Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling, Warner Brothers and its various publishers own Harry Potter. No money is being made and no copyright infringement is intended.
A/N: Notes to reviewers are at the end of the chapter. Thanks for taking the time to read and review. I know people say it all the time, but it's really true. It makes an enormous difference to the writer. Thanks.
I just saw the movie King Arthur and was pleased to note that Kiera Knightley was wearing an authentic looking Celtic torque in the final battle scene.
Chapter 23
En Garde
The frosty winter air made the station extra steamy as the Hogwarts Express prepared to leave. Harry and Ron went ahead to find an empty compartment and put away the trunks. Bill had charmed their luggage to make it light enough for the boys to carry all four trunks, which made Ron and Harry appear to be extremely strong as they walked through the crowd, hoisting the bulky gear.
Hermione and Ginny stopped to speak with people from the D.A. as they boarded. The students spoke urgently in hushed tones as though they were worried they'd be overheard. Despite the fact that hardly any students had stayed at Hogwarts over Christmas, the train station was fairly empty.
Looking back over his shoulder at the girls, Harry thought how easy it was to spot Ginny. Even with her hair covered by a tight knit cap, he could identify her by the way she was standing with her hands on her hips and her head tilted to the side.
New Year's Day had brought news of more attacks by Voldemort's supporters on homes and businesses. Muggle newspapers reported it as an increase in terrorist attacks. Most of the wizards targeted were Muggle born so they had little chance of defending themselves. It seemed dark times had returned with a vengeance.
Part of him was sorry to be headed back to school, to leave the peace of the Burrow and face the real world. Spending time with the Order had helped him understand the upcoming struggle. Like a camera lens coming into focus, the dilemma was becoming clear.
Allegiances were being sworn; lines were being drawn, but it would never be as simple as good versus evil, light against dark. Percy was proof that some wizards wouldn't know the truth if it came up and slapped them in the face. Yet the future would be determined by the paths everyone chose.
Of course, the situation with Percy on Christmas night had been quickly resolved. The moment Harry and Ginny returned to the house, Percy had apologized for his outburst. Perhaps the other Weasleys put him up to it. Harry thought he could see a slight red mark on the left side of Percy's face. And all the Weasley boys, even the twins, seemed to be a bit tight lipped. More than once, he detected a nervous glance from the boys toward Mrs. Weasley. In any case, Harry had been quick to forgive not wanting to be the cause of a rift in the Weasley family.
Arthur gave a speech about how important it was to be together. He insisted that everyone agree to set aside their differences for at least this one day. After all, the war threatened to make a greater divide, one that couldn't be crossed with the simple acceptance of an apology.
As they boarded the train, Harry worried that some students returning to Hogwarts might have been recently orphaned. He didn't want to consider that some might not be returning at all. They'd all know soon enough.
When Hermione and Ginny joined the boys in the compartment, they had some news. "Justin Finch-Fletchley's family home was utterly destroyed, but they were all away on a skiing holiday in Switzerland." Ginny slipped into the seat directly across from Harry and finished explaining that the Death Eaters had devastated the stately home in London's fashionable Belgravia. Apparently they didn't bother to check if anyone was home.
Looking around the compartment at everyone's grim expression, Harry said, "They were extremely lucky. I reckon the Death Eaters wouldn't care that much about whether the family lived or died. If they are trying to scare people into joining them, leveling the house is enough."
Standing at the door already wearing her Hogwarts uniform, Hermione nodded solemnly. "You may be right." Looking at Ron who was sitting down next to Harry and putting his feet up, she cleared her voice and stared at him as though he was doing something wrong.
Frozen for a moment as he sensed Hermione's attitude, Ron then looked from her shoes up to her face. He searched with his eyes around the compartment as though he was missing something. Looking back at Hermione, he asked, "What is it, then?"
With an air of fading patience, she said, "We have a prefect meeting in five minutes."
"That gives me four to rest my feet then." Ron leaned his head back and closed his eyes.
Spinning toward the door purposefully, Hermione said, "I'll see you there, Ron."
If Ron heard the compartment door open and close, he gave no sign of it. He did, however, open his eyes a squidge to see Harry and Ginny both looking at him curiously.
"Is there something on my nose?" Ron asked.
"Not a thing…what happened to 'yes, dear and no, dear'?" Harry continued to stare, thinking it had been a while since he had noticed Ron deliberately provoking Hermione.
Discomfited by their scrutiny, Ron gave up on resting. "A man's got to think of his…pride…Best get to that meeting. Wouldn't do to be too late."
"Fred and George really got to you," Ginny said, her voice was full of understanding.
Harry was sympathetic, too. Although he'd been busy fielding his own share of teasing from the twins, Harry had noticed them giving 'Ronniekins' non-stop suggestions on how to regain the upper hand in his relationship with Hermione.
Without answering his sister, Ron left the compartment just as Parvati and Lavender crowded in. Parvati sat down next to Ginny quickly, but Lavender made a big deal about squeezing through the door sideways at the same time as Ron.
The girls exchanged pleasantries for a few minutes, discussing the events of each other's holidays. Harry found it curious that these two suddenly had such a big interest in what Ginny had been doing. After a bit, their real reason for visiting became clear. Lavender turned to Harry and asked, "What are we going to do about these new attacks?"
"Do?" Harry asked dumbly, wondering why they were asking him. Looking at the sincere looks on their faces, he said, "I don't know. We'll just need to go back to school as always."
"Did you hear about Justin?" Parvati asked.
Harry nodded. "What a relief he wasn't home."
"That could have been Dean's family. They're Muggles and they didn't go anywhere over the holidays," Parvati said, her big brown eyes shining with sincerity while she carefully avoided looking at Ginny.
"Ah…I see what you mean." He smiled at her. Harry knew that the Order had set wards on the homes of all the boys in his dormitory. If any of them were attacked, Aurors would be there within minutes. He also knew that he wasn't supposed to mention it to anyone. She didn't seem all that convinced as he spoke. "I'm sure someone will take steps to see that Muggle born students have some extra protection. At least Dean will be at school…."
Lavender interrupted. "What about someone like Seamus? His mother's a witch, but he's a half-blood. She married a Muggle."
"Same story. I'm sure someone will look out for Seamus' family." Seeing both girls still looking to him for comfort, Harry decided to fall back on Hermione's favorite line. "I think we can all trust Professor Dumbledore to take care of things."
Everyone fell silent as if they were thinking this over. Lavender broke the silence. "When's the D.A. dueling tournament going to start?"
Ginny had been quiet while the girls questioned him. As Harry told them about the upcoming D.A. plans, she moved over to the seat next to Harry. Taking her hand in his without thinking about it, he smiled at her briefly. Then he looked out the window for another moment before he said, "I wish I could say something more." He knew they were looking to him for reassurance.
"That's all right, Harry. Thanks." Parvati stood up, a bright smile suddenly lighting her face. She looked like Christmas had come again. "We'll see you around Ginny. Harry."
Lavender eyes were sparkling, too. She pressed her lips together as if she was trying to stop herself from speaking. Then she also smiled widely and said, "Have a nice trip." She grabbed Parvati's elbow and pulled her toward the door. They stopped in the doorway and looked back and Harry and Ginny, then they broke into giggles and hurried away.
"I'll never understand giggling girls," Harry said, watching them leave.
Raising up her hand which was still firmly in Harry's grasp, Ginny said, "I guess people were going to find out some way. Why not let the Gryffindor gossips handle it?"
Pleased that she wanted everyone to know about them, Harry leaned his head down on her shoulder. "Not everyone will be happy to hear it. Your 'admirers' may not take it as well as those two did. Poor Colin and Dean."
Her laugh sounded low and sweet. "Colin's just a good friend and Dean gave up on me ages ago…And what about you? Susannah Martin might actually come after me. And she's a little scary."
"Susannah is sort of…forward. If it comes to that, my money would be on you, but it's probably best not to take her on. She is a big girl." Harry smiled as Ginny punched his arm.
Neville and Luna walked into the compartment. Neville was out of breath and looked disheveled. He was holding his toad firmly by the foot.
