Disclaimer: The paper plate got wet, so I picked up an empty beer can instead. Harry Potter belongs to J. K. Rowling. Cricket knows ninjitsu.

Harry Potter and the Strength of Three

Chapter 10, Blind Fury

Harry didn't know what to say. He set his beer bottle on the coffee table as he pulled Hermione back into his embrace. A slight frown darkened his face as he remembered his years at the Dursleys, and he rubbed her back as he murmured nonsense under his breath. Surely, her parents didn't treat her in such a fashion? Harry knew that he lost weight every summer, and that by the time he left Privet Drive each year he looked a lot different. His father hadn't been a tall man, but he had been of average height, at least. Harry's malnourishment in his younger years had stunted his growth. Hermione was the only person in his year that didn't tower over him; they were almost the same height. Most of the people in the year behind him were taller than him as well. As size went, Harry was incredibly small. He only weighed around 50 kilos...most of the girls in his year were bigger than him. Hermione had never been malnourished.

Harry also recognized signs of physical and mental abuse, obviously. Uncle Vernon had enjoyed beating his frustrations out of his nephew for several years. And living inside of a cupboard for ten years did wonders for ones mental state. Lots of children are shy, but Harry had taken it to extremes before he had gone to Hogwarts. Even then, he had been slow to make friends. He was distrustful, liked to keep his emotions to himself and hated asking for help for anything. Hermione had never shown any signs of abuse, emotionally or physically.

Harry had seen Hermione's parents on a few occasions and they looked like kind, caring people. Always smiling and laughing, happy to see their daughter.

"What do you mean?" He asked tentatively, holding her in place when she tried to pull away. He didn't want her to see his face right now...memories of the Dursleys always put him in a bad mood. "Why do you think they hate you?" When Harry didn't let her pull away, she sighed and snuggled closer against him instead.

"I never told them much about the going's-on of the wizarding world." Hermione sniffled after a few moments. "They never knew about You-Know-Who or about the Death Eaters. I never told them anything about dark wizards." A few more moments passed in silence. Harry was just starting to feel uncomfortable when she spoke again. "I'm a witch. To me, it's a wonderful thing...it changed my life completely. To them, magic is lots of pretty lights and neat abilities, but they don't live in our world, Harry. They think I'm special, yes, but they don't understand the scope of it." Harry allowed a small smile to grace his lips as she spoke, years at the Dursley's fading from his mind. He remembered seeing Hagrid for the first time, in that dismal shack surrounded by water. Seeing Hogwarts as a first year, as he crossed the lake in the evening.

"They think of it as a school, nothing more. I leave every autumn and return every spring, same as any other boarding school. Diagon Alley and Hogwarts are what they know, but there's so much more to it than that, you know? We could spend out entire lives from this point on and not see a single muggle. We have our own government, our own hospitals, prisons, and schools. It's an entirely different world." Hermione sighed, her head on Harry's chest. Harry felt her shoulders shake slightly again, and gave her a comforting squeeze. "I didn't tell them about the dark aspects of our world, the horrifying, frightening parts. They would ask me how school was, and I would tell them about my classes, about you and Ron, the burrow. What would be the point of telling them about Vol-Voldemort?" Even though she hesitated over the name, Harry still felt a surge of pride as he heard his friend say the name. Many adult witches and wizards nearly fainted just from hearing it.

"Go on." He said after a few moments of silence, comfortingly rubbing a hand across her back again. "What happened?" She gave a shuddering sigh, but continued.

"I don't know if you got one or not, but Hogwarts sent out a notice to the parents of every student at the school. Now that the ministry has finally acknowledged the fact that You-Know-Who is back, they wanted to remind the parents that Hogwarts is safe. Apparently, they're worried that parents are going to pull their children from the school. It went on to give advice in case anyone is involved in an attack, worthless, if you ask me. Basically, it said to do your best to hide and wait for Aurors." Harry silently agreed with the advice. What could the average witch or wizard do in the face of an attack by Voldemort and his death eaters? Not much. Better to stay out of the line of fire if possible.

"So, they found out about Voldemort then?" Harry asked curiously, wondering where this was going. "Why would that make them hate you?" Hermione pulled away slightly, before turning sideways on the couch and leaning against him again. She took one of his hands in hers and hugged it to her belly, lacing her fingers through his.

