The Time-Meddlers [Harmione]

14. Breaking and Entering

Classes were quite easy for Harry and Hermione, who did continue to help Neville a lot. However, their main focus was two different projects, one of which would be much easier than the other, yet both had one thing in common - they involved breaking and entering. The first and simplest of these missions occurred during dinner a few days into the new term. Harry and Hermione had taken their time eating their meal and being seen by everyone sitting near them, as well as most of the staff, including Dumbledore. About fifteen minutes into the dinner, the headmaster got up and left the room, returning after ten minutes and taking a piece of cake. Once Harry and Hermione left the Great Hall, they used their Time-Turner.

Harry enlarged his broomstick after removing it from his pocket and mounted it, allowing Hermione to get on behind him, hugging herself tightly to him.

"This is cozy," Harry commented with a grin.

"I suppose so," she said. Being an owl-Animagus helped her overcome most of her fear of heights, but she still didn't really like riding brooms. However, she knew that Harry loved it and she did enjoy hugging him like that, so she didn't talk about her discomfort. In fact, hugging Harry tightly was the reason she'd decided to join him rather than transform and fly up there herself. "I'll disillusion you and then you do the same to me." She then touched his head with her wand and watched her boyfriend disappear. A few moments later, she felt his wand lightly tap her head, followed by the cold sensation associated with that spell.

"I'm taking off now," Harry said, in hopes of not frightening Hermione. He did know she didn't enjoy flying on brooms. About half-way up to their destination, he commented, "I wonder if I can control a broom in my form."

"I doubt it," she replied, with a bit of laughter in her voice.

"I should try sometime."

"Not with me on the broom, you won't. I'll need to be ready to catch you when you fall."

"It's just not fair that your form can fly but mine can't," he complained.

"Life isn't fair," she replied. "Anyway, we're here."

Harry let go of the broom with his right and got his special wand out. Wordlessly, he vanished the glass of Dumbledore's large window and flew inside. Harry noticed Fawkes watching them intently, but not making a sound. Once they'd dismounted the broom, Harry whispered, "Accio, my dad's Invisibility cloak." He didn't think it would be that easy, but he thought they might learn something from the spell, and he was right.

After a second, they heard a sound similar to a pillow hitting a wall, coming from inside a drawer in the Headmaster's desk. "There," whispered Hermione. Harry reached out to open it, but was stopped by his girlfriend slapping his hand. "Wait. I need to check it for hexes." She pointed her wand at the appropriate place and shot a few spells at the drawer, causing it to turn red. "You see. You'd have gotten a mild shock and your hand would've turned blue for days. You'd have gotten us caught."

"I'm sorry," he said, properly chastised.

"Let's see," she mumbled more to herself than Harry as she went through a list of counter-jinxes in her mind. "I've got it," she said, finally causing the drawer to turn blue. She touched it with no problems and opened the drawer, revealing the cloak. At that moment, they heard something they'd hoped to avoid.

"Tootsie Rolls," said the voice of Albus Dumbledore.

"He's not in this room," Harry commented.

"He must have a listening charm at the entrance," said Hermione as she grabbed the cloak and closed the drawer. "That's how he knows who's at his door."

While she was replacing the spells on the drawer (with her special wand so that the signature couldn't be traced), they heard footsteps echoing up the stairs. "The hallway, too," commented Harry as he mounted his broom. "Get on."