Eyebrows up in question, Harry asked, "Where've you two been? Did you just board the train?"
"Trevor leapt away from me just as we climbed on. It took all this time to find him." Neville's reluctant pet had been trying to escape as long as Harry had known Neville.
Luna looked at the two of them and said, "We found him in the luggage car, hiding under a violin case.
With that the four of them settled into listening to Luna's theory about Trevor's propensity to wander. She was convinced that someone was trapped in Trevor's body, yearning to return to their loved ones, but unable to control themselves.
Neville's mouth hung slightly open and his eyes widened whenever she said anything for dramatic effect. "Do you think I should try to help him somehow?" he asked.
"We could perform the Animus Libertas ceremony during the next new moon. That would free his restless spirit." Luna shrugged nonchalantly. She wrinkled her nose and adjusted her wand which was currently holding hair in a twisted knot on top of her head.
Marveling at Luna's ability to fascinate his dorm mate, Harry said, "But Luna, what if Trevor is just an ordinary, magical toad?"
"That is a risk. If there is no restless spirit, the ceremony might turn him into some kind of bird." Luna said, studying her fingernails.
Ginny and Harry tried to stifle their laughter. Leaning his head back on the seat and looking up at the ceiling, anywhere but the sincere faces of his friends, Harry finally calmed down, too. Taking a deep breath, he asked, "Are you both planning to be in the tournament later this month?"
"I am, but Luna's not one for competitions."
Harry said, "I agree, they divide people. But this is supposed to just be a friendly practice sort of tournament to help people train."
"Someone's bound to get upset. Setting one student against the other is bound to create hard feelings. Just like the house point system." Luna explained without being asked. "You're one of the few teachers that gives house points out equally, regardless of house affiliation."
"I'm not really a teacher, Luna. I just assist Professor Moody so I have extra time to study Defense."
She shrugged. "Anyway…you award points to people in your classes fairly."
They all knew that Snape was notorious for favoring his house, but the rest of the teachers were fair unless they were really upset with someone. Ginny spoke up, "I think we need to do something to bring everyone together. The D.A. is one of the few groups with people from every house involved. The Charms Society is mostly Ravenclaws and the Gobstones Club has only a few members."
"Like what?" Harry asked. Putting his arm around Ginny, he briefly buried his face in her hair.
"Like a party or something after the final duel. Might make the losers feel better." She gave him an expectant look and waited for him to answer.
"Sounds all right to me. I'll find out what Moody thinks." Harry said, somewhat distracted by the scent of her hair.
The door slid open slowly. Expecting to see Ron and Hermione return, Harry asked, "So did you kiss and make up?" before looking up.
"I promise you, I haven't been kissing anyone from this end of the train," answered a sneering Draco Malfoy, looking down his nose at Harry, wearing his usual immaculate Hogwarts robe and carrying an extremely small book.
Noticing Harry's arm around Ginny, Malfoy narrowed his eyes and smirked. "What have we here? So the rumors are true. Ah…the heart wants what it wants." He put his hand over his chest and fluttered his eyelids.
"Are you having a seizure or have you been sniffing flutterbeans?" Luna asked although she didn't seem alarmed by either idea, only mildly curious.
Ginny snorted in response, and then giggled in embarrassment. To the sneering Slytherin she said, "You can move on now, Malfoy. You've mocked us; your work here is done. Take your little book and go." Harry smiled at her appreciatively.
Malfoy answered, "Oh…I'm just getting started." He looked at Ginny from head to toe and said, "Finally figured out the recipe for my mother's love potion cookies? Or did you have to flash your chest for the gullible golden boy?"
Ginny put her hand on Harry's arm to stop him from hexing Malfoy into tomorrow. She shook her head slightly. "He's never worth it, Harry. Especially when he sounds so rehearsed. How long did it take you to think up that insult, Malfoy?"
Knowing that Malfoy was only trying to vex him into doing something stupid was one thing. Harry could handle that sort of thing more easily than he used to. But calming himself down in the face of anyone taunting Ginny was another. He stared darkly at the Slytherin.
The air around them began to crackle. Luna looked around the compartment as if looking for the source of the energy that was building up, but everyone else stayed focused on Malfoy.
Harry fixed a stern glare into Malfoy's cold blue eyes. He was still blocking the doorway, contemplating the Gryffindors. It was plain to Harry that the blond boy was lying. This was a sideshow, a distraction, meant to disguise Malfoy's real purpose in coming here.
His voice laced with hatred, Malfoy continued to provoke Harry. "Are you going to make me leave, Potter? Because I'd really like to see you try." Malfoy pulled out his wand and aimed it at Harry. "Tell you what, I'll take my best shot, then you can give me yours…."
"That's going to be a detention with McGonagall for menacing another student, Malfoy. It'll be more if you don't leave quietly right this minute." Hermione said the last three words slowly and deliberately, never taking her eyes off the back of his head. Ron and she were standing in the corridor.
Oddly enough, Malfoy smiled softly. A gleam appeared in his eye. Turning around to sneer at Hermione, he said, "Enjoy your little moment. Your kind are going to be extinct soon enough, Granger. You're nothing, just a…" He didn't have an opportunity to finish his sentence as Harry waved his hand surreptitiously and Malfoy's eyes became unfocused.
Looking around as if he didn't recognize his surroundings, Draco's facial expression changed drastically. The pleasant expression on his face made him seem like a different person.
Moving his palm in front of his face, Neville said, "He's gone."
"I have a difficult time believing that he just stopped that sentence on his own." Hermione folded her arms in front of her and tucked her chin close to her chest, looking meaningfully at Harry.
"The important thing is that he stopped." Harry seemed unconcerned. He stood up and said, "Ron and I will escort him back to his own 'kind'. That should make everybody happy."
"We won't be long." Ron said, taking Malfoy's arm.
Giving Harry a worried look, Ginny said, "Maybe we should go with you."
As though he just noticed something, Neville asked, "Hey…are you and Ginny going out now, Harry?"
"Haven't they been going out for a while?" asked Luna.
Harry shrugged his shoulder and said, "Back in a few." He was glad to leave the rest of that conversation to the others. Ron and he led Malfoy through the train, looking for signs of other Slytherins. The Confundus Charm would only last a short while, but Ron was in good spirits leading this goofy-faced version of Draco through the corridor.
"Want to braid his hair or paint his fingernails or something?" Harry said, laughing and pulling gently on Malfoy's arm to keep him moving.
Draco looked from one to the other with a silly smile, just as a compartment door was jerked open. Pansy Parkinson stuck her perfectly coifed head out and simpered. "There you are, Draco." Her face changed as she noticed his smile. "What have you done to him? You stupid Gryffindorks."
Ron protested, "Hey…we prefer Gryffingeeks."
Laughing at Ron, Harry said, "There's nothing wrong with Malfoy that couldn't be cured by…Oh…never mind. Just take him back…Please!" Harry had already removed the charm so Malfoy's confused look was now the genuine reaction to finding himself down the hall. Without another word, Pansy pulled him into their compartment.
"What was that all about?" Harry asked.
"Who knows with them? Maybe Malfoy thinks swapping insults is fun." Ron shook his head.
"Gryffingeek, Ron?" Harry asked, but Ron just shrugged.
The rest of the ride was uneventful. It was snowing softly when they arrived, giving the air an ethereal glow. Hogwarts looked enchanting in the snow with its windows glowing warmly into the night. The rest of the wizarding world may be struggling with the war, but Hogwarts was safely hidden away.
As they hurried to board the Thestral drawn carriages, Harry heard Malfoy at it again. This time he was yelling at Sophie Moon. "You should have listened to your real friends. Now you're all alone…and you've only got yourself to blame." Malfoy was holding onto her arm with both hands as though he'd stopped her from striking him.
"You're…horrible…pathetic…just let me pass." She was choking back tears.
"C'mon, Ron," whispered Harry. The two of them moved toward the Slytherins.
"Let her go, Malfoy." Harry spoke mildly enough, but those around them hushed because of the natural authority in his voice.
