Wizards in Winter

A/N: Title is taken from the music by the Trans Siberian Orchestra.
Genera: Romance/Drama Ships: Harry/Hermione Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns the characters, settings and the bits of dialogue that is recognizable

Chapter 9: Dreams, Birthday & Marriage

Recap from chapter 8: Albus continued to rant for a few more minutes before apparating away to the Grangers. He was in for a rude surprise when he bounced off very powerful wards. "What in Merlin's name?" He prodded the wards with his wand but could find no way to get through. "Damnation, who put those wards up? I can't even see the premises." Carefully examining the problem led him to the conclusion that they were goblin made wards. He shivered at what that would mean. Harry had most probably approached the goblins and discovered his heritage. He would consider the Grangers as his first priority to protect, especially Miss Granger. He knew the Potters were wealthy, but Harry wouldn't have access to the main Potter vault until he turned seventeen. When he thought about it, that would be a little over a month away. "So how did Harry pay for the wards?" he wondered. The goblins knew that Harry would be good for the cost by his birthday and went ahead anyway, suspecting that several people would try and kidnap or kill him. That just would not do for their wealthiest client, so the wards went up the same day. No one was going to get through those wards, not even the manipulative old bastard. The goblins had never trusted Albus Dumbledore, despite the fact that he could never be caught doing anything blatantly illegal. The Dursleys, however were another story and an accounting was overdue. Just today they had uncovered the wily sneak in their midst and the goblins had taken their revenge. Sliphook had screamed as he was carefully dismembered and fed to the dragons that guarded the high security vaults. Back at Grimmauld Place, Vernon shivered as he considered that his plans to deplete the Potter vault might expose him to retribution if he was found out. The slimy goblin Sliphook would break under pressure, he knew that for a fact.

Chapter 9

The days slipped by with Dumbledore increasingly frustrated in his attempts to contact Harry. The Grangers, it seemed, wanted their privacy. Nothing he had tried had any effect on the wards. Of course he could have tried the telephone, but wizards, being what they were, would not think of that, and in any case would not be aware of the directory for the number.

Susan Bones was aware, however, and regularly contacted Hermione, 'just to keep in touch'. Luna, being the curious type, if a little quirky, would drop by to visit at odd times and the wards allowed that.

One such visit, late one evening in early July, caused the little group pause. Luna wondered what to wear to their wedding and Monica had forgotten that little detail. They would have to shop anyway and so decided to contact Susan to spread the word that a shopping trip for the wedding was on the agenda, and would she and Padma like to come along.

By this time, Albus had given up trying to breach the wards, and Voldemort had no clue where Harry was. In a fit of pique, he had destroyed Number 4 Privet Drive with Fiendfyre which had the unfortunate effect of burning most of the houses on Privet drive before the aurors caught on that this was a magical fire and ended it.

The obliviators were called in to ensure that nobody saw the concentrated magic that extinguished the fire. The fire brigade were left wondering about the cause but were soon fed false memories of the usual gas explosion explanation.

Albus now knew the Dursleys had to be relocated and had selected a suitable place closer to Vernon's work. Vernon was still worried about the goblins, but as time passed, he grew confident that he'd escaped notice. How very wrong he was!

Ragnot was carefully compiling a dossier on one Vernon Dursley. He had managed to skim the equivalent of nearly 110,000 pounds from the Potter account over fourteen years. The first indication that something was wrong for Vernon, was when the Grunnings president called him in to his office to explain why the bank was garnisheeing his wages. Not just a specified amount, but his whole salary. Vernon sputtered and turned white at the news. Unable to provide a suitable explanation, he was summarily fired. The goblins, not content with that, had seized his bank account and repossessed his new home, leaving the family destitute.

Vernon tried to find work in another location, but it seemed that goblin revenge extended rather far and the family had to live on the dole.

Petunia, unused to such treatment, divorced Vernon and eventually remarried. Petunia evidently learned her lesson and lived a quiet life with her new husband.

Dudley was detained by juvenile authorities and spent many years shuttling between different correctional facilities until his death in a drug war in Birmingham.

Vernon committed suicide after a year of fruitless job searching.

Voldemort continued to search for Harry, without success.

As the day of the wedding approached, Harry became nervous and jumpy. The recurring dream turned ominous and woke him several times, but he still could not remember it after waking.

He'd finally confided in Hermione and found she also had a recurring dream that she could never remember when she awoke. Now that was strange, they both thought.

Luna finally provided an answer. They had discussed this with the quirky Ravenclaw on one of her almost daily visits.

