Author's Note: The reviews for chapter 19 were generally more positive than I've seen in a long time, so thank you very much for that! There were a few issues that were brought up in them, so I thought I'd address them.
Scout01: You're right, I haven't been making them have very much romantic interaction. There have been some instances of cuddling and kissing besides on the forehead, but those moments have been too few and far between. I'll admit that I've unconsciously been writing Harry and Hermione as a boyfriend-girlfriend couple, rather than a married one, so I'll try to work on that a little more.
FictionA: Regarding occlumency and potions, I'll be honest: I missed that. Or at least, it never occurred to me. I just tried to come up with some way for the twins to get their prank across, and that was the method I came up with. Now, about a Hercules/HP crossover: Not a whole lot. Without going too much into the future of the story, the Hydra is not going to be a recurring 'character,' and as of right now, there will be no appearance by the Greek gods. However, you did touch upon one thing in your review that I won't mention but will play a big part much later. Also, regarding brooms and the Hydra…read on.
Peruser: Remember, Harry is several years older than Draco mentally, even if he is the same age physically.
Now onto this chapter. I really felt like the characters came to life more in this chapter. Maybe it's just me, but I felt like this chapter was more…organic, for lack of a better term. Also, I've been searching for a way to break the fourth wall and sort of poke fun at myself within the story, without compromising the story either. I think I finally found a small way of doing that, so see if you can find it.
Chapter 20
Into the Fire
Hermione Potter awoke naturally on Saturday morning before her alarm. Turning over in the bed groggily, she found an empty space where her husband normally lay. This is what woke her up more than anything. Her eyes shot open to survey the room, looking for any sign of Harry. Normally, she was the first to awake, as Harry liked to get what he called his 'beauty sleep.' Hermione sat up in bed just as the door to the room opened, and Harry walked in, carrying a tray filled with food.
"Hey," he said, laying it down on her lap, "thought you might like some breakfast."
Hermione looked at her husband warily. "Wait, did you cook this yourself?" she asked, nervous at that concept.
Harry nodded, but put up his hands defensively. "Hey, don't judge it until you try it! Not to stroke my own ego, but I'm not that bad of a cook. Living with the Dursley's was actually good for something."
Hermione eyed the eggs carefully, but decided to throw caution to the wind, if only for Harry's sake. She chewed slowly before a smile graced her lips, and she looked up at Harry. "Hey, this is actually good," she commented.
"Don't patronize me, Hermione," Harry huffed. "I can tell when it's no good. It's obvious you don't like it."
"No! Honest! It's really good," she contended. "What makes you think I'm patronizing you?"
"Oh, just the fact that I tried to do something nice for my wonderful wife, by making her breakfast in bed, and what does she do? She panics at the thought of me cooking. I'll have you know that I was up an hour ago, and slaved in the kitchen with the house-elves…wait, wrong term there…worked in the kitchen with the house-elves just for you. And now you can't even tell me the truth about how bad it is."
"Harry, I…" Hermione protested, but sentence was cut off by a kiss from Harry.
"I was just kidding," he whispered as he broke away. "I knew you wouldn't lie to me, but I just had to mess with your head. Remember who my dad and godfather were. So, anyway, is it any good?" Hermione slapped her husband playfully, at his joke, which was starting to wear thin.
Harry grabbed a second fork from the tray and sat down on the bed next to Hermione. The two shared the meal in comfortable silence before showering and getting dressed. They had planned to meet with Dumbledore in his office at eight that morning, and by seven forty-five, they were ready to go. Both Potters had armed themselves with both wands, and were also wearing their pendants just in case they needed to make a quick exit.
The two made their way to the Headmaster's office, and gave the password. They watched as the gargoyle revealed the staircase to the office, and both climbed it. Harry opened the door for Hermione without knocking, and inside they found Dumbledore, oddly dressed in solid green robes.
"What's with the strange getup, Grandpa?" Harry asked, fully aware of the irony. Normally, Dumbledore wore gaudy robes with various sparkles, but a solid color, and a somewhat traditional green at that, was not normal for the Headmaster.
"These are actually dragon-hide robes, Harry. Unfortunately, the tailor I went to wouldn't make them for me in a brighter color or any other design. He believed it would alter the inherent beauty of the skin. Such a pity. Oh well."
"Hey, that reminds me," Harry said. "You said that you would get some armor made from the basilisk hide in the Chamber of Secrets last year. Were you ever able to do that?"
"Actually, Harry, you have impeccable timing. I was just about to present these to you." Dumbledore reached under his desk and pulled out two large boxes, and handed one to each Potter. Harry and Hermione opened them to find a vest and a cloak in each one.
"Now, the vest is the most durable, and is meant to be worn either under or on top of your clothing. It will protect you from almost any curse outside of the killing curse, at least when those curses are directed at your torso. The cloak is less durable, but it is also more flexible. It will offer you added protection from behind, but don't count on it regularly. It will save your life in a pinch, but it is not to be relied on like the vest is. The protective properties were reduced to make it more flexible."
"Did you only make these for us, Albus?" Hermione asked.
"Now that you mention it…" Dumbledore trailer off and pulled another small box from under his desk. "There are another fifty sets in here, I figured that would be enough for your 'DA.' The shop that made these only asked for a tenth of the hide, so there is still about half of the basilisk hide left in the Chamber, should we have need of it in the future."
"Actually, Grandpa, it's not the DA anymore," Harry corrected, "It's now the Order of the Gold Cross."
