STANDARD DISCLAIMER: This piece of fan fiction bears no resemblance to anything. It's totally contrived and not meant to mimic any known fictional characters. Obviously, I failed in that attempt. You caught me! Yes, once again we are twisting and tormenting the lives of the people in the Potterverse, which IS owned by someone else, not me (that would be J.K. Rowling, for those of you following at home!).
AUTHOR'S WARNING: The following chapter contains violence, gore, crude language and some sex. YES, THAT'S RIGHT! SEX! Plus lots of other stuff you don't want Mom to know about. If any of these things bother you, read this chapter with your eyes closed.
Spring is the air…
Ron walked into the boy's dorm. Spotting Harry he walked over and plopped down on his bed. Harry eyed him curiously.
"What's up mate?"
"It's 'Mione. She's gone off to help Ginny on a potions essay…" Ron's voice trailed off, mumbling something Harry couldn't hear.
"What was that Ron? I couldn't quite make it out."
"Alright! I miss her! I know she hasn't gone far, but I miss her anyway!"
"Well Ron, are you all caught up with your homework?"
Ron eyed him suspiciously. "Yeah I am, why?"
"If you've picked out the ring you want to make from those drawings I gave you, we can run down to the potions lab and make it. If we're lucky you can have it done by dinner time."
Ron's expression brightened. "Really? Today? Now?"
"We can try. And if we do it, I'll have Dobby prepare us some picnic baskets and we can skive off dinner. You can give it to her over a nice romantic picnic. I'll take Ginny to an area we know for our own picnic and stay out of your hair. What do you say?"
"Great! Let's do it!"
Ron retrieved the ten-galleon piece he had saved for so long and grabbed the drawing of the design he wanted before following Harry down to the potions lab.
"Ok Ron, the first thing we need to do is melt down the Galleon. If we use enough heat, we'll burn off the impurities, leaving us with mostly pure gold. Once it's melted, we'll let it cool down and then shape it into the ring itself. You can't really mess this up, and even if you do, we can always re-melt it down and start over. Pull out your galleon and I'll make us a fire. Be sure to put on one of the aprons. The fire is going to be really hot."
After donning a lab apron, Harry pulled out a block of metal from the shelf that was normally used by students to produce metal shavings for some potions. Placing the block on the workbench, he looked at the metal block and cast the spell "Comburo Fonticulis". As before, there appeared a blue white tower of flame about six inches high above the block.
"Ron, levitate your galleon into the top of the flame. We want to gently heat the metal so make sure as it floats you rotate it a bit."
Ron deftly levitated the galleon piece into the fire. At first, nothing seemed to happen. But slowly the features softened, melting away. Eventually, the entire coin seemed to be nothing more than a floating blob, occasionally emitting a flash of light.
"Good Ron! Now, keep it there until it stops flashing. That's the impurities burning off."
The two waited long minutes while the melted gold burned off its impurities. The heat from the fountain was intense. When a minute passed with no flashes, Harry had Ron move the melted mass away from the flame.
Harry was about to extinguish the fountain when a voice interrupted them.
"What is going on here?"
Serena Snape stood in the doorway to her office. She had been grading papers when she noticed the heat coming from the potions lab. Stepping into the room, she had found Ron, Harry and a most curious pillar of flame.
Ron spotted Serena and started to stammer. Harry stopped him by touching his arm.
"Just a moment Professor. Let me shut this down and I'll explain everything. Ron, keep that levitating. The workbench isn't too clean and if you set the metal down, we'll have to burn it again to get rid of the new impurities." Waving his wand at the fountain he muttered "Finite Incantatum" and the pillar faded away.
Walking over to Serena, he looked embarrassed. "Professor, Ron wants to give his girlfriend a promise ring. I offered to make it for him, but he didn't want that, so I'm helping him make one."
Serena smiled hearing this. A promise ring for Hermione? She's going to be so happy. And what was that curious pillar spell he used? That could be really handy for potion making! She thought. Just to be on the safe side I'd better finish marking those papers out here to keep an eye on them.
"Ok Harry, you can continue with what you were doing. I'll just mark my papers out here however." She told him.
Harry nodded to her before returning to the workbench. "Ron, the metal should be cooling, but it's still hot and soft. I'll levitate it while you concentrate on the image of a plain ring. See it in your mind and let your magic build up in you as you picture it. With a sharp stabbing motion of your wand, say, "Transconfigus Promissor Circumvenio".
Ron's brow tightened in concentration. Then he muttered the invocation and made a stabbing motion. Suddenly there was a ring; well it was a ring if you were a giant. Ron looked aghast.
Harry chuckled at this expression. "Ron, no worries. Hermione would like a bracelet but let's do that another time. We'll just melt it down and do it again."
Serena watched the two young men, trying hard not to laugh. They were so sincere; it was sweet. She knew Ron wasn't the best of students and was surprised at how patient Harry was with him. She was startled when Harry invoked his pillar of fire again to melt the oversized ring. I need to remember that incantation, she thought. It's really useful.
With the gold melted once more, Harry levitated it back over to the work area and shut the fountain down.
"Ok Ron, let's try this. Picture the ring. Imagine it in the palm of your hand. Feel its weight and see yourself slipping onto 'Mione's finger. See the ring Ron; imagine how happy she'll be to get the ring. Get all of that in your mind and try the invocation again."
Ron couldn't help but smile when he thought of Hermione's reaction when he gave her the ring. With a dreamy expression, he stabbed at the floating metal and said the incantation. The metal trembled for a moment as the tip of Ron's wand flared brightly. When the flare subsided, floating above the table was a thick gold ring.
"Very good Ron! We're almost done. We have the ring, but it's too thick. It's more of a man's ring right now, so we need to do something about that. Keep the images in your mind and when you're ready, use a slight flick of your wand and say 'Discedo'"
Ron cast the new spell and the ring sliced deftly into two halves.
"Excellent Ron! Now, we need to resort to some old fashioned hard work. But in an hour or so, you'll have your ring."
Harry conjured some abrasive paper and a soft polishing cloth. Handing them both to Ron, he instructed him to work on smoothing down the sharp edges on one of the rings, before polishing it. Harry told him to keep the other unfinished half for the engagement ring.
Harry noticed Serena motioning to him, so he went up to talk to her while Ron polished and smoothed his ring.
"Harry, I must admit I'm impressed," she said to him in a hushed tone. "Mr. Weasley never struck me as being able to do that kind of fine work before, but you seemed to be able to walk him through it perfectly. I'd bet he'd be capable of making dozens of rings now without your help. I think you'd make a wonderful teacher. Tell me, what are your plans after you graduate?"
Harry hesitated before answering. "I'd… I'd like to come back to Hogwarts and teach, Professor. A lot of people seem to think I'd make a great Auror, but if I survive what's to come, I think I'd like to put my days of fighting dark wizards behind me. I know what I'd like to do, and the Headmaster did say he'd like to see me teach here at Hogwarts. I'm pretty good with charms and defense. Professor Dumbledore said he'd take me on in both classes, teaching the younger years."
She frowned at his mention of survival, but decided to let it pass this one time.
"Well Harry, from what I just saw, you have exactly what a person needs to be a teacher. It's a fine occupation for those with the right sort of attitude. I'll let you go back to helping Mr. Weasley, but before you go, tell me, I know he doesn't have a lot of money. Where did he get the gold? I know he wouldn't let you give it for him."
"Oh that? Ron had a ten-galleon piece. We melted it down for its gold." Harry turned and went back to Ron.
He MELTED down a galleon? I thought you couldn't melt or destroy one of those things! She thought.
Ron looked to be nearly finished. He had smoothed off all the rough edges and he was busy polishing the ring.
Harry stopped him. "Ron, we still have a couple of things to do. First is to mount a stone in the ring. Since 'Mione was born in September, I'd suggest using her birthstone for this, which is a sapphire. I know you don't have any sapphires on you, but will you accept one from me if I make it for you?"
