9

Disclaimer. As usual I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the characters, things, or animals, that are mentioned in the Harry Potter books, I do how ever own the plot in this little venture into the Potter verse.

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The life of Harry Potter, and Hermione's part in it.

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Part Ten

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As Quirrell screamed in agonising pain Harry collapsed onto the ground, his energy almost totally gone. Thanks to the book he had had an idea of what to expect when he grabbed Quirrell, and he had concentrated hard on pushing all his magic into his hands and so onto Quirrell, but some thing odd had happened, he had felt something unusual, something evil that was not a part of himself, he had felt it as it had left his body and joined with the part of Voldemort that had been surviving inside Quirrell.

As Hermione helped him to his feet, his still wobbly legs almost gave way until Neville helped Hermione to hold him up. Madam Pomfrey the school healer pushed her way through the crowd and on reaching Harry she placed her hand on his forehead, finding him a little clammy she ordered he be taken to the hospital wing as soon as possible, she then delved around in her apron pockets until she found what she was looking for, her emergency vial of pepper up potion. Handing the vial to Harry she told him to drink it all down, there were snickers and giggles from several students as jets of steam came from Harry's ears as he swallowed the awful tasting potion, seconds later he was able to stand without help.

Turning to Hermione he whispered "We have to talk, something happened."

Hermione knew instantly that Harry was talking about something that they had not expected, "Okay as soon as we get the chance we will slip away."

~*~*~*~

As the remains of Voldemort's spirit slowly drifted out of sight, every one that was standing near to Harry began to back way from him with a look of fear in their eyes. Even the Auror's moved back a little, every one that is except Hermione and Neville who had both rushed to help Harry back on to his feet.

Dumbledore thought that if this sudden fear of Harry were left to grow all his plans for the hero of the wizard world and their future would be ruined beyond hope; Potter would be worthless to him in his plan to be the most powerful leader in the magical world if this fear gained a foot hold. Stepping toward Madam Bones he took out his wand and placed it to his throat before whispering "Sonorus."

Albus Dumbledore then turned to face his students "Can I have your attention please," his voice boomed out. "What you have just witnessed here is the power of the love a mother had for her son. In dying for Harry his mother placed an ancient protection against Voldemort into the boy's very skin and bones. This protection is only against Voldemort, it will not affect anyone else. That is why Miss Potter and Mr Longbottom are unaffected. You need not be afraid, now if you will all return to your classes in an orderly fashion, thank you."

Sighs of relief and acceptance could be heard as Dumbledore removed the charm on his voice and turned once more to face Madam Bones, who suddenly shouted out "STOP," when the students began to shuffle toward the main door.

Taking out her wand she pointed it at Dumbledore, "I'm sorry Albus but I have to take you in for questioning."

Surrounded by Auror's and thinking it was something to do with Quirrell Dumbledore handed his wand to Madam Bones before taking hold of a portkey held out to him, three seconds later Dumbledore along with several Auror's vanished.

~*~*~*~

A little earlier...

Angela Forrester had led her team of six Auror's up to the third floor while Madam Bones led the rest of the detachment into the great hall. A walk along the long third floor corridor brought her to a locked door, "Well everything as we expected so far," she said to her second in command.

With a simple Alohomora Angela opened the door and cautiously looked inside, having seen what she had been told would be there she closed the door again. "Okay Jess, down to the great hall, tell Madam Bones it's here."

Angela Forester waited patiently for the return of her second in command before she made any move to capture the beast behind the closed door.

Thirty minutes later she and the team walked out of the main entrance to Hogwarts School with a huge three headed dog, it was unconscious and was being levitated by five of the Auror's.

Angela conjured a large cage for the dog to be kept in before she reported to Madam Bones that she had found a huge devil's snare plant blocking the way to the other items on her list, she could only suppose that with the truth of the first two objects being proven, the other items would indeed be there.

Amelia Bones called McGonagall forward and asked her to explain why she had assisted Albus Dumbledore with this stupidity, Minerva quickly explained that Dumbledore had threatened any professor refusing to help would be fired.

This point was verified by the other teachers who were all listening to the exchange, Madam Bones accepted that the staff would not have been in a position to stop Albus, and as she did not know which one of them it was that had sent her the warning letter she declared them all in the clear, there would be no charges against them. Dumbledore how ever would be a different matter.

The last thing Madam Bones did before she left Hogwarts with her Auror detachment was to appoint Minerva as temporary Headmistress until the school governors had been informed of everything, and to instruct her to have all the dangerous obstacles removed so that what ever was being hidden could be destroyed.

~*~*~*~

"How on earth did we get past that thing with some simple music?" Hermione whispered to Harry as she and Neville helped him to rejoin the Gryffindor house students.

Harry shrugged his shoulders, "I have no idea," he said looking at the huge three headed dog.

