Hermione looked uncomfortable and replied "I'm not sure it's really my place to do that, Harry."
"Don't be silly," said Harry "of course it's your place. Your parents pay a lot of money for you to come here. If you don't think that something is right then you have the right to complain about it."
"I suppose." said Hermione, awkwardly.
"So is there nothing you want to put into one of those boxes?" he asked "No complaints to make, no desire for a tutor, maybe a suggestion to do something differently…"
"Well…" she said uncomfortably before soldiering on "there is one thing… It's not really a complaint, but… well, see at most boarding schools in muggle Britain they have this thing called an exeat weekend where you go home at, say on the Friday evening and then come back on the Sunday. You know, like a way for the students to get to spend a little more time with their families. I know we get Hogsmeade weekends but it's really not the same. Plus it gives the teachers a break…"
"Write it down then," said Harry.
Hermione looked at him searchingly for a moment longer before taking a piece of parchment and a quill out of her bag. She wrote out her suggestion before folding up the parchment and placing it in the nearest box.
"Does that feel better?" he asked.
Hermione nodded and replied "It kind of does."
"Good," said Harry before adding "By the way, I think it's a pretty good idea."
Hermione nodded again before saying in a small voice "Well, see you in Care of Magical Creatures…" before heading off to Arithmancy.
Harry was left there feeling slightly awkward. For a moment there it was like everything between himself and Hermione had been back to normal… well almost.
He set about shrinking the boxes down and putting them into his bag. The officials from the DMLE had left the school in order to return to the Ministry, whereas the representatives from the Board of Governors and the Wizarding Examinations Authority had retired to Professor Sinistra's office in order to go through a few details regarding her temporary appointment to the role of Head of Slytherin. All the other teachers and staff had left, save one.
"Are you alright, Harry?" Sarah asked.
"I think so," he replied.
"Have you checked her out?"
"Checked who for what?"
"Hermione, for potions."
Harry stepped through the door of the owlery and looked around for a suitable delivery owl. In his hand was a w sealed envelope which contained a letter that was addressed to Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, Draco's parents. The letter was a request for them to come to Hogwarts in order to discuss their son's recent behaviour and the actions that were being taken against him as a result.
Harry was not looking forward to that inevitable meeting.
Hedwig flew down from the rafters and landed on his shoulder.
"Hey, girl," he said in greeting, lifting a hand up to stroke her feathers.
Hedwig clicked her beak in an affectionate manner before looking at the letter in his hand expectantly.
"Sorry, Hedwig," Harry said "but this letter is for the Malfoy's. There's no way I'm sending you anywhere near their mansion. I've only just got you back."
Hedwig bobbed her head as though in acceptance of his reasoning and Harry made his way over to one of the school owls that were there for everyone to use. He called down a tawny owl and attached the letter to the band on its leg before reaching into his pocket and pulling out an owl treat for the bird.
"Don't hang about one you get to your destination," he told the owl "this letter contains bad news for the receiver and they are likely to throw a tantrum so you should get in and get out as quickly as you can, ok?"
The tawny owl hooted contentedly before spreading its splendid wings and taking flight.
Harry, with Hedwig still on his shoulder, made his way over to one of the tall windows and watched the bird disappear towards the sun that was setting in the distance.
He pulled out his wand and used a cleaning spell to get rid of the owl dropping that coated the window ledge before leaning against it.
Really this was the first time in a long time that he had been able to just stop and think.
For some reason his mind drifted back to that day in the Ministry when his whole world had begun to change.
It was the day that shattered an illusion, the day that he had realised Albus Dumbledore was not the man that the myth made him out to be.
When faced with the loss of power over the simple matter of telling the truth, Dumbledore had quickly backtracked, withdrawing his statements and apologising to any inconvenience caused. He had then gone on to blame Harry for the whole debacle, making it appear as though Dumbledore had been sucked into a wild story that Harry, in a moment of madness, had made up.
Worse, he had kept all this from Harry by placing him in isolation and cutting him off from all contact with the magical world.
Harry had been hurt by this betrayal but at the same time it had awoken something within him, something that had refused to take the fall, something that refused to be strung from the (metaphorical) hangman's noose so that others could play their little political games.
.....
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