Chapter 9
Hermione was doing a valiant job of acting normal during dinner. They were out in the Potters’ garden, seated at a table that had been magically lengthened to fit all the attendees. The warming charms ensured everyone stayed comfortable as they watched the snow fall around their bubble of warmth, and the twinkling lights made it feel extra magical. Hermione was seated between Ron and Harry, with Nia, Remus Lupin, and Sirius Black directly across from them. Also at the table were Harry’s brother, parents, and grandparents, Ron’s parents and his twin brothers, Fred and George, and Hermione’s parents. Harry’s grandparents had brought their house elves with them from India, and they had made an incredible spread of Indian food. Tikka Masala, Curry, Vindaloo, Korma, Biryani, Aloo Gobi, Samosas, Pakoras (Hermione’s favorite), and more dishes that she couldn’t identify were surrounded by steaming piles of rice and huge stacks of Naan. Each person had a glass of Lassi that magically refilled itself. Hermione thought she’d died and gone to heaven.
She’d been very successful at staying present in the conversation, if she did say so herself. And she certainly was not distracted by the strange fluttering in her belly. And she most definitely was not thinking about a boy with blonde hair and a chiseled jaw. Nope. Not her. She was totally in the moment.
“Hermione, are you okay? You seem a little distracted tonight,” Harry’s Godfather asked.
Damn. “Yes, I’m fine. I’ve just had a really bad headache for a few days now. Nothing to worry about. I’m sure it’s just the stress from midterms. It’ll pass with a few days of good sleep in my old bed.”
Sirius looked at her skeptically. “Yes, I’m sure that’s it,” he replied in his crisp English accent. “Well, I’m absolutely stuffed. Would you mind taking a stroll with me before the desert comes, Hermione?”
A walk sounded wonderful. She too had overdone it a bit with the food. The Potters had the largest estate in Greylock Glen, the small wizarding community at the base of Mount Greylock. They had used their enormous wealth to build a proper British manor, complete with a proper British garden. Hermione and Sirius meandered through the hedges and flower bushes until they came to a bench at the center. Sirius sat down and patted the seat beside him. She sat, enjoying the look of the snow falling on the statue of the mermaid in the middle of the frozen pool in front of them.
“Are you sure you’re alright, Mi?” Sirius asked gently. He may be Harry’s godfather, but he and Remus had always been as good as uncles to Hermione, and Sirius had always been able to read her better than anyone else. She took a deep breath, trying to figure out what to say to him. The entire semester had just been one insane revelation after another. She had thought about talking to him about everything a few times, but now that the opportunity had presented itself, she couldn’t find the words.
“It’s complicated. I don’t even know where to start. This semester has been nuts.”
“Yes, I do remember my NEWT classes being significantly more challenging than the OWL courses had been.”
“Totally. But that part was nice for me, actually. I finally felt challenged for once. My classes on the Reservation were the most challenging classes I’ve ever taken. They stretched my abilities far beyond what I ever thought they could be. It’s amazing. But exhausting.”
Sirius smiled at her. “I’m getting the sense there’s something you’re avoiding. Out with it.”
Hermione stared at the statue for several moments as she considered her next words. “How is the war going?” she asked, taking him by surprise.
“Hermione, you needn’t worry yourself-”
“Please don’t tell me not to worry. I am worried. I have friends fighting over there. Bill, Charlie, and Percy aren’t coming home for the holidays, and I can see how worried Mr and Mrs Weasley look. I see how exhausted and thin you and Remus look. This was the first full meal you’ve had in quite some time, wasn’t it?”
Sirius laughed. “We never could get anything past you, even as a baby.” He paused and considered his words before he spoke. “Things are… difficult. They are not going as well as we’d hoped. But I still don’t want you to worry. You are perfectly safe here, and you always will be.”
“You can’t promise me that. You can’t promise to keep me safe when you’re losing this war. There are boys at my school handing out Death Eater propaganda. I heard someone mutter ‘mudblood’ under their breath as I walked by. It’s getting worse here.” Her train of thought shifted on a dime, taking both of them by surprise. “Tell me about the Malfoys.”
