Child of Hogwarts
Chapter 3: Studies of the Human Spirit
A Harry Potter Fanfiction
By: Legato Deathscythe
Disclaimer: Why am I putting these in every chapter? If you read chapter 1 you already know I own both jack and shit, but nothing related to the Harry Potter books or movies.
It was a quiet weekend in October as Harry laid on one of the couches in the Gryffindor common room. His head was resting in Fluer's lap, who was happily running her fingers through his hair with one hand, and kept her other hand on top of Harry's heart as he read. Draco, Ron, and Neville were working on essay's due the beginning of the next week. Hermione just shook her head at their procrastination. Ron had actually had the nerve to ask her if he could copy off of her essay. She had flatly refused and told him he should spend more time studying his school work then the brooms and quidditch scores.
She looked at the couch where the pair reclined. Hermione looked at the book Harry was reading and was stunned, "Harry, isn't that book from the restricted section of the library?"
Harry simple answered, "Yup."
"I thought students couldn't remove books from that section," Hermione said.
Harry turned a page as he answered, "Normally yes, you are right. However, if you get a special dispensation from one of the professors or the Headmaster himself you can in fact check books out of the restricted section."
Hermione looked over her work. She was actually considerably ahead of all her classmates, and had even started on her class work that was coming up the month after. She figured she could take a break and ask Harry about his studies. "So what is the subject on?"
"The Unforgivable Curses, specifically the Crucatious Curse," Harry replied. Hermione noticed Neville's instinctive flinch when that curse was mentioned. Harry however seemed ignorant of this, if anything a troubled expression growing on his face.
"I see," Hermione said and continued to watch him.
Harry let out a frustrated sigh as he closed the book, "Well that was a useless waste of time."
Reading wasn't something Hermione would call useless in any case. However she got a feeling that Harry wasn't simply talking about that. Fluer simply stroked his hair as he closed his eyes and removed his glasses. He rubbed the bridge of his nose as he laid there in thought.
Hermione asked, "What was so useless about it?"
Harry sighed, "As much information on Crucatious as there is, there is woefully little of the kind of information I need. I've found page after page that describes the affects, and the history of the curse, but none of them go into detail on what it does to the human body. Just that it causes considerable pain and agony, or how it was first created, or how using it on another human being will get you sent to Azkaban. Not a single bit of useful info on what it does to produce those effects."
"I see. That really does put you in a bad position to try to undue what happened to the Longbottom's doesn't it."
"Yea. The thing that is really aggravating is that it's the same for everything in wizarding knowledge when it comes to the human body. Wizarding society keeps acting like we are so much superior to muggle society. Fact is, a muggle Doctor's knowledge of the workings of Human anatomy probably are far in excess of even the most talented magical healers. What I would give for something more in depth of a diagnosis to help me along then simply 'Hopeless.'"
Hermione was shocked, "The original diagnosis just said hopeless?"
"Yes. There was a second opinion on the file Madam Longbottom authorized me to look at. It said 'Less then Hopeless.'"
Hermione just shook her head. Neville seemed to sink into his chair as he looked at Harry, "I understand. I suppose it was foolish to get my hopes up."
Harry looked straight at Neville and said with all the determination in his voice, "I haven't given up Neville. It's too soon in the game to throw in the towel on this."
Hermione couldn't help but admire his determination. Harry Potter was different from everyone else Hermione had the misfortune of being around her whole life. He never once faulted her for being the bookworm she was. He had even asked her if she could help with some of his research, specifically on which things would mix well in potions to improve the function of the human mind. She had given him her research, for which he had thanked her and given her an honest smile.
She felt good being appreciated like that.
Dobby popped in the middle of the room and offered everyone some pumpkin juice as Harry thought. Harry accepted the offered juice and sipped it as he sat up. Fluer leaned against him as she enjoyed her beverage. Harry took a moment to gather his thoughts and said, "I honestly wish I could get those two in an MRI, or maybe on an EKG. Get a trained doctor to look at them and give us an opinion."
Ron seemed perturbed, "You'd trust a muggle doctor?"
