Disclaimer: I don't own a thing except the obvious. The rest belongs to J.
K. Rowling.
Authors Note: There will be some tiny bit of romance in this chapter, and to anyone who wondered why Nicholas Wolf met Harry and not Draco: I've got it all planned. Don't fret. It'll be important later in the story. Anyways, on with the chapter. Hope you enjoy.
-Chapter Ten-
Harry followed the Fat Lady down several corridors, in the end he stood in an empty classroom. All the people from the paintings were gathered in the room, even the mad knight Sir Cadogan along with two lions.
When he entered the paintings shut up and the two lions stopped watching a snake at the opposite wall.
"There is a passage in the school that only the paintings know about. Not even the Marauders found it." The Fat Lady said when the door closed behind Harry.
"We have now decided to use it to get the mothers and children out." A wizened witch said.
Harry listened closely. The paintings would lead the mothers and children through the passage. They would come up somewhere close to platform 9 ¾ at Kings Cross. In the end they arranged that Harry would meet them by the fireplace in the Potion classroom.
Harry hurried back to the Great Hall and jumped up onto the Gryffindor table.
"Sonorus!" he said pointing his wand at his throat. "Listen up everyone! The paintings of Hogwarts know a way to get the mothers and children out of here. It will be a long walk, but a lot safer than staying here. Every mother gather in the Entrance Hall with their kid. Quietus!"
When Harry jumped off the table he was cornered by Dumbledore, Nowels, Hawkins, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Fred, George, Draco, McGonagall and Snape.
"What do you mean by 'the paintings of Hogwarts'?" Hawkins asked.
"Just what I said."
People passed them on their way to the Entrance Hall. Harry spotted Nicholas dragging his mother along.
"Why don't we know about this way?" McGonagall asked. Her voice was stern but still filled with hope. "The paintings never told us about it."
"I don't know why they didn't tell you. Ask them."
"And what are we going to do while they get away?" Snape's voice was tired.
"When you're desperate, attack." Harry replied and pushed through.
The group in the Entrance Hall consisted of 30 people. To his surprise Ginny was there too.
"I'm going with them, just in case." She said before he could ask.
Harry nodded to her. He was going to send Dobby and a few other House Elves with them, along with a ghost or two.
He led the group to the Potions classroom. There he was greeted by the Fat Lady and some other people from the paintings. Dobby was there with a few other House Elves he had picked, and Nearly Headless Nick was there with the Bloody Baron and the Fat Friar.
Dobby pushed a rock and the back-wall of the fireplace opened. The Fat Lady and her friends led the way, while the ghosts, the House Elves and Ginny took the rear.
"I finally have a chance to get my head completely chopped off and join the Headless Hunt, but I get sent away!" Harry heard Nearly Headless Nick say as the wall closed.
As Harry entered the Great Hall, Draco shook his hand.
"Don't thank me," Harry said. "Thank the paintings."
"What the Hell are you talking about? I was welcoming your luck back to work!"
Harry smiled and shook his head. He'd never understand a Malfoy, and least of all this one.
There was an angry yell from behind them. Harry and Draco quickly turned only to see Hermione and Ron in the middle of another huge fight. Dumbledore and his staff, the two Commanders, the Phoenix Agents and the Aurors turned too. Fred, George and Neville were backing off.
"I'm just saying that this will be worse than anything we've gone through! You should have gone with Ginny!" Ron said. "You'll not be safe here!"
"What are you saying Ronald Weasley?!" Hermione asked angrily. "That I need you to baby-sit me?!"
"She used the whole name!" Draco whispered in shock. "He's soooo dead!"
Harry nodded in agreement. Everyone, except him and Draco, turned their back to the fighting couple. If something nasty happened, they didn't want to be witnesses.
"If you are such a big Know-It-All, Hermione, then you should have gone when you had the chance!"