"Until they got that letter they were ignorant, Harry. They knew nothing of the dangers facing the wizarding world." She sighed softly before speaking again. "I tried to downplay it as much as I could, but they wouldn't believe me. They contacted Dumbledore, and he came to my house to speak with them. Everything was fine at first; Dumbledore told them about Voldemort, how you had beaten him before, what was happening now...all of it. He managed to calm them down by saying that Hogwarts was the safest place in the world for me, that Voldemort could never harm his students. I know he meant well, but when he started speaking about how I was such a good student...well, all the bad things came out. How I was petrified in second year, Professor Lupin being a werewolf, the Triwizard tournament in fourth year and how Cedric died. And worst of all, what happened at the Department of Mysteries." Harry's arms tightened reflexively at the memory, and Hermione squeezed his hand.

"They didn't take it well. They yelled at me for not telling them about those things, they screamed at Professor Dumbledore for letting such things happen, and..." She stopped here suddenly, before ending in almost a whisper. "...and they told me I couldn't..." She broke into sobs again, and Harry held her tightly. Her next words sent chills down his spine. "T-that I cou-couldn't go back!"

"What!" Harry almost shouted. He felt his breathing quicken as ball of dread settled in his stomach. Hermione can't go back to Hogwarts... What would he do? Hermione had been one of his best friends since his first year, she was the one person he could always count on. Hermione won't be at Hogwarts anymore... He couldn't imagine going to school without her there anymore, no more arguments between Ron and Hermione, no more shouting lesson planners. Would he ever see her again? If she didn't go to Hogwarts, would they be friends anymore? The Gryffindor Golden Trio would be no more. A world without Hermione in it had never before crossed his mind, and he found the thought horrifying. I won't let this happen! I can't! I have to do something.

"NO!" He shouted, pushing Hermione away from him as he stood from the couch. She didn't look at him as she drew her knees to her chest and buried her head behind them. Her body shook as she sobbed. Harry began pacing in front of the couch, hands clenched. "Did you try talking to them?" He asked, but didn't give her a chance to answer. "Of course you did. What about Dumbledore...he could do something. Wait, never mind, of course he can't. DAMNIT!" He yelled, kicking one of the armchairs in his fury. It skidded a few inches and stopped. Harry glared as it as he paced, as though it was the source of all his anger. "They can't take you away from me!" He kicked the chair again, sending it skidding a few more inches. Harry missed Hermione's startled gasp as she raised her tear streaked face to stare at him. "They can't take you out of school!" He whirled to face Hermione, raising a shaking finger to point at her face. "I won't let them! There has to be a way, there has to be something we can do." He didn't even realize that he was still yelling, he was so angry. His entire body was shaking, a slight red haze clouding the edges of his vision. His breathing came in labored pants, quick and sporadic. Hermione looked slightly frightened, but he didn't notice. Spittle flew from his lips with his next words. "I'll make them let you go!"

He felt a hand settle on his shoulder, and whirled around as he batted it away. The man he had hit with the beer bottle moments before stood with flushed cheeks, obviously angry. Harry's fury doubled, and with a cry of rage he pushed him away violently. Harry felt a strange...force surge through his arms and into his hands as he did so, and the dark haired man flew back ten paces before he landed on his back. His head bounced on the floor as he landed. Harry was on him almost immediately, throwing his fist into the other's face. This asshole almost hurt Hermione!

Crack!

The first punch landed, and Harry again felt the strange rushing in his arm. The man's nose broke, sending blood gushing down his face, and his head bounced off the floor again from the force of the blow. They want to take Hermione away!

Crack!

The head bounced again as the feeling of power returned. He heard a loud crackling noise, like electricity. Harry wanted to hurt this guy. No-one tried to hurt his friends! No-one!

Crack!

His entire vision was obstructed by a red translucent haze, blending in with the blood on the face he struck. He struck again and again, each time with the sudden force rushing into his fist, the crackling of electricity. He felt someone grab onto his shoulder as if to stop him, and he swung his arm around and backhanded who-ever it was without looking. He heard a thud as the person fell to the floor behind him, along with a cry of pain. He realized he was yelling. "NO-ONE!" His hand felt wet, and he felt something drip into his eye. He blinked it to clear his vision, unfazed. "NO-ONE HURTS HERMIONE, YOU BASTARD!" His fist made a wet smacking noise as it landed, like he was slapping a raw steak.

