The aftermath of the Ron-Kyle incident was horrible. Everyone seemed frightened of what had happened. Seamus and Dean, who had seen most of the fight, seemed somewhere between impressed and horrified. Parvati and Lavender had cried out when Kyle had stumbled out of the room, his face a mess. But after being told what he had tried to do to Hermione, they thought he had gotten what he deserved.
The group was inspecting the door that Ron had kicked in to gain entrance to the room. With a kick, Ron had ripped the door off of its hinges and sent it sailing into the room.
"That's not humanly possible." Seamus said, looking at the door.
Dean, who was still a little shaken up, simply said, "Yeah."
Harry had to agree. He knew that Ron was strong, but he shouldn't have been able to kick the door in that easily. Harry had been the only one to see the first punch Ron had hit Kyle with. Kyle's body had soared over the entire bed and hit a wall on the opposite side of the room with enough force to crack it. Kyle wasn't a small person, but he had been tossed around like a rag doll.
It didn't make any sense, but something had to be done before Magonagall got back. Someone had to take control.
"All right, you guys. Listen up. We have to clean up this mess up. Dean, Seamus, you two try and get the door reconnected. Parvati, Lavender, you two try and do something about the blood on the wall and on the floor. Neville, I want you to get your herbs together and go check on Ron and Hermione. Do something about Hermione's lip."
Neville scurried into the room he was sharing with Dean and Seamus, eager to help in anyway. The only thing Neville was good at was Herbology and he was excited to show off his mastery.
Harry was still thinking about what do to about the crack in the wall when Neville's reedy voice called from down the hall. "Harry get over here, now! Something's wrong with Ron!"
Harry ran down the hall toward Neville's voice. When he ran into the room, he saw Ron laying on the floor. He was extremely pale, and he wasn't moving. Hermione and Neville were standing over him.
"What's wrong with him?" Harry asked.
Neville was wringing his hands. "I don't know. We need to get him on the bed."
Harry leaned down and grabbed Ron by his arm. Ron's skin was ice cold. Harry lifted him onto his shoulder and carries him over to the bed. "What happened to him?" Harry asked Hermione.
"I don't know. We were just standing there talking when he said he didn't feel so good. I was going to get him into bed when he collapsed!" Hermione was practically screaming.
Neville put his head onto Ron's chest. "Oh God, he barely breathing." he said.
"Do something!" Harry screamed at him.
Neville lifted Ron's head in both of his hands. Neville closed his eyes and began chanting softly, searching Ron's body magically. When he reopened them, he looked worried. "There's nothing wrong with him physically. It's feels like severe exhaustion. Like he hasn't slept in weeks."
"We were up pretty late last night." Harry said. "Would that do it?"
Neville shook his head. "No. His body is fully exhausted. It's using all the energy it has left to keep his heart beating. I could try an Invigorating Charm, but there really isn't enough strength left in his body to work with. It could as easily kill him as make him better. I think we should just wait and see."
Harry didn't like it, but he knew Neville knew a lot more about this kind of stuff than he did.
"I can, however, heal those cuts on his knuckles." Neville said pointing at Ron's hand. There was a large gash on Ron's knuckles from when he punched Kyle in the mouth. He must have cut it on one of Kyle's teeth.
"Do it." Harry said. "And take of Hermione's mouth, too."
Though it had stopped bleeding, Hermione's lip was swollen and bruised. As Harry looked at it, he felt a new wave of hatred for Kyle race through his body.
After Neville took care of Hermione's mouth, they all settled in to wait. Ron didn't show much improvement after the first hour. The rest of the students came in occasionally to check in on him, but they left once they found out nothing had changed. The only ones who stayed in the room were Harry, Hermione and Neville.
Harry sat on the other bed and stared at nothing. Hermione was kneeling down beside Ron's motionless form and holding his hand. Neville would occasionally check Ron for changes but every time he checked, nothing was different.
Harry wished Magonagall would get back. Even though Ron would get into serious trouble for fighting, Magonagall might know something that would keep him from dying.
After about two hours, Ron gasped loudly. He sat up straight in the bed and stared at the people around him. "What the hell happened?" he asked.
Hermione screamed and hugged Ron tightly. She was soon crying all over Ron's shoulder. Ron seemed very confused.
"You passed out." Harry said.
"I did?"
Neville walked over and felt Ron's forehead. "Yes you did. How do you feel?"
"I feel fine. Good even."
"What do you remember?" Harry asked.
Ron thought for a moment. "I remember rearranging the Yank's face." he said proudly.
"What else?" Harry asked.
"Well, Kyle left and I ran in here to see how Hermione was." He blushed slightly. "We hugged. And I remember feeling kind of crappy."
"Is that it?"
"That's about it. Then I woke up here. What happened?"
Neville began explaining what had happened. How he had almost died.
"Well, I feel fine, now." Ron said. "Did you guys fix up the room I destroyed?"
"No. We were too busy worried about you. But I don't see why. You seem fit as a fiddle." Harry said.
Ron seemed worried. "Well, let's take care of that before Magonagall gets back." he said, leaping out of the bed.
They walked back over to the girls room. Ron seemed shocked at the mess he had made. He stared at the broken door and the cracked wall and said, "I did all this?"
"Yeah." Hermione said. She seemed to be remembering the other things that had happened before Ron had broken in.
They all started working. When the other students saw Ron up and walking, they all let out cries of surprise. Neville explained what had happened to them and they accepted it as a miracle.
