"Shea! Skye! Do not hang your whole body out the window of the carriage," yelled Professor Granger. She had quite a loud voice, so she knew that the brothers had heard her, but they didn't change their positions. Professor Granger was going to Hogsmeade along with most of the other teachers and students at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She sighed hoping desperately that the carriage wouldn't tip over. She would be held responsible for any and all accidents because she was the last teacher there. She stepped into her carriage alone. It started out towards the Hogsmeade wizarding settlement, no longer the only one, as if drawn by a magical horse that no one could see.
Professor Granger's carriage pulled up beside the other ones. She stepped out and they all rolled back towards Hogwarts. The students all had scattered and the teachers were most likely all in the Three Broomsticks. She would have been welcome to join them, but she didn't quite feel like having to talk to anyone. Professor Granger decided that a leisurely walk would be more relaxing.
The weather wasn't the right kind for a leisurely walk though. The fog was thick, and the cold was bitter. The December weather certainly didn't agree with her plans. She sighed softly and turned back towards the town. The lights were distant. She had wandered into the residential section of Hogsmeade. Suddenly she heard yelling.
"Come back here with that! Boys! I...." The voice trailed off. Professor Granger walked in the direction of the voice. She saw a tall, lanky man with long hair and a moustache.
"Can I help you, sir?" She asked, thinking that it might have been Hogwarts students that the man had been calling after.
"I just saw two boys run off with one of the blooms of my Hipicius bushes. I normally wouldn't care, but I promised a friend that I'd let him have one. They took the only one that would have been useful in his situation," explained the man. He didn't sound mad, just like he didn't want to have to deal with anything at this moment.
"I apologize on behalf of Hogwarts..."
"You don't know that it was one of your students," the man interrupted.
"You don't know the Savenson brothers. I saw them run by me and it looked like they were hiding something. I'll go look for them. I'm really sorry, sir." She glanced at the house, committing it to memory so she would be able to find it again and set off in search of the troublemakers.
After a few minutes of searching for the brothers, she stepped in something sticky. Professor Granger sighed and looked down slowly, hoping that she hadn't just stepped in what she thought she stepped in. She had. Under her foot was the huge center of the hipicius bloom. Oozing out from the crushed flower was the sticky juice used in medicine, cooking, and other very useful potions. With murderous thoughts on her mind, Professor Granger continued on into Hogsmede. The Three Broomsticks looked like it was quite busy. It would be just like the brothers to go into a public establishment so as to avoid punishment as long as possible. She wasn't going to go in, but finally the thought of a butter beer lured her into the small room.
There were no empty tables that Professor Granger could see. Except one. It was way in the back and barely visible. It was perfect. She could see the door, but people walking in wouldn't be able to see her. She'd keep her eyes open for the Savensons.
She ordered her butter beer and sat down to wait, eyeing the door every few minutes. The warm drink arrived and she took a sip feeling it warming her inside out. Suddenly, she heard someone speak. She looked up and saw the man whose hipicius she had destroyed.
"I'm sorry. What did you say?" she asked.
"Well there are no tables, and I was just wondering if you'd object to me joining you?" he replied with a smile that made him look almost handsome. She thought that if he just got a haircut and maybe a new robe, he would be a very fine looking gentleman.
"Of course I don't mind. I was going to come back to talk to you anyway. I found the bloom, but the boys were long gone. I'm afraid that the flower was in no condition to ... um ... be of any use to you. I'm sorry. But I teach Potions at Hogwarts, and it wouldn't be a problem to get you a replacement if that's what you need," she explained, conveniently leaving out the part where she stepped on the flower.
"Oh. That's fine. When can I get the replacement?"
"As soon as you need it."
"Good, good. Anyway, you teach Potions?" asked the man. The change in subjects jolted Professor Granger a little. He had seemed very concerned with the flower, and now he was interested in her job. She only thought on it for a little while.
"Yes, I've been teaching for three years."
"What happened to Professor Snape?" asked the man. Professor Granger started. She didn't quite understand how this man who obviously knew about Hogwarts couldn't have heard about professor Snape being moved to teaching Defense against the Dark Arts. Well, Professor Granger thought to herself, maybe he didn't go to Hogwarts.
"He retired three years ago," she replied cautiously. "I had turned in m application a few years before that, and I was asked to replace him."
"Oh. You're looking at me as if I sprouted another pair of arms. I just got back to England two months ago after almost six years away." He smiled. "I didn't get much news from home."
Professor Granger smiled and laughed. "Of course, I'm sorry. My name is Hermione Granger, by the way..." Hermione trailed off because the man had just spit out most of his drink on the table in surprise. "Are you all right?" she asked as she mopped up some water with the cloth napkin.
"H...H...Her...Hermione?" he stuttered.
"Yes. Do I know you?" she asked. He seemed to be looking at her as if that was the explanation.
"Hermione. It's me." The man lowered his voice significantly. "Harry."
Hermione made a little "eep." It couldn't be Harry. This man looked nothing like the Harry Potter that she had known from her own years as a student at Hogwarts. Besides, Harry was still in Africa trying to find the Shadow of Fear.
"It can't be...no...I don't believe..." But she never finished. The man had brushed his bangs aside and Hermione could make out the lightning shaped scar that identified the man sitting before her as the one, the only, Harry Potter.
Chapter 2: Hermione's Nightmare.
Hermione nearly knocked the table over as she rushed to hug her old friend. Neither of them paid attention to the stares that the previously unnoticed table had gotten.
"Har..." She tried to say when they both felt it was time to let go. But Harry's hand got in the way.
"Not so loud. I don't want anyone to know that I'm back yet," he explained and removed his hand from her mouth. Hermione felt like yelling for joy. One of her best friends was back after countless years of chasing shadows in Africa. The thought reminded her of about a million questions she wanted to ask.
"What was it like in Africa? Why haven't you cut your hair? Did you find what you were looking for? Wait a minute, if no one knows you're back, then who were you going to give the flower to?" exploded Hermione in a mad rush of words, ending with an accusation.
Harry faltered for words. She could see that he was searching for the right way to say what he had to reveal. He looked down. Finally he spoke.
"I was wondering how long I'd be able to get away with that little lie. I hoped that you would have overlooked it. Oh well. It just shows that your mind hasn't curbed itself over the years. I don't want anyone who might just casually listen in to hear any of this. Is there any way I can tell you somewhere more private?" he queried.
Hermione checked her watch. "No. Not here at least. We're all going to be going back to Hogwarts soon. Will you come to the school tomorrow? The holiday off-season is starting tomorrow. There will be very few students and all the teachers are busy grading the midterms." Hermione looked hopeful. If Harry said yes, then they would have the chance to catch up on old times. She had missed being able to talk to her friends from school. Ron Weasley, her other best friend from school, had gone on a tour of the world with his new wife whose name she could never remember. She got an occasional postcard from wherever they were that week, but it wasn't the same as actually talking to him.
"That's even better. It's more secure at Hogwarts than anywhere else and there's no chance that...it looks like Professor McGonagall is rounding up the kids. You'd better get going." Harry changed the direction of his sentence in one fluid movement that annoyed Hermione.
