A/N Hola, Aloha, Bonjour, Danke, Hiya, whatever. Seeing as how I asked for 15 reviews last time, and I got twenty in one day, I figured I would reward you with another chapter. That makes two in two days, pretty good if I say so myself. You know the deal, read and please, please review. Do you see what happens when you review? The more reviews I get the quicker it will go up. Make me happy again and it could go up tomorrow. Read, Enjoy, and Review.
CHAPTER 15
Hermione looked at Harry the whole time, trying to figure out what was going on through his head. Why hadn't he ever said anything about what had been going on at home? He had always let them know that life with the Dursley's was bad, but never said anything about this. He had fallen asleep a little while ago, and looked to be dreaming now.
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In fact, Harry was dreaming. It wasn't any normal dream, however, as he was once more thrust into the world of Lord Voldemort.
He could see Voldemort and what looked like his inner circle of Death Eaters, who were making a circle around him. He could see four of them were separated and coming forward to Voldemort, who stood alone in the circle. Then he spoke.
"Today we replenish and refill our inner ranks for the first time in thirteen years, bringing in a new generation of powerful and loyal Death Eaters. "Johnson!" The first stepped forward and pulled back his sleeve, revealing his right arm. Voldemort gave a great cry of 'MORDSMORDERONE', and Johnson cried out in pain.
He continued on to the next ones in line, calling out the names 'CRABBE, GOYLE, MALFOY' in succession. Finishing with this, the new four Death Eaters took their places in line. Voldemort then started speaking again.
"We have tonight a splendid example set up for those who have wavering loyalties. Wormtail, bring out Karkaroff!" A wizard was dragged into the circle and deposited at the feet of Lord Voldemort. "I promise you that you will have a long and extremely painful death! CRUCIO!"
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Harry awoke with a scream, taking a minute to realize where he was. His scream also blasted Hermione out of the sleep she had fallen into at the side of his bed.
"Harry, what is it?"
He looked at her, and she looked extremely tired and concerned. It took him a minute to figure out why, then the pain over his body reminded him. "Nothing, Hermione, just a nightmare. Go back to sleep."
Now that she was awake, she tried to engage him in conversation to make him feel better. He had already known that she would try to do this, as he was used to her trying to cheer him. "Do you want to tell me about it?"
Harry sighed to himself. He knew that Hermione was the only one that he would ever feel comfortable talking about these things to. Ron was his other best friend, but guys just can't talk about some sorts of things. Going against his better instincts, he told Hermione about the dream that he had.
When he had finished, he could tell from her face that she was pondering it. "But Harry, I thought that you said Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were already Death Eaters?"
"They were. Why would he have them join twice?"
"Maybe they weren't the same Malfoy and Crabbe and Goyle." Hermione said quietly. Harry stopped to consider this, but he still couldn't believe it.
"You can't be saying that Draco… I mean, come on, he's bad, but a Death Eater?" Hermione shrugged back at him. They were silent for a few more minutes, as neither of them wanted to broach the subject that was crossing both their minds.
"Harry…"
"Hermione…"
Harry looked like he was about ready to cry. Hermione began to cry herself, then went over to lie next to Harry. "Why did you let them do that to you?" She asked. She enveloped him in another hug, then lay there silently with her arms around him, and they both drifted off to sleep.
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"For the last time, Angus, we cannot set dragons on the ministry. Now-"
"Oh, come on, Dumbledore, don't deny that it would be funny."
Dumbledore glared the young Irishman down, then continued. The Staff of Merlin was meeting in his office again, and for once a meeting had actually started to go well. That, however, was before Angus O'Leary had started to make idiotic suggestions and Sirius and Snape started cursing each other behind his back.
"Ouch, Dammit Black!"
"Sirius, Severus, would you please give it a rest for just two more minutes! I feel like I'm talking to first years."
"Actually, Albus, I don't think a first year could have hit Snape with an engorgement charm right on his already incredibly ugly and oversized nose, but that's okay, continue." Sirius smiled at him.
"As I have been attempting to say many times now, Voldemort is stronger than ever. We have been strengthening our defenses along the coast for three weeks now, and it would take a lot for him to get in. However, he might already be in. He left many of his inner circle Death Eaters here in their positions, and we can't tell who to trust. However, if it does come down to him trying to take Britain, we will be ready. Through Arthur's useful contacts in the ministry, we are ready to overthrow Cornelius Fudge at a moments notice."
"Absolutely spiffing. Are we done yet?"
"Yes, I suppose that will have to do. Dismissed!"
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"Yo, you two, get your asses up!" Hermione and Harry were blasted out of sleep yet again, to see Abby staring at them from the doorway. "The meetings over, and Anton will be back to bring you guys home in half an hour, so be ready. He had to go fool around with some girl from Beauxbatons. If he catches you in here like that he's going to pass a stone." That said, she walked back out.
Looking at the clock, Hermione noticed that it was four in the morning. "Harry, it's your birthday!" she said excitedly.
"Ugh." Harry still wasn't fully awake.
