"Angel of Death"
By Loki Palmer
Author's Note: Harry Potter and all related characters belong to J.K. Rowling. By the way, mikanMD, there's no need to be scared … [grin].
Chapter 6
Albus Dumbledore looked at the unconscious form of Gilderoy Lockhart. What happened down there within the Chamber? Maybe the note that came with him would explain:
"Dear Headmaster Dumbledore,
I went down into the Chamber with Comedy Relief Ronald Weasley and Professor Lockhart when the Professor took Ron's busted wand and attempted to Obliviate us, because we had earlier found out his secret that he was a plagiarizing fraud. I say attempted because the wand backfired on him, causing a cave-in. I expect his memory is gone now, but I do hope he is okay – if he is still alive. I do imagine a memory wipe is no fun.
In other news, Hogwarts is safe – yet again – for the moment. Ginny's alive and Hermione has recovered, so my temper won't end up destroying the school and those who dwell within. You're welcome.
Sincerely,
Harry."
The Headmaster bent down and checked for a pulse. It was there, though Harry's guess was, to be fair, accurate – Lockhart's memory was not.
~ANGEL OF DEATH~
"Oy, Neville, Dean, look! Harry be back with Ginny and – shag me sideways, is tha' Hermione?"
Neville got up. "I will be right back."
"Oy, Nev, where ya think ya be going?"
"I'm going to the bathroom, Seamus!"
"What for?"
"TWO PETRIFICATIONS IN TWO YEARS, THANKS TO HERMIONE – WHAT DO YOU THINK, YOU HOTBLOODED IRISHMAN?!"
"But Neville, ya weren't Petrified by the mysterious Beast of the Chamber of Secrets, whatever it was!"
"DO I HAVE TO SPELL IT OUT FOR YOU?!"
A goofy grin split Seamus's face as understanding dawned on him. "Nay, carry on; she can Petrify me knob anytime."
He saw Hermione point a wand at his crotch, much to Harry's amusement. "I'm sure we could arrange that. The only problem would be that it would hurt to urinate ..."
Seamus reconsidered his statement. "Belay tha' remark, Hermione. Hold on now … you said we, aye?"
Hermione nodded.
"Well, Harry, tha' must mean Hermione's yer girlfriend now, right?"
The couple smiled and kissed each other.
"Congratulations, Harry; we knew it was a matter o' time. As fer Ginny ..."
Dean gave Harry a fist bump. "Damn, brother Harry, when did you become so lucky to have two fine women all over you? Save some of these ladies for the rest of us, man!"
Ginny was unable to retain her composure. "Dean, you think that I'm attached to Harry? How could I, when he's my brother?"
"Brother?" the three males said in shock. (Neville, having relieved himself, had come out of the bathroom.)
"Ginny, I think we have delivered enough shocks to them for now, right?"
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Oh, I guess so, Harry … but there's so much more to tell them ..."
"There's more?"
"Yes, my friends, there is more … but I will tell you in due time. Meanwhile, I'm going upstairs to deliver the news to Comedy Relief … about Hermione and me, of course …."
"We'll come with you, Harry," said Neville.
Hermione kissed Harry. "Ginny and I will wait down here."
"One Sickle says Ron doesn't like the idea," said Seamus. "Any challengers?"
"He may be happy for them, Seamus," said Dean. "Why would you think otherwise?"
"Call it … a gut feeling, Dean."
~ANGEL OF DEATH~
Ron woke up to see Harry coming through the door. "Ah, Harry! It's good to see you again! Did you save Ginny? How is Hermione?"
"Ginny is okay, Ron. As for Hermione, she is back to normal, and is also my girlfriend now."
Ron beamed at him. "Wow, I cannot think of anyone better for you, Harry! She is a gem indeed! She's brilliant, she's beautiful … I'm happy for you!"
Seamus was about to hand Dean the Sickle when they heard the next words to come out of Ron's mouth: "So, Harry, once you have finished your practice with Hermione, you can hand her to me, right, mate?"
