large doors, and he saw what was making Hermione so emotional. Walking toward the Gryffindor table, with a grin matching his twin brother, was Fred Weasley.
You're going to be able to live a long and wonderful life this time, Fred, Harry vowed silently. Maybe you'll be able to find a nice girl like your brother did. And, speak of the devil, there they are… hand-in-hand, together already. Wow, didn't realize their relationship started this early.
George Weasley and Angelina Johnson – whom, in Harry and Hermione's future, had married on George's birthday in 1999, and were expecting a child by the time Harry and Hermione had used the ritual to return back in time - were holding hands as they walked toward the Gryffindor table, with Fred, Alicia Spinnet and Katie Bell, Harry's Quidditch teammates. One of them had obviously seen Harry and Hermione, because the group was heading in their direction.
"Harry! Hermione!" Fred said, with a familiar grin that made Harry's heart swell, "You're up early. You're usually not here for another half-hour or so."
"Have to speak with Professor McGonagall about something regarding the Second Task," Harry said, trying to keep his emotions calm, as he spoke to someone he thought he would never have the chance to do again.
"Second Task is tomorrow, Harry," Katie Bell said, "Though I am sure you don't need to be reminded of that. Kind of cutting it close, aren't you?"
"Hopefully not," Harry said, "We'll see what happens."
"Are you ready for the Task tomorrow, Harry?" Angelina asked.
"I am," Harry said, confidently, "I know what I'm going to be doing."
"Well, good luck," Angelina said, "No matter what happens, there will definitely be a party afterward in the Common Room."
"Angelina," George moaned, "You weren't supposed to tell him that. It was supposed to be a surprise."
"It is alright," Harry said, "I was already expecting some kind of party, especially if I get first place in the Task."
"Just don't get last place," Fred said, in an obvious joking manner, "We don't want to throw you a pity party!"
Harry laughed, along with Hermione and the others. He was quite happy to be able to experience Fred's sense of humor once again.
Conversation between the group of Quidditch teammates and Hermione continued until Professor McGonagall came over to them and requested Harry and Hermione to follow her. Thankfully neither Ron nor Ginny had showed up for breakfast yet, and Dumbledore and Snape hadn't arrived either, so there was nobody there who would be too suspicious about why Harry and Hermione were meeting with McGonagall.
Since McGonagall's office was on the first floor, it didn't take very long for the Professor or her students to arrive at their destination. Harry and Hermione had both been in this office, more than once, including during fifth year when they had a Career Advice meeting with McGonagall – Dolores Umbridge had butted in on both meetings, and the way McGonagall had defended both of her Lions had been quite memorable.
McGonagall conjured two chairs on the closest side of the desk for Harry and Hermione, and the two students sat down as the Deputy Headmistress took her own seat.
"Alright, Miss Granger, Mr. Potter," McGonagall said, "What is this about?"
"I'm just going to be blunt and come out and say it," Harry said. "I don't know whether you know about this yet or nor, but Professor Dumbledore and the other members of the Tournament committee are intending on using Hermione as Viktor Krum's hostage tomorrow in the Second Task."
Professor McGonagall frowned and nodded. "I only found out about this a few days ago. I raised quite a fuss with the Headmaster, when I found out human hostages – innocent human hostages who had not volunteered or signed up for anything – would be used, but the Headmaster assured me everyone, hostages and champions, would be perfectly safe."
"Well, I know I will be safe, Professor," Hermione said, "Because the reason Harry and I are meeting with you is to tell you I refuse to be a hostage for tomorrow's task. The Headmaster and Karkaroff will have to find someone else to use for Viktor's hostage."
McGonagall sighed. "I am not surprised, Miss Granger. I don't know how the Headmaster, nor the committee, will take this, however, especially since the task takes place tomorrow. They might not be able to find someone else to replace you."
"Well, they will have to, Professor," Hermione said. "I assume that the hostages will be asked sometime this evening after dinner to go to the Headmaster's office. Well, I can tell you now, that they won't be able to find me."
"I sincerely doubt there is anywhere in this castle that Albus Dumbledore would not be able to find you, Miss Granger," McGonagall said, then she narrowed her eyes, suspiciously, "You're not planning on leaving the castle sometime today, just to avoid being a hostage, are you?"
