Chapter 19
She gave him the last response that he would have expected in the world. "I know."
At the same time they both said, "But I didn't want you to feel bad."
At the same time, they said, "Oh."
Harry said, "He made a request that he be kept out of Azkaban."
Hermione was surprised that this could have been some sort of mercy killing. She asked, "Really? Who did you hear that from?"
Harry replied, "Professor Dumbledore mentioned it the other day. Who did you get your information from?"
"Myself. Mum and I estimated how much blood restorative potion that he'd taken. If he'd had a reaction such as cardio cessation, it should have happened by six AM."
Harry loved his girlfriend, but wished that shed use regular words more often. He asked, "What?"
Hermione switched out of library mode back into regular conversation mode. "If his heart was going to stop because he'd had too much potion in his system, it should have happened by 6:00 or 7:00AM at the latest. His shoulder wound in and of itself should have been unrelated to his heart stopping. So who do you think killed him?"
Harry replied, "I'd prefer to believe that it was one of the other Death Eaters who did him in." He looked at her and they both hoped that the opposite wasn't true.
After the hearing regarding the attack on the Grangers, Harry was as disillusioned with the wizarding judicial process as he could be. Harry wondered why Professor McGonagall had been there. She had nodded to them acknowledging their presence before the hearing, but had left immediately after the hearing, seemingly angry about something.
There had been no mention of the cause of Snape's death, with the obvious implication that Hermione had indeed taken the life of Death Eater Severus Snape. On the other hand, there was no mention that Snape was anything but a Death Eater. There was no mention of the Order, or that he may have done redeeming work for the light side. The only real purpose seemed to have been to drag Draco Malfoy's name through the mud and assess both estates 50,000 Galleons.
The afternoon trial was open to spectators. It seemed that the entire DA was there to watch. The former High Inquisitor was charged with two counts of attempted murder, and eleven counts of criminal abuse.
The ten weeks since Harry had last seen Umbridge, running away while getting whacked by Peeves with a walking stick, had not been kind to her. She appeared to have lost thirty pounds while in captivity and looked quite ill. Her change in appearance hadn't softened anyone's feelings towards her.
Harry showed three pensive memories - being attacked by the dementors, in detention having to use a blood quill, and Umbridge's confession of having sent the dementors after Harry. Ernie Macmillan showed a similar memory.
Umbridge said nothing in her defense. She had resigned herself to spending the rest of her life in Azkaban. She eventually received a sentence of twenty-one years in Azkaban and a fine of 11,000 Galleons. Each evening that she had placed Harry or Ernie in detention and subjected them to a blood quill would cost her a year of her life and a thousand Galleons. Harry hoped that she thought it was worth it.
Harry and Hermione visited with the other students for a few minutes after the trial was over. Dumbledore hadn't spoken to him after the end of either of the day's sessions. Harry felt like the Ministry had done little but use his and Hermione's names to collect taxes.
---------- ----------
The last trial was something of a surprise to Harry. Goyle's father, and Travers had been captured. Goyle had named Lestrange, and Pettigrew among the other raiders. Under Veritaserum, he acknowledged that Pettigrew had been a Death Eater all along, and had been in Voldemort's inner circle since Voldemort's rebirth.
Harry hoped that his acknowledgement of Pettigrew would be enough to clear his Godfather's name.
Each man had been sentenced to life in Azkaban. Even with the goblins guarding the facility, Harry wasn't sure what that really meant. He had little faith that the goblins could defend Azkaban against an organized attack on the prison.
---------- ----------
That evening, Dumbledore sat in his round office and reread the letter that he had received.
Dear Professor Dumbledore.
It is with great regret that I tender my resignation as a member of the Order of the Phoenix. I certainly support the cause, but believe that I would be best suited to fight the dark side while employed as an Auror. It had been made abundantly clear to me this year that I cannot do both. I'm sorry that I couldn't serve you better.
I wish you good health and success in your endeavors.
