Categories > Books > Harry Potter > A Different Sort of Bond
A Different Sort of Bond
Disclaimer: I do not own the Potterverse.
Author’s Note: Another of the small changes becomes apparent here. Hermione went with Harry to follow Draco into Knockturn Alley and they saw him buy the necklace that later harmed Katie.
Chapter 9
“Harry, I have to admit you were right,” Hermione said.
“Always nice to hear,” Harry said. “About what?”
“Malfoy,” she said frowning. “He really is up to more than the usual this year.”
Daphne’s ears perked up at that and she looked up from the Runes textbook she was studying, “Oh? I’ve tried to keep up but I knew there were things I’d be missing. None of my usual sources are willing to gossip in front of Harry regardless of what privacy spell I use and Tracy is too nice to get as much out of them as I do.”
“Is it more than the yearly rumor of him being marked?” Tracey asked.
“Yes,” Hermione replied. “You’ve heard Katie is in the infirmary?”
Harry nodded, “Yes, we’ve been to see her. They say she’ll be alright eventually but I wish I’d been there.”
Hermione nodded, “Me too. So I investigated.” Hermione brought out his invisibility cloak, “Thank you for loaning this to me.”
Harry took it with his fee hand, “Thank me by telling me what you found out.”
“She got hurt because she noticed her friend Leanne was acting oddly and had a glassy look to her eyes,” Hermione explained. “She thought it might be imperius and that was later confirmed by the nurse.”
“So how did Katie get hurt?” Harry asked. “Did Leanne hurt her while imperiused?”
“No,” Hermione replied. “Leanne was ordered to bring a package to Dumbledore and Katie tried to get it from her. As they struggled the paper ripped and a necklace that was inside dropped out, just barely brushing Katie’s skin as it fell. That was enough to put her in the hospital, so imagine what it would have done to anyone lifting it.”
“She doesn’t remember who gave it to her does she?” Daphne asked. “I’ve heard of cases like this from my father. Since using the spell is an automatic life sentence most all of them tell the victim to forget who cast it.”
Hermione nodded grimly, “That’s correct. Leanne didn’t even know what happened to her. She was never part of the Defense Association last year and I’m not even sure she was aware the spell existed.” She turned to Harry, “I think fake Moody only gave that class to our year. It was a way to get his sick jollies from you and Neville.”
Tracey hugged Neville, remembering how pale he’d looked when the torture curse had been discussed and then demonstrated on a spider.
Daphne sighed and nodded, “It’s one reason dad never believed the claims by Malfoy’s dad and others that they had been imperiused. If the dark lord had wanted covert operatives under imperiused command he would not have let them remember it nor would he mark them so visibly.”
Hermione nodded in turn, “You’re right. Using the cloak I managed to get a look at the necklace and its the same one we saw Draco buy in Borgin and Burke’s while Ron covered for us.”
“We need to get that information to the aurors,” Harry said.
“Already done,” Hermione replied. “I sent a school owl with a note to Tonks. She replied that she’ll include it as evidence passed along from a snitch in knockturn alley but that it wouldn’t be enough all by itself.”
Daphne gave a sour smile at the look on the faces of all three Gryffindors, “Unless the aurors can prove he gave it to her himself or find other evidence of that he can just say it was stolen. It used to be that buying such a cursed object was itself a crime but Theo’s father is the one in charge of the cursed objects department and is rather free with exceptions for old friends like Lucius Malfoy and the other oh so reformed ex deatheaters. If you want him arrested or given any worse punishment than detention with his head of house then you’ll need to catch him in the act.”
“If that’s what is needed then that’s what I’ll do,” Harry said. “Thanks for returning the cloak Hermione. I’ll be needing it tonight. I’d offer to take you along but as you well know it only fits two people now that we are all older.”
“I know Harry,” Hermione replied. She turned to Daphne, “looks like you’re going on your first Harry Potter adventure. It’s not all dodging fangirls and gluing naked people to ceilings you know.”
Tracey giggled, “That sounds like more of a Daphne adventure, full of embarrassing awkwardness and unwanted lust.”
“Can I help it if boys drool over my chest?” Daphne said. “And as for tact and subtlety, there are generally wasted on teenage boys so I don’t bother using them. If my frankness throws the girls off and makes them think I’m a bull in a china shop then good. They’ll never see me coming if I decide to move against them.”
Harry asked, “Is Astoria still stuck there then? I was sure someone would have let her down by now.”
Hermione smirked, “Well I would have, only she decided she wanted to call me names when I ended the silencing spell to ask what happened so I just reapplied it and moved on.” She looked at Daphne, “What did she do?”
“I’d ask why you think I did it but that would be a silly question,” Daphne said. “She attacked us in the hallway in some sort of half assed ambush to try and get in good with the blond ponce. She has a fierce and wholly irrational crush on him.”
Hermione winced, “I’m sorry to hear that. Good luck tonight and please be careful. I’ll be back tomorrow after class so you can tell me what happened. If you need help at any time though Harry you know you only have to ask.”
