Chapter Thirteen:
Harry smiled widely, glad to be back at their little flat. Luna was helping Daphne and Susan move in next door, helping them decorate. Harry and Neville cleaned the dust and things from the flat, while Draco set to unpacking.
As dinnertime rolled around, Susan and Daphne came over to see Harry doing his eyeliner in the mirror while Luna brushed his hair. She was wearing a dark blue corset and flouncy mini skirt, big clunky boots on her feet. He was wearing a long black shirt with loads of buckles and straps, his shorts, tights, and boots. His hair was long enough to fall past his hips now.
"Uh…hi. You guys going out?" Daphne asked. Susan was still staring at the two of them.
Harry glanced at them, lowering his eyeliner. "Yeah. We're going to the Black Box. We have to talk to the Manager there and see if we can get another contract with him."
Luna grinned after finishing Harry's hair. "Come on, I'll help you get dressed."
After having pizza at a local place, and being greeted by the customers like old friends, Susan and Daphne suspected that the group was very well known in the neighborhood. They went into the Black Box as it was opening- not many people were there yet.
Not much had changed- except for the stage. The equipment was a bit better, and the stage had been refinished. Momo nearly dropped a glass as she saw them walk in.
"Long time no see!" Neville gave her a high five as she held out her hand. "I'll go get Mark!" She yelled, running to the back room.
Less than five minutes later, he was shaking their hands madly, a bright look in his eyes
"Boy, I'm glad to see you. After you guys left, some people came by asking for you."
Harry and Neville exchanged a look. Draco tensed. "What sort of people?"
Mark grinned, and asked them to follow him. He was introduced to Susan and Daphne as they entered his little office. He went through one of his drawers. "There were three companies. They gave me their cards not too long after you left- and told me to ring them when you guys came back from school."
He handed the cards over to the kids. Harry vaguely recognized the record labels.
"Um…okay?"
Mark shook his head. "Fine, fine. I guess you guys want to play here again?" They all nodded.
"Give me two weeks. This band I've got now is on contract till then. Build up the word and stuff, and practice starts next week. Got it?"
They all nodded.
That night, they had fun at the Black Box. The band had been a bit better than last year's. They even got Daphne and Susan to dance together- they had been worried about the muggles, but after Harry had pointed out a lesbian couple snogging in the corner, the two girls didn't mind dancing after that.
As the week went on, they got into their schedule of things. They found out that Colin and Dennis were closer by now, and could get together with them when they could. Colin had gotten a job at a camera shop, while Dennis was helping them post up their 'muggle style' posters up all over the town.
When they could get together, the students worked on their summer homework, and talked about their upcoming year. Susan and Daphne were often over at their place to eat their meals- they'd nearly burnt their flat down when they'd tried to cook dinner one night.
Of course, this made things a bit awkward.
One afternoon, Harry and Luna were going at it in the bedroom while Neville was fixing lunch, and Draco was going through paperwork. The bedroom door was open, and they could hear every bit of it- not that the boys minded.
There was a knock at the door. "Guys, it's us." Daphne's voice came through.
Draco's eyes widened, and he got up and went to the bedroom door. He motioned to Harry and Luna, and closed the door. Neville answered the door.
"Hi girls. We're having macaroni and cheese today…sorry, Kit's cooking is much better than mine."
Susan glanced around. "Luna and Harry busy?"
Draco glanced to the bedroom door as they heard a thump. "Um…yeah. They're cleaning up the bedroom. They had been dueling there earlier, it's a mess."
As they all sat down for lunch, Harry and Luna came out of the bedroom, red faced and a bit rumpled looking. Susan giggled. "You'd think you guys were shagging instead of dueling!"
Daphne rolled her eyes, folding her napkin in her lap. "Su, really! Don't be so vulgar."
Susan made a face at the other girl, missing Harry and Luna's stricken looks. Neville shook his head just slightly.
"So, how is everything faring?" Draco asked.
Susan grinned. "Great! I've finally figured out how those washers work at the Laundromat. I think I'll try to figure out the telephone next."
Daphne nodded slowly. "I sort of like the muggle world. It's very interesting."
Harry smiled, taking a bite of his macaroni and cheese. "I'm glad you like it. I know it's taking some getting used to- but learning how to navigate the muggle world is something that I think every wizard should learn."
Opening night for Forbidden meant a huge line at the door, and tons of people packed into the place. Susan and Daphne settled into their table, looking expectantly at the darkened stage. Colin, Dennis, Hermione, and Dean came over not too long after, and sat with them at the table.
Hermione looked a little nervous around the crowd- they were not her sort. Apparently she and Dean had taken the Knight Bus. Whereas Dean fit in with his ripped jeans and faded t-shirt, she definitely did not with her pale blue sweater and khakis.
Colin motioned to all of the people getting their cameras and cell phones out so they could take pictures. He leant forward to the girls. "They're always filming! They do a great show."
Mark came up on stage, and called out to the crowd. "Now, I know you all are here to see a band that was here last summer!"
Everyone cheered at this.
Mark grinned widely. "They've agreed to play every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night- so tell your friends, bring everyone you know over- I give you Forbidden!"
The resulting cheers as he ran off the stage made their glasses shake. Everyone at the wizard's table leant forward in their seats.
A spotlight went on, just on Harry. Whistles and catcalls rang throughout the room. He was leaning against the microphone, hip jutting out. His hair was down fully- falling silkily all the way past his hips. He smiled slowly, tilting his head. As his hair moved, you could see the hints of red hidden in his hair.
He wore his usual gear- leather jacket, sweater, shorts, tights, and boots. And his collar, of course. His shorts were leather this time, and his tights were actually thigh highs, the bits of lace just ended where the hems of his shorts began- you could see the straps of the garter holding them up.
"Hey. I'm Kit."
Cheers went through the audience. Harry winked at the crowd, slowly sliding his hand down the microphone. "Glad to be back. Been a long school year. Lookin' forward to playin' for you guys." There were more cheers.
He nodded his head over to the side.
A spotlight showed on Neville. He was wearing a black wife beater and jeans- doing nothing to hide his muscles. Girls squealed and gasped. He'd gotten a lot more ripped over the past year.
"That's Nev. Cute, isn't he?"
