Helloooo!!!! I LOVE you guys! All these fantastic reviews!!! :-)
Just a quick note to Foxfur, about that spelling mistake. I'm British, as are many other writers on ff.net, and the British spelling of the American 'defense' is 'defence', like 'colour' and 'honour' instead of 'color' and 'honor'. Just so you know that we're not making errors. Thanks for the review though! I'm glad you're enjoying it!
Oh yes - one other thing. The timescale in the next couple of chapters is a bit dodgy. Harry's birthday is supposed to be at the end of July, and the Hogwarts term starts on September 1st as a rule. The following chapters give the impression that Harry's party is the week before term starts, which is obviously hideously wrong. So either ignore this nasty anomaly, or else pretend that three or four weeks have passed between the party and the start of term!!!
CHAPTER NINETEEN
The Power of Three
The earth could have stopped revolving around the sun for all that Harry knew. He stared into the aged, grey face of his Headmaster without even taking in what he was looking at. The bottom had almost dropped out of his world.
Emotions coursed through him like wild fire, all conflicting, and all bereaving him of speech. It took all of five minutes for him to fully process what had just been said in that little kitchen.
"Are you serious, sir?" he choked out at last.
"Very much so," replied Dumbledore. "I would have preferred you to finish your exams first, and then continue to train after you had left, as you would have done in normal circumstances. Unfortunately, I think, as do others, that the benefit of studying advanced defence will be much more appropriate to your personal needs than achieving N.E.W.T.S. in Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures. I'm sure you see my point."
"My God," breathed Harry. He felt utterly stunned.
"As I said, I will not make you do it if it isn't what you want. The decision is yours. I am merely the agent of information and opportunity."
"It's what I've always wanted," he said, still hardly daring to believe it. "It's the one thing I knew I could do. The one thing I've aimed for."
"Harry! Are you insane?" squealed Hermione, suddenly. She was staring at him with wide eyes that shone with fear. "It's the most dangerous profession anyone could choose!"
Harry turned to her in astonishment. "You knew that's what I wanted to do after school, Hermione! We've talked about it loads of times! You didn't mind then."
"I know! When you've got an extra year's worth of study behind you, fine! But this is a year too soon, Harry! You'll have to leave Hogwarts, and everything there that you love so much, and all your friends. We might never see you again! And God knows what they'll make you do once they think you've got the hang of what you're doing! They'll send you out with Sirius and Lupin into all sorts of horrific situations!"
"That's the whole point!" exclaimed Ron, in complete shock. "So it's a year early! What the heck!"
"Harry!" cried Hermione, turning her back on Ron as though he hadn't said anything. "You could be KILLED!"
The silence that followed was breathtakingly uneasy. For a while nobody spoke, Harry stretching his legs out under the table so far that he almost disappeared below the table edge. Hermione sniffed.
"I happen to agree with Mr Weasley," said Dumbledore, with a tiny smile. "I would never have agreed to offer Harry the chance to do this if I did not believe he was capable of the challenge."
Hermione subsided, opening and closing her mouth like a goldfish.
"So, will you do it, Harry?" asked Ron, quietly.
"Hell, yes! I can be useful at last!"
Ron leapt to his feet. "You'll do it alone? 'Mione's right, Harry - you could get killed! You can't go into this on your own!"
Harry fell silent at the look on Ron's face, scared and desperate, intense energy simmering in his cobalt eyes.
"Mr Weasley?"
"Sir?" Ron turned to face the Headmaster.
Dumbledore smiled again, this time unrestrainedly. "The offer is also open to yourself."
Ron's eyebrows might have flown off his face and hit the ceiling, they shot up so fast. "Really?" he gasped.
"Certainly. I knew all the time that you would never let him go without you. You're as inseparable as your twin brothers! I've spoken to your father, and reluctantly he has agreed to respect your decision, whatever that might be. And you'll be able to keep an eye on your sister, if you should be worrying about that. You will both remain at Hogwarts for the duration of the year, where I can keep my eye on the pair of you. And as Miss Granger has pointed out, it would be cruel to begrudge you your final year." He chuckled in amusement.
"Hey, Harry! This means no more Potions!" cried Ron, grinning madly.