Tonks
Dumbledore believed that Tonks' resignation was but the tip of the iceberg. Hestia would certainly follow, and his recruiting efforts within the Ministry would grind to a halt.
He reconsidered the words that Harry's guardian had challenged him with earlier in the week. He withdrew a thin strand from the side of his head, placed it in his pensive and watched the image.
Dumbledore replied, "The prophecy clearly states that either must die by the other's hand. I don't think having a Royal airman drop a bomb on his house qualifies."
Dan was livid. "Are you saying that if I were to take a pistol out and shoot my son right now that the bullet would just bounce off? Headmaster, are you that sure of yourself?"
Dumbledore thought for a moment and replied, "No."
Dan was almost raging. "Headmaster, you broke the law taking Harry away from his rightful Godfather's care, driving him over the edge. You placed Harry in a home where he was unwanted, unwelcome, and abused for years. You left him completely in the dark regarding his resources, and his heritage. You left him completely in the dark regarding his prophesized destiny, and unless I'm completely wrong, you have no documented training regimen to help him live a full life. How in the world could you possibly expect that we would sit back and watch you bungle the next two years?"
Dan was nowhere near done with the old wizard. "You claimed that this is the second time that Voldemort has tried to rise to power. Was your plan to have Harry the infant end that war too? What was he supposed to do – blast him with a bad pair of nappies?"
Dumbledore considered two lines – For either must die at the other's hand…Will have a power that he knows not. There were several implications - No one else could kill either Riddle or Harry. Dumbledore shuddered at the test that Dr. Granger had proposed. A slight restatement would be that one or the other would kill the other, not that they couldn't be killed.
He will have a power that the other knows not. That could be interpreted as a power or skill. One possible implication would be that Harry could learn marksmanship or other skill that Riddle doesn't personally know, and kill him using it. Another is that he could use an existing skill that Riddled doesn't know about and kill Riddle using it.
By his own hand was also open to interpretation. Harry could use a fist, or choke him at one level, use a wand, or wandless magic to cast a spell, or pull a trigger.
Regarding Granger's other remarks, Albus could do little but agree with his assessments of the past and current situation. The light side was losing badly until the evening of 31 October, 1981, and aside from the battle at the Department of Mysteries, was again losing badly this time. He smiled for a moment at the mental image of Riddle choking on a pair of stinky nappies. Dr. Granger certainly had conviction, and obviously cared deeply for Harry.
When challenged to produce his written plan, Dumbledore had originally been insulted, but had to admit that he had yet to put quill to parchment and write anything down. His biggest concern was that the Grangers would act prematurely, and strike out on their own.
---------- ----------
While Dumbledore was doing his contemplations, Dan, Harry and the women were having their own conversation. Their options were virtually limitless - they could live anywhere, acquire the services of any tutor, hire a private army, have complete cooperation from the Minister of Magic, or they could return to Hogwarts to attend sixth year classes at a school that had proven dangerous to them four out of the five years that they had attended.
Emma replied, "Hermione, you don't have to do anything. First and foremost, you two owe it to yourselves to stay alive and healthy. You know that we have our biases, and we wouldn't be offended in the least if you asked for a second or third opinion. Whose advice would you seek?"
Hermione said, "I think we should talk with Professor McGonagall, Remus Lupin, and Amelia Bones." Everyone nodded in agreement. Hermione winked at her boyfriend and said, "Harry you should make the call. No one in the wizarding world would put you on hold." Everyone smiled at the truth. Harry also wrote notes to McGonagall and Lupin and gave them to Hedwig to send. Remus was invited Friday morning, Minerva Friday afternoon, Bones Saturday morning and Dumbledore on Monday morning.
---------- ----------
Remus reread the letter from Harry.
Dear Remus,
Hermione and I have been giving much consideration to our future and how we could best prepare for it. We are considering our options for the next few years at Hogwarts or outside of Hogwarts. Neither of us believes that the standard sixth or seventh year classes will help us defeat Riddle. We have always respected your opinion and ideas and were hoping that we could meet with you Friday 23 August at 8:00 AM.
