Back Again

It started like all the other days. Hermione got up and grabbed a quick bite and went to grade papers. Later, Ron and Haley got up and they had breakfast. But, thankfully, it was Saturday, and although there was still work to do, Hermione didn't have to teach today. She sat at her desk, trying to grade her third years' tests, when Troy came in.

"You wanted to see me, Professor?" Troy had been a frequent visitor in the office, and Hermione always made time to help him.

"I was just grading your test," she said.

"And…?"

"And it was fairly good. Would you like to go over the problems you missed?"

Troy sat down at her desk and they started to talk about problem four.

"See, you multiplied these two numbers when you should have-" Suddenly Hermione stopped in mid-sentence.

"What's wrong, Professor?" Troy asked.

"Nothing," she said quickly. "When you add these two numbers you should get…?"

"14 not 48," Troy answered.

"Correct. So your final answer should be…?"

"17. Is that right?" He looked up at his teacher and saw that her face had gone pale. "Professor, what's wrong?"

Hermione didn't answer and barely heard the question. She slid off her chair and onto the floor, howling in agony and clutching her stomach.

Troy looked around wildly, but there was no one in the halls to help him. Suddenly, he remembered a time when he had come for help and Professor Weasley hadn't been in the room. Then she suddenly appeared from behind a tapestry. Maybe there was someone in there who could help? Was this where his professor lived? He had heard Professor Black, his Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, talk about the teachers' apartments being searched once nine years ago.

Troy lifted up the tapestry, but there was nothing behind it but a solid wall. He began to bang on the wall. "Mr. Weasley!" he called over and over again. He hoped someone would hear him. "Mr. Weasley! Anyone in there?" He stopped banging and was about to find someone else when the wall behind the tapestry disappeared and Ron came out.

"You must be Troy," Ron said. "Hermione said she was tutoring you today."

Troy nodded. "Something's wrong with her," he said urgently.

Ron looked over Troy's head and saw Hermione sitting against the wall. He rushed over to her. "Hermione! What's wrong?"

"I don't know," she said. "The baby…." Her voice died away.

"Troy," Ron said, looking towards the boy who was standing by the tapestry helplessly. "Go get Madame Pomfrey. We're going to need her."

Troy headed for the door. Ron tried to help Hermione, but he was distracted. Troy, Troy…why did that name sound familiar?

"Hermione," he said suddenly, "what's Troy's last name?"

"Harpert…" she said slowly.

Ron started to write something in the air, but Hermione was too dizzy to see clearly.

"It's a trap!" Ron shouted, rushing towards the boy, but he was too late. Troy had gone out the door, but now he was coming back in. He pointed his wand at the door and melted the doorknob. There were trapped.

"I can't believe you're back again," Ron growled.

"Did you really thing you could kill me," Troy said. "I'm the most powerful wizard alive!"

"You wish," Ron jeered.

Troy scowled. "Come on, Ron, you know you want to join me."

"I'll never join your side! You can kill me first!"

"That shouldn't be too hard, considering your weakened condition." Troy smiled wickedly and raised his wand.

The wand fired, but Ron dodged at the last moment.

"Darn child's body!" Troy exclaimed. "Can't even hold the wand properly. But wait… where's your wand?"

Ron scowled. "I'm not going to fight you. Not in that body."

"Liar!" Troy hissed. "You can't because of your wound. You're not strong enough!"

Ron gasped. He was too much like Voldemort - he knew everything.

A moan from Hermione, forgotten by the wall, brought Ron back to his senses.

"Don't go to her," Troy warned, as Ron looked worriedly back. "Because next time, I won't miss."

"You piece of scum!" Ron shouted. "What did you do to her?"

"What did I do? I did nothing, you idiot! She brought it upon herself! She's exhausted, she's in labor!" Troy laughed the recognizable evil laugh. "She needs a doctor's help," he mocked. "She won't last much longer."

Ron wished he had his wand; he would have killed the boy even if it killed him, too. "You can have me!" Ron shouted. "Is that what you want? Revenge?"

"Revenge, your body…it's all the same to me."

"You can have me if you let her go," Ron said quietly.

"Oh, no!" Troy said, his voice growing deeper the more he talked. His hair was even turning darker. "That's no fun! I want both of you."

Anger fused inside Ron's blood. "You can't do this, Harry Potter! I won't let you!"

"Let me? You're in no position to be telling me what I can and cannot do!" The short third year was beginning to grow taller, and his hair was almost black.

"Please, Harry," Ron pleaded, the anger gone now. There was only one was to reach him without a wand. "Spare her. We used to be friends. Come on, you remember."

Troy, who had completely turned into Harry now, looked away, but didn't give in.

"You know our daughter."

"Haley," Harry spat. He paused, then looked hard at Ron.

"That's right," Ron confirmed. "Named after you. What is she going to do without her parents? You know what it's like, Harry! You know too well!"

Ron paused to let this sink in. "Hermione's going to die if she doesn't get help. You can't let that happen. She was your friend, Harry. I was your friend. How can you do this to us? Please, take me, but leave Hermione alone!" He shouted the last three words as loud as he possibly could, and suddenly, the room started to spin.

When Ron looked around again, Harry was gone. The doorknob was back to normal. He was kneeling next to Hermione. "Jones," she said.

"What?" Ron asked, confused.

"You asked what Troy's last name is. I can't imagine why you asked, but it's Jones."

"Jones?" Ron repeated. Was that all my imagination? he wondered. It seemed so real….

A few minutes later, Troy Jones was back with Madame Pomfrey, and they brought Hermione upstairs, where she soon had her baby: a healthy baby boy.

"What should we name it?"

"Nothing with an H," Ron joked.

"How about S for his godfather?" Hermione suggested.

"Okay."

"What do you think about Samuel?"

"Sam Weasley…. I like it!"

"Sam it is then," Hermione said. "Maybe he'll grow up to be an Auror, like his father."

"Or maybe a teacher like his mother," Madame Pomfrey added.

"I don't care what he becomes as long as it's not a Dark wizard."