Disclaimer: J. K. Rowling owns the Harry Potter Universe all other claimants to anything to do with the H.P. story are simply hangers on to her glory. I thank her for allowing us mere mortals to play in her world and I promise that while I have Harry in my care nothing bad will happen to him. I will leave that to J.K.R. herself in her books.
LOVE CONQUERS ALLChapter 12 To Hogwarts.
Two weeks had passed since their last visit, as a group, to Diagon Alley, that had been the day of the battle outside Gringotts Wizarding Bank and the Bank was where they were heading now. Before school started they needed to withdraw funds to last them for the next school year, the extra excitement for some of them was their accounts were new and they had never previously visited their vaults.
On their way through Diagon Alley, Harry made all of them come into the bag shop again; the owner greeted them warmly and said. "It was you wasn't it that captured those Death eaters?" When they had acknowledged this fact she told them that the last two bags were free and picking up the yellow bag said to Luna. "I bet that this one is yours?"
Harry nodded and Luna smiling was charmed to her bag and then shop owner did the same for Neville, when she had finished she came around the counter and kissed each of them on the cheek and told them that in future she would always give them all, the very best prices she possibly could.
Ron was the first one up to the counter in the bank and he asked how much money he had, the Goblin who had been very friendly, for a Goblin, told him that he had ninety two thousand Galleons. Ron looked confused and said that he thought he should only have eighty seven thousand. The goblin told them that the shopkeepers in Diagon Alley had made a collection for them, which had resulted in them each receiving another five thousand Galleons.
Ginny asked. "Why on earth should they do a thing like that that and so much money?"
Hermione quickly answered her, "Because to have the trouble and to have it quelled quickly, efficiently and quietly is as good for their business, as a long drawn out affair would have been bad for it. Also we can only suppose that the substantial amount of the reward is an indication of how much of a problem it might have been, had the trouble not been snuffed out quickly."
x-x
Harry didn't need to go to his vault because he still had more than enough money for the term, so he went with Hermione to hers, Ginny came in their cart with them, it was the first time she had ever been to her own vault although she had, had it for some time and when she saw the piles of Galleons her eyes were alight. She took about fifty Galleons and told Harry and Hermione that it was about five times what she would normally have to last her for a year, Harry poked his tongue out at her and told her to stop moaning so she started making faces at them and between their silly exchanges the three of them were giggling all the way back to the surface.
The Group all met up again in the main banking hall and from there they went to the ice-cream parlour where Florean served them with the largest Sundae's any of them had ever seen and refused to let them pay. As they were sat there chatting and eating their ice creams, Parvati's sister Padma stopped by she was with Lavender Brown. Ron started talking boastfully to them about capturing the Death Eaters and Lavender was commiserating with Ron that none of them had received any reward. Hermione stopped Ron and Parvati telling the other two girls about the rewards they had received.
After Padma and Lavender had left, Parvati wanted to know why she shouldn't tell her sister what reward she had received, Hermione explained to her that they had no problem with her sister or her parents knowing what rewards they had collected. The problem was Lavender, the 'Gryffindor Gossip Queen', if she finds out it will be headlines in tomorrow's Daily Prophet and we don't need that kind of publicity, Parvati understood immediately and agreed, asking them all to make sure that she kept her tongue in check in future.
Harry thought that he better have a word with Ron about him chatting up other girls if he wanted to remain on good terms with Parvati. However as soon as the posse of girls went to the Loo Neville told Ron virtually what Harry had been thinking, Harry was relieved that it was coming from someone other than him and he only had to go along with Neville. Ron on the other hand didn't seem too impressed and Harry thought he should have a quiet word with Ginny, and then he decided that as long as things were calm, he would leave it until after her OWL examinations.
One thing Ginny didn't need at the moment was any more stress than her schoolwork.
The girls came back and they were ready to leave so they went back to the Leaky Cauldron then Flooed to the flat for dinner and a quiet evening relaxing. Tomorrow was Saturday and Monday the OWLs were scheduled to start for Ginny and Luna.
