Standard Disclaimer: I own nothing. All characters and the Potterverse are the property of JK Rowlings.
At the burrow…
Molly and Arthur Weasley sat down for dinner. With the last of their children gone off to Hogwarts, the Burrow seemed so empty and quiet. They both looked up when they heard a scratching at the window. Arthur opened the window and Hedwig flew in, landing on the table next near Molly.
"That's Harry's owl! I hope nothing's wrong." She quickly removed the letter while Arthur got a bowl of water and a few owl treats for her. Hedwig had a drink and a few treats then flew out the window.
Molly opened the letter and started to read it. As she read, a single tear ran down her cheek. Alarmed, Arthur leaned closer. "Molly what's wrong, is there a problem?"
"No… no problem dear. But some of our own children could take lessons from Harry in how to write letters," she replied, handing him the letter.
Dear Mum and Dad,Boy does that sound strange to me. I'm not sure what to call you two now. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley? Mum and Dad? Aunt and Uncle? No, never that I think. I'm sure we'll figure it out when we meet over the holiday break.
Classes seem to be going fine; so far I'm doing well in most of them. Professor McGonagall seems most pleased with my conjurations. I made a flatware setting with the Gryffindor crest engraved on them for her. She was really happy about that. The rest of my classes seem to be going well also. I think there is something wrong with Professor Snape though. He hasn't taken a single point from me this year. Oh, he still sneers and such and looms over people, but he seems to have mellowed an awful lot!
Ron is doing great! He's really picking up on being one of the best keepers Gryffindor has seen in a long time. The other day at practice Ron glanced over at 'Mione in the stands and nearly got knocked off his broom by a quaffle. So if he writes telling you about his black eye, that's how he REALLY got it. If I know Ron, he'll say it came from some Slytherin while he was defending his honor.
Ginny is doing swell! She's got a lot of homework because it's an OWL year, but Hermione and myself have been helping her where we can. She's really fantastic and very pretty! But I figure you already know that.
Ginny is part of the reason why I'm writing this letter today. It's sort of embarrassing and I'm reluctant to bring this up at all, but there are two favors I'd really like to ask of you.
The first favor is, would it be possible for me to invite three people to dinner at Christmas? Remus and Tonks are practically family to me, and I have a good friend that Remus could bring along who is a squib. He's the man I worked for over last summer and he was really nice to me. He's living here in England, all alone, and it just doesn't seem right that he should spend the holiday by himself. I hope you'll say yes, but I also promise I won't write Remus about the holidays 'til I hear back from you.
The second favor is harder for me to ask and I'm really reluctant to even bring this up. I hope you won't get mad at me. Next weekend is a Hogsmeade weekend; the one following that will have a Halloween ball. The professors have also announced they will have a Yule ball this year. I'd really like to buy Ginny, Ron and 'Mione new dress robes this year, but I know Ron, he'd throw a fit, call it charity and hate me forever for it. I've written Remus about this, and if you'll agree, he'll transfer some galleons into your account and you can give them the money. I'd like Ginny to have something really pretty and special this year, she deserves it. You don't have to say where the money came from. This is something special I want to do for her and Ron and 'Mione. Please don't misunderstand me; this is just something I want to do for my family. If you agree with this, floo Remus and let him know.
I hope you're both well and I can't wait 'til the holidays to come home.
Your Loving son(?),
Harry
The two shared a look that only a husband and wife of many years can share. Arthur cleared his throat and said, "I see what you mean. Even Percy and Ginny's letters were never that long. And as for this money question, I can't say I've ever heard about a boy writing home asking for permission to give his family money. Maybe I had better floo Remus and find out what this is all about?" Molly nodded and set about clearing the dishes off the table while Arthur walked into the living room to floo Remus Lupin.
Ten minutes later, she was sitting at the table rereading Harry's letter when Arthur came back into the kitchen with a bemused look on his face.
"Dear? What did Remus have to say?" She asked.
"Molly, did you know that when Harry comes of age, he'll be among the richest, most eligible wizard bachelors in the country? Remus said he talked with Harry and had to convince Harry that a more reasonable amount was better than his first suggestion. He originally wanted to transfer a half million galleons into our account! Remus told him really expensive dress robes for four people wouldn't run more than 500 galleons. I told Remus to go ahead with the transfer and we'd see the kids get the money this week. Remus told me not to bother sending any to Harry since he could just charge it to his vaults. VAULTS!"
Molly looked worried for a moment, and then she smiled broadly saying; "Seems our Ginny has really picked a good one."
Arthur blinked at her in confusion, then started to chuckle. "Yeah, she always said she was going to find herself a prince. I guess she has at that." Frowning slightly, Arthur continued. "Molly, what do we do if he offers that kind of money to us again?"
"We'll accept it because he's giving it to us out of love Arthur. He's not trying to buy us; it's just the way Harry is. You read the letter. Harry thinks of us as his family. We accept it and live like we always do. Money doesn't change who and what we are Arthur."
Arthur nodded and suddenly his face paled considerably. Molly seeing this walked over to him and placed a hand tenderly against his arm. "Arthur, what's wrong?"
"Molly you don't suppose… no… I mean… the talk… you don't suppose he needs the talk? How can I do that when it's our own daughter he'll be thinking of when I give it to him?"
Molly laughed wickedly and gave Arthur a look he had long ago learned to recognize. The look that said, 'your in way over your head and I'm going to enjoy watching you squirm' then she said "I'm sure you'll handle it splendidly Arthur."
Defense Against the Dark Arts Class…
The past month and a half of DADA classes was really an eye opener for Harry. Not because of the course content. Most, if not all of it, he knew already. What was fascinating was Professor Snape. Clearly he wasn't the same man he used to be. Harry couldn't guess how it had happened but obviously Mrs. Snape had more of an impact on Professor Snape's life than Harry would have believed possible.
Today the class was dueling with a powerful bludgeoning spell. The idea here was to hit your opponent and then disarm him.
Harry was in a bind and he knew it. He was scheduled to go up against Nigel Haydock of Hufflepuff. Nigel was an ok student, really a nice guy for a Hufflepuff. But Nigel Haydock was only a fair duelist.
The problem was his spells had recently taken a massive jump in power. He couldn't use that spell on his opponent, not without killing him. Harry carefully considered his options. Ron and Hermione looked at him oddly not really understanding the problem and wondering why Harry looked so concerned. Harry had noticed his power jump only a few short days ago and hadn't gotten around to telling anyone about it. He figured it was a result of all the wandless magic he had been using lately.
Whatever the reason, the simple fact was, either he'd have to throw this match, or figure out a way of winning without using the bludgeoning spell.
Harry's reverie was broken when he heard Professor Snape call his name.
"Potter, Haydock, you're up next."
The two lads walked up to the dueling arena. Nigel was clearly nervous. No one had beaten Harry Potter. His eyes kept darting to look at Harry and he licked his lips nervously. Harry smiled at him. He had an idea, it was tricky, because he'd need to be unshielded, but it might work. Maybe he could scare Nigel long enough to disarm him?
Harry took his position in the arena about forty feet from Nigel. Nigel still looked nervous. Snape barked out the commands;
"Wands at the ready!" Harry snapped his wand out.
"Bow to your opponent!" This was one of the stupider parts of the ritual, a Death Eater isn't going to take the time to bow, but Harry bowed anyway.
"NOW!" Snape barked.
Harry couched down low and muttered an incantation. "Illudo Multicultellus". Suddenly, a group of knives were barreling down the arena towards Nigel. Nigel squeaked and cast the bludgeoning spell before Harry could cast the disarming spell. Harry tried to cast Protego, but before he could get it off, the bludgeoning spell hit Harry in the side, slamming him against the wall. The knives passed through Nigel's shield and, harmlessly though Nigel, who looked ready to faint dead away. The knives were an illusion. Harry needed to be unshielded in order to control the illusion.
