Preventing pupils killing themselves on brooms, with potions or in the DA kept Harry and Draco busy for the rest of the week, but the worry about Sirius would not leave Harry. When the weekend came around again there was only one thing to do and Draco dragged him to see Hermione.
"What do you need?" Hermione asked as soon as she saw them.
"How did you know we need something?" Harry asked.
"I recognise that look on your face," Hermione said, "and it means something is important. Come on in."
Draco let Harry enter first and then followed.
"We need everything ever written about Primrose Bluebottle?" Harry said without preamble.
"I thought Hilde said the records were lost?" Hermione said, giving them what Draco had silently named her intrigued look.
It involved open, questioning eyes, with the tiniest frown between them. When he saw that look he knew Hermione was about to launch a quest for knowledge.
"Hilde has been doing some more digging, she hadn't mentioned it because she didn't want to get our hopes up," Draco explained, "but she thinks Primrose may just be missing, not lost. She found another reference To a spell called the Industriamorphius Curse."
"I've never read about that one," Hermione said. "Well Hogwarts has one of the best libraries in the world and you would not believe how many of the books aren't even catalogued. Sometimes I think someone deliberately spelled the library to make some things difficult to find. Madame Pince has needed an assistant for years; she's been fighting a losing battle in some sections."
"If anyone can get it in order you can," Harry said.
Ever since Hermione had taken her post as Assistant Librarian the complaints about the Hogwarts library had been common place in their conversations. Of course it was totally obvious that she was enjoying every minute of it as well. If there was one thing Hermione loved it was knowledge at her fingertips. Draco could empathise.
"So why now?" Hermione asked.
"Sirius."
Harry was concise and to the point and Draco saw Hermione realise just how important this actually was.
"Come on," she said, walking over to her desk. "Tell me everything about what you want to know and I'll put it through the new charms we're trying out and see what comes up."
* * *
They had told Hermione everything they knew and taken her to their room to look over the information Hilde had sent through. From what Harry could see, Hermione had made a list of keywords as they went on, before leading them off towards the library proper.
Most of the library was neat and ordered and as well kept as any library could want to be, however, when magic was involved nothing was ever quite straightforward. Hermione took them straight past the books the students were likely to want, although not to the Restricted section.
"Good morning, Madam Pince," Hermione said as the Librarian appeared from among her precious stacks.
"Good morning, Hermione," the woman replied and then disappeared again.
"I think you are the only person she has ever trusted with her books," Draco whispered, careful to keep his voice down.
"Well, unlike most people who come through here, I know how to treat them," Hermione said with a superior smile.
Hermione led them to the back where she had created herself a small office between two book shelves. The table she had set up as a desk was, of course, perfectly organised. She opened what looked like an ordinary roller deck to Harry, but the cards inside seemed to have infinitesimally small writing on them.
YOU ARE READING
Defence, Pretence, Offence (Hecatemus Book #2)
FanfictionSequel to 📕"Gold Tinted Spectacles"📕 (🔗https://www.wattpad.com/story/88859510-gold-tinted-spectacles-hecatemus-book-1🔗) The threat of open war in on the horizon. The Order and the Ministry are of one accord and both know that where Harry Potter...