Well, it turns out that Harry’s curse was back in full force. He had realized it after he had tried to read one of the labels on Madame Pomfrey’s potions bottles. Harry was rushed right back to St. Mungo’s immediately where he was treated for another few days. The staff removed the curse again with some effort, but still couldn’t say how it had returned in the first place. They eventually gave up and sent him back to Hogwarts and Harry could see that many were very frustrated at the situation. There even had been a few new people they brought in, but they hadn’t been able to help either.

But now Harry was back in class on Thursday, mute once more.

Potions class was a little difficult since Harry was unfamiliar with the real appearance of the various ingredients. But he still managed to figure it out after Snape had some mercy and explained what all the ingredients were and the best methods to prepare them. Harry gave his professor a thumbs up in thanks, and the man sniffed before moving on to another student. Neville was extremely nervous during the lesson to the point his hands were shaking at points. Harry wanted to encourage him, but Harry couldn’t assist him in any way according to Professor Snape’s rules. So Harry just finished his potion and handed it in for inspection.

Transfiguration and Charms left Harry to his silent spell practice, which was fairly engaging. Herbology was useless as always as all the plants tried to get as far from Harry as they could.

Defense against the Dark arts was strange. Professor Quirrell kept asking Harry the answers to the questions for some reason. He also wasn’t stuttering as much as Harry had observed from the first week either. Harry was forced to write down notes and give them to the professor for his answers, which slowed down the class. Maybe the man was just interested because of everything that had happened with Harry recently? That class dragged, and felt far longer than it was.

History of magic was completely useless now that Harry had read the complete textbooks for the class. He mostly sat there and worried about what to do to confront Hermione about the betrayal. She seemed completely unaware that he knew about it, and Harry still wasn’t sure why she would betray him out of nowhere. Well, not nowhere, but Harry had thought her apology had been sincere after she first learned about his curse.

After his classes, Harry went to the library. He avoided his friends, still unsure what to do about the Hermione situation. He wanted to finish reading the second year textbooks at least before he lost the ability to read again. And read every textbook he could ever need after that in case something changed meaning St. Mungo’s could never remove his curse again after it eventually came back again.

Harry went back to his dorm earlier this time, just in case of another ambush. However unlikely that would be. Ron and Neville had questions about why Harry was isolating himself again, but being mute had its advantages. Harry just gave some vague answers before they gave up and everyone went to sleep. Harry felt in his pocket and touched the note Draco had given him, rubbing it between his fingers. Should he tell them? No, he should think about it more. What if they had betrayed him too and were in on it with Hermione?

The next day in class, everyone was giving Harry weird looks as he just sat at his desk and read the notes his teachers wrote down on the board. Draco kept his head down and avoided Harry when he could. Classes were almost trivial to Harry now, and he used them mostly to practice the various first year charms he learned. Silently of course, given his situation. Mostly the levitation charm still since it was the least disruptive, but some basic transfiguration too when Harry thought he wouldn’t draw too much attention. Especially during History of Magic when the teacher didn’t care either way.

Obviously, Harry couldn’t say the incantations for the spells with his condition, but apparently, the incantations were some kind of shortcut anyway. Because it was definitely much harder to do, but Harry figured out that he could still cast his spells silently. And the spell felt more… flexible when he cast it that way too. His levitation charm was far more precise in its motions when he cast it silently. The things he made with his transfiguration had sharper edges and he had more control. He had practiced the levitation charm at St. Mungo’s a lot so he could tell the difference between incantations and the silent cast.

— — —

Harry spent the next two weeks in a similar way. It was actually Halloween tomorrow and nothing else intense had happened in that whole time. After the first day of reading intensely, Harry had finally explained to his friends why he was spending so much time in the library. They studied with him sometimes but still did their own things. Oddly enough, it was Hermione that Harry was spending the most time with this week.

Now it was Friday and Harry had just finished the last of the fifth year textbooks.

The librarian was giving him strange looks by now even if she still gave him the books. He didn’t understand almost anything he was reading by now, but it was still stored in his brain anyway. His curse hadn’t reformed yet, which was a good sign. By now he strongly disliked being mute all the time, it was far worse than what he endured while under the curse. He didn’t think he would ask the staff at St. Mungo’s to remove it again. But for now, he would read as much as he could to save himself from extra suffering later.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Harry peered over the last page of his latest book at Hermione who was studying again. He thought it was odd how Hermione could act so cool if she had betrayed him. Harry hadn’t thought that she was such a good actor. He put the book down and felt in his pocket for the crumpled note. It just didn’t make sense. Why would she do it?