Harry's wand spun out of his hand and for a moment everything went dark. Harry reconnected with the here and the now a second later as he slid down the wall. Harry was sure he had broken his ribs again. In pain, he didn't even think when he accidentally summoned his wand back to his hand.
"HOLD!" Snape boomed. The class was nearly over. Snape walked over to Harry and, looming over him, sneered. "Ten points from Gryffindor, Mr. Potter, and a detention I think. See me in my office tonight after dinner."
Harry looked up at his teacher and murmured, "Nice to see you're back Professor." Then he winced when he realized what he'd just said.
Snape looked ready to spit nails. As Harry watched though, he seemed to struggle with himself. Finally, in a calmer, less arrogant tone he said, "Do you need the infirmary Potter?"
Harry winced and tried to breath shallowly "I think so Professor. I think I might have broken a rib or two."
Snape signaled to Ron and Hermione to come over and told them that since class was nearly over they could take him to see Madam Pomfrey.
The three filed out, with Harry leaning heavily on Ron. The class ended shortly after they left.
Snape sat at his desk considering what he had seen. Harry had deliberately thrown that match, gotten hurt in the process, and summoned his wand back to his hand without the use of another wand! He didn't like what he had seen and intended to get some answers from Harry tonight, if he had to drag it out of him.
Thinking back to that duel, the images of the knives flashed through his mind and he flinched inwardly. As memories cascaded through his psyche, some bitter, some sweet, he placed his head in his hands and sighed.
Snape's Memories from the beginning of the summer…
Snape could hear muffled speech nearby. Unable to make out the words, he could still recognize the timber and tone of Albus Dumbledore's voice. The Headmaster was worried. About him? He wasn't sure. Oddly comforted by the proximity of Dumbledore, Severus slipped back into the blackness.
The burning of the Dark Mark started just after his last class of the day was dismissed. He entered his office and locked the door. Grabbing his Death Eater robe and mask, he shrunk them down and stuffed them into the pocket of his robe. Placing a fire call to Dumbledore's office, he informed the Headmaster of the Dark Lord's call. Receiving a quite "Good luck, Severus", he unlocked the office door and headed for the gates of Hogwarts.
Once outside the wards, Severus inhaled deeply, cleared his mind and apparated just short of his final destination to put on his Death Eater garb. Once outfitted, he apparated into the presence of the Dark Lord.
Bowing deeply, Severus said, "As you call, so I come, my lord."
"Ah, Severus," the dusty voice of the Dark Lord replied, sending shivers down his spine. "So good of you to join us. You're such a faithful servant, aren't you? Come closer!" The voice cracked like a whip over his raw nerves.
"As my lord commands," Severus replied dutifully. Straightening, he walked towards the Dark Lord. 'A small gathering then,' Severus thought. 'Wormtail, Lucius Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle.'
Severus stopped before the Dark Lord and waited; it would never do to call him Voldemort, even in his own mind. The Dark Lord easily picked up the thoughts of his followers; even one as highly skilled as Snape. 'And the game goes on,' Severus thought, before quickly squashing his unruly thoughts.
"How may I serve my lord?" Severus asked.
"Crucio!" Voldemort said, almost bored.
Severus fell to his knees as pain exploded through every pore of his body. Screaming, he curled up in a fetal position. He heard three more voices cry, "Crucio!" Thought was no longer possible.
When sanity returned, Snape tried to uncurl his body, joints shrieking with every move his body made. Finally kneeling before the Dark Lord, he looked up to find Lucius Malfoy standing in front of him.
"Enjoying yourself, Severus? I certainly am," Lucius said, smiling smugly.
"Lucius," the Dark Lord said warningly. Lucius moved to the Dark Lord's side, as Voldemort continued to speak.
"Perhaps my loyal servant is wondering why he has been called." The stress placed on the word 'loyal' caused alarm bells to go off in Snape's head. 'He knows. Oh Merlin, he knows!'
"But does he deserve to be told, Master?" Lucius asked, innocently.
"Remember your place, Lucius," the Dark Lord snarled.
"Of course, my lord," Lucius said, bowing.
"You all get what you deserve," the Dark Lord said carelessly. "Even you, Lucius. But we're not here to discuss you at the moment. It's Severus we must contend with. Severus, and his betrayal of our cause."
Snape's head jerked up, sending pain radiating through his body. "My lord! I would never betray…"
"Silence!" The Dark Lord bellowed. "Denial won't work, Severus! Oh no, I know what you've done. Spying for that old man? Spying on ME! CRUCIO!"
Pain exploded and the world went black.
Severus snapped awake and groaned. Where am I, he asked himself, just as a voice to his right said softly "Are you in pain?"
Jerking away, he hissed at the pain. Opening his eyes, he was startled to find himself looking into the bluest eyes he'd ever seen. Blinking, he tried to make sense of what he was seeing. A woman. Yes, it was a woman. Her eyes were full of concern. Glancing away, he noticed one small, delicate hand holding a glass.
"My name is Serena. I'm here to help. You're safe now. Albus Dumbledore found you. You're safe," she repeated softly.
"Where…?" His voice sounded like glass sliding over rock. Clearing his throat to try again, she interrupted.
"It's all right. I heard you. You're at Hogwarts. The infirmary. Albus brought me in to brew potions. Madam Pomfrey is a fine medi-witch, but she doesn't seem able to brew potions to save her life," the woman said lightly.
So true, Severus thought.
"I've brought you something to kill the pain. It can be injected, but it would be better if you can take it orally." Pulling a strange plastic form from her pocket, she stuck it in the cup and bent the top over so he could drink from it. Seeing his puzzled expression, she smiled. "It's called a 'straw'. Muggle invention. It's very useful. Makes it much easier for someone lying down to drink. It doesn't work with all potions though," she continued. "Some of the potions react badly with the material of the straw and can cause some unpredictable results. But I promise, this one is safe."
Leaning down, she placed the top of the cup even with the edge of the bed and placed the straw against his lips. "Take the end of the straw into your mouth and suck. Trust me, it will be fine."
Severus did as she instructed, still a bit dubious. Damn, it does work! Finishing the potion he leaned back against his pillow and winced.
"I know it hurts, but the potion should take effect shortly. Try to sleep if you can. I'll check on you later." She turned to leave.
"Wait," he said in a voice gruff from disuse. When she turned back, he looked at her. Should he know her? Her skin was smooth, and very tanned. White curly hair hung down to a small waist. White? She looks too young for white hair. Her eyes…blue…he remembered those eyes!
"Name…. Forgot," he croaked.
"Yours or mine?" She asked, cheekily.
Looking into her eyes, he watched as they twinkled merrily. God, she has eyes like Albus. As if one wasn't enough!
"Yours," he growled.
"Serena, Serena Ramos, Potion Mistress and budding nurse. Now rest."
He'd lost count of how many times he'd been cursed and revived. Nothing existed but pain. They'd thrown him into a small, dark room the last time they revived him. He had no idea how long he'd been there.
"I'm sorry, Albus," he whispered softly. "Looks like I won't be coming back this time."
The door was jerked open, and Snape shied way from the light of the torch that had been thrust into the room.
"Get up," Lucius Malfoy snapped, kicking him in the back. "The Dark Lord wishes a word."
Biting back a groan, Severus climbed to his shaky feet and tried to maintain his balance. Malfoy grabbed his arm and shoved him through the door, causing Severus to trip and fall to his knees. He was jerked up by Crabbe and, with Malfoy's help, dragged into a room where the Dark Lord waited. Malfoy gave him one last shove, and Snape sprawled out on his hands and knees before Voldemort.
