Misguided Intentions

"I miss him 'Mione....I wish he would contact us at least or something!" Ron said sighing for the thousandth time that day.

Hermione didn't really know what to respond anymore to him. She felt pretty much the same way he did, though she was far less apt to go all weepy and sighful on it. Someone at least had to be strong during this awful time.

"I know Ron, we all miss him....but you heard what Dumbledore said. There's not much we can do but wait now," she said softly putting her arm round Ron's shoulder.

"I still don’t see what that git Malfoy had to do with all of this! How come he was in trouble anyway? Malfoy's nothing but a stuck up prat who wants us all dead," Ron said muttering now. "It's not fair Hermione!"

"I know Ron, but that's the way it is. I’m sure Harry knows what he's doing and I'm sure that Malfoy wouldn't dare make any moves towards Harry wherever they are. Dumbledore did say they were in the best of hands right?" she said softly again rubbing his shoulders now in massage.

Ron didn't say much again; he knew it was pointless. He leaned back on the sofa he'd been sitting on and just let Hermione's hands gently massage away the tensions and fears and angers he'd been having since the day they found out Harry was missing. Which to be honest, was almost more then a day before they even had realized he was missing, and that's what Ron was having the most trouble with.

Ron and Hermione knew Harry had gone off to the pitch to do some flying, he had told them as much right before he sprinted out the portrait hole. They had known something wasn't right, but if Harry wasn't ready to talk about it just then they weren't going to push him. Apparently though something had, and in the end it was morning before they realized Harry hadn't come back from the pitch.

They thought maybe he'd gone down to breakfast early, though for Harry it was unlikely, and when they realized he was indeed, not at breakfast, they started to get suspicious. After asking round the other Gryffindors, and finding out no one had actually seen Harry come back in after flying, they truly became worried.

The immediately approached Dumbledore on the issue only to find he was reluctant to say anything bout Harry's disappearance just yet. He asked them not to be too concerned however, and sent them on their way, asking them not to inform anyone if possible of Harry's disappearance. If anything he was perfectly calm bout the whole thing, and Hermione seemed placated with that.

It was a huge shock however when that night at dinner Dumbledore announced that Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy had left secretly during the night in order to protect them from a possible attack. Although Voldemort was now dead and gone, the death eaters that hadn't been rounded up yet by the Aurors were about to launch an assault on the school. In specific to claim the lives of Harry and Draco, therefore both boys had been removed from the school and sent to a place of utmost safety.

Dumbledore said he didn't know how long it would be before the two students would return, but to be assured they were in no danger. Later that evening after dinner though, he approached Ron and Hermione and told them that Harry couldn't contact them, but that he would pass along any messages whenever possible.

That was three months ago now. So far no messages had been passed down, at least nothing worthwhile. Dumbledore assured the two of them that Harry was safe, and keeping up with his studies (that was Hermione's biggest worry for Harry since N.E.W.T.S. were end of this year), and Ron hoped wherever Harry was he could at least do some flying even if he didn't have his Firebolt.

It had struck both of them strange that Harry hadn't taken a single thing of his when he'd left. Not even his invisibility cloak or broomstick, nor trunk or clothing. They decided not to mention it to even Dumbledore though, and left things exactly as Harry had left them so they'd be there when he'd get back. Or if he'd get back.

"He will come back...wont he 'Mione?" Ron said now opening his eyes and staring up pleadingly into the eyes of his love.

Hermione gently smiled down at him and nodded. "He will Ron, he will. We better hurry up, though; we'll be late for potions. You know Snape hates it if we're late," she said taking her hands off Ron's shoulders and gathering up her bag now, Ron following suit.

"Yeah, don’t need any house points off again. Last time Seamus and Dean were late he took off 2 whole points!" Ron said with a grimace.

"Well at least that's not as bad as the 10 points Crabbe and Goyle lost last week for that potion spill. Can you imagine...10 whole points! And against his own house! Good thing he doesn't play favourites though, that would be horrible,” she said shuddering and heading out the portrait hole in a rush. "Come on Ron, hurry up!" she said from the corridor.