"Oh, no, ma'am," Hermione said, "I will most certainly be in the castle. I'll just be somewhere the Headmaster won't be able to find me. I understand this may be an issue with you, so let me give you this assurance. Tomorrow, after the Second Task is done, I will meet with you, and tell you how I accomplished what I did to hide from Dumbledore, the Committee, yourself and the other Professors, so that others cannot use said option in the future to do the same thing."
Harry was rather surprised about this proviso of Hermione's, but he decided that there was probably no other way to appease the Deputy Headmistress.
McGonagall's lips flattened, and she crossed her arms over her bosom. She did not speak for a full minute. She just studied Hermione, whilst also appearing to be deep in thought.
"Very well, Miss Granger," McGonagall said, "I will allow this to take place, if only because I do not want to see you forced to be a hostage tomorrow during the task, especially if you do not want to be. There is something I wish to know, however, Mr. Potter?"
"Yes, Professor?" Harry asked.
"I assume you know that Mr. Ronald Weasley will be your hostage?" McGonagall asked.
"Yes, ma'am," Harry said.
"Then why is he not here to object to his part in the Task too?" McGonagall asked.
"I sincerely doubt he is going to object to being part of the Task," Harry said, "He's the kind of boy who likes to be in the spotlight. You can probably ask him yourself when you collect him to take him to the Headmaster's office this evening. Ask him if he objects to being a part of the task. I doubt he will."
McGonagall raised an eyebrow, and merely nodded. "And you? You do not object to Mr. Weasley being your hostage?"
"I am confident I can rescue him, Professor," Harry said, "The reason I am here with Hermione, and not Ron, is because I do not trust Viktor Krum, nor do I trust the Headmaster nor the committee to keep Hermione safe. If she was in the lake tomorrow, I would probably choose to rescue her instead of Ron, which would probably create a huge fuss with the committee, since she is not my chosen hostage. Which I would find kind of odd, you know? I mean… Hermione was the only one who truly supported me after the Choosing Ceremony. She was the only one to come and tell me that she believed I did not put my name in the Goblet. Meanwhile, until the First Task was over, Ron neither supported me, nor believed that I didn't put my name in the Goblet. So I ask you, Professor. Why would I consider Ron, who betrayed me in November, to be the one I miss the most instead of Hermione? Why wasn't she chosen instead of him?"
"I don't know the answer to that question, but I am most curious now that you mention it," McGonagall said. "Would you mind if I brought that question up with the Headmaster?"
"No, but don't be surprised if you tell me his answer, and I don't happen to believe it," Harry said, bluntly.
McGonagall raised an eyebrow again. "And why not, Mr. Potter?"
"Because I believe the Headmaster chose Ron over Hermione as the one I'd miss the most due to emotional manipulation," Harry said, "The Headmaster believes in forgiveness, and forgiving everyone for their sins. He wants me to forgive Ron for betraying me. I don't know if I forgive Ron for his actions, but I certainly won't forget it. I wonder what the Headmaster would say if I asked him if he wanted me to forgive Voldemort for murdering my parents, and attempting to do the same to me?"
Of course he wasn't going to forgive Ron for any of his past – or future – transgressions, and he certainly wasn't going to forget it. But he couldn't tell the Professor that.
McGonagall winced a little at Voldemort's name, then she frowned. "I'm rather curious as to his answer to that very question myself. He is a rather firm believer in forgiveness and second chances. However, I will not ask that question too. I will leave it to you to ask when you feel it best."
"Thank you, Professor," Harry said, I appreciate it."
"If there are no more questions or concerns, Miss Granger, Mr. Potter," McGonagall said, "I believe our meeting is over. I look forward to seeing whether any of the staff, Tournament committee or the Headmaster can find you tonight, Miss Granger. And if not, then I also look forward to the explanation of how you achieved it."
"As do I, Professor," Hermione said.
McGonagall allowed a small smile. "You are both excused."
Harry and Hermione thanked the Professor, stood up and left the classroom.
"Well, that went a lot better than I expected," Harry said, "However, I was rather surprised about that proviso you offered her."