Draco threw Hermione a glance that she took as meaning, "Here we go. I hope you enjoy the ride. This is gonna hurt."
"Ron, muggles have developed technology and science that allows them to look inside the human body without having to cut it open. They can see the state of blood vessels in the human brain, or the workings of the lungs and tell you what is wrong. Hermione, your parents are Dentists. They have special technologies they use in their practice all the time to see inside peoples jaws don't they."
Hermione nodded in acknowledgment. Harry nodded and continued, "Fact is muggles have come up with a thousand different ways to make due without magic that really blow what we wizards do away. I honestly didn't even bother with Muggle Studies as a class. It was for a reason. The book hasn't been updated since the second World War. And a lot of stuff has happened in the muggle world since then."
Hermione seemed disbelieving. The others however, who had never had much exposure to the world beyond what they knew just shrugged. Ron asked, "So?"
Draco and Hermione both saw the spark in Harry's eye. This wasn't the playful Twinkle Professor Dumbledore was known to show students at times. This was like a rabid dog who was about to rip someone limb from limb. Harry said, his voice filled with disbelief, "So? Ron, think about it. In the last fifty years alone, muggle science has advanced to the point where they could destroy the world three times over with their weapons. Using the same principles and elements involved they can provide power for to cities of millions. Back in the later part of the nineteen-sixties the United States actually sent human beings to the moon. Man has walked on the moon, and no one is being taught that in Wizarding Europe.
Dobby, go to my room and bring me that copy of Wizarding American I brought back with me this summer, please," Harry requested. Dobby nodded and popped out of the room as Harry continued, "Think about this, all of you. Seriously think about this. The scientific principles the muggles have discovered over the last century alone have pushed their world to the brink and back time and again. It's been used not only in war but in peace to improve their quality of life. They even have ways to watch movies and listen to music at home. Not just what might be on, but what they want, when they want, and as much of it as they want. We haven't."
Dobby returned and handed Harry the magazine he had asked for. Harry handed it to Hermione and said, "Take a look at that headline on the cover."
Hermione did so. The cover story was, "Technomacy: The next evolution of Magic and Science." She passed the magazine around for the others to take a look at. Harry continued on almost unstoppable, "The American's and Japanese are working on ways to integrate both Magic and Technology. These Technomancers are keeping up while we in Europe hold tight on the old ways."
"But this is muggle stuff. Why bother with this stuff?" Ron asked, still not getting the point.
Neville seemed to be slightly interested, "Is this even possible? I thought Magic and Science was completely incompatible."
Harry sighed, "It's only incompatible because we haven't bothered to try. Our laws actively discourage it, punishing people who try to make things like tape players and televisions work in our world. The illegal enchantment of muggle artifacts. You should know about that law Ronald, your father wrote it."
Shamed for a moment Ron kept his mouth shut. Harry took off his glasses and handed them to Hermione. He said, "Put them on."
Hermione was hesitant. She had never worn glasses before, so she wasn't too interested to find out how she looked with them. She also found herself lost for a moment in Harry's green eyes. These glasses really hid them. Harry took her hesitation as concern over the prescription, "Don't worry about the prescription, trust me."
She did so and slipped them on. Everything was fuzzy for a moment before her vision sharpened to being clearer then even her perfect 20/20. "Wow."
Harry nodded, "I enchanted those glasses to make them more useful. One of those charms is so that they adjust to the wearer so their sight is improved to the optimal prescription. Tap the right arm where it meets the frame."
She did as told, and found herself looking through what appeared to be a magnification window. Her eyes moved around, the circular magnifier following her eyes. "This is amazing!"
"Yes, if you slide your finger along the right arm back and forth you can increase and decrease magnification. You can take something down to over fifty-thousand times magnification if you need to. Just like a muggle electron microscope," Harry explained. Hermione was like a kid with a new toy as she slide her finger along the arm of Harry's glasses.
"Tap it again," he said.
Hermione did so, and the view changed. Now it had what looked like a lot of status indicators. All of them were green. Harry explained, "That setting allows me to keep track of whats happening in my workshop. How my potions are brewing, if my security wards have been breached, all of it. Now tap it again."
