Puzzle to a Frozen Heart

Chapter 21

(Confusion: Destiny or Heart?)

"Mm." Hermione awoke at the feel of a hand gently caressing her bare back. "Wow, last night was... incredible," she sighed in contentment.

"You are incredible," came a voice she didn't expect to hear: Brad Forte's. She turned around abruptly and saw him gazing at her adoringly.

"Brad?" she asked, dumbstruck.

"Yes, sweetie?"

"What are you doing here?"

"Do I really need to answer that?" he responded, getting even closer to her. "You know, ever since Potter died, things have been marvelous, don't you think?"

"What?! Harry died?!" Hermione couldn't believe this and sat up when she saw that Brad was practically on top of her already.

"You killed him yourself."

"WHAT?!"

******

"Harry!" Hermione awoke with a start, cold sweat running down her body.

"What?!" Harry jumped, turning his wand into his lightsaber immediately. At seeing him, Hermione threw herself at him, hugging him like there was no tomorrow. Harry just looked around, frowning at his charge's behavior. No Voldemort in sight, no apparent wound...there was only one conclusion. "Did you have a nightmare sweetie?" At hearing this, she pulled away up like a speeding bullet.

"I'm not your sweetie!" Harry looked taken aback by this and Hermione realized it had all been a dream, a horrible one. Brad was not there, instead, Harry was, just as she wanted. "Oh, I didn't mean that Harry, I'm so sorry, I just..."

"Had a bad dream?" he asked again, putting his lightsaber on the bed so he could hug her. "Don't worry, it's over now. I'm here," he comforted her, passing his hand through her hair. Hermione welcomed his embrace, a warm feeling of security enveloping her. Unfortunately, that feeling didn't last long, for when she looked at his lightsaber and saw that the handle was slowly turning to the shape of a snake and its color was diminishing from blue to green, she began freaking out again. What was going on?

"Holy..." She pushed Harry away once more, her breath coming in hard pants now.

"What's wrong now?" Harry said, unable to hide a little annoyance from his tone.

"Your lightsaber, it's..." Hermione was stammering. Harry had never heard her stammer before and that was a worrying fact indeed.

"Oh, sorry about that. I just thought... well, you know. I'll put it away now." He turned the lightsaber into his wand again and put it on her night stand. He looked at her and thought he saw a... glint of fear on her eyes. Nah, that couldn't be, he was just plain tired and figured her earlier reaction was fear of his Jedi weapon, nothing to worry about. "Are you ready to go back to sleep?"

"What?!" She jumped once more at the sound of his voice.

"Baby, what did you dream about?" he asked curiously, seeing as how strangely she was acting and now there was no lightsaber in sight.

"Oh." Hermione seemed to come back to her senses, her cinnamon gaze melting against his own. "I really don't want to talk about it." She got closer to him, brushing her lips against his ardently and making him groan.

He quickly shifted so he was on top of her, making Hermione lose her train of thought and focus just on him.

****

Hermione opened her eyes as the morning sun greeted her; Sunday had arrived. She glanced to her side and saw a sleeping Harry, her Harry. She got up and dressed quietly as she prepared to begin her day. She wrote a little note for Harry, telling him where she would be and began making her way to Oliver's room.

****

"Quidditch time, Quidditch time!" Oliver's alarm set off at six a.m., making him groan. He had not slept a wink last night, thanks to Fleur, not that he was complaining, mind you. He got up and started to dress when a knock was heard.

"It's six am for Quidditch's sake," he complained, making his way to the door. "Hermione!" he gasped as his brown-haired friend made an appearance. Suffice to say, it is not whom he was expecting, but then again, Hermione had always been an early riser.

"Morning Oliver, a word if I may?" she asked politely.

"Uh, sure. What's on your mind?"

" 'Oney, would you mind keeping it down, I'm getting my beauty sleep 'ere!" came the voice of none other than Fleur Delacour, a fact that made Oliver turn as red as a tomato.

"Morning Fleur!" Hermione greeted her best friend.

