Chapter 11

Harry and Hermione went back to 'their' compartment where Ron and Ginny were getting worried about them and told them both they were going to join a 'few others' and go over Ancient Runes and Arithmancy homework.

Ron then tried to invite himself. "Oh, good," he said. "I need someone to go over my homework for me..."

Hermione immediately cut him off and said, "No, Ron. I'm working on Ancient Runes and Arithmancy, only. If you had homework to do, you should have done it." And, with that, she firmly closed the compartment door.

For the rest of the trip, Harry and Hermione joined Daphne in another compartment where they immediately cast notice-me-not wards on the entire compartment, especially the door and the whole inner wall. Then they just talked to one another.

"Okay," breathed Harry. "What do we do, now?"

"We plan," said Daphne.

For the rest of the trip, Daphne went through what would happen when they arrived. For example, neither Harry nor Hermione knew that they should expect owls with notices informing them their soul bond would have been picked up by both the Ministry's and Gringotts's magical detection nets.

"So, we can expect owls to be waiting for us?" asked Harry.

With a nod, Daphne said, "Exactly. Hermione and I will have two; and, you'll have four. Maybe. As a result of the bonding, we're also entitled to a private apartment. Normally, that's a two bedroom apartment... one for each of the two in the bond... for us, it'll have to be three bedrooms."

Hermione sighed and said, "For a second, there; I expected you to say we'd be expected to sleep together."

Daphne smiled and said, "Though, it is expected... just not yet. The soul bond means we will get married. And, because it's a three-way soul bond, it's accepted it will be a three-way marriage. Even the Ministry cannot overturn that. Magic... or, in our case, Heaven... has already ruled in our favour.

"It's also illegal for anyone to attempt to interfere with a soul bond. The ramifications are severe, in the least."

"I don't think that's going to stop the Potions Queen," said Hermione. "She has her plan she's been working on for thirteen years, almost."

"Let her try," Daphne firmly said. "If we... or anyone else... can catch her out trying to potion any of us through the two red-headed demons, we can bring the law down on her head."

Turning to Harry, she said, "So. Your name comes out of the Goblet of Fire. And, I've been told, we have to let that happen."

Harry nodded, "Nor, can we act against the mongrel that did it."

"No," she said, "But, I need to step you through how to make the magical oath that it wasn't you, or that you didn't organise for anyone else to do it for you. We're going to need to very careful with the wording."

"Yeah," nodded Harry. "That's what John, my Grim Reaper, told me."

"When do we go after the horcruxes?" asked Hermione.

"As soon as we can and after my name comes out of the Goblet," replied Harry. "We can get and destroy the diadem immediately because it's in the Room of Requirement. When my name comes out, the very next morning, I'm to head to Gringotts to ensure my emancipation goes through, to alert them to the presence of a horcrux in the Lestrange vault, and see if I can get them to organise a lawyer for me and Sirius if we don't do it earlier.

"This time, Sirius will not end up being knocked through the veil; and Skeeter will not get away with slandering me... or you... through the Daily Prophet, or Witch Weekly."

"So, we're not waiting for Professor Dumbledore to get off his duff and get it done, then," said Hermione.

"We know he won't, Hermione," sighed Harry.

"I know," she sadly said.

"Dumbledore is not to be trusted," said Daphne. "Least, that's what both my Mum and Dad told me. He's too... tricky. He always has his little plans and machinations going on. And he rarely, if ever, tells anyone what he's up to."

"We know," said Harry. "John told me I have to let him die. For that to happen, Dumbledore has to go after the ring horcrux no later than late June next year. Frankly, I don't have a problem with that. Actually, I'd like to 'convince' him to go after it, earlier."

Giving himself a little bit of shake, Harry went on, "By then, though, the only horcruxes that'll be still out there will be the ring and Nagini."

"Nagini?" asked Daphne.

"Riddle's familiar," said Hermione. "A big, over-sized, venomous, black and green snake. He used the murder of a Ministry employee, Bertha Jorkins, to turn the snake into a living horcrux." Thinking a bit, Hermione said, "That would have happened by now. So, Nagini would now be a horcrux."

"Hang on," said Harry. "I remember Nagini is sent to the Ministry, on her own, to... scope out... the Department of Mysteries, just before Christmas. She attacks Mister Weasley."

Hermione frowned and did the little biting of the bottom lip she always did when she was furiously thinking. "That's next year, Harry," she said. "If I remember correctly, it was late at night on the... 18th of December."

Looking a little startled, she softly exclaimed, "How did I remember that?"

"That's the Occlumency, Hermione," said Daphne. "Your mind is more ordered now. Especially, that part of future knowledge they locked away."

"So, any other time when we know where Nagini is going to be, and away from Riddle?" asked Harry.

"No, I don't think so," Hermione sighed.

"Anything else we can do that's not necessarily one of the primary tasks?" asked Daphne.

"Yes," Harry firmly said. "The bullying of Luna by the majority of her house."

"She's being bullied?" asked Daphne.

"Yes," replied Hermione. "They pick on her... and they're really horrid to her... because she doesn't fit with what they think is normal."

Harry took it up from there. "They steal and hide her clothes, what they don't steal they often put things like itching powder within, destroy her homework before she can submit it, lock her out of the Ravenclaw tower, stuff like that."

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