She did so, this time everything turned back normal. It was just like they had been. Harry said, "Go ahead and slide your finger along the arm, but I have to warn you, you might see something you don't want."
She did so, and as she slide her finger backwards along the arm of the frame she saw Harry and Fluer's clothes start to disappear. Before she could yell at him he just said, "Just slide your finger all the way back, trust me."
She did so as fast as she could. Now instead of Harry and Fluer in various states of undress all she saw was their skeletons. The smaller ones jaw moved and Harry's voice came out, "I added an x-ray setting to help me find things behind walls, under tables, that sort of thing. Problem is that if you aren't careful you can really violate someones privacy."
Hermione nodded, her face turning a bright red from what she had seen already. This exchange had not gone unnoticed by the Weasly twin as they popped up behind Harry and asked, "Think you could set us up with a few of those Harry?"
"Lot of the blokes would pay for that..."
"And some of the pretty birds around here..."
"We'd split the take with you..."
"Even give you credit..."
Harry sighed and looked at Fluer, "I designed that setting to be a useful tool. Wouldn't you know it, the only thing that catches someones interest is the fact that if you keep the setting low enough you can see someone in their knickers."
Fluer looked Harry in his eyes and said, "It is only because they have no hope of seeing a woman in such a state without such assistance, mon cher. You however only ever need to ask and I shall let you see what you wish."
Draco could swear she looked like she was about to try to eat his best mate. Maybe she was. Harry smiled and kissed her, then turned to Hermione and said, "Tap it one more time, that will take you back to normal."
She did so, and once again everything looked completely normal. She took them off and handed them back to Harry, who was thankful for the return of his sight. He said, "There's another setting on the left side of my glasses, but I don't use it during the day."
"Why?" Hermione asked.
"Because it's a night vision setting. It works on the same principles as muggle night vision goggles by enhancing the available light. Bright room like this, you'll blind yourself temporarily if you switch it on," Harry said.
Neville looked confused, "Why not just use a Lumos spell?"
Harry smiled at that. It was a legitimate question, unlike the ones he had been fielding form Ron. Harry answered, "Because sometimes you need to be able to see them, without them seeing you. As Mad-Eye Moody would say if he were here, Constant Vigilance."
Draco smirked, "He would have said it in such a way as to startle all of us though."
Harry chuckled, "True. But I think you all get my point. Every setting on those glasses is based on muggle technology and their concepts. Honestly, you take some of the things muggles came up with and present them to a normal person a thousand years ago, they could only describe it as magic."
Hermione smiled, "Maybe it is magic, in it's own way."
Harry smiled at the response, as did Fluer for some reason. Both of them were looking at Hermione as if she had just answered a question to their satisfaction. Harry smiled and leaned back. "Now, back to the original problem. How to find out what the actually physical damage of a Crucatious Curse is."
Fluer rubbed Harry's shoulders as he thought. Draco looked at his friend and asked, "What are you thinking?"
Harry didn't answer immediately, "I'm thinking this is gonna get icky. Very very icky."
–
It was the weekend before Halloween, and no one had seen Harry since Saturday Morning. Fluer seemed distraught by his absence, but she and Hermione spent the time going over school work and talking about things that had gone on. The common room was empty except for them as Harry stumbled in. One look was enough to worry both the girls who immediately ran over to him. Fluer asked, "Are you alright, 'Arry?"
"I don't think I'm going to be alright for a long time. A long long time," Harry said in a broken voice.
Hermione and Fluer led him to a couch and sat on either side of him. Both the girls kept a comforting hand on either side as Hermione asked, "What happened?"
"I just spent the last two days with Madam Pompfry, Professor Dumbledore, and Mad-Eye Moody casting the Crucatious curse on pigs."
Fluer wrapped an arm around his shoulders as Hermione asked, "Why?"
"Because I needed the information. Pigs are physiologically similar to Humans, so any observations from what happened to them can be applied to people. The problem being that they had to be alive for the testing. I've never seen anything like that before. The poor things just kept screaming in pain as we kept going.