Soon the whole class was working. They reattached the door and cleaned up the blood with a little magic. But they were all clueless as to what to do with the cracked wall. They were going over ideas when they heard a knock at the door. Thinking it was Magonagall, Seamus and Dean stood next to the door, covering the crack.
Harry opened the door and was surprised to see a man and a woman there. The man held up a shiny badge and said, "W.B.I. We would like to have a word with you."
"W.B.I.?" Harry asked.
"Wizard's Bureau of Investigation. I am Special Agent Cobb and this is Special Agent Hanlon." he said, gesturing to the woman next to him.
"What seems to be the problem?" Hermione asked, coming up to stand next to Harry.
"We're members of the Discovery and Acquisition of Special Talents division and we picked up an amazing release of energy from this building. We're here to investigate. Step aside." he said, pushing Harry and Hermione out of the way.
Agent Hanlon took a small device out of her jacket and began rubbing it along the doorway. When she brought it to the door, it began to glow an angry, red color. She seemed surprised.
"Agent Cobb," she called to the male agent who was eyeing up the students. "a lot of power was used on the door."
Agent Cobb nodded and went back to staring at the students.
Power?, Harry thought. Ron hadn't used any magic on the door. He had just kicked it in.
Agent Hanlon went around the room waving her device around. It didn't glow until she got to where Ron had first punched Kyle. "Here too." she mumbled. She continued her search until she got to where Kyle had hit the wall. It glowed faintly there, but when she brought it to where Kyle had been when Ron had continued to beat him, it glowed so brightly that Harry had to look away.
The two agents exchanged a long look.
Agent Cobb finally turned to the class and said, "If you would all line up against the wall, this will all be over very soon."
"We don't know what this is all about, officer." Hermione said.
We'll explain once we have found out who is responsible." Agent Hanlon said. "Now get in line."
Not seeing anything else they could do, the students all lined up against the wall. gent Hanlon touched each student with the device she had in her hand. It didn't glow until she touched Ron with it. "He's the one." she muttered to Agent Cobb. She turned back to Ron. "What's your name, kid?"
"Ron Weasley."
"Well, Mr. Weasley, we would appreciate it if you'd follow us into the next room. There is someone who would like to speak with you."
Ron went pale in the face and nodded quickly.
Agent Hanlon grabbed Ron's shoulder and began walking toward the doorway. But she stopped when Agent Cobb said, "Wait, Agent Hanlon.. We should probably bring the bonded one too."
Agent Hanlon nodded and released Ron. She walked over the line of students and began touching them with the device again. This time, it glowed a bright blue when it touched Hermione. "She's the one." Hanlon said and grabbed Hermione and led her and Ron out of the door.
Agent Cobb went to follow, but stopped in the doorway. "You all stay here. We might wan tot question you later." he said and left.
***
The agents led Ron and Hermione into the room that Harry and Ron shared. Staring out the window was a small man. He was old, and his white hair flowed halfway down his back. When he saw Ron and Hermione, he smiled and motioned for them to sit on the bed.
Once they knew that Ron and Hermione were taken care of, the agents left the room.
The old man must have noticed their frightened expressions because he said, "Don't worry, children. You're not in trouble. These agents seem to think intimidation is the best way to make someone compliant." His voice was soft and kind, and Ron found that he was relaxing.
The old man sat down on the bed opposite of them. "My name is Fredo Rizzi. I am head of the department of Discovery and Acquisition of Special Talents. I started that division over thirty years ago, and I've never seen anything like what happened today."
Ron was confused. "I don't understand. Nothing happened today."
Fredo smiled. "Why don't you tell about your day, and I'll tell you what really happened."
Ron began telling him about the day, starting with waking up and going to buy dress robes. Hermione filled in the gaps that Ron forgot. Ron continued to talk until he to the part where he found out about Kyle being in Hermione's room.
"And how did that make you feel?" Fredo asked.
"I don't know. First I was shocked. I couldn't believe it. So I went into my room and laid down."
What happened then?" Fredo asked.
"It was strange. Suddenly, I started getting angry. I got so angry that I felt like I was going to explode if I didn't do something. So I started doing push-ups." Ron said with a laugh.
"Did that make you feel better?"
"Yeah. For a while. But every time I thought about what could have been going on in the other room, I only got more angry.
"Thank you, Mr. Weasley. I'll come back to you in a moment." Fredo turned to Hermione. "What was going on in the other room?"
Hermione blushed. "Nothing! I only let Kyle in because he offered to talk tome about...a problem I was having."
"What was the problem?"
Hermione began wringing her hands. With a glance at Ron she said, "I knew Ron was mad at me and I needed someone to talk to."
Ron felt a wave of shame run through his body. He had been mad at Hermione for the stupidest reason. Jealousy.
Fredo continued to question Hermione. "What happened?"
Hermione began to look guilty. "Well...Kyle was being really nice and supportive. I didn't know what a bastard he was, so we...started kissing." She was staring down at her feet.
Ron had already guessed that they had been kissing, so he wasn't shocked at hearing it. He reached out and put a hand on Hermione's shoulder.
"What happened then?" Fredo asked.
Ron spoke up. "Back off, Mr. Rizzi." He turned to Hermione. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to."
Fredo seemed apologetic. "I'm sorry, children, but I am going to have to insist that you continue. This is still an investigation."
