A/n: This is a joint effort by the Company, namely, Viper, Soccer Girl, Harold, Jean, Divine Wind, Dragon Lady, and Fortune Teller.
This is the third part of the multi-series, "The Ancient Psalter." Please read and review. Thank you.
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HARRY POTTER AND THE ANCIENT PSALTER
Chapter 3: A Foe in the Darkness
**************
Today at five in the afternoon will be time they would leave for the Burrow. it's been two days since the party, and everybody seems to be normal. That is, except for Ron and Hermione. They have been a bit silent since the party. Nobody had noticed, but Harry and Ginny did. They have tried slight moves to make them talk but they didn't budge. When they meet, all they ever say is "hey," or "hmm," or sometimes, they just grunt at each other. Well, to think of it, they don't even know what happened with Ron and Hermione.
After they gathered all their stuff, Harry and Ron carried their belongings downstairs just before Hermione and Ginny came down. Harry hurriedly leapt to his feet to help them, dragging Ron along with him.
"Do you need any help?" He asked.
"Oh, sure." Ginny replied. There was a brief pause as Harry and Ginny looked over to Ron and Hermione. They weren't meeting each other's eyes, and they seem to feel that they were in an awkward position. Harry and Ginny rolled their eyes and nudged them.
"Ok!" Ron hissed and glared to Harry. "Would you like any help, Herm?"
"Sure." Hermione responded but still not looking at him. Ron reached out for Hermone's trunk and unexpectedly caught her hand. For a moment there, they met with eyes covered with what seemed like disguises-- hiding what they truly felt, and were accompanied by blushes. He quickly looked away at the same time going to the living room.
Suddenly realization dawned upon Ginny. She mothed an "oh" to Harry while the other two weren't looking. Harry shrugged at her and lipsynched a "what." She held up her hand and said, "later," quickly.
Harry went up to Ginny when Hermione to the living room. "What's up?"
Ginny glanced around checking if nobody's listening and whispered, "I think we've got a case of lovesick puppies here."
"Huh?"
"Love sick puppies," she motioned to the ttwo i the living room, still not talking. "As in, you now."
"Oh," he raised his eyebrow, "you mean..."
Ginny nodded with a small grin on her face. "Come on." She lead Harry to Ron and Hermione, starting up a conversation while waiting for Mr. Weasley.
"So."
"So," Harry followed. Ron and Hermione still weren't speaking.
"Oh, come on, you guys." Ginny was getting impatient trying to make them talk.
"We know there's something wrong, so spill!" He ordered them. Ron and Hermione were surprised by this action coming from Harry, but they were both stubborn people.
"Nothing happened." Hermione said.
"Yeah, nothing." Ron agreed, trying to catch a glimpse.
"Oh really? Then I guess you could explain why you two have been a bit distant lately." Ginny suggested while crossing her arms across her chest.
They couldn't answer, but instead they stammered.
"Well, you see..."
"Um, see, it's like this..."
Beep! Beep! The sound of Mr. Weasley's car was heard. Ron and Hermione bolted quickly through the front door with their stuff, leaving Harry and Ginny dumbfounded.
"Well, that was something." Harry said, wide-eyed.
"Uh-uh. They're not gonna get away that easy." Ginny muttered and started heaving her bag just as Harry was doing.
Whe Harry and Ginny went outside, Mrs. Granger was already there from the garden.
"Harry, Ginny! Your carraige awaits." She said with a tone of sarcasm on her voice.
Ginny played along. "Yes, thank you, Mrs. Granger. we appreciated this wonderful and pleasurable vacation you gave us."
Harry snorted and smiled at them. "Thank you, Mrs. Granger for letting us stay here for a while."
"You're very welcome."
Hermione strode beside her and hugged her. "Bye, Mum. I'll miss you."
"Yes, dear," she said. "I'll miss you too." A grin formed across her face. "Now, what have I told you about having a boyfriend?"
"Mum!" Hermione hissed as she looked over to Harry and Ginny who were both sniggering.
A second later, Ron paced towards them to say goodbye too. "It was nice to meet you, Mrs. Granger."