"I know I needed to know what that experiment taught me. It just taught me a lot more then I asked for," Harry said. Tears started to stream down his cheeks as he sat there.
They gave him a moment to continue on his own, "We just started slow, a few seconds here, then a bit longer, and a bit longer. We kept up like that on pig after pig until we hit one for the amount of time it was estimated the Longbottom's endured. It just twitched afterwards. It couldn't see us, just looked out into space like nothing was there and randomly twitched. We cursed the last one a few minutes longer. That little piggy is not going wee wee wee all the way home. It's heart burst in it's body and it died screaming. I pray you never have to see something like that."
Hermione could contain herself and hugged Harry tightly. If Fluer objected she didn't say anything, only joined the other two in the embrace. Harry sniffled as he said, "After I finished writing my notes I just ran to the closest bathroom and threw up. Even when I was sick as a child I never threw up that much. I can see why that curse gets you sent to Azkaban for using it on another person. I'm not even certain that's a good enough punishment after these last two days. That Neville's parents are even alive at all is a miracle."
Hermione took a moment and said, "I know it was hard watching that. Someone should have done this a long time ago. Even with what you learned, you shouldn't have had to do that for yourself."
"'Ermione is right, mon cher. And you don't have to hold it in with either of us. Just let it out. We'll stay with you as long as you need."
Hermione didn't correct the older girl. They both just spent the next several hours holding Harry as he let go of the pain he had been holding in.
They were all found cuddled together the next morning by Draco. One look at his best friend told him it wasn't a time for teasing.
–
It was Halloween and all the children and students were in the Great Hall for the feast. Draco sat at Gryffindor with Ron and Neville as the three boys waited for the rest of their friends to show up. Draco hadn't seen Harry or Fluer most of the day, which in and of itself wasn't unusual. They were different years, it made sense that they'd only be seen at meal times. The last week though Harry had been throwing himself into his special project. If it weren't for him and Fluer, than Harry would forget meal times.
Still, Draco was curious where Hermione was. She usually sat with them and discussed the days lessons with the trio of boys. Though he had been witness to another display of Ron Weasly's how to drive away women and alienate smart witches. He shook his head as he turned his head and said, "I can't believe you were that much of an insufferable prat."
"She's been a pain the whole year. We're not here to spend every second of the day studying and working," Ron defended.
Neville tipped his head to the side, "But we're in school, what else are we supposed to do?"
"It probably doesn't help your case, Weasly, to always be asking to copy her homework," Draco offered.
"Oh come on, there's more important things then just homework. You both agree with me on that, don't you?" Ron replied, trying to get the pair on his side.
Draco shook his head, "And this is why I envy Harry being in sixth year."
Neville shook his head, "He is very good at what he does so far."
"He's as much a bookworm as she is. Bloody Hell, he lives in the school year round," Ron said.
Draco narrowed his eyes at the red head, "You do know why that is though don't you?"
"Everyone knows how he defeated You-Know-Who," Ron said.
"Ron, he didn't defeat him. Harry wasn't even three months old when that happened. All he did was lay there and cry from all the noise, like any three month old baby would. He's been raised by the professors in this school as much as I've been raised by the Potions Master. Probably why I'm so damned good at that subject," Draco said.
Neville nodded, "Must be nice in a way. Story time is whatever any of the ghosts or the school librarian pulls from the shelves."
"And he's taken to reading Muggle Science Fiction and Fantasy when he isn't busy," Draco said.
Ron seemed confused, "If he's such a bookworm then why is that Fluer always all over him?"
Draco smirked, "Because, Ron, Harry never treated her like the only thing she had going for her was her Veela charm and looks. Just like he doesn't treat Hermione like she's an insufferable know-it-all, or me like the spoiled pure-blood. Honestly, had things been different it's completely possible he and I could have been enemies."
Neville said, "I'm just going to be glad that everything is as it is. Thinking about what if's gives me a headache."
Draco looked at him smirking, "Do yourself a favor than. Don't get Harry started on What If's. You'll be in the infirmary begging for a pain reliever faster then anything. I spent a whole month wondering what he had gotten into and where I could find some when he learned about Multi-verse theory."
