Sirius Black's Secret Love

Chapter Ten - Christmas with Viktor

Harry spent the night tossing and turning. Spending a few hours at the Weasley household was something that he had been anxiously anticipating. Now, in retrospect he wished that he had never gone. His image of the Weasley family as being a happy family had been shattered. He now saw that it was a complicated family unit. He also saw parallels to his own relatives. That was something that he had never expected.

Harry sat up on his bed, yawned and stretched his arms. He was trying to wake up even though he was still exhausted. He looked at his watch and saw that it was 7 am. It's still early, he thought. This was the perfect time to do a little Animagus practice. By the time he had finished his detentions in Dumbledore's office he had been able to successfully assume his animal form and change back to human form with no difficulty. Unfortunately, since then he hadn't had much opportunity to practice because he was hardly ever alone and he was afraid of being seen as a snake.

Harry was now alone in his dorm room. It felt like an ideal opportunity for practice and it would also help him to shake the cobwebs out of his head. He lied down on the floor and started to focus his mind on the image of the snake. He closed his eyes and concentrated. Within a minute he made the transformation. He started to make his sinuous movements on the wooden floor when he felt vibrations. Harry slithered back towards the far side of his bed. He saw the door opening and someone walking in. Harry quickly changed back to his human form.

"Harry? Harry? Where are you?" asked Hermione anxiously.

"Er, I'm here," he replied from the floor.

"Well, Harry. What are you doing down there?" she asked licking her lips.

"I, ah, dropped my glasses," he said as he stood up.

"I just came in to wish you a Happy Christmas, Harry. I've been waiting downstairs and was feeling lonely. Come on, let's go and open our presents!"

Harry grabbed his slippers and bathrobe and followed her down to the common room. There was a pile of presents waiting for them. Harry quickly saw that there was the gift from Ron, a lumpy package from Mrs. Weasley (probably holding his annual sweater), a gift from Hagrid, a strange looking package from Dobby and an unmarked gift that had wrapping paper with dogs on the outside.

"This is from me Harry," she said handing him a box.

He opened it and found that she had given him a camera.

"I already loaded it with film, so you can use it right away. I didn't think you had one," she said.

"No, I didn't. Thank you," he said smiling.

Inwardly he wondered how Hermione always seemed to get him perfect gifts. As he handed her his gift, he hoped that she'd like it as well she had the locket. Harry had been happy to see that she wore it every day.

She unwrapped her present and immediately gave him a hug.

"These are wonderful. Thank you so much."

She tried on the pair of cashmere lined leather gloves he had given her, "They fit perfectly."

"I probably should have given them to you yesterday. Since our walk to Hogsmeade and back was so cold," Harry said.

"Yes, but then it would have spoiled my surprise."

"Oh, and here's something more," he said handing her another wrapped package. "They're lavender sachets. I helped a neighbour lady this summer harvest her lavender and she made some sachets for me to give away."

Hermione held them to her face and inhaled deeply.

"Oh, they smell heavenly," she sighed.

"The large silky one is meant for you to place over your eyes while you're trying to sleep. It's supposed to help you relax and bring pleasant dreams."

"Sounds nice," she murmured as she smelled them again.

*

Later that afternoon, Harry decided that he should at least try to get some of his homework done that was assigned over the holidays. And since Ron had started his Divination assignment, Harry thought that he should get his started, too. The difficulty was persuading Hermione to let him do a reading for her.

"Honestly, Harry. I don't know why you and Ron are still taking that class. Trelawney's such a fraud."

"I know," he nodded, "but it's a nice break from all the tougher subjects such as Transfiguration and Potions. It's kind of nice to have something I don't have to work very hard at in my schedule."

Hermione scowled at that.

"Besides, it's a little hard to switch electives this late in the game. If I switched to Arithmancy, I'll have missed two years of lessons."

Her face softened a little at that, "Well that is true. You would be dreadfully behind."

"Okay, let me get everything set up," Harry said. "Trelawney gave us all some special tea to help, you know to get our 'vibrations' going."

Harry didn't have the same luck with scrying that Ron did. So rather than using a pan of water, he lit some incense instead hoping that would help him. The tea he drank was a special herbal blend of peppermint, mugwort, damiana, chamomile, gotu kola, rosemary, rose petals and a tiny pinch of sweet leaf. It tasted minty yet a tad floral, not the nasty taste he had expected. He thought of Mrs. Weasley's aversion to tea reading and inwardly agreed. He consciously refused to look at the soggy lump of leaves at the bottom of the cup when he finished.

