Invisible Scars
Wow…I must say something here. You all have possibly the most articulate and helpful reviews I've seen. And I'll explain. I read some of the stories on this site, and I have for a while. Then I noticed a trend of silly stories, which are fine because who am I to judge. I believe you write what you feel like, and if it makes you happy, you do it. However, because I love these books so much, I personally can't write like that. So when I read stories, I look for the true ones, or miscellaneous ones worth reading. But before I choose, I read that person's reviews. I feel that you can tell what an author is like by the reviewers reading their story, and if the reviews are strong and actually make sense, explaining what they like and why they appreciate it, I will get behind the story 100 and this system has led me to many interesting and creative works…
So my point, after much rambling, is this. If I were me, checking out my story, and followed my aforementioned guidelines, I would definitely read my story because of all of you. There aren't any "U R sooooooooooooooo awesome! I luv R/Hr! They R 2 cute!" There are, however, detailed, coherent points of view being shared by a community of true fans…
I guess what I'm trying to say is this: U R soooooooooooo awesome!
I feel very honored that you have stopped by, and gladly welcome you along as I wrap this puppy up! Hope everyone is happy, healthy and safe…
Chapter 9 – A Collective Effort
Ron tried very hard not to think about Regulus and the portrait as he stood in the Apparition Centre. He couldn't afford to fail again. Firstly, because he would need to be able to apparate if he was to go along with Harry and Hermione, and secondly, because he didn't think he could suffer the humiliation of failing something twice. Especially now, since Hermione had sent him off with a kiss for good luck that still had his knees a bit wobbly.
When they called his name, he stepped forward and took a deep breath. He heard Hermione's voice repeating in his head, and it calmed him a bit. Destination, determination, deliberation…destination, determination, deliberation…
"Alright then, Mr. Weasley," Wilkie Twycross said, looking slightly put out that he had to administer tests to two individuals instead of to a group. "By your leave."
Ron nodded, swallowing down the lump of nerves that had settled somewhere in his throat and pushed all other thoughts from his mind. He concentrated on the adjoining room, right behind the large oak desk. He filled his mind with nothing but that thought as he imagined himself standing there, leaning up against it casually. Then, with one last deep breath, he turned on the spot and felt a vicious tug right above his navel and squeezed his eyes shut.
The next thing he knew, he heard Harry yelling his name, and he pried his eyes open to find himself half-sitting on the desk he'd seen in his mind. He looked over to Harry, who was pumping one fist in the air, grinning across the distance. Ron grinned back and took a moment to collect himself.
He had done it. Now he wouldn't have to go home and tell Hermione that he was rubbish at everything he did. He could instead sweep into the room – no, maybe he'd apparate – lift her off her feet and kiss her until he felt like stopping.
"Mr. Weasley, you need to move so Mr. Potter may have his turn," Twycross said in a bored voice, obviously not impressed by Ron's accomplishment.
Ron reentered the room with Harry and Twycross, and gave Harry a thumbs-up. "Good luck, mate," he said. Harry tried to smile back, but the smile faltered when Twycross called him forward.
A moment later and it was Ron's turn to whoop and holler for Harry. Harry had chosen to apparate to the side of a water cooler, and although the cooler was on the ground in pieces in front of him, Harry himself was intact and on his feet.
"Very well, very well," Twycross said, signing a few forms and shoving them into Ron and Harry's hands. "Here are your certificates. Take them to the front office for registration."
Ron and Harry finished their business and made their way to Level 8. When the doors opened onto the Atrium fountain, Ron saw Harry tense up at his side.
"I hate this place," he said, his voice sounding very far away.
Ron nodded in agreement. "Me too. I guess we won't be queuing up for jobs here after we…"
His voice trailed off into nothingness as they stepped out of the elevator. He knew they were both thinking the same thing. Was there even going to be an 'after' for them?
Just then, they saw Ginny appear from one of the grates to the right of the fountain. "Ginny?" Ron called out, surprised to see his sister. She didn't look pleased to see either of them, but she crossed to join them all the same.
