A/N: Update! Woohoo! Here it is, hope it tides you over for right now because we're almost to the complicated part. I'm building the plot framework, all will reveal itself in time. Oh, and thank you to all who recently reviewed! You guys are the reason that this chapter appeared so fast.

P.S. If you haven't read Points of No Return, by Night Zephyr, you NEED to do that. Her story inspired me and I know it will inspire you.



This chapter is dedicated to Night Zephyr and to teachers all over. May you continue to push students to their limits and beyond. Professor Giddeon is modeled after my perception of you. ENJOY!



Chapter 7



~Hermione~



"This is the day you've all ben waiting for." Professor Giddeon said, "Today we're going to pair up and begin your experimentation with Transference."

A mummer went through the room while everyone began to look around and find a partner. I looked at Harry and then at Ron. Pairing off was always so hard for the three of us. Someone always ended up the odd man out.

"Oh, and we have odd numbers now, so there will be a group of three." Giddeon said, looking out over the class. My arm shot up along with Ron and Harry's.

"Professor, Harry, Hermione, and I will be the group of three." Ron said.

"Very well then, alright, if everyone is partnered up let's clear the desks and I'll give instructions."

Ron and Harry helped my push our desk over to the wall, "I'm so excited." Harry whispered.

" I know, I've been thinking about this since last week. I wonder what happens if you cast it wrong." Ron said, standing up and turning around to face the center of the room.

"Now, we're going to take turns, two at a time in the middle of the room. Who would like to go first?" she looked around the room and reluctantly a few hands went up.

"Alright Lavender, Parvati. Please come to the center of the room and stand, facing each other." Lavender took the first step and Parvati soon followed. They turned to face each other and both looked a bit worried and excited.

"Ready?" Professor Giddeon asked, and they nodded, "Lavender, you cast the enchantment and Parvati, you need to relax. Open your mind and your heart. Dean, come and stand behind Lavender. If she is successful, she's going to faint and I need you to catch her and lay her down, alright?"

He nodded and came over to Lavender, patting her reassuringly on the shoulder, she smiled slightly in silent thanks.

"Lavender, do you trust Dean?"

"Yeah, I do." she took a deep breath and drew her wand, Dean stepped up close behind her and braced himself for anything.

"Relax now, take another deep breath, and when you're ready, start to concentrate on transferring your magic. Whenever you're ready..." Professor Giddeon spoke softly.

Everyone waited with baited breath as Lavender started to chant softly to herself. My heart was beating fast and I reached to each side of me and took a hold of Harry's wrist and Ron's shoulder. He looked over at me and smiled, unable to hide his overwhelming excitement. I smiled back, a little more at ease. He went back to watching the action and I squeezed Harry's wrist, he nudged me and grinned. Turning back to the center of the room I saw something amazing. Lavender's wand was glowing emerald and shimmering as she continued to chant, getting louder every time. Then, as if possessed, her eyes flew open and she shouted the spell.

"*Soulious Transferine*!" and all at once, the emerald light that surrounded Lavender's wand, poured out of the end of it, heading directly for Parvati's chest. When the first bit of it hit, the deep green light began to filter into Parvati's skin like a ripple in a still pond. Lavender's power coursed through Parvati and suddenly Lavender's wand dropped from her hand and she sagged into Dean's waiting arms. He lowered her to the floor and propped her head up on his knee, kneeling there for the moment and looking back up at Parvati. She was now breathing heavily and her skin was glowing, shimmering a pure pastel green. The last of the light disappeared into her chest and suddenly she calmed and widened her eyes, she looked at her arms and then over at Professor Giddeon.

"Now, levitate my desk!" Professor Giddeon was nearly yelling, "I won't last, do it now!"

Parvati quickly drew her wand and pointed it at the big, heavy desk, which was far too large for even a seventh year to lift. I squeezed Ron's shoulder and he stepped a little closer to me.