"Oh, bonjour 'Ermione. I'll see you at a decent 'our now." Fleur turned her back and went right back to sleep while Hermione eyed Oliver curiously.

"So, Fleur?" she asked Oliver, suppressing a giggle when she saw Oliver's face. "That's okay, Oliver, Fleur had already told me. I think it's good for you to spend your time in something other than Quidditch. Anyway, can I talk to out in the hallway?"

"Sure thing." Once there, Hermione began spilling her concerns.

"Harry has the tattoo."

"Tattoo? What are you talking about 'Mione?" Oliver held a puzzled expression.

"The Heir of Slytherin tattoo, on his abs. And that's not all, Brad has it too." Boy, sleeping with Fleur had certainly distracted the Gryffindor Quidditch captain.

"How do you know Harry has the tattoo?"

"I saw it, you idiot."

"Don't need to get hasty!"

"Sorry, I'm just... you know... I don't know what to do! For the first time in my life, I don't know what to do! And this answer can't be found in a book, because it clearly said one Heir of Slytherin."

"Okay, calm down. First, we need to look at both their family trees, I'll send for their records straightaway. In the meantime, check their wands; see how they react to your touch. I, for one, saw yours spark when Harry touched it." Hermione blinked at his statement, her own memory going backwards.

"Yes, I touched Harry's wand as well and it also sparked."

"Then check Brad's and may I suggest you speak to Professor Dumbledore about this? I'm sure he can help."

"I will. Thanks Oliver. I'll see you later."

"Keep me posted," he requested as she disappeared into the hall.

****

"Come in," Professor Dumbledore commanded as Hermione entered his office. "Miss Granger, what are you doing up so early on a Sunday?"

"Professor, I have to talk to you about Harry."

****

Harry yawned as he opened his eyes lazily. He reached for Hermione but all he got was a note, saying she'd gone to talk to Oliver. He grabbed his towel as he made his way to the shower for proper waking.

As he finished dressing, Hedwig came flying into the room, carrying a rather large parchment on her leg.

"Hey Hedwig," he greeted his owl as she nipped gently on his finger. He grabbed the parchment and fed her some treats as he sat down to open the letter. "Dear Mr. Potter...." he mumbled as he read it. He blinked as he thought that way too much information had reached his brain. "This is just grand. And they tell me this now. " He walked over to the desk and deposited his letter on the drawer. Simultaneously, another letter came in, carried by a brown owl. Harry opened it, realizing it contained information about Bradley Forte. "Oh crap. I have to go find Hermione."

****

"You know Professor, that doesn't help at all. Couldn't you be a little more... specific?" Hermione pleaded.

"You're wrong Miss Granger. You possess all the help you need: your heart."

"My heart? I see and what's it going to do? Kill Voldemort for me?" she questioned sarcastically. She had been in Dumbledore's office for the last half hour and so far, it hadn't helped at all.

"All right Miss Granger, I'm going to give you one last piece of advice, so listen very carefully: The Heir of Slytherin is, in fact, on this very school. And yes, he did arrive this year. To find him is indeed a very simple task but sometimes we complicate the most simple of things by looking everywhere but right in front of us, where the answer lays in front of our very eyes. So I pray you follow my advice. Follow your heart and listen to it. It will tell you all you need to know. But careful, if your head should get in the way, you will fail." Hermione stared at her Professor in puzzlement, trying to figure out what he had just said. "Good day, Miss Granger." Professor Dumbledore turned his chair around, giving her his back.

"Thanks, I guess. Good day to you too, Professor." She exited the office more confused that she was when entering it. At least she knew that the Heir of Slytherin was in Hogwarts, the only question was who could it be?

****

Harry walked away from Oliver's room, having encountered a temperamental half -Veela trying to sleep. ("Can't one get a decent sleep around 'ere? Is 'zat too much to ask?! I'm going to get shadows under my eyes!") Obviously, Hermione was not there.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the Slytherin scum?" came the voice of Ron Weasley, who appeared at the end of the hallway.

"Weasel, I don't have time for this. Oh, and for your information, I'm in Gryffindor now."

