Disclaimer: See chapter 1

The Misplaced Potter

Chapter 21

In which our story ends

"Have you taken a vow of silence, Henry?" Chris asked.

"Just thinking is all," Henry replied watching the Scottish countryside travel past the compartment window. They were returning to London on the Hogwarts Express, their first year of study of the Ars Magica completed. Henry's thoughts were scattered. He was looking forward to seeing his new home for the first time yet he was already missing some of his friends from school especially Maggie. The image of her smiling with tears in her eyes as she waved to them from the platform remained in his mind.

"A burden shared is a burden halved," Hermione quoted.

"I have shared with you all that I know," he said. "Several times."

"Do you think that the headmaster shared all that he knew with you?" Hermione countered.

Henry sighed. "Yeah, I do but I still feel as if I were a horse led very carefully to a particular starting gate."

"You believe that Dumbledore has manipulated you?" asked Chris.

"No, not really," Henry answered quickly. "He made some decisions concerning me that I'm not sure that he had any right to but I don't know exactly what his relationship with James and Lily Potter was so I can't be certain of that. He probably did what he felt was best and who am I to say that it wasn't?"

"You were the object of those decisions, Henry," Hermione pointed out. "That gives you the right to question what was done."

"Despite it all being a mistake on his part and whatever his motives, he delivered me up to Mom and Dad," he responded. "For that I am very grateful."

"Your gratitude shouldn't extend to being his willing cat's paw in his battle against Voldemort," Chris argued.

"That choice wasn't Dumbledore's or mine," Henry said forcefully. "I'm in this mess because Voldemort choose me as his enemy due to of the ramblings of some half-baked fortuneteller. He has tried to kill me twice and likely he will keep trying until he succeeds, will me, nil me."

"Or he finally fails in the most absolute way possible," Hermione said quietly.

Henry's stomach immediately tightened as the final moments of Professor Quirrell's life leaped into his mind. Henry was still grappling the fact that he had caused the death of another human being. Henry knew that the professor was trying to murder him. It was also true that cause of death was a protective charm placed on him by his long dead birth mother but it was his hands wrapped around the professor. Henry could still feel the melting tissue of the unfortunate teacher oozing between his fingers. His anguished wails still echoed in Henry's mind. The thought that he would have to kill again because of another's choices sickened Henry.

Chris and Hermione noted the play of emotions that danced across Henry's features. Hermione felt a wave of guilt for causing her friend duress. She was aware of how much the professor's death bothered Henry. Henry was a decent, highly moral boy to whom killing was the ultimate taboo.

"I'm sorry, Henry," she said repentantly. "I shouldn't have said that."

Henry gave her a small smile. "Its okay, Hermione. It is the truth after all and I can't hide from it. I can only wish that Voldemort has a change of heart and decides that he has better things to do with his life other then fighting someone who doesn't want to fight him."

"We'll hope for a road to Damascus conversion for Voldemort but you best learn all that they want you to next year," Chris said.

"And several years beyond that the way that Dumbledore talked," Henry added. "Actually, if it wasn't for the reason behind it, I'd enjoy the extra lessons. Wilderness survival, kung fu, animagus training; all of that sounds cool."

"He will win who, prepared himself, awaits to take the enemy unprepared," Chris quoted. "I wonder if you can con Dumbledore into letting me learn some of that stuff along with you. I would love being an animagus."

"Dumbledore is too secretive," Hermione said although it hurt her to criticize a teacher. "People ferret out secrets but never pause to consider what is right before their eyes."

"What are you getting at?" Chris asked.

"It's simple," Hermione replied. "All of magical Britain is turning over rocks and looking behind bushes to find the boy who lived without success because they aren't looking right where he's supposed to be. Dumbledore didn't really hide Henry yet it took Voldemort and Quirrell all year to figure out that the kid in his class was Harry Potter and I believe that they were not truly certain until they had you down in that chamber, Henry."

"Not to sound rude but so what," Henry replied.

"Don't you see?" Hermione asked. "If Dumbledore and the others start giving you private lessons, someone will find out and begin to ask questions as to why but if he announces at the beginning of the year feast that anyone interested in learning unarmed combat such see him and, by the way, Hagrid the groundskeeper is willing to teach woodcraft to any interested student."

"Hide Henry in the open again," Chris laughed.

"As I said, people rarely question what is directly before them," Hermione continued. "Plus, those of us who have an interest in keeping him alive can learn the extra lessons with Henry."

"Oh, you have an interest in keeping me alive?" Henry asked jokingly.

"Yes, I do, Henry," Hermione said seriously. "I do not think that I can express what this year has meant to me. For the first time in my memory, I have friends. This year, I was finally with people my age outside of classes."

"We live together," Chris said. "It would not be possible not to be with you outside of class."

"You do not understand me," Hermione pressed on fervently. "We hung out together beyond the study sessions, beyond classes, beyond sharing a dorm. We talked about things other then our school subjects. You guys threw me a birthday party. That was the first one that I ever had that was something more then my parents and me in a pizzeria. Maggie, Bess, and Bridget were the first girls to sit around with me and simply have a girl talk."