"Please sit on the other side of this table and I'll hold your hands and try to allow any visions to come to me."

Hermione sat down at the table near the fireplace and rolled her eyes as she extended her hands toward Harry. He started to breathe in the incense, feel the warmth of the fire and started to get the same woozy feeling he would get in the North Tower in Trelawney's classroom. He started to feel a bit drowsy and his eyes closed. As he started to fall asleep a vision started to form.

"I see two shadows before you. You're torn between them. One crosses your heart and the other on your head. You're struggling inside as to which one to follow."

"Thanks a lot, Harry!" she spat at him as she wrenched her hands free. "If you and Ron want to make things up as you go along, that's fine. But please don't try to pretend you're seeing things and say things to me that are hurtful."

She stood up and had tears streaming down her face.

"You know how I hate it that Ron keeps accusing me of all kinds of things with Viktor. I thought you were different from him and that you understood. But no, instead you take this opportunity to say mean things to me because Ron's not here and you dress it up as being 'homework.' Well, I don't have to stay here and take this kind of insult from someone I thought was my friend."

Harry watched her as she ran up the dormitory stairs to her room. He sat dazed at the table for a few minutes and then he slowly walked up the stairs to the girls' dormitory. He listened at the door and could hear her sobbing. He knocked softly at the door.

"Hermione, can I come in?"

"Go away!"

"I'm sorry, Hermione. I didn't mean to hurt you. I want to talk with you, please can I come in?"

A small voice croaked, "Okay."

Harry felt a little nervous entering the girls' dormitory. He had never been there before and felt very out of place. He entered the room and saw that it looked exactly like the boys' dorms except that their bedside tables had make-up and stuffed animals strewn about them. Hermione was sitting on her bed and didn't look at him as he crossed to sit next to her.

"Hermione, what's going on? There's more than you being mad at me for giving a vague reading. Come on, you can tell me. We've been through a lot together."

"Oh Harry, I don't know what to do about Viktor," she looked at him finally with her eyes shining with tears. "I don't even know why he likes me. I mean, does he really like me or is it something else? He was the first guy to show any interest in me and I don't even know if it was because of me, if it was because I was the only girl who didn't fawn all over him or if...if it was because of you. And I don't know whether or not he's trying to get to you through me."

"Hermione," he said softly. "What if...what if you were going to a Muggle school and none of the worries we have about Dark Magic came into play?"

She looked at him puzzled.

"What if some older classmate asked you to a dance you that wanted to go to. A guy you didn't know much about, but that you found unattractive. I remember what you said when you first saw a picture of Viktor. You said he looked grumpy. So, if a guy that you weren't interested in had asked you out and if he wasn't sought after by all the other girls in school because he was a star athlete...would you have said yes - just because you wanted to go to a dance? Maybe because you were afraid no one else would ask you? Would you have said yes or no to this guy?"

She lowered her head, "I don't know."

"How do you feel about Viktor?" Harry asked quietly.

She shook her head slowly, "That's just it. I don't know. I feel like I should like him. After all so many other girls would give anything to have his attention, it's just that...I sort of feel like I'm forcing myself to be nice to him."

"So you're not interested in him?"

"I don't know. He's been very kind and sweet, so I should happy that a guy is nice to me, but...but I don't know if I'm being fair to him. He seems to really like me and I just don't know if I'll ever feel the same way towards him. I just don't want to hurt his feelings."

Harry felt a sick feeling growing in his stomach - was he ever going to find a girl who didn't want to talk to him about another boy? Hermione was telling him a story just like Cho had told him. He was fast becoming every girl's best friend to talk to about "boy problems." Would any girl ever think of him as boyfriend material? Or was he just destined to be sought after like Krum was because of his celebrity with no one liking him for what he was like on the inside?

Harry started thinking about the conversation he had with Ron.

"He hasn't done anything to you has he?" asked Harry.

"What do you mean?"

"Forced you to umm, you know..."

She looked at him blankly for a few moments before it dawned on her what he was getting at. "No!"

"Ron's been worried about that. You would tell us if he hurts you in any way. We'll protect you, you know that."

She nodded with her head downcast.