The red head looked doubtful about this. Harry had helped him make the ring, but it had been mostly his own work, with Harry guiding him. A sapphire would be all Harry's work. But then, if he didn't accept Harry's offer, all he had was a band of gold, which, while nice, wasn't really what he was aiming for. Frowning, he remembered what his mother told him about Harry and his generous nature. It wasn't charity…
He's really concerned about his financial status and hates taking anything from me, Harry thought. I wish he would get beyond this. I'd like to help him and the rest of my family.
Harry put his hand on Ron's shoulder. "She's my family too, Ron. I want you both to be happy. I won't put a huge stone in the ring, but I want to do this, for you both. Alright, mate?"
Ron smiled at Harry and nodding. Harry closed his eyes for a moment to picture the type of stone he wanted, modest in size, but perfect. He opened his eyes again and conjured the stone right onto the ring.
The ring now contained a perfect one half-carat Kashmir blue sapphire. Ron nearly choked.
"All right, last step Ron. This is going to be a little embarrassing for you, but I want you to hold the ring in your hand and think carefully. Then I'm going to release a spell at you which will imbue the ring with the essence of Coolar, the promise binding."
Serena looked startled at this. He's going to imbue the ring with the essence of Coolar? She thought. How is that possible?
Looking puzzled, Ron asked, "What should I be thinking about?"
Serena smiled at that, and tried not to laugh at the comical expression on Harry's face.
"On Quidditch, of course," Harry said, before smacking Ron on the head. "On 'Mione, you prat! She's why you're doing this, isn't she? Unless you're thinking of promising yourself to your broom and you haven't bothered to tell me."
"Well, how was I supposed to know?"
Rolling his eyes heavenward, Harry continued. "Think about Hermione. Think about how nice her hair smells, about how she feels in your arms. How you feel when you're kissing her and how important she is to you. Imagine your wedding night and spending the rest of your life with her. Have you got all that? Can you picture it? Feel it?"
Ron's blush was so hot Harry swore he felt the heat of it. He nodded however, so Harry pointed his wand at Ron and muttered something under his breath. A cool, blue beam of light shot from the tip of the wand and hit Ron on the forehead. For a moment, Ron was enveloped in a blue nimbus, and then it all seemed to flow from him to the ring. The ring glowed brightly before returning back to normal.
"Blimey Harry! What the bloody hell was that!"
Chuckling, Harry conjured a small ring box and handed it to Ron. "I just put a little of what you feel for Hermione into the ring, wrapped around the Coolar bind. When she puts the ring on, it will activate the bind. Now, how about we go talk to Dobby about those picnic baskets?"
Serena Snape watched the two young men walk from the potions lab after they had thanked her for its use. Harry. She thought. That young man is a walking mystery. He breaks natural laws and rules of magic like they are mere obstacles to climb over. With a shake of her head, she went back to grading her papers.
Ginny and Hermione…
Ginny and Hermione were working on Ginny's potions essay. Being her Owl year, the teachers were giving out massive amounts of homework. Ginny had asked Hermione to help her; it was hard having to write a four-foot essay on the properties of an ingredient that had few properties! With Hermione's help however, they managed to find enough material in the library to take up the necessary length.
Now that the essay was nearly done, with only a paragraph or two to go, she and Hermione started thinking about dinner. They had been in the library most of the afternoon and were starting to get hungry. Hermione was about to suggest they pack up and head back to their house when there was a pop behind them.
Startled, both girls turned around to stare at Dobby!
"OH! Miz Weezy! Miz Granjur! Dobby is so happy to see yous again!"
Ginny smiled. Like Harry, she truly liked this basket case of a house elf. To Hermione, Dobby represented free elves. Dobby was special in her mind.
Hermione smiled at Dobby. "What can we do for you Dobby?"
"Oh my! You is asking to do something for Dobby? You is almost as great as Harry Potter!"
Hermione groaned to herself. If you got Dobby started, he'd spend hours telling people how great "Harry Potter" is.
"No Dobby, I meant why are you here?"
Dobby pulled himself up straight and puffed out his chest to look important. "The great Harry Potter asks that I gives you this message. And I am to waits for your answer."
Curious Hermione took the parchment from Dobby and unrolled it so both her and Ginny could read it.
Miss Ginevra Molly Weasely & Miss Hermione Jane Granger,Messrs Potter and Weasley do humbly beg you both to join them for a romantic stroll and picnic dinner this evening. Messr Weasley, in particular, is most anxious that Miss Granger joins him this evening.
Dress is casual. You are asked to give your reply to our noblest of messengers, so that the necessary preparations may be completed.
With all of our love,Messrs Potter and Weasley.
They both giggled at the idea of Dobby being noble, but after a moment's shared look they turned to Dobby to tell them they would be delighted to attend.
Dobby was, of course, very pleased to return to Harry Potter with the message. But to be honest, he would have been happy if he had been carrying a full chamber pot, as long as he got to visit Harry.
At the appropriate time, the girls met up with Harry and Ron. Both were carrying large picnic baskets. Harry kissed Ginny and took a hold of her hand, but Ron seemed shy.
Laughing, Harry slapped Ron on the back. "Come on you guys, let's go have a picnic."
Harry led them down to the spot Ginny had shown him months ago. Then he pointed to Ron and told him of a spot about 50 meters away that they could use. Ginny and Hermione looked surprised. They had expected to dine together. What was going on?
Hermione and Ron…
Ron found the spot that Harry had told him about. He could see Harry and Ginny off in the distance, setting up their picnic. Removing a blanket from the basket, he spread it out and helped Hermione to sit. When he joined her, she pulled the basket over and removed the food.
The couple ate a pleasant meal, occasionally offering each other a bite of something. Dobby had done a good job putting the basket together, filling it with some of their favorite foods.
Hermione enjoyed the picnic, but could feel the tension in Ron. It was something she hadn't felt in him since before the holidays. She tried to broach the subject a few times, but he kept changing the topic. BOYS! She thought. I'm going to have to drag it out of him I see.
"Ron, I can tell something is bothering you," she finally said in exasperation. "What is it?"
Ron winced slightly, and then shook his head sadly. "I never could hide anything from you 'Mione."
OH MY GOD! Is he going to dump me? She thought frantically. Her mind raced and emotions flared within her; anger, hurt, and rage. So intent was she on her own thoughts, his words barely registered on her. Wait a second! Did he say something about my parents? Permission? EARTH TO HERMIONE! PAY ATTENTION!
Ron sat there looking hopeful at her. AND SHE MISSED HEARING WHAT EVER HE WANTED HER TO HEAR! She wanted to scream. Instead, she did the only thing she could think of. She asked in a small voice. "You're not dumping me?"
Ron blinked in surprise. "Hermione, I could never dump you. Weren't you listening to me? I love you and want to ask your parents for permission to marry you. That is, if you'll have me."
Now it was Ron's turn to seem doubtful and embarrassed. Especially since Hermione looked on the verge of tears. Her eyes misted up and her lower lip trembling. Ron immediately started to backpedal.
"I wouldn't blame you if you turned me down 'Mione. I'm not as smart as you. I'm clumsy and I rarely say the right thing. Bloody Hell, if it hadn't been for Harry pounding on me…"
Hermione stopped him by the simple, but extremely effective method of wrapping her arms around him, pushing him down to the ground and kissing him.
They kissed for a long while before something started to bother Ron. He lay on something sharp and it was digging into his hip. The Ring! He gently disengaged from her and pulled the box from his pocket. If he looked embarrassed before, now he was taking it to new heights.
"Hermione, you know I don't have a lot of money. I wanted to give you a ring like the one Harry gave Ginny. I thought it would take me a long time to save up for something like that, but Harry offered to help me make one instead. He coached me through making it. And he did insist on making the stone for it. He also imbued the ring with an enchantment. This is a promise ring, and I hope to be able to buy you an engagement for your birthday."
She placed her hand over his mouth. "Ron, I love you and I do want to marry you. How much money you have is not important to me. Can I see the ring please?"
With trembling hands he opened the box and pulled out the ring.
