Thank you, readers, for all of your wonderful reviews. Now, a question/comment was posed about italicizing or underlining book titles where I had used quotation marks instead. The thing is that, for some reason or another- they don't like it when I try to do it; therefore, there is no HTML in here (because if they let me, trust me, it would be all over the place).

Edit: Did some working and got the HTML to work. has a party

In other news, here is Chapter 23, "Regaining Magic." Enjoy!

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"Oh, we're sinking like stones, all that we fall for. Homes, places we've grown; all of us are done for. We live in a beautiful world; yeah, we do, yeah, we do. We live in a beautiful world. Oh, all that I know, there's nothing here to run from. And yeah, everybody here's got somebody to lean on."- Coldplay, "Don't Panic"

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Once Hermione had dried her eyes and wiped her face, she and her two best friends, Harry and Ron, had begun a playful banter. Suddenly, Ron stood up and walked over to his bag.

"I almost forgot, Hermione," said Ron. "A letter came for you today. Ernie gave it to me because he thought that I would be more likely to see you than him."

"He was right," she said. "I haven't seen Ernie for a couple of days. Who's the letter from?"

"Search me," he said. "Open it."

Hermione slid her finger into the flap, unfolded the letter and began to read. The boys watched as her face went from concerned to happiness.

"What is it, Hermione?" asked Harry.

"It's from my mum," she said happily. "The gist of it is that she has decided to come back to the wizarding world."

"What!" said Ron. "No way, let me see it."

"Sorry," she said apologetically. "There are some really personal things in there that I would prefer that you didn't read. But after I had the discussion with Professor Malfoy, I decided to try and talk to my mum about becoming a witch again. I guess it worked, thought I think my father may have talked her into it a little. She has a new wand- a twenty-three centimeter inch cedar with a unicorn hair core."

"That's great," said Harry. Then tentatively, he said, "Does she know about the whole, you know, Veela thing?"

Hermione nodded. "Professor McGonagall wrote to her. Apparently, the Veelas had made their decision a day or two ago; they just put off announcing it. My parents want to meet Draco."

"Can't see why they would," said Ron spitefully.

"Probably because he's almost my fiancé," said Hermione obviously.

"Wait, hold up," said Ron. "No one ever said you had to marry Malfoy."

"Well my parents are big activists for the no premarital sex thing. So most likely they will want me to marry him, unless they consider this an exceptional circumstance, which they may. That was why I said 'almost.'"

This did absolutely nothing to lighten the situation in Ron's eyes, but he decided to make jest anyway. "So your name would become Hermione Granger Malfoy? Sorry, but if you ask me, that's a terrible name to have. Just about as bad as Hermione Longbottom."

Hermione scrunched up her face and threw a pillow at him. "Thanks, Ron," she said. "I definitely know now who not to choose as godfather."

Ron laughed. "Well, that's alright. I don't think I'd want to be godfather to Draco Malfoy Jr."

"He's not going to be named Draco Jr.," said Hermione resolutely. "I've decided that already. Anyway, how do you know it won't be a girl?"

Ron looked thoughtful as he took this into consideration.

"Well, you guys, I need to catch up on some sleep. I'll see you guys later." With that, Hermione walked out of their tent, still laughing at a few things that had been said. These thoughts held her until she reached her own.

She entered, expecting to go straight to sleep when someone slammed her against the tent wall. "Ow! Who is..." she began, and then someone's mouth closed tightly down on hers. Recognizing Draco, she smiled against his lips and responded to his fevered kissing. This is what she had missed, the past few days. She had shied away from him the past couple of days to make it easier for Ron to forgive her, but a great thing she had given up. She sighed happily against his mouth and wrapped her arms more tightly about him.

"I can take it you're happy to see me," he said, breaking off. Hermione giggled and smiled as he walked away and began lighting a few lights in the dark tent.

"I guess you could say that," she responded.

"Well, I'm happy to see you are in a good mood. I have something I want to ask you about."

Hermione frowned and walked over towards him. "What is it?"

"It's about a certain book that you have in your possession; one with an interesting history," he said.

Hermione examined his face, "How do you know about that? You know I don't like people going through my things."

He pulled the book from out of his trunk. "And I supposed this book is why you don't. I was looking for your sword so I could hide it, lest it fall into the wrong hands. I have hidden it in an Unsitchtbar necklace, in case you want to know. Now, I would like to know how you came across this book."

"Believe it or not," she said, "I got it in Diagon Alley."

"That's impossible," he said. "Books like this are not sold in Diagon Alley. Knockturn Alley, perhaps, but not Diagon. In fact, this book isn't sold in any alley, no matter how dark it is."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that this book is not only heavy Dark Arts, it is also rare- very rare. Actually, the only copy still standing is in my hands right now. My father once had a copy, but it was destroyed in a fire."