Hermione looked up at Ron and put her hand on his. "It's OK, Ron." She turned back to Fredo. "Kyle moved a little too fast for me, so I tried to make him stop. He only got angry. He tried to force me. I called out to Ron, and Kyle slapped me. Ron kicked in he door and got me out."
Fredo turned back to Ron. "What did you feel when you saw what was going on?"
Ron answered immediately. "Anger. I was more angry than I've ever been in my entire life."
"What did you do?"
"I pushed Hermione out of the room and beat the hell out of Kyle."
"Did your anger seem strange in any way?"
"Strange? I guess. I was angry, but I felt like I absolutely needed to protect Hermione. At all costs. I knew in the back of my mind that I could have gotten in huge trouble, but it didn't seem important."
"Did you kill Kyle?" Fredo asked.
"No!" Ron answered.
"What made you stop?"
Ron thought back. "Harry stopped me."
"Do you think you would have stopped if Harry wasn't there?"
"No." Ron answered guiltily. "I would have killed him."
Fredo nodded like Ron had confirmed something he had been thinking. "Are you two engaged to be married?" he asked them both.
"No!" they said at the same time.
"How long have you been boyfriend and girlfriend? Three years? Four years?"
"We're not boyfriend and girlfriend." Hermione said.
Fredo looked like he was getting worried. "But you have gone out before, correct?"
"We've never gone out with each other." Ron said
Fredo brought a trembling hand to his wrinkled forehead. "This is unheard of." he muttered. He looked at Hermione. "Perhaps you should leave, Miss Granger."
Hermione tightened her grip on Ron's hand. "No. I'm not leaving."
"I am going to say some things that the two of you might not be ready for. Don't say I didn't warn you."
"Fine. You've warned us. Now, what is it?" Ron said impatiently.
Fredo rubbed his temples with his knobby fingers. "Mr. Weasley, you are a Sentinel."
"A what?" Ron asked.
"A Sentinel. A powerful one, too. Our Diviners felt your power all the way in Virginia."
"What power? I didn't use any magic." Ron said.
"Sentinels use a powerful type of wandless magic. But they can't use it whenever they want to. They can only use it when the someone they...love most of all needs protecting."
Ron heard Hermione gasp and felt his face blush to the same color of his hair.
Fredo continued. "I can see by the look on both your faces that what I'm saying is quite a shock. That is why I'm surprised you have never dated each other."
Ron struggled to find his voice. "Why is that surprising?"
Fredo laughed. "It's surprising, because the devotion needed to become someone's Sentinel is immense. You must love your partner more than anyone else. You can never become a Sentinel for a family member. It doesn't work like that. It's a different type of love. Usually to reach this level of devotion, a couple must date for years. Oftentimes, it is only reached when a couple gets married. But it seems you have reached that level without even dating. That has never happened in all my years with the W.B.I."
Ron's mind was reeling.
"What is a Sentinel, exactly?" Hermione asked in a shaky voice.
"A Sentinel is a guardian, a protector. The original Sentinels were the husbands of the witches on the first Witch's Council in 167 AD These witches would need to go into week long trances and would need protectors. They made their husbands Sentinels. But the bond has evolved. Originally it would need to be placed on a couple by a very powerful wizard, but now it can form on its own. In a process that usually takes years, a person becomes bonded with another. It is not a physical bonding. It is some of the most powerful and unintentional magic in the world. . My guess is that over the last five years, Mr. Weasley has slowly bonded with you. Neither of you were aware of it, but it happened."
"Are you saying that I did all those things this morning because I FELT that Hermione was in trouble? Through this bond?" Ron asked.
"Exactly." Fredo said. "A Sentinel and his or her partner are connected. Whenever a Sentinel's partner is put in any physical danger, the Sentinel can feel it. Usually through strong emotions. In your case, Mr. Weasley, anger. You were so angry this morning, not because you felt you were being betrayed, but because Miss Granger was in physical danger. This Kyle character was obviously thinking about hurting Miss Granger before he started to. You felt that."
"What about those things I did. Kicked in the door, punched Kyle across the room- I shouldn't have been able to do that. Does it have something to do with this bond?"
Fredo smiled widely. "Yes. The extraordinary things you did this morning are a result of the bond as well. As Ron Weasley, you would never have been able to kick that door down. But as a Sentinel, that is just the tip of the iceberg. As your bond evolves and your body changes, you will find yourself doing things you couldn't possibly imagine."
"Why aren't there more Sentinels? There are plenty of wizards out there that are completely devoted to their wives. My dad loves my mom more than anything. Why isn't he a Sentinel?" Ron asked.
Fredo nodded. "You are right, Mr. Weasley, there are plenty of people out there with enough love to become a Sentinel. But the power must be released at a young for it to be able to mature into true power. You hear stories all the time about people doing extraordinary things. A woman lifts an entire car to save her trapped husband. The man who runs back in to a burning building to save his wife and children. Even Muggles can do it, sometimes. These are all just glimpses of a Sentinel's power. Most loved one just don't put themselves in a enough physical danger to force the release of power. You have released the power at a young age, so you will be able to use it to the fullest."
This was all to much for Ron to handle. A Sentinel? Ron Weasley? The kid who has never been good at anything. Ridiculous! And now Hermione knew that he loved her. And not just normal love. No, she now knew the he loved her more than anyone else in the world. Ron was surprised she wasn't laughing in his face.
