Okay. I'm really really really really really really really really sorry
this has taken so long to get out. I don't know what my problem was.
Actually I do. I had a distraction named Drew. But it's all good. Cause
he's fantastic.
JKR owns this. Not me.
Um. Review please? And thanks to all of you who have reviewed.
*****
"Harry, Ron, Professor Dumbledore needs to see you in his office before dinner," a small first year called from the door of the common room. Harry and Ron sat on opposite sides of a chessboard in a corner of the common room. Harry leaned back on two legs of his chair with his hands clamped to his forehead and his eyes closed. His scar didn't hurt, but Ron's chess strategies made his eyes cross. Ron sat up straight in his chair ad twirled a pawn mercilessly through his fingers. He surveyed the board carefully before looking over at the first year.
"Did he say what he needs, Charlie?" Ron questioned. Charlie shook his head fiercely.
"No, he just said to send you to his office," Charlie replied.
"Thanks," Harry said, nodding at the first year.
"We'll finish this later," Ron said, pushing away form the table. The front legs on Harry's chair hit the floor with a resounding thud. He reached out and tapped his king twice on its head. The chess piece immediately impaled himself on his own sword.
"No, we won't," Harry replied. "You win." Ron frowned at Harry.
"Not fair," the redhead insisted.
"Ron, you would have beaten me anyway!" Harry said. He slowly stood and stretched with his arms over his head.
"Let's go," Ron said. "Do you think Dumbledore's finally ready to talk about what happened on Saturday?" Ron questioned. Hermione's fire had burned the Three Broomsticks nearly to the ground. Dumbledore had arrived on the scene in just enough time to rescue the bodies from the blaze. Goyle, courtesy of Harry's block of ice, survived and was safely locked up in Azkaban for a life sentence. Ron had received three broken ribs in the fight that warranted a two day stay in the hospital wing. Harry, feeling slight guilt over at least Cho's death, had requested dreamless sleep potion. He, too, spent two days in the hospital wing. By the second day, Little Miss Tallulah Finnegan was awake. She entertained herself and both boys by scrambling from bed to bed, hiding from Madame Pomfrey, and performing an absolutely adorable song and dance in the center of the floor. Tallulah had taken a particular affinity to Ron, going so far as to fall asleep curled by his side on Monday afternoon. Mary Finnegan and her daughters Saoirse and Edana, the pair closest in age to Karey, came to Hogwarts early Tuesday morning to retrieve Tallulah. Hermione lay in the hospital wring, still unconscious. Several times during the previous four days, she began bleeding from her nose, mouth, and once her ears. Madame Pomfrey suspected the spell she had been hit with was much the same as the one Charlie Weasley had fallen victim to at Bill's wedding.
"Password?" Ron asked. He looked over at Harry expectantly. The smaller boy shrugged and looked up at the gargoyle.
"You know, Dumbledore wanted to meet with us, but he didn't tell his messenger the password we would need to get in here. It would be really, really nice if you could just open up and let us in," Harry said. The gargoyle stared stonily back at the boy before sliding back to reveal the stair case. Harry turned to Ron with wide eyes.
"It worked," he whispered, barely believing his own luck.
"Ah, Misters Potter and Weasley, I've been expecting you," Dumbledore said from the top of the staircase.
"It really worked," Ron muttered, smirking at Harry. Harry cast a quick glare at Ron before stepping onto the spiraling stair case to go up to the Headmaster's office. Ron followed Harry closely. At the top of the stairs, Dumbledore opened his office door and held it open allowing the boys to enter. A large squishy couch had appeared in front of Dumbledore's desk since the last time the pair had been in the office, a mere three days beforehand.
"If you'll take a seat," Dumbledore said, indicating to the couch with a sweeping motion of his left hand. The two boys stepped towards the couch. Before they could circle it to take a seat, a familiar head of frizzy brown hair appeared slowly over the back.
"HERMIONE!" Ron screeched. He and Harry scrambled around opposite ends of the couch. They quickly turned to face their friend. She held up both hands to stop the boys from attacking her.
"I'm on temporary leave from the hospital wing, guys," she said. She was very pale and had dark purple circles under both eyes.
"How are you feeling?" Ron asked.
"When did you wake up?" Harry questioned simultaneously. Hermione smiled weakly at the pair.
"I woke up earlier today and I feel as if I've been hit by a truck. Several times," she said.
"By all means, lay back down then," Ron said. "We can sit somewhere else."
"No guys, you can sit," Hermione insisted, leaning back against the couch. Harry carefully took the seat to her right while Ron sat to her left.
"You can at least lean over and prop your feet in Ron's lap," Harry joked. Hermione smiled and nodded.
"You don't mind?" she questioned. Harry shook his head.
"Not at all," he replied. Hermione slowly eased herself over Harry's lap until her head rested on the armrest of the couch. She rolled onto her right side and lifted her feet onto Ron's lap. Harry gently smoothed her hair a couple of times before resting his left arm across the back of the couch. Ron looked surprised at the addition of the feet in his lap but crossed his arms across Hermione's ankles. The trio then looked expectantly at Dumbledore. He smiled benevolently at them and shook his head slightly before taking a seat behind his desk.
"As you know, the ministry has refrained from making a statement thus far," Dumbledore said. Harry ad Ron both nodded.
"I would like to hear your version of the events, then Miss Granger will need to go back to the hospital wing. Mr. Weasley and Mr. Potter, the pair of you will stay here. Mr. and Mrs. Sanguinis, Dr. and Mrs. Chang, Mr. and Mrs. Finnegan, Sirius, and Minister Fudge will be here for a meeting concerning the ministry's very belated official statement. Both of you are expected to attend." Harry looked down at Hermione, expecting her to object to being sent back to the hospital wing. She tucked a couple of stray curls behind her left ear and simply nodded.
"Do we really have to see the Sanguinis and the Chang families?" Harry questioned quietly. Dumbledore nodded and looked stonily at Harry. The twinkle barely showed in his blue eyes.
"Do not feel responsible for what happened to William and Cho. Both made choices and there is nothing you could do to stop them," Dumbledore said.
"But," Harry began. Dumbledore held up a hand and the fifth year fell silent.
"William and Cho made decisions that cost them their lives. You may play the what if game as much as you like, but if will get you nowhere," Dumbledore said. Ron reached over and clapped his best friend on his shoulder. Harry nodded and looked down at Hermione.
"So what I'm here today to do is to ask you to read the official statement Fudge will make and also release to the Daily Prophet," Dumbledore said. He picked up three pieces of parchment from a pile on his desk and floated them towards the three friends. Harry caught his and Hermione's parchment and handed one to her. Ron caught his own and all three began to read.
#########
"Do you see anything that needs to be changed?" Dumbledore asked after allowing the trio a few moments to read.
"You're treating Sanguinis just like another dead student," Ron said.
"He was a Death Eater," Harry added. The look that crossed Dumbledore's face could only be described as a grimace.
"Fudge has determined that Sanguinis wasn't old enough to know what he was doing so he's not allowing William to be portrayed as anything more than a deceased student," he said.
"He stunned Mandy, Hannah, and Ernie and threw them in a closet, arguably purposefully in front of a witness, Chelsea. He then chased the mandrake to the point where she found us. He waited until she had given us enough information to make me suspect one thing that wasn't necessarily true but got the needed reaction out of me before stunning her. If that wasn't enough, he dragged his mostly innocent girlfriend down to the Three Broomsticks where they seemingly incapacitated both Ron and Hermione and dragged them into the proverbial lions' den. Only then did they get killed." Harry paused and took a deep breath. "Forgive me, Professor Dumbledore, if I don't see how Sanguinis is innocent, or didn't know what he was doing." By the time he finished his rant, Harry's face was flushed and his voice had reached a level close to yelling.
"Are you certain about all of that?" Dumbledore asked. Harry nodded gravely.
"Hannah, Mandy and Chelsea all saw him before stunning the fifth years. Nathan Longbottom watched him chase Chelsea almost to the top of the stairs before stunning her," Ron said. Dumbledore nodded and looked at the trio of stone-faced fifth years.
"You've just answered all of my questions concerning what happened before the three of you left the school," Dumbledore said. "How did the fire in the Three Broomsticks get started?"
"I did it," Hermione said from her spot stretched across her best friends. "I started by setting their robes on fire but then they took my wand so I set the roof on fire."