"When did you start having these dreams, Harry?" she asked in what for her was a very serious tone.

"Right when I lost that day at Christmas time and Hermione was away, I think," Harry replied.

Hermione gasped in astonishment. "Harry! That's when my dreams started too!"

Luna looked at the pair seriously. "That's bad, very bad, my mum had dreams that she couldn't remember just before she died. From what I've been able to piece together, that's when she had a bout of wild accidental magic and she messed up a spell she was crafting. It killed her! You need to remember what the dream was about Harry, and you too Hermione. If you can remember, maybe something can be done, otherwise... I don't know, maybe it's a glimpse at the future that you can change or have changed."

Both Harry and Hermione shivered at the implications.

"But how do we remember?" Harry asked.

Luna could only shrug her shoulder and answered, "I'm not sure. How often do you have these dreams?"

"Maybe once a month, I'm not really sure," Harry answered.

"I guess about the same for me," Hermione replied.

Luna smirked, "I think you two should sleep together and see if the dreams continue at the same times. If one of you awakes before the other, see if you can feel anything or hear what the other says in the dream."

"S-sleep together?" Hermione stuttered. "Mum would have a fit, no wait, Dad would have a fit if they found out before we're married."

Harry turned an interesting shade of red when he thought about sleeping with Hermione. Sure, he knew it would happen when they married, but that was still weeks away. He wasn't opposed to the idea though, but he did worry about Hermione's parents.

"I'm just saying," Luna continued, "it would be a way to figure out what it means before it becomes a problem."

"Tonight then?" Hermione suggested.

"Umm, maybe we should tell your parents?" Harry procrastinated.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea, Harry, Dad is sure to nix the idea."

Harry sighed. "We have to do something Love. The dreams are driving me barmy, not knowing what they're about."

"Okay, I'll talk to Dad, but you have to talk to Mum," she said resignedly.

At dinner that evening, Hermione and Harry asked to speak to her parents. They'd planned to talk to them separately, but somehow Monica knew something had changed and Wendell wanted to know at the same time so they all sat in the lounge room.

Hermione started but Harry quickly took over. "Monica, Wendell, we have a problem. Not a huge problem but you'll have to understand that it's an important one. Ever since Christmas, Hermione and I have been having dreams that we can't remember when we awake. Apparently they are the same dream we think, as it happens to both of us at the same time, not every night, but at least once a week.

We've talked to Luna about it and she sees it as potentially dangerous unless we figure out what the dreams are. Her mum was killed accidentally after experiencing a similar circumstance when her magic got away from her, causing a spell she was crafting to run wild and explode. We think in order to figure out what the dreams are, we need to sleep together and see if we can monitor the other while we sleep. I know it doesn't make much sense, but Luna suggested it as a way to prevent whatever is happening from getting out of control. She thinks we may be experiencing glimpses of the future or are changing the future somehow. It sounds crazy, but the dreams are getting worse and it's driving me barmy."

Hermione agreed with Harry and added her own perspective. "I'm not sure we're dreaming the same thing, but something strange has happened since I started reading the grimoire."

The look of shock on Wendell's face was mirrored by Monica. "It can't wait until you're married?" Wendell asked hopefully.

Monica was a bit more understanding once she got over the shock. "Well, I don't like it, but as long as you two behave yourselves, I think we'll accept it as an experiment to see if it makes a difference."

Wendell reluctantly agreed.

The teens sighed in relief. They weren't sure that they would discover the answer, but it was worth trying. That night, the pair prepared for bed in their own bedrooms and Hermione joined Harry in his. Settling down to sleep, they tossed and squirmed, unable to fall asleep.

"Love," Harry ventured, "let's try cuddling, that might be better." Hermione turned on her side and Harry spooned to her back, wrapping his arms around her. Finally relaxing, they fell asleep. Nothing happened the first night, although they did dream pleasant dreams which they remembered the next day. The second night and the third night passed similarly. On the fourth night, the dream started and both teens tensed as this one they were sure was the one that was recurring.

As they squirmed in sleep, they wound up facing one another, fully entwined, seeking comfort from the other. The dream now fully engulfed them but was seen from the same perspective. It was winter time and deep snow covered the ground once more. It was early evening with the weak sun just setting, and it was bitterly cold. Both had looked around and found that they were outside the castle. Looking at the castle, they were startled as the castle looked quite damaged. There were no lights burning from the towers and some of the towers had collapsed. They started to walk towards the castle when they met the first body. After the fifth body they awoke, shivering and holding each other tightly.

