My Double Agent

Chapter 24 ~ A Cold Christmas

Saturday night, December 6th. Harry was inside asleep and Hermione was sitting by the fire outside. All the sudden a letter fell into her lap. She looked at it knowing it was from Severus, she was terrified to open it. She looked up at the owl the flew in a few circles before leaving. Hermione looks back at the letter in her lap and grabs it. She takes a deep breath before opening it.

My sweet Hermione,

  You have not lost my trust, you never will. I understand what happened. I spoke to Voldemort after receiving your letter. It seems like it was a plan of his to make you two sleep together. I am sorry you had to experience such indoctrination. I can assure you, I hold no grudge towards you or Potter. 

I love you with all my heart, please stay safe my dear. I will always be on your side, remember that.

Forever Yours,

Severus.

Hermione hides the letter in her purse as she cries tears of joy, she wasn't going to loose him. She was so lucky to have him. She looked up at the sky and smiled. All the sudden she felt a hand on her shoulder and Harry sat next to her, "You ok?"

Hermione looks at him and nods, "Yeah, just a lot on my mind."

"Yeah, I think we should starts re-visit the idea of Godric's Hollow now... It's been a while.."

"It's been a week."

"Ok fine, 2 maybe 3 more weeks, but we should go before the end of the year."

"Ok, you're right. Just give me another week or two."

Harry nods, "Ok, sorry. I don't mean to rush you."

Hermione shakes her head, "No, it's ok. I know that's not what you meant to do."

"There's one more thing..."

"Oh?"

"I... touched the Horcrux."

Hermione looked at him shocked, "What?!"

"It was lying on the table, I was going to put it back in your purse, and I forgot what you said would happen if I touched it."

"So, you remember then?"

"Not all of it, but enough to violate your privacy, I'm sorry Hermione."

"It's ok, you were going to have to touch it sooner or later when we destroy it." She sighs as he didn't see her dark mark.

Harry nods. They sit there by the fire in silence the rest of the night.

Wednesday evening, December 24th.  Harry and Hermione have arrived in Godric's Hollow. They stood in the middle of the snow-covered street for a little before Hermione spoke, "I still think we should have used Polyjuice potion." 

"No, this is where I was born. I'm not returning as someone else." 

Harry put his arm out and Hermione took it as they began walking down the street as if they were a couple. The snow was falling softly. Soon they hear laughing from behind them and see two gentlemen stumble out of a pub. They then hear singing coming from a nearby church. Hermione gasps, "Harry, I think it's Christmas Eve. Listen."

They singing becomes more clear as they can make out the church top be singing Silent Night. Harry then starts to speak with a shaky voice, "Do you think they'd be in there Hermione, my mum and dad?"

Hermione looks at Harry then follows his gaze into the graveyard. She looks back at him sadden and nods, "Yeah I think they would."

With that they split up in the graveyard to look for his parents' graves. Soon Hermione comes across a tombstone that seems to have a very similar mark on it. She wipes the snow off the name, 'Ignotus Peveril' Hermione then looks around for Harry to show him what she found, "Hey, Harry..."

She looks over to see him standing in front of a grave, she sighs figuring he found his parents. She walks up and reads their names on their tombstone and then looks at Harry sadden. She gets on her knees and pulls out her wand. Creating a small white rose wreath at the bottom of their grave. She then stands back up as Harry sniffles, "Merry Christmas Hermione."

Hermione starts to silently cry, "Merry Christmas Harry." 

She hesitates before leaning on his shoulder to comfort him. They stood there for a little looking down onto his parents' tombstone. All the sudden Hermione had this weird feeling, and she turns her head to her left to see an old woman looking at them. Hermione slowly turns back to Harry and whispers, "Harry, there's someone watching us... by the church."

Harry turns and looks at the old woman, before she turns and starts to walk away. Harry then slightly gasps, "I think I know who that is."

They begin to follow the old woman and Hermione whispers, "I don't like this Harry."

"Hermione, she knew Dumbledore. She might have the sword."

All the sudden Harry stops, causing Hermione to stop and look back at him. She notices that he is looking at a very old, rundown house. He walk up to the gate and starts to get angry, "This is where they died Hermione.... this is where he murdered them."

Hermione is looking at the house when all the sudden the old lady was standing right next to them. She caused Hermione and Harry to jump. Harry slowly walks up to her, "You're Bathilda, aren't you?"

She slightly nods at him, and she leads them to her home. Once there Harry helps Bathilda light a candle, he then gets distracted by a photo of a man he sees in the distance and goes to look. While he does that, the old lady stares down Hermione. Hermione starts to feel really uncomfortable. Harry then broke the silence, "Mrs. Bagsholt, whose this man?" 

Bathilda looked at Harry intensely before grabbing the candle and walking away, causing Harry to follow. Hermione looks at Harry, not believing that he was leaving her alone, "Harry..."

While Harry was upstairs with Bathilda, Hermione decided to look around downstairs to see if she could find anything. Hermione ends up finding a book Rita Skeeter wrote about Dumbledore, it made her stomach turn cause she knew how much that woman loved to lie for a good story. Soon Hermione could smell something awful and looks over to see a door cracked open that seems to making a loud buzzing sound. 

Hermione slowly walks over and starts to open the door. Flies covered the entire room. Hermione had to cover her mouth and nose at the stench. She looks around to see blood all over the walls and ceiling, "Harry!" She turns around to run upstairs but trips over a pile of books. She quickly gets up onto her feet and runs upstairs. Hermione got to Harry just in time to see Nagini jumping at him, without thinking she stops the snake and cast a spell making it fall through the floor. She quickly grabs Harry's wand which fell. 

They slowly stood up thinking the snake was gone, when all the sudden it jumps out at them again. Hermione screamed, "Incendio!"  She then grabbed onto Harry and apparated away before anything else could happen.

Once they apparated into a snow covered woods, Harry was out cold. Hermione quickly set up camp and got him into a bed. She started a fire and looked at Harry's wand, it was in pieces. She felt horrible about it. She knew it was going to upset him, the rest of the night Hermione tried everything she had to try and fix his wand.