Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter; I just live within the magic :).
A/N: Another excerpt from HP and Fountain of Hope: Harry and Hermione are shown their Head Boy/Girl living quarters with Ron and Ginny. Some H/Hr along with antagonistic H/G. Please R/R. Any suggestions/advice are more than welcome :)
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As the last of the first year fidgety Hufflepuffs climbed into their common room, looking as intrepid as ever joining their much larger house mates, Harry led the nervous but determined Hufflepuff prefects up the staircase. They were joined by the Slytherin prefects Harper and Astoria who just exited from the dungeons.
"Everything all right with the first years Harper?" Harry asked.
"Of course," he said with an unpleasant scowl . "I am the most senior prefect after all."
They were on their way up the third floor corridor as Harry met Professor Mcgonagall walking down with Hermione, Ron, and Ginny, who were in turn followed by seventh year Ravenclaw prefects.
"Harry, how wonderful you're here." Professor Mcgonagall said astutely, "Hermione just finished directing the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws to their common rooms. I trust the Slytherins and Hufflepuffs are all settled in nicely?" Professor Mcgonagall asked with a twinkle in her eye.
"All taken care of, Professor,' Harry replied calmly, "The Slytherin prefects were stubborn and defiant as usual, as they insisted they did not need my help directing the first years. It seems that they did not wish anyone aside from their own house to locate the entrance to their common room;" Harry said with a glance at Harper who in turn returned with a sneer.
"However, they have handled the first years quite nicely all things considered.' Harry replied, "I left them at the entrance to the dungeons before leading the rest of the Hufflepuffs to the basement."
Professor Mcgonagall nodded with understanding . "Some things never quite change. Slytherins have always been known for their shrewdness and secrecy. Unless one of the head boy or head girl is from their own house. I imagine they must be particularly bitter this time of the year when both new head boy and head girl are from the house of their biggest rivals." Professor Mcgonagall said as her lips curled upward sternly .
"But I trust that as Head Boy, Harry, you will treat them equally as you would towards all other houses." Harry nodded in affirmation as Professor Mcgonagall turned to Harper and Astoria. "And I trust you two to help Harry in any way you can as senior prefects of the Slytherin house. After all, house unity is what Hogwarts value the most."
Under Professor Mcgonagall's steely gaze, they had no choice but to agree most unwillingly. Professor Mcgonagall went on to lecture the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff prefects as Harry felt a slight tremble next to him as he turned to a pale Hermione.
"All right with the others?" Harry whispered as Hermione jumped next to him in surprise. Flustered she answered , "Of course, you know how I am with rules and authority." Hermione said flippantly.
The flush in her cheeks betrayed her nervousness as Harry grinned to himself. Hermione may have been overjoyed at the prospect of being Head Girl, but she is just as nervous and uncertain as him. The idea that Hermione is scared brings a strange calmness and reassurance within Harry. Somehow he felt that he needed to be stronger and braver for the both of them in particular times of unfamiliar and uncertainty.
After a lengthy meeting and satisfied with all the prefects. Professor Mcgonagall turned to Harry and Hermione as she led them up the stairs. "Now, it is time to show you both your new quarters, to which I trust you will find it to your liking." Professor Mcgonagall swept gallantly up the staircase and directed the other prefects to return to their houses.
Sensing a moment to be captured, Harry piped, "Professor Mcgonagall, is it possible for Ron-" he gestured toward his best mate, "-to come with us?"
"Oh, but of course," Professor Mcgonagall smiled softly, "Mr. Weasley, you may come if you wish."
Ron flushed in exuberance. Ginny scowled to herself.
As if sensing Ginny's discontent to being left out, Professor Mcgonagall continued, "And I suppose Ms. Weasley, you may come along as well."
Sharing a covert grin of excitement, the youngest Weasley siblings followed Harry and Hermione as well as professor mcgonagall up the towering staircase with eagerness of their own.
As they reached nearing the end of the fourth floor corridor, past the restricted section of the library, Harry has a strange familiarity that he has been to this section of the corridor long ago as a first year. He distinctly remembered treading through the corridor in his night clothes and invisibility cloak where he first found the Mirror of Erised. Since then, he had been carefully whether consciously or subconsciously avoiding this location after Professor Dumbledore had warned him the dangers of looking into the mirror too obsessively . It has since been buried so deeply into his subconscious that only now is he able to draw the connection.