"Let's just hex him, Harry." Ron glared, reaching for his wand.
"I don't take orders from you." Malfoy returned Ron's glare with a derisive look.
"No — and you don't listen to reason either, but you will have to let go of her. Right now." Harry was still using a low, deliberate voice.
"How are you going to make me, Potter?" Malfoy spat his question with venom and bravado, but moments later he released Sophie's arm like it was on fire. Without making a sound, Harry had cast another type of Confundus Charm on Malfoy. This time to make him believe her arm was hot.
Hermione caught up behind them, "I warned you about menacing other students, Malfoy. I'll report this to Professor McGonagall. She'll probably speak with your head of house."
"What about Potter? He threatened me…you all heard him." He searched the crowd for supporters he could intimidate.
Hermione gave him a contemptuous look, which he returned with a cold hard stare.
Motioning to Sophie to come with him, Harry left Ron and Hermione to handle Malfoy. She followed him back to where Ginny was waiting. Neville and Luna had already left, but Ginny had saved them a carriage. After a quiet greeting, the three of them climbed inside, waiting silently for their other friends.
Ron and Hermione caught up to them shortly, bickering mildly as they climbed inside. "You just want to hex first and ask questions later. Really Ron, you're a prefect, too. Couldn't you have made him write lines or something? Why wait for me?"
"I keep forgetting about the prefect thing." Ron said, sounding sorry. The carriage began to move the short distance to the castle.
Everyone laughed except for Sophie who was seated between the two girls. Ginny tilted her head toward the solemn girl. Harry caught her meaning and shrugged. He didn't have a lot of confidence dealing with upset girls.
Hermione looked at Sophie and said, "Sorry about Malfoy. Don't take it personally. He's always perfectly horrible to me, too."
Wanting to reassure her, too, Harry said, "He doesn't know what he's talking about. You're not alone." He just meant to let her know that she had plenty of friends at Hogwarts. Realizing too late, that she was shaking, Harry bit his lip and cast an alarmed look at Ginny and Hermione.
Sophie didn't say anything, but when Hermione put her arm around the shaking girl, she gave a strangled cry and put her face in her hands. Pulling the distraught Slytherin onto her shoulder, Hermione muttered soothing sounds. Ginny patted the girl's back. The carriage stopped. They'd reached the castle.
Ginny said softly, "Go ahead. We'll catch up to you in the Great Hall…save us a seat." She nodded to them to leave.
Harry felt bad as he and Ron walked toward the entrance, passing the torches that were hissing from the snowfall. Obviously, he shouldn't have said anything when she was so upset. He hoped he would have a chance to apologize later although he'd probably just make her cry again.
"Don't think about it any more, mate. Crying women are definitely not your best thing. Let's get some dinner," Ron said, holding his stomach. Harry followed him into the Great Hall. The serving dishes had already filled with delicious food.
Weeks passed. It snowed quite a bit. The students at Hogwarts settled back into their routines. When the new moon came, Neville and Luna performed the Animus Libertas ceremony on Trevor, but he remained the slippery toad he'd always been. At least there was no sign of feathers.
No one saw much of Draco Malfoy. After his round of verbal attacks on the train, he hung out with his Slytherin cohorts instead of trying to stir up trouble.
Sophie Moon accepted Harry's apology and explained that she'd lost her parents to a Death Eater attack. She'd survived by hiding in a closet wearing a Disillusionment Charm, then climbing out over the rooftop and away before they destroyed her home entirely. Since she would be living with distant relatives from now on, she preferred to get back to Hogwarts quickly.
It was difficult for her, being in Slytherin. Harry imagined that rooming with Pansy Parkinson and grieving the loss of your parents would be a dreadful combination. But Sophie had friends outside of her house thanks to her association with the D.A. As time went on, she seemed to be healing as well as anyone could, given the circumstances.
The D.A. finished the preliminary rounds of the dueling tournament. Tonight would be the quarterfinals. Ginny was sitting on the floor in front of the fire in the Gryffindor common room. Harry sat behind her with one arm encircling her and the other holding the book he was reading. Ginny's head was resting contentedly against his chest while she read.
They had been like this for quite a while, reading and quietly talking. "Do you have much homework tonight, Gin?" Harry asked softly. He loved the way she felt leaning against him. She fit perfectly under his chin. Since it was now common knowledge at Hogwarts that the two teenagers were going out, they were seldom out of each other's company except for classes.
She looked up into his smiling green eyes and said, "I just have to finish that essay for Binns, the one I've been working on for a week. After the D.A. meeting, do you want to work in here?"
Before he could answer, Hermione came through the portrait hole and waved at them. She smiled in greeting as she crossed the room to where they were curled up by the fire. Then she sat down in a nearby chair and let out a deep sigh.
"Bad day, Hermione?" asked Harry.
"Snape," she said, as though her one word answer was enough to explain which, of course, it was.
"Ah… Did you come up with a plan for the independent project? Too bad Polyjuice is illegal." He was smiling as he teased her about the Potions project. She had been obsessing about it for days.
"Ha, ha, Harry. I haven't come up with a suitable project, but I will. No, Snape was on my case about that Memory Enhancing Potion we worked on in class. Apparently mine wasn't up to my usual standard. At least that was something, I guess. He thinks I have a usual standard. Anyway, I have to rebrew it. You know it took several days for the dragon claw to stew before we did the final steps. I have to start all over."
If he didn't know better, he would think that Hermione enjoyed having a Potions project to worry about. She was a good student in all her subjects, but Harry suspected that she enjoyed the "exact art and subtle science" of Potions because it challenged her, although she would probably never admit it.
Changing the subject, Hermione asked, "How is Quidditch training coming? Ron said he was practicing this afternoon, but, if I'm not mistaken, the two of you are reading in front of the fire instead of playing Quidditch. I'm no expert, of course. I could be wrong." She sounded uncharacteristically petulant.
Her eyes seemed focused on the fading winter sky outside the window, as though she didn't care about his answer, but Harry could tell she was holding her breath. Harry wondered if Ron's campaign to assert his manhood had begun to wear on her. In a kind tone, he said, "Ron's working out with our new back up goalkeeper in case we have a repeat of what happened in the Slytherin game. He wouldn't lie to you, Hermione."
"You're right of course." A slow smile spread over her face. "I guess it's just watching you two love birds all curled up in front of the fire. It makes me wish I was curled up, too." Harry had been unselfconsciously stroking the back of Ginny's hand while he was speaking to Hermione. At her comment, he stopped.
Of course, touching had become important to Harry. He'd grown up without kisses and hugs. The Dursleys were never affectionate toward him. Now that he had someone, he was enthralled. Every little bit of Ginny appealed to him, any part that wasn't clothed. Whether it was that soft area inside her wrists or a bumpy knee, he couldn't resist.
Ginny didn't seem to mind. Harry figured she was comfortable hugging and snuggling because she'd grown up in such a loving family. The physical closeness that she and Harry had begun to share was innocent. Neither was trying to advance it to an adult level. It was simply that they shared so much of their emotional selves that their growing physical closeness seemed quite natural.
Looking up at Hermione, Harry asked, "So you've been in the library looking for an interesting Potions project -- and?"
Shaking her head, Hermione let out a long sigh and said, "Potions is…" Harry never found out what Hermione considered Potions to be. She stopped in mid sentence and looked at Harry as if something just occurred to her, and said, "Actually, I came across another book about Merlin, but it wasn't very helpful. It's a pity you couldn't find out more from your ghost, Harry. Not that I'm suggesting you go back there."
Harry muttered something she couldn't quite catch, then seemed terribly interested in his book. Harry felt guilty lying to his friend, but he didn't want her, or anyone, to know what he'd found in the scrolls just yet.
Possibly because she misinterpreted his reluctance to speak, Hermione said, "I'm sorry we couldn't do more. I know you really want to know more about your family."
"Where did you find out how to make the torque?" Ginny asked as if the question suddenly occurred to her. Her graceful fingers flew to the delicate gold chain around her neck.