"Wait, what were you going to say? There's no chance that what?" she asked. But before he could say anything, the Savenson brothers snaked by Hermione, trying to not be noticed. They weren't fast or skilled enough to get by her though. Harry wondered if anyone was. "You two!" She collared the brothers and went off on them threatening punishment that Harry was glad he couldn't hear. Hermione Granger had become Professor Granger again, barely remembering as she dragged the two boys away to yell over her shoulder, "Four o'clock good for you?" Harry gave a nod, and the last of the Hogwarts inhabitants were on their way back to the magical school.
* * * *
Harry couldn't help feeling sorry for the boys. Hermione's wrath was not something that was fun to bear the brunt of. Ron had incurred it many times in the past as had Harry. They didn't have to deal with it if they didn't want to though. Hermione was their classmate, not teacher.
Harry was glad that he hadn't had to make up an excuse for what had almost slipped out of his mouth. Finally he would be able to tell someone about what was really going on. Even the Ministry of Magic, the wizard government, was almost completely in the dark. They knew the basics of the situation, but no one but Harry knew just exactly how dangerous this was.
Hermione had always been the brains of the three children. At least if he told her, there would be a chance she'd know what to do about it. The Hipicius blossom would help, but as much as Harry had hoped, it wouldn't be enough. Shadows were not easy to get rid of.
* * * *
Professor Granger had the hardest midterms to grade, but unlike History of Magic and some other classes, she didn't have to read essays over the holiday. The students each made different potions and were graded in class. Her holiday season was free. She walked through the winding corridors of the castle to a gleaming suit of armor. She deftly lifted the hand off the sword and pulled the blade toward her. The wall behind the armor opened up to a handsome room draped in different shades of gauzy blue and yellow. The huge four poster bed with sheets and comforter so dark blue, that it could almost be mistaken for black welcomed Hermione as she plopped down on top of the soft mattress.
She sat up again and looked around her room. There were a few things out of place, but it was quite tidy. She was too tired to clean it any more and she knew that Harry really wouldn't mind if she just left it the way it was. She had been extremely tired the past two weeks and now, all she wanted to do was lie down. Sleep came upon her quickly and stealthily.
Hermione dreamed that she, Ron, and Harry were in the forest that surrounded Hogsmeade. It was light outside, the middle of the day. In the forest, it seemed more like twilight, because the treetops were blocking out most of the sun.
Suddenly, though they were all running from the darkness of the forest. It was closing in, swallowing anything and everything that got in its way. Harry turned to where she and Ron were.
"It knows you know. I should never have told you." Harry then ran on ahead with Ron. She tried to follow them, but her legs seemed to weigh a ton apiece. She tripped over an exposed tree root. Then the darkness swallowed her too...
Professor Granger's eyes popped open. There was not much light in her room, but there was just enough to assure her that it was her room and not the forest. She was filled with fear and didn't quite know why. She walked over to her desk where her wand lay and whispered "Lumos," in the dark. A small light appeared at the end of the wand. She set it back on the desk. There were strange shadows on the wall, but the darkness was gone. Professor Granger went back to sleep, smiling slightly, proud of herself for thinking of turning on a light.
Chapter 3: The African Mystery
The castle where Harry had always felt welcome and at home stood now before him as a fortress to prevent him from entering. He knew that the students had left, and that the teachers really paid very little attention to whom was where during the holiday season, but for a strange reason, he still felt nervous about coming back. He might be recognized.
Harry took a deep breath, made sure his bangs diverted any chances of recognition-by-scar, and walked through the doors of Hogwarts. He wasn't sure where Hermione had planned for them to meet, but that was only a problem for a few seconds. There was soon a brand new one to deal with. A teacher turned around the corner and stopped. Harry's heart skipped a beat when he saw who it was.
"Who are you?" asked the cruel voice of Professor Snape.
"Um, I was looking for Professor Granger. We had an appointment, that is, she was going to replace a hipicius flower that was lost to me because of two of her students," Harry stated in a confident tone, but his knees were shaking. He rubbed his bangs down instinctively so the identifying scar on his forehead was not visible.
"A Hogwarts student? I think that you and Professor Granger are mistaken. None of our students here would vandalize personal property to the point that it needs replacing
"I'm so glad that you could make it, sir. Now if you will be so kind as to follow me to my office, I'm sure we won't be bothered," came a self-assured voice from behind him. He turned to see Hermione with a professional smile on her face. Her manner of speech and the smile almost diverted attention from the fact that there were dark circles under her eyes. Almost.
"Lead on, Professor Granger," Harry stated. She bowed and turned, walking towards a knight. After pulling the sword towards her, an archway opened up into the wall. Harry couldn't hide a small smile as he realized just how much he missed the wizarding world. How he had longed for even just a pot of color-changing ink on those dark nights in Africa, and now here he was. Home at last.
He walked into the room behind Hermione. He had expected an office, but was surprised to find Hermione had led him straight to her room. Seeing the expression on his face Hermione laughed.
"Okay, so I lied. Besides, there's always the chance that a student might actually need help and come to my office. You don't mind holding this meeting in my room do you?" she explained.
"No, no, I don't mind at all. Actually, there's even less chance of the...um....wrong people knowing about this," Harry confided. Hermione's face twisted in confusion. His maddening secrecy was wearing thin.
"You know what? I was going to start with small talk, but with all this nonsense about the "wrong people," I want to know what's going on now." Her voice was hard and Harry couldn't help but wonder if this was her classroom voice. He abandoned the idea of asking her after one look at her face. She was serious and he thought he might as well get down to business.
"Well, I guess I should start at the very beginning. After we graduated, I went back to the Dursley's house and I packed my things. I wasn't about to live there now that I was a full wizard. I noticed Hedwig was missing and since it was the middle of the day, I was a little worried, but I just thought she was asleep in some tree out in the back.
"Suddenly, I saw her bearing towards the closed window at a speed very unlike her. I opened it and she landed on my bed with a package. She was quite adamant that I open it right now, so I sat down on the bed and I opened it. There was a letter inside and a box." Harry paused to take a folded piece of paper out of his pocket. He handed it to Hermione and she read what it said.
Dear Sir It has come to our attention that you have finally graduated from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. We hope that you do not have a position as of yet that you will be working as because we wish to make you an offer.
We know that you have been quite successful in defeating the dark arts and would like to put before you a certain case that we have had for quite a while. There is in Africa a shadow of a person that we are unable to track. Random villages on the outskirts of the jungle parts of the continent are left deserted and the inhabitants never to be heard from again. There is no pattern to these attacks that we can find. We would be undyingly grateful if would deign to assist us in this baffling matter.
Q's
"So this is why you started went to Africa to search for the Shadow of Fear. I always wondered. Honestly, Harry, why in the world would you go off and look for a something handed to you by an organization that won't even sign it's name," Chided Hermione. She hadn't changed that much Harry thought.
"Are you done? Hermione I'm not one of your students. I don't have to tell you. I don't even know why I am telling you. I let you read the letter because it's the easiest way to give you the background. May I please continue?" Harry asked in an exasperated tone.
"Of course, Harry. I'm sorry." Hermione whispered meekly. Harry regretted his harsh words, but went on.