Hermione, it seems has never gone to this part of the castle at all as her wanderings usually stopped at the library a few hundred meters behind. Ron appeared to have no recollection at all regarding the mirror. Ginny remained stoic as she trailed silently behind the quartet.
Just as Harry was about to whisper to Hermione regarding this recollection, Professor Mcgonagall stopped rather abruptly in front of a tall pale marble statue. Hermione, being less coordinated, fell swiftly backwards and into Harry's chest, who steadied her to her feet grasping her waist. Ron blanched in surprise as Ginny scoffed in annoyance. She stepped up next to Harry and yanked Harry away from Hermione rather rudely. Harry frowned in pain and displeasure.
The pale white marble gleamed under the candlelight. It was a statue of a beautiful woman, her features noble and elegant as she glared down seemingly at them. "Now, you simply place your badge into the carved spot in her hand, you may open your quarters that way. There is no password necessary as it is only the two of you. Your badges are sufficient. It also prevents others from entering your quarters without your presence or permission."
Professor Mcgonagall directed, "You may decorate and organize the dormitory as you please. We've often encouraged previous head boys and head girls to put their own flares into the design of the dormitory. You may see influences from previous head boys and head girls from their houses. You may make any adjustments and changes necessary for your comfort." Professor Mcgonagall added.
"Now, as Headmistress, it is my duty and wish to give you both as much comfort and privacy as you need as both of you are now of age and adults. You are perfectly willing and able to make your own decisions with sleeping arrangements, space and compartment sharing. I trust you will find your quarters to be very pleasing, If not spacious." Professor Mcgonagall said with a twinkle in her eye.
Hermione grinned with excitement. With a meaningful glance at the both of them, she gave one sly look towards the sparkling pristine statue still gleaming in it's full might, before heading down the corridor. Soon, her footsteps faded away along with the echo of the silent night.
"All right, here we go," said Harry as he placed his badge into the indented spot on the statue.
The badge clicked as the statue turned and rotated slowly, carrying the both of them to the other side. The sight that greeted him made Harry stop in shock. The room, or rooms of the head dormitory is massive. It did not span simply one floor, in fact the dormitory spanned all seven stories of the Hogwarts castle. It is decorated in various colors of red, green, blue, and yellow intermixed with gold, silver, bronze, and black signifying the indentations of past head boys and girls.
In the center of the common room is a massive spiral serpentine staircase, noticeably the creation of a past Slytherin no doubt. Harry denoted silently.
"Wow!" Hermione exclaimed shrilly, "It is so high" as she peered overhead at the starry ceiling so many stories above. "
And so low." Added Harry as he glanced down the staircase toward the first floor.
Ron's jaw dropped in shock as Ginny scoffed lightly beside him. "It's not a big deal, compared to the head dormitory in Durmstrang-"
"And how would you know?" Ron asked with a shrewd suspicious look in his eyes.
"Everyone knows Ron; I'm sure Ginny read it in a book somewhere." Hermione said swiftly, "Viktor mentioned it to Fleur during the Triwizard Tournament when she was boasting about Beauxbatons. -Hogwartz, eez too oold and drafty, wee av much nicer dormitoriez, ezpecially for Head Girlz-eh?" Hermione said dramatically, with a hair toss and an eye roll much similar to Fleur.
Harry smirked loudly while Ron flushed bright red at the mention of his beautiful sister-in-law. Ginny snorted coldly.
"I suppose we are on the fourth floor now, which is the common room," Harry formulated as he glanced around.
The stone floor was carpeted in dark green as further inside were the couches and the fireplace. A black mohagany dining table stood to the other side with a few comfort chairs and cushions of silver.
"Lovely." Hermione made a face as she noticed the Slytherin house colors.
"The most recent heads were obviously old supporters of Voldemort" Harry said grimly. "We probably will need to make many changes ourselves." Harry said as he flicked his wand.
Instantly, the carpet changed into shades of wine red. The dining table turned into a shade of dark brown mahogany as the cushions and chairs turned gold.