"You too." Mrs. Granger replied while giving them all hugs. Mr. Weasley preceeded to them to talk to Mrs. Granger.
"Goodbye!"
"Bye!"
"See you!"
"Love you, Mum!"
Harry and Ginny secretly formed a plan. They were going to push Ron and Hermione together into the middle of the passanger's seats. And so they did. Ron and Hermione weren't paying much attention that they didn't notice what had happened until they were on the way. It didn't exactly give Harry and Ginny pleasure to see their friends suffer, but if this was going to make them talk, it's for the better. Obviously, they didn't know how hard-headed these two were. They still didn't speak to each other. They just looked away and remained silent. Well, actually, it might not have bothered them to sit together. So basically, Harry and Ginny's plan had once again failed.
*****************
"Charlie, what are you doing here?" Ron asked when he came into the Burrow's kitchen. He caught Charlie sipping a cup of tea, looking like he was at a calm position.
"Hullo! I'm here for a check-out. They say that there were babies spotted here." He answered. He was a dragon-worker, and he refers to dragons as "babies."
"Ah, Harry, it's nice to see you again!" Charlie said as he planted a firm grip on Harry's hand.
"Yeah, it's nice to see you, too." Harry replied, shaking his hand wearily.
At the moment, Ginny came in the kitchen and saw them. She dropped her bags and ran towards Charlie pulling him into a tight, at the same time gentle, hug. "Charlie!!!" But she fell into him, being that she was exhausted- as exhausted as Harry, Ron, and Hermione were. A mutter came from her that sounded like, "can't move." Hermione followed and mumbled a "hello" to him.
"Hehe. I guess you lot are tired, eh?" Charlie said and saw them all nod.
"Where are Fred and George?" Ron asked.
"I think Weasley's Wizard Wheezes is in production again." He answered.
"Really?"
Charlie smiled a bit and stood, taking Ginny into his arms. "Yes, but don't tell Mum and Dad. They'll have a fit." He chuckled softly. "Come on, you lot. Up you go! You're tired and you should get a good night's sleep." Harry and the others followed up the stairs and into their respective rooms.
*********************
Charlie tucked Ginny to her bed, making sure that she was comfortable. While Hermione went to the other bed across the room, Charlie helped her with her trunk (yes, the trunk that Ron left by the door) and said his regards to her. "Goodnight, Hermione."
"Oh, goodnight to you, too."She replied as she pushed her trunk under the bed. When the door closed, Hermione immediately changed into her night dress and slipped on the bed. There was something that was bothering her-- Ron. Oh great! He's constantly popping into my mind, she thought. It was kind of disturbing, but the feeling made her a bit happy. The kiss, the kiss, the kiss...Oh I could make a song from this.....Why does it have to be so short?...And why doesn't he talk to me?...WHY AM I THINKING ABOUT HIM? There's no need to tell her that because she knew perfectly what the answer was. The nerve that had given her the answers to questions before was now giving her the reply. 'Because you love him. And you're the one who doesn't want to talk to him.' "Argh!!!" She muffled on the pillow and covered her face with it.
"What's up with you and Ron?" It was Ginny who startled her. She was lying on her stomach, awake, playing with the little lace on her neck.
"Nothing's up with me and Ron." Hermione said quietly.
"Oh, come on, Hermione! You've been saying that since this afternoon. Don't you have any other answer?" Ginny looked at her questioningly.
"Oh, fine! You want another answer? How about this? Ron and I don't have a thing going on between us." She snapped.
"Hermione, it's too obvious! It was showing all over your faces! Your parents were just too busy to notice it." She shifted off from bed to the closet to change inot her own night dress.
Hermione sighed. "Ginny--"
"Hermione, you know you can trust me." Ginny said while returning to bed. "I'm not part of the windmill, so say it already!"
Hermione took a deep breath and said, "Ok." She then sat up to face Ginny. "At the party, I was, uh, standing by the patio enjoying the view. Then somebody opened the door and I saw Ron." She smiled a bit and continued, "He was so cute-- I mean, he talked to me. And then we sort of, uh..." Grabbing her pillow, she played with it befor resuming. Ginny was slowly widening her gaze and mouthing, what seemed like, "what." "We sort of ..kissed."
