The morning after the Gryffindor party a rumour raced around the school that Ronald Weasley had known about the dragons and hadn't warned anybody. Even the students from the other schools were aghast at the idea that this kind of information would have been kept from their champions. The phrase "wouldn't do that to my worst enemy" was frequently heard in the discussions of the redhead's actions. Around lunch time the rumor came out of Hufflepuff that Potter had found out about the dragons anyway and warned Cedric. By dinnertime similar rumors had surfaced from Drumstrang and Beauxbatons. One of the principal characters in these rumors was nowhere to be found though and neither were his two shadows.
The three in question had met in the library after an early breakfast to do some homework but had quickly become distracted by a question Hermione had asked.
"Harry, where did you learn a shield spell strong enough to stop dragon fire?" she asked as her lower lip caught between her teeth. The scratching of Luna's quill as she did her homework stopped as the Ravenclaw was tempted away from dry and compartmentalized writing by the possibility of new and exciting knowledge. Harry was in a bit of a bind. He hadn't really meant to keep the Room of Requirement a secret, but for the past month it had been an invaluable resource as it had offered him a place where he didn't have to pretend, where he could train himself in new magics without anybody asking him how he had advanced so far so quickly. He was torn between keeping his refuge a secret and helping his friends grow. In the end his mind was made up by the memory of Hermione's injury in the Department of Mysteries at the end of fifth year. He was surprised for a moment at the relief his decision brought him until he realized that he was already keeping so much from his best friend and his new friend that he was actually happy to get one of those secrets out of the way.
"Alright. Pack up your things and come with me and I'll show you." The three friends were soon walking out of the library and heading up to the seventh floor. At the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy Harry stopped. Luna and Hermione were looking about in confusion since as far as they could tell there was nothing here.
"There is a hidden room here called the Room of Requirement. The house elves also call it the Come and Go Room. It only appears when you have real need of it or if you walk up and down in front of this tapestry several times thinking hard on what you need, like this." Harry proceeded to demonstrate by calling up his usual training room. The girls gasped as they saw a door take shape in the wall. "Come on then. This is the secret to my success."
Harry led the way into the room and had to start leading the girls by the hand as they stepped over the threshold. As soon as they had seen the inside they had simply stopped moving and stared around trying to take it all. He pulled them over to a couch by the fire and walked over to a familiar bookcase. When Harry came back Hermione was at least blinking again and Luna seemed have focused on him even if she was still staring. He would be the first to admit that he had trouble reading Luna Lovegood's facial expressions though so for all he knew she had completely accepted this. Upon reaching the couch he held out the book he was holding to Hermione. It was Survival Securing Spells for the Self-Sacrificing. Hermione reached out with trembling hands and started flipping through the book. Harry knew when she had reached the chapter on the Heaven's Shield Charm because she stilled and looked up at him.
"How long have you known about this place, Harry?" he could hear the hurt in her voice and guilt gnawed at his gut.
"Since the day after my name came out of the goblet." He wasn't going to sugarcoat it. He had made his choice and he was going to take his lumps.
"Why?" He knew what she was asking and realized he couldn't give the honest answer. I was preparing for a war because I was sent from the future to make things right. That'll go down like a lead balloon. He did have another reason that had always been secondary because it was never supposed to be linked to the Room so he gave that.
"I wanted to surprise you." Hermione snorted at his answer.
"I think I can safely say I would have been just as surprised a month ago, Harry." Anger was starting to shimmer in her voice.
"Not with the room; with this." He waved his wand and the books he had been using to study Runes and Arithmancy floated over to land on the coffee table in front of the couch. Hermione looked through them and her expression told Harry that she wasn't impressed.
"I've already read all of these, Harry, and I'm frankly insulted that you thought you could buy me off with some books." Her voice was as cold as he had ever heard it.