At breakfast on Saturday morning three school owls arrived, one each for Ginny, Luna and Tonks. Ginny's and Luna's were virtually the same, Monday morning Defence Against the Dark Arts Written followed by Practical. Monday afternoon Charms Written followed by Practical. Tuesday morning Transfiguration Written followed by Practical. Tuesday afternoon Herbology Written followed by Practical. Wednesday all morning was Potions Practical and the afternoon Potions written followed by Care of Magical Creatures. Thursday morning, Ginny would have Ancient Runes and Luna would have Arithmancy, followed by The History of Magic, which they would both have. Thursday afternoon would be free until eleven p.m. then it would be Astronomy Practical. Friday morning was free with in the afternoon Astronomy Written.
"Quite a busy week," said Hermione, Luna and Ginny agreed but said that it was pretty much as they had expected.
Tonks told them that her letter was about the Logistics of the operation, the first thing they had to decide was whether they were all going to sleep at Hogwarts or the flat. Tonks reminded them that because of the compressed time scale, the exams would be starting at eight o'clock in the morning. After a very short debate it was decided that the most practical thing would be for them all to stay at Hogwarts for much of the week. Tonks told them that in that case, they had to go to Hogwarts on Sunday afternoon after they had had lunch so that Luna could be resorted, hopefully into Gryffindor.
There was also a request that they all go today for lunch at the Burrow, so we have three hours what would Ginny and Luna like to do and they both said Potions. Dutifully Hermione and Tonks spent the morning helping Ginny and Luna with Potions before going by Floo to the Burrow for lunch.
When they arrived at the Burrow Parvati's sister and her parents were there, Parvati went straight over to them and they could hear that the first thing that she did was apologise and explain to Padma about Lavenders untamed tongue. Mr and Mrs Granger were waiting for Hermione and Mr Lovegood, Luna's dad, was waiting for Luna, he seemed very proud of her taking her OWLs a year early and he even came round to the idea of her trying to be resorted into Gryffindor, because all her friends were there.
By about three Molly could see that Ginny was getting really restless and wanted to go back to her studies, so she told them to go on, Luna, Neville, Parvati and Ron stayed at the Burrow and the rest of them went back to the flat to help Ginny.
Mrs Granger had been having a whinge at Hermione about her going so soon, but Harry had interrupted and told her that Hermione was the cleverest one of all of them. So really we need her for the teaching, you should be very proud of her, he had told Mrs Granger, who had smiled in a satisfied manner and was somewhat mollified.
Ginny was straight into Potions again as soon as they arrived back at the flat, Luna and Neville arrived at about four and Luna immediately went in and joined Ginny at her Potions. Ron and Parvati never arrived back until about nine thirty; they were barely being civil to each other and neither of them looked very happy.
Sunday morning was spent much the same way as Saturday afternoon had been with Ginny and Luna deciding what it was they wanted help with and the others providing it in any way they could until midday when they stopped for lunch. Harry reminded Dobby that they would all be going to Hogwarts that afternoon for the next week and Dobby said that he would go there when he had cleaned and tidied up after they had left.
After lunch they all went and packed the things they would require for their week at Hogwarts, they released their owls and told them to meet them at Hogwarts and then went and Flooed to the back room of The Three Broomsticks pub in Hogsmeade.
x-x
From the back room of The Three Broomsticks they were going to use their brooms to fly to the school, they had all packed their things in their magic bags. So the only other thing that needed to be carried was Crookshanks in his basket and Tonks had him suspended beneath her broom.
Tonks had prearranged a formation for them. Ginny was in the lead to set a very steady pace, behind and at as low an altitude as they wanted, side by side were Hermione and Neville, behind them at the same altitude to keep an eye on them was Luna, High left Ron with Parvati High right (the Lake side), Harry was flying very high to keep a lookout this left Tonks in the rear.
Neither Hermione nor Neville had been on a broom since their first year flying lessons.
Their course was to take them around the lake not over it and Ginny had decided that the easiest thing to do would be to just follow the road. So they set off at a very steady pace, which was actually being determined by the speed, that Hermione and Neville seemed happiest at. Harry was watching them and signalling to Ginny asking her to adjust her speed to match theirs, it was all working fine except that Ron kept creeping forward, wanting to go faster and Tonks had to call him back into position eight times.
When they had landed at the doors to the castle Neville and Hermione looked particularly pleased with themselves, this was by far the furthest either of them had ever flown, the others all came up to them and were congratulating them. Harry gave Hermione a big hug and kiss then he told her how proud he was of her and Luna did very much the same for Neville.