"Really?"
"Sort of." Hermione suddenly furrowed her brows. "If it weren't for those---" She was cut off by a loud ruffling noise coming from the door.
"What was that?" Ginny asked, looking over to the direction of the sound.
Then suddenly, the door was destroyed by a blaze of fire that came from, Hermione and Ginny saw, a dragon. It was about yae high and was similar to a Chinese Fireball; red in color. Smoke was emitted from it's nostrils and it had eyes as sharp as a saw.
They screamed.
*******************
In Ron's room, Harry and Ron both changed into pajamas and jumped off to bed. But they, for some unlikely reason, couldn't sleep fast enough. Instead they talked.
"So, um, what's happening with you and Hermione?" Harry asked, looking at the ceiling.
"Why do you keep asking us that?" Ron snapped, seemingly annoyed.
"So there is an "us" with you and Hermione?" Harry had a small grin on his face that Ron noticed when he looked at him.
"I never said anything!" He said almost shouting. He turned on his back to face the wall.
"Did to."
"Did not."
"Ron, you do know that I'll never stop asking you until you answer, right?" Harry asked.
"Just get off my back, Harry. I'll--" He stopped dead when he heard someone screaming. "What the--"
"It's coming from the girl's room!" Harry stood up quickly and grabbed his wand from his trunk. Ron rapidly dashed from his bed and grabbed what he thought was his own wand.
When Harry opened the door and went to the girl's room, he came face-to-face with a dragon, a Chinese Fireball to be exact. It was short, though, but it still was a fire-breathing, fierce, and wild, serpent. It was merciless. It first darted to Harry ignoring the shrieking Hermione and Ginny by the corner of the room. Harry, with his quidditch-built reflexes, ducked to the side and rolled over to the two girls. "Are you ok?"
"Yes." Ginny replied with a tear-striken face.
"Ron!" Hermione yelled.
Ron was being brave, so he plumped in front of the beast and fired a spell. "STUPEFY!!!" But it was no use. The wand that he had used had been ruined by the fire breathed to it by the dragon. When it was about to turn him into ashes, Ron quickly ran away to the halls leaving Harry and the others with only themselves. They have heard on the background Fred and George yelling to Ron, "Are you crazy?!" But their attention was hurled up by the dragon. It turned to them really fast- almost as fast as the wind.
"Stun it, Harry!" Bellowed Hermione.
"Ok!" Harry pointed his wand to it and shouted, "STUPEFY!!!"
The dragon stopped shortly as the spell hit him, but shook its head and started again towards them. They were cornered. If they can't kill it and there's no spell to stop it, then they were hanging by the thread. It was about to dart forward, burn them, and pierce their flesh when Charlie came through the door and dropped something-- a net. It was a net he used to trap dragons at work which was strong and unbreakable. Harry, Hermione, and Ginny sat there in awe as he firmly held the beast under the net. Even if it was aggressive, Charlie seemed to have had it under his control. He then held its mouth on his grip and dropped a potion that made it sleep in a couple of moments.
They were all quiet and were catching their breath until Mr. and Mrs. Weasley entered the room and ran towards the three on the corner. Mr. Weasley had helped Charlie to carry the dragon downstairs. Ron came from the door running straight to them into Hermione, hugging her. Hermione was a tad surprised by this, but returned the hug gratefully. But then Ron kissed her (yes, on the lips). Hermione's eyes flew open in shock, but her body seem to have agreed with him and she melted into his arms. Ron enjoyed it very much and was smiling at the same time pressing his lips passionately to Hermione's. Harry, Ginny, and Mrs. Weasley stared at them with their jaws dropping.
"Um, do you see what they're doing?" Ginny asked with a grin on her face.
"Yup, there's nothing going on with them." Harry smirked.
