Chapter 14: The Betrayal
Harry Potter sat beside his beautiful wife, Hermione Granger-Potter, at the full-length table in the main dinning room of the Xavier Mansion. He smiled around at his friends and family, all of which were prepared to enjoy the Thanksgiving feast.
They all went around, each telling what they were thankful for, and when it came Harry's turn, he proudly took Hermione's hand, "I'm thankful for my loving wife and family," He said, glancing around the table, but suddenly felt a cold chill when everyone avoided his gaze, "um...is something wrong?"
Scott and Jean looked up sadly at the boy, "We don't know how to tell you this, Harry," Scott began lowly, "But, because of your status as a wizard, we're not allowed to adopt you, your adoption isn't legal. You can't be a part of our family, Harry; we're so sorry."
What?" Harry gasped, standing to his feet.
"Your mutant gifts are also far too unstable, so you can no longer be an X-Man; you may turn in your uniform after dinner." Xavier said, not making eye contact.
Then Professor Dumbledore walked in the room, "Harry, because of Lord Voldemort's lust for your death, I am afraid you will not be allowed to continue your final year at Hogwarts, your belongings will be brought to you post haste. I hope you can forgive me."
"Hermione?" Harry asked, but gasped when he turned to see her in Ron's lap, snogging heavily.
"I'm sorry, Harry, I really am," Hermione said in between kisses, "But I … I still love Ron, you'll find someone someday, maybe."
Harry's eyes snapped open and he glanced around to find himself in the Head Girl's room.He suddenly became aware of a vice grip-like pressure on his waist. He glanced down to see a blanket of brown curls over his chest coming from a head using his shoulder for a pillow and a pair of arms gripping his waist as if her life depended on it.
"Hermione, any chance of letting me breath a little?" Harry whispered.
"No … Cho … Ginny … Kitty … get away …" Hermione murmured in her sleep, "He's mine …"
Harry glanced at the clock; it was seven thirty in the morning, "You don't have to get up and go to class, Mione," Harry whispered in her ear, "But I do, so could you let go before I get caught in here."
Hermione merely mumbled something that Harry couldn't make out and nuzzled into his shoulder. "Hermione, you just failed a test." He whispered again, and she leapt to a seated position and stared at Harry with a look of pure terror.
"I knew that would work," Harry smiled at his girlfriend.
"Harry, I'm still sore. Don't make me jump like that, I'm fragile …" She mock-whimpered, rubbing her side.
"Fragile, my arse, you about crushed me just now," Harry pointed out, climbing out of her twin-sized feather bed.
"You're supposed to be a super hero, now Harry, costume and everything, stop acting like a baby." Hermione teased, getting up and walking toward her closet, "You better get back to your dorm. Ron can't cover for you forever, you know?"
"Right, so you sure you're going to be up for this?" Harry asked, walking up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist, "After all, you just got out of the hospital yesterday afternoon."
"I need to do this, Harry," Hermione said, "This is the first day of the last year of all of us together; how can I miss this?"
"Ok, but if you start to feel unwell anytime, you head back to your room and rest, got me?" Harry ordered, starting toward the door with his invisibility cloak. "Remember, you can't hide it from me. I'm psychic now."
Harry closed the door behind him just in time to miss the waded up nightshirt aimed at the door.
Harry and Ron stood outside the portrait of Fat Lady, who was restored to her full glory and once again placed at the entrance of the Gryffindor Common Room. "What's taking her so bloody long?" Ron asked glancing at his friend who just smirked.
"You know, Hermione, she's probably …" He said as she came running from the opposite direction from her Head Girl room.
"I'm sorry I'm late," She breathed, running up to stand between Harry and Ron, "I was in the Library. There was something I really wanted you boys to see! There was so many new books on all sorts of things. There are plenty of things for our N.E.W.T. exams, and then even more for post graduation educational options, and even more …"
"Why am I …" Ron started.
"Not surprised at all?" Harry finished, sharing a knowing smirk with his redheaded friend. Harry sent a quick telepathic message and Ron blinked before nodding with a grin.
Harry looped his arm under Hermione's left shoulder, and Ron did the same with her right, "Guys, what are you doing? Guys?" She let out a small squeal when they lifted her up off the ground and began carrying her toward the Great Hall.
