Hogwarts, an upscale boarding school residing in Scotland, had closed its doors to students for the summer holidays. The grounds were expansive, containing a lake and forest, several greenhouses, the school itself (which housed a thousand students, nearly thirty staff, and over one hundred maintenance officers), and a sports field equipped with raised spectator stands.
Now, to the naked eye of the average Hogwarts student, the school was like any other of its kind. The lake was filled with all sorts of creatures, including (but not limited to) several breeds of fish and plants, a giant squid, grindylows, and a whole civilization of mer-people. The forest housed a few packs of wolves, herds of deer, centaurs, and thestrals, a number of unicorns, and a family of acromantulas. The greenhouses, of course, held numerous varieties of foliage ranging from your average Scottish wildflowers and mandrakes to the rare venomous tentacula plant and Hawaiian hypnosis handramamine root. The school (a slightly larger than average size castle), had four student dormitories, a staff wing, bunks for the house elf chefs and maintenance officers, seven floors, eighteen secret passageways, two hundred moving staircases, and four secret rooms- one of which had only just been brought into existence that summer and another of which, if you had knowledge of it, was available to the general public and would automatically fit itself to your needs, whether it be to hide something or to arrange itself into a rather spacious broom cupboard for young couples seeking a little privacy from prying eyes of staff and siblings. The sports field was built at the school for the purpose of one sport only- Quidditch. With stands over one hundred feet in the air, seating fifteen hundred, and six golden hoop goalposts, the Hogwarts Quidditch stadium was rather customary as well.
Yes, to the average person of magical upbringing, Hogwarts was the standard school of witchcraft and wizardry. But to someone like Harry… Hogwarts was everything but normal.
You see, although Harry was a student coming upon his final year of schooling in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, he was also technically a member of the staff. And though Harry knew all about what happened at the school that everyone else was privy to, Harry alone knew the most about what happened behind the school's closed doors, and, underneath its foundations.
Harry walked past the training room on his way outside to wander around the lake. He smiled as he remembered the how it had been brought into existence. He, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny had created the room in the first two days of the holidays, wanting it to be ready as soon as possible so training could be inside in the case of foul summer storms. After an all nighter in the late Headmaster's library the plans were complete. Surprisingly, it had been Ginny that had come up with the idea of possibly using the Chamber of Secrets as a training room, but the others had quickly shot that down…
"It's not that it's not a great idea, Gin," Harry had said apologetically, "but with having the password being in parseltongue… I don't think there's any way we could change it and that would mean that I would have to open it every time."
"That and it's bloody creepy!" said Ron, hotly. "I don't want to go down there again, it took me days to wash off the slime."
"We're definitely going to need a room about that size, though," Harry pondered.
"Couldn't we just tunnel one out?" asked Ginny, her eyes wide with possibilities.
Hermione jumped up and raced off to a bookshelf, grabbing three heavy volumes from near the top.
"I knew these would come in handy!" she cried, her skin glowing. "They're really for home improvement, like if you want to dig out a cellar or basement and then finish it, but I don't see why we couldn't use them for this!"
They spent hours pouring over the books, memorizing and learning several forms of tunneling, digging, cleaning and furnishing charms. It was late, but they were too excited at the prospects of their new training room to sleep. A brief discussion ensued and they decided that the best place for it would be right next to the entrance to the main library, so if they were seen wandering in that area of the school during term people would just think they were going to the library for homework- that, and all the research books they needed would be close at hand. McGonagall had already given her approval and so the construction began. Gathered together in the hallway outside the library on the main floor, Ginny found a seldom-used rather spacious broom cupboard hidden behind a tapestry and they cleared it out before gathering inside to begin their work. After a smartly controlled Reductor curse cast by Harry there was now a fair-sized hole in the ground where nearly half the floor of the broom cupboard had been.
"If we're going to tunnel underneath the school, how should we make everyone get down?" he puzzled.
"A slide!" cried Ron. "Just like in the Chamber. It will be splendidly fast and super fun!"