"Ah Severus, so good of you to have survived. We're not done with our little play yet. I've promised Lucius a little treat."
Malfoy kicked him in the stomach. Rolling over and curling into a ball, Snape bit back a scream. Hands grabbed his wrists and ankles and he was pulled from his fetal position. Now laying flat on the floor, he looked down and saw Goyle Sr. holding his legs. 'Must be Crabbe holding my wrists,' he thought, dazed.
"Now Severus, I realize you've had a rough couple of days. But I want you to enjoy this experience. So I'm going to help you," the Dark Lord said. "I'm sure you will appreciate my efforts. Or not. Either way, it doesn't really matter. Are you ready, Severus?"
'What now?' Snape thought and nearly laughed. 'I'm losing it. But that's good, right? Does an insane man feel pain? Sleep. I want to sleep. The merciful blackness…'
"Excito!" The Dark Lord cried, and Severus snapped into instant awareness. The grogginess was gone; his mental faculties as unimpaired as ever.
"Severus?" The Dark Lord asked.
"Yes, my lord," Snape croaked.
"Ah good. Can you understand me?"
"Yes."
"Excellent. Now, listen close. Denials won't help you now. I knew there was a spy in our midst, but how to find him? Lucius has been suspicious of you for some time. I assumed it was jealousy. But Lucius was persistent. He proposed a test. I found the idea amusing so I let him conduct his test. He told three people of an upcoming Death Eater attack. Are you listening, Severus?"
"Yes, my lord," Snape whispered.
"Good. Parkinson was told of a planned attack on a muggle village near Otley. McNair was told of an attack on a village near Haverhill. And you, you were told of an attack on Hogsmeade. Do you remember Lucius telling you that?
"Yes…"
"The results of this little test? No Aurors showed up in Otley, or in Haverhill. They did, however, show up in Hogsmeade. Yes indeed. Lucius and Jameson watched from a room in the Three Broomsticks as Aurors converged on the streets of Hogsmeade. Interestingly enough, the school weekend had been cancelled shortly after your return to the castle. Why do you suppose that is, Severus?"
"My lord, please. I can explain."
"Explain? There is nothing to explain! You betrayed me!"
"My lord…"
"SILENCE! You will not speak! I will hear nothing from you but screams. Dumbledore will get his spy back, in pieces. Lucius, get it done."
"As my lord commands," Lucius said, bowing.
Lucius moved and stood over Snape. "Looks like your no longer top dog, Severus," Lucius whispered smugly. Raising his cane, he brought it down over Snape's ribs with great force. As three ribs shattered, Severus screamed.
"I do so love that sound, Lucius," the Dark Lord chortled.
"Yes my lord," Lucius agreed, kicking Snape viciously in the side, eliciting another scream.
In all, four ribs, both of his legs, his right arm and left collar bone where broken under Lucius' cane. When he passed out, or become groggy, they revived him. Severus lost track of the time. It felt like years. Decades.
Becoming bored, the Dark Lord commanded Lucius to change tactics. Kneeling beside Snape, Malfoy set his cane aside. "Now the real fun begins," he said with an evil smile. "You'll enjoy this, I'm sure."
Fully aware, with every inch of his body screaming in pain, Snape watched Lucius withdraw a long, silver handled dagger from a sheath under his robe. 'Lucius always loved getting his hands bloody,' he thought.
"Are you ready, Severus," Lucius asked, conversationally.
"Get on with it, you great buffoon! That was always your problem, Malfoy," Snape sneered. "You have absolutely no sense of style!"
Enraged, Lucius plunged the dagger into Snape's side until it grated on a rib bone. Severus screamed, then spit in Malfoy's face. Twisting the dagger, Lucius snarled down at him. "Oh yes, Dumbledore will get you back, though I doubt there will be enough of you to recognize!"
Withdrawing the dagger with an agonizing slowness, Lucius turned to the Dark Lord and bowed. "If I may, my lord?"
"Of course, Lucius. I'm always happy to give my followers what they want. Even dear Severus will receive the death he so craves. In due time, that is. Finish it, Lucius. But make sure he lives long enough to make it to the gates of Hogwarts. Let him die in the old man's arms!"
"As my lord commands," Lucius replied, bowing once more. Turning back to Severus, he smiles savagely and began the bloody work.
Severus awoke, soaked and panting. Blinking and trying to calm his racing heart, he flinched violently as a hand touched his arm.
"Easy," a soft, light voice said. "You're safe. You're at Hogwarts. Do you remember?"
Looking up, Snape saw a woman. She was familiar somehow. "Who are you?"
"That again," she asked with a smile. "Serena Ramos. Do you remember? I've been helping Madam Pomfrey take care of you."
Frowning, he drug up the memories of a soothing hand on his brow, the soft murmur of voices, and…?
"Humming?" he asked.
The woman sat down in a chair beside his bed and laughed quietly. "Yes, that's me. I sometimes hum while I work. I've been told I don't have the voice for it though."
Taking a wet cloth from the table next to the bed, she gently bathed his face, frowning as he flinched away.
"It's all right. You're safe now. Are you in any pain?"
"A little," he replied, hating having to admit it.
"That can be fixed easily enough," she replied with a smile.
"How long have I been here?"
"Almost two weeks. You were badly injured, but most of it was easy to heal."
"My injuries?"
"You want the whole list," she asked, with a merry smile. That smile and sunny disposition could become annoying very quickly, he thought with a mental growl.
"If you don't mind."
As she happily rattled off his list of injuries, he scowled. One would think she was reading off a bloody shopping list!
"In addition to the broken bones, you had so many cuts and punctures that you looked like a side of raw beef," she added in a cheerful voice. "We've had you so full of potions that we decided to leave the concussion to heal in its own time. While nasty, it wasn't so bad as to cause any permanent impairment. No, overall, you'll make a full recovery."
"Must you be so cheerful?" He asked scathingly.
She blinked at him, and then grinned. "Why ever not? It's not like I was the one nearly flayed to the bone out there. Besides, I was able to try out a few experimental potions on you. They worked like a dream, of course. I'm quite proud of them."
He stared at her, incredulously. "YOU DID WHAT?" he roared.
A deep chuckle sounded from the end of his bed. Whipping his head back around, Snape grunted in pain. At the foot of the bed stood Dumbledore, smiling, blue eyes twinkling merrily.
"I see the patient is awake today," he said unnecessarily.
"Good afternoon, Headmaster," Serena said happily. Standing, she smiled at Dumbledore. "Since you're here, I'll go get Professor Snape's next potion. He's due."
"Of course my dear, of course. Leave him to me."
"Thank you sir. I'll be back in a few minutes."
She left Dumbledore with Snape and headed to Madam Pomfrey's office. Once there, she collapsed into a chair, bit her lip and watched the medi-witch update Snape's file. When the tears started, she wiped them away, angrily.
Seeing the young woman's tears, Poppy leaned over and squeezed her hand. "It's all right my dear. He'll be fine."
"I know. I'm just not sure I can keep up the act, Poppy. It's too hard."
"You must, Serena. Severus will reject any type of sympathy, no matter whom it comes from. It shouldn't be for much longer. I wouldn't have thought it possible when he first came in, but there have been no infections, no set backs in treatment. You've worked miracles my girl."
Serena smiled wetly. "He yelled at me. I told him about some of my experimental potions and he yelled at me."
Poppy rolled her eyes. "Yes, I heard. I think half the castle heard. It's a good sign, Serena. You don't know him well, but Severus has spent most of his life angry or annoyed by something. Keeping him off-balance and annoyed is the only way to treat Severus Snape. Believe me, I've had years of practice."