Eventually, they walked together back up to the common room. Hermione was shooting Harry looks, seeming to have sensed that something was off with him lately. They walked through the portrait and Harry hesitated for a moment before tugging Hermione’s sleeve.

She turned.

“What is it, Harry?”

Harry wrote his note to her.

"Meet in an empty classroom? What do you have to tell us?” She read aloud.

Harry just stared at her. He wasn’t writing another note if he didn’t have to. Hermione huffed.

“Well alright. I’ll just go put my stuff away.”

While she was doing that, Harry retrieved Neville and Ron and asked them to come as well. Hermione joined them and they all made their way to the same abandoned classroom they had used before.

Ron glanced around as Harry closed the door behind them. “What’s this about, mate? I’m surprised to see you out of the library, to be honest. I thought you were reading all the textbooks and such. What year are you up to anyway?”

Harry held up five fingers.

“Wow! That’s like, super far. Classes are going to be a breeze for you.”

Neville spoke up, “Why’d you bring us here Harry? It’s not anything bad, is it?”

Harry answered by pulling out the crumpled note and handing it to Neville. The boy unfurled it and his eyes popped as he glanced between it and Hermione.

Ron leaned over it.

“What is it, Neville? That’s a long… Woah.”

Neville silently passed it to Ron who finished reading it.

“Blooooody hell. This has got to be fake, Harry. No way.”

Harry took out his second note. This one detailed how he got the first note and his deal with Draco. The two boys read it. Hermione pushed forward.

“What is it, you two? Why are you looking at all shocked? Just hand it over already.”

She went to grab it, but Ron jerked it away. Hermione looked hurt before Ron got an awkward expression on his face.

“Er, Hermione. You wouldn’t happen to have, you know… passed any notes to Draco Malfoy?”

Hermione blinked, “What? Draco? But he’s just the worst! Why would I be giving him any notes?”

Ron rubbed the back of his head. “Er, you weren’t jealous of how Harry had a perfect memory and memorized the textbooks, and how he could do all his classes easily?”

She got an awkward expression on her face. “Well, I mean. Of course I’m jealous! It’s amazing! But what does that have to do with Draco Malfoy?”

Ron handed her the note. “Well… this is in your handwriting. Apparently, Draco gave it to Harry…”

Hermione read the note in shock.

“What? But… Harry, I didn’t write this. I didn’t tell anyone the details of your curse, I promise. Or, all these other things about you. I wouldn’t… Why would I? You guys are my only friends. Everyone else just hates me for some reason. Even the Gryffindors. And Draco is always insulting me… I just…”

Harry wrote down a note and handed it to Ron and Neville.

“Harry’s right. How is it the same handwriting if you didn’t do it?” Neville said.

Hermione looked a little panicked now. “I… I… It must be some sort of spell! He… Draco must have done it. Why are you guys believing this?”

Harry shook his head and wrote another note. He was sure that Draco believed it was the truth. He wouldn’t have lied so blatantly when Harry could get him expelled whenever he wanted.

Ron passed along Harry’s note. Hermione was rubbing her eyes.

“Really… I don’t know. I’m telling you, it wasn’t me.”

Harry stood and left the room. Dudley had proved to him at his old school many times that Harry was very gullible after he started trusting someone. It was just very black and white for him. Either he should trust someone or he shouldn’t. It was just very hard to tell who was who. Harry had to think about this. Draco wasn’t lying, and Harry didn’t feel like Hermione was lying either. There must be some other explanation. Something that he hadn’t thought of in the last two weeks.

— — —

Hermione watched as Harry left. He didn’t believe her? How could he reject her over one note given to him by Draco Malfoy? It was just insane. But Hermione watched as Ron and Neville stood and left as well. She stepped forward

“Wait…”

Ron rubbed his neck awkwardly.

“Look, Hermione. I think Harry just needs more time to think. All of us need to think. None of this makes sense, give us all some time. You know how confused Harry gets with social stuff, I bet he’s been about to explode having to deal with all this.”

Hermione spoke in a small voice.

“You… you really think I could have done it. Betrayed Harry like that?”

Ron sighed.

“Er, yeah. Sorry. It’s in the note. Well, I guess see you tomorrow. Bye.”

Ron shut the door behind him, Neville already gone ahead of him. Leaving Hermione alone. She felt her tears well up. They really thought she would do something like that. Betray her friends' trust.

Betray Harry.

She had thought their friendship was deeper than that.