Harry and Ron fell asleep on the couch. Harry was awoken by a door shutting. He looked around and poked Ron in the arm.
“Hermione’s gone.” he hissed at him.
Ron groaned, “Of course she’s gone, she suppose to go to detention.” he said rolling over.
“I know but she didn’t bring the cloak.” he said holding it up. Ron sat up.
“You don’t think she forgot to go do you?” he asked.
Harry shrugged. “We can watch the map.” he said. “I’ll go get it.” He got up and went to his dorm. It was hard to open the trunk and get out the map without anyone hearing. He managed to slip back into the common room unnoticed. He opened it as Ron watched over his shoulder.
In the owlery stood a small dot labeled Hermione. Professor Vector was watching her very closely. She moved about, cleaning shelves and perches. Harry and Ron took turns watching to make sure she hadn’t forgotten. Like she had said, it only took thirty minuets.
“But when Snape made me do it, it took like two hours!” Ron moaned. “How did she do that?” Harry shrugged. He guessed that Ron spent all of his time groaning about it instead of cleaning.
She finally left the owlery, followed closely by Professor Vector.
“Vector must be tailing her back to the common room.” Ron groaned. But he didn’t. The two dots seem to stop and face each other for a moment.
“Must be lecturing her.” Harry mumbled. Finally she and Hermione left in different directions. She went around the corner and waited, then followed the path he had taken.
“Yes!” Ron whispered loudly. “She’s going to the library.” She crept alongside the wall. She seemed extraordinarily cautious. Harry supposed he would be too without the map or cloak.
After what seemed like hours, Hermione made it into the restricted area. Very slowly, she scanned the shelves, looking for just the right book. The small dot moved towards one shelf and stopped, turned around, and sat down at a desk. Hermione had found the right book.
Ron gave a loud yawn. “How long do you think it’ll take her?” he asked. Harry shrugged. Knowing Hermione, it would either take hours, or seconds, depending on the information.
“Look,” Harry said quickly, “Someone’s coming down the hall!”
“Who?” Ron said squinting at the map. Harry couldn’t see the fine print without his glasses.
“Loony… loon…something.” Harry said.
“Luna?” Ron pushed. Harry shook his head. Ron took the map into his hands and held it up to his face.
“Moony! Harry it’s Lupin!” he exclaimed. Harry took the map. Indeed it was. He hadn’t gone into the library yet, but Harry was sure he would. Hermione walked back over to the and started to walk out of the restricted area. Harry and Ron yelled at her as though she could here.
They met at the door way. Harry could imagine the look of surprise on Lupin’s face and the fear of Hermione’s. Hermione followed Lupin back to his office. For several minuets they talked. Harry wasn’t sure why it would take so long to give a punishment. Maybe Lupin would take points away. He was pacing back and forth.
Finally Hermione headed back to the common room. Harry expected her nose to be red like she had been crying but she wasn’t. She merely looked disappointed.
“So,” Harry and Ron said together.
“Nothing,” Hermione Groaned, “Lupin caught me before I could find anything.” she said heavily.
“But we saw you about to leave the library before he caught you.” said Harry.
Hermione stared. “Well I gave up. There wasn’t anything there, and I didn’t think there would be so…” Harry and Ron looked like they had never seen such a terrible lie.
“You gave up?” Ron asked, “You gave up?”
“Yes,” Hermione snapped. “Is there a problem with that?”
Harry and Ron gapped at her. Why would she be hiding something like this? She stepped into the protection of the girls’ dormitory.
Harry and Ron looked at each other for a moment. “She knows,” Harry gritted angrily through his teeth. “Lupin must have told her not to say.”
“Why would he do that?” Ron asked.
“I don’t know. Probably thinks I’m not old enough to know the truth.” Harry replied.
“Don’t be thick. Lupin would tell you about unless he had a really good reason.” Ron said heavily.
“It didn’t stop Dumbledore from telling me about the-” He stopped. Ron eyed him suspiciously.
“The what,” he pushed. Harry said nothing.
“Anyway, he might just not want me to know the truth.” he finished quickly.
