Chapter 23

Disclaimer: Not mine. I just borrowed them for a while. I promise to put them back when I'm done. Oh, nope, no money either...just for fun.

I want to give a great big thank you hug to EverMystique and to DuchessOfArcadia for combing through this and helping me clean up my many mistakes. I really appreciate it more than you can possibly know.

Thank you, Jay, for the beautiful banner. I absolutely love it!

Ever since working with Severus on the library, Hermione had been reevaluating her opinion of him. All his actions to date, from the first time he tried to save Harry on the Quidditch pitch their first year on, proved he was on their side, regardless of what Harry and Sirius thought. Sure, he as cantankerous and aloof, but he was a good teacher, a protector, knowledgeable, and a skilled wizard. However, Hermione frequently found herself wishing he were more like his younger self from her third year.

Severus came by the house infrequently, usually arriving just before the meetings started and leaving immediately after. On occasion, he'd come into the library and read awhile after the meeting while waiting for either Mr. Weasley, Kingsley, Tonks or Dumbledore to speak to them privately. He looked fine, well fine for him, but she could see the strain in his eyes from the stress he was under. She didn't want to think about what Voldemort was asking of him, what he was being forced to do, because in her mind her imagination went wild, creating all sorts of horrors.

Hermione sat curled up reading in one of the large wingback chairs by the window in the library during an Order meeting, one of the few times they could take a break in cleaning, when Severus entered. He walked to the section behind the desk, the 'restricted shelves,' calmly pulling out a book, checking something, setting it back, and selecting another. He didn't turn to acknowledge her, but Hermione smiled to herself anyway, enjoying his presence in the room as she read.

She was struggling with the theory of a particular spell in her book when Sirius snidely taunted Severus from the doorway, saying, "Don't have enough Dark Arts books of your own, Snivellus?"

Hermione looked up and scowled at him, but Severus didn't even turn around. "Not that I have to answer you, Black, but I only came in to check the protective spells on the bookshelves," Severus stated drolly, casually re-shelving a thick book.

Hermione watched him over the top of her book as he made a subtle wave of his hand across several books before taking one off the shelf. She held the book in her hands closer to her face in annoyance as, once again, Sirius was verbally baiting him. It's always Sirius who's the instigator, she thought with an agitated sigh. It made her sick. Why Sirius was in the library was a mystery to her, unless he was simply bored and it amused him to try and rile Severus up.

Severus opened up a book that started making an awful wailing screech like a injured cat, and Sirius stormed out, slamming the door in his wake. Severus slammed the book closed, turned and seemed to notice her for the first time. "What are you doing here...listening in on our conversation?" he snapped.

"I was in here first," she replied, "and I'd hardly call that a conversation, sir. He only wanted to get you to argue with him."

"That is none of your concern. I can handle Black," he said, coming over to where she sat curled up by the window.

"I know you can. Besides, I wouldn't repeat the immature ramblings of a..."

"What are you reading?" he interrupted her.

Hermione lifted up her book to show him the title, and he snatched it from her hands. "Oi! I wasn't done with that!" she exclaimed.

"It's a Dark Arts book," he stated. "You're done with it."

"It has protection spells and..."

"These are not the type of protection spells you should be reading...let alone consider trying," he said curtly, brandishing the book at her.

She reached out to snatch the book back, about to retort, but the softly-imploringly sound of her name, "Hermione," made her loose her thought and stare at him in shock. "Once you cross that line, once you start using the Dark Arts, especially the Blood Arts, your morals blur. They are enticing, they seem like strong spells and enchantments, and in many cases they are, but they are tied to your emotions, intent, and desires. At first you think they're benign, but there are few who can turn away from it," he coolly explained, but there was a quality to his voice, a sense of danger that enthralled her.

"You have," she replied, sounding a little breathless.

"I have not," he said sharply, standing up as he hid the book from view, and the sense of an enchantment seemed to snap off in her head. "Do not for a moment forget that I am a Death Eater, you silly girl. Once a Death Eater...always a Death Eater." He turned and left the room, taking the book with him, making Hermione feel bereft and empty.