As soon as Madam Bones had left, the new headmistress instructed the heads of the four houses to lead their students back to their common rooms. She then declared to the whole school that there would be no lessons for the rest of the day. Catching Hermione's eye Minerva let the girl know with just a look that she wished to talk to them and that they should wait where they were until everyone else was back in side the school.

It only took a few minutes for the students to re-enter the school and just a few minutes more before they all began to enjoy their free day. Hermione and Harry waited patiently for the new headmistress to finish talking to Madam Pomfrey about Harry.

"So you two knew about Quirrell?" Minerva asked as she approached them.

Hermione stood hesitating not quite knowing how to explain without telling aunty Minnie about the book, she tried to stammer out an excuse but only managed a few 'er's' before she fell silent.

"I felt him," Harry said after watching Hermione stuttering.

"You felt him?"

"Yes here in my scar, I could feel Voldemort's presence every time I was close to Quirrell," Harry explained as he rubbed at the lightning bolt scar on his forehead.

Minerva stared at Harry's forehead with her mouth open for several seconds, it was a stare that made Harry feel decidedly uncomfortable for some reason.

"It's almost gone," Minerva said as she brushed Harry's fringe to one side "the scar it's just a faint line."

Hermione looked on in surprise as Minerva ran a finger over the now almost invisible scar, the scar which only that morning had looked red, swollen, and painful.

"Harry! Its true, the scar, I can hardly see it," Hermione declared as she too took a closer look at Harry's forehead.

The new development distracted Minerva and she forgot about the questions she had meant to ask as she dismissed the two young Potters and set off for the head masters office. Albus had several books in his private library, books that were not available anywhere else; she needed to study them, to see if she could find an explanation for the sudden change in Harry's famous scar.

~*~*~*~

Hermione was just as intrigued as Minerva about the almost complete healing and disappearance of Harry's scar. Having made a quick visit to their dorm to collect their book bags and the book. Hermione led the way to the closest unused class room. A few silencing and locking charms were placed on the classroom door before Harry tried to explain how he had felt a part of him that was not really a part of him had left his body and had joined with Voldemort.

After more than two hours looking through the book that fully covered 187 years of Harry Potters life, for a clue about what had happened Harry looked up "Hermione, I think I might have something."

Harry placed his copy of the open book in front of her and she began to read from where Harry had his finger.

'And so before the final confrontation between the death eaters and those now in the castle who were brave enough to stand up to them, I was in the company of the souls of my parents, Sirius, and Remus, as I walked in to Voldemort's presence, with out even taking my wand from my pocket I stood and waited for the death curse, I could quite easily have evaded it but my reason for being there was to save the lives of everyone left inside the school.

The green light of the spell hit me and I fell to the ground quite dead, I woke up and found myself in the company of Albus Dumbledore and a strange ugly child like thing. I found out later that the thing had been a Horcrux, a piece of that evil monsters soul had been attached to my own soul and now it lay whimpering in an odd fashion because it knew it had reached the end. I was given a choice then whether to go on to the next great adventure or to return to finish Voldemort once and for all, once I chose to return to the life I had just left in order to face Voldemort, the piece of him that had spent the last sixteen years living inside me finally died, and I knew for sure I had just killed the last Horcrux. Back in the land of the living I waited for my chance to…'

Hermione agreed with Harry that the thing that he had felt leave him had been the small part of Voldemort, all they had to work out now was why it had left him this time and then how to verify their findings. Hermione sat back and sighed maybe Sorcha could help, she decided she should really have a talk to Aunty Minnie.

~*~*~*~

Minerva McGonagall sat reading one of Albus Dumbledore's note books, she could not believe the things she was reading, Dumbledore had known all about the way Harry was treated by his aunt and uncle, there was also a reference to the possibility of a Horcrux being attached to the boys soul or magical core because all the tests on Harry's magic had revealed two distinct and separate readings. She was still reading when someone knocked on the door, hastily pushing the note book out of sight she called out "come in."

Hermione led by Harry entered the office and took a seat in front of the desk. Harry stood behind Hermione's chair with his hands on her shoulders.

It did not take Hermione many minutes to explain why they were there.

Harry told about the odd feeling of something leaving him, some thing that had always been with him but was not a real part of him, he found it difficult to explain but he found that aunty Minnie knew exactly what he was talking about.

Minerva nodding her head pulled out the note book once again and read through a few pages as she tried to find out about the test Albus had been doing, finally pleased with what she had found she got up from her chair and opened the door of a glass cabinet and removed a small delicate silver instrument, placing the silver object that resembled a small oval mirror with two twisted pipes running through it from top to bottom, onto the desk. With a quick wave of her wand Minerva stepped back and watched as the pipes released a small red glowing cloud of smoke that very slowly took the shape of a roaring lion.