"Is it now? Sounds remarkably like another Order that I founded. You wouldn't be taking inspiration from others now, would you Harry?" Dumbledore asked with a twinkle in his eye.
"Not at all, Grandpa," Harry replied with a smile. "But wait, you said you're wearing dragon-hide, yet you just gave us basilisk hide armor. Why aren't you wearing that as well?"
"Harry, my boy, always the astute one. I wanted to surprise you with your armor, so I didn't mention them at first. Yes, I am wearing a set of basilisk-hide robes. They're not as strong as your vests, but they will perform adequately. Now, I think it would be best if you both changed into your armor. We should leave as soon as possible."
Dumbledore left the room, leaving Harry and Hermione alone to change. They shed their robes and put the vest and cloak on over their regular clothes. In the end, both appeared to be wearing all green clothing. Dumbledore returned after a moment.
"Now, we will use the floo to travel to the Greek Ministry of Magic," he explained. "From there, we will travel to Lake Lerna via apparition, any questions?" With that, Dumbledore walked over to his fireplace and grabbed a handful of floo powder. Throwing it in, he announced his destination, "Greek Ministry of Magic!" and disappeared.
Harry and Hermione followed his lead, with Hermione going first. Within moments, the Headmaster's office at Hogwarts was empty.
Harry emerged from an ornately decorated fireplace in a cavernous temple-like structure made entirely of marble. It was not difficult to tell that he was in Greece, as ancient Greek architecture abounded. He stepped out to find Dumbledore and Hermione waiting for him a few feet away. Great pillars rose on both sides of them, but in general, the atmosphere was no different than in the atrium of the Ministry of Magic in London. Dumbledore had Harry and Hermione perform a language charm on themselves, and he did so to himself as well, so that they would appear to speak the local language.
Dumbledore strode over to an information desk, and the attendant looked up at him. "Name and business?" she asked pleasantly.
"Albus Dumbledore, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards," he declared, gaining the attention of several passers-by. "I just need a map of Greece," he finished lamely.
The secretary fished out a roll of parchment and handed it to Dumbledore. "Here you are, sir. Please enjoy your visit to Greece." Dumbledore nodded his head in acknowledgement, then turned to return to the Potters.
"As it is very difficult to make long-distance apparition jumps, such as from Hogwarts to Lake Lerna, I thought it best to travel here first. All we must do is study this map to find our destination. I thought it most likely that the reception counter here would have the most accurate map of the country, rather than searching through the Hogwarts library for an outdated one. You are both aware of the basic principles of apparating?" Harry and Hermione nodded. "Good, then you know that you must only have an idea of the location you want to travel to in order to do so. Now let us see…Ah! Here it is."
Dumbledore pointed at a spot on the map, and Harry and Hermione crowded in around him to get a look. All three of them memorized the general location they wanted to travel to, before Dumbledore rolled the map back up and placed it in his robes.
"Wait," Hermione objected, "we can't just apparate out of the Ministry, don't these places have anti-apparition wards around them?"
"Excellent point, Mrs. Potter, which is why we will find the exit and apparate from outside," Dumbledore explained.
It took a few minutes to find an exit, as Dumbledore had never visited the Ministry in Greece before. Therefore, none of them had any idea how to get around in it. But soon they found a wall that people seemed to simply be walking through, just like at platform 9 ¾. So, deciding to be the brave Gryffindors they were, the three walked at the wall, only to pass right through and into the outside.
The trio looked around to find that they were on a hilltop. Hermione turned around and let out a tiny shriek. Quickly, Harry spun around to see what had startled her. He saw nothing.
"What is it?" he asked worriedly.
"It's…it's the Parthenon…" she stuttered in amazement.
"So?" Harry asked, always oblivious to these sorts of things.
"Harry, don't you see? The Greek Ministry is really hidden inside the Parthenon. The outside is only an illusion."
"Oh, okay," Harry said, trying to end the conversation before Hermione gave him a full history of the building. Frantically, Harry looked to Dumbledore for help in bailing him out. The old wizard just laughed.
"I think we should be moving along," he said finally, much to Harry's relief. "After all, we want to be back at Hogwarts before our absence is noticed. I believe I failed to mention to Minerva that we were leaving, so I'm afraid that she will not be too happy with me if I'm gone for too long."
Hermione accepted this sadly. She had wanted to explore ancient Greece more, but at the same time, she realized that is not why they were here.
"Now, I know you know how to apparate, so I am not going to go into that. Just remember where we are going. I shall see you in a moment." With that, Dumbledore disappeared with a soft pop, leaving Harry and Hermione alone. Harry grabbed Hermione's arm to apparate her along with him. He did not want them to get separated.
Harry and Hermione appeared at what did not look anything like a lake at all. It looked more like a series of pools, with a light fog in the distance. Naturally, Harry was confused, but as usual, Hermione had all the answers.
"Lerna is a region of springs that feed into one large lake. These are just the springs, Harry." As she spoke, Dumbledore approached them from several feet away.
"Ah, nice to see you made it. And I must commend you on your accuracy in apparating, Harry. It is not often that two people are able to apparate to a location hitherto unseen by them and appear so close together."
"Thanks, Grandpa, but I can't take all the credit," Harry admitted. "You were the one who taught me how to apparate before."
"Well then, if I do say so myself, you had an excellent teacher," Dumbledore joked. "Now, I believe that the lake is this way," Dumbledore said, pointing towards the fog in the distance. Harry nodded and took off in that direction before the other two could do anything.
