"Headmistress?" I heard a voice softly calling to me as I sat staring down at the open books around me. I looked up to see a second year student, looking at me with such desperation in her eyes.
"What is it, dear?" I asked, turning my full attention to the young, wide-eyed girl standing near the desk I was using. Goodness, I sound like Mum.
"Are we going to have a chance to go to all the fun activities we did last term?" She asked, her tone hopeful.
"Some of the activities will be available this term but last term was different, it was a Triwizard tournament." I explained, softly. "I have tutoring and jolly good times planned for you lot, don't fret. We'll also have a fortnight for a homecoming celebration for all alumni. We'll have quidditch playoffs and some of the more successful activities from last term. If everyone enjoys them, I'll be making them a permanent part of our term schedule." I assured.
"I'd really like that." She gave me a toothy smile, pushing back her wavy auburn hair. "Thanks, Headmistress." She surprised me with a hug. "I met all my mates because of the activities last term. I'd be happy to meet more." She said softly as she pulled away, bouncing off in a flurry of energy. I watched her go with a slight smile until she disappeared around a corner, leaving me in the library.
Usually I would have the books I needed sent to my office, but I used to do my best thinking in the library so I was hoping for a miracle. Ever since we had left the Burrow, after I vowed to save Ginny, I immediately threw myself into searching for the right spell to free her from Liam's influence. With the new term commenced and my classes moving along, every free minute was spent either with my family or reading up on how to help Ginny. I had even insisted on skipping any birthday celebrations when my birthday had come around. Ron had moved Ginny to Hogwarts, into a bedchamber next to his, so that he could keep an eye on her. Keeping her from withering away was a full time job and the house elves had taken to keeping watch of her while the rest of us ran the school.
I felt bad for her. Every time I looked at her, she was just like an empty shell of a person. She continuously stared off into space the times I had seen her, as though her mind and body were different entities. Seeing her made me fight more and more to find the right spell, she was drifting further and further daily. We knew that, if we didn't find the spell soon, there was a chance that we may never see the Ginny we all knew before.
Sighing, I sat back, slumping in my seat. It's got to be in here somewhere, I'm just not looking in the right place. I sighed, stretching and looking back at the books. Closing a large volume, I dropped two books off the side of the desk. With a slight groan, I leaned down to pick it up.
"Alright, Hermione?" Hagrid walked up to me, stopping me from picking up the book. I looked up at him.
"Hello there, Hagrid. I'm doing fine. Just drilling myself to find the right spell to help Ginny." I sat back in my chair, the fallen books forgotten.
"It'll come to yeh, Hermione, just let it. Yeh always find what yeh're looking for when yeh least expect it." He gave me a pat on my shoulder. "I didn't mean to bother yeh. I'll let yeh get back to it. I just saw yeh and thought to say hi."
"Thank, Hagrid. I'm about to head out anyway." I smiled.
"Well, I'll leave yeh to it." He grinned, turning and leaving me with the books.
Sighing, I turned back to the books on the table and took my wand out. With a flick, I sent them all back to their spots. Standing, my foot hit the two books on the floor, reminding me that they were there. For some reason, instead of just using magic or picking them up with them closed, I picked them up and put them on the table, their pages open to the place they had fallen. The pages caught my eye and I began reading. With a gasp, I marked the pages and grabbed up the books, running to Harry's office.
"I found it!" I announced as I burst through the door. Harry sat behind his desk, looking down at some parchment. At my entrance, his head snapped up.
"Found what, love?" He stood, dropping the papers. I rushed to his desk, laying out the two books.
"I found the way to help Ginny." I grinned, going to the marked pages. "See? We were looking for one book but the answers can't be found in just one." I pointed down at the page.
"This doesn't look like a potion or spell." He read through the pages quickly.
"It's not. It's a guide to finding the spell." I pulled some fresh parchment out and sat. "Look. Alone, these books mean nothing. But together? They're an instruction manual." I began scribbling down the parts that fit together. "If I'm right, this should lead us to another source, which will lead us straight to the spell."
"Why would anybody go to these lengths to hide this information?" Harry questioned, watching me write.
"The only theory I have is that this spell, though cast by evil means now, can actually be used for good by the right wizard. They must have had a way to make the good be in control of the evil, the opposite of the way Liam controls Ginny. If that's what the creators were able to do, you wouldn't want evil wizards finding out how to break the spell that easily."
"Who would actually use this spell for good?" Harry raised a brow.
"I don't know. But maybe that's what it was originally for. The best wizards and witches would bind themselves to the worst so that they would be safe from attacks and they would be able to control the evil ones.., keep them from doing actual evil." I paused. "Along the way, somebody must have found a way to change it enough to use it for evil and its morphed ever since." I scribbled down the last of what I could decipher from the pages, stopping when the language looked to have changed. "Okay, from what I can tell this is directions to something. I would think the rest of the passage would tell us what but I can't understand this language." I tried thinking of all the languages I had read before but none of them matched the writings in the book.
"Ugh! This is so frustrating." I pushed the books away. "The information is right there and I can't even figure it out."
"It's okay, love. You've done well just to find this. We knew it was going to take some time." Harry pulled a chair close to me and sat, placing his hand on my knee. "We'll figure it all out. At least we know that we're on the right track." He kissed my temple then pulled away to close the books. "Come." He took my hand. "I'm more than positive you've been going all day and skipped lunch. Let's go get our children and get to supper." He smiled.