A merry laugh filled the now empty broom cupboard as Hermione stepped up to the new entryway Harry had formed and began the tunneling spell. After only a few meters, she stopped and wiped her brow.
"It's awful!" she panted. "The ground is like solid rock. It's nearly impossible to get through. I don't know how Slytherin did it!"
"You know…" Harry said, thoughtfully. "I think I might just have an idea."
He ran from the cupboard and was back nearly ten minutes later carrying a small glass sphere.
"A crystal ball, Harry?" Ginny grinned. "Surely you don't think you can tell the future of how we figure out this mess!"
Harry laughed. "Not a crystal ball, Gin- it's Helga Hufflepuff's Power Sphere. I took it from Dumbledore's library."
"And you think we can use it as an Amplifier?" Hermione said, grinning.
"Yup. I read in Dumbledore's notes that the Sphere can tell how strong a wizard's power is just by them holding it in their hands, and like any elemental crystal it can be used to enhance and amplify spells cast through it. Only thing is it's really hard to use an Amplifier because you have to be able to control what you're doing. Lots of people end up blowing themselves up."
"Sounds like a good time to me!" Ginny cried enthusiastically.
"Ginny, you can't be serious!" cried Ron. "I don't feel like getting blown up today, or any other day for that matter."
"That's the thing, though, Ron," Ginny explained. "If you, Hermione and I all try to cast the spell through the Sphere, we should just about match Harry. If Harry's not casting the spell himself, he can concentrate on controlling where our JOINED spell is going."
"Couldn't have said it better myself," said Hermione, nodding as she readied her wand for the incantation.
"Right," agreed Ginny, joining the stance. "Ready, Ron?"
Ron backed away, shaking his head. "No way! What if Harry can't control it? I don't want to blow him up any more than I do myself!"
"Ron!" Harry said, exasperatedly. "Do you trust me?"
"With my life, mate," the redhead answered immediately.
"There you go, then. And I trust you three the same, so let's do this, all right?"
Ron nodded meekly and stepped up to the Sphere his best friend was holding. "Ready when you are, mate."
"Excellent!" cried Harry. "On three, then. One, two, three!"
"Cavranatico!"
Harry concentrated, as he had never done before in his life, aiming his friends' magic where they wanted it to go. They all watched the ground melt away before their eyes, boring deep underneath the school, leaving a smooth, large, empty hole where there was once solid bedrock and dirt. With a swift nod, the spell was ended and the four sat down to catch their breath, Harry cradling the Sphere in his lap.
A short break later and Harry was on his feet once again, leaning over the hole. "We're going to need another one, you know. One to get down and one to get back up."
And the work continued- directly to the left of the already created tunnel another one was formed. Standing by the door of the closet they admired their handiwork.
"I think the one on the left should be down," said Hermione sagely. "Just like Muggle traffic, you always travel on the left side of the road. So when we go to come back up, we'll know to stay to the left."
"That's another question," commented Ron. "How are we going to get back up? I don't really fancy having to climb up three flights of stairs every time."
"Dumbledore!" Ginny cried, snapping her fingers. "The stairway to Dumbledore's office- it moves! Just like a Muggle escempator!"
"Escalator," Harry and Hermione corrected simultaneously.
"Yeah, that!" Ginny said, clearly nonplussed.
"Even better, though," said Hermione, thoughtfully. "How about a lift?"
"Perfect!" agreed Harry. "And no messing with cables and counterweights, because we can run it on magic!"
As Ginny and Ron carefully manipulated the rock to form a smooth slide, Harry and Hermione manipulated the other tunnel into a working lift that could hold up to twelve. So as not to cause confusion, they conjured signs and labeled them "Entrance" and "Exit", so as to ensure someone wouldn't try to take the lift down and clog up the line at the bottom.
"Well, are we ready to try it out?" said Ron, bobbing up and down on his toes by the slide entrance.
"I guess so," agreed Harry. "Once we get down we can use the Sphere again to empty out a cavern big enough to train in.