Hermione stared at the new rug that lay on the floor, a purchase Sirius had asked Mrs. Weasley to make for him since they couldn't get the foul stain out of the old one, examining the pattern as she contemplated what he'd said. She felt light, almost lightheaded, but not quite. As soon as he'd taken the book away from her, she'd felt deprived of it, until he'd hidden it from her. Then she'd felt a sense of... release. The feeling of having been let go now bothered her; that break in the connection she'd felt.

"Hermione, are you all right?"

She looked up to see Professor Lupin watching her. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Professor Snape mentioned that you were reading a Dark Arts tome," he said and moved a chair closer to sit opposite her. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No," she replied.

"Hermione, the Dark Arts are alluring, but they won't give you power, no more power than you already have inside of you."

"I know that," she said, wishing he'd leave. She wanted to talk to Severus about this, not him. What does he know anyway? He hates the Dark Arts just like Sirius does.

"... fear, hate, and anger are three of the strongest emotions we have. Many of the Dark Arts are based on our anger and hate. It promises power, great strength, and knowledge. But it's a lie...it provides none of this. It feeds off of your anger and hate, and the more you hate the stronger you seem."

"Like the Cruciatus," she replied. She knew this...it was nothing that Barty Crouch Jr, while posing as Professor Moody, hadn't already explained. "The Dark Arts draws its energy from your determination, intent, and desires; an energy that is enhanced by your emotion."

"Exactly, then in an act of anger, when you want to hurt someone, or in an act of revenge just once to get even... and then it's only a small slide down to using it again and again until they don't seem all that wrong anymore," he said, clasping his hands together. "Even the spells to manipulate and control someone against their will... the very thought of being able to bend someone to your will, it becomes so easy to do. Once you're seduced, once you cross that line, it's very easy to be swayed and your morals to become relaxed, even bent."

"That's why Sirius hates Professor Snape, because he can do the Dark Arts," she said. It wasn't a question; it just came out sounding like one.

He sighed heavily and looked away for a moment. "Yes, both he and James hated the Dark Arts and anyone who used them. Severus came to school knowing more about the Dark Arts than any seventh-year, or so the rumors were," he said, looking at his hands again. "You do know that of everyone I know, I've never seen anyone more well-versed in them."

"But did that give you the right to pick on him in school?" she asked and he sat up, his eyes widening in surprise.

"No, it didn't. There was more to it than that. There was a war going on, people...even students...were taking sides. Almost all of the friends Severus had in school are now among You-Know-Who's ranks."

"So because a boy was knowledgeable of something...something you weren't...that made it right? You just stood by while he was tormented and hurt, and that was fine because he knew about the Dark Arts? Because he was what...from Slytherin and therefore on the bad side...so that made him fair game for you and your friends to torment? Is that what you're telling me? It was four against one!" she snapped at him.

Professor Lupin's head jerked back slightly as from her anger. "It wasn't...did Professor Snape tell you that?"

She huffed at his question, quickly thinking how to phrase what she wanted to say. "No. It's not hard to figure it out...the way you talk to each other, the way Sirius calls him by that childish sneer, 'Snivellus.' You were bullies in school, and it shows," she said, knowing she'd been vague enough.

"I wasn't proud of what we did," he said; the hurt and confusion in his eyes made her want to scream.

"Please leave me alone," she said coolly. "I don't have the book anymore and won't read any of the others."

Professor Lupin nodded and stood up. "They were my friends, Hermione," he said softly. "They befriended me when no one else would."

She refused to look at him. "They were bullies." And you were no better, she wanted to say aloud, but didn't.

She heard him pause at the doorway and then silence filled the room, although she still felt like someone was watching her. She turned and saw Severus standing in the doorway, his gaze on her. She felt self-conscious under his scrutiny and sat up to speak to him, but he turned and disappeared.