Harry lifted her chin, "Hermione, you're very special. I'm lucky to have you in my life and I hate seeing you this way. If you don't really like him, you're doing yourself and him a disservice. That is if he's only dating you because of you and not doing it as a way to get to me. I'm sorry that you're in this predicament of wondering whether or not he really likes you. It's all because of me. I hate worrying that Dark Wizards will try to get to you and Ron because you're my best friends."

"Oh Harry, please stop," she pleaded.

"No, I feel responsible for you. Heck I can't even have a normal crush on a girl like Cho because she's afraid she'll die if she even talks with me. After what happened to Cedric I can't blame her."

"Stop that," Hermione snapped at him. "How many times do I have to tell you? You are not responsible for Cedric's death. The blame rests solely on Voldemort. And I would never trade our friendship in for anything in the world. I've never had two closer friends than you and Ron."

"How about your friends in the Muggle world? Do you still keep in touch with them?"

"What friends?" she said bitterly. "I never really had any close school chums growing up. I think I intimidated people too much. There were some who wanted to copy my work, so they pretended to be my friend, but they really didn't care for me," then she paused. "How about you?"

Harry shook his head. "No, me neither. My cousin Dudley made sure that I never had any friends. He bullied anyone that ever took a step in my direction. You and Ron are my first friends."

"Oh Harry, I'm sorry about that," she said with her eyes watering again. "Look at us, a pair of misfits. Heck, I don't even get on that well with Lavender and Parvati. All they're interested in is fashion and boys. I'm so tired of hearing them discuss every boy in such vivid detail."

"Have they talked about me?"

"Everyone. Believe me, you don't want to know what's going on in their heads."

"Well, I don't think you'd want to hear what Ron says about all the girls in school when you're not around."

"You're right," she nodded. "I wouldn't want to hear that. I think I'd better get ready for dinner. Viktor's coming to join us."

"He is?" Harry said startled.

"Yes. I couldn't very well tell him he couldn't come. Professor Dumbledore made that big speech saying anyone from Durmstrang or Beauxbatons would be welcome back here anytime. He knows I didn't go home for the holidays, otherwise he'd try to visit me there. So he's coming here for dinner. I just don't know how I feel about him," she sighed.

"You don't have to decide that today," Harry said patting her hand.

"I was thinking of inviting him back here to the common room after dinner..."
"Absolutely not!" Harry said alarmed. "He can't come in here Hermione. What if he is a spy? He'd get the password and also information about Gryffindor tower. He would also be alone with you and could harm you just to get to me. It's too dangerous."

She nodded and Harry wiped a tear off her cheek. "You could go for a walk around the lake with him and have Hagrid walk behind as a chaperone. I'll watch from the tower with my Firebolt and wand at the ready."

"Oh Harry," she threw her arms around him and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "You are my best friend. I don't know what I'd ever do if I were to lose you."

Harry's cheek felt really warm from where she'd kissed him. He looked at her puffy eyes and knew that it was because she cared for him deeply as a friend. A best friend. He knew that he should say something kind to make her feel better, but it came out a little less cheerful than he had hoped.

"Well, I've made it this far," he gave a wan smile. "I'm hoping just to last another school year if possible. That is with a little help from my friends. Come on, we don't want to be late for dinner."

She nodded, "I need to change and fix my face a little. I'll meet you downstairs in ten minutes. Thanks for the talk Harry."

"Anytime, Hermione. Anytime."

*

Harry sat on the couch in the common room waiting for Hermione. He kept checking his watch and saw that twenty minutes had now passed. What was taking her so long, he wondered. Then he saw her walking down the staircase. She was wearing a floor length ruby red velvet dress with a sweetheart neckline. She had applied makeup that covered up the fact she had been crying. She had also swept her hair off her shoulders and tied it into a knot. Harry felt his throat go dry.

Hermione slowly wet her red lips and looked at him.

"Well, Harry?"

He looked at her slowly as if he had never seen her before. Her neckline accentuated her developing bosom and she looked incredibly mature. He had a hard time recognizing that the skinny little girl he had met so many years ago on the Hogwarts Express was now standing before him as a beautiful young woman. He looked at her and then finally remembered to blink.

"Er, Hermione...you look beautiful," he croaked.

"Thank you," she said giving him a warm smile.

"Is that the dress Viktor bought for you?"

She nodded.