"We know what you were doing, Hermione," Harry said with a knowing smile.
"Yes, we do, Hermione, and you won't escape it," Ron chuckled evilly.
"I don't know what you two are on about!" Hermione stated, turning slightly pale.
"I spent the last six years being looked at as the champion of the whole bloody world while you always said … what was it, Hermione?" Harry asked, smiling down at his girlfriend, "Do you recall Mr. Weasley?"
"I do recall, Mr. Potter," Ron nodded, "'Don't let them get to you, Harry, they're just fans. They will be over it within a few weeks and you'll be treated like everyone else.' Something like that, Mr. Potter?"
"Thank you, Mr. Weasley; that is most correct if I recall," Harry smiled a smile that would be best suited on Satan.
"Harry … don't do this … please …" Hermione whimpered, as they approached the Great Hall, "I don't wanna go in there …"
Harry and Ron pushed the doors open with their free hands and before stepping in, Harry smiled down at her tenderly, "Don't worry, Hermione, they're just fans. They will be over it within a few weeks and you'll be treated like everyone else."
"You're both stupid gits …" Hermione said as they dragged her inside the hall to the cheering fans.
Harry smiled as younger students swamped Hermione.
Ron sat down next to him and blinked, "Isn't it kind of cruel to do this to her?" he asked as she held her hand toward Collin's camera, trying to block his shots.
"Look around you, Ron," Harry said, looking around where they were seated eating breakfast. The Gryffindor table was all but abandoned, all of them either standing trying to get a autograph from Hermione or trying to act as bodyguards. "Peace!"
"At your girlfriend's expense?" Ron pointed out.
"I'll make it up to her later," Harry shrugged, "Besides, how am I supposed to stop it? If she hides, they'll just get worse; I know that first hand. But if she faces the little demons, they'll probably be over it in a week at the most, then they'll be back on the 'Boy Who Lived'."
Harry, Ron, and a sulking Hermione, who was glaring at Ron and Harry at every available moment, sat in their first class, one that all could say they were looking forward to: Defense Against the Dark Arts under Dr. Strange himself.
A moment later the mustached man in brightly colored robes walked out into the center of the oval classroom and glanced around, "Welcome to Defense Against the Dark Arts, seventh years. I'll be your instructor, Dr. Steven Strange. It's a pleasure to meet you all."
"I understand the previous years' Dark Arts Defense professors have been varied thus giving you all unstable experiences with the class, but I feel I will be able to teach you all everything you need to know to survive what's to come," Strange said, his eyes staying on Harry as he spoke.
"I will begin today's lesson with a few questions, who knows the true purpose of the Dark Arts?" he asked, eyeing the room and smiling as several hands shot up. Unsurprisingly, the most animated was Hermione's, "Do you have the answer, Ms. Granger?"
"Yes," Hermione said, standing up tall and proud, "The Dark Arts is the form of magic that the Dark Wizards and Death Eaters use to draw their magical power." She said, struggling not to smile which was par when she answered questions in class.
"That's very good, Ms. Granger, and yes that is part of it, but no, I'm afraid you are wrong," Strange said with slight hint of sympathy. "Anyone else?" he asked, but the room had grown deathly quiet.
"W-What?" Hermione forced out, still standing.
"You were incorrect, Ms. Granger, please take your seat," Strange said with a smile before looking around the room again.
"I AM NOT INCORRECT!" She cried out, almost climbing on top of her desk, and would have if not for Harry and Ron grabbing her shoulder, "I KNOW I WAS RIGHT! THE CLASS KNOWS I WAS RIGHT! YOU KNOW I WAS RIGHT, SO TELL ME I WAS RIGHT! I KNOW I WAS, I HAVE TO BE RIGHT! TELL HIM I WAS RIGHT, HARRY!" She ordered, turning her fiery gaze on her boyfriend.
"LEAVE ME OUT OF THIS!" Harry replied, pulling on her arm, trying to get her back down.
"Ms. Granger, the answer to the question is quite simple really," Strange said, ignoring the fact she had one foot on her desk, her face was the color of a Weasley's hair, and it required three boys to keep her off the desk. "The Dark Arts' true purpose is to complement the Light Arts. After all, what is the light without the dark, or for that matter, the dark without the light? A truly powerful wizard is a master of the darkness and the light yet not letting either overpower the other, but keeping a complete balance within him or herself."