Thank you.
Harry and Hermione
Remus was shocked that their relationship with Dumbledore had become so badly eroded. Despite some noise to the contrary, Dumbledore always carried on as if he had everything completely under control. Remus thought there were several shades of gray between putting a good face on a situation in front of the troops and self-delusion. He felt that the Professor might be on the far side of the scale. He penned a reply that he would be there the following morning and began thinking of alternatives for his friend's son.
---------- ----------
Minerva was saddened to read the letter that Hedwig had delivered, but like Remus, was not really surprised. She briefly considered showing the letter to Albus, but changed her mind. Enough people had broken Harry's trust during the last year, and that was not a list of people that she wished to join.
Reconsidering her first career discussion with Harry, she concluded that he wasn't likely to go into law enforcement as a career, and in the chance that he prevailed in his encounters with he-who-must, no Voldemort; Hermione would most likely have other ideas regarding how he should spend his time.
She thought for a moment – What did he really need? Certainly he needed highly specialized training on dueling with Voldemort. She vowed to herself never to refer to him by anything rather than a proper name. If Potter could muster the courage to hunt him down, she could at least have the fortitude to call that monster by his name.
She considered the former students that she knew of who might be of help to Harry. Michael Wood and Alastor Moody came to mind, but Michael was dead. She wrote her reply and sent the beautiful owl back on her way.
She also concluded that he needed some financial management training to help with his estate management. Hogwarts was poorly equipped to help in that area.
---------- ----------
Amelia had quickly agreed to Harry's requested meeting and wrote the time in her appointment book. If Harry was seriously asking for alternatives, she would do her best to present him with a wide variety of options.
She reconsidered the lecture that Dr. Granger had given to Dumbledore. Why not just bomb his house? She had read briefings from her counterparts in the Royal air force about smart bombs that had been developed. Voldemort and his Death Eaters certainly qualified as an international terrorist organization. Could she get the special services involved?
She recalled the smug look that Malfoy had on his face while being led out of the courtroom – how it had vanished the second that she informed him that his arrogant brat of a son had preceded him in death. If half the stories that Susan had told her about him were true it was just as well that the family line ended where it had.
She held the conviction that they would win this war and provide a generation of peace within the wizarding world for Susan and the witches and wizards of their generation. Hopefully it would allow the wizarding world time to get its head out of its arse and embrace the technology that the nonmagical world provided. Owls…really. Email and mobile telephones were so obviously superior.
---------- ----------
That evening Dan and Emma were walking together in the park that was behind the row houses of Grimmauld Place. Dan asked, "What can we do to best help the kids?"
Emma replied, "One thing's for certain, we can't fight their war for them, not that they appear to need much help. I think we should find someone who is military retired to consult with. I suspect that Minister Bones could identify such a person."
They held hands as they walked. This summer had brought them closer together than they had been for years. They were both desperately hoping that their family would still be as close a year from now.
They had tried very hard to separate the emotions and the facts when guiding their children, glad that they had sought out the counsel of others. Ultimately, they had reached the stage in their lived where they were making ninety five percent of their own decisions.
---------- ----------
Friday morning at eight, Dobby showed Remus into the library. After greeting everyone and getting a coffee, juice, tea and butterbeer from Winky, Remus began. "I'm sorry that the times and situation are such where the two of you would need to consider an education that Hogwarts might not be able to provide. More than the specific curriculum, it distresses me that Professor Dumbledore let your relationships slip as badly as they obviously have. Getting to point, what is it that the two of you believe that you will need to know both short term and long term?"
Harry was getting ready to say something, but Hermione spoke first. "Professor, short term we need to learn how to kill Voldemort and stay alive. Long term, we need to be able to manage Harry's estate. With respect to Voldemort, I think we would be safer trying some distance methods first rather than a face to face wizards duel."