Neville just grinned, picking up his drum, and Harry motioned his head over to the side. At the far end, a spotlight went off, showing Draco. He had a guitar in his hands- Harry's, and was wearing a partially unbuttoned white shirt and tight black leather pants.
Some of the girls cheered for him loudly, causing him to smirk, running a hand through his hair.
"That's Draco. He's a bit showoff." Harry said with a grin. He licked his lips. "Last but not least, our own little Lu."
A spotlight showed on Luna- wearing a black latex mini-dress and boots. It was a halter top that buckled up the front and it was very, very shiny under the lights. Everyone cheered loudly for her.
They started playing their first song- about the Forbidden Forest.
Hermione couldn't believe how much they were demeaning Luna up on stage. And Harry! Harry was carrying on with all of them, flirting with the crowd openly- Merlin, and they were just eating it up!
Harry was grinding against the microphone now, practically panting into it while he was singing- she glanced over to everyone next to her, and could see all the boy's eyes were glued on him or Luna- same thing with Daphne and Susan- ugh.
Why had she come anyways?
Harry was drowning himself in his water as they took a short break. He saw their classmates approach the stage out of the corner of his eye. Luna squealed, hugging everybody, and Hermione shook her head.
"Why are you wearing that?" She asked.
Luna looked a bit confused. "Um…because I wanted to. I look good in it."
Harry just smiled. "I think everybody agrees with you on that one, Lu."
Hermione rolled her eyes at him, and Draco spoke up. "Let the girl wear what she wants to wear, Granger." He paused, looking at her outfit. "Speaking of which, what are you wearing?"
Hermione sniffed. "It's a perfectly reasonable outfit."
"Yeah, if you're going to the Country Club." Dean commented, snickering. Hermione gave him a Look.
Neville came out of nowhere, a few more water bottles in his hands. "Break times' over, guys. Come on."
They all got back up on stage, and Hermione went back to the table while everyone else went to the dance floor. Hermione couldn't believe how everyone was acting!
The following week, there was an attack in Diagon Alley. It had been in the evening, so many of the usual shoppers were not there- but many shops had been destroyed, including the Twin's. Luckily, the Twins had been at their Mother's for dinner. Unfortunately, they lost all of their stock. On the other hand, their most important schematics and plans were in their vault- as well as a large amount of profits they'd made. And there was always the Owl order service until they could get the shop ready again.
Other stores were not as lucky. Some had been burned in fires, while others had collapsed in on themselves- much like at Hogsmeade. The Deatheaters and Goblins fought on the Bank's front steps- several of the Packs that Harry and his friends had managed to convert joined in on the fight, protecting the Bank from Deatheaters. Voldemort hadn't shown his face, but Bellatrix had. A number of English and American Aurors had been killed, as well as some civilians. But a large number of Deatheaters had been killed too.
With many of the wealthier families dead or gone, rebuilding would be tough. However, that would be helped by the Ministry's new policy- taking a percentage of each Convicted Deatheater's income and putting it towards rebuilding.
The only reason there was a cap to it was because of people like Draco, who had Deatheaters in their families, but did not follow Voldemort's ideals. He was willing to give ten percent of his family's wealth if it went towards the war. He was going to make money off of it anyways.
The four of them had been working really hard with the Goblins at Gringott's, tracking down all of the horcuxes. Goblins were efficient, of course, and managed to find the locket (which was being worn by Dolores Umbrige (the bitch)). The Diadem had actually been sent to the Bank anonymously, but after Draco saw the letter that had accompanied it, he recognized his Godfather's handwriting. They knew not to ask. Who knew how the man knew these things.
Harry was sent a letter from Scrimengour, the new Minister of Magic, not too much later after the attack- requesting a private meeting.
Harry had pulled his hair back into a tight braid, and had tucked it inside his robes. He wore his bodysuit underneath his dark green robes, and had taken his earrings out of his ears. He had also taken off his black nail polish. From what he'd heard about Scrimengour, the man used to be Head Auror before he became Minister- just under Madam Bones.
Harry had heard rumors that he was beefing up the Auror department, but that he was rather dismissive of other departments- not really utilizing them as he could. Harry was looking forward to talking with the man.
Neville would be accompanying him. Draco and Luna would be on call with the HA if anything happened- hidden just a street over from the Ministry. Neville looked just as stuffy and formal in his robes as Harry did- but they made quite an impression as they walked towards the Minister's office.
People whispered and stared as they passed. Harry did his best to ignore them, and approached the Secretary's desk. Her face was pink as she stood at her desk.
"H-hello Mr. Potter! Mr-Mr. Longbottom."
"I have an appointment with the Minister." Harry said politely.
The woman nodded, motioning to the door. "He's expecting you-" Neville made to follow Harry but the woman tried to keep Neville out.
Harry gave her a cool look. "Neville will accompany me. I do need some sort of protection, don't I?"
Before the girl could reply, they went into Scrimengour's office. The man was pacing behind his desk, looking lost in thought. His desk was covered in paperwork. He had lion-ish features, and he smiled as he saw the two boys. He didn't look terribly surprised to see Neville there.
"Mr. Potter. Mr. Longbottom." He shook their hands. "Please, sit."
They sat.
"Would you like tea or anything?"
Harry shook his head. "No thank you sir."
Scrimengour gave him a curt nod. "Now, I suppose we can all get right to business. I know that you both must be very busy- as am I. Now…I suppose you've seen in the papers about this 'Chosen One' nonsense?"
Harry rolled his eyes. "Another nickname." Neville smiled slightly.
Scrimengour nodded, still looking serious. "Now, from looking at your records and things, you are both very intelligent young men- and are very involved with the war effort."
Harry nodded, wondering where this was going. Everyone knew this already.
"I would like for you to visit the Ministry once in a while. Perhaps just to show the public that we are working together."
Harry's eyes widened just slightly, and he looked at Neville. Neville's face was blank. "What do we get in return?" Neville asked coolly.
Scrimengour's bushy eyebrow quirked. "Perhaps information, maybe a recommendation- both of your Fathers were Aurors- you could easily-"
"We have no intention of becoming Aurors, sir." Neville cut in. "After this war is over, I think we'd both like to keep from fighting criminals for a while."
Harry smiled slightly at this, hiding it as he bowed his head.