"Hi," she said, avoiding Harry's inquisitive gaze altogether. "How'd it go?"
"We passed," said Ron, dismissing it with a wave of his hand. "What are you doing here? Did mum let you come by yourself?"
Ginny looked highly offended for a moment, but kept control of her temper. "Yes, she did," she replied tightly. "I have an appointment and she didn't have time to take me. Dad told her I'd be fine."
"Where is your appointment?" Harry asked, and although Ginny looked like answering him was the last thing she wanted to do, she finally met his eyes.
"Level 3."
"That's the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes," Ron said, recalling the placards on the inside of the elevator. "What business do you have there?"
"My business," Ginny said, moving past them quickly. "I'll see you at home," she called over her shoulder, successfully dismissing them both. They watched her disappear behind the closing doors, both surprised by her abrupt behavior.
"What do you think that was all about?" Ron asked Harry, who was still staring at the glassy doors of the elevator shaft.
"I don't know," he replied, sounding defeated and wary. Ron grabbed the arm of his robes and tugged him toward the grate leading home.
"Come on. We can ask my mum when we get back. Or maybe Hermione knows what's going on. She always does," he said, matter-of-factly. "Besides, we need to get back in case Lupin heard anything."
Harry nodded and turned away from the elevators to follow him. Ron really wished they could have apparated home, but the ministry had the same protections on it as Hogwarts did. Silently hoping this was his last time using the floo network, he tossed the remains of his bag into the fireplace and shouted, "The Burrow!"
"I knew you'd do it!" Hermione exclaimed, throwing her arms around him exuberantly. He laughed into her hair, which was now covering his face. "I'm so proud of you," she said more quietly, directly into his ear. It felt so intimate that his palms immediately began to sweat. It had been like this since the night of the wedding. Every time she got anywhere close to him now, his entire body went into overdrive.
At first, his feelings for her had been so deep and muddled that he was happy to simply be around her. His thoughts were not entirely platonic, but they weren't like they were now, either. He assumed that he needed time to adjust to simply being able to be with her, and now that they were…adjusted to each other…the other feelings were sneaking in. He couldn't look at her any longer and see a girl he'd once completed homework with. Now, when he looked at her, he saw the woman he'd let ensnare him body, mind and soul.
"Hermione, you're choking me," he teased, but when she began to pull back, he held her tightly against him. "I didn't say I minded."
She laughed and kissed his neck, then detangled herself from his arms. "I'm assuming Harry passed as well?"
"Yeah, but he had a letter to write so he went straight to my room," he said, taking her hand. "Want to go for a walk?"
She laughed again, allowing him to tug her along to the back door. "We never seem to do much walking when we go for a walk," she said, raising an eyebrow at him.
"It's your fault," he said, waiting until they were in the shade of the trees in the garden before he turned to face her with intent clear in his eyes.
Her own eyes sparkled up into his as he backed her up against the nearest tree. "How's that?"
"You're simply too fetching to resist, my lady," he said, trapping her between his arms and lowering his mouth to the spot on her neck he'd recently discovered drove her to utter distraction.
He felt her relax against him as his lips found their target, and he moved his arms around her to support her. She made soft little sounds in his ear that drove him wild, so much so that he had to get her to stop. His lips trailed across her jawline to her mouth, and within moments they were clinging to each other as if they would be torn apart any second.
Ron's mind began to get hazy, and he felt his control quickly spinning out of his reach. He eased his lips off of hers, and when she moaned in protest and began to kiss him again, he had to physically step away from her. His breathing was coming strong and irregular as he positioned her at arms length from him.
"We have to stop," he rasped, shaking his head as she began to remove his hands from her shoulders and tried to step back into his embrace. "No, I mean it, Hermione. We have to stop. Now."
She gave him an irritated look, but it quickly changed to one of understanding. "Oh," she said, her face getting flushed. She gave him a small smile as she sank onto the cool grass. "Sorry."
"Hey, don't apologize to me," Ron said, joining her on the lawn, but careful to keep a slight distance between them. "You can't help it that you knock me completely off my rocker."