Severus was resting in the library after making a report to Dumbledore. Young Mr. Weasley was in the girls' room again, down the hall, apparently having a disagreement with Miss Granger. He could hear their argument from all the way in the library. He smirked. Hermione was having a tirade at him about how Sirius and he treated the house-elf, Kreacher.

"That comes around to leopards never changing their spots," she snapped.

"Hermione," the boy whined.

"He was a bully as a teen, and he hasn't grown up at all since then. He's still the same insensitive prat."

A few seconds later, the boy was running up the stairs.

Severus heard her footsteps approach as she stormed from the sitting room she and Miss Weasley were ensconced in as a bedroom and entered the library. He watched her quietly as she searched the shelves as she selected something to read. He was well aware that she'd already read everything on the shelves to her right. Her insatiable love of reading was something he could never forget.

From his angle he could see she was looking at the books on the ancient magic of foreign wizards. She selected a book that he knew to be on the spells used by the Egyptian wizards on the tombs in Giza, and then pulled out the Hieratic translation guide from another shelf.

When she turned around, the look of surprise amused him. "Oh, I didn't see you there," she stammered.

"Obviously," he said smoothly and pretended to read as he watched her over his book. She pulled out a roll of parchment and then lay on her stomach on the floor with her feet up as she busily worked on translating the book so she could read it.

They sat in amicable silence: him reading, her translating. It reminded him of when he'd spent time with her in his potions lab as a student, and he found he still enjoyed the comfortable feeling of her presence. He shook his head. Such thoughts were too dangerous. He couldn't allow their friendship to happen now...the Dark Lord would find out, and there would be trouble.

"Well, isn't this a cozy scene," Sirius said from the doorway.

"It's called reading. You might try it someday, Black...it improves your mind," Severus said frostily, hoping the git would get the hint.

Sirius entered the room. "Oh, believe me, I have, Snivellus," he said. "Enjoying the view?"

"I don't want to hear this!" Hermione rolled up, leaning one elbow as she cast a Silencing Jinx on him.

Severus set his book aside and glared at her. "How dare you! I neither want nor need an insufferable know-it-all to defend me," he snapped at Hermione. The last thing he wanted was a girl standing up for him again; he was perfectly capable of handling Black himself.

"I just want to read in peace!" she snapped back at him.

He scowled at her for her insolence, and she at least flushed at his nonverbal admonishment. "I'm sorry, sir, that was uncalled for."

Sirius managed to end the jinx because he was the one to answer, "By jinxing me? In my own house?"

"Yes, because at least Professor Snape has the common courtesy to be quiet in a library!" she snarled at him.

"It's my house!" Black snarled back.

"And he was just sitting there reading! Why did you have to come in here and start harassing him?" she shouted at him.

"Miss Granger, enough! I do not require you to fight my battles," Severus snarled, making her blush again. "For your information, Black, I'm awaiting the Headmaster. If my presence in your precious library is too annoying for you, then by all means, go scratch your fleas elsewhere."

From down in the entry hall, Mrs. Black began wailing and screeching again. "Sounds like your mother is awake," Severus sneered, setting aside his book. "Miss Granger, enjoy your studies." He stood and walked around the sofa, bumping into Black slightly as he passed him without comment.

"Severus, Sirius," Kingsley stated, as Severus came down the stairs, obviously followed by Black. "How are things?"

"The same normal aggravations...and constantly having to watch my back," Severus said in greeting. "How are things at the Ministry?"

"The same," Kingsley said with a grin as they walked down the stairs to the kitchen.

"You two sound like old wives," Black scoffed from behind them.

"Too bad we can't let the dog out," Severus told Kingsley.

Kingsley smiled. "That's just what I have in mind."

Dumbledore was already talking to Tonks and Arthur when they entered the kitchen and closed the door. Severus stood in his usual spot and waited to give his report.

Hermione was stepping out of the dining room as Severus arrived for the meeting. "Hello, Professor," she replied.

"Miss Granger," he said and handed her a book. "Kindly return this for me."

"Sure," she replied. "Er, the Silverarian Potion, how did that go?"