Ginny cringed in annoyance. "Neat!" Hermione exclaimed.
"Although there is probably nothing we can do about the staircase." Harry said glumly as he gestured towards the giant serpent in the center of the room. The spiral staircase loomed threateningly at the pair of them daring them to make their move.
"Draconifors gradibus;" Hermione flicked her wand expertly.
Instantly, the spiral staircase transformed. The head and tail of the serpent lengthened, the scales enlarged. Claws appeared and wings transfigured. Soon, the towering ominous serpent transformed into a beautiful glorious dragon.
"Brilliant Her-!" Harry was swiftly cut off by Ron who bent down rather awkwardly and hugged Hermione tightly.
"Ni-Nice to see that you've been paying attention in transfiguration Hermione." Ron blushed and bumbled.
Hermione reddened a bit and recovered nervously, "Just a cool bit of magic I practiced while Harry and I went hunting for horcruxes. You never know when transfiguring dragons can come in handy."
Hermione said as Harry smirked beside her, casually looping an arm around her, "Lucky you were always there for me." He whispered looking at Hermione with a tender expression.
"Ahem-" Ginny interrupted rather coolly.
"And I suppose we should check out the rest of the floors together." Harry said as he ushered Hermione forward.
"Up or down?" He asked.
"Up" she said as they marched up the spiral staircase.
Ron, with a sinking expression on his face, marched glumly after Harry and Hermione. Ginny, glancing at the newly transformed sparkling dragon, with a cold look, followed the trio up the spiral staircase.
The minute their feet touched the second step, the staircase moved upwards as if guiding them to reach their destination.
"Quite like a muggle escalator is it not?" Harry grinned at Hermione.
"Bet the pure bloods didn't know that." Hermione made a face to which Harry laughed.
Ron stared at them with a confused expression as Ginny stared insolently. Together they reached the fifth floor landing right in the middle of the prefects bathroom.
"Isn't this for prefects?" Harry asked as he looked at the familiar large tub lined with numerous faucets now devoid of scented bubbles.
He shuddered in disgust as he remembered Moaning Murtle oogling at him years before as he was working out clues for the egg for the Triwizard Tournament.
"It was originally intended for the head boy and head girl only, until 1593, the Slytherin prefects demanded more privileges. The headmaster then had no choice until the head girl came up with the plan to open up the head dormitory restroom to prefects. Since then, it has been renamed the prefects bathroom. Most of them have no idea that it is directly linked to the head quarters as well." Hermione said matter of factly.
"Let me guess, Hogwarts a history?" Harry grinned.
Hermione flushed scarlet, "How did you know?"
"Wild guess." Harry stifled a grin as Hermione swatted him playfully. "Try opening a book sometime, will you?"
"Will I ever need to with you around?" Harry smirked. Ron looked pale and queasy with unease as Ginny scoffed in annoyance.
In contrast the sixth floor looked nothing like the previous. Extravagant green and silver velvet laces and carpeting lined every inch of the floor. A feminine looking vanity with snakes around the mirrors loomed darkly at the four of them. A number of female hair and make-up products scattered about the room. There were witch weekly magazines piling on a otherwise empty bookshelf. Jewelry and clothes randomly thrown about in a messy fashion. A daunting four poster bed sat squarely in the middle of the room dressed in similarly green and silver curtains. It was a perfect playhouse for a girl, If only you were in Slytherin.
"Yuck!" Hermione exclaimed.
"Let me guess, Pansy?" Harry groaned in frustration as he recollected Snape's disastrous appointment during his short run as Headmaster.
Ginny, in contrast looked quite at home as she plopped down on the ornate four poster bed. "Harry? Come join me?" She simpered at him in an alluring manner. A sweet saccharine smell overwhelmed Harry's senses. He was momentarily distracted as Ron popped a treacle tart into his mouth.
"Wha-?" Ron asked chewing with his mouth open looking confused. Hermione gave him a disgusted look.
Harry turned a brilliant shade of red. He and Ginny had not had any physical contact for quite a while. Ever since the difficult decision of up with at her in Dumbledore's Funeral, Harry had presumed that he would not be alive to see her return. He had accepted their breakup the same way he had accepted his destiny. That he was doomed to die. That any relationship would be imprudent and impossible.