This was dangerous ground for him. If he told her how he knew, they might want to look at the scrolls themselves. Then they'd find out everything and he wasn't ready for that. "I found it in an old book," he said, shrugging diffidently. Then he turned to Hermione and said, "Did you post the results from the second round of the tournament?"
The change in subject worked. Hermione launched into a discussion of the D.A. tournament. So far, the matches had not inspired the tough rivalry between houses that had been predicted. Since it was an individual competition, people seemed to be rooting for their friends regardless of their house. Most matches went quickly.
Ron arrived, towering over them, wearing a soaking wet Quidditch outfit. His eyes were bright and his cheeks were red. "You're so lucky to have a place by the fire. I'm freezing!" He stared at Harry and Ginny curled up together, looking like he wanted to say more.
"Ah, Ron. Did you go jump in the lake to make your story more convincing? You needn't have bothered." Hermione said as she flounced past him on her way to the girl's dormitory.
Ron couldn't know that Hermione was upset about something Eloise Midgen had told her during Arithmancy. She'd said that Ron had been seen more than once meeting with Luna Lovegood. Once they were headed down the empty Charms corridor. The other time they were seen going into Greenhouse Twelve.
Looked very confused, Ron said, "She thinks I jumped in the lake. In the middle of January! What's got into her? She's barking mad, I tell you."
"Feeling all right, Ron? Maybe you should go see Madam Pomfrey." Harry was concerned, not just because Ron was his friend, but as Quidditch Captain. He didn't relish the idea of using their new backup keeper in the upcoming game against Ravenclaw.
Ron pinched his nose to stifle a sneeze. When it didn't come, he turned his attention to the two by the fire. "Thanks, I'll just take some Pepper up Potion. Ernie MacMillan enchanted snowballs to chase us while we practiced, but he cocked up the spell so the snow melted as it flew so basically, we were getting slapped with balls of water, very cold balls of water." His eyes narrowed as he looked at them and said, "You look very cozy. I hope Mum knows what you've been doing lately, Ginny."
She looked up at her brother and said loudly, "What are you implying, Ron? That I'm a scarlet woman?"
Harry was really uncomfortable with the turn of their conversation.
But Ginny continued. "I'm sure Mum would like to know the reason that Hermione is upset with you. You do realize she's upset with you, don't you, Ron? Maybe it's time to abandon your 'walk like a man' campaign. Why would you take advice about girls from George?" Ginny was skilled in turning the conversation around on her brother.
Ron sputtered his denial before heading off to the showers. When Harry and Ginny were left alone before the fire again, he carefully, almost tentatively trailed a few light kisses along her jaw line. "You're beautiful," he whispered.
She turned around in his arms. Her eyes searched his face, finally resting on his mouth. "Right back at you, Harry," she said before kissing him slowly and gently. She felt so perfect pressed up against him. Harry felt like he could just go on kissing her all day.
"Get a room," said Lavender Brown. Seamus laughed. The two were walking past the hearth on their way up to the boy's dormitory. Harry and Ginny didn't notice or hear them.
In a few minutes, they broke away. Ginny went to look for Hermione. Harry left to go to the D.A. meeting. He liked to get there early to set up the Room of Requirement. People soon began to filter into the meeting. They usually began by sitting on pillows on the floor and talking for a few minutes before beginning. Harry had to use a Sonorous Charm to make his voice loud enough to be heard over the crowd. Slightly embarrassed to be speaking so loudly, he went over the rules. Hermione had insisted that he recite the rules before each round.
She nodded her approval and then took over for him. "We also want to announce that next week's final duel will be set up in the Great Hall. After the match, Harry's agreed to give a fencing demonstration with his instructor and everyone is invited to stay for a reception afterwards. I think we all can see that this competition is meant to be friendly — except for the part where we hex each other. So please, feel free to invite non-members to the final duel and reception." Much to Harry's relief, she took over the rest of that part of the meeting. She split the pairs up for dueling and set the evening in motion.
The dueling itself was somewhat uneventful. Hermione won her match quickly and spent the evening tallying the results. Luna tried to help her, but was rebuffed. From across the room, Harry noticed that even though they both lost their matches, Ginny managed to get Sophie Moon to smile. Considering his girlfriend's proclivity for pranks, he wondered if any Slytherins would have blue hair the next day.
As he walked into the Gryffindor common room later, Harry congratulated his dorm mate warmly. "I'm really proud of you Neville. That bit with the fake wand was priceless." In the middle of his duel with Zach Smith, Neville had substituted his real wand with one of Fred and George's fake wands. Thinking he'd disarmed Neville, Zach had summoned Neville's 'wand' and waved it in triumph only to have it turn into a rubber chicken. It was the highlight of the evening.
In a serious tone, Neville asked, "Do you think the hexes we send are…strong enough, Harry? I mean do you think they would take down a real Death Eater." He looked worried.
"You fought them in the Department of Mysteries. They used some of the same spells, Tarantallegra! and Stupefy!"
Neville persisted. "I know, but…they also used that one on Hermione. We still don't even know what that was. And if it came to a real fight, I suppose they would use the Unforgivables."
Remembering his unsuccessful attempt to use the Crucio! spell on Bellatrix, Harry said, "We don't want to be like them. We'll have to fight them, but on our own terms. To use those curses, we'd need to be…full of hate. It isn't worth it. Somehow we have to fight them in our own way, not try to beat them at their game. Does that make any sense?"
Interrupting the two of them, Hermione said, "It makes perfect sense to me, Harry. I think your right — just this once." She smiled at him. Her expression changed quickly as Ron put his arm across her shoulders. She looked at his hand then at his face with her lips pressed together. Then she said rather sharply, "I'll be turning in now. I have loads of extra reading to do for Arithmancy tomorrow. Good night." She pulled Ginny along with her up the stairs. Ginny waved weakly at Harry as she went.
Ron was left with a puzzled expression on his face. He'd almost pursed his lips for a goodnight kiss, but seeing her expression, he'd stopped. Neville looked away. Harry shrugged. And Ron said, "She's barking," and shook his head.
The boys settled into doing homework at a table near the fire. "This is nice, just us," said Ron.
Harry said, "Are you mad? I'd much prefer Hermione here to help with this Charms essay. And Ginny here…"
"I don't want to hear what you want Ginny here for. I've had quite enough of walking into the common room and seeing you with my sister. You're worse than Lavender and Seamus."
Neville shook his head. "No…nobody's worse than Lavender and Seamus. This afternoon, they were in our dormitory together."
Red faced that Ron would think he and Ginny were like Lavender and Seamus, Harry muttered, "I'm not doing anything with your sister for you to worry about, Ron."
"Keep it that way. Oh…let's just not talk about it." Ron ran his hands through his hair.
"You're just upset because Hermione's been a little distant lately." Harry couldn't help but notice that his two best friends had been bickering.
"I'm going to fix that." Ron looked around to see who could hear them. "I'm working on a present for Valentine's Day. She's going to just love it."
Neville asked, "Is it the project that you and Luna have been developing?" Ron nodded.
Privately thinking that Ginny was right, Ron had better stop taking the twin's advice, Harry turned to Neville. "Does anything happen in the greenhouses you don't know about?"
The portrait hole opened. Dean and Parvati walked in, holding hands. Catching sight of three of his roommates staring, Dean gave them a look which said, "Stop it." All three boys lowered their heads toward their books at once.
When Parvati and Dean parted, he made his way over to the study table. Ron started it. "Get lost on the way back to Gryffindor, Dean?"
"Take a detour to the Astronomy Tower?" Neville asked with what could only be described as a giggle.
At first, Harry was glad Ron was focusing on teasing Dean about Parvati. Then he realized he just couldn't concentrate, between the noisy common room and the way his dorm mates were talking. Even though it was long past curfew, he thought now might be a good time to slip away unnoticed. Figuring that Ginny had already had plenty of time to talk to Hermione, Harry went to his dorm and pulled out his mirror.
The tip of Ginny's nose in the little mirror wasn't how Harry wanted to speak with her. "What's up, Harry? Something on your mind."