“What? Why do you want to know about them?”
“They tried to kill me as a baby. Don’t I deserve to know something about them?”
“I- well- erm. Alright. Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy attended Hogwarts the same time I did, though they were a few years ahead. They were both in Slytherin and I was in Gryffindor, so we didn’t associate at school. I saw Narcissa and her sister Bellatrix often outside of school, though, seeing as they are my cousins.”
“WHAT?” shrieked Hermione. Sirius chuckled.
“It’s true. Their maiden name is Black. Cissa and I were close once. Bella was always a bit mad, but Narcissa wasn’t so bad… until she married that ponce Lucius Malfoy. After Andromeda married Ted, Cissa felt it was her duty to marry a man from the purest of pureblood families, to overshadow the taint Andromeda had brought.”
“Hold up. Say WHAT? Your cousin Andromeda is their sister?” Draco is Tonks’ cousin! Andromeda is his aunt! She needed to tell Draco!
“Indeed. Her family disowned her and she and Ted went into hiding. I didn’t see her again until after Voldemort took over. Remus and I went into hiding for a time, and a member of the order took us to stay with them. But anyway, Lucius and Narcissa got married as soon as Narcissa graduated Hogwarts, and they actually have a son your age. You would have been in the same year at Hogwarts if everything hadn’t gone to shit.
“You know, Lucius and Narcissa were alright once. I mean, they were always a couple of racist gits, but they were more tolerable than the rest of my family. But once Bella became a Death Eater, something changed. I’m not sure what happened, but it felt like their humanity was getting stripped away piece by piece. I barely recognise them now. ‘Course, I think it’s mutual. We were in a battle a few weeks ago and Cissa looked me straight in the eye and I swear she didn’t recognise me.”
“I’m so sorry. That’s so awful.”
“It makes me sad to think of the girl she used to be and the woman she could have become. And it makes me sad to think of the world her son is growing up in. In a different life, he could have been happy and loved and protected. Who knows, he might have taken one look at you and fallen head over heels, and we really would be family. But that snake-assed bastard had to ruin everything with his bigoted bullshit.”
Hermione was silent, imagining that beautiful other life that she might have had with Draco, her heart hurting for him. She wanted to tell Sirius all that she knew about Draco, but she didn’t even know how to begin.
“Do you think there’s a way to defeat him? Is there any chance we might actually win this war?” Hermione asked in a small voice.
Sirius sighed deeply. “To be perfectly honest, I have no idea. I really don’t know. The only thing I know is that I have to try. Even if we lose, we have to keep trying.” Hermione nodded in response, not sure how to respond. “Are there any other concerns pressing on that brilliant mind tonight?” he asked. When Hermione shook her head no, he stood and offered her his arm.
They returned to the table just in time to enjoy the cake that was brought out to celebrate Nia’s twelfth birthday. She was grinning from ear to ear as the assembled group sang to her. The candlelight reflected off the sequins and jewels that covered her saree and adorned her body. She looked like a princess, and Hermione found herself wishing she could keep Nia safe here in this moment, so she would never have to face the harsh realities of the world they lived in.
It was in that moment she understood what Sirius had been saying. There was nothing she wouldn’t do or give up to defeat Voldemort if it meant keeping Nia safe, if it meant saving Draco from the nightmare he was in. She thought back to her first week at the reservation and all of the things Chepi’s mom had said. They had not spoken about it since. Hermione had been unwilling to discuss it, and so Genesee had focused on teaching and training. But now, Hermione knew there was more that needed to be said, more she needed to learn so that she could fulfill her destiny to bring down Lord Voldemort once and for all. But before that, there was a very important visit she needed to make.