One after another they whooshed down the slide, leaving a few seconds in between each other so as not to ram the person in front of them once they reached the bottom. A short time later their cavern was created and they stood in the center of the dome, admiring what they had created.
"Shall we commence decorating tomorrow?" asked Hermione, yawning.
"Definitely," agreed Ginny.
Several floor cushions were conjured and expanded, and several blankets topped it off as the four settled down to sleep inside their new training room.
Yes, Hogwarts, like any other wizard or Muggle school, had closed its doors to students for the summer. But for a select group known as 'Potter's Army' the school was not only open, but holding lessons in full swing. At the current moment, our young Harry was now walking around the lake by himself, deep in his thoughts of what the next day's training would entail. It was Sunday and so the majority of Potter's Army (although on call twenty-four-seven) were relaxing in the shade of the trees on the grounds, swimming in the lake with the giant squid, tossing the quaffle from broomstick to broomstick on the Quidditch pitch, or (in the case of Hermione Granger) researching in the library by an open window. After all, it was summer and despite everything that was going on the army needed to relax, too.
And so Harry walked. He seemed overly serious and quite oblivious to the happy goings-on around him, and to the outside observer he might look rather unsociable and eccentric, what with his pale face, untidy black hair, round glasses and almost completely black attire. In reality, it wasn't so- Harry was the most popular person in Potter's Army, perhaps because it was Harry who had founded it in the first place and blushed rather bashfully when it was insisted by the troops that it be named after him. That, and nearly everyone in Potter's Army wore black- it was much better for camouflage at night, which was when the majority of their drills took place.
'Let's see…' Harry thought to himself, mentally checking his list. 'Number One: The Order of the Phoenix will be arriving tomorrow- I need to triple-check with Dobby that their living quarters in the Hufflepuff dormitory will be ready.
'Number Two: We need to run the Battle-Ready drill tonight. Just because it's Sunday and usually our day off doesn't mean Voldemort wouldn't attack on one in the future.
'Number Three: I have to check with Ron tonight to make sure he is ready to introduce the new Alpha Team movement strategy, and also…
'Ah, Number Four: check with Hermione to make sure the new Shield Spell she's been working on is—'
"AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH! GINNY!" Harry cried, looking down at his now sopping robes and then up at a certain beautiful red head, who was chortling ten feet over his head on her new Lightning Bolt broomstick and carrying an empty bucket (whose contents were now saturating Harry's clothes).
"What was THAT for!" he demanded. "I'm soaked!"
"It's SUNDAY, Potter!" Ginny cried gleefully, her smile never wavering. "You need to relax, too, you know. Come swimming with me?"
"Now that I'm already wet, you mean?" Harry shot back.
"Exactly! Go get your trunks and Ron and I will meet you down by the lake. Make sure you get Hermione away from the library on your way, too."
"All right," Harry agreed, half-heartedly wringing out his robes. "I'll be down in ten minutes."
"Excellent!" Ginny cried, grinning as she sped away. "Bring your broom, too, so we can dry off in a race afterwards!"
Harry nodded towards her back as he made his way, grumbling, back to the castle.
'Number Five:' he thought peevishly to himself, 'Prank my wife.'
A wonderful afternoon was spent by the lake and Harry almost (almost) forgot why he was still at Hogwarts. But no matter how wonderful his days were, no matter how hard his wife tried to distract him, Harry never could quite forget that the most powerful and evil wizard alive wanted him dead. The strange thing about it, though, was that as much as Lord Voldemort wanted Harry to be wiped off the official parchment of the wizarding world- Harry was just as keen, if not more so, for the same fate to befall his nemesis. But Ginny was right- today was Sunday, after all, and if there were any day to try and live a normal life- today would be the day. He could go back to worrying about Voldemort tomorrow with a free conscience.
Potter's army had been busy. An entire week had gone by since Ginny had dumped a bucket of water all over Harry and although he was waiting for the opportune moment to get her back, he had more pressing matters to attend to.
