The Tale of Two Enemies

Chapter Six

"Come on Ron!" Harry called, the essence of frustration trailed through his voice as he waved to his friend, prompting him to hurry up.

"Hold on Harry, blimey!" Ron huffed as he tossed the pebble from his shoe before yanking it back onto his foot.

"Where do we start?" Harry whispered as he gently pushed the potions classroom door open.

"The desk of course." Ron stated bluntly, as though his best friend has forgotten their earlier conversation.

"Right." Harry nodded before pacing carefully towards Professor Snape's desk.

"Is it there?" Ron muttered as the surface of the desk came into sight.

"Hang on Ron, we only just got here." Harry all but spat as he instantly searched the desk for drawers.

"What's that?" Ron reached out his arm before accidentally knocking over a pot of ink.

"Watch it!" Harry spat as he scrutinized a trail of dark ink as it creep across the desk like a tiny snake.

"Shit! Do you know any spells to clean that up?" Ron cringed as he turned his attention to his best friend.

"No. If only Hermione were here."

Ron couldn't argue with that point. Although he also didn't think Hermione would be very impressed if she knew what they were up to.

"Let's just get out of here." Ron suggested before quickly making for the door, taking the invisibility cloak with him.

"No Ron! All this would have been a waste if we give up now."

"Urgh!" Ron grumbled as his attempts to get out of this awful mission were thwarted.

"Besides, he's going to know we have been in here now so we might as well try and get it." Harry insisted as continued to run his eyes over the wooden desk.

Ron didn't bother to resist the urge to roll his eyes as he walked back towards his best friend.

Harry quickly tried to yank the top drawer of the desk open, yet it would not budge.

Damn it.

The raven haired wizard withdrew his wand before aiming it at the drawer.

"Alohamora."

Within a split second the drawer flew open, revealing it's contents.

A smirk grew on Harry's lips as he reached into the drawer, quickly withdrawing the prized item.

"Got it, lets go!" Harry directed as the two fled from the classroom.

~*~*~

Hermione couldn't deny how strange it felt to be walking down Diagon Alley after the school year had already begun. The streets felt almost deserted as only adults seemed to be about. Then again, she had only seen the Alley while other students were shopping for supplies.

"Come, this way." Hermione grasped Luna's wrist before leading her towards the Flourish and Blotts.

Hermione grasped one of the notebooks from the shelf before striding up to the counter.

"Hi there dear, how may I help you?" An older woman with blonde hair tied up in a bun cheerfully greeted them.

"Excuse me, I understand what this notebook does, however might I ask what happens to the real life equivalents of characters written in it, if it were to be destroyed?"

"Well," The woman began as she tapped her finger against her cheek before reaching under the counter and withdrawing a folded up piece of parchment.

"Let's see," She began as she unfolded the paper before her eyes quickly scanned the page.

Hermione turned to Luna, the apprehension was rife in her eyes as she waited patiently for an answer.

"It says here, if a romance story is written about two people who are not fictitious characters, and the notebook gets destroyed, the real life counterparts of the characters will never be able to feel love again in their lives."

Hermione's gasped, heart pounding as she collected the book once again in her fingers.

"Thank you miss." Luna interrupted before guiding Hermione away from the counter. It seems the young witch had failed to notice the long line of customers that had appeared behind her.

"Luna! What are we going to do?" Hermione winced as the two paced into the Leaky Cauldron.

"Perhaps we should head back to Hogwarts and figure out a strategy from there."

Hermione nodded before following her blonde friend.

~*~*~

Snape strolled in potions class. He was early, but he had planned it this way, after all, he still had the remaining essays to mark.

The professor's eyes ran over his desk, something was out of sorts as he tried to pinpoint exactly what it was.

Snape gritted his teeth as he quickly realised.

A trail of black ink had made its way across his otherwise spotless desk.

His eyes widened as he turned his attention to his top drawer.

Damnit.

The drawer hung open and a certain item was missing from within it's confides.

Who did this?

It had to be Granger.

Or perhaps Malfoy.

Either way it didn't matter, he had to get the notebook back.

~*~*~

Snape has spent the entire lesson with his eyes locked on either Miss Granger or Mr Malfoy.

Which one was it?

Perhaps the intimidation of his constant glare would instigate a confession, or at least cause one of them to slip up.

He glanced at his clock, it was the end of the lesson and therefore, time to get some answers.

"Class dismissed, except for you Miss Granger." Snape's drawl filled the room as his eyes turned straight towards the witch.

Hermione gasped, wondering what she had done now as she collected her books before placing them in her bag.

"Do you not understand that when I confiscate something from you, that you can not just come back in here and take it." Snape muttered, deliberately waiting until the final student had left the classroom before initiating his interrogation.

"What do you mean professor?" Hermione's eyes widened as she suspected she already knew.

"Your notebook. You came in here over the weekend and took it."

"No sir! I swear I didn't!" Hermione's voice oozed with an odd mixture desperation and sincerity as her heart began to pound.

Wait, if she didn't have it and neither did Snape, then who stole it?

Snape simply raised his eyebrow, refusing to take his eyes off of the young witch.

"I bet it was Malfoy." Hermione gritted her teeth, intending for only her ears to hear the words, yet quickly realising it was too late.

"Mr Malfoy?" Snape repeated the words, furrowing his eyebrows yet a part of him couldn't deny he had also harbored the same suspicions.

"I don't recall seeing you at lunch on Saturday." Snape tilted his head slightly, the suspicion was rife in his eyes, yet even he couldn't ignore wondering why a student would chose to steal an item in the middle of the day.

After all, wouldn't the darkness of the night be more appropriate?

"That was because Luna and I went to Diagon Alley sir."

"And why would you need to go there? Did you perhaps forget some school supplies?"

"Not exactly." Hermione began before stalling.

"Then what?" Snape leaned in closer, quickly realising the Gryffindor had been up to mischief no doubt.

"Um," Hermione began, debating with herself as to whether she should disclose to the professor what she had learnt about the notebook at Flourish and Blotts.

"Well?" Snape prompted, growing steadily impatient.

"You see, we went to Flourish and Blotts, where I had originally purchased the notebook to ask if there were any consequences to the characters in real life." Hermione winced as she began to retell her account to the man.

She watched with great apprehension as Snape's attention seemed to grow stronger still.

"And?!"

"They said that if the book were to be destroyed, that the character's real life counterparts would loose the ability to ever feel love again." Hermione continued to wince as she delivered the words to who they actually concerned.

"What!" Snape screwed up his face, loosing his composure before quickly realising it and turning on his heel away from his student.

"I mean, I know its not a big deal for you but what about Harry?"

"What do you mean it's not a big deal for me?" Snape spat before quickly regaining his composure once more.

"Sorry I didn't mean it like that." Hermione offered the professor an uncertain smile, fully aware that it was too late to retract her words.

Never in Snape's life had he been made to feel so old.

"We have to find it." Snape spat aloud as panic appeared to grip him, though this was only apparent to the trained eye.

"Maybe Dumbledore could help." Hermione panicked as she verbalized her default source of help.

Snape turned to her, disbelief rife in his eyes.

"Do you really want the headmaster to read your notebook Miss Granger?"

Hermione audibly gulped.

Of course she didn't.