Author's Note: Okay here it is. The second to last chapter of Lessons. I hope everyone is ready for what is going to be coming. If there are any memories they will be italicized. And I hope you all like this as much as I do!
Disclaimer: For those of you have not gotten the point yet. I do not now nor have I ever owned Harry Potter. I only own Mags and the plotline. Thank you, please do not sue.
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Mags ran full out back to her suite where Oliver was still asleep. That was, he was asleep until she came crashing into the room like the devil was at her heels. His eyes shot open and took in the worry etched in every line of her face.
"Mags, sweetheart, what is going on? Stop and breathe and tell me what is going on." He said grabbing her and forcing her to stop and look at him. When her eyes met his though he almost wished hadn't looked. They seemed like endless pools of fear and worry.
"They brought the fight to us. We thought
we had time. We thought that we were in
control of this situation. Damn him…!"
she said pulling away and pulling on her Valkyrie robes over her sweatpants and
long-sleeved t-shirt.
"What does that mean. Damn it Margaret – you have to talk to me or I can't help you!" he shouted pulling on his own clothing and robes.
She whirled around her eyes full of an emotion he couldn't name, "Don' you get it yet Oliver? When it comes right down to it… You cannot help me. It will come down to Hermione and me and that is when you and all the others will have to back off. You are mortal and I will not risk you!"
"When will you get that I love you and I will not risk you? Damn it woman I thought I had gotten through to you I wasn't going anywhere. Like it or not I am in the running for your squad, and like it or not I will be at your side even if I am not chosen." Oliver snarled back at her, desperately trying to get her to see his true emotion on the topic they had danced around for months.
Her eyes went sad, "Oliver, I know you love me. I hope you know I adore you. It is not wise for me to have these emotions for you. They can cloud my judgment. I cannot die. DO you not understand that? Well, I can – but I doubt he has any of it at all. It is very rare and all."
By this time they were walking towards the Prefects Common Room to await Hermione and Draco. He grabbed her arm and made her stop, "so then the myth is true?"
"Yes the myth is true, but like I said – It is doubtful he has any at all. And it does take quite a bit of it to be lethal. Even if he does have any."
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Hermione quickly hugged her parents and flooed back to her common room. TO see Mags and Oliver already there and in an argument that seemed to have been going on for a bit when she arrived. She raised an inquiring eyebrow at Mags as she darted up the stairs to change into more official robes. Draco was not far behind her and looked at Oliver with questions in his eyes. Obviously not liking the answers he got he turned to Mags.
"Okay, what the bloody hell is going on here?" He asked, crossing he arms and trying to look more intimidating than worried.
Mags just smiled and sighed, "Nothing you need to worry about just yet Mr. Malfoy. After all Dumbledore has not yet seen our list. And you are not officially or unofficially involved yet. So why don't you and Oliver just sit tight and let Mione and I worry about it for the time being."
"Because he is a nosey prat who loves me and is worried. You have a nosey and worrying prat of your own." Hermione supplied as she came back down the stairs in her jeans, sweatshirt and robes. Her face was showing worry and genuine confusion at the closed look in Mags' eyes.
"No mortals will fight until they have to. Hermione I am not going to go through that again I thought you understood that. We have idea what is even going on. All I want to do tonight is to get a map from Dumbledore and do some snooping. ON OUR OWN. Trust us guys we will go faster alone." Mags said, seeming to close herself off totally from everyone. Hermione narrowed her eyes at her cousin. This was unusual for her. She was all about safety and not taking unnecessary risks before you had to. But to shut down this early? What the hell was going on in her mind?
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Mags could tell Hermione was trying to see why she was shutting down early. She was in love damn it. In love with a mortal. At least the last man to have captured her heart was a demi-god. And lived an extended lifetime and was harder to kill than most mortals. This one was so very killable. In her minds eye she could see him falling in battle and her not being able to stop it. And there was no words to describe the terror she felt in her hear tat that thought. She would NOT go through that hell again. And Oliver would live to see a world after Voldemort. On her honor he would. Even if it meant he would hate her at the end of it all – he would be alive.
Her green eyes looked straight at the two men in front of her and they narrowed, "Listen boys, the squad will be announced tomorrow so until then just stay away from all of this alright? We don't have time to save your butts and save the world."
