Suffix

There are two parts to this story. The story that starts at the beginning of Chapter 1 and ends at the end of Chapter 18. Then there are bits tossed in that do not belong there: as in a "Magic Eye" book. Which means, if you didn't see what should not be there, you've missed it and only read the excellent story I have written? Rather than trying to explain what I mean, here is an example… sort of. If I was to write…

Adam Pentergrast walked along the corridor toward the Gryffindor common room. He looked hard at the portrait. The fat lady was not there. In her place was the Crimson King in all his resplendent garishness sitting on his gilded throne. At his feet were two rather large and hungry looking cheetah's and in the galleries surrounding the throne were a throng of nodding underlings in their counter-colour black robes.

"Don't move," boomed the King, Then he added in a menacing voice, "Who are you?"

"Adam Pentergrast," Said Adam Pentergrast. Then in a hesitant voice added, "Where is the Fat Lady?"

"Why do you dare to ask such a question?"

"I… I… was just wondering…"

"Don't wonder, young man, you better know." He then turned aside and yelled out, "Faith, you in?"

A young girl danced into the portrait and over to the Crimson King. "Yes, Father?"

"Is today Monday?"

"No father, it's Wednesday."

"Oh, I really thought it was Monday."

"If you want it to be Monday, you can designate it as Monday,"

The King thought and then decided, "No, better let Monday be Monday."

"As you wish Father."

The king paused before asking, "Is Fred still coming on Thursday?"

"Yes father. Fred will be here at high noon for his usual game of battle chess."

The king felt life was good: despite being dead: as was all the other people in the paintings dotted about Hogwarts.

Then the King turned his attention from Faith back to Adam Pentergrast. As he did so, his face hardened as he fired off the question, "What happened to you? You look sort of battered."

"Just got back from Great Osmond Street Hospital…"

The King cut in with, "Why not St. Mungo's"

"Great Osmond was closer." Said Adam as he glanced at Faith.

Faith looked at the king, batted her eyes at the old man, then turned to Adam, and said in a kind voice, "Step inside, love." Adam went bright red.

"Not so fast Faith. I know this young man, aren't you dating Gregory's girl?"

"Not me. I'm too young. Mother will kill me. Gregory's still dating his girl."

"Just remember," Faith said to her Father, "Only fools are kind."

"And I'm no fool." He replied in a gruff voice." Then he added, "What's the password, young man?"

"Young animals." Was his firm reply.

The door opened and Adam stumbled as he entered. The stumble quickly turned into an ignominious flop on the floor causing everyone to turn around and look at Adam flat on his face just inside the common room door.

Ron yelled out, "Our local hero is back."

A couple of senior students swiftly zoomed up the stairs, picked up the pitiful looking Adam, and carried him down on their shoulders. As he was put down he asked, "Is Frampton alive?"

One of the seniors said, "He is doing just fine. You got the snitch and he crunched into the pitch. It was one of the better crunches we've seen in a long time." The smile on the seniors face said it all. We won, they lost!

A couple of the other boys started the usual chant of, "A rolling stone, a rolling stone, will gather no moss, no moss."

Adam smiled as he remembered the Quidditch game: it was a good game despite the above average rough and tumble.

If you read the above, it seems reasonable that it is part of a larger story. However, there are over ten items in it that are totally bogus. That is, items that has a secondary or even tertiary meaning, which meanings are totally out pf place. It could be a single word, adjacent words, words that are in close proximity, sayings, etc., Yes, I know, totally bazaar. However, it makes writing much more fun: and we need more fun these days.

If you miss the other meanings, don't worry, you have read an excellent story that I wrote.

In this book, Harry Potter and the New Professor, they are there. In the next book, Harry Potter and the Harveture Conundrum they are far more abundant and more in your face. Good luck finding them.

Friday May 2 1998

Death is never an end

Only the beginning of the

Greatest adventure ever.

Harry, Ron and Herminie left the headmaster's room as they found it, in a mess. Carefully they walked down the spiral staircase, over the toppled gargoyle and back into the battle scared corridor of Hogwarts.

In a disjointed voice the gargoyle asked, "Are you finished?"

"I would say so for now," replied Ron

"Good. Then I shall stand guard until help arrives."

