Chapter 32: The Research Continues
Gabrielle was researching in the heads common room since the Slytherin common room was too noisy. She had a new idea for a charm to defeat Voldie and didn't want to be interrupted. She had been studying the protections that Lily Potter had placed upon Harry that were part of the reason why the killing curse bounced off him. It was an ancient protective charm that used to be placed on children to keep them safe from evil. Combined with her sacrificing herself for him it caused the killing curse to rebound to Voldemort. Gabrielle had decided a modified charm could break through all the protective layers Voldemort had protecting himself. All his layers were dark magic and she intended to hit them with a burst of white magic.
"Draco, can you look at this please," she called to her fiancé who was working on the other side of the room.
"What is it babe?" He asked her as he sat down next to her with a smile. He loved how she was so dedicated to her work.
"I have an idea and I want your opinion before I present it to the order," she told him handing him her notes and started to explain the process. "If it works, he should at least be just as venerable as regular wizards and at most be blown to pieces."
"I think the concept has merit based upon what happened to Quirrell when he touched Harry." Draco told her, "I also like this concept of white magic as the opposite of dark magic. No one has ever really explored this side of magic before that I know of."
"I don't think so either," she said. "I couldn't find any information about 'good magic' versus 'evil magic' which surprised me since I can't be the first person to have thought of the concept."
"How would a spell of this nature work?" He asked her curiously as he continued to read over her notes.
"Harry would project his love towards Voldie and the spell would amplify it and concentrate it. I will need help from the other professors to created the spell but I think it has a much better chance of working than trying to find some obscure spell that I'm not sure even exists." She told him with a smile.
"Have I told you lately that you are an amazing witch and that I love you?" Draco said before kissing her soundly. He couldn't believe the wonderful woman before him was to be his wife. She was one of the smartest witches he had ever met and she was his, he still didn't think he deserved her.
"Yes you tell me every day and I tell you how much I love you as well," she said with a laugh. "Will you come with me to talk to Albus?"
"Sure love lets go," he said helping her off the couch as they made their way to the headmaster's office.
Severus approached his master and bowed low, "My Lord," he said in greeting.
"Severus, come forward," the Dark Lord said and motioned to his left where Severus took his place in the circle. "I have heard that you were forced to take a mudblood as an apprentice, is this true?"
"Yes My Lord, Dumbledore the meddling old man saw fit to assign Potter's mudblood as my assistant since she wishes to become a potions mistress." Snape told him trying to infuse his voice with venom and dislike. "She has the highest marks of all the students in my classes so I had no recourse but to accept the old fool's decision."
"What has she been working on? Anything we can use or anything that needs to be destroyed?" Voldemort asked looking into Severus' mind to find the answers.
"She is just a silly little girl my lord, her greatest ambition is to have her own line of beauty products. She has started with hair care potions and has succeeded in making a potion to tame her wild mane of hair as well as a potion that will clean the worst of any man's hair as well." He told him making sure to keep the images of Hermione bottling the potions in his mind.
"You tried her potions yourself?" Voldemort asked him accusingly.
"Yes my lord," Severus said knowing he would most likely be punished for that. "The potion was successful as it completely removed any excess oil and all potion traces from my hair."
"What is the mudblood working on now?" Voldemort asked realizing that the girl did not seem to be much of a threat if all she cared about was what normal teenage girls worried about, looks and boys.
"She is creating another hair potion, this one to make hair sleek and smooth. She has ideas for three or four more hair care potions to go in her line of products. She has named her potions 'Princess Potions' and 'Princely Potions' and her business enterprise 'Royal Endeavors Ltd.'." Severus knew that the name of her business would make him angry.
"Explain," Voldemort said, he hated thinking of the royal family. They were his biggest threat wherever they were. Even Potter was more of an annoyance to him than the royals were. He feared their powers.
"She thinks it's a cute name my lord, she thinks it will sell well. In the muggle world things associated with royalty always sell better so she thinks the same will be true in our world," Severus told him.
"Very well, keep me informed if she strays at all from this beauty product research. I would be surprised if the old fool doesn't use her to develop some potion against us."
