It Could Have Gone That Way; A Harmione Fanfiction

Chapter 78: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

"It'll be all right." Hermione said in a panicked voice,"Let's...let's go back to the castle, Harry. If he's gone to the Forest, then...then we'll need to think of a new plan."

"Yeah, don't listen to him, mate." Ron said warily.

"Harry?" Hermione frowned.

Harry gave a small nod of agreement and followed Ron and Hermione out of the Shrieking Shack. The trio made their way back to the Great Hall, where Ron moved back over to Fred and knelt down by his mother's side. Harry and Hermione shared a sad look. Bill, Fleur, and Gabrielle had joined them, and Gabrielle hurried to Ron's side and sat down, stroking his back.

At Fred's side lay Lupin and Tonks. They looked peaceful and were almost holding hands, but Harry's breath still caught in his throat as he turned to the door and ran from the Great Hall. Quick footsteps followed him, but nobody called out for him to stop. Harry did not look back until he reached the Headmaster's office.

"Harry," Hermione slowed to a halt as she reached the door too,"what are you doing?"

Harry didn't answer. He simply stared at the stone gargoyle that was guarding the door, face deadpan.

"Password?" The gargoyle asked.

"Dumbledore!" Harry said without thinking, for it was he whom Harry yearned to see most. To his surprise, the gargoyle slid aside, revealing the spiral staircase into the office. Harry charged up the stairs two at a time and burst into the circular office with such force that he almost tripped on a table leg.

"Harry!" Hermione sounded a little annoyed,"Would you please tell me what's going on?"

"I need to see Dumbledore!"

"He's up-" Hermione began, pointing to a large gold frame above the desk,"oh!"

There was no one in the frame. In fact, there was no one in any of the frames that surrounded the pair, supposed to be filled with previous Hogwarts Headmasters and Headmistresses. The lack of familiar faces made the office feel a lot colder than usual.

"I'm sorry, Harry."

"That's all right." Harry gazed up at the empty frames with a heavy heart,"I've got something else to do."

"What?"

Harry turned to face her and pulled out the flask that he had filled with Snape's memories. As Hermione's face softened with understanding, Harry turned to the shallow stone basin that stood beside him. He hadn't seen the Pensieve for almost a year, and Harry had had no desire to return to it, until that day. Unstoppering the flask and tipping its contents into the basin, Harry said,"You don't have to come in with me if you don't want to."

Hermione returned his statement with an incredulous look,"Of course I'm coming!" She eyed the Pensieve uncertainly,"Well...how do you...um...how does it work?"

Harry gave her a small grin, said,"Like this.", and plunged his head into the cold liquid. Only once he felt ground beneath his feet did Harry open his eyes. A light thud told him that Hermione had followed him into Snape's memories.

Hermione gasped,"Harry, is that-?"

"Stop it!" A young girl shrieked.

Harry turned to face the source of the noise. They were in a playground, in which two girls were playing on the swings. The taller one who had just spoken was hardly swinging at all, arms folded across her chest and a look of pure disgust on her face, framed by neat blonde ringlets of hair. The smaller girl, on the other hand, was swinging incredibly and somewhat dangerously high. She was laughing as her sister scowled at her, long red hair flying out behind her, bright green eyes sparkling with joy and youthfulness. There was someone else in the playground, too, however; a young boy whose black hair was long and messy was crouched behind a bush, watching the two girls. He wore a large, shabby overcoat, jeans that rode up above his ankles, and an odd smock-like shirt. It could only have been Severus Snape.