"Who would have thought Ron Weasley would turn out to be such a flatterer?" she said, pushing a piece of hair out of his eyes. He captured her hand and kissed her palm lightly.
"We can just talk, then," she said, her eyes soft as they watched his action. "Did you see your father at the ministry?"
"No, but we did see Ginny," he replied, remembering that he had wanted to bring it up with her anyway. "She wouldn't say why she was there, though. Any idea?"
Hermione's brow furrowed. "No. She didn't say anything to me about going there today. She just said she had some things to take care of and that she'd be back soon."
Ron couldn't figure it out. He knew that Ginny confided in Hermione the most, and if she hadn't said anything to her, then she was definitely hiding something big. His mind began to race with all of the possibilities, and came up frustratingly empty.
"She's still got a year of school," he said aloud, trying to work it out. "She couldn't be applying for a job, could she?"
Hermione shrugged. "School might not open, so it's a possibility she may be planning for," she said rationally. Ron sighed, wondering how Ginny could even think of getting a position at the ministry. He knew how much she distrusted the entire system ever since their treatment of Harry. She had also seen what the ministry had done to Percy, and indirectly, their family. Their father was still there only because he felt an obligation that went deeper than any of them could understand. Why would she be interested in working for a government she didn't trust?
Hermione sat up straighter and nodded her head toward the house. "Maybe we can ask her now," she said, and he turned to see Ginny heading into the house.
Their attempts to discuss anything with her were thwarted momentarily, however, by the arrival of four large, distinguished tawny owls. Hermione's eyes grew wide as one deposited a letter in her slightly shaking hands. Ron's own hands weren't as steady as they should have been as it registered in his brain that these were Hogwarts owls and the letters most likely contained news of the school's fate.
Hermione gave Ginny's letter to her as Ron called up the winding staircase for Harry. By the time Harry had joined them, Ginny and Hermione had opened their letters and were scanning the contents. Hermione looked shocked and surprised, but Ginny simply read the letter, then placed it on the table next to the sandwich she had made for herself.
"Well?" Ron asked, ignoring his own letter for the time being. He assumed they all said the same things anyway. Hermione looked up at him and her face was still frozen in shock.
"They're closing Hogwarts," she said, shaking her head from side to side. "I can't believe it."
"They're not actually closing the school," Ginny corrected, appearing much more calm than Hermione. "It will just be serving a different purpose this year."
"But there won't be any classes," Hermione put in, still looking flustered.
Ron tore open his letter to read the news for himself, and saw Harry do the same.
Mr. Weasley,
We regret to inform you that Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry will not be accepting students for enrollment in classes this school term. The school will remain open to families who wish to utilize the resources available to prepare for any future possibilities or who simply need a safe place to reside.
Teachers will report to the school beginning the first week of September. Please send word if you are interested in returning to the school, along with a list of family members who will be arriving with you.
As you were preparing to complete your seventh and last year, please be advised that all previous academic standings will be taken into consideration and N.E.W.T.S. will be waived if your standing is deemed credible by the Wizarding Examinations Authority. You will be notified of your standings after the winter holiday.
We are sorry for the inconveniences to you and your family, and appreciate your cooperation and understanding in these matters.
Sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Acting Deputy Headmistress
The room was oddly silent as Ron finished reading his letter, and when he looked up he realized why. Harry was staring at the letter in his hand as if it was going to turn into dust right before his eyes, and Hermione and Ginny were staring at the pair of them, waiting for a reaction.
Unfortunately, Ron didn't have one available. He knew that they weren't planning on going back to school as it was, but there was something incredibly strange about knowing that the school wouldn't be open and carrying on with business as usual while they were off in the world. It was almost as if the last remaining shred of normalcy in their lives was being yanked from underneath them, giving them no solid ground to stand upon.
"What are you going to do, Ginny?" Hermione asked suddenly, breaking the long silence that had fallen among them. Ron looked to his sister, and saw Harry do the same. Ginny was now fiddling with the crust of her bread, pulling it apart in little pieces and looking thoroughly enthralled with the action.