"He has tried to get me to research for him my lord but I always tell him it is impossible. He would ask me first before some slip of a girl. He still trusts me explicitly and I have given him no reason to doubt my loyalty." He told him.
The rest of the Death Eater meeting went slowly. Severus tried not to be bored with the reports from the other Death Eaters. It seemed the campaign to gain members was failing as the other countries were banding together somehow against them. They were also loosing their hold in the ministry of magic thanks to all the information Severus had found in Malfoy Manor. By the end of the meeting most of the death eaters had been punished for their lack of progress. Pansy Parkenson was punished since she did not recruit the three girls from Beauxbattons that she had been sent to get. It was amusing to Severus to hear her screams but sad that he had not been able to sway her to the light before it was too late.
Severus made his way to Albus' office to tell him of the meeting. He opened the door to find Draco and Gabrielle just sitting down. "Severus, was there a meeting? Did everything go as planned?" Albus asked him offering them all lemon drops and a glass of tea.
"He was unimpressed by Hermione's research and I have convinced him she is just a typical young girl only interested in her looks. The rest of the meeting was his followers reporting their failures to recruit new members. It seems the resistance is gaining speed. The death eater numbers are not growing nearly as quickly as he projected or needs." Severus told him.
"Good to hear," Albus said glad that Victor Krum seemed to be doing his part. "So he does not plan an attack on Hermione and did not punish you?"
"No, he believes that it was you who forced me to take her on and as far as I know there are no plans to attack her or any other student at the moment." Severus said and them turned to his students with an inquiring eyebrow raised.
"I think I may have an idea to bring down Voldie," Gabrielle told them and Severus sat down wanting to hear more as Dumbledore leaned eagerly forward in his chair. Gabrielle explained her ideas to the two professors in detail and then paused to get their reactions. Severus was rubbing his chin deep in though while Albus had leaned back in his chair to stare at the ceiling.
"I think it's exactly what we have been looking for," Albus finally answered. "We will need to work to refine it of course, but never the less it was a brilliant idea."
"Thank you sir," she said with a smile at being called brilliant by the most powerful wizard in the world.
"I think we will have to figure out a way to channel Harry's love," Severus told them. "It may be difficult since he will have to have feeling of love during the battle."
"We could focus on his love for Ginny," Draco told them. "Even in the middle of a battlefield he could focus on his love for her. Besides, it is the strongest feeling he has, especially now that they are soul mated. With the soul mating she is also able to feed him her love which should double the strength of the spell."
Severus and Albus looked at the two students with respect in their eyes at the perfect solution they had just given them. "We will work on this immediately," Albus told them. "Gabrielle I want you to fill Filius in on your research and we'll bring in some of the more experienced order members as well. I think Bill Weasley and Emiline Vance will be a good start since they are very good with charms."
Harry and Ginny were on a date in the ROR. Harry had decided they needed a night off and had the house elves cook them up a special dinner. "This is lovely, thank you Harry," Ginny told him with a grin as he held her chair for her. He had the room looking like it was a patio overlooking a Tuscan vineyard. They had a bistro table and it was sunset so the whole room glowed.
"I just wanted to take you somewhere special. Someday I hope we can travel the world together but for now we will have to make do with make believe." He told her kissing her knuckles.
"When did you become so romantic?" She asked with a chuckle as he asked her to dance. They swayed to the soft background music for a few minutes before dinner was served.
"I knew you needed a break from your studies. You know if you're not careful people will accuse you of becoming Hermione!"
"I think you're the one people are worried about," Ginny said with a laugh. "After last year when you ended up with marks just barely below Draco's they started to think Hermione had finally rubbed off on you!"
"At least we know our kids will be smart," he told her with a wink.
"Mr. Potter, are you suggesting that we will have children together?" She asked in mock surprise.
"Of course, I always thought we should have a couple of redheads with unruly hair and bright green eyes." He told her with a big grin. "We need to continue the marauder dynasty somehow!"
Ginny just laughed at him realizing how funny it was that they were casually talking about having children together in the future when she didn't even have a ring! "I think perhaps we are getting ahead of ourselves," she told him. "You haven't even proposed yet, what makes you so sure I'll agree to marry you in the first place?"