"Are you up for a little rule breaking? How about using the Invisibility Cloak? I promise not to keep you up too late, but I want to talk in person." Harry had never suggested anything like this before. 'This has definite possibilities,' thought Ginny. They agreed to meet back in the Room of Requirement.
Charming her bed to look occupied, including a spell that made her pillow make sleeping noises, Ginny shut the drapes around her bed. She wasn't Fred and George's sister for nothing. Satisfied with her work, she pulled Harry's cloak around her and disappeared. In the common room, she created a distraction by setting off a charm to make pigeon noises by the far windows so that no one would notice the portrait hole opening and closing as she left.
She arrived at the Room of Requirement feeling free. The room looked much like the lounge at the Burrow. Harry was already sitting on the sofa. An open book was balanced on the armrest although he was staring into the fireplace. Without taking off the Invisibility Cloak, she gently removed the book. He failed to notice as though he was deep in thought. He continued to stare at the flames.
'What else can I get away with,' she thought, trying to suppress some of the naughtier ideas that surfaced. She settled for twirling the hair behind his right ear with one finger. He twitched and swatted at her hand. She barely removed it in time. He looked around suspiciously. "Finite Incantatem!" he said with a wave of his hand.
She tried unsuccessfully to stifle a giggle. "Ginny?" he asked, looking around at thin air.
"I should hope so," she answered, without pulling the cloak off.
"Accio Ginny!" he cried with a grin on his face. She knocked him onto his back, as her body became a projectile. Laughing and smiling, the two wrestled on the sofa for a moment before he succeeded in removing the Invisibility Cloak.
She had landed across his lap and was currently giggling at him with her eyes sparkling. Harry felt warm all the way to his fingertips. She was so much fun. He could wrestle with her all night.
Her laughter faded into a warm smile and she sat up. "Did you just want me to come here so you could tickle me mercilessly, Harry?" She moved to sit next to him on the sofa. "Or did you have something else on your mind?" she asked in a husky whisper before brushing her lips across his cheek lightly. She stopped there, breathing softly, her face close to his.
He groaned his approval. "You have no idea what you do to me." His voice sounded husky, too. In one swift movement, he had her pinned underneath him and was paying her back, kissing along her collarbone. "You… are… so… sweet," murmured as he moved to her neck.
Just as the warmth of his kisses threatened to overwhelm her, he suddenly brought his mouth over hers, his tongue demanding entrance, exploring, tasting. A jolt of energy went through her as he deepened the kiss. She could feel how much he needed her.
A loud snap from the fire brought their heads apart, bringing the two back to their surroundings. They were both breathing heavily. Ginny's clothes were disheveled. "I'm sorry, Gin. What must you be thinking? I didn't ask you here so that I could…" His eyes were pleading with her to understand him. He ran his hand through his messy hair.
"You don't have to apologize, Harry…but maybe we should stop." She put her hand up as if to say stop. "Why did you ask me here? You said you wanted to talk."
His blood was still up from kissing her and she was biting her lower lip in that way that drove him mad. Harry concentrated on calming himself down. Once he felt composed enough, he said, "I don't want to make any mistakes with you, Ginny. You're too important to me."
She knew he believed every word he was saying. "So you wanted to talk about us, Harry? You know you're important to me, too."
He moved to one of the chairs nearby, hoping he could think more clearly. "I have been keeping something to myself…it's…I found these in the cave." He pulled the scrolls out of his rucksack.
She gave him puzzled look. "What are they? Why didn't you show them to Hermione?"
Running his hand through his hair, Harry said, "At first, I was distracted. I had -- we all had -- other things on our minds. Then, after I read the scrolls, well I wasn't sure — I'm still not sure — that I want everyone to know."
Looking at her trusting expression, Harry continued. "Hermione's translation spell worked flawlessly. The scrolls were written by someone named Owain. They are sort of his journal. Sometimes he writes about his life and sometimes he writes notes about stuff he was working on.
"So what was his life like?" Ginny asked. She smiled as Harry handed her one of the scrolls.
"Apparently, he grew up without a father, living with his mother and grandfather, who was a craftsman, near what is now the town of Carmarthen. His mother and grandfather were Muggles, but he was a wizard and…and he became convinced that Merlin was his father. Maybe because he was the only wizard that he knew. Apparently Merlin did become his friend and teacher when he reached — well, he was about as old as we are when he started to live with Merlin. He used the cave as a place to study and apprentice. He lived in the room that Ron and I found."
Eyes bright with curiosity, Ginny asked, "Is that why the ghost recognized you then? You must look like this Owain."
Harry nodded, then shook his head. "Sure…maybe…I don't know about that. I can't be sure since I was only there such a short time. And that ghost, Niniane, seemed really off her head. Anyway…he gave up the woman he loved in order to free Merlin from the cave. He didn't give all the details in his account of those events. But he did explain about the torch. And he did write down how to construct it."
"You have to construct the torch? It's not just something for you to find?" Ginny had always had this image of an especially elaborate torch with Celtic runes on the sconce or something.
"I can't make the torch without a branch from a tanglewood tree. According to Neville, they don't exist."
The fire crackled as both of them sat, deep in thought. "Why don't you want to talk about this with Ron and Hermione?" Ginny asked sweetly.
Harry knew what she meant. His friends had been with him every step of the way. They deserved to know everything. "I know…we wouldn't have found this much out without Hermione's help. But…Voldemort was in that cave. Not all that long before we were. If someone is going to risk facing Death Eaters, it's going to be me, and me alone."
Now she was confused, "Why does anyone need to face Death Eaters? You're not going back…are you?"
"How else am I going to find a tanglewood branch? There must be some stored somewhere in the cave. I just need to find out where. And the place opens up to me. I don't think anyone else can really help. Ron ended up sitting in the main room last time covered with the Invisibility Cloak." His forehead knitted into a dark scowl as he thought of Ron risking his life while he sorted through the things on that ancient desk and talked to a ghost. That's why he couldn't tell his friend about these plans. Ron would want to watch his back. He'd insist.
Looking at her scowl, he continued. Sounding hopeful, he said, "You could be my back up again. By myself, I can Apparate to the cave and explore it while I'm invisible. If I get into trouble, I'll contact you. But it probably won't be necessary. Who will even know?"
Ginny shook her head. "Last time, they seemed to know the minute you left the castle. Maybe they have some way of keeping track. Something like the Marauder's Map."
Thinking she made a lot of sense, Harry nodded and said, "So we'll wait for the next Hogsmeade trip." Harry looked at her, eyes pleading with her to agree. She didn't seem convinced. "Anything's possible if you have enough nerve…aren't you the one who told me that?"
She couldn't help but smile at him quoting something she said almost a year ago. In a quiet serious tone, she said, "There's more that you're not telling me."
"Just the details on how to construct the torch." He shifted in his chair uncomfortably.
Ginny persisted. "You're not saying what the torch does. Why do you need it so much? The castle is pretty well lit, Harry. What makes this torch important?"
Nodding solemnly, Harry said, "The torch was an invention of Merlin himself. It keeps everyone within its light safe from harm -- that's any kind of harm — physical or magical. It works like our torques only much more powerful.
"Are you sure you'll be able to make it…if you can find a tanglewood branch?" she asked.
"I have to try," he said simply as though it was the only practical solution.
Ginny looked thoughtful for a moment, then she said, "Of course, I'll help you…but I think you should tell Ron and Hermione. They would be a big help."
He was starting to feel really tired. Now that she'd agreed, the long day and the warm fire caught up with him. He sank back in the chair and relaxed. "I know they would, but…I have to go to the cave alone and I don't feel like arguing. Besides what right have I to keep dragging everyone into my problems. It seems like there are too many 'what ifs'…I'll tell them if we find the tanglewood. Let's keep the rest a secret for now."
"I wish…we could just curl up here." Ginny began. In the firelight, her eyes appeared wide and dark and her lips were still slightly swollen from earlier. She looked young and vulnerable although Harry knew she had plenty of inner strength.
He stood up in front of her and pulled her to her feet. Brushing her hair out of her face, he kissed her lightly and said, "I think you underestimate how I feel about you. I'll walk you back to Gryffindor." He reached for her hand as she slipped on the Invisibility Cloak to return to their dormitories.