"I went to Africa. I studied a few of the villages that had been deserted. As the letter stated, there was no pattern to the villages. There were large, primitive villages that must have been around for quite some time as well as small, modernized towns. Searching for something that the Q's, professionals I assume, hadn't found was useless. I decided that the only way to make any headway into the case was to venture into the jungle.
"To make a long story short, I searched for years and years learning the ways of the jungle, spotting what was out of place, and finally it all paid off. I came across a trail that should not have been there. It led to a clearing in which there were about two-dozen rudimentary tents set up. I at first thought that some vacationers had come to a quiet spot of the jungle for a change of pace, but I soon heard a soft muttering coming from each and every one of the tents. I walked up to one of the tents and called in. The muttering grew louder. I pushed aside the flap and saw a middle-aged man huddled in the far corner. As I drew closer to him, he looked at me with wide eyes and muttered louder."
"What was he saying?" Asked Hermione with a puzzled look. Harry had paused for a long moment and she worried that he might not go on.
" ' He has been angered. Must leave. Left city. Oh God, he followed us all. What can I do? We have to keep moving.' He looked at me with those eyes full of whatever unspeakable horrors he had suffered and he screamed 'HE'S IN MY HEAD!' That set off the whole camp, if you can call it that. All of them started screaming incoherently. It was the most agonizing sound I've ever heard; like those people were filled with nothing but pure fear." At this point Harry shuddered. Hermione reached a hand out for his shoulder. His muscles tensed a little, then relaxed in her grip. He resumed.
"I ran out of the clearing and back into the jungle. I must have come out of the clearing in a different place that I came into it because I soon came to another clearing with more tents than the first one. There were the same low sounds coming from these tents. I backed away and found my way back to the outside world. It sounds funny now," Harry diverted the direction of his speech, "to think of the modern world as 'the outside world,' but that's what it was to me at that point. I had been living in the jungle for six years. I don't know why I got on the plane back here. Well that's not true. I know exactly why I did it, but I just can't explain how I knew. I just had an overwhelming feeling that the Shadow of Fear was done in Africa. I think that it was testing its powers on remote villages and towns. Now it's ready to attack with full force bigger game."
Neither of the two childhood friends spoke. The silence seemed oppressive to Hermione and she longed to break it, but she couldn't speak. Harry on the other hand was grateful for the chance to collect his thoughts. He had finally told someone what he had dared tell no one, not even the Ministry. The burden of knowledge was now on both of their shoulders.
"Harry, this Shadow, you think that he...I mean it...is in England? What can we do? Why does he...it...do this, take people and fill them with fear?" Hermione asked quietly.
"I believe that there is a direct possibility that it is in England somewhere, waiting for just the right time to strike. As for why, I'm guessing that it either feeds on the opposite of fear, or else draws it's power from it and therefore leaves it's victims filled with the only thing that it doesn't need anymore of: darkness or fear." Harry ventured.
"You must tell the Ministry. They must know. If this thing gets out, the Muggles won't be able to stop it and once the Ministry does get involved, Muggles will find out about the magical community. We can't let that happen, not to mention how bad it would be to have this...thing running around sucking the...light?...out of entire villages, or London for that matter!" Hermione exclaimed nervously, but with force.
"Hermione, you know there's no way that I could do that. If the Ministry gets involved, I could get in trouble for dealing with an outside wizarding body."
"What?"
"Q's."
"Oh. That's right." The laws were very strict and enforced to the fullest extent about outside wizarding bodies. After the reign of Voldemort and his followers, all groups were regulated as far as possible, while still trying to leave them some freedoms. "I know some people in the Ministry. A few that I'd trust with my life, but only one that I'd trust with yours and all of England's. Harry, let me call him. You told me about this whole thing, so you must know deep down that there's no way that you can deal with this on your own anymore. The Shadow has gone too far." Hermione's face was grave. Harry knew that she was right.
"Call if you feel you must, but I still want as few people to know about this as possible. There's one thing that truly bothers me. Ever since I left Africa, I've gotten the strange sensation that I'm constantly under surveillance. I think that the Shadow knows where I am, and if that's true, then it knows that you know too." The worry in Harry's voice was unmistakable. Hermione beamed at him.
"I've missed you so very much Harry." And with that, she flung her arms around him and squeezed him tightly. Harry returned the hug and whispered softly into her ear, "I know. I've missed you too.
* * * *
As the tow friends hugged, there was an odd shadow across the room. It looked out of place and, suddenly, it moved. It crept across the wall and out the window. Neither Harry nor Hermione saw it.
Chapter 4: The Truth About Q's
Professor Granger had been writing on the board a specific list of instructions for the class to follow. Suddenly, she stopped and caught a paper airplane deftly between her thumb and forefinger without turning around.
"Really, a paper airplane. I thought that you would be more mature than that," she muttered to the students as she continued with her writing. The holiday break had come and gone and she really couldn't blame the class for being restless. The instructions should have been on the board when they first came in class, but when she entered the room, the words had been erased completely. She suspected the Savenson boys had something to with the job, but since there was no proof, there was nothing anyone could do.
Finally, the task was over, and she could get back into the swing of teaching. The potion was very successful. It was a difficult potion to get the kids' minds back into the swing of learning, but the out come, when poured on two hairpins, resulted in the pins doing a highly comical dance. It took the entire lesson, but the classes indeed seemed to like it. For once, Professor Granger was giving all of her classes the same assignment.
The day passed quickly enough, and soon, Professor Granger was holding her last class, which consisted of Hufflepuff and Slytherin fourth years. It started out the same as all the other classes, but halfway through, beautiful brown owl flew into the classroom and dropped a message on Professor Granger's desk. The owl stopped in midair for a split second and then flew quickly out of the room. The second was enough for the students, though. They were old enough to recognize the owls characteristic of the Ministry.
Professor Granger looked sternly at her class and they immediately went back to work on their potion, though a few of the more curious students looked up every now and then, expecting to see their teacher reading the mysterious letter, but they were disappointed. The bell signaled the end of the day and all the students abandoned the dancing hair pins and ran out to meet their friends, whispering excitedly about the Ministry owl that had dropped a note on Professor Granger's desk.
Professor Granger herself was busily going around to each desk and picking up the hairpins that had since stopped dancing and placing them in a metal box for the next time she would use them. She then wiped up the spilled potion from the tables and made a mental note to not use a potion that has the ability to be this messy again. She walked over to her desk and placed the box of pins in the top drawer and plucked u the letter that the owl had delivered. She contemplated going to her room to read it, but decided that her office was a better bet.
She walked into the coatroom of her class and through the door at the back. The door opened into a spacious office that reeked of a professional air. Professor Granger closed the blinds and turned on her desk light. She broke the official seal of the Ministry and opened the green envelope. The letter was on white paper with blue ink. It read:
Dear Hermione,
Glad to hear from you after a while. It's been at least a year. You and I will have to get together as you suggest, but I do wish that it were on a happier note. I cannot wait to meet the person that told you this fantastic story that you wrote me. If it is true, then we will have a problem on our hands big enough to call a disaster. I haven't told anyone. Can you meet me in my office on Saturday at 4:30? Bring this mystery man with you and we can discuss the grave matter over tea.