"Harry! Wait!" Hermione screamed at him. Harry stopped dead in his tracks. "You can't just go running over there like that. That's not fog, it's poisonous gas. The Hydra releases poisonous breath that will kill you as soon as you breathe it."
Harry walked back to her, causing Hermione to release a sigh of relief. "I think, Harry, it would be best if we all went ahead together," Dumbledore advised. "As unkind as it sounds, you are the least knowledgeable of us three about this situation, so I think it best if you didn't go running into danger as you are so prone to doing. However, with regards to our current situation, I believe that a bubble-headed charm will serve nicely to protect us from the fumes."
The three cast the charm on themselves before beginning the trek towards the gas. After about fifteen minutes of walking inside the insidious fog, they came across what looked to be a dried lake bed, with a cave at its bottom. A small trickle of water ran down the side of the lake bed from the springs, and into the cave.
Carefully, the three climbed down into the lakebed and drew their wands. Hermione had explained during their walk that legend said that a cave lay at the bottom of the lake, and that it was an entrance to the underworld. It was believed that this is where the Hydra dwelt. Now, by all appearances, Hermione was proven correct.
As they grew closer to the cave, they saw that it looked to be a long, enclosed pool of water. The mouth of the cave was about thirty feet wide, while the inside was slightly wider. The length, if it could be estimated, was approximately two to three hundred feet long, and ended in a dead end. On the open end of the cave, the shore before the pool of water was about twenty feet long. To the trio, the cave appeared to be empty.
Slowly, the three entered the cave, lighting the tips of their wands with a lumos. Harry could see that at the other end of the cave there was a small shoreline, and upon that shore, he could see something sparkling. That something could only be Hufflepuff's Cup.
As Harry stepped into the water, the pool seemed to explode in a torrential downpour. With a great roar, the great beast of the underworld appeared. While half of its body was obscured by the water, the portion above towered fifty feet above the trio, and its nine dragon-like heads were each adorned with rows of razor-like teeth. It's turquoise hide glistened like a diamond as it began to approach the intrepid Horcrux hunters.
"Oh, now this isn't good," Harry gulped as he took aim with his wand.
"Harry! Hermione!" Dumbledore yelled. "You attack it like we planned. I'll try to get around it to get to the cup!"
"You honestly think you can get around that?" Harry asked, bewildered. "Sectumsempra!" he bellowed, firing a slicing curse at one of the heads.
The head stilled for a moment before sliding off of the neck and landing in the water with a splash. The other heads gave an angry roar, and the beast advanced on Harry and Hermione with renewed speed. Now there was only a few dozen feet separating them.
Hermione fired a flame curse at the severed head, hoping to cauterize the wound and prevent it from growing a new pair of heads. As the curse hit, a sizzle could be heard throughout the cave, and seared flesh could be smelled by all. But as the sound faded, two new heads grew from where there was only one.
"Damn! It didn't work!" Harry exclaimed.
"We have to try again," Hermione yelled back at him.
Meanwhile, Dumbledore was trying to figure out a way around the Hydra. He had tried to freeze the water into a pathway on one side of the cave, but as soon as he had done so, one of the heads had smashed the ice. He tried again, but again the ice met the same fate. Next, the Headmaster tried to summon the cup, but it stubbornly refused to move, revealing that it was probably under the influence of an anti-summoning spell. Finally, he attempted to apparate directly to the cup, only to find that he was unable to due to anti-apparition wards. The Hydra continued to advance on the small strip of shoreline that the three currently occupied, causing their options to quickly dwindle.
Harry and Hermione had not had much luck either. They had tried to sever the head and seal the wound with fire three times, to no success.
"It's not working!" Harry yelled to Dumbledore frantically.
"Tom must have magically altered it somehow so that it couldn't be killed in the same way," Dumbledore replied, searching his mind for another alternative. As he was doing so, he heard Harry yell another curse.
"Avada Kedavra!" he yelled, loosing the green jet of light on the demonic creature. The curse hit the beast and was seemingly absorbed, with no effect.
"Harry, the killing curse won't do any good, as it rips the soul from a being to kill it. The Hydra has no soul," Dumbledore explained calmly. How he could remain calm as a creature of this magnitude was advancing on them was lost on Harry. Granted, there was the fact that the three could flee through the mouth of the cave, but just the fact of facing down the mythical Hydra was overwhelming.
Suddenly, Harry was struck with inspiration. "Get behind me!" he commanded to the others. Hermione, always trusting Harry, did as he said, but Dumbledore gave Harry a confused look. Unsure about the reasons, he slowly did as Harry asked, until it was only Harry out front. Harry backed up, away from the monster, and Hermione and Dumbledore did the same, keeping the same amount of distance between Harry and themselves.
After several steps backwards, Harry glanced behind himself to see that the other two were now standing outside the cave. He pulled out his wand and conjured a semi-transparent barrier with a blue tint to cover the entrance to the cave. He was now essentially sealed inside, alone with the Hydra.
Outside the cave, Hermione saw Harry put up the barrier and ran to it. As soon as she touched it, she was given a light shock and could go no farther. "Harry!" she yelled through the barrier, but Harry didn't acknowledge her presence. Instead, he turned back around to face the Hydra.
"Mrs. Potter, I have no doubt that Harry hears you right now, but I believe he feels this is something he must do on his own."