"I can't be a Sentinel. Mr. Rizzi. I can't explain what I did this morning. I was angry. Adrenaline, you know. I think your wasting your time." Ron said sullenly.
Fredo laughed. "I think not, Mr. Weasley. I'll prove it. Did you experience a brutal wave of pure exhaustion just minutes after dispersing Kyle?"
Ron nodded.
"There you have it. That is one of the drawbacks of being a Sentinel. After using your power to help your loved one, your body is hit by the rebound of whatever energy you used. Once your loved one is out of harm's reach, you become unnaturally exhausted."
"What's the point of being a protector if I keep passing out and leaving Hermione vernurable?" Ron asked.
"Once you get used to your power, the exhaustion will lessen. You will be able to do more, and feel less and less tired afterward. It will never entirely disappear, but that is the price you have to pay."
Hermione finally spoke again. "Should we tell the others?" she asked.
"I wouldn't. If this becomes general knowledge, then an enemy might find out. It can be used against you." Fredo finally wasn't smiling.
"What enemies do you think we have?" Hermione asked.
Fredo's smile returned immediately. "I know who you are. I know who your friend Harry is. I also know that friends of Harry Potter are the enemies of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Did you think you could bring Harry Potter in this country without the W.B.I. finding out? We know almost everything that is happening in this country."
Fredo saw that they weren't going to ask anymore questions and stood up. He began walking toward the door when he stopped. "I'm sorry you had to find out this way, Miss Granger. That he loves you, I mean. I can only give you one last bit of advice. Stay together. I don't mean get married or anything, though that is always possible. I mean never get separated for an extended period of time. It can have some unwanted side effects for Mr. Weasley."
With that he left the room, leaving Ron and Hermione alone.
Ron didn't know what to say. It wasn't like he could deny that he loved her any longer. He would just have to set her free. "Hermione, I'm sorry. I never meant to fall in love with you."
Hermione just began crying.
Ron was little shaken. Does she hate me so much that she crying at the thought of being stuck with me? Ron asked himself. It was worse than he thought. He had to do something.
"Hermione it's OK. I don't have to be your Sentinel. We'll just go on like nothing's happened. We don't have to tell anyone." he said.
Hermione just kept crying.
Finally after a few awkward moments, she looked up at him. "You love me?" she asked tears sliding down her face.
"Yes, I love you." Ron admitted. There was no point denying it anymore.
Hermione began crying even harder.
Now, that's going too far, Ron thought. I'm not that bad, am I?
But them Ron noticed that Hermione was laughing through her tears. He saw her fight to get her voice under control. "That's the best thing I've ever heard. I love you too, Ron!" she said and ran to him.
He wrapped her in his arms and was surprised to feel tears welling up in his eyes. He fought valiantly to keep them from falling.
Hermione noticed and smiled, "What's the matter? Too scared to cry in front of a girl?"
Ron laughed. "No. I figured if I'm going to be protecting you, I should be the strong, heartless kind of guy."
"Don't you dare, Ron. I want to stay the way you are. I don't want this Sentinel thing to change you." Hermione said.
"Too late." he said quietly and kissed her softly, something he would have never done even a half an hour ago.
It was a short kiss, but it made his knees shake. He leaned on her for support as the walked towards the door. He realized how well she fit with his arm around her. It was like they were made for each other.
They opened the door and saw that Magonagall had returned. She was speaking with the two agents and looked fairly distressed. When she saw Ron and Hermione she pushed the two agents out of her way and walked over to them.
"The agents explained everything." she whispered.
"Does everybody know?" Ron asked thinking about what Fredo had said about enemies.
"No. Just me." Magonagall said. "I demanded they tell me."
Ron breathed a sigh of relief. He was surprised at how easy his shift into protector had been. He was already looking out for Hermione's well being.
Magonagall went on. "I hear you had some excitement this morning, Mr. Weasley. I saw what you did to the wall."
"I'm sorry professor." Ron said
"Forget it." she said. "But I did hear about you passing out. I was thinking it would be better if you didn't do your special assignment at the banquet. It will be most exhausting."
Screw that, Ron thought. "No. I still want to do it. I've spent the last two days memorizing. I've never studied so hard in my life. I don't want that o go to waste." he said, laughing.
Magonagall looked pleased. "Well, as long your sure."
"I'm sure."
"OK then. It goes along as planned." she said and walked down the hall, leaving Ron and Hermione alone again.
Hermione looked up at him. "What was that all about? What special assignment?" she asked.
Ron laughed. "It's a secret. You'll find out tomorrow at the banquet."
Hermione gave him a mock angry look. "Keeping secrets is not a good way to start a relationship."
Ron put the most puzzled look he could manage on his face. "What relationship?" he asked.
"We're going out now, remember?" she said.
"We are? I never asked you? What makes you think I want to go out with you?" Ron asked with as much seriousness as he could.
"It's on now, Weasley!" she screamed and began punching him in the chest.
After a few punches, Ron laughed and tackled her to the carpeted hallway.
"I really love you, Hermione Granger." he said, his face above hers.
She reached up and grabbed the back of his neck and pulled his face to hers. "I love you, Ronald Weasley."
They stared into each other's eyes. The two W.B.I. agents stood staring at the to n the floor. They looked at each other and smiled and politely averted their eyes, giving the two young loves as much privacy as possible.