"Yes, but I only offered it to her," Hermione said. "I think we may be able to trust her with some of our secrets and assistance. If we can wean her off of her trust for Dumbledore, she can be a great ally to us, Harry."
"Yes, I got that impression too," Harry said. "Alright, let's add that to our plans – ingrain Professor McGonagall into being one of our allies."
"Yes," Hermione said, "Because I realized something while we were in there. Harry, she is so close to Dumbledore and knows a lot more about him then we do."
"You think she might be able to give some insight in, into what Dumbledore's horcrux is, don't you?" Harry asked.
"I do, Harry," Hermione said, "I really, truly believe she might be our way into finding his Horcrux."
"Better than any other idea we have had so far," Harry said. "Very well then. What's our first class?"
"We have Defense Against the Dark Arts first with impostor Moody," Hermione.
"Right, Barty Crouch, Junior," Harry said, sighing, "I know we can't do anything to him right now, but it feels very wrong to keep him here with all these innocent students. I also hope the real Moody forgives us for knowingly keeping him imprisoned until after the Third Task."
"It is necessary, Harry," Hermione said, "Outing Crouch, Junior would be a big change to the timeline right now. Voldemort might change his strategy, which means he won't be in the graveyard the night of the Third Task."
"And then everything will become unpredictable with Voldemort," Harry said, "I know. Just feels like we're imitating Dumbledore here. Doing all this for some greater good in the defeat against Voldemort."
"Well, think of it this way," Hermione said, "Soon we'll be away from Hogwarts, our Doppelgangers will be here, and we'll have a lot more to worry about than allowing Crouch, Junior to remain free and Moody imprisoned."
"I suppose that is some sort of silver lining," Harry said, grinning.
Hermione chuckle and squeezed Harry's hand. They made their way toward the Defense Classroom. When they arrived, they found there were the first there. Not even the imposter Crouch was there yet. There were alone for ten minutes, before their classmates began trickling into the classroom. And another ten minutes, before the last of the students – Ron included, making his way into the classroom with Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan – arrived. Ron almost immediately saw Harry and Hermione, and hurriedly walked over to them, and sat beside Harry.
"Where have you been, Harry?" Ron demanded, "I've been looking for you all morning!"
"I woke up pretty early and Hermione was already up, so we had an early breakfast," Harry said.
"Well, why didn't you wake me up too?" Ron asked.
"I woke up around six-o-clock, Ron," Harry said, "Would you have woken up if I asked, or would you have told me to 'piss off' before you'd go back to sleep?"
Ron frowned. "I probably would have gone back to sleep. Why did you wake up so early anyway?"
"Nightmare about failing the Second Task tomorrow," Harry lied.
"I am sure you'll do just fine tomorrow, Harry," Hermione said; she hesitated a moment, obviously wary of speaking directly to Ron, before saying "Won't he, Ronald?"
"You'll do brilliant, mate!" Ron said, "I'm sure of it!"
Harry forced a smile. Unfortunately, in order for his and Hermione's Doppelgangers to perform believably well, without giving up what they actually were, they had to put up with Ron and Ginny for as long as they were still at Hogwarts. After all, the Doppelgangers would be acting as if there was nothing wrong with their relationship with Ron. There was also the fact that they had decided to wait to directly go after Ron, Ginny and Molly Weasley for their transgressions against them, until the days and weeks after the Third Task. So neither Harry nor Hermione could show their utter hatred for Ron, Ginny and Molly at the moment.
As much as I would rather see you drown at the bottom of the lake tomorrow, Harry thought, as he side-eyed Ron, I need to rescue you, Weasley, in order to complete the Second Task. At least I'll be doing it rather quickly so I don't have to focus on you any longer than I have to.
Thankfully, before any further conversation with Ron could be continued, the impostor Moody stalked into the classroom and begun class. At least Barty Crouch, Junior was good for something!
That Evening, an hour after dinner…
Minerva McGonagall made her way toward the Gryffindor Tower, with the hopes of finding Ron Weasley and – though she highly doubted she was going to find her this evening – Hermione Granger. She had already searched the library among other locations in the castle, and had yet to find neither of the Gryffindors, nor the third member of their little trio, Harry Potter. She had a feeling Ron Weasley might be in the Gryffindor Tower, but she had doubts Hermione Granger would be… and something told her she might not find Harry Potter either. Wherever Miss Granger was, Mr. Potter was likely with her, to make sure that his best friend was not a part of the Second Task.