"So where is the boy wonder and his beautiful assistant?" Ron asked.
"First off, if you are going there I'm the 'Boy Wonder'. He's Batman. Second, he told me he was planning to test one of his potions tonight and see what happened," Draco said.
Neville shook his head, "At least all of this can be used no matter what happens. Grams probably thinks I should be working with him."
Draco shook his head, "Trust me, you don't want to be in the workshop when he's like this."
"Explosions?" Ron asked.
"No, he just gets very dedicated to what he's doing."
The boys went back to their meal as they thought about things. Draco looked around and said, "You know, we really should see if next year the professors would agree to setup a Halloween masquerade dance."
"Why?" Ron said.
"Well I don't know about you but I wouldn't mind taking a few turns around the hall with some of the witches here," Draco said.
Neville sighed, "You'd probably end up dancing with all of them. I'd be lucky if they even saw me."
Draco smirked, "Then that's what I'll do. The next big event is Christmas. I'll go up to the Professors and see if we can arrange for a ball before everyone heads off for the holidays."
Ron seemed confused, "Why? A dance seems extremely boring. Bad robes, sore feet, and a bunch of bloody girls squealing in the bathrooms. Probably be more fun to have a big Quidditch match just before the holidays."
Draco shook his head, "You two stick with me, and if the Professors agree by the time it comes up I'll have both of you with dates... or at least Neville. I keep having to remind myself that we're just kids at times. Just don't alienate all the girls around here Ron."
Ron rolled his eyes and kept eating. Before the conversation could continue Professor Querill burst into the hall, "Troll... in the dungeons... thought you should know..." then collapsed.
The hall burst into frantic chaos as the professors ordered all the prefects to escort the them back to their common rooms. Neville nervously said, "Harry, Fluer, and Hermione don't know about the troll!"
Draco just shot him a look, "I know, I'll handle it. Just head on with everyone else. I'll catch up."
He clapped Neville hard on the shoulder and ran up to the head table to tell the professors what was going on. He left out why Hermione was not in the hall, they didn't need to know that. Draco would just have to work on Weasly later. After all, the boy had besmirched the honor of one of his classmates. Someone had to defend it.
–
Fluer had waited for Harry to finish the test of his first potion before dragging him out of his lab. Unfortunately, the pig he tested it on had no change in it's condition. Wilbur, as Harry had named the test subject, was the pig that had been under the Crucatious curse for as long as the Longbottoms. There had been no change from before he had given the whacked out porker the potion. So they left him to his very interesting conversation with the wall and three spiders that weren't there.
They were just passing the first floor girls bathroom when they heard a horrified scream. The pair didn't think about it before rushing in to help whoever was in trouble. The moment they opened the door they were almost knocked over by the smell. The sight of the large troll in front of them did little to improve their state of mind.
They looked at the other side of the room and saw Hermione pressed against the wall petrified in fear. Harry pulled his wand and said, "Get her out of here as fast as you can!"
Fluer nodded and ran over as Harry distracted the troll. He screamed out, "Hey you, toilet breath. Yea, I'm talking to you! Why don't you come play with someone who likes to play rough?"
The troll was a stupid creature, but understood when it was being insulted. It roared as it raised it's club over it's head and slammed it into the wall near Harry. The boy didn't stop with the insults and distraction until he saw Fluer pulling Hermione out of the bathroom. He pointed his wand at the club and shouted, "Wingardium Leverosa!"
He levitated the trolls club from it's hand and started beating it about the head with it. He didn't stop until the troll collapsed. Once it was out cold Harry got out of the bathroom as fast as he could. He wasn't certain if he had killed it or not, but he wasn't going to take chances. He cast a locking charm on the door and turned to Fluer and Hermione. Fluer had Hermione in a tight embrace, running her hands through the younger girls bushy hair and whispering in her ear. Harry leaned against the wall and let out a shaky breath.
"Well, that was interesting now wasn't it?" he said.
"I think I preferred to learn about them from books then have a first hand encounter," Hermione said.