Tell me what you think. This Sentinel thing was actually the basis of the entire story, but I felt there needed a little bit of background chapters before it popped up. I'm not done yet, but I need some feedback on the whole thing to see if I should keep writing about the Sentinel thing. The banquet is still to come. Props to Sparrow for guessing something wasn't right with Ron.
The group was inspecting the door that Ron had kicked in to gain entrance to the room. With a kick, Ron had ripped the door off of its hinges and sent it sailing into the room.
"That's not humanly possible." Seamus said, looking at the door.
Dean, who was still a little shaken up, simply said, "Yeah."
Harry had to agree. He knew that Ron was strong, but he shouldn't have been able to kick the door in that easily. Harry had been the only one to see the first punch Ron had hit Kyle with. Kyle's body had soared over the entire bed and hit a wall on the opposite side of the room with enough force to crack it. Kyle wasn't a small person, but he had been tossed around like a rag doll.
It didn't make any sense, but something had to be done before Magonagall got back. Someone had to take control.
"All right, you guys. Listen up. We have to clean up this mess up. Dean, Seamus, you two try and get the door reconnected. Parvati, Lavender, you two try and do something about the blood on the wall and on the floor. Neville, I want you to get your herbs together and go check on Ron and Hermione. Do something about Hermione's lip."
Neville scurried into the room he was sharing with Dean and Seamus, eager to help in anyway. The only thing Neville was good at was Herbology and he was excited to show off his mastery.
Harry was still thinking about what do to about the crack in the wall when Neville's reedy voice called from down the hall. "Harry get over here, now! Something's wrong with Ron!"
Harry ran down the hall toward Neville's voice. When he ran into the room, he saw Ron laying on the floor. He was extremely pale, and he wasn't moving. Hermione and Neville were standing over him.
"What's wrong with him?" Harry asked.
Neville was wringing his hands. "I don't know. We need to get him on the bed."
Harry leaned down and grabbed Ron by his arm. Ron's skin was ice cold. Harry lifted him onto his shoulder and carries him over to the bed. "What happened to him?" Harry asked Hermione.
"I don't know. We were just standing there talking when he said he didn't feel so good. I was going to get him into bed when he collapsed!" Hermione was practically screaming.
Neville put his head onto Ron's chest. "Oh God, he barely breathing." he said.
"Do something!" Harry screamed at him.
Neville lifted Ron's head in both of his hands. Neville closed his eyes and began chanting softly, searching Ron's body magically. When he reopened them, he looked worried. "There's nothing wrong with him physically. It's feels like severe exhaustion. Like he hasn't slept in weeks."
"We were up pretty late last night." Harry said. "Would that do it?"
Neville shook his head. "No. His body is fully exhausted. It's using all the energy it has left to keep his heart beating. I could try an Invigorating Charm, but there really isn't enough strength left in his body to work with. It could as easily kill him as make him better. I think we should just wait and see."
Harry didn't like it, but he knew Neville knew a lot more about this kind of stuff than he did.
"I can, however, heal those cuts on his knuckles." Neville said pointing at Ron's hand. There was a large gash on Ron's knuckles from when he punched Kyle in the mouth. He must have cut it on one of Kyle's teeth.
"Do it." Harry said. "And take of Hermione's mouth, too."
Though it had stopped bleeding, Hermione's lip was swollen and bruised. As Harry looked at it, he felt a new wave of hatred for Kyle race through his body.
After Neville took care of Hermione's mouth, they all settled in to wait. Ron didn't show much improvement after the first hour. The rest of the students came in occasionally to check in on him, but they left once they found out nothing had changed. The only ones who stayed in the room were Harry, Hermione and Neville.
Harry sat on the other bed and stared at nothing. Hermione was kneeling down beside Ron's motionless form and holding his hand. Neville would occasionally check Ron for changes but every time he checked, nothing was different.
Harry wished Magonagall would get back. Even though Ron would get into serious trouble for fighting, Magonagall might know something that would keep him from dying.
After about two hours, Ron gasped loudly. He sat up straight in the bed and stared at the people around him. "What the hell happened?" he asked.
Hermione screamed and hugged Ron tightly. She was soon crying all over Ron's shoulder. Ron seemed very confused.
"You passed out." Harry said.
"I did?"
Neville walked over and felt Ron's forehead. "Yes you did. How do you feel?"
"I feel fine. Good even."
"What do you remember?" Harry asked.
Ron thought for a moment. "I remember rearranging the Yank's face." he said proudly.
"What else?" Harry asked.
"Well, Kyle left and I ran in here to see how Hermione was." He blushed slightly. "We hugged. And I remember feeling kind of crappy."
"Is that it?"
"That's about it. Then I woke up here. What happened?"
Neville began explaining what had happened. How he had almost died.
"Well, I feel fine, now." Ron said. "Did you guys fix up the room I destroyed?"
"No. We were too busy worried about you. But I don't see why. You seem fit as a fiddle." Harry said.
Ron seemed worried. "Well, let's take care of that before Magonagall gets back." he said, leaping out of the bed.
They walked back over to the girls room. Ron seemed shocked at the mess he had made. He stared at the broken door and the cracked wall and said, "I did all this?"
"Yeah." Hermione said. She seemed to be remembering the other things that had happened before Ron had broken in.
They all started working. When the other students saw Ron up and walking, they all let out cries of surprise. Neville explained what had happened to them and they accepted it as a miracle.
