What Is Left When All Is Said and Done

Chapter 3

The reunion at the train platform had not gone as well as expected, at least for Hermione. No one had had any hopes that meeting the Dursleys would have been a pleasant event, but she hadn't realized how hard it would be to convince her own parents to allow her to stay with Harry instead of going home. They had obviously already heard about the death of Dumbledore and while conferring with the other distraught parents waiting at Kings Cross, had decided that six years of near death experiences at the side of Harry and Ron were quite enough already. While they alternately pleaded and lectured her, she saw over their shoulders that Professor Slughorn was doing as she had asked and reminding Mr. Dursley of his promise to the late headmaster. Eventually, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, who had already said goodbye to Ron, had had to speak to her parents because her mother was becoming hysterical.

"How can you...how can you live like that?" her mother had said between sobs. "Never knowing when something might happen?" Mrs. Weasley put her arm around her mother and tried to comfort her. Hermione was reminded of the clock that sat in the Burrow's kitchen. She wondered if every hand still pointed to "mortal peril".

"Mummy, I'm sorry, but this is something I have to do. You've been proud of me for six years because I'm one of the brightest students at Hogwarts. And because of that, Harry needs me by his side, now more than ever. But even more importantly, I'm his friend." This little speech only caused her mother to burst into tears once more.

"Hermione, if what Mr. Weasley says is true, then you're a full adult now in the eyes of the wizarding world, and we won't be able to stop you from doing what you want to do. But you know that to us, you will always be our little girl." The look in his eyes and the tone in which he said this caused Hermione's own eyes to water.

"I know, Daddy. But I want you to still be proud of me. And if I went back with you and turned my back on Harry now, there's no way I would ever forgive myself. Please, Daddy. You have to understand...." By the way he looked at her in reluctant resignation she knew he did. "I love you, Daddy," she said as he hugged him. He held her tightly before letting go.

"Mummy," she said, turning to her mother, who enveloped her in a fierce embrace.

"I love you too. No matter what you do." She seemed to have accepted that she would have to let her only baby go.

"I know. And thank you. For everything," Hermione whispered, before finally letting go. "I'll try to owl you as much as I can. And please, take good care of Crookshanks for me."

She had left them and gotten into the car with Mr. Dursley, Harry, and Ron. Mr. Dursley seemed intent on pretending that neither of the passengers in the back seat existed as he rambled off rule after rule to Harry.

"There will be no magic, do you hear me, boy? No magic in the house while you are there! You and your friends are to stay away from Dudley, too. I won't have you pulling any of your tricks on him! The only reason we're letting you come back is because that damned Dimplepore...."

"Dumbledore," said Harry softly.

"What's that?" exclaimed Mr. Dursley, surprised that his nephew had spoken up after taking everything he had said so far quietly.

"I said, his name is Dumbledore! And he's dead."

"Dead? Why..."

"And I'm only going to your home because he wanted me to. We'll be gone tomorrow, and you won't ever have to see me again."

"Well...hmph." Vernon Dursley wasn't quite sure what to say to that. It seemed that for once, Harry was going to do what he wanted him to do.

The rest of the drive back to Little Whinging had been quiet and uneventful. Mrs. Dursley had been just as surprised to see Ron and Hermione as Mr. Dursley had been and strongly conveyed her disapproval at their intrusion on her hospitality, but when told it would be just for a night, had also shut up. Dudley had taken one look at Harry and Ron and scowled. When he saw her though, his eyes widened briefly before a low growl from Ron sent him scurrying away.

As it was late, the three of them had gone up to their rooms. Ron was staying in Harry's room, and Hermione had been shown the guest bedroom. Which is where she was lying right now. Normally, she would've been in Harry's room with him and Ron discussing plans for the immediate future, but she had told them that she was tired because she hadn't slept on the train and said her good night. Ron appeared a bit bereft at her leaving, but Harry seemed fine with it.

"Go on, Hermione. We've all had a long day. Horrid as it is, this may be the last safe place there is in all of England for us now, and who knows when we'll ever be able to get a full night of sleep again? Good night, Hermione. We'll see you in the morning."

Of course, just because she was exhausted didn't mean she was going straight to sleep. Not when there was something she needed that could only be found in this house. Hermione lit her wand and tiptoed to the door, opening it slightly. As she performed her next spell, she crossed her fingers and hoped that the item she wanted even existed in the first place, and secondly, that it wouldn't cause too much of a ruckus to retrieve.

"Accio Lily Potter's letter!"

A few baited breaths later, a large, creamy envelope flew through the door and into her hands. It was at least as old as she was, but the ink that had been used to write the address had not faded with time. Her hands trembled as she pulled out the Potions textbook and opened it to the last page she had been looking at. She only had a second or so to confirm that the handwriting matched before the bedroom door flew open and the lights turned on.

"What in God's name do you think you are doing?!" said Mrs. Dursley in a hushed but angry voice. Hermione could only stare at her in shock. "What is that? What did you summon to you?"

"You know...?" began Hermione.

"Of course I know what you did; I had to live with my sister every summer for six years." The older woman grabbed the envelope from her. "Now what are you doing with her wedding invitation?"

"I...I needed to verify...her handwriting," finished Hermione, lamely. This seemed to catch Petunia off guard.

"Her handwriting?" She sat down next to Hermione on the bed.

"I found something, a textbook from when she had been a student. And I wanted to see...if she had been the one to write in it."

Mrs. Dursley snorted. "That would be just like Lily to do so. Writing in textbooks. Here, let me see that." Hermione hesitantly handed the book to the woman, who held it at arm's length and looked at it down her nose. "I don't know about the rest of this scribbling, but that," she said, pointing at the part written in formerly-invisible ink, "is definitely Lily's handwriting." She closed the book, handed it back to Hermione, and stood up. Hermione could tell that she was struggling with whether or not to say what she was going to say next, so she stayed quiet.

"Since I may never see Harry again, I suppose it's time to give him this." She knelt down by the chest at the foot of the bed and opened it. "I've been saving this, keeping it hidden from Vernon all these years," she said as she dug through the layers of blankets stored in there. Finally, she found what she was looking for and stood up. "This was Lily's."

It was a locket! Hermione took the piece of jewelry from the older woman, but upon examination, realized it could not be the Horcrux they were looking for. Although it was also golden, it was small and light with no inscriptions on its cover. Inside there was a lock of red hair--Lily's hair, Hermione assumed. The trinket seemed unlikely to be an heirloom of Slytherin's, and Lord Voldemort would never have used something so austere to be one of his Horcruxes.

Still, Hermione knew that Harry would appreciate having something of his mother's. "Thank you, Mrs. Dursley. I'll be sure Harry gets it."

"You mustn't tell Vernon that I gave it to you, of course."

"No, ma'am."

"Very well. And I trust there will be no more magic tonight?"

"No, ma'am."

"Good night, then."

"Mrs. Dursley," called out Hermione as she was leaving the room. "Just one more thing before you go. Would you have a telephone book I could take a look at?"