Harry Potter & The Black Sacrifice – Chapter 2

Harry Potter & The Black Sacrifice

Post 4 : Hermione's Conspiracy

CHAPTER 2

Hermione's Conspiracy

Cup…snake…locket…Gryffindor….Ravenclaw…

These words, even in the haze.

…

On the morning of September 10th, Harry Potter awoke in much the same way as he had for the past 2 months: with the sun shining into his eyelids and his mantra repeating itself into his ear by way of an old tape recorder.

Earlier that year he had discovered his grandparents' abandoned ancestral home in Godric's Hollow, and it was here that he had been hiding. Hermione had helped him to make it unplottable, and they had hesitantly made Dobby their secret keeper.

Harry got up and noticed the copy of the Daily Prophet at his feet. He glanced at the headline and chortled. The plan was working. He reminded himself to ask Hermione who decided he should die, and what the "evidence" was.

He read the article as he was getting dressed, becoming particularly amused at Ron's comments, seeing as how Ron was one of only two people (and one house-elf) who knew for a fact that he was still alive. In fact, Ron had probably been the one to leave the paper for him while he was asleep. He reminded himself to ask Hermione who decided he should die, and what the "evidence" was.

Cup…snake…locket…Gryffindor….Ravenclaw…

Once Harry was dressed, he reached over and shut the tape recorder off. It had done it's job for one more day.

…

It had been Hermione's suggestion that he disappear for a while, and he had agreed almost immediately. However, when she suggested that he use this time to relax and not think about Horcruxes at all, he had briefly thought her quite insane.

At the rehearsal dinner for Fleur & Bill's wedding, she had pulled him aside.

"I am going to keep researching them," she had said. "I want you to use this time to be alone, and not think about them at all. Relax and be irresponsible for the time being. Down time may be a luxury which you may not get for a while once this really begins."

"But…" Harry said.

"Think about it. If you start nosing around and Voldemort gets wind of it, he'll surely figure out what you're up to. Nobody will care what a muggle-born nobody like me is up to. This makes sense Harry."

"And if he figures it out anyway?" Harry asked. "It's no secret that you're my best friend. Voldemort's not stupid."

"I'll take my chances," Hermione said. "This is the best plan for now. Let him think you're off vainly searching for him, and I'll find out as much as I can. Then we'll start searching for them for real."

"And how exactly do I just disappear?"

She grinned sheepishly. "Ron helped me out with that one. You're going to apparate to Godric's Hollow tomorrow after the ceremony. Don't even wait around for the reception. Once you've disappeared, we're going to…" she hesitated.

"What!?"

"We're going to modify a few memories here and there. People will come away from this wedding swearing that they saw Death Eaters leaving it."

Harry looked horrified. "That's…. that's illegal!!"

"And necessary," she said, annoyed. "In one week, the entire world is going to be convinced that you've been kidnapped by Voldemort. You'll be safely stowed away for the time being, and I'll be free to research the remaining Horcruxes with relative freedom."

Harry grinned. "Breaking the law for the good of mankind. We really have been a horrible influence on you." He sighed and kissed her cheek. "You're the best."

She blushed. "Don't thank me yet. You do know that you can't use magic while you're away…"

Harry started to protest, than nodded. "It'll be detected. The ministry will find me within minutes."

She grinned. "Glad you understand. You're pretty much going to have to be a Muggle for a few months."

He nodded again. "I can do that."

…

Looking back, he had agreed rather hastily. Immersing himself back into Muggle society meant using Muggle money, something he had very little of.

He gave himself one final look in the mirror, trying in vain to fix his hair, and left for his job at a local bookstore, where nobody knew he was famous. Being a nobody was the best part of Hermione's little experiment, and he knew he'd be sorry when it was over.