"I'll try, Poppy."
Three days later, Severus woke up, feeling someone watching him. Turning his head, he found Serena sitting in a chair next to the bed. Damn, he thought. No one should be that beautiful.
"What do you want," he asked with a growl, annoyed with his thoughts.
She tilted her head and considered the question for a moment before saying, "Voldemort dead, a new Firebolt 1500, and to be the Potion Mistress here at Hogwarts. Voldemort will have to wait, as will the Firebolt. But hey, one out of three isn't bad to start."
It took a moment for her rambling words to sink in. Once they did, he reared up into a sitting position. "WHAT?" he bellowed.
"My goodness," she said mildly. "Whatever did I say to upset you?"
"Potion Mistress, Madam?"
"Oh, yes. Albus just offered me the position yesterday. Isn't it wonderful?"
"I hope you'll forgive me if I don't jump for joy," he ground out through clenched teeth.
"If you feeling like jumping around, be my guest. I certainly won't stop you," she said, impishly. "Of course, I'll have to help you back up once you've fallen on your arse, but it might be worth it to see you caper around." She tilted her head at him, as if waiting to see him dance a jig.
"Where is Albus," he grated.
"He's not at Hogwarts at the moment. Why, is there something you need?"
"A job, apparently," he said, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. Resting his elbows on his knees, he held his head in his hands. Now what?
"A job? But you have a job, Professor."
"No, you have my job, Professor," he said, bitingly.
"Your job? But I don't know enough to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts. No, no, I'm sure I don't have your job, Professor Snape."
"My name is Severus," he snapped, "and what the hell are you yammering about, woman?"
"Serena, my name is Serena."
He growled in impatience.
Covering a chuckle with a cough, she looked up him and smiled. "When Albus told me the Potion position had become available I asked about the previous employee; always a good idea. If the teacher managed to get himself blown up, it's always a bad sign. An incompetent teacher in the classroom makes for dangerous students!" Sensing his impatience with her rambling explanation, she cut to the chase. "Anyway, Albus said the previous Professor had been transferred to Defense Against the Dark Arts. When I asked who that was, he said 'Severus Snape, your patient'. Unless there is more than one Snape in the castle, I'd say you have a new job." Her eyes, he noticed were dancing madly.
Such beautiful eyes, he thought. And that hair! Merlin, she's perfect. Looking down, he squeezed his head with his hands, as if to physically rein in his thoughts and grunted in reply.
"Is that a 'I'm happy with my new teaching post' grunt, or a 'I want to strangle the new Potion Mistress' grunt," she asked, the laughter clear in her voice.
"A little of both, perhaps," he said, look back at her. "The new DADA Professor, hmm?"
"So Albus tells me."
He stood up on shaky legs, a little woozy.
"What do you think you're doing," she asked, shocked.
"You'll have to forgive me, Professor, but I find I've spent entirely too much time in bed lately. I have lessons to plan and things to see to." He turned to walk away, lost his balance and started to fall over.
She caught him before he fell, helping him lower himself to sit on the bed. "Slowly, Professor."
"Severus, my name is Severus," he hissed in irritation. "I want out of this bloody bed!"
"Severus. I'll remember. As for getting out of bed, I whole-heartedly agree! You've taken up enough of my valuable time, you lazy man. However, if I might make a small suggestion?"
A growl was his only response.
"Right. How about trying it a little more slowly? You've been in bed long enough that your muscles are weak. Slow and steady, that's the key," she said cheerfully.
I'm either going to strangle her or kiss her, he thought, annoyed. Kiss her? Where the hell did that come from?
He looked at her for so long, she started to fidget.
"What?" She finally asked, exasperated.
He said nothing, but stared at her mouth in concentration. Unconsciously, she licked her lips. His eyes narrowed as he watched. She continued to fidget, feeling flushed. This is ridiculous, she thought.
Standing suddenly, she turned and rushed out, saying, "I'll get Madam Pomfrey."
One week later, Snape was more than ready to leave the infirmary, much to Poppy's dismay.
"A few more days, Severus," Poppy pleaded, watching the man as he put on his shoes. "Just to be safe."
"No, Poppy. I've been going mad for the last two days. I'm not staying any longer."
"But Severus, you're still…"
"Enough!" he growled. His shoes tied, he sat up. Seeing the hurt expression on her face, he raked his hands through his hair in frustration. "Look Poppy, I'm much stronger. I have things to do. I'll come back if I have any problems, but I'm not staying here another day, let alone three!" Standing, he winced slightly as his muscles protested.
Poppy crossed her arms and glared at him. "Fine you stubborn man! But if you don't come back for your check-up's I'll hunt you down. I'll not have you wasting all our work on a relapse!" she threatened fiercely.
Reading between the words, Severus sighed. "I will Poppy. And thank you," he said, gruffly.
"Oh," Poppy said emotionally, pulling a tissue from her pocket and dabbing her eyes. "You're welcome, Severus. It's so good to have you back!"
Snape nodded, slipped around her and headed for the exit before the woman broke down in tears. He hated tears.
Serena came out of Poppy's office at the sound of his approach. Closing the door behind her, she leaned against it and smiled at him.
"Leaving us, Severus?"
"I would have thought you'd be pleased, Serena," he said as he stopped in front of her.
"Oh I am. You've wasted enough of my time with your minor scrapes and cuts."
"Minor?" he asked, mildly.
"Umm, minor. It certainly wasn't a stretch of my skill to heal your injuries. Potion Mistress and all that," she said with an airy wave of her hand. "Besides, I'm getting tired of you staring at me."
"Staring?" he said quietly, gliding closer.
"Yes, staring. Don't think I didn't notice you watching me. You're not as sneaky as you like to think, Severus."
"You think not?"
"Not much gets past my notice. Your eyes give away your actions, Severus. You really should watch that, you know. Your students will take advantage if you…" she yelped in surprise as Severus pinned her against the door with his body.
"Severus?"
"Yes, Miss Ramos?" He asked, silkily.
"What are you doing?"
Cupping her cheek in his hand, he leaned in, inches from her lips. "You tell me, Serena. You're the expert. 'Your eyes give away your actions', I believe were your words."
"Your going to kiss me, aren't you?" She asked in a whisper.
"Ten points to the Potion Mistress," he whispered back, before doing just that.
The kiss was soft, tentative; he gave her time to pull away if she wished. Instead, he felt her arms wrap around his neck; her body press closer to his. The small noise she made drove his good intention to hell and he deepened the kiss. Desire flared hotly between them.
A small, discreet cough from the back of the infirmary brought reality back with all the subtleness of a bucket of cold water. Pulling back slowly, Severus looked at Serena's face, noting her heightened color and irregular breathing. Running his thumb across her swollen lips, he smiled. I knew she'd taste good. Like summer strawberries.
Leaning back, he placed a finger under her chin and tilted her head up. Looking into her eyes, he nodding in satisfaction. Turning away, he began to walk from the room. As he reached the door he said, without turning around, "Serena?"
"Ye…yes?"
"Dinner tonight. My quarters. Say 6pm?"
He heard her quiet laugh. "I'll be there, Severus."
Professor McGonagall talks to Professor Snape…
Snape snapped back to the here and now as someone knocked at the door. Minerva McGonagall poked her head through the doorway. "May I have a moment of your time Professor?"
"But of course Professor, what can I do for our illustrious head of Gryffindor house today?" I hope she's not here to gloat about that damn Quidditch cup again!
"Miss Granger came to me the other day with an observation about Mr. Potter. At first, I was skeptical, but I agreed it was worth trying to test out her observation. In class, I had Harry cast the "Comburo Fonticulis" spell. I explained to him what the spell would do and he managed to perform it flawlessly."