Hermione gasped. The ring was perfect! The fact that Ron had made it, made it all the more special to her. She extended her hand and smiled tremulously.
He placed the ring on her finger, and, on impulse, kissed her hand. When his lips touched her hand, the ring glowed a bright blue, spreading to cover them both, before fading away. Hermione looked down at her new ring and noted the stone softly pulsating, in time to Ron's heartbeat.
She wrapped her arms around Ron and kissed him passionately. Ron returned the kiss holding her tight. She ran her hand up under the back of his shirt. This was something she couldn't learn from a book. Her mind lost connection as it was overwhelmed by sensation. The two kissed and tasted each other. Ron slid his hand up under her shirt and gently cupped her breast; she pulled him to her tightly kissing his face, his ears, and his neck, everywhere!
After an eternity of kissing and touching, they couple allowed their passions to simmer. They weren't prepared to go any further than they had. But they had crossed a major line tonight, entering a world of intimacy they had never explored. By mutual consent, they fixed their clothing and sat there quietly, sipping butterbeer and talking about their future together.
Harry and Ginny...Harry watched Ron and Hermione walk further along the lakeshore before turning to help Ginny unpack. They sat in a comfortable silence for a while, enjoying their dinner before Harry spoke up.
"I hope Ron doesn't blow it, or I'm going to be really hacked at him."
"What do you mean?"
"I helped him make his promise ring for 'Mione today, Gin. It's important to me that she's happy and I'll be really annoyed if Ron blows this."
Ginny chuckled at that. The two were silent for a while longer before Ginny spoke again.
"Harry, can we talk honestly about something?"
"We can talk about anything. I have no secrets from you."
She placed a hand on his arm. "Well, this might be a bit embarrassing for you."
"Why don't you just ask me what you want to ask, Gin? I'll let you know if I'm too embarrassed to talk about it."
"All right. How much do you know… really know…about sex?"
Harry blinked. This was not what he thought she was going to talk about! He blushed and mumbling something unintelligible.
Ginny moved to kneel in front of him, taking his face in her hands. "Love, I'm not trying to embarrass you. It took me a while to understand that no one has given you the talk like my mum did to me, or my dad did with Ron. So I'm guessing that you probably don't know much, right?"
He sighed in resignation and embarrassment. "No Gin. I know a little, mostly what I learned in Muggle School and what I've picked up from listening to the guys. And the stuff you showed me. Have I been doing something wrong?"
She crushed him to her, his head lying against her soft breasts. "Merlin no, Harry! But I want to show you something that will help. Lavender gave me a copy of a book she had. There's information here that'll make things even better for us, more enjoyable. You've been wonderful Harry, but there are more things we can do for each other. And when the time's finally is right, I want our first lovemaking to be perfect for both of us."
She moved to sit next to him. He automatically put his arm around her shoulders and leaned in to kiss her head before she could continue.
She pulled a small book out of her pocket. He glanced down at it. The title read "Driving your Wizard crazy!" Glancing at her, he wondered how that kind of book could be of use to him. She giggled at his expression. "It's enchanted silly. Here, you hold it and read the title again."
He took the book from her and the title changed. "Driving your Witch Crazy!" He rolled his eyes, grinned at her and said, "Good old Lavender."
"Harry, I've read it. Several times, actually. But I've been reluctant to try anything new because I wasn't sure how you'd take it."
"Gin, I'd do anything to make you happy. If that means reading the book, I'll start it tonight. Who knows, I might even surprise you! I know I don't know much about sex, but I was always hoping we'd help each other learn."
"Well, study your lessons hard Mr. Potter, because I expect to test you often on your practical applications of the theory," she said, while gently rubbing him erect.
He growled in her ear and lay back, pulling her over on top of him. They lay like that, kissing and grinding against each other, until a noise interrupted them.
"OY! POTTER! Where are you?" Ron shouted.
Quickly, they rolled apart and he pocketed the book. It had gotten late and the sun was already down. Ron and Hermione were approaching their spot.
Spotting the two, Hermione rushed over to Ginny. Ginny threw her arms around the other girl. "Harry told me what was going on! I'm so happy for you!"
Hermione turned to Harry and grabbed him. She whispered in his ear, "Thank you my brother! You were right!" He smiled back at that.
Harry and Ginny packed up their basket and the two couples headed back to the castle. Halfway there, Ron asked Harry if he wanted to lose another game of Wizard's Chess.
He laughed, saying, "Sorry mate, I've got a new book I want to start reading tonight."
Hermione turned to stare at him. "Harry you better not be planning on going off and producing another new theory like the last time!"
"No 'Mione, it's a book Ginny gave me. She got it from Lavender. It looks really interesting. Tell you what. Once I'm done with it, I'll loan it to Ron. When he's done, he can give it to you," he said with a laugh. Ginny started snickering.
Hermione flushed beet red. She knew exactly what book he was talking about. There were several copies of it floating around the girl's dorm and, while she hadn't read it yet, she knew exactly what it was about.
"Hey now! What do I need with another book? Isn't reading for school enough work?" Ron asked, plaintively.
"Trust me Ron, this is one book you'll want to read. And Hermione will be so proud of you for reading a book that you didn't have to read for some assignment!"
Ron looked intrigued by that idea, while Hermione couldn't decide whether to sputter in indignation or grin.
The two couples walked back into the school, chatting happily, as the sky darkened and night fell behind them.
The Snape's Private Apartment, that evening…
Severus Snape walked tiredly into the apartment. It was late and he had just finished up grading the fifth year DADA homework in his office. Walking down the entry hall, he entered the living room and paused, hearing his wife muttering to herself.
I wonder what has her so worked up this time? He thought. What ever happened to spending a normal night together? Reading by the fire, talking over the day…
She was pacing in the living room and muttering under her breath. Surprisingly, she had her wand out. Severus watched for a few minutes, noting the pile of metal bricks that littered the floor and one lone brick sitting on the coffee table.
Turning suddenly, she whipped her wand around and, pointed at the small block of metal on the coffee table, cried "Comburo Fonticulis!"
Nothing happened.
Severus' eyes widened and he choked back a laugh.
Serena whirled around to him, her wand poised. Spotting him, she glared for a moment then whirled again to face that damnable brick of metal, shouting, "COMBURO FONTICULUS!"
The brick ignored her.
I have to learn that spell! It's too useful! There must be something wrong, maybe a wand movement, or perhaps I'm not giving the proper inflection, or maybe…Finally noticing Severus' laughter, she turned to march towards him.
For his part, Severus was too busy trying to keep his feet under him to notice the dangerous expression on her face. Giving up, he dropped to his knees, holding his sides and laughed harder.
"Laugh if you will, but I'm going to master that spell! Merlin, Severus, he used it to melt a galleon today! Do you have any idea how useful that could be in potion making?"
She pulled herself up to her not so impressive height and glared at him as he tried to control himself.
He's no help! Bloody Man! She thought. Turning again, this time she pointed her wand at the metal brick and shouted, "COMBURO FONTICULUS!" She even added a foot stomp to her actions to let the brick know she was serious. The brick, being nothing more than a brick, expressed its opinion of her spell by doing nothing.
Severus collapsed on the floor, howling with laughter. Had any one of his students witnessed this sight, they probably would have ended up in the St. Mungos Psyche ward from shock.
Serena whirled on Severus. "Do you have a death wish?" she hissed. When he continued to laugh, she did her best to muster what was left of her dignity and started to walk out of the apartment.
Severus snagged her by the ankle.
"W-w-where do you think you're g-g-going at this hour Serena?" Severus asked, still trying to control his laughing.
"Why, to see Harry, of course. I want him to show me that spell! I've been trying for hours to make it work!"
"Serena, I know you're a Potions Mistress, maybe even better than I am, but you'll never learn that spell."
She pulled her ankle from his grasp and seriously thought about kicking him. "Don't you think I'm good enough?"