'Besides,' he thought mischievously, 'the longer she stews in apprehension, the better it will be!'
They had their evening meeting in the Great Hall and then everyone (Order and Army alike) retired to their separate barracks for some well-deserved rest. Harry was idly chatting with Luna Lovegood as they stepped through the wall into what was normally the Ravenclaw common room.
"Daddy's had an emergency switch installed at the Quibbler offices so he can turn off the floo in case of attack in the area," she was saying. "If the floo's off, they can seal the building so there's no way in either via fireplace or through the wards, and all the top story scoops will be safe along with the staff. Daddy's very protective of his workers and their stories.
"He seals the building every night now so that reporters from the Daily Prophet can't break in and get the latest news he's worked to hard for, and the Death Eaters won't be able to attack them for printing their identities and photos every week for people to be on the alert and identify them in public."
"Really?" Harry asked interestedly. "An emergency floo shut off?"
"Oh yes," said Luna. "I was thinking we should have one installed in Hogsmeade, so that way if Death Eaters are planning an attack the only way in will be through the security checkpoint and apparition customs station. It would certainly give us more time to respond should there be an attack."
Harry grinned at her. "Luna, you're an absolute treasure! We'll set the plans in motion tomorrow!"
It was already the last week into July and Potter's Army was training in full battle mode- the summer draining away before their eyes. Six people were always on station to view the newly created Marauders' Map that was housed in the training room. Since the arrival of the Order of the Phoenix three weeks previously, Remus Lupin had helped Harry and the Advanced Charms and Defensive Spells Research Committee create a ten by twelve foot map that showed the entire grounds of Hogwarts and a six by eight foot map that portrayed Hogsmeade (the neighboring all-wizard village) and its pathway leading to the castle. Modeled after the original Marauders' Map, which was hard to view for long periods of time since it was so small, the new map was much larger and more detailed than its predecessor. It had been Hermione Granger that came up with the tricky little charm that had been able to separate different types of wizards on the map.
"See, Harry- look, here you are! You're a green dot with a white nimbus, because you're the leader of the army. Ron, Ginny, and I are green with pink halos, so that way you can always find us. The other platoon leaders- see, there's Cho Chang, in the library- they're green with blue outlines. The Grey Knight, well, he's grey, obviously… at least, he will be if he ever comes back. All the residents of Hogsmeade are yellow. Any known Death Eaters will show up as scarlet- Voldemort has a white nimbus, too, well, because he's the leader of that lot, and I was running out of obvious colors by that time."
"This is excellent, Hermione!" Harry praised, and his best friend blushed. "What are these little black dots, though?"
"Oh, those! Those were Remus' idea. Anyone who is unknown as far as being friendly or unfriendly, or even just other wizards visiting the town for the day, will turn black- that way we can watch out for them.
"Bloody brilliant, 'Mione," chimed in Ron, stuffing half a sandwich in his mouth. "But why'd you have to go and make me PINK?"
Hermione blanched. "Well, it's hot pink, so I thought it would stand out easier on the map!"
"But it's a GIRL color!" Ron whined, giving Harry a sidelong wink.
Harry grinned. "Yeah, and pink DOES go awful with your hair, Ron."
"Yeah!" Ron agreed adamantly. "Hot pink and Weasley red do NOT go together!"
"Is that so?" Hermione fumed. "And I suppose you thought Chudley Cannon ORANGE would go better?"
"Yeah!" Ron cried, his eyes lighting up as he completely forgot he was just harassing his girlfriend. "Make me orange instead!"
Hermione sighed and waved her wand at the map. There was a bright flash and then the pink-haloed green dot labeled "Ronald Weasley" disappeared, then reappeared with a pop as a green dot with a garishly bright orange nimbus surrounding it.
"Excellent!" he cried, giving Hermione a peck on the cheek. "Now, I'm famished so I'm heading down to the kitchens. Anyone else coming?"
"I'll go," supplied Neville Longbottom, getting up from his corner of the map as Daphne Greengrass came over to relieve him.