"Oh, sorry," said Harry as he fished out his wand, his newly repaired wand. With a flourish of wand movements, new even to Herminie, Harry said, "Repaious Origialtious"

The statue slowly rose from its tilted position back to guarding the entrance to the headmaster's office. "Thank you," the gargoyle said to Harry. Ron thought he saw the statue give Harry a little bow, then again, it was dusty and the light was playing tricks.

"Where did you learn that one?" a curious Herminie asked Harry as they headed down a corridor to the Gryffindor tower. "We've never learned that one in class."

"Just like Bellatrix said, 'you have to mean it.'"

"You made it up?"

"Not made it up, just thought it was appropriate at the moment."

Herminie was about to ask another question then realized this was not the time or place. It was, however, time to sleep. It had been a long night.

They walked quietly to the Gryffindor tower. The minute the fat lady saw who was coming, she smartened herself up, gave a grateful curtsey then said, "Always open for Mr. Potter," as the entrance opened wide to let the three of them in. Harry scrambled off to bed to give Ron and Herminie time to say goodnight: or rather good morning after the fight of their lives.

Dozing on the well-padded chair next to Harry's bed was Kreacher. Around his neck hung Regulus Black's locket. He looked battered and bruised with several thick pads applied over what looked like battle scars.

Sleep left Harry and he quickly approached the resting Kreacher. As he did so, Kreacher's eyes opened and a smile crossed the old house elf's face. "We won!" he said. His bullfrog's voice was still rough from all the yelling during the battle.

"We certainly did," Harry said. Harry knew without everyone else the chance to kill the snake might not have happened. Once the snake was gone, his time to face his enemy had come. It was a team effort. Harry added, "Rest now old friend. No more battles for you until you are better!" Kreacher smiled and settled down.

Harry was about to climb into bed when he had a big idea. He fished into his pouch that was still around his neck and pulled out the wand he won from Draco. "Here," he said to Kreacher, "I want you to look after this for me. Keep it clean and ready for use."

Despite his aches and pains, Kreacher sat bolt upright and said, "A wand! Kreacher looking after a wizard's wand! Such an honor. Kreacher will keep it safe for his master." With that, Harry collapsed onto his bed knocking his glasses to one side of his face. He was asleep in an instant.

Thus ended one of the longest and most tumultuous night of Harry's short life.

A fifth year boy gently shook Harry. The dream Harry was having was a particularly good one. Harry and Ginny were having ice cream at Florean Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlour at Diagon Alley. Tucked away in his pocket was a ring he had specially made for Ginny. He was waiting for the ice cream to be finished before showing Ginny the ring and asking her an important question. That is when the fifth year woke him. The fifth year boy had never been part of the dream, so where did he come from? Very slowly reality set in and Harry was forced to realize he had not shown Ginny the ring.

"Ah, Harry… Sorry to bother you. Professor McGonagall asked me to find you and let you know she would like to see you in her office," he paused for a moment then added, "As soon as I found you, that is. For you to go there."

It was a struggle for Harry to say, "Okay, I'm on my way." Without moving an inch.

Over on the other side of the room Ron was still sound asleep with a silly grin on his face. Harry thought he was having a good dream.

The fifth year student then added, "I'm supposed to wait here for you." Harry didn't hear a word; he was back asleep trying to remember the dream he was having. He remembered it was a particularly good dream, but couldn't remember the details at this exact moment. The fifth year gave Harry a push and then another push. The dream Harry was trying to find wasn't coming back. Some rotten person was bothering him and he was not amused.

"Okay, okay, I get it. I'm awake. It better be important." Harry said in an irritable voice.

"Ah, it is, I think."

"You think? You are waking me up because you think!"

"Ah, it is Professor McGonagall who wants to see you… not me."

"Oh yeh, you did say." With that, Harry pushed himself up and swung his legs over the side of his bed. He sat there remembering the last days of his short life and the salient fact that Lord Voldemort, Tom Riddle, was dead.

It slowly dawned on Harry that part of Lord Voldemort's mystique was his persona under the name of Lord Voldemort. That anagram allowed Tom to hide his real identity and the fact that he came from a muggle father and a wizard mother. A name that allowed Tom to shroud himself in mystery, mayhem, to take advantage of people who wanted something for nothing. A commodity Tom could offer in abundance so long as his death eaters did his bidding.