"Ginny?" Hermione asked again. Ginny's head came up then, and she met Hermione's eyes squarely.
"I kind of assumed the school wasn't going to open this year," she said. "Which is why I made plans to intern at the ministry."
"Why?"
The question was asked by Harry, who was staring hard at Ginny. She turned to face him, her expression not changing in the slightest.
"Because I don't have any other options. Actually, I wasn't given any other options," she said.
They stared at each other for a long moment, in which Ron could feel the tension mounting to an almost unbearable level. He looked back and forth between them, and finally couldn't take it any longer.
"What is it that you'll be doing, then?" he asked his sister, who was still trying to stare Harry down from where she stood. "Working with dad?"
"I'm going to be assisting the junior head of the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes," she explained, finally turning her attention to Ron.
Ron looked back at her with a blank expression. He still couldn't figure out when she'd become such a fan of the ministry. Harry was apparently having the same problem, because he was looking at her with the same expression on his own face.
Only Hermione seemed to understand Ginny's motivation. She spent a moment working it out in her head, then she sat next to her at the table. "Are you sure you'll be able to get away with it?"
"Get away with what?" Harry asked, suddenly looking nervous. "You're not going to do something that's going to get you into trouble, are you?"
Ginny gave him a long-suffering look. "As opposed to what? Going off in search of the means to take down the most dangerous wizard that ever lived?"
Harry's face fell momentarily, but he regrouped quickly. "What is it exactly that you're going to be doing at the ministry?"
"I don't recall having to report to you," Ginny retorted hotly. She got up out of her seat, but Hermione put a hand on her arm.
"Ginny, if you're doing what I think you're doing, then we have a right to know," she said calmly. "We'll find out soon enough, won't we?"
All the fight left Ginny as her shoulders sagged before their eyes. "Look, it's nothing. I've just been trying to figure out a way to help out without going along with you guys," she said, sparing a glance at Harry before continuing. "The best I could come up with was working at the ministry and keeping my ears open for any information I think you will need."
Her confession was met with complete silence. Ron thought about it for a moment, and realized, to his complete horror, that it was a smart move. If Ginny worked with the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes she would have inside information on anything that happened within the wizarding community. Any time Voldemort attacked a town, or was spotted somewhere, she would know about it. If they knew where Voldemort was, they could stay one step ahead of him.
"I get it," he said aloud, earning a severe look from Harry and an approving one from Hermione. "Our own little spy," he said, offering his sister a small smile.
She returned it gladly, thanking him with her eyes. Then she swung her gaze to Harry, who was still glaring at Ron.
"Well, go ahead," she said, her shoulders straightening as if facing an inquisitioner's squad. "Start talking me out of it."
Harry remained silent for so long that Ron assumed he wasn't going to say anything at all. Then he walked over to Ginny and stood right in front of her, so she couldn't look anywhere but at him. Their eyes held each other's, and Ron felt like he was witnessing something very personal. He shifted uncomfortably and caught Hermione's eye. She nodded her head towards the living room and he nodded in return. They left the room just as Harry's arms wound around Ginny's waist, and she rested her head on his shoulder.
Although they had no news from either Lupin or Tonks for the rest of the day, they did receive a surprise visit from the twins after dinner.
"Had to check up on our two favorite couples," George explained, waggling his eyebrows at Hermione suggestively as he seated himself between Harry and Ginny on the sofa.
Fred took the seat behind Ron who was sitting on the floor next to Hermione, a chessboard in between them. "So, what's new?" he asked, looking them all over. "What's this we hear about our baby sister becoming a ministry drone?"
Ginny, who was trying to shove George off the sofa, paused when she heard this. "Who told you that?" she exclaimed in surprise, her gaze swinging back and forth between the two of them.
"We have our ways, Gin," George said sagely, patting her on the head. "So, spill already. What's the story?"
Ginny sighed in resignation and began explaining why she'd chosen to intern at the ministry. Fred nodded as she spoke, and shot George a conspiratorial look when she'd finished.