Or were they more than just best friends? This was something Minerva had wondered all day since the early morning meeting with the two Gryffindors. She was rather surprised when Miss Granger wasn't on the arm of Mr. Potter during the Yule Ball. When that didn't happen, she thought they might share one dance together, but that didn't happen either. To Minerva, it was obvious the two friends fancied one another. Maybe their relationship hadn't evolved until very recently?
Then there was the friendship between Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. Something big had changed recently, and Minerva wasn't sure when it started. Mr. Potter's views toward Mr. Weasley were rather surprising, Minerva thought. Yes, it was true that the two had had a major fight in November, but she had thought they had patched things up after the First Task was finished. Now, after Mr. Potter's comments about Mr. Weasley earlier that day, she wasn't so sure their friendship was anything but rocky, and maybe even close to being over.
Minerva soon found herself in front of the Fat Lady's portrait. When the Fat Lady saw her, she bowed and swung her portrait open without needing a password. Minerva's role as Head of Gryffindor House made the need for passwords to Gryffindor Tower unnecessary, though she did not flaunt this fact in front of students. She made her way through the portrait hole, and into the Common Room. Almost immediately, the students – who were boisterous, laughing and talking before she entered – went silent as they noted her entry.
"May I see Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger please?" Minerva asked.
Ron Weasley stood up from the table where he had been playing a chess game against Dean Thomas, and walked over to Minerva.
"Hermione's not here, Professor," Ron said, "Neither is Harry. I don't know where they are. Maybe the library. Harry said something about needing to look up something for the Second Task. If he went to the library, then Hermione likely followed him there."
"I've already checked the library, Mr. Weasley," Minerva said, "Neither Miss Granger nor Mr. Potter were there."
"Then I don't know where they are," Ron said.
"Does anyone know where Hermione Granger or Harry Potter are at this moment in time?" Minerva asked, loudly to the Common Room.
The students either shook their heads, or gave responses of "No," "No Professor," or "No, ma'am."
"If you see either of them, please inform a Prefect and have them inform me immediately," Minerva said, "Even if it after curfew."
Nods and murmurs of acknowledgement were seen and heard around the Common Room.
"Follow me, Mr. Weasley," Minerva said.
She turned and made her way out through the portrait hole, followed by Ron.
"What's going on, Professor?" Ron asked.
"All will be explained when we reach the Headmaster's Office," Minerva said. "But the short explanation is, is that you will be taking part in the Second Task tomorrow."
"Really?" Ron asked.
"Yes, Mr. Weasley," Minerva said, "Please tell me right now, before we go any further down this corridor, if you do not want to participate tomorrow."
"Oh, no, Professor," Ron said, "I would be happy to be a part of the Task. Is it a big part?"
Minerva frowned, unseen by Mr. Weasley. It seemed Mr. Potter was correct. The boy seemed quite thrilled to have a part to play in the Second Task.
Spotlight indeed, she thought.
"I do not know, Mr. Weasley," Minerva said, "As I said, I am sure all will be explained in the Headmaster's office. Come along, now."
As she made her way through the castle toward the Headmaster's office with Ron Weasley, Minerva steeled herself for what was about to happen. She knew neither Albus Dumbledore nor Igor Karkaroff would be happy that she could not find Miss Granger, who was supposed to be Viktor Krum's hostage for the Second Task the following day. Obviously they would raise a fuss. Dumbledore would likely try to use the assistance of his portraits to attempt to find Miss Granger. But something told Minerva that even Dumbledore's spy – ahem – security system wouldn't even be able to find the girl.
Miss Granger, I am very much looking forward to your explanation tomorrow about where you are right now, Minerva thought to herself.
Nearly fifteen minutes after leaving Gryffindor Tower, Minerva and Ron arrived at the gargoyle statue which guarded Dumbledore's office.
"Candy Hearts," Minerva stated to the gargoyle; the password hadn't changed since the week of Valentine's Day.