Yours, Ron Weasley Head of the Department of Muggle Affairs
Hermione smiled at the thought of the look on Ron's face when he saw who the "mystery man" was.
* * * *
Saturday rolled around uneventfully and Hermione and Harry were soon at the office of the Ministry of Magic being led to the Department of Muggle Affairs.
"What's the name of this person that we're going to see exactly?" worried Harry.
"Oh, don't worry so much. I told you that I trust this man very far. He knows the basics of the story, but no details. But if you must know, his name is--" Hermione's words were cut off by a young woman sitting at a desk, which Hermione supposed was Ron's secretary.
"May I help you two?"
"We have an appointment. Hermione Granger," replied Hermione sweetly.
The woman poured over the very full planner with her index finger. It stopped and she looked up. "He's not busy right now, so go on in."
Hermione opened the door and Ron looked up and smiled. His eyes shone brightly as he drew himself up to his full height, which was well over six feet. As he walked around the giant desk, he opened his arms up and enveloped Hermione in a hug.
"Oh, my dear, it's so good to see you. I must say that I was looking forward to this meeting not only out of curiosity," Ron said.
"And I was looking forward to this meeting not only for the look of surprise that you will soon be wearing," Hermione shot back.
"Whatever do you mean? Oh, the story," Ron realized, misinterpreting her words, "That we will see about. Now if you be so kind as to introduce me to your acquaintance here." Ron turned to Harry, whose jaw was on his chest, and smiled warmly. Hermione chuckled a little.
"Well, I feel better now, knowing that it wasn't just me that didn't recognize him," Hermione teased Ron. Harry who had regained his voice joined her. "Oh, now Hermione, give yourself some credit. I don't want anyone to recognize me. You didn't, Snape didn't and Ron here doesn't."
Ron's mouth was now open wide. "How did you know my name? Have I met you before, sir?" He turned to Hermione. "What's going on here?" he demanded.
"How could I have been so rude?" Hermione asked herself in mock surprise. "Ron, I am truly sorry. Please allow me to introduce to you an old friend of mine from school. This is Harry Potter. Harry, Ron." She said, finishing off with a flourish of her hand. Ron started a bit at the name. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but then closed it again. He then looked at Harry with puzzlement and then recognition and the surprise that Hermione had alluded to. Harry smiled and then it was their turn to hug.
"Harry!" Ron said. "You've changed so much! How could anyone have expected me to know you? Wow! I can't believe it. Of course it all adds up, now. The whole business with Hermione's letter and something bad going down in Africa."
Harry nodded meekly and Ron picked up his wand, which had been lying on his desk. He murmured something quietly and suddenly and tea service floated into the room, complete with three cups, plates, and plenty of sweet cakes and pastries. The three old friends filled their plates and Ron poured the tea. After everyone was settled, Ron said,
"Well, the question I want to ask is what have you been doing all this time, but I suppose that will be answered quickly enough if we get down to business."
Harry nodded and related the tale of the letter from the mysterious Q's, the trip to Africa, the tent villages, the trip home, and finally meeting Hermione in Hogsmeade, which prompted Ron to ask Hermione if she had been to Zonko's lately. Zonko's was a joke shop in the wizarding town that the three had frequented as children. The attempt to break the tension in the room fell flat, though.
Ron sighed deeply. "Well, Harry, I don't know what to tell you. When you got this feeling of yours that it wasn't in Africa anymore, did you get the slightest feeling where it might be?"
"I wouldn't be bothering you if that was the case," Harry replied darkly.
"Nonsense. You will never be a bother to me. But there's really nothing that I can do until this Shadow decides to actually attack a community, Muggle or Wizard. But one thing still bothers me. This 'Q's' place...or thing...or whatever. Harry, you of all people should be aware of the dangers of strange groups," Ron said.
"I went to Africa to see what was going on for myself, not for Q's. Once I got there and saw the villages, I knew that the entire wizarding community would want to know what had happened to these people. I didn't do it for Q's, they just led me there," Harry replied quickly, as if he had been waiting for this question and had a prepared response.
"Ron, I agree with Harry, we can't tell too many people about this Shadow. I knew when I contacted you that there would be very little that you yourself could do to help us. It was just that you are the only person I know in the Ministry that I would trust and that I knew Harry could trust. But isn't there someone that you know that could pull a few strings for us, or at the very least trace the note from Q's?" Hermione asked despair in her voice. Ron thought.
"I'll get a few people on this idea of tracing the note. I can do that much, but this whole thing doesn't really fall under my area of the Ministry," Ron stated sadly. "I'll contact Hermione when I find something out. Give me about a week."
* * * *
Hermione got another owl from Ron within four days, which normally would have pleased her, but considering that the owl woke her from a deep sleep by hopping up and down on her stomach at four in the morning, she was a little miffed.
"Okay, okay," she hissed at the owl. "I'm up already." She sat up in bed and briefly wondered how the owl had gotten into her room without any windows. The thought was dismissed quickly though. Owls were clever and trained to figure out exactly how to open up secret passages. She walked over to her desk and groped around in the dark for her wand. "Lumos Completus!" she said in a clear voice. Soon a soft light lit the whole room.
The owl was growing ever impatient, so Hermione took the letter and opened the door for the owl to fly out. She then sat down at her desk and read the note that Ron had written to her in the same blue ink as before.
Hermione, sorry to wake you up, but I've made a rather startling discovery. The note was written on a Muggle contraption called a 'computer.' Normally, I'd just dismiss this as someone trying to throw us off the trail, but the more I studied what my people gave me, the more it seemed that we really were dealing with Muggles. A letter had recently been intercepted at a post office in London that was this letter's exact duplicate. We confiscated the letter, but they must have posted it from various post offices. They might have gotten lucky and found a wizard post office, how I don't know, but when Hedwig came around to check Harry's mail for the last time, she found the letter and brought it to him. I don't know what happened to the other letters, but I'll bet you anything that the Dursleys have received them. ~ Ron
Hermione read and reread the letter in her hands. How was it possible that Muggles could have found out about Hogwarts and Harry and, more importantly, this Shadow of Fear? A chill ran down Hermione's spine as she put on a robe and ran up to the owlry to send Artemis, her snowy owl, to Harry with the note that Ron had sent to her. If these Muggles knew about the wizarding community, then there were possibly much bigger problems than the Shadow to worry about.
Chapter 5: A Dark Reunion and a Dark Discovery
"Harry, you're insane! Why would they even bother to look at your mail? They probably saw your name on it and threw it away." Hermione had been begging Harry for hours not to bother with his newest scheme to get to the bottom of Q's.
"There's always a chance." Harry had been replying with this and "I don't care," to everything that Hermione threw at him. He threw in for effect, "You didn't have to come, you know." He was right, but her classes were busy with essays comparing and contrasting the use of potions versus the use of magic wands. There had been no other homework for her to grade, which is what she usually did on Saturday, so when Harry invited her she jumped at the chance to do something. She shut up for the rest of the cab drive.
It took about a half-hour to get to their final destination. Harry paid the fee and pointed to the house. It was a screamingly boring and normal looking house, painted the dullest color of off-white that Hermione had ever seen. Harry led the way up the walkway to Number Four, Privet Drive and knocked on the door. As they waited, Hermione looked down at the ugly flower-print dress that Harry had persuaded her to wear. "It might make them more comfortable if you look boring," Harry had explained.