In that moment, Harry decided no more He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. No more Lord Voldemort. No more the Dark Lord. Harry chose to call him by his given name, Tom Riddle. Sadly Tom Riddle, an orphan wizard, seduced by the dark arts, failed to understand what he lost by going down that wide path to his destruction.

With a little shiver, Harry kicked himself into action. As he stood up, he caught sight of himself in the mirror. His hair was a total mess; glasses on at a slight angle; wrinkled shirt needing a good wash; robes a total mess; trousers dirty with mud and grass on the leg bottoms and shoes with clods of mud sticking to them. He smiled at the image and the image smiled back.

Making sure he still had two wands tucked safely away Harry and the fifth year student headed toward Professor McGonagall's office. Harry was surprised that the mess had not been cleared away. The teachers of Hogwarts were good and brave wizards so why was there such a mess about? They walked quickly toward the office passing very few students. When they arrived the fifth year student knocked and the door flew open to reveal Hagrid just about to leave Professor McGonagall's office.

"Harry!" exclaimed Hagrid then grabbed Harry in a huge hug. The hug was big enough that Harry couldn't say anything until Hagrid let him go. "Yer did good, didn't yer! Killed the vermin like he deserved after he killed you… sorta." Then Hagrid got serious, "Never had to carry anybody like that. 'Cept Dumbledore, of course. Not nice what he did and what I had to do. Made me upset."

"You did your part just fine. And I was glad you didn't drop me, plop, onto the ground."

"Never knew Neville 'ad it in him to stan' up to Moldy Voldy. 'E was amazin."

Harry smiled at the newly coined nickname for Tom. "Yep he was brilliant and gave me the chance I needed."

"Oh yea… when you did that I didn't know what to think."

Cutting into the congratulatory conversation Professor McGonagall said, "Hagrid, are you leaving or are you staying?"

"Oh, sorry professor, I was goin' until Harry was here."

"Then I would say you are going."

"Yea professor." Then Hagrid turned to Harry and added, "And congratulations Harry, you will do well."

Harry wasn't sure what Hagrid meant as Hagrid stepped out and Harry stepped in.

Professor McGonagall was slumped in her chair behind her desk. She looked like she had been dragged through a hedge backwards. "Thank you Edwards. You may go." Once the boy had been dismissed Professor McGonagall straightened up and turned to look at Harry. It was as if it was the very first time she had seen him. Her cat like eyes looking deep into his soul. Studying it, analyzing it, and weighing it in the balance. Finally she said, "Well, Mr. Potter, it seems you have successfully killed Lord Voldemort. Hearty congratulations."

"The congratulations are not all mine, Professor. I needed help. In the end it was a team effort. Dumbledore's army, Herminie, Ron, and even Draco's mother. Oh yes, Neville… It was Neville that killed the snake. He killed the last bit of protection Tom had. Without all these, and others, I couldn't have done it.

"Very commendable, just what Dumbledore would expect from you. Now I must bring you up-to-date with what has happened since this morning. First Lord Voldemort…

"Please Professor;" cut in Harry, "Can we call him by his proper name, Tom Riddle? In the end he was nothing special but a lie built on another lie."

Professor McGonagall looked at Harry with renewed interest. Again she studied him closely. Eventually she added, "If you choose." She let the statement hang there in significance. Then she moved on with, "Then the body of Tom Riddle has been removed to the grave yard at Azcaban. He and Bellatrix have been placed in the Pit of Endless Sorrows. Once he died, his death eater followers quickly gave up and are currently in Azcaban awaiting trial. The trials will be swift. Death eaters that died during the battle will also be buried in Azcaban, in unmarked graves. Second item. As you may have noticed, not all the destruction to this great building has been repaired. Tom Riddle used some spells that we are not familiar with and seek your assistance in rectifying the situation. Thirdly, this is technically your final year at Hogwarts. At the end of each year there is a graduation ceremony commemorating the success of those students. Now we all recognize you had important work to do this past year and as acting headmaster I feel it is within my powers, and Professor Dumbledore concurs, that you should be allowed to graduate along with all your fellow class mates who were in the forefront of all the extracurricular activities we have been going through. And lastly I'm afraid, next year, we are going to be short a teacher for Defense against the Dark Arts and were hoping you would take the post… for a year at least."

