Hermione could only sadly nod in return.
After the feast, with its expected announcement of fake Moody as the new DADA Professor, the hosting of the Tri-Wizard Tournament and the cancellation of the school year's Quidditch competition, Harry didn't get the expected summons.
However, he had to wait until he and Hermione were joined by both Daphne and Professor McGonagall for the escort to their new apartment.
"Ready, Mister Potter; Miss Granger; Miss Greengrass?" she asked.
"Yes, Professor," all three replied.
She then led them from the hall.
As they were walking up the steps of the grand staircase, Harry asked her, "Excuse me, Professor. But, how were you able to organise this while we were all in the Great Hall for the feast?"
"The castle's house elves, Mister Potter," she replied. "I merely informed them of the need; and they organised the rest. They reported back to me during the Headmaster's announcements when they were ready, and where they could be found."
"Ah!" said Harry. "Thank you."
She merely gave a slight nod in return as she kept walking. "The elves also informed me they could only allow the use of the apartments near the Gryffindor dorms; so, that's where we're heading now."
She led them all the way up to the seventh floor and headed across to the Gryffindor tower.
Turning aside from the portrait of the Fat Lady, she led them down a side corridor, before coming to a stop in front of a portrait of another 'lady'. "Hello, Prusilla," McGonagall said to the portrait.
"Professor," the portrait replied. The portrait looked to Harry, Hermione and Daphne and asked, "I take it these three, behind you, are my new charges?"
"They are," said the Professor.
The portrait gave a nod and swung open. Professor McGonagall led the three of them, inside.
Stepping into the room and clear of the door, Harry took a look around.
The Professor said, "This is your combined common room. Through each one of those doors is each of your bedrooms. You also each have a private attached bathroom."
She turned to face the three of them. "When I leave here, you'll need to give Prusilla, the lady in the portrait, a password for you to be able to get back in. While, by law, you're allowed your own apartment to settle the bond, I expect the three of you to be on your best behaviour. I expect you to obey the rules regarding curfew; and all the rest. You're allowed guests; but they must be gone, with plenty of time to return to their own common rooms, before curfew.
"You're also not to hide yourselves away in here. You're still members of your own Houses and are expected to be part of those Houses. However, that does not mean you cannot study nor do homework in here. Am I clear?
"Yes, Professor," all three replied.
With yet another firm nod, she said, "Good. I expect all three of you to be down at the Great Hall for breakfast, no later than 8:00am, to receive your class schedules."
A final look at the three of them and she let herself out with one final word. "Goodnight," she said.
As the door closed, Harry turned to the three and said, "Well, I guess we should find out whose room is whose."
Hermione was about to say something back, when Daphne held her finger to her lips in the classic shushing gesture.
Both Hermione and Harry waited, wondering what was going on, and watched as Daphne drew her wand and muttered a few incantations about the room. Hermione's eyes widened in recognition of what she was doing, and drew her own wand and wandered about the room muttering similar incantations.
Harry just stood there and curiously watched the two of them. It took him a short while to recognise they were casting detection charms. As they appeared to be finished with the common room, he watched as they entered each bedroom, one at a time.
After they were done, both girls met Harry back in their common room. "Well?" he asked.
"Nothing," said Hermione. Daphne shook her head. "Nothing we can spot," she corrected. "However, it's early days, yet. Now, password. Any ideas?"
Harry snorted and said, "I was thinking something along the lines of, 'Keep your nose out of it, Dumbledore!'"
"A bit too obvious, don't you think?" Daphne mock-scowled. Then her face changed to one of thought. "What about... 'Double-H Dee'?" she suggested.
Hermione said, "I like it. And it's not something someone is likely to say by a lucky guess."
Harry nodded and asked, "So, who wants to go and set it."
Both girls just looked back at him with almost matching smirks.
With a sigh he said, "I guess I'll go."
"Thank you, Harry," both girls said as he turned and walked back to the door.
After surreptitiously casting a reveal charm in the corridor, and making sure no one was close enough to listen in, Harry set the password with Prusilla, and re-entered the common room. He was just in time to watch both girls put up wards and the like.
"Is that safe?" he asked them. "What if Dumbledore comes poking around and sees all this?"
"We'll just tell him we got a seventh year to put them up for us," replied Daphne. "And, I promised not to tell who."
Once both girls were happy with the wards and charms they put up, Harry asked, "Okay, which room is who's?"
Indicating to Harry's left, as he was looking from the door, Daphne said, "Those two, over there, are mine and Hermione's." She then indicated the one to Harry's right, "And that one's yours."
Hermione said, "Our trunks are already in our rooms, as is Crookshanks and Midnight."
As they all looked at each other, wondering what to do next, Harry said, "Well. I've got a full tummy from the feast, and I'm tired. We'll think better tomorrow. For now, I'm going to bed."
Just as he was about to head to his room, Daphne said, "I should send my parents a letter to let them know about the soul bond."
"You can't do it tomorrow?" asked Hermione.
Daphne thought for a few moments before she sighed and said, "That'd be for the best, I think. Like Harry, I'm just too tired, tonight."
"I'll need to send a letter to my parents, too," said Hermione. "I've no idea what I'm going to tell them about all this, you know?"
"We'll figure it out, together," said Daphne. "For now... goodnight."
Harry said goodnight to both as he walked into his room and closed the door.
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