"But he could get himself killed! We have to get this thing down!" Hermione objected.
"Yes, it is a very real possibility that Harry could lose his life. However, I do not think it likely, as he knows that you would be too angry with him if he did."
"You think this is a time for jokes?" Hermione exclaimed angrily. "He's alone in there! Help me get this barrier down!"
Dumbledore shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid that isn't likely. I have seen this kind of shield before, and it can only be brought down from the inside, and by the one who cast it. Harry seeks to protect us from danger, but right now, there are only two ways for it to fall. Harry must either lower it himself, or it will fall when he dies."
Meanwhile, inside the cave, Harry heard every word said outside. He knew how foolhardy this might be, but in his mind, it was the only sure-fire way of killing the monster. Harry pointed his wand at the Hydra. "Fiendfyre!" he shouted, and a vortex of flame began to emerge from his wand.
A great flame dragon began to form out of the vortex, seemingly taking on a life of its own. The vortex vanished, as did any visible connection to Harry's wand. Channeling every ounce of strength and control he could into his wand, Harry willed the dragon to attack the Hydra. After a moment's hesitation and with a roar, the dragon complied and charged at the Hydra.
As cursed fire met cursed beast, only one emerged victorious. Twelve horrendous screeches were heard in the cave and for miles around as the Hydra burned (A/N: count the heads if three duplicated). The scream seemed to last for an eternity, but after only a second, it ceased, and Harry uncovered his ears, which he had unconsciously been protecting. Where the Hydra had once stood in the pool inside the cave, only ashes now floated.
Harry willed the dragon back to his wand, but nothing happened. Trying again, with all of his might and concentration, Harry mentally commanded the flame dragon to return to his wand. But again, it did not listen. Instead, it began a rampage around the cave, taking flight and soaring about, giving no care to the commands of the one who summoned it.
As the dragon moved about freely, the temperature in the cave began to rise rapidly. On more than one occasion, Harry had to duck to avoid the rampaging flames, but managed to recover quickly to continue attempting to control the creature. On one of the passes, another ear-splitting scream was heard, but it too vanished after a moment. Finally, after several minutes of trying to dispel the flames, the dragon flew over Harry's head and into the ceiling of the cave above him. The dragon seemed to disappear into the ceiling, but the sound of a great explosion was heard as it did so.
Harry looked up to see several large chunks of rock come falling towards him as the ceiling collapsed. Harry tried to apparate away, but like Dumbledore, found that it was blocked. He quickly turned to look out through the barrier at Hermione's horrified expression, before he saw blackness.
Harry Potter's eyes fluttered open slowly, adjusting to the light. For a moment, all he saw was a white brightness. His eyes gradually grew accustomed to the light, and he saw that he was in his usual bed in the Hogwarts hospital wing. Painfully, he turned his head to see Hermione standing beside his bed, with her back to him. He moaned lightly at the pain.
Hermione spun around. "Harry!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around her husband. "You're awake!"
"Um, yeah," Harry said, thinking that was obvious. "What happened?" he asked softly.
"Well, after you stupidly sealed yourself in the cave, you lost control of the Fiendfyre and it caused part of the cave to collapse," Hermione explained. "The barrier fell after you were buried in the rubble. Harry, I thought you were dead!"
"Well, sorry to disappoint you, but I'm still alive and kicking," Harry joked.
Hermione slapped him playfully. "Prat," she said. But the slap still hurt more than it should, causing Harry to grimace.
"Oh! I'm so sorry," Hermione gushed worriedly. "I forgot how bad of shape you're still in."
This got Harry's attention. "How bad is it, really?" he asked.
"I think I can answer that, Mr. Potter," the voice of Madame Pomfrey said. Harry craned his neck to see her emerging from her office. "Of all the reckless, irresponsible things to do, Mr. Potter, this must top the list. It took nearly all of my not inconsiderable expertise to patch you up to the shape you're in now. You have no idea how lucky you are to be alive."
"Okay, can you please stop telling me how stupid I was and just tell me what's wrong with me?" Harry asked, rolling his eyes.
"Well," Poppy huffed, "I don't usually get such insolence from my patients. Well, except for another Potter many years ago. But anyway, you broke both arms and both legs. Those were easily repaired, along with your five broken ribs. There were severe burns on thirty percent of your body, and you also suffered internal bleeding from a number of organs, as well as severe head trauma. That's where most of the work came from, and the main reason behind your coma."
"Co…coma?" Harry stuttered. "How…how long?"
"Harry," Hermione interjected comfortingly, taking his hand in both of her smaller ones, "you've been unconscious for three months. It's May now."
"Three months?" Harry gasped in confirmation. "What's happened? Have there been more attacks? Who ran the Order? What about…"
"Shhh…" Hermione ordered softly, putting her finger to his lips. "We'll talk about it all later. For now, all that matters is that you're awake and will be alright." She looked to the nurse for confirmation on this last point. Poppy nodded before turning back to her office.
"But what about the Horcrux?" Harry asked after a moment, hoping that Hermione would at least answer that question.
"We checked for it after the barrier fell. All we found was a puddle of gold where it was. That last scream we heard was the Horcrux being destroyed. The Fiendfyre melted the Cup."
"Good. Then at least we finished what we went there for," Harry said, trying to find the positive.
"Yes, but at what cost, Harry? You could have died. Would your life have been worth it to destroy a Horcrux?"
