Weighted Hearts & Gilded Feathers

Hermione, Ron, and Harry continued to train every night, despite the exhaustion that clung to them when they woke up in the morning. Molly chided them for showing up every morning tired and eyed Hermione suspiciously. It was becoming increasingly harder to sneak away every night. Ginny wanted to stay up and talk or hang out with the boys in their room to play exploding snap, the twins were constantly making jokes about them having secret rendezvous.

A week after they began training, Sirius was in the dueling room when they arrived, arms crossed over his chest. He cocked an eyebrow at them, waiting for them to explain themselves. Harry stepped forward, “We are training, just in case something goes wrong at school this year.”

Sirius nodded his head before his mouth spread to a cocky grin, “And you didn't think to ask for help? I was an Auror, you know.”

Harry wrung his hands, “Well, you see… umm…”

Hermione stepped forward, raised her chin, and looked Sirius directly in his silver eyes. “ What Harry was so eloquently trying to say was that he was afraid to ask because we are practicing with unregistered wands. I bought them before coming here for the rest of the holiday. Thought it would be a good idea in case either of us ran into trouble during the other breaks. I should've thought of it before actually, it's a wonder Harry has survived so long without access to magic during holidays.”

Sirius’ eyes widened with shock before his previously cocky grin spread even further into a sinister smile. “Hermione, you brilliant little witch. It seems the little kitten has grown claws of her own.”

“I am not a kitten.”

“Oh, but you are a kitten, your hair puffs up like hackles on the ridgeline of a cat's back, and crackles with energy like static.”

“I am a lion, I’m a Gryffindor!”

“Who are you trying to convince, kitten? Me or yourself?” Sirius had progressively stalked towards her before stopping a foot away, ducking down, to look at her appraisingly.

“You’re almost there, kitten. Not quite yet, but almost. Like a caterpillar must cocoon itself before becoming a butterfly. Almost a little lioness, but still just a kitten. For now at least.”

He reminded Hermione of a character from Through the Looking Glass, although she was unsure of which one. He was the Mad Hatter wearing a butterfly coat and Cheshire grin. A little of all of them wrapped in one, as he evaluated her.

Hermione rolled her eyes, telling herself that his words had not affected her, they hadn't hit close to home. She stepped backward closer to the boys who had watched the interaction with rapt attention.

Sirius cocked his head, watching as she attempted to shield her self-doubt with friendship. He stood up straight and crossed his arms over his chest, “So, you all ready to get started?”

Sirius trained them every night. Dueling against all three of them at once. It only took a few more days before the twins showed up, carrying Ginny in tow. They’d noticed Crookshanks following Hermione through the house and followed him here. Hermione could tell by the state of shock on their faces that they expected the trio to be up to something far more inappropriate, especially when they burst out laughing at the sight of Ron getting blown back into a wall by a well-timed depulso from Harry.

They quickly joined the group, after Hermione explained the odd conversation between Dumbledore and Moody, they all agreed to keep their eyes and ears open.

The rest of the break went by quickly, they went to Diagon Alley to get school supplies and tried to sneak off to get Ron a wand but multiple Order members had chaperoned them, making it impossible to slip away.

A few nights before they were due to leave, all the occupants of Grimmauld Place were eating a roast Mrs. Weasley had made for dinner. They expected to be shooed upstairs once Order members started filing in, taking empty seats at the dining room table, or standing in various positions around the room. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were shocked to see Professor Snape among them, although the other order members weren’t. He must've been a member for some time. This was unsurprising for Hermione, but Ron and Harry looked befuddled.

Ginny was sent upstairs, when the trio went to push their chairs out Professor Lupin grabbed their shoulders and pushed them back down into their seats. Sirius looked at Hermione from where he sat on the opposite side of the table, “Little Kitten, it’s time to become a Lionness.”

She sat down with a huff avoiding the arrogant smile plastered on Sirius’ face.

Dumbledore walked into the room with Moody and Professor McGonagall, pulling out a chair for the latter before taking the seat at the head of the table for himself. His eyes scanned the group, nodding towards Fred and George before landing on the trio sitting together as usual.

“We’ve decided there is some information you must be aware of before the start of term. It's best that you aren't blindsided in the Great Hall. This way you have some time to come to terms with the arrangement.” Dumbledore started, eyes twinkling.

“Minerva and I have just returned from a meeting with the Board of Governors for Hogwarts. There is to be a new fifth year, this year. That may or may not cause great disturbance, to you, especially Harry.”

“Who is the student Professor?”

“Mattheo Riddle.”

The room was silent for a moment before outraged voices yelled their displeasure at the development.

Mrs.Weasley shouted, “At school?! With MY children. This won't do. I won't stand for this Albus!”

Sirius seemed to be for once, in agreement with the witch, “Why don't you just dismantle the wards while you're at it? Letting the enemy into the castle!”

Moody’s magic eye whirled around the room before landing on Hermione, whose mind was racing. She determined this must be what Dumbledore and Moody had been talking about in the hallway earlier this year, but Dumbledore just told everyone at the table that he had just found out. Either they were lying, or something else was going on. She looked at Dumbledore, who had been trying to calm down Mrs.Weasley, his eyes met hers for a moment. She felt pressure build in her head, causing her to shake it slightly and break eye contact.

Dumbledore frowned slightly before speaking “ Do you have a question, Miss. Granger?”

