Hermione Granger and the Theft of Magic

Chapter 12: Distractions from the Mirror

[A/N: Thank you to Calamity Owl for beta-reading this chapter!]

Harry stumbled out of his floo, straightened up, and turned around just in time to catch Hermione as she flopped out of the fireplace behind him.

"Thank you," she murmured, and he held her for another twenty seconds until he felt her legs firm up and reclaim her body weight from him.

"No problem," he said as he removed their glamours. "So, do I win the bet with Remus?"

"You don't even have to bribe me," Hermione replied. "That's awful. I'd much rather walk to their house, even in the rain."

"I understand," Harry said. "We should probably get you comfortable enough that you can manage flooing to and from Longbottom Manor on your own, though."

She sighed. "You're right. Can we try that tomorrow, though? My inner ears can only take so much of this at once."

"That's fine," Harry said. "Right now, are you feeling up to setting up the potions lab?"

"Sure. I need to work off some of that burger."

"I'm glad you liked it so much. What did you think of Diagon Alley?"

"Honestly?" Hermione said. "It was kind of terrifying. I mean, it was amazing, and I'm just blown away by how there's this whole world I never knew existed, but it was also terrifying and I don't think I'll ever be brave enough to go alone."

"That's kind of how I felt the first time, too," Harry said. "It helped that I had a huge, half-giant of a man showing me around. For what it's worth, though, I suspect you'll be one of the most dangerous people in the entire Alley within a few years."

She arched her eyebrows at him.

"You're a powerful witch," Harry said. "Once you've picked up some spells, you'll be able to go toe-to-toe with anyone."

"I'd rather they just not notice me," she said.

As they walked upstairs, Harry was tempted to tell her that she was going to show the entire country she was too amazing to be ignored, but he decided against that for fear of stoking her anxiety.

Setting up the potions lab took most of the evening, especially because Hermione was meticulous about arranging the ingredients as "The Prudent Potioneer" instructed. Harry was simultaneously annoyed about the slow pace and that he hadn't had her as a Potions partner in Hogwarts, because his grades would have been amazing. By the time they collapsed into their beds at eleven, the lab was roughly in shape for Andi's visit in a few days.

Harry had day shifts for the next several days, so he had to be up early the next morning. He skipped his pre-work workout that day just to get a little extra sleep, and Hermione hauled herself out of bed early to have breakfast with him even though he told her she didn't have to.

Hermione considered a nap after Harry left, but breakfast had woken her up enough that she decided against it. Instead, she finished setting up the potions lab and spent some time familiarising herself with the layout of ingredients and tools. After she finished that, she thought about trying out her new wand, but decided doing so without Harry present might be suicidally unsafe.

That left something else she'd been hoping to do with him, but the clock was ticking until Professor Tonks showed up on Thursday and she wanted to be ready. She dug out some parchment, ink, and one of Harry's incredibly useful self-inking quills, and sat down at the coffee table in the sitting room with Severus Snape's first-year potions textbook.