"Professor I must have spent too much time making potions. I don't recall a Comburo Fonticulis spell."
"That's because it doesn't exist Severus! It's Latin for burning fountain; we made up a spell and told Mr. Potter about it, and he was able to cast it. Miss Granger believes that, so long as no one tells him something is impossible, he'll find a way to do it."
Snape's eyes widened at the implications. "That's… that's incredible!" But then his eyes narrowed ominously, "That also means we have to very careful what he's told Minerva."
"Oh I quite agree. In any event, I'm warning all of his teachers about this. I think it's something we all need to think about."
Snape looked thoughtful for a moment, "I will be seeing Mr. Potter today for detention assuming Poppy releases him in time. I'll see if I can work up some tests for this ability."
McGonagall's eyes narrowed. "Detention? Poppy? What have you done Severus?"
"Not me this time Minerva. I watched the boy deliberately throw a dueling match with an inferior opponent; he was injured in the exchange. I gave him detention to find out why he threw the match. Oh and I deducted points from his house too." He smirked at her, and then continued.
"I do have another piece of interesting news Minerva. This comes by way of Serena's conference with the Weasley's. Unfortunately, it seems that Miss Weasley invoked a witch's oath on her mother and my wife, so I am unable to find out exactly what was said. But Serena assures me that it is patently impossible for Potter to turn to the dark side. She was quite adamant about it. She said it was, and I quote, 'IMPOSSIBLE'. She went on to say that Potter still has problems which can cause him a lot of pain, but he'll never turn into another Dark Lord."
McGonagall breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank Merlin for that!"
Detention with Snape…
Harry walked into Snape's office after dinner that evening. Snape looked up from his desk.
"Ah Mr. Potter, would you be so kind as to explain why you deliberately threw that duel today in class? I've seen you duel with others and beat them easily. Now all of a sudden you are beaten by one of the poorest students in the class?"
Harry looked down at the floor and mumbled something unintelligible. Snape snapped, he had been trying to withhold his anger against the boy, but today's incident brought some very ugly emotions to the forefront.
"I'm waiting to hear your answer, Mr. Potter!" He sneered arrogantly at Harry.
Harry looked at Snape, his anger growing in leaps and bounds. For five years he had taken abuse from this man. His eyes suddenly flared brightly with a green light and a small piece of that anger, just a fraction, got loose from his control. The room rumbled and books tumbled off the shelves.
"FINE! YOU WANT TO KNOW! I'LL TELL YOU!" Harry bellowed. "IF I HAD USED THAT BLUDGEONING SPELL ON NIGEL THIS MORNING, YOU'D BE SENDING CONDOLENCES TO HIS PARENTS AND I'D BE HEADED TO AZKABAN!"
Several desks overturned and a model dragon skeleton flashed into a fine white powder. Harry spun away from Snape, closed his eyes and tried to center himself. Slowly but surely he regained control over his emotions. Eyes still closed he said softly "I was afraid I'd kill him Professor."
Snape was shocked. It took a moment to for Harry's words to sink in. "Har… Mr. Potter, a bludgeoning spell, even one as strong as the one we used today, would at best cause only a few broken bones."
Harry's shoulders slumped and he sighed. "I guess I'll have to show you sir. Would you please conjure a stone target for me? Something really strong?"
Snape conjured a man-sized target at one end of the classroom dueling area as Harry murmured, "This started happening to me only a few days ago."
Harry turned to the target and in a very soft voice invoked the bludgeoning spell they had been using that day. The spell hit the target with a sharp crack. The target shattered into small fragments. Snape staggered back in shock and turned to stare at Harry. Shaking himself he pointed to a chair. "Have a seat, Mr. Potter."
Snape sat and leaned back in his own chair while contemplating how to approach this problem.
"Har… eh… Mr. Potter, I've seen this sort of thing once before. It all boils down to power. It's quite rare really, but what it all means is you need to learn how much power to use to get the job done. For most of us, it doesn't matter because we have a limit on how much power we can draw from. My bludgeoning spell is not much stronger or weaker than, say, Alistair Moody's bludgeoning spell. In rare cases however, some people seem to become blessed with more power than is necessary to get things done. I think you were quite right; you could have killed your opponent today. For now, I will excuse you from further dueling. But I think I will insist that allow me to help you learn to control the amount of power you use for a spell." His voice softened somewhat, "Allow me to offer you this as a way of making up for our past history."
Harry eyed Snape suspiciously for a moment, and then figured it was worth a shot. Harry couldn't continue fighting the whole world and if he was going to learn to offer forgiveness, Snape was a great place to start. Harry nodded to his dreaded Professor and wondered what this meant in the grand scheme of things. Professor Snape's lips twitched, and Harry looked at him intensely. Could it have been a smile? No wait, the world was still here. Hell still burned.
"Very well, Mr. Potter. I expect to see you at least one night a week in my private quarters. I will get some texts from the library for you to read. There are certain exercises, which you will have to learn from said books since no one here can teach them to you.
As for the remained of tonight's detention," he continued, picking up a stack of papers from his desk and holding them out, "take these and grade them. They're 1st and 2nd year Defense homework. You should know the subject material well enough by now."
The Marauders strike again…
The meeting was totally clandestine. They had set it up well in advance. Harry met Ginny in the Gryffindor common room; it was nearly 1am. Harry nodded to Ginny, then transformed to Wings. Grasping a tail feather Ginny felt herself lift off the ground and they immediately flame-traveled to the Ravenclaw common room where they met Luna. She grabbed another tail feather and in a flash they went to the Great Hall.
Harry transformed back into his normal form and looked at the other two girls. In a hushed whisper he said, "You both know what to do?"
Ginny and Luna giggled and all three huddled together trying to shush each other. Ginny broke from the huddle and ran over to the Slytherin table; Luna went to the Ravenclaw table. She didn't mind pranking her own house, since she was not very popular and had few people she could call friends there. She was careful to put a reduced version of the spell on her own chair, which nobody in Ravenclaw ever used. After finishing the teacher's table, Harry went over to help Ginny do their own house.
Breakfast the next morning…
Harry and Ginny ran down to the Great Hall with a sense of anticipation. They didn't want to miss the show. Everything was keyed on one person and they wanted to be there when it happened.
The Great Hall was filled to about 80 percent capacity when Professor Dumbledore arrived from a side door and took his seat. Suddenly, the enchanted ceiling turned a blazing white and a booming voice echoed throughout the hall.
"HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY! YOU. HAVE. BEEN. PRANKED!"
The ceiling faded back to normal and everyone looked around nervously. Something was happening, but no one knew what. Hermione stared at Harry suspiciously. But Harry gave her an innocent look.
It started off slow and low. First a Slytherin girl farted loudly and looked around mortified. A boy at the Ravenclaw table started to hiccup. Neville started to giggle.
In another minute 8 Slytherins farted, 12 Ravenclaws were hiccupping steadily and half of Gryffindor House was giggling, including Harry, Ron, Ginny and Hermione.
Barely a minute later, the entire house of Slytherin were experiencing extreme flatulence. The sound was most impressive; the smell was worse. All of Gryffindor was giggling at this point and people at the Ravenclaw table were scrambling for water, trying to make the hiccups stop.
EVERYONE was glaring at the Hufflepuffs, the one house that seemed totally unaffected by the prank.
The sound in the Great Hall was incredible. The noise from Slytherin sounded like a war involving heavy artillery. Ravenclaws seemed to be hiccupping their way into hyper drive. And people at the Gryffindor table were sliding off their seats and under the table as their giggles turned to full laughter. Bright flashes of light came from the Slytherin table as the noxious methane cloud rose up to meet the candles floating overhead and ignited.