Only Dumbledore seemed to have noticed Hermione's downcast eyes, brimming with tears. He stood up and walked around to her side of the table, beckoning her to stand up and come to him.
"Miss Granger?"
"Yes, sir?"
"I have been thinking - there is something I would very much like to give you. I know it cannot make up for the shock you have just had, but perhaps it will take your mind off worrying."
He held out his hand, and pressed something into her open palm.
She gasped as she saw what he had left there - a bright, shiny red badge emblazoned with the words 'Head Girl' in gold lettering. She ran her fingertips over it in astonishment.
"It's yours, Miss Granger, if you would like it," continued Dumbledore, with a mysterious glint in his eye. "You are an exceptional student, and one I shall be loathe to let go at the end of this year. I am confident that you will do great things with this, and I have no doubt at all as to your capabilities."
Through the tears running down her cheeks, Hermione smiled up in delight, speechless for once in her life.
"So much so, in fact," he went on, sighing dramatically, "that I'm going to let you make my more difficult decisions from now on. You see, I get so tired and confused. Call it old age catching up with me." He placed a tender hand on her shoulder. "May I ask your help?"
Hermione nodded.
"It's such a complicated problem, I don't know what to do about it. There is only so much one person can do in a day, as I'm sure you can appreciate. Do too much and one just falls to pieces. Do you see?"
She nodded again, slightly bemusedly.
"Well, knowing you as well as I do, Miss Granger, I'd say that you are very fond of these two young gentlemen, is that not so?"
"Of course."
"And I have no doubt that if you could you would go to the ends of the earth with them, through any amount of danger?"
She nodded, her face set.
Dumbledore sighed. "I thought as much. Ah well, it was worth a try."
"I - I don't understand," she faltered, turning to Harry and Ron as though she hoped for some kind of explanation.
"Many a good Head Girl have I had in my time, my dear, but you would have been the best." He glanced down at her quizzical expression and smiled. "You can't do both, you know. It's either that - " He indicated the badge in her hand, and then waved his hand towards Harry and Ron, " - or them."
Ron's jaw fell open, and he took a step forward.
"You don't mean - ?"
"Yes, Mr Weasley, that's exactly what I mean. What do you say, Miss Granger?"
He viewed Hermione gravely while she gazed longingly at the shiny badge in her palm, holding up a hand to warn Harry and Ron to say nothing.
Harry could imagine the battle of wills going on inside her head just then. She had wanted nothing more than she wanted that badge, ever since she became a Prefect in their fifth year. She had worked hard for it. She damn well deserved it! And now to be faced with such a choice -
Hermione raised her head and looked up at Dumbledore determinedly. She handed the badge back to him with a small smile.
The Headmaster said nothing, but gave a low chuckle as he walked towards the door. Without another word, the door had closed behind him, leaving the three of them alone in the kitchen.
"Hermione! ARE YOU MAD?"
Harry's senses were still in limbo after what had just passed in the little kitchen, so he was not quick enough to grab hold of Ron before he stormed over to Hermione, gripping her roughly by the arms.
"Ron! You're hurting me!" she whimpered, looking up at him in terror, tears springing from her eyes.
"It'll hurt worse that this if you end up getting blasted to pieces by a Death Eater! What the HELL are you thinking?"
"YOU'RE doing it!" she cried, trying to wrestle free of his tight hold.
"HE SHOULDN'T HAVE DAMN WELL OFFERED IT TO YOU!"
"It's MY decision, Ron, NOT yours!"
"SO THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT, IS IT? TO SPEND YOUR LIFE ON THE RUN, AND END UP BEING TORTURED AND MUTILATED LIKE NEVILLE'S PARENTS, IF NOT WORSE? IS IT?"
"WHY SHOULDN'T I DO IT IF YOU ARE?" Hermione yelled, through heavy sobs. "WHAT IS IT, RON? DO YOU THINK I'M INCAPABLE OF DOING THIS?"
She winced as his fingers dug into her flesh, his knuckles whitening.
Harry leapt forward, grabbing Ron's elbow.
"RON! Stop it! Can't you see you're hurting her?"
The tears were pouring steadily down Hermione's face, and her hands shook as they stopped their frantic struggling. Ron's wild temper abated as swiftly as it had risen, and he loosened his hold on her arms, letting his eyes drop to the ground between them.
