Harry Potter and Merlin's Gifts
Chapter 35 : Christmas Eve
Anger ventilated often hurries toward forgiveness; and concealed often hardens into revenge.
Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton
"Hey Remus, what are you doing?" Harry asked as he entered the library. The man held his wand over a large but worn sheet of parchment, and every so often his shoulders shook and chuckles escaped from his lips.
"Come to hide, Harry?"
"No, it's my house, why should I hide?"
"Perhaps because you've just had your first major fight with Ginny, in front of not only your family, but hers?"
Harry replied, "What about it?" and made himself comfortable on the sofa opposite Remus.
"Nothing, nothing; forget I mentioned it. At any rate, examining the map is turning out to be an interesting task. Being at Hogwarts for so many years had an amazing effect. Well, probably not the years it spent in Filch's office."
"It did live in Gryffindor Tower for a time, and the magic there is very potent."
"Not to mention, Fred and George and whatever failed experiments they had Harry. The enchantment we put on this to make commentary has been changed so much, I have to wonder if Sirius cast the spells correctly."
"You let Sirius cast the charms?" Harry asked amazed, but not surprised. The commentary from each of the Marauders smacked of Sirius Black.
"It was supposed to be James who cast the spells, but Lily hexed him and Jon, a friend of ours, cast spell after spell on him to remove it, but in the end he ended up in the hospital wing."
"What hex was it?"
"You'd have to ask your mother, I don't remember, and I doubt James would."
Ginny was angry, and that was the most understated statement Ron was sure he'd ever made. Had it been anyone else, Ron would have been able to choose a side, but as it was, he was torn between his sister and his best friend. On the one hand he could understand what Ginny said, or rather, shouted. However, he couldn't fault Harry at all for not telling Ginny everything he did, especially his training with Mad-Eye Moody and Savita. She was angry, and Hermione made it known she didn't appreciate being out of the loop either. The difference between the two was that Hermione knew when things weren't to be shared, and Ron had reminded her of the time turner incident. It was true that Ginny had Tom Riddle's diary to deal with at age eleven, but she still had a bit of naivety that the trio didn't have. Even Neville was more hardened than Ginny, and Luna had surpassed her friend by leaps and bounds.
He'd been put through the same paces that Harry had been through, and Ron could barely make it through. It took one trip to the kitchens and a night with Harry in his parents' quarters for him to regain his sanity. He felt as if the Auror was trying to beat the soft, touchy-feely emotions out of him. They were being trained to survive, to fight, to learn enough to live another day.
Alastor disagreed that love was the way to beat Voldemort, and was determined to make Harry, Ron, Luna, and Neville, well oiled machines. If Ron had a sickle for every time he had seen a member of his family die or be tortured, he'd have been able to make the Malfoy's look like paupers. At first, he was lost to the illusion and had rushed to his phantom family members' side, but a week with Mad-Eye cured him of it. He could only imagine what it would have been like for Harry who had only recently known the love and wrath of his mother.
In truth, Ron couldn't fault Harry for attempting to shelter his sister from the reality that was his life. In fact, he was grateful. There wasn't a day that Harry, or some part of him, was awake and doing drills when the majority of people in the castle were in their warm beds. While they were in class, Harry was in duels with Aurors who were off duty. Harry's pain threshold had become high and he was regularly dosed with potions so he could learn their effects. Ron had witnessed three of those sessions and had been a participant for two.
It was on one of those that Alastor learned that Harry was immune to a lot of poisons due to the basilisk venom and phoenix tears that never diluted in his blood. Ron didn't have that, and had spent a weekend weak from sickness, poisoned, and trying to escape his capture after watching his family being tortured for information on Harry. He then woke in the Hospital Wing under Madame Pomfrey's mercy and was never happier to see a friendly face. The experience was an eye opener for Ron since Harry was under this type of training on a regular basis. He hated it but, on the other hand, he had learned how to bend the truth while under the effect of many of the milder truth serums.