"I told you we were all thinking along the same lines," he said, in that strange code of theirs that Ron had always envied.
"So you're not going to try and stop me either?" Ginny asked, looking incredulous.
"Why would we try and stop you?" George asked. "Sounds like a right smart move, doesn't it, Fred?"
When Fred didn't answer right away, Ron twisted to see what his brother was up to. The only thing he saw was a glint of metal as Fred grabbed a patch of Ron's hair.
"Argh! Geroff, Fred!" Ron shouted, as Fred sliced through a piece of his hair with what Ron now knew were scissors. "What the hell are you doing!"
Fred held up the thick lock of hair he'd just shorn off Ron's head and admired it before tucking it into a small pouch he'd procured.
"Just another part of the plan to keep the lot of you alive," Fred said, patting the pouch as he returned it to his pocket. "You see, my dear brother, we came up with a most ingenious plan of our own…"
"One that will allow you to move about with a bit more freedom than you'd be able to normally," George finished, bringing out his own pair of scissors and turning to Harry.
Harry backed away from George until he was almost over the armrest of the sofa, but George simply laughed and beckoned him closer. "Come on now, Harry," he coaxed. "It'll only hurt for a minute."
"What are the two of you on about?" Ron bellowed, rubbing at the spot on his head where Fred had relieved him of at least an inch of hair.
"The answer is simple, my dear brother," Fred explained as he watched George zero in on Harry again. "Polyjuice Potion. Lots and lots of it."
"We're going to brew up a huge batch and keep it in the storeroom at the shop," George said, pausing in his efforts long enough to explain. "We figure if we turn into the two of you and pop off to be seen in various places around the world, word will get back to Voldemort and keep him well off your track for a good, long while."
"You can't do that," Harry said, now standing as far away from George as he could get while still remaining in the room. "You can't put yourselves in danger like that."
"Nonsense, Harry," Fred said, waving him off. "First of all, you don't get to make that decision for us, and second, we won't stay the two of you long enough to be mistaken. We'll simply make an appearance somewhere public where people will definitely be talking about who they've seen, and poof, we're our own handsome selves again."
Hermione, who had been watching the entire scene with a mixture of amusement and wariness, looked at them in awe. "That's actually a brilliant idea," she said. Ron gave her a look, which she shrugged off. "What? It is."
Fred grinned at her. "I'm glad you think so, Hermione, because we'll be needing some of that gorgeous hair of yours, as well."
"Why?" she asked, now sliding away from where Fred was sitting. "Cross gender transformation is almost impossible to accomplish, and not very pleasant, I've read."
"That doesn't mean we can't recruit a willing female to help with the cause," George explained. "Now come on, you two. We can take it from Ron by force because he's ours to mess with as we please, but we decided that with you we would ask nicely."
Ron saw Harry and Hermione exchange a look, then give over to the twins in reluctant defeat.
"Good!" George said, snipping Harry's unruly hair and tucking it into a small pouch of his own. "It's always easier when your subjects comply, isn't it Fred?"
"Yes, it is," Fred agreed, cutting at Hermione's hair as she closed her eyes tightly. "But not nearly as fun."
After the twins had left, the four of them remained in the living room until well into the night. Ron realized his mother and father had made themselves scarce all night, almost seeming to understand their need for privacy, and each other. Hermione was curled up against him on the sofa now, and Harry was sitting on the floor in front of Ginny, who was idly playing with the patch of hair where George had cut from earlier.
Ron could see the wheels turning in Hermione's head, and wondered just what she was thinking now. It seemed as if Hermione never stopped thinking…almost as if it was a continuous process that was necessary for her survival. It was just one of the many things that made her unbelievably irresistible.
"What?" he asked, when she turned to say something, then turned away again – then turned back.
"Nothing," Hermione said, snuggling deeper into the crook of his arm.
"It's not nothing, Hermione," Ginny said with a smile on her face. "You have that 'I've got a brilliant idea' look on your face."