Harry just chuckled, "I promise that I plan on asking you to be my wife as soon as it is safe. I love you Ginny and I always will. I want nothing more than a future with you safe from the evils of Voldemort. I have always wanted the family I was denied growing up. I can't wait to be a husband and father. I know that's kind of weird coming from a 17 year old guy, but I just can't wait to start my life with you."
Ginny had tears in her eyes by the time he had finished since she could feel his sincerity. "I may only be 16 years old but I also know that you will always be with me. I can wait as long as we have to for Voldemort to be defeated. We will have plenty of time to have that family. I believe in the future you speak of and I can't wait either."
"You are amazing Gin," Harry told her as he kissed her goodnight. He had to go do his prefect rounds so he walked her back to Gryffindor tower first. "Have a good night and sweet dreams."
"He bought the story about your research being only for beauty products," Severus told Hermione the next day while they were researching. "He thinks you are just a silly girl who only cares about trivial things."
"That's good," Hermione said. "As long as he doesn't perceive me as a threat it will be easier to trick him. Besides, if he thinks we aren't doing anything to prepare for the final battle the DA will be much more of a surprise."
"Yes, I have him convinced that the DA is just a bunch of you learning protective spells. He has no idea the number of students involved or how organized and armed you are. When you show your ranks the death eaters are going to realize they severely underestimated all of you and especially Potter." Snape told her.
"I see you've been using my shampoo," she told him with a smirk. "Does it meet your approval?"
"It is adequate," he told her not willing to tell her it was the first shampoo that had ever cut through the natural oil of his hair. His hair had never been soft and clean for more than an hour or two before it reverted to his 'greasy git' form. Hermione also knew that his appraisal of 'adequate' meant high praise in Severus speak.
"I have all my assignments for the next two months complete in my other 3 classes (DADA, Charms, Transfiguration) so I will have time to do some extra research on my new products. I figured that I should get the research completed so that we can whip up a batch whenever you think is necessary. That way I am done with the research before I have to start studying for my newts."
"You should also have Minerva give you extra assignments in Transfiguration so that you may skip some of the university courses and lessen your time there." He told her. "With all your potions experience you could probably pass the potions final and complete your education without ever stepping foot in a classroom at university."
"Do you really think so?" She asked, eyes shining with excitement.
"Yes, you have more base knowledge of potions now than I did when I completed my apprenticeship. It comes naturally to you and you have read more on the subject than most masters ever will. In addition you have completed a potion most thought impossible in the cloud clearing potion and you have already created two entirely new potions by yourself with your hair care line. You will have logged over a year of apprenticeship study by the time you graduate and in my opinion are already to the level of master." He smiled at her as he told her all this realizing he had never really complimented any student like this before. He was amused by the wonder in her eyes.
Hermione couldn't believe he thought she was at a master's level already. He had never complimented anyone like that before and she was amazed he said those great things about her. She couldn't help herself and threw her arms around him in a hug. "Thank you," she said with a grin and kissed his cheek for good measure. He just shook his head as she bounced out of the room lighter than air.
Remus was standing in the doorway and was amused that Hermione didn't even notice him as she was on cloud 9. "That was an awful lot of praise coming from you," he told his friend. "She looks like she might float away."
"She deserves it," Severus told him. "She is the most talented student I've ever had. If I hadn't been so prejudiced against her the first 5 years she may have been even farther along by now."
"She'll be fine," Remus told him. "Do you really think she's at master level?"
"I rarely give praise and when I do it would not be without merit." Severus told him with a scowl. "She is farther along than I was after my apprenticeship and has done more impressive research than most masters ever will in their career. To achieve mastery all one has to do is complete their schooling, at least one year of apprenticeship and create 2 new potions on their own or three in conjunction with a partner. She has already completed the apprenticeship and potions requirements at the age of 17! Besides, she could teach the university classes she is so familiar with the material. She will not learn anything new at university; it will just be a waste of her time and talent."
Remus just watched his friend as he spoke with such conviction. If Snape thought she was at master level that must mean that she was way beyond most masters already. He was finally starting to realize just how amazing Hermione was if she was that advanced already. "We should talk to Minerva about extra Transfiguration lessons," Remus told him. "If she is that far ahead and that advanced we would be remiss not to hone her talents to our advantage. Perhaps another anamagus could come in handy in the upcoming war."