Harry didn't even have to think about this one. "Yes," he answered simply.
"That's where you're wrong, Harry. With you dead, who would defeat Voldemort? You're more valuable than you give yourself credit for. You can't just go traipsing into dangerous situations without giving them any thought."
"I guess you're right," Harry admitted sheepishly. He let out a long yawn and tried to stretch, only to find his arms and legs restrained to the bed. Hermione saw his plight and waved her wand, removing the restraints. "Thanks," he said gratefully.
"But Harry, what were you thinking? It's incredibly difficult to control Fiendfyre, not to mention it's a dark spell!"
"Mione, someone once told me that essentially, there is no dark spell or light spell. All that makes a certain kind of magic dark is the intent it is used for. An evil heart brings out an evil spell. A person filled with light can use the same magic for good. It's all a matter of intent." Hermione looked at Harry strangely for a moment before nodding.
"Now you should get some sleep," she ordered warmly.
"But I've been asleep for three months. I think I've gotten enough to last me for a little while," Harry objected.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Madame Pomfrey said that when you wake up, the first few minutes will be very tiring, and you will need to get several hours of sleep. I'm just here to help enforce her suggestions."
"Well, I think you could use some sleep as well. It doesn't look like you've slept a wink in weeks."
"Months, actually," Hermione mumbled to herself, but Harry still heard it.
"Here," he said, scooting over in his bed. "Why don't you lay down here with me."
"Harry! We can't do that! What if Madame Pomfrey finds us?"
"Come on, we're married. What's the worst she'll do? Wake us up? Admit it, you could use the sleep."
Hermione had to admit Harry was right. With a resigned sigh, she laid down on the bed next to Harry and pulled up the sheets. Harry rolled onto his side so that he was snuggling up against Hermione's back.
"Hmmm…this is nice," he said into her hair. Hermione could only give a contented sigh in agreement as she quickly fell asleep. Harry was not far behind.
Harry awoke several hours later just as the sun was beginning to dip beneath the horizon. His face was buried in a familiar mass of bushy hair, but that was more than alright for Harry. He slowly extricated himself from Hermione's hair to see the figure of Albus Dumbledore sitting on a chair next to the bed.
"Ah, Harry, I see you are awake," Dumbledore said, stating the obvious. "I'll admit, it is nice to see you awake again, after taking such a reckless course of action. Minerva would be here too, but I fear that she has still not forgiven me for leaving on such a dangerous mission without telling her."
"When will everyone stop telling my how dangerous what I did was? We destroyed the Horcrux, that's really all that's important," Harry retorted.
"Alas, it is not. As I'm sure Mrs. Potter has already impressed on you, you are far to important to be gambling your life so foolishly. The use of Fiendfyre was too dangerous, Harry. Surely you must now realize that it can only be controlled by a select few."
"Yeah, I get that now. But I thought I would be able to handle it. I'm more powerful than almost any other wizard ever, after all."
"Harry, power and magical control are not synonymous. One can have great magical potential and have not an ounce of control. Likewise, one can have incredible control over their magic, but be able to do very little in the way of powerful spells. It takes a great deal of training to be able to achieve mastery in both areas."
Harry looked down in shame. Every shred of pride he had at destroying a Horcrux and the Hydra at the same time was being ripped apart by Hermione, Madame Pomfrey, and now Dumbledore, who were insistent that he had taken too large of a risk.
"Okay, fine. I'll admit I was foolish. Can we just move on now?" Harry asked in a resigned tone.
"Very well, Harry. I will stop chiding you on your actions. Instead, there are more important things to discuss, such as the events of the last several months. While you were unconscious, Voldemort continued his attacks. They have now become less frequent, but more deadly. There have only been three attacks since our escapade in Greece, but at least twenty people have been killed in each. However, several more Death Eaters have been captured. The fact that Tom's followers are killing more innocents means that there is more time for the Ministry to respond. As a result, the Aurors have been able to meet the Death Eaters in battle on more than one occasion."
"So, basically, no change at all," Harry summarized. Dumbledore nodded.
"Also, in your absence, Mrs. Potter has been leading your classes capably, and has shared teaching your Order with Professor Black. Now regarding our esteemed Potions professor, I'll admit that he has been a bit…juvenile, continuing his quarrel with a certain pair of Weasleys. It seems you have reawakened a certain…tendency of his towards practical jokes, one that will not easily be quelled."
"Nice to know I'm good for something," Harry commented with a smile.
"Now, Harry, I've spoken with Madame Pomfrey. She believes that you will be well enough to leave the hospital wing in a few days. Unfortunately, as you are no doubt aware, she does not take kindly to visitors for the most part," Dumbledore said, gesturing to Hermione's sleeping form. "I was able to convince her to take a break and leave us alone in here for a short time. But I would suggest that when she returns, you be alone."
Harry nodded sadly, and Dumbledore excused himself. He turned back to Hermione and gently brushed her hair out of her eyes.
"Hey, Mione," he whispered. "Wake up." She rolled over and grabbed Harry, her eyes still closed.
"Mmmmm…" she moaned.
"Come on," Harry whispered again. "Madame Pomfrey's coming back. You know what she'll do when she finds us here like this."
Hermione's eyes snapped open. In an instant, she was wide awake. "She's coming?" she asked in a panic. Quickly she jumped out of bed, pulling the sheets with her, trying to smooth her clothes and make herself presentable.