Suddenly someone lifted him off the man and threw him to the floor, pinning his arms behind his back painfully. He struggled, snarling in fury as he tried to twist his arms from the vice-like grip. Whoever was holding him kneeled on his back, and his eyes watered. The red haze receded from his vision as he struggled weakly, breathing hard. The rushing noise he hadn't been aware of hearing left his ears.

"...ucking hell are you doing, Harry!?" Dudley. It was Dudley who was kneeling on his back, pinning his arms together so painfully. Harry suddenly felt exhausted, like he had run a marathon around the stairways of Hogwarts. He let his body go limp. "Jeesus Christ! What the hell is going on?"

"Let me up," Harry wheezed. The knee on his back made it hard to breath, and it hurt. Dudley seemed to only tighten his grip on Harry's wrists. "He tried to hurt Hermione, now let me up." A few moments passed, and suddenly Dudley stood, dragging Harry to his feet painfully.

"Look at him!" Dudley hissed, pushing Harry forward roughly. Harry looked over his shoulder at Dudley in confusion. His cousin strode forward angrily and grabbed the back of Harry's neck, forcing him to turn his head and look down. "Look!" Harry gasped.

The man Harry had been hitting lay on the floor at his feet. His face was a bloody mess, bruised, swollen, and cut up. The left eye was swollen shut, the areas below and above it rising in great lumps to meet in the middle. The right eye was so bloodshot that it appeared to be solid red. It was glazed over, unseeing. The mouth was open and the lower jaw hung at a weird angle. He could see two upper teeth missing from where swelling had pulled the lip away. There was a large purple bump on the forehead, a gash on it oozing blood. Several small cuts added blood to that still gushing from the broken nose, literally covering the man's face with red.

He wasn't moving.

Harry felt like retching. His stomach churned as he looked upon what he had done. Is he dead? Harry shook the thought from his mind as he saw the chest rise and fall slowly, causing bloody bubbles to form from the nose. Harry looked up, and took a step back as he saw a crowd of people surrounding him. They all saw it... He turned a pleading gaze on Dudley, but his cousin was looking at the body on the floor with a grimace on his face. A bruise was forming on Dudley's cheekbone, it was swelling slightly and a small cut trickled blood down his face. Harry remembered hitting someone who had grabbed his shoulder. He heard sobbing from behind him, and turned slowly to see Hermione on the couch. She still had her arms wrapped around her knees, but now she rocked back and forth as tears streamed from her tightly closed eyes. Harry stumbled over to the loveseat slowly, and reached a hand to her shoulder. He stopped as he noticed the blood still dripping from his hand, and let it drop back to his side.

"Hermione?" He whispered, but took a horrified step back as Hermione flinched at the sound of his voice. Her eyes sprang open, and she flinched again. Harry felt his heart shatter into a million pieces. Hermione looked back at him with horrified eyes.

She was frightened of him.

With a cry of pain and loss, Harry ran from the house, the crowd parting quickly in front of him. They're scared of you too... He ran down the steps of the porch and around the side of the house where he collapsed, sobbing. Hermione's scared of me! He lay facedown on the grass, choking and sobbing as Hermione's horrified eyes danced through his mind. Then he remembered. The morning he had gotten beat up by Dudley's old friend Piers, when he had been so angry at his cousin before getting up to shower.

Harry jumped from the bed, stomping over to his trunk. Kicking it viciously when it refused to open, he grabbed a set of clean clothes and stormed into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. He heard an indignant squawk from downstairs, followed by Vernon bellowing something about slamming doors in this house. He dumped his clothes atop the hamper, kicking it for good measure. He turned to the mirror. Staring back at him was a near complete image of Tom Riddle.

Voldemort.

Not the resurrected snake eyed monster, but the younger Tom. The one from the diary. The only difference was the gray in Harry's ebony locks and his thin beard. It was the eyes. So much hate in the eyes.

Harry stumbled back in surprise and fear, falling backwards into the tub.

"Ouch, damnit!" Harry yelled, his voice no longer angry, but frightened. Cautiously, he peeked above the counter, sighing in relief at the sight of his reflection. The hate was gone from his eyes, the frightening grimace gone from his face. He stood fully, rubbing the back of his head where it had hit the wall. Quickly, he brushed his teeth and shaved with Vernons straight-edge razor like he did every morning, already forgetting what he had seen in the mirror.

