A/N:

Since the storm yesterday I have received a very large amount of comments and emails. So as not to take up 3 or more pages with return comments I will thank you all and summarize a few things for your knowledge.

First, for those of you that are nay-sayers and don't like the plot or the way I write ... well there are 70, 000 other HP stories here at FF.net. Read something more to your liking.

A lot of you were surprised that I am having H/Hr getting married, saying it was either stupid or unrealistic like Harry's appointment as Asst. Prof. Nothing is set in stone, and hopefully this chapter will smooth out the reasons why I do things. There are always reasons. JKR has Hermione on a crusade to free the House elves from enslavement. I have only a point to show that I don't think JKR really goes much into with the trio. See if you can spot it.

We will hear from the Daily Prophet in the future as well as some Ministry officials about the goings on. Be patient.

Now about the writing schedule: I was put out of four hours of writing yesterday and I will hopefully be back on track soon. So you should see a smaller chapter this evening and I will be back to normal by tomorrow.

On with the story!

Chapter 19

"Ron, what are you doing out of classes?" Hermione asked crossly.

"It's my study period."

"And of course you aren't studying," she responded.

"What's this about you two bein' married."

Harry sat Ron down in the study and told him about the ring while Hermione explored the rest of the rooms and the new books.

"But you aren't even of age. You've got two more years of school!"

"Oh, well in that case. Hermione will you come over here so I can take the ring back. Apparently we aren't of age so it's not supposed to count. "

She shelved the book she was currently skimming. "Yes dear, how silly of us and Professor Dumbledore. Because we all know how much magic takes into account how old we are and if we are still in school before it curses us. I should have reminded the Professor about the 'not counting' rule."

Ron sulked, "Now you're even calling him 'dear'. And soon I'll even have to call you Hermione Potter."

She hopped happily and clapped her hands, "Oh, Harry. I hadn't thought of that either. We'll have the same initials! It will make towel shopping that much easier!"

Ron's head dropped to the desk with a clunk.

"Ron, quit being such a prat." she pulled her chair around and sat in front of him. "It's a lesson, in looking before you leap. Harry and I should have known better, but we got caught up in the moment. Surely a piece of jewelry locked in a vault might stand a good chance of being enchanted."

She reached out and took Harry's hand. "And now we will have to pay the price for our foolishness. You know Harry is not going to walk away from me and I'm not walking away from him either."

"Hermione," Harry pleaded.

"I know you love me Harry, but the fact still remains that we should have known better. Lots of people do things in the name of love that they wind up regretting for the rest of their lives. We're lucky. We don't regret the result, but I want you to think of this. What would have happened if say Cho Chang dropped this ring in the hall and you returned it to her."

Harry shuddered.

"Would you still make the right decision? Would there even be a right decision?"

"But ..." Ron tried to protest.

"She's right, Ron. What if you and Luna did more than snog down by the lake last night and she ..."

Hermione was definitely surprised. "You did what, with who?"

Ron's face was slowly turning red and he wouldn't meet either of their eyes.

Harry looked at his best friend. "You didn't do more than snog did you?"

Ron winced.

"Ronald Weasley!" Hermione stood up. "You are a prefect!"

Silence swept through the room.

"Did you at least use a protection charm?"

He nodded.

Hermione sighed with relief, "At least somebody was thinking."

"Dad taught it to us when we turned twelve," he swallowed. "Said if we came home with a girl and she was preggers then we were on our own."

Harry laughed, "Smart man, your dad."

********************

News didn't take long to travel around the school and by dinner every student, portrait, and even Mrs. Norris knew the situation.
The weekend consisted of answering questions from students from all houses and giving guided tours of their quarters to most of the Gryffindor girls who flushed with envy.

"I am too tired to study."

"Now I know something is wrong," Harry said playfully.

"It's just all the attention. I'm used to being ignored."

Harry leaned back in his chair. "This is my world. Welcome to the center of attention. We will be making stops along the way at 'we don't know whether to love you or hate you' and be sure to look out the right side of your window or you will miss the 'my, isn't that an unusual scar you have, lane'.

"I have complete and utter sympathy for you."

He stood and walked around the desk. "Then I will take you to bed so you can get some rest."

She opened her eyes, "You aren't coming to bed?"

He shook his head. "I don't know what it is, but I have an overwhelming desire to study."

Hermione immediately stood and felt his forehead. "It must be the ring. You're getting my good habits and I'm getting your bad. Oh, no!"

He laughed and pulled her into his arms, "Hermione, I'm sure it might have something to do with having a lot of responsibility lately. I don't think there is any magic in existence that could take away your desire to study."

Harry turned her around and walked her to bed, tucked her in and lowered the torchlight. He thought she was asleep before he closed the privacy door, but she called out to him one last time.

"Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't stay up too late. You have early classes tomorrow."

"Yes, dear."

"Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't say 'yes, dear' like that it makes me sound like I'm hen pecking you."

"Yes, dear."

"Harry?"

"Good night, Hermione," he warned.

"I love you."

"I love you, too. Go to sleep."

To tell the truth Harry had not gotten much sleep for the last two nights and didn't expect to go without waking up at least five times tonight. It was definitely a different feeling sleeping with somebody else in the bed.

Sometimes he would wake with Hermione snuggling under his arm or laying her head on his chest, or sometimes he would simply wake because he didn't feel her near enough. Overall it led to him yawning excessively and having Ron question whether or not they were actually sleeping or shagging their brains out.

