Chapter 7
November slowly gave way to December, and the students' minds began turning to the winter break, and Christmas. For once, Harry was not staying in Hogwarts, but rather he was heading to his real home; The Burrow.
An excitement and thrill passed through him every time he thought of it. Classes were tough, but there was never homework, just practical and hands on training. Advanced Potions would give way to Advanced Transfiguration, and Medi-Wizard Basics at the new term. Excitement in the Telisin common room was at an all time high when they returned from their morning run to see a tree and decorations in their rooms and common room.
"Bloody hell!" Harry heard Ron exclaim, as they entered the toilets after winning first shower rights. "The paper is green!"
Harry laughed and looked at the offending tissue Ron was holding, he peeked in the next stall. "This one is red."
"I swear if you make any comment about it matching my hair, I'll kill you Potter." Ron pulled a face at Harry. "Someone needs to have a talk with the house-elves."
Harry stripped down and walked into the showers. Still grinning at Ron's apparent disgust over the decorations, he decided to enjoy a nice long hot shower. Secretly it was payback for yesterday, it had been snowing extra hard, and the women had won, leaving the men to shiver wet and cold in the common room, trying to warm by the fire.
As the hot water ran over him, he enjoyed the sensation of warming up. "You look like you are enjoying that shower way too much Harry." Justin's broke his reverie.
Harry's eyes popped open and he realized he'd been standing there thinking about… Oh hell! He started thinking about potions, running through ingredients in his mind.
Ron came in then chatting with Dean about the Quiddich season. Harry turned to face the wall still trying desperately to ease his discomfort.
"Hey Ron, I think Potter there is going camping."
Ron looked up confused. "What?"
"Justin, don't make me have to hurt you." Harry growled.
Dean snickered, "Looks like Potter has been having daydreams about a certain red-head."
Ron looked confused a second and then to Harry's horror, turned and left the shower. He heard the door open slightly. "Oi! Ginny! Harry seems to have need of you." He yelled into the corridor.
Harry rested his head on the wall. Remain calm, breathe easy…
The door opened a crack and Harry heard Ginny's voice. "Harry, are you alright?" Ginny was the most gifted with medical talent seen in a while, and had assumed Harry was injured.
"Yes, your brother and the rest of my gender are being total gits." He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around himself heading for the door. Without thinking he opened the door completely and stepped into the hallway.
Ginny stood before him with her mouth open, and her face growing redder by the second, her eyes were on his…
"Bloody hell!" He bolted into the room he shared with Ron, and dove into his bed the towel hadn't covered him as he had intended it to. He had stood there in front of Ginny with his manhood hanging out.
Great, just perfect Potter. You stand in the hallway with your willy swaying in the breeze. I swear I'm killing Ron.
He got up and began getting dressed, and was most of the way done when Ron opened the door, holding his sides in silent laughter; tears were streaming down his face.
"Well, I'm glad someone thought it was funny. Arsehole." Harry pushed past him and opened the door. Something made him look at the door. The brass plaque with his name on it had been altered to Harry 'John Thomas' Potter.
"Bloody bastards." Harry muttered and walked out to the common room.
That morning they entered the potions room to find Snape sitting against the front of his desk. "You are all to head to Room 345. From there you'll return to your common room. This completes the Advanced Potions segment of your training. Ms. Weasley, you'll be glad to hear you have passed the requirements to be a Medi-Witch, 3rd class. You will skip Medi-Basics and will act as an advisor to the instructor."
Snape actually looked pleased about something; Harry stood up and walked to Snape, extending his hand. "Professor, I'd like to thank you for these classes." He kept his gaze steady on Snape.
Severous took the young man's hand and shook it, wondering if this was some prank like his father would have done, but Harry seemed honest and appreciative.
Harry turned and left the room after gathering his possessions. The others followed suit, shaking Snape's hand thanking him and gathering their possessions and leaving.
They dropped off their equipment and hurried to Room 345. There they found a wizard with a small box and a stack of papers. "Good morning, I'm James Arcvold. I'll be the proctor for your exam today." He looked thoroughly bored.
"Mr. Arcvold, what exam, exactly?" Harry asked sounding concerned. No one had mentioned any test.
"Why your Apparation exams of course." He looked mildly irritated. "Of course you are all getting your permits today."
Harry looked at Hermione who shrugged; they looked at Ron and Ginny, and saw them gaunt-faced. "I don't completely understand what's happening, or why?"
With Hermione looking panic-struck, Ron addressed the proctor. "Sir, could we have a moment, please?" Arcvold gathered the parchments and took them into the hall.
Hermione was wide-eyed with fear. "I HAVEN'T STUDIED!"
Ron smirked and a glint caught in his eyes. The smirk melted into a look of shock, but not before Ginny caught it, and mirrored the look of shock on Ron's face. "Hermione! What do you mean you didn't study?" she asked innocently "This is quite possibly the most important test in your career as a witch!" She sounded scandalized.