"Coming!" Ron said and headed outside himself, the portrait closing behind him.

"Still, I wish he'd at least owl us. Can you imagine being trapped in with Malfoy for 3 whole months? I'd have to wonder if he's still alive after that,” Ron said keeping pace with the quickly moving Hermione.

"Oh come on, Harry's made of stern stuff. I just wish he'd told us what was bothering him before he left is all. I’m sure he's all right Ron, we'd have known if he wasn't,” she said then stopped short as they finally reached the corridor to the potions classroom. A murmur of voices came up from the corridor and Ron and Hermione quickly ran down to see what was going on.

"Oi, there's Hermione, she'd know what to do!" Dean said coming over to her in a rush.

"Yeah Hermione, any ideas?" Seamus said coming up next to her as well and giving her a helpless look.

Hermione sighed, sometimes being Head Girl wasn't everything she thought it would be. Especially when it meant dealing with her own age students who could be bloody impossible to deal with sometimes. "What's the problem then? Why's everyone standing out here and not in class?" she said in an authoritative tone of voice.

"Well, it's not that we don’t want to be in class 'Mione but...well...look!" Dean said then pointed to a notice pinned to the door of the classroom.

"Classes cancelled for the day" S. Snape.

"Cancelled?" Hermione screeched in shock. "Oh no! Not when I did the essay for today!" she said with a groan.

"Awe come on 'Mione, we all did our essays too, and I for one was looking forward to today’s class. I hate missing potions, Snape always makes class so fun!" Lavender Brown said with a deep sigh.

Hermione nodded at her with a small smile. It was well known that many of the school's girls, and even a few of the guys, were practically in love with Severus Snape. He was so dashing, charming, had a great sense of dry wit and humour all rolled into one. And although he had a limited wardrobe of blacks, greens, and silvers, in his case clothes didn't always make the man. It was his voice, that sexy voice, and his tied up black silky hair, which reached his midback that they really fawned over.

The fact that he was married didn't seem to bother anyone either, in fact it made him even more mysterious. No one knew whom he was married to; he never had revealed it to anyone far as the students knew. However the simple golden wedding ring was clearly shown on his third finger of his left hand, and whoever the lucky girl or guy was, that person was well envied.

"Well, what do we do then 'Mione?" Dean said and everyone now turned to look her, Slytherin's included. They were still a pretty unpleasant lot, especially towards the Gryffindors, but since their head of house was missing for the moment, and Hermione was the Head Girl of Hogwarts, they did offer her the respect of her position.

She wasn't sure what to do really and at that last moment breathed a sigh of relief when she saw someone heading down the hallway at a rapid pace. "Professor Lockhart, Professor Lockhart, are you here about the cancelled potions class?" she said hopeful now.

Professor Gilderoy Lockhart had undergone quite a change since he had last taught at Hogwarts. After his memory was fixed during 2nd year in which a backfired hex struck him instead of Ron Weasley, virtually erasing the professor's memory, he made public apologies for his misuse of other peoples stories. He'd come clean on the fact that he truly hadn't been the one who'd done all those incredible things, or at least 90% of them. In the end, the Ministry allowed him forgivance provided he would never write again unless it was his own stories.

Since he hadn't any of his own, he went off in search of himself and what he wanted for his life. No longer flashy and concerned with his looks, though he still was quite good looking and charming, his haughtiness had disappeared, and to the wizarding world he wasn't quite the git he had been. In the end, he threw himself into the Muggle world for nearly 3 years, learning any and everything he could bout Muggles and their way of life.

At the end of last year when the Muggle Studies professor retired, Albus decided to give Gilderoy a chance again, and invited him to be the schools Muggle Studies professor this year. So far on all fronts, it was well worth the efforts. He actually made a very decent professor when he wasn't stuck on himself, and became the second most liked teacher in the whole school. The first of course, being Severus Snape.