"I promised her mother I wouldn't do that until we were properly married."

Ron snorted, "And you're gonna keep it?"

Harry really wanted off of this subject. "Speaking of shagging, where's Luna?"

Ron whipped his head around to see if anyone was close enough to hear as they walked down the hall. "I told you not to say anything about that! If it got back to Luna, I'd be growing flamingos out of my head or something."

"So you and Luna, huh?"

He shrugged, "She's not all that bad once you get to know her."

"You've really got to get her to stop wearing vegetables and trash as jewelry."

Ron nodded, "I've eaten the radishes she uses as earrings, but then she doesn't want to ..."

Harry raised his hands, "I don't want to know!"

They made it to the Defense classroom and entered a few minutes before first class started. A few Slytherins had made it there early and were sitting front row this time. Malfoy was in the back corner by himself with his head cocked away and didn't make eye contact with Harry.

Ron took his desk and Harry stepped upstairs to his office.

Before he knew it the bell signaling the start of class rang and Harry made his way back down the stairs.

"Everyone pass their homework down to the end of the row, Mr. Davis would you collect them please?"

The sixth-year Slytherin hopped up from his seat without so much as a dirty look and began taking up parchment form the other students.

I guess Malfoy is as good as his word.

"Mr. Thomas tell me about the Cruciatus Curse."

Dean Thomas looked up from a piece of parchment he was currently doodling on. "It's one of the Unforgivable Curses. The spell wordage is Crucio, the desired result is to cause excruciating pain. "

"Mr. Finnigan anything to add?"

"It was first developed during the," he stopped and counted on his fingers for a moment, "twelfth Goblin war and was used to get information out of captured troops."

"Mr. Goyle, when did the curse fall out of favor?"

Goyle was stunned that he had been called on and dropped his quill. He bent to pick it up and once he righted himself he said, "Same day."

Harry had seen the answer come from another person. "Thank you for the assist, Mr. Crabbe. In the future I would prefer he answer himself."

A snort came from the back of the room in the vicinity of where Malfoy was sitting. Harry ignored it.

"It was why, the then, Ministry of Wizards, labeled it an unforgivable curse. They had first hand knowledge of seeing what they themselves had created and condoned, and saw that it was nothing but evil.

"It was the first of three that I wish to speak about today."

Harry actually talked himself bored for the next thirty minutes on the Cruciatus Curse and the Imperius Curse.

"Quills down , or I think I'm going fall asleep talking to you."

Sighs of relief and a few giggles came forth as Harry levitated the lectern and table out of the way of the main floor.

"With the Killing Curse you are out of luck if you think you can use a protection charm. I would suggest looking for cover behind something very big and sturdy. However with the other two you have your choice of charms: The Shield Charm, or Malingo's Magic Shield."

He waved his hands for everyone to come down front, "Malingo's is a N.E.W.T. level spell and I wouldn't try using it to protect yourself unless you have practiced ... a lot. It has a tendency to fail if you can't maintain a certain level of concentration.

"I find the Shield Charm is a lot easier and if directed properly can mirror the hex back to the sender. If not, it will just deflect the attack. We'll pair off and we'll take this two at a time."

Harry directed his wand at the first duelers. "Miss Granger, you and Mr. Goyle first, and Mr. Crabbe and Mr. Weasley, over here."

He positioned himself with the rest of the students, out of the way of any unintentional rebounds. "Please use the Jelly-Legs Jinx as we don't want any injuries, and since the Shield Charm is O.W.L. level this should be easy enough. Last house standing from each duel is awarded five points, and final victor earns fifteen points."

He watched as Rona and Hermione turned their bodies and raised their wands in same positions that they had been trained to perform in the D.A. class, Crabbe and Goyle stood head on with their wands held out.

"Begin."

As if practiced, Crabbe and Goyle yelled out, "Wabbln!"

"Protego!"

One jinx bounced clear, into the ceiling, the other straight back at the attacker, dropping Crabbe to the floor with his legs dancing wildly. Ron was beaming with pride.

"Five points to Gryffindor. Again."

Hermione switched positions with her wand hand leading this time.

"Wabbln!" she called.

Goyle defended, "Protego!"

The spell rebounded and Hermione called out again, "Protego!"

It bounce perfectly off her shield and hit Goyle, who was shocked to find out that one could rebound a rebound.

"Excellent, Miss Granger! Five more points to Gryffindor!"

He stepped up to utter the counter-jinx for Crabbe and Goyle, "Did everyone see how Miss Granger didn't wait to find out where the jinx would deflect to? Always be prepared to defend yourself, even from your own attack. Next!"

"Malfoy, Finnigan, and Parkingson, Patil."

Harry was expecting something different from Malfoy and wasn't surprised to see him in the proper dueling stance.

"Begin."

Malfoy waited for Seamus to strike.

"Wabbln!"

"Sker Scield!" Malfoy responded. A shining silver full height shield appeared in front of him and the jinx rebounded with a loud reverberating bong throughout the room.

Seamus was so distracted by the noise that he didn't protect from the mirror effect and found himself trying in vain to stay standing.

Parkingson and Patil were both on the floor with their legs flopping around wildly. Harry wasn't sure how that actually happened with the shock that Malfoy could perform the advanced shield spell.

"Malingo's Magic Shield. Five points to Slytherin and an additional five points for the N.E.W.T. level spell."