"Perhaps," Severus said to him. "Now what did you need. I doubt you came down here to talk about Hermione."
"No, I actually need a potion brewed." Remus told him with a smile. "It is getting to that time of year where the wolf in me will want to mate. I was not married to Tonks yet at this time last year so it wasn't a problem. If we are intimate at all during that time she will conceive and we are not ready to bring a child into this world while Voldemort is still out there."
"Will a normal birth control potion not work?" Severus asked him confused. He had never studied this aspect of Lancrathopy before. Werewolf
"No, it doesn't matter if she is on it or not. With me in heat she will conceive even if she was barren." Remus told him with a smug grin. "I will need a potion to make me unable to impregnate her for the next few months."
"You could just not be intimate with her until its over," Severus said with a smirk.
"If it were only that simple," Remus said with a sigh. "The wolf in me won't be able to control himself enough to do that. It was bad enough last year when we were just dating, now that we are mated it will be impossible to resist."
"I will see what I can do," Severus told him as he realized the seriousness of his friend's request. He understood why they didn't want a family before the war was over, especially with Tonks being an auror and him being the father of the boy-who-lived. "If you leave me a blood sample it will be easier to construct. Is it alright if I ask Hermione to help or do you want this kept between us?"
"I would prefer it kept between us as I'm not telling Tonks. I don't want to worry her with this." Remus told him. "Besides, this is one part of my condition that I would rather most people were unaware of. It is embarrassing that I can hardly contain my libido at this time of year."
"I will start on this right away and let Hermione continue our research. I'll let you know by next week if I haven't found anything. That will give you enough time to talk to Tonks and figure out what you're going to do if I can't find a suppressant."
"Thank you," Remus said shaking hands with him before leaving to go back to his office.
"Who are we inviting for Christmas this year Harry?" Remus asked him one day before class.
"I was thinking of inviting the entire EDA plus Susan and all the professors again," Harry told him. "Do you think any of the professors will be able to come this year? I heard a lot of students are thinking of staying for the holidays especially the muggle borns."
"I'm sure a few can come for the holidays and the rest can be here for Christmas," Remus told him. "I'll take care of inviting the staff while you invite your friends. I'm assuming the Weasleys, Longbottoms and Lovegoods are invited again."
"Yes, do you want to send them the invitation? You can invite any of the rest of the order as well. The more the merrier." Harry said with a grin and hurried off to invite his friends for the holidays that were in a little more than a month.
"I'll have to check with my parents," Hannah told Harry that night while they were all hanging out. "I know she'll let me come for part of the holidays but I'm not sure she's willing to let me go for the entire time. Are you sure you have enough room?"
Harry and the rest of the gang laughed as they thought of all the room he had. "You've never seen headquarters before but it has plenty of room. Let's put it this way, if we had to we could easily put up every member of the order and only a few would have to share rooms."
"I'll write my parents and tell them my change of plans," Justin told him. "I was already planning on staying for the holidays. My parents are spending this Christmas with my uncle in America where it's safer."
"Do you think you can come?" Ron asked Susan nervously. It would be very hard to propose to her if she wasn't there for Christmas.
"I will be there," Susan said with a smile. "I know my father will understand and I'm sick of doing as my mother says. I am of age and I no longer have to do everything she commands!"
"What if she kicks you out?" Ron asked worriedly. He didn't want her disowned or it would be hard for them to afford a wedding. He knew his family had more money now but he didn't want to make them pay for the entire wedding.
"I can't let he control me anymore. If she disowns me I'll just have to take all my things here and find a place to live after school. I didn't want to live at home after school anyway." Susan told him with a smile feeling much better after making that decision.
"You are always welcome at my place," Harry told her to try and relax Ron. "I like ot think of it as Hotel Potter and you are all welcome whenever."
"Thanks Harry," Susan said giving him a hug glad she didn't have to worry about a place to stay right away in case the worst happened.
"So are we all getting each other presents or should we draw names?" Justin asked with a grin.