"No. I don't think you're incapable," he said, in a low voice full of emotion. "I'm just petrified that you'll treat this like another Charms essay or a Potions exam. You can't read books to get out of this one, 'Mione."
She nodded calmly, sniffing slightly. "I know. But did you really think I'd let you two go without me, if I had the chance to be with you?"
She smiled weakly, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.
Ron would deny it, of course, but Harry felt sure that it was taking a lot of self-control not to let water build up in his eyes just then. Suddenly Harry felt superfluous to requirements, and he edged towards the open back door as quietly as he could.
***
He collapsed heavily into a chair on the patio, barely noticing the dark figure that sat in the shadows on the swing lounger.
"Hey, mate."
"Sirius?"
His godfather leaned forward onto his knees, grinning. "Got fed up of Remus' military stratagems. Has anyone been killed?"
Harry sniggered. "No. They're making up as we speak."
"Yuck," replied Sirius, with a grimace. "Has he said anything to her yet?"
"Nope. He's a slow git, that's for sure."
"Maybe we should do it for him." The glint in Sirius' eye was particularly suggestive.
"No way!" laughed Harry. "He can damn well get off his arse and do it himself."
Sirius chuckled.
The mood changed almost instantly.
"Did he explain?"
Harry nodded.
"Need one ask what you said?"
Harry shook his head with a small smile.
"Excellent man," said Sirius, grinning ear to ear. "And no prizes for guessing what those two were rowing about." He nodded his head towards the kitchen, now ominously silent.
Harry changed the subject as a thought suddenly occurred to him. "Where's Dumbledore?"
"Talking to some of the others. He's got to head back tonight as quickly as possible. Things need doing before The Order gathers the week after next."
Harry stared. "Not till then?"
"Well, it takes some preparation," replied Sirius, thoughtfully. "And we've got to watch our backs."
Harry viewed his godfather suspiciously. "Are you about to tell me where the new HQ is?"
Sirius grinned. "No. I was about to drop a subtle hint, actually. However, I think I'll save that for your birthday."
Harry's spirits soared at the realisation that his party would be going ahead after all. "So you really are staying?"
"Yup. Party and all. I hear Ginny's got something up her sleeve."
Being caught completely off guard, it took all of ten seconds to come up with a casual response. He raised an eyebrow, hoping he looked unconcerned. "Yeah, she did mention it."
Sirius' face broke into a handsome fusion of amusement and conjecture as he attempted to hold back a smile. "Harry, that was rubbish. You could at least be armed with suitable come-backs for whenever her name gets mentioned!"
Oh, bloody hell.
Harry let his eyelids flutter shut in despair. He might as well just wear a placard round his neck saying 'I really fancy Ginny Weasley. Kill me, kill me now.'
"OK, go on, laugh," he muttered, feeling distinctly uncomfortable.
Sirius made a strange noise that clearly indicated the difficulty he was having in keeping his laughter in check.
"You look just like James did when Remus and I cornered him in the common room after one of his midnight excursions with Lily."
Harry could not hold back a grin.
"Oh yes? There were many of those, were there?"
Sirius shrugged, leaning indolently back in the lounger.
"That was the only time we caught them. To be honest, women was one of the few subjects the four of us rarely discussed but still understood in relation to each other. James never breathed a word to me about Lily, but it was so obvious how he felt it was like reading his mind. He couldn't keep a damned thing from me and Remus, and he knew it." Sirius smiled in nostalgic recollection.
"What about you?" asked Harry, teasingly. "Dare one ask what you got up to?"
"Not really," was the enigmatic reply. Sirius' eyes sparkled brightly. "I was never a one for the sort of thing James and Lil had going, let's just say."
Harry laughed. It didn't surprise him, really.
"And Lupin?"
Sirius's eyes clouded over suddenly, though his lips remained curved in a sentimental smile. The pause between Harry's question and the answer was strangely poignant.
"He had his moments," replied Sirius, blandly. "We all did."
Harry said no more. He had the impression that he had touched on a sore subject in some way. Evidently there was something concealed behind those wide, dark eyes of Sirius' that he had no desire to speak of. Memories, as Harry knew well and could fully appreciate, were not always to be shared -