"It looks very nice on you."

Then he noticed that she wasn't wearing her locket. Harry had gotten so used to seeing her wear it, that her neck now looked bare.

"How come you're not wearing..." he started.

"I didn't want to upset him," she said averting his gaze.

Harry started feeling very uncomfortable about bringing up a subject that obviously was a sensitive one with her.

"Umm, why don't I take a picture? Try out the new camera you gave me."

Harry then grabbed his camera and snapped a few pictures of her.

"Why don't we get one together?" she suggested.

"But I don't have a tripod."

"Harry, we can always just levitate the camera," she said simply.

Hermione took the camera and waved her wand over it giving a few spells and charms. Then she stood next to Harry and casually put her arm around his back. He followed suit and found himself glancing down at her neckline. He smiled and faced the camera just in time so he wouldn't be caught on film gaping at her chest.

As Harry stood there he felt for the first time an overwhelming urge to pull her in his arms and kiss her. He looked in her eyes and saw that she was barely holding it together. If he kissed her it was likely that she'd start sobbing all over again. That might cause him to lose her as a friend. He forced himself to resist the urge. Then he started wondering if he was really attracted to Hermione or if he was simply longing for female companionship. Maybe he was simply reacting to having his arm around her and that he was under the spell of her red dress.

"Come on, Harry. We're late."

Harry nodded and extended his arm to her. She took it and they walked silently to the Great Hall to join the others for dinner. He couldn't help but think about how Hermione had changed in the last few months. This confident young woman seemed to be afraid of upsetting Krum and was now changing things about herself. Harry knew that wasn't right. Hermione was a spirited young woman and shouldn't have to worry about how anyone reacts to being true to herself. He was beginning to understand why Ron had been so vocal in his distrust towards Krum.

Before they reached the front door of the Great Hall, Hermione dropped her hand from Harry's arm. They walked in to find Viktor Krum engaged in an animated conversation with Dumbledore. When Krum looked up and saw Hermione, he immediately stopped talking and walked over to her. He took her right hand in his and he lifted it to his lips. Then he spun her around as if she were a doll and whirled her into his arms. Hermione looked distinctly embarrassed by this show. Harry turned away lest anyone see his face filling with anger.

"Herm-own-ninny! You look bootiful in that dress. Merry Christmas," Krum said as he produced a present for her.

She unwrapped it and gasped. He had given her a pearl necklace and earrings.

"Viktor! Are these real?"

"Of course. Nothing but the best for you."

"I can't accept this," she said firmly handing the box back to him. "That's too much."

"Nonsense. I vant you to haff this. You need a pearl necklace to go with your dress," he insisted.

He placed the necklace around her neck and fastened the clasp. His fingers lingered at the nape of her neck.

"Yes, that looks much better. Here put on the earrings."

She complied and Harry looked around to see that Hagrid, Snape, McGonagall and Dumbledore were all looking suspiciously at Krum. Hermione blushed when she realized that everyone was staring at her.

"I'm sorry we were late. Happy Christmas everyone," she said apologetically.

*

After the Christmas dinner was over, the professors and the few other students who had stayed over the holidays excused themselves one by one. Hagrid was soon the only one left besides Harry, Hermione and Krum in the Great Hall. Harry had been expecting Hermione to go for a walk outside, but as the time dragged on it looked like she had decided against that. Instead she sat with Krum on the couch before a fireplace and was reading to him from a leather bound book that she had given him on famous British poets.

Harry and Hagrid sat across the room from the couple. They could still listen to her voice as she read. It was enchanting. For the first time he understood why some of the poets that she had admired were worthy of her praise. Harry was trying to pass the time with Hagrid, but he really just wanted to take Hermione by the hand and leave Krum behind.

"Harry, yer not payin' attention to what yer doin'," complained Hagrid. "We're supposed to be carvin' flutes. That's another long pointy stick ya' made."

Harry looked down and realized that once again he had simply taken his knife and been absentmindedly cutting the wood until it resembled a very sharp wooden stake.

"Maybe you can use these to hunt vampires with," he said as he focused his eyes on Krum and Hermione.

"Here's one by William Wordsworth, I think you'll like. It's called 'Character of the Happy Warrior," Hermione said to Krum.

