Disclaimor: All things Harry Potter belong to J.K. Rowling.

Thank you Corazon for all your help and advice with this story and beta reading it!

Chapter 30

"I swear on my wizard's oath."

"Continue Hermione," Dumbledore offered.

"Thank you. Sirius, first you need to know I'm not about to risk my cousins life because you don't think a witch can protect him."

"Cousin?" Sirius was bewildered, "You're related to Lily?"

"No, James was my cousin. My father is James' first cousin, he was here at Christmas when you came. I guess you didn't see him."

"No I didn't." Black mumbled.

Hermione saw the shock on Draco's face, "Draco, I'm not a muggleborn. In fact I'm pureblood. My mother is a witch also."

"Reed and Candace Grange?" Black asked.

"Yes, they moved and changed their name to Granger."

"Why did they move?"

"Because they wanted to protect me from Voldemort. When my Mum found out she was pregnant they decided it was best."

"Hermione, you may be cousins, but protecting him against You-Know-Who is different. Harry and Ron have told me you rarely duel. You have no experience."

"Headmaster, may I?" Hermione asked softly.

"Yes but let's make it interesting shall we?" Dumbledore smirked with eyes twinkling.

Hermione consented.

"Will you all agree except Severus and you, Remus, you have been abused enough, to duel?" Dumbledore asked.

The others nodded dumbly confused on what was taking place.

"Hermione, please stand in the center of the room. Sirius, Harry, Ron, Ginny and Draco please circle her," Dumbledore instructed in a commanding tone. "Now on the count of three all of you are to duel Hermione at once."

"What?" "Are you insane?" were the common responses.

"Do as I say!"

No one questioned Dumbledore after the tone he took.

"One, two.."

"Albus, wait. Hermione give me your wand we do not need you getting over excited and injuring some body. Though I wouldn't mind seeing some people.." Severus walked to her and took the proffered wand. "Continue Albus. Oh and Hermione do have fun," Severus smirked.

"Oh I plan to," she smiled evilly.

"She can't duel without a wand." Ron shouted.

"Yes she can and she will."

"Everyone get ready. One, two, three!" Dumbledore started the duel.

"Visadlio furor," Hermione whispered softly to put a shield around herself that could handle curses for a little bit, it was something Severus and her worked on alone.

Ron, Ginny and Harry each fired different stunning spells and Draco a powerful curse to make Hermione sleep for a day. Sirius casted petrificus totalus. All spells were blocked. Hermione stunned Ron and Ginny with a wave of her hands without muttering a word. Draco and Harry were next under petrificus totalus themselves. Hermione turned to Sirius who fired a more powerful stunning spell that commonly broke most shields that he knew of but it didn't affect Hermione. Hermione waved her right hand at Sirius and sent him flying ten feet backwards and him landing on his arse.

"Expelliarmus," she mumbled and all five wands were in her right hand. Hermione turned to Dumbledore after taking down her shield and smirked.

Severus was smiling widely, Dumbledore was grinning like a proud grandparent and Lupin was clearly amused.

"Did you have fun Hermione?" Dumbledore laughed.

"Yes I did."

"Remus, please wake up and release everyone," Dumbledore asked.

A few minutes later everyone was up again and staring at Hermione. "How did you do that?" Black demanded.

"I had a magical growth spur on my magic on my 18th birthday."

"Growth spur? I never seen a magical growth spur enable anyone to do that," Black said suspiciously.

"And you have only seen two witches with this sort of growth spur and won't see one again unless I have a daughter."

"Stop speaking in riddles child and... AAHH!" Black went flying further than before and landing twice as hard from being thrown higher.

The others looked at Hermione. Black quickly got back up and faced Hermione stalking up to her, "Do not do that to me again!"

"I didn't," Hermione simply said.

"Who else could have done it then?" Black mockingly said.

"Professor Snape."

Gazes turned onto Severus who was smirking.

"I guess I forgot to mention my magical growth spur extended to Professor Snape," Hermione smirked.

"Why?" Black asked.

"Because he was holding me during the change."

"He was doing more than holding you," Ron murmured. Everyone heard him though and stared at him and he flushed.

"What do you mean Ron?" Black had to ask.

"They were kissing," Harry said softly.

Lupin, Draco and Black looked on in shock.

"Explain why only your daughter would go through a growth spur?" Black finally asked.

