It was still dark when the boys woke in the morning, though it was far from quite.
Their room was filled with the sound of a hunting horn.
"Get up! It is time to start the day!" Tokugawa was standing at the door holding a curved wooden horn in his hand.
The boys groaned, rolled out of bed and, with much prompting, dressed in their white outfit.
"Shogun, could we have today off?" Ron asked blearily. "My sister is…"
"I know about the girl. That is no excuse to quit your training."
"Idiot" Ron muttered, heading out the door.
"An idiot, Mr Weasley," Tokugawa raised his voice, "is a window washer on the forty-fourth floor who steps back to admire his work. I am no idiot."
"What ever"
The girls were waiting for them in the common room, half asleep and slumped over the furniture.
"Come" Tokugawa led the unwilling students through the endless corridors and out into the blistering cold snow. He then sent them on laps around the castle and, the castle being so huge, and the snow being so deep; it was pain and a half on their legs.
By the forth lap the girls were beginning to lag behind and the boys were continuously falling over. Tokugawa, however, powered on ahead. He didn't seem tired at all despite the fact that he had a bag of sand draped over his neck.
Harry had lost count of the laps he had done when Tokugawa called it quits.
The students, quite the opposite of their moods the day before, were tired and grouchy as they slouched back up to the castle soaking wet and dripping with mud.
Ron and Hermione waited for the others to get ahead before inviting Harry to come to the prefects bathroom.
Malfoy was already there, soaking up to his neck in bubbles. Hermione disappeared through another door that led to the girls' bath. Ron and Harry undressed and slid, with satisfied moans, into the pool-sized bath with the Slytherin boy.
"We had to do laps of the castle too" Malfoy said when Harry asked. "We were a few hundred metres in front of you, though."
Harry told him about Ginny but, instead of being shocked, he merely nodded.
"I could sense it last night." He tapped his silver ring. "That was some anger you had bottled up."
The boys soaked and talked for a while longer before heading off to a healthy breakfast of porridge, eggs, exotic fruits and guava juice.
That afternoon Harry went to visit Dumbledore in his office.
"They were gone before I got there. They are looking after Ginny quite well though; I found a feast set up in the room she was being held captive in. I suppose they were trying to bribe her" Harry nodded and left.
As the week wore on, Harry found himself fitting snugly into his new routine. He'd get up before dawn to run around the castle then either go to the prefects bathroom with Ron or the normal showers with Dean then a healthy breakfast followed by an hour of intense training then a full day of classes. After that he would go and talk to Dumbledore before retiring to bed. Every night he dreamed of Ginny, every night she was in a different location, and every night Harry would go and see Dumbledore who would go to the location, only to return empty handed and exclaiming that they had moved on.
"I wonder why he thinks the baby is mine?" Harry mused, late on Thursday night as the boys got ready for bed.
"Remember when he possessed Ginny in her first year?" Ron said. "Well Ginny liked you back then so maybe you-know-who still thinks she still does and…yeah…you know the rest."
Harry fell into an uneasy sleep where Ginny was now tied to a chair in a room with peeling yellow wallpaper. Voldemort was becoming impatient.
"Tell me who the father is!"
"NO!"
"Have you tried the imperious curse, my lord?" Pettigrew enquired.
"Yes. She seems to have an immunity to it."
"My lord, if it is Potter's child, what do you plan to do?"
"Don't be so naïve, Pettigrew. If it is indeed Potter's child then I shall raise it as my own. It might be the secret to defeating that pathetic teenager once and for all."
Voldemort crossed to the window and surveyed the sight. Up on the hill he could see a glistening palace with thousands of yellow lights. Below it was a cool, black lake.
Harry awoke with a start.
Voldemort had Ginny in Hogsmeade.
Harry scrambled out of bed and ran to Dumbledore's office. The headmaster must have been expecting him because he was waiting outside the renewed Gargoyle.
"Hogsmeade" Harry gasped and, without a second glance at Dumbledore, ran to the entrance hall and down the Hogwarts drive.
Slowly a plan began to take form in his mind.
"Accio Cloak!" he muttered when he reached to gate. His invisibility cloak came soaring out the tower window and reached his outstretched hands at the same time that Dumbledore reached his side.
"It's that house over there." Harry pointed up the quite street to a lone house on a corner. "You put a shield over it so he cant apperate and I'll get Ginny."
"Harry-"
"I'll get Ginny," he repeated firmly. Dumbledore ceased to argue and the two of them moved stealthily down the street. When they were close enough to the house, Harry donned his invisibility cloak and moved into the house. Just before he closed the door, he gave Dumbledore thumbs up and he conjured a shield.
Harry went straight to the rickety old staircase and apperated to the top. He could hear voices behind the first door he came to and knew, by the throbbing in his scar, that Voldemort was in there.
He moved to the next door where he heard sobbing from within. Harry peered back down the hall and opened the door. Ginny's sobs cease uberty and her eyes widened in surprise.
"Whose there?"
Harry removed the invisibility cloak.
"Harry?"
Harry placed a finger to his lips and moved across the room and untied the girl.