"*Wingardium Leviosa*!" she shouted and a beautiful, pure white light shot from her wand like a laser beam and hit the desk. All at once the desk hopped into the air as if obeying a command and the whole class gasped. She flicked her wand and it spun in a little circle obediently and then she carefully set it down. At the very moment in which she released the desk, the green light began to flow out of her skin and back into Lavender's body which lay, breathing shallowly on the floor, her head propped up on Dean's knee. As soon as the light began to pour into Lavender she sat straight up and gasped for air. The last of her power disappeared into her with a sound like that of water being slurped and then all was deathly quiet and still.

"Wicked." Ron murmured, turning slightly to Harry and I.

Parvati looked shaken and carefully lowered herself to the floor where she knelt and calmed her breathing.

"Is everyone ok?" Professor Giddeon asked. Everyone looked around, too stunned to speak.

"Cool!" someone finally yelled and the class erupted into a strange laughter.

"Yes Mr. Longbottom, it *is* cool, but it's also something that can't be played with. It has to be mastered and appreciated," she turned back to the two girls, "You two are very good friends, correct?"

"Best of," Parvati said quietly, helping Lavender up and squeezing her shoulder affectionately.

"Thus, the reason that spell worked at all. Very well done ladies. You two must have a wonderful friendship to have succeeded and exceeded my expectations. Top marks today, you can go stand with the group. Five points to Gryffindor." the girls thanked Professor Giddeon and came back to join the group. The wheels in my head began to turn,

"Good friends." I muttered. *Thus, the reason the spell worked at all.*

"Another group will have a chance tomorrow," Giddeon said, causing the few raised hands to lower, "put my desks back in their places and class is dismissed early! Have a wonderful weekend and don't forget, end-of-quarter exams are next week so study your little hearts out!"



*****



Later on that same night, Ginny came running through the Great Hall and threw her ruck sack on the floor, sitting hurriedly down next to me and pulling a long roll of white parchment out of her sack and unrolled it over the table.

"I can't believe he actually sent it, but he did!" she said, pointing to the parchment.

"What is it Ginny?" Ron asked, leaning over my plate to look. I couldn't help closing my eyes and taking in a deep breath of Ron-scented air.

"It's a map. An official map, made only two years ago, of the caves beneath the Burrow." this, caught all of us by surprise and Harry's head shot up.

"How did you get that Ginny?" he asked, leaning over the table to look at the map.

" I wrote to Percy and told him I needed a place to hide from the twins during Christmas break and I thought the caves would be perfect. I told him I needed the map to be safe and so, he sent his precious baby sister the map." she looked triumphant.

"That's wonderful Ginny! You are bloody brilliant!" I hadn't seen Harry this happy in a while. Ginny blushed bashfully at his praise. Ron looked suspiciously back and forth between the two, but said nothing for which I was thankful.

"No questions asked? Uptight Percy sent this without an inquisition?" Ron asked, looking astounded.

"Well, I think Percy would like to be a little closer to you and me. Like Bill and I are, but he can't manage it. He told me once that he doesn't like being the bad guy all the time, but he's just a worry wart. I think this is his way of trying to be more friendly. You know, more like Charlie and Bill."

"Oh." Ron said, going meekly back to his dinner.

Ginny turned back to Harry, "I know you've been really upset about those rocks and I just thought that maybe...well, I hope you don't mind me interfering. I was just...worried about you. You aren't sleeping Harry." she reached across the table and put a hand over his.

"That obvious huh?" Harry said, sarcastic amusement thick in his voice.

"Yeah." she said, and began to take her hand away, but Harry grabbed it and held it.

I looked over at Ron who was staring mystified. I nudged him and he looked at me. I gave him a wide-eyed look and he sank back, trying in vain to ignore his sister and best friend.

Harry looked up at her squeezed her hand, "Thanks Gin, this was...great of you."

Then, Harry got up and reached over to take the map, "I'm going to go and compare this to the other." he began to walk away, but stopped after one or two steps, "And Ginny?"

"Yes?" she asked breathlessly.

"You can interfere any time you want." he gave her a slight smiled and continued on his way, Ginny's eyes following him all the way.