Now that he is not dead, he almost wished he was. For, facing Ginny's fierce determination to get back together, trying to escape her constant pestering and nagging had been utmost difficult. She chased after him like she did in her first year. That humiliating poem she sent him on Valentine's day had been one of the most embarrassing moment he endured in all seven years at Hogwarts.
Yet here she is again, hinting at getting back together again. Although it is almost futile Harry secretly thought, for although he is not dead, their relationship had long been.
Had she been there for him, at any point during his quest to vanquish Voldemort last year. Had she not stayed behind; had she had fought to stay by his side, the same way others had done. Had Ginny not left him when Harry needed her the most, maybe they would still be together. Maybe, they wouldn't have even broken up. Maybe, maybe, things would be very different.
Their relationship which had been driven primarily through hormones and chest monsters burnt out the same way it had came on, short fused and unstable. Sometimes, Harry wondered what he was thinking when he kissed her at the Quidditch party or whether his feelings for Ginny were genuine or sensible at all.
Sensing Harry's tension and discomfort, Hermione gently tugged his sleeves and gestured upward towards the last and final floor. Harry ushered Hermione upstairs, her velvet robes tangled in his hands as he pushed her back gently forward, leaving behind a very frustrated Ginny and a disquieted Ron.
Hermione and Harry swirled upwards to the final and topmost room in the quarter. In contrast to the sixth floor, the seventh floor was pristine and lovely. The night sky reflected beautifully on the tall enchanted ceiling. The room was refreshingly clean and airy as If it hasn't been used much if at all. Tall archaic windows circled the spacious room. A nice pair of doors opened to a stone patio. Whoever lives here would have a spectacular view of the great lake, dark forest, and in the far distance, the newly renovated Quidditch pitch.
"Wow!" Hermione exclaimed. "It is lovely." Her eyes sparkled in excitement and Harry couldn't help but agree.
Whoever has the upper levels will enjoy a spectacular view of the lake along with a personal viewing box for Quidditch, that is if they're not playing in the game themselves.
The crisp autumn air flowed gently amongst the room and refreshed their senses. The exonerating saccharine smell of flowery perfume and sugary treacle tarts vanished and dissipated. As he took a deep breath in, Harry felt much more at ease, not to mention clear headed.
"Accio Firebolt!" Hermione exclaimed as Harry's broomstick swirled and landed in front of him.
"Go on, give it a try. You know you want to." Hermione smiled at him knowingly.
Harry smirked before looping an arm around a surprised Hermione and hoisted her on to the broom. Before she could protest, Harry had climbed on behind her and pushed hard off the floor. Together they looped around the grand tower and out of the patio window.
"Harry!" Hermione shouted as Harry laughed.
He was flying like he never had before. In fact, this is the first time he had flown with someone else, a girl no less. Hermione's joyful cries of excitement echoed Harry's senses. Harry was feeling a bit lightheaded, as he twirled around in the sky, whether from the loops in the air or in his stomach, that he wasn't sure.
It was a feeling he never experienced before. It was a wild exhilarating feeling of elation and exuberance. He felt as if he is gliding through the air uninhibited and free. He was enjoying himself even more as Hermione's shout of terror turned into gleeful excitement. She giggled alongside him as he steered himself down a narrow ledge between two towers. Her arms stretched out like an eagle as they descended down the narrow passageway in between.
Then, all of a sudden, out of nowhere, a glint of long wavy scarlet raced by Harry and Hermione. The rider was a fantastic flyer. Diving and swinging in and out about Harry's Firebolt, it took a few seconds before Harry realized Ginny had followed them. Swoosh! Ginny had side-swiped them as Hermione gasped in fear. For clearly she had not been used to flying much less racing.
As if goading him further, Ginny flew upside down under Harry's firebolt. Her hair swiveled and dangled around her as she taunted Harry and Hermione. Hermione's eyes widened as she shivered in fear. She was not used to flying tricks as she could barely stay on a broom.
"Ginny, stop!" Harry ordered, sensing Hermione's discomfort, Harry steadied his firebolt before descending sharply towards the Southern Towers where the Headquarters were located.