Harry couldn't help by laugh at her predicament. "I didn't say she was here now," he said. "We could have laid here for another few minutes. I certainly wouldn't have complained," he added with a wink. But Hermione would have none of it.
"You woke me up, Mr. Potter, now you are going to pay the price," she admonished. Harry pouted at her tone, which immediately lightened her mood. "I'll see you again later," she promised, before kissing Harry squarely on the lips. After they parted, Harry licked his lips, savoring the sensation. This sight caused Hermione to emit a small giggle as she left the hospital wing, leaving Harry alone.
Harry was not allowed to leave the hospital wing for nearly another week. Madame Pomfrey was insistent that he stay for what she called 'observation,' but Harry thought it was more to torture him and keep him from getting out. He knew it was purposeful, and that thought was reinforced even more by the fact that he was not allowed any visitors other than Hermione and Dumbledore. Finally, Madame Pomfrey gave her grudging approval that he could leave, but with the promise that he take it easy for several more days. Harry had no intention of keeping that promise.
The trip to Potter Tower took longer than he would have liked, but at the same time, Harry's legs were weak due to not being used for several months. As soon as he opened the portrait, he was enveloped in a bone-crushing hug.
"Harry! You're here!" Hermione squealed as she squeezed him tighter.
"Um, Hermione," Harry wheezed, "didn't you just see me a couple hours ago?"
"Well…yeah, but now you're here, and you're walking again!" she exclaimed. Harry couldn't tell if it was just him, or if Hermione was suddenly more emotional of late.
Harry was finally released from the hug, and sat down on one of the large couches in the sitting room heavily. Dan walked into the room and sat down next to him.
"So, Harry, Hermione tells us that you went and did something stupid and manly to save a woman from mortal peril. Well done," he said with a smile as he elbowed Harry in the side lightly.
"Thanks Dad," Harry said sincerely. He snuck a glance at Hermione and Emma, who both wore disgusted looks on their faces.
"Hey, Harry," Draco began, walking into the room, "since you're still not up to top form, I assume you're going to be going easy on us for our final in your class?" A look of hope flittered across the blonde's face.
Harry appeared to ponder this for a moment. "Nah, not on your life, Draco," he said with a large smile. "Actually, me being out of commission for so long means I have to go twice as hard on you to make up for lost time."
Suddenly, the portrait hole opened again, revealing the figure of Sirius Black. As soon as he spotted Harry, he rushed over and hugged his godson. "Nice to see you alive and well, cub," he said somewhat tearfully.
"You know, is everyone going to be coming in here one at a time?" Harry asked playfully. "You couldn't just all be here waiting for me when I got here in the first place?"
"Not really," Sirius replied with a smile. "We thought it would be better to arrive one at a time. It takes longer and looks like more is actually happening than really is," he admitted.
"Nice," Harry said slowly. He didn't like so much attention spread out like that. He wanted to get it over with as soon as possible.
Thirty minutes later, Harry had also been visited by Remus, Hagrid, and the Dumbledores, each of whom arrived alone and with several minutes between them. Finally, all of the guests left, leaving only the normal occupants of Potter Tower to themselves.
When they were alone again, Harry breathed a sigh of relief. "Hey Hermione?" she looked up from her battered copy of Hogwarts: A History to make eye contact with him. "Wait, haven't you read that thing at least a hundred times over two lifetimes?" he asked, completely dropping his original intention for talking to her.
"Well, yeah. But it seems like every time I open it, I find something new. It's like the book is charmed to show new information all the time."
"Hm. Anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to take a little walk? I need to stretch my legs and get a little exercise anyway," Harry said.
Hermione grabbed a bookmark and placed it in her book before closing it. "Sure, Harry. Let me just grab my jacket and I'll be back in a minute." She rushed to their room before returning a moment later with her light jacket, as well as one for him.
"What would I do without you?" Harry asked her, as she handed his jacket to him.
"That's a really good question, Harry. I really don't know," she responded jokingly.
"Hermione not knowing the answer to a question?" he exclaimed in mock outrage. "Impossible! And here I thought I married you for your big sexy brain."
"Just my brain?" Hermione asked seductively.
Harry looked around the room and finally exhaled, relieved that Dan wasn't in the room. "Well, when you put it that way…" he began, but was cut off as said father-in-law opened the portrait hole and entered the Tower. Harry didn't dare continue with that line of thought, at least verbally, in fear of his life.
Harry grabbed Hermione's hand and pulled her out of the Tower and into the corridor. They walked outside the castle to the Black Lake.
"So, we haven't really had a chance to talk much in the last few days without Poppy breathing down our necks. What's been going on?" Harry asked, as they walked around the lake.
"Well, Draco finally asked Ginny out to Hogsmeade, and she said yes. He wouldn't tell me what happened or how it went, out of some sense of masculine pride," she stuck her tongue out at this. "But I assume it went well, as they've gone out on a couple of other dates since then."
"How soon after we had our little talk did he ask her out?" Harry asked.
"Two days later," Hermione said with a smile.
"So, he didn't waste any time, did he? With me out of the way, there was no one to stop him from asking her, was there?"
"No, not really. Daddy was even supportive. But Harry, give him and Ginny a chance. This may not be the same Ginny you knew. We've changed so many things, something's bound to be different. Just take the diary for instance. This time, she wasn't possessed. What if when she used the love potion on you, she still had a fragment of Voldemort's soul in her?"
"That would explain a great many things. But anyway, so they're okay together?"