He smirked at her. "Unfortunately, a complete and total disaster...utterly destroyed the lab. I've never demolished a lab before. Lestrange is livid, but the potion idea is shelved."

"Fantastic," she said, then caught the hard coldness that crossed his features. She turned, not at all surprised to see Sirius Black coming down from upstairs carrying a bucket full of something foul smelling. Sirius had his wand in his hand, and for a moment she thought that he was aiming at Severus. A quick sideways glance, she realized Severus might not have seen Sirius' wand because he hadn't drawn his yet. As Sirius raised his wand, Hermione acted quickly, casting a Reflection Shield she'd read, not realizing that Severus had whipped his wand out and cast a jinx in defense.

Sirius' spell rebounded on Hermione's shield, but since the shield was aimed against Sirius, Severus' jinx passed right through, making Sirius fall the last step. The contents of the bucket spilled out onto the floor before Sirius landed face first in it. "What do you think you are doing!" he snapped, now covered in hippogriff excrement, boils, and sporting a broken ankle.

Hermione opened her mouth to speak, her face red hot with embarrassment, about to explain her actions, but then she saw the proud smirk on Professor Snape's face that he tried to hide and her train of thought escaped her.

"That was an advanced Shield Charm," Severus said coolly has he tipped her head up to look in her eyes.

"It was in a book," she muttered, confused by his coolness.

"And well executed," he said softly, then raised his voice adding, "Help clean up the mutt. I'll go get Mrs. Weasley."

She saw Sirius glaring at her.

"Why?" Sirius snapped at her when she turned to help him.

"I cast a shield charm, that's all. I thought you were going to hex him or something," she said, her hands on her hips.

"With a bucket of crap and coming down the stairs?" he asked incredulously.

"It's not like you don't take any opportunity you can to bully him," Hermione said as she helped siphon up the mess with her wand. "You behave like a teenager all the time. You'd think you'd have grown up somewhat by now?"

He glared at her. "And it offends you?"

"Yes. It offends me," she snapped, pushing past him and up the stairs as Mrs. Weasley arrived to sort out the mess.

She flounced onto her bed and covered her face with her pillow, only then realizing that Professor Snape had cast a Tripping Jinx, not one for boils, so in essence she'd saved him, or herself, from that curse. She lowered the pillow to her knees, laughing at the thought of Sirius getting hit his with his own curse. "Poetic justice," she told Crookshanks when he head butted her arm for attention.

Mrs. Weasley's screech could be heard even up in the girl's bedroom. "Dementors! What were Dementors doing in Little Whinging?"

Hermione and Ginny both bolted for the kitchen, but were stopped on the landing by Fred and George.

"Mum is really wound up," George whispered.

"Should be able to hear plenty if you'll pipe down," Fred added, then held up his finger to his lips. He handed Ginny what looked like an oversize ear. "Use this. We just invented them."

"Apparently Harry and his cousin Dudley were attacked by two Dementors in an alley off Magnolia Street," Fred repeated what he heard his dad say. Hermione had to strain to hear Mr. Weasley because his voice was considerably lower than Mrs. Weasley's. "Harry is... expelled. Blimey!"

"EXPELLED? HOW COULD HE BE EXPELLED?"

Hermione couldn't make out the reply, but Mrs. Weasley's response of, "But that was a reasonable use of magic! You're allowed to defend yourself in cases of attack," was loud and clear.

"Harry produced a Patronus," Ginny whispered. "Dumbledore's gone to the Ministry."

"Find out what you can," Hermione whispered to Ginny and immediately rushed to get to the library. She pulled out the Black family's copies of the magical law books and began searching. The law books had the Magical Law Office official seal, which meant that unlike Muggle law books, these magical law books are all tied together to the Ministry's copies and magically updated with the new amendments as the laws changed.

Professor Lupin entered and walked over to her. "Do you need a hand?" he offered and showed her how to decipher the added amendments anyway before she could tell him she'd already figured it out herself. She feigned listening as she looked for anything that would help Harry. "I'm surprised that the Black family has a full set of law books. It's not common for wizarding families to have an official set. Not that it won't be helpful," he said. "Someone in the family must have been on the Wizengamot...or was aspiring to study magical law."