"Oh we could do secret Santas!" Dennis said excitedly. "We each draw a name of one of the people staying over Christmas and get them a gift for each day of the week leading up to Christmas and a large gift on Christmas day."
"That sounds like a lot of fun but I still want to get all of you something," Harry told them.
"How about we still get each other each some small thing, or not so small in Harry's case, and then we concentrate the most on the secret Santa presents. Obviously the couples will each get each other something anyway." Hermione said with a smirk.
"I like it," Gabrielle said. "We should talk to Remus and see who all is coming so we can draw names early. I want to start my shopping and it's hard to buy for someone when you don't know who they are!"
"Like it's stopped you before," Draco said earning a smack on the head.
"Quiet you or all you'll be getting is a lump of coal," She told him sticking out her tongue at him making everyone laugh at him.
There was an order meeting for everyone who was at the castle. "I wanted us all to get together to plan our holidays," Albus told them. "I know a few of you are not planning on going to HQ this year." Poppy had decided she would rather stay in her hospital wing and Irma didn't want to leave the library unattended. The teachers that were staying were Hooch, Trelawney and Vector as well as the Filtch brothers and the nurse and librarian. That would leave enough of them to take care of the students so the rest could go away for Christmas.
"I will be going back and forth between headquarters and here so the students do not know that I am gone." Albus told them. "Now that we know who is staying and who is not we can do the secret Santa drawing!" He loved the idea of secret Santas and was hoping to get someone fun. He conjured paper with everyone's name on it and put it all in a hat in the center of the table. "Poppy, Irma, would you two do the honor of passing the hat around please."
They each drew a name but had to wait until everyone had drawn before they could open them. Albus was bouncing in his seat with excitement and a few of the rest were trying not to laugh at the exuberant old man. "Now open your name. I charmed the hat to make sure no one got themselves." Albus opened his paper and was happy to see Arthur Weasley's name, he knew exactly what to get the minister!
Both Ron and Hermione were overly excited with who they got. "This is perfect!" Ron said happily when they were making their way back to Gryffindor tower. "I got Susan; this is exactly what I needed. I can build up to the proposal. I'm going to need you all to help me pick out the perfect presents!"
"Sure Ron," Hermione told him with a grin. "The most important present is her ring, when are you going to go pick it out?"
"I have been talking with the twins about lending me the money to get it. They are tying to determine what sort of torture is needed as payment of interest on said money." Ron told them with a laugh. "I want to look in both Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley to find the perfect ring for her."
"I want to go with you," Harry told him quickly. "I also have something to show you at the house." He wasn't going to reveal the secret but he did want to give Ron the ring the drawer had made for Susan while they were making Gabrielle's. "So who did you get Ginny?"
"If we tell who we got it won't be a surprise!" Ginny said with a grin. "I'll just say that it's a boy but it's not you or any of my brothers."
"Same for me, it's not a Weasley and not you either Harry," Hermione told him with a smile.
"Then why are you so excited?" Ron asked her skeptically.
"Because I drew the name I wanted to draw," Hermione told him cryptically. "Besides, why would I want to draw your name? There is no challenge involved in picking out gifts for you. All you need to be happy is sweets and Quidditch things!" The two girls laughed at the boys faces.
"Then I'm not telling you who I have either!" Harry said with a smile as he couldn't tell her that he had drawn her anyway. "I think we should make a wager on who will give the best presents, minus Ron of course who is going to win hands down."
"Only if she says yes," Ginny said laughing at Ron's panic stricken face. "Don't worry brother dearest, I see a happy future for you both."
Ron relaxed slightly, he didn't like the idea that she might turn him down. "Do you think I need to ask her father's permission first?"
"That would be the honorable thing to do," Hermione told him. "But what are you going to do if he says no?"
"Just ask for his blessing. Tell him you are going to propose and that you want his blessing. That way if he doesn't give it you can still ask since you did inform him even if he dosen;t like the idea." Ginny told him.
"If all else fails you can tell him she has to marry you to get her power back," Harry whispered in his ear earning a smack from Ginny who could hear his comment in her head.
"Thanks for your words of wisdom," Ron said sarcastically. "I am going to go think of present ideas now." They all headed to their rooms to figure out what to get everyone for Christmas.