"Bully!" grinned Ron. "I bet Dobby will get us some éclairs if we ask."
They left the training room, chatting away, as Harry turned with Hermione back to the map. She gave him a roguish wink and waved her wand once again over the magical parchment. There was a smaller flash and then underneath Ron's name appeared the words 'King of the Gits'. Harry winked back and he and Hermione headed towards the barracks, laughing.
That night, Harry rolled over and silently observed his sleeping wife. It was time. He had lulled her into a false sense of security, thinking that he had forgotten how she had drenched him in icy-cold lake water more than two weeks ago. She wouldn't know what hit her. Carefully, he crept from the bed and walked towards the window that viewed the lake. Silently, he lifted the catch and swung the glass open wide.
Grinning to himself, he turned and faced the bed. It had been expanded from the standard twin size to king in the beginning of the summer since, as a married couple, Ginny and Harry shared a room together and had it completely to themselves. The new headmistress and their head of house, Minerva McGonagall, had given her express permission that they have their own room together (with a smile and a wink) saying that she was "only doing it since school wasn't technically in session". In reality, they knew she completely sympathized with them for normally having to sleep in separate dormitories during the school term even though they were married- "it just isn't right," Harry had heard her say, "them being newlyweds and having to sleep separate."
But now this luxurious bed was causing him quite an issue. A normal Hogwarts twin four-poster would have fit through the window without a hitch, and Harry knew he couldn't shrink the bed or Ginny might fall out of it, her being so used to having large amounts of space to stretch out. Sighing resolutely, Harry expanded the window. Looking out at it, he thought that after all was said and done, he might just keep it that way- such a large window would give them an awesome view of the sunset over the lake and grounds. Moving back towards the bed, Harry concentrated and carefully levitated the entire four-poster and wandlessly enchanted it to fly smoothly out the window. He had the bed nearly halfway out when Ginny gave a grunt in her sleep.
"'Arry?"
"Yes, love?" he asked, his heart in his throat and beads of sweat dripping down his forehead.
"C'you close window?" she mumbled sleepily. "'S cold."
"Sure, Gin," he said softly, nearly crying with relief. So far, so good.
He grabbed a throw blanket from the trunk at the foot of where their bed normally sat and laid it over the top of her before he sent her the rest of the way out the window. Ever so carefully, he followed behind the bed on his Firebolt as he moved it to its new resting place- about ten feet above the center of the lake. Whispering several securing enchantments and then a warming charm Harry laughed quietly to himself as he flew back to the open window of their room. He stored his broom by the sill and made his way to the couch in common room since his normal bed was now floating over the lake.
'Who ever thought being banned to the couch could be so much fun?' he thought to himself.
Eight a.m. rolled around and several of Potter's Army's early risers made their way into the sunny common room.
"You and the wife get into a snark?" teased Cho Chang as she and Elmer Raymond made their way to an early breakfast with a group of ten or so others.
"Hmm?" Harry asked groggily. "No, we didn't fight. Look out the window."
Intrigued, the group made their way over to the window and quickly doubled over in laughter.
"Is that for when she dumped a bucket of water on you all those weeks ago?" chortled Elmer.
Harry grinned. "You bet."
"Man, Potter! Remind me never to get on your bad side," said Neville, grinning.
Harry laughed. "Cheers, mate!"
Meanwhile, Cho headed up the girls' staircase to wake the others. Soon, the entire army was in the common room staring out at the lake.
"Oh, Harry!" cried Hermione, clearly torn between disapproval and amusement. "She's going to be LIVID!"
"It's worth it!" Harry said shrugging.
"I wonder how long it will take her to wake up?" asked Daphne. "Doesn't she normally like to sleep late if she can?"
"She'll wake up soon," said Ron. "Either the sun or the mermaids will rouse her."
They didn't have long to wait before a terrified scream and a loud 'splash!' could be clearly heard emanating from the grounds.
"HARRY JAMES POTTER, I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!"