A few days later, Hermione walked through town on her own. She thought about taking her bike, but wanted to take her time and enjoy the sights. The houses were an interesting mix of styles and time periods. The Granger house looked like it was plucked straight out of any normal American suburban neighborhood in the 90s. The house next door was a log cabin that had been there since the 1600s. Further down the street was a Queen Anne Victorian, and next to that was a Craftsman cottage. The strange thing, though, was that with the exception of the Granger house, every house seemed somehow off. There were too many turrets, or not enough windows, or the front door was on the second floor. And then there was the fact that things could be seen folding themselves, or sweeping without the assistance of a person.
The mishmash continued into the commercial part of town. There was a street where the walkway was only a few feet wide and the upper floors of the buildings seemed to be leaning in toward you, and were crammed together like sardines. There was a street lined with pubs, whose decor and ambiance ranged from Wild West Saloon to Irish Pub to swanky French wine tasting, to a Jazz club. The town square was reminiscent of a typical old American town square, except for the fact that the businesses found here sold riding brooms, quidditch gear, spell books, wands, and potions.
Hermione walked through the square, stopping occasionally to exchange niceties with people she passed. She found the street she was looking for and turned down it, stopping in front of the only other house in the town that actually looked like a normal house. Hermione knocked on the door. When the woman opened the door, Hermione couldn’t believe she’d ever been surprised to find out she was related to Bellatrix Lestrange. The similarities were striking. Curly black hair, large gray eyes, the thin pointed nose, and the small mouth were all the same. But despite all the similarities, there was no way to confuse the two. It went beyond the tangible things, like the fact that Andromeda’s face was plump and glowing while Bellatrix’s was painfully thin and sallow, or that Andromeda kept her curls short while Bellatrix’s came almost to her waist. Their eyes, though the same color, were completely different. Andromeda’s eyes were full of kindness, love, empathy, and happiness. Bellatrix’s eyes were filled with hate, pain, anger, and zealotry.
“Hermione? It’s so nice to see you! I wasn’t expecting you! Come in! Can I get you some tea or coffee?”
“Coffee please.” Despite growing up with British parents who served tea constantly, Hermione couldn’t stand the stuff. She followed Andromeda to the kitchen and sat down at the table.
“To what do I owe this pleasure?” asked Andromeda as she handed Hermione a cup and sat across from her.
Hermione took a deep breath to steady herself. She had been planning out this conversation for days, but now that she was here, she wasn’t sure where to start. “How’s Tonks doing? Have you heard from her recently?” she asked to buy herself more time.
“Yes, I receive owls fairly frequently, and Remus just brought me a letter from her the other day. She’s doing well, all things considered. I still wish she hadn’t gone over there to fight, but you know her and Charlie. They’ve been inseparable since the day the Weasleys showed up here. But I know that’s not why you walked all the way over here. What’s on your mind?”
“Okay. I know this is going to sound completely insane, but I need you to hear me out, okay?”
Andromeda looked confused and intrigued. “Of course! What is it?” Hermione took another fortifying breath and began talking. She told Andromeda everything that had happened with Draco, she even told her about dreamwalking, but left out the kissing part. Andromeda listened intently the whole time, her jaw slack. When Hermione told her the story of how Dobby died, she placed her hand over her mouth in horror and cried, but held her silence, allowing Hermione to finish her story.
“I’m not even completely sure why I’m here, but when Sirius told me you were his aunt, I thought you would want to know what was going on,” she finished.
Andromeda blew her nose and wiped her eyes. “Thank you for coming to me. As you might understand, I usually avoid any mention of my family. I knew that Narcissa had had a son, but I have done my best not to think of him up till now. It sounds terrible when I say it out loud like that, but it’s true. I thought there was nothing I could do to help him, so I just tried to forget about him.” Her eyes began to glisten again.
“I raised my daughter in peace and love and happiness and just left that little boy with those monsters.” She stared into space with a look of horror on her face. “I can’t believe I just left him with them. I should have tried to get him out. I should have-”
Hermione placed a hand on Andromeda’s. “I don’t think you did anything wrong. What if you had gotten hurt- or worse- trying to get him out? He would still be where he is, and Ted and Tonks would have had to live with those consequences. I didn’t tell you this to make you second guess your choices. I just wanted you to know about him. I wanted to talk to someone about him, and I know you’re the only person who could possibly understand. And if you want me to give him a message for you, I can. You can have a relationship with him. You can help him now. WE can help him. Please, help me help him.”