"Ron!" Mrs. Weasley called which stopped Ron and Hermione from what they were doing. **don't be nasty, people**
____________________________________________________________________________________________
There will be a continuation to this story, entitled, "THE ANCIENT PSALTER: Diamond of Pearls, Chapter 3 b"
This is the third part of the multi-series, "The Ancient Psalter." Please read and review. Thank you.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
HARRY POTTER AND THE ANCIENT PSALTER
Chapter 3: A Foe in the Darkness
**************
Today at five in the afternoon will be time they would leave for the Burrow. it's been two days since the party, and everybody seems to be normal. That is, except for Ron and Hermione. They have been a bit silent since the party. Nobody had noticed, but Harry and Ginny did. They have tried slight moves to make them talk but they didn't budge. When they meet, all they ever say is "hey," or "hmm," or sometimes, they just grunt at each other. Well, to think of it, they don't even know what happened with Ron and Hermione.
After they gathered all their stuff, Harry and Ron carried their belongings downstairs just before Hermione and Ginny came down. Harry hurriedly leapt to his feet to help them, dragging Ron along with him.
"Do you need any help?" He asked.
"Oh, sure." Ginny replied. There was a brief pause as Harry and Ginny looked over to Ron and Hermione. They weren't meeting each other's eyes, and they seem to feel that they were in an awkward position. Harry and Ginny rolled their eyes and nudged them.
"Ok!" Ron hissed and glared to Harry. "Would you like any help, Herm?"
"Sure." Hermione responded but still not looking at him. Ron reached out for Hermone's trunk and unexpectedly caught her hand. For a moment there, they met with eyes covered with what seemed like disguises-- hiding what they truly felt, and were accompanied by blushes. He quickly looked away at the same time going to the living room.
Suddenly realization dawned upon Ginny. She mothed an "oh" to Harry while the other two weren't looking. Harry shrugged at her and lipsynched a "what." She held up her hand and said, "later," quickly.
Harry went up to Ginny when Hermione to the living room. "What's up?"
Ginny glanced around checking if nobody's listening and whispered, "I think we've got a case of lovesick puppies here."
"Huh?"
"Love sick puppies," she motioned to the ttwo i the living room, still not talking. "As in, you now."
"Oh," he raised his eyebrow, "you mean..."
Ginny nodded with a small grin on her face. "Come on." She lead Harry to Ron and Hermione, starting up a conversation while waiting for Mr. Weasley.
"So."
"So," Harry followed. Ron and Hermione still weren't speaking.
"Oh, come on, you guys." Ginny was getting impatient trying to make them talk.
"We know there's something wrong, so spill!" He ordered them. Ron and Hermione were surprised by this action coming from Harry, but they were both stubborn people.
"Nothing happened." Hermione said.
"Yeah, nothing." Ron agreed, trying to catch a glimpse.
"Oh really? Then I guess you could explain why you two have been a bit distant lately." Ginny suggested while crossing her arms across her chest.
They couldn't answer, but instead they stammered.
"Well, you see..."
"Um, see, it's like this..."
Beep! Beep! The sound of Mr. Weasley's car was heard. Ron and Hermione bolted quickly through the front door with their stuff, leaving Harry and Ginny dumbfounded.
"Well, that was something." Harry said, wide-eyed.
"Uh-uh. They're not gonna get away that easy." Ginny muttered and started heaving her bag just as Harry was doing.
Whe Harry and Ginny went outside, Mrs. Granger was already there from the garden.
"Harry, Ginny! Your carraige awaits." She said with a tone of sarcasm on her voice.
Ginny played along. "Yes, thank you, Mrs. Granger. we appreciated this wonderful and pleasurable vacation you gave us."
Harry snorted and smiled at them. "Thank you, Mrs. Granger for letting us stay here for a while."
"You're very welcome."
Hermione strode beside her and hugged her. "Bye, Mum. I'll miss you."
"Yes, dear," she said. "I'll miss you too." A grin formed across her face. "Now, what have I told you about having a boyfriend?"
"Mum!" Hermione hissed as she looked over to Harry and Ginny who were both sniggering.
A second later, Ron paced towards them to say goodbye too. "It was nice to meet you, Mrs. Granger."
"You too." Mrs. Granger replied while giving them all hugs. Mr. Weasley preceeded to them to talk to Mrs. Granger.
