A Dance Through Thyme (Harry Potter)

Macht

I don't think that I am particularly kind to Dumbledore in this chapter, but I'll let you all be the judge of that. 

Don't forget to vote and leave a comment letting me know what you think. I'm not a Legilimens!

Chapter 21: Power

"Hermione, I am sure you know that it is not possible for you to reside in the Room of Requirement indefinitely?"

Hermione nodded glumly.

"Yes, I know."

Dumbledore nodded at her with a bright smile, despite her despondent attitude.

"Then I think you would agree to move into a safe house in the township of Godric's Hollow."

Hermione's head shot up at the mention of the name of the town.

"No," she said immediately without really thinking about what Dumbledore was saying to her. "I can't go there."

"Why ever not?" asked Dumbledore, genuinely perplexed at her answer. "Most witches and wizards would simply ecstatic to live in such a privileged area, full of people who are alike."

Hermione could not help but compare Dumbledore to a parent who was trying to gently tell their adult child that perhaps it was time to move out of the family home, all the while mentally making plans for the pool table and computer that would inevitably take their place.

"Too many bad memories..." Hermione trailed off, remembering back to her teenage years when she, Ron and Harry were on the run. This was where her journey really began. This was where her life truly changed to the path she was on now. It was all because of that evil creature that she was sitting here in Dumbledore's office in 1977, two years before she was even meant to be born.

"I can sense that this is perhaps a sensitive topic for you, Hermione, but I will have to ask you to extrapolate your answer. Has there been a particular event which would prompt you to give me such a curt response?"

Hermione could not help but blush at Dumbledore's response. She felt a bit of a fool for having seemed so rude.

She apologised before sitting in silence for a few moments, not quite sure of where to start an explanation. She was not sure that she would be able to give any evidence at all, after all, how does a person sum up half their life into a few short paragraphs.

"Perhaps, I am asking too much of you?" Dumbledore probed gently.

Hermione shook her head at Dumbledore. She knew that she owed him something for the way in which she was behaving.

"In that case, I think you would see reason when I say that it is unhealthy for you to remain where you are. There is no telling how long it would take to try and figure out a way for you to get back home, in fact, we have already discussed the absolute impossibility of it. I would hate to see someone as intelligent as you waste your talent and ability; therefore, I implore you to at least try to create an identity for yourself, here, in this time."

Hermione had barely had the chance to get rid of the red from her cheeks before Dumbledore had praised her in his spiel and set them on fire once more.

"What do you mean by 'create an identity' for myself?" she asked the Headmaster, still feeling a little bewildered as she tried to ignore his compliments to her.

Dumbledore looked down at the young woman, his half-moon spectacles slipping slightly on his crooked nose as he bent forward.

"I mean, that you need to go out into the world you now find yourself in, and live in it. This is your chance to be the person you want to be. Granted, the world is most likely to be more dangerous than the world from which you came, however by chance of knowing me, I can offer you a safe place to live that is protected completely by a Fidelius Charm. All you would need to do is nominate a secret keeper."

Hermione sat pondering Dumbledore's request. No, it was not quite a request. Yet again he was almost giving her an impossible choice, and hence his request was no longer such. It was a directive, just like when he had asked her to stay in the Room of Requirement.

Many thoughts played around in Hermione's head, including one which highlighted Dumbledore's tendency towards narcissism at times. He would never demand, always request, and yet the outcomes always seemed to suit him best. Yes, Hermione was safe in the Room of Requirement, but she only stayed there because she served a purpose to Dumbledore. Yes, she had no doubt that she would remain safe in Godric's Hollow, despite what might happen there on Halloween night in a just a couple of years; however, Dumbledore would also be there, keeping an eye on the 'experiment' as she had dubbed herself over the past couple of days. She was still an invaluable source of information to him.

She knew who could be trusted. She knew what was safe. She knew who would not be able to withstand the pressure. There were so many things that she knew about this time and these people, and yet she was still stuck in this limbo of deciding what was going to help save her friends, and what was not.

Still, she could not help but laugh internally at the fact Dumbledore thought that this time was the more dangerous. If he could glimpse into Hermione's past for only a moment, he would see how very wrong he was in saying that.

"Hermione? Do you have an answer for me?"

Dumbledore's voice jolted her out of her reverie.

"Sorry," she shook her head like a dog trying to rid its ears of water, as if this mere act would be able to straighten out her thoughts.

"I will accept," she said, despite the fact that every fibre of her conscience was vehemently protesting.

Dumbledore's face brightened considerably when Hermione gave her answer, and she could see him sit a little straighter in his chair.

"In that case, we can begin plans. Do you have any person in mind that would be either trustworthy as a secret keeper, or at the very least willing to take on such a responsibility?"

Hermione was in a dilemma once again.

If Dumbledore had asked her a week ago, she would have immediately named Remus as her secret keeper, now she was not so sure. It would involve telling him everything about her, and after their previous argument, Remus had not even tried to have any contact with her at all. It would not be a good time to ask him to do something as important as this.

The only people who knew of her existence were the Marauders, Poppy and Dumbledore. Hermione was not close enough to Poppy to ask her of that. Peter was out of the question. He had yet to visit Hermione at all, save for when she first met him. Hermione could not help but think that his lack of visits were of no great loss to her life. Sirius was the next option; however, he would become secret keeper for the Potter's in due course. The only chance she really had was James.

The very James who had become a dear friend to her in this time, just as his son had in Hermione's time.

He knew of where she had come from, and there would be no explanations or hysterics. He may be a prankster at heart, but he had a strong sense of duty and she knew that he would keep her safe.

"James Potter," was the name she gave to Dumbledore. He eyed her for only a moment before seemingly accepting her decision with a nod of his head.

"Thank you," he said, his voice suddenly serious. "I will collaborate with Filius, and we will create a plan to move you to the town as soon as possible. In the meantime, there are a few other matters I wish to discuss regarding Severus Snape."

It was in small amount of dialogue with Dumbledore that Hermione knew that her fate was sealed. Dumbledore could exploit her for all that she was worth to him, because her knowledge was his power.