The gargoyle's large stone head nodded, and jumped out of the way. Minerva led her student up the stairs toward the Headmaster's Office. As soon as Minerva reached the door at the top of the stairs, it opened on its own. Unsurprised at this, as it usually happened, Minerva led Ron into the room. Albus Dumbledore was sitting at his majestic desk, and he wasn't alone. Far from it. The room was rather crowded. Her fellow staff members, Professors Snape, Flitwick, Sprout and Moody were in attendance, as were a few others: Ludo Bagman and Percy Weasley - once again replacing Bartemius Crouch in the role as a Tournament Committee member, along with Durmstrang Headmaster Igor Karkaroff and Beauxbatons Headmistress Madame Maxime. Cho Chang, Cedric Diggory's girlfriend stood between Flitwick and Sprout, and standing near Madame Maxime, was a young blonde girl who resembled Fleur Delacour so much, that Minerva suspected the girl was the younger sister of the Beauxbatons Champion.
"Ah, Minerva, there you are!" Albus said, cheerily, "And Mr. Ronald Weasley, welcome."
Ron muttered greetings, before he walked over to his brother, Percy.
Dumbledore frowned at Minerva. "Ah, Minerva, it seems one of your students is missing who should be with you. Where is Miss Hermione Granger?"
"Unfortunately I could not locate her, Albus," Minerva said.
"Did you check the library?" Albus asked, "It is her favorite place to hang out in her casual time, I do believe. I think she might hang out there more than Madame Pince!"
"It was the first place I checked," Minerva said. "I checked other places too, including a few bathrooms before going to the Gryffindor Common Room. I asked the Gryffindor students and none of them had seen Miss Granger nor Mr. Potter since dinner."
"They're teenagers, aren't they?" Moody asked, gruffly, "Did you check the broom closets, Minerva? Maybe the chose one of those to go in and snog or shag or whatever the kids are calling it these days."
"They wouldn't do that!" Ron complained.
Minerva raised an eyebrow. It appeared Mr. Weasley was quite oblivious to the budding romantic relationship between his two friends.
"I am sure that isn't what they're doing, young Mr. Weasley," Albus said, smiling at the boy; he stood up. "No matter. I am sure our trusted Hogwarts security system can find our wayward students." He cleared his throat and looked around at the portraits. "My esteemed former Headmasters and Headmistresses, as you heard, we have a couple of missing students which need to be located. Please use your talents in speaking to the many portraits around the castle, and ask them if they have seen Hermione Granger or Harry Potter."
The portrait inhabitants exited stage left or right, making their canvasses appear blank.
"Albus, I have a feeling you may not be able to find Miss Granger," Minerva said, "And even if you do, it may be all for naught."
Albus frowned. "Elaborate please, Minerva. I am afraid I do not understand."
"You see, I spoke to Miss Granger this morning," Minerva said. "She told me two interesting things. The first was that neither you, the Tournament committee, our staff, or I would be able to find her this evening, nor will you find her tomorrow until after the Task is over. She promised me she would remain in the castle, however. But she was quite confident she would not be found this evening. The second, and this is the most important: she was very adamant that even if you did find her this evening, she would refuse to volunteer to take part in the Second Task."
Snape snorted. "It would appear Miss Granger has caught Potter's knack for rule-breaking, especially if she will be completely breaking curfew this evening, so as not to be located. And I am sure that comes as such a surprise to many of you here… what with Miss Granger being a Professor's Pet and all…"
"Thank you, Severus," Albus firmly shut the Potions Master down, "Minerva, as entertaining as Miss Granger's apparent statements are, I am sure she will be located most swiftly by our friends, the portraits. Ah, I believe our friends are returning!"
One-by-one and two-by-two, the portraits' inhabitants returned to the room.
"Has Hermione Granger or Harry Potter been located?" Albus asked the portraits.
"I am afraid not, Albus," Dexter Fortescue said, "The only clue we received was from the portrait of Barnabas the Barmy, who reports seeing a pair of students, with the same description as the two missing students, walking by his portrait earlier this evening. That was all he said before he went back to attempting to train those trolls of his to dance."
"That doesn't help, Albus," Minerva said, "Every Gryffindor walks by that portrait. It is in the corridor between Gryffindor Tower and the Grand Staircase."