Hermione had to agree with Mags on that one, "She has a point guys. I hate to say it but I think you two should just rest up tonight and check out the list tomorrow at breakfast." And with that they slipped out the door. Mags muttered a quick sealing spell and they were gone.
"You could have handled that better. Where the hell are your people skills here woman?" Mione asked as they made their way to Dumbledore's office, "And since when do you get this cold this early?"
She whirled to face her right outside of his office door, "Listen to me very closely. I said none would die this time and I meant it. He might hate me by the end of this but he will be alive to do so. And if I must I will give him up. I will have to eventually anyway…you know that."
Dumbledore suddenly appeared in front of them. His normally happy eyes were dimmed with worry and caution. He opened the door for them and they spent the next three hours going over maps of the school, even calling Snape to go over the layout of the dungeons, and the low underbelly of the school.
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Draco paced the Prefect Common Room and glared at Oliver, "She is YOUR girlfriend, couldn't you figure out how to get us out of here so we can help them?"
Oliver sighed and looked at Draco with an annoyed gaze, "You are severely deluded Mr. Malfoy if you think for a moment Mags would give me the slightest hint as to how to escape from here. I am willing to be that it was her and not your Hermione who sealed us here to begin with."
"You are as daft as you look! Of course it was she! Hermione would think that we would do as we are told because it is the right and honorable thing to do and trust us. Your girlfriend obviously knows men better than mine."
The two faced off for a bit then they heard several attempts to open the door. Followed by a short argument and then a voice that sound like Ginny saying the password, "See I told you boys. Mags would think I would be on her side and not put my voice in the block."
Oliver and Draco looked at Ginny, who grinned smugly. Her eyes dancing at them, she turned smartly on her heel and walked towards Dumbledore's Office, "Well? Aren't we going to track them down and butt in like we always do?"
Harry and Ron grinned at each other and then looked at Draco and Oliver. Then as a group they headed off to find them. To help them. To do something other than sit and wait. Because sitting and waiting was the most painful thing one could do.
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Mags looked up at Hermione and rolled her eyes, "They got out and are looking for us. If they give us away…"
"They won't. If The Trio has any experience in anything it is sneaking around in the dark hallways of this school and not getting caught. Let's say it is a habit we have picked up over the years here at Hogwarts. That and brewing potions that we aren't supposed to know exist." Hermione teased back softly as she slipped silently down the hall, going lower and lower into the school's dungeon system.
Mag's looked up at her from her crouching position on the ground. Her green eyes seemed to cut through the darkness of the halls. Her teeth flashed white as she smiled. Then she shut off her emotions again and they continued on.
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Harry and Ron looked at the Marauders Map and then at each other in confusion. Why were they moving deeper and deeper into the dungeon system of the school? This didn't make any sense whatsoever. Hermione hated the dungeons. Then they felt a presence over their shoulder.
"Well hell Mags. Those decoys do work very well."
Ron jumped five feet in the air, "Hermione – do not DO that!! I thought we went over that second year!"
Hermione just softly chuckled and stepped into the torchlight, "But Ron you look so funny when you jump that high! I just had to."
"And maybe next time we go skulking through the halls of Hogwarts we can bring a marching band so that everyone knows where we are." Came a wry tone from the shadows as Mags stepped out into the light.
"W-We want to help you two. This is our fight too and we have the right to be here." Harry said stepping forward, "We have the right to go along with you."
"You are either a very brave man or a very foolish one to get snippy with me when you are in the wrong Mr. Potter. Going on what I know of you – I will say you are both."
Green eyes warred with green eyes and finally Mags raised her hands in mock defeat, "Pardon me from trying to keep everyone safe. If you all would like to join us feel free, but stay silent and in the shadow. I really do not want to have to save the world and any of you at the same time."
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Wormtail looked at the flask of thick red blood and grew more and more nervous. This stuff was like a homing beacon for them to focus on, "My Lord are you sure it is wise to have this right where we are."
Voldemort looked at the man as if he was as daft as he looked, "We want them to find us. To come to us. Even now they are scouring the school for signs of us. Hoping to get the advantage. Hoping to catch us off guard. We will always have the upper hand as long as we have this. This will bring them to their knees in front of me."
"But Sire, what if they destroy it?"
"That is your job Wormtail – to make sure they don't."