"Regulus," she replied, finding the books on Underage Magic.

He looked up, surprised by her revelation. "Pardon?"

"Phineas Nigellus Black was a Headmaster at Hogwarts, and Sirius' younger brother, Regulus, wanted to be the magical equivalent of a solicitor or barrister," she said somberly, finding the section for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Magic. "Before he joined You-Know-Who, I suppose."

"How do you know this?" he asked, curious despite himself.

"Ginny and I attempted to clean Regulus' room for habitation, and Headmaster Phineas Nigellus Black has a portrait here." Hermione found the amendments concerning underage magic and carried it to the desk for study.

Taking a hint, Lupin backed away. "If you find anything helpful, let either Molly or Arthur know," he said and left her alone.

Hermione was busily jotting down notes when Ginny came into the library, and she looked up. "Kingsley just arrived, and he told Mum, Dad, Professor Lupin, and Sirius that Harry's expulsion is on hold pending a hearing," she said dejectedly. "He told them that Cornelius Fudge and Dolores Umbridge are behind Harry's expulsion. They're furious that Potter still insists that the Dark Lord is back. Did you find anything helpful?"

Hermione shook her head. "Just what we were told at the leaving feast: in life threatening situations any witch or wizard, of any age, has the right to defend themselves. It's iron clad. All he has to do is prove he and his Muggle cousin were attacked by Dementors."

"That won't be easy, Muggles can't see them...only feel them, and his cousin wouldn't know that. Oh, Hedwig arrived with a letter to Sirius," Ginny said. "I'll ask him later what it says."

Ron suddenly burst into the library. "Oi, Professor Snape is here, and Moody, Kingsley, Tonks, and Miss Jones. Looks like an emergency meeting has been called."

"Good," Hermione said, standing up, wondering if she'd have a moment to say hello to Hestia. She grabbed the parchment she'd been writing on. "I'll go ask Mr. Weasley if I can send this to Harry. He must be frantic."

Mr. Weasley was in the entry hall talking to a short, grey-haired wizard and tall witch who had her slightly graying blonde hair up in an elegant coiffure. They all stopped talking when she approached. "Mr. Weasley, I have it all worked out. I would like to send this to Harry," she asked, holding out the parchment.

He held up a hand. "Not now, Hermione, this is important. I can talk to you about this after," he said, indicating that the witch and wizard move into the dining room.

Hermione moved to follow him and was halted in her track. "But if I could only write to Harry, I could explain..."

"No, you may not, Miss Granger," Dumbledore said from behind her.

She turned to face him, hoping to make him see reason. "But I've read all about the Reasonable Restriction for Underage Magic, and it says..."

"I'm well aware of the laws, Miss Granger, and when Harry is brought here, he will appreciate all your efforts. For now, I must ask that you please go upstairs."

Frustrated and furious at being dismissed, she stormed up stairs and began to pace. "I'm going to the library," she announced, but Ginny merely shrugged.

Hermione paced the library, looking at the books. She'd already exhausted the law books on the subject, and the Black family library was useless on any additional information about Dementors than she already knew... and reading wasn't an option...she couldn't concentrate on anything else. Sighing, she selected a book on Dark creatures and sat down crossed-legged on the floor.

"What are you reading?" Severus asked softly as he entered the room.

"Checking up on the telltale signs of Dementors," she replied, placing a hand on the book as she looked up at him.

He knelt down and looked her in the eyes. "What have you found that you don't already know? Miss Granger...Hermione, I know you; in your third year you read everything there was on the creatures."

"I just want to help Harry," she replied, both elated by his compliment and deflated because he was right. "I just hate not being able to tell him what I know. He must be going mad with worry."

"Dumbledore has it in hand," he said, smirking at her. "Do you really think that the Headmaster of Hogwarts isn't aware of the bylaws concerning underage magic? He wrote most of them himself. Kingsley Shacklebolt also has influence in the Ministry and there are others. Why won't you trust us to handle the situation?"