As quickly as it had started it stopped. Those students not in their seats scrambled to get into them. As one, the affected student body turned to glare at the unscathed Hufflepuffs.
Professor Dumbledore rose from his seat, his eyes twinkling over his half moon glasses, and said, "Would anyone from Hufflepuff care to explain this?" The Great Hall was silent in shock. Professor Dumbledore sounded like Professor Sprout! He raised one eyebrow.
Professor McGonagall stood up and said in a loud voice, "'er now, which one of you did this?" Her eyes widened in shock and her hand flew to her mouth. She sounded like Hagrid! Suddenly all of the teachers were talking among themselves as they realized that everyone had swapped voices and speaking styles.
The students once again erupted in laughter. Dumbledore sat back down, his blue eyes twinkling madly, and tried hard to control his own laughter as Professor Severus Snape snapped at Professor Hagrid with Professor McGonagall's brogue. Serena Snape was looking at Harry and Ginny at the Gryffindor table with a bemused smile.
Harry turned to Ginny and, leaning down, gently placed his forehead against hers. Looking deeply into her eyes, he whispered "Mischief…"
"Managed…" she whispered back.
Hermione stared at the pair suspiciously. They wouldn't have pranked their own house would they? She wasn't so sure. They looked so incredibly smug and entirely too pleased with themselves. But no, they wouldn't prank their own house. Not even they would stoop so low.
Hermione was about to go in for the kill when she was interrupted by the morning owls. Pig seemed to be struggling to stay aloft. With an exhausted hoot the tiny owl crashed in front of Ron, spilling his drink. A second, much larger owl landed in front of Ginny. Both owls were carrying a small pouch and a letter. Ginny removed the letter and pouch from the post owl; her eyes bulged out when she felt the pouch. She tore the letter open.
Ginny dear,I understand that the school will be having several balls this year. Your father has come into a bit of extra money and he insists that you should spend some to get yourself something really pretty to wear. Try to get something to that matches what Harry will be wearing dear. Make him drool Ginny. We've sent Ron similar instructions.
Love
Mum
Ginny opened the pouch and gasped as she saw five 10 galleon coins. She could buy something really great for that kind of money!
Ron tore open his letter.
Ronald,I understand that the school will be having several dances this year. Your father has come into some extra money and he insisted that you replace your dress robes with something better. We've also added in another 50 galleons so that you can purchase a nice robe for Hermione. You and she should match for these special occasions. Ginny will be buying herself new robes with money we sent her as well.
Love
Mum
PS. Ronald dear, if you're smart, you'll let Hermione pick out your robe for you.
Ron passed his letter to Hermione to read. Hermione squeaked and threw her arms around Ron.
Ginny eyed Harry. He was busy eating ignoring the three of them and thumbing through pages of his notebook. What's going on behind those green eyes of yours, Mr. Potter? Your hiding something and it says so all over your face! Thankfully Ron is too stupid to see it. But you're wrong if you think you can hide it from me Harry!
Harry continued reading and eating, oblivious to Ginny's suspicion.
The night before Hogsmeade…
Over the next week, Harry read the texts that Professor Snape had provided. His one visit to the Professor's private quarters actually turned into a pleasant conversation on the nature of magic.
Harry was a little worried about Ginny; she had that predatory look in her eye ever since the morning of their prank. He was sure she was going to question him about the money her parents sent her and he wasn't sure how she'd feel about what he did. As a result, he managed to arrange having someone with him whenever she caught up with him. He knew she wanted to talk to him in private. This was one tactic he was positive wouldn't work for long.
Ginny finally caught up with Harry on the Friday before the trip to Hogsmeade. He was in the room of requirement as she suspected, but instead of training like last time, she caught him alone, sitting at a table surrounded by books. He was bent over a large tome copying notes to his notebook. Now her curiosity was really piqued. Harry wasn't the bookish type. She always considered herself pretty smart, and Hermione really smart, but Harry never seemed like the type to do any independent studying.
Harry leaned back, pushed his glasses up on his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. Ginny walked up silently behind him. Whatever he was working on, it was important enough that he didn't even sense her approach.
She reached out a hand to touch his shoulder.
"Harry?"
Harry jumped and spun around. Smiling weakly, he murmured, "Caught again."
"Have you been deliberately avoiding me Harry?"
"Not really, Ginny. But there were certain questions I didn't want to answer because I wasn't sure how you'd take them."
"About the money?"
Harry winced and nodded affirmatively.
"You did that. Harry, I can see it now. But why hide it? And why be afraid of me asking you about it?"
"I wasn't sure how'd you take it. Plus, there's Ron."
Ginny suddenly realized what Harry was talking about. Her brother hated being poor and wearing second hand clothes, but he was steadfastly against anyone helping him out either. As far as Ron was concerned, charity was for others. His pride wouldn't tolerate it. Ron and her were a like in many ways, but she realized Harry wasn't offering her charity.
"Ok, I can understand that Harry, and I accept it. Just understand two things please. I am not my brother, and please don't ever be afraid to ask me something. Sure, the day might come when you tell something that makes me angry with you, but I think I'd be more hurt and angry if you didn't ask me.
I'm pleased that you'd think to do this Harry, and even more pleased for what you did for Ron and 'Mione. I suppose I should warn you that 'Mione already suspects something, but don't worry. She'd never mention anything about it to Ron."
Harry breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm sorry Gin. I just didn't know how you'd take it and I really wanted to do something special for you."
Ginny sat down on Harry's lap and looked at the pile of books and notes scattered about the table. "So, what have you been working on? I've seen you carrying around your notebook and various textbooks since the start of school."
Harry pointed at the pile of books. "This is my maze…" Ginny looked puzzled. "There's muggle computer game where you get lost in a maze and at every intersection you are told you are lost in a maze. Every corridor looks the same no matter which direction you look." Ginny looked at Harry, her confusion plain on her face.
"Ok, lets try it this way. At the beginning of the year I was getting really pissed off because my scar was hurting all the time. This was before I learned that spending some time in my phoenix form seemed to help a lot. I know 'Mione researched curse scars back in our second and third years, but she drew a blank on that research. I thought maybe I could try it from a different angle. Instead of researching curse scars, I could learn about magical bonds. My scar is just a scar, but inside my head is a bond to Voldemort. The scar is just a physical mark that Voldemort left me with. It gets ugly, bleeds sometimes, and causes pain, but the bond that controls all that isn't in the scar. Or at least I don't think it is.
So anyway, I started looking at bonds created by magic. Love bonds between lovers, bonds between business partners, bonds created between people and animals and so on. Things weren't going very well and I found myself getting sidetracked. I'd stumbled onto an ancient text, which described a very old variation of the Protean charm. That's the charm that Voldemort uses to inscribe the Dark Mark on his followers. If what I'm reading is correct, there may be several ways to attack that particular bond and turn it against Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Heck, if I read this right, there may be even a way to remove the Dark Mark."
Ginny was impressed. She never guessed that Harry so smart. Ok that wasn't nice, she thought. She knew Harry was smart, possibly even as smart as Hermione was, but normally he wasn't this focused. Brains and Brawn? Such nice brawn too. Such lovely brawn and what a tight butt. Oh God I'm melting! SNAP OUT OF IT GINNY! She thought to herself before turning her attention back to what he had said. She flipped through his notebook, seeing meticulous handwriting in place of his usual sloppy scrawl. She also noticed the comments he'd made on spells and even a few well-drawn diagrams.
"Harry this is some really good work. You should probably show it to someone."