It's time to try a different tactic, he thought. "Serena, love, how much of your Latin do you remember? I know the school you attended is one of the best in the Caribbean…"
Serena blinked. "Latin? Severus I don't see how this is relevant. I'm just doing something wrong with that spell. Harry can…"
"No love, he can't show you. Comburo Fonticulis is Latin for 'Burning Fountain'. It's the spell Hermione Granger made up to see if Harry really could perform any kind of magic, as long as he didn't know it was impossible. It's a made up spell. He's the only one that can make it work."
Serena looked at her husband sheepishly for a long moment. "Well damn…" she finally murmured.
Somewhere in England, location unknown, first week in April…
Voldemort sat in his chamber, brooding. He had thought that killing the student at Hogwarts would have resulted in the removal of Dumbledore as Headmaster, but it hadn't.
He had vented his rage and anger on his servants for a while, but that didn't dispel his anger. He even spent time sending pain to Potter through the scar.
POTTER! According to Wormtail, Potter had somehow found a way to block his attacks entirely.
Damn that boy! How dare he defy me? Voldemort raged. How can he block the pain? Damn him! I will teach him to fear me yet.
"Send in Wormtail!" The Dark Lord growled.
A short, fat, balding man scurried into the chamber and groveled at his feet. "How may I serve you, my lord?"
"Wormtail… Send word to my servants at Hogwarts. They may proceed with the plan and tell them I will be most displeased with them if Potter survives. Oh, and Wormtail, if this fails, I will be most unhappy with you. I daresay you are not as strong as Lucius is. You would probably not survive what he went through for his failure!"
Wormtail scurried from the room to send his message.
Pansy Parkinson…
Pansy was elated. She had received the coded message, via owl, with this morning's mail. Finally, she was going to leave this place and join her master. And if Draco lives up to his part, they would be rewarded greatly. She promised herself that tonight, after they had gotten away, she'd show Draco that being married to her had certain advantages. Besides, sex is a good way to control a man, she thought.
Pansy sat in her seat at the Slytherin table, with Draco next to her. She looked over to her fellow Death Eaters, and nodded. Each selected a seventh year student and at cast an Imperio curse. Out of the three major Unforgiveables, Imperio was the stealthiest. It made no noise, no light and, once it was cast, the controller didn't even need the wand to control their subject.
She waited calmly. She needed to make sure her fellow Death Eaters had their subjects under control. When she received their signals, she knew they'd wait for her signal to start.
After sending the 'wait to begin' signal, she leaned over and whispered to Draco, "Darling, the time is come for you to prove your love for me and our master. Wait until you have a clear shot."
Draco nodded, a predatory gleam in his eye.
Hogwarts, evening meal, the Great Hall, mid April…
The past few weeks had seemed to fly by. DA Meetings, more training with Dumbledore, even a few snitched hours of time off with Ginny. He had read that book of hers several times. He hadn't been able to find a place or a time to put any of the techniques to use, however.
He'd spent a lot of his time exploring the aspects of his latest idea and had made a few more the of the crystal structures needed for it. These structures were too complex for a simple Replico charm to duplicate them. Hermione and Professor Flitwick were researching alternative ways of duplication, but there hadn't been much progress on that front.
Harry was sitting at the Gryffindor table with Ginny beside him, watching Hermione and Ron with a smile. Hermione leaned against Ron and he had one arm around her. Every so often he would whisper something into her ear, causing her to smile. She was a changed person since receiving the ring from Ron. She walked around in a constant state of happiness.
When Hermione finally noticed his smile, she looked at him curiously. "What, Harry?" She asked.
"I just think its funny 'Mione. You've spent the last six years learning everything you could about the Wizarding world, but now, for the first time, you act like you truly fit in. In a way, I envy you that."
Ginny shot him an angry glare. Seeing it, he said, "No Gin, don't get me wrong. I'm not saying I don't belong here. Just think about it. You and Ron grew up in the Wizarding world. Hermione and I didn't. Neither of us even knew about it until we got our Hogwarts letters. Hermione has spent the last six years studying the Wizarding world, she probably knows more about it than either of you, but she never felt like she fit in. That's why she kept studying. She kept looking for her place, and she finally found it…with Ron."
Ginny frowned. Hermione broke in, "But Harry, you have Ginny."
Harry nodded vigorously, "Oh I know I do 'Mione and I'm damn lucky. I've found love and a family, but I'm still a clumsy stranger in the Wizarding world. I don't really understand it. Did you know that Ginny's dad had to explain to me the lighting ceremony and the incantation, for Remus' wedding? I didn't have a clue what I was supposed do, or how to do it, until Arthur explained it to me."
Turning to Ginny he smiled before continuing, "I hope you don't mind love, but I'm afraid I'm going to be a socially inept moron for a long time to come."
She patted him on the cheek. "That's all right Harry. I don't mind you being a moron as long as you understand you're my moron."
Pansy…
Pansy looked over at her compatriots, each signaled their readiness. She nodded and gave them the signal to begin.
Harry Potter…
Harry stared at Ginny for a moment then started to chuckle. "I suppose I walked right into that." He leaned in to kiss her when he was interrupted by a scream in the hall.
Severus Snape…
Severus was sitting quietly with Serena, talking and enjoying her company. He would never admit it to her, but her presence had a great calming effect on him. He had lived and enjoyed life more since she came into his life, than all the years previous.
A movement caught his eye. What the hell is this? He thought to himself.
Three students had risen to their feet and were holding wands out, aimed at the head table! He sat there in shock for a moment. Spells were cast and someone screamed, breaking him from his paralysis. He could see two spells racing directly for him and Serena.
With a lunge, he pushed Serena out of her chair. He gasped as he felt a burning sensation, like someone had poured hot wax on him. He continued to push Serena to the floor, pinning her there. He felt something, a liquid, hot and sticky, running from his right shoulder down to the center of his chest. He tried to roll to reach his wand, but the pain caused him to gasp. The world reeled and darkness claimed him.
Serena Snape…
Serena was enjoying her meal. She knew Severus was watching her and was pleased by that fact. Every woman wants to know her husband desires her, but Severus had needs other than just mere sex. She'd known from the moment she had met him that he was, in some ways, nearly as emotionally damaged as Harry Potter. And it pleased her no end that she was the one he turned to, to help him break out of that shell he had built around himself.
She frowned. Something had drawn Severus' attention away from her. She looked up and didn't quite comprehend what she saw. Three students were standing up, pointing their wands. Someone screamed.
Suddenly, Severus lunged at her, knocking her off her seat. He made a noise, moved a little and then collapsed, letting his full weight rest on her.
When he went limp, she put her hand to his shoulder, thinking to push him off and ask what the hell he thought he was doing. Jerking her hand back, she looked at it and blanched at the blood.
When she gently rolled him off her, she could see that his face was ashen and his robe was ripped and soaked with blood. Peeling the robe back, she saw that he's been slashed from shoulder to the center of his chest.
"Severus? SEVERUS!" She screamed.
Gaining no response, she grabbed her wand. The damage was bad. Not immediately fatal, but it needed healing now or he'd bleed to death.
A cutting curse…someone tried to kill him with a cutting curse…to kill US with a cutting curse! Fucking Malfoy! You'll pay this time, you little bastard! I'll gut you myself!
Shaking her head to dispel her thoughts, she set to work, healing her husband as best she could.
Albus Dumbledore…
Albus Dumbledore was sitting at the head table, talking to Hagrid. The half-giant had recently returned from a trip to negotiate with a tribe of Swedish Giants. It was hoped that they could get some of the giants on their side. The mission hadn't been a total failure, but by the same token, he hadn't convinced them to join their cause.
Hagrid hated disappointing Dumbledore. The large man considered Dumbledore to be one of the greatest wizards and he felt he owed his life to him. It was Dumbledore who had stood up for Hagrid when he had been expelled from Hogwarts in his youth.
Albus was trying to convince Hagrid to make another attempt with the Swedish Giants, when he was pushed out of his chair, hard. So hard, that he collided with Professor McGonagall and they both fell to the floor. Dumbledore was about to admonish Hagrid when he saw a Reducto spell hit the man on the shoulder. Hagrid roared in pain and then tipped over the teacher's table, effectively blocking any additional spells, as the heavy stone made for an excellent barrier. All of the remaining teachers dived behind it.