Soon the whole class was working. They reattached the door and cleaned up the blood with a little magic. But they were all clueless as to what to do with the cracked wall. They were going over ideas when they heard a knock at the door. Thinking it was Magonagall, Seamus and Dean stood next to the door, covering the crack.
Harry opened the door and was surprised to see a man and a woman there. The man held up a shiny badge and said, "W.B.I. We would like to have a word with you."
"W.B.I.?" Harry asked.
"Wizard's Bureau of Investigation. I am Special Agent Cobb and this is Special Agent Hanlon." he said, gesturing to the woman next to him.
"What seems to be the problem?" Hermione asked, coming up to stand next to Harry.
"We're members of the Discovery and Acquisition of Special Talents division and we picked up an amazing release of energy from this building. We're here to investigate. Step aside." he said, pushing Harry and Hermione out of the way.
Agent Hanlon took a small device out of her jacket and began rubbing it along the doorway. When she brought it to the door, it began to glow an angry, red color. She seemed surprised.
"Agent Cobb," she called to the male agent who was eyeing up the students. "a lot of power was used on the door."
Agent Cobb nodded and went back to staring at the students.
Power?, Harry thought. Ron hadn't used any magic on the door. He had just kicked it in.
Agent Hanlon went around the room waving her device around. It didn't glow until she got to where Ron had first punched Kyle. "Here too." she mumbled. She continued her search until she got to where Kyle had hit the wall. It glowed faintly there, but when she brought it to where Kyle had been when Ron had continued to beat him, it glowed so brightly that Harry had to look away.
The two agents exchanged a long look.
Agent Cobb finally turned to the class and said, "If you would all line up against the wall, this will all be over very soon."
"We don't know what this is all about, officer." Hermione said.
We'll explain once we have found out who is responsible." Agent Hanlon said. "Now get in line."
Not seeing anything else they could do, the students all lined up against the wall. gent Hanlon touched each student with the device she had in her hand. It didn't glow until she touched Ron with it. "He's the one." she muttered to Agent Cobb. She turned back to Ron. "What's your name, kid?"
"Ron Weasley."
"Well, Mr. Weasley, we would appreciate it if you'd follow us into the next room. There is someone who would like to speak with you."
Ron went pale in the face and nodded quickly.
Agent Hanlon grabbed Ron's shoulder and began walking toward the doorway. But she stopped when Agent Cobb said, "Wait, Agent Hanlon.. We should probably bring the bonded one too."
Agent Hanlon nodded and released Ron. She walked over the line of students and began touching them with the device again. This time, it glowed a bright blue when it touched Hermione. "She's the one." Hanlon said and grabbed Hermione and led her and Ron out of the door.
Agent Cobb went to follow, but stopped in the doorway. "You all stay here. We might wan tot question you later." he said and left.
***
The agents led Ron and Hermione into the room that Harry and Ron shared. Staring out the window was a small man. He was old, and his white hair flowed halfway down his back. When he saw Ron and Hermione, he smiled and motioned for them to sit on the bed.
Once they knew that Ron and Hermione were taken care of, the agents left the room.
The old man must have noticed their frightened expressions because he said, "Don't worry, children. You're not in trouble. These agents seem to think intimidation is the best way to make someone compliant." His voice was soft and kind, and Ron found that he was relaxing.
The old man sat down on the bed opposite of them. "My name is Fredo Rizzi. I am head of the department of Discovery and Acquisition of Special Talents. I started that division over thirty years ago, and I've never seen anything like what happened today."
Ron was confused. "I don't understand. Nothing happened today."
Fredo smiled. "Why don't you tell about your day, and I'll tell you what really happened."
Ron began telling him about the day, starting with waking up and going to buy dress robes. Hermione filled in the gaps that Ron forgot. Ron continued to talk until he to the part where he found out about Kyle being in Hermione's room.
"And how did that make you feel?" Fredo asked.
"I don't know. First I was shocked. I couldn't believe it. So I went into my room and laid down."
What happened then?" Fredo asked.
"It was strange. Suddenly, I started getting angry. I got so angry that I felt like I was going to explode if I didn't do something. So I started doing push-ups." Ron said with a laugh.
"Did that make you feel better?"
"Yeah. For a while. But every time I thought about what could have been going on in the other room, I only got more angry.
"Thank you, Mr. Weasley. I'll come back to you in a moment." Fredo turned to Hermione. "What was going on in the other room?"
Hermione blushed. "Nothing! I only let Kyle in because he offered to talk tome about...a problem I was having."
"What was the problem?"
Hermione began wringing her hands. With a glance at Ron she said, "I knew Ron was mad at me and I needed someone to talk to."
Ron felt a wave of shame run through his body. He had been mad at Hermione for the stupidest reason. Jealousy.
Fredo continued to question Hermione. "What happened?"
Hermione began to look guilty. "Well...Kyle was being really nice and supportive. I didn't know what a bastard he was, so we...started kissing." She was staring down at her feet.
Ron had already guessed that they had been kissing, so he wasn't shocked at hearing it. He reached out and put a hand on Hermione's shoulder.
"What happened then?" Fredo asked.
Ron spoke up. "Back off, Mr. Rizzi." He turned to Hermione. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to."
Fredo seemed apologetic. "I'm sorry, children, but I am going to have to insist that you continue. This is still an investigation."
Hermione looked up at Ron and put her hand on his. "It's OK, Ron." She turned back to Fredo. "Kyle moved a little too fast for me, so I tried to make him stop. He only got angry. He tried to force me. I called out to Ron, and Kyle slapped me. Ron kicked in he door and got me out."