"No Ginny. First off, it's not done and secondly I'm not Hermione. People would look at this and only laugh at me. I'm not the Bushy-Haired-Book-Witch, I'm just the Bloody-Boy-Who-Lived."
Scowling at Harry, she remembered her conversation with her mother. "Harry, people won't laugh at that. I think you may have done some really unique work here and think it needs to be shown to someone. But I'm not going to push you about this. I think you're wrong, but that's how it's supposed to be. The woman is always right in a relationship."
They kissed for a moment, then Harry pulled back saying, "Oh so you're always right?"
She leaned in and kissed him again. "Always!"
Morning of the Hogsmeade visit…
The morning of the first Hogsmeade visit was chaotic as usual. Students rushed about, looking for friends in the Great Hall, causing a jam in the wide doorway. On Hogsmeade days, the lines between the houses blurred as people sought out companions to go with them to town. As Harry tried to squeeze through a large group of third year girls congregating at the Great Hall door, he growled silently in frustration. He just wanted something to eat! One of the girls noticed him and, with a squeak, pushed a few of the others out of the way. Harry rolled his eyes and slipped into the Hall.
Harry didn't have much money on him. Remus had arranged for him to carry a Gringots charge card, which automatically deducted money from his vaults. Spotting Ginny, he waved, and then he saw Neville and Luna sitting off at the Ravenclaw table. He motioned to Ginny that he'd just be a moment and walked over to talk to Neville and Luna.
Placing an arm around each he leaned down between the two of them.
"Say Neville are you planning on asking Luna to the Halloween ball?"
Neville had spent the last week verbally debating that very question with him self in his dorm room, driving his dorm mates nuts in the process. Neville turned three shades of red and started to stammer. Harry turned and winked at Luna. "Did you know, Luna, that Neville's been asking everyone but you that question all week?"
Neville started violently. "Harry!"
Luna smiled and said in a dreamy voice, "Oh yes, I had heard about it. I think he was waiting for a proper moon phase. But yes, Neville, I will go to the ball with you."
Neville was still staring angrily at Harry as Luna's words sunk in. He turned to Luna and asked shyly, "You will?"
Harry looked at the two with amusement and told them that IF they found the time, Ginny, Hermione, Ron and himself would be at the Three Broomsticks around 3pm if they wanted to stop by. With that he walked back to the Griffyndor table to have his breakfast.
Ginny looked over towards Neville and Luna who were now leaning against each other. Neville seemed to be trying to burn out his blush lamp as Luna whispered in his ear. Ginny smiled and nudged Hermione with her foot. Hermione looked up at Ginny and followed the direction of her finger to spot Neville and Luna.
Harry sat down and started to fill his plate. Hermione turned back to the table and pointedly asked, "Ok Harry, what did you do?"
Harry shrugged telling them, "I got tired of those two dancing around each other. I just asked Nev if he had finally asked Luna to the dance or not."
Ron snickered. Hermione didn't know if she should be pleased or annoyed at Harry for ruining a perfect romantic tragedy.
Harry turned in his seat to Ginny, taking one of her hands in his own. "Will you do me the honor of allowing me to escort you to the ball?"
Ginny suddenly blushed and gave him a demure smile. "Of course Mr. Potter."
Harry kissed her hand and turned back to his breakfast, then thought about it and gave Ron a pointed stare. Hermione was again looking wistful. Ginny kicked Ron under the table and he gave out a sharp yelp.
Ron looked at the two of them, sighed, and then turned to Hermione to ask her out to the dance as well. He copied Harry's method and, it probably would have worked well for him, except he had forgotten to wipe his hands after putting down the sticky bun he'd been eating. With sticky hands and all, he asked Hermione to the dance. She stammered out a yes to him and he turned back to eat. Hermione looked at her sticky hands and just sighed.
Hogsmeade…
The four set out for Hogsmeade mid morning. Ron wanted to hit Honeydukes first, but the girls stared him down. The first stop would be Gladrags, whether Ron liked it or not. The four enjoyed the pleasant walk to town and made a beeline straight to Gladrags. Harry looked at Ron and shrugged. He didn't care about clothes very much. As long as things fit he was happy with them. The girls, on the other hand, had other ideas.
Ginny hadn't had much opportunity to spend freely on clothes before. She knew what she liked, but rarely had the chance to shop like this. Hermione came from affluent muggle parents, but this was also a first for her. She had never shown much interest in clothing before, books being her principle passion. Both girls wanted something special they could wear.
Upon entering Gladrags (with outlets in London and Paris!), Ginny dragged Harry off to one measuring stand while Hermione dragged Ron to another. Apparently both girls had decided before hand they would make sure the boys were properly attired.
An elderly witch came out to take Harry's measurements. The measuring tape ran over Harry's body like a snake slithering, stopping only long enough for the witch to take measurements. Ginny and her conversed in some arcane language that was part English and part telepathy.
"I take it you want his…" The witch asked.
Ginny thought for a moment then said, "I suppose so, but wouldn't it be better to accent his…"
The old witch cackled with glee over that and replied, "Oh of course! But we don't want to put too much emphasis on his…"
"No, that wouldn't do at all. But it's always like that, so I think maybe if we…"
"Excellent choice, dear," the witch agreed.
To say that Harry was bewildered would have been an understatement. After the measuring, came a parade of robes in an eye-blinding swirl of colors. The ONLY time Harry refused to try one on was when the elderly witch offered a shockingly fluorescent pink robe. Ginny pouted for a moment then agreed. Pink would not match her natural colors anyway. Finally, Ginny settled on a deep forest green colored robe and even Harry agreed it didn't look bad. Harry also decided to pick up another black robe, this one with a silver trim.
Ginny pointed at a chair and told him to sit there and not to move. Suddenly, Harry felt like a three year old being told not to wander off on his first visit to the store. Harry sat waiting while Ginny and the old witch disappeared into the back room for her to try on her robes. Ron joined him a short while later. The two looked at each other sheepishly and thus they learned one of the most important lessons a man learns. Women like to shop and love to have their man tag along, bored senseless.
After what seemed an eternity, both Ginny and Hermione exited the back room. Ron paid for their purchases, Ginny paid for hers and Harry charged the purchase to his vault. The robes would be delivered to them during the week. The group decided to split up at that point and to meet again at the Three Broomsticks at 3pm. Ron and Hermione wanted to check out Honeydukes, Harry and Ginny were more interested in Zonkos. They felt they were on a spy mission for Fred and George.
Upon exiting Gladrags, Ginny spied Dervish and Banges and asked Harry if he'd wait for a moment while she went to check something out. Harry said he'd just check out the window of Zonkos while she did her business. After a few minutes Ginny was back carrying a small package. She pocketed the package and they went into Zonkos.
Zonkos had the usual fair, exploding wands, winged paper, vanishing cups (the cups vanished, leaving the contents behind). It was a nice shop, but to be honest, Fred and George had them beat.
After the visit to Zonkos, Harry and Ginny spent a pleasant day wandering around Hogsmeade. Occasionally, they would slip behind a building for a bit of privacy and some snogging. By three that afternoon they had met up with Ron, Hermione, Neville and Luna at the Three Broomsticks.
Madam Rosemerta brought over their butterbeers and the six of them had just begun to relax when a scream was heard from the street. Harry tensed. There was a moment of silence and a second scream was heard. The table was facing the window and they could see some people running. A third scream, this one gut wrenching in its terror, tore through them. The three couples drew their wands and bolted for the door…
Diagon Alley…
Remus Lupin was just finishing up some Order business and had promised Molly that he'd drop by Weasleys Wizarding Wheezes to see how Fred and George were doing. Remus loved visiting their shop, since they were always willing to show him their new inventions. Some of them were nearly worthy of Marauder status in Remus's book. Besides, being here gave Remus a chance to wave to Tonks. She was on duty today while a shipment of Ministry gold was sent to Gringots.
