Hi again everyone, I'm back, thanks for all the reviews! Here's the second installation you all requested, and Merry Christmas as well! (Humbug! Ha ha)
Harry and Hermione spent the remainder of the evening together, happy just to be with each other.
The following day, Harry set off for breakfast, which seemed to be the best he had ever had.
"Ah, Ron, come get a seat, the toast is perfect, the pumpkin juice is just right." Yelled Harry to a disgruntled looking Ronald Weasley.
"What's up with you?" Quizzed Ron, tearing off the corner of a slice of toast with lion-like ferocity, "It's just the same as any other bloody day!"
Suddenly Ron's face transformed into a glorious grin, "You asked her out didn't you?"
Harry nearly choked, "What, how do you know? Aren't you angry?"
"Oh Harry, you're as readable as a book! Damn it, I'm starting to sound like Hermione, someone hex me ha ha! So who is she Harry? It was so obvious you had a crush on someone and you're spontaneous happiness can only be explained by the fact you've asked her out. Why would I be angry anyway?"
Harry breathed a sigh of relief, Ron didn't know. From now on he's have to be more careful.
"No, no I'm just happy because I've understood a few things that weren't making sense in err … potions, you know. I don't know why you'd be angry, umm … I thought you might have had a bad dream or something" Harry knew it was pathetic, but either he was good at pathetically lying, or Ron was gullible, the latter being the most likely option.
"Since when did you care about potions? Come on Harry, we're going to be late for defence against the dark arts." Laughed Ron as he and Harry grabbed their books and headed for their first lesson.
"And since when did you care so much about defence against the dark arts?" Harry retorted.
"Just a feeling it'll be good this year!" Said Ron.
They ran down corridors and up winding staircases until they finally the room. They were late.
"You first Ron!" Joked Harry, pushing Ron through the door with more force than he had intended. A thought suddenly sprang into Harry's mind; who was there defence against the dark arts teacher? The last one left at the end of last term; madness.
"Ronald Veasley et 'arry James Potter!" a sharp voice cut through the stuffy air.
They both looked forwards, Ron from his position on the floor thanks to Harry.
"FLEUR?" Both voices exclaimed spontaneously.
"Non, C'est mademoiselle Delacour pour toi si'l vous plait!" Fleur purred as she came forward from the teacher's desk, "Assez-vous!"
"You what?" Grunted Ron, still in shock from Fleur's beauty.
She looked down on him patronisingly with her long blonde hair swishing back and forth, her huge blue eyes, her red lips, her …"
"Ron!" Harry had to shout to stop his friend looking any lower than Fleur's chin.
Ron immediately jumped up to his feet, "Yes, err, Miss Delacour, er … um, Sorry we're late."
"Sit down and turn to page fifty nine." Fleur ordered.
Harry and Ron fumbled over to their seats and began taking notes.
"O.K. everybody, I vant you to vatch me … my vand Mr. Veasley, O.K. this is a simple protection spell, Fleur gracefully spun and flexed her wand and yelled "Sanctum." Suddenly a formidable bubble appeared around her, and then disappeared. "This will protect you from minor curses and hexes, now you all have a go!" She signalled at the class.
Harry waved his wand and uttered "Sanctum", but only a wispy cloud of smoke issued from the wand. Even Ron could perfectly perform the spell.
Oh well, it's a one off thought Harry. He tried more and more all lesson without success.
At the end he and Ron stayed behind to see 'Miss Delacour.'
"Oh boys, I have missed you so much!" Said Fleur hugging both Harry and Ron, the latter of whom glowed bright red.
"So what are you doing here Fleur?" Asked Harry.
"Vell, I need Vork experience and professor Dumblydore offered me a job here."
"That's excellent news, I'm glad you're back, but you do know the job is … cursed?" Said Harry
"Curse! Ha! I'm not afraid of any curse. I'm happy to be back." Laughed Fleur
"Not as happy as I am that you're back." Commented Ron shyly, turning an even deeper shade of maroon.
"Well we'd better get going." Mentioned Harry, seeing an awkward silence build up.
After dragging Ron away, they set off to charms, then transfiguration, yet in both Harry could not master any spell's, 'That's it!' He thought, 'I need to see Dumbledore."
During lunch, Harry made his way to the stone gargoyle guarding the headmaster's office.
"Sherbet lemon." Harry called as the gargoyle leapt aside, satisfied by the password. Harry ascended the spiral staircase and knocked on the office door.
"Enter." Boomed an old but powerful voice.
"Harry, what can I do for you?" Dumbledore enquired over his gold glasses as Harry pushed open the door.
"I think … I think I'm losing my powers." Said Harry, becoming increasingly worried.
"Ah, my boy, I wondered when this would happen." Dumbledore chuckled, stroking his beard in an 'all-knowing' way.
"Have you became close to anybody recently Harry?"
"Why sir? I don't see how this …"
"It has everything to do with your powers, answer my question please."
"Well, Hermione Granger and myself get on rather well and …"
"So you kissed her? Ah, my boy. Love is a fantastic thing; it is the most ancient and powerfully potent of all magic. It is because of it that you are standing her in front of me. But you are special Harry, the reason you survived Voldemort was because your mother and father loved you so much, that they were willing to surrender their lives in order to preserve yours. But a deal was made between the fates; you could survive the unsurvivable if, when you fell in love, you would lose all your magical powers. So says the prophecy, professor Trelawney tells me.
Harry looked distraught, "But where will I go now? I can't go back to the Dursley's! I hate it there, and …"
"Not necessarily, it was also agreed that if your true love was willing to surrender her powers to you, then you could absorb her power's instead."
"No! Hermione has worked so hard, she must be the best witch in Hogwarts." Said Harry defiantly.
"Her parent's are muggles as well Harry, maybe it was meant to be this way? Maybe she is destined to live as a muggle." Dumbledore considered.
"Never!" yelled Harry, "I'd sooner die!"