Slowly, Ginny collected her things and muttered something about "the pitch for practice" and walked dazedly out of the Great Hall. I smiled after her and I heard an unhappy 'tut' come from Ron's direction. I looked at him and tried to give him my best scowl

"What is it Hermione?" he asked, turning his head to look at me, a sour expression on his face.

"Stop it." I said cryptically.

"Stop what?" he asked.

"You *know* what I'm talking about. You leave Ginny and Harry to make their own decisions."

"Mistakes." he corrected.

"Ron! What makes you so sure that it would be a mistake?"

"It's my best mate and my *little* sister!" he exclaimed, throwing his spoon down on the table. I felt bad for him.

"Ron, I wish she still was just your little sister, Ginny. Sweet and innocent. And I also wish that Harry was still twelve and didn't think anything of sweet, innocent, baby-sister Ginny. I wish that were true because it would be easier for you. But she's not a baby anymore and he isn't twelve." I spoke softly to him and put my hand on his shoulder. At this he looked over at me, he looked defeated and confused. I wanted to comfort him, "I know that you are pulled two completely different directions on this one. You vowed to yourself when Ginny was a baby to protect her, because she was the *baby* and she needed you. And, you would...die for Harry. You love them both and you don't want to see them hurt each other. I understand to some extent, I really do. But you have to trust Harry. And Ron, you have to let her go. Just take a good look at her." I said, digging in my bag and pulling out my little change purse in which I kept a picture of Harry, Ron, Ginny, and I taken a short while before we started the school year. Ron took the picture in his hand reluctantly looked at it.

Ginny was radiant in it. The sunlight was glinting off of her hair and her eyes sparkled in that mischievous Weasley way. A little smile crossed Ron's lips.

"You know, when Bill went off to Egypt, he told me to take care of her. He told me to watch out because there would be chaps who tried to date her, and kiss her, and he told me it was my responsibility to do his job for him while he was in Egypt. Then, when it happened with that Michael bloke and then with Dean, I went mad. I even stopped talking to Dean for awhile. But that was easy. Harry is a totally different story. I want to see him happy because he hasn't had a lot of happiness."

"Ginny makes him happy Ron. And who is the most gentle, caring, protective person you know?"

"You." he said and looked up at me, searching my eyes for a reaction. My heart nearly stopped.

"Well...that really wasn't what I was getting at, but..." I stuttered.

"I know what you mean about Harry," Ron said, "he would protect Ginny just like a brother and maybe he could be good for her as...something more."

My mind was still reeling from his compliment, but I pressed on, "You're right you know."

He smiled sadly at me, "Still, it would be nice to have little Ginny back for a bit. A Ginny who still kind of needs me."

"You know, Ginny will always need you. And so will...other people." I looked at him, willing him to understand the meaning behind that statement. *I need you Ron.* I thought to myself.

"Thanks Hermione. I...feel a little better I guess. Come one bookworm," he said gathering his things as our plates disappeared, "don't you have some studying to do?"

I feigned hurt, "Is that all you think of me? That I'm all study and no fun? I see how it is Ronald Weasley!" I huffed and stood up, trying to look defiant, my nose in the air.

"No, no, no. I don't think that," he stood up and grinned lopsidedly, my pulse quickened, "I think your *mostly* study and *little* fun. There's a big difference."

I rolled my eyes and heaved my bulging ruck sack over my shoulder, "You are completely insufferable and childish. Not to mention overly-confident. Now, if you will excuse me, there is some fun to be had and it is the weekend so I intend to have it." I tried to hide a smile as I brushed past him. He was right, I would normally have gone back to Gryffindor tower to study, but I was going to prove to him that I could have just as much fun as he could. I was feeling compulsive.

"You know, it's a damn shame that this side of you doesn't come out to play...more often."he said, catching up to me and falling into stride beside me. I turned to him and smiled.

"Language, Ron."



Well, that's it for now. Just a bit of fluff at the end. I Like to leave you with something somewhat satisfying.

Okay, do you remember last chapter? We had a little lesson on reviewing. If you would kindly repeat that process at this time, your cooperation would be appreciated. Thank you and keep your hands and arms inside the car at all times.



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