Is that what Hermione had seen? A younger Voldemort? A wizard gone dark? Harry couldn't bear the thought, and his cries intensified.

"Harrry?" Tonks asked, worry in her tone. "Are you alright? Cricket ran from the house, she said you got in a fight?" She gasped in sudden shock as she got closer. "Harry, you're bleeding!" Harry stifled his sobs and sat up, eliciting another horrified gasp from Tonks. She crouched in front of him, the Invisibility cloak trailing from her shoulders and down her back. It shimmered slightly in the light of the stars. Her pink eyes filled with unshed tears as she took in the sight of Harry, and he sighed loudly.

"...s'not mine." He mumbled, sniffling.

"Thank Merlin!" Tonks breathed, reaching a hand out towards Harry. She frowned curiously when he flinched away.

He raised his hands before his face, staring at the blood on them. At the end he had been hitting the man with both fists, growling like an animal. He shuddered as he remembered the sound as his fists had landed. "I almost killed him Tonks." He whispered softly, raising his eyes to meet hers. "I was so angry, I didn't even know what I was doing. He might be seriously hurt, maybe you should go look at him."

Tonks shook her head as she took out her wand before muttering "Scourgify." The blood disappeared from his hands and face as if it had never been. His knuckles were red and scraped. They stung slightly as he moved his fingers. I bet that guy's face does a little more than sting... He jumped a little when Tonks wrapped him in a warm embrace, and he almost started sobbing again. "Tell me what happened." She whispered, squeezing him tightly. "I'm sure it's not your fault, Harry."

"It is my fault, Tonks." Harry shuddered again. "I wanted to hurt him. Wanted him to feel pain." Tonks pulled away slightly and turned his face towards hers so that he was looking her in the eye.

"What happened?" She asked, her tone soft yet firm. Harry sighed before looking at the ground again. He picked a piece of grass and ran it between his fingers absently.

"Hermione's parents want to take her out of Hogwarts," he whispered. Tonks gave a small gasp as she heard this, but Harry ignored it. "We've been friends for so long, just the thought of not seeing her again...it was horrible. I can't imagine life without Hermione, you know?" He looked up and Tonks nodded her head slowly, a pitying look in her eyes. "I got angry at her parents, how dare they take her from me!" He looked down at his hands again, shuddering. "Then a guy from earlier came up behind me. I stopped him from punching Hermione a little while before...hit him in the head with a bottle." He looked up to make sure Tonks was following, and saw the look of dawning comprehension in her eyes. He looked down again. "I remembered what he had done, and coupled with how angry I already was...I just snapped. I pushed him down and hit him until Dudley had to drag me off." He didn't look up, didn't want to see the horror in her eyes didn't want to see her leave him. "I hit Dudley too, before that." He added as an afterthought. "It was an accident."

"Oh, Harry." Tonks breathed, and much to Harry's surprise, pulled him into a hug again. "It's not your fault. Everyone has a limit, a breaking point." She squeezed her arms around him tightly, laying her head on his shoulder. "Besides, it sounds like that guy deserved it anyways. He came looking for a fight, didn't he?" Harry nodded, remembering the mans angry pose before Harry had...done what he did. Harry jerked his head up as he heard sirens approaching, pulling away from Tonks as he did so.

"Oh no!" He moaned, turning a wide-eyed look on Tonks. "They're coming to arrest me! I'm gonna go to jail!" He started looking around in a panic, and stood up. "I have to hide!" He took a step to run, but Tonks grabbed his hand, stopping him forcefully. He turned to her, and his shoulders slumped. "Yeah...you're right. I deserve it." He looked up sharply as she hit him in the arm, hard.

"No you don't, don't be an idiot." She said, but smiled warmly at him as she did so. "I'll run inside, heal him up a bit without anyone noticing. By the time I'm done, he'll just have a little bump on the head...maybe a black eye." Harry looked at her thankfully, and she chuckled. She looked over her shoulder as she started walking back. "You'll be alright?" Harry nodded, and she disappeared around the corner.

"So that's what happened." He jumped at the sound of Ron's voice as he stepped from the shadows, holding the half-empty bottle of Captain Morgan in his hand. "I would've done the same, Harry."

"You saw it?" Harry asked, as he sat on the grass again with a sigh. He leaned against the house behind him, and dug a cigarette from his pocket.