"Because I hate feeling useless," she admitted.

He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I know. But for now there isn't anything that you can do. So, please trust us to handle it."

She nodded, closing the book on her hand, and he laughed softly. "But for now enjoy reading up on Dark creatures," he said with a smirk as he rose.

She watched him walk away, wishing he'd stay and talk to her, and then sighed deeply. No, Sirius is in the house...they'll only get into a fight again. She opened the book to continue reading.

Ron's room had been cleaned up in anticipation of Harry's arrival.

When Mr. Moody arrived, Mrs. Weasley had hustled everyone upstairs to their bedrooms. It meant that for the next however-long-it-took...they didn't have housecleaning, but being shooed away to their rooms irked Hermione. It was like being a little kid all over again.

Like she always did, Tonks had knocked over the troll foot, which made Mrs. Black screech and holler, and Harry had been shuffled upstairs by Mrs. Weasley as soon as he arrived. Hermione had hoped to sit down with Harry and catch up on everything, but he'd been so furious, yelling about being left in the dark, not getting any letters, and he'd assumed that just because she and Ron were at headquarters, they knew far more than he did. Well, they did know some, but not that much, thanks to Mrs. Weasley. All in all, if Harry would've only just calmed down and quit sulking, things would've gone better, but he was being a real prat. Something Hermione seriously wished he'd have grown out of by now. After all, he was fifteen, not a little kid anymore.

Ginny returned from the loo. "Snape is here, and he's giving a report at the Order meeting," she said and motioned for Hermione to follow.

Ron, Harry, and Hermione followed her from the room, hoping to get close enough to hear something. Fred and George were on the stairs, each holding an Extendable Ear trailing down to the kitchen door.

"It's not working, that cat is interfering," Ron complained, trying to listen in with Fred.

Hermione touched George on the shoulder, and he withdrew the small earpiece, letting her lean close to him so she could listen in too. In between Crooks growling and hissing, they could make out, "There is a small ... office on the sixth floor ... a pair of Muggle-borns who've set up a marketing... Already ... their advertisements are .... Colorful moving ..." and then only the sound of Crooks' purring.

"I'll go get him," Hermione said, walking down the stairs to the short hall where the kitchen door was. She could hear Kingsley's deep baritone voice saying, "So we have to move tonight and not wait ..." before the door opened and Moody walked out.

"Er, my cat," she stammered, pointing at the corner where Crooks' sat with a string dangling from his mouth.

"Well, get him and get back upstairs where you belong and take your friends with you. All six of you are not needed to retrieve one cat," Moody snarled, crossing his arms, his one eye showing nothing but its white sclera.

"Yes, sir. Bad, Crookshanks," Hermione hissed as her cat ran off with the fleshy string. Hermione went after him, not really wanting him to eat it.

Mrs. Weasley's motto of 'the devil finds mischief for idle hands,' ensured that everyone was constantly given tasks to do. During Harry's hearing, Hermione had been extra industrious, fighting her nervous tension by combating dust and doxies with a vengeance. She'd jumped up when Harry returned and hugged him tightly when he'd announced that he'd been cleared of all charges. She had been in shock when Harry told them that he'd had to face the entire Wizengamot...a full hearing instead of simply the representatives of the Improper Use of Magic Office.

The rest of the month was fairly innocuous.

Mrs. Weasley had found out about the Extendable Ears when she caught Hermione and Ginny chasing after Crookshanks with one in his mouth. Hermione had been livid at her familiar for dropping it neat-as-you-please on the woman's foot and then having the temerity to look up at her proudly as if he'd done the right thing. All he'd accomplished was that Mrs. Weasley now used an Imperturbable Charm on the kitchen door at all times.

Ginny had taken to chucking Dungbombs at the door and blaming them on Crooks', and considering he'd seemed to become a turn-coat, Hermione didn't admonish her for the fib. And they still had yet to uncover what this secret weapon was that Voldemort wanted.