The following afternoon, Harry was standing outside the staff lounge, about to knock on the door, when he stopped short at the sound of raised voices. Professor Snape's deep voice sounded uncharacteristically sincere. "I can't help you. You have my deepest sympathy, but there is no cure…."
A voice that Harry couldn't recognize said something. Whatever the response was couldn't be heard because one of the stone gargoyle's flanking the door said, "It's not nice to eavesdrop, young man." The other gargoyle was shaking its head at him.
Casting a quick Immobulus! Charm on both statues, Harry heard Snape again. This time, his voice was filled with its usual disdain. "Potter again. Why does everything revolve around him?"
The next voice was Moody's, but whatever he had to say was unintelligible. He could make out Snape's response. "So what is Potter -- your secret weapon? From what I've seen you won't be able to train him. He's no match for anyone."
Dumbledore spoke next, loud and clear, "Severus, please listen to an old man's warning. Let go of the past. If you carry your hatred around with you, it'll burn like a fire inside your heart. In the end it will do more damage to you than to anyone."
"Forgive me, Headmaster, but you're blinded by your pity for the boy. Potter will never be of any use to our cause. I don't know why the Dark Lord seeks him so relentlessly. He's reckless and arrogant." Snape's footsteps were approaching the door.
Embarrassed at the thought of being caught eavesdropping by the cynical Potions Master, Harry quickly cast a Disillusionment Charm and blended into the background. He held his breath and pressed against the wall. Snape's eyes narrowed suspiciously, as he briefly examined the frozen gargoyles. Then he walked quickly down the corridor and out of sight.
Reaching his hand out to finally knock on the door, Harry heard Dumbledore again, speaking in a regretful tone. "Only the weak cannot find it within themselves to forgive."
Moody answered, "Severus only sees what he wants to see. He expects Harry to be ready at sixteen…We're doing what we can, Albus. The rest will come in time."
Harry knocked loudly and opened the door wide enough to poke his head in the room. "Ah…come in," said Dumbledore as he conjured a chair for Harry next to Moody's. Harry was surprised to see his fencing instructor there as well. He hadn't heard him speak before he entered the room.
"Dobby said you wanted to meet with me, sir?"
"We've just been discussing your progress in Defense Against the Dark Arts, Harry. That's why Professor Moody and Mr. Powell have joined us. Sherbet lemon?" Professor Dumbledore asked, offering Harry a small dish of the yellow candies.
"Thank you, no…Professor."
"You've been taking your training very seriously this year, that is, your physical training as well as your studies. Still running in the mornings, Harry?"
"It helps clear my head. And it helps me keep up with Rhys…fencing is very physical."
Rhys nodded and said, "Your reflexes and mental sharpness are improving. Your control is good…."
Moody interrupted in his low gravely voice. "No one is going to come after you with a sword. I think it's time for you to practice wizard dueling, but there are no students on your level and I'm too old for you to keep knocking me down."
Harry looked to see Dumbledore's reaction to that. While Harry regularly bested the older Auror in their duels, it never really seemed fair. Professor Moody had a few physical handicaps.
Speaking as though Harry would be delighted by his news, Dumbledore said, "Professor Moody has arranged to borrow some Auror training dummies. You can begin with them. Later on, perhaps you can train with some of the Aurors from the Order."
Paling at the thought of dueling someone at the top of his game like Kingsley Shacklebolt, Harry noticed that his fencing instructor was staring at the floor. He looked rather glum. Harry asked, "You're not suggesting that I stop fencing are you?" Rhys had a mother and sister to take care for. Maybe he was worried about the loss of income.
The headmaster smiled as he carefully looked at Harry through the little glasses perched on the end of his nose. "Unfortunately for us, Mr. Powell has to cut back your fencing instruction for personal reasons. You'll only meet once a week. You can fill out your schedule working with the training dummies."
Harry smiled. "That's a relief. I'm not nearly as good as Rhys. I need loads more training." He wanted to ask why Rhys needed to cut back his hours, but worried that it might have something to do with Snape's mysterious words about there being no cure. The young Welshman looked healthy enough. Anyway Harry didn't want anyone to know he'd been eavesdropping so he kept his curiosity to himself despite the fact that the others were looking at him expectantly.
Breaking the silence, Moody said, "So…the word is that you've been using the sword you found in the cave last summer to blow the doors off the practice room."
Too late, Harry remembered that Dumbledore had never said he could use the sword, in fact he had specifically asked him to put the sword away. "I…I'm sorry, Professor. I meant to say something. I know you wanted to check the sword out a little more, but I have figured out how to use it…It's quite powerful."
"I imagine it is. Are you sure that you can control it, Harry?" Dumbledore sat back in his chair, steepling his long fingers and considering the teenager.
Harry relaxed, thinking that the Headmaster seemed ready to give him the benefit of the doubt. "I'll be able to control it better with more practice. When I started, I blew the doors in the practice room off a few times, but I think I'm doing better." Harry really liked the weapon.
Rhys smirked. "Why don't you show them, Harry. Blow up that little bud vase on the mantle without knocking a hole in the wall."
With a characteristic twinkle in his eye, the Headmaster intervened. "That's quite all right. We'll take your word for it." Perhaps he was remembering when Harry had smashed the things in his office.
"Are there other things we should discuss, Harry, besides the sword? Have you discovered anything further about the contents of your box?" Dumbledore asked.
This was unexpected. Except for his close friends, no one had mentioned the box in months. Harry shook his head, looking away as he thought about the secrets he was keeping from Dumbledore. It didn't feel right, especially when the Headmaster was obviously trying to help him prepare for what he would have to face. But they weren't just his secrets. Right now, he couldn't say anything without getting Ron into trouble, perhaps expelled.
Aloud he said truthfully, "I still don't know what some of those things are. But Hermione successfully translated the book. And I'm sure Hagrid told you about the torque."
Seeing that the headmaster still had him fixed in an inquiring stare, Harry tried to throw him off the track. "Do you have any ideas, sir? Er…what do you think this is?" He held out the black phoenix statue that he'd been keeping in his pocket.
Dumbledore took the figure into his hand and shook his head. "Nothing springs to mind, Harry. A phoenix is a firebird. Of course, just as the phoenix design on your sword captures something of the spirit of a phoenix, this could be a similar item." He handed it back to Harry.
"Thank you, sir…And I'm sorry, I should have told you about the sword." Harry waved his hand and transfigured his cloak pin back into the sword. He laid it out on the table in front of them for inspection. "Did you think of some sort of test to run on it? Make sure it's not full of dark magic or something?"
Harry searched the faces of the adults around him. They all looked grim. Moody said in a low voice, "You're forgetting to use your wand again, Potter."
Harry asked, "What difference does it make? Everyone here knows I can do some Wandless Magic." Realizing that his question made him sound really naïve, Harry became defensive. "I don't go around doing it. I carry my wand all the time." He ran his hand through his hair nervously.
"But you don't need your wand much anymore." Dumbledore said. It was a statement not a question.
"I don't think I do," Harry admitted. He was puzzled. Dumbledore was the one who had been teaching him how to focus his magic without a wand, now he seemed concerned because he had succeeded.
"I think it shouldn't go beyond these walls that you're working with this enchanted sword and doing Wandless Magic," Moody grumbled. "Do your friends know?"
"Just my close friends…of course they know I don't need my wand. And…I've told them about the sword, but they've never seen me use it. It was Hermione's idea for me to wear it as a cloak pin."
The three older men looked at each other. Harry wondered what they were worried about. Who cared if Voldemort found out that his powers were increasing? It was only to be expected for a wizard of his age.
The day arrived for the dueling club final. Professor Dumbledore wasn't able to attend, but many other teachers were there, including Rhys Powell who was there to give a fencing demonstration with Harry. When someone in the D.A. had first proposed the idea, Harry had refused. But word spread and he'd eventually succumbed to peer pressure. They set up a dueling platform in the Great Hall like the one that Professor Lockhart had used in their dueling club second year.