Henry and Chris looked at each other. Hermione's passionate declaration perplexed both of them. Neither could fathom the depth of feeling upon which they had touched. Chris had always been a very popular boy in school. His humorous, gregarious personality, consideration of others, genuine kindness and good looks had drawn his schoolmates to him in droves. Henry, on the other hand, had always been somewhat of a loner. Until this year, he had rarely formed friendships of any depth outside of his family circle. He doubted if anyone in Kentucky even remembered him now so neither boy could understand Hermione's pain.

"Well, we proud to have you as our friend, Hermione," said Henry finally.

"You made all of that possible, Henry," Hermione said.

If he was perplexed before Henry was now completely dumbfounded. Her logic escaped him entirely.

"You gonna have to explain that one to me, Hermione," he said, his confusion evident in his tone of voice. "It's not like I bribed people to be your friend or anything."

"When we were coming to Hogwarts and you were sitting there with a broken hand, I spoke harshly to you," Hermione related as tears welled up in her eyes. "Most people would have told me to stick it and get the hell out of there yet you interceded on my behalf when Chris quite rightly pointed out that I was on the wrong tack. It was a simple act of forgiveness, which allowed me to remain in the compartment. You overlooked my faults and Chris followed suit. Since Maggie was already your friend she included me into the circle and it spread from there. I can safely say that every student in our form in Gryffindor and Hufflepuff is a friend of mine. I, who was friendless, last year, have a score of friends now. "

Chris silently handed her his handkerchief. He tenderlygave her a quick squeezeas Hermione attacked the tears that were traveling down her cheeks. Henry could not relate to Hermione's previous pain but was deeply touched that he was able to do such a great favor for someone with what was to him such a modest deed.

"You're welcome," Henry said. "But I gained a friend that day also so I guess were even. You don't have to do anything for me that you don't want to. You aren't obligated to me."

"I am indebted to you, Henry," Hermione replied. "But I will draw the line at learning outdoor survival with you. I do not care which snakes or grubs are the tastiest and I don't sleep on the ground."

Both boys laughed. Neither could imagine the ultra civilized Hermione roughing it. For that matter, Chris did not have any desire to be anywhere concrete was not underfoot. If he wanted nature, he would go to a park. He loved Henry but they were the epitome of the city mouse and his country cousin.

"I think that you are right about having the extra lessons opened to anyone who wants to learn the stuff," Henry said. "You should send an owl to the headmaster and tell him so. You can say that I agree with you if you think that it would help your case."

"I will," Hermione replied. "I don't think that many will be interested because most of our school mates distain anything that doesn't have to do with magic but all we really need is a half dozen or so in each of the lessons. The idea is to hide you in plain sight after all not the increase of the fund of general knowledge of the Hogwarts student body."

Henry nodded. His face, however, wore a sad expression.

"Do you honestly think that it will do any good?" he asked the others. "Even if I learn what Dumbledore and the others teach me, how much of a chance can I have?"

"Henry," Chris said. "This prophecy business seems a little airy to me but if it is true then it would be like the headmaster told you, Voldemort and you are equals despite the outward appearances."

"I agree with Chris, Henry," Hermione said. "I think that the fact that they wish to train you is evidence that it is not a hopeless cause. If you did not have any chance of victory, they would have left you in the muggle world instead of bringing you to Hogwarts."

Henry turned his head and stared out at the passing scenery. "Yeah, that makes sense," he said before lapsing back into silence.

Chris and Hermione respected his desire not to speak. Instead, they passed the time talking with each other. As they spoke, Chris found himself reflecting on Hermione's earlier comment about being friendless. He found it difficult to believe that no one had made an effort to get to know her. She was highly intelligent yet so easy to talk to and she had so many interesting things to say. Chris wondered if Henry had flared up at Hermione on the trip to Hogwarts, would he have bothered to get to know her or if he would have allowed familial hostility to erect a permanent barrier between them.

"I guess that little things do make a big difference at times," he thought.

"You know, Hermione," Chris said. "I think that you are right. I'm terribly glad that Henry didn't get mad at you. This year would not have been the same without you being our friend."

"Thank you," she replied. "It may not appear to have been much but it had a major impact on my life."

"Yeah, like Dumbledore and grandfather's address," Henry said. "It was a tiny mistake that anyone could have made but who knows what my life would have been like otherwise."

A/N: (1) The quote that Chris spoke was from the classic The Art of War attributed to Sun Tzu.

(2) For those of you who have read this story, those who have reviewed it, and those of you who have placed it in favorite files, put it on alert status or included it in a C2 community, my humblest thanks. I have been truly inspired to write by the many notes of encouragement from strangers connected to me only through cyberspace. Bless each and every one of you. Sincerely, Chubby Redburn. Marshall County, Alabama, USA. October 2, 2005.