To Have and to Want

Harry's next few weeks were split between feeling miserable, being cheered up, without success, by Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Professor Lupin, and spending long periods pouring over the strange fake cup they 'd recovered with Smith and Professor Flitwick. Smith was very eager to recover the real cup, and Harry, to make sure he stayed eager, didn't tell him what he intended to do with it.

The morning of the next Hogsmeade visit, Harry was shaken awake by a worried Ron. Since what they called "the Stonehenge trip", the three of them usually spent their time together, but Harry felt they approached a breakthrough on their work on the tracking charm with Professor Flitwick. Even if Smith and Flitwick decided to head off, Harry wouldn't join them. He didn't think he'd have much fun in Hogsmeade after.... This meant that Ron and Hermione would go there in each other's company.

"Harry! Harry!" Ron shouted.

"Huh? What?" Harry sat up.

"Help me!"

"How? Ron,"--he frowned-- "do you know what time it is?"

"I know. I can't sleep."

"All right," Harry said, getting up. "What?"

"I want to ask Hermione out."

Harry laughed. "Finally."

"How? It's already--"

"You're right. If you ask her out on a date to Hogsmeade, she'll get mad."

"Why?"

"Do the words 'Yule Ball' and 'last resort' ring any bells?"

"So what--"

"Don't ask her on a date now. Go as friends, the way you usually do, and ask her to be your girlfriend in the course of the day."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that. She fancies you."

Harry, knowing he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep, dressed up and headed downstairs to get breakfast.

"I know what I saw, Dean!" Parvati yelled.

"Yeah, whatever." Dean looked frustrated. Harry blushed and turned away. He finished breakfast as quickly as possible, and then headed to Flitwick's office to work on the tracking charm.

He didn't get far--thoughts of Ron and Hermione, and--useless, but he couldn't help it--thoughts of Parvati--kept entering his head. Harry was unpleasantly reminded of last year, when the same thoughts about Dean and Ginny occupied him.

In the early afternoon, Professor Flitwick walked in. "Any progress?" he asked.

Harry showed him. "Voldemort's tracking charm completely obscures the real one, and we can't risk destroying the fake cup, since that might take out both leads." He remembered something Hermione said last year, when they learned tracking charms. "They vary in strength periodically, don't they?"

Flitwick nodded. "The charm is usually strongest on the day it was cast. When would this be?"

"I don't know. But Mr. Smith might."

Harry left to look for Smith, and found him in the library, reading an old volume called The Hufflepuff Family Line: Facts, Guesses, and Mysteries. He wasn't pleased when Harry interrupted him.

"What do you want, Potter? You and Flitwick know more about tracking charms than I do, so I don't see what you really need me for. Or should I say Granger and Flitwick?"

"Shut up," Harry said. "Do you have any idea when the charm might have been cast?"

"The real one--or the fake one?"

"The real," Harry replied.

"What do you mean, when? A thousand--"

"No. The day."

To Harry's surprise, Smith didn't hesitate. "Christmas," he said.

"Are you sure?"

"If I know anything about Helga Hufflepuff and her descendants, yes. Christmas was always special to them... to us. More than any other day. Still is."

"Very well. Since tracking charms are strongest on the day they were cast, we'll attempt to get through the fake spell this Christmas. We'll meet us at Madam Rosmerta's at nine in the evening."

"Christmas eve?"

Harry nodded.

Smith shrugged and agreed. "There's just one problem, Potter. What if You-Know-Who cast his spell on the same day?"

"Doubtful."

"Why?"

"The real cup used to be where we found the fake. The charm is relatively recent--Flitwick is absolutely certain of that. That means Voldemort was in a hurry to hide it. So I don't think he could wait. And if doesn't work, we'll have to try something else. But I think this is our best chance."

"I'll be there, Potter," Smith growled and turned his face back into the book. Harry returned to the common room. He wanted to tell Ron and Hermione about his plan, but, as they might be in a dating mood by now, he had no intention of going into Hogsmeade to seek them out.