Before the three could say anything else Professors McGonagal, Snape, Black, Lupin, and Dumbledore showed up. Snape and Lupin checked on the girls as Dumbledore, McGonagal, and Black spoke with Harry. He told them exactly what had happened and that the troll was still in the bathroom with a locking charm on the door. He then asked the million galleon question, "How did a troll get past the protective wards?"
"That Mr. Potter we don't know. We shall however find out. Now I think it be best if you and Ms. Delacour escort Ms. Granger to the infirmary to have her checked out. Just in case," McGonagal said to the young prodigy. Harry nodded, and with Remus escorting them went to the infirmary.
Sirius turned to Dumbledore when the kids were out of earshot and asked, "A troll should not have been able to get into the school."
"Quiet right Sirius. I fear that someone may be working against us," Albus said.
"An inside job? One of the other professor's? You don't think we're dealing with the Dark Lord do you?" Snape asked.
"I learned long ago never to discount any possibility, Severus. We will have to be cautious and extra vigilant. If it is Voldemort, then Harry will undoubtedly be a target. Come lets get rid of the troll and see if we can't discover the method of it's entry," Dumbledore said. The four professors went about their business, but were all extremely worried.
Albus made a point to check the forbidden corridor on the third floor before the night was over.
–
Draco had caught up to Harry the next morning. The pair discussed what had happened. It was at that point Draco told Harry the reason why Hermione had been in the bathroom at that time. Harry shook his head and passed Draco a glass of pumpkin juice as he sipped the cup of Earl Grey tea Dobby had brought. Harry was thinking for a moment when Draco asked, "Your recommendation, Doctor?"
"I think Ron Weasley is in need of a Rectal-Cranial extraction procedure. With a humility transplant on the side, Capitan," Harry said.
"Teach him the importance of being prepared for the unexpected," Draco said, a smirk spreading on his face.
"And how important it is to pay attention in class," Harry said.
"As Alistor 'Mad-Eye' Moody always told us," Draco started.
Both boys finished the sentence smirking, "CONSTANT VIGALENCE!"
So the two boys started scheming and plotting against the youngest boy of the Weasley clan. They even found out what he feared most in the world. A few weeks later they were walking into the Great Hall, and stopped Fluer and Hermione. They pulled them over to the Ravenclaw Table to speak with the Turpin sisters and Penelope Clearwater about some of the homework in Transfiguration across their various years.
Harry and Draco surreptitiously pointed their companions attention to the Gryffindor table, and the Weasley's in particular. Ron was sitting between his two brothers Fred and George. Harry whispered into Hermione's ear, "Watch now, as the ravenous male of the species is confronted by one of it's few natural predators. Marauder's of the human world, that prey on the unsuspecting and deserving."
She didn't get a chance to ask what he meant as suddenly an Acromantula the size of a sheep dog appeared in front of Ron Weasley. His eyes bulged nearly out of their sockets along with Fred and George's as the monster spider hissed and roared at him. Before anyone could pull a wand on the beast the lights dimmed. Only a spotlight shown on the spider as piano music drifted through the great hall.
All of the sudden the Acromantula reared back on it's hind legs and pulled out a straw hat and cane. The next thing anyone knew it hopped off the table and started singing;
"Hello my baby, Hello my darling, Hello my ragtime gaaallll.
Send me a kiss by wire, baby my hearts on fire!
If you refuse me, honey you lose me, then you'll be left alone.
Oh Baby! Telephone, and tell me I'm your own!"
The whole time it sang it walked down the the isle towards the back of the Great Hall. With one leg spinning the cane, the other playing with the hat, two legs kicking up as it walked on two others it trotted all the way down to the door. Shocked by what he was seeing, all Mr. Filch could do was open the door and let the large spider out as the musical rendition of "Ta-Da" played in the air.
The stunned silence was broken as Harry and Draco were falling over each other laughing. Fluer was giggling daintily at the prank. Hermione was trying and failing miserably to hide her big smile. Fred and George looked at each other over Ron's head, and as one stood up, raised their right hands and said, "Check please!"
At the Head Table all of the professors were shocked. Three however were from how impressed they were. Sirius turned to his old friend Remus and said, "Expertly pulled off Moony. I give it points for style and adaptation of a classic gag."