"Not all of it, but enough," Ron said. "You killed my buzz." He added in a mock accusatory voice. Harry didn't laugh, just took another drag from his smoke. Ron sighed, before taking a seat beside his friend. "I would've done the same." He held the bottle of brown liquor out to Harry, who looked at it a moment before taking it. He brought the bottle to his lips and tipped it up, swallowing as the liquid burned its way down his throat. He coughed slightly as he handed the bottle back.

"Hermione's scared of me." He said softly, looking over at his friend. "She hates me now." Ron sighed before tipping the bottle up himself, it made a bubbling noise as he drank. He didn't cough, or even grimace as he brought it back down.

"She'll get over it, mate. She'll get over it and everything will be fine." Despite his tone, Harry heard a slight hint of doubt in Ron's voice. Harry looked back at his hands, and shuddered again. Ron thrust the bottle of liquor back in his face. "I would'vedone the same." He said forcefully, almost angrily. Harry looked at him, seeing the truth in his friend's eyes. He nodded, before taking the bottle and swigging again. "And we won't let them take Hermione, don't worry."

The two sat in silence for some time, not speaking. They passed the bottle between each other as they looked at the stars. Am I as bad as Voldemort? No. He couldn't be, he wasn't evil. It was just like Tonks said, everyone had a breaking point. Ahhh, but she didn't see you in the mirror, did she? He almost hurt Hermione though. He deserved it. As the alcohol wound it's way through his system, he found himself relaxing. The bad thoughts left his mind, to be replaced by the names of constellations as he gazed at the sky. He didn't think of Voldemort, of death eaters or of prison breaks.

He didn't think of almost killing a man.

The night wore on. The sirens had come to the house long before, but Harry had seen the shine of headlights leave many times since. The police were gone, as was the ambulance. Tonks must have gotten there in time, then. Idly, Harry took in his surroundings, reveling in the warmth the alcohol gave him. He stiffened as he saw Dudley approaching, but relaxed when his cousin simply sat on the ground before him. Dudley beckoned with a hand, and Harry handed him the nearly empty bottle of Captain Morgan. Dudley brought it to his lips, finishing it off in a few swallows. He brought it back down with a grimace, and looked at Harry.

"Almost everyone's gone." He said softly, turning to face the direction he had come from. "Cops made them leave. Lot of them walked, seeing as they were almost too drunk to stand. You know, that guy wasn't so bad off as he looked, just a little banged up, is all. The cops asked for you, but Zack told them you left. I had Hermione hide in my room until the the cops were gone." Clarity pierced Harry's clouded mind, and he sat forward suddenly. He braced himself with a fist as he almost tipped over.

"Zack in trouble?" He asked, frightened. Just great, just great... He thought in despair. The guy lets you stay at his place, and before one night passes you bring the cops.

"Nah. He gets along good with 'em, you know." Harry sat back up with a sigh, running his hands through his hair before grabbing another cigarette. Dudley hesitated slightly before continuing. "Hermione told me what happened." Harry looked at his knees, remembering again what he had done. "I understand, Harry." Reaching out, Dudley put a firm hand on his shoulder before standing. "She really cares about you." Harry jerked his head up at this, looking at Dudley in shock. Dudley chuckled, as he held a hand out to Harry and then Ron. "She's waiting for you inside. You scared her at first, I think...hell, you scared me." Harry looked up at his cousin, but Dudley held his hands up to keep him from speaking. "She's ok now, maybe a little shaken up, but ok." He began walking briskly back around the house, and the other two followed. Harry and Ron stumbled every few steps, holding onto each other's shoulders for support.

Dudley led the way into the house, and Zack met them half-way down the hall. He turned to Harry and clapped him on the back, yawning. "Good show, mate," he said, chuckling slightly. "It's good for a guy to protect his girl." Harry was too intoxicated to protest Zack's choice of words, so he simply nodded instead. "You guys are welcome here any time, alright?" With a sharp nod, he walked to the stairway and slowly climbed the steps. Harry turned to Dudley, who shrugged. Ron teetered behind them, holding onto the wall for support.

"C'mon." Dudley said, and led the two into the living room. Harry froze when he entered, catching sight of Hermione. The once thriving room was now empty, the only people in sight Hermione and Tonks. Tonks was kneeling at Hermione's feet, talking softly. Occasionally Hermione would nod or murmur in response, and sometimes they would giggle. Both were blushing slightly.