"Ah Ms. Granger. Professor Snape asked me to apologize he is currently unavailable for classes today. I make no claims to knowing potions at all, and Professor Snape is quite unreplacable I feel. Therefore you have a free period today, either you can return to your dorms if you wish, or personally I suggest a nice snowball fight or a snowman building contest, we've just had a fresh snowfall last night which is perfect for both situations,” he said smiling down at Hermione.

A half cheer went up at the words snowball fight and snowman, and with a flurry both houses quickly ran up towards their dorms and moments later the front lawn of the castle was being besieged by either flying snowballs or groups splitting off to do whatever else.

For the moment Ron and Hermione even joined in the fun, it was rare these days with Harry so much on their minds to have time not to worry bout him, so they took this time to enjoy themselves. After a bit when it was rumoured that there was snowball fights outside, and Albus's suggestion that perhaps it would be good for all students to have a moment's fun, all teachers released their students to follow suit.

"You really think this was such a good idea Albus? After all, N.E.W.T.S. are this year for some, O.W.L.S. for others. They should be studying, not playing,” Minerva said in her clipped voice almost disapprovingly.

Albus gave a chuckle. "Oh do lighten up Minerva! These are peaceful times; I think the students should have a chance to do what their parents generation never could. We no longer have such threats hanging over us, let them live a little now, before they have to worry bout their futures,” he said with a smile and glancing out the window at the students below.

Minerva did the same, seeing the happiness on the children's faces, and had to agree with Albus. "You're a fool sometimes Albus Dumbledore, but you do know these children," she said softly, then turned away from the window. "Severus all right then?" she said now thoughtfully.

Albus nodded. "Yes yes, he's fine. It's Orion's birthday is all," he said chuckling as he noticed Filius Flitwick join in the snowball fight. "Yes I truly think this is a good idea for all of us Minerva. We all need time to forget now and then."

"Any word from Misters Potter and Malfoy yet?" she said giving Albus a sideways glance. Albus had never told even her the truth of Harry and Draco's sudden disappearances, and she still didn't believe that story of Lucius Malfoy's supposed attacks. If he was going to attack the school, surely his own son at least would have been safe.

"They're fine I assure you. Now I have some things to attend to Minerva, if you would be so kind?" he said turning away from the window and giving her a smile.

"All right, I'll go check in with Poppy and see if she's got enough things to last over the holiday break. She mentioned a few things to me yesterday I believe,” Minerva said heading out the door now without looking back. She wasn't one for waving or goodbyes really.

Albus watched as she closed the door and headed over to a crystal case in which he kept his personal mementos. Opening it up he took down a small basin with some odd liquid swirling round in it, and with his wand he swirled it until some images came floating up to the top. He stared at the images for a few minutes and watched as they yet again changed before his very eyes.

It was a bit discourning to him when he realized what had really happened to Harry and Draco, and his first course of action had been to check his Pensive carefully. At first there was no changes, nothing out of the ordinary, however after several weeks things he wasn't sure were real began to crop up. Dreams at night in which reality as he knew it now, and changes he could visibly see came to him, only to wake up finding his 'dreams' had become 'reality'. It was only the Pensive that kept him from thinking perhaps he was losing his mind.

The memories in the Pensive were the way they had always been, or rather the way he thought knew them to be. He had a suspicion that some of the memories weren't as they once had been, that they had been altered somehow, but he had no way to prove it. It was only those dreams at night that alerted him that something wasn't right, and that Harry and Draco, though in no dangers, were doing something they ought not to be doing.

Just because Albus Dumbledore was Headmaster of Hogwarts, he was not immune to any changes that had or might take place in another time. The powers given to him as Headmaster, along with his own powers, couldn't keep him from accepting the 'alterations' as truth, even within his own Pensive, even if dreams were telling him otherwise. He had a good idea of the truth though of where Harry and Draco were, exactly almost to the day and time of it even.