"Yeah, they're okay," Hermione responded.
"And Ginny has gotten over her crush on me?" Harry asked, grasping for straws.
"It looks like it. Maybe when you saved her from the basilisk you only renewed that crush? True, she had had it on you for years, but seeing you save her in the flesh probably made her decide to go to any lengths to get you. Since she didn't face the diary or have you save her in this timeline, that crush could have faded naturally."
"But what about Ron? I assume, since I saw Draco in the Tower a little bit ago, that Ron hasn't killed him yet for dating his sister?"
Hermione chuckled. "No, not yet. But then again, I don't think Ron has caught the two of them in any broom closets yet."
"And you have?" Harry asked, bewildered.
"Ummm…well…" Hermione stuttered, not getting out a coherent answer.
"Never mind, I don't want to know," Harry said dismissively. "So anyway, on to what I asked you out here for. I had a lot of time to think while I was laid up in the hospital wing. I realized that I haven't been the greatest husband to you."
"What do you mean, Harry?" Concern was evident on Hermione's face.
"We haven't done things a married couple does." Hermione gave him a look. "That's not what I mean, and you know it. What I mean is that I haven't taken you out on any dates or done anything as just the two of us. I'll admit, I'm new to this whole thing, but that doesn't give me an excuse. I'm sorry."
"Don't you go apologizing to me, Harry Potter. You've been nothing but the perfect husband to me. True, we haven't gone out or anything like that, but consider the circumstances. We're in a war. There are people out there who want nothing more than to kill us. We can't just go gallivanting around seemingly without a care in the world."
"Why not? If we allow Voldemort to scare us into not living our lives like we want, he's already won half of the battle. Yeah, we still have to defeat him, but that doesn't mean we can't live at the same time."
"What are you suggesting, Harry?" Hermione pressed.
"I think we should take a vacation this summer, just the two of us. I was thinking someplace like America, someplace neither of us has ever been. We've been at this for four years now, Hermione. We haven't taken a break, and I think it's starting to get to me."
Hermione thought this over for a minute as they continued to walk. "That's a good idea, Harry. But what about Mum, Dad, and Draco?"
"It won't hurt them to stay at Potter Manor for a couple weeks while we're gone. I'm sure they'll understand. Or at least Draco and your mum will. I'm kinda nervous about telling your Dad though."
"Why is that, Harry? He's been nothing but supportive and kind to you for years."
"In public, maybe. But trust me, we've had some…interesting talks in which I think he's shown his true colors. He's a great ally to have on our side in this war, but I don't want to get on his bad side."
Hermione giggled. "He can be a little overbearing at times, that's true. So…okay, let's do it," she announced.
"Just like that? Wow, normally you make it harder for me to convince you," Harry admonished.
"Shut up," Hermione retorted, as the two began their journey back to the castle. "Anyway, so what did you have in mind for this grand vacation?"
"I was thinking, maybe a trip to New York, take in the sights. We could also just find a small house in the middle of the country and relax for a while too. It's up to you," Harry responded.
They walked, with Harry's arm snaked around Hermione's waist, and her head on his shoulder for some time before she responded.
"I like the country home," she announced finally. "Something about large crowds and cities doesn't do it for me."
"Alright, country vacation it is. Now we just have to find someone that will rent us a house for a couple of weeks. I was thinking two, just to give us a nice break for a while."
Finally, Harry and Hermione arrived back at Hogwarts, and returned to Potter Tower just as the sun was beginning to set on the western horizon. As they entered the sitting room, they found Dan and Dumbledore engaged in a game of wizard's chess, with the former soundly loosing. As they entered, Dumbledore looked up from the board.
"Ah, Harry, Hermione, how nice of you to join us," he said pleasantly.
"Albus…erm, the Headmaster…um, actually, I don't know what to call you," Dan admitted. "Technically, I'm a student, but at the same time, we are now related by marriage."
Dumbledore chuckled. "Albus will do, Dan. At least in private. Like I've told Hermione here, please refer to me by my title in public. Now, you were saying?"
"Anyway, Albus here has been teaching me the finer points of this wizards chess. I'll admit, it's a bit odd, but then again, everything in this world is, isn't it."
"Daddy," Hermione began.
"Uh-oh," Dan interrupted. "You don't ever call me 'daddy' anymore. Something must be up."
"Um, Harry and I were thinking of taking a vacation this summer. In the American countryside," she said slowly.
"Okay," Dan said curiously. "So when do we leave?"
"That's just it, daddy. We were planning on going alone," she added sheepishly. Harry gave her a look that said that she had nothing to be embarrassed about.
"I see. So you're telling me, Harry, that you want to take my only daughter to another country, alone with you, a teenage boy?" Dan asked with narrow eyes looking directly at Harry. Immediately, Harry regretted giving that look to Hermione.
"See?" Harry whispered to Hermione. "This is what I was talking about."
"Excuse me, young man," Dan scolded. "I asked you a question."
Harry felt his legs turn to jelly, but he found the strength to remain standing. "Yes…yes sir," he stammered.
"And why exactly would I allow you to do that?" Dan pressed.
"Because I want to give her a vacation. I wanted to treat her as I don't think I've been the best husba-" Harry quickly shut his mouth before he gave Dan more ammunition to use against him.
"No, go ahead and finish what you were going to say, Harry," Dan said, a smile creeping onto his face.