The door opened and skinny, gray woman faced them. "What do you want?" she asked hastily.
Harry didn't say anything. He just brushed aside his bangs as he had done when he first met Hermione in The Three Broomsticks. The woman's eyes got huge and she screamed. That brought a fat old man running (as well as he could with his paunchy stomach).
"What's all this?" demanded the man.
"I believe she's fainted, Uncle Vernon," Harry replied lazily as he stepped over his aunt. Hermione followed him quickly as Vernon started to drag his wife back into the house.
Once Petunia had been revived, Harry didn't mince words. "I think that some letters might have been sent here for me.
"We didn't get any," Vernon nearly screamed.
"I know you got them and I don't expect that you kept them for me, but do you at least remember the return address?" Harry asked, rolling his eyes.
"No he doesn't and even if he did, he wouldn't tell you," Petunia sneered, now fully recovered.
"So you got the letters?" Hermione asked politely, despite the fact that the Dursleys were treating Harry like dirt. Petunia glared at Hermione when she realized the information she had given away.
"Listen to me," said Harry, in an exasperated tone. "I do not want to be anymore than you want me to be here. I would appreciate it greatly if you just answered my questions so I can leave and never come back. The only problem is that I will get an answer to my question and if I am forced to put a spell on you to get said answer, then so be it." Hermione repelled the urge to stare at Harry. If he put a spell on Muggles, he would risk time in Azkaban. She sincerely hoped that he was bluffing.
It didn't matter though, because after a while Vernon said, "What do you want?"
"Now, then, that wasn't hard. Did you throw the letters away, or did you send them back to the post office?"
"We wrote 'NOT AT THIS ADDRESS' on all of them and put them on the doorstep. My little Dudy-kins tore some of them up, but the mailman took at least one," Petunia answered tersely.
"Thanks for the help. Which post office?"
"The one by the grocery store. Are you going to go soon?" Vernon asked impatiently.
"Yes we were just leaving." With that Harry grabbed Hermione and dragged her out of the house and walked to the grocery store. Hermione knew that the Dursleys had been mean to Harry, but she had had no idea that it was that bad.
The post office was small and cramped. There was a long line and it took quite a while for the two to get to the front.
"Do you have any letters for Harry Potter?" asked Harry quietly. Hermione thought that he didn't have to worry about anyone hearing him in this town that was so Muggle-ish that Hermione was afraid it might rub off on her. Harry continued. "They were mailed to my old address about six years ago." The man behind the desk looked at Harry warily, but walked back to see if there were any letters. He came back with three envelopes and asked for picture identification. Harry obliged and was given the letters. They walked out quickly and hailed a cab.
Once inside, Harry showed one of the letters to Hermione. There was a return address. They gave it to the cabbie and were soon off to solve the mystery behind Q's.
The cab stopped in front of a clean looking office building. They got out and Harry paid the fare. The two lone figures stood in front of the building for quite some time. Finally, Hermione went in the revolving door and Harry followed after her.
Inside there was a large circular desk that surrounded a young man who was talking on the phone. He looked up and signaled silently that he would only be just another moment. When he got off, he turned to Harry and Hermione. "How may I help you two?'
"Well," Harry started off nervously, "I got his letter in the mail, and I was just wondering..."
"Harry Potter, I presume?" asked a woman behind them. They both spun around quickly and gaped at her. She merely laughed. "You're a little late, but we can improvise. I knew I came out here for something. Follow me please." Harry looked at Hermione who was already looking back at him. She shrugged, he nodded, and they followed the retreating back of the woman.
"Well, I haven't properly introduced myself. I'm Miss Havers. I'm the Vice-President of Q's. You're our most important caseworker, Mr. Potter, and we had hoped that you would have come to us before you went to Africa. Obviously, this was not the case. I see you brought someone with you," said Miss Havers in a rush of words. She turned to face Hermione who introduced herself.
"I suppose there are a lot of questions," said Miss Havers with a smile.
"Yes, you're not a witch," said Harry.
"That is not a question, but I'll answer the charge. No I am not a witch. I'm guessing that the next question is something to the effect of how do I know about Hogwarts and you and the, what do you call it? 'Wizarding community?' Yes, well. The answer is simple. In 1969, a few people trying to start a business discovered the 'community.' It's a long story about how, so we'll just leave it at they discovered it. These people realized that this was an old community that had posed no threat for quite some time, but still had the express power to overtake us 'Muggles' at any time. Let's just end with this: Q's is a force to be reckoned with if that is ever tried." Miss Havers tone was steely and Hermione and Harry both knew that it was an unspoken warning that the woman had just issued.
"Why, then, did you contact Harry? It seems that in your situation, you would try to keep us from finding out about you," Hermione reasoned.
"Yes, well," said Miss Havers for the second time. "That has a lot to do with what I anticipate as your next question. About the Shadow?" At a nod from both heads, Miss Havers explained further. "The Shadow was an attempt on our part as a weapon to use in...extreme cases of uprising. It was supposed to be perfect. It didn't sleep, it got around stealthily, and it didn't eat or drink. Or so we thought. One day, the scientists we had working on it were found huddled in separate corners, muttering about something being inside their heads. The Shadow was gone, escaped.
"We kept our eyes out for a few weeks and heard of something similar to happened in our labs, happening in Africa. We sent more scientists down there. The Shadow attacked them, but not before one could send back a message that stated it was our Shadow and that there was no way that we could contain it alone.
"As you know, we follow the wizarding community closely and we knew quite a bit about you, Mr. Potter. We decided that with your recent successes with You-Know-Who," (Harry heaved a sigh when even she didn't use Voldemort's real name.) "you would be the right person for the job. We found your address and dropped letters to you at every post office we could find, hoping that one of them might be a wizarding one," finished the woman.
Harry and Hermione sat shocked for a moment. It took a while for the truth to sink in. Here was a group of Muggles whose only purpose was to prevent wizards and witches from taking over the world. And even more frightening, this group of Muggles had actually created a creature capable of doing the damage that Harry had seen in the clearing in Africa.
"He's back in England, you know."
"We know."
"Do you know where?"
"Somewhere were he won't be found for a while, and has some time to plan."
"This thing has a mind?"
"Yes."
Silence.
"You should start looking if you're going to help us find it. We understand if you don't though. But I should warn you that this thing most likely could tell a wizard from a non-wizard. It is not going to go easily, especially since it has been specifically trained to hate wizards. Don't look at me like that, Mr. Potter. It was to be a weapon against you in an extreme case," said Miss Havers in that steely tone of hers.
Harry and Hermione stood up at the same time. Harry turned around and walked out of the office. Hermione stayed. "We have already involved the Ministry of Magic in this case, specifically the Department of Muggle Relations. We will not change this fact."
"I understand Professor Granger."
"Very good. See that you convey that understanding to your superior." Only then did Hermione walk out.
