Chapter 147

"However, now that we're boyfriend and girlfriend, your opinion is even more valuable to me. And, don't forget, whichever I choose, you're welcome to join me."

Hermione's first instinct was to try and tell him, 'No!' However, she held her initial reaction back and decided her boyfriend needed her to think it through. So, that's what she did.

After a long moment she started. "Well, I can't fault you for believing it would be dangerous for you going back to Hogwarts. And, you've got the money to go to a school outside of the country, or even hire private tutors. However, not returning to Hogwarts means not seeing friends again."

"Friends?" he pointedly asked.

"Valid point," she nodded. "I guess the only ones still there that could be called 'friends' are Neville, Ginny and the Twins. Or maybe even just Neville, really. You know he never turned his back on you, don't you?"

"Yeah; and he probably would have become an even better friend if it wasn't for Ron and his own grandmother interfering," he agreed. "But Ginny, to me, is just a 'fan girl' and Ron and the Twins' sister, who I rescued from the Chamber. I have nothing in common with her and I know she wants me to be 'The Boy-Who-Lived' for her. I can't ever do that."

"I don't like the idea of you going overseas to go to school," she said. "And I don't think my parents will be happy for me to go, either."

"You'd be surprised about that," he disagreed. "I don't think they're happy about you going back to Hogwarts. They're now well aware of just how dangerous it's been there. And the ructions I've caused in the school staff might well have been the last straw for them."

"You don't have your own place, at the moment," she tried. "So where are you going to stay and where are you going to get the private tutors willing to tutor you? And where would they do it?"

"In order," he began. "I do have my own place. The Goblins told me about it. I just haven't been there to see what condition it's in yet. If it's non-habitable at the moment, then I'll simply buy another place and live there. As for willing tutors; I'm the 'Boy-Who-Lived', remember? I don't think they're going to be hard to find. And, where? I'll either find and buy a remote place and use that, or I can come to some other arrangement with them. Nothing's insurmountable when you have the gold to throw at the problem."

With a sad sigh she said, "You're right. All options are open to you if you have the gold; which, you do."

"I'm actually more worried about the pros and cons that aren't gold based." he explained. "The big 'con' of private tutelage is that we won't get to mix with children our own age. The big 'pro' is that we will be taught at the pace we can learn. We won't be held back. That means we can learn what we need a hell of a lot faster."

"We can get our OWLs earlier!" she exclaimed.

"Exactly," he grinned. "Another 'pro' is; with the two of us we won't feel as lonely as we would have if either of us had lone tutoring. But a 'con' is; we won't have access to the massive Hogwarts library."

"You like the idea of private tutors, don't you?" she logically guessed.

He nodded and said, "Another 'pro'; you won't be effectively blocked from seeing your parents for a whole term, term after term. You'll be able to visit with your parents - and maybe even they will be able to visit you - as often as you or they want."

"You've practically got me sold on the idea, already," she sighed. "But I'll miss the Hogwarts library."

"Then I'll buy one," he replied. "As long as I can find a place to buy that'll have enough room, I'll build the shelving and racks for one and stock it by buying lorry-loads of books from every wizarding bookshop in the world."

She smiled and said, "I don't think you need to go to that much trouble, Harry; but, it's appreciated."

He shrugged and said, "Well I can at least buy a copy of every available different book in Flourish and Blotts. I also know there's lots of antique books in the Potter documentation vault, too."

She laughed. "Alright. You've practically got me sold on the idea. Just give me time to think it over. I might have other problems with it I can't think of right now."

"We don't have to make a decision right now, Hermione," he lightly chided her. "I doubt, very much, we're going to see Hogwarts re-open before Christmas... New Years, even."

With a firm nod she mentally put that idea aside and asked, "Alright. What's next?"

"Well, now that I know Lady Marchbanks has taken over as Headmistress, together with Dumbledore being back in the school, I think I need to write a letter to her to let her know a few things," he replied.

"What sort of things?' she asked.

"Dumbledore used to use the ghosts, house elves and portraits to spy on everyone," he replied.

"He what?" she exclaimed.

"Used to use the ghosts, house elves and portraits to spy on everyone," he repeated. "I figured that out, I think, in second year."

"How?" she asked.

"How what?" he asked right back. "How did he use them or how did I figure it out?"

She gave him a look and replied, "Both!"

"Well, the first part is quite simple, if you think about it," he replied. "Ghosts can move freely about the castle. They can get anywhere and everywhere. When you think about it, you probably even said things near one of them you wouldn't have said near a living person. However, they are freely able to verbally communicate with us.

"House elves are the same with a couple of added advantages; they can elf-pop - apparate - anywhere, including through wards, including inside Hogwarts. And they have this ability they call 'fade', which is a far superior version of a witch or wizard's various disillusionment charms. We could have a house elf standing on the table between us right now, who popped in to right there directly from the Headmistress's office, and we'd never know about it. Elf-pop and elf-fade are just... that... good.

"Now, how difficult would it be for such an elf to then have been sent by old wrinkle-nuts to pop in under fade, carrying a long sheet of parchment and an ever-ink quill and for it to write down what we say that it will then pass on to Dum-dum-bore?"

"Oh, Gods!" she moan/whined.

"Now the portraits are a little different―" he began.

"No; stop," she interrupted. "I think I've got the idea."

When Harry just gently smiled back, an expression she was coming to learn meant 'real' Harry was truly sorry he had just destroyed your world-view, she just sighed.

"And, you think Dumbledore did this at Hogwarts?" she asked.

"I know Dumbledore did this at Hogwarts," he corrected. "There were a couple of things he said to me he couldn't have known by having been told either directly by a human, or having it read from their minds by Snape. It took me about a year to narrow it down to the elves, portraits and ghosts by saying little things when no one was with me to a ghost or a portrait, or even just saying it in my bed as if I was pretending I was talking to my parents out loud as if they were there.

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