Hermione Granger and the Paradigm Shift

Epilogue - Part 4

August 1, 1997

"The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead."

As the lynx Patronus disappeared from sight she felt Harry grab her hand. One more pillar of their support was gone. The pillar had been tenuous and the support had been brief but it had borne one particularly large piece of fruit.

"At least they helped us with the cup," Harry muttered as he tried to not look concerned. He was truly awful at pretending not to be concerned.

"It's going to be fine," Hermione falsely reassured. It was a horrible effort on her part.

October 30, 1997

Hermione stared at the coin in her hand, not quite believing the message it delivered. It was really happening.

We think we found one. Rowena Ravenclaw had a diadem and we found it in the Room of Requirement thanks to Luna and Dobby. It feels just like you described. Let me know when you'll be coming so Abe will know to expect you.

Within seconds she heard Harry and Ron bounding into the room. Apparently they'd read the message as well.

"We've really done it," Ron observed. "Suppose we go through with the next part. Can we trust him to come through?"

"Dumbledore trusts him and he knows we've been holed up in Grimmauld. He could have given us up by now but he didn't," Harry replied. "What do you think, Hermione?"

Hermione knew exactly what she thought. She'd had almost six months to come up with a better plan than Harry's ridiculous idea but had come up short. His was so simple and logical but, unfortunately, put him at risk. She'd listened to his own parents try to talk him out of his idea (twice!) but their arguments had been solely based on emotion. Logically, unemotionally, she knew Harry's idea made the most sense to ensure victory.

She thought once again about the most illogical part of this illogical and constantly evolving order of events, the prophecy given by that old bat so many years ago. It was irrational to believe that she was part of the neither but she clung to that belief as a life line.

Hermione pondered Snape and his loyalties for what felt like the millionth time in the last year. Once again the same overriding thought poked through; despite his failings and trust issues their former headmaster seemed to be keenly aware of whom to put his faith in. His belief in Harry was tangible proof.

She let her logical brain reply before she could let her irrational heart talk her out of it. "We've come this far and I haven't been able to sort out a solution. Harry's right."

"When do you reckon?" Ron asked.

"Tomorrow," Harry answered immediately. "Tomorrow we go to Hogwarts and end this."

Thirty minutes later they had gone over the plan three more times: go to Hogwarts, destroy the diadem, and send the signal to Snape. Then once Snape, hopefully, did his part, they would follow Harry's stupid plan.

"I'll let the Order know," Ron supplied before exiting the room. It was an awfully transparent excuse to give them a bit of privacy but she appreciated the effort nonetheless.

As the seconds dragged on and the silence became more and more oppressive the thing that she'd denied for months, the thing that she forced herself not to think about in front of Harry, hit her in full force. She felt the tears begin to slide down her face but this time she had neither the will nor the resolve to stop them. Hermione felt Harry's arms wrap around her and any of her remaining resolve crumbled. She wasn't sure how long they stood there in that room crying...but it had felt good...long overdue.

"You know what day tomorrow is," she mumbled into his shoulder.

"Yeah," he answered softly, "I reckon it's just a day though...and I'd like to have another good memory associated with it."

"Another?" she asked.

"First year," he continued, "I helped this overbearing girl in my year. She's kept me sorted since then. Best day of my life actually..."

She wasn't sure how she managed it but she buried herself in even further.

Hermione could feel Harry playing with her hair. "We can wait if you want to...try to come up with a different plan. If you don't think you can do your part-"

"It's decided," she interrupted forcefully. The task on her shoulders was the least of her concerns. "Tomorrow."