Harry Potter and the Wondrous Blood Ri

Chapter Thirty-Two

Things continued like that for nearly two weeks. Professor Dumbledore would come in. He would argue with her. He would try to reason with her. He was stalling, Regina realized. He probably had Hermione Granger preparing more of that awful brew. He was banking that she would be so disconnected from Dark Magic in this place that she would not be able to resist the truth serum this second time around. Regina guessed that he was probably right.

The Headmaster sent each of her other captors inside to try "to reach poor Harry," she had heard Hermione say. But slowly she was creating cracks in Hermione's confidence in the man. She had hit hard on the nail that first day. Hermione was very prideful of the position she once had as Hogwarts' top student. She had quietly admitted to herself that Dumbledore had duped her into thinking he was right and everything else was wrong. She suggested she had no other options – the current regime was not so friendly to a Muggleborn.

Regina bid her time. She could not change the girl now. She could create cracks. But she realized the crack was there and it had to do with Weasley.

Neither Ron nor Ginny could tolerate her very long. Ron would lose his cool at her every time she denied anything Dumbledore said about her – she was really Harry Potter and should just accept it. She realized his continued flings with Lavender Brown up to that girls' death a few years ago had shattered any trust of relationship between he and Hermione. Even now, Ron was sleeping with an older woman in the Order. His open book mind showed that when she came to her wits as Harry, that he was preparing to move in on her.

Ginny couldn't tolerate her for a totally different reason. Regina had known that Ginny's last year had been difficult. While she had had nothing directly to do with that, she had separated her from her one ally, Neville Longbottom. During that school year, she had felt the horrible touch of Theodore Nott. She shivered having seen what that boy had done or tried to do to others. Ginny Weasley saw all Slytherins as evil, even the girls. She would barely stand in Regina's presence before storming out.

Molly Weasley was as blind as her son, Ronald. She tried to tell Regina stories of Harry with Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny, and others, but she didn't react.

Remus Lupin was the most reasonable outside of Hermione Granger. While he was not able to be twisted because he had spent so much time with Dumbledore, he at least didn't insist so strongly to her face that she needed to just accept being Harry. He at least treated her with respect.

Regina was beginning to think that there would be no hope of Dumbledore or any of them putting her into a position where she could find out anything useful about his plans until halfway through the second week, just days before Jillian would come with their baby.

+ + + +

Hermione Granger entered into her room carrying her meal tray. As she laid it down, Regina noticed that there were two plates of food and drink on it.

"Would you mind if I ate with you?" she asked.

Regina smiled. "I don't mind your company, Miss Granger."

"Oh, please," she said. "Call me Hermione."

"It is difficult to speak to someone who is your jailor so intimately," She replied.

Hermione and Regina ate quietly at first.

Regina looked up at the girl.

"How is your next batch of Veritaserum going?"

Hermione looked down, a blush of shame coming to her face.

"I'm sorry, Regina." She said.

"You shouldn't be sorry," Regina replied. "Do what you believe in without regret – unless you are starting to have doubts."