Chapter 6: Chasing Shadows
The sterile walls of the Ministry f Magic seemed forbidding to Harry. With Hermione at his side, it was easier to think that no one would recognize him. Everyone noticed her and not that strange man that she was with. There had been a close call at Hogwarts during his last visit to her. On his way out, a student nearly knocked him over and Harry had brushed his hair out of his face to see the offender and the student had asked what was on his forehead. Harry quickly covered the scar and muttered "nothing."
He didn't know why it was so important that no one knew he was here. He figured that it was because he wanted as few people to be in danger as was possible. According to Miss Havers, the Shadow had attacked the scientists who knew the most about it the day after they got there. If it was that he wanted to prevent harm, then why did he tell his best friends? The question tumbled around in Harry's mind unexplained until he reached Ron's office. Then it was forgotten.
"Mr. Weasley has been expecting you, sir," said the secretary outside the office. Harry smiled and nodded and walked in.
"Any luck with Q's?" Ron queried.
"Actually, yes. Quite a bit of information. Very helpful, and yet we can't do anything about it." Harry went on to tell the tale of going to the Dursley's, finding Q's, and everything that Miss Havers had revealed. Ron's eyes widened at the last part and he shook his head when the story had drawn to a close.
"That is just sick. One organization devoted entirely to keeping a group of people who have never threatened them from revolting. Well, once this whole thing is over.... I don't know. I'll think about it when it is over. What did you mean when you said we can't do anything?" Ron finished.
"Well we know what we're dealing with now, but we don't know where it is. Where would you go if you wanted someplace where no one else would be to stop you from planning your next move against society?" Harry asked, almost as if he was talking to himself.
"Well, if he was raised to hate wizards, then you can almost bet that he'll want to be near a large population of them to see when the best time to attack is. Hogsmeade? One of the other settlements?" Ron thought aloud.
"The new settlements are few and far between. The best bet for a really big strike is Hogsmeade because it's 1, the most populated and 2, Hogwarts is the logical next strike. Stop the wizards from multiplying, if you will," Harry reasoned.
"Where in Hogsmeade or Hogwarts would he be able to hide? All those wizards would notice something was up. And McGonagall is no Dumbledore, but she knows her stuff. She would know if this Shadow were within a threatening distance of her school. Wait! Where does no one ever go, but it's so close to both the city and school that it would be perfect?" Ron appealed excitedly.
"Ron, what are you think...not the? Forbidden Forest?"
"Think about it, Harry!"
"Well, it is perfect, but...well, let's just say that if there's one place that I never missed when I was in Africa, it was the Forbidden Forest."
Ron was hurriedly writing a note with a blue quill. "Whoever said that Hermione was the brains of the outfit?" he asked as he folded the note. Ron walked over to the covered cage in the corner of the office and woke up the owl to fly the note somewhere.
"I think it was Hermione mostly who said it, but you admitted it more than once," Harry teased.
"Oh be quiet." Ron got his cape and walked out to his secretary. "I don't have any more appointments today. Good. I'm taking off early," Ron said to his secretary and before Harry knew it, he was following Ron to the locker rooms.
"What exactly do you think you're doing," demanded Harry when he finally could find his voice with a clear head.
"Changing. If I go outside in this robe, I'll be arrested by the Muggle police for being weird," Ron explained innocently.
"You know very well that's not what I meant. I told you and Hermione about this so that I could get help in discovering what this thing is. Now that I know, there's no need for all of us to be put in danger," Harry said.
"The exact reason I'm going. We can leave Hermione out, but I think that the more of us there are, the better chance we have of defeating this thing." Ron drew himself up to his full height and started to button his shirt. "I'm not about to let you do this on your own." He smiled. "Besides, it's too much like old times to resist. Hey maybe even You-Know-Who will show up for the sake of the true reunion." Harry gaped at his friend. Ron hadn't used Voldemort's name, but even joking about the evil sorcerer was a sign that people were finally starting to heal from the damage.
"Fine," Harry finally conceded. "But we have to get a hipicius blossom from Hermione. It's poison will weaken the Shadow so we can kill it."
"Um, Harry? How does one exactly kill a Shadow?"
"I don't know. We'll deal with it when the time comes."
* * * *
Another owl in another class had aroused the suspicions of the students once again. This time Professor Granger opened it up then and there. Ron and Harry were going after the Shadow alone! And in the Forbidden Forest, no less! She wished that there was something she could do, but what? She had classes.
The bell rang for lunch, which was an hour, and Hermione went outside towards the Forest. And searched the skies. Way out here it was safe for broomstick travel and she suspected that that was how they would reach their destination. Suddenly she spied them. They were coming towards the school, though, not the forest.
"What is this? I thought you were...well, I'm glad you came here. You can't go about this madness alone," asserted Hermione forcefully.
"Sorry, your only real choice in the matter is to come along with us or to stay here," Ron said putting his arm around Hermione and leading her back into the school and into her classroom.
"Although, we thought it over and we would both prefer you to stay here," Harry added.
"Why are you taking me to my class?"
"We need that hipicius blossom that you promised me," Harry told her. Just then a cat came around the corner and started hissing and spiting at the two men.
"Oh Miss Nevlin, shoo!" Hermione kicked at the cat. "Go away! Mr. Filch, will you please keep your blasted kittens from trying to trip me up?" Hermione asked of a very old man who had followed the cat around the corner. While she was dealing with the situation, Harry and Ron had slipped into her office and it the supply room. By the time Hermione had got in the classroom, Harry was walking out carrying a fresh cut hipicius blossom.
"What are you going to use that for? Incapacitation I suppose? You don't even know if it will take effect on it!" Hermione yelled at them, but they didn't listen. Harry yelled over his back, "We're waiting until night. It will most likely be out and about then."
"And how exactly do you expect to find a shadow in the middle of the night in the middle of a dark forest?" Hermione challenged. She shook her head in what seemed to be disgust, but she was really worried about her friends. She walked towards to Great Hall for lunch.
* * * *
That night, Hermione had trouble falling asleep thinking about her two best friends out there somewhere in the Forbidden Forest. When she finally did drift asleep, darkness filled her mind. She started reaming the same dream that she had dreamed the night before Harry told her about the Shadow. She had forgotten it then, because she hadn't known what it meant, but now she knew that Harry and Ron were in grave danger. She lit up the room and put on her drabbest robes. She grabbed her wand and rushed out of Hogwarts and into the night. Hermione didn't quite know what force was guiding her, but she knew that she had to find Harry and Ron before the Shadow of fear did.
Chapter 7: The Stalking Darkness Within
It was a full moon and so there was enough light to see by. But just barely. Hermione had been walking through the Forbidden Forest for about fifteen minutes. She had seen strange things in the forest dashing behind trees and bushes. She long for something that didn't seem so foreboding, but it seemed the later it got, the less light there was and all the more uncertainties. Hermione was starting to doubt her sanity. How in the world was she going to find Harry and Ron?
She didn't want to alert anything to her presence, but she was getting nowhere. If she couldn't find the men, then she was going to have to help them find her.
"HARRY! RON! HARRY! RON! WHERE ARE YOU?" she yelled at the top of her lungs. It might have been foolhardy, but at least she had a fighting chance. She then put up her wand and yelled "Flarus Extractorus!" A red light shot out from the end of her wand and streaked upwards and burst into a bright flare just above the treetops.