Hermione's eyes began to resemble the eyes of an owl Harry noted the feeling of panic already rising in his own throat. Are they joking? They must be, if it were this important someone would have said something. A streak of evil delight ran through him. "Hermione," He said softly, calmly. "You mean you didn't read the book on Disapparating?"
Hermione's face blanched white. "I'm going to be sick." She sat down on the chair heavily, and dropped her face into her hands.
Ginny whispered in his ear "Harry Potter, I never knew you had it in you. You know damn well there is no book on Disapparating."
He grinned back "And you know a LOT more than you are saying."
She smiled at him "The 'test' is just that it tests how long it's going to take you to learn it, he's here to teach us to Disapparate, and we'll have our temps so we can practice. That's what the box is, it tests how much power we have, and gets a clear signature for Ministry records."
Harry waved Ron over. "So do we make her sweat out the exam, or do we tell her?"
Ron looked at his miserable looking girlfriend. "I say make her suffer." He grinned back at the couple. "She has been acting a bit too know-it-all lately. Besides, he was about to tell us anyway."
They nodded, and Ron opened the door to let the proctor in. He looked at Hermione and asked her if she were all right, Hermione shakily indicated it would pass; she just wasn't as prepared as she had wanted to be.
Arcvold shrugged and continued with his lecture. "Now as you all know, there is nothing to prepare for this test." He looked pointedly at Hermione, whose mouth flopped open. Her head swiveled to the three sitting beside her, and Ron withered under her gaze, which only caused Harry and Ginny to break out in laughter.
"If you please!" Arcvold looked scandalized that the young men and women were not taking this seriously. The four straightened up, attempting to appear as if everything were normal.
"I'll call you up by name, and you'll place your wand hand, with your wand in the box, and speak the words engraved on top of it. This will give us a known magical signature, and then we'll proceed with the instructions on Disapparation. Any questions?"
As if scripted, Hermione's hand shot up. "Yes Ms?"
"Granger." Hermione said matter-of-factly "how are we to Disapparate on Hogwarts grounds? There are wards…"
"Against Disapparating through the grounds, not on the grounds. You can practice outside moving from place to place, but not inside the castle or on and off the grounds themselves."
Hermione looked peeved. "Looks like Hogwarts: A History failed you again, eh Hermione?" Ron asked innocently.
"Stuff it Weasley." Her reply was cold.
Ron got a knowing smirk and whispered something in Hermione's ear. She turned scarlet, but suddenly was a lot more amiable to Ron.
Harry glanced over at Ginny, who returned his questioning gaze.
"Well if that's all the questions then." He began calling them up one at a time. They placed their hands with wand into the box and repeated six words. When they said each word, they felt a tingle along their wand arm.
When they were done, he handed them each a scroll. "This licenses you to use magic any time, and is a temporary permit to practice Disapparation. When you are ready to take the test, I will return and on a success, I'll sign the document making you a full wizard or witch."
Harry watched this man give the speech; he was detached, and hadn't even really made notice of Harry more than a name and a check mark.
"Now if you are ready," He pulled up a stool and droned on about Disapparation. Harry was instantly reminded of Professor Binns.
"Gods, Binns has a brother." Harry heard Ron mutter under his breath. Even Hermione chuckled at that comment.
The lecture went on for two hours, and ended with them walking outside and practicing Disapparating for another two hours. They finished, and he nodded warmly. "A few weeks practice and you'll be ready for your test."
The next few weeks they were encouraged to practice as much as they could. "Disapparation is one of the key defenses you can have as a wizard or witch." Dumbledore had said. "With your raw powers, you may even be able to make short hops during combat without it causing you to tired rapidly."
The two weeks seemed to fly by. Dumbledore assigned the students to their train schedule, and Harry noticed that the Telisin house was not listed. He brought it up that morning to Sirius.
"Well what if we don't pass?" Harry argued. The decision was simple; the Telisin students would Disapparate from Hogsmeade.
"You will." Sirius said not even looking up from the paperwork on his desk.
"So you are going to be at the Weasleys for the holiday then?"
"Yes, Harry. Remus and I will be a day behind you, we have a few things to settle here first, and then we'll Disapparate to The Burrow, and spend the rest of the holiday there." He looked up smiling. "What, you thought I'd miss Christmas with my godson?"
"Well, you two are always busy it would seem. Not that I'm complaining, I really do understand."
Sirius thought about that. "Come back tonight, bring Ron, Hermione and Ginny, we'll spend the evening together." Sirius jotted a note on a piece of parchment and banished it to Remus' desk. "Let's see what the old man has to say." He grinned wolfishly.
Harry chuckled and left the office, with a light heart and determination he returned to the common room. "Sirius assures me we'll all pass." He said as he entered the room.
Dumbledore stood from his chair by the fire. "I am sure Professor Black is correct, you already far exceed the requirements for single person Disapparation. I was hoping to get you dual-Disapparation licenses in case of danger."