Andromeda wiped tears from her eyes. “Yes. Absolutely, of course yes. I’ll do whatever I have to.”
“Good, because I have an idea. Do you think Tonks could get a message to a man named Dumbledore?”
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Draco woke slowly, the phantom scent of Hermione lingering in his mind. He knew it had been a dream, that, despite what she’d said, none of it was real. He still couldn’t stop himself from lingering over the details of her hand on his cheek, his hands in her hair, the feel of his lips on hers. Suddenly, the hangings around his bed were pulled back, revealing Theo standing over him with a steaming mug and a pompous expression.
“I figured I needed to interrupt you before your imagination ran away with you completely,” said Theo with a shudder. “Here, have some tea. It’s laced with that awful potion Snape left for you, so it should help the remainder of your headache as well as wake you up.”
Draco took the cup gratefully; his head was beginning to pound again. He took a large gulp and closed his eyes as he felt the effects take hold. He sighed and looked up at Theo questioningly. “Shouldn’t you be at home, torturing something with your father?”
Theo scoffed. “Yes, and he’s very put out. But I gave him a sob story about how my best friend had suddenly fallen deathly ill and I needed to tend to him.”
“He bought that?” Draco asked, shocked. Theo’s father was one of the most brutal, evil, sociopathic people on the planet. The idea that he would allow Theo to care for a sick friend was almost laughable. Theo chuckled darkly.
“Well, it certainly helped that the Dark Lord has been talking about what you did for days. Everyone knows the dangers of Astral Projection, so it wasn’t hard to convince him you needed help. According to my dad, the Dark Lord is practically frothing at the mouth at the idea of having access to Astral Projection on his side, so I was ordered to see to your needs for as long as you need.”
“Wait, what do you mean ‘days?’ How long have I been asleep?”
“Three days, mate. Professor Snape almost looked worried when you didn’t wake up yesterday, but then he stuck his oversized nose in the air and swished away and I haven’t seen him since. Now,” he said as he sat down on the edge of the bed, “obviously my gift has allowed me to know some of what’s going on, but I need you to fill in some of these blanks for me. Who is this girl I keep seeing, and what does she have to do with you practically selling your soul to the Dark Lord?”
Draco told Theo everything. It felt amazing to finally talk to someone about what had happened, and it felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. As he finished, he expected some sort of response from Theo, but he just sat, thinking. Finally he looked up at Draco and said, “you need to take me to this magical room. Now.”
Theo turned in a circle, staring in awe at the exact replica of Draco’s bedroom. “Blimey. It is so realistic. If I didn’t know any better, I would never believe we weren’t in your house!” he said in amazement, but Draco didn’t respond.
Draco stood, engrossed in the image of Hermione that appeared in the mirror. She was sitting at a small circular table, playing a card game with the two boys he’d seen her with before. He had to control his jealousy as he watched her smiling and laughing with them. He felt Theo come up behind him.
“She’s even more beautiful than I thought. No wonder you’re so smitten. Ooh. Who’s the ginger one?”
Draco laughed and looked at him over his shoulder. “Since when do you like redheads?”
“Since I saw that one. He’s stunning. Look at those forearms! Do you think he plays quidditch?”
“I have no idea. I did hear them talk about quidditch once, but I wasn’t really paying attention to what they said. Sorry.”
Theo shrugged in response and stepped between Draco and the mirror. “Ok, that’s enough pining for one day. You said something about a message appearing in the mirror. Do you think you can get it to come back?”
“I’ll try.” Theo stepped away, and Draco drank in another moment of Hermione’s face before closing his eyes and forcing his need to change. He concentrated as hard as he could on his need to understand what the riddle wanted him to do. He knew he’d been successful when he heard Theo suck in a breath. He opened his eyes.
To change your fate and win the day, you must open what is locked and find what is hidden. You must break apart the past to build the future.