"THEN I WAS RIGHT!" Hermione snapped.
"No, you were wrong," Strange replied coolly, "If I asked what the Dark Arts were mostly used for, then yes you would have been correct, but that was not the question now, was it?"
"NOW YOU SEE HERE YOU AMER-" Hermione started, but was cut off when her mouth closed on its own accord, and she was dragged by an invisible force back to her seat. As soon as she was down, the force dissipated, and she knew exactly what it was.
She gave Harry a stern look. "Never. Do. That. Again."
"Are you certain about this?" Arthur Weasley asked from Umbridge's office.
"Yes, the X-Men are the greatest threat to the Wizarding World since You-Know-Who, if we destroy their main base in America, New Hogwarts will be easily overtaken." Umbridge smiled from her desk, "Are they ready, Mr. Malfoy?"
"Indeed, Madam Minister," Lucius smiled, handing her a remote control, "Seventy-five Aurors have been loaded on transports, and we have twenty-five Sentinels ready to back them up on the raid."
"Are you certain the locations you gathered are correct, Mr. Weasley?" Umbridge asked seriously.
"Yes, I've given all the Aurors copies of the pensieve memory," Arthur said softly. "Before you ask, the alpha pensieve was willingly given … May Merlin forgive me."
"Then all is set, launch the transports," Umbridge said, pushing on the remote, making the screen light up with two words: 'Sentinels Online'.
"Very good, Madam Minister," Lucius smiled evilly.
"How long will it take our forces to reach Xavier's Estate?" Umbridge asked.
"Eight hours from now, Madam," Lucius bowed, "I will return with news of their successful mission."
Arthur walked out of the office quickly, "Merlin forgive me …"
"So what are you two doing this afternoon?" Ron asked, looking through the new issue of the Daily Prophet in the Great Hall, sitting across from his best friends.
"I have to go back to the Estate. Telepathic lessons with Xavier, then a poker game with the guys," Harry said, biting into an apple.
"Have a session with Dr. McTaggart at Xavier's too," Hermione said matter-of-factly. "You want to come so you can say hi to your little Jubilation?" she teased.
"I'd love to," Ron sighed sadly, "Alas, I have homework and I don't have the excuse of being a superhero or psychopath to get to go state side."
"Take that back, Ronald Weasley!" Hermione shouted, throwing a roll in his face, "Harry's psychic, not a psychopath!"
"We've been a bad influence on you, Hermione," Ron smiled.
"Your own bloody fault," She said, sitting back against her boyfriend.
"Well we better go before we're late," Harry said standing up, "Don't want Professor Xavier sending Logan out to find us again."
"Heaven forbid," Hermione agreed, avoiding all eye contact with Harry as they walked out of the Great Hall.
"Those two," Ron smiled before going back to his paper.
Several hours later, Draco Malfoy in his masked costume flew well above the clouds to hide his sight.
A lot was on his mind as he looked down through the breaks of the cloud. He reckoned this was one of the few things he had in common with Potter: they both agreed nothing was as breathtaking as seeing the ground from the sky.
"Gin …" Draco sighed, a small smile crossing his usually sneering lips as he remembered the worst and best day of his life.
Flash Back
"How could this have happened to me?" Draco asked out loud as he stumbled through Hogsmeade. The beginning of his sixth year was going great until Potter touched him. He wasn't sure why, but after he recovered from passing out from the strange touch, Draco began to have an almost painful itch on his back. A month later, four small, red, feathered appendages began to grow from the side of his back.
He successfully used invisibility wraps and masking charms to hide them, but one week after coming home for Christmas, his father Lucius discovered Draco's secret.
Lucius beat him as if he was a disobedient house elf before finally dumping him in a dark alleyway in Hogsmeade after threatening him to never show his freak face around his house again.
Draco slid down the cold wall, rubbing his arms for warmth. It was so cold, and he was so hungry. He ran his hand through his now greasy, unwashed hair.
"M-Malfoy?" A voice called from the entrance of the alley. Draco opened his weak and bruised eyes to see Ginny Weasley staring at him, her jaw slack.