So that's what all those odd exercises were all about. Harry thought considering the strange way they had been moving extra weight from point to point.
"Today, your classes are all cancelled. You'll be Disapparating with two people today." He smiled, and went to leave the room, and paused with his hand over the door handle. "I trust this does not come as too much of a shock and disappointment?"
They all shook their heads and got ready for the day. By noon the students were exhausted, but could accurately Disapparate with an extra person and land well within the target. The next morning they were heading to Hogsmeade, and their Disapparation test.
The proctor was again Arcvold, "Today, I will be grading you on your ability to Disapparate with, and without a second person. In order to accurately test your ability to Disapparate with an unconscious person, we will be stunning my assistant." He gestured to a wizard who came with him. "Mr. Creechek will be stunned, you will them Disapparate with him to the point noted on the parchment I will hand you. At that point he will be revived, and you will both them Disapparate back to here."
With that, he handed them each a rolled up parchment with a wax seal. "Do not break the seal until it is your turn. There will be no discussions during the exam period."
"Bones, Lisa." Arcvold said tonelessly. He then leveled his wand and stunned his assistant. Lisa ran to his side, and broke open the scroll. Read the information, and placed her hand on his wrist, and lifted him onto her shoulder, and vanished.
Harry had a knot of anxiety. His mind flashed back to the previous spring. Wand's out you reckon? He looked at Arcvold with suspicion.
Dumbledore appeared just then, and Harry walked over to him to discuss the issue. "Potter! I said nothing gets discussed during the exam period."
Harry glared at Arcvold and said "No one else Disapparates until I talk to the Headmaster." He turned to the remainder of the Companions. "Train your wands on him and don't let him move."
He jogged to Dumbledore. "Professor! Something is wrong here; I don't like how this feels."
Dumbledore looked at Harry curiously. "How what feels Harry?"
"This whole Disapparation test. It just feels wrong. I don't like not knowing where my people are."
Dumbledore walked over to Arcvold and had a whispered conversation with him. "It's all right Harry."
"No, it's not all right. No one else leaves here until I am satisfied someone knows where we will be."
Dumbledore noticed the wands trained on Arcvold. "Harry, I understand your concern, if it will be acceptable to James, I will read your destination before any more of you go."
Harry whispered to Ron who nodded and tapped Dean and Seamus on the shoulders. They followed him to the target area and waited. Susan and Arcvold's assistant appeared shortly, only to be met with three wands pointing at them. Ron said simply "Password?"
At "Voldemort", they lowered their wands and smiled at Susan. Harry outlined the basic plan. To them, Dumbledore would know where they are going, and Harry chose the next password.
This event seemed to upset the plans Arcvold had for getting an early lunch, and he began getting peevish over "all this cloak and dagger mumbo-jumbo." Which he had taken to muttering darkly about under his breath.
The morning slid to afternoon as Ron finished with his test. Arcvold signed the documents he had given them earlier and proclaimed them fully registered, albeit paranoid, wizards and witches pending their completion of studies at Hogwarts.
Dumbledore treated them to a late lunch at the three Broomsticks, and the band headed back to Hogwarts in high spirits. They entered to see quite a commotion in the main hall. Students were clustered around the main school board.
Dumbledore smiled and said, "I decided to have a New Years Ball at the school this year," to the young men and women around him. "It's for the day after you all return to the castle, formal dress, and dining."
With that he wandered off towards his office.
The next morning was complete chaos in the main hall as the ten Companions took the first coaches to Hogsmeade. From just outside the gates, they were Disapparating home. Ron, Ginny and Harry were heading to the Burrow; all others were heading to their own homes.
Harry had released Hedwig and told her to meet him at the Burrow earlier, and now pulled his levitated trunk behind him, along with the others. They said their goodbyes, and Harry turned to Ginny. "See you at home Gin." He smiled and kissed her on the cheek.
She smiled at him and hugged Hermione. "I'll see you Christmas Eve then?" She asked her friend.
"Yes, Mum and Dad want to come over to see my 'other family' as they put it." She smiled warmly and hugged Harry goodbye.
"See you Ron, don't be long." Harry Disapparated followed shortly by Ginny, leaving Ron and Hermione standing in the snow staring at one another quietly for a few seconds.
"I love you Ron." Hermione said to him softly, holding his hands in hers. "I'll write, and now that we can Disapparate, I'll stop by when things get dull and mum and dad need to go to work or something."
Ron stared into her eyes bright with unshed tears, and managed to speak around the lump in his throat. "Yeah, I'll be by tonight, if I can." He released her hands and held her tight, not wanting to let go.
"I had better be off, they are expecting to have to drive to King's Cross, and I want to catch them before they go." She kissed him one last time, and then turned, and Disapparated.
Ron stared at the spot until the image in his eyes was gone. Sullenly, he too vanished.