Alarums and Excursions

Disclaimer: Same as previous chapters.

Author's Note: Edited on 7/29/2015.

Chapter 6

The next morning started off the same with Harry getting up early and cooking breakfast with Ginny. However this morning Moody ate breakfast with them. "This morning we have Master Healer Newcombe in residence," he said. "Stay inside and available until you've seen her." He pointed at Harry, "You're first Potter. Right after we eat I'll walk you over there."

Soon after breakfast Harry was sitting on a table in a paper gown with a middle aged woman, "So can you fix my eyesight?" he asked after her initial checkup.

"No, unfortunately it seems linked to the remaining dark magic in your scar. Since I cannot remove that I cannot fix your eyes. I can fix everything else though. Including your early malnutrition," she said and smiled. "You will have a completely healthy body aside from your eyes. It will take a few hours though and you will need to be unconscious for it." She raised her wand, "Sleep well, Harry."

When Harry woke up he was a few inches taller, more robust looking, and scarless except for the scar. "Wow," Harry said. "You fixed everything? How long has it been?"

"It's almost noon," the Master Healer said. "You stay in bed; I've got a meal over here under a warming spell."

"I am very hungry," Harry said.

"It's natural," she replied. "Once you've eaten and had a chance to neaten up a bit I'll let your friends see you. They've been waiting outside since they finished with Moody."

Harry finished quickly and cast a few mouth cleaning charms she opened the doors and let the other six into the room. They all hugged him and started talking more or less at the same time. "Glad to see you looking so good mate!" said Ron. Hermione said, "Too bad she couldn't fix your eyesight." Ginny said, "You look even sexier now!" and Susan agreed. Luna giggled and Neville asked, "Did it hurt?"

Harry took a breath, "Well in reverse order; no it didn't hurt, thank you, she said my poor eyesight was due to my cursed scar, I can't get rid of my glasses until I somehow get rid of that, and thank you."

Ron scowled, "Harry you do know that it's illegal to have two wives right?"

Susan giggled, "In Magical Britain yes, but we aren't there any longer Ron."

Ginny nodded solemnly and was trying to signal Hermione to play along but Hermione refused.

She rolled her eyes, "Honestly! Ronald, they are just winding you up! Wherever we may be we are all British citizens and we are returning there so British marriage laws apply. Besides this is Harry we are talking about, he's not to going to be marrying anyone but Ginny."

"Very true," Harry said. "Now if you'll all leave again so I can get dressed I'll go see about resizing all my clothes."

"I'll help you with that Harry," Hermione said. "If the Healer doesn't want to see me next."

"No, I want to see Ginevra next," the Healer said. "But it can certainly wait until Mr. Potter is dressed."

Ginny grinned, "Are you sure? I don't mind getting my check up while he dresses."

Harry shook his head, "I'll come see you after she's through with you, and I'm properly dressed."

There were a few more fake grumbles from Ginny and comments from the others but eventually Harry had privacy to dress. He used his wand to adjust everything so it wasn't too tight then headed out and held the door so Ginny and Healer Newcombe could enter.

"Still willing to help me adjust all my clothes Hermione?" Harry asked.

She nodded, "Yes, let's go."

Once that chore was done they went back down to check on Ginny. She didn't look very different.

"How are you feeling Ginny?" Harry asked as he hugged her.

"Oh I'm fine," she replied. "There wasn't much wrong with me in the first place."

Harry smirked, "Yes, I noticed that."

She smiled back, "Thank you. She wants to see Ron next."

Eventually they were all seen by the master healer and they'd had dinner. As they gathered in Sue and Ginny's room Hermione said "Moody said our first teacher will be here on Monday."

"Well seeing as how that's a week later than we would have had classes at Hogwarts I guess we can't complain," Susan said.

"If they are as tough on us as Moody is I'm not sure I'd agree," Ginny added.

"I'm looking forward to learning lots of unusual things with no distractions," said Luna. Then she giggled and looked at Neville, "Well no bad distractions at least."

Harry nodded with a smile, "Yeah, I think we'll be learning some very interesting things before we go home."

The next morning Moody had them stretch out then run then a brief rest and those who finished the run with a little energy to spare used the exercise machines. This time Harry used the shower in his room instead of the natatorium. It was a wise decision as he'd learned that Ginny and Susan had convinced the other girls to join them. That would have been even more awkward if he'd already been there.

They spent the rest of the week exercising with Moody in the mornings and spending the rest of the day either on the beach or reading books from the library. Ron started spending more of his time trying to get Hermione into her bikini and outside and less time chaperoning Ginny and Harry. Seeing this Susan made a point of leaving with Harry and Ginny when they left the house but making herself scarce once they were out of sight of the house.

One night as they were getting ready for bed Susan said, "So I noticed you no longer have tan lines. Anything you want to share?"

Ginny blushed and looked at herself very closely then flushed with anger, "Hey! You can't tell I've been laying out without my suit on!"

"Nope!" Susan giggled, "It was totally a guess until I saw your reaction." She tossed on her nightie, "Now get over and spill the beans. If you tell me everything I won't tell anybody but if I don't get to at least live vicariously who knows what I'll say to people."

"That's blackmail!" Ginny said. Then she giggled too, "But okay I want to tell somebody and Hermione might let it slip to Ron." She threw on the nightie and slid in to bed to gossip. "I might have thought you'd be above such illegal tactics though."

"I see it as practicing interrogation techniques not blackmail," Susan said. "So it's entirely in keeping with my family's reputation."