Scrimengour peered at Harry. "Mr. Potter, he speaks for the both of you?"
Harry nodded, looking back up at him. "It is true, sir. Yes, we are…talented in dueling, but we don't want to do that our entire lives."
Scrimengour pursed his lips. "Well, I could still give a recommendation to any job you'd like to have- perhaps even a Monetary award."
Harry frowned. "I think whatever funds that would be used I'd much rather you use them for rebuilding Diagon Alley and helping your constituents, sir."
Scrimengour's eyes widened slightly, and he looked to Neville. "I see."
Harry was on the front stoop of their little apartment building, painting his nails black in the afternoon sun. Luna and Neville were gone for the day. Luna was at the Quibbler offices, and Neville was visiting with his Gran and Uncle Algie for a couple of days.
Draco was upstairs in the flat, doing some paperwork. Harry smiled, blowing on his nails. He was wearing a pair of lavender shorts with pale pink footless stockings. His feet were bare, since he'd just finished painting his toenails. He had a thick grey blue woolly sweater, and his hair was pulled back messily.
He waved slightly to one of the neighbor kids as they skateboarded past, stopping short as he saw a fancy black car pull up, and two men in black suits get out of the car. He narrowed his eyes as they approached Harry.
"Excuse me, are you Kit Potter?"
Harry stood, twisting the cap on his nail polish. "Sure am. Can I help you?"
The dark haired man smiled. "I'm Lars Olson, and this is my associate, Michael West. We're with Maximum Multimedia."
Harry blinked, recognizing this as one of the record companies that had given them their cards. The other guy, Michael, spoke up. "You see, Miss Potter, we're interesting in producing a demo with your group. May we…" He motioned to the building.
"Oh…oh right, come in. Draco's upstairs now, but I'm afraid Lu and Nev are out for the day."
"That is quite alright." Lars said, following Harry up the stairs. Harry let them in, calling out to Draco.
"Draco, you decent?"
Draco popped his head out of the bedroom, eyes widening as he saw the two men. "Um…let me get a shirt on."
Harry got them some tea, and they all sat down. Draco was buttoning his shirt as he came out, smoothing his hair back. He smiled at the two men as they stood, shaking hands.
"I'm Draco Malfoy, and you are?"
"Lars Olson, and this is Michael West."
"Nice to meet you both." Draco said, sitting next to Harry on the other sofa.
Harry spoke up. "They're from Maximum Multimedia. They want to record a demo with us."
Draco smiled. "I see. Well, Neville and Luna are not here at the moment, and all of us make these sort of decisions together."
Michael spoke up. "That is quite alright. Now, I'm going to hand over a copy of the contract. You can check it out, and talk to your friends. We'd like for the four of you and your parents to come in, perhaps on Friday afternoon?"
Harry and Draco exchanged a look. Harry spoke up timidly. "Sir, you must know that my parents are dead, and so are Luna's and Neville's."
The two men's eyes widened. Draco spoke up. "My Mother is also dead, and my Father is in prison for life. The four of us are legally emancipated, and have been taking care of ourselves for some time now."
"I see." Lars said, looking to Michael. Michael looked at the two of them thoughtfully.
"We did a check on your names. To be truthful, Draco is an extraordinarily unique name."
Harry spoke up. "I'm the only one that uses a nickname."
"Why?" Michael asked, looking at Harry intensely.
Harry bit his lip, looking to Draco.
"Kit grew up in an abusive environment. To ensure that those…people do not get a hold of her again, she uses a fake name." Draco said stiffly.
"And the rest of you?"
"We all use our real names, however, Luna is often called Lu, or Lulu, for short, and Neville is called Nev." Draco crossed his legs. "Now, may I see the contract?"
Michael handed it over, looking warily at Draco as Draco began to read it right away. Harry poured some tea for himself, knowing that Draco was very good at reading contracts.
Draco frowned. "I see a few things that will need to be negotiated, for certain. I will speak with the others, and we can discuss the contract on Friday." His tone was quite serious. The two men looked a bit surprised. They had obviously been expecting teenagers who had no business experience.
"Very well then-" Lars was cut off as Luna breezed in, dropping her bag on the kitchen table.
"Hello-oh hello. We have visitors!" She said cheerfully. She was wearing a dark blue dress and a wide straw hat, and mary janes. She took off her straw hat, shaking out her hair as she shook hands with the two men. Her hair was to her shoulders now, as it had been slowly growing out for a while now.
Draco handed her the contract silently, and Luna began to read while Lars and Michael introduced themselves. Her cheerful face faded.
"Oh, this isn't good at all." She looked at them. "Thought you could pull one over, could you?" She said playfully, winking at them. She turned to Harry and Draco. "Draco, we should let Neville know what's going on. What time will we meet?"
"Er…Friday morning, Miss..."
"Luna. Luna Lovegood."
"Is that your real name?" Michael asked.
Luna giggled. "It's very appropriate, isn't it? Now, all of us will be there on Friday morning. In the meantime, we'll be looking this over."
Michael and Lars exchanged a look as they buckled their seatbelts. "I thought as soon as we saw the neighborhood that this would be a piece of cake. No money, and a bit greedy for fame…Obviously these kids aren't from around here."
"Those names have to be fake."
"Right, like yours." Michael said with a grin. Lars rolled his eyes.
"Shut up, you. Well, I hope they don't change the contract too much."
"Lovegood and Potter were good looking. The videos don't do them justice."
"That Malfoy boy isn't bad looking either. They're performing Thursday night. Perhaps we and the boss can kip by the show and see them live."
"Good idea."
Michael West, Lars Olson, and Benny Sanders sat at the bar of the Black Box, watching the crowd fill the room. It looked as though it was standing room only tonight. People were looking excited, and the three men took note of what everyone said about the group.
"God, Kit is so hot!" "But what about Lu? She's a fox!" "I love their music, it's so different!" "Oh, Nev and Draco are so cute!" "This band is so awesome!" "Don't you think Kit and Nev are together?" "No way, man, Kit's with Lu, she has to be." "Yeah, so cool-"
The lights went out on stage, and everyone went quiet, turning to the stage expectantly. A spotlight went off on Kit, standing center stage.