Remus was looking over a new toy the twins had come up with, called Kiddy Kickers when he heard the sound of an explosion. Looking out the window he could see people scattering everywhere. Remus, Fred and George drew their wands and bolted for the door.
It took a moment for Remus to realize what he was seeing. A group of twenty Death Eaters were attacking the ministry gold shipment and the ten Aurors protecting it!
Remus dropped one Death Eater with a well-placed Reducto spell to the shoulder. Fred and George each dropped two with Incarcerous. Now there were only eighteen death eaters, sandwiched between the ten Aurors and the three Order members.
Remus rolled out of the way of a killing curse, leaving himself unprotected. He looked wildly around, and then spotted a place to take cover again. Jumping to his feet he took two steps when he was hit with a Reducto spell in his side. He collapsed to the ground and lay in a slowly expanding pool of blood.
Curses and counter curses flew. A forth Death Eater collapsed, then an Auror. From the direction of the Leaky Cauldron came the sound of running feet as additional help started to arrive. The Death Eaters, seeing the tide turn against them started to apparate away, leaving their fallen comrades to fend for themselves.
Fred and George ran to Remus. Neither was trained in medical spells. Remus was losing a lot of blood fast. Spotting Tonks in front of Gringots, Fred yelled to her.
"TONKS! OVER HERE! HURRY!"
Tonks looked toward Fred and George and, spotting Remus, her face turned ashen and she sprinted over to them. The twins gently turned Remus over. He was still awake, but fading fast. Tonks was trembling and crying. "Remus, damn your mangy hide, don't you leave me!"
Remus looked up at her and smiled faintly, "Luv you Tonks… tell Harry…" and with that, he slipped into unconsciousness.
Tonks looked stunned, of course! Wings! Her tears stopped. "Find Harry, Fred. NOW! He's in Hogsmeade today. Tell him to meet us at Grimmauld Place with Wings." Pulling a portkey from her robes, George, Remus and Tonks disappeared.
Meanwhile back in Hogsmeade…
Harry, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Neville and Luna rushed out of the three broomsticks. Coming up the road was a crowd followed by a group of Dementors. Harry's blood chilled and a righteous anger burned in him. He glanced at Ginny, then his hand snapped forward and he shouted "EXPECTO PATRONUM!"
Prongs sprang from his wand, charging down the nearest Dementor. Hermione copied Harry, casting her Patronus. A large otter appeared and ran down the road, charging another Dementor. Ginny, who had never achieved a corporeal Patronus before, produced a very respectable fox. Luna's Patronus turned out to be a copy of the fabled Luna moth.
Ron did a dog and Neville a bear.
Students in the crowd, spotting Harry and the others, took courage and started casting their Patronuses. Soon, the road was crowded with a veritable zoo of glowing animals; there were rabbits, ducks, cats, birds of all sorts, even a mouse and snake! The dementors were being driven back. Harry pushed to the front, yelling to the people to get behind the students and their Patronuses. Harry looked on with horror as a he spotted a small girl, no older than five years old, collapsed on the ground, a single Dementor looming over her about to give her the kiss.
Something in Harry snapped! His eyes burned with intensity and a nimbus of light seemed to surround him. Still directing Prongs with his wand, he shot out his other hand directly at the Dementor threatening the little girl. A bright beam of light flashed from his hand, hitting the Dementor in the back. An unholy howl was heard throughout Hogsmeade, as smoke seemed to boil off the Dementor. The beam from Harry's hand then split and hit a couple other Dementors who also began to howl and smoke. The light continued to brighten until Harry had to close his eyes against it. The howling stopped and Harry sunk to his knees, exhausted.
Ron, Neville and Ginny rushed to Harry's side. The remaining Dementors had retreated. Ron helped Harry stand. Ginny pulled one arm over her shoulder. There was a sound of popping noises as teachers started apparating into the area.
Fred Weasley appeared in front of Harry. He shouted something that took a moment to sink into Harry's weary mind. Something about Remus? He shook his head. Remus was hurt? Tonks needs Wings?
"Help me get around the side of the building. I only need a few minutes. Fred, get to Grimmauld Place and make sure no one else but you, Tonks and George is in the room. Gin, Hermione, stall the teachers. Give me five minutes please?" His eye's pleaded with them all.
Ginny wanted to object. Harry was exhausted, but Remus was too important to him. She bit her lip and nodded fearfully.
Ron and Ginny helped Harry walk to the back of the Three Broomsticks. Once there, they let go of his shoulders. Harry swayed dangerously and transformed into Wings. With one beat of his wings he was aloft and gone in a flash of fire.
The living room of Grimmauld Place was tense. Tonks paced nervously. Fred reappeared and said Harry was on his way. He was about to mention the Hogsmeade attack to Tonks when, with a flash of light, a black phoenix appeared over Remus.
Remus was pale, still breathing, but very shallowly. Tonks and Fred turned Remus on his side to expose the wound. Wings glided over to land next to Remus. His head bowed low, even in this form the phoenix looked tired.
Silently the phoenix wept for his friend, the last Marauder. The phoenix tears flowed freely into the wound and immediately it started to close. Remus's color improved and he started to breath more deeply. His eyes fluttered open and he looked up at Tonks. A small smile played around his lips before his eyes closed once more.
It took a moment for Tonks to realize he'd just fallen asleep.
Wings stepped away from Remus and seemed to have a lot of trouble getting airborne. He gave several tired beats of his wings before getting aloft, then vanished in a flash of fire.
Tonks frowned for a moment. She turned to the twins and said, "If you tell anyone about Harry, I'll personally carve out your bits and pieces."
They both nodded. Then Fred spoke up. "Tonks, you should know, Hogsmeade was also attacked. When I arrived, Harry had just chased off or destroyed a bunch of Dementors. He was exhausted and being supported by Ron and Ginny when I got there."
Tonks blanched. "Oh Harry, you stupid loyal kid. I'm gonna hug the stuffings out of you when I next see you!" she muttered then motioned to the twins to help her get Remus up to their room.
Professor McGonagall couldn't understand a damn thing. Ron, Neville, Luna, Ginny and Hermione were all talking to her at once, drowning each other out. She tried once to get them to slow down and talk one at a time, but they started right back up again. She was beginning to get angry. In another minute, she'd silence them all and start issuing detention! From the corner of her eye, she caught movement.
Harry Potter staggered around the building. Seeing McGonagall, he attempted to straighten up. The other students trailed off, staring at him. Harry swayed for a moment, then his eyes rolled up in his head and the ground came crashing up to meet him.
"HARRY!" Ginny screamed in horror as she rushed to his side.
AN: OH MY GOD I HATE CLIFF HANGERS AND HERE I AM GIVING YOU ONE.
OK Yes Draco is lying low, but he'll be back. The problem is, there is so much material to cover that, occasionally, I have to move things around in my plot line. Draco is back in the next chapter and he's going to get taken down a peg or two.
You'll get a taste of a DADA class here in this chapter, but only because I needed a reason to bring Harry and Severus closer together. I'm not looking to make them fast friends, but it's important that a level of trust is built up between them.
I'm trying to keep the chapters in the range of 100K to 150K, that works out to about 10K to 15K words per chapter. There's a lot going on and I sorry if the long chapters bother people. But personally I hate short chapters. I hate to tell people what my reaction is to an author note congratulating himself for a 2K words chapter. Thats not a chapter, thats a description.
I've tried really hard to balance some angst and humor in these chapters. But no one seems to have picked up on the humor yet. Oh well, maybe its not that funny after all.