"You are a bigheaded, screwed up idiot Ronald Weasley! For your information, I'm old enough to take care of myself!" with that Hermione stormed out of the Great Hall, leaving a dumbfounded Ron in her heels.
"Oooo, that must've hurt." Draco said, voice full of sympathy. "Come to think of it, I've never heard Granger swear until now. Got to write it down." He found a little notebook and a pen in one of his pockets.
"Why would you want to record something like that?" Harry asked, still looking after Hermione.
"Can use it for blackmailing maybe, or as a reply when she comments my vocabulary."
Harry shook his head.
"I'm going to talk to her. See you later."
"If you get out alive, Potter." Draco didn't even look up.
-------------------------
Harry found Hermoine in the library. She was sitting in the back, in a dark corner, facing the wall. When he came closer she spoke.
"If you're going to side with him or tell me to see things from his point of view, don't waste your breath Harry."
Harry was a bit taken back, but that wasn't what he was going to say anyway.
"When are you going to tell him that you love him?" he asked instead.
Hermione opened her mouth to reply, but let it hang open when she realised what Harry had said.
"What the Hell are you talking about?"
"Well, it is quite obvious. The way you look at each other. The way you're avoiding each other. The way you fight almost every time you're in the same room. it's as thought you're already married." Harry ignored her glare and continued. "I can see it Herm, on both you and him-" Hermione cut him off.
"That idiot? Caring about me? Yeah right, and Voldemort is becoming the new Mahatma Gandhi."
"Herm, I'm serious. Just confront him about it. go straight to business, corner him. Sometimes we men need a little push to admit our feelings." Harry left before she could answer. 'One down and one more to go.'
-------------------------
Ron was playing chess with Draco when Harry came over to their table.
"Ron, we need to talk. Alone." Harry looked pointedly at Draco.
"All right, I'm going. He would've beaten me anyway, so I won't miss much."
Harry sat down in Draco's seat and move the pawn two paces.
"Why do you treat Herm as thought she's crystal?"
Ron lost his concentration and did a wrong move.
"Because I care for her." He replied quietly, blushing. "But she hates me, so it's the end of the story. Reminds me a bit of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet."
"You really think so?" Harry asked considering his own move. "The way she looks at you, you would think she claimed first right on you." He moved the king to the left. "Give her a chance to speak up, see things from her point of view, and try not to treat her as crystal."
"You think that would work?" Ron moved his queen.
"Sure, just have some patience with her. Remember, she hasn't seen her parents for over a year." Harry moved his tower straight forward.
"How do I make her understand?" Ron's queen took Harry's tower.
"Kiss her," Harry said simply, moving a knight.
"And you're sure about this? Can't say you have the biggest experience with girls." Ron took one of Harry's pawns.
"Trust me on this one. And when we're talking about the sun..." Hermione had walked through the doors of the Great Hall. "Here's your chance Ron. Don't let her go."
"Alright, here it goes. Wish me luck."
Ron stood up and walked towards Hermione. When she spotted him, she hurried towards him. They met in the middle of the Great Hall. Before Hermione could do a thing, Ron grabbed her and kissed her. After a minute she put her arms around his neck. Fred and George began to wolf-whistle, the rest cheered.
"Your doing?" Draco stood beside Harry's seat at the Gryffindor table. Harry nodded. "How did you manage it?"
"Checkmate, Draco." Was the reply. Harry moved his last tower on the chessboard and left.
Draco looked at the board and saw that everyone of Harry's pieces were cornering Ron's king in a neat circle.
"How does he do it?" he asked himself. "That guy could play the Big Game in his sleep."
Harry watched Hermione and Ron for a while then turned to the Marauders Map and Fred and George and Neville.
'It's not Romeo and Juliet, Ron. It's A Midsummer Night's Dream.'
-------------------------
Well, tell me what you think. The next chapter will be out sooner or later.
I want to thank Lily Evans, Pampered Tigeress, Tinabina87, bill weasly and ~*Artemis*~ for reviewing.