Michael's eyes widened. The videos certainly did not do the girl justice. She was wearing a pale pink shirt underneath her leather jacket- the shirt had a peter pan collar, with a white ribbon tied in a bow about it haphazardly. She had black short shorts on, and black silk stockings with the lace at the top. Her nails were painted black, and she had smoky eyeshadow on that emphasized those gorgeous eyes. She wore big clunky boots, and her hair was pulled back loosely with a white ribbon. Whistles went out.
Kit laughed. "I see somebody out there recognizes me! Well, I'm Kit, for those of you who don't."
The three of them watched as the others were introduced, the cheers and whistles getting louder. Their eyes popped out as Luna appeared in a dark red latex corset, leggings, and boots.
They had the strangest looking instruments, but when they began to play…
Michael leant over to Lars. "Lars, I think the dressers will have fun with these kids."
"That's for certain." Lars commented, his roving eyes on Luna.
Benny watched Kit intently with narrowed eyes, not saying a word. She had something special there. They were all good, but there was just something about her…that made her different. Unique.
As they finished up for the night, the three men approached them, and introductions were made. They noticed that all four drank water, and there was not a pack of cigarettes to be seen. And no signs of drugs, either.
Draco smiled at all three men charmingly. "So we're ready for the meeting tomorrow, we've gone over the contract very carefully, and have made notes about what we'd like to discuss."
Benny gave him an equally charming smile back. "I'm sure you have. You all sounded great out there tonight." He looked them over. "So, who usually sings the most?"
Kit raised her hand. "I usually sing lead. Once in a while, the others will take over, but we've noticed that most people like it when I sing lead."
"Well, all of you sound great. Can't wait to hear more in the morning."
The teens exchanged a look. "You want us to play for you?"
Benny nodded. "Just a bit, to see how you work in a studio. That is, if we sign."
"So…business attire?" Draco said, eying the men up.
"If you have it."
"Well, we do." Neville said, smirking slightly. "We'll bring our PR pics too, so you can see the different looks we have."
The men exchanged a quick glance. PR?
Luna smiled. "We have two photographers, and we're often published in our school's paper. They also do our posters and advertisements."
"Well, our studios have our own PR department, so…"
"Oh, we know. But you might want to take a look at our friends' work."
The following morning, the four of them went to London. They were dressed in their business best. All four of them were wearing suits. Neville wore a dark brown suit with a pale yellow shirt and brown shoes. Draco wore a light grey suit with a pale blue shirt. Luna wore a dark grey suit with a red blouse and heels, while Harry wore a black suit and a white shirt. None of them wore makeup, except for a little bit with Luna, and none of them wore nailpolish. No piercings could be seen. And Harry's long hair was braided back in a plait. Draco had a leather briefcase with his initials on it, and they carried their instruments in their cases.
Michael, Lars, and Benny stared at the four of them as they entered the rather opulent office. It was like looking at completely different people.
They all shook hands, and got settled in.
Draco took out the contract. "Now, we have some questions…"
After talking for the longest time, there was one thing they could NOT negotiate. Their image. After seeing their look on the stage, the men had said it was good, but not good enough. They proposed many ideas, but most involved Harry wearing less, as well as Luna. They would have a minimal choice in what to wear- but it would be chosen, mostly, by dressers and designers- the same with their hair. They also had control about where they ate in public, drank, and smoked. They wanted Neville to change his name,and a myriad of other things that none of them didn't like.
None of them were having that, even if that meant losing the contract. They wanted to have their own opinions about their clothing, and who they were.
Harry watched the videos of them on the screen as they played them through one last time. It had been decided to agree to disagree, and part on friendly terms. He was watching their old shows, and he started to notice something. He didn't voice it until they went home that night.
Harry stared up at the ceiling of their bedroom. "I love our look, guys, but we need something different. It's cool and all, but it's very…muggle. I think we need to combine it somehow, if we're going to play in the wizarding world as well."
Luna sat up next to him slightly. "What do you mean?"
"Well, the Weird Sisters have the complete muggle/punk look going on. Are we copying them?"
The others glanced at each other. Neville sat up, ruffling his hair. "You know me, Harry. I like muggle and magical clothes, but how can we get away with wearing magical clothes that are muggle enough to wear to muggle places?"
Harry looked thoughtful. "Well, I don't know a lot about fashion, but I do know that when things are old fashioned, they sometimes come back in style. The magical world is definitely old fashioned when it comes to clothes. Maybe we can somehow bridge the gap."
"But how?" Luna asked.
Harry sat up as well, watching Draco pull on his dressing robe and grab some paper. When Harry had an idea like this, it was usually a good one.
"Well, let's see. We should look up fashion books. I mean, you already know how to make corsets, Lu. We could make them just as easily out of other fabrics."
Luna nodded, a smile appearing on her face. "We could use all that unicorn and threstral thread to make some fabric-"
"It would take a lot. Maybe we can stick to making decorative things with it. Um, I know we've never actually said what our 'Look' was, so what do you guys want it to be?"
Draco looked thoughtful. "Well, I love my robes. But I like my suits as well. I've never been a fan of the latex things you guys wear."
Harry made a face. "I would prefer to wear that only if I had to, while we were dueling."
Neville spoke up. "With our audience, they seem to like it."
Luna sighed. "They do. But…shouldn't it be about what we sing? Not about what we wear? I mean, I like wearing those things a lot, but if I'm the only one, it would look rather odd."
"You could still wear the corsets and things, just in different fabrics, that's all." Harry pointed out, taking the pen and paper from Draco.
"We should go to the library soon-"
"The muggle library?" Draco exclaimed, cringing.
Harry gave him a Look, and continued to write. "We'll look up muggle fashion designers. Draco, I know you know all sorts of things about magical fashion designers, so you'll be in charge of that. Lu, you'll help me shop for some new fabrics. Nev, I need for you to visit the school and ask Hagrid if we could have some threstral and unicorn thread again."
Harry and Luna were in the cloth shop with Daphne and Susan. The two girls were tagging along on their errand to see what Harry and Luna were up to. Susan's eyes got wider and wider as Luna and Harry dumped more and more fabric into their carts (they had separate carts).
Muggles were ingenious when it came to synthetic and blended materials, and there was no way to reproduce it in the magical world. Yet. The two of them filled their carts with these types of materials, knowing that they could get pure organic fabrics much cheaper than in the wizarding world.