"I've read them too, Hermione," he said softly, watching as her eyes widened. "the surprise wasn't the books. I wanted to surprise you by being able to discuss Runes and Arithmancy with you. I needed something to distract me every so often, that shield charm drains your magic like you wouldn't believe, so I started learning something that I had hoped would, well something I had hoped would make you proud of me." By the end Harry was talking to his shoes more than Hermione so he wouldn't have to see her expression anymore.
"You're learning Runes and Arithmancy?" Harry could hear the clear disbelief in her voice and winced.
"Well the grammar is giving me some serious issues but I've got several alphabets memorized: Futhark, Futhorc, the Ogham of the Trees and the Ogham of the Beasts and the Sumerian alphabet. I'm working on Ancient Egyptian now. Arithmancy so far has all been basic maths; it's dull but doable." There was silence in response to that. Harry took a chance and looked up. Hermione's face was a picture of shock but when their eyes met she seemed to gather herself. The two of them kept their eyes locked reading each other's emotions while Luna continued to sit quietly. This was something she realized her friends needed to work out for themselves. Eventually Hermione spoke up.
"I'm still not happy that you kept this from me, Harry. I thought you knew you could trust me." Harry cringed in on himself. "That said I am proud of you. To learn five alphabets in a month is amazing especially since your regular school work hasn't suffered and you managed to learn a difficult spell that saved hundreds of lives." Hermione's voice was a lot warmer than it had been and when Harry looked up she was even wearing a small smile. "But you are going to teach me everything you have been learning, you hear me, Potter?" Harry nodded with a smile as his gut unclenched.
The trio started discussing spells and training schedules. Now that she knew about the Room, Hermione was a lot more accepting of Harry's non-attendance in two of his classes. She and Luna also agreed to help Harry understand the various grammar rules of dealing with runes and pass on the assignments they were given in class so Harry could get used to those and possibly join one of them in actual classes next year. Harry shot down Hermione's demands to be taught the Heaven's Shield Charm first.
"Hermione, Thursday was the first time I cast it successfully and I don't actually know whether I can do it when I don't have a dragon breathing down everyone's neck. That's ignoring the fact that it takes mountains of power. You need to work up to it." Hermione however was ready with a response.
"Fine. You'll be teaching us the Patronus Charm first then?" Harry just sighed and mumbled out his agreement. When the girls immediately started to get excited he did give them a reality check.
"The Patronus isn't exactly easy either. Despite both of you being better students than I am it's exhausting to actually attempt and you won't be allowed more than three or four tries a night. This is going to frustrate you as it drags on. Try and keep that in mind." Both nodded very seriously. "Alright then, we'll start when I can use my magic again." Hermione squawked in disagreement. "There are some other things I need before we start practicing as well. A stock of Honeyduke's Finest at the very least. The spell really does leave you drained and the chocolate helps."
"Can't we just ask the Room to give us some?" Harry decided that he may have underestimated his best friend's enthusiasm for learning and felt a sudden stab of sympathy for their professors.
"No, we can't. Did you expect an inanimate magical tool to be capable of violating the First Principal Exception to Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration?" Harry asked with a laugh in his voice. That laugh trailed of as he saw the girls' confused looks. Shit! We didn't learn that 'til sixth year. Harry decided to try and use a distraction to keep them from questioning him too closely on his sudden knowledge of N.E.W.T. level material. With a focused thought two copies of a book describing elemental transfiguration appeared on the table. When the girls realized what they were, the books were snapped up so fast Harry was sure they would both make excellent seekers if quidditch was played with a flying book and not a snitch. Deciding to leave them be for now Harry picked up the book on Egyptian Hieroglyphs he had been reading and moved to the table he usually sat at to study.
Time passed pleasantly for the three students as they were each absorbed by their own book. They were able to study uninterrupted for as long as they liked and in the case of the girls that might have meant they would have never left. At least until Hermione's stomach rumbled. With a blush the brunette looked up to see if anyone had noticed but both her friends were still absorbed in their reading material. Remembering what Harry had said and what she had just read she walked over to him.