"Without your wand?" Dumbledore questioned. Hermione shrugged and look at the headmaster.
"Yeah, I guess I did," she admitted.
"Have you ever called fire without a wand before?" Dumbledore questioned.
"I've made waterproof fire and I can make fires burn different colors and I've even made fire that burns cloth but not flesh, but never without a wand," Hermione said.
"The ministry disaster control wizards became quite familiar with your waterproof fires. That's evidently the type you used in the pub," Dumbledore said. He set a small figurine on the edge of his desk closets to the friends. "Try to ignite the figure."
"Where's my wand?" Hermione asked.
"It was lost in the fire," Dumbledore admitted. "I want you to try it wandless." Hermione held her hand towards the figure and closed her eyes. A moment later, the figure ignited in a bright purple flame. Dumbledore quickly extinguished the small fire.
"Yes!" cried Harry. Dumbledore looked at the boy with one raised eyebrow.
"Finally someone besides me is doing something weird!" Harry explained. Dumbledore laughed brightly and Hermione even managed a weak giggle.
"So what am I going to do about my wand?" the girl finally ventured to ask.
"I took the liberty of contacting Mr. Ollivander as soon as I figured out what had happened. He sent me this," Dumbledore pulled a long thing box from his desk drawer and floated it towards Hermione.
"Ollivander seemed overly excited about what he called the 'fiery capabilities' of this wand. I think I now understand what he means," Dumbledore explained. Hermione opened the box and lifted a shining dark wand from the purple velvet lining.
"He was certain that the wand would be yours," Ron said. He pointed to the handle end of the wand. Hermione turned it so that she and Harry could both see the very end of the handle. In the tiny circle of wood were three tiny sparkling purple letters. H L G.
"What's so special about this wand?" Hermione questioned.
"It's 11 inches, ash wood, with a dual core," Dumbledore explained.
"Dual core!" Hermione, Harry and Ron chorused.
"Ollivander explained to me that a small number of wands take two cores. Most of these wands are taken by identical twins or witches or wizards with very specialized talents. In your case, your wand is especially good for healing, transfiguration and, as Mr. Ollivander jokingly put it, arson," Dumbledore said.
"So what are the cores?" Hermione questioned.
"Dragon heartstring and phoenix tail feather," Dumbledore answered. "Which makes your wand particularly volatile if anyone besides you were to attempt to use it." Hermione tested the wand in her hand.
"Would I know anyone who has a dual core wand?" she asked.
"One Nymphadora Tonks," Dumbledore said. "Evidently metamorphmagi are another group that uses a dual core wand."
"So I should talk to Tonks about my new wand?" Hermione reiterated. Dumbledore nodded.
"Do my brothers have dual core wands?" Ron questioned.
"Ron, he said identical twins, not one brain with two bodies," Hermione joked. Harry and Dumbledore both laughed appreciatively at the girl. Ron tapped her foot lightly with his right hand.
"You're dating one of those bodies," he reminded her. Hermione shrugged as well as she could, considering she was still stretched across both of her friends.
"I guess I am," she said. "But you're related to both of them."
"Any further questions?" Dumbledore asked, effectively ending Ron and Hermione's budding argument.
"No sir," Harry promptly responded. Ron shook his head no.
"I don't think so," Hermione answered after a moment's consideration.
"Right then. Hermione, if you would like to go back to the hospital wing, everyone else should be arriving shortly for the meeting," Dumbledore said
"I'm certain Madame Pomfrey will be able to collect whatever books from the library you were getting ready to ask about." His blue eyes twinkled merrily at Hermione as Harry helped her sit up.
"Thank you, Professor Dumbledore," Hermione said as she unsteadily got to her feet. Dumbledore pointed his wand at a shelf and it slowly turned sideways, revealing a secret passageway. Hermione smiled at her best friends before stepping into the passage. Dumbledore waved his wand again and the shelf slowly creaked closed behind her.
"Goes straight to a tapestry outside the hospital wing," Dumbledore explained.
"Professor Dumbledore, do you think Mr. and Mrs. Finnegan will bring Tallulah with them?" Ron questioned.
"Mary owled me earlier to request permission to bring Tallulah and her younger brother Brady to the meeting, so Miss Tallulah will be here," Dumbledore replied. Ron broke into a broad smile. "Yes, evidently Miss Tallulah has been asking to see that red-haired boy from Seamus's school." Ron's smiled widened.
"Mandy better watch out," Harry laughed. "Little Tallulah Finnegan is going to try to infringe on her space."
"Speaking of Miss Finnegan," Dumbledore said. The door behind the boys slowly slid open.
"RON!" a small voice cried from the doorway. Ron turned and looked over the back of the couch.
"Tallulah!" He exclaimed. The tiny girl wiggled furiously in her mother's arms. Mary deposited her daughter on the floor. Tallulah smoothed her blue sundress and ran around the edge of the couch to stand directly in front of Ron.
"Hi!" she said, waving at the boy with her left hand. Her pinky and ring finger fell uselessly to her palm, remnant of her time in captivity.
"Hey Tallulah," Ron said. Behind the couch, Frank Finnegan placed his youngest son, Brady on the floor. Brady toddled after Tallulah.
"Lu-Lah!" The boy echoed Ron's statement.
"Ron, this is my little brother Brady," Tallulah said when Brady appeared around the edge of the sofa. The small boy placed an unsteady hand on the edge of the couch and grinned up at Tallulah.
"Uh, hi Brady," Ron said, looking down at the two year old.
"Hi!" Brady squealed.
"Guess what!" Tallulah prompted.
"What?" Ron questioned.
"I might get to see Seamus and Karey after this meeting is over and Saoirse and Edana are jealous because they want to see Karey," Tallulah explained.
"Really?" Ron asked.
"SEE-SHA!" Brady squealed. Ron looked questioningly down at the little boy.
"No Brady," Tallulah scolded. "It's SEEER-SHA!" She looked back up at Ron with wide blue eyes. "That's how he tries to say Saoirse." Ron nodded, not sure exactly what to say to the little girl. Harry issued a snort of laughter from his end of the couch, and Dumbledore's blue eyes sparkled merrily at the interaction between the three-year-old and the fifth year.
"Tallulah," Frank called from the doorway. "That's quite enough, leave the poor boy alone." Tallulah glared at her father over the back of the couch before scrambling up onto the couch and seating herself completely against Ron's right side. Brady pulled his left knee onto the couch and propelled himself onto the cushion in an awkward sort of half roll, half scramble. Then he crawled to Ron's end of the couch and wiggled himself into a seat completely against Tallulah.
"HARRY!" A voice shrieked from somewhere behind the Finnegan's. Harry sprang to his feet and turned to face the door.
"Sirius!" He cried. Frank and Mary stepped out of the way to allow Sirius to bolt through the door. Harry braced himself and Sirius threw his arms around the boy's shoulders, clapping him roughly on his back.
"How are you?" Sirius asked, pushing Harry back away from him.
"I'm alright," Harry said. "You?" He had gotten a long letter from Sirius on Monday detailing exactly how the Death Eaters had captured him and how his time in captivity had been.
"I'm fantastic!" Sirius declared. Harry shook his head at his godfather.
"Good to hear it," Dumbledore said from behind his desk. Harry took two steps back towards the wall and Sirius followed him.
"Sirius!" a tiny voice screeched from just next to Ron.
"Well hello, Tallulah," Sirius looked benevolently over the back of the couch at the tiny girl.
"Why don't you all have seats?" Dumbledore asked. He waved his wand and the couch Ron, Tallulah and Brady sat on slid back towards Harry and Sirius. An identical couch appeared directly across from Dumbledore's desk, and two chairs appeared across from Ron's couch. Frank and Mary stepped towards the chairs and each took a seat.
"We can stand," Sirius said, holding his hand up to Dumbledore to keep the old man from creating more chairs. " The Sanguinises, Changs and Fudge will need seats, and if you make us seats too, there won't be enough room in here." Harry nodded his agreement to his godfather's statement. Dumbledore nodded once and placed his wand on his desk.
"Is this where the meeting is supposed to be held?" a deep male voice asked from the doorway. Dumbledore nodded gravely and pointed to the empty couch.