"Well, it's just that…" she started, obviously dying to share her thoughts with them. She pushed herself into a sitting position and leaned forward with a serious look on her face. "I just think that with the twins putting their plan into effect, and Ginny having a plan of her own, maybe it's time that we start figuring out what it is we need to do, and where we're going to start," she said hurriedly, giving Ginny an apologetic look before pinning Harry with her gaze.
"Exactly what do you mean by that?" Harry asked. "Are you looking for some kind of itinerary or schedule? Because I don't think we can really decide any of that until we hear back from Regulus, and run things by Lupin."
"No, that's not what I meant," she explained. "I just think we need to start – I don't know – training…for lack of a better word."
Her suggestion was met by another round of silence, in which she shifted uncomfortably. "Look, this is going to be a lot harder than anything we've faced yet, and in the past we've always seemed to get by on dumb luck. I think if we're really going to do this, we need to be prepared."
Ron reached out and took her hand in his. "I agree," he said, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. "It's time to stop playing around."
"Sort of like resurrecting a smaller version of the DA?" Ginny suggested, considering carefully. They all grew quiet momentarily as they remembered what exactly the DA stood for, and Harry seemed to come to himself at the realization.
"So, when should we start?"
The next day, shortly after breakfast, Hermione found herself once again at Grimmauld Place. After spending a while in the kitchen with her parents, she joined Harry, Ron and Ginny in the drawing room with Lupin and Tonks. Apparently, Harry had already briefed them on their plans to begin training right away, for the entire group of them already had their wands out and were moving furniture out of the way.
"Hermione, Lupin thinks we should start with Patronuses," Ron said, meeting her at the door. "He said you and Harry have already produced them, but it couldn't hurt to keep at it and see if you can make them stronger."
"Alright," she agreed, curious about what Ron and Ginny would produce as their protective animal. She cast a look at Ginny, who looked markedly happier now that she was being included. Hermione took a spot next to her and awaited Lupin's instructions.
"Now, it's much easier to produce a strong Patronus when you are actually being faced with a dementor, but seeing as how we do not have any boggarts left in the house, we'll have to make do as best we can," he said, moving to the front of the room with Tonks. "Harry, why don't you go first?"
Harry nodded and stepped forward, a look of deep concentration coming over his face. "EXPECTO PATRONUM!" he yelled, pointing his wand straight out in front of him. Immediately, a large, celestial stag bounded out from the tip, galloped a few paces, and then stopped directly in front of Lupin.
"Well done, Harry!" Lupin said, grinning his approval. "Hermione, you next."
Hermione took Harry's place in the center of the room and closed her eyes. She always found it a bit easier to concentrate when she didn't have distractions in front of her. "EXPECTO PATRONUM!"
A small, silvery otter crept out from the tip of her wand and began wobbling around on all fours in front of them. Hermione's eyes opened and her Patronus began evaporating slowly. She turned to look at Lupin, who was still smiling.
"Excellent, Hermione, but next time, I want you to keep your eyes open. You won't have the luxury of closing your eyes if you are faced with a real dementor."
She nodded, a bit disappointed that her Patronus wasn't as strong as Harry's. She vowed that next time she would do better, as Lupin called Ron forward.
"Ron, have you ever seen what your Patronus looked like?" he asked. Ron's ears began to turn red as he shook his head.
"Not really. I mean, when we were in the DA, I thought I saw a bit of a…well, an outline of a fox, maybe?" Ron replied, shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot.
Lupin waved him off. "No matter, Ron. The important thing is that you concentrate on a purely happy thought. The happier the thought, the more pronounced your Patronus will appear."
Ron nodded and his face screwed up in intense concentration. His ears were now positively glowing as a small smile tugged at his lips. He shoved his wand out in front of him and bellowed, "EXPECTO PATRONUM!"
A long whisp of silver sprang from his wand, hovered in the air for a second before taking form. Hermione could see why he had thought it was a fox; the animal was definitely four legged and furry. The longer Ron concentrated, however, the less it looked like a fox. The body began to take form, and before she knew it, she was staring at a large, protective looking dog.