All except for Tonks and Ron, Tonks had collared Ron as soon as he had landed and asked him what he thought he was doing, couldn't he even keep a simple slow formation?
Then Ron said, "Blinking Voldemort isn't going to attack us here."
Tonks was livid and responded, "So you are suddenly the worlds leading expert on what Voldemort is or isn't going to do are you? Then I suggest that you leave here and go get a job in the Ministry, they will pay you really well for telling them what Voldemort is about to do. If you cannot follow simple orders then you will have to leave the group, we cannot have one person putting the lives of the rest of the team in danger."
Ron was about to respond but Ginny started on him first, "Ron I know you are my brother, but I am fully behind Tonks if you won't follow simple instructions then you will have to go. And before you use your tongue to stick yourself out on a limb, with no way back, I am certain that Harry and Hermione feel the same way and a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. There is only one thing that matters and that is defeating Tom Riddle, Voldemort."
She turned away from Ron immediately Harry and Hermione put their arms around her, they knew how difficult that had been for her to do, she dearly loved her brother and she had done this to save Harry having to do it.
x-x
The Headmaster and the Deputy Headmistress had come out of the imposing doors and were coming down the main steps to the castle to meet them.
"Good afternoon to you all," Professor Dumbledore said, "shall we all go to my study for Miss Lovegood's sorting," his eyes were twinkling brightly. As they were heading up the stairs Professor's Sprout and Flitwick, obviously coming to the sorting as well, joined them.
When they entered Professor Dumbledore's office Fawkes, the Headmasters Phoenix, flew straight over and perched on Harry's shoulder and started rubbing his head on Harry's face, everyone was watching, puzzled and eventually Fawkes flew off back to his perch.
When the room had settled Professor McGonagall said very formally, "We have the Headmaster, Three heads of house's, three prefects and four impartial witnesses. I declare we have a Quorum for a sorting ceremony, does anybody object?" they were all shaking their head's.
Professor McGonagall moved the three-legged stool to the middle of the room and Luna sat on it, the Deputy Headmistress turned to pick up the sorting hat and jumped back when very loudly it said, "If you are going to put me on Miss Lovegood's head, there is no doubt that I will put her in Gryffindor House and a very good Gryffindor she will make, good luck to you my girl."
"Well there you have it, over before it had really begun," the Headmaster said smiling, and everybody started talking.
Harry went over and took Dumbledore's hand as if shaking it, "It appears that Fawkes and Myrddin are old friends and Fawkes told me, that if ever anything should happen to you, would you object if he adopted me as his new master?"
In the middle of this mental conversation, Fawkes had flown over and perched on the Headmaster's shoulder and he replied,
"Nothing would give me greater pleasure Harry."
Harry released Dumbledore's hand and carried on normally, "Can someone please tell us, what the Gryffindor common room password is?"
Professor McGonagall said, "It is Myrddin Emrys," and she gave Harry a rare smile, "and all the Gryffindors should come with me and you too Tonks, to see what the sleeping arrangements will be for this special examination period."
As they were leaving the Headmaster said, "Thank you all for attending and Mr Potter I need to speak with you just for a moment." Everyone else departed leaving Harry with the Headmaster, and then he continued, "Harry, Professor McGonagall knows of Myrddin's Ring, however she does not know the full extent of its power, or of the telepathic abilities it imparts to you and Miss Granger, so please try to keep it as quiet as possible."
With the mere mention of Myrddin's ring all the portraits on the office wall, which throughout the previous proceedings had been pretending to be asleep, suddenly stopped pretending to sleep and started talking noisily amongst themselves.
After a moments pause Harry said, "I have just told Hermione hopefully there shouldn't be a slip up."
The portraits were really becoming very noisy now and Dumbledore said, "Shut up you lot I will explain everything I know to you all, in a minute. Harry I think that you had better be on your way, I have to shut up the rabble."
Harry smiled, at all the ex-headmasters being called a rabble, he said goodbye then hurried to the Gryffindor common room and he was only just behind the others as they went through the portrait hole.
When the party entered the common room the established Gryffindors realised that some of the regular furniture had been removed to allow room for a dining table with a dozen chairs.