"Please, Mr. Sanguinis, have a seat," he said. Mr. Sanguinis stepped through the doorway and allowed his wife to step in behind him. Mr. Sanguinis was a tall man, slightly taller than Ron, though more than twice Ron's width. He had thinning blonde hair that was obviously combed over the worst spots on his balding head. He had a large red nose set in the middle of his bright red face, graced by a graying blonde mustache. His blue eyes flashed quickly around the room, seeming to take everything in. He took two steps towards the couch and sank into the seat on the left. His wife slid into the seat next to him, and he dropped a thick arm around her shoulders. She was a tiny mouse of a woman, with nondescript brown hair that reached her chin. Thick bangs fell almost to her grey-green eyes. She sniffed nervously every few seconds and clung to her husband's hand as though her life depended on it.
"Dumbledore, why may I ask, are we meeting in here? My office in London is more convenient and more comfortable," a familiar voice demanded before its body was even visible.
"Cornelius, you know as well as I do that Harry and Ron need to be present for the meeting and taking them off Hogwarts grounds would be more trouble than it took you to come here," Dumbledore replied, adjusting his hat on his long white hair. Fudge finally appeared in the doorway, holding his lime green bowler between two red hands clenched nearly into fists.
"Have a seat, will you?" Dumbledore asked. He nodded towards the empty end of the couch Ron, Tallulah and Brady sat on. Fudge glared at Dumbledore before sitting stiffly on the edge of the couch next to little Brady Finnegan.
"Hu-wo!" Brady said, looking up at Fudge through innocent blue eyes. Fudge ignored the boy and looked steadily at Dumbledore.
"What are we waiting on?" he asked. The older wizard smiled benevolently at the impatient minister before folding his hands in front of him on the desk.
"Well, since the Sanguinises, Finnegans, Ron, Harry, Sirius, and yourself are all here, it seems as though we're waiting on the Changs," Dumbledore replied evenly.
"If they're not here in 10 minutes, I'm leaving," Fudge announced.
"Cornelius! Calm yourself!" Dumbledore said. His steady gaze on the minister didn't break and his voice never wavered. Footsteps sounded on the stairs and Fudge remained silent. A moment later a small Asian man and his wife appeared in the doorway.
"Ah, Dr. and Mrs. Chang. So nice to see you and I'm certainly sorry it couldn't happen under happier circumstances," Dumbledore said, nodding gravely at the pair. Harry was awestruck at how much Cho had looked like her mother. Mrs. Chang's eyes flashed quickly around the room. When they landed on Harry, she froze. Harry attempted to step closer to the wall, but his back was already flat against the paneling. Mrs. Chang closed the space between herself and the teenager in four steps.
"You," she hissed. Her eyes had gone completely cold. Harry swallowed hard, but didn't say anything and didn't break his eyes away from the lady in front of him.
"You killed my Cho!" she cried. Her tiny hand seemed to come from nowhere and her open palm caught Harry's left check. He raised his hand and brushed the stinging spot. The occupants of the office were quiet for a moment before everyone decided to speak at once.
"Well I never," came Frank Finnegan's thick brogue.
"Like mother, like daughter," Sirius muttered. "Where have I heard that."
"Mrs. Chang!" Rebecca Sanguinis sniffed from the couch.
"I can assure you the ministry is placing full blame on a band of renegade Death Eaters." That was Fudge over the crumpled bowler he had crushed in his hands. Mrs. Chang began to wail, which caused Tallulah and Brady to break into their own chorus of sobs. Mary moved to comfort the pair while Ron sprang from his seat. His voice boomed above the rest.
"He damned well did not kill your daughter!" The red-head roared. His face slowly turned the color of his hair. "If anyone besides the wizard who fired the curse is guilty, it's Lucius Malfoy for giving the order and William Sanguinis for dragging her into the mess in the first place!" Rebecca immediately burst into a fresh round of sobs while Mrs. Chang quieted enough to speak.
"Why can he save the little girl and not my baby?" she asked.
"Ron saved me!" Tallulah shouted from behind her tears in her father's arms.
"My daughter could have been more help the war than she'll ever be!" Mrs. Chang screamed, shaking an accusing finger at Tallulah.
"THERE IS NO WAR!" Fudge screeched.
"Your daughter was ruled by passion, not reason," Sirius interjected.
"That's the pot calling the caldron black," Robert Sanguinis muttered.
"Do you think we aren't suffering too?" Mary shouted, stepping towards Mrs. Chang.
"She was dating a bloody DEATH EATER!" Ron bellowed.
"Our Tallulah was missing for two months!" Mary screeched.
"Our Cho is DEAD!" Mrs. Chang wailed.
"Our Laurelai is just as dead, and if what Ron says is true, even more innocent!" Mary shouted. Ron was so busy paying attention to the two ladies that he didn't notice Mr. Sanguinis until the larger man's fist made contact with his jaw. The teenagers jaw hinged sideways and blood spattered from his lower lip towards Frank, Brady, and Tallulah. An animalistic roar of pain erupted from Ron's throat.
"That man hurt Ron!" Tallulah howled. Spots of blood speckled her tiny face. She clenched her small fists and screwed her eyes shut before releasing a shriek that reached the ears of even the people in Hogsmeade. The silver instruments on the shelf began exploding one by one. The glass covering over the portraits of former headmasters and mistresses shattered with a resounding blast, shooting glass shards across the room and showering its occupants. Mr. Sanguinis took the opportunity to crash his fist into Ron's already broken jaw again. Mary Finnegan whipped out her wand and began firing stunners about the room as Dumbledore finally spoke up.
"SCILENCE!" He roared. Everyone froze. Mr. Sanguinis, Mrs. Chang, and Tallulah had all fallen victim to Mary's stunners. The only sound in the room was Rebecca Sanguinis's light sniffles. Dumbledore's eyes had gone the color of cold blue steel. Sirius finally broke the silence.
"What in Merlin's name was that?" He asked as he attempted to staunch the blood flowing from a cut above his right eye he ad received from a flying glass shard.
"That was Lu's none to gentle reminder that you shouldn't hurt Ron Weasley in her presence," Frank said.
"Little Miss Finnegan lost control of her magic," Dumbledore explained. He flicked his wand at Sirius's head and the blood quickly stopped. Mary danced her wand about the room, repairing the damage her daughter's outburst had caused.
"I must commend you, Mrs. Finnegan," Fudge said, "for your quick thinking." Mary shrugged nonchalantly.
"After 10 children, minister, it's something 'm used to. Though usually from Karey, 'Dana, or Tara. Not typically Tallulah." The last of the glass flew back into its frame. Ron mad a noise somewhere between a gurgle, a slurp, and an ill-formed word through his broken jaw from the seat he had taken on the couch.
"Mr. Potter, could you escort Mr. Weasley to the hospital wing?" Dumbledore looked pointedly at Harry. "Sirius can speak for you all, as I don't think it's wise for either of you to be here when Mr. Sanguinis and Mrs. Chang are revived." Harry nodded twice at the headmaster as Ron struggled to his feet.
"I'm sorry boys, I didn't expect things to get this out of hand," the old wizard said. Harry, not trusting himself to refrain from screaming if he spoke, simply nodded again. Ron managed another gurgling noise.
"I'll be by the hospital wing in a bit to see you," Sirius told Harry. The boy responded with another nod.
"I suppose Tu-Lah will want to see you to prove you're okay, so we'll bring her by after the meeting," Mary informed Ron. Ron nodded. Dumbledore waved his wand and the shelf Hermione had disappeared behind slowly slid open. Both Harry and Ron stepped through the doorway, and Dumbledore closed the shelf behind them. Harry hurried down the tunnel with Ron close on his heels. Ron had both hands clasped to his mangled jaw. Harry hadn't trusted himself to speak.
"I can't decide," he finally said, when they were far enough away from the office. "Whether to be angry, sad, or to just not care." His voice was even, not betraying any of the emotions he spoke of except perhaps the last. Ron growled an unintelligible response through his broken jaw. Harry nodded at the noise from Ron.
"You're right, Ron," he said. Blue eyes widened at Harry's response. The smaller boy stepped towards the stone wall. "I think I'll go with the first." With no warning, Harry's right fist smashed into the wall with alarming force. Ron jumped a bit at the sound of flesh meeting stone.
"I DIDN'T kill her!" Harry insisted. His fist crunched into the wall again.
"It was her own bloody fault!" he exclaimed. Another resounding hit against the wall.
"Or Sanguinis!" A wet ripping noise accompanied the hit.
"I can't be blamed every time someone dies or something goes wrong!" He swung again, and crimson blood splattered on the pale grey stone.