"Harry, what do you do for food if the Room doesn't provide it?" Harry looked up at her, his hair more mussed than usual where he had run his hand through it and his eyes clearly distracted.
"What? Huh? Oh. Dobby!" Hermione watched on in horror as her best friend, the secretary of S.P.E.W., summoned a house elf. Dobby popped in wearing a simple pair of dungarees and a beret.
"Yes, Master Harry?" Harry was still distracted by the intricacies behind uniliteral versus multiliteral hieroglyphs and didn't notice the death glare aimed at his head.
"Do you think you could get us lunch, please?"
"Of course, Master Harry!" The elf popped off with a big smile on his face and Harry went back to his reading.
"Harry James Potter! What was that?!" Hermione's fists were clenched by her sides as Harry's head shot up and he looked around in surprise. She ignored the surprised squeak and subsequent sound of a body hitting the floor that came from the couch.
"What was what?" he asked confused as he couldn't see anything out of place.
"Did you, or did you not, just order a house elf to get us lunch? Do you even care how it's going to look to people if the board of S.P.E.W. orders lunch from slaves? Wait! He called you 'Master Harry'!" Apparently she had only thought she was angry before. "When he gets back you are going to free him, Harry. I have never been so disappointed in you."
"No," Harry's answer stunned her. He was looking nervous but determined. "Dobby showed me the Room. When he did I offered him anything he wanted as payment and he asked for the bond. I will not throw him out just because you told me to, especially since you haven't bothered to hear his side of the story."
"Harry he asked for the bond because he's been brainwashed. Brainwashing you-"
"No, Hermione!" The surprise of the interruption actually stopped Hermione in her tracks. "You can't have it both ways. Elves can't be intelligent beings capable of self-determination and brainwashed and unable to think for themselves. Have you stopped to consider that Dobby might have a valid reason for wanting the bond? When he gets back I'll ask Dobby and Winky to discuss the reason for the bond with you. Unless you listen to them you are being as unthinking and inconsiderate of their needs as you always claim wizards are." Hermione was shocked; Harry was rarely this forceful. In fact the only times she could remember had been when he was utterly convinced that he was in the right and nobody else was going to solve the problem at hand.
"Harry's right, Hermione. House elves need the bond." With Harry looking at her like that and Luna backing him up Hermione knew she wasn't going to convince him to free his slave right now. She would talk with the elves and convince them of the merits of freedom. Then Harry wouldn't have a leg to stand on and would have to see reason.
As a consequence of Harry and Hermione's second clash of the day lunch was a strained affair. Since conversation was nearly non-existent Harry reflected on the fact that he had, in fact, had two arguments with Hermione. Last time around they had barely managed that in seven years, never mind one day. Then again last time I wasn't actually four years older than I appeared. In fact the actual fourteen year old Harry Potter had just begun getting used to most of his interactions with people during a year being positive, or at least not belligerent, and hadn't been willing to rock the boat. At, well eighteen by now he supposed, Harry had lead a war effort, died twice (that he could remember) and learned some valuable lessons about standing up for yourself. Does that mean that I only got along with Hermione because I was a pushover? No, she wouldn't have followed a pushover to the Department of Mysteries or to war. In the end it came down to Harry not being able to hide that he had changed fundamentally and whether it was a good thing or a bad thing it wasn't something he could really change. He would do everything he could to at least keep Hermione's friendship, within reason. He couldn't afford to sacrifice the world for his own happiness. Neither would he force others to follow him to war again if it came to that. Although, if the plan works it really shouldn't come to that.
When lunch ended Harry called Dobby and Winky and asked them to explain the bond and the reasons for it to Hermione. He just hoped she would actually listen to them. As he made his way back to the table Harry saw that Luna was following him. He gave her a quick wink before setting back down to continue his studies. It was several chapters later that he heard someone clearing their throat. He looked up and saw an embarrassed looking Hermione.
