A Change of Heart

Chapter Twenty Six

Ron and Hermione were astonished to hear that Sirius was in Hogwarts. Like Harry, Hermione too was full of apprehensions, but Ron didn't think there was much to worry about.

"If there was any risk, Dumbledore would never have allowed it," he said. "He must have felt it was fairly safe. But I can't believe Tom actually asked Snape to keep Sirius safe. I mean, why Snape? He hates Sirius."

"Well, he couldn't have asked anybody else," said Hermione reasonably. "Snape was the only one of his Death Eaters who could have come anywhere close to Sirius, even to keep him safe."

"He does believe Snape is on his side," said Harry thoughtfully. "And Dumbledore believes Snape is on our side. Which of them is right, do you reckon?"

"I wouldn't bet on this," said Ron. "If Snape can fool You-know-who, he can easily fool Dumbledore. And if he can fool Dumbledore, then he should be able to fool You-know-who... what am I saying?"

"Tying yourself up in knots," said Hermione helpfully.

"Maybe he's fooling them both," muttered Harry. "Maybe he has some agenda of his own."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Dumbledore trusts Snape. That should be good enough for us."

"It isn't good enough for me," Harry sighed. "I wish I knew why Dumbledore trusts him."

"I would as liefer know why You-know-who trusts him," muttered Ron.

"It's Tom now, Ron," said Hermione.

"Whatever. Beats me why he asked Snape to keep Sirius safe, though. I mean, why should he care what happened to Sirius."

"Because he cares for Harry, Ron." Said Hermione with the patient air of someone explaining something to a child.

"He killed my parents," said Harry. He did not know why he said that. He had almost forgotten all the things Tom did, till Snape reminded him. How could he even care for Tom after all that he'd done? His parents, Cedric, Bertha Jorkins, Quirrel, that muggle in his dream, and Merlin knew how many others. Not to mention the number of times he'd tried to kill Harry starting from when he was one. How could he have forgotten all that?

"He's changed, Harry," said Hermione quietly. "But he can't change all the things that had happened; all the things that he did. But he does care for you now."

"He never said... he never even said sorry... he never..."

Harry didn't know why it felt important to him. Perhaps Tom cared for him, but he had done a lot of terrible things. And he'd never once expressed regret. He remembered Dumbledore telling him that Tom was far from being good. But Harry had chosen not to pay attention. It took Snape to remind him of what Tom was. Pathetic was what Snape called him. And right now. Harry felt that for once, Snape was right. What did it matter if Tom cared for him when he would keep doing the terrible things he'd done till then without regret? And he'd conveniently ignored all that because of - what? Pathetic didn't even begin to cut it.

"Harry," Hermione spoke softly. "What could he possibly say that would make things okay? What apology could he make? This... this ensuring Sirius' safety...  this is his way of apologizing..."

"Since when did you become an expert on You-know-who?" Asked Ron. "I mean, he could be plotting to take over the wizarding world even as we sit here, debating if he's good or not."

"Maybe the wizarding world needs that," snapped Hermione. "We all criticize the way Tom targets muggles and muggle-borns and other non-humans, but is the ministry any better? We have them drafting anti-werewolf legislations and not a single law to improve the lot of House-elves! And all Fudge cares about is staying in office that he doesn't even care to know the truth. He's sent this foul Umbridge woman here to spy on and terrorize the students! She even uses illegal objects to do that. How can Tom be worse than this?"

"Because he tortures and murders for fun?" Ron sounded angry too. "You don't know what it was like the last time, Hermione. Your parents are muggles. My parents have told me all about it. It was a dark time and we did not know who to trust and who not to. The Order was not so well-organized and the Death-Eaters were just picking them off like flies! People were afraid to go out of their homes! Whole villages of muggles were wiped out!"

"I don't believe Tom would do anything like that, now," said Hermione. "I mean he's been back for so long and he's not hurt anyone. I don't think he's killed a single person since he came back."

"That doesn't mean he won't," said Harry heavily. He rose. "I'm going to bed."

He was aware of Hermione's anxious eyes following him as he went upto the dormitory. But he just could not sit there and listen to them discussing the merits of Tom ruling the wizarding community vis-a-vis the ministry. The ministry made bad choices, but that was Fudge and Umbridge. And no matter how foul they were, they still did not torture and murder anyone.