Harry had been following closely to Professor McGonagall's list until the last one, "Hang on a minute, I haven't graduated yet and you want me to teach… here… as a professor?"

"Of course. You are eminently qualified, skillful, resourceful, and the most admired wizard in the wizarding community. And you will be earning money that I think will come in most handy for the upcoming happy event."

"What happy event?"

"Mr. Potter, I might be a bit old, but I still can see. See between you and Miss. Weasley. Lord… Oops, Tom Riddle, of course, did not see it. He was blind to that type of magic. A few of us did see something. And while we are talking of Miss. Weasley, she still has a year to go and would not be attending any of your classes. Other arrangements would be made for her."

"You really think I could do it, Professor?"

"There is no one better suited for the position. Once word gets out I would not be surprised if we are not over run with single girls all wanting to take your classes. I suspect some heavy vetting will be required to keep out the more undesirable elements. You know, the ones that throw themselves at heroes."

On hearing that Harry perked up and said, "Really?"

"Yes, really. Didn't you remember how it was when we had Gilderoy Lockhart flitting in and out at all hours of the day and night. Book signings here and there. Interviews all over the place. Girls swooning at his smile! Heavens, he was gone more than he was here! And when he was here, what were you two doing? Book signing. Hopefully St, Mungo's will never find a cure for him."

Pensively Harry replied with, "I think I'd better think about it. I mean, a professor. Me. You really think I can do it?"

"I think you be fine, just fine."

A grin spread across Harry's face. It started on one side and did not stop until it reached the other side. "I'll better be going and thinking about it."

"And the spells."

"Got it." On that note Harry got up and with a spring in his step, walked out and into the disarray at Hogwarts. His newly acquired sunshine evaporated into the dust and stillness hanging over Hogwarts.

Harry headed to the great hall.

As he expected the families of the fallen had arrived to claim their own. Virtually all were gone. Down the far end was the family of Collin Creevey. When Harry entered the hall the entire family stood up as one. Collin's father walked over to Harry and said, "Thank you for looking after our boy. He was so proud to be at Hogwarts at the same time as you. He never missed a Quidditch game or a practice you were in. He loved to watch and take photos of you zooming about. 'No one better' he would say of you" For one brief moment Harry thought of the resurrection stone: and then the thought vanished into the emptiness of what it does "We were wondering if you could help us. Collin sent us an owl just before the fighting got underway. He said if he died he would like to be buried at Hogwarts. And if he lived he would like to become a professor at Hogwarts. He loved this place that much."

Harry's heart was heavy with sadness that he thought Collin and his camera a pest to be avoided. Now he was seeing Collin as another soul finding the joys of Hogwarts. "Don't worry, I'll fix it." Harry said with a deep conviction.

"Thank you Mr. Potter, thank you." Mr. Creevey gave Harry a big hug and then went back to his family giving them the thumbs up sign. That is when Harry felt fingers interlacing with his. Ginny was standing by his side. A flood of emotions swept over him. Ginny, his Ginny, his battle scared Ginny standing next to him.

They stood for a while, hand in hand before Ginny broke the spell with, "You're needed up in the library. Herminie thinks she has found the spells Voldemort used on Hogwarts." They took off hand in hand towards the library. As they climbed the stairs Harry ran the fingers of his free hand along the wall. He could feel the strangeness of the spells still attacking the walls. It was like the spells were slowly eating away at the very stones of Hogwarts until all is digested and Hogwarts would be a pile of dust. As they climbed up the stairs words came to his mind. Parseltongue words of a very old kind. Words he had never heard before: Words that, somehow, were not unfamiliar to him.

Suddenly Harry stopped. Ginny stopped, looked at Harry, and said, "What is it?"

"Words. I can sort of feel the words on the stones. When I do this," Harry brushed his hand along the stones, "I can hear words."

"What does it say?"

"That's the problem, I'm not sure. Never happened before."

"Do you think it has anything to do with the spells?"