"Long family history and I'm not in the mood to explain it but if I have a daughter she will go through the similar change," Hermione exasperatedly explained.

"Why not a son?"

"Why does it matter? Can't we get back to more important things?"

"If it effects your family then Harry will have the same and it will help us," Black sarcastically said.

"You really need to listen Black. Hermione clearly stated it only affects witches in her line, meaning her mother and her. If we have a daughter, she too will go through the change our son would not."

"Your son and daughter?" Black questioned, "Hermione, do your parents know about him?"

"Yes they do and they get along great." Hermione tried to close the subject.

"But how can they accept him and you?" Black of course had to ask.

"Albus, surely going over the plan and practicing would be better than discussing Hermione's and my relationship," Severus said.

"Correct Severus," and he went onto explain the rest of the plan for the two supporting groups of Harry.

~Thank you Severus for knocking him onto his arse. I wanted to but...~

*It was my pleasure Angel.*

~So our children huh?~

*I was hoping for the future,* Severus admitted.

~I'd like that for the distant future of course. But we will have to keep practicing so we are in shape when we are ready to have them.~

*Behave love, Albus is about to test the others for shields.*

Dumbledore and Lupin tested Draco, Ron and Ginny to see who was capable of the best shields. After shields the counter-curses were tested. The decision from before was correct.

"Draco and Ginny, both of you will take turns doing shields. Ron, you are strongest in counter-curses for defense. Please try to learn as many as possible for the stronger ones that shields are not able to block."

"Yes, sir." Ron was pleased at the compliment.

"From now on you will work with your teams learning each others dueling habits and try to cover for other members weaknesses and let me assure you everyone has one," Dumbledore stated.

"Professor, what if Voldemort throws an Unforgivable at Hermione and I?" Harry remembered the Dark Wizards fondness of them.

"Do not worry, Hermione can block them."

"What?" "How?"

"Not again," Hermione sighed.

Dumbledore chuckled at Hermione, "Don't worry my dear. All of you just take my word for it."

"But Albus..." Black started.

"Honestly, Sirius just trust him!" Harry sighed out in annoyance.

"Harry, I'm just looking out for your best interest."

"Sirius, everyone is. Hell, even Snape is. We are all trying here, but you need to relax. Dumbledore knows what he is doing."

Everyone was either shocked or amused by Harry's outburst, but they all agreed Sirius needed to listen to Dumbledore.

"Sirius, they have been training together for several weeks and they are starting to trust one another, you will learn to. You will be here training from now," Dumbledore told him.

"But I'm more useful in the field."

"The Ministry is getting too close to catching you and when the time comes you will need to be ready."

Black nodded and kept quiet for once.

"When you work with your teams you will need to learn to dodge the Unforgivables. Severus will not be able to jump in and block them all, but when he does, do not curse him in the back," Dumbledore teased.

"Snape block Unforgivables?" Black paled.

"Yes, he can block them for himself hence jumping in front of the curse unlike Hermione who can cast a shield and protect Harry."

"Lets begin. Albus please work with Black and Lupin, Hermione start teaching Harry. I'll work with the others," Severus commanded.

Black, Lupin and Dumbledore went to the far left side of the room and started to work. Dumbledore would throw curses so Lupin and Black could synchronize their moves. They practiced with shields and dodging at spells.

Severus took the center of the room and started having the three move together and showing them simple moves. He instructed them if they were separated in battle to find their partners immediately, but if they could not, they were to join another group until they did see their partners. While Ron didn't particularly like Severus he knew to listen if he wanted to survive the upcoming battle.

Harry and Hermione took positions on the right side of the room. "So Hermione what are we going to work on?"

"Dodging spells first in case my shields come down. You are to take cover behind me no matter what."

"But you would get hit with the curses then," Harry said concerned.

Hermione thought for a moment and decided it would be all right to tell him the complete truth. "If I tell you something do you swear not to tell the others?"

"Yes of course."

"I'm immune to the curses. I only use shields and dodging moves so no one can tell."

"But the Unforgivables?"

"Dumbledore as tested Imperius and Cruciatus on me they have no effect. Trust me Harry please," Hermione asked because she didn't want to prove this.

Both got to work. Hermione would show Harry simple rolls and tucks first and would practice them. She would fire simple charms at him letting him know he would need to move faster for dodging. This carried on for the rest of the session.



To Be Continued...