"I CAN'T!" Blood trailed down the rock.
"I CAN'T!" Harry screamed. He hit the wall twice more. On the second hit, he leaned into it and collapsed against the wall. His torn right hand ground into the stone while his left arm rested on the wall just at head level. His forehead was buried in his arm just at his elbow. He took two deep shaking breaths.
"I can't," he said one final time at a normal volume level. He exhaled slowly and then pushed away from the wall with his left arm. He eased his still bleeding right fist away from the wall and turned to Ron.
"Right then," he said as though nothing had happened. "I guess we both need the hospital wing now don't we?" He looked down at his pale hand nearly painted with blood and flecked with small chips of stone. He laughed then, almost hollowly, eerily... ruefully. Ron attempted a nod before wincing in pain.
*****
"Madame Pomfrey!" Harry cried when the pair entered the hospital wing.
"Yes, Mr. Potter?" Madame Pomfrey called from her office. Harry hastily hid his hand behind his back.
"Ron needs your assistance! He went and got his jaw broken!" Harry explained.
"Oh Merlin! What happened?" the matron asked. She appeared in the doorway and hurried towards the tall redhead.
"Fix his mouth and I'm sure he'll be happy to tell you," Harry joked. Madame Pomfrey didn't pay attention to him. She was busy herding Ron towards the nearest bed. Harry shrugged and started towards the curtained off bed in the back left corner that had become Hermione's home in the past four nights.
"Hey Hermione, can I come in?" he whispered into the curtains.
"Harry?" Hermione questioned. "Certainly." Harry held back the curtains and stepped into the small enclosure. Hermione sat in the center of her bed, propped up on a stack of pillows. She held her new wand in both hands, looking critically and questioningly at the thin piece of wood.
"What happened to Ron?" Hermione questioned, never looking away from her wand.
"Mr. Sanguinis punched him twice because Mrs. Chang accused me of killing Cho and Ron blamed William," Harry explained. "It pretty well destroyed Ron's jaw." Hermione looked up at Harry through wide hazel eyes. Harry held out his bloody hand to his best friend.
"What did you do?" Hermione questioned.
"Had a little run in with a wall," Harry sheepishly admitted. "Can you quit looking at your new wand and actually try it out to heal my hand?" Harry questioned.
"Oh Harry!" Hermione cried. "I haven't tried any spells with this wand. I'm not sure how smart it would be on either of our parts for me to..."
"Hermione!" Harry cut the babbling girl off by sharply saying her name. She looked up at him. After he held her gaze for a few moments he spoke again.
"I trust you." Hermione exhaled sharply. Harry held his hand closer to her. She took his right hand carefully in her left. Her wand twirled skillfully through her right hand until the tip came to rest on the first cut on Harry's hand. She began muttering spells and soon enough, Harry's hand was as good as new,
"Thanks, Hermione," Harry said, experimentally clenching his fist several times. She slid over in her bed and patted the mattress just next to her.
"Sit," she urged, rolling back the covers. Harry kicked off his shoes and let his robes buddle around them. Under his robes he wore a white button down shirt and dark heather grey slacks. His tie and vest had been abandoned in his room after class. He carefully crawled into the bed next to Hermione. She tossed the sheet and quilt over his legs and he leaned back against the pile of pillows.
"What are you thinking?" Hermione asked after a moment.
"Honestly?" Harry questioned. Hermione nodded.
"That if Mrs. Chang were to meet Voldemort, I'm not sure who would win," Harry said. "She hits really hard."
"She hit you?" Hermione questioned. She laced her hand into his. Harry nodded.
"She slapped me because I killed her daughter," Harry explained. Hermione squeezed his hand lightly.
"You didn't kill Cho," Hermione whispered. "You didn't. Don't even play the what if game."
"Bloody hell!" Ron exclaimed through clenched teeth. He tossed a curtain back and stepped inside. "This has just been my term! I've broken my nose, three ribs and my jaw."
"Actually," Harry said, looking up at his friend from the bed. "You've had all three broken for you."
"I think I win though," Hermione announced with a laugh. "I was unconscious for four days!" Harry rolled his eyes.
"I think it's a record. I finally managed to make it through an adventure uninjured!" he laughed.
"Budge up," Ron said, stepping towards Hermione's side of the bed. Hermione moved towards Harry and rolled the cover on the other side of the bed back. Ron dropped his robe onto his shoes in the floor and slid into bed next to his friends. "She said find a bed."
"Didn't specify unoccupied?" Harry questioned. Ron shrugged.
"I'd smile innocently, but that kinda hurts right now," he said. Hermione quickly tossed the covers over Ron's legs too.
"Madame Pomfrey," Dumbledore's voice sounded from the door to the hospital wing. "Where are Mr. Weasley, Mr. Potter, and Miss Granger?"
"Miss Granger is back in the corner where she's been all week, and Mr. Potter is visiting her. I told Mr. Weasley to make himself comfortable in a bed," Madame Pomfrey replied from her office. The trio heard footsteps heading towards the curtains. Before any one of them could speak, one of the curtains near the foot of the bed folded back to reveal their Headmaster with Tallulah in his arms.
"A bed, Mr. Weasley?" Professor Dumbledore questioned "I think perhaps Madame Pomfrey meant an unoccupied one." Ron shrugged and motioned to get up.
"No, stay," Dumbledore insisted, "I think the three of you might need the closeness for now."
"Hello, Ron," Tallulah said, waving from Dumbledore's arms.
"Hi Lu," Ron muttered.
"We're even," the little girl announced. Ron raised his eyebrows at her.
"You are?" Harry questioned. Tallulah nodded gravely, blonde curls falling into her eyes. She pushed them away with a chubby hand.
"Ron saved me from the bad men in the black robes with no faces, and I made things splode on the man that hit him," Tallulah explained. Hermione, Harry and Dumbledore all laughed at the little girl's logic, while Ron smiled benevolently at her. She wiggled furiously and Dumbledore deposited her on the end of the bed. She scrambled to the head and jumped under the covers between Ron and Hermione.
"Does your mouth hurt?" she asked, looking up at Ron. Ron nodded.
"A bit," he admitted. She stretched up and dropped a quick kiss on his cheek.
"There, I've made it better," she announced. Ron forced a smile down at her.
"Oooh, no more smiling Ron," Hermione laughed. "You might scare Tallulah."
"No," Tallulah said. "I'm not scared of Ron. He saved me." Hermione reached over and tousled the little girl's hair.
"Hermione and Ron, you two may stay in the hospital wing during dinner. I am going to address the rest of the students during dinner to discuss what happened last Saturday, and hold moments of silence for both Cho and William," Dumbledore said. "Mr. Potter, how is your hand?"
"My hand?" Harry asked.
"Your hand," Dumbledore said. "Next time when you decide to attack the wall outside my office, clean the blood off the stone if you don't want me to know." Harry paled and inched farther under the cover. Hermione tightened her grip on his hand.
"Sorry," Harry squeaked. "But it's fine. Hermione healed it."
"Okay. Mr. Potter, I do believe it would do you good to stay here with your friends if you would like. I will send Mr. Weasley, Miss Abbott and Miss Brocklehurst up here to see the three of you after dinner if you'd like." The three fifth years nodded.
"Well then, boys, you're to go back to your common room sometime before curfew. Hermione, Madame Pomfrey said you'd be out in time to sit for O.W.L.'s. Tallulah, you've seen Ron. I suspect your parents are through visiting with Karey and Seamus, so we should take you back."
"Okay, Mr. Dumbledore!" Tallulah said. She scrambled to her feet and patted Ron twice on his head.
"Bye Ron," she said.
"Bye Lu," Ron muttered.
"Bye Harry and Harry and Ron's friend with the hard-to-say name," Tallulah said.
"Bye Tallulah," Harry and Hermione chorused. The three-year-old ran to the other end of the bed and bounced twice before springing into Dumbledore's arms.
"Right then. I will see you three later." Dumbledore pulled out his wand and waved it at the bed, before turning with Tallulah and leaving the enclosing.
"What was that?" Ron questioned. Harry slid towards the edge of the bed.
"I do believe he gave us a bit more room," Harry laughed. Ron slid towards his edge.
"Yep," he said.
"Hermione, I'm glad you're awake," Harry said when they heard the door close behind Dumbledore and Tallulah. Ron nodded his agreement.