Remus was curious. "What do you mean by distance methods?"
Hermione replied, "While we were on the plane home from Nice I read an article about a 50 calibre sniper rifle that had an effective range of 3,000 yards. That's over a mile. The slug itself is the size of my finger. He would never hear the sound of the rifle and probably never even notice if Harry missed."
Remus was not the only one amazed that the depth and breadth of knowledge that the young woman displayed. He merely could say, "Go on."
Hermione continued, "The hard part would be to think of a location where he would likely be that had an unobstructed view from a safe distance. It's more likely that he would have a shield spell around him that shielded against magical attacks than physical objects. I think that killing him that way would still satisfy the terms of the prophecy."
Dan had heard about snipers and understood the idea at least in general terms. The idea of a rifle that could reach out and touch someone from over a mile away was amazing to him. He asked, "How far do regular spells go?"
Remus replied, "It's not so much the distance as the ability to aim. If you were to compare the range and accuracy of a normal rifle compared to a revolver, you would have a reasonable comparison. Keep in mind that a wizard can almost instantly apparate from one place to another, so being able to strike him from a concealed location would be a great advantage."
Harry replied, "We could go to his home in Little Hangleton or wait for him to come to either Hogsmeade, Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade."
Dan asked, "If you know where he lives, why not just bomb his home?"
No one had a good answer, but felt that Amelia might be in a position to consider it.
Remus got people back on track. "Hermione and Harry, your letter indicated that you both were considering dropping out of school. Do you really feel that doing so would be in your best interests?"
Emma replied, "Mr. Lupin, nothing in the world would give me greater pleasure at this moment than to have Director Bones walk through the door and inform us that Voldemort was run over by a lorry and had died instantly. Everyone in this room wants nothing more than for Hermione and Harry to have a long and happy life together. It appears that they won't be able to live their lives until that monster is killed off. If you have another alternative, please say it."
Unfortunately Remus didn't have a better idea. The idea of challenging Voldemort to a proper wizards duel and firing curses at each other from a distance of twenty yards sounded like suicide. He replied, "I don't have a better idea at this moment. If there's any way in the world that I could help you, please know that I will."
They all knew that the meeting was over, and parted as friends. Remus promised not to mention their meeting to Dumbledore.
---------- ----------
Minerva tried to offer something other than an either-or recommendation. She certainly understood that Hogwarts did not offer advanced dueling, or assassination techniques, or estate management at the level that the two were seeking, but felt that they could also benefit from at least some of the standard courses that Hogwarts could offer them. She recommended that they consider taking the minimum number of classes and work with Alastor, and others two days a week.
Dan asked if it would be possible for them to take a semester or two off and return later if they choose.
Minerva replied, "Dr. Granger, if Harry and Hermione are successful, they'll be able to do anything that they wish to." The unspoken portion was if they weren't, the issue was moot.
Dan and Emma left the library and went out to the park to let the teens converse a bit more with their professor.
Hermione continued, "Professor, we're seriously considering hiring several professors and someone with military experience that can help us. Might you know of anyone who could help for the transfiguration and charms aspects?" Hermione was definitely fishing and curious to see what the result would be.
Rather than show her hand, Minerva asked, "Where are the two of you thinking of living?"
Harry replied, "I'm told that I own seventeen homes counting this one. I believe that Director Hammer will allow us to test for our apparitation licenses today if we ask for it. If we elect to go that route, we will look for the location that offers us safety as well as sufficient space and privacy to practice what we need to. Would you be interested in helping us?"
Minerva replied, "I would consider your request very carefully if you get to the point of striking off on your own. I also would do what I could to help you if you both elect to return to Hogwarts. I know that the two of you are trying to change the course of the wizarding world, and I know that your cause is worthy. I trust that this conversation will go no further than your parents. I wish you both the very best, no matter which path you choose."
Hermione recognized the magnitude of what McGonagall was offering to give up for them. The young woman hugged her mentor and said, "We can't thank you enough."