Added to the carts were ribbons, yarns, lace, and other odds and ends. They also bought a whole bunch of clothing patterns, hoping to learn how to make something new and different.
The shopkeeper's eyes were wide as the two of them approached her counter. Susan and Daphne could only stare as things were rung up, one after another.
Neville sipped his tea in Hagrid's hut. He was unlucky enough to visit when the Headmaster had dropped by as well. But now that he was here, he couldn't do a thing. Hagrid was rummaging through his hut, getting some of the unspun threstral and unicorn hair for Neville.
Dumbledore sat in a conjured chair, looking at Neville over his teacup. "So, what will you be using the threstral and unicorn hair for, if I may ask?"
Neville swallowed his tea, lowering his cup. "Harry and Luna have a few ideas. For clothes."
Dumbledore visibily relaxed, and Neville knew that the man had been worried that they would be using the items for some other purpose. Hagrid handed over two bags full of the stuff, and Neville set them at his feet.
Hagrid scratched his head. "I reckon that will take Harry a while to spin that all into thread. Maybe he can take the spinning jenny and set it up wherever you're all at."
Neville smiled. "Thanks Hagrid, that would be great."
"So how are they doin'?" Hagrid asked, sitting down in his chair. It creaked ominously under his weight.
"Good. Busy, of course."
It was Harry's birthday. Neville's birthday had been the day before, so they were celebrating it as well. They were at Diagon Alley, shopping for school supplies. Their Hogwarts letters had come just the day before hand, so the street was filled with mostly Hogwarts students and their families. Luna was Head Girl that year, according to her Hogwarts letter, while Draco was Head Boy. A Slytherin hadn't been Head Boy in quite some time, so it was rather an honor for Draco to have been chosen. Of course, he wouldn't stop bragging about it.
Despite the war, shopping for school needed to be done. It was rather terrible weather- it was pouring out, and people were running every which way so as not to get caught in the rain.
Harry was dismayed that he was getting his new jacket wet, and wished he'd thought to bring an umbrella like Luna had. They were to meet up with Dean, Hermione, and the Creeveys in the middle of the square at noon, so they headed over.
They saw the muggleborns waiting for them, and a scream from behind came out of nowhere. Harry saw people vacating Madam Malkin's quickly as the building started to shake. Madam Malkin herself barely escaped before the building collapsed. The building next to it collapsed as well, making some of the others shake ominously.
The street was filled with pops, and everyone who didn't already have their wands out got them out. Hermione, Dean, and the Creeveys ran to Harry and his friends, their wands drawn.
Luna threw her umbrella at a Deatheater as one of them ran towards the group. The Deatheater stumbled slightly, batting the umbrella away. They cast spells right away, fighting continuously for their lives. Not only were Deatheaters there, but Voldemort and the Dementors as well. He'd brought Nagini, and Harry knew that this was probably their only chance to get to the snake.
Harry could see a pattern to their movements, and could see that they were trying to head towards Gringott's. He couldn't let that happen, so he led the fight away, trying to lead them away from the bank. The magical community's economy would be ruined if Voldemort and his Deatheaters got a hold of the bank.
Harry threw a piece of rubble at a Deatheater, keeping him from casting a killing curse at a woman who was trying to run away with her little boy. He looked to his friends, and he knew that they wouldn't last much longer if this was kept up…
His eyes fell across the street. The majority of the Hogwarts students were dueling, many mothers and small children were running to the buildings, some of them shook and trembled with some unknown force- the Order soon arrived, and the Aurors came not too long afterwards. Thank goodness.
Harry flopped onto his couch, exhausted. Dean, Hermione, and the Creeveys were at their place, trying to get themselves healed up. Draco and Luna were administering the potions now, while Harry tried to rest a bit so he could start healing people.
Susan had blood all along her arm where she'd been cursed, and Hermoine looked a bit bloodied, but other wise, most of them survived with just bruises and scrapes. Harry had had to drag Neville away from the fight when they'd spotted Bellatrix Lestrange- and Draco had freaked out when he saw his Aunt as well. But Draco had managed to get Nagini- they just hoped that Voldemort wouldn't replace her with another horcux.
In the next couple of days, reports were coming in about the attack. With half of the shops in Diagon Alley gone, students would not be able to get their much of their school supplies this year. Twilfitt and Tattings only did upscale tailor-made clothing, and would not be able to handle the workload of dressing the entire Hogwarts population.
In fact, many shops were closing up even more now, and Gringott's had restricted its' working hours from 9AM to Noon, and would be even more heavily guarded. The French and Spanish Aurors were more present now, along with the American Aurors. Harry had heard that Scrimengour had tried to make them leave, but the ICW had overruled him, stating that the UK magical community was in a state of emergency.
Harry was working alongside Luna making skirts. They both knew that since people would not be wearing their school robes, they would be stuck wearing their casual things. Yeah, they could wear their robes from last year, if they fit, but both of them thought it quite unlikely that anyone would do so.
So they worked. Skirts, pants, shirts, jackets- casual things that could be worn to class, and things for the weekends and socials, in all sorts of styles. Thankfully, things went quickly with sewing spells for the simpler pieces. They also bought more fabric and odds and ends, once Luna had learnt that Susan and Daphne wouldn't mind wearing some of those things as well.
Daphne had been converted to pants, and now swore by them. She had worn them during the now infamous Battle of Diagon Alley, and they had been extremely comfortable to wear. The two girls were being taught by Harry and Luna how to use sewing spells to make some of the simpler clothing.
Neville had recruited Hermione to knit things- hats, gloves, sweaters, and scarves for all the younger kids. She was more than happy to help out, and had spread the word to the other muggleborn, who pooled together to buy used shoes and clothes for the kids as well.
Harry written to McGonagall about the idea, and she had been ecstatic. Frankly, funding for uniforms to be sent over from France would have cost Hogwarts a pretty penny, but she had been touched that the students wanted to help. The clothes would be donated to every first, second, and third year student- just a couple of things each.
All four of them donated a large sum of money to the school so that kids would be able to have school supplies as well. It looked as though Diagon Alley was deserted for the duration of this war, and that only meant it would be harder for everyone. Many of the shops that were able to, were converting to Owl Orders. Others closed shop completely, and moved.