"Agreed Padfoot, I also think it was a very impressive use of transfiguration and enchantments to get the Acromantula there and setting the proper mood," Remus agreed.
Severus spoke calmly and said, "As a target of the original Marauders I have a unique perspective of how to view this trick."
The pair turned towards him. Sirius asked, "Really?"
"Yes. It's obvious from Mr. Weasley's reaction that he is deathly afraid of spiders. The boys took the time to properly feel out their target, and turned his weakness against him. Also, I think we were all pranked just now. I give them points for how many people they actually got with this including Mr. Weasley."
Remus smiled at the remark. Severus had defiantly mellowed and improved over the years, "Quite right, Professor Snape! So, shall we make this official gentlemen?"
Sirius smirked at the other two and said, "Lets."
Harry and Draco had just pulled themselves together when Draco backhandedly slapped Harry in the arm to get his attention. He pointed out the three professors at the head table, whom had pulled out their wands. They watched as the three each wrote "10" in the air. Professor McGonagal was just shaking her head back and forth with one of her hands covering her eyes. She was muttering something about not encouraging such behavior. The other professors agreed with her, but were probably just as amused.
The only other expression was Albus Dumbledore whose eyes were twinkling in delight. He was especially amused when the boys stood from their seats, and with as serious an expression as they could put on bowed before the entire school to thunderous applause. They treated the whole thing as if it were a sacred trust being passed on. Perhaps it was.
Albus just hoped that if they were the new Marauders of his school that they would not end up with a traitor in their midst as their predecessors had.
–
Hermione, Harry, and Fluer were walking back to Gryffindor tower that night. It was still thirty minutes before curfew, however Harry insisted on escorting the two girls back. Harry was regaling the girls with some of the stories he had heard about his dad from the professors over the years. He smiled faintly as he said, "They were as good a friends as any man could ask for."
"Until Pettigrew betrayed them," Hermione said.
"Yes. They called themselves the Marauders. Part of their code was that they would always stand together. If you went after one of them, all four of them came after you. They didn't just say that, they believed it as if it were an absolute truth. I'd do the same for Draco, or Fluer, or even you Hermione," Harry said.
Hermione was stunned, "You would?"
"Of course. You are one of us. Someone goes after you they have to deal with the rest of us. No matter what," Fluer said.
"But, you barely know me," Hermione said, still stunned.
Harry turned to her and smiled, "We know you well enough. You've got a good heart in you, and a great mind. Anyone would be blessed to have you as their friend, or more then friends."
She blushed at that. Harry and Fluer turned to her, and before she knew what was happening Harry came close to her and kissed her lovingly on the cheek. He face felt like it was on fire where his lips had touched her skin. It was even more of a shock when Fluer did the same thing. Both of the other two smiled as Harry said, "Well, this is where I must bid you ladies adue for the night."
"Sweet dreams, mon cher," Fluer said, then kissed Harry with her customary good night kiss on the lips for the boy.
He smiled and headed off for his chambers as the two girls entered the common room. Fluer smiled at Hermione and asked, "Are you alright?"
In a small voice she answered, "I've never been kissed by a boy before that wasn't my dad. Or a girl that wasn't my mum."
Fluer smiled softly at her, "Did you not like it?"
"Yes, I think I did," Hermione smiled.
Fluer giggled a little, "The way you are blushing 'Ermione, I am curious as to what your reaction would have been had 'Arry and I kissed you properly on the lips."
The mere thought of such a thing set Hermione into a fully embarrassed blush. It didn't help when Fluer said, "Perhaps someday we shall find out."
The older girl left the stunned twelve year old standing in the common room. The thing that really confused, worried, and excited Hermione all at the same time was that she found herself being curious about the same thing. She really didn't know how to process that, even when she collapsed on her bed. The dreams however she had from that night on would plague her. They seemed very vivid, and as often as she dreamed of Harry in that way, she just as often dreamed of Fluer as well.
Hermione Granger, smartest witch in her class, spent the next several months very very confused about anything not classwork.