“I was just wondering who exactly Mattheo Riddle is, and where he has been all this time. Why return now?”

“Mattheo Riddle, son of Tom Riddle or as you know him, Lord Voldemort. From what we’ve been told at the meeting, he was fostered and went to school at Drumstrang. He arrived in England earlier during the holiday and has been “acclimating” to the change in environment. I implore you all to maintain a healthy distance between yourselves and Mattheo. Do not give them cause to put an even bigger target on your back. Lord Voldemort will take any attack on his son to be an attack on himself. We do not want to incur his wrath before we are ready to combat it. He is laying low for now, we want it to stay that way while we try to bolster our numbers.”

There was a pregnant pause while Dumbledore waited for us to digest his advice before he continued, “ There is another matter to discuss, we believe Lord Voldemort to be after something else, someone else in reality. Take care to watch out for suspicious behavior while in the castle this fall. Stay together when you journey to Hogsmeade. I will have order members stationed around the village as a precaution.”

“What do you mean Headmaster? We are here, we want to fight! I want to fight. If there’s some way I can help, I will!”

Snape took this outburst as an opportunity to display his perfectly charming disposition, “ What help do you intend to provide Potter? So arrogant, just like your father, you'll only get the people around you killed. Like the Diggory boy.”

A pin could've dropped on the floor and it would have rang like a bell in the room.

Sirius was the first to respond, “Watch your fucking mouth, Snivellus! Better yet get the fuck out of my house. Don't understand at all, why Dumbledore thought to bring you here, you greasy bat!”

Snape looked bored, the only sign the words had affected him at all was the slight uptick of his eyebrow. “Oh do keep barking mongrel, if you start foaming at the mouth I’ll have cause to put you down for rabies.” He nodded his head at Dumbledore and stormed out of the room, slamming the front door as he left.

Harry was red-faced, shaking in repressed anger, hands balled into fists resting on the tabletop. Hermione put her hand on top of one of his fists in silent solidarity.

Dumbledore cleared his throat, “As I was saying, stay alert, and try not to cause any trouble. If you have any issues please come to me or Professor McGonagall. That’s all you need to know for now. Children, you're all excused, we have other things to discuss.”

“Gred, do we count as children?” George asked.

“Good question Forge, we are technically of age,” Fred responded cheekily.

“Out, now you too! Don't make me box your ears!” Mrs. Weasley yelled.

All school-age inhabitants quickly scrambled out of their chairs, unwilling to be the next victim of Mrs. Weasley’s spoon.

They convened in Harry and Ron’s room, Ginny joining them, and filled her in on the news they received downstairs. She sat next to Harry and placed a hand on him the same way Hermione had when they recounted Professor Snape’s verbal assault on Harry. Hermione smiled as she watched Harry lift his head and look at Ginny with a smile. Harry deserved to be happy. Whatever form that came in.

A few days later they were crossing the passage onto Platform 9 ¾ with Order members trailing behind them. They said goodbye to the adults and brought their luggage to the storage compartment.

Feeling eyes on her, Hermione looked around the platform before they landed on a boy she’d never seen before, wavy brown hair falling over his eyes and dark eyes searching hers. Standing beside him was a man who looked a lot like Sirius. Her brow furrowed; he felt familiar but she was sure she’d never met him before. She quickly deduced he must be Mattheo Riddle and turned to enter the train and find a compartment. She, along with Ron, had received their Prefect letters in the mail and would need to attend the first meeting and help patrol during the train ride.

Hermione was the first to the compartment and quickly settled down with a book, Ron, Harry, and Ginny quickly joined her. Laughing at the fact that she already had her nose stuffed in a book.

An hour or so into the ride it was time for Hermione and Ron to get changed into their school robes and meet with the Head Boy and Girl. She was surprised to see Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson had been made the Fifth year Slytherin Prefects, she could admit both were intelligent, but they were also both bullies. She shook her head, on second thought it was unsurprising Snape could be a bully as well and he was their Head of House.

She refocused on the meeting. Hermione thought the speech to be pretty standard, not at all inspiring, noting in her head what she would say if she was made Head Girl in the future. She grabbed her schedule and pulled Ron out of the compartment.

They all set off to patrol the train cars, which mostly consisted of giving directions to lost first years. Hermione cursed her luck and lack of attention when she found herself face to face with Draco who was accompanied by the boy she’d seen on the platform.

“Excuse me, I need to continue patrolling.” Hermione voiced confidently.

“Oi Granger, don’t have a minute to welcome an incoming student? How disheartening.” Draco chided.

She looked to the new student, and held out her hand, “I am Hermione Granger, Fifth-year Prefect for Gryffindor.”

The boy smiled and a dimple showed itself on his cheek, grasping her hand gently before shaking it. “Mattheo Riddle, it seems you already knew that, if the look on your face is any indication.”

Hermione felt her magic sing when he shook her hand, pulling it away as quickly and politely as she could manage. She grasped her hands behind her back and rocked on her heels before nodding. “I’d say it's a pleasure meeting you but I'm sure you’d know I was lying. Now if that's all, I'd like to get back to my responsibilities.”

She turned back the way she came and went directly back to her compartment, closing the door, locking it, and casting a muffliato. Harry looked up at her confused. Until she spoke and his face hardened.

“I met him. I met Mattheo Riddle. Draco was escorting him through the train.”