Authors Note: There will be some tiny bit of romance in this chapter, and to anyone who wondered why Nicholas Wolf met Harry and not Draco: I've got it all planned. Don't fret. It'll be important later in the story. Anyways, on with the chapter. Hope you enjoy.
-Chapter Ten-
Harry followed the Fat Lady down several corridors, in the end he stood in an empty classroom. All the people from the paintings were gathered in the room, even the mad knight Sir Cadogan along with two lions.
When he entered the paintings shut up and the two lions stopped watching a snake at the opposite wall.
"There is a passage in the school that only the paintings know about. Not even the Marauders found it." The Fat Lady said when the door closed behind Harry.
"We have now decided to use it to get the mothers and children out." A wizened witch said.
Harry listened closely. The paintings would lead the mothers and children through the passage. They would come up somewhere close to platform 9 ¾ at Kings Cross. In the end they arranged that Harry would meet them by the fireplace in the Potion classroom.
Harry hurried back to the Great Hall and jumped up onto the Gryffindor table.
"Sonorus!" he said pointing his wand at his throat. "Listen up everyone! The paintings of Hogwarts know a way to get the mothers and children out of here. It will be a long walk, but a lot safer than staying here. Every mother gather in the Entrance Hall with their kid. Quietus!"
When Harry jumped off the table he was cornered by Dumbledore, Nowels, Hawkins, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Fred, George, Draco, McGonagall and Snape.
"What do you mean by 'the paintings of Hogwarts'?" Hawkins asked.
"Just what I said."
People passed them on their way to the Entrance Hall. Harry spotted Nicholas dragging his mother along.
"Why don't we know about this way?" McGonagall asked. Her voice was stern but still filled with hope. "The paintings never told us about it."
"I don't know why they didn't tell you. Ask them."
"And what are we going to do while they get away?" Snape's voice was tired.
"When you're desperate, attack." Harry replied and pushed through.
The group in the Entrance Hall consisted of 30 people. To his surprise Ginny was there too.
"I'm going with them, just in case." She said before he could ask.
Harry nodded to her. He was going to send Dobby and a few other House Elves with them, along with a ghost or two.
He led the group to the Potions classroom. There he was greeted by the Fat Lady and some other people from the paintings. Dobby was there with a few other House Elves he had picked, and Nearly Headless Nick was there with the Bloody Baron and the Fat Friar.
Dobby pushed a rock and the back-wall of the fireplace opened. The Fat Lady and her friends led the way, while the ghosts, the House Elves and Ginny took the rear.
"I finally have a chance to get my head completely chopped off and join the Headless Hunt, but I get sent away!" Harry heard Nearly Headless Nick say as the wall closed.
As Harry entered the Great Hall, Draco shook his hand.
"Don't thank me," Harry said. "Thank the paintings."
"What the Hell are you talking about? I was welcoming your luck back to work!"
Harry smiled and shook his head. He'd never understand a Malfoy, and least of all this one.
There was an angry yell from behind them. Harry and Draco quickly turned only to see Hermione and Ron in the middle of another huge fight. Dumbledore and his staff, the two Commanders, the Phoenix Agents and the Aurors turned too. Fred, George and Neville were backing off.
"I'm just saying that this will be worse than anything we've gone through! You should have gone with Ginny!" Ron said. "You'll not be safe here!"
"What are you saying Ronald Weasley?!" Hermione asked angrily. "That I need you to baby-sit me?!"
"She used the whole name!" Draco whispered in shock. "He's soooo dead!"
Harry nodded in agreement. Everyone, except him and Draco, turned their back to the fighting couple. If something nasty happened, they didn't want to be witnesses.
"If you are such a big Know-It-All, Hermione, then you should have gone when you had the chance!"
"You are a bigheaded, screwed up idiot Ronald Weasley! For your information, I'm old enough to take care of myself!" with that Hermione stormed out of the Great Hall, leaving a dumbfounded Ron in her heels.