Harry smiled, “I'll remember. Thank you Hermione.”
Disclaimer: I do not own the Potterverse.
Author’s Note: Another of the small changes becomes apparent here. Hermione went with Harry to follow Draco into Knockturn Alley and they saw him buy the necklace that later harmed Katie.
Chapter 9
“Harry, I have to admit you were right,” Hermione said.
“Always nice to hear,” Harry said. “About what?”
“Malfoy,” she said frowning. “He really is up to more than the usual this year.”
Daphne’s ears perked up at that and she looked up from the Runes textbook she was studying, “Oh? I’ve tried to keep up but I knew there were things I’d be missing. None of my usual sources are willing to gossip in front of Harry regardless of what privacy spell I use and Tracy is too nice to get as much out of them as I do.”
“Is it more than the yearly rumor of him being marked?” Tracey asked.
“Yes,” Hermione replied. “You’ve heard Katie is in the infirmary?”
Harry nodded, “Yes, we’ve been to see her. They say she’ll be alright eventually but I wish I’d been there.”
Hermione nodded, “Me too. So I investigated.” Hermione brought out his invisibility cloak, “Thank you for loaning this to me.”
Harry took it with his fee hand, “Thank me by telling me what you found out.”
“She got hurt because she noticed her friend Leanne was acting oddly and had a glassy look to her eyes,” Hermione explained. “She thought it might be imperius and that was later confirmed by the nurse.”
“So how did Katie get hurt?” Harry asked. “Did Leanne hurt her while imperiused?”
“No,” Hermione replied. “Leanne was ordered to bring a package to Dumbledore and Katie tried to get it from her. As they struggled the paper ripped and a necklace that was inside dropped out, just barely brushing Katie’s skin as it fell. That was enough to put her in the hospital, so imagine what it would have done to anyone lifting it.”
“She doesn’t remember who gave it to her does she?” Daphne asked. “I’ve heard of cases like this from my father. Since using the spell is an automatic life sentence most all of them tell the victim to forget who cast it.”
Hermione nodded grimly, “That’s correct. Leanne didn’t even know what happened to her. She was never part of the Defense Association last year and I’m not even sure she was aware the spell existed.” She turned to Harry, “I think fake Moody only gave that class to our year. It was a way to get his sick jollies from you and Neville.”
Tracey hugged Neville, remembering how pale he’d looked when the torture curse had been discussed and then demonstrated on a spider.
Daphne sighed and nodded, “It’s one reason dad never believed the claims by Malfoy’s dad and others that they had been imperiused. If the dark lord had wanted covert operatives under imperiused command he would not have let them remember it nor would he mark them so visibly.”
Hermione nodded in turn, “You’re right. Using the cloak I managed to get a look at the necklace and its the same one we saw Draco buy in Borgin and Burke’s while Ron covered for us.”
“We need to get that information to the aurors,” Harry said.
“Already done,” Hermione replied. “I sent a school owl with a note to Tonks. She replied that she’ll include it as evidence passed along from a snitch in knockturn alley but that it wouldn’t be enough all by itself.”
Daphne gave a sour smile at the look on the faces of all three Gryffindors, “Unless the aurors can prove he gave it to her himself or find other evidence of that he can just say it was stolen. It used to be that buying such a cursed object was itself a crime but Theo’s father is the one in charge of the cursed objects department and is rather free with exceptions for old friends like Lucius Malfoy and the other oh so reformed ex deatheaters. If you want him arrested or given any worse punishment than detention with his head of house then you’ll need to catch him in the act.”
“If that’s what is needed then that’s what I’ll do,” Harry said. “Thanks for returning the cloak Hermione. I’ll be needing it tonight. I’d offer to take you along but as you well know it only fits two people now that we are all older.”
“I know Harry,” Hermione replied. She turned to Daphne, “looks like you’re going on your first Harry Potter adventure. It’s not all dodging fangirls and gluing naked people to ceilings you know.”
Tracey giggled, “That sounds like more of a Daphne adventure, full of embarrassing awkwardness and unwanted lust.”
“Can I help it if boys drool over my chest?” Daphne said. “And as for tact and subtlety, there are generally wasted on teenage boys so I don’t bother using them. If my frankness throws the girls off and makes them think I’m a bull in a china shop then good. They’ll never see me coming if I decide to move against them.”
Harry asked, “Is Astoria still stuck there then? I was sure someone would have let her down by now.”
Hermione smirked, “Well I would have, only she decided she wanted to call me names when I ended the silencing spell to ask what happened so I just reapplied it and moved on.” She looked at Daphne, “What did she do?”
“I’d ask why you think I did it but that would be a silly question,” Daphne said. “She attacked us in the hallway in some sort of half assed ambush to try and get in good with the blond ponce. She has a fierce and wholly irrational crush on him.”
Hermione winced, “I’m sorry to hear that. Good luck tonight and please be careful. I’ll be back tomorrow after class so you can tell me what happened. If you need help at any time though Harry you know you only have to ask.”
Harry smiled, “I'll remember. Thank you Hermione.”
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