"Sirius," she heard Harry and Lupin say quietly, at exactly the same time. Ron's eyes went wide for a moment, breaking his concentration, and the dog disappeared. He stood uncertainly in the middle of the room, looking apologetically at Harry first, then Lupin.
"Sorry," he said, dropping his wand to his side. "I didn't mean for it to…" He trailed off, not knowing what else to say.
Lupin shook his head. "No, Ron, there's nothing to be sorry about. The wizard doesn't choose the Patronus. It's the other way around. In many ways, the Patronus is an extention of ourselves. A dog is extremely loyal and protective, and is usually willing to sacrifice itself for those he loves. I think it's quite fitting, actually."
Ginny stepped forward then, touching Harry's arm to snap him out of his thoughts. "I'd like to have my go now," she said, and Harry nodded as he moved out of the way.
"Ginny, have you ever seen your Patronus?" Lupin asked her, to which she shook her head. "Alright then. Same as your brother. Concentrate very hard on a happy memory."
Ginny shared a look with Harry before turning to face the center of the room. She took a deep breath and thrust her wand in front of her. "EXPECTO PATRONUM!"
Ginny's Patronus was extremely quick in coming, considering she had never produced one before. A shape began to take form in mid-air, and remained there even when it was solid. Hermione watched on, fascinated. All of their Patronuses had floated down to the ground to stand on their feet eventually, but Ginny's hovered directly in front of her as wings began to unfold through the silvery haze. A long tail followed quickly, and once the beak had taken form, it was quite apparent that Ginny had produced a small, yet incredibly distinct phoenix.
"Wow," Ron said, turning his head to the side to check out the diminutive bird. "Looks a bit like Fawkes, doesn't it?"
Hermione felt a prickly sensation behind her eyes as she watched Harry's face as he took in Ginny's Patronus. She knew what he was thinking, too. Phoenixes always protected their masters to the death, and it seemed oddly fitting that Ginny would be protected by the greatest protector of them all. Harry's whole body seemed to relax as he watched the phoenix disappear slowly as Ginny lowered her wand.
Lupin was grinning broadly by now, as was Tonks. "Exceptional, all of you. I don't see the need to stay on this much longer. I must say, I am quite surprised that all of you can produce such strong Patronuses."
Tonks smiled at the lot of them, a secretive glint in her eye. "The stronger the happy emotion, the stronger the Patronus, right, Remus?"
Hermione looked over to Ron, who was staring at her with a lopsided grin on his face. She blushed immediately, knowing exactly what he was thinking. If his happy memory was anything like hers, she wouldn't be surprised if he could produce a solid Patronus one hundred times in a row.
"So," said Ginny, who was now standing extremely close to Harry. "What's next?"
They trained in the small room for over an hour, working their way through the basic curses and ending with a few that Lupin thought might come in handy on the road. They were just about to move onto a few simple counter-curses, when they heard a loud commotion coming from the front hall.
They went to the doorway and looked out onto the foyer. Mad Eye Moody, and two Aurors they all only knew as Dawlish and Williamson were dragging a slight, shabbily dressed man bound by brilliant green ropes into the room with them. The man's face was hidden under a sack which Moody was reaching to remove when the man cried out.
"I told you, she can't see me with you, or she'll never give it back!" he hissed, struggling against them so Moody couldn't get a firm hold on the sack. "Take me into another room before you remove it!"
"You are in no position to be giving orders," Moody growled, his glass eye rolling around crazily in his head. "You're lucky we brought you here at all, you worthless piece of…"
"Alastor, that's quite enough," Dawlish snapped, looking thoroughly put out. "We told Remus we'd find him, and we have. It's his call what we do with him now."
"Then perhaps I can relieve you gentlemen of your burden," Lupin called out, going quickly to the group of men. Hermione watched with the rest of them from the doorway as Lupin pointed to the drawing room over their shoulders. "In there, if you will."
Ron pulled Hermione out of the way as the men marched the stranger into the drawing room. With the addition of the four other men, the room seemed to shrink to half its original size. The room got smaller still as everyone waited with bated breath as Lupin circled the bound man, apparently checking for something only he could possibly see.