Harry was especially glad to be back here it still felt as much like home as anywhere and it was extremely comfortable and very friendly.
Professor McGonagall told them that they would be taking their meals in the common room and probably she and the Headmaster would be joining them certainly for evening meals, together with any of the other staff members who happened to be in the castle and wanted some company at their evening meal.
Then she continued, with a very prim look. "I have been informed that you are to be allowed to sleep where you wish and Tonks there is a room which is normally for the Head Girl, you may use that if you want too, I must say that I thoroughly disapprove of these arrangements and sleeping practices will certainly revert to normal as soon as the new term begins. If you require anything further you may call Mr Potter's house elf, who I am sure, will be only too pleased to attend to your requirements.
Miss Lovegood and Miss Weasley your OWL examinations will begin tomorrow morning in the Great Hall at eight o'clock and school robes will be worn, the practical will follow the theory. Also I will wish both of you the very best of luck, what you are attempting is very difficult, you will have to achieve ten or more OWL points to be allowed to move up into the sixth year."
Tonks then said confidently, "Well I expect each of them to get three OWL's from Defence Against the Dark Arts, Charms and Transfiguration, so then they only need another one each, that should be no problem."
Minerva was obviously slightly rattled, "It will require a quite exceptional Transfiguration skills to obtain the third OWL in that subject."
"Well Professor," Ginny said seriously, "what would be the type of thing that would be required?"
Professor McGonagall thought for a moment, then suggested. "How about transfiguring this chair into a cow?"
Then Ginny said with a small smile, "Do you prefer a Jersey," swish and with each succeeding swish the cow-changed breed.
"Or Guernsey," swish.
"Or Hereford," swish.
"Or Aberdeen Angus," swish.
"Or maybe a Western Longhorn," swish.
"Stop, stop, the Headmaster has told me that you had improved somewhat, but that was really most impressive Miss Weasley." Professor McGonagall now had a big smile on her face.
Then Ginny, also smiling said, "I am glad that you stopped me then, I couldn't think of any more breeds, of cows," swish and the cow was a chair again and with another wave of her hand she cleared up the mess one of the cows had made on the floor.
"Right Miss Lovegood would you like to give me a treat now, how about horses?"
"I'm," swish.
"Not," swish.
"Very," swish.
"Good," swish.
"With," swish.
"Horses," swish, "sorry I don't know what they all are called." With each swish of her wand a different size, colour or shape of horse had appeared, "and I am not entirely sure that a Zebra is really a horse at all."
"It's alright Miss Lovegood I was sufficiently impressed, maybe, with the Headmaster's permission, we can all go down to the Great Hall after dinner and you can all show us what you are capable of, I shall see you in about an hour for dinner."
With that Professor McGonagall clambered out of the portrait hole.
-x-
"Wooaahhh, I don't think she liked that too much at first, did she," Tonks said, "so, lets go and work out where we are all going to sleep."
The group all went up the girls' staircase to what was normally Hermione and Parvati's dormitory and was now identified as sixth year girls and it had, had two beds added which Parvati pointed out.
Then Luna said, "Ginny would you mind if I was nearest the window?" Ginny assured her that she didn't mind.
Tonks asked, "So can I sleep in this bed?" indicating Hermione's, "That will force you to sleep in the Head Girls room with Harry, if you want to of course."
Hermione blushed deep red and she smiled shyly at Harry
Then Parvati said. "What's the matter Hermione? It was not a problem in the flat."
"But this is different, it's school," Hermione said still blushing.
Then Tonks asked Ron and Neville, "Why don't you two sleep this side as well?" so the two boys went down one level and put their things in Ginny's old room which would become, at the start of the next school year, the fifth year girl's room.
Hermione and Harry put their things in the Head Girls room, then they all went back down to the common room to lounge around until dinner, in the main they were discussing what they would not reveal this evening. One thing Harry was adamant about was that none of them was to let slip the fact that they could become invisible or displaced at will, this was too useful a secret to make generally known.
The Headmaster and Professors McGonagall, Flitwick, Sprout and Snape arrived for dinner and when they had all sat down the House Elves arrived to serve their meal.