As soon as the Fat Lady opened the door, Harry heard sobs. He was shocked to see that it was Parvati, crouched alone on the couch.

"Parvati?" Harry whispered. "Are you okay?"

"No," she answered.

"Can I help?"

"No. No one can. Especially not you."

Harry didn't react to the rudeness, instead sitting down next to her. "Parvati--"

"You're asking me to trust you. How can--"

"Parvati," he said suddenly, "do you remember that night? When I walked in on Ginny and Padma?"
Parvati cried even harder. "I saw... no. You--"

"I what? What you told me that night... meant a lot to me. You have no idea how much."

"And we had a conversation about Divination."

"Huh?"

"You think it's rubbish." Parvati looked at him. "Please don't lie, Harry." She then paused. "Dean thinks it's rubbish, too."

Harry suppressed the jealousy. "I think Trelawney's classes were rubbish," he said. "But I know there are such things as Seers, prophecies, and correct predictions."

Parvati paused. "Why am I even talking to you about..."

"Parvati. Ginny and I talked the next day after our... encounter."

"I didn't know that," Parvati said. "What--"

Harry debated whether to tell her about a "special girl", but decided this wasn't the time. "She asked me whether we were still friends, now that any possibilities of a romantic relationship were over."

"And?"

"And I'm now asking you the same thing, Parvati. I want your friendship. And whether or not you believe me, I made a mistake in not telling you that I was leaving. A mistake I regret--"

Parvati shook her head. "I didn't tell you one thing. The things I see in the crystal ball... I don't know what they mean... but when it's specific enough... they always happen. Always."

"You saw something."

"Myself... or maybe Padma... It wasn't clear. I... she... was falling."

Harry sat in silence.

"Dean laughed it off. So--"

Harry didn't want to talk about it. "I never saw anything in the ball myself, but I believe you. But there's little we can do about it, right? Unless you and Padma are planning to avoid all the places you can fall from. That's a pretty limited world, you know."

This time, Parvati smiled. "Harry..."

"You didn't answer my question. Are we still friends?"

"What do you think?"

"From this conversation, I'm cautiously optimistic."

"It's sort of hard to be friends with an ex-boyfriend. You aren't friends with Cho Chang, are you?"
Harry wasn't taken. "I never tried, and I didn't want to. I didn't really know Cho."

"And you think you know me? Do you, Harry?"

"Uhm..."

"You don't think I'm 'too direct, too stubborn, and unwilling to listen to reason'?"

"What?"

"Dean's words on his breaking up with me. Right in Madam Puddyfoot's, in front of half the school."

"What?" Harry couldn't believe it.

"I just don't think 'listening to reason' means listening to how the crystal ball is useless and how stupid you are."

"He's right about stubborn and direct parts, though. I just consider those compliments."

Parvati sighed. "We never really did much together. I just followed my usual method of getting over the pain of a previous breakup. It didn't work this time. And neither did..."

"Breaking things in the Room of Requirement?" Harry asked.

"You remembered!"

"I remember a lot of things. And what do you plan to do to get over the pain of this breakup?"

Parvati looked at him. "I don't need to. There is no pain." She took in a skeptical look from him. "Harry..."

Almost instinctively, they moved closer to each other. Harry put his arm around Parvati and leaned in. She didn't resist.

"No," Harry said. "I won't do this."

"What? Why not?"
"Parvati, I trust you. With my life. I trust you to go into danger alongside me. I meant it when I said I had made a mistake."

"So why--"

"Because after what you did, I'm not sure I can trust you as a girlfriend. As a friend, yes. But do you expect us to always agree? We won't. Ad if you run off to Dean or someone every time something passes between us--"

"How dare you?!" Parvati shouted and drew her wand.

