Unique (Hermione x M! OC)

43. Ministry Interference

"You've got to tell Dumbledore." Hermione insists.

"No." Harry mutters, "Dumbledore's got enough on his mind right now."

"He doesn't wanna give Umbridge the satisfaction." I grumble.

"Bloody hell, the woman's torturing you." Ron argues, "If the parents knew about this-"

"Well I haven't got any of those have I, Ron?"

"Hey now, we got Dad." I argue.

"Look, you've got to report this. It's perfectly simple! You're being-"

"No it's not!" Harry snaps, "Hermione, whatever this is, it's not simple. You don't understand."

"Sammy-" Hermione tries.

"I'm with Harry. The ministry it's -- it's trying to hinder us, keep us from learning. They aren't just against me and Harry anymore." I take her hand, "They're against everyone. They are trying to keep us ignorant." Harry stands abruptly and storms off. I don't know where to stand right now, Harry or Hermione. My brother or the love of my life.

Hermione kisses me, "Go. Make sure he doesn't die."

"Are you sure?"

"Sammy, you don't need to prove to me that you love me. I know you do. Harry needs his brother right now, okay?"

"Okay." I kiss her again. "See you at dinner, I'll take you to the tower tonight, okay?"

"Okay. I love you."

"Love you too." With that, I rush out of the room, run down the stairs and find Harry outside. He's folding a paper of sorts. "Jesus fuck, man. I just ran down all those stairs and you're still here?"

"I was gonna go on a walk, clear my head a bit. Want to tag along?"

I ponder the thought for a moment, "Why the fuck not?" I decide.

First, we send off Hedwig with a note for Sirius and before long, we're in a wooded area near the dark forest. The air is heavy and smells of rain. "This is nice." Harry says.

"As long as we can find the way back." I agree, scoping for the castle above the trees. Suddenly we hear a sound similar to a cat as we come across a clearing that reveals a small herd of those horse-things that pull the carriage. Luna is found petting one.

The horse pulls away from Luna and bows to me. Luna doesn't look back as she says, "Hello Samuel Hedrich, Harry Potter."

"Where's Ava?" I ask.

"Inside."

"Your feet, aren't they cold?" Harry questions. I look down at her feet to realise that she has no shoes.

"Bit." Luna replies, "Unfortunately all my shoes have mysteriously disappeared. I suspect nargles are behind it."

I slowly approach the horse and pat its snout. It likes me. "What are they?" Harry asks.

"They're called thestrals. They're quite gentle, really, but people avoid them because they're a bit..."

"Different." Harry whispers. They start walking forwards. "But why can't the others see them?"

"They can only be seen by those who've seen death."

I look down. That explains it. These things like me because I'm basically the prince of it. "So you know someone who's died then?" Harry asks, I give him a look. Extremely disrespectful.

"My mum." Luna says, "She was quite an extraordinary witch, but she did like to experiment, and one day, one of her spells went badly wrong. I was nine."

"I'm sorry."

"Yes, it was rather horrible. I do feel rather sad about it sometimes, but I've got Dad. We both believe you two, by the way." She walks up to a baby thestral, putting down an apple. "That you're the next Great Wizard," she regards me, "and that You-Know-Who's back and the Ministry and Prophet are conspiring against you guys and Dumbledore."

"Thanks." Harry says, "It seems like you're about the only ones who do."

"I don't think so." Luna says, "But I suppose that's how he wants you to feel."

"Pardon?" I question.

"Well, if I were You-Know-Who, I'd want you to feel cut off from everyone else. Cause, if it's just you alone, you're not really as much of a threat." She directs at Harry.

"What about me?" I ask.

"That's something I don't know." she says with an odd anticipation as she tosses the baby a chunk of meat.

Me, Golden, Ron and Gin sit at the dinner table. "So you're the king of them?" Ron questions, his mouth full of food.

"No, I think I'm connected to them. There's a strange feeling of mutuality there when I'm near them."

"I don't get why Luna was out there." Hermione wonders aloud. "And what'd she say? Voldemort wants Harry to feel this way?"

"Yeah. Makes sense, right?"

"I don't know. Still seems kinda nutty to me." Ron mutters before swallowing a large bite of food. Then he gets a seventh or eighth plate of food.

"Do you ever stop eating?" Hermione demands in disbelief. Suddenly we spot the sorrowful figure of Harry approaching us. "Harry!" Hermione greets.

"Can I join you guys?"

"Shit, you know you don't have to ask!" I pat the empty seat to my left, my arm draped over Hermione's shoulder.

A bit away from us, in the hall, we hear a voice speaking, "Pardon me, Professor, but what exactly are you insinuating?" Bubblegum. Me, Harry, Hermione and Ron make our way towards the pompous voice.

"I am merely requesting that when it comes to my students, you conform to the prescribed disciplinary practises." McGonagall retorts. Hermione takes my scarred hand and I realise that she told McGonagall about me and Harry.

"So silly of me, but it sounds as if you're questioning my authority in my own classroom, Minerva."

"Not at all, Dolores," The older teacher argues, "Merely your mediaeval methods."

"I am sorry dear, but to question my practises is to question the ministry, and by extension, the minister himself! I am a tolerant woman."

"About as tolerant as a wood cabin in a forest fire." I mutter, causing Hermione to elbow me and Bubblegum to shoot me daggers, before continuing.

"I am a tolerant woman, but the one thing I will not stand for is disloyalty."

McGonagall steps back, offended, "Disloyalty..."

"Things at Hogwarts are far worse than I feared. Cornelius will want to take immediate action."