Finding the Lost Diadem - 3

"We used one of the tunnels. Dobby let us in and resealed it," Harry replied.

Moody scowled, but nodded.

"Mr. Moody," Ginny said sweetly. "You have something…lipstick, I think…just there," she said, pointing at his jaw.

Harry and Ron roared as Ginny let her giggles consume her. Moody shot them a wicked grin.

"I'll take care of that, lass," he said without making any move to wipe it as he thumped from the hospital wing.

Madam Pomfrey emerged from the curtains surrounding Hermione's bed a moment later. Her cheeks were extremely pink, but she briskly moved through them without making any eye contact.

"You next, Mr. Potter. Miss Granger tells me you tumbled down some stairs," she said, grasping Harry by the elbow and frog-marching him toward another empty bed. Harry struggled to straighten his features. No use hacking her off when she had the ability to subject him to untold medical 'tests'.

"I'm fine," he mumbled, not meeting her eyes.

"Certainly," she replied shortly. "Aren't you always?"

Several embarrassing minutes later, Harry was declared fit, and Madam Pomfrey left them in the hospital wing without another word. She slammed her office door with a bang.

"Well, that was certainly awkward," Ron said, guffawing.

"I can't believe you said that to Mad-Eye," Hermione said, scolding Ginny. "I couldn't even look at Madam Pomfrey while she was healing my arm. It was so embarrassing."

The other three chuckled again.

"Mad-Eye went to get some Aurors to check the gates," Harry said.

"Harry, Busby Goyle was in Hogsmeade. He said he was on a special assignment from Voldemort," Hermione said.

"Yeah. I noticed," he replied.

"D'you think whatever it is he's guarding is in Hogsmeade somewhere?" Ron asked.

"It would explain why Tonks never had any luck tracking him," Hermione said, lowering her voice when she mentioned Tonks' name.

"Bugger!" Harry said, slapping his head. "It's not in Hogsmeade. It's here. It's in Hogwarts."

"Do you really think so?" Hermione asked, apparently not all that surprised. She didn't even tell Harry to mind his language.

Harry nodded vigorously. "He couldn't get inside Hogwarts to guard it directly, so he must have been watching the gates. Maybe that's how Voldemort knew we were staying here. That's how the Death Eaters knew to follow us back."

"And he could have seen us leaving, as well," Hermione mused.

"We also don't know if Voldemort didn't sense something from me in the first place. I'm really not very good at Occlumency," Harry replied sheepishly.

"About that, Harry…" Hermione said, biting her lip.

"Don't start, Hermione," Harry said, groaning. "I can't do it. I've tried. It doesn't work for me." He ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

"I know that, Harry," Hermione said, resting her hand on his arm. "What we have to consider is how we'll work around that fact before you face Voldemort."

"Huh?" Harry asked, nonplussed.

"What good is it to come up with a plan, only to have Voldemort counteract your every step simply by peering into your mind?" Hermione asked.

"What do you suggest?" Harry asked, narrowing his eyes.

Hermione took a deep breath before stating, "You're going to have to trust us."

"Trust you? Of course I trust you," Harry replied, blinking.

"No, Harry. I mean, you're going to have to trust us to know something you don't. I know you care for us, and you need us," Hermione said, holding up her hands before Harry could interrupt. "I'm not saying that you don't, but you tend to keep the planning to yourself. I realize that you only had yourself to depend on while growing up, so of course that's how you respond. For this to succeed, however — you're going to have to have complete faith in us and that we know what we're doing. You've always been the leader—"