"I'm sorry. I thought you were enslaving Dobby to make your life easier and that would have been wrong. I still think the way elves are treated is atrocious but I should have learned more about them and I shouldn't have jumped down your throat without hearing your reasons first." She looked decidedly uncomfortable giving her apology.
"Apology accepted and for what it's worth I agree with you in principle. I didn't agree with the name or the way you were approaching things, but elves shouldn't be treated the way many of them are."
"What's wrong with S.P.E.W.?!" Hermione's indignation washed all the discomfort from her demeanor.
"People read it 'spew', for starters." Harry held up his hand as Hermione was about to respond vehemently. "I know what you call it, but everyone else reads that acronym as 'spew'. That and you aimed rather higher than wizards or elves are willing to accept."
"Well what would you do then?" Hermione was clearly put out with the flaws he was pointing out.
"I would model the whole thing on the RSPCA. Maybe call it the Magical Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Elves and have better treatment of elves rather than their freedom be the main goal of the organization." Hermione was staring at him with a slightly open mouth.
"Why have you been forcing me to hound you about your studies for three years if you're obviously intelligent enough not to need me?" He could see a slight smile pulling at the corners of her lips taking any sting out of her remark.
"Maybe I just needed an excuse to keep you around? Besides I do need you. You really are a much better student than I am." Hermione actually looked pleased at his response and her cheeks gained a light pink dusting. It was all true too. He wasn't anywhere near as smart as she thought, he just had a head start. "Now are there any more things that I've forgotten to tell you that you had a burning questions about? I don't like it when we argue this much." He had meant it as a joke but Hermione turned serious.
"Actually there was one more thing. What is this deal you have with Rita Skeeter that she mentioned in her note?" Damn. I forgot that she would have seen that. It was only the size of a newspaper front page, after all.
"Ah, well, Rita has a bit of a reputation." Harry began.
"She's a stain on the journalistic community, you mean. It's people like her that make others doubt sightings of the Crumple-Horned Snorcack!" Luna broke in. Hermione looked like she had her own opinion on people's reasons to doubt a Crumple-Horned Snorcack sighting but didn't say anything.
"She writes mostly gossip, rumors and fantasy, but she does it in such a way that they sound like facts; and she always slants it so the subject of her article is dealt as much damage as possible. I discovered something about her that she doesn't want anyone else to know. In exchange for my silence and a few exclusives she'll refrain from writing anything bad about the three of us, your families or the Weasley's. I did tell her that if she had actual proof I wouldn't stop her from printing." Hermione just shook her head and smiled at him.
"I don't think a reporter would ever care to write anything about me, but thank you." she said.
"It will be nice to not have her disparaging Daddy. Thank you for that, Harry."
"You are both very welcome." Harry grinned. He was happy that a third conflict had been avoided. He hadn't been lying earlier when he said he didn't like arguing with Hermione. He didn't like arguing at all, come to think of it.
"You do know you're going to have to owl her soon don't you?" Hermione asked.
"What?! Why would I want to see more of her?" Harry was perfectly alright with not seeing the reporter any more than strictly necessary and now Hermione wanted him to contact her?
"Well once the basilisk is rendered down into parts and sold people will hear where it came from. If she's going to interview you about it you could probably do with some proof of your own considering how unbelievable that story is. You should probably talk to Professor McGonagall about it too if you're going to be bringing people into the school." Harry raised his finger and opened his mouth to rebut her comments point by point but couldn't think of anything. She was right. With a groan he dropped his head heavily on the table, manfully ignoring the giggling coming from the other side of the table.
:-:-:-:-:
Harry had resolved to speak to McGonagall after their next Transfiguration class on Tuesday since it was the last class of the day and just hoped she would have time. He had forgotten about a certain announcement that was due to be made. The guinea fowl they had been changing into guinea pigs had been locked away and they had copied down their homework.