Dumbledore frowned as he heard Serena's scream. He motioned to Madam Pomfrey to go assist her.
Pansy…
Damn that half-breed! She thought. With the table in the way, the teachers were effectively protected, although she was convinced that her subject might have tagged Snape with a cutting hex. All right, time to go to plan B.
She made her Imperio victim start shooting into the crowd, knowing that the panic it caused would facilitate their escape. The other two Death Eaters followed her lead, making their victims fire indiscriminately at the mass of students in the hall.
Harry…
"SEVERUS!"
He heard that cry and, while it tore at him, it also filled him with a grim determination. His magic, always available now, swelled to new heights and threatened to overwhelm him.
His eyes blazing, he climbed onto the Gryffindor table. Scanning the crowd, he searched for the three known Death Eaters…
The Great Hall, Chaos…
With the head table tipped over, blocking the teachers from sight, the three students fired off their spells at the seething mass of students, picking targets at random. The Hall erupted in a panic.
Neville and two other DA members approached a student who was busy firing haphazardly at the crowd. Neville grabbed the student by the shoulder and spun him around. At the same time, another DA member aimed a well-placed kick to the boy's knee, snapping it and dropping him like a stone. Neville grabbed his wand and bound the student with an Incarcerous spell.
Looking around, Neville noted other DA Members had disarmed each of the students in a similar fashion. A first year was dropped to the ground with a cutting hex to her leg. Another fell to a Reducto that hit a nearby wall, causing debris to hit him in the head. There were more injured all over the Great Hall.
Pansy…
Pansy was pissed. How had their subjects been disarmed so quickly? She saw Potter climb to the top of the table. He'll ruin our entire plan! She thought. She quickly Imperio'd another student to continue what the first three had started.
Harry…
He was surprised when three more students started shooting into the crowd. The teachers were finally poking their heads over the table to see what was going on. Harry pulled one of his new crystals from his pocket. He knew he had to spot the Death Eaters fast and put them down. Holding the crystal he released a very small amount of power into it, while murmuring, "Incendio!"
Flame erupted. THERE! The right arm of three students' robes burst into flame.
Pansy…
Pansy screamed as her mark burned and the sleeve of her robe burst into flame. She quickly extinguished the flame and looked about wildly. She felt eyes on her. His eyes. They were like twin search lights, boring into her, testing the measure of her soul and finding her wanting.
In a panic, she raised her wand and fired off a cutting hex. He didn't even bother trying to evade it. The hex only nicked his arm. He looked at her, a sad smile on his face, as if he was trying to tell her something.
She raised her wand to cast again when his hand shot out with blinding speed. A ball of white light hurtled toward her at incredible speed. She tried to cast a shield, but the spell blew right through it, never even slowing.
It hit Pansy square in the chest. She was thrown into the wall with such force that the castle's stone actually cracked and indented.
Her neck broken, her skull crushed, most of her bones shattered, what remained of Pansy Parkinson slid to the floor with a wet, sucking sound.
Luna Lovegood…
Unlike Pansy, Marietta was rather inept at magic. She was having trouble dousing the flames that had erupted from her right arm. When Luna spotted her, she didn't stop to consider anything. Lifting her hand, she cast a Reducto at the Death Eater.
Her head exploded in a fountain of gore as the spell blasted through her skull. Blood, bone and flesh sprayed the floor as she fell. Blood pooled around the body as the heart, not understand its own imminent death, continued to pump.
Screaming students ran, slipping and sliding through the mess, trying to get away from the twitching, bloody mass that had once been Marietta Edgecombe.
Hermione Granger…
Hermione spotted Michael Corner. In all the confusion, Michael had shed his burning robe and was trying to sneak out the door. Hermione whipped out her wand and hit him, freezing him in place with a Petrificus Totalus, and then she placed him in an Incarcerous bind.
Draco Malfoy…
Draco stared down at the body of Pansy Parkinson. He was loathed to admit that he had developed some feelings for her, no matter how twisted they were. His eyes narrowed as he looked back at the Gryffindor table and saw Harry Potter standing on it. He had a clear shot. It was now or never. The teachers were starting to stir from behind their table.
He stood and whipped up the wand from his ankle holster. Pointing it he yelled, "AVADA KEDAVRA!"
Student's scrambled for cover. Harry dodged the curse by diving across the table.
As Harry dove away, Draco saw a redhead stand. When her hand came up with no wand, he smirked and took aim.
"DIFFINDO!" Ginny shouted.
When the spell hit him, Draco's neck snapped forward as his body was thrown back into the Slytherin table. Sliding to the floor, gasping for air, he raised his hands to his chest and touched his wet, sucking lungs. In shock, he moved one hand down to his stomach and fondled the entrails spilling over his lap and onto the floor.
As the blood pumped from his chest, darkness engulfed him. The Severing Charm had done its job. Draco Malfoy was dead.
Harry…
Climbing back to his feet on the table, Harry looked around at the chaos before him. Students were crying, screaming and trampling the injured. The teachers seemed to be in a state of shock. There would be no help from there.
"SILENCE!" He roared.
Heads swung around to look at him. After his dive across a table full of food, his robes were a mess. He even had mashed potatoes in his hair.
"Neville, see to the wounded. Ron I want security out. Blaise, lock 'em down!" Harry snapped.
"MOVE!" Harry growled into the silence when no one moved.
Suddenly there was a great burst of activity as DA members moved among the students. Injured were made comfortable, some were healed. Ron posted four students at the entrance to the Great Hall. Blaise and his squad moved quietly through their list of Slytherins and other students, disarming people who were on their questionable list.
Harry climbed down off the table and looked at Ginny gratefully. "Thank you love," he said quietly.
When he went to hug her, she held up her hand casting a cleaning charm on him first. Shaking her head, she hugged him.
"Ron," Harry said, turning towards the redhead, his arm still around Ginny. "Gather up the prefects and set them to moving the uninjured back to their houses. Oh, and find the wands from our Death Eaters and Draco. I'm sure they'll be needed."
Dropping his arm from around Ginny, he walked over to Hermione, who stood watching Michael Corner. Reviving the Death Eater, Harry knelt down next to him.
"You've been caught," Harry said, conversationally. "Soon, you'll be turned over to Aurors. You might receive some leniency, if you cooperate. If not, then you'll probably be sent through the veil sometime tomorrow. I suggest you think about that, Michael. Think hard. You picked the wrong side."
Michael's face paled.
Harry levitated Corner and walked him up to the head table, which Hagrid had finally righted. Hermione and Ginny followed him. He unceremoniously dropped the bound Death Eater in front of the Headmaster.
Dumbledore sat, his face ashen. Harry almost felt sorry for him, until he remembered the cries of the injured students. He gave the old man a hard look, but the Headmaster's eyes were on his students, the injured, and the dead.
"One Death Eater, Headmaster. I'm sure he will have a fascinating story to tell us. And if you feel guilty about the injured, you should. This mess is of your making, Sir," he said in a low, hard tone.
Without a second look he walked down the table to where Serena and Madam Pomfrey were working on Severus. He was conscious and spending most of his time glaring at Poppy. Harry went to Serena and touched her on the shoulder, the concern apparent in his eyes. She smiled weakly at him.
"He'll be alright, Harry," she said, reassuringly.
"Good, I was worried…" he said softly and gave her a shy smile.
Madam Pomfrey turned away from Severus and, noting the blood dripping down Harry's arm, said, "Mr. Potter, you're injured."
He shrugged. "It's nothing Madam Pomfrey. There are people who are hurt far more than I am. They're being moved to the infirmary as we speak. If Professor Snape is capable of being moved, my friends and I will be happy to move him up there as well."