---------- ----------
About the time that Hermione was thanking McGonagall, Amelia Bones returned from her meetings with her counterparts. She explained that the terrorist cell known as black vipers were raising havoc in various parts of Britain and they would need assistance in eliminating the threat.
Tomorrow morning she would be meeting with Potter who would almost certainly be asking for help and advice. She silently cursed Fudge for his corruption and unwillingness to face unpleasant decisions throughout his career.
In reality, Riddle was as strong as he was today largely because the infrastructure that had supported him during his first rise to power had been left almost untouched. She wished that Barty Crouch hadn't been sidelined over the poor decisions of his own son all those years ago. He would have made a more effective Minister than Fudge had ever been, and twenty five of Voldemort's strongest supporters wouldn't have walked away free men using that ridiculous "I was under the Imperius curse all those years line."
'Another twist of fate,' she thought to herself. His infrastructure remained intact and had grown amazingly strong financially. Malfoy and the others maintained stewardship of fortunes that had largely never belonged to them. It was no wonder that arrogant Draco grew up thinking that he was the uncrowned prince of Sussex county. It had probably never occurred to him that the millions that his father had squirreled away out of the Ministry funds had been stolen.
She wondered if Malfoy had had mixed feelings that night fourteen months ago when he and the others had been called back into Voldemort's service. 'Perhaps the steward had begun viewing those funds as his own'? She would probably never know.
---------- ----------
Sunday morning began as another glorious summer day. Harry and the Grangers went for an early morning walk in the park with Church following along. She wondered what path Potter was planning on taking. Her original assignment was scheduled to end in a week, and while Potter and the Doctors had taken the time to be excellent hosts, a part of her was looking forward to returning to her regular duties.
---------- ----------
Ron and Ginny visited together at the former and future site of the burrow. Ginny asked, "Do you think they're serious about not going back to school?"
"No way. They'll be back," replied Ron.
"Remember what Hermione said last night?"
"No. I was watching that telly vision device. What did Hermione say?"
Frustrated, Ginny told him, She said "We wanted to let you know that we are considering our options for the fall and there is a possibility that we will not be returning to Hogwarts. Harry and I both believe that the subjects that would help us the most in the coming year are not those that the school can offer. As such, we are looking at private tutors either on a full time basis, which would cause us to withdraw from school, or on a part-time basis, which might allow us to remain at Hogwarts. Please respect our wishes on this and don't mention it to anyone."
Ron was almost in a panic. "Who will we eat with? Who will help me with my homework?"
"Ron, you're a prat," said Ginny. "Can't you think of anyone but yourself?" She stood to face her brother. "They must be feeling crushed from the weight of the world that's been laid on them and you're worried about who will sit by you at the lunch table. Lavender will sit by you. Neville will help you with your homework if you asked him. Now that the really urgent issues have been discussed, can we figure out a way to help Hermione and Harry?"
"What should we do?" asked Ron.
"They said they were busy tomorrow and we'll have to help Mum and Dad again on Monday. Let's talk with them Monday night."
"OK."
---------- ----------
Amelia arrived right on time. Dobby showed her in, while Winky served tea biscuits. She began, "Based on your telephone conversation, I did some checking with my collogues at the other branches of government. It would be possible to attend specialized training at the Bassingbourn facility. They could provide training in basic marksmanship, and then specialized training in either the L96 sniper rifle or the 50-calibre rifle that you mentioned in your telephone conversation. Between the stealth techniques that they could train you on and those available in the wizarding world, you could remain hidden for a long period of time."
Dan considered her words for a moment and replied, "Hitting him would be one thing, getting him out in the open might be another."
Emma remained silent as Bones and Dan discussed assassination logistics in the same manor as they might discuss a filling technique. For Harry and Hermione, it was a bit more personal. They, or at least Harry would be the one to kill or be killed. She held both of her children's hands and prayed that he would somehow be successful in his awful task.