"If I may have your attention for a moment more, I have something to say to all of you." Professor McGonagall was surveying the class sternly to make sure that everyone was indeed paying attention. "The Yule Ball is approaching. It is a traditional part of the Tri-Wizard Tournament and a chance for us to socialize with our foreign guests. The ball is open to all students fourth year and up. You may take a younger student if you so wish. The ball is formal, so dress robes will be worn. The ball will last from eight to midnight on Christmas Day." Professor McGonagall went on to give her warning about the standards of behavior she expected from her Gryffindors to much giggling from Lavender and Parvati. Then the moment he had known was coming since she had started her announcement arrived. "Very well. Class dismissed. Potter, please stay behind a moment."
Harry caught the look Hermione sent him and nodded slightly. He would talk with his teacher about the basilisk. When they were alone Professor McGonagall spoke sternly.
"Potter, traditionally the champions and their partners open the ball with a dance. Do make sure you are suitably accompanied won't you?" Even though he knew it was coming Harry couldn't repress a sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose.
"They're really milking the performing monkey aspect for everything it's worth, aren't they? No matter. I actually had something else I wanted to speak to you about, Professor." McGonagall had opened her mouth to respond to his 'performing monkey' comment but shut it again to hear what he had to say. "While I was in the Hospital Wing, Charlie Weasley stopped by to see me. Apparently there is some law that says that since I killed a dragon that was attacking people, I get the remains. Charlie and his team are rendering it down to parts and will help me sell it. The thing I need help with is that during our discussion the basilisk I killed in second year came up. It falls under the same law and I have asked Charlie to help me with rendering that down too, but Hermione pointed out that I should probably ask first if I'm going to be bringing people into the castle." Professor McGonagall was inscrutable as she watched him speaking and then simply sat there and looked at him for a while longer. Harry let her; Dumbledore had used that same tactic on him so much he had almost gotten used to it.
"I see, Mr. Potter. Did you have a time in mind when you wished to do this?" When Harry shook his head she continued. "In that case may I suggest Saturday morning? This operation will likely take all day and I would like to get it out of the way without repeated visits disrupting the school."
"Of course, ma'am. I'll have to ask Charlie but it shouldn't be a problem. I'll let you know." His professor nodded and seemed ready to dismiss him when Harry felt he should mention something else. "Hermione also asked me to contact Rita Skeeter over the matter. I have a deal with her to curb some of her more libelous tendencies but it requires that I give her a few exclusives. Unfortunately I don't think there is a chance she'll give this sort of thing a miss." Professor McGonagall sighed in frustration at his declaration.
"I think I can understand that. Were you planning on taking anyone else down there?" she asked.
"Well, Hermione and Luna have asked to join us, but I didn't see the harm in that. Did you have anyone you wanted to add?" McGonagall looked taken aback by that question but quickly recovered.
"I believe that some of the staff may wish to make the journey. I suppose it would be a good idea to offer the students who were petrified the chance to get some closure if they need it." Harry could see the sense in that and agreed. "This Saturday then, Potter. I will leave the arrangements to you as long as I am informed by Friday at the latest. And Potter? Do remember to ask someone to the ball." Harry could hear the dismissal in her tone and left the classroom.
As soon as he was clear of watchful eyes Harry ducked into a secret passage and activated the Marauder's Map. When he couldn't find Hermione or Luna in the Library he turned his steps to the Room of Requirement. As he walked he thought about the upcoming ball. More specifically he thought about the upcoming ball in light of what Ephialtes had told him and what he knew from the previous time line. Despite much of the evidence he lived through day to day suggesting the encounter with the Reaper had really happened, Harry just had trouble believing he had been manipulated away from a 'soulmate'. Upon his arrival he would probably have thought that he would take Ginny to the ball this time around, if it had occurred to him to think of it at all. She had been his girlfriend and even after the break up Harry had been sure they would get together after the war. Yesterday evening had revealed a flaw in that plan though: Ginny was thirteen and hadn't grown out of her fangirl phase yet. That would make the entire evening extremely uncomfortable. He had had the fact that this was a young girl and not the woman he had once dated rubbed into him rather physically and realized that he was just not attracted to children. Nothing was going to happen between the two of them until something could happen.