"POTTER!" Pettigrew was standing, mouth wide open, at the door. Suddenly he turned and ran back to the other room.
Harry forced Ginny over to the window.
"Make a big pillow!" Harry yelled to Dumbledore who did as requested. Harry was just about to throw Ginny out the window when it slammed shut by itself. Harry swung around just in time to block the imperious curse that was flying his way.
"What are you doing here, Potter?" Voldemort sneered. He was using one of Harry's favourite methods of stalling; talking. He noticed Harry's hand on Ginny's back.
"Ah so it is your child?"
Voldemort was so naïve.
"Yeah" Harry said defiantly. Ginny opened her mouth only to be pinched into silence by Harry.
Harry used his other hand to unlock the window again.
Voldemort tried to surprise him with a curse Harry had never heard of before but Harry was ready and the curse rebounded onto the wall.
In all the confusion, Harry managed to get the window open and push Ginny out. She called to him from the ground but he ignored her and turned back to Voldemort.
"Lets finish this now. You and me." Harry pulled his wand out. Voldemort seemed a bit nervous but he lifted his wand up to shoulder height.
"AVADA KADAVA!" they shouted at the same time. The curses hit each other and exploded in a frenzy of green flames.
"Expelliarmus!" Harry yelled as the smoke cleared. He was hoping to catch Voldemort by surprise. But he was ready and waiting with a shield. He tried to stun Harry over the top of his shield but Harry dis-apperated and re-appeared behind him.
"Jokes on you, Voldemort, the baby isn't mine!" He was just about to finish his life long enemy when Dumbledore's shield weakened and Voldemort was able to apperate out of the house. Harry turned on Pettigrew who squeaked and followed his master's lead.
Harry turned to the window and took a running leap before landing safely on the pillow. Straight away he could see why Dumbledore had lowered the shield; he was surrounded by Death eaters and was having a hell of a time fighting them off.
Harry aimed his wand at the closest offender and blew him and two other death eaters off their feet without even using a spell.
He was running purely on bottled up anger.
Harry had to blow a few more off their feet before he reached Dumbledore's side.
"Who are they? I don't recognise any of them!" Harry shouted over the din.
"They're the lesser death eaters. Not in Voldemort's main circle!" Dumbledore shouted back. He had a bright red shield protecting himself and Ginny. Harry didn't need a shield; his emotions had created an invisible force field around his body making him practically invincible.
"How are we going to get out?" Ginny was crying as she tried, feebly, to fight off the closer enemies.
Harry paused from his fighting to summon all the energy he could muster. His skin gained a reddish-gold glow as he reached his maximum strength.
Then he simply let it all go.
The energy flew through the air, breaking the sound barrier and destroying all in its path.
Death eaters were blown off their feet and into buildings, which crumbled as the energy reached them in turn. A chunk of debris came flying through the darkness and smashed into Harry's head. He fell to the ground unconscious.
The sun shone brightly through the busy Hospital wing as Harry opened his eyes.
"Hello there" Claire was sitting on a chair by his bed and when she noticed that he was awake she leaned over and planted a kiss on his forehead.
"How do you feel?"
Harry closed his eyes again and thought about it.
"Really, really Happy" he concluded, smiling.
"Well you didn't have to do twenty laps of the castle in this mornings blizzard, did you?" Ron, Hermione and Draco came over and sat on the other side of his bed.
Harry tried to laugh but a sharp pain hit him on the chest. The memories of the night before came flooding back and he sat up quickly, ignoring the worsening pain in his chest and head, which was wrapped in a bandage.
"Where's Ginny?"
Ron pointed to a bed in the far corner and Harry jumped out of bed.
"Oh no you don't!" Madam Pomfrey came flying out of her office followed by Dumbledore and McGonagall.
"You need to get back into bed, Potter! The girl is fine but I doubt you'll be able to cast a spell for weeks! You've drained every last ounce of you magic!"
Harry got back into bed and let Madam Pomfrey fuss over him for a while before she gave him two potions: one for his head and one for his broken rib.
He felt much better after that.
"Did anyone die last night?" Harry asked, his happiness ebbing away. He didn't know what to do if he had another mans blood on his hands.
"No, Harry" Dumbledore assured him. "But they did suffer major injuries so they'll be out of work for a long time"
"Oh. Well I guess that's a good thing…"
"Can he come to the ball tonight?" Hermione asked.
"I'm sure he can. I can feel his energy building up already" Dumbledore smiled and led Professor McGonagall out of the room.
Madam Pomfrey gave Harry a few more minutes with his friends before ushering them out, leaving Harry alone with Ginny.
She came over and sat beside him.
"Thank you so much, Harry!" she muttered, her voice filling with emotion. "I knew you'd save me"
"Some one's got to be the hero" he smiled encouragingly and brushed her hair from her face.
"How's my little friend going?" he moved his hand down and pressed it on her tiny lump of a stomach.
"She'll be fine"
"She?"
"I have a feeling"
After leaving the Hospital wing, Hermione was planning to go to the Library to finish her History homework but Malfoy grabbed her by the elbow and dragged her the other way.
"So are you coming with me tonight?" he asked urgently. Hermione had been beginning to wonder when he'd ask again.