Finally they finished, and Hermione asked if she knew anyone that might be able to assist them in estate and investment management. Amelia replied, "Auror Tonks' father works in that field. I will find a telephone number for him and let you know. Is there anything else? If not, please contact me in the next few days and let me know how I might be able to help."
"Thank you, Minister," said Harry. "We all appreciate your candor and the work that you've done."
Bones replied, "It is I who needs to be thanking the four of you. Enjoy your day."
"Cheers," replied Dan.
---------- ----------
Sunday noon found Dan and Harry finishing their round. Emma and Hermione had gone with, not to play, but to be with their men. They both smiled at the friendship that had developed between Dan and Harry. It was inconceivable to Hermione what attracted them to the game, but they both obviously loved it.
Afterward they went out for a nice lunch along with Auror Shepard who was guarding them for the day. Harry had come to enjoy pepperoni pizza. The Dursleys had never taken him out to a Pizza Hit, or any restaurant for that matter. Harry wished that the Weasleys could have come with, but respected that they had a lot of work of their own to do planning their home.
As the women were coming back from the salad bar Dan said, "Emma and I will respect any decision that you and Hermione arrive at. If you want to go back to school in Scotland, we'll stay here or go to the States. If you want us nearby we'll be there for you."
"Thanks," said Harry. Dan knew that he meant it.
Harry continued, "Perhaps the professor will have thought up a better plan and be willing to tell us about it." Dan waited in silence for a moment to let him continue. Hermione would know more about it, but he…"
"I'd know more about what?" asked the bright eyed, bushy haired young woman.
"How Dumbledore finished off Grindelwald," answered Harry.
"You could ask him about the details, but Grindelwald was killed in his castle in the Bavarian Alps early in 1945. The Second World War ended a few months later."
---------- ----------
As Harry was eating his fourth slice of pepperoni, Moody was visiting the headmaster. Moody asked, "So how do you expect Potter to kill Voldemort? To my knowledge, no one's beaten him in a proper duel, he's a dirty fighter, and from what you told me last year, their wands won't even work properly against each other."
"I will get him another wand or perhaps a staff and train him to fight him when the time is ready."
Moody's eye swiveled around in disbelief. He questioned, "That's the plan that you've come up with? You're going to teach him dueling in your spare time?"
"Yes. We both have other obligations. I have my responsibilities with the Wizengamot and the school. Harry has his other classes to attend to. I believe I could help him two or three evenings a week."
Moody said little, and asked, "How long do you anticipate that he would need before he was ready?"
Dumbledore considered his question and replied, "A year. Perhaps two. It is a shame that he allowed himself to become so distracted these last few months."
Moody asked, "Can the castle withstand an attack when Voldemort comes for you? He may have had a setback with the loss of his top Death Eaters, but you can't believe that he'll sit still for eighteen months until you let him know that Potter's ready."
Dumbledore responded, "It's the best plan that we have."
Moody said nothing.
---------- ----------
At nine AM on Monday, Dumbledore apparated to the back of 12 Grimmauld Place. As he was turning the knob to let himself in, he thought better, and gently knocked. Dobby the house elf immediately opened the door and greeted him. "Good morning Professor sir. You is expected. Please come in."
"Dumbledore smiled. "How are you, Dobby?"
"Dobby likes working for Harry Potter Professor Sir. Harry Potter and the others are good to Dobby and Winky."
"Good. Will you be coming back to the castle next week when Harry and Miss Granger return for fall term?"
The little elf replied, "Harry Potter has not said anything to Dobby, Professor sir. Dobby will ask him later. They are waiting for you in the library."
Dumbledore walked into the library a bit less sure of himself, but tried not to show it. Instead, he greeted them with eyes twinkling.
"Good morning, Professor," said Hermione.
Harry looked at Dan who nodded slightly and began. "Professor, Hermione and I as well as our parents believe that we are in need of some training that we're not likely to find in herbology or potions class. We are hoping that you have been giving serious consideration to a method that I can use to kill Voldemort and live to talk about it."