"Headmaster Dumbledore, may I speak?" Ludo Bagman asked.
"Of course, Ludo," Albus said.
"Albus, even if we were to locate this girl," Ludo said, "I wouldn't feel comfortable forcing her to be in the Task. It seems she has verbally stated she refuses to volunteer for the Task. Therefore, I believe we must find a replacement for Champion Krum instead. If the public got word that we forced someone to participate, when they originally refused to do so… well, you can imagine Rita would have a field day with that!"
"She would, indeed," Albus murmured.
"Dumbledore, what is the meaning of this?!" Igor Karkaroff growled. "You promised me the girl would be Viktor's hostage!"
Albus sighed. "I had not foreseen these issues, Igor. But it seems I must agree with Mr. Bagman. If Miss Granger has verbally opposed volunteering for a part in the Task, we must abide by her wishes. Therefore, a replacement hostage for Champion Krum must be chosen."
"Surely there must be someone, Headmaster Karkaroff," Minerva said. "I would think someone as popular as Champion Krum must have friends, including some of those on the Durmstrang delegation."
Igor glared at Minerva, then frowned. "I suppose there might be one or two candidates."
"Then why did you not chose them, instead of one of my students?" Minerva asked. "For Merlin's sake, Champion Krum only met Miss Granger a few months ago! How can she be someone he would miss the most anyway?!"
Karkaroff's glare at Minerva grew harsher.
"Calm yourself, Minerva," Albus said, "Miss Granger was originally chosen because she was Champion Krum's date to the Yule Ball. Igor told me that there was nobody amongst those who came with him who would qualify, so we had to choose Miss Granger, simply because she was Champion Krum's date."
"And now it seems that when he is forced to find a replacement, he suddenly has a candidate or two?" Minerva asked, doubtfully.
Albus sighed. Instead of choosing to answer, he turned to Karkaroff. "Igor, please find a suitable candidate from your delegation and bring them here. As quick as you can, if you will please. I had assumed we would be finished already, and it seems we are going to be rather delayed."
With another glare at Minerva, Karkaroff headed toward the door and left the office, grumbling to himself.
"You're quite sure Miss Granger and Mr. Potter didn't leave the castle this evening, Minerva?" Albus asked.
"Miss Granger promised me, Albus," Minerva said. "I believe she can be trusted to keep her word."
Snape snorted again, then wilted slightly at Minerva's glare.
"Where could they be?" Albus sighed, tapping his fingers on his desk.
"Maybe they are somewhere… Secret?" Snape suggested. "Potter knows where it is after all, and aside from you, very few have the ability to enter the place."
"I closed off all possible entry points to that location the summer after it was discovered, Severus," Albus said, "They are most certainly not there, I assure you. The enchantments are very powerful."
Minerva realized they were talking about the Chamber of Secrets. She couldn't see Miss Granger spending a whole night in such a place. But where could she be? Or likely where could they be? Because wherever Miss Granger was, Minerva was sure Mr. Potter was with her.
Meanwhile, in the Room of Requirement…
"Of course Snape thinks we're hiding out in the Chamber of Secrets," Harry said, with a snort, "It is just like him."
Harry and Hermione were currently relaxing on a bed in the Room of Requirement. Harry had requested a bedroom, complete with a Potions Laboratory, so Hermione could work on the Doppelganger Potion, and also a bathroom. In front of them was a large portrait that was currently showing what was going on in the Headmaster's Office. Harry had simply requested the room for a means to watch what was happening inside Dumbledore's office, and it came up with a portrait that acted like a television screen, which had the live goings-on in Dumbledore's office currently playing.
"I wonder what happened to those enchantments on the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets Dumbledore says he placed," Hermione said, "Ron and I were able to get in there during the Battle of Hogwarts."
"Maybe the magic diminished over time," Harry suggested.
"Maybe," Hermione said, nodding.
"Or maybe," Harry said, "There are no protections, no enchantments… and Dumbledore is lying to save face, so McGonagall doesn't react harshly to the fact that a dangerous place is still accessible."
"Perhaps," Hermione said, "He does have a history of lying through his teeth. Harry? I'm worried."