Fredo turned back to Ron. "What did you feel when you saw what was going on?"
Ron answered immediately. "Anger. I was more angry than I've ever been in my entire life."
"What did you do?"
"I pushed Hermione out of the room and beat the hell out of Kyle."
"Did your anger seem strange in any way?"
"Strange? I guess. I was angry, but I felt like I absolutely needed to protect Hermione. At all costs. I knew in the back of my mind that I could have gotten in huge trouble, but it didn't seem important."
"Did you kill Kyle?" Fredo asked.
"No!" Ron answered.
"What made you stop?"
Ron thought back. "Harry stopped me."
"Do you think you would have stopped if Harry wasn't there?"
"No." Ron answered guiltily. "I would have killed him."
Fredo nodded like Ron had confirmed something he had been thinking. "Are you two engaged to be married?" he asked them both.
"No!" they said at the same time.
"How long have you been boyfriend and girlfriend? Three years? Four years?"
"We're not boyfriend and girlfriend." Hermione said.
Fredo looked like he was getting worried. "But you have gone out before, correct?"
"We've never gone out with each other." Ron said
Fredo brought a trembling hand to his wrinkled forehead. "This is unheard of." he muttered. He looked at Hermione. "Perhaps you should leave, Miss Granger."
Hermione tightened her grip on Ron's hand. "No. I'm not leaving."
"I am going to say some things that the two of you might not be ready for. Don't say I didn't warn you."
"Fine. You've warned us. Now, what is it?" Ron said impatiently.
Fredo rubbed his temples with his knobby fingers. "Mr. Weasley, you are a Sentinel."
"A what?" Ron asked.
"A Sentinel. A powerful one, too. Our Diviners felt your power all the way in Virginia."
"What power? I didn't use any magic." Ron said.
"Sentinels use a powerful type of wandless magic. But they can't use it whenever they want to. They can only use it when the someone they...love most of all needs protecting."
Ron heard Hermione gasp and felt his face blush to the same color of his hair.
Fredo continued. "I can see by the look on both your faces that what I'm saying is quite a shock. That is why I'm surprised you have never dated each other."
Ron struggled to find his voice. "Why is that surprising?"
Fredo laughed. "It's surprising, because the devotion needed to become someone's Sentinel is immense. You must love your partner more than anyone else. You can never become a Sentinel for a family member. It doesn't work like that. It's a different type of love. Usually to reach this level of devotion, a couple must date for years. Oftentimes, it is only reached when a couple gets married. But it seems you have reached that level without even dating. That has never happened in all my years with the W.B.I."
Ron's mind was reeling.
"What is a Sentinel, exactly?" Hermione asked in a shaky voice.
"A Sentinel is a guardian, a protector. The original Sentinels were the husbands of the witches on the first Witch's Council in 167 AD These witches would need to go into week long trances and would need protectors. They made their husbands Sentinels. But the bond has evolved. Originally it would need to be placed on a couple by a very powerful wizard, but now it can form on its own. In a process that usually takes years, a person becomes bonded with another. It is not a physical bonding. It is some of the most powerful and unintentional magic in the world. . My guess is that over the last five years, Mr. Weasley has slowly bonded with you. Neither of you were aware of it, but it happened."
"Are you saying that I did all those things this morning because I FELT that Hermione was in trouble? Through this bond?" Ron asked.
"Exactly." Fredo said. "A Sentinel and his or her partner are connected. Whenever a Sentinel's partner is put in any physical danger, the Sentinel can feel it. Usually through strong emotions. In your case, Mr. Weasley, anger. You were so angry this morning, not because you felt you were being betrayed, but because Miss Granger was in physical danger. This Kyle character was obviously thinking about hurting Miss Granger before he started to. You felt that."
"What about those things I did. Kicked in the door, punched Kyle across the room- I shouldn't have been able to do that. Does it have something to do with this bond?"
Fredo smiled widely. "Yes. The extraordinary things you did this morning are a result of the bond as well. As Ron Weasley, you would never have been able to kick that door down. But as a Sentinel, that is just the tip of the iceberg. As your bond evolves and your body changes, you will find yourself doing things you couldn't possibly imagine."
"Why aren't there more Sentinels? There are plenty of wizards out there that are completely devoted to their wives. My dad loves my mom more than anything. Why isn't he a Sentinel?" Ron asked.
Fredo nodded. "You are right, Mr. Weasley, there are plenty of people out there with enough love to become a Sentinel. But the power must be released at a young for it to be able to mature into true power. You hear stories all the time about people doing extraordinary things. A woman lifts an entire car to save her trapped husband. The man who runs back in to a burning building to save his wife and children. Even Muggles can do it, sometimes. These are all just glimpses of a Sentinel's power. Most loved one just don't put themselves in a enough physical danger to force the release of power. You have released the power at a young age, so you will be able to use it to the fullest."
This was all to much for Ron to handle. A Sentinel? Ron Weasley? The kid who has never been good at anything. Ridiculous! And now Hermione knew that he loved her. And not just normal love. No, she now knew the he loved her more than anyone else in the world. Ron was surprised she wasn't laughing in his face.
"I can't be a Sentinel. Mr. Rizzi. I can't explain what I did this morning. I was angry. Adrenaline, you know. I think your wasting your time." Ron said sullenly.