"I can give you your present now. This is the first time that you've ever gotten a present on your birthday directly, isn't it?"
"Unless you count a pair of old socks from the Dursley's," Harry grinned at her, but she wasn't smiling back.
"That's not funny, Harry. I don't know how you can joke the Dursley's."
"It's easy. Observe. What's the only difference between Dudley and a killer whale?"
"Don't!"
"Dudley eats more. See? It's easy."
"Anyway," she cut in loudly, "your present, which you damn well better like, because I spent literally all day looking for it in Diagon Alley."
She handed him a rather small box, wrapped in red and gold wrapping paper. "Hermione, you really didn't have to do all this, you realize."
"But I did. Now open it!"
Harry unwrapped it quickly, and when he opened the box he found that she had bought him a watch. Not just any watch, but a real magical one, like the one that Professor Dumbledore had. It had many different hands, thirteen to be exact, and many different numbers, runes, and other symbols plus all the planets with their moons.
"Hermione, I looked at these last year! They cost more than ten galleons!"
"Thirteen."
"Why did you get something that was so expensive?"
"Because I wanted to. This is the first birthday I'm getting to spend with you, and it should be special."
"But still, thirteen galleons…"
"Harry, forget about the cost, all right! I didn't get it because it cost so much. I got it because I wanted to give a great present to a great person."
"Thank you." He gave her a quick hug and went to give her a kiss on the cheek, but she accidentally turned her head and caught it on the lips. "Um, sorry." They lay there looking at each other for a while, not saying anything. Finally Harry broke the silence. "I wonder what Ron's doing right now?"
Hermione was barely able to fight down the urge to whack Harry with one on the torches on the walls. Remembering what he had just been through, she thought that violence just wasn't the answer for once. How could males be so great one minute, then say something some so incredibly stupid the next?
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Angus O'Leary sat down gratefully on the London underground, thankful to finally have a rest after a long day. His rest would soon be disturbed, though, as he thought he saw three wizards in black robes run by the window. Shaking it off and telling himself that he was just tired, he leaned back in his seat again.
Just then, the doors flew open with a great red flash of light. The three figures that he thought he had seen earlier jumped in through the new hole with their wands out. Grabbing for his own wand, he wasn't quick enough, as the first wizard shouted "AVADA KEDAVRA!" and there was a flash of bright green light, then darkness for O'Leary forever.
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Hermione and Harry had taken the portkey back to England with Anton, and they were now flying back to the Burrow. They could see it coming up ahead in the distance, then after a few minutes landed on the roof. Harry gave Hermione a quick wave goodbye, then took off again with Anton. It hurt him greatly to fly, but it was getting a little better with the potion Miranda had given him. They flew on in silence for about a half an hour more, until they landed on the roof of a house in suburban London.
"This is where you have to stay until you leave Monday morning. Our people will escort you to the station, but it is still very important that you don't give away who we are. As far as everyone knows you came there with the Dursley's, understood?"
"Yeah, I get it already."
"Fine, just go in through that door. The password is 'silverneck.' I'll see you later."
Anton took back off, and Harry flew down to the door. He walked right in after giving the password, and was amazed by the spaciousness of what greeted him. Obviously the house had been greatly expanded by magic, because there was no way that it could be that big normally. There was a cavernous hall right when you walked in the door, with a large table in the middle and many doors leading off to the sides. The large table was cluttered with an assortment of different magical tools, which Harry found out were used to monitor all dark magic in Britain.
The leader of the eight or so members who were currently living in the safehouse was an enormous wizard named Brian, who looked almost twenty. He had some trouble moving about the large house, but he still couldn't even come close to the monstrous weight of Dudley. He was nice enough, and explained all about the different devices that were being used. Harry soon had enough of this, and quickly went off to his room to catch up on some much-needed sleep.
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The next days passed quickly, and before Harry knew it he was back on the Hogwarts Express. Wearing a long sleeved tee shirt and long pants, he had arrived a little late at the little station, thanks to driving skills that left much to be desired from Brian. Oh well, he thought, that mailbox was practically in the middle of the road.
He was brought back into reality by six heads of flaming red hair, and one of nice brown hair that soon clustered around him. He had a cheerful reunion with them all and said hello to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, then he, Ron, and Hermione went off to get a compartment to themselves. They soon found one at the back of the train, and had a pleasant trip back to Hogwarts. Harry filled Ron in on what had happened that summer (leaving out certain parts), and Ron was telling Harry what had been happening at the Burrow.
"Mum finally flipped at Fred and George. They kept on telling her that they were going to start a joke shop, but she wouldn't give in and kept telling them to get jobs at the ministry after they graduated this year. They were working on something up in their room, and they must have made it wrong because it exploded and blew out their windows."
"I'll bet she was really happy about that."
"You bet. She went through their room and took all the supplies that they had been hoarding. She even destroyed all the order forms that they had made up. They didn't even talk for the rest of the summer, but kept on getting stranger and stranger. They sent owls out constantly, and had them coming in constantly. Then when we went into Diagon Alley they spent the whole time in the back part of Zonko's, talking with the guy who runs the chain. But that's not the weirdest part. When they came out, they bought me a new pair of dress robes. And not the cheap second hand ones, either. Real silk robes, top of the line. Wait until you see them."