So who should he ask then. He knew what Ephialtes wanted him to do but was honestly tired of people dictating what happened in his life. Was that enough of a reason to ask someone else? And if so who? Cho had been an unmitigated disaster in fifth year and was still hung up on Cedric at this point. Parvati and he had a terrible time last time, though admittedly he had been so surly any date would likely have gone badly. Lavender would be worse. The Chasers were unofficially dating the twins and Lee. Will you just admit, if only to yourself, that Hermione would be a wonderful date to the ball and the only reason you haven't decided to ask her yet is because you feel like being contrary? Harry sighed out loud. Yes, Hermione was his best friend and he would love to spend an evening with her. As for being contrary, well, his conscience was right. He really didn't want to do what some Snape imitator told him to. So you would take a lesser date just to be churlish? And that was the crux of it. There really wasn't anyone he would rather go with than Hermione but he wanted to be sure that asking her was his choice. Whatever decision I make now is my own choice, isn't it? I have certainly considered other options and found them all wanting compared to her.
He made his decision to ask Hermione to the ball as soon as possible. He already knew he wasn't the only one who wanted to take her to the ball. And what will you do if she says 'no'? She does have a choice in this that you can't control. This internal debate was over much quicker. If Hermione was unavailable he would ask Luna. She might be the same age as Ginny but would at least be good for a laugh. He snickered to himself as he imagined Karkaroff's face the first time Luna brought up one of her creatures at the champions' table. His musings had by now brought him up to the tapestry of the dancing trolls and Harry realized that he was standing in a corridor snickering to himself like a bit of a loon and quickly asked for the room Hermione was using.
When he walked in he saw that both girls had started on their homework; an admirable display of self-restraint with all the new and exciting knowledge available to them. They looked up as they saw him enter. Harry walked over and took the extra chair that had just materialized at the table and started rummaging in his bag for a quill and parchment.
"Well, what did McGonagall want?" Hermione sounded impatient that he was delaying the flow of information even if it might be to get started on his homework.
"She wanted to let me know that the champions and their dates have to open the ball with a dance and to make sure that I was 'suitably accompanied'. " He could hear a small gasp from across the table.
"Have you decided who you're going to ask yet?" Hermione sounded downright timid asking him this.
"I have." Harry wasn't sure he wanted to ask Hermione with an audience, even if that audience was their friend.
"Well Cho should be down in the Library. Maybe you should go and ask her now." Harry shook his head at Hermione.
"It's not Cho."
"It's not? Then who?" She looks adorable when she's confused. Harry knew the moment had come to bite the bullet, Gryffindor up, be a man about this, take the leap-…stop stalling.
"Hermione, will you go to the Yule Ball with me?" he locked his eyes with hers and refused to look away now that the words were out of his mouth. He could see that Hermione had not been expecting this and was scrambling to get her scattered wits back in some sort of order.
"I…what…are you…" she gave herself a little shake, "Yes. Yes I would love to go with you." Harry felt a grin stretching across his face.
"Brilliant!" Hermione was also smiling a goofy little grin and Luna was beaming out a megawatt smile at getting to see two of the most intimidating people in the school act like the teenagers they were.
"Make sure you avoid the nesting nargles while you dance." Her two friends looked at her, slightly gobsmacked. She couldn't stop herself from giggling, something she found was becoming a regular occurrence these days. Harry just gave a rueful shake of his head and got to work on a letter to his godfather, he had just been given a few extra paragraphs worth of good news. They worked in silence for a few minutes before Hermione just had to know something.
"Really? Not Cho? Me?" It would seem her disbelief had caught up with her. Harry just grinned at her.
"I thought about it on the way up here and I quite literally could not think of anyone I would rather go to the ball with. Besides, what would Cho and I talk about for an entire night? The fact that she has yet to beat me to the snitch? That I really didn't enter my own name?" Hermione nodded and turned back to her own essay with a pink face and small but immovable smile.