"Harry? Did you see...?" "Hogwarts in the winter? The devastation and the bodies?" he replied.

"Yes," she answered. "There must have been or will be an attack. Harry, I'm scared!"

"It hasn't happened, Love. Maybe it never will, or maybe we can prevent it."

When they were at breakfast the next morning, Monica sensed something was changed. Both teens were jittery and nervous. "Was it the dream?" she asked, sure that would be the only reason for the pair to be so jumpy.

"Mum, it was horrible!" Hermione answered. "There was so much death and destruction. We both dreamed the same thing and it happened at Hogwarts. We don't know when it happened, certainly in the future, but there was no clue as to when."

"We have to contact Luna," Harry suggested. "Maybe she can figure it out."

Monica gasped at the news. Premonitions, she was familiar with, but this was something else.

Harry and Hermione went on to describe in detail what they has seen and at that point Wendell had arrived for breakfast.

"Surely it can't be..." then he stopped, unsure of himself. This was magic and all bets were off when dealing with the unknown.

Later that day, Luna and Susan arrived when Hermione had sent Hedwig with a note to both girls.

"So," Luna started, "when did it happen? The dreams and the location," she amended.

"Last night when we were asleep, but the location and time were less certain. It was very cold, so deep winter, I guess, but just what year, we don't know. Hogwarts for sure," Harry answered.

"Was there anyone you recognised?" Luna persisted.

"Um, I guess. Several teachers, Professors McGonagall and Flitwick for sure," Harry responded. "I saw Professor Vector and I think a couple of fifth years I think, oh and Hannah Abbott and Neville Longbottom." Susan winced at hearing about her best friend.

"No," she whispered, "not Hannah, please not Hannah!"

Harry thought a bit more and continued. "I'm sorry Susan, but I remember seeing her too, but she looked about the same age or slightly older. Neville and her were side by side, holding hands by the castle entrance. Justin and Parvati too. I didn't see Padma, but I think I saw Lavender. There was blood everywhere."

Luna interrupted. "So we have a bit of time. Susan, I think it would be a good idea to contact your aunt and warn her."

"But we don't even know if it will be this winter or next," Susan worried.

"Plan for the worst," Luna told her. "Hermione, you mentioned it was cold, could you elaborate?"

"Well, I don't remember it ever being that cold before, much colder than last winter. Oh, wait, Dementors, There were Dementors. That would probably account for the extreme cold. So, hmm, the snow was pretty deep."

"I agree, love. The snow was about 3 feet deep and now that I think about it, it was just starting to snow again. There was less than an inch of fresh snow and the Dementors were leaving. I don't remember seeing Susan or Luna, so I think you two may have survived. Just about everybody in our dorm must have died when the Hogwarts towers had collapsed. There were dead Death Eaters too, but I didn't see Voldemort. I think I recognised Lucius Malfoy. There were some Aurors too, I could tell by their robes."

Hermione was remembering, seeing things that Harry missed. "Hagrid's hut! It was gone and I didn't see Hagrid or Fang."

"Yeah, that's right," Harry replied. I wonder where he was?"

"Well, I think it would have to be well into winter for that amount of snow," Luna replied.

"Maybe January." Susan took up the thoughts. "My Aunt Amelia told me tales of deep snow when she was at Hogwarts. It seems January was always the worst and only about every five years, I think." "Well, except for this year, we haven't had a good snow for a few years, but three years ago it was fairly deep. Not three feet, but maybe two," Hermione remembered, thinking back. Even at home they had more snow than London.

Susan had contacted her aunt and the DMLE was warned. Not many believed, but Amelia Bones was not one to take chances. If Voldemort planned a major attack on Hogwarts next year, she would be ready.

Harry's birthday came and was celebrated quietly at the Grangers. Luna, Susan and Padma were invited as well as Daphne Greengrass and Tracy Davis. The two Slytherin girls were both friends of Hermione, Susan and Padma. They all met in Ancient Runes class and had formed a close friendship through the years. Tracy was the only one that didn't take Arithmancy as well, but reasoned that she didn't need it for her chosen field as a healer.

Daphne and Susan were aiming to be warders for the Ministry of Magic and would need both. Padma and Luna took them because they looked interesting and being Ravenclaws, would always be attracted to hard subjects on general principle. Hermione, of course, took everything she thought she would need to protect Harry. ….

Voldemort was growing increasingly frustrated. The boy was not to be found although he had his trusted spies looking everywhere.