"What do you want, Weasley?" Draco grunted, turning his bruised face away from her. "Want to call your brothers so you can all gloat over what's happened to me? I'm sure you do. Your brothers would probably love to see me like this, a broken shell, no home, no life, no hope, so go ahead and bloody get it over with!"
"You're hurt," Ginny said softly, walking over and crouching down beside him.
"Leave me be," Draco growled, jerking away from her touch.
"No, I won't; you're hurt and you need medical attention, the passage through the Shrieking Shack isn't far from here, so c'mon and let me get you to Madam Pomfrey," Ginny said, pulling on his slender arm.
"Why are you trying to help me, Gryffindor?" Draco hissed, but let her drape his arm over her shoulder and start toward the Shrieking Shack, "Won't you get in trouble for sneaking out of Hogwarts?"
"Nonsense," Ginny smiled a little while a blush began to form on her cheeks, "It's a girl's job to help cute guys in distress."
"I'm not cute and I'm not in distress," Draco said, his bruises hiding his blush.
"You're right, Malfoy, with those bruises you aren't cute, but when you aren't hurt or trying to be a prat, you are very cute indeed," Ginny said, surprising herself with her boldness.
"Oh, don't patronize me, Weasley," Draco shook his head, "I'm a freak, a plain out, grade-A freak, just like Potter." Stretching out two of his wings as evidence.
"You're a Mutant too?" Ginny gasped, almost dropping the older boy.
"Yeah, and I know how your family feels about … us," Draco said, looking away, remembering his father's words. "So just go on and leave me in the street like the trash I am."
"Stop it! You're not a freak or trash. Never say that again, Draco Malfoy," Ginny scolded, "My mum and dad … they … they really don't like people like you, but I really don't have a problem. You just have something we don't. The Draco Malfoy I know would just see this as a reason to think he's better then normal people like us."
"My … father killed that Draco," Draco said, surprised to feel hot tears in the corners of his bruised eyes.
"You need to start over then," Ginny said as they approached the Shrieking Shack. "And to do that, you need new friends, and I would honestly like to be your first one." She chimed with a shy smile.
"You … you want to be my friend?" Draco blinked in surprise, "After everything I've done to you and your brothers and friends?"
"You said your father killed that Draco, and I'd like to get to know this new one that came from that," Ginny stated as she helped him into the secret passage to Hogwarts. "By the way, friendships start with first names, Draco."
"Ok, G-Ginny, I think I'd like that." Draco said, stuttering to get her name out and giving what was quite possibly his first real smile.
End of Flashback
Draco shook his mind from the thought and swooped down toward the Quidditch pitch and was surprised to see someone in the stands, a red headed girl Draco Malfoy would know anywhere. The Darkangel swooped down to the girl's side, and felt a sudden surge of dread at the sight.
Ginny was curled in the fetal position on the bleachers crying her eyes out.
"Gin, what's wrong?" Draco asked as he stepped toward the girl.
"I betrayed them …" Ginny sobbed, "I betrayed him, oh, Draco!" Ginny cried, diving into Draco's chest.
"Ginny, what are you talking about?" Draco said, wrapping his arms and wings around the girl's trembling form.
"I knew what Daddy wanted it for," Ginny sobbed, "I knew, but I was afraid. I was afraid Daddy would pull me from New Hogwarts, so I went along with it. Draco, they're going to kill them, I know it!"
"Ginny, what's going on? Who's going to kill who?" Draco asked the emotional girl.
"The Ministry of Magic!" Ginny cried, "The Daddy made me be a spy, made me go to Harry's other school, made me … made me see where everything was … where it was protected, and where it wasn't … he made me make it into a pensieve. I didn't want to be pulled from school. I didn't want to be taken from you, I didn't …" She then raised her head to look at Draco with a look that would break Voldemort's heart, "I know it … Daddy's going to kill all the Mutants there … Daddy's going to kill Harry …"
"Give me two," Harry said, throwing two cards down on the round kitchen table where he sat with Wolverine, Gambit, Beast, and Cyclops.
"Give me one," Cyclops said after Gambit dealt Harry his cards, "And you better not be using that telepathic ability you just finished practicing in this," he smiled at his adopted son, "You're not too big for me to throw you over my knee and right you."