Harry stood, alert, on the platform to 9 ¾. It was raining, yet again, but this time he had an umbrella. He was wearing a dark blue riding jacket, a white cotton blouse that had a bit of lace about the collar, with dark blue fitted pants, and black boots. His hair was plaited, and people barely noticed him under his black umbrella.
They were probably looking at Luna and Draco, who were shepherding the younger kids onto the train. Draco looked impressive in his dark green cloak and tweed suit- quite grown up. Luna was wearing a black felt coat that had a hood, with a pale grey-blue dress on underneath.
Neville was nearby, staking out the place, talking to Hogwarts students briefly as they passed. Many people greeted him gaily, and Harry noticed more than a few girls leer at him. Harry glanced him over. He did cut an impressive figure in that red sweater Hermione had knitted. He bit his lip, blushing slightly as Neville sent a knowing look his way.
The whistle sounded, and everyone piled onto the train. Parents were saying goodbye, some of them crying, others smiling, pretending that nothing was wrong, and that it would be certain that they would see their children by the holidays.
Harry was just about to take off his coat when their door was knocked. Luna answered it, and smiled as she saw Hermione, Ron, and Ginny.
Hermione ran a hand through her wet hair, her other arm holding a rather large bag. She was grinning broadly, and was wearing a dark purple sweater. "I can't wait to see those kids tomorrow- I wonder if they'll wear any of my sweaters."
Ron rolled his eyes. "You're just happy that the house elves aren't throwing them away any more."
Hermione sniffed, setting her bag down beside her. She colored slightly as Draco removed his cloak, and her eyes widened as Harry took off his coat.
"Um…Harry?"
Harry hung his coat on the nearby peg. "Yes?"
"Um…is that a new shirt?"
Luna spoke up. "Quite new. I just finished it two days ago."
Harry turned to face Hermione, sitting down next to Neville. Neville wrapped his arm around Harry's shoulder.
Hermione looked down at her lap. "Well, I was just wondering if you were aware that's a girl's shirt."
Luna giggled. "Well, I made it, didn't I? He looks cute in it, doesn't he?"
Hermione shifted, glancing at Harry. "I suppose."
Ron made a face, and Ginny was gawking at Harry.
They were halfway to Hogwarts when the train shuddered to a stop, and the lights flickered. Harry drew his wand immediately, as did the others. He looked to Luna and Draco. "First and Second years."
The two blondes nodded, and left quickly. Hermione stood, taking Ron by the arm. "We'll get the DA together and have them stationed at each compartment." Ginny followed them out.
Harry was pulled into a kiss, and the two remaining boys turned their backs to the window as they heard it shattering- they could hear glass shattering all over the train.
Harry was glad he was wearing his Suit under his clothes, for he could hear the Deatheaters now, on the roof of the train. He could hear the screams of students as the lights went out completely, making everyone shrouded in complete darkness.
Harry and Neville fought their way through the rabble, spell fire lighting up the narrow corridors. First and Second year students were confined to a certain part of the train- Luna and Draco would be protecting them.
He did his best, cursing the Deatheaters, and healing the injured kids he passed. More than once, he saw someone die. It was madness, and he knew that none of the kids would be forgetting this anytime soon.
Thankfully, he and Neville were okay, and largely unhurt. Harry just knew that Voldemort was on the train. He had to be.
Everyone stilled as they heard an amplified voice shout out. "HARRY POTTER!"
Harry gasped, clutching at Neville's arm. Voldemort.
"YOU BETTER COME UP HERE NOW, OR THE GIRL GETS IT!"
Harry gasped, running up the corridor, dodging and jumping over people, fearing the worst. Neville was at his back, blocking curses every which way. They arrived to the front of the train, near the engine compartment.
Draco was unconscious, his Father standing above him, his wand drawn. He looked positively gaunt, and was grinning madly. He was holding a baby in his arms, his wand trained on Harry and Neville. Why did Mr. Malfoy have a baby?
He looked over to see Voldemort holding Luna about the waist, his wand digging into her neck. She looked rather beat up, and was looking at Harry with pleading eyes.
"I knew you'd come." Voldemort said with a smirk, his red eyes glowing. "After all, Miss Lovegood is one of your…dearest friends."
Harry's wand went straight to Voldemort. "Let her go." He growled.
"You can't do a thing, Potter. Not a thing. Not when I have her in my arms."
Harry narrowed his eyes, and looked to Malfoy and the baby. "What's the baby for? Another ritual or something?"
"Ah, introductions!" Voldemort said delightedly. "Mr. Potter, meet my son. Marvolo Lucius Malfoy."
Harry gasped, horrified. Malfoy held the baby a bit tighter, his cool grey eyes assessing Harry.
"Surely you won't curse your old friend Mr. Malfoy, not with a baby in his arms, will you?"
"You're…horrible. Why would you do such a thing?" Harry choked.
Voldemort laughed, his high pitched laughter made Harry flinch. "I've done worse."
And Harry knew he was telling the truth.
"It's time to die, Harry Potter." Voldemort hissed, throwing Luna to the ground, and screamed "AVEDA KEDAVRA!"
Harry's eyes widened, and fell to the floor as the curse struck him in the chest.
He opened his eyes slowly, and frowned, seeing that he was on the platform 9 3/4. He looked around wildly, seeing people of all ages, including the trolley lady and the conductor getting onto the train.
"Harry."
He whipped around, eyes widening as he saw Sirius and Narcissa standing had a baby in her arms. They...looked so peaceful.
"S-sirius? Narcissa?" He whispered, eyes bright. "Where am I? Am-am I dead?"
"Only a little." Sirius said with a roguish grin.
"How can I be only a little dead?" Harry said hysterically.
Narcissa patted him on the arm. "Honey, you had a horcux inside you. The Dark Lord killed that bit inside you. But you have a choice." She said softly.
"A choice?" Harry echoed.
"If I know you, though, it's not much of a decision." Sirius said. "You can either stay behind, or go back."
"Of course I want to go back! Neville, and Luna...and-and Draco, they all need me-"
"Well, yes. But if Voldemort hits you again, you'll stay dead, Harry." Sirius said, eyes solemn.
"Merlin..."
Harry looked aronud. "So...is this heaven?"
Narcissa giggled. "No. Just...a gateway of sorts."
