Ginny walked into the Great Hall for lunch to find Harry, Ron and Hermione already seated and eating.
"… don't need me, Ron" Harry said. "You've already got a full team to work with. You'll be fine."
"Well, I never thought I would see the day when Harry Potter passed on a chance to climb onto a broom for quidditch," Ron said with a frown.
"What did I miss?" Ginny asked as she sat next to Harry.
"Just Harry refusing to rejoin the quidditch team," Ron growled.
"I don't see why you're so upset about it, Ron," Hermione said. "Your next match is tomorrow. Harry hasn't been on a broom in months. He hasn't trained with the team at all."
"I didn't expect him to start," Ron said. "I just thought it would be nice to have him as an alternate just in case we needed him."
"It isn't as if we're going to be facing Slytherin or something," Ginny said. "If we were, I could see where you might think someone could be knocked out of the game and we would need an alternate. The match is against Hufflepuff though. When was the last time anyone had to use an alternate in a match against them?"
"I guess you're right," Ron said. "It just makes me feel better somehow knowing Harry is waiting nearby if we need him."
"Even if you did need him," Hermione began, "it wouldn't be like getting the Harry of old. He would have to ride one of the school brooms."
"Speaking of that," Ron said turning to Harry, "why haven't you ordered a new broom?"
"I guess I just never thought about it," Harry said. "If it would make you feel better, I'll have a broom by the time Gryffindor takes on Slytherin."
"Good," Ron said relieved.
"So, Harry," Hermione said. "What are you planning to do after lunch while the rest of us are in Potions and Defense against the Dark Arts?"
"I thought I might go down and visit with Hagrid for a while," Harry answered.
"But, Harry, Hagrid has to teach Care of Magical Creatures during that time," Hermione pointed out. "He won't be able to visit with you."
"Oh," Harry said thinking quickly. "I guess I'll just work on what I'm going to do for Sunday's D.A. class."
"Didn't you say just yesterday that you had already worked that out?" Hermione asked.
"Is there some reason why I can't change my mind?" Harry asked with a grin that he knew Hermione would pick up on.
"You're doing it again, Harry," Hermione said shaking her head. "Oh my goodness. We're sitting here talking about the D.A. and I nearly forgot that I have something I want to show you, Harry."
"What is it?" Harry asked as he watched Hermione reach inside her robes and pull out a tiny bag and place it on the table.
Hermione pulled out her wand and performed an enlarging charm on the bag. A second later, they all saw a large bulging bag sitting in front of them. Hermione reached inside and pulled out a silver ring and handed it to Harry.
Harry took the offered ring and turned it in his hand to examine it more closely. The outside of the band had the symbols of the four houses etched into it. On the top, there was a small white stone. Harry looked the ring over carefully, and then looked back to the bag it had come from before looking up at Hermione.
"Is this what I think it is," Harry asked.
"It works on the same principles as the original signal coins we made for the D.A.," Hermione said. "I have one for everyone who has been coming to the classes, and a few extra just in case you get any new students. They're one size fits all. They'll automatically adjust to the finger size of the wearer. They get warm whenever there is a new signal coming through from anyone wearing one. The stone will remain white most of the time, but will change color depending on what the situation is that everyone is being alerted to. Green will alert everyone to a meeting. Red will be the signal that someone is in danger. The stone will turn black if someone is in immediate need of medical attention. Once the signal has been sent, the corresponding message will display around the outer band as to the location where help is needed, or the place and time for a meeting."
"Brilliant," Harry said as he slipped the ring on his right ring finger.
"So when do the rest of us get one?" Ron asked.
"Well, you can have one right now if you want," Hermione said. "I'll bring this bag to the meeting on Sunday to pass them out to everyone there, Harry. Then I'll just leave it with you to pass out to the other two classes."
"I just want to make sure now," Harry said. "It isn't going to spell out the word sneak on their forehead if they take it off is it?"
Later that evening, after dinner, Ron came down from his dorm room into the Gryffindor common room expecting to find Harry and Ginny sitting by the fire where he normally found them. He had a few new plays he was thinking about inserting into the next day's quidditch match, but he wanted to run them by Harry and Ginny first. He was disappointed to find that they were not in the common room where he had expected them to be.
"Hermione," Ron began as he walked over to where Hermione sat reading, "have you seen Harry and Ginny lately."
"They went out just a few minutes ago," Hermione responded looking up from her book. "I think they said they were going to go and see Hagrid for a while."