Among the elves was Dobby, looking very sheepishly at Harry he said, "Mr Harry Potter sir. The chief house elf said that I is to call you this when we are at Hogwarts, he said when we was not here I could call you whatever I wanted, so please forgive me Mr Harry Potter sir."
"It's alright Dobby, if those are the rules, then that is what you must do, I will not hold it against you." Dobby looked extremely relieved and started helping to serve the meal, insisting that none of the other House Elves were allowed to serve either Harry or Hermione.
All the teachers were smiling at Harry's exchange with Dobby and after the elves had left Professor Snape asked him what that had been about. So Harry explained to him about the trouble he had had getting Dobby to call him Harry sir, instead of Mr Harry Potter sir, but now we appear to be back to square one.
After the assorted group had all finished eating Professor Dumbledore was smiling, he said that he had to go now and he asked them to please come down to the Great Hall in fifteen minutes, then he departed through the portrait hole.
A quarter of an hour later the large party all left the Gryffindor common room to go down to the Great Hall and when they arrived there, there were five people they did not know waiting for them. The vaguely familiar visitors were introduced to the students as their OWL examiners; this immediately made Luna and Ginny quite nervous.
But Harry soothed them, "This is only a demonstration, it doesn't count for or against the examinations, so there is no need for you to be at all wound up."
After about two hours of destroying target walls, conjuring chairs, transfiguring cows, horses, sheep and such like they eventually cleared up all their mess and went over to talk to their audience.
Then Harry asked the examiners, "Is there anything in particular that you would like us to do for you?"
Professor Tofty a very old examiner said. "I would love a cup of Earl Grey tea." Ginny came forward smiling, flicked her hand and produced a silver tray with a steaming silver teapot, sugar in a silver bowl, a teacup and saucer also a plate with assorted biscuits, mainly Jammy Dodgers. With her free hand she then produced a small table in front of the examiner and she placed the tea and biscuits before him.
She poured him a cup and he tasted it, then he looked straight at Ginny and said, "Will you marry me?"
Ginny giggled and one of the female examiners said, "Tofty, behave yourself." Looking at Luna she said, "I would like English Breakfast tea please," Luna proceeded to do what Ginny had done with the addition of a small jug of milk on the tray.
Smiling Professor Tofty said to Ginny, "That's the wife, she has been awkward for the last 117 years."
"We have been married for 120 years, you old fool."
"I know that," Professor Tofty said still smiling at Ginny, "you were alright for the first three." Ginny couldn't help giggling again.
Then Luna nervously interrupted, "The tea should be alright, I have had English Breakfast tea once, but now I only like Abernethy Biscuits."
The examiner tasted her tea and a biscuit and said, "Would you all go over and talk to your teachers for a few minutes, we need to discuss something between ourselves."
The students all went across and started talking to the teachers, Professor Flitwick said, "That old woman who has just conjured herself two cups tried both lots of tea and is eating biscuits like there is no tomorrow is called Mme Griselda Marchbanks, she is the head of the examining board, if you can impress her you have won the jackpot."
With that Mme Marchbanks called them all over, the teachers followed, she asked Luna, "What did you say those biscuits were called?"
Luna replied, "They are called Abernethy Biscuits Professor, they are muggle biscuits, Hermione taught me how to make them, because I like them, but hers are much better than mine."
Mme Marchbanks looked directly at Hermione and said, "Your Hermione Granger aren't you, I tested you in the summer, would you please, do us the honour, of producing some more biscuits for us."
With a smile Hermione said, "I am indeed Hermione Granger and it would be my pleasure." With a flick of her hand two plates, piled high with biscuits, appeared one on each table, the examiners and the teachers were eating the biscuits.
Mme Marchbanks said. "Well my dears, we have some good news for you, Miss Lovegood and Miss Weasley we have decided to award you the maximum three owl points each for Defence Against the Dark Arts, Charms and Transfiguration," Tonks was beaming, "there will be no need for any written examination, some of the things you can do are way beyond NEWT level. This means that you could reschedule your other examinations, would you be prepared to take your practical astronomy starting in say an hour from now and then your written astronomy could be at two o'clock tomorrow afternoon?"
Ginny and Luna looked at each other and then at virtually the same time said, "Yes please."
So their OWLs started early.
PLEASE REVIEW and thank you.