"I'm glad I am too," Hermione agreed. "We've got O.W.L.'s to study for."
JKR owns this. Not me.
Um. Review please? And thanks to all of you who have reviewed.
*****
"Harry, Ron, Professor Dumbledore needs to see you in his office before dinner," a small first year called from the door of the common room. Harry and Ron sat on opposite sides of a chessboard in a corner of the common room. Harry leaned back on two legs of his chair with his hands clamped to his forehead and his eyes closed. His scar didn't hurt, but Ron's chess strategies made his eyes cross. Ron sat up straight in his chair ad twirled a pawn mercilessly through his fingers. He surveyed the board carefully before looking over at the first year.
"Did he say what he needs, Charlie?" Ron questioned. Charlie shook his head fiercely.
"No, he just said to send you to his office," Charlie replied.
"Thanks," Harry said, nodding at the first year.
"We'll finish this later," Ron said, pushing away form the table. The front legs on Harry's chair hit the floor with a resounding thud. He reached out and tapped his king twice on its head. The chess piece immediately impaled himself on his own sword.
"No, we won't," Harry replied. "You win." Ron frowned at Harry.
"Not fair," the redhead insisted.
"Ron, you would have beaten me anyway!" Harry said. He slowly stood and stretched with his arms over his head.
"Let's go," Ron said. "Do you think Dumbledore's finally ready to talk about what happened on Saturday?" Ron questioned. Hermione's fire had burned the Three Broomsticks nearly to the ground. Dumbledore had arrived on the scene in just enough time to rescue the bodies from the blaze. Goyle, courtesy of Harry's block of ice, survived and was safely locked up in Azkaban for a life sentence. Ron had received three broken ribs in the fight that warranted a two day stay in the hospital wing. Harry, feeling slight guilt over at least Cho's death, had requested dreamless sleep potion. He, too, spent two days in the hospital wing. By the second day, Little Miss Tallulah Finnegan was awake. She entertained herself and both boys by scrambling from bed to bed, hiding from Madame Pomfrey, and performing an absolutely adorable song and dance in the center of the floor. Tallulah had taken a particular affinity to Ron, going so far as to fall asleep curled by his side on Monday afternoon. Mary Finnegan and her daughters Saoirse and Edana, the pair closest in age to Karey, came to Hogwarts early Tuesday morning to retrieve Tallulah. Hermione lay in the hospital wring, still unconscious. Several times during the previous four days, she began bleeding from her nose, mouth, and once her ears. Madame Pomfrey suspected the spell she had been hit with was much the same as the one Charlie Weasley had fallen victim to at Bill's wedding.
"Password?" Ron asked. He looked over at Harry expectantly. The smaller boy shrugged and looked up at the gargoyle.
"You know, Dumbledore wanted to meet with us, but he didn't tell his messenger the password we would need to get in here. It would be really, really nice if you could just open up and let us in," Harry said. The gargoyle stared stonily back at the boy before sliding back to reveal the stair case. Harry turned to Ron with wide eyes.
"It worked," he whispered, barely believing his own luck.
"Ah, Misters Potter and Weasley, I've been expecting you," Dumbledore said from the top of the staircase.
"It really worked," Ron muttered, smirking at Harry. Harry cast a quick glare at Ron before stepping onto the spiraling stair case to go up to the Headmaster's office. Ron followed Harry closely. At the top of the stairs, Dumbledore opened his office door and held it open allowing the boys to enter. A large squishy couch had appeared in front of Dumbledore's desk since the last time the pair had been in the office, a mere three days beforehand.
"If you'll take a seat," Dumbledore said, indicating to the couch with a sweeping motion of his left hand. The two boys stepped towards the couch. Before they could circle it to take a seat, a familiar head of frizzy brown hair appeared slowly over the back.
"HERMIONE!" Ron screeched. He and Harry scrambled around opposite ends of the couch. They quickly turned to face their friend. She held up both hands to stop the boys from attacking her.
"I'm on temporary leave from the hospital wing, guys," she said. She was very pale and had dark purple circles under both eyes.
"How are you feeling?" Ron asked.
"When did you wake up?" Harry questioned simultaneously. Hermione smiled weakly at the pair.
"I woke up earlier today and I feel as if I've been hit by a truck. Several times," she said.
"By all means, lay back down then," Ron said. "We can sit somewhere else."
"No guys, you can sit," Hermione insisted, leaning back against the couch. Harry carefully took the seat to her right while Ron sat to her left.
"You can at least lean over and prop your feet in Ron's lap," Harry joked. Hermione smiled and nodded.
"You don't mind?" she questioned. Harry shook his head.
"Not at all," he replied. Hermione slowly eased herself over Harry's lap until her head rested on the armrest of the couch. She rolled onto her right side and lifted her feet onto Ron's lap. Harry gently smoothed her hair a couple of times before resting his left arm across the back of the couch. Ron looked surprised at the addition of the feet in his lap but crossed his arms across Hermione's ankles. The trio then looked expectantly at Dumbledore. He smiled benevolently at them and shook his head slightly before taking a seat behind his desk.
"As you know, the ministry has refrained from making a statement thus far," Dumbledore said. Harry ad Ron both nodded.
"I would like to hear your version of the events, then Miss Granger will need to go back to the hospital wing. Mr. Weasley and Mr. Potter, the pair of you will stay here. Mr. and Mrs. Sanguinis, Dr. and Mrs. Chang, Mr. and Mrs. Finnegan, Sirius, and Minister Fudge will be here for a meeting concerning the ministry's very belated official statement. Both of you are expected to attend." Harry looked down at Hermione, expecting her to object to being sent back to the hospital wing. She tucked a couple of stray curls behind her left ear and simply nodded.
"Do we really have to see the Sanguinis and the Chang families?" Harry questioned quietly. Dumbledore nodded and looked stonily at Harry. The twinkle barely showed in his blue eyes.
"Do not feel responsible for what happened to William and Cho. Both made choices and there is nothing you could do to stop them," Dumbledore said.
"But," Harry began. Dumbledore held up a hand and the fifth year fell silent.
"William and Cho made decisions that cost them their lives. You may play the what if game as much as you like, but if will get you nowhere," Dumbledore said. Ron reached over and clapped his best friend on his shoulder. Harry nodded and looked down at Hermione.
"So what I'm here today to do is to ask you to read the official statement Fudge will make and also release to the Daily Prophet," Dumbledore said. He picked up three pieces of parchment from a pile on his desk and floated them towards the three friends. Harry caught his and Hermione's parchment and handed one to her. Ron caught his own and all three began to read.
#########
"Do you see anything that needs to be changed?" Dumbledore asked after allowing the trio a few moments to read.
"You're treating Sanguinis just like another dead student," Ron said.
"He was a Death Eater," Harry added. The look that crossed Dumbledore's face could only be described as a grimace.
"Fudge has determined that Sanguinis wasn't old enough to know what he was doing so he's not allowing William to be portrayed as anything more than a deceased student," he said.
"He stunned Mandy, Hannah, and Ernie and threw them in a closet, arguably purposefully in front of a witness, Chelsea. He then chased the mandrake to the point where she found us. He waited until she had given us enough information to make me suspect one thing that wasn't necessarily true but got the needed reaction out of me before stunning her. If that wasn't enough, he dragged his mostly innocent girlfriend down to the Three Broomsticks where they seemingly incapacitated both Ron and Hermione and dragged them into the proverbial lions' den. Only then did they get killed." Harry paused and took a deep breath. "Forgive me, Professor Dumbledore, if I don't see how Sanguinis is innocent, or didn't know what he was doing." By the time he finished his rant, Harry's face was flushed and his voice had reached a level close to yelling.
"Are you certain about all of that?" Dumbledore asked. Harry nodded gravely.
"Hannah, Mandy and Chelsea all saw him before stunning the fifth years. Nathan Longbottom watched him chase Chelsea almost to the top of the stairs before stunning her," Ron said. Dumbledore nodded and looked at the trio of stone-faced fifth years.
"You've just answered all of my questions concerning what happened before the three of you left the school," Dumbledore said. "How did the fire in the Three Broomsticks get started?"
"I did it," Hermione said from her spot stretched across her best friends. "I started by setting their robes on fire but then they took my wand so I set the roof on fire."
"Without your wand?" Dumbledore questioned. Hermione shrugged and look at the headmaster.
"Yeah, I guess I did," she admitted.