Harry hugged them both. They...felt so real.
"Harry, you must decide quickly." Sirius said tersely, pushing him away gently. "You cannot be here for too long."
Harry nodded. "I'll go back. I need to help the others. I can't just leave them."
"You're a good boy, Harry." Narcissa said. "Thank you for taking care of my son." Harry gave her a slight nod.
Sirius grinned. "Don't get into too much trouble, you hear?"
Harry's eyes flickered open, and he began to cough as he breathed in some air. He slowly opened his eyes, watching Luna and Neville fight off Mr. Malfoy and Voldemort, trying to not hit the baby. His eyes fell to Draco, who was still unconsious, but very much alive.
Harry could only think about saving his friends, saving that baby, and dearly hoping that the rest of the students were alright.
He heard Luna scream, and he turned around to see her falling through the hole, only to be caught by Neville. Harry grabbed his Holly wand, and earned Voldemort's attention as he slowly sat up. Mr. Malfoy gasped, as did Luna and Neville, staring at him.
Voldemort scowled at him. "Why don't you just stay dead?" He smirked suddenly. "Well then, I guess I can tell you that your beloved school will be destroyed. None of you ever figured it out. I'm surprised. Doesn't anyone read Hogwarts: A History anymore?"
Harry blinked at him blearily, noting that Malfoy was dueling Neville and Luna once more.
"What?" He croaked.
Voldemort's eyes flashed. "The school was built on some powerful lay lines. I managed to tap into that, and I was able to connect to the lay lines that connect all over the country." He smirked. "How else do you explain buildings collapsing in on themselves?"
Harry couldn't help but gasp. Hogwarts…Hogwarts would be destroyed!
"Ah, now you understand. Well, too bad you won't get to see your precious school go. Goodbye." He raised his wand, and hissed. "Aveda-" Harry kicked him in the gut, and Neville saw what was happening, and pushed him out of the hole. Malfoy screamed, going over to the side, holding the baby to his chest as Luna tried to grab the baby from him.
"MASTER!"
Neville backhanded him, grabbing him by the front of his robes. "You care more about your FUCKING MASTER more than your own children! Merlin, you are an idiot!" He made to grab the baby from the man once more, but Malfoy looked a little wild eyed now, backing away from them, mumbling under his breath. Before they could stop him, he jumped out of the train.
They peered down, watching in shock as Malfoy dropped to his death, joining his Master's remains on the rocky ground below- the baby was dead too- it's cries had stopped instantly as he'd fallen. They felt as though they'd be sick.
Harry was helped up slowly by Neville, while Luna enervated Draco. Draco sat up slowly, holding his head. "What…is…is he gone?"
"He's dead." Harry said softly. "Draco…"
They heard a crash up ahead. Suddenly, the students were reminded that Deatheaters were still attacking the students up ahead.
Neville tapped his wand to his throat,and the others covered their ears.
"EVERYONE!" They could hear the fighting stop. "VOLDEMORT IS DEAD!"
They could hear the students cheering, and just a few moments later, they could see Deatheaters fleeing on their broomsticks. Neville cancelled the spell, and Draco spoke up.
"Where is my Father? And the baby?"
Luna and Neville exchanged a look. "He died, taking the baby with him."
Draco's eyes widened. "He's...he killed my brother." He said in a strangled voice.
Harry put his hands on Draco's shoulders. Draco buried his head into Harry's shoulder, hugging him tightly. Neville and Luna wrapped their arms around him as well.
As the students started to heal their classmates and clean up the mess, the aurors English Aurors in their red robes were running about like they were chickens with their heads cut off, celebrating Voldemort's death, while the American, French, and Spanish Aurors were organizing the students into groups so that they could be portkeyed to Hogwarts.
Harry and his friends were the last to go. Scrimengour was there by now, shaking Harry's hand thoroughly. "Thank you Mr. Potter, thank you!" The man said.
Harry was about to motion to Neville, to say that the other boy was the one that pushed Voldemort out of the train, but Neville took his hand, shaking his head just slightly. Harry bit his lip. "Well, I think all of us are feeling a bit tired. We're going to head to the school now."
An Auror held out a portkey for them, and the four friends disappeared from their sight.
They reappeared in the Great Hall. It looked as though Healers from St. Mungo's had been brought over, and they were healing the students. The four of them seperated, and looked over their classmates. As far as Harry could see, no students had been killed, although some of them had horrible injuries. But they would live.
Dumbledore cornered them before too long, and asked them what had happened. Harry knew there was no use in lying, and they told him everything about what had happened. Dumbledore had gone ashen when he'd found out that Voldemort had been using the Lay lines to destroy buildings. Not too long after that, the teachers were all whispering and talking together.
Harry frowned, not liking the way that they were talking.
Dumbledore addressed the students in the Great Hall. "We are going to have to evacuate Hogwarts as soon as possible. I would like for those students who are injured to be taken to St. Mungo's, and for those who are not, the floo in my office will be open so that you can return to your homes."
"What's going on?" A third year yelled.
Dumbledore looked grim.
"Hogwarts needs to be evacuated, as soon as possible, while the staff fix a problem with the wards."
Harry crossed his arms. That was an understatement.
The healers took the injured to the hospital, and the students were shepherded by their Head of Houses to Dumbledore's floo.
Harry approached the Headmaster. Remus was at his side.
"I want to help."
" Harry, you need to leave as soon as possible." He motioned to Draco, Luna, and Neville. "All of you need to leave."
"We can help!" Luna protested.
Dumbledore shook his head. "I'm afraid you can't. As it is, we will need all of our staff to be working on the wards, and I don't need to be worrying about if you students are safe."
Harry set his jaw, and looked to Remus. Remus gave him a slight nod.
"Albus, I think it may be a good idea to let them stay. They may be able to help."
"Remus, perhaps you don't understand. Working with the wards require a lot of effort, and we will need all of our concentration. We can't do that if we're worrying about the kids."
"I am not a child." Harry bit out. "And neither are my friends. Let us help. You need it. We want to help."
"You could become magically exhausted."
Harry looked to the others. Draco and Luna were exchanging whispers now. Neville gave him a slight smile.
Harry turned back to Dumbledore. "Fine. We'll leave the school."