Fredo laughed. "I think not, Mr. Weasley. I'll prove it. Did you experience a brutal wave of pure exhaustion just minutes after dispersing Kyle?"
Ron nodded.
"There you have it. That is one of the drawbacks of being a Sentinel. After using your power to help your loved one, your body is hit by the rebound of whatever energy you used. Once your loved one is out of harm's reach, you become unnaturally exhausted."
"What's the point of being a protector if I keep passing out and leaving Hermione vernurable?" Ron asked.
"Once you get used to your power, the exhaustion will lessen. You will be able to do more, and feel less and less tired afterward. It will never entirely disappear, but that is the price you have to pay."
Hermione finally spoke again. "Should we tell the others?" she asked.
"I wouldn't. If this becomes general knowledge, then an enemy might find out. It can be used against you." Fredo finally wasn't smiling.
"What enemies do you think we have?" Hermione asked.
Fredo's smile returned immediately. "I know who you are. I know who your friend Harry is. I also know that friends of Harry Potter are the enemies of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Did you think you could bring Harry Potter in this country without the W.B.I. finding out? We know almost everything that is happening in this country."
Fredo saw that they weren't going to ask anymore questions and stood up. He began walking toward the door when he stopped. "I'm sorry you had to find out this way, Miss Granger. That he loves you, I mean. I can only give you one last bit of advice. Stay together. I don't mean get married or anything, though that is always possible. I mean never get separated for an extended period of time. It can have some unwanted side effects for Mr. Weasley."
With that he left the room, leaving Ron and Hermione alone.
Ron didn't know what to say. It wasn't like he could deny that he loved her any longer. He would just have to set her free. "Hermione, I'm sorry. I never meant to fall in love with you."
Hermione just began crying.
Ron was little shaken. Does she hate me so much that she crying at the thought of being stuck with me? Ron asked himself. It was worse than he thought. He had to do something.
"Hermione it's OK. I don't have to be your Sentinel. We'll just go on like nothing's happened. We don't have to tell anyone." he said.
Hermione just kept crying.
Finally after a few awkward moments, she looked up at him. "You love me?" she asked tears sliding down her face.
"Yes, I love you." Ron admitted. There was no point denying it anymore.
Hermione began crying even harder.
Now, that's going too far, Ron thought. I'm not that bad, am I?
But them Ron noticed that Hermione was laughing through her tears. He saw her fight to get her voice under control. "That's the best thing I've ever heard. I love you too, Ron!" she said and ran to him.
He wrapped her in his arms and was surprised to feel tears welling up in his eyes. He fought valiantly to keep them from falling.
Hermione noticed and smiled, "What's the matter? Too scared to cry in front of a girl?"
Ron laughed. "No. I figured if I'm going to be protecting you, I should be the strong, heartless kind of guy."
"Don't you dare, Ron. I want to stay the way you are. I don't want this Sentinel thing to change you." Hermione said.
"Too late." he said quietly and kissed her softly, something he would have never done even a half an hour ago.
It was a short kiss, but it made his knees shake. He leaned on her for support as the walked towards the door. He realized how well she fit with his arm around her. It was like they were made for each other.
They opened the door and saw that Magonagall had returned. She was speaking with the two agents and looked fairly distressed. When she saw Ron and Hermione she pushed the two agents out of her way and walked over to them.
"The agents explained everything." she whispered.
"Does everybody know?" Ron asked thinking about what Fredo had said about enemies.
"No. Just me." Magonagall said. "I demanded they tell me."
Ron breathed a sigh of relief. He was surprised at how easy his shift into protector had been. He was already looking out for Hermione's well being.
Magonagall went on. "I hear you had some excitement this morning, Mr. Weasley. I saw what you did to the wall."
"I'm sorry professor." Ron said
"Forget it." she said. "But I did hear about you passing out. I was thinking it would be better if you didn't do your special assignment at the banquet. It will be most exhausting."
Screw that, Ron thought. "No. I still want to do it. I've spent the last two days memorizing. I've never studied so hard in my life. I don't want that o go to waste." he said, laughing.
Magonagall looked pleased. "Well, as long your sure."
"I'm sure."
"OK then. It goes along as planned." she said and walked down the hall, leaving Ron and Hermione alone again.
Hermione looked up at him. "What was that all about? What special assignment?" she asked.
Ron laughed. "It's a secret. You'll find out tomorrow at the banquet."
Hermione gave him a mock angry look. "Keeping secrets is not a good way to start a relationship."
Ron put the most puzzled look he could manage on his face. "What relationship?" he asked.
"We're going out now, remember?" she said.
"We are? I never asked you? What makes you think I want to go out with you?" Ron asked with as much seriousness as he could.
"It's on now, Weasley!" she screamed and began punching him in the chest.
After a few punches, Ron laughed and tackled her to the carpeted hallway.
"I really love you, Hermione Granger." he said, his face above hers.
She reached up and grabbed the back of his neck and pulled his face to hers. "I love you, Ronald Weasley."
They stared into each other's eyes. The two W.B.I. agents stood staring at the to n the floor. They looked at each other and smiled and politely averted their eyes, giving the two young loves as much privacy as possible.
Tell me what you think. This Sentinel thing was actually the basis of the entire story, but I felt there needed a little bit of background chapters before it popped up. I'm not done yet, but I need some feedback on the whole thing to see if I should keep writing about the Sentinel thing. The banquet is still to come. Props to Sparrow for guessing something wasn't right with Ron.