When All is Lost One is Found

Chapter 142: Telling Their Story

When All is Lost, One is Found

Author: Rinoaebastel

Chapter 142: Telling Their Story

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and gain no profit from this fanfiction other than writing practice. JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.

AN: This story may contain scenes taken from the Harry Potter movies and books, but it's not exact dialogue, just rewording of dialogue or omission. It is not marked.

April, 1999

He'd been in the headmaster's office through the years more times than he could count, but the chairs had never felt so uncomfortable. Despite the ill feelings, he didn't let his features deviate from his normal stern look. Hermione could read him almost as well as a book, so she'd see his nervousness if he weren't careful. She was sitting upright and her hands gripped the chair arms so tight her knuckles were white. If she saw him nervous, her tenseness would increase.

If someone had just kept their mouth shut and minded their own business, this could've been avoided. Ron Weasley caused all of this. He put effort into making as much trouble as he could for them because she rejected him.

Wesley's expulsion had been reversed since it was just his first offense, so Minerva had no choice but to accept the decision. That created anger from not only the staff but also most of the students. Casting an unforgivable against a fellow student should've come with a harsher penalty.

Fortunately, Weasley avoided Hermione and her friends as if they had a contagious disease. Most of the students avoided him as well. Miss Dutchess and Miss Bastel "accidentally" caused him to temporarily lose his hair. He didn't see (the entire) event occur, so he couldn't just dish out punishments to them.

But he could issue bonus points.

At first, Weasley tried to stay around Potter, stupidly thinking he would take his side, but Potter was smarter than that. The young man had told him in no uncertain terms to sod off. The only one he'd seen talking to Ron had been his sister, and those moments had been brief and he could feel the hostility wafting off her. Talking to him was a family requirement for her. Nothing more.

The owls still brought many letters, still in the dozens and many of them still hate mail. Since they were interrupting everyone else's meals, he and Hermione had taken to having most meals in his quarters. As a result, the owls delivered their letters to a special place Minerva set up for them. They picked them up every evening and went through them.

The tiny owl that had befriended him before Dumbledore's death had become a familiar and now stayed with him most of the time. It'd become common for it to sit on the blackboard in his classroom and watch the students as they worked. One time it even caught a student cheating. He glanced at the corner where it was sitting near Fawkes.

He took a deep breath and focused back on the scene he found himself in.

If this idea of McGonagall's didn't work out, he wasn't sure what they could do. Hermione and he agreed that breaking up and saying it never happened wasn't an option. Both said they'd leave before that happened. They were both extremely smart, so they'd manage to make a good living. Though he didn't like this method, he found himself grateful for her help.

If the journalist were honest, and if they told the story themselves, the truth would be out there. He knew some wouldn't believe them, but it might calm the current events brewing involving them. Hermione needed the calm even more than he did. She had important tests and decisions to make.