"Yes, Ma'am."
"Then have a good day."
When they were out of McGonagall's office, they started for the seventh floor.
"This isn't going to be easy, is it?" Hermione asked.
"We're not off to a great start, but at least she will keep an eye out for us."
"True. Runes?" Hermione asked, but Harry could feel the pride and love in the question.
"It just popped into my head, you know. But you're right. I should do more, and I've already taken the sixth year courses anyway," Harry said. "Besides, I'm hoping for help from my wife."
"I think I might manage it."
There were soon in the hallway across from Barnabas. "Think we should get the Tiara already?" Harry asked.
"I think we need to get Dumbledore to tell you about the Horcruxes first," Hermione replied. "Also, see if it's possible to remove the Horcrux without destroying the Diadem."
"This is frustrating. We have so much we can do, but we can't do anything yet," Harry responded. "We have to get to that locket. But if we save Sirius, then Mundungus won't be robbing the place blind, so doubtful it would end up in Umbridge's hands. But we never know what Kreacher might do with it."
"I agree."
"Let's just get a place that's secure to talk to Sirius," Harry said. He walked three times past the wall asking just for such a room and a door appeared. When they entered the room, they found themselves in what looked like a small common room. Harry pulled the mirror out and unwrapped it. Looking into it, he called "Sirius Black," And almost instant the face of his Godfather who died two years ago was looking at him.
"Harry? Is that you?" Sirius said and seeing the tears that were developing in Harry's eyes he asked "Is there anything wrong?"
"No, Sirius," Harry replied in a choked voice. "Things are a lot better now. You don't know how wonderful it is to see you."
"Is it Snape again? Or Umbridge?"
"Not this time, Sirius," Harry replied with a sniffle. "Is there anyone there with you?"
"Only Kreacher, the useless elf," Sirius spat.
Harry grimaced at the tone Sirius had used when describing the elf as Hermione spoke up. "Sirius, you need to treat Kreacher better."
"So Hermione is there with you, Harry?" Sirius asked.
"Yes, and she's part of the reason I need to speak with you. But we really do need to talk to you in person."
"You can't leave Hogwarts for another two weeks. Is next weekend a Hogsmeade weekend?"
"No, and you can't leave Sirius," Harry said. "We need to go to him."
"How?" Then, "Of course," She thought when she understood Harry's plan. "Shrieking shack? But can we still apparate?"
"That's just mental discipline. We know how and we know the ministry can't track it. We've apparated to Grimmauld enough times to be able to do it easy enough. Just need to get out of the grounds, and Neville showed us the way."
As Harry continued to talk to Sirius, Hermione concentrated on the room around them, and wished there was a passageway to the Shrieking Shack. She concentrated on needing a passage to the dilapidated structure. After a few seconds, a door appeared in the room.
Harry noticed the door when it appeared and nodded to Hermione, looking back at the Mirror, he said "Sirius, I'll be back in touch with you soon, but if anyone shows up there, contact me on the mirror."
"Why?"
"Sirius, please just do it."
"Ok, pup."
Sirius' image disappeared from the mirror and Harry tucked it away in his pocket. "Let's go," He said and led the way out the newly created door. It was a fairly long walk, but soon they found themselves at the door to the other end. Harry opened the door slightly and memories of just the night before assaulted him. They were in the same room where Voldemort had killed Snape. As Harry opened the door fully, he could still imagine the sphere which contained Nagini rolling through the air, and the last yell of Snape before it had enclosed his head and shoulders. Harry could see the struggles of Snape as he fought to escape the death he knew was coming.
"What's wrong?" Hermione asked but at the same time realized what Harry was seeing in his mind. She gently laid a hand on his arm and waited.
Harry finally cleared his mind, and turned to his wife and nodded. "I'm fine. Let's go," Without another word he pushed on into the room. As the door closed behind them, it disappeared.
"I wonder how Neville got it to stay?" Harry asked as the door vanished.
"They said someone had to stay in the room, didn't they?"
"That's the point; the first time when Neville needed food, no one else was with him."
"True," Hermione thought about it. "Maybe he called to Aberforth and never left the passageway."
"Possible, I guess," Harry said as he looked around the room. Memories fought to reclaim his mind, but he forced them back down. He sighed. "We should get a move on. We have a lot to do today."
"Wait, Harry," Hermione said, as Harry started to turn. "It's a long way to apparate. We have to make sure we don't splinch ourselves. The worst thing in the world that could happen would be having Ministry people, especially Umbridge, finding us. I mean underaged, out of Hogwarts, and trying to apparate?"
"Let's do it one at a time then. I'll go first and if something goes wrong," Harry handed Hermione the mirror, "Call Sirius for help. If I've splinched, I should at least be on his doorstep. Once I'm safely there you can come and if you have problems, you can let me know," He finished in thought. After Hermione nodded her understanding, Harry moved to the center of the floor. Thinking about the top doorstep of Grimmauld place he had apparated to so many times last year, he applied Destination, Determination and Deliberation and disappeared.
"I'm here safe and sound. I'll wait for you before I do anything," Hermione heard and smiled. She repeated the process and found herself beside her husband. "Much better way to get to London than a Thestral," She commented.
"Here's the tricky part," Harry said as he pulled out his wand. "I don't think just tapping my wand can induce the trace, but..." Grimmauld place did not have a doorknob or even a handle. The house was unlocked by a tap of a wand on the door, insuring no muggle could ever enter the pureblood residence.
"No, it wouldn't," Hermione replied. "It's just magical identification by the door."
Harry tapped once on the door and the familiar metallic clicks could be heard, finally the door opened with a creak. As they crossed the threshold, he half expected the challenge by Mad-Eye Moody's tongue tying curse, but realized that was from a time yet to come. They breathed a sigh of relief as they made it past the painting of Sirius' mother without waking it. Harry looked at Hermione, "Hand me the mirror?" and when she did so, he called "Sirius Black."
"Pup, I was just calling you. I just felt the wards trip, so someone is here."
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