The Wand of Ravenclaw

Hermione's Discovery

For much of the next day Harry didn't see Hermione or whatever she was concocting with the fake Horcrux locket. She locked herself in one of the upper bedrooms with a stack of books, her cauldron, candles and many assorted trinkets and ingredients that she had gathered from Harry knew not where. There were occasional bangs and puffs of smoke seeping out from under the door but after one heavy scolding for asking if she was alright Harry thought it best to leave her to it.

Luckily Ron came around at noon to catch up on what was going on. He likened the minor explosions emanating from Hermione's location to Fred and George's bedroom at the Burrow, a comparison that Harry wasn't comfortable with at all. Ron pointed out, though, that if Hermione was working then she was in her element and it was best to get out of her way.

'You know what she's like,' he said. 'She's a little bit dangerous at times. Too much magic for her own good, I say. But she must know what she's doing and you'll only put her off. She'll come to you when she's good and ready.'

'How are things at home?' asked Harry.

'Quiet,' said Ron. 'Bill and Fleur have gone away on honeymoon to somewhere exotic; Dad's hardly ever out of the Ministry and Ginny's back at Hogwarts. All in all it's a bit weird there.'

'What about you? Been to see Luna recently?'

'What? Why would I?' said Ron blushing into his red hair. 'Who've you been talking to?'

'Nobody,' said Harry. 'Why so defensive?'

'I'm not being defensive, who says I'm defensive?' said Ron, somewhat defensively.

'I just thought,' said Harry, 'that after the wedding and our chat the other day that maybe you'd changed your mind about her. You could do a hell of a lot worse, you know.'

'Since when have you become so interested in my love life.'

'Oh, so its love is it,' Harry smirked. 'How quaint!'

'Shut up, Harry,' said Ron, throwing a cushion at Harry, his cheeks and hair now matching colour. 'I was just saying that you're not exactly an expert in these areas yourself.'

'I'm not doing too badly now,' Harry replied, as yet another loud bang echoed from upstairs.

'Yeah, and look how long that took!'

'Well that was kind of your fault,' Harry pointed out. 'Ever since fourth year I thought you fancied Hermione and that would have stopped me making a move for her even if I had acknowledged my feelings back then.'

'Why would that have mattered?' asked Ron. 'If she'd liked you too, which we all reckoned she did, I would have been okay with it.'

'Really!' Harry snorted. 'You would have been as okay with me as you were with Krum, eh?'

'Maybe I'd have been a little annoyed,' said Ron. 'But I'd have gotten over it. I did when you were made Quidditch Captain and when you told me I only got made a Prefect over you because Dumbledore thought you had enough stress on.'

'This is a bit different,' Harry pointed out. 'I'd have probably lost you as a friend, and I couldn't afford to do that. I don't have very many. Not real ones anyway. In any case, I bet I'd have messed it up. Like you said, my track record isnt great.'

'You and me both, mate,' said Ron. 'Lavender, Hermione...not much of a success rate is it. We're both as bad as each other.'

Harry had to agree. They continued talking about each others failures with the opposite sex until they had lunch, which consisted of some excellent pasties Mrs Weasley had sent with Ron for she was convinced Harry and Hermione were starving under their own devices. It was about one o'clock when the kitchen door burst open and Hermione came in. Harry couldn't help but feel she looked so cute; her fringe and eyebrows were singed and black, her face scarred with soot and dust, her cloak smoking in places.