Hermione was coming down the stairs when she saw Professor Snape and Dumbledore leaving the stairs to the kitchen. "So when shall I inform Minerva of your arrival?" he asked the Headmaster.

"I have one more option to try," Dumbledore said sadly. "Tell her I will arrive in time for dinner." The headmaster turned. "Ah, Miss Granger, I believe that congratulations are in order."

"Sir?" she asked confused, coming down the last few steps slowly.

"I don't think the letters have arrived, Headmaster," Professor Snape said softly, but she saw an odd slight curve of his lip, almost a pleased smile on his normally tightly controlled face.

Dumbledore turned slowly. "Ah, of course. I'm ahead of myself. Good day, Miss Granger."

"Good day to you, too," she replied, now intensely curious about what that all meant.

Hermione tried to put the incident from her mind, but the announcement that the Ministry of Magic had passed an Educational Decree number twenty-two, allowing the Ministry to appoint professors if the Headmaster couldn't find someone, alarmed her. "They're targeting the Defense Against the Dark Arts position," she said, trying to decipher if the article covered who had been hired or not.

"How do you know that?" Ron asked.

"Professor Dumbledore has to find a new professor every year, doesn't he?" She looked up at him and sighed. His mouth full of some gummy treat the twins had made that was making him develop green splotches and his ears to grow. "Honestly, why do you trust them so?"

"He probably has someone lined up already," Ron said hopefully, ignoring her other question.

"Not if this is in the Daily Prophet it doesn't," Fred stated, measuring Ron's ears. "Thirty centimeters... and growing. Make it thirty-five."

"Can't be that many people who want a cursed teaching position," George added, jotting down notes in his journal.

"But, school starts in two days!" Hermione exclaimed.

Kingsley arrived and the order members moved into the kitchen. Fred disappeared, but he was remanded back upstairs by Mrs. Weasley. "Sturgis Podmore was caught breaking into a door in the Ministry of Magic," Fred announced proudly after she'd left.

"How can he break into the Ministry? The bloke works there," Ron stated, munching on the other side of the chew.

"Apparently not behind that particular door," Fred stated with a roll of his eyes that clearly had that 'I can't believe we're related' look.

The day before they were to depart for school, Hermione was on her bed reading one of her new school books. The school lists had arrived only the day before, and she shuddered to think what Mrs. Weasley must have gone through to get them all their school things, considering that every parent of a Hogwarts student would have been shopping in Diagon Alley on the same day. It must have been bedlam.

Harry slipped in the door, and Hermione moved two books aside so he could sit down. "Do you have a minute?" he asked.

She lowered the book to her lap. "Of course, Harry. What's up?"

"I didn't congratulate you," he said, looking at his hands.

"But you expected to be made Prefect, too," she said softly. "This doesn't mean that he's better than you or anything, you know."

"I know," he said, still staring at his hands.

She sat up and leaned forward, hoping he'd look at her. "It's rather kind of Professor McGonagall to choose him. It gives him something to be proud of."

He turned to look at her, and she smiled encouragingly at him. "Ron feels like he's always in someone's shadow, Harry; first his brothers' and now yours. This is something he's earned. Maybe if you'd look at it that way, it wouldn't hurt as much."

His eyes flashed at her choice of words, and she knew she'd nailed it. "I'm not hurt..."

"But you're disappointed. It's understandable. However, you've enough to be getting on with, don't you think? You've Quidditch and your studies. Try and be happy for him. Don't let this tear you apart like the Triwizard Tournament did."

Harry's lips stretched into a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I'll try."

She gave his arm a gentle squeeze with her hand. "He's your best mate. For once, it's Ron's turn. Try and be happy for him, okay?"

"I am, I suppose," he mumbled.

She hugged him. "Good." She released him and picked up the new Defense book. "Have you read this? It's a bunch of tripe! All theory and no actual spells or defense at all."

He held up his hands. "Hermione, of course I haven't read it...I'm not even at school yet!"

She sighed. "Well let's hope the new professor has handouts or something, because if we all go by this book...we're dead ducks."

~ T. B. C. ~