Ginny seethed in frustration. As if she would ever let Hermione Granger outshine her, in an area where Harry Potter himself may not even measure up to. She accelerated further and crashed into the tail-end of Harry's Firebolt. Hermione gave a ear-piercing scream before slipping off the handlebars and fell into the darkening twilight.
"HERMIONE!" Harry shouted in panic. There was only one other time he had felt such terror, and that was at the Department of Mysteries in their fifth year when Dolohov had casted the purple flame curse over Hermione's heart. Hermione had fallen right in front of his eyes. He had thought she had died. Then he thought he had died. His mind shut down. His heart stopped. He could barely think straight, let alone function.
Hermione. Save Hermione. But how? What spell? Do I know it? Can I cast it in time? A myriad of questionable doubt creeped into Harry's mind. However, all of it seemed to vanish when one single dominant thought overpowered them all. Hermione. Must save Hermione.
Spark! A spell was cast before Harry had known what had happened. A silvery cloudy swirl had formed chasing after Hermione's fallen body. Her descent appeared to slow down considerably.
Crack! Another spell had shot out of Harry's wand and Hermione had stopped falling completely. Her body floated gently in mid-air where only seconds ago, it had been plummeting to certain death.
"Hermione! Are you alright?" Harry asked breathlessly as he grasped Hermione's limber body and pulled her onto his Firebolt. Ginny's eyes narrowed as she tailed Harry and Hermione.
"Harry! My goodness!" Hermione grasped short of breath from the free fall, "That was brilliant!"
Harry looked at her cluelessly. Hermione had just survived a near death misfortune. What could possibly be so brilliant about that?"
"You used non-verbal spells! You've never been able to before!" Hermione exclaimed happily. "Remember your duel with Snape? He said he could always anticipate your moves because you weren't able to cast them silently. Well, now you can not only cast them silently, but consecutively."
Hermione's eyes shined with glee. The paleness of her cheeks had evaporated as her face shined in true happiness. "I'm so proud of you! How were you able to do that?"
With a sheepish look, and some nonsensical mumbling, Harry evaded Hermione's curious look as his cheeks reddened in embarrassment. He couldn't possibly tell Hermione that it was his concern for her, his worrying for her well-being that forced him to use abilities that he never knew he had.
It would be too much strain on their friendship, not to mention the guilt that he felt at betraying Ron, when he had already reassured Ron and promised that his own feelings for Hermione were purely platonic and sister-like.
With a gentle twirl, Harry landed them both on top of the Southern Towers where the Headquarters were. Holding Hermione rather protectively around the shoulders, he led her down the spiral staircase with the intention of going to the hospital wing when he ran abruptly into Ron.
"Harry-mate," Ron said cluelessly, "What is going on? Why are you holding onto her like that? And Ginny, what happened! Why are you so quiet! You said you were going to go after them. Did someone get hurt?" Ron asked anxiously.
"Not now Ron." Harry said rather harshly. "I need to see Madam Promfrey immediately. Hermione could have broken her ribs or leg." Harry edged Ron to the wall as he looked over concerned at Hermione.
"Did you hit anything on your way down?" Harry asked urgently. "How are your arms? Legs? Back?"
"I'm fine, Mr. Worrywort. I don't need to go to the Hospital Wing. This is not a Quidditch game gone awry." Hermione said with a grin on her face. "
Was this how it was the last time I nearly died? Neville told me you had completely shut down. He had to talk sense to you and not the other way around." Hermione said with a sly smirk.
"I panicked, that's all." Harry admitted reluctantly, "I honestly don't know what I would've done if you had-" Harry said glancing at his feet; his eyes determinately not going anywhere near Hermione's or Ron's for that matter. For he did not want to see either of their reactions.
Hermione, probably would've reprimanded him for his momentary lack of vigilance while Ron would surely be seething with anger and jealousy that he, that he once again, missed out on another Harry and Hermione moment, and not by choice.
Harry was half carrying Hermione down the spiral staircase with Ron following immediately behind. Although little was said amongst the trio, Harry could sense the mounting tension between he and Hermione as well as Ron. Their precarious friendship had taken its many hits throughout the years, but never before, did Harry feel so fragile and if he were a bit careless, their friendship would shatter in ruins.