"Why this sudden interest in seeing Hagrid?" Ron asked.
"Ron," Hermione said surprised. "Hagrid is a friend of ours. Harry can go and see him if he wants to. You're just mad because they didn't ask you to go along."
"Am not," Ron said. "I just had a new play I wanted to run by them."
"So you weren't upset at being left behind?" Hermione asked.
"Of course not," Ron said not sounding too convincing.
"I was," Hermione admitted.
"Hermione," Ron said surprised.
"Well I was," Hermione said. "It isn't easy you know. We've been hanging out with Harry for seven years now. To suddenly have him going off and doing things without us makes me a little jealous. I know it isn't rational. He probably feels the same way about us going off and spending time without him. We'll have to get used to the separation soon enough anyway. It won't be that long before we graduate and move away from Hogwarts. We may see each other during holidays and the like, but it just won't be the same as it was."
Ron stood and stared at Hermione for a few seconds before he said, "I guess I did lie a little bit. I do miss him. That was one of the reasons I wanted Harry back on the quidditch team. He may only be an alternate, but at least he would come to the practices and we would get a chance to spend some time together. He's like a brother to me, Hermione. I know I have plenty of those, but I feel closer to Harry than to any of them. I felt that way even before I found out he wanted to marry my sister."
"I know," Hermione said as she stood up and hugged her fiancé. "How would you like to get some fresh air with me. The astronomy tower should be free tonight since there aren't anymore classes before the weekend."
"I think I could use some air now that you
mention it," Ron said.
A few minutes later, Ron and Hermione
walked out onto the top of the astronomy tower to find that they were
not the only ones who had thought to come there.
"Good evening, Draco," Hermione said causing Draco to jump as he turned to glare at the new arrivals.
"What are you two doing here?" Draco asked.
"Not the most polite response I've ever heard," Ron said. "We just came up here to get a bit of the night air. What about you?"
"I thought perhaps it was somewhere I could be alone," Draco said. "Apparently I was wrong."
"We were only planning on staying for a few minutes anyway," Hermione said. "Then we'll leave and you can be alone again if you want."
"Forget it," Draco said. "Take all the time you want. I've had enough air for tonight."
They watched as Draco turned and walked away without another word. After he was gone, Hermione moved to look over the side of the tower and saw something that intrigued her interest. Down by the lake, she could just make out Cassidy standing by the shoreline. Hermione had to wonder how long she had been there. Surely Draco had noticed her. He had been staring off in that direction when they first walked onto the roof. She wondered if wanting to be alone was his real reason for being on the tower that night.
"They're coming out," Ron said, bringing Hermione back from her thoughts.
"What?" Hermione asked.
"Harry and Ginny just came out carrying a lantern," Ron said as he pointed in the direction of Hagrid's cabin. "Hey. What do they think they're doing? Harry can't take her into the forbidden forest. She could get hurt."
"I'm sure there must be a good reason for it," Hermione said. "Besides, Harry is with her. She's probably safer in there with him than anyone else."
"She's my little sister, Hermione," Ron said. "Do you have any idea how mum would react if she found out Ginny was strolling through that forest in the middle of the night? She'll blame it on me for not stopping her."
"Just relax, Ron," Hermione said. "Harry has on his ring and so does Ginny. If anything goes wrong, we'll know about it. Maybe we should just go back down to the common room and wait for them to come back."
"I can't go back to the common room," Ron said. "I'll be a nervous wreck there. I have to wait here so I can see when they come out of the forest."
"Great," Hermione said. "So you'll be more of a nervous wreak up here. Just stand back from the edge. I don't want you to accidentally throw yourself over the edge."
"I'm not that bad," Ron said as he turned to look at Hermione.
"Oh really?" Hermione asked. "Of all nights. It had to be tonight that I needed some air."
Ron looked back to the forest and said, "Wait a minute. I think I see something. It looks like a light."
"You see," Hermione said. "It wasn't anything to worry about. There they come now, and neither one looks any worse for wear."
"What in the world is Harry carrying?" Ron asked. "He didn't go into the forest with that."
"It looks like some wood," Hermione said. "They probably just went to gather some firewood for Hagrid."
"Why would they need to?" Ron asked. "He has a huge pile of firewood behind his cabin."
"Don't you get it, Ron," Hermione said. "Maybe they were just looking for something they could do together for a few minutes without being disturbed by anyone. Maybe they just wanted some air."