Then a clue. Severus remembered that Potter and the Granger mudblood were close, but didn't know where she lived. Tom's spy in the Ministry of Magic found out her address and the address was checked. Yes there seemed to be a house there although they couldn't see it, but they sensed wards around the property. Serious wards!

The Dark Lord scoffed, knowing that he could break any ward. He was in for a surprise though when he attempted to blow through the wards to the inside of the house. Massaging his head at the blinding headache he received when he bounced off the wards, he was deposited a block away, slamming into a tree. Cursing, he tried to walk through the wards, pushing his magic ahead of him. The harder he pushed, the more resistance he found, until he was simply banished a mile away this time. The wards had reacted much more forcefully than he had expected.

'Goblin wards', he cursed to himself. He approached the house once again, unwilling to give up. Examining the wards, he blinked in surprise. The wards couldn't be seen by his magic, but were definitely there. Odd, that. He'd never encountered this type of warding scheme before. He stood at the edge of the wards that he could feel but not see and poked at them with his wand, not noticing the front door opening cautiously.

Mr. Granger had known that someone was attacking the wards to his home and figured it might be the Headmaster, but was shocked when an unknown wizard was spotted near the property line. Harry had accompanied him and gasped at what he saw. Voldemort himself was out there. "Voldemort," he whispered to Wendell. Wendell reacted as any man would on seeing a serious threat to his home and family. Rushing back inside, he removed a shotgun he had secured in the garage, and returned to the door. Peering outside, he saw the wizard still poking at the wards. "Well, you bastard, let's see how you handle a 12 bore. He aimed and fired both barrels and was satisfied when the lead shot passed through the wards and struck the evil wizard full in the chest. Tom Riddle felt an immense pain in his chest before he heard the explosion of sound. Staggering back, he managed to apparate away and arrived bleeding badly at his hideout. Malfoy Manor was chosen for its formidable wards and only allowed certain people through them.

Lucius Malfoy, coming to see who had arrived, was shocked to see the Dark Lord bleeding badly on his entrance hall rug. Calling a house elf, he had the Dark Lord moved to his hidden place in the basement and called for a trusted healer. Hours later, Severus Snape arrived along with his most trusted inner circle. They were not allowed to see their master, although Snape was tasked with brewing a complicated restorative potion. …

"Ha! Take that!" Wendell smirked, well pleased with the result. "I don't think we'll see him again anytime soon."

Harry disagreed. "Riddle is very strong and supposedly I'm the only one that can kill him."

"Well lad, he took both barrels in the chest. That should slow him down if not outright kill him. Mind, the power of the shot at that distance will diminish somewhat, but he'll think twice before he tries it again if he survives."

"Umm, yeah," Harry agreed.

"Now Harry, do you have the rings? The wedding is tomorrow, you know."

Distracted, Harry mumbled in the affirmative.

"Focus, Harry, Hermione wants your full attention on her."

Harry jerked to full attention at that. "Of course sir, I retrieved the rings from my vault at Gringotts the last time we were there."

"Good, good, may I see them?" Wendell enquired politely.

"Just a minute, I have them in my room." Harry returned shortly and showed him the pair. "This one was my mother's ring," he explained, showing the beautiful 2 caret diamond, inset with emeralds on a platinum ring.

Wendell noticed strange markings around the ring and words engraved inside. When he enquired, Harry filled him in.

"The runes on the outside are for family protection, strengthened by the spells engraved inside. My father's ring is similar, although it's rather plain in comparison. A single emerald inset in a broad man's platinum ring with the same runes and engraving. There were other rings in the vault including my heir ring which I can now wear. The wedding rings were from my ancestors and they will stay there until my son or sons needs one."

Since the family dared not leave their home, what with Voldemort active and the Headmaster on the lookout, the exchange of vows and giving of rings would take place within the Granger home. Neville Longbottom would be Harry's best man and Luna and Susan shared Maid of Honour and Bridesmaid. The Granger's pastor would preside over the wedding. Only those Harry and Hermione trusted were invited. Amelia Bones would perform the magical rites once the pastor and Granger relatives had left the room.

Hermione's Aunt Beryl Granger was highly suspicious of this sudden wedding. The pair were obviously very young. Was her niece pregnant? Was that the reason she was getting married now? And who was this boy she was with? She'd have a talk with her son and get some answers.

"Wendell," she whispered. "I'd like to speak with you; privately."

"Now mum, I know what you're going to say, but it's okay. Hermione is of age and so is Harry. They've known each other for almost seven years, and no, she isn't pregnant."

Beryl huffed in annoyance. "Wendell, why now? You've never even mentioned the boy before. And where are Monica's parents? There's something going on here that's odd. And just who is that woman talking to Monica?"