Madam Pomfrey looked startled. She glanced up to see people being levitated onto stretchers and moved out of the Great Hall. She had been so busy working on Severus, that she never noticed the extent of the injuries among the students. She told Harry to help Severus to the infirmary before hustling out of the Great Hall. following the floating stretchers.
Harry was about to help Snape when Blaise trotted up to him. With a wicked smile, he told Harry they had collected twenty-two wands. Harry nodded.
"Give them the option we talked about Blaise, the blood oath, or their wands will be turned over to the Aurors when they arrive." He said softly.
When Blaise nodded and turned to leave, Serena and Severus looked between the students. Serena finally asked weakly, "Blood oath, Harry?"
"Yes Professor. We had twenty-two students of questionable loyalty who Pansy had been working on converting. We've confiscated their wands. If they want them back, they'll have to take a blood oath, stating they will never support Voldemort."
Serena was about to protest, but stopped when Severus weakly touched her hand. "Serena, he's right. Today the war came to Hogwarts. Harry is forcing people to pick which side they want to be on. And rightly so."
Harry was about to give Severus a hand when Ginny stopped him. "Harry, how much longer are you intending to bleed all over the place? I swear you'd let yourself bleed to death while you're busy helping friends! And in case you haven't noticed, you're still glowing."
Harry looked startled. Ginny pulled his robe off so she could get at his arm. She deftly healed it, and then gave him a stern look, saying, "I'm getting tired of having to heal you, Mr. Potter! If you expect me to have to heal you every day after we're married, forget about it."
Hermione coughed to cover a snicker.
He smiled gently down at her. "I'll remember that love, although I sincerely hope the only injuries I see after we're married come from me teaching our kids to play Quidditch."
Ginny grinned, pleased by that remark.
He turned back to Professor Snape. "Sir do you think you can walk to the infirmary, or would you like a stretcher?
Severus frowned and started to say something but Serena overrode him. "I think he can walk. But we'll all go with him, to make sure he goes there, instead of heading down the apartment…stubborn man!"
As the five of them slowly left the Great Hall, they never noticed that Dumbledore still sat at the head table, still in a state of shock.
Half way to the infirmary Ginny sidled up to Harry. "You're still glowing," she murmured.
He paused and closed his eyes. His brow furrowed in concentration and he started to sweat. When he opened his eyes, he started to shimmer. For a brief moment, it looked like there were two Harry's. Then the two images merged together and the glow vanished.
Severus raised an eyebrow at Harry. "A glamour Harry? Why?"
Harry gave him a worried look. "I don't seem to be able to lower the magic level Sir. I don't know why. The glamour will have to do until I can figure out how to fix this."
Serena and Severus both started to speak at the same time. Severus looked at his wife and shrugged then motioned for her to go ahead. "Don't worry about it Harry, its not going to harm you and we'll see if we can come up with a solution for it."
Severus nodded an agreement. Together they continued their slow walk to the infirmary.
Dumbledore, back in the Great Hall…
Minerva McGonagall looked stricken. The war had come to Hogwarts in a big way. Students were dead, others were injured, and Albus Dumbledore seemed to be in a state of shock. She reached out and touched his arm. "Albus you cannot sit here all night. There are things we must do."
Dumbledore seemed to shake out of his shock. "Right you are, as usual Minerva," he said, before turning to Hagrid.
"Hagrid, go up to the owlery and lock it up. Make sure no students send any owls, at least for tonight…maybe tomorrow as well. Minerva, let's go to my office. There is much to discuss."
Hogwarts Infirmary…
Harry, Ginny and Hermione sat with Professor Snape and his wife. The group of them talked casually for about an hour. Serena made a few quiet comments about how impressed she was, both with the DA and Harry, tonight. Harry was about to reply when Professor McGonagall entered the infirmary and walked over to them.
The number of injuries upset McGonagall. The infirmary was more than half full. She stepped over to Professor Snape and the others, "The headmaster has requested that all of you meet in his office. Severus, are you capable of walking that far?"
"I'm fine, Minerva. I was just waiting for Poppy to release me. However, I suspect this is more important. We'll escort these students to the Headmaster's office."
"Very good. I still have a few more people to find anyway," she said, before walking out of the infirmary.
Headmaster's office, Hogwarts…
When Harry and his friends arrived in the Headmaster's office, the office quickly started to fill up. Most of the professors were there, as were Remus, Tonks and Alistair Moody. After a few minutes, Professor McGonagall strode into the office with Ron following her.
In one corner of the office, Michael Corner stood, still tied up in ropes, his eyes darting fearfully from person to person.
Dumbledore laid out a series of wands across his desk. "This one", he said holding up a wand, "is unregistered. It was found in Mr. Malfoy's hand. It also has cast two killing curses, and is responsible for the death of Nigel Goldsmith…"
Harry's frown deepened when he heard this news. He turned his attention back to Dumbledore.
"…The rest of these wands, taken from the known Death Eaters in the student population, reveal a number of Imperius curses being cast. I think it's safe to say that the students involved in most of today's fight were under the Imperius curse, cast by the three Death Eaters.
"In a moment, we will question Mr. Corner under Veritaserum. I'm sure we will find out many answers to our questions. Alistair, would you please do the honors?"
Moody pulled Michael Corner into the center of the room and, pulling out a bottle of Veritaserum, handed the bottle to Tonks. Grabbing the young man by the hair, he yanked back hard. Corner opened his mouth to yelp and Tonks stepped up to administer the dosage. Corner stood swaying for a moment. Moody conjured a simple stool and pushed Corner down on it.
When Corner's eyes glazed over, Dumbledore began speaking.
"Michael Corner, can you hear me?"
"Yes"
"Tell me about the night of the Valentine's Ball. Who killed Nigel Goldsmith?"
"Pansy cast an Imperio on Dennis Creevey. She gave him the wand and made him kill Nigel. After he killed Nigel, she got the wand back and obliviated his memory."
"And what was your plan for tonight at dinner?"
"My master was upset. Several attempts to hurt Snape had failed. He wanted the Snapes and you killed. Pansy also tasked Malfoy to kill Potter, as a means of atoning for previous failures. After your deaths, we were to injure and kill as many students as possible, before the four of us made our escape in the ensuing panic.
"My master has learned he can no longer hurt Potter through his scar, so he wanted him out of the way. My Master now perceives Potter to be as big a threat to him as you, Headmaster."
"Where is your master now?"
"I do not know. I have never been to his lair, and I understand it's under a Fidelis charm."
"When did you accept your Dark Mark?"
"I was inducted during the summer. Pansy Parkinson recruited me."
"Did Pansy try recruiting anyone else in Hogwarts?"
"She was always trying to recruit people. A few were interested, but most seemed to be afraid of getting involved. A few told Pansy that Potter would kill my lord and then come for them."
Harry muttered, "Damn straight on that."
Michael turned to look at Harry. "He fears you now. He is no longer sure he can kill you. He knows there is something about you he doesn't understand."
Dumbledore looked around the room. "Does anyone have any additional questions?"
No one spoke. "Alistair, put him to sleep. We will deal with him later."
When Dumbledore spoke again, he addressed the room. "Very well. In a little while I shall alert the Aurors. It is important that they do not know that we were aware of the Death Eaters in our midst. As far as everyone is concerned, we knew nothing."
Harry broke in harshly, "So in other word, you want us to lie to the Aurors to cover up this fiasco."
"Harry I hardly think…"
"With all due respect Headmaster, we have two dead Death Eaters, one dead son of a Death Eater, nine injured students, one captured Death Eater, and a first year student who is dead, because you opted to allow those Death Eaters to remain in the school. Tell me Sir, what part of that would you not consider to be a fiasco?" Harry asked in a steely tone.
"Oh, we'll participate in this cover up Sir, but this is your fault," Harry continued in the shocked silence. "You are the reason why Nigel will never go home, grow up and have a life. You are the reason nine students will probably suffer through months of nightmares, as will many of the unwounded. I killed tonight because of your actions. So did Ginny and Luna. And frankly, it's made me feel used and unclean. This was unnecessary and a complete waste."