Reading the book once more Minerva declared that what ever part of Voldemort had been connected to Harry was now gone.

Both the young Potters left the office feeling relieved, it now seemed that Harry would not have to get him self killed in order to defeat Voldemort.

Harry some how felt free, he could not explain how it actually felt although he did try, and even though Hermione knew that what he was talking about was the Horcrux, she could not actually imagine how it must feel to be free from a piece of evil that had been there for nearly all his life.

One week later the day they heard that Dumbledore had been released from custody with just a warning, and had then been fired by the school governors. Minerva was notified that her new position as head mistress had been verified with the full support of all the governors. The first thing Minerva did as official headmistress was to fire Severus Snape, she had complained numerous times to Dumbledore about the mans poor teaching ability and blatant favouritism, and now given the chance she determined to rid the school of him a hire a decent teacher.

Two days later an invisible Hermione followed aunty Minnie and several professors as they dismantled and destroyed the charms and spells that had been placed to protect the philosophers stone. As they entered the very last chamber, the one that the stone was hidden in, Hermione waited just out side the door way until the professors began to descend the stairs toward the large mirror standing at the far end of the chamber. Taking careful aim with her wand she sent a powerful reducto spell that hit the mirror dead centre blowing it in to a million tiny pieces. The philosophers' stone was no more, there was no chance it could be used against Harry in any way. Minerva would notify the owner Mr Flamel and his wife giving them time to put their things in order.

Hermione chuckled as the professors searched the chamber for the culprit who had destroyed the ancient artefact, turning around feeling rather satisfied with having done a good job she made her way back to Harry who as planned was waiting in a disused second floor girl's toilets.

Hermione found Harry sitting on a sink having a discussion with the ghost of a young female student.

"Hello love, come say hi to Myrtle," Harry said as Hermione entered the room.

Hermione stayed with Harry to chat to the strange ghost for quite a while till the growling of Harry's stomach told them it was time to eat. Saying good bye to their new friend Harry and Hermione made their way down to the great hall and lunch.

~*~*~*~

Albus Dumbledore smiled as he walked free from the ministry of magic building. He had had to call in several favours to get the charges of reckless endangerment of school children dropped, now all he had to do was to convince the school governors not to fire him. He thought it would be quite an easy task, but he had forgotten just one thing, one of his most powerful enemies served on the board of governors.

It was a much sadder Dumbledore who left the office of a gloating and happy Lucius Malfoy. To have Dumbledore fired had been one of Malfoys greatest ambitions and he had taken great pleasure in telling the ex headmaster that there was no chance of him ever returning to a job in education.

Not knowing what else to do Albus Dumbledore disapparated to the Weasley home the Burrow, and shared his bad news with his old friend Molly.

Molly Weasley was not a happy woman when she heard his news, it meant that the plan for her daughter to marry Harry Potter was finally and totally doomed to failure, she was even more upset when Albus informed her that Harry was already betrothed to someone, everything they had done had been a waste of time. Over the following days Albus Dumbledore noticed he no longer had the odd compulsion to crow like an old cockerel or the feeling he needed to jump in a lake. It started him wondering about his own mental stability.

~*~*~*~

The rest of the term was quite a good one for both Harry and Hermione, Minerva promoted professor Flitwick to deputy head and then organised for him to teach them advanced duelling techniques in private. With the book to study and two of the professors teaching them Hermione and Harry were soon learning fifth year spells and charms. By the time the Christmas holiday arrived aunty Minnie told them she thought that within the next six months they would if they kept up the pace be ready for the N.E.W.T exams, it was just a pity they were still too young and had to keep their abilities hidden.

The journey to London on the Hogwarts express was spent talking to Neville and the Weasley twins about all that had happened at school. They all got a good laugh as the twins told of the dismissal of Snape. How he had stuttered and then pleaded to be kept on, even if it was only as assistant caretaker. McGonagall had asked Mr Filch how he would like an assistant, he had been quite enthusiastic till he found out it was Snape she was talking about. He had then threatened to go on strike if he had to work with the greasy haired fool who had always looked down on him.

As they left the train with Harry dragging their trunks, Hermione noticed Dumbledore watching them from where he was hiding behind some large boxes and crates. She told Harry she had something she needed to do as she pointed toward the ladies rest room. Running into the ladies Hermione did a quick check to see if anyone could see her; positive she was unobserved she disappeared from sight, just a few seconds later she was on her hands and knees as she tied Dumbledore's shoe laces to one of the large wooden crates he was hiding behind.

Re-appearing from the ladies laughing Hermione joined Harry as he dragged their trunks through the barrier and onto platform nine. They were in the car and well away from the station when Albus Dumbledore picked himself up from the platforms concrete floor; the rather large lump on his forehead was testament to how hard one could fall on their face when both feet refused to move because they were tied to a large heavy object.