"Real silk, eh Weasel. What did your family have to do, sell of a few children?" Unnoticed to the trio, Draco Malfoy, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle had just walked in the door.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione quickly jumped to their feet and pulled out their wands. "Out now, Malfoy!" Ron yelled.
"Is that the best you can do Weasel? Being surrounded by a Mudblood finally taking its toll?"
To the surprise of all in the room, Harry threw himself at Malfoy suddenly, knocking him to the floor. He was quickly on top of Draco, and started pummeling him hard. Crabbe and Goyle started moving forward to protect him, but Ron and Hermione forced their wands forward and they stopped.
Meanwhile, Harry was still punching Draco as hard as he could. "Harry, stop!" Hermione finally yelled. Draco was quite shaken, as he was crying softly and had a bloody nose and lip.
"I think you should apologize to Hermione for that."
"I think you should go to hell, Potter!" Harry reared back and punched him as hard as he could, and couldn't tell if the snap he heard was from his hand or Draco's nose.
Getting up, he threw Draco out of the compartment, and Crabbe and Goyle quickly followed him out.
"Harry, what the hell are you thinking? You could get expelled!"
"Shut it Ron!" Ron stopped any protest after that, but looked at Harry differently for the rest of the trip.
They played exploding snap for the rest of the way, and talked with Ginny and Neville when they came through. While they were playing, Harry noticed that Hermione had been quiet the whole time. She wasn't even reading, which was a first, but just sitting there staring at him. Squirming a little under her glance, he asked her if she wanted to play. At that, Ron laughed and slapped Harry's back. Harry winced noticeably, but Hermione didn't say anything, just kept on glaring at him. Luckily Ron didn't notice, and just kept on playing. Deciding to talk to her alone at Hogwarts, Harry turned his attention back to the game.
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The trip in the carriages was normal, and they all waved to Hagrid when they saw him. It was the opposite of last year, now an extremely hot summer day, and many of the students had robes tied up and sleeves all the way up. Harry noticed this immediately, and felt lucky to be wearing the covering robes.
They all got seats next to each other at the Gryffindor table, and across from Fred and George. The sorting hat now began to sing, and Harry sat listening to its song.
"Psst, Harry."
He looked over to Ron, annoyed. "What?"
"Look up at the teacher's table. See anything odd?"
When he did look up, he immediately saw what every other male student in the population was goggling at. Sitting in between popular Professor Flitwick and extremely strict Professor McGonall was Fleur Delacour.
"Damn, she must be the new Defense teacher."
Ron looked at him as if he were crazy. "Damn? Are you insane Harry? We get to see her every class, and you're saying Damn?"
Hermione immediately gave Ron a piercing glance. "Ron, we talked about this, remember?"
Ron shut up straight off, and Harry thought that he knew why. Hermione must have told him not to talk or ask about the Tri-wizard tournament in front of Harry. Looking over at the Hufflepuff table, he could see that they were still distant and withdrawn from the sorting which had started already. His next glance was over to Cho Chang, who was looking very glum at the Ravenclaw table. Any thoughts that he had about her had already gone out of his mind, as it would be an insult to Cedric's memory even to think about them. He took his mind off of it as Gryffindors cheered with the addition of Riviera, Martin.
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At the same time as the sorting, Free fighters led by Arthur and Anton were attacking successfully a group of Death Eaters that were meeting on a hilltop in Wales. Once he had seen that the attack had been a success, Anton quickly gathered Moe and four Free Fighters and apparated to the street outside of Four Privet Drive. When they had accomplished this they would have had a completely profitable night. Nobody had been killed, but the gain was minimal as they only captured a few bottom of the line Death Eaters who didn't apparate off.
Walking right up to the front door with the rest at his back, he kicked the door in and walked directly towards the noise.
"What the hell! Who the fuck are you!" Vernon yelled. He then noticed the robes and wands that were being held by the seven. "Oh, shit."
He quickly backed into the living room, where Petunia and Dudley were watching television. When they saw what was happening, Dudley jumped (you get the idea) behind the couch and Petunia let off a scream.
Anton took off his mask. "Remember me?"
Vernon jumped. "You bastard! You took that boy from me! I demand it back!"
"You demand it back? How about you demand your fucking nephew back!"
"Get out of my house."
Moe turned to Anton. "We have to get moving, aurors might show up any minute. I'm sure that these are the three. What do you want to do?"
Anton was silent for a minute, before finally uttering two words. "Kill them." He walked back out to the front stoop, then heard the satisfying sound of three Avada Kedavras. When he was rejoined by the rest of his party, he started back out to the street, then stopped. "Arthur, send up the dark mark."
"What?"
"You heard me. This was the work of Death Eaters. We were never here. Is that clear?"
Arthur didn't move for another moment, then shouted out "Morsmordre", and seven people apparated out.
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