"Expect so. Let's go and see what Herminie has found, maybe it will help." With that they rushed up the stairs to the library As they entered, Madam Pince with her protégé Miss Evangelista came zooming round the bookshelves to challenge the sudden noise. Once Madam Pince saw who it was she commented in a sharp voice, "I expect you are here to see Miss, Granger. She's over there, in the restricted section." With the toss of her head her underfed vulture features moved onward to peck on some other unsuspecting student silly enough to be in the library when there was no need. Miss Evangelista gave Harry a curious look as she quickly followed Madam Pince carrying a rather large and dusty book.

"About time, where have you been?" Herminie said. "This is great, I don't have to sneak about any more. I can sit up here and enjoy myself."

Harry was thinking Quidditch on a windy day and Draco on the other team would be his type of fun. That way he could punch Draco every time he got too close.

"What have you found?" Ginny asked.

"It is not what I have found; it is what I have not found. Some of the pages of this book are missing. Actually carefully cut out. Then again it might be nothing."

Ginny continued with, "What book is that?"

"Wizard Architecture and Quidditch Stadiums. It used to be a text book here years ago when some professor wanted to bring new ideas to Quidditch stadium construction."

"Really?" said Harry. He never thought about Quidditch stadium construction. Growing up without Quidditch left him a bit short in the lore and history of the game. He did know about the local football pitches he walked about to kill time before he had to go back home to face the Dursley's. Of all the teams professional he favored the Southampton Saints, as he liked the name: it gave him hope, and he needed hope. He never went to a professional football game just followed along at 4:50 pm every Saturday on the TV.

"It has a thick section on curses and counter-curses. Seems there is quite a lot of gambling going on at games. To protect the game the officials have to make sure the game is clean by making sure special protection spells and counter-curses are in place before the teams can enter the stadium."

"Are you sure about this?" Harry asked in a surprised voice. "I mean to say, who would do this?"

Herminie looked up and replied with, "Don't you remember your first year and Quirrell?"

"Oh yeh,. I forgot."

"And we thought it was Professor Snape."

"Got it wrong, didn't we." Harry said in a down tone.

"We got it really wrong." Agreed Herminie

The recent revelations from Professor Snape had not settled well with Harry. He knew it was all true, he also knew it will take time to absorb and accept. From his first encounter with Professor Snape Harry had hated him. Hate matured into deep loathing and then into a desire to kill him as he had killed Professor Dumbledore. Now his limited perspective was shattered. Harry was being forced to reassess Professor Snape and how he treated the man who loved his mother and lost her to his father.

Herminie brought Harry back to the present with, "There is a list of known protection spells with the type of protection they give and the gambling spells they are designed to thwart. Some of them seem to resemble what is going on here."

Ginny chipped in with a question, "Why is the magic still here? Why didn't it just go away once the battle was over?"

Harry was surprised by the simple salient question.

Still flipping pages Herminie replied in a matter of fact voice with, "It is a common misconception that magic always has an end. Like doing the dishes. Once done, the spell is over. That is not the case with battles. Like the fight between Dumbledore and Grendelwald. As great as the dual is claimed to be, Grendelwald should have won as he had the Death Stick, the invincible Death Stick. Why Dumbledore was victorious has been discussed in a few exoteric publications of limited circulations. This library has them all over there in a neat pile recently returned from Dumbledore's office." Herminie was pointing to a neat pile close by. She continued with, "Once the dual was over and Grendelwald's followers were defeated, it took between two to ten weeks, depending who you believe, to remove all the magic still at the battle site."

"I never knew you had to clean up after a battle," Ginny said thoughtfully.

"Only if dark magic is used. Seems some wizards wanted to add delaying actions or repeating actions or even morphing components to spells and it grew into a specialized area of dark magic."

"Really?" said Harry. This was all news to him.

"Humm… I read about it a year or so ago." Herminie muttered as she kept flipping pages as she skimmed on through the book. With a loud bang she closed the book and, with a swish of her wand, let it float back to the bookshelf from whence it came.

Herminie turned to Harry and asked, "Harry, you grew up with Muggles, did you ever go to Stonehenge?"

"No, I never went anywhere with the Dursley's. They thought I was some sort of scum to be left behind."

"But you have heard of Stonehenge?"

"Of course everyone has and seen it on the news every midsummer and midwinter."

"Wait a minute," Cut on Ginny, "What is Stonehenge?"

"Really Ginny, you're just like Harry, sleeping through History of Magic during your first year!"