"Goodbye!"
"Bye!"
"See you!"
"Love you, Mum!"
Harry and Ginny secretly formed a plan. They were going to push Ron and Hermione together into the middle of the passanger's seats. And so they did. Ron and Hermione weren't paying much attention that they didn't notice what had happened until they were on the way. It didn't exactly give Harry and Ginny pleasure to see their friends suffer, but if this was going to make them talk, it's for the better. Obviously, they didn't know how hard-headed these two were. They still didn't speak to each other. They just looked away and remained silent. Well, actually, it might not have bothered them to sit together. So basically, Harry and Ginny's plan had once again failed.
*****************
"Charlie, what are you doing here?" Ron asked when he came into the Burrow's kitchen. He caught Charlie sipping a cup of tea, looking like he was at a calm position.
"Hullo! I'm here for a check-out. They say that there were babies spotted here." He answered. He was a dragon-worker, and he refers to dragons as "babies."
"Ah, Harry, it's nice to see you again!" Charlie said as he planted a firm grip on Harry's hand.
"Yeah, it's nice to see you, too." Harry replied, shaking his hand wearily.
At the moment, Ginny came in the kitchen and saw them. She dropped her bags and ran towards Charlie pulling him into a tight, at the same time gentle, hug. "Charlie!!!" But she fell into him, being that she was exhausted- as exhausted as Harry, Ron, and Hermione were. A mutter came from her that sounded like, "can't move." Hermione followed and mumbled a "hello" to him.
"Hehe. I guess you lot are tired, eh?" Charlie said and saw them all nod.
"Where are Fred and George?" Ron asked.
"I think Weasley's Wizard Wheezes is in production again." He answered.
"Really?"
Charlie smiled a bit and stood, taking Ginny into his arms. "Yes, but don't tell Mum and Dad. They'll have a fit." He chuckled softly. "Come on, you lot. Up you go! You're tired and you should get a good night's sleep." Harry and the others followed up the stairs and into their respective rooms.
*********************
Charlie tucked Ginny to her bed, making sure that she was comfortable. While Hermione went to the other bed across the room, Charlie helped her with her trunk (yes, the trunk that Ron left by the door) and said his regards to her. "Goodnight, Hermione."
"Oh, goodnight to you, too."She replied as she pushed her trunk under the bed. When the door closed, Hermione immediately changed into her night dress and slipped on the bed. There was something that was bothering her-- Ron. Oh great! He's constantly popping into my mind, she thought. It was kind of disturbing, but the feeling made her a bit happy. The kiss, the kiss, the kiss...Oh I could make a song from this.....Why does it have to be so short?...And why doesn't he talk to me?...WHY AM I THINKING ABOUT HIM? There's no need to tell her that because she knew perfectly what the answer was. The nerve that had given her the answers to questions before was now giving her the reply. 'Because you love him. And you're the one who doesn't want to talk to him.' "Argh!!!" She muffled on the pillow and covered her face with it.
"What's up with you and Ron?" It was Ginny who startled her. She was lying on her stomach, awake, playing with the little lace on her neck.
"Nothing's up with me and Ron." Hermione said quietly.
"Oh, come on, Hermione! You've been saying that since this afternoon. Don't you have any other answer?" Ginny looked at her questioningly.
"Oh, fine! You want another answer? How about this? Ron and I don't have a thing going on between us." She snapped.
"Hermione, it's too obvious! It was showing all over your faces! Your parents were just too busy to notice it." She shifted off from bed to the closet to change inot her own night dress.
Hermione sighed. "Ginny--"
"Hermione, you know you can trust me." Ginny said while returning to bed. "I'm not part of the windmill, so say it already!"
Hermione took a deep breath and said, "Ok." She then sat up to face Ginny. "At the party, I was, uh, standing by the patio enjoying the view. Then somebody opened the door and I saw Ron." She smiled a bit and continued, "He was so cute-- I mean, he talked to me. And then we sort of, uh..." Grabbing her pillow, she played with it befor resuming. Ginny was slowly widening her gaze and mouthing, what seemed like, "what." "We sort of ..kissed."