"He wouldn't need 'ny mutant power to read de cards. Dealer takes three," Gambit smiled, "You a wizard, no? Card tricks are part of magic, yes?"
"You're ignorant, Cajun," Wolverine chuckled, puffing on his cigar, "Magic ain't got nothin to do with card tricks and shit like that."
"And how do you know, Mon Ami?" Gambit asked, cocking an eyebrow at the Canadian, growing even more curious at his stiffening at the question.
"I've … I've been around long enough to know the difference, bub," Wolverine said, forcing a smirk and taking his cigar in two fingers before pointing it at Harry, "Illusions are one thing, but the things the runt and his buds can do is the real deal."
"Yeah, you better believe it, 'bub'," Hermione mocked, walking up behind Logan and taking his cigar, and taking a quick puff.
"Hermione!" Harry gawked at his girlfriend.
"Yes, Harry?" Hermione asked in mock confusion.
Hermione handed the cigar back to the smirking Canadian before walking around the table to her boyfriend, "What, it's not like I'm addicted or anything, Harry, honestly," She said, chuckling at the look on his face. "Oh, don't look so scandalized, Love. I didn't even take a puff. Here, smell." Hermione said, breathing on him.
Even though he couldn't smell any tobacco on her breath, he was still upset, "You're the Head Girl. You're supposed to set an example! What if this was Hogwarts and there were first years around?" Harry scolded before stopping with a blink, "Merlin, I'm getting bad deja'vu here…"
Hermione looked to her left and right, "I see any students, do you? You know I love messing with your head, and besides, am I not supposed to have a little fun every now and again, love?"
"Ok, Sinistra, where's Hermione?" Harry cocked an eyebrow, earning a slap on the back of his head.
"Har, Har, funny boy," Hermione mocked before sitting down on his thigh, "Who's winning, Gambit as usual?"
"Actually, Chere, Mage has Gambit beat by a few games, but Gambit is on the comeback," the Cajun smirked at the youngest X-Man.
"Quiet!" Wolverine barked, holding up his hand.
"What is it, Logan?" Cyclops asked.
"GET DOWN!" Wolverine yelled, turning the table sideways as beams of magic shot shattered the window and shot into the kitchen.
"We're under attack! Mage, Hermione, start getting the students to the X-Jet," Cyclops instructed, replacing his sunglasses with his visor. "Beast, Gambit, sound the alarm and find out where the Professor is. Wolverine, let's see if we can hold off whoever's attacking us long enough 'til we can get evacuated."
Harry and Hermione ran toward the dorm rooms, dodging spells and sending them back, "Harry, those aren't Death Eaters; those are Aurors!"
"I know, Hermione," Harry said, ducking a curse and firing a Stunner.
"It doesn't make any sense!" Hermione cried, jerking Harry to the left to narrowly miss another spell.
"I know, Hermione," Harry said again in the same tone of voice as before, firing a curse back.
"What are we going to do, Harry?" Hermione asked as they pressed themselves to the wall.
"There are four Aurors between us and the dormitory," Harry said, peeking around the side, "I'll go play decoy while you run up and get the kids to the X-Jet, I'm sure Kitty, Jubilee, Kurt and Peter will be able to help you."
"No, I'm not leaving you!" Hermione protested. "Those are Aurors, fully trained Aurors! You could be hurt or … or …"
"C'mon, Hermione, it's me," Harry said with a confident smile before moving in for a quick kiss, "I'll be ok. I'll give you a signal when its safe."
"Do be careful, Harry," Hermione pleaded.
"You too," Harry nodded before dashing out to face the Aurors. "Hey, you great prats! I defeated Lord Voldemort before I could walk or talk; do any of you feel so lucky you could beat the Boy Who Lived?"
'Hermione! Go!' Harry sent telepathically before hitting one of the surprised Aurors with a Stunning Spell, then used his telekinesis to throw him into the rest of them.
Harry and Hermione locked eyes before she ran up the stairs and then with a nod went separate ways.
Cyclops hit an Auror dead in the chest with an optic blast, before turning and firing on a couple others.
"Stupefy," He heard the spell called and glanced to see Harry ran up to his adopted father's side.
