(Book 7 FanFiction) Harry Potter: The Last Horcrux

Chapter 13: Setting Things to Rights

           

The next few weeks at Grimmauld Place were rather tense. Although the air had been cleared amongst them, everyone still walked on edge. Mrs. Weasley kept the foursome under close watch, as if she was afraid they'd disappear under her very eyes. Harry suspected that although she had resigned herself to their continued involvement in the war, she wasn't happy about it. She appeared to be waiting with extreme apprehension for the announcement of their next departure.

Mr. Weasley had held true to his word and kept them apprised of Scrimgeour's activities. He'd also told them how the press had reported their appearance in Diagon Alley in vivid detail. Harry's instructions on how to fight the Inferi had been front-page news for a fortnight, and the Ministry had taken up the cause as if it had been their idea.

There were now regular reminders and updates in each edition of the Daily Prophet.

Percy had returned to work without saying much to any of them, his upturned nose expressing his disapproval. Charlie, however, had remained behind, claiming to need a holiday. Harry suspected he was attempting to snap Bill out of his funk. Bill was the only one who apparently still held a grudge about their disappearance, although Harry still felt uneasy around Mr. Weasley, as well.

He had carefully stored Helga Hufflepuff's charred cup in his trunk along with the diary and the ring. Three down, and he knew what the fourth one was, if not where. That left only himself and one other unknown item. The task still seemed overwhelming, but he was making progress.

Harry's greatest concern at the moment, however, was Hermione. She wasn't taking the loss of her hair well, but Merlin help anyone who tried to point that out to her. She was completely irrational on the subject, and refused to listen to anyone's suggestions. Poor Ron had spent more time trying to dig out of a blunder he'd unwittingly caused than anything else. He'd been desperately trying to be sympathetic, but had only ended up getting on her nerves.

Hermione had virtually barricaded herself in the library, and was rarely seen elsewhere. She'd even skipped most meals, preferring to have a tray sent up to her. At first, this behavior didn't seem out of the ordinary, but as the days passed, the others had become concerned.

While it was true that Hermione was scouring the books, Harry suspected she was hiding more than working. She spent as much time reading medical journals as she did anything related to Voldemort. Hermione was having a lot of trouble realizing that there was no solution to her hair loss other than to wait for nature to fix it. She couldn't stand being let down by the library and apparently took it as a personal insult.

Whenever anyone offered to help her, she declined and retreated further behind her books. Ron's expression waffled between hurt and bewilderment as Hermione most often released her pent-up aggression on him. Harry knew that she tended to act irrationally when she felt overwhelmed, but he was confident she'd pull it together when the logical side of her brain took control. Waiting for that to happen, however, was difficult to endure.

Hermione had kept her navy blue handkerchief wrapped tightly around her head, and she jerked away from anyone who attempted to touch it, particularly Ron. Harry had noticed how often she adjusted it and suspected her fidgeting was due to self-consciousness. He wished he could think of a way to help, but he was at a loss. He knew Ginny was concerned as well, since he'd caught her staring speculatively at the older girl on several occasions.

The one benefit to Hermione's distress had been the thawing of Mrs. Weasley's demeanor. She'd remained distant and aloof for several days after the Order meeting, but she'd obviously noticed Hermione's increasing agitation. Ginny had finally approached her mother for help, and Mrs. Weasley had thrown herself to the task with her typical gusto.