Harry didn't back off. "What else does it look like? If you intended to make me jealous, you did that and more. But how can I trust you as a girlfriend after that?"

Parvati didn't reply for a while. "Does that mean it's over?" she finally said. "No chance at all?"
"I didn't say that," Harry replied. "I'd just like to get to know you better. As a friend. If, of course, we are friends. You still didn't answer my question."

Parvati laughed. "And you think I'm stubborn? I guess we are. Are you sure?"

"I am. And you know I'm right. If I'm ever ready to trust you as a girlfriend, you'll be the first to know."

"It may be too late," Parvati threatened.

"I'll take that risk," Harry replied.

Ron entered the common room, looking grim. "Oh. Did you two make up?" he asked, annoyed.

Parvati shrugged. "Yes and no," she said.

"What happened?" Harry asked

"Harry, can I talk to you alone?" he asked.

Parvati shrugged and headed upstairs. "Well?" Harry asked.

"Well, what? She fancies me! I know! She just can't believe you do too! You have a lot to answer for!" Ron yelled.

"You asked Hermione to be your girlfriend?"

"Yes."

"And?"

"And her exact response was, 'I need time to think.'"

"She said that?"

Ron nodded. "And then we had a huge argument--"

"She wouldn't have said that. She--"

"She did," Ron said.

"I'm going to talk to her." Harry headed for the door.

"Harry, you can't--" But Harry was already rushing downstairs. He ran into Hermione on the fifth floor.

"Hermione!" he shouted.

"Well, I guess Ron told the story," she said.

"Hermione, did you really say you needed time to think? After Ron asked you be his girlfriend?"
"Yes! What's wrong with that? Considering this is Ron we're talking about, considering how he reacted to Ginny and Padma, doesn't it make sense--"

"No! No, it doesn't! You admitted you love him! What--"

"I do! It's--"

"Then you're crazy, Hermione. No, strike that. You're both crazy! You'll never get together the way both of you like it. So just forget it and do it. Give the Gryffindor tower a new topic for gossip. We're all bored with your antics and I'm tired of seeing my best friends dance around like that when they clearly fancy each other and everyone knows it!" When Hermione attempted to interrupt, Harry looked at her. "And you know something else?"
"What? I can't just--"

"By the time you decide, it may be too late."

XXX

For the next month Ron and Hermione remained polite but cool to each other. Harry's attempts to persuade Hermione to change her mind came to nothing, since Hermione found what the situation between him and Parvati was and retorted every attempt with "Practice what you preach." There was a bonus to this. Harry decided he no longer needed to prod his two friends to admit their feelings. This allowed him to spend more time with Parvati.

Christmas Eve came, Harry felt, too soon. He ate his dinner quickly, and telling Ron and Hermione he'd meet them at the Three Broomsticks, left the Great Hall. Despite not knowing where he'd have to go, he planned extensively for this day, as best he could. He soon came out of his dorm, loaded with equipment.

"Hey, Ginny," he said. "Do you know where Parvati is?"

"Upstairs. I'll get her," she said and headed to the girls' dormitories, appearing a few moments later with Parvati in tow.

"Quidditch practice?" Parvati asked sarcastically, looking over Harry with his Firebolt.

Harry shook his head. "I don't like this, Parvati, but I'm not going to make the same mistake twice. I'm going on a dangerous mission--"

"I'm coming," Parvati said without hesitation. "Do I need anything?"

"A broomstick and warm clothes," Harry said. "Ginny--"

"We're coming too. I'll get Padma," she said. "Where do we meet?"
"Madam Rosmerta's, in,"--Harry looked at his watch-- "fifteen minutes."

"I'll be there," Parvati said and almost ran upstairs.

She was as good as her word, Harry noted. Madam Rosmerta must have had the busiest Christmas in a long time, as students--all members of the D.A.--gathered and talked.

"Several of you know why we're here," he said. "For those that don't, I want you take a careful look at this." He held up the fake Hufflepuff cup.