Ron sighed. “Well let’s just forget it for now. It’s already six so we might as well go get some food.” Harry nodded. They went down to the great hall. Only as they sat down did Harry realize how tired he was. He had stayed up since three o’clock in the morning. Hermione was obviously trying to avoid them, because she hadn’t come down for breakfast. She couldn’t avoid him any longer though; they had transfiguration together.
Hermione found away to avoid him then too. Harry waited for her before the bell rang, but she didn’t come until the very second it did. She sat on the opposite side of the room which was right next to the door.
Harry eyed her carefully. He would catch her when the bell rang. Professor McGonagall droned on about the dangers of becoming and Animagi. Harry simply stared towards the front of the room; pondering within his own thoughts. A soft buzzing sound sang in the distance. People around him started to move out of the classroom. Harry shook his head.
“It’s the bell Mr. Potter.” Mrs. McGonagall said in an annoyed voice. Harry looked behind him. Hermione had already gone. He swore under is breath and gathered his books. That day he did something he had never done before; try to get to potions as quickly as possible.
She looked startled to see him. “Harry what…” she started.
“I take this class remember?” Harry snapped. Hermione stared at him. “What did you learn last night?” Harry blurted out. Hermione groaned.
“I told you, nothing.” she said quickly. Harry muscles flexed.
“We saw you on the map! You don’t give up Hermione. Other people do, but you don’t! What do you know?” Hermione bit her lip. Harry threw his hands in the air. “What did Lupin tell you then? You talked for over 10 minuets, and you didn’t seem depressed like you got points taken away or something.”
“He just lectured me how I shouldn’t know more than I already do.” she said softly.
“So what do you already know?” Harry yelled furiously.
“Only what you know! That it’s not good. All Lupin said was that nobody is supposed to know it even exists, except for the people who work there, and they are sworn to secrecy!” she said in a louder voice
Harry knew there was no arguing. He knew that she was only telling him part of what Lupin said, but she would not tell him.
He had Occlumency that day. He thought maybe he could ask what Lupin knew. Lupin felt so bad about seeing the prophecy, he might tell him a little of what he knows. He headed that night to Lupin’s office.
Harry thought it best to ask after the lesson if he knew anything about the veil. He stood once again in the middle of the room, wand in his hand, trying to clear his mind. “One, two, three!” said Lupin.
He was watching Mr. Weasley fall to the floor with blood from a snake bite. Snape was throwing him out of his office. Wormtail was telling Voldemort about the veil…
He didn’t need his wand this time. He simply woke back up in the middle of the room. “Well done,” Lupin said happily. He frowned at Harry’s bewildered look. “You don’t seem that happy however.”
“What does the veil do? I mean, what is it?” Harry asked quickly. Lupin gave a heavy sigh.
“I… I really don’t know.” he said. “It’s something you can’t really explain well with words.” He added at Harry’s annoyed face.
“You could try.” he said impatiently. He looked at him with determination. Lupin shook his head.
“It’s not well… solid…Erm… It’s just a sort of experiment. A failed one.” he said.
“What sort of experiment?” Harry pushed.
“Well, I can’t really tell. For many reasons mind you.” he said finally. Harry groaned.
“You told Hermione!” he blurted out. Lupin stared at him.
“What makes you think that?” he asked quickly
“A certain map,” Harry replied in an annoyed voice. Lupin sighed.
“Hermione doesn’t know. She just knows not to tell anyone if she does find out.” he said.
“Why can’t she say if she finds out?” Harry said furiously. Lupin seemed to be finding a good way to say something.
“Dumbledore has reasons. And not because he thinks you’re too young to know.” he said hastily. Harry gave in. Lupin obviously wasn’t going to tell him anything. He continued to block him out of his mind; taking less time each try. He still thought that Lupin did know, he just wouldn’t say. He couldn’t think about it too much though, or else it would throw his concentration off course.
He felt slightly dizzy when he came out of Lupin’s office, and found it hard to get back up to the common room. As soon as he did though, he found himself asleep on the couch, unable to remember how he had got there.