While he was sure he could resolve almost anything with Hermione, even if they were shouting in each other's faces, like they had done regarding going to Umbridge's office to save Sirius. He was not sure whether he could withstand another silent fight with Ron, or another abandonment. They had unwittingly weakened their friendship to such a state that Harry was not sure it could ever mend. Can he ever forget his betrayal? Or his petty jealousy and constant threat to leave and abandon him the moment something dangerous comes?
A million thoughts flashed through Harry's mind, as they hurried past the ghastly Slytherin garnishing, down past the prefects bathroom, and past the red and gold common room. The towering dragon staircase listened to their commands as the staircase spiraled downwards as they reached the third floor.
In contrast to the upper landings, the third floor was almost normal. Golden yellow tables lined the room as black wooden bookshelves full of books of any subject possible interspersed within the room. A large roaring fireplace lined the wall as couches and cushions decorated the light carpeting. beautiful Exotic plants decorated the window seal and dangled from the ceiling. It was cozy and delightful. you would have never thought a Slytherin had ever set foot in here.
Hermione's eyes widened in delight as Harry gently laid her on one of the cushioned couches by the fire. "I love this room." She said zealously.
"You would," Harry smirked as he pulled a book from the bookshelf. "Dangerous Endangered Plants for Herbology Lovers." Harry read the title. "Sounded like a Hufflepuff."
Hermione smiled knowingly. "I've always had a soft spot for the Puffs." "Looks like Snape pulled a few strings after all" She grinned.
"Only you would appreciate a room this dull. The rest of us have better things to do like playing Quidditch or walking by the lake." Ginny interjected with a knowing cheshire grin at Harry as if reminding him of her presence.
Harry's emerald eyes darkened in anger. It was precisely this that ruins almost all of his relationships including Cho and Ginny. It seems neither girl can ever accept Harry's friendship with Hermione as purely platonic. Cho's eyes fill with tears every time Harry so much as mentions Hermione. While Ginny goes beyond the line when she insults and belittles Hermione everytime she gets the chance. Not to mention, the disastrous flying that they just endured, Harry was at his wits end.
Although Hermione has taken it as well as she could, Harry could not help but feel apologetic as his string of whiny girlfriends and creepy admirers viewed her as their biggest threat and target.
"I think reading is a fine hobby, just like Quidditch. It has saved me more times than flying has put me in danger. Without it, I wouldn't be alive." Harry said vehemently.
Ginny's eyes widened and scoffed in disbelief as Harry ignored her. Ron's passiveness along with Ginny's aggressiveness are becoming more and more intolerable. Harry can't believe he is back in the same spot with Ginny as he was with Cho. At least Cho was less insistent.
With an annoyed look at feverish Ginny and clueless Ron, Harry led Hermione down the second floor.
In contrast to the quiet calmness of the third floor, the second floor had a wild feverish combative essence. Dangerous and threatening plants lined the floor as spikes and mouths struggled for air. Tall and short target wooden statues lined opposite side of the rooms. Broken tea cups, chairs, and furniture scattered messily about the lounge. Marks and holes adorned the room as If someone had been practicing advanced spells tirelessly.
A pile of moldy and dusty cushions stacked disorganized in one corner of the room.
"It looked like the DA" Harry said with pride.
"Dumbledore's Army, my idea." Ginny said insolently. "I came up with it."
"The name. You came up with only the name, but the idea belongs to Hermione." Harry said resolutely.
"And Harry's the leader." Ron said to Ginny, "He's the one in charge, not you little sis."
"Someone has been practicing very hard." Hermione said as she pointed to the cracks and holes on the wall and floor.
"Not to mention the broken windows." Harry continued, "this room will need a lot of renovation." Hermione and Ron nodded in affirmation.
"We can use this room to practice advanced spells ourselves; our own defense room." Hermione said eagerly. "I can't wait to get my hands on some of these books."
"It'll be like our own little room of requirement." Harry concurred, "We can do whatever we want with it."
Ron's face flushed as Ginny's eyes narrowed. They did not like the sound of Harry and Hermione spending anymore unnecessary time together.