The temperature dropped. "What did you say, Ron?"
Sensing the danger that arose before the storm that was Harry's temper, the trio bolted down the stairs like a bat out of Hell.
"Boys, what seems to be the matter? You look like you're frightened out of your wits!"
They spoke in quick succession:
"Hey, Hermione."
"– Harry's temper –"
"– Is about to blow –"
"– Troll-Brain's fault –"
"– We need to run –"
"– Running away –"
"– Far away –"
"– To the Hospital Wing –"
"– Need stretcher –"
"– For victim."
Dean looked at Seamus. "What about that bet you made, Seamus?"
BOOM! Gryffindor Tower shook. "Forget the bet, Dean! We need that stretcher!"
~ANGEL OF DEATH~
When they came back to Gryffindor's common room with the stretcher, they saw Ron's unconscious body crashing down the stairs. His face looked like Pablo Picasso had done plastic surgery on it – with a sledgehammer.
Dean said what everyone else was thinking. "Damn! Is he still alive?"
"If he be alive after tha' savage beating," said Seamus, "it be a miracle."
"I assure you," said Harry, coming down the stairs, "I stopped the beating when he lost consciousness."
Hermione looked at the body in some shock. "What did he say to deserve this, Harry?"
"Well, Hermione, while he said he could think of no one better than you for me due to your beauty and your brains ..."
"Aw! Congratulations!" said the gathered crowd.
"Thank you, everyone. Though he said he was happy for me, my estimation of him dropped when he asked if I could give you to him after I was done practicing with you. About then was when the beating began."
Hermione's eyes hardened. "He should consider himself lucky that he's unconscious, or else his words may have tempted me to hex his crotch into nothingness." All the males winced at the ice in her tone, though they could not fault her attitude. "He must have some nerve to think of me as a mere practice girlfriend!"
"Hear, hear!" said the other females, glaring at Ron's unconscious body as he exited the common room.
"If Mr. Weasley ever comes out of unconsciousness before the semester ends – which I doubt – perhaps he may like to spend time with me in detention, if Minerva will agree to it," said Professor Snape.
"I agree, Severus," said Professor McGonagall. "This idiot needs to learn a lesson or two about proper etiquette regarding females."
"Even if he was to have such a proper lesson, Minerva, I fear his brain does not have the cellular capacity to retain it, I'm afraid." He nodded to Harry and Hermione. "Minerva and I congratulate the both of you. When you are ready to go to Gringotts, come and find us."
As the two Professors left, Hermione looked at Harry. "So, Harry, where do you and Ginny want to spend the summer? Would you rather spend it with me and my parents than with your Uncle Vernon?"
"Let's see … spend the summer with you and your parents, or spend it with an Uncle, an Aunt, and a cousin who hate my guts?"
"Let's not forget them trapping you in a room with locks on your bedroom door, bars on your window, and treating you like a slave ..." said Ginny.
Hermione glared at her. "Don't remind me about his mistreatment, Ginny. If I ever get my hands on them, they will rue every day they made my Harry suffer."
Harry found this vengeful side of her attractive and kissed her. "Hey, Hermione … if the Family has a place to stay, maybe you and your parents could come. As long as I don't have to live with that fat walrus, I'm fine. Now, how about we head to the Library to find out what we can about accepting my Lordship?"
~ANGEL OF DEATH~
In the Library, Hermione found out that Harry, as the only male heir of the Riddle House, could accept his Lordship as early as the age of 11. Of course it made some sense that the Goblins did not tell him about it, because he didn't ask about it, but perhaps it was for the best. Hagrid was not to blame, because he didn't know; he was going about Dumbledore's business, and the Manipulative Old Goat would have been suspicious if Harry showed up as a Lord, not as the scrawny boy that he was at the time.
Finding Professors McGonagall and Snape was not a problem, and soon, they were off to Gringotts…
Author's Note: Another fun chapter done. Read and review!
Smiles and laughter,
Loki Palmer