"Really?"
"Sort of." Hermione suddenly furrowed her brows. "If it weren't for those---" She was cut off by a loud ruffling noise coming from the door.
"What was that?" Ginny asked, looking over to the direction of the sound.
Then suddenly, the door was destroyed by a blaze of fire that came from, Hermione and Ginny saw, a dragon. It was about yae high and was similar to a Chinese Fireball; red in color. Smoke was emitted from it's nostrils and it had eyes as sharp as a saw.
They screamed.
*******************
In Ron's room, Harry and Ron both changed into pajamas and jumped off to bed. But they, for some unlikely reason, couldn't sleep fast enough. Instead they talked.
"So, um, what's happening with you and Hermione?" Harry asked, looking at the ceiling.
"Why do you keep asking us that?" Ron snapped, seemingly annoyed.
"So there is an "us" with you and Hermione?" Harry had a small grin on his face that Ron noticed when he looked at him.
"I never said anything!" He said almost shouting. He turned on his back to face the wall.
"Did to."
"Did not."
"Ron, you do know that I'll never stop asking you until you answer, right?" Harry asked.
"Just get off my back, Harry. I'll--" He stopped dead when he heard someone screaming. "What the--"
"It's coming from the girl's room!" Harry stood up quickly and grabbed his wand from his trunk. Ron rapidly dashed from his bed and grabbed what he thought was his own wand.
When Harry opened the door and went to the girl's room, he came face-to-face with a dragon, a Chinese Fireball to be exact. It was short, though, but it still was a fire-breathing, fierce, and wild, serpent. It was merciless. It first darted to Harry ignoring the shrieking Hermione and Ginny by the corner of the room. Harry, with his quidditch-built reflexes, ducked to the side and rolled over to the two girls. "Are you ok?"
"Yes." Ginny replied with a tear-striken face.
"Ron!" Hermione yelled.
Ron was being brave, so he plumped in front of the beast and fired a spell. "STUPEFY!!!" But it was no use. The wand that he had used had been ruined by the fire breathed to it by the dragon. When it was about to turn him into ashes, Ron quickly ran away to the halls leaving Harry and the others with only themselves. They have heard on the background Fred and George yelling to Ron, "Are you crazy?!" But their attention was hurled up by the dragon. It turned to them really fast- almost as fast as the wind.
"Stun it, Harry!" Bellowed Hermione.
"Ok!" Harry pointed his wand to it and shouted, "STUPEFY!!!"
The dragon stopped shortly as the spell hit him, but shook its head and started again towards them. They were cornered. If they can't kill it and there's no spell to stop it, then they were hanging by the thread. It was about to dart forward, burn them, and pierce their flesh when Charlie came through the door and dropped something-- a net. It was a net he used to trap dragons at work which was strong and unbreakable. Harry, Hermione, and Ginny sat there in awe as he firmly held the beast under the net. Even if it was aggressive, Charlie seemed to have had it under his control. He then held its mouth on his grip and dropped a potion that made it sleep in a couple of moments.
They were all quiet and were catching their breath until Mr. and Mrs. Weasley entered the room and ran towards the three on the corner. Mr. Weasley had helped Charlie to carry the dragon downstairs. Ron came from the door running straight to them into Hermione, hugging her. Hermione was a tad surprised by this, but returned the hug gratefully. But then Ron kissed her (yes, on the lips). Hermione's eyes flew open in shock, but her body seem to have agreed with him and she melted into his arms. Ron enjoyed it very much and was smiling at the same time pressing his lips passionately to Hermione's. Harry, Ginny, and Mrs. Weasley stared at them with their jaws dropping.
"Um, do you see what they're doing?" Ginny asked with a grin on her face.
"Yup, there's nothing going on with them." Harry smirked.
"Ron!" Mrs. Weasley called which stopped Ron and Hermione from what they were doing. **don't be nasty, people**
____________________________________________________________________________________________
There will be a continuation to this story, entitled, "THE ANCIENT PSALTER: Diamond of Pearls, Chapter 3 b"