The great hall was buzzing with talk of what Proffesor Levington, or Devilton as he had come to be known as, made the fifth years do.
"Harry! Hermione!" Ron yelled, waving from the far end of the Griffyndor table.
"Harry! Hermione!" Jonathon yelled, waving from the middle of the table where the Quidditch team was sitting.
"Oh dear, where do we sit?" Hermione asked, looking between Ron and the team.
"Let's get Ron and sit with the team, there's more room." Harry suggested.
"I'll go get Ron and meet you at the middle of the table." Harry said, heading off towards where Ron was sitting. Hermione walked over to where the team was talking and feasting on a private stash of chocolate frogs.
"Hey Hermione, never saw you in class today." Angelina said with a smile as Hermione sat down.
"No, me and Harry got exempted from classes for the day." Hermione replied.
"Me and Harry? Since when did you start talking like a normal person?" Angelina asked sarcastically.
"Long before you noticed." Hermione laughed.
"Oooo Harsh, good one. You know you really must love Harry if you no longer take school seriously anymore." Angelina commented with a grin, blowing a piece of hair out of her face.
"Yeah I am, madly." Hermione answered, blushing.
"Well have the two of you, you know, done it yet?" Alicia asked becoming very interested in the conversation. Hermione's eyes widened with shock and she blushed even more with embarressment..
"You did!" Alicia laughed loudly.
"Hey, hey, there's no need to announce it to the school." Hermione said quietly.
"Well sorry, but that is great news. Was he good?" Alicia pushed excitedly.
"I'm not saying." Hermione answered with a grin.
"Oh come on, it's not like we're ever going to get the chance to do it with him. I mean the two of you are going to be together forever." Alicia said innocently.
Hermione laughed at the thought of their entire conversation, but realized that they were right. Harry and her were forever. She could feel it in both of them. Hermione looked up, she could feel Ron and Harry coming over.
"Hey Harry, hey Ron." George greeted cheerfully as he loaded his plate up with pork.
"good evening George." Harry replied with a smile, as he walked over to Hermione and lifted her onto his lap as he sat down.
"And hello again to you my love," Harry said passionatly as he gave Hermione a long and loving kiss. A choures of awww's filled the table as Angelina, Alicia and Katie giggled as they watched Harry and Hermione jealously.
"Go back to your meals." Harry laughed as he pulled away.
"Tell us Ron, what is it everyone is going on about that happened in the fifth years defense against the dark arts classes today?" Hermione asked, putting a scoopful of vegetables on her plate.
"Urgh. Don't remind me of it." Ron replied with a grim look.
"Honestly Ron, tell us what went on, it couldn't have been THAT bad." Hermione replied sternly.
"Fine, but believe me when I say it was bad." Ron started.
"Well go on." Hermione pushed, taking a bite of squash.
"Today Devilton made us defend ourselves against a live manticore. It was horrible, a wonder no one was hurt." Ron explained mortified.
"Oh well that's not so bad." Harry replied with a smile, taking some of Hermione's vegetables.
"Not so bad!" ron shouted with shock.
"I almost lost my hand to the demon!" Ron stated, furiously shaking his hand towards Harry.
"It's actually a mammel, not a demon." Hermionesaid absentmindedly as she mixed her vegetables in with some mashed potato and loose hamburger.
"What?" Ron asked.
"Oh sorry Ron, geez that sounded smart, I better watch myself." Hermione said sheepishly.
"But anyway it sounded like a fun class, not a terrible one." She laughed.
"Fun? Only if you were looking for a slow and horrible death." Ron grumped, looking at Hermione as if she was crazy.
"Damn." Hermione cursed silently.
"What?" Harry asked.
"I've got to watch waht I say around people, especially Ron. Of course having to face a manticore would be fun for me, because I'd probally slowly roast it." Hermione joked, checking to make sure no one was stareing at the two of them why they had their silent conversation.
"Barbequed manticore anyone?" Harry laughed.
"You two are unusally quiet tonight. What's up?" Ron questioned curiously.
"Oh nothing really, just tired I quess." Harry lied causually.
"Yeah I know what you mean. I'm exhausted." Ron replied, looking at his watch.
"It's only six, but I have a ton of homework to do before I can go to bed." he added with a sigh.
"We had better go up to Dumbledore's office." Harry said silently.
"Your right, all the teachers have left already." Hermione replied, looking the now empty teachers table.
"Hey Ron we need to go for now, but we'll meet you up in the common room alright?" Harry said getting to his feet.
"Where are you going?" Ron asked, chewing on a hunk of food.
"Snuffles wants to meet with about something. He never said what, but he's waiting up in Dumbledores office." Harry said quietly.