"Have you ever called fire without a wand before?" Dumbledore questioned.
"I've made waterproof fire and I can make fires burn different colors and I've even made fire that burns cloth but not flesh, but never without a wand," Hermione said.
"The ministry disaster control wizards became quite familiar with your waterproof fires. That's evidently the type you used in the pub," Dumbledore said. He set a small figurine on the edge of his desk closets to the friends. "Try to ignite the figure."
"Where's my wand?" Hermione asked.
"It was lost in the fire," Dumbledore admitted. "I want you to try it wandless." Hermione held her hand towards the figure and closed her eyes. A moment later, the figure ignited in a bright purple flame. Dumbledore quickly extinguished the small fire.
"Yes!" cried Harry. Dumbledore looked at the boy with one raised eyebrow.
"Finally someone besides me is doing something weird!" Harry explained. Dumbledore laughed brightly and Hermione even managed a weak giggle.
"So what am I going to do about my wand?" the girl finally ventured to ask.
"I took the liberty of contacting Mr. Ollivander as soon as I figured out what had happened. He sent me this," Dumbledore pulled a long thing box from his desk drawer and floated it towards Hermione.
"Ollivander seemed overly excited about what he called the 'fiery capabilities' of this wand. I think I now understand what he means," Dumbledore explained. Hermione opened the box and lifted a shining dark wand from the purple velvet lining.
"He was certain that the wand would be yours," Ron said. He pointed to the handle end of the wand. Hermione turned it so that she and Harry could both see the very end of the handle. In the tiny circle of wood were three tiny sparkling purple letters. H L G.
"What's so special about this wand?" Hermione questioned.
"It's 11 inches, ash wood, with a dual core," Dumbledore explained.
"Dual core!" Hermione, Harry and Ron chorused.
"Ollivander explained to me that a small number of wands take two cores. Most of these wands are taken by identical twins or witches or wizards with very specialized talents. In your case, your wand is especially good for healing, transfiguration and, as Mr. Ollivander jokingly put it, arson," Dumbledore said.
"So what are the cores?" Hermione questioned.
"Dragon heartstring and phoenix tail feather," Dumbledore answered. "Which makes your wand particularly volatile if anyone besides you were to attempt to use it." Hermione tested the wand in her hand.
"Would I know anyone who has a dual core wand?" she asked.
"One Nymphadora Tonks," Dumbledore said. "Evidently metamorphmagi are another group that uses a dual core wand."
"So I should talk to Tonks about my new wand?" Hermione reiterated. Dumbledore nodded.
"Do my brothers have dual core wands?" Ron questioned.
"Ron, he said identical twins, not one brain with two bodies," Hermione joked. Harry and Dumbledore both laughed appreciatively at the girl. Ron tapped her foot lightly with his right hand.
"You're dating one of those bodies," he reminded her. Hermione shrugged as well as she could, considering she was still stretched across both of her friends.
"I guess I am," she said. "But you're related to both of them."
"Any further questions?" Dumbledore asked, effectively ending Ron and Hermione's budding argument.
"No sir," Harry promptly responded. Ron shook his head no.
"I don't think so," Hermione answered after a moment's consideration.
"Right then. Hermione, if you would like to go back to the hospital wing, everyone else should be arriving shortly for the meeting," Dumbledore said
"I'm certain Madame Pomfrey will be able to collect whatever books from the library you were getting ready to ask about." His blue eyes twinkled merrily at Hermione as Harry helped her sit up.
"Thank you, Professor Dumbledore," Hermione said as she unsteadily got to her feet. Dumbledore pointed his wand at a shelf and it slowly turned sideways, revealing a secret passageway. Hermione smiled at her best friends before stepping into the passage. Dumbledore waved his wand again and the shelf slowly creaked closed behind her.
"Goes straight to a tapestry outside the hospital wing," Dumbledore explained.
"Professor Dumbledore, do you think Mr. and Mrs. Finnegan will bring Tallulah with them?" Ron questioned.
"Mary owled me earlier to request permission to bring Tallulah and her younger brother Brady to the meeting, so Miss Tallulah will be here," Dumbledore replied. Ron broke into a broad smile. "Yes, evidently Miss Tallulah has been asking to see that red-haired boy from Seamus's school." Ron's smiled widened.
"Mandy better watch out," Harry laughed. "Little Tallulah Finnegan is going to try to infringe on her space."
"Speaking of Miss Finnegan," Dumbledore said. The door behind the boys slowly slid open.
"RON!" a small voice cried from the doorway. Ron turned and looked over the back of the couch.
"Tallulah!" He exclaimed. The tiny girl wiggled furiously in her mother's arms. Mary deposited her daughter on the floor. Tallulah smoothed her blue sundress and ran around the edge of the couch to stand directly in front of Ron.
"Hi!" she said, waving at the boy with her left hand. Her pinky and ring finger fell uselessly to her palm, remnant of her time in captivity.
"Hey Tallulah," Ron said. Behind the couch, Frank Finnegan placed his youngest son, Brady on the floor. Brady toddled after Tallulah.
"Lu-Lah!" The boy echoed Ron's statement.
"Ron, this is my little brother Brady," Tallulah said when Brady appeared around the edge of the sofa. The small boy placed an unsteady hand on the edge of the couch and grinned up at Tallulah.
"Uh, hi Brady," Ron said, looking down at the two year old.
"Hi!" Brady squealed.
"Guess what!" Tallulah prompted.
"What?" Ron questioned.
"I might get to see Seamus and Karey after this meeting is over and Saoirse and Edana are jealous because they want to see Karey," Tallulah explained.
"Really?" Ron asked.
"SEE-SHA!" Brady squealed. Ron looked questioningly down at the little boy.
"No Brady," Tallulah scolded. "It's SEEER-SHA!" She looked back up at Ron with wide blue eyes. "That's how he tries to say Saoirse." Ron nodded, not sure exactly what to say to the little girl. Harry issued a snort of laughter from his end of the couch, and Dumbledore's blue eyes sparkled merrily at the interaction between the three-year-old and the fifth year.
"Tallulah," Frank called from the doorway. "That's quite enough, leave the poor boy alone." Tallulah glared at her father over the back of the couch before scrambling up onto the couch and seating herself completely against Ron's right side. Brady pulled his left knee onto the couch and propelled himself onto the cushion in an awkward sort of half roll, half scramble. Then he crawled to Ron's end of the couch and wiggled himself into a seat completely against Tallulah.
"HARRY!" A voice shrieked from somewhere behind the Finnegan's. Harry sprang to his feet and turned to face the door.
"Sirius!" He cried. Frank and Mary stepped out of the way to allow Sirius to bolt through the door. Harry braced himself and Sirius threw his arms around the boy's shoulders, clapping him roughly on his back.
"How are you?" Sirius asked, pushing Harry back away from him.
"I'm alright," Harry said. "You?" He had gotten a long letter from Sirius on Monday detailing exactly how the Death Eaters had captured him and how his time in captivity had been.
"I'm fantastic!" Sirius declared. Harry shook his head at his godfather.
"Good to hear it," Dumbledore said from behind his desk. Harry took two steps back towards the wall and Sirius followed him.
"Sirius!" a tiny voice screeched from just next to Ron.
"Well hello, Tallulah," Sirius looked benevolently over the back of the couch at the tiny girl.
"Why don't you all have seats?" Dumbledore asked. He waved his wand and the couch Ron, Tallulah and Brady sat on slid back towards Harry and Sirius. An identical couch appeared directly across from Dumbledore's desk, and two chairs appeared across from Ron's couch. Frank and Mary stepped towards the chairs and each took a seat.
"We can stand," Sirius said, holding his hand up to Dumbledore to keep the old man from creating more chairs. " The Sanguinises, Changs and Fudge will need seats, and if you make us seats too, there won't be enough room in here." Harry nodded his agreement to his godfather's statement. Dumbledore nodded once and placed his wand on his desk.
"Is this where the meeting is supposed to be held?" a deep male voice asked from the doorway. Dumbledore nodded gravely and pointed to the empty couch.