Dumbledore replied, "Be assured that I have Harry. Regarding options what have you considered?"
Harry said, "I basically see two options – fight Riddle sooner or fight him later. If I wait a few years, we could move to the States or Australia and train up properly. If I fight him earlier then I'll need full time training in military skills, dueling and some specialty spells. Either way, I want to be in a position to fight him on my own terms. What are your suggestions?"
"I would like to tutor you several evenings a week. I would recommend that you take potions, transfiguration, charms and healing. If you wish to play Quidditch, I will schedule our sessions around your practice sessions. I would also like to arrange Occlumency lessons for you as soon as school starts."
Dan asked, "How do you see Voldemort being defeated, Professor?"
Dumbledore replied, "I anticipate that in eighteen to twenty four months Harry may have acquired the skills necessary to best Riddle in a duel."
Dan asked, "How many people will have died in the mean time?"
Dumbledore rubbed his forehead. This was a question that no one wanted to hear the answer to. He replied, "Hundreds. Perhaps thousands will have died before Harry is ready to duel with Riddle and have at least an even chance of surviving. Those are the unfortunate facts in this situation."
Hermione was so torn. Almost everything that she had worked for in the last five years was leading up to acing the NEWTs and being Head Girl. They were goals that still held real value for her, yet she didn't think that she could live with herself if she allowed Harry to delay acquiring the skills needed to kill that evil man.
She knew that Harry was in line to assume the position of Quidditch captain this year and Head Boy next year. In reality, their childhoods had been stripped away from them, and most likely, neither of them would ever have Head anything as honors. She realized their destiny would most likely place Order of Merlin awards next to their name, living or dead.
There really was nothing more to be said. Dumbledore had made his offer as had the others. Harry said, "Thank you Professor for coming out. I need to talk out our options with Hermione and our parents. Whatever we decide to do, I know that we can count on your help."
Dumbledore could never recall being dismissed by a student before, but there was a first time for everything. He said, "I will expect you both on the first of September unless I receive notice to the contrary. I wish you all the best." With that said, he got up walked out the door and apparated back to the station.
---------- ----------
Harry went to the kitchen and asked Winky to bring a tray of butterbeers and tea. After he walked back into the study and closed the door he asked Emma for her advice. She gave it, and ten minutes later Dan gave his. After they were done Emma said, "We need to make some calls to our Surgery. You two have a lot to discuss. We'll support any decision that you make. We'll catch up with you at lunchtime. It's a lovely day. Maybe you two should take a stroll in the park."
Taking their advice they walked out the door with Shepard following a dozen steps behind. Hermione asked, "Are you sure about this?"
Harry said, "I'm positive, but I'll follow your advice."
Hermione said, "Let's go tell Mum and Dad. We'll have to get our book lists and do some shopping. Remember, you promised Dad that you'd take him to Gringotts."
---------- ----------
The first of September arrived. Arthur loaded the trunks into the boot of Dan's BMW. Shepard sat in the front seat as the four teens chatted amicably in the back. Molly had ridden with Dan and Emma in her car. They watched with interest as the six of them passed through the brick barrier of platform. They waved at friends until it was time to get on the Hogwarts Express. Parents and friends hugged with promises of owls.
Harry saw Professor Dumbledore approach. There had been quite a bit of extra security this time, but fortunately there had been no incidents. He asked, "Are you certain that you won't reconsider?"
Harry and Hermione shook their heads and replied, "No thanks."
Dumbledore really didn't expect that they would change their minds. Instead he said, "There will always be a place for both of you at Hogwarts. Good luck. "They shook hands and parted as friends, knowing that they had a common enemy and similar goals even if the methods that they had selected were different.
---------- ----------
A/N
Serious action in the next chapter. Be prepared.
You have been given all of the clues. How does it end?
Abraxan's The Refiner's Fire and the follow on story are fantastic.