"He's clean, Lupin," Moody grumbled, keeping his magical eye trained on the man as his real one connected with Lupin. Tonks, who had watched the whole scene in complete silence, now stepped up to stand beside Lupin as he himself approached the man.
"Do you think they should be here, Remus?" Williamson asked, inclining his head toward Hermione, Ron, Harry and Ginny.
"I don't see why not," Lupin answered, reaching up and removing the sack. "After all, he was the one who contacted them, remember?"
For the life of her, Hermione couldn't move. She found herself staring, almost uncontrollably, at the man who was now free to stare back. She couldn't help it. Sure, the hair was a lighter brown, and much less wild, but the eyes were of the same dark intensity. The build was much slighter, and the face more boyish, but there was absolutely no mistaking it. If she hadn't known any better, she would have sworn that Sirius himself had found a way to come back to them.
Regulus Black stood in the middle of the room, his dark eyes scanning over their faces carefully. When his eyes fell on Harry, he flinched almost imperceptibly. Hermione caught it, however, and looked over to Harry.
Harry's face was as white as a sheet, his hands curled into tight fists at his sides. She knew that all he could see was Sirius. He opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it immediately. Ginny's hand found her way into his as she stared in amazement at the man who stood before them.
"You didn't need to send for me," Regulus said finally, breaking the unbearable tension in the room. "I was going to come to you of my own free will within the week."
"You should feel lucky we did come and get you," spat Moody, glaring at him. "If we could find you, then You Know Who would have been able to as well, and he might have gotten to you before you could get to us."
"I have told you before, and I will tell you as many times as you need to hear it," Regulus said calmly, shaking the hair out of his eyes almost defiantly. "I am here to help you."
Moody huffed angrily, but Lupin put a restraining hand on his arm. "Moody, I wanted him here for a reason. We have a lot of questions we need answered, and we're not leaving from this room until every last one of us is satisfied by the answers."
Moody considered Lupin for a moment, before nodding in ascension.
"Very well then," Lupin said, turning his attention back to Regulus. "I believe the first question I have is what is behind the portrait of your mother?"
Regulus met Lupin's gaze evenly. "A horcrux. One of many, as I've come to understand it." His eyes found Harry's. "Without which, the destruction of Voldemort is a silly, foolish fancy with no beginning or end."
"How did it get there?" Lupin continued, ignoring the look of hatred Moody was shooting at Regulus. "We checked the house thoroughly when we set up here two years ago."
Regulus almost smiled then, but it appeared to Hermione that he had forgotten how. "You seem to forget that I grew up in this house." His eyes traveled over the room, the familiar furniture, and finally landed on Tonks. "Isn't that right, cousin?"
"Don't call me that!" Tonks bellowed out suddenly, the only noise she had made since Regulus had been brought into the house. "I'm no relation of yours, and I never will be!" With that, she practically sprinted out of the room, her hair going from a shocking pink to a jet black as she disappeared around the corner.
Lupin looked for a moment as if he would go after her, but a determined look came across his face as he stared down Regulus once more.
"How do we know you're telling the truth? How do we get at what is behind the portrait?" he asked calmly, although Hermione could tell that he was wrestling heavily with his emotions by this point.
His calmness paid off, however, when Regulus looked out the door into the foyer. "It's quite simple, actually. All I have to do is ask her for it."
I am so sorry to leave it here, but I am exhausted. It's two in the morning and I have to work at 7…I'm in so much trouble tomorrow! But I don't care, because I actually like how this turned out. I know I said this will be 10 chapters only, but I may have to extend that by one. Don't know yet. Depends on if I feel like writing a long chapter or splitting it up.
I am not, however, going to go any further than them formulating a plan. I don't want the fic to follow the trio as they go in search of the horcruxes. I'm just not up for that right now. Also, I don't have the foggiest idea how JKR is going to go about it!
12 days until Goblet! I can't wait! I just wish they would stop showing clips that make it look like Hermione and Harry are being put in romantic circumstances…any true fan knows that simply is not the case!