"Well…"
"Oh come on, Hermione. Don't be a tease. I know your not going with anyone else."
"Oh ok. But it's only for the ball. It doesn't make us an item," she warned, meeting his eye with a deathly glare.
"Your words, not mine" Malfoy grinned and strolled away. The moment he was gone Hermione began jumping up and down in excitement. She wanted to be more than just an item.
Harry and Ginny were allowed to leave the hospital wing when dinner started. As they reached he great hall everyone single person in the room turned and stared at them.
"I heard he blew up the whole of Hogsmeade!"
"Well I heard he killed over a hundred death eaters with a single spell!"
Harry could hear the two Ravenclaw boys talking but, knowing it wasn't true, ignored them and sat next to Ron to start his rice and chicken.
Tonight he preyed to the Great Dragon for the strength to fight before digging in.
"So did you blow up the whole village, Harry?" Lavender asked, unable to contain her curiosity.
"I blew up the street but Ginny said that Dumbledore repaired it before any residents found out. And no I didn't kill anyone" he said, raising his voice so the Ravenclaw's behind him could hear. Parvati leaned across the table to whisper.
"Did he rape her, Harry?"
"NO!" he looked around the table. Ron and Dean looked just as sick as he felt.
"That's not on, Parvati!" Hermione whispered back. The other girl shrugged.
Tokugawa surveyed his pupils with mild interest.
"How did you blow up the whole street, Harry?" Seamus asked.
"Did you do it the same what as you blew up Dumbledore's gargoyle?" Ron met his eye and silently tried to convince him to confess.
"Yes I did, Ron, with my wand" Harry replied firmly, putting a stop to all conversation at the table.
Just as dinner was ending, Dumbledore stood up to make a speech.
"Our guest will be arriving at any moment. Would all students please exit to the grounds in an orderly manner and line up in your years?"
There was a mad rush for the door and minutes later the hall was empty except for the sixth graders, their Samurai teachers and the Professors.
"Why aren't we rushing?" Neville asked no one in particular.
"You are learning self discipline. Your minds are now telling you that there is no need to rush because you will get there quicker anyway." Tokugawa stood and, with his Japanese companions, led the remaining students from the hall.
The rushing students were having trouble getting out the massive front doors because everyone wanted to be the first out. Harry waited patiently beside Claire who was frowning.
"What's up?"
"Oh" she forced a smile to her face and looked encouragingly into Harry's eyes. "It's nothing…I just have a bad feeling about tonight. But its probably just my… never mind" she rubbed her shoulder where Harry knew the mark was. He put an arm around her and hugged her to his side. There was something satisfying about protecting a girl.
Finally they got outside and lined up. They only had to wait about three minutes before the sky flashed in brilliant colours of red, and gold.
The Hogwarts students stared in awe as a long blue dragon came snaking through the sky. It had white, glowing whiskers half the length of its body and no visible wings.
It also seemed to be singing a melody so beautiful it cleansed the soul.
Gracefully, it glided to the ground in a spiral. It was only then that a bamboo carriage became visibly attached to its tail.
The carriage door opened and four students and a tall man with a beard longer than Dumbledore's exited and walked briskly towards the Hogwarts students who were still staring at the massive Dragon.
The Chinese students, with a word from their teacher, bowed low in respect.
The sixth year students, mainly out of habit, bowed back. Tokugawa and his friends nodded approvingly.
The Chinese students introduced themselves as Fang Yin, Bing, Li Wang and Zhao Wu. There were two girls and two boys but Harry couldn't tell the difference between them except for the fact that the girls had slightly longer hair. Their master introduced himself as Quin.
Two of the seventh graders were elected to show the first guests to the great hall for a quick bite to eat leaving the rest of the Hogwarts students gazing at the dragon, which unhitched itself from the Carriage and took to the sky once more. It flew around to castle before diving head first into the lake and disappearing from sight.
It was only a few seconds before the sky lit up with Blue, white and red fireworks.
The students stared excitedly at the horizon but the display happened right before them. A harsh wind blew across the snow before them, picking up the white powder and sending it into a spiral. Gradually the snow turned to red sand and fell to the ground again leaving five people, two boys, two girls and their teacher standing atop the reddened snow.
"Far out it's cold 'ere!" one of the boys exclaimed, following his peers up to the waiting hosts. All of them had light blonde to medium brown hair. The girls had their hair tied back in messy ponytails as if they'd just come from the beach.
They're names were, Chelsea, Ebony, Dale and Cameron and they called their teacher Frank.
This time it was two first years that got the honour of showing the new guests to the great hall.
They were barely through the front doors when the sky lit up with Blue and white fireworks. Five white winged horses sprang from the flames and dived towards the ground. Despite their speed, they landed gracefully in a line for their riders to dismount.
They were a well-built group of people and they seemed the least bit intimidated by the cold as they introduced themselves as Assyria, Edessa, Morpheus and Pindar. They're teacher called himself Runako.
This time Dumbledore showed them to the great hall while the Hogwarts students, following McGonagall's orders, went to their common rooms to get ready for the ball.
You know what to do…