As they made their descent to the lowest floor, they were overwhelmed by the brightness of the room. A large four poster bed lined with yellow and black badger curtains lingered in the corner of the room. Aromatic plants lined the ceiling of the room as the floor is covered in a soft grassy carpet. Two large floor windows opened to a small fresh garden. Towering plants of every species imaginable with abundance of fruits and vegetables appeared along with different poultry and small rodents in charmed cages. A small kitchenette lined one wall of the room.
"He must have been afraid that the Hogwarts food were no longer safe." Hermione reasoned. Harry nodded, "Who knows what the Carrows may have coerced the house elves in doing if they weren't poisoning the students themselves."
"I don't blame him for growing, catching, and making his own food at all." Hermione noted.
"That was quite brilliant actually." Harry affirmed. "However, now that Hogwarts is back to normal, and Professor Mcgonagall is once more in charge, we will no longer need this."
Harry gestured to the quacking ducks and crowing chickens. The rabbits and possums playfully chased each other in their cage.
"Relashio!" Harry shouted as the cages opened.
The animals scrambled hectically one after another to escape. The quacks, crows, and fleeting feathers followed the dainty footsteps of rabbits and possums as Harry and Hermione are inundated by the animals.
"Immobulus!" Hermione screamed.
"Should've thought about that." Harry said sheepishly as Hermione removed a small rabbit from Harry's Hood. He dusted off several chicken feathers from her hair.
They both smiled and laughed at each other feeling for the first time, the tension of being back in Hogwarts leaving them swiftly as it came. Hermione opened the latch on the gate as she released all the frozen animals into the bristling wilderness. Within minutes, the chickens and ducks crowed and quacked merrily as they followed the nimble rabbits and possums down the narrow dirt lane and towards the forbidden forest.
"So, I suppose now we decide what to do about living arrangements." Harry continued nervously.
"I suppose we can share together. I mean not the bed. I mean we have our beds. I mean our beds are ours. I mean we are together sharing the bed?" Harry stuttered the last sentence as he turned a brilliant shade of red rivaling that of the heirloom tomatoes in the garden.
Ron's face paled with intensity, "Sharing a bed; living together; I thought-that you said-" Ron looked to Harry, "She is-like your sis-"
"No mate-" Harry quickly interjected, "It's not what you think." The truth was, Harry was so relieved to have Ron back at the time that he agreed readily to what he thought Ron wanted to hear; whether that was the truth was up for question.
Hermione giggled. "Oh Harry, we can't possibly share quarters even If we wanted to. If you bothered reading Hogwarts a history, you would know that Professor Skandenberg, a renowned social historian and headmistress of Hogwarts charmed the dormitories and headquarters herself so that boys and girls can never share sleeping arrangements. Remember the stone slide Ron fell from in our first year?"
"Skandenberg?" Harry asked sheepishly.
"That's right." Hermione nodded, "The head dorms are designed the same. The common area are the third, fourth, and fifth floors. The third floor is meant to be a study area, as you can see, Slytherins never really make any use of it. The fourth is obviously the common room. the fifth is the prefects bathroom. Typically one head usually choose the upper two levels, sixth and seventh floor, while the other chooses the lower levels, first and second. Skandenberg designed it so that there would be a head boy or girl for each upper or lower levels. If anything were to occur in the castle, one would be able to be of assistance immediately. It also makes patrol much easier with the prefects." Hermione concluded with a deep breath.
"I didn't know there was so much detail to the planning of the castle. I'll let you have first pick." Harry said to Hermione. "You can have the top most level if you like. I know you would enjoy the scenery on the seventh floor."
Hermione sighed wistfully, "I was enchanted by the view to be sure. However, from a practical standpoint of view, I would much rather take the lower two levels, if you don't mind. As I would be much closer to the study area in the third floor where I would spend most of my time, and also, I would be closer to the classrooms in order to be early for morning lessons." Hermione said logically.
"That is, if you don't mind taking the upper two levels." Hermione looked at Harry questioningly.
"Not at all!" harry exclaimed, "I would love the seventh floor. I already have a plan. I can watch all the Quidditch practices from the other teams.
"You know I play Quidditch." Ginny chimed in, "You can watch me practice anytime now."
"Yeah," Harry replied with slight agitation, "After that bit of disastrous flying this afternoon, I would think you need all the practice in the world."