"Oh, is Scarhead busy? Fine, I'll make it short. I want my Hunny Bunny back or I'll be forced to hurt you."

"Listen Weasel, even Hermione kicked the crap out of you, so don't make me send you to the hospital wing... again," Harry threatened, his blood already boiling. He had to find Hermione and this... idiot to say the least was making him lose precious time.

"You know Potter, you always picked on those weaker than you. What would Hermione say if she saw the Head Boy attacking a fellow student and Gryffindor? This is a new low, even for you," said Brad Forte, who was walking towards him, stopping in front of Ron. "You really should be ashamed of yourself, a Jedi Wizard cannot take advantage of his training just so he can pick on... less gifted wizards," Brad finished, throwing a look at Ron, who was outraged at being called a less gifted wizard.

"Who are you calling less gifted wizard, asshole?" Suddenly, a thud was heard. Ronald lay on the floor, his nose broken for the second time, courtesy of Brad.

"He really shouldn't interfere in other wizards' conversation, wouldn't you agree?"

"What the hell do you want Forte?" Harry barked, wand in hand.

"Oh, I just wanted to tell you that the Heir of Slytherin has been found. As you probably should know, not that I expect you to as you always did have a lazy brain, he is the Heir of Gryffindor's true love, Hermione's. So, I have a feeling she won't need you anymore."

"Oh really? I don't believe I've seen him, but when I do, I'll be sure to tell him you said hello," Harry said sarcastically, never breaking eye contact with Brad.

"Oh, that won't be necessary. I am he." Brad lifted his shirt to reveal his snake tattoo. Harry merely looked at Brad with disgust as the Jedi wizard threw him a pearly white smile. "So, tell me Potter, now that Hermione will be mine, is she actually good in the sack or does she open her legs to just about everybody to gain some experience?"

"You bastard!" Harry ran towards him, knocking him down in the process. Brad pushed him off his body, getting up. He got his wand out and turned it into his green lightsaber just as Harry did the same. Suddenly, the hall was filled with the sounds of blows given by the two Jedi Wizards.

****

"Hermione!" Hermione turned around as Oliver's voice reached her ears. She assumed he came from the Quidditch field as he still had his practice Quidditch robe. "Hey, did you speak to Dumbledore?" he asked, panting, as he reached her side.

"Yes."

"And?"

"Nothing. Not a thing. He just said that the heir was here in Hogwarts and that, to find him, I should follow my heart. But, you know, that doesn't help at all because someone stole my heart years ago and he hasn't given it back, so I'm already biased."

"Would that be Harry?"

"Maybe." Hermione blushed.

"I'll take that as a yes. So? You said it yourself that Harry has the tattoo. I saw how your wand reacted when he touched it. What if he's the Heir of Slytherin?"

"Just because he has the tattoo, doesn't necessarily make him the heir. I'll need his records, his family tree and a sample of his blood. Besides, Brad has the tattoo as well."

"Fine. I'll get you all the things you need. Anyway, could you give this to Harry? Hedwig just gave it to me and I have to go check on Fleur." Oliver handed her a sealed yellow envelope.

"What's this?" she asked curiously.

"It's official Jedi Wizard business. I have to go now. Please make sure Harry gets it, it's important. Bye." Oliver left in a hurry, leaving Hermione puzzled. What was so important about this? Would it be about her or the Heir of Slytherin? But, if it were, wouldn't Oliver tell her?

A crash interrupted her thoughts. She looked around and assumed that apparently, the noise came from the upper floor. But who would be forming such a racket on a quiet Sunday morning? She went to find out. However, what she saw made her stop dead in her tracks. Harry and Brad fighting brutally, but that wasn't really the source of her discomfort. It was their lightsabers; they were identical: hunter green and a serpent handle in the form of an S.

"I'll wipe you off the face of the earth!" Harry threatened, aiming his lightsaber at Brad's neck. Brad ducked and grabbed Harry's legs, pulling him to the floor.

"Harry! Brad! What on earth do you think you're doing?!" Hermione shrieked while the two wizards just stared at her in shock.