Hermione found a rock and sat. The flare would be of no use to her if she left right after sending it up. She hated the helplessness of her situation, but Harry and Ron would be lost without her intervention. Soon after her retreat into waiting, she heard rustling bushes. The rustling got closer and closer. She prayed that she hadn't summoned one of the unspeakable horrors that lived in the forest.
"What in the world do you think you're doing?" hissed Ron just as he broke through the bushes.
Hermione couldn't help herself. "First of all I'm saving you, and second of all, if you've been tramping about that loudly, then I'm surprised I'm not to late," she criticized.
Ron sighed loudly and turned back and whispered loudly, "Harry, I found her."
Once Harry got to where Ron and Hermione were waiting, she wasted no time in telling them the details of her dream. They looked at her as if she had sprouted two more legs on top of her head.
"Hermione Granger had a premonition? The same Hermione Granger that walked out of Divination class because she thought it was stuff and nonsense?" Ron walked over to Hermione and felt her forehead. "No fever. Maybe she just lost it."
"Ron, don't you think that maybe I thought about that. Honestly, I came all the way out here to warn you and all you can do is make jokes," Hermione sat down again and crossed her arms. She knew it was childish, but Ron was being difficult.
"Now, now, Hermione," soothed Harry who, until this point, had just been listening. "Ron's just being Ron. You of all people should understand that simple fact. Now we're all here, and we're not doing any good just sitting here. I highly doubt that the Shadow is going to be so good as to come looking for us...." Harry trailed off. To everyone's surprise a raspy voice picked up the conversation.
"But you would be wrong." The three turned to the voice, but there was no one to be seen. There were just two glowing bugs hovering. They seemed to be alone in the forest. For the first time that night, they noticed that the forest had gone silent. There was no noise. The bugs weren't even buzzing. Hermione looked closer at the bugs. They had no wings that she could see and there were tiny black spots close to the middle. Hermione gasped. "They're not bugs," she whispered, barely audible, "They're eyes."
"Very good my dear, witch. One of the few flaws in my creation is that my eyes cannot be made invisible at night as the rest of my body can." As the raspy voice spoke, the outline of his body could be seen faintly. "I'm going to destroy you three now as I destroyed those villages in Africa. I just want you to know, longhaired wizard, that you're friends needn't have died just yet. You could have delayed it, had you not told them. I was there when you told the witch," rasped the Shadow. Then there was a horrible sound that seemed to fill the forest. The Shadow was laughing.
"You will not succeed in whatever you are trying to do," Harry said, his voice wavering just a little. "Q's is looking for you. And so is the Ministry of Magic." With that, Harry flung the hipicius with it's powerful poison at a tree behind the Shadow. It burst and the sticky insides ran right through the Shadow's skin, not taking any affect.
"Q's is no challenge. Wizards and witches are the only flies in the ointment. They are the only ones that can stop my rise to power. They are too powerful to be left alive even though their spells have very little affect on me as you see. They will merely be killed. And as for the Ministry of Magic" (the Shadow spat out the words as if they tasted bad) "your red-haired friend kept your secret all too well. They know nothing."
The Shadow moved towards them. The moon had entered an opening in the treetops and the Shadow was now fully visible against a huge tree. Harry, Ron and Hermione backed up instinctively. The Shadow only laughed.
"Good. You fear. I would hate to give the honor of our murders to one of my friends that I've made in this wonderful forest that you wizards see as evil, and yet keep so close to your offspring. I do not understand the logic of it, but I am grateful." The Shadow laughed again and the three friends winced. Every time the sound assaulted their ears their fear grew outside their own will.
Hermione's eyes flew open. She had just put the pieces of the puzzle together. She looked at Harry and Ron whose hands wee covering their ears. She had nothing to lose. The Shadow would kill them anyway. Maybe Harry and Ron would follow her lead.
"Go ahead and laugh you...creature!" she exclaimed, looking him straight in the eyes, a task that seemed to get harder by the minute. She kept his gaze though. The Shadow looked surprised for a moment. She lost his eyes for a moment when he threw his head back and laughed. She shrunk back down. NO! She wouldn't let it affect her. She was stronger than that. There was a hand on Hermione's shoulder. She turned to see Harry look at her with all the confidence he could muster. She smiled. For some reason it wasn't hard at all anymore for her to face the Shadow.
"You've lost, Shadow. I know you're other flaw. You can't kill, can you? That's why would have to get help. You can only leave shells of people full of fear. But, you can't do that unless there's fear to leave. Well, you know what? I'm not afraid of you anymore, because shadows can't do anything to hurt anyone. You told me too much about you, and now I have the upper hand," Hermione beamed at the horror in the stance of the Shadow.
"I might not be able to kill you, but you can't kill me either. You said it yourself, shadows have no substance. Even your precious spells can't hurt me," the raspy voice was now the one that was wavering. Everything was going according to Hermione's plan. She got the Shadow so flustered that it forgot that it could just call a vampire or some other monster from the forest in to finish the job. Also, the Shadow was wrong. She knew exactly how to kill it.
"You are a shadow. You are made of darkness and nothing else. And there's only one way to get rid of darkness," Hermione stated innocently. "You have to turn on the lights. Lumos." A pure white light jumped out of the end of her wand. The scared shadow could not contain the scream. If the laughing had been taking strength from the three friends, the scream returned it to them.
Harry got up and dusted himself off. "Lumos!"
Ron added his wand to the mix. There seemed to be more light than normally came from the wands with that spell, but it wasn't quite enough. The Shadow was still there. And the surprise of the effect that the spell had on him was lessening. He was returning to strength.
But he never had the chance. The light in the forest was getting mysteriously brighter. The Shadow looked straight at Harry and then seemed to look through him. It screamed one last time and then disappeared completely.
The three sagged with the success of their effort. All of them muttered "Nox," at the same time. The lights at the end of their wands went out, but the light remained. They turned around and saw what the Shadow had been looking at in the last seconds of its life. There were twenty to thirty ghosts behind them. Six of them stepped up. Five were wearing lab coats and the other one was wearing jeans and a T-shirt.
"It's you!" Harry said to the ghost wearing jeans. It nodded. "And you must be from Q's." The ghosts in lab coats nodded. Harry turned to Ron and Hermione. "These are the people that the Shadow attacked."
"But, the Shadow can't kill. I proved that. It confessed," argued Hermione.
"I believe I can explain that," one of the scientist piped up. "I created that thing. It cannot kill, that it true, but what it does to you, leaves you suicidal. Whoever the Shadow attacks generally ends up killing themselves."
"Why did you come back to help us?" asked Ron. "How did you know?"
Another scientist answered. "We don't know. We just all of a sudden knew that someone had discovered the way to defeat the Shadow. We wanted to see it. But we couldn't see for some reason. So we turned up the lights. Apparently, that was the finishing touch."
Harry stepped up to the ghosts and whispered, "Thank you. Thank you all so much."
"No, thank you three. If the Shadow had succeeded, then not only we would have to go through that, but our loved ones as well." As quickly as they had appeared, the ghosts all disappeared. One little blue light remained though. Harry, Ron, and Hermione followed the light out of the forest towards Hogwarts.