Ginny looked livid, "As if it was all my fault, you shouldn't have been flying with her to begin with; knowing that she's a terrible flyer, and yet taking her out on the firebolt was stupid-"
"Don't make this about Hermione." Harry snarled, "She's a fine enough flyer, in case you haven't noticed, she flies all the time in the burrow."
"It's ok Harry," Hermione quickly interjected, "I'm fine; no harm done. Ginny was goofing off as usual; she was just having some fun-"
"I don't need you to defend me." Ginny said coolly to Hermione, "I can fight my own battles, unlike you, who always cries for Harry to save you."
"That's enough!" Harry said sharply, "I refuse to let you insult Hermione. You've been doing it since we got together; newsflash, we're no longer a couple. Don't take your anger out on other people."
"But why not!" Ginny exclaimed, "The war is over! You-Know-Who is dead. Why aren't we back together? Don't you want me?"
Silence greeted the room. Ginny's words froze in mid-air. Hermione's face flushed in embarrassment, as Ron looked absolutely uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation.
Harry hesitated, "I don't know Gin- when we broke up, I never thought I'd ever see you again. It was to keep you safe. But, things changed. I can't explain what, but you weren't there...all last year...it was just me and Voldemort. You weren't in the tent, you weren't in the battlefield, you weren't searching and destroying horcruxes. You weren't there when I went to face him that night. You were here, but not here, with me." Harry pointed to his heart.
Ginny's face fell. "I thought, I was doing what was best. I thought it was what you wanted, to keep me away; to hide me from You-Know-Who; to protect me-"
"I thought so too," Harry admitted sadly, "At the time, I thought it was what I should've done. But maybe, accepting it so easily, letting me go through it all alone, maybe it wasn't what you should've done. Now there is too much between us that I could never share with you, and you could never understand."
"But she can!" Ginny seethed and pointed wildly to Hermione, "Is that why you two are alone all the time? Reminiscing about the time you spent together in the tent, searching for horcruxes, visiting your parents' graves, hugging each other one last time before you went off to die?"
Both Harry and Hermione looked shocked that Ginny knew so much about what happened.
As if reading their mind, Ginny continued, "My brother told me. He told me that when he left, he wanted her to go with him, but she stayed. You two were alone, for a very long time. Is that when your heart changed?"
Ginny continued, "He also told me that before you went off to face him that night, she volunteered to go with you, to die. Is that when you realized you loved her more than a sister?"
Ginny turned sharply to Ron, "And what about you? Why are you so wimpy all of a sudden? You couldn't even keep your girlfriend in line. Letting her go about, living alone with another man, leaving you time and time again. Do you realize that she had rather died with Harry than live with you? She picked him over you again and again. Yet, you do nothing about it! She's your girlfriend! Why is she choosing my boyfriend over her own?"
Ron's face paled in shame and anger. He had no retort for Ginny's tirade. For, he too had no answers for Ginny's astute questions.
They seemed to overwhelm Harry. He had never really saw his relationship with Hermione from other's point of view. True, he blamed Cho for her snobbery and Ginny for her cattiness, but maybe underneath all the jealousy and bitterness, there is some truth that he or Hermione never realized. Perhaps their relationship does go much beyond best friends or even siblings. Maybe others are overreacting to them because they overreact to each other all the time. Maybe, maybe Hermione isn't like a sister, maybe there is more to their relationship than he had realized.
"Now is not the right time for this Gin-" Hermione tried to sound mitigating, "You're far too upset to think rationally. Harry and I, we are best friends, and sometimes, we do things instinctively out of our nature, but Harry had said it before to Cho and Ron that there is nothing going on between us. He views me like a sister, not like a girlfriend. There is no reason to become upset. We're close to each other like you and Ron. We can walk through fire for each other and sacrifice our lives, but it's different than what you share with him-"
"Yeah, it is more than what I shared with him." Ginny said nastily, "It is what I never could understand and now won't have to. Now that he has you back, he doesn't need me." Ginny said with a hurt expression. She whipped her head towards the staircase. Her long red hair dangled and bounced as she quickly stepped out onto the spiral platform, and disappeared to the upper floor. The dragon in the spiral staircase turned and twisted, leaving a very uneasy trio, each stuck with their own thoughts with nowhere to run and hide.