Harry Potter: Dudley From LOTM - 348

Chapter 348: Hermione in Trouble

"Already getting ready for tomorrow’s lesson?" Ron asked, wandering over.

"Tomorrow’s lesson?" Dudley looked up at him, puzzled.

Ron pointed at the Tarot card in Dudley’s hand. "First period tomorrow is Divination."

Dudley blinked, then chuckled and shook his head. "I do not put much stock in divination. Even if it works, it would not do me any good."

"Can’t argue with that. Charlie told me Divination is the most useless class there is," Ron said, nodding earnestly.

Dudley did not bother explaining. His "useless" and Ron’s "useless" were not quite the same thing.

While they were talking, Harry, Hermione, Neville and Ginny came over.

"Dudley, the new term’s started. When are we having the first meeting?" Neville asked, barely hiding his excitement.

"Yeah, we were really looking forward to it over the holidays," Ginny said.

She had already brought it up back at the Leaky Cauldron. It was clear they all had high hopes for what the Kingdom of Order would do next.

"This weekend," Dudley said.

"Dudley, can you teach us how to deal with Dementors then?" Neville asked, cheeks flushing. "The way you smashed two of them off the train with your fists was incredible."

"In truth, that is not the proper way of dealing with Dementors," Dudley said with a smile.

The real spell was the Patronus Charm. He knew that much, even if he had not practised it himself yet. With the Sun Ring on his finger, he had never felt the need. The ring’s radiance bit deep into Dementors, enough to kill them if he pushed it. Why bother with a charm when his Beyonder artefact did the job better?

But once he learned the Dementors would be stationed around the school, he had understood he would have to master the Patronus after all.

"This weekend," he said, "I will teach you how to really fight Dementors."

"Brilliant."

Neville and Ginny, satisfied, headed off.

"A way to deal with Dementors? Then why did you not use it before?" Harry asked. "On the train, I mean."

If Dudley already knew how to counter them, why had he relied on something as bizarre as punching them?

"Because I have not learnt the spell yet," Dudley said calmly. "So, for now, I am doing what I can."

"Er..." The three of them glanced at each other, the corners of their mouths twitching.

"So you mean you will have it down in the next couple of days?" Harry said.

"Is there a problem with that?" Dudley asked.

"No," Harry said quickly. "Just... marvelling at what it is like being a genius, that is all."

Ron chimed in his agreement.

Hermione pressed her lips together. She seemed to have given up trying to compete with Dudley. She had not managed to beat him even once.

Night deepened. The Gryffindor common room slowly grew quiet.

Dudley put away the Emperor card and headed up to bed.

Lately he had taken to keeping the Tarot card in his pocket, pulling it out whenever his hands were idle. It had become a habit.

Every time he looked at the robed Emperor on the card, Roselle’s smiling face left him with a strange, crawling sense of unease.

The next morning.

After breakfast, Dudley and the others set off for the North Tower, where they had Divination. It was their first time going up there.

"We are not going to be late to our very first lesson, are we?" Harry said.

They seemed to have underestimated how far away the tower actually was. Time felt tight.

"We will be fine. I am here," Dudley said, laughing. He cut down a side passage, leading them through a shortcut straight towards the North Tower.

"You really do know every passage in Hogwarts now," Ron said.

"I am the Judge here, after all," Dudley said lightly.

Soon they reached the platform below the trapdoor to the tower top. Most of the class was already there, but no one had yet found a staircase up to the Divination classroom.

"Where’s Hermione? Why is she not here?" Ron said, craning his neck.

They had not seen her all morning. He had assumed she had gone on ahead, but standing here now, he could see clearly she was nowhere in sight.

"I remember her timetable had another class listed first period. She has probably dropped Divination and gone to that instead," Harry said.

"I told her this would happen. She swore she could manage. I want to see how she plans to sit two classes at once," Ron said.

"Do not be ridiculous, Ron. How could I possibly be in two classes at once?"

Hermione’s voice came from off to one side.

The three boys turned and stared. At some point, Hermione had appeared right beside them.

"When did you get here?" Ron yelped.

He had checked. He was sure she had not been there a moment ago.

"I have been here the whole time. You just did not notice," Hermione said.

Clack.

At that moment, a hatch in the ceiling swung down, forming a narrow stairway to the room above.

Students began climbing up into the Divination classroom.

"Less talking, Ron. Move it," Hermione said, hustling towards the ladder.

"Right..."

Ron was still confused, but decided he must have just missed her earlier.

Harry was puzzled as well, but let it go.

Only Dudley’s eyes stayed fixed on Hermione.

She, in turn, seemed to be doing everything she could to avoid his gaze, never once looking in his direction.

"Hermione."

They had dropped behind the others. Dudley called after her.

"We are going to be late, Dudley. Come on," Hermione said quickly, not looking back. She hurried up the stairs, so fast that her foot slipped and she almost tumbled.

Dudley reached out and caught her.

"Hermione. What is going on?" he asked.

He was certain she had not been standing next to him before. Others might misjudge distance or get distracted; he would not. She had appeared out of nowhere.

The way she had done it made even him uneasy.

If other people could get that close to him without a sound, they could approach at any time, slip a knife between his ribs, or worse.

"Dudley, please do not ask," Hermione said at last, lifting her head.

Her eyes were full of pleading.

She could not tell him.

Dudley frowned and slowly let go of her hand.

Hermione scrambled up the ladder and vanished into the classroom.

"What kind of magic was that?" Dudley thought, eyes narrowing.

Something was definitely wrong with Hermione.