Hermione Granger and Cho Chang were slated to fight the final wizard duel. Although he wasn't happy about being knocked out of the tournament and he knew Fred and George were unlikely to let him live it down, Ron was secretly proud that Hermione had won their duel in the semi-final. He and almost every other male sixth year and above were really looking forward to the final confrontation. Once they recovered from the shock of two pretty girls reaching the final, they'd all realized the entertainment value.
The girls did not disappoint. It was a knock down drag out fight. Sweat pouring off her face, her shirt torn open and a purple welt forming across her shoulder, Hermione emerged the winner. The huge grin across her face faded as she realized that Cho was still sprawled across the floor unconscious.
Ginny and Madam Pomfrey managed to revive Cho who gracefully accepted second place. Then the party began. Food appeared buffet style and everyone gathered to congratulate both girls. Someone piped in some music. Laughter, music and pleasant conversation filled the Great Hall.
Keeping their hands hidden in the folds of their robes, Harry subtly slid his hand into Ginny's. He whispered in her ear, "So is this how you imagined it?" The tournament and the reception had been her idea.
She whispered back hiding her face with a curtain of hair. "Everyone seems to be getting along…the food is delicious…the best girl won…things seems to be going according to plan." Ginny smiled softly.
Ron tapped Harry on the shoulder, seeming a little nervous. "I just thought you might want to know that the Slytherins have arrived."
"We've been through this…the Slytherins are as welcome as everybody else, Ron. How can we pull together if we exclude people?"
Before Harry could work up to full lecture mode, Ron tilted his head meaningfully to the buffet table where Crabbe, Goyle and Millicent Bulstrode were currently helping themselves to large portions. Surprised to see them at a D.A. function, if not surprised by their interest in food, Harry gave them a calculating look. "At least it's just them…not the full selection of junior Death Eaters. Eh…?"
Ron's response was to glare just over Harry's shoulder. Turning around he came face to face with Terrence Nott and Draco Malfoy. "Having fun, Potter? We thought we'd accept your invitation to this little tea party…not much of a show though with just a couple of girls waving their wands around." He surveyed the room with disdain.
Harry presumed that had the desired effect. They were beginning to draw a crowd. A bit louder, he said, "Where are your manners, Potter. You should be offering us some more entertainment. We are your guests after all." Before Harry could answer, he said quickly to all those assembled, "Who'd like to see Potter and I fight a duel?" The crowd just murmured. The atmosphere had gone from pleasant to tense in the blink of an eye.
Two girls who were standing next to the blond boy gave him identical derisive sneers, as though he forgot to shower today. Malfoy didn't seem to notice. He leaned toward Harry and said, "Don't tell me you're scared, Potter?"
Without taking his eyes off Malfoy, Ron said, "Don't bother with this. He's not worth it."
Smirking, Harry turned to Ron and said, "Then again, it might be fun."
"All right. Just promise me that you'll beat him."
Harry looked back at the insufferable blond boy. "Is there really any doubt?" he asked.
"You're pretty sure of yourself, Potter."
"I don't know why you bother with this sort of thing, Malfoy."
The crowd of students who'd gathered round whispered to each other. Ron and Ginny smiled. Hermione looked at Malfoy doubtfully and said, "He can't duel until he learns to count to three. Have been studying, Malfoy?" Some of the crowd laughed quietly as she held up her fingers and slowly counted.
Malfoy turned red in the face and looked like he was going to let loose with a stream of invectives.
Moody stumped through the crowd and said, "Time to show off your fencing skills, Harry."
Looking questioningly at Rhys who was right behind the professor, Harry shrugged and said, "I'm ready."
Rhys asked, "Sabres?"
Harry nodded. "You're in luck, Malfoy. There's no time for a duel. You're just going to have to settle for watching the fencing demonstration. But we have some lovely biscuits over at the buffet. Maybe Ginny would get one for you."
He smiled at her over Draco's head. She laughed and said, "Don't worry, Malfoy. They're my special recipe, not your mother's…."
"And that's supposed to reassure me," Draco began.
Harry didn't hear the rest of that conversation because Rhys returned with the charmed blades. Tossing one to Harry, he leapt onto the dueling platform and playfully shouted, "En garde!"
"Hold on!" Harry said, taking his robe and jumper off and dropping them on the floor. Then he made a couple of warm up motions with the blade after climbing on the dais. "Where did you get this?" he asked. It didn't handle quite like the other practice sabres they'd used and it had a different handle.
"I grabbed the first ones I could find," Rhys said.
Harry laughed as he rolled up his sleeves "We're going to have to be careful not to fall off." They usually fought using the whole floor. With his wand, Harry conjured a magical scoreboard so even those who'd never seen a fencing match before would have a vague idea of how things were going. The crowd gathered around as Harry and his instructor, both in their shirtsleeves, held their weapons in front of them in a salute.
The fencing demonstration quickly became a pitched battle. Neither of them held back. Their sabres clashed brightly. Both swordsmen were evenly matched, fit and trim. Their footwork was agile and their blade movements were powerful. Rhys and Harry appeared to be enjoying the fight as well. The magical point count stayed fairly even.
After a particularly long foray, Harry stepped back for a moment as though to rest and Rhys thrust forward hoping to end the match. The moment he did, Harry twisted around low and parried the blow, catching Rhys' blade at just the right angle to send it flying into the crowd. Holding his sabre point to Rhys' throat, Harry shrugged his shoulders. The match was over.
The crowd broke into shouts and applause. Grinning Harry stepped forward to shake his hand. Rhys stopped short. Pointing to Harry's arm, he asked, "How'd that happen?" Harry had a long red streak of blood on his forearm.
"It's just a scratch. It doesn't hurt," Harry said with a shrug.
Looking concerned, Rhys conjured a soft white cloth and pressed it against the cut. "I thought I charmed all of the equipment. Sorry, I must have missed something." He smiled at his pupil. "At least you're getting pretty good at the defensive work."
"Pretty good? Want to go another round?" Harry asked, feeling cocky about beating his fencing master. He reset the scoreboard and gave him a questioning look.
Rhys smiled at his pupil. He just shook his head and began to roll his sleeves back down, refastening the cuffs. He shook his head at Harry and said, "You're getting sure of yourself."
Knowing that he was usually lucky if their matches ended in a draw, Harry grinned and said jokingly, "It's Ginny's biscuits; they go straight to my head." He knew the red head was right behind him.
She ducked under Harry's free left arm so it was draped across her shoulders. "Good show, Harry. I've never seen you fence before. You should sell tickets." Her eyes shone with admiration.
Zach Smith brought back the sabre that Harry had sent flying off into the crowd. Handing the weapon to Rhys, he thanked them both for an interesting exhibition. A few other people passed them, patting Harry on the back and saying nice, appreciative things. Thanking them and smiling, he turned his attention back to Rhys and Ginny. He thought Rhys looked tired. It was sort of late in the evening for fencing.
He handed him the blade he was holding and said, "Oh…here's this…and thanks." Remembering the white cloth, he handed that back, too. Seeing the blood on it, he pulled his wand out and cast a cleaning spell. "Sorry about that."
Rhys gave him an odd look and said, "I'm sorry, too. You better get that arm looked at." Nodding to Ginny, he said goodnight and walked off through the crowd.
Eyes widening as she noticed the cut, Ginny scolded him for not saying anything. Then she quickly healed the wound. She'd learned quite a bit working for Madam Pomfrey.
Harry looked at her appreciatively, "I guess it comes in handy having a girlfriend who knows how to heal things."
The crowd had thinned out considerably. Harry took Ginny's hand and the two of them went to find Hermione. They found her at the buffet table. "Congratulations! I knew you'd win." Harry said enthusiastically.
She turned toward them with a huge, self-satisfied grin and let Harry sweep her into a big hug. The drink in her hand slopped onto the floor. "You're so sweet to say so. I assure you -- Cho had me worried -- several times."
Ginny looked a little smug herself. "I knew you could take her."
"Thanks, but right now, I'm just terribly thirsty. I missed the food — just too busy being congratulated." Hermione smiled drowsily and took a long drink from the goblet she was holding.