Maybe it was his headache talking, but the words made even less sense to him than they had the first time. He turned to Theo to express his frustration, but Theo was staring intently at the words, as if they held the key of life. When he turned back to Draco, his eyes were hazy, seeing things Draco could not.
“I know what we need to do.” He turned back to the mirror and closed his eyes, concentrating. The words of the riddle disappeared, and in their place, new words appeared. Dumbledore’s Army.
“What the hell is Dumbledore’s Army?” Draco wondered aloud.
“The key to everything. Follow me.”
The castle felt like a tomb. Draco had never been in the castle when it was empty. He’d snuck around at night, but this was different. The only other people they saw were ghosts. There was no sound except the sound of their footsteps and the occasional blood curdling scream drifting down the hall from Peeves. Theo stopped at a locked door. He uttered a set of spells Draco couldn’t hear, and the lock clicked into place, allowing them entry.
“You’ve got to teach me how to do that one of these days,” Draco whispered as they entered the dark corridor. This wing of the castle had been off limits since before the boys had started school, and Draco wasn’t entirely sure where they were headed. There were no lights here, and what little light came through the small slit windows was weak and did little to illuminate the situation. They both whispered Lumos.
“Why are we whispering?” whispered Draco.
Theo shrugged. “I don’t know. This place is giving me the creeps.”
“What’s down here? Where are we going?
“You’ll see. Just trust me. We’re almost there.”
They turned a corner and found themselves in a short hallway that dead-ended into a painting. The boys stared at it for a moment. Theo looked confused. “Hello?” he said tentatively.
“Who are you talking to?” Draco asked, but was interrupted by the sound of horse’s hooves. Slowly, a knight came galloping into view. He pulled to a stop in front of the dumbstruck boys.
“Who are these knaves who dare to come here and face me? I’ll run you through! Do not test me, young chaps. I am deadly with the sword, I tell you! Deadly! You will not gain admittance to this hallowed space! Not under my watch! Remove yourselves this instant!” This impassioned speech was undercut by the fact that the horse under him would not stop prancing, as well as the fact that his visor kept falling in front of his face with a loud clang, prompting him to shove it back up over and over again.
“My good sir,” Theo began, “My name is Theo and this is my dear friend Draco. We are friends and mean you no harm, Sir…?”
“Cadogan. General Cadogan at your service. But I do not believe a word you say. You say ‘friend?’ I say FIEND! You wear the colors of the enemy. You would not be in this place if you were not students of the Dark Lord and his perversion of a school. Get thee hence! Before I run you through!”
Theo remained calm. “General Cadogan. My sincerest apologies for any fear or distress our arrival has caused you. Yes, we are students of the Dark Lord, but we do not follow him. Not in our hearts. We wish to find a way to defeat him. My friend here found a very special room, and in that room is an enchanted mirror.” Draco saw the knight’s eyes widen. “The mirror shows only the thing which the person in front of it most desires. For my friend, it showed him a life of peace, happiness, and love. But it also gave him a riddle.” The knight put a hand over his mouth, his eyes still wide. “This mirror showed me the riddle as well, and the magic within the mirror activated my gift of Sight. The vision I had led me to your painting, and told me to tell you the words ‘Dumbledore’s Army.’” General Cadogan began to cry, loudly and dramatically.
“Oh! You don’t know how long I have waited! I didn’t think it would ever happen! I thought Dumbledore was insane to think anyone in this place would ever find the clues!” As the knight put on his show of emotion, Draco noticed another painting out of the corner of his eye. He turned and saw a young girl grinning at him. Then she turned around and walked away, fading into the horizon of the picture.
Theo brought the knight back to his duty. “My good sir! It was my belief that you were to allow us entrance should we utter the correct phrase.”
General Cadogan blew his nose loudly into a handkerchief. “Of course! Of course!” he shouted as the painting swung open, revealing a hole in the wall behind it. Theo gestured toward the hole.
“Age before beauty!” he said with a cheeky grin.
“Ponce.” Draco said as he ducked into the unknown room beyond.