With a hefty sigh, I put the books together with the parchment and sent them ahead of us to our bedchamber. When that was done, I let Harry lead the way down to the house-elf quarters where the babies would be spending their time when they didn't come to class with one of us or Ron. We found Lily and James, holding onto the hands of two house-elves, bouncing up and down as though dancing. While Albus was seated on the lap of a third house-elf, watching his elder siblings. At our entrance, the house-elves seemed to light up even more.
"Headmaster, Headmistress." They greeted us.
"Hello. Have they been trouble today?" I asked, moving to where Albus was situated.
"Never, ma'am." They all insisted. "The little masters and mistress have been nothing but good all day."
"That's good. Thank you so much for taking care of them. We both appreciate you lot very much." I smiled as Albus was placed in my arms. At my words, each of the house-elves' faces shone so bright they could light up a dark mountain. Receiving praise from Harry, Ron, or I seemed to be a highlight of their lives.
"We live to serve." They grinned. Harry got James and Lily settled then came to help me put Albus in the pram.
"Have a lovely supper." They waved as we left. The children would be back with them the next day if Hagrid was busy so I didn't fret over there somewhat sad expressions at us leaving with the babies.
Despite having my children and being down at supper with my family and all the students, the mystery of Ginny's condition still chipped away at my sanity. I could almost see the pages of the books in my mind and something so obvious was clawing at me. I knew there was something in those pages, I just wasn't seeing them. The most basic person would probably see it off the bat but I was lost. Letting out a frustrated breath, I felt Ron looking at me.
"Alright there?" He asked. It was a rare night for him to come out and eat supper, mostly he stayed in his chambers and watched over Ginny.
"I'm fine. I just...," I leaned closer to him, moving Lily who was on my lap. "I found something about Ginny's problem but I can't make sense of it."
"Maybe I can come to your chambers tonight and help you out." He suggested. "You're not going to sleep until you figure it out which means Harry won't either and I can't have my godchildren being taken care of by zombies." He smirked but I could see the real reason he wanted to help. Ginny was slipping, he was watching it. As her big brother, he was desperate to catch her before she completely fell.
"That'll be great." I smiled, putting my hand over his. "We're going to find the answer, Ron. Don't lose hope."
Lily, who had been paying attention to her brother on Harry's lap, turned to look at Ron. At his strained expression, she whined and pushed against my arms. Squirming, she pointed to Ron and fussed until I handed her over. Once in his arms, she looked at him then touched his face. Despite her being so young and unable to fully express what she felt, she knew something was wrong with Ron and she didn't like it. After touching his face, she fell forward, hugging him. Ron's face was so cute that I wished I had a camera to capture the moment. Before I could act, though, the expression was gone and he was just holding his goddaughter.
"I should go check in on Ginny before I come up to help." Ron said close to the end of supper. Taking Lily, I gave him and understanding nod and he was off.
"Off to check in on Ginny?" Harry asked, passing me James so he could make room for Albus in his arms.
"Of course." I nodded. "I think he's getting more scared by the day that it's already too late."
"I know, love." He whispered, leaning his forehead against mine. "I think you are too, if you're being honest. I know I can admit to it. We're all a little nutter trying to figure this out."
"We'll find it in time and help her. I won't let her die." I vowed to him..., to myself.
He nodded at me and turned back to Albus. Despite the urgency inside me, watching him with our son was still a favorite of mine so I took the moment to watch them. When supper was done and the students were sent off, Harry and I went upstairs and put the babies down so we could work out in the sitting area. We had just sat out the books and some parchment when Ron walked in, his face bleak.
"We know, mate. Let's get to work." Harry said when he flopped down on the armchair beside the sofa. Ron sighed in response and moved to look at the spread books.
"Why are the words backwards and all jumbled up?" He asked, turning his head to the side.
"What?" I replied, looking up at him then back down at the books.
"It looks like gibberish but these letters are just backwards and the words don't make plausible sense next to each other. It's basically a bunch of rubbish."
"Accio." I called in particular to a handheld mirror from the bedchamber. It shot into the sitting area and into my hand. "Hold this so I can see the words reflected." I handed it to Harry. "I'm such a dimwit." I groaned when words formed in the reflection. "Ron, you're a bloody genius, mate." I grinned.
"Uh, thanks?" He raised a brow. "Even knowing it's backwards, it's complete rubbish." He wasn't wrong, the words meant nothing to try to string them into a sentence. But if words don't make a sentence, maybe the letter are misplaced.
"They will." I started, writing out ever possible thing they could mean.
"Love," Harry touched my hair. "You've been scribbling for quite a bit of time now. Got anywhere?" He asked.
"Actually, yes. I think I know the location to the answer we're looking for. I know where we need to go to find out how to help Ginny."
"That's brilliant." Ron sighed in relief. "Where?"
"America." I answered simply.
"We're going to America?" Harry raised a brow.
"Looks like it." I replied.
"We can go over a weekend and try to be back before classes." Ron said. "I'll set up backup professors for all our classes, just in case."
"Brilliant." I nodded. "America?" I grinned.
"America." Harry and Ron replied with their own grins.
It's been a while since we've had an adventure. No time like the present.