His mind wandered down to the trophy room, he could see vividly 2 things that he almost could swear had not been there the past 19 years, but yet they were there now. It was only by pure luck that almost no one ever went into the trophy room, or most definitely that Hermione Granger didn't go there, for she would have seen those 2 things immediately and probably figured out where Harry was. That was a risk he took by allowing the room to stay open, for he knew to forbid it, especially for Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, was tantamount to them going there for sure.

As it was, it was easier to hope for the best and keep the room as it was. He thought bout moving the 2 items away, but that might have raised suspicions from Filch who was often in there and would notice the removal of the objects. It was only by good fortune that Filch didn't care for the students, and hadn't even picked up the items as a major clue to the disappearance of Harry and Draco.

With a sigh he swirled the contents of the Pensive yet again, bringing up another memory he knew he wasn't sure of. Two boys, one brown haired, one blonde haired came into view, smiles on their faces as they had their arms wrapped round 6 other people, 5 boys and 1 girl. It had been the day of graduation of the 7th years back then, and the future seemed so bright for all these individuals. Sadly however, not more then a few years later tragedy would strike, sinking into the hearts of all these young people in the image, tearing rifts in some of them that would never heal.

His Pensive shifted yet again as it showed an new image, a happier one this time. Two small bundles of blue blankets were being passed round between a group of good friends, the proud parents laughing at each other and being offered congratulations. They didn't suspect anything untoward was going to happen to them in such a short time, they only were playful and joyous, as they had been a scant 2 years before when they'd left Hogwarts. Only one of the images held a lingering look of sadness, staring at Albus through the pensive with a questioning look and a hope that he knew he shouldn't have but couldn't stop feeling.

Albus sighed deeply; replaying these memories as he had so often lately really wasn't doing him any good. Whatever changes were going on he knew Harry and Draco were behind, and he hoped they would be careful. Time was an iffy thing, change one thing too drastically the whole thread of existence could cease to be, or alter for the worse. It was very rare that time travelling events such as this ever resulted in anything good, which is why they ministry had such careful rulings for things like the time turners. Although to date no one had gone back in time that far (or at least not that anyone could actively recall, there always was the possibility they had and altered it so no one would know), it still was a very high and risky thing to do.

Which is why that blasted mirror had been kept at Hogwarts in the first place. He didn't know how Harry and Draco had broken the careful seals he'd put on the corridor and doorway leading to the thing, but they had. Of all of the mirrors housed within Hogwarts, this one had the worst possible problems, and it was supposed to have been destroyed centuries ago even. Due to political red tape however, it was moved to Hogwarts as a shelter 500 years back, and the Headmasters of the coming years were told to make sure it was under spell and key at all times.

Whatever the case, Harry and Draco had found it, used it apparently, and were now doing it's bidding. He didn't fault the boys, he himself had almost been led astray by it once long ago, it had a pull that was hard to ignore. The only thing he could do now was to renew the charms round it for anyone else who might happen upon it, and pray that everything would work out, and none too soon.

Albus Dumbledore used his inner magics to reach out round the school, checking on those who weren't down outside and make sure all was well. A few Hufflepuffs were in their commons, some Ravenclaws were studying in the library, all the Gryffindors from 1st to 7th years were down outside thankfully, along with all the Slytherin's. Trelawney was up in her tower, Minerva and Poppy were talking in Hospital Wing, and Professor's Vector and Sprout...well he gave a small chuckle and avoided them for the moment. The rest of the staff were either outdoors, or in their offices.

All in all things were good here today at Hogwarts, and who was he to decide anything less. Minerva was right, he was an old fool, but he loved 'his' children as he fondly called them, much as he cared for his staff members. He put the Pensive back away, noticing the new image that had come up now and gave it a thoughtful look, yet another memory of 'ifs' and 'maybes' that might or might not have happened.

Closing the door of the case, he sat back down at his desk going over the lists of who would be staying and who would be leaving this Yule Holiday break. Suddenly he recalled another time, long ago, in which he now remembered something bout lists, and who was going to be on them. Smiling as if he had a hidden secret, he knew that at least for the moment things were as they were, and that things were indeed good.

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