"I am sorry you feel that way Harry, but I had hoped to speak to you about the actions taken by the students. Students who were following your orders, I might add."
"Sir, what you saw tonight is not a topic for discussion. What my friends and I do during our off hours is our business, so long as we break no school rules. I know of no rules we have broken."
"Harry, I am the Headmaster of this school as well as the leader of the Order of the Phoenix. I am asking you for an explanation."
"As Headmaster, I owe you the respect of a student. As for the Order, I owe it, and you as it's leader, nothing. I am not part of that organization, nor at this point do I wish to be. I find myself in the sad position of re-evaluating your motives. I will remind you that I once offered to ally myself with you and the Order, not place myself under its command. The simple fact is, your inactions have given me grave doubts about your commitment to fight this war. I will not endanger anyone else by revealing information to someone I have very little confidence in.
"I'm sorry this had to happen Sir, but…Moody! If you reach for your wand it will be the last thing you ever do!" Harry barked.
Moody, standing behind Harry, froze, his hand hovering over his pocket. When Dumbledore motioned for Moody to relax, Harry stood.
Glancing at the Snapes, then Remus and Tonks, he said, "Headmaster, it's late and tempers are frayed. I'm going to bed before I say something you may regret."
When Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione left the office, Dumbledore slumped back in his chair like he'd been slapped.
Severus Snape arched an eyebrow at Dumbledore before speaking. "Was there anything else you wished to speak about, Sir?"
Dumbledore shook his head negatively. Serena, Severus, Remus and Tonks filed from the room.
The adults were surprised to find Harry and his friends waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs.
Severus glanced at the four students. "We need to talk."
Back in Dumbledore's office McGonagall and Moody looked at the weary Dumbledore.
"Why did you let him say that to you Albus?" Asked an irate Moody.
"Because in many ways Alistair, Harry was right. I allowed those students to remain in school when I could have removed them anytime. My decision did result in the death of an innocent muggle born student, as well as Draco's and the two others. Alas, I fear that, more importantly, this has resulted in a breach between Harry and I that may be beyond repair."
Minerva cut in. "Albus, what do you think Mr. Potter is doing with those students?"
"I do not know Minerva. What I saw tonight left me quite puzzled. Unfortunately, we have no time to dwell on these mysteries. Alistair, contact the Aurors. It's time for them to get involved."
Snapes Apartment…
Harry paced in the Snape's living room, while his friends watched nervously. Finally Remus broke the silence.
"Harry, have you calmed down now?"
"Wha…? Oh Remus, I was never that angry. Yes, I'm angry that it came to this. But most of what I said in Dumbledore's office wasn't said in anger."
Remus blinked in surprise. "Well, you sure sounded angry to me. You practically declared open war on the Order tonight by questioning Dumbledore's commitment and then threatening Moody."
"I know I did Remus, but someone has to knock some sense into them. Just how effective have they been in the last ten months? How many Death Eaters has either the Order or the Aurors captured? Six? Ten? It's a drop in the bucket to what's coming our way in barely a month's time."
Severus spoke quietly, "Harry, you know that the Headmaster will probably be working hard to figure out what you're up to at this point. The DA came very close to revealing itself tonight."
Harry ran his fingers through his hair. "I know we did. But by the same token, we couldn't have sat back and done nothing either. We'll just have to take extra precautions. I expect Mad-Eye will be roaming around under an invisibility cloak in the castle. Ron, get together with Blaise. Let's give Moody a major case of frustration. You know the charms to use."
Ron grinned wickedly at Harry.
Turning to the four adults Harry said, "I would like to thank you for your support. I know that you're putting yourself in jeopardy with the Order over this, and I wish that weren't the case. But until Dumbledore comes to grips with the idea that this is a war, we're never going to see eye to eye, I'm afraid.
"In any event, in a little over a months time, Dumbledore will either be on board, or pushed to the sidelines."
Their meeting broke up shortly after that.
The lurkers…
Classes were cancelled for several days, following the attack. Aurors interviewed a number of students and checked wands for prior spells. Slowly, things returned to normal, but for anyone looking hard enough, the subtle changes were evident.
Professor McGonagall seemed torn as her loyalties were divided. She was clearly supporting Dumbledore, but she had to admit that Harry's arguments were valid. In the end, she opted to distance herself from both sides, by adopting a cold formality when dealing with everyone. Harry, in particular, was saddened by this breach with his Head of House. He had always liked her and her distance hurt him.
Moody did spend quite a bit of time lurking about the castle. However, things were not to his liking. For one thing, an inordinate amount of students seemed to be able to spot him through his invisibility cloak and numerous illusion charms. His nerves were in tatters after only a few days, as student after student stopped to tell him hello while he tried to sneak around the castle.
If that weren't enough of an insult, he found himself constantly on the receiving end of minor pranks. On one particularly bad day, he had the length of his peg leg changed forty two times.
Harry and Dumbledore did not meet, nor speak. As the month wound down and the DA went into even more intensive training, the breach became obvious to everyone in the school. Harry continued to work closely with the Snapes and occasionally, Remus would visit, delivering advice or reading material from Jack Parsons. The pressure continued to mount on everyone. The DA knew the attack was coming but so were the OWLS and NEWTS.
It was Ginny and Hermione who finally stepped in. Both had learned that Harry was spending all but five hours per night training or pouring over old books, looking for things to improve their chances. His eyes were baggy looking, with dark circles under them. Over his objections, Ginny and Hermione called for a five day break in DA training. Harry objected, but finally agreed when all of his friends explained the need for it. People were beginning to burn out.
The DA could take the time off. But in Harry's mind, that didn't mean he was going to take the time off from his own training. With Dumbledore no longer controlling his opponents in the Room of Requirement, he was forced to increase the power and lethality of the spells used by his adversaries. And while they could never cast a killing curse, they were casting just about everything else at him.
Room of Requirement, late night, beginning of May…
Ginny was very worried. So were the rest of Harry's friends. He spent most of his time training. The few times they did see him he looked terrible. Finally, Ginny had Ron pinch Harry's invisibility cloak for her. She was going to confront him, whether he liked it or not!
It was after midnight when she silently slipped into the Room of Requirement. Harry must have heard her anyway, because he turned to look at her. That was all it took, a momentary distraction and one of his opponents hit him with a Cruciatus curse. Harry crumpled to the floor and whimpered while his opponents and the shields faded away.
Ginny watched silently. She wanted to run to him, but wouldn't, not this time. She had to make him see. She removed the cloak and held it in her arms.
Slowly Harry got to his feet. He swayed slightly and looked at her questioningly.
"Harry, change the room to something more comfortable so we can talk, please," she said softly.
Harry transformed the room. It was now the same room they had shared their romantic dinner in. She smiled briefly and waited for him to take a place on the couch before sitting down a few feet away from him. He looked surprised by that, and a little hurt.
"Gin?"
She spoke in a soft voice. "Harry, when we insisted that the DA take time off, we also meant that you stop as well. Instead, you've increased your training schedule, and increased the number of dangerous spells you're letting your opponents use.
"Ron's hacked off at you, and Hermione is scared senseless that you're going to kill yourself. Both Neville and Luna are worried as well. Even the Snapes can see you're pushing yourself too hard." She took a deep breath before continuing.
"You're killing yourself training like this, and it's killing me to see you do this to yourself. I hear you come in at night. I see you limping to your bed, exhausted, sometimes too tired to even heal your own cuts. Look at you Harry. You're sitting there, trembling from the after effects of a Cruciatus curse! I don't know how much more of this I can take. I won't stand around and watch you kill yourself."
He stiffened and scowled at her. "You don't understand. I have to be ready for this, Ginny. Even you have to see that!"
She stood and walked over to him. Grabbing him by the chin, she pulled his face up to look into her eyes. "You've been ready for months. If you keep training like this, you lose the edge you have." Seeing his doubt at her words, and the annoyance in his gaze, she sighed heavily.