"Who is the happy Warrior? Who is he
That every man in arms should wish to be?
--It is the generous Spirit, who, when brought
Among the tasks of real life, hath wrought
Upon the plan that pleased his boyish thought:
Whose high endeavors are an inward light
That makes the path before him always bright:
Who, with a natural instinct to discern
What knowledge can perform, is diligent to learn;
Abides by this resolve, and stops not there,
But makes his moral being his prime care;
Who, doomed to go in company with Pain,
And Fear, and Bloodshed, miserable train!
Turns his necessity to glorious gain;
In face of these doth exercise a power
Which is our human nature's highest dower"

"Hey Harry, that poem sounds like it describes you," said Hagrid.

Harry nodded and then noticed that Krum had moved closer to Hermione on the couch. He now had one arm around her and was massaging a shoulder with one hand and his other hand was caressing her knees. Harry felt the blood rising inside of him. He now would have another image to help him to focus on for his Animagus training.

Krum turned his head and looked directly at Harry. Krum had a smug look on his face, while Harry tried to keep his face expressionless. He knew that Krum must have known that he was upset at the roaming hands on Hermione. For some reason, she hadn't said or done anything to show that his advances were unwelcome. And yet, as he looked at her profile, she looked very uncomfortable and was becoming increasingly agitated.

"Watch what yer doin' Harry. Ya' almos' took yer thumb off," said Hagrid.

Harry looked down and saw that he had taken a very big slice off the end of his latest piece of wood and that it had been dangerously close to his left thumb.

"Mebbe we should stop the whittlin' tonight," Hagrid suggested.

Harry nodded as he put down the knife and his now very sharp piece of wood.

"Keep it clean, over there! Watch where yer hands are goin'," growled Hagrid at Krum.

Harry shot Hagrid an appreciative look.

"It's getting late Viktor. I think I should turn in," Hermione said while giving a wide yawn.

"Yes, vell. It is late and I do have to several Apparation trips to make," he said as she walked him to the door.

"Good-bye Viktor, Happy Christmas," Hermione said.

Krum reached into his pocket and pulled out some mistletoe and held it over his head. Hermione blushed scarlet and reached up to kiss him on the cheek. He pulled her to his chest and kissed her so forcefully that it caused her to bend backwards.

"I'll send you an owl 'ven I get home," Krum said as he left.

Hermione nodded. As she turned back to the room, she carefully avoided looking at Harry.

"Ready to go back?" Harry asked.

She nodded and they walked to Gryffindor Tower in silence. After entering the common room, Harry turned to her.

"Hermione, would you like to talk?"

"Not now, Harry," she said her voice thick with emotion. "I just need to go to bed. I have a lot of things that I need to sort through by myself. I'll see you in the morning."

He watched her walk up the stairway to the girls' dormitory. Her posture had changed dramatically in a few hours time. Now her head was downcast and her shoulders rounded. Harry was now in total agreement with Ron. It was wrong for her to be dating Krum. It was just plain wrong.

*

The next day Hermione was very moody. She hardly said two words over breakfast and announced that she was exhausted and needed a nap immediately after they returned to Gryffindor Tower. At lunchtime, Harry wound up knocking on the girls' dormitory door and Hermione answered back that she wanted to sleep through lunch.

Harry saw Dumbledore and asked him privately about any news from Little Whinging.

"Yes, everyone is fine," Dumbledore assured him. "There were a few monitors and enchantments that were destroyed and one Kneazle was killed, but everything will be repaired shortly. Professor Figg will fill you in on all the details when she returns."

By dinnertime, Harry had begun to get very worried about Hermione. She had been sleeping all day long. He was determined that after dinner he was going to talk with her about how dating Krum had changed her. And how it was not for the better.

After another silent meal, Hermione was getting ready to excuse herself when Harry asked her something that had been bothering him for months.

"Hermione, where do you go after dinner? You've been doing this for months now. What are you up to?"

She looked him in the eyes as if she were searching his very soul.

"Do you promise you won't laugh at me?" she pleaded.

"I promise," he said sounding wounded.

"Alright, I'll show you. Come with me."

Hermione took him by the hand and led him once again through the secret door to the kitchens. As soon as they entered the house-elves stopped what they were doing and gathered around the two students.

"Miss Hermione, we've missed you."

"Tell us, what happens next."

"We can't wait!"

"What's happening with Little Eva and Miss Ophelia?"

"Hermione, what are they talking about?" asked Harry.