"Good cover up." Hermione thought.
"Thanks." Harry replied.
"Alright, see you guys later." Ron said with a small wave.
"See you Ron." Hermione said as she and Harry walked outof the Great Hall.
As they walked up the familier spiral stairway up to Dumbledores office, they could hear the proffessors talking quietly. Harry and Hermione never even bothered to knock, but just walked in. They had no sooner stepped though the doorway, when Hagrid had scooped the both of them up in his arms.
"I can't believe that ye both are stuck with you know who's powers. I jus' can't." Hagrid cried tearfully, hugging Harry and Hermione hard.
"Ha-Hagrid." Harry choaked.
"Yeah?" Hagrid asked.
"We can't breathe." Harry coughed breathlessly.
"Oh sorry." Hagrid replied, sitting them back down on the floor.
"Thanks." Hermione gasped, trying to breathe normally again. All the proffessors were in Dumbledore's office, all except for Proffessor Levington. They stopped talking and stared at Harry and Hermione as if they had pointed ears and wings like a fairy (sorry all that I could thing of that wasn't cliche).
"Uh is there something on us?" Hermione asked, looking to see if she had something on her and Harry's robes.
"Hermione, Harry, welcome. Please take a seat." Dumbledore greeted warmly, waving his hand in the direction of a long table with high back chairs.
The table and chairs had not been there before, and Harry and Hermione figured it was only brought out for staff meetings.
"Yes Proffessor." Harry and Hermione said, taking a seat at the middle of the table. Harry took Hermione's hand into his own. They both could sense the tension in the room and the only one who appeared to be relaxed was Dumbledore.
"Now you know why you all are here." Dumbledore started, quickly glancing up and down the table at all the proffessors. A soft murmer was given for reply.
"Harry and Hermione you both know that Proffessor McGonagall and myself have told the other staff of all that has occured to the two of you in the past day. I have asked them to come here tonight so that they can see for themselves what you both can do and so they can adjust how they teach you." Dumbledore explained, peering over his half moon glasses at them. Harry and Hermione nodded understandably.
"What is it you want us to do first Proffessor?" Hermione asked.
"Whatever you wish. Everyone here has volunteered to be used for demonstration." Dumbledore said with a smile.
"How 'bout you lift Hagrid and I float Snape?" Harry thought with a silent amused laugh.
"Sounds fun." Hermione replied cheerfully.
Harry and Hermione flew out of their seats, causing everyone to gasp with shock. They landedgracefully in back of everyone and waited for them to turn in their seats to see what would be next. Hagrid shouted with surprise as Hermione picked him out of his chair and dropped him carefully down on the floor by the door.
Snapes eyes widened with shock when he suddenly realized that he was floating. He was now up to the ceiling. He looked down to see Harry standing with crossed arms, smiling up at him. After letting Snape float aimlessly around for a few minutes, Harry brought Snape back down to the floor, and sat him back onto his chair. Snape fumbled to straighten his robes up, which had become tangled around him.
The proffessors clapped, almost scared and unsure of what to make of what had just happened. Without speaking or thinking a word to each other, Harry quickly made an apple out of ice and gave it to Hermione. Knowing what he was going to do, she placed it on top of her head and stood perfectly still. Harry made a bow and arrow out of fire and aimed them at the ice apple on Hermione's head. With a sure grin, het let the arrow go. It hit the apple in the dead center, and flew across the room and hit the door.
A small fire started to burn, Hermione spun around and threw a ball of water at the fire, extinguishing it. The proffessors broke out into applause at Harry and Hermione's perfected display.
"Wonderfully done you two. I believe everyone saw enough to know what they need to. You may have a seat." Dumbledore said, with a large smile. Harry and Hermione sat down, trying hard not to laugh at what Snape was thinking about, about his little float around the room.
"As you can all see from their lilttle demo, Harry and Hermione will no lonfer be able to taught normally, and that is why you are all here tonight. Now do any of you have a suggestion as to howwe can give these two the same kind of education that we give our other students?" Dumbledore asked, glancing up and down the table in question.
"I'm guessing that in order to be fair to other students, the two of them will have to do personal assingments and exams together, the final mark being shared among the two of them." Proffessor Flitwick piped in cheerfully as he rubbed his beard.
"Yes that is a good suggestion and it will acually be made into something we will do." Dumbledore replied.
"Mirnerva, what do you think?" Dumbledore asked, looking over his glasses to Proffessor McGonagall who was seated at his right.
"An honor system Albus. There is no other way, because you and I both know there is no other way to block our minds should they choose to read them." Proffessor McGonagall stated truthfully.