Ginny said, "Well since we got here I've been trying to find a way to move our relationship forward a bit. Not all the way mind you, at least not yet, but Harry really needs to loosen up and I'm sure I could make that happen. So after that sad scene in that magical bath or pool I've been looking for a way to be alone with him." She giggled, "After all from what I hear even confident boys are sometimes intimidated by the thought of a naked Susan. So I thought if it was just us maybe he'd be a little more comfortable and I was right!" She hugged Susan, "Thank you for your help in getting us some privacy by the way."

Susan hugged back, "I'm happy to help." She grinned, "Now I want details, all the details!"

"Well you know how he tends to close his eyes against the sun when we're laying on the sand?" Ginny started.

Susan nodded, "Yeah."

"Well I waited a few minutes after that then I removed the bikini but didn't say anything. Eventually he asks if I need another sunscreen charm," Ginny said grinning.

Susan giggled, "You said yes of course?"

Ginny nodded, "Of course! So he gets his wand and rolls over and just freezes staring. He never cast the spell, and didn't say a word but he didn't close his eyes either. Once I saw he wasn't complaining or hiding his eyes I gave him by best catlike stretch and then rolled onto my side facing him." Ginny is smiling happily as she remembers, "I love that look on his face! The one that says he couldn't look away if he tried. It makes me feel so beautiful and sexy!"

"Well you are beautiful Ginny," Susan said. "I've heard guys talking about you too."

Ginny sighed, "I get told I have a pretty face often enough and that's nice. It's certain better than what the boys say about some girls..." she hesitated then shrugged and continued. "But I know teenage boys like boobs and even Luna has more than I do. Also most wizards like their girls less athletic and more submissive than I'll ever be so it's nice that Harry isn't like that." She smiled, "So far all he's done is look but it's a good start."

Sue smiled, "And how about you? Did you get to do any looking?"

Ginny shook her head, "I think that'll have to wait until he's gotten a little more at ease with looking." She grinned, "Not that Harry in a pair of swim trunks is a bad sight."

"And not that we didn't both see more already in the hot tub," Susan smirked.

"So you didn't look away when he asked either?" Ginny asked grinning.

"Nope!," Susan replied. "And I'm glad I didn't. Woof! You're a lucky girl Ginny." The girls gossiped a bit more then went to sleep.

The next morning after exercise Moody introduced them to their new teachers, "This is Thuvan Dinh, he will be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts." Thuvan was a tall man with black hair and dark skin with a olive tone to it. "This is Inga Svenson, she will be teaching Charms," Professor Svenson was a tall blonde with a lovely figure and a face that age sat very lightly on. "This is Sol Zagato, your new Transfiguration teacher." Sol was a man of average height with dark hair and eyes and a rather prominent nose. "Lastly, this is Sarasvati Singh," he introduced a tall Indian woman.

"She will be teaching Runes. I know three of you never opted for the course but frankly that was stupid. Runes are necessary for warding and ward breaking as well as other things so you'll all need to know how to create, break, and string runes together to make wards. Since Hermione is well past O.W.L. level in the subject she'll be doing self study with books provided by Professor Singh while the rest of you will be taking classes designed to get the rest of you to at least O.W.L. levels. We are not teaching anything not directly useful in a fight for two reasons. The first is obvious, we expect you to become involved in the war as soon as you get back to Britain and we don't want to waste time teaching things unessential to your survival and hopefully inevitable victory. The second is so we can accelerate the pace. With only four subjects and a little hard work I believe we can teach you all of Fifth year coursework before year's end. You will each take four OWLs in January and then we can move on to the more advanced and specialized stuff."

"So you expect us to learn two years worth of Runes in 4 months?" Ron screeched. "What about all the homework? I barely have enough time to write essays as it is and that with a whole year."

Moody frowned, "Well if I was running that school you and Potter, at the least, would have had to take Runes in third year but that can't be helped. I'm sure Hermione will help you and if you can't manage to learn it we will continue in the spring and you just won't take that OWL until the teacher says you're ready. I think you can do it though. As for homework, the teachers know there are time constraints so I'm sure they will only assign enough to make sure you understand the material."

"If you try your best I'm sure you can do it Ron," Hermione said. "I'll help you all of course."

Harry sighed quietly but said nothing. He was thinking that afternoons on the beach were going to be in short supply but he knew it was necessary.

As it happened all three couples did manage to find some time to be alone and it helped that the island was warm all year round. Susan became the confidante of all the other girls and even if she was personally frustrated she did get to live vicariously, as she said, through the three of them. They threw birthday parties for Hermione, Susan, and Luna in order. Hermione and Susan turning sixteen and Luna turning fifteen. Presents were handmade but heartfelt and sincerely appreciated.

In the end they made their goal. It was hard, of course, and difficult especially since Moody still made them exercise every morning before class but by December fourteenth the teachers declared them all fit to take the O.W.L.s in January.

"Good work troops," he said with a genuine smile. "I'm proud of all of you. You're in good shape and you've learned all the basics of wizardry. Some of you have already gone beyond what most adults know and I'm sure your folks would be proud of what you've accomplished. I'm sorry to say it's not safe enough for you to go home over the holidays but there will no classes or mandatory exercise until January second so you'll at least have some vacation time. Relax and feel free to decorate the place as you like for Yule. I'll be taking the teachers home with me tonight and not coming back until the second myself. I trust you can manage yourselves for two weeks?"

"Yes sir," they all chorused.

"Well good," he said. "Remember you are all adults so be responsible. I don't want to have to explain why somebody got pregnant here to your folks. That would cause the fit to hit the shan as they say so if you aren't going to be good then be careful. That's all, I'll see you on the second, Happy Christmas." With that he turned and left.