Harry was jolted from his gaze as Ron stumbled into him from behind. Ron continued to stumble across the room until he dropped into one of the couches near the TV. Snores sounded from the corner almost immediately. Harry smiled softly before walking towards Hermione cautiously. The two seemed to finish their conversation when he was halfway there. Tonks gathered him into a hug as she was leaving, smiling warmly at him before speaking.

"You didn't do a bad thing today, Harry." She whispered softly, holding him close again as she continued. "Not necessarily a good thing...but not a bad thing either." She pulled away, before kissing him softly on the lips and leaving. Harry turned to watch her carefully as she left. The invisibility cloak shimmered, flowing down her back like water. Her pink hair bounced slightly with each step, and her leather boots made a clunk sound with each step. Just as he was about to turn around, he saw what he had been watching for. Tonks stumbled as she tripped over her own feet, catching herself on the wall just in time. She turned her head quickly to see if anyone saw, and blushed furiously as she noticed Harry watching. Harry just smiled warmly in response, and she smiled back before leaving.

Harry stared at the hallway for a few moments after she had gone, dreading to turn and speak to Hermione. What if Dudley was wrong? She probably hates me now. Harry sighed and ran a shaking hand through his hair. ...She's seen my dark side.

He jumped as he felt a pair of arms wrap around his middle from behind. "Just gonna stand there all night?" Hermione whispered, resting her chin on his shoulder. Harry sighed and brought a hand up to cover one of hers. She laced her fingers through his, and he turned to face her. She smiled sadly at him before raising a hand to his face, wiping a tear from his cheek. He hadn't even realized that he was crying, and cursed at himself in his thoughts. Hermione turned and led him to the loveseat by his hand. She sat him on the small couch, pushed him on his side and lay in front of him. Harry draped one of his arms across her tummy, and she laced her fingers through his again. "I don't hate you Harry." She whispered forcefully, "I could never hate you."

"Thanks, Hermione." He whispered back. He hesitated for a moment before leaning over and placing a soft kiss on her cheek. He saw her smile softly as he lay his head back down. The two lay in silence for some time, but Harry could tell she was still awake. She rubbed the back of his hand softly with her thumb, back and forth. "Hermione?"

"Hmm?"

"Do...do you think I'm like...like Voldemort?" He asked, his voice barely audible. He felt Hermione tense at the words, before she began shaking slightly. He brought his head up again quickly, fearing that she was crying again. Her face was slightly red, and her mouth was in a thin line, turned up slightly at the corners. She's laughing at me! "This isn't funny!" He said, slightly offended.

"I'm sorry Harry," she said, once her mirth had ceased. "You, like Voldemort?" She didn't hesitate on the name this time. "Not a chance in he...err, not a chance." Harry chuckled softly, remembering her shouting match with Tonks the day before. She hadn't bothered covering her swear words then.

"Thanks." He whispered, giving her hand a squeeze that she returned. "Umm...Hermione?"

"Yes?"

"Sorry to bring this up again...but if your parents are mad at you right now, why did they let you stay at your friend's house?" Her thumb paused its movement for a second, before it began again as she sighed.

"I...ran away." Harry didn't know what to say to that.

"...oh." He snuggled closer, sighing in her ear as he did so. He smiled softly as he felt her shiver in response. The two lay in silence for a few more moments before he spoke. "We'll figure something out, Hermione." He said, trying to sound reassuring. "We'll figure something out."

A/N I had a horrible day today at work. I ws sick yesterday and only felt worse today. To top it all off, I have to work tomorrow. Grr. I hope you like this one, I thought I did a pretty good job. The fight scene was frightening in my head.