She gave him a smile and pulled out a paperback book from her robe pocket.

"I've been reading to them. Every day. They're hooked on a story."

"What one is that?" he asked curiously.

Then Hermione started to giggle. Harry hadn't seen her laugh in days and he realized how much he had missed that.

"I'm reading them 'Uncle Tom's Cabin,'" she said proudly. "If it was important enough to help spark the Civil War in the United States, it certainly could do wonders for our house-elves. I am determined to foment a rebellion."

Her eyes were flashing as she said that. Harry looked at the determination in her face and didn't feel like laughing at all. Instead his jaw dropped. All that talk of goblin rebellions had taken root in Hermione and now she was determined that she was going to lead the house-elves in a similar political movement. This was a far cry from making badges and trying to enlist students to join a club. She was actually trying to incite a revolution.

Hermione made herself comfortable on a stool and opened the book and started reading. The house-elves had all stopped their work and were sitting around on chairs, stools and on the floor in front of her in rapt attention. Dobby had come up to Harry and offered him a cup of tea and some cake before he, too sat down to listen to Hermione read the latest installment.

"It's all nonsense to talk to me about slaves enjoying all this! To this day, I have no patience with the unutterable trash that some of your patronizing Northerners have made up, as in their zeal to apologize for our sins. We all know better. Tell me that any man living wants to work all his days, from day-dawn till dark, under the constant eye of a master, without the power of putting forth one irresponsible volition, on the same dreary, monotonous, unchanging toil, and all for two pairs of pantaloons and a pair of shoes a year, with enough food and shelter to keep him in working order! Any man who thinks that human beings can, as a general thing, be made about as comfortable that way as any other, I wish he might try it. I'd buy the dog, and work him, with a clear conscience!"

"Ooooh," squeaked one of the house-elves sitting near Harry.

When Hermione finished the chapter, her audience applauded and came up to thank her profusely. She demurred and promised to come the next day after dinner and read the next installment.

"In talking with them, I found out that they have different chants to deal with miserable masters. It's in a language that humans don't understand, so they could use it openly. I've been convincing them to share all those songs and chants with one another. To compare notes, so to speak," she said grinning.

The house-elves had returned to cleaning the dinner dishes and began chanting a song that sounded very hypnotic. Harry couldn't help but stare in amazement at the change in the attitudes of the house-elves in a matter of a few months of Hermione's tutelage.

"Harry Potter! Dobby is happy to see you again," said the house-elf as he squeezed Harry about the waist. "Dobby didn't say hello earlier, because I was not wanting to interrupt Miss Hermione's reading. Did Harry Potter have a good Christmas?"

"Umm, well, it was okay," he said giving a smile to Hermione.

"Dobby is grateful for the socks you gave. Harry Potter is very generous!"

"You're welcome," Harry said feeling slightly embarrassed. "And um, thanks for your gift."

Soon Hermione and Harry were leaving the kitchens with several éclairs and pastries that were forced into their hands by Dobby and others. Harry looked at Hermione and saw a dramatic change in her countenance. She no longer looked depressed, but instead looked determined.

"What made you think of reading that book to them?" asked Harry.

"This summer when I started talking with Winky I realized that I couldn't just work for the liberation of house-elves without their consent. You see, it's sort of like animals bred in captivity. You cannot just release them into the wild. House-elves have been taught since birth to accept their oppression. This has been their legacy for generations. It was wrong of me to just try and end the enslavement of house-elves without first introducing them to liberation ideology. They have to first recognize that they are enslaved and understand the fundamental injustice of it, before they can yearn for freedom."

"So how did you get them to start listening to you?"

"Well, first I had to convince them that it was okay for them to take a break from work. That took a little bit of persuasion. I convinced them that Dumbledore approves of them taking breaks and also that I come to visit them regularly. To get them used to listening to me read, I started out with a story I thought they'd like. They soon all stopped work to listen when they started hearing the tale."

"What was that?" Harry asked.

"Rumplestiltskin," she said proudly.

"Huh?"

"Rumplestiltskin. The old fairy tale of a funny little man that helped the miller's daughter. Except when I read it to them and showed them an illustrated children's book, I told them it was the story of a freed house-elf. They did not treat it as if it were a simple fairy tale. They actually treated it as if it were historical fact."

"Really?" he said surprised.