"No I didn't," was Ginny's indignant reply. "Just felt that my time could be better spent in some other pursuit."

"Seems like you got it." Quipped Herminie. Three seconds later Ginny also got it and turned a bright red to match her hair. Harry had to turn around to stifle the laughter that was bubbling up. He was enjoying the friendly batter going on between the girls.

Trying to regain some decorum, Ginny said, "And what of Stonehenge?"

"As you all know Stonehenge is really old. Made by people we know nothing about, using techniques little understood by the Muggle world, and then they vanishing." Looking from one blank face to the other, Herminie added, "Don't you see? This was a wizard's place from the beginning, and still is. Think of 12 Grimmauld Place. Wizards can see it while Muggles can't. So, is it there or not there? Do the Muggles see everything at Stonehenge or just what they are allowed to see?

"I once went with my parents and then on a school outing. Both times I kept seeing things out the corner of my eye. Something was there, and then gone when I turned to look properly. Is it there or not? And as you both know, or should know, Stonehenge is steeped in wizard histology, anthropology, legend, myth and fact.

"What we know is what we can see. Which really isn't much. Wizards back then weren't diligent record keepers. What we believe centers on the Time of Completion. Legend has it that when Stonehenge was finally completed, the Time of Completion, there was an impasse between the builders and the people who paid to have it built. And as you might have guessed, legend has it the builders were goblins while the people who paid to have it built were wizards. And, as we know too well, goblins concept of ownership is not the same as that of wizards. The chief goblin stone-carver could feel the power of Stonehenge and felt he and his fellow goblins should hang on to the place since they, according to their way of thinking, owned it.

"Of course the wizards felt they technically owned Stonehenge since they had commissioned the goblins to build it, and had clothed, fed, housed and generally looked after the goblins during construction."

"Legend has it because of this impasse there was a great battle at Stonehenge between goblins and wizards. It was touch and go on both sides. And you have to remember, back then goblins and wizards were pretty evenly matched.

"Legend has it the battle ended when a mother saw her son fall. She defied both sides by running right through the middle of it all to gather the dead body in her arms. Her wailing caused the sides to think what they were doing to each other and they withdrew leaving mothers of both sides to cry over their dead. It is that mournful sound that is still there today. No magic is powerful enough to erase that sadness from Stonehenge.

"And Legend has it that is why people from all over the world are pulled to Stonehenge. Pulled there to help a mother morn for her lost child."

"Didn't know that." Harry mumbled.

"Of course you don't. During history lessons you were just finding out about Quidditch. I remember it well."

"Really," chimed in Ginny. She was always interested in hearing about Harry during his first year at Hogwarts. "The way Ron tells it you were born with a broom in your hand."

"Ahh, slight exaggeration there. On a broom by my first birthday though." Harry's demeanor suddenly changed as he thought about the lost birthdays from age two to ten. A time when young kids need birthdays the most. Ginny saw the change and put her arms around Harry's neck and looked closely at him. He was avoiding eye contact so Ginny gave him a hug, a long hug, one that Harry needed.

Herminie watched Harry and Ginny and felt a twinge of jealousy. How often had it been Harry and her in a mutually beneficial hug? From the time they met until Ron finally got his act together.

As if on cue, Ron came stomping into the library and over to where they were. "Blimy, that old bat of a librarian didn't recognize me! What's the world coming to? How couldn't she know who I am? I have the Weasley hair, look and mother who blasted Bellatrix into the next world."

Herminie's world brightened up. Ron sauntered over and lifted Herminie out of her chair by holding on to her two hands. "And what is the most beautiful girl on the world doing in the library?"

Herminie beamed back with, "Still looking for a good book to read."

"I think you have found the right place."

"Much better now I can legally wander through all the restricted sections. No more sneaking about at midnight with a candle."

"Who knows what you might find lurking in some page of an old book."

"What ever it is I'm sure you would want to know."

Ron wasn't so sure so he changed the subject. "Anyway, guess where I've been." Ron said with gusto. Since he got nothing but bland stares he added, "Been to see Professor McGonagall. Actually some toerag of a fifth year woke me and said Professor McGonagall wanted to talk to me. You know what she wants me to do? Do you?"