Worry transforming his features, Harry said, "Wait…" Moody's paranoia was rubbing off on him as he watched the wet spot on the floor, where her drink had just spilled, produce a silvery mist. "What are you drinking?"
"What is it?" She yawned broadly and held up her goblet. "It's punch, I think…whew…" She shook her head. "I can barely keep my eyes open."
Ron stepped over and said, "I better help you up those stairs. You've had a long day." Hermione set her cup down on the buffet table and leaned gratefully on his tall, strong form.
The pleasant feeling of his girlfriend snuggling up against him was replaced with panic when she said, "Maybe you better carry me…." and slid to the floor.
Ginny dropped to her side. Lifting her friend's eyelids, she said, "Get Madam Pomfrey." When Ron stared at Hermione unable to move, she said more urgently, "Now!"
As Ron hurried away, Harry grabbed the goblet. Putting it under his nose, he sniffed the remaining contents. It just smelled like punch to him.
Professor Snape returned with Madam Pomfrey who immediately joined Ginny at Hermione's side. "I think there was something in this, Professor." Harry held the goblet out to Snape.
Snatching it from his hands, Snape said, "Haven't you had enough grandstanding for one evening, Potter? Must you have another drama? It's getting late." Despite his sarcasm, the Potions Master repeated Harry's action of sniffing the contents.
Moody arrived, and said grumpily, "Constant vigilance includes food, Potter. Probably had some sort of sleeping potion. Maybe something with asphodel or hellebore."
"Would any of that be fatal, Professor?" Harry asked quietly, not wanting Ron or Ginny to overhear. They were leaning over Hermione, trying to help Madam Pomfrey.
Rolling his eyes, Snape said, "That question speaks volumes about your potions abilities, Potter. You two are perfect for one another. Both utterly paranoid. No wonder you took him on as your assistant. I'll have to take this to my classroom to examine it." Looking disdainfully at the unconscious form of Hermione laid out on the stretcher, he said, "But…I imagine I'll find that this punch is just punch and Ms. Granger is perhaps exhausted from her efforts earlier this evening…Or perhaps she's in a swoon over your fencing display." He left in his usual swirl of black robes.
Too tired to react to Snape's sarcasm, Harry looked at the tableau of Madam Pomfrey floating Hermione's stretcher out of the Great Hall with Ginny on one side and Ron on the other. He couldn't help but wonder about the evening ending with such a bizarre twist. Questions ran through his head. Was this deliberate? Had someone played their hand and attacked a Muggle born right here? If someone could strike in the middle of the Great Hall, what would that mean to people? Hogwarts would cease to be considered a bastion of safety.
If only it was clear what had happened. In the absence of a Dark Mark appearing in the enchanted ceiling of the Great Hall, Harry could only guess what evil forces were at work. He stared at the floor where the punch had spilled earlier, imagining the silvery mist he'd noticed before, twisting into the familiar, but deadly green skull.
He heard the clump of Moody's wooden leg. For a moment the two of them stared in silence at what was, after all, only a wet spot on the floor. Then Moody thumped him on the back and said, "Better go with your friends, Potter. I'll get Dumbledore."
To Be Continued…
A/N: Notes to reviewers. Thanks!
shotgunn: It's good to hear someone appreciated bit about Harry and Ron misunderstanding each other. Thanks for reviewing!
Nightwing509: Thanks for saying you liked the family finding out. I figured Harry was due some embarrassing moments since Ginny has been through quite a few in her time. Percy — ARGH! Thanks for writing a review!
skeeter007: Thanks for noticing. The answer is yes and no. I had the blue hair prank down as a way for Ron to figure things out, but I decided it would be more fun to set her brothers on Harry all at once. Thanks for writing!
Rosepetal 13: Thanks so much for your review! A ferret covered in cheez whiz is a lovely image for Percy.
Lourdes1: Thanks for your thoughtful comments. There are a lot of story threads to keep track of at this point so…thanks. I am trying to update quickly, but this was a tough chapter for some reason. Thanks for reviewing!
Gryphonmistress: I thought that might have been what you meant, but thanks for clarifying. I appreciate all your nice comments about the last chapter. I love the twins. Too bad they left school. Thanks for writing a review!
Jack-A-Roe: Thanks for your review! I like the image of Ron and Percy fighting it out while Harry's giving Ginny her present in the garden.
Orion The Hunter: Thanks so much for reviewing!
Ted M. Hammett: Thanks for all your nice comments. I agree Percy would have made a good Slytherin. Where's his courage? Ginny's one of my favorite characters in OoTP. Thanks for your review!
Iluvatar: Thanks! Sorry to be slow.
Nathan Postmark: Percy's good at being a git, isn't he? Thanks for reviewing!
Mrs. Sakura Potter: Thanks. Percy does seem…expendable. Harry is too curious to stay away from the cave. Thanks for writing a review!
GhostMagic 19: Thanks for your review! We used a trail of mini marshmallows to capture the raccoons one by one. They've been relocated in a nearby forest. There were five of them! I still think the little ones were cute.
Butler: I agree they'll have to watch their step around the Weasley brothers for a while. Even Ron would have something to say if Harry does anything to hurt his sister. Thanks for writing a review!
dishant: Thanks for your kind words. Now it's back to school and on with the mystery. Thanks for reviewing!
Wytil: Christmas in July. It wasn't planned. It just worked out that way. Thanks for writing a review!
phang: I thought JKR's flying motorbike sounded like fun. Thanks for reviewing!
Cutiegurl 2288: Thanks for all your nice comments. I will try to update faster. It's just so…sunny. I appreciate you writing a review!
bluemoon52292: Thanks for all your encouragement. I did reread my reviews this week when I was having trouble with this chapter. It does help to have kind people writing them. Thanks. I have about six more chapters storyboarded, but the way things go that might be slightly more. Thanks for asking!
Musicfan013: Thanks for reviewing! My neighbors cats are sleeping easier since we dealt with the raccoons.
Tarnished Gold Avernus — Ba: Thanks for all of your reviews! You're right. The growth spurt was a stretch, but it's fiction. The twins could easily "change" Harry. Perhaps that's the real reason he gave them all that gold. Thanks for writing a review!
athenakitty: I don't think they'd bother to enlist Percy in the Death Eater ranks. Like Fudge, he seems easily manipulated. Thanks for reviewing!
SilverWarrior: Percy is indeed a jerk! Thanks for writing a review!
Hey: Yes it was. When I was younger, I used to hike to "Ghost Towns" in Colorado. The buildings were often destroyed with trees growing inside the remnants of the foundation. That's what I was going for. I'll try to fix it. Thanks for reviewing!
katepotter13: Thanks for your kind words. I am trying to update quickly. Thanks for writing a review!
Kallan Myers: Thanks for saying that. I appreciate it. Thanks for reviewing!
Princess Skywalker Organa: Thanks for reviewing!
coolchick207: Thanks for your nice comments. I'll look for the mistakes. There's always something spell check misses. Thanks for reviewing!
KandiG85: Thanks for saying that and for your recommendation. I love James and Lily. Thanks for reviewing!
corwin: Thanks. I appreciate it. Thanks for writing!
hp4ashley: I don't have an email thing, but I will try to keep updating. Thanks for reviewing!
Mr. Spock: I loved all of your reviews. You should post the pureblood inbreeding explanation that you wrote somewhere for more people to read. That was really good. And I'm pretty sure it explains Crabbe and Goyle. I'm glad you agree with me about horny teenagers. Remus, if he ever really let loose, could be horrifying. I just love him. I wonder if JKR will include more about Narcissa now that Lucius is locked up. Last, but not least… Fart Hell? Hart Fell is a real place. Try googling it and you'll find pictures pretty easily. I wonder what happens if you google your version. Thanks for reviewing!
Lion of Gryffindor: Thanks. I agree that Harry and Ginny fluff is good. More action is planned. They will be returning to both the cave and Hart Fell. Thanks for reviewing!
Preston 78: Thanks for your nice comments. I appreciate your writing a review!
A/N: Want to tell me what you think? Please review!