New Year's Day was far calmer than New Year's Eve. Partly because it was a holiday, but also because the two of them avoided everyone else as much as possible. Their day started off with sleeping in and skipping breakfast, opting to have a late brunch inside the kitchens instead of the Great Hall. The few students that saw them along the way were amused to see them still in their dress robes, but also surprised to see Hermione walking with Harry. From the scene at the Ball, the Hogwarts rumour mill had already worked the story that Hermione was taken to Azkaban and Harry was dead. Or, from another group of students, that Hermione was plotting to kill Dumbledore but Harry heroically took the fall for the headmaster. Needless to say, Hermione was probably going to have a very hard time in the next few days, and Harry decided that he should stick with her as much as possible until the rumours died down- even if it meant going to Potions class again.
"Are you sure about that?" Hermione asked as she worked on her omelette. "Professor Snape is going to be absolutely livid when you walk into the classroom."
"I'd love to see the look on his face when I brew the potions perfectly," Harry said, staring at the strange, custom creation from Dobby. He'd asked for something "tasty" and this was the result. "I think we'll probably be able to start studying fifth-year potions after the Trial of Water, thanks to your wonderful tutoring."
"Harry, if you're going to class, you should take it seriously," Hermione chided.
"Can't promise you that," he replied, taking the first bite of his breakfast. He had to hand it to the little elf- it might have looked strange, but it was what he'd asked for. "He won't teach the class seriously when I'm in it. In fact, I'm sure he'll try to give me a failing grade for whatever I brew, so I'll probably end up reminding him that I don't even have to take the class this year."
"Harry, you have to take school seriously!" He was touching on one of her sore points.
"Which is why I'm studying potions with you instead," he gave her a smug grin. "I'm only going to class for your protection, anyway."
"It won't really be that bad. I'm able to handle myself in classes. I'm guessing it'll be like second year when Malfoy was taunting me about being the monster's next target."
"Then it's all the more reason for me to be there," Harry concluded. Changing the subject, he said, "Do you think Dumbledore really meant what he said last night?"
"About what?"
"How I'm not supposed to do anything at all while he and the aurors take down Voldemort."
"I... I think he honestly believes you shouldn't worry..."
"But do you think it's the right thing to do?" Harry stopped eating and stared straight at Hermione. She shifted uncomfortably.
"He... has had experience fighting Voldemort before... he's Professor Dumbledore! He did try to track down Voldemort at Riddle Manor after we owled him... even if he didn't tell us what he actually did..."
"Hermione..." Harry kept his eyes on her until she broke.
"Alright, fine. I think he's wrong, alright? We should be learning as much as we possibly can right now." Her eagerness for research and planning had won over her respect for the professor.
"You know he pretty much said the same thing back in my first year after my run-in with Quirrel? It was basically, 'Yes, Voldemort isn't dead, but don't worry about it for now.' When exactly should I start worrying, anyway?"
"Maybe when you're of age?" Hermione suggested. "Although if he's anything like my grandparents, he'd keep treating you like a little boy no matter how old you get."
"Given how he tried to kill me as a baby, I don't think Voldemort has any problems trying to off me while I'm still legally a child." Harry complained. "I need to prepare for him now. For all I know Dumbledore could just drop dead... for some... reason... next year?" He paused as he tried to remember. "How am I supposed to prepare for that?"
"I... don't think you can, especially if we don't know why or how it happened. Maybe Dumbledore does have a point, for this year at least. You should concentrate on more immediate concerns."
"What do you mean by that?"
"The Trial of Water's coming up, Harry. We need you to be more prepared."
"I'm still swimming with you, aren't I? I mean, we haven't practiced for the past few days, but that's because of the ball..."
"That's just muggle swimming, Harry. You need to learn that so you won't drown if you drop your wand. We need to start practicing magic underwater. And scouting out the Black Lake isn't a bad idea, either. You should get familiar with it so you don't get lost when you're down there. We should start as soon as possible."
"Fine," Harry said. "Hedwig should be back with the gillyweed by tomorrow. I'll tell her to buy some more... I hope she's not mad at me."
"Why would she be?" Hermione asked, puzzled.
"Well, the only place to order it was from the North Africa Specialty Compound Acquisition and Research group. Gillyweed only grows in the Sahara, apparently. I guess Neville forgot to mention that when he suggested it. I only ordered three hour's worth for the trial, but I guess I'll get more so I can swim every day before the trial. I hope she doesn't mind flying all the way there again..."
"The apothecaries in Diagon or Unifer's Alley didn't have it? And why would a water-plant grow in the desert?" Hermione wondered.
"Nope, not enough interest in it, I guess. They offered to order it for me, but it was faster to deal with the company directly. And the Sahara isn't actually a desert, it's just what the muggles see. It's one of the biggest wizarding nature preserves in the world, including the world's largest lake," Harry explained proudly, getting the chance to teach Hermione something. He was actually just regurgitating word-for-word what his owl-order potions supplier had told him.
"We HAVE to visit that someday, Harry," Hermione said, slamming both her hands on the table. "And once you get better at swimming, the Great Barrier Reef. And Yellowstone park. And the Galapagos Islands. Oh, Harry, there's so much of the world I want to see as soon as we finish school."
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