"Oooo, that must've hurt." Draco said, voice full of sympathy. "Come to think of it, I've never heard Granger swear until now. Got to write it down." He found a little notebook and a pen in one of his pockets.
"Why would you want to record something like that?" Harry asked, still looking after Hermione.
"Can use it for blackmailing maybe, or as a reply when she comments my vocabulary."
Harry shook his head.
"I'm going to talk to her. See you later."
"If you get out alive, Potter." Draco didn't even look up.
-------------------------
Harry found Hermoine in the library. She was sitting in the back, in a dark corner, facing the wall. When he came closer she spoke.
"If you're going to side with him or tell me to see things from his point of view, don't waste your breath Harry."
Harry was a bit taken back, but that wasn't what he was going to say anyway.
"When are you going to tell him that you love him?" he asked instead.
Hermione opened her mouth to reply, but let it hang open when she realised what Harry had said.
"What the Hell are you talking about?"
"Well, it is quite obvious. The way you look at each other. The way you're avoiding each other. The way you fight almost every time you're in the same room. it's as thought you're already married." Harry ignored her glare and continued. "I can see it Herm, on both you and him-" Hermione cut him off.
"That idiot? Caring about me? Yeah right, and Voldemort is becoming the new Mahatma Gandhi."
"Herm, I'm serious. Just confront him about it. go straight to business, corner him. Sometimes we men need a little push to admit our feelings." Harry left before she could answer. 'One down and one more to go.'
-------------------------
Ron was playing chess with Draco when Harry came over to their table.
"Ron, we need to talk. Alone." Harry looked pointedly at Draco.
"All right, I'm going. He would've beaten me anyway, so I won't miss much."
Harry sat down in Draco's seat and move the pawn two paces.
"Why do you treat Herm as thought she's crystal?"
Ron lost his concentration and did a wrong move.
"Because I care for her." He replied quietly, blushing. "But she hates me, so it's the end of the story. Reminds me a bit of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet."
"You really think so?" Harry asked considering his own move. "The way she looks at you, you would think she claimed first right on you." He moved the king to the left. "Give her a chance to speak up, see things from her point of view, and try not to treat her as crystal."
"You think that would work?" Ron moved his queen.
"Sure, just have some patience with her. Remember, she hasn't seen her parents for over a year." Harry moved his tower straight forward.
"How do I make her understand?" Ron's queen took Harry's tower.
"Kiss her," Harry said simply, moving a knight.
"And you're sure about this? Can't say you have the biggest experience with girls." Ron took one of Harry's pawns.
"Trust me on this one. And when we're talking about the sun..." Hermione had walked through the doors of the Great Hall. "Here's your chance Ron. Don't let her go."
"Alright, here it goes. Wish me luck."
Ron stood up and walked towards Hermione. When she spotted him, she hurried towards him. They met in the middle of the Great Hall. Before Hermione could do a thing, Ron grabbed her and kissed her. After a minute she put her arms around his neck. Fred and George began to wolf-whistle, the rest cheered.
"Your doing?" Draco stood beside Harry's seat at the Gryffindor table. Harry nodded. "How did you manage it?"
"Checkmate, Draco." Was the reply. Harry moved his last tower on the chessboard and left.
Draco looked at the board and saw that everyone of Harry's pieces were cornering Ron's king in a neat circle.
"How does he do it?" he asked himself. "That guy could play the Big Game in his sleep."
Harry watched Hermione and Ron for a while then turned to the Marauders Map and Fred and George and Neville.
'It's not Romeo and Juliet, Ron. It's A Midsummer Night's Dream.'
-------------------------
Well, tell me what you think. The next chapter will be out sooner or later.
I want to thank Lily Evans, Pampered Tigeress, Tinabina87, bill weasly and ~*Artemis*~ for reviewing.