"You have a choice Harry, and it's a simple one. You either stop training and rest for the next couple of weeks, or I'll give you back your ring and let you go about your life. I'm serious about this. I don't want to lose you…not to Voldemort, or your own stupidity. If you continue to train, you'll do it without my help, or me in your life. I won't watch you kill yourself."
"You'd leave me?"
"If you don't get your head out of your ass, yes. You're not a selfish person, Harry. But you asked me to marry you and we've made plans to build a life together when this is over. If you kill yourself, what happens to me, to our plans? Can't you see? This isn't just about you anymore. It's about both of us, working to build a life together.
When Ginny had first started speaking, all Harry heard was that she was going to leave him. As understanding slowly sank in, he went limp. Everything she'd said was true, he could see that now.
He shuddered. "I'll stop Gin, I don't want to lose you… I couldn't live without you…" he said in a hoarse whisper.
"I knew you had your head on straight Mr. Potter. Now then, since tomorrow is a Saturday, cast a locking charm and a silencing charm on that door and change this couch into a bed. I'm going to make sure you start getting your sleep!" She said with a smile.
He did as he was told, then he cast a cleaning charm on himself. It wasn't quite as good as a hot shower, but it did the trick. He had conjured a bed similar to the one he had at Grimmauld Place, which was big enough for four people. He didn't have his pajamas on him and for some reason he didn't think to conjure any. He just peeled down to his boxers and slipped under the blankets.
In the light cast by the fireplace, he watched Ginny slip out of her robe. She wasn't wearing anything special, just a cotton nightshirt, but to him she still looked like an angel. She slipped under the blankets and nestled up beside him, her head resting on his shoulder. He kissed the top of her head gently, murmuring, "Thank you"
She looked up at him curiously. "For what, Harry?"
But he had already fallen asleep.
Nearly eight hours later, Harry woke. During the night, he and Ginny had shifted positions and they were spooning, her back pressed into him. Harry had an arm wrapped around her, his nose in her hair.
He began to softly kiss the back of her neck. She sighed in her sleep and shifted a little closer to him. Harry was a little embarrassed, his arousal was clearly evident and the pressure her ass put on him wasn't helping.
He continued to kiss along the nape of her neck while he slid his hand up to cup one of her breasts. She was waking now, a dreamy smile on her face as she leaned back into him, allowing him more of her neck to kiss. She grabbed his hand and pressed it firmly to her breast. Through the thin material, his fingers swirled around her nipple.
His kisses along her neck were driving her crazy. Each place where his lips touched flared with tingly warmth. She sat up long enough to pull her nightshirt off before lying back down next to him. Although Harry had seen her like this before, the sight always stunned him.
With a trembling hand, he reached out to touch her cheek whispering, "You are so beautiful Gin."
Her heart skipped a beat at that. He seemed to have a strange power over her body. Every time he called her 'Gin' in that husky tone of his, her body melted.
He leaned over to kiss her softly and she wrapped her arms about him. His kiss deepened and became more passionate. She felt his tongue questing for her own. She longed for his touch, everywhere. He was nearly lying on top of her and, when she realized that it was his arousal she felt pressing against her thigh, she arched against him.
He slowly slid down her, kissing her neck, pausing to nuzzle at her breasts, gently biting and kissing each nipple. When he heard her whimper, he moved lower still, caressing her hips while he kissed her. Finally lying between her legs, he bent down and pressed his mouth up against her panties, exhaling heavily.
Ginny's mind whirled as she felt the warmth of his breath.
Stripping off the annoying garment, he kissed her, causing her entire body to shudder with pleasure. She reached down with both hands and curled her fingers into his hair. She gasped as she felt his tongue slid into her, her back arched as she tried to thrust her hips closer to him. She pulled his head closer, shuddering as he worked his tongue over her most pleasurable of places. Just as she thought it couldn't get any better, it did as he worked a finger deep into her.
It took only a few minutes of this before she climaxed, her body thrashing about. Still holding onto his hair, she pulled him up into an embrace. He held her tightly, nibbling on her neck while the aftershocks of her orgasm rippled through her.
Eventually, Ginny regained contact with the outside world and looked up at him. He was watching her carefully. She reached up tenderly, pressing her hand to his cheek. He closed his eyes and leaned into her caress.
"Someone had been studying his lessons I see," she murmured with a smile.
Pushing him over to his back and straddling him, she then proved that he wasn't the only one who'd been studying that particular chapter.
The next night…
Over the protests of everyone, Harry called a DA meeting for the following night. Ginny was ready to hex him and Hermione wouldn't speak to him at all that day.
Harry waited calmly for everyone to file in. He knew exactly what he had to do. Dumbledore was still breathing down his neck, trying to find out what he was up to.
When the room filled up, he looked out over a sea of confused and somewhat angry faces. He watched the Snapes file in, the last people to arrive. He stepped up to the front of the crowd and began to speak.
"Over the past months you've all trained long and hard. Put in long hours, trying to balance the DA with school. As we got closer to May, I pushed you guys as hard as I could, and myself even harder."
His voice lowered. "I'm truly sorry that I've made you guys go through all this, and even sorrier that we'll all be forced to test ourselves in battle before this month is out."
He paused, looking at his friends, his DA.
"I was wrong to push you guys so hard. In doing so, I endangered you all. I think that perhaps it's time for someone else to lead the DA. If you want to have someone new selected, see Hermione and she'll collect your choices."
Hermione looked startled at this. Ginny frowned at Harry.
Harry walked off the dais. Ginny following him and grabbed him by the arm. "What the bloody hell do you think you're doing, Harry?"
"Look Gin, you were right. I was pushing people too hard. I forgot the number one rule of command; take care of your people. I let myself become so focused on the goal that I endangered the lives of everyone. They deserve better than that Gin. It's in their hands now. Whatever happens, they'll be ready for it."
Ginny shook her head. "Harry how is it you and instill such confidence in others, and yet you have so little in yourself?"
He didn't know how to answer that question.
Hermione was conferring with a number of people. Finally she approached Harry and Ginny.
"They've made their choice known Harry. I think you should announce it to them."
He walked back to the center of the dais with Hermione and Ginny following.
Looking out at his friends he said, "Hermione tells me I should announce the next DA Leader…"
Hermione handed him a folded slip of parchment. He unfolded it and read 'Harry James Potter'.
He stiffened and his eyes widened. When Ginny took his hand, he looked out at the faces before him, at a loss for words.
From the crowd came Blaise Zabini's voice. "You may be a grungy Gryffindor Potter, but you've gotten us this far! And you better take us all the way!"
Hermione came up to stand next to Harry. He wrapped an arm around both of his favorite witches.
"OK DA, you've made your choice, so here's what we're going to do. Until the day of the attack, we're standing down. No meetings, no practices. I'll ask you to keep up with your early morning runs, and if you want to practice I won't stop you. I want everyone to get plenty of rest. However, for tonight, we're going to do something different!"
He altered the room right in front of them. There was a momentary dizziness as the combat areas vanished to be replaced by a long table, full of food and drinks along one wall. Smaller, more intimate tables dotted the room. Some music was playing in the background, its source not evident.
"Tonight folks, we party! We've earned it."
Author's notes:
The vision of Ginny caused Harry problems because unlike his previous encounter with the vision, he was able to get up close to her in the Pensieve. Remember that his original perspective of the vision was from an airborne vantage. Once he entered the Pensieve he was able to get a more detailed view.
Sorry, there will be no thundercats in this story. If you want thundercats, look for them on the elsewhere.
We are not responsible if in reading this story you fail to get your chores done, or complete your homework, lose sleep or any other silly nonsense. On the other hand, its nice to know people are spending their time reading this.
In regard to the Dumbledore duel scene, it was never my intent to steal someone else's work. In going back to the Awaking Power I spotted the similarities as well. I have removed that section, and burned it. Since the duel was not pivotal to the plot line, I was able to easily remove and post the chapter.
As far as the crystals go and increasing the power and range? Anything is possible, but don't look for it to happen before the end of this book. Meaning if it happens, IF, it won't happen 'til the next book.