Getting frustrated by all these questions Herminie whopped him on the other arm and said, "Get on with it without all the silly questions. What did she want?"

"Owe, that hurt!"

"It will hurt more if you don't get a move on!"

"Okay, okay. No need to go on like that. I was just saying she wants me to get rid of the Ford Anglia. Seems it has become a pest in the forest ever since Dumbledore died and now it has to be removed."

"You're kidding, aren't you?" Harry said in disbelief.

"No, Professor McGonagall made it pretty clear I had to do it since I brought it here and didn't return it to my dad."

"How are you going to do it?"

"Absolutely no idea mate. That is where you and Herminie come in."

"Oh no, not me!" Herminie said emphatically. "I never came by car, only you two did. So I think it would be better if you two remove it from the forbidden forest on your own."

"Don't worry Harry, I'll help you." Ginny said.

"Whoa now," Harry quickly said, "It's not me who is going to need the help. Going to be Ron here."

"Why me?" Asked Ron.

"Didn't you say Professor McGonagall told you to do it?" Harry said in dry voice.

"Yes."

"Then you better do it… right."

"What! You're not going to help?"

"I have some catching up to do." Harry said as he squeezed Ginny's hand. "I think you can handle it quite nicely. So long as it doesn't mean messing around with Aragog's lot."

Suddenly Ron turned pale at the sound of Aragog's name. Ron hated spiders and the thought of his old Anglia in collusion with the spiders made his stomach quite queasy.

"I think I better sit down." Ron muttered thinly. "I don't feel too good."

"Harry, that's not nice of you," Herminie said as she put her arm round Ron. "I think you owe Ron an apology. You didn't mind riding in the car to Hogwarts. If I remember rightly, you two were quite proud of your escapade. I think you should help Ron on this one Harry."

Ginny gave Harry's hand a squeeze to let him know she felt the same. The Anglia story might be Wheasley inspired, but Harry was the cause, copilot and coconspirator.

Once he knew how Ginny felt Harry chimed in with, "So long as Hagrid comes along I'm game for a few weeks traipsing through the forest chasing a car."

"Blimey, do you really think it will take weeks?" Ron replied in surprise.

"Don't know. How many cars have you chased down?"

"She made it sound easy. Like a quick wave of the wand and, bingo, all done."

"Ron, look at me," Ginny said. "Think of this as one of mother's little jobs that shouldn't take more than five minutes that ends up taking all day. Think like that and you will get the picture of what you are up against."

"Thank you very much for your words of encouragement."

"Ron, she's only trying to help." Herminie added.

Ron didn't see it that way. A quick trip to the edge of the forbidden forest had suddenly mushroomed in to a fully fledged campaign traipsing through the forest for months on end trying to find a Ford Anglia that's gone feral.

Seeing his friend looking down, Harry piped in with, "Ron, we can do this. All we have to do is get some help on our side. Hagrid knows the forest and the people who live there. Someone will know something about the car. We need to get more people looking than just us four."

Ron brightened up a bit at the thought of not being alone in the forbidden forest with a gazillion spiders all looking at him with hungry eyes. The battle of Hogwarts, as it came to be called, was still too fresh in his mind to have any serious perspective on the Anglia, the forest or the spiders at the moment.

While interlocking fingers with Herminie, Ron asked, "So, what have you lot been up to in the library?"

Herminie quickly explained to Ron that they were trying to find why type of dark Magic curses are still lingering about after the battle so they can get rid of them before they do further damage to the buildings at Hogwarts.

"I didn't know that!" Ron said with a touch of worry in his voice. "Spells skulking about waiting for you. Sounds like dirty tricks if you ask me."

"I always thought dirty tricks were to be saved for Wednesday." Harry quickly countered with.

"Dirty pool, not dirty trick." corrected Ron

"Oh yeh, I always get those two mixed up." Sighed Harry.

"What are you two driveling on about?" Herminie said in a loud voice that rattled about the quiet library. "We have work to do!"

"Okay, okay… keep your shirt on." Ron said, "Just making sure Harry and I are still on the same page." Harry grinned at Ron and Ron grinned back at Harry. Yep, they were on the same page.

That was when Herminie suddenly remembered Red Caps and quickly made a note to see if they could have anything to do with the spells still holding on to the old building.