Anyway, a couple more cool stories to point you at. First, The Hero Trilogy by joe6991. He's on the second story now, and its going strong. First one was really good. Unfortunatly, he doesn't post on fan fiction .net anymore. Only at s.c.h.noogle and his yahoo group. Sorry about chopping those words, but they get edited out for some reason. His yahoo group is at The next one is my favorite of all time...Barb's Trilogy. It begins with Harry Potter and the Psychic Serpent. I lost sleep and was late for work this trilogy is soo damn good. I very nearly cried when I finished. Not because it was a sad ending, but because it ended. I'm a guy, and haven't cried in years, so thats saying something. Her handle on fan fiction .net is Barb LP. Of course, when you review, tell 'em Narishma sent you:P

Shadow Dragon12 and Nymph23 did an excellent job beta-reading this chapter. Thanks a lot, guys.

albert87 Heh, no bouncing Hermione this time, sorry. We'll have to see about Ron, he did a great thing this chapter, helping Harry. Thanks for reviewing.

michelline I'm sorry that I'm such an evil, evil writer. Not! lol, j/k. Hope this chapter clears some things up in regards to Hermione's problems.

shaz124 Ya, Ron's a pimp:P Although, him having children is a scary thought. Big event coming up next chap, so be ready. I've got something planned for the extra prisoners and the guards. It'll be coming up pretty soon. Hope you liked my explanation of Hermione's problem, and the parts inbetween:P

ANDTORR rofl! Bite his balls! Now that's a secret power, heh. Voldemort is doomed! Glad you liked it, hope you like this one too.

Drake Smythe Yea, kinda snuck up on a few people I think. I actually wanted people to suspect her of something...but, alas, she's just too damn innocent I guess:P I changed the wording where Penny's mom was glaring all evil-like. It was because Hermione was sitting next to Dudley, her daughters boyfriend:P Glad you like my story. I'm hoping that the action in this chap will kick a few of the non-reviewers in the ass, heh. You know, I used to be a tech for a company that put wireless in motels and stuff. The tech support was horrendous...imagine, your every day bloke off the street trying to get his laptop set up..XD I can't tolerate stupid people for very long...might be why they took me off tech support a week later and moved me up, lol.

chris-warren876 The captain flowed like water in this chapter! Unfortunately, I have to work tomorrow, so I had to tell the captain I couldn't go sailing:( And we were planning on it alllll week too. I've never woken up in a tub of ice before...hmm. I did wake up with marker all over my face once though. heh. Hope you liked this one. Cheers, mate.

Shadow-Dragon84 Hope that this chapter clears up a few things:) I agree about the bad home life bit, so I pu a bit of a twist on it. Hope it works out alright. I look forward to getting your edit on this one.

A reader Nice handle, heh:) Thanks for reviewing, and I'm glad you liked it.

Nymph23 Muahahaha! Cricket and I are off to take over the world! Wanna help?

sambow24 Sweet, glad you like it. It should be one hell of a ride by the time we're done. I'm planning on a trilogy, we'll have to see how it plays out.

coolone007-2 You know, I never used to get a hangover either. Now when I drink, I wake up in the morning and feel like crap. Could be because I don't drink as often as I did when I was younger...hmm. It could also be because I drink a hell of a lot more captain now, heh. I was originally going to have Dudley like that...no hangover so he can laugh at Harry, but I never did. You'll have to wait till the next one to see how it plays out for Ron:P

yellowpages You can't have my Cricket! He's mine...all MINE! Muahahaha! Sorry if I made Hermione out to be too desperate, but they are competeing for 'ol Harry. Think I made it a little too heavy? Anyway, glad my story came at a good time, and sorry to hear about your predicament. I went through a similar situation with my girlfriend when we were both 15...but that was over 6 years ago now. We decided to keep the baby, but then we find out she had a miscarriage. I was sad and happy at the same time...more sad than happy though. You make your boyfriend out to be a stoner asshole...sure you want to marry him? Glad you liked my last chap, tell me if you like this one too, eh?

me262 Hope this isn't the same as everyone else has done it...Hermione's home life, I mean. I try to be as original as I can, you know? Although we'll be leaving for Grimmauld place soon, that doesn't mean the parties have to stop completely...so we've got some more drunken Ron to come:) Glad to hear you didn't have a full-blown heat stroke. I saw one once, it was horrible. Bloke nearly died I think. Thanks for the review, and I hope you like this one too.

Miss-Aurelia YES! My story knows kung-fu! Kicking ass all day long, heh. I'm glad you like my fic, I enjoy writing it. Is this one good too? Be sure to thank JD22 for me. Maybe you could tell some people too, eh? lol. Thanks.

mjk306 Thanks. Be sure to check the stories I've got listed in this chapters Authors notes too:) Barb's stories rule, and If you like long ones...well, the first one in the trilogy is 360k words, the second is 250k, and the third 350k. I love long stories:)

Well, that should be it.

REVIEW, or I'll feed ya to the squirrel!