Chapter 8: The Truth is Revealed
The blue light disappeared after a while, but they had reached the edge of the forest. Waiting for them, was what seemed to be almost the entire population of Hogwarts. Professor McGonagall rushed toward them.
"Professor Granger, what were you doing in there and in the middle...Mr. Weasley!" She exclaimed upon noticing Ron. Professor McGonagall then looked to Harry who was looking especially scruffy and dirty after the battle with the Shadow. "And would you mind introducing me to your other partner in crime? Yes crime, Professor Granger. There is a reason it is called the Forbidden Forest. No one is allowed to enter it except the gameskeeper." Professor McGonagall's tapping foot wouldn't let Hermione get away with a quick explanation. Oh well, the threat was gone, so she might as well explain the whole story.
"Well, Professor McGonagall, there really is little need for an introduction, as you already know him. This is Harry Potter, only he needs a haircut and shave. And as for what we were doing..." Hermione told the whole story starting with the last trip to Hogsmeade and ending with the little blue light guiding them to Hogwarts in safety. From time to time Ron or Harry would add in a detail that Hermione had missed. By the end of the story, Professor McGonagall's mouth was slightly open. She closed it right after Hermione said, "And that's all of it." The headmistress seemed to think for a while. The students that were in front weren't even bothering to hide their amazement at finding out that their very own Professor Granger was a hero. Even Professor Snape, who took every opportunity he could to criticize her teaching styles, looked approvingly at her.
"Ghosts. That's what that light was. We saw the lights and that's why we're here. We were just about to send someone in after you. Well, this is a different story altogether, then," Professor McGonagall finally said. "I can't very well punish you for that, even thought the example you set for the students was not the best one. I will have to think about what to do overnight. Everyone back in the castle!" The last sentence was said loudly and with a force that no one dared disobey. She then said in a lower tone to Harry and Ron, "You two are of course welcome to stay, if you wish. In fact, I would appreciate it greatly if you did."
"I would love to, Professor, but I do have family obligations..." Ron started.
"Oh honestly Ron! You only just got back from a tour of the whole world with no one but your wife," teased Hermione. "I'd think she's most likely sick of you and would be glad to have a night to herself." Ron turned bright red and gave Hermione a nasty look.
"I'll send her an owl. I'd be glad to stay, Professor McGonagall," Ron stated. Hermione smiled innocently at him. He smiled back after a while.
"I guess I might as well stay here too," Harry said. Then he continued in a cheesy voice, "What will happen to the beloved Professor Granger? Tune in next time at the same time tomorrow." His voice was normal again. "Or maybe a little earlier. Any more nights like this and I might just go insane." Harry and Ron walked into the castle, following Professor McGonagall to their rooms. There were only two people still outside: Hermione and Professor Snape.
"Well done, Professor Granger. Yes, quite well done. I might say that I have to fear for my job. With all this playing around with the Dark Arts, you're either going to master it or succumb to it." And with that, Professor Snape walked into the castle. Hermione stood there for a long time. Then she just laughed. It was the first time that Professor Snape had ever made a joke in front of her. Maybe it wasn't exactly like old times, but it was definitely better. Hermione walked to the castle, entered into her room, and promptly fell asleep
* * * *
The next morning classes were cancelled. Hermione didn't wake up until eleven o'clock and was horrified at herself. She got dressed as quickly as possible and an outside. She saw Professor Verne in the hallway.
"What's going on? Are classes cancelled?" she asked the squat little man.
"Yes, they are. At lunch, there's going to be a special feast. And ceremony," replied Professor Verne.
Hermione still had an hour, then. She decided to go find Harry and Ron. It turned out that Professor McGonagall had put them in adjoining rooms on the fourth floor. For the first time since the three friends had been reunited they had time to reminisce and tell what had gone on since they had last seen each other. At a quarter to twelve, they started their trek to the Great Hall.
"Ron, what are you going to do about Q's?" Hermione asked. The thought had been bugging her for a while.
"I'm going to let them think they're doing good. As long as we leave them alone, they should leave us alone. They don't seem to be telling anyone about the wizarding world, so they're no threat to our secrecy. I will keep my eye on them, though, personally." They had reached the doors to the Great Hall and when they walked in, an explosion of cheers met their ears. Professor McGonagall had just finished telling the story of the Shadow of Fear to those who hadn't heard it the night before.
"At first, I did not know what to make of this incredible story. But after sitting up last night thinking about it, I have the answer. First, I would like to thank Ronald Weasley for his part in this grave matter. It is no wonder his life after Hogwarts has been so successful. He is a quick thinking and brave individual. Thank you, Ron, for all that you've done." The headmistress then shook Ron's hand and looped a medal around his neck. Ron read the inscription out loud.
To Ronald Weasley for bravery, and courage in the gravest of situations, Hogwarts would like to bestow this medal.
"And next, to Harry Potter. Harry, you have done so much for this school and for the wizarding community as a whole, that you have heard the words 'thank you' so many times that it probably doesn't mean much anymore. That will not stop me from saying it. Thank you Harry Potter, for following through on this mission not knowing what true dangers might await you." She repeated the hand shaking and the giving of the medal which read the same, except the name was changed.
"And last, but not least, Hermione Granger. You as well have done much for this school, only not as openly. Usually behind the scenes and figuring out where to turn next, you have assisted in some of the biggest and most dangerous of Harry's adventures, all the while never being recognized. Well, thank you for that and I would like to give you a medal too, but I would also like to give you a plaque for the trophy room, identifying you as a major player in the field of battling the Dark Arts." Professor McGonagall smiled for a moment and then turned to the crowd of students waitng eagerly for more. "Thank you students for waiting silently for this matter to be concluded. You may now show your appreciation as you see fit."
The last part wasn't heard. At "appreciation," the students exploded once more into cheers and applause. Hermione was sitting there drinking it all in, smiling, with tears running down her face. She had been seated between Ron and Harry. Ron leaned over to hug her. Then Harry did the same. As he was pulling away, he whispered, "I'm back for good this time. How could I leave a welcome home like this?"
THE END
Author's Note: These seem to be popular so I'll add it on. There's just a few things I want to adress and this story's much too long anyway, so I'll keep it short.
1) This is a very Hermione-oriented story. She seems to be the main character. I did not mean for that to happen. This was an entirely spontaneous story, and until Chapter 5, I had absolutely no idea where I was headed with it. For example, I never knew that the Dursleys were going to show up in my story until I deleted an entire scene with Hermione and the Postmaster General at the Ministry of Magic. Anyway, if you wanted more Harry and Ron, I'll try to work them in more on my next stories.
2) Please forgive me about some of the conflicting parts if you noticed them. There is an explanation, but it's boring and long. Let's just say I won't make the same mistake. If you didn't notice anything wrong, then ignore this and go on to number 3.
3) As I was writing the last chapter, I realized that some of the characters were not as big as I'd originally planned them to be. I wanted Snape to be much more involved, and Hagrid wasn't there at all. As these are two of my favorite characters, I was really sorry to not need them as much as I thought I did.
4) Finally, if you have any thoughts, questions, comments, etc., I'd like to hear from you. Send me an owl at mtfbwya@pacbell.net. Thanks for reading this story.