"About what?" Harry asked.
"Fake Moody's statement about the possibility of us snogging or shagging," Hermione said, "And Ron's reaction to it. What if…"
"What if Ron goes paranoid a year and a half early about the possibility of our relationship, and he tells his mother about it?" Harry finished.
"Or he could just tell Ginny about what Fake Moody said," Hermione said, "And she could tell her mother."
A thought suddenly crossed Harry's mind. "I have an idea. Obviously, Ron is going to confront me about what Moody said, right. If he's paranoid about it, he's going to want to know how I feel about you. So how about I tell him that we're all little too worried about the Tournament to focus on something like the dating scene, and that we should wait for that conversation until after the Tournament is over."
"I don't know, Harry," Hermione said, "He might take advantage of such a thing and try to ask out my Doppelganger before you can. Remember, his biggest desire is to have something Harry Potter desires."
"It's a possibility," Harry said, "But I think he's too cowardly at the moment to ask you out. If he thinks I'm going to wait, I'm sure he'll wait, so he can plan it all out, in order to impress you. Then, by the time the Tournament is over, we won't be having use our Doppelgangers, so we can go all out when it comes to dealing with Ron, Ginny and Molly."
"I hope you're right, Harry," Hermione said. "I just wish Junior hadn't made that comment, especially in front of Ron. It would have saved me a lot of worrying. I need a distraction, Harry. Distract me. Tell me again what you're going to do for the Second Task."
"I'm going to use Gillyweed again, just so Junior will believe I'm playing along with his suggestions," Harry said, "But I am also going to use those spells you found during our initial planning before we came back. They'll make me swim faster. I should be able to find the mermaid village faster this time, since I won't be fumbling around trying to find it. With any luck, I'll be back with Ron well within an hour."
"Are you sure you can do those charms non-verbally, Harry?" Hermione asked, "Because you won't be able to do verbal spells under water."
"Yes, Hermione," Harry said, "I'm sure. But if it makes you feel better I'll practice some non-verbal spells and charms tonight, just to make sure I'm still capable of it."
"Thank you, Harry," Hermione said; she removed her wand from behind her ear and cast "Tempus". "Time to add the next couple of ingredients into the Potion. Call for me if anything interesting happens on the 'telly'."
Harry nodded, and Hermione kissed his cheek, then stood and made her way to the Potions lab area of the room. Meanwhile. Harry resumed watching the 'telly', also known as the portrait. Igor Karkaroff had yet to return to the Headmaster's Office with his replacement hostage, so Dumbledore was entertaining his guests with stories.
Always have to be the center of attention, don't you, Al?" Harry mused.
He grinned when he noticed McGonagall looking rather annoyed at the Headmaster.
Looks like she's thinking along the same line of thought, Harry mused, Maybe we won't need to use too much persuasion when it comes to turning her away from Dumbledore. We'll have to use a little, but it might be easier than we had originally thought.
Ten minutes later, Igor Karkaroff had yet to return to the Headmaster's Office, but another event happened, that would soon take Harry's full and undivided attention. Hermione walked back over to the bed, only she was wearing something completely different to the school outfit she had on earlier. She was in a black lace lingerie bra and panties – that were a touch see-through. Harry suspected she had requested the outfit from the Room of Requirement, because why else would she have it? It was definitely not something fourteen/fifteen year old Hermione Granger would have packed, or even bought – if she could find it – in Hogsmeade.
"Harry, I want you to make love to me tonight," Hermione said, her voice husky, as she crawled onto the bed. "I want you to claim my virginity. Again."
Fourteen year old Harry Potter definitely would have stuttered and stammered incoherently until an embarrassed fifteen year old Hermione Granger retracted her request. But in Harry's current mind, when he thought Hermione would want to wait for this moment, until they left Hogwarts to start their Horcrux Hunt, could only think of one thing to say.
"Oh, hell, yes!" Harry exclaimed.
In the portrait viewing Dumbledore's office, Igor Karkaroff returned with his replacement hostage, but Harry paid no mind to this, as he waved his wand, vanishing the portrait.
He had more interesting tasks in mind, instead of spying on the Dark Lord Albus Dumbledore.