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Hermione and Mags searched for a while longer and then called it off. In truth Hermione wanted to talk to her cousin and see if she couldn't crack that ice coating she had around her at the moment. There had to more to it than what she was letting on. Either that or her cousin had changed more than she had realized over the years. But that wasn't to be tonight. It was if Mags just vanished into thin air. Oliver looked at Hermione with confused eyes. She went up to her old friend and hugged him. She had no words of comfort for him. Because those would be lies and she refused to lie to her friends – especially now.
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Hermione sat in her dorm room that night and watched the sunrise. She just couldn't sleep. She was on an edge so thin she could almost feel herself slipping. Her eyes shot to her door as Draco entered her room and just stood in her doorway for a moment. His eyes seemed to be taking in every inch of her and committing her to memory as if he would never see her again. Then he came over and joined her on her window seat and together they greeted the new day. And then with a soft kiss Mione got up and got ready for breakfast. And the beginning of the War.
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Oliver sat at the faculty table and smiled at the student. His eyes kept flickering over to HER seat and then to Dumbledore. Once everyone was here except for Hermione and Mags. Then Dumbledore stood and raised his hands for silence.
"Attention everyone. What we have always feared is becoming a reality. Hogwarts is being sought after to be attacked, and so therefore we are turning the matter over to Ms. Granger-Smythe and Ms. Granger. And the following students they picked to be on the elite squad. Oliver Wood, Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter, Ginny Weasley, Ron Weasley, Hannah Abbot, Lavender Brown, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Ryan Bogard, Blaise Zabini, Harold Conklin, Joy Clearent, Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnegan, Neville Longbottom, Severus Snape, Parvarti Patil, Padma Patil. These are those who were accepted into the Elite squad to stay and defend Hogwarts. The rest of you will be evacuated with in the week to a new location." Dumbledore said solemnly as the Great Doors opened to reveal Hermione and Mags. They walked quickly down the main causeway to the front of the hall and after a quick discussion Mags stepped forward.
"Hello everyone. Remember when I said that it would all be okay in the end? Well, I am standing by that statement. As of five minutes ago, all of your parents so far seem to think you are safer with Dumbledore and I agree. Those of you selected for the squad, I thank you for offering your assistance and this is your last chance to back out. No hard feelings if you do." Silence filled the hall and she smiled, "I am glad to see all of you are so steadfast in your loyalty to this school. Now here comes the part no one is going to like to hear."
Mione stepped forward and smiled winningly at everyone, "Here it is. Once you leave here, if you are being evacuated, you must cut all ties to the school. It is the only way for it too work. For us to concentrate and win this thing we can't be worrying about all of you. So please, we will come and get you all when it is over – please remember that. We will be coming for you."
"Now if you all will go to your house common rooms – we will be starting the evacuation after lunch." And with that Mags turned to leave.
"Margaret Michelle Smythe. Stop right there. WE have to answer their questions." Hermione snapped, her patience waning with her relative.
"They know all they need to know. Anything else could do them more harm than good. I have nothing more to say."
"Damn it! What happened to you? You used to have a heart at times like this and do everything you could to make it easier – why are you making this seem so damn hard all of a sudden?" Mione demanded, not caring they were airing this in the Great Hall in front of everyone, "You used to have a heart. Now I can see why people could call you an Ice Queen. Can't you see the fear? We have to help them understand…"
"No heart? Understand? How can I help them understand hate? Blind unbending hate at that! I don't even understand so how am I supposed to help anyone else understand. All I know is that there will be no more blood on my hands. I was against involving anyone from the beginning because I care about them all too damn much to see anyone killed or hurt. And you say I have no heart? Better to have no heart at all than to have it used against me. My emotions are involved and that could be deadly." Mags said as she whipped around to face her cousin.
"So you would rather run than love? That is not the cousin I know and love. You aren't her anymore. I don't know if I want to know this person in front of me." Hermione returned her eyes cold.
"Run? Is that what I am doing? And here I thought I was fighting evil and watching innocent people die all around me. YOU get a choice Hermione. I don't. When this over I have to guide the souls back and you get to stay here and establish order. You get to stay here with those you love while I have to give it all up for DUTY. I hate that word and the way it feels on my tongue. But I have it nonetheless. So if everyone hates me after this is all over? I will at least make sure they are alive to hate me. It is not that I do not love, but I love too damn much more than I should!" Mags yelled right before turning and running from the Hall. Hermione watched her go and then waved as she ran off after her.
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AN: Here it is. I hope you all like it as much as I do. Let me know what you think!