Harry Potter: Love's Second Chance

"Harry, concentrate," Hermione exclaimed. For not the first time that afternoon she'd caught her boyfriend staring at her. "I know you don't care for History but you're getting too distracted."

Harry shook his head to clear the thoughts he had been having and looked at his wife with a look of chagrin. He knew that she knew exactly what he had been distracting him, or at least what he'd been staring at.

"I'm extremely flattered by your fascination with my body," Hermione said softly as she smiled at him. "And I promise if you can keep your concentration on studying, it will not be the last time we do that," Hermione cheeks turned pink as she continued. "I admit I enjoyed it myself," Her cheeks redden a little more as she continued, "I actually enjoyed it a lot, but we do still have OWLs and you still haven't successfully explained what the goblin rebellion of 1612 did to the magical boundaries around Hogmeade Village. They are going to expect you to explain that that rebellion was the leading reason why Hogsmeade is now an entirely magical village."

"Because the Goblins had taken the Non-magical villagers hostage and during the Wizard retaliation all but two of them were killed?"

"Very good Harry, and remember to include that the Three Broomsticks was the Wizard's Headquarters during the battle. It's little details like that which make the difference between an 'Acceptable' and an 'Exceeds Expectations'."

"Yes dear."

A bit of the old Hermione emerged on Saturday as she planned out a complete day of OWL studying. She presented Harry and Neville the exam questions as she remembered them and timed their efforts. Then she sent them through the same practicals that had been required on the OWLs. The new wand in Neville's hand made a tremendous difference as his success rate climbed along with his confidence.

After a quick lunch, she took a page out of Ginny's book and turned the Room of Requirements into a potions classroom. Over the course of the next five hours, Neville and Harry practiced the three potions required on the practical potions OWL. By the end of the afternoon, Neville had successfully completed each of them twice with only minor variations in color.

Harry and Hermione spent Sunday morning reviewing the detection spells they had learned in Professor Slughorn's potions class to identify potion ingredients. They also pocketed a couple of vials of colored dye that they could add to their drinks so they would know instantly if someone performed a switching spell on their cups. It was early Sunday afternoon when Dobby popped next to then asking if they could come to the kitchens.

When they arrived Dobby pulled them aside and explained. "Harry Potter asked Dobby to let Harry Potter know if Miss Wheezy came to the kitchens for any reason. Miss Wheezy was here earlier and asked Mippy," Dobby indicated another elf who was nodding at them, "for treacle tart."

"Thanks Dobby," Harry said then he turned to his wife. "Guess we know how she plans on getting the potion to me but what about you?"

"Did she ask for anything else?" Hermione asked Dobby.

"No Her-mine-nee, but Mippy said while Miss Wheezy was waiting for the tart, she did mutter that she just needed to get both of them to," Dobby looked down as he continued, "shes said 'to the know-it-all'," Dobby glanced up looking abashed.

"That's alright Dobby," Hermione replied. "You're just repeating what she said and I understand," She turned to Harry, "Both of them? Does that mean two types of potions or two different ways to get the same potion to me? And why is she more aggressive this time around?"

"I think us getting together, especially with me giving you the ring has made her do things a little more desperately this time. What's most likely?"

"Well if she did the same potion twice, it's likely to have adverse effects and I might go to Madam Pomfrey and it might be discovered," Hermione theorized. "So my guess she's trying two different types of potions. Two different jealousy potions or a jealousy potion and a love potion? Or possibly some other combination. Of course Ginny can be a little headstrong when she wants something so there is no telling exactly what she has in store for me."

"She had two cauldrons, so most likely two different kinds of potions. But really, we'll just have to wait and see," Harry said. "So your plan?"

Hermione nodded. "If she does it, she deserves what happens."

"I agree," Harry replied. He then turned to Dobby. "Dobby I am going to need you to do something for me at dinner," He quickly explained what he wanted him to do.

"Dobby can do that Harry Potter."

"Dobby," Hermione asked looking around. "Where's Winky?"

"Winky's not good at all Missus," Dobby explained with an expression of extreme sadness. "She can't stay upright on her stool anymore. We had to put her in the cupboard to keep us from tripping on her," He pointed one long finger over to a door in the kitchen. "She's getting through eight bottles of butterbeer a day now. Dobby doesn't think Winky will last much longer."

In three strides Hermione had cross the kitchen and with a jerk she yanked open the door to the cupboard. Her heart sunk at what she saw inside. Winky, in tattered butterbeer stained clothing lay sprawled on the floor of the cupboard. Though obviously unconscious, the elf still clutched an empty butterbeer bottle in her hand. When Harry joined her, his first thought was how much the little room reminded him of his original bedroom on Privet Drive. He knew he had to do something. He turned back to Dobby. "What does she need Dobby? What can I do to help her?"

"Winky wants a family Harry Potter sir," Dobby replied as he looked upon the other free elf. "Winky prefers to die over being free."

"But...but that's…" Hermione started but choked off the word 'stupid' she was about to say before asking another question. "Why?"

"Missus it would be too hard to explain. Yous only think like witches and wizards do, not like house-elf," Dobby replied.

"But you like being free Dobby," Hermione said softly. "That's why maybe I don't understand why she doesn't want to be free."

Dobby looked up at Hermione who was now kneeling beside him. "Dobby likes being free of his old Master, Her mine ee. I was made to do terrible things."

"Exact…" Hermione's exclamation ended abruptly as she realized what he had said. It wasn't being free he was glad of, but of being free of the Malfoys. Her mind still had questions though, "But Dobby you like being paid. You told Harry how much you liked buying things with your earnings."

"Miss Grangy wouldn't understand," Dobby replied and looked away.

Hermione looked at the unconscious elf lying on the floor. It was obvious the elf was wasting away. "Does she eat anything?" She asked.

"Only when I can convince her to, which isn't often," Dobby admitted. "Winky needs a family or she won't make it to Christmas Feast."

"Have you asked Professor Dumbledore?"

"Winky wants a family, not the castle," Dobby explained. "But since Winky was dismissed no family will take her."

Harry looked over at Hermione, "Do you have any idea what happened to her last time?"

"No," Hermione felt ashamed at having to admit that. She had known the little elf had suffered from being let go by Mr. Crouch and at finding out he had died, killed by his own son who Winky had known about. Still Hermione realized she never checked up on her in particular. She had spent the entire fifth year in a futile effort of freeing elves and never tried to show the one elf that she knew was suffering that she cared. Now she knew that her efforts then only caused resentment among the elves and Dobby a lot more extra work. Looking at Harry, she heard the thought of what he wanted to do in her mind. "No Harry. We can't enslave her. I won't take away an intelligent creature's freewill."

"Isn't that exactly what you're doing though?" Harry asked. "She wants to bond with a family. That is her freewill isn't it?"

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