The four of them left the Great Hall, and were followed out by the Headmaster and Remus. Before the two men could say anything, the four students broke out into a sprint, and headed out onto the grounds. The ran straight for the forest, with the Headmaster and Remus yelling after them.
Harry sprinted, heading for their spot in the lake.
"Mab, please help. The School is going to be destroyed!" He breathed, stumbling slightly as he reached the clearing, clutching a tree. His eyes widened, taking in the scenery around him. Everything looked...dead. There were no leaves on the large oak tree- no grass, no weeds, even the water seemed dead- the rock grey and cold.
"Mab?" He whispered fearfully.
Luna, Draco, and Neville came up behind him, panting with exertion. "What happened?" Luna asked, looking around with wide eyes.
They heard hooves. Harry turned quickly, and saw Firenze, looking grave. "They fled. Voldemort's magicks were affecting their home. They're still in the forest, just not here."
Harry breathed in relief. "We need help. The school is going to be destroyed."
Firenze laced his fingers together. "I'm afraid that you can do nothing about it. It has been Fated."
"What?" Harry gasped.
Firenze glanced up at the sky. "Hogwarts has been around for a thousand years. It has seen many wars, many dark lords- thousands of witches and wizards have passed through it's halls each year." He looked at them with his deep blue eyes. "The school taught many the art of magic, but it also bred prejudice, hatred- bigotry. It needs to end. It's been feeding off the lay lines here for centuries, taking all that it can- but not giving anything in return."
"What can we do?"
"Wait." Firenze said calmly. "The House elves are already aware of the school's demise. They fled to this forest with the last attack. They were the second to realize that Hogwarts was not going to stand for much longer- the first being the fey folk."
"But...what about the kids? These students? How are they going to learn magic? Where are they going to go?" Harry asked desperately. Hogwarts was like a home to him, he couldn't possibly see it disappearing forever.
Everyone looked up as they heard a rush of wings. Through the trees, they could see owls filling the sky, fleeing the school. Harry clutched at Neville. "Oh Merlin, what...what about everything inside? The paintings, the books, the...the history..." Harry choked.
"The ghosts fled this morning. They'll return in time." Firenze looked Harry in the eye. "Do not see this as an ending. After all, the stars are still in the sky, and they keep moving on."
"But..."
"Shh!" Luna hushed, and the forest seemed to still as they heard a loud sound- a rumbling filled the air. It was the school. Harry stepped in that direction, but Neville grabbed his arm tightly.
"Harry, please stay here."
"But the school..."
"We can't do anything." Neville said quietly, wrapping his arm across Harry's front. Harry felt a sob rip through him, and he turned in the boy's arms, hugging him tight.
"We can't. We just can't." Harry sobbed. "We can't lose our home."
"The Forest is our home." Neville whispered back. "Didn't you always say that?"
They heard a sickening crack and more rumbling filled the air- and suddenly, it was silent.
Firenze sighed. The sounds of the forest seemed to come back in a trickle. Harry felt something tickling his ear, and he absently batted at it.
"Kit-" Neville chastised. Harry looked up, and saw Mab flitting next to his shoulder, looking at him archly.
"Young one, you should see to the others. We shall join you."
Harry nodded, happy that she was alright. Harry clutched Neville's hand as they walked through the forest. Draco held onto Luna's hand, and Firenze walked behind them. Soon enough, they heard other creatures joining them, walking behind them. Harry could hear the pops of the elves, bringing them into the fray, just as Harry stepped out of the edge of the forest.
He spotted Hagrid's hut first. It was still there, as were the stables. Unfortunately, everything else was completely destroyed. The grounds and lake look unmarred, but the school itself seemed to have crumpled inwards, as though the stones that had made it were made of paper. Harry spotted the staff at the front gates- some of them lying down, others sitting up. Hagrid and Dumbledore were the only ones that stood.
Dumbledore seemed to sway slightly as he saw them, and Hagrid kept him upright, gawking at them. Harry wondered what they were staring at, and why they weren't staring at the school. Harry glanced behind him, and his eyes widened. Oh. It seemed as though the entire occupancy of the forest had joined along with them.
Harry went forward, while the others remained behind. He approached the Headmaster and Hagrid. Hagrid hugged him tightly. "Harry, I heard what ya did...can ya believe it? Hogwarts is just...gone."
Harry hugged him back just as tightly. "I know Hagrid." He pulled away, looking up at the Headmaster.
"Firenze says that the school was going to come down no matter what you did. The...the damage Voldemort caused was just too great." In a way, it had.
Dumbledore stared up at the remains of the school with sad eyes. "I can't believe it's gone."
"So...what happens now?" Harry asked quietly.
Dumbledore helped up a shaken McGonagall. She gave a tired smile to Harry. "I'm not sure."
"We could rebuild. Not everything is gone." McGonagall said quietly. Flitwick got up, and approached Harry's side.
Harry glanced back to the forest, seeing everyone there. He looked to the remnants of the school. He drew his wand- the wand he hadn't even gotten a chance to use against Voldemort, the wand that Mab and the Goblins had helped him get.
Neville, Draco, and Luna led the creatures out from the forest, approaching the staff. Some of them backed away visibly from the creatures, if they were able to. To his credit, Snape only stared them down as he got up from his place on the ground.
Harry looked to the Headmaster, who was looking at Harry's wand.
"Harry, my boy, where did you get that wand?"
Harry held it up. "Oh, it was a gift."
Flitwick spoke up. "There is a lot you don't know, Albus."
The Headmaster's brows raised. "Oh?"
Harry looked at the wand. "So...since I never got a chance to destroy Voldemort with this thing, I suppose I can put it to good use." For just a moment, Harry saw a flicker of fear enter Dumbledore's eyes. Harry frowned, and approached the front doors of the school. He took in the broken wooden doors, and the stones that had seemed to crack under their weight-
He flicked his wand, and the doors were gone. He flicked his wand again, and some of the stones were gone. In just a few moments, everyone started to clear the rubble.
FIN
I bet you weren't expecting that. Were you?
This particular story is finished, however, the kid's adventures will continue.
There will be a sequel! It will be called Forbidden: Four Fates
Yay! It might take me some time to get it posted and everything, but let me assure you, it will be just as awesome as this story. Keep an eye out for it.
Thanks for reading, everyone.