"But of course Mirneva, you are right, but I know now that Harry and Hermione here already will not misuse their powers for such things, and together they are quite intelligent." Dumbledore answered with a small laugh, his long grey beard shinning in the light.
"So what should we do?" Proffessor Snape asked, quickly glancing at Harry and Hermione.
"In my honest opinion Severus, I believe that with the exception of the two suggestions given here tonight, we should do as we always have, treat them normally." Dumbledore answered calmly, giving everyone a confident smile.
"How does that sound to the two of you?" Dumbledore asked Harry and Hermione.
"That sounds okay to us Proffessor." Harry replied with a nod.
"Alright then. We all may return to what we were doing before." Dumbledore dismissed, standing up from the table.
"Harry." Proffessor McGonagall called out.
"Yes Proffessor?" Harry asked, turning to face Proffessor McGonagall.
"The Quidditch game is next Saturday against Ravenclaw." Proffessor McGonagall said with a smile.
"Oh, okay then. Thank you for letting me know." Harry replied with a grin.
"Your welcome Mr. Potter. Goodnight you two." she said as she gathered up some of her papers.
"You too Proffessor." Hermione said, taking Harry's hand as they left Dumbledores office.
"Gawd that was boring." Hermione commented.
"Ah well, at least it's over." Harry replied.
"You need a watch." He added, gently tickleing Hermione.
"I know." Hermione laughed, trying to squirm out of his reach.
"But since you don't have a watch, maybe you would like to know that there is fifteen hours till your birthday."
"Glad to know you remembered." Hermione replied.
"Of course I did, how can I forget my girlfriends birthday?"
"You forgot to say soulmate." Hermione joked.
"How stupid of me." Harry laughed as he continued to tickle her.
"Harry stop!" Hermione shouted, tears of laughter rolling down her cheeks.
"What? Keep going? If you insist!" Harry laughed, tickling her even harder.
"No! Harry!" Hermione yelled, gasping for breath.
"Say Harry I love you."
"Harry I love you!" Hermione laughed.
"Of course you do." Harry smiled, giving her a quick kiss.
"Jerk!" Hermione exclaimed, punching Harry in the arm, before she stormed off.
"Wait Hermione! I will die if you don't kiss me now!" Harry shouted after her. He made fake gasping sounds as he floated slowly to the ground.
"Hermione." He whispered coarsly.
"I'm blacking out!" He exclaimed loudly, closing his eyes and lying completely still. He layed in silence listening as Hermione stopped with a sigh. He could feel her look back and walk slowly over to where he pretended to be dead.
"My galliant prince has died because I did not kiss his sweet lips before I left. Maybe, just maybe if I kiss him now, my prince will return to me." Hermione joked seriously, trying not laugh. She slowly knelt down next to him. Holding her hair over her shoulder, she leaned over and kissed him.
"Your galliant prince is hoping for some tongue." Harry murmered with a grin. Hermione sighed as she sat up.
"Not now, my prince is alive once more."
"But I'm not fully able to function without it." Harry joked.
"Why do I love you so much?" Hermione asked with a smile.
"Because you find me irresistable, or is it my sex appeal?" Harry asked with a grin.
"I'm afraid it's both." Hermione laughed.
"I knew it." Harry grinned.
"Come on my prince, let us return to our tower before we are caught by the two headed monster." Hermione said innocently, taking Harry's hand as she stood up.
"But of course my lady." Harry replied with a wide smile.
They walked slowly and quietly up to the common room. Harry held Hermione's hand tightly, he smiled inside at the thought of the surprise he planned for Hermione's birthday tomorrow, careful to keep his mind blocked off unknowingly from Hermione. Ron was only halfway through the last of his homework, which was a five thousand word essay on what he would do differently next time he ever faced a live manticore.
"This looks fun." Hermione commented, quickly glancing over at Ron's paper.
"Yeah, a ball of it." Ron grumbled, not looking up.
"My advice to you Ron, is just make half of the junk up. Even Levington's not going to know what you'd do and I don't think that your going to go look for a new manticore to face either." Harry advised with a grin.
"Yeah I know, that's what I planned to do anyway." Ron smiled.
"Come away with me my prince." Hermione started, taking Harry by the arm.
"To the couch to be rewarded for such noble advise." She finished, gently tugging on Harry's arm.
"Anything for you my lady." Harry replied.
"What game are you two love birds playing now?" Ron asked shrilly, looking up from his essay.
"One that's going to get me and her into a serious make out session tonight." Harry laughed as he walked quickly towards the couch behind Hermione.
"You two are sick." Ron sighed, continuing on with his essay.