"Please, Mr. Sanguinis, have a seat," he said. Mr. Sanguinis stepped through the doorway and allowed his wife to step in behind him. Mr. Sanguinis was a tall man, slightly taller than Ron, though more than twice Ron's width. He had thinning blonde hair that was obviously combed over the worst spots on his balding head. He had a large red nose set in the middle of his bright red face, graced by a graying blonde mustache. His blue eyes flashed quickly around the room, seeming to take everything in. He took two steps towards the couch and sank into the seat on the left. His wife slid into the seat next to him, and he dropped a thick arm around her shoulders. She was a tiny mouse of a woman, with nondescript brown hair that reached her chin. Thick bangs fell almost to her grey-green eyes. She sniffed nervously every few seconds and clung to her husband's hand as though her life depended on it.
"Dumbledore, why may I ask, are we meeting in here? My office in London is more convenient and more comfortable," a familiar voice demanded before its body was even visible.
"Cornelius, you know as well as I do that Harry and Ron need to be present for the meeting and taking them off Hogwarts grounds would be more trouble than it took you to come here," Dumbledore replied, adjusting his hat on his long white hair. Fudge finally appeared in the doorway, holding his lime green bowler between two red hands clenched nearly into fists.
"Have a seat, will you?" Dumbledore asked. He nodded towards the empty end of the couch Ron, Tallulah and Brady sat on. Fudge glared at Dumbledore before sitting stiffly on the edge of the couch next to little Brady Finnegan.
"Hu-wo!" Brady said, looking up at Fudge through innocent blue eyes. Fudge ignored the boy and looked steadily at Dumbledore.
"What are we waiting on?" he asked. The older wizard smiled benevolently at the impatient minister before folding his hands in front of him on the desk.
"Well, since the Sanguinises, Finnegans, Ron, Harry, Sirius, and yourself are all here, it seems as though we're waiting on the Changs," Dumbledore replied evenly.
"If they're not here in 10 minutes, I'm leaving," Fudge announced.
"Cornelius! Calm yourself!" Dumbledore said. His steady gaze on the minister didn't break and his voice never wavered. Footsteps sounded on the stairs and Fudge remained silent. A moment later a small Asian man and his wife appeared in the doorway.
"Ah, Dr. and Mrs. Chang. So nice to see you and I'm certainly sorry it couldn't happen under happier circumstances," Dumbledore said, nodding gravely at the pair. Harry was awestruck at how much Cho had looked like her mother. Mrs. Chang's eyes flashed quickly around the room. When they landed on Harry, she froze. Harry attempted to step closer to the wall, but his back was already flat against the paneling. Mrs. Chang closed the space between herself and the teenager in four steps.
"You," she hissed. Her eyes had gone completely cold. Harry swallowed hard, but didn't say anything and didn't break his eyes away from the lady in front of him.
"You killed my Cho!" she cried. Her tiny hand seemed to come from nowhere and her open palm caught Harry's left check. He raised his hand and brushed the stinging spot. The occupants of the office were quiet for a moment before everyone decided to speak at once.
"Well I never," came Frank Finnegan's thick brogue.
"Like mother, like daughter," Sirius muttered. "Where have I heard that."
"Mrs. Chang!" Rebecca Sanguinis sniffed from the couch.
"I can assure you the ministry is placing full blame on a band of renegade Death Eaters." That was Fudge over the crumpled bowler he had crushed in his hands. Mrs. Chang began to wail, which caused Tallulah and Brady to break into their own chorus of sobs. Mary moved to comfort the pair while Ron sprang from his seat. His voice boomed above the rest.
"He damned well did not kill your daughter!" The red-head roared. His face slowly turned the color of his hair. "If anyone besides the wizard who fired the curse is guilty, it's Lucius Malfoy for giving the order and William Sanguinis for dragging her into the mess in the first place!" Rebecca immediately burst into a fresh round of sobs while Mrs. Chang quieted enough to speak.
"Why can he save the little girl and not my baby?" she asked.
"Ron saved me!" Tallulah shouted from behind her tears in her father's arms.
"My daughter could have been more help the war than she'll ever be!" Mrs. Chang screamed, shaking an accusing finger at Tallulah.
"THERE IS NO WAR!" Fudge screeched.
"Your daughter was ruled by passion, not reason," Sirius interjected.
"That's the pot calling the caldron black," Robert Sanguinis muttered.
"Do you think we aren't suffering too?" Mary shouted, stepping towards Mrs. Chang.
"She was dating a bloody DEATH EATER!" Ron bellowed.
"Our Tallulah was missing for two months!" Mary screeched.
"Our Cho is DEAD!" Mrs. Chang wailed.
"Our Laurelai is just as dead, and if what Ron says is true, even more innocent!" Mary shouted. Ron was so busy paying attention to the two ladies that he didn't notice Mr. Sanguinis until the larger man's fist made contact with his jaw. The teenagers jaw hinged sideways and blood spattered from his lower lip towards Frank, Brady, and Tallulah. An animalistic roar of pain erupted from Ron's throat.
"That man hurt Ron!" Tallulah howled. Spots of blood speckled her tiny face. She clenched her small fists and screwed her eyes shut before releasing a shriek that reached the ears of even the people in Hogsmeade. The silver instruments on the shelf began exploding one by one. The glass covering over the portraits of former headmasters and mistresses shattered with a resounding blast, shooting glass shards across the room and showering its occupants. Mr. Sanguinis took the opportunity to crash his fist into Ron's already broken jaw again. Mary Finnegan whipped out her wand and began firing stunners about the room as Dumbledore finally spoke up.
"SCILENCE!" He roared. Everyone froze. Mr. Sanguinis, Mrs. Chang, and Tallulah had all fallen victim to Mary's stunners. The only sound in the room was Rebecca Sanguinis's light sniffles. Dumbledore's eyes had gone the color of cold blue steel. Sirius finally broke the silence.
"What in Merlin's name was that?" He asked as he attempted to staunch the blood flowing from a cut above his right eye he ad received from a flying glass shard.
"That was Lu's none to gentle reminder that you shouldn't hurt Ron Weasley in her presence," Frank said.
"Little Miss Finnegan lost control of her magic," Dumbledore explained. He flicked his wand at Sirius's head and the blood quickly stopped. Mary danced her wand about the room, repairing the damage her daughter's outburst had caused.
"I must commend you, Mrs. Finnegan," Fudge said, "for your quick thinking." Mary shrugged nonchalantly.
"After 10 children, minister, it's something 'm used to. Though usually from Karey, 'Dana, or Tara. Not typically Tallulah." The last of the glass flew back into its frame. Ron mad a noise somewhere between a gurgle, a slurp, and an ill-formed word through his broken jaw from the seat he had taken on the couch.
"Mr. Potter, could you escort Mr. Weasley to the hospital wing?" Dumbledore looked pointedly at Harry. "Sirius can speak for you all, as I don't think it's wise for either of you to be here when Mr. Sanguinis and Mrs. Chang are revived." Harry nodded twice at the headmaster as Ron struggled to his feet.
"I'm sorry boys, I didn't expect things to get this out of hand," the old wizard said. Harry, not trusting himself to refrain from screaming if he spoke, simply nodded again. Ron managed another gurgling noise.
"I'll be by the hospital wing in a bit to see you," Sirius told Harry. The boy responded with another nod.
"I suppose Tu-Lah will want to see you to prove you're okay, so we'll bring her by after the meeting," Mary informed Ron. Ron nodded. Dumbledore waved his wand and the shelf Hermione had disappeared behind slowly slid open. Both Harry and Ron stepped through the doorway, and Dumbledore closed the shelf behind them. Harry hurried down the tunnel with Ron close on his heels. Ron had both hands clasped to his mangled jaw. Harry hadn't trusted himself to speak.
"I can't decide," he finally said, when they were far enough away from the office. "Whether to be angry, sad, or to just not care." His voice was even, not betraying any of the emotions he spoke of except perhaps the last. Ron growled an unintelligible response through his broken jaw. Harry nodded at the noise from Ron.
"You're right, Ron," he said. Blue eyes widened at Harry's response. The smaller boy stepped towards the stone wall. "I think I'll go with the first." With no warning, Harry's right fist smashed into the wall with alarming force. Ron jumped a bit at the sound of flesh meeting stone.
"I DIDN'T kill her!" Harry insisted. His fist crunched into the wall again.
"It was her own bloody fault!" he exclaimed. Another resounding hit against the wall.
"Or Sanguinis!" A wet ripping noise accompanied the hit.
"I can't be blamed every time someone dies or something goes wrong!" He swung again, and crimson blood splattered on the pale grey stone.
"I CAN'T!" Blood trailed down the rock.