"That's okay sir. I just wanted to do something nice for Hermione. Something that just the two of us could do for fun." Dan cocked an eyebrow at this, immediately causing Harry to regret his choice of words. Harry glanced over at Dumbledore, whose eyes shone with mirth. He was enjoying this grilling far too much.
"Well, Harry, I'll have to think about this for a while," Dan said finally, his fingers together in a point at his chin.
Harry held his breath. This was the part where Dan was supposed to list off all of the reasons he was against them going. Or at least, that was what Harry was expecting, based on the previous conversations he had had with the man.
"Okay, you can go," Dan said just over a second after he finished his last sentence.
Harry was flabbergasted. "Wait, just like that?" he asked, astonished.
"Harry, if I don't trust you by now to keep my daughter safe, I never will," Dan explained in a kinder voice. "I've trusted you with my life before, as well as Hermione's. I know that if anything happens to her, you would have been dead long ago." Dan stood up and walked next to Harry, putting his hand on the younger man's shoulder. Harry cringed under the touch, fully expecting to be beaten or ripped limb from limb any moment.
Dan felt the cringe and smiled. "You know, Harry, it's far too fun to scare you like this. But it's in my job description. When you have a daughter, you'll understand. You have to make the life of any boy she likes a living hell, even when he becomes her husband." Harry relaxed at this, and Dan released him and sat back down. Harry took one of the nearby chairs, and Hermione sat down on his lap.
"Harry," Dumbledore began, once everyone was seated comfortably (Hermione and Harry more than others), "I think I have an idea. My brother Aberforth owns a small house in the American heartland that he uses as a vacation cottage. Something about wanting to go where the sun actually shines more than once a year. Anyway, I am sure that he wouldn't mind if you two used it for a short time."
"That's a great idea, Grandpa," Harry praised. "But I just realized it would look a little weird for two teenagers to be living in a house all by themselves for such a long period of time."
"There is an easy solution to that little problem as well," Dumbledore said. "You can just apply a special glamour charm to both of you to make yourselves appear older than you really are. It shouldn't be a problem for two reasons. One, the Ministry's reach does not extend to America, so they cannot pursue you for underage magic. Second, even if they did have influence there, you are both exempt from that law anyway. Harry, due to his lordship and exemption for services to the wizarding world, and Hermione since she is now Lady Potter."
The group sat, discussing the particulars of the proposed vacation for another several minutes before Dumbledore made one final move in the chess game, check-mating Dan. Apparently, that move had been available for some time, but Dumbledore had been artificially extending the game.
The Headmaster excused himself, and Harry, Hermione, and Dan set about getting ready for bed. As they were doing so, Emma arrived from an extended visit to the Hogwarts library, and it was revealed that Draco was out spending time with Ginny.
Harry, still ginger from his injuries, took longer than usual to get into his nightclothes, but he would admit he made it seem more difficult than it really was so that he could get Hermione to help him change his clothes. At just after ten that night, Harry and Hermione retired to their bed, with Harry falling asleep first. Hermione was not far behind.
The last three weeks of the term passed in a blurry haze. Harry had returned to teaching the next day, and had found that Hermione had done an excellent job keeping the class on schedule, despite the absence of her husband. But Harry wanted to make an impression after being gone for so long, so he held a Patronus casting competition for his third year and higher classes. The person who could cast the most consecutive Patronuses received the highest grade. The results were not spectacular, as could be expected, because the Patronus was by nature one of the most draining charms to perform. In the end, the highest score was five, and that was done by a seventh year Ravenclaw.
The Potters had taken a trip to Hogsmeade and spoken with Aberforth Dumbledore about renting his cottage for two weeks. He agreed with little convincing, and refused to take any payment. In his mind, he wasn't using it, so someone might as well. It wasn't going to earn him any money anyway just sitting there. It turned out that the house was in New England, instead of the Midwest as Harry had originally hoped. But, at the same time, it was a house owned by a wizard, and it was free, so they didn't complain.
Harry and Hermione had decided to take their vacation as soon as school let out in the second week of June. They planned to take in the sights of New England, as well as take a short trip down to New York, if only for Harry's sake. In order to appear as though they were just regular tourists, the Potters had decided to take a muggle airplane to America, in order to experience something new. Neither Harry nor Hermione had ever been on a plane before.
The last day of school arrived, not too soon for Harry and Hermione. In order meet their travel arrangements, all three Potters, and the Grangers, took the Hogwarts Express back to King's Cross Station. After a ride that seemed to take forever, at least for the two Professors Potter, the train pulled into platform 9 ¾, allowing it's occupants to disembark.
The five used their pendants to portkey back to Potter Manor, where they would stay overnight before seeing Harry and Hermione to Heathrow Airport the next morning. Harry and Hermione, excited about their trip the next day, went to bed especially early, hoping that the morning would come sooner. This amused Dan and Emma, who thought they were acting more like five year olds on Christmas Eve rather than adults in a teenager's body. But they accepted it good naturedly, as they both felt that Harry and Hermione needed some time to relax. And this vacation would do wonders to help them there.
A/N: So there you have it. Actually, the whole vacation bit was something that just sprang up as I was writing this. The next chapter will deal with that, as well as the summer after fourth year in general. Actually, can I even say fourth year anymore? They aren't students. Anyway, I had some fun bringing back a mini overprotective father talk. I just hope that I didn't disappoint too many of you with the Cup scene. Somehow, I seem to write action scenes worse than any others. Please leave feedback for me. Thank you for reading! Happy New Year!