"I got Hermione to the kids," Harry said, standing back to back with the X-Men Field Commander, "She's better suited for that sort of thing."
"I didn't think we pissed the Minister off that much," Cyclops stated as the two ran down the hallway, cursing or blasting Aurors along the way. "We have to find the Professor!"
"Stay calm, Dad, we're almost there," Harry said they got to Xavier's office.
Cyclops blasted the door open and saw Xavier on the ground beside his overturned wheelchair.
"Is he?" Cyclops asked as Harry rolled the elder man over.
"Sleeping charm, they probably hit him first," Harry said, stepping back for Cyclops to pick the man up.
Cyclops and Harry turned to see two Aurors with their wands pointed at them. "Don't move a finger," one of the Aurors ordered.
Before anyone could do anything, a carnal roar sounded behind them and three triangular blades came through the Aurors' chests before they dropped to the ground, "Chuck alright?" Wolverine asked, walking up to the two while sheathing his claws.
"He's out cold, but ok," Cyclops said in his commanding tone, "We have to get everyone to the X-Jet and get out, ASAP."
"SHIT! GET AWAY FROM THE WINDOW!" Wolverine barked, pulling the others toward the door just as a giant hand ripped through the wall.
"What the hell is that?" Cyclops gawked at the massive humanoid machine standing just outside the mansion.
"Targets confirmed," the android said in a mechanical tone.
"I think that's one of those Sentinel things, Cyke," Wolverine said, unsheathing his adamantium claws.
"Looks like they're more of them out there," Cyclops sighed before turning to the boy. "Harry, get the Professor to the X-Jet; we'll hold the machines off as long as we can!"
Harry nodded and used his telekinesis to lift Xavier into the air before dashing out of the room with the founder of the X-Men floating behind him.
"Ready, Logan?" Cyclops said, moving the knob on his visor completely open.
"Lets kick some ass, One-Eye!" Logan said, though watching Harry run out of the room. 'Don't get yourself killed, son, not before I get the balls to tell ya the truth.'
Harry ran toward the elevator to the inner sanctum of the X-Mansion when two Aurors apparated between him and the only way to the Jet. "Goodnight, my friends," a deep, accented voice said as two large, metal hands gripped the Aurors shoulders then slammed them together and on to unconsciousness. "Is the Professor OK?" Colossus asked as Harry moved him to the iron giant's arms.
"He's just been hit with a sleeping spell; he'll be ok," Harry said as Hermione, Shadowcat, Jubilee, and Nightcrawler joined them.
"I think we have everyone on the way to the Jet, Harry," Shadowcat said, her voice trembling in fear.
"Hermione, you come with me and we'll double check," Harry said in a voice like his adopted father, "Colossus, Nightcrawler, Shadowcat, Jubilee, get Professor Xavier to the X-Jet and help the others secure it then wait for me and the others. No one gets left behind."
They all nodded, and Shadowcat quickly gave her ex-boyfriend a kiss on the cheek, then grabbed Hermione in a hug, "Both of you be careful and take care of each other. And please hurry!" she said before she turned and touched Nightcrawler along with Colossus and Jubilee. A second later, Hermione and Harry were left alone.
"Come on, Hermione!" Harry said, tugging her back toward the office. "Dad and Wolverine will need our help!"
Cyclops and Wolverine met them halfway.
"You two get to the Jet," Cyclops barked, "Too many, we've activated the mansion's self destruct system. If Umbridge got her grubby hands on Cerebro, it wouldn't be good."
Harry and Hermione nodded and the four ran as fast as they could to the emergency elevator.
Halfway there, Hermione tripped and fell to the ground. Harry stopped and glanced up to the others, "Go on, we'll catch up … GO!"
Wolverine seemed to want to stay, but Cyclops pulled him into the elevator.
Harry picked up Hermione in a cradle, and started making his way toward the elevator when a voice behind him stopped him dead, "Hey, Potter!" He turned and his and Hermione's eyes widened to see Ron standing there with an angry expression on his face and his wand pointed directly toward them.
"Ron?"
To Be Continued …
C. Cowboy: only three chapters to go my friends, and HPX2 will end and the real war begins. Hope you've enjoyed the story and its twists and turns I've thrown in as much as I've enjoyed writing them. Don't forget to review!