"Mum, you know there are things I can't talk about. You remember Uncle Selwyn? And what happened to him! Be happy for Hermione, she truly loves Harry. The woman is Amelia Bones, and is from a very old family that both Hermione and Harry know. Her niece Susan is Hermione's Maid of Honour. The other girl is Luna Lovegood and is her Bridesmaid. The young man standing next to Harry is Neville Longbottom."

Beryl gasped as she finally made the connection. "This is about magic, isn't it," she hissed.

Wendell blinked, nonplussed. "Mum? You know about magic? How..."

"Of course I know, how could I not! Your mentioning Selwyn made it quite obvious. And the boy, Harry... Now I see, that's Harry Potter. Good grief Wendell, how did you get mixed up with him? You and I are squibs, but that doesn't mean that I don't know."

"I-I'm a squib?" Wendell replied in shock.

"For awhile I had hoped that you'd be a wizard like Selwyn, but it was not to be. I'm guessing that Hermione's a witch?"

"Oh, yes, and a very powerful one at that. Why didn't you tell me I was a squib?"

"There was no point, Wendell, it would only disappoint you. So is Monica...?"

"No, but her mother Elise was a very powerful one, but she died recently."

"So the Paquette line breeds true. You are extremely lucky Wendell. You and Monica may be squibs, but with Hermione marrying Harry Potter, they'll produce powerful children." Beryl smiled, finally the Granger curse would be lifted. Hector Dagworth-Granger was a well known Potions Master, but his son, Selwyn Dagworth-Granger had been very unlucky one day when a rival wizard had cursed him in a fit of jealous rage. Afterwards, the Granger line only produced squibs until Hermione.

"So, Wendell, you must introduce me to Harry."

"After the wedding Mum; it's almost time."

Somehow, Monica had located a tape of the Wedding March and had started it playing.

Harry and Neville along with Luna and Susan were standing, waiting for Wendell to escort Hermione to Harry's side. Harry looked really nervous and kept glancing back, looking for his bride-to- be. When he spotted her with her father, he swallowed heavily. She was gorgeous; an elegant white satin wedding gown that fit her to perfection, accented her slim figure. She wore a traditional white bridal veil and a short train. Her hair had been tamed and arranged in an elegant style piled atop her head. As she was escorted to his side, he blushed as she smiled at him. Her father handed her off to him and she settled by his side, a bit of anxiety now showing on her face. She couldn't wait for this to be over so she could finally be married to the boy she had loved for so long.

The Dark Lord was still in pain. The lead shot had been removed from his chest, but it hadn't lessened the pain. Snape had brewed potions that had mostly healed him, but now there was something that his potions had no effect on. His magic had always been strong, but now it seemed to be unstable for some reason. He had a feeling that Potter was the cause and that could not be tolerated. He ground his teeth in frustration. He knew Potter was probably staying with the mudblood Granger, but the damn wards prevented him from acting on his desire to kill the troublesome brat!

Albus Dumbledore played a waiting game. Harry would be back at school soon, along with Miss Granger and he would have a talk with them. There was something going on that he wanted to know about. The letter that Miss Granger sent to Harry over Christmas was protected in a way he had never seen before. He knew that Miss Granger was a powerful witch, even though she was a muggle born. He hated to admit that she was even more powerful than any of the purebloods at Hogwarts. To have stunned Miss Lovegood (who was a pureblood), just for touching the letter meant for Harry, was worrisome. Yes, a talk to Miss Granger would definitely be necessary. He couldn't have the girl outdo the purebloods in all her subjects. The old families would not stand for it. To have Harry Potter mixing his blood with hers would be disastrous. James Potter had married Lily Evans, much to the consternation of the old families who had tried to arrange a suitable marriage with one of their own. The Granger girl would have to be discouraged from thinking she could marry into the Potter line. There were several pureblood witches that would be more suitable. Ones that could be more easily manipulated for the greater good.

'Yes', he thought. 'Perhaps Ginny Weasley would be perfect. Molly would jump at the chance to have her daughter marry Harry. Now I only need to find someone for Ms. Granger.'

Then a horrible thought struck as he remembered that Harry and Hermione had bonded. 'Damn! Why did they have to bond?' Albus knew there was no way to break the bond. Trying to do so would probably kill them, never mind it was illegal to interfere. 'Well, maybe they can be persuaded to not marry.'

Of course that was doomed to failure, since he was unaware that they had already married minutes ago.

(Chapter 9 end)