"You mean," she said, "I have the only copy of this book still in existence."

"That's right. And it can't be copied either, unless someone sat down and copied it word for word out of the book."

Hermione frowned at the thought. This book, which, when she bought it, she knew nothing about, is one of the rarest books in the world.

"And I'll ask you again," said Draco, "How did you come across this book?"

"Well," she said. "When I was about to begin my first year, I thought it would be smart to look into the school I would be going to. So I bought what I thought was Hogwarts, a History along with my other schoolbooks. It wasn't until I got home that I realized that there was a mistake; the fly cover and the book were different. I decided to keep it though because I was naïve and thought all magic was good magic. I wanted to learn everything I could so that I would be as informed as everyone else that would be going. Once I found out about what was dark and light magic from my other schoolbooks, I was afraid to bring it back. I thought someone would accuse me of dabbling in the Dark Arts. So, I kept it and haven't opened it since."

Draco nodded. "I guess someone maybe wanted to keep it in hiding. Oh, yes, that is what it is. My father wanted to keep it in hiding."

"What do you mean?" she asked when Draco began laughing.

"What I mean is this is the book my father tried to get his hands on in my first year, after his had been destroyed. He sent me to Madame Malkin's while he went to Flourish and Blots. When he came to get me from the shop, he was livid. When I asked him what was wrong, he said that Artemis had turned her bow against him." Then he began laughing again.

"I still don't get it," she said. "Who is Artemis?"

"Well, the Artemis that he was referring to was the Greek moon goddess, who was also goddess of the hunt. But the actual Artemis is another person, Artimis. Same name, just spelled a little differently. She was a very powerful dark witch that wrote this book. Sales Upetir Mecrithls Sands is an anagram for The Artimis Spells and Curses."

"Oh," she said, now understanding. "Now I get it. That is pretty funny. A Muggleborn beat him out of getting what he wanted."

"You actually had a tendency to do that a lot," he said. "You were first in our year. Even thought I was close behind, it pissed him off royally to know that you of all people were beating me at it."

She smiled as though satisfied then asked Draco, "So have you looked through it at all?"

"I opened it, but didn't look any further. I was waiting for you."

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that this may be the way for us to defeat the Dark Lord. Fight fire with fire."

"I don't know," said Hermione. "I mean, if we do defeat Voldemort, I want us to have been fighting with good. It would make us no better than him if we defeated him using his own methods."

"But that's the thing about these spells. Almost all of these can be considered light if they are used on us, not on anyone else."

"So, in a way, like an exception to the rule?"

"Sure."

"I don't know about this..."

"Hermione, if anyone knows the exceptions to the Dark Arts, it's me. Anyway, think of that old saying. 'The young know the rules, but the elderly know the exceptions.'"

"But you aren't old," she giggled.

"But when it comes to the Dark Arts, I am wise beyond my years."

Nodding, Hermione said, "So, shall we?"

"Why not?" said Draco as he indicated a spot next to him on the cot. Hermione sat down next to him as they opened the first few pages of the text. On the second page, it read in dark bold print:

Through me the way into the suffering city,

Through me the way to eternal pain,

Through me the way that runs among the lost.

Justice urged on my high artificer;

My maker was divine authority,

The highest wisdom, and the primal love

Before me nothing but eternal things were made,

And I endure eternally

Abandon every hope, ye who enter here.

"Divine Comedy," murmured Hermione.

"What?" said Draco.

"In Dante's Divine Comedy, there is a part called 'Dante's Inferno' where he goes through all the levels of hell. That is a sign that is before you enter into hell."

"How appropriate," he said.

Hermione nodded and turned the page. As they looked through the book, dark spells, curses, potions, and pictures were thrust into their sight. Many of them reminded Hermione eerily of the horrific drawings in Moste Potente Potions. Flipping to the next chapter, they found a title that seemed to be what they could be looking for. The title was named, appropriately, "Animal Arms and Armor: Night Falling." Eagerly, they turned the page. The first spell listed looked unpromising and involved several complex transfigurations. The second led them to a page titled "Aztec Lioness: A Sphinx of Mexicans." Pictured below was what the intended result is. There was a picture of the Aztec Sphinx crushing a human in its frothy jaws, while its snake tail hissed menacingly. Hermione began to scan the process when a crash was heard from outside.

Draco swore and slammed the book shut. He shrunk it down and put it into the cylinder around his neck. Then the two of them, hurried out of the tent to see what the commotion was.

"Stop where you are," a hooded figure said as they exited the tent. The man held both a sword and a wand in his hands

Looking around, they saw teachers, students, Veela with their hands in the form of surrender. So this is what it came to. They were conquered.

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Hey, sorry to end it so soon, but I have to leave you with some form of a cliffie, right? That's my style, lol. Hope you liked it anyway!

Dragonfires