"Really. And what amazed me is that they did not seem surprised at all with the idea of spinning straw into gold. Which makes me pause a little to wonder if that is part of the house-elf magic we've heard so much about. They really are fascinating creatures. They have this whole house-elf culture that I don't think most wizards know anything about. They meet in secret at night and swap stories about how best to deal with oppressive and violent masters. They actually have an underground that has in the past only been used to help them learn how to love being submissive. They actually refer to it as 'liberation through submission,'" Hermione shuddered. "This was believed to help them from being violently mistreated. Now, I think we can get Dobby and some of the other Hogwarts elves to change the message in the underground to one of 'liberation through revolution.'"

"Dobby as a revolutionary?" Harry said sounding surprised.

"Don't laugh. He has really warmed to being in a leadership role. Anyway, after I read Rumplestiltskin to them, I read some poetry to them. The book I gave Viktor, I first tried out on them. Then after they got used to me coming every day, I started reading this book. When I finish this, I've got some speeches and writings by William Lloyd Garrison, Frederick Douglass, and Sojourner Truth as well as some poems by Langston Hughes. Later, when I think they're ready, I'll start giving them history lessons regarding goblin rebellions."

"What does Dumbledore think about all of this?"

"He's been very supportive. He'd like to treat them all as free elves. He's willing to pay them all wages and treat them as regular employees. That is when they are mentally ready to accept their change in status. He also thinks that our house-elves could lead a house-elf rebellion that could lead to all of their liberation. He thinks they could be as independent and powerful as the goblins. Heck, if Dobby could overpower Lucius Malfoy, then it just demonstrates that they have magical powers that wizards need to reckon with. I want to help enlist them in our war against the forces of evil."

"You haven't told Viktor about this?"

"Nooo, this is top secret. Only Dumbledore and now you know about this," said Hermione.

"You're pretty amazing. You know that don't you?" Harry said smiling at her.

"Thanks," she said sounding relieved, "it's good to know that someone appreciates me."

After they entered the Gryffindor common room, Hermione was just about to head for the staircases to the dormitories when Harry stopped her.

"Hermione, don't go upstairs just yet. I need to talk to you about something."

"What is it?"

"Why don't we sit down first?"

They sat down on opposite ends of the couch and Harry took a deep breath.

"Hermione, this is difficult for me to say, so please hear me out," he began.

She nodded.

"I have to tell you that as a friend, I don't like seeing you with Viktor. You've changed since you started dating him. I can see you're not happy. You've lost some of your self-confidence. Hermione, tonight I saw the real you. If you can't share that with someone you're dating...then they don't know who you really are. And from the little that I've seen between you and Viktor, I'm not sure he cares who you are at all. You seem to be a doll that he wants to dress up and show off. He has no idea of the brilliant and compassionate person you really are."

Hermione looked long and hard at Harry and then spoke, "You're absolutely right. I've been thinking about that all last night and all today. It's all I could think about. Viktor was very kind and sweet when we first started dating. But lately, he's become jealous, manipulative and controlling. It's a terrible combination. He's wanted me to send him an owl every day. Which is silly, because it takes an owl at least three days to get to Bulgaria. So I can't get a reply from him for about a week. Yet he wants me to just write to him daily and tell him everything. It's his way to try and control me. That necklace yesterday was really the last straw."

"Why is that?"

"Because it is very expensive. There are strings attached to that type of gift. Intangible ones. And he disregarded my feelings on the matter and made me accept it in front of everyone. Then when he..." she began to look uncomfortable.

"I wanted to beat him up," growled Harry. "Only I didn't know what you wanted me to do."

"You were right about not inviting him back here. I don't want to imagine what he might have tried to do without Hagrid around," she shuddered.

"What are you going to do now?" Harry asked.

"I'm going to break up with him," she said resolutely. "The only problem is when and how. I just don't think it would be fair to him to do it by owl post. I think he deserves to be told in person. So in the meantime, I'll have to pretend like everything is okay when I send him letters. Only now I'll give the school owls a break and only send him a letter once a week at the most."

"I guess that means you'll have to wait until the next Hogsmeade weekend."

"Yeah. That'll really be something to look forward to," she said with a rueful smile.

"If you want my help in any way, please let me know."

"Thanks Harry, I may need you there. At least standing nearby under your Invisibility Cloak. I'm not sure how he'll take the news."

"I'll be there," he said firmly.

*