"I CAN'T!" Harry screamed. He hit the wall twice more. On the second hit, he leaned into it and collapsed against the wall. His torn right hand ground into the stone while his left arm rested on the wall just at head level. His forehead was buried in his arm just at his elbow. He took two deep shaking breaths.
"I can't," he said one final time at a normal volume level. He exhaled slowly and then pushed away from the wall with his left arm. He eased his still bleeding right fist away from the wall and turned to Ron.
"Right then," he said as though nothing had happened. "I guess we both need the hospital wing now don't we?" He looked down at his pale hand nearly painted with blood and flecked with small chips of stone. He laughed then, almost hollowly, eerily... ruefully. Ron attempted a nod before wincing in pain.
*****
"Madame Pomfrey!" Harry cried when the pair entered the hospital wing.
"Yes, Mr. Potter?" Madame Pomfrey called from her office. Harry hastily hid his hand behind his back.
"Ron needs your assistance! He went and got his jaw broken!" Harry explained.
"Oh Merlin! What happened?" the matron asked. She appeared in the doorway and hurried towards the tall redhead.
"Fix his mouth and I'm sure he'll be happy to tell you," Harry joked. Madame Pomfrey didn't pay attention to him. She was busy herding Ron towards the nearest bed. Harry shrugged and started towards the curtained off bed in the back left corner that had become Hermione's home in the past four nights.
"Hey Hermione, can I come in?" he whispered into the curtains.
"Harry?" Hermione questioned. "Certainly." Harry held back the curtains and stepped into the small enclosure. Hermione sat in the center of her bed, propped up on a stack of pillows. She held her new wand in both hands, looking critically and questioningly at the thin piece of wood.
"What happened to Ron?" Hermione questioned, never looking away from her wand.
"Mr. Sanguinis punched him twice because Mrs. Chang accused me of killing Cho and Ron blamed William," Harry explained. "It pretty well destroyed Ron's jaw." Hermione looked up at Harry through wide hazel eyes. Harry held out his bloody hand to his best friend.
"What did you do?" Hermione questioned.
"Had a little run in with a wall," Harry sheepishly admitted. "Can you quit looking at your new wand and actually try it out to heal my hand?" Harry questioned.
"Oh Harry!" Hermione cried. "I haven't tried any spells with this wand. I'm not sure how smart it would be on either of our parts for me to..."
"Hermione!" Harry cut the babbling girl off by sharply saying her name. She looked up at him. After he held her gaze for a few moments he spoke again.
"I trust you." Hermione exhaled sharply. Harry held his hand closer to her. She took his right hand carefully in her left. Her wand twirled skillfully through her right hand until the tip came to rest on the first cut on Harry's hand. She began muttering spells and soon enough, Harry's hand was as good as new,
"Thanks, Hermione," Harry said, experimentally clenching his fist several times. She slid over in her bed and patted the mattress just next to her.
"Sit," she urged, rolling back the covers. Harry kicked off his shoes and let his robes buddle around them. Under his robes he wore a white button down shirt and dark heather grey slacks. His tie and vest had been abandoned in his room after class. He carefully crawled into the bed next to Hermione. She tossed the sheet and quilt over his legs and he leaned back against the pile of pillows.
"What are you thinking?" Hermione asked after a moment.
"Honestly?" Harry questioned. Hermione nodded.
"That if Mrs. Chang were to meet Voldemort, I'm not sure who would win," Harry said. "She hits really hard."
"She hit you?" Hermione questioned. She laced her hand into his. Harry nodded.
"She slapped me because I killed her daughter," Harry explained. Hermione squeezed his hand lightly.
"You didn't kill Cho," Hermione whispered. "You didn't. Don't even play the what if game."
"Bloody hell!" Ron exclaimed through clenched teeth. He tossed a curtain back and stepped inside. "This has just been my term! I've broken my nose, three ribs and my jaw."
"Actually," Harry said, looking up at his friend from the bed. "You've had all three broken for you."
"I think I win though," Hermione announced with a laugh. "I was unconscious for four days!" Harry rolled his eyes.
"I think it's a record. I finally managed to make it through an adventure uninjured!" he laughed.
"Budge up," Ron said, stepping towards Hermione's side of the bed. Hermione moved towards Harry and rolled the cover on the other side of the bed back. Ron dropped his robe onto his shoes in the floor and slid into bed next to his friends. "She said find a bed."
"Didn't specify unoccupied?" Harry questioned. Ron shrugged.
"I'd smile innocently, but that kinda hurts right now," he said. Hermione quickly tossed the covers over Ron's legs too.
"Madame Pomfrey," Dumbledore's voice sounded from the door to the hospital wing. "Where are Mr. Weasley, Mr. Potter, and Miss Granger?"
"Miss Granger is back in the corner where she's been all week, and Mr. Potter is visiting her. I told Mr. Weasley to make himself comfortable in a bed," Madame Pomfrey replied from her office. The trio heard footsteps heading towards the curtains. Before any one of them could speak, one of the curtains near the foot of the bed folded back to reveal their Headmaster with Tallulah in his arms.
"A bed, Mr. Weasley?" Professor Dumbledore questioned "I think perhaps Madame Pomfrey meant an unoccupied one." Ron shrugged and motioned to get up.
"No, stay," Dumbledore insisted, "I think the three of you might need the closeness for now."
"Hello, Ron," Tallulah said, waving from Dumbledore's arms.
"Hi Lu," Ron muttered.
"We're even," the little girl announced. Ron raised his eyebrows at her.
"You are?" Harry questioned. Tallulah nodded gravely, blonde curls falling into her eyes. She pushed them away with a chubby hand.
"Ron saved me from the bad men in the black robes with no faces, and I made things splode on the man that hit him," Tallulah explained. Hermione, Harry and Dumbledore all laughed at the little girl's logic, while Ron smiled benevolently at her. She wiggled furiously and Dumbledore deposited her on the end of the bed. She scrambled to the head and jumped under the covers between Ron and Hermione.
"Does your mouth hurt?" she asked, looking up at Ron. Ron nodded.
"A bit," he admitted. She stretched up and dropped a quick kiss on his cheek.
"There, I've made it better," she announced. Ron forced a smile down at her.
"Oooh, no more smiling Ron," Hermione laughed. "You might scare Tallulah."
"No," Tallulah said. "I'm not scared of Ron. He saved me." Hermione reached over and tousled the little girl's hair.
"Hermione and Ron, you two may stay in the hospital wing during dinner. I am going to address the rest of the students during dinner to discuss what happened last Saturday, and hold moments of silence for both Cho and William," Dumbledore said. "Mr. Potter, how is your hand?"
"My hand?" Harry asked.
"Your hand," Dumbledore said. "Next time when you decide to attack the wall outside my office, clean the blood off the stone if you don't want me to know." Harry paled and inched farther under the cover. Hermione tightened her grip on his hand.
"Sorry," Harry squeaked. "But it's fine. Hermione healed it."
"Okay. Mr. Potter, I do believe it would do you good to stay here with your friends if you would like. I will send Mr. Weasley, Miss Abbott and Miss Brocklehurst up here to see the three of you after dinner if you'd like." The three fifth years nodded.
"Well then, boys, you're to go back to your common room sometime before curfew. Hermione, Madame Pomfrey said you'd be out in time to sit for O.W.L.'s. Tallulah, you've seen Ron. I suspect your parents are through visiting with Karey and Seamus, so we should take you back."
"Okay, Mr. Dumbledore!" Tallulah said. She scrambled to her feet and patted Ron twice on his head.
"Bye Ron," she said.
"Bye Lu," Ron muttered.
"Bye Harry and Harry and Ron's friend with the hard-to-say name," Tallulah said.
"Bye Tallulah," Harry and Hermione chorused. The three-year-old ran to the other end of the bed and bounced twice before springing into Dumbledore's arms.
"Right then. I will see you three later." Dumbledore pulled out his wand and waved it at the bed, before turning with Tallulah and leaving the enclosing.
"What was that?" Ron questioned. Harry slid towards the edge of the bed.
"I do believe he gave us a bit more room," Harry laughed. Ron slid towards his edge.
"Yep," he said.
"Hermione, I'm glad you're awake," Harry said when they heard the door close behind Dumbledore and Tallulah. Ron nodded his agreement.
"I'm glad I am too," Hermione agreed. "We've got O.W.L.'s to study for."