"A badger?" Theodore Nott said with interest. "This can't--"

"Helga Hufflepuff's," Harry continued. "Smith here's related."

Smith looked at him but said nothing. The Hufflepuff wasn't actually Helga's descendant. His great-grandfather was a child of Hepzibah Smith's husband by another woman. Smith didn't want this advertised, however, and Harry respected his wish.

"Unfortunately," Harry said, "this is fake. It's a very good copy--but only that. Our objective is to recover the real one, which was hidden and protected by Voldemort."

"Where?" Padma asked.

"That's what we'll try to find out now." He placed the cup on the table.

Smith took out his medallion and showed it to everyone. "We'll try to catch the real tracking charm, which should be most powerful tonight, among the noise of the fake."

He case the spell and waited. Several seconds passed, during which everyone stayed quite, even though the "noise" Smith mentioned was metaphorical.

Smith paused. "Nothing," he said. "The fake is too powerful."

"Maybe we should move it farther off?" Nott suggested.

"That's not how tracking charms work," Hermione retorted. "I think our only real chance is to destroy the cup."

"But that could--" Smith tried.

"I know, but Hermione's right," Harry said. "Stand back!"

"Why?" Greengrass asked.

"Voldemort made this thing. He likes nasty surprises." As soon as he said this, the company scrambled.

"Reducto," Harry said.

The cup cracked and its pieces flew apart. This was followed by a flash brighter than the sun and a ban that deafened everyone.

When their vision cleared, a fire was roaring in the pub, eating away at a table that used to be behind Harry. He ducked out of the way of the lightning blast.

"Aguamenti!" Hermione put out the fire.

Madam Rosmerta looked furious and ready to throw them all out. Harry quickly prevented this by dumping a handful of Galleons into her pocket.

"Harry!" Parvati yelled.

"I'm all right," he said. "I managed to dodge it."

"Smith, try this now. And if you can just tell us the distance and location, rather than trying to Apparate everyone--"

Smith shrugged and, taking out his medallion, cast the spell again. A few seconds later, he breathed with relief. "There," he said, pointing southeast. "Six hundred and fifty miles."

Hermione pulled out a map. "Well, well," she said after inspecting it for a while.

"Where?"

"The Black Forest in Germany," she said.

They processed this information. "We'd better go," Harry said.

"How?" Ron asked. "It's too far to Apparate, and none of us know how to make Portkeys, do they?" He looked at Hermione.

"No," she said. "That's very advanced magic."

"True," Harry said. "And I don't know how to make Portkeys either. But I asked your mum for help, and she sent someone who does."

Two people stepped out from behind the bar stand. "Wotcher, Harry," Tonks said.

"Hello, Potter," Kingsley Shacklebot greeted him. "Impressive introduction."

"Thanks."

"Here we go." Kingsley handed him a frying pan. We have ten minutes. And these,"--he held up four cups-- "are emergency return Portkeys."

Harry took them and handed one each to Ginny, Hermione, and Neville. Keeping the fourth, he stepped outside. "Nott and Greengrass will be our reserve. Inform McGonagall and then do as she says. The--"

"Wait a minute, Potter! We didn't come--"

"If we all leave, no one will know where, and won't be able to send assistance if we need it. If McGonagall sends anyone or goes herself, go with her."

Nott and Greengrass frowned, but didn't insist of coming along. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Smith, Neville, Luna, Padma, Ginny, Tonks, Kingsley, and Parvati touched the frying pan.

"I would ask Professor Lupin to come with us, but--" He pointed at the full moon outside the window.

No one replied as they were swept up in the flight of the Portkey. The landing came seconds later, and was awkward, as Portkey landings usually were. Harry was the first to leap up, and nearly met a green bolt that flew out of the trees. He dodged, and the bolt lit a fire behind him.

"Hello, Potter. Long time no see," the voice of Bellatrix Lestrange rang out.