Hand to hand combat was fun compared to the interrogation sessions. Remus was a man to fear with hand to hand combat as his movements were far beyond a mere human's. Harry, Neville and Ron each had their turns with Remus and the werewolf's reaction usually resulted in a broken nose at some point. Of course it was healed with a smile, but playing 'dodge the fist,' as Harry named it, with a werewolf was painful business fraught with bruises and aches that weren't allowed to be healed by wand or numbed by potion.
Ron sighed as he moved a piece on the chess board. He was playing against Hermione's father, but he wasn't enjoying the game. And to think, the day started out so well with the Quidditch match and being called out of the box to fly with Viktor and his teammates. Thank Merlin they were heading back to the castle in the morning.
"Checkmate." Ron said with a smile.
"That was an excellent game. I haven't played like that since my grandfather died." After an uncomfortable silence, Mr. Granger said, "Are you happy to return to school?"
"Sort of; even though it's still the holidays we're learning how to duel and stuff. On the other hand, it's the holidays and I'd like to relax but until You-Know, er V…Voldemort is gone I don't think we have the luxury. That is, if we want to survive."
"Hermione hasn't begun these extra lessons that you, Harry and Neville have."
"That's because there is a requirement she needs to pass in order to start. Besides, it's hard to start everyone in the same place. Harry started first, then Nev, then me. Hermione is next and then Luna and my sister last. There are only so many people available to teach us sir, staggering us makes a lot of sense."
"Is it that bad? This training you're doing."
"Honestly sir, in the beginning it's like living your worst nightmare, but it gets better and you can learn function under all that grief. You learn to channel the anger and grief into something you can fight with. If I could spare Hermione and my sister from this I would, but I know that if they were, they'd surely die. Ginny and Luna have some important exams coming up and they don't need this hanging over their heads. Once Hermione does what she's supposed to, she'll get first hand information on what it's like."
Hermione, who was eavesdropping on her father and Ron shivered. That was more information she'd ever gotten from Ron. At first she was angry that the 'men' were the only ones learning new spells and whatnot, and it rankled her to know that they wouldn't tell her about it. However, if whatever they did with Moody caused them to live their worst nightmares, then it was no wonder they didn't want to divulge any information.
She felt ashamed now, especially since she took Ginny's side in this argument that didn't even involve her. Hermione vowed to make it up to Ron and Harry somehow. Now, she just had to convince Ginny that she was wrong.
"No Hermione. How could we be in a relationship if he doesn't share things with me? I want to be there for him, I want to help him, but I can't if I don't know what's going on."
"I know that, but…"
"Aren't you angry 'Mi?"
Hermione took a few moments to think before answering, "Not anymore. I overheard Ron speaking with Daddy and he said it was like living through his worst nightmare."
"But that's just it! I want to help ease whatever suffering he has." Ginny said softly.
"Maybe you're going about it the wrong way Gin."
With a defeated sigh Ginny said, "All I want him to do is to talk to me, let me in. Is that too much to ask?"
Hermione didn't answer. Instead, she squeezed her friend's hand and went to spend the remaining time with her mother. After tomorrow, she wouldn't see her until the summer, and even then that wasn't a possibility. As she closed the door, Hermione was startled by a gruff voice saying, "Granger. Tomorrow afternoon we'll test your Occlumency shields. If all goes well, you'll get your wish."
In that moment Hermione knew that the adage 'be careful what you wish for' was true. What have I gotten myself into! Hermione thought as she made her way downstairs.
Apology: I am SO sorry about the long wait guys. RL caught up with me, or rather a professor who had us doing NaNoWriMo for the fall semester. It took everything I had to plan a workable plot and write for a month, and not enough was left over for fanfic as my muse was suitably busy. As of Dec 21st I turned in a 425 page double space document, and I am so relieved to have spare time for Gifts. At November 30th 10:50 pm I hit the 50,000 word mark and saved myself from either dropping the plus from my letter grade or gaining a minus. I've been struggling with the upcoming parts and I've been waiting to write that chapter for a LONG time so please bear with me as it might be split into two or more parts.
A/N: Short chapter, more soon. It's being proofread...anyone want the beta job? I did have a PM but I accidentally deleted it.